Category Archives: Holidays

January 7, 2022 – Sonny Goes Back Home, Postponed, Luke’s Death, an Exit, Last Bow, Possible Wife, SI DUI, Ring Clap, Ringing It In, the First Dozen Quotes This Year & a Tale

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Deception office, Chase asks if Brook is working late. She says he didn’t have to come himself. She would have called the baby nurse to pick up Bailey. He says, now that Peter’s awake, he doesn’t want to take any chances. If it were up to him, he’d never take his eyes off this little angel. (Bailey is really cute, and one of those very aware babies who seems to know what’s expected in a scene.) Brook says she appreciates that. Unfortunately, Peter isn’t their only problem now that her grandmother is back in town. He says, her grandmother Tracy? and she says, yes. If he sees her anywhere in the house, steer clear. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. He says, so she doesn’t want him to take Bailey back to the house? and she says, kind of like at the last possible moment. He tells Bailey, it looks like it’s just you and me, kid.

Trina and Ava are seated at the MetroCourt, and Ava asks for another place setting. Trina asks if someone is joining them, and Ava says, yes. This is a working dinner with their new employee. Spencer walks in, and Ava says, he’s right on time.

At Charlie’s, Cameron tells Josslyn, there’s a lull right now, so if she wants to vent about her mom and Sonny, now would be the time. Josslyn says she’s so pissed at Sonny, and he says, keep going. She says, he totally protected Nina in court. She’ll never have to pay for what she did. He doesn’t even view it as a crime. He’s completely betrayed his family, especially her mom. Cameron asks if her mom has said anything, but she says, not directly. He should have seen her on New Year’s; she was hurting so bad. He takes her hand, and says he’s sorry her family has to go through this, but he thinks everything will be okay. How many times have her mom and Sonny been married? She says, one more time than they’ve been divorced, and he says, exactly. He thinks they’ll get through this. She says, this time, she’s not so sure. She really thinks her mom and Sonny may have broken up for real. Esme walks in, and says, oh my God. That’s terrible. Josslyn says, it is, and thanks her. Esme asks if that means they can’t use the cabin.

Phyllis knocks at Nina’s office door, and asks if she’s interrupting. Nina says, is she kidding? Of course (🍷) not. She’s exactly the person Nina needed to see. She takes Phyllis’s hands, and says, as a matter-of-fact, she was going to drop by Charlie’s when she got off work. Phyllis is glad she saved Nina a trip, and Nina says she bets Phyllis can guess what she needed to talk about. Phyllis says, the hearing? and Nina says, it was crazy. She won’t believe what happened. Phyllis says she knows exactly what happened. It finally came out that Nina and Sonny fell in love. Nina says, it was a disaster, and Phyllis says, she’s right. So what is she going to do about it?

Olivia says, Sonny told Carly how he felt about Nina, and she was honest with him about how she felt about Jason on her wedding day, but has she been honest with Sonny about how she feels about Jason still? Sonny walks in, and Carly asks what he’s doing here. He says, he lives here, and doesn’t want to leave until they settle things. He asks Olivia if he can have time with his wife, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). She was just on her way out. She tells Carly that she’s rooting for her; don’t let her down. She leaves, and Sonny asks how Donna and Avery are. She says, they miss him. She told them that he was away on business. He says he doesn’t want them to think he’s gone, and she says, unlike Nina, she has no desire to keep him away from his family. He says, good, because he wants to come home. They’ve been apart too long. He knows he made a mistake, and he should have told her from the beginning, despite his reasons. She asks, what reasons? and he says he told her, Jason died. She says, then Sasha and Brando lost their baby, and he didn’t want to cause any more pain. He says, Sasha and Brando went through a terrible tragedy, and it broke his heart. Then they lost Jason, and Carly was able to express her hurt and grief. He lost his best friend, his brother, and he had to stuff all that inside. He had to be tough for her. He didn’t want to lose her, and didn’t want this thing with Nina to come between them. He didn’t say anything, and he should have, and it made it worse. But now, he’s been apart from her for nine months, and one night. He doesn’t want to spend one more minute without her.

Elizabeth sees Finn in the hospital locker room, and he asks if they’re still on for tonight. She asks, why wouldn’t they be? and he says he doesn’t know. Emergency? Family? Friends? The weather? She laughs, and he says, maybe she’s having second thoughts? She says, no, never. There’s no way she’s missing their first official date. She even brought a dress for the occasion. Don’t tell her that he changed his mind. He says, him? No. He’s just – he takes her hand – he’s just really happy if she feels like she can move on with him. She flashes back to putting her ring away, and says she thinks Franco would want her to be happy, and she is happy, with him. He kisses her.

Josslyn says, that’s nice. Her mother’s marriage is falling apart, and Esme is worried about a weekend getaway. Esme says she’s right; it was insensitive of her, and she’s truly sorry. Josslyn says, apology accepted, and Esme says, it’s just that all she can think about is Spence. He’s with Ava right now to discuss restitution. It’s torture. Not only this business with Ava, but the whole going to prison thing. She sits down, and says, the only thing Spence was looking forward to was their time in the cabin. Josslyn says she’s really sorry, but the last thing she wants is to ask Sonny for anything, and Esme says she understands. She doesn’t know how she’s going to tell Spence the weekend is off. On top of everything else, how can she take this from him too?

Spencer says he didn’t know Trina was going to be there, and Trina says, same here. She’ll leave if they’re going to be discussing… He says, please don’t leave on his account. He never minds seeing her. Ava on the other hand… He sits down, and Ava says, there’s no need to flatter Trina; he already has the job. He says, a job is usually paid for; this seems like indentured servitude. Ava says, court mandated indentured servitude. He owes her. The fake blood did damage to her gallery, not to mention the art itself. She opens the menu, and suggests they have a little something to eat before they talk business. Surf, turf, or both? Spencer says, he can’t afford to eat anything there. Ava has a stranglehold on his trust fund. Ava asks who he thinks is paying for this meal? She tells Trina to order whatever she likes. It’s on Spence.

Brook asks if Chase has heard anything about his suspension, but he says, not a peep. Which is fine. Not having to work means having more time to look after this little troublemaker, and when he’s not watching her, he fills his time with working out, and looking up brand new facts. Did she know the severed head of a sea slug can grow its whole body back? She says she doesn’t find that fascinating; she finds it repulsive. He says, why can’t it be both? and she asks if he’s really okay. He says, he was just so eager to get out of the wheelchair, and now that he’s able-bodied, he’s still kept from doing what he loves. It’s beyond frustrating. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, he told her, it’s not her fault. She says she can’t help but feel responsible. He was suspended for punching Valentin in her honor. He says he would do it all over again. Olivia comes by, and says, thank God Brook’s here. Brook asks if anyone is hurt, but Olivia says, not yet, but if Brook doesn’t talk her down, she’s going to Crimson, and rearranging Nina’s lying face.

Nina says, Phyllis knows what happened at the hearing? She was under the weather, so Nina assumed she was out of the loop. Phyllis says, one thing she’ll never take for granted again, in Nixon Falls, when she and Lenny had problems with their marriage, they never ended up on the news. Nina says, what? Phyllis found out about this on the news? Phyllis says, yes, and Kristina also filled her in on what happened at the hearing. Nina is sure Kristina had a mouthful to say about her, and Phyllis says, she did, but she’s hurt and confused, like Phyllis imagines Nina is. Nina says Phyllis has to believe her. She never wanted anyone to know about her and Sonny. No one, especially not like this. Now Sonny and Carly’s marriage was in trouble, and he was a wreck on New Year’s Eve. Phyllis says, she saw Sonny on New Year’s Eve? Alone? She’s asking for trouble.

Olivia says, then Willow testified that she heard Nina and Sonny talking about falling in love in Nixon Falls, which then Sonny confirmed, also on the stand. Chase says, poor Willow, and Brook asks, how’d Carly react? Chase says he has to meet his brother at GH, so he’ll take Bailey, and leave them to talk. Brook says, he’s introducing the baby to his brother? and he says, yeah. It’s going to be fine. He hands her a paper bag, saying, he almost forgot. He thought she might be working late, so he got her turkey on rye, her favorite. He added a banana because she always seems to steal his. Brook thanks him, but says, don’t think for a second her banana stealing days are over. He says he wouldn’t have it any other way, and says, goodbye, wheeling Bailey’s carriage out. When he’s gone, Olivia asks Brook to tell her every single detail. Brook says, about what? and Olivia says, her and Chase obviously.

Ava says, she and Trina came up with a list of projects Spencer can tackle at the gallery after he serves his sentence. Spencer says, if he’d thought this plea deal meant working for her, he’d have asked for more prison time, and Ava says, that’s gratitude for you. Luckily, she has good news. He won’t be working for her. He’ll be working for Trina.

Cameron tells Esme that he’ll break the news to Spence once he finds out what’s going on with Sonny, but Josslyn says, that’s okay. Esme’s right. They promised Spencer a fun time at the cabin, and considering it’s the last fun he’ll have in a long time… Esme says, that’s so decent of her. She knows it will mean the world to Spence. Josslyn says, the way she sees it, after what he did to her mom, Sonny owes her, and she could use some time away. Esme says she knows the feeling. Before they died, her parents were in the process of splitting up. It was brutal. Cameron says, it’s never easy; he’s sorry. What happened? Esme says, what didn’t? They both know the drill. He betrayed her, and they blamed each other. It was devastating. Josslyn says she’s sorry, and Esme thanks her, but says, she’s not. She may have been just a kid, but it taught her a valuable lesson. There’s a circle in hell reserved for people who tear families apart.

Nina says, nothing happened with Sonny, but Phyllis says, trust her. When the two of them are together, something happens. They have unresolved feelings for each other, and whether they act on those feelings or not is beside the point. Right now, being together, even casually, is inappropriate. Nina says, Phyllis is probably right, but Sonny has unresolved feelings for her. Phyllis asks what point Nina is making, and Nina says, she was chatting with her friend Ava, and it got her thinking. They all deserve happiness in life, right? She knows it sounds crazy, but right or wrong and not now, what if Sonny’s happiness lies with her?

Carly says, that’s the man she married, and Sonny says he thinks that’s who he is. She says, Sonny told her that he has reasons for keeping the truth about him and Nina from her. What reasons? He says, it doesn’t matter; it doesn’t exist. She says, that’s not the truth, and he asks what she means. She says, the reason he didn’t tell her was because he knew she’d ask the inevitable question. He asks if they have to do this now, and she says, yes, they do. She says she asked him last night, and she’s going to ask it again, and if he can’t answer it this time, he can turn around and leave. Does he have feelings for Nina? He doesn’t say anything, so she shouts, does he have feelings for Nina? and he says, yeah.

Trina says, Spencer’s working for her? But it’s Ava’s gallery. Ava says she won’t be there very much in the coming months. She and Nikolas are going to renew their vows. Their first wedding was last minute, so they want to plan something elegant, and in her absence, Trina will supervise. Spencer says, that’s no better. No offense, Trina. Trina asks if he thinks she wants this. Excuse her. She jets, and Spencer says, wait. Ava tells him, sit down. They’re not finished here yet.

Cameron says he knows how it feels. His family was torn apart when Franco was killed. He almost let his anger get the best of him. Esme says, sometimes anger can be fuel, and Josslyn’s phone rings. She excuses herself, and steps away. Outside, she asks Trina, what’s up? and Trina says she’s at the MetroCourt with Ava and Spencer, and things just went totally sideways.

Esme apologizes for getting intense, but Cameron says, she’s entitled. She thanks him, and says, it’s just that she didn’t grow up with her biological family, and the family that chose her imploded. That’s probably why she’s so devoted to Spence. He’s her family now. Cameron says, makes sense, but as far as anger… She says, he doesn’t agree? and he says, he’s sure she’s right. Anger can be fuel. But they can’t let it overrun them. Wasn’t it anger that drove her and Spencer to stalk Ava?

Sonny tells Carly, it’s complicated. He has feelings for Nina, but he’s getting over it. She says, you don’t just get over that, and he asks if she’s speaking from experience. She says, don’t do that. When he asked her about Jason, she was honest. He says, but she didn’t tell him right away, and she says, she told him within days. Didn’t she answer every question he asked? And she’s been asking for months for him to tell her what happened in Nixon Falls, and he was consciously keeping it from her. He says, that wasn’t him, but when she was with Jason, that was her. She says she doesn’t blame him for what he did as Mike, but he owes her the truth. He says they’re not going to be able to get through this if they’re not under the same roof, and she tells him, he said he wasn’t Nina’s victim. Now she realizes how true that was. Sonny was Nina’s accomplice.

Nina asks how many times Phyllis has told her, she and Sonny shouldn’t ignore their feelings for each other, but Phyllis says, she advised Nina to come to terms with her feelings. That’s very different. Nina says, if Sonny and Carly separate – if – does Phyllis think it’s possible for her and Sonny to be together? Phyllis says, first, she’ll answer the question Nina asked. Yes, it’s possible. Now she’ll answer the question Nina didn’t ask. If it’s possible, does she think Nina should act on her feelings? Hell no.

Josslyn says, basically, Spencer would be working as a handyman? Has he ever even held a hammer? Trina says she doesn’t think it’s just about the work. Ava isn’t making this easy on him. Josslyn says, he and Esme stalked Ava for months. They made implied threats to Avery, and, oh yeah, set Ava’s car on fire. She knows Spencer’s their friend, but after what he’s done, he’s getting off easy.   

Ava says she admits she had a little fun at Spencer’s expense, and he says, she means, kicked him when he was down. That’s low, even for her. She says, still not quite as low as leaving a teddy bear teddy with a murderer’s voice for her child to find. He asks, why involve Trina? and she says, besides paying for what he did to her, his true task is to make restitution to Trina. Does he think she needs the money him doing odd jobs at the gallery will save her? Restitution isn’t only about money. It’s about righting wrongs. Repairing what’s broken. Restoring what’s been stolen. He says he never took anything from Trina, and she asks if he can honestly say he didn’t hurt Trina. He says, one of his greatest regrets is how he treated Trina. He should have been honest. He should have told her that he already had a girlfriend. He shouldn’t asked her to cover for him, when she didn’t realize he was actually going after Ava. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to make that up to Trina, but Ava says, he can try. Him framing a few pictures with Trina at the gallery isn’t going to fix the trust that’s broken, but trying to make Trina’s job easier could go a long way.

On the phone, Trina says she thinks they calmed down a bit. It was looking pretty intense for a while. She thanks Josslyn for letting her vent, and Josslyn says, anytime. Trina knows Josslyn’s got her back.

Esme says, Cameron is right; about the anger thing, and what she and Spence did to Ava. She’s a work in progress. He says, they all are. Trust him, he’s not judging. If she knew what anger drove him to do when Franco was killed… She says, do tell, and he tells her, all he’ll say is, he was impulsive, and he was reckless. He’s very grateful he had people around him who were patient and forgiving. She says, angry Cameron sounds quite intriguing, and he says, she’ll never meet him, not if he can help it. Josslyn comes back in, and says, that was Trina. Sounds like Spencer’s super unhappy over whatever Ava cooked up for his restitution. Esme says, Trina’s there? Spence didn’t mention she’d be at the meeting. Cameron says, maybe he didn’t know, and Josslyn says, even if she is, what’s the big deal? They’re all friends here, right?   

Chase brings Bailey/Louise to the hospital, carrying her in a baby sling, and Elizabeth says it’s so nice to see her. Is she all snuggly and comfortable with her daddy? Finn says, it’s about time he got to meet his niece, and Elizabeth says, she’s beautiful. Chase says, that’s all her mother, and Finn says, definitely, but Elizabeth says she thinks Chase has something to do with it. She has to get back to work, and tells Chase, congratulations. She tells Finn that she’ll see him later, and leaves. Finn says he can’t believe his little brother is a father, and Chase says, Bailey’s not the only good news in the family. Is he imagining things, or do Finn and Elizabeth seem… closer? Finn says, he thinks he and Elizabeth have decided to see where this can go, and Chase asks, what finally changed? Finn says, she did; mostly. She’s been through a lot, and he thinks she’s ready now. Chase says, it’s been a tough year for both of them. He’s glad they can look forward to a future together. Finn suggests they not get ahead of themselves. And what about Chase? What does his future hold?

Brook tells Olivia that she and Chase are friends; there’s nothing going on with them. Olivia says she saw the energy between them, and don’t argue with her. She has a nose for these things. Brook says, that’s not why Olivia came there. How’s Carly taking the news about Sonny? Olivia says, that’s why she’s so steamed. Carly is so angry at Sonny right now, and rightfully so, but she’s also torn. She desperately wants to forgive Sonny, but it’s a massive betrayal to get past. Brook says, if Olivia can forgive her dad… Olivia says she’s forgiven him for many things, and Brook says, then Carly can forgive Uncle Sonny, can’t she?

Phyllis says, sorry she was so blunt, but Nina says, that’s okay. She just doesn’t want Phyllis to get worked up when she’s recovering. Phyllis says, some of the responsibility of this situation lies with her, and Nina says, no. What did Phyllis do? Phyllis says, if she’d been completely honest with Nina after Sonny regained his memory, Nina might not still be fantasizing about a future with him. As Lenny would say, it’s never too late for settin’ straight. So is Nina ready to get real?

Sonny says, Nina’s accomplice? and Carly says, he’s Nina’s protector. He told Carly to lay off Nina. He says, he didn’t want a war, and she says, look where that got them. He promised Nina would stay away from their family, but that didn’t stop the two of them from reminiscing in the hospital chapel. Is he kidding her? Is he going to stand in her way now, and asks her not to go after Nina, after she fired the first shot at the hearing? Is he? He says he doesn’t know what that’s going to accomplish; just forget about Nina. She says, like he has? and he says, she doesn’t want to trust him, and doesn’t want to forgive him. Is he wasting his time? Is she saying there’s no hope for their marriage?

Chase tells Finn, fatherhood has been great, so far, but without his job, he feels useless. Like he doesn’t have a purpose. And he gets the feeling he’s starting to bug Brook. Finn says, first things first. Being a dad is the greatest job there is. There’s nothing useless about spending time with his little girl. That being said, he understands Chase’s suspension has made him feel restless, but it’s not going to last forever. Chase says, here’s hoping, and Finn says, he thought Chase and Brook were good friends. Chase says, they usually are, but lately, their vibe has been off. Hanging out with Brook is effortless, but lately, it’s just awkward. He’s not sure what’s come between them. Finn laughs, and says, you’re wearing her, bro. Co-parenting Bailey with Brook has brought a new dynamic into their friendship. There’s bound to be some bumps in the road, but they’ll figure it out. Chase says, that makes sense, and Finn says, it’s going to all fall into place. Chase asks how Finn can be so sure, and Finn says, it comes from frequently being right. Just think of all the things Chase overcame this year, and he’s still standing, literally. Chase says, thanks to him, and Finn says, and Chase’s own resilience. He knows he’ll never have Chase’s optimism, but he hopes he can learn to embrace life like Chase does. Elizabeth goes by, whispers, hi, and Chase says, it looks like he already has.

Trina comes back to find Spencer heading for the reception area, and she asks where he’s going. He says he’s going to find a waitress. He can’t stand being here one more second. So he’s going to get his dinner to go. After all, he did pay for it. Trina says, Ava ambushed both of them. She didn’t know Ava was going to have her supervise him. She’ll decline. He says, no. He’s grateful to have the opportunity to work for her, if she’ll have him. She says, why not? Good help is hard to find.

Esme gets some coffee, and asks what she owes Cameron, but he says it’s on the house. She thanks him, and says he’s a life saver. She tells Josslyn that she hopes her mom and stepdad weather the storm, and if they can’t, Josslyn emerges strong anyway. She thanks Cameron for the caffeine, and Josslyn for the cabin, and says, she knows what it’s costing Josslyn. Esme leaves, and Josslyn says, is she crazy, or did Esme almost seem sincere?

Nina says, Phyllis has always been real with her. That’s why she values their friendship so much. Phyllis says she hopes they continue to be friends after she says this. Sonny may not see himself as a victim, but what Nina did, pretend not to know who he was, and keeping him from his family, including the grandson they shared, allowing Sonny to fall in love with her, that was a violation. And the only way to make this right is to leave Sonny alone. Nina says, what if he doesn’t want to be left alone? and Phyllis says, let Sonny and Carly figure this out. Whatever the next step is, it’s not hers to take. Phyllis gets her coat, and leaves.

Carly says, if there’s any chance for them, Sonny needs to be honest with her. He says, he’s already admitted he has feelings for Nina. It’s confusing and complicated, and he doesn’t want to have these feelings. That’s as honest as he can be. She tells him, he said they didn’t have sex; did he kiss her? Did he touch her? He says, it doesn’t matter, but she says, it does to her. He asks why she wants to hurt herself; she’s already hurt. She says, she can’t forgive him if she doesn’t know what she’s forgiving. He says, it’s not going to help, and she says, it can’t be worse than what she’s imagining in her head. Tell her. He says, to move forward, you have to forget, but she says, for her to move forward, she has to know every last detail. He says, that was Mike; he’s Sonny. She points at a plate, and says, his daughter wanted him to have that cookie, and walks out of the house.

Trina goes back to the table, and says, Ava knows she’ll do anything Ava asks, but when she asked if Trina was comfortable having Spencer work at the gallery, Ava never mentioned she’d be supervising him. Ava says, she doesn’t want to supervise him, and Spencer’s the one being punished, not her. Trina asks why she’s being punished, but Ava says, she’s not; she’s being rewarded. Doesn’t Trina think it would be a little satisfying, bossing Spencer around after everything he’s done to her? Trina says, honestly, no, and Ava says she doesn’t know why she’s surprised. Trina is cut from a much kinder cloth than she is. Now she feels bad that she sprang this on Trina. Can Trina forgive her? Trina says, of course (🍷), and Ava says, good. Because Trina is going to run her own gallery one day, and she’s going to need this experience, boss’s orders. Trina says, when Ava puts it that way… They see Spencer, carrying a to-go bag, and waiting for the elevator. Trina catches his eye.

Cameron says, it was sincere for Esme, and Josslyn says, it certainly was a surprise, Esme confiding in them about her childhood. Cameron wonders if it was a good surprise or a bad surprise, and Josslyn says, that depends on whether Esme was lying or not. He says, it seemed like she was telling the truth, and she says, it did. She hates to admit this, but there may be an outside chance that there’s more to Esme than she’s given her credit for. He says, if Spencer likes her, how bad can she be?… Gotcha. He asks if they should give Esme the benefit of the doubt, just this one time, and Josslyn says, she gets an A for effort, but they’ll see if she passes the class.

A nurse hands Esme a bag at the hospital pharmacy, and asks if it’s a new prescription. Esme says, it is, and the nurse says Esme needs to speak to the pharmacist. Esme says, that won’t be necessary, but the nurse says, the dosage is strong. She advises a consultation to go over proper usage. Esme says, no need. She knows exactly how to use this.

Olivia says, thanks for the chat, and Brook says, anytime, walking her to the door. Brook says, huh, she actually meant that, and Olivia says, no one is more surprised than she is. Brook says, don’t tell everybody they’re getting along; she has a reputation. Olivia says, Brook definitely has a reputation, and thanks Brook for keeping her from punching Nina in the nose. Brook says, what Nina did was truly messed up, and Olivia says, but? Brook says, but she’s made choices she knew would hurt people. Sometimes for reasons people think are right in the moment, and dig holes that are just too big to climb out of. Olivia says, Brook’s made mistakes, and Brook says, one or two. Olivia says, but beneath all of Brook’s barbs and bluster, she’s got a beautiful heart. She loves without reservation, and Olivia thinks Brook just wants to be loved in return. Brook says, the heart is a muscle; it will atrophy without use. Olivia says, start using it, and Brook says, easier said than done. Olivia says she doesn’t know about that. Sometimes the very thing we’re looking for is right in front of us.

Finn thanks Chase for introducing him to his niece. He tells Bailey that he’s so glad to finally meet her, and Chase says he wants to get her home. Finn says he should probably go find a cure for a disease or two, and Chase says, only if he has the time. He’s thrilled for Finn. He was starting to enjoy curmudgeon Finn, but thinks he can learn to like nice Finn too. Finn tells him, don’t get carried away. He knows he and Elizabeth took their time getting here… Chase says, it took them forever. They were the last two people to realize there was a spark between them. Finn says, sometimes it works that way, right? There were some obstacles, but now it seems like nothing is standing in their way.

In the locker room, Elizabeth takes out her dress. Something falls out of the locker, and she picks up her wedding ring.

Sonny is all alone in the kitchen, without even the moss bowl 🎍 for comfort. He flashes back to when he was in the Nixon Falls clinic after the fire at the Tan-O. He remembers Nina saying, what they have is real. If he leaves, she wants him to know something. She honestly loves him. He takes a swig of his drink, then smashes the glass.

On the phone, Nina says she’s sorry. Her meeting ran late. She’s on her way. She’ll be in the conference room in five minutes. Carly comes in, and slams the door. She tells Nina, you’re gonna miss that meeting.

On Monday, Trina says she saw the Ava that Josslyn warned her about, Victor tells Spencer that it’s time he lived up to being a Cassadine heir, Sonny says he really screwed up, and Nina says there’s something else Sonny didn’t tell Carly about.

😷 Down But Not Out…

Supposedly, it won’t affect the schedule.

🧼 Good Soap Characters Never Die…

Since Tony Geary is still alive and well, and living in Amsterdam smoking weed, I’m not buying it.

https://ew.com/tv/general-hospital-killed-off-luke-spencer/

Relive the moments.

⚖️ Say It Ain’t So…

What the what? But he and Obrecht are so cute together.

🎭 Closing the Curtain…

One Life To Live liked her so much, she came back later to play a different role. I had no idea she was Arthur Miller’s sister though.

https://people.com/theater/joan-copeland-broadway-star-and-sister-of-playwright-arthur-miller-dead-at-99/

💎 Wifely Tease…

I wouldn’t mind seeing her added to the cast. I liked that reality show she had with Dave Navarro.

https://www.justjared.com/2022/01/07/carmen-electra-teases-possibility-of-joining-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-cast/

🏎 Influenced Wife…

Apparently using the Kim Kardashian filter on that IG post.

💍 In Defense Of Morganite…

It’s still a gorgeous ring, and it was still expensive. I think my engagement ring was around $500.

https://people.com/style/scheana-shay-claps-back-at-fans-who-criticized-her-pink-morganite-ring-i-didnt-want-a-diamond/

🎉 Happy Last Year…

You didn’t think I’d forget. The celebration continues, even if only in my mind.

Celebrity Celebrations.

https://people.com/celebrity/happy-new-year-2022-see-celebrities-celebrating-in-photos/

How Daytime does it.

📯 Quotes of the Week

The moment we choose to love, we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. – Bell Hooks

The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized. – Rachel Carson

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

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell

Art is not what you see but what you make others see. – Edgar Degas

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. – Maya Angelou

Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli

If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive. – Audre Lorde

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell

Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil

Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them. – George Eliot

🌃 Into the Night…

It’s the second weekend of the new year. That two-day break from work if you’re still doing that, and if you’re on the resignation bandwagon, call it whatever you like. But whatever you call it, enjoy a change of scenery, even if it means moving your computer to another room. You’ve got an open invite to join me on Monday for soap and Deck adventures. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving them wanting more, and stay leaving it alone, if the next step is not yours to take.

December 30, 2021 – New Year’s Eve In Port Charles, What’s On, Who’s Gone, Backlash Defense, Lala’s World, Bad Idea, Celebrations, Traditions, 22 Quotes for ’22, Eve Talk & Another One

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Today’s drinking game will include extra words because, New Year’s Eve (🍷).

Portia comes into The Savoy, and Curtis says she looks stunning. She tells him that he cleans up pretty nicely himself. He says, it’s a big occasion, and she says, happy New Year (🍷). He says, not just New Year (🍷); new beginnings. Right here with her, where it all started. He kisses her. Martin comes in with Lucy, and says, good evening and happy New Year (🍷), to Nika, who’s playing hostess. He asks if Valentin has a reservation this evening, and Lucy wonders why he needs to know.

At Kelly’s, Valentin sees Anna, and asks if the seat across from her is taken. He sits, and she asks if this is when he asks her about the conversation with his purported father. He says he couldn’t care less about anything Victor says or does, and she says, her either, but she thought he’d want to hear what was said. He says, not really. He and Anna have been tiptoeing around each other for far too long. He’s over it, and thinks she is too. So why doesn’t she let him take her out tonight? They can kick this wretched year to the curb, and start 2022 (🍷) fresh, the best way he can think of starting it – with each other.

Holding a gift bag, Drew knocks on Sam’s door, and when she answers, he says, surprise.

On the phone, Josslyn says she was really looking forward to them having her dad’s house to themselves, and Cameron asks if she’s sure she can’t get away. She says, unfortunately, something major happened with her mom, and she’s sorry, but she can’t leave. She’s really going to miss being with him tonight. He says, him too; she has no idea. She says she thinks she does. She’ll call him at midnight.

Michael tells Willow that Dante just texted him. He found Sonny. Willow hopes he’s okay, and Michael says, he’ll be fine, but he thinks it’s best if Sonny keeps his distance for a little while after he hurt mom. She says she’s so sorry. She can’t believe the mess she made. He says, she did nothing wrong. She told the truth about his father, which is something his father should have done a long time ago.

Carly takes down Sonny’s stocking from the fireplace, and looks at it. Then she looks at a picture of the two of them. Michael comes in, and says, mom? Carly says, excuse her, but he says, just talk to them. Willow says she’s so sorry about what happened in court, and Carly says, when Willow testified that she’d known for weeks about Sonny and Nina, did it ever occur to Willow to let her know her husband had fallen in love with someone else?

Maxie and Nina sit down at the Savoy, and Maxie asks, what’s wrong with Nina?. She gets to ring in 2022 (🍷) free as a bird; she should be celebrating. Nina says she should, but she’s not exactly in the mood. Scotty’s legal maneuvering kept her out of jail, but he blew up her life. And possibly Sonny and Carly’s.

Sonny knocks back drinks at Charlie’s, a stack of crumpled bills on the bar, when Dante walks in. Sonny asks what he’s doing there, and Dante says, Michael called him. He was looking for Sonny. Sonny says, congratulations. Dante found him. Dante says he can see that. Michael also told him about the hearing, that Willow took the stand and testified that Sonny and Nina fell in love in Nixon Falls. Sonny says he did not fall in love with Nina. That was Mike. He didn’t know who the hell he was, but he can’t get Carly to see that. She kicked him out. What if he never gets her to understand? What if he’s lost her forever? He slugs back another drink.

Drew apologizes for not calling first, and tells Sam, he promised Scout that he’d drop by with something special for New Year’s Eve (🍷). She says, it’s fine. Scout will be happy to see him. He says, here’s hoping, and she says, enough with the false modesty. Their daughter adores him.

Martin says, Valentin is his most lucrative client, and Lucy says, so the more the merrier. He says, no, far from it. As a matter-of-fact, Valentin made it clear that his and Lucy’s association is a bit of a conflict of interest. So much so, he issued an ultimatum; either his business or her. She says, obviously he chose her, but he says he doesn’t see why he should have to make a choice at all. He’s not here, and he’s not going to be here. The way Martin sees it, if they don’t make a scene, he can have his hummingbird cake and eat it too. How does that sound?

Maxie says, so Willow said Nina and Sonny fell in love. In court. On the stand. Nina says, yep, and Maxie says, wow. That is so dramatic. How did she even know? Nina says, Willow overheard her and Sonny talking in private, and she convinced Willow to keep it a secret, but Scotty pried it out of Willow. Maxie asks how Scotty found out, and Nina says she has no idea. Obrecht joins them, telling them, happy New Year (🍷). She sees Nina’s face, and says, what?

Scotty gives Cameron and Aiden what look like cassette tapes, and says he’s sorry he didn’t get these to them before Christmas. He tells Elizabeth that he has one for Jake too, but she says, he’s at a sleepover. She’ll make sure he gets it. He says he didn’t know Violet was going to be there, but Finn says, it’s okay. Scotty says, who doesn’t need five bucks? and Cameron says, Franco used to say that. Finn says, okay, and Violet takes the money, thanking Scotty. Scotty says he bets Franco did; he was always bumming five bucks from him. Aiden wonders what the gift is, and Cameron says, they’re old school tapes of sorts. Scotty says, it’s Franco’s music. He thought they could listen to it and keep Franco’s memory alive on New Year’s (🍷). Franco always liked this really crazy music. What do they think? Elizabeth looks sad.

Michael says, Willow came to apologize, and Willow says she’s so sorry. She never wanted to say what she had to at that hearing, but she had no choice. Carly says, she had a choice before. She chose to keep it to herself. Willow says, was she supposed to tell Carly that she overheard Sonny and Nina talking about how he fell in love in Nixon Falls, when he didn’t know who he was? It was over. Sonny is back, and Carly is the one he loves, not Nina. She didn’t want to hurt their marriage. She didn’t want to hurt Carly. Carly whirls around and says, but you did, Blanche! Oh wait, wrong drama. Carly asks if Willow didn’t want to hurt her, or did Nina ask her not to?

Dante says, Sonny has to give Carly some time. She’s got to remember that Sonny is Sonny. He’s not that guy who fell for Nina in Nixon Falls. Mike is gone; he doesn’t exist. Sonny says he told her, and it doesn’t matter, but Dante says, eventually, it will. How many times have they broken up? Sooner or later – hopefully sooner – Carly will come around and realize there’s nothing left between him and Nina. That’s right, isn’t it? There’s nothing left? Sonny asks if Dante shouldn’t be with Sam, but Dante says he’s got to get Sonny squared away first. Sonny says he just wants to be with his wife. There’s nothing Dante can do about that. Dante says, just like there’s nothing Sonny can do about falling for Nina when he thought he was someone else. That’s love. It’s like chemical stuff. There’s nothing you can do to control that. Nina is the guilty party here. Sonny didn’t do anything wrong, and Carly’s going to see that. Sonny says, that’s not the problem; not the whole problem anyway. He should have told Carly what happened in Nixon Falls before it came out in that courtroom. Dante asks why he didn’t.

Michael tells Carly, attacking Willow isn’t going to make this any better, and Josslyn says, Michael’s right. The blame is not on Willow; it’s on Nina. She’s the one who let Sonny keep thinking he was Mike. Michael says, and when they fell in love, Nina kept this whole sorry charade going. Carly asks Willow if Nina asked her to keep her and Sonny’s secret, and Willow says, yes, she did. Carly asks if Michael knew, but he says, no, not until the hearing. She says, and he’s okay with that; that Willow chose Nina over him. Over the family who welcomed her with open arms.

Nina says, it was Obrecht who told Scotty about her and Sonny, and Obrecht says, gerne geschehen (you’re welcome). Nina says, Scotty figured out that Willow knew something. How could she? Obrecht says Nina is free; that’s all that matters. Nina says, at what cost? She and Scotty might have wrecked Carly and Sonny’s marriage. Obrecht says, pity, and calls for more champagne. She asks why they’re not drinking yet, and Nina says, and destroyed her life. Obrecht says, all the more reason she should be drinking, and she didn’t destroy Nina’s life. On the contrary. She saved it.

Curtis tells Portia, he’s allowed this club and his father to monopolize his attention when he should have been giving her his time and energy. She thanks him, but says, all the time and energy he’s put into this club has been totally worth it. The Savoy is a success. And so is he. He thanks her, and says he didn’t think he needed to hear that, but he did. She says, as far as his father goes… He says, he doesn’t really want to talk about that man when he’s trying to have a special evening with his lady. She says, that’s always nice to hear, and he says, in fact, he’d like for them to be closer. She says, what a coincidence, because she wants that too, and he kisses her.

Scotty says, they’ve got to remember all the times with Franco, but they’ve also got to live their lives; he would want that. He tells Elizabeth that he’s sorry, and asks if he stuck his foot in it again. She says, no. Cameron just said something to her like that, and Scotty tells Finn that he’s got to watch his step. This is his family. They’re his heart. Finn says, his too, and Scotty says, but don’t tell anybody he has a heart. Finn asks who’d believe him? and Scotty says, nobody. He tells them, happy New Year (🍷), and leaves, and Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay. She says she’s just glad he’s here to help her bring in a brand new year.

In the kitchen, Elizabeth tells Aiden to bring the cake in, and she’ll clean up in here. Finn says, he’ll do it, and she says, she’ll wash; he’ll dry? He says, deal, and she puts her wedding ring on the shelf above the sink.

Sam brings Scout downstairs, and Drew says she looks adorable. Does she remember he said he’d bring something special by for New Year’s Eve (🍷)? She nods, and he says he hopes she likes them. He takes a pair of gold 2022 (🍷) sunglasses out of the bag, and asks if he can put them on her. She says, yes, and he does. He and Sam rave about how she looks, and Drew says, 2022 (🍷) coming. He has noisemakers too, and Sam tells Scout not to make too much noise for mommy, but Drew suggests she make noise all night. He thought Sam would look good in a pair of them too, and gives her a silver pair. She says he knows she loves a good pair of sunglasses, and Scout asks if Drew will stay until midnight.

Willow says she saw that Carly and Sonny were happy together. Why change that? Carly says, because Willow knew Sonny was in love with someone else. Michael says, he’s not defending dad, far from it, but Sonny doesn’t love Nina, and Mike from Nixon Falls doesn’t even exist anymore. Carly says, last night, she asked Sonny point blank if he still had feelings for Nina, and he couldn’t answer her. Josslyn asks if Sonny’s been cheating on Carly, and Carly tells her, he says not. Josslyn asks if Carly believes him, but Carly says she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know what to believe. Sonny says he still loves her, but she doesn’t know how he could, when a part of him is still in Nixon Falls with Nina. She says she doesn’t know what the hell to believe, and storms out.

Sonny tells Dante, when he got his memories back, when he knew who he was, he lashed out at Nina, like she was a stranger and enemy. Dante says, when it came to filing charges, it was Michael’s call, not Sonny’s; why? Sonny says, he wanted it to be over. He didn’t want to relive it in a courtroom. He was going to tell Carly privately, then Jason died. They were grieving, then Sasha and Brando’s baby died, and he thought it would be cruel to tell Carly then. He wanted some distance from all the loss, and he waited too long. He asks for another drink, and Dante says, so when it came to Sonny’s testimony, he said what Nina did to him was not a crime, right? Sonny says, she lashed out. She was hurt. That’s what people do when they’re hurt. Dante says, so is he saying he feels sorry for Nina, after she kept him from the people who love him? Sonny tells him, he didn’t say he felt sorry for her, and Dante says, but he felt something? Sonny says, yeah, and Dante asks if he still feels something. Sonny says, yeah, and Dante wonders what that something could be. Sonny says, here’s the problem. It’s like Mike is still in him. He didn’t leave all of Mike behind in Nixon Falls. He still carries a small piece of Mike’s heart, and God help him, that small piece of Mike’s heart belongs in some way to Nina.

Carly goes out on the terrace, and says, Jason, where are you? Why aren’t you here?

The kids bring their dishes into the kitchen, and Violet tells Aiden, that cake was super delicious. Cameron says he agrees, and says, it was top-notch. Aiden says he can’t take all the credit; it was Franco’s idea. Cameron says, Aiden baked it, and Elizabeth says, the fireworks are about to start. She tells them to get ready, and they go upstairs. Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s sorry if Franco’s presence… They just really miss him. He says, it’s okay. It’s nice they can share their memories. Franco obviously did a lot of good for the family, and her. She feels around the shelf, and looks around the sink, and says, her ring; it’s gone. It must have fallen down the drain.

Drew says, he’d absolutely love to stay, but something tells him, midnight past Scout’s bedtime. Sam asks Scout if she remembers that she wanted to wait until her brother got home to celebrate, but Scout says, that was before they got these glasses. Drew says he has to get home, but how about if he gives her an airplane ride all the way upstairs and tucks her in? Sam says, sounds like fun, and Drew says, one… two… takeoff! He picks Scout up and spins her around, then takes her upstairs.  

Dante says, he doesn’t entirely understand what Sonny went through, but Sonny can’t just forget what happened while he was Mike. Those feelings and experiences were real. It’s a real part of him; it doesn’t just vanish. Sonny says, a shadow, an echo; Mike is still in here. Don’t get him wrong, it’s not like the feelings he has for Nina have anything to do with the love he feels for Carly. Nina’s like an ex. He laughs, and says, she’s just going to fade away. Dante says, it might not happen while Sonny is drinking himself into oblivion though, and Sonny says, it needs to start fading tomorrow. Tomorrow is New Year’s Day (🍷). It’s a good time to hit the… Dante says, reset? True enough. Sonny laughs, and says, the last thing he wants is to have Dante sitting with him at a bar, when he could be ringing in the New Year with Sam. Dante says, okay, he’ll go, and asks Sonny where he’s staying; he’ll drop Sonny off. Sonny says, he’s fine, and Dante asks if he’s is sure he’s okay? Sonny says he’s a big boy; he can take care of himself. They hug, and Sonny thanks Dante for being him, and a great son. Dante slips Sonny’s keys in his pocket, and says he wants Sonny to know that everything he said stays between them. Sonny thanks him, and Dante tells him, be good, and leaves.

Josslyn says she can’t believe Sonny did this, and Michael says he gets that Sonny was protecting Carly by keeping it a secret, but that doesn’t excuse it or make it right. Josslyn says, what’s that saying? It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. Willow says, sometimes the worst things happen when we try to shield our loved ones from knowing the truth, when Carly comes back in. She says she’s sorry. She knows they’re here for her, and she loves them for that. All of them. She takes Willow’s hand.

Scotty walks over to Obrecht’s table, and asks, where’s the champagne? Life’s a ball, and we’ve got a lot of living to do here. Obrecht says she’s afraid Nina doesn’t see it that way, and Scotty asks if Nina is still upset. Nina says, the last thing she wanted was for her and Sonny’s feelings for each other in Nixon Falls to be used as a weapon. He says, funny. He didn’t think she’d want to rot in a prison in Pennsylvania. If he  blindsided Willow, he had to; they would have lost. Nina says, she would have taken the risk. Now, Sonny and Carly are hurt; the whole family is devastated. He says he didn’t know the Corinthos family morale was of such importance to her. Maybe Nina should have told them Sonny was alive a year ago instead of keeping it a little secret. Nina says she’s so sorry. She can’t stay here. She tells Maxie that she’s sorry; happy New Year (🍷); she loves her. She’s mad at Obrecht, but happy New Year (🍷). She leaves, and Maxie says, unbelievable. Scotty is as tactless as he is rumpled. She follows Nina, and Scotty asks, what’s this rumpled business? Obrecht just looks at him, and he asks what he did. She tells him that he said too much that wasn’t necessary, and he says, he got the charges dropped. She says, he didn’t have to rub Nina’s nose in her mistake, and he asks if they’re having a little love spat.

Martin says, as much as he loves showing Lucy off for this crowd, how would she feel about coming back to his place? She says she kind of knows exactly what he’s doing, and kisses him. She says, okay, and they get up. He sees Valentin come in with Anna, and leads Lucy out the back door. He says, this is not an exit, and she says, it’s kind of like they’re hiding out. He wonders how they’re going to get out of there, and she says, it would be very simple if he’d just fire Valentin as a client and pick her.

Curtis says he’s been thinking about the first time he and Portia were together. It was so wrong, but so much was so right, because it brought him here tonight, making memories with a caring, kind, intelligent, beautiful woman. Portia asks if he’s saying he’s feeling her, and he says he’s feeling her. He’s fallen for her.

Valentin tells Anna, oh look, Martin’s here. That means Lucy Coe can’t be far behind. She asks why that matters, when Martin approaches their table. He says, if it isn’t his favorite client, and his favorite operative. Happy New Year (🍷). He tells Anna that she looks exquisite. As a matter-of-fact, they’re a matched set. Come to think of it, it’s kind of sad. Valentin asks, what’s sad? and Martin says, he looks as good as they do, but he has no one to dance with. He’s alone; bereft of company, on the busiest date night of the year.

In the back, Lucy puts on a New Year’s hat and glasses. She sees Maxie, and says she needs Maxie’s help desperately. If she doesn’t get out of here without Valentin seeing her, Martin is going to lose his most lucrative client. Please, please, please. Maxie relents, and Lucy thanks her. They go inside, and Maxie says, stick with me. She’s got Lucy’s back.

Finn messes around under the sink, and Elizabeth asks if he’s sure he knows what he’s doing under there. He doesn’t strike her as the handy type. He says, really? He’ll have her know, he put himself through two years of medical school working at a plumbing company. She says, really? and he says, really. He drops the wrench, and we hear water splash. He comes out, and she asks if he’s okay, handing him a towel. He wipes his face, and stands up, saying, refreshing. He holds out her ring on his pinkie, and she thanks him. She starts to put it on, but stops, and looks at Finn.

Sam lets Dante in, and he says, nice sunglasses. She says, Drew got them for her and Scout. It was a surprise. Drew comes downstairs, thanking Sam for letting him tuck Scout in. He sees Dante, and Dante holds out his hand, saying, happy New Year (🍷). They shake hands, and Drew says, happy 2022 (🍷) to the both of them. Have a good night; he’ll see them around. He starts to leave, but Sam says, Drew. He turns around, and she hugs him, saying, any time, while Dante pretends to look at something on the desk. Drew leaves, and Sam says, he only stopped by to see Scout. He says she doesn’t have to explain anything to him. He gets it. Sam says, okay, and he says, it’s all good. He takes her hand, leading her to the couch, and says, the countdown’s about to begin. In the hallway, Drew puts on his coat, and leaves for real.

Carly makes a beeline for the door, and Josslyn asks where she’s going. Carly says she needs to get out of the house and unthink. Michael asks if she’s okay to drive, and she says she is. It’s a lot to take in. She needs to deal with her thoughts. He tells her, just be careful, and she says she will. She leaves, and Josslyn says, she’s going to be okay, right? Michael says she knows mom. When things are tough, she puts her guard up. That’s how she deals. Josslyn says she’s going out for a bit, and Willow asks if she’s going to follow her mom. Josslyn says, no. The way she drives, she’s halfway to wherever she’s going by now. Josslyn leaves, and Michael says, it must be almost midnight, and Willow says, pretty close. He says he’s not in the mood to celebrate, and Willow says, yeah. He takes her hand, and pulls her into a hug.  

The guests at The Savoy count down, and yell, happy New Year (🍷)! Maxie brings Lucy through the club. Scotty and Obrecht kiss. Valentin and Anna kiss. Martin slips out after Lucy and Maxie, and he and Lucy leave together, Maxie giving them a thumbs up. Curtis and Portia kiss, and there’s lots of horn blowing, but no confetti. I’m guessing Curtis doesn’t want to clean that mess up.

Sonny looks around, and sees Nina come into Charlie’s.

Curtis and Portia go back to one of their places – a bedroom with a lot of lit candles – and get busy, while a female vocal of Auld Lang Syne plays. Fireworks go off, both figuratively and literally. The song continues to play in the background for the rest of the show.

Anna and Valentin kiss some more. He says, they should do this more often. I concur.

Nina tells Sonny, she just stopped by to say hello to Phyllis, but he says, Phyllis isn’t there. He has to go. She says she doesn’t think he should drive, but he says he’s fine. He wonders where his keys are, and she says if he needs a ride, she’ll drive him home. He says he’s not going home, and she says, then she’ll drive him wherever he wants to go. He grabs a glass of champagne going by on a tray, and drains it. he says, let’s go, and follows her out.

Carly goes to the footbridge, and watches the fireworks. She says, Jason.

Dante and Sam kiss, and Sam asks, what took him so long? He says he was with his dad, and Sam asks if Sonny is okay. Dante says, yeah. He’s going through some things right now, but he’ll be fine. At least he got his dad to open up to him; they talked a little. She says, if Dante feels like he needs to be with Sonny, she’s not kicking him out, but… He says, no. He offered, but… She asks if Sonny is drinking, and Dante says, he took Sonny’s keys. He needed some space, which evidently leaves them here alone. He kisses her.

Elizabeth looks at her ring, and puts it in the drawer of the kitchen island. She turns to Finn, and he holds her.

Cameron watches the fireworks with Avery and Aiden. Josslyn arrives, and he says, she’s here. She says, of course (🍷). She couldn’t let 2022 (🍷) start without this. She kisses him, and the little kids smile.

Willow looks out the window at the fireworks. Michael comes up behind her, and puts his arms around her.

Carly hears something on the footbridge, and turns to see Drew.   

Tomorrow, a rerum from February 24th. Next week, Britt says Victor certainly has a lot to celebrate, Drew asks if it’s possible that Carly blames herself, and Nina tells Sonny to sleep it off.  

🎉 And the Rest…

Which soaps will be on New Year’s Eve.

🥀 Those Who Have Gone On…

The soap stars we lost in 2021. Farewell, sweet prince.

⚖️ In Defense…

Tamra is the worst. I’ll just leave it there.

💋 Giving You Lala…

Like he can do better.

Interesting how she never wanted Randall involved with her brand. No muss, no fuss now.

This surprised me, since GG and Reza were at Lala’s party. And like GG hasn’t stuck with a few red flagged partners.

⚰️ Just No…

Unless Alan Ball is writing it, I say let Six Feet Under stay six feet under. It was the perfect ending. Let it go.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/six-feet-under-follow-up-in-the-works-at-hbo/

🍾 Auld Lang This Syne…

Enjoy some New Year’s Eve celebrations.

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/holidays/photos/new-years-eve-around-the-world

And some New Year traditions.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/g25360543/new-year-traditions/

🥠 Quotes of the Week

No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again. – Buddha

Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start. – Nido Qubein

Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life. – Robin Sharma

Packaged inside of every mistake there lays a great lesson. And while I don’t want to take the mistake into the New Year, I most certainly want to take the lesson that’s packaged inside of it. – Craig D. Lounsbrough

You are never too old to reinvent yourself. – Steve Harvey

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.Martin Luther King

Be so busy loving your life that you have no time for hate, regret or fear. – Unknown

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. – T.S. Eliot

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C.S. Lewis

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. – Seneca

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. – William E. Vaughan

You do not find the happy life. You make it. – Camilla Eyring Kimball

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.Benjamin Franklin

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Listen. I wish I could tell you it gets better. But, it doesn’t get better. You get better. – Joan Rivers

The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become. – W.E.B. Du Bois

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on. – Hal Borland

It always seems impossible until it’s done. – Nelson Mandela

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are. – J.P. Morgan

On New Year’s Eve the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world. – Akilnathan Logeswaran

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. – Albert Einstein

🗓 See You Next Year…

We’re back on Deck January 3rd of the New Year. A bit about that. If you’re a resolution maker, start early, and make one not to pressure yourself about resolutions. And resolutions or not, don’t pressure yourself about New Year’s Eve. It doesn’t matter who you spend it with, even if it’s only yourself. I’ve spent it more ways than I can count. On a cruise around Manhattan, in a lavish restaurant, a hot club, and a dive bar. I’ve seen Barry Manilow sing It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve at Radio City when the clock struck twelve, and I’ve stood in the middle of Madison Square Park watching the clock strike twelve. I’ve spent it with a lot of people, a handful of people, as part of a couple, and alone. The only thing I’ve never done (and never will) is Times Square. Back in my single days, my roommate went. She said someone spilled beer on her, somebody else peed on her, and when the crowd moved, you moved. It was a first and last for her, and a never for me. But my point is, one thing for sure, January 1st came and another year began, no matter what I did the night before. In the eloquent words of Bill Murray in Meatballs, it just doesn’t matter.

So no matter what New Year’s Eve path you choose, stay safe in all ways, stay being moderate in all things, and stay having a Happy New Year, no matter where you’re at. Or at least a Tolerable New Year.

December 29, 2021 – Judge Milford Makes a Decision, Second Act Flop, Maybe She’ll Stay, Christmas Leftovers & What

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer sees Josslyn in a classroom at PCU, and asks what she’s doing there. She says she’s taking a seminar; is he? He says he’s trying to withdraw from the classes he scheduled for next semester. He doubts PCU has a remote learning platform for students in Spring Ridge.

Stella goes to Portia’s office, and asks if she’s busy. Portia says she’s never too busy for Stella, and invites her in. Portia asks if Stella is okay, and Stella says she’s fine. She’s there about Curtis. Portia gets up, and asks if something happened with Curtis, but Stella says, no. She’s sorry. It’s really about Marshall.

Marshall says, it’s good to see Curtis; it’s a surprise. Did Curtis use his P.I. skills to track him down? Curtis says, Aunt Stella told him where to find Marshall, and Marshall says, it’s not very fancy, but it will do until he finds a place of his own. Curtis asks if Marshall is looking for an apartment in town, and Marshall says he thought he’d stay and get to know his family… TJ and Curtis. Does Curtis coming there mean it’s a possibility?

Alexis walks into the seminar, and Spencer asks if she’s looking for someone. Alexis says, Professor Kahn. She signed up for the Sociology of Crime seminar. Josslyn says, her too, and Spencer asks why Alexis signed up. Alexis says she’s interested in the sociology aspect, and since she can’t practice law anymore, she thought she’d look into mediation or conflict resolution; something law adjacent. Josslyn says Alexis can sit with her, and Alexis says, cool.

Willow asks if Nina used her, but Nina says she had no idea Scotty was going to put Willow on the stand, or that he even knew that Willow knew something. Willow has to believe her. Michael says, he believes this is what Nina wanted, and Nina says, this is what she wanted? For the whole world to know about her relationship with Mike in Nixon Falls? Is he crazy? She begged Willow not to say anything. Michael says, Scotty blindsided his father and the DA to inflict maximum damage by calling Willow. Nina managed to evade the law, and hurt his family at the same time. Nina says, Michael is the one bent on revenge. If he hadn’t pressed the Llantano DA to arrest her, then none of this would have come up. Her relationship with So… Mike would have stayed a secret.

Sonny calls to Carly, saying, wait. She stops, and he asks her to let him explain. Will she listen to him? She says, listen to who? Sonny? Mike? Or someone else entirely different? He says, her husband, and she says, tell her that he’s not still sleeping with Nina. He says he didn’t sleep with Nina, and she says, he remembered his family before he could? Is that it? He says, he remembered his family and came home to her, where he belongs, and she says, he fell in love with someone else. (Pot, meet kettle.) Where does that leave her?

Curtis says, so Marshall thinks he can just show up there and plant roots? and Marshall says, he just started looking. He’s not sure how long it’s going to take. Curtis says, so Marshall intends to play house in Port Charles, after all this time? Where has he been? Marshall says, everywhere and nowhere. He never stayed in one place very long. Curtis says, that’s it? That’s all Marshall’s got for him? Marshall says, they keep going over this thing. He can’t give Curtis an explanation that will satisfy him. All he can say is how ashamed he is for all the time he lost with Curtis. That’s why he’s here; that’s why he’s staying. He wants them to get to know each other. Curtis says, Marshall wants to get to know him now. Well, guess what? It works both ways. All those years he and Tommy grew up without a father, where was he?

Spencer asks if Alexis has to go back to school to be a mediator, and she says, that’s what she’s trying to figure out. She thought if she just took a three-week seminar during winter break, it might help her decide if she’s ready to be a student again. He says, that’s valid, and asks why Josslyn is taking classes on her winter break. Josslyn says, they’re reading Professor Kahn’s book in her Introduction to Sociology class, and it’s pretty great. When she saw the professor was giving a seminar, she thought it was a great opportunity. He asks if she’s ever explored this concept he calls leisure. He was good at it until his dad fell under Ava’s spell, and his life became a complete dumpster fire. The professor comes in, and asks everyone to take their seats. They have a lot to cover in very little time. She introduces herself, and says she’s passing around a sign-in sheet. If they don’t sign it, they won’t get credit for this lesson. She hands it to Spencer, who just stands there, and she asks if there’s a problem. Josslyn says, no problem, and grabs Spencer, pulling him into the seat next to her, and telling him to be quiet. He might actually learn something.

Willow tells Nina, don’t you dare try to turn this back on us. Michael didn’t come after Nina for revenge; he wanted justice. What Nina did to his father was criminal. What’s worse is, Nina came and went in and out of their lives the whole time. She stood by, and watched Sonny’s family grieve for months. It’s not just criminal; it’s cruel and selfish. Nina says she realizes what she did to Sonny and his family was horrible. She’s said it a million times. That’s why she stayed quiet. She realized Sonny wasn’t telling anyone one about their… her and Mike’s relationship. It was over. The only reason it came out was because Willow overheard a private conversation, and she’s not going to apologize for that. Nina stomps back to the courtroom, nearly running down Scotty on his way out, and telling him, not now. Willow follows Nina, and Michael says Scotty miscalculated, using Willow like that, threatening her and badgering her on the stand the way he did. He won’t forget that. Scotty says he was defending his client, and Michael says, they both know there’s no legal defense for the hell Nina put his family through. Scotty says, Michael must have missed the part where the judge called his father back to the stand, and he testified that he was not Nina’s victim. So don’t blame him if dada was having a good time in Nixon Falls, and didn’t want to come home to his family. Michael punches him in the face.

Sonny says, he and Carly belong together; she knows that. She says, he fell in love with Nina, and he tells her, that was in Nixon Falls. He had amnesia; he wasn’t himself. She asks if he forgot his life as Mike when he remembered he was Sonny? and he says, no. She asks why he didn’t tell her, and he says he was going to, but Jason died, and he didn’t think it was the right time. She says she knew something was wrong, but she thought it was her. She blamed herself because of everything that happened with Jason, but Sonny was lying to her. When she found out Nina knew he was alive – not from him, but from Maxie – what did he say to her? He said, let it go. Now she knows why. He was protecting Nina. He says, he didn’t want to lose her in a war with Nina. He didn’t want to waste any more time with Nina. Nixon Falls is done; it’s over. She asks how he can stand there and say that to her, and he says, because it’s the truth. She says, he’s not just lying to her. He’s lying to himself.

Professor Kahn says, you can track the changes in society by seeing how the laws change in that society while it develops. Take for instance the United States versus Porter. In that case, Arthur Porter was charged with assault when a man broke into his home. Despite putting that man in the hospital, he was found not guilty because he was defending his property. Alexis says, well… and the professor says, excuse me? Alexis says, nothing. Carry on. Professor Kahn thanks her, and says, this is an example of property being valued over people. Alexis says, not really, and the professor asks if she knows the case. Alexis says, actually, she does. Porter was defending his wife and child, so she could argue that Porter was concerned with their well-being and safety, which was the deciding factor. The professor says, oh, she could.

Portia asks if Stella is telling her that Marshall has an ulterior motive for getting back into Curtis’s life, but Stella says she doesn’t know. She hasn’t seen Marshall in years, and has no idea what kind of man he is now. Portia asks, what kind was he? Was Stella unhappy he married her sister? Stella says, no. Irene and Marshall loved each other; that much she does know. But Marshall wasn’t always the easiest person deal with. Portia says, running off from his family, and letting them believe he was dead for decades certainly fits with that description. Stella says, what concerns her, is how Curtis is dealing with it. Earlier, Curtis told her something she never knew; how he and Tommy would make up stories about their heroic dad when they were kids. Portia says, so they painted their father as a hero; it’s not uncommon. And now that childhood fantasy is back from the dead. She gets the sense, that even with all Curtis’s misgivings, he really does want to know his father. Stella says she knows, and she’s worried the reality is going to crush Curtis.

Marshall says Curtis thinks everything he’s saying is lip service, but he’s truly sorry his sons had to grow up without him. If he’d had a choice, it wouldn’t have happened. Curtis says, he keeps alluding to this choice, or lack thereof, whatever that means. As far as he knows, Marshall left and pretended to be dead. Marshall says, it was the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life, and Curtis says, then why did he do it? Marshall says, he thought what he was doing was best for his family, and Curtis says, leaving his mother to raise two boys on her own was best? Marshall says he knew their Aunt Stella would be there to help, and Curtis says, and she did, thank God, but it wasn’t her job. She’s not their father. That’s what they needed – their father. It’s been so long, Curtis barely remembers Marshall. Marshall says he remembers Curtis. He has fond memories of Curtis and Tommy. Giving them piggyback rides up and down the stairs. They used to wear superhero PJs, and drape a towel around their neck like a cape. Marshall tears up, and says, Curtis’s smile was the greatest part of his life. Curtis says, if they meant that much to Marshall, why did he leave? He didn’t care to see them grow up? Marshall says, more than Curtis knows, and Curtis asks, then why did he leave?

Scotty says, that is assault, but Michael says he doesn’t care. He tells Scotty, arrest him, and walks out.

Willow approaches Nina back in the courtroom, and asks if she was wrong this whole time. She gave Nina the benefit of the doubt, and said nothing to Michael or his family, and Nina used her to hurt the people she loves. Nina says, she didn’t do that. For the last time, she didn’t tells Scotty about her and Mike, let alone that Willow knew about them. She’s not responsible for Willow’s choices. Willow says she had no choice, but Nina says, she could have lied.

Carly asks Sonny to tell her the truth. She wants to know every single thing that happened in Nixon Falls. Sonny says, he had no past; he had no ties. He only had a watch with a message engraved on it, to Mike, so that’s what he called himself. Then Phyllis and Lenny took him in and they were great to him. Then Nina showed up; she was Phyllis’s friend. Carly says, Nina knew exactly who he was, but Sonny says he didn’t know that she was lying to him. Then this con man Elijah Crow was trying to take the Tan-O from Lenny and Phyllis, and Nina helped Mike stop him. Carly says, and he fell in love with Nina, but Sonny says, he didn’t remember Carly. She says, maybe he didn’t want to. (I know I wouldn’t.)

Stella says, she’s sure Portia thinks she’s a busybody, but she can’t sit back and wait for Curtis to admit he needs support. Portia says, Curtis needs to work it out in his own way, but Stella says, not if it means leaving him on his own. This isn’t the time for Portia to give Curtis space. It’s the time for her to step up, and show him that he’s not alone.

Marshall tells Curtis, it’s not easy for him to talk about his past. He had some really bad years. Sometimes, he didn’t know if he was going to make it through, but he turned things around. Now he’s finally in a place where he can give Curtis the support a father should. Curtis says, he’s a grown-ass man. He doesn’t need Marshall’s support now. What he needs are answers, but Marshall doesn’t seem to be in a place to give them. He could have used this fatherly support when he was growing up. He and Tommy were teased by the kids. They didn’t believe Marshall had died. They said he was probably in jail. He can’t remember the number of fights he got into defending Marshall’s name, and it was all a lie. Marshall says he’s sorry if he hurt Curtis, and he’s sorry if he hurt Tommy. TJ told him that Tommy had PTSD when he died. He never knew. Curtis says, how would he know that, and what does it matter? Marshall says, everything matters to him about Curtis and Tommy, and Curtis says, then he should have stuck around.

Nina says, when Scotty asked Willow if she knew another reason Sonny  wasn’t coming after her, Willow could have said no. Willow says, she was under oath. Scotty was threatening to have her charged with perjury. Nina asks, who would contradict Willow? Who would have stood up and said Willow was lying? Not her. Not Sonny. No one. She hurt Sonny in so many ways, and this was her one chance to do something good for him, and Willow took that away. She starts to walk away, but Willow tells her to get over herself. Not everything is about her. She grabs Nina’s arm, but Nina jerks away, saying, don’t. Willow says, she kept Nina’s secret, but she wasn’t going to lie on the stand for Nina, or put herself at risk to cover up Nina’s mess. Nina says she already told Willow, she wasn’t at risk, and Willow tells her, she also said she didn’t tell Scotty that Willow overheard her, but unless he’s psychic, Nina must have let something slip. Once she was on the stand and under oath, she had to tell what she knew. Nina says, all right. God forbid Willow should get down in the mud with the rest of them. Congratulations. She told the truth, and devastated the family she claims to love in the process.

Sonny says, Carly can’t possibly think he chose not to remember her, but she says she doesn’t know. She didn’t know he and Nina had a secret. He says, that’s not the way it was, and she says, how many times has she found him and Nina together? She was so stupid. He says, there is no him and Nina, and she asks what Willow overheard then. He says, something she didn’t understand, and Carly asks how many times he’s met with Nina. He says, he only met her the one time, to get her to understand the way things were, and that once he remembered Carly and his family, she was nothing. Carly says, before that did she make him happy? He says, he had dreams about Carly when he didn’t know what his name was. The deepest part of him remembered her. He’d have dreams of a blonde woman, and he’d try to touch her, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t see her face, but somehow he knew she was his and he was hers, and he’s still hers. Can’t she see that? She says, not after what she heard in that courtroom.

Curtis says, this was a mistake, but Marshall says, don’t go. Curtis says, he doesn’t like carrying around this anger any more than he liked growing up without a father. Marshall just doesn’t get it. He grew up lost. He didn’t have a man to show him how to be a man, the man he wanted to be. Marshall says, yet here he is, and Curtis says, through a lot of hard knocks and stumbles along the way. By the grace of God, he’s here. No thanks to Marshall. Curtis open the door, and Marshall says, please. He can’t change the past, but give him a chance to make things up to him now. Curtis says, not unless Marshall tells him where he’s been. What’s more important than family? Marshall sighs, and Curtis says, all he’s asking for are answers; clear answers, with facts and dates. If Marshall can’t give that to him, don’t bother staying in Port Charles.

Willow asks if Michael is all right. Scotty’s threatening to file a complaint for assault. Did he really punch Scotty? Michael says, right in the face. He knows it was wildly inappropriate. He let Scotty get under his skin, and he lost it. He talked to Diane, and she already cut a deal citing harassment and provocation. Willow says, that’s one less thing to worry about, and he says, he’s sorry DA Sheridan opened the door for Scotty, and put her on the stand. She says, she’s the one who kept Nina’s secret. If she’d told him, none of this would have happened. He says, it’s not her fault. Nina manipulated her. She says, she was trying to protect his parents’ marriage. She didn’t want to be the one to mess things up, and now she did anyway. He tells her not to blame herself. This is all on Scotty and Nina. He just hopes the judge didn’t buy their tactics. He asks if his parents came back, but she says, no. She doesn’t know where they are. Sheridan comes by, and says, this is it. The judge has made his decision.

After class, Spencer wonders if Alexis is going to write an addendum to the professor’s book; Alexis really schooled her. Alexis says, she just takes exception when people don’t state all the facts; she likes facts. Josslyn says, she definitely made the lecture more interactive. It was more like a debate, and Josslyn liked it. Professor Kahn calls to Alexis, and Alexis says, rut-roh. The professor says she’d like a word, and Spencer and Josslyn make themselves scarce. Alexis says, she realizes she overstepped. She gets passionate. She’s sorry she disrupted the lecture. The professor says she recognizes Alexis’s name; she’s the defense attorney. Alexis says, she used to be a defense attorney, and Professor Kahn says, she read Alexis’s article in the Law Review on jury bias; she made some very interesting points. Alexis thanks her, and she asks how Alexis has time to take the seminar, and why would she want to? Alexis says she’s looking at a career change. Her days in the courtroom are over. The professor says, then she’ll cut to the chase. Alexis is wasting their time being here. Alexis doesn’t belong in her class.

Sonny says, he didn’t know who Carly was in his dreams, and she says, she used to see him. She see him, and talk to him when times were bad. He says, that’s because they belong together; she knows that. She says, he kept a part of himself from her. Was he ever going to tell her about Nina in Nixon Falls? He says, yeah. He wanted to so many times, but Jason died; then Brando and Sasha’s baby was in crisis. He wanted to tell her, but he’d get interrupted. She says she thinks he believes he was going to tell her the truth, but she doesn’t. She thinks it was a story he told himself to justify the secret. Meanwhile, he locked away his time with Nina somewhere in his heart, and kept telling her there was nothing wrong; there was nothing between them. He says she keeps putting Nina between them. She’s going to have to let that go. She says, he’s dodged every time she’s asked him. Just now, she asked if he fell in love with Nina, but instead of answering, he said he couldn’t remember Carly. That’s not an answer. He says, it is. He wouldn’t have looked at Nina if that blonde woman in his dream had turned around, and he’d seen her beautiful face. He loves her. She tells him, he said that. What he hasn’t said is how he feels about Nina. Right here, right now, today.

Alexis says, if Professor Kahn is worried she’ll interrupt, she promises to try and control herself, but the professor says, that’s not what she’s talking about. Alexis should be teaching. The students could benefit from her passion for the law, and it’s clear she’s not shy about public speaking. Alexis says, really? and the professor says, she happens to know about a professor who’s retiring. There might be an opening at PCU. Maybe Alexis could start off as an adjunct, and work her way up. Alexis says she never thought about teaching, and Professor Kahn tells her, think about it. It could be just what she’s looking for.

At Portia’s office, Curtis says he hopes Stella wasn’t telling Portia an embarrassing story, like when he lost a tooth trying to ride his bike off their front stoop. Portia says, no, but she’d definitely like to hear that story another day. What brings him by? He says he just left from talking with Marshall, and needed to see her beautiful face. She asks how it went, but he says that’s not why he’s here, and kisses her.

Judge Milford says, this court is here to interpret and uphold the law, not mediate personal disputes. In reviewing all documents and evidence, it is the court’s determination that the Commonwealth has failed to prove Miss Reeves’s actions meet the legal definition of fraud. He’s dismissing all charges against Nina Reeves, and this case is hereby dismissed. This court stands adjourned. The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. Willow tells Michael, she’s so sorry, but he says, this isn’t over. Sheridan says he’s sorry. He’s also stunned by Judge Milford’s ruling. He wouldn’t have brought the charges if he didn’t think they had a strong case for fraud. Michael says Sheridan made a strong argument, and assures him ELQ will continue to support his campaign. Sheridan says he appreciates that, and apologizes to Willow for calling her to the stand. If he’d had any idea Scotty was going to ambush her, he’d have left her in peace. Willow says she’s just sorry Scotty was able to use her testimony to his advantage, but Sheridan says, actually, Mr. Corinthos’s testimony was the deciding factor. Michael asks what he’s talking about, and Sheridan says, once Mr. Corinthos said he didn’t consider himself a victim, in his mind at least, no crime was committed. Michael says he wasn’t in the courtroom for that, and Sheridan says, it’s an interesting question of law. He wishes he’d done better with it. They leave, and Nina sits at the defense table, looking dejected. Scotty asks what’s with all this business? She’s free as a bird. She asks how he knew about her relationship with Sonny, and he says, that’s what she pays him for, but she says, this is not what she wanted.

Sonny asks if Carly doesn’t think he’s angry at Nina for letting Scotty pull that stunt. She says, and? She asked him how he felt about Nina. Sonny rubs his head, and she says, Sonny. He says, okay, okay, hold on. She has to understand what it felt like to wake up in the woods, not knowing who he was, alone, scared. Phyllis and Lenny took him in. They gave him a job, an anchor. Then Nina… when he sees her, he sees her as Mike’s friend, his confident. But he also sees what she did to Carly and to his kids. It’s really all jumbled up in here, he indicates his heart. She says, Nina let her believe he was dead, and he still has feelings for her after everything she did. Sonny says, let’s go home, but she says she needs time to think. He asks what that means, and she says, she needs some time apart.

Spencer finds Josslyn on a bench in the hallway, looking at her phone, and says, success. The dean’s office was still open; he’s enrolled. She says, see? It worked out. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, Nina’s preliminary hearing was today, but she still hasn’t heard a word from anyone. He says, no news is good news, and she asks when that’s ever been true. Fingers crossed, the judge will throw the book at Nina Reeves, bind her over for trial, and revoke her bail. He says, Josslyn’s not vengeful or anything, and she says she hates Nina. She’s the worst kind of hypocrite. She acts all sweet and sympathetic, when all she really cares about is herself and what she wants. He asks why she doesn’t hate Ava that way, and she says, she does hate Ava that way. She’ll never forgive Ava for what she’s done to Morgan. However, she is Avery’s mom and Trina’s mentor, so she has to suck it up and has to coexist. However, she will never buy into Ava’s BS, and she’ll never think Ava is a gracious lady, but she chooses to keep the peace. If he’d come to her before he went on his stalking kick, she’d have told him the same thing. He says he wishes he had. Josslyn would have shot his stalking idea down in flames, and he wouldn’t be looking at 30 days in Spring Ridge. She says, he’ll be okay; he’s stronger than he thinks he is. He says, he hopes so. In the meantime, while his freedom lasts, this trip should erase any traces of lingering tension between her, him, Cameron, Trina, and Esme. They’ll get to know each other better. Josslyn says, she certainly hopes so.

Professor Kahn tells Alexis that she’ll send an introductory email to the chairman of the department. She knows it’s winter break, but she (the chairman) is a workaholic. Alexis says, maybe she’s just passionate about what she does, and the professor says, good. Use that approach. Alexis says she kind of likes this idea. She might like teaching at PCU, but hopes she has the proper qualifications. The professor says she’s certain Alexis does, especially as an adjunct. Who knows? They might want her full time with her credentials. All she needs to do is ace the interview, and pass the routine background check. Alexis says, background check. Of course (🍷).

Marshall lets Stella in, and says, Curtis came by to see him today. She says she figured he would. He had questions, so she told him to come talk to Marshall, but Marshall didn’t tell Curtis, did he? She saw Curtis a while ago, and he surely would have mentioned it. Marshall says, he left dissatisfied, and she says, Curtis is not going to stop until he gets answers. Marshall says, he’s not surprised. Is that why she’s here, to warn him? She says she’s worried about how it will affect her relationship with Curtis, but he says, don’t worry. He’ll never, ever tell Curtis that she knew he wasn’t dead. She’s like a hero to his sons, and he doesn’t want to take that away too.

Portia says, not that she’s objecting at all, but Curtis didn’t answer her question. He says, that’s because he doesn’t want to talk about Marshall. He wants to focus on her. She says, that’s fine with her, and he says he hopes she’s ready for tomorrow night, because he has big plans for them on New Year’s Eve.

Michael says his parents aren’t answering their phones, and Willow hopes they’re all right. He says, they’re really going through it right now. He wants to let them know, according to the judge, Nina’s actions aren’t criminal at all. Willow asks what he’s going to do, and he says he doesn’t know, but what he’s not going to do is sit back and let Nina get away with her crimes against his family.

Nina tells Scotty that he’s not going to stick around for the paperwork; she’s got to go. He says she can thank him, but not just with a check. He did his job. She’s not going to prison. So she’s welcome. She says she can’t think about that right now. She’s too worried about Sonny.

Sonny says, Carly doesn’t need time. He wants her; he wants their family together. She knows that. She says she knows Nina still has a hold on him, but he says, she doesn’t. She asks him to look her in the eye and tell her that Nina means nothing to him. He says he doesn’t know what she wants him to say. Listen… He reaches out to touch her, but she says, stop. He says, they can still work this out, but she says, they can’t. Don’t come home tonight. She walks off, leaving Sonny alone.

Tomorrow, Curtis says he’d like to be closer to Portia, Scout asks if Drew can stay until midnight, Valentin says he’s over it and thinks Anna is too, and Dante asks Sonny if he felt something.  

👰🏼 That Was Quick…

I wonder what Vicki predicted for this one.

🍼 Picking Lanes…

Now that she’s without Randall’s paycheck, hanging out with the SUR crowd doesn’t seem so unattractive.

🎄 Not Done Yet…

The last day of Christmas is technically January 5th, so here’s some post-Christmas Day cheer.

Some blessings:

https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/craic/irish-christmas-blessings

Some lights:

https://nypost.com/2021/12/18/a-stunning-look-at-the-famous-dyker-heights-christmas-lights/

And some celebrities. Who knew Diana Ross liked the matching family PJ thing?

⛄️ Before I Melt Away…

Once again, tomorrow will be this week’s Friday, so join me for soap, tea, quotations, and a seasonally appropriate tune. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your expectations realistic for both yourself and the new year, and stay not telling yourself a story to justify a secret.

December 23, 2021 – Nina’s Hearing Begins, Soap’s On, Changes, New Faces, NJ Romance, Miami Mamas, Sad News, Worse News, Happy News, What Winter Wrought, Holiday Fare, Knowledge Drop, Some Christmasy Quotes & Christmas Live

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Martin wakes up in bed, clutches his head, and says, Lord have mercy. He’s wearing a robe, and his Santa hat is lying on top of him. He pulls back the covers to see a pair of well-manicured feet. He moves to the other end of the bed, and uncovers Lucy, who asks if he’s ready for another round. He puts his Santa hat back on.

Alexis lets Shawn in, and he says he brought her a cup of Corinthos Coffee. She thanks him, and asks what she’s holding. She says, it’s a course catalog from PCU, and he asks if she’s going back to college. She says she is, and asks if it’s a ridiculous idea.

At Cameron’s house, Josslyn and Cameron kiss, and Josslyn asks what time his mom took his brothers ice skating. He says, they left about twenty minutes ago. They’ll be gone a couple of hours. Unless she wants to join them at the rink. She says, let her think, and he says, right, kissing her again. The doorbell rings, and he says he has no clue who that might be. He opens the door, and Esme says, thank God she found him. The absolute worst thing has happened. Josslyn walks up behind Cameron, and says, really? Do tell.

Trina walks into Kelly’s, and says, before Spencer gets a big head, she’s there to get two coffees; one for her, and one for Ava. He says, sure, when Victor walks in. He says, there’s his nephew. How does it feel to have his legal woes a thing of the past? Spencer says, in a word, terrifying.

At the MetroCourt, Laura kisses Doc, and says, what an amazing anniversary they had. She’d take trips more often if she knew she had that kind of homecoming waiting for her. He says he’s just trying to do his part to make sure they’re never separated that long again, and she says, not if she has anything to say about it. They kiss again, and Nikolas approaches their table. He says, clearly, they need more time. Should they reschedule? Laura says, she and Kevin have all the time in the world, but what she has to say to him can’t wait.

Scotty is about to walk into the Llantano County courtroom, when his phone rings. It’s Obrecht, who asks if he’s come up with a strategy to get Willow on the stand. She’s certain Willow knows about Nina and Sonny falling in love in Nixon Falls. He says he’s working on it, and she says, work harder. Michael and Willow walk in, and Michael asks how Willow is feeling. He knows she didn’t agree with him bringing charges against Nina. She says she just wants what’s best for everybody, and he says, what’s best is for Nina to pay for keeping his father hidden from his family for months. He can’t think of anything worse. Sonny and Carly come in, and Michael introduces Willow to DA Sheridan. Carly tells Sonny, Michael is confident the DA Is going to cement his case against Nina today, and Sonny says, that’s up to the judge. He’s sure if Scotty loses today, Nina is going to cop some kind of plea. She says, she hopes so for their family’s sake. She just wants this whole Nixon Falls saga to be over with, and wants Nina out of their lives. Nina walks in, and goes to the defense table. Willow approaches her, and Nina says she really appreciates Willow not saying anything about her and Mike. Willow says she’s not doing it for Nina; she’s doing it for Michael and Wiley. Nina says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s really sorry for everything. Willow goes back to Michael, who asks, what was that about? Willow flashes back to Nina asking if she wants to drive a wedge between Carly and Sonny, and tells Michael, family. Michael says, Nina may be biologically related to Wiley, but her actions made it clear she’s not part of their family.

Obrecht says she’s confident Scotty will find a way to protect her niece, and Scotty walks into the courtroom. Sheridan tells Michael, the hearing is basically a formality. It’s not a trial, but technically, Miss Reeves’s attorney can cross-examine anyone he calls. Scotty tells Obrecht that he thinks he just got a flash of inspiration.

Shawn tells Alexis, it’s only natural to feel adrift when you get out of prison. He struggled himself. She says, but now he’s found his direction. Using his non-profit to take over The Invader is a perfect path to his future. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis opens it to Dante, who apologizes for the impromptu visit. Is Shawn there? This is his last address. She opens the door, and Dante sees Shawn. He says, this is official police business.

Laura tells Nikolas that Doc filled her in on everything about Spencer. She’s upset… She’s concerned. She was pleased to see the two of them managed to co-exist at Christmastime, but she’d hardly call it warm and fuzzy. She knows it’s a step in the right direction, but… He says, he and Spencer have had their setbacks; they both feel betrayed by the other. She says she was heartbroken when she found out it was Spencer who was stalking Ava. It doesn’t excuse Nikolas’s behavior at the party that night, but his instincts about his son were correct. He wonders if that’s why she asked him here, to apologize, and she says she is sorry. He was right about his son, but now she wants Nikolas to do right by him.

Victor says he doesn’t understand. What does Spencer have to be afraid of? Trina says, when her coffee’s ready, she’ll be at the counter, and Spencer introduces her to Victor. Victor says it’s nice to finally meet her. Did Spencer tell her that his plea deal was finalized this morning? She says they didn’t get a chance to talk about it, and Spencer says he signed the paperwork this morning. It’s official. He changed his plea to guilty, he’ll do 500 hours of community service, make restitution to Ava, and do 30 days in Spring Ridge. She says, so no trial, and Victor says, exactly. So what about this plea deal is troubling Spencer? Spencer says, Spring Ridge is minimum security, but it’s still prison. When Victor said he’d take care of Spencer’s situation, Spencer thought that meant he’d go free. Victor says, what Spencer got was a slap on the wrist. No one could have gotten him a better deal. Spencer says he’s truly grateful for everything Victor did. Forget he said anything. Victor supposes, even though it was a long time ago, he does remember being 18 years old, and supposes a month long confinement would have seemed like a death sentence to him. But Spencer is a Cassadine. He’ll keep a stiff upper lip, and when he gets out, he’ll have his whole family waiting for him. Spencer says, not his father, and Victor says, perhaps not, but Spencer will have him. Now why doesn’t he make Victor a cup of tea to go? A heady brew. No one likes a weak leaf. Spencer goes to make the tea, and Victor tells Trina that he’s glad to see his nephew chooses his companions so well.

Esme says she wasn’t expecting to see Josslyn, and Josslyn says, Esme is surprised to see her at her boyfriend’s house? What is Esme even doing here? Esme says she promises nothing nefarious. Spence took the plea deal; he signed the paperwork this morning. Yes, his sentence was lighter than it could have been, but he wasn’t expecting to go to prison at all, and he’s totally freaking out. Cameron says he can understand that. Spencer has to spend a month in prison, and after that, he’s going to have a criminal record for the rest of his life. Josslyn says, and worst of all, despite the fact that Esme is every bit as responsible for stalking Ava, Spencer has to take this whole punishment alone.

Scotty tells Obrecht, this is exactly what they need. He has to go, and Obrecht tells him, good luck, Liebchen. Victor comes out of Kelly’s, and says he remembers when she used to call him that.

Willow asks if Sheridan is still considering a run for Attorney General, and Sheridan says, after visiting their gorgeous home in October, he was concerned about low recognition outside of Llantano County. Scotty puts his briefcase on the table, and listens as Sheridan says, recently, his numbers seem to be going up. Scotty sits, and Nina asks why he looks so happy. He says her aunt has that effect on him.

Lucy says, that was unexpected, and Martin says, he’d call it a Christmas miracle. She hopes he means that in a good way, and he says he means that in the most flattering way possible. He asks, how about some breakfast? He doesn’t know about her, but he managed to work up a very healthy appetite. She asks if he’s serious. He wants to take her down to the MetroCourt for breakfast, and she’ll be wearing the holiday outfit she wore for Christmas that everybody saw her in. Just so he knows, folks will talk. He says he hopes so. He was raised in the South where gossip is sacred, right between Friday night football and Sunday morning service. She thinks he’s forgetting he’s an upstanding lawyer. Not to mention the fact he’s the brother of her ex-husband’s wife, the mayor of Port Charles. He says Lucy is a very accomplished woman, and she thanks him, and says she aims to please. He says her aim could put him in the hospital, but that’s not what he was talking about. Don’t get him wrong, she makes one Olympian Santa’s helper, but he was referring to her role as the co-owner of Deception. Not to mention everything she’s accomplished with the Nurses Ball. She says, he looked her up on the internet? and he tells her, let’s just say he’s noticed her. She tells him, let’s just say, she’s noticed him too, and they kiss. She says she’ll let him buy her breakfast. She hasn’t done that walk of shame in a long time. He says it will be his pleasure to take that walk with her.

Josslyn says, so much of the stalking was clearly Esme’s idea, not Spencer’s. Anyone can see that. She has no idea why Spencer is protecting Esme. Esme says she loves Spence, and as much as he might get on their nerves, she thinks they do too. Cameron was the one who got Spencer the job at Kelly’s when he needed it most. Cameron says she’s right; they care about Spencer. So what can they do to help? Esme says she plans to do what she can to keep Spencer’s spirits up when he’s in Spring Ridge, but if they could create some happy memories before he goes, it would really give Spencer some peace of mind. They already agreed to a weekend getaway, so can Josslyn ask her father if they can use his cabin as soon as possible? Before Spencer has to report to Spring Ridge for his sentence? He really needs this.

Nikolas tells Laura, he’ll be there for his son, but only when he fully owns up to what he’s done. She agrees completely. Spencer needs to take responsibility for his actions, but he’s already trying to do that. Doc says, not only is he working at Kelly’s, he’s started helping around the house. Spencer was mystified as to how to use a dishwasher, but once he showed Spencer how, he started pitching in without too much complaint. Nikolas says, it sounds like there’s progress, but it sounds like Spencer still resents him, and refuses to accept his help. Laura says, what his son needs more than ever is a loving father who can help him make up with Ava, who will set him on the right course. If not Nikolas, whose influence will step in to fill that void?

Obrecht says, the only name she can remember calling Victor is schwein, which is what he is. He says, there’s that fiery minx he fell in love with. He’s so glad the information he provided to the WSB led to her rescue. She says, he’s taking credit for her safe return? He’s the one who had her kidnapped in the first place. Then he tossed her beloved Scotty out of a plane. He says perhaps they could discuss it over dinner. Scotty is, after all, his attorney. She says she’d rather eat glass.

Nina asks Scotty to be honest with her. What are her chances of avoiding a trial? He says, better than she thinks, and she asks what he’s up to. The bailiff tells them, all rise. Court is in session, the honorable Judge Milford presiding. The judge calls the preliminary hearing to order, and tells them, please be seated.

Josslyn tells Esme, there’s been a lot going on, and she hasn’t asked Sonny about the cabin yet. Esme says, but she will, right? and Josslyn says she will, as long as Esme stops asking about how many bedrooms there are, and who’s sleeping where. Esme says she only wanted people to be comfortable, but what’s important now is that Spence has a great time. She’s sure his Uncle Sonny will be happy to support him. Why doesn’t Josslyn call Sonny now? Cameron says, he and Joss will talk it over and get back to her, and she thanks him. She says, it will mean the world to Spence, and to her. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have a great time. She leaves, and Josslyn says, she can’t. Cameron says, whatever they think about Esme, she’s not wrong here. Spencer is going to need all the support he can get before the reality of a month at Spring Ridge hits him. She says, fine. She’ll ask about the cabin, but she’s not changing her opinion about Esme. He says, that’s totally okay. He’d never want to change a single thing about her, especially her mind. She says, now he’s trying to butter her up, and he asks if it’s working. She kisses him.

Spencer brings Trina the coffee, and says, sorry about the wait. She says she knows he put on a brave face for his uncle, but there’s no shame in being nervous about going to Spring Ridge. He says, his uncle is right. He needs to man up. He took the action and needs to face the consequences. He knows he got a lighter sentence because of his privilege. Trina has made it more than clear she thinks he’s a spoiled, entitled baby. She says, true, but she also thinks he’s human, and it’s nice to see.

Doc tells Nikolas, in the new year, Spencer goes to Spring Ridge. Prison is rife with opportunities to make bad choices, align with the wrong people. He needs a strong foundation now. Laura agrees, and says she knows Spencer feels indebted to his Uncle Victor for getting that plea bargain for him. Nikolas says, Victor’s presence in Port Charles concerns him too, and Laura asks why Nikolas helped him in the first place.  

Dante tells Shawn, they got an anonymous tip a while back about a body. They followed it up, and found human remains in the Pine Barrens. A John Doe was identified using dental records, and he was a known felon, a gun for hire. Shawn says, a hit man; who was it? Dante says, his last name was Giles, but he went by other aliases as well. They conducted ballistics on the gun that was buried with Giles, and they were conclusive. It was the same gun that shot Hayden Barnes.  

Judge Milford tells the court to proceed, and Sheridan says he’d like to call his first witness; Sonny Corinthos.

Lucy and Martin come giggling out of the elevator, Martin looking disheveled with his Santa suit coat falling open. Lucy says she finds it exceptionally charming that he chose to leave his Santa suit on his body in solidarity with her walk of shame, but he needs to know something else. If he’d continued his research on the internet, he would have found she’s been a spectacle many times before. He says he’s delighted join her in causing a commotion, and they walk into the MetroCourt.

Laura says, Nikolas had to have known Victor was hiding out in the compound in Crete. Did he know Victor was working with Peter too? Nikolas promises he had no idea about Peter, and Laura says, so he was just offering Victor a hiding place, or does his involvement go deeper? Nikolas flashes back to Victor telling him that Hayden needed to be dealt with, along with those close to her. He suggests he and Laura talk about this in private, and she asks if he doesn’t think she’s going to tell Doc everything he tells her. Nikolas says, after Valentin shot him, and left him for dead, it was Victor who nursed him back to health. If not for Victor, he might not be here. He returned the favor, and let Victor use the compound in Crete. Martin comes up to their table with Lucy, and says, morning, family. Fine day. Laura says, what a surprise, and hostess Trish tells Lucy that her table is ready. Lucy says, excuse them, and they leave. Nikolas tells Doc and Laura, and they say Christmas only comes once a year, and they laugh. GH is quite naughty today.

Spencer tells Trina, humans are terrible; flawed, selfish, and indulgent. She can’t like seeing that in him. She says, humans are also vulnerable, worthy of love, capable of change. He says he wishes he could see himself through her eyes, and she says, he’s perfectly imperfect, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a person of value. She sees him. He just has to take responsibility for his actions, and give people a chance see him too. He takes her hand, and thanks her. She says, anytime, and Esme watches from the doorway.

Sheridan says, they all know the basic facts. Sonny was on a bridge that collapsed, and fell into an icy river. When he regained consciousness, he had no memory of who he was, or even what his name was. Sonny says, that’s correct. No license. He was wearing a watch that was engraved with the name Mike, so that was the name he used. Sheridan asks how long Sonny was away from his wife and children, who presumed he was dead, and Sonny says, nine months. Sheridan says, when did he finally get his memory back? Sonny says, there was a fire at the Tan-O, and Sheridan says, that was the bar owned by the late Lenny Caulfield and his wife Phyllis, right? and Sonny says, he didn’t know who he was or where he belonged, and they were kind enough to take him in, give him a job and a place to live. Sheridan says, when Sonny recovered his memory, was he aware that someone in Nixon Falls already knew he was Sonny Corinthos? and Sonny says, yeah. Sheridan asks, who was that individual? and Sonny says, it was Nina Reeves. Sheridan says, to Sonny’s knowledge, did Nina Reeves deliberately and intentionally conceal his identity? Sonny says, yeah, and Sheridan says he has no further questions. Scotty asks if Sonny ever alerted the authorities that Nina concealed his identity, and Sonny says, no. Scotty asks, why not? According to the DA, Nina kept him from his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his whole life. Why didn’t he press charges?

Nikolas says he has business to attend to, and Laura says she’s sorry if she came on too strong. She knows he and Spencer want to have a relationship with each other. Nikolas says he’ll think about it, and Laura says, his relationship with Ava is so solid, he can afford to spend some time with Spencer, and restore the bond he has with him. Please don’t do anything to undermine that. Nikolas half-smiles, and leaves.

Dante says, he’s there to officially notify Shawn that they found the person who committed the crime Shawn was wrongfully convicted of. Shawn says, the truth is out, finally, and Dante says, in the eyes of the PCPD, Shawn is in the clear. Alexis says, congratulations. She knows how important this is to Shawn. Dante says, the best to him, and Alexis thanks Dante. Dante leaves, and Alexis says, anonymous tip her posterior. Shawn says, nobody could ever accuse Nikolas of being sloppy, when his phone rings. He says, speak of the devil, and he means that literally. He steps away to take the call.

Steam comes out of Esme’s ears for a second, but then she slaps her fake smile on. She tells Spencer that when he hears what she has to tell him, he’s going to love her more than he already does. He asks, what’s up? and she says she was telling Joss and Cam that he has to report to Spring Ridge soon, which moves their time frame up for a couples weekend. He says, it’s not just for couples, right? They want Trina to feel included. Esme says she’s so sorry. She misspoke. Of course (🍷) they want to include Trina. Esme’s phone rings, and she answers, saying, Joss. They were just talking about their weekend getaway. Josslyn says she and Cameron agree. They should have their weekend getaway before Spencer goes away. Esme says, great. They won’t be sorry. Josslyn looks at Cameron.

Lucy says, tell me, Mr. Claus, are you regretting this now? Martin says, spending time with a beautiful, sophisticated woman? Not for one second. She says, uh-oh. Oh boy, incoming, and Doc and Laura approach their table. Laura asks if Lucy would mind if she had a word alone with her brother, and Lucy says, absolutely not. Mr. Claus is all yours. Martin leaves with Laura.

Martin asks Laura if everything is okay. Is everything all right with his nephew? She says she certainly hopes so. There’s something she didn’t tell him about her meeting with Cyrus. He says, apart from the bit where he finds religion? and she says, Cyrus was adamant that he didn’t put out the hit on them; that somebody else arranged for the killer to go to the safe house.

Lucy asks Doc if Laura sicced him on her because Laura hates the thought of her brother being seen in public with the likes of her. He tells her, don’t be silly. They’re talking about something entirely different. Her and Martin… She says, spit it out, and he says, how’d that happen? She says, Martin asked her what she wanted for Christmas.

Martin asks if Laura is saying she actually believes Cyrus, and Laura says she woudn’t go that far, but she thought she should tell Martin about it. Better to be safe than sorry, right? He says, message received and noted; he’ll be extra careful. Is there something else? She says, Doc has a great dry cleaner who’s a wiz with Santa suits.

Obrecht says, Victor’s presence can only mean Sturm und Drang, and he says, let’s not forget that he was the one who saved her life when Peter wanted her dead, even after she held a knife to his throat. She asks if he’s waiting for a show of gratitude, and he says, perhaps she should consider whether threatening him means it’s more or less likely for him to intervene next time. She says, there won’t be a next time, but he says, with you, mr dear Liesl, there’s always a next time. He brushes her hair back, but she jerks away. He says, he adores her, but just don’t get in his way.

Sheridan objects, saying, whether or not Mr. Corinthos chose to press charges has no bearing on the validity of the case. The judge says, this isn’t a trial, and tells Scotty to proceed. Scotty asks again why Sonny didn’t file charges against Nina. It’s a simple question. Sonny says, then let him answer it. Because he lost too much time already… and he wanted to spend time with his wife and his family. Scotty says, but his son Michael doesn’t share the same viewpoint. In fact, Michael and his ex-wife Willow Tate gave a sizable donation to the DA’s campaign just days before his client was arrested. Willow puts her hand on Michael’s arm, and Scotty says, maybe those two should be on trial for bribery.

On the phone, Nikolas tells Shawn to check the balance. The funds should have been transferred. Shawn says, he’ll do that, but Nikolas might want to know, he just got a visit from the PCPD. It seems they found Hayden’s shooter, or his dead body anyway. The crime has been removed from his record; his name has been restored. Nikolas takes it their business is concluded, and Shawn says, Nikolas fulfilled his part of their agreement, so yes. Nikolas says, great. Have a good day. They hang up, and Alexis asks if the money is all there. Shawn says, and then some. Her nephew thinks this all over. She says, isn’t it? and he says, not by a long shot.

Esme tells Josslyn that she’s with Spencer at Kelly’s. He’ll be so happy when she tells him the news. Josslyn says, that’s why they said yes, for Spencer. She’ll asks Sonny about the cabin today. Esme says, great. They’ll work out the details later. Spencer says, what’s the good news? and Esme says, Joss and Cam just committed. Once his Uncle Sonny signs off on the cabin, they’re good for a getaway. Spencer says, that’s amazing news! It’s incredible. He actually has something to look forward to now. He asks Trina if she’s going to come, and Esme says she’s sure Trina is much too busy with her job and college. Trina says she’s always busy, but she’ll make time for a friend. Count her in. She doesn’t want to pass up the chance to give Spencer the send-off he deserves. Spencer says, this is going to be monumental, and thanks Esme, who says, it’s going to be a send-off for the ages.

Martin goes back to the table, and says, ho-ho hello. Lucy says, let her guess. His sister warned him away from her, but he says, nothing of the sort. Lucy says, oh, it’s worse. She’s biting her tongue; the silent treatment. They had so much fun together. That’s enough. She gets up, but he stops her, and says, it was fun. It’s more than he’s had in a long, long time. He doesn’t know about her, but he doesn’t want the fun to end just yet.

Doc says, so, Laura’s brother and Lucy, and Laura says, she’s just as surprised as he is. Between Martin forging whatever this is with Lucy, and Spencer having to make restitution to Ava, and Nikolas getting  tangled up with Victor, it’s going to be one helluva new year

Obrecht says, she’s not afraid of Victor, nor is she impressed. He didn’t compare to Faison in the past, and doesn’t compare with Scotty today. He asks if she really thinks Scotty is that powerful, and she says, stay away from her or he’ll find out. He has no idea what Scotty is capable of. She leaves, and Victor ponders that.

Sheridan says, opposing council’s accusation is outrageous, and Judge Milford asks if Scotty has evidence of a quid pro quo. Scotty says, campaign contributions are public record. They know Michael and Willow gave a huge chunk of money to the DA for his campaign. The timing seems a little fishy. The judge says, Mr. Corinthos doesn’t have to answer, since he’s not one of the parties named, and Scotty says, no further questions. Sheridan says, because Scotty tried to impugn his character, he asks permission to call an additional witness. The judge asks Scotty and Sheridan to approach, and Sheridan says, the defense council is making unfounded accusations against him, and he would like to answer them. The sooner they clear this up, the sooner they can focus on the charges against Miss Reeves. The judge asks Sonny to step down, and the prosecution calls Willow to the stand. Willow gets up, and Nina looks worried.

No preview, just Deck the Halls and full credits.

🎅🏽 In Case You Were Wondering…

The soap schedule for Christmas Eve.

⛹️‍♂️ New Kids On the Soap…

Danny:

Charlotte:

Wiley:

💎 Swimming Pools, Movie Stars…

Some fresh, and no doubt Botoxed, faces in Beverly Hills.

👉🏼 Next…

It’s about time she dumped that guy who was never around. I assume Frank approves.

🌴 What Happened In Miami…

The latest on RHOM.

😢 Not So Happy Holidays…

Don’t read if you’re sad already. No one wants a gift like this for Christmas.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/-walking-dead-actress-alicia-witts-parents-found-dead-home-rcna9704

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10339869/Parents-Walking-Dead-star-Alicia-Witt-died-suspected-hypothermia-officials-say.html

😲 Yikes…

It’s a sad world out there.

💃🏽 On the Plus Side…

It’s good to hear NeNe is moving forward.

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 It’s Official…

I honestly hadn’t seen this coming, but they’re cute together.

Nice picture.

📺 What’s On…

A list of Christmas TV in the US.

https://www.mostlychristmas.com/christmastvschedule

And… somewhere else. The UK? Canada? I stumbled on this accidentally, but it looks like they have some good shows.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/christmas-tv-2021/

🎄 The Real Deal…

Everything you wanted to know about Christmas.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Merry Christmas!

☃️ Quotes of the Week

Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling. – Edna Ferber

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality. – Washington Irving

Christmas can’t be bought from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more. – Dr. Seuss

Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa. – Bart Simpson

It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. – Mother Theresa

Christmas is a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart. – Freya Stark

If you want to experience the true meaning of Christmas, give something to someone who can offer nothing in return. – Toni Sorenson

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

And I Heard Him Exclaim As He Drove Out Of Sight…

Since GH is repeating tomorrow, I’ll see you for soap on Monday (nothing new on Deck). Have the merriest of Christmases if you celebrate the holiday, and if not, celebrate something and have a merry day! Until next we meet, stay safe, stay picking your battles wisely, and stay knowing that, even if you’re perfectly imperfect, you’re still a person of value.

November 29, 2021 – Thanksgiving In Port Charles, 80s Neon On Deck, How They Celebrated, Dead News, Final Bow & Remember

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam says, Drew? and he says he’s sorry to just show up like this, but in all fairness, she never returned his call. She says, oh my God, and they hug.

Chase stands at the Quartermaine door. Brook tells Ned, it’s Thanksgiving, and Ned says, the day we remember the Pilgrims for taking advantage of people they should have respected. She says she thought he wasn’t going to blame Chase, and he says, he’s not, but he’s allowed to be disappointed, at Chase, and at Brook. Chase says, maybe this was a bad idea, but Monica comes out, and asks where are Ned and Brook’s manners. Invite the man in; he’s a guest. Olivia comes in, and seeing the door open, asks if they live in a barn. Brook tells Monica, actually, Chase is more than a guest. Monica says, a friend, but Brook says, he’s more than a friend too. As a matter-of-fact, he’s family.

Portia leaves a voicemail for Curtis, saying, she knows he’s going through a lot right now, but maybe that’s all the more reason for him to come to her house for Thanksgiving. There’s going to be tons of food, good wine… At least she hopes it’s good wine; that’s what the guy told her. But most important, being around friends and family. So just think about it, and she hopes she sees him soon. Elizabeth says, first Portia comes in to check on a patient, and now she’s racing home to prepare dinner for all of them. What is she? Superwoman? Portia says, hardly. Does Elizabeth want to know her secret? Elizabeth says, please, and Portia says, she hired a caterer. Trust her; it’s worth it. Elizabeth says she can’t wait to celebrate with everyone and count their blessings. Elizabeth gets in the elevator, and Portia says, her too.

TJ says, it sounds like Marshall has already spoken to his uncle, and Marshall says he gathers Curtis didn’t tell TJ about their conversation. He certainly made it clear he wants nothing to do with Marshall. TJ asks if he should call Curtis to explain what’s going on, but Marshall says, don’t call Curtis. Maybe his not reaching out is a good thing. Maybe he’s thinking things over, and hasn’t completely rejected Marshall yet. TJ says, his uncle is one of the smartest men he knows. If he rejected Marshall, he has his reasons. He’s tried to keep an open mind, but it seems Marshall is running some kind of hustle. If that’s the case, Curtis spotted it a mile off. Marshall says, he’s not hustling TJ, Curtis, or anybody, and TJ says, Marshall could have fooled him. He came there with a fake pain in his side. Marshall says, sorry about that. He truly regrets the way he’s gone about this. He regrets it all. He really should have done everything differently.

At the hospital, Carly gives some guys to-go bags from the MetroCourt, and says, when they’re done, come back; she has more. Elizabeth says, it smells great. It’s thoughtful of Carly and Olivia to do this. Carly says, no one works harder than the GH staff, and if they’re working on Thanksgiving and away from their families, they should at least have sweet potatoes and turkey. Elizabeth says, and MetroCourt turkey, and Carly says, a step up from the cafeteria? Elizabeth says, just a little. How about their kids, volunteering to pass out dinners? Carly says there may have been a little prodding on her part, and Elizabeth says she’s pretty sure Cameron just wants to be with Josslyn, but they’re doing it. They have a lot to be grateful for. Carly says, they do, and Elizabeth says she’ll let Carly get back to work. She leaves, and Britt comes down the hall, doing an about-face when she sees Carly. Carly notices her, and follows. She calls to Britt, and asks when she got back. Did they find her mom? Britt says, they did, and Carly says, it must have been quite an adventure. She can’t wait for Jason to tell her all about it.   

Sonny is cooking, when Anna comes to the kitchen, where we no longer have the moss bowl 🎍 to be thankful for. He says, long time, no see. What brings her by?  

Olivia says, run that by them again, and Monica says, it would seem Valentin isn’t Bailey’s father, and Chase is. Brook says, correct, and Olivia says, but Brook didn’t tell Chase, and made him sleuth it out for himself. Ned says, also correct, and Brook says, she knows this comes as a shock to everyone, but Monica says, not to her. Nothing about this family shocks her anymore, especially on the last Thursday in November. Chase wants them to know that he’s not going anywhere, and plans on being the best father he can be. Ned says, he’d better, and Chase says, he brought a pie. It’s a cake and a pie; it’s a hybrid. Olivia says, it’s a start, and takes the box from him. She says, maybe change will be the theme this year, and they’ll all actually eat some turkey. Valentin comes in, and says, that didn’t take long. Out with the old, and in with the new, right?

TJ asks what Marshall’s name is again, and he says, TJ can call him Marshall for now. TJ says, they seem to be at an impasse. Clearly, he’s distressed about something, but can’t tell TJ what it is. Marshall says, he wants to, but he’s second guessing himself in real time; everything is coming out wrong. He tends to do that. Jump in headfirst, and suffer the consequences later. He doesn’t blame TJ for being suspicious. TJ says, subterfuge is not Marshall’s game. It bothered him so much when Marshall took off, TJ mentioned it to his uncle and another doctor. Marshall says, Dr. Robinson? and TJ asks how he knew. Marshall says, he guessed. He wishes he had gone about this differently, but what’s done is done. He just doesn’t want TJ to react like his uncle did. TJ says Marshall is still talking in circles, and he’s getting frustrated. What does Marshall want? Marshall says, to be part of the Ashford family, and TJ says, he gets it. Thanksgiving can be rough. People rushing around, going to nice warm gatherings with family and friends. If Marshall is feeling lonely, the holidays can exacerbate that, but Marshall says, the holidays and loneliness have nothing to do with this. He’s finally able to reach out to Curtis, after being unable to for a long, long time. Maybe too long, and he’s going about it all wrong. He’s not sure what to do about it, but it’s not TJ’s problem, and it’s not fair to enlist his help. This is something Marshall has to do on his own. TJ asks what Marshall is talking about; just tell him who Curtis is to him? Marshall says, Curtis is his son.

Elizabeth asks Portia if she should bring anything for dinner, but Portia says, just her crew. Finn comes in with Violet, and Portia says, unless Miss Violet is allergic to pumpkin pie. Violet says, no, but her daddy says she’s allergic to bedtime. Portia says she’ll see them later, and leaves. Finn asks if Elizabeth is ready to head out, and Violet says, there’s no rush. This day is already great. They’re together.

Phyllis sees Nina at the hospital, and Nina asks what she’s doing there. Phyllis says she volunteered to in there today, and just finished. It doesn’t hurt that staying busy keeps your mind off… everything. She asks if Nina has Thanksgiving plans, and Nina says she got an invitation to join her friend Curtis, but she doesn’t know. She’s having a tough time. Phyllis takes her hand, and says, you and me both.

Sam says she can’t believe Drew is standing there, and invites him in. He says, it’s surreal for him too, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s in one piece, so there’s that. She says, that’s a plus, and he says, he owes her a huge thank you. He heard she dropped everything and came looking for him with Dante. She says, but they didn’t find him. How did he get back? He says he had a lot of help.

Anna says, it smells incredible, and Sonny says she can come there any   time she wants. She thanks him, and says he doesn’t think she came there to score an invitation. What’s going on?

Carly guesses the trip was a whirlwind, and asks Britt, how’s Liesl? Britt says, good. She’s actually here, getting her injuries looked at. Carly asks, what about Peter? and Britt says, he’s captured and in custody. Carly says, thank God that guy’s reign of terror is finally over. It’s long overdue, but it’s finally finished and everyone is safe… Everyone’s safe, right?

Brook thought Valentin moved out, and he says, don’t worry about it. He and Charlotte have vacated the premises. He’s there to pick up some things the movers overlooked. He pours himself a drink, and Monica says, she knows this has to be painful and shocking for him. Olivia says, all things aside, they know how much he loves Bailey. Valentin thanks her, and says, he’ll survive; he always does. He says, no Michael? and Ned says, he and Willow took Wiley to New York City for the holidays. Olivia says, they thought Wiley would get a kick out of the parade, and Valentin says, maybe they’ll be kind enough to fill Michael in. Ned says, on this, and Valentin says, yeah, be sure to detail the depths to which his daughter has sunk, but this is an ELQ matter. He’s filed a motion nullifying their agreement. Brook says, he can’t do that, but he says, he can and he did. She admitted Bailey wasn’t his daughter; that voided their contract. That makes her ELQ shares once again his ELQ shares. That gives him an insurmountable majority, and cements his position as CEO of ELQ. Happy Thanksgiving.

TJ asks if Marshall is really his uncle’s father, and his father’s father. Marshall says he is, and TJ says, that makes him… Marshall says, his grandfather. TJ asks if he’s telling the truth, but Marshall says, he wouldn’t lie about this, and TJ says, he supposedly died a long time ago. Marshall says, it’s a long story, and not a pretty one, but he’s not an imposter. He’s not playing TJ or Curtis. He’s TJ’s grandfather. It feels good to say that, and see this fine young man standing in front him. He hopes TJ accepts what he’s telling him; accepts him. He holds out his hand, and TJ takes it. Marshall laughs, and Curtis comes in, asking what the hell Marshall thinks he’s doing. Marshall says, Curtis needs to watch his language in the chapel, and Curtis says he was trying to get there first to prepare TJ, but TJ says, it’s all good. Now they can finally put a name to the face of the stranger they wondered about; he’s family. Curtis says TJ needs to do him a favor, and leave.

Sam says, Drew and Jason teaming up to take down Peter, that’s something she would love to have seen. Does Monica know he’s home yet? He says, not yet, but he’s heading over there, and Sam says, this is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever for her. Dante comes downstairs with Scout, and stops short seeing Drew. Drew says, Scout. Look at her. She’s all grown up. Sam says, she’s not all grown up, and Drew says he’s so happy to see her, but Scout clings to Dante.

Anna tells Sonny, she and Robert went to Greece. They got information that Peter was holed up on Cassadine Island. He says, Jason’s in Greece; he and Britt went looking for her mother. Anna says she knows, and asks if they can sit down.

Carly asks what Britt isn’t telling her, and Britt flashes back to the tunnel collapsing. She says she just wants Carly to know, if it wasn’t for Jason, she and her mom wouldn’t have made it home alive. Carly says, that’s great, but she’s more concerned about Jason. Where the hell is he? Britt starts to cry.

Ned says Valentin doesn’t honestly think this will work, and Valentin says he does actually. Detective Chase came forth and clamed Bailey as his own, which was very honorable of him. He tells Chase, a word to the wise; honor is in short supply in this house. He tells Olivia, brining the turkey was an inspired choice; very succulent. She says, he tasted it? and he says he got his before the dog descended on it. Annabelle II barks, and Valentin says, rave reviews all around. Brook says, really? and they all run out, except for Monica.

TJ says, obviously, he’s missing something, and Curtis says, Mr. Ashford and he need to talk alone. TJ says he’s sensing that’s not the best idea, but Marshall says, it’s okay. TJ’s uncle is right. They have some unfinished business. TJ starts to leave, and Marshall says, looking at TJ, who and what he’s become, his father would be proud. TJ leaves, and Marshall says, okay, it’s just us, son. Curtis says, stop calling him son. It’s a privilege that’s earned. Marshall got his chance and blew it. There’s no going back.

Phyllis says she wishes she had come magic words to explain why bad things happen to good people, and Nina says, they happen to bad people too. Phyllis says, Nina’s not bad. She’s had a wound inside her since her baby was taken from her; maybe before. Nina says, it doesn’t excuse what she did, and Phyllis says, no, but taking responsibility is the first step to redemption. Nina asks if that’s a quote, and Phyllis says it is. Nina asks who said it? and Phyllis tells her that she did. They laugh, and Nina says she’s putting her foot down. Phyllis isn’t spending Thanksgiving alone or at Charlie’s. She sees Portia, and asks if Portis thinks she has room for one more tonight. Portia says, absolutely. The more the merrier. Nina and Phyllis hug.

Elizabeth says she just needs to change out of her scrubs, but Violet says she looks pretty, and asks Finn, doesn’t she? Finn says she does, and Elizabeth says she won’t be long. Finn says, and then it’s turkey time, and Violet asks if she can have the wishbone. Finn thinks that can be arranged. Elizabeth asks if she has a special wish in mind, and Violet says it’s about Elizabeth and daddy. Finn says she has to keep it a secret, or it won’t come true.

Sam tells Scout, don’t worry; there’s nothing to be afraid of. Dante says, it’s her dad. Can she believe it? Sam says, he’s been gone for a while, but he’s back now, and Dante says, it’s amazing news. Drew says he knows she’s surprised; he is too. They don’t have to rush. They can take it slow, and get to know each other again. Scout nods, and he says, the good news is, they’ve got nothing but time.

Sonny says he heard talk that Drew survived the plane crash, and Anna says, there was no plane crash; it was staged. Drew was being held prisoner by Peter with Victor’s assistance. Peter is in custody, and Victor cut a deal. Sonny says, Drew’s coming home; two out of three ain’t bad. Anna says, while they were there, they learned Peter had Britt and Jason, and Sonny asks if they got them out. She says, actually, they got themselves out. They had Jason to help. Britt and Obrecht got home… He says, Jason didn’t? and she shakes her head.

Carly tells Britt to say it, but Britt says, she doesn’t want to. Carly tells her, say it, and I want to slap her. Britt says, Jason’s gone.

Monica says, Valentin is enjoying this, isn’t he? and he asks if she’d call him childish if said yes. She says, revenge can be sweet for the moment, but it’s not going to make Bailey his. Ned comes in, brandishing a turkey leg, and says he hopes Valentin is happy. This is all that’s left of a 25 pound turkey. Valentin says, what a shame, but there’s always next year, and Brook says, he waltzes in there, taking back ELQ, and ruins her family’s Thanksgiving, and he talks about her depths? He says she took his child, and she says, Bailey isn’t his; get over it and move on. He says he thought he respected her, but he really just found her moderately attractive.  Now he doesn’t have to stick around and watch looks go to ruin. Chase tells him, watch it, but he says he’s just getting started. Without her singing voice, she’s just the runt of Quartermaine litter. She has less class than the family dog. Chase says, that’s enough, and punches him.

TJ wants to talk to Portia about a patient; the one he treated a couple weeks ago who took off. He just saw him again, and she’ll never believe this. She tells him, he said he was TJ’s grandfather, and he asks how she knew. She says, Curtis told her. He was on his way to fill TJ in, but she guesses Marshall beat him to it. He says, they’re together in the chapel right now, and she asks if he thinks Curtis needs backup. He says, since he was ordered out of there, he’d say, leave them be. She asks how Curtis seemed, and TJ says, not good. He’s worried about Curtis. She says, so is she.

Marshall says, TJ is willing to give him a chance. Why won’t Curtis? Curtis says, Marshall doesn’t get to make him the bad guy, not after Marshall went behind his back to tell his nephew. Marshall says he thought Curtis already told him. If he overstepped his bounds… Curtis says, Marshall thought he’d already told TJ? Told him what? That they have the same DNA? That Marshall waited three years before he disappeared, and his family believed Marshall was dead? He grew up without a father, and grew up with a mother who was chronically ill because when Marshall left, it devastated her. Now Marshall marches boldly back into Curtis’s life, without a semblance of an explanation. Does that about sum it up? Marshall says, he told TJ the simple truth. He came back to reconnect with his family. Curtis says, they are not and never will be Marshall’s family, and Marshall says he doesn’t expect to be invited to dinner anytime soon. He knows he has a lot of work to do before he can earn Curtis’s trust, but TJ’s a grown, and unless Curtis is claiming to speak for him… Curtis says, TJ speaks for himself, and Marshall says, then they’ll keep the resentment there, between the two of them, where it belongs. You do you, and I’ll do everything in my power to prove myself, or die trying. He tells Curtis, happy Thanksgiving. He says, he doesn’t know about Curtis, but he’s feeling grateful, and leaves.

Drew says he bets Scout thought he forgot, and unwraps a glass unicorn. He hopes she still collects them, and Sam says, she does. Scout asks if she can take it, and Sam says, of course (🍷). Scout thanks Drew, and goes to show the boys upstairs. Sam tells Drew, she knows it doesn’t feel like it, but she thinks it went really well. Dante offers to leave, but Drew asks him to stay. There’s something the both of them need to know. It’s about Jason.

Sonny asks if Peter sabotaged the tunnel, but Anna says, no. He was trying to escape, using Britt and Obrecht as hostages. Jason and Drew were a formidable team, as she understands it, but there was a gun fight, and the tunnels were already unstable. He asks if they took Jason out, and she says, she had a rescue team within the hour. She promises him that they did everything they could.

Britt tells Carly, they did everything they could. If Jason had survived, they would have saved him. Carly says, no body was found? and Britt says, sometimes you don’t find a body. 50 tons of earth came down on him, and there was no sign of life detected. Carly says, no, not Jason. Jason has beaten the odds over and over again, and he’s going to beat the odds this time. She’s going to Greece. Britt says, listen to her. Jason is gone. Even saying the words makes her want to curl into a ball, but it’s true. Jason is gone and not coming back. Carly says, because of Britt, and now I want to slap and kick her.

Valentin tells the Quartermaines to enjoy what’s left of their dinner, and walks out. Monica says, this is why she has Luigi’s on speed dial.

TJ goes to the chapel, and asks if Curtis is okay. Curtis says he didn’t want TJ to find out from Marshall, but TJ says, it doesn’t matter. Curtis says, it does to him, and TJ says, at least they know who he is now, and why he’s been asking questions. God knows he has a ton of his own. Curtis says he understands why TJ wants to ask questions and find out more. Marshall is his grandfather; why wouldn’t he? TJ says, but Curtis doesn’t trust him? Curtis says he doesn’t, and doesn’t think TJ should either. Proceed with caution. TJ wonders if they can get out of there. Everyone is going to Dr. Robinson’s. Curtis says he doesn’t think he’d be good company, and asks TJ to send his regards. He’s heading to the club; he’s got some work he can do. TJ says Curtis can send his own regards. He’s coming. Curtis tells TJ to go hang with his colleagues and friends, but TJ says, not without Curtis. Curtis says TJ is as stubborn as a mule, and TJ tells him, they say it runs in the family.

Elizabeth meets Finn and Violet, and Violet says, that took forever. Finn says, it was worth the wait, and Elizabeth says, an upgrade from the scrubs? but he says she looks pretty amazing in those too. Portia comes by, saying, she’s glad she caught them. There’s been a change in plans. Nina and Phyllis join them, and Nina asks if dinner is off. Portia says, no. Same people, same food; just a different venue.

Sam says, so Drew is telling them that there’s no chance? and Drew says, not even Jason could have survived that cave-in. Sam looks at a photo of Jason and Danny, and says, it’s so unreal. Scout gets her father back, and Danny loses his. Drew says he’s sorry. If it eases the pain even a little bit, he owes his life to Jason. If Jason hadn’t shown up, he would be dead or still controlled by Peter. Jason is a hero. Dante says, that sounds about right, and Sam says, it means a lot, and thanks him. Drew says he’s got to go. He doesn’t want Monica hearing the news from someone else. He’ll leave his number, and if Sam needs anything, he’s only a phone call away. She doesn’t have to search for him this time. She says she’s glad he’s home, and he says, him too. He leaves, and she looks at the picture again. Dante says he’s so sorry, and she says, her too.

Anna tells Sonny, it’s so unfair. Jason worked hard to get back to his life, only to have it taken away again. Sonny says, this time for good. Carly… She says she thought they’d both be there, and she could tell them together, but he says he’s going to have to tell her. Did Anna tell Robin? Anna says she’s dreading this conversation, and he says he appreciates her coming by to tell him. He knows it’s hard for her too. She wipes some tears away, and says, she and Jason were often on different sides of the law, but she had respect for him as a person and a parent. Sonny says, it was mutual, and Anna asks if they can maybe just lean on each other about this. He hugs her, and she says he’s got this. She leaves and Sonny knocks some stuff around. At least the moss bowl 🎍 is out of harm’s way.

Carly says she gets that Peter set this whole thing in motion, and he’s going to pay, but Britt? Jason had feelings for her. Look what it cost him. Even when they ended things, Jason had this responsibility or guilt or whatever the hell she wants to call it. So much so, he went looking for her mom in Greece. So when Carly rewinds the tape, she wishes Jason never met Britt. The nasty bitch walks away, and Britt says she wishes that too. I gave she-devil Carly the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but she leaves herself out of every equation that she’s a part of. If not for Carly, Jason would be alive.

Anna calls Valentin, and says, guess who’s home? He says he looks forward to hearing all about Greece tomorrow, and she asks, what’s wrong with now? He says he’s in the middle of something, and she wonders if he’s all right. He says he’d rather tell her tomorrow, but welcome home, darling. He looks at a photo of Bailey on his phone, and his finger hovers over the delete button, but he doesn’t touch it. He takes a drink instead.  

Britt goes to the reception desk, and flashes back on Jason saying there’s no way to predict anything. That’s not how life works. The future is an idea; it’s not a guarantee.

Sam asks if Dante is disappointed they bailed on Thanksgiving, but he says, no. He can have pizza anytime he wants. She says, what about the kids? but he says, the kids are fine. They spend plenty of time at the Quartermaines as it is. They’re right where they’re supposed to be. She says she knows Jason lived a crazy life. She had a feeling this was going to happen. She just didn’t think it would happen so soon. Dante holds her.

Carly comes back and sees Sonny through the window. She sits at the patio table, and cries. Sonny looks out the window, and watches her.

As they arrive at the club, Curtis tells TJ that he talks a good game, but he really didn’t want to spend Thanksgiving alone. TJ says, that’s a relief, and Curtis asks, why? They go inside, and turn on the light. Everyone is there, and they yell, surprise! Curtis asks, what’s going on? and Portia says, since he wasn’t up to joining the celebration, they brought the celebration to him. She tells everyone, dig in, but Curtis says, hang on. If his Aunt Stella were there, she’d say they’re forgetting the most important part. Violet says, thank you for the food. Thank you for my family. Curtis says, amen, and everyone starts to eat. Curtis kisses Portia.

Monica looks out the front window, and sees pizza boxes. She says, look at that. She didn’t even have to order this year. They just brought the pizza. She opens the door, and Drew is holding the boxes. He says he rolled the dice, and brought some with him.

Tomorrow, Scotty tells his schnitzel, welcome back; Monica tells Drew, don’t ever say anything like that again; Britt tells someone, if they tell anyone what they saw, she’ll have them fired; and Carly tells Sonny, Jason could still be alive.

Below Deck

Eddie tells the deckhands that the wind is too strong, and tells Jake not to give the go ahead until everything is secured. He never wants to see something blowing off the boat again. In Eddie’s interview, he says he needs the deck team to step up, so he can focus on his job as first officer, and his education in the wheelhouse. He tells the deckhands, he doesn’t want one more effing thing falling off the boat. Jake says he hates the effing cushions. Heather calls the provider for neon décor and balloons, specifically a seven and a five. The guests lounge around, and Rachel demonstrates 80s dance, the vacuum cleaner, in the galley. She brings Captain Lee breakfast, and Heather tells him that they’re having an 80s party for Primary Ronnie’s 75th. The captain says he already did the 80s once. In his interview, he says he met his wife Maryann in the 80s. It changed his life. So in the 80s, he was changing his life. He was also trying to look cool, but that didn’t work out. We see a picture of him back in the day, but IMO, he looked pretty good.

Heather tells Captain Lee about Jessica’s grandmother having a procedure. I love this vague word, which could mean pretty much anything from an ingrown toenail to cancer. In Heather’s interview, she says she notices the difference in Jessica from day one to now, and we flash back to when Jessica was peppy in the beginning. Heather says she understands what’s going on with Jessica, but at some point, she needs to leave it in the cabin, and show up to do her job. The guests do water sports. In Rachel’s interview, she says she’s making Mexican food for lunch, and Mexican is up her alley. It’s great going in, and interesting coming out. Fraser asks if Heather missies her partner, and she says, definitely, but it’s something they’re used to, since the priority was always yachting. Fraser says he’s craving male attention, and in his interview, he says his first relationship lasted two and a half years. His partner was ten years older, and they were in different stages of life, so it had to end, and he was shattered. It feels like he’d better get back into it. Lunch served, and primary Ronnie says, if Rachel wanted to start a restaurant, she definitely could. In Heather’s interview, she says she’s looking forward to the 80s party. She was in the womb in the 80s, and doesn’t know much about it, but she can channel it. Rachel is told by the guests that it was the best meal ever.

Jake thinks Wes and Jessica should hook up. In his interview, he says, Wes has no game whatsoever, but he’s going to try and help him. He tells Heather that they need a push. Jake tells a TMI story about twerking, and thinking pushing out a fart would be funny, and ending up pushing out something else. Sh*t happens… literally. The trampoline goes flying, and in Eddie’s interview, he says, WTF? Wes goes out to get it on a jet ski, and in his interview, he says, Baywatch in action. He’s a skinnier version of The Rock. Call him Pebble. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, in 35 years, he’s never seen wind blow with such intensity for so long. It’s Mother Nature giving you a wakeup call. Jessica irons, and Heather passes out 80s stuff to the crew. Rachel says she loves the effing 80s, and the captain tells everyone to be in their blacks by six. Jake comes out in a neon yellow… I honestly don’t know what it is. A bodysuit with cut-outs? Fraser thinks Jake looks like a figure skater or exotic dancer; he’s effortlessly chic. I wonder if we’re looking at the same guy.

Heather tells Rachel that Rayna has a sh*t attitude, and the guests get dressed for dinner. The five balloon flies away, and the wind also takes a glass off a table, and it shatters on the deck. The guests are seated for dinner, and a lot of lobster goes out. Captain Lee joins the guests, but leaves any neon behind. Rayna is helping serve, and Heather explains that the food can’t go out without tongs to serve it. Rayna mumbles about Heather needing to do her own damn job. She’s helping; she works outside. All Fraser can come up with are ice tongs, and in her interview, Heather says she shouldn’t have to explain they need tongs. She hates the way it’s going, and how no one has the initiative to come up with a solution. Rayna tells Rachel that she’s killing it, and Ronnie picks up a gigantic steak bone, eating off of it like a caveman. Heather tells the crew to get in their 80s attire to sing Happy Birthday.

Jake tries to deal with his wedgie. Heather tells at least three crew members to let Rachel know she’s clearing the table, but ends up having to tell Rachel herself. The crew dances around in their neon, spandex whatevers, and wigs. In Eddie’s interview, he says he guesses this is what being first officer is about – leggings and a tank top that belongs to an eleven-year-old girl. Guest Stacie raves about the cake, and Captain Lee thanks them for dinner, making his getaway. Although these are relatively lowkey guests, and not like that horrifying last group. Everyone heads to bed (what I said – I’m kind of disappointed in this party), and Rayna tells Jessica that Heather is hard-headed and rude. Fraser tells Heather that he doesn’t want to put up with Jessica anymore, and in Heather’s interview, she says, it’s not a test. Either she wants to be here or she doesn’t.

Friend Issa calls Rayna, and in Rayna’s interview, she says, yachting and relationships are like oil and water. She likes the feeling of knowing someone genuinely wants to talk to you. She’s not trying to rush into anything, but reaches out for attention. Breakfast is served – lobster benedict and French toast. I don’t even like French toast that much, and I think it looks amazing. And big. Like Texas toast times four. Guest Todd sticks to scrambled egg whites, and in her interview, Rachel says scrambled egg whites are the bane of her existence, and gives two middle fingers. Eddie tells Jake that they’re dropping anchor, and to secure everything. In Eddie’s interview, he says, the last time was a complete failure, and he’s too old for this sh*t. He needs someone to take over the deck. Anchor is pulled.

Ronnie says, it’s the best three days of food he’s ever had. Rayna asks Wes to think about when dinosaurs swam in the water, and Wes bets they still are. Okay… In Fraser’s interview, he says, on a scale of one to ten, Jessica is an 8.2 in clueless. She’s neither working harder nor smarter. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s had enough of getting yelled at for the deck team’s mistakes. This time, they didn’t even break a sweat.

The captain calls the crew to the aft deck to say goodbye. Primary Jeremy says it was awesome, and the food was spectacular. Child guest Alexander is relieved of his locked box, and Jeremy hands it to Captain Lee. When the guests are gone, the captain says, they know the drill. Fraser reveals that he has two closets; one just for uniforms. Heather is at a loss for words. It’s time for the tip meeting, and the captain says, it was a great charter. It was nice to see Jessica come out of her shell for the 80s. Jessica says, it was the purple hair, and in Fraser’s interview, he says, go Jess, less than enthusiastically. Captain Lee says, it’s almost like they all knew what they were doing. He opens the case, and says, 25 large ($25K). The crew responds with applause. He doesn’t say how much per crew member, and I try to count them fast, but they’re already gone. The captain tells them, well done. Have a good time; they earned it. Rachel makes it rain, while Heather twerks. Fraser asks Heather to put him on laundry. He’ll do nothing and not smile, and get a mention from Captain Lee. Heather tells him, who said you have to sleep your way to the top? The crew gets ready to go out, and head to a restaurant. Rachel tells Heather, curry with white pants; it’s a choice. Jake flirts with Heather, and in Heather’s interview, she says, Jake is coming on strong. If she didn’t have a boyfriend, he might stand a chance, but the ‘stache looks prettier every day. Fraser and Jake take a smoke break, and in Wes’s interview, he says, Jessica gives him butterflies. She reminds him of a big crush who broke his heart. He stopped taking chances after that. In Fraser’s interview, he says he finds Jake attractive, and might have a crush on him, but Jake is straight and he’s gay, not stupid. Jake takes off his pants at the bar, and then his underwear. It looks like they have the place to themselves, but still. There is a waitstaff. Rayna tells the bartender, the naked one is her boss.

Jake dances around, then jumps in the pool. Fraser follows, but thankfully, keeps his underwear on. They head back to the yacht, and Fraser says he’s getting naked in the hot tub. Rachel says she was okay until saw Jake’s flaccid penis flopping about. In the taxi, Jake and Fraser kiss, while Heather films on her phone. Jake says he’s not bisexual; he’s just sexually comfortable. Rachel says, nothing phases Jake, and she thinks everyone will get a ride on the mustache. Back on the boat, Eddie decides to use a blowtorch to light a cigar, and ends up setting his hair on fire. It’s put out quickly, but stinks up the place. Jake and Fraser get in hot tub. Eddie says he’s stressed because he has to work tomorrow, and asks Heather what happened with Jessica. Heather says she’s trying to keep her team intact. Captain Lee’s comment affected Fraser, and he said maybe he’d get praise if he stopped working so hard. Jake says, hummus and muffins… Everyone is so boring… A bagel for the boys… I guess he’s pretty drunk.

In the morning, Jake is still drunk, and says he’s effing trollied. The captain pumps iron, and Eddie asks if Jake remembers making out with Fraser. He doesn’t. Heather shows Fraser the video, and in his interview, Fraser says he’s mortified. Now Jake possibly thinks he’s into him, and he’s put his relationship with his best friend on the boat at risk. He’s crumbling. He says, stupid, a dozen times.

Next time, Jessica gets put on service; Heather tells Jessica, training day is over; and Eddie says he’s going to rip someone’s head off, but Captain Lee says that’s his job.

🦃 Talking Turkey…

How the soap celebs celebrated Thanksgiving.

And how their small screen counterparts gathered together.

⚰️ Dead Talk…

A deadly anniversary.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-pretty-much-dead-already-10th-anniversary-rick-grimes-sophia-death-barn/

The twist in Fear.

A little bit of Mo in your life.

A preview of the end of Beyond.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-finale-preview-a-fight-for-the-future/

After Dead.

🎭 Exiting the Stage…

My favorite musical writer/composer. Being able to write musicals as diverse from one another as Follies and Sweeney Todd, there was no one like him. May all the other stage greats who’ve gone before you, sing you to your rest.  

https://ew.com/theater/stars-pay-tribute-stephen-sondheim-death/

🚴‍♀️ Getting Out While the Getting’s Good…

Even though Black Friday has come and gone, you’d think there had never been a sale before. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw how much email I had this morning. Whatever the status of your inbox, stay safe, stay unpressured by the holidays, and stay knowing there’s always next year, if the dog descends on your turkey.

November 24, 2021 – Sam Gets a Thanksgiving Surprise, Grateful For a Finale, Afterward, Trying To Get Back, Thanksgiving TV, Ten Little Quotes Of Gratitude & Alice

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase’s phone rings while he’s in the shower. He grabs it, and asks Brook, what’s up? She asks where he is, and he says, in the shower; he did the turkey trot this morning. She asks if cops aren’t supposed to be peace keepers. She needs him there to keep the peace. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, nothing yet, but her father’s head is going to explode when he finds out it’s Chase, not Valentin, who’s Bailey’s father. He asks her to let him get the soap out of his eyes, and dry off, and she says, don’t forget, this was his idea. Now they have to sell it. He says he has to talk to Finn first, and she says she needs him now. He asks if she remembers who saved her bacon from Valentin, and she says, actually he saved Bailey’s bacon from Peter. He tells her, they’re in this together. Stop ordering him around, and he’ll be there soon. She says, just wear a tie, and he says, sure. It will give her father something handy to string him up with.

Austin tells TJ that he did a great job. What’s next? Is he going to choose ER again as his next elective rotation? Finn walks up, and says, infectious diseases. Austin’s loss, his gain. Austin asks, what’s the fun in that? There’s no adrenaline rush in internal medicine. Finn says he’d be surprised, and TJ asks what Austin’s plans are today. Austin says, go home, eat a turkey burger, and watch football. Marshall watches from the landing above.

Curtis is looking at the photo Marshall gave him, when Portia comes into the club. He asks what she’s doing there. He thought he locked the door. She says, no, it was open. Is he okay? He says he just didn’t hear her come in, and she says he looked like he was a million miles away. She didn’t hear back, which isn’t like him, so she decided to come check. He says he got her text, but he has so much going on. He’s sorry. What’s up? She says, dinner, for one. Is he still coming? He says, when? and she says, today. Thanksgiving? She asks if he’s okay.

Dante and Sam watch the parade with the kids from Sam’s balcony, and Rocco says, this is sweet. He wonders why they haven’t done it before, and Sam tells him, play his cards right, and he’ll get invited again. Jake says he’s glad they came; it can get boring. Dante comes up behind Sam, putting his arms around her. He wants to lock down another invite, and she thinks it can be swung. They go inside, and Jake says, that was awesome. Sam tells them to take their coats off, and asks, who’s ready for some treats? Rocco asks where the treats are, and Dante says he and Sam will get that sorted out. They have a movie ready to go upstairs, Kristina Comes Home for Christmas. The boys roll their eyes, and Sam tells Danny that he’s being rude. Rocco says, that movie’s ancient, and Dante says, that’s the point. Good old-fashioned Christmas magic. Scout says she wants to see it, and Sam says, that’s her girl. Go upstairs, and they’ll get some snacks ready. They head upstairs, and Dante says Sam saved his butt. They didn’t want to watch the movie, but she had snacks and treats. She says she has some tricks up her sleeve. She has cookies, muffins, donuts, and cupcakes from Kelly’s. He says, what about coffee? and she says, and nachos. She asks if he thinks the kids are getting along, and he says, yeah. He knows Rocco misses Charlotte. The holidays are always tough without his mom, but he seems happy with Scout and Danny. She says, Danny and Scout miss Jason, and Drew, and he says, at least they get to see their families at the Quartermaines. There’s a holiday movie for her. He thinks it would be a horror film. She says, there’s a sequel at the Davis’s. Is he sure he’s up for it? He says, of course (🍷) he is. He and her mom are good; they made peace. As long as she’s up for what that means, if they show up at their families’ houses at the holidays with their kids together. She says, it’s a big deal, and he says, it makes them official.

Brook tells Ned to go easy on the coffee. He might want to switch to decaf, the way family Thanksgivings go around here. He says, not this year. Things are finally looking up. He and Olivia are finally on the same page. After Leo’s disappearance last night at Ava’s gallery, she came to realize, Leo does need to see a specialist; that he was only acting in Leo’s best interest. Which doesn’t let Brook off the hook for letting Leo out of her eyesight, or using Austin’s genuine concern for Leo against him. She says, she did it for the family. If he’s going to be mad at her for losing Leo and sticking it to Austin, he can kiss the Normal Rockwell Thanksgiving he envisions goodbye. It’s never been the Q’s reality, and it’s not going to start now.

Chase looks in the mirror, and says he can do this. He practices telling Finn about Bailey, and says, he so doesn’t have this.

TJ tells Austin that Portia is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. They’re all going to be there. Him and Molly… Finn says, Elizabeth and her kids, him and his daughter Violet, his brother Chase. It’s a good group. TJ says Austin will be welcome. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving. He and his Uncle Curtis will have the game on as well. Austin thanks him, but declines, and Finn asks if he’s holding out for a better offer. Olivia asks if she can talk to Austin a second, but he says, no. He’s done talking to her or anyone else in her family ever again. He walks away, and she runs after him. Finn tells TJ that he’s losing his reputation as the quirkiest doctor at GH, and TJ says he wasn’t aware that was Finn’s reputation. Finn says, diplomacy will get him far. Finn looks forward to working with him, and says, see him at dinner.

Curtis says his mind is just trying to figure out what’s real and what isn’t, and Portia asks if he’s talking about the club. Yesterday, he was wondering if the mob was blocking his musical guests, and then arranging for that singer to just magically appear. Did he figure something out? He says, yes, but it wasn’t what he thought. No shadowy organizations. That might have actually been simpler. She says, simpler than what? but he’s not ready to get into this right now. She asks if it’s about the man in the sketch, the one who was asking her and TJ questions about Curtis and the club. What’s going on? He says he wishes he knew, and she says, okay. She sees that he doesn’t want to talk about it right now, so she won’t pry, but if he changes his mind, she’s there to listen. And if he doesn’t feel like coming to dinner, she completely understands. She’ll miss him, but hopes he works through whatever’s going on. She starts to leave, but he tells her, wait. She’s the only one he can talk to about this. Would she stay? Please?

Dante and Sam get the snacks ready, and Dante asks what she wants to bet the kids will be bouncing off the walls by lunch. She says, as long as they don’t break anything too precious at the Quartermaines, she thinks she’ll be okay, and he says, the advantage of going to the Quartermaines is that everything of value has probably been broken or moved. She says, Monica does like having a full house. She’s glad they didn’t tell her that Drew is alive, because then they’d have to tell her that he’s presumed dead, and that would really hurt her. He says, came close though, and she says, it would have been the ultimate gift to bring Drew home for the holidays, not only for Monica, but for Scout. She just hopes Jason makes it home in time for Christmas for Danny’s sake. Dante says, if not, he and Rocco will come decorate the tree with her, but then they have to come and help them decorate theirs, and do things like ice skating. He can teach her how to do that too. She says she’s totally down for that; it all sounds good. Their little families are blending so well. He tells her, like his mother would say, like buttah.

Oliva asks Austin to listen to what she has to say before she breaks her ankle walking in these shoes. He stops, and she says she was wrong about him; about his motives in insisting her son needs to see a specialist. She was in denial, and the other night, something happened. Leo disappeared, and if he hadn’t given that heads up, and Ned hadn’t taken him seriously, she doesn’t think they would have found him in time. Austin says, he was near water, and she says, he was, and because Ned did his homework, they knew to search for him by the docks. Then everything just fell into place. The whole thing Austin was wondering about, and Ned was wondering about, it all makes sense. And she’s committed to getting her son all the support he needs. Austin says, that’s great news, and she says, it’s all because of him. She’s truly sorry that she accused him of using her son to further his position with ELQ. She hopes he forgives her.

Ned asks why Brook is so defensive. Does it have anything to do with Valentin and Charlotte packing up and moving out last night? She says she has to check on Bailey, but he says, stop right there. Initially, he admits he was relieved to see them go, but after seeing Yuri, he noticed Yuri was particularly upset. So he questioned Yuri, and he kept repeating the same phrase about Bailey and Belarus. Ned entered the phrase into the translator, and it was something about the right seed. He’s impressed at how she and Valentin have co-parented. It’s a sign of maturity on her part. So if she’s hit a bump, that doesn’t mean it’s insurmountable. Look at him and Olivia. Whatever’s going on, he’s there to help if he can. She says, he can’t. Valentin isn’t Bailey’s father.

Chase goes to Finn’s office, and says he was hoping to find Finn there. Finn says he’s catching up on patient files, and asks if Chase is working a case. Chase says he’s off today, and Finn asks if he isn’t overdressed for football with TJ and the boys. By the way, Violet is playing quarterback; she’s got the whole thing worked out. Chase says, about that… and Finn says, he’s still coming to dinner, right? Chase says, something’s come up.

Curtis tells Portia, after he tracked down Linc, he found out Linc was working for someone else. She says, the guy from the sketch? Not organized crime. He says he honestly doesn’t know, but the guy came in and they talked. He was the one responsible for getting the artist here. She says, which is why he was so interested in asking questions about The Savoy, but he was also interested in Curtis too. Curtis says, he was interested in both him and the club, and she says, which is why he did Curtis that huge favor? He says, apparently, but he also wanted a relationship. She asks, why? and Curtis says the guy claimed to be his father. She says she thought his father passed when he was a child, and he says, that’s what he was told, and that’s what he believed. Then this man Marshall – of course (🍷) that’s what he says his name is – comes in and tells him otherwise. She asks if he believes Marshall.

Curtis shows Portia the photo, and says, it was the last photo took before he left. She says, there’s a real resemblance between the man in the photo and the man who approached her and TJ. He says he showed Marshall the sketch, and when he asked why his mom and Aunt Stella let him and Tommy believe Marshall was dead, he couldn’t give a straight answer. He said he left because it wasn’t safe, whatever the hell that means. Curtis has to admit, it brought up feelings he didn’t know he had about not having a father in his life. How that pain and emptiness felt growing up, and he didn’t even realize it. About how a sudden disappearance suddenly made his life unpredictable. He never processed that, much less talked about it, until Marshall said he was his father. She says, he was only a child; he was three years old. He probably buried it. That’s exactly how trauma works. It seems Curtis might actually believe it’s true. He says, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want a relationship either way, and told Marshall that. At least he had the decency to get the hell out of Curtis’s life again. She asks if that’s the end of it? and he says, it better be, but she says she’s wondering if that’s what he really wants, or is he just trying to protect himself? He’s been a detective and a cop; he must have questions. Maybe there’s more to the story. He says, maybe.

Dante says he hopes Sam is ready to be showered with approval; his mom has been advocating for this a long time. She says she can’t believe she got Olivia’s approval, and he says, she got it big time. She says, that means a lot, and he says, he didn’t tell her, but there was kind of a situation with Leo last night. She asks, what happened? and he says, Leo is okay, but they think he might be on the autism spectrum. She says, she’s so sorry. She knows how trying that can be. He says she told him about her brother, and she says, it wasn’t nearly the same thing, but it was… challenging? He had a genetic disorder that caused behavioral issues. He was a loving boy, so well-rounded, and sweet, and kind. She loved him so much. She tears up, and Dante holds her.

Finn tells Chase, they should be together on Thanksgiving, especially since their mom and dad can’t make it. Just to guilt him some more, Violet will be very disappointed if he doesn’t come. Chase says he hate the thought of letting Violet down. Maybe he can swing by after. Finn says, after what? and Chase says, something’s come up; something he can’t get out of. Finn asks, what’s so urgent? and Chase says, it’s personal. Finn says, like a date? and Chase says, sort of. Finn asks if he can be more vague. What’s the name of the lucky lady who got him to turn his back on his family? Chase says, the mother of his child.

Ned asks what the hell Brook is talking about, and she says, does she really need to spell it out for him? He says, she means she was with more than one man around the same time, and she didn’t know who the father was? She says, it’s a little more complicated that. She knew who the father was, and decided not to be truthful about it for reasons she’s sure he can guess. He says, the ELQ shares? and she says, yes. He says, and she told Valentin last night? and she says, yes. He asks if she’s going to tell him who the father, is or does he not know yet? She says, he knows. He’s wonderful. Not that they have feelings for each other; it’s more casual. They’re friends, which is good, and Ned actually kind of likes him, more than he likes Valentin. He says, that’s not a high bar. So who is it? Who is Bailey’s father? She tells him, it’s Chase.

Finn tells Chase, wait… What?… How?… He knows how. Who’s the mother? Chase asks if Finn remembers when he and Willow broke up. Brook was on the outs with the Qs and she moved in for a while. Finn says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, Tracy’s granddaughter; she’s the mother, and she didn’t tell him? Chase says, it’s complicated, but he just found out. Brook is a great mom. Finn says, a good mom makes all the difference. So Brook was lying to Valentin and Chase? Chase says, she was, but the lie is over, and they’re sorting through things. Finn says, just like that. Chase isn’t angry? Chase says, at first there were a lot of emotions, but he realized it’s only been a few months, and for part of that time he was living in the same house as Bailey. He held her and sang to her. Finn says, and Brook wants Chase to be part of Bailey’s life? Chase says, absolutely, and Finn says, Chase and Brook, are they…? Chase says, no; they’re just friends. Just that one time. Finn says, sorry. It’s a lot to take in. Congratulations, bro. He fathered a beautiful baby girl. He hugs Chase, saying, he’s happy for him, and Chase says, congratulations to him too. He’s an uncle. Finn says, Violet’s been asking for baby sister; he guesses a baby cousin is the next best thing. Chase asks if Finn can do him a favor and not mention it to Violet or anyone else, especially mom and dad. Brook hasn’t told her family yet, and the situation with Valentin is tricky. Finn says, of course (🍷), and tells Chase to watch his back with them. Not only does Chase have to deal with Valentin and all his nonsense, but the Quartermaines and that brings. Is he sure he’s prepared?

Ned says, Detective Chase is the father? He was here all this time, and they never said a word about it. Brook says, Chase didn’t know, and he says, she never told him? And he never even suspected? She says, she told him that Valentin was the father, and Ned says, but she knew he wasn’t. She kept the truth from Chase because she wanted use her child to get the ELQ shares back. She says, it was her fault they lost control of ELQ; she had to do something. He says, they were just shares. She kept that child from her real father. This is a mess. He has no one to blame but himself. He put too much pressure on Brook; now look where they are. Chase lost time with his daughter, and Valentin lost a child he thought was his. Both of these men’s lives have been completely upended. She says she’s so sorry, but he can’t blame himself. She takes responsibility. She truly did what she thought she had to do. He says, at least he still has his beautiful granddaughter; that won’t change. Just tell him, how did Valentin react to the news? She says, he was devastated, and very angry. Ned says, he’s bound to fight back.

Austin says he’s very happy to hear Olivia has come around, and is there for Leo. That little boy deserves the best chance he can get to have a great life. Olivia agrees, and says she’s committed to getting that for him. She just wishes she hadn’t thought the worst of Austin, and realizes now how lucky they all were that he spotted this and came forward. He says, no parent wants to hear that their child isn’t typical. There’s a pediatric neurologist at GH who’s so great. He’d be happy to give her an introduction. She says she already made an appointment online. She doesn’t want to waste any more time. He says he’s glad to hear that, and she says she’d like to make it up to him. He can join them for Thanksgiving; there’s going to be plenty of food. He shakes his head, and she says he doesn’t forgive her, and he says he can’t forgive her family for denying his father when he was alive, and again denying him after he was dead. He’s never going to forgive Brook for trying to sabotage his medical career, simply for trying to get Leo the help he needs.

Dante says it sounds like Sam didn’t have an easy childhood, but despite everything that happened, she showed love and compassion to Danny anyway. It shows what kind of person she is; a strong, fierce, independent, beautiful woman. She can think on her feet better than anyone he’s ever known. She slashed his tires to make sure he couldn’t follow her. She says he can chalk that one up to street smarts, and he says he’s grateful for her street smarts. She says, know what she’s grateful for? His openness. Even though Sonny is his father, Dante has managed to be able to be loyal Sonny and his job. He still somehow makes it work. When he runs off, she knows he’s not running off to start trouble; he’s running to stop it. That gives her peace. He says, that’s what he calls it too. She asks why her heart is beating so fast, and he says he was going to ask the same thing. They kiss, and Scout comes to the stairs, saying, the boys changed the movie.

Marshall says, Dr. TJ Marshall, and asks if TJ’s got a minute.

Curtis tells Portia, that man, if he’s his father, changed the course of his family’s lives when he disappeared. His mother became an invalid. Aunt Stella gave up the love of her life because they needed her. She taught him and Tommy how to shave. Despite all that love and strength aimed at them, they still felt the loss. They were different from the other kids who mentioned their fathers. There were always those kids with no fathers who were part of a sad club; they were members of that club. She says she’s so sorry, and Curtis says, he allowed that to happen to his family. He stayed away for decades. Now he wants to swoop back in, like some conquering hero. He saved one night at the club. What does Marshall expect from him? To welcome him with open arms – gee, pop, it’s good to see you. Not gonna happen. She says she can see why he sent Marshall away, and she hates that Marshall brought up all of this for him. He says he hates that he was reminded of it, and hates how it still eats at him. Marshall did this to him, and he doesn’t want Marshall in his life. He wishes Marshall hadn’t come back, if Marshall is even his father. She asks if he checked Marshall out, and he says he did a quick internet search. No Marshall Ashford matched his description. She says, they both know you can dive deeper than an internet search, and he says, he could. She says, but he doesn’t want to, and he says he doesn’t know what he wants to do about Marshall. He’s been kind of paralyzed since Marshall dropped his big announcement. His head’s been spinning with memories and realizations, and of course (🍷) questions. She asks if he’s reached out to Stella, but he says, no. She’s still recovering from her stroke, and this is the kind of news that could be too much of a shock to her. He does know Stella would never lie about their father to him and Tommy, ever. So he doesn’t want to risk upsetting her. She says, that’s very wise, but what about TJ? Marshall approached TJ before; he could do it again. He says he was thinking about that, but he hasn’t told TJ because he was sorting out his own thoughts. She’s right. He should give TJ a heads up. He’d hate for this Marshall guy to catch TJ off-guard like he did him.

TJ says he remembers Marshall. Marshall disappeared on him. How does Marshall know his nickname? Marshall asks if that’s not the abbreviation for Thomas Jr., and TJ asks if Marshall looked him up or something. What’s going on? Is he ill? TJ is getting off his rotation, but can make sure the attending sees Marshall. Marshall says, he’s not sick. He didn’t need medical care the last time he came to see TJ. TJ asks, then why did he come? Why is he here now? Marshall tells him, like he said, he came to see TJ.

Chase tells Finn, he knows Valentin is hurt and angry; who wouldn’t be? As for the Q’s, he’ll just have to face the music, and get through it. What else can he do? Finn says, good luck with all that. It’s going to be one hell of a Thanksgiving dinner. At least he can spend the day with his baby girl. He can’t believe he’s saying that. Chase is going to be an amazing father. He sees how Chase is with Violet, who adores him. Chase thanks him for the vote of confidence. Like he said, he’s already lived with Bailey, so he has a head start. Finn says, he must have felt a connection all along; something deep inside. Chase says, now that Finn mentions it, totally. Finn says, when Chase feels the time is right, they’ll get Violet together with her cousin. It’s one more thing to be happy for today. Chase says he has to get going, and Finn tells him, good luck with the Quartermaines, although it’s Brook who did Chase wrong. It’s hard to be angry when he has that baby girl in his life. Chase says, yeah, happy Thanksgiving, and jets. Finn watches him go down the hall, and says, happy Thanksgiving.

Ned says, the whole family will be here today, and Brook says, so? He asks what she’s going to tell them. There’s going to be a million questions. And what about the fact that Chase had a thing for her, and married Willow. And he never suspected that Bailey was his daughter. Brook says, if he remembers, Chase was nearly poisoned to death; he had bigger fish to fry. Ned can’t possibly blame Chase. He says he can and he does. It takes two to make a baby. Maybe Chase didn’t know because he didn’t want to know. He was too busy chasing Willow to step up and be a father. Or too busy snooping around there doing Austin’s biding. He’s not buying it.

Olivia says, Brook honestly thought Austin was using her son. She was just trying to protect the family, that’s all. Austin tells her, like he said, he’s really glad Leo is getting the help he needs; that’s the only thing that’s important. She agrees, but what’s done is done. Can’t he let this thing with Brook go? He says he can try, and she says, great. And the offer still stands if he changes his mind. She leaves, and Finn comes by. He asks Austin, why the long face? and Austin says, sometimes the only way to turn a frown into a smile is the satisfaction of payback. Finn says, okay. He was going to convince Austin to join them, but perhaps alone in front of the TV is a better alternative.

Brook says Ned is projecting his anger at her onto Chase. Go ahead, be mad at her; she’s used to it. He says he’s mad at both of them. It was reckless, thoughtless, and selfish, and now she expects him to sweep up the mess, and act like nothing ever happened. She says she knows it’s Thanksgiving, but don’t go all puritan on her. He’s not exactly a saint himself. He says he’s not pretending to be, unlike her wonderful guy Chase. She says, for the last time, it’s not Chase’s fault. The doorbell rings, and Ned opens the door to Chase, who says, happy Thanksgiving. He brought dessert.  

Portia says, Curtis is going through a lot right now. She just wants him to know that her home is open to him. Whenever he needs her, she’ll be there. And if he changes his mind about Thanksgiving, she’ll be there with food, and a bunch of people who love and appreciate him. He says he can’t believe he tried to push her away. Talking to her was the best decision he could have made. He’s not sure if he’ll make it tonight, but he’s sure he’s grateful for her. He considers her among his blessings. They kiss.

Marshall asks if there’s someplace they can talk private, TJ isn’t sure he wants to do that. He doesn’t know who Marshall is, and he was asking a lot of questions about TJ and his uncle. He doesn’t know what this is, but he’s really not up for it. He’s had a really long night, and has somewhere to be later. Marshall says he doesn’t blame TJ for being suspicious; Curtis was the same way. Just give him a few minutes, and he promises to explain. It would mean the world to him.

Dante tells Scout not to worry. He’ll handle the boys. He promises she’ll get to watch the rest of Kristina Comes Home for Christmas. He takes her hand, and says, come on; we’ll show them. They go upstairs, and Sam breathes in the scent of Dante’s scarf. There’s a knock at the door, and when Sam opens it, a clean-shaven Drew is there.

On Monday, Portia wonders if Curtis needs back up; Valentin says, out with the old and in with the new; Chase wonders if this is a bad idea; and Sonny tells someone, long time no see.

Winter House

When we last left this bunch of miserable people, Ciara had asked if Austen kept in touch with his ex, the even-worse- than-all-of-them-put-together Madison. Austen said they didn’t talk. He didn’t want Ciara to think he was hiding anything, but Madison was literally on the cover of a tabloid, and that sh*t wasn’t easy. He didn’t want it to affect what he thought they had going on. In Ciara’s interview, she said he’d been insanely honest, and it was all she could ask. Apparently, her bar is set low. Craig asked if it bothered Lindsay that Austen was totally into Ciara, and she said, no, then jumped Jason’s bones. Ciara and Austen when to look at her ski outfit in the closet, and never came out. What is wrong with these people, playing 7 Minutes in Heaven at age 45 35 30 or somewhere around there?

There was one day left of vacation, and I was begging for it to end. Okay, I’ve begged for it to end since the first episode. Craig got a text from girlfriend Natalie that she’d gone out to dinner with Madison, and Austen was like, WTF? In Craig’s interview, he said it was insanity. Why would she go out to dinner with the same girl who’s called her a whore. We saw a clip from Watch What Happens Live, where Madison said Austen had slept with Natalie last summer, and she was now dating Craig. I’m not sure why that would determine Natalie to be a whore, but whatever. Craig felt this spoke to something in Natalie’s character that he hadn’t seen and couldn’t deal with. Austen went to Kyle, and said Ciara was a curveball he hadn’t expected, but he wasn’t in a place to be exclusive or give himself completely to someone. In his interview, Austen said that before he left, Madison had come to his house, kissed him on the cheek, and told him not to forget about her. Ugh. I’m not an Austen fan, but no one deserves that horrible woman in their life. He said it was next level manipulation, and he’d tried to cut ties. He wished it was a year from now, and said it showed timing was everything.  

It had gotten warm out, and Austen said skiing in the spring was the bee’s knees, since he walked out of the 1920s. Luke’s igloo had melted, which made him sad, and we flashed back on Luke’s building skills. Everyone dressed all weird in tutus and neon and mullet wigs, looking like they were going to an 80s dance party. Or fitness class. Lindsay asked what Austen had wanted to cry to her about, but he said he was good. Lindsay told Amanda what Austen had said. She didn’t think he was over his ex enough to start something else. Jason and Lindsay agreed they on the same page, but everyone else wasn’t. It was unclear whether they meant the other couples weren’t on the same page as each other, or everyone wasn’t on their page. In Jason’s interview, he said meeting Lindsay had been unexpected, but welcome. She was wild and confrontational, but better too much than not enough. He didn’t think it was a vacation fling, and was to be continued. My guess is, it’s going to get old real fast.  

Since Lindsay’s boobs were two years old, they decided to have a birthday party. In Craig’s interview, he said he was having a great time, and wasn’t excited to go back to Charleston. Finding out Natalie had dinner with Madison was evidence that Natalie wasn’t his person anymore. Luke retrieved his sap-catching bags from the trees, and said being in the city killed his soul. Amanda told Kyle about her conversation with Lindsay, and they speculated on what Austen wanted to tell Lindsay. Kyle said Austen and Ciara were separated by a couple of states, and Amanda said if Austen didn’t see a future, he should make that clear. Amanda said she didn’t want gossip be guessing what it was Austen wasn’t clear on, but they had to protect Ciara’s precious little heart.

Lindsay said she was obsessed with her own boobs, even though internet trolls said they were too far apart. It didn’t hurt that she had the nicest man in the world interested in her. Several of the guys dressed up in tutus and fake boobs, and Kyle laughed about Austen’s pierced ears. They played limbo until Kyle and Craig knocked it down. Amanda talked to Julia in the kitchen, telling her that Austen wasn’t interested in a long distance relationship. In Amanda’s interview, she said she felt like she’d been part of Ciara and Austen’s relationship from the beginning. She’d gone on their first date with them, and seen them blossom. They seemed absolutely perfect together. Which was a long way of saying she was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. She cornered Austen, and said she didn’t want to go to Ciara without finding out the whole story. Austen told her that he wanted to say it as nicely as he could – it was none of her effing business. Amanda said Ciara was her business, and he said she needed to stay out of it. Amanda started crying, and whined that Austen was a POS. He told her, STFU, and Kyle made excuses that Amanda just cared about them, because he’s a busybody too. Amanda wailed to Ciara and Julia that she’d tried to do the right thing, Ciara was like, it’s cool, and said she’d talk to Austen. Austen said this wasn’t the way he’d wanted it to go, but Ciara said it was out there now, and why was he being defensive? He said he hadn’t come there with a bunch of friends who were all up in his business, and Ciara said Amanda was just concerned about her. She woudn’t be sleeping in his bed if she didn’t like him, and was scared something like this would happen. Austen said he wanted to see her as much as he could, and asked what her master plan was. She said she didn’t have one, and he said he didn’t either. He told her that he was drunk, and  they decided to table it for the night.

In Andrea’s interview, he said he’d come in texting two different girls, but after spending time with Paige, she was growing on him. He wanted her for himself. It was mercifully the last day, and everyone packed. Austen told Ciara that he didn’t think he was ready, and clearly had things he needed to work on with himself. He hoped they could plan on seeing each other. In Ciara’s interview, she said she hadn’t been planning on liking someone to this capacity. (Let me remind you, it’s been two and a half weeks, although it feels like years.) She said she was a hopeless romantic, and reality was hard right now. Andrea made plans with Paige, and in her interview, she said she knew this was going to happen. No one could spend 17 days straight with her, and not love her. In Gabby’s interview, she said she was glad she did it, but it was tough. At the end of the day, growth was better than a hook-up. She’d take what she could get. Ciara told Paige that she appreciated Austen’s honesty, but wondered why she always picked the ones who were emotionally unavailable. They agreed they needed a vacation after the vacation.  

Paige’s parents picked her up, and Andrea helped her move a million boxes of stuff out. For two and a half weeks? She introduced him, and he made it clear they would be seeing each other. Ciara told Austen that she knew he wasn’t ready to date, but they could still be friends that kiss occasionally. In Austen’s interview, he said it had been an amazing couple of weeks. If Ciara was okay with him not being able to fully commit, then he fully welcomed her suggestion. With that, Kyle closed the door. No one will be missed.

At the end, we saw Paige and Andrea kissing in an elevator, and it said, coming soon on Summer House. Omg, it’s like a roach motel.

🏚 No Big Chill Here…

Who zoomed who after Kyle closed the door.

https://screenrant.com/winter-house-austen-kroll-ciara-miller-romance/

https://www.eonline.com/news/1310969/just-how-serious-are-winter-house-couple-paige-desorbo-craig-conover-hear-her-answer

🧲 Like a Bad Penny…

Juicy Joe puts on the gloves.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1310507/joe-giudice-is-fighting-to-return-to-the-u-s-after-italy-deportation

📺 For Your Viewing Pleasure…

If the parade is your jam:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-2021-preview-new-york/index.html

If you want to move on quickly:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1022619/christmas-movies-tv-thanksgiving-weekend-2021/

If a binge is more your style:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1023126/thanksgiving-tv-marathons-2021/

Happy Thanksgiving

🍇 Quotes of the Week

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. – Lionel Hampton

Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience. – Roy T. Bennett

The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so. – Nora Ephron

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it’s that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. – Rick Riordan

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. – Randy Pausch

Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot. – Hausa Proverb

It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.David Steindl-Rast

 Be thankful for what you have. Your life is someone else’s fairy tale. – Wale Ayeni

We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count. – Neal A. Maxwell

What if today, we were just grateful for everything?Charlie Brown

💋 Thankful For You…

No matter why you come here – to get details to settle an argument; to find out what went on when you couldn’t watch; to drink some tea, or glean some wise words; or even just to see if I misspelled something or got it wrong – I’m thankful you came, and hopeful you return. I hope wherever you’ve landed during these pandemical times, you’re making lemon drops out of lemons. Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings, whether you spend it with family, friends, or with your cat. (Hey, I’ve done that, and it’s not bad. Unless your cat steals that turkey leg you were thawing out.) Whether you’re talking turkey or not, stay safe, stay grateful & stay not envisioning a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving. I doubt even Norman had one.

November 23, 2021 – The Excavation Team Looks For Jason, Hospital Exit, Remembering OLTL, NYC Woman, Bad Behavior, All About the Parade & Macy’s

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha tells Dr. Navarro, their son is in an incubator and can’t be moved, right? Which means they have to go to him. She asks Brando to get her a wheelchair, and he says, she can’t even sit up right now. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to be with her son, but Dr. Navarro says, that’s not the problem. In her post-operative condition, she can’t visit the NICU right now. She needs time to heal first. Sasha says her baby needs his mother, but the doctor says, he needs his mother to be healthy and whole for what’s to come.

Gladys asks Maxie if that’s Sasha’s room, and Maxie says, Brando is with her, and they’re talking to Sasha’s doctor. Gladys stands outside the door, and Dr. Navarro says she knows it’s hard, but she strongly advises Sasha to use this time to rest. Gather her strength, so when she’s cleared to visit her son, she’ll be prepared. Brando says, prepared for what exactly?

Carly runs into the hospital and finds Sonny. She thanks him for calling her, and asks how Sasha and the baby are. He says, Sasha is out of surgery, and recovering in the ICU, and Carly says she doesn’t understand. Last she heard, everything was fine. How did he hear Sasha and the baby were rushed into surgery?

At the reception desk, Epiphany tells Valentin that the doctor wants him to spend one more night for observation, but he says he’s going to take care of himself; effective immediately. She says, that would be an ill-advised decision, but it’s his choice. He’s going to have to sign a form saying he’s leaving against medical advice. He tells her to give him the form, and she says, fine. Wait here. He asks her not to take too long, and she gives him a look. Nina comes along, and gives Valentin a hug. She asks why he’s leaving, and he says he has to move out of the Quartermaine mansion, and find the strength to say goodbye to his daughter one last time.

As they walk in, Chase asks if Brook doesn’t think it’s a little sacrilegious to hatch a plot in a chapel, and she says, a non-denominational chapel. He asks what that means, and she says they need place to talk away from Valentin. He says he’s listening, and she says, enough of his self-assured, nothing bothers you attitude. Does he have any idea what he’s gotten himself into, pretending to be Bailey’s father? If the truth is found out, he’ll have two enemies – Valentin and Peter.

Anna asks if she can call Maxie back; she’s in the middle of something. Maxie says, Peter just called her. He promised he was going to see her soon. Anna says, they have Peter in custody, and Maxie asks if she’s sure he’s in custody. Anna says, he’s in handcuffs, and waiting to be transferred back to Port Charles to stand trial. Maxie asks if Anna is saying it’s really over, but Anna says, it’s not over yet.

Obrecht examines Drew, and Britt says, let her know when she’s done. She wants to make sure Obrecht’s stitches didn’t open up when she fell in the tunnel. Obrecht says, she’s fine, but Britt is going to have to recite the alphabet backward to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion. Britt says, Z, Y, X, W, V. Is that enough? Obrecht says, for now, and asks if Drew has any other injuries he needs to tell her about. He says, just what she saw. The last time she examined him was when Peter wanted to make sure he was in tip-top shape to kidnap Maxie. She says, thankfully, that plan never materialized, and Britt says, Maxie’s safe, but at what cost to Jason?

Maxie asks, what about Liesl and Britt? Has Anna seen them? Anna says she’s with them now; they’re fine. Maxie says, thank God. She knew Jason wouldn’t let anything happen to them. She thanks Anna for bringing Peter to justice, and Anna says she owed it to Maxie; it’s long overdue. Maxie asks her to thank Jason and Britt for her too, and asks when they’re coming home. Anna says, the situation is quite fluid right now. She’ll be able to have a longer conversation when she gets back. All she wanted was to keep Maxie safe. Maxie hangs up, and sees a text from Brook, saying, must talk. 911. Where are you?

Nina tells Valentin that she doesn’t understand. Is he sending Charlotte to boarding school? He says, not Charlotte, and she asks, what’s going on with Bailey? He says, she’s not his, and Nina asks, what makes him say that? He says, Brook lied to him, and she says, he must be devastated. He says, Brook used Bailey as a bargaining chip to get her ELQ shares back. It was nothing more than an elaborate ruse to get back in her father’s good graces. Nina says, Brook actually said that? and he tells her, she said a lot of things, but it was about ELQ, plain and simple.

Brook asks if Chase has any idea what he signed up for, and he says he wasn’t thinking long term; he was thinking on the fly. She says, until they know Peter’s not a threat anymore, he’s going to have to continue with the fly. He’s going to have to tell everyone. Is he ready to tell his parents that they’re going to be grandparents again? He’s going to have to tell Finn, and how about Willow? It’s not the first time he’s had to tell a lie for the greater good. He says, and the lie worked. It kept Nelle from getting custody of Wiley. She asks if he’s ready to tempt fate again, when her phone dings. She says, Maxie is freaking out about something. She wouldn’t blame Chase if he didn’t want to take this charade any further. Maybe they should go back to Valentin, tell him the truth, and beg for his help. Then Chase wouldn’t have to be part of the charade, and get in any deeper.

Nina asks if Valentin is sure it’s about ELQ; maybe there’s another reason. He says, like what? and she suggests giving Brook the benefit of the doubt. Even his biggest detractors have to admit he’s an amazing father to Charlotte. Maybe the biological father isn’t a good guy. Could that be the reason Brook lied to him? He says, no, because Chase is the real father. Chase told him, and Brook confirmed it.

Carly tells Sonny, if there’s a problem with Sasha and the baby, Brando must be losing his mind. Sonny is the only family Brando has in town besides Gladys, so of course (🍷) Brando reached out to him. Maxie walks past, and Sonny asks, what’s the latest? Carly asks if the baby is okay, and Maxie says, which baby? Carly says, Sasha and Brando’s baby, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She’s sorry; she has a lot going on. Sasha had a baby boy, and needed an emergency C-section. She’s fine, but the baby is in the NICU. Her phone dings, and she says she’s sorry. That’s all she knows. She walks the other way, and Sonny wonders if it’s just him, or was Maxie all over the place? Carly is sure all this reminded Maxie of the trauma surrounding Louise’s birth. He says it reminds him of what they went through with Donna, and she says, she’ll never forget, but like Sasha, she had one advantage Maxie doesn’t. He asks, what’s that? and she says, a loving, supportive partner by her side.

Elizabeth tells Gladys that she can go in; she knows Gladys is family. Gladys thanks her, but says she doesn’t want to intrude. The doctor sounds so serious. That’s never good, right? Elizabeth goes in, and Brando asks if she’s seen their baby. Sasha asks, how is he? and Elizabeth says, he’s currently in an incubated on a ventilator to assist with breathing. He also has an umbilical line to administer steroids and antibiotics. Brando says, that’s standard procedure in the NICU, right? Because babies are born with under developed lungs all the time. Dr. Navarro says, in this case, it’s not a question of lung capacity. During the placental disruption, their son was deprived of oxygen, and in some babies, that can result in <insert medical term here>, a condition that, depending on the severity, causes disabilities, brain damage, and in some cases, death. Elizabeth says, those are worst case scenarios; they don’t have all the answers. Dr. Navarro says, Dr. Fleming and the wonderful team in the NICU have started a very advanced treatment called hypothermic therapy, which calms the baby down, and has been shown to give the brain an opportunity to slow brain cell damage. Sasha cries, and Elizabeth says, they need to think positively. Sasha asks how she can think anything positive when her baby is hurting, and it’s all her fault?

Sasha says she must have missed a sign, or ignored a symptom, but Dr. Navarro says she’s not to blame. There’s nothing Sasha could have done to prevent what happened. Her placenta separated from her uterus, a completely involuntary medical condition. Sasha says she felt a twinge or something. She definitely knew she wasn’t comfortable, and didn’t reach out to the doctor. Brando tells her to listen to Dr. Navarro. She didn’t know this was going to happen. He’s not going to let her blame herself. Elizabeth says, and most discomfort during pregnancy is harmless. The doctor says Elizabeth is correct. It’s possible what Sasha felt had nothing to do with the abruption. They need to focus on the next steps, when the hypothermia treatment concludes. Brando asks how long it takes, and she says, it can take up to 72 hours. Once it’s done, Dr. Fleming will order an EEG to determine brain function. Brando can visit the NICU now, and if Sasha is strong enough in the morning, she can be wheeled down to see her son. She’ll check in on Sasha later. She leaves, and Elizabeth asks Sasha to listen to her. She knows as moms it’s easy for them to blame themselves, but Sasha  did everything right. She went to her doctor’s appointments, she had bloodwork done, she went on bedrest when she was told to. No one has a crystal ball. Sasha says, so all they can do now is wait? and Brando says, wait, and pray.

Anna says, the excavation team has landed, and they’re headed to the tunnels. Drew says he wants to help, and Britt says, her too, but Anna says, it’s too crowded and dangerous for them to go down there. This is a highly trained team, and they’re equipped with the latest technology. The best thing they can do for Jason is stay out of their way. There’s going to be a formal debriefing with the WSB, but before that happens, she needs to know what the hell went on down in those tunnels. Obrecht says, Peter activated Drew, and when Jason and Drew were fighting, Peter dragged her and Britt into those unstable tunnels, and then got lost. Anna says, by activated, she means conditioning? and Drew says, Peter used Faison’s old shortcut. Anna asks what he had Drew do, but Drew has no idea. The first time was in Crete, and he came to in his cell, grazed by a bullet and bleeding. Anna thinks he sustained the injury during the assassination attempt, and he asks how she knows. She says, she was the target.

Maxie walks into the chapel, and says, please tell her Gladys… She stops, and says, Chase. If he doesn’t mind, she’d like to speak to Brook in private. Brook says, if it’s about Bailey, anything Maxie has to share with her, she can say in front of Chase. He knows everything.

Nina says, Brook told Valentin that Chase was Bailey’s biological father? and he says, yes. She says she’s so sorry; she knows how painful it is. He says he knows she does, because she knows what it’s like to love someone like a daughter, and find out she was deceived, because he did that to her. Call it karma or poetic justice, but what he inflicted on her, Brook inflicted on him. She has every right to gloat.

Sonny says he’s happy that Donna has so much strength and is so healthy, and Carly says, they’re so lucky. She prays the same for Brando and Sasha; that whatever comes their way, they can weather it together as a team. Sonny says, they did it, and she says, they did. She knows it’s a weird time, but they didn’t get to finish their conversation earlier about Nina, and there’s something she needs to say.

Sasha says, she knows she and Brando haven’t taken the most conventional route as a couple, and there’s still so much they don’t know about each other, but he never struck her as the praying type. He says he guesses he’s old enough to admit there are things in the universe he doesn’t understand. Is there God? He doesn’t know, but he’s seen a rainbow after a storm. He’s seen some pretty awesome sunrises and sunsets. In Iraq, in the war, he saw some pretty awful things, but he also saw some of the most profound acts of human kindness. All this is a long way to say he doesn’t know what he believes, but he’ll consider anything that gets them a happy ending with their son. She says, her too. Does he think it’s possible? He says, an hour ago, he didn’t know if she and their son were going to make it. He never prayed like that, even in the war. Now she’s out of danger, and their son is alive. She tells him, people always say babies are resilient, and he says, Maxie was just telling him that James was born on the side of the road, and he’s fine now. Babies can have shaky starts and still grow into healthy strong kids. Their kid has their genes. She says, which makes him a fighter, and he says, damn right. She says, faith is not her strong suit. What if it’s not enough? He says, they have each other, and their son has them, not to mention some of the best medical care there is. Whatever the EEG tells them, he’ll be cherished and loved. If he needs a little help, they’ll provide that. There’s not a thing they can’t see him through. She says, what about what he needs right now? Being stuck in this bed, she can’t help feel… She cries, and he says, it’s okay. They’re in the same boat. They’re both first time parents, and their son is in trouble. Talk to him. She says she feels like she’s already a failure as a mother.

Nina says, when she found out Valentin hired Sasha to pretend to be her daughter, she was devastated. She was so angry and hurt, but she woudn’t wish that pain on anyone. She’s certainly not enjoying watching him lose his daughter. He says, because she’s a good person, but she says she’s done some things lately that make her question that. She does know one thing; when you’re driven by love, you’re pretty much capable of anything.

Carly says, she and Sonny have to resolve the issue of Nina. He referred to Nina as his friend, and she can’t tell him how bad it hurt her. He tells her that he didn’t exactly say that, and they sit down. She says she knows he was talking about his days in Nixon Falls when he was Mike. She wants him to know that she understands he had a life there, and it felt like home. He says, when he got his memory back, coming back there, they were his home; her, his kids, and his grandkids. She says she doesn’t want him to feel like he has to defend life he didn’t choose, but he has to understand she has a big problem with Nina, and what she did to him. She doesn’t want that to come across as her not trusting him. She has 100% faith that he’ll always do what’s best for their family. So as hard as it may be, if he feels what’s best for their family moving forward is for her to lay off Nina, she promises to do her best to try and respect that. He says, try? and she says, it’s her. He can’t expect miracles here. He says he knows it’s not easy. This whole thing… he just… He doesn’t want to talk about this anymore or fight about it. Can they not do that? She says she feels same way. She suggests they go find Sasha’s room, and see if there’s anything they can do for Sasha and Brando.

Maxie says, in this situation, Brook is going to need to define what everything is, and Chase says he knows Bailey isn’t Valentin’s daughter, or even Brook’s. She’s Maxie’s, and Maxie and Brook cooked up this plan to hide her in plain sight to protect her from her actual father, Peter August. Maxie says, sounds like everything, and Brook says, don’t look at her; she didn’t tell him anything. He figured it out on his own, and it’s a good thing. After Gladys came to tell Valentin she was deceiving him, she almost confessed everything. Thankfully, Chase walked in, and said he was the father. Chase says, the timing works. Brook was bunking with him around the time she supposedly got pregnant. Maxie says she needs a second to process this, and sits. She asks how Valentin took the news, and Brook says, how does she think he took it? He’s a wreck. He’s really angry at her for lying to him. Poor guy. Maxie says she knows how much love he has for her baby. Do they think he believed Chase is the baby’s father? Chase says, he seemed to. Chase even acted mad at Brook for lying to him. Maxie says, okay, good. Because now that Peter is coming back to Port Charles, they can’t take any chances. She called Anna, and she said Peter had been apprehended in Greece, and they were extraditing him to Port Charles. Chase says, then their problems are solved. With Peter in custody, Maxie can reveal Bailey is really Louise, and take her daughter back. Maxie says, as much as she wants that to happen, they can’t tell the truth about Bailey anytime soon.

Sonny and Carly see Gladys, and Sonny says, congratulations are in order. She’s a grandmother now. She says she hasn’t been able to see baby. She’s sure he’s beautiful; how could he not be? Carly asks if everything is okay. Did something happen to Sasha or the baby? Gladys says, Sasha is recuperating, but her grandson might not recover.

Valentin says, he wanted to protect what he and Nina had so much, that he ended up hurting her very, very badly. He doesn’t think he understood how much it hurt her to lose Sasha until now. And here she is, giving him a sympathetic ear. She’s just amazing. She says she doesn’t know about that. It’s easy to absolve someone when you realize you need absolution yourself. Maybe one day he’ll find it in his heart to forgive Brook’s deception about Bailey, the way her heart has forgiven him.

Maxie says, even though Peter is in custody, he doesn’t sound scared. He promised he’d be seeing her really soon. So she and her daughter are nowhere near safe. Chase says, she told them Peter is in WSB custody. He’s going to face charges in court. Maxie says, Peter has proved over and over again that he always eludes justice, but Brook says, try finding a jury in the state of New York that wouldn’t convict him. Maxie says, there’s one thing she’s learned from this nightmare, and that’s don’t count Peter out. Until he’s exhausted every legal challenge, and is in prison for life, she’s not comfortable revealing the truth about Bailey. Brook says, understood. What does she need from them? Maxie says, right now, she needs them both to be her daughter’s parents.

Britt suggests Obrecht call Scotty. She knows how badly he’d like to hear her voice, and know she’s coming home. Obrecht says, she will, but first, she wants Britt to tell her how she is. Britt says she’s fine, but Obrecht says she doesn’t have to put up a front for her; the stress must be affecting her. Britt lowers her voice, and says, if Obrecht is talking about Huntington’s, there’s no evidence that trauma causes early onset. Obrecht says she not talking about Britt’s physical condition. Not knowing whether Jason is dead or alive must be taking a toll on her emotions. Brit cries, and says, Jason was only there because she asked him for help. If he dies, how does she live with that?

Gladys tells Sonny, the door to Sasha’s room was open enough for her to hear what the doctor told them. She wants to be supportive to them, but they might think she’s overstepping; she knows she tends to do that. Sonny says, at least Gladys is here, and she’s thinking about them. Gladys says he doesn’t need to be so kind, given… everything. He says, hey, family’s family.

Brando says, Sasha didn’t fail their son. She took better care of herself than any mother. She bought books to read to him, put good things into her belly. The nursery she created, it’s so warm and cozy; it’s a child’s wonderland. She was a wonderful mother before their son was even born. She says she feels so helpless. She wants to hold their son so badly. She wants him to know his mother is there for him. She wants to protect him and comfort him. That’s her job. He says, that’s their job, and she asks if he’ll do something for her. He says, anything, and she says, go see their son. He says he wants to see their son, but he doesn’t want to leave her alone. He can text Maxie or Lucy… She says she’ll be fine, but their son needs at least one of his parents to be with him right now. The best thing he can do for her do right now is to do what she can’t. Go tell their son that she loves him.

Valentin thanks Nina for forgiving him. He was so caught up in his own stuff, he hasn’t seen her since she came back. Is she okay? She says, she’s good. She’s fortunate her return to Port Charles wasn’t met with a group of people carrying pitchforks. He says he can’t imagine her doing anything to deserve that. If she ever wants to talk about it… She thanks him, and says she might take him up on that, but tonight is about Sasha. She went into labor, had complications, and needed to have surgery, and that’s all she knows. He says, my God. He made this all about him. Go be with Sasha. He tells her that she set an example, taking the high road, and she says, he can do the same with Brook. At least she hopes he’ll try. She leaves, and Epiphany slams a clipboard on the desk next to Valentin, saying, was that fast enough for him? She keeps walking.

Brook says they have to decide how to break the news to everyone, and Chase says, he should probably act mad at her for a while. She asks if that’s really necessary, and he says, if she kept his baby a secret from him in reality, he’d be furious. She says, so he still has to be a liar in this scenario? and he says, in all fairness, she faked the pregnancy. She says, that’s true. So they’ll go with Valentin’s theory that she always knew Chase was the father, and pretended Valentin was the father to get back the ELQ stock. Maxie says, people will believe that, and Brook says she knows. Maxie says, please know she’s grateful to the both of them. It means everything to her to know she has at least some control over her child’s well-being, especially in light of everything going on with Sasha. Chase asks, what happened with Sasha? and Maxie says, she went into labor, but there were some complications. Chase says, she was so excited the last time he saw her, and asks if she’s okay. Maxie says, Sasha made it through the surgery, but she’s waiting for an update. Brook suggests they keep everything in perspective, and says, the most important thing is to keep Bailey safe from Peter. They can do this. Chase says, they can and they will.

Gladys sees Brando, and runs to him, saying, she was so worried. She hugs him, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Brando says, kind of numb actually. Sasha thought it was important that he see their son. He’s downstairs in the NICU. Gladys says she’ll go with him, and Carly asks, when was the last time Brando had something to eat or drink? He says he doesn’t know, and Carly says, then she’ll go to the cafeteria and get him something. She asks Gladys to come with her, since she knows all of Brando’s favorite things, and takes Gladys’s arm. Gladys says, he has to keep up his strength, and Carly tells Brando that she’s sending all of her love to his baby. Gladys lets Carly lead her away, and Sonny asks how Brando is feeling; talk to him. Brando says he’s scared, and Sonny says he wouldn’t be a father if he weren’t. He just has to get past all that. He’s got a brand new son coming into the world, who’s going to need his father and his love. Brando says, what if he doesn’t know what to do? and Sonny says, that’s just fear talking. When he sees that little boy, it will take care of everything. They hug, and Sonny says, got it? Brando says, yeah, and leaves. The elevator opens, and Nina goes to the reception desk. She tells Elizabeth, she’s there about Sasha Gilmore. She knows Sasha gave birth, and needed surgery. Are there any updates? Elizabeth says, Nina knows she can’t give out confidential patient information, but Sasha is recovering in the ICU. Nina says, it’s that bad? How is Sasha? What about the baby? Can Sasha have visitors? Elizabeth says, only family right now, and Nina says, she and Sasha were family once. Please? Elizabeth says she’ll see what she can do.

Brando goes to the NICU, and Epiphany tells him to get dressed so he can meet his son.

Elizabeth asks how Sasha is doing, and if she’s in any pain. Sasha says, nothing physical. She supposes that’s because of the painkillers. Elizabeth says, if Sasha ever wants to talk mom to mom, she’s just one call button away. Sasha thanks her, and says, Elizabeth has been so kind to her. Elizabeth asks if she’s up for a visitor. She’s not family, but wants to see Sasha, and Elizabeth can look the other way. Nina stands in the doorway.

Epiphany tells Brando, she’s there to help. Does he have any questions? He asks if the baby is in any pain, but she says, no; he’s sedated. He asks if it will hurt if he touches the baby, but she says, it won’t hurt; go ahead and touch him. Talk to him. Let the baby know he’s there. If he’s been talking to Sasha’s stomach, the baby is already familiar with his voice. He goes to the incubator, and says, hello, son. I’m your dad. I’m here now.

Outside, Anna tells the excavation guy, run another scan. She goes back in, and Britt asks if the excavation team found Jason. Anna says, they penetrated the tunnel, using radar based technology, to search for a heartbeat. Drew asks what they found, and Anna says, there was no signal. Nothing. Obrecht says, maybe the equipment was faulty, but Anna says, they have both audio and video devices. She’s really sorry, but there’s no sign of life in the tunnel where they last saw Jason. Britt looks out the window.

Maxie says, now that they’ve agreed on the best way to move forward, she’s going to see if she can get an update on Sasha. Chase says, keep them posted, please, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She leaves, and Brook says, well, baby daddy, she thinks it’s time they told her family. He says, have fun with that, and she says, if he thinks she’s telling the Quartermaine clan herself, he has another thing coming. She can promise him one thing. It will be a helluva Thanksgiving.

Valentin asks if Maxie’s heard the news, and she says, about Peter’s capture? He says he figured Anna would reach out to her first, and she says, actually, Peter beat her to it. He used his one phone call on her, and promised he would see her real soon. He says he hopes she knows Anna would never let that happen, and she says she wishes she could wake up from this nightmare unafraid, but Peter’s pretty relentless. So far, he keeps evading justice. Valentin says, those days are over. Now Peter will pay the price for his actions. Maybe he’ll divulge some information on the fake nurse Chloe that will lead them to Louise. Whatever he can do to help, he’ll do. He knows now there is no greater pain than having a child ripped away from you.

Carly asks if Gladys and Sonny want to see if Sasha’s ready for visitors, but Sonny suggests they sit for a second. Elizabeth said it’s going to be a little more time, and Sasha’s going to get some rest. Why doesn’t Carly give Gladys some pointers on how to be a grandmother? His grandson Wiley adores Carly, just like Gladys’s grandson is going to adore her. He’s going to think she’s irreplaceable.

Sasha tells Nina, she doesn’t know if it’s in her head, but she keeps hearing babies crying. How will she know his cry? Nina holds Sasha while she cries.

Brando tells the baby that he has a message from his mom. He opens the hatch, and touches the baby. He says, she already loves him more than anything. So does he.

Tomorrow, TJ asks why Marshall is there now, Olivia tells Austin that she doesn’t want to waste more time, and Ned asks if Brook is going to tell him who the father is.

⚾️ Another One Out…

Looks like Jason might be staying under that rubble for a while.

https://people.com/tv/steve-burton-out-at-general-hospital-after-refusing-to-comply-with-covid-vaccine-mandate/

🎬 End Of Life…

I recall the end of OLTL too. <SOB!> Even though their characters changed on GH, Kristen Alderson’s final scene with Roger Howarth was made all the more poignant because they really were saying goodbye after a long working relationship.

🗽 Roxy Rocks NYC…

I met her years ago. She was funny and very down-to-earth. This is exactly how I would have pictured her home.

Tripping…

I don’t know if it’s going to be an ongoing thing, but Bravo showed the premiere episode at 8 pm tonight (Tuesday). Since that’s a bad time for me, I didn’t see much of it, but there was drama already. I don’t know why anyone should be surprised that Ramona acted like a brat. She’s been like that since forever.

🦃 That Time Again…

Everything you need to know about this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

https://www.macys.com/social/parade/

🌜 Wynken, Blynken, And Nodden Out…

Tomorrow, it’s a dose of soap and the horror show that is Winter House, which looks like it’s drawing to a close. It’s a short TV week for the usual, since GH will be airing a rerun on Thanksgiving – the February 5th episode – why, when they have a wealth of Quartermaine emergency pizzas? – and on Friday, it’s football. But no matter what’s on your viewing schedule, stay safe, stay aware that words hold power, and stay knowing that, although there are some pretty awful things in the world, there are also profound acts of human kindness.

November 7, 2021 – Morgan Visits Victor, Blackout At the CRM, Pollyanna’s Return, Valuable, Now They Did It, Pup Parade & Way

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

A zombie trips over a fallen warhead sticking out of the ground. Sarah opens her eyes, not sure of where she is. She goes downstairs and says, hello? She looks around at what seems to be a castle, and checks herself out in a mirror. A zombie wanders in, and she quicky grabs a rifle, but can’t get it to work. She says, hell, as the zombie gets closer, but a shot is heard and it drops. Al says, she’s awake, and Daniel, Luci, Charlie, and Wes come out. Luci says, welcome back, and Sarah asks how long she’s been out. Luci says, two days, and Wes and Charlie check the radioactivity coming from the zombie. Wes says, it’s off the charts. He wonders how it got there, and asks if Sarah brought any in with her. She says, no, and Charlie says, the zombies shouldn’t be able to go past the gate. She asks if Daniel closed it, and he says he did. She asks if he’s sure, but he says, no. Luci tells him not to worry, and Sarah asks where they are. Al says, Fort San Vincent, or it used to be before a rich guy bought it in the 60s and turned it into a bed and breakfast. Sarah wonders how she got there. She remembers the bombs going kablooey, and her engine overheated. What the hell was that? Al says, it’s better she doesn’t know, and Daniel says, she’s not only one Al isn’t telling what happened. Wes says, Sarah had a rough landing, and was knocked unconscious. Luci says, there are so many dead, and Al says, they took turns, but mostly Jacob was keeping an eye on her. He’s out working the east boundary, but he’ll be glad to see her back on her feet. Sarah asks if Wendell made it there, but Al shakes her head. Luci says they haven’t heard from him, and Charlie said when they went searching for him, the only thing they found was this. She hands Wendell’s cap to Sarah, and Sarah asks what they’re sitting there for. They have to find him. She starts to leave, but Luci stops her, and says, it’s not safe. Sarah tells her to step aside if she wants to keep her teeth, and Al says if Sarah goes past the safe zone, she’ll end up like that corpse. Luci says, if they go out, they’ll die, but Sarah says, however hard they think they looked, she’ll look harder. He’s alive, and she’ll find him.

Sarah sits on a hill with the radio, and some supplies, and asks if Wendell hears her. She’s trying every channel on this damn radio. She looks around with binoculars, and tries the radio again. She keeps repeating the pattern. She says, if you can hear me, give me a sign. If he’s out there, she wants him to know she’s still looking. She looks at a map, and says she’ll be riding the airwaves again tomorrow; over and out. She packs up. and a voice comes over the radio, asking if somebody is there. She says, Wendell? and Morgan says, is that her? She says, Momo? and he says, that’s what they call the baby. She says, whose baby? and he says, it’s a long story. She says, hearing his voice is music to her ears, and he says, it’s good to hear hers too. She says she thought he was dead, but he says he’s all right; Grace too. She asks if he’s seen Wendell, but he says, no. He’s holed up at the Pennsylvania. She says, she’s holed up with Al and the others; Al saved their keisters. She’s at a place called Fort San Vincent. Things look good in the immediate vicinity, but she thinks there’s a warhead dud somewhere near there. The radio goes dead, and she asks if he’s there. Morgan? She tries to charge the radio, but it’s not working. She says, sh*t in a sandbox, and throws it in her bag. She sees an SUV down on the road, and says, who might you be?

Sarah looks around the truck, and asks if someone is there. She looks inside, and a dog barks. She says, Rufus, and asks how he got there. Where’s MoMo? She lets Rufus out, and looks in the car. She sees the box with Emile’s head in it, and hears a gun cock. Josiah tells her, step away from my brother, and she asks, who the are hell you, and what’s your brother’s head doing in a box with my friend’s name on it? He says, his name is Emile. Her friend’s head is supposed to be in the box, not his brother. Mr. Jones killed him. She says, another psychopath who wants to try and kill Morgan. What’s his beef have to do with her? He says he wants her help finding Morgan, and she says, that’s kind of hard to do when she doesn’t know where he is. He says he heard her on the radio, and Morgan said he was in the Pennsylvania. What is that? A hotel? A restaurant? Wherever he is, she’s going to take him there. A zombie pops out, and Emile kills it. Sarah says she doesn’t rat out her friends, but he says he thinks she should reconsider. He’s the only hope she’s got of finding her brother. She asks how he knew about Wendell, and he tells her that he heard what she said on the radio. He suggests she accept his offer, unless she wants her brother to end up like this. He gestures toward the downed zombie, and holds out his hand. She gets up without taking it, and says, he can find Wendell? He says he and Emile share more than blood. When he needs to find somebody, he’ll stop at nothing, and he does mean nothing. Morgan in exchange for her brother. Tell him to meet her outside of the rest stop on 7489 at dawn. He holds out the car radio, and she says, find Wen first. He says that’s what he intends to do. He works fast. She asks, what’s going to happen to Morgan? and he tells her that she’s asking the wrong question. She should be asking, what will happen to Wendell if she doesn’t accept his terms? She takes the radio, and asks if Morgan copies.

Josiah stops by the side of the road, and he gets out of the car, along with Sarah and Rufus. He asks what makes Sarah so sure Wendell went this way, and she says, it’s the only place she hasn’t checked. He says, if he gets exposed, she has to give him the pills; the same for Rufus. She says she only swiped enough for her and her brother, and he says he agreed to help her look for her brother, not die for him. She asks what his name is, and he says, Josiah. She says, she’s Sarah Rabinowitz, and he says, well, Sarah, time to get to work. He dances through the air with a battleax, downing two zombies. He starts digging inside one, and Sarah says she doesn’t think he’s going to find Wendell in there, but he says, he will if they ate him. How long has he been missing? She says, 78 days, and he says she still thinks he’s alive? She says, he’s a fighter, and he says he’s warning her, if her brother is dead, they might not find him. Zombies can travel a mile and a half to 36 miles in a day; he’s a dead man walking. She says, he’d love that. He hasn’t taken a step in 40 years. He’s been in a wheelchair since he was a kid. Josiah asks if she has anything that belongs to him, and she gives him the cap. He whistles for Rufus, saying, Rufus is a cadaver dog; he can smell the living and the dead. Rufus sniffs the cap, and Josiah says, go find. Sarah asks if they should follow, but he says they need to give these two a proper rest first.

Josiah is tamping down the dirt over a grave, and Sarah says, things would go quicker if they didn’t have to bury every skinbag they came across. He tells her, the dead deserve respect, and she says, if he respected the dead, he wouldn’t be toting around his brother’s head like a pet rock. He says, it makes him remember what he promised his brother, but she says she doesn’t think his brother would hold him to it. He’s so full of sh*t. All he wants to do is kill, and he’s using Rufus to help him. She knows a psychopath when she sees one. He says she doesn’t know anything about him, and she’s got the nerve to call him crazy. She asks what makes him think he can do what his brother couldn’t? and he says, when you’ve been through what he’s been through, it makes you capable of doing things you never thought possible.

Rufus barks incessantly at a Stalker herding the dead toward a wagon drawn by horses. Josiah tells him, don’t move, and the Stalker says, he didn’t do nothin’, but Josiah says the guy put his dog in danger. He should kill him. The Stalker says Rufus came to him, and Josiah says he intends to find out why. He tells the Stalker to take his mask off, and the Stalker says his readings are clean, but Josiah says, that’s not what he’s asking. What’s he got in there; more like them? He looks in the back of the wagon, where there are a bunch of naked zombies. Josiah asks Sarah if any of them are Wendell, and she shakes her head. He asks the Stalker what the hell he’s doing. What happened to their clothes? He thinks the guy is hiding something, and tells him to take off his clothes. Sarah protests, but Josiah asks if she wants to find her brother or not. He tells the guy, strip now, and the Stalker takes his clothes off and stands there. Rufus smells the pile of clothes, and shows a particular interest in a red bandana. Josiah pulls it out, and asks if Sarah recognizes it. She nods, and takes it. Josiah tells the Stalker to show them where he found it.

They go to a barn where livestock were kept, and now zombies are in the stalls. Josiah says, this is what he does? Strip them and take their possessions? The Stalker says, something like that, and Sarah says, you’re a real twisted POS, know that? She says, Wendell’s not there, then looks hard at something. Josiah says, what? and she looks closer. She sees a wheelchair all mangled up and disgusting with guts, and says, that’s his chair. She asks the Stalker, where is he? The man in the chair. He asks if she means the skinbag tangled up in it? He had no use for him. He’s probably crawling around somewhere. She lunges at him, and he swings one of the gates open, letting loose a bunch of zombies. He takes off, and Josiah and Sarah run after him, but he’s way ahead. Josiah says they have to get out of there, and Sarah runs to the car and starts it up. She hears Morgan on the radio, saying he’s on the way to the rendezvous. Tell what this is about; is she okay? Does she copy? Please tell him what the hell is going on. She takes off just as Josiah gets to the car, but he jumps in. He asks if she’s lost her mind. He kept his end of the deal. She says Wendell isn’t dead, and pushes the passenger door open, tying to shove him out, but he hangs on. They crash through fence and over a cliff. Oddly enough, they land right side up.

They sit in the car for a moment. Josiah tries his door, but it’s not opening. Sarah says, sh*t, and he says, what? She says, it’s a goddam warhead. They’ve got to get out of there. Her door won’t budge, and she wonders where the hell her bat is. He asks if she’s injured, or punctured anything, but she says she didn’t puncture sh*t. She’s hyperventilating, and Josiah tells her, there’s no use having a panic attack over a warhead; her brother died. Zombies are starting to gather, and he says, they’ve got to get out. He promises, it’s what he does. He was a park ranger; search and rescue for fifteen years. It was only a matter of time. She’s got to call Morgan. She asks if he can’t call somebody, and he says he only had to be rescued once himself. He was searching for hikers trapped in a fire, and twisted his ankle. He didn’t think he’d get out alive. Emile wanted to look for him, but the other rangers said it was too dangerous; it was too late. Emile wouldn’t listen. Sarah asks how Emile found him, and he says, Emile didn’t; Rufus did. Later, his brother told him that he could feel Josiah’s heartbeat all the way across the woods. He thought it was bullsh*t until the day he felt his heart stop, and knew Emile was gone. He didn’t need to see it; he just knew. Maybe it sounds crazy, but that’s how he knows Sarah wouldn’t be looking if her brother was dead. She’d feel it; she’d know it. They can still find him. She radios Morgan, and says she’s in a little bit of trouble, a mile south from their rendezvous. Josiah tells her, be ready to honor their deal, and she says, they’re going to keep looking for Wen, and he’s not going to kill Morgan. He asks, why is that? and she says, he’s not a killer. He’s just mixed up because of his brother, like she was when she saw that chair. That wasn’t her back there, and this ain’t him. She tries the radio again, asking if Morgan heard her, but Josiah tells her, it’s safe to say the radio ain’t working no more. Zombies are starting to collect outside the truck, and he says, it’s time they take their chances. He gets out through the back, and does some slicing and dicing. Sarah jumps out, smashing heads with a shovel. They kill a dozen or so zombies. Sarah stands on truck, and puts the bandana over her nose and mouth. Josiah goes after a zombie, and realizes it’s Morgan.

Morgan and Josiah fight. Still standing on the truck, Sarah yells at them to stop. After a good headbutt, Josiah gets Morgan on the ground. Morgan punches him, but Josiah still has the upper hand. Sarah tells him that he’s not a killer, and he says, he’s not going to kill Morgan; his brother is. He takes out the head, saying, he made Emile a promise, and he’s going to keep it. He puts the head near Morgan’s face, but Morgan pushes him off, and the head goes flying. Rufus goes to investigate, and the effing head bites him. Now they did it. They touched the dog. Josiah says, what has he done? and cradles Rufus. Bastard. I hate him now. Sarah goes over to Emile’s head, and smashes it in two. Good.

Sarah and Morgan join Josiah at the campfire, and Morgan asks how Rufus is doing. Josiah says, he’s hurting pretty bad. Beans are his favorite, and Josiah thought they would bring him peace. Morgan says he’s sorry, but Josiah says Morgan didn’t do anything; he did. Morgan says he shouldn’t have to suffer, and offers to put Rufus down, but Josiah says he’s the one who has to do it. Rufus saved his life twice. He thought he was doing the right thing, keeping a promise. He thought it was about Emile the whole time, but it was about him. He didn’t want to let Emile go. Sarah says, she gets it. She and Wendell aren’t twins in conventional terms, but she was born prematurely. Her mom died, and she was in the neonatal unit. Every time they took the tubes out, she stopped sucking in air. When they put her next to a baby born on the same day, she started to breathe. She took her cue to breathe from Wendell. She knows why Josiah didn’t want to let him go. Every moment without Wendell, she can’t catch her breath.

Mercifully they don’t show us Rufus’s passing, and Josiah is tamping the dirt down on Rufus’s grave. He puts a bean can upside down on top of it. The three of them stand in front of one of the most incredible silhouettes of trees I’ve ever seen. Morgan says, sorry about Josiah’s brother, and Josiah says, he’s not like that. Morgan says, none of them were, and Sarah asks where Josiah is headed. Morgan says, Wendell needs a chair to get around; he needs help. He might know who would be helping him. Victor is collecting people because he wants to prove something to Morgan. If they leave now, they could make it by dawn. Josiah says he’d like to come. He can still hold up his end of the deal, and make sure Sarah sees her brother. Sarah asks if it’s okay with Momo, and Morgan says, yeah. Where they’re going, they’re going to need all the help they can get.

Standing on a wall outside Victor’s city, they look down to the zombie laden parking lot, then at Victor’s building. Sarah says, that it? and Morgan says, yep. On the wall, there’s a semi-enclosed guard post with a phone, and a sign that says,  history begins with a single step, will you take it? Sarah suggests Victor enjoys the smell of his own farts. Morgan says he’s got June and John’s dad, and Sarah says, let’s see if he has Wendell. She picks up the phone, and Howard comes up with a female guard. He asks why they’re here, and Sarah hangs up the phone. Morgan asks if Victor is too much of a coward to come himself. Victor comes up the stairs, and tells Howard, it’s okay. He’d rather have a face-to-face conversion to dispel any misconceptions. They were seen from miles away. He guesses Morgan came to see what Victor has that he doesn’t, but Morgan says, it’s not about him, and Sarah asks if her brother is in Victor’s town. Victor asks why she assumes he’s there, and Morgan tells him, because of what Victor said he was going to do, and Victor says, their instincts are correct; Wendell is there. Sarah asks if he’s okay, and Victor says, more than okay; he’s thriving. He has a knack for supply logistics management . He imagines it’s from his days of keeping Sarah on the road. She says she needs to see him, and Victor says, he remembers who stood by him when it mattered. She wasn’t among them. Josiah says, Sarah went through hell, and nearly died trying to find her brother, but Victor says, she’s not going in; none of them are, but Wendell can come out. However, it’s not a revolving door. If he comes out, he can’t come back in.

Victor asks if they think Wendell will make it out there, and Morgan says, they’ll manage. Victor says, like Morgan? Or didn’t he tell them? He, Grace, and the baby are barely scraping by. Howard says, it’s true. He saw it for himself. Sarah asks what he’s talking about, and Victor says, this new world is punishing. Does she really want what’s better for Wendell? He can protect Wendell from it. Sarah looks at the building for a moment, and says, don’t tell him she was there. If he knew, he’d come looking for her. Having been ignored since the beginning of the scene, Howard says, she’s in no position to be making… and Sarah says, please promise her that. Victor says, agreed, and leaves. Sarah starts to cry, and drops to her knees. Josiah tells her to breathe with him, and she says she didn’t want to let him go. Josiah says, she did the right thing. She did what he couldn’t do, and she’s still breathing. She says, yes, she is, and thanks him. He says, no, thank you; the both of them. She asks where he’s going, but he says he doesn’t completely know. There’s got to be other places. Morgan suggests Josiah come back with him; both of them can. What Victor said was right. They’re stretched thin, but they won’t always be. Josiah says he was exposed to the warhead for too long. They don’t want a sick man on their hands. Sarah says, he’s not getting sick, and gives him some medication, saying, she’d been saving it for Wendell, but she knows he’s save. Josiah says he still needs time before he’s ready, and she tells him, if he changes his mind, he knows how to reach them. He and Morgan nod to each other, and Josiah leaves. Sarah says she’d better get back to the fort, or they’ll wonder what happened to her. Morgan says, not for long. It can’t be safe there with the open warhead nearby. They need to keep everybody safe, and get ready for what happens next. Morgan goes down the stairs, and Sarah takes a last look at Victor’s building, then follows.

The Stalker with the wagon meets another Stalker on the road, who tells him, good job. The wagon Stalker says, they need to show Donald. He’s going to want to see this himself. The other Stalker says, what is it? and the wagon Stalker says, it’s the thing that’s going to get them exactly what they want. We see the warhead in the back of the wagon.

Next time, Victor says it’s a new world now, and wants to show everyone around; Teddi says, they’ve got to find Padre; and a boxing ring.

The Walking Dead: The World Beyond

Leo remembered trekking through the woods with Lyla, and other researchers, in his early CRM days. The guards with them were about to shoot a zombie, but Lyla said it was one of theirs, and it was corralled instead. Lyla told Leo, their geo-tracker was misfiring. She asked what Leo thought of research facility, and he said it was more than he imagined. In the present, Leo and the others looked at the paperwork Huck found, and Leo said it documented a large scale chemical event. They wondered if the CRM was covering up a chemical weapon, and Leo said, whatever it was, it was real, which sounds like something a genius researcher would say not at all. Felix said they had to make a decision or it would be made for them. Hope said they had to stay, and figure out what it meant. Iris said they’d told Silas not to wait for them if they didn’t show, and agreed Hope was right. They needed answers, and needed to make sure the CRM didn’t get away with it.

Huck said she was trying to find out if the research was part of something else, and admitted that her mother had overseen the Campus Colony and Omaha. Only Major General Beale could take on something that big, but her mother had to sign off on it. She explained that everything was kept in balance, and something must have jeopardized what the CRM had built. They must have thought Omaha and the Campus colony were a threat to the balance (sounds like Snowpiercer.) Leo told Huck that he needed more time, and the papers had to stay with Him. Huck told them it was smart having Indira turn them in, and they knew where to find her. Iris went off to send a message to Will.

Jadis ran into Huck, and said she was there doing a security audit. She took great satisfaction in investigating corruption and betrayal. She said Huck had been the one who trained her, and she hoped they could catch up. She saw Huck as her mentor, and the most dedicated soldier, who would slash her face and break her limbs for a cause. She asked Huck to come by for some rum later. She had weak links to find.

Percy helped Iris smuggle out a message to Elton. Lyla went to Leo’s lab, with some clothes for the Iris, Felix, and Elton aka Percy. They made plans for dinner, and when the tote bag holding the clothes fell off the table, Leo remembered Lyla dropping papers in the woods way back when. Papers just like the ones Huck swiped. The message was delivered to Elton, which he had to decode. Elton said the group wasn’t leaving the CRM, and Barca wondered what else they’d be doing. Will grabbed the note and instead of just saying their departure had been postponed, Iris said they were going to stop the CRM and burn this place to the ground. Indira said they were going to start a war.  

Leo met with Iris, Hope and Felix, and told them that he needed to know just how much Lyla knew. If she was there for dinner, she wouldn’t be in her lab, which was a broad hint that they should break in and look around. Felix went to Huck, who said it was way too dangerous, but he said she didn’t get to drop the problem in someone else’s lap, then walk away. In the middle of Huck trying to transfer Lyla’s information to her own keycard so they could get in her office, Felix wondered, what if what they were looking for wasn’t in her office? Huck looked on the computer, tracking where Lyla had been, and they determined her research was in a subbasement. Ah, the old using the subbasement that no one has access to as a hiding place trick.

Brody was not thrilled with Iris’s note, and said they had to take action. They should turn in the remaining two – i.e. Elton and Will – and warn the CRM, who had been their allies. Indira said she’d given her word to keep Elton and Will safe, but Brody said she’d given their word to keep the town safe. Indira said they’d been living with the CRM’s boots on their necks, and Brody said they needed to pick a side. He had no choice, but to vote no confidence in their chairperson. Outside, Will paced, and Elton said it was even worse than the note. Indira was sick, and needed dialysis and blood thinner to keep her alive. She got them from the research facility, and if they were planning on burning it down, they would destroy what she needed to live. Asha came out, and said they could stay for now, with zero explanation as to how that decision was made, since Brody was just saying Indira was incompetent. Will said, thanks, but no thanks. HE needed to get back inside the facility.

Felix said it seemed like Huck had done this before, and she told him about her husband making a mistake on the job training recruits because he’d been drinking. He promised to clean up his act, so she made the camera footage used to document the exercise he’d messed up couldn’t be used as evidence. Felix asked why, and she said she loved him; maybe she still did. She told Felix, once the power was cut, he’d only have two minutes inside. He wondered why he wasn’t the one cutting the power, and she said she knew where everything was, and could cover her tracks. What the CRM did wasn’t her, but there was nothing they could do to bring them back.

At dinner, Iris asked Lyla what she did before working there, and Lyla said she worked in Big Pharma. She’d worked on a variety of diseases, and Iris questioned her about animal testing, obviously being against it. Lyla asked if sacrificing a few mice wasn’t worth saving lives, and Iris asked, what if what they were doing was worse than the disease. In the end, it came down to how much of your own humanity and soul you were willing to sacrifice for the greater good. It was just life. Iris said it wasn’t just life; you always had a choice, and saying you didn’t was just an excuse, Hope suggested they go check on Felix, and Leo seconded that. Lyla wanted to jet, but Leo asked her to please stay.  

Iris walked outside, and Hope followed her, saying, Iris was supposed to stop her from doing stupid things, not the other way around. Iris said she didn’t know how Hope could stand it, but Hope said there were good people in there, helping with a breakthrough. It didn’t change what was done, but those people weren’t them. Iris told Hope that she’d killed a soldier because he was the enemy, and she’d do it again because that’s what they are. Everyone was ready on the outside. She told Hope what she’d written to Elton, that they were going to find out what the CRM was up to, stop them from doing it again, and then burn this place to the ground.

Huck radioed Felix from the roof, asking if he was ready, and told him that he had two minutes until the generator kicked in. She messed with the power supply, and it shorted out. Everything went dark, and Huck told Felix, go now. He went inside, and saw the zombie test subjects with patches of skin their missing, and the areas labeled in felt-tip pen. He went into another room, and found a cabinet with vials in it. He took one, and went into the next room. He radioed Huck, and said, whatever was used to take out Omaha, there’s more of it. He saw he had one minute and twenty-nine seconds, and heard an alarm. He ran to the door, but it had automatically locked. He frantically radioed Huck, but got no response.  

Will went over a map with Barca and Asha. He told them that when he got in, he’d let Iris know about their mom, and not to jeopardize her medicine. He owed Indira this. Asha asked him to take her and Elton, but he said if it went sideways, he needed them safe. Instead of Indira taking care of everyone else, someone was taking care of her for a change. Barca told Asha that he was sorry he broke his promise by telling their mom’s secret, but she said she was worried about her mom too. That was the thing about secrets, they didn’t stay secrets. She told Elton that she was going to pray, and he asked if he could come. The last time people left him who he cared about, they never came back, and he didn’t want be alone.

Lyla wanted to check on her lab, but Leo convinced her to stay, since the labs would be run by back-up generators. She said tonight brought up some things for her. There was something she hadn’t been honest with him about, but it was better if she showed him. He followed her out, taking the knife from the cheese board as he went past it. Just in case.

Felix kept trying to radio Huck, and said she couldn’t walk away from him, or what they did. Lyla brought Leo outside to a bench, and said he’d asked if she had a family before all this, and she should tell him what happened to them. At the start, she had a daughter, Mia, who was six. She was bitten by a zombie who’d gotten into the backyard. Her husband Kevin slept with Mia in her bed – she’d gotten so sick so fast, and he loved her so much. She went to check on them in the morning, and Kevin was on the floor, bleeding out, his neck almost chewed through. Mia… she’d changed. She wasn’t Lyla’s little girl anymore. A few hours later, Kevin wasn’t her husband. The phones had stopped working, most of the neighbors were gone, so she just kept them there. One day, she heard a crash, and found them pinned under a bookcase. That’s when she knew what she needed to do. She rigged up some extension cords and belts, so they couldn’t attack her, and found her medical kit. She did everything she could to fix them. She did things to them, horrible things; whatever she could think of to bring them back, but she couldn’t. She’d spent her life looking for cures for diseases, but couldn’t cure her family. They’re the reason she’s here doing this work. She couldn’t fix her family, but maybe someday she could fix the world.

Now freezing, Felix tried again to radio Huck, asking if she was okay. He needed her to say something. The door suddenly opened, and Huck said, let’s go. He asked, what hell happened? and she said, the back-up generator came on early. She needed to reprogram the card to open door. Now she had to wipe the access log, or she’d have a repeat of two years ago, but it would be worse. He handed her the vile, and told her, whatever it was, there was more of it. She said she’d give it to Leo, and to keep her posted. However it ended or whatever happened to her, she was with him.

Huck went to see Jadis, who said she’d been worried when Huck didn’t respond, and poured her a hefty drink. They sat down, and Jadis said she’d never talked about what she did get into the CRM. She’d been living by her wits in the wilderness, and had created a society. She told Huck, give them their own language, and give them theater, and it will bond them and separate them from everyone else. She loved her people, but lost them because she made the wrong alliances. Afterward, she had the opportunity to give the CRM something valuable, and got a new life. She felt she had safety, but her purpose was gone, then she realized it wasn’t; she’d just expanded her purpose. It was still to survive. Huck said Jadis was an ambitions survivor, and moving up. Jadis said her purpose was to create a new era. She said Huck’s mother had told her to keep an eye on Huck. She wondered if Elizabeth thought Huck had been out there too long and formed bonds. Before the world ended, she wasn’t Jadis, but the identity had helped her to live, so it’s who she is. Huck was stronger than most, and it was understandable if her mom was worried. Help her prove that her mother didn’t need to worry. Huck asked if she was under investigation, and Jadis said she could prove Huck was still herself, and Huck could talk her up to the people who mattered. She needed a promotion by the end of the year. Huck said she’d done everything to prove what she made of, and Jadis said Huck had done a lot, but there was always more.

Why anyone would slow walk through zombie laden woods at night, I don’t know, but Asha and Elton did. They fought off some zombies, and afterward, Asha explained her flower thing to Elton, saying it was to free their souls and hope their energy found its way back to creation. She had Elton place the flowers on their eyes, and they held hands to pray. Then there was an artistic shot of the moon…

Barca led Will on a path outside the Perimeter, saying, he knew the place from sneaking out. Will said he owed them everything, and Barca gave Will a gun that belonged to his dad. He told Will that his mom didn’t know the gun existed, and he’d never used it. Barca was suddenly shot from behind, and Will grabbed the gun and ran. Some guys on all terrain vehicles shot at Will.  

Next time, Silas claims he was lost, Iris asks why Hope is willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and Jadis says, something valuable is missing and they need it back.

🗣 Jadis Speaks…

The comeback of the season.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-jadis-return-pollyanna-mcintosh-rick-grimes-movies-interview-season-2-episode-6/

💰 The Value Of Rick…

What Jadis gave the CRM.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-world-beyond-crm-rick-fate-jadis-valuable/

🐶 They Touched the Dog…

Farewell Rufus. We barely knew ye.

🐕 And To Recover…

Some very cute doggos.

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/photos-all-best-costumes-tompkins-square-halloween-dog-parade-2021

🎃 Turning Into a Pumpkin…

See you tomorrow for soap and the one and only Stud of the Sea. Until then, stay safe, stay wishing on stars, and stay never carrying around a zombie head. No good will ever come of it.

November 5, 2021 – Spencer Dethrones Himself, a Goodbye, Proud Papa, Allegedly, New Focus, Paid For, New Wives, Winter Louse, Lala’s Lot, Yet More Costumes, 3×3 Quotes & Blue

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cameron switches the sign on Kelly’s door to open, and Josslyn comes in the side. He asks what she’s doing there this early, and she says she’s wishing him a good morning, and kisses him.

At the gallery, Trina says she’s dying to show Portia these new photos. She doesn’t know how the photographer does it. She doesn’t know how he has the time or the energy. Portia says she’s sure he gets some of his energy from a healthy breakfast, and holds up a bag from the MetroCourt. Trina says she forgot they were meeting for breakfast. She’s so, so sorry. Portia says, there’s no need to apologize. It’s totally worth it to see that she’s so invested, and in such a worthy cause. Trina says she means, as opposed to a boy?

Esme and Spencer come into Kelly’s, and Esme says, get a room. Spencer says, they get an A for enthusiasm, and a solid B for technique, and Esme says, they’re so cute together, stealing kisses. She says they’ll leave Cameron and Josslyn to it, and walks to the counter with Spencer. Josslyn says, a solid B. At least they didn’t get sent abroad to learn how to kiss. Cameron wonders where it’s written that every time they’re alone, they get interrupted, and she says she doesn’t know, but they’re both pretty resourceful, so they should do something about that.

Shawn gives Alexis a gift bag, and says, a gift for her; inspected and approved. She jostles the bag, and says, usually nail files to break out of prison are heavier. She asks, what’s the occasion? and he says he couldn’t get her nephew arrested, so he’ll settle for making him pay.

Nikolas and Ava come into the MetroCourt, where Carly is working on something. Sonny asks if she’s busy, and she hugs him, saying, she missed him. He says, he missed her too. The weather was bad, then it wasn’t. He was up in the air, and here he is. How does that work? She says, it works perfect. Tell her, how did things go with Cyrus? He says they’ll get into that later, and asks, what’s going on with Joey Novak? She says, not much to tell. He was a jerk, he was dealt with, so thank you. He says he hasn’t dealt with Joey yet. Ava and Nikolas approach them, and Ava says she heard about the incident with Joey Novak at The Savoy. If he’s that brazen, it can only mean one thing, right? Another mob war is heating up. So does Sonny still think Avery is safer with him?

Shawn says, the last time he saw Alexis, they had that conversation about Nikolas, and she says, regarding his involvement with Hayden’s shooting. He says he went to Spencer, and told him that his father arranged the attempt on Hayden’s life. Spencer took the bait and went straight to his father. Then he had Spinelli record the conversation. She says she finds it hard to believe Nikolas would come clean about what he did to Hayden, and he says, there was so much evasion and damage control, it was clear Spencer knew his father was guilty. She asks how Spencer took it, and he says, it was crushing. She asks, what about Nikolas? and he says, Nikolas covered all his bases; even Hayden knew what he did. He paid her off. So he’s going to use this money, and do the right thing.

Ava says, she and Nikolas feel, at least for the time being, Avery is much safer with them, and Sonny says, Avery is safe where she is at home. Ava says, she has more than one home; he knows that. Sonny suggests instead of trying to spend more time with Avery, they should find a family counselor for Spencer. That way, all three of them can have a little more peace. Sonny tells Carly, let’s get out of here, and they leave. Ava says, my God, the hypocrisy is staggering, and Nikolas says, still, Sonny could be right about Spencer.

Portia says, Trina isn’t kidding about these pictures; they are amazing. She’s so proud her daughter took the initiative to bring a National Geographic photographer of Joel Sartore’s stature to Port Charles. She looks at the tablet, and says, look at that one, and Trina says, that’s a golden snub-nosed monkey, and it’s one of the most endangered species on the planet. Sometimes, the females will deliberately have affairs with the reticent males behind the lead male’s back. Portia says, that takes some strategic skills, and Trina says, it has to for survival. Portia tells her, just be careful, and Trina says, right. You’d think she was going into the wilderness to photograph these animals herself, or is Portia talking about Spencer?

Cameron says, Spencer is there early, and asks if he’s trying to make up for going AWOL the other day. Spencer says, it hasn’t escaped his attention that today is payday, and Cameron says he’s sorry, but there’s no paycheck for Spencer. Spencer says, what? and Cameron takes an envelope out of his pocket, saying, congratulations on Spencer’s first earned money ever. (How is he getting paid when he just started, and ditched half a day? Hell, I’ll work at Kelly’s.) Spencer looks at the check, and says, wow, this is paltry, and Cameron says, he’s only worked there two days. What does he expect? Spencer shows Esme, and asks how he’s supposed to live on this, and she says, he’s not. He’s supposed to make things right with his father, play nice with Ava, and go back to being the prince he was born to be.

Shawn says, as much as he’d like to turn Nikolas in to the cops, there’s not enough evidence, and Alexis says, then he’s better off holding the threat over Nikolas’s head, and charging him a fortune to be quiet. He says he’s glad she agrees, and she says, typically, she’s not a fan of blackmail, but Nikolas deserves that in this case. So what is he going to do with his windfall? Is he going to buy a yacht? He says, no, the money isn’t coming to him personally. He wouldn’t take a dime from that corrupt bastard. Nikolas is setting up a trust for a non-profit. Shawn has some ideas for the greater good. She says, that is genius, and he laughs, thanking her. He asks if she’d care to join him as one of the administrators.

Ava asks if something else happened with Spencer, and Nikolas says, they had another confrontation. Ava says, about us? and Nikolas flashes back to Spencer questioning him about Hayden. She asks, what happened between him and Spencer?

Spencer says he can’t go back to his father, besides, Ava’s the one who controls the trust. She says, then go to Ava, but he says, he can’t give in to her. There has to be another way. He approaches Cameron, and says he needs more money than this. Cameron says he’ll get it, and Spencer says, great. When? Cameron says, a week from today, and Spencer asks if he can have an advance. Cameron says, no. Why does he need an advance? Spencer says, a decent lawyer can mean the difference between freedom and prison, and Cameron says he only passes out the checks; he doesn’t sign them. It’s not in his power to give Spencer an advance. He’s sorry. Esme tells Spencer to do what he needs to do, and after, they’ll get a hotel room and celebrate. Spencer asks if he can borrow Cameron’s car, but Cameron says, no. Borrow one of the delivery bikes. Does he know how to ride one? Spencer says he does, and Cameron tells him, wear a helmet. His mom’s a stickler about traumatic brain injuries.

Trina says she knows Portia is suspicious of Spencer. Good news, she is too. Ever since she found out he’s the one who’s been terrorizing Ava, she’s been keeping him at arm’s length. Portia says she’s glad to hear it. He’s a very troubled young man. Trina says, he’s just spoiled and angry; he’s not a psychopath. Portia tells her, she didn’t say he was a psychopath, but he needs help, and if he comes to Trina for it, she’s unqualified. Trina says, then Portia should know, he came to her the other night, but she told him she’s not a shoulder for him to cry on. Portia doesn’t have to worry about her; she’s got this. Portia says she trusts Trina to make good choices, and she’s proud of Trina, for everything; for the magnificent young woman she’s become. Trina says Portia and Taggert can take some credit for that, and Portia laughs and says, can we now? She has to get to work, and tells Trina not to forget breakfast; it’s the most important meal of the day. Trina says, some things never change, and she and Portia hug.

Carly and Sonny get out of the elevator at the hospital. Carly needs to pick up a prescription, but says she wants to hear more about Sonny’s meeting with Cyrus. He says, the only important thing Cyrus said to him was warning him about Joey Novak. He knew Joey was going to make a move, but he didn’t think it was going to be this stupid, or this quick. She says, it doesn’t make any sense. Joey approached her, and the next thing she knows, he was beaten within an inch of his life. So if Sonny’s not the one who ordered the attack, who was?

Esme sits down with Josslyn, and says, sorry if she overstepped with the get a room thing. Sometimes her mouth works faster than her brain. She thought she was being funny, and it wasn’t. Josslyn says, okay, and Esme says she was hoping they could put the tension between them in the rear view and start over. Josslyn says she’s got a lot of work to do, and Esme says she’ll let Josslyn do that. Esme goes over to Cameron, and tells him that Josslyn’s still upset with her. He says, she’ll get over it, and Esme says, he thinks so? He says, or she won’t; what does Esme care? She says, they’re Spence’s friends, and she wants to be friends with them too. She was going to pitch the cabin idea again, but Josslyn didn’t even give her a chance; she just shut Esme down. If they could all just get away for a day or two… He says, it’s a nice idea, but how are they supposed to do that, when she and Spence are having a hard time making rent? She says, they’ll figure it out, and if he and Josslyn would be more comfortable with separate bedrooms, she’s sure they can be accommodated. He asks why they’d need that, and she says she gets it. He’s a real gentleman that way.

Spencer comes into the gallery with a helmet in his hand, and Trina says, he rode a bike there? Did his chauffeur call in sick? He says he borrowed a delivery bike, and she says, and here he is – again. He says he’s not stalking her, if that’s what he’s implying, and she says, isn’t stalking kind of his thing? He says he deserved that. He’s not actually there to see Trina; he wants to talk to Ava. She asks why he needs to do that, and he says, he needs to tell Ava that he accepts her marriage to his father. She asks who he thinks he’s fooling. He wants his money.

Nikolas says, he and Spencer argued about something that happened years ago, long before Ava was in the picture. He’s afraid he’s lost Spencer for good, but she says, Spencer might think that he hates Nikolas right now, but he will cool down. He has to, right? He needs his father’s financial support. He says he doesn’t want Spencer to just come back for money, but she says, beggars can’t be choosers. She knows it’s not the most desirable or admirable way to rebuild their relationship, but it is a beginning. Spencer will come home to him.

Alexis tells Shawn, congratulations on turning her nephew’s wrongdoing into something really good. The non-profit is going to be amazing, she knows it, but she can’t administer from there. He asks if Nikolas didn’t offer to fix it for her, and she says, with that awesome gubernatorial pardon, if she keeps her mouth shut about Hayden. He says, how about it? but she says she can’t. He asks, why? It seems like she had a pretty good life out there. Doesn’t she want it back?

Portia goes in to see Joey, and introduces herself. She says he had an extremely rough night last night, but he’s going to be okay. Can he communicate to her his level of pain? He grimaces, and she says she can take care of that, and adjusts his intravenous medication. He says, why… what… and she says, someone attacked him last night outside The Savoy nightclub. The police will want to talk to him at some point. His pain meds should kick in soon, and she’ll be back to check on him in a little while. She leaves.

Carly tells Sonny, whoever went after Joey moves fast. She’d barely gotten home from The Savoy, when Dante was knocking on her door, wanting to ask her questions. He’s going to want to talk to Sonny. Sonny says he expected it, but before he does anything else, he needs to see Joey. Portia comes by, and says hi, and Sonny asks how she is. She says, Curtis told her what happened at The Savoy. Is Carly doing all right after the incident? Carly says she’s fine, and Portia asks if Sonny is there about Mr. Novak. Sonny says, first of all, that incident should have never happened, and if she could tell Curtis he apologizes? She says she’s sure Curtis would appreciate it, and would tell Sonny that it’s not necessary. It’s good to see them both. She leaves, and Carly says, what’s next? and he says he’s going to end this. He’s going to see Joey right now.

Joey’s buddy asks if he’s getting any good drugs, and Joey says, not good enough; it hurts all over. It just happened so fast. He was just talking to her at the club, he went to get his car, and then, he doesn’t know. Dude asks if Joey remembers who got him. How many of them were there? Sonny’s guy Frank opens the door, and Sonny is there. Dude says, Mr. Corinthos, how are you this fine morning? Joey just woke up. Please tell him… Sonny says, take a hike, and dude jets. Sonny tells Frank, close the blinds, and grabs the nurse call button so Joey can’t use it. He says, here’s the thing. Joey threatened his wife, and there’s no coming back from that. He tells Frank to wait outside, and Joey says, he told Sonny’s guy last night, from now on he’ll stay away; he gives Sonny his word. Sonny says, from now on doesn’t fix what he did last night. Joey says he’s sorry. It was a mistake. He was angry and grieving. Sonny says, he should be sorry, but that’s more than his uncle; he wasn’t sorry at all. As a matter-of-fact, he tried to take out Carly and Jason, right up until his car blew up. But does Joey see what he’s talking about? He leans closer, and says, if Joey threatens anybody he cares about, he’ll make Joey disappear. Joey says, all right. What does Sonny want to make this go away?

Carly goes the reception desk, and Elizabeth says she heard Nina was arrested. Carly says, arrested, extradited, and released the next day on bail. Elizabeth says, after keeping Sonny away from Carly all those months, now she’s allowed to walk around free? Carly says, it’s unbelievable, and Elizabeth says, she must be furious. Carly says she’s beyond furious, and Elizabeth says, honestly, if it happened to her, nothing would stop her from destroying the person who came between her and her family.

Cameron says, he’s a gentlemen? Thank you? Esme says he knows what she means. It’s really sweet, like a Jane Austen hero. Honestly, she wishes she and Spence would have waited before they got so close. Sex is no way to resolve disagreements. A way to put them aside, but talking them out is so much healthier. So it’s good he and Joss will have that foundation of communication before they take it to the next level. Cameron says he needs to work in the kitchen, and Esme goes back to Josslyn’s table. She asks how studying is going, and Josslyn says she’s learning a lot. Esme says, about what? and Josslyn says, manipulative conniving women who will do or say anything to get what they want no matter who they hurt. Esme says she knows they got off on the wrong foot, but that’s a little… Josslyn holds up her book, and says, Lady Macbeth. Esme says, right. Out, damned spot. Josslyn says, yet Esme thought she was talking about her. Esme might want to think about that. Esme says, even lady M had a conscience, like she does, and Josslyn tells her, saying she’s just like Lady Macbeth is not the best case she could make for herself. Esme asks if they can’t just start over, and Josslyn asks if she has a time machine. Esme says, think about it. The four of them going away together. They can get some girl time away from the boys, and understand each other better. Josslyn says she thinks they understand each other just fine, and Esme says, if she’s worried about approaching Cam… Josslyn asks why she’d be worried, and Esme says, he’s already on board with them renting a cabin for a few days, separate rooms for Joss and Cam, of course (🍷).

Alexis tells Shawn that she misses her family. She sees them all the time, but it’s not the same. She misses being at home with them around the dinner table, her girls fighting, her disapproving of Kristina’s life choices, just so Kristina can throw prison in her face. He says, it is a great house, and she says, Julian bought it for her when his mafia ties blew up her other one. They sit, and he says, she must have some happy memories of the place. She says, most of them are pleasant. She thinks like, fifty-one and a half percent. What does he like about it? He says, the kitchen, and she says, it had a kitchen? She knew it did; she almost burned it down. He says he enjoys it. He turns on the music, and whips up a couple of meals for TJ and Molly, who barely get to eat. She asks what he makes, and he says he could tell her, but it’s probably different from what she’s eating there, and would be a cruel and unusual punishment. Seriously, he loves the place. She gets up, and says she does miss it, and he says he knew it. She says, that is not a positive statement, but he says, it could be. Walk out of this place, and help him make the non-profit a force for the good. She says, it’s different for him. He bested Nikolas, and made him pay for it. He’s her nephew. She tried instill a sense of right and wrong in him, and failed miserably, and she’s not going to let him be the reason she gets out of there.  

Ava says, Nikolas knows she’s right. Soon Spencer will realize he misses the life he was born to. Nikolas says, when Spencer was younger, he had a distain for the locals; he called them the townies. He won’t want to see himself as one of them. She says, they can use his own snobbery against him, and he says, then he should take as a win if Spencer comes back for the money. She says, not if, my love, when, and he says, when he comes back for the money.

Spencer tells Trina, it’s not about the money. He really wants to make peace with Ava. Trina says, no he doesn’t. She thought they’d gotten somewhere when he apologized for using their friendship, hoping she wouldn’t hate him. She has to hand it to him; it sounded like he meant it. He says he did, but she says, it’s clear to her that he has no respect for her or Ava. What is it he really wants? Is the job too hard? Is it beneath him? Because he went from swearing he’d never speak to Ava again, to coming in here, helmet in hand, hoping to snow Ava into believing he accepts her back in his father’s life. He says, okay, yes, he needs money, and she says, good luck with that. He says, for a lawyer, so he can get a place for him and Esme. They have no time alone. They can’t even afford to go out to eat. This is no way to live. She says, oh my God, he is so pathetic. He’s nothing more than a spoiled child of privilege, and worst of all, he’s a liar. He wants to trick Ava into thinking he’s accepted her into their family, so he can get some cash, so he doesn’t have to slum it, working for a living like the rest of them. She’s done with him. Get out.

Sonny tells Joey, his terms are that he wants everything. Everything that’s left of Joey’s uncle’s organization; Novak’s holdings here and offshore. Joey says, but that’s worth… and Sonny says, he knows what it’s worth. That’s what he wants. Joey says, the family… and Sonny says, the family’s not going to take it well, but that’s not his problem. That’s between Joey and them. Joey said he’d heard Sonny changed, since he got back from where he was. Sonny says, he did, and sits on the bed, leaning on Joey’s arm in the process. Joey makes in pain sounds, and Sonny says, sorry. He didn’t mean to do that; out of habit. He did change. The old him would have handled this differently. The new him is handling it this way. He’s letting Joey walk out of here, but if he does anything like this again, if he threatens anyone Sonny loves, Sonny is going to take him out. Joey says, okay, and Sonny says, okay what? Joey says, he’ll give Sonny everything; all of it is his. Sonny says, you know what? He laughs, and tells Joey, he never thought he’d say this, but great doing business with him. He opens the blinds and looks out. He says, Joey never should have tried to fill his uncle’s shoes. Has he ever heard of a word called hubris? A friend of his told him about it while he was away. Hubris. It’s like arrogance on steroids, and you know what? It’s made way better men than Joey go down fast and hard. He leaves.

Carly says, she would have thought Elizabeth would advise her to forgive and forget, and Elizabeth says, then she would be wrong. Carly says she’ll see Elizabeth around, and Elizabeth says she really hopes Carly gets the justice she deserves. Carly leaves, and Portia comes over to Elizabeth. She says she wants to thank Elizabeth again for the sketch she did of the mystery man. Elizabeth says she’s happy to help. Did Curtis recognize him? Portia says, Curtis didn’t, but TJ did. So did the bartender at The Savoy.

Esme says she knows she and Josslyn can find some common ground. All they have to do is spend a bit more time together. With her and Spence being in such close quarters at his grandmother’s, she knows it would be good for Spence to get away too. Josslyn says, it sounds like what Esme needs is some alone time, just her and Spencer. Esme says she understands why Josslyn is nervous, but maybe if she and Cam spend some time alone together, she can get past whatever’s stopping her from being… Josslyn says, from being what? and Esme says, from being as beautiful, and as close as two people can be. She says she has to study too, for her internship. She needs to learn everything there is to know about the criminally insane. Surprisingly, Josslyn doesn’t say something like, there probably isn’t much for her to learn on that front, and Esme leaves. Josslyn goes over to Cameron, and he says he was wondering what she was doing later. She says, funny. She was just going to ask him the same thing.

Nikolas says he has to wait Spencer out, and Ava says, exactly. Let him come crawling back. Trust her; he will. Nikolas thanks her, and says she makes him feel like he might actually get his son back. He sees Shawn come in, and says, if she’ll excuse him… She says, business? and he says, business. He walks over to Shawn, and gives him a manila envelope, saying, it’s all set up the way Shawn wants it. The money’s in a trust, the non-profit has been filed, Shawn is the administrator, and has the ability to appoint other administrators as he sees fit. Shawn says he knows a good lawyer who will look at it, and Nikolas says, it’s perfectly legal. So they’re finished. Shawn says, for now. Nikolas asks what Shawn means, and Shawn says, he means if the non-profit needs additional funding, Nikolas will provide the funds. And if Nikolas ever screws him over again, he promises Nikolas will be very, very sorry. He leaves, and Ava walks over. She says, now Nikolas can tell her what that was all about – the truth. He says, okay, but he’d rather do it someplace quieter. She says, anywhere he likes, and he says, just after he makes a call.

Spencer says, Trina, please, and she asks why he’s still there. She asked him to leave. She’s working on a very important project, and doesn’t have time for him. He says he’s sorry. He doesn’t know what to do, and she says, she told him what to do. She told him, go to work, and be his own man. Not Esme’s boyfriend, and not his father’s son. Not some money grubbing little phony. Be himself. Be the guy who convinced her to go to her graduation party, not the creep who rigged the sprinklers to shower her with fake blood. He says he’s apologized for that a million times, and she says she knows. When she first met him, or rather when she met Victor, sure, he was lie, but he was a much better person than this mess she’s seeing in front of her. If he wants to do right, find him. Find the part of him that rises above the selfish idiot she sees in front of her. Be the person who learns from his mistakes, and be a better person, the bigger one. One she might be able to respect, and maybe someday call her friend. This person he is now is no one she wants to know.

Nikolas and Ava walk into the gallery, and Ava says she takes it he’s there to see Trina. He says, actually he was looking for her, and Ava says, is that so? Nikolas says, don’t tell him that he’s finally going to make peace with Ava. Spencer looks at Trina.

Josslyn says, her dorm room’s out, and Cameron says he thought Trina was busy with the art exhibit. Josslyn says, she is, except when she’s not. Trina’s schedule has become completely unpredictable. What about his house? He says, tonight’s his mom’s birthday, and she says, happy birthday to his mom. A parental birthday party is probably not the best opportunity for alone time. He says they have just a little party and cake planned, but after that, his mom is going out with friends. She says, and his brothers? and he says, they’re at sleepovers. So does she want? She says, yeah, she does. Esme watches.

Spencer says, he just wants to tell them, he’s happy Nikolas is with Ava, and Nikolas says, he’s glad to hear that. Spencer says he also wanted to let them both know that he no longer wishes to be a prince. He doesn’t want one single filthy penny of their family’s money. From now on, he intends to find his own way in the world, and he will. Nikolas says, he’s proud… and Spencer says, as of now, he’s no longer his father’s son. He’s no longer Nikolas’s son. He starts to cry, and says he’s no longer a Cassadine. Goodbye, Nikolas. Goodbye, Ava. He thanks Trina for what she said. She showed him the way, and he’ll be forever grateful. He walks out, and everyone just looks sad.

Shawn comes back to Spring Ridge, and Alexis says, just in time for her to thank him for this beautiful scarf. (It is very pretty.) She puts it on, and he says he hates to say, you’re welcome, at the same time he’s asking a favor. He holds out the envelope, and asks if she’ll have a look. She says, sure, taking the papers out, and sitting down. He says, Nikolas swears it’s legit, but he doesn’t trust Nikolas as far as he could throw him. She says she thinks he could probably throw Nikolas a fair distance, and looks through the papers. She says, it’s a first glance, but it seems to be in order. It looks like Shawn is the administrator of a well-funded nonprofit. He says, he can appoint other administrators. Consider his offer on the table permanently. The warden comes in, and says he has some good news. The governor issued Alexis a pardon. Alexis seems skeptical, and he says he’s just as surprised as she is, but it’s official. She’s going to be released.

Portia tells Elizabeth, she doesn’t know what it is, but there’s something about that man in the sketch. Or maybe she’s overreacting to a coincidence. Elizabeth says, want to know what she thinks? Trust her instincts. The elevator comes, and Portia says, good advice. She thanks Elizabeth, and gets in.

In another elevator, Sonny says he doesn’t think Joey is going to do anything stupid like that again, but Carly asks if he’s met the man; he’s pretty stupid. Sonny says, but he’s alone; he has no back up. Carly asks what Sonny did, and he says he took everything the Novaks had; their holdings, their people, everything. She says, really? and he laughs and says, yeah. She asks what he thinks the Novaks will say about that, and he says, to him, probably nothing. To Joey, probably a lot. She says, so instead of eliminating him, Sonny gave him a fate worse than death, and Sonny says, mercy is a funny thing. She says, just when she thought he couldn’t impress her more. Did Joey give him any idea who attacked him? He says, not at all, and she says, if it wasn’t Sonny, and it wasn’t her, who did it?

On Monday, Esme asks Spencer exactly how close he got to someone, Peter tells Britt there’s only one way off the island for her, Diane says it sounds like Carly misses being the one in charge, and Sonny says there’s something else he can do for someone.

😢 Ciao, Papa…

A sweet tribute from a loving son.

🎶 On a Happier Note…

The circle of life and all that.

👠 Picture Of Privilege…

I hate to say it, but it sounds like something that would come out of Ramona’s mouth.

💎 Phew…

Out of the hotseat and into the courtroom. Maybe.

💸 The Kindness Of Almost Strangers…

They were probably afraid of a lawsuit.

💰 The Wives You Didn’t Know You Needed…

Carolyn Stanbury? Maybe Lindsay Lohan? Excessive spending? Count me in.

https://autos.yahoo.com/autos/bravos-real-housewives-dubai-announcement-143820073.html

🤪 Old Frat Boy House…

These people all need to do something more meaningful with their lives. And probably get therapy.

Ciara From ‘Winter House’ Says Austen Kroll ‘Doesn’t Really Want’ Lindsay Hubbard – but Will They Sleep Together Again?

🍸 First World Problems…

Oh just cry, eat some ice cream, and move on.

🎃 Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop…

More costumes. From the soap world.

Halloween personified.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/10/29/heidi-klum-halloween-costume-2021-video-exclusive-pics/6175859001/

👩🏽‍💻 Quotes of the Week

Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

It is mental slavery to cling to things that have stopped serving their purpose in your life. – Chinonye J. Chidolue

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand. – Milton Friedman

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin

We’re at different points in our life, because we’re actually at different points in our life. – Robby Fakhouri, 90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life

🃏 Knowing When To Fold ‘Em…

Halloween is over – hello, left over fun size special dark Hershey bar – and it’s only a breath before we roll into what’s known as the holiday season. Try not to forget that little holiday called Thanksgiving. It always gets lost in the shuffle. See you in the Dead zone, but until then, stay safe, stay uninfluenced by so-called influencers, and stay remembering, just because someone is spoiled and angry, doesn’t mean they’re a psychopath. Most of the time.

November 2, 2021 – Nikolas Makes Shawn an Offer, Lala Plays the Victim, New Location, Costumes Of the Stars & Another One

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis is reading The Brothers Karamazov, when Harmony startles her. Harmony asks if she’s okay, and Alexis says she’s just catching up on the classics. Russian. It’s really heavy on the misery. She puts it down, and says she doesn’t need to read this. She can just look to her family for their dysfunctional DNA.

Nikolas asks if Shawn is satisfied. Nikolas’s own son turned his back on him, his father, his only living parent, who would gladly die for him. Hell, he did that, or at least he let the world believe he was dead to regain control of the Cassadine legacy. And Shawn wants the satisfaction of taking all that away. Shawn can’t believe Nikolas is positioning himself as a victim here. His son opened his eyes, and saw Nikolas for who he really is, the bastard who let Shawn go to prison for six years for a crime he didn’t commit. Nikolas is the one who wanted to kill Hayden, but he let Shawn take the fall. Nikolas doesn’t want to see the truth, but his son has. For all of Spencer’s faults, he’s ten times the man Nikolas pretends to be.

Trina sings to herself as she works at the gallery. She hears someone come in, and puts her hand on her pepper spray. She turns to see Spencer.

Josslyn goes to Kelly’s where Cameron is working, and asks, where is everybody? She doesn’t see anyone else working. Can she help out? He says he’s good, thanks, and she asks if someone called in sick, but Cameron says, Spencer walked out in the middle of his shift. He couldn’t even survive one day. Cameron sticks his neck out for Spencer and hires him, because he has no experience and a lousy attitude, and Spencer bails on him on day one. What’s wrong with the guy? Esme breezes in, and says, good; they’re here. No sign of Ava or Spence’s dad. She can’t tell them what a relief it is to be among friends. Josslyn says, where? What friends?

Britt shines the light on Obrecht, who’s not just handcuffed, but has a fishing spear sticking out of her. I don’t know how I missed that yesterday, but apparently, Britt shot her by accident. Britt says, mother, and Obrecht says Britt came to get her. Britt says, my God, what did she do?

Peter bandages his hand, while talking into the radio, asking if they have a location on that woman. Hello? Do they hear him? He wants answers. He turns to see Jason, pointing a gun at him. Peter says, Jason shouldn’t have come there, and Jason tells him, shut up. Move. Peter tries to run, and Jason grabs him from behind.

Alexis tells Harmony that she thought her nephew Nikolas might be a good Cassadine, because he had a nice mother. He was good for a while, but then after ten years or so, he went bad. He went to the dark side and became a real Cassadine. Then there’s his son Spencer, who went to France, boarding school; graduated, then came home back to Port Charles. He decided he couldn’t stand his father’s wife Ava, and he set out to break them up. Harmony asks, how bad did it get? and Alexis says, he stalked her. At first, he started out with just sending her creepy gifts, and then it accelerated into full-blown stalking, until finally, he torched her car. Harmony says, the Cassadines don’t sound so strange to her. Not compared to Shiloh and Dawn of Day. She spent years under the spell of a man who demanded unwavering loyalty from his family, in exchange for betrayal and abuse. So at least, no matter how misguided Spencer’s actions were, they were motivated by love. Alexis supposes that’s one way to look at it. The poor kid idolized his father. If he’d just seen his flaws and recognized them, instead of becoming like him. Harmony says she’s not really speaking about Spencer, is she? Alexis says Harmony might have made a good therapist. No, she’s not, because the same holds true for Nikolas. She just had so much hope that he’d become that young man that she knew and loved so much. Alas, he didn’t.

Nikolas tells Shawn to spare him the holier-than-thou attitude. Shawn doesn’t give a damn about Spencer. Shawn was just trying to use Spencer to wring a confession out of him. Shawn says he did Spencer a favor, and opened his eyes. So now maybe Nikolas’s son doesn’t have to turn himself inside out, making everyone miserable to earn Nikolas’s respect. Nikolas doesn’t suppose Shawn explained to Spencer why he pled guilty to shooting Hayden, did he? Shawn doesn’t say anything, and Nikolas says, yeah, I didn’t think so. Shawn thought he actually shot Hayden, because he was at that garage under Sonny’s orders to kill someone. Or is Shawn going to stand there, and claim that his hands are clean? Shawn says he paid for his mistakes, just like he paid for Nikolas’s. He still wonders about the outstanding debt Nikolas has owed Hayden ever since he tried to have her killed. She’s entitled to justice, and Nikolas is going to give it to her.

Trina asks what Spencer is doing at the gallery, and he says he took a chance she’d be there. Is Ava around? She says, no, but she can get Ava there in minutes. She picks up the phone, and says, or the police. He says, please don’t do that; either call. She says she hasn’t seen him since he was arrested, and he says, a lot’s happened since then. She says, Joss told her that Dr. Collins paid for his bail. She also said Cam got him a job at Kelly’s. Isn’t it his first day? He says, it was, and she asks, what happened? looking at his hand. He says he burned himself trying to make an espresso shot. At least that will heal. She says, if he has troubles, he has a girlfriend. Talk to Esme. He says, she’s busy. She started her internship at Spring Ridge. Besides, Trina is the person he really wanted to talk to. She asks, why? and he says, because he needed a friend, a real friend.

Josslyn says she thinks she and Esme use the word friend very differently, and Esme says she knows they’re more Spence’s friends than hers. She realizes they have some differences, but at the end of the day, like at Spence’s arraignment, they’re on the same page. Now he’s out on bail, and thanks to his good friend Cam, he has his first real job. Cameron stomps away, and Esme asks what she missed. Where’s Spence? Josslyn says her guess is as good as theirs. Esme says, he’s not here? and Cameron says, he actually walked out without saying goodbye. He had to cover for Spencer. Esme says, Spence quit, and didn’t even tell Cameron? She’s so sorry. Chalk it up to that dysfunctional family of his. Spence’s dad and Ava showed up, and expected Spence to wait on them. He hadn’t even figured out the ropes of how to do his job well yet, and he was embarrassed. He didn’t say anything, but she knows it really upset him. Josslyn says, no matter how hard Spencer tries, he just can’t escape the influence of the Cassadines.

Britt says she swears she didn’t mean to hit Obrecht, and Obrecht says, didn’t she? If Britt wanted her dead, she made her point. She laughs, and Britt says, stop. It’s not a time for mom jokes. Just lie still. Britt examines her, and says, thankfully, the arrow just pierced her side, and missed all her vital organs. Obrecht says, some people would say she has no heart to hit, but they’re wrong, because if she dies, she wants it to be in Britt’s arms. Britt says she’s not going to die. She didn’t come all this way to lose Obrecht. She turns Obrecht, so she can look at her back, and Obrecht asks how Britt found her. Did she come by herself? Britt says, first things first. The barbed tip came out the other side. Obrecht says Britt has to push it all the way through, and Britt says she knows that, but she doesn’t have anything to numb the pain. Obrecht says, after two weeks of being captive, seeing Britt’s beautiful face is all she needs to sustain her. Britt says she thinks Obrecht is delirious, and puts something in Obrecht’s mouth for her to bite down on. She says, ready? and pushes the arrow out. I can barely watch, and Obrecht passes out from the pain.

Peter says, Jason isn’t getting off this island alive; he knows that. Jason says, first sign of a guard, Peter is dead, and Peter says he must have something Jason wants, or he’d be dead already. Jason says, maybe he should reconsider, and Peter says, if Jason shoots him, every guard on this island will be there. Jason says, yeah? But Peter would be dead, and that will make a whole lot of people happy. Peter says he has something Jason wants. Kill him, and he’s not going to get it. Jason says he wants Obrecht, and she’d better be alive. Peter says, what the hell does Jason care whether Obrecht lives or… Britt sent him, didn’t she? Or did she come with him? Jason says he’ll find Obrecht himself, and Peter says, not if the guards find Jason first. Liesl could be anywhere. She threw acid on his hand and left just before Jason got there. A guard comes over the radio, saying, there’s no sign of her, and Jason picks up the radio. He tells Peter, order the guards to converge at the lighthouse on the north end of the island to await further instruction. Peter says, converge at the lighthouse on the north side of the island, and wait there for further instructions. The guard copies, and Jason says, get up; let’s go. Peter asks where Jason is taking him, and Jason says, not the lighthouse.

Britt bandages Obrecht, and Obrecht praises Britt for her professionalism, saying, Britt does her proud. Britt says, it’s temporary. She still needs to get Obrecht to a hospital. Obrecht says, perhaps she spoke too soon. The dressing is too tight. Didn’t they teach Britt that in medical school? Britt says, sorry. She must have missed how to treat a spear wound in an abandoned fishing shack class. This’ll have to do for now. Where is he? Obrecht says, he who? and Britt says, Obrecht doesn’t think she infiltrated Cassadine Island alone, does she? Jason Morgan came with her. He’s gone searching for her. Obrecht laughs, and says she knew it. Jason came to his senses, jilted Carly, and came running to Britt’s side. Congratulations on her victory.

Nikolas asks if Shawn remembers why Hayden first came to Port Charles. When Drew Cain was struggling with memory issues, Ric Lansing hired her to come to town and claim to be his wife. Shawn asks if that entitles Nikolas to have her killed, and Nikolas says, obviously, Shawn recorded his conversation with his son tonight. So what? There was no confession. There’s no proverbial smoking gun. The police haven’t been interested in this case for years. All his lawyers have to do, is remind the court that these claims are being brought by a former hitman for the mob. Shawn will be laughed out of court. He’s got nothing. Shawn says Nikolas is no innocent. Everyone knows he’s shady and can’t be trusted. Nikolas says, and somehow, Hayden is more trustworthy? Why does Shawn keep talking about her like she’s Mother Teresa? Hayden Barnes is a grifter. Shawn says, she may or may not be a saint, but she’s a human being who was shot, and she still deserves justice. Nikolas asks if Shawn thinks he’s on some noble mission. The truth is, Hayden already knows. Hayden has always known.

Trina says she hears the tone of Spencer’s voice, and he sounds sincere, but there are a lot of bells going off in her head, telling her to run, not walk, to the nearest exit. Spencer says he never meant to hurt Trina, and he’s really sorry for what he did to Ava, but he did it for his father because he truly believed Ava was bad for him, and wanted to free him from her influence. He knew the stalking was wrong, that it was a risk if he got caught, but he thought it was worth it. Now he realizes that his father’s not the man he thought he was. It’s almost like he never knew his father at all. Trina’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Joss, and ignores the call. He asks why she didn’t answer, and she says she sees how badly he’s hurting, and she wants to believe him, but part of her can’t help asking, is this another one of his lies?

Josslyn leaves a message for Trina, asking if she’s seen Spencer tonight. Just text her back. Esme says, if Trina had convinced Ava to drop the charges, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Cameron says, no. Her boyfriend got himself into this mess the day he decided to stalk his stepmother. Now he’s left shorthanded, and has to cover Spencer’s shift, when he has plenty of homework that needs doing. Spencer thinks of no one but himself. Esme says, wait. She understands that Spence let him down, but they have to understand that this is all new to him. He’s never had a job before, much less one waiting tables. He’s not used to those kinds of responsibilities. Spence is spoiled. He’s an only child, he’s never had a mother, and he’s facing criminal charges. Josslyn says, Spencer’s been charged with something he actually did, and Doc bailed him out. He’s not even on house arrest, so please. Esme says she knows, but he feels isolated and all alone. He needs to be around people who he cares about, who also care for him. So she was thinking, they could get him out of Port Charles, just for a day or so. Cameron says, like a road trip? and Esme says, what a great idea. The four of them on their own. What better way for them to bond.

Britt asks Obrecht if they can wait until they’re off this godforsaken island before they discuss her love life, which, for the record, is non-existent. Obrecht says, so she’s not back together with Jason? and Britt says they came there to rescue her; isn’t that enough? Obrecht says, no. Jason is willing to risk life and limb to help Britt rescue her, who he despises for past transgressions. That should indicate some interest on his part. Britt says, he didn’t jilt Carly; he married her. They would still be on their honeymoon if Sonny hadn’t come back. The marriage was invalid, so Jason was free to help her rescue Obrecht, which is nice, but he’s a nice guy. Obrecht says, he’s a lethal killer, and Britt says, who really wants Peter dead, so they’re collaborating; there’s nothing romantic. Obrecht asks if Britt is certain, and Britt asks if she missed the part where Jason was fully prepared to marry someone else. He chose Carly. He will always choose Carly. Obrecht says, but her husband is back, and Britt says, it doesn’t matter. She will always come first in Jason’s life, and Britt refuses to come second. Obrecht says, good for you, doctor. Demand the respect you are due, and stick to your guns no matter how tempted you may be to relent. Britt says, she’s not tempted, and Obrecht says, yet. But danger and gratitude are powerful aphrodisiacs, and if Jason succeeds in getting them off this wretched island, she may find herself wavering. The door starts to open.

Harmony says, she understands Alexis’s disappointment in her nephew, but in all fairness, Nikolas is the same person who defied Cyrus to make sure Alexis was safe in Pentenville. She knows firsthand what it’s like to go up against Cyrus Renault, and her nephew had to be very brave to do that. Alexis says, he’s a very complicated guy. With one hand, he takes what he wants, for himself, and with the other hand, he offers her something no one else can. Harmony asks, how so? and Alexis says, he’s friends with the governor, and can arrange to give her a full pardon. Harmony says, Alexis can go free? and Alexis tells her, all she has to do is say yes. Harmony says, Alexis makes it sound like it’s a problem. What’s stopping her?

Shawn says, Hayden told him she had her suspicions, but she didn’t say who, and Nikolas says, that was five years ago. Shawn is a little behind the times, so listen to him. Hayden knew, and Hayden being Hayden, used it to her advantage. He and Hayden came back to Port Charles together to claim the Cassadine estate from Valentin and return it to him. Shawn says, Hayden told him that she was working with Nikolas. He’d assumed it was because she didn’t know Nikolas had tried to kill her once. Nikolas says, Hayden stood to profit from his return. She was willing to let bygones be bygones in order to line her own pocket. So if Shawn thought he was doing right by Hayden, he’s sorry. She’s over it. Nikolas can’t help him, but if this is about Shawn moving forward and putting the past behind, he’s come to the right man.

Spencer guesses he deserves Trina’s suspicion, but he swears he’s not lying. She says, and she knows this is true because his nose isn’t growing? Spencer says she knows him, but she says, she thought she knew Victor, but he turned out to be a fake and a fraud. He used her. He used their friendship to do something cruel to someone who’s been nothing but kind to her. He says, Ava is not what she thinks. Someday Trina will learn the truth about her. She says, just like she learned the truth about him? She’s sorry, but if he thought he was going to find a shoulder to cry on, he came to the wrong place. She just doesn’t trust him… any more than she trust her feelings about him.

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron, there are all kinds of cool cabins to rent on this website. They’re a little rustic, but have all the major conveniences. She shows Josslyn her phone, and says, here’s one that has a fireplace in every room, with a California king size bed. Perfect. She and Spence can stay in one cabin, and Josslyn and Cameron can stay in another. Cameron says, it sounds really nice, but he can’t really afford to take the time off of work. He goes in the back, and Esme asks if it’s something she said. Josslyn says, no. He has work obligations, and she’s going to the library. Esme says she’s not trying to be nosy, but how long have they been dating? They still haven’t had sex yet? Don’t worry. Things didn’t happen overnight for her and Spence either. For all his sophistication, Spence is really shy and inexperienced, but they figured it out. Josslyn and Cam will too. Josslyn says she doesn’t care what Esme and Spencer do or don’t do when they’re alone. Esme doesn’t know anything about her and Cam. Esme says Josslyn doesn’t have to be uptight around her. She would never judge her friends. Josslyn says, except they’re not friends, and Esme knows that.

Jason shoves Peter in ahead of him, saying, get inside, and Peter says, he’s the boss. Peter says, nice of you to join us, and we see Drew is there with a gun drawn, holding on to Britt’s arm. Peter tells Jason, say hello to your brother.

Alexis says, Harmony doesn’t know the details of what Nikolas wants in exchange for her release. It’s complicated. Harmony says, because he wants something in exchange? Isn’t that the way the world works? Alexis says she thought she was cynical, and Harmony says, no, not cynical, just realistic. Dealing with the likes of Shiloh and Cyrus, you just have to put aside the rose-colored glasses. She stopped holding out hope for goodness and virtue to triumph, because in her experience, they rarely do. She asks what Alexis is waiting for. She’s sober; she’s making it up to the people she hurt. There’s no reason not to take her nephew’s offer. Unless… Alexis says, unless what? and Harmony says, unless she’d rather stay here.

Nikolas says, Shawn didn’t go right to the cops with his theory, which tells Nikolas that his claim is weak. There’s no shame in that. Shawn took his best shot. Now it’s time to bargain. Put his cards on the table. There must be something he wants. Shawn says, all the time Nikolas stole from him; no amount of money can buy that. Nikolas understands how Shawn feels that way, and hopes he feels better now that he got that off his chest. Let’s get real. Nikolas can’t give him the time back, and Hayden’s over the situation. So instead of focusing on the time Shawn lost with TJ, focus on enjoying the time with him now. He’s open to negotiations. Name a figure that would enable him to leave the past in the past, and allow them to both move on.

Spencer says, then Trina hasn’t given up on him. He hasn’t made her hate him? She says she doesn’t hate him. She just can’t let herself believe in him, or anything he says. He says he knows he has to win back her trust. He didn’t come there tonight for her to hold his hand, and say, there, there. She puts her stuff in her bag, and says, really? Because it seemed like that’s what he wanted. He says he wanted someone to be honest with him. To talk to him the way nobody had talked to him until he met her. She may not trust him, but he trusts her. He came there tonight because he wanted to let her know that he’s over this sad, pathetic game with his father. To hell with him. Spencer will find his own way, he promises… She says, no. No more promises. Spencer is good with his words, but his words don’t match his actions. So she needs something else from him. She needs him to prove himself. Not by what he says, but by what he does.

Josslyn asks if Esme remembers what she said at the hospital, that Josslyn minding her business is free, but minding Esme’s will cost her? Right back at her. Don’t mind her business. Don’t comment on it. And don’t waste her time pretending to be Josslyn’s friend when they both know she isn’t. She just hopes Spencer wakes up in time to see the real Esme before it’s too late.

Peter says, will you look at this. Brothers reunited, but on opposite sides. He smells a miniseries. (Ha-ha-ha! If I didn’t hate Peter, I’d love him.) Jason says, let her go, and Peter tells Drew, if Jason kills him, kill Britt. Obrecht tells Drew, don’t listen to him. Think of his daughter; think of Scout. Britt tells Jason, kill Peter. Kill that son of a bitch, and they’ll figure the rest out later.

Alexis says, this place is a helluva lot better than Pentenville. She and Harmony both know that, but why the hell would anyone want to stay here if they didn’t have to? Harmony says, lots of reasons. Because Alexis is safe here. Because almost every decision is made for her. You know who you are in here. Alexis smiles, and says, she’s pretty good. Yeah. Alexis knows what to expect here. Every day when she wakes up, she knows what chores she’ll do, she knows drinking won’t be an option,. When she leaves here, it will be totally unknown, because she won’t have a job to go to, or a special someone to go home to. Plus, she’ll have a lot of free time on her hands. There will be a lot of alcohol everywhere; in every bar and every restaurant. Or she can just order it, and have it delivered at home, like she used to. Harmony says, it’s okay to be scared of life on the outside; it’s a whole lot of unknowns. It’s okay to worry she hasn’t actually hit her rock bottom. Alexis laughs and says, she used to pride herself on having her own mind, and making her own decisions, but now she’s terrified of her decisions. There are temptations she doesn’t have access to here, that she will when she’s out there. It’s easy to be strong when you don’t have the option to be weak. Harmony agrees, and asks what Alexis is going to do. Is she just going to stay here hiding? Life is full of prisons, and she’s not talking about this one, with locks on the door and a fence around the perimeter. She’s talking about the prisons we create for ourselves in our own minds. Trust her; she’s been there. So before Alexis turns down an offer to go free, ask herself something. Can I do more good in here, or out in the world?

Nikolas says, there’s no price tag on the years Shawn spent in prison. Like he said, it’s not about Shawn’s past; it’s about his future. His opening offer is $500,000. Shawn says, nah. He’s not like Nikolas. People aren’t a commodity to him. Nikolas says, without a confession, Shawn has nothing. Without Hayden, he has less than nothing. Shawn says, Nikolas will make sure of that, he knows. Nikolas says, Hayden’s gone. She chose to leave her old life behind. Now it’s Shawn’s turn. He needs a new life. That costs money, and Nikolas can make that happen.

Spencer asks Trina to help him out. Tell him what he can do to repair things. She says she can’t tell him what to do, but what she does know is, he has to stop looking at other people to define him. Isn’t that what he was doing with his dad? Isn’t it what he’s doing with… his girlfriend? He says he just wants Trina to respect him. He wants her to be proud to be his friend. He really values her opinion. She says, he wants to earn her respect? It’s not going to happen overnight. It starts by honoring his commitments. Go back to that job he hates. Stick with it, and start to do it well. Then maybe he can be someone his friends can count on. Maybe that starts by choosing better people to associate with. He says, what if he can’t escape it? What if no matter how hard he tries, he turns into his father? She says, that’s BS and he knows it. She doesn’t believe in fate or destiny. Those are just excuses for laziness or selfishness. If he doesn’t want to turn out like his father, then don’t. This is on him; just him. She gestures toward the door, and he leaves.

Esme says she wishes things didn’t have to be like this with her and Josslyn, but it is what it is. Sorry she tried to have an adult conversation with her. She won’t make that mistake again. She leaves, and Cameron comes back out. He says, kitchen crisis handled. He realizes something is up, and asks what he missed. Josslyn says, no one important.

Britt says, kill him, Jason. Kill him. Peter says, he has that Navy SEAL training; take no prisoners. Britt says, don’t worry about her, but her mother needs medical attention. Do what he has to do. Obrecht says she’s not going anywhere without her Britta. Shoot that schwein and be done with it. Peter says, there’s only two ways to save Britt. Lower your gun, or kill your brother.

Cameron asks where Esme went, and Josslyn says, she left, and she took her friendship with her. Cameron says Esme really gets on her nerves, huh? All that talk about spending the weekend together. She asks if they can talk about anything else, and kisses him. Spencer runs in, and says he’s really sorry about taking off before; something came up. It was a family emergency. He’s so sorry. Cameron says, so that justifies Spencer walking off the job? Josslyn says, she’ll leave them to it, but Cameron tells her, stick around. This won’t take long. She says she has things to do, and jets. Spencer says he really is sorry, but Cameron says he doesn’t care about Spencer’s apology. He went out on a limb for Spencer, by hiring him, by giving him a chance, and how does Spencer repay him? He walks out without even saying a word. That’s it. He blew it. He’s fired.

Trina’s phone rings, and Trina asks Josslyn, what’s up? Josslyn asks what Trina is doing tonight, and Trina says she’s supposed to be working on a project, but she had an unexpected visitor. Josslyn says, let her guess. It was Spencer. Trina says, yep, and Josslyn asks if she’s okay. Trina says, she’ll live. Josslyn? Josslyn says she just had a run-in with Esme. She’s a piece of work. Trina says, sounds like they both need to talk. Meet her at Kelly’s? Josslyn says, no. Cam’s not done working. She’ll come to Trina. Josslyn leaves, and Esme comes back through the gate, and looks in Kelly’s window.

Spencer says, Cameron wants to fire him? Let him make it clear, he didn’t quit. He had a family emergency, with his father. Cameron asks if his father was hurt, and Spencer says, no; it wasn’t that kind of emergency. Spencer had something really important to ask him. His answer told Spencer everything, and he’s done with him. He came back here because he really needs this stupid job. He’s not saying he likes it; he needs it. And he thinks he could have been really good at this job, but he guesses now they’ll never know. He starts to leave, but Cameron says, wait. He takes off his apron, and shoves it at Spencer, saying, take it. Now get back to work.

Nikolas tells Shawn, this offer is good for a limited time. He’ll never get a better one. Not from the PCPD, or the DA’s office, and definitely not from Hayden. So what does he say? Can he leave the past behind to invest in his future?

Harmony gets why this is difficult for Alexis. Once you leave these locked doors, there are a whole bunch of unknowns out there, as well as all the people who have disappointed you. Alexis says, not to mention all the times and ways she’s disappointed herself. Harmony asks if Alexis has any idea what she’s going to do, and Alexis says she knows what she’s not going to do. She’s not going against her conscience to gain her freedom. She doesn’t want any part of her nephew and his dirty offer.

Peter says, come on, Jason. You’re an excellent shot. You could take out Drew right now, and leave Britt unharmed. Just like Jason shot his father when he took Carly hostage. Jason’s only other alternative is to kill him, and hope Drew doesn’t hurt Britt. Britt says, she’s okay with that. She’ll take her chances. Just kill this bastard. Obrecht tries to sit up, and says, no, Britta. Peter says, Drew will kill her. It’s his mission. If Jason doesn’t believe him, ask Obrecht. Obrecht says, Peter’s right. Drew’s conditioning is active. Nothing will stop Drew from completing whatever mission he’s given. Peter says, it boils down to one simple question. Does Jason want his brother’s blood on his hands? Jason and Drew briefly lock eyes, and Jason lowers his gun, putting it on the floor. Peter laughs, because soap villains have to, and tells Drew, take him. Drew tosses Britt toward Peter, and pushes Jason to a kneeling position. Britt makes a move for the gun, but Peter is faster. Peter says he just saved Britt’s life. If she’d tried to shoot him, Drew would have killed her and Jason for trying to save her. Look at it this way. They all get to live a little longer. For now. Britt looks at Jason, who looks worried.

Tomorrow, Curtis is just getting started, Portia thinks someone is in trouble, Maxie tells Brook that the danger is closer to home, and Sonny says Cyrus got off easy.

Vanderpump Rules

Randall planned a poker night for the guys, and Lala told him about her conversation with Brock at the Belmont. She said Brock’s baby mama had slapped him with a restraining order. Katie told Schwartz all about it, and he futilely suggested it was Scheana and Brock’s business, and they stay out of it. James told Raquel that Brock had literally flipped, and mimicked him. We flashed back to Brock getting teary about his family. That’s rich coming from James, considering he’s a HUGE crybaby. In Raquel’s interview, she said, clearly life isn’t what Scheana portrays it to be in her vlog.

Scheana and Brock filmed Brock making both a standard apple pie, as well as one with crumble on top, which is the only kind of pie I like. And chocolate pie with a graham cracker crust. But I digress. In Scheana’s interview, she said her track record didn’t help, but the comments about Brock were frustrating because she knew he was the real deal. She was using YouTube and Blog as vehicles to show a deeper insight into their relationship. The true authentic version of herself, unedited… except by her. Brock made baking a pie look simple, which I have my doubts about. Lala told LVP that she was concerned about the domestic violence charge. She said she would hope were she in the same position, someone would ask her if she was being smart. Scheana was concerned about Lisa thinking less of their relationship, and said Brock had some explaining to do because Lisa was concerned now. Brock said he’d gladly talk to Lisa because he had nothing to hide.

Schwartz and Sandoval met with their new business partner Greg, and in Sandoval’s interview, he said they’d known Greg back when he owned the Belmont. They would get a level of creative control they weren’t going to get with Lisa. Colors, light, drama, seclusion, but also … a community interactive event. Schwartz told Greg that they’d settled on a name, but I thought it was more like Schwartz settled for something he hadn’t wanted. Greg pointed out that Schwartz couldn’t even say it, and wondered if it would say, a different kind of deli. People were going to show up thinking they could get a pastrami on rye. In Schwartz’s interview, he said that he wasn’t falling in love with the name, but he was falling out of hate. Greg said they had to convince him that they knew what they wanted, and suggested their mission statement be their number one priority. They needed to convince him that he should want to partner with them.

Raquel wasn’t happy with a nose job she’d gotten, pointing out a slight crookedness that you wouldn’t notice if she hadn’t said something. Her doctor had given her exercises to do 14 times a day. That’s insane. I had to do physical therapy with one of my dogs three times a day once, and I thought it was a lot. James told her that he’d spoken to Max, and it was all good. We saw a clip of Max telling Lisa that he felt James’s apology was sincere, and Max wanted to move on with him. Raquel said James’s anger issue still wasn’t resolved, and James admitted that his temper was out of control sometimes. It ruined his own mood and day, and that of those around him. She asked if he was open to AA, but he said he wasn’t 100% sober because he smoked weed. He was a creative person with a job in nightlife. In James’s interview, he said weed was legal in California, and he was a very high energy guy. It put him back down to neutral. He was stoned right now. Raquel suggested mediation or boxing to channel his energy, and James said he had been working out more.

In Sandoval’s interview, he said he and Schwartz had been through a lot. They’d spent money together and saved money together. We flashed back to some of that, and he said it was a match made in heaven. They met with Lisa and Ken, and Lisa said since they had a new partner, she felt protective, and thought Ken should weigh in, in case they had questions. Ken said he was worried about them mortgaging their houses. In Lisa’s interview, she said Ken had a lot of experience with leases, and complicated scenarios regarding a new business. She felt the Toms could benefit from his expertise. Ken asked how long their lease was, and Sandoval wasn’t sure. Lisa asked what happened with their homes if the business went into liquidation, and in Tom’s interview, he said he knew she was concerned about them getting in over their heads, but getting in over your head pushed you to the next level. Lisa said they only wanted to help, but could never get a straight answer about anything. We found out that Schwartz has Horton’s toe, where the second toe is longer than the big toe. The more you know…

Server Jesse cut Tom’s hair, and in Ariana’s interview, she said Tom got his hair cut more often than she washes her hair. He said he felt fresh. Ariana said it should be an interesting night; she hadn’t hung out with Lala since Palm Springs. In her interview, Ariana said, their last conversation hadn’t been the most productive. We flashed back to that, and Tom said Lala had been secretive about her relationship with Randall in the beginning, and Ariana said they’d lied for her, but that was back then. The situation was different now. James and Raquel met with boxing trainer Robbie in the park, and in James’s interview, he said he was willing to do anything it took to channel his angry energy into something else. He was surprised at what a good boxer Raquel was, saying she had little baby wrists. He didn’t know how she was hitting so hard. He said, boxing hadn’t really excited him. If anything it made him more angry. They sat down on a blanket afterward, and Raquel said it felt good to punch something. James said he’d do anything to help him respond to situations differently, and Raquel was concerned about his habit of saying things that hurt people. She was afraid that when they had kids, James would say something to hurt their self-confidence. Raquel said Lisa was taking her to her own doctor for her nose, and she was going to have to tell him that James bumped her. In Raquel’s interview, she said, after her nose job, James had gone in for a kiss so hard, he hit her nose. We saw a clip from two months earlier, with James being concerned that people would assume something. He told Raquel not to mess up her nose. He was afraid of hating the way she looked. Not too superficial, although we are talking about a nose job.  

Schwartz and Katie went to Villa Rosa to have pedicures. Puffy! Lisa said her life was coming back, and Schwartz said he wanted to feed her grapes. In Lisa’s interview, she said, TomTom had been closed forever. They were finally reopening, and changing the cocktail menu. They’d lost some staff, and it was about paring down, and making it simpler. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he’d been turned down for the home equity loan. He got confused when it came to profession. He didn’t think mactor – model + actor – was what they were looking for. Why he wouldn’t have put restaurant owner, I have no clue. Lisa told him that if he needed to be bought out of TomTom, she would do it, and in her interview, she said she was nervous for them. They were putting their house up for security, and wanted to have a baby. Schwartz politely declined Lisa’s offer, and said there was no chance of him giving up his stake in TomTom. Lisa said the offer was there if he needed it.    

In Lala’s interview, she said she hated hosting because she wasn’t good at it. She couldn’t tell the guests to bring their own White Claw and they’ll pop open a bag of Doritos. She told Ariana that she’d gone shopping, and Isabel laid it out for her. On her kitchen island, bowls were lined up with Post-It notes in them. Lala asked if she and Ariana were moving on, and in Ariana’s interview, she said the seed of their friendship had been planted. It was TBD if it grew into a flower or died. Randall had his poker night, and Jesse Metcalfe joined them. In Sandoval’s interview, he said Jesse probably didn’t remember, but they met over ten years ago. He and Kristen gave him a ride home from a Coachella after-party. Randall said he’d lost $17K the last time he played poker with the Toms. All the girls arrived at Lala’s place, and in Charli’s interview, she said she brought her own food, since Lala wasn’t empathetic to her issues. Better safe than starving. The poker game was No Limit Hold ‘Em, and in his interview, Sandoval said, the rules are pretty simple… Um… Maybe he was stoned too. Randall ended up on the losing end again, although only to the tune of $5000 this time. He said he wasn’t going to have another boys night for a long time.

Lala talked to Katie and Raquel about Brock, and in Raquel’s interview, she said Brock had already been put on trial. Why were they putting him on trial again? Katie said she didn’t believe in painting red flags with glitter. Omg, you’d think this guy was a  serial killer when they only have a couple of facts really. Raquel told Scheana about the conversation, and Scheana said it wasn’t fair to question her judgment, and thought Lala’s concern was bullsh*t. In Scheana’s interview, she said she didn’t know what this obsession with Brock was all about. Lala had said she would stop, and it was really annoying her now. Lala, Ariana, Katie, and Raquel got in the hot tub, while Charli and Scheana sat on the side. Scheana said Brook only gave Lala a highlight from what happened, and she took it as he was beating his wife. She wished Lala would trust her judgement. She wouldn’t have a baby with someone she thought was a terrible person. What was even more frustrating was, why wasn’t Lala concerned the first year Scheana and Brock were together? Lala said she didn’t know he hadn’t seen his kids in four years. How is he not a bad guy when he got slammed with a domestic violence order? These were Brock’s issues, and Scheana, her baby, and his other children were victims. I have to say, I think Lala’s concern is genuine, but she’s blowing this way out of proportion.

Everyone went to Lisa’s house for a cocktail tasting presented by the Toms. Lisa came into the kitchen, and saw a mess of bottles and garnishes and glasses and bowls on her kitchen island. She said she could make a four-course meal with less mess than the Toms were making, creating two cocktails. It was Brock’s first time at Villa Rosa, and he told Scheana that it was pretty impressive. This lady has swans. Lisa toasted to the opening of TomTom. Brock asked if he could talk privately with Lisa, and wanted everyone to know he was an open book. He had a history, but had learned from his mistakes. In Lala’s interview, she said, that’s what grossed her out the most. He displays something horrific, and puts a bow on it. Some people only see the bow, but she doesn’t see it. It just seems like she’s being unfair, not giving this guy any credit whatsoever, when we haven’t seen him act crazy or anything. Schwartz brings out watermelon margaritas, with a full-size slice of watermelon as a garnish, and a branch from a maple tree large sprig of mint or basil or something. Brock told Lisa that he’d done some things he wasn’t proud of, but the person he was today isn’t the person he was ten years ago. He’d tried to have a conversation with Lala, and tried to explain that it was more complicated than him kicking in the front door to see his kids. It was a toxic situation with his partner, and he’d slapped her, which he wasn’t proud of. In his interview, he said he was 19, and they’d were having an argument, and he slapped her. It wasn’t what prompted the restraining order though. They moved to France, and their boy was born. They separated, and his ex found out she was pregnant. She had a girl, and there was an argument with her dad, which is when the domestic order happened. He’d needed to appeal it to get it lifted. Lisa asked why he hadn’t made an effort to see his children since then, and he said in the time he’d been in America, his ex had married, and they had a daughter together. She and his children had a new life. In Lisa’s interview, she said she wanted it to be okay because Scheana wanted it to be okay, but it was terribly worrying. He told Lisa that Scheana made him a better person brings, and brought the best out of him, and he got weepy. When Lisa came back, she asked Sandoval for the strongest drink he had. Seeing the mess even messier, she said God forbid he ever had a dinner party. Sandoval introduced a whiskey cocktail he claimed smoke rose from, but Katie didn’t see it, and neither did I.

Lisa announced that the margaritas were definitely on the menu, and Tom asked if they’re doing the whiskey… Before he could finish, she said, no, which was pretty funny. She wondered why Lala was so quiet, and Lala said she felt awkward. Lisa said that wasn’t like her, and Lala said she’d had a girls night, and went to Scheana as a friend with concerns. Scheana twisted it again, when she’d thought they were friends. She thought she knew Scheana well enough to ask if she was being smart. In Scheana’s interview, she said she didn’t know why Lala wouldn’t let her live her life in peace. Forgive her for questioning Lala’s motives, but they hadn’t had a solid friendship. Sandoval interrupted Lala, and Lisa asked him to let her talk. Sandoval had the nerve to tell Lisa, give me an effing second, and she told him not to talk to her like that, and apologize. Which he did. In his interview, Sandoval said Lala was always the aggressor, but then played the victim. She had no business talking about Brock. Scheana said she wanted to hear what Sandoval had to say, and Tom said, what if he brought up sh*t Randall had done ten years ago when he and Lala started dating? Lala said this was not going to happen, because God forbid her own life should be examined. Lala said she wished Scheana the best, but they didn’t mesh well as friends and she was exhausted by it.  

Lala headed for the door, and got all emotional with Lisa. She said she was worried for Scheana because she had the baby. She’d voiced her concern, and it backfired, making her the villain. How was this happening? My guess was because she wouldn’t STFU about Brock for five minutes. She left, and Scheana said, well, that was fun.

Next time, Lala talks to Ariana about Tom’s pattern of attacking women verbally, and Tom tells Lala that she has a double-standard.

🛥 Where No Deck Has Gone Before…

Showing Kate in the picture is just cruel.

https://www.distractify.com/p/below-deck-season-9-location

🎃 Halloween Eye Candy…

What the celebs wore. I’m sure I’ll be posting more. It’s the best part of Halloween

https://extratv.com/photos/image_jpg_20211101_c5d604e889704cacb51faa7d9638afbf/

Some oddball choices.

https://www.gq.com/story/celebrity-halloween-2021

Quick change artist.

https://ew.com/tv/mindy-kaling-dresses-as-legally-blonde-veep-insecure-characters-for-halloween/

Día de los Muertos

🍂 Making Like a Tree…

See you tomorrow for some soap, and what I hope think is the final chapter of the RHOBH Reunion. See Erika get mad. See Erika shed tears. See Erika make vague threats. Until then, stay safe, stay setting your personal bar higher, and stay proving yourself not by what you say, but by what you do.