Category Archives: nighttime drama

Nov13

November 12, 2023 – What Would Alicia Do & Monsters

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☮️ Peace In Rest…

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

Nov11

November 10, 2023 – Spencer Explodes At Trina, Lolly Lover, Not Gone, Soap Fun, Final Date, The Best, Resilient, VanderNo, Not Yet, Downhill, Dead Revival, Roommates, One More, Nonagon Of Quotes & Battle

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia gets to Eddie/Ned just in time, and extracts him from the tangle of seaweed and netting he’s in. Although I wonder why he’s wearing shoes when he left them at the boathouse.

At the MetroCourt, Alexis says, another precious minute lost. Where are you, Kristina? Blaze comes by and introduces herself as a friend of Kristina’s. She says she was supposed to meet a friend, but it seems fate has other ideas today; they just cancelled. She was on her way out, saw Alexis, and thought she’d introduced herself. Alexis says, that’s nice… Not that Blaze’s friend cancelled, but that Blaze introduced herself. Would Blaze like to join her? Maybe it’s fate. Blaze says, maybe it is, and sits down.

Drew sees Curtis at another table, and says, it’s nice to see him. Curtis says, likewise, and they hug.

Carrying a takeout bag, Trina joins Spencer outside Dex’s apartment, followed by Josslyn and Dex. She says, sorry he had to wait, but they have extra crunchy prawn, and Josslyn says, there was a delay in ordering because someone – she looks at Dex – had to weigh out the whole Marvel movie to catalog Monica’s powers. He says, in the last edition… and she says, yes, she understands. Trina asks Spencer, what happened? and he says, Esme happened. And this time she has his grandmother on her side.

Anna sees Valentin outside of Charlotte’s room and asks, how is she? He says, sleeping. The doctors say she’s going to make a full recovery. She says, thank God. There’s something he needs to know. He asks, what is it? but she says, not here, and they go to the stairwell.

Olivia gets Eddie to the surface and struggles to bring him to shore. She tells him, don’t make this hard. He’s got to be okay. She pounds on him, trying to get him to cough up water, then does chest compression and mouth-to-mouth. He coughs and she asks if he’s all right. He’s alive. He sits up, and she says he’s alive. He says, it’s her. She saved him. She says, of course (🍷) she did. She’d do anything for him. He says he should have always known this, and she says, it’s okay, Eddie, hugging him. He says he’s not Eddie; he’s Ned.

Kristina walks into the MetroCourt and sees Blaze talking to Alexis. She goes to the table and says she didn’t know Blaze knew her mother. Sorry she’s late. Alexis says, only forty-five minutes, and Blaze says her plans were a no-show, and she saw Kristina’s mother. Alexis says, Blaze introduced herself. That was so 1990s. Blaze says, and a lot of fun. She tells Kristina to sit, and says she was grilling Alexis about her job. Alexis says, actually, Blaze was keeping her company while she waited for Kristina… and waited… and waited… Kristina says, okay. Sorry about that. She got caught up with some planning commission things at the youth center. Alexis says, she’s here now and Blaze is here, so why don’t they all have dinner together?

Curtis says, it must be strange, being about to get up and go to sleep when he wants to and turn off his own lights, and Drew says, absolutely. But there are a few things he can think of that he missed more than that. Curtis says he knows that must have been hard. He’s sorry he didn’t visit Drew. Drew says, Curtis had a few things going on. What he went through is nothing in comparison to what Curtis went through. Curtis protests, but Drew says he’s serious. Doesn’t he think it’s silly for either one of them to feel they need to apologize to each other? They’ve been through it. Curtis has been there for him more times than he can count. This friendship is forged in fire. It’s brotherhood born in battle. Curtis says, wow, and raises his glass. To the battle… and to freedom. Drew says, and to survival, and they clink glasses.

Josslyn says, Esme again, and Spencer asks if Josslyn and Dex can give him a minute. Josslyn says, gladly, and she and Dex go into his apartment, Josslyn touching Trina’s shoulder as she passes. Trina asks what Esme did, and Spencer says, it’s nothing that Esme did; it’s what she’s going to do. She’s going to take Ace and she’s going to move into another apartment. Trina says, finally.

Laura looks in the window to Charlotte’s room. Elizabeth is with Charlotte, sees Laura, and comes out. Laura says, she looks so fragile in that bed, and Elizabeth says she knows, but Charlotte’s just sleeping right now. It’s best to let her rest as long as possible because her system is still fighting. But her vitals are excellent. She’s on track to make a full recovery. Laura breathes a sigh of relief and says, that’s fantastic. Where’s Valentin? She can’t imagine he’d leave her alone. (Geez, the poor guy doesn’t even get a bathroom break?) Elizabeth says, no. He’s been here the entire time. In fact, she just saw him walking down the hall with Anna just a little bit ago. Laura asks how Jake is handling all of this. She knows they all went trick-or-treating together, and heard he was the first one back to Anna’s house right after it happened. Elizabeth says she’s never seen him like this. It’s like he’s caught in this loop of feeling upset and feeling guilty that he lost track of her. He promised Valentin they would stick together, and that’s why he went looking for her. And now he’s scared and confused and doesn’t understand how Anna could have shot Charlotte. And honestly, neither can she.

First of all, didn’t anyone notice Charlotte was wearing a huge, dark, hooded robe and the apartment was dark? And on another topic, Jake knows that Charlotte had the keys and what she’d said about them getting her everything she wanted. This hasn’t come up yet, but I’m thinking it might give him a clue she was up to no good.

On a landing in the stairwell, Valentin asks Anna what it is he needs to know. She says, he has to believe her when she tells him, what happened with Charlotte was an accident. She had no way of knowing Charlotte was in that apartment. He says he knows that. She says she’s not making an excuse, because she understands this is killing him, and he says, there’s nothing she could have done. She says, when she left the apartment, she locked it, and when she returned, it was unlocked. So she knew there was someone inside there, and she thought she was going to be ambushed. That’s why she pulled her gun, and that’s when she made a terrible mistake. And she wishes she could make it all go away. When she saw Charlotte lying on the ground like that, and his face when he came in… He says, it was an accident. It was a tragic accident. She says, yes… How did he know to come to the apartment?

Ned and Olivia are dripping wet and sitting on the ground. Olivia asks what Ned is saying. Her Ned? Is it really him? He says, it’s really him. He saw her. He doesn’t even know how it happened. His mind was rushing like a whirlwind. Literally. The next thing he knows, he’s in the water, and stuck. And there she was. And now they’re here. She says, Lois told her that he was depressed. She went to the boathouse and saw his guitar and his shoes(🤷🏽‍♀️), and she thought… She cries, and he takes her face in his hands and says, it’s okay. They made it. She made it. They’re going to be okay. She says she thought she lost him, and he says, but she didn’t. She found him. It was her all along. She says, what? and he says, in the song. He knows how it ends. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, the siren song. He knows how to finish it. She says, Eddie… Ned, let’s not do this right now, and he says he’s not Eddie. He’s Ned. She says, if he’s not Eddie, how did he remember the song? He says he remembers everything, and they kiss. So is he going to kind of be like Sonny/Mike now?

Spencer says, finally? Trina didn’t really just say that. She says, yes, she did. She knows he’s going to miss living with Ace, but it’s way past time that Esme go live on her own. He yells, who cares about Esme? He’s talking about Ace. Ace is the one he’s worried about in this instance. Josslyn and Dex come out, and Josslyn asks, what the hell is going on out here?

Kristina asks if Alexis knows that Blaze just signed with BLQ Management, and Alexis says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine. Blaze says, makes a refreshing change from that sleaze Linc Brown, and Alexis says she remembers his public takedown at the Nurses Ball. To Catch a Predator anyone? Blaze says, oh, we caught him, and Alexis says, and then he disappeared, and as she recalls, the whole thing went radio silent. She’s curious. How long before the abuse started?

Curtis asks how it feels to be back in the real world, and Drew says, he has no idea. Although he has to say, some things are more challenging than he anticipated. Curtis says, Drew has been out of the mix for a while, but Drew says, compared to when he broke out of captivity in Greece, the life he came back to this time hasn’t changed nearly as drastically. But Curtis’s has. What about him?

Elizabeth tells Laura that she knows Anna would never intentionally hurt Charlotte. Obviously, it was just a terrible mistake. But what was she doing carrying a gun around on Halloween? With people in costumes and kids jumping out at each other, acting all crazy. Laura says, she’s right, and Elizabeth says, and you add a gun in that mix? It only increases the odds that something tragic is going to happen. Yes, Charlotte is going to recover physically, but what about her emotional scars? And Jake is going to have to deal with this as well.

Valentin says he was supposed to pick up Charlotte and the other kids after trick-or-treating. Apparently, Charlotte went off on her own, and according to Georgie and Danny, Jake went after Charlotte in the direction of Maxie’s place, so he thought she was heading there. Anna says, well, he was right. She couldn’t figure out why Charlotte would come to the apartment. The police found her backpack, and in it was the keychain she showed him to Maxie’s apartment. Remember the one that had the shoe on it? In there were also these two cans of spray paint that were the same color that was used to paint the word murderer on her door. He says, Charlotte told him about the keychain; she didn’t tell him about the paint. She says, that doesn’t matter. What she’s trying to tell him is, she’s figured out who’s after her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, and it is the WSB. Former WSB. She figured out the connection, and it’s a man called Jameson Forsythe. Old guard Bureau. They crossed swords ages ago. He says, no. She doesn’t understand… but she says she does. She found evidence, and Forsythe is trying to discredit, destabilize her, and somehow he’s involved Charlotte. She doesn’t know how he’s done it, but he’s using Charlotte to get to her.

Olivia and Ned go into the boathouse, and Ned puts a towel around her shoulders, then takes one for himself. She says she’s a little behind the curve. He has to catch her up. He’s not Eddie Maine anymore. He says, no. He’s just plain old Ned, her husband. She says, they have to get back to the house. They have to get him to a doctor. He says, you know what? He doesn’t want to go to the house. He wants to stay right here with her because it’s been too long. He just wants to enjoy this moment with her, okay? She says, okay, and they sit down. She says she doesn’t understand. He remembers everything? He says, it’s a bit fuzzy, a little disjointed, but he was here the whole time, like he was on autopilot. Or like playing one of Leo’s video games. He’s Ned, but he’s a little fuzzy. She asks if he remembers his daughter, and Tracy, and Leo. He says, yeah. He remembers everyone. He’s a Quartermaine. They were married in 2017. It’s now 2022. She says, 2023, and he says, right. He told her that things were fuzzy. She says, that’s just the small stuff. The important thing is that he’s here. They hug, and she says she was praying so hard for this, and he came back to her. He says, but she was willing to let Eddie stay, wasn’t she?

Blaze tells Alexis, at first, she was starstruck around all the beautiful people, all the glitz and glamour of the industry. She was so lost in it. When Linc began to overstep, she thought, maybe that’s just the way this world works; maybe he’s that way with all his artists. She didn’t want to seem uptight, so she stayed quiet and avoided being alone with him. Alexis says, Blaze made it her problem, not his, and Blaze says, exactly. One more layer of pressure to being in the public eye. Backstage, where you’re supposed to let your guard down, she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Alexis says, so she’s spending her downtime dodging him, and Kristina says, no one should have to do that. Alexis says, women are conditioned to normalize that kind of behavior, and then that message gets passed down to other artists. Blaze says she gets that entirely. By keeping her mouth shut, she was basically endorsing him.

Curtis tells Drew that his life is upside down for sure. Simple things like walking, running, even standing up, he can’t take for granted anymore. Drew says, but he’s not alone in this. He has family, friends. Curtis says he does and he’s grateful for that, but everything has shifted. The dynamic is different. Hell, he’s different.

They all go into Dex’s apartment, and Josslyn says she gets it. Spencer’s upset. One thing she’s learned about living in the dorms is, you have to be considerate of your neighbors and your own business. The whole building doesn’t need to know what’s going on right now. Spencer asks if she really thinks he cares what the building thinks. He gets louder, and says, Esme just told him that she’s taking Ace and moving into a new apartment, and his grandmother is going to co-sign the lease because they think Ace shouldn’t be a part of his life anymore. And when he comes to Trina with this, saying he’s going to be losing his baby brother, all she can say is, finally.

Anna tells Valentin that this is her past catching up to her. And somehow, it’s caught up to Charlotte, and she never wanted that. Forsythe has gotten to her somehow. Valentin says, there is no Forsythe. At least not the way she’s thinking. She asks what he’s trying to say, and he says his daughter’s been stalking her for months. And he’s been covering for her.

Laura sits next to Charlotte’s bed and says she’s here. How does it feel? Charlotte says her stomach hurts, but not too bad, and Laura says, she’s such a brave girl. Charlotte asks, where’s papa? He promised to be here. Laura says, he’s been here the whole time. He just went for a walk with Anna. Charlotte gets agitated, and says, it’s dangerous. They can’t trust Anna. She’ll hurt him.

Olivia tells Ned, every waking moment, with every beat of her heart, she was fighting for him. He says, no… and she says, he’s got to hear this. He needed to find his way back to them. She couldn’t push him. He needed to choose to come back to them. If he thinks she preferred Eddie Maine… He tells her, stop. She misunderstands. He’s not accusing her of being disloyal. He knows she was supporting him, and he loves her all the more for it. She says, Eddie… and realizes her mistake. He laughs and hugs her. He says he needed that space. After the accident, when he woke up in the hospital, everything was so confusing and unfamiliar, he grabbed the first thing that made him feel safe and comfortable. She says, Eddie Maine, and he says, it was his escape to a time when life was less complicated, and he wasn’t feeling the weight of his family and business suffocating him. To a time when it was just him, on stage, playing his music, no restraints, no judgements, just freedom.

Blaze says she didn’t mean to open a vein here, but Alexis says she’s the one who pried. Old attorney habits die hard. Kristina says, Blaze doesn’t know her mother; this is like catnip for her. Alexis says she’s more than curious. She’s outraged. Her nerve endings are twitching thinking about the lawsuit Blaze could file. Blaze says she doesn’t know… and Alexis says she’s serious. Kristina says, if Blaze doesn’t want to go the legal route, how about collaborating together on a piece about sexual harassment in the music industry? What does Alexis think? A feature with Blaze as the focus? Alexis says she thinks it’s a great idea; shed light on a rampant issue. Is Blaze willing to go on the record? Blaze says, it’s no secret what happened what happened to her. Anyone who was at the Nurses Ball or who saw it on television knows about it, but she wants to move forward with her career. She doesn’t want to go backward. Kristina tells her, what about what she just said? What about all of the artists who could fall into the same trap? Here’s her chance to show that predators aren’t the only way to do business. This is an opportunity for her to break that cycle.

Curtis tells Drew that sometimes he actually feels fortunate. There’s this guy, Devon, his gym buddy. Devon has it way worse than him, but this guy always stays positive. He has the most amazing outlook on life. Drew says, that’s incredible. He’s so glad to hear that. Curtis says, but to be perfectly honest, there are moments, split seconds, where he forgets about his new reality and tries to do normal things like get out of bed and stand up. Then reality slams back, so he’s learning to adjust.

Trina tells Spencer that she never meant to say it was a good thing losing Ace. She just thinks that Esme moving out is healthy for her, and ultimately for him. He says, healthy for him, to be separated from Ace. He’s losing a member of his family, and he thought she would understand that. Josslyn says, it’s not like Esme’s moving to another planet. She’s still going to be in Port Charles and so will Ace. He can see them whenever he wants. Isn’t that a good thing? Dex says, but it won’t be the same thing, and Josslyn and Trina look at him, as I would. Thanks, Dex.

Valentin says, Charlotte’s the one who vandalized Anna’s hotel suite. Security footage showed her breaking into that room with a backpack. Anna says, what? and he says he had Nina delete the footage from the server. She asks why he would have Nina do that. Why would he hide that from her? He says, the moment he saw it, he knew she was the one who spray painted Anna’s front door, that she was the one who set Anna’s house on fire. Anna says, no, but Valentin says, she knew how to get in Anna’s house. Her camp was less than an hour away. She could have gotten there easily. Anna says, it’s not possible, but he says he doesn’t know what Charlotte is capable of anymore. She says, so he knew his daughter was terrorizing her and he just let Charlotte keep doing it? and he says he was protecting Charlotte because he failed her so many times as a father. And he thinks he was protecting himself… She says, what about protecting her? Didn’t she have a right to know?

Laura tells Charlotte, it’s okay. Her father isn’t in any danger from Anna. Charlotte says, she’s wrong. Grandfather Victor warned her about Anna. He told her to protect papa. Laura asks what Victor said about Anna, and Charlotte tells her, he said she was a double-agent, and everyone would know about it soon. He visited her at school and told her to stay there where she’d be safe from Anna. He even wrote her a letter. She grabs her side, and Laura tells her, try to be still. She doesn’t want to reopen the wound. Charlotte says, Laura doesn’t understand. Grandfather told her that Anna was going to use her and pretend to be nice to her so she could trick papa. Laura says, he told her all of this in a letter? and Charlotte says, yes. He said that papa was so in love with Anna, he wouldn’t realize she was using him. Anna’s done a lot of bad things in the past, and made papa take the blame. She’s going to do it again and this time, papa’s going to end up in prison forever. He’ll be killed if she doesn’t keep Anna away from him. Laura says, shhh. It’s okay.

Olivia says she can understand Ned getting nostalgic for the past, for simpler times. So she’s got to ask him. Does Lois figure into this equation? (I laugh because Lois likes math.) He asks why she would bring Lois up, and she says, Lois was the last one he talked to before he jumped in, and everything changed. Is Lois the reason he came back to them?

Kristina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to put Blaze on the spot. Her mother can vouch that is something she does. Blaze says, don’t worry about it. She appreciates Kristina’s passion. Alexis says, there’s no pressure here at all. It was a just an idea. She sees Drew and Curtis, and says she sees two friends over there who she’d love to say hello to. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Kristina tells Blaze, that was not her place. Here she is, lecturing Blaze about her story when she knows better than anyone it’s an intensely personal decision. Blaze says, Kristina’s fire, her commitment to justice is infectious. It’s okay to want to make a difference. The thing she’d hate is if Kristina started editing herself and only told her what she wanted to hear.

Curtis says, Drew told him the whole story. Alexis is one gutsy reporter. Threatening to expose that judge like that? He’s glad it all worked out. They really missed Drew and he’s glad Drew’s back. Drew says he appreciates that, and there are smiles all around.

Ned tells Olivia that he was talking to Lois before he came down here to the boathouse. She was giving him a pep talk about finishing the song. Olivia says she wanted him to finish the song too, and he says he guesses he needed Lois’s no-nonsense bullying, and Olivia laughs. He says, Lois told him to take a leap of faith and go find the siren. She says, the siren, and he says, maybe she knew that was the key to getting him back to his real self. Or maybe not. But Olivia. She’s the one who actually pulled him back. She cries and he kisses the top of her head, pulling her to him. He says, turns out, she’s the siren. Hers is the only voice that could have brought him back. Lois may have had the idea, but Olivia made it a reality.

Dex says he understands where Spencer is coming from. Up to now, he and Esme have been raising Ace together. Obviously, living apart changes that dynamic, like a divorce. Spencer says, yes, a divorce where, if he wants to spend time with his own brother, he’ll have to act like a visitor. And it’s not the same as living together. He tells Trina, it’s just not, and Dex asks, what if they could get shared custody? and Spencer says, Esme’s not going to do shared custody with him, not with grandmother on her side. Trina says, Esme doesn’t have to share custody. He’s Ace’s brother, not his father.

Laura says she needs Charlotte to help her understand. She’s trying to keep her father away from Anna to protect him? Charlotte says, yes. Maybe move to London or somewhere near her granddaughter Emma. Anywhere really, as long as she’s away from papa and papa is safe. Laura says, okay, but this is what Victor wanted her to do, right? Charlotte tells her, he said it was the only way. Anna must have figured out she knew about her. That’s why Anna shot her, so she wouldn’t ruin Anna’s plans. Laura says, no, that was a terrible accident, but Charlotte says, it wasn’t. Anna saw her in the apartment. She knew it was her. Anna shot her on purpose. Anna wanted to kill her. Just like she’ll do to papa.

Valentin says he loves Anna, but Charlotte is everything to him. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that Charlotte was targeting her. She says, so he just lied to her over and over again, and he says he wanted to tell her the truth. She says, but he didn’t. What did he think? That he could fix this? That he would just stitch this whole mess together and they would live in separate worlds, and it would all work? He says he was hoping by moving her into the house and giving her a home with him, that for once it would end her destructive behavior. They met with Doc. She was willing to have… Anna slaps him in the face, then pushes him, and says, shut up. If she’d known Charlotte was the one after her, she never would have pulled a gun. She shot a child. His child. She has to live with that for the rest of her life. She’s never going to forgive him. She storms out, and he can’t believe how stupid he is.

Ned and Olivia leave the boathouse, and he picks up his guitar. He says he thinks he knows the way the song ends now. She says she can’t wait to hear it, and they look out over the water, his arm around her. He says, she saved his life – literally and figuratively. She says, they save each other. That’s what love is. They kiss.

Drew and Curtis’s food comes, and Alexis says, that’s her cue to leave. She has to get back to her dates over there. It was such a pleasure to see Curtis, and he says, good to see her too. Drew says it was good to see her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Drew, sometimes it is so hard to just have a conversation without everyone trying to help when they know good and well they can’t. So that’s why it’s good to just hang out with a good friend who gets it. Drew says, any time, and Curtis asks what he thinks of the Nets’ chances this year, but Drew says he’s not falling for that. Curtis got him last time. Although they do have some good games coming up. Curtis agrees, and says, Boston tomorrow. Drew says, Curtis’s couch, his beer? and Curtis says he’s in… Portia may have other ideas. Drew says, then he’ll have to bring some wine, and Curtis laughs.

Alexis sits down, and Blaze says she’s decided. Kristina says she doesn’t want Blaze to feel pressured, but Blaze says, she’s in. A complete interview; nothing off limits. Alexis says, really? and Blaze says, yes. Kristina brought up some really good points. She can’t complain about what happened to her on one hand and not do everything she can to change it on the other. This is something she can do to stand up for those coming after her. Her contribution to their art, and to their voices. Kristina says she didn’t put it nearly as poetically as that, and Blaze says, that’s what collaboration’s all about. Someone comes up with an idea, someone comes up with the words, put it together, you’ve got magic. She has to make a quick call, but they can talk details when she gets back. She excuses herself and leaves, and Kristina asks what Alexis thinks. Alexis says she thinks Blaze likes Kristina, and Kristina says she likes Blaze too; she’s cool. Alexis says, no. I mean she likes you likes you.

Spencer says, Trina… but Trina says, no. Let’s unpack this. The only way he gets to be Ace’s father is if he’s with Esme, in a relationship. If the two of them are a couple, then they get to raise him together. That is a sure-fire way to solve his problem. Is that what he wants? He says, no, of course (🍷) not. He doesn’t love Esme; he loves her. But he also really loves his little brother, and he knows in his heart that Ace needs to be in his life. Trina says, he will always be in Spencer’s life, just not in the house, but Spencer says, no, because that would be abandoning him, and she knows he’s not going to do that. She says, then he knows what the solution is for that, but where does that leave them? He tells her not to ask him to choose between her and Ace. She’s not going to like the answer. She says, don’t worry. She’ll save him the trouble. She grabs her bag and walks out.

Laura tells Charlotte, don’t worry. She’ll make sure Charlotte’s papa is safe. They’re going to figure all of this out. Charlotte says, Anna can tell that she knows she’s bad. That’s why Anna shot her. Papa can’t trust her. Laura has to tell him. Laura says, it’s going to be all right, she promises. Close her eyes and get some rest. It’s going to be okay. She kisses Charlotte’s forehead and leaves.

In the hallway, Anna says she really needs to talk to Charlotte, but Elizabeth says, it’s only family. Anna says, it will only take one minute, but Elizabeth says, it’s not possible. Laura comes out of Charlotte’s room and Elizabeth goes in. Valentin comes out of the stairwell, and Laura tells Anna that Charlotte’s just fallen back to sleep. Anna says, she doesn’t understand. It’s imperative that she speak with Charlotte right now. Laura says she really thinks Anna should wait… but Anna says, it can’t wait. She has to tell her… Laura says, Anna can’t go in there. Charlotte is terrified of her. She thinks Anna shot her on purpose. Anna cries and says she didn’t, and Valentin hangs his head, as he should.

On Monday… they show scenes from several days ago, so I’m not sure what that means. Either it’s a mistake, or we’re going to be forced to watch news-not-news.

💣 He’s Just Misunderstood…

They’ll have to dig deep to find some redeeming qualities.

Nathanyael Grey Insists GH’s Mason Isn’t All Bad

🍕 Didn’t Think So…

What would the Q mansion be without her? My money’s on her coming back for Thanksgiving pizza.

Jane Elliot Is Not Leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL!

👻 Fun And Games…

The kids always look like they’re having a good time off-camera.

Backstage at GH’s Halloween With Scarlett Fernandez

🏆 For Real This Time…

As predicted, the main event of the Daytime Emmys will be aired on December 15th.

The 2023 Daytime Emmys Ceremony Will be Held in December!

👖 It’s Not The Pants…

I knew there was a reason I liked Sutton so much. This is it.

Sutton Is The Best Housewife, Argue With The Wall

👠 Bouncing Back…

Hopefully, she can keep the momentum going. Talk about making (hard) lemonade out of lemons.

https://extratv.com/2023/11/08/ariana-madix-on-fan-support-at-bravocon-and-her-resiliency-exclusive/

🍸 Her Calendar Is Full…

Why would she come back? Just to be harassed by Erika and get offers of fake friendship from Kyle? It’s not like she has nothing to do.

Lisa Vanderpump Reveals if She Would Return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

And while we’re on the subject.

Everything We Know About Vanderpump Rules Season 11

🌁 Lasting Long Enough For Last…

2025? Really? Although I can hardly blame Pedro Pascal.

https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-season-2-everything-we-know/

https://collider.com/gladiator-2-filming-start-pedro-pascal-last-of-us/

🛟 Like They’re On A Water Slide…

The short answer: yes. The golden years with Captain Lee and Kate are over, but we’ll always have Couch Talk.

Is Below Deck Going Downhill?

⚰️ A Diabolical Plot…

Of course, he’s not against reviving the original series. It’s got to be a billion dollar franchise by now. And brilliant idea to merge all the Deads into one big kumbaya Dead.

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/11/09/the-walking-dead-boss-not-against-reviving-the-original-series/

🦥 This Guy…

I’m obsessed with 90 Day Fiancé and all its spin-offs. I don’t include it here because I already give it too much time. If this guy’s mother wasn’t living in the closet, it might be fun to live there. For about a week. I love the annoyed chihuahua.

https://people.com/90-day-fiance-clayton-introduces-5-roommates-including-two-guinea-pigs-exclusive-8386660

🐩 You Didn’t Think I Was Done…

Oh, come on, just one more.

https://www.homecrux.com/celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes/181675/

🍿 Quotes of the Week

Never trust humans just to let things be. – David (Mike Colter), Extinction

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. – Alexander the Great

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. – Ronald E. Osborn

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. – Ursula K. Le Guin

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. – Thomas Edison

An idea is a fart your brain makes. But if you patent an idea, it’s an asset. – Rufus Griswold (Michael Trucco), Fall of the House of Usher

🍠 Keep Your Yams To Yourself…

On Sunday, stop the scaries by dropping in for some Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay considering going out for Thanksgiving dinner (nothing says Thanksgiving like Oysters Rockefeller!), and stay toasting to the battle, freedom, and survival.

Nov8

November 7, 2023 – A Lot Of Guilt To Go Around, Healing Thoughts, Boys Of GH, Take a Stroll, Emmy News, Oops, More Maurice, Viva Las Bravo, Next Year, Holiday Treats & Celebrate

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc and Laura come out of the hospital elevator, and Valentin thanks them for coming. Laura says, of course (🍷), and Doc asks, where is Charlotte? Valentin says, she’s in surgery, and Laura asks, what happened? Valentin says, she was shot, and Doc and Laura look stunned. Laura asks, who would do something like that? and Valentin says, it was Anna. Laura says, oh my God, no.

Anna stands on the terrace at Sonny’s penthouse. He tells her, good morning, but she’s not sure what’s good about it. He asks if she got any sleep, but she says, every time she closes her eyes, it just plays like a movie in her head, over and over again. Her finger on the trigger, the gun recoiling, the shot. It was just so loud in that small apartment. It just kind of echoed down the hallway. She can still hear it.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and says, he wanted to see her? She thanks him for coming, and he asks if everything is all right. She says she needs his input, and he says, she knows how he loves to share his opinion. What’s the problem? She says, it’s a question of journalistic ethics, and he says, that sounds heavy. She says, it is. Is she required to report the shooting of a child?

Jordan comes into the station, and Mac says, they’ve been waiting for her. She says she got there as soon as she could, and he tells her, Dante was the detective on the scene last night. They go into the interrogation room, and Jordan says she has a lot of questions for Dante. Mac says, tell them exactly what happened, and Robert adds, and why it did.

At Volonino’s Gym, Devon, who has prosthetic legs, asks Curtis, where is everybody? The gym seems quiet. Curtis says, this gym is kind of private. His good friend’s husband owns it. Sonny Corinthos? Devon says, Curtis is a lucky guy to have such good friends, and Curtis says, they’ve definitely stuck by him, even though he tried to push them away.

Sam answers a knock at the door, and says, oh my God – Drew! He says, sorry he didn’t call, and she says, it’s really him. They hug, and he asks if it’s a bad time, but she says, no. It’s never a bad time. She can’t believe he’s out of prison.

While he lifts hand weights, Devon says, this is the time you need your friends the most. Why did Curtis push them away? Curtis asks how he does it, and Devon says he thought he was the one asking a question. Curtis says, Devon’s always so positive and upbeat. He doesn’t know if he’d have made it out of rehab without him. Devon says, Curtis put in the work. He just gave Curtis a bit of inspiration. Curtis says, Devon was dealt a bad hand, but always has a smile on his face. What’s his secret? Devon says, Curtis is seeing who he is today. He wasn’t always this way. He had years of bitterness and resentments it’s taken a lifetime of work to overcome. And that work never ends.

Sam asks when Drew got out, and he says, last night. He went to see Carly, and obviously his next stop was to see his girl. He missed Scout like crazy. Is she awake? She says, she’s actually sleeping right now. Scout’s probably exhausted from the Halloween party at Kelly’s, but she can wake Scout up. He says, it’s probably better if she doesn’t. He doesn’t want her to hear this. Carly got a call that Charlotte was shot, and Danny was trick-or-treating with her before it happened. Sam says, yeah. They didn’t know she was shot when they came home last night; they only knew she was missing. Danny was really shaken up. He felt guilty and responsible. He said that he should have been the one that kept Charlotte with them. Drew says, he shouldn’t have to carry all that, and she says she told him that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for his friends, but he felt guilty. He’s just like his father. He wants to save the entire world, but he can’t. He asks if Danny knows Charlotte was shot, and she says, Dante came home this morning to tell him and Rocco. They were dreading it, but they didn’t want him to read it on social media or anything. They thought it was best if it came from them. He says, that had to have been a tough conversation. How was Rocco? She says, it hit hm pretty hard. He broke down in Dante’s arms. All Dante could do was hold him, and she could tell Danny was holding back tears, but he wanted to stay strong. Drew asks if they have someone they can talk to, like a therapist, and she says she already set it up. And she talked to Elizabeth. Jake was at the scene of the shooting. He’s pretty traumatized too. He says, that is a lot to deal with, especially at their age. Please, she’s got to tell him if there’s anything he can do. Now that he’s back, there’s so much he needs to make up for.

Alexis tells Gregory that she doesn’t know all the details, but she knows the identities of those involved, and two of them are members of her family. He asks if everyone’s all right, but she says, no. This was a tragic accident. He asks, what happened? and she says, he’s aware that Anna has been the target of harassment? He says he knows her house was burned down. The police said it was arson. She says, shortly after that, the broke into her hotel and destroyed her clothes and left her a threatening message. He asks how this relates to the shooting of a child, and she says, Anna’s been on edge for months. So last night, she comes home to an intruder in her apartment. So she takes out her gun and fires, straight into Charlotte Cassadine. He says, Valentin’s daughter was the intruder? He finds it hard to imagine a teenage girl breaking into an apartment. (Really? I don’t.) She says, the police are still trying to piece this all together, but the bottom line is, Anna shot an innocent child, so she’s going to have a lot to answer to. (Wow. A lot of assumption on her part.) He says, but the big question is, what was Charlotte doing in that apartment?

Valentin says, so he realized she had to be headed to Anna’s apartment, and Laura asks if he thinks she wanted to leave another threatening message. Doc asks how she got in, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what her intentions were, and he doesn’t know what she’s capable of. Laura says, he got there after the shooting? and he says, yeah. He wanted to intercept her, but he was too late. The door was open, and he looked inside, and Anna was leaning over Charlotte.

Robert asks if Dante talked to Anna, and Dante says, she claims when she left her apartment, she locked the door. When she got back around 9:30 pm, the door was unlocked. She drew her gun, she thought she saw an intruder in her apartment with a weapon, she fired. Robert says, let’s talk about the legal culpability here. Could Anna face criminal charges? It’s not against the law to defend your own property with a gun. Jordan says, it depends, and he says, on what? She says, on if Anna could reasonably expect Charlotte to be there. And if that’s the case, Anna could be in real trouble.

Sonny hands Anna a coffee mug, and she thanks him. He says he knows she’s a tea drinker, but he thought she’d need something stronger than that. She says she’s often wondered why Corinthos went for coffee. Out of all the legitimate businesses out there, why did he choose this? He says, Don Corleone had already chosen olive oil, so he wanted the next best thing. He laughs and says, he had a lot of contacts in South America. She says, that doesn’t sound suspicious, but he says, it’s not what she thinks. Most of the coffee in the world is grown there, and it’s a big industry. Remember when all the coffee houses were going up? He wanted to get in before the market flooded. She says, that’s smart, when Nina comes out. She asks if everything is all right, but Anna says, no, it’s not.

Doc asks if Anna said what happened, but Valentin tells him that he didn’t hear anything she said. The paramedics got there right away. Doc asks if Anna went to the police, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He knows she came here to explain. Laura asks how you explain shooting a 15-year-old girl, and Valentin says he couldn’t talk to her. He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea she’d shoot Charlotte. He still can’t. (Is it me? Why is this all so hard to put together?)

Sonny says, Anna needed a place to stay last night, and she arrived late, and Nina says she knows Anna got a new place. Are they not ready for her to move in yet? Sonny says, it’s not like that, and Anna says she should be the one to tell her. Nina says, tell her what? What’s going on? Anna says, it’s Charlotte, and Nina asks if something happened to Charlotte. Anna starts to cry and says, it was an accident. She shot her.

Mac asks how Charlotte got into the apartment, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Maybe she had a key. There was no sign of forced entry. Like he said before, Anna said she locked the door before she left, and it was unlocked when she got back. Jordan asks if Anna would have given Charlotte a key, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Robert says he can’t imagine she would do that. She just moved into that place. She’s going to say to Charlotte, drop by after you’re finished with Halloween, and by the way, I’ll give you a key? That doesn’t make any sense. Dante says, according to Jake Webber, Charlotte did have a key in her possession. She said it was her key to getting everything she wanted. Mac asks, what the hell does that mean? and Dante says, that’s what he wants to find out. Jordan says, obviously, she had a key to the apartment, but Anna was unaware. That’s why she came in the door shooting. Robert says, well, she wasn’t expecting Charlotte. And he can tell them who she was expecting.

Sam asks if Drew knew he was getting out. Did Diane get a message to him? He says, no. The whole thing was just so sudden. He was sitting on his cot, the guards walked in and said, come on, Cain, let’s go. You’re released. He didn’t even believe it. He didn’t have to get up in front of the prison board; he didn’t have to speak to the warden. Nothing. Next thing he knew, he was in his own clothes and on his way home. She says, Carly must be really excited for him, and he tells her, you could say that. She told him who was responsible for his release. Sam says, who was it? and he says, your mother.

Gregory tells Alexis that they have to assume Charlotte was there uninvited. If Anna was expecting her, she wouldn’t have pulled a gun. Alexis says, that’s why she’s holding off on publishing. They need more facts. They can’t speculate about this. He says, her cousin must be devastated, and she say she hasn’t been able to reach him. Obviously, he’s in agony. He says, if she didn’t know any of the people involved, if they weren’t family, would she publish? She says, this is what she’s been struggling with all morning. Obviously, the shooting of a child is newsworthy. And it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the Second Amendment, gun violence is real, and this should be reported. He says, so she’s going to publish it? and she says she thinks she has to. But the victim is a minor and out of respect for her family, she’s not going to mention any names. He says, she’s making a good call on a difficult story, and Alexis looks like she has a headache. I disagree with that call. I think she was right the first time. They need more facts. For instance, it’s not like Charlotte was shot in her own home. She let herself into an apartment where she wasn’t invited. In the dark. In a Hermit costume.

Curtis says, a lifetime of work. He’s not sure he has the stamina for that. Devon says, it’s perfectly normal to doubt yourself, just keep pushing through it. Curtis says, but how do you do it? Devon makes it look so easy, and Curtis knows he’s going to have a struggle on his hands. Devon says, they both have disabilities, but they’re coming from very different places. He was born without legs. He doesn’t know what it’s like to walk without prosthetics. Curtis went from an active, vital man to a wheelchair. That’s a huge adjustment. He still has times of frustration and resentment. Does Curtis know how hard it was to watch the other kids run around the playground? Curtis says he’s sorry. He had no idea. He feels selfish complaining right now, but Devon tells him not to feel sorry for him. There are plenty of times he does that for himself. He tries not to wallow in it. Like it or not, it’s who he is. Just focus on moving forward. Curtis says he’s not sure he knows how to do that.

Alexis hangs up the phone and tells Gregory that she really hopes she’s making the right call. He says, she is. Don’t second guess herself. She says she’s been consumed with this all morning. She didn’t even ask. How is he feeling? Or is that a stupid question to ask somebody with ALS? He laughs and says, no. He appreciates it. Most people just tap-dance around the subject. They’re afraid to ask like it’s some dirty little secret. He’s happy with the new specialist Finn recommended. He’s a straightshooter; he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He says Gregory’s ALS is progressing, but it’s impossible to put a timeframe on it. So he has no idea how long it’s going to be before he’s in a wheelchair. He gets up and says, which is why he needs to get moving on his bucket list. Has she changed her mind about skydiving?

Scout comes downstairs, and says, daddy? You’re home! She runs to him, and he picks her up, hugging her. Sam smiles.

Dante says, that’s some pretty cryptic sounding stuff, but Robert says he can’t tell them everything. Some of it’s classified Bureau stuff. Jordan says, he has to tell him everything he knows, and Robert says, Anna dug up this old document, which has the name of a former agent attached to it. She figured this guy has been stalking her. Dante asks if Robert has seen the document, and Robert says, Anna laid out what her theory was, and he agreed. Mac says, so this mystery person is still out there, and Robert says, yeah, and he can pull this again. But this time, it might be fatal. This guy’s prepared to do whatever’s necessary to suppress this information. Jordan says, so that means Anna definitely wasn’t expecting Charlotte to be at her apartment, and Robert says, correct. She entered the apartment, saw this figure holding what looked like a weapon, and figured, this person’s going to kill me. So she exercised the only option she had, which was to shoot. Soap looks all around.

Valentin tells Laura and Doc that Dr. Gatlin-Holt went right to work on Charlotte when they arrived. He must have gotten some information, but he couldn’t process it or tell them what was said. He doesn’t know where Charlotte was shot. What if it’s near the heart? Laura says, they don’t know any of that. Try not to speculate. It’s just going to make him crazy. He says, all he knows is that the bullet is still inside of her, and they’re going to remove it, and they’re going to repair the damage, but he can’t get his head around the idea. Doc says, let him see what he can find out, and Laura says she’ll go with him, unless Valentin wants her to stay, but Valentin says, go. They leave, and he takes out his phone. His thumb hovers over Anna’s number, and Nina comes out of the elevator. He goes to her, and they hug and cry.

Anna tells Sonny that she just doesn’t understand what Charlotte was doing in that apartment. How did she get in there? There was no sign of forced entry. She had to have used a key. He says he’s assuming Anna didn’t give her a key, and she says, no. She lost her own key. She had to get one from the super. Sonny asks if she knows what Charlotte was doing before she shot her, and Anna shakes her head. She says, there was a figure with a hood bending over this trunk that she has, and then they turned, and she saw what she thought was a weapon. He says, that’s understandable. She felt threatened. She says she’s been so on edge lately; she jumps at the slightest thing. Sonny was right. She should never have gotten rid of the bodyguard. If he had been there, this wouldn’t have happened. He says, she can’t blame herself, and she asks what he’s talking about. If she – Anna chokes up – if Charlotte… If Charlotte doesn’t make it, it’s her fault. He puts his arm around her as she cries.

Valentin thanks Nina for coming, and she says, of course (🍷). They’re in this together. She’s not letting him go through this alone. He says, this is his fault, but she says, feeling guilty is only going to make this more difficult. He says, if he’d warned Anna that Charlotte was her stalker right away, this never would have happened; she’d have never pulled a gun. Nina says, Valentin made a mistake not telling Anna right away, but Anna made a big mistake and Charlotte did too. (Why are they blaming Anna so hard? The flashlight did look like a gun.) He says, she’s a child, and Nina says she understands that, but her point is, there’s a lot of guilt to go around. He doesn’t have to carry the burden all by himself. Speculating on what he should have done isn’t going to make the situation any easier. He says, they should have confronted Charlotte the moment they saw that security footage, and she hustles him over to the waiting area, suggesting they not talk about the footage. It’s gone. He says, what if his daughter is gone? and they sit. Nina says, they have to be positive. Charlotte is alive. She’s a fighter. They have to believe in her. They have to believe she’s going to make it.

Anna tells Sonny that she’s a professional. She’s been trained in firearms. She knows when to shoot and when not to shoot. He tells her not to beat herself up, and she says she went into that apartment like she was on a mission; like she expected to be fired at. But she wasn’t. She was a 15-year-old girl. He says, she didn’t know that, and she cries some more. She says she saw movement and she reacted. She didn’t stop and access the situation the way she’s been trained to at the Academy. Not shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe she didn’t see movement. Maybe she just imagined it. But she did fire and she hit her target. And they went down, and they didn’t move. It seemed like it was in slow motion, but it could have only taken two seconds. And Jake came and said Charlotte’s name… That’s when she realized what she’d done. She begins to weep again.

Mac tells Dante to go home and get some rest, and Jordan thanks him. She knows things were intense when he was on administrative leave, but she’s glad to have him back. Dante says, just keep him updated on Charlotte’s condition, and he leaves. In the squad room, an officer tells Dante, CSI sent this up. He gives Dante an envelope and says, the inventory on Charlotte Cassadine’s back. Dante thanks him and starts flipping through it.

Alexis says she would do anything to support Gregory, but she’s not jumping out of a plane. Please don’t make her. She’s afraid of heights and she still doesn’t understand how planes stay up in the air (ha-ha! she’s me), and she doesn’t understand how anyone would think jumping out of a plane would be fun. Really. What’s wrong with them? He laughs and says, it’s supposed to be an exhilarating feeling, but he’s going to let her off the hook. She agreed to ax throwing and hot yoga, so he’s not going to push this one. Besides – he takes a paper out of his pocket and unfolds it – he thinks he still has some less risky items on his list. She says, good. Her stomach thanks him. He says, she’s in the clear. He knows she has a lot to do, so he’s going to take off. She thanks him for the talk, but he says, she doesn’t have to thank him. She says she appreciates that and thanks him again. He leaves.

Scout says she’s so happy Drew’s home. She missed him so much. He says he missed her too. He thought about her every single day. They hug, and she says, really? He says, every hour of every day. He couldn’t wait to get home to her. She asks if it’s over. Does he have to go back to prison? He says, no. He’s here to stay. And you know what made him feel so much better when he was gone? The plaque she got for swimming. Scout says, Sam really gave it to him? and Sam says she told Scout that she was going to. Drew says he’s so proud of her. Next season, he’s going to be at every single meet, he promises. She asks if he got out in time to go trick-or-treating, but he says, the lights were turned out by then. She says, that’s okay, because she got a whole bunch of candy for him. He says, that’s his girl, and she asks if he wants some now. She got all his favorites. Sam says she thinks it’s a little early for candy, and Drew says, maybe she’s right. How about if Scout gets dressed, because there’s something really important that he needs her help with. Scout says, okay, and goes upstairs.

Devon says, for Curtis to move forward, he needs to talk about his feelings and share his experience with others. If he keeps it in and hides it from the people who love him, it will destroy him. So let it out. Let his beautiful family see who he is now.

Dante comes home and tells Sam that he wishes he was still on administrative leave. Then he wouldn’t be having to deal with this. He saw Charlotte on a gurney. She asks if there’s any update on Charlotte’s condition, but he says, she’s still in surgery as far as he knows. This whole thing is unbelievable. How are Rocco and Danny? He can’t believe he had to go back to work after telling them about Charlotte. She says, they were still a mess, and they didn’t want to stay at the house. They needed a distraction, so she let them go to their friend’s house. Drew got out of prison. Scout’s with him now. Dante says, that’s good news, and she asks how it went at the station. He says, taking statements, bagging evidence… A 15-year-old girl’s been shot. None of this makes any sense at this point. It’s someone close to them too. He knows it’s extenuating circumstances, but try telling that to Anna, the one who pulled the trigger.

Anna tells Sonny, this is so surreal. It’s like she was outside of her body watching everything. Then inside her head, she was screaming, no, no, no. Please don’t let it be Charlotte, but she knew it was her. He says, unfortunately, he knows the feeling. When Dante first came to town, he didn’t know Dante was his son, because originally, Dante kept it from him for years. He didn’t know Dante was an undercover cop. So Dante gained his trust and arrested him. And he shot Dante, point blank. She says she did hear about that. That must have been just awful. Sonny says, he was bleeding out on the floor. Olivia came in. She yelled out, you shot your own son. So he knows about that moment. It’s the shot that’s unbearable. She says, even before she took the hood off of Charlotte, she thought, this is such a tiny figure lying here, and the weapon, it was a flashlight she was carrying. He says, she didn’t know that. So then her survival instincts kicked in. She scrunches down in the chair and says, this is such a nightmare. How could she have been so reckless to have fired on an unarmed child? She doesn’t know how she’s going to live with that. She doesn’t know how.

Jordan says, there’s something they need to discuss, and it’s right in this room. Mac says, what? and she says, us. Mac’s acting Police Commissioner, Robert’s the DA, she’s the Deputy Mayor. They all have closer relationship to Anna. Robert says he was married to her – he laughs – twice. She says, even Dante, who was the first investigator on the scene, has a close relationship with Anna. She just doesn’t want anyone thinking this is a cover-up. Mac says, there’s nothing to cover up. They’re not hiding anything. Nor are they giving Anna any preferential treatment. Jordan says she gets that, but they all need to recognize their connections to Anna might compromise the case. Robert asks what she’s suggesting, and she says, that they might have to bring in an outside investigator.

Curtis asks, what about Devon? Does he have any kids? Devon says, two incredible sons. They’re his whole world. They’re devoted to each other. He’s proud to say they’re great human beings. Curtis says he doesn’t doubt that they are. He has a daughter, a lovely wife, his dad, his auntie, his nephew… He has really good friends who he calls family, so he guesses that makes it a big family. Devon says, it’s time to let them in. Let them see who he really is.

Doc tells Laura that he’s sorry. He wishes he could have found out more. She says, that’s okay. She’s sure Valentin will appreciate the effort. She supposes right now all they can do is wait and pray. Doc says, they’ll need to do a lot more than pray. Charlotte’s in real trouble, and he doesn’t mean medically or legally. That child is broken. She says, then they have to do everything they can to fix her. He says, her physical recovery will be a lot easier than her emotional one, and Laura says she’ll never give up on Charlotte. She cries and he holds her.

On the phone, Alexis says, get them to her as soon as she can. Scout comes in and she says she’s got to run. She asks what Scout is doing here, hugging her, and Scout says she has a big surprise for Alexis. Alexis says, bigger than her showing up here on her own? Scout says, yep, and she’s not here on her own. Look who she brought with her. Drew walks in.

Curtis says, his wife keeps asking him how he feels, and Devon asks what he tells her. Curtis says he gives her the same standard answer; it’s all good, babe. But in reality, he’s far from good. Devon says, his wife just wants to help. Keeping her in the dark won’t do either of them any good. Curtis says, he’s right. It’s not fair. From now on, he’s going to tell his wife the truth. He wants to start moving forward. Devon says, okay. Are they done talking now? Let’s get back to work. Curtis says, he’s going to take the tens this time.

Alexis hugs Drew and says she’s so happy to see him. She tells Scout that she was right. This is a big surprise. Drew tells her that it was his idea to see her, but the set-up was all Scout. Alexis asks how happy Scout is to see her daddy, and Scout says, it’s the best. Drew says, it is the best. He got released last night, and he knows she played a pivotal role in that. He thanks her, but she says she’s not taking credit. It was Sonny, it was Carly, it was Diane, it was Gregory… He says he knows they were all involved, but his sources tell him that she was the one to seal the deal, and he’s so grateful. If there’s anything he can do to repay her, she’s got it. She says, the smile on her granddaughter’s face is good enough, and she hugs Scout. She tells Drew, get in here, and they have a three-way hug.

Valentin asks if Doc was able to find out anything, and Doc says he had to leave word for Dr. Gatlin-Holt, but he did speak to the surgical coordinator. Charlotte sustained a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. Valentin asks if there’s any word from the OR, but Doc says, nothing yet, and Nina says she’s sure they’ll hear something soon. Laura thanks her for coming, and Nina says she loves Charlotte. She wanted to be here. Valentin asks how Nina knew to come; he didn’t call her. Nina says, Anna slept over at the penthouse, and she didn’t know about Charlotte until this morning. Laura asks, how is Anna? and Nina says, outwardly, she seem calm, but underneath it all, she’s sure Anna is shattered. She thinks Anna’s still in shock. A surgeon approaches them, and Valentin asks, how’s Charlotte? Is his little girl going to be all right?

Dante tells Sam, so Charlotte took off on the kids, and Jake followed her to Anna’s house. Sam wonders how Charlotte got into Anna’s house. She can’t see Charlotte picking a lock. He says, there’s a lot about Charlotte they don’t know. What they do know is, Anna got to her house, the front door was unlocked, there was an intruder in her apartment. She pulled her gun and fired, and it’s not illegal. Sam says, but the intruder was an unarmed teenager, and Dante says, but Anna was threatened. She thought she saw a weapon. Sam says, what baffles her is what Charlotte was doing there in the first place, and he says he has a theory. He doesn’t know if it holds water yet. She asks what he’s got, and he says, they found Charlotte’s backpack. In it was red spray paint and it matched the paint that was on Anna’s front door. Sam says, murderer, and he says, and then Anna’s house burned down.

Sonny tells Anna, there are some burdens that are too heavy to carry, and some mistakes too terrible to live with. She says, but she has to live with this. She doesn’t have a choice. She has to find a way to come to terms with her actions, and she doesn’t know how to do that. He says, that’s why he prays. In his darkest hours, he gets down on his knees and asks God to give him the strength. Maybe she should try it. She says, he’s a good Catholic as all mob bosses are, but he says he doesn’t know about good, and laughs. She says, he’s a man of faith then. She’s just a lapsed Anglican. She hasn’t been in church for a while. The last time she was in church, she was on a mission actually. He says, that’s all right. God always listens to him. He doesn’t know where he’d be if he didn’t believe in Him. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Nina. He asks if she’s at the hospital, and Nina says, yes. Charlotte’s out of surgery. The doctor said she’s going to make it. Sonny tells Anna that Charlotte’s going to be okay, and Anna breathes a sigh of relief.

Tomorrow, Tracy says, Brook can have her cake and eat it too; Lois asks if Eddie/Ned isn’t curious about the rest; Maxie says, of course (🍷) they’re interested; and Sonny accuses Ava of being in bed with the enemy.

📡 Sending Good Vibes…

Here’s praying he comes through with flying colors.

Jon Lindstrom Asks for “Healing Thoughts” for John J. York

🚑 Goodbye And Happy Anniversary…

Aging Danny up and out.

Zakary Risinger Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

And keeping Wiley. I miss those other kids who moved to France though.

Viron Weaver Celebrates His GENERAL HOSPITAL Anniversary!

🏥 Laura’s Memory Lane…

She’s been on (and off) the show for a long time. I wonder if she dreams in Laura.

Genie Francis Shares Her Favorite GH Moments (EXCLUSIVE)

🏆 Half An Answer…

Apparently, the Daytime Emmys will be on December 16-17 – so good it takes an entire weekend? – but still nothing on when the soaps will figure in. The speculation is the 15th, but there’s nothing definite.

The 2023 Daytime Emmy Awards Are Being Rescheduled!

🍾 Random Events…

He doesn’t say if she gave him a black eye afterward.

https://ew.com/celebrity/john-stamos-elizabeth-taylor-general-hospital-set-yelling-old-lady/

📖 An Open Book…

I love this guy. He must help a lot of people by sharing his personal life.

https://people.com/general-hospital-s-maurice-benard-talks-living-with-bipolar-disorder-8387469

🥂 The Biggest Con Of All…

No recaps for RHOSLC or that horrible House yet, so here are some highlights from Andy’s Kingdom in Vegas.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/bravocon-2023-recap-real-housewives-captain-jason-1235638139/

The tears.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/bravocon-kyle-richards-cries-while-talking-about-mauricio-breakup

The boos.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhonj-teresa-giudice-booed-not-leaving-bravo-8385173

Crowd Chants ‘Fire Teresa’ at BravoCon as Andy Cohen Teases RHONJ Season 14

The absentee.

RHONY’s Jenna Lyons Explains Why She Skipped BravoCon

Awards for bringing the drama.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-bravos-awards-at-bravocon-2023-pics-details

🐉 Dragon Their Feet…

Although it isn’t as long as we’ve been waiting for that last book. Write faster, George R.R. Martin.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-summer-2024-return/

🍰 Bake Me A Cake…

It might be worth watching just for Joel McHale.

https://ew.com/tv/the-great-american-baking-show-celebrity-holiday-cast-reveal/

🤸‍♀️ Jumping In Leaves…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finding fault with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay just pushing through it when you doubt yourself, and stay not hiding your feelings from the people who love you.

Nov6

November 5, 2023 – Dwight Tries To Make Something Good From Something Bad & Climbing

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

A man goes inside an abandoned house, kicking garbage out of his way. He lights a lantern. We see it’s Dwight. He looks at a framed photo of Sherry and himself in better days, and flashes back to Daryl telling him, make it right. He tries to rest, but is unsuccessful, so he whittles. He hears something and checks the house. He hears a man coughing in one of rooms, slips into the room, and grabs the man in the dark. The man says he thought the place was empty, but Dwight says, it’s not. The man asks if Dwight lives here, but Dwight says, it doesn’t matter. The man tells Dwight that his name is Jay, and Dwight asks if he’s going to walk out, or does he want Dwight to drag him out? Jay says he got robbed, and he’ll die if he doesn’t get what they stole back. Dwight says, there’s nothing valuable anymore, but Jay says, there is if you’re a diabetic; he had insulin in his bag. Dwight says, he’s full of sh*t. There’s no insulin left. Jay says, there was in his group. They had a guy who could make it, and he believed in miracles until the thieves killed him. They took everything, and with what he had he would have made it through the week. Dwight asks if Jay is messing with him. Does Jay expect him to believe this is a coincidence? Who told him? Jay asks, who told him what? and Dwight gets him down on the floor. He asks, who told Jay about him? Jay said he had a week’s supply. What happens after? Jay says he doesn’t know, but a week in hell is better than being dead. Please. He lost everyone. He owes it to them to make things right, however much time he has left. Dwight asks if Jay knows where the thieves are at, and Jay says he does.

Outside the old Sanctuary, zombies growl, and Dwight asks Jay if the guys who took his medicine are in there. Jay says, yeah, and Dwight says, good luck. He’s going to ask one more time, who told Jay about him? Jay asks why Dwight thinks someone else is involved, and Dwight says, the last time he helped someone get insulin, he ended up here. Jay says, at the factory? and Dwight says, they didn’t call it that then. Jay asks what it was called, and Dwight flashes back to when he lived there under Negan’s oppression. Dwight says, the Sanctuary. His life has been sh*t since he set foot in there. He doesn’t know if it’s Jay or the universe playing a sick joke on him, but he’s not going in there for anyone. Jay says, they’re not that different. His wife was everything to him. They killed her and their son too. Dwight came back alone, and Jay thinks Dwight lost someone too. If they don’t help each other, what are they even doing here? Dwight thinks a moment, and says, all right. He’ll meet Jay back at the house. Dwight looks at the zombie chained to the perimeter fence, and walks around, checking out the lay of the land.

Dwight sneaks inside, and creeps around. He sees windowed double-doors, a light shining behind them, and flashes back to Sanctuary life again. He goes into the room and rifles through the bags. He finds the insulin and finds a picture of Jay with his wife and son. He runs to the exit and sees the symbol for infinity etched on the wall. He looks through the furnace door window at the flames inside and sees the iron hanging next to the furnace and remembers Negan burning his face with the iron. A gun cocks and a voice says, turn around, a-hole. Dwight turns and guard Phil asks what he has there. Dwight says, they took someone’s medicine, and he’s here to get it back. Phil says, somebody did a number on Dwight’s face, and Dwight says, he’ll walk out, and Phil will never have to see his face again. Phil says, Dwight stole from them, and needs to be made an example. They’ll start on the other side of his face. In a lightening swift move, Dwight grabs Phil and shoves – no, shoots – him into the blazing furnace. I’m in awe. A bullet grazes Dwight, and a man asks what the hell he thinks he’s doing. A bunch of men run in and their leader Marty says, they’ll find out. Dwight jets out of the building, and wonders where Jay is. He calls to Jay and zombie Jay comes out from behind the bushes. Dwight knifes him in the head, and says, Daryl should have killed him when he had the chance. He tried make it right. He guesses he couldn’t. Daryl should have killed him. Please come and do it now. He cries – aww – and yells, please! A car approaches and pulls up. Sherry gets out, and asks what Dwight is doing here. She came to find him. June gets out and says she needs him. He passes out.

Inside somewhere, Sherry stitches Dwight up, and he says, they need to get out. Sherry asks, what happened? Who did this? The guy outside? He says, no, and she says, then who? but he says, it doesn’t matter. If they’re seen, those guys will kill them. June says, they’re almost done, and tells Sherry, pinch, pierce, then pull. Dwight asks if June shouldn’t be doing this, but June says, it’s better this way. Dwight says, they need to go, but June says, they’re not leaving without him. Sherry says, a fight is coming, and Dwight asks, what kind of fight? June says, one they can’t win without him, and Sherry says, Troy has a score to settle. He wants to take PADRE from Madison. Dwight says, sounds like her fight, but Sherry says, Madison is MIA, and Victor is in charge. Dwight says, he’s still alive? and she says, a lot has happened since he’s been gone. He asks what it has to do with him, and Sherry says, he’s trained a lot of kids. June says, they trust him and will listen to him, but he says, nothing he does or says to them will help them do any better. He asks why Dove is here, and Dove says, PADRE is the only home she’s known. Without it, she’s got nothing. Dwight gets up, and says he can’t help save those kids. He couldn’t save his own son. June says, that’s not his fault, but he says, it doesn’t matter. Every time he tries to make something right, someone gets hurt. Sherry says, that’s not true, and Dwight says, the guy outside needed insulin, just like her sister. He asked Dwight for help, and he died. The best thing he can do for PADRE and the kids is leave here alone. Sherry asks if he thinks she wanted to come. She came for their son. He says, Finch is gone, but she says, PADRE isn’t. He says, that place is the reason Finch is dead. Why fight for it? She says, maybe something good can come from something bad, and he says, it won’t. She says, they have to try, and he asks, why? She says, Finch’s life needs to mean something. Making PADRE is how they can honor him. Dwight says he can’t go back. He’ll honor Finch in his own way. He gets up, and Sherry asks what he thinks Finch would say if his father walked away from kids who needed protection, and he says, it’s not because he doesn’t care. It’s because he does. He leaves, and June says, it’s fine, but Sherry follows him out.

The three of them go outside, and June radios Dove. Dwight asks, what’s wrong? and Sherry says, Dove has been missing since they woke up. June asks Dove to tell her where she is, when a truck pulls up with Dove driving. June says, she looks hurt, and Sherry runs to the cab. Dove is slumped against the steering wheel. Dove sits back, insisting she doesn’t need help, but June says, she looks wounded. Dove lifts her shirt and shows June a bullet wound, and June checks her out. June says, there’s no exit wound. They need to get the bullet out right away. Sherry asks, who did this? and Dove says, someone tried to steal the truck. They were looking for someone that burned their friend. Dwight says, they have to get her inside, and June says she needs anesthetics. They have to get the bullet out and the wound cleaned before Dove goes into septic shock. Dwight points out that she said we, and June says, they need medical supplies. Marty says he should have known Dove would be with them, and he and his guys come out of the woods. Marty says, sorry about the girl, but what after Dwight did to Phil, it feels like a beautiful karma. Sherry asks what he’s talking about, and Dove says, Dwight’s the one who burned their friend. Marty says, Dove doesn’t look so hot. Maybe they can help. They have top notch medical supplies, but of course Dwight already knows that, since he was inside. Sherry asks Dwight, where? and Dwight says, the Sanctuary. Marty says, tick-tock. What’s it going to be? June asks what he wants in exchange, and Marty says he wants the satisfaction Phil deserves in finishing what he started, and he intends to give it to him. If Dwight hands himself over, he’ll get the girl patched up. Dwight lowers his gun, and Sherry says, nice try, a-hole. There’s a shootout, and Sherry says, they’re going to the Sanctuary now. Dwight says, that psycho will follow them, but Sherry says, they’re on foot. The Sanctuary is 20 miles. They’ll be in and out before Marty knows it. Dwight says, another kid needs surgery. When does it end? June says, they have to help Dove, and Sherry says, they have to go now. Zombies begin toddling out of the woods, and Marty shoots at them. Dwight drives the truck out.

They bring Dove into the Sanctuary, and Dwight tells them, be careful; there could still be people here. Sherry flashes back to Negan, and Dove coughs. Shots ring out, and Dwight shoots back, but runs out of bullets. Zombie Phil scrabbles at the furnace window from inside the furnace, and June says, they need to move. She grabs supplies, and she and Sherry shove stuff in their bags, while Dwight checks the place out. He tells them, the place is clear, but they have to hurry. June says she needs lidocaine. The best they can do is inject anesthesia around the wound. Dwight and Sherry keep flashing back to their time at the Sanctuary, and June tells Sherry to clean the wound. She gives Sherry a syringe and tells her how to do the injection. Dwight says, June should do it, but June says she told him that she can’t. He wonders if it’s about what happened in the train car, but she says, it’s more than that. She tells him, as soon as it’s numb, start the extraction. Dove says she doesn’t want Dwight removing the bullet. He couldn’t save his own son, and he’s not doing the same with her. They feel a rumbling, and the building shakes. Dwight looks out at the tons of zombies who have gotten through the fence and are now pounding at the building. He says, the gunfire must have drawn them. The fence is broken, and they’re piling in. June says, it’s not going to work. The bullet is too close to one of Dove’s arteries. They might do more damage taking it out. Sherry says, the place is hanging on by a thread, and Dwight says, he’ll stay and hold them off for as long as he can. He runs out.

Sherry follows Dwight to the ammo room, and says she knows why he wants to stay and fight the zombies. He doesn’t plan on surviving. He says, maybe Dove is right, and they’re here because of him, but Sherry says, that’s defeatist bullsh*t, and Dwight says, it is what it is, honey. Dwight loads his gun, and she tells him that it doesn’t have to be this way. He says, the guy he tried to help lost more than insulin. He had a wife and kid. He shows her the photo of Jay with his family, and says, he’s about Finch’s age. He tried to help and landed them back in this hellhole. This is not a coincidence and it’s not defeatist mentality. She asks him to tell her what it is, and he points to an infinity symbol on the wall. He says he drew that when they were living here. He put them all over the place, where Negan couldn’t find them. It was them forever. It kept him going and made him feel like they could turn something bad into something good. Maybe they can, but not if he’s with them. He’s so tired of making people suffer for it. Sherry says, so he’s going to kill himself? and he says he’s going to clear the walkers. Maybe they can save Dove and honor Finch. She calls him a selfish a-hole and locks him in the room. She says, he doesn’t get to give up like this, and she leaves as he pounds on the door.

Outside, there’s a multitude of zombies, and June hears metal creaking. She says, they have to wait until the building is more stable and they need extra hands. Dove says, it’s not about June’s finger (the one Shrike removed) or what happened on the train. What’s the real reason? June says, it’s not important, but Dove says, June is a nurse. She’s got a bullet in her, and every minute they wait is a minute she’s closer to dying. June says, Dove isn’t dying. What happened to them isn’t going to happen to her. Dove asks, who’s them? and June says, Finch, Hannah, and her daughter Rose. Dove says, June has a kid? and June says, yeah. She would have been Dove’s age. Dove asks, what happened? and June says, she had pneumonia. June went out to look for medicine, came back and… it just was too late. She cries and says she couldn’t save her daughter, just like she couldn’t save Finch. Dove says, now she knows PADRE was right. June can’t protect her; none of them can. She can’t exactly say why she wanted to get away, but she didn’t come here for Red Kite. She wanted to get as far away from PADRE as she could. She was running away. June says, she told them it was the only home she’d ever known, and Dove says, was. It’s gone now, and people like June are in charge. They just let the kids down. That’s what people do who can’t get over their own sh*t. Metal bangs, and June radios Dwight and Sherry, asking, what’s happening? Do they copy? Outside battling zombies, Sherry says she’s working on it. She just locked Dwight in their old room. June asks, why? and Sherry says, PADRE needs him. The kids will follow him. They know he’s right. June says, what about her? and Sherry says she’ll keep the zombies at a distance, but June says, she can’t on her own. Sherry says, just do what she came to do; help Dove and get Dwight back to PADRE. The zombies have been pushing at the fence between them and Sherry, and it suddenly comes down, right on top of Sherry. Sherry’s gun and radio are just out of reach, and June keeps trying to get her.

Inside, Dwight tries to get out of their old room. He breaks a chair. The zombies are right on top of Sherry, along with the fence, their snapping faces just inches from hers. Dwight looks at the infinity symbol, while June keeps trying to radio Sherry. This is all very intense. Dwight hammers at the door, and the zombies keep piling on the fence. Sherry flashes back to memories of Finch. June gets into Dwight’s room and tells him that Sherry needs him. He runs out, and Sherry flashes back to burying Finch. Dwight is there, pulling the zombies off the fence, and slicing and dicing them.

Dove stands in the bathroom and groans. She’s broken a mirror and is about to take the bullet out herself with a shard. June – who’s having quite a busy episode – says, Dove will die. She needs help. Dove says she’s not getting it from them or June, and starts to cry. She’s about to cut herself, and June says, no! Stop! Dove drops the glass and falls to the floor.

Sherry asks how Dwight got out, and he says, June let him out. Sherry says she had it covered, but he tells her that she was lying to herself about honoring Finch and keeping him alive to fight for PADRE. It’s bullsh*t. She says, he’s wrong, and he says, is he? Or did she lock him up because she was planning on doing the same thing? Sherry asks if he thinks she wants to die, and he says he knows she did. She doesn’t really believe good can come from bad. She wants to, he does too, but she can’t. She says, if that’s true, she doesn’t know how she can go on living. Marty comes back and says he had the feeling he’d find them here. Sherry and Dwight run back in, and Marty goes in shooting.

The building is still shaking like crazy, and June checks Dove’s pulse. Dwight says, their friends are here. The door is locked, but it won’t hold. Sherry says, they have to go somewhere safer, and June grabs supplies. She gets on one side, Sherry on the other, and they help Dove up and out of the room. Everything starts to crumble, and zombies are coming in. June says, they’re surrounded, and Sherry shoots as many as she can. They see Marty coming, and June says, they’ve got to get out, but Dwight says, there’s nowhere to go. The zombies are getting the better of Marty and his friends, and I laugh. Light fixtures and beams start falling, and Sherry and Dwight nearly get creamed, but they jump aside at the last second. June stabs a zombie coming for her and Dove. Zombies continue to stream in, and Marty gets Dwight up against the furnace, Phil still scratching at the window. Marty says, remember how he told Dwight about giving his friend the satisfaction? He thinks he’s going to enjoy this more than Phil. He starts to open the furnace door, but Dwight grabs the iron and whacks him away with it, into a waiting zombie’s open arms. June says, they have nowhere to go, but Dwight says, the fire’s out. Let’s go inside. The building begins to collapse.

Inside the furnace, Dove asks, what happened? June says, the building is collapsing, and Dove says, it still hurts. This is never going to work. Sherry isn’t so sure this will help, but Dwight, keeping his lighter going so they can see, says, maybe it can. They hear metal clanging, and he says, the furnace is stable and will protect them from whatever is happening out there. June can do the surgery in here. June says she can’t, but he says, yes, she can. She asks how he knows, and he says, Sherry was right. Maybe something good can come from something bad. Maybe that’s the reason they wound up here. They needed each other to see it. Prepping Dove, June says she doesn’t want to hurt her, and Dove says, then don’t. Sherry says, June can do this. What happened to her, and them, doesn’t have to happen again. Maybe they just needed to work through the bad to get to the good. She half-smiles at Dwight, and June asks if Dove trusts her. Dove says, ask her again after the bullet is out, and June says, fair enough. She takes out her supplies, and Dwight keeps the lighter going.  

The oven opens and they come out. It’s practically the only thing left standing. There are a few errant zombies wandering around, and zombie Marty lies on the floor pinned there by another zombie. Dwight says, holy sh*t. It’s over. He asks how Dove is doing, and June says, she’s still resting. She’s going to be okay. Sherry looks up, and there’s a finch perched on what’s left of a wall. Are they trying to make me cry? June says, they should probably hit the road, and Dwight asks how she’s doing. June says, better, and he says he never should have left. Maybe they can turn the place into what it’s supposed to be, the way Finch wanted it to be. Sherry says she thinks they can.

Dwight says he made something for June, and gives her a finger he’s carved. He says, back in the train car, before it went the way it did, he asked her to be part of their family. He ran away, but he’s here now, so the offer still extends to her, and Dove as well. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the truck, Dove says, thank you, Red Kite, but Dwight says, she’s family. It’s Dwight. She says she’s Odessa, and he says he likes it. They should go. They have a lot of work to do. June and Sherry get into the truck, and Dwight looks around for a moment, then gets in. They pull away.

A song plays from a 45 on a turntable, something about sailing to Spain. Over the radio, we hear Russel say, nothing yet. Sorry. Troy says, his daughter is alive and well, and they will find her. We see it’s Victor’s turntable, and a little girl screams as she’s let down the hall by a man and a woman. She’s also blindfolded, and she says she hates this place. Where is she? Where’s her dad? They bring her to Victor, and in German, the man says, they found her for him. The woman asks, what does he want them to do? and Victor says, he’ll handle it. He tells the girl that he’s going to remove the blindfold. He does, and she asks, who is he? What does he want with her? He says, his name is Victor, and her eyes get huge. He says, it’s a good thing found her. She asks, why? and he says he’s going to help her. And she’s going to help him. She says, do what? and he says, save PADRE. He tries to touch her face, but she jerks away, and he smiles.

Next time, a stuck herd of zombies; Madison thinks she sees Alicia; Victor says, it’s not about him or her, but about PADRE; Troy wonders what makes them think he’ll make a deal; Victor gets attacked by zombies; Troy says, it doesn’t end well, and Luciana says, for you.

🕰 I’ve Fallen Back and I Can’t Get Up…        

Join me tomorrow for soap and yachting in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay working through the bad to get to the good, and stay not letting anyone down because you can’t get over your own sh*t.

Oct30

October 29, 2023 – Two Finds Plus a Loss & The Night Wind

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

As Daniel’s boat comes in, a zombie is on the beach, caught in a fishing net with a starfish attached to its head. Daniel asks if Hawk has ever seen where the tankers came from, but Hawk says, no. Madison thinks this is a waste of time, but Daniel says, their fuel is low and they need to find out where PADRE gets their supply. She tells him that they’re giving Troy time to regroup, but Daniel says he lost a daughter too, and they’ll make Troy wish he’d died at the dam. The tanks are empty and zombies start coming out of the woods. Victor suggests they go inside the gas station. When they go in, they hear music playing, and Daniel says, whoever is in here, show yourself. He tells Hawk to shoot anything that moves, and goes to look around. It’s like a gas station/mini mart, and there’s a sign that says, take what you need. Madison asks what this place is, and Victor says, relics of a bygone era. Daniel comes back and says, they’re clear. Victor asks if Hawk is sure this is where the gas comes in, and he says he is. Madison sees a one-armed zombie and starts banging on the window, drawing the zombies to it. She tells Victor that there’s one missing a left arm, and takes Alicia’s mechanical arm out of her bag. Victor tells her that this isn’t healthy, and the agitated zombies scrabble at the window. It breaks and Madison falls back onto the floor, a zombie on top of her. Victor kills the zombie and helps her up, and the group takes off for the back of the building. They hear shooting outside, and the zombies fall. Daniel says, it’s not them, so who was it? Luciana walks in, and is shocked to see Madison. She says, Madison died a long time ago, and Madison says, she’s been getting that a lot. Luciana wonders why Victor is there, and Daniel asks if it’s really her. He’s been looking for her for a year. Luciana says, he found her.

Along with some men of Luciana’s, they clean up the zombie mess, and Victor asks if Madison is okay. She says, her baby was alive and she didn’t even try to look for her. She’s Alicia’s mother and should have never given up. Victor says, the last thing Alicia would want is for her to die in the process, but Madison says, if Troy was telling the truth and Alicia’s still out there, she needs to put her to rest. Victor says she will. If Alicia’s out there, they’ll find her. Madison tells Luciana that she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to trash her gas station. Luciana says, Daniel told her what Troy did to Alicia. Madison has nothing to apologize for. Madison hugs her, and Luciana says, so much has happened. There are fresh supplies in the back if they need them. Victor thanks her, and Daniel asks if Luciana’s been making gas. She says, PADRE brought her in years ago, and she didn’t have a choice. He asks who they used against her, and she says, him. She asked for his freedom in exchange. If she hadn’t, they would have killed him, since they considered him too old to be useful. He thanks her, and says he thought she was on the island, but she says they needed someone to refine fuel and she had to work in the shadows. Victor asks why she set up the gas station, since there are bad memories from the last time they holed up in one. Luciana says, if she was helping PADRE, she wanted to make sure she was helping others, and Madison asks what the place is. Luciana says, it’s a way station for travelers. There are 23 locations in the network throughout Arizona. As long as she delivers the fuel, they don’t ask questions. She can let them have gas as long as Troy doesn’t figure it out. She’ll send a tanker to the main road, and they can wait there for it. She needs to keep her operation safe. Daniel says, they haven’t talked in seven years, but she says she needs to protect the place. Daniel says, Troy didn’t follow them, when a truck pulls up. Luciana radios her people outside to tell Iron Tiger to wait. Madison asks who Iron Tiger is, and Lucina says, they should leave now. It’s safer for them to wait in the back. She goes outside, and Madison wonders if she’s telling the truth, but Daniel says, she wouldn’t lie to him. Victor says, she knew he was alive and didn’t look for him. She’s moved on. If it was a choice between them and her place, which does he think she’d choose? Daniel says he’s going to show them how mistaken they are, and he marches outside. He tells Luciana that the others think she’s up to something, and she says, he’s making this harder than it needs to be. The others have now followed him out, and Madison says, Luciana is making it harder. Who’s in the truck? Luciana says, it’s not him, and Victor asks what she’s worried about then. Madison walks closer to the truck, and Luciana’s people draw  their guns. Victor draws his gun, and the truck door opens. The driver steps down, facing away from them, and Madison says, turn around slowly. It’s Charlie, who’s surprised to see that Madison is still alive, and Daniel is surprised Charlie is still here. Daniel hugs her, and she says, June didn’t have what she needed at the Tower to treat the radiation poisoning, but PADRE did and Luciana gave it to her. Madison wonders why Charlie wouldn’t let them see her, and asks, what the hell is going on? Victor says, it’s complicated, but Charlie says, it’s not. She… shot Nick. She was scared and Ennis was dead. She pulled the trigger and she’s so sorry. Madison lunges for Charlie, but Victor holds her back and says, don’t do something she’ll regret. Luciana says, let her explain, but Madison says, there’s nothing to explain. Get the hell away from her, both of them. She flashes back to various times with Nick, and takes a sledgehammer to an old truck. She kills some zombies with it, and Victor brings her oxygen. She breathes some in, and she says, he knew? He says he thought Charlie was dead, so he didn’t think it mattered. She says, he didn’t? The girl she brought into the stadium killed her son. Victor says, she had no idea how it would play out. He should have told her. She hammers at an already downed zombie, and says, it’s not okay. If she hadn’t brought Charlie in, Nick might still be here. If she’d hit Troy harder, Alicia might still be here. If she’d done things differently, they might both be here. Victor holds her, and says, maybe he should take her back to the island. Daniel can handle getting the fuel. Madison asks how and why Charlie is still here. How was she let back in? Victor says, they gave her the same thing everyone else wants – a second chance. Madison asks if Alicia would want that, and he says, she’d be the first one to forgive Charlie. Madison doesn’t think she can forgive Charlie, but Victor says, no one is asking her to. Charlie wants talk to Madison, but Victor says, it’s not a good time. Madison says she wants to hear what Charlie has to say, and Charlie says she doesn’t blame Madison. She hated herself for a long time. She doesn’t expect Madison to forgive her, but she needed to say that since she doesn’t know when she’ll see Madison again. Madison says, Charlie just wants to feel better about herself, and Charlie says, she was 11, scared, and being used by  people older than she was. She’s so sorry she took Nick from the world, so she tried to turn her pain into something more. That’s why she’s doing what she’s doing, making things like this possible. As bad as Nick’s death was, something good came out of it. Just tell her if she can make Madison see the good. Victor says again, it’s not a good time, and Madison says, Charlie snuck into the stadium and fooled her, her son, and everyone. She wants Charlie to do the same with Troy. Charlie asks if Madison wants her to find out what he’s planning, and Madison says she wants something else. She wants Charlie to kill him. Victor says, don’t do this, but Madison says, Charlie took the stadium and her son. It’s the least she can do. Charlie says, Madison is right. She’ll do it.

Daniel says he thinks it’s too dangerous. They know what Troy is capable of. Let him do it. Madison says, Daniel won’t even get close to Troy. He doesn’t know Charlie and won’t see her coming. Daniel says, for years he thought Madison and Luciana were dead. He doesn’t want to risk Charlie. Madison says she knows what she’s doing; don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Charlie says, she’ll bring the fuel to Troy. He’ll be less suspicious if he gets something out of the deal. Luciana says, then what? and Charlie says, she’ll fix it for them. When she comes back, no one will have to worry about Troy anymore. She’ll also find out what happened to Alicia. Madison tells her not to pretend to care, but Charlie says, Alicia was her friend. She knows Madison doesn’t believe her, but she wishes she could take back shooting Nick. He was like a brother to her. Madison says, if he was, she wouldn’t have shot him, and Luciana gives Madison the keys to the tanker. There’s enough gas to last for months. Daniel asks if he can stay until Charlie returns, but Luciana thinks it’s best if he goes back to PADRE. She stays hidden to keep things like this from happening. Daniel says, maybe he shouldn’t have come, and she says she wanted to find him, but needed to protect everyone. He says he’s proud of her for that and her whole operation. Inside, Madison tells Victor not to look at her like that. She’s not letting that a-hole take the island. Victor asks, why, if it’s not what Alicia wanted? and she says, if Charlie is telling the truth, she’ll show them by killing Troy. Victor gets on the radio, and Madison finds a coffee can with a note on top of it that has her name. She says, this is her son, and Luciana says, they were clearing roads, and Charlie wanted to see where Nick was buried to tell him that she was sorry. Luciana didn’t realize how much she missed him until she saw his grave. Charlie said he deserved something better, so they cremated what was left of him and brought him here. He’d been buried in Field Hill country, so they could get to the weapon cache. Victor says, they were in a dark place, and Madison says, Charlie was right; Nick deserves better. Luciana says, they didn’t know where that might be, and Victor says, but Charlie thought Madison would. Madison asks if they can reach her, and Luciana radios for Iron Tiger. Charlie answers and Madison tells her to come back. She was right about Nick. He deserves better and Charlie should be there to say goodbye. Charlie says she can’t come back, but Madison says, Charlie doesn’t have to do what she asked. She was just a kid and doesn’t have to make up for Nick. Charlie says she means she literally can’t come back, and we see Troy’s men aiming their guns at the truck. Troy tells her, get out of the truck, and Madison ask, where is she? How did they find her? Charlie says, they were patrolling the road, when Troy opens the door, and hears Madison asking where she is. Charlie tries to make deal for the gas, but Troy asks why he should trust anyone talking to Madison. He tells her, get out of the truck. They have a lot to talk about. Luciana unplugs the radio and tells Madison that she can’t reveal where they are. Madison says she’s trying to do the right thing, and Daniel says, she wants to do the right thing now? They have to help rescue Charlie. Luciana says, they have to go, and Victor says, they’ve all suffered losses, but Daniel says, they have to try. Madison says, it looks like they’re going back to Troy.

Charlie’s wrists are tied to a chair in a room with shards of glass covering the floor. Troy is whacking the left arms off of zombies that are brought to him, and tells his men to bring in another when he’s finished. Charlie says, he doesn’t scare her, and he slices of her bonds with his sword. He says he finds it easier to talk when things are equitable. Don’t try to run. The last person messed up their feet so bad, they only got a half mile before the dead found them. She asks why he’s cutting their arms off, and he says he’s got to pass the time somehow. She says, he wants Madison to think they’re Alicia. Why did he kill her? He says, he’s the one asking questions. He’s not the only person who’s killed a Clark. Is what Madison said true? Did she kill Nick? Nick was a friend of his; he was like a brother. They were both better suited to this world than the last one. That’s what they thought anyway. Why was Madison trying to protect her? Charlie says, Madison was giving her a second chance, and he laughs. He says, if she believes Madison’s kumbaya bullsh*t, it’s going to get her killed. No one gave them a second chance. Charlie asks what he wants, and he says he wants to know where PADRE is. She asks why he cares, and he says he needs somewhere to set up shop, a place people like Madison can’t take from him. She asks, why not this place? and he says, they took it in one afternoon. They need someplace more secure that no one can take from them. Charlie says, someplace he can take from Madison, but he says, that’s just the icing on the cake. Charlie says she doesn’t know where PADRE is, and he puts his sword to her throat, saying, he doesn’t believe her. She says, she left the gas tankers for them to pick up, and tells him, drop the sword. He says he doesn’t believe her, so he guesses they’ll see how fast she can run with glass under her feet. He starts to unlock the gate keeping the zombies out, and she says, wait. There’s a map in the truck with a list of the drops. Maybe he can use it to figure out where PADRE is. He hears Russell on the radio asking for someone to check an explosion outside. The tanker just blew sky high. Troy says he wants a headcount now, and asks Charlie if it was on a timer. Is that why she wanted them to bring the tanker in? A man on the radio says, they need to get the fire out before it draws more dead, and Troy tells Charlie that she’s going to help him find PADRE whether she knows where it is or not.

Walking down the road, Madison and the others hear the explosion. They hear Russell on the radio asking how big the fire is. A man says, the whole thing went up and it’s spreading fast. Daniel says, it must have been the tanker, and Troy asks if Madison is there. She takes the radio, and asks, what the hell happened? He says, her tanker exploded, and she says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Daniel tells Madison that it must have been part of Charlie’s plan to be captured, and Troy says he has Charlie; she wasn’t in the truck when it blew. They must trust Charlie if they sent her in to kill him. He guesses they thought he’d be killed in the blast. Madison tells him not to hurt Charlie, and he wonders what Nick would think. She says, he’d get it. People do sh*tty things and come back from them. Troy says he’s glad she thinks so. She’s going to have to do something that will upset a lot of people. She says she wants Charlie back alive, and he says he wants to know where PADRE is. Victor says, they’ll hit him with everything they’ve got, and Daniel says, Troy doesn’t deserve PADRE. Troy says, the girl or PADRE? and Charlie says, don’t tell him. He kicks the chair over, and she lies in the glass. He puts the radio near her, and Daniel says he’s going to strangle Troy with his bare hands. They head back to their truck, and Troy asks if they hear that as Charlie gasps. He says he’ll kill her if they don’t tell him what it is he wants to know. Madison says, meet her in front of hotel, and she’ll tell him where PADRE is.

They drive close to the hotel, then walk. They see a burning zombie, and Madison says, it’s missing an arm. Where are they coming from?  Troy and his men meet them, and Troy tells them, hold it. There are a lot more of them inside. This better not be a trick. Madison says, no tricks; he has her word. He says he’s not sure that’s worth anything. He’ll hand Charlie over when she gives him PADRE’s location. Daniel says, if he hurts Charlie… and Troy says, let him guess. Daniel will take out his other eye. Daniel says, Troy will wish he did, and on the radio, Charlie says, don’t make a trade for her, but Madison says, Charlie is there because she asked her to be. She asks Troy how she knows he’ll hold up his end of the deal, and he says he’ll send his right-hand man to the location to find out if she’s bullsh*tting. He doesn’t care about Charlie. He just wants a safe place. Madison took everything from him, so he’s going to take everything from her. Madison asks if this is about Jeremiah, but Troy asks if she thinks he gives a sh*t about his old man. She says, then what did she take from him? but he says, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is PADRE. Victor says, there must be another way. They have people to consider like Frank and Klaus. They need assurance Troy won’t hurt the people there. Troy says, they’ll have ample time to leave. He doesn’t care about the people, just the settlement. Victor says he’ll drive, and Troy says, no weapons. Madison tells Charlie that they’re getting her out, and Charlie stabs one of the guards watching her. She says she just took out one guy, and she can take out another. Madison tells her, don’t do this, but Charlie says she’s not going to watch another place Madison built be taken away because of her. Madison says, it’s not her fault, and Troy asks why she’s doing this for Madison. Charlie says she’s not. It’s not what Alicia wanted, and Nick’s death has to mean something. Victor said Alicia’s last words to him when she thought she was dying was, make it mean something. Madison says, they’ll build something else, but Charlie says, he’ll just go after another place. They won’t kill her because it’s the only way for him to get what he wants. Daniel tells Troy, she’s right. If he kills Charlie, he’ll have no leverage and won’t know where PADRE is. Troy says, no one is shooting anyone. Put the gun down and they’ll work it out. Madison says, let Charlie go, and he can have PADRE, but Charlie says, don’t give him the location. Madison says, it’s not Charlie’s choice, but Charlie says, yes, it is. Madison won’t have to give him PADRE if he has nothing to trade. She flashes back to all the people she’s met and being with them, and Daniel says, no! Charlie calls up more memories, then shoots herself. Troy asks if the other guard can’t stop her, but he says, she’s dead. Daniel lunges for Troy, but Victor holds him back. He says, Troy is lying, but Troy says, Daniel heard the guard. Madison says she’s so sorry, and Daniel says he’s going to kill Troy for this. Troy says, this is not how he wanted this to go, but they can’t leave. He needs the map. A man radios that Tracy is missing, and Madison says, they have kids in there? Troy says, why did she think he wanted PADRE? The man says, Tracy said she’d never seen a truck running, and went to the tanker. Troy takes off running and calling for Tracy.

Troy goes to the burning tanker, continuing to yell, Tracy! He shoots zombies until he’s out of bullets, and pulls out his sword. A zombie gets him down, and Madison kills it. She asks what the hell he’s doing, and he says he’s not going to let another kid die after what happened. He opens the cab of the truck, and Madison says, whose kid? He says, she’s not in the cab, and a man tells him that there are dead everywhere, but Troy tells them to keep looking. Madison asks why he didn’t just tell her the truth, and he says, so she could take his daughter? Madison says she didn’t take anyone from him, but he says, that’s not true. His daughter’s mother is dead because of her, and he doesn’t have time for this. Madison follows him as he kills any zombie in his way. She says, he’s been cutting off their arms, making her think Alicia is everywhere she looks. They fight, and Madison gets him down. She asks who he thinks she took, and he says, the woman who rescued him at the dam. She gave him a second chance. He’s got to find his girl. Madison says, now he knows what it’s like wondering where your kid is, and Victor runs up. He says, they’ve got to get out of here, and drags her away.

On the road, Madison sits in the truck and watches Daniel on the truck bed looking despondent. Madison gets out, and we see he’s looking at Charlie’s hand sticking out from the tarp that’s been put over her body. Luciana tells Madison to use the fuel wisely; she won’t get more. They lost Charlie, and now Troy knows about her people. They’re at risk. She let herself get dragged into a fight that wasn’t hers. Daniel wants to go with Luciana, and tells Madison that they sent Charlie into a viper’s nest. There’s something fundamentally wrong with Madison. This is the second time someone dear to him died because of her. Madison says, they need him, but he says, they don’t. They need the army he’s assembled, if she can convince the parents of the children she stole that she’s changed. He tells Luciana that he wants to come and help take care of her like he’s wanted to for years, and she says, okay. He gets in the truck with her, and they drive away.

Victor tells Madison that what Daniel said isn’t true, but Madison says, it is. She sent Charlie to Troy to pay for what she did top Nick. It doesn’t matter that she changed her mind. Charlie is dead. Victor wonders why Troy thinks she killed the mother of his child, and she says she doesn’t know, but she can’t go back to PADRE with Victor. Daniel was right. She can’t ask anyone to follow her. He says, they’re not building it for her, but for Alicia, Nick, Frank, and Klaus. Madison says, if she stays it won’t happen. He has to keep the promise. He says he needs her; he can’t do it alone. She gives him the keys and says, he’s going to have to, and walks off alone.

Next time, Dwight confronts Troy, and Sherry is in big trouble.

🍭 Everyone Gets a Goodie Bag…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and what’s on Deck in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your black cat indoors on Halloween, and stay not making it harder than it already is.

Oct23

October 22, 2023 – Madison Reunites With Victor & Ballad

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Near a beautiful hotel on the beach, kids are playing soccer, farming is being done, and everything’s idyllic. It’s also in German. Victor comes from the balcony into a hotel apartment, but a man (Frank) and his son (Klaus) call him Anton. Frank kisses him, so I assume they’re a couple. A man knocks at the door and says, they have a new arrival. We see zombies clamoring outside, surrounding a tour bus at the entrance of the hotel. Frank, Klaus, and Victor find a man inside the bus, and Klaus asks if he needs help, Victor translating it to English. The man thinks his arm is infected, and Victor says he’s come to the right place. They take him inside, and the man asks where he is. Victor says, an oasis for the dispossessed, the desperate, the weary. They help people. The man asks why everyone is speaking German, and Frank says, they were tourists visiting this place; the bus was their tour bus. They didn’t make it home, so they made one here. This place is about second chances, and making sure everyone gets one. Victor says, everyone deserves a second chance.

The man gets antibiotics, and Victor takes him to get something to eat. It looks better than my dinner. As a matter of fact, it looks better than the last restaurant meal I had. Victor tells the man that schnitzel will do wonders for his strength, and the man says his infection is already starting to clear. Klaus tells Victor that a new guest was found half-conscious, and he put her in his room. Victor goes to see her, and it’s Madison, who says, Victor? It can’t be. Klaus wonders why she’s calling him Victor; his name is Anton. Victor tells Klaus to help his father and hustles him out. Madison, whose breathing is labored, asks what Victor is doing here, why was Klaus calling him Anton, and why is he speaking German? Victor flashes back to the tower and hugs her. She cries, and says she thought she lost him. He tears up, and she asks, what’s going on? Frank and Klaus come in with the oxygen, and Frank asks if everything is okay. Madison says, his name’s not Anton; it’s Victor Strand. Tell them his name. Victor says, Anton. He’s never heard of Victor Strand. She must be mistaken. Madison says, he’s not telling the truth, and Frank says, Anton/Victor doesn’t know her? Victor says he’s never seen her before, and Madison keels over. Frank hurries to set up the oxygen.

Victor sits at a table with Frank, Klaus, and several others. They discuss Madison, and Victor says he has no idea why she’s calling him Victor. Klaus says, she’s confused and scared, and a man asks if anyone asked her why. Klaus says, she had this in her bag, and shows them a walkie-talkie. He turns it on, and Daniel begins to speak. He’s trying to find Madison, and Victor tells Frank, turn it off, but Frank gives Daniel Madison’s description, and says, they want to help her. Daniel says, if they want to help her, give him her location. Victor grabs the radio, turning it off, and says he’s trying to protect them. She can’t stay. Frank says, she is staying, and asks if anyone disagrees. No one does, and Frank tells Klaus to take Madison some soup. Victor says he doesn’t want Klaus alone with Madison, and Frank asks, what is he so afraid of? Victor doesn’t answer, and Frank tells Klaus to make her feel at home.

Madison wears an oxygen mask, and her wrists are tied. She asks if Klaus would mind cutting her loose, but he tells her that his dad said it’s not safe. She asks what he thinks, and he asks why she thinks he’s this Victor Strand guy. She says, because he is, but he says he knows his dad wouldn’t lie. She says, he doesn’t know Victor, and Klaus asks why he would pretend to be somebody he’s not. Madison says she doesn’t know, but it’s pissing her off. Klaus feeds her some soup and sees her Nick and Alicia tattoos. He asks who they are, and she says, they were her kids. He says, were? He’s sorry. She sees a bird he’s rescued, and she says, her kids rescued a bird when they were around his age. He says, the birds get confused, and fly into the hotel windows. She asks if he always helps, and he says, everyone deserves a second chance. She asks, who taught him that? and he says, his dad, Anton. She asks where his mother is, and he says, his parents split up when he was little. His father brought him here on holiday before the world changed. They got stuck and they’ve been here ever since. He never saw his mother again. Madison says she’s sure his mother would be proud of him, and Klaus says, Madison seems cool too. She says she doesn’t think everyone would agree, and he says, they listened to her walkie. Why are they after her? She says she’s not sure. They were hit out of nowhere and their boats were stolen. He says, she must have done something, when Victor comes in, and she says she’s got to hand it to him. He made something here, even if it’s a lie. Klaus says, he’s not lying, and Madsion asks why Victor is hiding. Frank radios and says, they have new guests, but they’re not welcome ones.

On the bus, a man named Russell says, they’re looking for a woman that they heard is hiding out here. Victor says, that doesn’t narrow it down, and Russell says, her name’s Madison. Frank asks what they want with her, and Russell says, that’s their business. Frank says, sorry, they can’t help, and Russell asks if they have children here. Frank says, some, and Russell says, this woman was one of PADRE’s top collectors. She’s been broadcasting that she’s trying to rebuild PADRE. Frank says, that seems like a good thing, but Russell says, seems ain’t is. This particular leopard doesn’t change her spots. The head of their outfit knows her for who she really is. Daniel’s voice comes on the radio, and he says he knows they’re monitoring the channel. Russell cuts the radio off, and Frank says, she’s not here, but Russell thinks she is. He says, there’s two ways this can go. Hand her over, and they walk away. The voice they heard on the radio isn’t alone and he seems determined. If they have to fight to get her, they will. Do they want that fight on their doorstep? Victor flashes back to tossing people off the roof, and says, she’s here. Frank says, what the hell?

They find both Klaus and Madison are gone, and Russell says, she took him. Victor says he told them she seemed dangerous, and Russell says, if she gets him back to PADRE, they’ll never see their son again. Victor looks at a bulletin board and says, that’s not where they’re going. This is. He shows them a tour brochure, and says, Madison tore the map off before they left. Frank wonders why she’d take Klaus there, and Victor says, there’s only one way to find out.

They go to the shoreline, and Russell says, they came in two boats; she must have taken the other one. He asks Victor and Frank to hand over their weapons; they’ll get them back when they get where they’re going. Daniel comes on the walkie, asking if Madison is there, and Russell says, listen old man, you’re better off without her, but Daniel says, hurting her would be a grave mistake. Russell says, it’s not his call, but it will go better for her if they back off. Daniel says, too late for that, and Russell looks through binoculars to see Daniel and some others coming toward them in a boat. Russell says, he found them. If they leave now, they can still lose him. Victor looks conflicted, and flashes back to Daniel. He runs back up the beach stairs, and Frank follows him. Russell says, screw this, and the boat takes off. Frank and Victor run through the woods.

Frank asks, what the hell is wrong with him? and Victor says, it’s not their fight, but Frank says, Klaus needs them. Victor says, they’ll find another way, but Frank says, they took the only boat. Victor says he knows where there’s a raft. Zombies are toddling around in the woods, and Frank asks why Victor is so upset. Victor says, Madison has their son, but Frank says, before that. She called him someone else; is he? Victor wonders how he could ask, and Frank says he knows Victor hasn’t been fully honest with him; he’s always known Victor wasn’t truthful. Frank lived a lie, hiding who he was with Mia and Klaus. Whatever’s going on, Victor can tell him. Victor sees the raft, and says he used it years ago, before they found each other. Frank says, the years were not kind to it, and Victor says, let him do this alone. He goes through the stuff in the raft, while Frank kills a zombie coming toward them. He asks if Victor is the man Madison talked about, but a zombie blindsides him, getting him down. Victor stabs it through the back of the head with a sword, and Frank asks where that came from. Victor says, it’s what he was looking for. More zombies come, and Victor suggests they move now.

They walk in the dark, and Frank tells Victor, there was nothing they could have said to make Klaus stay. He thinks Madison reminds Klaus of his mother. He wasn’t there for her when the world changed. Maybe Madison made him feel like it was a second chance at helping her. Victor takes his Frank’s hand, and says, Frank never told him what happened after he told Mia his truth. Frank says, she was angry and confused. In the end, the truth set them free. He should have come clean sooner. Victor asks if she forgave him, and Frank says, of course, as he would Victor, if he’s Victor… Victor says, he’s not Victor, and Franks says, if he is Victor, whatever he did, he’s sure it’s forgivable. Victor says he’s not that man.

Victor sees the library from the tour map, and Frank says, they’re here. Inside, Klaus tells Madison to wake up. It’s going to be okay. Stay with him. Frank and Victor come in, and Klaus hugs Frank. Franks asks, what happened? and Klaus says, they ran out of oxygen on the boat, and he was trying to find more. They have to help her; she’ll die if they don’t. Frank says, finding oxygen here is going to be difficult, but Victor says he has an idea. He looks outside in a cooler and finds a tank, and Frank asks how Victor knew it would be here, but Victor says he didn’t. With this many rafts, he figured they carried supplies. Frank says, like he happened to find the sword, and Klaus says, there’s no time to argue. They see a boat out on the water, and Frank says, it’s them. Victor says, they need to go, but Klaus says, not without Madison. Victor says, there’s no time, and Klaus says, then he’s staying with her. He defended Victor to her, saying, his dad would never hand her over to people like that. Maybe Victor isn’t who he thought he was. Victor says he is and he’s going prove it. He tells Frank to take Klaus home. He’ll be behind them after he helps Madison. He takes the oxygen, but Frank says, he can’t do it alone. Victor says, Frank took a chance on him when they met. Frank saw the man he could be. Let him prove he can still be that man. Frank kisses Victor, and says, be careful. He and Klaus head out in the boat.

Victor gives Madison the oxygen and says, they need to go. She asks what he’s doing here, and where Frank and Klaus are. He says he sent them away, and she says, so he could throw her to the wolves again? Victor says, the wolves are circling and he came to help her. He promised his son that he would. She can either come with him and live, or stay here and die. They grab some supplies, and Victor says, they’ll take the zodiac. Madison asks, then what? and he says, they’ll talk about it when they get there. Madison says, she couldn’t protect her own settlement, calling him Victor, and he says, his name is Anton. She asks if he’s scared sh*tless that his family is going to find out who he really is, but he says, they already know. She says, he was ready to let her die to protect his secret, and he says he’s here, isn’t he? She asks if he’s cutting her throat with that sword, then going back and telling his kid those people did it, but he says, he’s not who she thinks he is, and she says she doesn’t know who the hell he is, taking a swing at him. They hear a gun cock, and Russell says he found them.

Madison says, don’t do this, and Victor says, whatever she did, they can work it out. Russell says, Victor has no idea how far back this goes. Madison says she doesn’t even know who he is, but Russell says he knows her. Victor says, whoever he thinks she is, that’s not her anymore, and Russell wonders why he should believe Victor after what he pulled on them; they’re the same, pretending to be something they’re not. He’s not fooled. Madison asks what he wants, and Russell says, PADRE. They’ve been looking for a place like it for a long time. She’s going to show him where it is. Zombies intrude on the conversation, and while Russell and his men are distracted, Madison grabs a gun and she and Victor take off. Russell and his men follow, shooting.

Victor says, the boat, but Madison says, they’re not going to make it. They have to go back. They kill some zombies and run back inside the library. Madison tries to shut the door, but some of the zombies are partway inside. She says, the door isn’t going to hold, and Victor says, the bookshelves. They tip the bookshelves over, blocking the zombies, but they’re still reaching over. Victor kills some of them, nearly gets pulled over when one grabs him, and loses his sword. They’re backed against a wall, and Madison runs out of bullets. Victor tries to radio Klaus and Frank, and says, they need help. He tells Madison that he’s sorry, and she asks if it’s him talking or Anton. He says, it’s him, and she asks why he’s pretending to be someone else. He says he had to. Whatever he was called, he had to leave that person behind. She asks what he did, and he says, what he had to. He created a thriving tower, a place where people could be safe. He was ruthless, even to Alicia; he betrayed her. When the tower fell, they washed up on these shores. Some of them were taken to PADRE. Others were struggling to survive. He tried to help them, but they wouldn’t let him; they couldn’t forgive him. He tried to help find food to make almonds amends, but when he came back, they were dead, just like the ones here. He hated being Victor, so he killed him. He died with everyone else. She asks what he became; who is he? He says, the last time he saw Alicia, she told him that she loved him. He didn’t think anyone could. When he met Frank and Klaus, he could be the person Alicia thought he was, but he could only do it as someone else, as Anton. Madison says she understands. Klaus is a good kid. He did all right. He takes her hand and thanks her. The zombies are agitated and reach for them, and he says, Alicia had the chance to watch him die and after everything he did, he deserved it; Alicia didn’t. Madison asks, why didn’t she? and he says, because her mother taught her that no one is gone until they’re gone. Everyone deserves a second chance, no matter what. She says, they’re not so different. They got rid of the people running PADRE. She got rid of them and promised the kids she took that she’d help find their parents. She sent out messages from the repeater station, hoping their parents would hear her. He asks if they did, and she says, some, but they weren’t the only ones listening. Those people heard and she drew them to her. Now she’s put everyone else in danger. He says she was just trying to help, and she says, that place and what she promised those kids is all she has left. Klaus comes on the radio and says, the soldiers are here. They got inside. Suddenly, the zombies are shot from behind with a machine gun by Russell and his men. Russell grabs Victor’s sword and starts shoving everything aside. On the radio, Klaus says, Victor has to get back, and Russell says, they’ll take him to them. He whacks Victor in the head with the sword and everything goes black.

When Victor and Madison wake up, and find they’re tied to chairs. Russell says, welcome back, and we see Klaus and Frank are also tied up. Russell says, he told them to hand Madison over. This could have been avoided. Victor says, if he hurts them… and Russell says, it’s not up to him. Madison asks who it’s up to, and he says he’ll let him tell her…  A man walks in, drops his duffel bag, and tells Madison, it’s been a while. She says, Troy, and he says he’s just as surprised as she is. He knew he’d find her when he heard her radio broadcast, but he didn’t think she’d be keeping the same company as she did in Mexico. Frank says, he’s making a mistake. This man isn’t who he thinks. Troy says, that isn’t Victor Strand? and Frank says, his name’s Anton. Troy is confused. Troy says he thinks Frank is the one that’s confused. About Victor, and certainly about Madison. He’ll tell Frank the truth about who she is. Even better, he’ll show him. He takes off his shades, and one of his eyes is messed up. He says, it’s not pretty to look at, but that can happen with a bad hit to the head from a hammer. We flash back to Madison whacking Troy, and he says, this is what she did to him before she left him for dead in Mexico. After she destroyed his family’s ranch and killed his brother and father. He lost them all because of her, and Victor helped. Madison asks what he wants, and Troy says, the same thing he’s wanted since she took it from him. The same thing he’s been helping these people find since he was pulled out of the rubble in Mexico – a home. She took his, and now he’s going take hers. She says, he’ll never find it, but he says she’s going to tell him – he takes out a hammer – or he’s going to do to Victor what she did to him. He grabs Victor and raises the hammer. Victor tells Madison, don’t do it. Hold onto that place. It’s what Alicia would want. Frank says, tell them what they want to know, and Troy asks, how many people is she prepared to hurt? Frank asks Victor to look at him, and Victor says his name is Victor Strand. He lied to Frank about so much, but what he felt for Frank was real. He says he loves them both in German, and as Troy is about to hammer Victor, Klaus says, no.

Daniel comes in, holding a knife to guard guy’s throat, and says, drop the hammer. The entire crew marches in, and June says, do it. Daniel says, drop the weapon, and Troy suggests Daniel follow his own advice, but Daniel knocks guard guy out, and someone knocks the hammer out of Troy’s hand. Madison gets free, and Daniel suggests, the next time, make sure they’re dead. June and the others keep their guns on Troy, and Troy asks what Daniel thinks he’s doing. Does he think he’s going to stop them? They know where this place is now, and they’ll keep coming back. Madison says, do that, and there won’t be anyone here for him to hurt. Her plan of building is about to expand. They took her in when she needed help, and she’s going to do the same. Troy says, she just told them what she did to him. What makes them think she won’t do the same to them? She says she did things she regrets, but the place she’s building isn’t about her. It’s about keeping something bigger alive. Daniel says, they have to get out of here, and Madison says, she’s building it for her kids, for Alicia. Troy says, she’s making a mistake. It’s the same thinking that got Alicia killed in the first place. She asks, how the hell would he know? and he says, because he killed her. She calls him a liar, and he says, she doesn’t believe him? He pushes his duffel bag toward her with his foot, and says, open it. Daniel tells her not to listen to him. Let’s get out of here. She takes out Alicia’s mechanical arm and asks, what is this? Troy says, she doesn’t recognize it? It belonged to Alicia. He took it off her corpse after he killed her. I yell, don’t believe him! at the TV, and Madison grabs the hammer, but Victor holds her back. He tells her not to let Troy get in her head. Troy says he would have put her down, but after all the wandering around he did in Mexico, he thought it was only right that he let Alicia wander too. Maybe Madison will find Alicia, or Alicia will find her and she can finish the job. She wants a fight? They’ll give her one, but the question is; what is it she’s even fighting for?  

This season, Madison says, someone’s got to stop him; Victor wants to go with Madsion; Madison says she has to put Alicia to rest and build PADRE into what she wanted; Daniel is going to strangle someone with his bare hands; and zombies, zombies, and more zombies.

👮🏽‍♀️ Busting Some Ghosts…

Join me tomorrow for soap and shenanigans in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay dressing appropriately for that office Halloween party, and stay knowing, no one is gone until they’re gone.

Oct21

October 20, 2023 – Alexis Blindsides Judge Kim, Mr. Christmas, Salt Shaking, Villainous, VanderSecrets, About Fear, Mary Deleted, Reasons Why, All Dressed Up, Seven Quotes Plus a Tagline & Everybody

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna tells her bodyguard that she’s not used to having one, and she really appreciates everything he’s doing. He says, not a problem, Miss Devane, and she asks him to call her Anna. She asks if he saw anything suspicious when she was with her friends, but he says, there was nothing out of the ordinary. She says, nobody paid special attention to her or… He says he watched the surrounding area the whole time and saw nothing that was a threat to her.

As they approach the house, Charlotte asks why Valentin insisted on picking her up early from school. He says, because he has a surprise for her, and opens the door. Laura is there and Charlotte runs to her, hugging her, and saying she missed Laura so much.

Esme brings Ace into the hospital and Spencer runs up to him, saying, Ace has a doctor’s appointment today. That’s so cool. He asks why Esme didn’t tell him that Ace had a doctor’s appointment today.

Robert sees Diane at the fitness studio and says, it’s Killer Miller. What’s she doing here at this time of day? Hold on. Does her infamous client Mr. Corinthos know she’s here doing yoga, and not sitting around clutching her cellphone, waiting for his beck and call?

Elizabeth goes into Drew’s room, and he says, she’s not his regular nurse. She says, he’s not her regular patient. She asks how he’s feeling, and he says, good. Maybe a little too good.

Gregory says he’s read Judge Kim’s opinions, and he considers himself an originalist. Correct? The judge says, yes. He believes the meaning of our Constitution doesn’t change over time. Alexis says she was just reading an article about Ascher Alexander, and he shares that view. Gregory asks if that isn’t the millionaire investment banker? and Alexis says, mm-hmm. Kim says he’s certainly heard of him, but he wouldn’t know if Alexander would agree with any of his judicial opinions. He’s never met the man. Alexis says, really. Interesting. So he flew to St. Thomas on this man’s private jet to go deep sea fishing, and yet he’s never met him? Visibly uncomfortable, Kim says, with all due respect to her sources, he believes she’s been misinformed, but Alexis says, on the contrary. She can provide dates, records, flight manifests, or anything else she needs to prove he did fly to the Caribbean with Ascher Alexander. It seems to be a major conflict of interest. Would he care to comment?

Meeting Dante at the Bistro, Cody asks what he’s got there, and Dante says, just some paperwork he has to file for administrative leave. Cody says, Sam told him about that. Does this mean he gets to just hang around the house in his PJs and still get paid? Dante says, no, not quite. The PCPD is going to do an investigation to see if his reasons for shooting the perp were justified. Cody says, he’s a great cop. Just doing his job, right? Nothing’s simple. Everything’s so damn complicated. It’s pretty frustrating. Dante asks what he’s talking about, and Cody says, it seems like you do the right thing and get the wrong outcome.

Elizabeth says, once Drew’s made a full recovery and is cleared by the doctors, he’ll be sent back to Pentenville. It’s got to be tough. Drew says, in the meantime, he gets the pleasure of her company, and she says, nice deflection. He says, she’s got to fill him in on the boys; how’s Cameron doing? She takes his blood pressure and says, the boys are actually really well. Cameron is loving being at Stanford. Academically, he’s doing well, and as for soccer, he’s not a starter yet – he hasn’t played enough games – but he’s proven himself to be a very valuable player. Drew says, that’s fantastic. What about Aiden? She says, he’s still baking. He made a pie the other day; it was so delicious. Drew says, when she talks about Aiden’s baking, his mouth starts watering, and she says, he’s very talented, and he’s determined. He plans on going to the most prestigious pastry academy in Paris. And he wants to pay for it himself. Drew says, wow. How’s he going to manage that? She says, he started his own little business. He has a website and everything. He’s selling fancy cupcakes. He ships them out or delivers them if they’re local. She keeps telling him to talk to Carly and see if she can sell them at Kelly’s. Drew says, that’s a good idea. He’ll put in a good word for him with Carly. She says, he would love that, and he asks, how’s Jake? She says, Jake has a girlfriend.

Alexis says, since Judge Kim is claiming not to know Ascher Alexander, she’s assuming he neglected to report this deep-sea fishing trip on his tax filings or any other gifts or accommodations he received from this very influential friend. Is she right in that assumption? The judge gets up and says he agreed to be interviewed on his judicial philosophy, not to answer questions about where or with whom he chooses to vacation. Although he shouldn’t be surprised by this blatant ambush. He remembers her reputation as an attorney. That is, when she could still practice law. Cheap tricks and judicial violations. No wonder she was disbarred. Gregory says, so far, they haven’t heard a denial.

Diane says, for Robert’s information, she’s often here at this time of day. It’s the only time the studio offers this particular class. And might she remind him, she works for herself, unlike him. So no matter how demanding her clients are, her life is her own to schedule. But him, a public servant taking a three-hour lunch break to pump some iron? She wonders what The Invader would have to say about that.

Doc joins Esme, and Spencer says, it just that the first he heard about Ace’s appointment with his pediatrician was this morning when he got a confirmation text from the doctor’s office, so a heads up would have been nice. Esme says, it’s really not a big deal. The pediatrician had a cancellation this morning and offered the spot to Ace, so she took it. Doc was nice enough to offer them a ride to the hospital. Spencer says he appreciates Doc doing that; he’s sorry that Doc had to. Doc says, it was no trouble, and Spencer says he would have taken them himself had he known. Esme says, it’s just as well. Spencer was with Trina, and she didn’t want to interrupt that. Spencer says, they’ve talked about this multiple times, including in that parenting class she suggested they take with one another. He wants to be at all of Ace’s medical appointments, even the small ones. She says, and what for? and he says he’s Ace’s older brother. She tells him, and she’s his mother and she’s perfectly capable of looking after her own son.

Charlotte says she’s missed Laura so much, and Laura says she missed Charlotte too. And she’s sorry she was away so long. Charlotte asks if she found Uncle Nikolas, and Laura says she didn’t actually see Uncle Nikolas. Charlotte says, that’s too bad, but Laura says, that’s okay. She does know he’s all right. She thinks he’s traveling right now. He needs a little time to himself. Charlotte asks if she knows when he’ll be back in Port Charles, and Laura says she’s not sure, but she didn’t want to wait to see Charlotte any longer. She wants to hear everything about Charlotte’s life. She wants to hear about school and her friends and her classes. Valentin says, this third wheel is going to let them catch up. He has some errands to run. He’ll be back later. He kisses the top of Charlotte’s head and leaves. Charlotte watches him go, and Laura asks if she’s worried about her father.

Gregory tells Judge Kim, with all due respect, a simple denial of this fishing trip would clear up any misunderstanding. He denies he took the trip; he denies he was a passenger on Alexander’s jet? Kim says, this interview is over, but Alexis says, he agreed to this interview on the record, which means she’s free to publish anything and everything that was said here today, which in the end, could prove very embarrassing to him. It might also stall his rise to the Federal Circuit. Kim says, she lured him here under false pretenses, and she says, all he has to do is commute the sentence, the unfair, harsh sentence he imposed on Drew Cain, to time served and set him free. Then this interview will never see the light of day. Kim says, so that’s what this is all about. Blackmail? She belongs in a prison cell next to Drew Cain. He walks out. Um… That didn’t go well. Maybe she played that hand too quickly.

Robert asks if Diane is questioning his work ethic, and she says, he’s questioning hers. He says he’s just happy to see her, and she says, that’s how he shows it? He says, yeah, and she laughs. She says she thinks they’re so used to sparring with each other in court, that’s become their default M.O. He says he’s thinking maybe they should change that, and she says, then what would they do for fun?

Dante tells Cody, Sasha went through a pretty big ordeal. Maybe her leaving town isn’t a bad idea. Cody says, it’s a terrible idea and he told her so. Sasha wouldn’t listen to him. Dante asks what he said to her, and Cody says, he told her, moving to Austin without a job or friends or family would be a mistake. Dante says, and? and Cody says, and what? Dante asks what else he said to her, and Cody says, nothing. Dante says, he didn’t tell Sasha that he wanted her to stay? and Cody says, no. Dante asks, why not?

A nurse tells Esme that the doctor is ready to see Ace now, and Spencer picks up the diaper bag, but Esme says she’s got it, taking it from him. She says she’d prefer to speak to the pediatrician alone, and follows the nurse. Spencer says, what the hell was that about? and Doc says, that was Esme exerting her parental rights, which Spencer does not share.

Charlotte say she thinks papa is worried about her, and Laura says, most parents do worry about their kids. Is there something specific she thinks her dad’s worried about? Charlotte says, he’s never pulled her out of school early to see Laura. She knows Laura was gone, but she could have just seen her tonight, so why did he pick her up early from school? Laura says she thinks she can solve this mystery. She requested this special meeting because Charlotte is her number one priority ahead of everything else, and she wanted to have this time together before she had to go back and assume her mayoral duties. Charlotte says, now that Laura’s back, she doesn’t feel so alone now, and they hug.

Valentin asks if Anna has been sitting alone in the dining room since her meeting with Jordan, and she says she has. He asks, why? and kisses her. He could have just as easily met her in her room. She says she doesn’t like being alone in her suite, but he says, she’s not alone, is she? She has Sonny’s bodyguard watching over her. She says she just feels trapped… vulnerable, and isolated from the rest of the world. Like a sitting duck, waiting for whoever’s after her to strike again.

Cody tells Dante that he didn’t let Sasha know he wanted her to stay in Port Charles because he did what he always does; he made it about himself. Dante asks, how so? and Cody says he doesn’t even know how it happened. He started talking about people making mistakes and how everyone does it, and the next thing he knows, he’s confessing to her that Mac Scorpio is his biological father and he lied to Mac about it. Dante asks what he was thinking, and Cody says he wasn’t. Dante says, he really did make it all about himself, and Cody says he knows. He was desperate. He really doesn’t want her to go.

Valentin says, Anna doesn’t have to stay here alone if she doesn’t feel safe. She has other alternatives. She says she’s not staying with him, because he has Charlotte to consider, and she’s not about to bring whatever danger is after her down on Charlotte. He says she’s right. He’s going to have to get along with his daughter right now and it’s not a good time, but he did buy that house for the two of them. She says, regardless of what she just said, she is fine here, but he says he disagrees. She doesn’t have to stay here alone. She has plenty of friends In Port Charles she can turn to.

Robert says, you want to have fun with moi? and Diane says, if it hasn’t been made clear, she does. She enjoys spending time with him. What she doesn’t enjoy is being made to think she’s an afterthought or a default friend. He says, wait a minute. He’d like them not to be just friends, and she says, meaning? He says, why don’t they pick up where they left off? She says, absolutely not.

Alexis tells Gregory, what difference does it make? She just let that guy leave with the upper hand. What was she thinking? That she was going to hammer him so hard, he would admit he’s corrupt in taking gifts from special interests? Gregory says, she doesn’t know what he was thinking when he left, and she says, that guy is scum, but he has an excellent legal mind, and he did what he should have done. He walked out. And her? She’s left with half an interview where he didn’t admit to doing anything wrong and zero leverage to help Drew.

Drew asks, who’s the lucky girl? and Elizabeth says, Charlotte Cassadine. He says, good for them. He loves hearing all this good news. She says, Charlotte wasn’t her favorite person when she was little, but she’s grown up a lot. She thinks Charlotte might actually be good for Jake. He says, in what ways? and she says, her boy is so shy and reserved, and Charlotte is very confident, and it seems to be rubbing off on him. It’s the first time since Franco’s death that Jake doesn’t seem down all the time. He says he’s really glad to hear that, and she says, and Charlotte is the most popular girl in the class, so dating her has really boosted his self-esteem. He says, that’s great. He loves Jake like Jake was his own son. She says she knows. Jake loves Drew too. Drew means a lot to all of them. A guard comes in and says, the transfer paperwork’s been approved. He’ll be taking Drew to Pentenville.

Laura says she knows Charlotte doesn’t know very much about her or her childhood, but to tell her the truth, she was very alone as a kid. And it was really painful. She guesses she just wanted Charlotte to know that she’s not alone because Charlotte has her, and she also has her dad. Charlotte says, Laura is right. She does have her and papa, but that’s it. She doesn’t have any friends at school. Laura says she’s so sorry and asks if Charlotte is having trouble making friends. Charlotte says, yes and no. She thinks she’s just been away from Port Charles for too long. All her old friends are into different things now. They just keep their distance from her. (I’m confused. Didn’t Elizabeth just say she was the most popular girl in class?) Laura says, Elizabeth told her that Charlotte and Jake have become friends. Sometimes all you need is one good friend. Charlotte says she and Jake are friends, and he’s really nice, but he’s a boy. That’s a lot different when you don’t have another girl to talk about things with. Laura says, Charlotte’s got her, and Charlotte says, yeah, but Laura’s her grandma. It’s not the same. She just doesn’t have someone to hang out with. And papa’s never around; he’s always busy. Laura says, yeah. He spends an awful lot of time with Anna, doesn’t he?

Anna tells Valentin that she’s not going to impose herself on Jordan like that. Or Mac and Felicia. That’s just too much to ask. He says he doesn’t think any of them would feel like it was an imposition. Mac and Jordan have law enforcement training, so if whoever’s targeting her is… She says, the solution is not for her to hole up with her friends and bring danger to their door. The solution is for her to go after whoever’s trying to dismantle her life and shut them down.

Spencer tells Doc, there’s really no need for people to keep reminding him that he’s not Ace’s father. He gets that. But Ace’s father, who is also his father, is missing in action because he doesn’t care that he has  two sons. Doc says, Spencer doesn’t know what’s going on in Nikolas’s head any more than he does. Benefit of the doubt is always the healthiest approach until you know the facts. (Not according to Dr. Phil.) Spencer says, his grandmother, who is the kindest, sweetest, most determined person on the planet, has finally had to admit to herself that his father isn’t coming back. And someone needs to fill that void. Someone needs to be there for him. Someone who’s not Esme. To be honest, Spencer doesn’t much care what the official title is, be it father or brother, he’s going to step up and take care of his baby brother. He’s going to do it. Doc says, he should care. His love and commitment to Ace is commendable, but he doesn’t have any actual parental rights where Ace is concerned. He understands that, yeah? Spencer says he understands that, and he’d really like to stop hearing that from people like Doc and everybody else. Doc says, he’s heard this before? and Spencer says, yes. He gets it. From a legal standpoint, Esme has the final say. Doc says, that’s right, and Spencer says, fortunately, with the exception of this… he guesses they’ll chalk it up to a miscommunication, he and Esme have been able to work together to take care of Ace, and he’s not expecting that’s going to change any time soon.

Robert tells Diane that he’s a little confused. He thinks he’s getting mixed signals. She says, nope. She doesn’t send mixed signals. Picking up where they left off would leave such a bad taste in her mouth. It would just remind her of how she was used for Holly’s agenda and how she was treated when Holly was around. He says he’s sorry, and she thanks him, but asks him to let her finish. She’s been back and forth in her head about him. The moment she starts to think, even for a second, about what a great guy he is – funny, charming – she’s blindsided again by yet another revelation about something, anything in his past. So he wants to know where she is right now with this? He says, definitely, and she says, good. She’ll tell him.

Cody says he’s been going on and on about his troubles when Dante, his best friend, is under investigation at work for shooting someone. Dante says, it’s nothing. This is just police procedure. It’s easier than doing math homework with Rocco. Dante sucks at math. Cody thanks him, and Dante says, for what? Cody says, for everything he’s done. Not just for him since he got here to Port Charles, but for Sasha too. He doesn’t know if they could have pulled this off without Dante and Sam. He’s a good friend. So is Sam. Dante says, she came around, huh? and Cody says he knew that was going to happen; he’s irresistible. Dante says he doesn’t know if Sasha thinks so. He’s sorry all this stuff is happening with Sasha. He knows she’s come to mean a lot to Cody.

Laura says, when Charlotte first got back from camp, she went to live with Dante and Sam, and her dad lived with Anna. What did she think about that? Charlotte says, that was just temporary while papa was buying this house for them, so she didn’t try to think about it. She asks what Laura thinks about the house papa bought for her, and Laura says her opinion isn’t as important as Charlotte’s is, so what does she think about the house? Charlotte flashes back to Valentin telling Anna that he bought the house for them, so they could move in with Charlotte and start a life together. She tells Laura, it’s all she wanted, and Laura says, a house like this? but Charlotte says, a home for her and papa. All to themselves.

Valentin says he’s sorry this is happening to Anna. She doesn’t deserve this at all. Anna says she disagrees, because they both know she brought this down on herself. She was a double agent. She betrayed the WSB and betrayed her country. And she has to accept the fallout from that. She wipes some tears away, and he says, no. Nothing could be further from the truth. She’s being targeted. She’s having her entire life dismantled by someone’s twisted idea of vengeance. She asks why he’d say that. Why does he think it’s revenge instead of justice?

Cody says he’s just being selfish, and Dante asks, how so? Cody says, wanting Sasha to stay here in Port Charles, but Dante says he doesn’t think it’s selfish. Cody likes her and wants what’s best for her. Cody says, if he does, maybe he needs to realize this is going to be really hard for her. These reminders of Brando and Liam, and that nightmare Gladys. Dante says, they’re never going to have to worry about Gladys again. She’s not going to show up in Port Charles. Cody says, Sam told him that Dante’s dad made sure of that, and Dante says, Sonny can be persuasive. Cody laughs and says he bets.

Robert asks why he feels he’s about to get hit by the infamous Killer Miller atom bomb, and Diane says, buck up, soldier. She has the feeling Robert Scorpio can handle what she’s about to say. Besides, this a golden opportunity for someone, who shall remain nameless, but who is him, to become a better human being. He says, okay. Lay it on him. She says, no. They’re not going to pick up where they left off. There’s too much hurt and confusion and betrayal and dishonesty down that road. He asks what she’s suggesting, and she says, they wipe the slate clean. They clear the chessboard as it were. And this is great. He gets to put his paw in anywhere he wants to, because he’s starting at square one.

Alexis tells Gregory, that might have been their only chance to get Drew released and she fumbled it. He says, she didn’t fumble it. She got to him. She says she should have approached this like in negotiations where each party gets what they want. A subtle warning to Judge Kim about a potentially embarrassing career decision and then he gets a chance to clean it up before the dam breaks, and then an early, quiet release for Drew. Nothing said overtly, only implied. This is how deals are done every day, but she had to go for the jugular. She had to grandstand. Does he know why she did that? He says he thinks she’s about to tell him, and she says, because that’s what lawyers do and she’s a lawyer. Or she wants to be one and she misses it. She wanted to win and she lost big; not for her, but for Drew.

Elizabeth tells Drew, maybe they can delay this. Dr. Ashford is on duty. She could speak to him, and he could say there are more tests that need to be done tomorrow, and he can stay here an extra night. Drew says, there’s not point in delaying the inevitable. Honestly, it would probably make it more torturous. They both know he’s going to end up in prison eventually. She says, then let her call Carly for him, but he says, no. She says, why not? and he says, because he doesn’t want her to see him literally hauled out of here in chains. It would be better if she just finds out about it once he’s gone.

Dante gets up, and Cody says, he’s leaving? He thought Dante could sit around all day and listen to him sulk. Dante says, that sounds like a lot of fun, but he has to get this stuff to Mac. Seeing that Cody’s told Sasha that Mac is his father, doesn’t Cody think he should tell Mac the truth too? He thinks Mac deserves to know he’s got a son. Cody says, no way. He lied to Mac’s face about being his son. There’s no way he could look at Mac’s face and see the disappointment and hurt when he found out. Dante says he’s not going to push it, but think about what he’s keeping from Mac. This isn’t a minor thing. Cody not telling Mac that he’s his son, makes his life a lot more complicated. Dante leaves.

Robert says, as an ex-spy, he’s strategic and an excellent chess player, and Diane asks what he’s saying. He says he accepts the challenge and the conditions, and she says, excellent. She’s just going to give him a warning. He says, wait a minute. A warning. A strategic advantage to him. She says, sometimes a warning is just a warning. This is a game between her and him. If he invites anyone else to play, or even watch, then she’s going to take her queen and go home. He says, just her and him. and she says, those are her terms. He says he’s liking how this sounds already. Just them; Robert and Diane. She says, more like Diane and Robert, but here’s one more thing. Not only will she take her queen and go home, she will take the entire chessboard, and there won’t be a rematch. She leaves, and he half-smiles.

Doc says he gets it. Ace is Spencer’s little brother, and Spencer wants only the best for him. But he really doesn’t help Ace if he denies the reality of the situation. Spencer says, the reality is that he’s going to do what he can for Ace, but Doc says, the reality is, Spencer and Esme no longer have anything in common except Ace. And as their lives diverge, and they will, Spencer may have to accept a reduced role in Ace’s life. Spencer says, no. He doesn’t accept that. Esme comes back with Ace, and Spencer asks, how’d it go? Esme says, Ace is once again in the 99 percentile, and Spencer tells Ace, way to go. That’s what he’s talking about. This calls for a celebration. Why don’t they go to Kelly’s and celebrate? He thanks Doc for his help, and says he appreciates it. He’ll take it from here. He leaves with Esme, who tells Ace, a cup of hot cocoa from Kelly’s does sound good, doesn’t it?

Laura say she knows how close Charlotte is with her father, but as much as he loves her, he was never a teenage girl. But Laura was and she remembers what it felt like. And it was really, really hard sometimes, just to be yourself. She felt like no one understood her. She never knew how she fit in, in her family. She didn’t feel like she fit in at school at all, or with her friends. And she had two really successful doctor parents and that was kind of hard. She didn’t always believe everything they told her. Did she take the advice they gave her? No, she didn’t. It was a very hard time. Painful. Confusing. Can Charlotte keep a secret? Charlotte says, sure, and Laura says, when she was Charlotte’s age, she made some really big mistakes. Charlotte says, really? and Laura says, yes, she did. She takes Charlotte’s hand and says, and it was Charlotte’s great-grandmother Leslie who saved her really. She was like Laura’s rock, and Laura wants to be there for Charlotte now, the way Leslie was there for her. She wants that more than anything and wouldn’t have it any other way. So if there’s something Charlotte needs to say to someone, something that maybe she needs to share, she’s here to listen to Charlotte. Charlotte says, grandma… Laura says, yes, dear? and Charlotte says she’s really glad Laura is back. She missed her. Laura says she missed Charlotte too, and they hug.  

Valentin says, this all started at the reading of Victor’s will and Anna’s WSB file being released to the press. She says, his father’s final act of revenge on her, and he says, no doubt. He thinks there’s someone else targeting her on Victor’s behalf.

Gregory asks if Alexis has always been this hard on herself, and she says, yes, especially when she screws up like she did today, and the screw up affects somebody she cares about. He says he’s sorry. He doesn’t see it that way. He was here, and saw and heard her in action. She was great. And if anything significant happened today, it was that she made a sacrifice. She says, what sacrifice? and he says, every instinct she had was, is still, screaming to publish an exposé on Kim’s corruption, barbecue him in The Invader. But she pulled back for Drew’s sake and offered him a deal. Alexis says she came on too strong, but Gregory says, there’s no guarantee that a softer approach would have been any more effective. She says, the point is, she went after Judge Kim because she wanted to, and it was stupid and unprofessional. Alexis’s phone rings, and she thanks them for letting her know. Keep her posted. She tells Gregory, that was a friend of hers from the Federal building. She said that Judge Kim asked his clerk to pull Drew Cain’s file. Gregory says, and? and she says, apparently, he may be reconsidering Drew’s sentence. Gregory says, see? Nice work, counselor.

Elizabeth watches as Drew is wheeled out wearing leg irons, since he might make a sprint from the wheelchair. They lock eyes for a moment, and she watches as he’s wheeled into the elevator. She stands in front of the elevator, and they look at each other with sad faces as the elevator doors close.

On Monday, Brook asks, since when does granny’s opinion hold any weight with Lois; Cody says he had his chance and threw it away; and Sonny tells someone, the next thing they say could have lasting repercussions.

🎄 Nathan Rushes the Season…

I swear this guy is in every other holiday movie.

Preview Ryan Paevey’s Magical New Christmas Movie!

🧂 Salting the Lake…

This week’s shenanigans.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 7 Recap: Tempers Rise at Angie’s Easter Brunch

It says something about you when your own son wants to hide his marriage.

https://people.com/rhoslc-recap-mary-cosby-son-robert-jr-was-secretly-married-for-a-year-8362974

🗽 Gorgeous Is Gonna Devour Cute…

Tiffany is awful, but I like her, and God help me, I might have to take Jax off the awful list. I’m surprised at how good this show is.

Tiffany Pollard Discusses Making Jax Taylor Cry and Omarosa Feud on House of Villains

https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/tiffany-pollard-a-hero-in-the-villain-house

🍸 SURish Secrets…

It’s not really all that interesting, mostly about Bravo being cheap, but keeping the Pump rolling until the new season begins.

Ariana Madix Reveals Vanderpump Rules Secrets

⚰️ One Fear Coming Up…

Sunday, October 22nd, 9 pm EST. Be dead or be there. Of course the finale is in two parts. It’s a thing now.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-series-finale/

https://screenrant.com/fear-walking-dead-season-8-two-part-finale/

🧹 Extra Extra…

Wow. It’s all pretty tame by today’s standards.

https://ew.com/movies/hocus-pocus-deleted-scene-grocery-store-mary-steals-child/

🎃 Today’s Lesson…

More Halloween lore.

https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/a40250/heres-why-we-really-celebrate-halloween/

🐶 Will Do a Trick a Treat…

I love this dog.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/pug-latte-costume

Come on. You know you want to dress your dogs up. You probably want to dress up your cats too, but we all know how that can go.

https://people.com/best-dog-halloween-costumes-8362521

https://www.etonline.com/the-best-last-minute-dog-halloween-costume-ideas-to-put-a-spell-on-everyone-hocus-pocus-baby-yoda

🐝 Quotes of the Week

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us. – Susan L. Taylor

The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give your gift away. – David Viscott

One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain’t nothin’ can beat teamwork. – Edward Abbey

Our most significant opportunities will be found in times of greatest difficulty. – Thomas S. Monson

To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to change often. – Winston Churchill

Once you start recognizing the truth of your story, finish the story. It happened but you’re still here, you’re still capable, powerful, you’re not your circumstance. It happened and you made it through. You’re still fully equipped with every single tool you need to fulfill your purpose. – Steve Maraboli (Or as Sweet Pea said in Sucker Punch: You’ve got your weapons. Now fight.)

For better or worse, Beanies were like crack. – Rich Kelley, The Beanie Bubble

🫦 My Real Housewives tagline: Sometimes going commando really does mean you’re carrying a machine gun. Holla!

🕸 Being Altogether Ooky…

Meet me here on Sunday for a Fear quickie. Until then, stay safe, stay bringing the appropriate hostess gift to a Halloween party – you know, like a coffin – and stay remembering, sometimes all you need is one good friend.

Oct19

October 18, 2023 – Ava’s Kidnapping Aftermath, Island Wedding, Stay Put, Early Exit, Charitable, Lake #2, Fear’s End, Final Daryl, Ranking Dragons, Modern Remake, Halloween Show-Offs & Scary

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis hoists himself into bed, when Portia asks if he wants some company.

Tracy says, blackmail is a harsh word, and Lois says, but that’s exactly what Tracy did to get Lois’s daughter to do what she wanted. Tracy says she prefers strongly suggested, but clearly that’s a moral shortcoming. Lois says she doesn’t think moral shortcoming even begins to cover it. How about epic fail as a grandmother? Is this how Tracy treats her granddaughter? Tracy says, Brook came to her for help, and she gave it to her, but Lois says, Tracy didn’t help Brook; she took advantage of her. And now Tracy has to answer to her.

In bed with Sonny, Nina says she likes them wearing their wedding bands. It makes it more official. He says he doesn’t think a big wedding would have been as special, and she agrees. She loved their intimate wedding. No stress, just love. She thanks him, not just for the wedding, but for everything. He made her perfectly happy. He says, yes, she’s perfect, and kisses her.

Kristina says she still can’t believe Blaze is in Puerto Rico, and Blaze says, well, believe it. Kristina can thank her abuela. Kristina says, thank you, abuela. She’d love to meet her. Blaze says, Kristina would love her. She’s a force of nature. Kristina says, that’s where Blaze gets it from, and Blaze says, her abuela is five feet tall and a hundred pounds, but that lady is a fireball. Kristina suggests they raise a glass to her and asks, how about a frozen margarita? Blaze says she’d love one.

As they walk down the hall, Deanna tells Austin, white male, 41, two GSWs to the back. The paramedics think the shots might have missed his spine. He’s been in and out of consciousness. They go into a room, and Austin sees that it’s Mason.

Carly walks in the door and calls for Josslyn. She says she got here as soon as she could, and asks Josslyn, what’s wrong? Before Josslyn can answer, there’s a knock at the door, and Carly opens it to a disheveled Ava with Dex and Dante. Carly asks if she’s okay and Ava says she will be once she sees her daughter. Is Avery all right?

Sam goes into Drew’s room and asks if he’s up for a visitor. He says, of course (🍷) he is. He’s always glad to see her. He knows he told her that he didn’t want Scout to see him in the hospital, but is there any chance she ignored that and brought that beautiful girl here with her? She says, Scout is at a sleepover, and he says, let him guess; she’s at the Qs getting in some dog time. Sam says, he guessed right. She can’t get enough of Annabelle II, but – Sam puts a gift bag on the tray – Scout sent her here with a little gift. She takes out a plaque and says, check that out. He says, will you look at that, and we see it’s an award to Scout for Outstanding Swimmer.

Josslyn tells Ava that Avery is perfectly fine. She’s asleep in her room upstairs and Pilar is with her. Ava says, thank God, and Josslyn says she figured it was better that Avery slept here than the police station. Ava thanks Josslyn and goes upstairs to see Avery. Carly asks Josslyn, what the hell is going on? and Dante says, they just came from the police station where Ava made her statement. Carly says, statement for what? and Dante says, it’s a long story, but Ava was abducted a couple nights ago and tonight, Joss and Dex rescued her. Dex says, they can’t take all the credit; there was a major assist from Dante. Carly asks if Josslyn is okay, and Josslyn says she’s perfectly fine. She was just at the police station with Avery and Pilar. Dex and Dante were the ones actually doing the rescuing. Carly says, this is crazy. Ava was abducted? Dante says, by Mason Gatlin.

Austin asks Deanna to get Dr. Larson for him. This patient is his cousin; he can’t take the lead. She says, right away, and leaves. Austin closes the door and asks if Mason can hear him. He’s in the hospital and Austin needs him to wake up. Mason’s eyes flutter open, and Austin says, where’s Ava?

Nina tells Sonny, it’s so peaceful here, so quiet. It’s like an oasis of tranquility. You’d never guess there was a casino on this island. He says, that’s because of the ocean. You can hear the waves and breeze going through the palm trees. The only thing better than that is sharing it with her. She says, he has such a handsome face and he’s so relaxed. She hasn’t seen him this relaxed since Nixon Falls. It’s nice to see him unwind. He’s been very stressed lately. He says, there was a situation he let go way too long, but when he gets back, he’s going to handle it.

As Kristina pours the drinks, she tells Blaze that the secret is using tequila aged in oak barrels. Blaze says, Kristina knows her stuff. She’s impressed. Kristina says, her mother wasn’t. She was less than thrilled with Kristina’s decision to become a bartender. Blaze says, first of all, there’s nothing wrong with bartending, and secondly, Kristina is doing so much more. She not only manages Charlie’s, she’s getting that youth center off the ground. Kristina says, her mother has finally made peace with her choices and come to respect her position at Charlie’s and the youth center. Why are they talking about her mother? What do they toast to? Blaze says, to her, the new Face of Deception, and they clink glasses.

Tracy tells Lois to get off her high horse. Brook is an adult, she got herself into trouble, and Brook came to her for a favor to get her out of it. Lois says, and Tracy thought blackmail was the way to do it? How could she? Tracy says she made it perfectly clear that favors come at a cost. Brook agreed to the deal and went into it with her eyes open. Lois says, Tracy forced her daughter to commit intellectual property fraud. She stole design information from Deception, a company her friends owned. She betrayed them. That’s not Tracy calling in a favor; that’s called extortion. Tracy says, potato, potahto. Brook got what she wanted. It’s only fair that Tracy should get what she wanted. End of story.

Curtis says, sure, and Portia gets into bed next to him. She says, dinner was nice, right? It was so lovely of Stella to take them out to celebrate. He says, Portia was promoted to Co-Chief of Staff. That’s definitely something worth celebrating. Portia says, hopefully, there will be many more happy occasions to come. One she can see right now, where they’ll have a big party – at The Savoy, of course (🍷) – is Trina’s graduation. He suggests they not get ahead of themselves. That’s still two years away. (I’m glad he said that. I thought I lost time or something.) She says, but time is going to fly by. He knows how things go, and he knows what a planner she is. It’s never too early to start thinking about the details. They’ll have N’neka come up with a specialty drink, something really cute, like the Trina Twist. They laugh, and she says, and they’ll have a DJ, not a band, because Trina’s going to want to dance all night long. Curtis says, yeah, and he won’t be able to dance with his daughter.🍼He’ll just be watching from the sidelines, so he guesses he’s got to get used to that view.

Tracy tells Lois, Brook brought this on herself. Chase had an opportunity to get his job back, and Brook dragged her feet. Lois asks what she’s talking about, and Tracy says, Brook was asked to write a testimonial about Chase’s sterling character, but she kept putting it off. Why? Because she was so busy managing his fledgling music career, but really, she just wanted him by her side. She acted out of pure selfishness. Lois says, and that she got from Tracy.

Portia says she knows how difficult this must be for Curtis, but he says he doesn’t think she does. She says, but she’s here for him. She puts her hand on his shoulder, and says, please don’t shut her out. He says, just stop, and she says she misses him. She misses their closeness. He says he just can’t. He told her the other day that he can’t show her love the way he used to. She says, yes, and she told him that she’d be there for him, and that’s what she’s trying to do. She’s trying to show him that, yes, their love might look different than the way it used to, but they can still connect with one another. They can connect physically. He says, she’s not hearing him. Even if he could do… this, he’s just not ready.

Kristina says, Blaze is really going to be the new Face of Deception? That’s huge. Maybe they should be switching to champagne. Blaze says, don’t pop the cork yet. She hasn’t even accepted the offer. She’s got to think about it. She doesn’t love the idea of giving up what’s left of her privacy, and she’s not sure she should split her focus. Kristina says, Blaze seems like a woman who’s capable of anything, and Blaze says, she’s at a point where she finally has control of her career, and she refuses to be obligated to anyone ever again.

Sam says, that is from the swim team awards banquet, and Drew says, that sounds pretty cool, but she says, it wasn’t actually. It was held in a gym, and they served corndogs and cupcakes. He laughs and says, it sounds pretty perfect for him right now. He wishes he could have been there. He’s so proud of Scout. He misses being at her meets and cheering her on from the bleachers. She asks what he’s talking about. He’d be the one running alongside her, saying, go, Scout. He says he’s probably embarrassed her a little bit, but Sam says, no. She loves her daddy. She was able to be there for Scout, and he was there in spirit. Scout did say she won this specifically for him. So when she dropped Scout off at the Qs, she wanted to bring it right over. He thanks her, and says, tell Scout that she’s got to take really good care of it; keep it safe. For him, for when he gets out. Because what he’s going to do is hang it up on his wall at the office and brag about her to everybody that comes in. And tell her that he loves her. Sam says she will.

Dex says, Spinelli was able to get the license plate of the car Mason was driving, and Carly says, Spinelli was involved in this too? Dante says, he was a big help actually, and Dex says, he tracked the car turning on County Road 21; said there was nothing out there except cliffs overlooking the river. Dante says, it’s a desolate area. It’s not where you want to be with a maniac like Gatlin. Dex says he saw Mason’s car on the side of the road, and just as he pulled up, Mason dragged Ava out of the car and was pulling her toward the cliff. Carly says, she could have been killed, and Dex says, then he pulled a gun and started shooting. He was able to tackle Mason, but they struggled, and Mason was about to push him off the cliff, but Dante showed up. Josslyn says, thank God. He could have died tonight. She puts her arms around him, and he holds her.

Kristina asks if Blaze always wanted to be on stage, and Blaze says, absolutely. She dreamed of being a megastar. Fill up stadiums like Beyonce and make headlines every time a new song dropped. Kristina says, wow. It kind of seems like she’s on her way. Blaze says, but she still wants to live her life and have privacy and be able to date who she wants without it being a tabloid headline, but the more popular she gets, the more impossible it becomes.

Nina asks if Sonny will do her a favor, and he says he already gave her what she wanted. What’s the problem? She says, yes, he did, but she can be really greedy when it comes to her handsome husband. He asks if she wants him to buy her a sailboat for the island and call it the Nina Star, and she says she’s not opposed to that idea, but no. Not anything material. She wants him. He says, you already have me, Mrs. Corinthos, but she says, no. She means she wants him to forget about all the problems and stresses he has and wants him to forget all his issues and keep them in Port Charles. Can he just be here in the moment with her while they’re on their honeymoon? Can he just love her? He says, yeah, and they get busy.

Ava comes downstairs in a robe and asks if Dante is still here, but Carly says, he had to get back to the station. Dex says, Dante told him to remind her about her clothes. Someone’s going to come by and collect them for DNA evidence. She says she left them in the guestroom. Dante probably wanted to find out about Mason’s status. With any luck, his bullets killed Mason. Carly says she knows Ava had a really rough time tonight. She’s sure seeing Avery made her feel better. Ava says, yeah. She was asleep of course (🍷). She didn’t wake her. She just sat by her and pet her beautiful face. Josslyn says, she didn’t know anything was going on, and Ava thanks her for that. Her biggest fear was that they would come after Avery, and she’s all Ava could think about when Mason was holding her in that basement. Carly says, they’d do anything to keep her safe. Sonny has posted more guards outside; the grounds are completely secure. Ava says she appreciates that, and Carly says she needs to get back to the hospital to be with Drew, but she doesn’t want to leave Josslyn. Dex says he’ll take care of her, and Josslyn says she’s fine. Go. She and Carly hug, and Carly says, Ava is welcome to stay the night here. She thinks it would make Avery really happy to wake up and see her. Ava says, that’s so nice, and thanks her. Carly says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Josslyn says she almost forgot, but she has something of Ava’s that she found at Windymere and thinks Ava is going to need it.

Dr. Larson says, Mr. Gatlin seems stable enough for surgery, and tells Deanna to get him prepped and ready for the OR. He tells Mason that he’s a lucky man. X-rays show the bullets didn’t pierce the spine. Austin asks if he can have a moment with his cousin before he goes to surgery, and the doctor says, no problem. He leaves, and Mason says, wish him luck, but Austin says, where’s Ava? Mason says he has no idea.

Dante approaches the door to Mason’s room, but as he’s about to go in, Jordan tells him, don’t go into that room and stay away from the patient.

Tracy tells Lois that she’s beginning to think maybe Brook hasn’t been exactly forthcoming about her departure from Deception. She wonders if Brook is concerned about not living up to Lois’s high standards of honesty and integrity. Lois says she would never judge her daughter. Love makes you do crazy things, and Brook learned from her mistakes, but that still doesn’t excuse what Tracy did. She used Lois’s daughter to get what she wanted. And for what? A cosmetics company? What did she want? Free night cream? She went after Deception to satisfy her own greed. Tracy says, she couldn’t be more wrong. She got that company for Brook.

Curtis says, when Portia came to visit him at the hospital, he couldn’t handle it. He lashed out and said the most awful things to her, and he never wants to push her away like that again. This is not that. This is different. She says, yes, he pushed her away before. She was upset, but she understood, and she understands now. She’s trying. She knows this is new. This is so raw. But he’s home and they’re going to have to find a way back to each other. But he’s going to have to let her in; he’s going to have to let her love him. He says, but he can’t love her that way. The truth is, psychologically, he doesn’t know if he ever will again. She says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She doesn’t even know how he can say something like that. She came on too strong tonight; she gets it. She’s sorry she did that. He says, she wanted to love her husband, and shouldn’t apologize for it, but she says, it’s too soon. They just need to take things slowly. They’ll take things slowly and eventually they’ll get there. He says, they’ll get there? When his wife knocks on his door for something he can’t give her, it makes him feel like less of a man.

Kristina says, it sounds like a lot to navigate, and Blaze says she’s sorry. She’s finally getting everything she ever wanted, and now she’s whining about it. Kristina says she doesn’t think Blaze is whining about it at all. To her, it just seems like Blaze is a woman who’s trying to figure out how much she wants to sacrifice to reach her goals. She should be able to live her dream without giving up her life. Blaze says she already knows one upside to being in the public eye, and Kristina says, go on. Blaze says, they never would have even met if Kristina hadn’t recognized her. So that’s definitely an argument in favor of fame.

Mason asks why Austin cares. Ava was with him when he got shot. Austin says, so she got away safely? and Mason says, last thing he remembers is Ava screaming when he got shot. Dr. Larson comes in and says, the surgeon’s ready, and asks Deanna to give him an IV.

Dante asks, what’s going on? and Jordan says, he needs to go home. He asks why he would go home. This is his suspect. He needs to question him. It’s his case. She says, not anymore, and he says he doesn’t mean any disrespect, but she’s not the Commissioner anymore; she’s Deputy Mayor. She says, the Police Commissioner was the one who called her. Mac has been keeping busy trying to keep the Pautuck PD off his back. They’re not too happy with Dante showing up in their jurisdiction and taking matters into his own hands. He asks what she wanted him to do. This guy kidnapped Ava Jerome. He was going to kill her and Dex Heller. What was he supposed to do? Show up and say, sorry, guys, you’re out of my jurisdiction? She says she gets it, but they’re making a lot of noise. Hopefully this will blow over when the investigation exonerates him. He says, investigation? That is ridiculous. She says, he shot a civilian. This is standard procedure, and he knows it, so calm down. Until the investigation is over, he’s on administrative leave and he can’t be here. So go home. She walks away.

Josslyn gives Ava her phone, and says she’s sure it’s dead right now, but there’s a charger on the desk. Ava says she wasn’t able to grab it before Mason forced her out of the house, and thanks Josslyn, plugging it in. Not just for the phone. She’s very grateful for both of them. If it wasn’t for Dex, Mason would have thrown her over that cliff. She fought as hard as she could, but she couldn’t stop him. Dex says he knows it’s hard to talk about, but did Ava ever overhear Mason talking to his boss? Does she know who he was working for? She says, no. He just drove out there and he pulled over and said he was waiting for instructions. A couple of minutes later, his phone rang. Maybe his boss wasn’t happy with him. She doesn’t know, but Mason got angry. He started the engine and she thought, okay, this is it. He’s going to bring her home and let her go. Dex asks, what changed his mind? and she says she has no idea, but all of a sudden, he just snapped. He shut the car off and dragged her out of the backseat, and Dex knows the rest. Josslyn says, it looks like she needs this, handing Ava a drink. Ava thanks her and takes a sip. She thanks them both for everything.

Carly looks at Drew through the door window, and calls Sonny. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, no. She’s really sorry to bother him on his honeymoon. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, that dirtbag Mason Gatlin… He says, Austin’s cousin? and she says, he kidnapped Ava. Sonny sits up and says, what the hell? Carly says, she’s fine. Dex and Dante found her, but she’s shaken. She had Ava spend the night at her house so she could be with Avery. He asks if Avery is okay, and Carly says, she’s fine. She doesn’t know about anything that was going on, but Ava’s kidnapping isn’t the worst of it. He asks, what could be worse than that? and she says, Cyrus Renault. He’s out of prison.

Tracy says she tried to buy Deception legally. Lucy Coe wouldn’t budge, so it became a challenge, and she had to resort to drastic measures to get the company. Now she’s giving it to Brook, lock, stock, and barrel. Lois laughs and says, so Tracy is the hero of this story. She’s doing all this out of what? The goodness of her non-existent heart? No. She doesn’t buy it. Tracy doesn’t have an altruistic bone in her entire body. Tracy says she doesn’t care whether Lois buys it or not. She’s Brook’s grandmother and she’s going to provide for her. Because she doesn’t want Brook to waste her life on music, then have nothing to show for it, like Lois did. Lois says, Tracy doesn’t get to make those choices for Brook, but Tracy says, Brook will thank her. If she hadn’t stepped in, Lucy Coe would have left her as a glorified assistant. She has a future at that company and now she owns 51% of it. Lois says, so all this is done so Tracy gets that warm fuzzy feeling for helping others? and Tracy says, yes… and she gets her 1% of ELQ back. Lois says, oh-ho! That old story again? Really? Keep her 51%, because Brook isn’t going to want any part of it. Tracy says, we’ll see.

Portia says she knows how difficult this has to be for Curtis. And not to get clinical here, but the doctor said he should be able to function in that way. He says, this is not about medicine. This is not about a diagnosis. Every doctor in the world can tell him that he can still have sex, but he knows he can’t make love, and there’s a difference here. Just because he’s capable physically doesn’t mean he’s ready psychologically. His body may be working in that way, but his mind is nowhere near ready. She says he’s not ready yet, but he will be, and he says, who knows? She says she knows. She’s not giving up on him. This is the hardest thing he’s ever had to face in his entire life, and they’re going to get through it together. He says he doesn’t know if she can help him get past this. So much of who he is, is tied to his physical ability. He’s always been athletic. He’s always pushed himself to run a little faster, to hit the bag a little harder, to add more weights to the bar. So just knowing he’d be struggling to love his beautiful wife the way she deserves to be loved? It’s humiliating. It’s infuriating. And it’s tearing him apart on the inside. She says she’s not going to give up on him. She loves him. And he’s right. She doesn’t know what this means for him. Even if they never get to a place where they share a bed in the same sense that they used to, she’s not going anywhere. She loves him. So take his time and she’s going to be there.

Austin tells Jordan that he’s looking for some information. Mason Gatlin is his cousin and Austin’s very close with Ava Jerome. He’s hoping… Could she just tell him what happened tonight? She says she shouldn’t be giving him any information. This is an ongoing investigation, and they’re still trying to put the pieces together. He says, yeah, but he’s asking. Please? She says, Mr. Gatlin was charged with kidnapping Miss Jerome and two counts of attempted murder. He was shot by an officer while attempting to murder someone. Austin asks if Ava was hurt, and she says, from what she understands, Ava was badly shaken, but unharmed. He thanks her, and walks away. He makes a call and says, come on, Ava. Pick up.

Ava’s phone rings and she sees it’s Austin, but ignores the call.

Josslyn says, Dex is a real hero, but he says he can’t take all the credit. Dante was the one who took down Mason. She says, yes, and Dex is actually the one who stopped Ava from going over a cliff. Which makes her wonder, how close did he come to going over himself?

Sam is asleep when Dante comes into the bedroom. He takes her magazine out of her hands and takes her glasses off. She opens her eyes, and he says, sorry. She says, don’t be sorry. She tried to stay up, but she fell asleep. She was so exhausted. He says, that’s okay. He kind of wants to put this day behind him. She asks if something happened, and he says, it’s kind of a long story. He’s been placed on administrative leave. He shot someone tonight and they might not make it. He gets in bed, and they cuddle.

Sonny says, son of a bitch, and Carly asks what he thinks happened. He says he doesn’t know, but he’s going to fly back home first thing in the morning. He’s got to go. He’s got to make some calls. She says, let her know what he finds out, and he says, will do. Nina asks, what’s going on? and Sonny says, of course (🍷). It was him all along. He jumps out of bed, and she says, who?

Curtis says he’s just not sure how long it will take him to get there or if he’ll get there, and Portia asks if he remembers when she told him that he didn’t know the kind of woman he married. This woman right here, she’s stubborn. But she’s also very patient. He sighs and says, it’s a lot to put up with, but she says she’s not putting up with anything. She loves him and knows how hard it must have been to be that vulnerable with her. But him opening up, sharing his insecurities, that made her feel that much closer to him. Maybe she did come in here for some physical lovin’, but she thinks they shared something just as deep. He’s letting her in and that’s a start. She kisses him and gets out of bed, but he takes her hand and says, wait. He loves her too. She says she knows he does, and leaves.

Jordan says, maybe Austin can help her. Can he think of any reason Mason would want to abduct Ava Jerome? Austin says, is she kidding? No. His cousin has always been a wild card. He has no idea why Mason does the things that he does, and Austin couldn’t speak to any of his motivations, ever. Excuse him. He has a patient he should probably check on. He jets, and Jordan says, goodnight, doctor.

Ava has one missed call and one message from Austin. She looks at the phone, but does nothing.

Dex says, Mason was tough to take down, and Josslyn says, he could have killed Dex. He says he was fighting with everything he had. At some point, when they were wrestling on the ground, he hit his head and he was dazed, so Mason had an advantage. He was losing ground a few feet from the cliff. If Dante hadn’t shown up, Mason would have pushed him over. She says, thank God for Dante, and he says, thank God for her. She’s the one who found Dante at the police station after Spinelli gave her his last known location. The fact that he’s still alive is totally on her. They kiss.

Sam says, besides Ava, what did he want? and Dante says he doesn’t know. That’s what they’re trying to figure out. She asks if Avery is okay, and he says, she’s fine. She wasn’t involved and doesn’t know what went down. She asks if he told Sonny, and he says, Carly’s doing that, which he’s glad about, because Sonny’s not going to be too happy. Sam snuggles against him.

Carly goes in to see Drew, and he says, she’s back. But it’s so late. She says she knows. She just wanted to watch him sleep. He says he thinks they can do better than that and pats the bed. She gets in with him and there’s more cuddling and snuggling.

Sonny comes to the lobby, where Kristina and Blaze are drinking, and Kristina gives him a hug. She says, this is her good friend Blaze, and he says, yeah. She’s a singer. Blaze says, he actually knows her music? and he says, no. He can’t lie, but his grandson Rocco watches her videos and listens to her music. Blaze says, Dante mentioned that. She’s flattered. And she hears congratulations are in order. Kristina says he just got married. He says, yeah. It was very fantastic, intimate, with the family, just the way he likes it. Kristina asks if he wants a drink, but he says, no. Something came up. She asks, what’s going on? Is everyone okay? He says, yeah, but they’re going to have to fly home first thing in the morning. There’s some important business he has to take care of.

Lois tells Tracy that she knows her daughter. And she’s not going to want anything to do with a company built on lies and betrayal. Tracy says, Brook may surprise Lois. She does have Quartermaine genes after all. Lois says, no. She’s not going to give up her integrity over a company. Tracys says, news flash. She already has. Maybe she’s a little more like her grandmother than Lois cares to admit, and guess what? Lois has to live with it. Tracy walks out.

Tomorrow, Anna says, if he makes another move, she’ll be ready; Finn suggests he and Elizabeth spend the weekend together; TJ tells Portia that someone was here last night, and she has a right to know; and Trina tells Spencer that the fantasy he and Esme have has gone too far.

👰🏼‍♀️ Just the Way He Likes It…

Sonny and Nina’s wedding. Just like you were there. Except for being on a tranquil island and eating fabulous food.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/sonny-and-ninas-gh-wedding-album

🚗 If She Doesn’t Want To Take That Ride…

Gladys had best stay in whatever port she’s from.

Will Gladys Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL? — Bonnie Burroughs Speaks Out!

🌡 Missed the Punchline…

It’s a little sad, but the new guy is still so much better.

Marcus Coloma Opens up About Being Recast on GH

🫶 For the Cause…

This sounds like it was a good time.

Soap Stars Reunite for a Great Cause — See the Pics!

🚣‍♀️ Wives On the Water…

This was actually an excellent show. None of that screeching at each other.

Luann de Lesseps Teases Possible Welcome to Crappie Lake Season 2

⚰️ Final Storm…

Here’s hoping the ending is worth the wait. Beginning this Sunday, October 22nd.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-series-finale-ending-storming-a-castle/

🏍 Explaining Daryl…

I don’t think the end needed an explanation, but I don’t mind a rehash. Great show, but sneeze and you miss the seasons now.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-final-carol-scene-explained/

🐉 Nothing Better To Do…

Because everyone is waiting for the strike to be over.

https://bamsmackpow.com/2023/10/17/targaryens-game-of-thrones-house-of-the-dragon-ranked/

🦃 The Forgotten Holiday…

More on Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/eli-roths-thanksgiving-is-a-modern-remake-of-a-lost-horror-movie-that-never-existed/ar-AA1iiEhf

🐕 Pups On Parade…

At least someone stepped in and saved the tradition.

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-2023-tompkins-square-park-halloween-dog-parade-has-been-saved-100423

This Saturday, October 21st, if you’re in the neighborhood and so inclined.

https://www.tompkinssquaredogrun.com/

🧟 Mashing Some Monsters…

Stop in again tomorrow for soap and the fringes of Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay donating leftover candy rather than eating it, and stay not using extortion to call in a favor. It’s not a good look.

Oct14

October 13, 2023 – The Wedding Is On, Thought, Back, Fitting, MIA, A Goodbye, Salty Talk, Postscript, Hard Times, Back To the 80s, Dead Stuff, Costumed Pets (!), Totally Ten Quotes & Monster

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis lifts weights, when there’s a knock at the door. He wheels himself over to open it, and Stella asks if it’s a bad time. He says, not at all, if she doesn’t mind waiting for him to finish another set. She says, not at all, and comes in. She asks if somebody else is here, but he says, no, just him, picking up one of the weights. He asks if she thinks they shouldn’t have left him alone, and she asks if she said that. He says, no, and she says, he’s been on his own for a while now, and he’s doing just fine. He works with the weight, and says, she’s been tracking him, huh? She says she always has; she’s not going to change now. He’s working hard; very impressive. He says he’s just trying to keep it all together, and she says, he’s doing more than keeping it together. She’s very proud of him. He thanks her and says, all these exercises, in fact everything he does, is for Trina and Portia and Marshall. She says, how’s that? and he says, every morning there’s a part of him that doesn’t want to get out of bed. Then he thinks about his family. They need him, and he will not let them down. There’s a knock at the door, and Stella says she’ll get it. She opens it to Selina and says, what do you want?

TJ tells Portia he heard a rumor going around. The buzz is totally positive. She says she has no idea what he’s talking about, but he says, spill. She says she doesn’t want to talk about it yet. Not until she gets a chance to tell Curtis, and she wants to tell him in person. He’s going to be so hurt if he finds out everyone at GH knew before he did. She’s trying to sneak out of here so she can see him. TJ says, he’s going to be thrilled.

Josslyn knocks on the door at Windymere, and Giles answers. He asks if he can help her, and she says, he probably doesn’t remember her, but she’s Josslyn Jax, Avery’s older sister. He says, of course (🍷). What can he do for her? She says she’s looking for Ava. She never picked Avery up from the nanny last night. Giles invites her in.

A guard walks Cyrus to the visiting room, and Cyrus says, another visitor during off hours? He sees Laura, and she says, hello, Cyrus.

Austin sits at his desk and flashes back to him telling the judge that Cyrus is weak because of his heart attack, and no longer a physical threat to anybody. He says, yeah, weak like a great white shark is weak. He remembers telling Mason that he did what was asked and to let Ava go, and Mason saying, neither one of them call the shots. There’s a knock at the door, and Dex says, sorry to bother him, but has he seen Ava Jerome?

Puerto Rico. Here Comes the Bride plays as Nina walks to Sonny, and everyone looks all happy. The priest welcomes everyone and says, they’ve been blessed with a beautiful day to witness the joining in matrimony of Michael Sonny Corinthos and Nina Reeves. This is a joyful occasion, and a solemn one. Marriage as a traditional ceremony is an honorable one, not to be entered into lightly, but a pledge between two people to honor, support, and love one another for the rest of your lives. Is that the pledge they’re willing to make? Nina says, we are, and Sonny says, yeah, we are.

Selina says she’s here to see her friend, but Stella says, she doesn’t have any friends here. And no way she’s buying any with that gift basket. Stella looks at the bodyguard holding a basket of fruit behind Selina, and Curtis says, it’s okay. Selina’s a business associate. Stella says, uh-huh, and Selina walks in. (Oooh. The bodyguard has a bakery box too.) Selina says, his aunt is very protective. She admires that in a family. Stella excuses herself, and Curtis asks what Selina is doing here. She says, he’s been back home for a while now. She thought she’d give him some time to get accustomed to his new life. He says, that was considerate, and she says she hopes now he’s come to his senses and is ready to sell her The Savoy.

Cyrus says, what an unexpected and wonderful surprise. He didn’t know Laura was back from her trip. She says, they just got back, and he says, and she chose to come and see him. He’s touched. She says, he cut his hair, and shaved, and… He says, since he found his true calling, he didn’t find the need to hide behind appearances, and she says, he looks great. So tell her, how is he feeling? He says, their brother told her about his little medical problem, and she says she doesn’t know that she’d call a heart attack a little medical problem, and she’s glad Marty told her. He asks if Martin also told her that it was her aura that pulled him through in his darkest hour, but she says, it was Drew Cain who saved his life. He says, without the will to live, his CPR might not have been effective, but he is a good man. She says, he’s a very good man. That’s why it’s such a shame he’s in here with… Cyrus says, with men like me. He gets the feeling checking on his health isn’t the only reason she’s here. She says she heard about his application for early release, and he asks if she’s here as his sister or the mayor.

Giles says he’s also concerned about Miss Jerome’s whereabouts, and Josslyn says, so she hasn’t been here? He says, she was home when he left. That was night before last. She didn’t mention any plans to be away, but when he came to work yesterday, she wasn’t here. She never came home. Josslyn says, so no maid or no housekeeper has seen her, and he says, no one on the staff has seen or heard from her, but he did find a broken martini glass on the floor here. He points near the fireplace, and says, it could have been an accident. Perhaps she’s staying with her friend Miss Reeves? Josslyn says, no. Nina’s in Puerto Rico getting married. He says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt’s been a frequent guest recently. He was under the impression the doctor and Miss Jerome might be close.

Austin says, recently, no, he hasn’t seen Ava, and Dex asks if he remembers the last time he saw or heard from her. Austen says, two or three days ago. Why is Dex asking him this? Dex says, she hasn’t been to her art gallery, and no one has seen or heard from her, and Austin says, Dex works for Sonny Corinthos; is he right about that? Dex says, yeah, and Austin says, a couple of days ago, Ava mentioned she was thinking of maybe taking a trip to New York. She said there was an artist she was interested in signing. Dex says, that could be very helpful, and thanks Austin for his time. Austin says, no problem, and as he walks past Dex, Dex punches him in the stomach and gets him in a headlock. As Austin struggles to breathe, Dex says, Sonny has a daughter with Ava Jerome, so he cares about her. If he finds out Austin has something to do with her disappearance, he’ll be back, and he won’t be asking questions. He lets Austin go and walks out.

In the hallway, Dex’s phone rings, and Josslyn tells him that she thinks she might have found something.

The priest says, it’s his understanding Sonny and Nina have elected to say their own vows, and Nina hands her bouquet to Willow. Sonny says he guesses Nina wants him to go, and she says, yeah. They join hands, and Sonny says he spent all morning writing his vows. They’re in his pocket, but when he looked in Nina’s eyes, he felt like he didn’t need to write his vows because he can always speak from his heart to her. He thanks her for trusting and loving him, and for seeing the better man in him than he ever saw in himself. He appreciates her kindness and her strength and her willingness to fight for their love, even though everybody was against them. When they doubted they should be together, they did everything they could to get through it, and here they are. He’s convinced more now that they belong together, because of how he feels right now in the moment. How he always does; she makes him secure. He knows she loves him and he loves her that much more, and he always will.

Selina asks Curtis to just hear her out. She’ll keep the entire staff at The Savoy – Stella walks back in – and the entire name of the club will remain. He and his entire family will have VIP memberships for life, and she’ll increase her original offer to twice what he paid for the club. He says, that’s an extremely generous offer, and she says she agrees. So what does he say? He thinks a moment and asks why she’s determined to buy his club. Why doesn’t she start her own and find a location that’s half the price? Stella says, good question.

Cyrus says, in case Laura is wondering, he has no idea how the judge is going to rule. He hasn’t heard anything yet. Now that she’s back, will she oppose his release? She says, he looks as strong and healthy as the day he got in here, but that said, she’s not a doctor. And as the mayor, she doesn’t interfere with judicial decisions. He says he supposes putting in a good word for her brother is out of the question, and she says, yes. He asks if Marty also told her that he gave away all of his money.

Dex arrives at Windymere, and Giles lets him in. Josslyn introduces Giles, and says, Giles told her that Ava hasn’t been home since night before last, and nobody on the staff has seen or heard from her. Dex says, she told him that she found something, and she says, this cellphone and this lollypop. The cellphone was under the coffee table, and the lollypop was just kind of sticking out of the couch. And Giles found a broken martini glass on the floor. Giles says, Miss Avery must have dropped the lollypop last time she was here, but Josslyn says, this isn’t Avery’s. Dex asks how she knows, and she says, because it’s grape and Avery hates grape. So somebody else had to have been here. And Ava would have never left her cellphone in case Avery needed to get in touch with her. Dex says he saw cameras everywhere as he walked up to the house. There have to be more, right? Giles says, yes, and Dex says he needs to see the footage from the minute Giles left Ava.

Nina says, to be honest, she never imagined she’d be here right now with Sonny. It’s actually the last thing she ever expected or wanted, and she fought it for a very long time. She kept telling herself that they would never work, and as she kept saying that, her heart kept falling deeper and deeper in love with him. And she couldn’t fight her heart anymore, could she? Or him. His charm, his humor, his compassion, his courage, his loyalty… his dance moves. What more could a person ask for in someone they love? Then she saw him parent his children, who he fiercely loves, and how he’s willing to fight for them, for their protection. She’s always wanted that family, since she was a little girl. Her daughter is now a part of her life – she looks at Willow – and the two of them are part of his family. He’s given her so much. He’s given her a family. And she wants to give him something. She’s going to surround him with love for his entire life; she promises him that. And they can leave all their mistakes behind them. She’ll walk with him, hand in hand, right beside him, loving him, for the rest of his life.

Selina tells Curtis that she doesn’t have the time or the inclination to open a new club. It’s too much work and she has a busy schedule. The Savoy is already established; that’s why she’ll be paying him top dollar for it. Stella asks if he heard how Selina made it sound like it’s a done deal, when Portia walks in. Selina tells her, good afternoon, and Stella says, she got here just in time. Miss Wu brought them a basket filled with treats. Why doesn’t Portia have a seat and she’ll make them some tea so they can all get to know each other better. She asks what kind of tea Selina would like, and Selina says, that’s kind of her, but she has another appointment. Stella says, that’s just too bad. Maybe another time then. She opens the front door, and Selina nods to her bodyguard. She tells Curtis that she’ll be in touch, and he thanks her for the basket. I want to know what’s in the bakery box. Selina leaves with the guard, and Stella closes the door, putting her back against it, and says, amen.

Dex looks at a tablet, and Giles says, he can see the front entrance is well-covered by several cameras. Dex says, there Giles is, leaving. This is the night before last. Ava was alone when he left? Giles says, yes. Feel free to examine the rest of the footage. He must check on a delivery. Please help Miss Jerome. He leaves, and Dex points at the tablet, saying, there. Someone’s coming in. Josslyn says she sees him, but she can’t see his face; he’s wearing a hood. They keep watching, and Dex says, they’re at about twenty minutes later. Josslyn says, there’s Ava. She’s with him, but Josslyn can’t tell if her hands are tied or if she’s just walking super close to him. Dex suggests they check the dock camera around that time… They didn’t use the launch. Josslyn says, he would still have to go back to Port Charles, no? and Dex says, right there. He has his own boat. That’s what they left on. If he and Josslyn want to see where they came ashore, they need to see the harbor security cameras and the traffic cameras from that time. They can’t do that without going to the cops. Josslyn says, there’s another way.

Josslyn knocks at an apartment door, and a voice asks, who knocks? She looks up at a camera and says, Spinelli, it’s Josslyn. You’re watching us through the security camera. Spinelli opens the door and says, greetings, clever girl. What brings them to his door?

Austin gives TJ a folder and says, the prognosis was very impressive. He coughs and drinks some water, and TJ asks if he’s all right. Austin says he’s fine. He went to a concert last night and he was very enthusiastic. TJ asks, who was the band? when Mason walks in. He says he’s sorry. His cousin here wanted to see him.

Cyrus tells Laura that he’s seen so much suffering in here, he thought his money could do more good trying to help these poor souls. She says, Marty did mention to her that he’d given some of his money to a recidivism organization, but he says, not some of his money, every dime. He says, she doesn’t believe that, and she says she guesses they’ll see, won’t they, if he’s granted his early release. He says, how little faith she has in her brother. They were ill-gotten gains. He’s come to realize and appreciate that. She says she hopes so, and he says, she doesn’t seem to doubt the generosity of her friend Sonny Corinthos when he gives away his dirty money. He’s not wrong.

The priest says, Sonny and Nina’s vows were so clearly from the heart. Now please repeat after him. They say the traditional vows; in sickness and health, forsaking all others until death do us part. The rings are exchanged, and the priest says, in the presence of God and these witnesses, they’re now husband and wife. What God has joined, let no one put asunder. He thinks they know what happens next. They laugh and Donna says, you’re supposed to kiss. They do, and everyone smiles.

Portia asks what that was about, and Stella says, that woman was trying… Curtis says, Selina came to talk business, but what is Portia doing here in the middle of the day? She says she wanted to tell him something in person, but she wanted it to be official. Stella says, for what to be official? and Portia says she’s been named Co-Chief of Staff at General Hospital. Curtis says, congratulations, and she says, it’s going to be a lot more administrative work and a lot of emails, but… Stella says, Portia knows she can handle all of that, and Curtis says, she’ll be great. Portia says, and it’s going to be a little extra money. Stella says, as it should be for all that extra work, and Curtis says, they’ll be very lucky to have her. He couldn’t be more proud of his intelligent, accomplished, and very gorgeous wife. She kisses him and says, thank you.

Dex tells Spinelli that they couldn’t download the video from the system at Windymere, so all they have is the footage he had access to. Josslyn says, they also found Ava’s cellphone at Windymere, but she doesn’t know how to get in. Can he break in? He says, he can, but it will take time Ava doesn’t have, and Dex says, let’s get back to what we’ve got. The butler departed the house at 10:57 that night. At 11:18, an unidentified figure, likely male, entered the house. There’s no footage from the interior, so we don’t know what happened inside, but at 11:59, the hooded figure left by the front door with Ava. They were close together. He appears to be leading her, and from her posture, it’s likely her hands were tied. They arrived at the docks at 12:03 am and left in a single engine outboard. That’s what we have. Spinelli says, well done, and Josslyn says, what they really need to know is where they docked the boat in Port Charles. Does he think he can get access to the harbor security and traffic cameras?

Austin tells TJ that the apologizes. His cousin is unaware of hospital protocol. Mason could have just interrupted a consultation with a patient. Mason says he’s sorry. He’s just a truck driver and doesn’t know anything about hospital protocols. So he hopes TJ can forgive him. TJ says, no problem. They’re finished. He thanks Austin and is about to leave, when he says, so Mason is a truck driver? and Mason says, used to be. Now he kind of does a little bit of everything. TJ says, it was good to see him again, Mason says, him too, and TJ leaves. He pauses for a moment outside the door, then walks on. Mason tells Austin, do not get high and mighty with him about manners. Austin said he needed to see him right away, so what’s going on? Austin says, Sonny Corinthos knows.

Laura says, Sonny has nothing to do with the way she views Cyrus, but he says he’s well-aware of that. He and Sonny were in the same kind of business for years, and he ever thought much about Sonny. But then he’d see Sonny treated with such reverence, an honored member of the Port Charles community with a respected family when he’s no better than Cyrus is. Again he’s not wrong.

Kristina congratulates Nina and welcomes her to the family, hugging her. Donna goes over to Sonny and says, her turn. He says, come here, girl. Give me a hug. He wants her to know something. Daddy always loves her. She knows that, right? She says she loves him, and they hug again. These two are too cute together. Donna asks Nina if she can call her Mama Nina now, and Nina says she would love nothing more. She hugs Donna.

Willow tells Sonny, congratulations, and hugs him. He says, her mother is the best thing that ever happened to him. He just wants her to know that she means everything to Nina. Willow smiles at him, and tells Nina, congratulations. Nina thanks her, and says, it means so much that she’s here. Willow hugs her, and I feel sick thinking about this all falling apart. Michael hugs Sonny and tells Nina, congratulations. Welcome to the family. He kisses her on the cheek.  

Stella says, this is definitely cause for a celebration, and Portia agrees. Stella says she’s taking the two of them out for dinner tonight to celebrate. Marshall and Trina too. Portia says, they can actually have dinner in here tonight, have some champagne. It’ll be a little bit more relaxing, right? Curtis says, no. Auntie’s right. This is a big deal and they should celebrate it, right? Stella tells him, you said it, baby.

Laura tells Cyrus that she supposes she and Sonny have the sort of friendship that surprises some people, but she had no idea it upset him that much. He says he’s sorry. He’s not upset at Sonny. He supposes he just envies Sonny’s life, and how Sonny seems to have a closer relationship with his sister than he does. She says she’s known Sonny for a very long time, and he says, he knows it’s unlikely, but if he does get his release, perhaps he and Laura can build a bond that’s even stronger than the one she has with Sonny. She kind of shrugs and smiles, and the guard says, time’s up. Cyrus says, wish me luck, and she tells him, good luck. He laughs and pats her hand. He thanks her so much for coming. He hopes to see her again very soon. He leaves with the guard.

Just for the record, I’m aware they spell the prison Pentonville on the show, but I think Pentenville looks more like penitentiary, so, artistic license. Like with Windymere.

Dex says, there. That was the boat. Josslyn is surprised he can see it, and Spinelli says, keen powers of observation. Here they are. Dex says, Pier 17, and Spinelli, the abductor, if that’s what he is, chose his spot well. See what’s around the pier? It’s all warehouses. They’d be deserted at that hour, so even if Ava were to call for help, he doesn’t think she’d be heard. Josslyn says, wait. He took off his hood. Dex asks if Spinelli can tighten it, and Spinelli says, yes, of course (🍷), but the cameras are not high res; it might be grainy. Dex says he knows that guy. That’s Austin Gatlin-Holt’s cousin… Mason.

Austin says, one of Sonny’s guys was here asking about Ava, and Mason says, so? Austin says, what does he mean, so? No one’s heard from her in a couple of days. Mason says, because she’s locked in a basement somewhere. Who cares? Austin says he cares. He cares very much. Mason says, that’s sweet. His cousin is in love. Austin says he’s not joking around here. Don’t you hurt her. Mason says, Austin knows better than to threaten him, and Austin asks if it isn’t enough that Ava spent all this time thinking she killed Nikolas, and Nikolas is alive and well. He’s fine; he’s in Europe. Mason says he didn’t tell the guy to take off. He and Cyrus were the ones who kept him alive in the first place. Austin says, Nikolas is Cyrus’s nephew, and Mason says, forgive him. Cyrus has never struck him as the sentimental type about family, but Austin says, maybe they’re wrong about that. Mason needs to convince Cyrus to leave Ava alone. If that guy comes back for him… Mason says, put him off, but Austin says, no. He thought he already had. He punched Austin in the gut and grabbed him in a chokehold. He said, if anything happens to Ava, he’s coming back for Austin. Mason says, looks like you’ve got a problem, cuz.

Sonny and Nina, and Michael and Willow slow dance, while Kristina dances with the kids. Michael’s phone dings, and he says he has to take this real quick. He’ll be back. Willow calls Wiley over to dance with her, and Sonny asks if he can dance with his little girl. Donna says, yeah, and much cuteness happens. Willow suggests Wiley ask his grandmother to dance, and Wiley asks Nina if she wants to dance. She says, does she? Yeah. They dance as much as you can dance with a three-foot height difference. On the side, Michael says he’s at a family function. He can’t talk long. So, they have the name of the person who turned Drew Cain in to the SEC?

We don’t see his face, but a man tells Michael, the SEC was contacted by a lawyer named Martin Grey, acting on behalf of a client. Michael says, Grey was just a go-between. He needs the name of the person who pointed the SEC to his mom and Drew… He turns around and looks at Nina having a grand old time with Wiley. Ugh. I mean, I get it. She did wrong, but I still feel badly about it since it all finally came together, and everyone is so happy.

Curtis reaches for his water, and Portia tries to help, but he says he’s got it. Doesn’t she have to go back to the hospital, Co-Chief of Staff? She laughs and says she does actually, and he says he’s going to take a shower and he’ll see her tonight. She says she can’t wait, and he wheels himself out of the room. Stella suggests Portia take the basket over to the hospital for the nurses to enjoy, and Portia says, okay. When she gets closer, Stella lowers her voice and says, Portia doesn’t have to do everything. She just got a wonderful well-deserved job and she’ll be making more money. Portia says, right, and The Savoy is making money, and Stella says, but Curtis isn’t there. In his mind, he’s not making a dime. Curtis needs her, he needs all of them, to live out their lives as normally as possible and not walk on eggshells around him. He can go out the restaurant and have a fine time. Portia says she was just thinking he’ll be more comfortable here, that’s all, but Stella says, if something is making Curtis uncomfortable, he’s a grown man and he can tell them himself. Believe her. She knows Curtis and he will. Portia says, okay, and thanks her. They hug, and Stella hands Portia the basket. Portia asks if she’s sure, and Stella says, absolutely. They don’t want nothing that woman has to offer, but she will be keeping the baked goods. Portia takes the basket and leaves.

Josslyn asks if Dex is sure that’s the same guy, and Dex says, positive. Maybe Mason has ties to someone working against Sonny; he’s not sure who yet. Josslyn asks how he can tell from this picture, and Dex says, when he was following Mason, he always had a lollypop in his mouth. Josslyn says, that would explain the grape lollypop at Ava’s, and Spinelli says, here we go. The vehicle that Ava and Mason got in is registered to a Pautuck Trucking Company, Pautuck, New York. Dex says he’s going to need a list of all the employees employed by the trucking company and their addresses, as well as any properties owned or leased by the trucking company. He tells Josslyn, that’s where they’ll find Ava.

Austin says, Mason’s right. He has a problem. Because for some reason, Cyrus hates Sonny Corinthos. Can Mason please explain that to him, because he doesn’t understand. Isn’t there enough to go around for everybody? There’s plenty there. At least there used to be. Mason says he doesn’t get it either. Honestly, he thinks the whole thing started when the boss found out Mayor Collins was his sister. Austin asks, what’s that got to do with anything? and Mason says he doesn’t know. He’s just telling Austin, that’s when Cyrus started mentioning Sonny more and more. He would rant on and on about Corinthos and the life he had. Austin says, what life? They both have the same life. They’re mob bosses. Mason says, he called Sonny respectable. It’s almost as if it’s something he wanted for himself and doesn’t have. Austin says, so his life is in danger because Cyrus is jealous of Sonny Corinthos, but Mason says he thinks it goes deeper than that. Austin says, if that guy comes back, Sonny’s guy, he’s going to spill his guts. And they’re next move is to come after Mason, and then Mason will be as dead as him. Mason tells him, don’t do anything stupid. Austin’s only protection from Sonny is the boss, so just do as he’s told. Let the boss handle Sonny. He leaves.

Wiley and Donna chant, cake, cake, cake, and pound on the table. Sonny and Nina get ready to cut the cake, and Michael watches from the sidelines.

The guard says, this is it, opening the door, and Cyrus goes out into the sunshine wearing civilian clothes. He takes an envelope of the possessions he came with from the guard, and the guard says, he knows his way out. Cyrus says he certainly does, and tosses the envelope into a trashcan on his way to the gate.

Sonny and Nina cut the cake, and Sonny feeds Nina a piece. Michael watches.

Before going through the gate, Cyrus takes a deep breath and smiles.

Sonny and Nina wipe icing off of Donna and Wiley’s faces. Michael glares at Nina. This is bad.

The prison gate opens, and Cyrus walks out. He turns to look back at the prison.

Sonny and Nina kiss and drink champagne. Michael glares some more.

Cyrus gets in a car, and it drives away.

On Monday, Cody wonders if Sasha is going to walk away from her life after just getting it back; Willow says, Michael never told her who he was talking to; and Kristina asks what someone is doing here.

💭 A thought: Interesting that Nina and Cyrus have parallel goals of wanting a family and are both going about it all wrong.

🩺 The Doctor Was Out…

This is embarrassing. He’s my absolute favorite soap actor and I didn’t even realize he’d been gone for so long. Well, nice to have him back.

Roger Howarth Announces His Return

🧳In Sonny’s Defense…

The punishment fit the crime; being exiled to Bridgeport. And one of the funniest interactions ever, starting with her opening the door to give Sam the boot and him standing there.

Maurice Benard Defends Gladys’ Punishment on GH

🕵🏾 The Latest in Waldos…

It’s time to put him back on the canvas. Taggert is definitely underused.

Where Is Taggert on GH? — Réal Andrews Speaks Out

🥀 Ringing Down the Curtain…

He had a wonderful run.

GH Alum Mark Goddard Dead at 87

🗽 Her Face Is Irrelevant…

Doubtful she was joking considering her ego. Tribecca does not need her endorsement.

RHONY’s Jessel Taank Jokes She Made Tribeca ‘Relevant’

🧂 Four Teaspoons Of Salt…

This week in RHOSLC.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 6 Recap: This Is Utah

The slam.

Mary Cosby Slammed After Body-Shaming Heather Gay on WWHL

The non-clap back.

Heather Gay Responds to Mary Cosby’s Body-Shaming by Thanking ‘Inclusive’ Gucci

To be filed under don’t care.

https://people.com/jen-shah-husband-sharrieff-shah-sends-50th-birthday-well-wishes-prison-exclusive-8303004

🍊 Orange You Done Yet…?

Fancy Pants Heather’s hint.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/style-living/rhoc-season-17-reunion-recap-heather-dubrows-new-house

It was pretty bold for one just released from banishment.

Tamra Judge Slammed For Attacking Andy Cohen at RHOC Reunion

Apparently not too bold though, since the status quo stays the same.

Real Housewives of Orange County Cast Will Remain the Same for Season 18

💎 Possible Final Word…

So, they’re separated, but not divorcing, and it’s no one’s fault.

https://pagesix.com/2023/10/13/kyle-richards-mauricio-umansky-having-a-hard-time-before-separation/
Garcelle Beauvais ‘Shocked’ by Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Split Despite Them ‘Having a Hard Time’

👠 Those 80s Ladies…

Normally, this wouldn’t be my type of film, but I do like an 80s flashback.

https://ew.com/tv/ladies-of-the-80s-lifetime-movie-first-look-photos/

https://people.com/ladies-of-the-80s-a-divas-christmas-lifetime-first-look-photos-8305219

⚰️ News Of the Departed…

Reddest herring in the world.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-melissa-mcbride-season-2/

It makes sense since Jadis was a huge part of the Rick story.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-adds-terry-o-quinn-pollyanna-mcintosh-teaser-photos/

There better be some good explanation of why Victor went from antihero to antichrist.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-season-8-scene-madison-victor-reunite-kinda/

Dead at the con.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/new-york-comic-con-2023-recap-the-walking-dead-universe-rick-michonne-daryl-dixon-carol-fear/#1

🐩 Best In Costume…

I could look at this stuff all day.

https://www.thelist.com/646383/the-best-celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes-ever/

https://www.hola.com/us/lifestyle/20211022325485/celebrity-halloween-costumes-pets-roundup-gallery-1/

📣 Quotes of the Week

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. – Bertrand Russell

If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content. – Leo Tolstoy

I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor. – Horatio Nelson

Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character; and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man. – Schopenhauer

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman

Our experiences don’t define us. It’s what we’ve learned from them that matters. – Monkey D. Garp (Vincent Regan), One Piece

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. – Mahatma Gandhi,

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. – Henry David Thoreau

Few things will make you feel better than a job brilliantly done. – Robin S. Sharma

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping. – Gertrude Stein

🪄 Putting a Spell On You…

Visit again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s happening in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay never blowing out a Jack O’Lantern before midnight on Halloween, and stay being aware of hospital protocol before you barge into a doctor’s office.

Oct11

October 10, 2023 – Took Me a Minute, About Lois, Celebration, Sobering, Sharing, In NYC, Daryl’s Week, Reunion Talk, VanderDogs, AKC’s Finest & Watching

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There was no GH today because maybe, kinda, sorta we might have breaking news. I thought I was losing my mind when I put it on, and Carly and Josslyn were talking about Trina getting back into PCU. I thought, wasn’t she just making a big deal about a paper for class? Then the lightbulb came on…

GENERAL HOSPITAL Is Preempted Today

🎧 History Brush Up…

It’s been a while since Lois was in town.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/what-happened-to-lois-on-general-hospital

How the stars aligned for her return.

Rena Sofer Reveals Why She Came Back to GH

🎉 Not Quite Italian…

Not quite Benard either.

Maurice Benard Celebrates His Hispanic Heritage

☕️ Una Amiga Sobrio…

Not to be discouraging, but I think part of it is the company you keep. We’ll see how this goes with her palling around with Vicki and Tamra.

RHOC’s Shannon Beador Enrolls in Outpatient Program for Alcohol Treatment as Source Explains Her Plans to Continue With ‘Tres Amigas’ Comedy Tour After DUI

🍹 Watch What’s Not Charming…

For someone who wasn’t upset, he sure seemed upset. And his cheating is nuanced? What does that even mean?

Southern Charm’s Shep Rose Shares Where Taylor Heard Paige Cheating Rumor, If He’d Hookup With Olivia, and Hints There Was More to Taylor Split Than His Cheating, Plus If He’s Met Brynn Whitfield, & Hypocrisy Claims

🗽 Living the Dream…

What happened on RHONY this week.

Real Housewives of New York Season 14, Episode 13 Recap: Jessel Feels Bullied by the Mean Girls

⚰️ This Week In Daryl…

This is such a great show. It’s everything The Walking Dead should have been and Fear tried to be.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-recap-episode-5-deux-amours/

The surprise guest… sort of.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-carol-cameo-melissa-mcbride/

I don’t know about this theory. I figured she was talking about Rick and it was more of a set-up for The Ones Who Live.

https://screenrant.com/daryl-dixon-carol-cameo-walking-dead-season-12-setup/

👢 Could Happen…

People laugh at me, but I loved their music and they put on a great show. Back in the day, their concert was one of the few things I ever watched using pay-per-view.

https://extratv.com/2023/10/03/geri-halliwell-talks-spice-girls-reunion-and-reacts-to-mel-b-message-exclusive/

🐶 Pros and Controversies…

That whole thing with Dorit still annoys me. Knowing how rescue works, Dorit was in the wrong. Period. And the constant chatter about it wasn’t coming from Her Majesty. If anyone could single-handedly end the dog meat trade, it would be LVP.

The Biggest Successes and Controversies Surrounding Lisa Vanderpump’s Dog Rescue

👻 A Whole Lotta Treat…

These are some of the cutest costumes I’ve ever seen.

25 Adorable Photos of Dogs in Halloween Costumes

☎️ Hanging Up If the 90s Calls…

Take a break tomorrow for some soap (I think) and what I hope is the end of OC season. Until then, stay safe, stay not raining on anyone’s Halloween parade, and stay not hanging out with Vicki and Tamra if you want to curb your drinking.