Category Archives: movies

Nov3

November 2, 2017 – One Jason Too Many, You Need a Bit of Shock Treatment & Tidbits

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Real Jason visits Sam’s room. She says, it’s you, and he says, yeah, it’s me.

On the docks, a very popular spot, Klein sees Valentin, who’s been ignoring his messages. He says Valentin owes him a debt, but Valentin says it’s been paid in full. Klein promises to do him a favor if Valentin gets him out of Port Charles.

Cassandra sees Finn at the MetroCourt. She tells him about being evacuated the night before, and he tells her he was at the hospital and missed the chaos at the party. She says it must be hard on him, tearing himself away from Anna.

Andre visits Anna. He’s come to say goodbye.

In Andre’s office, Franco takes the paper out of the printer. He says there are two Jasons out there with the same memories, and remembering how much they hate him. Elizabeth shows up, and asks what he’s doing there.

Real Jason asks how Sam is. She says she feels like she’s going crazy; she’s losing her mind. He tells her it’s okay, and sits by her bed, hesitantly taking her hand. He tells her again that it’s him. Sam says it doesn’t make any sense, and he says not for him either. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen, but wanted her to know she’s not crazy. He’s here, and he’s Jason. Danny comes bouncing in, and asks who he is.

Real Jason asks if he’s Danny, and tells him he’s his mom’s friend, and a friend of the uncle Danny was named after. Danny wonders why they’ve never met, and he says he’s been away since Danny was a baby. Danny asks why Sam is crying, and she tells him that she’s happy to see him. He shows her a card he made. Real Jason helps him up on the bed, and Other Jason is suddenly in the doorway. He tells Real Jason to let go of his son.

Valentin can’t believe how Klein screwed everything up, but Klein says it wasn’t his call. Valentin says his wife was at the party, and Klein says he had no idea what was going to happen. Valentin tells him their was a siege, and he couldn’t even get his wife home without running into one of Klein’s goons. He was shot and on the docks, throwing Klein’s name around, and Valentin wanted no part of it. Klein says he was fulfilling an obligation to a client, but never knew the price would be so steep. Hasn’t Valentin ever wished he could change the past? Valentin flashes back to Cassandra showing him the picture. I get a good look at it this time. It’s Claudette holding a newspaper toward the camera. Klein says Valentin is his only option. Valentin says he understands more than Klein knows.

Andre tells Anna that he’s leaving Port Charles today. She asks if there’s an explanation, and he says he came to town suddenly, so it makes sense to leave the same way. No, it doesn’t. She asks about his patients, and he says they’ll be in good hands. She says capable hands, but not his. He helped her when she thought she’d killed Carrrlos, and was having panic attacks. He tells her that he was happy to remind her of her inner strength. Anna tells him that he gave her back her life. She was lost in grief, and he showed her the way out. Andre says it’s nice to have a satisfied customer. He tells her no matter what she hears about him, he tried to help people. She asks what happened.

Franco tells Elizabeth to go back to her room, but she says she’s cleared. She wants to see the boys and sleep in her own bed. She tells Franco that she has a few days off, so while the boys are at school, they’ll have the house to themselves. He likes the sound of that, and asks how she knew he was there. She says she wasn’t looking for him, but thought she’d make an appointment for Jake while she was walking around. She saw him looking at the painting and knows why he’s there

Other Jason tells Real Jason to get out. Danny asks if he did something wrong, and Other Jason says Real Jason shouldn’t be there. Danny doesn’t understand, since he’s mommy’s friend. Other Jason asks if that’s what Real Jason told him. Carly shows up, and says they all had the same idea. She asks Sam how she is. Sam says she’s doing great, and shows her the card Danny made. Carly tells Danny there are some new, cool games in the playroom, and she’ll take him there. Other Jason acts like a cretin, saying he doesn’t know what’s going on and couldn’t care less, but he wants Real Jason out. He says Real Jason will be lucky if he doesn’t have him arrested. Real Jason says he doesn’t know what happened any more than Other Jason does, but he knows he’s Jason.

Cassandra tells Finn she’s more convinced than ever that he’ll put her on the road to health. She asks about the test findings, but Finn wants to discuss it in the proper setting at her appointment later. She says she’ll bow to his professional etiquette. Assuming the results aren’t dire, she’s inviting Finn and Anna to dinner tonight. Finn says there’s something she should know about his relationship.

Andre tells Anna that in both their professions, they see people at their best and worst. She says sometimes their work overlapped, and she’s grateful to have used his ability as a profiler. He says his ability to determine a person’s character. She says he turned his back on a WSB job to work at GH (apparently, I missed that conversation), and asks if he doesn’t want to settle anymore. He says he’s not going back to the spy game, but GH wasn’t settling. He loved his time there, helping all sorts of people, and will miss it. Anna says something is wrong, and asks him to tell her about it; she’s his friend and won’t judge. He thanks her. She proved he could trust her when they danced disco together. Anna says there’s no distrust on the dance floor. Andre gives her a mini disco ball to remember him at his best.

Franco tells Elizabeth he can explain. She says he never meant to sell the painting that Andre bought, and thinks he wants it back. He says it means a lot to him. She asks were Andre is, and Franco says he received life-changing news and split. He hasn’t just left the hospital, but left Port Charles altogether. He says he should be offended that Andre didn’t take the painting. Elizabeth is upset because Jake was having sessions with him, and they haven’t reconciled him seeing the man with Jason’s old face in the park. Franco puts his shirt tail over the paper sticking out of his back pocket. He’ll be happier when he gets her home, and says he’ll come back for the painting.

Other Jason tells Real Jason to let whoever set this up know it’s not going to work. Real Jason says he doesn’t know where he’s been for the last five years, but Other Jason doesn’t need to hear his lies, and says Sam doesn’t either. Real Jason says he needs to know one thing, but Other Jason says no, he doesn’t. Real Jason tells Sam that Danny looks like Jake. Sam says that Heather lied, and so did Franco. Danny is her son with Jason. Other Jason tells him to leave. He says Real Jason is a threat to his family, and he’s going to stop him. Carly returns, and says she got here just in time. Other Jason says this man refuses to leave, and to call security before things escalate. Carly says she can’t do that. She’s the one who told him that he needed to see Sam.

Anna asks Andre. please don’t leave; a good dance partner is hard to find. He wishes there was another way. A choice he made before coming there caught up with him. She asks if it’s about the WSB. He says it started out like all the devil’s work, with good intentions. He never told her, but he’d set out to conquer humanity’s great fear – the loss of one’s identify by loss of memory. He touches his briefcase, saying it’s his life’s work, so many pieces of paper. He’d hoped it would be his legacy, but it’s his curse. Anna says she’ll help, and he says he wants to tell her. She suggests making some tea, saying the ritual of pouring and drinking tea helps you focus. He says it sounds good, and I say, don’t leave him there alone! He looks at the disco ball.

Cassandra asks Finn if there’s anything wrong. She wouldn’t be surprised if there were problems. Her first impression was that Anna isn’t right for him. He’s so dedicated; practically married to his work. Anna is lovely, but she doesn’t get the sense Anna understands and appreciates his work. Finn says it was Anna who encouraged taking her on as a patient. She stands corrected. He tells her that Anna makes her own schedule, and it’s a bad idea for him to speak for her. He’ll see if she’s available, and let Cassandra know when he sees her at her appointment. When he’s gone, she asks herself what that was about.

Klein says there’s no need to involve Valentin’s family. He just needs safe passage out of Port Charles and a new identity. Valentin knows people who can make that happen, and he’ll help Valentin in the future like he has in the past. Valentin gets on the phone, saying he has a friend who needs the help they can provide. He’ll be waiting at Dock 55.

Carly says Real Jason and Sam need to talk, but Other Jason says Real Jason has nothing to say to his wife. Epiphany arrives, and when she sees Real Jason, says, I’ll be damned. He says hello, and she asks if he’s the cause of the disturbance. He tells her, pretty much, and she says he needs to go. The patient need to rest. Real Jason and Carly leave, and Epiphany tells Other Jason he has to go too. Sam was prescribed rest, and she’s going to rest. Other Jason tells Sam he’ll be right outside. Epiphany says it looks like Sam’s had a shock, and asks if she wants a sedative. Sam says she just needs time to think, and Epiphany says, I’ll bet.

Carly babbles at Real Jason about how it’s all her fault. She badgered him, and shouldn’t have told him to come, but it was important that he did. He tells her that he’s glad she made him do this. He got to see Sam and Danny, and found out Danny is his son. She says Danny looks just like him, and acts just like him. He’s a terror running around the Quartermaine mansion, driving everyone nuts. Real Jason sees Franco talking with Elizabeth. He strides over, and punches Franco out. Carly is like, uh-oh.

Epiphany calls security. Carly tells Real Jason it’s not worth it, and he asks why Franco is still alive.

Anna finds Andre gone, as I predicted. She grabs her phone and runs out.

Epiphany tells Real Jason he can’t be attacking anyone. She’s disappointed; he used to used to have better sense. Real Jason keeps going after Franco, even after security grabs him. Carly says it’s not his fault, but they take him away.

Klein tells Valentin that once he’s relocated, he’ll wire more than enough; name his price. Valentin says you can’t put a price on payback, and suddenly we see flashing lights. Klein says he heard Valentin on the phone, and Valentin says so did the PCPD. He asks if Klein thinks he would help after Klein almost got his wife killed. He tells the cops this is the man they’re looking for, and Klein calls him a treacherous bastard. He says what goes around, comes around, and someone will sell Valentin out the same way. Probably, but I don’t think this will be why.

Other Jason sees Carly and says, that’s it? She believes Real Jason? Carly knows it’s hard, and he says it’s impossible. He wouldn’t have known who he was if she hadn’t proved it. Now all that’s out the window? If that guy is Jason, what doesn’t that make him? She wishes she knew.

Elizabeth doesn’t understand. Carly called the guy Jason, and he looks like Jason used to look. She flashes back to everything Franco has told her about Jason having and not having a twin, ending with Monica saying the only way it’s possible, is if there are two Jasons. She says, omg, he’s alive, and Franco knew.

Valentin orders a drink at the bar. Cassandra says it’s early for happy hour, but then again, he doesn’t look very happy. He says he just severed a significant tie with his past, and would rather drink alone. She says not their past; they’re still bound together. He says she doesn’t need him, and she says she doesn’t need anyone, but wants him. No one else is able to meet her exacting standards. She tells him that he’s free to walk away, but there is the small issue of the woman who carried his baby, and it’s time to consider the next step. She has an appointment with Finn, and hopes he has an insight into her health issues. She bemoans that all the good ones are taken. Valentin says he isn’t positive, but he thinks Finn’s girlfriend dumped him.

Anna runs into GH, and tells Finn that Andre is leaving Port Charles. His office is empty, and she asks if Finn knows anything. Finn says Andre goes his own way, and asks if they’re friends. Anna says they were almost more than that, and Finn says he’ll be in good company with the rest of her exes. She says technically, Finn is one of them, but he says not yet. Cassandra invited them to dinner, and he hasn’t told her. Anna asks why not?

At the station, Carly babbles some more to Real Jason, who wonders why Franco isn’t in jail. Real Jason tells her to call Diane, and she says Diane can explain, since Franco is free because of her. He had a brain tumor, making him not accountable for his crimes, and the charges were dropped. Franco had thought Jason was his brother, but Heather lied; they’re not related. She asks Real Jason not to hate her, but she almost married Franco. He asks why, and she says that she thought he was Jason’s twin, and was desperate to hold on to him. She married Sonny instead. Real Jason is like, wtf? and she says she was a real mess. She needed him so much; she was a rolling disaster. He says he gets it, and he’s sorry she had to go through all that. Carly says everything is okay; he’s back. Klein is brought in.

Andre is at the docks. He takes his life’s work out of the briefcase, and puts it in a trash can. He sets it on fire. Nice going, Andre. Now you’ll never be able to reverse anything. You could have given that to Franco too. He watches it burn. Idiot.

Finn tells Anna that she has unfinished business with Cassandra, and he doesn’t want to screw it up. Anna thanks him, but says it wouldn’t be the end of the world, or the operation; couples break up all the time. He says unexpectedly too, and she’s like, oops, sorry. He tells her that he’s giving the test results to Cassandra, and she can finish the job. Finn tells Anna to be careful of Valentin. She says she can take care of herself, and he says he never doubted it.

Valentin tells Cassandra that he doesn’t know Finn, but he’s pretty sure his fiancé walked out on him. She says she didn’t know it had progressed that far with Anna. Valentin says, who? and Cassandra says, Anna Devane. She asks if he knows her.

Franco tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t know anything. She says Monica claimed to have seen Jason at the MetroCourt, and Jake saw him in the park. Franco knew there was more to the story, and knew Betsy was lying. There was a twin. Franco says yes.

Other Jason returns to Sam’s room, and Epiphany says she needs to rest. Anything else can wait. She leaves, and Other Jason tells Sam that he doesn’t know what’s going on, but everything is going to be okay. She knows who he is. She opens her eyes, but doesn’t look at him.

Real Jason tells Carly to tell Diane not to work too hard to get him out; not yet. He says Sam’s husband is right about one thing. This is a set up. Somebody did this to the both of them, and he has to find out who.

Tomorrow, Griff won’t take no for an answer, Franco tells Elizabeth everything, Curtis has Other Jason’s back, and Real Jason and Klein meet in jail.

💍 Still working on my 90 Day Fiancé diatribe thesis.

👯 Not a Sequel, an Equal

Once in a while, I recommend a film, and this is one of those times. Released in 1981, Richard O’Brien‘s Shock Treatment was billed as a sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, no doubt contributing to its downfall. Due to Tim Curry not wanting to reprise his Frank-N-Furter role, among other obstacles, the script was revised until the only remaining ties were the main characters of Brad (Cliff De Young) and Janet (Jessica Harper), who are now married and living in Denton. There’s where all links to its predecessor end.

In a nutshell, Denton is a place much like Stepford, where everyone gets along, there’s “tolerance for the ethnic races,” and just about everything is a reality show. Any comparison to our world today is merely a coincidence. Brad and Janet, who is disappointed with her marriage, become contestants on a show called “Marriage Maze.” Brad sucks at the game, and ends up in “Dentonvale,” which is a hospital, insane asylum, and yet another reality show, while a little black dress is whipped up for Janet, and she’s groomed to be the next big star.

The brains behind the entire operation is TV executive, Farley Flavors (also Cliff De Young), who turns out to be Brad’s twin. They were separated at birth, and Farley grew up poor. Now that he’s wealthy and powerful, he’s on a mission to ruin Brad’s life, and seduce Janet. On national TV of course. His plan is foiled when Janet snaps out of her ego trip, reveals that she never signed any contracts, and Brad gets sprung.

While the characters are different, some of the RHPS actors returned – Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, and Charles Gray. Two favorites of mine are also in the cast – Rik Mayall (BBC TV’s The Young Ones and Drop Dead Fred) and Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage). The music is an absolute treat, and Jessica Harper has a voice like honey. She also starred in Phantom of the Paradise (another film I highly recommend), and I could listen to her sing all day long. Funny story about Barry Humphries. Just after the earth cooled, and before Tickmaster was omnipotent, I worked for a place that took ticket orders for shows in NYC. We frequently got freebies, he was doing a Dame Edna show, and a bunch of us went. One of the girls was late, and naturally, her seat was right in front of the stage. Dame Edna stopped the show, had a spotlight follow her to her seat and stay there a while, and kept referring to her throughout the entire production, calling her “Lobes.” It had something to do with her earrings, maybe because they looked heavy. It was seriously a long time ago. I can still see her walking to her seat though. I’ll bet she remembers too.

The film also has an interesting development history, the script constantly evolving because of continuous wrenches being thrown in the works. Originally slated to be filmed in Denton, Texas, when an Screen Actor’s Guild strike happened, everything had to be rerouted to a studio in England. This also caused the story to now take place entirely in the DTV (Denton Television) studio. They were nothing if not resourceful.

Although not well-received at the time, I’ve always loved this film. Maybe even more than RHPS in some ways, and more so as time has gone on and I’ve watched as my world becomes more and more like Denton. Besides the suggestion that it was a sequel, there were also “floor show” screenings and audience participation, which I think worked against it. Having been one of the RHPS “pioneers” (a title bestowed on me in Sal Piro’s Creatures of the Night), take it from me, it can’t be forced. Go ahead and give it a look. A bit of Shock Treatment will get you jumpin’ like a real live wire.

👵 My mother used to say that there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet. She’s now in a maximum security twilight home in Australia. – Barry Humphries/Dame Edna

😄 Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. After all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century. – Barry Humphries/Dame Edna

🌞 The sun never sets on those who ride into it. – Narrator, Shock Treatment

😎 I Will Forever Be Brad…

 

 

 

Sep9

September 8, 2017 – Maxie Wants a Job, Tarantino’s Dogs, Quotes to Ponder & It

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Maxie and Nathan kiss, but she stops because of her makeup. She says her meeting is too important to arrive smudged. She asks if he’s told her the whole truth about Amy.

On the phone, Ava asks why Valentin can’t come to her. He says that he’s otherwise engaged. She sees that Griff is calling her, and makes arrangements to meet Valentin.

At The Floating Rib, Lulu tells Valentin that Nina isn’t a part of discussing Charlotte’s custody, but Nina tells Lulu that she and Valentin are back together.

Stella tells TJ he’s a hard-working young man like his father and brother. She says Curtis didn’t come home last night, and thinks he must have been on a stake out.

Nope, he’s in bed with Jordan. She wonders how they managed to stay away from each other.

Elizabeth comes downstairs, and Franco puts the photo under the couch. He tells her that the kids are on the bus. She says all three? and he goes, you mean we have three? Ha-ha! I love him. He called the hospital, and asked someone to cover for her. He tells her that she needs sleep. He says he was worried about her. She keeps thinking about Jason, and Franco says he does too. He says her son’s father is in a coma, and it’s as good a reason as any for a personal day. She asks what if Jason isn’t okay? She’ll always wonder if the time she stole from him would have made a difference. Franco is pretty sure everyone is going to blame themselves, but thinks that Elizabeth can make more productive use of her time than beating herself up. He suggests inviting Monica over. She says they’ll talk about it when she gets home from work.

Elizabeth runs into Scotty on her way out. Franco asks if he knows him. Scotty says it’s not his fault they haven’t seen each other in ages. Franco tells him about Jason, and says he’s the last person who’s qualified to give comfort. Scotty says he’s not going to make things better.

Stella asks if TJ needs help paying for school. He tells her not to worry; he’s good. She jokes that the wages must be considerable, and there’s no shame in talking help, but he wants to do it on his own. She says Curtis was the same way. They never needed much looking after. TJ says that doesn’t mean they don’t love her. She says it’s time she went back home and left them in peace.

Curtis tells Jordan that he stated his position clearly. Jordan repeats that he’s dangerously this close to falling in love with her. He asks if she has something to say, but she says the person she needs to talk to is Stella. They have to tell her they’re back together.

Nathan says he’s told Maxie everything. She says she knows; she’s just pulling his chain. She tells him it’s a rare opportunity, and she wants to enjoy someone else in the hot seat. Amy comes by. She fumbles trying to talk to Maxie, and Maxie says she understands. She would have done anything for her sister, but she’s hoping that’s all they have in common. She tells Nathan to wish her luck and jets. Amy tells Nathan that she doesn’t blame Maxie, especially since it’s not over between them.

Valentin tells Lulu that the hearing is a mere formality. Lulu says that she and Dante have custody, but Valentin reminds her that it’s temporary custody. The charges were dropped, and there’s no proof of criminal wrongdoing on his part. They’re just as fit to parent as Dante and Lulu. Lulu says the only reason he got back together with Nina was to score points in family court. Really nice, since Nina has been nothing but gracious. Nina says they got back together because they love each other, and Lulu tells her that she hopes Nina isn’t counting on Charlotte being included in their life. Valentin tells her he wants joint custody, because he wants to act in his daughter’s best interest; does she?Lulu says they have different ideas of what that means. Valentin suggests all four of them go with Charlotte for her first day of school. Lulu thinks that’s a good idea, but wishes they had even more family members to join them. She tells him her mom is still in Europe, taking care of Spencer –  remember him? Nina says it’s hard to forget false accusations, and Lulu says that Valentin killing Spencer’s father is hard to forget too.

Stella tells TJ that she’s cramping Curtis’s style. He never said it, but he’s been waiting for her to go since she got there. TJ says they’ll both miss her. She tells him that she wanted to make sure he had a good head on his shoulders, and that Curtis had his screwed on straight. Now that it’s confirmed, her work here is done.

Curtis tells Jordan that deep down Stella wants him to be happy, and Jordan makes him happy. He’ll do whatever it takes to convince her, but he can’t figure things out on an empty stomach. He suggests breakfast, but Jordan says she can wait. They get busy again.

Ava listens to Griff’s message. He feels terrible, and tells her that he doesn’t want it to get in the way of her recovery. He wants to fix things, but even if that’s not possible, he’s her friend. Ugh. Friend zone.

Elizabeth sees Griff in the chapel. She wants to say a quick prayer before her shift. He’s surprised that she’s working, but she says it’s good to keep busy. He hopes she isn’t doing it to avoid her feelings. Elizabeth says he sounds like Franco, and Griff says that’s a first. She says that Franco can be very perceptive, but can understand how he would seem.

Scotty tells Franco about Lee passing away. He says it’s not like Franco knew his grandfather, and didn’t want to bother him. Franco says he’s Scotty’s son, and hugs him.

Valentin meets Ava at The Floating Rib. She accuses him of picking a public place on purpose, to give her incentive to take the deal. He tells her that he was there already, and as for the deal, he just needs a yes or no.

Maxie walks into Nina’s office. She says Nina looks great, and Nina says that Maxie is probably sensing she’s back with Valentin. Maxie says she’s back in Port Charles for good. Nina says Nathan must be excited to be in the same time zone. She tells Maxie that she has to prepare for a meeting, and Maxie says it’s with her. Nina says of course – Max Jones – and asks if she was in Portland figuring out to catfish her old employer, Maxie says that she didn’t think Nina would see her otherwise. She wants to come back. Seriously? Nina didn’t give pause over that name?

Amy tells Nathan just one more time. and Nathan says she tells him that every time. She explains that Quinn has arranged for a book launch party, and Man Landers needs to be there. She talked to her lawyer, but the fine print states that if Man Landers doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, the contract is null and void. He suggests finding someone else, but she says Quinn has already met him, and it would raise questions. She’ll have to give the advance money back, and won’t have anything to pay for her brother’s recovery.

Stella tells Tj that she’ll visit, or he can come to Baltimore and she’ll take him out for real crab cakes. She says med school is a serious undertaking, and as long as he keeps his eyes on the prize, it’s fine with her. She’ll be back sooner if Curtis can’t keep his act together. Curtis and Jordan walk in holding hands.

Scotty says Franco isn’t known for his affection, and Franco says he’s just being supportive. Scotty tells him that he misses Lee every day. He was kind, fair, and had unshakable integrity, none of which Scotty has ever lived up to, but he knows Lee loved him. Franco says he doesn’t know a whole lot about the family or his own life. Scotty asks if it’s something in particular, and Franco says his relationship with Jason, and shows him the photo.

Scotty says that it’s Franco and some blonde kid. Franco says Monica would say it’s Jason. Scotty says even he looked like that as a kid, and wonders where Franco is going with this. Franco tells Scotty that he spent most of his adult life obsessing about Jason, and this proves they knew each other. Scotty says it proves him and whoever it is, happened to cross paths. Franco points out that they’re dressed identically, and thinks it’s odd. Scotty says that doesn’t mean anything, and it’s just Franco and a friend. Franco says he didn’t have any friends; he made them up. He’s thinking his imaginary friend might not have been imaginary.

Jordan asks if Curtis wants to do this by himself. He tells her that from now on, they do everything together. Curtis tells Stella that he didn’t come to make trouble, but they have something to settle. Jordan and he are together, and staying together. They’ll have to figure out a way to live with that peacefully.

Nina says she offered Maxie her job back, and she declined. Maxie says circumstances have changed – to Nina’s benefit.  She shows Nina her portfolio. Nina tries not to act interested, but she is she. She tells Maxie that she’ll have no problem finding a job. She didn’t fire her because of her work, but because she didn’t trust her

Elizabeth says she knows something is bothering Griff. He doesn’t have to say anything, but she’ll listen. He says that he did something stupid, but he’s not sure he knew he was doing it. He treated someone that he cared about clumsily, which is a really strange word choice. Elizabeth suggests an apology, but Griff says he needs to do more. She asks what it would take, and he says figuring out how he feels.

Valentin is surprised that Ava agreed to meet. She says he’s not her favorite person, and he says she’s in no position to compare transgressions. She tells him that she thought she could piece together a life, but if there a chance to look normal. she wants it. He suggests they talk terms.

Scotty says he has no recollection of the picture, and Franco is creating a half-baked theory. He says they look like a million other blonde kids. Maybe it was a coincidence they had the same outfit on, met by chance, and his mom took the picture. Franco tells him that he’s grasping at straws, and Scotty asks why he wants to revisit the past. Franco says he wants to know what it means.

TJ wishes Curtis and Jordan well. Stella says so this is where Curtis was, and he says sorry to worry her, but he doesn’t know if she would have felt any better knowing where he really was. He knows how she feels, but they have to find a way to work together. He loves her, but he loves Jordan.

Nathan wants to do what he can. Amy says that he made huge difference in Chet’s life. He’s doing a lot better, but rehab is tough, and he isn’t always the happiest camper. She wants to move him to Port Charles, where he can be surrounded by familiar faces. Nathan says that Chet is lucky to have her; not everyone would do so much. Amy says he would. Look what he did for a complete stranger. He’s continued to come through over and over, but she doesn’t know any other way. He admits being Man Landers isn’t his favorite thing, but he doesn’t regret it, and won’t stop now. He has one condition – that he gets wardrobe approval. Amy hugs him.

Nina says she valued Maxie’s work, but relationships are based on trust, and Maxie went behind her back. Maxie says she’s right. Nina’s family is none of her business, and she has no right to insert herself in it, but was it the worst betrayal she ever suffered? If she can forgive others, why not Maxie?

Valentin has two contracts. The first is Ava’s agreement to have the surgery done. Ava gives him photo of a 16th century tapestry. She says she thought it would look good at Wyndemere, and add considerable value to his assets. He’s like, cool, and says the other contract is a retraction of her statement about Nikolas. She doesn’t want to sign it, but he says that’s the deal. She says the tapestry is the deal. He tells her if that’s the case, she’s wasting his time and her own.

Amy has no idea how to repay Nathan. She says she’ll dedicate her next book to him – the man behind the woman behind the man. He just wants his identity not to be revealed. He’s thinking about Chet too. She tells him she can name on one hand the people who know – her, Nathan, Nina, and Maxie – they’re totally in the clear. Nathan looks like he’s not too sure about that.

Nina tells Maxie that she might consider giving her a second chance, but needs more than a promise of loyalty. She wants something valuable, something Crimson needs that no one else has. She tells Maxie she has meeting to prepare for.

Curtis tells Stella that he hopes she understands, and they can be family. She says that she loves them too much to sacrifice a future with them now. She leaves, and Curtis is like, wow, he saw that going worse. TJ realizes that she left her phone, and follows her out.

Outside, Stella says she doesn’t know what she’d do without him. He says the way she handled that was pretty impressive. She says her illness has taught her to deal with adversity, and not let adversity deal with her. TJ suggests that they all have dinner before she leaves, but she says she’s reconsidered her plans. Port Charles suits her fine for now.

Griff asks Elizabeth if she has any words of wisdom. She tells him that she would go and talk it out, and make sure the last words spoken are how he really feels.

Lulu and Maxie are having lunch at The Floating Rib. Lulu stares at Ava. Maxie asks if they can put their lunch on hold.  She tells Lulu that the future of her career depends on something, and she’ll give her the details later.

Valentin tells Ava that Spencer has the mistaken belief that her statement will help in his wrongful death suit, but nothing could be further from the truth. She asks why he wants her to rescind it then. He says that he wants to spare Charlotte from the whole mess of a trial, and Spencer from hearing that Nikolas might have faked his death a second time. Valentin says there’s no proof he’s dead, and doesn’t want Spencer to wonder if his father abandoned him. Ava insists that she knows Valentin killed Nickolas. Valentin says she has two choices; she can look like that for the rest of her life, or sign.

Scotty says that he won’t stand in Franco’s way, and Franco says he was hoping that Scotty would volunteer to be an asset. Scotty tells him that he didn’t even know Franco was his son until a few years ago. Franco asks who he might talk to, and Scotty suggests Monica. Franco is hesitant, since Jason is in a coma. Scotty tells him to go to the one who set everything in motion. Heather Webber.

On Monday, Franco believes that he and Jason were always connected, Sam wonders if Jason has woken up, and Lulu wants to know what that was about.

🐶  I watched Reservoir Dogs last weekend, and now Stuck in the Middle with You is Stuck in my Head. If you’ve never seen Quentin Tarantino’s first effort, and don’t mind a lot of blood, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. A story about a heist gone wrong, it also has a killer cast. Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Tarantino himself, kick ass and get their asses kicked. It leaves no doubt that Tarantino found his true calling early on.

📌 Quotes of the Week

Learning starts with failure. The first failure is the beginning of education. – John Hersey

Wherever the truth is injured, defend it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you fall, make it part of the dance.  – Luann de Lesseps

⛵ Because It

Take a look at the It Experience where there are a lot of clowns. I wondered if the somewhat accommodating clown was pissed off because he couldn’t find his nose. The lit up floor with the bugs is fantastic. It would be great for a Halloween party.

https://the-line-up.com/the-it-experience?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Lineup%20Weekly%20Tuesday%20Newsletter%202017-08-29&utm_term=The%20Lineup

ItClowns

Battle of the It Clowns

Aug26

August 25, 2017 – Nina Says No, Finding Fantastic Beasts, Tossed Thoughts & Quotes

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

Holy! It’s been a long week.

General Hospital

Dante comes home to snacks on the table and Lulu dressed in a baseball outfit holding a bat. I wonder if Dante has ever seen The Warriors.

Kiki is trying to get to the bottom of organic chemistry, and Dillon tells her that he has something she can get to the bottom of – a margarita. She says if she’s going to get into the accelerated med school program, she can’t be sitting around drinking.

Ned closes the blinds, and looks like he has a headache. Michael comes in, and wants to talk about ELQ. He asks if there was a coup while he wasn’t looking.

Valentin has made dinner reservations. Nina says she’ll give him her answer then. She asks if he’s going to hang around her office all day, and that he’d told her he was a patient man. He says he is, and she tells him he’s being tested on that.

Scotty thinks it’s a good thing that the judge was quick, but I think just the opposite. Alexis tells Julian he was honest and compelling on the stand. He hopes his honesty was enough to save him. Ava and Griff show up at the courtroom. Ava asks if he’s there to see his father get justice, but he’s there to offer her support.

Court is back in session. The defendant rises. Conspiracy, guilty; hindering prosecution, guilty; criminal facilitation, guilty. Guess that honesty thing didn’t work. The judge has an opening in four weeks for a sentencing hearing. Scotty asks for Julian to remain free on bail in the meantime, but Julian wants immediate sentencing. He says every day is one more day that his family has to suffer. Prosecutor Will Smith is down with saving time and money.

Ned asks if he made a decision Michael isn’t happy with. Michael says that ELQ made a donation to Mayor Lomax, and Ned tells him that they need her to back their fracking whatever. Michael doesn’t want the company tied to Lomax or fracking. Ned says Michael should have briefed him. Michael says if Ned is setting the groundwork for a takeover, he’ll have a fight on his hands.

Nina tells Valentin that he’ll get her answer at dinner – take or leave it. Valentin takes it. Nina tells Nelle to come in as soon as she’s sure Valentin is gone. She wants Nelle to get ten of the best cocktail looks they have in her size – it’s a make or break for her marriage. Nelle thought they were divorced, but Nina says that’s just details. She needs to look better than she ever has tonight.

Lulu gives Dante beer and a pretzel. She says their quality time has taken a backset to their jobs and kids. He wonders where the kids are, and she’s locked them outside. Not really; they’re being looked after elsewhere. She tells him that he’d better be careful or he’ll strike out. He doesn’t though, and they start to get busy on the couch. I understand role-playing, but this is weird.

Nina tells Nelle, no, no, no, none of them are good. Nelle says that’s everything, and Nina says it can’t be. Nelle pulls one out, saying it’s beautiful. Nina says it has to be perfect. Nelle says she’s happy for Nina and Charlotte. Nina says she’s assuming they’re getting back together. Nelle doesn’t think she’d be going through all of this trouble if they weren’t. Me neither.

Lulu tells Dante that they have to make up for lost time, so of course the doorbell rings. It’s Valentin and Charlotte. He hopes they’re not interrupting. Figures.

Michael says that Ned wanted him to be CEO, and he was going to concentrate on his music. He asks if Ned’s focus has changed. He tells Ned that they’re investing in renewable energy, and fracking doesn’t go with the plan. Ned says he knows decisions have to be made quickly, he was in charge, and sorry. He tells Michael that he has no interest in taking over ELQ.

The judge asks if Julian wants to address the court. Scotty tells him to make it good; maybe he can shave time off the sentence. Julian says his crimes nearly cost the people he loves their lives, and destroyed their trust, which is worse than whatever the court can impose. He says they deserve a better life without him, and asks to be kept away from them. The judge says that his family suffered grievous harm, as did many of his fellow citizens, and he cast doubt on his character when he threatened a witness. Yeah, telling Winston he was going to kill him was probably a bad move. She agrees he’s a danger to his family, but no less to the community. She imposes a term in Pentonville for no more than twenty years and no less than fifteen. Court adjourned. I’m wondering how this is going to play out, since Julian just signed a new contract.

Dante asks Valentin to what do they owe this pleasure? Valentin tells Charlotte to put her PJs on, while they talk. Valentin tells them that something pressing came up. He says it’s a sacrifice not to spend time with Charlotte, but he’s hoping it pays off in the long run. His and Charlotte’s lives will be better if it pans out, and so will theirs.

Dillon tries to entice Kiki. She says he can parade around naked all he wants, but she won’t be distracted. He wishes she could find time for both her studies and their relationship. She suggests he quit Crimson. He says that’s his job, and she says studying is hers, and he needs to understand that. Nina calls, asking if Dillon’s passport is valid. He tells Kiki that he has to fly to Morocco tonight, and asks if she wants to come.

Michael tells Ned sorry for overreacting, but fracking doesn’t jive with ELQ’s long-term goals. He says that Ned has been supportive, but they should have communicated more. Michael tells Ned that he has valuable insights and experience, and asks if he’d be interested in working for him at ELQ.

Ava tells Julian that she’s sorry, and asks if she can do anything. He tells her to just take care of herself. Griff tells Ava how sorry he is. Ava says that Julian did it to himself, just like she did with her face. Julian tells Alexis that it could have been worse. He meant what he said, and his real sentence is knowing what he did to her and their family. He hopes she can move on and forget about him. She starts crying, and Julian is led away.

Michael thinks the more Quartermaines at ELQ, the better, and Ned says he doesn’t have a grasp of their history. Michael says the company will be stronger if they work together. Ned asks what he had in mind, but Michael says it just came to him, but he’s thinking VP of new business. He has to pick up Nelle, but asks Ned to think about it. He thinks it would be good for ELQ and the family.

Nina wants Dillon to fly to Morocco and do the shoot himself, since the photographer got too handsy with the models, and isn’t working out. He tells Kiki that he can have Nina make room for her. Kiki says if she misses the test, she’ll have to wait a year for the next one, and will miss the opportunity for the accelerated program.

Nina talks the model down on the phone, saying she’s on her way. She says that she’s shocked at the photographer’s behavior, and already has a replacement. Nelle purchases the tickets, and Nina tells her three tickets; Nelle is going too. Nelle gets all excited, but Nina says it’s not a vacation; they’re in full damage control mode. Nelle says they’re all set, and the flight leaves in two hours. Nina is like, oh no, remembering her dinner with Valentin.

Lulu wonders how anything coming from Valentin will benefit them. Valentin says they’ve probably wondered why he stays in Port Charles, when he has properties everywhere. Lulu says that she has custody of Charlotte, but he says only temporarily. Allegations can’t deny him custody. It’s just her opinion that he’s a horrible person. He’s been custodial parent since Charlotte was born, and Lulu could lose, but he has a third option where no one loses. If all goes well tonight, he’ll have every reason to stay. He and Lulu can present united front. He’s decided Charlotte’s life is better with both parents in it, and hopes they reach the same conclusion, for Charlotte’s sake. He leaves, smiling to himself.

Charlotte is asleep. Lulu talks to Dante about how much Charlotte loves ballet. She thinks Valentin can exploit Charlotte’s feelings to get what he wants, but Dante thinks he has a good point. (And really, if she likes ballet, why shouldn’t her father encourage that? I’m sure he was indulging her before Lulu came along.) Dante says that Valentin could end up with full custody. Lulu says obviously Charlotte loves him. She’s too young to know what he is, and he has two very different sides. He’d do anything for his little girl, but he’s also a monster. If she lets Charlotte have one, she has to accept the other.

Nina tells Valentin that she can’t do it.

Nelle forgot Michael was coming. He says he’ll try not to be offended, but knows how she can make it up. She explains that she has to go to Morocco. The shoot is falling apart. The photographer is hitting on the models, and they’re threatening to walk. He asks if he can come along, saying he can write it off as business. She asks what happens to ELQ while he’s gone. It’s going to totally fold. What does she think? Geez.

Ned tells Dillon about Michael’s proposition. Dillon thinks it’s great. Ned says it’s Michael’s ELQ. Dillon says that Ned told him Michael is a shark, and Ned says he’s a shark with a different vision. Dillon says if it’s about pride, he has to get over it. Michael admires and respects him. If he goes back to ELQ, he can carve out a new role, and draw the family closer together. Isn’t that why he took the name, to actually be a Quartermaine?

Griff asks if Ava is ready to go, but she tells him to go ahead. He has a life to get back to. The only person she had waiting for her is her brother, and he just got sent to prison. For all he’s done wrong and made her mad, he’s always been there for her. They’ve been there for each other, but there was nothing she could do to save him from himself. She thinks he wanted to impress Alexis, and got what he asked for – the next twenty years rotting in a cell, like she’ll rot in the penthouse. She knows what she did, but she says with him, it was just a gesture, and now he has to live with the reality.

A reporter comes busting into the empty courtroom with a camera, and sticks a mic in Ava’s face. Like this would happen. He asks if she’s glad he’s going to prison, and goes, oh wow, you are permanently disfigured. Griff goes after him, and smashes the camera. The reporter starts squawking that Griff assaulted them, but Griff says that they cornered and abused Ava. She threatens to sue them, and tells them what great lawyers she has, and they leave. She asks what Griff was thinking. He says he was defending her, but apparently he didn’t need to. He thinks he saw the real Ava Jerome, and tells her welcome back.

Scotty tells Alexis that he’s going to get a couple of martinis; he hates to lose. She says he was right; Julian shouldn’t have testified. He says it was Winston’s testimony and Julian threatening him that cooked his goose. He’s thinking appeal, but Alexis says the judge is good, and he shouldn’t give Julian false hope. Scotty thinks she should talk to Julian and give him some encouragement. She says that he doesn’t want her there, and told her to move on. Scotty says good luck with that.

Julian is shown to his cell. Fastest. Prisoner. Processing. Ever. Nina must be in Morocco by now.

Kiki tells Dillon that she wants to go, but she can’t. Dillon gets it, but thought it would be fun to get away together, and doesn’t like being without her. She says it’s only a few days. She’ll be there when he gets back, with no book in sight. They kiss.

Nelle says she’d love for Michael to come, but doesn’t want his job to suffer. Ned calls, and tells Michael that he thinks he gave the wrong impression about the offer. Michael says he did seem underwhelmed, and Ned says it’s a lot to process. Michael tells him that the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks it’s a good idea. Ned says that he’s intrigued, but Michael has to promise no scheming or back-stabbing. He’s had more than enough of the family’s machinations with ELQ. Michael says that he has to leave town to check on their South African holding (wink-wink), and he’d like Ned to sit in for him, and see how it feels. Ned swears he won’t steer the company off a cliff.

Lulu tells Dante it’s not exactly the romantic evening she’d planned. I don’t want to know. He says they managed to squeeze some romance in, until Valentin put the squeeze on them. Lulu wonders what the plan is, but Dante isn’t worried. He says Valentin isn’t going to change. He’s going to screw up one day, and they’ll be waiting.

Valentin asks Nina, so the answer is no? She says it’s not no, but no, she can’t give her answer right now. She has to leave for a fashion emergency, and will give her answer when she gets back. He’s like, why are you doing this? She tells him that he’s sexy when he’s frustrated, and she’ll see him soon.

On Monday, Griff tells Ava that he cares about her, Alexis talks to Sam about Julian, and Kristina brings Valerie to lesbian night at The Floating Rib. Sounds like fun!

🚑 I’m not into GH for the couples – I’m more interested in the spy stuff, the Quartermaines, and seeing what Roger Howarth will come up with – but I do like Valentin and Nina. I hope her answer is yes, and I wonder if he’s going to show up in Marrakesh. I also like Franco and anyone, for the reason I already mentioned. My pick wouldn’t be Elizabeth though. I don’t know who, but not her.

🦄 Occasionally, I recommend a movie, usually one that’s on cable, because the movie theater costs so much now, you have to take out a second mortgage on your house to pay for a ticket. God forbid you want to buy popcorn. Luckily, when I do get the chance to go, there’s a dollar store close by and I have a big purse. A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure to watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on one of the movie channels (okay, I forgot which one – either HBO or SHO). In a nutshell, this guy has a bunch of fantastic beasts he keeps in a bag he carries, which also leads to another world, and he’s being chased by some people who want to steal them. A hapless stranger ends up along for the ride, so there’s also a fish-out-of-water element. It’s a spin-off of Harry Potter, but since I’m unfamiliar with those books/films, it obviously stands on its own. While the story was delightful, the beasts were truly fantastic, and it’s worth watching for that alone. CGI has come a long way from the days of Night of the Lepus. While the films I enjoy aren’t often the ones that leave you with a smile on your face, this left me with one, which is rare.

🦁 I did remember to watch Zoo this week. Patting my own back…

👀 I’m afraid to watch Game of Thrones on Sunday. It took me a good three days to recover from the last episode. I also want to cry, because it will be who-knows-when in 2018 until we get more. And even then, I think it’s only six episodes. Write faster, George R.R. Martin! I will need sustenance through this long hiatus.

Quotes of the Week

Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right. – Angie Thomas

When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too. – Paulo Coelho

Fear nothing. Do what you want to do, but be educated and intelligent and confident about it. – Idris Elba

🐻 Whenever I hear Idris Elba’s name, I think of this poem: Algy met a bear. The bear met Algy. The bear was bulgy. The bulge was Algy. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the rhythm.

We are who we know ourselves to be, and we are what we love. – Laverne Cox   Great. This means I’m dogs and brownies.

You’re in charge of your own book. – Kevin Hart

Weekend-Decisions

 

Aug19

August 18, 2017 – Nina has a List, Shark Sunday & Quotes to Apply to Your Life

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Ava and Griff kiss. She tells him that she needs him, and takes off his shirt. Then we all wake up.

Griff asks Kiki if Anna has checked in for her phlebotomy. Kiki doesn’t know, but says her mom is late for therapy. He tells her about going to the concert with Ava, and she says whatever he’s doing, keep it up.

Anna and Emma are at Kelly’s, but Emma isn’t very hungry. Anna asks if something is bothering her. Emma needs to figure out how to return the heart back to Spencer. It wouldn’t be right to keep it, since she’s going out with Leif. (Going out? Isn’t she like, twelve?) She wonders why relationships are so complicated. Anna wants to check something before she returns it, and Emma asks if she thinks there’s something suspicious about the diamond.

Nina and Valentin meet at the MetroCourt. He shows her pictures of the new rescue horses. He tells her that she should come visit. He’d love to see her there, and back at home.

Franco and Elizabeth go to his studio. He says there are bad memories there, but she suggests they make new ones. They kiss, but he thinks she should go, and they can pick up where they left off at home. She asks if he’s trying to get rid of her.

Anna says suspicious is a strong word. She just wants to ascertain what it is. Emma doesn’t think it’s a real diamond; she doesn’t think Spencer would give away something like that. Anna says she doesn’t think so either, but if it is, she wonders how he got it. Like this would be hard, considering the level of wealth they had at Wyndemere. Nikolas could have had diamonds lying around all over the place. Emma asks if Spencer could be involved in espionage.

Valentin asks what herculean feats he has to do to get Nina’s trust back. She says Hercules was a god, and she doesn’t hold him to that standard, but she isn’t convinced he can attain the standards she does have. He says he’ll find a way.

Franco tells Elizabeth that if he had his way, they’d be home and making up for lost time. He says it’s going to be a mess while he works. She says that she doesn’t mind one, since she has three boys. He says he works better alone, and the faster it’s done, the faster he’s home. She says she’ll see him later then. When she’s gone, he starts spray painting a canvas. There’s a song part, but it’s not a romantic ballad; it’s more punk, and actually pretty good.

Kiki asks Ava why she canceled her appointment. She tells Kiki that she felt feverish (ha-ha), and thought she should stay home. Kiki wants her to see a doctor; it could be serious, since her immune system is compromised. Ava says that she’ll see Finn later, but Kiki says he’s away. She offers to ask Griff to fill in, but Ava doesn’t want that.

Franco slashes the canvas with a box cutter. He realizes he’s cut himself, and drips blood on it. Now there’s a true artist.

Anna tells Emma never discuss espionage in public. She says diamonds of this size are precious, and have a complicated history. Emma says that she has to give it back, and Anna tells her that she will, if it’s rightfully his. Emma wonders if Spencer stole it, but Anna says although he’s precocious to a fault, he’s not a thief. Anna takes the diamond out, and gives Emma the heart. Wow, that came out easily. How Emma hasn’t lost it, since she’s been carting it around, I’ll never know.

Nina has a list for Valentin and he wants to tick things off. First is Anna and her obsession. Nina says that his promises evaporated whenever Anna came around. Valentin says it’s over. He was a prisoner of his past, but priorities have changed. Next is to make peace with Spencer. Valentin says he tried, and got the olive branch thrown back at him. Nina asks about the wrongful death suit, and Valentin says that his lawyers are working on having it thrown out of court. The last thing he wants is a trial, and although Spencer doesn’t know it, it’s the last thing he wants too. Nina asks why, and he tells her that abandonment by Nikolas would be brought up. He’s faked his death before, and they never found a body. Nina says it’s an interesting take, but she’s not sure if it’s true. Valentin tells her the truth doesn’t matter in court; it’s which lawyers have the better argument, but he doesn’t think Spencer understands that. She tells him to put that one in brackets, and moves on to Charlotte’s custody.

Ava tells Kiki that she doesn’t want to bother Griff; he’s not her doctor. Kiki doesn’t think he’d mind, and  says that he told her how much fun he had at the concert. Ava tells her about the bee sting and how she used the lavender treatment on him. Kiki says funny, she’ll treat a doctor, but not let him treat her. Kiki won’t let up, so Ava says she’ll go, but there’s no need to trouble Griff.

Elizabeth apologizes for being late to work. Griff says he covered for her. He takes it that things are going well at home. Elizabeth isn’t happy about Hayden disappearing, but having Franco back helps. He tells her about the bee sting, and Anna comes in. Griff goes to check on the preparation for her procedure, and Anna asks to talk to Elizabeth. She takes out the diamond.

Franco acts like a ringmaster introducing an act. He opens a box of paintings, and starts trashing them. It’s not like they’re great paintings though. More like amateur graffiti.

Kiki brings Ava to the hospital. She tries to escape, but Kiki won’t let her. A doctor takes Ava to an examining room. Griff asks Kiki if she’s okay. Kiki tells him that Ava had a fever, and she convinced her to come in. She tells Griff that she just got a cryptic text message, and asks if he can look after Ava if she’s not there when Ava is finished. He says he will.

Anna tells Elizabeth about the diamond, wondering how Spencer got his hands on it. Elizabeth thinks she should talk to Laura, but Anna says she lived at Wyndemere too. She wonders if it could be one of Hayden’s diamonds, and Elizabeth says Nikolas did spill them once. Maybe he didn’t find them all.

Valentin says that Lulu has been less than cooperative, but Nina says her attitude is understandable, given she was separated from her child for so long and Charlotte doesn’t need her parents at each other’s throats. Valentin says he has to admit that Lulu is good for Charlotte, and is willing to entertain shared custody. Nina sarcastically says he sounds so sincere, but she thinks he’s using it to manipulate her. He says he doesn’t like giving up what’s his, and fights for what he loves. She can see him as manipulative or as a man who loves her.

Franco talks about himself in the third person, saying that providing the work is dark and depraved, he can achieve unique commercial success, making him rich and famous. For a moment, he confuses himself as a genius, when he’s nothing but a garden variety psycho. He slashes at the paintings. Kiki comes in, and tells him stop.

He says he’s getting rid of an eyesore that comes from a deep dark soul. He’s no longer that man, and doesn’t want to be reminded of who he was. He got them back so he could erase that part of him forever. He says he doesn’t want Elizabeth to see them. Kiki says he must be moving in with her, and that’s what the text was about that she’s on her own with the apartment. She says that she’s happy for him; he deserves it. She tells him Picasso had his blue period, and he had a dark blue period, but it’s still art. She says she read an article about his retirement being premature, and says some artists would kill to paint like that. He tells her that’s a poor choice of words. She says that she understands it represents a part of his life that he’s not proud of, but his art still has a place in world, although maybe not with him. She thinks she knows where to send them. Franco suggests a landfill, but she says no, her mom.

Griff sees Ava coming out, and the doctor says it’s nothing to worry about, just a mild case of influenza. Griff says that he’ll see she get to bed (omg, all the double entendres today with these two), and Ava says she can handle it herself. He tells her that he’ll get her home and into bed, and she tells him to stop saying that, and I laugh. She says Kiki will do it, and Griff tells her that Kiki had to leave.

Elizabeth tells Anna to take it easy before she goes into full-scale investigation mode. Anna wonders how Spencer got his hands on the diamond.

Valentin promises Nina that he’ll never to turn to Anna again; he’ll make a contract. He’ll never be around Anna again, but he’ll be polite in public. He promises that Charlotte will always come first, ahead of his work and ambition. He accepts Nina as his equal in every way, an individual with a life and a career and dreams. Nina says that’s everyone’s fantasy, and he tells her to put the ring back on and come home. He’ll spend the rest of his life making sure she doesn’t regret it. She asks if she does, can he promise he won’t do anything to disrupt it or take him away from her? Valentin can’t make that promise, and Nina looks at him like, what?

Kiki tells Franco that his catalog of work is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Elizabeth and the boys could use the money, and if Elizabeth doesn’t want it, he can give it to her for the rent he’s sticking her with or med school. He can turn something bad into something good, and even put it in a trust for the boys, and it would be good for him too. She says destroying them doesn’t change the past. If he gives them back to art, the world might redeem them. He makes people step out of their comfort zone, which is a lot to achieve. She tells him to put them out in the world, and let people react the way they want. She reminds him that he told her an artist doesn’t own his work; he puts it out in the world where it’s transformed in its own way, and it gives back to the world. Or something like that. She asks if that was bull, or did he mean it? Before she leaves, she tells him welcome back and says that she missed him.

Ava keeps punching the elevator button, and says this is what she gets for coming outside. The next time Griff gets the bright idea to pity someone, find someone else. Griff says that he’s her friend. She tells him that she’ll wait outside for Kiki, and to find some other soul to save. After she finally gets in the elevator, Elizabeth asks what that was about. Griff says he wishes he knew.

Valentin says that Nina asked for the truth. He can give her his life and love, and share his heart and daughter with her, but he can’t promise what she’s asking. He’s already done things that can’t be undone, and they come with certain associations. He acknowledges that the criminal circumstances in his life might be complicated. Nina wonders what will happen if he pulls the rug out from under her again. He admits to screwing up, but never stopped loving her. He spent his life chasing money instead of happiness, because he didn’t know what happiness was. Then he had Charlotte, and met Nina, and now he knows.  He wants her in his life for the rest of his life, but he’s not making false promises. He’s done bad things and can’t promise that he won’t again, but he can promise he won’t do bad things to her or Charlotte. He asks if she can take him for who he is. Anna walks in, and he says right on time.

Anna goes to a private room, and meets with a man who works with the WSB. She says he examined the Berlin diamonds, and asks if it’s a possible stray stone. He studies it, and Anna looks at it with bug eyes, like she’s really into this.

Nina tells Valentin that maybe she can do better than that, and maybe she and Charlotte deserve better. Valentin is sure of it, but he can only give her the truth. He’ll do everything he said, but he’s not begging anymore. She says she knows that, and he leaves.

Anna asks the guy if it’s a Berlin diamond. He asks how she got ahold of it.

Back at Ava’s apartment, Ava yells at Kiki for abandoning her, and says she was a few seconds away from calling an Uber. Kiki says she asked Griff to fill in, and Ava insists she’s not that helpless or needy. Kiki says they just want to help; why push them away? Ava tells Kiki to let her take care of herself. She doesn’t want Kiki getting the flu, so Kiki agrees to go, saying she’ll check in later. When she’s gone, Ava looks at herself for the umpteenth time. She asks how anyone could ever feel anything for her but pity.

Elizabeth tells Griff that Ava’s behavior is natural when struggling with recovery, and not to take it personally. He says that he didn’t see it coming, and wants Ava to know her life isn’t over. He wants to help her realize she can live a productive life, and he genuinely likes her. Elizabeth reminds her about how he’d told her that Franco was redeemable, and he was right. If anyone can save Ava’s soul, it’s him.

Franco goes to Ava’s apartment and tells her that he has a proposition.

On Monday, Ned talks to Alexis, Curtis wonders what Stella is up to, and Jordan asks Jason why he wants to protect whoever shot Sonny.

👦 Just in case you didn’t know, Spencer gets shipped off to school because he gets shipped off to the other show he does IRL. I forget the name of it. He only does his GH gig when the other show is on hiatus.

🌪 I spent last Sunday watching the entire Sharknado franchise. Despite how I like to present myself to the world, I love this juvenile guest-starred-to-the-hilt mess. The jokes are terrible, but in an Airplane! kind of way. In acting school, they’ll tell you one of the ways humor works is taking stupid things seriously (okay, I’m paraphrasing), and they seem to have that down. But for me, the cameos are the best part. Absolutely everyone who is anyone (and some who aren’t) eventually shows up in one of these films. Politicians, wrestlers, relatively big names, has-beens, and lots of reality TV stars. I was glad to see my girl, Kari Wuhrer (Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time) get some work in Sharknado 2: The Second One, and Mark McGrath once again surprised me with how good he actually is. Since the second film is based in NYC, it remains my favorite, although I did wonder where everyone got all those pitchforks. It’s not exactly like there’s a feed store, or even a Home Depot, on every corner. However, I found it realistic that everyone stood around and watched dangerous situations from just a few feet away. Yep, sitting ducks, all of us, since we do not know when to leave. I’d missed some of Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens the first time around, and loved seeing Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as part of a family who owned a chainsaw store. They had him dirtied up, but I saw him once at a horror convention. Having never seen him sans makeup before, I was quite surprised to find out who he was when I asked, Who is that handsome man? Kellita Smith reprised her Z Nation character, Warren, in the fourth film, and had some banter about zombies, basically plugging the show, which was fine with me. The fifth effort, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, heavily featured Russell Hodgkinson, also from Z Nation (Doc), and a surprisingly decent performance from Tiffany Pollard (aka New York, pick from several reality shows). My only complaint was the very heavy product placement of a brand that needs none from me. The ever-present Ian Ziering (Fin Shepard) and Tara Reid (April Shepard) both made an insanely smart move getting involved with this series. It was probably a surprise to them too, that Sharknado somehow became the part of pop culture that it is. At this point, they also produce the films, so good for them. I like to see the undersharkdog win.

🐬 I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. They’re sharks. They’re scary. No one wants to get eaten. But I’ve been eaten. And I’m here to tell you it takes a lot more than to bring a good man down. A lot more that to bring a New Yorker down. – Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) just before he cuts a falling shark in half with a chainsaw

✈ Steve McCroskey: Jacobs, I want to know absolutely everything that’s happened up till now.  ✈ Jacobs: Well, let’s see. First the earth cooled. And then the dinosaurs came, but they got too big and fat, so they all died and they turned into oil. And then the Arabs came and they bought Mercedes Benzes. And Prince Charles started wearing all of Lady Di’s clothes. I couldn’t believe it. – Lloyd Bridges and Stephen Stucker, respectively, Airplane II: The Sequel (On a sad note, the extremely funny Stephen Stucker passed away from AIDS at the young age of 38.)

Good Advice

If you keep your eyes open, your life becomes easier and clearer with maturity. – Ewan McGregor

Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create. – Roy T. Bennett

You have to learn to get up from the table when love is not being served. – Nina Simone

A key component of wisdom is fearlessness, which is not the absence of fear, but rather not letting our fears get in the way. – Ariana Huffington

The year we did a Sharknado theme for Halloween…

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May17

May 16, 2017 – Nelle is Found, Julius Visits Randal, Naked People on a Boat & Some Extra Stuff

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Michael sees Nina at the MetroCourt and asks if she’s spoken to Nelle, but she hasn’t, and she hasn’t checked her messages. He says she might want to listen to the message Nelle left; she’s quitting. Charlotte comes running up to Nina. Lulu has her there for ice cream. Lulu tells Nina that no one picked Charlotte up from school, so they called her. Nelle was a no-show.

That’s because she’s unconscious on the docks.

Elizabeth and Franco bring the boys home. Franco tells Jake that he totally scored with his magic act, and they’ll open the rest of the presents tomorrow, when Jason and Sam are there. Ack. This show has a bit of a problem with continuity at times – they said they were doing that yesterday. Elizabeth and Franco go to the kitchen, and Jake tells Aiden not to tell anyone what he saw, not even Cameron. It’s a secret.

Griff is washing up, since we have to see him shirtless as often as possible. He makes a call to Anna and leaves a message. He says he wants to make sure she’s taking care of herself, and if she needs anything, he’s there.

In London, Anna tries to speak, and the doctor calls for a sedative. He prepares the injection, and she says, no, it’s a mistake. He tells Sister Caroline that the patient has to be sedated at all times.

We revisit fake Anna and Valentin’s scene from yesterday. She says she only wants him, and he rips the chimera necklace off of her. He says she just wants the Chimera, and after all this time, he’s a step ahead of her. She squawks about the necklace, and he says that can be fixed, but the watch probably can’t. He tells her that it’s just as well. He doesn’t want anyone listening in on what’s going to happen.

The doctor tells Sister Caroline that the patient is disoriented, and he doesn’t want her causing herself harm. He tells Caroline to do her job and he’ll do his. In her mind, Anna tells herself not to give in and to fight it.

Valentin says the watch explains how “Anna” knew where and when to find him, and why she didn’t want to take the watch back. She admits to spying on him, and says he’s created the life he’s wanted for himself. It includes Nina and Charlotte, but it’s the illusion of a family. They come from the same place and have made the same compromises. Nina will never understand, and maybe that’s why he wants more. Within their lies is a truth that Nina can never understand. Valentin says he understands she wanted the Chimera so much, she was willing to trash his life, so good luck seducing it out of him.

Jake tells Aiden that he wasn’t supposed to see it, and Jake is the only one who can use it. Elizabeth and Franco come back in. Elizabeth thinks Aiden is tired, so she sends him upstairs. Jake won’t let Franco touch the box, saying a magician never gives up his secrets. Franco says he has a point. Franco asks if he wants to do an encore of last year for the Nurses Ball, but Jake wants a solo. He’s going to do magic.

Griff sees Charlotte at the bar eating ice cream. I guess Port Charles has no laws prohibiting children sitting at bars like like we do IRL. He tells her that he and her father had angry words, but he didn’t mean to scare her. He asks if they can be friends. Charlotte says she’s supposed to be polite to him. He asks if he can join her.

Lulu doesn’t understand why Valentin can’t be bothered to pick up his messages. Nina says he was otherwise engaged. She asks Lulu if she didn’t want to spend more time Charlotte. They all wonder where Nelle is. Michael leaves to find out. Lulu says Nina is being quiet, and Nina says her feelings are none of Lulu’s business. Lulu says as Charlotte’s mother, she has a right to know what’s going on, and she’d care less about Nina’s life if it didn’t impact her daughter’s.

Charlotte shares her ice cream with Griff. She shows him a flyer for a spring festival at her school. He thinks she should invite everyone. She says she’ll invite him if he doesn’t fight with her poppa. He apologizes for losing his temper, and asks her to forgive him.

Nina tells Lulu sorry that she’s not getting dramatic, but she’s trying to show Charlotte that when things don’t go your way, you adjust and move on. Michael comes back, telling them that the housekeeper at Windemere hasn’t seen Nelle, even though all of her things are there, and Nelle isn’t answering her phone. He wants to go out to Windemere, and Nina tells him to call them when he finds out anything. Nina says she doesn’t have time to deal with Lulu. Lulu says Charlotte thought her father left her like Claudette did. Nina says he would never do that. Lulu says to tell Valentin it’s going to cost him. Nina says tell him herself, because she’s not going back to Windemere.

Elizabeth asks if Jake feels better about things. Franco says he was on the island and it’s a scary place. Jake says he’s not scared anymore. Franco suggests he practice some magic.

Sister Caroline says she’s grateful for the doctor saving “Alex’s” life. He tells her that he doesn’t need her gratitude, just her cooperation. Anna thinks, just help me, and Caroline tells her not to fight it, and just rest.

Valentin says “Anna” didn’t care about the reach of the Chimera when she asked him to steal it, now she’s using her powers for good? She says it’s for them. He calls her delusional and arrogant. (Who else is delusional and arrogant? Keep thinking.) She says their pull toward each other is stronger than the lies they tell themselves. He’s still alive because she cared about him. She gets testy about the Chimera, and says just tell her where it is, so it can be over. Then she corrects herself, saying then they can be together, if he wants.

Lulu asks Nina if there’s trouble. Nina says she’s going to be working into the night, and so is Valentin. Griff joins them with Charlotte, and tells them he was invited to the spring festival. Nina says it’s Charlotte’s night, and she can invite whoever she wants. Charlotte goes to get her backpack, and Lulu says Charlotte is coming home with her.

Michael calls out for Nelle at the docks. He sees the crates toppled, and finds her. He tells her she’s going to be okay, and calls 911. Yeah. You’re the jerk who left her there alone in the dark, when there have been 47 murders there.

Franco shuffles the cards. Elizabeth picks one. Jake says don’t show it to him. He makes the correct guess, a queen of hearts. Franco says they’re all queens, and turns them over. Sure enough, they are. Jake says not all, and tells Franco to look in his wallet, where he finds a king of hearts. Jake says a magician never tells his secrets, and goes upstairs. Franco says he must have done it at the park, and Elizabeth says maybe he can do magic. They agree it’s good to see him acting normal.

“Anna” tells Valentin that it’s always been about them and what they need. Passion and betrayal goes hand in hand. If he didn’t want it as much as she did, he wouldn’t have let Nina leave. She talks about what she heard when listening in, and says the marriage was never going to last, because Nina doesn’t know who he really is. He tells her to stop it. She asks if he’s going to kill her or make love to her. I was actually hoping for him ripping off her mask.

Nelle is brought into the hospital. Michael says she came to briefly and seemed to recognize him, but he thinks she was attacked. Her purse and phone are nowhere to be found. He tells them she only has one kidney. Griff wheels her in.

Nina tells Lulu not to be ridiculous; Charlotte is coming with her. Lulu asks if she’s going to sleep on the office floor, and says she’s taking her home. Nina says if the judge finds out, Lulu is going to have a problem, but Lulu says the judge will see that Valentin’s perfect life isn’t so perfect. Nina says they didn’t call her, and Lulu says that’s because she’s not Charlotte’s mother. Nina says she couldn’t love Charlotte more if she’d given birth to her. Lulu says she should want what’s best for Charlotte then.

Franco moves in for a kiss, but Elizabeth is like, not now. He says she was glad to see him at the park, but she says the problem is that he lied. He says he just left out some details. She says she thought they were in it together, and he tells her that she would have tried to talk him out of it. They argue a little, say I love you, and kiss.

“Anna” asks why Valentin is doing this, when what they want is to be together. He says they don’t always want what’s best for themselves. She asks what’s the alternative, deny what they want? She says separately, they’re forces to be reckoned with, but together, they’re unstoppable. No more games. He says she’s right. Game over. She loses.

Caroline tells real Anna, sorry, and calls her Dr. Merrick. Anna thinks she has to resist, but the more she fights, the weaker she becomes. She tells herself it’s like a current, and to slip away and rise to the surface. She tries to mess with the tube in her arm, and Caroline starts to call for Dr. Lancaster, but Anna grabs her arm.

Elizabeth says that Franco was trying too hard to protect her, and he says that she was trying too hard to protect him from Jason. He says whatever should come up in their lives together, he’ll trust her. She says from now on she’ll trust that he can take risks. He thinks they’re good at the relationship thing. They kiss some more, and Jake comes downstairs.

Charlotte says she’s ready to go home. Lulu asks if she’d like to spend night. Nina says she and Charlotte’s poppa are both working late, and she can do a sleepover. Charlotte agrees and leaves with Lulu.

Anna wonders why she’s there at the hospital. Caroline says Dr. Lancaster found her in her flat. Anna says that’s not right, and Caroline says she’s just disoriented and she’ll get the doctor.  Anna says, please don’t. She’s not Alex; she’s Anna Devane.

“Anna” tells Valentin there’s still a way they can both win. Tell her where the Chimera is, and they’ll both be free and be equals. They’ll be two people who understand each other. Valentin tells her that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result, but he says that’s not true. It’s really drinking the same poison over and over, and thinking you can handle it. He’s been addicted to her, but he’s cured now. She says just like that, and he says it’s like a fever broke, and he knows what he has to do. He grabs a scarf and begins to wrap the ends around his hands, saying she’s pushed him too far. He comes toward her.

Michael remembers his last conversation with Nelle, and telling her she had no reason to stay. Griff is concerned with potential kidney trauma.

Jake forgot his magic box. Elizabeth says they’ll be back after tucking Aiden in. When they’re gone, Jake opens the box.  He takes out the Chimera. He says he wishes he was a real magician, because he’d make it disappear and would never have to think about it again.

Caroline tells Anna that she’s Alex Merrick. Anna says she doesn’t know how she got here, but the doctor is in on it. Caroline says this is her clinic, and that the doctor will explain everything. Anna stops her, and says she’s not sick. She’s being held against her will and Caroline has to help her. Dr. Lancaster overhears and makes a mean soap opera face.

Nina looks at her ring. She remembers Valentin giving it to her. Valentin walks in, and says he has so much to tell her. She asks if he was with Anna. He says he was, and thanks her for forcing him to admit what he knew all along – Anna was playing him. He says she won’t be coming between them again – ever.

Tomorrow, Valentin says he’ll get Nina to trust him again, Lulu says life is full of unexpected surprises, Martina tells Sonny that he has the most to lose, and Dr. Lancaster asks what’s going on.

If Loving You is Wrong

The officer, whose name no one ever says, tells Kelly he has a warrant for her DNA. She says she had nothing to do with Ramses’ murder, but he says since she’s been in the house, they need to exclude her. Kelly starts to argue, and he says they have to eliminate everyone who was there. Kelly says she’s not doing anything without a lawyer; she doesn’t trust him. He asks if her temper gets her in trouble. He tells Kelly that she can call her lawyer, but he has an actual warrant, and asks what it’s going to be. She says fine, take it. She sees Travis and is like, wth?

Commercial break with vital information. The Haves and the Have Nots is back on June 20.

Travis says that he got a call from his parents that he was wanted at the station. Kelly starts making a fuss, so Rick takes her to get the test done. The officer tells Travis that he didn’t listen to Rick when he told Travis to stay away from Kelly, so stay away. Travis insists she wanted him to pick up Justice, and asks if he has to call every time Kelly wants a favor. The officer doesn’t understand why he would help her if she’s so crazy. Travis says he’s a child of God and she asked for help, and the officer says even God wants him to use common sense. Travis says he has the evidence. The officer says he has a restraining order against her too, so stay away from both Kelly and Justice, and block her number. Travis asks if he can go, and the officer tells him have a nice day, but won’t shake his hand. Officer No-Name and I didn’t start off on the right foot, but he’s growing on me. I have the feeling he’s thinking more than he’s saying.

Kelly asks the officer if he’s just going to let Travis leave. He says he told Travis to stay away from her and block her number. She asks what happened to serving and protecting. He says he’s seen this kind of situation go bad. She says she hasn’t done anything. He says, sorry. She walks out, and he calls after her, saying that she should really let this go.

Esperanza is watching the kids in the park. She calls Kelly, and asks what happened. Kelly says she doesn’t want to know. Esperanza tells her that she has Justice. Kelly asks why Alex is always leaving people’s children, and Esperanza says they both called and texted her five times. Kelly tells her about how Travis was let go. Esperanza says ever since the captain’s been gone, nothing has been done right, so she’s going to check into it. Kelly says the officer gave him a warning, but Travis isn’t going to listen. She says she’s never had a man like this before. Esperanza says she has, and Kelly is doing all the right things. She asks about the restraining order, and Kelly says she has to get a new lawyer. She tells Esperanza about them wanting DNA because she was in Ramses’ house. Esperanza says she had to do it once, and it’s normal procedure. Esperanza offers to drop off Justice, and Kelly says she’ll watch Alex’s kids until she gets home. I have to add that Esperanza is not dressed like anyone dresses to play with kids in the park. She’s wearing a tight sweater that couldn’t be cut any lower, and velvet pants. And boots. I didn’t notice what kind of heels they had. I was too busy staring at her cleavage. Geez.

Natalie’s phone rings. It’s a collect call from Joey in prison. He says he’s sorry, and asks how she is. She asks if they’re taking care of him, and he says he’s fine. He tells her that it’s his fault; he shouldn’t have carried the gun. She says he shouldn’t have, but she’s glad he did. If he hadn’t had the gun, he’d be dead. She tells him she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She tells him everything is going to be okay, and she’s getting him out of there. He says that would be great, but he just wants her to be happy. The recording tells them one more minute. Natalie says he makes her happy, and Joey thanks her for saying that. She says he was doing good. He could have gone back out on the streets, but didn’t; she’s proud of him. They have thirty seconds, and say another I love you. Natalie says she’ll see him soon, and he says he’ll be waiting. She hangs up, and starts to cry.

Lushion comes in, and Natalie says she’s all right. He says no she’s not, but it’s okay. He tells her to take a break, but she says she has too much to do. He says to let it go and let her heart break. She cries on his shoulder. He says he’s got her, and rocks her like a baby. Lushion is the best.

There’s a knock at Randal’s door. It’s Julius. Randal and I make the same astonished face, and Randal says it’s a surprise. Julius asks to come in. He says that Randal has done something different with the house, but Randal says he just had the carpets cleaned. There are no carpets, so I don’t know what to think about that. Do you send carpets out to be cleaned? Julius tells Randal that his father cut him out of the will, and it’s because Randal gave the attorney an evaluation of him. He reads from it. It says, among other things, that he’s a narcissist, and for his own good, shouldn’t be in control of anything without a trustee. Randal says he’s sorry. He and Julius Sr. had a history; he’d testified in a lot of his court cases. Julius says his father is gone now, but he’s going to give Randal an opportunity to right this wrong. He wants him to rewrite the evaluation. Randal says sure. Julius says make sure he gets it to the attorney, who’s his attorney now.

Julius says he heard some racist wanted to hang Randal. Randal says it’s true. Julius says if the evaluation had gone to the court, he would have wished they’d succeeded. He changes his mind, saying that he’ll pick up the evaluation himself. Randal says he’ll have it by tomorrow, and the next one will be so much better. He tells Julius that his attorney will have to sign and notarize it. Julius says when his attorney’s hand is better, he will, explaining that he was stabbed with a letter opener. He asks Randal if they’re friends, and Randal says sure. Julius hugs him. He tells Randal, burn him again, he’ll be the one who hangs Randal. Randal isn’t having the best week, but that’s okay with me.

Eddie bursts into Brad’s office. Brad asks Eddie to leave him alone. Eddie gets loud about Lushion banging Brad’s wife. He tells him on top of it, Lushion is undercover FBI. Brad tells him the drugs are making him paranoid. Eddie says he’s working on proof. Brad says he has a client coming, and Eddie has to leave. Alex walks in, and Eddie wastes no time in calling her a slut. Brad says Eddie is leaving, but Eddie says he’s not letting her work her snake charm on him, because he doesn’t understand what a snake charmer does. Brad pushes him out the door and I laugh. Eddie is a borderline comic character to begin with, since he’s so ridiculous.

Brad tells Alex, sorry, and asks what’s up. She says she doesn’t know; she doesn’t even know why she’s there. She just wanted to see him. She says she’s sorry. She knows she’s said it a million times, and Brad says they both have. She says he didn’t do anything, and he says he called her parents. She says she did that too. He asks what now, and she says she wants to thank him for saving her son. He tells her she’s welcome. She knows the kind-hearted man she fell in love with is still in there, and wants to thank him.

Idiot Eddie comes back in with Marcie. Brad pushes him back out the door again, and I laugh again. Brad asks what Marcie is doing there. She says she came to take him to dinner, and calls him her handsome lover. Brad says he told her to stop doing this. Alex says bye, and Marcie taunts her as she leaves. Brad asks why she’s doing this, and she says, sorry. Brad tells her that he can’t go to dinner, and Marcie asks what Alex wanted. Brad says she thanked him for saving her child. I wonder why Marcie acts like she’s high half the time. He tells her he has to get back to work, and she leaves. Someone get Brad some Tylenol.

Pete calls Lushion and asks if it’s true that Andrew is missing. Lushion says it is, and Pete asks if it was Eddie. Lushion thinks it was, and Pete says he has to be stopped. Lushion is thinking it needs to go to the FBI, but thinks they’re already on to it. He asks Pete why he thinks the FBI guy is outside his door. Pete asks about the tape, and Lushion says they couldn’t find it. He tells Pete that the most important thing is stopping Eddie. Lushion says the FBI is already outside his door, but if he wants to, go for it. Pete says they have to find Andrew, and Lushion says they’re trying. Pete thinks Ben might know. He was outside trying to distract the officer when Eddie tried to put a needle in Pete’s IV. Lushion says to make sure he tells them that too. Pete thinks Andrew might be dead, since Eddie is a stone-cold killer. Lushion tells him to tell the officer everything, and says he’ll drop by later.

Randal goes to Marcie and Brad’s apartment, with the excuse that he brought her mail. He talks about what a dump it is and she says it’s better than a shed for sex. She tells him to get out, but he won’t leave. He asks what’s in the other room. She says the bed where they have sex every night, now go. He says he’s not done yet, and she says fine, he can watch how she greets Brad. Randal says if she has to say how great he is, he must be terrible. Marcie says she used to say the same about him, and pretends to fake it. She says it’s called acting, and asks why he’s there. He thought she might want to know the child might not be his after all. She doesn’t care. He says it might be Lushion’s and she tells him to get out with all of it. She says he’s trying to get her to make trouble for Natalie, but he says he already told her, and he’s surprised they didn’t break up. Marcie says they’re solid, and he says maybe Natalie isn’t as “ghetto-dumb” as he thought. Randal says it smells like broke in the apartment, and Marcie says in a minute it will smell like glorious sex. She says next time he wants to spread a lie, find someone stupid. He tells her he misses her and that she must miss it. She tells him to get out. He finally leaves.

Kelly has a flat tire. She changes her shoes, saying if it’s not one thing, it’s another. She opens the trunk and Travis pops out, scaring us both. He throws her down, and puts his hand over her mouth. He asks why she went to the cops, and threatens to kill her. She struggles and tries to scream, and he puts one hand over her mouth and the other on her throat.

Next time, Lushion can’t get anything out of Alex about Andrew, Brad talks to Alex, and Lushion tells Eddie to get out of his face. There’s one more episode before the finale.

Below Deck Mediterranean

We flash back to the crew’s night out and Bobby going apesh*t on Hannah for basically no reason. She asks what she’s done to him, and he says she threw him under the bus. Malia says they weren’t talking about him, but he doesn’t believe it. Hannah keeps asking what she said, and he finally closes the door in her face. She calls him a steroid injected d*ckhead, and says she’ll be remembering the conversation for a long time.

In the morning, Hannah and Malia whisper about what happened. Hannah says sometimes Bobby’s ego gets overly inflated, and Malia is like, sorry. Meanwhile, Bobby is talking smack about Hannah to the deckhands. Hannah tells Lauren that Bobby went psycho. Lauren says she doesn’t remember Hannah ever saying anything bad about him. In her interview, Lauren tells us that she was supposed to go on a date with Bobby, and he brought a couple of other girls along. They ran into Hannah, who couldn’t believe it, and told Lauren it was disrespectful. That never happened to me, but I’m pretty sure if it had, I would not have gone on the date.

The primary guest is a dude named Jim aka Mr. Skin, who has a website devoted to nakey celebs. His wife Michele and some key employees will also be in attendance. Hannah remembers the Tilted Kilt cruise, and how it didn’t end well with one of the crew members. As usual, there are a million dietary restrictions, which are different for everyone, and the guests also want to film a naked news segment.

Bobby tells Lauren that he wants to talk to Hannah, but Lauren doesn’t want to get involved. He says it’s happening, and she tells him to work it out with Hannah himself. He says he’s pulling her in and she’d better have his back. Bobby put the d in d-bag.

Chef Adam goes shopping at the outdoor market. Supplies are brought on board. In her interview, Hannah says there’s no coming back from the altercation with Bobby.  Wes almost puts regular cardboard in the microwave.

Bobby apologizes for insulting Hannah, BUT (Dr. Phil would say that negates the apology) says all he could think about is her trashing him to Lauren. Hannah says all she told Lauren was that it was unfair of him to bring other women on their date. A-hole Bobby calls Lauren to come to the deck. He’s annoyed that Hannah called him aggressive. Maybe he doesn’t know what that word means, because his picture is the definition. Lauren joins them, saying to call her the liar. She says they were drinking, and she doesn’t even remember what was said. She asks why he’s so upset, and he says the two of them are playing games. Lauren asks to go back to her work, and Bobby asks why she doesn’t go screw Ben. Ben gets my vote, but where did that come from, especially since he’s not on this charter?

In his interview, Bobby talks about taking Lauren somewhere, and her leaving with Ben. That actually sounds like poetic justice, considering that he brought extras to their date. Hannah says this has nothing to do with her, but Bobby insists they’re conspiring against him. Lauren calls Ben. She tells him she’s getting along great with Hannah. In her interview, she says that she and Ben hit it off, and he’s more her type than Bobby. She tells Ben about Bobby being a jerk, and telling her to go off with him. She tells Ben she misses him, and he says ditto.

Bobby calls his mommy. He tells her he’s been blindsided and duped. He says he got screwed over by Lauren. His mother’s heart is broken. In his interview, he tells us that he took this job to meet women. How’s that workin’ for ya? He starts bawling about some woman named Alex. He claims her mother thought he didn’t make enough money. His mom heaps him with praise, and makes raise-the-roof hand gestures.

Hannah has a stew meeting. She explains what Mr. Skin does, how tacky it is, and tells them there’s going to be a naked news filming.

Captain Sandy wants to make sure the deckhands can drop anchor successfully, and has them practice. In his interview, Bobby says that the captain doesn’t get on you when you make a mistake, but you feel it, and it’s worse. I translate that to mean it’s tough for Bobby to actually work and do things right.

Malia chats with Wes while they hose off the deck. Bugs gets a call from her mother. Her grandmother has passed away. Hannah says whatever she needs, she has. The captain talks about losing her mother when she was on a boat, and tells Bugs she’s there for her. In her interview, Bugs tells us how close they were, and how she wants to pull herself together, because it’s what her grandmother would want.

Everyone gets ready to greet the guests. After they arrive, Hannah does the tour. Lauren wants to stay as busy as possible to keep her mind off of idiot Bobby. Captain Sandy instructs the deckhands, while Mr. Skin instructs his employees about the photos he wants. Adam chops fruit. Hannah gives him a list of guest demands. All gluten free. The guests begin to film, and the captain is concerned about a family-centric boat coming past.

Lauren says it’s awkward with Bobby, who’s going out of his way to ignore her. Bugs is asked for help with a shot at the hot tub, and says there are unmentionable parts staring her right in the eyeballs. Wes is hoping not to mess up the anchor with all the naked ladies around.

The lunch table isn’t naked, and is beautifully adorned with a beach theme. Lunch is served. One of the guests is mistakenly served octopus when she opted out of that, but chooses not to get a replacement dish. She says that Adam’s cooking is so good, she might become a convert. Mr. Skin mentions a breast reduction, and one of the women doesn’t understand why anyone would do that. Bobby says you can’t not look.

Bobby wants Malia to know the fun Bobby instead of the pissed off Bobby. That should last all of five minutes. Max is impressed with how well Bugs is holding up. It’s dinnertime. In his interview, Adam says he’s never eaten raw, as one guest has requested, but if something makes him uncomfortable, bring it on. Lauren thinks Bobby has built up resentment from before. Another gorgeous table and meal is presented.

Lauren asks to talk to Bobby. She hates confrontation, and wonders if he wants a hug or milkshake. In her interview, Bugs says losing her grandma is one of many challenges, and she’s proud of how she held up. Lauren tells Bobby that she’s sorry she hurt him, however she hurt him. He says he jumped to conclusions about Hannah talking smack about him. Lauren says so did she, confusing Bobby. That’s probably not hard, but it does sound like she’s waffling. She tells him that he needs to own up to things. He’s 31 and a grown-ass man. He got drunk, and attacked both her and Hannah. They end up with no resolution and time wasted. No surprise. I don’t like the way Lauren is playing both sides – no doubt to avoid a conflict, but just making it worse – but Bobby is one of those people who will never admit he’s wrong.

Captain Sandy wants a rock to tie on; it helps to create a private sanctuary among the cliffs for the guests. Bobby complains to Wes in the crew mess. Lauren suggests they take it to their room instead of making it awkward. In the galley, Lauren asks if she can talk to Hannah. Hannah jokes around, asking Adam what he did to her. They go out on the deck, and Lauren tells Hannah about Bobby talking smack to the deckhands about her, making her uncomfortable. In her interview, Hannah says she has no time for tears and tantrums, but she’s concerned with Lauren’s well-being at work. She tells her not to let it affect her mentally.

Another glorious meal happens. Max and Wes go out to put a chain on the rocks they’ll anchor to. The guests are impressed with the location, which is beyond beautiful, with a private grotto. Bobby is stressed because he knows the captain is watching. She tells them excellent job. More food! A sink starts to overflow. Adam, Hannah, and Malia all help Lauren, who is desperately bailing water out of it. Hannah says it’s their job to make sure the guests don’t know what’s happening. The water finally starts to recede.

Some guests take photos and others play in the water. The wind picks up, and the boat is getting too close to the cliffs. Captain Sandy wants Max to push the boat with the tinder, but he seems to be ignoring her.

Next time, Lauren thinks it’s unfair, Adam gets stressed and snippy, and there are issues with the anchor chain.

🍸 I checked out What Happens at The Abbey. It looks like a trash heap. The Abbey is a celebrity bar in Hollywood that’s gone through several incarnations. One bartender tells us if you have a dream, it’s the place to make it come true, but I find that hard to believe. Another says it’s the only place where a lesbian and a straight woman will fight over who’s going to have a gay man’s baby. I’ll take their word for it. Some guy named Daniel tells us he started the man bun, and I hate him already. After the first couple of minutes, I wonder if I can even watch this, and then Brandi Glanville walks in, and I’m pretty sure I can’t. She’s just as creepy as ever. As a matter-of-fact, most of these people seem creepy. And needless to say, extremely into themselves. There was an upside when Tori Spelling arrived. I’ve loved her ever since I saw her in Trick. If you’ve never seen that movie, I highly recommend it, especially if you like musicals. The plot revolves around a gay guy who’s writing a musical, and Tori is his best friend. She also has the Best. Monologue. Ever. Said guy, played by Christian Campbell, is also trying to get his date alone, but everything possible happens to thwart them. It’s very sweet and clever, and his song that keeps cropping up, Enter You, will be your ear worm forever. The fact that I got so off track just goes to show how bad The Abbey is, and how I want to get it out of my mind as quickly as possible.

🚛 I also watched one of my favorites, Hoarders. I also love Hoarding: Buried Alive, but, same thing. They were airing quite a few of them, and the last episode I caught showed two fails, which is unusual. One was a woman who was of the mindset that when the world was in its last days, people would come to her for stuff. Because we’ll all need moldy blankets and broken birdcages. She just wouldn’t accept that she had a mental disorder or accept the help, although for a while, they moved things from pile to pile. At the end, Corey talked about her victim mentality, and that she’ll have the perverse satisfaction of thinking that she’s been screwed over again. The other hoarder was also a woman, and they were able to clear out her place, but she wasn’t happy because of what she had to give up. More moldy blankets and broken birdcages. She had a really cute home when it was over too. I thought it was brave of the program to air unsuccessful efforts.

Why should they have to lose any more than they’d lost? – Hoarding: Buried Alive

Apr24

April 23, 2017 – N’once Upon a Time & the End of a Feud

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What I Watched Today

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

I didn’t see much TV today, and will have to go On Demand with Once Upon a Time, because I had the pleasure of going to a production of The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman on Broadway with an old friend. (Thanks, Michael!) Stars Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon alternated the female lead roles, and we saw Laura as Regina, and Cynthia as Birdie. I had wanted to see this having seen Laura on stage before in Les Liasons Dangereuses years ago. While I know she’s done a million films, I honestly couldn’t name one of them, but she blew me away on stage. She did not disappoint in this drama either – she took hold of the stage on commanded it. The rest of the cast was excellent as well, Richard Thomas especially surprised me. While I don’t dislike him, I’ve never been what I’d call a fan, but thought his portrayal of Horace was superb. The sets were incredibly impressive as well. If you’re interested, there’s more info here: https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/2016-17-season/little-foxes/

LILLIAN HELLMAN’S THE LITTLE FOXES Directed by Daniel Sullivan With Laura Linney, Cynthia Nixon Darren Goldstein, Michael McKean, Richard Thomas David Alford, Michael Benz, Francesca Carpanini, Caroline Stefanie Clay, Charles Turner

This is also a good segue into the one thing I did watch. Bette Davis starred as Regina in the film version of The Little Foxes, and I got home just in time to catch the final chapter of Feud: Bette and Joan. The episode was titled, You mean all this time we could have been friends? referring to a line at the end of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The careers and health of both stars are going downhill, BD wants nothing to do with Bette, and Joan has been left pretty much alone. One of the saddest moments of the previous episode was Mamacita finally leaving her, having had enough of her abuse. After the film disaster that was Trog (I actually remember seeing that in the movie theater), Joan retires totally, and Mamacita returns part-time. There was a heart-breaking fantasy sequence, where Joan (Susan Sarandon), Bette (Jessica Lange), Jack Warner (Stanley Tucci), and Hedda Hopper (Judy Davis) are playing cards. When Joan calls Mamacita to pour the champagne, we see that it’s all in her head. The takeaway I got, was that despite her animosity, Joan craved Bette’s friendship, and while Bette did respect her as an actress, she couldn’t be the friend that Joan wanted. The entire cast was fantastic, but special kudos to Dominic Burgess for doing a spot on Victor Buono.

Victor: Give us this day, our daily slice, but cut it thin and toast it twice. (The Fat Man’s Prayer)

Joan: Stars are like Christmas trees. After the lights go out, you sit there and watch the needles drop.

Bette: My mother told me to never say anything ill about the dead. Only good. Joan Crawford is dead? Good.

FuedBette&Joan

Apr17

April 16, 2017 – A Curse is Lifted, Suicide Squad is Okay by Me, Potomac Goes to the Races & Atlanta Reunites

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What I Watched Today

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

 

Once Upon a Time

In Neverland, the Lost Boys chase Hook. He slides down a hill and is surrounded. He says he has treasure and rum, but they want him to pay for what happened to Peter Pan. All of a sudden, the boys drop like flies. Tiger Lily is in the shadows with a blowgun, and reveals herself. She says she never expected to see Hook back again, and he says it wasn’t planned. He thanks her for the rescue, and she pokes him in the neck with a dart.

David tells Emma they never would have put her in the wardrobe if they’d known all this was going to happen. Henry tells her it’s going to be okay, and she says she knows. David tells Regina that the story can’t end like this; Emma can’t go into the final battle without her family. Regina says she’ll have to make do with just one of them. She’s working on breaking the curse, but it might be dangerous or life-threatening. David says whatever she has, it has to work. It’s not like it’s their first time. We flash back to a few other curses the Evil Queen has laid on them.

Snow/Mary strolls through parallel Storybrooke, but everyone is in bad moods. Archie claims Pongo is off gluten. She runs into Regina, and asks if there’s any news about a John Doe in the hospital. Regina says it looks like he may never wake up. Snow ditches the flowers she was bringing to the hospital, and sees a bloom through the cracks of the sidewalk.

Snow brings the flower to David. It makes purple sparkles in the air. The machine he’s attached to goes off, and he opens his eyes. He struggles to get out of bed, asking where the Evil Queen is. He says the guards stabbed him, and the curse brought them there. He tells “Mary” that Snow White is in there somewhere, and somewhere inside, she knows he loves her. She takes his hand, and calls him Charming.

In regular Storybrooke, Snow tells Regina that they have to do this now. Regina says it’s going to hurt. Zelena and Regina take the combined heart of Snow and sleeping David, and put the halves into a potion. When the hearts are done basting, the witches return them, but Snow keels over. Zelena says the magic weakened the hearts. A revived Snow says that Emma will have to fight the final battle without them.

At the parallel hospital, David asks for Grumpy’s help. Snow tells Grumpy (calling him Leroy) to pay no attention to this mental patient she found wandering around. Snow tells David that it’s called a curse for a reason, and everyone else doesn’t know about it. She gives him clothing to change into. He says he put Emma in the wardrobe, so she must be there too. She suggests they find Gold, and tells him to meet her at an abandoned farmhouse in an hour. Snow tells Regina that David was sleepwalking and headed into the woods.

In standard Storybrooke, David shows Emma a video Snow left. She says they have to work together. David tells Emma that her mother found a way to break the curse, but didn’t know it. He shows them a picture of some flower petals, and Zelena recognizes them as pixie petals. She tells them that the enemy is already there.

The Black Fairy shows up at Gold’s shop along with Gideon. Gold says Gideon concocted a ruse to bring the fairy there, and Gideon says that one day he might understand. Belle comes out from the back, and tells Gideon he can still come back to them. Gold tries to make magic, but the fairy stops him with the dagger. She says she practically invented dark magic, but she won’t force him to do anything. When he joins them, it will be because he wants to, and then they can be the family they were meant to be. She and Gideon disappear, poof! in a puff of silver smoke.

In strange Storybrooke, David goes to Gold’s shop. He doesn’t think Gold is under the curse, and wants to know where Emma is. Gold doesn’t know what he’s talking about. David says they’ll have to find Emma on their own, but Gold says maybe he can help. Hearing Emma’s name was the appropriate wake-up call, and now he gets what’s going on. David knows that Emma is destined to break the curse, but doesn’t know where she is. Gold tells him that the pixie dust can reunite anyone who shares true love.

Back in the sort of real world, David says they need Snow’s tracking skills to find the flower, so he has to go to sleep. He knows Hook is out there fighting for Emma too.

Tiger Lily smacks Hook awake. He’s tied up in a cave. He says someone’s life is depending on him getting out of there, but Tiger Lily needs him to deliver something to another realm. He says his love is in danger. She doesn’t believe he could possibly fall in love. She shows him a piece of driftwood and says it’s really a weapon, and the only chance of winning the coming war. He says it’s not their war, but she says there’s a great darkness on the horizon, and the Savior will die without it. He says that’s the woman he loves, and tells her to look in his pocket. She takes out the ring. Tiger Lily says the Black Fairy is in Storybrooke, and this is the Savior’s only hope to defeat her. Hook asks if she has any magic, and she says Pan might, but the Lost Boys outnumber them. He says they don’t stand a chance.

No one can find David in sleeping Storybrooke. Snow says they haven’t looked everywhere in the woods. Regina suggests Archie and Pongo check the mines. When they’re out of sight, Regina reveals an electrical box. She says the tunnel is rigged for demolition; one push it all comes down. She says Snow and John Doe are both awake, which means the curse isn’t working. Snow/Mary claims she was just doing her rounds at the hospital. Regina says Snow is a hero, who would never let the cricket die, but Mary has never stood up to her. She asks what it’s going to be. Snow clutches a pair scissors. The townspeople arrive, and Regina backs off of the box. Snow disappears.

Sliding sideways, Snow and Emma find a small field of pixie dust flowers. Snow says they grow in the presence of evil. The Black Fairy appears, and says she’s been waiting to meet Emma. They’ve been destined to clash since the beginning of time. Gideon joins them. Emma asks if this is it, and the Black Fairy says everyone will know when the final battle begins. Gideon makes the flowers disappear. Emma shoots an arrow at the Black Fairy and Gideon, but they both disappear, poof! in a puff of black smoke.

Tiger Lily explains to Hook that the weapon is what banished Black Fairy to the realm where she was trapped, and that she was once a fairy. Hook asks why she gave it up, like it was tennis or something. She says she failed in stopping the Black Fairy, so she hung up her wings, and took refuge in Neverland. She points out a tree that contains the sap Hook needs to find Emma. The Lost Boys are having a Burning Man Festival, and Tiger Lily shoots an arrow at them. They run after her. Hook hooks the tree and gets the sap. One of the boys sees him, and sounds an alarm. Hook gives his own shadow the driftwood to give to Emma. He drops down into a cluster of the Boys.

David and Snow meet at the farmhouse in parallel Storybrooke. She says Regina is on to them, and gives him the flower. Gold shows up. He says they’re awake, but everyone else asleep. Gold tells David that if they find Emma now, the curse won’t be broken, and everyone will stay asleep. He gives them a vial, and says it will put David and Snow back to sleep, and make everything right again. He says the potion is the only way forward.

In real Storybrooke, Emma knows she can’t change her destiny, and tells Snow it’s not their fault. Snow says there’s something she doesn’t know. They see a pixie dust flower peeking out from the snow.

In snoozing Storybrooke, Snow sprinkles the pixie dust into her hand. David tells her to think about Emma and let the magic do the rest. She throws the dust in the air, and a door appears. David opens it. They see young Emma in her bedroom, reading. Snow says if they go through the door, she won’t be the Savior. David tells her that Emma will have new destiny with them. Snow remembers that Regina said Snow is a hero who wouldn’t let anyone suffer to get what she wants, and she’s right. She can’t sacrifice everyone else’s happiness for her daughter. She says everyone is separated from those they love, and they can’t sentence them to that forever. They have to believe that Emma strong enough to grow up without them. David wishes she wasn’t right. Snow tells Emma that they’ll see her again, and closes the door.

She tells David there isn’t much time, and starts to cry. She didn’t think they’d be saying good-by so soon. He says he’ll always find her. She says one day, Emma will find them. They kiss. He drinks the potion, and falls asleep. Then Snow drinks it.

Regina messes with the pixie dust in original Storybrooke. She gives it to Snow, and Hook’s shadow flies in, and gives her the weapon. She asks where Hook is, and the shadow drops his hook at her feet. She says there’s something wrong, and asks where he is again. The show touches her cheek and disappears. Henry says they’ll find him. She says they don’t know where he is. Snow says the magic can open the door to Hook, and explains how they used it in the past. Emma says they had to do what was right for everyone else. Snow says today she’s putting Emma first. She says they can’t allow Hook to be taken, after they’ve already taken so much. Not before the final battle.

The Lost Boys sentence hook to death for his crimes against Peter Pan. The door appears, and Emma pops out. She and Tiger Lily kick ass. Emma and Hook go through the door and Tiger Lily jets.

Emma gets Hook back to Storybrooke, and says she got his message. He says he should never have run away, but she says tells him that she didn’t make it easy. He says there’s something he has to do before he gets pushed to another portal. He takes out the ring and proposes. He says he’ll always be by her side. She says no. Just kidding. She says yes, and they kiss. He puts the ring on her finger. He says it’s time he faced her father, but David is asleep. Emma explains that they went into a sleeping curse so she could save him.

Regina says there might be another way, but it’s risky.

Everyone gathers together. Regina says once Snow and Charming had a chance to find their own happiness, they chose the good of everyone there. She wants the people to do something for them now. She shows them a chalice, and says if they share the curse, they might dilute its power. Hook takes a sip; then Regina and Emma. The chalice is passed around. Grumpy says he could use a nap. These people are taking some pretty big sips. It must be an endless cup.

Snow and David’s eyes open. They hug and kiss. He says she did it, and she says she didn’t do anything. They find Hook and Emma asleep, but they slowly wake up, along with everyone else. Hook asks if Emma told David his secret. David says Hook is a changed man now, and they’ve all seen it, and everyone is all happy. Regina says it wouldn’t have worked if Snow hadn’t inspired them – she gave up her family. Snow says she did it for a better one, and they’ll defeat the Black Fairy. She tells Emma that she won’t be facing the fairy alone.

Gold meets the Black Fairy. He asks why she gave the dagger back to him. She tells him that he has to choose to be part of this family. He says she has Gideon’s heart, and tells her about Gideon keeping the flower alive as a way of resisting her. He has his mother in him. Gold says he’ll get Gideon’s heart back. The Black Fairy tells him that if he comes at her, there might be nothing left of the town when they’re done. He says he’s willing to pay that price.

Next time, Zelena isn’t afraid of the Black Fairy and vows to kills her, and an ultimate sacrifice will be made.

💣 Suicide Squad

Although I’d wanted to see Suicide Squad in the movies, it never happened. I really shouldn’t complain, since I have 500+ FIOS channels that I pay dearly for, and probably should watch something other than BRAVO. From what I’d read, this film was panned by the critics, but I enjoyed it a lot.

As a kid, I read both the Superman and Batman comics, as well as some other random ones. Doom Patrol was, and remains, my favorite. By the time these characters came along, my comic reading days were long gone. Out of the Squad members, Harley Quinn got high marks, as she brought to mind another favorite from back in the day, Batman’s Poison Ivy. When my friends and I used to act out our comic books – what do you expect from someone who started The Rocky Horror Picture Show cult? – I was always Poison Ivy. Since I’m not part of today’s comic scene, I had no expectations, which might have made a difference in my perception. I had no reference material to compare this with.

The plot was okay. It dragged in spots, and the whole Enchantress business isn’t exactly my thing, but while plot can be a plus, that’s not my reason for watching an action picture. I’m there for the action, colorful characters, and maybe a few good one-liners. On that, the movie delivered.

I also liked the subplot of Deadshot’s relationship with his daughter, and thought Will Smith’s performance was excellent. The costumes, the explosions, the effects – it was all good. And the soundtrack was fabulous. There was a lot of noise about the Joker not being in it all that much, compared to his presence in the previews, but I thought it was just enough. Jared Leto’s portrayal was so over-the-top, any more of it would have been overkill. I’d also heard that he took his Joker persona into his off-time on set, which gave it an extra eww! for me, since I find actors who do that rather creepy.

It’s on rotation on HBO now. If you’re paying for it, might as well watch it. It’s a lot of fun and you could do worse.

🏛 On tonight’s The Real Housewives of Potomac, the ladies went to the Preakness, and of course wore hats. I went to the Belmont Stakes once. I’d never been to the racetrack before, and was surprised that a race takes about two seconds. I didn’t wear a hat, and I didn’t win anything, except a drunk guy trying to pick me up outside of the ladies room. True story. Ashley is finding out that the restaurant business isn’t as easy as she thought, like every single restaurant owner on Kitchen Nightmares. Charisse is having some renovations done on her house, and I have to admit that I sometimes wonder what it’s like to be wealthy enough to be able to add a “fierce champagne room” to my home.

🍑 The excruciatingly long, four-part The Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion has begun. The women all look gorgeous, although I’m not loving Porsha’s dress. It looks like she’s wearing a kimono ten sizes too big for her. A sparkly kimono. Sheree also keeps pulling up the top of her strapless number. Is she wearing She by Sheree? Although dumb as a post, Porsha got my vote for quote of the night: Andy…he’s messy. Out of the mouths of stupid. Things didn’t start escalating until almost the end, when Kandi and Porsha started to get into it. Most of the show was nonsense talk, but it looks like Porsha will be the one walking off this reunion. Probably not next week. I’m guessing that’s the carrot being dangled to get us to watch all four parts.

Apr1

March 31, 2017 – Valentin Agrees to Help Jason, the Weird World of V.C. Andrews & Quotes

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Elizabeth wonders why Franco is asking her to marry him right now. He says why not?

Jason asks Valentin for a favor, telling him that it’s about Jake. He explains that Jake spent the better part of four years with Helena, and he’s trying to find out what she did to him.

Lulu sees Nelle at Kelly’s and introduces herself. Nelle asks if Lulu is going to tell her off. Lulu says what happened is none of her business, and it’s not her place to judge, but she’d like to talk about her daughter, Charlotte.

Alexis enters a dark house. Her phone rings, but when she answers, she gets a dial tone. It rings again, and she asks if it’s Julian. It’s Sam, who is wearing an awesome white swing top with thumbhole sleeves. Sam wonders why Alexis called her Julian, and Alexis says old habits die hard. Sam wants to come by, but Alexis says she’ll come over to Sam’s house.

Sonny tells Michael about the break up with Carly. He says she’s mad as hell and called it quits. Michael says sorry, and Sonny says he doesn’t seem like it. Michael says he’s not exactly in shock. Now that things have settled down, there are no distractions. Losing Morgan could have brought them together or torn them apart, and they decided on the latter. Sonny says he didn’t want this, but Michael says it’s happening.

Lulu asks if Nelle has a minute. Since they’ll be seeing one another, they might as well get to know each other. Nelle was picking up scones for Charlotte’s birthday breakfast, since they’re her favorite. She thinks they remind Charlotte of her mom.

Laura tells Doc about the upcoming trip. He says that he’s not sure what surprises him more, the trip itself or that she’s going with Tracy. He asks if Luke is in jail again, and Laura says that would be amusing if his ex-wives showed up to break him out, but he isn’t involved.

Franco tells Elizabeth that it makes perfect sense. Any two people can shack up, but if they make it official, he’s her husband and can be stepfather to her children. She asks if it’s about the two of them, or him and Jason.

Valentin tells Jason that Helena was a horrible person. He was sent to boarding school, so they didn’t cross paths much. Jason asks about the island, and if there are any scarecrows on it. Valentin gives him a strange, amused look.

Alexis comes to Sam’s bearing diapers and cookies. She’s doing her grandma thing. Sam says she got the feeling that Alexis was drinking when they last talked. Alexis admits to having a bit of a relapse, but went to a meeting, and was coming back from one when Sam called. A new sponsor might be a good idea. A real one this time. Sam says it’s understandable with all she’s been through. Alexis says ironically Julian was again the one who convinced her to stop.

Michael tells Sonny that he’s not taking sides. Sonny asks if he talked to Carly, but he says he doesn’t have to; he already knows what they do. They’re both strong people, and sometimes turn that strength on each other, and they’re taking out the pain they feel about Morgan on each other. Sonny asks if Michael knows how much he hates hurting the people he loves, including him.

Nelle corrects herself, saying surrogate mother, and apologizes to Lulu. Lulu says it’s not her fault. She says there are so many things she doesn’t know about her own daughter, seemingly insignificant things. She said she would know them had she been there at the beginning, but Valentin kept Charlotte from her all of her life.

Doc is surprised that Laura is traipsing across the world because Tracy asked her to. He wonders how it came about. Laura says they seem like an unlikely pair, but they do have a relationship. She says it was Tracy’s fur coat that she wore to flash Doc, and Doc says he’ll be forever grateful. Laura tells him that Tracy has a situation that may or may not have to do with her father. She thinks she should help, because if Tracy goes it alone, she might miss the chance to reconnect with him. And she’s a sucker for Turkish coffee. She says the best part will be the homecoming, and they kiss.

Franco tells Elizabeth that he’s not asking her to marry him because of Jason or Jake. He’d love to be a permanent fixture in Jake’s life, but he’s asking because he loves her. She can show the world that she trusts him and chooses him over all others. She says she’s told everyone that she trusts him, and she does choose him over everything, including Jason; but Jason is Jake’s father, and she has to consider his feelings. Franco says that Jason doesn’t even believe that Jake has a problem.

Valentin tells Jason that’s a weird question about the scarecrows. Jason says thanks for the help, because he’s an impatient jackass. Valentin says that he never intended to be a father, but Helena took that decision away from him. Now, he loves Charlotte and she’s his life. He says he understands, and if Jason wants to search the island, he’ll set it up. He tells Jason that he might want to start with the olive grove.

Elizabeth says that it’s about Jake after all; Franco thinks that Jason isn’t handling it well, and that’s why he wants to marry her. Franco says yes and no. His feelings for her are real; he loves her, and he loves Jake too. He wants to make sure that Jake gets what he needs. Elizabeth says that Jason is still Jake’s father, and she has to regard his wishes. She thinks that Franco should keep his distance from Jake for now.

Sam tells Alexis that dreams can seem very real. Alexis says that sounds rational, but talks about the knocking at the door, and how no one was there. Then the second time, it was Valentin.

Valentin tells Jason that there’s an old olive grove that was planted before Cassadine’s got there, and it had a scarecrow in it. Legend had it that the scarecrow came alive one night, and it might have made an impression on Jake. Jason appreciates the help, and Valentine keeps the offer open. Jason wonders if Valentine has an agenda in helping him, but Valentin says that no child should be subject to Helena. Jason says he’ll do whatever it takes to help Jake.

Nelle tells Lulu that she knows a little about Charlotte’s childhood, but had no idea what was happening. Yeah, I guess she had other things to concentrate on, like the blow out with Carly and Sonny. Lulu says she’s glad that Nelle is taking care of Charlotte. She tells Nelle that when she found out she had daughter, she blew it. She was so excited, she ended up scaring her away. She didn’t think it through, and acted in the moment, making a huge mistake. Nelle can relate to not being able to take something back.

Sonny watches Michael work in some kind of weird proud dad way. He doesn’t want to leave it like this. Maybe Nelle wasn’t the main reason for breakup, but she helped it along. When truth came out, he knows Michael was hurt. Michael says he was sympathetic to a point, but can’t get past what she did. Sonny asks if he’s sure, and if Nelle staying in Port Charles changes anything.

Lulu apologizes for keeping Nelle, and thanks her for listening. Nelle asks how Michael is doing, but Lulu says she hardly sees him. She tells Nelle that Dante said he’s keeping to himself, and throwing himself into work. She hates that he’s grieving Morgan all alone, and Nelle says that she does too. Nelle leaves Kelly’s, and Lulu looks pleased with herself.

Michael tells Sonny that Nelle got a job as Charlotte’s nanny. Sonny says that Nelle probably still has an agenda (WOTD), and asks how Michael might feel running into her. Michael says they’re not like Sonny and Carly. He tells Sonny not to project, and says he can handle it. If he makes a mistake, he has to live with the fallout, and Sonny should know.

Elizabeth tells Franco that right now, his presence is causing an issue with Jake’s father, and she doesn’t want any more disruptions in Jake’s life. Franco says he wants the crappy cards on Father’s Day and to teach Jake how to drive. Elizabeth needs him to give Jake space until they find out what the drawings mean. Then they’ll have him to thank for getting the ball rolling. Franco says okay, they’ll do things her way, but no matter what, he doesn’t want to lose her. She says he won’t, and they kiss.

Jason interrupts, and says when Elizabeth gets a chance, they need to talk about Jake. I like Jason, but I don’t like when he acts irrational. And I like Franco more.

Sam doesn’t know what’s worse, a visit from Valentin, or Julian’s ghost. Alexis thinks about it and says Valentin. He wanted to do the family bonding thing, and gave her the keys to Windemere. She says she kicked him out of the house. Geez, most people would have just said thanks. Sam suggests it might have triggered a response.  Alexis says she doesn’t need anyone to do that, and says she had a weird feeling about the hang-up call. Sam asks for her phone, telling Alexis that she has an app for that. She messes around with the phones, and a map indicates that the call came from a payphone at the gas station near the footbridge. Alexis says that’s where Julian died.

Alexis thinks that Ava might be right, and that Julian is alive. Sam says not necessarily. Alexis says she know she shouldn’t feel this way, but she wishes he was alive. Scout starts to cry, and Alexis wants to jet, but Sam is worried. Alexis says she’s not delusional, just tired, and wants to go back to bed.

Franco starts to leave, and Elizabeth follows him. She says it’s not the best timing, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life with him. She didn’t say yes, but didn’t say no either. He thanks her, and they kiss good-by. Elizabeth tells Jason that Franco agreed to step back. Jason thinks he found a lead about the scarecrow. Elizabeth says she has lead of her own, and thinks she knows who can help.

Laura runs into Lulu leaving Kelly’s. Lulu she invites Laura for dinner tomorrow, but Laura says she’s galivanting around the globe with Tracy. Hey, that reminds me. Whatever happened to that show, Galavant?

Sonny tells Michael that distractions don’t work. Michael says don’t worry, but Sonny says Michael is his son. Even if he doesn’t need protection, that doesn’t stop Sonny from wanting to protect him.

Nelle tells Valentin about buying the scones, and says that she ran into Lulu. He asks who approached who, and she says she was leaving Kelly’s, and literally almost ran into her. He asks if she introduced herself, and Nelle thought she was just being polite. Valentin asks her to tell him everything that Lulu said. Ooh, Nelle could be a counter-spy.

Sonny says he shouldn’t be lecturing anybody (truth!), and starts to leave. Michael says if he didn’t make it clear, he loves Sonny, and doesn’t blame him for what happened. He only blames Olivia-J. He says Nelle is screwed up; that doesn’t absolve her, but puts it in context. Sonny says Michael is wiser than he was at Michael’s age, and maybe wiser than he is now. Sonny leaves, and the cheese Michael stands alone.

Lulu thinks Laura and Tracy’s trip is crazy, but it makes sense, and the two of them will keep each other out of trouble. Laura feels badly about leaving right now, but Lulu says it’s okay. She tells Laura about talking to Nelle, and that she’d asked about Michael. She hasn’t learned anything useful, but laid the groundwork. Laura tells her to take it easy; it’s just the first step. Valentin is smart, and they have to be smarter.

Nelle thinks that Lulu just wanted to be familiar with her, and make sure she’s all right to be watching Charlotte. Valentin says thanks for telling him. He tells Nelle that he tried offering joint custody to Lulu, but she didn’t want it, and is suing him for full custody. He says that she isn’t to be trusted. He gives Nelle a new set of keys, saying he’d had the locks changed, since you can’t be too careful. She puts the key on the keyring that Michael gave her.

Michael flashes back to giving the keyring to Nelle. What a coincidence!

Franco gets a text from Jake, who can’t wait to do more drawing with him.

Doc tells Jason and Elizabeth that he has to refer them to someone else, because of the personal history. They need fresh eyes and objectivity. He recommends Andre, and offers to make the appointment. Jason says at least it’s some progress, and Elizabeth is glad he was able to put aside their differences. They agree that Jake comes first.

Sam calls the gas station and asks if they have surveillance cameras.

Alexis gets on the couch with the AA big book. She looks at her phone on the table. She hears something and says it’s just the wind, but it doesn’t really sound like the wind.

On Monday, Josslyn asks Carly when she and Sonny are divorcing, Ned says he’s stopping Larry’s plans, and Jax arrives.

Flowers in My Attic

Let’s talk about V.C. Andrews. I don’t know how it happened, but I ended up spending a Saturday watching Lifetime’s version of Flowers in the Attic, and then every single subsequent film in the series. I’m not sure what came over me, but I fell under the Dollanganger family’s spell.

The books of V.C. Andrews were required reading for the young adults of my generation. I’m not sure why. They’re poorly written, and the stories revolve around – let’s just say it – incest. But for some reason, Andrews spoke to us. Apparently, even after death, as she died in 1986, yet her books continue to be churned out written. Highly doubtful that it’s difficult, but amazing that no one seems to care.

The cinema adaptation of Flowers in the Attic wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t entirely faithful to the book either, and I don’t think fans were entirely satisfied. Then, decades later, Lifetime made another stab at it. While their film was roundly criticized by reviewers, they did something right, because the franchise continued on, including My Sweet Audrina.

For those who live on another planet and aren’t familiar with the series, it revolves around siblings Cathy, Chris, Carrie, and Cory, forced to live in the attic of a Victorian mansion for years, so that their mother could get back into her own father’s good graces and inherit a bundle. She’d been shunned by the family for falling in love with her father’s half-brother, starting the chain of the wrong kind of familial love. When he suddenly dies in an accident, she’s forced to go back to the family mansion. After being trapped together through puberty, Chris and Cathy also fall in love, continuing the pattern. They also find out their mother has been lying to them.

Although I usually find Lifetime movies a let-down – their ideas are always promising, but the endings often fall flat – they got this one right. Despite being panned by critics, it was as though these God-awful books came to life. They nearly followed them word for word. The dialogue is not how anyone in their right mind would talk, unless they stepped out of 1900, and Chris and Cathy have absolutely no knowledge of how life works, even though they’ve gone to normal school up until they’re thirty teenagers. (Wouldn’t they even have thought they’re weird?) Ellen Burnstyn must have had a blast playing the grandmother, which she does with gusto, and Heather Graham is spot on as Corrine. Unfortunately, we lost Sally Draper Kiernan Shipka by the second film, but Rachael Carpani makes a lovely Cathy. I honestly think the reviewers thought the actors wrote this themselves; they did the best they could with the bizarre material. I mean, come on, the evil guy’s name is even Bart.

As with most binge watching, a sadness came over me as the final credits rolled. So bad, they’re good, it was a fun trip down Memory Lane. If you’ve never taken a dip into the strange pond of Andrews’s work, check them out next time around. Fans of the book series will not be disappointed.

Quotes of the Week

Acknowledge your gifts and be grateful to the source. Because if you know from whom you are receiving, you can always go back for more. – Rabbi Noah Weinberg

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. – Albert Einstein

I get all the tigers I can. At a reasonable price. A hoarder on Hoarding: Buried Alive.

🌻 To whatever attic flowers you enjoy…

PsychedelicFlower

Jan27

January 26, 2017 – Franco on the Edge of Found & Something Completely Random

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Carly goes to Sonny’s place and sees something for Morgan in the mail pile. She tells Sonny she doesn’t know why she’s surprised, but she hasn’t had to deal with it since his main residence was at Sonny’s. Sonny shows her an entire pile of Morgan’s mail that he can’t deal with. He says he’s accepted Morgan is gone, but part of him doesn’t want to do that. He suggests they go through the mail together.

Elizabeth tells the others that they don’t have enough proof for either theory about Franco, and suggests calling the police.

Alexis stares at the two fingers of wine she just poured, and says she can do this. Whether she means drink it or not drink it, I’m not sure.

Michael gives Nell a keychain with tiny ice skates on it for when she decides to get back out there. He thanks her for the pep talk she gave Josslyn. Nell says all she did was repeat what Michael had told her, that you can keep finding people to blame or make the best of it. He hopes she can take it to heart as well, and get over her bad memories. She focuses on a picture of Carly and Sonny.

Sonny and Carly go through the mail. Carly wishes she could tell Morgan how proud she is that he kept trying. She sees some credit card bills, and Sonny says he meant to call, but kept putting it off. He wonders if he should delete Morgan’s name from his phone. Carly comes across some charges for some things like a first-class ticket to Australia and gambling websites. She says Morgan was manic, and obviously hurting and trying to fix himself. She says she knew something was wrong, and wonders why they didn’t save him.

Alexis swirls the wine around in the glass and sniffs it like she’s at a five-star restaurant.

Sam doesn’t think involving the police is a good idea, and Kiki agrees. She says they’ll just assume Franco is on the run. They all agree to share any information they find, and Kiki and Dillon wander off. Sam tells Elizabeth to keep her theories to herself. Elizabeth says she’s sure it was self-defense, but if they don’t say something, Franco’s disappearance won’t be treated like a kidnapping case. Sam begs Elizabeth to keep her mother out of it. Like Sam would do that if the shoe was on the other foot.

Dillon and Kiki decide to leave and get some lunch. Kiki drops her purse, and Franco’s note falls out. Of course she doesn’t notice.

Michael gets a call from Tracy, who wants to meet because she’s upset about a business decision he made. He tells Nell that he thinks his decision was a good one. The company they were going to invest in has a bad carbon footprint history, so he decided to drop them. GH’s way of being current.

Sonny tells Carly they didn’t know how much Morgan was hurting. She says her head understands that, but not so much her heart. She thinks they should get someone else to deal with the mail. She has to go to work, and tells Sonny that she loves him. She knows grieving apart was a mistake, and they need each other. She tells him that she trusts him more than anyone.

Lulu tells Laura and Doc about what happened with Charlotte. She says she doesn’t need Valentin to poison Charlotte against her, since she’s doing fine by herself. Doc suggests family therapy. Lulu says she knows Dante would be on board, but Doc says he wasn’t referring to her and Dante.

Dante tells Nathan to leave for his honeymoon before something else happens. Elizabeth comes into the station and tells them they have the wrong suspect. Dante is like, see what I mean? Elizabeth tells them that Franco figured out who the real killer is. She says the person is related to someone he hurt badly, and he doesn’t want to hurt them anymore. She thinks she figured it out though, and tells them that she thinks it’s Alexis.

Sam goes to visit Alexis. She tells Alexis that Elizabeth might be at the police station, and wants to know if there’s anything Alexis isn’t telling her. She asks if there’s someone else Alexis thinks might harm Franco.

Kiki and Dillon have lunch. She thanks him for distracting her from the Franco situation. He wipes something from her face (bleh) and kisses her. Carly pops up from behind the bar. She says don’t mind her, but maybe they can keep their PDA to a minimum. Kiki says Morgan was her first love and she’ll never forget him. She’s sorry she hurt him, and if Carly needs to hurt her to feel better, she understands. Carly says she didn’t like the way Kiki handled things, but at the end, it was just bad. She asks Kiki if she knew he was gambling again, but that’s a no. Carly says it’s difficult seeing Kiki move on when she doesn’t have the option, but she knows Morgan would want her to be happy even if Carly can’t be.

Sonny takes his phone out. He’s about to delete Morgan as a contact, but can’t do it.

Nell asks Michael if it’s possible to let go of what you want in order to help someone else. Michael asks if she’ll still be his friend if he ends up unemployed and moving back in with his parents. She points out that he lives with his grandmother already. We both say, ouch! Carly comes in and tells Nell she needs her for something.

Elizabeth tells Nathan and Dante that she knows it sounds crazy. Nathan asks what motive Alexis would have. Elizabeth says she doesn’t think Tom was rehabilitated in prison. Dante asks if she thinks Tom attacked Alexis, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t think Alexis even remembers. She adds that she thinks there’s someone in Alexis’s life who would protect her at any cost.

Alexis realizes that Sam is hinting around about Julian and says he has nothing to do with it. Sam tells Alexis that Julian has always lied to her, but Alexis says she believes him about this. After everything that has happened, she can see into his soul (gag). Sam asks Alexis not to tell her she’s falling in love with him again.

Doc suggests Lulu go to therapy with Valentin if they’re going to co-parent. Lulu thinks that’s insane, but Doc tells her to look at it from Charlotte’s POV. Lulu says they’re not going to co-parent, and she wants nothing less than full custody. Doc says that’s what she wants, but what about Charlotte?

Elizabeth suggests that Julian got rid of Franco. She wonders if he had Franco killed, and Nathan says they’ll do everything that can to find him.

Alexis tells Sam that ship didn’t just sail, it was set on fire and shoved out to sea like a Viking boat. She says Julian only helped her get sober. Sam says it doesn’t look like it to her, and brings out the bottle from Diane that Alexis tried to hide.

Michael tells Carly that Morgan died because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He says Morgan had the fiercest, most protective, badass mom in the world, but she couldn’t prevent what she didn’t know about.

Sonny’s doorbell rings. It’s Nell.

Laura thinks Lulu should hear Kevin out. Lulu says her main goal is Charlotte’s happiness, but she doesn’t think it will end up being shared custody. She gets up to go, and Doc says sorry for upsetting her. She says he’s just given her a lot to think about. After she’s gone, Doc apologizes to Laura. She’s cool with it, but says she’s surprised he can be impartial about the man who shot him.

Alexis tells Sam that she stared at it, swirled it, and sniffed it, but when she was about to take a drink, she saw a picture of the girls, and knew how much she’d disappointed Sam. She says she’s going to have to talk to Molly and Kristina, and disappoint them too. She tells Sam that it’s a struggle, and according to AA, it will last for a while. Yeah, it’s called your whole life. She says she owes Jason an apology too, but Sam says not to worry about it. She tells Alexis not to answer the door, since it could be the cops, but Alexis says she’ll be a lawyer again by then.

Dillon asks if Kiki is okay and if she needs time alone. Kiki asks if he thinks that Carly meant what she said about Morgan wanting her to be happy. Dillon says he thinks in time Carly will want her to be happy too, but maybe not in her restaurant. Kiki says she wants to be happy again, and he makes her happy. She says to hell with tacky behavior, and they kiss.

Carly tells Michael that she saw Kiki kissing Dillon and she was caught off guard. She adds that life goes on, and Michael says we honor the people we lost by living. Carly says he’s wise beyond his years, and wonders how that happened. He says if Dillon makes Kiki happy, he’s happy for her. He tells Carly that ever since New Year’s, he and Nell have gotten close. Carly says she thought they were just friends, but he feels like they’re starting to build something else.

Nell tells Sonny that Carly sent her there to go through Morgan’s mail. Sonny isn’t comfortable with that, and Nell asks what she should tell Carly. Sonny says that Nell has some anger going on, and Nell acts ignorant. He says he knows something about rage, and there’s something behind her smile. He says if it’s not directed at him, who’s it aimed at?

Kiki thanks Dillon for being understanding, and he asks if she’s ready to get to work. She asks him if he still wants her to go to Crimson, and he says unpaid assistants are the best kind. He has tons of stuff to go through for the wedding issue.

Carly asks Michael if he and Nell are on the same page. She doesn’t want to discourage him, but she says Nell is involved with someone else – a married man. I love how Carly keeps going around saying this when all Nell told her was that she was unavailable.

Nell tells Sonny that Carly told her to bring the mail back to the office, and should she do that, or tell Carly that he wouldn’t give it to her? He tells her to do what Carly asked. Changing the subject, he says that he’s been so consumed with anger, it nearly destroyed him. She says she’s not angry, and he says yes, she is. She might have her reasons, but it doesn’t matter. If she keeps feeding the anger, it will consume everything else she cares about.

Alexis pours out the wine and tells herself she can do this. She can do it for the girls and herself. Dante suddenly shows up. He wants to ask her some questions about Tom.

Nathan says he’ll keep Elizabeth updated. He says Franco has a long criminal history, and wonders why she thinks he’s innocent. She says that despite his past, she has faith that Franco has changed, and she knows the truth always comes out.

Sam runs back into the bar and finds her phone. She sees the note on the floor. It says, Help! I’ve been locked in a storage container, and to call Elizabeth Webber.

Tomorrow, Amy 2.0 tells Hayden that she and Finn are considered a hot item, Elizabeth wants to work with Jason, and Dante asks Alexis where she was on December 21st.

A Random Recommendation

I was thinking that I’m going to name my next dog Joe Buck, just so I can say, “Where’s that Joe Buck?” Anyway, this got me thinking about Midnight Cowboy and the lengths I went to see it for the first time. Even though it won the Oscar for Best Picture, it was rated X, and back then they actually cared. I was 13 or 14 when it came out, and I desperately wanted to see it. I was crazy about Dustin Hoffman, having recently seen Little Big Man, and I’d spent all night reading the book one Saturday that I’d stayed overnight at my sister’s house. She’s ten years older than I am, and was already a grown-up. She would gladly have taken me, but X meant no one under 18 admitted. By today’s standards, it’s rated PG-13 and very tame. There’s very little nudity in it, although the subject matter is adult.

For those who’ve never seen it (and you’re missing out), the story’s protagonist is Joe Buck (John Voight), a clueless guy from Texas, who thinks he’s going to make millions being a hustler in New York. And his idea of a hustler is a gigolo. (Giggy!) Right off the bat (or bus, as it were), he gets taken for a ride by a woman (Sylvia Miles) who he’d expected to make money from. An interesting side note is that the director had thought they had hired a real hooker for the role, not realizing Sylvia was an actress. I’d say that means you’re doing your job. After Joe loses money to her, he loses the rest of it to Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), a homeless man living in a condemned building whose dream it is to go Florida. Obviously, he’s a better hustler than Joe. They eventually become friends, and I don’t want to spoil the rest. The film starts about halfway through the book, so we don’t entirely know why Joe thinks the way he does, but it’s not necessary. The story is really about the human condition and how everyone has a dream. It’s also worth watching for the 60s NYC vibe. One of my RHPS cohorts from the late 70s is in a party scene. If you watch it, he’s the guy who says, “Up? Or down?” and shakes two pill bottles.

The movie was on its second time around, which is also of the bygone days. Movies stayed a lot longer in the theaters – well, for one, there were fewer films then – and they usually stopped by again within the next year, possibly as the B-picture in a double-feature. (♫ Science Fiction! Double Feature! ♫ Sorry.) That fall, my maternal grandmother had this idea to take me on a bus tour through New England, a story in itself. You go on a month week long trip with a bunch of old people singing Let Me Call You Sweetheart over and over. It was worth it though. When we got to Boston, Midnight Cowboy was playing across the street from our hotel. It was the second feature, with Women in Love, based on a book by D.H. Lawrence, being the main one. (Alan Bates and a young Oliver Reed – score!) The box office was run by teenagers who couldn’t have cared less how old I was, so after grandma went to sleep at 8 o’clock, I snuck across the street with a purse full of tissues, as both movies are tear jerkers.

So that’s my Midnight Cowboy story – no, I never got caught – and my recommendation. It’s a film well worth watching, and unless your heart is made of stone, it will stir your compassion for humanity, especially for those who have nothing but a dream.

🍷 Speaking of which (my dream job being to get paid to watch TV), whatever happened to The People’s Couch? Is it ever coming back? It’s like one of my favorite shows ever.

Feb6

February 5, 2016 — Double the GH & Triple the Quote

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & recaps from today’s real time TV watching)

General Hospital — Thursday

A strange man comes up to Hayden, calling her Rachel. He says it’s been a while, but doesn’t she remember him? It’s Baxter Courtland. (Is he related to Palmer from All My Children?) Nicholas is back and says Baxter must be mistaken; his wife’s name isn’t Rachel.

At the bar, Dillon tells Valerie that when it comes to her and Lulu, he’s Switzerland. He says that doesn’t mean he’s a pushover though and wants a pool game rematch, since she trounced him the last time.

Morgan apologizes for kissing Kiki because he thinks he’s moving too fast. Kiki tells him to lighten up, it was no big deal, they got carried away in a romantic moment.

Jason tells Elizabeth that the doctors don’t anticipate any complications and that Jake is going to be fine. Elizabeth mentions that she knows what goes on behind the scenes. He says there’s no point in focusing on the things that can go wrong. Lucas tells them it looks good so far, but there’s still several hours to go, so they should go home to eat and rest. They say they’re not going anywhere.

Sam hears something and calls out that she’s in the basement. She goes back to sleep though and the cord to the heater is starting to smoke. And I don’t mean it decided to have a Marlboro.

Elizabeth tells Jason he doesn’t have to stay. He says they’re both Jake’s parents and he’s not leaving. She hasn’t eaten since yesterday, so Jason says he’ll go get some food.

Hayden says Baxter must have her confused with someone else. He says Vegas can be disconcerting and congratulates them on getting married. Nicholas wonders who the guy was, but Hayden distracts him with newlywed talk. She says he’s done so much for her, that she wants to do something for him.

Kiki and Morgan go back to Kiki’s place. He says they should go ice skating, but she says she’s a wrecking ball on skates. Me too. I spend more time on my butt than on the skates. She sees a note from Franco telling her he’s out with Nina and not to wait up.

Curtis interrupts Dillon and Valerie’s setting up the pool game. He says it’s his table, unless Valerie wants to play him. She says okay and Dillon goes to get drinks.

While Elizabeth peruses pictures on her phone, Cameron shows up at the hospital.

Curtis asks Valerie if he intimidates her. She breaks and Curtis can already tell she’s a pool shark.

Lulu comes into the bar and Dillon comes up to her. He asks if she wants to go somewhere else and she thinks he’s a nut, but he points out Valerie being there. Lulu says it’s a free world and they can both be there, and promises not to start a bar fight. Maxie comes in next and asks Lulu if she wants to go somewhere else. This is getting to be a habit.

Morgan and Kiki decide to just hang out. He asks if she wants to watch a movie, but she says she’s seen everything on cable. She says they’re home alone and what is there to do? They start to make out. That’s one way to pass the time. I guess Morgan is out of the friend zone.

Hayden wants to make it the most spectacular night Nicholas has ever known. Nicholas says they’ve set a high bar already. Hayden says she’s going to look for a special piece of lingerie to rock his world. I’ll bet she’s really going to hunt down Baxter. Yep.

She sees Baxter and tells him they need to talk.

Jason tells Sam to wake up. I think she’s dreaming unless he went all the way back to Elizabeth’s house to get food.

Kiki wants to take a break. She apologizes for making boundaries and then breaking them. Morgan says it might be a good time to renegotiate the boundaries. Kiki says she’s tempted, but doesn’t want to screw up what they have. Morgan agrees they should take it slow and asks if she wants to play a board game.

Hayden tells Baxter her name isn’t Rachel and they’ve never met. He says, see you around not Rachel. She says not likely and adds not to tell anyone he saw her there.

Dante and Nathan come into the bar, which is not the start of a joke. Curtis says he thinks he’s being hustled. Lulu tells Maxie they’re not going anywhere. Maxie says Valerie should have gone somewhere else. Lulu says they’re all grown-ups and they need to move forward. She says the only way to do that is to apologize to Valerie. Dillon suggests writing a letter, but she says she has to do it right now. She tells Valerie they need to talk.

Cameron gives Elizabeth something the kids at school made for Jake. She says it will be a while, but they can visit eventually. Jason is there, so I guess unless he has a doppelganger, Sam is hallucinating.

Dream Jason tells Sam she needs to get out of the basement. She says she can’t, and he says she can, just come to him.

Back with Nicholas, Hayden comes out in some lingerie he calls elegant. She says she wanted something outrageous, but realized they already did the most outrageous thing already, trusting each other enough to get married.

Morgan and Kiki play Scrabble. He asks if she wants to make it more interesting. He said it’s not what she’s thinking, strip Scrabble, but the loser has to tell the winner their most embarrassing moment. Kiki says it’s not that interesting since he’s been with her for her most embarrassing moments. He tells her he used to sleep with a stuffed rabbit when he was little and will tell her its name if she wins. She uses up her tiles with “exquisitely.” She asks what the bunny’s name was and he says he doesn’t like this game anymore. Hey, inquiring minds want to know now. She says she’ll make it up to thim and kisses him. So much for boundaries.

Maxie asks Nathan why he brought Dante to the bar. Because apparently there are no other watering holes in the world. She tries to get him to leave. He says it’s going to be awkward until it isn’t awkward. Very astute.

Valerie says they have nothing to talk about. Lulu says what she did was terrible and that she was thinking irrationally. She says she let everything get out of hand, and she’s extremely sorry. Valerie says it was brave of her to say and she sounds sincere, but Valerie doesn’t accept the apology. She says she carried a lot of guilt about Dante and told Lulu it was a mistake over and over, but it wasn’t enough. Lulu wanted to push Dante away and point fingers at Valerie. She says Lulu didn’t just almost cost her her job, but she almost lost her life. So family or no, she doesn’t forgive Lulu.

Cameron tells Jason that when Jake came back, he didn’t feel like his brother. Jason says it was hard for everyone to adjust, but Cameron did well. Cameron says he doesn’t feel that way any more, that he feels like Jake is his brother now, but what if he dies? Jason tells him everything will be fine.

Jason tells Sam to run to him and that he’s waiting for her. She manages to stand.
Nicholas and Hayden are honeymooning like nobody’s business. Does he really have all those tattoos?

Morgan says what about boundaries. Kiki says she changed her mind and wants to get down and get funky. I’m starting to think she’s bi-polar.

Maxie still wants to leave, but Dante says they’ll have to get used to it. She says they’re all crazy except Nathan, who is perfect.

Curtis tells Valerie she’s fantastic, being cool in the epicenter of drama. She says he deserves to hear the whole story.

Jason is about to call Sam, and Elizabeth comes back with some candy bars.

Dream Jason tells Sam to run to him. She says she does’t think she can, but does and then he disappears. She sees herself lying on the floor. Huh?

Lulu leaves and Dillon asks if she wants a ride home. She says she wants to be alone. He says he doesn’t think being alone is a good idea and she says she doesn’t want to talk. Dillon says he’ll be quiet on the walk then.

Curtis says that was a great story and I’m glad we didn’t have to sit through the whole thing again. Valerie says she wishes it wasn’t all true. He asks what’s up with her and Dante? She says they’re just friends and now she’s goig to beat Curtis at pool. Curtis says he feels badly that there’s no prize for Valerie to win, but he can take her to dinner. She says why not?

Maxie says Nina wants her to come in early, so she’s going to leave, but Dante gets the hint. He tells them to enjoy themselves and leaves.

Morgan stops the action between him and Kiki and says he can’t.

Nicholas and Harden are finished with the action. She says she loves him and he says, “I love you too, Rachel,” startling the crap out of me. He’s just fooling around and she says that Baxter was freaky. Nicholas calls her Princess Cassidine. Cool! And as much as I don’t like him, I want to marry him.

Baxter is calling someone and says they’ll never guess who he ran into in Vegas. I see he really adhered to “Rachel’s” request.

Jason tells Elizabeth that Jake woke up long enough to tell him that he loves his mom. Elizabeth says he deserves better since she’s in pity party mode. Elizabeth says if the positions were reversed, she could never forgive Sam. Lucas comes out and says there are complications with Jake’s surgery.

Tomorrow, Sam struggles to get up and Kiki calls Morgan an SOB.

In Between

I checked out the second half Bernie Madoff movie, as well as Bernie Madoff: After the Fall. I’m sure both are available On Demand and both are worth watching. The film contained eerily accurate portrayals of the real players in this sad-but-true drama. Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner are exceptional as Bernie and his wife, Ruth, but really, everyone is excellent. The documentary that followed the film is important, as it gives the real life victims their say. It was sad to see how many of the people involved have died since then, both those behind the ponzi scheme and those ruined by their greed.

General Hspital — Friday

Franco and Nina are out at the bar (sigh). Franco says all the drama with Elizabeth and Jake is getting to him. Nina is trying to eat healthy for her impending pregnancy.

Christina sees Molly where else? Molly says she’s owed an explanation after Christina’s hysterical phone call asking her to meet Christina there.

Morgan jumps up and says he has to get to work. Kiki says hold on there a minute. She asks how he can do this and he can’t leave until he tells her the real reason he has to go. Yeah, nobody’s that anxious to get to work.

Nathan tells Elizabeth and Jake there’s a complication with Jake’s surgery.

Real Sam is back down on the floor again and the room is getting pretty smoky.

Nathan says Jake is fine. They found a secondary source of internal bleeding, but they were able to take care of it. Nathan tells them that Jake may need another surgery down the road, but for now he’s fine and in stable condition.

Molly and Christina sit down. Molly says she can tell Christina has more problems than just her grades, but she should consider telling Alexis. She says Alexis would do anything for them and is more understanding than Christina thinks. Christina asks Molly if she brought what Christina asked her to bring. It’s her diary. Molly asks who “P” is?

Morgan says nothing is wrong, he just has to go. Kiki calls him an SOB, and says she thought she could trust him, and now he sees he can get anything from her. Morgan says — ohhh, he keeps saying “it’s not working,” and she thinks he’s talking about their relationship, but he means he’s having ED. Aw, I don’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for him. It could be the meds.

Commercial break. I don’t watch Grey’s Anatomy, but I wish I did. The ads always look really good, but I’ve never been able to squeeze it in. I did see an episode with Seth Green in it on a diner TV, but it was so depressing, it nearly put me off my Reuben sandwich.

Molly reads an excerpt from the diary. Christina says she can’t believe Molly invaded her privacy. She says it was a disaster and it’s over. Molly asks if that’s why she’s in trouble at school. Christina tells her yes, and Molly says it’s always some guy with her. Guess again.

Kiki wants to talk, but Morgan doesn’t. Kiki asks if it’s something she did and Morgan says no, she’s great. He doesn’t want to talk about it and Kiki says if he wants to make things work (this time meaning their relationship), they have to talk. Kiki says he’s probably putting too much pressure on himself, so they should just take a breather.

Nina wants to get the ball rolling with adopting a baby. She says the process takes a long time anyway. Franco says it’s going to take forever because no adoption agency will consider them.

Elizabeth talks to unconscious Jake, telling him she’s going to be a better mother from now on. Jason tells Sonny and Carly what’s going on. Sonny leaves and Carly and Jason talk about Jake’s surgery. Carly says he’ll be fine because he has Elizabeth and Jason to be strong for him. Jason looks skeptical about that.

Nina asks why. Franco says he wouldn’t make it past the door. Nina says she has good lawyers, but Franco says his misdeeds are well-documented. She says it’s also well-documented that he had a brain tumor. He says her background isn’t stellar, but she says that doesn’t mean she’ll be a bad mother. She says it’s obvious he’s making excuses, so she’ll do it on her own.

Molly says whoever “P” is, he’s got her messed up. She mentions how anxious Christina was to get the diary, when Molly could have mailed it. Christina says she doesn’t have an address and makes something up as to why.

Kiki tries to romance Morgan and he says it’s still not working. She says it happens and he says not to him, which is what men always say in a movie when this happens. He says it’s his meds.

Sonny is in the chapel lighting a candle. Another guy is in there, and starts talking to Sonny about how they’re there praying about things they can’t control.

Elizabeth sees Carly, and Carly tells her Sonny is praying in the chapel. Carly says she and Sonny are there for both of them. Jason is sitting next to Jake when he wakes up. Jake says he’s sorry. He says it was an accident and he didn’t mean to do it. When Jason says what, he says he didn’t mean to hurt her.

The smoke alarm goes off in the basement, but Sam doesn’t move.

Christina tells Molly it’s complicated and that there’s a wife in the background. Molly asks if he’s hot, and Christina talks about things like smoldering looks across the room. Molly says it’s too bad it didn’t work out. When Christina’s surprised she would support this kind of relationship, Molly says it’s easy to because it’s over. She tells Christina she can stay with her.

Dude asks if Sonny has always been in a wheelchair and Sonny says no, it’s new to him. Dude asks if Sonny is getting treatment at the hospital. Sonny says if dude is worried about it, that General Hospital is the best. He says that GH is the beating heart of this town and I almost tear up. Dude says thanks that was helpful. He drops a medal of St. Aloysius, the patron saint of youth and also plagues. Dude talks about the plague of AIDS.

Elizabeth blames herself and Carly tells her not to. Carly tells her she’s a great mother, a fantastic nurse and would sacrifice anything for her kids, and I almost get ill. Elizabeth says she’s got a lot to apologize for. Carly says they have a lifetime and she’s going to throw it in Elizabeth’s face every chance she gets, but not today. Nathan comes to get Elizabeth.

Jason is asking who got hurt, when Jake slips into unconsciousness again.

Sam comes to, but can only sit and look at the smoking outlet.

Nathan tells Jason and Elizabeth to go home and rest. He says Elizabeth would advise her patients the same and he needs them to have energy to deal with what’s to come. He says at least eat something. Jason says he’ll go find something and bring it back. I hope he’s going to Elizabeth’s house to find it.

Franco says Nina can’t adopt on her own because her career takes up so much time. Nina says if he won’t go along with it, she’ll set up a daycare at Crimson. He says oh yeah, for the baby she doesn’t have, and adds that her only chance of adopting is if she ditches him. She says she doesn’t want to do that, but she does want a baby. He asks what changed.

Morgan says the meds are ruining his life. Kiki says this is temporary and talk to the doctor about it. Morgan says why? So the doctor can give him more meds? He tells her it’s not the only side-effect and runs down a list. She says his mental health is important. He asks if he seems healthy. He says that his life has sucked since starting the pills and he just wants to get rid of them.

Nina says she’s always wanted a baby and something reawakened in her. Maybe she has more love to give. She says she thinks parenting is easier when not fighting extradition. Franco says he doesn’t want to do it. Nina says she has faith in the two of them, but she guesses he doesn’t.

Kiki says he’s not ditching his pills. Morgan asks if she likes him this way. She says their relationship is more than that and even if they had sex right now, the best part of the day would be cuddling at the skating rink. She tells him this is temporary. He says ah-ha! she does care about it. Kiki says that sex is a bonus, but she cares about all of him and she would be okay without it. He says he wouldn’t and that he can’t handle this right now and leaves.

Sonny tells Dude, whose name I just looked up on google and it’s Griffin, that he lost someone in 1995, before the medical advances. He tells Griffin he doesn’t want to keep him and Griffin says best of luck and leaves, almost running into Carly who’s coming in. She asks Sonny who that was. He says they didn’t exchange names, but he seemed like a friend.

Lucas recognizes Griffin from med school. He tells Nathan thanks for the heads up on the job opening. He’s going to be the new neurosurgeon.

Jason walks into the bar talking to Alice on his phone. Sam never picked up Danny. He sees Christina and Molly and asks if they’ve seen her. They says they haven’t seen her since yesterday, and it’s not like her not to show up. He asks where they saw her, and they tell him she was on her way to Elizabeth’s.

Sam is choking on the smoke now. She tries to reach the plug.

Kiki leaves Morgan a voicemail that she doesn’t like the way they left things. She wants to talk and she wants a second date.

Morgan’s phone alarm goes off to take his meds. He thows them away.

Nina and Franco come home. Franco asks Kiki how the date went. She says it’s complicated and she has to go. Franco says see what a great surrogate parent he is? He tells Nina since they’ve been together, they’ve either been on the run or had some other problem, and maybe they should take a break before responsible for a tiny human being. He says they’ll know it’s time when they know and should enjoy their alone time. They start to get romantic when her phone rings. Then his phone rings and he says rain-check.

Morgan goes to the bar and tells the bartender to set him up. He sees Christina and Molly. Christina says she thought he wasn’t supposed to drink. He says he thought Christina was supposed to be in school. Molly reminds him of the pact they made New Year’s Eve. Morgan says I won’t tell if you don’t.

Nathan tells Griffin that General Hospital is a great place. Nathan gives him some charts. Sonny’s is at the top.

Jake wakes up yelling that he’s sorry. Ekizabeth asks him for what. He says he told his dad, but he didn’t think Jason believed him. Elizabeth asks him again what he did and Jake says, “I killed her.”

Sam tries to pull the plug out. It sparks and she passes out again. Jason comes in the door, hears the smoke alarm.

Tomorrow, Paul is getting suspicious of Anna, Michael is headed for Puerto Rico since he can’t take a hint and Jason calls out to Sam.

Quotes from The People’s Couch

This is a recipe for disaster. Princella, referring to Stassi moving in with Kristen on Vanderpump Rules.

The person who left the dog alive didn’t think the dog was gonna snitch, but he did. Princella, referring to The People Vs. O.J. Simpson.

The fashion here is almost as big a crime. Emerson, referring to The People Vs. O.J. Simpson.