Category Archives: real housewives

September 7, 2023 – Nina Begs Carly For Help, Winner, On Hiatus, Going Back, Runway Finale, OC Rehash, Miami Creep, Happy Surprises & Weaver

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Kelly’s, Carly hands Mac a menu, and asks if it’s just him. He says, yes… no. Felicia’s joining him. She asks if he’s sure, and he says he is; don’t mind him. He congratulates her on taking over Kelly’s. Felicia told him that Bobbie sold it to her for a dollar. Carly says, yeah. It was her mom’s great idea, and she couldn’t be more grateful. It gives her something to focus on. He says, it must be chaotic after Sonny’s arrest. She says, they were all shocked. They dragged Sonny out of the MetroCourt in handcuffs in front of Michael and Willow and Wiley. He says, that must have been upsetting for Wiley to watch the FBI arrest his grandfather. Felicia runs in, apologizing, and Carly says she’ll get her a menu, but Felicia says she’ll share Mac’s. She tells Mac that she knows she’s late. She dropped all this stuff she downloaded from her online course as she was leaving the house, and now it’s all out of order. She shuffles the papers around and says, there are two online units she has to complete to get her certification before she can do her practical training for patient advocacy. She asks if he’s mad at her because she’s late or because she’s volunteering. He says, none of that. He thinks it’s great and he’s glad for her. She says, then why is he so upset? and he says, Cody. He’s been locked up.

Josslyn and Trina stick their feet in the pool, and Trina says she can’t believe the summer’s over. Spencer runs in, apologizing for being late, and joins them. Trina says, Spencer Cassadine, late again. What is the world coming to? He says, it’s kind of a pattern with him, but Ace was really upset, and Trina asks if everything is all right with Ace. Spencer says, everything’s fine now, but he was really, really fussy before, and they tried everything to get him to calm down. Nothing was working, so they put him in a lavender bath. It was Esme’s idea, but it worked. Something about the smell just calmed him down. (Helpful hint: lavender scent works for dogs too.) Josslyn says, thank God Esme was there, and Spencer asks if she’s heard anything about Uncle Sonny. What about Dex? He’s sure Dex was arrested too, right? Josslyn gets up, and he asks what he said. She tells him, just the usual, and starts to walk away, but she comes back. She says, by the way, Dex was not arrested. She doesn’t want to talk about Sonny, and she especially doesn’t want to talk about Esme.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office, and says he finished his piece on weekend the section; blue pen, red pen, uploaded to the main server. He’s going to head out now, unless she needs him. She says she’s good, and thanks him. He says, if anything changes, just text him, and he can come right back. She says, it appears he doesn’t want to leave. No plans tonight? He says, actually, he does have plans; something he’s put off way too long. She asks if it’s something on his bucket list, but he says, no. It’s actually something he’s been dreading. He’s going to tell Chase about his illness. She says, good. With Finn? He says he needs to do this by himself, and she says, it’ll be fine. Good luck. He thanks her and says, chances are he’s going to need it.

Brook knocks at Chase’s apartment door, and he answers the door shirtless because they try to catch him that way as often as possible. He says he’s behind the curve. He just did a workout. He’d kiss her, but he’s all sweaty. She says, he’s not getting off that easy. Besides, she doesn’t mind. They kiss, and he tells her, come in. She only has one suitcase, and he asks if the rest of her stuff is in the car. He’ll grab a shirt, and he can get it. She says, no need. This is all she has. He says he thought she was moving in, not just spending the night, and she says she is. This is all she needs.

Gladys sneaks around a hallway somewhere and sees someone. She says, about time. They’re taking a chance meeting here. It’s too dangerous to be meeting out in the open like this.

Dante asks if Sam got his message, and she says she did, but she didn’t have a chance to call him back. What did he want to talk to her about? He says he was talking to his mom, and she mentioned Cody was taking off for a few days, and he was surprised to hear that. Then she said she heard that information from Sam, which he was even more surprised to hear. Sam says she did tell his mom that, and he asks if she wants to tell him where Cody is. She says, Cody was going to be away for a few days, and he didn’t want Dante’s mom to worry or fire him. He asked her to let Olivia know about his alternate plans, so she did. He says, she’s not answering his question; where’s Cody now? She says, now? and he says, yeah. She says, Ferncliff.

Cody asks Sasha if she can hear him. It’s Cody; he’s here. He’s going to need her to wake up. He shakes her shoulder, and she turns over, but doesn’t open her eyes, and he says, what did they do to you?  

On the phone outside Kelly’s, Nina says, Sasha Gilmore. She was supposed to be released today… Okay. Then let her talk to Sasha’s doctor… No, she’s not a reporter. She hangs up and sees Carly coming out of the diner. She calls to Carly, and Carly asks what she wants. Nina says she wants to talk to Carly about Sonny. She’s concerned. Carly says, about what? and Nina says, he’s in custody. He’s facing prison time, and she wants to do whatever she can to help. Alexis said the whole family could be in danger, including the children. They all could be targeted for revenge. Carly says, it’s certainly a possibility, and Nina asks what she’s going to do about it. Carly says, what is she going to do about it? What is Nina going to do about it?

Chase says he’s never seen Brook pack so light before, and she says, there’s a first time for everything. She’s very efficient. He says, when he asked her to move in, he wanted her, the woman he loves, and she says, that’s exactly what he got. He says, it kind of seems like she’s trying to reinvent or restrict herself to please him, and she says, let’s be clear. She appreciates that he accepts her for exactly who she is, but guess what? She’s adaptable and can use this as a chance to see herself in a whole new light. He says, so she’s become a Zen master hoarder, and she says, fat chance of that happening. Part of being in a relationship, especially when you’re living together, is accommodating one another. She doesn’t have to move in here with every single one of her things. It’s not like she’s not going to spend time at the mansion. She wants to see Leo and Olivia, and check in on Willow and her dad, whoever he is at the moment.

Spencer walks over to Josslyn’s chaise lounge, and says he’s worried about Uncle Sonny too, but he’ll shut up and not bring up Esme anymore, okay? She says, great, and he says he’s going for a swim. Trina sits down and says she’s sorry. Sometimes Spencer can be a jerk, but he’s her jerk. Josslyn asks why it doesn’t bother Trina more that he’s spending all of his time with Esme, and Trina tells her, who said it doesn’t?

Alexis tells Gregory not to underestimate Chase’s ability to handle his diagnosis. And he can’t shield his children from life. He says he knows. She’s right. He guesses he just got caught up in the protecting Chase mode since he was a little boy. Finn never needed it. He was like an ancient tree top; sturdy, never cried, always inscrutable. He kept everything inside. She says, Hamilton Finn, a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and he says, Chase on the other hand, pure id. You always knew exactly what he was feeling just by looking at him. Always full of wonder, laughing and singing, his heart right there on his sleeve. She says, well, great. Gregory will know exactly how he feels. Then Gregory will look out for Chase, and Chase will look out for him. Piece of cake. He says, as usual, she cuts right to the heart of the matter. He’s always been amazed at how his two sons can be so completely different. She says, right? Two unique people are raised under the same circumstances. Her children, Kristina and Molly, couldn’t be more different. Kristina knocks at the door and asks if they’re talking about her.

Dante says, Cody’s in Ferncliff? and Sam says, yes. He says, what the hell is wrong with him? Dante told Sam that Cody was going to do this. He was acting all crazy to set the stage to get put in Ferncliff to be close to Sasha. Sam obviously knew this, since she gave the message to his mother, right? She says, yes, she knew about it, and she helped him get committed.

Carly says, Nina is the new Mrs. Corinthos. At least she’s going to be. She doesn’t understand how any of this is her responsibility. Nina says, without Jason here to step in for Sonny, there could be a power vacuum here in Port Charles, and Carly says she knows. She still doesn’t understand what this has to do with her. Nina says, Carly stepped in before. She held everything together. She kept the peace in Port Charles last time Sonny was gone. Carly says, Nina means when they all thought Sonny was dead, and Nina knew he was alive and didn’t tell his family? That time? (D’oh!)

Felicia says, Mac told her how erratic Cody was at the PCPD the other day. Did he violate Gladys’s restraining order? Mac says, nothing like that. Cody wasn’t arrested; he was committed. She says, committed? Does this have anything to do with how he was at the stables? Mac says he had a feeling something was going on, so he checked up on Cody. Cody’s been admitted to Ferncliff. She says, that’s where Sasha is.

Dr. Montague tells Gladys that she worries too much. It’ll give her crow’s feet. There is no problem with them being seen together. He’s Sasha’s doctor and she’s her concerned mother-in-law. She asks what the hell that means? She is concerned. He says he shares that concern, and she says, like hell he does. Why doesn’t he just drop the sweet doctor act? All he cares about is bleeding her dry to line his pockets. When does she get Sasha out? She wired the money to the offshore account like he said. He tells her that he got the notification earlier, and she says, okay. Let’s go bring Sasha out, and she’ll take her home. He says, not so fast.

Cody says, please wake up, and pats Sasha’s forehead with a wet cloth. She opens her eyes, and he says, thank God. It’s Cody. Does she remember him? Startled, she sits up and scoots away, saying, don’t hurt me. He says, it’s me, Cody.

Trina asks if Josslyn doesn’t think it bothers her that she and Spencer hardly get to see each other. Of course (🍷) it does. She thought they’d be spending the whole summer together. It’s already over, and now she has to go back to school and the gallery’s getting busy. Whenever she does see Spencer, they spend have the time catching up. He’s telling her about Ace and of course (🍷) Esme. They just… Josslyn knows what she means; they barely ever get any alone time. Josslyn says, that must be so hard, but Trina says she’s not complaining, especially with everything her mom is going through with Curtis. She just wants to be strong for her. Plus her dad is still hurting and she doesn’t want them to lose their connection. She loves him so much. Josslyn says she knows, but Trina has so much on her plate right now, and Trina says she tries to remind herself, it’s not going to be like this forever. And even though Spencer sometimes messes up, he’s hers, not Esme’s, so she can’t let Esme get under her skin like that. Josslyn says, that was beautiful. Is she taking philosophy this semester? Trina laughs.

Gregory says, it’s always good to see Kristina, and she says, him too. He tells Alexis, they’ll talk later, and she says, yes and good luck. He leaves, and Kristina says, he’s a great writer. It was so smart of Alexis to add him to the Editorial Board. Alexis says, he brings a lot to the table, and Kristina asks if she’s free for a bite; her treat. Alexis says, yes. She’s starving. What’s on the agenda? Kristina says her dad. How much trouble does Alexis think he’s in?

Nina follows Carly into Kelly’s, and says, wait. She’s new to this, and they have to figure out what’s best for this family. Carly has experience, and Nina is asking for her help. Please. Carly says, Brick’s been in touch. Everything’s under control. Everything is stable in the business right now. The pact with the Families is strong, especially since Sonny got rid of Billy Novak. She doesn’t think anybody’s going to make a move just because Sonny’s been detained. Nina says, Carly still seems pretty informed with Sonny’s dealings, and Carly says, Nina should be grateful for that. It’s not glamorous carrying around this kind of burden. It’s not a competition. They do have to work together to keep the family safe. Nina says she gets it, and Carly says she hopes so. Brick will be in touch, and she’ll go over everything with Nina, but Nina has to stay calm. For Sonny’s sake. It sends a bad message when his inner circle is running around upset. Okay? She’s more concerned with who gave credible information to the Feds. That means someone broke rank, and they turned state’s evidence against Sonny.

Felicia asks if Mac really thinks Cody lost it, but he says he doesn’t know what to think. Cody’s situation reminds him exactly of what he went through years ago. She says, Dominique, and he says, it’s just so eerie. Cody is convinced Sasha is in danger and he has to rescue her from Ferncliff. She says, just like what Mac went through when Leopold Taub had Dominique stashed away in Shadybrook. He says, and Cody told him that he’d do anything to get past the restraining order and into Sasha’s orbit.

Gladys asks if Montague is trying to double-cross her, but he says, of course (🍷) not. They’re friends. But they both need to be smart about this. Sasha has to be weaned off the medications Gladys had him administer to her. Gladys says she never asked him to drug Sasha, and she wants Sasha out now. He says, if Sasha recovers too quickly, people will ask questions. Sasha herself might become suspicious and ask for a toxicology report. That’s not going to look good for either of them. It’ll take at least 24 hours for it to clear her system. She says, so he’s telling her that Sasha can’t be released for another 24 hours, but he says, no. He’s saying, the weekend at the earliest. She says, absolutely not, but he says, come on. They both know she’s not holding a Royal Flush here. It’s time to fold her hand and start playing by his rules. There’s too much at stake if they don’t move forward with Sasha.

Dante asks why Sam would help Cody violate a restraining order. She helped him break into a secure mental hospital? She says she had to, and he says, and disturb a woman who’s in recovery? She says, no. It was to help her. Cody thinks that Sasha is in serious danger, and she believes him. And the only way around Gladys and the restraining order was to get him committed as a patient at Ferncliff. Dante says, Gladys is a pain for sure, but she’s not the one who stabbed Cody; Sasha is. What happens if he’s in Ferncliff, and she goes off on him again?

Cody backs away, raising his hands, and says he promises he’s not here to hurt Sasha. It’s the opposite; he’s here to help her. She says, no, no, no. That doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense. Cyrus was coming after her. She had to defend herself. But then everyone said Cyrus was Cody, that she stabbed Cody. She doesn’t know what happened. She doesn’t know what’s real. Cody says, she doesn’t have to think about that right now, and she asks if he’s real. Is he really here? He says he’s very real. See for herself. Take his hand. He promises he won’t grab her. Please take his hand.

Gregory knocks on Chase’s door, and Chase says, what a pleasant surprise. Come in. Gregory says he’s glad to find Chase home. Since Chase got back on the force, he doesn’t know Chase’s schedule. Chase says, it’s been a little hectic, but anytime Gregory wants to hang out, just shoot him a text. Gregory says he appreciates how Chase always makes time for his old man, and Chase says, old man? Please. He could outrun all of them. He knows Finn teases Gregory about being a bookworm, but he remembers those camping trips. He can’t wait for Gregory to teach one of his kids, and Gregory says, the reason he came by… Brook comes out to show Chase the new sheets she bought, and stops when she sees Gregory. She says she didn’t realize he was here.

Alexis says she’s not going to lie to Kristina. Her father is in trouble. The FBI would not have contained him if they didn’t have compelling evidence against him. Kristina says, they swarmed in there like he was El Chapo, and Alexis says she can’t do anything about it this time. Diane is on it and will do what she can. In the meantime, she’s just going to hope and pray that it’s not as bad as she thinks it might be. Molly comes in, sees Kristina, and says she was just going, but Alexis says, oh no. Get back here. She grabs Molly’s hand and drags her into the office. She says she knows she told them that she wouldn’t micromanage this, but she’s getting really tired of it. They got into a fight – get over it. Because they’re sisters. Molly says, this isn’t the time… but Alexis says, it’s the perfect time, because life is too short for them to be at each other’s throats. Now kiss and make up. They both have way too many things going on.

Carly says, if she were Nina, she’d be more concerned about when Sonny is released and he finds out who went to the Feds, because it’s not going to be pretty. Nina asks what she means, and Carly says, Sonny values loyalty more than anything else, and if someone out there crossed him, he’s going to find out who it is and he’s going to make them pay. Just stay under the radar and take care of herself. Hopefully, Sonny will be out soon.

Felicia says, Cody already tried to break in to see Sasha once, and Mac says, which only got him a restraining order which, if he violates… He swears Cody has bit off more than he can chew. She says, he must think he has no other choice, and Mac says, whatever the reason, what he’s doing is extreme. If something bad happened to Cody, he’d never forgive himself. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says he’s going to go see Cody, but she says, oh no. He’s not.

Gladys says she kept her end of the bargain. Montague has his money. He says, and he appreciates it. They’re both betting on the same suit. Stay steady and Sasha will go through her diva detox by the weekend. The tabloids will have their stories, Gladys can retain her cash cow, and everything will be hunky dory. Gladys asks, who is Hunky Dory?

Sam says, Cody’s convinced Sasha didn’t mean to stab him, and Dante says, she had a breakdown, but Sam says, she’s being drugged. He says, Cody’s looking for an explanation. He’s trying to find some tangible thing that he can latch onto that he can save her from. So he’d rather imagine Gladys is pumping Sasha full of drugs than face the truth that she had a serious mental breakdown. He can’t save her from that. Sam tells him that she said the same thing a few weeks ago, that Cody would be doing more harm than good, and he says, that’s his point. She says, then Cody asked her to stop for a second and just consider if he was right. How would she feel if she were in Sasha’s position? She thought about it, and thought, what if it were her or one of her sisters stuck in Ferncliff? She would pray there was someone out there that would come in and get her. Admit it. Dante would be that person. Cody was willing to fight for Sasha, and she wanted to help him.

Cody tells Sasha that it’s not her fault. She can’t think clearly because someone’s been drugging her. Sasha shakes her head and says, no, that’s what they say. They say she’s using again, but she’s not. She wouldn’t. Not after what she went through with Brando. She got clean, okay? She thought that everything was okay, but then it wasn’t. The nurses keep asking her where she got the drugs, but she didn’t want them. The doctor is making her… He says, don’t worry about the doctor. He’s not here right now; I am. He’s on her side. Please trust him. He holds out his hand and says, please take his hand so he can prove it. She puts her hand in his.

Josslyn leaves a voicemail for Dex, asking, why is his phone off? She hasn’t heard from him in a minute. Just calling to say she loves and misses him. She’ll see him soon.

Brook says it’s good to see Gregory and hugs him. He says, same here. Sheets, huh? Chase says, Brook is moving in… well, partially, and Brook says, fully, with less parts, just with everything she needs. Gregory says, that’s wonderful news, and suggests he buy them dinner to celebrate, just the two of them, but Chase says, you pay, you stay. Gregory says, if they’re sure, and Brook says, you know what sounds yummy? Chase says, Gino’s, and she says, yes. He looks for the menu, and Gregory sits down with Brook. Gregory asks what made Brook take the next step, and she says, Chase was being chivalrous… Chase says, was not, and she says she’s having a little conflict with her grandmother. Gregory says, why is he not surprised?

Kristina says she agrees with Alexis, but Molly made it perfectly clear how she feels about her, and if she wants no further contact… Molly says, that’s a lie, but Kristina says, no, it’s not. Molly says, Kristina is choosing to play the victim, but Kristina says, that’s not true. And she thinks she knows a little bit more about being a victim. Strangely, this is so much worse, because Molly is intentionally cutting Kristina out of her life. For what? Because she takes up too much attention, too much space, too much air? Molly says, all of the above, and tells Alexis that she’s sorry. She can’t do this. She’ll call Alexis later. She storms out, and Kristina says, can Alexis believe that? Alexis says she can’t believe any of this.

Mac says, there’s no harm in him going to Ferncliff, but Felicia says, please, leave it alone. He’s the acting Police Commissioner. He says, so? and she says, Cody made a public spectacle when he accused Gladys of exploiting Sasha. Mac said himself that he almost arrested Cody for harassment. Cody has no proof of anything. Sasha stabbed him. Mac says, Cody swears there’s something else going on, but Felicia says, Maxie was there. She swears, on record as a witness, that Sasha suddenly went crazy. Mac can’t get involved. He can’t go there.

Gladys tells Montague to listen to her, when her phone rings. Nina asks, what is going on? She’s waiting for word on Sasha. When can they go get her? Gladys says, soon, and Nina says she called Ferncliff. They won’t give her any information. Gladys says, everything is on track, and Nina asks what that means. Gladys says she’ll have to call Nina back, but Nina says, Gladys is not calling her back. She wants information and she wants it now. She’s at Kelly’s. She’ll wait for Gladys here. Gladys says she’ll be right over, and tells Montague, that’s his benefactor. He better hope she doesn’t blow a fuse about his timetable. He says, that’s Gladys’s job, to make sure she doesn’t. He’ll be in touch. Gladys leaves, and his phone rings. He says, they have excellent timing. He was just about to call them. He needs something so good, it will make you forget you met someone (don’t we all?)… As soon as possible.

Dante says he knows Sam well enough that when she makes a decision and thinks it’s for the right thing, there’s no stopping her. She says, this is the right thing, and he says, but she lied. She pretended Cody was sick to get him into the mental hospital. She says, it was our only option, and he says, our only option? Her and Cody? What is he? She’s the woman he loves, the woman he shares his life with. She says she knows, and he says, she’s been keeping things from him, and he knows it’s because she just wants to protect… She says, his father is in FBI custody. That’s what he should be focusing on. She didn’t want to add on to that. He says, but he never gave her a reason to keep him on the outside, and she says, maybe not, but would he really want her compromising his integrity as a cop?

Mac says, Cody believes a woman’s sanity is at stake, and Felicia is worried about his standing as Police Commissioner? He doesn’t care about the optics if Cody is right. Summer was there years ago to help him with Dominique. She says, he misunderstands. She doesn’t care about any of it. She just doesn’t want him to ruin it for Cody.

Back on the phone, Nina says, listen. She needs to talk to Sasha Gilmore’s doctor right now. What is his name?… If they won’t even tell her the doctor’s name, she promises she’ll be there tomorrow with the police. Gladys grabs the phone out of her hand and says, she’ll do no such thing.

The desk nurse at Ferncliff says, hello? She hangs up and leaves the desk as Montague walks in.

Cody tells Sasha, see? He’s real. He’d probably be convincing if he was wearing his own clothes, but they made him put on these… He doesn’t even know what they’re called. Pajamas? She smiles, and he says, they can’t stay here though. They have to go. Will she come with him?

Spencer apologizes to Josslyn for what he said about Dex. He’s just worried about Sonny. He knows they both love him. (Boy, is he out of the loop.) Josslyn thanks him, and Trina says she’ll see Josslyn later. She leaves with Spencer.

Chase pours some wine, and a pizza arrives. Gregory watches as Brook feeds Chase a bite, and everyone’s all happy.

Josslyn gets a text from Dex: Got your message. Sorry I haven’t been in touch, but I just want to tell you, I love you.

Alexis tells Kristina that she’d give her right arm to have her sister back, and the two of them are busy arguing over semantics. Whose position is more superior; who’s more aggrieved? It breaks her heart. Kristina opens her mouth to say something, and Alexis says she’s not going to micromanage this. They’re both adults, but she’s begging Kristina, think about what’s at stake.

At home, Molly sits on the couch and picks up Valiant. She flashes back to Kristina saying she thinks she knows a little bit more about being a victim, and this feels so much worse. Kristina cries and hugs Valiant to her chest.

Sam tells Dante that she doesn’t have a law degree and obviously wasn’t going to ask her mother, but she’s guessing getting someone checked into a mental facility so they can see another patient is probably frowned upon, if not highly illegal. He says, Sam… but she says, no. Stop. There was no way he could be involved. She wasn’t going to put him in a position where he either tried to stop them or look the other way. He sits next to her and says he trusts her judgement – a helluva lot more than he trusts Cody’s. But for the record, he doesn’t want to be kept in the dark. She says, noted, and he says, if she thinks this is the right thing to do, he’s backing her 100%. They hug and she thanks him.

Felicia says, if Cody is right, and Sasha is in danger at Ferncliff, Mac can’t interfere with his plans. Mac asks, what if he’s in over his head? but Felicia says, he’s smart and he’s capable. Look how far he’s managed to get already. They need to trust he knows what he’s doing. Mac says, she’s impressed with this little adventure, isn’t she? It’s like one of her old capers. She asks, what’s the worst thing that can happen to Cody if he gets exposed at Ferncliff?

Nina says, what the hell? and Gladys says, there’s no need to threaten some overworked nurse at Ferncliff with the police. Nina says, then Gladys needs to tell her what’s going on right now. She knows the money was transferred, so what is the hold-up on Sasha’s release? Gladys says, there’s no hold-up. The doctor promised she’d be out tomorrow. Nina says, why tomorrow? Why can’t it be tonight? Gladys is driving her crazy. She wants Sasha home, and she wants her home now.

Carly looks out Kelly’s window and sees Nina arguing with Gladys.

Sasha says, go where? and Cody says, away. They have to leave Ferncliff. He’s been here for less than 36 hours, and it’s more than enough. Sasha’s been here way too long. She does want to leave, doesn’t she? She says, more than anything, but they said she couldn’t. They can’t just walk out. He says, that’s no problem. He’s very creative, but she’s going to have to trust him. Does she trust him? She nods, and he helps her get up. No surprise, Montague walks in.

Tomorrow, Ned/Eddie asks if Leo wants to make some music; Cody says he can see exactly what’s going on; Ava says she needs someone to face the reality; Dex blames himself for Sonny getting busted; and Montague wants to know just what’s going on here.

🏆 He’s the Best…

Andre is one of my favorites on GH, and apparently his alter-ego is a busy guy.

🕶 Waiting On Information…

Sounds kind of cryptic.

🎒 Just Like Us…

The three words a kid hates to hear – back to school.

👗 Eight In Eight…

It was the Project Runway finale and down to the final three – Brittany, Bishme, and Laurence. I suddenly realized I knew most of the models by name, so I guess I’ve been paying pretty close attention. The guest judges were designer Zac Posen and icon Billy Porter. This finale was very different than the other Runways before it, where the finalists go back to their homes and have several months to complete their collection. The All Stars finalists had eight days to create eight pieces. No doubt they’ve been thinking and planning all season long, but talk about pressure. I can just imagine the seams on garments I had eight days to create… and it wouldn’t be pretty. Before I started watching this show, it never occurred to me that designers also had to be tailors. I have mad respect for that, since you need the patience of a saint. Each collection was vastly different from the others, and the judges had their work cut out for them, since they were also all fabulous. Brittany used her signature activewear meets ready-to-wear. There were a lot of buckles and neon going on, and it reminded me of 80s fashion, a personal favorite. Bishme had a combo of monochrome looks, plaid, and a woven pattern with fringe. His closing outfit had an amazing skirt that practically took up the whole room. Laurence did her leather thing, and there was the usual admiration for her tailoring talents with a difficult fabric. I was sure she’d be the winner, although I’d rooted for Brittany, but it was not to be ladies night. Bishme got the big win, and it was precious to see how thrilled his mom was, who was there to watch the Runway in person. This episode gave me all the feels. Here are the particulars:

🏰 Must Be Nice…

All about that $55 million home deal. Can you even imagine? I want to like Fancy Pants, but she’s so out of touch. She doesn’t get that it’s not what she’s saying, it’s her delivery.

https://people.com/heather-dubrow-reveals-why-she-kept-chateau-sale-secret-7967084

Emily tells it like it is.

😟 There Are No Words…

WTF is wrong with this guy? And the woman he’s with?

🐘 New To The World…

A new way to make an elephant.

https://people.com/indianapolis-zoo-announces-historic-elephant-birth-7966062

And a giraffe with no spots. I want one.

https://people.com/spotless-baby-giraffe-at-tennessee-zoo-named-kipekee-7965381

🐩 Best In Show…

Hang a U-ey back tomorrow for soap, tea, astute words, and music to send you into your weekend. Until then, stay safe, stay always absorbing knowledge, even if you’re not technically going back to school, and stay keeping in mind that life is too short to be at each other’s throats.

September 6, 2023 – Sam Runs Into Dr. Montague Again, Fancy Pants Throws a High-Def Party, Thought & Money

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna and Valentin walk into their suite at the MetroCourt, and she wonders if it’s her, or does upgrading from a room to a suite make it seem more permanent? He says, it’s not permanent, but it’s definitely more comfortable, and she says, they won’t call it home though. She looks around and says, wait. Something’s off.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina leaves a voicemail for Diane. She says she needs to know what’s going on with Sonny. She’s going out of her mind. When Diane gets this message, please call her back. Kristina walks in, and asks if Nina has heard anything about her dad, but Nina says, no. She was just leaving a message for Diane. She must know something by now. Kristina asks if Nina thinks Diane can get him out, and Nina says, she has to.

Dante storms into Michael’s office and asks if he did it. Michael asks what he’s talking about, and Dante asks if Michael turned their father in to the Feds.

Sam shows her ID to Janice at Ferncliff, and says she has medical proxy for a patient. His name is Cody Bell. She wanted to see how he’s doing, and also got a message that she has to fill out some extra paperwork. Janice says, the doctor requested some behavioral information on Mr. Bell. Anything Sam can provide as to his recent demeanor would be very helpful. Sam asks if Janice can tell her how he’s doing.

In his cell room, Cody paces and says, not right, not right. He shouldn’t be here. The doctor (not Montague) asks if he knows why he’s here, and Cody says, because he was honest with that damn shrink at General Hospital. He should have just given him the standard answers to all those questions. What do the ink blots look like? They look like butterflies, doc. The doctor says, treatment will do no good if Cody is hiding his true feelings. If he wants to get better, he has to be honest with his doctors and with himself. Cody asks if this is what better looks like. He can’t stand to be in his own skin. His brain; all his thoughts are bunching against it until he can’t help it anymore. It hurts so bad, he just wants it to stop.

Sasha sits on her bed and says, she can do this. She has to do this. Dr. Montague comes in and says, the nurse told him that Sasha wanted to see him. She says she wanted to thank him for everything he’s done for her. He’s been so helpful in her recovery and she’s feeling so much stronger. The treatment worked. She’s ready to go home. (Did she really think it would be that easy?)

Molly gives the hospital reception nurse some paperwork, and says, all done. Alexis comes in and hugs Molly. Molly says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? Alexis says, because she loves Molly, and it’s a special day. The surrogate is having her procedure. Molly thanks her and agrees it’s a big day. She’s glad Alexis came to wish her luck, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) she did. She also came to deliver a message from Kristina… Molly tells her, don’t even say it. She can’t talk about Kristina. Not today. She knows they need to get through their differences, but just let her get through today first. Alexis says she doesn’t want to talk about the friction between the Molly and Kristina; that’s between the two of them. She was simply going to tell Molly that Kristina said she’s thinking about her. They talked last night, and Kristina said she didn’t want to reach out to Molly because of the given situation, but that she hopes everything goes well today. Molly says, thank God it was just a message from Alexis. If Kristina had shown up here, she’d have lost it. She’s already nervous, and Kristina would have put her over the edge. Alexis says, probably, because Kristina is also over the edge about her father. Molly says she is too. She loves Uncle Sonny. He’s always been great to her. But on a professional level, she has mixed feelings. Alexis says she gets it, and Kristina says, it’s a total conflict of interest, but she’s the ADA and can’t turn a blind eye to Sonny’s illegal activities. Let’s just say, it’s complicated. Alexis says, oh, she knows that.

Kristina says, so Nina hasn’t heard from Diane at all since her dad was arrested? and Nina says, no. Kristina says, what is she doing? Doesn’t she know this is crazy? Nina says she’s sure Diane is busy trying to get Kristina’s father released, but she wishes Diane would at least give them an update. She should have at least had him out on bail by now. Nina says, Kristina’s father was arrested for a federal crime, so she doesn’t even know if he qualifies for bail, but she does know this. After 72 hours, they either have to charge Sonny or they have to release him. Kristina says she’s going to try Diane again. She’s been texting Diane all morning, and Diane can’t keep dodging her like this. Her dad is Diane’s most important client. Does Nina know how much money he’s given her over the years? He would be furious if he found out she was ignoring them like this. She’s not going to sit around just waiting for Diane to call them. There has to be something else they can do, right?

Michael tells Dante, calm down. He was at the MetroCourt when the FBI showed up. He was just as surprised as everyone else. Dante asks if he was surprised they arrested Sonny or that they chose to do it there, and Michael says, Dante thinks he set Sonny up? Why would he do that, especially in front of his son? Dante says, speaking of Michael’s son, what if Wiley betrayed him the way he just betrayed Sonny? Michael says he didn’t betray Sonny, but Dante says, Michael has been so angry at Sonny for so long, he’s been dying for a chance to crush him. Michael says he had nothing to do with Sonny getting arrested, and Dante says he doesn’t understand the problem Michael has with Sonny either. They both handle revenge in the most ruthless of ways. When Michael took custody of Avery, he literally snatched her from Sonny’s arms. Michael says he did that to protect his sister. She was a baby and she wasn’t safe with Sonny. Besides, that was years ago. Dante says, Sonny was vulnerable then, the way he is now, and Michael’s doing it again. He was there when Michael swore he’d do anything to take Sonny down. Michael tells him, yes, he did say that, but that doesn’t mean he acted on it. People say things in the heat of the moment. Dante says, not Michael; he’s too calculated for that. Michael says he had nothing to do with it, and Dante says, just stop. Why doesn’t he just admit that he did?

Montague says he’s sorry, but that’s not possible. Sasha isn’t ready to be released. Sasha says she is. She feels good. He says, she needs more treatment. If he lets her go home now, she’ll just suffer a relapse, and they wouldn’t want that to happen, would they? She says she has a lot of money. She can pay him anything he wants, just please, let her go. He says, this isn’t about money, and takes a syringe out of his pocket. Remember, he told her that he stays with his patients until the very end? This is not the end for her. Not until he says so. She says, please don’t do this to her, and he says, it’s okay. She starts to cry and yells for someone to let her out, but he injects her, and she slides to the floor.

Cody says, it’s like a speeding train charging through his skull, flashing lights and all these images. He knows what the world should look like, but he can’t change it. He’s so tired, but he can’t sleep. Every time he closes his eyes, he’s thinking about how can he win? What cards should he play? He looks at his hand and there it is, a Royal Flush. Has the doctor ever gotten a Royal Flush? It’s the best hand in poker; it’s almost impossible to lose. Then he starts thinking about the jackpot. What’s he going to do with all that money? And then – he jumps on the bed – he’s in the penthouse standing there, and he can feel the breeze, so he steps out. It’s such a long way down. It would be so easy to just let go. He’s not scared. For the first time, it feels like he’s actually in control, just knowing he can end it all.

Valentin asks, what is it? and Anna says, something’s out of place. She walks around, looking at everything, and Valentin says, everything looks fine to him, but she says, no. Remember when she brought these in? She picks up a stack of mail from the coffee table, and he says, from the P.O. box, sure. She says she was flipping through the mail and left them right here. She walks over to another table, and asks if he moved them, but he says, obviously the housekeepers have been here since they were at breakfast. They could have moved them. She says, maybe, and he asks if something is missing. She says she doesn’t know… No. It’s nothing. He asks if she’s all right, and she says, yeah. She doesn’t know. Ever since Sonny got arrested, she’s just been kind of anxious. She’s worried about him because she can’t help but wonder… Does Valentin think Pikeman had something to do with Sonny’s arrest?

Molly says she wants Alexis to be honest with her. Does Alexis think she’s moving too fast with the surrogate? Alexis says, that’s not a question she can answer for Molly. Molly and TJ know what’s right. Molly says she’s been listening to this podcast about women who struggle with infertility, and they were saying that being told you can never have a child is like a death in a way. It takes time to mourn the baby you’ll never have. Alexis says she never thought of anything like that, and Molly says, it makes sense. Maybe she should have taken time to mourn this loss instead of jumping into surrogacy. Alexis asks if she’s having second thoughts, and Molly says, not exactly. She just wanted Alexis’s perspective. Alexis says, Molly has always had a very logical mind. She likes things just so, in order, by the book. But there’s no book for this. If there were, it would make things much easier. Really this is a feeling thing, and she and TJ have to know what’s right for them. Molly guesses she’s not sure what that is, and Alexis says she knows Molly wanted to carry this baby by herself, and that didn’t work out and she’s sorry. But she and TJ have found a different way to have a family. The important thing here, the only important thing, is that Molly is going to be a mother. Not in the traditional way, but to hell with tradition. Molly laughs and says, yeah. Alexis says she’s got to go to the MetroCourt. She loves Molly. Molly says she loves Alexis more, and Alexis leaves.

Nina says she knows Kristina is frustrated, and she’s frustrated too. Maybe Diane just has her hands full right now and she’ll update them as soon as she hears something. Kristina says, okay, but she wants Nina to promise she’ll tell her as soon as she hears something. Nina promises and Kristina thanks her. She knows Nina cares about her dad as much as she does, and Nina really feels like family now. She knows it’s crazy, it took her dad’s arrest to make her realize that, but people come together in crisis. Nina says she knew when she committed to Kristina’s father that his children were part of the package, and she loves Kristina. She’s been supportive right from the beginning, and she can’t tell Kristina how much that means to her. Now if they could only get Michael on board. Kristina says, Michael’s a tough one. He holds onto a grudge like it’s nobody’s business, but hang in there. Even if Nina can’t get through to him, she knows Willow can. Nina’s daughter has the magic touch. Nina says she would like to think so, but if Willow’s illness didn’t teach him anything, she doubts Kristina’s father getting arrested will do that. Kristina says, yeah. She’s got to go. She asks Nina to keep in touch, and hugs her. She leaves, and Nina checks her phone, but nothing.

Michael tells Dante, was he angry with Sonny? Yes. Was he disappointed with Sonny? Yes, but he never went to the Feds and had nothing to do with Sonny getting arrested. If Dante doesn’t believe he wouldn’t hurt their father, believe he wouldn’t hurt their siblings. They would be devastated if Sonny were sent to jail. Dante says, no kidding, and Michael says, not only would they miss him, they’d also be in danger because of how many enemies Sonny has. And if Sonny’s behind bars, one of them could retaliate and come after his family. When he made peace with Sonny, he meant it. He still isn’t over what Sonny did to his mom, but they’re moving forward. This whole situation with Willow made him realize that life is fragile. It’s not worth holding on to a grudge. She told him, it takes more energy to hate than it does to love. Dante says, it’s a good thing Michael married a wise woman, and Michael agrees. Dante says he’s sorry he accused Michael, and Michael says, it’s not like he didn’t give Dante reason to. He’s glad Dante stopped by so they can clear the air. Kristina walks in and asks if she’s interrupting, but Michael says, no. Dante asks if she’s holding up okay, and she says she’ll be a lot better when the FBI lets dad go. Dante says, they all feel that way, and she asks, when’s that going to happen? He says he doesn’t know. It’s the Feds, so they can hold him 72 hours. He’ll see what he can find out. Kristina thanks him and he leaves. Kristina says, Dante accused Michael of what happened, huh? He’s the one who turned in dad? Michael says, come on. Like he told Dante, he had nothing to do with this. She says she believes him, and he thanks her. She says, but he’s glad it happened, right?

Sam fills out the paperwork, when Montague comes out. He says, they meet again. He didn’t get her name last time. She says, Sam McCall. What a coincidence running into him here. he says, this is a mental health facility, so it’s not unusual to find a psychiatrist at Ferncliff, but what is she doing here?

TJ joins Molly as she nervously paces. She says, medically, she’s not the one having the procedure and it has nothing to do with her, but he says, it has everything to do with her, with them. The surrogate is getting IUI today and could become pregnant with their child. It’s totally normal to be on edge. She says, he’s right; there’s nothing to worry about. They hug, and Andrea joins them. She says she’s ready.

Valentin tells Anna, does he think Pikeman was involved in Sonny’s arrest? No. First of all, they’re purely motivated by profit, and he can’t see any financial gain to be made by arresting Sonny. She says, maybe he’s worth more to them behind bars, and he says, second of all, they were desperate for an introduction to Sonny. It just doesn’t make any sense for it to be a set-up. She says, Pikeman is such a huge contractor, they can’t possibly know all of their motives. Valentin says, lets say they were involved. Sonny has a long history of avoiding law enforcement, including when she was Police Commissioner. She says, he doesn’t have to remind her, and he tells her that he’s just saying, Sonny is very good at escaping consequences for his actions, and he doesn’t think this is going to be any different. She says, he’s right. Can she ask him a favor though? He says she can always ask him a favor, and she asks if he still has that contact over at Pikeman. He says, yeah, and she says, great. Could he ask him or her if they know anything about Sonny’s arrest? He says he has to make a phone call. He’ll see if there’s anything he can do for her. He punches the numbers in the phone and says, this is Valentin Cassadine. I need your help with something.

Molly asks how Andrea is feeling, and she says she didn’t know she’d be so nervous. Molly says, so it’s not just them. She’s been a wreck all morning. TJ says he’s been trying to tell Molly, it’s a simple procedure; nothing to worry about. Andrea says she knows they have a lot riding on this. She’s been following doctor’s orders and monitoring her cycle closely and taking those home ovulation tests. Which is how she knew her hormones were surging, which means she’s ovulating. It sounds like she’s talking about a science project instead of her own body. It’s a lot to keep track of. Molly asks if she’s sure she wants to go through with this, and Andrea says, definitely. She’s committed to this. She knows she’s making the right choice for her family and for theirs. The nurse tells Andrea that they’re ready for her, and Andrea says, wish her luck. TJ and Molly say, good luck, and Andrea leaves with the nurse. TJ says, they’ve got this.

Valentin says, thanks. He’ll see them soon. Anna asks what he said, and Valentin says, he didn’t want to get into it on the phone, but he’s agreed to meet with Valentin. She says, that’s great, and he says he’ll let her know what he finds out. She thanks him and says, she appreciates this. He kisses her, says, she’s welcome, and leaves. She waits a moment, then follows, putting a piece of paper in her back pocket.

Trish tells Nina, the phone’s been ringing non-stop because people want to know when they’re going to open, and Nina says, it’s fine. She can open. Alexis comes in, and Nina says she’s sorry they’re late in opening. She’ll find Alexis a waitress. Alexis says she’s not here to eat. She’s here to discuss Sonny. Nina says, they don’t have any updates, and she’s desperate to talk to Diane. Alexis says she hasn’t been able to get ahold of Diane either, but Diane will handle it. What she’s more concerned about is their daughter and the rest of his family. Nina asks what she means, and Alexis says, if Sonny ends up serving time, that is a real problem for the people who are close to him, because it makes them fair game to his enemies, and Nina’s fiancé has a lot of them. Nina says, she doesn’t think… and Alexis says, what she thinks is that, if Sonny is off the streets, he’s not looking after his family. Nina says, there are a ton of guards. They’re not just going to leave because Sonny’s in prison. Alexis says, what makes her think Sonny’s security is as loyal to his family as they are to Sonny? There’s no guarantee they’d lay down their lives for anyone except him. Nina says, this is frightening, and Alexis says, it is. And she’s here to make Nina aware that if Sonny ends up in prison, Nina is vulnerable and so are his children.

Olivia discusses the menu with Trish, when Dante comes in. He hugs her, and she asks how he’s doing. Any news on his dad? He says, of course (🍷) not. It’s the Feds. He’s still in custody. That’s all Dante knows until he hears from Diane. He’ll let Olivia know when he does. Has she seen Cody around? She says, no and she doesn’t expect to. He took the week off.

Cody says he doesn’t know why he listened to her. He shouldn’t have listened to her. The doctor asks, who? and Cody says, his friend. She says she’s his friend, but she’s the one who talked him into staying here. So obviously – he jumps off the bed – he can’t trust her anymore. But that’s how women are, isn’t it? They say they won’t repress you, but really they just want to control you. Just like his mother. And the government. My mother, big brother. You want to know who’s really in charge of this AI crap? It’s them. It’s just another way to get inside our brains. The doctor walks toward the door, and Cody says, he’s probably working for them. Did they tell the doctor to look at him? The doctor asks who he’s talking about, and Cody says he told him, grabbing his lapels. The government. But he’s never going to work for them. No, no, no, no, no. He’s not wearing a suit. A tie? That’s just a dog collar. Something for them to control you, to choke you. He puts his hands around his own throat, falling back on the bed, choking himself. And he’s too tired. He’s so tired. He cries and says he doesn’t want to be here. Let him go.

Sam tells Montague that she actually has a friend here who’s going through a really tough time and he agreed to be admitted. She’s his medical proxy, and they asked her to fill out some extra paperwork about his medical history. He says he doesn’t mean to pry, but is this patient her boyfriend? She says, oh no. They’re just friends. She can’t imagine if her partner was the one who had to be committed. He says, it does have negative connotations, but she says she wouldn’t be embarrassed or anything. She thinks it would be hard to deal with; be really difficult to go through. He says, unfortunately, most of the patients here are in crisis, but he’s dedicated to them, and he always makes sure they get exactly what they need.

Kristina says, part of Michael is glad dad got arrested. Michael thinks he finally got what he deserved, doesn’t he? Michael says, first Dante, now her. Is Avery going to come in here and accuse him next? She says, just answer the question, and he says, did dad deserve to be arrested? Probably. He doesn’t have all the facts, but something they both know is that dad is a criminal. He chose this life; he has to deal with the consequences. He’s broken the law dozens of times, so yes, he does deserve to be prosecuted. But is he happy about it? No. That scene at the MetroCourt was a nightmare. She says she knows; it was awful. When those agents slapped cuffs on dad, it was scary as hell. Michael says he thought she was going to tear those agents apart. Poor Wiley had no idea what was going on. He was just confused and frightened. She sits down, asking if Sonny can beat these charges, and he says he wishes he knew.

Valentin approaches a house we’re unfamiliar with, and goes inside. He says, right on time. Let’s get this over with. Anna peeks out from behind some hedges.

Molly tells TJ that her mom came by earlier to wish them luck, and he says, that was nice of her. Molly says, she brought up Kristina, and he says he hopes that didn’t upset her. She says, no. It wasn’t about what’s going on with them. Kristina’s worried about Uncle Sonny. TJ says, his arrest has been all over the news, and she says, her mom told her it hit Krissy pretty hard. She wanted to reach out and let Kristina know she’s thinking about her, but she just can’t. She’s still mad at her for the whole surrogate thing… TJ says he knows Kristina was just trying to help them, but she doesn’t know when to back off. She says, exactly. She doesn’t have the energy for it. She knows they’ll patch things up eventually; they always do. But they have so much going on right now with the surrogate, she wants to focus on them and nothing else. He says, they’re going to get through this – together. She says, together, and he kisses her hand.

Dante asks why Cody took the week off, and Olivia suggests he ask his girlfriend. He wonders why he’d ask Sam, and she says, Sam’s the one who told her that Cody took the week off. He says, really. He has to go. He’ll see her later.

The doctor gives Cody a pill in a little cup, and says, this will help him sleep. He needs to get some rest. It should clear his head a bit, and they can talk tomorrow. How does that sound? Cody swallows the pill and says, sleep. He can see the stars that way. He gets into bed, and says, this is good, as the doctor leaves. As soon as he’s gone, Cody sits up and looks at the pill in his hand.

Sasha is lying in bed, when Janice comes in. Janice asks if she’s okay. Sasha squints at her, and Janice says she’s Sasha’s nurse. Does Sasha remember her? Sasha closes her eyes, and Janice says, she seems to be getting worse. She’ll have to talk to Dr. Montague.

Anna stands in the doorway, and hears Valentin say, you know what to do. Let me know when you hear back. She runs back to the hedges and ducks behind them. Valentin comes out, saying, this is important. He closes the door and leaves. The spot where Anna was is empty.

On the phone in the elevator, Dante says, where you at? I’m trying to track you down. Call me back. He calls Mac and asks if he’s seen or heard from Cody… Not at all… He doesn’t know where Cody is… Yeah, Mac’s right. Maybe he’s off doing horse stuff. Thanks.

Olivia says she saw told Dante, and Nina says, please tell them that she has an update on Sonny. Olivia says she wishes she could. Unfortunately, the mob aren’t the only ones who swear by omertà. Alexis tells Nina, code of silence, and Olivia says, the FBI is pretty tight-lipped too. Alexis says, that doesn’t surprise her. They never give details, especially when someone is as high profile as Sonny. Nina asks what that means for Sonny, and Alexis tells Nina that she can’t say for sure, but in her experience in dealing with Feds, they wouldn’t make a move this drastic if they didn’t have some serious evidence against Sonny.

Michael tells Kristina, the FBI said they were arresting dad for violations of the National Security Act. They’re significant charges, and he doubts they would file them unless they had credible evidence. She says, those charges make no sense. What could dad possibly have to do with that? He says, she’s being naïve, but she says she’s not. She knows dad has a lot of illegal business dealings, but he’s not a threat to the country. He didn’t commit treason. The FBI is treating him like he’s some insurgent trying to take down the government. Michael says, they wouldn’t arrest him without cause, but they don’t have all the facts yet. She says, he wants facts? She’ll give him a fact; these charges are insane. They arrested dad for something he had no part of.

I already justified this in my mind long ago because I, too, don’t believe Sonny would commit treason. I figure Pikeman sells arms to places like the Ukraine to fight Russia. They’re in it to make a buck, but not to undermine their own country. Sounds good anyway, right?

Anna runs back to the suite, goes inside, and runs to the bedroom. Valentin comes down the hall, messing with his phone, and lets himself in. He asks if Anna is here, and she says, just give her one minute. She comes out in a robe with a towel on her head and says, she didn’t hear him come in. Sorry. She just had a hot shower. How did it go? Did he meet the man from Pikeman? He says, they didn’t have a lot of time. He was flying out of town, but they met at a café by the airport. She asks what he said, and Valentin says, he got some information. Did she just say she had a hot shower?

Andrea comes out, and Molly says, well? Andrea says, all done, and Molly says, that was fast. TJ says, it’s actually a very quick procedure. Molly asks what the doctor said, and Andrea tells her, just that they have to wait and see. They’ll know in about two weeks. She’s going to go home, put her feet up, and relax. TJ asks if they can give her a ride home, but she says she has her car. Molly says she hopes Andrea knows how much this means to them, and Andrea says she’s a mother, so yes, she does. She tells them, take care, and leaves. Molly says she doesn’t want to get her hopes up, but she has a good feeling about this, and TJ tells her, she knows what he always says. Trust your… She says, feelings, and they hug. Call me paranoid, but I have a bad feeling about Andrea driving herself home.

Nina says, they’re very matter of fact about this. Sonny could be in serious trouble. Aren’t they worried about him? Olivia says, yes, she’s worried, but growing up the way she did… This lifestyle just comes with the territory in Bensonhurst. Nina says, so she should just accept it, but Olivia tells her, that’s not what she’s saying. If Nina is going to be with Sonny, she doesn’t have much of a choice. Nina says, they both share children, even though they knew what they were getting into. This can’t be easy to deal with. Alexis says, it isn’t easy to deal with; it never has been. But what she won’t do is approve of it. She never has and she never will. Having said that, Sonny has a way of getting out of these things, and she hopes to God that he’s able to beat this rap too. For the sake of her child, and the sake of all of his kids. Excuse her. She dashes off.

Michael tells Kristina, there’s a reason Sonny didn’t talk about the business in front of his kids. He didn’t want them involved. And there was no reason for them to have any information about his dealings. It was best for everyone if it was kept in the dark. She says, now he’s the one being naïve. Yeah, dad tried to shield them from his coffee business, but he’s known from the time he was ten that dad’s not a normal dad. Did he think it was normal that their dad carried a gun and had armed guards? He says, at some point they all realized dad didn’t have a normal job, but he didn’t share any of those details with them. They have no idea what dad did or didn’t do. She says, honestly, she’s just worried it’s revenge. For years the FBI has been trying to get dad legitimately and they’ve never been able to. So now, what if they set him up? What if they planted evidence to make the charges stick? He says, one thing he does know is dad wouldn’t want her getting caught up in this mess. He knows it’s hard, but she just needs to focus on the youth center and living her life. She says, that’s so nice. Thank you. Great advice from her big brother. It makes her feel better. Come on. She’s going to worry about dad. Be straight with her. Does he think dad is going to get cleared at the arraignment? He says he’s afraid not.

Valentin asks if Anna just said she had a hot shower, and she says, yes. She had a shower. Why? He says, it’s odd. The woman at the front desk literally just told him that they were having problems with the hot water heater on this floor and they’re sending a maintenance crew to look at it. She says, the temperature seemed fine to her. Now, back to his meeting. What happened with his contact from Pikeman? He says, he confirmed that Pikeman had nothing to do with Sonny’s arrest, and she says, but they met at a café, right? He says, they did, and she says she’s just wondering if there was information he didn’t want to say in public. You never know who’s listening to you. Valentin says, if his contact had something else to tell him, he would have arranged for someplace private, but his contact had nothing for him. She says she was really hoping to find some information out. Anyway, she thanks him so much for doing that. She really appreciates it. He made such good time getting back from the airport. Traffic is usually heavier at this hour. She tells him that she’s going to get dressed and goes into the bedroom.

Sam gets home, and Dante asks if she got his message. She says she did. She’s sorry. She didn’t have a chance to call him back. What did he want to talk to her about? He says he was talking to his mom, and she said Cody was taking off for a few days. He was surprised to hear that, then she said she’d heard it from Sam, which he was even more surprised to hear. She says she did tell his mom that, and he says, so does she want to tell him where Cody is?

Janice tries to rouse Sasha, but she just rolls over onto her side. Janice says she’s going to talk to Dr. Montague again. They discussed transferring her to a different facility because her treatment here doesn’t seem to be working. She leaves without locking the door, and Cody slips in. He goes over to Sasha and says, what have they done to you?

Tomorrow, Chase says he thought Brook was moving in, not just spending the night; Alexis tells Kristina and Molly to kiss and make up; Cody tells Sasha to take his hand; and Nina begs Carly for help.

The Real Awful Housewives of Orange County

Shannon visits Dr. Moon! He says, she’s drooping, and she tells him that she’s stressed. In her interview, she says, there’s been a lot of conversation about her and John’s relationship, so there’s been a lot of sagging. Dr. Moon helps get the stress out of her body. He’s sent her a prototype of an at-home colonic that she’s used for a long time, but there might have been an issue with the tip. We flash back to when she lost the tip up her… oh, you know. She says, they’re making the device so that it’s all one piece, and she’s taking the next step to grow her business. She has three kids going to school in cities that are expensive to live in, and she needs to diversify. She’s just breaking even and wants to turn sh*t into gold.

Jenn makes cookies with mom Kristen, who she says is truly her best friend. In Jenn’s interview, she says, where she’s from, divorce is taboo. When her marriage went rocky, her mom stopped coming around. If she didn’t see it, maybe it wouldn’t happen. Kristen says, Jenn has to be happy, not just pretend to be, and Jenn says, Ryan keeps talking about the future, and she wants her mother’s honest opinion. In her interview, Jenn says, Ryan and her mother haven’t met, and if her mom says she’s out of her mind, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do.

Everyone gets ready for Heather’s Fireside Event. Fancy Pants Heather tells Terry that a red pocket square with a pink tie is not a thing, so jot that down. She’s launching the first network on the Fireside app, and says, it’s not OWN, but it’s HD, and she’s throwing a party to celebrate living life in high definition. The possibilities of shows are endless, and the more work you do, the more work you get, and the more you’re seen. For some ungodly reason, she’s decided to invite her fellow cast members as well. Tamra and Jenn are both wearing neon dresses, some kind of yellow green, and I don’t think so. Supposedly, Shannon isn’t feeling well, and isn’t coming, and Fancy Pants is annoyed that she didn’t find out until the last minute. In Emily’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants told her that Shannon was talking sh*t about her at BravoCon. But then Fancy Pants told her that she couldn’t say what it was because it’s in the vault. Emily doesn’t even know where their friendship stands.

In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she hates moving, but this experience feels like a real adventure. They’re now in a hotel, and she’s living on adrenaline. The sale of the house is done, and she wants to celebrate, but now isn’t the right moment. She’s playing this one close to the vest. After the guests arrive, she pops a humongous bottle of champagne. She tells them that the network is about community, and she wants to keep their community flowing. We see HD on every possible thing, and in Gina’s interview, she says, the party has Heather written all over it. Fancy Pants explains that you can do anything on her network, and in Tamra’s interview, she wonders if that’s where Fancy Pants’ acting career is going. It’s kind of like Instagram live, TikTok or Only Fans. She feels robbed. She’s also shocked Jenn hasn’t introduced Ryan to her family. Tamra says she needs an Eddie break, and they all decide to go to Mexico. The first course is served something under a cloche, and Emily clearly doesn’t eat fancy food very often. She says she’s had eight glasses of champagne and no food, and it certainly shows. She says she thinks Fancy Pants should put her initials on more things, and in her interview, Gina asks, why say it now? Wait until after the party and they’ll talk sh*t about it. Emily is treading on thin ice, and Fancy Pants is going to kill her. Emily says she’s joking, but Fancy Pants fails to see the humor. Tamra yells, water! and in her interview, Fancy Pants says, Emily is acting like an ass; so crass, rude, and inappropriate. But she’s not allowing Emily to take this away. Gina tells Emily that she’s being a d*ck, and Emily says, Fancy Pants should either tell her what Shannon said or don’t start stuff. Gina and Emily get up to go to the restroom, and have to go through a curtain to get there. Emily says, it’s like The Wizard of Oz, and she’s not wrong. Fancy Pants says, Emily should eat her f***ing food and shut up. At this age, she should be past that. In her interview, she says she doesn’t think Emily’s behavior is funny at all. If you’re that hammered, leave the table. After the dinner, Fancy Pants thanks them for coming, and Gina says she deserves all this and more.

Fancy Pants and Terry go to say goodbye to their house after the party. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, the deal is done, the party is over, and this is their goodbye. In Terry’s interview, he says, they put their blood, sweat, and tears in this house. He’d wanted to be buried in the backyard, but it strangely feels like it’s not his anymore. He’s going to miss it very much in 50 million different ways. They drink champagne out of the bottle, and Terry says, every inch of the house is Fancy Pants; perfect in so many ways. She says, ask her friends, and tells him that Emily was horrible. This is exactly why she didn’t want to tell them about the house. Terry asks what she’s going to say when she decides to share, and she says she’s damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t. In her interview, she says, a friend is happy for you for your success. If she tells the women something positive, she’s bragging. We flash back to Emily telling her that she comes across as better than them, and she says, don’t poke holes in other people’s boats. It doesn’t make your boat float. Please prove her wrong. She and Terry dance in the kitchen, and we flash back to the house firsts, from digging the foundation to starting the next phase. She says, they’re walking out with happy hearts, and she hopes the next people have beautiful memories there like they did. It’s a happy house. I’ll give her this, one really nice thing she did was leave a note and some gorgeous stuffed toys for the next kids.

On the phone, Shannon tells Tamra that she doesn’t feel good, but it’s not covid. Tamra tells her that Fancy Pants’ event was beautiful as expected. Emily got wasted and was saying whatever she felt. Even Gina was telling her to stop. Shannon says she got a call from Fancy Pants, who was not happy with her for not coming. We see a clip of Heather telling Shannon that she should have just said she didn’t know, and in her interview, Shannon says, flashback to the hoedown. Eight years later, Fancy Pants is still scolding her for not responding on time. Tamra says they talked about a girls trip, and as she’s looking for the info on the hotel, she gets an alert. She tells Shannon that Terry and Fancy Pants just sold their house for $55 million. In Shannon’s interview, she says, that’s a boatload of money for a property. Is she jealous? Yeah. We see all of their reactions, and Taylor says, word travels fast, so she doesn’t know why Fancy Pants wouldn’t say anything. In Tamra’s interview, she says, this is where Fancy Pants’ acting skills come in. It’s bullsh*t. Fancy Pants talks like they’re friends, but when it comes to personal information, she tells them nothing. It’s getting old.

Kristen meets Jenn and Ryan at a restaurant, and in Jenn’s interview, she says, family is everything to her, and it’s a massive moment. Her mom knows about Ryan’s past, and asked if she had concerns, but she said, no, and her mom said, okay. They make boring small talk for a while, then finally get to the elephant in the room. Ryan says, obviously, he wishes he could redo being unfaithful in his marriage. He and his wife met when they were 13, and at 40, they divorced. He’s not happy with how he conducted himself, and Kristen asks if he isn’t concerned to take so much with seven kids between them. Will was a great husband and father. Jenn says, he was a good dad, and in her interview, she says she wishes her mother would stop talking about Will. She’s sure Ryan is thinking, this is a battle. Kristen asks if he’s thinking marriage, and Ryan says, in a perfect world, Jenn’s divorce would be final and they’d be engaged. It’s been amazing for him and fulfilling. In her interview, Jenn says, brick by brick is unloading, and she feels like she can breathe.

Everyone gets packed for Mexico, and the flight is like two seconds. They start drinking on the bus, letting the trip officially begin. In Shannon’s interview, she says she’s Fun Vacation Shannon, and Mexico brings it to another level. We flash back to previous trips to Mexico, and she says, I want more tequila in Spanish. They choose roommates, and in Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she feels like she’s back in fifth grade, seeing who’s getting picked last for dodgeball. I sigh because – let’s say it together – all the wrong people have the all the money. At least they’re not acting like Ramona with the rooms. In Gina’s interview, she says, the suite is bigger than her condo. In Jenn’s interview, she says, it’s a mind-blowing place. She can’t believe it. They have dinner outside, and the cocktail glasses are gravy boats. This should go well. In her interview, Gina says, Fancy Pants isn’t talking about the house, and everybody is biting their tongues, actively trying not to bring up the elephant in the room, but that f***ing elephant is big. Tamra can’t contain herself anymore, and asks why Fancy Pants didn’t tell them. Fancy Pants says, they had an NDA and it happened quick. They had to be out in three weeks. Gina says she can’t believe Fancy Pants didn’t say anything, and Fancy Pants says, to be honest, she wasn’t sure how to discuss it. She feels like if she’s excited about something, they think she’s bragging, and she didn’t feel she could share it. Gina says she’s bummed Fancy Pants feels that way, and in her interview, she says she’s been there for Fancy Pants. It makes her question their friendship. Shannon says she’s happy for Fancy Pants, but she’s thinking back to Fancy Pants telling her that she wasn’t sharing. Fancy Pants says she didn’t want it in the press, and thought she’d share on the trip, and Gina says, it would have been nice if they hadn’t found out about it in the press. Irony! Shannon says, other people criticized her for not sharing, and Fancy Pants asks why Shannon is angry. She was told she was staging pics for the paparazzi. Emily says, it wasn’t a big deal, and Fancy Pants says she didn’t like the connotation. Emily has been unkind. Emily says, Fancy Pants is unfair. She cracks jokes. Fancy Pants says, she was a d*ck, and Emily says she’s sorry if she hurt Fancy Pants’ feelings. She gets it. Over on the side, in Spanish, a waiter says, this soap opera is good.

Emily says she didn’t think she was being negative. Sorry. Fancy Pants asks if she thought her behavior was okay, and Emily says, what she doesn’t think is okay, is Fancy Pants saying she needs to STFU and eat her food. Fancy Pants says, Emily had a cucumber hanging out of her mouth like it was a fruit roll-up, and Emily says, the food had sand in it. If she can’t crack jokes, why was it okay to put cookies on a plate and say they were Emily’s boobs? We flash back to something I don’t even remember, and Emily asks if it’s okay to body shame. Fancy Pants gripes about Emily saying she looked like a whale trainer in her wetsuit, and we flash back to Emily actually saying she looked great first. In Shannon’s interview, she wonders, who gets upset being compared to a whale trainer? Emily says, Fancy Pants hurt her by saying Shannon had crappy things to say about her when they were in Shannon’s room at BravoCon, then not telling her what they were. Shannon says, they were never in her room, and Fancy Pants tells Emily that she never said that. Emily asks why she’d make that up, and Fancy Pants says she’s tired of being the scapegoat. In Gina’s interview, she says she was in the room with Emily and Fancy Pants, and she’s pretty sure Fancy Pants told Emily that Tamra said that, but she was also getting a blowout, so she’s not sure. Fancy Pants says she doesn’t care what Emily thinks. She’s a sh*tty friend. Emily is like, ditto, and Fancy Pants says she loved and cared about Emily, and all she does is look for holes. She’s held to a different standard. It’s kind of amusing she would say that, since she seems to hold herself to a different standard. Emily says, Fancy Pants gets to be a pretentious jerk and egocentric, and they’re supposed to just say, that’s Heather.  Fancy Pants says, just because Emily says something emphatically doesn’t make it true, and Emily says, just because Fancy Pants talks with her hands doesn’t make it true either. In Spanish, the waiter says, this is gonna take a while.

Next time, Vicki arrives to whoop it up; cliff diving and four-wheeling; Jenn asks what Tamra knows; and Tamra accuses Jenn of ruining her whole family.

💭 Jenn needs to run, and so does Emily. I can see Emily is slipping into the Housewives abyss, and her friend Gina is already there.

🦔 No Boundaries, Just Vibes…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, Runway talk, and perhaps a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay blazing your own trail, and stay leaving the table if you’re that hammered.

September 5, 2023 – The Feds Question Sonny, First Day, Salty Talk, City Wives, Plathville Returns, Night Flight, Set Adoptions & Star

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Fed #1 tells Sonny that they’ve been sitting here all night. It wouldn’t be so bad if he’d just cooperate with them. All he has to do is answer a few questions. Let’s try this again. How about if they start with simple yes or no questions. Does he think he could manage to do that? He leans forward and asks if Sonny has ever done business with Pikeman Security Corp. Yes or no?

Michael walks into Sonny’s old kitchen, and Carly asks what he’s doing here. Is everything okay? After acknowledging the moss bowl🎍, he says he has something important to tell her, and it’s not good news. She asks if Willow is okay, and he says, Willow’s fine; the kids are fine. He had dinner last night at the MetroCourt with Willow and Wiley, and the FBI showed up and arrested dad. She says she knows.

Maxie says she’s going to need Lucy to calm down, and Lucy asks how she’s supposed to calm down when she feels Deception slipping through their fingertips. Maxie says she knows Lucy wants to fight Tracy’s lawsuit, claiming The Deceptor was her idea, but she thinks they should consider settling. Lucy tells her, don’t even say that. She’s put her blood, sweat, and tears into this company. She’s never going to give 75% of her beloved Deception to Tracy Quartermaine. Maxie asks if she’s thinking this through clearly, and Lucy says she’s thinking about it all the time night and day. She can’t stop. Maxie says, okay. Then she knows 25% of a viable company is a whole lot more than 100% of nothing.

Ava sees someone looking at a painting and says she’s sorry, but they’re closed. Mason says he thought she was always open for him, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, do people really buy this junk? He swears he could do that in his sleep. She says, really? So he’s a thug and an artist too. He says he’s sorry she woke up on the wrong side of the bed  this morning. If it was him in that bed with her, he’d make damn sure she woke up on the right side with a smile on her face every morning.

Austin enters the unfamiliar house, and calls to Nikolas. He asks if Nikolas is here, but there’s no answer. He starts to look at his phone, when Nikolas comes in, and Austin asks where he’s been. Nikolas says he went for a morning jog, and Austin says, for months he’s been recovering from a traumatic head injury. Does he think that’s a good idea? Nikolas says he feels pretty good and his strength is almost back to normal. Austin says, right. And when it is, what is he going to do?

Drew dries off after a shower, and Cyrus says, they need to talk. Drew tells Cyrus that he has nothing to say, and Cyrus says he needs to warn Drew. Drew says, Cyrus told him already. Hell, damnation for eternity; he gets it. Cyrus says he’s talking about Sonny Corinthos, and Drew says, what about Sonny? Cyrus says, Drew is no longer under Sonny’s protection, and Drew asks what he’s talking about. Cyrus says, Sonny can’t even protect himself. As of last night, he’s in federal custody.

Dante comes in, and Sam hugs him. She says she’s glad he’s home. She was really worried about him. She asks if she can get him anything, but he says, uh-uh. Just this. She asks if he got any details on his father’s arrest, but he says, not a thing, and he was at the FBI office all night. They’re keeping pretty tight-lipped. They don’t want to tell the PCPD anything about that case. She says, why not? and he says he doesn’t know. Because they can. It seems like the end for his father. She tells him not to say that. She’s seen Sonny in tighter spots, and he always manages to beat the charges. He says, but this time, he doesn’t have a Jason.

Agent Wallis tells Fed #2 that he wants a full report on all the evidence seized at the pier last night, and Fed #2 says he’s on it. In their interrogation room, Fed #1 tells Sonny that Pikeman is a global contractor furnishing arms and security equipment… among other things. Come on. Sonny is an importer. If Pikeman approached him to deliver arms to a third party, it would be a very quick payday for him. Sonny says he’s a coffee importer. He’s not going to say anything unless his attorney is present.

Lucy says, so that’s it. One little hearing doesn’t go their way, and Maxie wants to cave? Maxie says she doesn’t like this any more than Lucy does, and Lucy asks, then why doesn’t Maxie want to fight? She wants to fight, but it sounds like Maxie wants to throw in the towel, and give up everything, their whole lifetime of work. Maxie says, first and foremost, she’s a mom, a single mom of three kids. And she just decided to move out of her two-bedroom apartment and into a house that’s a lot more expensive. Her financial future is tied to Deception. She has to be practical. (I kind of doubt Dante would evict her for non-payment.) Lucy says she gets it, but she just thinks Maxie is jumping the gun maybe. She says she needs gummies, looks in her purse, and says she didn’t bring gummies today, just when she needed them. Maxie says, they’re up against Tracy Quartermaine. She’s not some inexperienced grifter looking for a quick payday. Lucy says, doesn’t she know that? and Maxie says, good. Then Lucy knows how ruthless she is. She’ll do anything to win, and Maxie isn’t entirely sure she wants to play that game. They already know she used Brook, her own granddaughter, as a corporate spy. Lucy says, Maxie is right. Tracy is greedy and she’s vindictive, but somehow, Lucy doesn’t think that’s all there is to it. She thinks maybe, just maybe, Tracy is deliberately trying to get back at her. Maxie says, get back at her for what?

Mason says he really doesn’t see what Ava sees in his cousin. She doesn’t know what she’s missing in him. She says, what she’s missing is her ex-husband’s corpse. He should have delivered it to her by now. He says, let him just run out to his car and get it, and she says, he’s just hilarious. Where is it? He says, when and where and how they move Nikolas’s body is up to the boss. She says, he’s been working this out with the boss for weeks now, and Mason says he doesn’t want to get caught moving it. Then he’d have to explain to the cops that it was Ava who did him in. She says, whatever arrangements he has to make, make them. She did what he asked her to do. Now it’s time for him to honor the deal.

Nikolas says, Austin saved his life. That blow to his head put him in a coma. He doubts he would have survived a day or two, much less made a full recovery if it wasn’t for Austin. For that, Nikolas wants to thank him. He does appreciate it. Austin says, sure, happy to help. He just wants to clarify something. It’s important. He just wants… Ava never intended to kill Nikolas, right? It was just an accident. Nikolas says, accident or not, he almost died, and Austin says he understands that. Nikolas’s condition was grave and his recovery has been remarkable. It’s just that now it’s time for Ava to know about it.

Drew asks how Cyrus heard about Sonny, and Cyrus says, Drew knows how it is in here; word travels fast. He overheard some inmates say Sonny was picked up by the Feds and the shipment he was moving was confiscated. Drew says, that doesn’t sound like Sonny; he’s too smart to get caught. Cyrus says, when it comes to the Feds, they don’t mess around. Word is, Sonny is in violation of the National Security Act. Drew is ex-military. He’s a smart guy. Put two and two together. Those are some serious charges. Doesn’t he agree?

Sam tells Dante, with Jason gone, it did leave a huge hole in Sonny’s organization, but he still has Gabe, Frank, Dex, Brick, and a lot of other loyal people surrounding him. Not to mention Diane who will help him fight the charges. Dante says, but they didn’t come after him on RICO charges or racketeering. It’s violations of the NSA. It’s pretty serious. If he gets convicted, he could be in jail for the rest of his life. This is the Feds; they don’t mess around. She says she knows, but something doesn’t feel right about this. Sonny is way too careful. He would never let something like this happen. How does Dante think it happened? He says, someone snitched on him, and went on the record. Whoever it is, they gave the FBI what they needed to haul him in finally. Sam wonders who would do that, and Dante says his father has made so many enemies over the years. Maybe it’s some low-level worker who saw something they shouldn’t have seen. She says she doesn’t think so. Sonny is way too loyal to his people. They would never turn on him like that. Her gut his telling her it’s one of his enemies from outside his organization. He says, maybe, but who?

Michael asks how Carly heard about Sonny. Did Diane call her? She says, no. She was at Kelly’s last night and a regular from the docks came in. He saw the Feds down there and heard the name Corinthos. She called Sonny, and he didn’t pick up. She wasn’t going to leave that on a voicemail, so she called Dex. Michael asks if he answered, and she says, yes. She told him to get the hell out of there. She doesn’t know if he got picked up or managed to escape, but she hasn’t heard from him since. Has Michael? Michael says, no. He hasn’t either. She says, this isn’t good, and he says, obviously Dex had no time to warn him because he didn’t know until the Feds walked off the elevator at the MetroCourt. She says she needs the truth and not a cover story. If Michael changed his mind and he turned his father in to the Feds, he needs to tell her the truth right now.

Lucy tells Maxie, good grief. Who knows what Tracy would take offense to? That woman is just in a perpetual state of unhappiness. Ask her family and they’ll tell you, that woman is nothing but a big old sourpuss. Now she’s trying to inflict her nasty unhappiness on Lucy and her friends and associates. Maxie says, her motives don’t matter at this point; her evidence does. Lucy says, right, but she still thinks Tracy might have something else up her sleeve, and Maxie says, what they do know is, Tracy is alleging the designs for The Deceptor were her idea and they stole them. Lucy says, but they know, she’s a big fat liar, and Maxie says, but they also know Tracy had Brook give her the proprietary information on how they developed The Deceptor. Lucy says, that has to be, because it’s the only way Tracy could get her grubby little hands on her idea, and Maxie says, but they don’t know what evidence Tracy actually has to prove the design for The Deceptor was her idea and not Lucy’s, and that she created it first.

Michael says he could understand why Carly would suspect him of turning Sonny over to the Feds, and Willow did too. Wiley saw his grandfather being arrested by those agents and he’s really upset about it. Carly says, he shouldn’t have to see Sonny arrested. Is he okay? Michael says, he is now. They got him home, tucked him into bed, and told him that his grandfather is going to be okay. She asks what Willow said, and he says, she asked him straight out if he was responsible for Sonny’s arrest. She asks what he told Willow, and he says, the truth. He made the decision not to use the Pikeman footage, and in doing so, he gave up the whole idea of getting revenge against his father. Carly and Willow made him realize that by going after Sonny he’d be causing too much damage, especially to his siblings. She asks if he swears to her that he had nothing to do with this, and he says he swears. He gave her the footage; that was the end of it. She says she smashed that flashdrive right her in the kitchen, right in front of the moss bowl🎍 and Josslyn. But are they sure she had the only copy? Dex knocks at the door.

Sam tells Dante, regardless of who could have turned Sonny in, is he sure about the NSA charges? He tells her, it’s all rumors right now. Like he said before, the Feds are being tight-lipped about the whole thing. They don’t want to involve the PCPD because Sonny might have informants in the department. She says, he doesn’t think anyone would suspect he’d warn Sonny, does he? and he says he doesn’t know. He has to admit he’s glad he doesn’t have to answer that question. He doesn’t know what he’d do with that information if he had it, but he didn’t. He found out when his mother called him. She asks if he thinks Diane can get Sonny out of this, but he says he honestly doesn’t know. The way this is going down, the Feds are acting like they’re so confident in their case, they have the evidence to back it up.

Fed #1 says, Sonny has been the target of multiple federal investigations. He knows how this works. The only thing they want more than his lifetime conviction, is evidence of who he’s working with. Does Sonny want to tell him who that is? Diane walks in and says, seriously? Seriously? The FBI doesn’t know you don’t question anyone without counsel present? Her client isn’t going to answer any more of his questions. Fed #1 says, Sonny hasn’t answered any of his questions to begin with. The only thing he said was, he imports coffee. She says, not just coffee. The best coffee. She advises him to try it sometime – Sonny nods – and he’s done with her client. Fed #1 says, they can and will hold Mr. Corinthos for 72 hours. He won’t make bail on an NSA violation. Maybe she should explain to her client the benefits of cooperating. He leaves, and in the hallway, he tells Wallis, sorry he didn’t get anything on Sonny. Wallis says, they knew going into this thing, this guy was a pro, and Fed #1 says, damn good thing they have the evidence to back this up. Sonny Corinthos isn’t getting away this time.

Lucy tells Maxie that she doesn’t see how Tracy could have proof that she came up with the idea of The Deceptor, because it was hers; it was all hers. She came up with it. She did have encouragement from Martin, but it wasn’t like it just all of a sudden came out – go ahead and come up with this revolutionary beauty wand that makes us all look younger. Maxie says, that doesn’t mean Tracy didn’t have the same idea, but Lucy says, oh poo. There’s no way Tracy came up with the same idea she had. Maxie says, what about those gazillionaires who are always creating rockets that are going into space at the same time? It could just be out there in the ether. Lucy says, no. She’ll give Maxie this. If one of their competitors – an actual cosmetic competitor like Erica Kane with Enchantment – came up with the idea, maybe she would buy it. But no way Tracy came up with the idea. Anyway, she thinks this is personal. Maxie says, she obviously has something, because they’re standing here having this conversation. Lucy says, okay, but since when did Tracy care or know anything about beauty?

Mason says, keep your shirt on. Ava will get her husband’s body all in good time. She tells him, so he’s been saying. Where is it? He says he’ll figure out where to move it and let her know. He puts a lollipop in his mouth, and she says, when? He says, soon, but she says, that’s not good enough. She wants to know when. No more vague answers. He says, we’ll be in touch, he promises, and walks out.

Austin says, this has been a hell for Ava. Believing Nikolas is dead is like living in the torments of the damned. Nikolas says he’s sure, but he didn’t realize Austin and his ex-wife were so close. Austin flashes back to getting busy with Ava, and says, they’re not really. Nikolas says, then how does Austin know she was so tortured by his apparent death? and Austin says, they kind of went through this ordeal on Spoon Island because they were there when Heather Webber and Ryan Chamberlain were there on this rampage. Heather stabbed him with like this big fishing hook. Nikolas says, really? and Austin says, it was super painful. Nikolas asks what he was doing on the island to begin with, and Austin says he just stopped by. Nikolas says, no one drops by Spoon Island. He must have had a reason to go there.

Drew comes in the prison library, and Cyrus says, so they meet again. Drew says he appreciates the warning about Sonny. He hopes Sonny beats the charges like he’s done so many times in the past, but right now, all he wants to do is find a book. Cyrus says, before he does, he has something for Drew.

While Michael is transfixed by the moss bowl🎍, Dex thanks Carly for calling him last night. She asks where he’s been, and he says he’s been laying low. He didn’t want to go home, so he spent the night in the Q’s boathouse. Carly says, he should have called Michael or her; they were worried. Michael asks how the Feds got a copy of the Pikeman footage. Did Dex keep a backup? Dex says, of course (🍷) he didn’t keep a backup. He downloaded the footage onto an encrypted flashdrive that he gave to Michael. Michael asks, what about the original footage? and Dex says he deleted it. Michael asks if he always kept the flashdrive with him. Was there a chance it could have been copied? Dex flashes back to Josslyn handing him the pieces of the flashdrive, and telling him that Carly destroyed it. He remembers Josslyn saying later that she wishes her mom hadn’t destroyed the flashdrive. It was their one chance to turn Sonny into the Feds and they blew it. Josslyn walks in and asks what they’re all doing here.

Austin tells Nikolas, when the news broke that Ryan and Heather had escaped from Spring Ridge with Esme, the rumors were swirling that Esme was The Hook killer. Ava was her first victim, so he went to check on her, and that was good because they were all there. Nikolas says, and he was hooked by Heather trying to protect Ava, and Austin says, yes. They have that in common. They both almost died on Spoon Island. Nikolas says, Austin may well have saved Ava’s life, and Austin says, Ava’s a really good person. Nikolas says he’s not sure everyone would agree with that statement, and Austin says, she’s made her mistakes, but who hasn’t? And it’s really difficult for her right now. She blames herself for something that clearly isn’t true. So it’s time for Nikolas to go back to town, and time to tell her that he’s alive.

Cyrus takes a chess set out of a box, and tells Drew that he made it in the prison shop. He’d like Drew to have it. It’s the least he could do after Drew saved his life. Does he play? Drew says he knows the game. He hasn’t played in a while. Cyrus says he originally made it for himself. He was hoping to interest other inmates in playing with very limited success. Now he’d like Drew to have it. For his own use of course (🍷), but also in the hope Drew would agree to play him. Chess is an excellent way to see how the opposing player’s mind works. Things like, are they impulsive or methodical? How far ahead can they think? And best of all, you don’t have to like someone to play chess with them, and you may learn something worth knowing.

Dante wonders what Sonny did to get the NSA after him, but Sam says, that’s hard to pinpoint because his organization is so complex. (Is it? Is it really?) Does he think this could all be tied to the MetroCourt shooting? He says he doesn’t know how it could be, but they can’t dismiss it, right? If Sonny goes down, it destabilizes Port Charles and leaves a gaping hole in his family. She says, a load of people would be hurt if his father went to prison, and he says, especially his family. He’s been in these clothes for far too long. He’s going to have a shower. She asks if he wants coffee or breakfast, and he says, coffee sounds good. She kisses him and says she’ll brew him a pot. Go shower. He goes upstairs, and she calls Ferncliff. She tells them who she is, and that she has medical proxy over Cody Bell. She’s calling to see how he’s doing today. The nurse tells her, Cody has been on a 24-hour watch since he’s been admitted. He hasn’t been left alone. He’s in good hands. Try not to worry. Sam thanks her and says she’ll call later for an update. She sits on the sofa and says, dammit Cody. You’ve got to tone it down. You’re not going to get to Sasha if they keep watching you.

Carly says she’s been worried all night long about Josslyn. Why didn’t she return Carly’s calls or texts? Josslyn says she’s sorry. She went to that concert, then she went out with some friends. Carly says, she didn’t come home all night long, and Josslyn says she’s sorry. She spent the night with Lori. She came home as soon as she saw the texts and the calls. Carly says, they talked about this. When she was hauled down to the PCPD, she told Josslyn that she had to keep her phone on at all times in case she needs her. Josslyn promises it won’t happen again, and asks, what the hell is going on? Michael says, the FBI busted Sonny last night for violations of the NSA, and Josslyn says, really? Why? Dex says, someone turned Sonny in, and Carly says, was it her?

Lucy tells Maxie that she just knows Tracy is doing this out of pure and total spite for her. It’s because she finally made Deception such a huge success. Maxie says, first of all, excuse me? She’s pretty sure she had something to do with that success. Lucy says, of course (🍷) she did. That goes without saying, and Sasha too. Thinking about this, if Sasha hadn’t had that unfortunate meltdown, they probably wouldn’t be in this situation, but now they have The Deceptor. It’s their only money maker and they need it, and now it’s tied up in court because of Tracy for six months. Maxie says, financially, maybe they could hold on, but only if they both agree that they’re going to win this.

Nikolas says, he can’t go back… yet, and Austin asks, why not? Nikolas says he can’t go into details, but he’s in a volatile situation. Austin says, right. Sure he is, because he knocked up his son’s girlfriend and then kept her prisoner in a tower at Windymere, and he doesn’t know if anyone’s told Nikolas, so he’ll bring Nikolas up to speed. Elizabeth Baldwin, his co-conspirator in all this, made a spirited statement to the police department. Nikolas says, that doesn’t surprise him. Elizabeth always ends up doing the right thing. Austin says, so back to the original question. Why is Nikolas staying away from Port Charles? What is it? Is he afraid he’s going to get arrested?

Josslyn asks where Sonny was arrested, and Michael says, the MetroCourt. He was there with Willow and Wiley when the Feds showed up and arrested Sonny for violations of the NSA. Does Josslyn know what that means? She says she thinks so, and Carly says, it’s really serious. Michael says, very serious. It could only mean the Feds had a copy of the Pikeman footage. Does Josslyn have any idea how they could have gotten ahold of that? She says, not from her, and he says, she was pretty determined to take Sonny down, even after he decided to back off. She says she would have turned him in, in an instant, but Dex didn’t keep a copy of the footage and gave the only copy to Michael. Michael says, and he gave it to mom, and Josslyn says, and mom destroyed it in the kitchen as she watched. Michael asks, what happened to the flashdrive after it was destroyed? and Dex says he took it. Josslyn looks at him like she’s shocked when she’s the one who gave it to him like we just saw.

Maxie tells Lucy, after their little day in court, she did some research. IP theft cases are very hard to win, but if you can prove it, they’re very lucrative. Lucy says, well, that viper Tracy thinks that she can, and Maxie says, and if she can’t, she’ll just drag this out in court for as long as it takes. Lucy says, which makes Deception just suffer, and Maxie says, Tracy will risk destroying their company if she thinks she’s not going to beat them. Which is why they can’t risk holding on if they’re just going to lose in the end. Lucy says, just stop. Is she correct in saying Maxie just wants to wave the white flag and just surrender everything to Tracy? Maxie says she knows they both hate the idea of giving in to Tracy, but yes. She thinks they should take Tracy’s deal. Lucy says, no. She’s not ready to do that. Maxie says, financially speaking, they don’t have any time, and Lucy says she realizes that. She also realizes that it’s not a walk in the park for them, but please, just give her time. She’s got to figure out what proof Tracy has that she had the idea for The Deceptor, and she knows for a fact there’s no way Tracy can prove she thought of The Deceptor first. Maxie asks, how exactly is Lucy going to do that?… Oh no. She knows that look. Lucy says she promises Maxie, she will think of something.

Nikolas says, there are a number of issues that have to be worked out before he returns to the land of the living, and Austin says he thinks he just mentioned two of the big ones. Nikolas says he’s eager to get back home, and Austin says, cool. This decade? Nikolas says he can’t wait to see Spencer, his mother, and his new son Ace. And he needs to set things right with Ava. Now if Austin will excuse him, he needs to get out of these running clothes and into a shower. He leaves the room, and Austin’s phone rings. He picks it up, and says, hey… Hello? Everything all right? Ava says, no. Actually, everything is not all right. What the hell is going on? He asks what that means, and she says, when she got to work, his creepy cousin was in her gallery. He says, not to buy art? and she says, he most definitely wasn’t here to buy art. Austin says, then what did he want? and she says, that’s just the thing. Aside from just being a creeper, she has no idea. It’s like he was checking up on her. Austin says, he’s remarkably good at that, and she says, she asked him again when she can expect to have Nikolas’s body and he was vague again. He deflected, saying he still had things to work out with the boss.

Cyrus and Drew play chess. Cyrus makes a move, and Drew makes a move. Cyrus thinks a moment, and moves his piece. Drew takes one of his pieces and knocks over Cyrus’s little horse and takes it. (Hey, I don’t play chess, okay?) Cyrus smiles.

Michael asks what Dex did with the flashdrive, and Dex says he intended to burn it. Carly asks what he means, intended? and Dex says he should have burned it, but he got derailed by work and ended up throwing it away in a public trashcan. (Once again, Dex, spy extraordinaire.) Carly asks what the hell he was thinking, and Dex says he looked at the fragments of the flashdrive; it was totally destroyed. Josslyn says, Carly did smash it pretty hard, and Dex says he doesn’t see how anyone could have gotten anything off of it. Michael says, they’re not talking about anyone; they’re talking about the federal government. If Dex was being followed, someone could have seen him throw it into the trashcan and the Feds could have retrieved it. Carly says, that’s right, and they have the technology and resources to pull footage off of the damaged flashdrive. Michael says, that footage will be all they need to slap NSA charges on Sonny, and Josslyn says, they’re getting way too ahead of themselves. They don’t even know for sure if the Feds have it. (And if the flashdrive was involved, why would they have even needed the raid?) Michael says, the flashdrive would have given them enough evidence to arrest Sonny and probably convict him. Their actions could put Sonny away for the rest of his life. Lots of soap looks all around, including the moss bowl🎍.

Dante comes downstairs looking fresh, and Sam says, perfect timing. One coffee for him. She hands him the cup, and he thanks her. He says he always kind of knew this day was coming. He hoped it wouldn’t, but it was coming. He guesses the bright side is, he wasn’t the one who had to bust his father. She says, that would be a heavy guilt to carry on his shoulders, and he says, being a cop is complicated. He has to say he’s kind of conflicted here. He knows the difference between right and wrong, but the difference can be inches or miles. He’s arrested people who were guilty who he knew would never see the inside of a jail cell. Conversely, he’s arrested people who have made terrible mistakes who ended up paying for it for the rest of their lives. When he found out Sonny was his father, their moral codes couldn’t have been more vastly different. He got to know Sonny and see the good in him, and even to understand why he did some of the things he did. He’s thinking now is maybe they’re inches apart, not miles apart. At the end of the day, Sonny is his father, so what is he going to do? Sam says, be there for him. They’ll all be there for him. Dante says he’s got to admit, part of him is hoping Sonny beats the charges one more time.

Diane says she’s seriously considering playing softball for the Corinthos Coffee team, but she hears Carly has become one hell of a pitcher for Kelly’s, and Sonny says, that’s true. She says she’s not surprised. She’s wild. She might give Sonny some competition this year. Of course (🍷) the team to beat is always General Hospital. That Elizabeth Baldwin is so nice and sweet when she takes care of patients in the hospital, but she’s brutal on the field. He says, that’s why they need her. They could use a shortstop and centerfielder. She says, okay. She’ll play centerfield. That way, at some point, she’ll be pitted against Alexis and her Invader team. She both loves and misses a good Diane/Alexis match. Fed #1 comes in, and Diane thanks him for joining them. Her client still isn’t going to answer any of his questions, unless he wants to talk softball. Fed #1 says, if Mr. Corinthos isn’t going to cooperate, there’s no use wasting her and their valuable time, and she says, good. Fed #1 says, Mr. Corinthos can return to his holding cell for 72 hours until his court arraignment. Fed #2 comes in with handcuffs, and Diane asks if cuffs are really necessary. Fed #1 nods, and as Fed #2 cuffs Sonny, Diane says she’s sorry. He’s correct. The case is going to be heard in the Federal District of New York, and these are Federal NSA charges. She won’t be able to get him off this time.

In the hallway, Fed #2 gives Wallis the report he asked for, and Wallis says, let’s see those photos. He looks at I don’t know what, and says, jackpot.

Tomorrow, Alexis tells Nina that if Sonny goes to prison, she’s vulnerable; Anna says, something’s off; Montague tells Sasha, this isn’t over until he says so; and Cody yells, let me go!

🌎 It’s a Small World After All…

It’s like when I moved to NYC and my dentist’s nurse turned out to be from my hometown in Ohio.

🧂 Adding Some Salt…

This one started off promising, only one wild card in the bunch. Now that wild card is gone, but she passed the torch… to everyone else.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-recap-does-meredith-do-ketamine

I love a good quote.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-season-4-premiere-recap-best-quotes/

🗽 Wives In the City…

I don’t know if this reviewer was sleeping through the first episodes, but news flash, they’ve been nasty from the jump, with the exception of Jenna. Apparently, they perceive her as the weak one just because she’s not mean.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/rhony-recap-the-casts-cruelty-to-jenna-lyons-is-unforgivable

🌻 Welcome Back…

What’s happening in Plathville. I’m not sure what’s wrong with Olivia, but even I’m growing weary of it.

https://people.com/welcome-to-plathville-recap-ethan-plath-caught-in-the-middle-moriah-olivia-7965805

The credit card debacle.

https://people.com/tv/welcome-to-plathville-family-decided-to-not-be-divided-anymore-family-first/

✈️ Old News Is Good News…

Another little gem I’m late to the party for. So much to stream, so little time.

🐈 Furry Souvenirs From the Set…

Maybe that’s why they say don’t work with animals. You’ll want to take them home. That direwolf looks a lot smaller in person. Or is it pupson?

https://people.com/stars-who-adopted-pets-from-sets-chris-evans-sarah-jessica-parker-7964403

🍃 Unofficial End Of Summer…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and hating on the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay not swimming when there are riptides, and stay not saying anything unless your attorney is present.

September 1, 2023 – Pikeman’s Shipment Comes In, On Or Not, OC In the Shade, Jersey Peek, Indecisive, VanderNotes, Messy Med, Over, Dead Talk, Praising Pups (!), Decapod Of Quotes & Pink

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in the elevator, Sonny says, that’s excellent news. They’ll be in touch. Cyrus’s voice says, it is not often that we get to live in and appreciate the humility of the Lord, but on days when our salvation is imminent, our faith calls us to give thanks in an especially joyful way.

We see Cyrus preaching to a group in the library, and he says, hear me when I tell you something – God is coming. And we who have waited with faith and patience and humility are privileged to bear witness. Rejoice, my brothers, rejoice! Amen. The group applauds.

Carly runs into Kelly’s, telling Josslyn that she’s sorry she’s late. She knows the concert starts soon. Josslyn says, don’t worry about it. She guesses Carly didn’t see her text. She’s not going.

Brook says, Chase isn’t joking, and he says he’s 100% serious. She says, he wants her to move in with him, and he says, yes. She says, no.

Olivia brings Ned out by the pool. It’s empty, and he says, slow night, huh? She says, not exactly. She sent everyone home. He asks, why? and she says she wanted them to be alone out here. He says, to do what exactly? and she says, remember. Ned, remember us. Remember who you used to be.

At the Bistro, Charlotte asks why Valentin has that look, and he says, what look would that be? She says, the look he gets when he’s about to tell her something she won’t like.

Maxie turns on the lights at Lulu’s house, and goes in with Georgie, James, and Felicia. Georgie says, this was her big surprise, a visit to Aunt Lulu’s house? James says he’s surprised. He thought they were going to a Woodchuck’s game. Felicia tells him that they’re going to the game soon, but right now, they’re on an amazing adventure. Georgie asks, what is this amazing adventure? and Felicia says, they’re here to explore. James says, explore what? and Felicia says, the house. Maxie says, and maybe stake out which bedroom is going to be his new room, and James says, she means… Maxie says, no more sharing. They’re moving in here. This is their new house. Funny. I don’t remember Lulu’s house being this huge. I’ll just say it. This ain’t your Lulu’s house.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina says, unfortunately, that’s a question for Olivia and she’s not here, so they’ll have to wait. She tosses down the phone, looking harried, and looks up to see Sonny come in. She says, this is a nice surprise. She didn’t know he was coming here tonight. They hug, and he says, this is the best joint in town, especially the view. She says she’s glad he likes it. There’s something she really needs to talk to him about… Kristina walks in, and asks if Nina is joining them, but Nina says, no. This dinner is just for the two of them. She has to work. Olivia asked her to be on the floor tonight. She starts to leave, but Sonny asks what she had to tell him. She says she can take care of it herself. It’s really nothing. Enjoy their dinner. There’s a great steak special tonight. Sonny says, then he’s got it all. He has great steak, a gorgeous fiancé, a brilliant daughter. He’s got it all right here, right? The three of them smile.

Ned starts to leave, but Olivia tells him, wait. His daughter Brook, Ned’s daughter, is in a lot of pain right now because of something Tracy did. She ran out of the house because of his mother. He says, don’t put that on him, and she says, of course (🍷) not, but he was always the bridge between the two of them. He could always sort it out. There are people who still need him; his mother and his daughter and their son… the kid… Leo? For their sake, can he please just try?

Nina says she’ll send the waitress over, and Sonny thanks Kristina for being so supportive of him. Kristina says she genuinely likes Nina. Not everyone’s against him too. She can see how happy Nina makes him. She puts her hand on his.

Cyrus tells the group, today is the day for miracles. A time of righteousness, and yes, vengeance. But without the dark, there can be no light; and without vengeance, there can be no righteousness. So let us pray that this vengeance passes by unscathed, so that we may testify to the cleansing power of our Creator. The Warden Garten watches as he speaks, and he says, for all the world’s a cage, and we are all inmates in God’s celestial play, trying to break free from the grip of licentiousness, arrogance, and evil. As it says in Deuteronomy 23:14; for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee. Therefore shall they camp be holy that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. He looks at the warden.

Willow comes into the restaurant with Wiley, who runs to Nina. She hugs him, and Sonny tells Kristina, look how happy she is.

Josslyn tells Carly that they can’t go to the concert anymore because suddenly, Dex has to do something for Sonny. Carly says, oh, and Josslyn says she hates that Carly knows exactly how she’s feeling. Carly says, so Dex has to work for Sonny and Josslyn has to make alternate plans. Been there, done that. Josslyn says, it’s not that; it’s the situation. She knows she said she was moving on and trying to put it behind her, but she hates that Dex is putting himself in danger. Carly says, that’s who Dex was when Josslyn met him. He’s a guy who takes risks, for better or worse. Josslyn says, yeah, but now he’s protecting Sonny, and taking those risks because of Carly and because of Michael. Carly says, and that’s his choice, and it’s for his protection. Josslyn says she knows. It’s just, some days are harder than others. Carly says she gets that, but if Josslyn got into this thinking she was going to change Dex, that’s not going to happen.

Chase says, Brook doesn’t want to live with him? and she says she doesn’t think he’s thought this through. He says he has, and she says, oh really? Because a whole two and a half second deliberation isn’t exactly thorough. He says, it’s not like they haven’t lived together before, and she says, exactly. That’s what she’s saying. The first time, she drove him absolutely crazy, and the second time was for Bailey. He says, the third time will be for love.

Charlotte says, Maxie and her family are living at her mom’s house? and Valentin says, her mother always loved Maxie and her children. Doesn’t she think it might be nice to have some people living in that house? It’s been sitting empty. She says, yeah, but she just wishes it was her mom coming home to live there. He says he does too, but how does she feel about Maxie and her kids moving in? She says, why bother asking her when it’s already done? and he says, the decision to rent was Dante’s. He’s just asking because he cares about her feelings, so why doesn’t she tell him? She says, it’s just another place, like all of the places she’s lived. None of them last.

James runs through the living room saying, this house is huge, and there’s a backyard. He can make a treehouse. Wait. How many rooms are there? Felicia suggests they take a reconnaissance mission and count the rooms. Ready for take-off? Let’s go. They run out, and Maxie asks Georgie, what’s going on? Doesn’t she like the house? Georgie says, of course (🍷) she likes it. She remembers playing here when she was little. It seemed even bigger then. But this is Aunt Lulu’s house.

Josslyn says she doesn’t want to change Dex. Why would Carly say that? Carly says she’s been down this road, many times. She wouldn’t be Josslyn’s mother if she didn’t want to spare Josslyn from unnecessary pain. Josslyn says she’s not in pain, and Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t have to convince her; she just has to be honest with herself. Worrying about Dex, knowing he’s always in danger, is a heavy burden. And if she decides she doesn’t want to do this anymore and doesn’t want to be a part of that life, that’s okay. She just has to admit it to herself, and then she has to tell Dex. Josslyn tells Carly not to put her history with Sonny on her. She’s just disappointed, and that doesn’t mean she wants to break up with Dex. Actually, she thinks she’s still going to go to the concert because she has a bunch of friends going. Carly says, great, and Josslyn says, don’t wait up for her. Carly says, okay, and Josslyn leaves.

Brook says, Chase knows she loves him, right? and he says, yes… She says, part of the reason she does is, he’s like a knight. When someone’s in trouble, he can’t help but want to fix it. He says, she’s not just someone. They’re in a good place, and he can see she’s hurting at home. She says she appreciates his concern, but she doesn’t think living together is what they need right now.

Nina says she’s so surprised to see Wiley. She’s glad he came. Wiley sees Sonny, and says he wants to see grandpa. Nina looks at Willow, who nods, and she brings Wiley over to Sonny. Wiley and Sonny high-five, and Kristina tells Wiley that he’s looking sharp. Wiley suggests they go to grandpa’s and have a barbecue and play baseball, but Sonny says, where he lives is kind of high up. You can’t play baseball. Nina says, but if you stand on the terrace, you can see all of Port Charles. Wiley says, really? and tells Willow, let’s all go to grandpa’s and have picnic on the terrace. Kristina can come too, and Amelia and Nina, Grandpa Sonny… Michael comes out of the elevator, and Wiley continues, mommy, daddy, and Leo too? Sonny says, he can invite anybody he wants, and Willow goes over to Michael. He asks if it’s a party, and she says, yeah. Nina was here when she arrived, then Wiley saw Sonny and went to say hello. He says, if it’s okay with her, it’s okay with him. Wiley runs to Michael, who hugs him. Michael smiles at Sonny, then realizes he’s smiling at Sonny.

Maxie tells Georgie, Aunt Lulu is her best friend, and she thinks Aunt Lulu would want them to fill this place with laughter and memories, just like the memories they made with her when she lived here. Georgie asks if it won’t make Maxie miss Aunt Lulu more if they live here, and Maxie takes her hand, saying, she’ll miss Aunt Lulu no matter where they live. That’s not going to change, but being here does make Maxie feel a teeny bit closer to her. It’s almost like she gave us a little present, right? Maxie wouldn’t have brought them here if she didn’t feel good about it. Lulu asks if she can paint her room purple, and Maxie says she can. (I painted my room purple when I was around Georgie’s age. Is that a thing when you’re a tween?) Felicia comes back with James, and he says, guess what? There’s four bedrooms, one for each of them. And he’s already picked his. Georgie says, no fair. She’s older and she gets to pick first. James says he forgot. Age before beauty. He runs off, Georgie chasing him. Felicia says she’s so glad Maxie is doing this, and Maxie says, so is she.

Ned asks what Olivia wants him to do. He’s not making any guarantees. She says she understands it. She just wants to walk him through what happened that night. He says, the night of the supposed accident, and she says, see if it comes back to him. He asks how she can walk him through it if she wasn’t here. He heard it was just Tracy and Drew who saw him fall. She leads him to the other side of the room, and says, Drew told her everything that happened. They can just give it a try. He says, all right, whatever. Lay it on him. She says, he started out over here – she walks across  the room – and he saw Drew and Tracy arguing over here. So just walk to her… slowly, and see if anything feels familiar. Okay? Is he ready? He says, ready, and starts to walk.

Brook says she and Chase are in a really good place and she wants to keep it that way, but he says, moving in isn’t going to change that. If anything, it’ll bring them closer. She says, or closer to World War III. She drove him crazy when she was just temporarily couch surfing. She’s not the neatest person. She leaves her stuff everywhere. She thrives in creative clutter. He says, so they had a few discussions about clutter, and she says, more than a few. He was counting the days until she left him to his Zen world of order. He says, then when she left, his place felt empty. He missed her, and it hasn’t felt right since she left. Make it right. Move back in with him.

Local guy Steve goes into Kelly’s, and Carly asks if he wants the usual. He says he likes what she’s done with the place. It’s gotten a lot nicer since she took over. She says, it was a personal project, and he tells her, this might not be his place to say, but he thought she should know. Her ex-husband is in for a world of trouble.

Warden Garten gestures that she wants to talk to Cyrus, and he suggests the group take a break to reflect on their redemption. Cyrus says he hopes the warden hasn’t come to stop their study. He and his friends are just trying to let go of their past so they can look toward a righteous future. She says, don’t worry. She’s not here to break up his group. She just wanted to see it for herself. She’s impressed. He says, her support means a great deal, and she says, he genuinely seems like a changed man. He says, after his heart attack, he’s come to see life in a new light. His faith was rejuvenated. She says, while she might not share his exact faith, she’s relying on him for a common cause. He says, trust him. He wants nothing but the best. He believes everything is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to be. She says, let’s hope so, and he says he has only one purpose now; to bring about God’s will on earth. She says she’d hate for him to disappoint her after all his progress, and starts to leave, but he calls to her and she stops. He says, sometimes the most unexpected alliances can lead to the most extraordinary outcomes. Who knows what a difference he and his flock together can achieve? She smiles at him, and I have no clue what to make of this.

A wooden crate stamped with the Pikeman name and logo is unloaded on the docks. Dex says, they’re late, and Gabe (?) says, sometimes there are delays. This shipment’s too important for them not to pick up. They’ll be here. Dex says, the sooner the better. The boss wants this stuff out of here. He looks out to the water using binoculars.

Nina says hi to Michael, and tells him that she’ll get them a table. She calls Trish over, and tells Wiley that it was so good to see him. They go to their table, and Wiley asks Michael if they can have Grandpa Sonny and Nina over for baseball and a barbecue. They live up too high. They can have a party with everyone at their house. Michael says, if that’s what Wiley wants, he thinks they can make it happen.

Sonny tells Kristina that he can’t believe how fast Wiley is growing. Such a nice surprise. Was that her? She says, no. She wishes she could take credit for that, but she can’t tell a lie. That was pure synchronicity. (I would have said serendipity, but okay.) Sonny asks why she wanted to meet for dinner, and she asks if she has to have a reason. He says, she always does, and she guesses that’s true. She wanted him to be the first to know that the LGBTQIA+ foundation board is complete. The Corinthos-Davis House is a go. He says, that’s fantastic, and she says she’s so excited, and she couldn’t have done it without him.

Olivia says, this is the spot where Ned fell. Drew said, Ned came rushing toward him over here, and had something really important to tell him. Nina walks in, and says she doesn’t mean to interrupt whatever they’re doing, but she heard Olivia closed the pool, and she wanted to see if everything’s okay. Olivia says she should have warned Nina. They’re just doing a little exercise. They’re trying to see if they can stimulate Eddie’s memory. Nina asks if she’s sure that’s wise, and Olivia says she thinks it could help. Nina says she knows head trauma is unpredictable and would hate for Olivia to risk anything, and Olivia thanks her, but says she thinks they’ll be okay. Nina says she doesn’t mean anything by that. She hopes their experiment works. Good luck. She strides out of the room, taking a last look at them before she goes.

Valentin says, it’s really done a number on Charlotte, all this shuffling around, moving from place to place. It can’t have been easy, and if it hurt her, he’s sorry. It’s his fault. She says she always knew he’d be with her if he could. He’s in between places, living with Anna while she was at camp. With grandma away, she can’t stay at her place with Spencer and Esme. Dante and Sam are nice, but… He says, it’s not her home. That’s what he’s always wanted to give her, a stable place to call home. Listen to him. Things are changing as they speak. She says she knows. Things are always changing. That’s the only thing that stays the same.

Maxie tells Felicia that she’s going to be totally honest. It feels really strange to be here after all this time. She knows they had to get out of that apartment, and she was putting her finances together so she could get a place. Then Tracy’s horrible lawsuit happened. So she was happy when Sam suggested they rent this place. Can Felicia imagine trying to juggle a lawsuit and a mortgage at the same time? She would have been pulling her hair out. Felicia says, Tracy Quartermaine leaves a trail of destruction wherever she goes. She doesn’t like to wish ill on anyone, but she’ll be so glad when they wipe that smug smile off Tracy’s face and win the lawsuit. And they will win, because they have the truth on their side. Maxie says she’s not so sure about that. Tracy Quartermaine is ruthless. And she’ll do anything to win, including using her own granddaughter as a spy.

Brook asks Chase if he knows the expression, be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. He says he knows it. Whatever happened to the fearless BLQ who leaps before she looks? She says, maybe she became a little more cautious because she sprained her ankle a few too many times. She has something to lose now – him. And she doesn’t want him to regret her moving in. He says he’s not going to regret it, but she says, he might. And not just because she’s messy. She does stuff. She does stupid stuff that she regrets, like getting mixed up in Tracy’s dirty tricks.

Carly says she doesn’t want to cause Steve any problems, but what does he mean, trouble? He looks around and says, it’s probably nothing, but he passed what seemed to be a staging area down by Elm, the fisherman village. It looked like Feds. They’re definitely not local. And he heard the name Corinthos.

Cyrus says, today is the day our unspoken adversary is just one step behind, and those of us who have been in his employ, willingly or not, are now called upon to awaken and cast off his infernal darkness. Wake up! Your life is waiting for you. The warden tells the guard that she wishes more inmates were as inspired as Cyrus, and she leaves. Cyrus smiles.

Nina flashes back to Ned overhearing her talking to Martin, and that she’s the one who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC, when he’s being accused of it. Willow calls to her, and Nina goes over to their table. She asks if everything is all right. Did they get everything they ordered? Willow says, they did, and thanks her. She says, Wiley had the idea they should have a barbecue with baseball at their house. Wiley tells Nina that he has a new mitt, and Willow asks if that sounds like something Nina would like to join them for. Nina looks at Michael, who nods, and she says she’d love to go.

Kristina tells Sonny that she doesn’t want to jinx it, but she thinks Wiley might be the key to Michael and Willow accepting Nina. Sonny says, they’ve been through a lot and he thinks things are finally starting to turn. She says she’s so happy for them both, and he says he thinks she’s leading the way with this new center. He’s proud of her.

Olivia says, anything? but Ned says he doesn’t know. He’s told so often about what happened that night, he feels like he might remember… but he doesn’t. This is just another pool. She says, okay. She knew it was a long shot. He says he’s sorry to disappoint her, but she says, no. He was amazing. She thanks him so much for trying. He says she’s been pretty good to him and he’s been really hard on her. He just wants to say he’s sorry. She tells him that he’s forgiven. He says, friends? and holds out his hand. She takes it, and says, friends. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss her.

Brook says, it’s not just about her and Chase moving in together, although that’s definitely nerve-wracking. She doesn’t have the greatest track record, and this whole situation with Tracy is just another thing she messed up. He says he’s not asking for or expecting her to be perfect. He loves her just the way she is, flaws and all. He’s not trying to rescue her. Her moving in makes sense… to him anyway. How about her? When she strips away all the worries and regrets of the past, how does she feel about it? She starts to cough.

Carly brings out Steve’s to-go bag, and says, it’s on her. He says, she doesn’t have to do that, but she says she appreciates the information he gave her. He thanks her and leaves. I like Steve. He has a pleasant way about him. Carly is about to call Sonny, when Chase runs in and asks if he can have a glass of water for Brook.

Nina asks if it would be okay if she brought Wiley over and taught him how to make a Roy Rogers. And Wiley can tell her all about his new mitt. Michael asks Wile, what do you say? and Wiley asks Willow, can he please? Willow says, all right, but just a small one. They don’t want all that sugar. Nina says, they definitely don’t, and hustles him away. Michael asks if Willow is sure she’s okay with this. She’s been having a lot of Nina lately. Willow says, it’s fine. She’s not 100% comfortable with Nina, but Wiley is. Micheal agrees, and she says, they have to start somewhere. The important thing is bringing this whole family back together.

At the bar, Nina tells Wiley, now they add the sugar free cola, and Kristina tells Sonny that they can go over there if he wants, but he says, Nina’s got it covered. He wants to hear more about her Board. She says, they have Dr. Randolph, Michael, and he knows Diane… His phone rings, and he sees it’s Carly. Kristina says he can take it, but he tells her, this is more important, and shuts his phone off. Off all the times, eh?

Cyrus says, we may be tarred with a brush whose mark can never be removed, but that does not mean we can’t contribute to God’s work. Perhaps we may never sit at the foot of His majestic throne, but we can know that our lives have not been lived in vain. There is a way for each and every one of us to do our part of the Divine work, no matter how small that part may seem. For the Lord said, the lowest among us, the most damnedest among us is capable of redemption. And he who protects the innocent is the first among men.

Another crate is put on the dock, and Dex says, they’re here. He runs down the stairs, and tells another guy that he wants everything ready for a quick transfer. His phone rings, and he tells Gabe that he’s got to take this. He’ll be back when the ship docks. Gabe says he’s got it, and Dex slips around the corner. He says, Miss Spencer? and Carly says, Josslyn told her that he was doing a job for Sonny tonight. He’s like, uh… and she says, whatever it is, get out of there. There’s going to be a raid. Dex looks out, and she asks if he can hear her. Get out of there now.

As they check out the kitchen, Felicia says she has a good feeling about Maxie being here. Almost as if the house is welcoming her. It wants Maxie to make it into a home again. Maxie says she thinks Lulu would want that too. To a new beginning, like Felicia at the hospital. Felicia says, she’s right. That came as a surprise. She never saw herself working as a volunteer at General Hospital. Maxie says she’s sure Felicia will be a lot better at it than she was. Felicia says she loves Maxie, and she’s so proud of her. She starts to cry, and Maxie hugs her, saying, don’t cry. She loves Felicia too. James calls from the other room, and Maxie and Felicia dash in. James says his room has a secret hiding spot, and Georgie says she’s got the view and the window seat. James says, Bailey can have the little room, and Georgie asks when they’re moving in. Maxie says, not soon enough. Should they go home and start packing? James and Georgie nod, and they all file out, Maxie pausing and smiling before she turns out the light.

Valentin says he knows he let Charlotte down, but she says, let’s not talk about that. He says he’s made mistakes. He’s made far more mistakes than he cares to mention. It’s taken him way to long to get her the stable life she deserves. She says she doesn’t care how long it took. She just wishes they could be together all the time. He says, they will be. He just has to get these last details in place. And until then, know this. She’s the most important person in his world. It’ll always be the two of them. She goes over to him and hugs him. She says, just the two of us, papa.

Chase brings Brook the water, and she gulps some down. She says she literally talked herself hoarse trying to come up with all the reasons she shouldn’t live with him. He says, she knows she has to take care of her throat, and she says, she does want this. She wants nothing more than to live with him. He says he knew she would see it his way eventually. He holds out his hand and says, let’s go home. They stroll out of the courtyard hand in hand.

Dex says, the boat is docking, and Carly says, forget about that. There is no time. He has to get out of there. As he’s about to go back out, floodlights come on and the Feds are there. One says, put their hands where he can see them. They’re all under arrest. Get on the ground now. All of the guys on the dock comply, but Dex remains unseen. He peeks out, sees what’s going on, and runs up the stairs.

Cyrus says, today, the Almighty will focus His cleansing vengeance on those who collaborate with our great enemy. Proverbs 2:22: The wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. He smiles.

Olivia says, the least she can do is buy Ned a drink after going through that poolside psycho drama with her. He says he’ll never turn down top-shelf, and she says, there’s a little Quartermaine left in him. (I was thinking more Larry Ashton.) They go to the bar, and Nina watches.

Willow tells Wiley, that was delicious, and he says, with two cherries. She and Michael smile at each other.

Since everyone is way too happy, when Kristina starts to tell Sonny about the upcoming first Board meeting, a bunch of guys come out of the elevator approach the table. One says, Mr. Corinthos, you’re under arrest for violations of the National Security Act, and shows his badge. Kristina says, what the hell? and gets up, but one of the Feds grabs her. Sonny tells him to get his hands off of his daughter, and the arresting Fed tells Sonny, do not escalate this. Sonny says he’s not escalating nothing, when Michael comes over and says, there’s no problem here, putting his hand on Kristina’s back. Kristina says, tell them; they’re arresting dad. Sonny tells Kristina that it’s okay, and they cuff him.

Wiley asks Willow what they’re doing to grandpa. Where are they taking him? Putting him on her lap, Willow tells him, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.

Sonny tells Kristina, this is going to be cleared up, and the Feds march him to the elevator. Kristina tells Michael, do something.

Cyrus says, the Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. Upon the wicked, He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone – Sonny is led into the elevator – and horrible tempests; this shall be the portion of their cup. The elevator door closes.

On Monday Tuesday, Carly says, Michael needs to tell her the truth right now; Austin asks what Nikolas is going to do; Dex tells Josslyn that somebody turned Sonny in; Cyrus says, Drew is no longer under Sonny’s protection; and Sonny tells someone that he’s not saying anything without his lawyer present.

🧼 Not Laboring…

No GH on Monday.

🍊 Follow the Bouncing Orange…

It was pretty funny when Gina said, the next time Shannon told the story, she’d be a murderer, since she made it worse each time.

📸 What’s Wrong With This Picture…?

Where the hell is Biscuit in the post about his/her birthday?

💎 Stuck In the Middle…

It still doesn’t make any sense. What does separated, but living under the same roof even mean? Are they seeing other people? If they are, it seems like it would be difficult to work out their issues. If they’re not, then aren’t they just still married, but not getting busy? And her answer to the fan question is a non-answer.

🍸 Latest On the Ruling Class…

He must be a keeper if he hasn’t run yet.

Not a real surprise.

⚓️ A Fun Time Was Had…

I’m not sure who looks worse, the guests or the crew.

🏖 Breakup In the House…

Yeah. Nobody saw this coming.

https://www.etonline.com/summer-house-stars-carl-radke-and-lindsay-hubbard-call-off-engagement-exclusive-210637

https://stylecaster.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/1631823/why-lindsday-hubbard-carl-radke-break-up/

⚰️ On the Undead Front…

How’d they manage this?

He’s a busy dude.

🐶 Just Like Us…

Celebrities celebrating their pups.

https://people.com/halle-berry-brooke-shields-justin-theroux-and-more-celebrate-national-dog-day-7853272

🪗 Quotes of the Week

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. – Albert Einstein (The first guy to figure out Survivor.)

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie

The expert in anything was once a beginner. – Helen Hayes

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. – Stephen King

The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.John Locke

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. – John Lubbock

Believe you can and you are halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. – George Bernard Shaw

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

🛸 The Future Is Now…

Jump into September on Tuesday for a lotta soap and a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay always returning your shopping cart to the proper place, and stay being careful what you wish for; you just might get it.

August 30, 2023 – Gladys Begs Nina For Help, Did He Or Didn’t He, Nasty In Miami, Keep On Strummin’ & Moon

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy says she’s here to make her legal claim to The Deceptor, and Lucy laughs, saying, she actually thinks she has a legal claim to The Deceptor? Maxie says, Lucy created it, so that’s not possible, and Lucy says, she’s trying to steal their product. Why? There’s no motivation. Is this about some ancient feud they had… Wait a second… It can’t be. This is about her relationship with Tracy’s brother? Rest in peace. Tracy says, her relationship? Do not try to gloss it over. She had a cheap and tawdry affair with Alan while he was married to Monica. Lucy says, so this is a sort of morality lesson? Who is Tracy to talk to her about that? Does Tracy realize how many mob bosses and con artists she’s been married to? It goes from A to W, Larry Ashton to Mitch Williams. There’s more too, in between. Maxie says, as much fun as this stroll down Memory Lane has been, can they focus on the here and now, and figure out how to get this bogus case thrown out? The bailiff says, all rise. The honorable Judge Kerr is presiding. The judge comes in.

In the hospital elevator, Sam says she can’t believe she let Cody convince her into helping him with this plan. It’s crazy, right? A clean-shaven Cody says, that’s why he’s counting on it; they’ll think he’s crazy. She says she has to admit his loyalty to Sasha is admirable, but he does know this plan could go sideways in a million different directions. And if they’re drugging Sasha, what if that happens to him too? He says, this is the only way he can see Sasha to help her out. They get out of the elevator.

Dante goes to Ferncliff, and introduces himself at the desk. He says he’d like to ask Sasha Gilmore some questions about her involvement in the stabbing at the MetroCourt pool.

Gladys comes back into Nina’s office and says she lied. She does have a gambling problem; she was truthful about that. And she does have a huge debt because of gambling, but that’s not why she needs the $50,000. She needs it because the doctor who’s treating Sasha at Ferncliff won’t let her out until she pays him. Nina says, what doctor? How is she supposed to believe anything Gladys tells her? Gladys comes in here and tells her that she needs $50,000 to cover her gambling debt, and now Gladys is telling her that money isn’t for her gambling debt. She needs it to get Sasha out of Ferncliff. How is that even possible? What kind of doctor would prevent her from getting out? Gladys says, it’s complicated, and Nina says, of course (🍷) it is. But Gladys had better find a way to simplify it, because there’s no way she’s giving Gladys any money. Who is this doctor? Gladys says, under the heading of small world, he’s one of the people she plays poker with, and Nina says, Gladys’s poker buddy just happens to be her daughter-in-law’s doctor. Gladys says she thought he was a friend, but he’s turned on her and Sasha. He found an opportunity to squeeze money out of them, and he’s holding Sasha until he gets his money.

In the doorway of his office, Selina tells Sonny that his bodyguard said she could come in, and he asks what he can do for her. She says she appreciates him seeing her when they haven’t previously scheduled a meeting, and closes the door. He says he doesn’t see her as someone who drops by just for idle chit-chat. His time is important, her time is important… She says, correct, and he says, so if she came to his office, it must be important. She says, it is. Unfortunately, she has an unwelcome update for him. The poker game that’s been running in the backroom at The Savoy is dead, unless he steps in and saves it.

Jack tells the judge, they’re here today to substantiate the plaintiff’s claim of theft of intellectual property. They have verifiable proof, including blueprints and schematics of the original design in question. Maxie tells Lucy, that is not possible, and Jack says, along with witness testimony that will back his client’s claim. And they have expert witnesses in the cosmetics industry who will testify as to the incredible similarity between the Deception product and his client’s original idea. They contend they have very strong proof to mount a strong case, and are going to be suing for damages. The judge thanks him and asks, what is Elise’s response? Elise says, the defense acknowledges the plaintiff’s allegations, but this so-called verifiable evidence hasn’t been seen by her or her clients. This case is the very definition of a frivolous lawsuit. Clearly the plaintiff has one goal; to coerce a financial settlement to stave off the annoyance of a prolonged, pricey court trial. She moves that this case should be dismissed. Judge Kerr asks Jack and Elise to approach the bench, and asks to see the evidence.

Dante is about to go into Sasha’s room, when Janice asks if she can help him. He says he’s a detective with the PCPD. He’s here to talk to Sasha Gilmore about the stabbing at the MetroCourt pool; follow-up questions. She says, on the good news front, Sasha hasn’t been violent around here. She spends most of her time sleeping. The bad news is, she found someone here at Ferncliff to smuggle in illegal drugs. He says, really? and she says, they don’t know who’s doing it, but they’re putting a stop to it. Sasha really does have the best doctor, but because she’s been using illegal drugs, she’s set back her own recovery. Dante says he’d still like to talk to her if that’s okay, and Janice says, that room right there, if she’s awake. She leaves, and Dante goes inside, closing the door. He tries to wake Sasha, but has no luck.

A doctor says, so Sam has medical power of attorney for Cody, and she says she does. Cody says he certainly wouldn’t have made this appointment if he were calling the shots. He thinks this whole thing’s stupid. Sam says, it’s little outbursts like that. That’s why they’re here. Cody’s been a really close friend of the family for a long time, and he’s just acting out of character lately. He’s very erratic. It’s like he’s putting himself in dangerous situations on purpose. The doctor says, like what? Does she have examples? She says, he walks in traffic, whether there’s a walk sign or not, and the doctor says, a lot of people don’t wait for the proper light to change. Has she ever been to New York City? (Ha-ha! I was thinking that before he said it.) She says she has, but this isn’t about Cody just being an aggressive walker. It’s almost like he’s pushing the boundaries. The other day, she was in his apartment, and it’s on the 7th floor. She turned around for a second, and he was climbing out the window – on the ledge, and it’s a very narrow ledge. The doctor asks if Cody wants to say something for himself. Is he having a difficult time? Cody says he really doesn’t want to be here now, and the doctor says, here in his office or in the hospital in general? Cody says, no. He doesn’t want to be on this planet anymore. What’s the point?

Nina asks, what makes this man think he can extort money from Gladys when she doesn’t have any? and Gladys says, through Sasha. He knows she has access to Sasha’s accounts. He wants her to use Sasha’s money to pay him off. Nina says, why don’t they just go to the head of the hospital? Or they could go to the cops. Gladys says she’s afraid of the impact that would have on Sasha. The cops would think they were getting her out of Ferncliff so Sasha could claim she just had a bad day when she stabbed Cody. Nina says, and they would still charge her with attempted murder, and Gladys says, she wasn’t herself that day. Between the strain of the interview and psycho Cody Bell, it was all too much and Sasha just cracked. Nina says, Sasha was fine. Something else must have been going on.

Sonny tells Selina, since Curtis was shot, he knows Curtis can’t run The Savoy on a day-to-day basis, but he’s got a great staff. They’re going to be able to keep the lights on until he comes back. She says, maybe. If that was what was happening. But instead, Curtis’s father Marshall stepped in, and he doesn’t know anything about running a successful nightclub. The first thing he did was ban the backroom poker game. She was hoping Sonny could have a word with him. Explain the situation. Let him know the poker game is good for The Savoy. Sonny tells her that he’s not going to say anything to Marshall, and neither is she. Marshall’s going through some health issues right now that he knows all too well. His son is paralyzed. So if he wants to shut down the poker game at The Savoy, that’s the end of that story. And Sonny is going to be very unhappy if he gets reports that she’s interfering with Marshall or Curtis.

Selina says, her deepest apologies. It wasn’t her intention to offend Sonny. He says, maybe not, but she did. He’s very protective of Curtis and his dad. She says, what happened to Curtis is tragic. From what she read in The Invader, the police don’t believe he was the intended victim. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, that being said, the future of The Savoy is in doubt, with or without the backroom poker game. Sonny says, maybe, maybe not, but that’s up to Curtis and his family to decide. He’s never asked her about her dealings with Curtis, and he’s not asking her now. What he’s saying is, do not pressure Curtis and his family. Selina says, her? Pressure anyone? That’s really not her style. He says, do not play naïve with me. He knows her better than that.

Gladys tells Nina, all she knows is, Sasha met with the doctor and he told her that she was improving. Then he must have started messing with her head. Nina asks if Gladys is saying this doctor is playing mind games and messing with Sasha’s medication, and Gladys says, she doesn’t know. Probably. Nina says, why? Maybe to slow down her progress and recovery, so Gladys would remain her guardian and could pay him from Sasha’s bank account? Gladys says she believes that was his plan, and Nina asks, what did he do to mess with Sasha’s head? What did this doctor do?

Sam stops at the reception desk with some coffee, checking out the temperature, then turns around and spills it all over Montague and the phone he’s holding. She says she’s so sorry.

The doctor says he asked Cody’s friend to give them some privacy because he wants Cody to feel 100% comfortable. Cody gives an OK sign, and the doctor says, Cody can tell him anything. Plus, he has to ask; is Cody having suicidal thoughts? Cody says he wouldn’t go that far. More like… suicidal impulses. The doctor says he’s not sure he knows the difference, and Cody says he thinks if someone is having suicidal thoughts, they’d be more proactive. Like, they’d go online to research how long do I have to leave my car running in a closed garage before it kills me, or how many pills can I take of whatever drug before it kills me? He laughs, and the doctor says, and he’s not having those thoughts. Cody says, no, and the doctor asks how he defines suicidal impulse. Cody gets up and says, it’s kind of like what Sam said. Like crossing the street when he doesn’t have a walk sign. It’s not like he planned it out. He was just sitting at a street corner, and the sign said don’t walk. All of a sudden, this thought flashed in his brain. It was like, what would happen if you did walk? What are the actual chances of a car hitting you? So he walked in traffic. But he didn’t get hit by a car; he just kept walking. It’s not like he stayed in the intersection just crossing until a car hit him. The doctor says, when he walked against the don’t walk signal, how did it make him feel? and Cody says he guesses a little high from it, the adrenaline rush from beating the system. What’s that old phrase? The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. It was like that. When you get high, you’ve got to do something bigger to feel it again. It would be nice if that was the only reason he went out the window on his ledge because that was way riskier. The doctor asks how that made him feel, and Cody says, and Cody says, like the closer to death, the higher the high. And sometimes, maybe it would be way better to just go for it. Forgive me, but I have to say it, isn’t Ferncliff for the criminally insane? How would he even apply?

Elise says, whatever evidence Mr. Montgomery is introducing to the judge, she’s had little opportunity to review. Judge Kerr – who looks a lot like a young Gene Simmons – says, this isn’t a trial, just a preliminary hearing for him to consider the merits of this potential case. if it goes to trial, she’ll have plenty of time to examine the plaintiff’s evidence. They go back to their seats, and Tracy and Brook look at one another across the aisle.

Glady says she doesn’t know exactly what the doctor’s doing, and Nina says, they have to get Sasha out of there. Anyone who would use a human being to extort money (as opposed to…?) needs to be stopped. Give her his number. Gladys says she can’t, and Nina says, get this doctor on the phone right now. Gladys digs in her purse for her phone.

Sam dabs at Montague’s phone with a napkin, saying, she’s so sorry, and he laughs. She says she’s usually not this clutzy, and he says, that’s all right, really. He was due for an upgrade on his phone anyway, so she might have actually done him a favor. His phone rings, and Sam says, Gladys. That’s an unusual name.

The doctor tells Cody, as a medical professional, if he thinks someone is suicidal, he’s obligated to take certain actions. Cody says he doesn’t care. He’s not afraid. He’s never been afraid. The doctor asks if Cody can understand why his family friend, Miss McCall, has his power of attorney. She was worried enough about him to schedule this appointment and have him evaluated. Cody says, Sam likes to worry, and the doctor says, perhaps. The more important question is, in this instance, does she have a reason to be worried? Cody says he used to make a living as a stuntman. He’s jumped off horses, he’s jumped out of a speeding car. He’s jumped off of pretty much everything, but his specialty was skydiving, from planes. Sometimes, when he’d be getting ready to jump out of a plane, he’d wonder if he had the guts to jump and not pull his chute. Because then he wouldn’t have to struggle anymore, and he wouldn’t have to think about anything ever again. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything ever again. Everything would just be quiet. Everything would just be over. He bows his head and cries.

Selina says she hears what Sonny is saying. He found her answers lacking, and she wants to make up for it. He says he thinks he made himself clear at this point. She needs to be transparent. He wants to know where she goes for business, who she’s doing business with. If there’s any outside players coming into Port Charles doing business with her, he needs to know that. She says, no one has reached out to her; she promises him that. And if anybody does, he’ll be the first person to know. He laughs and says he’s surprised to hear her say that, and she asks, why is that? He says, because she’s sharp, she’s a smart businesswoman, and usually smart businesswomen have something to fall back on; a deal on the side.

Judge Kerr says, from what he’s seen, there’s enough evidence to justify a trial. Jack and Tracy high-five, and the judge says, they’ll allow a discovery period and the trial may proceed. He set the trial date at six months from today. He bangs the gavel, and the bailiff says, all rise. The judge leaves, and Lucy says, six months. What just happened? Elise says she can’t answer that question until she examines the evidence Jackson submitted. Lucy says, doesn’t she understand? They’ll be ruined. Deception will be ruined. Brook looks guilty, as she should.

Sonny’s phone rings, and Sonny says, send him in. Selina asks if that means their conversation is over, and Sonny says he doesn’t think she has anything else to tell him, so yeah, it’s over. She knows where to find him. Dante walks in and says, hey… Sorry. He didn’t know he was interrupting. He can wait out in the restaurant for Sonny. Sonny says, don’t worry about it. He and Miss Wu were just having a conversation. Now they’re not. Selina says, until next time, and Sonny nods. Selina gets up and says she hopes Dante finds who is responsible for shooting Curtis Ashford. What happened to him is such a tragedy. Dante says, it’s safe to say, everyone at the PD is anxious to crack that one, and she tells him, good luck. She leaves, and Dante closes the door. He says, Gabe told him that Sonny was in a meeting. He didn’t know someone was actually in the room with Sonny, and that it was Selina Wu. He doesn’t suppose Sonny wants to tell him what they were discussing.

Gladys tells Nina, he’s not answering. She’ll call back in a few minutes. Nina says she’s going to call Sonny, but Gladys says, please don’t. What does she have to do to convince Nina? This is the only way. Pay the monster off, and they get their girl back. The last time she saw Sasha, she was in very bad shape. It took Sasha a long time to even recognize her. For a second, she thought Sasha was doing better until Sasha asked if Brando was with her. So please. She knows how much Nina cares about Sasha. Nina has to give her the money. Nina says, this is crazy. This doctor needs to be stopped. She’s going to talk to Sonny. She heads for the door, but Gladys grabs her arm and says, she’ll do no such thing.

Sam says, again, she’s so sorry for spilling her coffee and making Montague miss his call. He says, not a problem, and she hands him his phone. He says, if she doesn’t mind him asking, what brings her to the hospital? She says, a friend of hers is here for a visit, and she thought she’d stay and wait. He says, that’s nice of her, and she says she just wishes she would have brought a deck of cards or something. She gets so bored just waiting around. He says, cards? What’s her game of choice? She says, poker, and he says, she can always play poker on her phone. She says she tried that, but she didn’t like it. She likes the actual feeling of the cards in her hands. He says, so does he. He plays in this regular game; it’s kind of fun. And if you’re a good player, you might actually win some good money. He knows business cards are out of fashion, but he isn’t the kind of guy who likes to put his entire life on his phone. Someone might spill coffee on it. Here’s his card – she takes it out of his hand – it has his cellphone and email. Drop him a line and he’ll get her into that game. She thanks him, and he says, it’s nice meeting her. She says, him too, and he leaves. A nurse asks if Sam isn’t Cody Bell’s health proxy, and Sam says she is. The nurse says, Dr. Brooks is ready to speak to her about her friend. Oh, so now I get a name.

Jack tells Tracy, that went about as well as they could have hoped for. Is she happy? She says she’s practically giddy, and he says, good. They still have a lot of work ahead of them, but they’re off to a great start. Brook stares daggers at Tracy, and Maxie tells her, all they have to do is wait for Elise to go through all of Tracy’s evidence. Hopefully once she’s done that, she can convince the judge the evidence is fake and get the lawsuit dropped. Right? Brook says, yeah. Elise is an excellent attorney, and she’s sure Elise will come up with a plan after she’s seen all the evidence.

Elise tells Lucy, no one is more shocked about this evidence than her. When they walked into court today, they assumed this case had no merit because it was fraud. Once she gets her hands on this so-called evidence, she can make a plan for their next step. Lucy says, what about The Deceptor? Six months is a long time. They can keep selling it, right? Elise says she’s afraid not. Since Judge Kerr believes this lawsuit has merit, they have to freeze all sales on The Deceptor. Lucy says, they can’t do that. If they can’t sell The Deceptor, Deception’s not going to last. They don’t even know what the outcome of this trial is going to be. Her company’s stock is tanking. If they have to adhere to this… They can’t do it. Elise doesn’t understand. She really believes Deception will go bankrupt. Tracy walks over, and Lucy asks if Tracy can let her know what sort of evidence she was able to dummy up to make believable so the judge was fooled. To her this seems like malicious harassment. Tracy says, she’s wrong. There’s nothing malicious about this lawsuit and there’s no harassment. As usual, Lucy is the architect of her own disaster. Lucy asks what that means, and Tracy says, it means Lucy’s uncanny ability to attract scandal like a magnet. Remember Coco Cosmetics? Basically a Ponzi scheme, and now intellectual property theft of The Deceptor. So she’s happy to tell Lucy that this can all be resolved quickly and quietly. Lucy says, meaning? and Tracy says, meaning the lawsuit can all go away; no trial, no nasty publicity. Lucy says, does Tracy want to just tell her? Just say it. What does Tracy want from her? Tracy says, 75% of Deception. Lucy balks, but Tracy says, 25% is better than nothing if Lucy loses the suit, and she leaves.

Jack ducks out, and Brook says she really needs to talk to her grandmother. In the hallway, Jack asks what Tracy is still doing here. He thought she said she had a meeting to get to. Busy on her phone, she says she does. She just wants to send this email first. He says, that better not be her continuing to search for some local attorney to handle it, and she says, not after the bang-up job he did today. No need, friend. He says, good to hear. It’s too bad the judge set the trial date at six months. He was taking a real liking to that pool at the MetroCourt. He tells her, have a wonderful day, and leaves. Brook storms over, stares at Tracy a moment, then keeps going. Tracy says, yep. Knew that was coming.

Elise says, if the judge seemed to think there was enough evidence to go to trial, that means Miss Quartermaine must have plenty of documents on the development of The Deceptor. How would Tracy even be able to get her hands on such proprietary material? Lucy looks at Maxie.

Sonny asks Dante, what part of his business life do they usually talk about? and Dante says, when he was undercover working for Sonny, Sonny told him all kinds of stuff. Now he just talks about coffee importing. Sonny says, Selina wasn’t here talking about coffee, and Dante says, okay. He guesses he won’t ask any more questions about that then. Sonny says, Dante’s always been very smart, and Dante says he has. He’s not here to argue with Sonny or talk about Selina Wu. Sonny asks, what brings him by? and Dante says, Sasha. Sonny asks, what happened? and Dante says, Sonny cares about her, and the news isn’t good.

Janice is taking Sasha’s pulse, when Sasha suddenly grabs her arm. Sasha says, please don’t let Dr. Montague near her, and Jancie asks what she’s talking about. Sasha says, this isn’t her. Doesn’t Janice get it? She’s like this because he’s drugging her. She holds on to Janice’s hands.

Nina removes Gladys’s hand, and says, Sonny considers Sasha to be his family. They need to get him involved. Gladys says, no, running in front of her. If they tell Sonny that her gambling debts are a small reason why Sasha’s in so much trouble, does Nina know what he’ll do to her? At best, he’ll send her packing from Port Charles, and she doesn’t even want to think about the worst things he would do. And plus, Sonny is powerful, but he doesn’t have a magic wand. He can’t snap his fingers and get her out of Ferncliff. She’s there under a doctor’s orders. Nina says, Sonny is a very, very persuasive man. She wants Gladys to stop evading, and she wants Gladys to tell her this doctor’s name. Gladys says she’s not telling Nina that, and Nina says, Gladys is telling her this man is hurting Sasha and Gladys won’t even tell her his name? How does she even know what Gladys is telling her is true? She could be making this entire story up so she can pay her gambling debts. Is her life being threatened because she owes this money? Gladys says she’s not making this up. Sasha is genuinely in trouble. But if she tells Nina the doctor’s name, the first thing Nina is going to do is tell Sonny, and she knows how Sonny operates. First, the doctor will mysteriously disappear. Then Sasha will be at the mercy of whoever’s been helping him. She doesn’t even know who all is involved in this scheme. It could take months for them to get Sasha out of Ferncliff. They might lose her before that. Please. Nina has to believe her. Gladys’s phone rings, and Nina says, you answer that call. Gladys looks at her phone, sees it’s Selina, and tosses the phone back in her bag.

Selina leaves a voicemail for Gladys, and says, Gladys should know by now, it’s never a smart decision to ignore to ignore her calls. Gladys’s account is now past due. She expects payment in full by the end of the day.

Lucy tells Maxie that Elise will read through everything Tracy has presented, but didn’t it seem like the way the judge reacted, they already had all their research, all their development? How could that happen? How? They’ll talk to Spinelli; they’ll find out. Maybe in this crazy world there’s some software so an outsider could spy on their most secret part of The Deceptor. Maxie says, what if it wasn’t an outside job? and Lucy asks what she means. Maxie says, what if it was an inside job? Lucy says, Gladys? She doesn’t have… Maxie says she’s not talking about Gladys, Lucy says, okay, who? and Maxie says, Brook. Doesn’t Lucy remember when she confessed to downloading all of The Deceptor information onto a flashdrive for some social media campaign? Lucy says, she’s right. Brook loaded all of the secrets of The Deceptor onto that drive. They flash back to Brook acting like it was an honest mistake, and Lucy says, she took that flashdrive home with her. Maxie says she knows it has to be Brook, but it doesn’t sound like something she would do. And she trusts Brook with her life. Lucy says she knows. It doesn’t sound like something Brook would do, unless her unscrupulous grandmother was holding something over her head. Elise says, ladies, if you want their mole, look no further. It’s obvious Brook has been working behind the scenes with Tracy.

Dante tells Sonny, seeing Sasha like that was tough. She was completely out of it. Apparently… The nurse said someone was smuggling in illegal drugs for her. Sonny says, that sounds bad; that’s not a good thing. She’s Brando’s widow and he considers her family. Look at everything she’s been through. He knows with his own bi-polar that if you’ve got mental health issues, you could crash at any time. You don’t need a reason. But he talked to Sasha just before she had her breakdown, and she seemed good. So if somebody triggered… He’s going to call… He reaches for his phone, but Dante says, stop. He knows Sonny’s gonna do what he’s gonna do. He understands, but let him do what he’s gotta do. He’ll make some calls and let Sonny know what he finds out.

Gladys says, the quickest, cleanest way to end this is for Nina to give her the money to give to Sasha’s doctor. Once he has the money, he will let Sasha be released from Ferncliff. Isn’t that what matters most? Bringing Sasha home? Nina says, Sonny’s dealing with so much. He shouldn’t have to worry about the disaster Gladys created for Sasha, if any of this is even true. Gladys says, it’s true, and Nina says, all right. She’ll give Gladys the money, but it’s for Sasha’s doctor, that’s all. Does Gladys understand her? And if this doctor doesn’t release Sasha, or she’s harmed in any way, she promises Sonny is going to be all over this, and all over Gladys. Gladys says, it’ll work out. She swears. She can’t thank Nina enough. She promises she’ll repay Nina somehow. Nina says she won’t hold her breath.

Sam goes to the Ferncliff reception desk, and says, here’s the paperwork they need, handing the nurse a clipboard. She really hopes her friend can get the help he needs here. Cody is sitting on a bench, and Sam leans over, talking into his ear. She says she thinks his stay at Ferncliff is going to be really good for him. Listen to what the doctors and nurses have to say, okay? He stares straight ahead, and she lowers her voice, saying, and if his plan goes sideways and hurts Sasha, she’ll kill him. She pats him on the shoulder, and an attendant takes him away.

Janice comes out of Sasha’s room, and Montague, who just happens to be coming down the hall, asks how Sasha is doing this afternoon. She says, not very well, and he asks, what’s happened now? Janice says, she’s showing signs of paranoia, and he says, how so? She says, Sasha told her that the doctor was deliberately drugging her. He thanks her for telling him, and says, sadly, Sasha is continuing to deteriorate. Janice asks if there’s anything they can do to help her, and he says, they will. It’s time for drastic measures. Janice leaves, and after making sure she’s gone, Montague goes into Sasha’s room.

Sasha says, please, leave her alone, but he says he’s afraid that’s not possible. He gets close to her face and says, once someone becomes my patient, I’m there with them until the very end.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase that she can’t live with Tracy another minute; Olivia asks if Tracy isn’t the slightest bit sorry for what she did; Robert asks what Diane thinks she can do about it now; and Mason says, it’s all going down tonight.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

In her interview, Fancy Pants Heather says, their house is in escrow, but until the buyer removes the contingences, it’s still not a done deal. Josh and Heather Altman come over, and Josh says, it’s the third highest sale in the history of Orange County. He’s  never seen a house like this. He tells Fancy Pants and Terry that they’ll have to be out in three weeks, and Fancy Pants says, their penthouse is a two-bedroom and the kids are coming home for vacation from college. She wonders if they can’t stay in the house. It’s so big, will the new owners even know they’re here? Josh leaves, but comes back immediately, saying, they signed the contract. In Terry’s interview, he says, $55 million isn’t new money. It’s f*** everybody you’ve ever known money. They crack a bottle of 2012 Dom, and Terry says, it’s life changing. They clink glasses.

Taylor calls everyone, inviting them to her fall festival party to celebrate the change of seasons, as best they can in California. She suggests they try not to stab each other with the carving tools. Emily checks out motorcycles and Gina meets her at the dealership. Emily is taking a motorcycle class, and Gina asks if she can’t do something that can kill you less. In Emily’s interview, she says, Shane thinks she’s insane, and a producer asks if he’ll be riding in the sidecar. She says, he is sidecar sized… Gina says Jenn told her that Shannon claimed if it hadn’t been for her getting Gina an attorney for her DUI, Gina’s kids would have gone to CPS. In Emily’s interview, she says, there would have to be a case and due diligence would have to be done. Gina says, Shannon shouldn’t bring her up, period, and Emily thinks Shannon doesn’t like Gina. Gina says, Shannon brings it to a whole other level, and has zero respect for her. She’s finally doing good, and Shannon is on a mission to tear her down. In Gina’s interview, she says, four years ago, she made a mistake. Shannon was a good friend and helped her so much, and lets no one forget it. And every time Shannon brings it up, it gets worse. The next time, Gina is going to be murderer.

Tamra visits Shannon, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, everyone had a comment about her and John’s relationship. She and John discussed it, and he’s not happy, but they’re good. Here’s a thought. If she loves him sooo much and the show is interfering with their relationship, why doesn’t she not be on the show? Shannon tells Tamra that she’s a communicator and John’s an avoider. They’ve never gone on trip where work wasn’t involved, and part of her wonders if he’s really in it. Tamra asks if Shannon thinks he’s afraid to get married, and Shannon says, absolutely, but they don’t talk about it. Still, it’s none of Fancy Pants, Emily, and Gina’s business. In Tamra’s interview, she says, they’ve been together for three years and there’s been no talk of marriage. It’s a huge red flag.

We watch Jenn and Ryan working out, and it makes me nervous that they’re dogs are running around them when they’re using hand weights. I always make sure my space is cleared of dogs when I work out. I’m already afraid I’ll smack myself in the face with a kettlebell. In Ryan’s interview, he says, their relationship is special. Jenn is a 12 out of 10. He wants to be with her in the long term. She’s more than the whole package. He asks Jenn when they’re getting married, and she asks why they need to be married. He says, because it’s her. he wants to be with her all the time. Jenn says, thinking about marrying him is scary. She hates that somebody came between them. Ryan says, that’s not an accurate statement, since they were on a break and didn’t know if they were getting back together. In Jenn’s interview, she says, there were zero rules or parameters, but still, talking about it puts doubt in her. She tells him that she’s concerned about messing with their kids’ lives, and he says he wouldn’t put them in a spot of failure.

Tamra and Eddie are also working out, at their new gym Shredz. Tamra says, they’re the new kids on the block, and it’s been difficult, but everyone has been nice. She tells Eddie that she had lunch with Emily and Fancy Pants, and they like bullying Shannon. She’s not getting Fancy Pants. She makes fun of the supposed paparazzi posts of Fancy Pants and Terry at Disneyland, saying they look staged and Fancy Pants is overcompensating for the rumors of Terry’s cheating. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Heather tends to overreact, and the photos are 100% staged. She’s not an A-list celebrity.

Fancy Pants meets Shannon for lunch, and says, her goal is for them to get in a better place. Shannon says, their previous conversations were less than successful, and we flash back to those. In Shannon’s interview, she says she has no hope of resolving things, but she wants to hear what Fancy Pants has to say, since she violated Shannon’s vault. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, there is no vault. Shannon gives everyone the combination. Shannon says she was hurt. Tamra and Emily said they didn’t bring up Shannon’s relationship; Fancy Pants did. Fancy Pants says, when Tamra returned to the show, she’d asked if Fancy Pants was getting calls from Shannon about the relationship. We flash back to that, and Fancy Pants says, it’s never been her goal to talk about Shannon’s relationship. Shannon says she feels like they’re back on the hamster wheel. She has relationship issues like most people have. In her interview, Fancy Pants says she has no idea what to believe. Shannon gives her information privately, so is she supposed to act like she doesn’t know in public? Shannon says, if Fancy Pants is concerned, talk to her, and Fancy Pants says she was never sh*t talking Shannon or stirring things up. If it came out that way, she apologizes. She dabs at her tears, and in her interview, Shannon says, maybe Fancy Pants should put this lunch in her IMDb. Fancy Pants asks where they go from here, and Shannon says she’s the type of person who needs to step away and process.

While Tamra and Jenn are on the way to Taylor’s Pumpkin Party, Teddi calls Tamra. Teddi had done their podcast solo, and tells Tamra that she said something about the photos of Fancy Pants and Terry; you have call the paparazzi in Orange County for them to come out. Tamra says she happens to be on her way to see Fancy Pants.

The setting is gorgeous; a cornfield/pumpkin patch. Taylor says she’s called in a pumpkin carving expert for the event. First, they’re to choose a pumpkin, and Tamra wonders if they should wait for Shannon, who’s late. Gina says she’s always waiting for Shannon, and she’s not in the mood today. They pick out pumpkins, and Emily asks Jenn what Shannon said about Gina and her kids. Gina asks Tamra the same thing, but Tamra insists she didn’t hear it at the time. Jenn just told her in the car. Emily tells Jenn that it would be on another level to bring in CPS, and in her interview, Fancy Pants says, no one is allowed to talk about John and Shannon’s relationship not being the best, but this is okay. Tamra suggests maybe Jenn is twisting things, but in Gina’s interview, she says, if anyone is going to twist things, it’s not Jenn, but Tamra would 100% twist things. Shannon finally arrives when they’re all seated, and Emily grabs a pumpkin for her. Shannon makes some excuse about having inflammation and no shoes fitting. The pumpkin carving expert tells them to make a hole in the bottom and take the insides out through that. It helps the pumpkin last. I have to remember that for the next Halloween. In Shannon’s interview, she says she’s not a fan of fall. Who wants to celebrate death, morbidity, and graveyards? I raise my hand. She says she also doesn’t like orange and brown. One more way Shannon is out of her mind. Who does like the colors of fall leaves, the crisp autumn air, and Halloween? Pfft. She’s such a killjoy. In Gina’s interview, she says, they pretty much suck at carving pumpkins. She gives them a solid 2. Tamra asks Shannon about what Jenn said, and Shannon asks Jenn what she’s talking about. She would never say that. Is she just in a blackout all the time?

Shannon says, may God strike her dead if she said that, and we flash back to her saying that. A lightning bolt comes out of the sunny sky and strikes her dead. Not really, but that would have been too funny. In Tamra’s interview, she insists she doesn’t remember Shannon saying that, but if she did, she doesn’t want Shannon standing next to her. In Jenn’s interview, she says, Shannon going super sideways about not saying it means she said it. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, Jenn just plucked this story out of the air? She doesn’t think so. Emily says she doesn’t feel like Jenn is making it up, and Shannon says, Emily wasn’t there. Emily says she was there, and Jenn says she’s not making this up. Shannon said if she hadn’t gotten Gina an attorney, her kids would have been taken by CPS. Gina says, that’s not true, and ever the pragmatist attorney, Emily says, for a bench warrant, they don’t come to the house and arrest you. In Gina’s interview, she says, to insinuate she was seen as an unfit parent is bullsh*t. In Shannon’s interview, she says she has a lot of anxiety over people talking about her relationship. It keeps her up at night. Again, no one is holding a gun to her head to be on the show. Gina tells Shannon that all she’s ever said is that she respects Shannon’s relationship too much to talk about it. If that’s a reason to sh*t all over her and her family, fine. Shannon says she doesn’t talk about Travis, and Tamra says, she talked about his penis. We flash back to Shannon saying he has a massive weenie, and in her interview, Gina says, it reeks of desperation. The only thing more desperate is Shannon’s Spanx. Gina says she’s upset, but just wants to stop.

They sit down to eat at a table with fabulous sunflower and gourd centerpieces. Tamra tells Fancy Pants that when Teddi did their podcast, she went in hard about the staged paparazzi pics. Fancy Pants asks if they’re accusing her of setting it up, and Tamra says, it is suspicious. There are no paparazzi at Disneyland. In her interview, Fancy Pants says she doesn’t know why Tamra is doing this. Why would she tell Tamra about the sale of the house? Fancy Pants tells the others that she’s having a launch party for her new network, and Shannon suddenly has to jet. When she’s gone, Gina says, she’s so defensive, she’s hard to approach. In Gina’s interview, she tells us, Shannon says sh*t, then wants to pretend she didn’t say it. It’s hurtful, and if she’s not remembering what she says, maybe she should check into rehab. When Shannon gets to the I’m sorry step, she’ll be waiting. They discuss John’s weenie, and decide it must be diamond encrusted, which Gina thinks would be painful.  

Next time, Fancy Pants has a launch party; Jenn wants her mom to meet Ryan so she gets an honest opinion; the news of Fancy Pants’ house sale breaks; and a trip to Mexico.

🍊 Only Paul Knows For Sure…

Even if it was true, I’d ignore it too. Have you seen where they live? Have you seen how they live?

https://www.distractify.com/p/did-terry-dubrow-cheat-on-heather-dubrow

🌴 Behind In the Magic…

While this aired on Peacock a while ago, I’m just catching up now, and since Mama Elsa’s passing, I’ve only watched it peripherally. WTF this Lenny dude? Did he have a psychotic break?

https://people.com/tv/lisa-hochstein-and-lenny-hochstein-relationship-timeline/

🪕 Never Stop Learning…

This guy is the epitome of use it or lose it.

https://people.com/dick-van-dyke-learns-ukulele-in-video-7724734

🌞 Summer’s Last Stand…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and Project talk. Until then, stay safe, stay always replacing the roll of toilet paper when it runs out, and stay not giving out the combination if you want to have a vault.

August 29, 2023 – Jack Returns To Port Charles, Hills News, Ousted From Under the Deck, Free Films, Another Life For Once, Panda Treat & Heart

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Lucy says, just listen to her. She needs them to get over to the courthouse, pronto… She doesn’t care what they’re doing; just drop everything. They don’t understand. Her life is at stake.

Brook and Maxie set down their bags in the courtroom, and Maxie says, Lucy has the best representation for them. Everything’s going to be okay. It’s just a preliminary hearing to see if this case is even going to move forward. Brook says, Maxie seems optimistic, and Maxie says she is. This is a good opportunity to smoke out the mastermind who’s behind this and shut them down for good.

Outside the house, Portia says she can’t tell Curtis how much it means to her having him home, and he says he knows it’s not going to be easy on any of them, but they’ll figure it out. Portia says, they’re all here for him, and he says he knows. Let’s do it. She opens the door, and Trina is there with Marshall. She says, welcome home, dad, running to Curtis and hugging him.

Michael comes into Kelly’s as Carly is serving, and he says, she has a real flair for this. She says she does. It runs in the family. Great Aunt Ruby ran this place for decades. He says he’s glad Bobbie kept it in their family, and she says, her too. She hugs him and says, it’s good to see him. She thanks him for coming by, and he says, of course (🍷). Why did she want to see him? She says she may have come up with a way to get Drew out of Pentenville.

Drew walks into the library, and Cyrus (who basically lives there) asks if he can interest Drew in a little soul cleansing. This book will help lead him to the Lord and all his prayers will be answered if only he asks. Drew thanks him, but says he’s looking for a book on rivers in upstate New York so he can do a little kayaking. Cyrus asks if it doesn’t make him long for a world he can’t be part of, and Drew says, it gives him something to look forward to when he’s out of here. Cyrus says, in the meantime, how fortunate for Drew that he’s under Sonny’s protection.

Sonny lets Brick into his office and asks, how was his flight? Brick says, long; too long. It’s good to see him though. Sonny asks if he wants coffee, and Brick says, anything strong. Sonny says, it’s all he’s got, and asks if Brick has an update. Brick says he does. That spy that was planted in Sonny’s home isn’t going to be a problem for him any longer. Sonny gives him that Sonny smile I love.

Janice asks Sasha how she’s feeling today, and Sasha says she’s so cold. Her head is throbbing and everything hurts. Please do something. Janice gives her another blanket, and says, she really needs to stay hydrated. Can she drink some water? Shivering under the blanket, Sasha says she thinks so, and Janice pours her a glass. Sasha takes a sip, and Janice says she’ll be back to check on her and give her something for that headache. Janice leaves, and Dr. Montague skulks around the corner and heads for Sasha’s room.

At her desk on the phone, Nina says, no, she doesn’t want to drop the two-page Deception ad… Why? Because it’s her magazine and she says it stays. Can they hold for a second? She clicks on the other line and says, she asked them to hold all her calls until she’s finished… Just send her in. She tells the person on hold that she’ll have to call them back, and Gladys walks in. Gladys says she understands congratulations are in order. She’s so happy for Nina and Sonny, and this practically makes them family now. Let her see that rock. Nina says, if Gladys has something to talk to her about, she’s so sorry, but she’s extremely busy right now. If Gladys sees her assistant, she’ll set something up. Gladys shuts the door and says, they have to talk now. It’s a matter of life and death.

Trina says, Curtis looks great, and handsome as always. Isn’t he, mom? He looks really fit. He must be really excited to be home. She tells him, come in, and he says, they’ve moved some things around. Portia says, they opened some things up a bit for him, and Trina says, they should have gotten rid of that coffee table a long time ago. She loves the open space. Wait until he sees what they did to his room. He’s going to love it. Come check it out.

Lucy comes into the courtroom and asks if they’re ready and able to kick this ridiculous lawsuit out on its keister, because if they don’t have The Deceptor to sell, their company is gone. Maxie asks, where’s their lawyer? and Lucy says she let her go. Maxie says, she did what? and Brook asks why she did that. Lucy says, obviously if they lose this lawsuit, they’re not going to have the money to pay her. They can’t afford her. Maxie says, they need her presentation, and Lucy says, don’t worry. She got somebody new, the best. Brook says, she just fired the best. Who did she get? Lucy says, Martin. He agreed to do it pro bono. Maxie says, great. Where is he? Lucy says, at the last minute, he flew the coop. Brook asks what they means, and Lucy says she doesn’t know. At the last minute, he had to do something with Valentin. She has a plan. They just have to stay focused and have hope. Come on, team, let’s stay positive. Maxie says, this is really bad. How are they supposed to halt the case if they don’t have representation?

Carly and Michael sit down, and Carly says she’s having Diane look into Drew’s case to see if the judge was bias. Michael says, bias in what way? and Carly says, that Judge Kim had a reason for going against Drew’s plea deal or that he has a pattern of being harder on white collar crimes. She doesn’t care. She’ll take whatever Diane can find at this point. She’s going to have another judge review the whole case, and hopefully, he can reduce the sentence or commute the whole damn thing. He says, if anyone can do it, it’s Diane. He hopes it works out for Drew’s case. Carly says she hopes so, because Diane is their only chance. He says, no matter what happens, Drew is strong. He can take care of himself. He’ll be okay. She says she knows he’s strong mentally; she’s just worried about him physically. He was already put in solitary confinement because he was in a fight. What if something else happens? Michael says, it won’t. Drew is under Sonny’s protection.

Drew tells Cyrus to stay out of his business, and Cyrus says he’s deeply sorry. Has he spoken amiss? Drew says, let’s skip all this; all the flowery gestures. Just tell him whatever it is Cyrus obviously wants to know. Cyrus says he really does appreciate Drew’s bluntness. Book was reminded on no uncertain terms that Drew is not to be touched. It was made crystal clear to him that Drew is under the protection and watchful eye of Sonny Corinthos. Drew says, and? and Cyrus says, good for him.

Brick tells Sonny that Betty Rutherford is no longer in Port Charles. She flew to Mexico. Sonny says he just assumed Betty’s job of spying on him was done when getting information on the Pikeman deal was finished. Let’s just hope Austin and Mason and whoever they were working for paid her off and told her to stay as far away from Port Charles as she can. Brick asks if he should have her brought back, but Sonny says, no. They’re hoping she’s out of his reach, but little do they know, she’s not. He has people in Mexico. If he needs questions answered, he can find her.

Nina tells Gladys to take a deep breath. What is this life and death matter? Gladys says, as Nina knows, their poor Sasha is still being treated in Ferncliff, and Sasha and Nina are pretty close. She knows how much Nina cares about Sasha, and she knows how close Sasha and Willow are best friends. Nina says, yes, they are. Sasha and Willow have been through a lot together. Gladys says, and Nina has been such a supportive and generous friend to Sasha. Nina says she loves Sasha. However rocky their relationship started out, she’s come to know Sasha as a wonderful and loving young woman. Gladys says she’s glad to hear Nina say that. That’s why she’s coming to her. She needs $50,000 today to cover Sasha’s medical expenses.

Montague goes into Sasha’s room, and closes the door. He takes out a syringe, and says, hello, Sasha. He’s going to give her something to take all her pain away. Sasha says, no, please. She doesn’t want it. Please don’t. No. He injects her.

Nina says, fifty grand? That’s a very large medical bill, and it’s very unusual it’s due so quickly. Gladys says she knows. It’s very upsetting. You’d think an institution like Ferncliff could wait until she’s on her feet before they demanded money. Nina says, Sasha has money. Gladys is her guardian, so she’s sure Gladys can use it at her discretion to pay her medical expenses. Gladys says, under normal circumstances, she could, and Nina asks, what changed? Gladys says, unfortunately, because of the Deception lawsuit, she can’t sell Sasha’s stock. Nina says, it makes sense that her money wouldn’t be accessible right now. She would do anything to help Sasha, but she’s a little curious. Why didn’t Gladys ask Sonny first? He’s her cousin; he’d be happy to help. Gladys says, as Nina probably knows, she and Sonny don’t have the greatest relationship, and money is an uncomfortable subject for them, but Nina says, this money is for Sasha, right? Just tell Sonny what’s going on. Gladys says she just figured they’d start with Nina. As she said, Nina is close to Sasha, and Willow is close to Sasha… Nina says, Gladys isn’t telling her everything. So if Gladys can’t be honest with her – she opens the door – she’s sorry. She can’t help her.

Sonny tells Brick, since Betty quit, he’s been having Mason and Austin followed, just in case they visit their boss. Brick says, any luck so far? and Sonny says, Austin was visiting Pentenville. He doesn’t know who Austin saw, but he had a medical bag, like maybe he was doing community service. Brick says, interesting. He’ll look into it and see what he can find. Sonny says, in the meantime, since they don’t know who Austin and Mason are working for, they need to ask themselves why this person wants information on him and Pikeman.

Michael tells Carly, so Dex visited the inmate who was fighting Drew and had him sent to solitary. Dex reminded him that Drew was under Sonny’s protection. She says, Sonny told her that he sent Dex there to send a message to back off Drew, and Michael asks when Sonny told her. She says, yesterday he came by here. He knew she was going to Pentenville to visit Drew, and he asked her if she saw Dr. Gatlin-Holt while she was there. He asks what she said, and she tells him, the truth; she did. Austin crossed through the visiting area, carrying his doctor bag, but that was it. Sonny asked her to let him know if she remembers anything else. He says, that’s the other reason Dex was at Pentenville, and she says, because of Austin? Michael says, he was following him for Sonny.

Lucy says she has a stomachache; it’s just horrible. She can’t believe they have a system where you can just nab all the hard work they’ve done all this time. Maxie says, Lucy… and Lucy says, it’s a grift. Someone is out to make a big, fat settlement… Maxie says, Lucy… and Lucy says, but they’re not going to be swindled. Deception will not be swindled. It’s just a nuisance lawsuit. They want cash and they’re going to exploit Deception for that and tarnish their reputation. Maxie shouts, Lucy! and Lucy says, what? Maxie asks if they have any idea who’s behind this, but Lucy says, no. That’s why they’re here kind of. Don’t they hate it? She hates this. She hates this. She hates this. Maxie asks if they at least know when the lawsuit was originally filed with the court, and Lucy says, nope. Maxie says, so they’re just completely in the dark, and Lucy says, yep, they are. Until the whole nonsense here is revealed. Then they’re going to have a very good idea who the culprit is and who they’re up against. Jack walks in.

Trina comes back out with Curtis and says, see? There’s a lot of room for Curtis. He thanks them, and says, they all went through a lot of trouble, and he appreciates it. Trina says, his room has the best view of the water, he doesn’t have to deal with the stairs, and did he see that his bathroom is wheelchair accessible? He says he did, and Trina says she picked out towels in his favorite color. He says, Trina and her mom certainly did an incredible job, and Trina says, it’s more her mom than her. Marshall asks if he and Curtis can go out to the patio for a minute. He has some things he wants to discuss in private. Curtis says, sure, and wheels himself out to the patio. He asks Marshall, what’s up? and Marshall says, there’s trouble at the club. Inside, Portia tells Trina that she sees what Trina is trying to do and appreciates it, but she may be making things worse.

Sonny says, Austin and Mason could be working for one of his competitors who heard about Pikeman, and Brick says, the more he deep dives into Pikeman, the more twisted it gets. Sonny asks what he found out, and Brick says, Pikeman’s got contracts all over the globe with many different governments, including the US. But one thing they know for sure, they make a whole lot of money. Sonny would know; they paid him generously. Sonny says, it almost cost him his life if it wasn’t for Dex, and Brick says, maybe someone’s trying to get rid of Sonny so they can get the money for themselves. Sonny says, they’re going to go through a whole lot of trouble to take something he doesn’t want.

Drew says, when he saw Sonny’s guy visiting Book, he assumed he was delivering a message from Sonny, and Cyrus says, and Book received it loud and clear. Drew says he never asked for Sonny’s protection, and Cyrus says, but he accepted it. Drew says he considers Sonny a friend of his. He respects Sonny, but just because he accepted Sonny’s offer of protection doesn’t mean he’s associated with Sonny’s world. Cyrus says, Drew doesn’t want any part of Sonny’s criminal enterprise. He admires Drew’s principles, but does he really believe he had a choice in the matter? Drew is protected whether he accepts it or not, which is ironic. Drew asks, why? and Cyrus says, because by extension, I now have Sonny’s protection too.

Carly says she can’t believe this arrangement is still working. That Dex reports back to Michael about Sonny’s businesses. Michael says, whatever Sonny lets Dex in on, Dex reports back to him, and she asks if Dex told him about Sonny’s interest in Austin. He says, Austin has a cousin named Mason Gatlin, and he and Austin were responsible for Betty Rutherford being hired. She’s the nanny who looked after Avery for a while, and it seems that she was their mole. Carly says she knew something was going on with Betty, and Michael says, so Sonny set her up, in the hopes she’d lead them back to whoever they work for. Dex’s job was to follow Austin, and he did, straight to Pentenville. Carly says, that’s where she saw him, and he says, apparently, Austin went into another room and Dex couldn’t see who he was visiting with. Did she? She says, no. She saw him walk through the visiting area carrying his doctor bag. She just assumed he was going to the infirmary. You know what? Maybe Drew can find out.

Trina tells Portia that she was trying to stay positive for Curtis. All the literature she read said the attitude makes a big difference when adapting. Portia says she knows, and she loves that Trina read the literature… Trina says, but she probably made Curtis feel uncomfortable, and Portia says, she had the best of intentions. Curtis knows that too. She loves her dad, and she was trying to help. But they just can’t push too hard. They have to let him go at his pace. They can’t just pretend nothing’s changed.

Marshall says, Selina circled back to him about buying the club, and Curtis asks what she said. Marhsall says, basically, she told him that they should sell it to her before it goes out of business. She didn’t come right out and threaten them that she’d run them out of business, but that’s the definite implication he got. Curtis says, maybe they should sell it, and Marshall asks if he’s lost his mind.

Lucy says, Jackson Montgomery, and he says, so they meet again. She says, they do. So tell her. What’s he doing here? He says he’s ready for round two with the devious, yet somehow captivating Lucy Coe, and she says, guess what? This time he’s on her turf. He says, that’s absolutely intentional. After all, her and her sister came all the way to Pine Valley to break in his safe. He figured the least he could do was make a trip to Port Charles. She says, spill it. He didn’t come here to have a sweet, little visit. Why is he here? He says he’s here for the Deception case and to make sure his client gets justice. (Hmm… wouldn’t there be a conflict of interest because of Lucy?) She asks, who’s his client? Who is he representing? He says, that would be telling, and sits down.

Curtis tells Marshall, the circumstances that made him open The Savoy and dedicate so much hard work to its success have radically changed. Marshall says, The Savoy is Curtis’s baby. He just needs a little more time to regroup. Curtis says, sometimes the best thing a successful person can do is walk away and cut their losses, but Marshall says, they can work through this. They can make this work. He can run the club until Curtis is ready to come back. They’ll call it a father/son venture. Curtis says he’s not even sure he wants to go back to it, but Marhsall says, he does; come on. Curtis says his dream of opening a nightclub has been realized. Maybe it’s time to move on. Marshall says, ultimately, it’s Curtis’s decision. He’s not going to push him, but he hopes Curtis reconsiders.

Trina tells Portia that she was over-the-top. She feels terrible. Portia says, she did nothing wrong, but Trina says she made Curtis feel uncomfortable. That’s the exact opposite of what she was trying to do. Portia says, but Curtis felt the love, and that’s all that really matters. Trina made him feel very welcome, but she thinks now they need to give him a little bit of room. She’s trying to find a balance too. There are so many adjustments they have to make, but they all love each other and they’re going to get through it together… as a family. She and Trina hug.

Lucy says she needs to tell Jack something. His client is a big, fat liar. Obviously, he or she is just trying to exploit Deception’s success. He says, or perhaps claim what is rightfully theirs. What does she think about that? She says she doesn’t think much of it, and she’ll tell him why. Does he want to know why? He says, oh gosh, yes, and she says, they did not steal The Deceptor. Jack says he hopes that’s the truth; he really does. He guesses time will tell. She says, speaking of time, where’s his client? Maybe they’re a bit afraid to show their scheming face. He says his client will be here. Don’t you worry about that.

Sasha is out cold, and Montague caps the syringe. Janice comes in and says she’s so glad Sasha’s sleeping. She was in a lot of pain earlier, poor thing. Montague says, she’ll get the rest she needs, and Janice says she doesn’t think Sasha is improving. She seems to be getting worse. He says, she was pretty severe when she was admitted. These kinds of recoveries take some time. Jancie says, maybe this isn’t the right kind of facility for her. Maybe she should be transferred to a private hospital where she can get more personalized care.

Gladys says, okay. Nina wants honesty? Nina says, that’s always best, and closes the door. Gladys says she got roped into a little poker game that she thought would just be a bit of fun. But what started off as just a few friendly hands of poker, turned into a losing streak and she dug herself into a hole. Nina says, let her make sure she understands what Gladys is telling her. This $50,000 is not about Sasha or her medical bills. Gladys need the money to pay off her gambling debt? Gladys says, but she’s getting better, and Nina says, at cards? (Ha-ha!) Gladys says she’s getting treatment. She’s going to Gamblers Anonymous. She just needs this one loan to get out of a tight spot… a really tight spot. Nina says, and Gladys came to her because Deception stock was frozen because of the lawsuit. So if the lawsuit wasn’t pending, she intended to use Sasha’s money to pay off her gambling debt?

Sonny says, Pikeman came to him originally because they wanted to use his territory to run their merchandise through Port Charles, and Brick says he remembers. They went to Valentin Cassadine, right? Sonny says, a man he doesn’t trust. But the money was so good for the first shipment, and Brick told him that they’re major players. Brick says, known globally, and Sonny says, that’s why he agreed to do it, and as promised, the money for the deal was incredible. But the money came at a cost, and he’s not sure the risk is worth the reward anymore.

Lawyer Alyse walks in, and Lucy asks what she’s doing here; she fired Alyse. Maxie says she rehired her, and Brook says, good job. Lucy says, actually, it is really good. She doesn’t think Scotty is coming. Maxie says, it’s going to be fine. Alyse is going to get this case thrown right out on its rear, right where it belongs. Right, Alyse? Alyse says she’ll do her best, and walks over to Jack, saying, Jackson Montgomery. He says, Alyse Vance, and they shake hands. She says, so he’s representing the clients suing Deception, and he says he is. She says, this should be a slam-dunk, and he says he thinks so, for him. Oh, she meant for her. He understands she took another shot at being the DA here in Port Charles. It’s got to be tough, falling on her face like that – twice. Alyse says she’s surprised he’s still allowed to practice, after that little incident in Pine Valley. When was that? He says, twenty years ago. She was a child. It’s ancient history. She asks what kind of scheme his client is trying to pull, and he says, no scheme. Maybe Lucy Coe is guilty of theft of intellectual property. Lucy says, yoohoo. She’s right here. She can hear them. The only thing she’s guilty of is making an excellent product consumers just love. Alyse hustles Lucy back over to her side of the courtroom, and Jack’s phone rings. He steps away, and Alyse says she has the updated documents Maxie emailed her. Maxie says she brought the originals, and Alyse says, this should be a piece of cake, if it’s as they say, and someone is just out for a quick and easy payday. Lucy says, that’s exactly what it is, cross her heart. Alyse wonders who would be stupid enough to sue. It’s obvious they have the receipts and the proof that they invented The Deceptor. Tracy walks in.

Marshall tells Curtis that he’d better get over to GH. His band booked a gig playing for some patients. Curtis says he’ll see Marshall later tonight, and Marshall leaves. Curtis flashes back to being a big, mean baby to Portia; telling her to let him go and that he doesn’t want to see her again. Portia comes out on the patio, and he says he apologizes for the way he spoke to her at the hospital. He was wrong and she didn’t deserve that. She thanks him and says she appreciates that. She knows he was going through a lot. Marshall is off to the hospital, and Trina went to see Spencer, and it’s just the two of them. Curtis says, and the wheelchair.

Carly says, with Drew inside Pentenville, he could ask around and see who Austin was visiting, but Michael says he doesn’t think they should get Drew involved. He’s got enough to deal with right now, just trying to survive in that place. Carly says, he’s right. She feels like Drew is already a marked man because he saved Cyrus’s life. Michael says he doesn’t want Drew asking questions, especially if Austin was there to deliver something to his boss. It would put Drew in even more danger.

Drew says he doesn’t want to speak for Sonny, but he thinks it’s pretty safe to assume Sonny wouldn’t lift a finger to protect Cyrus. Cyrus says, but Drew would, and he has. Not only did Drew perform CPR and keep him alive, Drew stepped in to defend him from Book. He had no reason to beyond Christian charity. He’s a noble man. Drew says he just doesn’t like watching an old man get beat up, no matter how much he despises Cyrus, and Cyrus says he has the feeling Drew would do it again, wouldn’t he? Whether Drew despises him or not. Drew says he would, and Cyrus says, and that speaks to the man Drew is. The kind of man he’s trying to be.

Gladys says she would have paid Sasha back, and Nina says she can’t help Gladys. Gladys says she came clean with Nina. She was honest about why she needs money. Nina says, either Gladys finds the courage to come clean with Sonny, tell him exactly what’s going on, and ask him for the money, or she can deal with her debt by herself. Gladys says, please… and Nina says, get out of her office. She has work to do. Go. Gladys walks slowly toward the door, and goes out to the reception area. Her phone rings, and Montague says, they have a little problem. Gladys asks what he did. Is Sasha worse? He says, there’s talk Sasha may need more personalized care and should be transferred to another facility, away from his attentive and gentle care here at Ferncliff. They both know what that means if it happens. She asks what he’s going to do, and he says he’ll have to make sure Sasha is in no condition to talk. So if she wants Sasha out, he wants his money – all of it – in two days.

Curtis tells Portia that he knows it’s pretty dark, but it’s true. He’s not saying he’s going to push her away again, because he won’t. But it’s time they come to the realization of what they can and can’t do. He’s feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, thinking about what he’s losing. She says she can’t even imagine what he’s feeling right now, but she loves him. He says, but he can’t love her back, and she says she knows he does, but he says, that’s not what he’s talking about. He just can’t physically love her back. She says she doesn’t know what kind of woman he thinks he married, but she’s here for him, and she promises him that they’re going to get through this… together. Apparently, no one has ever explained to Curtis, there’s more than one way to skin a cat and/or he’s never seen Coming Home.

Brook asks what Tracy is doing here, and Maxie says, it’s so nice of her to come and support Brook. And all of them for that matter. It’s been a really challenging time at Deception, and to be honest, it will look good to the judge to see someone like her in their corner. Lucy says she actually agrees with Maxie, and thanks Tracy. It’s really nice of her. She’s glad Tracy could put all those decades of nit-picking and bad blood behind them and lend aid in this horribly difficult time. Tracy says, actually, she’s just here to protect her legal claim to The Deceptor. There isn’t enough time to point out how many ways Tracy wouldn’t have a leg to stand on IRL, or that’s not how any of this works.

Carly says, the last thing she wants to do is drag Drew into a feud between Sonny and whoever, and Mr. Obvious Michael says, especially since Drew’s locked in Pentenville. She says, whoever the person is behind Austin and Mason must be a serious threat. Sonny was willing to let Avery be near Betty just to find out who it is. Michael says, Dex is on it and so is he. Dex is watching everything and reporting back to him. If Sonny needs help, he’ll make sure Sonny gets it.

Sonny says, he told Pikeman, he’s not going to move another shipment until they give him proof of who was responsible for the ambush at the warehouse and the shooting at the pool, and Brick says, be careful. Pikeman’s a heavy hitter. They obviously want to be in business with Sonny; there’s no doubt about that. But if Sonny chooses to cut them off, Pikeman could choose to go in a different direction and remove him from the equation. Find somebody, dare he say, that’s easy to do business with. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. Sonny tells him, that’s what Valentin said, and Brick says, maybe Austin and Mason’s boss is trying to create just that kind of scenario; create discord between Sonny and Pikeman to remove Sonny from the situation, and let the competitor step in. Sonny says, first, they have to find out who his real enemy is.

Drew says, just because he couldn’t stand by and watch Cyrus get beaten to a pulp or watch him die, that doesn’t mean he likes Cyrus. Cyrus says, but he likes Drew. He knows Drew to be that rarest of things, a man of honor. And Drew will find that he, too, is honorable. He pays his debts. (What is he? A Lannister?) He owes Drew his life. He won’t forget it.

Gladys comes back into Nina’s office and says she lied. She does have a gambling problem; she was truthful about that. And she does have huge debts because of gambling, but that’s not why she needs the $50,000. She needs it because the doctor who’s treating Sasha at Ferncliff won’t let Sasha out until she pays him.

Tomorrow, Tracy says, this can all be resolved quickly and quietly; Cody tells Sam, this is the only way he can get in to see Sasha; Sasha begs Janice not to let Dr. Montague near her; and Dante says, the news isn’t good.

💎 Diamond Skinny…

The when and where on the Beverly Hills tribe.

https://www.dexerto.com/reality-tv/rhobh-everything-you-need-to-know-about-season-13-2268858/

🦘 Another Goodbye…

Am I the only one who doesn’t think Culver is hot? He has too many teeth for his mouth.

Their crew keeps getting smaller.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1384113/below-deck-down-under-loses-another-crewmember-after-heartbreaking-firing

📺 At No Cost To You…

I don’t know if these are the best, but there’s some good ones in here. Fast Times at Ridgemont High never gets old and Promising Young Woman is amazing.

https://ew.com/movies/best-movies-on-freevee/

👸🏻 Twice Upon a Time…

I loved this show. That ain’t your mama’s Captain Hook.

https://ew.com/tv/once-upon-a-time-hits-hulu-this-friday/

🐼 Birthday Bear…

And he eats the cake as we all would if there were no witnesses.

https://people.com/smithsonian-national-zoo-panda-treated-to-special-26th-birthday-celebration-7963525

🪠 Dirty Deeds Done At Cost…

Join me tomorrow for soap and throwing stones at the OC. Until then, stay safe (especially those in Idalia’s path), stay enjoying the last vestiges of summer, and stay remembering that attitude makes a big difference when adapting.

August 28, 2023 – Curtis Makes a Decision, Returning, The Real Ned, NYC Minute, Denial Ain’t a River, Making Merit, Magic Moment & Wine

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth sees Finn on the roof and says, she thought she told him that this was her spot. He says, she’ll have to thumb wrestle him for it, and she sits next to him. She says, he’s been up here a lot lately. He must have something on his mind. He says he found out something yesterday and came up here to try and process it. He still can’t wrap his head around it, and doesn’t think he ever will.

Kristina goes to Alexis’s office, and Alexis asks, what brings her here? Kristina says she wanted to thank Alexis for talking to Diane. She agreed to be on the board of the Corinthos-Davis House. Alexis says she told Kristina that Diane would be a real asset, and Kristina says, she is. She’s so excited to have a lawyer of Diane’s caliber on board. But that’s not the only reason she’s here. She owes Alexis an explanation. Alexis says, for what? and Kristina says, the reason she ignored Alexis at the pool earlier.

Trina walks into Kelly’s courtyard, and Josslyn says, welcome to Kelly’s. May I take your order? Trina says, so professional, and Josslyn says, it may not be as glamorous as the art gallery, but she’s happy to help her mom. Trina says, at least Josslyn found a way to be there for her. She doesn’t know what to do for her mom. Josslyn sits down and asks if that means things still aren’t any better between Trina’s mom and Curtis. Trina says she thinks they’ve gotten worse. Curtis is still in rehab and her mom keeps trying to visit him, but he keeps pushing her away. Josslyn takes Trina’s hand and says she’s sorry, and Trina says she doesn’t know what to do. There’s got to be a way to bring them back together.

Marshall walks into Portia’s office and she thanks him for coming. He asks, what’s going on? and she says she heard from the rehab facility. He says, don’t tell him that Curtis had a setback, but she says, no, he’s fine. He’s actually getting released tomorrow. He asks if that isn’t good news, and she says, it should be, but Curtis hasn’t gotten in touch with her. She only spoke to the rehab director. And it looks like Curtis hasn’t reached out to Marshall either, so she doesn’t know what that means. Does that mean Curtis isn’t coming home?

Curtis is exercising with the medicine ball when Stella comes in. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, isn’t it obvious? She says, that he’s working out, but where’s his physical therapist? Curtis says he doesn’t need him, and Stella asks, why is that? He says, Brent taught him everything he needed to know, so now he’s just getting stronger every day. She asks if Brent knows he’s in here on his own, and he says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t care, but he’s ready to get out of here. He’s ready to go home. She says, oh no he isn’t.

Carly thanks Diane for coming to Kelly’s, and Diane says she’s at Carly’s beck and call. She asks how it’s going, and Carly says, good. She never thought she’d enjoy this place like the MetroCourt, but she does. She didn’t realize she had this emotional connection to Kelly’s. It makes her feel closer to her family, to her Aunt Ruby, to her mom… She can’t explain it. Diane says, some things never need explaining, and Carly says, the people are so down to earth. No one’s complaining there’s no beluga on the menu. Diane says, there’s no beluga on the menu? Goodbye. She laughs and says, it’s nice to see Carly and the customers happy. Carly says she’d be even happier if Drew wasn’t in prison. Diane is going to have to get him out.

Robert meets Anna at a poolside table and asks, what’s the occasion? She says she needs a favor. No questions asked.

At another table, Martin sees Lucy walk in and says, there’s his little buttercup. It is so good to see… She throws a drink in his face, and he asks what that was for. She says, not only has he been getting fifty thousand – fifty thousand – dollars every single month from that third ex-wife of his, he kept it a secret. Why did he keep it a secret? He says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, and she says, that’s good. She knows him now, and she knows when he lies, his little ears turn red. Right now, they’re bright crimson. He says, it could be sunburn, and she says, he’s going to go with that? Spill it. He says he admits it. It’s true. Why does she care? She wonders how he can ask her that. Now she knows why he doesn’t want to marry her. He doesn’t want to give up all that beautiful money. He says, she’s one hell of a confusing creature. She didn’t want to marry him. And I quote, I am through with the institution of marriage, unquote. She says, he actually believed her? He’s an idiot. She was going for the reverse psychology thing. If she says no, then he insists they get married, and carries her off like An Officer and a Gentleman. He says he never saw that movie. He never much cared for Richard Gere actually. Who cares? That’s in the past. He loves her. She says, clearly, all that money from his ex-wife’s alimony is more important to him than love.

Anna says she has to find out if Valentin is still on Pikeman’s payroll. Robert has to use whatever connection he’s got with the Feds and any contacts from the WSB to get her some information. He says, it sounds like she’s convinced that Valentin’s being paid by them. Why doesn’t she simply tell him everything that’s been going on?

Kristina says she stopped by Alexis’s office earlier, and Esme told her that Alexis was meeting someone over by the pool. Alexis says, not the most discreet assistant. Did Esme tell Kristina what she was eating for dinner? Kristina says, when she saw Alexis there with Molly and another young woman she didn’t recognize, who she’s assuming was the surrogate – Alexis says, she was – she wanted to talk to Alexis, but thought it would be better if she stayed out of the way after her last interruption. She practically barged in on Molly and TJ when they were meeting with the surrogacy consultant, and if looks could kill… Let’s just say she made a quick exit. That, on top of the fact Molly didn’t invite her to the sushi party, and she just wanted to steer clear. Alexis says, that was probably a wise decision, and Kristina says she sort of stormed out after Alexis waved at her, so she wanted Alexis to know she wasn’t trying to avoid her. Alexis says she kind of figured something else was going on, and Kristina says, whatever is going on with her and Molly, she doesn’t want it to come between her and Alexis, because their relationship is in such a good place now and she wants it to stay that way. Alexis says she does too. Whatever’s going on between Kristina and Molly won’t affect them. Kristina thanks her.

Finn says he saw Elizabeth talking with his dad, so he’s guessing his dad told her. She says, yes, he did, and Finn says his father’s dying. It’s the first time he’s been able to say that out loud. She says she’s so sorry, and Finn says he’s sorry for his father. Not only is he dying, it’s one of the worst ways. ALS is brutal. He knows it’s coming, but he still can’t believe it’s happening to his father.

Stella says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to sound harsh, but Curtis needs to think about this. Going home is going to be a huge adjustment. He says, Portia already made the house wheelchair accessible (that was fast), but Stella says she’s not talking about handrails and ramps. He needs to talk to his physical therapist about being discharged to make sure he’s prepared for his new reality. He says he doesn’t need a therapist to tell him how he’s feeling. He’ll get the same standard answer they give to everyone, empty words. He doesn’t need that. They don’t know who he is. She says, but she does. So talk to her.

Portia tells Marshall that she made sure the whole house can accommodate a wheelchair, but for all she knows, Curtis made other plans. Maybe he decided to move into an assisted living facility? Marshall says he can’t see Curtis doing that, and just because he hasn’t called, doesn’t mean he’s not coming home. She says, but she would have heard from him by now. She just wants to know what’s going on with him. Why won’t he reach out to her? Marshall says, she has to let Curtis do this in his own time. She has to let Curtis figure it out for himself. He’s sure Curtis is going to let her in.

Carly says, Diane has to do something, and Diane says, Carly knows she’d do almost anything to get Drew out of Pentenville. But because there was no trial, she basically doesn’t have a leg to stand on. She can’t argue for an appeal. She can’t argue that there was a procedural flaw. She can’t argue for a reduced sentence. The moment Drew took the plea deal and pled guilty, his sentence was at the absolute discretion of the judge. Carly says, so let’s find another judge.

Kristina asks, so how was the surrogate? and Alexis says, obviously, it’s a little hard to get to know a stranger in an hour, but from what Alexis could tell, she liked her. Alexis thinks she’ll be a good choice for both of them. Kristina says, that’s great. She’s so happy for Molly, and she knows Molly is going to make an amazing mother. Hopefully by then, their relationship will be back on track. Alexis says, they love each other and that’s not going to change. Kristina just needs to be a little patient. This whole infertility thing has been really overwhelming for her, but now that they have a surrogate, she’ll maybe get past her struggles. There’s a knock at the door, and Gregory comes in. He says, sorry. Not a good time? Kristina says, stay. She was just leaving. She tells Alexis, goodbye. Thank you, love you. Alexis says she loves Kristina too, and Kristina leaves. Alexis asks if Gregory wants to work on that AI piece, and he says, yes, but he’s not sure how many working days he has left.

Curtis thanks Stella for her advice and says he appreciates it. He knows what she’s trying to do, but it’s like this place is a safety net. Every time he falls, there’s somebody there to catch him, and he knows that’s not how life is. He has to get back out there and do things on his own, and can’t expect anybody to hold his hand. She says she’s not talking about that and he knows it. Of course (🍷) he’s going to get out of rehab. She just needs to know he’s ready. He says he just can’t sit here any longer. What is he supposed to do? Feel sorry for himself that he can’t walk? says, maybe that’s exactly what he needs to do. He has a right to feel sorry for himself. He has a right to be mad. This should have never happened, so he can’t just push those feelings aside. He’s got to let them out. Open the window and scream if he has to. Because if he doesn’t, it’s going to eat away at him bit by bit until it explodes or… He starts to talk, but she says she’s not done yet. It’s going to take everything he’s got to face this head-on. God has placed an obstacle in his path, and Curtis needs to show Him that he’s up for the challenge.

Robert says, they know Valentin lied about being at ELQ the night of the fire. Does Anna think he had anything to do with burning down her house? She says, Robert promised her that he wouldn’t ask any questions, and Robert says he lied. The difference between his lies and Valentin’s lies are, Valentin’s lies tend to get you killed. She says, he’s complicated, but he doesn’t do anything without a reason. She doesn’t know why he said he was at ELQ when he wasn’t. She also doesn’t know what else he’s lied about. He says, but she suspects something, and she says, what if his connection to Pikeman goes deeper? He admitted to working for them years ago as a logistics contractor. He says it ended with that, but she doesn’t buy it. What if he’s still in bed with Pikeman?

Martin says, to be fair, neither he nor Lucy has been particularly successful when it comes to marriage. She starts to interrupt, but he says, hang on for a second. Something doesn’t make sense. How on earth did she find out he’s the one getting the alimony?

Diane tells Carly, that’s not the way the law works. It’s not like you’ve gone to a doctor; you don’t like what he says. You go to General Hospital for a second opinion. This is the justice system. You can’t hand pick a judge. Carly says, but the sentence given to Drew was over-the-top and wrong. Besides, Drew agreed to six months in Spring Ridge, not three years in Pentenville. It’s cruel and unusual. Diane says she wholeheartedly agrees, and Carly says, besides, there’s nothing in Drew’s past to justify the sentence. It’s like the judge had some kind of vendetta against Drew. They have to do something. Come on. Diane says, that’s an interesting point though. She might be able to argue bias. She can go back into the judge’s past cases and see if there’s any kind of history of prejudicial behavior. Carly says, so she’ll take the case? and Diane says, that depends on who’s hiring her, Carly or Drew?

Trina says, part of this is her fault, and Josslyn asks, how is it her fault? Trina says, when she found out Curtis was her father, she lashed out at her mom. Her mom found out Curtis kissed Jordan, and was upset about how he was treating her, so she went off on Curtis. Josslyn says she still doesn’t understand how that’s on Trina, and Trina says, if she hadn’t put her mom in a vulnerable state, maybe she wouldn’t have been as angry about the kiss. He said that it meant nothing, but Trina didn’t let it go. And that’s on her. Josslyn says, it’s not. They’re responsible for their actions, not Trina. They’re adults and they’ve got to figure this out for themselves.

Curtis tells Stella, if God wanted to put an obstacle in his path, He didn’t have to take away his ability to walk. Talk about timing; right when everything was looking up. Not only did he reconnect with his father and made peace with him, he found out he has a daughter, an amazing daughter. He struggled with the fact Portia kept it a secret from him, but they were working past that. Stella says, he still has those things. He still has all those good things in his life – family. The accident didn’t take them away. Curtis says, that’s just it. It wasn’t an accident. The shooter intended to pull that trigger. It doesn’t matter if he was the intended target. He was hit and here he is, and she expects him to believe that’s God’s plan? She says, maybe this experience can enrich his life in ways he never expected. It can show how strong and resilient he is. He says he doesn’t feel strong. He can’t even walk. He can barely do anything. So much of who he is, is tied to how physical he was. Curtis, hitting the bag, rough and tumble, running in the park, but he can’t do any of that anymore. She asks if he’s saying a disabled person should just give up. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Does he know who said that? FDR. He didn’t give up. He ran this country from a wheelchair. That’s a real hero, not like the ones in the comic books Curtis used to love. Curtis has a superpower. He just doesn’t know what it is yet, but it’s in there. And until he finds out, they’re all here standing right beside him.

Marshall says he can understand where Curtis is coming from, and Portia asks what he means. He says, years ago when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he made a tough choice. It probably wasn’t the right one, but he chose to leave his family to protect them. Portia asks if he thinks Curtis is pushing her away for the same reason, and he tells her that he can’t say for sure, but what he does know is that his son loves her. What Curtis doesn’t know is what their relationship is going to be like. He’s not just talking emotionally; he’s talking physically. She says, so Curtis is avoiding her, and Marshall says, yeah, he’s avoiding her. He’s avoiding the questions he doesn’t have the answers to yet. It’s not because Curtis doesn’t love her. It’s because he does love her.

Gregory tells Alexis that he let Finn know about his diagnosis. It’s still surreal saying he has ALS. You’d think it would have sunk in by now, but every time he says it, it hits him all over again. She asks how Finn took it, and he says, Finn usually plays everything close to the vest, but he was obviously devastated. And he only added to that by telling him that Alexis already knew. She says she and Finn ran into each other a little bit ago, and they talked about it. He asks if Finn was upset that she knew, but she says she thinks he’s more concerned about Gregory, not who was told first. He says, so hopefully it won’t damage their friendship, and she says, no, it will not. She and Finn are fine and they’re both worried about him. He thanks her again for keeping his confidence, and apologizes for putting her in that position. It wasn’t fair. He hopes she can forgive him.

Elizabeth says she knows what Finn’s dad is facing is horrible, but hopefully he can hang onto those moments of joy he has right now. Finn said he talked about going on a trip? Finn says, he wanted to take Violet to Disneyworld, but that was before his symptoms started getting worse. He thinks his father is afraid of losing his mobility, and doesn’t want Violet to see that. She says, that’s inevitable, but kids are super resilient. One day at a time. That’s what they say in AA, right? He tells her, that’s what they say, but it’s still hard to see what lies ahead. She says she knows, but his dad is still independent and still has his freedom, and Finn has to take advantage of that while he can. Don’t miss out on what’s right in front of him.

Martin wonders how Lucy got a look at the particulars of his financials, especially that alimony. That is confidential, and he’s not the kind of man who leaves documents lying around. So how on earth did she get her hands on that information? She says, well… perhaps… she went to Pine Valley and she snooped. He says, that girls trip she took with Felicia. She said they were in Llanview. Lucy says she lied. They met this guy there named Jackson Montgomery; he’s a lawyer. Martin says, oh Lord. He knows who Jackson Montgomery is. She says, they also had a look at his files. Perhaps without his permission. He says, so she was willing to break the law to get a look at his private something-something? She could have been arrested. How could she have done something like that? She says, how could she have done something like that? How could he keep this alimony thing a secret from her all this time? He says, that’s in his past. It has nothing to do with the two of them. Nothing is more important than his relationship with her. She says, okay. Give up the money. Tell his third ex-wife that he just doesn’t want that alimony anymore. No alimony ever. He says, it’s fifty thousand dollars… Is that really what she wants? She says she doesn’t know. She doesn’t think she’s free to make demands on him to give up fifty thousand dollars, especially when she’s going to be bankrupt soon.

Robert says he’ll take care of Valentin, but why doesn’t Anna just confront him directly? She says she can’t do that, and he says, because she doesn’t trust him. He often wondered what she really saw in that dude. She asks him to stop. She didn’t ask him for this. She really just wants him to find out the truth, because she doesn’t know what it is anymore. Valentin walks in and says, nobody told him they were having company, but Robert gets up and says, they don’t. He’s leaving. He goes, and Valentin asks, what’s wrong with Robert? She says, he’s a bit worried about Robin.

Diane asks if Drew knows that Carly is trying to relitigate his sentence, and Carly says, yes. He knows she wants him out of there. She was just with him earlier at Pentenville. Diane asks how he’s holding up, and Carly says, he’s Drew. He’s strong mentally and physically, so he’s not going to complain. He can survive, but that’s not the point. He shouldn’t have to. Diane says, in a standard case – and this is far from a standard case – the appeals process can take years, and it can be torturous. It’s a vicious cycle of hope and disappointment. So instead of putting Drew through all of that, the wisest course of action might be to let him finish out his sentence.

Stella asks what life at home looks like for Curtis now. Is he going to continue to do everything on his own and shut out his wife? She knows it’s hard for Portia to see him this way. Every time she comes to see him, she feels Curtis is pushing her away. Is that how it’s going to be when he gets home? He shakes his head, and says, they’d been making progress. He was on his way to talk to her at the pool when he was shot. He never got his chance. She says, but now he has a chance, and he says, once he found out he was paralyzed, he said some horrible things to Portia. He didn’t want her pity, so he was deliberately hurtful. He thought it would drive her away. She says, but it didn’t. That woman loves him unconditionally. She knows Portia was hurt, but she understood why he lashed out. We’re always toughest on the ones we love. This might be a long road, but let them ride it along with him. They love him. So let them in.

Alexis says, there is nothing to forgive, but Gregory says, it was wrong. Especially knowing she and Finn were friends. She says, what about Chase? How did he take it? Gregory looks away, and she says, ooh. He hasn’t told Chase yet. He says he will. He just keeps putting it off. Chase has been so sensitive. It practically killed him to tell Chase that he and Chase’s mother were getting divorced. He can’t imagine how he’s going to take this news. He just wants a few more days with him not knowing, so their time together isn’t about his illness. She says she understands, and he says he knows it’s been difficult, but he thanks her for respecting his wishes and staying silent about his diagnosis. It gave him more time with his family; time to be a father and grandfather, not a man with a debilitating disease. She says, again, it’s not her place to share this information and he’ll tell Chase when he’s ready.

Finn says, Elizabeth is right. He needs to focus on the present and enjoy this time with his dad. He just wishes he hadn’t wasted so damn much of it. For years he wanted nothing to do with his family; he turned his back on his father. His father never gave up on him. Elizabeth says, now it’s his turn, because Finn won’t give up on him, and Finn says he’s going to be there for his father every step of the way. She says, now’s the time to be completely honest with him. Put everything on the table. Tell Gregory how he feels guilty for shutting him out and that he wants to make up for it. Tell Gregory that he loves him.

Trina goes to Portia’s office and says she thought Portia could use some company. Portia says she sure does. It’s been such an emotional night. She hugs Trina, and Trina says she’s been having a lot of those lately. Talk to her. Portia says she’s really been dumping on Trina a lot lately, so… Trina says she wants to help Portia. What’s going on? Portia says, Marshall was here earlier and they had a pretty heavy discussion about Curtis. Trina asks if something is wrong with Curtis, but Portia says, no, he’s fine. But she heard from the rehab facility, and he’s being released tomorrow. Trina says, that’s great. She was just telling Joss that once they’re under the same roof again, she knows things will get better. Portia says, but she’s not quite sure Curtis is going to be coming back home.

Stella says, Curtis is a very proud man. She knows it’s difficult for him to be so vulnerable, but they’re not looking at him with pity, especially Portia. He needs to open his heart and let Portia in. If he can do that, maybe he’s ready to go home. He says he’s been shutting down emotionally because it’s easier than admitting how difficult this is. Sure, the physical part’s demanding, but it’s the only way he can work through this. But he knows he has to put his life back together, and it’s just going to look a little different from this angle. She asks if that means he’s ready to take on the challenge of his new reality.

Anna asks what Valentin’s been up to, and he says he was with Charlotte. They were supposed to have lunch by the pool, but she had a pizza placed she wanted him to see, so they may have ordered a large sausage and mushroom, and finished half a dozen zeppole for dessert. So he doesn’t think he’s going to be terribly hungry for dinner, but he will join her. She says, okay. He can make it up to her by ordering another glass of wine. She’s just going to go to the ladies room. She’ll be right back.

Lucy tells Martin, Deception stock is tanking, and how dare they claim she stole the whole idea of The Deceptor? She didn’t, and he knows that. She came up with the idea when they were together in bed. Remember? He was her inspiration. He says, intellectual property theft is very difficult to prove, and she says, but what if they actually prove it? They’re out of business and she’s broke. He sees Valentin walking to the door, and asks Lucy to excuse him for a second. She says, what’s more important than her? and he says, hold that thought, and dashes after Valentin.

In the hallway, Valentin asks if Martin heard back, and Martin says, yes. And it’s not good news.

Carly says, Diane thinks Drew should stay in Pentenville for three years, and Diane says, stop it. She doesn’t think Drew should stay in Pentenville. Of course (🍷) not. She’s just saying, at this point, it might be wise to let him finish out his sentence. Carly says, it’s not, and she wouldn’t ask Diane to pursue this if Drew wasn’t on board. Diane says, really? and Carly says, okay, she would, but he is. So come on. Please? Diane is the best lawyer she knows. There has to be something she can do. Diane says, there’s just not a lot to work with here. This is a federal case and it’s very tricky to get federal cases reassigned to a different judge. Carly says, can’t she pull some strings?… What about Robert? She knows things are awkward between him and Diane, but maybe he has some federal connections… Diane says, yes, things are awkward between the two of them, when Carly says, here he is. Diane says, what? and Carly says, well, hello, DA Scorpio. Robert says, good evening, ladies. He didn’t know Diane frequented this establishment. Diane says, there’s boatloads he doesn’t know about her. She starts to leave, and he says he thought he’d drop by to tell her that he got a new set of wheels. She stops and turns around.

Finn says he’s glad his dad confided in Elizabeth, and she says, he did it for Finn. He wanted Finn to be able to share the burden. Finn says, just between the two of them, there’s no one else he’d  rather share it with, and she tells him that Gregory also said he hadn’t told Chase yet. He says, it’s going to be hard, but he’ll be there to help his father. He’s really grateful to have her here in his corner. He can’t imagine doing this on his own. She says, he doesn’t have to. She’s here for him, every step of the way. They hug.

Gregory tells Alexis, what if he’s never ready to let Chase know? He keeps waiting for the right time, but Chase has been so happy lately with Brook and getting his badge back; this will crush him. She says she doesn’t think he’s giving Chase enough credit. He was raised by a helluva dad. She wants him to stop her if she’s said this before, but she’s here for him. He says, stop, and she says she’s really lucky to have him in her life. He says, stop, and she says, he’s a great writer. He says, go on, and she says, and he’s a helluva pal. He says, the feeling’s mutual, boss, and she hugs him.

Diane asks, under what circumstances would Robert buy a new car when he told her he was perfectly comfortable with the old one? He said he wasn’t good with change. Robert tells her that he thought about what she said, and she was right. He thought he’d open himself up to new possibilities. She says, out with the old, in with the new, is that it? She’s not sure it’s quite that simple, but enjoy those wheels. He asks if she’d like to come for a spin, and she says she’ll have to check her spin schedule, but she’s sure she can squeeze him in. He says he’s sure her friend Chris… What’s his name? She says, Chris is her name, and Diane is sure she wouldn’t mind. She heads for the door, and Carly says, on that other thing… Diane says, got it, and leaves.

Valentin says, the clock is ticking. He needs Martin to get this done. Martin says, it’s not that simple, but Valentin says, it is simple. He can’t take the next step until Martin gets it done. Will he get it done? Valentin walks out and goes to the table. Anna is there, and she asks, what’s with him and Martin? It seemed a little tense. Is everything okay? He says, yeah. They talked some business, nothing interesting. At least now Martin can take this off as a business expense. He’s here for her. How was her day? She says, kind of like him and Martin. Nothing interesting.

Martin asks what he can get Lucy. Is she hungry? Does she want something to eat? She does love their burgers. She says, nope. She’s not hungry. She doesn’t have an appetite. Too nervous. The hearing is tomorrow, and her entire future is riding on that hearing. This really could be the end of Deception, and the end of her.

Trina asks if Curtis said he’s not coming home, and Portia says, no, but she hasn’t heard from him. She’s worried maybe he has second thoughts about coming back. Trina says she’s sure Curtis just has a lot on his mind, being discharged. She knows he’ll come home. So she better get back to the house and make sure everything is ready. Portia says she doesn’t want Trina to get her hopes up. If Curtis does come back home, things are going to be different. It’s going to be an adjustment for all of them. Portia’s phone rings, and it’s Curtis. He asks how she is, and she says she’s okay. How is he? He says, better than he’s been in the last few weeks. He’s coming home. She says, he has no idea how happy that makes her, and he says, it’s not going to be easy, but they can make it work… together.

Tomorrow, Dr. Montague says he’s going to give Sasha something to take all her pain away; Marshall tells Curtis, there’s trouble at the club; Cyrus says he now has Sonny’s protection too; and Carly tells Michael that she’s going to come up with a way to get Drew out of Pentenville.

↪️ Circling Back…

I totally forgot she’d made an appearance before.

🎤 Time For a Chat…

This is a good interview show. August 31st, 3 pm.

🗽 Their City Never Sleeps…

This week’s RHONY recap.

🛟 Sinking Ship…

This guy seems like a total creeper. And I’m wondering what production meant by, they dealt with it. Did they pat her on the head and send her back to work?

🌳 New To Me…

Apparently, this show has been on Netflix for a while, but it only recently caught my eye. I love an apocalyptic drama. While slow moving at times, I was in it for the long haul and found the payoff gratifying.

https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-netflix-original-3/

🐕 But Is He Single…?

Only the hardest of hearts could have abandoned this little nugget. And only the best dude in the world made him an immediate BFF.

👟 Talk To the Foot…

Come set a spell tomorrow for soap and tea without sympathy. Until then, stay safe, stay never counting your chickens before they’re hatched, and stay not complaining if there’s no beluga on the menu.

August 25, 2023 – Cody Asks Sam For Help, Newbie, Atlanta Receipts, Called Out, No Shock, Leaky Deck, VanderLock, Tasty Move, New Horror, Dead News, Second Last, Stray Training, Apple Pups, 9 Crisp Quotes & Out

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow comes into the hospital, and Elizabeth asks if she’s had a setback, but Willow says, just the opposite. She wants to get back to work. Does Elizabeth have room for one more nurse?

Finn sets up the backgammon board, and Tracy says she hopes he’s been practicing. He’s going to need it. He asks if she’s kidding. He has an eight-year-old daughter, and there’s not a day that goes by that there isn’t new disease at the hospital to challenge him. Does she really think he has time to practice backgammon? She looks at him, and he says, okay. The minute he knew she was back in town, he started practicing his ass off. She says, good choice – she takes a paper out of her pocket – because according to her calculations, Tracy-47, Finn-29. He says, 47-29? She kept that all this time? She asks what he thinks and he says, of course (🍷) she kept it; she’s winning. She says she loves to win, and shakes the dice.

Cody says he’s desperate here. Sasha’s in trouble, and Sam could be his only chance. She says, to get himself locked up in Ferncliff? and he says, to help Sasha. She says she thinks it’s a terrible plan, but he says, it’s the only plan he’s got. Please. She says she won’t help him, much less be the one who commits him.

On his phone at the Crimson office, Sonny asks what Brick’s got for him. Has the fake information Betty stole from his computer been downloaded?… He gets that, but he’s impatient. It’s just that he wants some answers. He may have to figure this out. Nina comes out of the elevator, and Sonny says, he’ll see Brick later. Nina comes in and asks, what’s wrong? Sonny says, nothing. A beautiful woman is in front of him. What could be wrong with that? She says, nothing’s wrong with that, and they hug. Absolutely nothing.

At the pool, Molly thanks Alexis for coming, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) she would be here. She knows how much this means to Molly and TJ. Molly says she really wants Alexis to like her, and Alexis says she thinks it’s more important that Molly and TJ like her. Molly says, they really do, when Andrea comes in. Molly introduces her to Alexis, and they sit at a table. Kristina appears in the doorway and sees them.

On the phone, Brook says, so it’s all true?… She can’t say she’s completely surprised. She could kill her with her bare hands… No, no. Not them. A certain member of her family.

Tracy asks, how’s Finn’s father? and Finn says, he’s… fine. She says, fine? Really? She was supposed to have dinner a few days ago at the MetroCourt with her sister-in-law who had to cancel. There, she ran into Finn’s father, who coerced her into having dinner with him. Finn asks, how bad was the dinner? and she says, actually, the food was much improved now that Carly Spencer is no longer running the show. He says he meant, how was his dad’s company? and she says, he’s charming, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his hand was cramping. What’s wrong with him? Finn says he’ll have to ask her not to pursue that line of questioning, and she asks, why? He says he’d prefer not to lie to her, and she says, fine. He shakes the dice, and asks how Ned is doing. She says, he’s still singing on streetcorners and hanging out with her favorite person, Sonny Corinthos. And how is Detective Chase? He says, Chase is convinced Tracy is forcing Brook to give up her music career to work at Deception, and she says she needs to ask him not to pursue that line of questioning. He asks, why? and she says she’d prefer not to lie to him. He laughs.

Willow tells Elizabeth that she’s feeling stronger every day. She’s got her energy back and she’s really starting to feel like her old self again. Elizabeth says, that’s such great news, and Willow says she loves her time with Michael and the kids, but what she really wants is to get back to nursing. Taking care of people who need help, like she did when she was getting her transplant. This hospital is full of excellent nurses who took such amazing care of her and really supported her when she needed it. She’s not sure what she would have done without them. Elizabeth says, they do have excellent nurses here, but Willow wasn’t just any patient; she’s one of them. Willow says she wants to pay it forward and give that type of care to other patients who need it. Elizabeth says, that’s why they do this, and she’s all for Willow coming back to GH because she’s an amazing nurse, and she can’t wait to have Willow back on rotation, as soon as her doctors approve her return. It would be a bad way to repay all those nurses by coming back too soon and pushing herself too hard, compromising her immune system. Willow says, of course (🍷). She agrees. That’s why she’s here, to talk to Dr. Randolph and see when she’ll be approved. Elizabeth says, great. This place needs people like Willow, and she can’t wait to get that documentation that says Willow is ready to work.

Sonny says he doesn’t want to keep Nina from her work. Maybe she should see if something urgent came up. Nina says she’s just fine in his arms. Besides, there’s nothing that can’t wait. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she says she would have gotten a text or an email from one of her assistants. He says, maybe its one of those old fashioned phone things. Why doesn’t she just check it out? She asks why he’s acting so weird, and he says he doesn’t want her to miss something important. She goes to her desk and finds a jewelry box, and asks, what’s this? He says he doesn’t know; maybe she should open it. She opens it, and says, oh! revealing a stunning diamond pendant necklace. She says she loves it; it’s beautiful. He says, it’s going to be even more beautiful when he puts it on her, and she asks if it’s an apology for being so secretive with her. He says, yes and no, and she asks, which is it? He says, why doesn’t she turn around and he’ll put it on her. She says, it’s gorgeous (it gets my vote), and he says, it’s absolutely amazing, putting the necklace on her. He hooks the clasp, and she asks how it looks. He says, she looks beautiful and that just compliments it, and she says, he always has a way of making her feel special. What happened to him to put him so at ease? He says he’s just happy, but she says when she saw him in his office the other night talking to Ava, they both seemed pretty tense.

Sam says, even if she wanted to – which she doesn’t – she couldn’t have Cody committed because she’s not related to him. Therefore, there’s no legal standing to do it. He says, easy fix, and she says she can’t wait to hear this. He says he gives her power of attorney. She becomes his medical executor. She says, so he appoints her one day, and she has him committed the next. That’s not going to look suspicious at all, is it? He says, it’s good enough to get him into Ferncliff, and if people start asking questions afterward, who cares? She says she cares. This is a bad idea. He says, no, it’s not. It could work. She says, this is a pointless discussion because she’s not going to do it, and he says, why? She says, because she’s not going to do anything that’s going to make Sasha worse.

Andrea says, the view from up here is amazing, and Alexis says, you can see most of Port Charles from up here. Kristina says, TJ likes to come here and go swimming to blow off steam, and afterward they grab something to eat. Alexis notices Kristina, who ducks out. Molly and Andrea discuss the food there, and their favorite dishes. Alexis looks over and sees Kristina is gone.

Tracy says she wins, and Finn says he has the feeling that’s her favorite phrase. She says, it’s definitely one of her favorites. Isn’t he even going to try to beat her? He says, just wait til next game, and she says she appreciates his enthusiasm, adding something to the paper. She says, the running score is now 48 to 29, and he tells her that she doesn’t have to say it so loud. He’s surprised she doesn’t have her own Quartermaine score tab stationery with a little family crest on it. He can see it now; one for Brook, two for Tracy, Ned zero. She says, that’s a clever idea, and he says, you’re welcome. She asks what they’re going to talk about now that he’s removed his father from the topic of conversation and she’s removed her granddaughter? She knows he doesn’t want to waste any more time talking about stationery. He says he discovered a fascinating new bacteria… but she says, no. Infectious diseases is off the table. He says he has a topic, and she says, Monica’s cheap china or business cards? He says, what about Luke?

Gregory comes into the hospital, and Elizabeth asks if he’s here to see Finn, but he says, actually, he was hoping to have a word with her. She says, sure. Is everything okay? He tells her, let’s just say, it’s extremely important.

Sam tells Cody, they’ve been over this. Sasha has suffered a psychotic break. Right now she needs medical attention because she’s dangerous and delusional. He says, no, she isn’t, and Sam asks what he’s talking about. He has a scar on his side where Sasha stabbed him. He says he’s telling her that Sasha is being drugged, and somehow, Gladys is responsible for it. How is he the only one who sees it? She says, he may think that, but Sasha also has a history of mental illness, and he says he knows all about her history, but one minute she’s fine, and the next minute, she’s hallucinating. How does that happen? He’s telling her, something isn’t right. She says, okay. Say he does get in to see Sasha and he pushes her further into her delusion. He says he wouldn’t, but she says, he doesn’t know that. Or maybe even the worst-case scenario. Maybe she thinks he’s Cyrus Renault again and attacks him a second time, and he’s not so lucky and winds up in the hospital, or worse. He says he’s thought through all that. He’ll be on his guard this time, and he can defend himself from Sasha. She says she’s not worried about him, and he says, gee, thanks. She says she’s worried about Sasha and him traumatizing her more. Is he willing to take that risk?

Sonny says he understands why Nina feels excluded, and she says, good, because she did. First, Dex and Gabe wouldn’t let her in the penthouse. Then when she went to his office, she found him talking with Ava, and she seemed to be in the know about what was going on. He says, because he and Ava share Avery, and she says, but then he tells her that it’s for her safety that she doesn’t know. Who wouldn’t feel left out? He says, because some things in his business are better left unsaid. They’ve gone over this a thousand times and he doesn’t want to put her in danger. She says, he’s willing to put Ava’s life in danger? and he takes her hand. He says he came here to apologize for making her feel like an outsider. He doesn’t let her in on things because it puts her at risk. She knows everything else. She says she feels like Frank or Gabe when his office door is shut in her face, and he says he doesn’t ever want her to feel like an employee. She says she knew from day one what she was getting into when she fell in love with him, and she accepts all of him; this charming, amazing man in front of her, and the ruthless businessman. She loves all of him. He says he doesn’t ever want her to forget how much he loves her. That’s all that matters. She says, just let her in. Maybe she can help him. She can handle it. He says, some things are best not knowing.

Kristina goes to the reception desk and asks if Dr. Randolph is in. Walking by, Willow says, Dr. Randolph had an emergency that pulled her away, and Kristina hugs her. She says, Willow looks great. It’s nice to see her out. Willow says, it’s great to be out. She’s feeling a lot better. Kristina says she’s sorry she didn’t come see Willow. She didn’t know when Willow was accepting visitors again. Willow says, it’s okay. After she left the hospital, she had to restrict her visitors to a small group, since her immune system might be compromised, but now she’s almost fully recovered, so they can see each other any time. Kristina says, that’s amazing news, and Willow says she couldn’t be more grateful for what Liesl did for her. She’s actually here to see Dr. Randolph too. She’s hoping to get the all-clear to go back to work. What about Kristina? Is she okay? Kristina says, not really. Actually, it’s probably best she doesn’t see Dr. Randolph today.

Elizabeth tells Gregory, she’s officially on break, so she’s all his. What’s going on? Are Finn and Violet okay? He says, they’re fine, and they sit down. He needs her to accept his apology. She says, for what? and he says he’s been keeping something from her, from everyone close to him. But the time has come for him to be up front and transparent. He waited too long. He never should have agreed to watch Violet the other night. She asks, what happened? and he says he fell, and Violet came in and saw him on the floor. She says she’s sure it was scary for Violet, but she’s going to be okay. What about him? Is he hurt? Does he want to see a doctor? He says, no. The fall was nothing serious, but Violet was worried and so was he. He told Finn and now he’s telling her. He has ALS.

Tracy tells Finn that she keeps forgetting Luke is gone. The fact that he’s not around to drive her crazy is something she finds impossible to wrap her head around. Finn says, she really misses him, doesn’t she? and she says, yeah. He has her at loose ends, so she concentrates on her good friend – she nods to him – and focuses on a business project she’s involved in. He asks if she wants to talk about it, or is it one of those subjects they shouldn’t pursue a line of questioning? She says she prefers not to lie to him, and he laughs. Brook storms in and says, how could she? Tracy says, they’re in the middle of a game, and Brook swipes the board onto the floor. She says, now they’re not.

Nina and Sonny sit at a table, fully set for dinner in her office, and she says, one of the perks of having her office in the MetroCourt is that she can have them send dinner down when they’re feeling hungry and romantic. He says, speaking of romantic, they haven’t even talked about the details for the wedding, and she says, they’ve been a little preoccupied. Him with whatever he’s doing and Michael, and her with  the MetroCourt and the magazine and Willow. He asks if they can focus on themselves. They haven’t even set a date when she wants to marry him. She says she’s glad he asked because she wants a winter wedding, and she wants their table centerpieces to be filled with anemones and orchids and roses, and she was thinking about wearing an off-white gown. He says, she thought about this? and she says, a little. He says, a lot, and she says, if they have a winter wedding, she saw these amazing emerald and gold invitations; they’re gorgeous. And he would look dashing in a burgundy tux, and she could picture them in Crimson’s January issue. He says he’s not very comfortable with being splashed across her magazine, but he does like a winter wedding because they have time to plan and she can have what she wants. She says, there’s another reason she wants to wait for winter. She wants to make sure Willow is fully recovered. If they have a wedding before Willow is completely cleared, she thinks it would be disrespectful to her. He says, Nina wants her to come around so she can be part of the wedding.

Kristina says she doesn’t know if Willow heard, but she’s starting an LGBTQIA+ youth center here in Port Charles. Willow says, Michael told her. She thinks it’s an amazing idea. Kristina says she asked Dr. Randolph if she would be on the board of directors, and Willows says, she would be excellent. What did she say? Kristina says, she seemed interested, but she didn’t commit yet, so she’s here hopefully to convince her to get on board. (No pun intended?) Willow says, she will, and Kristina says she’s glad she ran into Willow first. She’s realizing she’s not quite in the right head space to talk to Dr. Randolph today, and the worst thing she could possibly do is throw herself into business to distract herself and potential risk messing things up for the foundation. Willow says, distract herself from what? and Kristina says, from feeling left out of her sister’s life.

Alexis asks what led Andrea to wanting to become a surrogate, and Andrea tells her, like she said, she’s married. She and Ben have a young son, Randy; he’s just a baby. Her husband is a plumber and she used to work as an executive assistant. Alexis says, so she’s no longer working, and Andrea says she really wanted to stay home with her son and not look for another job, and she and her husband decided being a surrogate would allow her to do that. Randy’s young enough that he won’t remember her being pregnant. Someday they’ll explain to him of course (🍷), when he’s old enough to understand. Alexis says, it’s good to come clean about things like that, and Andrea says, at this point, he’s so young, he won’t anticipate a sibling when he sees her pregnant. So it won’t mean anything to him. Alexis asks, what will it mean to her?

Cody tells Sam that he can’t think of anything more traumatic than Sasha being trapped in Ferncliff. Please, just hear him out. She sits down, and he says, so Sasha had a breakdown after her baby and husband died within a year. Then she started using drugs; that’s when she cracked. That’s when she smashed in the windshield. Sam asks if he’s trying to prove her point, and he says he gets it, but then Sasha got help. She made a full recovery and was doing so great, she was even able to go back on TV selling Deception’s beauty products. And just when she’s ready to dump Gladys as her guardian and start taking control of her own affairs, she cracks again, even worse than before, leaving greedy Gladys in control of her money. Come on. Doesn’t Sam find that way too convenient?

Finn points to the game on the floor and says he was going to win. It doesn’t matter; Tracy and Brook should talk. He’ll show himself out. Tracy says she apologizes for the rudeness of her granddaughter. She was clearly raised by her mother. He says he’ll call Tracy later and leaves. Brook asks why she did it. Why? Tracy says, do what? and Brook says, go after Deception and in the process hurt her friends. Tracy says, please. She’s told Brook time and again, there are no friends in business. Does Brook think her great grandfather could have built ELQ into what it is today by making friends? Besides, they got what was coming to them. Brook asks how she can say that, and Tracy says, Lucy Coe stole the designs for The Deceptor. Brook says, from who? Tracy? Tracy says, no, and Brook asks, then who? Tracy says, from the company she’s working with, and Brook says, so there it is. Tracy just revealed the whole plot. Tracy used her. Tracy says, Brook used her to get Chase back his job, and Brook says, and Tracy used that to blackmail her into hurting her friends so she could help some random company. For what? Some revenge on Lucy Coe? Some bizarre vendetta? What’s happened to her? My guess: Tracy is working with Martin’s ex-wife number three, whose idea he inadvertently passed to Lucy.

Cody tells Sam, Sasha isn’t in Ferncliff because she’s a danger to him or herself. She’s in Ferncliff because she’s a threat to Gladys controlling her money. Sam asks if he really believes Gladys had Sasha drugged and sent to Ferncliff so she could remain in control of Sasha’s assets, and he says he’s played cards with Gladys. She’s an addict, like anyone who’s addicted to booze or coke. She says, that’s a big accusation to make, and he says, yeah, and Gladys has an even bigger debt to pay. Addicts are liars. He has no idea what lies Gladys has told herself to justify what she’s doing to Sasha. Frankly, he doesn’t care. All he cares about here is the victim. So is Sam going to let Sasha just rot in Ferncliff, or is she going to help him get in there and help her?

Sonny tells Nina, Willow’s on the road to making a full recovery, so they have to believe that. Nina says she does. She saw Willow earlier at Kelly’s and she looked a lot better. She just doesn’t want to tempt fate. He says, she’s going through a lot; she’s been through a lot. She’s a fighter. Nina says, she is a fighter, but it’s hard not to worry about her, and he says, they’re always going to worry about their kids. Nothing’s going to change that. But Nina’s been doing a lot of praying, and her prayers seem to be answered. Nina says, Sonny knows her a little too well, and he tells her not to forget that. He knows how important it is to have Willow at their wedding. Nina says, they’ve made a lot of progress. They’ve had some really good conversations, and Willow has made it clear she wants more of a relationship with her. He says, that’s great, and she says, it’s just going to be a long, hard road to rebuild that trust, but she wants Willow at the wedding, and they both know she won’t attend as long as Michael’s not there. (I dunno about that.) How does he feel about that? He says, if Michael wants to show up, nothing would make him happier. If you’d asked him six months ago if there was a chance Michael would come to their wedding – they laugh – he would say, no way. But you‘ve got to have hope, and he and Michael are doing a lot better. She says, that’s great, because she knows how important that is to him. He says, they’ve got to be thankful for everything they’ve got, and things seem to be looking up for them.

Willow says, Kristina can talk to her. What happened? Kristina says she knows she can trust Willow with this, and the secret is going to be out in nine months anyway. Molly and TJ have been having some infertility issues; Molly specifically has been. Willow says, poor Molly, and Kristina says, she’s been taking it really hard, and ever since they found out, she – they – have been talking about ways to have a baby of their own. So Kristina stepped up and committed the unpardonable sin of offering to be their surrogate. Willow says, wow. That is quite an offer. She’s taking it that it didn’t go over well. Kristina says, but it should have. You’d think Molly would see it as the selfless and loving gift she intended it to be. Instead, she’s insulted and completely shut Kristina out.

Andrea says she’s sure Alexis knows, there’s no greater joy than being a mom, and she was blessed with an easy and healthy pregnancy. If she can somehow pass that joy on to Molly and TJ by being their surrogate and giving them the gift of being parents, she’s also providing for her family and she’s willing to do it. Molly says, she and TJ can’t thank Molly enough. And they’ll both be there for Andrea every step of the way. Andrea says, luckily, she does know what to anticipate with the pregnancy, and going into it, knowing she’s carrying Molly and TJ’s baby and not her own, will make it possible for her to do this. That’s why she signed the contract. Alexis says she knows something about contracts, having been a lawyer for most of her life. She also knows what they can’t do. They really can’t capture the emotional part of what it means to have a child. So she thanks Andrea. It’s an incredible gift Andrea is giving to her child.

Elizabeth says she’s so sorry this is happening to him, and Gregory thanks her. It’s been a struggle to wrap his mind around it. (There’s a lot of that going around.) He put off facing it for as long as he could, which is why he hid his diagnosis from Finn and Chase for so long. He still hasn’t found the strength to tell Chase. Now that Finn knows, on the one hand, he’s relieved; on the other hand, he knows his son. She says, he’ll do everything he can for Gregory, and he says, that’s what he’s afraid of. Finn will act as both his doctor and his son, and he’ll forget to feel. But he’ll need to be in touch with those feelings, and for that he’ll need Elizabeth. Gregory dreads what’s ahead for him, but knowing Finn has her beside him, supporting him, he can dread it a little less.

Tracy says, what’s happened to her? What’s happened to Brook? Chase has softened her beyond recognition. Brook says, thank you, but Tracy says, that wasn’t a compliment. Brook says, Luke’s death has hardened Tracy more than she could have possibly imagined. She’s not only destroyed a company, she’s destroyed dreams. Does she understand that? Tracy says, please, and Brook says, if there’s any merit to this suit, it could bankrupt Deception. Tracy says, well, then Lucy Coe hasn’t kept very good books if her company’s that financially fragile, and Brook says, she’s unbelievable. This could leave Deception vulnerable to a hostile takeover. Or it could crumble before it ever has a chance to get back up on its feet. Tracy says, that’s the plan.

Elizabeth says she’ll do everything she can to support Finn, and Gregory. And she’ll be there for Chase and Violet. Gregory tells her that he had no doubt she’d say that, and thanks her. She asks, who else knows? and he says, at this point, it’s her, Finn, and Alexis Davis. He knows he’s being a coward, but he’s dreading telling Chase. She says, he’s anything but a coward. Facing this alone for months takes way more strength than he’s willing to admit. He’ll find the right moment to tell Chase. He says, Chase is the baby of the family, but boy, the optimist; the one who believes no matter how bad things get, it’s going to be okay in the end. He doesn’t know how to tell Chase that he’s sick, getting sicker, and one day, he’ll be helpless. There are days when he doesn’t believe it himself, but then his hands cramp up, or he struggles to stand up, or he falls down like he did with Violet, and it hits him. He’s going to die. This is real. She says, yeah, it’s real. There are still good days ahead, and she’s going to help him enjoy them. He thanks her and they hug, and Finn sees them.

Brook says, what plan? What is Tracy really after? She hasn’t been interested in ELQ in years, and that’s money to run a small country. What’s really going on here? Who sets out to ruin people’s lives? Oh wait. She’s sorry. Of course (🍷). A Quartermaine. Well look how well that’s turned out for this family. No wonder her dad woke up thinking he was someone else. Who’d want to be Tracy’s kid? Brook stomps out, and Tracy ponders this.

Andrea thanks Molly and Alexis for the lovely meal and even lovelier company. She’s so glad she’s in the position to help Molly and TJ. Molly says, they’re the fortunate ones to have found Andrea, and Andrea tells Alexis, it’s been a pleasure. Alexis says, it was a pleasure for her as well. It was a wonderful night. Andrea leaves, and Molly asks what Alexis thinks, and please, be honest. This is too important for anything else. Alexis says she likes Andrea. She thinks Andrea has a good head on her shoulders, and a good understanding of what it’s like to be a surrogate. Molly says she’s so relieved to hear Alexis say that, and Alexis says she thinks Molly and TJ are going to make fantastic parents. Molly thanks her, and they hug.

Kristina tells Willow, if she’s honest, it feels like Molly is punishing her because she can have a baby and Molly can’t. She knows that sounds harsh. Willow says, Kristina has a right to her feelings. She won’t pretend to know the answers, but one thing she’s learned is that babies are great bridge builders. Once the child is there and you’re interacting with this small miracle and the immediacy of them, it makes the old wounds seem less painful. So don’t assume she and Molly will feel this way forever. It’s very possible once the baby gets here, Kristina will just be aunty and Molly will be mom, and neither one of them will feel the need to be so territorial. It’ll all get easier. Kristina says she really hopes Willow is right, and she hopes the same for Kristina and Nina. She knows there’s negative history there and she gets it, but she’s been spending some time with Nina and she’s really a good person. Kristina’s dad loves her a lot. Maybe it’s like Willow just said, the immediacy will make the old wounds seem less painful. She hopes things get easier for Willow too, and Nina. Willow says she likes the sound of that.

Nina says, she and Sonny need to have these romantic dinners more often, and he says he knows. He’ll see what he can do. They kiss and his phone rings. He says he’s got to get this, and she says, go. He steps away and asks, what’s the update?

Cody says, what if it was Sam in Ferncliff? Or one of her sisters? Alone and afraid, being held against your will, being told by the doctors and staff that you’re crazy. Wouldn’t she want someone to check on her and make sure she’s safe? Wouldn’t she want someone to do something for her if she wasn’t? Wouldn’t she want someone to save her if they could? Or would she prefer everyone just stands on the sideline, does nothing, and hopes for the best? Because when that doesn’t work out, her and everyone she loves are going to regret it for the rest of their lives. Sam says, okay. She’ll do it. She’ll have him committed.

On Monday, Marshall asks if Portia has any good news; Lucy calls Martin an idiot; Trina tells Josslyn, there’s got to be a way to bring them back together; and Stella tells Curtis that he’s not giving up.

⚖️ New Lawyer In Town…

Too bad Nora wasn’t available. Then we’d have both Pine Valley and Llanview representing.

🍑 Peach Of a Reunion…

I’ve been watching this off and on, but I still can’t get the image out of my head of Shereé and Marlo screeching at each other in gibberish back in (I think) season 4. No one seems to have matured much since then either.

🍊 Clap This…

Tamra can make justifications and excuses all she wants, but that episode was disgusting, and she hasn’t changed for the better in all these years.

🛟 His Ship Is Sinking…

Never liked him. Never will.

https://people.com/below-deck-sailing-yacht-gary-king-accused-alleged-sexual-misconduct-7852575

The Latest In Decks…

Not sure how I’m going to feel about Captain Lee’s replacement.

🍸 Because Can’t Let It Go…

Why doesn’t he just leave already? No matter what she says, this can’t be comfortable for her.

https://ew.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-ariana-madix-sleeps-with-door-locked-tom-sandoval/

At least she has something to balance it out.

🍜 Tastes Change…

It’s a wonder she didn’t end up in the hospital from exhaustion.

👹 Delicacies Of Horror…

Some of what to expect in AHS season 12.

https://ew.com/tv/everything-we-know-about-american-horror-story-12-delicate/

AHS trivia. Maybe they should do an AHS: Barbie.

https://ew.com/tv/margot-robbie-almost-starred-in-american-horror-story-asylum/

⚰️ Dead Review…

Apparently, it doesn’t take much to impress him. Just because you’re not repeating the same lines over and over doesn’t make it art. TBD.

For the life of me, I can’t remember this guy.

Teasing Rick and Michonne. Mostly Michonne.

Maggie’s plans in the City.

🏞 Mapping the Last…

They’re ready to roll. Now if the strike would just end.

https://ew.com/awards/the-last-of-us-season-2-mapped-out-craig-mazin/

🐶 No Dogs Under 17 Allowed…

I think this says it all: For years, I have been saying, Somebody needs to make an R-rated talking dog movie, the animal trainer says.

https://people.com/strays-dog-casting-training-exclusive-7692967

🦮 Pets in 3D…

I love it! Kudos to Apple. 🍎

https://people.com/dogs-with-prostheses-star-apple-iphone-campaign-the-invincibles-7724735

🐝 Quotes of the Week

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsch

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals. – Booker T. Washington (Well, if I ever reach my goals, it will be one helluva yardstick.)

New beginnings are disguised as painful endings. – Lao Tzu

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. – Calvin Coolidge

Nobody can make you a doormat unless you lay down on the floor. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

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

Today stretches ahead of you waiting to be shaped. You are the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to you. – Steve Maraboli

The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest. – Deepika Padukone

Don’t spend major time on minor things. – Jim Rohn

🍒 Outside the Club…

While you’re enjoying what’s left of the summer, stop by on Monday really Tuesday for soap and random cups of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay tempering your ambition with courtesy, and stay being thankful for everything you’ve got.

August 23, 2023 – And the Mystery Boss Is, Shannon Blows Things Out Of Proportion & Good

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna goes to Pozzulo’s and Sonny asks how she’s holding up. She apologizes for just wearing jeans, and says she had to get some clothes. He says, she could wear a burlap sack, and she’d still look great. She thanks him, and he asks if she’s hungry, because he’s been cooking in the kitchen. She asks what he’s making, and he says, a very special lunch.

Sasha rocks back and forth on her bed, when Janice comes in and asks if she’s up for a visitor. Sasha says, no, no, no, and Gladys comes in and asks, what’s wrong with her? Janice tells her, Dr. Montague said she’s going through withdrawal, and Gladys says, from what? Drugs? That doesn’t make any sense. Hasn’t she gone through withdrawal already? Janice says, unfortunately, Dr. Montague said she’s been using in Ferncliff. She must have found someone to bring her drugs. Gladys says, who? How? She’s not allowed any visitors. She’s the only one who gets to see Sasha. Janice says, the medical staff gets to see her, and so does the custodial staff. Gladys would be surprised what an addict will do in order to get what they want.

Selina sees Marshall sipping a drink at a table near the pool, and says, so nice to see him again. They’re blessed with a beautiful day. Is he here for a swim? He says he’s waiting on his sister-in-law, and Selina says, since she hasn’t arrived yet, this is a great opportunity for them to revisit her offer to purchase The Savoy.

Deanna hugs Stella and says, it’s so great having her back working here. Stella says, as long as her family needs her – and Lord, do they ever – she’s sticking around Port Charles. She might as well keep busy and earn some extra money while she’s at it.

Ava arrives at the gallery, which has loads of bird paintings on the walls (this figures in later), and goes through the stuff on her desk. She hears something and picks up a three-hole hole puncher (which is pretty hefty). She stands by the door waiting, when Trina comes in. Ava says, Trina scared her, and Trina says she’s so sorry. What is Ava doing here? How’s Avery? Is she okay? Ava asks, what’s wrong with Avery?

Carly wonders what Austin is doing at Pentenville, and Drew says, he has his doctor bag with him. Maybe he’s seeing a patient or doing some kind of community service or something. She says she never liked that guy. He manipulated Chase into spying on the Quartermaines. Drew says he remembers that, and she says she can’t figure out what his deal is. (That’s okay. Neither can the rest of us.) There’s something about him that she doesn’t trust.

The guard tells Austin, there’s his patient, and Cyrus gets up. He says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt, it’s so nice to see you again, and it’s good to know someone still makes house calls. Austin says, how about if they just get this over with?

Trina tells Ava that Josslyn said Avery was sick; she has a cold. She thinks the new nanny told Josslyn that. Joss is not a fan of hers. Ava says she thinks they might have made a mistake letting Pilar go. She did make a mistake, that’s true, but Avery likes her so much and was so comfortable with her. Just because someone has a spotless reputation as a nanny doesn’t mean that person is the right person to take care of your child. Trina asks if she’s talking about Pilar or Betty, and Ava says she thinks she and Sonny should give Pilar another chance. But enough about that. How is Trina? How’s her summer? How’s Spencer? Trina says she wouldn’t know. Ava would have to ask Esme.

Carly tells Drew that she’s sure Austin has a very good reason for being at Pentenville, and she’s not wasting any more time speculating about it. He says he likes the sound of that, and she says she wants to focus on him. He told her that he saved Cyrus’s life, and that means every inmate in here thinks Drew is his ally. A guard brings Dex in and seats him at a table, and Carly asks if it doesn’t put Drew in even more danger. He says, that’s the way life works in prison. You can’t stay neutral. Like it or not, everybody in here – everybody – is allied with somebody else. Book walks in, and Carly says, Drew didn’t answer her question. Does that mean Cyrus’s enemies will now be targeting him? Book sits down with Dex.

Austin listens to Cyrus’s heart and says, he’s a lucky man. Cyrus says, yes, he knows. The good Lord chose to keep him on this earth a while longer so he can continue doing His work. Austin says, no. Cyrus is a lucky man because he had a heart attack in front of a trained Navy SEAL who knew enough to keep him alive until the medical professionals could arrive. He was lucky Drew Cain was there to intervene. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be alive. Cyrus says he’s thankful God chose to put Drew in his path that day. That whole experience was enlightening in so many ways. Austin says he’s sure. And if that helps Cyrus sleep at night, he’s happy for him. Austin is a fan of science, and this is medicine. He holds up a pill bottle and says, this is for Cyrus’s heart. It’ll unclog his arteries. He’s to take it once a day with baby aspirin. Cyrus says, really, doc, that’s it? No lollipop?

Anna says, this is so delicious. Who taught Sonny to cook? He says he taught himself. Cooking relaxes him. Anna says she rarely cooks. She’s learned to like it a bit more, but she can’t remember the last time she spent a significant amount of time in her kitchen. He says he’s sorry her house burned down, and she says she thinks it’s hitting her harder than she thought it would. He says, it’s her home; she’s going to be hurt. She says she hasn’t been there that long. The stuff inside, it’s just things, like furniture and clothes. She has to remind herself that no one was hurt. Like, what if Robin and the kids had been visiting or Charlotte was home? That’s the stuff she keeps running around in her head. He says, the important thing is nobody was hurt, that’s true, but it’s her home. She picked out the furniture, her clothes… She felt safe, and someone deliberately destroyed that. They wanted to take what she valued and leave her with nothing. She says, yeah. Whoever is out there trying to ruin her life, they’re doing a pretty good job.

Stella sits next to a young woman and introduces herself. She says she was told the woman’s mother was brought in with a lung issue and was put on a ventilator. She knows that must be very scary for her. Felicia walks in and watches from a distance. Stella asks if there’s anyone she can call to be with the woman; dad, grandparents, a sibling? The woman says, it’s just her and her mom. Her mom can’t talk and she doesn’t know what the doctors are saying to her. Stella says, that’s where she comes in. Her job is to help the woman understand all the medical jargon so she knows exactly what’s going on with her mom. Okay? The woman nods, and Stella asks her name. She says, Joanie, and Stella says, good name. She’s got a friend back home named Joanie. And her mother’s name? Deanna tells Felicia, she’s pretty amazing, isn’t she? and Felicia says, she knows exactly what to say. Deanna says, they see it here all the time. Stella is hands down the best patient advocate they have. If anything ever happened to her, she’d want Stella in her corner.

Selina sits down, and Marshall says he didn’t ask her to join him. She says she finds it so much more civilized to discuss business in comfort, but he says, they have no business to discuss. He thought he told her, The Savoy’s not for sale. She says, yes, but that conversation happened in front of his son, who has suffered a devastating injury. She can understand Marshall not wanting to discuss taking anything else away from him, but they’re alone now. It’s time for him to face reality. Either sell the club to her, or simply put, The Savoy will go under.

Gladys asks if Sasha knows who she is, and Sasha says, Gladys. She doesn’t understand. Why is this happening? Gladys asks, why is what happening? and Sasha says, everything hurts. Is Brando coming? Gladys says, we lost Brando. He’s not coming. Sasha says, no, no, no. She needs him. She needs Brando. Everything hurts. Dr. Montague comes in, and Gladys asks what he’s done to her daughter-in-law.

Sonny asks if there are any leads on who burned down Anna’s house, and she says she was with Dante this morning at the PCPD, but nothing. He says he’s asked around, but he hasn’t heard anything. He’s trying to figure out if the shooting at the pool was meant for her or him, but if she was the target, does she think there’s a connection between the fire and the shooting? She says she doesn’t know. She’s not sure what’s more upsetting; the thought that there’s an individual out there laser focused on ruining her life, or that there are multiple people out there after them. He says he’d still like to offer her protection, and she thanks him. She says, Dante offered her that this morning too, but she’ll tell Sonny what she told him. Thank you, but no. He says, Dante’s a cop. It makes sense for him to guard her, but if she doesn’t want the cops to track her… He’s just a friend who’s worried about her safety.

Book asks what Dex wants, and Dex says he works for Sonny Corinthos. He sent him with a message for Book. Book asks, what’s that?

Carly says, Drew shouldn’t have to take on Cyrus’s enemies. She can only imagine that’s one helluva list. He says he can’t undo what’s already happened. Like it or not, he set something in motion when he stepped in to help Cyrus. There’s no way to stop it. She says, that’s where he’s wrong, and he asks, why? What is she thinking? She says she’s thinking they can avoid all this by focusing on getting him out of here.

Cyrus takes the top off the bottle and says he’s glad it’s not a childproof cap. Austin says, again, lucky you, and Cyrus looks on the underside of the cap, seeing the flashdrive, and says, ah. God certainly works in mysterious ways. He puts the cap back on, and Austin says, all right. He’s done everything Cyrus has asked him to do, and it’s Cyrus’s turn to repay the favor. Do unto others, right? That’s the basics for his newfound faith, right? Because he’s done. He’s done cleaning up Cyrus’s messes, he’s done cleaning up Mason’s messes, he’s done risking the integrity of General Hospital, and putting innocent people at risk. He’s done. He’s more than paid off his debt. He wants out. Cyrus says, does he now?

Ava says, it can’t be easy watching Spencer and Esme play house with Spencer’s little brother, and Trina says, yeah. She doesn’t blame Spencer. If she had a little brother whose mother was Esme, she wouldn’t take her eyes off him. Ava says she understands Spencer’s impulse; he’s worried about Ace. Spencer approaches the gallery entrance, and Trina says she gets that. Family is too important to take for granted. She sees that with her mom and everything that’s going on with Curtis… She means, her dad. So she doesn’t blame Spencer for standing by his little brother; that’s what family does.

Stella says she has some answers for Joanie. She spoke with Dr. Burns, and he said he put her mother on a ventilator because her lung collapsed, and he also thinks there might be possible infection. So he’s ordered some other tests to figure out why her lung collapsed in the first place  and what could be causing the potential infection. And he may need to put a stent in her lung to help her breathe better. It’s a serious situation, but it is far from being fatal, and Dr. Burns expects her mom to make a full recovery. Joanie starts to cry, and says, really? She hugs Stella and thanks her. Felicia watches and smiles.

Gladys says she wants Sasha out of this place today, but Montague says, take a look at her daughter-in-law. She’s in no shape to be released; she’s a mess. Gladys says, because of him. He put her in this nuthouse and he can get her out. He says, so she can go straight to prison? She says, all of this is too much and she wants it to stop, and he says, anything she wants… after she pays him for all his trouble. He’d say fifty thousand will do the trick.

Spencer comes into the gallery and says, this new showing is amazing. He always said Ava’s gallery is for the birds. (BA-DUM-CHH!) Trina says, funny, hugging him, and he asks if it’s somebody he’s familiar with, but Ava says, no. It’s a very talented up and comer she happens to have great faith in. Trina can tell him all about it. She’s going to go take care of what she and Trina discussed earlier. She leaves, and Spencer asks Trina to tell him about this new showing. It sounds very cool, very exciting. She says, he hasn’t seen her in forever, and he really wants to talk about the new art exhibit when they have much better things to do? He says, like what? and she says, like this, kissing him.

A nurse comes out and says, Joanie’s mom is asking for her. Stella says she told Joanie that her mom is going to be okay, and Joanie thanks her for everything. They hug, and Stella says she’s so welcome. Now go see her mom, and if she needs anything after, Stella will be right here. Joanie leaves with the nurse, and Felicia approaches Stella. She says, they’ve never met before, but she’s Felicia Scorpio. Stella asks what she can help Felicia with, and Felicia says she was observing Stella with that young girl. The way Stella comforted her was really remarkable. Stella thanks her, but says she was just doing her job. Felicia says, which is what exactly? and Stella says, a social worker. Here at GH, she’s a patient advocate. She helps patients and families of patients navigate their way through the healthcare system. It can be very daunting for the average person. Felicia says, it must be very rewarding to help people, and Stella says, it’s a very rewarding job, but you also have to remember, not every patient gets better. There are some rough days too.

Marshall says, if his son doesn’t sell her the club, Selina is going to run The Savoy out of business? but Selina says she’s sorry. Allow her to clarify. She’s just stating the truth. Curtis isn’t capable physically of running The Savoy right now and Marshall isn’t qualified to run the hippest club in town. (Ouch.) He doesn’t have the connections, or know the ins and outs to keep it going. He says he’ll tell her what he does know. He knows she’s running an illegal poker game in the back room, and in his first act as manager, her poker game is done. Her being welcomed at the club anymore is done. And whatever she’s got on Curtis and whatever arrangement she has with Curtis is done. She ain’t got nothing on him. She says, he’s lived long enough to know how life works. Everyone has something that can be used against them. It’s just a matter of her finding out what his is.

Personal note. Selina would have nothin’ on me either. I’ve always been an open book just in case I get famous, so the tabloids would have nothing on me. Whatever it is, I’ve already outed myself.  

Gladys says, fifty thousand dollars? She doesn’t have that kind of money. Montague says, but Sasha does, and Gladys is in charge of her finances. So she does have that kind of money. She says, it’s not like it’s liquid. It’s not like it’s sitting in some account somewhere. She has to sell stock, and she’s already in debt to Selina Wu. (Didn’t he pay that off for her? Isn’t that how we got here in the first place?) He says, then if he were her, he’d find a way to figure it out, because Sasha isn’t leaving Ferncliff until he gets paid.

Anna says she really appreciates Sonny’s friendship. It’s nice. It feels… well, it comes with amazing food. He laughs, and she says, now that she’s not in law enforcement, it’s a lot less complicated too. He says, so she agrees to have his guys watch her, but she says, no. She doesn’t want his people following her, because she treasures her privacy… and her autonomy. He says he could still have his guys follow her, and she tells him, think about that for a second. How does that work? If she has strangers trailing her, she’s not going to know if they’re his guys following her or the bad guys, so he can see how that would be confusing. He says, all right. He won’t pressure her. He just wants her to know he’s here, he’s available, and he has a lot of resources if she needs them. She says she knows he means it. She also knows he has challenges of his own. He says he can handle that, and asks if she wants more parmesan. She says, that remedies everything, and he sprinkles some on her pasta.

Dex tells Book, Mr. Corinthos wants Drew Cain to be left alone. Don’t mess with him. Don’t approach him. Nothing.

Drew tells Carly that he pled guilty. He accepted the verdict. There’s no way to get out of that. Carly says she disagrees. The sentence the judge imposed on him was unfair and wrong, and it wasn’t what he agreed to with the DA. (Talk to Roman Polanski about that one.) There has to be a way to appeal it, get it overturned, and get him the hell out of here.

Cyrus says, Austin wants out. Just like that. Austin says, just like that. He’s hopeful Cyrus is going to be open to the idea because they go way back, don’t they? When he was a kid, when Cyrus showed up at the house, it was like Christmas morning. It’s the only time in his childhood that he can remember his mom stopped crying. It was great. For her, it was like it was her birthday or something, every single time. And it was so good for him, a relief. For those little chunks of time, he didn’t have to be her perfect little man. And he’s so grateful. He really is. He thanks Cyrus, and thanks him for paying for his education. He thanks Cyrus for checking on him all of those years. He’s grateful, but that’s enough. It’s enough. Because now it’s just all the downside. Little by little, Cyrus roped him into this world he doesn’t belong in. Whatever gratitude that was between them, Cyrus manipulated it. Any love that might have been between them, Cyrus twisted it. He’s exploited Austin’s skills as a doctor and used him. Cyrus has coerced him and forced him to do things he didn’t even think a person could ever do. He didn’t know he was capable of that. He looked Ava Jerome right in the eyes and lied to her, a beautiful woman. He told her that her husband was dead. Who does that? He’s done. Ava deserves to know the truth. She deserves to know Nikolas is alive and he’s the reason. He saved Nikolas’s life.

Spencer tells Trina that he doesn’t want Ace to suffer the same fate he did. He knows that’s far from ideal with him living at his grandmother’s house with Esme and Ace, while she’s off looking for his father. His hope is that his living situation improves once his grandmother and Doc get back. He knows his family situation is really complicated. He wishes it was something simple like Trina has. She says, had. With Curtis being shot and paralyzed, her life is far from being ideal. Spencer asks how he’s doing, and she says, it’s hard seeing him like that. And her mom too, because she wants to help him so badly. He keeps shutting her mom out, and the worst part is, there’s nothing she can do to make it better. She just feels like… He pulls her close and holds her.

Carly says, Drew’s sentence was harsh and arbitrary, and there has to be a judge out there who will at least review it. Diane is the perfect person to find that judge and plead Drew’s case. Drew says he hates being in here; he hates it. He hates being away from her and Scout, but he has to do the time. She says, no he doesn’t, if there’s a chance they can get him to overturn… He says, just hoping for an early release is its own form of torture.

Book tells Dex that he wasn’t going after Drew. He was going after Cyrus and Drew got in the middle. Otherwise, he would have left Drew alone. Dex says, Mr. Corinthos doesn’t want any explanations or excuses. He wants full compliance. So even if Drew spends all day every day with Cyrus Renault, that’s his business. Book doesn’t go anywhere near him.

Austin tells Cyrus, this thing he did with Nikolas is the last thing he does. Where are they at now? Cyrus smiles, and Austin says, that’s it? He’s got nothing to say? Cyrus says, go in peace, and sits down. Austin gets his bag and asks what Cyrus is planning to do with the information he just gave to him. Cyrus says he’ll do what he should have been doing all along. God’s work. Austin gives him a puzzled look, and leaves. Cyrus looks at the bottle and smiles.

Gladys runs into Selina at the pool, and says she was hoping to find Selina here. Selina says, that must mean Gladys has her next payment, and Gladys says, about that. There’s a little problem getting the money together. Some kind of hold was put on Sasha’s Deception, but don’t worry. She’ll do everything she can to clear it up quick. Selina says she’s not here to listen to Gladys’s problems. She wants her money.

Jordan and Anna sit at a poolside table, and Jordan says she’s worried about Anna. It’s unfortunate she can’t head up the investigation into the fire, since she accepted this new role as Deputy Mayor, but she needs Anna to know, she’s monitoring Anna’s case. Anna thanks her, and says she appreciates what everyone is doing, but it’s strange there aren’t any leads. She finds that quite interesting. Jordan asks if she thinks the arson could be connected to the shooting here that injured Curtis.

Stella tells Marshall that she’s so sorry to keep him waiting, but he says, no need to apologize. What she’s doing at GH is important. She says she couldn’t agree with him more, and she thinks she might have recruited someone new to join her department.

Spencer tells Trina that he wouldn’t count Curtis out just yet. It’s really hard for him to imagine someone as active and vital as Curtis facing life in a wheelchair. Does she remember what kind of badass he was in Greenland? He was amazing. Spencer thinks she really needs to trust that Curtis will figure this out. And as soon as he gets his thoughts together, Curtis is going to do the right thing by her mom. She says she just wishes she could do something, but he says, she can’t put that on herself. He thinks ultimately, she needs to remember that this is something between her mom Curtis, and even though he views her as Superwoman, this is one battle her mom is going to need to fight on her own. And what’s more, her mom is one hell of a doctor. She’s not going to let Curtis get anything but the very best care he could possibly have, no matter what he says. The most important thing Trina can do, is stand by her parents. Because that’s what family does.

At Pozullo’s, Ava says she did just what Sonny asked her to do. She went to Austin and asked if Betty found any information on Sonny and Pikeman. Sonny asks what he said, and Ava tells him that Austin assured her they have everything they need. And that as soon as the information is given to their boss, they’ll get Nikolas’s body back, and this will all be over. He asks if she thinks Austin believes that. Does she think Mason and the mystery boss are just going to hand Nikolas’s body over to them, and lose whatever leverage they have?

Dex says, Book wants to stay on Mr. Corinthos’s good side. Not only is he going to avoid any trouble with Drew, he’s going to help Drew out if he gets into trouble with anyone else. Book says, got it. But for the record, Drew is pretty good at taking care of himself.

Carly says, this is Drew’s life, and she’s going to fight for him. If there’s the slightest chance they can get him out of here, they’re going to take it.

Montague tells Sasha that he does have sympathy for her. She’s so confused. She looks around and says, wait. Gladys was just here… Wasn’t she? He says, yes, she was, and Sasha asks if she’s still here. He says, no, she had to go, and Sasha asks, where’d she go? He says, Gladys went to save her, and for Sasha’s sake, she’d better hope Gladys comes through.

Gladys says, please. She’s good for the money. Selina knows that. Selina says, does she really? and Gladys says, in the past, she’s always made her payments on time. This is just a little problem with the Deception stock. Selina tells her that she already said that, and Gladys says, so Selina gets it. She just needs a little more time. Selina says, time is what Gladys doesn’t have, because she’s shutting down the poker game. Gladys says, what? Why? Selina says she doesn’t have to explain anything to Gladys. But when she closes down the poker game, she’ll also be closing down the books on it. No more extensions. No more credit. Payment in full.

Anna tells Jordan that she doesn’t have any evidence to back up her theory, but her instinct tells her the shooting here isn’t related to the arson at all. Jordan says she really wishes they had something on the shooting; any lead, even a small one. Curtis is really going through it at the rehab facility. Even though they’re fairly certain Curtis wasn’t the intended target, it would sure help him to know who was responsible for leaving him paralyzed and unable to walk.

Stella tells Marshall, someone saw her in action today at GH, and she asked Stella about her job, particularly the patient advocacy part. And she got a chance to tell her how wonderful the job could be and how it really gives you a sense of giving back to the community. Marshall asks if she really thinks she’s getting a new colleague, and Stella says, she certainly seemed receptive to the idea. He says he’s not surprised with Stella promoting it. Nothing gets in the way of her – nudge, nudge – getting her point across. She says, he can poke fun of her all he wants, but he’s not going to spoil her good mood. She believes she changed somebody’s life today. He raises his glass to her.

Felicia sits on a bench at the hospital. She smiles at Deanna, then begins to fill out a Patient Advocate Program form.

Spencer asks if that’s a smile he sees. Did he just succeed in cheering up Trina Robinson? Trina says, more like, he stopped the pity party. Because how is she going to help anyone if she’s feeling sorry for herself? So she’s going to take a deep breath – they take one together – and she’s going to promise to be there for her mom and Curtis, whatever they need from her. He says, that sounds more like the fearless person he knows she is, and she thanks him for reminding her that family is all that matters. Speaking of family, how is his little family with Esme? He laughs, and asks what she means. She says, when Laura and Doc get back, are they all going to still live together?

Ava tells Sonny, honestly, she doesn’t know from one day to the next if Austin is being sincere with her or if he’s manipulating her. The night that Nikolas died though, she would have sworn he wanted to help her. Sonny says, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what Austin believes. It’s Nikolas’s body that’s the ultimate leverage over her. They’re not going to get it back unless they find out who Austin and Mason are working for. She says, right. So let’s say his plan works, and the phony information Brick planted on the computer for Betty to find does lead Sonny to their boss. Then what? He slams his hand on the table and says he’ll deal with them.

Carly says, Diane is the best for Drew’s case. It’s her area of expertise. He says, okay. Let Diane explore their options. Carly says, Diane is going to get him out of here, but he tells her not to get her hopes up. The odds are, he’s going to have to serve the full three years. She says she doesn’t believe that, and whatever happens, she’s with him.

Dex tells Book that he’ll be back for another visit soon. He’s going to be monitoring Book closely to make sure he’s following Mr. Corinthos’s orders. Carly sees Austin leaving, and so does Dex. She and Dex lock eyes.

Tomorrow, Brook asks, what’s the emergency; Lucy tells Maxie, someone is out to bring them down with malicious intent; Cody tells Mac to take him in; and Sonny asks about Carly’s visit to Pentenville.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon tells John that she felt ambushed and Emily betrayed her. John says, they need to STFU, and tells her to be careful who she trusts. As usual, Shannon blows things out of proportion. I think everyone should just ignore her relationship. Emily is going to an event for the California Innocence Project, but plans on getting back for Shannon’s taco fiesta or whatever. I’m with Emily when she says there are a lot of flaws in the legal system. In many of these cases, it’s so obvious they’re innocent. Fancy Pants tells Gina that her day was a clusterf***. She doesn’t think she’s making Shannon’s taco thing, and Gina says she doesn’t think Shannon wants her (Gina) there. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s joining Emily rather than having tacos thrown at her and being screamed at. Fancy Pants meets with Shannon and says she’s sorry Shannon is upset. She doesn’t like people saying she’s spreading info about Shannon’s relationship. She’s never initiated a conversation about it ever and isn’t spreading anything. As usual, Shannon blows everything out of proportion. In Shannon’s interview, she says she wants to think people have good intentions, but they don’t. Fancy Pants says Shannon doesn’t seem to remember who she tells what, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Shannon drinks the truth serum and it brings out the truth. In Emily’s interview, she suggests Shannon get a breathalyzer for her phone. Shannon whines that John wants privacy, and Fancy Pants suggests she not talk so much to so many people. In her interview, Fancy Pants says that Shannon has told several of them that John likes the limelight. As usual… you know the rest. Shannon abruptly ends her conversation with Fancy Pants and walks away.

There was a bunch of family stuff and fostering kittens with Jenn. Her son Dominic is adopted and came to them at 11 months, and in Jenn’s interview, she says, even though she worries about all her kids, she’s more protective of Dominic. She talks to Dominic about his birth mother, and I have to note that all her kids seem very well-adjusted. Run, Jenn, run!  

Fancy Pants signed escrow papers for the penthouse she and Terry negotiated on for 9 months, and it looks like they’re selling the house for $55 million. Fancy Pants says, it’s like having a baby. Shannon takes the news of Fancy Pants canceling calmly, and says, more tequila for her. As Shannon gets the house ready for her fiesta, Emily calls and says, it’s important they have sit-down. She cares about their friendship. Shannon says, Emily is talking to everybody else about her relationship, but Emily says, Shannon shares her relationship BS off-camera, then doesn’t take accountability for what she says. She’s two different people. Shannon makes excuses, and Emily says she’s not doing this on FaceTime, and she’s not doing it tonight. Have fun at her party. Shannon is still talking as Emily hangs up. In Emily’s interview, she says, the purpose of her call was to tell Shannon that she was going to be late, but forget it, she’s not going at all. And tacos are her favorite food, so you know she’s pissed. She tells production that she’s sick of Shannon’s BS. As usual, Shannon blows everything out of proportion, and whines to production that John’s kid doesn’t like her. She can’t say that on camera. It’s on camera? They can’t put that on camera.

We revisit the story of Terrill, a man who served time for a murder he was innocent of when he was a kid. Emily had met him early on through the Innocence Project, and Gina tells Emily that she’s a great friend and person. She’s pissed at Shannon badmouthing Emily, but thinks Shannon is in a bad spot. They meet with some of the exonerees before the gala, and one woman had been in prison for 28 years and on death row before the girl who committed the crime confessed. In Gina’s interview, she says she was in jail for less than 24 hours, and it was enough for her. Terrill is there with his little daughter, and says, he can’t get his time back, but can help another young person. Emily says he could be pissed off, but he’s kind and radiates light and positivity. In her interview, she says, when do work that’s bigger than you, it puts things in perspective. It makes you realize the things that are trivial and that you have no reason to complain. At the gala, the head guy makes a short speech, and Emily is introduced. She tells them that tonight is about money and make sure they donate. It’s also about the exonerees, and she encourages the guests to take the time to meet them and hear their stories.

In contrast, Shannon wails that six people aren’t coming. She bought 16 of everything and it was expensive. As usual, she blows things out of proportion, and in her interview, she says, it’s the worst case scenario. I guess it doesn’t occur to her that she could have no one showing up. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Shannon called her up, hysterical and crying, and telling her six people weren’t coming. She feels bad, but if you have a fight with them the night before, probably. Taylor and her husband, Jenn and Ryan, and Tamra and Eddie arrive. Shannon bitches to everyone, Señor Noodles mans the grill, and they swill tequila. Should Eddie be drinking like that?

Shannon says she’s grateful for those here. She had a tough day, but she’s with people she cares about and who care about her. Eddie says, they’re glad to be here to celebrate Shannon and John’s relationship. John says, it’s not perfect, and Eddie says, nobody’s is. In Tamra’s interview, she says, when she sees Shannon and John together, things seem good, but she doesn’t believe it. She doesn’t know if they’ll get married, but her gut tells her no, and her gut is always right. Señor Noodles says, the steaks are high, and no that’s not a typo; he holds the steaks aloft on his knife. Jenn says, it sucks to have your relationship scrutinized and to have being honest thrown back in your face. It’s not right. In Jenn’s interview, she says, no one deserves that treatment, but if you’re hiding something, this is not the group to hide info from. The food looks absolutely amazing, and Taylor says, she’s new to the friend group, so she wonders who can be trusted. Tamra tells her to look at who’s sitting at the table and who isn’t. Which could be taken two different ways. Jenn tells Shannon that Gina felt Shannon was poking around in her relationship, and we flash back to that to Gina saying, Shannon talks about her relationship, but God forbid Shannon’s relationship is talked about. Shannon says, if she’d been crying to John about David for years, he’d say get TF out. She tried to be nice to Gina and help her with her DUI a million years ago. We flash back to that, and Shannon says, Gina’s children would have gone to CPS if she hadn’t intervened. In Jenn’s interview, she says, this is not table conversation. You don’t talk about a mom, her kids, and CPS. If she was Gina, she’d be pissed. Tamra suggests they just move on, and Señor Noodles says, they need a tequila shot. He brings out a super soaker filled with tequila, and after Taylor nearly chokes on it (the tequila, not the water gun), somehow Tamra gets ahold of it. She chases Taylor around, but gets Shannon instead, then throws it in the water, saying, bad gun.

I know I don’t have to tell you how very extra and fabulous the penthouse is. I was too mesmerized to gather many details, but it’s over five thousand square feet, which is bigger than my 4-bedroom house. Roberto Cavalli did a lot of the furniture, which was included. All this for only $14 million. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, the finishes are perfection, but she wants to tweak some of the furniture. She and Terry feel like newlyweds. The view is insane, and all I can say about the main closet is, wow! She says, they’re not sharing details about the sale of the house yet. It’s not goodbye to Orange County. She’s just seeing someone else for a moment.

Omg, they’re bottle feeding the kittens. Gina visits Jenn, who asks where she was. Gina says she didn’t want to be responsible for messing up Shannon’s fiesta. It made zero sense to go. Shannon got super defensive, assuming Gina was trashing her relationship. Jenn tells her that Shannon didn’t say that, but she alluded that she helped Gina when she went through a DUI, and Gina’s kids would have gone to CPS if she hadn’t stepped in. Gina says, there were zero scenarios where her kids would have been taken. She and Shannon are going to have a problem. You don’t say things like that if they’re not true. In Gina’s interview, she says, it’s a completely false statement. If that happened when you got a DUI, everybody’s kids in the OC would be locked up. She tells Jenn that Shannon relentlessly brings that up, and we flash back to that. Gina says, the best way for her to have a healthy relationship with Shannon is to set boundaries. Now Shannon’s being crueler. In her interview, Gina says, there isn’t going to be a friendship, but Shannon needs to know she crossed the line. She tells Jenn, you can’t light me on fire and let everybody watch me burn, and Jenn says, Gina needs to sit Shannon’s ass down and say, enough.

Emily meets Shannon for lunch, and in Shannon’s interview, she says she cares about Emily, but she doesn’t think the feeling is mutual. Emily apologizes for what she said during their call, and Shannon says, if Emily is concerned about her, she needs to talk with her instead of talking behind her back. Emily says, they had a conversation about Shannon’s relationship because they were concerned about her, and Shannon says she thinks Emily is exaggerating, which is pretty funny considering that’s Shannon’s M.O. She tells Emily that Fancy Pants is insinuating her relationship is all bad sh*t, and said Emily brought it up; Gina and Tamra brought it up. In Shannon’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants has a history of making things worse than they are, and we flash back to Fancy Pants telling Terry that Shannon is having a psychotic break when she’s really just yelling. Shannon tells Emily that Fancy Pants is calculating and manipulative, but Emily suggests they table Fancy Pants and get back to them. She wants to move past this. She cares about Shannon and wants her to be happy. In Emily’s interview, she says she can’t force someone to be friends or forgive, and in Shannon’s interview, she says she’s grateful for this meeting. She feels good about things, but she’s going to proceed with caution. Emily says she’s sorry for missing Shannon’s taco party, and Shannon says, it was on National Taco Day. It’s the way she says it. Like it makes the offense even worse.

Next time, pumpkin races; Gina confronts Shannon about the CPS remark; Jenn says, the thought of marrying Ryan is scary; Shannon wonders if John is really in the relationship; and Shannon thinks Fancy Pants is insincere.

🏄‍♀️ Living Life Without It…

Come by for soap, what’s on the Runway, and teatime tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay being assertive without being aggressive, and stay not having pity parties. How are you going to help anyone if you’re feeling sorry for yourself?

August 22, 2023 –It’s Time For the Big Finale, A Notion, Back When, New Charm, Party In the City, Jersey Share, The Hills Are Alive, Ultimate Standout, Tastes Just Like Chicken & Bad

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna thanks Dante for meeting her at the station so they could talk alone, without Valentin. She asks him to show her what he has and asks if Valentin was at ELQ the night of the fire, but Dante says, he wasn’t. He says he’ll show her everything, but wants her to promise she’ll get a bodyguard. She says she’s not going to do that. She’s not allowing him to take away the one thing she has left, her privacy.

Finn heads into a meeting, and flashes back to Gregory revealing he has ALS.

Alexis comes out of the hospital elevator when her phone rings. She tells Esme that she’s headed to a meeting. What’s wrong?

Drew waits in the visitor’s room and flashes back to Cyrus saying, Drew needs some kind of family to survive behind these walls. If Drew won’t join his flock, he strongly suggests Drew find another.

Nina thanks Martin for meeting her in some obscure place outside, and he asks why they’re here. She says she didn’t want to chance someone seeing them. He asks what he can do for her, and she asks if he’s still getting pressure from the FBI and SEC to reveal the source of the insider trading tip against Carly and Drew. He asks if she means pressure to tell them it was her.

On the phone at Kelly’s, Carly tells Katrina, it’s not her fault. It’s okay. She has an appointment, but she’ll leave when Katrina gets here. Be safe. Willow walks in, and Carly gives her a hug, saying, she’s happy to see her. She’s sorry it’s been so long. Willow says, Carly never has to apologize to her after everything she’s done for them, and Carly asks if Michael and the kids are with her. Willow says, Michael is working and Olivia agreed to watch the kids. She’s on her own. Carly asks how that feels, and Willow says, good. It’s something she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to do again. Michael told her that Carly took over Kelly’s. Look what she’s done to this place. Carly says she just wanted to spruce it up a little, and Willow says, she sure did that. As I try to figure out just what she did, Carly says, it’s good to see Willow and asks what she can do for her. Willow says she’s there to see if there’s anything she can do to help Carly.

Dex listens outside Austin’s office door, as Austin tells Ava she has nothing to worry about. Ava says she is worried. She just needs to know exactly what’s going on. She’s got this con artist Betty who’s pretending to be a nanny spending time with her daughter. She’s already super worried about going to jail. Austin says, for killing Nikolas? He promises she’s not going to jail for killing Nikolas. Everything is under control. She asks, how exactly is everything under control?

Still on the phone, Alexis says, it’s working?… Good. All’s well. She’ll see Esme later. She heads for the meeting.

Meeting leader Dana asks, who would like to share first? and Finn raises his hand. He says he’s Hamilton and he’s an addict. He wants to thank Dana for her powerful message. The idea of navigating life’s challenges while dealing with addiction really resonates with him right now. He recently had some bad news about someone he loves very much. This person has been suffering and he had no idea. Had he known, he feels maybe he could have helped them, but he guesses he was so caught up in his own life. Alexis slips in, and Finn says, the fact he couldn’t help them because he didn’t know they needed help has left him feeling a little resentful. He has this good friend and she knew the truth, and she chose to keep it to herself.

Nina tells Martin, this is important to her. That’s why she was anxious to set up this meeting. He says he knows. He’s sorry. His brother Cyrus had a heart attack and he had to take care of some business for him, and it’s not like the situation is all that urgent. She says, maybe that’s him, but she needs to know if the SEC is going to be knocking on her door. He says he told her; it’s under control. Drew Cain took a plea deal. There will not be a trial, therefore, she won’t be pressured to testify. She can relax. She says, it’s really done? and he says, yes. There’s no reason Willow or Sonny should ever find out she turned in Drew and Carly.

Carly tells the kitchen, the ELQ order is almost ready. Let her know when the wings are done. Willow says she doesn’t want to take up Carly’s time. If she needs to work, that’s totally fine. Carly says, the lunch rush is over. She just has to wait for Katrina to get here, so she can go visit Drew. Willow says, she’s going to visit Drew? That’s great. Carly says, it will be great, now that he’s out of solitary confinement, and Willow asks why Drew was in solitary.

Dante says he feels that privacy should be the least of Anna’s concerns right now, and she says, don’t make her regret sharing information with him. He says he doesn’t want her to regret anything. He wants her to be safe. It’s his job to keep her safe. He cares about her. She says, if they wanted her dead, she’d be dead, and he asks what she thinks that shot was at the MetroCourt pool? Just a friendly message? One that put Curtis in a wheelchair? She has no idea whether they thought she was in that house or not. She says, if they were watching her, she’d be dead already. They would have gotten her on her run. He says, that’s another thing he doesn’t think she should be doing at that hour of the night on her own, and she says, for God’s sake, it had been a long day. She already told him that setting a fire is too clumsy. You can’t guarantee you will get your mark. But what you can do is destroy a person’s life. They can take everything away from her – her reputation, her memories, literally her home – because she believes someone is out to leave her with absolutely nothing.

Austin tells Ava, Betty collected some very valuable information on Sonny, and last night, she passed it on to Mason. She says, so his crazy cousin got what he wanted, and he says, yes. He’ll deliver the data and they’ll get on with their lives and find Nikolas’s body. She says she’ll believe it when she sees it, and he tells her, believe it. It’s going to happen. This whole nightmare will soon be over. His desk phone rings, and he says he knows. He’s sorry. Something important came up. He’s on his way. He tells Ava that he’s got to go. He promises he’ll let her know the minute he hears from Mason. Dex scoots around the corner, and they come out. She says if she doesn’t hear from him… but Austin says, she will, and they leave, as Dex – the least stealthy spy in the world – watches.

Austin says hi to Jake and Wyatt (who has had quite a growth spurt), and says he hasn’t seen them since last summer. What’s going on? Elizabeth says, they had a little laser flip incident, and Austin says, that’s not good. He suggests they go into an exam room and get a closer look. They leave and Dex follows. Honestly, worst spy ever.

Dr. Bronson introduces Gregory to TJ, and says, he’s doing a neurology rotation. TJ is going to be shadowing him with Gregory’s permission. Gregory says, absolutely. They’ve met before, and he’s heard great things about TJ from his son Finn. TJ says, it’s great to see him again, and Bronson says, TJ is going to stay for Gregory’s examination and consultation. Gregory says, of course (🍷). Having two good doctors in his corner… He knows he’ll be needing all the help he can get. Bronson tells TJ that it’s been six months since Gregory’s initial diagnosis. He went to the Mayo Clinic and they did extensive tests. Gregory says, unfortunately, there’s no doubt he has ALS, and he understands he’s in for the fight of his life. Bronson says, Gregory told him on the phone that he had another episode, and Gregory says he agreed to babysit for his granddaughter Violet and took a fall. Bronson says he’s sorry, and Gregory says, fortunately, she wasn’t in the room, but that look on her face when she found him… Bronson suggests they get started with the exam.

Finn says he knows in times of crisis there’s a possibility of using again, but he doesn’t think that’s going to help. He has someone who needs him. They need him now more than ever, and he just wants to focus on being there for them. It’s funny the things that come flooding back to you though. They didn’t want to burden him with their problem, but they were reaching out, wanting to spend more time together. He would have if he would have known. Alexis sits down, and Finn says he understands why his friend didn’t tell him what she knew. He wishes she would have. Then he would have had more time. Time is so important; time is everything. He just wants to spend every minute he can taking care of this person for as long as he can… He wants to thank them all for listening. They applaud.

In the bathroom, Cyrus looks in the mirror, and says, we know the importance of cleanliness, don’t we, God? Thank You for granting me another beautiful day. He dries his face.

Carly tells Willow that she doesn’t know the details of why Drew was in solitary confinement, but she’s hoping to find that out when she sees him. Willow says, please give him her love. She wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t risked his life in Greenland to get Liesl Obrecht back for the transplant. (Hey, where is Liesl these days?) Carly says, he’s such a good guy, and he’s helped so many people, and Willow says, it’s so unfair Drew is stuck in prison because someone was spiteful enough to turn them in. Is Carly still convinced Ned was the one who turned them in? Nina walks in and says hi to Willow and Carly. She says, the place looks really nice. The improvements Carly made look great. As I still ponder what those might be, Carly thanks her and sees Katrina. She says she has to go, and jets. Nina says she didn’t mean to drive Carly out, but Willow says, don’t worry. She didn’t.

Dante tells Anna that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to come at her like that. He knows it’s not easy. She says, that’s all right. She’s lucky to have a friend like him. Everyone’s been very supportive. He says, but she lost her house. It’s awful and it’s got to hurt. She says, what hurts is Curtis in a wheelchair because of her, and he says, she has to stop blaming herself for that, but she says she doesn’t. It doesn’t compare really. She’s not hurt and she has resources. Insurance is taking care of the fire. He asks how Valentin is doing, and she says, he’s very supportive of her. Dante says, he showed up to be by her side the morning after the fire? and she nods, saying, and since. He says, Valentin lied to her about working for Pikeman, but she says, Valentin didn’t lie to her. Dante says, he was dishonest, withheld the truth. Why did he tell her then? Did it come out of nowhere? She says she was putting together the pieces and he came home, and he says, Valentin realized she knew and had no choice but to come clean. They don’t have to call it a lie if she doesn’t want to, but they both know Valentin lied to her about where he was the night of the fire. She says she wants to see this proof he has.

Anna looks at Dante’s laptop, and he says, she can see Valentin’s car never showed up that night at the ELQ garage. His car wasn’t even in the area that night. Dante checked the surrounding areas and there was no sign of it at all. Also, there was no water main break; he confirmed that as well. So Valentin was in fact lying to her. She says, all right. She’ll take that into consideration. He hopes she also takes into consideration that Valentin lied to her on that specific night. She says, just because he didn’t tell her where he was doesn’t make him the arsonist, and Dante tells her, he’s not saying Valentin was, but she can’t rule him out as a person of interest. She says, that is ridiculous, and he says, is it though? Valentin finds out everything Anna knows and has to tell her that he worked for Pikeman. Anna calls Dante and he comes to the house. Maybe Valentin sees that all happen. She says, any number of people could have seen that happen, and he says, but she told him, whoever did this wants to take everything away from her. Who has motive to leave her with nothing? She says, what? and he says, could Valentin want her totally dependent on him? She says, Valentin loves her. That, she’s certain of.

Wyatt says, told Jake it wasn’t broken, but Austin says, it’s a pretty bad sprain. Jake was right to bring him. Jake says, see? and Austin says, here’s what we’re going to do. Heat, ice, alternate, and try not to move it at all for a couple of days. Wyatt asks if there isn’t some way he could heal it faster. He’s supposed to play cello in their band concert day after tomorrow. Austin asks if that’s his bow hand, and Wyatt says, yes. Austin says, that’s not going to happen, and Jake says he’s sorry; this is all his fault. He shouldn’t have talked Wyatt into going to the skate park. He messed everything up for him. Wyatt says, Jake didn’t make him do the laser flip. He even tried to talk him out of doing it again. Jake says, it was really cool though. He’s only seen one other person do it. Wyatt says, at least he did it once, and Elizabeth says, and he’ll do it again. In the hallway, Dex steps away from the door, saying, this is it. He sends a text to Gabe: All set?

Dana says, that’s all the time they have for sharing today. Could Finn lead them in the Serenity Prayer? Finn says, yes, and everyone gets up, joining hands. Finn and Alexis exchange a look, and Finn says, God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Everyone applauds, and Dana thanks Finn. She says, good luck. See you next week? He says, see you next week, and everyone leaves. He starts putting the chairs away, and Alexis asks if she can help him. He says he’s guessing she heard his share, and she says, loud and clear.

Gregory holds his palm against TJ’s, and Bronson says he wants Gregory to put on as much pressure as he can… That’s good. They’ll run more extensive diagnostic tests next week. For now, he wants to get Gregory fitted for leg braces and hand and wrist splints. He should wear them at home. Try to wear them when he sleeps to help his extremities remain stretched and in a good position. Gregory asks if he needs a cane, and Bronson says, does he? Gregory says he doesn’t think so, and Bronson says, then it’s good for now. Aside from the episodes Gregory described, he seems to be ambulatory without it. Gregory says, when the time comes, he’d prefer a cane to a wheelchair, and Bronson says he’s sure a wheelchair won’t be necessary right now, but considering the episodes he’s had, Gregory definitely shouldn’t drive. Does he need someone to drive him home? Gregory says, no. He took a car service here. After what happened with his granddaughter, he doesn’t want to put anyone else at risk. He won’t be driving anymore.

Cyrus slathers on shaving cream, and I wonder what he’s going to shave with. Oh okay. I guess Bic’s are all right to have in prison.

Nina asks if Willow is sure Carly lighting out of here didn’t have a little something to do with her, but Willow says, no. She was late for her visit with Drew in Pentenville. Nina asks how he’s doing, and Willow says she’s sure it’s miserable, but he’s such an amazing guy, always positive. She doesn’t know how he’s doing it. Nina says she’ll always be grateful to him for helping save Willow’s life, and Willow says, so will she. She’s grateful that, even in Pentenville, Drew knows he has Carly’s love and support. He’ll make it through this. Nina says, of course (🍷) he will, and Willow says, it’s an outrage that Drew was even sent to Pentenville in the first place.

Nina tells Drew that she’s sorry she’s late. Katrina’s car broke down, and she had to cover at Kelly’s until Katrina could get there. Drew says, she’s here. That’s all that matters. He loves her. She says she loves him too.

Alexis says she knows Finn’s very angry at her for not telling him, and she doesn’t blame him. He has no idea how much she wanted to tell him. She just couldn’t because Gregory was adamant about her not doing it. Finn says he understands the position Gregory put her in. He probably wouldn’t have told Finn if he hadn’t collapsed in front of Violet. Alexis says, oh, and he says, she’s okay. He can’t believe he was so caught up in his own life, he didn’t see the signs. She says, he was very good at covering them up, and Finn says, she was very good at honoring his wishes. Too good. She says she’s sorry, and he says he knows she is. He understands. He’s is a very private and persuasive man. To see him accept this… She says, his dad is very brave, and he says he knows. His dad was so excited about this trip he wanted to take. He wanted all of them to go on this trip, and Finn put him off. He could have made it work, but he didn’t. He got so caught up in everything Violet was going through, but he could have made it work. Alexis says, doesn’t Finn understand? What Gregory wanted was for them to lead a normal life, so he could watch Finn, Violet, and Chase being productive and happy. He doesn’t want them to zero in and focus on his illness. That is not how he wants to spend the rest of the time he has left. Finn says, the time he stole from him.

Gregory comes out of the elevator as Dana goes by in her wheelchair, telling a woman, just focus on today. That’s all any of them can do.

Elizabeth tells Wyatt to give his arm a rest for a few days. It was great seeing him. Wyatt says, her too, and she goes back to work. Jake says he thought Wyatt would be more mad that he couldn’t play in his concert, but Wyatt says he’s going to play. He just won’t tell anyone he fell. Gregory comes by and says he hasn’t seen Wyatt since their camping trip last summer. It looks like he had a little accident.

Anna says she didn’t realize Dante disliked Valentin quite so much, but Dante says he’s just doing his job. She says, it’s not about his job, and he says, she’s right. It’s about more than that. It’s about Charlotte. She’s staying with them right now. Lulu’s daughter. Valentin’s her dad. They love her, she loves him. He guesses what he’s saying is that Anna isn’t the only one who thinks Valentin’s changed. She says, he has changed, and Dante asks her to put herself in his shoes right now. With the facts and logic laid out as they are, is she telling him that even for a second, she wouldn’t entertain Valentin as a suspect? She says, he wouldn’t do that, but Dante says, he would. She can’t just ignore the man’s past. He’s manipulative. Anna says, wow, and Dante says, she knows it; he’s always been that way. He’s sorry. Maybe she got close to some truth. Maybe Valentin needs her totally and completely dependent on him for some reason, but can she look at him and tell him that she thinks there’s no way he could have done something like this? She says, whatever he’s lying about, it’s not that he burned down their home, and he says, her home. Why did he lie to her? She says she thinks it has something to do with Pikeman.

Cyrus dries his now clean-shaven face, and looks at least ten years younger. I’m thinking how cool his hair looks down, when he takes a shiv out of his sock and begins to cut it. Why, Cyrus? Why? Speaking of his age, since they’ve been calling him an old guy, I looked it up and he’s going to be 70. Like I always say, there’s 70 and there’s 70. For an old guy, he’s looking fit.

Mason goes into Austin’s office, and Austin asks what he’s doing here. Mason says, stay cool. It’s almost showtime. Austin asks why he’d care, and Mason says, because he has the starring role. Austin says he doesn’t; he’s already played his part. Mason says, no. It’s time for the big finale. Austin gets to deliver the flashdrive to the big boss. Austin says, no he doesn’t. He’s got appointments lined up all afternoon. Mason says, there are other doctors, when there’s a knock at the door and TJ walks in. He says, sorry. He didn’t realize he was interrupting. Austin says, he wasn’t, and Mason says he’s not a patient. He’s Austin’s cousin. They were just catching up. He introduces himself and shakes TJ’s hand. TJ says, it’s nice to meet him, and Austin says, here’s the chart, handing TJ a folder. He’s sorry he didn’t get it to TJ earlier. TJ says, not a problem, and takes the folder from Austin. He goes to the door, and stops. He asks if he and Mason have met somewhere before.

Carly says she’s just trying to understand why Drew chose to protect Cyrus Renault, and he says, some guys were coming at Cyrus. He stepped in, they fought, he got solitary. It’s as simple as that. She says, it’s not that simple, and he asks if they can drop this, but she says, no. Drew was in Port Charles when Cyrus got out of prison, and he was threatening everyone. She just doesn’t understand why he had to intervene. Why couldn’t he just walk away?

Nina says, it seems wrong that Drew was sent to Pentenville for what he did, and Willow says, he’s been so good to them, and supportive in every way. He was supposed to walk her down the aisle when she and Michael got married. She can talk to him about anything. He would listen and give her the best advice, and he never had an agenda. Nina says, and she always does. She’s sorry. Sometimes she just pushes too hard, doesn’t she? Willow says, yes, she does. But in all fairness, Drew isn’t her father and doesn’t feel like he has anything to make up for. So her guard isn’t up when she’s around him. Nina says, like it is with her, but she would like to change that, and Willow says, Nina’s marrying Sonny. Nina’s going to be a part of her life. They’re going to be seeing a lot of each other, whether they like it or not. Nina says, that’s one way to look at it, and Willow says she doesn’t want things to be so strained between them. Nina says, her neither, and Willow says, they have to find their way to some kind of relationship. Nina agrees, and Willow says, no matter what, those things take time. Ava comes in, and Willow says she’s got to get home to Wiley. Nina says, right, and Willow says, goodbye. She leaves, and Ava says, progress? Nina says she thinks maybe so.

Drew tells Carly, the guy that came for Cyrus was way younger than him. Cyrus isn’t exactly in his prime, and Drew just doesn’t have it in him to turn a blind eye to someone like that. He’s sorry, but he guesses it’s just a character flaw. She says, it is, but it’s one of the many things she loves about him. If he was the kind of guy who could watch an old man get beat up and not do anything, and just walk away, he wouldn’t be the man she loves. He says, it was kind of crazy. Cyrus was the one person he was trying to stay as far away from as possible, and now they’re bonded for life. She asks what he means, bonded for life? All he did was stop the fight. He says, after the fight, Cyrus had a heart attack and he gave Cyrus CPR. He saved Cyrus’s life.

All Cyrus’s hair lies next to the sink, and he tosses down the shiv. He pulls on his shirt, and runs his hands through his now much shorter hair, another ten years off him. He looks in the mirror and says, You work in mysterious ways – he looks up – very mysterious ways. And he’s grateful.

Mason says he doesn’t believe he and TJ have met. Then again, people are always saying he reminds them of someone. Sometimes even Vin Diesel – the lack of hair and the voice. He rubs his head and smiles. TJ says, no. He thinks they did meet before. He just can’t remember where. Mason says he really hasn’t spent that much time in Port Charles, but who knows? Austin looks grim, and TJ says, maybe he’ll figure it out. He thanks Austin for the file, and leaves. In the hallway, TJ ponders Mason, and in the office, Austin says, so Mason has met Dr. Ashford? Mason says, they may have crossed paths.

Dante says, Anna thinks Valentin is lying to her about Pikeman? She says, when Dante called her last night, when he told her that he had evidence Valentin wasn’t at ELQ the night of the fire, Valentin was in the shower. He’d just received some papers. It kind of looked like a contract, maybe a consultancy project or something. They had the Pikeman logo on them. Dante asks if she thinks he could be working for Pikeman again, but she says she doesn’t know. He says, Valentin told her that he wasn’t working for Pikeman anymore and he gets papers with the Pikeman logo on it. Could Pikeman have been behind the shooting at the MetroCourt pool? She says, they don’t know that, and he says, maybe they weren’t after her. Maybe they were after Sonny and they hired Valentin to set him up.

Alexis asks Finn to please stop being so hard on himself. His father has gotten past all of that. He says, how? He was estranged from his father for years. He looks at his daughter Violet now, and he gets to watch her grow up. And he can’t imagine, not for a moment, her not being in his life. She says, there is no value in dwelling on the past; there just isn’t. They just learned this, right here, right now. All we have is today. He says he doesn’t plan on wasting a minute of it, and she hugs him.

Alexis and Finn get out of the elevator, and both of their phones ding. Alexis says, who would have guessed they were so popular? and Finn says, back to the real world. She says she’s sorry she wasn’t able to tell him about his dad’s condition, but she’s glad he knows, and he says he’s not looking forward to helping him tell Chase. She says she hopes he tells Chase sooner than later, so Chase doesn’t resent Finn, like Finn might resent… He says he doesn’t resent her at all. He’s lucky to have her as a friend. If his dad had to tell someone about his condition other than him, he’s glad it was her. She thanks him, and he says he just wishes his dad weren’t so damn stubborn. She says, pot, kettle, and her phone rings. She tells him that she’s got to take this. It might be some kind of office crisis. It was nice while it lasted. She leaves, and he goes over to Elizabeth at the reception desk. Wyatt says, if he hadn’t tried that laser flip again, he wouldn’t have hurt his arm, and he’d be fine. Finn and Elizabeth watch Wyatt talking to Gregory, and Wyatt says he can’t let the band down. Gregory says, but the doctor told him to let his arm rest for a couple of days, so he won’t be able to practice at all, will he? Wyatt says, no, and Gregory says, if he does try to play, does he really think he’ll be able to do his best? Wyatt says, no, and Gregory says, sometimes you have to be honest with yourself about what your body can and can’t do. If he shows up and tries to play and can’t do his best, then he’d be letting everyone down. Wyatt says he never thought about it like that, and Gregory says, admitting he’s injured, even though he really wants to play, is probably the most honorable and generous thing to do in the long run. Wyatt says, Gregory is right, but he still hates it, and Gregory says he knows exactly how Wyatt feels. Wyatt thanks him, and he and Jake leave. Gregory looks at Finn and smiles.

Anna says, Valentin would never set up Sonny, and Dante says, never? She says, no… Unless he was being blackmailed. Dante says, maybe Pikeman has something on him from when he worked for them. She says, right. They could use it against him. Dante says, right, or… She says, what? and he says, she knows how much Valentin loves Charlotte. He’d do anything for his daughter. She says, what if Pikeman were threatening her? and he says, it’s a theory. It’s not going to be easy to prove. She says she just wants to prove this theory is wrong and that Valentin is clean. He says, they’d better both get digging, and she says, they need to find out what the truth is, no matter where it leads them, and she leaves.

Ava says she wanted to talk to Carly about Avery. Has Nina seen her? Nina says, she went to visit Drew. How is Ava? Ava says she’s better she thinks, and Nina says, nice to hear. One question. Are she and Sonny going to get rid of that new nanny of Avery’s? Because every time Nina sees her, she’s kind of like a… Ava says, she’s a bitch, right? Hopefully, she won’t be around too much longer. Nina says, good. One less thing to worry about with their wedding coming up and… Ava lowers her voice and says, and Drew in prison because Nina sent him there. Nina asks if she has to say that out loud. She was surprised they sent him to a place like Pentenville. Ava says, just keep hoping Sonny and Carly never find out, and Nina says, they won’t. Ava says, she seems pretty sure of herself, and Nina says she is. As long as her beautiful, intelligent friend stays quiet, the SEC is going to drop it. And no one will ever know she’s the one – she whispers – who turned in Carly and Drew.

Drew says he stayed with Cyrus until the prison doctor got there, and Carly says, so everybody in this prison knows he defended Cyrus and saved his life? He says, word travels pretty fast around here, and she says, the word is going to be, he’s Cyrus’s ally. Does that mean Cyrus’s enemies are going to target Drew? They see a guard walking through with Austin, and Carly says, what’s he doing here?

Mason paces around somewhere where there are a lot of pipes, and sees someone approach. He thanks them so much for taking the time. He really appreciates them meeting him.

The guard tells Austin, here’s his patient, and Cyrus stands up.

Tomorrow, Austin says he’s more than paid off his debt and he wants out; Gladys asks what Dr. Montague has done to her daughter-in-law; Dex has a message for someone; and Carly asks if that doesn’t put Drew in more danger.

💭 Thought: My mind goes to Cyrus being the big boss, but then some of the rest of it doesn’t make sense, like, why give away all his money? He’s also not related to Austin as far as I can figure. I suppose he could be running Pikeman, since it’s kind of like a mob organization, but again, there’s a disconnect.

🏥 His Struggle Was Real…

He’s kind of a whiner. I love how Maurice Benard is like, maybe it was you.

🍹 See Them In September…

Go back to the South on September 14th, 9 pm.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1382295/southern-charm-everything-to-know-so-far-about-season-9

https://people.com/southern-charm-season-9-trailer-exclusive-7568910

🗽 Their State Of Mind…

This week’s RHONY. I’ve been watching this peripherally, and a high point in this episode was Jessel and husband Pavit checking out $62K preschools for their toddlers. She nearly wrote that their kids were socially inept on the application because she didn’t know what the word inept meant. Pavit wasn’t sure either, but points for the good sense to look it up. People like that shouldn’t have $62K to throw away. Once again proof that the wrong people have all the money.

👠 Good Time Had By All… Almost…

I can’t wait until Teresa finally goes off the deep end and causes a lawsuit for Bravo. I’ll also settle for her dumping that jerk Luis.

💎 Dirt On the Diamond…

Garcelle’s speaks her truth.

🐣 Ultimate Break-Out Star…

While this aired on Peacock a while ago, I’m just catching it on Bravo now, even if half-heartedly. This guy was definitely a standout, as the ultimate concierge and Housewives peacemaker.

🐕 Sounds About Right…

It was a Golden Retriever. What did they expect? I had one named Einstein. It was a false prophecy. He would watch a frisbee as it bounced off his head, and when a blimp came by once, he was mesmerized by it and wagged his tail like maybe his people were coming for him. He was also literally afraid of his own shadow. Nevertheless, he was much loved.

https://people.com/mass-couple-italy-wedding-jeopardy-pet-dog-eats-passport-7693351

🌊 Going Against the Flow…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the rotten oranges from the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving a tip for Pete’s sake – you are not helping the waitstaff to a better hourly wage; you’re a cheapskate – and stay not dwelling on the past. There’s no value in it; there just isn’t.