Category Archives: pop culture

April 15, 2024 – Sasha Saves the Day For Deception, Not Royalty On Deck, A Thought & Fever

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly tells Jason that even if Nina doesn’t let Sonny know directly, she’s going to make Sonny aware that she slept with John Cates. But just to be clear, she did not. Jason says, copy that, and she says, that’s new. She doesn’t remember him ever saying, copy that, before. Anyway, she doesn’t know what she’s worried about. Sonny already considers her a traitor. Why would he care who she slept with? Jason says, because he loves her, but she says she doesn’t think he does anymore, and leaves.

Ava goes to Nina’s office and tells Madison that Nina is expecting her. Madison says, unfortunately, Nina’s been called away to guest services, but Ava says she doesn’t mind waiting and goes into Nina’s office and sits down. She takes out her phone and pulls out a plastic bag with some pills in it. She flashes back to taking Sonny’s pills to help her sleep and makes a call. She asks if this is Applied Analytical… Good. She’s hoping they can help her. She thinks there’s been a mistake with her husband’s medication. If they took a look at his pills, would they be able to identify the prescription and the strength?… She can’t ask his pharmacy. They’re online… That’s wonderful. She thanks them and says she’ll messenger them today.

On air at Home & Heart, Lucy says he has every intention of returning as mistress of ceremonies at the Nurses Ball… Backstage, Brook asks Maxie how they’re doing, and Maxie says, see for herself. Lucy says, it’s not the same without her, and Haven says she watches the Nurses Ball every year. Lucy thanks her and says, that’s very kind of her. Sometimes they do have very special guests… Haven says, and the guests always look so fabulous, so tell them what role Deception plays in all that gorgeous hair and makeup. Lucy says, of course (🍷) Deception is so very important, but she has to say, it’s not more important than wardrobe. Especially her wardrobe, because sometimes she’s had more than a dozen gown changes. Of course (🍷), like she mentioned, she was unable to host last year. It was the first time ever, but she was lucky because she was able to run things remotely… Maxie tells Brook not to worry. She called the cavalry, and Brook says she hopes Maxie means a literal legion of soldiers who will distract the viewers from this disaster. Maxie says, only one soldier, the best one for the job, and Brook says, they’d better get here soon, because they’re going down fast. Lucy says she started Deception. It was her little brainchild back in the 90s…

Lois invites Gregory in and asks if there’s something she can get for her favorite in-law to be. He says, no, but thank you. He doesn’t want to take up too much of her time. He was just hoping to get a quick word with Brook. She says, Brook is off doing something with Deception. Is this about the wedding? He says, as a matter of fact, it is, and she says, then he’s come to the right person. As the mother of the bride, it’s her honor and pleasure to make sure this wedding comes off without a hitch.

Anna sits at her desk, making notes about the people connected to Pikeman. There’s a knock at the door, and John asks if he’s interrupting. She says, my God. What happened to you?

Lucy says she’s sure some of the viewers remember, the 90s were a very different time, and Haven says, you know what she remembers most about the 90s? Lucy says, do tell, and Haven says, the hole in the ozone layer. It was an environmental crisis that affected everyone on earth, not just Port Charles. And does Lucy know what layers were affected the most? The epidermis and the dermis. They could have used a face cream like the one Lucy brought them today. Lucy says, they sure could have, and Haven asks her to tell them about it. Lucy says, they didn’t have that, so she’s thinking, maybe subconsciously, that is exactly the idea that made her want to create Deception. Haven says, and she did. And now, Deception and Home & Heart would like to invite the home audience to enjoy Deception’s new face cream at home. Brook tells Maxie that she never thought she’d hear herself say this, but thank God for Haven. She doesn’t know how much more of the Lucy chronicles they can take. Maxie says, don’t worry. The cavalry is here. and Scotty says he got here as quick as he could. Brook says, this is the cavalry? Scotty joins them, and Maxie tells him, this is what they need him to do. Get up on that stage and get Lucy to talk about the product. Brook says, just get her off the damn stage, and Scotty says he’ll take care of it.

Haven says, come on, just a little dab, and tries to put some of the cream on Lucy’s face, and Lucy says, no, but thank you so much. As she mentioned, this cream looks best, starts, and works best on completely washed skin. You do not put it over makeup. Haven says she’s sure they can get someone up here to get that makeup right off Lucy’s face, and Lucy says, on camera. Haven says, oh yes, on camera, and her washed, unmade up face will be in a nice, tight close-up. Lucy says, that will only happen over one of their dead bodies, when Scotty comes onstage and says, good thing he just showed up. Haven says, this is a closed set, but Lucy says, actually, it’s not a closed set to a dear, dear friend. Also, he happens to be the lawyer for Deception. So viewers out there, please welcome noted personal injury and defense attorney, Scott Baldwin. Scotty thanks her for the warm welcome, and says, about this face cream… Lucy says, know what she’s thinking? Memory Lane. The 2013 Nurses Ball, they were on the stage together at one point, and this takes her back to that Nurses Ball. Actually, that was a time twelve years went by when they didn’t have a Nurses Ball, and she knew she couldn’t let that hiatus to go on one more year. Maxie says, oh well. It was worth a shot. Deception was nice while it lasted. Brook tells her, don’t give up yet. She’s got one more Hail Mary. She jets.

Tracy walks into the stable in riding clothes and calls to Cody. She says she’s ready for her ride, and Cody comes out. He says, she’s running a little late, and she says she hopes that means her horse is saddled up and ready to go. He says, actually… and she says she wanted to tell him that she hasn’t ridden in a while, so she wanted to just take the horse for a walk around the arena. Just until she gets her feet back. He says, okay, so about the saddle… She says she loves that saddle. She rode that saddle for years. It’s a multi-generational saddle. He tells her, like she said, she hasn’t used it in a while and there was a problem with the way it was stored. She says, that’s a dressage saddle. It was custom made. If there’s a problem with it, he’s out on his hind end with no pillion to cushion him.

Gregory tells Lois that he’s sure Chase and Brook’s day will be hitchless, especially with her at the helm. She says, he’s right of course (🍷), but she thanks him for noticing, and he says he calls it like he sees it. She asks him to sit down and says, come on, tell her. What’s worrying him? He says, it’s a small thing really, and she asks if he needs to change his entrée from chicken to fish. Because there’s plenty of time. Speaking of time, does he happen to have a copy of what he’s going to be saying at the altar? It’s not because she needs to approve anything at all. It’s just that she needs to know how long it’s going to take. He looks startled and a bit overwhelmed.

Jason asks when Sonny stopped loving Carly, and she says, people fall out of love all the time. He knows that. He says, but not her and Sonny. They can’t live together – that’s happened before – but they still love each other. She says she tried. Sonny was different after he came back from Nixon Falls. He was infatuated with Nina. Jason agrees he was different, and Carly says, and to Sonny, nothing could ever be Nina’s fault. It was her fault, it was Jason’s fault… He thinks they went behind his back. He thought she was unfaithful to him. When they got word Jason had died, she felt like her heart was ripped out of her chest, but to Sonny, he barely noticed Jason was gone.

Tracy says she wants to see her saddle, and Cody says he thought she’d never ask. He calls to Sasha, who walks in with the saddle. He says, it turns out Sasha has a way with Havana leather, no matter how old or water damaged. Tracy says she can’t believe that’s the same saddle, and Sasha says, it’s a wonder what some balm and a sheepskin glove can do. Tracy says she had no idea that when Sasha chose to leave Deception, it would work out so well for her, and Sasha says she’s welcome. Tracy asks Cody what he’s waiting for. Put the saddle on the horse. He says, yes, ma’am, and Tracy says she’ll be outside. Cody thanks Sasha and says, she just saved his hind end. She says, it’s the least she could do. It’s a nice hind end.

John says, by all appearances, he was the target of a mugging, and Anna asks what he means, by all appearances. He says he was attacked by two guys on the waterfront. They came out of nowhere, laid him out, but they didn’t get around to robbing him. It could have been because the beating was interrupted or… Anna says, or it could have been orchestrated, and he says he’d bet his badge on it. She says, for argument’s sake, the waterfront isn’t the safest part of town, and he says, especially this part of the waterfront, a block from the Corinthos Coffee warehouse. Coincidence? She says, that depends. What was he doing snooping around Corinthos Coffee?

Carly says, Sonny told her that he was in love with Nina. Then he tried to walk it back, telling her that they were leftover feelings from Nixon Falls or something like that, but she told him she wanted a separation. But Sonny decided they were going to reconcile. More than that, he wanted to renew their wedding vows, and he gave her an old tomato ultimatum. If she didn’t show up, he’d know they were over. Jason asks if she showed up, and she says, yeah, she showed up. She was an hour late, and by then, Sonny was in bed with Nina. She literally walked in on them. He says he’s sorry, and she says, it was awful. It was horrible. There was a big fight. Sonny blamed her and that’s when she stopped caring what Sonny thought and she stopped caring how Sonny felt and she asked him for a divorce.

Cody says he’d better get the lady of the manor mounted (excuse me?), and Sasha asks if Tracy knows she can’t fire him. He says, sure, but it doesn’t stop her from trying. Speaking of employment, this would be a great time for Sasha to fill out those applications for all those jobs she doesn’t want. Do it. He leaves, and she says, or she could straighten up the tack room. She walks out, leaving her phone on the table, when Brook calls.

Gregory tells Lois that he hasn’t settled on a final draft of what he’s going to say. He’s been writing for weeks. She says she totally sympathizes. She knows he wants it all to be perfect. She’s just saying, when he knows what it is he’s going to be saying, would he mind sending her a copy? She needs to time out the ceremony so she can let the kitchen at the MetroCourt know when to start firing up the food. He says he hadn’t realized… and she says, it’s crucial. It’s totally crucial. You have to have the food come out to the table when it’s hot, not when it’s overdone. And definitely not when it’s been heated under those heating lamps. Those contraptions need to be outlawed. Her phone rings, and she says, excuse her for one second. She picks up her phone and says, oh, it’s Brook. She answers and says she’s sitting here with Brook’s future father-in-law. Brook says she needs Lois to do something for her. It’s an emergency. Lois asks Gregory to excuse her for one moment, and leaves the room. Gregory now looks startled and confused.

Lois runs into the stable and tells Sasha that Brook has been trying to reach her. Sasha says she’s sorry and picks up her phone. Lois says, there is a Deception disaster. Lucy is crashing and burning on Home & Heart. Sasha says, Lucy? and Lois says, she decided to do the spot herself, which is a complete disaster. She doesn’t watch H&H herself, but her ma does, and you know who else watches it? All of her ma’s friends, and they all know that Deception is Brook’s company. So Lucy’s failure is Deception’s failure is Brook’s failure, and they can’t let that happen. So come on. Lois needs her to go. Sasha says she’ll have to change, but Lois says, there’s no time. She snagged the fastest ride in the garage. Can Sasha drive a stick? It doesn’t matter. She can drive one. Let’s go. She grabs Sasha’s hand and drags her out the door.

Lucy says, what she remembers in particular about that year is all the obstacles she had to overcome. She had to get all these good people together for such a good cause and raise so much money for those very good people. Haven says, just like their viewers at home, and Scotty says, hello, viewers, and suggests they tell the viewers how this face cream can take a mug like this and turn it into a matinee idol. Lucy says she’s so delighted to see him and have him here with them, but it’s kind of rude to interrupt. Where was she? Oh, right. There was a ball for nurses and the year was 2014… Haven says, yes, and her dear, dear friend Scott showed up right at the end and kissed her… in her underwear… again. Lucy thanks her and says, it’s so kind of Haven to remember that. Haven says she never forgets a Nurses Ball. Isn’t Lucy unforgettable? Doesn’t she look great? And you know what? You can look great too. She holds up the cream.

Nina says she’s so sorry to keep Ava waiting, but Ava says, it’s no problem. She had some business to take care of anyway. Nina kisses her on the cheek, and Ava says, what about her? Did she have a hotel emergency? Nina says, Ava knows how it is. One guest’s crisis is a hotelier’s whole day. Ava says she’s not familiar with that expression, and Nina says she hopes it never becomes one. Madison comes in and gives Nina a list of things she needs to deal with, and Nina thanks her. Madison leaves, and Ava says, Nina’s assistant is very diligent. In the fifteen minutes she was waiting, Madison must have come in and out of here three times. Nina says she thinks she was checking up on Ava, and Ava agrees. Nina says, she might be overcompensating, and Ava says, for what? Nina says she’s had a few unexpected visitors lately. Drew has gotten in the habit of just barging in unannounced whenever he wants to. He feels like he’s entitled to everything and has to wait for nothing, and when it comes to her… Ava says, the woman who sent him to prison where he almost died, and Nina thanks her for sharing that. Ava says she thinks somebody had to, and Nina says, which brings her to why she wanted to see Ava. Ava says, and here she thought Nina just missed her, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she does. She needs a progress report on her reconciliation with Sonny.

Carly tells Jason that Sonny did offer her a huge settlement, but all she wanted was the house. She thought she could take care of herself with her half of the hotel. He says, Diane told him how she lost it, and she says, her big investment with Aurora. She didn’t know it at the time, but it was 100% insider trading, but the only reason the SEC even paid attention was because Nina turned her and Drew in. He says, Diane told him that too, and she asks if Diane also told him that she could have saved herself and Drew by flipping on Sonny. He says, no, and she says, there wasn’t a formal offer, but Diane thinks the Feds would have made a deal because she had evidence against Sonny. He asks, what kind of evidence? and she says, proof that Sonny violated the National Security Act. He says, how did she get that? and she says, Michael.

John asks if he’s the bad guy here, but Anna tells him that she never said he was. He says, she just insinuated that he had it coming because he was in the vicinity of Sonny’s coffee warehouse, but she says she’s just suggesting the possibility that Sonny’s guards handled him because he violated their security perimeter. He says he didn’t violate anything; he was a block away. He was jumped by professionals. She says, he most likely was, and he says, if she agrees with him, why did she just… She says, a crime has been committed and she’s just trying to rule out possibilities. It’s part of a process called police work. He says, oh really? Could she spell that out for him? She says she’ll text him. Does he want some water? He says, yes, and she pours some for him. She asks what he was doing skulking around Sonny’s warehouse, and he says he was tailing Jason Morgan’s lawyer, Diane Miller. Does Anna think she’s clean? Anna says she doesn’t know. How many lawyers are clean? He says, touché, and she tells him, that being said, while most of her clients are disreputable, the woman herself is quite a professional. She’s a paragon of ethics, or at least skilled enough to make it appear so. He says, then what was she doing heading to Corinthos Coffee at that dangerous time of the night? and Anna says, Jason is part owner of the coffee company. He says, which makes it all the more likely an alliance is brewing between Jason and Sonny Corinthos.

Carly tells Jason, Michael and Josslyn were devastated over everything that happened with Sonny and Nina. Michael decided they were all better off if Sonny was in prison, and Jason knows Michael. He’s like Jason. When he sets his mind on something, he just doesn’t stop. Jason asks how Michael got evidence against Sonny, and she says, he hired a professional, and ex-soldier named Dex Heller. And Dex was able to record Sonny getting illegal weapons from a company called Pikeman. Dex gave Michael the footage and Michael gave it to her. He asks what she did with it, and she says she destroyed it. By then, Michael’s feelings toward his father had changed and Michael realized Sonny going to prison would tear the whole family apart. So they came up with a new plan. She and Michael were paying Dex to keep an eye on Sonny and report back to them if Sonny found himself in any kind of trouble. He says, so she was paying this guy to spy on Sonny, and she says, it was for his own good. He says he doesn’t think Sonny would see it that way, and she says, he did not when he found out.

Tracy comes into the solarium and says she didn’t know Gregory was here. He says he was talking to Lois. She excused herself and said she’d be back in a moment, but that was a while ago. Tracy says, she operates in a different time zone. Why was he talking to Lois anyway? He says, happenstance. He actually stopped by to talk to Brook. She says, in the afternoon? She’s working. He says he supposes when you have your afternoons free, you forget other people don’t. Anyway, it’s not urgent. He can call her later. She says, or he can give her the message and she’ll pass it along, and he says, very well. He just wanted to let Brook know that he won’t be bringing a plus one after all. She asks, what happened to Alexis? and he says, something came up. She had to cancel. She says she doesn’t think it’s much of a tragedy. Alexis and weddings don’t mix. Of course (🍷) she’s prejudiced ever since Alexis went runaway bride and left Ned at the altar. He says, if she doesn’t like Alexis, isn’t that a good thing that Alexis didn’t marry her son? She says, it’s not that she didn’t marry Ned. It’s how she didn’t marry Ned. But she had her reasons then and Tracy supposes she has her reasons now. He says, as a matter of fact, she does. He shouldn’t say anything. Tracy says, then he must, and he says, she has to promise not to… She says she won’t say a word, and he says, Alexis has to appear in Manhattan the morning after the wedding. She’s hoping to get her disbarment overturned. Tracy says, good for her, and he asks if she means that. She laughs and says she’s sure some part of her must, and he says, anyway, that’s why she can’t make the wedding, which means that he’ll be going stag.

Ava says, a progress report, huh? Should that be single or double spaced? Nina says, sorry, and Ava says, maybe she could email it to Nina. Her assistant can flag it in her inbox. Nina says, all right. She apologizes. Ava isn’t her assistant and doesn’t need to report to her, but she did say she would act as her advocate. Ava says, and she is, and Nina asks how things stand. Does Sonny miss her? Ava says, of course (🍷) Sonny misses her, and Nina asks if he said that. Ava says, he doesn’t have to. Whenever Nina’s name comes up, his mood gets dark, and he might fix himself a drink. Nina says, Sonny’s drinking again? and Ava says, not to excess. It’s just gone back to him fixing a scotch or two in the evenings. Nina says she feels so bad for him. He’s been so volatile. Ava says she doesn’t recommend lecturing him on the subject, and Nina says she didn’t mean to interrupt. Ava said Sonny doesn’t like hearing her name. Ava says, he asked her not to mention Nina at all unless it’s absolutely necessary. That proves he misses her, right? She’s still under his skin. That’s obvious. It’s progress. She’s sure of it. Nina says, Ava is a lot more sure than she is.

Lois brings Sasha to Home & Heart, and asks Brook and Maxie, how hard did the iceberg hit and is the ship still afloat? Brook says, see for herself, and they walk closer to the set. Lucy says she really thinks all her years as president and CEO of Coco Cosmetics… Haven asks if they can get a camera on the product, and Lucy says, it made her really be the driving, creative force that made Deception. Lois tells Sasha that she needs to get in there, and Brook says, it’s trending like crazy. Lois says, in a good way? and Brook says, Haven, yes. Scott, yes. Deception, meh. Lucy, you don’t want to know. Maxie says, sales are still really low, and Sasha undoes her ponytail and says she’s on it. Haven asks how Lucy would describe the cream, and Lucy says, on their Deception website. That’s how. She bets the viewers don’t remember, she wrote not just one tell-all book, but two. They probably all purchased A Travel Guide to Port Charles, but who remembers Left for Dead? Sasha says she remembers Left for Dead, and Haven says, look who it is, viewers. Sasha Corbin, the former Face of Deception. Sasha waves at the camera, and Lucy says, now she’s really not the face of anything. By the way, what is she wearing? Sasha says, these are her work clothes now. She’s a stable hand and she loves it, but it’s a lot of hard work and it doesn’t really afford an opportunity to feel pretty. Haven says, this is her not pretty? Look at her. Isn’t she gorgeous? Sasha thanks her and says, that’s so sweet. She thanks Lucy and says she’s got it, but Lucy says, no, she doesn’t. She’s not quite done. Scotty says he thinks she’s got it, but Lucy says she’s not. She has so many more things to say. Scotty says he thinks Sasha could handle it, and Haven says, it’s always such an experience with Lucy. Scotty steers Lucy offstage, and Haven says, if she may ask, Sasha’s makeup… Sasha says she’s not really wearing any, and Haven says she hates her. Sasha says, it does make it a lot easier for her to show Haven, and the audience at home, what Deception’s Deceptor Nourishing Moisturizer can do. Haven says, take it away, honey.

Anna says, the last thing Sonny wants is anything to do with Jason, and John asks where she’s getting that information. She says, Sonny. He came here to her office, trying to persuade her to file charges against Jason. John says, for what? and Anna says, for whatever part he played in the attack on the docks. Sonny conveniently forgot, Jason’s the reason his son is alive. So John said these attackers of his were surprised. What happened? He says, the two guys who jumped him ran off when Carly Spencer pulled up in her car.

Ava says she doesn’t understand where this skepticism is coming from. Nina trusts her, doesn’t she? Nina says, of course (🍷) she trusts Ava. Ava is her best friend. It’s just that if Ava can’t even mention her name to Sonny, how does Ava know he’s even open to the idea of saving their relationship? Ava says, Nina is still his wife for one thing, but Nina says, only because she hasn’t signed a sheet of paper. Ava says, right. And is Sonny pressuring her? Nina knows how insistent he can be; how he hates loose ends. Is Sonny standing over her with a pen, demanding she sign the divorce papers? Nina says, no, and Ava says, exactly. This is going to take time and she knows it’s agonizing for Nina. Nina says, an understatement, and Ava says, Nina’s got to be patient. She can’t rush this. She has to wait for just the right moment, when Sonny realizes how much he wants Nina back, and then she strikes. Nina says, so what, if any, difference does Ava think it would make if she sells her half of the hotel to Jason Morgan? and Ava asks where this is coming from. Nina says she had a little visit from Diane Miller, and she proposed the sale, and Ava says she thought Nina liked owning the hotel. Nina says she does. It’s just that the novelty has worn off. Ava says, more fun running it as a prize she took from Carly than a day job, and Nina says, so does Ava think if she sold her half of the hotel to Sonny’s best friend, she’d win some points.

Carly tells Jason, it was crazy. Sonny was going to kill Dex, so she had to tell him everything. He was furious. And betrayed. He disowned Michael the same way he disowned the two of them. She’s a traitor. Jason’s a traitor. None of it matters. Nothing they’ve done, none of the sacrifices they made. They don’t count for anything? Jason says, they count with him. Everything Carly has been through, everything she’s done, Sonny might not be grateful, but he is. She hugs him.

Tracy tells Gregory not to worry about a thing. She’ll pass along to Brook that he’s no longer bringing a plus one. He says he hopes it doesn’t mess up the seating too badly. He knows how much care and planning… She says, stop. He’s the father of the groom. He’s officiating the wedding. He’ll take his rightful place at the family table next to her. He thanks her and says he’d like that very much.

Lucy asks Maxie, what is Sasha doing here? She’s not with the company anymore. She’s not even spokes-modeling anymore. Why, pray tell, is she dressed like an escapee from Mayberry? Maxie thanks her for stepping in until reinforcements got here, and Lucy says, don’t do that to her. Don’t handle her. Maxie says she’s not handling Lucy. She was put in an impossible situation and handled it the way only Lucy Coe would. Lucy says, thanks a lot. Since she put it that way. Her phone starts to ding, and she says she’s blowing up. This phone is blowing up. She’s blowing up!

Brook says, Lois is a superhero, and Lois says she knows. Brook says she doesn’t know what they would have done if she hadn’t gotten Sasha here, and Lois says she did, so they’ll never have to find out. It’s a really nice set-up they’ve got here. She’s used to concert lighting, which is fabulous of course (🍷), but this is elegant in its own way, like Brook.

Haven says, that’s all they have time for today. She thanks Sasha and says, it’s great having her back. Sasha thanks her and says, it was great being here. The producer says, and we’re out, and Haven tells Sasha that she saved the show. She just wants to say thank you. Sasha says, her friends needed her, and Haven says, they’re very lucky to have her. And if she may say so, for whatever it’s worth (🍷), she wishes she’d been kinder. Sasha asks if that’s an apology, and Haven says, her attorneys advised her not to apologize in case Sasha sues them, but yes. She apologizes and hopes Sasha will come back.

Brook says, socials look great. People have never loved Sasha more. Maxie says, Deception has had a roller coaster of a day. All time low to almost all time high. They didn’t sell out, but she thinks they will by the time they leave the building. Brook says, not a bad day, and Lois says, not bad at all, and hugs her.

Lucy tells Scotty that she’s actually trending. Her public has never loved her more.

Nina says she’ll admit to Ava, but not anyone else, that running the hotel is a lot more work than she wanted, and it’s not really work she enjoys. So she’s pretty sure Jason is going to buy the hotel and turn around and give it to Carly. At the very least, that will annoy Drew, and at the very best, humiliate him. Ava says, payback for firing her, and Nina says, among other things. If she can sell the hotel to Sonny’s best friend, it might earn her half a point with him. Ava says, Sonny and Jason were closer than brothers. From what she’s seen, Sonny would be deeply moved if Nina made a deal with him. Nina says, she thinks so, but Ava says she knows so.

John says he has no idea what Carly was doing there. He was too distracted by the beating to ask. Anna says, she was probably going to visit Jason, and John says, it seems like he hasn’t had any trouble settling back into his old life. She says she distinctly remembers him telling Jason to do exactly that, to stay in Port Charles and wait for Pikeman to take him out. There’s a term for that – bait. He says, she sounds disapproving, but she says, it’s just a reminder of why Jason originally came back to town. It was as half of a sniper team, and his partner had a handgun that fired armor piercing rounds. So Jason knows firsthand what Pikeman is capable of. Every day he’s walking the streets, knowing they’re coming for him, and when they do, it’s going to be a hell of a lot worse than being jumped by a couple of thugs. So she’s just saying, why doesn’t he back off and give the man a little credit?

Jason says he doesn’t know what’s wrong with Sonny, but Carly says, maybe nothing’s wrong with Sonny. Maybe this is who he really is. Sonny doesn’t give a damn about anybody else. Why should they give a damn about him? Don’t tell her it’s because of the kids. She’s not going to set a bad example for Donna by letting Sonny walk all over her. He says, good, and she says, he’s not going to ask her to forgive Sonny? but he says, it’s up to her. She asks if Jason is going to forgive him, and Jason says, for now, but it’s possible Sonny could push him too far. Considering how he’s treating Carly, he’s getting pretty close. She says she misses who Sonny used to be, and she misses how they all were together. She misses the Sonny she used to love and just wishes there was a way they could reach him. He says, they can’t force Sonny to trust them or accept their help. All they can do is live their lives right now and be there if he needs him. She says, or they could turn their backs on him and let him drown… Jason would never do that, and she wouldn’t do that either. He thanks her, and she says, sometimes she thinks about how it would have been so much better if she never would have loved Sonny and stayed in love with Jason. He says he likes them the way they are, and she says she does too.

Tomorrow, Maxie tells Felicia, if she lets him in again, how does she know nothing bad will happen; Brick asks if Jordan can come out and play; Gregory asks if there’s a problem; and Laura says, it’s not her call to make, but she does know whose call it is.

Below Deck

Barbie wails to her mom that she ruined the day for everyone, and her mom says she understands, but Barbie needs to change her attitude. She’s not a quitter. She’s a good employee who does her job. Fraser tells Max that he’s done, and Max says, Barbie is in the bathroom crying on the phone. Xandi says, God bless, which I assume is a variation of bless your heart. In her interview, Xandi says, there’s been a lot of drama and Barbie had her hand in most of it since she got on the boat. We flash back to some of that, and Xandi says, if she doesn’t want to be here, no one is forcing her. Barbie whines to Kyle that she’s not herself anymore, and he tells her to stop being someone she’s not. Barbie says she’s a bad bitch and never quit in her life.

The crew gets ready for dinner and Ben gets handsy with Paris. In Sunny’s interview, she says she feels like she’s been dating Ben since their first crew night out. He’s playing into temptation and it’s disrespectful to her. It’s not cool and he just looks like an a-hole. She tells Dylan, it’s disgusting behavior, and there isn’t even tequila (yet). They sit down for dinner, and Anthony raises his glass to the family, to the crew. Barbie says she apologizes for the sh*t that was going on today. There’s been a lot of drama with her and Fraser, and they have to figure it out. She’s sorry it affected everyone. Xandi says, that’s the worst toast ever, and in Ben’s interview, he says, it should have been a private conversation. In Kyle’s interview, he thinks it’s passive/aggressive, and in Paris’s interview, she says, this is a sh*t show. Ben asks for Paris’s IG and Sunny switches seats to get away from Ben. In Ben’s interview, he says he has no idea what’s going on. Why is he in a situation like this again? Maybe he’s really stupid and some kind of yacht savant. Fraser tells Xandi, tomorrow they’re going to be three stews again. Sunny talks to Ben on the side, and he says he wants to spend more time with her, but she says she feels disrespected in many ways. When someone else touches someone’s waist and ass in front of her and everyone, it’s not okay. Ben asks what she wants. What are they? She says, it doesn’t have to be titled for him to respect the fact they’re sleeping together. He says he likes her, and she asks if they’re an item. He says, they’re not dating, but becoming an item. I have no idea what that means, and Sunny asks if he’s saying their like for each other is going down the drain and they’re just sleeping together, and Ben says, maybe by the end of the season they’ll be dating. For reasons I can’t fathom, Sunny says she can live with that, but in her interview, she says, the conversation was so full of sh*t. Ben was all over Paris, and she’s not the only one seeing it. They get back to the boat and head straight to bed. Fraser says, 10 o’clock. Are we this fun? Good for us, actually. In Sunny’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to get hurt, and in Paris’s interview, she says, flirting usually goes over her head and she doesn’t want to be that girl. She keeps forgetting boys just want to f*** 24/7. Barbie says she’s totally getting fired.

The next morning, Fraser meets the captain on the bridge. In Fraser’s interview, he says he’s been honest with the captain and wants to continue that. He tells Captain Kerry that his gut feeling is that Barbie needs to be gone. She’s causing that much aggravation for the team. She lacks respect and has done everything to undermine his authority. Her behavior is past its sell-by date. Insubordination is a fire-able offense.

Fraser tells Captain Kerry that Barbie made a speech at the table yesterday, airing their dirty laundry, and the captain says, they’ll need to find someone first. They’re mixing business with personal issues, and for Barbie to bring it up on their day off, he took it as being insulting. Fraser took it personally, but he has to separate that from business. Three days ago, Fraser said she was doing a good job, now she’s impossible to work with. Being chief stew isn’t just about hiring and firing. Fraser says, what the captain sees isn’t what they’re getting, but Captain Kerry says, strength is not always acting on the power we have. Fraser says, good point (it is!), and the captain tells him to have a talk with Barbie. Try his best to remove the emotions. In the captain’s interview, he says he gets the feeling that Fraser is pushing his own agenda. That’s the problem with a leadership role when you let emotions take over. He can help Fraser to be a good stew, but he’s got to let go of the emotions. Paris tells Xandi that she loves being in laundry. She feels like she’s ironing out the issues in her life. In Xandi’s interview, she says, Paris is living proof prayers work. She’s an actual stew and she’s funny. Sunny tells Ben that she’s confused by their conversation. She’s not asking for a ring, but she’s not open to f***ing around with other people. Ben says, they’re on the same page (highly doubtful), and she says, if they are, it sets the tone better. Captain Kerry calls Barbie to meet near the aft deck and tells the crew that he’s heading off the boat. Paris says, if pillows could talk, and Fraser says he doesn’t want to know. I’m in total agreement.

The captain sits with Barbie at a picnic table, and he says, she and Fraser have a personality conflict, like nobody knew. Barbie says, it’s an honor to work under Fraser, but they clash. She’s never had a chief stew and was always a solo stew, so that’s another struggle. Captain Kerry says, it’s the emotions. Fraser respects her work. She can’t fix what he does, but she can fix the way she sees things. Explain that she’s struggling and doing her best. If that doesn’t work, talk to him. She says she thinks she and Fraser have to sit down and talk. Fraser tells Xandi that the captain doesn’t want to get rid of Barbie, and Captain Kerry asks Fraser for a talk. Lots of talking and talking about talk going on. They sit at the picnic table, and the captain says, Barbie wants to stay and do a great job. She respects Fraser, but understands her delivery is not great. Listen to what she says, and process before he responds. Fraser sits with Barbie, and she says she’s sad that yesterday ended the way it did. She actually admires him and knows she’s been a nightmare. Fraser says, they had harmony after Cat left. Barbie is the person he needed and needs. He wants her to be there. If she puts the effort in, he thinks there’s good stuff ahead. Barbie suggests they start over. Don’t fire her. He says he’ll try not to. Ben tells Kyle that he needs someone he can trust to be his eyes ears when he’s not here. Dylan is knowledgeable, but doesn’t know the boat well. Sunny doesn’t have as much experience, but she wants to improve and has initiative. However, if he makes Sunny lead deckhand, the crew is going to think it’s because they’re sleeping together. In his interview, Ben says he’s going to make either Dylan or Sunny will be pissed. He’s between a rock and a hard place again. This guy is so full of sh*t.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting. The primary is Carmen who owns a PR management company in Washington DC that caters to athletes. She and her husband Ray wish to be called Queen and King while on the yacht. Carmen dislikes pork and guest Tiphanie is not a fan of seafood. Anthony reads that they want a beach picnic and a movie premiere night where they walk the red carpet. Ugh. This screams nouveau riche. The only red carpet I’d want to walk would be an actual red carpet that I was entitled to walk, not some made up nonsense. They read that guest Brandon is not allergic to anything. Just gay and picky. Fraser calls him a loser. Captain Kerry predicts they’ll be high maintenance, so make sure their departments are impeccable. In Anthony’s interview, he says he feels like he’s constantly failing. We flash back to Anthony floundering and being disorganized, and he says, it’s hard to come back when he feels not good enough.

The boat is readied, and provisions come in. Ben tells Captain Kerry that he’s ready to appoint a lead deckhand. He based his choice on character and knowledge of the boat. He’s appointing Sunny. The captain says, excellent. He’s very happy and agrees she’s the right person. She’s already doing it. In Ben’s interview, he says he and Sunny are good at separating work and pleasure, and he thinks the job comes first. Captain Kerry tells him to be kind with Dylan and give him a moment to process. Paris makes towel swans, and in her interview, she says she used to make turkeys. People are weird. Maybe they like bestiality in the bedroom. Yacht service calls Captain Kerry and says, guest Brandon missed his flight and will arrive at 3. He says, give him a yell when Brandon gets there, and they’ll meet him at the closest dock. Ben tells the deckhands that he’s decided to give one of them more responsibility. We flash back to Ben being dubbed lead deckhand with the golden deck brush, and he says he’s going to continue the tradition. The next lead deckhand is Sunny. In Sunny’s interview, she says, wow. It’s gratifying to know she’s doing a good job. She pats her own shoulder and says, kudos. Ben dubs her with the golden brush and in Dylan’s interview, he says he thought it was a joke, but it’s not April 1st. He realized Ben is serious and doesn’t want to be an a-hole. He doesn’t want to say it right on deck, because everyone is going to think he’s a d*ck. He has a d*ck, but he’s not being a d*ck. In Sunny’s interview, she says she doesn’t want people to think she slept with her boss. I think it’s kind of too late for that.

The guests arrive and the primaries receive crowns. In Fraser’s interview, he says, calling them king and queen is kind of an insult to the monarchy. But the monarchy isn’t paying him, so he’ll do it. He gives them the tour, and in his interview, Dylan says he’s going to do his best regardless of the situation with Sunny. Sunny asks him advice. How is she supposed to lead when she’s asking the lower deckhands for advice? Does he need to have sex with the bosun? If he had a vagina, he wouldn’t be in this situation, and it bothers him. This guy is a d*ck. He also just got here, so why would he be given the promotion?

Dylan congratulates Sunny, no doubt while gritting his teeth, and the yacht pulls out of the slip. Primary Ray says, land, hoe, which is actually kind of funny. Another guest says, when the drinks start flowing, we start hoeing. The yacht anchors, and Anthony tells Fraser that lunch is going to be Mexican. Ben rubs Sunny’s neck as Dylan watches, his blood boiling. Captain Kerry gets a message for guest Brandon to be picked up, and Kyle tells Ben that Dylan isn’t happy. Ben says he’s giving Dylan space, and Kyle says he thinks Ben made the right decision. Lunch is served, but it’s mahi-mahi, and guest Tiphanie doesn’t eat fish. In his interview, Anthony says, f***, and makes her a Ceasar salad. In Captain Kerry’s interview, he wonders how many times he told Anthony to look at the preference sheets and make sure he doesn’t do what he did last time. If Anthony keeps f***ing up, he’ll have to make a change.

Halifax Harbour. Barbie and Ben pick up Brandon, while the other guests ride around on the jet skis. Brandon arrives and one of the guests says, the party has arrived. Fraser mumbles, he seems insufferable, and in his interview, he says, Barbie says she wants to turn over a new leaf and be better. He’s going to put her on housekeeping. He wants her to be well-rounded and wants to see Paris on service. He should be able to count on his stews to do anything. The primaries are getting busy and leave the cabin blinds open. I’m not sure how they’re watching without being seen, but the deckhands watch them going at it. In Sunny’s interview, she wonders if they’re into voyeurism. Why keep the blinds open? The guests get ready for dinner, and Dylan whines to Barbie that he’s had two years commercial experience, and she tells him, be a man about it. In Barbie’s interview, she says, Sunny is her girl, but personally, she’s Team Dylan. She’s in a weirder position being second stew when Xandi is second stew. So she’s more on Dylan’s side because she feels Dylan’s pain. Tuna ceviche is served, with Tiphanie getting mac and cheese, the others coveting her dish. Fraser tells Paris, these guests like Burger King and McDonald’s. They’re not going to like ceviche. In his interview, Fraser says, Anthony’s food is brilliant. Anthony’s got it, but he doesn’t know if Anthony can pull it out at this stage. He tells Anthony that the guests have no adventure. The next course is basically fancy chicken salad, which you’d think they’d like, but guest Clifton says, this is bullsh*t.  Dylan tells Paris that he’s pissed and feels like he got a slap in the face. She tells him to hug the banana downstairs. I assume she means the floatie, but it’s unclear. Dylan pretty much tells anyone who will listen how Ben did him dirty. Brandon and Ray start to argue, and from what I can grasp it’s about Brandon inviting Ray to a drag show without preparing him in advance that it was a gay thing. Apparently, Ray needs a heads up about what he’s walking into. Was it a mine field drag show? In Fraser’s interview, he says, Brandon is upset because… He doesn’t know and doesn’t care. In Barbie’s interview, she says she lives for guest drama, but this is dark, and in Paris’s interview, she says, this is comedy gold. Carmen says, bon appetitty, and I’m thinking maybe this group should have gone to that place in Florida where the circus people live or something.  

Brandon leaves the table, and loudly explains why Ray is wrong to a couple of guests who follow him. Anthony says, this is the probably the worst tasting of his life, and at the table, Ray says he’s got to feel safe. Xandi tells Fraser that Barbie has a different mindset, and Fraser says that’s what he wants from her. He thanks Xandi for her coaching and they high-five. Paris tells Ben that Dylan thinks he gave Sunny lead deckhand because they’re banging. He’s got his panties 100% wrapped around his ball sack. In Ben’s interview, he says, if Dylan is upset, Dylan should talk to him. It’s not okay for him to talk to the crew. We flash back to Ben doing the exact same thing on several occasions, and he says he feels dumber when he’s around Dylan and it’s pissing him the f*** off. Fraser and Kyle hug, and Barbie tells Kyle to stop hugging her man.

Meanwhile, Tiphanie tells Brandon it’s good to get a different perspective, and Brandon says, it’s not a different perspective. Ben tells Dylan that it wasn’t cool of him to gripe to the crew, and they’ll chat tomorrow. In Dylan’s interview, he says, for f***’s sake. Ben is offended that he’s offended by Ben’s sh*t decision. He guesses he can’t tell anyone anything. Hmm… Maybe he’s just really stupid, since what Ben is not offended by, but annoyed by, is him talking to the crew instead of putting on his big boy pants and talking to Ben. Brandon continues his tirade in the hallway, and Tiphanie says, the only way to change is to inform and educate. Paris tells Fraser, lava cake is a great Band-Aid and will help everyone. Agreed. In his interview, Fraser says he’s beyond ready for this sh*tshow to be over. The chef doesn’t know where he is or where anything is. He thinks Anthony realizes it’s too much. It seems as though he’s giving up. Anthony digs around for a scooper and says, it’s really not good. Brandon goes back to the table and Ray says he understands where Brandon is coming from. Fraser says, something needs to change or they won’t make it until the end of the trip. Paris says, they need dessert, and Fraser says, he needs Anthony to focus, and Anthony says, it’s a hot mess.

Next time, Ben talks to Dylan; primary Carmen wants to know why there’s only regular bacon; and Captain Kerry has a talk with Anthony.

💭 I just remembered, Anthony is dyslexic and never told anyone. At least as far as we’ve seen. I would never blame anyone for any condition they have, but if he keeps it a secret when it’s causing a problem, that’s on him. The captain and crew would totally work with him. It’s actually very sad, since he’s such a nice guy and not moody, which isn’t always the case with the chefs.

🪢 At the End Of My Silly String…

Come back if you dare tomorrow for soap and VanderFolly. Until then, stay safe, stay not taking up the entire sidewalk if you’re with a group, and stay remembering, in a crisis, lava cake is a great Band-Aid and will help everyone.

April 12, 2024 – Jason Has a Generous Impulse, Outside the Soap, Cancelled Talk, Knots Again, Just Awful, VanderSituation, Details, BravoCon Man, Three Tails, Nonet Quotes & Wild

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the MetroCourt, Alexis says she’s missed Gregory, and The Invader isn’t the same without him. He says he misses it too. He truly enjoyed the work, but in the words of a famous American poet, you’ve got to know when to fold ‘em. His best days aren’t ahead of him. She says she hopes he doesn’t mind if she still calls him every day with her problems, especially if they’re ethically sticky. He says he’d be hurt if she didn’t. Anything in particular? She says, let’s just eat before I lose my appetite. The Invader gives me heartburn. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and they look at their menus. She says, there was something else she wanted to say to him. She’s so sorry, but she can’t be his extra one for the wedding. He says, why not? and she says, because there’s a slight chance she may be getting her law license back.

At the coffee warehouse, Diane says she takes it Jason got her message about some of his bank accounts being unfrozen. He says he did. Fast work. She says she’s Diane Miller, and he asks if he has enough money to buy back Carly’s half of the MetroCourt. (I swear, I thought that’s what he was going to say before he said it.)

Michael says he doesn’t know what his mom was doing with Agent Cates… and because she never learns, Nina says, it’s all too clear what they were doing. Carly was bringing up room service for two and Agent Cates was wearing nothing but a towel. Curtis says, Nina knows things aren’t always as they appear. He’s sure Carly wouldn’t cheat on Drew. Drew says, it wouldn’t be cheating. He and Carly broke up. Curtis says he’s sorry; he didn’t know. Michael says, his mother’s personal life is her business, not Nina’s, and Nina says she just thinks it’s a shame Carly would hook up with a guy who’s a federal agent after she and Drew broke up.

As she brushes him, Sasha asks not-Comet not to tell his buddies, but she thinks his coat is the shiniest. He must get a lot of vitamin A, D, and E. Cody comes in and says, you again. Any luck with the job search? She says, not really. She’s applied for everything; receptionist positions, corporate communications, positions in insurance and public affairs, most of them in New York and Connecticut. He says he’d hate to see her move, but at least she’s getting nibbles, right? and she says, but nothing that interests her. She’s tired of being considered because these jobs are public facing, and she fits the company’s image. He says, receptionist jobs are out. She’s way too qualified for that. But any company would be lucky to have her. She says, not if they only care about her looks. Been there, done that.

At the Home & Heart studio, Lucy tells Maxie that they need gels because the light is just not flattering… to the product. She asks a woman on the stage if they could please get some lighting gels, and Maxie says, they’d really appreciate it. The woman says she’d have to get the producer’s permission, and Haven says, that’s okay. Just do it. She asks if Maxie and Lucy are ready for another blockbuster segment, and Lucy says, absolutely. Maxie says, all set, and Haven says, no Sasha she hears. Maxie says, unfortunately not, and Haven says she doesn’t know this Blaze, but her granddaughters are very excited. She’s been ordered to get an autograph. So is she here yet? Maxie says, they’ve decided to streamline the duties of the Face, so Blaze will not be the spokesmodel today. Haven asks, then who is doing the selling today? and Lucy says, who else? Moi. (I’ll have what Morgan Fairchild is having. She’s 74 and looks amazing.)

On the phone, Brook says, it’s fully electric, not a hybrid?… Tracy walks in and Brook says, that is so awesome. Send her all the specs and financials. Send her everything. She’s so excited that they have the pickup in stock. She’ll be waiting. Tracy says, don’t tell her that she and Chase has eschewed the traditional limo ride to church for a 4×4.

Michael says, before they believe what Nina’s telling them, just consider the source, and Nina says she imagines Michael is used to this. Carly is not known for her discretion. Drew says, Carly has a right to privacy just like everybody else. He doubts any of them would like everybody to know what they do behind closed doors. Nina says, that’s the thing. Cates’s door wasn’t closed. They were perfectly visible from the hall. Maybe Carly just needed a good… night out. Curtis says, they don’t know what did or didn’t happen. What they do know is, Carly and Agent Cates are consenting adults, so whatever happened is none of their damn business. Drew says, Curtis is right. He’s done discussing it. Nina says, yeah. It must be painful knowing Carly got over their relationship so quickly.

Haven says, so Lucy is the spokesperson, and Lucy says, yes siree bob. Because who better than the founder? Maxie says, and nobody knows the product better than Lucy, and Lucy says, yes, indeed. She’s been in on every single step of developing their new face cream. Haven says she’s going to have to check with her producer about this, and leaves. Lucy says, that certainly could have gone a lot better, and sees Maxie looking at her tablet. She asks, what is with Maxie’s tepid attitude? She just stood there like she swallowed a fish. Why didn’t Maxie have her back more? Maxie says, maybe because she doesn’t agree with Lucy’s decision to do this. Why is she insisting on taking this all on herself? Lucy says, why is Maxie so against… Wait a minute. Maxie wants to get up there herself. She wants the spotlight. Is that correct? Maxie says, Lucy has to be kidding her. She wants Sasha in the spotlight. The public knows her, and they love her. Lucy says, okay, fine, but Maxie has to get over that because Sasha – she lowers her voice – quit. Maxie says, thanks to Lucy, and walks off.

Carly goes the MetroCourt bar and says she got Michael’s text. How did he know she was in the hotel? He says, Nina told him. He guesses she spent the night in Agent Cates’s room. She says, that woman. Nina called to tell him that? Is she going to put it on the cover of The Invader? He says he was in Drew’s office downstairs, and she showed up and filled them in, and Carly says, she told Drew? He says, and him and Curtis Ashford. They were in the middle of a meeting. She says, Nina once told Sonny that she was having an affair with Brick and she was wrong. Does that woman ever learn? Just to be clear, she stayed over with Agent Cates. She did not sleep with him. Michael says he knows, and she asks, how is Drew?

Diane says she doubts Jason has developed a sudden interest in the hospitality industry, so she can only assume… He says he’s going to give the MetroCourt back to Carly, and Diane says, that’s a very generous impulse, but it’s going to take some finessing. First of all, Nina has no incentive to sell. He says, give her one. She can name her price. Diane says, no she can’t. Absolutely not. She has far too much pride in her skills as a negotiator to hand anyone a blank check, much less that real estate heiress. She can make a little profit, but Diane isn’t going to let him overpay. He tells her, handle it however she thinks is best. Just make it happen. She says, his real obstacle is going to be Carly, and he asks, why? She says, because he’s not the first person to offer to help her reclaim the MetroCourt. Initially, Olivia offered to loan her the money. Then Nina, in a craven attempt to suck up to Sonny, offered to sell it back to her. Then Sonny and Michael. And Carly has said no to all of them. She wants to do it herself. He says, don’t worry about Carly. He’ll work it out with her.

Sasha says, Cody’s not trying to get rid of her, is he? and he says, never. But as great as it’s been, she can’t stay with him and the horses forever. She says she knows. She’s going to run out of savings at some point. Sooner than she’d hoped actually. But she loves being here with the horses. They don’t care how she looks. He says, the horses appreciate her for her, and she says, exactly. He says he gets what she’s saying about being underestimated, and she says, people underestimate him too, don’t they? He says, occasionally, but she’s on a whole other level. She has brains, business savvy, personality, not to mention a strong work ethic. She says she’s proud to say she helped develop Deception’s initial business plan, and he says he bets Lucy and Maxie are kicking themselves right now for letting her walk away. Sasha wonders if she should be kicking herself. Was she crazy to leave Deception? He asks, why? Is she thinking about going back?

Maxie says, if Lucy hadn’t undermined Sasha by telling her that she needed to be edgier, they wouldn’t be in this mess, and Lucy says, what mess? They’re not in a mess. There’s no mess. Deception is not in a mess and she’s perfectly capable of being a pitchwoman. Maxie says, not as capable as Sasha. Their customers admire her. Not just for her beauty, but for her courage and the challenges she faced. She justified their faith. She’s not just beautiful, she’s inspirational, and you can’t buy that kind of narrative. Lucy asks, what is Maxie all of a sudden, the voice of reason? It seems like right now Maxie is a little bit power hungry. Maxie says she has just as much of a right to an opinion as Lucy does. They’re equal partners. Lucy says, they are. Maxie is absolutely right. And as such, they should work together against their common enemy, Tracy Quartermaine. But it feels like Maxie’s friendship with Brook has clouded her judgement lately, and maybe Tracy could then bring down Deception. Maxie says, Tracy didn’t want to get rid of Sasha. She actually lobbied to keep her. Lucy says, until she didn’t. Because Sasha quit and she was not fired. Maxie says, all right. Fine. Maybe if Sasha had felt heard and included, she would have stuck around, but Lucy is only interested in her own opinion. Face it. Her love affair with herself is the real problem.

Brook says she and Chase are going to Florence on their honeymoon, and Tracy says, congratulations. Florence is beautiful. It’s one of her most favorite spots on earth. Brook says she can’t wait to stroll through the Tivoli Gardens hand in hand with Chase. It’s going to be so romantic. Tracy asks what this has to do with a truck, and Brook says, since Tracy is so generously paying for the wedding, Chase insisted on paying for the honeymoon. And Florence is a dream come true, but it is more expensive than a stateside destination, so he sold his truck so he could pay for the trip. Tracy says, wow. She has to hand it to him, that is a sweet gesture. Brook says, he loved that truck. That’s why she’s going to be surprising him with a truck as a wedding gift. And guess what? It is fully electric, top of the line. Tracy says, don’t do it, and Brook says, come again? Tracy says, disrespecting your husband is no way to start a marriage, but Brook says, she’s not disrespecting him. She loves him. But there’s no reason he has to choose between their honeymoon and a truck. They can afford both. Tracy says, Brook can afford both.

Curtis says, Nina is way out of line, and she says she’s sorry. She takes his hands and says, but maybe he doesn’t know Drew as well as he thinks. She tells Curtis that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She leaves, and Curtis tells Drew, that was uncalled for, and Drew says, it’s been worse. Now where were they? Curtis says, in a minute. He wasn’t aware Drew and Carly had broken up. Drew didn’t tell him. Drew says, because Curtis had a few things to focus on, and Curtis says he remembers when Drew came to the gym and told him that things were rocky between him and Carly. He thought they’d work it out, but he guesses they didn’t. They seemed so happy. Drew says, that was before Jason came back.

Carly tells Michael that Agent Cates didn’t want to go to the hospital, so she brought him back here. She stayed with him so she could wake him up every couple of hours. Basically, she was on concussion watch. Michael asks where she found him, and she says, a couple blocks from the coffee warehouse. At first, she thought he was trailing Jason, but then she realized he must have been following Diane. He asks, why? and she says, because Jason’s too hard to follow. He says, it didn’t bother her that the guy she sat up with all night taking care of wants to bust Jason? but she says, it doesn’t bother her because he’s not going to find any evidence against Jason. There’s nothing in that warehouse but coffee. And Sonny is so furious with Jason right now, there’s no way he’s going to bring Jason back to the business. So basically, Sonny is doing Jason a favor.

Alexis says, so basically, instead of sitting and enjoying a wedding with Gregory and the happy couple, she’ll be pacing up and down a hotel room, preparing for her appearance in front of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. Gregory says, this is momentous. Although he has to admit he’s a little irked that she kept it from him until now. She says she really doesn’t think it could actually happen. It’s the longest of long shots. He says he doesn’t know. Her and Diane teaming up to argue her case. He’d take that bet. He raises his glass and says, to her then, but she says she doesn’t want to jinx anything. Sorry. She’s alternating between pretending this isn’t happening and having paralyzing anxiety because she really, really wants this so much.

Brook tells Tracy that she and Chase share everything. What’s hers is his and vice versa. Tracy says, sounds great. Very unrealistic. Brook says, don’t go there. They already had the prenup conversation, and that’s not happening. Tracy says she totally respects Brook’s misguided decision to forego the prenup. However, she’s learned from previous experience that having more personal wealth than your husband puts undue stress on the marriage. Brook says, no offense, but Chase is nothing like Tracy’s ex-husbands, and Tracy says, Brook means her ex-fortune hunters? She’s absolutely right. But – she pats the spot next to her on the sofa, and Brook sits down – she knows Chase’s father. And she’s assuming in addition to being a stand-up guy, Chase was taught to be the breadwinner in the family. Brook says, please. That is so old school. Tracy asks if Brook hasn’t noticed her husband-to-be is very traditional. It’s part of his charm. Brook says she almost blew it, didn’t she? but Tracy says, she did it out of love. Like he sold his truck out of love. But her going off and buying another one totally negates the sacrifice he made. She’d be devaluing his loving gesture. Brook says, wow. Tracy saw that. She didn’t. Tracy says she’s had many years to make mistakes and learn from them. But buck up, girlie. She’s got herself a thoughtful, generous, devoted husband-to-be. Brook says, the best. She’s just sad he has to give anything up for her.

Gregory asks if Alexis knows what happens when well-meaning people find out you have a terminal illness. You start getting suggestions; mindfulness, positive visualization, prayer, alternative medicines, healthy diets, yoga, acupuncture, you name it. She says, that’s got to be really overwhelming, and he says, yes, but you get used to it. He knows it comes from a good place. She asks if she’s done that, but he says, no, not at all. She asks, what’s his point? and he says, despite what other people may suggest, he thinks what it all comes down to is what you choose to believe. Alexis believes that she could still be a good lawyer. She says she does. She still has as much passion for it than she’s ever had and there’s nothing more satisfying than helping someone get the justice they deserve in court, no matter what the obstacle. He says he bets she was a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. He hopes he gets a chance to see her back in action. She says she hopes he does too. He should know that most of these appeals are denied, which is why she’s so quiet about it. He says he has faith for both of them, and puts his hand on hers. She says she wishes everyone felt that way.

Madison hands Nina a stack of messages and tells her that the proofs from the shoot are on her desk. No one can locate Pedro; he still hasn’t delivered the dress for the cover. Nina asks her to call the agent and tell them if Pedro doesn’t deliver in 24 hours, he’s off the cover and her roster. She’s not doing this with him again. She looks through the messages and says, these can wait… Really? Olivia? Madison says, she keeps calling, and Nina says she can’t believe Olivia is still harping on the color refresh she gave the fourth-floor bathrooms. And forget about calling the agent. She wants that pleasure herself. Oh, and if Drew Cain calls, she’s not available.

Drew says, Curtis knows he loves Carly. He still loves Carly, but he’s moving on. He’s getting over it. He’s accepted the fact that she’ll always put Jason first and that is exactly why he had to end it. Curtis says, he ended things? Is he sure Carly is okay with that, after everything they’ve been through? Drew put his life on the line for her. Drew says, believe him. They both know it’s for the best. He did them both a favor. Curtis says, that sucks, and Drew says, it does, but he also knows it’s the right decision. The next time he’s in a relationship, he’s going for the brass ring. He wants what Curtis and Portia have. He wants it to be tested, survivable, solid… Curtis says, it’s true. That’s what they have. They’ve definitely been through the fire, and they’re still standing. Drew says he couldn’t be happier for Curtis.

Lucy tells Maxie that she’s just so passionate about her company. Right now, Deception is the most important thing in her life. Maxie says she knows Lucy loves Deception, but so does she, and Lucy says she knows. She has nothing but love and respect for Maxie. That’s why she lured Maxie away from Crimson to join Deception, but this friendship she has with Tracy’s granddaughter sets her teeth on edge. Because she can’t let that harpy ruin everything that she… they worked so hard to build. Maxie says, they built Deception together, and unless they get on the same page and start trusting each other again, Tracy’s not going to have to lift a finger to destroy Deception. They’re going to do it for her. Haven comes back and says, her producer agrees with her. Lucy is not a suitable replacement for Sasha, so their segment is cancelled.

Diane asks if Jason wants her to put him in touch with a real estate agent, and he asks, why? She says, to find him a place to live? but he says he has a place to live. She says, a rented room above Bobbie’s? and he says, yeah. He likes it there. She says, if he changes his mind, and if she can convince Nina to sell, he’ll have a whole hotel of rooms to choose from. He says he likes where he is, and she asks if he signed the papers her assistant dropped off last night. He says he didn’t get any papers, and she asks what he’s talking about. Her assistant was supposed to bring them to him last night. Carly walks in holding the envelope, and Diane says, this looks familiar, taking it from her. Carly says, Diane’s assistant came by Bobbie’s, and she said she would bring them over, but she got sidetracked. Diane puts them on Jason’s desk and tells him, start signing. He doesn’t need a notary. She’ll pick them up from him the next time she sees him… which she thinks will be soon. She’s off. She leaves and Carly asks if Jason is okay. Jason says he’s good and thanks her for bringing the papers by. She says, that was just an excuse. She wanted to see him. He asks if something happened, and she says she did something he’s not going to like.

Sasha says, if she was thinking about going back to Deception, and just hearing him say that made her stomach drop… He says he guesses that’s a clear answer, and she says she doesn’t want to do something she dreads. Besides, Deception has already moved on. They have a new Face, and booked a new segment on Home & Heart. Today, actually. He says, no regrets? and she says, not one. She may not know what she wants to do, but she knows what she doesn’t want to. He says, that’s progress. When she does figure out what she wants, let him know.

Alexis says, Molly is worried if her appeal is denied, she’ll start drinking again, and Gregory asks if she thinks that could happen. She says she’s an alcoholic. A lapse is always possible. Maybe that’s why she downplayed it so much, because she’s worried the disappointment might… He says, might destroy her? and she says, it’s destroyed her before, and Molly had a front row seat. The life she’s rebuilt doesn’t get her pulse racing, but it’s steady. And she worried if she gets her hopes up, it might be too big of a gamble, and she’s worked too hard for her sobriety. So is this a risk she can afford?

Tracy says, it may be old school, but no spouse or partner worth their salt is going to want to live on their other half’s money, and Brook says, Tracy has dealt with this her entire life, hasn’t she? Tracy says, the family money has given her a lot of advantages, but it’s also caused her a lot of pain. Brook says, those men are idiots. How could anyone look at Tracy and only see dollar signs? She’s an amazing woman, filled with wit and depth and beauty and surprising sensitivity. If those guys couldn’t see that, it’s their loss. Tracy says, yep, she’s a catch. So is Brook. Brook says, not that the Quartermaines are poster children for happy marriages. Look at Edward and Lila. Yeah, they were in love, but how many times did he cheat on her? Tracy says, too many, and Brook says, and Alan and Monica. Tracy says, both serial cheaters and they argued about it the whole time. Brook says, her father was a bigamist. He was married to her mother and Katherine Bell at the same time. Tracy asks, what’s her point? and Brook says, what if she and Chase follow the same pattern? What if their marriage is doomed already?

On the phone, Nina says, they are in charge of the kitchen. Is that correct?… She may have authorized the slightly cutting back of the service staff, but she did not intend for the room service orders to arrive cold. Outside her office, Madison tells Diane that Nina can’t be disturbed. If she likes, Madison can make her an appointment. Diane says she wouldn’t, and barges into Nina’s office, Madison following her. Nina says she expects the room service to maintain the same high standards as the rest of the hotel. She thanks them and Madison says she’s sorry. She told Diane… Nina says, that’s all right. She understands Miss Miller does not like to take no for an answer. Madison leaves, and Nina says, if Diane is here for the divorce papers, she’s wasted her time. Diane says she’s actually here to make an offer on the hotel. She has a client who is interested in purchasing Nina’s half of the MetroCourt, and willing to do it at 3% over market value. Nina asks, who’s the client? and Diane says, Jason Morgan.

Carly says, he was just lying there, and Jason says, and she got out of the car. That’s too big of a risk to take. She says she couldn’t just leave him there. Besides, the muggers took off after she blasted her horn. Anyway, she grabbed John and took him back to his room at the MetroCourt. She spent the night there, waking him up every two hours to make sure he was okay. Jason says, he was jumped a block away from here, and she says, yes, but they didn’t steal anything. They just beat him up. He asks what she’s thinking, and she says she’s thinking it wasn’t a mugging. Maybe it was Sonny.

Lucy says, Haven can’t just cancel their segment, but Haven says, this is live TV. She can’t go on air with an amateur. Lucy laughs and says she hosted the General Hospital Nurses Ball for years and years. And it was on a stage and on camera and she raised millions of dollars for GH. Haven says, congratulations, but she won’t be selling face cream on Home & Heart today. Maxie says, if Haven cancels their segment, what is she going to put in its place? And why would she turn her back on a sure thing? Haven says, they have lots of pre-taped segments. This isn’t the first time this has ever happened. And with Sasha, it was a sure thing. With Lucy, a whole other story. Maxie says, Deception is her highest earner. Haven said so herself. All of their segments have sold out. So will this one.

Gregory tells Alexis, risk is a funny thing. You don’t want to do it unnecessarily, but then again, you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t do it at all. Trust him when he tells her, the things you regret at the end of your life are not the things you tried to do and failed at. It’s the chances you didn’t take. Say she gets reinstated and she’s back doing the thing she loves. Let’s say she doesn’t. She’ll still know she gave it her best effort. And that’s its own reward. Her taking this chance is like skydiving was for him. She says, terrifying? but he says, life affirming.

Carly tells Jason that Cates stopped by Bobbie’s a couple of times, and she just assumed he was working her for information about Sonny, but he never asked her anything significant. But when she told Sonny, he was furious. The way he was toward Jason the other night after his arraignment. Jason says, she thinks Sonny had Cates beat up, and she says she definitely thinks it’s possible. Sonny hates him. And not because he’s an FBI agent, but because of the history they have. She knows the basics about what happened with Karen Wexler, but Sonny regrets it. And Jason knows, when Sonny regrets something, he’s volatile. And on top of that, John was Stone’s older brother and Sonny feels like John abandoned Stone. So she thinks it’s possible Sonny would be targeting Cates. Jason says, John Cates is an FBI agent (in case we didn’t know), and assaulting an FBI agent is a federal crime and Sonny knows that. She says, Sonny knows it. He doesn’t care.

Nina asks, since when has Jason Morgan been interested in the hotel business? and Diane says she’s just here to make the offer. Nina says she would imagine this is for Carly. Does he know whose bed Carly was in last night? He might change his mind. Diane says, interested or not interested? when there’s a knock at the door. Nina says, come in, and Madison says she’s so sorry to interrupt, but accounting needs Nina to sign off on the ad rates. Nina finds the folder and Madison leaves. Diane says she imagines it must be so difficult to run both Crimson and the MetroCourt, and Nina says she loves them both. Diane says she hadn’t realized Nina was interested in the mundane. Cranky guests, plumbing issues, all that tableware and linen to keep track of… Well, she’ll leave Nina to it. She starts to leave, and Nina says, 15% over market. Diane says, four.

Tracy says she doesn’t believe Brook’s marriage is doomed. Just be aware of it. What she thinks is reasonable, Chase may think is extravagant. Like public school versus private school. Brook says she hears Tracy, and Tracy says, as long as she understands that they have very different frames of reference about money, they’ll be okay… on that front. Chase really loves her. Brook says she loves him too. She’s sorry Tracy wasn’t treated with more respect. Tracy says, it’s true. She kissed a lot of frogs. She even exchanged vows with some of them. But in the end, she got her prince. Her marriage to Luke started with blackmail, but it ended with a true partnership. They were equals. Luke accepted her for her. He loved her and she did the same for him. Brook says, it sounds like she was very lucky. Tracy says, she was, and so is Brook. They hug.

Brook says she thinks she and Chase will make it, and Tracy says she certainly hopes so. And whatever happens, she’s always on Brook’s side. Brook says, back atcha, and Tracy says, now she has to get down to the stables because she’s riding again. Brook says, have fun, and Tracy thanks her. Brook says, good talk, and Tracy says, anytime.

Sasha says, very funny, and seeing all the pieces of hay in her hair, Cody asks, what happened to her? She says, Ranger, and he laughs and says, she got a whole bag of tricks. Not a mean bone in his body though. She says, he’s a sweetheart, except messy, and he asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want to reconsider Deception, as he picks the hay out of her hair. She says, can he imagine if Haven de Havilland saw her now?

Haven says she’s here today with Lucy Coe, founder of Deception. Welcome, Lucy. So tell us what fabulous product you have for us today. Lucy thanks Haven and says, in fact, she’s so happy to bring them their brand-new face cream for the woman on the go. It is super moisturizing and goes on like a dream. It’s lightweight and you put this on just one time, and you’re good for the whole day. Haven says, sounds like her kind of moisturizer. She’s so busy and definitely on the go. Lucy says, tell her about it. No one is busier than she is. Besides running Deception of course (🍷), she has a thriving real estate business, and she was also, for many years, on the advisory board of ELQ. On the side, Maxie starts looking miffed, and Lucy says, and her vote kind of contributed to major decisions… Just recently though, that’s changed, but that’s a long story. She can tell them all about it later, but she thinks the viewers probably recognize her the most for being the mistress of ceremonies at the General Hospital Nurses Ball for many years… well, actually until last year. She wasn’t, because… Maxie looks like she has a headache and a half.

Alexis tells Gregory, that parachute jump was euphoric. And she almost backed out. When she forced herself to do it, she realized, until then, she’d been living in fear, and she doesn’t want to do that anymore, so she has to try. He says he thinks they call that resilience, which is also life affirming. And as far as he’s concerned, whether she ever practices law again or not, she already won.

Drew thanks Curtis for coming by. He really wants to discuss this fitness/wellness idea further. Curtis says, definitely. He still can’t believe Nina came at Drew like that. Drew says, it’s all good. She knew what she was doing. Curtis says, maybe. He thinks she’s still hurting over Sonny. Go easy on her. Drew says he and Nina have reached an understanding. They’ve made accommodations with each other. (Is that what the kids are calling it now?)

Nina says, nine. Take it or leave it. Diane says she will take it back to Jason, and Nina says, this might be a little premature. She knows they’re talking about price, but she hasn’t made up her mind to sell, so she needs to think about it. Diane says, the offer won’t be on the table indefinitely, and Nina says, if Jason wants the hotel so badly, he can wait.

Jason asks if that’s why Carly took care of Cates, to make up for what she thinks Sonny did? She says, no. She was just trying to help. It wasn’t until after when she thought about it, and she realized it could have been Sonny. He says, there’s nothing she can do about it. So here’s the thing. Cates is either going to figure it out or he’s not. The best thing she can do is just stay out of this. She says, yeah… That could be a problem. He says, why? and she says she told him, Last night she spent the night in John’s room, in a chair. But this morning, she ordered room service, and when she opened the door to get the tray, John came out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel, and Nina was standing right there, and she saw him. She left a vapor trail straight to Michael and Drew. It’s only going to be a matter of time before Nina tells the entire world that she spent the night with John Cates, including Sonny.

On Monday (unless there’s another eclipse), Brook tells Maxie not to give up yet, she’s got one more Hail Mary; Tracy says, if there’s a problem with it, Cody is out on his hind end; Ava tells Nina that she’s sure it’s progress; and Jason tells Carly that he doesn’t think Sonny would see it that way.

🎭 Old Gig, New Gig…

I’ve never seen this show, but I remember seeing the title in the guide listings.

This looks promising.

💫 What Goes Around…

It would only be fitting, since the replaced a soap. Now can we say goodbye to The View?

👄 Knotty Girls…

And Donna Mills is another one. She’s 83. Is it her vitamins? Something in the water? What? She has no right to look that good. I’m just kidding though. Good on her and Morgan Fairchild.

💃🏿 Back With the Wind…

It might be a season worth watching with Phaedra and Kenya returning.

🏊‍♀️ Another Awful Summer…

Warning: sarcasm ahead. I just can’t understand how things fell apart when Lindsay was in love enough with Carl to make him a sandwich. If you follow this awful nonsense, you might remember many seasons ago when Lindsay’s boyfriend, whose name has been blessedly wiped from my mind, wanted her to make him a sandwich and she went out of her mind. I’m embarrassed to even know that. Then we have Kyle and Amanda who are married, but living on different planets. Run, Amanda, run! Paige and Craig seem to be the only sane ones right now, but we’ll see what happens the next time he brings up marriage.

If you must have more.

🪀 Rebounding From the Rebound…

Ugh. I hate guys like Schwartz. He thinks it’s friends with benefits, while she thinks it’s something more, but he doesn’t dare say anything because he doesn’t want to lose her. Usually, those types don’t say I love you, for which I give them credit, but not good old Schwartzy. He’ll say anything to keep things status quo, which makes him even worse. No surprise he bounced quickly to an actual girlfriend. No doubt he doesn’t like being alone with himself. The good news? He ditched the blond look.

🍸 Giving Them Reunion…

I’m not sure how Lala didn’t fare well. She had zip to be embarrassed about this season. I don’t think I could forgive Sandoval, but I understand why she is. I also understand why she’s getting annoyed with Ariana. Not that I blame Ariana for still being pissed off. I would be too. But to act all middle school and say, if you hang out with him, you’re dead to me, is ridiculous since they’re all in the unique situation of having to deal with each other for the show. What she really wants is for Sandoval to be off the show, but that doesn’t look likely. Instead, she should just rub his nose in the best revenge of living well, instead of snarking at him every chance she gets and acting like she’s a queen banishing a subject. It’s not a good look and could backfire on her eventually.

🎰 Speaking Of Reunions…

Viva Las Vegas. What’s the matter? NYC not good enough for him anymore? And 2024?

🍻 Two Dogs and a Cat Walk Into a Bar…

As Reggie said in Strays, poop for your freedom!

https://people.com/united-airlines-flight-forced-to-divert-after-dog-pooped-in-first-class-aisle-8629565

Get rid of the dude. Keep the dog.

https://people.com/woman-refuses-to-give-away-dog-even-though-boyfriend-allergic-8630181

Do you know this kitteh?

https://people.com/authorities-search-for-owner-of-lost-cat-in-strawberry-dress-8629238

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. – Dalai Lama

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.Marie Curie

A little progress each day adds up to big results. – Satya Nani

Clichés are tropes because they’re true. – Wesley Fists (Austin Crute), Daybreak

Make the choice to embrace this day. Do not let your TODAY be stolen by the ghost of yesterday or the “To-Do” list of tomorrow! It’s inspiring to see all the wonderfully amazing things that can happen in a day in which you participate. – Steve Maraboli

People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right. – Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you. – Lao Tzu

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.Gilbert K. Chesterton

I don’t care to eat a chicken foot. – Karen Everett, The Family Chantel

✈️ Absence Makes Someone Not Here…

Take a cuppla days off, then visit again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and not Jill on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not fixing it if it ain’t broke, and stay remembering that the things you regret at the end of your life are not the things you tried to do and failed at. It’s the chances you didn’t take.

April 11, 2024 – Chase Changes the Honeymoon Plans, Blame Game, VanderMoments, Shading Shannon, Dead Talk, Pet (!) Diversity & Normally

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly wakes up in the chair and looks over at John sleeping on the sofa.

Brook says, what if they made a mistake? but Lois says, they didn’t. Brook says, what if the style’s all wrong? but Lois says, it won’t be. Brook says, what if the lace is like a gross shade of ivory? but Lois says, that’s never going to happen. Brook says, what if they ruined Lila’s dress for nothing? and Lois says, Lila’s dress was already ruined. Unsalvageable, said the seamstress, except for the best part, which they’re putting to perfect use. So what is she really afraid of? Brook says, what if she doesn’t like it? and Lois says, if she doesn’t like her wedding dress, they’ll scrap it and find her something she loves. Because there’s nothing more important than her happiness on her wedding day. Capisce? Brook says, capisce, and Sandrine walks in with an assistant carrying a garment bag. She says, ladies, are you ready? The wedding gown of your dreams.

Curtis walks slowing into Drew’s office, and Drew says, look at him. He can’t believe this progress. It’s incredible. Curtis says he firmly believes if you do the work, you can achieve anything, and Drew says he was in Greenland with Curtis, so he’s not going to underestimate him, but walking this soon after surgery is next level. Curtis thanks him, and Drew says, and he can take a compliment. Curtis says, Trina’s been on him about absorbing good energy. It sounds a little woo-woo to him, but he’s trying. Drew says he’s happy for Curtis, and Curtis says, don’t keep him in suspense. Why is he here? Michael walks in and says, what’s going on? Drew says, let the meeting of the minds commence.

Alexis says, Nina did not just say that, and Nina asks if she denies it. Alexis says, that she’s being mean to Nina’s precious gossip slinger? Are they in second grade? Nina says, DeWitt is not just The Invader’s society columnist, and Alexis says, ugh, that title. Nina says, he got a promotion. He is now associate publisher. Alexis says she knows that. Nina reminds her of that all the time. How could she possibly forget that Nina has hired someone so incompetent? Nina asks, says who? and Alexis tells her, says me. And it’s not DeWitt’s fault that he’s going to make an ass of himself. That honor belongs to Nina.

TJ meets Marshall at a park bench, hands him a coffee, and says, good morning. Marshall says, and what a beautiful morning it is, and TJ says he has egg sandwiches too, handing Mashall a bag. Marshall says, that’s very thoughtful of him. Not that he wasn’t thrilled to get TJ’s call, but since he has the morning off, why isn’t he spending it with Molly? TJ says he considered it, but he knew how the conversation would go. Marshall asks, how’s that? TJ says, she’d thank him for wanting them to do something together, then she’d say she has an arraignment in five minutes, but she’ll make it up to him tonight. Then that would turn into her trying too hard and both of them faking it through whatever she thought of, or even worse, she stays late at the office to avoid the situation altogether. Marshall asks who they’re talking about here, because that doesn’t sound anything like TJ and Molly.

At the MetroCourt, Anna thanks Valentin for meeting her and apologizes for it being so last minute. He says, lucky for her, he had no breakfast plans, and they sit down. He says he ordered her tea and pours her some. She thanks him for being thoughtful, and he says, she called, and he came. What’s this about? She wonders if he can help her with a case, and he says he’ll always help her. What’s the case? She says, Pikeman.

Brook says she doesn’t know what she was so afraid of. The dress is perfection. Lois says, the only thing more beautiful than that dress was her in it, and Brook asks if she’s crying again. Lois says, get used to it. Her baby girl is getting married in the most magical wedding gown. Brook says she doesn’t know how Sandrine did it, but she really captured the spirit of Lila’s dress to a T. Lois says, it feels like she channeled Lila, all of her kindness and her warmth and her acceptance and her generosity, because that’s who Lila was. Brook says, Lois is so lucky she got to wear Lila’s gown, and Lois says, Brook gets to be a part of that too. Brook says, in the tiniest way, but Lois says, no. In her own way. That’s what makes it so special. Brook gets to have a piece of Lila while still being who she is. Beautiful, amazing, incredible her. Brook thanks Lois for doing this with her, and Lois says, is she kidding? Is she insane? She would have busted that door down if she hadn’t gotten an invite. Brook says, then she’s glad Lois did, and Lois says she’s so happy for Brook. And she’s happy for Chase. She’s happy for all of them really. Brook says she’s happy for them too, and they hug.

Alexis says, why doesn’t Nina just admit it. Nina hired DeWitt to piss her off. Nina says she actually does think he’s an asset, and Alexis says, and the fact he’s a colossal thorn in her side? Nina says, that’s just a perk, no doubt about it. Alexis asks, why? and Nina says, why does she enjoy steam shooting out of Alexis’s ears? Alexis says, why is she doing this? She doesn’t even work here anymore. Nina says, that’s exactly why she needed a replacement, but Alexis says, Nina didn’t need a replacement. Alexis was doing just fine and would do even better if Nina would stop breathing down her neck. Nina asks if Alexis wants people to read her publication, and Alexis asks, what kind of question is that? Everything was fine before Nina got here. Nina says, but is it better since she brought DeWitt on? Be honest about that. It is, because there’s a measurable rise in website traffic. Alexis says, and she thinks that’s because there’s a gossip column? and Nina says, yes, partially. Alexis has to court their readers. She has to give them something delicious and irresistible, so they stick around for the hard news. What she can’t do is decide what’s good for them and ram it down their throats. You have to woo them. Alexis says, what if she just quits? and Nina says, there’s the door.

Michael says, it’s good to see Curtis back on his feet, and Curtis says, it’s good to be back. He hears Jason was exonerated. Michael says, yeah. They’re all relieved about that. Curtis says, when Jason was suspected of taking shots at Sonny, he thought maybe there was a chance he tried before last summer at the MetroCourt. It’s nice to know Jason didn’t put him in that wheelchair. Drew says, he didn’t stay in that wheelchair very long though, did he? and Curtis says, no. He was lucky. He had experimental surgery and it worked. Drew says, come on. The surgery just gave him a chance to walk again. Curtis is the one who made that a reality. All the rehabs, learning how to walk again… Is Curtis kidding him? He can’t imagine what that was like for Curtis. Curtis has all his respect for making it through that and getting to the other side. Curtis thanks him and says he doubts Drew brought them here to compliment him on walking again. Why are they here?

Carly asks how John is feeling, and he says, sore. She says she bets, and he says, and very tired. She says, really? He didn’t sleep well? He says, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep with her waking him up every couple of hours. She says she’s sorry. Should she have let him monitor his own signs of concussion? He says, is he, by the way, concussed? and she says, no. He’s bruised and bloody, but somehow, his head came out unscathed. He asks if that’s her professional opinion as his almost nurse, and she asks if he’s going to start arguing with her this early in the morning. He says he already knows it won’t do any good.

Sandrine says, Lois might surprise Brook, but Brook says, nothing her mother does surprises her. She’s well-aware of her mother’s flair, shall they say, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Lois comes in, and Sandrine tells Brook, like she said. Wearing a midi dress with a black lace overlay and a short white jacket along with pearls, Lois says, ta-da. Brook says, wow… ma… that’s… Lois says, she hates it?

Alexis tells Nina that she always says that – there’s the door – but they both know Nina needs her. Nina says, agreed. And she’s been agreeing with Alexis the whole time. Her point is, she thinks the paper would benefit if they just had DeWitt’s expertise and experience. Alexis says, no, and Nina says, that’s it. Just no. Alexis says she will not sit by and let The Invader be turned back into a tabloid, and Nina says, then don’t let it. Alexis says she’s trying, but Nina is making it very difficult. A messenger comes to the door and says he just needs a signature from Alexis. Alexis signs the form, and Nina says, you know what it’s going to say on Alexis’s tombstone? Alexis says, death by frustration? and thanks the messenger. He leaves, and Nina says, no. It’s going to say, Alexis Davis, didn’t play well with others. Alexis says, and now they’re back to the schoolyard, and Nina says, because Alexis refuses to grow up. DeWitt stays. End of discussion. She leaves, and Molly walks in. Alexis says she hates that woman, and Molly tells her, take a breath. Alexis says, how? She sucked all the air out of the room. Molly says, professional differences? and Alexis tells her, you could say that. She invites Molly in and says, tell her something wonderful that has nothing to do with this publication. Molly says she would, but she can’t. The Invader is actually why she’s here. Alexis puts her head on the desk.

TJ asks if Marshall has ever looked back at a decision and known he should have gone with his gut, and Marshall says, too many times. TJ says, when Molly pitched the idea of Kristina being both their surrogate and egg donor, his instincts were screaming, this is the wrong move. For a million reasons, but the most glaring being that Kristina’s too close. There’s no finish line. There’s no cutting ties at the end. Why? Because there couldn’t be. She’s Molly’s sister. Marshall says, and since Molly couldn’t go forward without his buy-in, that was TJ’s moment to shut it down. TJ says he should have explained why he was against it, calmly and unequivocally, before anything got too far. Instead, he went with the short-term gain of giving Molly what she wanted. Marshall says, some would call that being supportive, but TJ says he calls that being a coward. She was so wrecked. She was utterly devastated that she couldn’t get pregnant. So when she pitched the idea, he knew that for Molly, the closest thing she could have to carrying her own baby was for her sister to have it for her.

Anna tells Valentin that she and Dante were ambushed on the docks by Roman Hume. He worked for Pikeman. It’s just so strange. All roads seem to lead back to this one, ultra secretive organization that’s run by a ghost. He says, a ghost? and she says, Pikeman’s ties to the WSB are clear, but no one seems to know who’s at the top of the pyramid. So she needs information. She was hoping maybe he could provide it for her. He says, Pikeman? and she says, he was working for them as recently as last summer. He says, as an intermediary, a glorified messenger, and she asks how that job came about. He says he did some contract work for them back in the 90s, and they felt comfortable asking him to introduce them to Sonny, but whether Sonny and Pikeman did any work together after that was none of his concern. She says, okay. Maybe she can pick his brain about something else. Or someone. He asks, who? and she says, Jack Brennan.

Lois asks, what’s wrong with it? and Brook says, absolutely nothing. Lois says, well, something, but Brook says, the dress is lovely. It’s classy and elegant and tasteful… Lois says she feels a but coming, and Brook says, no buts. It’s just not really Lois’s style. Lois says, it’s just and but are exactly the same thing, and Brook asks if Lois thinks that’s her style. Lois says, to go out on a Saturday night? No, but she was under the impression that what you wear to your daughter’s wedding isn’t what you wear to go clubbing. They’re two completely different things. Brook says, it doesn’t have to be this different. What kind of nails would she even do with that? Lois says she was thinking maybe just clear, and Brook says, what? Lois says she’s the mother of the bride. She’s supposed to be understated. Brook says, there’s no supposed to be here. This isn’t a royal wedding. There areno standards she has to live up to. Brook just wants her to wear what she wants to wear. Something that makes her feel like her. Lois says, this definitely doesn’t feel like her, and Brook says she didn’t think so. Back to the drawing board. Lois tells Sandrine, let’s pull some colors, some swatches… Maybe show some skin this time. You know what? Maybe a plunging neckline. Brook says, let’s not get carried away, when Chase walks in. He asks if he missed it, and Brook says, missed what? What is he doing here? Sandrine says, there’s been a special order for the bride-to-be, and Brook asks what they’re up to. Sandrine says she was commissioned to design a dress for Brook’s honeymoon, and Brook asks if Chase really thinks that’s necessary. He says, very, and Sandrine takes out a beautiful black cocktail dress. Brook says, it’s gorgeous, and Chase asks if she likes it. Brook says she’s obsessed with it, but it’s long sleeves. Doesn’t he think she’ll be a little warm in Palm Beach? He says, they’re not going to Palm Beach.

Molly says, The Invader ran a piece on the DA’s office being opposed to the overturning of Heather Webber’s conviction, her multiple convictions of assault and homicide going back nearly twenty years. Alexis says, that would be with the metallosis diagnosis. Yes. She signed off on that. Molly says, then she knows the article cited an unnamed source, and Alexis says, yes. Molly says, mom, and Alexis says, what? Molly says, everybody at the DA’s office assumes that source is her. Alexis says, it isn’t, and Molly says, Alexis knows that, and she knows that, but her colleagues, specifically DA Scorpio, do not know that. Alexis asks what Molly wants her to do about it. The story checked out. Molly says she wants Alexis to help her prove that she’s not the one who broke confidentiality and discussed the case with a reporter, and Alexis asks how exactly Molly wants her to do that. Molly says, tell her who did.

Marshall asks if Molly knows TJ has misgivings about Kristina being the surrogate, and TJ tells him that he wouldn’t say it exactly like that, but yeah. Molly has her worries too. He thinks that’s the problem, because whenever he tells her his concerns… Marshall says, about what, besides the being too close part? and TJ says he just doesn’t think Kristina is taking the best care of herself. (Huh?) She’s out late, she’s not avoiding stress, plus the small fact that she’s out with her dad, who’s getting shot at on the regular. Marshall says, points taken. So when he brings all these things up to Molly… TJ says, she takes the position of defending Kristina, even though he knows they share the same concerns. That’s why they avoid the topic altogether. He just feels like, during this time, he and Molly should be closer together, but he just feels more and more distant from her. Marshall says, and what about Kristina? Has their relationship been affected? TJ says, how can it not be? Any time he shares a worry he has with her, she accuses him of overreacting. It’s as if Kristina is having the baby and she’s going to let them know when it’s here. He sounds ungrateful, doesn’t he? Marshall says, no. He sounds human. TJ tells him, that’s what mom said. Marshall says, smart woman, your mother.

Drew says he’s been doing some research and Floodgate Consultancy Group says, the wellness and fitness space is booming out there. They’re all across the country, but especially in the high-end areas, with both residential and urban people spending so much money not only to look good, but to feel good. Really laying the foundation for health, wellness, and longevity. Michael says he read that report too. 40 is the new 25, and with the right fitness regimen and the right products, you, too, can achieve it. Drew says, so thoughts? and Michael says he thinks it’s a good time for Aurora to diversify. Crimson and print media is still a front burner for them, but it is drying up. They need to find alternative revenue streams. He thinks dipping in to an expanding market makes sense. Curtis says, an expanding market like health and wellness, and Drew says, which is where Curtis comes in.

On the phone, Carly says she just ordered toast and eggs. She doesn’t understand what’s taking so long. John comes in, wearing only a towel, and Carly says she’ll hold. She tells John that she bets the shower felt amazing. He says, it did, and she says, it’s amazing what hot water can do, but he says, not so hot really. Carly tells the kitchen that she’s still holding, and looks at John. He says, the water never got too warm, and she says, he’s got to be kidding her. Back on the phone, she says, she’s here. She’s still here… No. She’s pretty sure there’s no food in her hotel room… What? They left the food outside the door, without knocking…?… Okay. She hangs up and says, they’ve got to be kidding her. No hot water, shoddy room service… This hotel is definitely going downhill. She opens the door just as Nina is walking by, and Nina says, oh. Good morning to you. She looks at John standing behind Carly in the towel.

Valentin tells Anna, what he remembers about Jack Brennan is, his rapid rise to director of the WSB was followed by a spectacular fall. He singlehandedly orchestrated Frisco Jones’ ouster and a year later, he was out himself. She says, he knows Jack is in Pentenville, right? and he says, yeah, thanks to her. She says, in part. She went to visit him the other day. Valentin asks, why? and she says, curiosity? Valentin hasn’t been to see him yet? Valentin says, has he been to see Jack Brennan in Pentenville? No, he has not. Why would he do that? She says, because they were close back in the day, when they were all coming up together at the WSB, but he says, no, not really. Jack Brennan did really well academically and even better with the ladies, but he was in the back of the room, not making eye contact. She says she distinctly remembers them at that pub they used to go to… The Archangel. The two of them were playing dice or something. Whatever it was, they were laughing because they’d aced an assignment that the rest of them just botched. He says, that sounds like Jack, but it doesn’t sound like him. If he was at The Archangel, he was lurking. He wasn’t hanging with the cool kids. Not like her. She was at the center of the circle. Jack was too. He thinks she probably has him mixed up with someone else. She says, he and Jack were just feeding off of each other. They were pushing each other to be better, to be smarter… He says, if anybody was pushing anybody, Anna was pushing Jack. They were the best of the best. Everybody knew that. Valentin was on the fast track to a desk job. He and Jack Brennan have never shared more than ten words together.

Alexis says she cannot and will not reveal the identity of her sources, and Molly tells her that now she’s going to say journalistic integrity. Alexis says, very good, counselor, and Molly says, that’s crazy. Leaked, privileged information is not protected speech. Whoever that source is, not only violated their professional conduct guidelines, they also jeopardized future cases. Alexis says, that sounds like a DA problem, not her problem, and Molly says, it’s a very big problem if the article affected the fairness of a trial. Alexis says, what trial? Heather’s already been convicted on multiple counts, and the DA has already refused to revisit any of those cases. And without a case on the docket, Molly can’t argue that a leak compromised anything. Molly says, she’s impossible, and Alexis says, that’s part of her charm. She holds out her wrists and asks if Molly would like to lock her up until she cracks.

Marshall says, TJ is in a tough and undesirable situation. Life hands those to us sometimes. When one was handed to him, he went for the big fix; he left his family to protect them. But had he stayed, had he gutted it out, it turns out he probably would have had a pretty decent life. TJ says, so Marshall is telling him that he made a huge mistake? but Marshall says, no. He’s saying it’s human nature, or more specifically male nature, to go for the big fix. Sometimes that’s not always the answer. Sometimes you can just let it breathe and settle, and that can be the way to go. TJ says, unfortunately, that ship has sailed, and Marhsall laughs. He says, not for the here and now. Kristina is who she is. And yes, she’s carrying TJ’s baby, and he can’t change that, he can’t erase that. But what he can do is step back and take a look at the whole picture and focus on what really matters. His relationship with Molly.

Carly closes the door and steps out in the hall, telling Nina, stalk much? Nina says, just doing her regular rounds. Carly remembers. Carly says, vividly. Although this hotel is definitely not what it used to be. Nina says, better? but Carly says, not quite. Nina says she didn’t think Carly could surprise her anymore, but she’s done it. An FBI agent? What’s Sonny going to think? Or Jason, for that matter? And poor Drew, forever the runner-up in the twin department. Carly asks if she’s finished, but Nina says she could keep at it all day. Carly looks at the food under the cloche and says she’s happy that Nina’s here. Nina says, no one could be happier than her, and Carly says she’d like to file a complaint about room service. Nina asks if Carly even has time to eat, because she seems quite busy, and Carly asks why Nina doesn’t spend less time worrying about her private life and more time managing her hotel. Nina tells Carly to enjoy the rest of her stay, and leaves. Carly pushes the cart into the room, mumbling about Nina, and John comes out fully dressed. He says, friend of hers? and Carly gives a short laugh.

Curtis says he’s listening, and Drew says, as he mentioned, the wellness/fitness space is booming. Aurora wants to move into that business, but they need someone to spearhead the initiative. Curtis says, meaning? and Michael says, someone with practical experience and knowledge of the fitness industry, a strong leader with customer service experience, and multi-level management skills. Drew says, which are skills Curtis has. The Savoy is a huge success. Curtis asks how they see Aurora moving into the business, and Michael asks what Curtis would do. Curtis says, the most practical thing might be for Aurora to buy up some of the small gyms around the country, rebrand them, and combine them into a national high-end fitness club. People are spending a lot of money in wellness. Meditation rooms, plunge baths, yoga, Pilates, physical training… A mind body connection and combined with a training-slash-fitness facility, this is a one-stop shop. It might require significant capital. Drew says, which they have… Nina walks in, saying, Drew won’t believe this. She just saw Carly… She stops when she sees the other two.

John says he gets the sense Carly and Nina don’t get along, and she says, he must be an FBI agent. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she doesn’t let Nina get to her… She tries not to let Nina get to her. He says he knows a little bit about their history, and she says, lucky him. He says he takes it there isn’t enough water under the bridge yet, and she says, there’s not enough water in the world. Sorry about the eggs. He says, it’s not her fault. Besides, coffee is the only necessary component. (Agreed.) She says, when she owned the MetroCourt, this would have never flown. If a customer complained about their food, they would redo it at no charge. She refills his coffee, and he says, she’s big on customer service. She says, it’s literally what the hospitality industry is all about, and he says, she must have had her fair share of jerks blow through here though. She says, yeah, sure, but for the most part, people were great. And she loved it. She loved making people feel happy and comfortable and special. He asks if she doesn’t get to scratch that itch running Bobbie’s, and she says, to an extent. She loves Bobbie’s – she really does – but it’s a restaurant. Full stop. In this place she got a taste of all of it, really curating a space. From the carpets to the linen to the lighting. Even the music. Putting all of those things together to create the ultimate experience. She loved it. He says, sounds like a symphony, and she says, it kind of was. He says, and she was good at it, and she says, she was great at it. He asks if she thinks she’ll ever do it again, but she says she doesn’t know. She tells people that she will, that she’s going to get her half of the MetroCourt back, but she thinks that’s just a pipe dream, The MetroCourt belongs to someone else, two someone elses. She’s just going to have to accept that.

Chase says he’s been working on a surprise for Brook, and she says, but he’s terrible at keeping secrets. Chase says, it’s true. Her mom has been helping him keep this under wraps. Lois says, guilty as charged, and Brook says, so no more Palm Beach? Chase shakes his head, and she says, please tell her that he’s not working. It’s their honeymoon. He says, they’re still going away, but there has been a change in destination. He leads her over to the loveseat, and she says, okay. As long as it’s not a downgrade, she’s in. Everyone else quietly leaves the room, and she says, so what are they talking? Miami? Charleston? Palm Springs? She’s never been to the desert. He says, think a little further away than that, and she says, like out of the US away? He nods, and she asks what he did. He says he’s marrying the woman of his dreams. No, scratch that. He never dreamed of her because he didn’t know someone this wonderful could exist, and he wants their honeymoon to be a reflection of that. He wants her to remember this trip for the rest of her life. Because she deserves it. She deserves everything. She says, he’s the sweetest man on the planet. So where on this planet is he taking her? He says, Florence, and she says, he’s kidding. He says he’s not kidding, and she says, Florence, Italy? He says, her mom told him that she wanted to go, and she says, only for her entire life. Oh my God, Florence? She jumps up and says, not only does she get to go, she gets to go with him? He asks if she’s happy, and she says, happy doesn’t even begin to cover it, and kisses him.

Molly says, so she guesses Alexis wins – again, and Alexis says, freedom of the press wins – always. Except she has no idea why she’s fighting so hard for it when it comes to this paper. Molly says, because she cares about her job and the integrity of her paper, and Alexis says, integrity the new associate publisher will undoubtedly destroy. Molly starts to leave and picks up the envelope the messenger delivered. She asks, what’s this? and Alexis says, a messenger dropped it off when she was fighting with Nina. Molly asks if she’s looked at it, but Alexis says she was too consumed with rage to care. What is it? Molly says, it’s from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and Alexis says, they’re handling her appeal. Molly says, it’s probably her decision, whether they’ll review her case, or she’ll stay disbarred. Open it. She holds it out to Alexis, who backs up, saying, no. She can’t. She tells Molly to do it, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Alexis nods, and Molly opens the envelope.

As Molly reads what’s inside, she looks sad, and Alexis says, it’s okay. It was a longshot anyway. So the appeal was denied… Molly says, they’re giving her a hearing. They set a date and everything. Alexis grabs it from her and looks at it. She says, they’re giving her a hearing, and Molly says, not just that. They’re giving her hope. This is hope. They hug and jump up and down.

Marshall says, TJ needs to find reasons for him and Molly to come together that aren’t about the baby. It’s those moments of now, those moments where it’s just the two of them. Those moments are precious too. Now, as much as he enjoyed that egg sandwich and this beautiful park… TJ says, and the incredible company of his grandson, and Marshall says, that too. Get his behind over to the store and buy all the ingredients for Molly’s favorite dinner. Just make sure it’s reheatable in case she does have to work late. Wouldn’t it be nice for Molly to come home and see her favorite meal on the table waiting on her? TJ says, Molly would love that, and Marshall says, don’t spend the next three months wringing his hands over what Kristina is or isn’t doing. Spend the next three months with his partner, being just that – partners – before they become parents. Molly is a very special woman. TJ agrees she is and thanks Marshall. They bro hug.

Chase says, mimosa for the bride-to-be, handing Brook a drink, and she thanks him. They say, cheers, and clink glasses. Brook says she can’t believe it’s true, and he says, believe it. She says, Florence… the Uffizi, the Duomo, David… He says, whoa. Who’s this David guy? She says, and they have to take a day trip to Pisa and an overnight to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. He says, she’s thought a lot about this, and she says, this is like a bucket list thing for her. And she can’t wait to look up all the best restaurants and they’re going to have gelato every, single day, no exceptions. Okay? He says, yes, ma’am, and she says, they’re going to drink wine at sunset in every piazza they can find. It’s going to be so incredible. He says, she’s so incredible, and they kiss. She says, they have so much planning to do. Wait. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, a honeymoon to Florence is a lot more expensive than one stateside. The airfare alone. He says, that’s okay. He has the money for it. She asks, how? and he says he sold his truck.

Anna says, Valentin and Jack weren’t friends, but they certainly knew each other, right? He says, of course (🍷) they did, and she says, when he was working with Pikeman, in his dealings with them, did he ever get the sense Jack was involved? He says, she believes Jack Brennan was working with Pikeman? and she says she does. She can’t get him to admit it, but when Valentin was an intermediary, did anything jump out at him? He says he wishes he had something useful to offer her, but sadly, he doesn’t. She says, okay. It was worth a try. Maybe when she goes back to see him again. He says, don’t. Pikeman and Brennan are dangerous. If they’re working together, then they’re not to be messed with. She thanks him for his concern, but says she can take care of herself. He says, please do, and she thanks him for breakfast and leaves.

John opens the door for Carly and says, thanks again. She says she doesn’t think he thanked her the first time, and he says, then thank you. Not just for saving his hide on the docks, but for getting him back here and keeping an eye on him all night. She says he’s welcome, and he says, and he guesses they get to be friends, even if it’s just for a minute. She says, just for a minute? Are FBI agents not allowed to have friends? Oh. Worried he’s going to divulge classified information? He says, something like that, and she says, makes sense. But how does he know he doesn’t talk in his sleep? She leaves and he watches her walk down the hall.

Drew tells Nina, they’re at a meeting, so try back later, but Michael asks what she was going to say about his mom. And what did Nina do now? Nina says she didn’t do anything. She just thought Drew would want to know Carly moved on quickly from him and is now sleeping with everyone’s favorite FBI agent, John Cates.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Brook, disrespecting your husband is no way to start a marriage; Maxie asks why Lucy is insisting on taking this all on herself; Alexis tells Gregory that it’s a risk she can afford; and Carly says she did something that someone isn’t going to like.

🛟 Here It Comes…

Now it’s somebody else’s fault she was a pita. Maybe she confused Fraser by answering every time the primary was asked a question.

🍸 Between Rules and Reunion…

I can’t believe anybody actually monitors who follows who. Aren’t they busy not opening restaurants and stuff?

It’s not about the pasta mirror.

🍊 Shady John…

Andy leaps with glee as he twirls his moustache.

⚰️ About Those Dead…

Like the franchise is ever going away.

Ha-ha! I thought it said giant zombie heads. Now that would be a variant.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-new-villain-zombies-season-1-return

Carol’s turn coming up.

https://www.cbr.com/daryl-dixon-book-of-carol-release-date-cast-news

🐕 From Around the Globe and Back…

Bollywood babies.

Backup pups.

https://people.com/meghan-trainor-stars-in-music-video-with-dogs-8629755

☔️ April Showers Bring More April Showers…

Stop by tomorrow for pre-weekend soap, the Summer smack talk promised, and shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay thinking twice before engaging in online debates, and stay doing the work. If you do, you can achieve anything.

April 10, 2024 – Sonny Meets Jason At the Warehouse, There Goes the Sun, Nathan’s Lane, VanderViews, He’s Toxic, This Week In Chefs, No Snow, Animal Reaction & Paris

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Getting up from the floor and gathering her clothes, Nina says, Drew has been planning something like this all along, but he asks if he needs to refresh her memory. He wasn’t the one who started all this. She says she knows, but she thinks he had this on his mental backburner since he took her magazine away and gave it to Carly. They all know how that worked out. Drew says, the only thing he’s been fantasizing about Nina is her losing all her money, losing her looks, and getting convicted of a nameless crime that gets her sent to prison, like she sent him. (Wow. Most of us would just say, was it good for you too?)

Carly puts some ice in a towel on John’s head and says he looks like he was mugged by a small army. Is he sure it was only two people? He says, yeah. Those guys might not have killed him, but this ice might. She says, it’s not that cold, and he says, it’s ice. By definition, it’s cold. He takes the ice from her and sits down, holding it himself. She says, the ice machine on this floor was broken, which is appalling, and he says, that’s what she finds appalling? A broken ice machine? She says she had to go down a floor to get the ice and it was melting by the time she got it to the towel. He says, yet, when placed against the human body, it’s still plenty cold, and she wonders if the FBI knows the only thing it takes for an agent to spill his guts is a couple of ice cubes. He says he likes to keep some things to himself, and she tells him, all she’s saying is when she ran the MetroCourt, that ice machine would have been maintained. She hands him some water, and he says he’s grateful for the medical expertise. She shakes some ibuprofen out of the bottle, gives it to him, and says she went to nursing school. She didn’t graduate, but the training was really good. When you have kids, you have little reaction time. then you have to keep it together before you get to an actual doctor. Speaking of which, please let her take him to the hospital. Or at least let her call the house doctor here. He says he’s quite happy with the care he’s received so far. He wouldn’t change a thing.

Laura tells Doc that she doesn’t want to jinx it, but she thinks Ace finally fell asleep. She told him a story, did a little singing… Maybe she’s getting the hang of his bedtime routine. Or maybe he’s just getting used to falling asleep without Esme and Spencer. She looks over at Doc, who’s concentrating on his tablet, and she says, or maybe she’s just telling herself a story.

Blaze and Kristina watch TV, Kristina’s head in Blaze’s lap. Blaze asks if Kristina is sure she’s okay with it, and Kristina says, yeah, but if Blaze isn’t into it, just change it. It’s just a movie. Blaze says, the movie is fine. She wasn’t really paying attention. Kristina asks, what’s going on? and Blaze says she keeps thinking about the whole Face of Deception thing. Is Kristina sure she’s okay with her being the Face? (Sounds like a Batman villain.) Kristina says, yeah. Blaze already shares her music with the world. Why not share her beautiful face too? Blaze says, because her mom inserted a clause keeping her private life private in every contract. And if anyone pushes against that point, she made it very clear it’s a deal breaker. Kristina says, Blaze is her public persona and Blaze is not out, but Allie, her girlfriend, is. Blaze says she’ll never get tired of hearing Kristina call her that, and Kristina says, she and her girlfriend are out to their families, to their closest friends, and the people who really matter. That’s all she really cares about. So locking down her private life is the deal Blaze made with her mom and everyone else, but as long as it doesn’t impact them and their relationship, she doesn’t see a problem with it. Blaze says, right, and Kristina says, unless the person who has a problem with it is her.

Curtis walks a little unsteadily into the bedroom, and Portia calls to him, asking where he is. He says, why doesn’t she come upstairs and find out? and she walks into the bedroom. She sees him without his cane, and says, oh my God. He says, one small step for man… Actually, it was a bunch of little steps, but one giant leap for yours truly. She says, this is huge. It’s so great not to see his cane anywhere. He says, no cane. Just him and his two legs. He sits on the bed, and she says, he’s amazing, but he says, no. She’s amazing. If it weren’t for her, he would still be stuck in some hospital bed. Or in his wheelchair still. Mad at the world, feeling sorry for himself, some version of that. That’s how his story would have ended. Because of her, he has nothing but new chapters to write. And he can’t wait – he stands up and she squeals – he can’t wait to write them with her. He takes her hands and says, thank you, my love. They kiss and she says, anytime.

Ava tosses and turns in bed. She sits up, takes her sleep mask off, and says, this is pointless. She gets up.

Jason says he owns half this warehouse, and Sonny asks if he’s taking it back. Jason says he never gave it up, but Sonny says, he deserted it. He was gone for more than two years. He lost the right to take it back. He doesn’t want to see Jason’s face. Didn’t he make that clear? Jason says, that’s why he had Diane speak to Sonny on his behalf. He still owns 50% of Corinthos Coffee. Sonny says, don’t quote his own lawyer… Jason says, their lawyer. They both trust her and what she says. Why not trust her judgement on this? Sonny says, forget Diane. Jason came to his warehouse to get an answer from him. He got his wish. This is his business, and he doesn’t want Jason anywhere near it.

Portia says she’s so proud of Curtis, and not because he made it up the stairs, but because he didn’t give in to despair. He didn’t quit. He says, truth be told, he thought about it. There were times he thought about it, and each time he thought, what would he say to Trina? She got hit with something terrible when Spencer died and it’s okay to call it quits, just curl up in a ball? It’s not him. She says, it’s not. Those words sound like a foreign language coming out of his mouth. She loves it. He says he’s a father now; he’s a son. It’s not just about him anymore. She says he did forget one thing out of that list, and he says, what’s that? She says, lover, and he says, is that so? She says she’d be a fool to let all the effort he took getting up those stairs and into their beautiful bedroom go to waste. And she’s no fool. They kiss.

John thanks Carly for the ice. He thinks it helped. Or else the bitter cold destroyed all the nerve endings in his body, so win-win. She says, he needs to keep this on his head, directing his hand back, and he says, she needs to go home to that adorable daughter of hers. Carly says, she’s great. She’s happy with her nanny. What Carly is concerned about is him having a concussion. He says he’s fine. Trust him. It will take more than a couple of shots to this hard head to do any damage. She says she doesn’t know about that. If he does have a concussion, someone needs to check on him every couple of hours to see if he’s having a hard time waking up. If he is, that means his concussion is getting worse. He says he’ll be fine, but she says, please, just let her take him to the hospital. Just think. If he’s right, he gets to say I told you so. He says he does like that, but come on. All they’re going to do is admit him and wake him up all night long. He’d rather stay here. She says, okay. She can wake people up with the best of them. She takes the pillow off a chair, sits down, and puts her feet on the coffee table. He asks what she’s doing, and she says, getting comfortable. She has to conserve her energy. She has to shake him away in a couple hours, then a couple hours after that. He says he really appreciates… She says, he’s wasting his time. She’s staying right here and she’s going to save him from himself.

Nina asks if Drew is saying he regrets this as much as she does, and he says, two people consumed by mutual, passionate hatred with no acceptable outlet? It’s better than poisoning. She says she doesn’t see a big difference, and he says, think of it like a screwed up spontaneous combustion. She says she’s going to think of it this way, as a downpayment, and he asks, what’s on layaway? She says, appoint her to the board, and he says, of Aurora? What possible sense would it make for him to appoint her to the board of Aurora? She edits Crimson. That’s her entire value to them. She says, and she makes the magazine a success. Okay. Maybe not that, but he’s close to Michael and he’s close to Willow. Find a pathway for her to get back in her daughter’s good graces. He asks if she thinks 45 minutes on his office floor commits him to dragging her out of the wreckage she made of her life. It’s going to take more than a couple of rug burns for him to lift a finger for her.

Nina says she tried to treat Michael and Willow to a surprise anniversary dinner, and they turned her down, which was humiliating. Drew says, surprise dinner, huh? Translation. Regardless of what Michael and Willow wanted, she pushed whatever she wanted on them, which is so on brand for her. She says she doesn’t care how he describes it. It felt like she was punched in the heart. Forgive her if she had to come down here and pull herself together and get a breath. Instead of sympathizing with her… He says he never will sympathize with her, and she says she knows she has a little part in this, but she thinks he took advantage of her emotional, vulnerable state. He says, she’s projecting. Taking advantage of people is her stock and trade. She tells him, shut up, and he says, let him just be clear. Her offer of an anniversary dinner when she can’t stand Michael and wishes Willow hadn’t married him, was it really just for Willow? Or was she hoping maybe they’d tell Sonny how generous she is? Does Sonny know she’s still pining for him? She goes to slap him, but he grabs her hand and says he’ll take that as a yes.

John asks, what time is it? and Carly says, almost midnight. He says, that late? She should really go home. She says, if he insists, she’ll drop him off at GH on her way, but he says, that’s not necessary. She says, it probably is, but he’d probably just be trading one problem for another, huh? He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, if he went to the hospital, the nurses would start asking him questions – she puts a blanket on him – and they’d have to call the PCPD. Then the PCPD would want to know what the heck he was doing wandering around the waterfront at that time of night. He says he wasn’t wandering around. He took a walk. She goes back to the chair, using her coat as a blanket, and says, in the most dangerous part of town at night. He says, Port Charles is a safe place, and she laughs. She says, make sure he mentions that safe part when he talks to the police because they love that kind of feedback. He says he got mugged. It’s a terrible thing, but it happens. This time it happened to him. She says, he should stick with that story. But she wants him to know that she knows he was tracking Jason.

Jason says, if Sonny doesn’t want him in his organization, he understands, but Sonny says, no. Jason doesn’t understand. He trusted Jason more than anyone and now he can’t trust him. Jason says he never gave the Feds anything on Sonny, and Sonny asks why he should believe that. Jason says, because if he had, they would have arrested Sonny. He’s been protecting Sonny this whole time. Sonny says he’s not a child. He doesn’t need protection. He needs Jason to get away from him. Otherwise, he will have to remove Jason.

Laura tells Doc that she’s concerned about how small Ace’s family is going to be. There are no siblings. He may never know Lulu and Lucky. She knows there’s Elizabeth’s boys, but they’re quite a bit older and they have their own lives. It’s really just her, him, and Ace. Doc says, and Heather, and Laura says she knows Heather likes to call herself Ace’s grandmother. He says, technically, she is Ace’s grandmother. They may not like it, but Esme was her daughter. He asks about the transfer to California, and Laura says she forgot to tell him. The DA cancelled the transfer because of her medical condition. So she’s in Pentenville for the foreseeable future. He says, unless something else occurs, and shows her the tablet. She reads: chemically induced abnormal behavior. This is really what he thinks happened to Heather, isn’t it? Does he think they would ever reopen Heather’s case after all the things that she did?

Nina says, if Drew breathes a word of this to Sonny… He says, having sex with her on his office floor isn’t something he’s going to be bragging about. He wouldn’t worry about Sonny. Sonny is a little preoccupied right now with Jason’s surprise return. She says, he can think about more than one thing at a time, and Drew says, and somehow, he isn’t thinking about her at all. She has to face it. She’s not even on Sonny’s radar right now. He doesn’t care who she’s mixing it up with. Maybe because he’s got a new roommate.

Ava calls to Sonny and asks if he’s home. She pours herself a drink, then sets it down and goes to Sonny’s bedroom. She wonders what he has that would make a person sleep. She checks in a box by his bed, but only finds an OTC pain reliever. She says, he’s got to do better than that, and goes into his bathroom. She wonders where he keeps the good stuff and looks in the vanity drawers. She finds a prescription bottle labeled Lorphenadine, and says, may cause drowsiness.

Jason tells Sonny, it doesn’t have to be this way. He’s not a threat. He’ll stay out of Sonny’s organization. All he wants is his half of the coffee business. Sonny says, and all he wants is the truth. If Jason didn’t inform on him, what was he doing with the Feds? Jason says he told Sonny everything he could, but Sonny says, Jason told him nothing. He thought it was because Ava was right there, but Ava’s not here now; it’s just them. If Jason wants Sonny to trust him, if he wants half of the business back, he’s going to have to trust Sonny. What happened to him?

Jason says, the FBI picked him up on Cassadine Island. They flew him back to Quantico. They offered him a deal. Become an informant and no charges will be filed. He took that deal because it was his best option. They didn’t want him to inform on Sonny because they knew he would never do it and it would never work. So they sent him after somebody else. Sonny asks, who? but Jason says he can’t tell Sonny. Sonny says, why? Does Jason think he’s going to go tell these people he’s a traitor? Jason says he can’t tell Sonny because it’s part of the deal. If he talks, that violates the terms of the agreement, and the charges get filed. Sonny says, was part of the deal to take a shot at him? How many times did Jason try to kil him? Jason says he never tried to kill Sonny, and Sonny says, and he’s going to believe that? Because Jason is loyal, because Jason’s his friend, his brother? Jason says, because if he tried to kill Sonny, he wouldn’t have missed.

Ava tells herself that she can’t self-medicate with somebody else’s prescription. It does cause drowsiness though, and if Sonny can handle it… She pops the top off the bottle so easily that it’s probably the most unbelievable thing ever seen on GH. She takes a pill, then says, who is she kidding? and takes another one.

Blaze tells Kristina that she wants to be fair. Having a control freak for a mom can be really helpful when it comes to her career. Kristina says, what about the rest of her life? Her real life. Blaze says, her mom tells her that she knows her better than she knows herself, and Kristina says she hates when parents say that. Blaze says, her too, but she thinks her mom says it because when she was Blaze’s age, she crossed the line a few times. And then she became a mom. Kristina says, becoming a mom certainly changes your perspective on everything, but she’s only an aunt, so… Blaze says, Kristina’s not only an anything. She thinks because her mom didn’t want her making the same mistakes she did, she became super strict. Kristina says, it kind of worked. Look at her. She’s smart and disciplined and built an incredible career for herself. It’s amazing. Blaze says, a lot of that is because she paid attention to everything her mom said when she was growing up. Her mom should be able to look at her life and know that and trust her enough to live her own life. Kristina’s parents do. Kristina doesn’t respond, and Blaze says she must have missed something. Is there a problem with her parents?

Curtis is sitting up in the bed, and Portia asks if this is the folder he wanted. He says, yes. He probably could have gotten it himself, but it would have been 2 in the morning before he got himself down the stairs and back up. She says, with the progress he’s making, he’ll be up and down those stairs in no time, and he says, the miracles of modern medicine. You doctors can fix anything. He asks if everything is okay, and she says, yeah. She’s fine. He says he sort of lost her there for a second. He wondered where she went. He thought maybe she was thinking about these bills. She says, no. Those bills are all his. He says he doesn’t know if she saw this note from Brook Lynn Quartermaine. She’s pushing him to have an invitation only event at The Savoy to showcase Blaze’s new single. He’s probably going to say yes, but he thinks he’ll let her sweat a little bit. She says, it has nothing to do with that, and he says, talk to him. She says she was at the hospital and overheard Doc and Alexis saying something about how they could use a preexisting condition to overturn a conviction. Heather Webber was diagnosed with metallosis. Basically, her artificial hip is poisoning her. And one of the symptoms of metallosis is a shift in personality. He asks if anyone is arguing that Heather Webber isn’t responsible for all those lives she took, and Portia says, that’s exactly what she’s afraid of. Someone is going to use her condition as grounds to reopen Heather’s case, and possibly set that woman free.

John says, Carly thinks he was tracking Jason. She’s getting warmer. She says, hide and seek. Really? Is that how the FBI conducts its business now? He says, his supervisors would definitely not approve of this situation, but they’re not here. So does she want to guess again? She says, okay. If he wasn’t tracking Jason, he was tracking… his lawyer. Diane Miller? He says, give the lady a cigar, and she says she doesn’t want a cigar, but she will take a very expensive glass of wine at a date to be determined. He says, deal, and she says, getting mugged isn’t generally a mood lifter, but it’s made him fun. He thanks her and says he is fun. She just doesn’t know him well enough to see it yet.

Curtis says he gets the legal argument that Heather’s condition – Portia says, metallosis – has contributed to her mental state, but she committed multiple homicides. There’s no way she should be allowed to go free. (Pointing out that we’ve been here before with Franco.) She says she prays he’s right, because Trina’s been through enough. It’s enough, this whole family. He says, but they made it through and they’re stronger than ever. She says, they are, aren’t they? They made it through together as a family. He says, she better believe it, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make her feel safe and secure and loved. She says, he just told her that he’d do whatever it takes? and he says he sure did. She says she thinks she’s going to need him to prove that.

Doc tells Laura that he couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Alexis about Heather and the hypotheticals that could set her free. So he did a deep dive into a database about toxicology and abnormal behavior. At first, you would think the chances of Heather’s murder conviction being overturned are inconceivable. Laura says, but then with further investigation… He says, it’s not without medical and legal precedent. She says, wow. She can’t imagine what the reaction would be to Heather going free. They know Portia Robinson, Sasha Gilmore, Dr. Obrecht, all those people are going to be outraged. As would most of the citizens of Port Charles she thinks. He says, understandably, and she says, unless it can be proven that Heather herself was victimized. And if that were the case, she thinks it would be wrong not to give her a second chance. He says, selfishly, there’s a side of him that would like to see Heather redeemed. Not released, but rehabilitated into someone functional. Someone stable that Ace could know, even have a relationship with. And if he’s being honest, he’d like to think some good could come of the harm he’s caused. She says, none of this is his fault, but he says he made one decision about his brother, and it resulted in a series of devastating events. If Ryan hadn’t gotten loose, then Heather would still be institutionalized, and her victims would still be alive. So would Spencer and Esme. They never would have even met Esme. She says she thinks he’s forgetting one thing. Ace wouldn’t be here either.

Kristina tells Blaze that she doesn’t have a problem with anyone in her family right now. Actually, it might be the first time she’s been able to say that. Her mom’s good; she’s supportive of their relationship and the surrogacy. Blaze says, what about her dad? and Kristina says, her dad’s good. He loves her unconditionally. He of course (🍷) has a dark side, but he’s loving and generous and more sensitive than people think, and he can get hurt too. She’s a little worried about her dad right now. Blaze asks if that’s because he and Nina broke up, and Kristina says, Nina’s not perfect, but he was happy with her. And since Ava moved in… Blaze says, wait. She moved in? She thought Ava was just staying there temporarily. Kristina says, so did she.

Nina says, Ava is staying with Sonny for security reasons, and Drew says, keep telling herself that. She finishes getting dressed and says, let her worry about Ava. Just figure out a way to get her closer to her daughter. And if it’s not appointing her to the board, then come up with something else. He says, even if he were to help her, Michael will never see her as anything other than a threat to his family. She lied to him about his father’s death, then sued him to get access to his child. But Willow’s got a softer heart, and he’s still friends with her. Nina says, he’ll help her plead her case to her then, and he says, maybe, but after his near-death beating he took in prison because of her, she’s going to have to make it so worth his while. (I used to find Drew kind of boring. Now he just creeps me out.)

Jason tells Sonny that Port Charles is still his home. This warehouse is still half his. He’s going to be here every day, importing coffee, totally legit. So whatever business Sonny wants to do, do it away from the warehouse, so he doesn’t have to be witness to it. Sonny asks if Jason thinks he won’t do it. He thinks Sonny won’t get rid of him? He could do it in a heartbeat. All he’s got to do is say the word, and Jason is gone. Jason says, come on. If anything happens to him, Sonny knows the cops are going to look at him first. Sonny says, don’t tell him what he knows. Know what he knows? Jason can’t be trusted and he’s going to have to get protection. From Jason. Because Jason is a traitor. Jason says, stop, and asks if Sonny is taking his meds.

Nina says, Drew will be her ally, and he says he thinks ally is a strong word for what he’ll be, but she’s a creative person. She can put her thinking cap on and come up with something that will be worth his time and effort. He picks up his shirt and says he likes this shirt. She can start by sewing the buttons back on it. He tosses the shirt to her, but she says, do his own mending, slinging it back, and she walks out.

Carly tells John that they need to order all new ice machines for this hotel. But she doesn’t need to keep going on and on about how this hotel is not great anymore. He says, it’s a nice hotel, and she says, it was, but she’s not going to bore him with all her complaints about the hotel. She puts new ice in a towel and says, what about him? Are there any other circumstances, besides being beaten up – she laughs – where he’s fun? He says he must be concussed or at least punchy. He’s said way too much already. She says she has a lot of experiences where she’s listening to things she doesn’t repeat or remember. She looks over at him and he’s asleep. She says, that’s a way to end a conversation, and turns down the lights. She gets back in the chair and says, sleep well, Agent Cates. I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours.

Portia comes out dressed in fabulous lingerie and says she guesses Curtis is still working on the bills. So she guesses she’ll just… He says, no, no, no. Not looking as good as she is. Come here. She sits on the bed next to him, and he says, in case she doesn’t remember, they never had an official honeymoon. He thinks they should do something about that as soon as possible. She kisses him and I assume they get busy, since the camera pans to the ceiling.

Laura shows Doc her phone and says, viola. You can see Ace in real  time. He’s still sleeping. Doc says, that’s amazing. She makes the same face when she sleeps. She says, maybe it runs in the family, and they sit on the sofa. He says, the picture and the sound is so pristine. Here he thought the baby monitor was the pinnacle of technological advancement. She says, it was… twenty years ago, and he laughs. He says, and when he hears people say twenty years, he thinks, oh, they’re talking about the 80s. Then he realizes… no, they’re not. She says she knows them raising a baby at this point in their lives wasn’t part of his bucket list, and he says, was it on hers? She says, no, and he says, it’s not like they’re ready to retire and they’re not exactly people who back away from life. She says, and she thinks Ace has given them so much more life, and he says, Ace has, and he loves it. And he loves her. She says she loves him too, and kisses him. He says, they took an awful lot of wrong turns and detours before they found each other, but they did. And he thinks Ace is just another unexpected… Laura says, responsibility? but he says, miracle. She says, wow. He’s really something. He says he’s a lucky man, and she says she’s a lucky woman. She puts her head on his shoulder and he puts his arm around her. Aww.

Kristina tells Blaze that she knows there’s still a security reason for Ava to be staying at Sonny’s place, but it’s just that something doesn’t feel right about it. It’s weird. Even Dante noticed, and he’s on pain meds. Blaze asks if she said or did anything, but Kristina says, no. It’s just little things. She can’t see the whole picture yet, but one thing she does know is, Ava is a Jerome. And the Jeromes love power. It’s like a drug. Blaze says, Kristina thinks she’s going to what? Make a move on Sonny’s business? Kristina says, not a move move. She’d never come at something straight on; she’s too smart for that. She’d slither in from the side or something. And she’s making herself indispensable to Kristina’s dad. She’s running interference, she’s making him drinks… Blaze says, her dad doesn’t see what she’s doing? and Kristina says, worse. He likes it. A lot.

Ava lies awake and says, may cause drowsiness, and sits up. She says, Sonny must like the taste of those. She feels absolutely nothing. Nada. They don’t help you sleep. They don’t help anything else. What do those stupid pills do? (Got it.)

Sonny tells Jason that he takes his medication every day, every dosage, like clockwork. He’s not having a breakdown. He just has to face the truth. Jason’s not who he thought. Or maybe he never was. Jason says he’s not Sonny’s enemy, and he doesn’t want any trouble. And he accepts that Sonny doesn’t trust him. Sonny doesn’t have to trust him. He’ll stay out of Sonny’s way. Sonny says, he’d better. Sonny pauses a moment and says, go ahead, take the warehouse. He can sit in it until he rots. He starts to leave, but stops and says, if you double-cross me again or I suspect you’re interfering with my business or my life… I will end you. He walks out and Jason looks concerned.

Tomorrow, Brook asks, what if they ruined Lila’s dress for nothing; Curtis asks Drew what he’s doing here; Anna asks for Valentin’s help with a case; and Alexis says, what if she just quits?

🌞 Since They Had the Day Off…

Celebrities – they’re just like us. Except for the paycheck. And the fame.

💔 Hallmark’s Loss…

As a general rule, I don’t watch romances, but I can’t imagine him not pulling in viewers.

🍸 Rehashing the Rules…

The Reunion is probably going to be a doozie, but anything would be mild compared to last year. I think.

🍼 Kentucky Shade…

I’m still trying to figure out why she settled for him in the first place.

🔪 Tonight’s Top…

Those who can’t do, watch stuff like this.

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-4-buddha-lo-guest-judge-two-cheftestants-eliminated-8624517

🦣 He Shows Nothing…

Oh well. I would have liked to see a few more mammoths, giants, and such.

https://ew.com/jon-snow-game-of-thrones-sequel-shelved-kit-harington-says-8629070

🦁 An Eclipse For Everyone…

They must have thought it was a short day and an even shorter night. This is basically just a clip of zoo animals getting ready for bed, but the guy who’s being interviewed is pretty excited about it. According to him, every question is a great question. My pets couldn’t have cared less.

https://people.com/texas-zoo-animals-caught-reacting-darkness-during-eclipse-8628890

🤸‍♀️ Bringing It Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap and smack talk about the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay listening with all your senses, and stay never self-medicating with somebody else’s prescription.

April 9, 2024 – Nina’s Plans Take a Surprise Turn, Wait What, Schwartz Embraces His Pre-Midlife Crisis Mode, In the Valley & Never

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trish tells Michael and Willow, as requested, the best table in the house. Michael thanks her, and she tells them that their waitress will be right with them. Enjoy their meal. Trish leaves, and Willow says, isn’t Michael the perfect husband, taking her out for supper. He says, only the best for his lovely bride. Happy anniversary. She says, just a little bit early, and he says, early or late, every single day with her is a celebration.

Nina asks Trish if everything is okay, and Trish says, everything is fine. She just thought Nina would want to know that her daughter’s here with her husband.

Kristina goes the penthouse and Ava answers the door. Kristina asks if her dad is here, but Ava says, he’s not really available. He’s resting. She’ll tell him that Kristina came by though. Kristina says she’s going to wait for him because she really needs to speak with him tonight, and Sonny says, who’s that? Just what he needs, a visit from one of his favorite daughters. She says she doesn’t know about that, and they hug. He says, definitely in the top three.

Drew calls Carly at Kelly’s, and she says, it’s really great to hear his voice. He says, and hers. He’s calling because he needs to get in touch with Jason and doesn’t have a way to reach him. She says, he has a phone now. She can give him Jason’s number. He says, just give him a message please. Tell Jason that he got a little visit from the FBI this afternoon.

Jason leads Diane into the Corinthos Coffee warehouse, and she thanks him for meeting her in the parking lot. It isn’t the best area of town. Why did he want to meet here in the first place? He says, because this – he opens a door – is going to be his office. She laughs and says, that’s Sonny’s office, and he says, not anymore. (I’m with Jason so far on just about everything, but taking Sonny’s office? Um… no.)

Nina says she didn’t know Michael and Willow were coming in tonight, and Trish says, they’re celebrating their anniversary. Nina says, but their anniversary isn’t until later in the month, and Trish says, there’s a note on the reservation that it’s an anniversary celebration. And somebody called ahead for a special dessert. Nina thanks her.

Willow says she can’t believe it’s a few more weeks and they’ve been officially married for a year, and he says he knows. And he knows their actual anniversary is in the middle of Brook and Chase’s wedding, so he thought they should celebrate tonight. But nothing says they can’t sneak off for some alone time that night too. She says she’s glad they did this. They have a lot of anniversaries to look forward to, but the first one is a big milestone and it’s nice to be here alone with him. He says he feels the same way and they kiss. A server comes over with champagne for the table, and Michael says he thinks it’s a mistake. They didn’t order that. Nina appears and says, that’s her gift. Happy anniversary.

Sonny tells Kristina to have a seat. Put her feet on the table if she wants. Is she hungry? He can grab her something to eat. She says, he doesn’t have to fuss over her, and he says, she can’t blame a father for worrying about his pregnant daughter. She says she knows, and she loves that about him, but she’s good. Ava says, how about something to drink then? and Kristina asks for a water. (Not loving Ava’s new bangs. They belong on a 12-year-old, and Ava is way too stylish for that.) Ava says, of course (🍷), and goes to the bar. Sonny says, it’s late. What’s going on? Kristina says she ran into Josslyn at Bobbie’s and they kind of got into it. There may have been some yelling. He asks what they were fighting about, and she says, him. He says, it’s not surprising because Josslyn isn’t one of his fans, and Kristina says, she’s definitely on the warpath. It drives her crazy that Josslyn always has to be right about everything. The holier-than-thou attitude is so annoying. He says, it doesn’t matter what Josslyn thinks because Kristina shouldn’t have to defend him, but Kristina says she wanted to. He says, these are his battles, not her battles, and she says she knows better than to engage with Josslyn anyway. She couldn’t help herself. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, which are no joke anyway. Ava gives Kristina her water and gives Sonny a drink. Kristina looks from the drink to Ava, then back to the drink.

Carly says, the FBI questioned Drew about Jason? and he says, at least they came to his office and didn’t drag him in for a formal interview. They wanted to know how much contact he’s had with Jason since he resurfaced. She says, that’s ridiculous, but he says, not really. The FBI doesn’t know them and they’re brothers. They might have thought Jason would confide in him. She says she’s sorry he got dragged into this, and he says, at least they know Jason didn’t shoot Dante. Did he happen to mention where he’s been since 2021? She says, no. He hasn’t said much. Drew says, never does. Take care of herself. Stay out of whatever trouble he’s in, okay? If not for herself, then for Josslyn and Donna. They need her to take care of them. Jason can take care of himself.

Making himself comfortable in Sonny’s office, Jason tells Diane that he and Sonny were partners. He still owns 50% of Corinthos Coffee. Or he did. She says, no, he does. Or he will, once the necessary paperwork has been filed. He says, what about everything else? He knows he left his estate equally divided between Jake and Danny, and the other half went to Carly. Nobody’s asked anything. Nobody seems to know what’s going on. What happened? She says, the short answer is, his estate has been in probate the whole time, and he asks, why? What’s the problem? She says, because the law is complicated. There are a lot of hoops to jump through. Normally, it takes seven years for a certificate of death in absentia to be issued, and that was necessary in this case because they couldn’t find his body… which is now very evident as to why. He says, okay, and she says, and even with the notarized statements she had from witnesses, who all claimed no one could have survived that cave-in in Greece, it still should have taken several years. Strangely enough, the government issued a certificate of death in absentia for him the moment she filed the paperwork. Which leads her to believe someone behind the scenes was working in his favor.

Michael says, if they were going to order champagne, they would have done it themselves, and Nina says, that’s just the start. She arranged for the chef to prepare them a fabulous five-course dinner, only their finest dishes. Her treat. Willow says, the last time they spoke, she made it clear she doesn’t want to see Nina, and Nina says she didn’t mean to intrude. She’s just confused because they’re here, so she thought… Willow says, Michael asked her where she wanted to go, and she picked the MetroCourt because she’s always liked it and doesn’t want to avoid it because of Nina. She thought the fact that Nina hadn’t reached out for the past few weeks meant that Nina accepted and honored her wishes. Nina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to interrupt. She just thought because they were here… It doesn’t matter what she thought. She picks up the champagne and says she’ll cancel everything and won’t bother them again. She leaves, and Willow asks if that was as awful as it felt. Michael says, it was pretty bad, and she says, this is her fault. They should have gone to the Grill or Café Cherie. He says, she wanted to come to the MetroCourt because she loves their chocolate soufflé, and he wanted to bring her here because she loves their chocolate soufflé, and he loves her. She says, but it was wishful thinking that Nina would actually keep her distance. He says, that’s on her; it’s not on Willow. They’re here together, it’s their anniversary, the chocolate soufflé has already been ordered. So let’s just have a glass of wine and celebrate. She says, he really is the best husband, and he tells her, don’t you forget it, and they kiss.

Kristina says, that water really hit the spot. She thinks she dehydrated herself yelling at Josslyn. Sonny says, next time, she has to just take a deep breath and walk away, and she says, he’s right. What Josslyn thinks doesn’t really matter. He asks, what else is going on? How’s work? She says, work’s fine. Everything’s fine. She does have some good news actually. Allie – Blaze – is going to be the new Face of Deception. He says he knew that because he ran into Blaze’s mother at the MetroCourt when he was meeting with Lois. Natalia was going to talk to Brook about everything. She says, small world. It’s a smart move for both Blaze’s career and Deception. She thinks they’re going to have a lot of crossover exposure there. It’s cool. He says he’s just worried about how it’s going to affect her, and she asks what he means. He says, Blaze is going to be the new Face of Deception and get famous or more famous. Does she think she can deal with that with everything she’s got going on? She says, yeah. She doesn’t think that spotlight’s going to fall on her at all. Maybe if Allie were out publicly, but she made a deal with her mother to keep her personal life personal. He asks how Kristina feels about that.

As Carly flips over the sign at Bobbie’s to Closed, Olivia blows in and says she’s going to kill her. Carly is going to have to bail her out of prison because she’s going to kill her. Carly says, who? and Olivia says, Nina. She fired Pearce. Can Carly believe it? Carly says, the room service waiter? And Olivia says, yes. Some picky guest had a mix-up with the order, which has been known to happen during peak hours when the guy gets a little overwhelmed. Carly says, but they just apologize for him, comp the order, and pull back on the amount of orders he was filling, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). That’s what they would do, but not Nina. She looks at his record, she sees there’s a couple of complaints, and off he goes. (I guess it never occurred to them to maybe not have him scheduled for peak hours or, God forbid, let Nina know.) Carly says, Olivia has to hire him back, and Olivia says, of course (🍷) she’s going to hire him back, but the guy was heartbroken and mortified. The whole staff knew about it. Carly says she can’t believe Nina fired Pearce. He’s been with the MetroCourt since it opened. Olivia says, the woman’s been on a rampage ever since Sonny dumped her, but Carly says she thinks dumped is an excuse. She can’t believe Nina fired sweet Pearce. And she did it without input from Olivia, her partner. Olivia says, that’s not the only thing Nina’s done without input from her.

Jason says, if Diane has his death certificate, why is his estate still in probate? and Diane says, because there were various rumblings about money laundering and racketeering… He says, come on. They know the assets in his will are legitimate. She says, but that needed to be proved to the government’s satisfaction. The wheels of justice turn very slowly when an estate as large as his needs to be vetted. But this is great news because none of his assets have been disbursed and his estate is intact. He should be able to reclaim it with a minimum of fuss. He says, okay. What about Carly? Why is she running Bobbie’s? Why did she give up the MetroCourt? Diane says, she didn’t, and he says, then what happened? She says, in a word – Nina. (Oh, come on. How is it that Nina’s to blame for everything, even things she had nothing to do with? She bought it, but she wasn’t the reason Carly had to sell it. Not to mention she tried to give it back to Carly a couple of times. She even had to be talked into buying it in the first place.)

Willow asks Michael to tell the truth. If Nina hadn’t tried to comp the champagne, was he going to order a bottle? He says he thought they weren’t going to talk about Nina, and she says, he’s right. Consider the subject changed. He says, good, because they’re celebrating, right? and she says, yes. He says, and what is a celebration without – he reaches in his jacket pocket and takes out a jewelry box – a little gift. She tells him that they said no presents. She didn’t get him anything. He says he knows he said that, and he means it, because honestly, he has everything he could ever want. But she, his beautiful bride, deserves the world. She opens the box, sees a gold bangle, and says, it’s stunning. He says he’s glad she likes it, and she says, who wouldn’t like this? He takes it out and puts it on her wrist, and she thanks him. She loves it. She just wishes she had more places to wear it. He asks what she means, and she says, something this fancy doesn’t exactly go with her scrubs, but she’ll save it for special occasions. He says he’ll make sure that more of those occasions happen, and she says, it’s a deal. How did he decide on this? He says, Wiley actually picked it out. He brought Wiley to the jeweler’s, narrowed it down, and Wiley chose that one. She says, Wiley never said a word to her, and he says, Wiley is very good at keeping secrets. She says, it probably helps that Wiley is in bed asleep half the time when she gets home. She constantly feels like she’s playing catch-up and missing things with the kids. Sometimes she only hears about their day from Michael or the nanny. They’re only going to be this young once and she feels like she’s missing so much.

Olivia holds out a paint sample card and asks what color Carly would say that is, and Carly says, light yellow. Olivia says, yes, and thanks her. According to Nina, this is either off-white, chartreuse, or her personal favorite, greenish gold. (I was actually thinking off-white.) The woman is insane. Carly says, that’s for sure, and Olivia says, Nina’s taken advantage of her being distracted with Dante and the hospital and everything, and she painted all the bathrooms on the fourth floor that color. Carly says, that can’t look good, and Olivia says, everyone one of them looks like a walk-in corpse. Carly says, at least it was only one floor, and Olivia says, so far. Who knows what Nina is going to do next time she has her back turned? The woman is a menace. Carly says, for many reasons. Can she get Olivia something? A coffee? Olivia says she just needed to vent, thanks Carly, and hugs her. Olivia leaves, and a woman walks in. Carly says she’s sorry, but they’re closed, and the woman says she’s looking for Diane Miller. Diane asked her to bring these documents here for a meeting with Jason Morgan at this address. Carly says, he stays here, but he’s at his Corinthos Coffee office. Maybe she’s meeting him there. The woman asks if Carly has that address by any chance, and Carly says, actually, she’s on her way there. She can drop off those documents to Diane if she wants. The woman says, that would be a lifesaver, and thanks Carly, giving her the envelope. Carly thanks her back, and the woman leaves.

Jason asks what Nina has to do with the MetroCourt, and Diane says, where does she begin? Jason says, before he left for Greece, Sonny and Carly were back together and Nina was behind him. Diane says, their marriage fell apart shortly after he left. Details not necessary. Suffice to say, Sonny chose Nina over Carly. Then Drew and Michael hatched an ill-advised scheme to get control of ELQ by merging it with Aurora Media. Carly wanted to help; she wanted to invest. So she leveraged her half of the MetroCourt. Then when the deal fell apart, Carly took a huge hit financially. He says, she didn’t tell him any of this, and Diane says, Carly couldn’t buy back her half of the hotel, so Nina swooped in and purchase it. (I hate when they rewrite history. Heaving a Jason-like sigh.) Bobbie gave the diner to Carly to help her back on her feet. He asks why Nina would want the hotel, and Diane says, because Nina Reeves believes that Carly is the reason for everything that’s wrong with her life. So after she took Carly’s husband and her hotel, Nina turned Drew and Carly in to the Feds for SEC violations. Jason’s brother took the blame, did some prison time, but Carly had to pay a five million dollar fine and almost lost her house. Jason says, but she didn’t, and Diane says, no, she didn’t. Somehow, she’s managed to hang on and she’s building back her life. Carly’s not the easiest client she’s ever had, but she’s astonishingly resilient. He says, yeah, she is.

Kristina says she’s fine with the way Allie wants things to be, and Sonny says, really? She says, yeah. Blaze is a famous musician, and she works hard – Ava listens in – and a lot of people in the public eye want to keep their personal lives personal. They’re already on display so much as it is, so she gets it that Blaze would want to keep some things to herself. He says, that’s true, and she says, it would be the same thing if she were dating a male musician who was an up-and-coming hot new artist. She wouldn’t want to be joined at the hip with him either. She wants to be known as her own person and wants to be known for her own achievements, not being someone’s girlfriend. Sonny says, she works so hard. No one is going to think that. She says, maybe not, but she also loves her anonymity. She doesn’t want to be recognized in public. She’d have to think about looking good whenever she goes out. Is he kidding her? It’s not for her. But she’s proud of Allie. She saw Allie when she was going in for a meeting with Nina at Crimson, and she thought, Allie is going to be on the cover of Crimson, and she deserves it. She’s really happy for her. Sonny says, Nina’s at Crimson? and Kristina says she thought he knew that. He says he didn’t – Ava listens even harder – and Kristina says, she is and, no offense to Carly, but she’s really glad for Allie’s sake. She thinks it’s great Nina is back. She just has more experience, and with Allie being the Face of Deception, she’s going to need that. He says he’s happy for Nina. She always loved that magazine. But something seems off here. Ava asks what he means, and he says, why would Drew hire back the woman who put him in prison?

Drew gets ready to leave the office, when Nina comes in. She says, he’ll never guess what happened, and he asks if this has to do with Crimson. She says, no, and he says, too bad… She says she tried to do something really nice for Michael and Willow for their anniversary and she got completely shut down. She wanted to comp Michael and Willow dinner and champagne, and Michael, of course (🍷), immediately said no, and Willow felt she had to side with him. And she has no one. She needs some help. Drew can help her, help her find a way to get back into her daughter and grandkids’ lives. He says he can’t help her, but she says, all she needs to do is talk to Willow… He says, if she’s trying to get sympathy, she came to the wrong place, but she says she doesn’t want sympathy. She wants him to help her. He says, come on. She’s got to take responsibility for her actions. She’s the one who ruined her relationship with Michael and Willow. She burned that bridge. There’s nothing he can do. She says, that’s where he’s wrong. Now that she’s back at Crimson, he can appoint her to the Aurora Board of Directors. Then Michael will be forced to deal with her. And this will be the start of her way back in. He asks why he’d help her. What would he get out of this? She says, for one thing, it would drive Carly crazy.

Nina says, Carly expects all the men in her life – Sonny, Jason, Drew – to be wrapped around her little finger, no matter how poorly she treats them. Drew says, except he’s not in Carly’s life, and she says, but that doesn’t matter to Carly. Come on. He’s not this naïve. Carly expects him to be loyal to her, even though she’s not loyal to him. And he knows she’s right. Carly’s sense of entitlement knows no bounds. If he promotes her to the board of directors, Carly will think they’re allies, or maybe even friends. And that’ll drive Carly crazy, and she’ll come running to him, begging for his attention.

Diane says she has already started the process by having Jason’s accounts reinstated. Once that happens, he’ll have complete access to everything. He says, good, and she says, in fact, her paralegal was supposed to come to this meeting tonight and bring her some documents for Jason to review and sign. She’s guessing because of the hour and the location, they got too nervous to come down. She’ll have everything to him tomorrow, latest. He thanks her and she starts to leave, but he says, hold on. He needs her to do something else for him. She says, name it, and he says, Sonny made it very clear to him that he doesn’t want to see his face or hear from him again. So he wants her to let Sonny know that he’s taking back his half of the company and he’s going to be working right here.

Michael says, it’s up to Willow. What he said from the beginning still stands. He’ll support her if she wants to keep working and he’ll support her if she wants to quit. She says, getting her nursing degree was hard and she really wanted to get back to work, but the truth is, she does have the luxury of spending more time at home with their kids. Wiley’s school is half-day, but Amelia is still so little. She wants those sweet baby moments… and she notices he’s not saying anything. He says he doesn’t want to influence her, and she says, but? He says, but nothing. It really is her choice. They have plenty of money. She says, he has plenty of money, but he says, it’s her money too, because she’s family. Her, him, Wiley, and Amelia. And what’s best for their family is for her to do what she thinks is right. She says, it is an incredible luxury knowing she doesn’t have to work, that she could choose something different, something that gave her more time with the kids. And maybe it is time she really thought about it. He says, if she decides not to keep working at the hospital, there is other work she can do. More flexible, and she’d still be doing a lot of good. She says, please tell her more about this flexible do-gooding occupation he just described, and he says, his great-grandmother Lila was on the board of several non-profit charities, and they did amazing things. She could choose a charity, or charities, she’s interested in, and she could really make a difference. She could work it around her schedule with the kids and she’d have the best of both worlds.

Ava tells Sonny that she wouldn’t worry about it. If Drew is up to something, then Nina will figure it out. She can take care of herself. He says, she’s probably right, and Kristina says, it’s getting really late, and she has plans with Blaze, so she’s going to get going. She hates to drink and run, but… She hugs Sonny and says she loves him. He says he loves her too, and Kristina says goodbye to Ava. She leaves, and Ava says, other than her little tiff with Josslyn, Kristina seems good. He says, she does. So did Ava’s friend Nina tell her that she got her job back at Crimson, and Ava just didn’t mention it? Ava says, that’s not what happened. In fact, Nina’s phone must be lost under some photographs on her desk because she hasn’t heard from her. And maybe those divorce papers she hasn’t signed yet are there too. He says he didn’t know she was keeping track, and she says she just knows he wants things settled. It’s none of her concern. He laughs and says he guesses she’s right. They look at each other longingly.

Two guys beat the crap out of John in an alleyway, but they hear a car horn and stop. Carly yells, leave him alone! and gets out of the car. The guys take off, and Carly runs to John. She asks if he’s okay and takes his pulse. He groans, and she asks if he can hear her. She flips him over and realizes who it is.

Carly tells John to look at her. She asks if he knows who she is, and he says, she’s Carly Spencer. She says, that’s good. Thank God. She helps him sit up, but he says he’s got it. She says, he’s hurt. She’s going to call 911. They can’t have gotten far. He says, no. Don’t. They jumped him from behind. He can’t identify them. It’s pointless. She asks why they attacked him. Was it a robbery? Did they take anything? He checks to see if he has his wallet and says, they didn’t take anything. She says she must have scared them off when she pulled up and started yelling at them, and he says, either that, or robbery wasn’t their intention. He gets up and leans against the wall. She says, they have to get him out of here in case they decide to come back. She’s going to walk him to his car. Lean on her. He puts his arm around her shoulders, and she helps him down the alley.

Michael says he thinks Willow would be fulfilled raising their kids and working with these charities. And she’d be amazing at both. Taking his hand, she says, even after all this time, sometimes she still forgets how much he believes in her. He says, always, and she says, it’s kind of crazy. Growing up like she did, she never dreamed that one day she’d be in a position to have this kind of choice. He makes her feel like the luckiest person in the world. He says, right back at her, and they kiss.

While Ava and Sonny stare at each other, there’s a knock at the door. He says he has to get that, and opens the door to Diane. He says, it’s pretty late. What’s wrong? She says, there’s nothing wrong. She’s here on behalf of another client. He says, Jason, and she says, yes. With Jason’s return, his estate will immediately be pulled from probate. All of his assets will be returned to him, and he’s asked her to tell Sonny that he’ll be resuming his half-interest in Corinthos Coffee. He says, that’s not going to happen, but she says she just came from the warehouse where he’s setting up his office. Sonny says, message received, and walks out of the apartment. Diane smiles at Ava.

Nina tells Drew that just because Carly comes running, doesn’t mean he has to let her in. He already played hero for her. Do something for himself for once. He says, by doing something for her, and she says, by helping her get closer to her daughter. He says, Willow has made it very clear. She doesn’t want to get close to Nina. She doesn’t want to know Nina at all. Nina asks Drew to have some compassion. He knows what it’s like to be separated from his child. He asks, who’s fault was that? How dare she demand his help with her kid, when she got him locked away? She says she didn’t create those consequences. He and Carly did when they… He says, the excuses keep coming, and they both yell at the same time. He starts to walk away, but she grabs his arm, and his shirt opens, several buttons popping off. She says she’s talking to him, but then gets mesmerized by his abs. He asks, what’s wrong with her? and he realizes his lack of buttons. She wonders where the buttons have gotten to, and he takes off his shirt. He tosses it at her and says, they’re all hers.

In John’s hotel room, Carly says she wants John to see a doctor, but he says he just needs some ibuprofen. His head is pounding is all. She says, no surprise there. What the hell was he doing walking around the waterfront at this hour, two blocks from Corinthos Coffee? He says, that’s not important. He appreciates her walking him in. He can take it from here. She says, what he needs to do is sit down and rest. She’s going to get him some ice and water, so he can take that ibuprofen. He says, that’s not necessary. He can do it himself. She tells him, stop trying to be so macho. She’ll accept that he won’t go to the hospital, if he accepts that he needs her help. Deal? He says, deal, and she says she’ll help him sit down. Be careful. He may have some broken ribs. She helps him to the sofa, and he thanks her. He says she’s welcome.

Michael frowns at his phone and Willow asks if there’s something wrong. He says, no. It’s just Aurora business. He’ll talk to Drew about it tomorrow. Tonight is about them. She asks, how is Drew? Does he seem okay to Michael? Michael says, he seems fine. Why? She says she was just thinking how weird it is that when they were hiding Jason and taking care of him, they never asked Drew for help even though Michael works with him and he is Jason’s brother. He says, Jason and Drew aren’t very close. It never even occurred to him to tell Drew. Drew hasn’t said a word about Jason’s return, and he didn’t think he should be the one to bring it up. She says she just feels bad for Drew. It must feel like things changed overnight for him. One minute, Michael’s mom and Drew are a solid couple. Then Jason comes to town and Carly and Drew break up. The two of them basically stopped reaching out to him too. That’s got to sting. Michael says he doesn’t want to hurt Drew, but protecting her is his number one priority, and nobody can know they were involved with hiding Jason. She says she knows. He’s right, but she can’t help wondering how Drew is dealing with all of this. He says, because she has a big heart and cares about people, but not to worry. Trust him. Drew can take care of himself.

Drew asks if there’s something else Nina wants, and Nina asks if Carly ever told him that he has a nice body. He says, she’s only seen half of it, and she says, you boys. You’re all the same. You act so brave when you’re on your barstools or picnic benches and behind your desks. But what do you do when a girl takes you up on it – she moves closer to him – and does something like this? She unbuttons her blouse and says, do you cower? He unbuttons another button, and she touches his chest. He kisses her, then stops and looks at her. She says, he’s such a Boy Scout, and he says, a man lets a lady say no. She asks if she said no, and he kisses her again. He kicks the door shut, and backs her to the desk, swiping everything off with his hand. They start getting busy, and he throws her blouse at the camera.

Jason hears someone come into the warehouse, and says, hey, Sonny. Sonny says he doesn’t want Jason here. He wants Jason gone.

Tomorrow, Drew says, Nina is going to have to make it so worth his while; Carly says she’s staying right here and saving John from himself; Portia says she’s going to need Curtis to prove that; and Sonny says he doesn’t want Jason anywhere near him.

🤯 I’ve got to say, did not see the Nina/Drew thing coming.

Vanderpump Rules

Venice Beach. After driving Sandoval away, Ariana asks, what’s up with this? and Brock says he thinks she just castrated Sandoval and he’s sitting in the corner. Ariana says, he’s been throwing jabs at her. She’s allowed to feel a certain way. She never did anything to him. In Ariana’s interview, she says, now Sandoval is doing everything he can to make her seem like she was a horrible partner. If this is the type of conversation he has when everyone is present, he needs to STFU. Schwartz says he and Sandoval will go elsewhere, since he doesn’t want to jeopardize the vibe, and Ariana says, bye. Schwartz leaves, and Ariana says, he’s never going to get it. She wants him to jump in the ocean. Lala says, no way is this winning, but Ariana says she didn’t do anything to him, period. The Toms go to a bar on the boardwalk, and Schwartz says, Sandoval needs to get out of that house, but Sandoval says, Ariana paid for the dog, that means everything else is his. (Mwa-ha-ha-ha!) In Sandoval’s interview, he says he paid for everything the house needed. Pens, batteries, the electrical work, repairs, toilet paper, paper towels. Schwarz says, Sandoval got destroyed on the internet when he said that. Why bring it up again? In his interview, Sandoval says, when Ariana gets her own place, it’s going to be a rude awakening.

Brock suggests they go to the bar, and Scheana says, Tori is coming to the bar. In Scheana’s interview, she says she doesn’t have the best track record at matchmaking – we flash back to her encouraging Schwartz to make-out with Raquel – but now that Schwartz and Katie are totally over, it might be okay to set him up again. Lala says she loves Tori. They talked at Scheana’s wedding. In her interview, Scheana says, she introduced Schwartz to her former nanny Tori, and we see a clip of Tori saying she thinks Schwartz is hot. Scheana says, clearly, she misjudged things. When Katie heard about it, she said Tori should date her instead. But all’s fair in love and war, and with Schwartz and Katie, that’s really all you get. Katie calls Schwartz to tell him that he left his stuff, and Schwartz says, it was for a greater cause, Ariana’s feelings and the beach day vibe. He thanks her for grabbing it, but she says she’s just letting him know the stuff is there. They’re moving. The group heads for the bar. Schwartz and Sandoval flirt with some girls and buy them a drink. Sandoval toasts to Venice, sun and laughter, and a continued happy ever after. Tori arrives and introduces herself as Schwartz’s ex-wife. He asks what she wants to drink, and she says, he knows what she likes. He says, champagne, and in his interview, he says he thought Tori was super cute and super fly. When they were at Hotel Ziggy, she confessed that she thought he was fly as well. Some validation? He brings back champagne sparkling wine and not a champagne glass. Schwartz asks if she wants to go on a date, she says, okay, and they clink not champagne glasses. The others eat oysters in a booth, until Katie decides to invade Schwartz’s space. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, what a little c*ck blocker. He doesn’t know if Katie is into Tori or just competing. In Katie’s interview, she says, if Schwartz doesn’t like her taking his girl, maybe he should try harder. Schwartz leaves, and she calls him a weirdo.

James plays cornhole while Ally plays ping-pong with Brock. Lala tells Ariana that she can’t control what Sandoval does. She can only control herself. She wonders if Ariana has unresolved feelings, and Ariana says she understands her anger isn’t healthy, but they can never say she f***ed up. Lala tells her that she never said that, and asks if Ariana feels like Sandoval threw her away like she was nothing. She created a life with someone, and this is what happens when it unravels. There are no guarantees it will work out. Scheana suggests they get Ariana out of that house. Who cares about material items? They just want her to be happy. Ariana cries and says, it sucks. She put so much of her life, money, and time into making that her dream home. It was not only wrecked, but Sandoval wants to act like he’s someone deserving when she never did anything to him. In Ariana’s interview, she says she keeps her armor up because this sh*t is traumatic. She’s trying to find ways to go through it without making it everyone’s problem. (Too late.) She tells them that Sandoval is openly talking sh*t and has no remorse. Lala says, Ariana rose to the occasion, grabbed opportunity by the balls, and ran.

Katie talks with Tori at a picnic table, and says, while she hasn’t had a relationship with a girl, she’s had sex with a girl. Tori says, it’s better, and Katie says she would never put a label on herself. She likes people. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s always had an attraction to women. She thought she and Schwartz were forever, but that’s not going to stop her from doing anything. Tori says, Katie is so pretty, and she wants to kiss her. They kiss, and at another table, Lala says, they’re giving each other sex eyes. They kiss some more.

Jo meets Lala at a hot dog place. They order and sit down. Jo says, they look like a lesbian couple, and thanks Lala for coming here. Lala says, Schwartz suggested she talk to Jo. She saw Jo at Ziggy and saw she was not okay. We flash back to that, and Jo says, very much not okay. In Jo’s interview, she says she didn’t feel welcome. Schwartz loves his friends, and she wants to be welcomed into the group. Lala’s the ticket. Lala asks if Jo knew about Sandoval and Raquel, but Jo says, no. They hung out a couple of times, but she wasn’t paying attention to them. She was looking at Schwartz. In her interview, Jo says she thought Ariana and Sandoval had broken up. It’s crazy to think she’d pry and ask Sandoval how his relationship is going. Move on. Lala says, Jo and Schwartz are the strangest thing in the world, and Jo says, he doesn’t want a relationship, but they’re emotionally close. She’s being there for T-Money. That’s a random thing she made up. Lala says, T-Money and Joseph should be on their wedding invite, and Jo is like, no, but we all know she’s thinking, ooh, wedding.

Ariana, Katie, Ally, and James go to a golf range. James’s ball is a dud, and he says, it was a practice run. I laugh because I stink at golf. He asks if Katie remembers making out with Tori, and Katie says, they were chatting. He asks, at what point did it go from chatting to making out? and she says, Schwartz is going on a date with Tori. James asks if she’s moving in on Schwartz’s date, but she says, it’s not always about him. James says, it’s in the same month she slept with Max, and in James’s interview, he wonders why everyone is acting like this is normal. Katie married Schwartz in a white dress with vows and cheers. Now they’re divorced and dating the same girl who looks 21. Sh*t is f***ing weird. Ariana says she doesn’t want to be triggered, and Sandoval keeps throwing jabs at her. James says, Sandoval invited him to paintball, and Ariana says, there are group texts she’s not included in now. Seriously. I don’t know what either Ariana or Sandoval expect. No one wants to be in the same room with the two of them together. Katie tells James to take Ariana’s anger out on Sandoval, and Ariana says, Sandoval thinks he’s a professional paintballer. Ally asks how the house stuff is going, and Ariana says she’s waiting to see if he counters her counter offer. James asks, what if he rejects it? and she says, the letter says, after this many days, they’ll go to court and have the house sold. I didn’t quite catch it, but I think she added it would be a short sell, which is something you don’t want because that means doing it ASAP, and you’re not likely to get top dollar. Ally asks what Ariana’s dream place looks like, and Ariana says she wants treehouse vibes. Ally tells her to manifest that, and Ariana says she wants a place where this is hers and no one can take it.

Scheana accompanies Lala to the sperm bank, and in Lala’s interview, she says she loved being pregnant and knows she’d like to carry on her own. She wants to be fully in charge of her child and never wants the unknown. It may work out or you may enter into a custody battle and have to share the child. We flash back to her custody war with Randall, and she says she just wants to know her kid is hers forever. Director Brian comes out and asks how she’s doing, and she says she’s a little nervous. She never thought she’d be coming to a sperm bank, but she’s learned to never say never. She asks if most people that come to donate are looking for cash or just being good humans, and he says, a lot of donors desire to help others. She asks if they know the sperm is healthy, and he says, every donor has a psyche evaluation in addition to a genetic panel screening. The most important part of the process is donor selection. Lala says, in her mind, her daughter was conceived out of love, but because that type of love is taken out of the process, she wants this baby to know they’re all there, waiting for her enter the world. He says, they do their best to make the process simple, easy, and maybe a little exciting. He leaves Lala to process, and Lala tells Scheana that she’s going to form a family. She feels like part of something broken. Scheana says, Lala has a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, she’s an amazing mother and will provide an amazing life for her kids. In her interview, Lala says she pictured life how she grew up, with a mom and dad in the same household. That didn’t happen and it’s really hard. She feels like she deeply failed an innocent soul, and it wasn’t because of her. So she’s not risking that again. Scheana says, the beach was intense. She’s treading lightly with Ariana and doesn’t want to upset her. Lala says she doesn’t know if Ariana is trying to stand her ground, but she’s not going to win. It’s simple. Move out. If she’s choosing to stay, Lala can’t feel bad. Scheana says, it’s her pride. She can’t let go. Lala says, it’s more than pride. Your pride is saved living with the man who screwed you over? You’d have more pride living in a box on Sunset. Scheana says, one day, whenever this is over, it will make sense as to why it took this long, and Lala says she hopes so.

Schwartz goes to the hair salon where Jo works. He tells her to do anything to his hair, and she says she’s going to bleach it. He says he went on a date with Tori, who’s been very close to Scheana for ten years. Jo says she’d like to know why he’s going on a date with someone in the friend group, and Schwartz says, that’s changed since Katie slept with Max. Jo asks, how come she’s getting hate? and Schwartz says he has a tidbit. Tori made out with Katie before their date. It feels bizarre, and Tori is going on a date with Katie today. We see Tori and Katie doing some painting at Katie’s place, and Katie says she’s going to Bob Ross her way through this. Jo asks who liked Tori first, Schwartz or Katie? but he’s not sure. He tells her that he’s going to a singles mixer with Sandoval because Sandoval didn’t want to go alone, and Jo says she wants to go. She takes the bonnet off Schwartz, and he asks if he looks edgy. Jo says he looks like Eminem, but not agreed.

Scheana, Ariana, Katie and Ally have a girls’ night at a bar, and Katie and Schwartz going out with Tori is discussed. Lala thinks it’s weird, and Katie says, Tequila Katie is a ho. At the LA Singles event, Schwartz says, he’s feeling Kenergy, and tells Sandoval that he wanted to invest in himself. In Schwartz’s interview, he says he’s heard blonds have more fun, and it’s ringing true for him. He’s embracing his pre midlife crisis mode. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, Schwartz and Jo are on different pages. Jo sees their situationship glass as half full of a relationship, and Schwartz being Schwartz is giving her mixed signals. It’s part of his superpower. He’s charming all the time. Jo messes with Schwartz’s hair, which, IMO, is less of an I-love-you thing than a hairdresser thing. Kyle says, she’s not going to get him girls.

At girls night, Katie says she heard Lala and Jo got together, and Lala said she reached out to Jo, who wanted to give her side. Schwartz asked her to. Katie says, Jo means nothing to Lala, but she does. Why is she doing this? In Lala’s interview, she says, Jo is harmless. She’s not rolling up to steal their men. She says, Katie is her homie, but she called Jo a crackhead and is treating her like the bad one. Katie says, this isn’t making sense, and Lala says, it’s not her job for her life to make sense to Katie. Katie says she likes consistent, and Lala says, she’s not best friends with Jo or Raquel, but they need to let it go. If Katie wants to hang on to it, she wishes her the best. At LA Singles, the hostess gives the group wristbands – green for single, yellow for open, and red for wingmen. Kyle tells Schwartz that he can’t be with Jo always and expect to get girls. Sandoval talks to several girls, and Schwartz says he’s a make-out slut. In Jo’s interview, she says she had the impression they were here to support Sandoval, but when they got here, Schwartz was interested in other women. Is she chopped liver? In Schwartz’s interview, he says, maybe it’s not realistic to be as close as he and Jo are and go out with other people. He’s wondering if she’s in deeper than he is. She’s not his girlfriend. In her interview, Jo says, they are still hooking up and have said I love you, but it bothers her that he doesn’t want to share their relationship with his friends. It bothers her and she’s tired of feeling like a secret. She says she hates this and leaves.

The group, minus Ariana and Katie, meet for paintball, along with some other random friends. When they see his blond hair, Schwartz says, he woke up like this, and in James says he thought maybe Schwartz got sick of dying it the wrong brown. In James’s interview, he wonders if he’s the only person who’s realized Schwartz has been covering his grey hair for a long time. You can’t see the grey when it’s bleached blond. Sandoval asks Scheana how it’s going, and she says she’s not playing. She’s just here for moral support. She thought it was indoors, like a more of a laser tag situation. So there’s no VIP bathroom? Instructor Matt says, you can go blind or get your teeth knocked out, and Scheana says, that doesn’t seem fun. Agreed. Matt says, they have rattlesnakes too. When a paintball breaks on their body, they’re out. James is captain of Team One, and Sandoval is captain of Team Two. Sandoval tells his team to spread out, and Schwartz says, Sandoval is cold blooded and takes this sh*t seriously. The girls watch, and Scheana says, Sandoval is like a professional. Lala says, the energy at girls’ night took a turn, and Ally says, update her. Lala says she and Katie have been getting into it a lot, and Scheana says, Katie got upset that Lala went to lunch with Jo. Lala says, they grabbed a hot dog, and Ally says she’s glad. She felt bad for Jo. Lala says, Jo is hard to follow; she’s all over the place. Katie got upset, saying she liked loyalty and constancy, and Lala was like, hold the f*** up. Loyalty from a girl who just f***ed her ex’s best friend. She knows Katie’s been unhappy for a long time and she tried to baby Katie, but she isn’t going to be on the receiving end of her going crazy. It’s unclear who, if anyone, won the paintball game.

Schwartz comes home and Jo is there. He asks, what happened the other night? He’s confused and wonders if he’s sending mixed signals. They have undeniable chemistry and have a good time, but that being said, he doesn’t want a relationship. He wants to date other people. Jo says, imagine how she feels. They’ve been there for each other. Does she embarrass him? He says, not at all. People are saying they’re secretly dating. Maybe they need to not hang out as much. Jo says, or at all, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says, to hear her say that is gut wrenching. They had a fantastic voyage full of compassion and support. Maybe even love. It would be a tragedy if they never hung out again. Schwartz says girls he just wants to have fun, and Jo says, they have a weird connection. Everyone else sees it. It’s so easy with them together. They’d be disgustingly ugly and old and laughing. He agrees 100%, and she says, maybe they need time, because deep down, she has feelings for him. He says, it’s the same with him; he’s not denying them. Jo tears up and says, there’s nothing wrong with being honest. She’d never pressure him. She wants to let him do him. He says, same, and she says, the most amazing thing they have is the support, the laughter, and the banter. She’ll miss that. She thinks it only comes around once in a while. It’s okay to say he can find it somewhere else. In Jo’s interview, she says, it’s hard. She just wants him to be happy. He’s her favorite person in the world and that’s the goddam truth. She thinks the world of him. She cries and Schwartz asks if she’s okay. She gets up, says she wants to call her dad, and leaves. Schwartz weakly calls after her, because he’s a ballless dude who fears pretty much everything.

I hate this type of guy even more than a player. They mess with your feelings, but won’t commit, then pretend they don’t get what’s happening. I hope he rots.

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🐍 Valley Venom…

Jax: I just want to have a nice dinner, have some shots, and get drunk.

Me: Same.

When this show isn’t boring me, it’s giving me a headache with all the nonsense screaming and yelling.

🌴 Watching Out For That Tree…

Drop in tomorrow for a little soap, a little this, and a little that. Until then, stay safe, stay standing at least a foot away when talking to someone new, and stay never giving mixed signals. It’s the worst.