Category Archives: nighttime drama

Jan19

January 18, 2023 – Carly Begins Her Apology Tour, Delusional, She’s Still Here, Après Prison, Bravoverse Toxicity, Victor Moonlights, Exotic Pets (!) & Outside

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Paris, France. Valentin and Anna are making out on the couch when there’s a knock at the door. She says, it must be his contact, draws her gun, and opens the door. A beautiful blonde woman breezes past her, saying, Valentin, mon amour, and kisses him.

At Spring Ridge, Esme says, there must be a mistake. She tried to explain to the judge… The guard says, someone will be here shortly to escort her to her room, and Esme sits down, putting her head in her hands. Heather smooths Esme’s hair, and says, it’ll be all right, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be all right now.

A phone with an alert from The Invader says: NEWS: Judge Holloway ordered Esme Prince to be remanded to Spring Ridge Minimum Security Prison until her trial is concluded. Ms. Prince faces… Spencer looks up from his table at Kelly’s, and thanks Ava for coming. He says he wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d blown off his request to meet. She says she considered it, and he asks why she came. She says, he knows what killed the cat, doesn’t he? She saw the news about Esme going to Spring Ridge. Does he want to throw a party? He says he wants something else, and she asks, what’s that? He says, someone he can trust.

Nina checks in at the hospital reception desk, telling the nurse that she’s here for a follow-up test to see if she’s a suitable match for bone marrow. How long does it take for her to find out she’s a match for Willow Tate, and where do they want her? The nurse says she’ll be right with her, and steps away. Sonny says he knows Nina is amped up, and she has every right to be, but she needs to slow it down, because she’s still processing the fact she’s Willow’s mother. Nina says, a fact Carly kept from her, and he says, but there is a possibility Nina will give Willow what she wants, and save her life. Nina just has a lot going on right now. She says she can handle it, and she can handle a lot more. She still can’t wrap her head around it. Yesterday, Willow was not her friend, and now she’s the daughter Nina didn’t know… She just can’t lose her.

Willow tells TJ that she let Dr. Navarro know she’s ready to have the baby. Whether that means inducing labor or having a C-section, she’s ready to move forward. TJ says, that’s such a relief, but Willow says she’s still worried about potential risks to the baby by having her prematurely. He asks, what changed her mind? and she says she doesn’t want to just give birth to this baby; she wants to raise her. She looks at Michael, and says, giving birth so she can get a bone marrow transplant increases the chance she’ll survive, so that’s what she wants to do. TJ says he’s not questioning her decision, but he doesn’t want them to get ahead of themselves. Willow says she knows. They still need to get confirmation that the woman who’s her biological… that Nina is a match, and they can go ahead with the transplant. TJ’s phone beeps, and he says, Nina just arrived for her follow-up test. Keep the faith. He’ll do everything else. Willow thanks him, and he leaves. She tells Michael that she still can’t believe it. After all the friction with Nina in her life, their whole family may depend on her. He says he can’t help thinking if they’d known sooner, this whole thing would have been over. Carly looks into the room window.

Valentin says he thinks some introductions are in order, and introduces Anna to Renee Levesque. Anna says, Valentin didn’t do her justice. She was expecting a little sewer rat. In French, Renee says, Valentin called her a rat? and he says, certainly not. He said she was a cataphile. He tells Anna that there’s a way Renee can help them find Lucy.

Heather says, she’s Esme’s m… mate, as in friend. Consider her an ally; Esme’s one woman support group. They’re all in this together at Spring Ridge. All of them are alike… misunderstood, lonely, lost… locked up. Esme says, unfortunately, that’s her, lost and locked up. She thought maybe Heather knew who she was, and why she’s locked up in this place, and Heather says she wishes she could tell Esme. She really has no memory at all of her past? Esme says, not one, and Heather says, that would explain it. Esme says, explain what? and Heather suggests they begin with introductions. She’s Heather. She shakes Esme’s hand, and Esme says she’s been told her name is Esme. Heather says, that’s a pretty name, from the French. It means beloved, loved. Esme says, Heather knows more than she does, and Heather says, she knows whoever gave Esme that special name must have loved her very much. Esme says, if they loved her so much, where are they now when she really needs them? and Heather says, who knows? Maybe they’re closer than she thinks. Esme says, they certainly weren’t there in the courthouse when the judge called her a menace to society, and sent her to come here. Heather says she sees Esme’s pregnant. Does she know how far along she is? Heather would guess her third trimester. She knows this isn’t a great prison, but it sure beats being sent to Pentenville, or the D’Archam nuthouse. Esme tells her, if you say so, and Heather invites her to sit down. Get to know each other better. They have all the time in the world.

Ava says she assumes Spencer wanted to meet to discuss the future of his family estate, and he says, Windymere. What about it? She says she thought his father or Uncle Victor would have told him. She plans to make Windymere the grand prize when she divorces Nikolas. He says, really? and she says, that wasn’t the reaction she anticipated. He says he admits there was a time when the family estate mattered a great deal to him, but now it’s more of a reminder of… She says, a reminder of what? Esme? He says, it isn’t Esme that he cares about; it’s the baby she’s carrying. Ava knows the baby is his father’s, and he knows the baby is his father’s, but Esme does not. She says, his father knows, and Spencer says, which is exactly why they have to make sure he never has the opportunity to ruin another life the way he ruined theirs.

Sonny says he refuses to believe Nina discovered she has a daughter, and she’s going to lose her. And he’s going to move heaven and earth to make sure Willow and that baby make it through this. She says she knows he can do anything he puts his mind to, but this is all on her, and whether or not she matches with Willow. TJ comes out, and asks if Nina is ready to have her blood drawn. She says she is, and asks if he’s doing it, but he says, the nurse will do the honors, but he wants to be there as Willow’s friend to supervise. Does she have a problem with that? Nina says, no, she doesn’t… Does he have a problem with it? She just wants to say again that she’s sorry… He says, someone’s life is at stake; his friend’s life. That’s all that matters. Nina agrees, and he asks her to follow him.

Michael asks what Carly is doing here, and she says she got all the way home, and realized she was taking the coward’s way out, so she came back. He says, not now. Nina is waiting for a test to confirm if she’s a bone marrow transplant match. She says, thank God, and he says, the point is, he doesn’t want anything upsetting Willow right now. Carly says, and the last thing Willow needs is her. She understands. Willow says, wait. She tells Carly, they’ve learned the hard way that keeping silent does the most harm, and Carly says, that’s why she’s back; to tell Willow that she’s really, really sorry. If she could go back to the night she found out Nina was Willow’s birth mother. If she knew then what she knows now… Michael says, so it’s Willow’s fault for keeping her condition a secret? but Carly says, no. She’s not second guessing or blaming. If she was in Willow’s shoes, she would have done the same thing. She would have done whatever it took to save her baby. Willow says, it’s the hardest decision she ever had to make, and Carly says she’s in awe of Willow’s courage, but if she’d known what Willow was facing, Willow has to believe she never would have kept secret who Willow’s birth mother was. Willow says, even if it was Nina? The woman who took everything from Carly?

In an exam room, Nina asks TJ why they have to do another test? Didn’t the cheek swab confirm she was a match? He says, the cheek swab was only an indicator she might be a match. Once they take her blood sample, they can compare it with Willow’s, and that will definitively tell them if she’s a match. Nina says, and then Willow will get a bone marrow transplant, and she’ll start to heal, and she’ll be able to have the baby. Sonny says he knows she’s excited, but they have to let TJ and the nurse do their job first. He asks TJ to give them a second, and TJ leaves with the nurse. Sonny tells Nina that Donna always gets a lollipop before she gets a shot. Is there anything he can do for her to take care of her? She says she doesn’t need a lollipop, but she does need him to do something. He says, name it, and she says, be happy for her.

Ava says, there was a time she had faith in Spencer’s father, and Spencer says, look where that faith has gotten her. He cheated on her with Spencer’s ex-girlfriend. She says, not that she believes in their marriage now, but there was a time she did. If that makes her a fool for love, so be it. At least she was happy for a time. Some people never even get that. He says, when he came back to town, he thought she was the root of all evil, and she says she knows; he was quite vocal on the subject. He says he knows now it was wrong. He thought, if only he could break up Ava and his father’s marriage, everything with him and his father would fall into place. Now he realizes the problem was never Ava; it was his father. She says, there’s no question Nikolas wronged them both, but he didn’t do all that damage on his own. He had a little help, from Esme.

Heather takes some yarn from a basket, and tells Esme, this is what we call occupational therapy. We make friendship bracelets. She pushes the basket toward Esme, saying, try it, but Esme pushes the basket away. Esme says, according to the cops and the staff at General Hospital, she has no friends. Heather says, that’s okay. Esme can have the one she’s making when she’s done with it. A gift from one new friend to another. Esme says, ever since she woke up in that hospital bed, she’s been treated like a criminal, or like this baby inside of her is some ticking time bomb, but Heather says, not anymore. She’s not going to let that happen. Esme says she doesn’t understand. They just met. Why does Heather care what happens to her?

Anna says, cataphile, that’s impressive. Did Renee go to school for that; the history and layout of prison catacombs? Renee says, but of course (🍷). She went to the school of hard knocks. She and Valentin learned together – she takes his arm – combing the catacombs at night. They’d pop up and have their pick of the finest jewelry shops in Paris. Anna asks what they did during the day, and Renee says, what the Parisians do better than anyone, and laughs. Valentin extracts himself, and says, as nice as it is to see Renee again, a woman’s life is at stake, and every second counts. He hands her a folder, and Renee says, they’ll keep it about business. Anna says, they need access to the compound. They need to gain entry, so they can get in and extract their prisoner, and then they need to get out. They’ll need to make a getaway. Valentin asks if Renee thinks it can be done, but she says, sadly, no…  except by the greatest cataphile of them all – moi. Anna asks if that means she’s willing to help them, and Renee says, for Valentin, she’ll do anything. She knows exactly which branch of the mines will afford them access to the compound. Anna says, Renee called them mines? and Renee says, it’s a common mistake to call them catacombs. The truth is, it’s a network of 15th century subterranean mines connected by large galleries. For their purposes, all that matters is she gets them where they want to go without detection. Valentin asks where she’s going, and she says, to make arrangements. Don’t worry. She’ll be back. She kisses him on both cheeks, leaving red lipstick prints. She leaves, and Anna says she’ll just clean him up a little bit, and wipes the lipstick off.

Heather says, Esme is right not to trust just anyone. Shows she has good breeding. She must come from good people. Esme tells her, if you say so. Then again, why should she trust Heather? Heather says, that’s my girl, and Esme asks what that means. Heather says she just meant, If they stick together, they can help each other. Most Ridgeans are harmless enough, but every place gets their share of riff-raff. Esme says, like who? and Heather says, like Ryan Chamberlain. She needs to avoid him at all costs. Esme tells her, Dr. Collins said he had a twin named Ryan, and he couldn’t hurt a fly, and Heather says, Ryan appears to be suffering from a physical condition that’s left him a bit declawed. But trust her. Stay away from him. He’s as sick as they come. Esme says, what about Heather? What did she do to end up in here? Heather says she loved too much. First, it was about her sons. One of them is in the slammer, and the other is six feet under. Esme says she’s sorry to hear that. Is there anyone else? Heather says, yes, a daughter; her one and only.

Spencer tells Ava, Esme is anything but an innocent victim. And even if it’s proven she’s not a killer, she’s no more fit to raise a child than his father is. That’s why he’s hoping to hire Diane Miller to sue for custody. She says, he wants custody, even though the child isn’t his? and he says, yes. It may not be his child, but it will be his half-sibling; his flesh and blood. That baby will be the only innocent person in this family, and if there’s any hope of salvaging something good out of all the pain and lies his father has inflicted on them, it lies with that baby. She asks, what was Diane’s reaction? and he says, Diane told him it’s a long shot, but she would consider going to war for him. Ava says, Diane’s no fool. If she thinks there’s a chance… She asks if he’s told his father his intentions, but Spencer says, he’ll know when the time is right. She asks what Trina thinks of his plan, but he doesn’t answer. She says, he hasn’t told Trina either, has he?

Carly tells Willow that Nina didn’t take anything from her. Sonny made his choices, and the MetroCourt is just real estate. She has her family, and Willow and her baby are a part of that family. She’d never knowingly put Willow at risk. Michael says, but she did by keeping the truth from Willow, and Carly says she was just trying to protect Willow. She was so worried about the harm Nina would cause, and she knew if Nina wormed her way into Willow’s life, she wouldn’t stop there. Michael says, just call it what it is. It was revenge. Carly says, it was not, and Willow says she needs to talk to Carly alone. Michael says, anything for her, and leaves. Carly sits down, and says, it’s just them. Say what she needs to say; don’t hold back. Willow says, don’t worry. She won’t.

Sonny says he’s happy for Nina. He just starts thinking about Carly and how she kept that secret from Nina and Willow, when it could have been life and death. Nina says, let her make this clear. She has no intentions of forgiving and forgetting what Carly did to her, but right now it’s about saving her daughter. Her whole life, she wanted a child. She thought she had a chance with Sasha, but that was just a cruel lie. Then she found out Nelle was her daughter after she was dead. It’s like this incredible gift was given to her; she gets to be a mother. And no matter how Willow feels about her, no matter their history, Willow needs her. Sonny says, Willow is lucky to have her, but Nina says she’s lucky to have Willow even more. She needs Willow just as much. TJ and the nurse come back, and TJ asks if they’re good to go. Sonny says, they’re good, and leaves. Nina says, let’s do this, and hops onto the examining table.  

Willow says, for not one minute does she believe Carly would deliberately hurt her, but it wasn’t Carly’s decision to make. Once Carly found out who her mother was, Carly owed it to Willow to tell her; to trust her to be able to handle it. She’s not made of glass. She lost a child and thought she’d die with him, but she didn’t. She found the strength to go on. And if it’s not too late, she prays she has the strength to live for Michael, Wiley, and their new baby. Carly says, Willow is right. She did the very thing she’d hate if it were done to her. She didn’t trust Willow to stand up for herself. She asks if Willow can find it in her heart to forgive her, and Willow says she’s forgiven Carly already. (Pfft!) Carly thanks her, and says she’s so sorry. She’s so grateful for Willow, and loves Willow as if she was her own daughter. She’s going to let Willow get some rest. If there’s anything she needs… Willow asks if Carly will stop by the house, and give Wiley a hug. Carly says she can do that. She truly prays that Nina comes through for Willow and the baby. Willow says, so does she.

Valentin gives Anna a glass of wine, and tells her, before she says anything, there’s nothing going on between him and Renee. Anna says she knows. Not now, but in the past. He says, remember the smash and grab robberies he told her about that he engineered in Prague, Berlin, Milan, Paris of course (🍷)? Renee was a key part of the operation because of her understanding about the catacombs. He thinks it was for the thrill; she enjoyed being a rule breaker. She says, and him? and he says, it was an opportunity to make a large sum of money by separating some very rich people from their baubles. He’s never claimed to be a choir boy. However, he’s made some very generous donations to charity, and the high end jewelry stores were heavily insured. She says, so it’s a victimless crime, but he tells her, he wouldn’t say that. But there are far uglier ways to make money. She says, and Renee? and he tells her, like he said, she was in it for the thrill, but there was never a real connection; not like he has with her. She says she just wonders if they can trust her. It’s not jealousy, but he’s climbed out of the catacombs into the light, and she wonders if Renee is in it for an easy score or to break some more rules. He says, Lucy’s life is at stake. There’s no time to find anyone else, at least not with Renee’s skills. So how does she want to play this?

Outside, somewhere in Paris, Gavin says, they took their sweet time getting there. It’s freezing. We see he’s meeting Renee, and she hands him some cash. She asks if this will keep him warm. There’s more where this came from. Does he still work for Victor Cassadine? He says, who? and she says, askMonsieur Cassadine what it’s worth to him to have his son and Anna served up en brochette.

Heather tells Esme that her little girl was taken from her when she was just a baby. Esme says she wishes someone would take hers, but Heather tells her, don’t ever say that. Getting her little girl back, and keeping her safe and happy is all she lives for. She grabs Esme’s hand, and says, there’s nothing she wouldn’t do… Esme says, Heather is hurting her, and Heather says she’s sorry. Esme asks the guard if her room is ready, but Heather says, don’t leave yet. They’ve just begun to get acquainted.

There’s a knock at Willow’s door, and Sonny says he got her message that she wanted to see him. She says she can’t believe she’s saying this, but how’s Nina?

Michael goes to the chapel, and kneels down, then gets hit by a lightning bolt. He says he’s not asking for him. He’s asking for Wiley and the baby and Willow. He knows there’s going to be a lot of baggage dealing with Nina as Willow’s mother in the future, but that’s next week’s problem. For today, please let them be a match. Just… give Willow a chance. That’s all he’s asking. He hears the door open, and Carly is there.

In French, Renee tells Valentin, it’s all been arranged. She’ll lead them tomorrow through the underground network. Through the twists and turns until they reach the compound. From there, they can find the prisoner and set her free. He says he knew he could count on her. What did he tell Anna? She’s one of a kind. Anna tells him, she’s everything he said she’d be, and more so. Renee says, just like old times. N’c’est pas, mon amour? She touches his face, and asks Anna if they’re in this together.

Spencer tells Ava, looping Trina in would only complicate her life, which is something he’s done plenty of already. She says, he can’t have it both ways. He can’t try to renew his friendship with Trina, and keep her in the dark about such a big move. Or hasn’t he learned anything from the last time, when he came back to town with Esme? He asks if Ava really thinks he should tell Trina, and she says she does. Tell her, and let her make the choice if she wants to be involved. He says, she’s right, but he didn’t ask her here to get advice. She says, then what? She knows Diane is expensive, but he certainly doesn’t need her money or approval. He says, if he’s going to go up against his father, he can’t do it alone.

Heather follows Esme to the other side of the room, and says she’s sorry if she came on too strong. Seeing Esme in the family way pushed her buttons. Does she know if it’s a boy or a girl? Has she picked any names? Esme says she just met Heather, and what she decides to do with this baby is strictly her business. Does Heather understand? Heather says she understands completely. That baby isn’t just an inconvenience to Esme, no matter how she tries to pretend. Esme cares about her child. Almost as much as Heather cares about hers.

Carly says she’ll keep her distance, but Michael says, Willow needs all of their prayers. She tells him that he keeps saying what Willow needs; what about him? Does he have room in his heart for her?

Valentin tells Anna, they have to move quickly before Victor learns of their plan and moves Lucy to another location. It’s now or never. Anna looks at Renee, and says, then it’s now.

Michael says he knows what Carly wants to hear, but he can’t deal with her right now. All that matters is Willow, and he needs to be with her. He walks out.

Willow says she doesn’t know if there will be a happy ending for her, but Sonny tells her, don’t say that. She’s going have beautiful baby, and get much better. Trust him. She says, even he can’t guarantee that. So if it turns out she’s not here for her family, she needs him and Michael to stop being enemies; become father and son again. She’s not saying it will be easy. Sonny will have to earn it, but please do whatever he can to win Michael’s forgiveness. Because she knows Michael needs him, and Sonny needs Michael. He takes her hand, and says he’s going to do what he can. Take care of his grandchild, understand him? She nods, and Sonny leaves.  

Ava says, Diane already warned Spencer that he’s in for a fight. She knows Nikolas, and he won’t hesitate to play dirty when it comes to the custody of his child. Spencer says he’s ready. After all, his father taught him all those same dirty tricks. She says she admires his initiative, but he’s right. He’s going to need all the help he can get. He’s going to have to count on somebody who’s willing to get down and dirty too. Spencer asks if she has anyone in mind, and she points to herself.

The guard says, Esme’s room is ready, and Esme jets. Heather says she knows it’s just Esme’s hormones talking. She understands what Esme is going through. The guard escorts Esme down the hall, and Heather yells that she’ll be here when Esme needs her. She goes back to the table, and yells, wait. Esme forgot her bracelet. She clutches the bracelet to her chest.

TJ comes back to the exam room, and says he thought Nina would be long gone by now. He personally made sure the lab has her bloodwork, so there’s nothing more she can do until they get the results. She says she just wanted to know what’s next. She knows she’s going to be a match. Does he know how soon Willow can get her transplant? He says, nothing can happen until Willow gives birth. After that, she’ll go through another round of chemotherapy to kill the diseased cells. After that, they take stem cells from Nina, and inject them in Willow’s bloodstream. Nina says, okay, and then? and he says, if all goes well, Willow will produce healthy new blood cells. Nina says, all has to go well.

Michael goes back to Willow’s room, and asks if there’s any news. Is Nina a match? She says, nothing yet, and he tells her that he said a prayer for her and the baby. She says she needs all the prayers she can get, and he says, that’s what he told his mom. Willow might be able to forgive her, but he’s not sure he can. They hug.

Carly is in the chapel when Sonny walks in.

Tomorrow, Curtis says they’d like Marshall’s help with the ceremony; Josslyn says she’d never make Spencer choose sides, but clearly he already has; Dex says, the sooner this is over for him, the better; and Sonny says, Carly might be able to lie to herself, but not to him.

😵 Wow…

There are no words. It’s scary that some people can’t separate reality from fiction.

Laura Wright Defends Cynthia Watros From Internet Hate

💋 Overstaying Her Welcome Now…

Andy hopes she comes back. I don’t.

Lisa Rinna Slams Kyle Richards; Says She “Wants To Be Liked” Too Much

Yet one more weighs in.

Heather Dubrow Reacts To Lisa Rinna’s Exit; Says Whether She Would Join Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

🧂 Kind Of Late…

If they’re worried about her mental health, it’s probably not a good idea to wait six and a half years.

https://pagesix.com/2023/01/15/jen-shah-to-enter-mental-health-treatment-program-after-prison/

☠️ Most Toxic…

Another matter of opinion. While Jax is definitely the worst human being on earth, why weren’t Teresa and Melissa on this list? Or Teresa and Joe #2? Or Teresa and that Solo cup?

Bravo’s Most Toxic Relationships

👰🏾 Look Who’s Officiating Now…

And doing the Electric Slide.

https://people.com/movies/anika-noni-rose-marries-jason-dirden-colman-domin/

🦔 Besides the Usual…

A capybara and a fennec fox please.

https://www.journiest.com/bizarre-pets-around-the-world-2547432805.html

🍩 Time To Make the Donuts…

Come for a visit tomorrow, where there will be soap and a selection of fine tea. Until then, stay safe, stay disagreeing respectfully, and stay not doing the very thing you’d hate if it were done to you.

Jan14

January 13, 2023 – Carly Confesses All To Nina, Burdensome, True Story, a Farewell, New Ultimate, Maybe Moving, VanderNext, Dead Talk, Literary Dogs (!), Quote Octet & Glory

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina plays cards with Curtis and Portia, and Portia asks what Trina is doing on her phone. She’s been texting all night. What’s going on? Who is she texting? Curtis says, only if she feels like sharing, and she says, sorry. She didn’t mean to be rude. It’s Spencer; he needs her. We see her text to him: Hang in there. You’re not alone.

There’s a knock at Sonny’s penthouse door, and Spencer lets in Alexis, thanking her for coming. She says, he told her it was important. What’s up? He says, take her pick. Esme’s been found, his father’s sunk to a new low, and Britt is dead. She says she’s really sorry about Britt, and he says, it’s so wrong that she’s gone, and it scares him that there’s someone out there who may be even more dangerous and unhinged than Esme is.

At the station, Jordan says she understands the position Dante is in, but this investigation needs a break. The interview with Britt Westbourne was helpful. They now know the killer’s wearing a mask, but she’s still on the loose. If he’d feel more comfortable, she can take the lead. He says, no. It’s all good. They need to get to the bottom of what happened to Britt Westbourne that night. She says, that they do, and she’s hoping his connection with the witness pays off.

Michael asks if Drew knows where his mom is, and Drew says, she’s with Nina. Michael says, this night’s already bad enough. Why would she talk to Nina of all people? Drew says, there’s something Michael needs to know, but Michael says, if it has to do with Nina, he’s out. Drew says, he gets it. Nina has made life difficult for him and Willow. Michael says, she’s been hounding them for months. She took them to court over Wiley, and said Willow was cheating on him. Nina can’t stay out of their lives no matter what they do.

Outside Willow’s room, Josslyn asks if Sonny has seen Michael, and he says he hasn’t, but he’s sure Michael is close. She says, something’s come up and she has to go, but she told Michael she’d stay with Willow, and she feels really bad leaving her. Sonny says he’ll stay with Willow. Go ahead and go. He’ll explain it to Michael. She says, okay, and leaves. Sonny goes into Willow’s room.

Nina says, before Carly starts, if this is about her upsetting Willow again, she didn’t go over there for that. Carly says, that’s not what this is about. As Nina knows, Willow is sick. Nina says, that’s why she and Sonny were at the chapel; they were praying for Willow. Carly says, praying is good, but Nina can do more to save Willow, and Nina says, anything she can do. Carly says, good, because Nina may be the only person on earth who can save Willow.

Portia says, Spencer needs her? and Trina says, he needs a friend. Portia says she didn’t realize Trina still considered Spencer a friend, and Trina says, Esme resurfaced, and Spencer found out she was pregnant – by his father – and then he lost Britt who he was very close to. It’s been a lot on him. Portia says she doesn’t doubt it, especially the pregnancy part. She’s sure Spencer has a lot to unpack. What about Josslyn and Cameron? Can’t they help him? Curtis says, they know how amazingly compassionate Trina is, and Portia says, of course (🍷) they’re extremely proud of Trina’s instinct to help someone in need. But she has a very giving and forgiving heart, and she’s going through a lot right now herself. Curtis says, he and her mother want to make sure she’s supported. She has a lot to process, like, how does she feel about Esme being caught? Trina says, honestly, she’s conflicted. For months, she wanted Esme to face the consequences of filming that video and framing her. Esme made her life hell. Portia says, of course (🍷) she would want justice, and Trina says she did, but she wanted more than justice. She wanted revenge, and part of her still does.

Alexis says, so Spencer is living here now? and he says he is. She says, enough about that. She assumes he’s been told the PCPD is no longer considering Esme as a suspect, and he says, yes, but that doesn’t mean she’s innocent of anything else. He’s learned not to underestimate Esme. She says, hard won wisdom, and he says he did speak with her though. She asks what Esme said, and adds, she’s asking as his aunt, not as an editor. He says, that’s cool either way. She didn’t know who he was. Either she’s a very convincing fake, or she’s got amnesia. Alexis says, or maybe it’s possible she committed the crimes and doesn’t remember. She thinks it’s smart that the PCPD moved on to other suspects. He says he almost wishes she was guilty, so he could stop worrying that someone is targeting Trina and their other friends. She says, Britt was incredibly brave, and he says he almost wishes she wasn’t. She put her life on the line, but if she’d just run away like the person she was protecting, she might have lived to fight another day. He doesn’t know.

Dante thanks Josslyn for coming to the station so quickly, and she says, he told her it was important on the phone. He says, it is; it’s about The Hook killer. She asks if they found her, and he says, not yet, but he was hoping she could help them out with some questions. She says she wants to do whatever she can to help, but will it take long? and he says he doesn’t know. Does she have somewhere to be? She says, actually, yes. She was with Willow. They walk into the interrogation room, and Jordan and Robert are there. Josslyn asks, what is this? and Jordan asks her to have a seat.

Sonny says, Willow looks so fragile, but he knows she’s anything but. He’s seen her take on Shiloh and Nelle to protect Wiley. She’s been in a jail cell… She’s a fighter. That’s why he knows she’s going to fight this. She has the best medical care, and Michael’s going to do everything he can to take care of her. He just wishes he knew how to take care of them both.

Michael tells Drew, Nina actually came to their house tonight and accused him of jeopardizing Willow’s health. She confused Wiley; she upset Willow. If he has to get a restraining order, he’ll get one. He’ll do everything in his power to keep Nina away from Wiley. Drew says, he does not want to do that. He and Carly think Nina could be a bone marrow match for Willow. Michael knows he’s been searching for Willow’s birth family, right? Michael says, don’t tell him that Nina is some distant relative, and Drew says, not so distant.

Nina says she’s happy to get tested, just like everyone else, but Carly says, she’s not like everyone else. She needs to get tested now, and needs to rush the results. Nina says she understands the urgency – Willow’s having a medical crisis – but why did Carly have to come to her personally? Carly says, because a family member has the best chance of success, and Nina is the most likely match. Nina says she and Willow aren’t related, but Carly says, they are. Nina asks if Carly is all right. They’re only connected through Wiley, and that’s only because Nelle was her daughter. Carly says, Nelle isn’t Nina’s only daughter. Willow is too.

Dante says, Josslyn knows Britt Westbourne was murdered recently by The Hook? and Josslyn says she does. Jordan says, Dr. Westbourne was nicked trying to defend someone else, and Dante says, the intended victim, the person Britt rescued… They have security footage from the docks, and they think they have a lead. He slides his tablet over, and Josslyn looks at it. He asks if she recognizes anyone, but she says, it’s grainy. He says, that footage was captured on Pier 54, at 11:57 pm, the night of December 31st; fifteen minutes before Britt called in the attack on Pier 55. Josslyn slides the tablet back, and asks, what’s the question? Jordan says, was Josslyn the intended victim the night Britt died?

Curtis says, it’s perfectly natural that Trina would want Esme to pay for her crimes, and Trina says, but she’s not sure she does anymore… at least not like she used to. They should have seen Esme when she showed up on the deck of the Haunted Star. She looked pathetic, soaking wet, shivering, pregnant. She looked completely vulnerable. Portia says, that night maybe, but that doesn’t mean she’s still not a threat. Curtis says, Esme drugged Oz Haggerty to the point he had to be put in a medially induced coma, and she’s still a suspect in The Hook killings. Trina says, no doubt Esme’s done some horrible things, but that was the old Esme. Portia asks if Trina believes Esme doesn’t remember what she’s done, and Trina says, that’s what the doctors think, right? Is it possible amnesia changed Esme?

Sonny tells says, he’s lost so many people in his life. His son can’t lose Willow. For Michael, the sun rises and sets in her eyes. She’s the mother of his children, his best friend, his soulmate. He knows Willow’s encouraged Michael to communicate with him; to meet him halfway. She’s never lost hope that they’re going to be a father and son again. Everybody needs her. The family needs her; he needs her. Losing her would mean there’s no hope of the family getting back together again.

Michael says, Nina is Willow’s birth mother? The woman who’s been antagonizing Willow since she was a teacher? And Harmony knew the whole time? How could she… Drew says he knows it’s a lot to take in, but Willow needs Michael. She needs Michael’s support. Carly wanted to tell her, but because time is of the essence… Michael says, Drew’s right. She needs to hear it from him.

Nina asks what Carly is talking about. Willow is not her daughter. Carly says she understands this is a shock. She’ll be happy to give Nina an explanation, but later. Please come to the lab… Nina says she’s not going anywhere with Carly until Carly tells her… Carly says, there’s no time, and Nina says, then talk fast. Carly says, Nina had twins, and Nina says, impossible. Carly says, no. She was in a coma. Nina says she had medical attention. Phyllis was one of her nurses. She took Nelle to Florida, and gave Nelle to the Bensons. Carly says, that was the second baby, and she’s guessing that was by design, because Madeline had to make sure she separated the babies so she could get her hands on Nina’s inheritance. Nina says she doesn’t know why Carly is doing this, but she’ll play along. If Willow was Nelle’s twin, Carly is saying Madeline handed of Willow to… Carly says, Harmony. Nina’s mother gave the baby to Harmony.  

Dante says, the person in that footage looks a lot like Josslyn, and if it is her, that means she was in the vicinity of that attack. That means she could possibly help them ID the killer. Josslyn says she’d tell them if she thought she could help, and Robert says, no need to be cagey. She’s in no trouble. Jordan says, they believe Josslyn was the victim that night. It’s curious she didn’t say anything. Dante says, they think she was the intended target the night Brando was killed. If what they suspect is right, then the killer got a second shot at her on New Year’s Eve. Jordan says, if Britt hadn’t shown up, Josslyn’s family might be planning her funeral. Robert says, they can’t protect her unless she gives them all the information. Talk to them. Diane walks in, and says, not one word.

Curtis says, whether or not Esme has amnesia, Trina can’t let her guard down. Trina says she hears them. She fully believes Esme is a psycho, but not a serial killer. Portia says she’s not clear on the laws regarding memory loss, but she doesn’t think it gives Esme a free pass. She committed crimes; she’s a criminal. She needs to face the consequences of her actions. Trina tells them, that’s what Spencer said, and she doesn’t disagree. She’s not saying she’d trust Esme again, but she’s not using Esme as a means of closure. She wants to end that chapter of her life and move on. Portia asks how letting in Spencer helps her do that.

Alexis says, Spencer was closest to Esme. She didn’t have any family; is that true? He says, just adopted siblings. They’re not close, but in due time, Esme will give birth and contribute directly to her family tree. Alexis says, and ours.

Sonny says, they’re going to do everything they can to get Willow well, so she can get back to her kids and his son. Even if he’s not invited back into the fold, it doesn’t matter. He just wants them to be together and happy. Open her eyes. She can do this. Just… Michael walks in.

Nina tells Carly, who knows how Harmony got Willow? That woman was a pathological liar. Carly says, one that tried to kill her and Alexis just to keep this secret safe, and Nina says, if Harmony wanted to keep it safe, how did Carly find out? Carly says, Harmony told her the night she died, and Nina says, Carly suspected she was Willow’s mother the night Harmony died last year? Carly says, if she’d known Willow was sick, she would have said something a lot sooner, and Nina asks if she told Willow. Carly says, no, and Nina says, good, because there is no evidence beyond a troubled woman’s sick confession on her deathbed. This is irresponsible of Carly to go out and present this as truth. She kind of understands it because of what Willow is going through right now, but she’s going to do Carly a big favor. She’s going to pretend this conversation never took place. Carly says she knows for a fact Nina is Willow’s biological mother, and Nina asks, how? Carly says she has proof.

Sonny says, Josslyn was called away, and didn’t want Willow to be alone, and Michael says he appreciates Sonny being here. Sonny says, of course (🍷). He’ll leave them alone. He leaves, and Michael sits by Willow’s bedside. He says he can hear her voice in his head, telling him to go after Sonny. Life’s too short, and he’s trying. Please don’t tell him their life is going to be cut short. He needs her. She’s his conscience, the voice in his head. And he needs to hear it out loud, even if it’s scolding him. She opens her eyes, and says she’ll remind him that he said that.

Trina says, since Rory died, Spencer’s really been there for her, and Portia says, at what cost? She’ll always be grateful Spencer did the right thing in the end, but she can never forget he lied and took Esme’s side. Trina says, he was playing her, but Portia says, not the entire time. She doesn’t get how Trina can excuse that, and let him back in. How is that moving on with her life? Curtis’s phone rings, and he says he has to check in on the club. He leaves, and Trina says she understands Portia’s concerns, but her eyes are wide open. She sees how Spencer has matured this past year. Those months in Pentenville, and now losing people he loves. It’s changed him; given him purpose. He’s committed to doing better. Portia says she’s genuinely sorry for what Spencer’s going through. The way his father betrayed him is indefensible. Trina says, Spencer’s crushed. He was really tight with Britt. And his father – the only parent he has – keeps letting him down over and over again. Portia says, one of the other reasons she’s so uncomfortable with them reconnecting. The Cassadines are dangerous, even to themselves. Everyone who goes near them ends up being burned.

Alexis says she takes it Spencer isn’t thrilled with having a new sibling. Keep in mind, it’s not the baby’s fault; the baby’s innocent. He says he’s not going to hold a grudge against a baby, and she says she knows. He’s a good one. He has forgiveness and empathy. He thanks her, and says, here’s the issue. If Esme finds a way out of this, she’s going to take that baby as far away from Port Charles as possible. Alexis says, Esme’s got some serious legal trouble pending. Even if she finds a way to get over that, Spencer’s father is resolved. He wants full custody.

In the squad room, Dante says he should have known Josslyn was going to call Diane. She’s Carly’s daughter. She’d probably never talk to the police without a lawyer present. Jordan says, Diane looks to be in fighting form, and Robert says, killer Miller. Diane comes out of the interrogation room, asking if she hears her name. Her client is ready to give a statement. They all go back in, and Jordan says, she wanted to keep this informal. Diane asks if that’s why she had Josslyn’s stepbrother call her down her and ambush her, with the District Attorney and the Commissioner. They know the rules. They can’t compel a potential witness to say anything. Robert says, there’s no need to pull out the heavy artillery; they’re just talking. Diane says, her client is ready to make a statement. The moment this turns into an interrogation, she pulls the plug. Josslyn says she was on Pier 55 at midnight on New Year’s. Someone did come at her with a hook. She doesn’t know who; she was wearing a mask. She tried to get away, but she was in heels. She fell down, and The Hook was basically on top of her. She was going to stab Josslyn, then Britt came out of nowhere, swinging her bag. Britt told her to run, and she did. Jordan asks why Josslyn didn’t come forward when she heard Britt died, and Josslyn says, she only found out about Britt a couple hours ago; they had a family emergency. Robert says, if what she’s saying is the truth, why did she engage counsel? and Diane says, first of all, it’s her constitutional right. Robert says, if she was arrested, which she wasn’t, and Diane says, it’s only a sensible idea to retain counsel. Josslyn is following her mother’s example, and the example of her Uncle Jason, who, if Robert recalls, never sat down to a police interview without the benefit of counsel. Think about all the misunderstandings they’ve avoided over the years, and look at them now, avoiding another one. Robert says, there’s really no comparison, unless she’s accusing his office of persecuting victims of crime. Diane says, not at all. She trusts him to act in good faith; just as Josslyn trusts her to ensure he does. Does Josslyn have anything to add? Josslyn says she didn’t see anything that night that could help them. She wishes she had. Dante asks if she remembers if her attacker was pregnant, and she says she doesn’t really know. She wasn’t really paying attention. She was kind of focused on The Hook, and trying to get away. Diane says she knows exactly how Josslyn feels. If she has nothing more to add… Josslyn says, no, and Robert says he’ll walk Diane out. Dante asks if Josslyn has a minute, but Diane says, only if it’s a family matter and not police business. He says, it is a family matter, and Josslyn says, it’s fine. Diane, Robert, and Jordan leave, and Dante says he’s sorry about this. Josslyn asks if it was his idea, and he says, no, but he went along with it. She says if she knew anything that could help him, he wouldn’t have to ambush her. She would have come to him herself. He says he knows. Looks like she outmaneuvered them anyway by calling Diane. She says she learned from the best, and he says she did. What was the family emergency?

Nina asks what proof Carly has that Willow is her daughter, and Carly says she ran a DNA test on the two of them. After Harmony told her that Nina was Willow’s mother, she was skeptical. So she took a few strands of hair from Willow’s hairbrush, and a glass Nina had used at Charlie’s Pub. Nina says, Carly stole her DNA, then ran an illegal DNA test without her knowledge or consent? Carly says, the results were conclusive, with a probability of 99.9%. Nina and Willow are biologically mother and daughter.

Sonny says, it’s good Drew is here. Michael needs all the support he can get, and he doesn’t want it from Sonny. Drew tells Sonny that Josslyn said she filled him in about Willow, and Sonny asks if Drew’s known all along, but Drew says, no. Willow filled him in a couple of weeks ago. Sonny says, it kills him that she didn’t loop them in, and Drew says, it’s always better to have things out in the open. Sonny wonders if he can ask Drew a question, and Drew says, yeah. Sonny says, Carly’s in the chapel right now with Nina instead of Michael and Willow. Does he know anything about that?

Spencer says, his father wants the baby, and Alexis says, he plans to sue on the grounds that she’s unfit. He says, pot meet kettle, and she says she knows. She doesn’t know the details; she doesn’t want to. She just knows he’s serious. Spencer says, with his considerable resources and no one to vouch for Esme… She says, he stands a good chance. So if Esme isn’t the killer, who is? He says he wishes he could tell her. He really thought it was Esme. She asks if Trina has any enemies, but he says, everyone loves Trina. She says, what about Portia? What about Taggert? He says he doesn’t think so. Trina’s dad and Curtis were both in law enforcement, so maybe, but why would they go after Trina instead of going after them directly? Is she looking for a scoop? She says she’s looking for the truth. She’d like the killer caught. She has to go to work; she has a conference call. Don’t tell his father that she told him about his plans. Spencer says he won’t. It was good to see her. She says, as far as vouching for Esme, is there anyone important to her, aside from that sociopath Chamberlain? He says, yes. She’s very devoted to Esme. Maybe enough to kill for her?

Portia says she’s tried to be open minded about Trina’s connection to Spencer, but his father lost her when he terrorized the kids at Windymere because he was trying to teach Spencer a lesson. Now that same man cheated on his wife, with Spencer’s girlfriend, and got her pregnant. The same girl that terrorized Ava. And don’t get her started on Victor Cassadine because… Trina says she knows. She knows Spencer’s family is messed up. Portia says, amoral is a better word for it. She doesn’t want Trina anywhere near those people. Trina says, Spencer’s not his family; he’s his own man. Portia says, he’s a two-time convicted felon, and Trina says, growing up, Portia taught her never to judge people by their worst mistake. Portia says she knows, but you also have to look at the patterns people do. Trina says she gets that Portia is just looking out for her, but please trust her judgement. Portia says she does, and Trina says she hopes one day Portia sees Spencer the way she does, but ultimately, she doesn’t have to. Because he’s not Portia’s friend; he’s hers.  

Willow asks, what happened? and Michael says, she collapsed at home, but she’s stable now. She says, Nina was in the house with Wiley… He says, Wiley is with Brook and Chase; he’s fine. She asks if Wiley saw her pass out, and he says he’s afraid so. She says, he must be terrified, and Michael says, he knows she’s sick. He doesn’t the have details, but they can explain it to them together. She asks if she’ll make it home to do that, and he says, of course (🍷). Why would she ask that? She says, he has the strangest expression on his face. What is he not telling her? He says, it’s about Nina, and she says she never wants to hear that woman’s name again.

Drew tells Sonny that he knows why Carly wanted to speak to Nina, but it’s not his place to share. Sonny says, Carly’s not here, and he needs answers. If it involves his family, he needs to know, and he suggests Drew tell him.  

Nina says she wants to see those results, and Carly says she’ll get Nina a copy. Nina says, never mind. She doesn’t know if Carly used her samples or Willow’s. She’ll get her own test. Carly says, they don’t have time. Why would she lie? Nina says she doesn’t know why Carly does the things she does. Maybe because she’s a liar. Maybe because Carly hates her, or maybe this is some bizarre revenge because she fell in love with Sonny. Carly says, Willow is dying. She has Stage IV leukemia. She needs healthy blood forming cells from a relative, and she only has one. She has Nina. Nina flashes back to her interactions with Willow over the years, both friendly and antagonistic. Carly says she knows Nina hates her and the feeling is mutual, but it’s not about them. This is about Willow. Please go get tested. Please. Nina says, Carly is a monster. Carly made her feel like the scum of the earth. She said over and over how Nina was wrecking their family. What about Nina’s family? How could Carly keep her away from her child? Carly says, Nina can lash out at her all she wants after she gets tested, and Nina says, don’t tell her what to do. Go to hell, you selfish bitch. She’s going to go save her daughter. She slams out of the chapel.

Trina tells Portia, it’s been a long day. Tell Curtis thanks for dinner. She’s not in the mood for dessert. Goodnight. Trina goes upstairs, and Curtis walks in with a couple glasses of wine. He tells Portia that he heard most of it. Does she want to talk about it? She asks if it’s that obvious, and he says he knows her face. He’s literally memorized every expression. Call it a survival tactic. She says she thought Trina put Spencer in the rearview, but she seems determined to revive their friendship. He says he wondered about that when he saw them together, and hoped it wouldn’t become a habit, and Portia says, it won’t if she has anything to say about it. He says he’s not sure she does. Trina has made it clear that she values boundaries. Portia says she wants to respect that, but she’s not going to sit back and watch Spencer worm his way back into Trina’s heart again.

Spencer says, last Esme mentioned her, Maggie was living in London, but Sam could tell Alexis more. Alexis says, her Sam? and he says he asked Sam to find Maggie Fitzgerald when he thought she could be the key to getting Esme to confess she framed Trina. But then Trina was exonerated, and he never followed up. In a letter, Maggie warned Esme against having any contact with her birth father. Alexis says, he told her Esme had no family, and he says, none that she knew of, but Esme claims Maggie knew her biological parents, but never told her. Alexis thanks him for this. Let her know if he hears anything else. A reporter took a picture of him and Trina together after Rory’s funeral. He says, they’ve been spending time together, and she says, be careful. If Trina is a target, it could put him at risk. He says he knows how to protect his own, and she says, his own. He is growing up.

Drew tells Sonny, he’s not gatekeeping family business. It’s a personal matter that involves Nina. Sonny says, Nina’s his family, and Drew says he’s sure Nina will tell him. Carly comes along, and tells Sonny to back off. Sonny asks, what’s going on? Where’s Nina?

Willow says, every time she turns around, Nina is invading their space. Making wild accusations; trying to get close to their son. Nina is toxic. Michael tells her to calm down, and she tells him to make her a promise. If she loses this battle, promise her that Nina will never have access to Wiley ever again. Nina walks in, and Willow says, get out. Leave her alone. Michael says, not now, and Willow says, not ever. She wants Nina out of this room, and out of her life for good. Nina says she’s sorry, but Willow’s life may depend on her.

On Monday, Spencer says, this baby may not know either of its parents; Sonny asks what Carly has to feel guilty about; and Michael suggests Willow hear what Nina has to say.

🚑 Heavy Weighs the Soap Crown…

I don’t think I’ve ever watched the scene in question, but it sounds pretty awful. I remember Roger Howarth being uncomfortable about Todd having been a rapist on OLTL, then going on to be an antihero.

Genie Francis Opens Up About the “Burden” of Playing Laura

👩🏻‍⚕️ The Real Why…

I totally get it, and she certainly went out with a bang.

The Real Reason Why Kelly Thiebaud Left GENERAL HOSPITAL

🥀 Another Goodbye…

I didn’t watch the soaps he was in, but the fact he wrote The Deer Hunter makes him worthy of a mention.

https://www.soapcentral.com/young-and-restless/news/2023/0110-oscar-nominated-quinn-redeker-a-days-and-yr-alum-has-passed-away.php

🏖 But Will They Survive…?

This actually sounds somewhat interesting. Ultimate underdogs.

Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip 4 Cast Confirmed; Caroline Manzo, Gretchen Rossi, And Alex McCord To Return!

🩺 Flipping the Script…

It’s stretching the married part, but then again the Housewives are rarely housewives.

Phaedra Parks Is Reportedly In Talks To Join Married To Medicine Season 10

🍸 A Full Trailer…

Something to look forward to. If you have no life. Yeah, I’ll be watching.

The Vanderpump Rules Season 10 Trailer Is Finally Here, And It’s Full Of Hookups, Breakups, and Garcelle Beauvais

⚰️ Here’s Where It Gets Complicated…

You’ll need a daily planner if you want to keep up with all of these.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-to-end-season-8/

🐕 Dogs On the Page…

For the bookworm dog lover.

https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/dogs-in-fiction/

🐳 Quotes of the Week

I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. – Vince Lombardi

I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now? – John Lennon while doing mushrooms

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man. – Benjamin Franklin

Happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. – Frederick Koenig (Well, duh, Frederick Koenig.)

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. – William Feather

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. – Harry S. Truman

Happiness is for dogs and Americans. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

🥠 Netflix and Chinese…

When it’s at the point you have to dust them, it’s time to take the decorations down. After you’re finished with whatever the next two days hold for you, take time out on Monday-really-Tuesday for some soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not eating your feelings, and stay never judging people by their worst mistake.

Dec10

December 9, 2022 – Ryan Gets a Blast From the Past, Love To Hate, NJ Dish, Hot Stuff, VanderDumped, Competition, Dead Talk, DocuGlee, Critic Noms, Pets (!), a Bouquet Of Quotes & Hazy

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Sonny asks, how’s Donna? and Nina says, he’s missing all the fun. Donna is running circles around her and Pilar. She asks how his day is, and he says he’ll tell her all about it when he gets home. She says, they’ll be here. Donna and Pilar are having an early supper in the kitchen, but for them, she ordered a gourmet dinner for two to be delivered from the MetroCourt. He says he’ll see her when he gets home, and Dex comes to his office. Dex says he wanted to follow up on the deal Sonny mentioned; some third party who wants to use his facilities? Sonny said he might want Dex to assist him. Sonny says, that depends, and Dex says, on what? Sonny says, on what’s important to Dex; working for him, or making time with Josslyn?

Nina hums as she sets the table and pours some wine. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, it must be dinner. She opens the door, and Josslyn asks what she’s doing here.

Trina tells Rory that she doesn’t know what to say, and he says, when he was in training at the Police Academy, he had several instructors tell him that he was going to be a great cop because he’s so naturally stoic. Big emotions like this don’t come easy to him, but tonight… He guesses his feelings for her are so strong, he had to say something. And even though this is new to him, he wanted her to know how much he meant it, every single word. He loves her. Spencer watches, and tells Victor that he thinks he lost his appetite. Rory tells Trina that he didn’t know how he was actually going to feel after saying that. He feels great, but he wants her to know he doesn’t expect her to say anything in return. He got her something, and it’s not another can of soda; they’ve progressed. He wanted to get her something to symbolize how he felt. He gives her a gift bag, and she takes out a perfume (I think) box. He says, it’s called L’Amore. It seemed fitting. She says, this is… and looks up to see Spencer practically hugging the back of Rory’s chair. FYI, perfume is probably not a good choice of gift, unless you really know the person or you know that’s what they wear.

Alone in his room, Ryan says, Esme, where the hell are you? What have you gotten yourself into now? The doorknob rattles, and he goes back to his locked-in persona. Someone wearing a bathrobe comes in and closes the door. Heather says, hello… lover. They tell her that he can’t talk to her, but she bets she knows what he’s thinking. A blast from the past, right? Her and him, together again for the first time. It almost feels like a lifetime ago, but some things in life, you just can’t forget. They both know when they were bad, it was very good.

Elizabeth says, Finn went to Spoon Island? and he says, like he told her, he was looking for Esme Prince. Sha asks, what made him think Esme would be on the island of all places? and he says he was just following the trail. She says, what trail? and he says, the one that begins and ends with her. She says she doesn’t understand. How could she have led him to look for Esme on Spoon Island? He says, she was the last person to see Esme before Esme attacked her on the pier. If she hadn’t called the police first, who knows what Esme would have done? Elizabeth says, but she didn’t. They should be thankful she just ended up with a bump on her head, and leave it at that. He says, but who knows if it would have ended there? He thinks Esme went to Spoon Island, and now that he’s been there, he’s even more convinced he’s on the right track.

Heather asks if Ryan remembers how they first met; that was ages ago. Decades. But she can still see it, as if it was yesterday. She runs her hand up his arm, and stands behind his chair, feeling his chest. She says, she was hiking the Cascade Mountains. A regular nature girl on a journey to find a place for herself outside the rigid confines of middleclass society. That’s when she smelled smoke, coming out of a cabin in the middle of nowhere. And there he was, chopping wood with a hatchet. The blade gleamed in the moonlight. He always was handy with a blade. She caresses his right arm and says, such a shame to lose this hand. It was so talented in so many ways. She said her name was Hazel, and he said his name was Richard. They were both playing the same game. They found each other. Soulmates. Is it beginning to come back to you, Richie?

Rory asks Trina, what’s wrong? and follows her gaze to Spencer behind him. He says, oh, and Trina says she doesn’t understand. They said Spencer’s release was weeks away. Spencer says, it was supposed to be. Don’t let him interrupt their dinner. They’re clearly in the middle of something special. Rory says, they are, and Trina gets up, asking, what happened? How is he a free man? He says, don’t worry; he didn’t escape this time. Trina asks, what changed? and Victor says, his nephew’s exemplary behavior earned him an early release. Spencer thanks him, but says, Trina is smarter than that. He did what he always does and relied on his family to get him out of trouble.

Nina asks why Josslyn is surprised. Everyone, including Josslyn, knows that she and Sonny are involved. Josslyn walks in, and says she’s here to pick up Donna, and it was her understanding Nina isn’t allowed anywhere near her little sister. Nina says she’s happy to tell Josslyn, that information is outdated. Sonny and Carly reached a new understanding, and she had the best day with Donna. She’s in the kitchen with Pilar having an early supper. Josslyn says she’ll check in with her mom about the change in rules when she gets home, and starts to head for the kitchen, but Nina says, Sonny isn’t home from work yet. Josslyn says, shocking. The family man is too busy obstructing justice, or whatever it is he does (see? Josslyn doesn’t even know what he does), to spend time with his youngest child, so he leaves her with the girlfriend. Lucky Donna is still too young to understand where she ranks on Sonny’s list of priorities. Nina says, Sonny is on his way home right now, and she knows he’d love to see his daughter and kiss her before Josslyn takes her home to Carly, so wait a little while. She can take it if Josslyn can.

Dex tells Sonny that he didn’t go to Josslyn for help. He never meant for her to be involved. Sonny says, but she was involved, and Dex flashes back to Josslyn fixing up his bullet wound in the gatehouse. He says he doesn’t know if Josslyn saved his life, but she definitely saved his freedom. People know he works for Sonny. If Josslyn had called an ambulance or the cops, Sonny would have been investigated at the very least. Sonny asks, what’s his point? and he says, Josslyn did him a favor, and he’s grateful, but that’s as far as it goes. Sonny says, good, because he spent today cleaning up the mess Dex made when he was driving that transfer van to Pentenville. He was concerned that someone could identify Dex as the driver, so he made sure no one is going to identify Dex. Dex says he appreciates it, and promises Sonny that he learns from his mistakes. Sonny says he believes Dex means that when he says it, but like his old man used to say, some mistakes are too big to make. He opens his desk drawer, and Dex sees a gun. Sonny says, Dex is probably standing there thinking, he’s done a solid job, why is Sonny so hard on him? Dex says, something like that, and Sonny says, when he was Dex’s age, he was in debt to a guy named Joe Skully, and he would have done anything to pay him back. Joe wanted him to do a job, he was young and inexperienced, he did the job, and left a trail that could have led straight back to him. Even worse, it could have led straight from him to Joe. Dex says, obviously Sonny is still in the game, so what happened? What saved him? Sonny says he had a guardian angel. He took it upon himself to clean up after Sonny. Dex says, that was lucky, and Sonny says, luck is only going to get you so far in life. In this business, you’ve got to have brains; you need to trust your instincts. Dex says he has both, and Sonny says, think of this as a crossroads in his life. Dex is the one who’s going to have to make that call. He’s got to figure out what he’s going to hold on to, and what he’s going to let go. What matters; what doesn’t matter.

Josslyn tells Nina that she can wait until Donna’s done eating, because they both know Pilar cooked that meal, and Nina didn’t. (Not sure how that applies.) But let’s be clear, when Donna is done, they’re leaving whether Sonny is back or not. Nina suggests they go to their separate corners until the referee rings the bell for round two. Josslyn says, like a fight? Why would she want to fight Nina? She’s so grateful. Nina says, Josslyn’s idea of gratitude leaves a lot to be desired, and Josslyn says, Nina did what no one else ever could. She took Sonny away from Josslyn’s mom, and set her free. She feels a little bit sorry for Donna, but in the end, Josslyn knows she’s better off. She doesn’t have to grow up listening to her mom defend the indefensible, like Josslyn did. She watched her mom turn herself inside out for Sonny. She doesn’t have to do that anymore. She can live her life the way she wants to, and she has never had a better time. Josslyn thanks Nina, and says, out of all of Sonny’s many girlfriends, Nina might just be her favorite. Nina says, Josslyn makes it sound like she’s the latest in a long line, and Josslyn tells Nina, she said it, not her.

Spencer asks what he can say. When your grandmother is the mayor and your great uncle is Victor Cassadine. you can pretty much get yourself out of anything. Rory asks if he’s saying he mayor pulled strings to get him an early release, and Spencer says, when you have family connections, the golden rule is to never advertise who did what. Though he will say his Uncle Cyrus looked out for him when he was on the inside. Rory says, Cyrus as in Cyrus Renault? and Victor says, that unfortunate family tie came to an end the second Spencer came out of the Pentenville gates. Keeping the box with the doves out of sight, Spencer says, they’ll let Trina and Rory get back to their dinner. Good seeing Trina. They walk away, and Victor says, that was very graciously done, but Spencer is making one mistake. He’s a Cassadine, and Cassadines never quit.

Elizabeth asks what Finn found on Spoon Island, and he says, it’s more what he didn’t find when he went to Windymere. She says, he went to the house? and he says he thought Nikolas might cooperate and help him find Esme, but he had to play the big shot. Supposedly, he had some of the staff search the property, but even if they did look, they weren’t going to find Esme. She says, so he walked away empty handed, and he tells her, of course (🍷) Nikolas said he was just looking out for her best interests, but he wasn’t buying it. She asks, why not? and he says, his lips were moving.

Heather flops onto Ryan’s bed, and says, remember how they used to bundle together in the cabin on those cold winter nights, when the wolves howled outside the window. They’d howl right back at them because that’s what they were; a couple of timber wolves, too wild for all of those poor pathetic sheep out there. He’s in there, isn’t he? He might have everybody else fooled, but she knows him, inside and out. He’s not really paralyzed, is he? It’s just his way of controlling the situation. Getting everyone lulled into a false sense of security, and that’s when he’s going to strike. She knows she’s getting to him. After all, she’s his Hazel, and can affect him in ways nobody else can. She’s about to kiss him, when he says, you left me without so much as a goodbye. You broke my heart. He doesn’t think she’s ever been hurt as badly, but that can be arranged.

Finn says, he gets the sense Nikolas is only willing to cooperate when he’s in charge, and Elizabeth says, sounds like him. He says, maybe, and she asks what he means. He says he has the feeling Nikolas is hiding something.

Heather says, it speaks. She knew her mountain man was in there, just waiting to break free. Ryan talks without moving anything but his mouth, and says, she just might live to regret that… or not. She says, ooh, naughty boy. She knows he wouldn’t hurt her. He says, since when did she mind a little pain, and she says, you remembered my sweet spot, lover, but he says, there was never anything sweet about her, but that was her appeal; two of a kind. She says, like knows like, and he says he actually began to question if it ever happened at all. She seemed too good to be true, and then she disappeared without a trace. He actually wondered if he imagined the whole thing. She says, it wasn’t his imagination. She stands up and leans over him, saying, take a whiff. She still uses the same soap… all over her body… every inch. He inhales deeply, and she smacks him hard across the face.

Victor tells Spencer to sit down. He said they were going to celebrate Spencer’s first night of freedom from Pentenville, so that’s exactly what they’re going to do. A little life lesson. Don’t let anyone or anything prevent him from enjoying his first breath of freedom. Spencer says he’s not ungrateful for Victor getting him out early. He never thought he was going to be out of Pentenville by New Year’s Eve, much less Christmas, but it’s difficult to celebrate when… Victor says, Spencer feels the same way about the lovely Miss Robinson? Spencer says, with all due respect, what is the point? They got here just in time to hear Rory tell Trina that he loves her. Victor says he thinks it makes all the difference in the world.

Trina says, where were they? and Rory says, they were celebrating their three-month anniversary. He hopes she likes… His phone rings, and he tells her, he’s so sorry; it’s work. He has to take it. She tells him, go, and he says, yes, Commissioner, as he goes outside. Victor tells Spencer, remember, opportunity is only lost on those who fail to seize it, and Spencer jets over to Trina, asking if he can join her. Before she can answer, he sits down, and she asks what he’s doing. He says he has a question. Can they start over?

Nina says, Josslyn’s gratitude sounds a lot like resentment. She’s guessing Josslyn talked to her mother about what happened between them today. Josslyn says, her mom never mentions Nina, and Nina says, so Josslyn doesn’t know. She and Carly were at Willow’s, and Willow fainted. Josslyn asks if Willow is okay; does Michael know? Nina says she imagines by now he does, and Josslyn asks, what happened and how is Nina involved? Nina says she went over there to talk to Willow about helping Sasha. Things got heated, Willow got upset, and passed out. Josslyn says, only Nina would pick a fight with a pregnant woman, but Nina says she didn’t pick a fight with Willow. Her point is, that for a split second, she and Carly put aside their differences to help Willow. If they’re able to do that, why can’t she and Josslyn do the same thing? Josslyn says, her mother makes her own choices; so does she. Even though she’s grateful Nina took Sonny off her mom’s hands, that doesn’t mean she likes Nina. Nina says she didn’t take Sonny off of anyone’s hands; she fell in love with him. Josslyn says, how romantic, and Nina says, the only part of it she regrets is keeping the truth from everyone. Josslyn might not understand, but Nina kept the truth from herself. She came to care for someone when everything else told her it was wrong. Josslyn flashes back to kissing Dex in her dorm room, and says, Nina is right. She can’t understand. She’s nothing like Nina. Nina asks what she’s talking about. Who said Josslyn was like her?

Sonny tells Dex, one of the hardest things he’s had to learn in his life is when to use a gun, and when to keep the safety on. It’s taken him almost a lifetime to learn that. Dex says, he had to start sometime, right? and Sonny says, yes, he did, and so does Dex. He takes out the gun, and slides it across the desk, along with a clip. Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do with it, and Sonny says, it’s his; take it. Dex puts the clip in the gun, and puts the gun in his waistband. Sonny says, so the deal Dex asked him about. He set up a meeting with a third party, and wants Dex to come with him. Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do, and Sonny says, just listen. Take orders. He’s probably not going to have to use the gun. Dex says, so Sonny just wants a little security, and Sonny says, the go-between who set up the meeting isn’t really a trusted friend or someone he’s done business with, but it’s who the contractors chose. He just wants to be prepared. Does Dex have any questions? Dex says, nope, and Sonny tosses him the car keys, saying, let’s go. Dex asks where they’re going.  

Josslyn asks if that isn’t what Nina is after; sympathy, empathy? Nina wants people to put themselves in her shoes, so they can see she had no other option but to lie. Josslyn’s not like that; she doesn’t use deceit to get what she wants. She’s nothing like Nina. Nina asks what Josslyn is talking about. She never said Josslyn was deceitful. If anything, she’s honest to a fault, and a little quick to judge people by her own high standards. Josslyn says she’s going to see if Donna is done with dessert, and Nina asks, how’s Cameron? Josslyn flashes back to telling Trina that she thought sleeping together would help her and Cameron reconnect, and be a magic fix for what she hasn’t been feeling. She tells Nina, it’s none of her business.

Trina tells Spencer, she doesn’t know. So much has happened, she doesn’t think a fresh start is even possible for them. He says he supposes that’s fair. He did what he did, and there are consequences he has to live with. She says she appreciates that he wants to try, but it’s hard for her to even think about this now, much less talk it over. He says, she’s with Rory at the PC Grill, not at Kelly’s having burgers. He knew they were in the middle of something special, and if he’d known she was going to be here with her boyfriend, celebrating, he would have insisted to his uncle that they go elsewhere, especially when he heard what Rory said to her. He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop; he practically announced it to the entire restaurant. Not that he blames Rory. If he were in Rory’s place, he’d want to tell everyone too. She says, it’s not what he thinks it is, but he says, when a guy takes you out to one of the best restaurants in town and tells you he loves you. What else could that mean?

Outside on the phone, Rory says, copy that, Commissioner. See you soon. He starts to go back in, when Victor blocks his way. Victor says he admires Rory’s dedication. Rory tries to walk around him, but Victor moves, and says, Rory swore to do the right thing. He assumes Rory knows when to stay the course, and when to call it a day. I love how with all his big plans, whatever they are, Victor still has time to meddle in a kid’s love life.

Ryan asks, what the hell was that for? and Heather says, for what he did to her Franco. He says he keeps a pretty good record of the crimes he’s committed, and the people he’s killed, and Franco Baldwin isn’t on that list. She says, don’t even mention his name. Ryan victimized her son, and what’s that old expression? One bad turn deserves another. He says, you wouldn’t blow the whistle on me, would you, Hazel… dear? and she says, I’d hate to be backed into that corner, Richie… boy.

Elizabeth tells Finn that Nikolas’s Uncle Victor is living at Windymere now. There’s bound to be something Nikolas is hiding. He says, she thinks Victor is using Spoon Island for something? and she says, Windymere isn’t just a family estate; it’s a fortress. He says, a fortress where they might be hiding Esme Prince. He thinks this is a good time to have a conversation with Jordan, but she says, he can’t. He says, why not? and she says, he’s a healer, not a detective. His place is here at GH, doing the kind of life saving work he was meant to do, not taking on a cold-blooded killer. He says he’s not taking on the killer himself. He knows that’s a job for the PCPD. She says, if Esme finds out Finn led them to her, she’s going to put him on her list, but he says he can’t let this go, not after Esme attacked her. As long as Esme is out there, she’s free to go after Elizabeth again, or her kids, or anybody else who gets in her way. She says, what about his daughter? If he doesn’t give up this search, what if Esme targets Violet? He says, it’s Violet he’s thinking about. How does he look his little girl in the eye, knowing he didn’t do what he could to put a stop to this? Come to his office. They’ll call Jordan and see what she has to say about this. They go out in the hallway, and Finn says, Elizabeth forgot something. She says, wait, but he goes back in and picks up the bottle of prenatal vitamins, taking a look at it. He remembers seeing an empty bottle of the same thing at Windymere.  

Ryan says, of all the women he’s loved, Heather was always his most vivid memory. She says she read all about him, and she’s guessing that’s a crock, but she’d love to believe it. She always knew their paths would cross again. What they had was kismet. He says, then why even dream of exposing him? and she says, don’t worry, mountain man. She wouldn’t do that. She’s just putting him on notice not to even think of adding her to his list of victims. He says, heaven forbid, and she says, heaven is not his final destination, or hers. Still, she’s sorry for walking out on him. If she’d stuck around, who knows? Maybe both their lives would have been different. Let’s just say, she owes him one. He says, according to his math, she owes him two.

Trina tells Spencer, Rory is a great guy. He’s honest, kind, and has a great start on a very solid career. Even Ava, who has very high standards, thinks she’d be crazy if she let him get away. He says, and of course (🍷) she and Ava always agree with each other. Rory comes back, and asks if everything is okay here. Spencer says, everything’s fine. Time for him to rejoin his uncle. He shakes Rory’s hand, and says, great seeing Trina. He leaves, and Rory sits down. He asks what Spencer wanted.  

Josslyn comes out of the kitchen, and Nina asks, where’s Donna? Josslyn says, Pilar is helping her wash up. As soon as they’re done, she and Donna are leaving. Sonny’s just going to have to do better with his time management. Sonny walks in with Dex, and says, he didn’t expect to find Josslyn here. What’s going on? Nina asks if Dex will be joining them, and Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here. She says she’s here to pick up Donna. She’ll see if Donna is ready. She can’t get out of the room fast enough, and Dex says, if it’s okay with Sonny, he’s going to pass on the dinner invitation. He’s not hungry, and should probably call it an early night. Sonny says he’ll see Dex tomorrow, Dex says goodnight to Nina, and leaves. Sonny says, Nina was here alone with Josslyn. He doesn’t see any broken glass anywhere. What happened? Nina says, it’s clear Josslyn has other things on her mind, and they hug.

Trina tells Rory, Spencer just wanted to touch base since his early release from Pentenville. Obviously, she wasn’t expecting to see him tonight. Rory says, it’s unfortunate their big night got interrupted. Now he’s been called back to the station. Plus, he did tell her mom that he’d have her home early. She says, they’ll do it again with no interruptions. She picks up the bag, saying, she can’t forget her gift. She really loves it. He kisses her, and they leave holding hands. Victor says, if Trina chooses Rory over Spencer, it’s her loss. Spencer says he has to go to the restroom, and tosses the box containing the doves on the table. When he’s gone, Victor  picks up the box and puts it in his pocket.

Finn says, Elizabeth left these behind. It’s strange. He saw a bottle just like this when he went to see Nikolas. Prenatal vitamins. Are they hers?

Heather says, she owes Ryan two? How does he mean? He says, when she left him never to return, she didn’t just stomp on his heart and walk out of his life. In the years since, he’s learned that when she left, she was carrying the child they created.

Finn asks, what’s going on? Is there something Elizabeth wants to tell him? She says, just let it go, but he says he doesn’t want to. He wants to hear her voice, but if she doesn’t want to tell him, he’s fine with going to Windymere and getting answers. She says, please don’t, and he says, please don’t what? Is she pregnant?

On Monday, Drew asks Denise, where did Baby Callie come from; Willow tells Carly that she’s far from okay; and Ryan tells Heather, if something falls into the wrong hands, he’s holding her responsible.

💣 Man With a Plan…

Victor is the best at bad.

Charles Shaughnessy on Playing “The Villain You Love to Hate” on GH

👰🏻 Still In the Bubble…

Maybe it’s me, but I still don’t see why this woman is not just employed, but celebrated, by Bravo.

Teresa Giudice Reveals If Her Brother Joe Gorga Gave Her A Wedding Gift

How she makes new friends is also beyond me, but give it time.

Margaret Josephs And Jackie Goldschneider Joke That Teresa Giudice Has A “New Lapdog” On Season 13 Of Real Housewives Of New Jersey

🎤 Burning Down the Mic…

Housewives caught saying what they shouldn’t, and production lapping it up.

Iconic Real Housewives Hot Mic Moments

🍸 No Longer Employed…

Was this ever even in question?

Randall Emmett Reveals He’s No Longer A Cast Member On Vanderpump Rules

🕶  Odd Combo…

I don’t know if I’ll be watching, but it’s an interesting concept. Although I could do without Brandi, another one they should dump.

Bachelor Star Arie Luyendyk And Brandi Glanville Join Other Reality Stars To Compete In New Show “The Traitors”

⚰️ Dead In the City…

This. Looks. Wonderful.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/maggie-and-negan-return-in-the-walking-dead-dead-city-teaser-trailer/

‘Walking Dead’ Stars Lauren Cohan & Jeffrey Dean Morgan On Tonight’s Series Finale & Why ‘Dead City’ Spinoff Is No ‘Moonlighting’

https://ew.com/tv/jeffrey-dean-morgan-negan-walking-dead-dead-city/

🎼 Fame Kills…

This is a bit of a stretch, considering the size of the cast. Stuff happens.

https://people.com/tv/the-price-of-glee-trailer-explores-deaths-of-naya-rivera-cory-monteith-mark-salling/

🏆 Upcoming Choices…

Nominations for the Critics’ Choice Awards.

https://ew.com/awards/leslie-jordan-ray-liotta-receive-posthumous-critics-choice-award-nominations/

🐩 Hello Pets…

And to send you off on a good note, places you can’t afford, but someone’s pet can. Hey, they deserve it.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/gallery/20220504139347/celebrity-pets-with-pampered-lifestyles-houses/1/

🦉 Quotes of the Week

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. – Harry S. Truman (Or you could say, Murphy was an optimist.)

No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday. – Alexander Pope

A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money. – W.C. Fields

My belief is that personal freedom cannot grow beyond personal responsibility. The more people that learn to be fully accountable for their lives, the more freedom each of us can enjoy and the more fulfilling all of our lives will be. – Ross Parmenter

Infinitely more important than sharing one’s material wealth is sharing the wealth of ourselves—our time and energy, our passion and commitment, and, above all, our love. – William E. Simon (But a little cash never hurts.)

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

Being dead really doesn’t make things easier. – Barbara (Geena Davis), Beetlejuice

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

Social media is the devil. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

🦌 Playing Reindeer Games…

Exiting stage left until Monday really Tuesday, when I’ll be back with soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay within your budget, and stay remembering, opportunity is only lost on those who fail to seize it.

Dec8

December 7, 2022 – Spencer Gets a Conditional Release, Salty Talk, New Materials, Addams Adaptions, Puppies (!) & Remember

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

County Kerry, Ireland. Valentin walks into a dark house and calls for Tiffany. Anna comes up behind him, putting her hand on the back of his neck. She says, hello stranger, and he says, hello darling, and they kiss.

Robert lets Felicia and Laura into his office, and says, they can speak freely. He’s had the place checked for bugs. Laura asks if he does that often, and he says, on the regular. He asks where the wonderful Deputy Mayor thinks Laura is, and Laura says, Ashby thinks she’s meeting with campaign donors, and she sent Ashby to a rezoning meeting, so she’ll be handling questions from Laura’s constituents for hours. They laugh, and Felicia says, in the meantime, don’t hate her, but she told Valentin that Lucy is alive. He’s going to try to find her, so Anna can come home. Robert says, that was a dangerous move to make. However, Valentin looking for Lucy leaves them free to go after Victor, and make him pay for what he did to Luke, Holly, and any other poor bugger who crossed his path.

Spencer says he didn’t expect to see Victor today, and Victor hopes it’s a pleasant surprise. Cyrus says he’ll leave them to their visit, but Victor says, please, do stay. He has some news about his great nephew’s future. He called in some favors, and Spencer is getting out – today.

As they go into the PC Grill, Sam asks if Dante can believe it; both of them getting off in time for happy hour. He says, maybe they broke one of the seals of the Apocalypse, and kisses her in case it’s their last one. They go inside, and Cody is at the bar, half in the bag, toasting to new adventures. Sam tells Dante, he was saying? Dante says, very funny, and they go over to the bar. Cody says, Dante’s here! He wants Dante to meet some of his new friends. The other guys at the bar have disappeared, but Cody says, they’ll be back, and Dante asks if everything is okay. Cody says, not one damn thing – he drains his beer glass – but he’s made a decision. He’s leaving town. He knows what Dante is going to say, but this time he’s serious. There’s nothing keeping him in Port Charles; not anymore.

On the phone, Britt says she’s looking into renting out the Haunted Star for New Year’s Eve… That’s right. She wants to buy it out for the whole night… Not to worry. Money is not a problem… That’s right. Party like there’s no tomorrow. So they don’t already have a boatload of reservations?

Elizabeth asks what Jeff is doing here, and he says he took a chance showing up where she worked since she won’t let him into her house. He came to tell her that he’s leaving in the morning. She asks, why not just go and not say anything? and he says he promises to get out of her hair. Just hear him out one last time. It’s important. She glances at the bottle of prenatal vitamins in her hand.

Nikolas tells Finn that it isn’t a good time, but Finn says he’ll make it quick. It’s about Esme Prince.

Anna puts a blanket on Valentin, and says, it’s still freezing, isn’t it? That’s the downside of 18th century construction. They didn’t think of central heating. He uses the blanket to dry his hair, and she says, he’s here, but distant. He says he’s happy to see her… She says, but… and he says, Felicia told him that Tiffany is helping her, but his coming here was a mistake; it’s too risky. She says, he travels to Europe all the time for business. He has the perfect cover. He says he wanted to see her, but this is dangerous, and she says she thought it was important, especially after Holly’s accident. For God’s sake, what is going on in Port Charles?

Robert says, here’s what we know. Victor coerced Holly into stealing the necklace for him. Laura says, so they can assume this portion of the Ice Princess is somehow crucial to his plan, but to what end? (Victor’s plan is like Sonny’s business – no one quite knows what it is.) She’s spent some time online, and it’s amazing. Diamonds are used for so many things; lasers, monitoring cancer, artificial visual technologies, specialized audio… It could be anything. Felicia says she can think of one way to narrow it down, and takes something out of her bag. Laura asks if she always carries a jeweler’s loop, or is this a special occasion? Felicia says, maybe there’s some detail in the pieces of the diamond that none of them has discovered… yet.

Spencer asks if he’s really going home today, and Victor says, they’re processing his release as they speak. Spencer asks, how? and Victor says he revisited a few old connections, and told them how Esme had been threatening Spencer’s loved ones. He persuaded them that it would be best for Spencer to spend time with his family during these troubling times. Spencer says he can’t believe Victor went through all this trouble for him, and Cyrus says, indeed, Victor’s efforts on young Spencer’s behalf are uncharacteristically generous. Who so boasts himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. Victor says, then call him rainmaker. He’s afraid it’s not an unconditional release. There are certain restrictions. Spencer says he can live with anything if he’s not behind bars, and Victor says he knows they had their differences the last time he visited, so please, consider this his attempt to make almonds amends. He hopes it proves, once and for all, that he really does have Spencer’s best interest at heart… no matter what others want Spencer to believe. Now let’s get him out of this wretched place.

Dante asks why Cody’s leaving town. What about his inheritance? What about Britt? Cody laughs, and Dante asks what he did. Cody says, why does Dante assume it’s his fault? Dante asks if Cody is saying it wasn’t him. He guesses there is a first time for everything. Cody says, he wants the truth? Britt was being ridiculous and unreasonable. Dante says, about what? and Cody tells him, Britt said she was miserable about something she inherited; something her father gave her. So he said, you don’t want it? Give it to me. You don’t want, I do. Win-win. He thought she was talking about the necklace, but his mistake. Dante asks what she was talking about, but Cody says he doesn’t know. Something is going on with Britt. Whatever she’s dealing with is heavy. But whatever. The necklace is gone, Britt’s gone – he looks at his glass – this beer’s gone. Dante says he’ll get Cody something, and Cody yells, bartender, next round’s on this guy! as Dante gets up. Dante says, no, a coffee is. Cody tells Sam, go ahead. He’s sure she has something to say. She tells him, just one thing. Him getting out of Port Charles for good sounds like a helluva idea to her.

Jeff tells Elizabeth that he wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t important. Please just hear him out. She says, nothing’s changed. She can’t imagine what’s left to say. Terry asks if everything is okay here, and Jeff says, it’s nice to see her again. It seems like she’s always running interference for his daughter. Terry starts to respond, but Jeff interrupts, saying, he’s just glad to see someone is looking out for his daughter. He tells Elizabeth, please, just a few minutes. Then he’ll be out of his life forever if that’s what she wants.

Nikolas lets Finn inside, and says, what about Esme? Has she been spotted? Finn says, no, that’s part of the problem, and Nikolas says he’d think everyone would be happy to never lay eyes on Esme again. Finn says, she’s the one who’s been terrorizing Port Charles. Her victims would like to see her locked up, including Elizabeth. Nikolas says, of course (🍷). He didn’t mean to sound callous, but it seems like the attacks have stopped as of late. Maybe Esme’s altercation with Elizabeth scared her out of town, and she’s packing up her hook for good. Finn says he thinks she’s still in town, and has the feeling she’s closer than Nikolas thinks. Nikolas says, if Esme were still in town, surely the PCPD would have found her by now, and Finn says, she’s pretty good at flying under the radar, right? And don’t call me Shirley. Nikolas says, Finn has a point, but he doesn’t see how he fits in, and Finn says, what if Esme is on Spoon Island?

Spencer thanks Cyrus for looking out for him, and Cyrus says, Spencer is his family. He’ll always look out for him. Spencer says, it might be hard from in here, and Cyrus says, God is always watching. And if Spencer feels so compelled, come visit. Or if Spencer would rather not see the inside of these walls again, by all means, write to him. They shake hands, and Cyrus tells Spencer, please let him know if he decides to give half his gift to the one who has his heart. Victor says, yes, yes, very nice, but the guard has been more than patient. It’s time to go. He’ll see Spencer on the other side. Spencer thanks Cyrus and Victor again, and says, without the two of them, who knows what might have happened? He leaves with the guard, and Cyrus tells Victor, lovely to see him again. Victor says, did he or did he not warn Cyrus to stay away from his nephew? and Cyrus says, our nephew.

Cody says, Sam doesn’t like him much, does she? and she asks, what gave that away? She’s not Britt’s biggest fan, but Cody did trick her into a relationship to find that necklace. He says, that necklace was his birthright. At least until it went up in flames. She says she doesn’t know about that. Given the records she found on him, she doesn’t think it was a late in life decision to start doing shady things. He asks what that’s supposed to mean, and she says, forget it. He tells her, if she has something to say… but she says, Forget. It. Dante returns, saying, one coffee for you, putting the cup in front of Cody. Sam’s phone dings, and she steps away to make a call.

Elizabeth tells Jeff, Terry was kind enough to let them use her office, so let’s return the favor and keep this brief. He thanks her for this chance, and says he fully intended to respect her boundaries, but since he’s leaving… She says, he didn’t have to keep his word? but he says, no. He came here today because he saw himself for the first time, and didn’t like what he saw. She asks, what brought on this revelation? and he says he went to see Heather Webber this morning. He heard she had a run-in with his grandson. He needed to make sure she wasn’t a danger to anyone in their family, but talking to Heather made him face some things about himself; things he’s not proud of. She says she’s listening, and he says, instead of acknowledging his shortfalls, and taking responsibility for them and making almonds amends, he runs away. He lies to and deceives the people who care about him, and denies any wrongdoing; he makes them think it’s all in their head. She says, so when he told her that he brainwashed her for her own good, what he really meant was, it was for his own good. He says, he and her mother truly did what they thought was best to protect her, but there’s no denying that be sending her away, he was running again. Now he sees he was wrong, and he’s sorry.

Nikolas asks Finn, why in the world would Esme be here? She knows she has no friends here. Finn says, she attacked Elizabeth on the pier when Elizabeth was on her way to see Nikolas. That got him thinking, maybe Esme is hiding out somewhere secluded. She used to live here, and knows the ins and outs of this place. Nikolas says, he has a full staff here, including security. He would at least know if Esme was in his house. Finn says, right, but there’s plenty of places outside she could hide. Did he search the entire property? Nikolas says, if Esme was here, he would know about it, and Finn says, maybe he needs to look again. Nikolas asks when Finn was deputized. The PCPD hasn’t even been here since Esme became a person of interest in the hook attacks. Finn says, all he’s asking is, is it possible Esme could be here without Nikolas knowing it? He’s concerned about Elizabeth’s safety. He just wants to get to the bottom of this. Nikolas asks if there’s still tension going on between Finn and Elizabeth. Is that why Finn is feeling such a keen desire to play the hero? Finn says, this has nothing to do with being a hero. This was a mistake. He thought he’d give Nikolas the courtesy of coming to see him in good faith, but Nikolas doesn’t deserve it. Finn opens the door, and says, the cops could search this place better than he could anyway. Nikolas says he’s sorry, and Finn stops, turning around. Nikolas says he cares about Elizabeth too, and wants to see the attacker caught. He’ll talk to his staff. Wait here. Finn goes back inside, and sees the empty vitamin bottle as I knew he would.

Elizabeth tells Jeff, she honestly doesn’t know how to feel right now. Part of her has waited a lifetime for him to admit what he and her mom did was wrong. It was such a betrayal. He says he understands that now, and she says, all the times he claimed her was protecting her, he was really just protecting himself from being held accountable. He says he didn’t see that at the time, but now he realizes he was trying to have it both ways, He convinced himself that he was saving her life, but he was also saving himself from taking responsibility for having an affair, and Elizabeth’s emotional trauma at seeing him with another woman, and everything that followed. He missed years of her life. Not just the dark painful times when she needed her family the most, but also the good times, when she could have felt how much he and her mother truly love her. Instead, he convinced Carolyn that the best way to save Elizabeth and preserve their family was by sending her away. He didn’t give Elizabeth an explanation, but allowed that distance to grow. He failed at his responsibilities as a father, and he was wrong. He wishes he could take it back. She says, but he can’t. Nothing he says or does will ever take away the damage he did to her.

Britt sees Terry, and says, hey, Co-Chief. Terry says, someone is downright friendly today, and Britt says she’s planning her birthday party. What are Terry and Yuri doing New Year’s Eve? Terry says she had no idea Britt’s birthday was coming up. Does this mean she wasn’t invited last year? Britt says she never makes a big deal about her birthday; she’s never even had a party. But this year, she decided to do it up. There’s going to be a photobooth, and dancing, and an open bar. Hell, she’s even thinking of renting a red carpet. It’s going to be the party of the century. Terry says she’s there, and thanks Britt for inviting her. Britt says she can’t imagine celebrating without Terry. She knows they were at each other’s throats when they started out as Co-Chief, but now the idea of this without her… it’s not as appealing as it once was. Terry says, against all odds, they make a great team, and Britt says, it seems that Monica was right all along. Terry says she’s glad they stuck it out for the long haul, and asks Britt where this is coming from.

Cody asks if Dante believes in karma, and Dante says, does he? Cody says, for a second there, it looked like everything was going great for him. He thought, this is it; it’s finally his time to get everything he wants; an inheritance, Britt. He was really happy with it too. Then it all went to hell overnight. Dante says, and he thinks it was karma? and Cody says, probably. Dante says, tell him this then. What could Cody have possibly done to deserve all that?

Victor says, make no mistake. He and Cyrus may share a family, but they’re not family. Cyrus says, family or no, he serves a higher power, and Victor says, then he’d be familiar with the tale of the fruit from the poisonous tree. Cyrus says, the legal concept kept him out of prison for decades. As for the parable, what does that have to do with anything? Victor says he won’t allow Cyrus’s venomous lies to corrupt his nephew, and Cyrus asks what lies he’s referring to. As far as he knows, he’s uttered no falsehoods against Victor. Victor says, that’s exactly his point; Cyrus doesn’t know anything. So it’s best not speak on such matters unless he does. Cyrus says, one of them is clearly false, and they both know it’s not him. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue, is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. Victor asks if that’s Cyrus’s way of threatening him, but Cyrus says, it’s not for him to assign punishment. That’s in God’s hands. Victor says, fortunately, since he’s arranged for Spencer’s release, Cyrus’s influence on his nephew comes to an end. And he sincerely hopes Spencer never lays eyes on Cyrus again. But if he does, even Cyrus’s God won’t be able to save him.

Felicia looks at the necklace through the loop, and says, there’s a series of numbers and letters on this diamond. Laura says, that’s probably just a serial number; all diamonds have them these days. Felicia says, she’s never seen a serial number look like this. She asks to use Robert’s computer, and sits in his chair. She puts the number in at the diamond registry, and says, if it’s a serial number, it’s not coming up. Laura says, if it’s not a serial number, is it possible it’s some kind of a code? and Robert says, or something a whole lot more dangerous.

Valentin and Anna cuddle on the couch, and she says, thank God Lucy is alive. He tells her, says Felicia’s reputable source, and Anna wonders why Victor didn’t kill her. She’s glad obviously, but what does he have to gain by keeping her alive? He says, leverage, just as he was using Charlotte as leverage over him. She says, he has to explain this to her. His father is a man of significant means. All of this for the Ice Princess? Not even the whole diamond; it’s a fragment of a cursed gemstone. It doesn’t make any sense. He says he doesn’t know Victor’s endgame; he wishes he did. She says, at least they have Lucy, and he says, if she’s alive, he’s going to find her. Anna asks how he’s going to do that, and he says, Charlotte is safe with Laura. He’s going to search some of Victor’s old haunts. Maybe he won’t be lucky enough to find Lucy, but hopefully, he’ll find some trace of where Victor’s taken her. She says, that’s as good a plan as any, and he says he’s going to find Lucy, clear Anna’s name, and bring Anna back home safe. She kisses him, and says, he’s not going to do that. He can’t go be a hero all by himself. Does she strike him as a damsel in distress, trapped in a tower? Okay, basically she is trapped in an 18th century manor, but she doesn’t need a knight to save her, even one as gorgeous as him. He asks if she thinks he doesn’t know how capable she is, and she says, let’s ditch the white horse then. He says, she’s too much of a target. He won’t let her get caught. She says, the only other people who know she’s here are Tiffany and Annie. She hasn’t been laying low. She’s been doing her research; looking for leads. And he’s given her the most actionable piece of information. She at least knows where to start now. He says, she can’t do it by herself, and she says, Neither can he. They could do it together, as a team. He kisses her

Cody tells Dante, all the wrong things are important to him. Now he’s greedy, selfish, greedy… Dante says, there’s nothing wrong with Cody wanting that necklace, and Cody says, except he tore the ticket with his family. Probably the only good thing about him being Leopold Taub’s son was he had some money coming to him. Now he doesn’t have a family, and he doesn’t have an inheritance. Dante says, Cody’s got him and his little brother, and Cody says, Dante’s playing the Leo card. Dante says he is. He can’t leave town until Leo wins some kind of riding trophy or medal. Cody says, Dante and Leo might be the only people who would miss him, and it might not be great for Dante if he stayed. Dante asks, why not? and Cody says, Dante might not have given him a second thought if he hadn’t crash landed into Britt, but their friendship meant a lot to him when they were kids. Dante says, same here, and Cody says, they both know there’s a world of hurt coming for them if anyone finds out what happened back then.

Nikolas tells Finn that he talked to the staff, and no one’s seen anything suspicious. He’s instructed everyone to tell him anything that happens, no matter how small. They’re going to keep detailed logs about the comings and goings here, and he’s made sure guards are posted at every access point on and off the island. Finn thanks Nikolas for checking, and Nikolas says, if he hears anything, he’ll let Finn know. He absolutely has Elizabeth’s best interests at heart. Finn says, given their history, he’d like to believe that, but he doesn’t. Finn leaves, and Nikolas realizes the empty vitamin bottle is there.

Elizabeth says she’s glad Jeff had his moment of realization. She hopes it helps him heal, but it won’t help her at all. Because while he was shielding himself from taking responsibility for his actions, he was keeping her from doing the same thing. He says he knows. He told himself that he was saving her life, but he shifted the burden from himself to her. He left her with those feelings of abandonment she’s had to live with her whole life, but he’s taking ownership now. He’s willing to take on his share of the burden. She says, it’s too late. He forced her to start life without him. She’s been through traumas, violations, weddings, funerals, births; he wasn’t there for any of it. She’s a parent now, and knows how hard it is to see your child in pain. He took away her opportunity to heal from one horrible moment in her life. He left her with no family. He left her untethered to this world, and left room for a tragic mistake to come back 25 years later. She wants to lash out at the world. She wants to punish people like the teenager who came to Port Charles years ago. Instead, she had to deal with those memories and face her actions. Now that’s her burden that he can’t take away. She has to live with the choices she’s made, and he’s going to have to live with his too. He tells her, there’s really nothing left to say, except that he and her mother thought they were doing what was best for her and their family. Obviously, they were wrong and he’s sorry. They love her, Sarah, and her boys very much, but they understand the mistakes they made caused her great pain. He hopes she can find it in her heart to forgive him, and let him in just a little. Nothing would make him happier, but he’ll give her the space she needs. If she ever feels like reaching out, he promises they’ll be there. He’s going to head home now. He doesn’t know if it’s going to be another 25 years before he sees her again, but he hopes it isn’t. He leaves, but she keeps her back turned to him.

Britt tells Terry, nothing’s wrong; she’s just distracted. She’s never thrown a bash like this before, and she can’t stop going over the details in her head. Terry says, she could try to think about work at some point, and sees Finn walking past. She runs over to him, and asks if he’s spoken to Elizabeth. He says, they still have a lot to work out, and she says she’s sorry things are still tense. He says, him too. He keeps hoping they can work through this. Jeff comes out of the elevator, and tells Terry goodbye. She just folds her arms and looks at him, and he leaves. Finn wonders if that’s why she was asking about Elizabeth. Terry says, Elizabeth just went to speak with him in her office, and Finn jets.

Nikolas picks up the empty bottle, and flashes back to Esme saying she already planted a seed with Elizabeth. She bets Elizabeth is too dedicated of a nurse to let him get away with attempted murder. When things start to unravel, and the police get involved, he’s going down, and taking Ava with him, and maybe even Nurse Nightingale too. He hears Victor outside the door, and ditches the bottle. Victor walks in with Spencer.

Dante says, the past is the past. Why does Cody want to bring it up? Cody says, Sam found his juvie arrest record, and Dante says, she told him at Thanksgiving. Cody says, summer, 1996, and Dante says, those records are sealed. He didn’t give her any specifics; he’s trying to downplay the whole thing. Cody says he can tell, and Dante asks, what’s that supposed to mean? Cody says, come on, man. It’s been the elephant in the room since he came to town. Dante says, that was a long time ago, and Cody says, they both know the world of trouble that could come if Sam unseals that record. Not just for him, but for both of them.

Laura says, the Ice Princess Mikkos had 40 years ago was the largest uncut diamond in the world, but she does remember something about there being a formula in the base. Robert says he wouldn’t count out the fact that there could be other codes engraved in other parts of the diamond as well. Felicia asks, what kind of codes? when there’s a knock at the door. Robert shoves the necklace away, and says, come in. An officer hands him a folder, saying, here’s the file he requested, and thanks Felicia for the Thanksgiving dinner for the guys working on the holiday. She says, her pleasure. She guesses she’d better get going, and tells Robert, they’ll catch up later. In the hallway, she tells the officer that she needs to catch up with her husband, and asks if he’s seen Mac. The officer says, he’s at an all-hands-on-deck meeting, and she says, anything exciting? and he says, she didn’t hear it from him, but Agent Whitten has a lead on Anna Devane’s whereabouts.

Laura says she’ll never forget the horror the Ice Princess brought to Port Charles the first time, and Robert says, it’s possible Victor’s not after the diamonds themselves, but rather the message hidden inside them.

Valentin says he hopes Anna knows that he just wants to protect her, and she says she does. She thanks him, and says, how about if they make a deal? From here on out, they protect each other. He nods, and kisses her. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Felicia. He says, hello…. Understood. Thank you. He tells Anna that Felicia got wind from the PCPD, Agent Whitten has a lead on where Anna is. He’s headed to Europe. She asks, what kind of lead? but he tells her, she didn’t say. This must be his doing. Interpol will figure out she’s in Ireland. She says, with Tiffany, and he says, they’ve got to go, now.

Spencer thanks Victor, and Nikolas thanks him for helping his son. Victor says, it’s the least he can do, and Nikolas says, being Spencer was only in Pentenville because he wouldn’t tell the authorities Victor arranged for his escape from Spring Ridge. Victor says, because Spencer is family, and family is very precious. In the meantime, Spencer is only out on a conditional release. Nikolas asks, what might those conditions be? and Spencer says he’s to remain under supervision for the remainder of his sentence. Which means, one false move and he’ll go back to Pentenville. Victor says, isn’t it wonderful? They’ll all be together for the holidays under the same roof.

Elizabeth picks up the bottle of vitamins, when Finn walks in. He asks if she’s okay, she says, no, and he holds her.

Britt asks Terry if everything is okay with Finn. He seemed even doomier and gloomier than usual. Terry tells Britt, it’s not her place to say, and Britt says, oh, it’s about Elizabeth. Okay, she’ll let it go, as long as whatever’s going on doesn’t affect the hospital. Terry says, she promises to loop Britt in if it does. After all, they’re Co-Chiefs. Britt says, for the record, she thinks Terry would make a great Chief if they ever let her fly solo, and Terry says, obviously, but she doesn’t think it would be half as much fun. Britt says, only because Terry hasn’t done it any other way, and Terry asks, what’s with her? Is Britt quitting on her? Britt says, nothing lasts forever, and walks off.

Dante says, Cody’s Ride Share is here, and Sam says, he’s leaving. Cody says, Dante didn’t have to get him a car, but Dante says, they look out for each other; it’s what they do. Cody says, thanks. Dante is a good friend. He leaves, and Sam asks if he’s going to be okay. Dante says, he’s just going through a rough time. Try not to make it worse. Sam says, worse how? and Dante says, bringing up things like his juvie arrest record. He doesn’t think that helps. Dredging up that kind of stuff isn’t going to get him on the right path. Maybe they can just let all that go.

Robert asks Laura, what if Victor never wanted the diamonds for their own sake? What if what he wants is a code hidden inside those diamonds? She says, then they need to crack that code first, and he says, the sooner they crack that code, the sooner they uncover what Victor’s real intentions are. She says, and we’re one step closer to stopping Victor before his plan unfolds.

Valentin and Anna are ready to leave. Valentin opens the door, and stops short. He says, you.  

Tomorrow, Rory asks Trina to go somewhere with him; Nikolas says he’s afraid Spencer can’t stay here; Valentin asks how someone found them; and Sonny says he’d appreciate it if someone would talk to him first.

🧂 Three Teaspoons Of Salt…

They didn’t have tonight’s recap yet, but it continues to boggle my mind how no one thinks anything of physically attacking another person. It used to just be RHONJ, but it’s spreading everywhere in reality TV. I’ll say it again, Andy isn’t going to be happy until there’s a lawsuit. The first season of Salt Lake had promise, but it’s quickly deteriorated.

‘RHOSLC’ RECAP: Angie Katsanevas Accuses Jen Shah of Conning Her Out Of Thousands

Meredith spills the tea, or at least speculates.

Meredith Marks Addresses if Jen Shah Will Attend RHOSLC Reunion, Plus Talks Feud With Lisa Barlow and Denies Calling Lisa’s Home “Sh**ty,” Plus Live Viewing

Just for fun. This woman is seriously unhinged.

Exclusive: ‘RHOSLC’ Fraudster Jen Shah Racially Profiles and Threatens Black Blogger Ahead of Prison Sentence

💥 In the Dark…

Season 3’s premiere.

His Dark Materials Season 3 Episodes 1 & 2 Review: The Enchanted Sleeper & The Break

I still hate that monkey.

https://ew.com/tv/his-dark-materials-season-3-ruth-wilson-mrs-coulter-monkey-redemption/

👨🏻 Ranking the Family…

They’re right on the money.

https://ew.com/movies/addams-family-adaptations-ranked/

🐶 Bowling For Pups…

The line-up for the next Puppy Bowl.

https://people.com/puppy-bowl-2023-puppy-player-photos/

🥣 Mixing and Mingling…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and massive amounts of shade toward the trainwreck that is Winter House. Until then, stay safe, stay not letting advertisers tell you what you need, and stay acknowledging your shortfalls, taking responsibility for them, and making almonds amends, instead of running away.

Dec3

December 2, 2022 – Victor Meets Cyrus, Absent, Jackie’s 45th, Remembrance, Cover Boy, Rudest, Sailed, Amends, That Cake, Only a Donor, Daryl’s Spin, Holiday Horror, First List, New TV, a Handful of Quotes & 1963

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dante walks into Pozzulo’s and knocks on Sonny’s office door. On the phone, Sonny tells Brick to let him know what he comes up with. He asks Dante, what’s up? and Dante thanks him again for Thanksgiving. They had a great time seeing everybody, and he thinks it must have meant a lot to Gladys and Sasha to be included. Sonny says, his commitment is always to his family, no matter what Michael thinks, and Dante says, that’s the real reason he’s here. They both know Michael was right about Sonny.

Drew goes into Sonny’s ex-kitchen to visit the moss bowl🎍, and sees Michael. He thanks Michael for meeting him, and Michael says, it sounded urgent. He asks why Drew asked to meet at his mom’s house, and Drew says, this conversation has to be completely confidential, and there’s too many potential eavesdroppers at the Quartermaines, and probably at Aurora too. Michael asks, what’s going on? and Drew says, they have to be prepared, because he and Carly could be facing criminal charges.

Josslyn checks out a shirtless Dex (another possible drinking game!), and says, his wound is almost healed. Dex says he told her he was fine; nothing to worry about. She says, that sounds so familiar. That’s what he said when he was bleeding and fighting a 104 fever in her dorm room, so excuse her for checking it out herself. He says, so she just came to provide medical attention? and she asks what else she’d come here for. He says he thought maybe she wanted to see him.

Sam struggles to put up a wreath, and Sasha helps her. Sam says, Sasha’s timing is impeccable; good reach. Sasha says she appreciates Sam helping, and Sam says, Dante texted her, and said she was helping with the community decorations. Sasha says, it was Nina’s idea. Nina thought she might be at loose ends as the holiday approached. Sam says, good for Nina, and good for Sasha too, and Sasha says, Nina really deserves all the credit. Not only is she a good person, she’s thoughtful and generous too.

Willow tells Nina, Sasha was just the latest excuse for Nina to get closer to her, and scheme her way back into Wiley’s orbit. Which after the lies Nina spread, is just ludicrous. Nina says she didn’t spread any lies, and Willow says, so Nina didn’t tell Michael that she and TJ were having an affair, when nothing could be further from the truth? Nina says, she made that one mistake. Can Willow calm down? And when she apologized, Willow told her to drop dead. Willow says, that’s because nothing else gets through to her. She doesn’t listen. She doesn’t stop; she just keeps pushing and pushing. Go away, and leave her family the hell alone. Carly walks in, and Willow drops to the floor. Carly and Nina run to her, and Nina says, she’ll call 9-1-1, but Carly says, no. Help her with Willow first.

On the phone in the hallway at Pentenville, Victor says he needs to know what happened to that necklace. If it burned up in the cabin, sift through the ashes. He must have those diamonds. They’re pivotal to his next step. He goes into the visitor’s room, and Nikolas is there. Nikolas says he thinks this is a bad idea; his son doesn’t want to see him. Victor says, Nikolas is Spencer’s father. Spencer misses him, even if he’s angry. The guard lets Spencer in, but Spencer says he wishes to return to his cell. Victor asks if that’s any way to treat family. No matter how many times they might disagree, Cassadines always come together in the end. Nikolas says he’s glad to see Spencer, even if Spencer doesn’t feel the same.

Sonny tells Dante that he can’t believe he’s hearing this. They both know Michael’s anger is out of control. He keeps trying to reconcile, but Michael doesn’t bend. Dante says he’s not condoning the way Michael is treating Sonny – he doesn’t like it – but Michael was telling the truth when he said Sonny abducted Dex Heller and had him beaten. He saw some of Dex’s injuries, and the only reason he didn’t arrest Sonny is because Dex lied and covered for him. Sonny says, that was after Brando’s funeral, months ago. Why is Dante bringing it up now? Dante says, because he looked the other way. Sonny committed a felony, and now he’s doing it again. He does know what Sonny does for a living, right?

Josslyn tells Dex that he can put his shirt on now, and he says he didn’t mean to make her feel uncomfortable, but she says she’s not uncomfortable. He says, true, she’s seen him in less, and she says, he slept in her bed. He says, too bad all he did was sleep, and she says, wow. He really went there. He says he can’t help it. Of all the rotten luck to be lying in her bed, too feverish to do anything but sleep. She says, there’s always next time.

Sasha says, Sam must be on decoration overload. She’s helping get Rice Plaza ready for Christmas, and also has her own house to decorate. Sam says she does have three elves to help with that; she hopes anyway. Scout’s down to help, but she doesn’t know if Danny and Rocco will think they’re too old for decoration. Sasha says, too bad if they are. At least Scout is on board. Christmas is magic at any age, but especially for the little ones. She used to… How about adding some ribbon to this? Sam says, Sasha doesn’t have to edit herself with her. Whatever she was going to say, whatever she’s feeling, she can say it.

Drew tells Michael, he spoke to his legal team, and they think there might be a case against him and Carly for insider trading; even though Carly didn’t make any money, and the merger between ELQ and Aurora didn’t happen. Michael asks if Drew really thinks Ned would go to the SEC, and Drew says he doesn’t think Ned would go that far, but he can’t afford for it to happen. They shared pizza together at Thanksgiving, but he can’t assume that peace offering is going to make Ned forgive and forget. Michael says, the Quartermaines are famous for holding a grudge, and Drew says, exactly. That’s why he has to back way off. He can’t afford to provoke Ned more than he already has. Michael says, given Ned’s anger at feeling they abandoned him, he doesn’t blame Drew, and Drew says, in addition to Leo’s sweet desire for family peace, it’s in their best interest for him and Carly to mend fences with Ned. Michael says he will too, and Drew thanks him. Michael asks what else Drew and Carly can do to protect themselves, and Drew says, they could stop seeing each other.

Nina brings in a cold towel, while Carly props up Willow’s feet, and tells Willow to open her eyes. Willow opens her eyes, and Carly tells her to take it easy. Nina says she’s going to call 9-1-1, but Willow sits up and says, no.

Victor says, Nikolas is Spencer’s father, and Spencer is going to need his father’s support when he’s released, but Spencer says, not if Victor fulfills his end of the bargain. Nikolas says, what bargain? and Spencer says, Victor didn’t tell him? Victor says, he didn’t see the need, and Spencer says, if he agreed to keep his mouth shut about Nikolas sleeping with Esme, Victor promised Spencer would get his birthright ahead of schedule. So he doesn’t need Nikolas anymore; he’s obsolete. Uncle Victor made sure of it. Nikolas says he can’t say he blames Spencer. He hasn’t been a good father, and doesn’t deserve Spencer’s forgiveness, despite his mistakes. Spencer is a better man than he is, and he envies how Spencer gives his whole heart. He hates that he broke it. Spencer says he’s used to it, and Nikolas says he hates that too. Spencer has no reason to trust him, but if Spencer lets him in his life, he gives Spencer his word that he’ll never hurt him again. Spencer says he’d settle for not having to listen to another of these disingenuous speeches, and Nikolas says he told Victor this was a bad idea. He leaves, and Victor tells Spencer, sit down. Spencer sits, and Victor says he’s so disappointed in Spencer. Spencer says, Victor and his father both disrespected his wishes, but Victor says he’d do it again, even though Spencer squandered the time he bought, so Spencer could realign with his father. Spencer says, Victor may be all powerful on the outside, but he has competition in here. Cyrus walks in.

Michael says he didn’t know Drew and his mother were seeing each other. Although the looked cozy at the Quartermaine picnic, and Drew did go to Florida to help his mom with her adoptive mother’s grave, which was above and beyond. Drew says, to be honest, he’s had a thing for Carly for a while now, and Michael says, since they came back from Jacksonville, he just got a friendship vibe. Drew says, the point is, if he and Carly are going to openly be a couple (or perhaps a throuple with the moss bowl🎍), it could strengthen the SEC’s case that he gave her privileged business information. So they’ve got to be casual in public, and probably in private too. How uncomfortable is this conversation making Michael right now? Michael says he knows Drew and his mom are adults, and he’s got to admit, since his mom came back from Florida, this is the happiest he’s seen her in a long time. Drew says, Carly makes him happy too. Unfortunately, this relationship may be short-lived. Michael asks if it has to go that far, and Drew says he thought they could meet in private, but it isn’t fair. They can’t meet at the Quartermaines because he lives there, and there’s always someone popping in and unexpected moments in that house. Like when Olivia walked in on Chase in Brook’s bedroom, for example. Michael says, he heard about that? It was a moment. Drew says, if they meet here in Carly’s house, they have to time their visits to when Donna and Joss aren’t here. It seems dishonest. Maybe he has to accept the timing isn’t right. Michael asks, what if this is the only time they’re going to get?

Tucked in on the couch, Willow says she’s fine. Please don’t call an ambulance. Carly feels Willow’s forehead, and asks if she still feels dizzy. She going to check Willow’s temperature. Willow says she’s not dizzy, and she’s not running a fever, but Nina says, at least let them take her to the hospital, so she can notify her OB. Willow asks, what part of I’m fine doesn’t Nina understand? She’s not in pain; she just needs to rest. Carly gives her some water, and says she needs to stay hydrated. She asks Nina if they can chat outside.

Sonny says he thought things were good with him and Dante, and Dante says, maybe they’re too good. They spend holidays together; they’re neighbors. It seems like the further apart Sonny and Michael get, the closer they get. Sonny asks, what’s wrong with it? and Dante says, there’s been this boundary that he’s always had to keep, between his love for Sonny as a son, and his duty as a cop. And that line is starting to blur. Sonny asks, how so? and Dante says, if this was anyone else, he would pursue the case into Dex’s abduction. He’d get more evidence, and talk to witnesses. He’d build a case, bring it back to Dex, and try and get him to cooperate. And instead, he called Michael a liar. He did that for Sonny’s benefit. He wanted Sonny to know he knew what Sonny had done, and had to tell him to his face that he knows Sonny is behind what happened to Dex. Sonny says he’s never asked Dante to cover for him, and never would, and Dante says, that’s good. Maybe Sonny can tell him about Anna’s escape then.

Josslyn tells Dex to take it easy, and limit all activity for one more week. He says, no offense, but how does she know? Did she consult a medical professional about him? She says she’s been doing some research online, and he asks, where? BulletWounds.com? She says, GH’s website. She went through all this trouble to take care of him, so it woudn’t make sense to bail before he’s healed. He says, that’s exactly what she needs to do – bail.

Cyrus wonders when Spencer is coming back to their chess game, and Spencer tells Victor that he’s improving his game in here. Victor says he’s glad Spencer’s not without friends, but Cyrus says, they’re not just friends; they’re family. Victor says he’s Spencer’s actual family, and Cyrus says he knows who Victor is. Victor says, and he is? and Cyrus says, Cyrus Renault. He’s sure Victor’s heard of him. Victor says, so he’s the famous Cyrus Renault, and Cyrus says, same name, different man, but the Bible says, the memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.

Dante says, less than an hour before he found out about Anna’s escape, he heard Sonny on the phone, asking someone how it went with Anna. Sonny says, he told Dante, he provided her help when she reached Pentenville. He walks out into the restaurant, and Dante follows, saying, the guy who was supposed to be driving the van was found in the parking lot, tied up with a bag over his head; he was unharmed. Sonny says he’s happy to hear that, and Dante says he’s sure Sonny is. Because whoever conducted Anna’s escape, clearly didn’t want to hurt anyone else. All they wanted was for Anna to get out of there. Sonny sips his espresso, and Dante asks, what happened to Anna? Where is she? Who else has a whole bunch of safe houses in the area? Sonny doesn’t say anything, and Dante says, see what he’s talking about here? It all adds up. Sonny broke Anna out of police custody, and he’s not doing a damn thing about it.

Michael tells Drew that he doesn’t want to be too involved in his mom’s personal life, but he knows from experience, you have less time than you think. He’s sure Drew would like to believe he has years and decades to spend with the person he loves, to do what he dreamed  of. He hopes Drew gets that time, but it’s not guaranteed. Drew asks if this is about the tension between Michael and his father. Is he worried Sonny is going to retaliate?

Josslyn says she’s sorry if her medical skills don’t meet Dex’s high standards, but he says she knows better. If she’d taken him to a hospital, the ER doctor would have had to report the bullet wound, and he’d be behind bars. He owes her. She says, he’s welcome, and he says, she asked him before how he got shot, and she says, and he didn’t tell her. He says, she doesn’t need to know the details to know it was something illegal, and she says, he works for Sonny. Of course (🍷) it’s something illegal (ha-ha!). Dex flashes back to Michael telling him, none of this is fine, and that Dex needs to find a way to keep Josslyn at arm’s length. He tells Josslyn, that’s why he needs her to leave now, and never come back.

Sasha tells Sam, it’s not easy for her to acknowledge her feelings. It’s something she’s working on in therapy; taking time to process her emotions, instead of bottling them up until the overwhelm her in a public and messy explosion. Sam says, it can be really scary, admitting to yourself how you really feel; revisiting dreams for someone whose gone that you know aren’t going to come true. She’s learned, the more time passes, the more she’s able to accept those dreams, and even smile a little. Sasha asks what Sam dreams about, and Sam says, her first child, a daughter, was stillborn. Sasha says she had no idea. She’s so sorry. Sam says she thinks about her all the time, and Sasha says, Liam would have been about a year; he was born near Christmas. He’d have been too young to understand who Santa was, but she thinks she and Brando would have still taken him to see Santa. It never happened, but the thought of it still makes her smile.

They walk outside, and Nina tells Carly that she doesn’t need another lecture. She didn’t come here to pick a fight with Willow. She didn’t come here to orchestrate a run-in with Wiley. She just came her to reach out to Willow on Sasha’s behalf. Carly says she believes Nina.

Willow says she’s sorry to the baby. She should have been more careful. She didn’t mean to get so upset. She’s afraid they’re in for a bumpy ride, but they’re going to make it. She’s their mommy, and she’s going to bring them safely into this world. She promises.

Spencer says he may not have a father he can count on, but he’s lucky to have uncles that look out for him; Cyrus and Victor, and of course (🍷) Uncles Sonny and Martin. Cyrus says, Victor knows his brother Martin, and Victor says, Martin is his son’s attorney, but Cyrus says, they both know Martin is much more than that. Victor gets up, saying, he doesn’t want to interrupt Spencer’s game, but he hopes Spencer reconsiders mending fences with his father. Cyrus says, Victor Cassadine mediator? and Spencer says, Uncle Victor wants peace for their family. Cyrus asks if that’s why Victor tried to kill his. Victor caused his brother great harm. Victor says, the implication that he had anything to do with Lucy Coe’s disappearance is unfounded, and frankly insulting, but Cyrus says he’s not talking about Ms. Coe. He’s referring to the attempt on his brother’s life, and that of their sister Laura.

Carly says, she and Nina aren’t friends, but she doesn’t think Nina came here with the intention of upsetting Willow so much, she fainted. But she has to stay away and accept the fact that seeing her upsets Willow so much, and they both know that’s not good for the baby. Nina says she’d never hurt that baby, and Carly says she believes Nina. Nina says, all right, she’ll go. If Carly will just tell… don’t tell her anything. Nina leaves, and Carly goes back inside. She tells Willow, Nina’s gone, and Willow thanks her. Carly says, but she’s not wrong. Willow needs to see her doctor. Let Carly take her to GH.

Sonny says he doesn’t need Dante’s protection. He can investigate and act on whatever he wants. Dante says, he’ll do that. He just hopes Sonny covered his tracks this time. Because next time – and there will be a next time, and a time after that – he might not have an employee who lies to take a beating. Sonny might slip up, and then Dante will have to do something he doesn’t want to do. Sonny says, so Dante feels the same way Michael does; that he should lose his family, that he should have everything he loves taken from him? Dante says he’s not Michael. He’s not out to get Sonny. He loves Sonny, but he took an oath to uphold the law, and he’s going to keep that oath. Sonny says he doesn’t expect anything less, and if it gets worse, and Dante is forced to arrest him one day, he won’t love Dante any less. Dante says he woudn’t blame Sonny if he did, but Sonny says, it’s not going to happen… ever, and they hug.  

Sam says she can cover if Sasha wants to take a break, but Sasha says she’s having fun. It feels good to be doing something useful and positive. Not that putting up Christmas decorations is going to change the world. Sam says, maybe not, but people seem to take extra care of each other this time of year. She sees a lot of smiles at the decorations and the trees lit up. Sasha says she’s grateful to be part of it, even if in a small way. It turns out what people have been telling her is true. Helping others is a great way to help yourself.

Michael tells Drew that he doesn’t believe he’s in any physical danger from his father, and the emotional damage has already been done. But this whole rift with his father has made him value his family even more. He spent the first year and a half of Wiley’s life believing Wiley was dead. Now he has Wiley… he has Willow and a baby on the way. Every day is precious to him. He wants to freeze time, and live in this place of joy with Willow and the kids. Drew says, if only they could, and Michael says, life has a way of messing up your plans. When it happens, all he can do is deal with it the best he can. Drew says he can’t argue with that, and Michael says, what he won’t do is waste any more time, or overlook the little things. Like the look of wonder on Willow’s face when she feels the baby kick. Or Wiley insisting he read Willow’s baby bump a bedtime story. Drew says, which of course (🍷) he does, and Michael says, those things only come around once. You don’t get do-overs. So if Drew and his mom feel the need to hide, then hide, but don’t pass up the chance of something really good. Now he’s going to go home to Willow.

Spencer asks if Cyrus is talking about the attack on his grandmother and Uncle Martin at the safe house last year. His Uncle Victor had nothing to do with it. Cyrus says, his sources don’t lie, nor do his instincts. Victor tells him, says the man who held Trina Robinson and her mother at gunpoint, and tried to kill Spencer’s friend Britt Westbourne. Or does the attack on Dr. Westbourne not count because Cyrus sent his minions to do his dirty work? Cyrus says he doesn’t hear Victor denying what he did to Laura and Martin, but Victor says he doesn’t answer to Cyrus. Cyrus says, Victor will if he goes near Cyrus’s family again, and that includes Spencer. Victor says, Cyrus doesn’t want him as an enemy, and Cyrus says, or he’ll go on Victor’s hit list too? Victor tells Spencer, don’t let this man manipulate him, but Spencer says he doesn’t get manipulated, and he won’t again. If there’s nothing else Victor has to say… He points toward the door, and Victor tells Spencer, like he said, he doesn’t want to interrupt his game. But remember, your pawns need to be guarded, and you won’t always have a knight to ride to your rescue. He leaves, and Spencer tells Cyrus, could he be more obvious? Cyrus says, instantly, there dropped from his eyes what seemed to be scales, and he could see once more. He’s sorry Spencer had to learn about Victor this way. Spencer says he’s not in the mood to play chess. He’s going back to his cell.

Willow thanks Carly for hooking her to the portable fetal monitor and checking for herself. Carly says, the baby’s heartbeat looks fine, and Willow’s blood pressure is good, but she’s no OB. She’s not going to insist Willow go to GH, but she wants Willow to promise to see her doctor in the next couple of days. Michael walks in, and asks, what happened? but Willow says, it’s nothing. Michael asks why she needs to see her doctor then, and Carly says, because she fainted. Willow says, she’s fine. Once again, she forgot to eat. Carly says, Willow didn’t want to call an ambulance, but she thinks Willow should see her OB. Willow needs to rest, and needs some TLC. Michael says he’ll make sure of it, and Carly leaves. Michael takes out his phone, and says he’s going to call Terry. She needs to know Willow fainted.

Nina goes to Rice Plaza, and Sasha asks what she thinks of the progress so far. Nina says, it’s great; everyone is doing a fantastic job. Sasha says, Nina doesn’t have to pretend with her. Did something happen? Nina says, sometimes she’s afraid that she’s really as awful as Willow thinks she is.

Dante tells Sam that she’d better pace herself; she has a penthouse to decorate. She says she was just telling Sasha that Scout will definitely want to help decorate, but does he think the boys will think they’re above it all? He says, Rocco seems like he’s going through something right now, but Danny will step up for Scout’s sake. The minute the ornaments and candy canes come out, they’ll get into it. Their boys aren’t as old as they think they are, thank God. Sam wonders where that came from, and he says he loves his father, but their relationship has always been a bit of a minefield. He’s hoping he and Rocco don’t turn into that when he’s an adult.

Josslyn says, Dex is out of bandages and antibiotic ointment, so she’s going out to get some. He tells her not to bother. He can order that stuff online. He doesn’t need her to come back. She says, skip it. It’s not going to work. He says, what? and she says, the big speech. He tries to warn her about how dangerous he is, and tries to push her away for her own good. She knows he’s dangerous. He was beating up some guy under Sonny’s orders the night they met. He can do so much better than Sonny. He’s resourceful; he keeps his head in a crisis. He’s loyal, and doesn’t complain even when he’s hurt. He says, Dex Heller, hero, and she tells him, stop it. She found him bleeding. She nursed him through a fever. She sat up with him all night to make sure he was still breathing. So she’s not going to walk out and pretend what they went through doesn’t mean something.

Sam says, most of the tension between Dante and Sonny is because Dante’s a cop, and Sonny is… Sonny. As long as Rocco doesn’t want to grow up like his grandfather, she doesn’t think Dante has anything to worry about. He says, fathers and sons butt heads about stuff, and she asks if she looks worried. She sees him and Rocco interact every day, and she sees love. Not only Dante’s love for Rocco, but Rocco’s love for him. You know what that tells her? He says, that they’re love is so strong it can survive anything, and she hugs him, saying, don’t make fun of her. He’s so smart. He says he just gets it through osmosis living with her. He thanks her for making him look forward to Christmas, and for their blended family. For the traditions they’re going to make. He’s already got his Christmas presents. She says, her too, and they kiss.

Nina says, too bad she doesn’t have a flask of brandy to go with this hot chocolate, and Sasha says, that bad? Nina says, it’s her fault Willow fainted. She never should have gone over to Willow’s place. For a smart women, she does a lot of stupid things. If something happens to Willow and that baby, she’ll never forgive herself. Sasha says, Nina made a mistake. Welcome to the club. The important thing here is to take a breath, figure out how it happened, and how to avoid it happening again. Nina says, she knows the answer, and oddly enough, got it from Carly. Sasha says, Carly’s a smart lady, and Nina says, even though it galls her to admit this, Carly helped her to see that the only thing she can do for Willow is stay away from her.

Willow thanks Michael for the soup, and says she’s feeling much better. Staring at his phone isn’t going to make Terry call back any faster. Michael says, maybe they should go to GH. If the chemo is causing her to faint… She says, it’s not the chemo. It was Nina, or rather her response to Nina. He says, Nina was here? and Willow says, Nina volunteered Sasha to oversee the decorations in Rice Plaza, and showed up to ask her to help. When she tried to decline, Nina said she was selfish. Things went downhill from there. She snapped and started screaming at Nina, and next thing she knew, it was lights out. He says he’ll make sure Nina never comes here again, but she says she doesn’t think that will be a problem. She thinks her fainting scared Nina more than it scared her. Michael says he doubts Nina would have gotten in an argument with Willow if she’d known Willow just had chemo. They need to find Willow a bone marrow donor, and need for people like Nina to treat her with consideration. They need to tell people Willow has leukemia.

Drew surprises Carly with a kiss as she walks into the kitchen. She says not that she’s complaining, but what’s going on? He says he has it on good advice that they should take full advantage of their time together while they’re lucky enough to have it. She says she’s not arguing with that, but she thought they were staying away from each other. He says he can’t stay away from her. And they’re lucky enough to have this big house on acres of grounds, with secluded nooks and crannies, and the moss bowl🎍. They kiss, and his phone chimes. She insists he get it, and he says, good news. They have a lead on Willow’s birth parents.

Josslyn tells Dex, she won’t hang around where she’s not wanted, but she’s not going to deny what’s standing in front of her, and neither can he. It’s like this wall went up between them, and Dex remembered he had to protect little old her from big bad him. She calls BS on that. She makes her own decisions, and knows the risks she’s taking. If he doesn’t want her, just say that. He says he’s trying to do the right thing here, and she suggests he try being honest instead. He says, she wants honest? and kisses her. There’s a knock at the door, and Sonny says, open up.

On Monday, Cody tells Britt, it’s more than that and she knows it; Willow tells Michael that she needs to do this on her terms; and Valentin says, if Mac has evidence, he’d like to hear it.

🤷🏻 Where In the World…

God forbid she gets some free time.

Finola Hughes Clarifies Her Status at GENERAL HOSPITAL

🏥 Happy Anniversary…

More pictures would have been nice.

Jacklyn Zeman Celebrates 45 Years at GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🌱 A Mother’s Memories…

This is still just the saddest thing.

Kristina Wagner Remembers Her Late Son, Harrison, on His Birthday

🧼 Wait, What…

I never knew he was on the cover of Playgirl, but then again, it was never on my list of publications to buy.

GH’s John J. York Dishes His Appearance on the Cover of Playgirl!

👠 Love Bubble My Foot…

No surprise whatsoever. I love how Andy says she must have been provoked. Yeah, they said her name.

https://pagesix.com/2022/11/30/radio-host-slams-teresa-giudice-after-rude-interview/

🍹 Ahoy…

Leva dishes on Southern reality.

Leva Bonaparte Reveals That The “Ship Has Sailed” On Any Reconciliation Between Taylor Ann Green, Olivia Flowers And Their Southern Charm Exes

💞 Aww…

I’m sure it won’t last for long.

NeNe Leakes And Kandi Burruss Make Amends At Porsha Williams’ Wedding

👰🏾 Speaking Of Which…

The cake is ridiculous, but I love the traditional theme.

https://people.com/food/porsha-williams-husband-simon-guobadia-wedding-cake-sword/

🍼 No Chances…

Can’t say I blame her. Randall wasn’t much of a step up from James. As a matter-of-fact, aside from the money, he was a step down.

Lala Kent Will Only Use A Sperm Donor For Her Next Baby; Says “I’m Not Taking The Chance”

⚰️ Resetting Daryl…

More on viva le Daryl.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-norman-reedus-reset/

🎄 Sub-Genre…

I never thought of The Thing as a Christmas movie, but why not? I have my own cinematic quirks.

https://ew.com/movies/best-christmas-horror-movies/

🥀 Early Roll Call…

Those we’ve lost.

https://ew.com/celebrity/stars-we-lost-in-2022/

📺 Rushing the TV Season…

What’s coming up next year.

https://ew.com/tv/2023-tv-premiere-dates/

📬 Quotes of the Week

Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided. – Paracelsus

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. – Sholem Aleichem

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz

You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don’t decide, others will decide for you. – Tony Morgan

Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. – Arthur Jersild

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. – Aristotle

I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste. – Marcel Duchamp

If a zombie bear isn’t the problem, what is? – Doc (Russell Hodgkinson), Z Nation

🕰 Time Keeps On Tickin’…

Boomerang back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and my favorite Boat Daddy. Until then, stay safe, stay never settling for less than, and stay helping others. It’s a great way to help yourself.

Nov21

November 20, 2022 – The Ones Who Live, Dead Dissection, Finale Songs, Spin-Offs, Photos & Cult

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead Finale

Running into the hospital with Judith, Daryl yells for help. He tells Judith that she’ll be okay. She sees a distorted view of the hospital, troopers running in, and Daryl falling. She sees a zombie headed for the doors, and rolls herself off the gurney. She pushes and pulls at the inner sliding glass doors, getting them almost shut as a zombie bounces off of them. More zombies have gathered, and as she shuts the doors the last few inches, hands poke through. They fight to get in, and she shoves a desk in front of the doors. She passes out next to Daryl as zombies pound at the glass.

A zombie advertises DoorDash, and it’s quite funny. Now that I think of it, I wonder what a commercial spot cost for this show.

Maggie and the others kill zombies a million different ways, as their group fights its way through the horde. Jules gets bitten, and Luke spikes the zombie through the head. He tells her that she’ll be okay, but that’s not going to happen, since he gets grabbed. I say, noo! as the zombies pull at him, and he sees Jules getting eaten. Carol, Maggie, Negan and the others jet through somehow, scooping up Luke in the process. I honestly don’t know how any of them could make it through this death machine, she says like this could possibly be a real life situation.

Daryl is lying on a gurney, and hears, hey, it’s me. He opens his eyes, seeing Connie, Kelly, Magna, and Yumiko gathered around Luke on another gurney. Luke’s legs are pretty much gone, and he’s crying, as we all would. Daryl tells Carol that he’s fine, and gets up, but Carol says, no, he’s not. He looks at Judith, and says, she’s lost a lot of blood. Yumiko tells Luke to stay with them, and Carol says, it took everything they had. Pamela is holed up in the gated community, and left everyone to fend for themselves. If they go after her, there are going be troopers. Daryl asks if Mercer doesn’t know people on the inside, and she says, Max thinks so, and he said he’d come back. He asks if they just wait, but she says, no. They’re going to take care of Judith, and him. Kelly starts to cry, and Yumiko takes Luke’s harmonica out of his pocket, telling him, they’ll keep the music alive. Kelly says, for him, and Connie signs, for everyone. They love him so much. Now we’re all crying, and Luke slips away. Magna takes out a knife and stabs him, but we mercifully don’t see that happen, and everyone sobs. Except Carol and Daryl, who are stoic. Daryl asks if Carol knows how to do a blood transfusion; he’s going to give Judith blood. She says, the types have to match, but he says, his goes with anybody. His brother made him sell it when he was a kid. A cover is put over Luke, and Carol sets up an IV. They hear clattering, and Magna says, they have to sweep the hospital. Everyone leaves, except Daryl, who stays to do the transfusion.

Mercer paces a cell in a prison uniform, which seems startling. Zombies shuffle by in the hallway, and he hears machine guns. Princess yells for him to get back and cover his head. She gets rid of the zombies in the way, and busts in. Max runs to Mercer, hugging him, then Princess jumps into his arms, and they kiss. He smiles, which I don’t think we’ve seen before.  

Maggie tells Negan, get ready, and he asks if her weapon is for Pamela. She doesn’t say anything, and he says, the offer still stands. She says she’s good, and zombies begin to come. Mercer is back in his gear, and Ezekiel tells them to wait. Aaron and Lydia run up, and tell them that Jerry and Elijah are still out there. They jump in a truck, and Ezekiel drives.  

The nursery is chaos, and a zombie chows down on someone. Gabriel, Eugene, and Rosita run in, and Rosita says, Coco. She sees a zombie reaching into the crib, but as she runs over, another one grabs her. But she’s mama bear now, so these undead are no match. She goes into hyper-kickass mode, and saves her baby. Eugene runs in, followed by Gabriel, who scoops up another infant. On the radio, Mercer asks if there’s an update on the kids, and Gabriel says, they found them. Mercer says, thank God.

Daryl watches Judith, and she opens her eyes. She asks, what’s happening? Where is she? He says, at the hospital, and she asks, why? Is she going to die? He says, no, but she says she feels like she is. Then she can’t find her mom, who’s finding her dad, so they can all be together. He smooths her hair, and tells her that she’s fine. She says, her mom told her this thing that she told her dad; we’re the ones… She’s suddenly out, and Daryl tells her, wake up. Carol comes back, and says, the hospital’s been breached. They’ve got to go. Daryl says, he can’t, and Rosita radios that they’re in the alley behind the hospital. They went through the horde, and their ride is f***ed. Daryl wheels the gurney to another room. He tells Judith that she’ll be okay, and locks her in. He puts another gurney in front of the door, then knocks over some shelving for good measure. He runs to the front, joining the others, and a zombie is smashing at the glass with a rock. Some zombies are already inside, and the others finally crash through, tons of them pouring in. Daryl and Carol fight them, and Daryl says, they’ve got to move. Run. He goes back to where Judith is, shoving the shelves over, and pulls he bed out. Carol radios that the hospital has been breached. They’re going out the back. When they get there, it’s another cluster of zombies, so they keep going, and find another door.

Eugene comes out of a van, shooting, and Gabriel says, back to back. Eugene says, they’ve got to find a way out. A zombie grabs Rosita, but Gabriel shoots it. Rosita suggests they go up; she’ll be behind him. They climb up a pipe on the side of a building like freaking Spiderman, but then the zombies start climbing too. Rosita gets stuck they tell her, reach up, but she falls backward, along with Coco, in a pack strapped to her stomach. She somehow pops back up, and climbs onto an overturned ambulance. Eugene tells her to jump, and jumps onto the pipe, and gets in the window. That was one heart-stopping moment.

Daryl and company rendezvous with Mercer, who helps get Judith to a safe house, where Tomi examines her. He tells Daryl that it was good he gave her blood. He’ll do what he can. He tells them to prep an IV, and clear the room. Aaron checks on Lydia, and tells her that she’ll feel it sometimes, like it’s still there. Is she okay? She nods, and says, Luke and Jules… He says he knows, and she says, it’s the same with Eli; she knows it. That’s just what happens. People die; cities fall. Things just don’t work out. People tell her they do, but they don’t. Jerry’s not coming back either, is he? Aaron says he hasn’t given up hope. They’ll  find both of them. Carol hears, but says nothing. Maggie asks if Aaron has seen Negan, but he says, not for a while, and she runs off. She finds Negan climbing the stairs with a rifle, and asks if he’s going after Pamela. He asks what it matters, as long as it’s done, and she asks, what’s his angle? He says he has no goddam angle. He’s doing this for her. If she takes Pammy out with this thing, hell will rain down on her, and she ain’t gonna come back, and she has to come back. So he’s doing it. Last night, when he was down on his knees about to lose his wife, about lose everything, he finally understood what it must have felt like. He knows he probably owes Maggie more than this, but he’s so sorry for what he took from her and her son. She takes the rifle from him, and says, you comin’?

Eugene and Max doze, and Eugene sees Rosita watching Coco sleep. He walks over, and asks if she wants to take a break, but she says she just wants to soak Coco up. He smiles, and sits with her. He says he bets she can’t wait for summer. She can finally take Coco for a swim at Oceanside. In his research on child-rearing he came across an outline of the benefits that swimming has. It builds confidence; not that Coco will have a problem. Rosita has it in spades, so it’s in Coco too. He can’t wait for summer, can she? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, when she fell… She looks at him, and he asks, where? She shakes her head, and he pulls back the collar of her shirt, seeing the bite make on her shoulder. She says, it’s okay; no crying. She doesn’t want them to know yet, so pull his sh*t together. He says he can’t, but she says, he can. She’s still right here, and he’s going to be fine. Tears shine in her eyes, but yet she smiles, and Eugene says he just loves her so much. She says she loves him, he kisses her head, and leaves. He sits with Max, and she asks if he’s all right. He says he’s completely fine.

Daryl and Carol watch Judith. She stirs, and Daryl sits on the bed. He calls her a little ass-kicker, and she says, big ass-kicker. He says, damn straight, and she says she’s fine, like he promised. What she said about her mom and dad… He asks if it’s true. Is that why she never came back? Judith says she’s sorry she didn’t tell him. She was scared he’d leave too. He says he’s right here, when they hear gunshots and yelling. Mercer tells them that people are banging at the gate, and they’re shooting anyone who climbs over. Loads people are dying, and he can’t just stand by. The truck is gassed, and can get them home. It’s not their fight; these are not their people. Ezekiel says, they are; so is Mercer. They may not think this place is worth saving, given how they were treated, but it’s worth it to him. The people are worth it. He’s not allowing them to fall without a fight. Not today. Not with him. Who else will go? Aaron says, they can do more than save themselves, and they need to. Everyone is like, let’s go, and Ezekiel tells Mercer, lead the way, brother.

Pamela stands near the gates, watching all the people yelling for her to open them. Maggie looks at her through binoculars, and tells Negan, they’re almost there. Mercer comes out, along with Carol, Daryl, and company, and a group of trooper sympathizers. Pamela says, arrest them, and everyone draws their guns. Mercer says, the people outside want in, and she says, traitor. He says, no, she is. She disappeared hundreds of citizens, and lead the dead to their doorstep. She shot a child, and now she’s left thousands to die. A herd is also coming. The people yell, let us in, and Gabriel steps forward. He says he’s opening the gate, and he’ll kill anyone who tries to stop him. Trooper Vickers says, they’ll be forced to shoot him unless he stops, and Carol says, they’ll fire back. Pamela says, shoot him, and Daryl asks what the hell she’s doing. They all deserve better than this. She built this place based on the old world, a world that f***ed people over. Pamela says, if she opens the gate, the dead will get in, not just living, and he says, if she doesn’t, they lose everything anyway. We have one enemy, and it ain’t the walking dead.

Vickers tells the troopers to lower their weapons, and says, he’s right. Give the priest the key. On your command, General Mercer. Mercer says he’s arresting Pamela for high crimes against the people of the Commonwealth. Cuff her. Maggie tells Negan, she’s getting arrested, and he says, prison like that is worse than death. Gabriel unlocks the gate, and the people swarm in. Several of them help Gabriel to close and lock it behind them, and the zombies grope through the gate, still trying to get in. Eli runs to Lydia, who says she thought she’d never see him again. Jerry calls for Nabila, and Ezekiel says, come with him. Pamela looks dazed, and moves closer to the gate, seeing zombie Lance. She moves even closer, and he grabs her, pulling her toward him. She closes her eyes, and Judith tells Pamela, you have to help them. It’s not too late; it’s never too late. Maggie shoots Lance, and says, now we’ll take this place back.

Mercer says, here’s the new plan. They’re going to get a vehicle out, and clear a path. Don’t engage with the dead any more than necessary. We see them fight their way through the horde, and Aaron saying, hold the line. Mercer says, take the vehicle out back. He’s headed for the town square, and will let them know when it’s clear. Jerry is in charge of dumping the barrels of fuel from the depot into the sewer tunnels underneath. They’ll start the PA system to draw the zombies to the Estates. Eli does some wiring, and Mercer says, it’s almost go time. Get the fuel in the sewers. They only have one shot at this. They pour out the gasoline, and everyone is wiring something or hooking something up. Max says she hopes it works, and Princess says, if it doesn’t, they’re dead.

Living Colour’s Cult of Personality plays at top volume, and the zombies pour into the Estates. When the song stops, the record player arm goes back, and two flints ignite a spark. Everything blows up, and it’s quite an explosion. It rips through the tunnels, and outside, flaming zombies drop like… well, flaming zombies. Everything burns.

Pamela whines, it’s not easy having a good time so many lives in her hands, and she had to make ugly decision. How do you pick who does the jobs no one wants? Who gets the nicer house? Carol says, they had to make an ugly decision to keep alive after everything she’s done, because they’ve all done things. They’ll figure it out. They’ll make sure of it. At least they don’t have to worry about who gets her house. They close the cell door behind them.  

Negan looks at his old Whisperer mask, and tosses it. Maggie sits across from him, and says she was thinking about what he said. She wants to thank him. She can stop wondering if he’ll ever say those words, and if she can forgive him. She knows now she can’t. Glenn was beautiful. She’ll never love anyone like that again. She remembers his smile, his goodness, and the way he made her feel. But when looks at Negan, all she sees is the bat coming down, and blood running down Glenn’s face. She hears him calling for her, and hears Negan mocking her. She can’t forgive him, even though she’s grateful that he saved her son; even though she knows he’s trying. She’s trying too, because she doesn’t want to hate him anymore. She doesn’t want to hurt like that. She doesn’t want her son to see that anybody has that kind of hold over her. If he and Annie want to stay, they’ve earned their place. But if she can’t look at him some days, work with him, or move on, that’s why. All she has are her memories, and she doesn’t want to remember Glenn like that. He nods, pain visible in his eyes, and she leaves.

There’s a big group dinner, where there’s much laughter, Landslide playing on the phonograph. DOG IS HERE!!! Yumiko toasts to Luke, and they all raise their glasses, clinking them. Daryl looks outside, and sees Negan. He nods, and Negan nods back, but keeps walking. Yumiko asks Magna if she can just say… but she doesn’t finish because Magna kisses her. Gabriel sits with Rosita, and asks if she’s okay. She says, everything is perfect. She just wants to remember this moment. She whispers something to him, and he covers her hand with his. She wipes away a tear, and Judith sees.

Carol and Maggie walk Rosita into a bedroom, and she lies on the bed next to Coco. They leave, and she cuddles with Coco, as Daryl stands in the doorway. Gabriel comes in, and kneels next to the bed. He says, receive her into Your arms of mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace. And into the glorious company of the saints and light. May her soul, and the soul of all those departed, in the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. He takes her hand, and she kisses Coco. Gabriel says, they’ll see her again someday, and takes Coco. Eugene comes in, and sits next to the bed. He says he wouldn’t be the man he is today if he hadn’t met her. He takes her hand, and she says she’s glad it was him in the end. She closes her eyes, and he cries.

One year later. Eugene leaves flowers at Rosita’s grave plaque, and we see plaques for those who are gone. We hear Ezekiel say, my fellow citizens. They’re here together today against all odds. Eugene takes Baby Rosie from Max, and Ezekiel says, they’re here to honor those who sacrificed for them, so they could pursue a more perfect union.  Even though they’re not bonded by blood, they’re family. As Governor, Ezekiel is making Mercer his Lieutenant Governor. Princess lets out a whoop, everyone laughs, and she blows Mercer a kiss. Ezekiel says, they pledge to live by those words, and everyone applauds. He and Mercer bro hug, and Connie hugs Daryl. She signs, what’s up, cowboy? How’s the frontier? He says, quiet for now, and asks, how’s work? She signs, great. She’s keeping the new administration honest. He says, she seems happy, and she signs, she is. Lydia hugs Judith, and gives her a present. Judith asks who it’s from, and Lydia says, it’s a surprise, and leaves. Judith opens it, and finds her compass with JG engraved on it, along with a note that says: This has always helped me find my way. I’m returning it to you in the hope that it can guide you to your dreams. Thank you for letting me use it. Negan.

Daryl and Carol look at the Wall of the Lost in rebuilt Alexandria, and everyone around them does normal stuff. Gracie runs in and hugs Judith, and Eli hugs Aaron. Aaron tells Gabriel that he never thought they’d get back to any of this. He had hope, but they’ve been lucky. Gabriel says, it’s not luck; it’s effort. They have a lot to be proud of; family, community, our future. Maggie hugs Daryl and Carol, and says she wants to talk about the future. There’s a lot out there to find out about, and she thinks it’s time they did. It’s a beautiful day to head out. Daryl says, yeah, and tells Carol that he wishes she was coming with him. She says she knows it will be good for both of them, and he says he’s proud of her. She took Hornsby’s job and made it her own. She made everything better for her kids, and she’ll keep making it better. She says, he will too, and he says, it’s not like they’ll never see each other again. She says she’s allowed to be a little sad, and a tear rolls down her cheek. She says, he’s her best friend, he puts his arm around her, and they look at the lake.

Judith and RJ say goodbye to Daryl, and Judith says, she’ll keep an eye on Dog. Daryl tells her to keep an eye on Carol too. If he sees anything, he’ll find both her parents, and bring them home. She says, he deserves a happy ending too, and he says he’ll be back. She says he knows, and they hug. Ezekiel takes the kids, and Carol straightens Daryl’s poncho. He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. They hug, and he gets on his bike. He looks at her, starts the engine, and heads into down the road, passing a random zombie who was apparently Greg Nicotero.  

We go heavily down Dead Memory Lane, seeing all the characters we remember and those we forgot about, as…

A match lights the darkness, and we see Rick sitting by a fire, writing a letter. In a voiceover, he says he thinks about the dead all the time, and about the living… who he lost. Elsewhere, Michonne writes in a journal that she tried to get to their kids again and again, but it was too far. But they’ve got each other; they’re connected. He says, he thinks about them all every day; their faces, what he’s learned, how she made him who he is. She says, they’ll always be together, even when they’re apart. We together is the strongest thing. We’re love, and love is endless. We are endless. He says, together we’re the pieces of a whole that keeps going with what we gave each other; one unstoppable life. You showed me that. You gave me that. Michonne looks into the fire at Rick on the other side.

Michonne is in a stable with a horse, and Rick’s meager possessions. She writes, I know your brother is back there. Just as sure as I know he’s out there. Somewhere. Not just as a part of us. He’s alive out there. She will find him. She knows he’s trying to find them.

In another place and time, and with the same possessions, Rick is on a riverbank, wearing a CRM jacket.

Michonne saddles her horse, and rides out, lopping off a zombie’s head as she rides past.

On a beach rife with zombie heads poking out of the wet sand, Rick hears a helicopter, and says, no. He tosses his bag away, and a loudspeaker says, he’s been located. He’s being instructed to surrender. Remain in place with his hands up. He spikes one of the zombie heads with a tool I use for yanking out weeds from the garden. The loudspeaker tells him, it’s like she said; there’s no escape for the living.

As Michonne rides, she says, remember what she told him. It’s what he said. Hold it in your heart. It’s true. Forever.   

We hear, we’re the ones who live, and we see all the highlights of the past seasons. Michonne rides into the fog, ready to do battle. Rick holds up his hands, looks up, and smiles.  

Judith tells TJ, we get to start over. We’re the ones who live.

There was a thank you from each cast member to the fans.

Next on the agenda, Fear the Walking Dead, Dead City, Daryl Dixon, and Rick and Michonne. The Walking Dead Universe – bigger and deader.

👩🏾‍🏫 Explaining the Dead End…

An in depth look at the ending. For those who must.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-rick-michonne-ending-explained/

🎧 Playlisting Dead…

The cast chooses songs for the finale.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-cast-character-playlist-songs/

⚰️ Dead Next…

About that bigger and deader universe.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-finale-spin-offs/

📸 Dead Snaps…

Photos from behind-the-scenes.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-behind-the-scenes-photos/

👣 Dead On My Feet…

If you got to go to the finale, you’re a lucky dead dog, but the seat in front of the TV wasn’t bad. Lots of laughing, hugging, and reminiscing, and I definitely got the vibe they’d been passing out champagne… or something. Stop in tomorrow for some soap and OG Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay embracing, or at least accepting, the change of seasons, and stay knowing, you don’t have to be bonded by blood to be a family.

Nov14

November 13, 2022 – The Commonwealth Wall Is Breached, Some Talk, Vampire Season Finale & Tom’s November

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What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

Judith’s voiceover says, for the longest time, we were fighting to survive, trying to get back what we lost. This family, my family, we would do anything to protect each other. We’re fighting now for something else, something bigger… a new beginning. But that comes with a cost. There’s always a cost. I never got to know my mom Lori. My brother Carl dreamed of a day we would live in peace. My mom Michonne tried to hang up her sword. My dad Rick was searching for mercy. And me? I guess I’m a Grimes too. She holsters her gun. I keep thinking about something my mom told me. She looks at a copy of the Constitution, and rolls it up. TJ walks in. It was a secret saying she shared with my dad; it was like a good luck charm. For me and RJ too. I was afraid to say it out loud; afraid say so many things out loud. But we didn’t know when we started this, that this would be the day everything changed forever.

Maggie and the others gather at the train. Rosita says, let’s go now, and they get in. Princess asks Magna if anyone knows how to drive a train, and Magna says she thinks one of the prisoners used to be an engineer. They load supplies, and Negan asks if Maggie has any thoughts on how they’re taking out the bitch. She says, Pamela? and he laughs. He says he gets that others have reasons of their own for going back, but no one is safe as long as Pamela is breathing. He assumes she agrees. Together, they can get this done. They don’t need the others. She closes the storage compartment, and says, we’re not a we. She sees Herschel, and gives him a hug, telling him that she loves him. Annie hugs Negan from behind, and tells him, be careful. He says she knows him; he always is. He tells her to hold down the fort, and she says, make sure he comes back in one piece. He says, yes ma’am, and everyone says their goodbyes. Judith tells Daryl that she’s coming with them, but he says, no. They need her here. She says, that’s crap. This isn’t the future her brother wanted. It’s not what her mom and dad fought for. They want to help everyone, not just themselves, and she wants to be a part of that; to make what her family believed in real. Carol says, they’ve been focused on what’s in front of them for so long, Judith is thinking, what about after? Maybe they should all do a little more of that. Daryl says, all right, but stay with him. Judith agrees, and Daryl asks Nabila to watch RJ.

Mercer brings Eugene to Max and Yumiko, and Eugene says he’s safe thanks to Max’s brother. Max hugs Mercer, and Yumiko asks why he didn’t tell them. Mercer says, it was safer this way. Some of her people have saved his ass through the years, and he won’t forget it. They need to lay low for now. Yumiko says, the people heard them. They’re angry, and they need to push them. Mercer says he needs to gather enough troops on his side to get Pamela. Yumiko and Max can stir the people, but Eugene has to stay out of sight. A sympathetic trooper opens the door, and tells Mercer that he’s out of time. The trooper radios in some bullsh*t about Mercer taking a statement, and how Mercer will come over when he’s done. They leave, and Eugene locks the door.

Zombies claw at the train, as Rosita goes over plans with Gabriel. She says, they won’t stand out as much in the wards, and can go behind the children’s house to rescue them. Gabriel says, they will get their daughter back, and she asks if that’s his faith talking. He says, in her, yes, and she says she’s glad he’s here. Tyler tells Princess, it’s weird them ending up in a place like this again. He’s sorry about what happened. She thanks him, but says she has no time for sorries. They have to contact the guy who will help. Tyler raises some kind of antenna out of an opening in the ceiling to get reception. Connie signs that she’s glad they found him, and Kelly tells him what Connie said, adding, they’ve been looking for him since Pamela’s party. Magna says, society threw him away. He was desperate and mad, but they heard him. He says he wanted Pamela to hear, but he shouldn’t have hurt people. Connie signs, he can fix his mistakes. The governor might not have listened, but soon the people of the Commonwealth will.  

The people shout outside Pamela’s office window, and she tells Mercer, incompetence. They have no idea how he got away. Mercer says, clearly he had help. Some people are unhappy with the verdict. It’s going to take time to narrow down the suspect list. There have been reports of people going missing for a while, and they don’t have answers. Maybe this time, they’ll get lucky. She says, just do your job, Michael – startling me, since I’ve only thought of him as Mercer – before more people get hurt. He leaves, and she tells trooper Vickers, keep an eye on him. She wants a door-to-door search for Eugene, and they’re to shoot him on sight. Vickers asks if Pamela would like them to try and disperse the crowd, but Pamela says, she’ll find some bones to throw them. If things escalate, there’s a plan in place. Vickers leaves, and Pamela takes out a super-secret radio, and says, B17.

Aaron and his group continue to walk with the zombie horde, as the trooper jeeps ride around them. The zombies follow a jeep, and Aaron says, now’s their chance. Get to the trees. The message is whispered throughout the group, and they start to move to the edge. A trooper on motorcycle goes past. Lydia is used to this, but the others look freaked. The horde follows the jeeps and bikes. From the crane shot, we see the road is long.

On the train, Ezekiel sees Negan looking at him, and says, what? Negan says he never thanked Ezekiel for getting in front of the rifles. Thank you. He asks why Ezekiel did it, and Ezekiel says, a lot of reasons. Dying like a martyr is too easy. Living and making something positive out of his days, that keeps him from giving into anger over what he lost. He doesn’t want to live out whatever days he has left in bitterness. He’s not even supposed to be here. The dead came for me, and yet I smile. War came for me, and yet I smile. He opens his collar, showing Negan the tumor, and says, cancer. And yet I smile. He tries to anyway. So why did Negan tell the warden his own name instead of Ezekiel’s? Negan says, for his wife, and his kid. He wants to leave a better story than the one Ezekiel’s been telling; when it mattered, he did something right. Not to prove anything or get anything, or to save his own ass. It was to save all of them. They’re better than him, and if Ezekiel thinks he doesn’t know that, then he hasn’t been paying attention.

Judith tells Daryl and Carol that she hasn’t heard from her mom in a long time. She tried a couple of times, but nothing came back. Carol says, there could be a lot of reasons. Judith’s mom can take care of herself better than anyone Carol knows. Daryl says, her mom would be proud of her; her dad too. Judith says, Carl too? He nods, and Carol says, Judith and Carl are a lot alike. Judith says, Carl died saving people. She wishes she’d had more time with him. She wishes they had more time to just remember them. Carol says, they will, and Daryl says, when this is over, he’ll tell her every story he remembers about all the people who loved her. He puts his arm around her, and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Mercer pretends to question Yumiko, who says, he thinks she had something to do with Eugene’s escape? He says, all they know is, he’s missing, and she was the last person to talk to him. Vickers says, if she knows where he is… and Yumiko says, she would be with him, and not stuck having this conversation. The sympathetic trooper tells Mercer that an Aurora is trying to raise him on the radio, and Mercer says he’ll take in here. Yumiko is dismissed, and Mercer says he needs the room. Vickers leaves, and he answers. It’s Princess, and he tells her that they should switch to another channel; her old apartment number. He asks if she’s all right, and she says she’s fine. How’s Eugene? Mercer says, he’s safe, for now. Where is she? She says she’s on a train headed back to him. She’s bringing people; the prisoners Hornsby and Pamela disappeared. He asks what she’s planning to do, and she says, change things; take Pamela down. Will he be okay with that? He says, yeah. Get the prisoners back to him. With them as witnesses, they’ll have legal grounds to remove Pamela. He tells her to bring everyone to an access tunnel that runs along the west wall, and tells her how to get there. He says, it leads to an industrial building. He’ll be there. It’s good to hear her voice. The trooper tells him that there’s been an alert. A swarm is coming from the east.

Aaron whispers, up ahead… to the RV, and the message is passed. They gravitate toward the van, and Aaron opens the door. They start to file in, but Jules gets moved along with the horde, and Luke decides to follow her. Eli ends up outside, and Lydia grabs for him, but gets badly bitten on the arm, and lets go. Aaron pulls her inside, and the zombies clamor at the RV door.

An alarm sounds, and the troopers get ready. There’s a PA announcement for the citizens to remain inside. Lockdown is being initiated. Max finds Mercer outside, and he tells her that he’s being sent out. She says, that doesn’t change the goal, but he tells her that she doesn’t want to give these hotheads and excuse to start trouble. Wait for him. If he’s lucky, his girlfriend is coming back, and she’s bringing her friends. Vickers watches him, and he tells Max that he’s supposed to meet them at Union Station. He hugs her, and tells her to keep them hidden until he gets back. He leaves, and Vickers looks at Max, while lockdown is being initiated repeats on the loudspeaker.

In the RV, Lydia says, they can’t leave, but Aaron says, they have no choice. She says, they can’t lose him, but Aaron says, he’ll lose her. Jerry says, they’ll find him, and Aaron checks her arm. He tells her that he made it all right. This is the hardest part. She cries, and Aaron says, she’s so loved, while Jerry gets his sword. Lydia bites down on a belt, Aaron keeps the tourniquet taut, and Jerry’s sword comes down. Lydia screams.

There are guards near the entrance to the tunnel, and Negan says, they’re sitting ducks, but Princess says, Mercer will show up. Daryl says, they’re out of time, and Carol suggests they find another place to slip in. Maggie says, there are only four of them; they can take them. Rosita says, if the guards go missing, they’ll know it’s them. One of the guards gets a radio call from Mercer, who says he needs more troops to deal with the incoming swarm. One of the troopers says, including the tunnel? Are they supposed to abandon their post? Mercer tells them, stop wasting time and move, and they leave. Daryl says, let’s go, and they go to a building where Gabriel breaks the lock. Maggie opens the door, and they go inside, Daryl going last, and closing the door behind him.

Pamela literally clutches her pearls, when Vickers come in. She tells Pamela that Mercer saw his sister, then reported to the wall. He asked for additional backup for the horde; nothing unusual. Pamela asks where he called them from, and Vickers tells her. She asks if Pamela wants her to recall any of them, but Pamela says, no. She’s sure he has his reasons.  

From the lookout tower, Mercer radios Echo, asking what position they’re in. Echo says, they’re approaching now, and Mercer says, once they’re clear, double back, and work their way east. The jeeps continue to circle the horde, and a zombie jumps into the back of one of them. Theta radios Mercer, saying, they’re out of control, and Mercer asks, what happened? but Theta says, it’s unclear. Mercer hears yelling and machine guns, and looks out with binoculars. He radios all units to fall back, and regroup on him. Bring out the heavy armor. Once they regroup, they’re going to knock the hell out of this thing before it gets to their city.

Eugene paces, and hears a trooper saying, mandatory search. He bangs on the door, and says, open up. Eugene quietly slides the chain off, and gets behind the door. The trooper busts open the door, and Eugene whacks him in the head from behind. He gets the trooper down, and beats the crap out of his head. The trooper’s radio comes to life, and someone asks, Brooks, what’s your 20?

Lydia drowses as the zombies clamor outside. She wakes, and says, we have to go, but Aaron says, she lost a lot of blood. She says, they need Elijah, but Jerry says, Elijah, Luke, and Jules are all pros. They don’t need their help. Lydia insists they do, and cries. Jerry holds her, and Aaron looks sad. He tells her, don’t sweat it. She’s lost enough. Jerry says he’ll find them, and Lydia says she’s going. Jerry says, no; they’ll meet up later. I find them; I find you. Piece of cobbler. See you on the other side. He takes a deep breath, puts his hood up, goes out, and closes the door.

Maggie and the others walk through the tunnel until they come to a ladder. Maggie goes up first, and comes out in the train station. The others follow, and they slip through quietly. Daryl sees padlocks on the doors, and says, something ain’t right. Tyler says, we’re almost there, and suddenly shots ring out, and he falls.

At the tower, Mercer says he’s lost contact, when Vickers shows up with some other troopers. She says, he’s under arrest, and resistance will get him life in prison or death. Mercer tells his troopers to lower their weapons, and tells Vickers, he’ll go, but they need to fortify the city’s defenses before the swarm hits. She says, Governor Milton insists the walls will hold, but he says, this is bigger than Pamela’s bullsh*t. They need to stop the dead before it’s too late,

At the station, everyone scrambles, and there’s a gunfight. The part of the group not shooting bellies under the benches to safety. Pamela comes out, and takes a gun from a dead trooper. Trying to shoot Maggie, she hits Judith, and everything stops. Daryl tries to rouse Judith, and tells the rest that they’ve got to go. Maggie shoots the trooper next to Pamela, making her freak out. Pamela yells, you did this, and Carol says, they’ve got to go now. Daryl tells Ezekiel, throw it, and Ezekiel rips a fire extinguisher off the wall. He throws it with the strength of ten, nearly all the way to the balcony, and Daryl shoots it in midair.

On the street, Yumiko and Max see what’s going on in the station, and join the group as they come out, Daryl carrying Judith. Eugene comes out another door, and follows a trooper, knocking him out. They run down an alleyway. The zombie horde is at the city wall, and a trooper in the tower radios, where the hell is the backup? They need every available… He sees a zombie halfway up the wall, and says, Christ! They’re climbing the walls. He shoots it, but another is already on the platform. He radios that they need back up; the east gate. The rotters are climbing… Arrgh! The other troopers are like, WTF? over and over. The trooper at the top gets his face eaten, and in an ironic twist, pushes the button to open the gate. Alarms go off, and zombies stream into the Commonwealth.

Pamela fixes her makeup, clearly not reading the room. Vickers comes in, and says, the parameter has been breached. They’ve lost 15 troops; and even more civilians are dead in the Commonwealth. Pamela says, that’s not possible. They have a standard. They’re supposed to be in lockdown. Vickers says, they’re climbing the walls and flooding in, but… They can still make a stand if they hold here, and save a big portion of the city. Pamela tells her to pull the forces back, and add troops to defend her home. They’ll divert the swarm to the lower ward. Vickers says, that will leave thousands of citizens unprotected. It’s a death sentence. Pamela tells her, protect the estate, and seal the rest off.

Daryl runs at the head of the group with Judith. A truck blocks their path, and Ezekiel says, this way, leading them around a corner. As they run, trucks go past, and Ezekiel realizes they’re blocked. He tells them, fall back, and Carol says, the trucks aren’t following them. Magna says, what is that? and Connie signs, they’re not coming for us. They’ve got bigger problems. The lightbulb comes on that there’s a zombie horde in the Commonwealth, and Negan voices what’s on everyone’s mind – what the f***? Luke and Jules magically appear, and Daryl tells everyone, move. Carol says, they’ll cut them off, and they shoot and slash zombies as they run through the throng. Carol grabs Daryl, pulling him and Judith through. Judith opens her eyes slightly, says, daddy? then closes her eyes again. It’s a mess

Next time, the series finale – zombies infiltrate the house where the children are being held; Ezekiel says, people might not think this place is worth saving, but it is to him; Daryl yells for help at the infirmary; and everybody dies. Just kidding.

⚰️ Things are getting weepy already on Talking Dead, and it looks to be a great episode next week for TWD finale, starting with a red carpet at 8:30. Tonight, the guests were asked to give three words about the finale. Michael James Shaw (Mercer) said, bunnies, blood, and sherbet. Cooper Andrews (Jerry) said, eat more cobbler. And executive producer Denise Huth said, massive, ridiculous, and she thinks we’ll cry.

🧛🏼‍♂️ Final Interview For the Season…

Recapping this week’s Vampire. It was pretty gory.

https://ew.com/tv/interview-with-the-vampire-season-1-finale/

And a little scandalous.

https://decider.com/2022/11/11/interview-with-the-vampire-season-1-finale-exclusive-clip/

No surprise, it’s been renewed already.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41936415/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-release-date/

🤸🏽 On the Other Side…

Come take a load off tomorrow with some soap and a charter on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay always bringing a hostess gift to a party, and stay making something positive out of your days, and not live them out in bitterness over what’s been lost.

Nov12

November 11, 2022 – Laura Visits With Two Inmates, Mostly Cut, Possible Pair, Soap Son, Days Return, Ho-Ho-Ho, Too Long, More Wives, VanderNew, Daryl’s Spin, CMAs, 11 Quotes For 11/11 & Balloons

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna kisses Valentin, and he asks if she slept well. She says, you’d think the adrenaline rush would have kept her awake, but no. How about him? There’s a knock at the door, and Valentin answers. It’s Sonny, who says, helluva night, right?

On the phone, Josslyn tells Carly that she was with friends, and got in late, but they walked her back to her room.. Yes, she’s being careful… No she won’t be alone. We see Dex sleeping in Josslyn’s dorm room, which has one fantastic view, and looks like no dorm room in the real world.

Trina goes into Kelly’s, where Cameron is looking at his phone. She says she’d like to speak to the manager. He’s supposed to be serving, not surfing. He says he is the manager, and he’s been trying to reach Joss all morning. She asks if he’s worried, and he says, kind of. She hasn’t responded to his texts. Has Trina seen her on campus? She says, today’s her late class, but she’s sure Josslyn’s fine. Does he want her to try? He says, he’s probably overreacting. He’s just a little on edge with all the attacks that have been going on. She says, they all are, especially given the latest news. He says, so she heard Esme’s back in town? and she says, not until now.

Laura hugs Spencer, and says she’s been waiting months to do this. She can’t believe he let her get away with it. He says, she is the mayor, and sits down with her. She says, he’s looking thin, but he says, it’s probably the ill-fitting clothes. She asks if he’s doing okay, and he says, things could be worse. He’s being looked after. She says, that’s good. Who’s doing the looking after?

Austin calls Spinelli, and leaves a message, saying, maybe Spinelli could give him a call, and let him know about the favor he asked Spinelli to do for him. At the vending machine, Britt drops her change, and says, dammit. Austin says, let him, and picks it up for her. She says, that’ll teach her to polish off a bottle of Beaujolais on a school night, and he says, the French government doesn’t release the new Beaujolais until the third week in November, so technically, it’s probably a bottle of old Beaujolais. He puts the change in the machine, and asks what she’d like. She says, club soda, and he gets it for her. She thanks him, and says she didn’t know he was a wine aficionado. He says, not at all; he dated a girl in college who was. She takes a sip, and coughs. She tells him, don’t worry, she’s okay, and he says, she could have fooled him.

On the phone, Jordan tells someone to come to her office. She needs to see them right away. A guy walks right in, followed by Officer Clark, and the officer says he tried to stop him. Jordan asks who the guy is, and he shows his badge, saying, Agent Whitten with the US Marshal Service. She thanks Officer Clark, and asks him to shut the door. He leaves, and Whitten says, he’s here to talk to her… She says, let’s get something straight. She doesn’t give a damn if he’s a marshal, CIA, or one of the Avengers. Don’t barge into her office like that. Now what does he want? He says, everything she has on the Anna Devane case. He’s assuming control of the investigation.

Trina asks Cameron, where? Do the cops know? He says, they know. His mom spotted her on the pier. When she was trying to dial 9-1-1, Esme tried to grab the phone, and his mom fell and hit her head. She asks if his mom is all right, and he says, thankfully, but Esme got away, and they don’t know where she is. She’s still out there. Trina says, Esme’s graduated from torching cars and making revenge porn, to trying to kill that bartender. She’s seriously unhinged. He says, they have no idea what she’s capable of, and Trina asks if Josslyn told him Commissioner Ashford’s theory. He says, about The Hook targeting people closely related to Trina and the trial; yes. She says, Esme as the maniac? She can’t wrap her head around it. He tells her, please watch her back, and she says, him too. Does Spencer know? He says, they didn’t tell Spencer because they didn’t know Esme was back in town. They also didn’t know about The Hook’s connection to her. She says, and they were busy telling him other things? He says, Trina’s name did come up, and she says, Joss told her, especially how Spencer’s feelings were hurt when he found out she knew he’d believed in her all along, and never acknowledged it to him. Cameron asks why she didn’t, and she says she tried before he was taken to Pentenville, but by the time she reached the PCPD, he was gone. Cameron says, she knows where to find him, and he wonders what’s holding her back.

Laura says she guesses it’s his Uncle Victor pulling the strings, and Spencer says he’s had support from all of his uncles; each are useful in their own way. She says, Sonny is usually great, and he says, Uncle Martin tried like hell to get his sentence reduced. She says, he told her. He said Spencer refused to give him the name of the accomplice who helped him get an unauthorized pass from Spring Ridge. He says, she disapproves, and she says she understands him wanting to visit his mother’s grave, and she guesses he’s taken full responsibility and accepted the consequences, but whoever helped him should also face some consequences, because what they did was wrong too. He says, it seems unfair to penalize others for his decision, and asks how his great-grandmother Lesley is doing. Laura says, she’s recovering. She’s doing well, but it was so sad. They lost everything. Bit by bit, their new place on Lake Como is starting to feel like home. He says he’s glad. It’s good she’s back. It’s nice to see her. She says, him too, but he says, she shouldn’t have come here though.

Jordan says, to the best of her knowledge, Anna hasn’t crossed state lines, which puts this case under the jurisdiction of the PCPD, but Whitten says, not any longer. The mayor’s office called him in. She says, Mayor Collins called him? but he says, no. Mayor Collins is out of the country. Deputy Mayor Ashby contacted his office. Jordan says, on what grounds? and he says, the Deputy Mayor feels that city and state resources are stretched too thin. She says, what law enforcement department isn’t? She has this under control. He says, not from what he sees. A failed prisoner transport – the second in less than a year – and now she has a potential serial killer on the loose. It appears her resources are severely overtaxed. She says she’ll need confirmation confirming his jurisdiction, and he hands her some paperwork, saying, he’s not here to step on her toes; he’s here to help. From his understanding, in addition to being a WSB agent, the fugitive was also once Police Commissioner? She says, his understanding is correct, and he says, look at it this way. Relinquishing control of this investigation will avoid any appearance of impropriety for both her and her department.

Sonny asks, what happened out there? and Anna asks if Dex didn’t tell him. He says, no, and she says, Heather Webber happened. She was added to the transport at the last minute, and Dex tried to change the route so they’d go to D’Archam first and drop her, then Pentenville. She guesses the guard got suspicious, there was a struggle up front, Dex lost control of the vehicle, and crashed. After that, she doesn’t remember. Sonny says he hears the guard is still alive, so he can give them a description, and Valentin asks where Dex would go if he wanted to keep a low profile. Sonny says he doesn’t know. Dex doesn’t have many connections, and without him, Dex could be anywhere.

Dex struggles to sit up, and Josslyn says, let her help. He asks if he’s in her dorm room, and she says, good guess. He popped a stitch, then she found him not far from the house. He wasn’t completely unconscious, so she was able to get him in her car. She couldn’t take him to a hospital, so she brought him back here. He says, that was risky, but she says, not really. He looked like a drunk frat guy. He says he can’t believe she did all this for him, and she says, neither can she.

Austin and Britt go to an exam room, and she asks if he’s forgotten who’s the Chief of Staff. She gives the orders. It was nothing; she swallowed too fast. He asks her to put her hand out, and not be a difficult patient. She does, and her hand is shaking slightly. He says, they need to run some tests, but she says, no need. Too much caffeine. He says, what about the dysphasia? A first year med student can see it’s hard for her to swallow. How long has it been going on? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, it’s probably nothing, but they’ll just run a scan. He doesn’t need to tell her, the symptoms she’s exhibiting might be part of a larger neurological muscular disorder. She says she doesn’t need a test because she knows what’s going on. She has Huntington’s Disease.

Sonny says, everyone at GH is being questioned, and Anna says, what about Heather? He says, she’s been apprehended, and Anna asks where they found her. He says, Kelly’s, of all places. His phone chirps, and he says, voicemail. It didn’t even ring. Valentin says, they’re pretty remote, and Anna says, there’s no reception here. Sonny steps away, and Anna says she feels terrible about Dex. That kid out there hiding; she just wanted this to be a clean operation. He says, extractions can get complicated. Sonny’s guy knew the risks going in. She says, now he’s paying the price because of her, but Valentin says, because of Victor. Victor made her take the fall for what he did to Lucy. Dear old dad. Sonny comes back, and says, Jordan wants to talk to him at the precinct. Anna says, she suspects he helped her, and Sonny says, could be, but she can’t prove it, so this will be the last time they can have any kind of contact. He and Anna hug, and he tells her to take care of herself. She thanks him, and he says, prove her innocence, and leaves.

Spencer says, Laura is wasting her time here. There’s too much happening in Port Charles right now. She says, it’s never a waste of her time to see him. Nothing is more important to her. She has some news for him. Apparently, Esme has been spotted again in Port Charles. He asks if she’s been arrested, and Laura says, no, but the authorities are looking out for her. He says he hopes they deploy dogs, and she says, he has every right to feel betrayed, but holding on to his rage and resentment will ultimately only hurt him. He says, this isn’t just about Esme, is it? and she says, his dad told her there had been another rift between them. He won’t be in here much longer. Does he think they can all work this out together? Maybe Sundays at her house? He says, obviously, his father didn’t tell her why they’re estranged, an she says, no, but he can. What happened? He tells her, ask her son, or when they find her, ask Esme.

Josslyn tells Dex, she used her keycard to nab some medical supplies from the gym, and the locker room had most of what she needed to clean and rebandage his wound. He asks if she has a roommate, but she says, it’s taken care of. He asks, who else has a key? but she says, nobody is going to come in here. He’s fine. He says he can’t stay here, and rolls out of bed. She tells him, don’t get up, and he nearly falls over on her. She helps him back to bed, and says, he’s heavier than he looks. He says, all muscle, and she looks at the bandage. She says, no blood, so that’s good. He could have popped another stitch pulling that stunt. She hopes it’s worth working for Sonny. How much is Sonny paying Dex to get shot for him? She doesn’t see Sonny risking his life. Dex says, no comment, and she says, he needs food and hydration. If she gets something from the dining hall, does he promise to be good and stay put? He says he doesn’t want her involved, but she says, it’s too late. Besides, he has nowhere else to go. He says he does. Grab his phone, and he’ll make arrangements. She says, he didn’t have a phone, and he asks if he can borrow hers, but she says, not if he’s going to use it to call Sonny.

Whitten asks if Jordan has any leads on the individual who commandeered the van, and she says, not at the scene. He says, did the security footage from the General Hospital parking garage turn up anything? but she says, their mystery man was shy with the cameras. One of her officers did make contact during transfer. He says he’ll need to talk to that officer, and she says, he was focused on the transfer, and never even saw the driver’s face. Should he remember any details, she’ll have him meet with their sketch artist and have a composite drawn. He says, jar that memory. An ID on that driver will lead them to whoever aided Anna Devane’s escape. She says, okay, Captain Obvious. There’s a knock at the door, and Jordan says, come in. Sonny walks in, and Whitten says, Mr. Corinthos. You just saved me a trip.

Trina tells Cameron, the last time she talked to Spencer, she told him that she didn’t want to be friends. She’s not sure she can take that back. She’s not sure she wants to. Cameron says he guesses that’s up to her. If she’s moved on, more power to her. He thinks ultimately, Spencer just wants her to be happy, even if it’s with Rory. The same goes for him. She thanks him, and says, Rory is a great guy. Cameron says, they seem at ease with one another, like him and Joss. She says, he and Joss have gone through a lot in the past few months, and they’re still together. He says he thinks it’s their friendship that keeps them grounded. Because of that bond, it’s easier to find their way back to one another. Trina says, she and Rory are friends too; he’s so supportive. Cameron says he’s glad. Maybe it’s for the best Spencer never gave her that letter.

Laura says, ask Esme? What does she have to do with the rift between Spencer and his dad? Spencer tells her, that’s not for him to say, and the guard says, time’s up. Spencer says, it’s great to see her, and she asks if there’s anything he needs. He says, she came to see him. He couldn’t ask for more. Before she left, he made her a promise, and he’s sorry he let her down. She says, he didn’t let her down. What he did for Trina is the epitome of protecting the people you love. She couldn’t be more proud of him. He thanks her, and she says she’ll see him soon. He leaves, and the guard tells Laura, before she goes, there’s someone else who would like to talk to her. She asks, who? and Cyrus says, her big brother. Hello, Laura.  

Josslyn says she can’t stop Dex from asking Sonny for help, but he’s not doing it from her phone. He says he gets that she hates the guy… and she says she’ll never shake the sight of Dex hanging from a meat hook. His face all bruised, shivering with cold, all these knives laid out in front of him. And this is the man he wants to go to for help. Is she supposed to be grateful while Sonny acts all concerned and protective? No. He says he can’t stay here forever, and his options are limited. She tells him, he can send Sonny an email, but he can’t do it from her account. He says, not exactly the most expedient form of communication. (Remember when it used to be?) Just give it to him please. She brings over her laptop, and says she’s going to grab some stuff. Stay here and be good. She’ll be back soon. She leaves, and he opens the laptop.

Trina asks if Cameron is talking about the letter Spencer almost gave her at the party, and her phone rings. It’s Josslyn, and Trina asks if everything is okay. Josslyn says, everything is totally fine, but Trina says she sounds weird. Josslyn says she doesn’t want to freak Trina out, but is she planning on swinging by the room today? Trina says she’s not sure. What’s up? Josslyn says, apparently, they’re spraying for bedbugs, and Trina says, gross. She tells Cameron, they’re spraying the room for bedbugs, and Josslyn asks if she’s with Cam. Trina asks if Josslyn wants to talk to him. He’s been trying to get ahold of her. Josslyn says, tell him she’ll call him back later. She has to clear some stuff out of the room so they can spray. Trina asks if she needs help, but Josslyn says, no; she’s got it covered. Trina says, keep her posted, and Cameron asks if Josslyn didn’t want to talk to him. Trina says, it sounded like she had a lot going on.

In Josslyn’s room, Dex sends an email. In the hallway, Adam asks Josslyn if they have bedbugs, and she says, that’s the rumor. Check his mattress. He says he woudn’t know the signs. Can she show him what to look for?

Cyrus says, it’s good to see Laura. Please sit with him. She says she can’t stay. She’s still the mayor, and has some important things to attend to; no thanks to him and those Friends of Port Charles. He says, she’s still angry about the recall effort, but he has no desire to hurt her, despite her belief to the contrary. She says she does know now it wasn’t him who was behind the attempt on her and Martin’s life at the safe house last June, and he says, good. He told her. She says he did. Forgive her if she doesn’t always take him at his word. He says he forgives her. Does she know who’s behind the attack? She says, if she told him, what would he do? and he says, just send a message. She says, ahh. So much for his conversion, but he says, safeguarding his family is in line with biblical principles. It’s good to see her; she’s looking well. She tells him that she doesn’t know how to say this without sounding mean, but she didn’t come here to talk to him. He says he knows, but maybe that can change. Maybe she and Martin could visit him together. He’d love to see his brother. How is he? Laura says, Cyrus should ask him, and he says he’d like to, but she’s here and he’s not. Has something happened? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, she’s afraid he’ll use personal information to hurt Martin. She has to believe him. He’s doing everything he can to make things right with his family. Starting with his  great-nephew Spencer.

Valentin says, if Deputy Mayor Ashby is on Victor’s payroll, who knows who else could be? and Anna says, but Ashby needs definitive proof to tie her to Victor. Valentin says, it’s time we stop focusing on Victor’s guilt, and focus on proving your innocence, and she says, we? He says, of course (🍷), but she says he has to go. He says, in due time, but she says, now, today. If they get caught, he’ll go to prison too. He asks if she thinks he doesn’t know that. She’s a survivor, but how is she going to hide out here, and conduct an investigation by herself? She says, carefully. He has to go. He asks if she has any idea how much she means to him, and they touch foreheads.

Britt tells Austin, her father had Huntington’s. When she found out, she chose not to get tested. She started having hand tremors, and it turned out it was just repetitive motions disorder, but she realized it wasn’t doing her any good to hide. The fear that she might have Huntington’s was ruining her life. So she talked it through with someone she respected, and decided she needed to know one way or the other. Now she knows. He says he’s sorry, and she says, there’s no wrist brace to stave off this disease. She lives every day knowing symptoms can present at any time. He asks what kind of timeline her treating physician gave her, but she says she doesn’t have one, and he says, doctor, you need a doctor. He’s no expert, but from what he remembers about this horrible disease, she’s in the early stages, and there are protocols that can help her manage her symptoms. She says she knows her disease progresses in stages. She knows it may be able to carry on with activities for years. There are meds that can help her deal with symptoms without assistance, yada-yada. He says, it’s not yada-yada. All of those things should comfort her. She says, cut the crap. Let’s be real. There’s a bomb in her brain, and the countdown has begun.

Whitten says he’s surprised to see Sonny Corinthos easily saunter into the Police Commissioner’s office, and Jordan says, at least he knocked. <snort> She’d requested his presence before Whitten barged in. Sonny says, Whitten seems to know him, but he doesn’t know Whitten, and Whitten says, Agent Whitten with the US Marshal’s Service. Sonny asks if he should have his lawyer present, but Whitten says, no; it’s just a friendly conversation. Sonny says, no such thing from the Feds, and Whitten says he’s been going through Anna Devane’s file, and it appears she and Sonny go way back. Sonny says, so what? and Whitten says, Miss Devane is a high value fugitive. The government is anxious to sit down with her. Jordan says, he’s hoping to make a deal, and Sonny says, maybe a trade in classified information. Whitten says, Sonny would be making a friend at the Attorney General’s office if he helps them, but Sonny says he doesn’t need a friend. And if Whitten thinks he’s going to coerce Anna into giving them state secrets, he doesn’t know her at all. Whitten says, Sonny does. Just let his friend know they can offer her safe haven… if Sonny is in contact with her. Sonny says he’s not, and Whitten says, that’s a shame. His bosses say, if they can’t bring her in bring, they have to bring her down. Jordan says, no need to get combative, but Whitten says he doesn’t see the need to waste time or mince words. She says, Anna Devane is no danger to the public at large, but he says, they don’t know that. He’ll take the file with him, and have any files related to this case uploaded to his office this afternoon. He gives Sonny his card, and says, in case there’s anything he needs to know. He leaves, and Jordan says she didn’t know he’d be here when she called Sonny. Sonny rips up the card, and says, he gathered. Ambushes aren’t her style. She says, that wasn’t a bluff, was it? and Sonny says, when he told them he’d take down Anna if he couldn’t bring her in? He thinks Whitten meant every damn word.

Anna says, the best thing Valentin could do for both of them is leave. Because she would feel devastated if something happened to him. He says, why doesn’t he stick around a few more days? and she says, because if Victor realizes they’re both missing… Valentin says he’s sure Victor knows by now. He’s sure Victor knows he helped with her escape. She says, but what if Victor takes advantage of his absence, and seizes Charlotte again? and he says, she’s safe with Laura. Anna says, he just got her back. He was in hell without her. He needs to be there for her. He has to keep her safe. She’s a big girl; she can manage. He says, okay, and takes off his ring. He says, this ring has a lot of complicated feelings for him. She says, the Cassadine ring, sure, and he says, and every time he tries to get rid of it, it finds its way back to him. Will she hold on to it until they’re together again? He puts the ring in her hand, closes her fingers around it, and kisses them.  

Britt tells Austin, obviously, she covers all the bases with her patients, but she reserves the right not to waste her own precious time. Maybe she’ll get her affairs in order instead. Austin says, okay, but he thinks the way it goes is, there are horses, and then there’s a cart. She says she’s had her fill of horse idioms, and he says, how’s Cody? Does he know? She says, only her mother and Scotty know. She hasn’t told anyone else who matters. They laugh, and he says he’s just kidding. She doesn’t have to manage his feelings. She says, the irony. It’s the first time in a long time things have started to go well. He says he’s sorry, but he doesn’t see it as the end of the line for her. She says she thinks that’s something he’d say to a patient, and he says he knows she’s not his patient, but they’re both physicians, so they know there are advancements in medicine every day. And they caught this early, so maybe they can take advantage of one of them. For what it’s worth (🍷), if he had to wager between her and Huntington’s, he’s all in on her.

Josslyn tells Adan, just google bedbugs. She thinks they’re tiny dark spots on your sheets and pillowcases. He says, don’t you have to throw everything out? He’ll check just in case. He’s glad Trina is back at PCU, and they can all move on from what happened. She says she appreciates that, and he says, she deserves a drama free year. He leaves, and she says, that’s not gonna happen.

Trina says, before Joss called, Cameron was going to say something about Spencer’s letter. Does he know what Spencer wrote? Cameron says, he just said he confessed everything; why he did what he did. Not that it matters now though, right? She says, what’s done is done, and he says he has to go back to work in the kitchen. Promise him she’ll stay vigilant. They all have to watch their backs now that Esme’s around. She says, 100%. One more thing. Was Spencer confessing to playing Esme, or something else? Cameron says, for that, she’ll have to ask Spencer herself.  

Laura asks why Cyrus is bringing up Spencer, and he says, they got acquainted here. He sees great things in Spencer; a lot of her energy. She says, no. Stay away from Spencer. Cyrus shouts that he’s been protecting Spencer… and she tells him not to raise his voice. Sit down. Cyrus says, ever since he became a ward of the state. In case she didn’t notice, it’s a little dangerous in here. She tells him, sit down, and they both sit. He says, ask Spencer. Did Spencer seem okay to her? She says, he did, and Cyrus says, he’s going to make sure Spencer stays that way. He can’t promise the same for her friend Anna Devane. If she’s captured, perhaps as mayor, Laura can pull strings to make sure she doesn’t come to Pentenville. Laura asks, why? What does he know? He asks if the name Olivia Jerome means anything to her, and Laura asks if Olivia has said something. He says, only that she can’t wait to roll out the Pentenville red carpet for Anna Devane. He knows Laura doesn’t trust him, but trust this. If Anna is on the run, it’s best she stays that way.

Jordan says, if Sonny know where Anna is, let them bring her in. It’s safer that way. He asks if she thinks Anna would really be safer in Pentenville within Victor’s reach. He’s the one who set her up. Anna is lucky she has friends, them included. She says, Anna is a dear friend, but she can’t break the law outright for her. Sonny says he gets it, but she can’t turn Anna over to that hotshot agent either. She says, hell no. He only wants to impress his bosses. They can’t let that happen at the expense of Anna. He says, so they’re on the same page here. Anna is safer on her own.

On the phone, Whitten says, they find the person most likely to have helped Anna escape. Then they lean on him until he breaks. He opens a folder, and looks at Valentin’s picture. Um… When I think of Valentin, I don’t think of someone who cracks easily.

Anna says, when Valentin is back in Port Charles, he’ll be able to keep an eye on his father, and he says, if she leaves here, how will he find her? She says she’ll find him, and he tells her, be careful. She tells him to be careful too, and they kiss. He says, je t’aime, and she says, à bientôt. He leaves, and she looks at the ring and cries.

Britt tells Austin, here’s a positive. She can blame her britchiness on Huntington’s. He says, there’s the indominable spirit that everyone around here respects so much, and she asks if he missed the part where she said britch. She’s not Miss Popularity. Austin says he doesn’t think people see her the way they used to, and she asks how he knows. He says he works here. She knows how doctors and nurses are; they all talk. She’s respected. For her deep, deep compassion, even though she tries every way she can to convince everyone she doesn’t have any. She’s got a lot in her life. She’s got Brad. She’s got her mom. Maxie and her kids. Britt says, thank God James and Bailey don’t have the marker, and he says, if they did, she’d be there to support them, right? She says, of course (🍷), and he says, so maybe let everybody support her now. There’s nothing you can’t share with someone that you love.

Kiley, Josslyn’s RA, bangs on her dorm room door. She asks if Josslyn is in there. She needs to talk to her; it’s important. The door handle rattles, and Dex quietly freaks out.

The guard leads Spencer to the visitor’s room, and Spencer says he thought his time with this grandmother was up. The guard lets him in, and Spencer sees Trina. He smooths back his hair, and they kind of smile at one another.

On Monday, Josslyn says she’s not hiding anything; Ava says, this particular matter can’t wait; and Carly blocks Elizabeth from closing her door, and says, she needs to make the time.

✂️ Better Than a Poke In the Eye…

At least he has an audience to share his pain and outtakes with. For the average Joe who got cut, no one cares except his family. Maybe.

Look for GH’s Michael Blake Kruse in ‘Wakanda Forever!’

⚖️ Strange Moment…

Yeah, what was that about in the elevator? It’s kind of out of the blue.

Diane and Robert on GH? — Carolyn Hennesy Speaks Out!

🧼 Next Soap Generation…

A soap torch being passed.

Joshua Benard Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🏕 Switching Camps…

Sonny’s right hand man has a new gig.

https://people.com/tv/steve-burton-returns-to-days-of-our-lives-reprising-harris-michaels-role/

🎄 It’s Beginning To Look…

Upcoming Christmas joy from handsome guys.

Join Ryan Paevey for a Special Christmas Event!

Cameron Mathison Stars in a Romantic New Holiday Movie!

💸 Sadly, No Surprise…

I figured they’d been at it a while. Apparently, all those complaints went in the circular file. Bureaucracy at its best.

California State Bar Got More Than 200 Complaints About Tom Girardi For Decades Before He Was Officially Disbarred

✈️ Worldly Wives…

This is old news, but I’d never heard of them. It’s kind of sad that this junk I admittedly watch has infiltrated other countries.

Pictures: Real Housewives Of Durban cast members and their multi-millionaire husbands

🍸 New Rules…

The forgot to mention, LVP’s many pets.

5 Reasons To Watch Vanderpump Rules’ New Season

⚰️ Vive le Mort…

This sounds pretty interesting, even if they stole the nightclub idea from Z Nation. (Checking… yes, still bitter about it’s cancelation.)

The Walking Dead: Daryl Spinoff Will Break Away From Franchise Formula in One Major Way

🐎 Take Me Home…

The CMA winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/entertainment/cma-awards-winners-list

And more important, the CMA fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/35290/cma-awards-2022-red-carpet-fashion

👩🏽‍💻 Quotes of the Week

Short term decisions have long term consequences. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. – Anais Nin

We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. – Carlos Castaneda

We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in. – Arianna Huffington

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. – Gloria Steinem

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan

If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore. – Michele Ruiz

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. – W. Clement Stone

If I can’t eat it, bang it, or bet on it, it’s not in my phone. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

🌻 Pursuing Happiness…

Wrapping it up for now, but I’ll be back when the Dead are Walking. Until then, stay safe, stay thanking every veteran you meet, and stay letting people who love you support you in a crisis. There’s nothing you can’t share with someone that you love.

Nov10

November 9, 2022 – Nikolas Is Attacked By The Hook, Christmas Weirdness, VanderNews, Salty Talk, All Dead, Real Good & Power

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth tells Finn, the doctor she argued with, the one who fell down the stairs, it was Reiko. He asks if she thinks Reiko fell because of her, and she says she doesn’t just think it; she knows it’s true.

On the phone, Nikolas tells Demetrius that Esme’s not in her room. She tied her bedsheets together to make a rope, probably so she could use them to get off the ledge into an adjoining room… He looked through the entire main house, and she’s nowhere to be found.

Cody tears open the envelope, and Felicia says, well? Mac says, give him a moment, and she says, he’s right… Moment’s over. Is Mac his father? Cody says, Mac’s not his dad. Mac asks if he’s sure, and Cody says, he’s not a match. Felicia asks to see the results, but Mac tells her not to drag it out. Looking at the paper isn’t going to change what it says. Cody’s not his son. Felicia hugs Mac, and says she’s sorry. Britt asks if Cody is okay, and Cody tells Mac, congrats. The Scorpio gene pool remains pristine.

Willow tells TJ, she’s so scared. She doesn’t want to die. He hugs her, and she cries. Michael walks in, and she asks if Melanie got Wiley okay. He says, Wiley’s fine. What did he just walk in on?

Sitting in his car, Valentin says, Anna should have been here by now. He listens on a police radio, and hears about a hardware store alarm being tripped. He says, nothing about a police transport. Anna, where are you?

At the hospital on the phone, Sonny says, he hasn’t heard from them. How’d it go with Anna? Dante comes by, and asks what Sonny knows about Anna.

The transport van sits off-road with a crunched-in front, steam coming out of the hood, Dex and the guard unconscious. We see Anna, also unconscious, in the back. On the radio, a dispatcher asks, what’s their status? Dex comes to, and checks the guard’s pulse. He suggests the guard to himself a favor and stay unconscious. He gets out, struggling to walk to the passenger door on the other side. The dispatcher says, prisoner transport 2015, do you copy? She needs a status check. Dex tries to rouse Anna, saying, he needs her to wake up now. Help him out here.

Sonny tells Dante that he heard Anna was being transported to Pentenville tonight. He just wants to make sure when she gets there she’s taken care of – unofficial of course (🍷). Dante unofficially thanks him, and Sonny says, Dante knows she was set up, right? and Dante says, yes, but there’s literally nothing they can do until they get some evidence of what really happened to Lucy Coe. Sonny asks if he’s working on that, and Dante asks, what gave it away? The badge and the gun? Sonny laughs, and Dante says he was doing a witness statement, but he’s glad he ran into Sonny. He suggests they have a guys night, and Sonny says he’d love to, but isn’t Dante supposed to be spending his free time with Sam and Rocco, working on blending their families? Dante says, they’re blended up. If he can make the time, Sonny can. Sonny asks, what’s going on?

Mac thanks Cody for agreeing to the DNA test. At least now they know the truth. He tells Felicia, let’s go, but Cody tells him, hold on a sec, and Britt suggests she and Felicia give them some privacy. They leave, and Mac asks, what’s left to talk about? and Cody says, they may not be related, but Britt kept telling him how great a guy Mac is, and other than Dante, he really doesn’t have any friends here. Mac asks if he wants to go out for a beer sometime, and Cody asks if that would be so bad. Shoot some pool, go on a hike… Mac says, Cody doesn’t have to fake a friendship to spare his bruised feelings, but Cody asks why it has to be fake. According to Britt, Mac’s a good guy, and he could use a buddy. Mac says, in case he gets arrested again? and Cody says, there’s that sense of humor Britt was telling him about. What does Mac say? Should they give this friend thing a shot? Mac says, why not? They’ll go out for a beer some time. As long as Cody doesn’t feel forced. Cody says, deal.

Finn says, this memory Elizabeth has been having is about Reiko, and she’s been too afraid to tell him? She says, it’s a jumble, and all the flashes… Then she suspected her dad was involved. She was really confused, and didn’t want to burden Finn until she knew more. Now she wishes she never found out she caused Reiko’s death. He asks how she even knows anything her parents told her is true.

Michael says, none of this makes any sense. Willow is supposed to be at her OB appointment. Why is she in Dr. Randolph’s office? TJ says, there’s information Michael doesn’t know, and Michael says, whatever he needs to hear, he’ll hear from Willow. Why did he walk in on her in an empty office in the arms of another man? What exactly is going on here? She says, oh my God. Does he think she’s cheating on him with TJ?

Britt says she knows Cody was on the fence about gaining a new family. So look on the bright side. Now his life doesn’t have to change. He sees Mac and Felicia hugging, and says, yeah, bright side. Mac tells Felicia, let’s go, but she says, not so fast, tough guy.

Valentin hears a request for all available units to go to Route 31. Prisoner transport 2015 is overdue and not responding. He says, that’s Anna’s transport, and starts the car.

Dex says he needs Anna to wake up now. If she doesn’t, he has to take her to the hospital, and they’re both screwed. She says, okay, and opens her eyes. She sits up, and he asks if she knows her name. Does she remember where she is? She says she’s Anna Devane and they’re on their way to Pentenville. He looks in her eyes with his phone flashlight, and says, she hit her head, but her pupils are even. There’s a wound on her head, but it looks shallow. Other than a headache, she should be fine. She asks, what happened? and he says, the guard figured out he was a plant, and tried to grab the steering wheel. She asks if the guard is okay, and Dex says, he’s unconscious, but should be fine. She asks, where’s Heather? but he says he’s not sure. When he came to, there was no sign of the second prisoner.

Dante guesses he’s worried about Sonny, but Sonny says, there’s nothing to worry about; he’s fine. Dante says he knows Sonny’s rift with Michael has been weighing on him for a long time. This thing with Anna. Brando getting murdered. Ava and Diane attacked; that’s a lot of stuff. Sonny says he’s used to having a lot on his plate, and Dante says, Sonny doesn’t have to go it alone. He’s here to look after Sonny while Sonny is busy looking after other people. Dante’s phone rings and he steps away. Sonny looks at his phone, and says, Dex, come on. Dante walks back, telling someone to text him the details. He’s on his way. He tells Sonny that he has to go to work, and Sonny says, be careful. Dante says he will, and tells Sonny, you too.

Willow says she can’t believe Michael would ever think she’d cheat on him. Wait… Nina was in the park. She said something to him, didn’t she? Oh, that woman. He says, forget Nina. What’s going on? Willow says she’ll tell him what’s not going on; she and TJ are not having an affair. TJ says, Nina is wrong. She totally misinterpreted their friendship. Michael says, Nina told him that she’s seen them having emotional, intimate talks. What’s really going on? Willow asks TJ to give them some privacy, and he tells her, good luck. He leaves, and Michael says he knows every word coming out of Nina’s mouth is a lie, but when Sonny said Willow had been on edge, he couldn’t deny it. At first, he chalked it up to her pregnancy and a new job, but something has been off for a long time now. Whatever it is, tell him the truth. She says, he’s right. She’s been on edge for a while… because… she has leukemia.

Britt asks how Cody really is. She knows he had mixed feelings about becoming a Scorpio. He says he thinks he got what he deserves, and she asks what that means, when her phone beeps. She says she has to check on a patient, and leaves.

Felicia tells Mac, talk to her. After all these years of helping raise Robert’s daughter and her daughter, he thought he had a son of his own. It’s got to be a big disappointment. He says, it’s not like he knew Cody very well, and now he doesn’t have to worry about anything disrupting their family. It all worked out for the best. She says, so that’s it? It’s back to life as usual? Mac admits he was a little excited at the prospect of having a son, and she says she’s sorry. He says, if Cody had turned out to be his, he would have enjoyed that, but that’s not what the test results proved, and that’s okay, because he loves his life as it is. He’ll be okay. She says, maybe when they go home, they can video call Robin, and Mac’s phone rings. He answers, and says he’s on his way. He tells Felicia, there’s an issue with Anna’s transport to Pentenville, and she tells him to go; she’ll call a Ride Share. Keep her posted. He leaves, and Cody says, Mac sure took off in a hurry. She says, what’s it to him?

Finn says he remembers this. Reiko was hospitalized for some injuries; she fell down a flight of stairs. She told him that she tripped. Elizabeth says she wishes it was true. She remembers it now. She caused the fall that put Reiko in the hospital where she contracted Blackwood’s. She’s been pushing Finn away so she’d never have to know what happened, and neither would he.

Nikolas walks into the living room, and the lights won’t work. He finds broken glass on the floor, and says, that’s strange. He sees there’s no lightbulb in a nearby lamp, and says, why would this… A hooded figure enters the room, and raises a hook.  

Finn tells Elizabeth, that can’t be what happened. It doesn’t make any sense. If Reiko fell because of a fight with her, why did she claim she was alone? Why would Reiko lie to him? Elizabeth says she loves him… and he says, just say the words. She says, Reiko and her dad were having an affair.

Anna wonders if Heather escaped, and calls out for her. Dex says, when he came around the van, the door was open, and Anna was alone. She says, they need to find her, and asks if he has the keys. He uncuffs her, and asks if she’s injured anywhere else, but she says she’s fine; she just feels dizzy. Is he okay? He says he’ll be fine, but they need to get out of here before the cops find them. She says, and anyone else who wants her dead. They get out, and see headlights, but it’s Valentin, and Anna tells Dex, he’s with us. Valentin asks if she’s okay, and she says she’s fine; she hit her head. He says he has a police scanner in the car, and they’re on their way. They’ve got to move. Anna says, they can’t leave until they find Heather; she escaped. Valentin says, there’s no time, but Anna says, she’s dangerous. He says, the police are on their way, and they’ll take her to Pentenville where Victor wants her. Victor is going to eliminate her. She says, all right, gives Dex her thanks, and they leave.

TJ sees Sonny, and asks if there’s any chance he’s here with Nina. Sonny says he’s here by himself. Can he help TJ with anything? TJ says, no. His problem’s with Nina, and Sonny says, really? Is this about him and Willow?

Michael says, leukemia? and Willow says, that’s why she’s in Dr. Randolph’s office; Terry is her oncologist. The test results she was getting weren’t about her pregnancy; they were about her cancer. He asks how long she’s known, and she says, since maybe a week after she found out she was pregnant. TJ was the first one  to suspect it. She’s sorry she kept it from him. It’s been the hardest decision she’s ever had to live with in her life. He hugs her, and says, he’s so sorry.

Cody tells Felicia, what’s it to him? He honestly doesn’t know. Mac rushed out, and he looked upset. Mac may not be his dad, but he still cares. She says, Mac got some unsettling news about one of their good friends, and he says he’s sorry. Are they going to be okay? She says, it’s kind of him to ask, but it’s clear he was ambivalent at best at being a part of their family. She can imagine he might feel guilty, since Mac got his hopes up. He says, from what sounds like, he’s not worthy to be a part of their family, and they’re better off without him. She says, if he feels that way, then the results are for the best. Take care of himself. She means that.

Dex checks the guard again, and says, he has a pulse. Good. Now how is he going to get him to the hospital? He’s about to phone Sonny, when he hears sirens. He tells he guard, help is on the way, and limps off.

Nikolas walks through the room in the dark, the hooded figure following him. The hook comes down.

Finn says he doesn’t even remember a Jeff Webber, and Elizabeth says, all she knows is, her father and Reiko were having an affair. Her dad had a history of cheating on her mom. Finn says, he and his wife were happy, and she says she knows, and she’s really sorry. He says, so is he, touches her face, and leaves.

Willow thanks Michael, and says she’s sure he has a lot of questions. They sit down, and he says, let’s start with the obvious. How is she feeling? She says she’s scared, and he says, and the baby? She says, the baby is fine, and he says, so all the times she’s been dizzy and tired… She’s been doing chemo all by herself? She says, for the baby’s sake, she hasn’t started chemo yet. She decided to wait until the second trimester. He asks, why? even though she just told him.

Sonny tells TJ that he was hoping he didn’t have to get into this personal matter, but Willow is the mother of his grandchildren. And his son is involved, even though they’re not on good terms, and also Molly. He was hoping the TJ he knew wouldn’t jeopardize all this. TJ tells him, can we stop, please? This is all a huge misunderstanding. Nina confronted both him and Willow separately, and they made it clear they’re not having an affair, but Nina doesn’t want to believe it. Now she’s dragged Sonny into it, and he doesn’t… Sonny says, he doesn’t what? Say it. TJ says, Sonny has always been there for him, and he respects Sonny, but Nina is hell-bent on causing trouble for Michael and Willow, and doesn’t care how much trouble it’s going to cause for Sonny too.

At the crashed transport van. Mac tells Dante, the security guard is on his way to GH. He’s in good condition; no injuries except for the bump on his head. Dante asks what he said, and Mac tells him, the guard was blacked out until the paramedics arrived. Once he regained consciousness, Mac asked a few questions, but his memory is still foggy. Dante asks if he knows how the crash happened, and Mac says, the transport was supposed to stop at Pentenville first, D’Archam second. The driver drove right past the exit for Pentenville. Dante says, so the driver was a plant, and Mac says, that’s what the guard thought. He tried to stop the driver, that’s when the van spun out of control. Dante says, so this whole thing was organized to spring one of the prisoners. He can only imagine that Anna was the one to sort something like that out. Mac says, she certainly has enough contacts to call for support and stay on the run. Dante says, Anna is going to give them a real run for their money. Frankly, I think the guard should be fired. Obviously I’m on Anna’s side, but playing devil’s advocate, the guard should have waited until they got to D’Archam, and called for help while Heather was still in the van. Not try to take the wheel or shoot the driver while the van is moving.

Valentin tells Anna, they have to wait here for a minute. They can’t risk getting pulled over. She says, that’s a good strategy, and he says, thank you. She says, not even an ounce of modesty anywhere, and he says he’s good at this stuff. She says, lucky her, and asks if he thinks Dex is going to be all right. He says he thinks Dex is going to be fine. Even if the guard realizes he was a plant, the guard can’t ID him. And Sonny will take care of Dex. She thanks him for taking care of her, and he says, always, kissing her hand. He likes taking care of her. She says she hopes he’s ready for this. She thinks it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Nikolas fights back, and The Hook drops her hook. She runs out, and Nikolas collapses.  

Elizabeth leaves a message for Terry. She says she just spoke with Finn, and she really needs someone to talk to. Can Terry call her back? She flashes back to confiding in Nikolas, and looks up his contact info.

Nikolas’s phone rings, and he struggles to get up. Holding his head, he finds his phone. He uses the phone flashlight to look around, and sees the hook on the floor. He takes out a hanky – because all guys who live in castles carry them – and picks it up. He says, this is from our boathouse. You should have killed me when you had the chance, Esme. You made a big mistake.

Willow tells Michael, she did her own research, in addition to what the doctors here told her. If she were to start chemotherapy in the first trimester, it would put their baby at great risk. If she could wait to start chemo until the second trimester, that would give their baby the best chance of survival. Michael says, she’s been living with this by herself all these months? It must have been so hard on her. She says she wasn’t totally alone. The doctors here have been supportive, and TJ has been a great friend. But the decision to delay chemotherapy has come with a cost. Dr. Randolph just told her that the test results confirm her leukemia is in Stage IV. He says, okay, what’s next? and she says she’s starting chemo right away, but because of the advanced stage, Terry also wants to look into a bone marrow transplant.

Britt rubs her neck, and Cody says, you know what’s really good for a stiff neck? She says, if he’s going to offer her a massage, no thanks, but he tells her, he was going to say muscle relaxers. And he happens to know a great doctor. He gives her a cup of coffee, and tells her, it’s to say thanks. She says, for what? and he says, standing by him during all of his Maury drama. She takes a sip, and he says, it’s just a latte, not poison. She says, don’t do that. Stop trying to avoid what’s really going on here.

Willow says she’s sorry she waited so long to tell Michael, but she swears, even if he hadn’t walked in on them, she was going to tell him today. He says he believes her. It’s just… She says, he wants to know why she didn’t tell him before, and he says, they’re a team. They built a life together, with Wiley. If he said or did anything that would make her think he wouldn’t be supportive, or wouldn’t be able to handle it… She says, it’s not that. When she heard her diagnosis, and what chemo would mean for their unborn child, and the doctors here – Britt, Terry, and TJ – all wanted her to start chemo immediately. She struggled with it. Deep in her heart she knew she couldn’t face losing another baby, not after losing Jonah. She knew that wasn’t fair to Wiley; that the worst case would be that the leukemia progressed, and she woudn’t recover. But she convinced herself that it wouldn’t do much harm to delay treatment for a few weeks. She felt it was the best choice for her entire family. Michael tells her to let him make it clear; it was always her choice. He supports that today, and would have supported it then. She says she just wanted them to enjoy their time with Wiley, before things got too hard. To spare them all heartache, especially if she doesn’t have much time left… which she might not.

Sonny says he appreciates TJ warning him about Nina, but he knows her really well, and believes her heart is in the right place. TJ says, okay, but what possible good could come of telling Michael that he and Willow were having an affair? That’s absolutely the last thing Willow needs. Sonny says he saw them together, and it seemed like something was going on. He even said something to Michael. TJ says, Sonny has known him practically his entire life. Is that what Sonny thinks? He’s a cheater? Sonny says he’s not hearing TJ deny it, and TJ says he promises he and Willow aren’t romantically involved. He gives Sonny his word; that is not happening. Sonny says, something is happening, and he knows it, but TJ tells him, that’s not for him to say. He’s asking Sonny to trust him. Sonny says, if TJ tells him nothing is going on between him and Willow, he chooses to believe it, but that’s not going to be enough for Michael, and TJ knows it.

Valentin says, a lot of people are looking for Anna, and she says, Victor’s people, law enforcement, and in no time, they’ll be searching for Valentin too. He says he knows. They have to get someplace secure. They look around, and she asks what he thinks. Can they risk getting on the road now? He says he doesn’t think they have a choice. If they stay here, the police will find them in the morning, and all this will have been for nothing. He starts the car, and she touches his face.

On the phone, Dante says, he needs a BOLO posted for the two women who were being transported to Pentenville Penitentiary and D’Archam Asylum. He doesn’t believe they’re armed, but Heather Webber should be considered dangerous. The other woman, Anna Devane, is a fugitive, but not a threat. He thanks them, and tells Mac, he’s notified the highway patrol, although they don’t have much to go on since the guard didn’t give them much of a description of the driver. They don’t know if Anna and Heather are on foot or in a vehicle. Any chances of them getting a lead tonight are slim.

Cody asks what Britt thinks is going on here, and she says she thinks he’s hiding behind sugary coffee, so he doesn’t have to deal with his feelings about Mac not being his father. He says, she can’t blame him for wondering what it’s like to be part of a close knit family. For a few seconds, he thought maybe he wouldn’t be alone in this world. She says she gets that. Even though her mom drives her crazy, she doesn’t know what she’d do without her. He says, Taub might be a son of a bitch, but he’s my dad, and that is that. He’s pretty much been alone his whole life. Looking out for just him has served him well so far. She says, maybe he dodged a bullet. Family is a curse. She leaves, and he looks at the results. No huge surprise, Mac is 99.9999999999998% his father. The red herring was his willingness to let Felicia take a look.

Michael says, from now on, he and Willow are a team, no matter what comes. She says she’s sorry she didn’t tell him sooner, and he says, the important thing is, he knows now. She doesn’t have to face this alone. They’re going to get through this how they always do – together. He tells her that she’s his family, and they hug.

Dante calls Sonny, who says, he thought Dante was working. Dante says he was, but since Sonny was talking about her before, he thought he’d let Sonny know, Anna escaped, along with Heather Webber. Sonny says, Heather’s with Anna? and Dante says he guesses there was a problem with the vehicle that was supposed to take Heather to D’Archam, so she was thrown in there with Anna. The plan was to take Anna to Pentenville, then take Heather to D’Archam, but they didn’t make it that far. There was an accident and the van crashed, and he’s here on the scene right now. Sonny asks, what caused the accident? but Dante says he doesn’t know. There was some sort of struggle, but there was only a guard here when they got here; he was the only one with the vehicle. He was injured and taken to GH. Sonny says, any idea what happened? and Dante says, no, not yet, but he’s going to figure it out.

Dex goes through the woods. He leans against a tree, and checks the bullet wound in his side.

Finn sits in on the floor in his office in the dark. He looks at a picture of him and Reiko on his phone.  

Heading for the door on the phone, Nikolas says, do not let anybody off the island. That hook wielding psychopath was in the house, and he’ll be damned if he lets her get away. He walks out, slamming the door behind him.

Esme is at the docks, but hears something and hides. Elizabeth comes out, and Esme peeks at her from behind a crate.  

Tomorrow, Willow asks Michael for a favor; Victor asks if there’s any word on his son; Elizabeth says she spotted a fugitive; Dante says, Heather Webber is capable of anything; and Heather says, they’re going to get what they deserve.

🎄 Unless She’s the Grinch…

I don’t even know what to make of this, but God help me, I’ll probably watch it.

Teresa Giudice Will Star In New Christmas Movie On VH1

🍸 VanderDating…

Who’s zooming who.

https://pagesix.com/2022/11/03/lala-kent-gives-glimpse-of-new-man-after-randall-emmett-breakup/
This Is The Actor Katie Maloney Is Reportedly Dating

🧂 Passing the Salt…

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know, not wanted to know, or were indifferent to about this season.

https://allaboutthetea.com/category/reality-tv-shows/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city/

⚰️ What He Said…

The Walking Dead family weighs in on the finale.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-finale-norman-reedus-everybody-dies/

👭🏻 Sisterly Reality…

This is the best show! Like Sweet Home Oklahoma was, it’s fun without being mean. They’re sort of like the Kardashians would be if they were a million times more relatable, and actually worked.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1353089/the-culpo-sisters-tease-relationships-highs-and-lows-on-new-reality-series

👀 On Amazon Watch…

Check in with me tomorrow, for some soap and smack talk about possibly the worst reality show ever, Winter House (interchangeable with Summer House). Until then, stay safe, stay being clear-sighted, and stay not hiding behind sugary coffee, so you don’t have to deal with your feelings.

Nov9

November 8, 2022 – Terry Gives Willow the Test Results, Toughing It Out, Talk Dead To Me, New Materials, Honoring Leslie & Rights

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Britt makes a doctor’s appointment for herself, telling them that she’s having symptoms. Sam knocks at the door, and asks if it’s a good time. Britt says, that depends. Is one of those folders for her? Sam says, yep, and Britt tells her to come in. She asks if Sam knows where that necklace came from.

Cody tells Deanna that he’s at the hospital for some test results; a paternity test. She says she’ll be right back, and Mac and Felicia come out of the elevator.

Finn says he’s glad Elizabeth is back, and she invites him in. She tells him, there was no medical conference. She went to Monterey. She wanted to find out what was going on with her, and saw her parents.

In the hospital elevator, Anna tells the guard, she doesn’t understand. Why is she here? She’s supposed to be transferred to Pentenville. He says he’s just following orders. Dr. Finn insisted she come here for something called a phlebotomy treatment. As they get out of the elevator, Anna smiles.

Esme puts her sheet rope over the balcony wall. She says she has to do this. Nikolas cannot keep them locked up here.

Nikolas says he had no idea Laura was back, and she asks if he’s not glad to see her, hugging him. He says, of course (🍷) he is, and asks Victor, what is this about Charlotte? Victor says he was just informed that Charlotte’s not on the school grounds. He’s worried about her. Laura says, no need to worry. She brought Charlotte home with her. She had to do it; Charlotte missed her family. Victor says, that’s such a relief, but what about Valentin? He was on his way to Switzerland to visit her. She says, he’s home too, and she’s sure he’ll be getting in touch with Victor very soon.

In the park, Sonny says, Michael doesn’t need to know anything, and no surprise, Michael walks up, and says, he doesn’t need to know anything about what? Sonny’s phone rings, and he sees it’s Valentin.

At the hospital, Valentin wonders if he’s going to voicemail, and says, Sonny, Anna’s being transferred to Pentenville tonight. They need to act now.

Michael asks what Sonny and Nina are hiding now.

Terry tells Willow, her leukemia is in Stage IV, and TJ takes her hand. Willow says, so her cancer is advancing more rapidly than they thought, and Terry says she’s so sorry. Willow says she’s in her second trimester now. The risks to her baby are much lower, and she’s ready to start chemo at any time. Terry and TJ exchange glances, and Willow says, what? Did she wait too long? Will she die before her baby can be born?

Michael says he found them bothering his family, but Sonny says, they were going on a nice walk through the park. Wiley and Willow just happened to be there. Michael says, they should have kept on walking, instead of trying to maneuver Nina into spending time with Wiley. Ugh. Michael has become an unsufferable, unreasonable dolt. Nina tells him, don’t be ridiculous. Sonny would never do that. Michael says, she has no idea what Sonny would do. Nina was denied visitation with Wiley… Nina says she’s well-aware of that, and Sonny says, they’re not going to go against Michael’s wishes when it comes to Wiley. Sonny’s phone beeps, and he says he’s got to take care of this. Michael asks if it’s an assassination, or plain old racketeering, and Sonny says, why? Is Michael wearing a wire? He asks if Nina is okay, and she tells him to go. Sonny steps away, and Nina says she doesn’t expect Michael to be civil to her, but he should show his father more respect.

Willow asks if her leukemia is so advanced that she won’t live to bear this child, but Terry says, that’s not her prognosis. Regression is still within reach in Stage IV. They just have to work more aggressively, combining chemo with other treatments. Willow asks how it will affect her baby, and Terry says she’ll map out a course of treatment with the greatest chance of success, while minimizing the risks to them both. Willow thanks her. That’s what she’d hoped Terry would say. TJ says, they’re here for her, and Terry asks if she has any questions. Willow says, no, and thanks Terry. She says, Michael will be here soon, and Terry asks if that means Willow is ready to tell Michael that she has cancer.

Elizabeth tells Finn, she went to Monterey to see if she could find out what’s causing these panic attacks, and sleepwalking, and losing time, and all of this mess. He says, okay, and she says, that’s it? She lied to him. He says, right now, he’s glad she’s still talking to him, and she asks if he already knew. He says he knew something was off; he just didn’t know what. He figured if she wanted his help or input, she’d ask. She says she didn’t want to shut him out, and he says he gets it. Sometimes we need to figure these things out on our own. So how was seeing her parents? Did she get the answers she needs? She says, yes. She now knows what happened on those stairs.

Victor says he’s so relieved Charlotte is all right, and Laura says, so is she. He says he does question the wisdom in taking her out of school so close to exams, but Laura says, exams are weeks away, and besides, the poor thing was so homesick. He says, lucky for Charlotte, Laura was there to come to her rescue, and Laura says, yes. She’s just like him. She’ll protect her family with everything she’s got. Nikolas says, speaking of family, how is Lesley? and Laura says, she’s recovering nicely after that mysterious fire destroyed their home. Nikolas asks if they ever discovered what caused it, and Laura says, apparently, it was an accident, or at least looked an awful lot like one. At any rate, his grandmother and Marcello send their love to him. Nikolas says, please send them his, and Laura says, he has a phone. He can do it himself. She came here to have a conversation with her son, and she’d like to have it privately. Victor says he has some business to attend to on the mainland, and I suddenly wonder, what does Victor pretend to do? Which leads to my eternal question, what does Sonny really do in the mob? Victor says, perhaps he’ll run into Valentin. He and his son have a lot to catch up on.

The guard takes Anna into an exam room, and tells her, have a seat. She hops onto the table, and a doctor comes in. He asks the guard to uncuff his patient, and we see his ID has Finn’s name, but Valentin’s picture. Anna smiles at Valentin as the guard uncuffs her.

As she opens the envelope, Britt says she didn’t expect such a fast turnaround. Sam thanks her, and says, the necklace Britt found in Peter’s safe deposit box was pretty high profile back in the 80s. There weren’t many necklaces around worth 35 million dollars. Britt says, how much? and Sam says, 35 million. Of course (🍷) Mr. Moskovich, the jeweler who examined the necklace, said, that’s just a ballpark figure. Britt says, that’s a helluva ballpark, and Sam says, if the real price is even close to that, Britt is going to be able to retire in style. Britt says, only if the necklace is legally hers, and Sam says, that is where things go malarky. She wasn’t able to find an official bill of sale, but she was able to locate the last known owner. Britt says, anyone she knows? and Sam says, Leopold Taub.

Mac paces, wondering what’s taking so long. He knows it’s officially Cody’s test… but Cody says, Mac has a vested interest, and Felicia says, they all do. Deanna tells Cody that she’s sorry. There’s some huge backlog in the lab. Cody says he doesn’t suppose she can track down those results; he’s going a little crazy not knowing. She says she’ll go to the lab personally, and he thanks her.

Valentin says he’d like privacy to examine his patient, and since we all know how non-existent lax the security is at GH, the guard leaves. Anna and Valentin kiss, and she says, he’s not actually going to draw her blood, is he? He says, no. A real nurse will be by to take care of that. He talked Finn into ordering a legitimate phlebotomy treatment. That way, the PCPD would be forced into bringing her here before taking her to Pentenville. She says, that’s brilliant. What’s the plan to get her out of here?

Laura tells Nikolas that Victor was using Charlotte as leverage. She was practically being held prisoner in that boarding school. She and Doc had to help Valentin break her out. He asks if Charlotte is all right, and Laura says, she is. She’s thrilled to be home, and determined not to have anything to do with Victor. He says, Uncle Victor has his own agenda, and she says, he does, and he doesn’t care who he uses or destroys to get it done. Look at poor Anna. She went up against Victor, and now she’s been framed for the possible murder of Lucy Coe.

Terry tells Willow, it’s time to begin chemo as soon as possible, and bone marrow transplants have been successful in treating leukemia. TJ says, survival rates have increased significantly in the past few years alone, and Willow says, it depends on the kind of bone marrow transplants she gets. Terry agrees, and says, in Willow’s case she’ll need an allogenic transplant, which requires healthy blood cells from a donor. Willow asks if it will work if the donor isn’t related to her, and Terry says, a donor that’s related provides the closest match, but unrelated donors can work too. Willow says she hopes that’s true, because to the best of her knowledge, she has no living relatives.

Nina says, Sonny loves Michael. Why can’t he see that? Michael says, Sonny abandoned his family. How can he respect a man like that? Nina says, it’s just like a broken record. Who is he to be so judgmental? Sonny’s reached out to him time and again, and Michael spits in his face. It’s like Michael lives his life to look down on other people. No wonder Willow turned to someone else. Sonny comes back, and says, what’s wrong now? Michael says, Nina is trying to drive a wedge between him and Willow by claiming Willow is cheating on him. She’s slipping. If she’s going to make something up, she’ll have to do better than that. Sonny says, she’s not making it up. He saw Willow and TJ together himself.

Sam says she found a description of the necklace, matching the one Britt has in her possession, in a profile piece on Taub and his collection. According to the article, Taub allowed the necklace to be worn on the runway during Paris Fashion Week in 1989. It just hasn’t been seen since. Britt says she knows Taub and Faison were working together around that time. Any chance Taub could have sold it to her father? Sam says she couldn’t find any record of the necklace changing hands. Then Taub died, and Dominique auctioned off his collection, but the necklace wasn’t included. Either she took it or Faison bought it before Taub died. Britt says, or more likely, her father stole it.

Felicia asks if Cody has seen any good movies lately, but Cody says, not really. Felicia says she’ll get some coffee, and asks if Cody wants some, but Cody says he’s jumpy enough. She tells Mac, talk to him, and leaves. Mac asks if Cody has ever been to Australia, but Cody says, not yet. Mac says, it’s a great place; he grew up there. He spent his youth roaming the Outback from dawn to dusk. Cody says he’s done his fair share of hiking. Any good mountains in the Outback? Mac says, some, nothing like in the states. But Uluru is a sight to behold. Cody says, oh yeah? and it gets awkward again.

Laura says she knows Nikolas knows this, but it bears repeating. His Uncle Victor could turn on him at any moment. On him, on Spencer, on anybody. Nikolas says, all the more reason to stay on his good side. He’s been playing Cassadine politics his entire life. Trust him. He’s handling this. She asks, where’s Ava? and he says, their attempts at reconciliation didn’t work. They’re moving forward with the divorce. She says she’s so sorry. She’d hoped they’d be able to work it out. He says, so did he, and she asks if it’s possible his Uncle Victor had a hand in the breakup of his marriage. Nikolas flashes back to saying, Victor wants him to choose his life over Ava, and Victor saying, it’s not really a choice. How can he be with Ava if he’s dead? Nikolas tells Laura, Victor had nothing to do with it. It was all his fault. She asks, how? and he says he… cheated on his wife.

Terry says, first, they have to determine Willow’s HLA, and Willow says, her human leukocyte antigen. It’s like your blood type, only more specific. It’s important to match her donors with her HLA so her body won’t reject any blood cells. Terry says, her HLA will be run against candidates in the match registry, a database of people willing to donate bone marrow. She’ll order the testing now, and personally put a rush on it. Willow thanks Terry for keeping her mind off her misery by keeping her mind on the medicine, and Terry says, neat trick, isn’t it? TJ says he’ll stay with Willow, Terry tells her, hang tight, and leaves. Willow says she thought at worst, maybe things had progressed to Stage III, but she guesses she skipped over that. Stage IV doesn’t sound so bad until… you remember there’s no Stage V. TJ tells her, whatever she’s feeling, just let it out, and she says she can’t die. She can’t leave Wiley. She can’t leave Michael. He says, she’s not going anywhere, but she tells him, he can’t say that; no one can say that. She cries, and says, what’s going to happen to her and her baby? He holds her while she sobs.  

Michael says, Willow and TJ, come on, and Sonny says he saw them together himself. Willow and TJ. Nina says, and Wiley. They’d just got done seeing them before Michael got there. Something is definitely going on here. Michael says he was here with Willow and Wiley, when TJ ran into them. He’s their friend. It’s not surprising they’re not familiar with friendship. Nina says, it’s not the first time she’s seen TJ with Willow, and Michael says, considering TJ’s a doctor and Willow’s a nurse, and they work at the same hospital… but Nina says, not just at the hospital; at the hotel. Michael says, in a room? Did they walk in on TJ and Willow, the same way his mom walked in on them at the Haunted Star? He knows Willow; she wouldn’t do this to him. Nina says, why not? She did it to Chase. Michael says, this is about revenge. They’re just making up lies. Sonny says, neither of them wants this to be true, and Nina says, that’s what Michael overheard his father saying; Sonny didn’t want to tell Michael anything. Michael says, she just let it slip, huh? He tells Sonny to open his eyes and see Nina for who she really is. She enjoys hurting people who are stupid enough to believe her. He’s telling Sonny this for what he hopes is the last time; Nina is poison. Sonny moves closer to Michael, and says, I would be very careful about what you’re about to say next.

Valentin says, Anna will be the only prisoner on the transport.  One of Sonny’s guys will be the driver. He’ll drive to a rest stop on Route 31; there’s a black pick-up truck there. Look under the driver’s side floormat for the ignition key. He’s left some cash in the glovebox. She thanks him, and says, once she’s out, she’ll be able to find evidence that proves Victor has framed her. He says, she’ll be on the run; not only from the authorities, but from Victor and his crew. Is she going to be all right? She says, yeah. He needs to look after Charlotte, and keep a surreptitious eye on his father. He says he hopes Sonny’s people don’t screw this up somehow, but she says, Sonny will come through for her. It’s very interesting, Valentin and Sonny working together. He says, she can thank Felicia for that, and she says, he got Felicia involved? He says, she asks as if he could have kept Felicia out of it. He’s got to go before the nurse gets here. She thanks him, and he kisses her. He says, he’ll see her on the other side, she repeats it back to him, and he leaves.

Finn says, it must have been a shock, Elizabeth seeing her parents, and she says, it was. She had no intention of seeing them. She just wanted to go into the house, to see if she could find clues as to why this has been happening, and suddenly, they were there. She wanted to run out, but she realized she couldn’t go on without knowing. So she told them what she’d been remembering about the stairs, struggling with the woman, and the woman falling. He asks if they knew what she was talking about, and she says, they did. When she was 15, she found her father with another woman, another doctor. He says, the one she told to stay away from her father? and she says, yes. She and the woman argued, and it happened really fast, and she fell. She didn’t mean to… He says, of course (🍷) she didn’t. Does she know what happened to this woman? Elizabeth says, she died. It was her fault.

Sonny says he’s been patient with Michael up until now, but he’s done with Michael talking trash about Nina. If Michael doesn’t want to listen, don’t listen, but he and Michael both know Willow’s been on edge. Michael says, they’ve both been on edge because of Nina’s continued harassment. We all go, huh? and Nina says she’s not harassing them; she barely sees them. And she’s not imaging this. Something is going on with Willow and TJ. Michael just needs to find out what it is. Michael tells her, just stay away from his family, and stomps off like the baby man he is. Nina tells Sonny, she’s so sorry she told Michael; she didn’t mean to, but he kept coming at her. Sonny says he believes her. Michael has a way of getting under people’s skin. She thanks him for not seeing the worst in her, and he says he sees someone who’s strong, passionate, vulnerable, and that he loves very much. She says, Michael’s made a huge mistake turning his back on Sonny.

Britt looks at some paperwork, and Sam says, as she can see, Mr. Moskovich did recognize some of the diamonds, mainly for the color and clarity. But Moskovich said, four of the gems come from one of the most famous diamonds in the world – the Ice Princess. Told ya!

Finn says, what Elizabeth is describing sounds like an accident. She didn’t mean to push the woman, did she? She says, no, and he says, she didn’t die from her injuries, did she? Elizabeth says, there were complications at the hospital, and she died as the result of an infection. But she wouldn’t have been there in the first place had Elizabeth not confronted her. Finn says, she’s not to blame for any of this. He’s so sorry she went through something so horrible at such a young age; especially something that would traumatize her so deeply, she would block it out. She says she didn’t block it out. Her parents went out of their way to keep her from remembering. He asks what that means, and she says, her dad prescribed her sedatives, and her mother, being a psychologist, coached her to lock away the memory. He asks why they would do that, and she says she was having nightmares and sleepwalking. Sound familiar? They claimed they were worried she was going to hurt herself, but instead of helping her through it, they just taught her to forget. The were worried her being around her dad would be a trigger, so they sent her away. He says, for 25 years? and she says she hesitates to call them her parents, since clearly they don’t know how to raise a child. He says he’s so sorry. He doesn’t even know what to say. She says, they abandoned her. They threw her away, and it was all for nothing because she remembered anyway. She was terrified for her sanity, and thought she was a danger to her kids, all because they wanted to keep a secret.

Felicia asks Valentin if everything went okay, and he says, as long as Sonny keeps up his end. She says she’s sure he will, and he says, then they can wish Anna safe travels. She says, amen to that, and they go their separate ways.

The guard tells Anna, time to go, and the nurse says, she’s all yours.

Finn says, Elizabeth has been through a lot in the past few days. She might want to talk to someone like Doc just to sort things out. She says, that’s a good idea, and he says he thought he was going to get a fight, but she says, not this time. This time she knows she needs more help. She thanks him for being supportive, but he says, she doesn’t need to thank him. She says she does. He’s an amazing man. He’s been patient with her when she has no right to his kindness. He asks where this is coming from. Of course (🍷) she has the right. She’s amazing; he loves her. As for the accident, he understands her feeling guilty, but she’s not to blame. He’d never blame her for something that was clearly a tragic accident. She says, there’s something else he doesn’t know; something she’s been scared to tell him. Because once he hears it, he’ll never look at her like this again.

Willow tells TJ, she can’t bear the thought of Wiley growing up without her. And Michael. He’s already lost so much. To lose another child… She doesn’t want to leave them. TJ says, that’s why she’s going to fight this, and why they’re going to win. She says, what if it’s too late? She thought she could control what was happening to her; that she could tell cancer to wait a few weeks, like there wouldn’t be any consequences. Now she’s paying the price. What was she thinking? How could she be so stupid? He says, she was thinking about her unborn child. Chemo attacks fast growing cells, and that’s pretty much all that’s happening the first trimester. Fast growing cells forming organs, and bones, and muscles. She was faced with a terrible choice, and she chose to protect her child. That is not stupidity; it’s love.

The guard brings Anna to the van, and says he’s officially signing the prisoner over. Dex says he’ll take it from here, and the guard leaves. He tells Anna, he’s Dex. He’ll be her ride this evening.

Britt tells Sam, isn’t it crazy that she might own a piece of that famous diamond? Does Sam know how it was broken up? Sam says, no, but she’s sure she can find out, and Britt wonders if it has something to do with the famous curse. Sam says she doesn’t believe in curses, but anything’s possible. She tells Britt that she’ll be in touch, and leaves.

Laura says, Nikolas cheated on Ava? and he says he’s afraid so. She says she knows how much he loves Ava, and she knows he wouldn’t do anything… Nikolas says, to hurt her? Sometimes he thinks that’s all they do to each other. Laura says, tell her what happened, and he tells her, all he can say is, he made a stupid mistake; one Ava can’t forgive. She says, Ava’s made some big mistakes too. Maybe if he gives her some time, she’ll come around. He says, not this time, and he can’t blame her. She says, why? What happened? He says, the bottom line is, he didn’t have enough faith in their love. He thought their marriage was over. He was tempted, and he betrayed everything he and Ava had. She asks if he has feelings for this other woman, and he says, God no. He wishes he’d never met her. He swears he’s learned his lesson, and the woman in question will not be causing any more problems. Laura says she’s so sorry, and hugs him.

Cody says, he doesn’t get the glamping thing, and Mac says he knows what Cody means. Why not stay in a hotel? Britt comes out of the elevator, and Cody says, when you’re on the ground in a tent, there’s nothing like it. He asks Mac to excuse him, and runs over to Britt. Felicia comes back, and says, he’s sure in a hurry. No luck? Mac says, actually, he thinks they’re making progress.

Britt asks why Cody is here, and he says, the results of his paternity test are in. He hasn’t seen them yet, because apparently the lab is swamped. She says, how dare they? Since he’s here, Sam found out some interesting info about that necklace. She showed it to a jeweler, and he said it could be worth – are you ready? – 35 million. He asks if Sam found out how Peter ended up with the necklace, and she says, not yet. But it just so happens, Cody might have more of a claim to the necklace than she does.

Dex uncuffs Anna, and tells her to get in the van. She does, and Dex is about to close the door, when a guard tells him, hold up. He brings out Heather, and says, she’s coming with him. Dex says he was told there was only going to be one prisoner, but the guard says, interdepartmental cooperation, handing Dex some paperwork. Heather says, Anna! sticking her head in the van. Looks like we’re carpooling. How nice. We’ll have time to catch up.

Nikolas says, Port Charles isn’t the same without Laura, and she thanks him. She hugs him, and says, it means more than he knows. She does have her work cut out for her, but she’s more than up to the challenge. As a matter-of-fact, heaven help the guy who tries to get in her way.

Britt says, her father may have stolen the necklace from Taub, so if in fact Cody is his heir, the necklace belongs to him. He says, imagine that, when Deanna comes back, and says she sweet talked the people at the lab, and got his results. She gives him the envelope, and he thanks her. Mac and Felicia walk over, and Cody says he guesses this is it. He tears the envelope open, and Felicia says, well? Mac says, give him a moment, and she says, he’s right… Moment’s over. Is Mac Cody’s father?

Willow tells TJ, she knew she’d have to do this at some point, tell Michael that she’s sick. But she thought there would be good news too. Now he’s going to know she kept it from him, and he might lose her and the baby. TJ says, Michael loves her more than enough to understand why she waited, but she’s going to need all the help she can get. So let her family and friends be there for her through this. She says she’s so scared. She doesn’t want to die. They hug, and Michael walks in.

Elizabeth says, this is really hard, but Finn says, whatever it is, they’ll face it together. She says, all of this happened in the Mariana Islands. Her parents were there with Doctors Without Borders. He says he was posted there, back in ’97. He was with Reiko. Were they there at the same time? She says, the doctor who she argued with, the one who fell down the stairs, was Reiko.  

Nikolas comes into the north tower, and sees the window open. He goes out, and sees the sheets, and says, Esme, the way Seinfeld used to say, Newman.

Esme sneaks around Windymere. She almost goes out the patio door, but says, no. Nikolas is not going to get away with this.

Sonny walks into the hospital, and Victor asks, what brings him to GH? No apparent gunshot wound. He hopes Sonny’s not ill. Sonny says he’s here to see a friend, and make sure she’s okay, and Victor says, Sonny’s generosity of spirit knows no bounds. Sonny says he takes care of his friends. Victor would be wise to remember that.

Heather says, it just so happens she’s a model inmate, but she’s sure that doesn’t surprise Anna. Anna says, it shocks the hell out of her, to be honest, and Heather says she doesn’t know why. Anna knows she strives for excellence in everything she does. She’s discovered – and this is going to help Anna where she’s going as well – that when you stop trying to escape, people treat you better. She even gets to go to arts and crafts now. Anna asks if she’s making syringes out of paper clips and pipe cleaners, but Heather says, no. She’s making a pillow shaped like a frog. Isn’t that delightful? Up front, the guard says, the transport van from the prison for the criminally insane should be maintained better. But no; it broke down. Dex says he knows because the guard is here, and the guard says he’s going to be late getting home.. He points out that Dex missed the turn for Pentenville, and Dex says, that’s because he’s dropping them at D’Archam first. The guard says, they’re not supposed to deviate from protocol, but Dex says, this is the route they’re taking. The guard says, no, it’s not; turn around. Dex says, just let him do his job, and the guard takes out his gun. The van swerves as Dex struggles with him. In the back, Heather says, do you mind? She has a delicate constitution. We hear a shot as the van flips.

Tomorrow, TJ asks Sonny to trust him; Britt says, maybe Cody dodged a bullet; Valentin wonders where Anna is; and Michael asks, what’s going on here?

💐 Sending Well Wishes…

Another soap star gets the long haul.

Robin Strasser Reveals She’s Suffering from Long COVID

⚰️ Tidbits Of the Dead…

About the best ending line of an episode ever. This was also discussed on Talking Dead last Sunday.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-mercer-different-ending/

Smacking myself in the head, since now that I know it’s her, I can hear it.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-yvette-nicole-brown-cameo-outpost-22/

🦄 Dark Release…

The lowdown on the upcoming season, and finale, of His Dark Materials.

https://collider.com/his-dark-materials-season-3-trailer-release-date-series-finale-plot/

And what’s life without cool CGI animals? TBH, that’s mostly why I watch this one. I could live without that nasty monkey though.

https://ew.com/tv/his-dark-materials-season-3-mulefa-photos/

🕺🏻 Deserving Of Tribute…

A sweet homage to a sweeter man.

https://people.com/tv/leslie-jordan-the-masked-singer-tribute/

👟 Just Doing It…

Come back on the morrow for soap and who knows what shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay balancing formal education with common sense and a dash of street smarts, and stay letting your family and friends be there for you when you need all the help you can get.