What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
šµĀ Here’s the story. I’ve had a sick dog that I have to give meds to twice a day, and I might as well be giving them to a cat. The struggle is real. Plus a few other monkey wrenches thrown in, so I’m crunched for time. I’m hoping it doesn’t reflect (too badly) in the editing, and will give a mini-cap on Game of Thrones tomorrow. Some viewers will be dying happy. Others, not so much. So take this post in the spirit it’s given – the show must go on, even if it’s half-assed.
General Hospital
On the phone outside Kellyās, Laura tells Doc it appears she has a secret admirer. A beautiful bouquet of tulips came, but the card wasnāt signed. Does he have any idea who it was? She thinks sheās talking to him. He says, guilty, and she says, thoughtful. He wants her to know he loves her, even if theyāre not together right now. Doc is at the MetroCourt, and Ava arrives. He says he needs to go. It looks like itās showtime. She tells him that she loves him, and break a leg. Robert sees Laura, and they hug.
Lucy tells Scotty that she needs help with the program. Maxie thought it was too glitzy. He suggests maybe itās not glitzy enough. She thinks Maxieās designer sense might be causing her criticize. Scotty says maybe sheās too picky, but Lucy says you can never be too picky about the Nursesā Ball. Itās supposed to inspire confidence and romance. Sheās suddenly distracted, and Scotty senses some sort of disturbance in the force. Lucy says, you could say that. She sees Doc pull out Avaās chair for her.
Anna goes to see Jordan at the hospital. Curtis sits at her bedside. Anna is ready to read Jordan the riot act. She criticized Anna about going rogue. When was she planning on telling Anna that she was in the hospital? Did it slip her mind? Jordan apologizes for the secrecy. Sheāll make it up to Anna. Anna says, when? and Curtis says, as soon as the antibiotics start working. Jordan thanks her for coming, and Anna tells her not to go rogue again. Curtis sighs, and Jordan asks, what is it? He says they need to talk. He understands why she kept her situation from Anna, but why keep it from him?
Anna sees Finn at the reception area, and asks how Jordan is doing. She says, good. Jordan has put things in perspective for her. Finn asks, how so? and she says she canāt keep dwelling on the past. She needs to focus on the life she has now.
Maxie and Lulu meet to get manicures. Maxie says sheās been going crazy without Lulu. Lulu says she hasnāt been gone that long, and Maxie says it was for her. She would never take off for Paris. Lulu says itās different for Maxie. She and Peter are just getting started. Maxie says, about thatā¦
Michael tells Kristina that he brought someone for her to talk to. Kristina remembers Willow, and asks why sheās there. Michael starts to say, she knows somethingā¦ but Willow says she can speak for herself. Thatās why sheās there. She says Shiloh preaches honesty above all else, but sheās there to tell Kristina the truth about Shiloh and what he does to young women like them. She was member for over five years. Kristina asks if she quit, and Willow says she escaped, just barely. She hopes Kristina can too ā before itās too late.
Willow says itās still painful to talk about her time with DOD. She wants to help Kristina make an informed choice about her future. Neil thinks thatās an excellent idea, provided Kristina is willing to listen. Kristina says sheās heard more than her share of anti DOD propaganda. Michael asks if she trusts him. She says she does, and he asks her to believe that Willow doesnāt have an agenda. She wants to tell Kristina what happened, and let her make up her own mind. Thatās all. Can she do that? Kristina says, why not?
Laura ask how Robert has been. He says heās still above ground, and she ask how Holly is. He says theyāre not together at the moment, and Laura says sheās sorry. Robert says heās sorry it didnāt work out between her and Doc, but he doesnāt blame her for calling it quits. Laura says, itās a complicated situation. Robert says she seems to have moved on to a new suiter. He caught the end of her conversation, saying she canāt wait to see someone again. She laughs and says, it was just Lulu. He says heās going to be in Port Charles for a while, and asks, how about going to the Nursesā Ball together?
Lucy asks if Scotty knows about whateverās going on between Doc and Ava. He says, not a clue, and she says sheāll get him one. He tells her, hold on, but sheās already on her way. Doc asks if Ava feels the eyes on them, and Ava says, any attention is good if it gets Ryan out of hiding. He sees Lucy approach, and says, maybe not all. Lucy says, funny running into them there, and Ava says, hilarious. Lucy asks if they came in together or ran into each other in the elevator. Ava says they arranged to meet there; like Lucy and Scotty. Lucy says she and Scotty are working on the Nursesā Ball. They were just discussing Avaās amazing performance last year, and here she is. Lucy has tickets available, and Ava says sheāll take care of that later. She says, itās funny though, how close Lucy and Scotty have become. Scotty joins them, and says, like liver and onions. Lucy tells him to speak for himself, and Ava says you canāt manufacture that chemistry. Maybe Lucy and Scotty should go the Nursesā Ball together. She and Doc are.
Neil suggests Willow start at the beginning. How did she get involved with DOD? Willow says, her mother was always a seeker, looking for something spiritual, some cause or movement to answer her questions and give her a purpose. They spent Willowās childhood moving from place to place. Her mother tried it all. Before Willow turned eighteen, she met Shiloh, and their lies were never the same.
Anna tells Finn that she has all the proof she needs that Robin is her daughter. She wants to focus on their future now. Finn flashes back to his proposal to the skeleton, and says he couldnāt agree more.
Jordan tells Curtis that she didnāt know she was sick before he left, but he says she knew more than she was letting on. She says she didnāt want to worry him, but he says sheās his wife. If he canāt worry about her, who can? She has to let him in, no matter how bad the situation gets. Finn walks in, and says he has the lab test results. Curtis takes Jordanās hand, and she says, letās hear it.
Laura says, go to the Nursesā Ball with Robert? He asks if itās really so crazy, and she says sheās just surprised, since sheās never seen him there. He says heās usually not in Port Charles. Sheās incredibly flattered, and he says, sheās not ready move on, is she? She says, something like that, and he tells her, the offer stays open. A lot can happen in week or three.
Ava tells Lucy that when Doc asked, she couldnāt resist. Lucy says, how wonderful. She hadnāt realized theyād grown so close. Ava says Doc has been a great source of comfort, and Doc says it was only natural. They understand each otherās feelings; what theyāre going through. Survivor trauma from Ryan Chamberlain. Ava asks for two tickets, and hopes she gets a great table. Lucy says she will, and since Ava will be performing again, sheās thinking Ava should have Doc come up on stage with her. Ava thinks thatās a great idea, and asks Doc if heād be interested in that. He says, anything for her, and Scotty says, Ava? A word? Ava says she needs a refill anyway, and tells Doc, try not to miss her.
Scotty orders two dirty rotten martinis. Ava asks what he wants to talk about. He says first theyāll enjoy their martinis, then sheās going to tell him what sheās up to with Doc.
Willow tells Kristina that she and her mother lived in Berk Lake, where Shiloh had his epiphany, then came up with the philosophy for DOD. Neil asks how her mother heard about DOD, and Willow says she heard rumors about it. Some of her friends left to see what was happening, and she wanted to see for herself. They attended a seminar, and Shiloh saw potential in her mother. She had outreach experience, and knows how to network. It wasnāt long before her mother was Shilohās right hand, spreading his teachings in Berk Lake. She seemed to have finally found a home. They took pride in the outreach and service. They felt alive, being out there, volunteering, trying to make a difference. Her mother was one of the first to join the Trust. After about a year. Shiloh wanted her.
Lulu asks Maxie, what happened last night? Maxie says she and Peter rescheduled, like theyāve been doing for weeks now. Fate is playing tricks. The closer they get, she feels like Peter is pulling away. On second thought, she thinks maybe they shouldnāt date in general.
Anna sees Peter, and asks how his date went. He says it hasnāt gone at all. Theyāve been stalling, making creative excuses as to the reason why ā at least he has. Anna wonders why. They established they like each other. He says heās never invested significantly in a relationship emotionally. Heās never been part of a couple. The closer they get, the more he fears hurting her. Anna asks why he thinks that, and he says because of who he is. Who he always will be. Faisonās son.
Finn says the antibiotics were unsuccessful. Jordan says they knew it was a possibility. Finn says her remaining kidney is failing, and she needs a transplant as soon as possible. Sheās at the top of the donor list now, so itās a waiting game.
Willow says Shiloh told her that she was being considered for the Trust, honoring her for all her hard work, commitment, and the progress sheād made. It sounded like the next step. Itās Shilohās M.O. He gets you at your most vulnerable, when youāre figuring out who you are, and what you want to grasp. The choices youāre living with have consequences, and Shiloh takes away the burden of choice, and makes you his puppet. Youāre sure heās giving you the answer. Her mother said it was an honor to join the Trust, and thatās how it seemed. A chance to part of Shilohās inner circle. Shiloh had such a hold on her, she didnāt bat an eye when he asked for her Pledge. Neil ask what kind of pledge? Willow says, a secret; something personal, and so shameful he could hold it over your head if you try to leave. He tells you itās a symbol, so the group can trust you as you trust them. So she made recording of her Pledge, and Shiloh wrote it up. She signed it, then it was time for initiation. Kristina asks, what happened? and Willow says, he put his mark on her. She shows Kristina the tattoo. Michael looks pissed, and Alexis turns away. I donāt know what Kristina is thinking, hopefully, she is thinking.
Peter tells Anna that his father raised him to be cruel and calculating. To use people and discard them. Deny his feelings unless they served him. His father led by example, and heās hard wired. He has his fatherās DNA. Anna says he has hers too. She asks if he thinks sheād be pushing the relationship if she thought heād hurt Maxie? Peter says she doesnāt know what heās capable of. She says, everyone is capable of cruelty. Thatās just human. He doesnāt want Maxie to see that side of him. Anna says heās not giving Maxie enough credit. Sheās a strong young woman who knows what she wants. She might run, but he should see whatās really inside that makes her want to stay.
Lucy says Doc is lucky he has both hands, or sheād have mistaken him for Ryan. He hopes more than a hand distinguishes them. She says she saw Ava around him after the memorial; now theyāre going to the Nursesā Ball? Itās like announcing to the entire world that theyāre involved.
Ava asks if Scotty remembers the conversation they had a few days ago. He says when she summoned him, and wanted to use him as bait, posing as her boyfriend? She says, yes, and he says she had that cockamamie plan to lure Ryan out by making him jealous? She says she was traumatized. She had waking nightmares of Ryan choking her, but with Docās help, sheās accepted heās dead. Scotty says, so sheās gone from vengeance to acceptance? She hates that he died before she got closure, or he could face justice for what he did to her daughter, but all the hate in the world canāt change it. Doc helped her to see that not every story gets a proper ending. He says Doc is responsible for letting his demented brother get loose. Now sheās cozying up to him? He wants to relieve his guilt, but she canāt do it for him. She asks if theyāre done. He says they are, and she leaves.
Ava sees Lucy made herself comfortable. Lucy wouldnāt go that far. Ava thanks her for keeping Doc company. Docās phone dings, and he needs to cut this short. He asks if Ava wants to meet for dinner, and she says, of course (š·). He says heāll see her then, and leaves. Ava tells Lucy that sheād say itās nice see her, butā¦ Lucy tells Ava, sit down. She wants some questions answered.
Finn tells Jordan itās not as simple as a blood type match. She has specific genetic markers. Curtis says there are options like a private donor. Finn says, itās possible, but they tested a lot of people. Heās optimistic thereās a match. Sheās at the top of list, and if he gets something promising, heāll call. When he leaves, Jordan says she could use a distraction. Does he have news on tracking down a supposedly dead serial killer. He says thatās a cheerful new topic, and Laura comes in. Jordan says she was just asking about the trip to Canada. Curtis might have found a lead on Ryan.
Scotty goes to the table, and asks, whatās going on? and gets between Lucy and Ava. Ava says Lucy is lucky she believes in the cause. Thereās a big fat check that can easily be canceled.
Curtis says the woman gave the thief a list of meds used to treat a severed hand. Jordan asks if there was a description, but Curtis says, not in detail. He tells them about the car with the bumper sticker that said, North Madison High School, Class of ā94. He found a MyFace page for the class. Working on her laptop, Jordan says, there are 240 graduates. Curtis says it was definitely a white woman, and Laura says they can remove any women of color. Curtis says two students have passed away, but he still canāt knock on 113 doors without the police getting involved. Laura says they can search the marital status; sheās probably living by herself. Curtis says that brings the number down to twenty-three. Laura says itās a manageable amount.
Alexis says, Shiloh branded her as part of the ceremony? Kristina says, itās just a tattoo. A lot of people get them as a testament to their faith. Willow says, if it was just a tattoo, that would be one thing. She can live with Shilohās physical scars; sometimes, she forgets itās there, but itās the emotional toll that hurt so much. Kristina asks what she means, and Willow says, Shilohās not there when youāre being tattooed. That part is for the other Trust members. At the time, it was just her mom and two other women. They gave her something to drink to relax her. She thinks they drugged her; she felt floaty, and out of it. Then they tattooed her, and welcomed her into the sisterhood. They left, and Shiloh came in and had sex with her. She cries, and says she doesnāt know if it counts as rape didnāt try stop him but even though it was supposed to be an honor, she knew it was wrong. It was disgusting to her, and still is. Kristina is so lucky she has family who came to rescue her before Shiloh used her for sex.
Kristina says, Shiloh wouldnāt do that, but Willow says, yes, he would. He did her, and other Trust members, including her mom. He didnāt force her, but she was drugged. Kristina says, Shiloh is a good man. Willow says sheās sorry. She knows how hard it is to this, but Kristina deserves to know the truth. Neil thanks her for sharing her story, and Iām a little surprised it was so short. I didnāt expect her to say anything about the baby, but she might have mentioned that she changed her name and heās still following her. Alexis and Sonny appreciate it and are grateful. Neil give Willow his card in case she wants to talk. Michael asks if Willow is ready to go. Willow tells Kristina, take care; sheās going to get through this. Michael hugs Kristina, and goes. Alexis hugs Kristina, and Sonny says, son of a bitch.
Maxie tells Lulu that she and Peter are just delaying the inevitable. Lulu says to trust her, but Maxie says itās not easy putting herself out there after Nathan died. What if Peter never lets her in? She says heās texting her right now. He wants to meet at the MetroCourt, but itās a bad time. Sheās getting her nails done.
Anna tells Robert about her conversation with Peter. She thinks itās nice that she and Robert are parting on good terms, and he asks, who says theyāre parting? Heās going to stick around. He doesnāt like unfinished business any more than she does. He says she talk until sheās blue in the face, but he knows sheās not going to rest until she finds out what Alex and Cabot did to her.
Jordan has the feeling thereās something there. Curtis doesnāt want to leave her, but she says Finn said she was stable. He says, what if her kidney deteriorates, and she says, itās the perfect window of opportunity. He says, for what? To chase a dead end? She says all sheās got is a hunch, but sheās asking him to do this for her. He guesses heās heading out in the morning. She says heās the best, and he says sheās just saying that because she got her way. She says sheās saying it because itās truth. They kiss.
Laura sees Curtis at the elevator, and asks when heās leaving for Canada. He says, first thing in the morning. She says sheās going with him.
Sonny says theyāre done here. Alexis asks if they can calmly and rationally agree not to take the law into their own hands. Neil says they need to both take a breath. No matter how upsetting, this is intended to help Kristina evaluate. Sheās at a DOD crossroads in the treatment. How she wants to proceed is up to her.
Jordan looks up the city in Canada. Doc comes to her room, and says Finn texted him to meet there. Finn joins them, and says he talked to the lab. Doc is not only a match for her blood type, but for her genetic markers. He can be her kidney donor.
Lucy tells Scotty they need to change their tactic. Stop reacting and trying to make things happen. They need to do what they do best. Scotty says, no, no, and Lucy says, yes, yes. They have to keep Doc and Ava apart for their own good.
Curtis asks if Laura is sure sheās aware of the danger that could be waiting. Ryan could be behind one of twenty-three doors. She says itās not her first rodeo. She has a score settle. He says, her, and a lot of others. She says, perfect. They agree. Sheāll see him tomorrow morning when they leave for Canada, partner. He says, bright and early, partner.
Anna tells Robert that Alex will never tell her. Robert says he has a good idea, and thinks she does too. In fact heās surprised she hasnāt brought it up. Has she accepted the possibility that she might never know if Peter is Alexās son and not hers?
Maxie tells Peter that Lulu insisted she meet him. He says he owes her one, and she says, itās about damn time. He asks if sheās ready, and holds his hand out. She says, so ready.
Outside Kellyās, Willow tells Michael that sheās not ready to go home. Michael says itās the least he can do. She did so much for Kristina. Willow hopes so. He says she was so strong. He knows it wasnāt easy to relive again. She says, it wasnāt, but Kristina needed to hear it.
Neil tells Kristina what happens next is up to her. She has the information she needs to make an informed decision about her future with DOD. He opens the door, and she asks what heās doing. He says, the door is open for her to go back ā to Shiloh or her family.
Tomorrow, Willow asks if Nina is accusing her of hitting on Michael, Peter brings Maxie somewhere on a plane, Sam gives Shiloh her Pledge, and Chase finds Kristina.
Vanderpump Rules ā Reunion Part One
Giggy! Before we start, Lisa asks if Giggy has any issues he wants to bring up. Scheana tells Lala, chill is boring. Brittany is in a good mood, but from the look of the previews, that will be over with soon. Scheana says, letās do this. They wait on Tomās hair, and Iām certain James will eclipse Jax for worst human being on earth.
Andy tells us itās the eve of the opening of the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Vegas. He asks if Tom feels like a man, and Tom says he always has. Andy asks if Ariana has been riding sidecar, and she says once you realize youāre not dying, itās okay. Thatās how I felt the first time I rode in a pedicab. Brittany says they have three months to go until the wedding, and Andy informs us that Lala and Rand are engage. Lala shows off her ring, which is round, sparkly, and gorgeous. He asks if theyāve set a date, and Lala says Ran wants it tomorrow, but sheās happy being a fiancĆ©. Theyāre shooting for 2020. Andy asks if Katie is ready, and she says ready as she can be. Schwartz says heās coming in fresh, but later there will be half-shots. Andy asks if Stassiās extra chair will be for Beau or the dark passenger. She says itās been six months since anyone has seen the dark passenger. Andy asks if Kristen is single, and she says she is. Everyone seems surprised, since no one knew.
Andy wonders why Jax bought James underwear, and Jax says he thought it would be a nice gesture. We see a clip of James posing in said underwear in front of a mirror. Andy says last season, James was closer with Jax and the group, but that ended with his rap about Jax and Faith, Andy asks if he thought it would have such huge consequences. James says he wasnāt thinking much at the time, but it was definitely wrong. Frankly, I donāt think James doesnāt think much, period. Brittany says they were there supporting him, and it was embarrassing. Lisa asks if it was preplanned, but James says, it was freestyle. He was upset about what heād done, but doesnāt want to say anymore, because Kristen is making faces. Stassi says heās only sorry because he got excluded. Kristen claims he said he wanted to embarrass them. We find out heās still friends with Tom, Ariana, and Scheana, and heās always gotten along with Schwartz. Jax asks how many mistakes is James going to make. James thinks Jax is a fine one to talk, but Jax says heās trying to be a better person. Lisa says Jax is older; what was he doing at Jamesās age? Andy asks what he was doing four years ago? and we see clips of Jax being an a-hole, my favorite being him telling Tom that heās the number one guy in the group. Tom says Jax was never excluded. Jax says heās known them for twenty years, and Kristen says James has never been a part of their friend group. James says sheās the one who put him in it. I hate to say it, but he has a point there. He asks, what about Lala? Stassi says, Lala has made an effort; James hasnāt. Lala says James ruined their friendship. She stepped back and made a stand that he couldnāt attack Rand. She asks James to look at her, since he has difficulty looking people straight in the eye when he knows theyāre right. Iām saying that last part, not Lala. She says it was one of the funnest [sic] friendships sheās ever had. She adored their friendship, but watched him burn every bridge. James says sheās the last bridge. Lala says he doesnāt care, and he admits he doesnāt. Lisa asks if he regrets losing a good friend, but he says no. Lala says it was hurtful. She put her heart and soul into the friendship. James says she gave him fake bullsh*t the last time they talked. We flash back to her telling him to come to her if heās spiraling, and him telling her that heāll talk to a therapist. He says it was a pity meeting, and if that was a true handout, consider it rejected. He doesnāt need her friendship. Kristen tells him not to talk to Lala like that, and he tells her, stop talking. Because weāre five. Lisa asks why heās so angry.
Andy points out that last season, Scheana was Rob obsessed. This season, she was hanging out with her best friend, Adam. Then she was getting Bachelorette sloppy seconds, referring to her dating Robby Hayes. Stassi says they told her that he was a douche, and wonders what is it that Scheanaās friends see something different than she does. Scheana says she was just having gun, and hanging out. With the next relationship she has, hopefully, it will be her forever, but she doesnāt feel that sheās in that place. Sheās just enjoying being single. Lisa feels like Scheana wanted a relationship with Adam. Even though she was trying to pretend she was coping with it and being casual, Lisa thought, inside, Scheanaās heart was breaking. She wanted something more. Andy asks what their status is, and Scheana says she and Adam arenāt dating, butā¦ and Stassi says, theyāre in the exact same spot. Moving on to Jax.
Andy says, Jax and Brittany dated for nine months, broke up, and then he popped the question. We flash back to Jaxās proposal. Brittany says the clam place was where they had their first date. Andy asks Stassi how hard it was to keep the secret. Stassi says sheās terrible at keeping secrets. Everything was wet, and not in a good way. Andy asks if Jax and Brittany are getting a prenup, but Jax says, no. Brittany is going to be with him forever. Brittany says heās her baby. Well, Iād say heās a baby. Lisa says she and Ken didnāt have one, but they probably hadnāt been invented yet. Lala says she and Rand are getting one. Heās worked a long time, and no matter what happens, she wants him to know sheās not coming for him. Andy asks how Rand proposed, and she says they had dinner on the beach. There was a screen that showed a montage of their life, including her dad, and Rand got down on one knee, and asked her to be his wife. He said she had thirty seconds to answer, and she said yes. Then fireworks went off, like something out of a movie. We see photos of Lala and Rand watching the fireworks. Andy says Rand has been on Flipping Out and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but heās not on Vanderpump Rules. Lala says she doesnāt want him on it; itās real and nitty gritty. Andy says everyone else is putting their relationships out there, and asks if itās fair to the others. Lala thinks she shows quite a bit. Tom says thereās a part of her life that she keeps locked away. Scheana says everyone else gives 100%. Sheās an amazing addition to the case, but itās not fair. Lala says if they had something huge they wanted to protect, they wouldnāt want it on the show. Stassi thinks thatās rude. Her boyfriend is just as important. Lala says a lot of men donāt want to be on the show, and Stassi says sheās been there. Lala says she still contributes other things, but Lisa says itās the most important thing in her life. Doesnāt Rand interact with the group? They all say that Rand hangs out with them, except for James. Lisa says they should show it. Ariana says itās scary for everyone. Lala says Scheana has brought on sketchy dudes who just want camera time. Scheana says they knew her job was dependent on showing everything, but Rob (Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob) didnāt want to be on the show. Lala says Rob had a dinner party on the show. We flash back to that, and Scheana claims she forced him. Lala says she canāt do that.
Andy wants to talk about building TomTom. He asks what Lisa expected the Toms roles to be at the bar, and she says originally, she wanted them to get creative with the cocktails, but it came to be more than that. Andy asks if they felt Lisa wanted them to be there, and Tom says, no. Schwartz says they wanted to be there as much as possible. Lisa says at the end, they were needed, but there was a lot of work to get done, and they were behind schedule. Andy says it seemed like Pandora was in charge of cocktails, then Sly came in. He asks if the Toms felt neutered. Tom says they didnāt just work on the cocktails a few times; they spent months on them. Ariana says their dining room was a lab. Schwartz says some of them arenāt true to the recipe, but itās not an ego thing. Tom says they spent eight months, and Sly was there for two days. No matter how good you are, it canāt match. Ariana says it hurt her because it hurt Tom. Lisa says she doesnāt remember any negativity about it. Ariana thought they were doing things sheād love, and Lisa says she did. Ariana asks where the frozen shot machine is. Lisa says they asked for it when the bar was being planned out, but they didnāt have it. Tom says he was there for three months, and Lisa says he should have been there when they were planning it out. Andy asks if Lisa gives them enough respect. Ariana thinks she does more off-camera. On camera, itās like a schtick. Lisa says she plays with them, but they give her a lot to play with. Ariana thinks Lisa makes them look foolish, and Lisa says she wishes her name was on the restaurant. Tom says no matter what he does, he always gives 110%. No matter whoās getting the cocktail, theyāre all made the same. Lisa says she had hundreds of people working for her, but she wanted them for their joie de vivre and relationship, not theyāre business acumen. They donāt make themselves look sensible a lot of the time. Jax is curious to know if theyāre getting paid. Schwartz says thereās been no compensation yet, and Andy says, as someone whoās been involved in the business, he knows it takes a while. Lisa says sheās gotten nothing yet either, but they spent $2.5 million. Her expertise is also valued. Andy asks Tom what he feels about the partnership, and he says he loves Ken and Lisa. He likes the situation, but feels his questions donāt get answered. Lisa suggests they sit down at the end of the year, and split the difference. (That would be 10/90.) She says she embraced them, and when she asked them to be partners, she put their names up there. It was supposed to be a positive experience. Tom says, it is, but if he has questions or concerns, he gets a negative reaction. Lisa asks if he wants her to give them their money back and they can keep the partnership. Tom says, itās not about that, and Schwartz says theyāve had issues, but this is the dream. Andy asks why Schwartz didnāt check to make sure there was money in the account, and Schwartz says it was a clerical error. We flash back to his James Bond moment. Lisa says thatās why she loves them being involved.
Andy welcomes one of the few people in the group who didnāt want to strangle James. Raquel comes in wearing a dress that has gigantic ruffles on the sleeves, making her look like Icarus, and even though itās above the knee, the sash goes all the way to the floor. Stupidest. Dress. Ever. If it belongs anywhere on Bravo, itās possibly an Atlanta Housewives reunion. She tells Andy that she pulled out the ruffles for him. He says he heard she had an exciting job interview, and she says she may or may not be working at SUR. Lisa has to decide, and Lisa says sheāll be working there. Andy says the drama with James started on Gay Pride, and asks why Kristen decided to take James down for good. Raquel asks why she isnāt over it, and Kristen says because heās not changing. Andy asks how well James knows Hope, and James says he was friends with Hope and Logan a long time, but that time is over. We flash back to Jamesās flirtation with Logan. Andy says, Hope looked Raquel in the eye ā James tries to interrupt, but Andy wonāt have it ā and gave specific details about sleeping with James. Raquel says Hope was never at the house they live in now. Andy wonders what would be in it for Hope to put herself out there, and James snarks that sheās a Hollywood star. Kristen says itās the same thing Raquel gets from dating James. Raquel understands how the might feel she wants the limelight, since she was a beauty queen. She starts talking about being in pageants because of her anxiety, but gets interrupted, and everyone talks at once like I hate. Raquel can see why theyād think she wants to be on the show. Ariana tells Jax, shut up. She wants to hear what Raquel is saying. Brittany tells her to tell James to shut up. Tom says Raquel is trying to tell a story. Brittany says heās supposed to be their best friend, and itās getting effed up. Raquel says sheās not going to define her relationship, and says itās situations like this, where sheās more vulnerable that help her be a better person. Andy asks what would make her believe Lala. She says Lala wasnāt there, and Lala says he was messing around right in front of her in Canada, and that was while he was dating Raquel. Stassi canāt imagine being in a relationship where so many women come forward and said it to her face, and without looking into it, she believes her boyfriend. James says they just want to take him down. Stassi says some of her friends do. Ariana says when James and Raquel moved in together, they considered it a fresh start; a new beginning. Raquel wasnāt living in LA before that. If it didnāt happen after they moved in together, itās a moot point and doesnāt count. Andy asks if Raquel believes he was faithful before she moved in? She admits she doesnāt think he was completely faithful (whatever that means ā is it like a little bit pregnant?) before she moved in. Andy says itās kind of like Brittany and Jax. Brittany says if Raquel wants to forget about it, itās on her. Schwartz says, theyāre different people. Andy says Tom is always defending James. Does he find all of Jamesās behavior acceptable? Tom says, hell no. Katie says he excuses as much as he can, and James deserves more than being fired from SUR.
Andy mentions that Raquel is the only one with a college degree, yet her intelligence keeps coming into question, and itās a trigger. Raquel says sheās getting her masters in helping special needs kids. Andy asks if Stassi thinks Raquel is smart. Stassi says she doesnāt know Raquel. Raquel says sheād love to know Stassi, and wishes com to the puppy party. I find Raquel sad, because she always sounds so desperate. Youād think, even if sheās not smart to leave James ā and thatās a different smart than book-learning smart ā sheād try to find some other friends. Andy says James was angry when Raquel wanted to go to Girlsā Night. James says he got over it, and she went. Raquel says she didnāt go because he didnāt want her to. It would be sweet if she got up and left, never looking back, right now. But that doesnāt happen. Andy says Lala professes to be a feminist, but isnāt supportive of Raquel. Lala says just because Raquel has a vagina, doesnāt mean sheās going to be supportive. I hear that. She says Raquelās boyfriend has attacked every part of her life. When they were at dinner in Vegas, he called her the c-word at the table in front of everyone, including her dad, who left. Sheās not supporting someone whoās involved with him, and when she needed female support, failed to step up. Raquel says sheās sorry she didnāt step up, but the way Lala has treated her is unacceptable. She canāt wrap her brain around Lalaās behavior. Lala says she canāt wrap her brain around Raquelās behavior.
Stassi thinks itās hard to connect to Raquel, because sheās okay with what James does, and how he treats them. Raquel asks if it would make them happy if she publicly embarrassed James. Thatās a hard yes from everyone. Lisa thinks it would make them very happy; Andy says Lala apologized at the roller party, but Raquel doesnāt know if Lala is capable of giving a sincere apology. Lala says itās hard to care about what sheās saying when she doesnāt care about the person. Raquel tells her to learn basic manners. Let people finish what theyāre saying. Jax says she should talk to the guy next to her about manners. James says Jax goes to the bathroom with the door open. Iām not kidding. This is his reply. Raquel says sheās trying to have a conversation with Lala. Andy says Raquel talked to Lalaās friend Alexis, saying Lala was dad blaming. Raquel says Lala was avoiding a conversation she didnāt want to have by bringing up her loss. Itās her way of controlling the situation; it gave her an excuse. Lala says, so now her dad is an excuse? She says when Raquel loses a parent ā which they all will ā she prays whoever sheās around, tiptoes around her, lets her scream, and never cheapens the death, saying it was an excuse, like Raquel just did. Raquel says Lala isnāt taking responsibilities for her actions. Lala was telling all of them that she knew she wasnāt in her right mind, except the one person she was actually affecting. Lisa says, itās no reason to lash out. Lala says Raquel spoke about her dad. Tom says she didnāt, but Lala says Raquel said it in an interview. Enough is enough. Move on. Tom says he gets what sheās going through, but she says he doesnāt. He hasnāt been through sh*t. He says something about his dad being in a coma for three days, and not sleeping for three days, but Iām confused as to whether this led to his dad dying or if he recovered, which would make a huge difference. He says he didnāt react like that, and Lala says, good for him. He says he didnāt yell at people he doesnāt like, and Jax says, if thatās what you have to do. Lisa doesnāt think itās an excuse to lash out. Andy asks Raquel how the relationship is today, and Raquel says theyāre happy. Lisa asks if James is supportive, and if she holds him accountable, or does she just acknowledge what he does. Raquel thinks sheās putting James on a better path. She approaches him a different way. Instead of acting like heās a bad kid, she hears him out. She wants to understand why he does what he does. Jax says her work in child therapy should help. Itās time for her to go, and when she gets up, I cringe at the dress again. Maybe she wanted to look like an angel? Whatever it was, it didnāt work.
Itās been a year since Lisaās brother passed away, and Andy asks how sheās coping. She started the season right after it happened. Lisa needs a tissue, and Andy says, itās still raw, like the dolt he is. She says she held it together while they were filming. She didnāt want to bring everyone down, so she struggled through. She thought the best way to get through her grief would be help from a grief counselor. She was also on anti-depressants when two Tylenol are a lot for her. Sheās British, and always kept a stiff upper lip, but she guesses she has feelings too. She didnāt do too well this year. Scheana says they all support her. She doesnāt have to stay strong, but Lisa says she does. She needs a moment, and walks offstage.
Andy says Lala suffered emotional upheaval. Lala says her father had a stroke while he was driving, and the car caught fire. When he got home, he was lethargic, and was supposed to see a cardiologist on Monday, but never woke up on Saturday. Andy says last year, at the reunion, Jax had just lost his father. Jax says it hasnāt been any easier. It destroyed his family. He has no relationship with his mom. Sheād taken his fatherās cell phone, and when he called, said his father was taking a nap. Next thing he knew, his father was in the ICU. The issue is her not telling him anything, and he has no idea if those were his dadās wishes. His sister isnāt speaking to their mother either. Sheās in the same boat.
Lala brings up a Tweet that James sent out, saying she and Jax need to make peace with the fact their daddies are dead and move on. Jax asks why he felt the need to say it. James says Jax made a fake Twitter account in Raquelās name, and said James had been sleeping with men. Ariana says Jaxās phone number was connected with the account. Jax says, so James wants to talk about his dad? and gets up. James gets up, and Andy gets between them. Jax sits down. Jax says Jamesās girlfriend is useless, and James says, look at his. She looks like a disco ball; I guess referring to all the sequins Brittany is wearing. Brittany thinks she looks good. I second that. James tells them to go back to Kentucky and make babies. Jax belongs in Kentucky with the hillbillies. Brittany asks if heās saying her family are hillbillies, and he makes fun of her accent. Because weāre four. Ariana says this has nothing to do with Brittany. (And itās not about the pasta either.) James calls Jax old man, like heās done a million times. Jax is like, thatās all youāve got? and points out that James is also calling Andy old. James says heāll call anybody anything he wants to, but you can tell this caught him off guard. Tom says every time James says something, they jump on him. Kristen asks why he keeps defending James. James says Jax is obsessed with him, and calls Brittany a dumb bitch. Jax says he could have a field day with Jamesās mom. James says he bets Jax could, and Iām guessing he didnāt realize he just insulted his own mom. Jax says James is so unwanted, itās ridiculous. Brittany says heās a horrible person, and James says he doesnāt give a flying about her. He calls her a bitch again. She says, there it is; the real James. Tom says they were talking sh*t about Jamesās girlfriend. Brittany says James was talking about her family, and Tom is supposed to be their best friend. Andy keeps trying to interrupt, but everyone ignores him. He finally tells them, STFU, and Lisa says, yay.
Next time ā Part Two ā Kristen asks why Tom doesnāt hold James accountable, Lisa says everyone has hooked up with a girl except her, Lala and Arianaās hook up is discussed, Billie joins the group, and Andy gets his own helmet.
šĀ This Couldn’t Wait…
There is justice in the world. Max Gail for the win.
https://www.abc.soapsindepth.com/posts/daytime-emmy-awards-2019-winners-170663
šøĀ Just For Fun…
And to round out the post nicely.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 