Category Archives: Broadway

Jan12

January 11, 2017 – So that GH isn’t Lonely, a Coupla Quotes & Several Random Thoughts

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What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Maxie and Nathan get to the cabin they’ve rented in Canada, and Maxie is disconcerted by the moose head on the wall. They’ve struck out with the local precinct, but Nathan thinks Claudette’s mom is their best bet. Maxie suggests that going through Claudette’s stuff to see if there’s anything significant. Nathan tells Maxie she can keep Claudette’s mother busy while he goes through everything.

Nina and Charlotte wait for Valentin at the MetroCourt. Nina compliments Charlotte on her skating. Valentin arrives. He tells Charlotte that he and Nina have something very important to tell her.

Franco goes home, surprised to find Kiki there. Kiki tells him that she hopes he had a happy new year, and says there are leftovers from her takeout feast. He keeps looking at his phone, and she asks what’s going on.

Alexis tells Julian he’s not calming her, and he’s the reason she’s in this mess in the first place. He thinks she’s really upset because she wants a drink.

Sam thinks the fire was a closer call than Jason is saying. Jason wishes that they’d come up with more, but  the place was tossed before they got there. He shows Sam the picture he found of a young, blonde boy, and she says there’s something familiar about the face.

Nell asks Sonny what he means by “a new understanding.” He says they agreed not to say anything about what happened between them. He asks if she changed her mind, and why she told Carly she was dating a married man. Nell says she didn’t; she just said he was unavailable, and Carly made the assumption. She says she was trying to stop Carly from matchmaking and meant nothing by it, but Sonny tells her that she made Carly curious. Nell says if he wants her to say something else, she will, and asks what he wants her to do.

Valentin tells Charlotte that Nina has been spending a lot of time with them, and Charlotte says she likes Nina a lot. Valentin says they’ll be able to spend even more time together now, because he and Nina got married.

Has Maxie been watching a Kardashian marathon? She needs to tone the contour down. Nathan tells her that if it was up to him, they would go to Niagara Falls right now and get married. He’s thinking they should move into a house when they get back.

Kiki asks why Franco is jumpy, and he says he wasn’t expecting her to be there. She says he obviously didn’t see her note that says she’s moving to LA. He wonders why she wouldn’t say good-by in person, but she says it doesn’t matter, she turned around in Detroit. When Franco asks why, she says Dillon, confusing him. He thought that’s why she left, and Kiki says he’s also the reason she came back. She explains that Dillon was on the bus to get away from her, but now they’re together. She’s decided to stop fighting her feelings for him. Franco says he’s happy for her, and she should do everything to keep herself happy.

Julian suggests that Alexis is going through withdrawal. She says if he wants to talk, let’s do it. He asks if there’s anyone else who can place her at the bar, but she doesn’t remember. He asks if she talked to anyone. She says Gene, the owner, who I assume is also the bartender.

Jason tells Sam that he thinks the picture looks familiar too. Sam says it’s possible it could be Julian. Jason assumes the boss lady has a relationship with him, but adds that the picture is decades old. Sam tells him that she doesn’t think Ava has anything to do with it.

Charlotte asks if Nina is going to live with them, and Valentin tells her that now they can play whenever they want. Nina says Charlotte can come to her about anything. She’s still going to be Nina, but she’ll just be there all the time. Charlotte looks sad at first, but then says it sounds wonderful.

Nathan tells Maxie that they should get a three-bedroom house. Maxie says he’s really been thinking about it. He tells her that he’s wanted to build a life with her forever, and she asks when they can move in. He has one condition though.

Franco chows down on Chinese leftovers. He says Kiki seems happy. She says she is, and he says then Dillon is okay in his book. She says she’ll never stop missing Morgan, but has to move on with her life. She thinks Morgan would approve, and she’s learned to hold on tight to those she loves, because everything can change in an instant. She asks what’s up with Franco, and he asks if she remembers Tom, and tells her that Tom was murdered.

Alexis tells Julian that Gene remembered the night for her. Julian says obviously he didn’t go to the police with anything. Alexis doesn’t think he cared, but covered for her as a customer. He saw Tom follow her out, and she assumes he caught up with her. Julian says she’s not thinking like a lawyer, and asks if anyone else saw. Alexis sees Tom standing behind Julian. I wonder if he’s buddies with Carrrlos now, although Carrrlos has more honor than this dude.

Sonny asks Nell if she understands what it’s like to feel happy for just a moment, and says that she’s not to say anything else. She says that she was just trying to protect him and shut the conversation down. She didn’t expect Carly to deduce her boyfriend was married. She tells Sonny that none of it is her fault, and Sonny says it never is. Sam and Jason come in, and Sam says she hopes they’re not interrupting.

Nell tells them Carly asked her to check in on Sonny while she’s gone, and Sonny explains that Carly is in Australia. Nell says her work is done and jets. After asking how Sam is, Sonny asks Jason if he’s found out anything else. Jason tells him about the pawn shop burning down, and says they don’t think Julian is involved, but they’re close to finding out who is. Sonny asks if there’s a man behind it, but Jason says no.

Tom talks to Alexis, saying she’s the one who killed him. He tells her she should have a drink.

Franco tells Kiki he had nothing to do with it, but the police think he did. Kiki asks if he has an alibi, but he says his alibi would make things even worse. He tells her that he knows who killed Tom, but can’t go to the police.

Charlotte says she wishes she could have been at the wedding, but Nina says it was past her bedtime. Valentin tells her that it was at the stroke of midnight. Charlotte wonders if it was like Cinderella, and Nina says it was magical, but no one turned into a pumpkin. She says the only thing missing was Charlotte, but Valentin says there was one more thing.

Nathan tells Maxie he wants a moose head in their house, and explains how he always wanted to be one with nature. She tells him if they take the moose head, they’ll also need throw pillows and throws some pillows at him. They get silly, and there’s a knock at the door. It’s a police officer who has information about Claudette.

Kiki asks why Franco is hesitating, and he says it’s complicated. He says he might be innocent of this, but he’s committed other crimes. He says that he’s hurt members of the person’s family who killed Tom. Kiki tells him that knowing what Tom has done, it was probably self-defense. Franco says all he knows is he can’t turn her in, even if it means losing Elizabeth.

Alexis says she’s not going to drink, and Julian says he’ll help her through this. Tom says he’s never going to leave her alone. Alexis says she didn’t kill him; she couldn’t have. Julian tells her that she’s hallucinating. She asks if he doesn’t see Tom. Alexis sees a bloody knife in her own hand, but looks again to find it empty.

Sonny asks Jason if he really thinks a woman planted the bomb. Jason says yes, but any evidence has been burned up. Sonny says he’s glad they got out, and asks if there are any theories. Jason says not yet, but she must have a personal tie to Julian.

Valentin tells Charlotte about how they improvised with ribbon wedding rings. Valentin says when they were skating, he went to the jewelers. He asks Charlotte to help them exchange rings. She opens the box and Valentin tells her to give each of them the other’s ring. Valentin and Nina exchange rings, saying a few things, and then kiss. Charlotte is like, Yay!

The officer tells Nathan sorry it’s late. They found the body of a woman in the river who was an apparent suicide, and reran the prints after speaking with him. They were a match for Claudette’s.

Kiki asks if Elizabeth believes that Franco didn’t kill Tom. He says he thinks she does, but he’s done so many other things, it’s hard for her to trust him. He wanted them to start with a clean slate, and was going to find the real killer, but it looks like he’s remaining the prime suspect. He tells Kiki not to tell anyone, and says maybe they won’t have enough evidence to charge him. She says fine, his secret is safe. She tells him that Elizabeth stopped by.

After the officer leaves, Nathan tells Maxie that he doesn’t believe Claudette would kill herself, even though the prints were a match. Maxie says Claudette is gone, and the important thing is that they know what happened. He says she was a horrible person, and Maxie adds, but he loved her. He says for a few years, he really did.

Valentin gets a call and excuses himself. The officer from Canada says he did what Valentin told him. Valentin thanks him for his assistance.

Sonny thinks the woman is a cover hired by Julian as a smokescreen, and judging by the picture, they have long standing ties. Sam has to excuse herself, and when she goes upstairs, Jason tells Sonny things looked tense between him and Nell. He asks if everything is okay.

Alexis says she didn’t mean to kill him, and Julian tells her to calm down. Alexis tells Julian that if it hadn’t been for him, she would have never been in that bar and killed Tom. She still thinks she’s holding a knife, but there’s nothing in her hand.

Nathan wants to tell Claudette’s mom in person. He also has to call Griff, and someone has to let Charlotte know. Maxie suggests they get some sleep for now.

Valentin, Nina and Charlotte leave the MetroCourt. Carly calls Nell from the plane, and Nell says she’ll take care of everything. She says she’ll make sure to take care of Sonny. I’ll bet.

Sonny tells Jason that everything is fine, but Jason says it didn’t look that way. He says if Sonny is in trouble, he can tell him. Sonny says he’s pretty sure Nell isn’t as innocent as she appears to be.

Kiki tells Franco that Elizabeth told her not to say she came by, but she thought better of it after what he said. Kiki says whatever doubts Elizabeth has, they obviously don’t outweigh her feelings for him. She asks if he’s still going to keep his mouth shut. He says all he knows for sure is that he can’t go to prison.

Alexis stares at the non-knife in her hand,and finally realizes it’s not there. She tells Julian that he’s going to send her to prison and he doesn’t love her. He promises her that he does. He says he knows she’s in pain, and she starts to cry, begging for a drink. He says they’ll get through this. She cries in his arms, saying she needs help.

Tomorrow, Jordan questions Franco, Alexis wants to turn herself in, and Anna talks to Valentin.

Hump Day Quotes

I love cauliflower and I would agree that it’s incredibly versatile, but I’m starting to think that maybe everyone wouldn’t have felt quite as tragically disappointed and jaded by how 2016 shaped up as a year if we hadn’t put so much of our faith in cauliflower to be everything we needed. – Darcy Lenz, 11 Food Trends That Need to Die in 2017

If you die when you’re fat, are you a fat ghost? – Carrie Fisher, while working out on the treadmill.

💫 Speaking of which, if you haven’t seen Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, you’re missing out. I love documentaries, and this immediately became one of my favorites. I’ve already watched it twice. I’d intended on watching it even before they both passed away, but that definitely added another dimension. Part Grey Gardens, part [fill in the name of your favorite Broadway musical here], with the comedic slant of The Office, this was the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. The mother and daughter team are brilliant and witty, and have given us a totally honest portrayal of themselves. This is what the reality genre ought to be. It’s my understanding that when they first saw the completed film, both Carrie and Debbie were not happy with so intimate of a portrait, but finally allowing its release. I’m sure there are no regrets here. It’s one of the most wonderful legacies ever left.

🌟 Geez, Star took a chance tonight. One of the girls had an accidental overdose, and they did a fantasy video sequence in the psyche ward, using staff and patient characters. I wouldn’t be surprised if some special snowflakes protest that. Maybe by burning some scrubs or kneeling during the opening music of an NPR program.

I have to add that Queen Latifah‘s aqua hair was everything. If I could pull that off, I would wear mine like that every day. I tried to find a picture, but stuff from The Wiz just kept popping up.

🍻 Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce is also back. I forget how much I like it until there’s a new season again. (That’s when the network throws a dart at a two-year calendar to decide when a show is returning.) The characters in this show are much more realistic than the ones on Sex and the City. I also hadn’t known that Lisa Edelstein (Abby) was a Club Kid back in the day, until I saw her on Watch What Happens Live. As soon as they mentioned it, I was like, that’s where I know you from.

Bravo has done well so far with their scripted shows. I also love Odd Mom Out, which I assume will come around again after Girlfriends’ Guide is done. That one surprised me. Not being a mom (at least not to two-legged kids), I didn’t think I’d relate, but as someone who lived a lot of their life in NYC, I can totally relate. And it’s funny as hell. As if that wasn’t enough, both programs have fashion to die for. The soundtracks ain’t bad neither.

🗣 I heard the word “shenanigans” twice on TV tonight, from two completely unrelated and surprising sources. Let’s see if shenanigans ends up happening, or goes the route of “fetch.”

Dec8

December 7, 2016 – Lulu Can’t Get Charlotte Off Her Mind & Hairspray Live! Can’t Stop the Beat

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What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

General Hospital

Maxie noses around on Nathan’s laptop, trying to find out what her wedding gift is, but he catches her. He tells her it’s not a surprise if she keeps snooping. She claims she was setting up something with a dance lesson, and says they need practice before the wedding. He says, let’s dance.

At Kelly’s, Jason tells Sam that Julian is the one who set up the bomb hoping that Sonny would get the blame. Curtis adds that it’s speculation, and they don’t have much in the way of proof. Pete was killed before they could talk to him. He thinks they should combine resources. Jason says they’ve already told him everything. Curtis thinks maybe they should go to the cops.

Jordan asks the mayor if she wants things fast or right. She says if anything unusual comes up, she’ll call. Another call comes in. She sees that it’s Andre.

Andre tries to call Jordan. Anna comes to his office asking for his help.

The doorbell rings at Windemere. Valentin answers. It’s Nina. Shouldn’t he have someone to answer the door for him? And aren’t there guards or bouncers or something? Valentin shows Nina the Christmas tree, which of course is fabulous. Charlotte is out at a movie, while Valentin and the staff decorate.

Lulu is in the hallway, pondering. She tells Dante she can’t stop thinking about Charlotte. She says when she looked at her, she felt a connection.

Curtis says the police have access to information and resources that they don’t. Jason is afraid they won’t admit they’re wrong, since they’ve been after Sonny for a long time. Sam agrees and doesn’t think they should trust the cops. Curtis wants to talk to Jordan, but Jason asks him to wait. Jason and Sam leave. I think they stuck Curtis with the check.

Andre thinks he should refer Anna to someone else, considering their history. She tells him that she’s not there as a patient; she wants to consult him on a case. She needs some insight into Valentin.

Valentin asks Nina if he’s missing anything as far as the decorations go. She asks if Charlotte has a stocking, but he says she puts it up on Christmas Eve. Nina says she did too, but it was in the playroom, so that it didn’t clash with her mother’s theme for the year. There was never anything under the tree either. It wasn’t a place of love and togetherness, but a place to conduct business. She got a lot of presents bought by assistants. It was extravagant and completely empty. Valentin says he had a gift one year from the cook at school. She knitted him a scarf. He had it for years until the airline lost his bag. They both can picture each other as children. He asks her to stay for dinner, but she has to go. She tells him to have Charlotte open the gift right away. It’s an Advent calendar.

One of the staff comes to the door. The launch has been grounded because of a storm. No one can leave Spoon Island.

Lulu tells Dante that when she saw Charlotte, she had a physical reaction and immediate need to protect her. She says she literally feels a pull toward her, like she feels toward Rocco. She asks Dante if he thinks it’s possible that Charlotte is her daughter.

Curtis goes to the station. He wants to talk to Jordan, but she wants him to leave. He says it’s purely professional, and she says he has 30 seconds. He tells her it’s about the Corrinthos case. He says they both have information that the other doesn’t, and you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.

Jason goes with Sam to her doctor’s appointment. While they’re waiting, Sam asks what he thinks about Curtis’s idea. He says it’s a great idea, but highly doubtful it would work. He says Jordan seems honest, but he doesn’t think she’ll listen. He says at least they’re making progress, and thinks Sonny will eventually go free. They discuss moving away from Port Charles.

Lulu wonders why she’d feel so strongly about a child she’s never met. Dante says the embryo was destroyed. She says they don’t know for sure, and how do they know that Claudette is really Charlotte’s mom?

Valentin calls Charlotte who’s at the MetroCourt and going to spend the night there. I guess it’s a mall, and a hotel, and all the restaurants in town rolled into one – and there’s a movie theater! Nina says she’s leaving. She thinks Valentin is manipulating her, but he says he’s not in control of the weather. She leaves and he counts. He gets to one and she’s back inside, soaking wet.

Andre tells Anna that it isn’t a typical WSB profile, and she says she knows it’s slim. He asks what she’s looking for, and she wants to know what Valentin’s agenda is. Andre recognizes his alias, Theo Hart, as being involved in an international diamond ring. He says they were smart and connected, and just as the authorities were ready to make an arrest, they closed up shop and disappeared. Anna tells Andre what little she knows about Valentin. Andre says they can get the Bedlington transcripts, but Anna says after he left, the school burned down, and the files were lost. It was arson, and she’s sure it was him, and she intends to uncover whatever he’s hiding about his past.

Jordan asks why Curtis is still investigating. He says he wants to get to the truth. She says he’s not known for his altruism, so what’s the angle? He says if she wants Lomax off her back, he has what she needs. She gets a pair of handcuffs and cuffs him to the desk.

Nathan puts on some music. He and Maxie start to do a swing number. When Maxie goes to answer her phone, Nathan takes a spill.

Lulu thinks it’s possible that after things didn’t work out with Daphne, Helena hired Claudette instead. She says no one has investigated if she’s Charlotte’s mother. Dante says there’s proof Valentin is her father, so she’s not Stavros’s child.

Valentin gives Nina some clothing. He thinks it’s from Nicholas’s ex-fiance. He tells Nina to get dry and he’ll see about dinner.

Andre tells Anna it’s possible that it was a cover up, but Valentin could have been seeking closure and catharsis. He might have felt abandoned, and once empowered as an adult, went back to the source of his powerlessness and unhappiness. Andre thinks there’s definitely an inferiority complex going on. Anna talks about Valentin stammering when she asked about his father. She thinks there’s something missing. Andre asks what is it about Valentin and why is the case giving her so much trouble?

Anna says she’s unsettled that Valentin has researched her. She tells Andre about Valentin telling her “open your eyes,” and says he told her it was just a coincidence. Andre says it’s no secret she was with the WSB, but she says there’s more to it. Valentin seems familiar. Andre asks if she thinks she knows him, but she says it’s more like he knows her.

Valentin presents dinner to Nina. She says he makes her nervous. He asks if it’s because of what people say about him. Nina tells him that she’s been warned about him, but she’s spent more time with him than with the people who warned her. He makes her nervous because they’re eating in front of the fire and it feels like the start of something. He says maybe it is. I’m in. She says she’s only had two relationships. The first was cold and distant. She invested time and saw a future, but he didn’t see it. Valentin says the same thing happened to him, and she asks if he’s talking about Claudette.

Lulu says Stavros and Valentin were brothers, so maybe there was some kind of mistake. Dante wonders if there’s competition for the estate, but Lulu tells him that Mikkos left everything to Valentin, no question. Dante wonders if Valentin was just going after the other Cassadines for sport, and says maybe Charlotte is still alive because she’s no threat. Lulu admits that maybe she just wants Charlotte to be her daughter.

Jason is hesitant about moving away just now,  and Sam says they don’t have to make a decision yet. He thinks it’s not the right time to move, and she’s okay with that. The doctor comes in. She asks if they’re ready to meet their baby.

Curtis says that Jordan has no grounds to detain him, but she says he’s a person of interest, and she can legally keep him for 24 hours. He tells her that he can get out of the cuffs, and she asks if he can get out of an arrest warrant, or does he want to cooperate? He says he’s aware of the surveillance footage and that there was a van blocking the camera. He tells her that the van belongs to Julian’s company. She tells him he used the word “we,” and asks who he’s working with.

Jason and Sam look at the ultrasound. The doctor says the baby is looking good. She asks if they want to know the sex. I do! I do!

Curtis tells Jordan that he likes to work alone and misspoke. She doesn’t believe it, and he says she’s right, but he’s not telling her, and he’s given her all the information that he has. She let’s him loose. She says there’s something she thinks he should see. She takes him in the back, and brings out a laptop. She says she has the footage at a different angle from a red light camera, adding that technically it’s public record. She says he gave her something, and she’s returning the favor.

Jason says it’s up to Sam. Sam thinks a surprise is exciting. The doctor says she wrote it down, and they can open it or forget it exists. Jason says thanks for the temptation.

Nathan has hurt his back. Maxie suggests going to the doctor. She asks if he’s going to be okay to do the first dance at the wedding, and he says wild horses couldn’t pull him away; he’ll be there with his dancing shoes on. He has to get back to work, but promises only the desk and an ice pack. As soon as he’s out of the room, Maxie reaches for his laptop, and he tells her to stay off of it. I laugh.

Lulu tells Dante that she can accept that Charlotte isn’t hers. Dante suggests a mini-vacation, but she says they can’t just drop everything and leave; she still has to finalize things for Haunted Star New Year’s Eve party. Dante leaves. Lulu sees a Christmas bow on the floor and ponders again.

Nina tells Valentin that she was lucky. Those relationships weren’t going to last. She needed to live her own life and find out what made her happy. Valentin tells her she’s already learned the most important lesson – you have to get what you want for yourself. She says most people think she’s fragile and defined by her past, but she’s not fragile, and she’s an independent adult. He says they have that in common, being defined by their past. They kiss.

Lulu visits Maxie. She wants an honest opinion. She says she can’t let something go, even after talking to Dante. She thinks Valentin has her daughter, and wants Maxie to help her prove it.

At the station, Dante asks to talk to Nathan. He tells Nathan about Lulu’s theory on Charlotte.

Valentin tells Nina that he doesn’t want to take advantage. She says he’s not.

Andre asks if Anna thinks Valentin came to Port Charles purposely to follow her. She says she’s not that self-absorbed, but thinks she can find what she needs in the rubble at Bedlington.

Jordan tells Curtis that if he clears Sonny’s name, to make sure that Sonny doesn’t take the law into his own hands. She says she knows he’s working for Jason, but she’s trusting him. If he gets a lead as to who planted the bomb, he needs to come to her first, not Sonny. She tells him to just think about it. After she’s gone, he looks at the footage and says, what the hell…?

Sam asks Jason what he wants to do. His phone rings. It’s Curtis. Curtis tells him not to get mad, and Jason says he shouldn’t start a conversation that way. Curtis says he has something really big.

Tomorrow, Lulu and Maxie look at some files that could have the answer, Tom introduces himself to Kiki, and Dante wonders if Charlotte is Lulu’s daughter.

Hairspray Live!

🎶 I hope a lot of you watched this. Harvey Feirstien reprised his original role of Edna, and – sorry John Travolta – nobody does it better. I saw him on Broadway and I still get excited just thinking about it. But that’s not why I’m hoping a lot of people watched it. John Waters said more with his story about a fat, white girl wanting equality for all than anyone will ever say with the negative crap I see online. If you don’t like musicals, check out the original movie with Divine playing Edna (I was also blessed to see him on stage in Women Behind Bars). Same message without the songs. But if you watch this, be prepared for – horrors! – cultural appropriation, or what we used to call sharing our culture. Today, people can’t seem to make up their minds as to whether they want to be homogenized or smack your hand away from their hair-do. Personally, I prefer to call the USA not a melting pot – a term we were once described as, but never seemed to grasp – but a stew pot, where every ingredient is different, yet all of them work together.

Mini-lecture over. Hairspray Live! was everything. More than a play, it was an event, with live feeds on TV from various cities, a live audience for the show, behind-the-scenes footage, and the Facebook Live comments going so fast, it was hard to read them, much less reply to any. There were a few technical glitches, but the cast didn’t miss a beat, and you could tell they were enjoying the hell out of it. It was a wonderful way to bring people together. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I felt good afterward, and certainly better than I do after looking at my Facebook newsfeed.

And while my father can no longer build us a stage in the barn, we can still join together in singing and dancing to promote unity.

Jun13

June 12, 2016 – No Shahs, Just a Throne Game

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

Because I watched the Tonys – what a shame Hamilton was such a loser – hahaha! – just kidding – congratulations to them – I only saw the first half of Shahs of Sunset. No doubt I’ll catch up with them later, but the takeaway point I was left with was that Tommy is done with MJ. What? He took his clothes and everything. I thought they were making babies together, and now this? Quel disappointment. I also don’t want Vida to be right.

Game of Thrones

We’re back at that play about the Lannisters. Lady Crane has taken Arya’s advice and put more anger in her monologue. The crowd goes wild. And I keep thinking about that carrot cake in my refrigerator.

Lady Crane is about to have her usual apres-monologue booze, when she hears Arya backstage. Arya is practically bleeding to death. Lady Crane dresses her wounds and tells Arya how she came to learn nursing; she was always stitching up her bad boy boyfriends. Lady Crane asks Arya to come with the troupe, but Arya say she can’t. She says there’s someone with no name after her. They talk for a while and Lady Crane gives Arya something to help her sleep.

A bunch of guys sit by a fire in the forest, jackassing around. I guess they’re the guys who killed The Hound’s peeps because he strolls right up and slaughters them.

Cool! It’s the market in Meereen. I’d love to haggle there. A woman makes a speech to a small crowd about how they should support Dany and wait for her. Tyrion and Varys stroll through the market. Tyrion hopes that Varys is right about his mission. Varys says if he doesn’t come back Tyrion will know he was wrong. That’s the spirit! Tyrion says he’ll miss Varys, and they part company.

The High Sparrow sends messengers to ask for Cersei. She says he can come see her, but the head messenger insists. Cersei says the Sparrow promised she could stay in the Red Keep until her trial, but the messenger says, oh no he didn’t. The Mountain comes out in his armor. The messenger says if Cersei doesn’t come willingly, there will be violence. Cersei says she chooses violence and The Mountain makes quick work of one of the messengers. Cersei tells the pretty startled speaker of the group that the Sparrow can come visit her any time.

A bunch of soldiers approach Brienne and Pod. She says she’s there to talk to Jaime and says she has his sword. At the camp, Bron goofs on Pod and then wonders if Brienne and Jaime are doing the nasty in the tent. Bron offers to give Pod fighting lessons. He immediately smacks Pod and says lesson number one is to understand that everyone wants to hit you.

Jaime and Brienne talk in the tent. She tells him about Sansa and says she’s come for The Blackfish. She tells Jaime that Sansa intends to take back her seat at Winterfell. She says he’s a knight and she knows there’s honor in him. and that he should take Riverrun without bloodshed. She says she’ll help him if he helps her. Jaime tells her The Blackfish is more stubborn than she is, but all right. Brienne asks for his word that if she helps him take Riverrun, he’ll give them safe passage. He agrees.

Brienne gives Oathkeeper to Jaime, saying that he gave it to her for a purpose and she’s achieved the purpose. He says it’s hers and always will be. Brienne tells him that if The Blackfish doesn’t surrender, honor compels her to fight on his side. Jaime says he understands and hopes it doesn’t come to that.

The Blackfish tells Brienne that he hasn’t seen Sansa since she was a kid and he doesn’t care. She tells him that Jaime is the one who sent her to get Sansa and she’s sworn to protect Sansa until she dies. She shows him the letter. He says he doesn’t have enough men to help Sansa take Winterfell. Brienne says he still has more than Sansa does. The Blackfish says he has his own home to defend and if Jaime wants the castle, he’ll have to take it. Brienne tells Pod to send Sansa a message that she failed.

Cersei is told that there’s to be a royal announcement in the throne room, but her place is in the gallery. Ouch! Tommen speaks about the faith and the crown, and how the Father judges them all. He announces when Loras’s and Cersei’s trials will be, adding there will be no more trial by combat. Uh-oh, there goes Cersei’s plan. He says it isn’t fair and helps the defendant to escape judgment, which I have to agree is true.

A maester sidles up to Cersei. He says he’s investigated a rumor and it’s about to blow the lid off the place. I’m paraphrasing.

Tyrion tells Greyworm and Missandei that Meereen has been reborn. Neither one of them is a drinker, but he insists they have a drink with him. He toasts to Dany and says anyone not drinking is disrespectful to their queen. Greyworm isn’t impressed with fermentation. Tyrion says he’d like to have his own vineyard and call his wine The Imp’s Delight. He tells a three-guys-walk-into-a-bar joke, but neither one of them get it. Missandei is liking the wine and Tyrion asks her to tell a joke. After she does, Greyworm tells her it’s the worst joke he’s ever heard. They start to relax and laugh a little, and suddenly Greyworm jumps up and runs out.

A load of ships are coming in and Missandei says the masters are back for their property.

Jaime apologizes to Edmure for the way the Freys treated him. Edmure says his uncle will never surrender the castle, so Jaime is wasting his time. Jaime says The Blackfish is an old guy and Edmure has a son now. Edmure says he’s never seen his son. Jaime says going against the crown has consequences. They go back and forth with Edmure finally calling Jaime an evil man. He asks how Jaime lives with himself.

Jaime says Edmure’s sister once hit him in the head with a rock and they sort of laugh. Jaime says he admired Catelyn. Edmure tells Jaime not to talk about her. Jaime says she was a lot like Cersei and would do anything to protect her children. Edmure asks what he really wants. Jaime says he loves Cersei and she needs him. He says he’ll do whatever he can to take Riverrun and get back to her. He says none of them mean anything to him except her. He’ll kill all the Tullys if he has to.

Edmure approaches the castle, saying he’s the rightful Lord of Riverrun and demands entry. The Blackfish tells the gatekeeper not to let him in, but the gatekeeper says he’s sworn to serve the Lord of Riverrun. The Blackfish says he’s not obeying the Lord of Riverrun; he’s obeying Jaime Lannister. The Blackfish says he’ll have his head first and the gatekeeper says The Blackfish is not the Lord of Riverrun. The Blackfish puts his sword away, since he can’t argue with that, and the drawbridge is lowered.

Edmure goes inside, saying nothing to The Blackfish. He goes upstairs and is welcomed home. He tells the gatekeeper that everyone is to lay down their arms and to open the gates. Jaime looks at the Freys like, ah-ha (in Nelson voice), I was right. The soldiers enter Riverrun. Edmure says to hand The Blackfish over to the Freys for poetic justice.

Brienne and Pod are leaving. Brienne tells The Blackfish to come with them, but he says it’s his family home and he hasn’t had a proper sword fight in years. I give him props for his chutzpah.

Jaime is told The Blackfish died fighting. He looks out over the castle wall and sees Brienne and Pod leaving in a boat. He and Brienne wave to each other. I guess they’ll always be friends, eh?

Meanwhile, Meereen is being bombarded with fire bombs from the ships. Greyworm is arguing with Tyrion. Greyworm says the army needs to wait for the masters to come to them and not go to the beach. Suddenly, a bunch of Ninja type guys come in and bow down. Dany has arrived.

The Hound hears people in the forest. He sees some guys about to be hung. The hangmen are Beric and Thoros from the Brotherhood Without Banners. The Hound realizes the hangees are part of the gang who killed Brother Ray and the others, and finds out they were also part of the Brotherhood. He wants to deal with them, but compromises with taking out two. He wants to use his ax, but Beric says they only do hanging. Again there’s a compromise where The Hound can cut off some fingers or something. He also takes a pair of boots from one of the dead guys.

The Hound shares supper with his old friends. Beric asks him to join them. The Hound says he tried that and it didn’t work. Beric tells him they need good men to help them. The Hound says last time they met, Beric wanted him dead. Beric says that the Lord of Light spared The Hound for a reason. He tells The Hound he can still help more than he’s harmed and it’s not too late.

Arya is recovering at Lady Crane’s place. A guy stops by while Arya is sleeping and Lady Crane gets a vial from the top of a cabinet.

Arya is startled awake and finds Lady Crane totally butchered. The Waif appears and says if Arya had done her job, Lady Crane would have died painlessly. Arya jumps from the balcony and runs, The Waif behind her. She’s pretty freakin’ fast too. They run through Braavos. Finally Arya looses The Waif, but gets herself lost.

Arya walks through a steam-room into the market and there’s The Waif. Arya jumps over a wall and takes an amazing tumble down a whole lot of stairs, upsetting quite a few merchants. She’s hurt, but manages to crawl away, The Waif trailing her. Why, I don’t know, but Arya goes through an alleyway where there’s no way out. The Waif follows with a knife.

Arya is crouched in a dark room. The Waif closes the door and tells Arya it will be over soon. Arya has Needle, but the Waif says that won’t help her.

Jaqen sees a trail of blood leading to the pool. He goes downstairs to where the faces are. He sees The Waif’s face among them. Behind him, Arya says he told The Waif not to kill her. He says yes and that finally a girl is no one. She says the girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and she’s going home. Jaqen smiles. Kind of.

Next time, Jon is ready for war, and war it is. Looks like a doozie.

Jun11

June 10, 2016 – GH or Not to GH, No Shot at Hamilton & a Quote

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

General Hospital – Thursday

A prayer service for Nicholas is being held at Windemere. Lulu and Dante arrive. Laura says she felt they could support each other. Spencer escorts Emma to the kitchen for cookies. Elizabeth tells Hayden she wants a truce.

Alexis tells Julian he’s holding the proof he killed somene, so how can he ask if there’s a chance for them? He says he still loves her and doesn’t want to lose her. Bleh. She asks if he loved her when he ripped the shirt out of her hand and grabbed her arm. He tells her he’s trying to protect them. She tries to get the shirt back again, and when he pulls it away, she says he’s the only one he’s trying to protect. He tries to turn it around, intimating that she took vows and she’s not standing by him. Boo-hoo. She says he’s not the only one who could get in trouble.

Griff tells Lucas that if God was testing him by putting Carrrlos in his path, he’s not sure if he passed the test. He says he’s on a leave of absence from his diocese. Lucas wonders how Griff feels about his gayness. Griff tells Lucas that he and his church don’t always see eye to eye, along with some kumbaya stuff, but says that has nothing to do with him keeping his being a priest a secret.

Spinelli shows up at Maxie and Nathan’s. They’re still arguing and he suggests coming back after they’ve kissed and made up. Maxie says that won’t be happening. Spinelli says statistics say arguments like these usually lead to a night of passion. He goes to make some tea and Nathan tells Maxie he’ll always regret his actions with Claudette. Maxie tells Nathan she needs time to process everything. He leaves and Spinelli asks Maxie what’s going on.

Sam wants to look for evidence during the gathering at Windemere, but Jason says the others might be wise to her. He’s going to take a boat to the other side of the island and sneak in. He says the cops are only looking for the obvious, but he’ll know what he’s looking for when he finds it. He says Nicholas was desperate, and desperate men make mistakes. He tells her to stick with the group and he’ll text her when he’s done.

Elizabeth tells Hayden that for tonight, they’re here for Nicholas. When that’s over, they can go back to hating each other.

Spencer asks if Emma knows what kind of party she’s at. Emma says they’re getting together to pray for his father’s return. Spencer says he knows for a fact that Nicholas isn’t coming back. Hayden goes to the door and Naomi is there. Naomi says she’s there for moral support and Hayden says Naomi is there to look for the diamonds. She blames Hayden for losing them and goes in to the drawing room.

Laura and Lulu are concerned about Spencer, but Lulu says Dante is doing his best to get through to him. Dante tells Spencer there’s no evidence to prove his father isn’t coming back. Spencer says it’s better to accept the obvious. He doesn’t want to grieve for his father twice.

Alexis tells Julian since he has the shirt, he wins. All he has to do is destroy it. Without evidence, the only thing she has is hearsay. He says he loves her. She tells him he can have her or get away with murder, but not both. He leaves with the shirt and she dissolves into tears.

Alexis calls Diane and tells her something came up and she can’t explain right now. She says the evidence is gone and she can’t get it back, but she’s not letting Julian get away with murder. Julian barbecues the shirt.

Spinelli says when he received Maxie’s call about her engagement, little did he know things would deteriorate so quickly. She says something about Nathan’s first wife. When Spinelli looks surprised, she says yeah, he forgot to mention it to her too, and explains how the details came out.

Nathan sees Griff at the hospital. He says Griff managed to save his life and ruin it at the same time.

Hayden introduces her mother to Laura. Laura says her hope is that Nicholas will return to them. When Laura steps away, Naomi asks Hayden if she thinks Nicholas is coming back. She says no, but she wishes he would. Laura thanks everyone for coming. She says they’re all missing Nicholas and hoping for answers and wishing for the best. Spencer says Nicholas is gone and the drawing room doors open.

Jason skulks around Nicholas’s bedroom. He checks the trash, like no one would have done that.

Sam enters the drawing room. Dante asks where Jason is and she says she wishes she knew. Like he’d be showing up there in the first place. Lulu thanks Laura for arranging everything. She says she wants to be drawing on her love for Nicholas, but her fear is overpowering her feelings. She says seeing all of them makes her feel less alone. Spencer asks to be excused and leaves with Emma.

Jason goes through drawers and finds a notepad.

Spinelli says it didn’t sound like happiest of unions and the green card thing is illegal. He says maybe Nathan didn’t want to relive it. Maxie says they got past it and started planning the wedding, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. She wants to tell him the rest, but Nathan made her swear not to. He asks for a hint. She says she can’t talk about it to anyone and suddenly spaces out for a moment. She says she has to go and she’ll talk to him later.

Nathan tells Griff that he said to be honest and now Maxie doesn’t want to be with him any more. Geez, isn’t Nathan a little old to be blaming the people he takes advice from when it backfires? Griff says he’s sorry to hear that, but he can’t get any more involved than he is already. He suggests they see a therapist or talk to family members, but whatever they decide, leave him out of it.

Lucas goes to Julian and Alexis’s place, and Alexis let’s him in. He thanks her for volunteering the house for his and Brad’s wedding and she has no idea what he’s talking about. He says Julian told them they could have the wedding there – tonight. Lucas can see how surprised she is and says he’ll change the date, but she says no, they should go ahead. He tells her he’s glad Julian found her. When he leaves, Alexis relives finding out that Julian killed Carrrlos. She’s about to get out the dagger when Julian walks in. What have I said about his timing? He asks if he shouldn’t have come back and she says where else should he be an hour before his son’s wedding that he didn’t bother telling her about.

Spencer gives Emma a handmade heart to remember him by and I wonder if he used the diamonds on it. Jason watches unbeknownst to them. Emma asks where Spencer is going and he says nowhere, but she’ll be going back to California. When they leave, Jason comes back out of his hiding place.

Hayden says if Nicholas could see all of them there, nothing would stop him from coming back to them. Laura asks for a moment of silence to pray for his safe return. Naomi whisper asks to Hayden who else knows about the diamonds.

Dante asks if there’s anything Sam can tell him about where Jason is. She says the only thing he said was for her not to go anywhere. Dante says Jason saved his life and he’s grateful. She says if she hears from him, she’ll tell him to contact Dante. When Dante leaves, Elizabeth tells Sam to tell Jason to be careful because something is very wrong.

Maxie runs into the hospital and asks Griff to put on his priest hat because she has to talk to someone about her fiance. He says he’s the last person she should talk to.

Spinelli is trying to get information about Claudette when Nathan comes back.

Naomi asks Elizabeth how long she’s lived in Port Charles. Laura goes to check on Spencer and sees him with Emma. Spencer tells her again he knows Nicholas isn’t coming back.

Jason texts Sam that he’s out. Dante goes into the hallway to make a call and asks for a tail on Sam who just left.

Julian asks Alexis if they can move past it. She asks how he could throw their future away. He says he never thought they’d be in this position; he thought they were a team and were still together.

Tomorrow, Hayden tells Naomi they’re having her arrested, Ava skips town, and Spinelli uncovers some dirt.

General Hospital – Friday

Today, GH was pre-empted and ABC showed a repeat because of the Mohammed Ali funeral in some areas.

So, in lieu of that, I have a little tirade.

Hamilton

Normally, I don’t write about theatre, but at one time I was on Broadway – okay, it was 103rd Street and Broadway, but technically, it was still Broadway – so I feel compelled to air my grievances about the discouraging way the tickets for this are being handled.

I keep praying I either wake up rich so I could afford to see it, or wake up stupid so that I no longer want to. While it’s not bad enough tickets are already astronomically priced and the show is sold out until January, in order to combat scalping, ticket prices are rising even higher for this particular show. That’s right, instead of punishing the people breaking the law, the audience is being penalized.(While it’s not a crime to resell a ticket, it is if you’re going to rob someone blind, not to mention the problem of fake tickets),  I guess they figure fewer scalpers will shell out the original price and don’t care if the people wanting to see the show have to suffer for that. Supposedly, as a consolation prize, they will be adding more tickets to the daily lottery. Oh yay! My odds will be a percentage of a percentage of a percent better now.

Part of the charm of this show is that it’s about a nobody’s rise from poverty to being a key figure in forming a new nation, as well as the casting being all inclusive. However, the rest of us nobodies are being excluded by our bank balances. I’m disappointed that Lin-Manuel Miranda isn’t being vocal about this. Especially since he’s spoken out about other forms of audience rip-offs.

Lest you think an actor has no say in the matter, I don’t buy that. As a matter-of-fact, I personally blame Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane for the original exorbitant rise in ticket prices. It happened during their run in The Producers when they insisted on more money because they were now big stars, and apparently cared less about the work and those who would like to see it, than their wallets. There have certainly been musicians in the past who have stepped in and stopped such thievery of their fans, but Broadway actors seem to have ceased caring.

That’s sad, coming from a place where the work, and the enjoyment of the audience, should be first and foremost. And everyone should get a fair shot at tickets.

Quote of the Week

If you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail. April (Kate Winslet) in Revolutionary Road.