What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer and Nikolas walk into the pool area, and Spencer says, the sun is out, and they’re spending quality father and son time together. Isn’t this what Nikolas wanted? Nikolas says it is, and Spencer suggests Nikolas grab them something to drink while he changes into his suit. Nikolas sees Ava by the bar.

Shawn goes into the station, and asks if it’s a bad time. Jordan says, it seems like there’s never a good time there. She didn’t know he was stopping by, and he says he didn’t either. He just met with his lawyer, and he has news.

Sam gives Alexis some coffee, and says she’s glad it worked out this way. A rehabilitation based facility, they’ve got to have vocational training, therapy, AA meetings. And just think, she can walk the parameter without having to worry about getting chopped up by barbed wire. Alexis says, sounds like heaven, and Sam says she’s so sorry. Alexis says, no way Sam is putting a positive spin on it. She’s really grateful for this shift, but it’s still prison any way you look at it.

Lenny carries a keg into the bar, and Phyllis says she doesn’t think this is what the doctor meant when she said take it easy. Sonny takes it from him, and Lenny says he’s fine. Phyllis says he should be resting. He says, for what? and she says, his exploratory surgery in Llanview tomorrow. He says he’ll be lying in a hospital bed. He’ll have plenty of time to rest then. Business is finally booming, and he wants things in order if he’s going to be laid up. She says, an answer for everything, and he says that’s why she loves him. She says, no more heavy lifting, and he says, deal. He goes in the back, and there’s a knock at the door. Phyllis says they don’t open for another hour, and Sonny says he’ll get rid of them. Phyllis joins Lenny, and Sonny opens the door, saying, sorry, they’re closed. Nina says, hi, and he says, hi yourself, and they hug.

Valentin says he’s sorry he couldn’t meet Anna last night, and she says, don’t be silly. He wanted to spend time with his daughter; she doesn’t blame him. She’s an angel. He says she doesn’t get it from him. Does she want to tell him her new theory? She says, they were trying to figure out who Peter’s accomplice was, and he says, she thinks they should be looking for an enemy.

At the hospital, Elizabeth asks Finn if Violet is still celebrating her big hit. He says, according to his daughter, he’s ready to go pro, and she says, knowing his daughter, she just might. It was so nice to do something normal. She’ll take a T-ball game over thinking about Peter any day. Terry comes out, and says, what’s this about Peter?

Britt comes down the stairs, and flashes back at being with Jason in the gym, and almost kissing. She says, pull it together, Westbourne. She sees Jason at the reception desk, asking if Monica is in, and the nurse says she’ll have Monica paged. He and Britt lock eyes, and she goes to the desk. He asks if it’s okay for him to say hello. She just looks at him.

Britt says, if Jason wants to say hello, he can say hello. She doesn’t tell him what to do. Just as long as he’s clear on where they stand. He says, just as long as she knows where to find him if she needs him, but she says she won’t need him. Austin approaches Britt, and says he understands you have to sign off on everything in this hospital, and he has something for her. She says she’s a little busy, and he says, it won’t take long. She says, neither will this, and he says, gotcha. He tells Jason, hi, cuz. How’re you doing? Jason says he has to find Monica, and leaves, and Austin asks what’s going on with Britt and that guy?

Elizabeth tells Terry that Finn was updating her on Anna’s search for Peter. Finn says, she’s hit a dead end, and Terry tells Elizabeth, she’s so sorry. That monster took Franco from her, not to mention what he did to Finn’s brother. Prison would be too good for Peter. If there were any real justice, someone would finish him off and be done with it.

Anna tells Valentin, they’ve been looking for Peter’s ally, but if it’s the opposite, it all adds up. David Hopkins said he saw another man on the roof besides Peter, and that this man scared him off from landing. Valentin says, he was denied clearance, and she asks if Valentin really thinks it would have stopped him, given what Peter was paying. He says, probably not, and she says, Hopkins assumed this other man was trouble, and he wanted to avoid that. Why didn’t Peter call him back and explain, say, this man isn’t a threat? Valentin says, because he was a threat.

Sonny asks if it was hard for Nina to leave her grandson, and she says, it was, but they have all the time in the world to be together, and this is where she needs to be right now. He says it’s good to see her, and she says it’s nice to see him too. He says it’s going to do a world of good for Phyllis that she’s here, and Nina says she hopes so, but if she’s being honest, Phyllis isn’t the only one she’s there for.

Alexis tells Sam, she’s really happy that she’s being transferred. She just can’t forget that she pled guilty because she is guilty, and needs to serve her time, just like anybody else. Jordan comes in with Shawn, and says she hopes they don’t mind, but Shawn has some news he’d like to share with them. He says, it’s official. All the paperwork is filed, and as of today, he’s a free man.

Nikolas says he didn’t realize Ava would be there, and she asks if it’s a problem for him. He says, no, of course (🍷) not. It’s always good to see her. Trina says she’ll find them a spot, and gets out of there. Ava says, the gallery was slow, and it was such beautiful weather. He says, beautiful isn’t the word, and she says, she decided to close up shop, and play hooky. He says he can leave if it would be easier for her, and she says, what about us? It’s never been easy, huh? She goes over to sit with Trina, who says she’ll be right back. Trina goes toward the bar, and sees Spencer. She says he owes her one, and he says, hello to her too. She says she could have blown his story, and told his dad that he’d been in town for weeks. He says, but she didn’t, and he’s grateful. Does he need to say he’s sorry again? She says, nah, especially since she knows how he can make it up to her.

Sonny asks Nina what that means, when Phyllis comes out. She throws her arms around Nina, and says they weren’t expecting to see her so soon. Nina asks if Phyllis thought she could stay away. She wanted to be there for her and Lenny. Phyllis says she’s already done so much as it is, and her family needs her in Port Charles. Nina says Phyllis is her family too, and Phyllis hugs her again. Lenny joins them, and Nina says, there he is. Lenny says, they have a lot to say to each other.

Alexis says, so the governor signed off on it, and Shawn says, according to the powers of his office, his sentence was commuted, and the paperwork was recorded and finalized. Sam says, so that’s it? No jail time? Shawn says, time served, with no parole restrictions. As for Judge Carson, the governor urged her to resign from the bench, or risk consequences from the Judicial Review Board. Alexis asks, what about the other defendants that were treated unfairly? and he says, the governor is putting pressure on the Board to expedite the process. Alexis says, that’s it; it’s over. Jordan says they’re making plans with TJ and Molly to tell the other defendants tonight. Alexis says, they did right by us, and Shawn says she made sure of that. Alexis says she’s happy for him, and Sam says she is too. She’s kind of jealous of the no parole thing though. Alexis says, what’s next? Shawn has his whole life ahead of him. He says he has time to think about that, but for now, his focus is on making sure whoever shot Hayden is brought to justice.

Nikolas looks at Ava, and Trina pulls Spencer aside. She says his father and Ava are completely miserable. They need to make a parent trap. He asks if she has a twin, and she says, no. They need to convince this couple that they belong together. He says, what if they don’t? Someone hates them so much, Ava is terrified for her daughter’s safety. Trina says, that’s why Ava shouldn’t give into him. Ava and Nikolas are stronger together. He says he doesn’t know. The incidents have stopped since they broke up, which tells him that this creep is going to leave Ava alone now. Trina says, then that’s cool; they’ll just give in to a terrorist. He asks if he can be completely honest, and she says she doesn’t know. Can he? He says, even if he agreed with her on the terrorist thing, he was never really a fan of her boss to begin with. She says, whatever. She’ll do it herself. She walks away.

Britt says she’s been meaning to seek Austin out. He says he’s flattered, and she says, as she’s sure he’s heard, things are in flux around there. He says, the Chief of Staff thing, and she says to retain her position, she’s going to need as many allies as possible. He says he understands, and she says since she’s the one who hired him, she’d appreciate his support. He says he’s sure she would; what does he get in exchange? She says, other than she’s the reason he has a job? and he says, other than that, correct. She says, advocate for her with Dr. Quartermaine, and she’ll sign off on whatever he needs. He says, whatever he needs? and she says, whatever. He says, okay, done, and she thanks him.

Monica finds Jason in her office, and he says he hopes she didn’t mind he stopped by, and she says she’s always happy to see him. She has the feeling he’s there to give her an update, and he says, Spinelli did a deep dive on Austin. Seems legit. Son of Jimmy Lee Holt and Charity Gatlin, no felonies. He is who he says he is. She thanks him and Spinelli for looking into it, and he asks if she needs anything else. She says he can read her very well. Actually, she’d like to talk to him about his engagement.

Valentin says, there were plenty of people at General Hospital that day who wanted Peter brought to justice, and Anna says, whoever was on that roof with him, Peter knew a clean getaway was impossible because this person was a witness. He asks if she thinks Peter took them out, but she says, there’s no one else reported missing. The only reason that person didn’t come forward is, they had something to do with Peter’s disappearance. He says, so she’s saying, Peter never left the hospital because he was incapable of doing so.

Lenny asks if he and Nina could have a minute alone, and she says she’d love that. It’s been a while since they had time to catch up. They sit at a table, while Sonny and Phyllis go to the bar. Lenny says he just wants to make something clear. He’s incredibly grateful for her connections. The fact that he’s getting this surgery tomorrow, so close to home, is all because of her. Nina thanks him, but says it’s really because of her late ex-husband. He was very close to Dr. Hartman, and Dr. Hartman was happy to do it. As was she. He’s always been so kind to her, and he knows how she feels about Phyllis. He says he does, which is why he needs to level with her. he went into this with a lot of reservation. She says, he had some hesitation about the cost? and he says, it’s not about the money; it never was.

Shawn says, some one tried to kill Hayden, and they’re still out there thinking they got away with it. Maybe it’s connected to her subsequent disappearance, maybe not, but he owes it to her – and to himself – to uncover the truth. Alexis says, of course (🍷) he does, and he should. Jordan tells Alexis, she hates to ruin the celebration, but they’re due at the new facility. Alexis says she gets an escort from the Commissioner. She’s honored. Sam asks if Jordan minds, and Jordan says, of course (🍷). Sam leads Alexis aside, and says she loves her. Alexis says she loves Sam too, and they hug. Sam says she and the girls will come and visit. Alexis gives Sam a kiss, and tells Shawn to go live his life, and everything that goes with it. He says, her too, and she tells him to do whatever he can to nail this son of a bitch. He says he’s on it.

At the pool, Nikolas lies on a chair next to Spencer, and Trina is next to Ava. A waiter brings a tray to Nikolas, and says, with compliments from the beautiful blonde in the last lounge chair, setting down an umbrella drink. Nikolas looks over at Ava, and a waitress brings her a drink, saying, with compliments from a certain gentleman. Ava asks, which gentleman is that? and the waitress says, over there, pointing to where Nikolas is, but Austin has just walked in. He’s near Nikolas’s chair, and Ava thinks it’s him.

Valentin asks if Anna thinks the man on the roof with Peter incapacitated him, or worse? and she says, yes. He says, and he’s been covering his tracks ever since? She says, yes, but like he said, there’s no shortage of people at the hospital who want Peter gone, dead. It could be any number of men. He says, it could be, but it’s obvious she’s zeroed in on one. That’s probably why she’s there, because she wants him to talk her out of it, but he can’t do that. He thinks they both know, there was a man at the hospital that day, who had every reason to hurt Peter. She tells him, don’t say it.

Terry apologizes, and says, her losing her cool probably isn’t helping either one of them, but Finn says they appreciate it. She asks if she can still count on their support in her bid for Chief of Staff, and Finn says she doesn’t even have to ask. Terry looks at her phone, and says she has to see a patient, and leaves. Elizabeth looks at Finn, and he says, what? She says she has an idea. He says, yeah.

Finn and Elizabeth walk in the park, and she says, it’s nice, being outside, getting a little fresh air, a little vitamin D. He says, a little private conversation, and she says, exactly. They have to figure this out. They can’t leave Peter’s body in the lab forever, but can they risk moving him when the cameras are running. He says, so they’re effectively trapped, like they’ve been for weeks, and she says, maybe not. If Terry becomes Chief of Staff, she can make the security cameras go dark again. He asks if she’s sure she wants to involve Terry, and she says they’ve been friends since they were little. If she asked Terry to do it, she would. They woudn’t even have to tell her about Peter. He says, no, and she says, that’s it? Just no? He says, pretty much. She says, the last thing she wants is for him to turn himself in to protect her, and he says, the last thing he wants, is for them to find Peter’s body with her DNA on it. He’d rather take the fall alone than implicate her in any way. The best thing for everybody is if the body is never found. She says, which, and he’s not going to like it, is why they should involve Jason

Monica says, first of all, she wants Jason to know that she’s not going to try to stop him. She learned a long time ago that she can’t control his life. She just wanted him to know what’s in her heart, and how much it hurts every time she thinks about what Carly did to his brother. He says, okay, and she says she knows AJ was a very troubled and very flawed man, but there was time when she really had hope. Despite all the bad decisions he made, she thought, maybe this one time, he could turn his life around. He can be better. He can do better. But Carly made sure that never happened. Because Carly always used AJ as a stepping stone to him, so that destroyed whatever was left of AJ. She knows this was a long time ago. Michael was just an infant, and Carly has gone on and lived her life. She’s just trying to tell him how hard it’s been for her. Jason says he respects her; she knows that. She says she does, and he says, obviously, she gets to feel how she wants to feel, but the truth is, he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Carly. I don’t care. I still hate Carly.

Ava tells Trina, that was so nice; she should thank him. She gets up, and Trina says, wait, but Ava heads for Austin. She thanks him, and says she’d like to return the flavor. The next round is on her. He says, sure, but he doesn’t really… Nikolas gets up, and tells Ava that he appreciates the gesture of good will. Does this mean they can talk? She says, huh? and he says, the drink she bought him. She says, she bought him a drink? Austin bought her a drink. Austin says he didn’t buy anybody a drink. Not that he wouldn’t. He’s not cheap. Spencer says the only one who’s buying any drinks right now is Trina. She’s trying to Parent Trap them. Ava looks at Trina, who looks everywhere but at Ava.

Monica says she knows Jason owes a lot to Carly. Why does he think she’s cut Carly so much slack all these years? And they love each other completely, so she’s not judging him. He says, looking back at that time she was talking about, everything around Michael’s birth, all the lies, nobody wanting to give an inch… They were all wrong. How AJ treated Carly, how they treated AJ. He can see how AJ wasn’t that bad. She says, he can? and he says, yeah. He was just trying to get access to his kid. That was his right, but not the way he went about it. He had no excuse for his actions. She says, Carly does? and he says, Carly lied because AJ said he was going to take the baby as soon as he was born, and when Carly gets threatened, she comes out swinging. And that hasn’t changed. But what has changed is, she’s learned to love people, she’s learned to trust people. Now she understands that there are some things worth fighting for, and there are some things not worth fighting for. But they know exactly what they’re doing by getting married. He understands why it’s hard for Monica, but he’s just asking her, can she accept it? She says she just wants him to be happy, so one more thing. This was his choice, wasn’t it? This wasn’t some maneuvering of Carly’s; it’s his decision. He says, yes, they made the decision together. It’s what they both want. She says then she’s happy for him. They get up, and she says, just to let him know, it’s never going to be easy for her to be in the same room with Carly, but in all fairness, she thinks it works both ways. He says he appreciates her making the effort for Carly, because he knows she always makes it for him. She says she loves him. That is the one thing – no, Michael makes two – that she and Carly have in common. He says he loves her too, and they hug.

Lenny says, Mike/Sonny told him what Lenny told him; the bills for all this are on his mind. But the truth is, as soon as the doctors found that spot, there was another reason he was against her paying for everything. She wasn’t just offering money to Phyllis; Nina gave her hope. The lump they want to biopsy and explore, it’s on his pancreas. Everyone knows that’s often a death sentence. She says, often isn’t always, and I freak because I just had the same conversation with myself in my head. He says, true, but if this biopsy confirms what Dr. Kishore saw, the odds aren’t in his favor. He can get over that, but he’ll never get over someone giving his wife hope when there isn’t any.

Terry and Britt pass each other, and Britt says, Dr. Randolph, and Terry says, Dr. Westbourne. Britt says, Chief Westbourne, for now at least. They both turn toward each other, and Terry says, speaking of which, she couldn’t help but notice, Britt is having a lot of talks with Dr. Gatlin-Holt and Dr. Navarro. Britt says Terry is collecting her people, and so is she. She doesn’t like this competition either, so give it to her straight. What does she need to do to get Terry to drop out of the race? She knows Terry is only digging her heels in because she’s Team Elizabeth. So what can she do? Give Elizabeth a raise? Give more funding to Terry’s department? What? Terry says, this is the exact reason why she wants to be Chief of Staff. She’s just as qualified for the position, but she doesn’t double-deal or get into bed with scum like Cyrus Renault. She just wants what’s best for the hospital. Britt says, so does she, when Monica comes by. She asks if everything is okay, and Terry, says, perfect. Britt says, just peachy, and Monica says, good, because she’d like to see both of them in her office please. They follow Monica to her office.

Anna tells Valentin, she went to see Finn at the hospital just to update him. Valentin says, and? and she says, it was all there, in his body language, in the way he spoke, and it just made sense suddenly, the description; male, tall, light suit, dark hair to the color. That was Finn.

Elizabeth says, letting Jason in could be the solution to all of their problems, and Finn says, no thanks. If they get caught, any good will they had with the cops goes right out the window when they know you collaborated with a hitman. Elizabeth says, that’s the point. Jason doesn’t get caught. It’s his profession. Jason just happens to be walking along the ridge above them, and hears their conversation because he has supersonic ears. Elizabeth says, he’s been mixed up in multiple murders, and disappearances – of really bad people, by the way, people on par with Peter. Jason has never been convicted in any investigation. Why? Because there’s never any evidence, If anyone can get rid of this problem, it’s Jason. Finn says he doesn’t think they should risk bringing in Jason or anyone else. Peter was a threat. Now he’s not. Whatever mess that created, they clean up themselves.

Nina puts her hand on Lenny’s and says, hope is very powerful. She believes in that, and he’s very strong. She believes in him. He appreciates all the good energy, but he needs to ask something of her. He knows it’s a lot, on top of everything else she’s done, but she says he can ask her anything. He says, will she make him a promise? and she says, name it. He says, when it becomes clear that there’s no more battle to fight, she won’t let Phyllis hold on. It will just make it that much more harder when the worst happens. Can she do that for him? Phyllis asks if they’re done yakking it up, and Lenny tells her that he just had to say a proper thank you. He’s so grateful… for everything. They go in the back, and Sonny asks if Nina is okay. She says, it’s just really emotional. She feels bad that they’re going through this. One thing she’s happy about is that she’s there. She’s happy that she’s… He says, she’s home?   

Jordan walks into the new facility with Alexis, and says, someone will take her to her housing soon. That, the cafeteria, and most of the other sections are segregated by gender. Alexis points out there are men in the room, and Jordan says, except for this communal recreation area; visitations also happen there. Alexis says it’s not much worse than her freshman common room. Jordan says it definitely has much more privileges, but it’s still a prison, so she needs to be on guard. Alexis says, so the rules her prison advisor gave her still apply? and Jordan tells her not to let the cushy accommodations make her forget her place. If the warden senses this is about anything more than restitution and rehabilitation, she’ll make Alexis’s stay there difficult at best. Alexis says, and at worst? and Jordan says, she’ll take it all back, and send Alexis back to Pentenville.

Sam says she got Shawn’s voicemail, asking if she was still in the P.I. game, and he says he had a job for her. She says, let her guess. It’s to find the person who committed the crime he went to prison for. He says, and get them off the streets before they hurt someone else.

Austin says, Parent Trap. Is Trina a twin? Trina says, oh my God, and Spencer tells Nikolas, she’s trying to convince them that they’re still in love with each other. Nikolas says, she wouldn’t be wrong, and Ava asks if Trina has anything to say. Trina says she’s sorry. She knows it’s kind of juvenile. Spencer says, kind of? and Trina says she hates what it’s doing to Ava. She just wants Ava to be happy. Spencer says it’s obviously not easy for either of them, but Trina can’t play games with people’s hearts like that. She asks if he means like he is.

Valentin says it’s going to be difficult if Anna has to prove that the man she loves killed Peter, but she says they don’t know that Finn killed Peter. He says, okay, but if they assume that Finn was on the roof with Peter, then he would know how and if Peter left the hospital. It’s not impossible that Peter extorted Finn, and made Finn help with his escape, using one final dose of the antidote. Anna says, that is a possibility, but if Finn had developed the antidote, he would have come clean to her about that. Valentin says, so it’s possible Finn did something to Peter, and she says, there’s only one way to find out.

Elizabeth says she hears Finn. She understands what he’s saying, but they’re not equipped to handle this on their own. Jason continues to listen, and she says, they have no plan. Finn says he’ll make one. He just needs more time. It’s going to be okay. He has to get back to the hospital. He leaves, but Elizabeth lingers, and Jason calls to her, startling her. He says they need to talk.

Lenny opens a beer for him and Phyllis, and she says, drinking the night before surgery? He says it’s going to be a long time before his next one, and Sonny says, to Lenny. They all raise their bottles, and Lenny says, to hell with that. To family, the chosen kind. They all say, to family, clink bottles, and take a swig. Phyllis says, time to open up, and suggests Lenny help her. He says he thought she told him to take it easy. She laughs and leads him away. Sonny tells Nina, subtlety is not one of Phyllis’s strong points, and Nina says, God love her. Sonny clinks bottles with her, and says they’ve got a lot of catching up to do. How long is she staying? She says, as long as she’s needed, and he says, that could be a long time. She says, it could be.

Sam says, after what Shawn just did for her mother, there’s absolutely no way she could say no to him. She’ll do whatever he needs. She’s just going to ask her current parole officer, because she has three months before she can spend time around another convicted felon. He asks if she thinks it will be a problem, but she doesn’t think so. Her parole officer is lenient, considering. Long story. He asks when they can start, and she says, how about now? He says, the sooner they can get the ball rolling, the sooner they’ll get Hayden’s shooter.

Spencer tells Trina, don’t bother. His father knows all about how he tried pushing him and Britt together. Trina says, as long as everyone’s being honest with each other. She tells Ava, again, she’s sorry, and walks off. Spencer follows her. Nikolas asks Ava where this leaves them, and she says, right where they’ve been, in the midst of a divorce. And for her family’s safety, the six weeks can’t pass quickly enough. She goes over to Austin, and says, perfect timing. She suggests getting him another drink, and they head for the bar.

Alexis tells Jordan, she knows she’s not on a vacation. She has a lot of work to do on herself. Jordan tells her, good luck, and Alexis thanks her. A wheelchair is pushed in, and Alexis is shocked to see it’s Ryan.

Monica wants Britt and Terry to know that she’s made her first official recommendation for Chief of Staff. They look at each other.

Anna goes to Finn’s office, and he asks if she has an update on Peter’s whereabouts. She says she just might.

Jason asks Elizabeth, what’s going on? and she says, she’s fine. Really. He says, if that was true, he’d be glad, but here’s what he knows. About a week ago, she said Peter wasn’t anything they had to worry about anymore. She was about to tell him something else, and Finn walked up. Now she and Finn are in the park in the middle of a workday, talking about Peter and a mess that needs to be cleaned up. He understands she’s trying to protect Finn, but she doesn’t have to protect Finn with him. If she knows what happened to Peter, all she has to do is tell him, and he’ll help her.

On Monday, Alexis says, fancy meeting you here; Monica says they’ve made their decision; Anna says, if she followed Peter’s trail, the police won’t be far behind; and Jason asks Elizabeth to let him help.           

Million Dollar Listing New York

Ryan’s firm had been open a couple of months, and the talk of the town. Never in his wildest dreams did he think they’d grow this fast. Business was nuts. Broker Tammy in Sydney, Australia, had a client there who was looking to buy a place in NYC. They were doing it completely virtually, and Ryan thought it could set the tone for future deals. He had Tammy on one phone, and James on another to tour the apartment. James had business in the states, and decided to get an apartment there, hoping it would appreciate by the time he was ready to move. He’d emailed Ryan a list of his must-haves; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a good location, and something between $4 and $7 million. Ryan decided to show him the 2838 square foot penthouse on West 19^th Street, the flatiron district. Ryan said the apartment was an amazing triplex, built for entertaining. In addition to three floors, it had private elevator entry, 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, 2 gas fireplaces, built in speakers, and what Ryan introduced as, live from New York – the greatest closet ever. There was also a 1000 square foot deck with an outdoor kitchen. Purchase for $5.2 million in 2016, the asking price was now $4.5 million. After finding out Fosters is a terrible beer and that it was a misconception that all Australians drank it, James said it didn’t hit home for him. He wasn’t keen on the multi-levels, and only wanted one level. In Ryan’s interview, he said he’d hoped it was going to be a super easy and super fast decision, but that wasn’t how people worked. You needed to show them options. He supposed it was to be expected when someone was buying something from the other side of the earth.

Tyler had an offer for Whitney’s carefully styled apartment with all the fabulous wallpaper. Broker Ashley called saying she had clients who were interested, but the asking price was $4.995 million, and the offer was $3.8 million. The clients also didn’t love décor, and wanted it turned into a whitebox, with the seller footing the bill to do it. Even I was offended. In Tyler’s interview, he said his job had just been made ten times harder, and it was already hard. Whitney had said she didn’t want to sell to someone who didn’t appreciate her work, and had been very firm. The cherry on the cake was that the clients also wanted Whitney’s Tiffany safe thrown in – which was an engraved wedding gift, so the request seemed pretty odd. Tyler told assistant Kemba that it was a nearly impossible conversation with any seller, but especially a seller like Whitney. In his interview, he said he’d known it was going to be an emotional sell, and we flashed back to Whitney refusing to let people see it. It had been five months since Tyler had listed it, and it wasn’t going how he’d anticipated. He told Kemba that he was about to get his ass handed to him, and she told him, go work his magic.

Fredrik met with Kelly Bensimon, who he called a true New Yorker. She’s been a supermodel, socialite, Housewife, and was now a lecturing broker. He told her that he’d missed the energy of New York. It was hard to believe, he’d been a nobody when he started 15 years ago. Developer Cliff called, and we flashed back to Cliff saying he’d extend the listing deal for the East 10^th Street penthouse if Fredrik agreed to live there. In Fredrik’s interview, he said his Instagram post had gotten a lot of attention, and he’d done a lot of showings, but the price was too high at $15 million. He told Cliff that was the feedback he was getting; it was a challenging market. He knew it wasn’t what Cliff wanted to hear, but thought they should make a big price reduction, asking Cliff to lower it to $9.995. Cliff balked, saying he’d be taking a 33% hit. Fredrik promised not to counter anything under that, and if it didn’t sell in three months, Cliff could find another broker. He thought the price was fair market value. Cliff hesitantly and reluctantly agreed, but told Fredrik not to call with anything not close to $10 million. In Fredrik’s interview, he said he was breathing, eating, sleeping, pooping, and showering at East 10^th. Kelly said she was going to be a full-time empty nester. It was crazy, but exciting, and she was branching out; doing business in L.A. and Florida, and a developer friend had brought her in on the listing for a $33 million commercial penthouse. In his interview, Fredrik said Kelly was ambitious, which was the key to success in real estate. Kelly said she’d been thinking about possibilities, and wanted to work with Fredrik in a bigger capacity, being part of his team. He asked why she hadn’t come to him two years ago, and she said she thought she would get her feet wet and make mistakes at a smaller boutique firm. Fredrik is a shark, and she was a minnow. He said it wasn’t possible because she worked at Douglas Elliman, and he’d promised not to hire anyone form there. He said if she was serious go to Howard the owner, and if he gave his blessing, Fredrik would work with her.

Next, Ryan was showing James 20 West 53^rd Street. He said when he first met James, James had few must-haves, but the list kept growing. Today, he was showing James a $6.5 million apartment with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, in a central location that was one level, and he could see the park. He hoped that was it. KJ met him there, and congratulated him on his new firm. In her interview, she said it was incredible what Ryan had done in such a short time period, competing against big brokerages. He inspired and motivated her by what he’d done. Her sellers were overseas, and not coming back any time soon. They’d be taking a hit, but thought that was smarter than racking up fees and monthly taxes. Ryan called James, telling him that the apartment was off Fifth Avenue, and across from MOMA. He said the asking price was $6.25, even though the owner was in it for $6.5 million. James said their loss was his gain. Tammy aooeared on Ryan’s other phone, but this time KJ was there to help. The apartment was 1843 square feet on one level, had a gourmet kitchen with quartz counters and luxury appliances. Ryan said the finishes were the nicest in NYC. In Ryan’s interview, she said the Baccarat hotel was dripping with glitzy finishes, and they’d designed the apartment. He showed James the motorized shades, Lido white marble bathroom with radiant floor heating, and the second bathroom with Siberian marble. There was no outdoor space, but it was in the same building as the hotel, so the owner would have use of the amenities like the pool and gym. James said he wasn’t much of a razzle-dazzle guy, and Baccarat didn’t do much for him. It was a bit of a gamble, and he wasn’t wowed. He wanted to be wowed, and it was far from optimal. In his interview, Ryan said it was a buyer’s market, but NYC wasn’t like Build-a-Bear. You couldn’t pick the features and have them come together like a $4 to $7 million stuffed animal. The term for buyers who were super picky was picky Peters, and James was one of them. We also found out that James had a pet wallaby, which he said was uncommon in Australia. Ryan said they were totally common in NYC.

Fredrik still had the 8^th floor apartment in the same building as the penthouse, with the asking price of $6.4 million, and it was getting lots of traction. Tyler’s client Andrea had made an offer of $4.5 million, and he was going to try to get Tyler to bring the offer up. Tyler met Fredrik at the apartment, and said Tyler’s offer was low, very low, but Tyler said the asking price was high. In Tyler’s interview, he said he was very aware they were coming in substantially lower than the asking price, but he was also aware that the penthouse had just been reduced by $5 million. He told Fredrik that the asking price was high for a good market. On its best day, the apartment would fetch $5 million, and this was not New York City’s best day. Fredrik told Tyler that his client had to come up with their best and final offer, because they weren’t countering anything too low. Tyler called his client, and in his interview, he said that with an apartment that had been on the market for three years like this one, the sellers could get desperate, and the buyer could get lucky with an aggressive offer. He told Andrea that $4.3 would start a conversation, and the apartment had checked all the boxes. Tyler told Fredrik that Andrea’s budget was maxed out at $4.3 million (don’t you wish yours was?), and Fredrik said he’d get back to Tyler, but knew it wasn’t going to happen. In Tyler’s interview, he said it was a buyer’s market, so they’d wait and see. Status, quietly optimistic.

KJ met agent Kim at the Hudson office, and prepared a spread for the owners of the Post Road house. She told Kim that she was glad the clients were coming in person, since the market outside of the city wasn’t going to last. In KJ”s interview, she said, since the open house, she’d had no other bites, and the first offer was usually the best. She and Kim would be pushing to make the deal happen. Co-owner Ravi showed up, and although his wife was at work, she was available via the phone. The asking price was $3.8 million, and the offer was $3.4 million. Ravi said an offer of $400K less didn’t seem serious, and was almost insulting. In her interview, KJ said it was significant, but not insult. She explained that a low opening bid gave them room for negotiation, and they’d priced to negotiate. In NYC they called it a low anchor. She thought they could definitely get them to come up. Ravi wondered if they’d be missing a better opportunity, since it had just been listed, but Kim said, if something was on the market for more than two or three weeks, it was overpriced. KJ said it was a good moment in the market, but they didn’t know how long it would last. In her interview, she said, there could be a point where the next bid was lower because the market shifted. Ravi called Lisa, and said Kim and KJ made good points. Buyers had been coming in droves, but that could change tomorrow. A bird in the hand. KJ said a fast offer meant they loved the house, and if they came back with a counter offer, it showed they were willing to work with the buyer. Ravi said there was no way he wanted to nickel and diming, and thought they should come back with a single counter that demonstrated they were serious about selling. Lisa asked what KJ thought, and KJ said $3.650. It would be better than they’re expecting, and she thought they’d take it. In her interview, KJ said she’d been on the other side, where there were no bids, and it was hard to do a deal. A lot of deal died mid-negotiation. Ravi made it clear if the buyer didn’t agree, they were walking away. Kim called her buyer, and said they weren’t unhappy, but took a lot, She told them the sellers weren’t interested in nickel and diming, and agreed to $3.65 million. KJ’s commission was $54,750, and in her interview, she said, it was like graduating again with honors. Her first Rye sale.

Tyler looked at an apartment in Tribeca, not for a client, but for himself. He’d been in Hell’s Kitchen for twelve years when covid hit, and he gave it up and went to the Hamptons. The virus had him craving a new beginning. Wesaw a clip of him getting all nostalgic over his now empty apartment, and he said it was a necessary step in order for the next beautiful thing to happen. It had been sold, and he had to be out two weeks. The apartment was 1543 square feet, 2 bedrooms and 3 baths, had skyline views, a walk-in closet, and a sleek modern kitchen. Tyler said it was glamor with a touch of humility. The rent was $12,500 a month. Yeah, I know. Whitney called, and Tyler said he was excited to say he had an offer, just not one he wanted to share with her. He told her that it was $3.8 million, which she found literally offensive, and she was obviously shocked over the buyer wanting the safe. She said, if her forehead moved, her eyebrows would have gone way up. In Tyler’s interview, he said he initially thought the apartment’s unique flair would help get it sold, and it was not for any old buyer, but he brought in expert to find out what it would cost to turn it back into a whitebox. The appraisal was $8-10K, which confirmed what Tyler suspected; it was time to pivot. He told Whitney that they needed to re-strategize, and suggested taking it off the market for the summer. Anything that was on the market for too long, would cause people to think there was a problem. He told her to enjoy it for one last season, then pack up her stuff, and they’d turn it into a blank canvas, and find a boring buyer. In his interview, he said he was giving Whitney news that was tough to hear, but he thought she knew he was trying to help her. She said she was going to spray paint Whitney Forever on one of the walls. He said it went better than he’d hoped, and the takeaway was that he had strong relationships with buyers. Whitney knew he valued her. In his experience, it wasn’t about a quick commission, but relationships. They lasted longer than money.

Ryan told us, clearly James had more requirements than he’d let on. It was his right, but Ryan had to regroup, and find new listings matching those requirements. Avi had requested Ryan meet with him at the development in Brooklyn. It had been a few months, and when they’d last met, the building and the conversation had been unfinished. A lot was in place now, and he hoped he would be in place as the broker. Avi told him, the uncertainty of the election was gone, and covid had made things challenging. They’d had good progress on the building, but still took a hit, so they were going with rentals. It was a financial decision since they were in this for a quarter billion dollars. Seeing his $8 million commission disappear, Ryan admitted maybe he’d do the same if he was in Avi’s position. Avi said Ryan had just launched, and wasn’t ready for a building that size. In Ryan’s interview, he said he could rent in his sleep. Avi said as Ryan matured, the more rentals he could do in a building of that size and stature. Ryan said, in a couple of months? but Avi said, sorry. He’d hired someone else. In his interview, Ryan said he’d worked on the building for two years. He’d been there from the beginning, and thought it was going to be an $8 million end. Avi said he still wanted Ryan involved, and Ryan wondered if Avi wanted him to be the doorman. Avi said he wouldn’t be leasing the building, but he wanted Ryan to be part of the marketing using Serhant Studios. They would be doing all the marketing for the building exclusively. Avi showed Ryan the duplex with 20 foot ceilings. He said once Ryan proved that he could run marketing, social, and creative, when brokers saw his success story, they’d come to him for everything, not just sales. In Ryan’s interview, he said part of him wanted to sulk, but it was good for him too. A test case that would help on future projects they did sales and leasing for. They shook on the deal.

Ryan said he chose to look at the situation as a happy accident that would help him grow his business. Challenge accepted.

Next time, KJ learns about TikTok, and Fredrik looks for properties for young people kicked out of their homes because of homophobia and transphobia.

🍵 Insert Tea Here…

It’s been a week, but I promise you an entire pot of tea next time.

⛳️ Quotes of the Week

An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. May you be open to each thread that comes into your life – the golden ones and the coarse ones – and may you weave them into a brilliant and beautiful life. – Unknown

You have a right to experiment with your life. You will make mistakes. And they are right too. No, I think there was too rigid a pattern. You came out of an education and are supposed to know your vocation. Your vocation is fixed, and maybe ten years later you find you are not a teacher anymore or you’re not a painter anymore. It may happen. It has happened. I mean Gauguin decided at a certain point he wasn’t a banker anymore; he was a painter. And so he walked away from banking. I think we have a right to change course. But society is the one that keeps demanding that we fit in and not disturb things. They would like you to fit in right away so that things work now. – Anaïs Nin

🎻 Fiddle-Dee-Dee…

I would say TGIF, but my long week is only continuing through the weekend. Hopefully, things will be back to whatever passes for normal here next week, and we’ll have tea and maybe even a scone with that. Until then, stay safe, stay holding your head high, and stay not parent trapping unless you’re a twin.