Category Archives: horror

Oct31

October 30, 2024 – Time Of Death 5:48 PM, Justification, Salty Stuff, Ariana Does Horror, Dark Dancing, Halloween Watch, Best In Costume & Night Wind

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason beings Scout and Danny to the hospital. Scout wants to show Sam her costume and Danny just wants to see her.

Alexis brings Sam some candy, and Sam asks her to remind Dante to get some more for the trick-or-treaters. Alexis says, both she and Dante bought some, and now they have 60 pounds of it. She wants to know Sam’s secret. She can put herself together in a minute or sixty, but Sam looks so good after surgery. She’s glowing.  

Trina stops by Portia’s office and says she’s heading to school. Portia asks how it is being back, and Trina asks if the rumors are true that Heather left Port Charles. Portia says, yes, and Trina wonders if Portia had something to do with it.

On the phone, Willow says, Michael hasn’t come home and she’s worried. Call her back. There’s a knock at the door and it’s creeper Drew. She asks why he would come here.

Sasha sits up in bed and remembers being at the bar. She looks next to her, and Michael rolls over. (Rut-roh.)

Cody is sleeping on Maxie’s couch, and cowboy James holds his finger under Cody’s nose. Cody opens his eyes and asks what James is doing, and James says, checking to see if he’s breathing. Cody says, is he? and James says, so far. Cody says, too bad, but James says, breathing is supposed to be good thing. Cody says, tell that to his head, and James says, Cody should have told him that they were having a sleepover. Cody says, it wasn’t exactly a planned thing, and James says he has gummi worms in his holster. He asks if Cody wants one and Cody says, no. (I can feel his stomach lurch.) James asks what he’s going as for Halloween, when Maxie walks in. She says, Cody looks like he’s going as someone who made a big mistake last night. (That’s actually pretty funny.)

Sasha flashes back to the bar and Michael ordering tequila. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says, celebrating. He finally knows the truth. He tells the bartender, keep them coming. She remembers them making out and then moving to the bed. Michael wakes up and sees her.

Drew says he’s sorry to drop in, but he needs to apologize. Willow says she doesn’t want his apology. Just go. If Michael finds them together, it’s the last thing she needs. Drew asks if she’s heard from him, but she says, no. He asks if she wants him to call… and she says, no. Stay away from her and Michael. Her marriage can’t take any more of his help. He says he understands and asks if she was about to tell Michael when she showed up at the main house. She says she thought it was better if Michael heard it from her. Nina told her everything.  

Portia says she had nothing to do with Heather leaving. Now they can refocus their lives again. Trina says she has nothing to report and asks about Marshall, but Portia wants to hear everything about school.

At the Surf Lodge, Dante asks if Rocco is okay, but he says he just wants to see his mom. Dante says, she’s still recovering and will be in the ICU for a while. They’ll see her when she’s moved, but there’s something he wants to talk to Rocco about first.

Sam says she heard Lulu’s surgery went well, and Alexis says, her transplant prognosis is good. Sam says, that’s a relief, and Alexis says, it’s a relief to see Sam smiling. Sam says, considering she’s fine and Lulu has hope, it’s cause for celebration, and Alexis says, their family is long overdue. Sam says she hopes Alexis means that… She shows Alexis the ring and says, Dante proposed. Alexis says, it’s about time, and Sam says she knows Alexis isn’t a big advocate of marriage. Alexis says her marriages were dumpster fires. Sam’s will be better. They hug.

Trina says she loves art history, but her project partner has made no appearance. She doesn’t want to say how good things are or she’ll jinx it, but Portia says, that won’t happen. What about her missing partner? Trina says she tried to contact them, but if she doesn’t hear from them soon, she’s going to tell the TA to get her a different partner. Portia says, it’s Trina’s turn to have some good times, and Trina says she’s going to make it happen for herself. She’s got to get going. She’ll see Portia later.

James asks Cody what mistake he made, when a car horn blows outside. Maxie says, that’s Billy’s mom, and James says, if Cody changes his mind about not going trick-or-treating, go as a cowboy, so they’ll match. He and Cody fist bump, and Cody is like, ow. James leaves, and Maxie asks how Cody’s hangover is feeling.

Sasha and Michael are both in robes, so I assume they’re at a hotel. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she has a hangover from hell and is totally mortified. Otherwise, she’s okay. Him? He says, the same, and asks what they had to drink. She says, everything, and he says, that wasn’t his plan. He doesn’t think he had a plan. She says, neither did she. She was angry and hurting, and the alcohol did nothing to improve her judgement. He says he was in the same place. What happened… Neither of them planned it. They’re both at fault. Sasha says she’d agree, but it hurts to nod her head, and Michael says his hair hurts. She says, there’s something she didn’t tell him. When he told her about Willow kissing Drew, she already knew. She saw them kissing on the 4th of July. She walked into the solarium, but they didn’t see her, and she didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say or do. It was the last thing she expected. He says, it was the last thing he expected to hear, and she says, Willow is her friend, but she and Michael have history. He’s always been kind to her and she should have told him. He says she was just trying to be loyal to both of them. He understands and he’s not mad. She says, him being mad wouldn’t be the straw that broke the camel’s back, but it would be the straw that killed her. He says, it’s not on her. Willow and Drew are the ones who put them in this position.

Scout tells Jason that she brought Sam a grilled cheese because she likes them, and Olivia said she was a hero. Jason says, she’s one of the bravest people he knows, and they go into the elevator.

Alexis says, when first she first noticed Sam and Dante together, she thought they were a perfect match. The longer they were together, Sam smiled more. She was more herself than with anyone else. Sam says, that’s how it felt from the beginning. They each had a piece of a life, but not the whole thing. It works. Alexis says, they made it work. They committed to building a life, and they took that life, and wrapped it around their families. Sam says she never thought it could be this way, and Alexis says, Sam showed her what a healthy relationship looks like. She wasn’t able to give her girls that kind of family, but Sam is giving it to hers. What she just did for Dante and Rocco is the best gift ever. There’s no demonstration of love that’s greater. Sam says she loves Dante, and Alexis says she loves Sam, and kisses her hand.

Maxie tells Cody, don’t throw up on the rug. They had a dog… Cody says, don’t finish that story. He’s sorry he crashed here, but Mac insisted because Felicia swapped out her couch for a love seat. Maxie says, if it wasn’t an election year, she would have heard about it. She knew it would come back to bite her. Cody asks if she thinks a pint-sized cowboy with gummi worm breath will be punishment enough, and Maxie says she thought Mac talked some sense into him.

Sasha says she doesn’t blame Michael for being angry, but Willow felt terrible and was beating herself up. Michael says he’s glad Willow regrets kissing Drew, but he hates that she’s beating herself up over it. It just happened, right? Sasha says, after Willow confided in her about the second kiss… Michael says, there was a second kiss? and Sasha says she thought he knew.

Drew says, Nina showed up and told Willow everything? and Willow says, yes. He asks what she said, and she says, Cody was blabbing about how Drew kissed his nephew’s wife. Drew says he’s sorry, but she says she’s not blaming him. Drew says, Cody was drinking like it was his job, and Willow tells him that Nina said he was very drunk and punched Drew. Then he said what he said. Drew says, that sums it up, and she says she didn’t want Michael to find out from a stranger or a news report. She wanted to tell him. She thought she could make him understand. Drew says, and he decided to do it himself, and she says, after all the times he told her not to, he went ahead did it anyway. (I hope the bloom is finally off that rose for her.)

Dante tells Rocco that Sam said yes, she’ll marry him. They want to make their family official. Rocco seems surprised. Rocco says he is, and Dante asks if he’s surprised that she said yes, but Rocco says he’s surprised Dante asked. Dante says, why? Clearly, it’s something. What’s going on? He doesn’t like them being married? Rocco says, what about mom?

There’s a beeping alarm, and Jason notices Portia running toward Sam’s room. He sees Alexis running out and she looks at him. She shakes her head.

Jason tells Danny that he needs to take his sister to Bobbie’s. Eat something and wait there for him. Danny asks, what’s going on? but Jason says, not right now. Scout says she wants to see mom, and Danny says, he was thinking that mom loves the cookies at Bobbie’s. They could get a bunch for her as a surprise. They leave, and Jason asks Alexis, what happened? She say she doesn’t know.  

Elizabeth says, Sam isn’t responsive and has no pulse. She’s not breathing. Lucas says, code blue and he wants a crash cart. He wonders where this is coming from. Her vitals were normal. He asks if it could be internal bleeding, and Portia says, a possible embolism. She does chest compression, and he asks for the paddles. He uses them on Sam, but there’s no response. He does it again.  

Maxie tosses a bag of ice to Cody, and he says, there’s some stuff she should know before she gives her speech. She says she knows more than he and Sasha would like, and he says, she knows they’re cousins? She says, first cousins, and he asks if it was published in The Invader.  She says, it’s not known publicly, but her mom is friends with Sasha’s mom. Sasha said her mom was dead, so Maxie was surprised when Holly told her mother and Sasha confirmed it. Cody asks how Sasha is, and Maxie says, hurt and confused, to be expected. He says, that makes two of them, and she asks what he remembers. He says he was drinking… She says, not at all responsibly, and he says he punched that smarmy son of a bitch Drew Cain in his smug little face. Maxie says, he and Sasha got horrible news, and they were both in a bad place, but she doesn’t understand. Why Drew?  

Willow says she wanted to be honest from the beginning, but Drew said not to make it a bigger deal. Then he blindsided her. Why? Why blow up her life? Drew says he didn’t have a choice. Ned and Tracy were going to blackmail him. She says she can’t believe they knew. She’s going to be sick. Drew says, the told him that they’d tell Michael everything unless he went along with their demands. It would have only escalated until someday it blew up anyway. In the moment, he had no other call. He still doesn’t. She says, he’s probably right, and he says, she’s got to believe him. If he’d had a second to warn her, he would have. He’s sorry. She says, none of that matters. All she cares about is her family. She wants Michael to come home. She can tell him one truth; she loves him and their family. And she’s going to do what it takes to earn his forgiveness. There’s only one person who could have told Cody. Sasha. She can’t believe Sasha did that to her. (Oh come on. Like telling an SO a secret you’re keeping is unheard of.)

Michael asks what Sasha means, but she says, forget it. He says, tell him what she knows, and she says, the night McConkey died, Drew was torn up, and he and Willow kissed again. Michael asks if there were any other times, but she says, no. Willow loves him and she’s hating herself. He says, maybe she should. He can wrap his head around one kiss. One kiss is a mistake. The second time is not an accident. They made a choice.  

Cody says, Drew is sleeping with Nina and kissing Willow, and Maxie asks how he knows. He asks how she knew, and she says, look at this face. People tell her things, but she doesn’t drink and tell. He says he feels bad about his big mouth, but not the punch, and she says she’s not being judgy, but why Drew? Cody says he’s trying to be a good guy, but look at what doing the right thing has gotten him. She says she’s sorry about Sasha.

Sasha tells Michael, emotions were high, and Drew and Willow got caught up in the moment. She thinks they know something about that. She doesn’t like herself right now. She loves Willow and broke her confidence and slept with her husband. Michael says, there’s enough blame to go around, but the person at fault the most is Drew. (Agreed.)

Willow says, she confided in Sasha, and Sasha blabbed (WOTD) to Cody, but Drew says, she can take Cody off her worry list. He’ll handle Cody. Willow says, Michael will be home soon and she’s going to tell him everything, including about the second kiss. It’s the only way they can move forward. Drew says, Michael is already hurt. Telling Michael about her feelings for him will only hurt him more. (Yeah. We see how well that advice worked out the first time.)

Cody tells Maxie, Drew is not a good guy. Nobody knows he’s sleazing around with his nephew’s wife and sleeping with her mom. He thinks he’s better than everybody else, but he’s not. He’s a sleaze hiding behind a nice haircut and fancy coats and suits, and he’s getting rewarded for it. He wanted to pull Drew down from the pedestal he’s put himself on and throw him down in the gutter where he belongs. Maxie says, so he had his big moment and lashed out. Where did that get him? He says, a night on her couch, and she says, he could have wound up in jail. He says, thanks to Mac, that didn’t happen, and she says she’s sorry. It’s a horrible thing, but she hopes he realizes that he has a family who can help him through it and will. Things are going to get better. Stay away from Drew. He says he plans to, and she says, otherwise, he’ll deal with her. He asks if this is what having a sister is like, and she says, if you’re lucky.

Lucas calls for the paddles again, and tries to revive Sam, but she’s still unresponsive. (These scenes are actually a little stressful to watch, they’re so intense.)

Dante asks if Rocco remembers what it was like before Sam, and Rocco says, they were sad all the time. Dante says, they were barely making it through the day. It’s like they were sleepwalking. Then Sam showed up and it got better. It was like they woke up. Rocco says, it was easier to move, and Dante says, they weren’t stuck anymore. Rocco says, Sam unstuck them, and Dante says, they did it together, but Sam made it possible.  

Lucas says he won’t quit, and Portia says, she’s in AFib. Lucas tells Sam not to quit on him now.

Alexis asks a nurse if she can tell her what’s going on. She’s Sam’s mother. The nurse says, her medical team is doing what they can, and they’ll update Alexis as soon as they can. She leaves, and Alexis tells Jason that she doesn’t understand.  She was just with Sam. Dante had proposed, and Sam showed her the ring. They were happy and laughing. She doesn’t know what happened.

Lucas keeps trying and tells Portia to resume compression. Portia keeps trying, but her face says, it’s futile.  

Alexis tells Jason, Sam was fine one second – happy about her future – and the next, her face went completely white, and she couldn’t breathe. She was confused and Alexis didn’t know what to do. She doesn’t understand. She’s scared

Dante says, Sam, Danny, and Scout were a package deal, and Rocco says, it took some getting used to. Danny is mostly a pain. Dante says, siblings are pains, but we love them, and Rocco says, most of the time, they’re great. Dante says, family is great. And Sam is the one who gave them their family again.

Sam flatlines, and Portia says, it’s time. Lucas says, no. She’s still here. Go again. The paddles… I said, charge. Portia keeps up the chest compression and looks at Elizabeth.

Alexis says she called Sam’s name, but she didn’t answer. Alarms went off and she was pushed out while they rushed in. Her girl is in there.

Scout wonders where Jason is. It’s almost time for trick-or-treating. Danny says he’ll take her. He knows the houses where the best candy is. She says, mom loves Halloween candy… Grandma looked weird. He says, not really, but Scout says, she did to her. He says, she’s just tired. She spent the entire night at the hospital. She asks if he thinks mom will have a scar, and he says, probably. A scar is cool. She says, mom is cool. She’s a hero. He says, she is.

Portia says, the patient is still in asystole, but Lucas says he can do this. Portia says, she’s been in asystole for 30 minutes. She’s gone. Lucas gathers himself and says, time of death, 5:48 pm. The monitor is shut off.

Tomorrow, Elizabeth tells Jason, do it for Sam; Drew asks Cody if they have a deal; Michael asks Willow if there’s anything else; and Sasha says, no one has to know about this.

⚖️ There Is No Defense…

Seriously? There’s a big difference between nobody’s perfect and being a total creeper.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/cameron-mathison-defends-drews-contentious-gh-love-triangle

🧂 Worth Their Salt…

The almost fistfight between Whitney and Lisa’s husbands was shut down before it got to the RHONJ Battle of the Joes level. While I give kudos to Justin for defending his wife, dumping a full bottle of Lisa’s tequila down the drain when he got home was a little juvenile. For one thing, Lisa wasn’t there, so the point is moot. All he did was create the hassle of getting more tequila. I’d say good riddance to it, but apparently, they like it. Justin and John met later and right away John asked if they should order appetizers. Now that’s the way to squash beef. Eat some smashed potatoes with it.

I like Bronwyn more every episode. One of the fun things she likes to do is pick her husband up from the airport wearing different costumes. Get that sexy nurse out of your head, because I mean things like sharks and unicorns. And mushrooms. More like mascot costumes. He acted longsuffering about it, but he seems to be a good sport, and I can see why she married him.

Heather went to Bronwyn’s fantabulous house, where Bronwyn met her at the door wearing fantabulous earrings. An errant dog poop found inside prompted Heather to say in her interview that she had to watch her step. Who among us owners of little dogs has not found a wayward poopie? And Bronwyn’s house is so massive, it’s a wonder she can find her own bathroom. Bronwyn was honest in saying she’d invited Heather because she was planning a group trip and didn’t know where their friendship was at. As usual, Heather took offense and denied any responsibility in their rift. IMO, Heather lost any shred of authenticity along with the weight. In Angie’s interview, she’d said she’d known Heather since they were kids. Heather had always wanted to sit at the cool kids’ table, still did, and would do anything to sit there. I’ve never heard a more accurate description.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 5, Episode 7 Recap: Justin’s Friendship With the Barlows Goes Down the Drain

😈 Still Not As Scary As Sandoval…

Because she doesn’t have enough gigs.

Ariana Madix Takes on Halloween Horror Nights 2024

👠 Trick Or Tango…

Even DWTS gets into the Halloween act.

Dancing with the Stars Season 33, Episode 7 Recap: Whose Dark Routine Was a Halloween Treat?

🎃 After the Tricks and Treats…

I’ll be shooting for Apocalypse Z this weekend.

New Horror Movies Streaming This Week for Halloween 2024

FYI, The Substance is in theaters, but according to this article, will be streaming on Halloween.

‘The Substance’ streaming date revealed – and it is sooner than you think

A straight up guide.

https://deadline.com/feature/where-to-watch-halloween-movies-tv-streaming-guide-1236157656/

More family friendly fare… mostly.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/30/entertainment/halloween-movies-2024/index.html

I dunno if I’d consider these under the radar, but there are some good ones here.

https://www.ksl.com/article/51164945/10-under-the-radar-halloween-movies

For the NASA nerd in you.

https://www.space.com/halloween-2024-cosmic-monsters-horror-movies

Choices from across the pond.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/best-new-horror-movies-to-watch-this-halloween/

🐶 Ready For Treats…

Never enough photos of pets in costumes. Especially when money is no option.

https://www.tmz.com/2024/10/30/celebrity-pets-all-dressed-up-for-halloween/

👻 In the Midnight Hour…

Needing to sleep like the undead before facing the goblin horde on All Hallows’ Eve. But join me tomorrow for soap, what the witches are brewing in the OC, and more Halloween. Until then, stay safe; stay never blowing out a Jack-o’-lantern before midnight; and stay not going dressed as someone who made a big mistake last night on Halloween.

Oct30

October 29, 2024 – Michael Gets a Double Whammy, Temping, It’s Time, A New York Minute, My Watch, Slammed, Knight Guide, Two Holidays In One, Transformed, Costumed, Keep Them Safe & Cat

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dressed as Sherlock Holmes, Wiley tells Temp Michael (see below), the game is a-foot.

Laura hugs Aiden, who asks if there’s any word on Lulu, but Laura says she’s still in surgery. Elizabeth joins them and says, it’s going well. Aiden asks if he can get Laura anything, but she says, seeing him is enough.

Sam wakes up, and Dante says, welcome back. Lucas said she was a five-star patient. She did great. She asks, how’s Lulu? and he says, she’s going to save Lulu’s life.

Holly says she’s the only mother Sasha’s got. Sasha needs her more than she thinks.

On the phone, Tracy says, no comment. She tells Ned to block the last five callers, and he asks if it was a reporter. She says, they want to know about Drew’s campaign, and Lulu is in surgery. Every time the phone rings, her heart lurches. Ned says, it won’t be a problem much longer.

Cody tells Drew that they need to talk, and Drew tells the other Navy SEAL that he’s sorry. He’ll just be a second. He suggests he and Cody move to another spot, but Cody says he’s fine where he is. Drew says, Cody seems a little drunk, but Cody says, nope. Drew says, he looks like he needs some air, and Cody asks who Drew is to tell him what he needs. He calls Drew a smug bastard and punches him in the face. He says, Drew’s been making out with his nephew’s wife while he’s banging her mother. Drew punches Cody, and Nina tells the SEAL to call the police. At the bar, Elaine films what’s going on.

Lucky asks Laura if there’s any news, and she says, Sam is out of surgery. It went well. Lulu’s surgery is still in progress. Lucky says, she’s in good hands, and Elizabeth says she and Aiden are going home. Laura says she’ll call if she hears anything, and they leave. Laura says, a lot of people have come to see her, but she’s happy to spend time with Lucky. He wonders if she’s not going to ask where he’s been, and she says, if he wants her to know, he’ll tell her. He says he spent the day at the federal building jumping through bureaucratic hoops to get an emergency passport. She asks if he’s planning on using it.

Michael asks, what made Wiley think of Sherlock Holmes? and Willow says, says, he’s been reading books about kid detectives. She told him about the OG, Sherlock, and they watched some old movies. He was hooked. Wiley gives Michael a Watson hat, and Michael asks what gives Wiley the impression he’d sign on as his sidekick. Wiley says, elementary, my dear Watson.

Sasha says, that time is long gone, and she’s not talking about her childhood. She thought Holly would show up when her baby died or when her husband was murdered. Holly says she found out long after it happened. She was devastated for Sasha. Sasha says, her sympathy card must have gotten lost in the mail, but Holly says she was respecting Sasha’s wishes and stayed away. Sasha says, since when has Holly cared about what she wanted? She stayed away because she couldn’t be bothered. Her mother-in-law stole all her money and put her in an asylum where she nearly lost her mind. She would have welcomed help, even from Holly, but she was nowhere to be found. So this is way too little way too late.

Drew says, Cody is drunk, and Cody says, Drew’s a cheating bastard. Drew says he doesn’t know where Cody is getting this, and Cody asks how Nina is okay with Drew messing with her daughter to placate his massive ego. Dex comes in with another officer and says, someone complained about an assault. The bartender says, this guy tried to attack Mr. Quartermaine, and Dex asks Cody to come with him to the station. Don’t make it worse. Cody says, fine, but this isn’t over. He leaves with the other officer, and Drew tells Dex that Cody had too much to drink. He’s not going to press charges. Dex leaves and Nina says, that’s not what she meant when she said, get down and dirty. Drew thanks her for her suggestion. It’s time for damage control. He tells the bartender, a round for the house on him, and everyone cheers. Elaine quietly leaves.

Tracy asks why Ned thinks Drew’s campaign is going to tank, and he says he has a hunch that things are not as they seem. His phone dings, and Ned says, a video. They can watch together. He shows her the bar fight, and she says, tell her this is real. He says he hired a P.I. after learning some incriminating evidence. She asks, from whom? and he says, an unusual credible source. He had Drew followed to get confirmation. She says, he’s a genius. They have the ammunition and now they need to figure out how best to use it.

Lucky looks at the blank passport and says, it’s like the last decade never happened. Laura says, there’s so much she doesn’t know about his life. What’s he been up to all this time? How did he meet Dr. Gannon? He says, they were in the same refugee camp. He was security and Isaiah was with an international medical team. He could tell Isaiah was a good doctor and couldn’t turn down a seat at a poker table. Isaiah even beat him a couple of times. She asks if Lucky let him, but Lucky says, Isaiah is pretty good at everything he does. Eventually, the camp staff was full, so they decided to move on to where the need was greater, and it became a pattern looking for the next challenge, while at the same time living in the moment. She asks if that’s his way of telling her that he and Isaiah got through dangerous situations together, and he says, maybe. She says, they’re both very brave, and he says he could say that about Isaiah, but for him, he thinks he’s just been running.

Sasha says, when she got committed, Cody rescued her, and Holly says, thank God. Sasha says, when she got out, she was still broken, and Holly says she’s sorry. Sasha says, Cody believed in her and put her back together. He’s the reason she started believing in herself again and trusting again and opening her heart again. Holly says, she’s grateful and truly wishes they could stay together, and Sasha says, but they can’t.  

Dex brings Cody to the interrogation room and says he’ll get Cody some coffee, but Cody says, just throw him in a cell. Dex says, Drew’s not pressing charges, and Cody says, if Dex knew the whole story, he’d think Drew deserved it. Dex says he thinks the bar owner would disagree, and Cody says, it will probably be brushed under the rug like the fat cats do. Just put him in the drunk tank and let him sleep it off. He doesn’t need to talk to anybody else. Mac walks in and says, not even his dad? He heard Cody had quite a night.

The bartender tells Drew, that guy was drunk and out of line. He’s glad Drew put him in his place. He’s a class act and Drew’s got his vote. He goes back to the bar, and Nina says, it’s just a matter of time before Michael finds out. Even if he dismisses it as gossip, it’s bad. It could ruin his relationship with Willow. Drew says, Cody will be contained until he sobers up. When he sees Drew didn’t press charges, maybe he’ll be more cooperative. He’ll settle Cody’s tab and with any luck, that will be the end of it.

Tracy says, remind her to give Cody a raise, and Ned says he hates bringing negative attention to the family. Tracy says, Drew did that, and Ned says he thought Tracy approved of Drew being a Quartermaine. She says she thought Alan should have one child to carry on his name, but Drew’s not worthy. He deserves what he gets. Ned says, when he shows this to Drew, he’ll sign over his shares to yours truly, and Tracy asks, why not rid them of Drew once and for all? He asks, how? and she says, tell Michael everything.

Dante tells Sam that Lulu is still in surgery, but they’ll let him know when she’s in recovery. Sam asks if he’s seen Lucas, and he says, Lucas told him that her prognosis is excellent. She can come home next week. She says, he has to make sure the kids are organized and don’t forget to pick up the cupcakes for Scout’s fall bake sale. Dante says, she left notes all over. He’s got it. There is one thing he’d like to ask her… She says, Scout likes the cupcakes from Eckerd’s, but he says, it’s not that. He takes out a ring and asks if she’ll marry him.

Mac says he’ll take it from here, and Dex leaves. Cody says he had one too many, and Mac says, one? Cody says he lost count and he’s as drunk as a skunk, but Drew had it coming. Mac says he doesn’t want to know why Cody did what he did, but he wants to talk about why Cody was tossing them back in the first place. Cody says, he knows, and Mac says, he does. Let’s talk about Sasha.

Holly says, Sasha deserved a better mother. She didn’t do the hard things. Sasha says, she didn’t do anything, but Holly says she always loved Sasha. She wasn’t cut out to be a mother. Sasha says, it was easier to leave her with Nona. Nona loved her, and for a long time, she was the only person who did. When Nona was gone, she tried to make a life for herself and got close more than once, but every time, it fell apart. This time it fell apart because of Holly. Holly says, it’s not her fault Cody is Sasha’s cousin, but Sasha says, it’s Holly’s fault she didn’t know until now. And now, she’s alone again. Holly says, she has her father and her father’s family, and Sasha says, that Cody’s a part of. Holly says, she knows it cost Sasha a lot, but it cost a lot for her too. She’s lost the love of her life forever. (Wow. Way to be self-centered.)

At the gatehouse, Nina says she hopes it’s okay that she came by, and Willow says, she can check out Wiley’s Halloween costume. Wiley hugs Nina, and Nina says, it’s the perfect choice. It’s chic. Tweed is in this season. Michael says, they’re going to the main house to show Monica and pick up Amelia, and Wiley asks if Nina wants to come, but Nina says she wants to talk to Wiley’s mom. Wiley and Michael leave, and Willow asks what brings Nina by. Nina says she gave Willow some bad advice about Drew. She needs to tell Michael the truth as soon as she can.

Tracy says she detects more than flicker of daddy’s ruthlessness in Michael, and Ned says, that baby face belies the heart of a shark. She says, now Drew’s been sniffing around Michael’s wife. They can engineer it so he drops out of the race and out of their lives forever. He says, or they can look at it another way. If Drew wins, he can use the video as leverage. He’ll have a congressman under his thumb. Her too. He’s willing to share. Drew comes in, and Tracy says, someone’s had a rough night.

Sam says, Dante is asking now? She’s on painkillers. He says he’d hoped that would work to his advantage. He wanted to ask her when she woke up. Sam says, in this romantic setting. There’s just one thing she wants him to know. It’s okay if he still loves Lulu.

Laura says she’s sure Lucky has his own perspective on the situation, and she wants to hear it. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, he didn’t grow up in a normal stay-put family. She and Luke were fugitives for the first half of his life, until he was 11 years old. That’s why his idea of home is different than just about everyone else’s, including his sister. By the time Lulu came, they were settled in Port Charles. The need he has to… when the going gets rough, to run out and get an emergency passport, that instinct is in him because of how he was raised. Please don’t beat himself up about that. He says he tries to tell himself that even if he can’t stay in one place, at least he can do some good while he’s there, and she says, he does. He has. He also protected Isaiah, and because he did, Isaiah is able to be here to help save his sister. He says he’s so grateful for that, but in the process, he left Elizabeth and his son behind.

Sasha says, Holly is making this about herself, but Holly says she wants Sasha to know that coming clean was for her sake. Despite her failings, she wants to provide for Sasha. Sasha says, she can provide for herself just fine, and Holly tells her, as they say, tout ce qui te rend heureux, whatever makes you happy. Sasha wonders how Holly knows she couldn’t be a mother when she never tried, and Holly says she could have tried grinding out an existence, but she would have been an unhappy mother. Sasha says, at least she would have been there, and Holly says she’s here now. She just pulled off the biggest job of her career and she did it for Sasha. She’s in a position to make sure Sasha is set for life.

Cody says he’s sure Mac has better things to do, but Mac says, it’s a tough break and one they didn’t see coming. Cody says he’d been keeping honest, working at being worthy of Sasha, being a better guy. Mac says, he still is, and Cody laughs. He says he’s in jail, and Mac says, he’ll get past it, but it will take time. Cody says, it won’t change the fact that he and Sasha are cousins. He has to leave Port Charles.

Nina says, Willow should have followed her instincts and told Michael. She needs to be honest. Willow says, Nina told her that she’d just be easing her guilt at his expense. She’s committed to Michael and their family. She had a harmless crush on Drew, and barely anything happened. Nina says, they kissed, and she needs to tell Michael before someone else does. Willow says, only a couple of people know, and she trusts them both, but Nina says, her circle of trust isn’t as tight as she thinks.

Drew asks, what’s going on? and Tracy says, it’s not as exciting as his evening. He says he broke up a fight in a bar, and Ned says he was hoping to discuss the future, but Drew says, it’s not a good time. Ned says, no time like the present. He thinks Drew should be more supportive of the family, so from now on, Drew will do exactly as he says. Drew says, why? and Ned shows him the video. Drew rubs his forehead like he has a headache, and Tracy says, so he wasn’t breaking up a fight. He was an active participant. Drew asks if Ned thinks it’s enough for blackmail, and Ned says, Drew kissed his nephew’s wife while he was sleeping with her mother and he’s running for congress. He’s got to hand it to Drew – time management. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!) Drew says, and Cody wouldn’t lie, but Tracy says she’d take Cody’s word over his any day. (Me too.) Drew says he’ll handle Cody, but Ned asks how he plans to handle James West? Does he plan to tarnish James’s reputation or punch him out like Cody?

Laura tells Lucky that most teenagers who meet and fell in love rarely end up being the people they share their lives with. People grow up and change. Lucky says, especially when one of you goes down a dark hole, and Laura says, the important thing is, he climbed back out of it. Everyone is so happy he’s here. He says he needed to hear that, and they hug. He says, no matter where he goes, home is where she is, and she says she needed to hear that. She loves having him here and she’s not the only one. Elizabeth comes back and says she’s going to wait with them. Isaiah comes out and Laura asks, how’s Lulu? He looks grim, but you know how they do.

Cody flashes back to dancing with Sasha, and then Sasha telling him that they’re first cousins. Mac says, no judgement, but he’d hate for Cody to go. They just started to figure things out. Cody says, it’s too hard to be near Sasha without being able to be with her, but Mac says, it won’t make a difference. It’s not easier somewhere else. He speaks from personal experience. Sasha didn’t make him a better man. She may be the reason, but he did the work. It would be a shame to give up now.

Holly says she took the biggest risk of her life, and it paid off. She’ll never have to work again. Sasha says she’s happy for Holly, and Holly says, she’s going to liquidate her share of the proceeds, then Sasha can do and be whatever she wants. Let her do that for her. Sasha says, no thanks. Holly is telling her that this is her last job, but Sasha knows it won’t be. There will be another score and another after that, because she loves the high of living on the edge. Telling lies, using people, and getting away with it. That’s just who she is. Sasha walks out.

Nina says, Cody was drunk, but convincing, and Willow wonders how he knew. Sasha was the only one who saw them, and the other time, they were alone. She must have told Cody. (Seriously. She’s a teacher and can’t do the math?)  Nina says, that’s why Willow needs to tell Michael. He needs to hear it from her before he hears it from someone else. Willow says she could lose everything, but Nina tells her, be strong. They’ll go together, but they need to go now. They’re running out of time.

Ned says, it’s simple. Unless Drew wants Michael to know about his involvement with Michael’s wife, Drew will side with him on every vote. Tracy says, starting with confirming Ned as CEO, and Drew asks if they think he’d go along with that. Ned says, if he wants to be congressman, and Tracy says, and Willow will stay the dutiful wife, and Michael will be none the wiser. Ned says, deal? when Michael comes in with Wiley. He asks, what’s wrong?

Isaiah says, the surgery went well, and Lulu is in recovery. They have to wait and see if her body accepts the transplant, but he’s more optimistic about her prognosis than he was earlier. Lucas hugs him, and Laura says, Lulu has a second chance because of Isaiah and Lucky. Lucky says, they got through together.

Sam says, Dante doesn’t have to propose to thank her for being Lulu’s donor or prove that he loves her too, but Dante says he’d like to marry her because he wants to grow old together. Because he loves their life and loves their family and loves her. She says she loves him too, and he says, good, because they’ve been dancing around this for a while and he’s tired of dancing. But if she’s not ready, he’ll keep dancing. She says she’s ready and tells him to put a ring on it. He does and they kiss. (They’re going to kill her off, aren’t they?)

Mac says, Cody’s family is here – him, Felicia, Maxie and her kids. Cody says, and Robert and Sasha, and Mac says, running isn’t going to make them less related. James will be heartbroken. Cody says, he’s playing dirty, and Mac says he’s not above stooping low. Stick around a while. Cody says he can do that, and Mac says he’ll find Cody a bed. He doesn’t want to go back to the Q’s tonight. Cody says he’s not grounded? and Mac says, they’ll talk in the morning. They walk out together.

Sasha goes to the Brown Dog Bar and the bartender asks if anyone is joining her. She says, not tonight, and orders, vodka, rocks. (Whoa. That sounds like she’s been here before with someone, and the bartender remembers her.) She flashes back to Cody saying he knows it’s true because he spent his life reaching for things he couldn’t have. So of course (🍷) when he finds the best thing, it turns out he can never have it.

Michael says, Drew’s been in a fight? and Drew says, a misunderstanding with a constituent. Michale says, it feels like he walked in on something, and Ned says, they were discussing how the importance of endorsements, the right ones, can make or break a candidate. Drew says, there’s something he needs to tell Michael, and Ned says, think carefully… Willow and Nina walk in, and Willow says she needs to speak to Michael, but Michael says he wants to hear what Drew has to say first. Drew says he’s sorry, and Michael says, for what? Drew says, last 4th of July, he kissed Michael’s wife. They didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. Michael asks Willow to tell him that Drew is lying, and Willow says, it didn’t mean anything. She starts to cry and says, please believe she loves him. Michael walks out, and Nina holds Willow, looking at Drew behind her back.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, it looks like Cody is going as someone who made a big mistake last night; Sasha says, neither one of them planned on this happening; and Willow asks why someone would come here.

🧴 But You Already Knew This…

It was just for today anyway.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-temporarily-recasts-michael-again

🏥 Time Of Death…

Either it’s Sam and not Lulu or they threw us a helluva red herring.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-spoilers-week-october-28-2024-time-of-death-548

🗽 Not Taking the A Train…

Jessel said her friend group was a Monet – fabulous from afar, but close up, they were a total mess. Welcome to the Clueless version of RHONY, and also the theme of Jessel’s 41st birthday party. I’m actually on board with this, since I’m a fan of Clueless and all its fashion statements. Sai went plant shopping for her new garden, since she thought the prices at Whole Foods were getting out of hand. Her husband asked if the plants were for food or to take pretty pictures of, which is kind of sad. She said, both, but still. Live your life instead of taking pictures of it. Sai also decided that her mom’s ashes had been in her closet long enough and was going to plant them along with a tree. It was sad when she talked about how this person she’d known and loved her whole life had been reduced to a bag of ashes. This got me on a train of thought about the body really just being a container for love and not the love itself. It reminded me of when my father passed away. I felt that way about the house I grew up in. Once the love (i.e. my father) was gone, it was only an empty container. Hey, I have my moments of depth. Although not usually during a Housewives episode.

Ubah and Racquel discussed the dust-up Ubah had last week with Brynn. Ubah said, Brynn was telling her on the side to watch her behavior, so she wasn’t painted like an angry Black woman. In Racquel’s interview, she said, it was confusing, since Brynn was triggering Ubah into being painted like an angry Black woman. She apologized later on Watch What Happens Live for this remark, but I didn’t understand why. I thought she was spot on. They also talked about how appreciative they were of the freedoms they enjoyed in the USA, which made me appreciate where these women came from and the journey they took to get where they are. Jenna got a job as Editor-and-Chief at large with online fashion magazine Coveteur. During her first roundtable discussion with the staff, one topic was women going to Turkey for eyebrow transplants. Seriously? This is where we’re at?

To prove her ever-growing maturity, Brynn talked smack about Ubah behind her back, saying grown women living in NYC don’t act like that. She also called Sai a miserable troll that lives under the Brooklyn bridge. End of story. Ubah told Raquel that whatever Brynn had against her, she was having it alone, but Racquel suggested she let it out. If she kept it to herself, she’d be stewing and brewing. Erin was deep in the stew and brew, staying annoyed at Jenna for basically not paying enough attention to her. But of course, telling everyone but Jenna. Breaking out the violins.

Here’s the whole deal:

Real Housewives of New York Season 15, Episode 5 Recap: Without a Clue

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

In keeping with my tradition of being late to the party, I’ve also started watching Stranger Things. Everybody and their mother tried to get me to watch it forever ago, but I was busy watching other things. I finally caved when I just had to know what those flower-headed things were all about.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for just about everything.

My favorite first. I can’t count the ways I love this show. The acting is amazing, the special effects are creepy AF, and the story is unique. One of my favorite horror/sci-fi sub genres is the isolated town people can’t leave where something creepy is going on.

FROM Season 3 Episode 6 Review: “Scar Tissue” Unpacks Wounds

I was caught up, but now have to watch last Sunday’s episode. Another show with superb acting and Colin Ferrell is remarkable. I’d honestly expected it to be more comic bookish, but it’s more film noir.

https://www.inverse.com/the-penguin-episode-6-release-date-start-time-trailer-plot

Same deal. Caught up and now behind again. The deaths of both Isabelle and Genet in episode 4 surprised me. Genet milked her death for all it was worth, but Isabelle’s was a bit of a trip to the cornfield. No judgement, but when horror turns to corny, it makes me break out in eyerolls.

https://www.cbr.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season2-episode5-recap-spoilers/

https://winteriscoming.net/review-daryl-dixon-fights-for-laurent-s-future-in-the-penultimate-episode-of-his-walking-dead-show-01jb12561ext

https://screenrant.com/the-walking-dead-genet-villain-death-disappointing/

This show is absolutely crazy. In a good way. Without giving it away here, let’s just say they did an entire 180 last week. I was going, wait… what? through the entire two episodes. They’ve kept the viewers guessing from the jump, but this was insane. I’m thinking, Emmys all around. I’ll bet Nicholas Chavez is glad he left GH. And we all know how much I love GH, but whoever is guiding his career path makes good moves. I did have to wonder though. Why would detectives wear white to investigate a grisly murder scene?

https://screenrant.com/grotesquerie-episodes-8-9-recap-most-shocking-reveals/

💣 Not a Very, Very Fine House…

I’ve been watching this a little bit and I don’t hate it.

https://ew.com/richard-hatch-slams-messy-house-of-villains-costars-after-episode-4-elimination-8730199

🐉 Thrones For Dummies…

I always think, if it needs to be explained, should I be watching it? TBH, I don’t think there will ever be another Game of Thrones. Although I wish we could go back and redo the ending. <sigh>

https://ew.com/a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-beginners-guide-game-of-thrones-spinoff-8695634

🎄 When Halloween Is Christmas…

This is a great article on another perspective of the holiday.

https://www.them.us/story/halloween-gay-christmas-lgbtq-history

🦛 When Is a Hippo Not a Hippo…

She’s channeling her inner Moo Deng.

https://people.com/woman-transforms-viral-baby-pygmy-hippo-moo-deng-halloween-costume-photos-8734607

🎃 More Couples’ Costumes…

The corn dog. I love it.

https://www.countryliving.com/life/kids-pets/g4897/costumes-with-dog/

🐕 Safety First…

While it’s fun to get them involved, above all, keep them safe.

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/halloween-pet-safety

👻 All the Spirits Stirring…

Join me tomorrow for soap and something Salty. Until then, stay safe, stay rethinking your pet’s Halloween costume if it causes them anxiety, and stay not running from your problems. It’s not easier somewhere else.

Oct26

October 25, 2024 – Heather’s First Day Out, Kudos, Life Reboot, Qualls Recalls, She’s Back, Far Out, Weird Dancing, More From, Creepy Era, My List, Strange, All Dressed Up, Unlucky Number Of Quotes & Dead

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura tells Anna that she doesn’t think she’s going to be able to draw a full breath until she knows Lulu’s transplant is a success. Anna takes Laura’s hand.

Alexis says, it’s nice of Portia to let her and Diane use her conference room. A work lunch was a very good idea. Diane asks if it’s helping keep Alexis’s mind off of Sam’s surgery, and Alexis says, she’s achieved a balance between work and worry. Diane says, speaking of work, she has a conflict with the Blevens hearing the second week of November. She can ask for a postponement or… Alexis says she’ll cover for her. Sam will be out of the hospital by then. Diane asks if she’s sure she’ll want to because Ava’s trial is starting right around then, and she’ll want to be with the girls. Alexis says, even though Molly may no longer be speaking to her.

Heather says, Steven Lars, and he says, in the flesh. He asks how Elizabeth is, and Elizabeth says, good to see him. What is he doing here? Heather says, her son came back to her, and hugs him.

Sasha knocks at Robert’s office door, and he says, welcome. She says, he told her on the phone that the paternity test results are in, and he says he’s got them right here. She says, good. Now they’ll know for sure Holly was lying and he’s not her father. He says, we’ll see. He didn’t open it. He didn’t want her to think it had been tampered with. She thanks him and takes the envelope. She says, before they do, she just wants him to know she’s sure he’s probably a great dad… He says, it’s not about him, and she opens the envelope and looks at the paper. He asks what it says,

Cody goes into the stables, and Holly comes down the stairs. She says, hello, Cody, and he says, hello. What was she doing up there? She says, looking for him, and he says, and who is she? She says, Holly Sutton. She thought it was time they met.

Alexis says, so Sam came over to tell all of them that she’s going to be Lulu’s donor, and Molly and Kristina couldn’t stop going after each other. Diane says, one would think, given the circumstances, they could just set their differences aside, and Alexis says, one would think, yes. Not only that, they had the gall to blame her and Sam for taking sides. Sam had enough of it and left. Diane says, good for her, and Alexis says, honestly, it’s toxic. And Ric is just making it a thousand times worse. She never thought that man could surprise her, but his defending Ava when Ava is the reason her daughter lost her baby. Apparently, he doesn’t care about Molly. Diane says, let’s face it. That’s just a new low in the history of lows. Alexis says, it’s an equal opportunity disaster, and Diane asks if she’d care to be more specific. Alexis says, he won the appeal. Heather Webber’s sentence has been vacated. Diane says, vacated? Heather Webber? The woman whose body count nearly included her? That Heather Webber? She’s getting out of prison? Alexis says, today.

Heather says she honestly wondered if she’d ever see Steven again, but here he is… both of them, her family. She just can’t even believe how blessed her life is. Steven says, how about a hug for her big bro, and Elizabeth says she was trying. He was busy. They hug and Heather says she just can’t get over the coincidence. Steven says, what coincidence? and Heather says, them getting out of prison at the same time. He says, actually, he’s been out for a few months, and Heather says, oh. That’s wonderful. She wishes he’d let her know he was out… He says, they haven’t talked in years, and she says she guesses they haven’t, but here he is now. He says, they have a lot to talk about, but not here. She says she can’t even wait to get Pentenville behind her, so she knows exactly where they should go. She takes his hand and says, come on. She’ll show him. They walk off and Elizabeth doesn’t look thrilled.

Sasha tells Robert that it says he’s her father, and he says he thought it would. She says, her mother must have altered the test results, but he says, the test was done at a secure WSB lab. Even Holly couldn’t get in. Sasha says, she must have gotten somebody else to do it, and he says, if it makes her feel any better, they can do another test, but he’s convinced Holly is telling the truth for once. She’s his daughter.

Laura says she wants to thank Anna again for going all the way to Africa and putting her life on the line, and Anna says she was happy to do it. How is Lucky doing? Laura says, okay, and Anna says, the instant she told him about Lulu, he was determined to be her donor. Laura says, he was really upset to find out he couldn’t do it. He actually blamed himself. Anna says she guesses he was very relieved then that Sam stepped in, and Laura says, they all are. Anna says she was impressed with Lucky. He kept a cool head in a crisis. Laura says, he’s a Spencer, and Anna says, he is. He proved it too. He risked his life to rescue his friend Isaiah. Laura says, and because he did that, Dr. Gannon is here to save Lulu.

Sasha sits down and says she grew up thinking her father was dead. Holly told her that he was dead. He says, everybody thought the same thing at the time. Definitely, she wasn’t lying. Sasha says, but when she found out he was alive, Holly never told her the truth, and he says, she had her reasons. Maybe not good ones, but they were hers. She says, so he’s her father, and he says, better late than never. She says, which means she and Cody are first cousins, and he says, yes, they are. He’s sorry.

Cody asks if Holly was up in his room, and she says she poked her head in to see if he was home. He asks why she was looking for him, and she says, they have something in common, the Ice Princess necklace. He asks what she knows about the necklace, and she says, everything. She’s the one who stole it.

At the hospital, Terry asks Elizabeth how it went with Heather. Any problems picking her up from Pentenville? Elizabeth says, the opposite. Her brother showed up. Terry says, oh my God, that’s… Elizabeth says, unexpected? Shocking? The last thing she thought would happen? Terry says, all of the above. So where are they? Elizabeth says, Heather wanted to go to Bobbie’s for… They both say, a BLT, and Elizabeth says, and Steven wanted to talk to her alone.

Heather and Steven walk into Bobbie’s, and Heather tells the server, mademoiselle, two of your finest BLTs, s’il vous plait. They sit down and Heather says, let her look at him. He is so handsome, and she’s so happy he’s finally home. He says he doesn’t consider Port Charles his home anymore, and she says, a lot’s changed since he’s been here, but pretty soon he’ll remember everything he loves about Port Charles. He says, not going to happen, and she says she knows how disorienting it can be after years behind bars, but it’s a lot easier when they let you out then when you escape. He didn’t escape, did he? He says, no, and she says, they have so much to catch up on. She knows Elizabeth is going to put them up. Only for a short time, because soon, she’s going to be rolling in dough. They can live in the fanciest part of town. She can get them a big house with a beautiful yard, a little swing set for Ace. He says, that’s not… and she asks if he’s ever met Ace. His nephew is the cutest little thing he’s ever seen. He says he can’t live in Port Charles. He has a job in Arizona. She says, so he’s not staying? and he says, no. Neither is she.

Laura says, Anna has done so much already, she hates to ask her to do anything else, but Anna says, it’s fine. Ask away. Cyrus approaches them and says, sister. Laura says, hello, Cyrus, and he says he knew he’d find her here. She says, where else would she be? He tells Anna, good afternoon, and she says, Mr. Renault. He asks if he should sit with them while they wait, but Laura says, actually, they were right in the middle of something. He says, of course (🍷), but he would like to say a prayer for Lulu… if she doesn’t mind. Laura says, prayers are always welcome.

On the phone, Alexis says, Kristina is coming to the hospital to see Sam after the surgery, right?… Yes. Of course (🍷) Sam wants to see her. She wants to see her and Molly. Just be there, okay? Diane asks if Kristina is okay, and Alexis says, she feels bad after what happened with Sam. And she ran into Ric and Ava at the Port Charles Grill, and Kristina being Kristina… Diane finishes, she had to say something, and Alexis says, after making sure she was going to be there, Ric baited Kristina into making a scene. Now they have a bunch of neutral witness who can testify they saw Kristina being aggressive and lose control. Diane says, yeah, now they do, and Alexis says, he’s going to be merciless with her on the stand, even knowing she just almost died and lost a baby. Diane says, don’t forget, the prosecution is going to do everything in its power to protect her. And if she knows Alexis – and she does – she’s going to make sure Kristina is well-prepared. Alexis says she plans to. Enough about my misery. Let’s talk about yours. Diane asks if she means her misery that Heather Webber is getting out of prison today, but Alexis says, no. Holly Sutton is back in town. How is she feeling about that?

Cody says, Holly stole the necklace, and Holly says she did. He says, as he recalls, the police tracked the thief to a cabin, and she says, they did. He says, there was a huge, fiery explosion, and she says, oh yes, there was. He tells her, the WSB said the necklace was destroyed and the thief severely burned. She looks good for a crispy critter. She says, that’s kind of him to say, and he says he’s a charmer. She says, as she understands, he claimed to be the rightful owner of that necklace because he’s Dominique and Leopold Taub’s son. He says he was looking for a big payday. It didn’t work out. She says, he’s probably better off. Those diamonds were far more trouble than they were worth, and they were worth quite a bit. He says, were, so they are gone, and she says, who knows? He says, she might, and she says she wishes. But in regard to his misfortune, that was then, this is now. He says, so what is this? and she says, what if she can make his dreams come true?

Sasha gets up and tells Robert, this can’t be happening. She always wanted a dad. She spent her whole life wishing for one and now that she has one, she can’t be happy because it’s costing her Cody. She starts to cry and he says he understands. She says she’s so sorry. Trust her. If things were different, she’d be jumping for joy. She can’t figure out how she feels being face to face with her father. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s feeling pretty lucky, and she laughs. She says, look her up online and see how he feels, and he says he’s aware of the troubles she’s had over the years. He’d like to get to know her, but that’s up to her. She thanks him and says, he’s been very kind. She has to go. She picks up her stuff and leaves.

Cyrus says, Father, show Lulu Your mercy and give her strength so she may rejoin those who love her. Amen. Laura says, amen, and he thanks her for indulging him. He’ll leave her to her vigil. And if she needs anything… She says she knows how to reach him, but no more surprise visits. The next time he’d like to see Lulu, she wants him to call her first. He says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Anna returns with coffee and asks if Laura is all right. Laura says she’s okay and thanks Anna. Anna says that she’s relieved to see that she doesn’t trust Cyrus all that much, and Laura says she honestly doesn’t know what to make of her brother. But she also doesn’t have any illusions about him. Anna says she’s glad to hear that. Anyway, Laura wanted to ask her something. Laura says she just wanted to know whether or not Anna has heard from Valentin, and Anna says she hasn’t. Laura says, it’s not right that Charlotte isn’t here, and Anna says, she should be here.

Terry says, if Steven hasn’t been in touch with his mother, why did he show up today? and Elizabeth says, maybe he heard she was being released. They really didn’t get a chance to talk. Heather dominated the conversation. Terry says, knowing Heather, she’s not surprised. Is he staying? Elizabeth says she doubts it. He got a job in Sedona, and she thinks he likes it there. Terry says, it’s probably for the best, and Elizabeth says, even so, seeing him today, she got the feeling he was here to fix things. Terry says she’s not sure anyone can fix Heather, and Elizabeth says, although having him here means she doesn’t have to deal with Heather on her own. Terry says, how about when he leaves? and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. Now that she’s free, who knows what she’ll do next?

Steven says he and Heather are going to make a new start in Sedona. He’s sure she can find a job, at least until her settlement comes in. She says she doesn’t want to go to Sedona. She hates turquoise jewelry. Why can’t he stay here? He says he told her, he has a job, but she says, he could get a job here. He’s a brilliant doctor. GH would be happy to take him back. He says he doesn’t live here anymore, and he loves his new job, and she says she thinks she knows what this is about. He’s still hung up on Olivia. He says he won’t talk about Olivia with her. That subject is off limits. Don’t bring her up again and don’t go near her ever. She says, if he’s that upset about it still, why is he here? Why does he want her to come live with him in Arizona? He says, they both need to make amends and they’re family. Families stick together. She puts her hand on his and says, yeah, they do. But that’s exactly why she can’t go with him. Part of her family is still here. She would love nothing more than to make up the time that they didn’t have together. She loves him, but she can’t leave Ace.

On the phone in her office, Nina says she wants the magazine to have a four-page tutorial on how to achieve the makeup look that’s on the runways during Fashion Week. And if Petra can emphasize Deception, that would be a big favor. Sasha walks in, and Nina says she’s going to need to call Petra back. She asks Sasha, what is it? and Sasha says she’s been lying to Nina for a long time and it’s big. Nina says, okay. About what? Sasha says she told Nina that her mother was dead, but the truth is, Sasha only wished she was. She’s alive and well. Nina says, okay, and Sasha says, Nina doesn’t hate her? Nina says, if she can get past Sasha lying about being her daughter, she can get past this, and Sasha thanks her. Nina asks why she’s confessing all of this now, and Sasha says, because her mother is back in her life. She’s in Port Charles, and her name is Holly Sutton.

Holly says she can’t believe Cody is satisfied as the Quartermaine stableboy. Tracy alone is reason enough to want out of this place. He says, all the Quartermaines have been good to him, but she says, it’s not exactly the life the Ice Princess would have given him, is it? He says, dreams change. He found a great family he didn’t even know he had, and he’s with an amazing woman, who for some reason, thinks he’s a good guy. She says, that sounds wonderful, but she knows a man in Westchester, a very rich man with a little gambling problem, who wouldn’t blink at losing a few million dollars. She’s asked around, and he has a certain reputation as a poker player. He says, and she doesn’t play, but she says, it’s a two-person job. He says, risk? and she says, minimal. Besides, anyone who’s played for Selina Wu can handle himself. 70/30 split. He says, 50/50, and she says, 65/35. Final offer. He asks, why me? and she says, because she recognizes a kindred spirit and thinks they’d make a good team. This mark is a sure thing. What does he say?

Laura tells Anna, it’s not just that Charlotte isn’t with her mother when she should be. It’s not good for her to live her life on the run. And the more she thinks about it, the more angry she is with Valentin that he took her.

Diane tells Alexis, she’s more than aware of Holly’s return. Fortunately, Robert assured her that any romantic feelings he may have had for Holly are well in the past. Alexis says, then she’s happy for Diane, and Diane says she knows what Alexis is thinking. Alexis says she’s not thinking anything, and Diane says, then don’t ever play poker. Alexis says, okay, then what is she thinking? and Diane says, she’s thinking that once upon a time, Robert and Holly were the great loves of each other’s lives. Alexis says, that’s not a secret, and Diane says, it’s also well in the past. Gone are the days when Robert was an international spy and Holly was a globe-trotting con artist. Now Robert is the District Attorney in a town where he’s made a life for himself. And Holly is a… Alexis says, a globe-trotting con artist, and Diane says, exactly. More importantly – most importantly – is how Robert feels about her. The two of them will be going strong long after Holly has left for her next con.

Cody tells Holly, that is tempting, but unfortunately, her info is a little out of date. He doesn’t play cards anymore. She says, in her experience, once a gambler… He says, not in his case. He’s found better ways to spend his time, and he has an amazing woman that makes everything better. So he appreciates the offer, but he’s got everything here he needs. She says, that’s a lovely fairytale, but it would be a shame if this – she gestures, indicating the stables – is where his story ended. He says, she doesn’t like happy endings? and she says she’s partial to cliffhangers (ha-ha-ha!). He says, cliffs aren’t exactly his thing anymore. More importantly, the guy that he used to be isn’t the man he wants to be anymore. He used to spend all his time looking for the next score, and when he finally gave that up, he actually found a life that made him happy. She thinks that’s a line, doesn’t she? She says she’s curious. What brought on this revelation? He says, after that whole thing with the necklace went belly up, he got news that changed his life.

Heather tells Steven that ever since Ace was a little boy, she dreamed of watching her grandson grow up. She wants to be there for all his milestones, like she couldn’t be there for him. Taking his picture on his first day of school; helping him ride his bike. She wants to be the person he comes to when he has his first crush. Steven says, those things are a few years off. Maybe by then… She says, maybe by then what? She’ll be better? The judge said she’s free. She wasn’t responsible for those actions. He says, she did commit those actions. She killed those people. She puts her head in her hands, and he asks if she doesn’t want to leave her past behind and focus on who she is now and not who she was. She says, yeah. When he puts it that way, it makes sense. He says he knows they both did very different things, but people here don’t trust him anymore. That’s why he moved to Arizona and why he wants her to move with him. They can make a new life there, without hurting anyone and without getting hurt themselves. She says, he’d really stay with her? and he says, yes. It would be just her and him. She smiles and says, okay. She’ll go with him. There are some things she should do here first, though. He says, okay.

Nina says, just so she has this straight, Sasha was raised by her grandmother because her mother Holly left Sasha with her. Sasha says, she was a con artist. She knows how hypocritical that is. Nina asks if she’s still conning people, but Sasha says, no, and Nina says, then it’s not hypocritical. Sasha says, when she was a kid, the only time she saw her mother was when her mother wanted to involve her in a scheme. Nina asks how long it’s been since she talked to Holly, and Sasha says, years. Holly reached out a few times, but she never responded. She asks if Nina thinks that was unfair of her, and Nina says, given her history, she just has a hard time not having empathy for a mother who’s estranged from her daughter. But that’s just her. No two moms are the same. Sasha says, her mom only knows how to use people. She does not deserve Nina’s empathy.

Anna says, of course (🍷) Valentin couldn’t have possibly known something like this would happen with Lulu, and Laura says, Valentin didn’t think about anything but himself. She believes he loves Charlotte, but this is so selfish. Anna says, he does know how much Charlotte means to Laura, and this decision he made to leave was made very quickly. Laura says, right, but she knows how resourceful he is. Why couldn’t he get her some kind of message to let her know Charlotte is okay? Anna says, if he truly knew the ramifications of his actions, he might have made a different choice, and Laura laughs and says, maybe. Anna promises Laura that she’ll find Valentin, and she’ll bring Charlotte back to her family.

Steven comes into the hospital with Heather and sees Elizabeth. He says, lookin’ good, Head Nurse Baldwin. She says, welcome back to General Hospital. She still can’t believe he’s here. He says he didn’t know what to expect, seeing this place again, and Elizabeth says her shift is almost over. They can go someplace else. Steven says, no. He’s all right. There’s just a lot of memories. Heather says, they’re not going to be staying long. Actually, they have some exciting news. Elizabeth says, okay… What’s the news? Heather says she doesn’t want Elizabeth to take this personally, because Elizabeth has been so very kind to her, but she actually won’t be staying with Elizabeth after all. Elizabeth covers her mouth to hide her smile, and Heather says, her son is taking her with him to Sedona. She hopes Elizabeth isn’t too upset. They’re just here to say goodbye.

Diane says, she still has a few hours left, and Alexis says she knows. She knows the surgery is routine, but she’s a mother, and surgery is surgery. Diane says, and waiting is always the hardest part, and Alexis suggests they talk about something else. Has she seen Holly yet? Diane says, you are so mean (and I literally lol). Yes, she’s seen Holly. She saw Holly with Sonny. Alexis says she didn’t know Sonny knew Holly. Maybe through Luke or something. Sonny and Holly, that’s weird. Diane says she just hopes Sonny has the good sense to say no to whatever scheme Holly is running. Alexis tells her not to hold her breath. She heard that men have a hard time saying no to Holly Sutton… Men that don’t know her in the same way Robert… Diane says, it’s fine. She trusts Robert, but she’s not stupid. She’s well aware of Holly’s powers of persuasion.

Cody tells Holly that he found out Leopold Taub wasn’t his actual father. He dodged a bullet on that one. He’s a real rotten son of a bitch. Whereas his real dad is a great guy. Does she know Mac Scorpio? She says she does know Mac. The Scorpios are like family to her. He says, then she knows that Mac is kind of a righteous dude. She laughs and says, yes, he is. Cody says he’s already disappointed Mac one too many times. The last thing he wants to do is do it again. He’s got his job, he’s got his family, and he’s got a woman he does not deserve, but he’s going to try and live up to all of it. So while he appreciates the offer, it’s a hard pass.

Nina says, Robert Scorpio? and Sasha says, they’ve been living in the same town for six years and Holly waited until now to tell her that Robert is her father. Nina says, why now? and Sasha says, because of Cody. Nina says, Cody is Mac Scorpio’s son… which makes him… Sasha says, her first cousin, and Nina says she’s so sorry. Sasha says she didn’t want to believe it when Holly first told her, but the DNA test proved it. She can’t help but wonder if this is karmic payback for her pretending to be Nina’s daughter. Nina says, come on. She’s made amends for what she did, and ever since then, she’s been a wonderful friend. Sasha says, when she wasn’t an absolute mess, and Nina says she’s done worse than Sasha, and she’s changed. And Sasha has changed. Maybe their friendship is karma’s way of rewarding them for being better people. Sasha says she never thought of it that way. She wants to think that she’s changed. Nina says, she has changed, and takes Sasha’s hands. She says, why don’t they talk about the real reason Sasha is here? Sasha says she’s here to tell Nina the truth about her mother, and Nina says, she’s also avoiding telling Cody that they can’t be together. Sasha asks how she can tell him. It’s so awful. Nina says she knows it is. It’s really hard, but she has to do it. Putting it off is just going to make it harder.

Anna goes into the conference room and thanks Alexis for waiting. Alexis says, it sounded important, and Anna says, it is. Has Valentin contacted her? Alexis says, no. Why? Anna says she’s trying to find him and Laura needs to let Charlotte know what’s going on with her mother. Alexis says she’d think Anna of all people would know where he was, but Anna says she’s afraid she doesn’t. Alexis says she’ll check the Cassadine holdings and see if there’s something Anna hasn’t checked, and Anna says, that would be amazing. Thank you. Alexis says she’ll do it as soon as she can. She thinks Laura is right. It’s time for Charlotte to come home.

There’s a knock at Robert’s office door, and Diane walks in. She asks, how is her favorite District Attorney? and he says he feels like he just got kicked in the gut by a roo. She says, why? What happened? He says he got some news. Actually, amazing news. Diane says, let’s hear it, and he says he’s got another daughter. She says, another daughter? Has he met this foundling? He says, yes, and so has she, and Diane says she’s intrigued. Who is it? He says, Sasha Corbin, and her mouth drops open. He says he knows. He’s surprised too. She says, that’s a word for it. Did Sasha know? He says, she thought her father was dead. Her mother just recently said, that is not the case. Diane asks, who’s her mother? and he says, Holly. Diane throws her hand up and says, yeah.

Holly tells Cody that he’s walking away from more than a million dollars. She hopes this woman of his is worth it. He says, she’s worth everything. Sasha is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Holly looks pained, and he asks, what’s wrong? Sasha walks in and asks what the hell Holly is doing here. Holly says, sweetheart… and Sasha says, no. Not one word. Now get out. Cody says, Sash… but Holly says, it’s fine. She’ll go. Sasha yells, out! and Holly leaves. Cody says, so Sasha clearly knows her, and Sasha says she knows her all right. He says, fill me in. What did she do to Sasha for Sasha to tear into her like that? Sasha says, that woman is her mother, and something is very, very wrong.

Heather tells Elizabeth that Steven helped her to see that it wouldn’t be right for her to stay in Port Charles. Not for her or the people that she hurt. Elizabeth says she thinks that’s wise, but Heather says, Port Charles is the only place she’s ever known as home. It’s going to be so hard to say goodbye. Laura comes out of the elevator, and Heather runs up to her. Heather says she’s so glad Laura is here.

On Monday, Dante asks if Steven thinks he’s actually going to get Heather to leave; Nina tells Drew that they have a major problem; Sonny says, if he’s going to help Holly, she has to make it worth his while; and Cody says he doesn’t want to be Sasha’s friend.

🎭 From Soap To SCAD…

Young Spencer’s come a long way from Port Charles.

https://ew.com/2024-scad-film-festival-ew-breaking-big-panel-honorees-8730170

🐄 Simplicity Take Two…

I’m a Paris fan – she had me at Tinkerbell – and I enjoyed The Simple Life the first time around, so I’m in.

https://ew.com/paris-hilton-nicole-richie-simple-life-reboot-the-encore-opera-8725443

🌈 Standing Up and Out…

My only question is, why is Z Nation not mentioned? Citizen Z was my favorite character. Checking my temperature and… yep, still bitter about its cancelation.

https://ew.com/supernatural-actor-dj-qualls-recalls-coming-out-gay-work-2015-8728450

🪣 One Prom Disaster Coming Up…

This looks promising.

https://deadline.com/2024/10/stephen-king-carrie-mike-flanagan-tv-series-amazon-1236121905/

Mike Flanagan To Produce ‘Carrie’ Series For Amazon

👵🏻 We’ll Be Using Walkers By Then…

This is worse than waiting for Game of Thrones.

https://screenrant.com/fallout-season-2-release-wait-streaming-trend/

https://screenrant.com/fallout-season-2-filming-start-month-revealed-leslie-uggams/

👠 She’s the Creepiest Dancer…

Oddly enough, I just did a Halloween Zumba workout on YouTube that was pretty creepy.

Dancing with the Stars: Creepiest Halloween Dances

🪵 A Different F-Word…

I was very pleased to see the word about From is spreading. Honestly, if you haven’t watched it, you’re missing out.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/thriller-series-october-2024-mgm-from

🧟 Not Halloween Without It…

Makes you wonder what was on people’s minds.

https://www.boredpanda.com/scary-vintage-halloween-creepy-costumes

🎃 I’ve Got a Little List…

As promised, my list of good scares, and a few laughs, for Halloween. Trick ‘r Treat – an anthology of several stories tied together by mysterious figure Sam (see below). You will never look at a school bus the same way again; 13 Ghosts (2001) – a widower inherits a house that’s already inhabited. The amazing house alone is worth a look, but the ghosts are creepy AF (see below for their bios).; Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse – a drive-in movie double feature of Death Proof and Planet Terror, about a serial killer (remarkably played by Kurt Russell) and a zombie invasion respectively; Reeker – a better film than the unfortunate title would suggest. Basically, a road trip gone bad, but it kept me guessing until the end; Cabin in the Woods – a friend group takes a vacation in a cabin where there’s more than meets the eye. Not only is it funny, it has some of the best special effects I’ve ever seen. I’d read the book first and thought, there’s no way the final scene could be translated to film. I was wrong.; Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004) – both films are great in different ways, but both involve zombies invading a deserted mall. While the 2004 version is missing the statement on consumerism, it’s still an excellent film and I love Ving Rhames; John Carpenter’s They Live – the late Roddy Piper discovers subliminal messages and an alien invasion by using a pair of dark glasses. Creepy on more than one level.; and The Midnight Hour – an old TV movie, but my absolute Halloween favorite. Some high school students unleash the dead by reciting an ancient incantation in a graveyard. I have a bootleg DVD, since it’s been hard to find in the past, but it’s on YouTube now. Somewhat corny, but fun, with moments of great creepiness, and a little bit sad at the end, this one just screams Halloween to me.

About those ghosts:

https://screenrant.com/thirteen-ghosts-movie-all-spirits-explained/

Sam

🙀 Just In Time For Halloween…

So it’s a small deer with wings. So what?

https://people.com/zoo-asks-for-help-identifying-mysterious-winged-horned-creature-8732400

I guess it’s an honor of sorts.

https://people.com/newly-discovered-snake-species-named-after-leonardo-dicaprio-8733173

🐕 From Creepy To Cute…

For recovery from the aforementioned creepy vintage costumes and real-life animals.

https://www.tmz.com/photos/image_jpg_20211026_d6a7587f2df84c319576ad7555997723/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/celinadejesus/dogs-in-halloween-costumes-2024

🦇 Quotes of the Week

Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see. – Edgar Allan Poe

Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue. – Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), Sleepy Hollow

Fear, the doctor said, is the relinquishment of logic, the willing relinquishing of reasonable patterns. We yield to it or we fight it, but we cannot meet it halfway. – The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story. – Mason Cooley

I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss. – Gomez Addams (Raul Julia), The Addams Family

On Halloween you get to become anything that you want to be. – Ava Dellaria

I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly. – Elizabeth Baker (Renée Jones), Friday the 13th

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. – L.M. Montgomery

Halloween is not only about putting on a costume, but it’s about finding the imagination and costume within ourselves. – Elvis Duran

It’s Halloween; everyone’s entitled to one good scare. – Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes), Halloween

Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us. – Tim Burton

A lobotomy wouldn’t take the edge off. – Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), The Penguin

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. – The Second Witch, Macbeth, William Shakespeare

🪄 Putting a Spell On You…

Whatever you do this weekend, whether it’s pre-Halloween festivities or catching up on sleep, give it your all. Then join me on Monday for soap and big Deck energy. Until then, stay safe; stay not drinking and driving, or overserving your guests if you’re hosting (yep, I can’t stress it enough); and stay not putting things off. That just makes it harder.

Oct22

October 21, 2024 – Lucky Makes Lulu’s Odds Better, One More Casualty, New Guy In Town, Disappearing Chef On Deck, Weekend Watch, Fatal Beauty, Back In the Day & Double

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Terry says, the transplant team found a potential complication, and Laura says, please tell her that they’re still planning on doing the surgery. Elizabeth and Lucky join them, and Laura tells them that there’s a been a complication. Terry suggests they go to her office since it’s more private.

Dante goes to the stables, and says he was going to come see Cody earlier, but then he got Cody’s message. Cody hands him a beer and asks if it’s about Lulu, but Dante says, it’s about Sam.

In the solarium, Sam says, she wanted to talk to Drew, but she’s expecting someone else. He asks, who? when Jason walks in.

Holly tells Robert that she has a sensitive matter to talk to him about. It could change things completely. She’s not sure how to put it in words, and he says, how about, Robert you have daughter? She asks who told him and he says, Sasha just left. She filled him in on the more colorful aspect of her history. They did a DNA test and it’s in the Bureau lab for verification. Does she want to tell him how all of this happened? (I suspect the usual way.)

In the nook, Maxie says, Sasha can tell her anything, and Sasha says, her mother told Maxie. Maxie says, Holly paid a visit to her and her mother, and Sasha says she can’t believe her mother dragged them into her ridiculous lie. Maxie says, what if she’s not lying?

Tracy sees Violet’s suitcase in the foyer and hears Violet in the living room with Brook and Chase. She goes in, and Brook says, they were having a snack before Violet and Chase head to the airport. Violet says, they were really waiting for Tracy. She doesn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.

Laura asks, what complication? and Terry says, Lulu has a condition called portal vein thrombosis. It makes the chances of success exponentially more difficult.

Isaiah tells Elizabeth that he just came from PT and he’s getting stronger. Lucas joins them and says, just the two people he’s looking for.

Chase says, the flight’s been delayed, and Tracy suggests they have a final tea party. She asks Brook and Chase to go tell Yuri to make arrangements, and they leave. Tracy says, Violet’s dad is thrilled with his new job and their new house sounds lovely. Violet says she’ll be glad to see her daddy and the new house, but sad to leave this one and them. She’ll miss them so much. Tracy touches Violet’s face.

Holly says she didn’t set out to deceive Robert. She thought he’d been killed in a boat explosion. Robert says, the explosion Faison set to eliminate him and Anna, and Holly says, the only thing that got her out of bed in the morning was their baby. She couldn’t risk one of his enemies finding out, so she went into hiding. She gave birth and nobody in Port Charles knew. Robert says, she told people Sasha’s father was dead, and she says, as far as she knew, it was the truth. She wanted to give Sasha the best shot at life, so she left Sasha with her mother and made a living so she could send money back. He says, by running cons, and she says, that’s what she does best.

Sasha says, there’s no way her mother is telling the truth that Robert is her father, and Maxie asks if she’s sure. Sasha says, her mother wants her to cut ties with her relationships in Port Charles, so she’s free to join her on her cons with nothing to hold her back. Maxie asks, why would she lie to accomplish that? and Sasha says, one lie and her life falls apart. Holly is selfish, self-absorbed, and her feelings are all that matters. Maxie says, no child should feel that way about their mother, but she doesn’t understand. Why lie about something like this?

Cody says, Lulu has a donor and it’s Sam? and Dante says, Sam’s amazing. It’s one of the reasons why he loves her so much. She’s fearless and does anything for the people she cares about, but he feels guilty spending every waking hour at the hospital with Lulu. Sam has her own things going on with her family, and he hasn’t been there for her. He knows she understands about him being AWOL, but he’s asking the woman he loves to make a huge sacrifice for… Cody says, the other woman he loves.

Jason asks if Sam is okay, and she says she’s fine, but Lulu’s liver is failing. Jason says he was hoping Lucky could be her donor, and Sam says, they all were. Good news though. A donor has been found – it’s me.

Laura says she thought Lulu had been cleared, and Terry says, she was, but the pre-surgery test discovered the portal vein thrombosis. It’s a blood clot in the vein that delivers blood to the liver. The surgeon doing the transplant will have to remove the clot. Laura says, one more step, and Terry says, the odds of success have dropped drastically. Lucky says, just when they have hope, it’s yanked away, and Laura says, if they cancel the surgery, Lulu has zero chance of survival. If they do the surgery, she has a slim chance of survival. She only sees one option. Lucky agrees and says, they have to try. Terry says she wants to make sure she’s being clear. At this point, they believe the surgery will be in vain and in all likelihood, not save Lulu.

Holly says she spent years grieving Robert, then found out he was alive. Robert says, she thought he was dead when she learned she was pregnant. He can’t fault her for that, but what about Ethan? She says, Ribert was devastated when she told him that Ethan was Luke’s, and he says, why not tell him that they had a daughter then? She says she was so close so many times. She couldn’t hurt him more. She loved him too much. He says, she loved him, but didn’t have enough faith in him to trust him with the truth.

Tracy says she’ll miss Violet too, and Violet says, it’s weird to be happy and sad at the same time. Tracy says, a lot of life is like that. Think about the fun they’ll have the next time they see each other.

Lucas says, there’s something about the malfunction that he doesn’t understand, and Isaiah says, he noticed it was too quiet, and he realized the ventilator had powered down, but there was no initial alarm. Elizabeth says she can confirm that. When the second alarm kicked in, she ran to Lulu’s room, and Isaiah was manually resuscitating Lulu. Lucas says, if Isaiah hadn’t gone to see that it wasn’t working, by the time Elizabeth heard the second alarm, it might have been too late.

Lucas asks if Terry is saying they won’t perform the surgery, and Terry says, the donor will have to be informed of the new complication. If they decide they’d still like to do it, they’ll proceed and move forward as scheduled. She wants everyone to have the facts. She’s also talked to the surgeons and none of them has performed surgery under these circumstances, so that’s another factor that decreases their odds. Lucky says, what if he can make the odds better?

Violet says, this is the best tea party ever, and Brook suggests it because they’re using granny’s fancy china. She wasn’t even allowed to touch it when she was young. Tracy says, Brook didn’t appreciate what Violet does. She was talking to Violet’s grandfather Gregory before he passed away, and he said, what a special young lady she is, and they agreed she only deserved special things. That gives her an idea. She calls Yuri in, and says, Violet is leaving them to live with her father in Seattle. Yuri says he’s going to miss Violet very much, and Violet thanks him for helping her and playing hide and seek. He says, her ability to fit in tight spaces is impressive, and Violet says, so is his ability to find her. They hug, and he says he’s going to miss her too. Tracy says, when they’re done, she’d like Yuri to pack up the tea set and send it to Violet’s new address. It will get more use there and Tracy’s mother would want it to be enjoyed. Violet thanks her and says she loves it so much. There’s only one problem. If she has all the teacups, how can they have a tea party on a video call? Tracy has to keep one for herself. Tracy says, Violet is absolutely right, and she loves it.

Lucas says, a dual malfunction, and Elizabeth says, it’s been bothering her. Lucky approaches them and says he needs to talk to Isaiah. Isaiah says, of course (🍷), and they step away. Elizabeth tells Lucas that it looked like Lucky got bad news, and they look at Lulu’s chart on the computer. Elizabeth says, oh, God.  

Dante tells Cody that he loves Lulu, but not in the way Cody means. She’s Rocco’s mother and he’ll always love her, but Sam is the woman he wants to be with. Cody asks if Dante is trying to convince him or himself. He doesn’t know Lulu, but he knows Dante and Rocco, so he has a good sense of who she was. She sounds incredible. Dante says, she’s amazing, but she’s his past. Sam is his here and now, his present and future. She’s the woman he’s in love with and one of the reasons is this amazing thing she’s doing for Lulu.

Sam says, the surgery is tomorrow, and she’ll be in the hospital for about a week. She’s hoping Scout and Danny can stay with Drew at the Quartermaines. Drew says, of course (🍷). Monica loves them and Tracy will be annoyed. Everybody wins. Sam says she knows Drew is dealing with the campaign, but she’s hoping he can spend as much time as possible with Scout. Drew says, happily, and Jason says, she has nothing to worry about. Sam tells Drew not to fall for those puppy dog eyes. They’re his kryptonite. And Jason, no bikes. Stay strong. Jason says he will, and Drew says him too. Jason says, they’ll do what she’s asking, and she thanks them.

In the stairwell, Lucky tells Isaiah that Dr. Randolph thinks Lulu’s odds are much smaller, and Isaiah agrees. Lucky says, her odds might improve if she has a surgeon who’s had experience with portal vein thrombosis. Does he know anyone? Isaiah says, a few, but there’s not enough time to reach out, have them come to Port Charles, and do the surgery. Lucky asks if Isaiah has ever done a transplant on someone with that condition.

Maxie says she’s heard stories about the adventures of Holly, Anna, and Luke, and Holly has a good side. Sasha says, all Maxie knows is what she knows from Holly, and Maxie says, Holly did save Anna, Jason, and Lucky from a dangerous situation in Africa, but Sasha says she’s sure there was something in it for her. Her mother never helps someone out of the goodness of her heart. Maxie wonders if she can’t be both a con artist and also sincere, but Sasha says, her mother lied to her for her entire life, saying her father was dead. She’s lying now. Maxie wonders why she would lie about something that can so easily be proven.  

Holly says, the longer it went on, the thicker the lie became. She knew he’d be angry because of how angry he was at Anna hiding Robin from him. She was too cowardly to tell him. He asks what she was afraid of, and she says, that he’d hate her. He says, she had to know the day would come. Secrets don’t last forever. Holly says, it could have, were it not for Cody. She and Sasha had their ups and downs, mostly downs, but she loves their daughter too much to sit back and watch her fall in love with her cousin. Even she has her limits. Robert says, had she not found out Cody and Sasha were dating, she wouldn’t have told him? and she says, had her hand not been forced, she probably would have kept the secret forever. And the way he’s looking at her is precisely why.

Robert says he hasn’t approved of a lot of things Holly has done, but he’s never known her to be heartless. She says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s so sorry, and he says, when the DNA results come back and Sasha finds out the truth… Holly says, Sasha is going to hate her more for losing the man she loves. Robert will be the only person she has to lean on. So look after their daughter. She leaves.

Maxie tells Sasha, family stuff can be complicated, especially with parents. We all make mistakes. She has. Sasha says, so has she. Starting with how she conned Nina into thinking she was her daughter. Maxie says she doesn’t want to make Sasha feel worse, but she wishes she’d heard that Holly was Sasha’s mom from Sasha. She kept a huge secret. Sasha says she’s sorry. She didn’t deliberately hide it from Maxie or anyone. She spent most of her life ignoring the fact she has a mom, and when you spend so much time hiding part of yourself, it’s hard to open up. Maxie says she gets that, and Sasha says, Cody, Brando, and of course (🍷) Liam all showed her that she could be a good person in spite of Holly. Holly made sure she didn’t have a normal childhood or stable parents and she’s not going to let Holly take Cody away from her.

Doc finds Laura in the chapel, and she says, today has been awful. He says, she’s had to be strong for Lulu, Lucky, and everyone. Now it’s her turn to talk, cry, scream, throw things… Whatever she needs, he’s here. Laura says, there will not be any of that. She believes Lulu is fighting to get back, so she’s going to be strong too. He asks if Sam is going to go through with it, but she says she doesn’t know yet. She guesses she’ll understand if Sam doesn’t want to go through with it, but everything in her is praying she will.

Isaiah says, don’t go there, but Lucky says, just answer the question. Isaiah says, yes, and Lucky asks if the patient survived. Isaiah says, they did, and Lucky says, then what’s the problem? Isaiah says he never told Lucky how he ended up in Africa. It was another surgery, a different one. There were complications and he’d promised the family it would be okay, but it wasn’t. He’ll never forget the devastated looks as he broke the news. It was the worst day of his life. That’s why he went to Africa, to do basic medicine. To help people who could be helped and not make promises that can’t be kept. He’s sorry. He can’t save Lucky’s sister. Lucky says he’s not asking Isaiah to save her, but just to give it a try.

Chase says, they’re all packed along with a long list of instructions from Tracy. Violet asks if they can stop somewhere first. She wants to visit her grandpa’s bench one last time. Chase says he thinks that’s a great idea, and Violet tells Chase that Gregory said he was always with her. She’s lucky. Chase is the best uncle ever. They hug, and he says he loves her. She says she loves him too, and Brook says, Chase told her that Violet wants to leave Bella with them. Violet says, it’s for her new baby cousin. She’s so lucky because she’ll have Brook and Chase as her mom and dad. Brook says, she? and Violet says she wants them to have a girl, since they’re good at taking care of her. Brook says, she’s got to visit when the baby comes, since Violet taught her how to be a mom. Violet asks if she can tell Brook a secret. She’s going to miss the scarecrow Brook the most. They hug.  

Drew says, it’s remarkable what Sam is doing for Lulu, and Sam says, her surgery is the easy part. Drew says, Lulu would have no chance without Sam, and Jason thanks her for doing it. Sam says she’s glad to be able to help and asks if Jason would mind spending some quality time with Danny at the Quartermaines. Jason says he absolutely will, and she says she has to say goodbye to the kids and find Dante. She thanks them and leaves.

Dante thanks Cody for keeping him honest. Sam is bringing the kids to the Quartermaine house, and he asks if Cody can take them on a trail ride and keep an eye on them. Cody says, of course (🍷). Everything will be okay. Dante says he knows, and leaves.  

Elizabeth says she loves what she does, but wishes she didn’t understand how Lulu got worse, and Lucas says him too. The numbers don’t lie. Elizabeth says, when it’s somebody you love, you literally trick yourself into believing they’ll defy the odds. Lucas says, if Lulu survives, she’ll still be in a coma. The transplant will let her avoid liver failure, but her quality of life won’t change. He thinks they need to be honest with Laura and Lucky. Elizabeth says she knows he means well, but does he want to be the one to tell them to give up on Lulu?  

Laura says, whatever Sam decides, she’ll be at Lulu’s side until the end, God forbid. So will Lucky. Doc says, Lulu is resilient, and Laura has done everything to give her a fighting chance. Getting Nikolas tested, flying across the world to find Lucky, and she never stopped looking for a donor. She says she’d do again tomorrow, and he says, she’s never given up hope that Lulu will survive. She says, don’t make her a hero. She’s just Lulu’s mom.

Lucky says he’s not asking Isaiah to make any promises. If he gives Lulu a fighting chance, he’ll take care of the rest. Isaiah says, it will take a miracle, and Lucky asks if Isaiah thinks it’s hopeless, just say it. If he’s just scared, please, they need him.

Brook tells Violet to call when she gets to the airport, on the plane before they take off, and when they land, so she knows Violet got there safely. Chase says, they’ll be fine. This is it. We’re all crying, and Brook tells Violet to be good for her Uncle Chase. She loves Violet all the way to the moon… Violet says, and back. They hug, and Tracy says, Violet is a very special young lady, and she’s blessed to have gotten to know her so well. They hug, and Violet says she knows this is Monica’s house because Alan gave it to her, but Tracy has made it feel like home. Tracy asks, who told her to say that? and Violet says, nobody. They hug, and Tracy says, Violet needs to get going. She loves her. Chase says, see them in a few days, and he and Violet go to the door. Violet looks back and Tracy waves. They leave, and Brook says, she’s going to miss Violet so much. Tracy says her too, and they hug. Outside, Chase says, ready? and Violet says, ready.

Holly looks at a diamond and puts it back in the bag. She makes a call and says, this is Holly Sutton. I believe we have some business to discuss, Mr. Corinthos.

Robert flashes back to when he and Holly were babies, and Holly says, they can get a divorce right away, but Robert says, the rules say, she has to stay in America for two years or until a child is born. Immigration is watching them.  

Maxie says she’s got get home, and Sasha says she’s sorry for venting. Maxie says she’s Sasha’s friend and Sasha can come to her about anything. Sasha says, there’s no chance that Holly is telling the truth about Robert being her father.

Elizabeth says, Lucas can act like a doctor and speak in medical terms or be there for Lucky as someone who loves Lulu and is holding on and hoping with them. Lucas says he has no idea what to do, but she says, the answer is obvious. He asks, what is it? and she says, a Spencer never gives up. He says, stubborn comes to mind, and she says, it’s not a bad trait right about now. He says, she’s right about everything. He’s not going to stop fighting. It’s what Lulu would want and what she’d do for him if the situations were reversed.

Doc says he wishes he could bear the weight for Laura, and she says, he’s done so much. He’s her rock and keeps her going. He says he always will, and she says she doesn’t want to be away too long. Isaiah and Lucky come into the chapel, and Lucky says he found a surgeon. One that can hopefully save Lulu.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, it’s time for Marshall to show the world what he can do; Nina says, Ava is interested in Ric; and Jordan hopes Isaiah has one more miracle left in him.

💐 More Collateral Writing Damage…

What a shame. Her scenes with Tracy were perfection and they’re losing the best child actor they’ve ever had.

Exclusive: Jophielle Love (Violet) Says Good-Bye To General Hospital

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jophielle-love-exits-general-hospital

🏥 That’s Jens, Not Jenz…

One of life’s little ironies.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-casts-jens-austin-astrup-as-kai

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Daisy tells Gary that he’s not in her corner. If he was, she’d always be there for his department, but he’s not. He says he never intended to fight, but she says, that’s not reality. She tells him that looking after her girls is her main priority, and in her interview, she says, this is what Gary does. He’s remorseful and has guilt, then gives a half-assed apology. She forgives him and they move on. It’s a vicious cycle and they never move forward. That’s why they pay for therapy. To break cycles. Daisy tells everyone that last season, they took turns paying, and it worked out well. Everyone is cool with that except Cloyce who says he’s not buying everybody five drinks. Daisy says, they made $1400 today, and that’s how they do things. In Gary’s interview, he says, the chef is the highest paid, and Cloyce continues to whine. He wants to invest his drinking money, not make everyone happy. Daisy toasts to a great summer.

They go back to the boat, where Captain Glenn snoozes through a video about Greece, and in Danni’s interview, she says, the vibe deteriorating rapidly. Where is the party? In Cloyce’s interview, he says, the situation sucks. The best way for him to wind down is to cook, so he goes to the galley. In his interview, he says, it reminds him of school. He got straight As and had a few friends, but a kid he never met said he was an a-hole. From what I’ve seen, they might not have been wrong. He says he has no problem speaking up for himself, but at the same time he’s sensitive and feels like an outsider. Danni talks about Anthony, and Gary goes hunting for oysters in the galley. He and Cloyce open a bottle of wine and finish it. They go outside for a smoke, and Keith joins them. In his interview, Cloyce says, he didn’t sign up to make friends, but there are some cool people he’s getting to know better. Oysters and wine, baby.

5 hours to charter. Captain Glenn calls for the preference sheet meeting and says, charter two is lovely ladies. Amy is a realtor from Texas, coming with her two daughters and some close friends for her 60th birthday. Cloyce reads that guest Stephanie is gluten free, and Daisy reads that they want a boho island dinner with paella. Gary says, they want a floating lounge oasis, and Daisy says, an under the sea night with surf and turf, along with a professional DJ afterward. The captain says, they’re going near Es Vedra, and mermaids on the island go out to the boats. Gary is impressed that Captain Glenn knows mermaids, and the captain says they can hire some. In his interview, the captain says, there are weird legends that mermaids lured seamen to their peril. Aliens were involved. A producer asks if he believes in that, and he says, it’s just an island to him but he thinks it’s cool. Daisy calls the provider about the mermaids, while the stews clean the cabins. Danni says she was scared Diane was going be a bitch, and Diana says she’s glad none of them are bitches. Daisy asks who’s done dinner service, and both Danni and Diana have. She asks who’d like to and Diana says she would. In Danni’s interview, she says, going downstairs to do cabins is literal punishment and incredibly annoying. In Diana’s interview, she says, Danni is like, oh poor me. Get over it. Chill. In Daisy’s interview, she says, they’ll always have to do cabins, and tells the girls, it doesn’t matter. They’re going to get it equally.

1 hour to charter. Gary teaches Emma and Keith how to drive the tender. In his interview, he says he’s the only person who can drive the tender, and unfortunately, the only person who can crash it. He thinks it’s important for everyone that they learn. Emma says, it’s starting to piss her off that she can’t do it properly, and in her interview, she says, it pisses her off when she can’t learn things right away. She’s had a lot of jobs and she’s just hoping she wins the lottery. That would be ideal.

The guests are picked up in the tender and met with champagne and cool towels. Captain Glenn says, they’re excited to celebrate Amy’s 60th and welcomes them. He says, they have great things planned. Daisy shows them around, the guests change, and the sails go up. Things slide and several liquor bottles fly out of the cupboard and smash on the stairs.  

Diana insists the cabinet was closed, while primary Amy almost slides off the boat in her chair, but Gary blocks her. In Daisy’s interview, she says her aim for the season was being super zen about sailing. Now here we are – it’s a complete sh*tshow. The guests can’t see. Amy wonders if there are whales here, and one of her daughters says, no. Just a bunch of alcoholics on the coast. In Cloyce’s interview, he says he wants to prove he’s all about being a team player and contribute to hopefully a big tip at the end. Danni flirts with Keith, and in Keith’s interview, he says, obviously, he’s into Danni, but she likes to fish and has no shame whatsoever. Shame hurts. Shame is real. Danni is nervous that the boho tablescape is going to be tacky, and Daisy says, the tackier the better. In Danni’s interview, she says she loves anything artsy. She took art in school and her dad was like, what the f*** are you going to do with art when you get older? She takes pride in her tables. She looks for bohemian sh*t on the boat.

Davide takes photos of the guests, and the tender begins to bang against the side of the boat. Gary says, the tender slipped away, and asks how Emma tied the line. Guest Lily says, they’re losing the boat, and Gary says, they don’t need it anymore. Ha-ha! In Gary’s interview, he says, they can’t leave the tender banging the boat. It makes noise, and worst of all, it looks like sh*t. He shows Emma how to tie the knot. Danni tells Daisy that she’s nervous about her name being on tacky. She’s passionate about this and Daisy told her to do something that she’d never do. She starts to cry, and in Daisy’s interview, she says she’s confused. What the f***? She tells Danni that she doesn’t have to stress.

Daisy says, it’s too early in the season to freak out, and Danni says, Daisy told her it was tacky and it’s frustrating when she’s passionate about it. Daisy tells Danni to pretend she didn’t say it. She meant over the top. In Daisy’s interview, she says she meant it was visually popping. She can tell Danni cares, plus she’s also hypersensitive. She’ll have to watch her words. She tells Danni not to overthink what she says. The guests come out for dinner, Amy and her daughters wearing flower crowns. They think the table is cute and beautiful. Diana asks Cloyce if everyone is getting the same, and he says, yes. She says, which is? and he says, with cheese? This reminds me of the time my husband stopped by the grocery store after work. He was still dressed for work and a woman asked, you work here? He thought she said, you were here? and he told her, yes, I was here, and they circled that drain for a while.

Lunch is served and it’s a glorious parade of seafood porn starring paella. Guest Teresa complains about her boobs getting bigger, which every female has said never. Cloyce says, so far, he’s doing pretty good, and Daisy tells Emma to have Cloyce plate the dessert. Emma says, it needs to be in the oven for 8 minutes, and tells Cloyce to put the pudding in the oven. Daisy checks on where the dessert is at, and there’s some confusion between her and Cloyce as to what the word clear means. In Cloyce’s interview, he says, deckhands should be removed from the scenario, and Daisy says she thinks they’re going to fight. In her interview, she asks where he thought the big plates came from. It also goes both ways. He has a radio. Ask her. Emma tells Daisy that she told him, and dessert is served. Amy says, it’s Southern comfort food and the best bread pudding she’s ever had. Daisy tells Captain Glenn what happened, and he tells her to let him know if there’s another incident. He doesn’t want to damage Cloyce’s confidence. Daisy talks to Gary and says, Cloyce shouldn’t throw her under the bus. She’s on his side. We flash back to Daisy telling Cloyce that a guest’s steak was too well done and Cloyce saying, that’s because it sat. In her interview, Daisy says, back the f*** off. F***ing own it. She doesn’t think she’ll be taking this sh*t. She tells Gary, everyone has to take responsibility for their own sh*t.

The guests go to bed, and Cloyce says, that’s it for him. In Danni’s interview, she says she keeps pursuing Keith. When they have a good moment, it’s exciting. He doesn’t spill all his secrets, so it’s hot. Gary says, it’s a great start to the season, and Cloyce says, there’s something about Daisy. In Gary’s interview, he says he never met anyone like Cloyce. He’s 22 and wears cufflinks. Daisy would walk all over him. He asks if Cloyce is playing hard to get, and Cloyce says he is hard to get. While breakfast begins, Gary tells Captain Glenn that he’s going to scout where to set up the Floatopia. He tells the deckhands to inflate everything inflatable and tie them all together. Davide tries to sit on one, but Emma says, it’s part of a game. He finds out he’s sitting on a cornhole target which somehow seems fitting.  Cloyce says he’d like to go to the Floatopia, and Daisy is like, what about lunch? He tells her that the salad is prepped and he’s putting chicken and salmon in the fridge for a light lunch. On deck, Amy thinks the red and yellow flag the Perceval flies is a pirate flag because of the colors. I don’t know about you, but I usually associate pirates with a black flag that has a skull and crossbones on it. They google it and find out it’s Spanish. In Gary’s interview, he says he doesn’t think Emma is taking this seriously enough, and fixes her inferior inflatables. Say that three times real fast.

Emma says she thought she was doing the right thing and doesn’t think Gary is being fair snapping at her. Cloyce says he’s stoked to offer assistance to the deck team and getting some Spanish sunshine is quite lovely. The guests are taken to whatever this floatie thing is🧐, and they lounge, snorkel, and use the wave runners. In Gary’s interview, he says, Cloyce is the chef, but he’s meant to be prepping. What is he making? French fries and chicken nuggets? In Diana’s interview, she says she’s trying to do her job, and Cloyce is trying to steal her job. His job is to be in the galley.

Wandering around the boat, Captain Glenn says he doesn’t see much prep in the galley. He looks for Cloyce, but can’t find him. Gary radios the boat for sun cream and the captain says he’ll meet Gary at the swim platform. He wonders where the chef is, and Gary says, he’s with them. Captain Glenn says, he’s got to come back in time to prep. Bring him back now. In the captain’s interview, he says, the chef is here for a purpose. He’s not a guest. He likes strong people around him who he can trust, and he’s starting to worry. What is he thinking? We see Cloyce wave running with the guests, and Captain Glenn tells Gary, get him back here now.  

Next time, Captain Glenn says, the island is haunted by mermaids; Daisy says, alarm bells are going off in her head; and Diana thinks Danni is stupid. She could very well be right.

👀 One Thing Watched…

I usually watch this first since I can’t wait and From isn’t on until Sunday. Mind officially blown from the plot twist.

https://ew.com/grotesquerie-episode-7-reveal-niecy-nash-betts-ryan-murphy-8729002

🧟 It’s a Murphy World…

It seems like everything he touches turns to horror gold, and this looks no different. Whoever started the idea of getting stories from graphic novels, comics, and video games was a genius too. There’s a wealth of unexplored material out there.

https://www.them.us/story/ryan-murphy-the-beauty-graphic-novel-jeremy-pope-anthony-ramos-ashton-kutcher-evan-peters

https://www.cbr.com/ryan-murphy-evan-peters-horror-the-beauty/

https://ew.com/ryan-murphy-the-beauty-culmination-of-nip-tuck-ahs-exclusive-8729903

🐩 Old Hollywood Royalty…

Not Halloween themed, but close enough. I love old timey photos of pets.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g32375671/old-hollywood-pets/

🫧 Let the Cauldron Bubble…

Join me tomorrow for soap and snark in the City. Until then, stay safe, stay waiting a day before reacting to a rude email or text, and stay keeping in mind that secrets don’t last forever.

Sep25

September 24, 2024 – Alexis Meets With Martin, Excuses, Steven Lars, No Rain In Spain, Sparks In Plathville, The Brothers Monster, All Agatha, From Again, Big Baby & Flaming

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Natalia walks into Pozzulo’s where Sonny is fighting with his espresso machine. He says his old machine was temperamental, but it worked. She says, why hang on ghosts of the past when there’s a perfectly good future staring him in the face?

Jack goes to Bobbie’s, and Carly says, he can’t get enough of this place. He says he’s a fan of the food and the company, and he has news. He got word from his man in Kenya. Anna and Jason located the compound Lucky is in, and they’re in transit there. She asks if they have back up, but he says, no need. They were invited by Sidwell. She says she’s nervous, and he says, she should be. They haven’t rescued Lucky yet. Carly asks if they’re close and safe, and he says, for now. She wonders what he isn’t telling her.

TJ finds Molly in the breakroom, along with a spread of bagels, and she says she thought she’d bring them a nice breakfast. She slept on the couch because she didn’t want to wake him. He says he appreciates that, but where was she last night?

Dante walks into Kristina’s apartment with her, and she thanks him for his help. She asks how Lulu is. How is the search for Lucky? He says, there’s been no news, but Lulu is strong like her. She says she doesn’t feel strong, and he says, she is. She just needs help. She says, it feels like it’s been a thousand years since she’s been home. So much has changed. He asks if she’s sure she’s going to be okay, and she says she’s fine, but she’s worried about her mom.

Alexis tosses and turns in her bunk, when Heather hangs her head down from the top bunk and says, good morning. Alexis says she wasn’t dreaming, and Heather laughs.

Jack tells Caarly, there are too many unknown variables. Sidwell’s mysterious companion could be an operative, but she’s not theirs. The element of surprise… Carly says, it’s now lost, and he says, they haven’t seemed to raise suspicions from their host yet. She says, Jason is the most capable man she knows, but he’s a terrible liar, and he says, Anna will have no trouble. Will Jason have a problem following her lead? She asks, why? and he says, some men find strong women threatening. She says, that’s so old school. She expected more of him. He says, she knows he likes strong, confident women, when Diane walks in. She says she’ll have her usual and an introduction to the new WSB station chief. Carly introduces Jack, then introduces Diane as her attorney. Jack says, she’s also Sonny’s attorney. Her reputation proceeds her. Diane tells him, what can she say? She’s a woman not to be trifled with. They shake hands, and Diane says she assumes he’s not here for an unauthorized interrogation. Carly says, he’s here for breakfast, and Diane tells her, that’s what they all say. Can she have a word? She’ll be brief. Jack says, far be it for him to come between a woman and her lawyer. He tells Carly, they’ll talk soon, and leaves. Diane says, so much for breakfast. What about not being seen with the handsome, eligible station chief? Carly needs to maintain appearances, and make it look like she and Sonny have reunited, as she led the PCPD to believe.

Natalia says, it’s a beautiful machine, and Sonny says, if he can’t find a way to make it work, how is he going to make coffee? She says she worked at a restaurant where the manager had a ton of old kitchen appliances he’d salvaged from junkyards. He said he was a collector, but she knew he was a hoarder. She convinced him to buy a state-of-the-art machine, and once she got it up and running, he now serves the best coffee in San Juan. Change is hard and sometimes you need a push in the right direction. He says, switching could be a risk, but she says, there’s no reward without a little risk.

Heather asks how Alexis enjoyed her bed, and Alexis says her back is killing her. Heather asks if she can help, and Alexis asks if her help involves a hook, but Heather says, new hip, no hook. She suggests Alexis splash cold water on her face to help get her going, and Alexis says, it’s not her first rodeo. She cups her hands to get some water, and says, it smells like wet feet. Heather says, the first night is always rough, and Alexis says she doesn’t intend to be here that long. Heather says, in the meantime, she’d like to do what can to help. She knows it’s a hard time for Alexis. Alexis says, they’re going to drop the charges, but Heather says she’s not talking about that. She knows Alexis lost a grandbaby and almost lost her daughter and she’s so sorry.

TJ asks if Molly was working late, but she says, no. She was at the Brown Dog. She needed a drink after her mom went to Pentenville. He says he’s sorry he was in surgery, but she says, don’t worry. She ran into Dex Heller. He’s a police officer now, and he was with her mom before court. He asks if they talked about the case, and she says, he’s been helpful. He says he texted, but she didn’t respond. He’s here for her and wants to help. She says, it was just a moment, and he says, she texted and left him a message, so she wanted to talk. He loves her and she can tell him anything.

Dante says, Kristina’s mom can handle herself fine. What she can’t handle is Kristina not taking care of herself. Kristina says she’s trying. She met with a therapist and joined a support group for grieving mothers who lost their babies. He says, she’s brave to acknowledge that she needs help and she’s getting it, but Kristina says she doesn’t feel the bravery part yet. She hopes the therapist helps. She’s all over the place. He says, it gets better, and she says, the hardest part is realizing she made terrible decisions. Now she doesn’t trust herself and she’s afraid she’ll keep making terrible decisions over and over again. She needs to prove to the family that she can handle this. He says she doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. Just focus on herself and know she’s not alone. She says, he’s always had her back, and he says, of course (🍷). He’s her big brother and loves her. They hug, when there’s a knock at the door, and Dante opens it to Chase. Dante wonders if Chase was looking for him, but he says he’s here to see Kristina. She asks if everything is okay with her mom, and he says, as far as he knows. He hopes it’s not a bad time. He needs to ask her a few questions.

Diane says, Carly needs to do everything in her in power to make the alibi more convincing, and Carly says, like what? Diane says, no more flirting with overly friendly handsome, eligible men, and Carly says, they’re just friends. Diane says, it’s about appearances now that she and Sonny are back together, but Carly says, we’re not back together. It was a one-night stand. That’s all that happened. Diane says, that just sounds convenient. She and Sonny have to solidify it. Carly asks how Diane suggests she do that, and Diane says, move in with Sonny or have Sonny move in with her. Carly says, not going to happen. How about going to the park with Donna? Diane says, boring, not sexy. She’s being watched by the PCPD and maybe the Feds. She has to convince them that she and Sonny are mad for each other as opposed to arranging a custody agreement. Carly says, that’s not what she agreed to, but Diane says, too bad. It’s too late to go back on her story that they’re in love. Carly says, that’s not the story, and Diane says, if she can’t convince probing eyes that she and Sonny are reuniting, they’ll conclude it’s fiction and won’t stop digging until they find something damning. Carly says, the Feds have been after Sonny for years, and Diane says, it’s going to put Carly back on their radar. If Sonny is put behind bars, she’ll be an accessory after the fact. For now, Operation Strange Bedfellows remains in effect. Diane walks out.

Sonny and Natalia say, alla salute, and clink cups. Sonny takes a sip and says, it could be one of best espressos he’s had. Natalia tries hers, and says, it’s pretty good, but it could be better. She’s hard to please. He says, lucky he likes a challenge, and they clink cups again.

Molly says she loves TJ too, but she doesn’t know what to do anymore. Her mom is in Pentenville, and there’s a chance she’ll be staying there. He asks if it’s that bad, and she says, her mom is defending herself and should have never been interviewed by the police without a lawyer. She knows better. He asks what she thinks Alexis is doing, and she says, protecting Kristina. He says, why? From what? She says, her mom won’t say it, but she thinks Kristina is hiding something. Sam thinks Sonny did it, but her mom wouldn’t do this to save Sonny. She thinks Kristina had something to do with John Cates’s murder.

Chase says, it won’t take long, and Dante says he’s going to head back. Kristina thanks him, and he says, of course (🍷). Call him if she needs anything. When he’s in the hallway, he makes a call. He leaves a message saying, give him a call when they can. It’s about Kristina. He thinks she’s about to do something she shouldn’t. Kristina tells Chase, before he starts, she wants to make it clear. He can ask her anything about her mother, but she’s innocent. She didn’t commit a crime. He says he wants to talk about Kristina’s whereabouts the night John Cates was murdered.

Heather says she’s glad Alexis’s daughter survived the fall, but it’s so sad about her grandbaby. She had to be looking forward to being a grandma. Alexis says, she’s already a grandma, but she was looking forward to another little one. Heather says she’s spent time dreaming about being a grandma to Ace. Taking him to the zoo and playgrounds and getting him ice cream before dinner. Alexis says, before you know it, they’re at their first dance, and Heather says, that’s what she’s afraid of. She’s never held her grandson and had a shot at getting out for a minute, but nope. She’s not trying to turn the focus on her. She just wants Alexis to know she understands what she’s going through. Alexis thanks her, and Heather says, just know that if Alexis ruins one more night of her sleep, they’ve got a big problem. A guard opens the cell and asks Alexis to follow her. They’re going to see her lawyer. Alexis says, what lawyer?

Molly says, her mom sent herself to prison to shield Kristina from the consequences of her own actions. It’s the family dynamic. TJ says, Molly always had to be the strong one, but those days are over. She doesn’t have to go through this by herself. He’s with her, especially now. They’re still grieving the loss of their child. Molly’s phone dings and she says, it’s work. She has a meeting. She’s got to go. They’ll talk. She promises to try and get home early. She tells him to enjoy the bagels. She loves him. She leaves and he says he loves her too.

Sonny says, if he has more coffee, he won’t be able to sleep and he’s not sleeping well. Natalia says, Alexis or Kristina? and he says, both. He hired a lawyer for Alexis. She says, that’s generous, but she’s not surprised. Allie asked if she should reach out, but she’s not sure if it would make things better or worse. He says he thinks it would muddy the waters, and she says, let her know if there’s anything she can do to help. He asks if she can fix his toaster, and she says she’ll buy him a new one. Seriously, she’d like to help. Sonny says he appreciates it, and puts his hand on hers, when Carly walks in.

Martin says he’d like a moment alone with his client, and tells Alexis that Sonny retained him on her behalf. Alexis says she needs a moment to process. She hasn’t had her latte yet. He asks, how was her first night? and she says, all things considered, terrible. Sonny hired him? He says, she’s welcome to refuse, but he advises against it. She says she thinks she knows not to incriminate herself, and he says, yet she did at the PCPD. What was she thinking? She consents to having him as her lawyer, and he says, now it’s confidential. She says she had nothing to do with John’s murder, but considering how everything went down, she’s not sure they can convince a jury. He says, since she’s looking at spending the rest of her life in prison, tell him what did go down

Kristina says, her mother is in Pentenville awaiting trial for John Cates’s murder, but Chase is here questioning her again. He says, it’s an ongoing investigation and he’s tying up loose ends. What were her exact movements? She flashes back to Alexis saying, she doesn’t have an alibi, and had the means, motive, and opportunity to kill John. Kristina says, they’ve been over this, and Chase says, one more time for him. She says she’s realizing she was suffering from postpartum depression, and she was consumed with grief, and he says he’s sorry for her loss. She says she went to the cemetery to be with her daughter, and he asks if she saw anyone, but she says, not that she knows of. He asks if someone saw her on her way there. Did she drive? She says she must have. She’s having trouble recalling the details. He says he checked, and her car hasn’t left the MetroCourt garage since the accident. Did she drive her mom’s car?

Stella walks into the breakroom and asks if she missed the party. TJ says, Molly surprised him with breakfast, then had to run to a meeting, and she says, Molly managed to tell her where TJ was as she zoomed past. How is she doing? He says, not so good, and she says, her family is in crisis mode. He says, big time. She’s consumed with her mom’s legal troubles, but he feels it’s a diversion from dealing with losing Irene. She says, Molly will never come to terms with it unless she deals with it. That goes for both of them. He says, Molly is overwhelmed. He’s trying to be patient. He knows she’s grieving too, and he doesn’t want to blame or resent her, but he has to admit he’s starting to.

Sonny asks Carly, what’s up? and tells Natalia that they’ll do the deal later. He thanks her for her help with the machine, and Natalia leaves. Carly asks if he’s kidding her. Diane came into Bobbie’s and read her the riot act about flirting, while he’s getting handsy with what’s her name. He asks who she was flirting with, and she says, this isn’t a joke. Diane was serious. She thinks to keep them out of prison, they have to fall back in love.

Kristina says she told Chase everything she remembers. She’d love to help him find the killer, but she’s dealing with depression and things are foggy. He says he understands given what she’s been through, and she says she thinks she took a Ride Share. He asks which ones she uses, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens the door, and Diane is there with a takeout bag. Diane asks what Chase is doing here. She’s going to presume he’s her to check on his partner’s sister. That’s admirable. But if he’s in here in an official capacity and questioning her about the case, he’s going to have to make an appointment and make sure her counsel is present. He asks if that’s what Kristina wants, and she says, it makes sense. Chase asks what Diane is doing here in Noseytown, and she says, delivering soup. He tells Kristina that he’ll be in touch, and leaves. Kristina says she needs help. She thinks she said something incriminating. Diane says, not another word.

Alexis says, Kristina is in an extremely fragile state of mind, and Martin says, Sonny filled him in. She asks if Sonny told him about the chain of events beforehand. Cates was tormenting Kristina while she was recuperating from a traumatic situation. He says, that’s despicable. Does she have something to add? She says she thought Kristina would crack and found a gun in her purse, and he asks if that’s the one she threw off the bridge. Alexis says she thought Kristina would hurt herself and she wanted the gun out of her house. He says, she was deliberately shielding her daughter, and she’s got to amend her statement. Just explain why she felt she should take the gun and Krishna’s emotional state. Alexis says, no one is going to believe it, and he says, they’ll sell it. She says, then she’ll have to explain why her car ended up at the Quartermaines and the reason why, and he says, which was? She says, Kristina was looking for Cates to kill him.

Carly says she and Sonny have to seem romantically involved and need to spend more time with each other, and he says he thought it was a one-time thing. She says she thought the same, but Diane said there’s no way it will hold up as an ironclad alibi. It’s too convenient. They have to convince everyone that they’re back together. Sonny says he pays Diane a lot of money for her advice, and she says, he’s the number one suspect. They’re still looking for evidence. He asks if she’s up for doing this, and she says, what else can she do? He says he guesses she’s stuck as his girlfriend, and she says she doesn’t mind pretending for the sake of the alibi, but she’s not going to lie to Donna and Avery, especially Donna. If she thinks her parents are getting back together and we don’t, it will break her heart.

At the hospital, Dante asks if Chase is following him, and Chase says, while he was interviewing Kristina, Diane showed up. Does Dante have any idea why? Dante says, Kristina is going through a lot. She lost her baby, and her mom is in jail. It’s not a good time. Chase says he was just doing his job, investigating the murder of an FBI agent. Kristina is hiding something, and she was willing to talk until Dante got in the way.

Diane says she’s not Kristina’s lawyer, and the privilege of confidentiality doesn’t exist. Kristina says she thinks she said… but Diane says, whatever it was, don’t say it. She doesn’t need to know more. The good news is, Chase was interrogating her without counsel, so whatever he learned is inadmissible. Kristina says, thank God. She thinks she incriminated herself big time. Diane says, Kristina still has a problem.

Alexis says, if the police find out Kristina had a weapon and was in the vicinity of the murder, they’ll realize she had the – they say it together – means, motive, and opportunity. Martin says, that’s the case they’re building against Alexis. Is she absolutely confident Kristina had nothing to do the crime? She says, 100%, and he says, then amend her statement. Give the police the facts. Let them do their job and investigate. She says, if someone is going to stand trial for a murder they didn’t commit, it’s going to be her. Kristina can’t handle it. If he wants to back out, she understands. He says he should, and she asks why he’s still here. He says, there’s one other choice she can make if she’s willing to take it.

Stella says she doesn’t think TJ needs to end his and Molly’s story yet. Give Molly time and be kind to himself. Be honest about his grief. TJ says, it comes and goes, but when it comes, it’s overwhelming, and she says she knows. He says he wanted to ask Molly to visit Irene’s grave, but she bolted before he had a chance, and Stella says she has a light afternoon. They can go together.

Diane says, it’s important that Kristina retain her own counsel, and Kristina says, Diane just told her that what she said is inadmissible. Diane says, it can’t be used in court. However, if it’s truly incriminating, Chase can open up a new investigation. Kristina says she opened her mouth and wasn’t thinking about what was coming out, and Diane says, Chase is a skilled interrogator. She bought Kristina time. Now Kristina has to get busy and find an attorney. Chase isn’t going to forget what she said.

Chase reminds Dante that he recused himself from the case due to conflict of interest, and Dante asks if Chase is accusing him of something. He feels like Chase is. Chase says, he’s too close to be involved. He knows Dante cares about his sister, and she’s been through a lot, so he’s going to let it go with a warning. Do it again, and he’ll turn Dante in. (I’m failing to see for what. Dante called a lawyer for his sister to make sure her rights weren’t trampled on, and he’s not on the case. It seems more like Chase was being unethical.)

Carly says she’ll go along with Diane’s plan, but she and Sonny have to be honest with their daughter. Sonny says he agrees. They won’t play the family things, but they have to be out together, drinking and dinner. How about tonight? She says, okay, it’s a date, and he says, don’t be flirting with other guys.

Alexis says she’s willing to do anything as long as it doesn’t involve her daughter, and Martin says, if she doesn’t come forward about the gun and what Kristina was doing that night, their only chance of winning is to prove John Cates was murdered by the man paying his fee – Sonny Corinthos.

Tomorrow, Sam asks Carly to help her to save her mother; Molly says she was right to worry; and Sidwell says, this might be his lucky day.

🩺 A Lot Of ‘Splainin’ To Do…

I don’t care how she spins it, Portia seems to have times of being totally irrational. I get her weak justification, but what bugs me is how many of them jumped right to Heather being set free. She probably will be since she’s under contract, but it’s hardly likely in the real world. She’d be sent to Spring Ridge or something.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/brook-kerr-defends-portias-actions-on-general-hospital

🔎 Looking Into the Past…

A refresher course or an introduction. I remember him not at all.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/steven-lars-webber

🎂 Big Fat Fabulous Fortieth…

Whitney decided to take a trip to Spain with friends and family to celebrate her 40th birthday. At the end of last week’s episode, she broke down when a man she’d met online stood her up after suggesting she meet him at a restaurant on the beach. To his credit, he did call and say he wasn’t coming, but to his debit, he waited until the last possible minute and there was no actual excuse given. Like, I’m dead, would have been good. During her interview, poor Whitney cried that she couldn’t even get a first date, and she felt that she was truly cursed. My heart broke for her. It grieves me that any woman would be this distraught over any man, but it was also sad how she felt no one would ever love her. I believe there’s someone for everyone, and I also believe the best love is found when you’re not looking. Despite this long-distance d-bag, Whitney’s birthday turned out to be her best one after all.

https://parade.com/news/my-big-fat-fabulous-lifes-isaiah-bares-it-all-to-cheer-up-whitney-thore-exclusive-clip

https://www.accessonline.com/videos/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-hunter-pressured-to-propose-to-karen-on-whitneys-birthday

🧪 Welcome To Chemistry…

One of the most enjoyable things about this show has been the Plath offspring discovering things that we take for granted, but are new to them. Soda! Wine! Television! Sugar! Cities! In this week’s episode, Ethan talked about babysitting a three-year-old and being more interested in SpongeBob SquarePants than the toddler was. Micah buying an engagement ring for Veronica to wear as a cocktail ring was just weird, and maybe a little insulting. You’re good enough to drink with, but…

Welcome to Plathville’s Micah Says ‘Marriage Is on the Table’ With Veronica
‘Welcome to Plathville’ Preview: Ethan Asks for Girl’s Number Line Dancing

They are kind of judgy. I don’t think Olivia is a narcissist. I think the reason she believes everything is about her is that she’s immature, not unlike the Plath clan. And she, too, is experiencing things most of us would take for granted. We move out (hopefully) sometime after high school, do stupid sh*t, and eventually focus and find a path for our lives. She got a late start.

https://screenrant.com/welcome-to-plathville-real-reason-barry-plath-veronica-peters-called-olivia-plath-narcissist-think-olivia-mean-girl/

👬🏻 Monsters Joined At the Hip…

I watched all of this except the final episode over the weekend. Saving that for later. I had tried watching the Dahmer series, but only made it through two episodes. It was just too depressing, although not for the reasons you might think. I couldn’t watch a side of my beloved NYC that I never saw and never want to. But I have no investment in the Menendez story, so I binged away. The acting from everyone is impressive, but bravo to Nicholas Chavez for breaking away from GH’s Spencer. I was skeptical about his acting prowess, since I felt Spencer was often talking too fast and too loudly, but I wasn’t sure if he was just directed that way or the director was afraid to direct him and that was his style. Happens. Apparently, it was the character, because his portrayal of Lyle is incredible. The series is graphic for sure, so those with weak stomachs might want to take a pass, but it’s a fascinating watch for the rest of us.

To answer the author’s question, I think there are as many different reasons for people becoming monsters as there are monsters.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/monsters-lyle-erik-menendez-story-review

A little bit on the celebrity one cell over.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/true-false-monsters-netflix-erik-menendez-oj-simpson-jail-1236011328/

It sounds like Murphy is right and Erik hasn’t seen it. While there were a lot of tributaries depicting scenarios that may or may not have been true, the abuse was definitely part of the story and not just hinted at. It was actually pretty disgusting.

https://people.com/erik-menendez-slams-ryan-murphy-new-monsters-series-8716430

https://people.com/ryan-murphy-has-many-things-to-say-following-erik-menendez-critiques-of-monsters-8717625

🔮 Hunting For Her Powers…

This was also on last weekend’s menu, but only two episodes were available. Being spoiled by the opportunity to watch a series in its entirety, this annoys me, but on the other hand, it brings back the excitement of the old days when we looked forward to the next weekly installment of a show. Agatha does not disappoint. It’s a load of fun, but it’s also creepy, and I love the diversity of the coven characters. And of course, Kathryn Hahn is out of this (under)world.

https://collider.com/agatha-all-along-review/

https://www.slashfilm.com/1667525/agatha-all-along-review/

🏠 Speaking Of Creepy…

This was a new season I was really looking forward to, although, like Agatha, it’s a drop a week. I had the pleasure of never having seen it until earlier last year and binged the first two seasons together. If you haven’t seen it yet, that pleasure is now all yours. It’s one of my favorite premises. A group of people, unknown to each other, find themselves in a town they can’t leave where monsters come out at night. And the Menendez brothers have nothing on these guys. At first, they look like regular folks, albeit old-fashioned – a milk man, a grandma, some preppy kids with weird smiles – but get too close and they have razor sharp fangs and claws and will literally turn you inside out. There are talismans that keep them away, but that doesn’t stop them from doing damage or stop random idiots from going out at night. Sheriff Boyd Stevens is the leader who tries to keep things together while trying not to fall apart himself, and Harold Perrineau (Lost) is magnificent in the role.

https://www.avclub.com/from-season-3-review

Warning: Spoilers ahead. But if you dare, be sure to check out the Breakdown video from Emmanuel “E-Man” Noisette.

FROM Season 3 Episode 1 Review: We Are So Back!

An interview with Sheriff Boyd.

Harold Perrineau Says Why FROM Season 3 Is BETTER Than Season 2

 🐧 Have Some Pesto…

He’s bringing love and joy to the world.

https://people.com/meet-pesto-the-penguin-9-month-old-sea-animal-australia-8715343

🧥 Smells Like Sweater Weather…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a little Salt. Until then, stay safe; stay starting to think about Halloween shopping (if you’re so inclined to celebrate), since things sell out quickly; and stay dealing with the hard things or you will never come to terms with them.

Jun19

June 18, 2024 – Sam Asks Carly For Help, His Return, Studio Photo, Growing Up, See You In Dubai, Rotten Peach, Update, Yikes, All the Thrones, Vampires Now, Juneteenth, Here Kitty & A Place

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Both Cody and Sasha couldn’t sleep and found each other on the patio. He wondered if it was the excitement of the party keeping her awake, but she said, maybe it was him.

Valentin brought Anna champagne and she said it was unnecessary, but he said, there was no such thing as unnecessary champagne. She told him that his apology was also unnecessary, and he said they’d had plans for dinner, and he bailed. She said, work was a valid excuse, but it cast doubt on his claim that he could compartmentalize his life. He said he was getting the hang of it.

John went to the coffee warehouse and told Jason that he was finally free. John knew who was running Pikeman – Anna Devane. Jason said, it wasn’t possible, but John said, it was and he had proof.

Carly saw Sam at the pool and said, Sam was too late for the party. It had been fabulous, mostly. Sam said, Dante had to work, and Danny was out with his friends. She’d wanted to stay home in case he needed her, but he hadn’t. Now Danny was home with Scout and Rocco, and she wanted to ask Carly, mother to mother, to help her son.

At Bobbie’s, Lucy told Scotty that she hoped the umpteenth revision of Blaze’s contract was the charm. When they gave Natalia what she wanted, then she’d find something else she didn’t like. They’d been bending over backwards. Scotty said, they still had no final contract, but Lucy said she thought he liked it. He was loving the billable hours. He said, working with her was enough. He saw it as a collaboration. She asked if that meant he wasn’t charging her, but he said he wouldn’t go that far.

Sam told Carly that Jason posed a physical danger to Danny. When he came back after he was shot, he held up in the Quartermaine boathouse. Danny found him, and Jason got Danny to help him. Carly said, Danny was Jason’s son and Jason had a bullet wound, and Sam asked, what son should help his father with a gunshot wound? On top of it, Jason asked Danny to promise not to tell her. If Carly was in her place, and he’d done that to her kid, how would she feel? Carly said, if it was anyone else, she’d be furious, but she trusted Jason. She might not like it, but she had to trust it. He’d never let harm come to their kids. Sam said, it was Jason’s line of work and would always happen with his lifestyle. He followed danger and didn’t even try to avoid it. He was the last person who could guarantee Danny’s safety. Carly said, Jason would take a bullet for Danny, and Sam said, it sounded heroic, but Jason was why he’d be in the line of fire in the first place. She was asking as a friend. Carly asked if they were friends, and Sam asked if Carly couldn’t accept that she felt differently, that her concern was real, and help her.

John said he’d gotten into Anna’s email account, and there were emails back and forth with Jack dating back five years. Jason asked if John would be able to shut Pikeman down, and John said, soon. Jason said, then John didn’t need him.

Anna said, Valentin could have called, emailed, or texted, and he said, next time, he’d send a singing telegram. The problem with those methods of communication was, they were from a distance, and he liked being next to her. She told him that dinner was up to him, since he was a busy man, but he said, other than Charlotte, she was always his priority. She asked if he’d choose her over the nefarious schemes he had going, and he said, no contest. She asked if they should be playing at this, and he asked if they were playing. She said they both knew it hadn’t worked for a reason, and she was wondering if it was wise. He said he didn’t know, but it wasn’t something he’d change, and kissed her.

Cody asked if Sasha was saying he kept her up at night, and she said, he’d been on her mind. He asked what he was wearing, but she said, not like that. She’d been thinking about his smile. He said he did some thinking about hers too, and she said, it was sad sometimes. Not all the time, but after James came back from his riding lessons or when the kids grilled him. He would be all smiles until there was a breather, then it went away. Not entirely, but in his eyes. He seemed lonely. The kids adored him, and the grown-ups trusted him. Even Tracy relied on him. He was surrounded by a family he didn’t have, except of course (🍷) the one he belonged to. He said, a big part of him wanted to come clean, and she asked what was stopping him, while I got distracted by her earrings. He said, Mac was still out of town, and he didn’t know how to admit he’d lied in the first place. It wasn’t for a noble cause. He lied to protect himself from getting arrested and prosecuted because he tried to defraud someone. Sasha said, the worst case, Mac would be disappointed and angry. How long did he think it would last? Cody said he didn’t want to find out. That’s why a big part of him was relieved Mac was still gone. As long as Mac was away, he didn’t have to decide. He was a coward. She said she thought that sometimes we got comfortable in our own discomfort, living without the thing we were missing, even though it’s what we really needed. He asked how he moved forward, and she said, if what he was doing wasn’t working, try something new.

Sam said she needed Carly to ask Jason to leave Danny alone and keep his distance, and Carly asked, why do that to Danny? Sam said she had to, and Carly said, Danny adored Jason. He was just like him. Sam said, that was the problem. Danny had no idea how dangerous Jason’s life was. He thought his father was smart and cool and got him. He wanted to be just like Jason, which was the worst possible thing that could happen to him.

Valentin said he’d make dinner for Anna tomorrow, and she wondered how she could say no. He said he’d see her tomorrow, but she said she hadn’t told him yes. He said he liked his chances.

John told Jason that the email was circumstantial. There were no details or direct mention of Pikeman. Jason said, then he got nothing, but John said it pointed to Anna and Brennan being collaborators. Clearly Jack was out of commission, so Anna was running the show. She’d been pointing him in the wrong direction. Jason said, clearly, somebody was, and John said he’d put too much faith in his brother’s connection to Robin. Anna had been obstructing him at every turn, keeping him out of the loop and away from the evidence. If she was running Pikeman, it made sense. Anna trusted Jason, so he needed Jason to get him clear proof of the connection between Anna, Brennan, and Pikeman. Jason said, the sooner he got out from under the FBI, the better, and John said, if Jason warned Anna and she was able to cover tracks, Carly would go to prison.

Lucy thought the reason Natalia bothered her was that she was so damn smart. She was intelligent, organized, and laser focused on getting every advantage for her daughter. She wished Natalia worked for Deception. Natalia knew they had to formalize the contract before they could launch the campaign. Scotty said he thought he found something that would work.

Cody asked how Sasha knew where to find him, and she said he wasn’t in his room. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who was lonely. Maybe she wanted to try something new too. And she kissed him.

Sam said, it was one thing for Jason to live the life he did, but she didn’t want that for Danny. Carly said, it’s not like Jason was going to recruit Danny into the mob, but Sam said, it would still be something dangerous, and Jason wouldn’t protect Danny unless someone else got through to him. He wouldn’t listen to her, and it had to be Carly. Carly said, Sam wanted her to ask Jason to break his own heart, sending away a boy who loved and needed him. And what about Danny? The rejection and abandonment would break his heart. Sam said, Jason just got back, so it was better to do it now, and Carly said she got that Sam was doing this out of love, but it would devastate Danny. Sam said, at least he’d be alive. He was in more danger around Jason than not being around him. Carly said, if Sam didn’t want Jason to be her kid’s father, why had she made such a big deal about having baby with him?

Jason told Anna that John thought she was running Pikeman. How close was she with Brennan? She said, not close. They trained together and worked together on a failed op Jack sabotaged to pocket the money for Pikeman. He asked if she was sure it was Jack, and she said she wasn’t positive enough to prove anything. He asked if they’d kept in touch, but she said she’d barely seen or spoken to him in decades until he turned up in Port Charles. Jason said, the emails indicated they’d been meeting in secret for the last five years.

Lucy asked what her genius, sexy lawyer had come up with, and Scotty said he was working on Heather’s case. Lucy said, none of his hours would be billable now, and Deception wasn’t paying for his pie and coffee. He said, back to Heather… and Lucy said, Heather had murdered people and attempted to murder several others. He said, there were mitigating circumstances, and she said, he sounded like Laura. But Laura was a goody two-shoes do-gooder, and reopening cases was just the naïve, stupid thing good people tended to do. She expected worse of him. She relied on him to be the lesser person. He told her that cobalt poisoning was real and there were documented cases, and she wondered if people with faulty hip replacements were running around slaughtering people. He said, it affected behavior, and he thought he could convince a jury that’s what made Heather so violent. She said, so Heather would get a new trial and be released to kill again? and he said, there could be a lot of money in this for Heather.

Carly said, Jason hadn’t been sure he wanted to have a baby with Sam, for all the reasons she just said – the risks, the danger, the life he was leading – but Sam wanted it, so he gave in, and Sam got what she wanted, a boy like Jason. She didn’t get to change her mind now. Sam said she was in love with Jason then, but she grew up, and Jason didn’t turn out to be the man she thought he was. He disappeared on them, on his children, twice. Carly said, so there it was. Sam wasn’t doing this to protect Danny. She was doing it to punish Jason.

Anna told Jason that she hadn’t spoken to or emailed Jack in decades, not until she arrested him. Jason said, John had gotten into her personal email account, and she asked if he had a warrant. Jason told her, he said he did, and Anna said, it was a WSB tactic. Doctoring or forging emails, then planting them to divert attention or incriminate. In this case, both. Valentin did this. Jason said, Valentin was framing her.

Sasha and Cody kissed their way to the boathouse. They heard someone plucking a violin, and Cody said, wasn’t Gio just at the party? And now’s the time to practice? Sasha thought Gio probably didn’t want to wake anyone, and Cody said, the property was the size of Rhode Island, and he picked this spot?  

Scotty told Lucy, think product liability. If Heather’s faulty hip caused her behavior, the company was responsible. Lucy said, so maybe Heather would be entitled to compensation, and he said, Heather’s pain and suffering and everything she was going through when she wasn’t in her right mind. Lucy said, Heather was never in her right mind, but Scotty said, Lucy didn’t know her back then. She said, what about the victims and their families? and he said, the manufacturer was liable for that. Lucy said she got that he had a soft spot for Heather. Their relationship had resulted in a son who he’d lost, who was allegedly not responsible for committing murder because of a medical condition. Like mother, like son. He said, those were different circumstances, and Lucy said, the tumor that was removed from Franco was real, and once it was removed, he became a decent, albeit flawed and complicated, human being. What if before Heather’s stint as The Hook, she also committed murder? He said, Heather did a lot of horrible things in her day and had a lot of half-baked ideas. Kind of like Lucy back in her day.

Anna asked if Jason had seen the email, but he said, no. John had said there was nothing concrete, just references to meetings and things discussed. She said, so it wasn’t enough to build a case, and he said, not really. She said, so Valentin wasn’t framing her per se. He was using her as a decoy. Jason asked if she was making excuses for Valentin, and she said, no… maybe. Valentin knows pointing Cates toward her with no solid evidence to incriminate her was something she could handle. Jason asked if it didn’t bother her, and she said, it did, very much, but how she felt was irrelevant. Valentin loved her and would never risk sending her to prison, but he wasn’t above using her as a pawn, so she’d get investigated while he was doing things. It was a win for him. Jason said he understood where she was coming from all too well, but Cates was a real problem. Anna said, it would only keep Cates busy. The emails would impede the FBI’s investigation of Pikeman. She wasn’t in any danger of prosecution because there was no real evidence. Jason said, John ordered him to get the evidence to indict her, and if he didn’t, Carly would be prosecuted. Anna wasn’t in danger, but Carly was. He was going to have to tell John that Valentin was head of Pikeman.

Lucy asked how Scotty dared compare her to Heather, and he admitted he shouldn’t have said it. Lucy said she’d run schemes and scams a lot with him. Heather proved invaluable when she helped Lucy and Franco escape from Ferncliff, but Lucy never killed anybody… Victor Jerome swallowed her locket on his own; she didn’t force him. She never killed anyone and never switched, stole, or did anything to anyone’s baby. Scotty said, if Lucy needed a hip replacement and it poisoned her and made her do weird stuff, would she like to be written off and locked up with no one to help her? Lucy said, of course (🍷) not, but did he really believe it turned someone into a different person or just magnified who the person was? If Heather was a dangerous person, was it fair to the people she harmed to let her go free? He said, no one was talking about Heather going free, and she asked if it wasn’t a possibility. He said, everything was a possibility, and she asked, what about the person who murdered Franco? If they weren’t responsible because of a condition, would he believe it was justice? He said, she had a point, but put her hat on it and cover it up. She said she loved that he saw dollar signs, but let someone else make bank from Heather. He had to steer clear of her. He said, maybe she should be charging him, and she said, maybe she’d take it out in trade. He took a bite of her pie.

Gio continued to play, and Cody wondered if they could politely ask him to leave, but Sasha said, Gio was family, and they were staff. He said he just thought they were going to finally… and she said, that was the plan. He said, she had a plan? and she said, Brook’s cousin was 20 feet away, but it was actually nice, romantic even. A private concert just for them. Not bad. Cody said, maybe even perfect.

Sam said she wasn’t trying to punish Jason. She was keeping her kid safe. Carly said, it wasn’t like Jason was in the Bahamas. The first time he disappeared, he was shot and nearly died. The second time, he was taken into custody. Sam said, that was what happened in Jason’s life, and Carly said, Sam knew about his life before. She didn’t get to change her mind. Sam said, of course (🍷) she did. She didn’t want her son to end up like Morgan, end up dead. Carly said, it’s not about that. Sam was doing this to Jason because he didn’t devote his life to her and didn’t change who he was to fit in the life she wanted once she grew up. She was taking away his son to punish him. Sam said she knew she shouldn’t have come to Carly. Carly didn’t want Jason to change because he might not put her first. If anything happened to her son because his father wouldn’t stay away, Carly was just as responsible as Jason. Sam walked out. (Um… I think Sam and Jason are the ones responsible for their own kid.)

Anna said, Jason couldn’t tell John about Valentin. They had no evidence to prove he was running Pikeman, and she didn’t trust Cates to do the job right. He’d arrest Valentin prematurely, Valentin would escape, Pikeman would stay in business, and Cates would never let Jason loose. She was having dinner at Valentin’s house and would get the evidence he needed to hand over to Cates. Valentin would be arrested, and Jason would get his life back. Jason said, okay, but he wanted to make something clear. He was going to take Valentin down himself before he’d let Cates hurt Carly.

Tomorrow, Josslyn can’t believe Gio is worried about taking advantage of Sonny; TJ tells Felicia that she thought of everything; Diane tells Alexis, the future awaits, handing her an envelope; and Chase tells Brook that he knows exactly who to talk to.

🚨 Mac Is Back…

But will Cody ‘fess up?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/john-j-york-opens-up-about-returning-to-gh

🔥 Fanning the Flames…

It’s not like we didn’t know it could always be a possibility. No body, no dead. Sometimes even when there is a body. I’m still expecting Faison to show up again, even though his brain is in a jar somewhere.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/bryan-craig-shares-a-photo-from-the-general-hospital-studio

🎀 A Bigger Bailey….

The latest on Maxie’s youngest.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/riley-and-miley-plonski-are-playing-bailey-on-general-hospital

🐪 Send In the Camels…

So, I’m kinda sorta watching this. I’ve liked Caroline Stanbury since Ladies of London (RIP), and I’m enjoying her friendship with Ayan. Here’s hoping it lasts and they don’t go middle school on me. I figure we’re also safe from fistfights, since they don’t go for that stuff in Dubai. This week, from out of the blue and probably because she was drunk, Brook called Caroline a see-you-next-Tuesday for no apparent reason. This caused a disinvite to a party by Caroline’s husband, but probably really Caroline. A lot of the cast was like, you can’t disinvite someone, but you’d better believe if someone called me that, they’d get a disinvite and possibly a smack in the face. Are you kidding?

Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2, Episode 3 Recap: Closing Time for C-Bombs!

🍑 Unsavory In Atlanta…

Ugh. Why? I liked her too.

https://www.etonline.com/kenya-moore-suspended-from-rhoa-production-may-lose-spot-on-show-227456

https://people.com/kenya-moore-addresses-rhoa-suspension-after-oral-sex-poster-scandal-brittany-eady-8663908

🗽 Her Million Dollar Listing…

$4.45 million to be exact, which is cheap. Hard to believe, I know, but NYC isn’t for the thrifty anymore.

https://okmagazine.com/p/sonja-morgan-life-update-auctioning-new-york-townhouse/

🚴‍♂️ What’s Cooking…

He got banged up pretty bad.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/06/16/gordon-ramsay-bike-accident/74116685007/

Some advice from Gordon. Besides, wear a bike helmet.

https://www.ladbible.com/community/gordon-ramsay-soft-boiled-eggs-perfect-yolk-576152-20230703

🐉 Dragons In the House…

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched yet.

https://ew.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-premiere-recap-team-black-vengeance-8663084

In case you watched and need an explanation.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-1-ending-explained-blood-cheese

What’s different in the book.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-blood-and-cheese-book-differences-maelor

Even if you don’t plan on watching the show, check out the credits. They’re amazing.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/house-of-the-dragons-season-2-opeinng-credits-bayeux-tapestry

New Games coming up.

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-first-look-cast-confirmed-8665658

https://ew.com/george-r-r-martin-game-of-thrones-prequel-series-ten-thousand-ships-alive-again-8662533

All the spinoffs.

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-first-look-cast-confirmed-8665658

⚰️ Second Interview…

Recapping the first six episodes of Season 2.

https://www.theringer.com/2024/6/17/24178944/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-the-sneaky-best-show-on-tv-right-now

https://slate.com/culture/2024/06/interview-with-the-vampire-series-season-2-anne-rice-amc.html

⛓️‍💥 Because It’s Juneteenth…

All about the holiday.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth

Juneteeth.com

Home

What’s open and closed tomorrow.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/06/18/open-closed-juneteenth-2024/74126117007/

🐈 Give It a Whirl…

She needs her kitten named. Go for it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/emme-rylan-needs-your-help-naming-her-adorable-new-kitten

🧘‍♀️ Resting Beach Face…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finding out what Chef ends up on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay getting permission before taking pictures inside someone else’s house, and stay trying something new if what you’re doing isn’t working.

Jun14

June 13, 2024 – Curtis Thinks It’s Time He Met Heather, Explanation, Rallying, End Of Awful (For Now), Crossing Over, Earth’s End, After the Glee, Prophecy Fulfilled & Words

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy saw Stella sitting on Gregory’s bench at the park, and said Stella was sitting in her seat. Stella told her to sit her boney ass down, and they smiled at one another.

Blaze made raspberry iced tea for Kristina and said, it helped tone the uterus and made it more efficient. She had to take care of her baby, figuratively speaking. They both admitted to fantasizing that the baby was theirs, and Kristina said, they’d need a bigger place. Blaze said, their new house would have several bathrooms and a big backyard, and Kristina added a tire swing. Blaze said, they’d need three bedrooms for when her brother Eloi visited and the abuelas. Kristina liked the sound of Abuela Alexis.  

Adrian brought champagne to Alexis’s office and wanted to toast to the sweet circulation numbers. Alexis said she was a recovering alcoholic and couldn’t join him even if there was something to celebrate, which there wasn’t. She called him a poor excuse for a journalist, and he suggested she refer her complaints to the First Amendment. Alexis said she and the mayor understood the First Amendment, and leaked information had been used for clickbait headlines. She warned him that he did not want to square off with Laura.

Laura said Trina must have seen The Invader’s claims that she was launching a campaign to free Heather, and Trina asked if she was. Laura said, no, and she didn’t want Heather to be free. Trina said she was glad to hear that, and her mom would be too. Her mom had freaked out. Laura said she could empathize, but Trina said, not enough to leave it alone.

A guard brought Heather to the visitor’s room, but Heather said, there must have been a mistake. She didn’t know this guy. Curtis said, maybe not, but he knew her.

A mosquito was after Tracy, and she told Stella that her pheromones attracted bloodsuckers and parasites. It was a wonder she and Gregory became friends. Stella said, they don’t make them like that anymore, and Tracy remarked that the bench was solid and handsome, like the man. Stella asked how the memorial was, and Tracy said, good. A lot of memories were shared about what Gregory had left them. Stella asked what Gregory left Tracy, and she said, cheated.

Kristina thought Blaze’s mom would make a good grandma, that a baby would mellow her out. Blaze said, it might make her more comfortable with them, but she wouldn’t want Natalia to push the kid into music if they weren’t into it. Blaze would want them to be their own person, not molded into what she wanted. Kristina said, it was important that people be accepted for who they were. They’d let their child reveal who they wanted to be. It was nice to fantasize about the future, but she didn’t know if it was the right timing to be doing that. There was a knock at the door, and Kristina opened it to Molly.

Heather said, everyone knew the notorious Heather Webber, and Curtis said, she was all over the news. Her hook too. She said she didn’t need reminding how wretched a place the world had become and how she contributed to it. He did give her a reminder of the beauty in it though. It had been years since a man came calling. She asked what his name was, calling him hot stuff, and he introduced himself. He told her that he was Trina’s father, and he was sure Heather knew her.

Trina told Laura that she’d been freaked out too, but had to think objectively. What she knew about Laura was different than what people were thinking. Spencer thought world of her, and she and Doc were adopting Ace. Spencer would be so happy about that. She wanted to hear what was going on from Laura directly. Laura thanked her for keeping an open mind, and admitted she was torn in several directions, but she’d try to explain. Trina said her mom had already explained about the metallosis, and Laura said her actions had been mischaracterized. She’d only requested copies of Heather’s court records. Trina asked, why? and Laura said she wanted to see to what degree Heather’s condition was responsible for her actions, since it hadn’t been known at the time. Trina asked, if it had been, would Heather have gone free? Is that what Laura wanted?

Adrian told Alexis that they were only vulnerable to liable if the article was proved untrue. Did Laura prove that? Alexis asked what he didn’t get about we’re done, and he asked if Laura demanded a retraction or correction. Was she considering pushing the DA to set Heather free? Alexis said, Laura didn’t want Heather free, and Adrian asked who had more credibility, The Invader or the claims of an elected politician? Who was fighting for justice, their paper or Laura? Diane walked in and said she’d also like an answer to that.

Blaze offered to leave, but Molly said, stay, since Blaze was sister adjacent. Kristina asked what was going on. Did Molly lose a case? Molly said, no, just her domestic partner. They had a blowout fight. Kristina said, they didn’t even disagree on dinner, and Molly said, they never disagreed on anything until this year. Kristina said, until she was their surrogate.

Diane asked Alexis where the paper got their information and was it reliable. She’d been on the receiving end of a poison hook. Adrian said, it was a matter of civic interest, but Alexis said, it was more like prurient interest. He could see himself out. He left, and Alexis told Diane that Laura had only requested the transcript of Heather’s hearings. Diane asked what the file was on Alexis’s desk, and Alexis said, it was the transcripts. She’d gotten them from Laura. Diane asked if it was true that Laura was angling for Heather’s freedom and Alexis was helping her do it.  

Laura told Trina that there was no way to know how the inquiry would go. They only had what ifs. What if Heather’s illness had been discovered and diagnosed? Perhaps the atrocities she committed wouldn’t have occurred. Trina said, but they did. Five people were dead. She asked if there was anything in the transcripts that would get Heather released, but Laura said she wasn’t a lawyer. Trina said, Alexis used to be one, and asked if Laura was discussing it with her. There was a knock at the door, and Trina said she’d go, since she hadn’t made an appointment. Laura opened the door to Doc and told him that she and Trina were in the middle of a conversation. He said he was sorry to interrupt, but maybe he was just in time to run interference. Trina said, there was no need, but he said, her upcoming article in The Invader made him think otherwise.

Curtis said he knew Heather remembered Trina, and Heather kept her head down as he talked. He said, she barely escaped with her life, but not Spencer. Heather’s daughter made sure of that. He saw Trina’s broken heart because of what Heather put in motion and saw the light go out of her eyes. He asked if Heather was offended by the truth, but she said she knew the truth and had no problem with what he was saying. It was what she didn’t want to say that was the problem.

Tracy told Stella that she wished she’d met Gregory sooner, before his illness. He thought it brought out his strengths and would probably tell her something enlightened that made her feel obliged to look for untapped powers in herself, if she had any. Stella said, Tracy was a formidable woman, and she was surprised at this streak of self-doubt. Therapy worked. Tracy said, nice knowing her, but Stella told her, don’t give up on herself. We could see our weaknesses coming, but our strengths were a surprise, revealed when life demanded it. The trick was to recognize them before they went to waste. Gregory did put his to good use, but she could relate to Tracy feeling cheated. That’s what brought her on this walk. She didn’t even notice the plaque until she’d been there a while, but Gregory’s name seemed fitting, so she stayed. She was thinking about someone dear to her that she lost a long time ago and lost all over again today.

Molly told Blaze that she and TJ had been together since high school. Maybe all this time she’d been thinking they were in sync when it wasn’t the case. They were focused on their careers and school and catching up. Maybe they ignored the reality that they grew apart. Maybe they pushed new thoughts and feelings away until it exploded in their faces.

Doc said, there was a promo in The Invader that survivor Trina was sounding out on the mayor’s efforts to free Heather Webber. Trina said, it was a lie. She never talked to them. Her mom said they’d reached out, but she said she wasn’t interested. She’d never give an interview. Laura said she believed Trina, and doubted Alexis knew about it, since she hadn’t known about the original article. Doc said, it’s official; Laura was clickbait. Trina said she’d taken up enough of Laura’s time, and Doc said he was sorry that all this had been dredged up. Trina asked, in his expert opinion, did he think it was possible that the poison made Heather a killer?

Heather said she was a sorry excuse for a human being, and Curtis agreed. She said she didn’t have the words to express how she felt. Nothing would be sufficient to take away the pain she’d created. Saying she was sorry was ridiculously inadequate, but it was true. She cried, and said she was so, so sorry. Sorrier than he would ever know. He said she was right. Nothing she could say would change anything. He’s not sure what he expected to accomplish, but he thought it was time they met, especially with what was going on in the news. There was one thing that might help. If she hadn’t been captured, what were her intentions for his precious daughter?

Alexis told Diane that she was looking over the records as a favor to Laura and giving Laura her noncredited opinion. Diane said, no offense, but why didn’t Laura ask a lawyer lawyer? and Alexis said, offense taken. She and Laura were friends and she’d been standing there when Doc asked if Heather would still be accountable if her medical impairment had affected her judgement. Diane asked what she’d discovered, but Alexis said she hadn’t had much of a chance to discover anything yet. She did notice there was never a medical exam. Now they know the cobalt poisoning was an issue, and the implant causing it had been removed. Diane asked if Heather was nice now, and Alexis said, it was new evidence and they both knew there were lots of precedents about that. Diane said, in every one, a deterrent was found, and Alexis said, except one. Diane said, name it, and Alexis said, the one Diane set herself.

Diane asked what Alexis was talking about, and Alexis wondered if she was being uncharacteristically modest or feigning ignorance. Diane said she had no idea, and Alexis suggested they go to the gym. Diane said, it must be serious if Alexis would rather sweat than gloat. What precedent did she set in defense of Heather? Alexis must have misread one of her dusty old cases. Put your money where the precedent is. Alexis said, the State of New York versus Robert Frank, aka Franco.

Heather said, an honest answer might not be what Curtis wanted to hear, but he said he wanted to hear the truth. She said she didn’t know. Somehow, she mixed up wanting to protect her daughter with taking lives. She’s not claiming she doesn’t remember the horrible things she did. But what she can’t piece together or reconstruct is why. What she thought she would accomplish by murdering people. He asked if she was working out her argument in the event of her case being reopened, and she asked why her case would ever be reopened.

Doc told Trina that metallosis was a real diagnosis. It manifested itself differently in different patients. Was the issue because they were clinically psychotic or because they were raging with toxins? One way to find out was to remove the toxins. Trina’s mother had advocated for removing Heather’s artificial hip. Trina said, and now she was kicking herself. Would they let her know if there were further developments? She promised she wasn’t giving any interviews. Laura said she would, and thanked Trina for not rushing to judgment. She feared there was more to come. Lately, there had been a lot of it. Trina told them, goodbye, and left.

Kristina asked what she was missing. How could they fall apart over one argument? Most high school romances didn’t last, but theirs did. Molly said, it was less complicated then. They were on the same page with everything, but now, not so much. TJ says something, then later claims he never meant it, like he had to fall in line with her. They’d had disagreements, but not like this where it was filled with pent up resentment. Was it wrong for her to want him to mean what he said, instead of waiting months to tell her how he really felt? Kristina asked if he was having buyer’s remorse about her being their surrogate. She thought they’d hashed it out already. Molly said she thought so too, and Blaze said she didn’t get what the issue was. Kristina said, TJ thought she was unreliable. Despite the questions and doubts, he just agreed because it’s what Molly wanted. He wouldn’t trust her to take care of a cactus, let alone a baby.

Molly thought she and TJ’s argument was exacerbated by an underlying issue, and Kristina said, communication was more important now than ever. Molly said, they needed to work on that and do better. She had to get back to work, and Kristina and Blaze encouraged her to stay, but Molly said she was good. She was sorry to interrupt their afternoon and thanked them for hearing her. Everything was going to be fine. TJ was still the most wonderful guy on the planet, despite his bout of un-wonderfulness. She left, and Blaze said she’d never seen Molly like that. Kristina said, her either.

Alexis said, it was discovered Franco had an infliction that seriously impaired his judgment, like his mother. He was found not liable and the person who presented that to the court was Diane. She wasn’t judging Diane and respected her. She didn’t want to see Franco go free, but Diane did her job and did it well. If a smart lawyer deployed her Twinkie defense, Heather’s sentence could be overturned. Diane said, if it was, and a murderer went free, she had no one to blame but herself.

Heather said she pled guilty, case closed, and Curtis said, she had no idea? According to The Invader, the mayor was questioning her conviction and asking for it to be looked at. Heather asked, what mayor? and Curtis said, Laura Collins.

Doc says he hated the outrage toward Laura, especially when he was to blame too. He performed a psyche assessment on Heather that was different from any other, and asked Alexis if there were any legal ramifications. He never thought there would be a chain reaction that would affect Laura’s career. Laura said, he’d been professional and ethical. There was no way he was at fault, and frankly, neither was she. As mayor, she was supposed to do the right thing. And the right thing by all the citizens of Port Charles, not just the ones they liked.

Tracy said she was assuming this was about a man, and Stella said, the love of her life – Marcus. They were engaged, but circumstances changed that. She broke engagement and left him behind to help her sister raise her nephews. Marcus married a lovely woman who passed away. There was never another man she could be serious about. There was a man in London who she thought she loved, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Marcus. She convinced herself that she chose the life of a single woman and believed it, until a friend called and told her Marcus died. It hurts so much every day. Everything she’d done seemed nothing compared to what she never had and never did.

Heather said, even she knew it was a crazy idea. She’d reach out and ask Laura to stop. She was a rotten person who’d done terrible, unforgiveable things. She remembered all of it. The weight of the hook in her hand and the sound when it made contact. She was exactly where she belonged and didn’t need a judge to verify it or say otherwise. She was so sorry about the light going out in his daughter’s eyes. Curtis said, she’d given him lot to think about and thanked her for her time. He wouldn’t be back. The guard took Heather away.

Laura said Portia was treating Heather, but didn’t see a conflict in holding her responsible, and Doc said, Portia trusted the legal system that sent her to prison. No wonder Portia wanted to see her stay. Laura said she didn’t think Heather was innocent, but it was important for her to have a fair hearing. It wasn’t up to them to decide. Doc said he admired the stand Laura was taking, and she told him to remember that when they were calling for her head. He might be the only supporter she had left. They hugged.

Diane said she was stymied and didn’t know what to do. Alexis said, the goal was to keep Heather in jail. Diane should keep her mouth shut and hope no one stumbled on her defense to save Heather like her son was saved.

Stella said she’d be fine in an hour… or two, and Tracy said she had the time, putting her hand on Stella’s. Aww!

Kristina thought Molly had a bigger problem than she was admitting, and Blaze asked if they wouldn’t fight to save their marriage. Kristina said, they weren’t married. They were domestic partners. Blaze asked why they didn’t get married, and Kristina said, Molly didn’t want to see it fail. Blaze said, it happened with domestic partners too. What would happen with the baby if Molly and TJ broke up? Kristina said she never thought about that. What would be her responsibility? She needed to figure that out.

Tomorrow, Drew asks Nina, what the hell was that; Kristina wonders, what happens with the baby if Molly and TJ split up; and Elizabeth tells Chase that she can’t subject her children to Finn.

🏊‍♂️ Oh Poolboy…

I have to confess, I didn’t notice. And I desperately want that pool for my living room.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-adam-j-harrington-explains-what-happened-to-his-eye

⚖️ Demanding Justice…

A beautiful tribute from Perry Shen.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-stars-join-rally-to-demand-justice-for-johnny-wactor

🤽 Making Life a Beach…

Finally, an end to this Summer hell. Amanda said she’d gone into a funk after marrying Kyle. I wondered if she ever considered that she might be in a funk because she married Kyle. There was more about the Carl/Lindsay debacle, and Lindsay backpedaled and grandstanded, while Carl just looked blank. Mr. Kyle Obvious said there was a history of her drinking and being irate. I noticed that Lindsay is one of those people who goes up on the ends of their sentences, kind of like it’s a question? And once I noticed it, it became annoying AF. When asked about what she actually did for a living, there was a moment of crickets. I’m still not sure. The million-dollar question was, how was she blindsided? She confirmed it was because of her ego when she said it seemed like Carl had laid the groundwork for her to be the villain. Kyle said he thought she’d have a sense of self-awareness at the Reunion. He asks a lot. And this coming from someone who has little self-awareness themselves. She did agree Carl had made the best decision for her, but didn’t like the way he’d done it. When asked about their situations, Lindsay said she was in a new serious relationship, and Carl said he hadn’t kissed anyone since Lindsay. Andy told Kyle, the mullet needs to go, and although he had no credentials in this area, he cut Kyle’s hair. Badly.

Summer House Season 8 Reunion Recap, Part 2: What Would Jesse Solomon Do?

Paige’s take, a New York POV.

Summer House’s Paige DeSorbo on Kyle Shading Podcast, His Marriage Issues With Amanda, and West “[Fumbling] the Bag” With Ciara, Plus Talks #JusticeforHannah and Their Reception Compared to West and Jesse

It’s doubtful Lindsay understands the meaning of sisterhood.

Danielle Olivera Gives Update on Lindsay Hubbard Friendship

⚰️ Still Interviewing…

I haven’t really kept up with this show, but from watching the first season and the beginning of Season 2, it’s worth your time. It’s incredibly stylish and the gore is magnificent. I’d wanted to watch Mayfair Witches too, but you can’t watch everything. At least not in the same season.

https://screenrant.com/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-mayfair-witches-crossover-tease/

🌏 Just Go About Your Business…

My latest K-binge. What do you do when an asteroid is about to hit the earth?

Goodbye Earth – Netflix Series Review

And in the plot twist we didn’t see coming. This is a shame. I also loved #Alive and Hellbound.

https://thedirect.com/article/goodbye-earth-yoo-ah-in-netflix-scenes-controversy

🎼 Coming Up Roses…

While they lost some cast members way too soon, it sounds like those remaining didn’t do badly. I resisted watching this for a while, but enjoyed it when I finally gave in. I thought they could have done better with Rocky Horror though.

https://ew.com/tv/glee-where-are-they-now/

🦬 Good News and Bad News…

Supposedly, the white buffalo is both a message of hope and a warning. It was sad to hear buffalo are essentially extinct in the wild.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/uknews/warning-as-birth-of-rare-white-buffalo-calf-in-yellowstone-park-fulfills-ancient-prophecy/ar-BB1o8cio

🪁 Being Lazy, Hazy, and Crazy…

End the week with me tomorrow, along with the whole bar of soap, tea, quotes, and a tune to send you off to whatever life holds for you. Until then, stay safe, stay not spending your time at a party on your phone, and stay recognizing your strengths before they go to waste.

Nov21

November 19, 2023 – Part 2 – The Final Fear & Better

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Part 2 – The Road Ahead

Madison flashes back to Alicia as she looks for Tracy in the woods. She calls to Tracy and says, she doesn’t have to be afraid. Tracy hides in a hollow log, looking at her medal, and crying silently. Zombies start to come into view. Dwight pops out of the woods and kills one, and Tracy scootches further back into the log. June asks if they found Tracy, and Sherry says, not yet, but they found Troy’s righthand guy. He’s hurt bad, but he’ll make it. Daniel asks why they’re helping Russell, and Dwight says, the herd dispersed, and they want to keep him close to find out where they went. Daniel wants to get a car and get as far away as possible, but Luciana says, it’s over. Daniel says, not as long as the girl is out there. Troy still has his followers and they’re fanatics. They hurry Russell into the car, and Daniel asks Luciana how far the refinery is. She says, about a day’s drive, and he tells her get the car and he’ll get some supplies, and they leave. Tracy comes out, but so do a couple of wayward zombies. She knocks one down, but her pokey stick gets stuck in another, and it brings her down. She kicks at it, and Madison kills it. She says, Tracy is going to get herself killed, but Tracy says she doesn’t care. Madison killed her dad. Madison asks if she heard her mom was Madison’s daughter, but Tracy says, that’s not true. Her mom Serena died. Madison asks why Tracy’s father would tell her what he did, but Tracy says she doesn’t know. Madison insists Tracy come with her. It’s not safe; there are dead everywhere. Tracy says she’s not safe with Madison, but Madison says she did what she had to. She sees Tracy’s ankle is hurt. She says, what’s left of the herd is still out there, and she’s all Tracy’s got. She coughs and thinks of Alicia. Tracy asks where Madison is taking her, and Madison says, to find Tracy’s mother and her daughter, so her daughter can be put to rest. Tracy’s father was right about one thing. Pretending the world is different than it is gets people killed. The sooner Tracy figures that out, the better. It’s how she’ll survive. Madison figured it out too late to save her own kids and she’s not making the same mistake with Tracy.

Aww, the opening credits show everyone.

Luciana gases up a car and hotwires it. She radios Daniel to meet her, and Madison appears holding a gun on Luciana. Madison tells her, don’t say anything, and turn off the walkie. She asks if Luciana’s road network doesn’t include Fort Worth. They need Luciana to show them the way. Madison calls to Tracy, and Luciana says, she looks hurt. She asks why Madison is doing it this way, and Madison says she can’t run the risk of being taken back to the island and living the way Victor wants them to, thinking the world is different than it is. That will get them killed. Troy is out of the picture, so fix the car so they can get out. Madison takes some oxygen and remembers Alicia and Nick. Luciana says, maybe if Madison puts Alicia to rest it will help her see beyond her anger and show her there’s something more to fight for. She tells Madison that she needs to get a new fuel pump, and Madison makes her leave the walkie.

Madison tapes Tracy’s ankle, and Tracy says, pretending they’re family won’t change what Madison did. Madison says she knows it seems unforgiveable, but this way, Tracy will live long enough to understand why she did it. Tracy gives Madison the medal and tells Madison that her dad said he got it from her mom. If what he said is true, it belonged to Alicia. Madison asks, why give it to her? and Tracy says, it doesn’t work. It didn’t keep her dad safe. Madison says, apparently, it didn’t keep Alicia safe either, and Tracy grabs Madison’s gun, saying, back away. Madison says she’s not leaving Tracy, and takes the gun from her. She takes out the magazine and says, it’s not loaded. Does Tracy think she’d risk pointing it at her daughter’s kid? She puts the medal in the empty magazine and then into the breast pocket of her jacket, and Tracy asks why she’s keeping it. They both know it doesn’t work. Madison says, it’s all she has left of her daughter, besides Tracy. She can get a new chain for it. Victor shows up, and asks what they’re doing here. Madison says, Luciana told them? but Luciana says she gave Madison her walkie. Victor says he needs to take them back to PADRE, so Tracy can process what happened, and to help Madison process what Troy told her. Madison says, they can’t go back, but Victor says, it’s the safest place. Madison says, building what she and Alicia wanted will just get Tracy killed, but he asks what she’s talking about. She says, Alicia gave Troy a second chance, and he killed her and took her kid for it. Victor says he knows things seem scary, but Tracy can trust him, and holds out his hand. Madison shoots in the air and says, stay away. The shots alert the zombies heading their way, and they fight the zombies off. Daniel says he’s not letting Madison take Luciana away from him, and Madison says, nobody’s going to get hurt if they just let her and Tracy go. They’ll go on foot if they have to. The zombies are getting plentiful, but Daniel says, they don’t have enough bullets, and Victor suggests they get inside. They all go in the auto shop.

Zombies scrabble at the windows, and Madison asks if there’s another way out, but Luciana says, the back wall caved in. Victor says he’s getting help and radios Frank. He tells Frank that they’re pinned in an auto shop and need help, but Frank says, they’ve got their own problems with the dead. On the island, a barge full of zombies is headed for the dock. Dwight says, what the hell is this? and Russell says, they should have done more than disperse the herd. If Troy taught them one thing, it was how to herd the dead. They’re going to overrun this place, and there’s not a damn thing they can do. June says, they had a truce, but Russell says, then they killed Troy. Dwight grabs Russell and says, stop them, and Russell laughs and says, he can’t. Zombies begin to tumble into the water, and Dwight says, get everyone inside and close the gates now! The rain starts to pour, and the zombies start coming through the water and onto the shore. It’s pretty creepy looking.

Daniel says, there’s not enough firepower. They’ll wait them out. They’ll tire eventually. Victor says, it’s time they don’t have, and calls Frank. Frank asks if Victor is okay, and Victor says, they’re safe for now. What about Frank? Klaus tells Frank that they’re surrounded by zombies, but the walls are holding. He asks if Tracy is there, and Victor says, she is, why? Sherry sits Russell by the radio and Frank says, Troy’s man wants to talk to her. He says if they hand over Tracy, his men will draw the zombies away. Victor puts Tracy on, and Tracy asks if it’s really Russell. Russell says, it is. He promised Troy that he’d take care of her. Madison says, Troy asked her, and Russell says, after she gutted him. He wasn’t in his right mind. Madison says, Tracy is all she has left, but Russell says, that’s not necessarily true, and she asks what that means. Troy stabbed Alicia and left her for dead, but he didn’t see her die. Madison says, Troy told her that Alicia turned, but Russell says, that’s because it’s what he told Troy. Troy cut her up pretty good, but Alicia got him too. She nearly drove her arm clean through his stomach. Like mother, like daughter. He limped home with it still in his belly; that’s how he got her arm. He sent his men back to make sure the job was done, and they found a blood-soaked mattress, a bloody knife, and bloody footprints heading out the door. Victor says, that doesn’t mean she’s alive, and Madison says, he could be lying to get what he wants. Why did Russell tell Troy that she was dead? Russell says, Troy wasn’t in a forgiving mood. He told Troy what he wanted to hear. Give them Tracy, and she’ll find her daughter. Luciana tells Madison not to fall for it, but Madison tells Russell that she can’t do that. If Alicia is out there, she deserves to be with her daughter. Alicia wouldn’t want her turning Tracy over. Russell says he thought she might say that, so his men will take the island, but Dwight says, the dead can’t get in here. Russell says, they don’t have to get in. They just have to get the living out. There are some bomb blasts, and Victor says, he needs to get to the island. He’s doing it with or without them. He opens the door to the waiting zombies, and everyone scrambles. There’s slicing and dicing and whacking zombies in the head.  

Dwight asks how Russell blew off the grenades, and Russell says, they had launchers for a while, and waited for the right time to let them rip. Dwight knocks him down, and June says, they can’t stay much longer. Daniel was right; they should have left Russell to die. Dove brings June the set of pistols that belonged to John and asks what they are. June says, a little help from the past, and Dwight says, they have to leave. They’ll go through the woods. He tells Dove to take the prefects and fire as many flares as they can off the far walls. It will thin the herds and they can create their own path. Only kill zombies if they have to, and don’t stop until they get to the dock. They’re bringing Russell with them. Are they ready? Sherry says, for Finch, and Dwight says, open ‘em. Russell asks if they’re insane. They’ll be eaten alive. Dwight says, that’s why Russell is here, and uses him as a buffer in the front. Ha-ha-ha!

At the auto shop, Victor says, that’s the last of them. They have to get to the island now. Daniel says that’s the last time Victor and Madison put his family in danger to save theirs, but Victor says, Daniel would do the same thing if Luciana was on the island. Daniel says, Victor is pursuing this self-serving crusade to make himself feel better about the rotten things he’s done, and Victor says, the parts of him that Daniel hates are the things he doesn’t like about himself. Daniel asks if he’s a psychiatrist now. Every person he ever cared for, he lost because of Madison and Victor. Madison says, they’ve all lost people, and Daniel says he’s sorry he let Madison’s husband in his barbershop back in Los Angeles. He’s had bad luck since. She says she’s sorry she let Daniel into her home, and Victor says he’s sorry he let Daniel on his boat. Luciana says, they can make it to the refinery before sunrise, and Daniel says, wherever Alicia is, she’s better off without Madison. Victor says, that’s enough, and Luciana tells Madison that the car should get her where she wants to go. She hopes Madison can find peace. Daniel suggests Tracy run as far as she can from these people; Madison is losing her mind. And Victor is a selfish, pathological liar, and would have gotten them killed like every person he’s cared for. Victor radios Frank, and Frank says, there are too many. They can’t get to the dock. They’re pushing them back to the center, pushing at the fence. Victor asks why they’re not inside the fort, and Frank says, they’re fighting. They’ve got their hands full and the zombies are going to breach the net. Victor says, they need to move to the docks, but Madison says she’s not going. She has to find Alicia. Victor says, they will, after they save the island. She says, Tracy is in no shape to fight, and if she goes, she might not come back. Victor says he needs his friend to try and save his family, and she says, he is her friend, but she can’t. He doesn’t understand. She’s been seeing Alicia, Nick too. It’s like a dream, just their faces, before things went bad, back in L.A. If she has a chance to find Alicia, she has to try. Start over. Victor asks if she doesn’t think he wants that. He has his family dream; she’ll have hers too. Madison says, then he understands why she has to look for Alicia. She can’t go further with him. He says, so this is it. He came to save Tracy, to save Madison, so he could give her chance to get things right. Now Frank and Klaus might die because of it. He guesses Madison is teaching Tracy what she wants her to learn. This is how you survive. If she finds Alicia, tell her that he tried.

Tracy and Madison are in the car, and Madison looks at a map. Tracy says, if Madison is so sure the world is sh*t, why was it so important for Alicia to believe differently? Madison says she doesn’t know. She thinks parents just try to give their kids the things they didn’t have. Tracy asks if Madison had nothing to believe in when she was a kid, and Madison says, her daddy used to drink. When he drank, he hurt her mama. He hit her. He would apologize and claim he’d stop drinking, but he never did. She watched it happen for a long time, when she was around Tracy’s age. One day it went too far. She saw too much, like all those moments built up. She knew he was going to kill her mama eventually and she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to stop so bad, she shot him. Tracy puts her hand on Madison’s and says, she did it to protect her mom. She didn’t want Alicia to have to do anything like that. Madison says she thought she could build a place where Alicia wouldn’t have to, where she and Madison’s son could feel safe. But all she ever did was put them in danger. Tracy says, so Madison gets it. Why she has to do this. She shoots Madison in the side, and Madison falls out of the car. She laughs, and says, Tracy finally understands this is what happens when you try to build something better. You end up giving people hope and putting them in danger and getting them killed. Find Alicia and make sure she understands too. Tracy says, Alicia’s not her mom. She’s done listening to Madison. She runs away.

Victor and the others run to the island, and Victor radios for help. Luciana and Daniel hear him, but Luciana says, they can’t get there in time. They’ll have to fight on their own. Victor says, it can’t end like this. Nooo!

On the island, the dead are being burned in funeral pyres. Troy is now a zombie and stuck in a tree. Tracy sees him, and says she’s been looking for him all night. She shot Madison; she had to. She thinks everyone died on the island. She loves him. She aims the gun and shoots.

Tracy buries Troy, and says, he was all she had left. She looks at the gun, when Victor comes along. He tells her to put the gun down, but she says, leave her alone. He says, if that’s what she wants, but first he’d like to help clean her up, and there’s something he needs to tell her. Zombies are heading their way, and Victor picks up the gun and holds out his hand. He says he knows a place that’s safe.

Tracy asks what Victor wants. Why is he still here? He says, because she still has something left to fight for. She just doesn’t know it yet. She asks how he can say that. How is he even alive? He says, Madison saved him. She saved all of them. He promised he’d find Tracy and tell her what Madison did. Tracy says, no, no, no. She shot Madison. She killed her. We see Madison after Tracy shot her. She gasps and gets up. Victor says, she thought she was dying too. She thought it was all over. Tracy asks, what happened? Madison takes the magazine out of her pocket, and Victor says, something stopped the bullet, the St. Christopher’s medallion, Alicia’s medallion. Tracy says she doesn’t understand, and Victor says, after Tracy shot her and Madison realized Tracy wanted everything to end, she knew she was wrong. She knew she had to do something big, something monumental, if there was any hope in restoring Tracy’s faith in what’s worth fighting for. We see the fighting on the island and Dwight yelling, move! Victor says, for the people they love, for the people they have, for the things that are bigger than all of them. We see June tending wounds, and Victor says, for the things they’d give their up lives to protect. Tracy says, no way she saved them all with that many dead, but he says she did. The same way she did before. Like a repeat of the stadium. We see Madison drawing the zombies’ attention with a flare, and leading them away, and Victor says, she led the dead into PADRE’s walls so they could escape to the docks and live. Madison breaks open fire extinguishers, and Tracy asks why she did that for them, and he says, it wasn’t just for them. It was for her too, so she would know. She says, know what? and Victor says, that her dad and Madison were right. They knew fighting for something better could get you killed, but it also does something that just fighting to survive can’t. It can let you live forever. Madison sets fire to the horde and blows up everything. Tracy says she’s got no one left, but Victor says, she has him and all the others. Tracy says, Madison died for her and so did her father. She can’t. She pushes Victor and takes the gun. She says she can’t be here, and runs out into the dark woods.

Tracy picks a flower among the rubble and brings it to a sleeping Madison. She takes out the medal and tells Madison that she found a chain in the supplies. She wishes it still worked. She puts it in Madison’s hand, and Madison stirs. Tracy takes out the gun, and Madison wheezes, then coughs. She asks, where is she? and Tracy says, she’s awake. She’s thought Madison was going die and had to drag her up here on a stretcher. She got antibiotics. She thought Madison’s lungs were infected. Her dad trained her in all fields of medicine. Madison says, the fort collapsed, and Tracy says, it took her half a day to dig Madison out. If she hadn’t had this one mask, Madison would have suffocated. Madison sits up, and says, Tracy came back. Tracy says, Madison is the only family she has left. Victor told her what she did. Madison says she’s sorry about Tracy’s dad, and Tracy says she knows. She’s sorry she shot Madison. Madison says she doesn’t think she gave Tracy much choice and sits up. She did good. She did real good. A woman asks if anyone is there, and Tracy grabs the gun, telling her, stop. No closer. The woman says she’s not here to hurt anyone, and Tracy says, put your hands up and move slowly, but the woman says, she can put the gun down. She’s just here to bury her… We see it’s Alicia and she says, mom? They hug and cry.

Madison says she can’t believe it’s real, but Alicia promises it is. She asks if Madison is okay, and Madison says she will be. Meowing comes from Alicia’s duffel bag, and Tracy runs over, opening the bag and petting… Skidmark! I nearly burst into tears. I forgot all about him. Alicia says, it’s a very old friend she came across searching a warehouse for supplies. She’s trying to return him to his rightful owner. Madison asks how she found them, and Alicia says, a story woman about a woman who sacrificed herself here. The person who told her said her name was Madison. It didn’t make sense, and she didn’t know how Madison could possibly be alive, but she had to be sure. She saw the fort over there. How is Madison still here? Madison says, Alicia’s daughter came back and saved her, and Alicia asks what she’s talking about. Madison says, Tracy, the child Troy took, but Alicia says she never had a kid. Tracy says, Alicia’s not her mom? and Alicia says, no, but she knew Tracy’s mom when Tracy was a baby. Her name was Serena. She was a pretty amazing woman. Madison wonders why Troy lied; she doesn’t understand. Tracy says, Troy knew how hard Madison fought for her own kids and gave Madison a reason to for her. Madison asks who Alicia heard the story from.

On a bridge overlooking a highway, Alicia says she’d been picking up outside chatter on the road. She would have looked for Madison if she’d known she was alive. Madison says she would have looked for Alicia too; she would have never stopped looking. Alicia says, after Troy attacked her and she got back on her feet, she went to find the people she’d been saying with, and she saw something on the road; women dressed like her, using the weapons she was using, doing the things she was doing, helping people. Madison says she met some of them, and Alicia says, it was like the story of what she’d done was doing more good than she could do on her own. So she went somewhere else and used a different name so Troy couldn’t find her. If she hadn’t, maybe they’d have found each other. Madison says she made the right choice. She gave people something to believe in. Tracy runs over with binoculars, and they duck down. They see several trucks coming down the road, and Alicia says, the people who told her what Madison did had one of those containers. We see the trucks said PADRE, but now the P is changed to an M, and they say MADRE. Madison wonders if it’s because of her, and Alicia says, they don’t even know she’s alive.

The four trucks meet at a crossroads. Luciana asks if everyone has a mask and knows where to refuel, and June says, yes. Dove asks what direction June is going in, and June says, there’s a cabin in Texas she needs to visit, someone she hasn’t seen in a while. Dove asks if she wants company, and June says, it’s far, but Dove says it will give June time to teach her medicine. What June did for her when she was shot, she wants to learn to do the same for other people. June says, then she’s going to the right place. The cabin belonged to her husband. It’s where she met him. Where he taught her to shoot and survive and to live again. If he can do that for her there, maybe she can do the same for… Odessa. Ada says, the repeater stations will allow them to stay in touch, and Dwight says, they’ll be hearing from him. He’s going to be looking for the parents who are still out there. Sherry says, they found each other against all odds, they’d like to do the same for the kids. Odessa asks, after they find them, what then? and Sherry says, they’ll figure it out. Everyone disperses into their vehicles, and Sherry asks what Dwight is thinking. He says he’s thinking about the Sanctuary. They could take everybody there. She asks, why go back there? and he says, they know it’s defensible, and the streets are still intact. She says she lost him to that place before. She can’t lose him again. He says, she’s not going to. They’re a family. Maybe they can take the place and make it worthy of its name. Make Finch proud. Sherry nods, and says, okay. Let’s try. He says he loves her; she says she loves him too, and they kiss.

Daniel says he was thinking about what he told Victor, and he was wrong… in some parts. Victor did save him and his family when the world fell apart. Thanks for the Abigail. Victor says, don’t thank him for something people should do for one another. Daniel caught him on a good day. Daniel says, maybe Victor does remind him of the worst parts of himself. He doesn’t know if people like them can act differently. Maybe that’s why he has a problem with Victor. But for the sake of the others and their own sakes, he guesses they’ve got to try and change. Victor thinks he has, but whether Daniel has is up to him. In German, Daniel says, I’m tired of war. All the best. He puts his hand on Victor’s shoulder and moves on. Victor hugs Luciana and tells her to take good care of herself. She says, him too. Gracias. He kisses her hands, and goes to the truck. Daniel hears a cat, and Skidmark comes out from under the truck. He asks, where did you come from? and laughs, picking the cat up and hugging him.

Victor sees a freshly picked flower in the truck and asks if Klaus put this in here. Klaus says, no. Why? Victor says, nothing, and they get in. Frank says, he did all he could. If Tracy wants to be found, she will. They’ll comb the area a few more times. He gets in, and Victor looks out the window. He sees Madison, Alicia, and Tracy walking away through a yard, and Frank asks what he’s looking at. Victor says, nothing, and starts the truck. He asks, where to? and Klaus puts his finger randomly on the map. Victor says, onward. I wonder if Victor will tell them one day.

Madison and Alicia lean against the truck, and Tracy asks if Madison is sure she’s okay with this. Madison says, they don’t need her. They’re like the people who step in for Alicia. They’ll do better if they think she’s gone. Before she gives them a reason to stop believing. Alicia asks, where to? and Madison says she’s been having visions of Alicia and Nick, before everything went bad. Alicia asks, where? and Madison says, Los Angeles. Alicia says, they saw it get bombed, but Madison says, that was a long time ago. It’s probably still pretty rough there, and people could use their help. She puts her hand on the cannister holding Nick’s ashes and remembers the old days. She says, it will never be what it was, but that doesn’t mean they can’t start over. Alicia says, let’s go, and Madison asks if Tracy is in. Tracy says, yeah, let’s go, and they get in the truck.  

The song, Mama Tried plays as they drive away.  

There are thank yous for the cast to the fans. Thank You #WalkingDeadFamily.

🌊 See you later for soap and awful people on Deck.

Nov20

November 19, 2023 – First Part of Fear Finale & Dog

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Disclaimer… or something. To do this amazing but very, very long finale justice in editing, I give you Part 1 right now and will post Part 2 tomorrow. Or later today. Or… I’m tired.

Fear the Walking Dead

Part 1 – Fighting Like You

Mississippi Queen plays, and we see a fire being set and bright lights coming on. The zombie horde is led out of the woods by Troy and company. He radios Russell who says, they’re in formation. He’ll see Troy at the rendezvous. Tracy asks how they’ll get to PADRE, since it’s an island. They can’t walk the zombies in. Troy asks, who said they were walking? Russell came through with the perfect way to get them there. They’ll finally have a home. Tracy says, her mom pulled loose, and zombie Serena scrabbles at the back window of the truck. Troy says, she won’t hurt them. She’s going to be the one to make Madison pay for everything she’s done. He asks Tracy, what’s wrong? and Tracy asks why her mom has to kill Madison. Troy says, Alicia’s mother put the thinking into people’s heads that got them killed, and they can’t let that happen to anyone else. Tracy says, Victor told her the St. Christpher medal belonged to Alicia, but Troy asks if she knows how many St. Christopher medals are out there. He was mistaken. Her mother gave it to him when she died and made him promise to give it to her and keep her safe. That’s what he’s been doing ever since. Tracy yells, look out! and the truck flips over an embankment.  

Tracy tells Troy, wake up, and he opens his eyes. She says, he’s been out for hours, and he asks, what happened? She says, they went over an embankment. She thinks he ran over a trap. Troy has been impaled with a tree branch, which is sticking out of his upper chest, and he says he’s pinned to the seat. He asks, where’s the gun? and she says, he lost it when they crashed. She can’t find it. He says, they have to catch up with Russell, and tries pulling the branch out, but he can’t. He says, Tracy has to go meet Russell. He’ll give her the coordinates. But she says she’s not leaving him. He says she has to. It’s everything they’ve fought for. If she doesn’t make it to PADRE, everything they’ve done won’t mean anything. Tracy says she’s going to find help. She doesn’t want to live there if she’s not with him. She gives him the medal to keep him safe like, and says she’ll come back for him. Then they’ll make PADRE their home together. She runs off, zigzagging through the zombies headed for the truck.  

A zombie is squashed by the MRAP tank, and Madison gets out. Victor radios, as Madison realizes the zombie horde is gone. He asks where she is, and she says she can’t help him. Enough people died because of her and she can’t put the rest at risk. He says, it’s just him and his newly found friends. She says she has the tank, ammo, and guns, and doesn’t need help. Unlike him, she has no one to disappoint. He should build PADRE into what Alicia wanted. Victor says, she thinks it’s one thing, then can’t stop. He learned the hard way at the Tower. There was always one more thing he had to do to keep it safe. Before he knew it, he was the thing people needed protection from. There’s another way. Madison opens the back door to the tank, and sees Tracy. She asks what Tracy is doing here. Where’s Troy? Tracy says, he’s hurt, and Madison says, bullsh*t, but Tracy says, he crashed the truck. Madison asks, why Russell didn’t help, and Tracy says, he couldn’t. He’s leading the rest of the herd. Madison asks, where? but Tracy says she doesn’t know. Madison asks, who does know? and Tracy says, her dad is going to die if she doesn’t help him. Madison asks why she’s here, and Tracy says she thought she could use the radio. Madison asks where the truck is, and Tracy hesitates, but Madison says, Tracy can’t use her radio and she’s running out of options. Tracy says, it’s down an embankment, about a mile east of here. Madison sits her down, and zip ties her wrist to the tank. She radios Victor and says, change of plans. She’s leaving the MRAP. Victor asks, where she’s going, and she says, to kill Troy. Tracy says, no! What happened to, no one’s gone until they’re gone? She told Victor to build what Alicia wanted. If Madison gave Victor a second chance, why not her dad? Madison says, he doesn’t deserve one, and Tracy says, that’s not what Alicia believed. Help her dad the way Alicia helped her. She gestures toward Alicia’s mechanical arm, displayed in the tank, and Madison leaves.  

Russell radios Troy and says he’s picking up stragglers. How is Troy in the same place? Troy says, by the looks of it, he’s not going anywhere. Promise him something. Russell says, anything, and Troy tells him whatever happens, find Tracy and make sure she gets there. Russell promises she’ll finally have a home. The zombies coming closer to Troy are whacked in the head, as Russel says, they’ll take the island. Madison says, no, they won’t, and neither will Troy. He pulls the branch out of the seat, but not his chest, and he launches himself at Madison. They tumble down, and he pushes her toward zombie Serena. Madison twists the stick, pulls it out, and shoves it in zombie Serena’s head. Troy says, she had no right. Madison picks up the hammer, and says she’ll bury him next to her, and he says, she thinks killing him will help build the island. She says, he killed her daughter. She has to do what she has to, to make sure Alicia’s memory didn’t die with her. People like them are no longer in this world, but Troy says, she can’t kill him. She wants to stop the herd, and he’s the only person who knows where they’re going. She says, her people will figure it out, but he says, not in time. She needs to do something for him. He needs to see his daughter. He needs to tell her something. Madison brings out the radio, and says, tell her now, but he says he needs to see her. She says, nice try, a-hole, and he says, let him bury his wife. Bring him to his daughter, and he’ll take her to Russell. She asks what he has to tell Tracy that’s so important, and he says, it just is. She asks how she knows he’ll hold up his end of the deal, and he says, she doesn’t. Just like he doesn’t know she won’t kill him. She says, okay. She takes him to Tracy, who asks, what happened to him? He says he was doing what it takes to protect PADRE and get to see his daughter one more time. Madison radios Victor and says she’s coming back. She’s bringing Troy and he’s going to lead them to the herd. And she’s bringing Tracy. She tells Troy, hold still, and pulls out the stick. He falls over.

Tracy watches one of Alicia’s video tapes, when Victor opens the tank. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says, waiting for her father. He agreed to tell them where the herd is heading. Victor says, whether he’s lying or not remains to be seen. Why would her father help when PADRE is everything to him? Why would he give it up? He supposes they’ll find out. Tracy says, he’s going to kill Madison when he gets what he wants. She thinks he doesn’t deserve a second chance. One of the Alicia clones asks, how many tapes has Tracy seen? If she watches more, she’ll see that Madison gave a lot of people second chances, whether they deserved them or not. Tracy says, like who? and Victor tells her that Madison never gave up on him, but Tracy says, Madison’s not her anymore. Madison radios Victor and says, they’ll be there shortly. Troy buries Serena, and she tells him, it must be nice to bury the person you love. He says, Alicia can rot on her feet forever, and she asks if he wants her to put the branch back in. Keep talking. He says, his wife is dead because of her, and she asks, why? Troy says, it’s not important, and Madison says, it was important enough for him to kill her daughter over it, and he says, Serena was pregnant, and they were still looking for a place live since Mexico. She got bit. Madison says, and that’s Alicia’s fault? but Troy says, nope. Alicia’s the one who saved her. Madison asks, how? and he says he put out an SOS on the radio. Alicia was the last person he thought would respond, but she did. Madison says, she helped him? and he says, that surprises her, especially after how they parted ways in Brokejaw. Serena was bitten on the arm like Alicia, so she knew where to cut and how to do it… Then, when Serena was out of the woods, Alicia got back in the MRAP and left to help more people. Madison says she’s having a hard time seeing how this led to him killing Alicia, and he says, Serena changed after that; Alicia changed her. She wanted to be just like Alicia. Madison asks if she was, and he says, yeah. She tried to help as many as she could. One day, they got a call, and SOS on the radio. A guy said he needed help, and when Serena showed up, he shot her and robbed her. He took everything she owned and left her for dead. When Troy went looking for her, he found her holed up in a strip mall, but it was too late to save her; she’d lost too much blood. He held while she died. He listened to her weep about how she’d never watch their daughter grow up. She allowed herself to get wrapped up in Alicia’s bullsh*t, and she made him promise to never let Tracy hurt the way she did. So he never let his daughter believe the same bullsh*t Alicia put in Serena’s head. Madison says, that’s why he killed Alicia? and he says, yep. He made a promise. An errant zombie tumbles down the hill toward them and Troy shoves Madison, who gets tangled with it. He runs, but trips on a wire and falls into a trap. Madison extracts herself and goes over to the pit. She says, today is not his day, and Crane comes up behind her. He says, it’s not hers either, and hits her in the back of the head.

Madison wakes up on a barge, tied to Troy. Crane says, welcome back. Does she like his new digs? It doesn’t measure up to what they have in PADRE, but it was handy to get supplies to the cargo ship when he ran out of gas. Troy asks, who the hell is he and what does he know about PADRE? Crane says, he is PADRE. Or he was. Him and his sister. Lark got his sister killed. Madison says, she got herself killed, and Crane says, and Blue Jay spared him. Madison asks what he wants, and he says he’s looking for a way to get paid back. Today he found it. He heard them on the radio, and he’s prepared to give Troy what he wants. Troy asks, what’s the catch? and Crane says, he can start by telling his friend to call off the dogs, and Troy laughs. He asks why he’d do that, and Crane says, he’ll let Troy and his daughter live in PADRE. Madison says, he’s lying, but Crane says, Troy has more of a chance with him than Madison. Do they have a deal? He holds out the radio, and Madison yells to Victor that they’re on a barge near the docks, but Crane knocks her in the face. She says she should have killed him when she had the chance, and Crane says, this is what happens when you show mercy. She says she was trying to save his people from him and his sister, and Crane says, change of plans. Troy is going to tell his friends to call off their army in person and take him to the herd. If either one of them tries anything, he’ll kill them both. He tells his men to get the truck ready.

They drive, and Victor comes on the radio, saying, they’re at the barge… Crane turns off the radio and asks, what changed? Madison risked her life to reunite Wren and Nightingale. Now she’s using a father against his daughter. What happened to, family is worth fighting for? She says, it still is. She’s just fighting his way. Zombie blood hits the windshield, and Daniel, Luci, et al come out. Crane tries to overpower them, but zombies start coming. Luci calls to Madison, who shoots at Crane’s guys, and a couple of zombies get Crane down.

Luciana leads them into a nearby building, and Madison tries to radio Victor, but Troy says, he can’t hear. They have to get to higher ground. Daniel says, he’s not going anywhere, and Luciana says, they’re here for a reason. To do to him what he did to them at her truck stop. Daniel says, and Ofelia and Charlie and anyone else he hurt. Madison says, he can’t be the only one who knows where the herd is, and Luciana says, they can find it without Troy. Madison says she needs to find the MRAP and meet Victor on the road. Daniel is about to cut the bond tying Troy to Madison, but Madison stops him. She says, they can’t have him getting away when this is over. She has to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Daniel says, if she doesn’t, he will, and he and Luciana leave.

Troy and Madison walk, and Troy tells Madison that Crane isn’t going to take the herd. He sent Crane in the wrong direction. Madison asks, why? and he says he’s dealing with her, not them. Madison says, she’d kill him just as quick, but he says he doesn’t think so. He knows her, or maybe he knows what it is to believe in something so hard, you can’t let it go. They get to a footbridge that’s basically rope and boards, hanging over a lagoon where zombies are lurking. Troy wants to cross, but Madison says, something is pulling them down, probably quicksand. If the bridge breaks, they’re both dead. A shot fires, and Crane says he found them. They run to the bridge, which looks pretty shaky, and they start to go across. It breaks, and the zombies look up, ready for an easy lunch. Crane takes the trusty ax he just happens to have, and cuts one of the ropes. Madison and Troy fall in.

Crane tells Madison that he thought she needed to be paid back after what she did to his sister. It’s what she deserves. Troy asks what he’s talking about, and Crane says, she let Shrike get bit over and over. Her and Nightingale let it happen. Troy says he wants to get his daughter, and Crane says, that’s why the right people need to protect them from themselves, and especially from the kids. Why does Madison think they saved her at the stadium? They heard her on the radio; no one is gone til they’re gone. They found her in the water truck, gasping for air, surrounded by zombies. They didn’t hesitate to pull er out. If she was willing to die for them, they knew they could get her to do just about anything. She thought her beliefs would save her kids, but in the end, it’s what got them killed. Madison yells, come on! to the zombies toddling around in the woods, and Crane’s so busy being full of himself, they get him down and he’s out. Troy says he’s sorry, but Madison says, that’s not going to get them out. Troy says, they’re not that different, but she says she’s nothing like him. He says, the northwest corner is where he was leading them, to the swamp. He was hoping the current would sweep them to the island. She asks why he’s telling her this. Maybe she doesn’t deserve a second chance. Troy says, she does, but not if they’re not found in time. He didn’t want it to end like this. Madison says, the truth is, PADRE is better off without people like them, and they duck underwater.

Victor tells Madison, stay with them, and she coughs up water. She says, they found them and saved her, but he says, Daniel and Luciana found them. Luciana says, they’re not the ones who saved her. Tracy did. Troy says she grabbed a root and pulled them out. They used Crane’s ax to snap the cuffs. Troy says he wasn’t telling Madison the truth about what Serena said, that she regretted following Alicia. After Alicia helped Serena, Alicia gave Serena the medal and said it would bring them luck. Tracy says, he told her… He says, he knows: he lied. Serena made him promise to let Alicia believe she was alive, so she’d always know what she was fighting for. He broke that promise. Daniel says, he’s a liar, and Luciana asks why they should believe him. Troy says, he knew what it was to believe hard in something and not want to let it go. He saw it in Serena’s eyes. She never let go. She believed in it even though it got her killed. When she was going under, something in her eyes, the look of someone dying believing in nothing. He couldn’t let that happen, not for Tracy’s sake. He didn’t do what Serena asked and keep it alive. Maybe he could if he was given a second chance. Madison gets up and says, like Troy did for Alicia? He said he’d take them to the herd. It’s time for him to hold up his end of the deal.

The song Hair of the Dog plays, and Russell radios Troy. He says he’s here. He caught up to the herd. Troy should see it. Troy says he does, and Russell might want to get down. The MRAP barrels in, and the machine guns open up on the zombies. Russell says, it’s going to take more than that, and Madison says, they know. A truck caravan pulls by, with Dove in the last truck bed. The caravan leads the herd away, and big baby Russel whines, nooo.  

Madison takes some oxygen, and Victor asks how she is. June says she has fluid in her lungs, and they need to get back to the island. Dwight says, they broke up the herd, and June says, they have to get back to PADRE. Victor thinks they should give Troy the benefit of the doubt, but Luciana asks how they can trust him. Victor asks, what about second chances? He and Daniel are just as guilty for what they’ve done. Daniel asks if willing risk that. Troy tells Tracy that it worked. It kept him safe. He gives her back the medal. He did what he said and found them a home and kept her safe. He’s sorry he lied for so long. Madison says, they have to get ready to head out and help the others and tells Tracy that she wants to talk to her dad. Tracy goes to help, and Madison says she’s been thinking about Alicia and how she gave Troy a second chance despite everything. She shows him Alicia’s mechanical arm and says, it’s all she has left. Troy says, it doesn’t have to be. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure he’s worthy of a second to everyone on the island. Things have changed. She has to believe him. She says, that’s just it. She doesn’t. She stabs him with the arm, and Tracy yells, no! and runs off. Victor wonders about second chances, and Madison says, Troy was right. That’s what got Alicia killed. If she hadn’t done this, she’d be putting them at risk. It’s how they survive. As he’s dying, Troy tells Madison to fight for Tracy. She’s not his daughter. Serena died before the baby was born. Madison asks who her mother is, and he says, Alicia. He took her child to make up for what he lost. Madison yells, no! and Troy dies. She asks where Tracy has gone, and everyone looks confused or lost or both.

🐊 See You Later, Alligator…

Since this thing got away from me, come back again for Part 2. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering family is worth fighting for, and stay believing no one is gone until they’re gone.

Nov13

November 12, 2023 – What Would Alicia Do & Monsters

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

At PADRE kids are doing obstacle courses, food is being served, math lessons are being taught. June marches in with Dwight, Sherry, Dove, et al. A couple stops them, and tells them that no one is coming in. June asks, under whose orders? when Victor walks out and says, his. June asks where Tracy is. They know he has Troy’s daughter. Victor suggests perhaps discussing this in a more civilized manner, but Dwight says, this seems pretty civilized. Victor tells Dwight, long time, and asks Frank to bring Klaus to their room. June asks why Victor brought the girl here, and he says, Troy wouldn’t attack if he knew his daughter was here. Dwight says, or it’s the perfect reason to attack, but Victor says, Troy doesn’t know they’re here. It’s not like she’s tagged for migratory purposes. June says, if Victor was doing more than playing father, he would know the lengths a parent would go for their child, but Victor says, they still don’t know him. June says she does. She watched him make bad decision after bad decision. People lost their lives because of what he did. John’s father lost his life because of what he did. She’s not making the same again. He says, many people lost their lives because of her. They’ve all done things to survive, and no one can throw stones. When Tracy went missing, he saw an opportunity. He had to make a call. June says, no one asked him to, and he says he’s not the man he used to be. She asks how she knows that, and he says, she’s not the woman she used to be. Right, Naomi? Frank says, Victor told him everything, and Dwight asks who he is. Victor says, this is his husband, and June says, show them if he’s changed. Dwight says, help them bring Tracy back to her father, and Victor asks if they think that would satisfy Troy. June says, it might, if they bring him the man who kidnapped her too, and Dwight says, start walking. Victor says, they don’t know Troy like he does. He lost the hotel, and it’s his last chance to do good on what he promised Alicia. Dwight says he wishes he believed Victor, and June says, if he wants to show them that he’s changed, now’s the time. Victor looks at Frank, who shakes his head, but Victor says, let’s walk. Dove goes to get Tracy, and Frank says he won’t let Victor do this. He saw what that man did at the hotel. He’ll kill Victor. Victor says, these people will kill him if he doesn’t go, and he doesn’t want Frank in the crossfire. Wait for him. He’ll come back. Frank says he’ll be waiting. Victor leaves with June and the others, looking back one last time.

On the water in a boat from PADRE, June radios Troy that they have his daughter. She’s safe and they’ll return her if they agree to terms. Tracy asks if the blindfold is necessary, and Victor laughs. He says, it’s not going to work. They’re not going to remove it. The reason the settlement has lasted so long is that no one knows where it is. Tracy tells him to stop trying to be friends with her. He’s the one who brought her in. June radios Troy again, saying, Tracy is safe and will be returned. Victor tells her, no matter what Troy says, Troy is going to kill him and hurt Tracy. Tracy says, her father would do anything to protect her, but Victor says, her father’s not the man she thinks he is. June says, Victor can change, but not Troy? and Victor says, Troy is a sociopath on a revenge tour. He has issues. There’s a difference. Why is he the only person looking after Tracy? Sherry says, the only person he’s looking after is himself, but he says, it’s not about that. It’s about building PADRE the way Alicia wanted him too. Troy radios, and asks, who is this? Who has his daughter? June says he doesn’t know her, but she freed Madison and Victor from the hotel. She asks Tracy to talk to Troy, and Tracy says, it’s okay. They’re bringing her back. June says, they will, provided he gives them assurance he won’t take PADRE. Troy says, they took his daughter, but June says, they didn’t. Victor did, and they’re bringing him back too. Troy says, there’s one problem. They need a place to live. June suggests they stay at the hotel. Madison is no longer at PADRE, and his beef with her isn’t a beef with them. Does he want his daughter or not? He says, they have a deal. Bring her and Victor to the hotel. Victor says, it’s a trick, but June says, they’ll be there. Victor says, don’t do this, but Dwight says, it’s too late. Victor looks scared and grabs the blindfold off of Tracy. He says, now she knows where PADRE is, and Tracy takes a dive over the side of the boat. Victor jumps up and runs to the bow, pulling out wires and plugs as he goes. He too jumps off the boat, and Sherry tells Dwight to turn around, but he says he can’t. There’s no power.  

On land, a zombie grabs Tracy and she falls, but she scuttles away. Four of them surround her, and Victor arrives, whacking them in their undead heads. He tells Tracy that he’s not going to hurt her, and she says she’s not worth anything dead. He holds out his hand and sees a St. Christopher medal around her neck. He asks where she got the necklace, and she asks, what’s it to him? June calls to him, and he says, they’ve got to go. He’s not taking her back. Tracy asks where he is taking her, and he says, to the one person who can help both of them. Dwight begins to call their names, and Victor helps Tracy up.  

Madison plays loud music on a boombox in a forest clearing, and as zombies come out, she sledgehammers them. Apparently, she’s found her calling. When all the zombies are down, Victor calls Madison’s name. He brings Tracy out, and Madison asks what he’s doing here. She told him that she couldn’t help him build PADRE. He says, they’ll have agree to disagree on that, but that’s not why he’s here. She turns the music off, and he says he heard she was looking for Alicia. She says, Alicia deserves to be at rest. She did it for Nick and wants to do it for Alicia. She asks, who’s his friend? but Tracy says she’s not Victor’s friend. Victor says, she’s Troy’s daughter. He found her wandering and saved her life. Tracy says, he kidnapped her, and Victor says, perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle (as it almost always does). Madison asks, what’s her name? and she says, Tracy. Madison says, she has her father’s eyes, but don’t worry. She won’t make Tracy pay for his crimes. Tracy asks, what crimes? and Madison says, he killed her daughter on top of other sh*t he probably didn’t tell her about. Tracy says, he told her everything. How Madison killed his father and turned his brother against him. And how she left him for dead at the dam. She also killed Tracy’s mother. Madison says she doesn’t know what Troy told Tracy, but she didn’t know Tracy’s mother. She asks why Victor brought Tracy here, and he says, he took her to PADRE. It was the only play he had, but the peasants revolted, saying it was too risky to keep her there. Madison asks why he brought her here, and he says, it’s Madison’s best shot at finding Alicia. Tracy is wearing a medal that belonged to her. Madison asks how he knows, and he says, because he gave it to her. Madison asks, why? and he says, it doesn’t matter. What does, is that it may lead to Alicia. Madison asks if that’s true, and Tracy says, maybe. Madison says she’s not getting pulled in for a maybe, and Victor says, Tracy might be more forthcoming when she realizes they’re the only ones who can save her. Madison asks, from what? and he says, PADRE. June, Dwight, and Sherry want her because she knows where PADRE is. Madison asks why there was no blindfold, and Tracy says, Victor pulled it off. Victor says, they were going to send Tracy back to her father, and he had to make it impossible for them to turn her over. It’s what Alicia would have done. Tracy says, he did it because they going to hand him over too, and he brings her over to Madison. He says, Madison is the only person who knows the man he used to be. It’s not about saving his own skin; he’s saving Tracy’s too. Madison asks if she knows where to find Alicia, and Tracy says she doesn’t think she has a choice. Madison says, smart girl. All right. First, Tracy takes her to Alicia. Tracy asks, what happens after that? but Madison says she doesn’t know. But Victor’s right about one thing. She can’t go back to her father. They leave, and I envision a buddy series with Victor and Tracy. Kind of like The Last of Us or Arya and the Hound on Game of Thrones.

Madison hotwires a car with a full tank of gas at Luciana’s truck stop. Victor finds a gun in the glovebox, and says, thanks, Luci. Madison asks if he thinks Luciana will mind, and he tells her, the sign says, take what you need. They look at a map with Tracy, and hear Troy on the radio, but Victor says, he’s nowhere near them. He’s looking for June. They hear some people looking for Madison, and Madison wonders who they are. Victor asks if they’re Tracy’s father’s people, but Tracy says she doesn’t know who are. She says, they need a bigger map. Her dad’s fight with Alicia happened further than this. Victor looks in the car, and Tracy grabs the radio, trying to get Troy and shouting where she is. Madison snatches it back, and tells her, don’t do it again. Victor says, it’s okay. Troy’s people are by the hotel. They still have time. Tracy points at a spot on the map, and Victor asks if she’s sure.

A gas truck pulls in, followed by some other vehicles, and Daniel and Luciana get out. Luciana asks what they think they’re doing. She’s been monitoring radio chatter. Why did they bring Tracy here? Madison says, they’re just stopping by, and Luciana says she thought she made it clear she doesn’t want to get dragged into their fight. Daniel asks if Tracy is in their car, and Victor says, they’ll make sure Troy knows they had nothing to do with it. Luciana says, Troy won’t believe them, and Madison says, they need to pass through. Luci says, they’ve been put in danger already. She can’t let them travel this road. She has people who are still breathing that she needs to protect. They need to give Tracy back to Troy. Madison says, she knows where PADRE is, but Luciana says, that’s not her problem. Victor says, she knows what Troy is like, and she says, that’s why she’s giving Tracy back. Step away. Everyone draws their guns, but Daniel says, let them go. Even if they return Tracy, Troy will attack them; that’s his nature. They need to set a defensive perimeter. It’s easier to do now. On the side, Luciana says, what if they made a deal with Troy? but Daniel says, he needs to find out what’s going on. Luciana tells her men to lower their weapons, and Victor asks why they want to help. Daniel says he knows what it’s like losing a daughter. He wants to help Madison find Alicia and bury her. Daniel leaves with Madison, Victor, and Tracy.  

In the car, Tracy looks at the map and tells Victor to slow down. Daniel says, she’s been looking at the map for 15 minutes, and Victor says, she’s a child, not an atlas. Tracy says, he’s Daniel Salazar. Her dad told her about him. Daniel asks if her dad told her why he wants to kill him, and Victor asks him not to scare her. Daniel says, even children need to learn what we do and don’t do has consequences. They need to learn that no one gets a free pass. Tracy says, her dad said Daniel’s daughter died because she tried to poison a lot of people, but Daniel says, his daughter died because Tracy’s lunatic father led a herd of the dead to destroy his own settlement. She died defending that settlement. She died because of Tracy’s father. Victor asks why Daniel is here. He doesn’t give a sh*t about the girl. He wants Troy to feel what he feels. Madison says, there’s something fundamentally wrong with Daniel (touché!), and Victor stops the car, getting out his gun. He says, they’re leaving, and starts to get out. He asks why he’s the only one doing the right thing. They know how far he’ll go for what he believes is right. Daniel pushes the gun aside, and it goes off. The bullet hits the headrest, and Daniel tells Madison to go. She guns the engine, and Victor flies out into the road. Daniel asks if Madison wants to find Alicia or not, and Victor curses as zombies come toddling out. He says he’s really not in the mood today, and goes between tight trees. He gets to the road, but more come and he’s surrounded. One grabs him and then another, but he pushes them away. Yet another comes from behind, and we see it’s like a tent city for zombies along the road. I say, he can’t end this way, as he struggles with one, and a truck rattles down the road. Automatic weapons shoot from the top of the truck, and I wonder if it’s Al. Remember her? Victor is down, but the zombie on top of him is knifed in the head. A hand reaches down, and it looks like a mechanical arm, but it’s a metal sleeve on a normal arm. He asks who she is, and a young woman wonders if he thought she was Alicia Clark. She gets that a lot. She asks if he’s coming or not, and helps him up. He asks how many are with her, but she suggests they save the introductions for inside, and he gets in what’s essentially a tank.

Madison, Daniel, and Tracy get out of the car, and Madison asks if this is where they find Alicia. Tracy says, it’s what she said she wanted, but Daniel doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Madison says, it’s the only one she’s got, and they look down onto a bridge across a ravine where tons of zombies are standing around. Madison says, the herd is stuck. She’s seen that before. Daniel says, the ground is frozen, and Tracy says, Alicia is in the herd. Her father led it here before it got cold. The herd was following them, and he didn’t want it near the hotel. When the temperature dropped, he knew the mud froze. Madison says, Troy told her that he didn’t know where Alicia was, but Tracy says, he lied. He didn’t want her to find Alicia and bury her. Madison asks how she knows, and Tracy fingers the medal. She says, it doesn’t matter, and Madison says, let’s go.

The tank barrels along, and driver Della says, they’re a sitting duck until the guns are reloaded, but Troy doesn’t know they’re here. For now. Sitting in the back, Victor looks at his savior’s arm, and he says, the last time he was in here, he was with someone he never thought he’d see again. She says, Alicia told them before Troy killed her, and he asks if they knew her. She says, briefly. She passed through all their lives. He asks why they’re dressed like Alicia, and she says, it’s more than dressing like her. They’re keeping Alicia alive. They’re doing for others what Alicia did for them. The driver says, when they’re settlement was under siege, Alicia made their attackers regretted shaking them down. Passenger Sara says she had pneumonia, and Alicia found antibiotics for her. Victor says, what about the girl who saved him? and she says, he doesn’t remember her. They spoke when she was a kid. They were on a roof. Victor says, they were interviewed at the Tower, and she says she was with her dad. Victor turned them away. She thought they were going to die. They had no source for food and water that wasn’t contaminated. They had no shelter, and the air was bad. They heard a voice transmit a message. Alicia said, come to the Tower and we’ll build something better. When they got there, the fire was burning, and the Tower was destroyed. Not being able to help himself, Victor jokes that he should have left it in a better state than he found it, and she says, they weren’t the only ones who showed up. There were dozens of survivors, and they watched the Tower burn. She was thinking, this is where they’re going to die. Then a figure emerged on the horizon. Victor says, Alicia went back in the Tower after she put them on rafts, but she says, Alicia did more than that. She went in to get the fuel generator and drove them out of the wasteland and radiation. Her father died from exposure a few months after. Victor gets teary and says he’s so sorry. Her father died because of him. Why did she save him? She says, it’s what Alicia would have done, and he asks, how was she? Was she still sick from the bite? She says, the fever stopped, but Alicia didn’t spend much time with them after they were settled. Della says, Alicia never stayed in one place very long. She gave people hope, so they’re trying to do the same. Victor asks, what the girls name is, but she says, Alicia’s legacy will better continue if people believe she’s alive. Victor asks why they came here, and she says, they heard Madison’s message, and knew Troy wasn’t far behind. Victor asks why Troy killed Alicia, but she says, they don’t know. She wasn’t the only person Troy killed. Word spread. There used to be more of them. Victor tears up, and tries the radio. He says, it’s Victor, and asks Madison to please respond. They need to talk about Tracy. He says, they could be anywhere, and Alicia 2.0 says, they’re not going to find them driving blind. Troy comes on the radio and says, where is she? Madison better not have lost her. Victor says, he knows exactly where they’re going.  Where Troy hid Alicia. He can help, but Troy has to tell him where to go. Troy asks why he’d do that, and Victor says he could be Troy’s last chance. Troy says, Victor is the one who took her, and Victor says, and he’s the only one saving her. Troy will never catch up on foot. Troy says he won’t be on foot much longer.

At Luciana’s truck stop, she asks where Troy thinks he’s going. He says he remembers her, and in Spanish, he says, it’s a shame about Nick. She says she doesn’t want trouble. They can use the roads as long as none of her people get hurt. Troy asks if she’s going to help him, even though Nick chose the ranch over her? She says, her people are more important than her pride, and Troy says, then stand down. They’re outnumbered and outgunned. He tells his men, fan out and take what’s worth taking. Luciana says, don’t, and he says, it doesn’t end well. She says, for you, not us, and Dwight and the others come out. I’m thinking, now Troy is outnumbered, and Troy says, so this was all bullsh*t. Luciana says she needed to get close to him. Stand down. Troy says he’s trained all his men, and they’ll take out more of Luciana’s people than vice versa. Dwight suggests they test that theory, and Frank says, he’s looking to make room in the hotel again, Troy says he has no time for this. His daughter’s in danger. Luciana says, stand down, and June says, his daughter’s as good a reason as any to lower his weapons. Troy says, no, and reaches for something. Everyone gets tense (or more tense than they are already), but Troy says, it’s just a walkie. He radios for Victor, and says, fortunately for Victor, he’s the only person who can help him make sure his daughter is okay. Victor says, tell him where they are.

A cowboy walker gets kneecapped by Madison, and literally breaks off at the knees. She says, he’s a long way from home, and Daniel says, he’s not the only one. He asks Tracy how long the herd had been following them, but she says she doesn’t know. She didn’t know about it until they got here. Daniel says, something’s not right. It doesn’t make sense. Madison says, the zombies can’t hurt them, and asks where Alicia is. Tracy says, somewhere in here, and points. Daniel says, the man led a herd of dead against his own people, and Madison tells him, go back then. She’s got Tracy. Daniel says he’s not letting Tracy out of his sight, and they walk through the stuck zombies. Tracy says, there, and they walk through into the forest where the zombies were headed. Daniel asks if Madison wants help, and Madison says, give her a minute. She walks up to a zombie who looks like she could be Alicia from behind and says she’s so sorry. She would come if she’d known. Daniel draws his gun, and Madison says she would have stopped Troy from doing this. She pushes the zombie’s hair away from its face and thinks of Alicia. She gets a good look and says, it’s not her. Tracy pushes her into the zombie, who breaks off at the feet. They both fall, and Madison says she can’t believe she listened to Tracy. Where’s her daughter? Why lie? Tracy says, that’s her mother, and she wanted her to make Madison pay. Extracting herself, Madison says she’s never seen her before, and Tracy says, her mother saw Madison and Alicia, and believed what they believed. That’s why she’s dead. Madison asks what that means, and Tracy says, no one’s gone until they’re gone. It killed her, like it killed Madison’s kids. Madison takes in some oxygen, and Daniel says, they should leave, but Madison says she needs to figure out what to do. Daniel wonders if she’s going to use Tracy to make Troy pay for what he did to her daughter, and Madison says, she knows where PADRE is. There’s only one way to protect the island. Looking at her sledgehammer, Daniel asks if she’s got the stomach for that, and Madison says, Tracy just tried to use her own mother to kill her. Daniel ties Tracy’s wrists together, and Tracy says, no. They can’t do this. Madison says, she should have thought about that before she brought them out here, and God forgive me, I laugh. Tracy begs as Daniel ties her to a tree. She says she knows where her dad killed Alicia. The old mansion off Route 26 near Fort Worth. Madison says, she’s lying, but Tracy says, it’s the truth. Madison says, that doesn’t change the fact that she knows where the island is. Victor yells, stop! and Madison tells him, it’s a lie. Alicia’s not here. Coming out with the three girls, Victor says, Alicia’s body may not be here, but Alicia still is in the women carrying on her legacy. A zombie grabs Madison and they kill it, Tracy frees herself from the tree, and starts to sprint off. Victor says, wait, but she tells him, it’s just like her dad said. They’re going to kill her. She takes off, and Madison says, they have to go after her. The zombies are starting to pry themselves loose from the frigid ground, some of them breaking and falling, but some getting free. Alicia 2.0 says, they knew Madison’s daughter wouldn’t want her to die like this. Alicia would her to help and protect Madison. Madison says, let’s go, and they run.

At Luciana’s truck stop, there are small fires burning, and trucks pulling up. Luciana radios Daniel, who says he’s glad she’s alive. How bad was it? She says, Troy’s men had them surrounded. He and his men didn’t care if they lived or died. Victor looks at Frank, who’s tending to a gravely wounded older man, but Victor says, it’s too late. Frank says he can save him, and calls for more dressing, but the man has already turned zombie. Victor takes care of it and says he’s sorry. Frank says, we need to stop this man who did this to all our friends, and Victor says, we will. Madison asks, where’s Troy? and Luciana says, he’s not here. He stole a truck, but he’s lost most of his men. What matters is if he knows where PADRE is. Madison says, he’s going to do what he did to the ranch, and Daniel says, that’s what the dead were for, his army. Dwight says he’s taking a headcount, and Madison tells Luciana where Tracy said Alicia was. Luciana says she’ll take Madison there after this is over. Alicia 2.0 stares at Madison and says, Madison has no idea what this means. Until she heard the message, she thought Madison was dead. Madison asks how they know her, and Sara says, the interview tape. They listened to it so many times, they wore it out. Madison asks if Victor put them up to this, but he shakes his head. She tells the girls, none of it means anything, but Victor says, when he came to her in the library, he thought he needed her to face what was coming, but he didn’t. She needs him. She almost killed a little girl. Madison says, to protect everyone else. She doesn’t have anyone left to disappoint, so she can get her hands dirty. Victor says he pushed Alicia away, so she didn’t have to get her hands dirty. He gave her the medal, so she’d remember who she was, because he didn’t know if he’d be able to. He was wrong. He wasn’t protecting her. He was using it as an excuse not to be a better man, and he won’t let that happen to Madison. Madison gets in the back of the truck, and Victor says, let him come with her. Luciana says, she needs help, and Victor says, she’s got it. Daniel says, it doesn’t look like it. He hates Troy as much as she does. Use him. Madison says, he may end up dead. There’s only one way. She’s going to finish what she started ten years ago at the dam. She pulls away, as Victor yells her name. Daniel says, that’s not the way to end this.  

Next time, Madison says, killing Troy is how PADRE survives; Victor says, Madison never gave up on him; and Madison faces Troy with her sledgehammer.

☮️ Peace In Rest…

Boomerang back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and that mess on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay considering volunteering at your local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving, and stay remembering that what you do and don’t do has consequences, and no one gets a free pass.