Category Archives: real housewives

January 20, 2023 – Austin Has a Visitor, Back Again, Casting For Wives, Miami Trailer, Girl Fight, New Game, Romero Ranked, Theory, NYC Ball, Puppies (!), Exactly 10 Quotes & You

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Nikolas says, their expertise will make all the difference, when Victor walks in. Nikolas says he has to go, but he’ll see them soon, and Victor says, that sounds important. Nikolas says, business, and Victor says, they have some pressing business to discuss. Nikolas says, such as? and Victor says, finalizing Nikolas’s divorce.

Austin tells Ava that her wound is healing nicely, and she says, uh-huh. He says, all that’s left is the ankleplasty. This cutting edge surgery replaces her with an ankle. She says, what? and he says he’s just goofing around, but is she okay? She seems a little distracted. She says she guesses she is because she loves too much. She doesn’t suppose there’s a procedure where her heart could be removed altogether.

As they approach Josslyn’s dorm room, Josslyn apologizes for being so quiet on the way over, but Dex says, she has a lot on her mind. When she’s ready to talk, he’s here. He starts to leave, but she asks if they can talk now. If he has time. He says, for her, always, and they go in her room.

Violet runs into Kelly’s, yelling that she missed Cameron. He hugs her, and says he missed her too. Finn comes in behind her, and says, Violet insisted on two things today; a brownie, and a visit with her cousin. Cameron says, in that order, he assumes, and Violet asks, if he missed her so much, where has he been?

Portia says she knows Marshall doesn’t want to hear it, but she still thinks there’s a possibility he was misdiagnosed, and he doesn’t have schizophrenia. He says he knows she means well… and she says, there’s an easy way to find out, and maybe he can show up for Curtis after all. Why doesn’t he want to take the steps to find out for sure? He says, because it’s too late. She says, it’s never too late to advocate for yourself, and he says he appreciates her interest… She says, this has gone beyond interest, and he says, but she has to understand, he’s already made peace with his diagnosis. She says she respects that, but is this really acceptance, or has it morphed into complacency at this point. If not for himself, then do it for Curtis. Marshall shouts, enough! Why can’t she just mind her own business?

At the hospital, Carly comes out of the elevator, and asks Michael, how’s Willow? He wonders why she asks, since it’s obvious she doesn’t give a damn about Willow, but she says, of course (🍷) she gives a damn. Willow’s well-being is the most important… He says, Willow’s physical well-being maybe, but Carly concealed this secret from them. She knew how important it was for Willow to find her mother. She confessed to save Willow’s life, but she couldn’t care less about Willow’s actual feelings. She says, he couldn’t be more wrong.

Austin says he doesn’t mean to disappoint Ava, but from a medical standpoint, he doesn’t think there’s a medical procedure to remove a human heart. At least not without putting in another heart. Not yet anyway. She says, darn. Keep her posted. He says he’ll let her know. He’ll be the first test patient. She says, bad break-up, huh? and he says, yeah. Her? She says, pretty bad. He may have seen some of the gory details… He says he never reads the newspaper, and she asks if he’s seen Nina around here today. He says he has seen her, and Ava wonders if Nina got the results from her bloodwork. She knows about Willow and the hopes for a bone marrow match. Nina called her while she was waiting. He says he can’t speak to the bloodwork obviously, but from what he could tell, Nina seemed to be suffering from the same affliction as Ava – heartache.

Nikolas says he hasn’t had a chance to meet with Ava about the divorce yet, but Victor says, no need. All the details have been handled. Nikolas says, by whom? and Victor says, by Ava and himself. Nikolas says, Victor and Ava discussed the end of his marriage without him? and Victor says, Nikolas has been a little preoccupied lately, hasn’t he? Not that it’s surprising, now that his pregnant mistress has escaped her captivity. Nikolas says, Ava hates him so much, she couldn’t even sit with him to talk this through, and Victor says, talk what through exactly? His marriage is over. Don’t tell him that Nikolas is still holding out hope after cheating with Esme and Elizabeth. Nikolas says, he and Ava share something special; it’s indescribable. Victor says, shared, past tense. Nikolas says he still can’t believe she didn’t come home, but Victor says, no. Ava’s coming home. It’s just that Nikolas won’t be here.

Cameron says he’s been working a lot, and Violet asks, where’s Jake and Aiden? He says, they’re in school, just like her, and she says, Aunt Elizabeth hasn’t been over in forever. Does she not like Violet anymore? Cameron asks if she’s crazy. Of course (🍷) she likes Violet. They’ve all just been really busy with the holidays, but never doubt for a second Elizabeth likes her. She loves Violet; they all do. Violet says, that’s good, because she loves them too. She asks Finn if it’s him, and Finn asks what she means. She asks if he doesn’t like Aunt Elizabeth anymore, when Elizabeth walks in.

Josslyn says, her mother kept a secret from their family, and Dex says he’s guessing a big one. She says, huge, and he says, she doesn’t have to tell him. She says, that’s okay. He’ll find out eventually. It sounds so weird to say. Nina Reeves is Willow’s biological mother. He says, damn, and Josslyn’s mom knew? She says, her mother has known for months apparently, but she didn’t want to say anything until… He says, until she realized Willow was sick, and she says, and as he can imagine, it’s made the messy things within her family even messier. He says, that explains why her mom stormed out of the chapel. He went to find Sonny, and that Sonny was pissed is an understatement. She says, Sonny’s not the only one who’s pissed. Michael is furious. He asks how she feels, and she says she feels terrible. She feels awful for Michael and Willow. What they’re going through is the worst thing that anyone could possibly face. But she still feels really bad for her mom.

Michael asks if Carly ever stopped for a second to see what impact this secret would have on Willow, and she says, Willow’s feelings were all she was thinking of. Willow told her that she did not want to know who her birth mother was, and it was clear how Willow felt about Nina. He says. how Carly feels about Nina, and she says, how they all feel. That woman tried her best to destroy their family. Can he imagine the damage she would have done if she’d known Willow was her daughter? So yes, however it much it cost her, however much she loses, she will not apologize for trying to stop her.

Marshall apologizes for raising his voice, and Portia says she shouldn’t have pushed him. Curtis comes in, and asks if everything’s okay. Why did he hear yelling? Marshall says, that would be him, but Portia says, it’s her fault. Marshall says, no. He should have never spoken to her that way. Please accept his apology. She says, only if he accepts hers. Curtis asks what they’re apologizing for. If the two of them are at odds, why don’t they squash it now? Marshall says, they’re having a difference of opinion, and Curtis says, about what? Marshall says, Portia thinks he should get a second opinion about his diagnosis. She has this crazy notion that he may not have schizophrenia at all. Portia says, aside from the episode that precipitated Marshall’s arrest all those decades ago, he hasn’t suffered any other signs of acute mental illness. No signs of psychosis associated with schizophrenia; hallucinations, delusions, paranoia. Curtis says, okay, but his dad’s been on medication all those years. Aren’t they designed to repress those symptoms? She says, yes, absolutely, but how do you explain that Marshall hasn’t had an episode in nearly 40 years? Marshall says, couldn’t that just be because the illness is being managed properly? and Portia says, or it could mean he never had the illness at all. And then factor in Curtis’s genetic testing results, completely devoid of any of the markers for schizophrenia. Curtis says, that’s not that unheard of; it’s not always inherited. Portia says, the simple fact is, Marshall’s answers to her many, many inquiries has led her to believe in general, that his life and behavior don’t fit any clinical diagnosis. Has he ever suffered from any cognitive challenges? Marshall says, no, and she says, depression that’s escalated to suicidal ideation? He says, that would also be a no, but with all due respect, she’s not a psychiatrist. Curtis thinks maybe it’s time Marshall saw one.

Josslyn tells Dex, Michael is losing his mind right now, because the woman he loves might die. She remembers that feeling. He says, with Oscar, and she says, you’re going crazy because you feel there’s nothing you can do, and you’re getting angry, and picking a fight. She gets it. Michael just wants to feel like he’s making an impact. Dex says, and who’s a safer place to unload on than her mom, and she says, exactly. There’s nothing Michael could do to ever make their mom stop loving him. So eventually, he has to understand that their mom was just trying to protect Willow. She wasn’t trying to hurt her. He says, Josslyn’s good at that. Seeing all the different sides, and where everybody is coming from. (Really???) She says she’s had practice, and he says, this isn’t the first time people in her family have been at odds? She says, shocking, she knows. She just hates that her mom is taking all the heat, when the people who are really to blame are Sonny and Nina. Oops. A side she forgot to see it from.

Elizabeth tells Violet to stop growing; she’s getting out of control. They hug, and Finn says, tell him about. He asks Violet to grab them a table, and Violet asks if Elizabeth wants to have a brownie with them. Finn says, if she has the time, she’s welcome to join them, and Cameron gets the brownies, while Violet gets the table. Elizabeth says, clearly, she walked in on something, and Finn says, Violet had some questions about them. She asks what he told Violet, and he says, not much. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he’ll figure something out. She says, how about we’ll figure something out – together.

Michael says, so Carly isn’t sorry, and she says, for trying to protect Willow, him, and his family? No, but she’s very sorry for how she went about it. Michael says, and how did she go about it? He already knows she lied by omission. She conducted a DNA test without consent, but something tells him that’s not the whole story. She says, it’s going to do no good to keep going over this, but he says, just tell him the truth. Now. They sit down, and Carly asks what he wants to know. He asks if she enlisted that firefighter to talk to Drew about who Willow’s mother was? She says, yes, and he says, and when she offered to assist Drew with his investigation? She says, her goal was to obstruct it.

Finn asks Violet if she remembers asking if they were going to live with Aunt Elizabeth in the house together, and she says, will they? He says, no. She says, oh, obviously disappointed, and he says he’ll try this another way. Does she know how he and Anna almost got married, but they didn’t? She says, he and Aunt Elizabeth are going to get married? and he says, no. He’s really bad at this. She agrees that he is.

At the counter, Elizabeth asks how Cameron is, and he says he’s doing good. He’s done better, but he’s not falling apart over the break-up. She says she knows he’s not, but it’s still hard. Especially since he’s always been such a big source of support for Josslyn. It must feel weird not being there for her when her family’s going through this nightmare. He asks, what nightmare?

Josslyn tells Dex, her family is so fractured right now. They’re in no position to handle this type of crisis. She’s sorry, but that’s on Sonny. Sonny dropkicking all of them to run away with Nina didn’t exactly leave them on stable ground. He says, she doesn’t want him back with her mom? and she says, never. She wishes she never had to hear his name or see his face ever again. She wants to choke every time he says they’ll always be a family. She can’t stand Donna and Avery growing up idolizing that man when she knows he’s going to fail them, like he failed all of them. She just wishes… It doesn’t matter. He says, tell him anyway, and she says she wishes he would quit. She wishes he would hand Sonny back his gun, and tell him that he’s not taking orders anymore, and walk out. He says he’s going to, and she says, when? He says, within six months, hopefully a lot less, he will no longer be working for Sonny. She asks why he doesn’t quit now, and he says, there’s something he has to finish first. He says he’ll tell her once it’s done, but until then, she’s going to have to trust him.

Austin says, if Ava wants, he can give her a referral for a plastic surgeon to look after the scar she got from The Hook, and she thanks him. She says she doesn’t know him very well – she doesn’t know him at all – but from what she can tell, she thinks it would be a real shame to remove that heart of his. He thanks her, and leaves.

Curtis says, what about a mental health evaluation? and Portia says she can get Marshall a referral. Marshall asks if Curtis is jumping on this bandwagon too, and Curtis says, Portia made some good points. Marshall says, you young people think you know everything, but Curtis says, that’s not it. Marshall says, the treatment he got back then worked. Why mess with it now? Curtis says, because Marshall had an episode, and it could be tied to his meds. Who knows what the long term effects could be, or even if he needs to take them at all. Marshall says, the pills help, and Curtis says, or maybe he just thinks they do. Marshall says, he was able to perform without anxiety as long as he wasn’t trying to solo, and Portia says, that could be psychosomatic. He said himself the illness doesn’t effect his music, just his ambition. It could be that what’s held him back all these years isn’t schizophrenia, but the mistaken belief that he has it. Marshall says, that’s quite a leap, and Curtis says, maybe it isn’t. All they’re asking is for him to find out.

Michael says, so Carly actively tried to prevent Willow from discovering she had a family, and Carly says, yes. He says, she delayed Willow’s cancer treatment, and Carly says, unknowingly; she didn’t know Willow was sick. He says, it doesn’t matter. Doesn’t she get it? She made decisions for Willow without even considering the consequences. She played God with Willow’s life. She says, he can’t possibly think she’d want to hurt Willow, and he says he doesn’t think she did it out of malice, but she thought Nina was the enemy, right? So Willow wouldn’t have wanted her as a mother in the first place. Carly says, Willow told her… and Michael says, what Carly has done – the lying, the manipulation, the double dealing – sounds an awful lot like Nina. If Nina is the enemy, what does this make Carly? Carly says she believed Willow needed protecting from Nina; she still does. He says, she’s not in the wrong about Nina. Willow told him that Nina is already lobbying for a relationship. Carly says, with Willow? and he says, and the kids. She says, that woman can’t help herself, and Michael says, they need her. She’s their best chance. Just so they’re clear, the last 24 hours hasn’t changed his opinion about Nina. She’s self-centered, greedy, and unstable, and she’s the last person he would have chosen to be Willow’s mother. He’s not going to pretend he doesn’t understand why Carly did what she did. If he’d been the one Harmony confessed to, he would have considered hiding it himself.

Josslyn says, so in six months, when Dex isn’t working for Sonny anymore, he’ll give her the details. He says, when it’s over, he’ll tell her everything, and she says she’ll trust him. She thanks him for telling her, and he says, it’s a relief. She agrees, and says, he won’t be around Nina and Sonny. It might even help her to bite her tongue when everyone is pointing fingers at her mom, saying she’s out for revenge; that’s not the reason she kept the secret. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks she’s handling it well, and she says, really well. Her family is in the middle of a crisis, and instead of being with them, she’s cooped up here with him, hiding. He says, she’s not hiding. There’s a reason soldiers are rotated home for R&R; why they all sleep at night. You need a break from the physical, the mental, the emotional. You’re allowed to take a breather. She says, so she’s not being selfish? Good. Being right here with him is the only place she wants to be. They kiss.

Cameron says he had no idea Willow was sick, and Elizabeth says, no one did. He says, Josslyn was just here, and he was so cold to her. He takes off his apron, and she asks where he’s going. He says he’s going to find Joss, and make sure she’s okay. He asks her to deliver the brownies for him, and she says, of course (🍷). He runs out the door, and Elizabeth gives Violet and Finn the brownies. Finn asks if Cam is okay; he rushed out of here pretty quickly. Elizabeth says, Josslyn, and he says, got it. Violet says she’s going to draw a picture of Cam and his girlfriend, and Elizabeth says, actually, Cameron and Josslyn aren’t dating anymore. Finn asks if Violet knows what that means when people break up, but she shakes her head.

Austin goes into his office to find Mason at his desk, enjoying a lollipop. He asks what the hell Mason is doing, and Mason says he could ask Austin the same thing. He turned away a patient he was ordered to treat. Austin says he doesn’t turn away patients. If he can’t treat them, he refers them to another physician. Mason says, semantics, but Austin says, it’s his job. Mason says, Austin isn’t doing his job. He defied a direct order from the boss. Austin says he’s not playing this game anymore. Tell the boss that he’s done taking orders.

Nikolas says, Victor promised to give Ava Spoon Island? and Victor says, including Windymere, and most of its contents. He excluded some of the more important Cassadine family mementos naturally. Nikolas says, naturally, and Victor says he’s sensing a little sarcasm. Nikolas says, he’s also sensing complete and utter shock. How could he? Victor says, quite easily actually. When Ava let it be known she was in possession of information and materials that could seriously damage the Cassadine family name. Windymere is a small price to pay for the family name. Nikolas says, not only does he disagree, he strenuously objects, but Victor says, it’s too late now. How long does Nikolas think it will take to pack all this up and move out? Nikolas says, not long, considering he’s not going anywhere. Victor can’t take away his home.

Curtis asks how long Marshall and Portia have been talking about this genetic thing, and Marshall says, a few months. Curtis asks if Marshall trusts that Portia has his best interest at heart, and Marshall says, of course (🍷). Curtis asks if Marshall trusts her expertise, and Marshall says, implicitly. Curtis says, that’s where Marshall loses him. Why the resistance? Marshall says, his reasons are his alone, but Curtis says he wants to understand, and Portia says, so does she. She promises to never bring it up again if that’s what he wants. Marshall says, this damn disease ruined his life. It forced him to abandon his family. He missed out on precious years with his sons. If he was misdiagnosed, that means all those sacrifices were for nothing.

Basking in the afterglow, Josslyn thanks Dex for telling her it’s okay to take a break. Life is so strange. You can feel so many things at once. He asks what she’s feeling, and she says, safe and happy, and worried and guilty. He says, why guilty? and she says, for feeling safe and happy when her brother is in hell. Michael has a pretty rough romantic history. To think he found love – the real thing – to possibly have it ripped away… He says, they’re not there yet, but she says, the thought that they could be, she can’t stand it. He tells her, think about something else. R&R, remember? She says she’s not a soldier, and he says, she’s way tougher than those guys. She says, you know what else she is? Starving. He says, him too, and she says, sushi or pizza? He asks if that’s even a question. Sushi.

Elizabet tells Violet that she and Finn just needed a little time apart, and Violet asks, why? Finn says, because sometimes people realize they’re not meant to be together. Violet says, like him and Anna? and Finn says, yes. Violet says, and now him and Aunt Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, that doesn’t mean they don’t like each other. Finn says, quite the opposite, and Violet asks if that means maybe they’ll get back together, but he says, not this time. Elizabeth says, they can still be friends, and he says, Elizabeth will always be family. Elizabeth is Violet’s aunt and her sons are Violet’s cousins, and that will never change. Elizabeth says, they all love Violet so much, and Violet asks if they can go camping. Elizabeth says she’d like that, and Finn says, as soon as it warms up. They can ask grandpa and Uncle Chase too. Elizabeth asks, how’s that brownie? and Violet says, delicious. She should get one. Finn tells Elizabeth that she can share his.

Marshall chokes up, and says, he walked away from his life and his sons, breaking all of their hearts in the process. To protect them, not just from the violent instincts, but the stigma. He stayed away for it all. TJ’s birth… Tommy’s death. He cries, and says, Curtis’s struggles with addiction. All because of one diagnosis, he avoided being close to anyone for over half his life. So when she tells him that he may not have schizophrenia, that he may not be sick… Curtis says, it forces him to face painful questions, and Marshall asks if he’s wasted his entire life… or worse. Was it stolen from him? Curtis says, genetic testing is the first step, and no matter the result, it’s not Marshall’s fault. Portia says she knows this is terrifying; the prospect he’s been operating on misinformation this entire time. But think about the other side of it. Think about how freeing it could be to be out from under this diagnosis. She knows Curtis wouldn’t tell Marshall this, but he’s already shared his fears with her that this disease could steal Marshall away from him again. Curtis says, wouldn’t it be nice to know this is something they didn’t have to worry about? and Portia says, please, for his family, but Marshall says he doesn’t think he can.  

Michael says, Carly knew what blood ties with Nina could do to their family, and she says she was so afraid to let Nina in. He says she was right to be, and he would have felt the same way, but unlike her and what she did, he would have let Willow decide. Why not give her all this information, and let her decide where to take it from there? Carly says, now she sees that’s what she should have done. She was trying so hard to protect their family because Nina has hurt them all so much. She had tunnel vision, and it seemed like the only option. She’s so sorry. He asks where things stand with Drew, and she says, he’s disappointed and has every right to be. She’s really great at ruining things. He says, Drew is a very forgiving guy. Don’t give up hope. She says, what about him? Can she hold out hope for him, or is he as done with her as he is with his father?

Nikolas says he may have lost his wife and son, but he won’t lose his home, and Victor says he has a storage locker full of evidence that he held Esme against her will. Nikolas says, that junk may be damning, but it’s not definitive, and Victor says, as is his written confession to pushing Esme off a parapet, not to mention the recorded version in Ava’s possession. Nikolas says, not to mention a very alive Esme, and if she can’t remember, she can’t testify. Victor says, Hayden Barnes. His patience with Nikolas is nearing an end. After all he’s done for Nikolas. Nikolas says, what about after all he’s done for Victor? He sheltered Victor on Cassadine Island. Victor says, that’s the only reason he hasn’t washed his hands of Nikolas altogether, and Nikolas says, here he thought it was because Victor is such a family man. Victor says he does have big plans for this family, but Nikolas keeps throwing a monkey wrench into them. Nikolas says, plans, you have to follow through on. He calls Victor’s bluff. Victor tells Nikolas that he’ll say it once more. The next time Nikolas defies him will be his last.

Mason says, the boss doesn’t like a quitter, and Austin says, that’s too bad because he quits. Why can’t she just find another doctor who’s amenable to the cause? Mason says he knows Austin doesn’t take well to being strong-armed – Austin says, nobody does – so how about this? The next time they send him a patient, take care of them. Austin says, or what? What’s going to happen? Basically, the answer’s no. He recently lost a good friend, and got dumped by his girlfriend. He’s starting to feel like he has nothing left to lose. Mason says he guesses he’s been told. So why doesn’t he leave Austin to his legal doctoring? Austin says, hallelujah, and Mason offers him a lollipop, but Austin says, no thank you. Mason says he’s starting to take it personally. Maxie’s daughter wouldn’t take one either.

Carly says, she made a mistake. It would kill her if Michael cut her out of his life. Michael says, dad made more than one mistake. He chose Nina over his family again and again. What Carly did was wrong, but she did it for their family. She says, the second she heard Willow was sick… and he says he knows. She asks if he can forgive her, and he says, Willow already has. She asks if he ever wonders if they deserve her, and he says, every day. He has a long way to go to be as forgiving as Willow. He does know he needs Carly in his life, and his children need her, and Willow needs all of them. She says she needs him too, more than he knows. She hugs him and cries.

Curtis says he has to believe Marshall is strong enough to face a future that’s different from what he’s used to, and Portia says, one that includes Curtis, TJ, Stella, Trina, Epiphany, and her. Curtis says, and anyone else who comes along, and Marshall asks if he can have all that without unraveling the past? Curtis says, he can try, but he has the feeling the past will always come back to haunt Marshall. Portia says, he can’t go back; no one can. Curtis says, but if he gets these answers, the next chapter could be a whole helluva lot better than the one before it.

Austin asks when Mason saw Georgie, and Mason says, this morning, with her brother and little sister at the playground. They were with a very attractive older couple; Maxie’s parents he bets. Austin asks what Mason has done, but Mason says, take it easy. He already told Austin. He just offered Maxie’s daughter a treat, but she turned him down. Either she doesn’t like lollipops or she’s been warned against strangers. The thing is, he’s not going to be a stranger when he visits her. Kids can be so trusting. Austin says, he wouldn’t dare, and Mason says, don’t make him. Austin grabs Mason by the lapels, when Ava walks in. Austin releases Mason, and she asks if she’s interrupting.

Nikolas says he’ll take what Victor told him under advisement. Now if Victor is finished he has a meeting. Victor says, of course (🍷). He’ll make himself scarce. He takes out some paperwork, and says, before he forgets, Nikolas’s divorce settlement papers. In addition to the standard provisions, there’s a paragraph ceding the deed to Spoon Island over to Ava. He tosses it on the table, and says, please have it signed before he returns.

Violet says she’s going to draw a new family picture, and put Cameron in it. Cameron, Jake, and Aiden will be on a log. Grandpa and Uncle Chase will be in the lake. She asks if Elizabeth and Finn can sit next to each other in her drawing, and Finn says, as long as they’re not in the fire, he’s good. She says, they’ll be by the fire, roasting marshmallows, and Elizabeth asks Violet not to make her too short next to Finn. Violet says, she’ll be wearing heels, and Elizabeth says, heels camping? Violet says, fashion first. Maxie taught her that. Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) she did, and Finn says, it’s getting late. He suggests Violet finish her drawing at home, and they leave. Elizabeth sits looking at her phone when Carolyn comes in and says, hi, Lizzie.

Dex and Josslyn kiss when there’s a knock at the door. She says, that would be the food, and he says, the delivery person has horrible timing. She asks if he’ll get it so she can put something on. He asks if she has to, and she says, yes. He puts his pants on, and opens the door. No surprise, it’s Cameron.

On Monday, Sonny tells Spencer, what he’s saying proves he can’t; Cameron asks Josslyn if Dex is the reason they broke up; and Ava says, Mason was most definitely there.  

🏥 Beaming Back In…

Looks like she left Jeff at home this time.

🧂 Salt Shaker…

Well, it wasn’t like we thought Jen would be back.

🏝  The Latest In Miami…

Looks like there will be sufficient drama.

🥊 It’s a Knockout…

I’d pay to see this fight.

⚔️ Changing Games…

I can’t wait to check this out this weekend.

https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-pedro-pascal-bella-ramsey-game-of-thrones/

🎥 Ranking George…

I’d say they’re spot-on. While I actually liked the remake of Dawn of the Dead, it didn’t have the same satiric wit of the original.

https://ew.com/movies/george-romero-movies-ranked/

🐯 Ongoing Tiger Tale…

The sequel wasn’t nearly as good as the first series. The first collective diversion during the pandemic lockdown.

🎸 If You’re In the Neighborhood…

The Governor’s Ball line-up and deets.

🐕 More Bowl Please…

What you need to know about the upcoming Puppy Bowl XIX

https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/puppy-bowl-date-dogs-and-everything-we-know-about-the-pet-centric-event

First flag.

🦩 Quotes of the Week

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.Corrie ten Boom

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

I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. – Thomas Jefferson

The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. – Arthur C. Clarke

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste. – Henry Ford

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot

Being funny is a very serious business. – Soupy Sales

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.Franklin D. Roosevelt

Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. – Stephen Hawking

🍨 Chillaxing and HBO Maxing…

Whatever the next two days hold for you – be it streaming service or rowing merrily down a stream – enjoy. Hope to see you back after that for soap and a less than full Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay curious, but not intrusive, and stay knowing, it’s never too late to advocate for yourself.

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

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carly is in the chapel when Sonny walks in.

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

😵 Wow…

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

💋 Overstaying Her Welcome Now…

Andy hopes she comes back. I don’t.

Yet one more weighs in.

🧂 Kind Of Late…

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

☠️ Most Toxic…

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

👰🏾 Look Who’s Officiating Now…

And doing the Electric Slide.

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

🦔 Besides the Usual…

A capybara and a fennec fox please.

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

🍩 Time To Make the Donuts…

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

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

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🚑 Heavy Weighs the Soap Crown…

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

👩🏻‍⚕️ The Real Why…

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

🥀 Another Goodbye…

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

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

🏖 But Will They Survive…?

This actually sounds somewhat interesting. Ultimate underdogs.

🩺 Flipping the Script…

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

🍸 A Full Trailer…

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

⚰️ Here’s Where It Gets Complicated…

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

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

🐕 Dogs On the Page…

For the bookworm dog lover.

🐳 Quotes of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🥠 Netflix and Chinese…

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

January 12, 2023 – Carly Finds Out There’s No Donor, Tribute, Coming Back, New Ball, Final Bow, Details, Bravoliance, What Now, Après Globes, Historical Pets (!) & Ice

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly and Drew walk into the hospital, and Josslyn thanks Carly for calling her. She asks if Willow is okay, but Carly says she doesn’t know; she just got here. Drew says, there’s someone who might know, and they walk over to TJ at reception. Carly asks if Willow is okay.

Elizabeth comes into Kelly’s while Cameron is cleaning up for the night. She says, he missed a spot, and he asks what she’s doing here. She says wondering why she has to track him down at work to find out what’s going on with him. And don’t say nothing.

Alexis finds Gregory in her office, and he says he wasn’t expecting to see her here. She says, he wasn’t expecting to see her in her own office? and he says he spoke to her assistant. She said Alexis had some family matter to attend to, and he didn’t think she’d be back tonight. She says she didn’t think he would have made himself at home in her office. Why doesn’t he tell her what’s going on.

Cody comes back with Sasha, and says, he told her it was a good idea to raid the kitchen. The Quartermaines literally have everything. He has to give this biscotti another try once he soaks it in some wine. She wonders where Chase and Brook went.

Outside the gatehouse, Brook tells Chase that Michael said they had to rush Willow to the hospital, and he was forced to leave Wiley with Nina. Wiley is clinging to Nina’s side, and Michael woudn’t like that. What should they do? He says, the most important thing is to keep Wiley happy. She doesn’t have to kick Nina out. Just thank her for watching Wiley, but she can take over. Brook says she’s just hoping Nina plays along.

Inside, Wiley asks, what’s wrong with his mommy? and Nina says, his mommy’s going to be okay. His daddy will make sure his mommy is being taken care of. He took her to the hospital, and the doctors there will make sure she’s better. He says, his baby sister too? and she says, his baby sister too.

Brook says, Nina is really taking advantage of this crisis to get closer to Wiley. This is the last thing Willow would want. They have to put a stop to it. Chase says, she’s right. They just have to hope if they’re calm and upbeat, Nina will play along too. Brook says, calm and upbeat. She can do that. She thinks. Geez, they act like Nina is luring the kid into her car with some candy.

Michael looks in the window of Willow’s room, and says, don’t leave me. Come on, fight for us.

On his phone and getting in the car, Sonny says, everything’s okay. He’s on his way.

TJ says he’s not the best person to ask about Willow’s admission; he just got here. But he’ll make sure someone updates them soon. He leaves, and Josslyn says, Willow and the baby have to be fine. Carly hugs her, and says, Willow is going to be fine; the baby too. She looks at Drew.

Gregory says, Alexis sets a high standard. He always wants to impress her, so he’s here double-checking. She says, diligence and proper documentation are a way to her heart (mine too), and he says he would assume that’s especially true on a good day like today; the return of Esme Prince, the tragic demise of Dr. Westbourne. He figured it was all hands on deck. She says, which is why she needs his help. She knew that when she got that call. He says, lucky for him that he was there when she got it. It was a right place, right time kind of thing. She says, not that she doesn’t enjoy his company or his instinct, but he’s gone above and beyond. He says, the way he sees it, he owes her one, and he always repays his debts. She asks how he owes her, and he says, the night she talked his son off the proverbial ledge. She got through to him when Gregory couldn’t. So if he can lend a helping hand, it’s the least he can do. Plus the added benefit of spending more time with her. She says, consider us even. He doesn’t have to stick around if he doesn’t want to. He says, here’s your hat; what’s your hurry? She says, no, because if he’s going to stick around, he’s going to tell her why he wants to stick around. So sit down and spill, professor. They sit, and Gregory says, after all these years teaching journalism at colleges, he’s finding the actual work invigorating. Being here when a big story breaks. Telling the truth and a strong narrative; separating fact from speculation. He’s really enjoying being in the thick of things. She says, that’s because this is his first time. Tell her about it a month from now. He asks if she’s telling him that she’s not feeling any of the adrenaline rush he is, and she says she is.

Cameron says, nothing’s up with him. He’s just taking a couple of extra shifts at Kelly’s so he can pay for a new guitar amp. She says she knows when something’s wrong. Is it because Esme’s back in town? She’s sure it was a shock to find out Esme had been found. She knows she was shocked. He says he doesn’t care if Esme is pregnant or has memory loss. He hopes she goes away a long time after what she did to him and Joss. Elizabeth says, he certainly has right to be angry. Esme did unspeakable things to him and his friends. He says, and to her; Esme attacked her. She says she wouldn’t really call it an attack. Esme went for her phone and she fell. It was more like an accident. He says, nothing Esme has ever done has been an accident. Everything she’s done has been deliberate; from the revenge porn to framing Trina… Setting Ava’s car on fire. He hopes she gets what she deserves and he hopes they take that baby far away from her. She says, this is so not like him. Please tell her what is going on.

Michael joins the others, and Carly asks, how’s Willow? Josslyn asks, how’s the baby? and he says, Willow is stable and the baby seems fine. Dr. Navarro is doing an ultrasound as a precautionary measure. How did Carly know they were here? Carly says, Nina called her, and he says, right. Nina said she’d call Carly and watch Wiley until someone from the main house could come. He’s sorry. He’s just been so focused on Willow, everything else is a blur right now. Carly tells him, the only thing Nina said was that Willow collapsed. What happened? Drew tells Michael, it’s okay; it’s not a secret anymore. He told Carly about the leukemia. Josslyn says, and Sonny told her, and Michael asks how Sonny knew. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She asked, but he didn’t say. Carly asks if it matters. They’re here for him. What does he need? Michael promises he’ll explain everything, but right now, he has to take care of something.

Sonny comes into the gatehouse through the back, and Nina tells Wiley, look who’s here. Sonny says he told her he’d be here in no time, and tells Wiley, get over here. Wiley hugs him, and he says, grandpa’s here. Everything is going to be okay. Brook walks in, and asks what Sonny is doing here. Nina says she called Sonny to let him know what happened, and she thought Wiley would like to see his grandpa. Sonny says he rushed over, and asks what Brook is doing here. Brook says, Michael texted, and wanted her to check up on Wiley. Wiley says he’s okay, and Chase asks if either one of them know what’s going on with Willow. Brook suggests Wiley brush his teeth and get ready for bed, but Wiley says he already did. She says, do it again, and she’ll give him five bucks, and he says, deal. He runs upstairs, and Nina asks if they should tell them. Brook says, they should. Willow’s baby is her family. Chase asks if there’s a problem with the baby. It’s too early for her to go into labor, right? Sonny says he hasn’t heard anything since they went to the hospital, but there’s a lot more going on than Willow just being pregnant. She has leukemia. Brook says she had no idea. Poor Willow. Poor Michael; he must be going crazy. Sonny says, they just found out, and Chase says, she’s going to be okay, right? Willow is going to be treated and be okay. Nina says, they don’t know the details, but from what they can tell, Willow’s leukemia is in Stage IV.

Cameron says he’s fine, really, but Elizabeth says her mother’s instinct tells her differently. He says, maybe he’s not fine, but there’s nothing she can do about it. There’s nothing anyone can do. She says, talk to her. Whatever it is, they can figure it out. He says, Joss broke up with him, and she says she’s so sorry. He says, and it’s all Esme’s fault. Her plan to send Trina to jail failed, but she succeeded in ruining his life. He and Josslyn never got back to where they were before. Everywhere they went, people were staring at them, talking, and laughing at them. Even when things died down, that feeling between them stayed. Elizabeth asks if that’s what Josslyn said.

Cody says, still no word from Chase? and Sasha says, nothing since he texted they were at the gatehouse, and Michael and Willow went to the hospital. She hopes Willow and the baby are going to be okay, and he says he’s sure everything will work out. He asks where she thinks Ned keeps the good wine. He looks in the credenza, and says, supposedly biscotti is better if you dip it in there. Is this even the kind of room you’d keep wine? What kind of a room do they call this? She says she believes Michael told her that they call it the solarium, and Cody laughs, saying, rich people and their fancy names. In that case – he puts on a British accent – would she care to join him for some biscotti in the solarium? She says, first of all, he’s very good at distracting people from their worries. Secondly, she’d love some biscotti.

Drew tells Carly, Willow and Nina deserve to know the truth. If Willow has taken a turn… She asks him to keep his voice down. She’s not going in there and telling her right now; Willow’s unconscious. Besides, he said they found a match. He says, Carly still has to tell her, and she says she knows that. She’s just not going to do it right now; now’s not the right time. He says, there’s never going to be a right time, and let him be clear. He’s not going to sit on this secret forever. She says she doesn’t expect him to, but right now, can’t they just pray for Willow and the baby? Because Willow making it through is all that matters.

Wiley comes back downstairs, and asks Brook, where’s his five bucks? Brook says, a promise is a promise, and gives it to him. Sonny tells Nina that he has to go to GH. He needs to see Michael, even though Michael doesn’t want him to. Michael’s his son, and he has to be there for him. Nina says, of course (🍷). She’ll go with him. Sonny asks Wiley to give him a big, big hug, and they say goodbye. Wiley tells Nina goodbye, and she tells him, even if he doesn’t see her for a while, she’s always with him. She touches her heart, and says she loves him so much. They hug, and she and Sonny go to the door. Nina turns for a moment, Wiley waves at her, and they leave.

Alexis says, Gregory is a natural at this type of work, and he says he hopes so. He taught it long enough. It’s nice to know he can put what he teaches into practice. She asks why he’s always taught journalism, and not gone out into the field. His wife was a journalist. He says, it’s just the path he took. He felt the adrenaline rush a couple of times, helping Jackie with her stories, but they were raising Chase. One of them had to have a more grounded job. She says, that was the past. He’s certainly not raising Chase now. Has he thought about giving up the lecture hall, and becoming a reporter? He says, does it sound exciting? Of course (🍷). But he thinks boots-to-the-ground reporting is a young person’s job. These days, he’s content watching from the sidelines. She says she thinks that’s bull. She thinks he’s being self-deprecating, and she thinks he doesn’t believe that. And he’s talking to somebody who found a second act. She didn’t have any choice. She blew up her first act, but that’s another story. He says, point taken, and she says, if he wants to teach, teach, but if he wants a change, go for the second act, third act. He can go for as many acts as he wants. She’s just trying to say he’s really good at this, and she would hate to see him write off possibilities for his future without ever having gone there. He says she’s definitely given him something to think about, and she says, good. If he’s going to stay here, he’s going to work. So take a look at the layouts, and tell her what he thinks.

Brook tells Wiley that he’s been through a lot tonight. Talk to her. He asks why mommy said Grandma Nina was bad, and Brook says, she actually said that? Wiley nods, and says he loves Grandma Nina. Is she bad? Brook says, his Grandma Nina has made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean she’s bad. She and mommy just want the best for him, even though she messes up sometimes. He says he misses mommy, and Chase says, his mommy misses him too, and she’s doing everything she can to get back to him. Brook suggests Wiley make Willow a get well card.

Sonny and Nina come into the hospital, and Carly looks like she wants to disappear. Sonny says, Nina still hasn’t told him why she was at the Quartermaines, and Nina says she was worried about Wiley when they heard about Willow’s diagnosis. Unfortunately, she had words with Michael. She knows she should have stayed away. Michael comes out of Willow’s room, followed by Dr. Navarro and Terry. Terry says, they just wanted to give them and update, and Dr. Navarro says, the baby is fine. They’re going to keep monitoring her, along with working with Dr. Randolph on Willow’s treatment. Terry says, Willow is critical, but in stable condition. She’s going to look into clinical trials for her, but they’re running out of options. She wishes she had better news. Her pager goes off, and she excuses herself. Josslyn says she knows Michael is only focused on Willow right now, but she’s here if he needs anything, or Willow needs anything. Carly tells him, it’s going to be all right. They have to believe that. Drew asks why they’re looking into clinical trials. He thought Willow already had a match for a bone marrow donor. Michael says, she did. They found out at her last appointment that the donor isn’t healthy enough to go through with the transplant. Carly looks at Nina.

Cody says, Sasha lost her baby. She entered into a guardianship, and lost her husband. And he thought he had some problems. He asks if that was insensitive, and she says, pretty much, but also weirdly refreshing. She’s so used to everyone treating her with kid gloves, it’s nice to know she won’t fall apart if someone sets her off. He says she looks pretty tough to him, and she says she’s guessing he doesn’t watch the Home & Heart Shopping Network. He says he never heard of it, and she says she went on it to plug some products for Deception. They spontaneously added her to the next segment, about a papoose style baby carrier, and she wound up having a nervous breakdown on live television. He says he’s guessing that’s where the guardianship came in, and she says, originally, it was Brando, but when he died, his mother Gladys took over. He says, her mother-in-law’s name is Gladys? and she says, why? He says he knows a woman named Gladys, but it’s probably not her mother-in-law. She says, he’d know if he met her mother-in-law. She’s pretty memorable.

Brook says, Wiley’s mommy is going to love this picture. It’s just what she needs to brighten up her hospital room, and remind her of how much he loves her. Wiley says, all done, and asks if Chase will read him a story. He tells Wiley to pick one out, and Wiley runs upstairs. Chase says, Brook is really good with him, and she says, so is he. The kid loves him. He says, they shouldn’t be surprised. Does this feel familiar to her? It wasn’t that long ago, they were living together, taking care of Bailey. She says, they make a good team… He doesn’t have to stay.

Cameron tells Elizabeth, it doesn’t matter what Joss said. That sex tape was when all their problems started. She asks him to stop calling it that. It makes it sound like they made it willingly. He says, she’s right; they didn’t. It’s revenge porn, which is a crime, which Esme should rot in jail for. Everything was perfect before that. She says, he’s right in that she can’t fix this for him, but he knows she’s had her fair share of experience with heartbreak. She’s not going to pretend to know how things were with him and Josslyn. Maybe things were perfect before that video came out, but in her experience, rarely is it just one thing that breaks up a couple.

Josslyn asks why someone would put themselves on a bone marrow transplant list if they can’t go through with it, and Michael says, they must have had a condition they weren’t aware of when they signed up. Carly asks what this means for Willow and the baby, and Michael says, Willow needs a bone marrow transplant period. The doctors are just buying time until they find another match. He’s got to take a walk. Nina tells Sonny that she’s going to the chapel to say a prayer for Willow, and he says he’ll go with her. They leave, and Drew tells Carly, they need to put an end to this madness now. She nods, and says she knows what she has to do.

In the chapel, Nina asks how Sonny is doing. It must be pretty devastating for him to know what Michael is going through. He says, it’s never easy watching your kids suffer. He and Michael are estranged, and he wants to give Michael a hug, but Michael doesn’t want it. They’re just going to concentrate on Willow. They care about her so much, and she and Michael are good together. He’s just feeling like he doesn’t know what to do. She says, Sonny’s going to be there for them, and that’s enough. That’s a lot. He says he can’t abandon his son. He needs to let Michael know that. She says she’ll be here for him, and as much as they don’t want it, she’s here for Michael and Willow too.

Chase says, Brook’s the one who called him over about changes in a song he’s going to be singing tomorrow. Now she’s kicking him out? That makes perfect sense. He gets up, and she says, come on. She wasn’t born yesterday. She knows the only reason he came over was because he was worried about Willow, and wanted more information. Now they know Willow has leukemia, and she knows he wants to go to GH and see her. He says, when Nina and Sonny told them the news, his initial reaction was to rush over there, but is that what’s best for Michael and Willow? It’s already got to be awkward over there because of how Michael feels about Sonny. Not to mention how Carly and Joss feel about Sonny and Nina. Do they really want Willow’s ex-husband in the mix? He doesn’t think so. She says she knows how much he cares about Willow, and he, Michael and Willow are friends-ish again, right? He says, something like that, and she says, his mind must be going crazy with worry. Go be with them. She can take care of Wiley by herself, and cancel tomorrow’s performance. He asks if Linc won’t throw a fit, but she says she’ll handle Linc. Do what he needs to do. He says, if he goes to GH, he’ll only be in the way. If the best way to help Michael and Willow is to help her keep Wiley happy, then that’s what he’ll do

Elizabeth tells Cameron, maybe it’s easier to blame Esme for the break-up. God knows she played a big enough role. It must feel like she’s responsible for everything. It’s easy to look at one catastrophic event, and say that was it. Trust her; she’s been there. It will only drive him crazy if he keeps asking himself, what if this never happened? He says, if Esme never made the revenge porn, if Trina had never gone to trial, if none of those things would have happened, he’s certain he and Josslyn would still be together. She says, but if he really thinks about it, there were other issues too. Didn’t he keep Spencer’s secret that he was only pretending to believe Esme, and didn’t tell Josslyn? Regardless of the reasoning, that hurt the communication between them. He says, maybe, but it still doesn’t make it hurt any less. She says she knows Josslyn was his first girlfriend, and his first love; it’s going to hurt. But she also knows that one day he’ll be able to look back on the time he had with her, and instead of all this pain, he’ll feel grateful for what he did have.

Josslyn hugs Michael, and he thanks her for being here. She asks, where else she would be? Why didn’t he tell them? He says, first of all, because Willow didn’t tell him. Chemo is dangerous for a baby in the first trimester so she decided to wait. She didn’t want him to worry, so she didn’t tell him. By the time she told him, it was safe to start chemo, but the leukemia had already advanced. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, it’s Willow’s fight and she can do this the way she has to, but even after she told him, she didn’t want anyone else to know. She thought it was the best way to protect Wiley, so he wouldn’t be afraid. He’s reaching that age now where he’s more perceptive. She thought if Josslyn or their mom looked at her with worry, Wiley would pick up on it and realize something was wrong. She says, it makes sense; he’s a smart little boy. Her phone dings, and she sees a text from Dex: Thinking about you. Hope everything is okay. He says, Cameron? but she says, no, someone else. Is there anything she can do? She knows it feels like an empty gesture, but she’d do anything. He says, just be here with him, and she says, done. He puts his arm around her, and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Carly goes into Willow’s room, and asks TJ, how is she? He says, her vital signs are stable, but they’re not sure when she’s going to wake up. She’d appreciate Carly being here either way. He leaves, and Carly sits by the bed. She says she needs Willow to wake up. She’s so sorry. If she had known… She never intended for anything like this to happen. She loves Willow like a daughter. Please wake up. She has to tell Willow something that may save her life. Willow stirs a little, and Carly says, if you can hear the sound of my voice, it’s Carly. Please wake up. Visibly uncomfortable, Carly leaves.

Carly tells Drew, Willow’s still sleeping. She tried to wake Willow up. He says, she can tell Willow later, but she says, they’re past that. Will he stay with Michael? He says, of course (🍷), and she says, will he tell him? Tell Michael she’s so sorry… please. She starts to leave, and he asks where she’s going. She says she’s going to do what she has to do.

Chase reads, all you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you’re afraid, and that kind of courage, you have in plenty. He looks at Brook and Wiley sleeping, and says, goodnight, Wiley. Goodnight, Brook Lynn. Don’t worry. He’ll stand watch.

Cameron thanks Elizabeth for the talk, and she says, even if he didn’t like what she had to say? He says, she was just telling him the truth. If he continues to blame Esme for the break-up, it’s just going to fuel his anger. Now that he realizes he and Josslyn both played parts in them ending, it’s just making him sad. She says she’s so sorry, and he says he’s got to finish up, and she says, before he goes, she wants to remind him that she loves him. She’s always here for him. She starts to leave, and he says he loves her too, and they hug.

Sasha tells Cody, she read in The Invader that Britt died because she stepped in to rescue someone from The Hook. She actually saved a life, and not just by being a doctor; by being a kickass hero. He says, and that was just a week after she delivered a miracle baby on Christmas in the Quartermaine house. She says, Brando died protecting someone too. He was following Josslyn Jax to make sure she was safe. Cody says, sounds like he was a hero also. He’s grateful Britt was in his life, even if it was for a short time. She says she and Brando survived a lot of problems, but she still loved her life with him. Even knowing how it ended, she’d do it again in a heartbeat. He says, to Britt and Brando, and they clink their biscotti.

Gregory says, finished. He’ll get out of Alexis’s hair. She thanks him for his help, and says she couldn’t done without him. He says, now who’s being falsely modest? and she says, okay. She could have done it without him, but she’s glad she didn’t have to. He says, it was a pleasure. He likes spending time with her. This was fun. Have a good night. She says, him too, and he leaves. Her phone rings, and she says she just got back in the office. Can this wait?… Well now you’ve got my attention.

Josslyn sits by Willow’s bedside, and says she’s so sorry this is happening to her. She and Michael are so good together, and Wiley is such a happy little boy. This baby could not be born into a better family. And she will be born. And she will be healthy. And Willow will be there with her. Willow’s got to believe that. All of this, the doctors, the medicine, is all important of course (🍷), but so is believing. She’s going make it, and they’ll all be here for her. Her phone rings, and she says, right now?… Okay, she’ll be there.

Michael thanks TJ, and says he knows TJ has done a lot to support Willow. TJ says, that’s what friends do. If he needs anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Michael says he appreciates it, and TJ leaves. Michael sees Drew, and asks if Drew knows where his mom went. Drew says, she went to see Nina, and Michael says, this night’s bad enough already. Why would she want to talk to Nina of all people? Drew says, there’s something Michael needs to know.

Still turning herself inside out, Carly goes to the chapel. She asks if she can talk to Nina alone, and Sonny leaves. Carly closes the door.

Tomorrow, Jordan asks why someone didn’t come forward; Alexis tells Spencer that she’s looking for the truth; and Carly tells Nina, she may be the only person on earth who can help. I can’t wait.

💟 Glad To Hear It…

That little tribute at the end of yesterday’s episode must have been to keep the fans at bay until they could put together something more befitting Epiphany.

🧨 And Don’t Call Her Granny…

Good soap actors never really retire.

💃🏽 Welcome To the Nurses Ball…

It’s going to be quite a spring in Port Charles.

🥀 First Farewell…

Passions was a great show – so much fun.

🍊 Close, But No Cigar…

Good thing Ramona is on the east coast.

🕶 Traitors Among Traitors…

I love it. There are 20 contestants comprised of 10 reality stars and 10 normal people.

👠 Life After Housewives…

Do we care? Here it is anyway.

👗 After the Ball Is Over…

Golden Globes afterparty fashion.

🐊 And Of Course There Was a Peke…

No Corgi for Queen Victoria.

https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/anne-boleyns-lapdog-and-john-quincy-adamss-alligator-10-famous-people-in-history-and-their-bizarre-pets/

🧺 Housekeeping Stuck In 2023…

Will Carly spill her guts tomorrow? Come back and find out, as well as enjoy some tea, quotes, and music. Until then, stay safe, stay asking for help when you need it, and stay going for as many acts as you want.

January 10, 2023 – Drew Confronts Carly About the Search, Bye From Britt, Sonja’s Sunset, Get Out, You Too, Traitors Coming, Eli’s Thanksgiving, Special Pups (!) & Family

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow stares at the fireplace, when Michael and Wiley come in with a plate of cookies. She says, just what the doctor ordered, and Wiley asks if the doctor told her to have dessert. Michael says, it’s just something people say, and Wiley asks, why? Willow tells him, in this case, it means she can’t think of a better way to spend time; just the three of them. Wiley says, when his little sister is born, it will be four of them. That’s a lot.

Drew walks into Sonny’s ex-kitchen and current home of the great moss bowl🎍, and Carly says, he’s right on time. He takes off his jacket, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he’d feel like an ass if he kissed her, and then ambushed her with a question, and she says, ask her the question. He asks why she doesn’t want to find Willow’s birth mother.

Sonny asks Nina, where did these papers come from? and she says, Aunt Liesl cleaned out Britt’s office, including some papers she shouldn’t have. She was going to sort through it and return the papers that belonged to the hospital… Why? He says, see for herself, handing her a document, and she sees it’s Willow’s chemotherapy report. She says, Willow’s getting chemotherapy.

Josslyn knocks at Dex’s door, and she asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷), and she walks inside, saying, she can’t stop thinking about Britt. If Britt hadn’t held off The Hook, she would be dead by now. He tells her, stop, but she says, listen to her. She couldn’t have held The Hook off by herself, and by the time Dex got to the pier, it would have been too late. Britt got cut saving her. The Hook was after her. It all happened because of her. He says, what you’re feeling is survivor’s guilt, and if you’re not careful, it can really mess you up.

Esme wonders if she can ask Elizabeth a question, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know if she can answer it, but she’ll try. Esme asks if Elizabeth thinks her lawyer is any good. She’s being accused of all these terrible things, and he thinks if they can find out where she’s been hiding out these past few months, she’ll have an alibi.

Spencer asks why Laura is at the hospital, and she says she wanted to see him. He says, maybe she doesn’t approve of him moving in with Uncle Sonny, but he had to get out of Windymere, and she says she’s happy he’s with Sonny. She just wanted to see for herself how he’s doing. He says, truthfully, he’s heartbroken that Britt is dead, and if Esme killed her, if she’s The Hook, then she needs to be held accountable.

Walking to the porch at Windymere, Dante asks Jordan if they’re going to wait for a warrant. She says, unless they can get the judge to sign one in the next ten minutes, they’ll have to hope Nikolas cooperates, and Dante says he wishes her good luck with that one. When he questioned Nikolas this morning, the only thing Nikolas would tell him is that he’s the father of Esme’s baby. She asks if the lab turned up anything from Esme’s personal effects, and he says, the only thing she had was a Christmas ornament. She asks if he’s sure it was on her, and he says, she definitely had it; he asked the doctor. She asks if they can trace it, and he says, it wasn’t mass produced. It’s from Poland, and it’s hand-painted. If they can find out who painted it, maybe they can find out who it was sold to.

Victor tells Nikolas, there was a fire in the north tower; a Christmas tree went up in flames. Who would put a Christmas tree in an unused bedroom? His guess is, the same person who put toiletries in the bathroom, or clothes in the closet. Nothing fancy. Just some sweats, loose-fitting, suitable for a pregnant woman. Nikolas has been keeping Esme prisoner, hasn’t he? Right under Victor’s nose.

Nina says, this is personal medical information. Maybe they shouldn’t be looking at this. But Sonny says, if she thinks it’s a violation of her ethics, look at it this way; he found it, she didn’t. She asks what he’s going to do with it, and he says, Willow is Wiley’s mother. She’s carrying his grandchild. He doesn’t care what’s going on as far as the fighting goes; she’s still family. He’s going to do everything he can to find out about her condition. She says she doesn’t care about right or wrong. She only wants to help Willow.

Wiley asks what his baby sister’s name is, but Michael says, they haven’t chosen one yet. What does he think it should be? Wiley says, Annabelle III, but Michael says, that might be confusing for the baby and the dog to have the same name. Any other ideas? Wiley says, T’chooka. His sister could be a dead-eyed Padawan. Michael says, that’s interesting. They’ll have to think about that one. What does Willow think? Wiping tears from her eyes without them seeing, Willow says she thinks her eyes are bigger than her stomach. She’s going to save the cookie for a late night treat. Michael says, speaking of late night, it’s past Wiley’s bedtime. He suggests Wiley get in his PJs, and he’ll read Wiley a bedtime story. Wiley says goodnight to Willow, and she tells him, sweet dreams. He gives her bump a kiss, telling his little sister to take good care of mommy. Michael brings Wiley upstairs, as they discuss which story to read, and Willow cries.

Drew says, ever since he first told Carly that he was searching for Willow’s birth parents, he felt resistance. She pours them some wine, and he says, when he told her he tracked down a source, she questioned their credibility. When he mentioned he had some great information, she was opposed to telling Willow. She asks if he thinks she was wrong, and he says, at the time, the reason seemed to make sense to him. Once they told Willow her birth mother was dead, why get her hopes up? When they found out that was a lie, why stress her out, telling her that she might have been kidnapped, and stolen from her birth parents? But then he took a step back, and there was a pattern there, and the pattern became very clear. She doesn’t want Willow’s birth parents to be found. She says, no, she doesn’t.

Dex says, of course (🍷) Josslyn is grateful to Britt; he’s grateful too. He doesn’t even want to think about how he’d be feeling if Josslyn had gotten killed. But there’s only one person responsible for Britt’s death, and that is The Hook. He’s sorrier than he can say that he’s not a better shot, and didn’t kill The Hook when he had the chance. She says she’s sorry too. The world would be a much safer and happier place. But even if he’d shot The Hook, there’s no guarantee Britt would have survived. There was poison in her system; she didn’t even know it. Does he think it would have made a difference? They took off and left Britt to cover for them. Does that make them partly responsible for her death?

Esme tells Elizabeth, Mr. Grey seems very competent. He seems like he cares about defending her, but she’s not paying him. He’s defending her for free. How does she know if she can trust him or his strategy? He says if she can get an alibi… but she has no idea where she’s been for the past few months – or her whole life for that matter. She doesn’t know how she got here. She doesn’t know who got her pregnant… Elizabeth says, she’ll remember, but Esme says, what if she doesn’t? Elizabeth says, traumatic memory loss isn’t uncommon. Permanent memory loss does happen, but it’s pretty rare, so the chances she’ll remember are good. But to answer her question, Mr. Grey is a great attorney. She thinks Esme can trust him.

Spencer says, if Esme is The Hook, Britt is dead because of him, because he brought Esme to Port Charles, but Laura says, no. They’ve talked about this. He isn’t responsible for anything Esme does. If Esme is The Hook; that hasn’t been proven yet. She’s in her third trimester of her pregnancy. Laura thinks it’s highly unlikely she’d have the physical strength to attack Britt with a hook. He says, she doesn’t know Esme like he does. She can do a lot of damage when she wants. Laura says, there isn’t just Esme to consider. There’s also a baby.

Victor asks if Nikolas had a plan. Did he have an end game, or was he just winging it; keeping Esme prisoner because he couldn’t think of anything else to do? Nikolas says, Esme turned up alive and pregnant with his child. He had every reason to believe she was The Hook. He couldn’t allow her to harm anyone else, but he couldn’t turn her over to the police, and risk her giving birth to his unborn child while incarcerated. Victor says, so he lured her to Windymere, but Nikolas says, she was already here. She was stealing money from his safe. He took her to a tower bedroom, and locked her in. He enlisted Demetrius to take care of her, and that was his mistake. Esme was able to manipulate Demetrius. Victor says, Esme manipulated Nikolas. She fooled him into putting her somewhere she could easily escape from – which she did. Very successfully, he might add. She’s cunning, creative, and she’s able to keep a cool head. Qualities Nikolas soundly lacks. He’s been protecting Nikolas for the sake of this family, but perhaps the Cassadines would be better off if they cut their losses. The doorbell rings, and Nikolas answers it. It’s Dante and Jordan, who says, they have more questions for him about Esme Prince.

Carly and Drew gravitate to the moss bowl, and Carly says, after Willow learned the truth about Harmony, Willow made the decision not to look for her birth parents, and she was relieved. Drew asks, why? He’s confused. He and Carly both grew up without their biological family, and they both went searching for answers. Unlike him, Carly found her mother right away. He waited years to connect with the Quartermaines. The point is, she and Bobbie have a strong, loving relationship. Why doesn’t she want that for Willow? Carly says, because Willow was afraid her birth mother would turn out to be someone like Nina. And the truth is, all reunions aren’t happy; some of them are awful. And Willow has had so much loss and pain, she wanted to spare Willow any more. Drew says, that wasn’t her call to make.

Nina tells Sonny, the doctor’s notes say, Willow was originally diagnosed with leukemia in late August, but she didn’t start her first round of chemotherapy until later November. Sonny wonders, why the delay? and Nina says, when Willow was first diagnosed, she was in Stage Two. By the time she received treatment, she was in Stage Four. He says, the doctors must have warned her. You don’t get diagnosed with leukemia, and wait three months to get treatment. She says, you do if you’re pregnant.

Michael says, once again, Goodnight Moon does the trick, and Willow says, bedtime’s best friend. He sees she’s been crying, and asks, what happened? She says, chemo isn’t working, and her marrow donor can’t donate. She can barely be a mother to Wiley. She can’t join in the conversation, or ask about his day, or even eat a damn cookie. He says, Wiley will be okay, but she says, he’s not okay. He knows something’s wrong and he’s scared. It’s all her fault. The whole thing is her fault. Michael holds her as she cries.

Dex says, Josslyn was willing to stay and talk to the police. He was the one who asked Britt to cover for them; he didn’t want to explain the gun. It’s on him. She says, he didn’t drag her. She left with him willingly. And yeah, Britt told them she had it covered. There was no reason not to believe her, but she feels like she’s alive at Britt’s expense. He says, maybe there’s another way to look at this. Britt saved her life, so doesn’t she owe it to Britt to live the best life she can?

Nikolas says he already sat through one pointless investigation at the PCPD. If they want to ask him more questions, they can call his lawyer. Victor says, nonsense, and tells them to come in. He asks how they can be of help, and Dante says, Esme Prince showed up on the Haunted Star in the early morning hours of January 1st. She was soaking wet and suffering from hypothermia. Which Nikolas is aware of since he showed up at the hospital with Elizabeth. Nikolas asks if it’s a crime to show concern, and Dante says, the last time Esme was seen was back in November on Pier 55, which is near the Haunted Star, and coincidentally near where the boat to Windymere docks. Since she used to live here, they think maybe she was hiding out on Spoon Island, or even right here in this house.

Laura tells Spencer, whatever Esme has or hasn’t done, that baby is innocent. Britt is gone, and there’s nothing he can do to bring her back, but he can do something to make sure Esme’s baby is born safely. Don’t confront Esme. Don’t interrogate her about Britt or anything else. He says, what if she’s lying about the memory loss? and Laura says, she’s not lying about the pregnancy. The priority right now should be the health and safety of that baby. That means allowing Esme to rest and recover. Elizabeth comes out of Esme’s room, and Spencer asks if Esme is awake. Elizabeth says, awake and alert, and he says he’d like to see her. Laura tells the guard to let Commissioner Ashford know that she okayed the visit, and Spencer thanks her. He knocks at Esme’s door, and she says, yes? He walks in, and she asks if she knows him.

Nikolas says he thinks he’d know if Esme was living in his house, and Jordan says, it’s a big house. There must be plenty of rooms that go unused. Esme could have taken refuge in any one of them, and Nikolas would never know, which is why they’d like to search the premises. Nikolas says, absolutely not, and Dante says, come on. They search the house, find out Esme was never here, and they can move on with their investigation. Nikolas says, if they want to search his house, get a warrant. And for that, they’ll need to show probable cause, and there isn’t any. Jordan says, DA Scorpio found plenty of evidence and was able to get Judge Winters to sign off on a warrant, but she thought she’d spare them the time and trouble by giving Nikolas the option to voluntarily agree to the search. Nikolas asks what evidence Robert has, and Victor says, they appreciate the courtesy, but they have nothing to hide. So feel free to search the house. Nikolas says, it could take hours, and Victor says, best get started then. He tells Nikolas to accompany the detective and his officers so they don’t get lost.

Dex tells Josslyn, the way he gives thanks for his life is by living it. Maybe she could try it. She says, maybe she could, and they kiss.

Nina tells Sonny, apparently the danger chemotherapy poses to the fetus is higher in the first trimester because the organs are developing. It’s safer for the baby in the second or third trimester. He says, safer for the baby, but not for Willow, and Nina says she has no idea how Willow is getting through this. To find out she’s pregnant, then be diagnosed with a life threatening illness; to have to choose between your health and the health of your unborn baby? Sonny takes her hand.

Willow sits up, and Michael asks, what’s wrong? She says, it’s not fair to lean on him, and he says she agreed to marry him, and that’s what married people do; they lean on each other. She asks why he’s not angry with her. She didn’t share her diagnosis with him, and didn’t include him in her decision making. She didn’t give him a vote. She gambled with her life, with Wiley’s security and future, and with everything they planned together, and now it looks like she lost.

Drew says, Carly fights like hell when someone tries to make choices for her. He’s confused. What made her decide what Willow could or couldn’t know about her own family? Carly says, Willow didn’t want to know, and he says, she reconsidered and decided she wants to track down her family. Not only that, she asked him to help search. Carly says she gets that, but Willow was having a hard pregnancy. The last thing she needs is stress. She thought it was best not to open the door to total strangers with whom Willow shares biology and nothing else. He says, she denied Willow her own family, and Carly says, Willow has family. She has her, and Michael, and Wiley, and Drew, and the Quartermaines. He says, enough excuses. Willow’s biological family can give her things that none of them can.

Nina tells Sonny, after one of her many clashes with Willow, she tracked them down at the hospital. She found them in Terry’s office. She’s an oncologist. Nina didn’t think much about it then, but – she picks up the document – Terry is treating Willow. Sonny says, Willow and Michael probably want to keep it quiet; the family didn’t say anything to him. She says, they probably do. They probably don’t want to upset Wiley. By delaying treatment, Willow is risking leaving Wiley, leaving him without the only mother he’s ever known. It must be so difficult for her. Nina wonders how much influence Michael had in Willow’s decision to delay cancer treatment. They know Michael is very selfish. He’s focused and single-minded in getting what he wants. Sonny says, this family infighting has to stop. They have to pull it together for Willow.

Carly tells Drew, she gets it. Willow is pregnant, and she wants her medical history to be complete for her baby’s sake. She understands that, but felt the emotional consideration outweighed it, so she obstructed his efforts… pretty considerably. He says, describe considerably, and she says, when he tracked down Denise Mackenzie, the firefighter who was on the commune with Harmony, she intercepted Denise before their meeting, and paid her to back Harmony’s original story about getting Willow from some mythical Joan. Then when Denise recanted, she paid Denise off for not giving her up. He says, when she went out after Denise to give her glove back. Carly says, then most recently, she found information on the commune leader Josiah, she took it and hid it, so Drew couldn’t follow up on him. Drew says, so the whole time they were supposed to be working together, she was sabotaging him.

Michael says he understands Willow is disappointed and frustrated; he is too. But they found a bone marrow match, and they’ll find another. There’s still time. She says, there’s a lot less time than when she was first diagnosed. When she made the choice not to tell him about her diagnosis or include him in her decision to wait, which is the opposite of how he’s always treated her. He didn’t have to include her in Wiley’s life, much less let her adopt him. Michael trusted her with his son. He made Wiley their son, and now she may be leaving them both. At the very moment she should have shared with him, she shut him out. Why doesn’t he hate her for that?

Laura asks Elizabeth how Esme seems, and Elizabeth says, if this is Laura’s way of asking if she thinks Esme is faking the memory loss, her answer is, she doesn’t know. Laura says, Doc started to assess her, but her brother threw him out of the room. Doc would never violate patient privacy, so he hasn’t said anything, but she has the feeling he believes Esme. He got to see Esme in all her manipulative glory when she was living with them, so she thinks he’d know if Esme was lying. Elizabeth says, maybe they’ll get lucky and she’ll never remember, and Laura asks why that would be a good thing.

Spencer introduces himself to Esme, and says, he and his friend Trina Robinson brought her to the hospital. Esme thanks him for that, and he asks how she’s feeling. She says she’s see-sawing between numb and total panic. They say she could be charged with everything from revenge porn to attempted murder, which is really scary. She doesn’t suppose he knows where she’s been hiding these past few months. Apparently it’s the only thing that could exonerate her.

Jordan asks how much contact Victor had with Esme, and he says, minimal really. He lived at the MetroCourt until recently. He and Esme never lived at Windymere at the same time. She says, their paths never crossed? and he says, occasionally, when she was dating Spencer. Their interactions were superficial at best. She says, what about Nikolas? How would Victor characterize his actions with Esme?

In front of Esme’s old prison room, Dante asks, what’s in here? and Nikolas says, a bedroom. Dante asks if anyone is using it, and Nikolas says, it’s possible one of the staff could be staying there. Dante says, Nikolas lets the staff stay with him? He thought they’d be out on the grounds. Nikolas says, like the Commissioner pointed out, it’s a big house, and if for whatever reason one of the staff needed to stay the night, he doesn’t see the harm. Dante says he’d like to check the room out, but Nikolas says, it’s locked. Dante tries the door, and it opens.

Carly says she’s so sorry for misleading Drew, and he says, lying to him. She says she made the choice to protect Willow long before they got together, but he says, there’s no contract. There’s no pre-existing condition clause. This is about them trusting each other. He let her in on an investigation, and she took advantage of his trust to undermine it. She says she was protecting Willow. Doesn’t he understand? He says she knew damn well Willow asked him to do the search, and he gets that Willow was initially resistant to finding out her birth mother, but once Carly knew she reconsidered, didn’t that change her calculations? She says she was conflicted, but then she decided Willow was better off not knowing. Drew says, if Carly knew the complete information about Willow’s health situation, she would have reacted differently, and Carly asks what he’s talking about. Is there something wrong with Willow? He says, she has leukemia.

Michael says he could never hate Willow. He wishes she’d shared her diagnosis with him from the start, but he understands why she didn’t. He’ll never forget the pain of losing Jonah, and knows she won’t either. She chose to protect the life she’s carrying the best way she could, and he’s good with that. She says she was selfish, and he says she’s the least selfish person he knows. She says she did what she wanted and if she chose wrong, he and Wiley will be left alone. He says, they’re not going to lose her, but she says, he can’t promise that. He says he can promise this much. He’ll never regret any day he’s spent with her, or making her Wiley’s mother. He’ll never regret the love she’s given Wiley, and the place she has in his life. Even if Wiley has to grow up without her, her love will sustain him. Even if Wiley doesn’t consciously remember it, Michael will remember all of it. And he’ll love her for the rest of his life. He kisses her.

Basking in the afterglow on Dex’s couch, since he apparently doesn’t have a bed, Josslyn says, this was not the plan. He asks if she regrets it, but she says, no. He says, good. Because if he hasn’t made it clear, he doesn’t want this to be a one or two time thing. She says, neither does she. She doesn’t know what she feels for him, but she knows it’s strong. He says, him too, and kisses her. Her phone dings, and she says, sorry. It might be her mom, and she’ll freak out if Josslyn doesn’t answer. She looks at the phone and says, unbelievable. She shows it to Dex, and he reads a text from Sonny: Need to see you. My office. Important. She says, how dare Sonny summon her like that?. She starts getting dressed, and says, he has no right. Who does he think he is? Dex asks where she’s going, and she says, Sonny’s office. She’s going to tell him that she’s going to see who she wants to see, and it’s none of his damn business.

Elizabeth tells Laura, if she was Esme, she’d want to forget everything too; the crimes, the mistakes. She could almost wish that for her own life… Not really of course (🍷). She’d never want to forget her kids or the people she loves, but it would be nice to forget the ways she’s messed up. Laura asks if this would have anything to do with what’s going on between her and Nikolas.

Spencer says, sorry. He has no alibi for Esme, and she says she supposes he never laid eyes on her before he and his friend brought her to the hospital. He says, that’s not true. He knows her better than anyone else in Port Charles. She asks, how? From where? Does he know why she’s in Port Charles? Does he really think she did all this crazy stuff?

Jordan asks Dante if the search is finished, but he says, the officers are still searching. Nikolas was kind enough to show him the north wing. Victor says, don’t keep them in suspense, and Dante says, they checked out the room at the top; no sign of Esme. Nikolas tells them, he said it was a waste of time, but Jordan says, due diligence is never a waste of time. If the officers find anything of interest, she and Dante may have to return and search further. They’ll be sure to bring a warrant. Nikolas says he’ll show them out, and Jordan thanks him for his time. She and Dante leave, and outside, she says, well? Dante says, the tower room has been cleaned and painted. He could smell the cleaning agents, and smell the paint; probably in the last few hours. They’ve definitely been hiding something or someone up there. Inside, Nikolas asks why Victor agreed to the search, and Victor says, because there was nothing to find. He had Demetrius do a thorough cleaning, and put everything in storage. He kept everything; ample evidence of Esme’s imprisonment. He takes the broken ornament out of his pocket, and says, just in case he needs to ensure Nikolas’s future cooperation

Elizabeth tells Laura that Nikolas is her oldest friend. They have a lot of history, and he knows her like nobody else does. She knows him too. She knows he can be selfish and reckless, and makes foolish choices. She also knows him to be generous and loving, and for the most part, he had good intentions. Laura says, Elizabeth has always been loyal to her son. She sees the good in him, and she thanks Elizabeth for that. She treasures Elizabeth, and not just because she’s the mother of her grandchildren. She’s known Elizabeth most of her life, and thinks of Elizabeth as another daughter. Elizabeth says, that means a lot to her, and Laura says, she’s very worried right now. She feels Nikolas has backed himself into a corner, and he’s in a very dark place.

Spencer says, he and Esme went to boarding school in France: Ecole Internationale de Chatel. She says, it doesn’t ring a bell, and he says he has family in Port Charles. When he graduated from boarding school, he came back here, and he brought her with him. She says, as a buddy? but he says, they were dating. She was his girlfriend and they broke up… for many reasons. She asks, how long ago did they break up? Is this his baby? He says, possibly.

On the phone, Dex says, call me. We’ve got a problem.

Josslyn strides into Sonny’s office, and says, before he starts in, she has a few things to say about the way she chooses to live her life, and how it’s none of his damn business.

Michael tucks Willow in, and she thanks him. She tells him not to let her sleep too late. She wants to see Wiley off to school. Maybe they can all have breakfast together in the morning. Michael says, they’ll figure it out. Just get some rest. She tells him that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. There’s a knock at the door, and he goes downstairs. Nina is there, and he says, it’s not a good time. She says she realizes that, and knows he doesn’t want her here, so she’ll make it quick. She needs to talk about her grandson.

Carly says, Willow has leukemia? and Drew says, Stage Four. She says, oh my God. That’s why she’s so pale and… weak. That’s why she fainted, and why Michael has been hovering, and… Why didn’t she see it? He says, Willow has been going out of her way to keep it a secret. Michael didn’t even know until she was in her second trimester. Drew just found out a few weeks ago. She asks how he found out, and he says, at first, Willow was saying the search was for medical history, but he knew there was more to it. Then she admitted she needs a bone marrow transplant. Carly says, and the best chance for a match is with a family member. He says, that’s why he stepped up the search, and she says, he doesn’t need to search. Nina is Willow’s birth mother.

Tomorrow, Chase says, Gladys won’t have to be Sasha’s guardian much longer; Drew asks if Carly was ever going to tell Willow; and Josslyn tells Dex that her life is falling apart, and she doesn’t know what to do about it.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Last Wave…

I’m sad to see her go, but she did get quite an exit.

🥀 In Memoriam…

A beautiful tribute to one taken too soon.

👠 Please Leave Now…

Is he actually watching the show?

https://people.com/tv/harry-hamlin-says-lisa-rinna-made-the-right-decision-to-leave-rhobh-exclusive/

Bless her heart.

💎 No More Diamond For You…

Another one who shouldn’t let the door hit her on the way out.

💣 Reality Turncoats…

I guess Alan Cumming needed to pay his mortgage.

🍗 At Long Last…

It’s about time. Machete is ahead by two films and a trailer.

🐶 Something Special In the Bowl…

Ending on an adorable note. I love a dog with special needs.

https://people.com/pets/puppy-bowl-2023-dogs-with-special-needs/

🌃 Yesterday Once More…

Swing by tomorrow for more soap, tea, and a tune. Until then, stay safe, stay ambitious, but not arrogant, and stay giving thanks for your life by living it.

January 6, 2023 – Josslyn Admits Being the Target, Sad Exit, Spotlight, Salty Sentence, Get Out, She’d Rather, Traitors Trailer, Cuteness, a Handful Of Quotes & Eighth

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina looks through the box in Britt’s office, and takes out a photograph. She says, Britt, look at you, so beautiful. She takes out a trophy, and says, Doctor of the Year for everything you did to help people. Everything you still could have done. It’s not fair.

Going into the stables, Wiley says he wanted to stay out with Thor, but Michael says, they can go back in a bit. Wiley asks if it’s because mommy’s tired, but Michael says, it’s cold outside. They just came in to warm up. They sit down, and Wiley insists he isn’t cold, but Michael says, it’s freezing. Wiley’s nose is about to fall off. Wiley says, it isn’t, but Michael says, what about this? doing the old I-got-your-nose thing, and Wiley says, it’s his thumb. Michael asks if he’s sure, and says he better check. Wiley touches his nose, and says, when his baby sister comes, she’s going to guard his nose and he’s going to guard hers. He can’t wait for her to be here. Michael says, neither can we.

On the phone, Drew says, he knows that Claiborne County Colorado is a rural area, but he doesn’t understand how, in this digital age, there can be three Josiahs out there they can’t find addresses for… That’s a great idea. Keep on it, and remember, a woman’s life could depend on it.

The moss bowl🎍! Bigger and badder in 2023. Josslyn shuffles into the kitchen, saying, she barely slept. She sees Dex with Carly,

Spencer walks into Kelly’s, and says, Cameron looks how he feels. Cameron says he worked late last night. He wasn’t supposed to come in this morning, but someone called in sick, so here he is. He’s on his break though, so coffee? Spencer says, double espresso… He’s just kidding. Coffee’s fine. He sits down, and Cameron pours him some coffee. He says, the good news is, Esme’s in custody. The bad news is, she’s pregnant. Cameron says he’s going to need Spencer to say that one more time. They found Esme, and she’s pregnant? Spencer says, yes, which brings him to his question. Does Cameron have any tips on being a good big brother?

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, dressed in Britt’s lab coat, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she get something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. She can arrange that.

Nikolas asks if Elizabeth is sure the baby is okay, and she says she told him; the baby’s heart pattern looks good, no signs of distress. He says he still can’t believe Esme jumped. It’s a miracle, right? Elizabeth says, she’s one lucky girl, and he says he’s glad Marty decided to take her case, but he wishes he could get in there to talk to Esme. She says, that’s not going to happen.

Esme asks who Obrecht is, and Obrecht says she’s glad Esme asked. She’s a mother whose daughter has been taken from her. Esme asks what she wants, and Obrecht says, her pound of flesh.

Elizabeth says, Nikolas needs to stay as far away from Esme as possible, and he says, if Esme is faking, he’ll know. Elizabeth asks why she would. She has all the leverage if she remembers. He could bring back those memories. Does he want to risk that? He says, of course (🍷) not, but Elizabeth went in there, and Esme didn’t remember her. Elizabeth says she’s not the father of Esme’s baby, and she’s not the last face Esme saw before she chucked herself off the parapet. He says he wants to see Esme for himself, but she says, too bad. The longer it takes for Esme to remember, the better it is for them. He tells her, it’s going to be okay. As they speak, Demetrius is cleaning every piece of evidence that Esme was in the north tower. Once he’s done, it’s going to be Esme’s word against theirs. She tells him, in the meantime, stay away from her.

Drew goes into the stables, and says hello to Michael, Willow, and Wiley. He says he came by to see if he could take Carmen for a ride, and Wiley asks if he met Thor. Drew says he didn’t, and asks if Thor brought his hammer. Michael says, Thor is what Wiley named the new foal, and Drew says, of course (🍷). He saw Thor out there; he just didn’t know the foal had a name. Wiley asks if he can take Uncle Drew to meet Thor, and Willow says, Wiley is so excited about the new horse, they can’t keep up with him. Wiley says, mommy and daddy are too old, and Drew laughs, saying, he would love it if Wiley introduced him to the one and only Thor. Wiley says, yay! and he leaves with Drew. Willow says she just needs a minute, and Michael says, she’s got it.

Josslyn asks what Dex is doing here, and he says he needed to talk to her. Did she hear about Dr. Westbourne? Josslyn says, what about her? and Carly says, there was another hook attack last night. Josslyn says, that’s awful, and asks why The Hook would attack Britt. Carly says, the way she understands it, The Hook was after someone else, Britt intervened, and the intended victim got away. Josslyn says, that’s good. No one got hurt, right? They don’t say anything, and Josslyn says, Britt’s okay, isn’t she? Carly takes Josslyn’s hands, and says, no, she’s not. Britt died. Josslyn says, but Britt was fine, and Carly says, according to The Invader, she suffered a scratch. The hook had poison on it, and Britt collapsed about an hour later. Josslyn asks if she was alone, but Carly says, she was with her mom. She knows it’s terrible… and Josslyn says, this happened because of me.

Cameron and Spencer sit at a table, and Cameron asks if Spencer knew that Esme and his father… Spencer says he found out before he went to Pentenville. He knew his father slept with Esme, but didn’t know Esme was pregnant until last night. Cameron asks how long Spencer’s father has known, but Spencer says he has no idea. However, he definitely got the impression his father knew before last night. Cameron asks if Esme admitted to attacking people with a hook, and Spencer says, of course (🍷) not. Can he imagine Esme admitting to anything, ever? She said she can’t remember a thing.

Sonny comes by Britt’s office with Frank, and Nina thanks him for meeting her there. She tells him, there are reporters all around the MetroCourt, hoping to get a quote about Britt. She had security try to… What? He says, they’re vultures, and she says she hopes they don’t get ahold of Aunt Liesl, because that won’t be pretty. Sonny asks if it’s just the one box, and asks Frank to take it to Nina’s car. He asks how Nina is doing, and she says, not great. She’s worried about Aunt Liesl. She already talked to Scotty this morning, and she’s broken. He says, she’s grieving. She lost a child; there’s no greater pain. Nina says, she doesn’t handle grief well. Who does? She’s supposed to be here. She packed that box. Where does he think she is? He asks if Obrecht knows that Esme is in this hospital, and Nina says, no, and runs out the door.

Esme says, a pound of flesh? Is Obrecht talking about her? Obrecht says, yes. Perhaps she recognizes another quote, from a Scottish tragedy, in which a certain lady says, look like the innocent flower, but be a serpent under it. Esme feels around for the call button,  but Obrecht snatches it away. She takes out a syringe, and Esme says she doesn’t know what happened to Obrecht’s daughter, but whatever did, she doesn’t remember. Obrecht asks if that’s supposed invoke her mercy? Does Esme think the taking of her daughter’s life was forgettable? Esme says, whatever happened, she didn’t do it, and Obrecht says, how does she know if she doesn’t remember? She doesn’t deserve the peace Obrecht is about to bestow on her, but the world does. Esme owes her daughter an explanation, and she’d better think of one fast, because she’s about to see her. She shoves a washcloth in Esme’s mouth, as Esme screams and bites her hand. Obrecht says, schweingen. Another peep, and I will make this exquisitely painful. You scratched her with that infernal hook. She died in my arms. Now it’s your turn. Esme shakes her head, but Obrecht says, she needs to know that nothing she says now matters. The only thing that matters is Dr. Britta Westbourne. Her daughter, murdered, poisoned, taken by her. Obrecht notices Esme’s bump, and says, she’s pregnant? Esme nods.

Cameron asks if Spencer thinks Esme is faking her amnesia to avoid being charged as The Hook, and Spencer says, she’s capable of anything. On the other hand, she’s got a baby bump out to here. Her running around stabbing people seems unlikely. But if Esme isn’t The Hook, that means someone else is out there targeting them and Trina. Cameron asks, who else besides Esme would be targeting Trina? Spencer says he doesn’t know, but he thinks him, Cameron, Josslyn, and Trina should get together and figure out what happens next. Cameron says they might have to meet without him. Just let him know what they decide. Spencer asks why he’s acting so weird. Is this about their parents? Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, what’s going on? Cameron says, he and Joss broke up.

Carly says, this is not Josslyn’s fault, and Dex says, there’s only one person responsible for this, and it sure as hell isn’t her. Josslyn says, but if they’d stayed… Carly says, stayed where? What is she talking about? Josslyn says she was the intended victim. Britt interfered with her. She got away. Carly says, oh my God. Is she okay? Josslyn says, she’s fine, thanks to Britt and Dex, and Carly asks if it was Esme, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. The attacker was wearing a mask; she didn’t see their face. All she saw was this hook swinging around. Carly asks why she didn’t wait for the police, and Josslyn says she was so freaked out, she just wanted to get out of there, and she didn’t have anything helpful to tell them. Carly says, she left Britt alone, and Josslyn tells her, Britt said it was okay. She said she was fine; she had it handled. Carly says, she spoke to Britt? and Josslyn says, yes. She wasn’t wounded; nothing was wrong. She doesn’t think Britt knew. Carly says, that’s not what she’s asking. Why did Britt tell the police that she didn’t know the identity of the person being attacked? Dex says, because of him.

Sonny and Nina get out of the elevator across from Esme’s room, where a guard is standing. Sonny says, everything seems fine, and Nina says she’s going to find Aunt Liesl. She leaves, and Sonny goes over to Elizabeth at the reception desk. He apologizes for interrupting, and asks if she’s seen Obrecht, but she says, not since last night. Her phone beeps, and she steps away. Nikolas walks over to Sonny, who asks what he wants. Nikolas asks if Sonny has spoken to Spencer, but Sonny says, not today; why? Nikolas says, he and Britt were pretty close. He’s concerned about how Spencer’s taking her death. Sonny suggests Nikolas try talking to him, but Nikolas says, Spencer’s not taking his calls or his texts. Sonny asks what he did now, and Nikolas says, Sonny will find out soon enough. As he probably heard, Esme’s in the hospital. Turns out she’s pregnant. Sonny asks if Nikolas is telling him Spencer is going to be a father, but Nikolas says, it’s not Spencer’s baby; it’s his. Sonny grabs the front of Nikolas’s shirt, pushes him against the desk, and punches him. Esme’s guard runs over.

Obrecht plunges the needle in Esme’s IV tube, and says, out, out brief candle. Esme whimpers, and Obrecht says, her end will be far more merciful than the one she gave her daughter. Nina comes in, and tells Obrecht, stop. What has she done? Esme’s eyes are closed.

Spencer says he can’t believe Joss and Cam broke up, and Cameron says, he thinks he can’t believe it. Spencer says, when he got out of Pentenville, Cameron had said they were good, and Cameron says he thought they were. He guesses he was wrong. Spencer says, so the break-up wasn’t mutual, and Cameron tells him, Joss said they’d grown apart. Spencer asks if this is because of that jerk Dex.

Carly says, Dex made her daughter leave the scene of a crime, and she wants to know why. Josslyn says, Dex didn’t make her do anything. It was a mutual decision, and Britt agreed. She said she could handle it. Carly asks, what if the attacker had followed Josslyn? Where did she go? Josslyn flashes back to getting busy with Dex, and Dex says, the reason she didn’t go to the police is because he was carrying. It’s a gun Sonny gave him for work. It isn’t registered to him. He doesn’t know where it came from, and doesn’t know what would come back if the police put a trace on it. Carly says, at least she knows why Josslyn felt safe going wherever, and Josslyn says, Dex should probably go, but Dex says, her mom has questions, and he’s happy to explain. Josslyn thanks him, but says she’ll fill Carly in. She walks him out past the glorious moss bowl🎍 that makes all right with the world, and on the patio, she tells Dex, it’s just better if her mom hears everything from her. He says, everything? and she says, God no. She just wants to make sure her mom understands he didn’t talk her into anything; that the decisions she made were hers. He says, any regrets? and she says, other than leaving Britt alone, not one. He says he feels like he should stay, but she says, this is between her and her mom. He says, then he won’t push anymore. She knows how to reach him. She says she does, and goes inside.

Willow says, let’s go visit Thor, but Michael asks if she’s sure she’s not doing too much. She says she’s barely doing anything, and he says he just doesn’t want her to push herself too much. She says, now that the first round of chemo is out of the way, she’s getting her strength back. This morning, she was actually hungry. He says he noticed she ate a whole piece of toast, and she says, and she picked it up all by herself. She says she’s going to get through this, and he says he’s counting on it, kissing her. Drew comes back, and tells them, don’t panic. Melanie lured Wiley back into the house for some hot chocolate. They seem like they’re doing better. Willow says, they’re hanging in there, and Drew asks if they’ve heard anything from the donor registry. Michael says, nothing yet, but hope springs eternal. Willow asks how the search is going for her birth family, and Drew says he’s sorry he doesn’t have any news, but his reporters are working on it. Michael says he hopes they find a lead soon, because obviously a relative is the best bet for a donor, and Drew says, they know the urgency here. He’s glad he ran into them, because he has a question. Michael says, fire away, and Drew asks Willow if Harmony or Doug stayed in touch with the leader of the commune in Colorado; specifically, did they ever mention a guy by the name of Josiah? She says, yes. Didn’t she tell him? Harmony took her to visit Josiah after they left.

Nina runs over to Esme, taking the washcloth out of her mouth. She asks if Obrecht killed her, but Obrecht says, not yet. It was just a sedative to keep her quiet. Nina says, okay, so Esme’s fine; the baby is fine. There’s no lasting injury. Obrecht says, not yet, and Nina says, not ever. She’s got to get Obrecht out of here. Obrecht says, just give her a moment, picking up a pillow, and Nina struggles with her over it, saying, give it to her. This is not what Britt would have wanted. Obrecht says, her Britta can’t want anything anymore. She’s dead because of her. Nina says, Obrecht would kill a mother and her baby? but Obrecht says, nein. She would not. Not the baby.

Drew asks what Willow remembers about her visit to Josiah, and Willow says, sorry. She doesn’t remember much of anything. She only remembers visiting because it was her first time in an airplane. She remembers looking out at the clouds, and Harmony giving her a piece of gum so her ears would pop. That’s about it. Drew asks if it’s the only time they visited, and Willow says, as far as she recalls. Shiloh made Harmony cut ties with Josiah when they joined Dawn of Day. Michael says, of course (🍷) he did. He had to cut off their escape route, and Willow says, why? Does Drew think Josiah knew her birth father? Drew says, his reporters are still searching for other members of the commune, but they do think probably Josiah would be their best bet. In the meantime, it’s important Willow stay positive. She says she is, and he says, good. And if he could ask, if she has the time and energy, give Carly a call. She’s concerned that with the stress of the pregnancy, any more bad news about the search for Willow’s biological family could be overwhelming. Michael says, his mom doesn’t know Willow’s sick, and Drew says, Willow asked him not to say anything, and he hasn’t, but Carly is just worried. To be honest, he’s worried too, that maybe Willow is losing hope, but Willow says she’s holding onto hope with both hands. She’s determined to see their daughter and Wiley grow up

Nina asks if Obrecht is saying she would take the baby, and Obrecht says, why not? Esme took her child; she owes Obrecht another. Nina says, Obrecht knows she’s done that, and she knows from experience that is a mistake. Obrecht says, her baby is gone, and this creature took her. She doesn’t deserve a child. Nina says she will not let Obrecht do this, and Obrecht asks how Nina plans to stop her. Nina says, she’ll call for help, and heads for the door. Obrecht tells her, do what she thinks she must, picking up the pillow again. Her Britta is owed justice, and who better to administer it? Nina flies over, grabbing the pillow, and says, this is not justice. She won’t let Obrecht do this. Obrecht says, why not? and Nina says, because it’s a mistake. Obrecht’s not thinking clearly. Does she want to spend the rest of her life in prison? Obrecht says she doesn’t care, and Nina says, but she cares. James, Maxie, and Scotty, they all care. Don’t throw her life away. Obrecht says, what about Britta’s life? How can she let Britt’s killer go merrily on her way and mother a child, when her child is dead at her hands? Nina says, can she prove that? Does Obrecht know that for sure? Because if she kills Esme before it’s proven she’s The Hook killer, she’ll make Esme the martyr, and she’ll be the villain – again. She takes Obrecht’s hand, and asks if she thinks that’s what Britt would have wanted for her.

The moss bowl🎍 hypnotizes me, as Josslyn tells Carly that she kept trying to get away, but she was in heels, and couldn’t kick them off. She thought about turning and running, but then she would have been stabbed in the back. Josslyn managed to shove The Hook… and Carly says, The Hook was close enough for Josslyn to shove her? Josslyn says she shoved her multiple times. She eventually got her to the ground, and Josslyn was going to make a break for it, but The Hook kneed her, and Josslyn totally lost her breath and fell. She looked up, and the killer was just over her, and the hook was in the air. Carly says, oh my God, and Josslyn says, then there was Britt, and she was incredible. She hit The Hook with her bag, and totally knocked her out of the way. Britt told her to run, but she couldn’t; she still couldn’t breathe. Then there was a gunshot, and Dex was there. Carly asks if he shot The Hook, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. He either shot her, or scared her enough that she dropped the hook. She left, and that’s all Josslyn cared about. Carly hugs her, and says, thank God she’s alive. Josslyn says, Britt saved her life, and it cost Britt her own.

Cameron says, Josslyn didn’t say anything about Dex. Why would Spencer jump to that? Spencer says, his father slept with his girlfriend. Forgive him if he doesn’t have a lot of faith in relationships right now. Cameron says he’s surprised to hear Spencer say that, and Spencer says, why? Because he’s always such a sunny optimist? Cameron says, no. Because Spencer and Trina went to Britt’s party together. It’s obvious Trina is giving Spencer another chance. Spencer says, as friends, yeah. They were pretending to be closer than they actually are, so they could make Esme jealous and lure her out of hiding. Cameron says, they set themselves up as bait? and Spencer says, romantic, huh? Sonny comes in, and asks if Spencer’s got a second. Spencer says, for him, always, and Sonny tells Cameron that he might want to stay. He sits down, and Spencer asks, what’s going on? Is everything okay? Sonny says, there was another hook attack last night, and Spencer asks, what time was it? Esme showed up at the Haunted Star. Does Sonny know about his father and Esme? Sonny says he doesn’t want to get into that right now. Let’s just get to The Hook attack. Someone else died; someone they know. Spencer asks, who? and Sonny says, Britt Westbourne.

Nikolas tells the guard that he doesn’t want to press charges against Sonny. It was a private squabble in a public place.

Nina and Obrecht leave Esme’s room, and Nina asks if Obrecht is sure it was just a sedative. Obrecht says, Esme will wake unharmed, and her Britta will still be dead. Nina gently pushes her into the elevator.

Elizabeth asks Nikolas, what happened? and he says, Sonny punched him. She asks if it’s because Sonny found out Esme was having Nikolas’s baby, and Nikolas says he told Sonny. She asks if he has a death wish.

Josslyn tells Carly, Britt called the cops, and Dex didn’t want explain why he had the gun, and Britt said they could go. Carly says, go where? and Josslyn says, Dex’s apartment. She flashes back to her and Dex getting busy again, and says, he lives in the Charles Street district, so don’t worry; it was close. Carly says, she went to Dex’s apartment, then what? and Josslyn says she went to Kelly’s to talk to Cam. And then she came home. Carly says, she went to talk to Cam, and with tears in her eyes, Josslyn nods, and says, she broke up with him.

Spencer tells Sonny, no. It’s not possible. They got it wrong. Sonny says, they didn’t… and Spencer says he just saw her last night. She was having the time of her life. She was happy. She was dancing; Sonny saw her. Sonny nods, and Spencer says, she was alive. Cameron asks, when did this happen? and Sonny says, it was on the docks after midnight. The paper said Britt saw The Hook attacking someone, and tried to stop it. Very brave thing to do. Spencer says, Britt’s always been brave, and Sonny says he knows they were close… Spencer asks them to excuse him, and goes to the private stairs. He sits down on the steps.  

At Nina’s penthouse, Obrecht says she never finished cleaning Britt’s office, but Nina says, don’t worry. She doesn’t want Obrecht to worry about anything. She’ll go back and make sure Obrecht didn’t miss anything. Obrecht thanks her, but says she’s not worried. What’s to worry anymore? She’s just very tired.

Willow tells Drew, they do have some good news. She’s done with her first round of chemo. Drew says, that’s incredible. Congratulations. She says she’s glad it’s over. Now it just has to work. He says, now she gets some time to recover and enjoy life a little bit, and she says, three weeks. He says he’ll make sure he gets some answers before that, and  Michael thanks him. Drew says, absolutely; they’re family. He just wishes he was a match. Michael says he knows the feeling, but they have to believe the donor registry will come through. Willow’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Dr. Randolph. She asks if Terry got her results back. Is the chemo working?

Elizabeth sees Nikolas, and says she has an update for him, calling him Mr. Cassadine. She tells him to come with her, and leads him to a more private spot. Elizabeth asks if he’s trying to get caught, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says, he’s standing outside Esme’s door having a staring contest with that cop. He says, if anyone questions him, he has the perfectly good excuse of being concerned about the mother of his baby. She says, as guilty as he looks right now, why don’t they just go to Jordan and confess? Why wait for Esme to remember what they did to her? He says, if they do that, they both go to prison, and she says, maybe that’s for the best. He says, she’d just leave her children? and she says she doesn’t want to, but the way he’s behaving, she has no choice in the matter. He says, if he goes to prison, there will be no one left to raise his kid, but she says, that’s not true. Nikolas knows how much his Uncle Victor loves molding Cassadine children in his own image. She’s sure he’ll jump at the chance. He says, that cannot happen, and she says, then they need to hold tight – together.  

Spencer comes back, and Cameron asks if he’s okay. Spencer says, no, when Dex comes in. He comes over to Sonny, but Sonny says, give him a minute, and Dex locks eyes with Cameron, then leaves. Cameron says he’s sorry, but he has to get back to work. He tells Spencer to let him know if he needs anything, and Sonny says, go ahead. He’ll take care of this. Cameron leaves, and Spencer says, was she alone when she died? Sonny says, no. She was with her mother. Spencer says, that’s good. He’s glad she wasn’t alone. Sonny says, Spencer doesn’t have to be alone, and Spencer says, these attacks have to stop. Sonny says, his guys are on it; the cops are on it. Spencer says, Britt’s still gone, when Dex walks back in. Spencer says he’s fine. Sonny can go ahead and deal, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to do anything; he’s good. Spencer says, he’s so tired. The last thing he wants to do is go back to Windymere and see his dad. Sonny says, he doesn’t have to. Listen to him. It’s an easy fix. Just come home with him. Cameron comes out behind the counter, looking at his phone. He sees Spencer and Sonny leave with Dex, he and Dex locking eyes again. When they’re gone, Cameron looks at a photo of him and Josslyn.

Josslyn tells Carly that she tried to talk to Cameron before Britt’s party. She went to Kelly’s; she had everything prepared. When she got there, he wasn’t there. He was on some catering job. Then the attack happened, and everything became clear. She knew she couldn’t stall anymore. She knows she owed him the truth, so she went back to Kelly’s. She talked to him and… He was so hurt. Carly takes her hand, and says, she’s had some night. Josslyn says she couldn’t sleep at all. All she could do was lie there and replay everything… the attack, and the break up and… what she would have done differently. Carly says, one thing Josslyn could have done is called her, and Josslyn says she knows Carly would have been there in a second, but she felt she had to figure things out for herself. Carly says she gets that when it comes to Cam, but she needs to know if Josslyn’s in danger. Always. Josslyn has to call her, and she’ll always have Josslyn’s back. Josslyn tells Carly that she loves her, and Carly hugs her, saying, she loves Josslyn too.

Elizabeth touches Esme, who shrinks back, saying, don’t hurt me. Elizabeth says she’s okay; she’s safe. Nobody is going to hurt her. Esme says, that doctor… She was… Elizabeth says, it sounds like she was having a bad dream. Try to go back to sleep. Esme closes her eyes.

Obrecht says she just wants to sleep, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Get some rest. She tells Obrecht to lie down in her bedroom. She’ll be right here if Obrecht needs her for anything. She goes to the box of Britt’s things, and takes out the photo and trophy. We see Willow’s chemotherapy report in the box, and Nina clutches the trophy to her chest.  

Still on the phone, Willow says, really? She thanks Terry, and says she’ll see her then. Michael asks if her numbers are better, but Willow says, her results aren’t back. That’s not why Terry was calling. She matched on the registry. She has a bone marrow donor. She’s going to live. He hugs her as she cries happy tears, and Drew smiles.

On Monday, Drew tells Jordan that he thinks they can eliminate Esme as a suspect; Elizabeth says she has to tell Finn something about Esme; and Willow isn’t sure she can go through with it.

😭 In Case You Need a Reminder…

This episode was so sad, it gave me a headache.

📑 Still Around…

Like a bad penny, he keeps showing up. Whatever that means. I’m not actually sure.

💸 Shahcarceration…

That’s what you get for coming old people.

💎 So Go Already…

I said it first.

Translation: Good riddance.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-reacts-lisa-rinna-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-exit-an-iconic-run/

🍑 Me Too…

You couldn’t pay me enough to endure any of the Housewives in the franchise, especially on a trip the would undoubtedly ruin for me.

https://people.com/tv/kenya-moore-would-rather-do-military-drills-than-embark-on-rhoa-trip/

🕶 New Reality…

Sounds promising. Especially the buried alive part.

https://people.com/tv/reality-stars-buried-alive-peacock-show-the-traitors-first-trailer/

🦥 To Pets and Beyond…

Something precious to send you into the weekend.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

🌐 Quotes of the Week

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.Kofi Annan

I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone.Claudette Colvin

Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. – Edgar Allan Poe

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. – Leonardo da Vinci

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6, NLT

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

☄️ Catching a Falling Star…

Come on down on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay setting boundaries, but not limits, for yourself, and stay telling the truth to whom it’s owed.  

January 5, 2022 – Mama Bear Speeds Up the Timeline, Quickie, Twisted, Red Hot, Newbie, Buh-Bye, Not Me, On the Carpet, Best In Show, Pets (!) & Fire

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia finds Cody in the stable, and he says she just missed it. He brought in the new year by staying up all night, helping a struggling filly. She was trying to give birth. It reminded him of when he helped Britt deliver the baby on Christmas Eve. If you think about it, every life is a miracle. What brings her to the Q stables so bright and early? She says, Mac has been trying to reach him. He’s in the middle of an investigation, otherwise he would have come to tell Cody himself. He says, tell him what? and she says she’s so sorry. Britt died last night.

In a hallway at the MetroCourt, a reporter asks if Maxie has a comment on Britt’s tragic death, and she asks if he could have the decency to let them grieve before hounding them with questions. Brad flies over, and says, leave her alone. Nina joins him, and says, this is her hotel. If he doesn’t leave now, she’s calling security. He starts snapping photos, and she yells at him, leave, now! He jets, and Nina hugs Maxie, who says, she can’t believe this. Nina says, neither can she, and takes Brad’s hand.

Austin goes into Britt’s office, where Obrecht is throwing things into a box. He asks what she’s doing, and she asks what it looks like; she’s saving what’s left of her daughter.

Dante walks into the interrogation room, and Nikolas says he has to make a phone call. Dante says, he already did. If his lawyer doesn’t want to show up… Nikolas says he needs to talk to his son. Britt Westbourne is dead, and she wasn’t just Nikolas’s ex-girlfriend, she was an important part of Spencer’s life, and he needs to reach Spencer before someone else tells him about it, but Spencer’s not taking any of his calls. Dante says he can do that on his own time. They have a string of murders here, and he needs answers. So why doesn’t Nikolas start by telling him about his relationship with Spencer’s girlfriend, Esme Prince.

Esme wakes up, and finds herself cuffed to the bed. She asks if Elizabeth can’t take these off her, but Elizabeth says she’s sorry; the staff can’t remove the restraints. Esme says, all she remembers is waking up here with some police detective asking her questions she couldn’t answer. Elizabeth asks if she’s sure there isn’t something else she remembers about last night.

Heather lets herself into Ryan’s room, and asks if we had a good night’s sleep last night, and make all gone with our breakfast smoothie. He asks where she was last night, and she says, her favorite security guard looked the other way again, and covered for her while she slipped out for a little night air. He asks where she went, and she says, this way and that. He asks if her walk took her anywhere near the pier, and she says she doesn’t know what he means. He says, word has it, someone sunk a hook into Britt Westbourne last night. Heather asks how she is, and he says, she’s dead. He doesn’t know how he couldn’t have seen it. He must be blind; it was right in front of his face. She says, what was? and he says, not what, who. It was her.

Curtis meets Portia at the Bistro, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, Trina called, and said she was worried about her; that she’s having a hard time shaking the news about Britt’s death. She says, it’s just so tragic and unbelievable. Britt wasn’t just her boss. She respected Britt. Britt was her friend. He agrees it was tragic, and says he wants her to know, here and now, that he’ll stand by her side and hold her hand at Britt’s memorial service. He’s here for her, because this morning when he woke up, he watched her sleep and was overcome with gratitude for her… and for them. Life goes on. It has to. So he went to the florist, and said help him with something that will give them hope for the future, and… He takes a plant out of bag, and puts it on the table. She asks what it is, and he says, it’s a callisia. The florist says, it symbolizes new beginnings. It gave him hope – he takes her hand – because she’s his new beginning.

Cody says, Britt got hit with the hook, and the venom poisoned her, so she died on the night of her first birthday party. Felicia says, it’s tragic; it’s hard to make sense of it. He wonders why The Hook targeted her, but Felicia says, from what she understands, the attacker was targeting someone else. Britt stepped in to save a life, only to lose her own. He says, she was a doctor; she was destined to save many more lives. Her poor mother. Does Dr. Obrecht know? She says, Britt died in her mother’s arms, and he says, at least she wasn’t alone. It’s so unbelievable. As smart and beautiful as Britt was, life never seemed to give her a break. Felicia says, sounds like someone else she knows.

Nina thanks Brad and Maxie for meeting her here. She talked to the funeral home, and they need something for Britt to wear. Aunt Liesl isn’t up to it, and she’s not sure she is either. Brad asks if anyone talked to the police. Are they okay with them going into her room? Nina says she talked to Mac, and he said it was fine because Britt wasn’t the intended target. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maxie says, wrong for her, but she saved someone else’s life. Brad says, Britt would have loved hearing people talk about her as a hero. He can just see her laughing it up, making all the haters eat every nasty word they said about her. He starts to cry, and asks, why isn’t she here? His whole life he was alone, and found a BFF in his 30s. How can he live in a world without her? Maxie says, remember the last time they saw her, how hard she pushed for them to become friends? Let’s honor her in that way, and let’s spare Liesl from having to pick out her last outfit. He says, she’s right. Let’s do this… for Britt.

Austin says, packing up Britt’s office is not something that needs to happen right now, but Obrecht says, on the contrary. It can’t wait. He asks if she wants him to call Scotty, but she says, he’s busy taking care of the arrangements, dealing with the press, attending to all the details. The least she can do is collect Britta’s things and keep them safe, even if she couldn’t keep her own daughter safe.

Heather tells Ryan, someone had to look out for their daughter; protect her from all those people out there trying to destroy her. And no offense, he’s not exactly the man he used to be stuck in the chair like that. He says, and she still can’t seem to hook the right fish. She tells him that she never said she was perfect. And when you bat 300 in baseball, even if they’re not all homeruns, you still get into the Hall of Fame. That’s her. Besides, she’s going to make it right this time. He suggests she make it right now, and she asks, but how, oh wise one? He says, confess, so their daughter can go free.

Dante puts a recorder on, and Nikolas asks if it’s really necessary. He already confessed Esme is carrying his baby. Dante asks, what happened? Esme and Spencer broke up, and he was there to pick up the pieces? Nikolas says he’s not a predator, if that’s what Dante is saying, and Dante asks, when was the last time he saw Esme? Nikolas says, it must have been Trina’s trial, and Dante asks if he knew she was pregnant. Nikolas says, of course (🍷) not, and Dante asks when he found out; before or after she allegedly went on the run? Nikolas asks where he’s going with this, and Dante says, the problem he’s having is, if Esme’s the killer, he could see her getting the drop on Diane, and maybe nick Britt with the hook dipped in venom. But he doesn’t see her taking down a military veteran like Brando, or a cop like Cabrera, especially if she’s seven months pregnant. Nikolas asks what he’s saying, and Dante tells him, he’s saying, if Esme’s the killer, he thinks she had help.

Esme says, her memory begins waking up in this hospital bed, and being pregnant… How far along? Elizabeth says, seven months. She really doesn’t remember being pregnant or who the father is? Esme says she’s sorry, but no. The police say she’s done terrible things, but she doesn’t remember any of it. Revenge porn? She doesn’t even remember her own name, or what she likes for breakfast. Elizabeth says she thinks she knows someone who could help Esme, when Doc walks in, and Esme says, wait. She knows him. She remembers that face. She knows who he is.

Maxie closes a wardrobe in Britt’s room, and says, it’s empty. Brad says, so is her closet. On the phone, Nina thanks someone for the info, and tells them, apparently Britt had some of her things shipped on her birthday to where she was going on vacation. Maxie says, her entire wardrobe? and Nina says, the front desk also told her that Britt asked for a bunch of her clothes to be delivered to GH charities. Maxie says, it’s almost like Britt knew she wasn’t coming back, but Brad says, no way. She just threw herself this huge birthday party. Maxie asks, but why have them plan it, and insist they become friends? Brad says, they’re obviously not, but Maxie says, the point is, Britt wanted them to be. It was important to her. Almost like she knew they’d need each other. Brad says, her will. She said she’d just written one and left everything to him. Who does that at her age? Maxie says, and plans a vacation out of nowhere? Brad says, and she gave Cody the heave-ho, and Maxie says, it was like she was burning all her bridges. Brad says, but why? Why couldn’t she share that with him? They were friends, best friends, but he guesses he never really knew Britt at all. Nina takes their hands, and says she wants them to sit. She knows something they don’t, but they should.

Austin promises Obrecht that no one will take anything without checking with her first. He’ll make sure everything that belongs to the hospital is returned, and everything that belonged to Britt gets to her. She thanks him, and thanks him for his birthday present to Britta. It meant so much to her. Seeing that photo montage of all the people in Britt’s life, proof that her life was worthwhile. He says, every life is worthwhile, and she says, her Britta was loved, wasn’t she? He says,  yes, of course (🍷) she was. Obrecht says, real love was in short supply when Britta was growing up. She wonders if Britt knew she was loved when she saw those faces on the screen, and he says he guesses they’ll never know for sure, but he’s choosing to believe it changed her mind. Obrecht says, about what? and he says, about leaving town for good. Obrecht says, she was just going on a vacation, and he says, that’s what Britt wanted everyone to believe. She says, Britt was going away to die, wasn’t she?

Elizabeth introduces Doc, and Esme says she remembers he’s a doctor now, but that name. She asks his name again, and he says, Kevin Collins. She asks what kind of doctor he is, and he says he’s a psychiatrist. Does she know what that means? She says she lost her memory, she’s not stupid. He laughs, and she says, he’s a shrink. Is he here to pick her brain? He says he’s here to listen. Nurse Baldwin… Elizabeth heads for the door, and Esme asks if that’s her name. Elizabeth tells her, Elizabeth Baldwin. She’ll be in the hallway if Esme needs her. Doc sits down, and asks if there’s anything Esme would like to ask or tell him, and she says he has a trustworthy face. He says, and a familiar one apparently, and she says, it’s like she knows him, but it’s just outside of her reach. She can’t put her finger on it. She asks if they’ve met before, and he says, they’re paths have crossed. He’s related to Spencer by marriage. She asks, who’s Spencer? and he says, maybe she remembers his father Nikolas Cassadine, but she says she’s sorry; it doesn’t ring a bell. Is there anyone else they have in common? He says, his twin brother Ryan.  

Heather says, so that’s Ryan’s plan? Throw her to the wolves? The next time she hooks another target, the cops are going to realize their daughter is innocent. He says, that’s a vast oversimplification of a complex problem, but she says, not if you do it right. She pokes him in the chest, and he grabs her wrist. She backs away in pain, holding her wrist, and he asks what happened to her. She says she took one for the team last night, and he asks if she’s badly hurt. She says, like he cares, and he says, it’s not like he doesn’t share her motivation. It’s her methods he has an issue with. She says, that’s the thanks she gets? You do the best you can for your child; you give her your whole heart and soul. And when it turns out she’s not only wanted for murder, but she’s also public enemy number one, she did what any good mother would do, and tried to set things right. Trust her. Their daughter will thank her. He says, not if the rest of their family has to pay the price, and she asks what he’s blathering about now.

Nikolas asks if Dante is suggesting he’s Esme’s accomplice, but Dante says he’s suggesting Esme is the key, whether or not she’s the killer. She’s seven months pregnant, so how does she go from hiding to on the run to maybe killing people, maybe not killing people, all by herself? Someone’s looking out for her; someone’s helping her. And who would have more reason than the father of her baby?

Portia says she loves the callisia, but most of all, loves Curtis’s thoughtfulness. She didn’t think she could love him any more. He thanks her, and says he loves her so much. She says, it feels like ever since Trina was arrested, she can’t stop thinking about all the bad things… Their family has been through a lot the past year, but she feels they’ve come through it stronger. Trina was acquitted, Curtis and his father’s relationship is better than ever, and Aunt Stella accepted her. He says, things are going good with him and Trina. She told him that she loved him the other day. Portia says, that was a major accomplishment. When she walks down the aisle in a few weeks, she’s going to be his wife, and she can’t wait. He leans over the table, and kisses her.

Felicia says, when you think about it, Cody and Britt had a lot in common. She’s not surprised they hit it off. He says, they had a connection, but he wasn’t straight with her. Britt had something he wanted, and he thought… It doesn’t really matter what he thought. The truth is, he used her until she caught on, and rightfully kicked him to the curb, which was a smart decision on her part. Except now, she’ll never know. Felicia says, never know what? and he says, Britt learned too late that all he wanted was her.

Nina says, Britt knew for some time she had a ticking time bomb inside her, and Brad asks what that means. Nina says, she inherited something from her father… Britt had Huntington’s disease. Maxie says, oh my God, and Brad says, when he was working at GH, he saw people with Huntington’s; it took a terrible toll on their lives. Why didn’t Britt tell them? Why did she face this alone? Nina says, she wasn’t alone. She had her mom, and Scotty knew. Maxie says, why would Britt tell her or Brad, and Nina says, Britt didn’t actually tell her. Aunt Liesl told her when she was overwhelmed with everything Britt was facing. She had to talk to someone. Maxie says, Austin knew too, didn’t he? The birthday gift he gave her, the photos of her life. That’s why he did it. Nina says, seeing all the people she loved gave her courage. Brad says, at his worst moment, when the baby switch came out, Britt didn’t walk away from him, and he never would have walked away from her. He cries, and says he didn’t need her to be brave; he just needs her in his life. Maxie says she still does, and Nina puts her arms around them, saying, they all do.

Austin says he’s sorry Obrecht had to hear this from him. He begged Britt to open up to her, but he guesses she couldn’t. The only reason he knows she was leaving town is that he caught her at a particularly vulnerable moment. Obrecht says she doesn’t understand. She’s never been prouder of her Britta. Her relationship with Britt was… complicated, to say the least. There were times Britt hated her, and there were times she thought Britt betrayed her. But somehow, despite all that, they found a way back together; not just as mother and daughter, but as good friends. It’s just like her to spare the rest of them, and sail off into the sunset alone. But he said she came back for them. Why? What changed her mind?

Doc asks if Esme is sure she doesn’t remember his twin brother. He’s kind of hard to forget. She asks if his twin is as kind as he is, and Doc says he guesses his brother is being kind at the moment because he has no choice. Esme used to take care of him. She asks if she was a nurse, but he says, no. She had an internship. He hears Elizabeth say, she’s with Dr. Collins, and Martin walks in. Doc says he’s counseling with a patient, and Martin says, one man’s counsel is another man’s third degree. He’s afraid he’s going to have to ask Doc to cease and desist immediately. Doc asks, by whose authority? and Martin says, the authority of this county. This may be Doc’s patient, but as of one hour and 15 minutes ago, she’s Martin’s client.  

Maxie tells Nina to leave it to her and Brad. Don’t worry; they have it under control. Nina says she’s counting on them, hugs Brad and Maxie, and leaves. Brad asks what they do now, and Maxie shrugs. She says she was kinda hoping he’d tell her.

Austin says he and Obrecht are both doctors, and know better than most that every life ends. It’s how you choose to live your life that matters. If Britt knew Huntington’s was bringing her close to the end, let’s considered her last week. She delivered a breach baby that was born on Christmas Eve. She threw an epic party, surrounded by people who loved her and she loved; affection and support. And her final act was to save someone’s life. Don’t get him wrong; he’s incredibly sad she’s gone. But if you have to exit this world, it’s a pretty badass way to go. Obrecht says she appreciates his kind words, but her daughter is gone.

Ryan says, that’s rich. Heather spends a lifetime ignoring that their daughter even exists, and now she’s Joan Crawford? Heather says she likes wire hangers. What was he saying about the rest of their family? He says, wouldn’t she like to know, and she tells him not to push her. Is something wrong with their baby girl? He says, that depends. Does she knit? Not big things, but little things, like baby booties. The little one could probably use protection from the cold winter wind. She asks if he’s saying… and he says, yes. Our baby is having a baby.

Nikolas says he’s not sitting here while Dante goes on a fishing expedition, and Dante says he’ll probably have to ask Nikolas more questions, so don’t leave town. Nikolas says he thinks Dante’s got nothing, and Dante says, if he’s got nothing, why is Nikolas so angry? Nikolas walks out.

Martin introduces himself to Esme, and says he’s her attorney. Try not to hate him; he was assigned by Judge Holloway. She says she has no idea if she has money to pay him, but he says, it’s a pro bono case. That means it’s free. The only thing she has to do is exactly what he tells her; starting with, do not talk to anyone. She says, not even the doctor? and he says, especially the doctor. He tells Doc that he’s just doing his job, and Doc says, far be it for him to argue with the judge. He leaves, and Martin says, his first order of business is probably to get her to eat something – he looks under the plate cover – even is it is hospital food. He tells Elizabeth that he’d like to confer with his client in private, but Esme says, please don’t make her go; Elizabeth’s been so good to her. Martin says, for the time being only person in this town good to you is yours truly, and Esme says, everyone is being so sketchy about what she’s done, acting like it’s not this revenge porn thing. He says she’s done nothing until she’s proven guilty, and she says, guilty of what? he says, murder in the first degree. Esme falls back on her pillow.

Heather tells Ryan, Franco never had kids of his own, neither did Stephen Lars. This is her first grandbaby. Maybe it’s not too late for them to have a family of their own. He says, there could even be a place for Ava, and she says, dare to dream. A baby. She’s going to make up for lost time, and be there when the baby is born. She’s going to be right there in the room to support their baby girl. He says, she does know that’s impossible, right? but she says she’ll just speed up the timeline. He says, now she’s talking. Allow him to help. She says, talk about impossible. Just let mama bear finish the work she’s begun, and papa bear will sit tight until baby bear and little baby bear in the oven are free. He says he needs to prepare. When does she plan to attack? She says, the minute her friendly guard is back on duty. Don’t worry. Mama will take care of everything.

Doc goes to see Dante, who says he thought Doc would still be interviewing Esme. Doc says, their session was cut short when her lawyer showed up, and Dante says, anyone he knows? Doc says, Martin Grey, and Dante says, wow. For someone who showed up with nothing, not even her memory, she sure has friends in high places. Doc says, about Esme’s memory… and Dante asks if he thinks she’s faking it.

Martin asks, what’s wrong? and wonders if they should call for a doctor, but Elizabeth says she’s got this. She asks him to give her a minute, and he says, gladly. In the hallway, he takes out his phone, and says, thanks for nothing, Judge Holloway. Who does he have to bribe to get out of this. It isn’t even his turn on rotation. Nikolas walks up, and says, don’t blame the judge; it wasn’t his doing. Martin says, it was Nikolas, wasn’t it? Did Nikolas pull some strings to get him assigned to this crazy case? Nikolas says he did, and Martin asks, why? Nikolas says, because Esme is carrying his baby. Who better to trust than family?

Inside Esme’s room, Elizabeth says she’ll know if Esme is faking. So don’t even try.

Curtis tells Portia that when his marriage to Jordan ended, he never thought he’d get married again, he was so down on the institution altogether. But even though living with her has been a joy, he wants to make it official. He’s excited to take the vows and become her husband. She says she wasn’t going to tell him this, but she was at Wyndham’s the other day, and saw these little towels with His and Hers on them. She almost got them, but thought it was too cheesy. He says he thinks she should have gotten them. He doesn’t care if it says His and Hers, or Husband and Wife. He wants whoever comes into their house to know how absolutely proud they are to be each other’s significant other. She says she’s going to go buy those towels, and he tells her to go buy them.

Brad says, all that’s left is the hotel room. She must have felt so alone and scared. If only they knew. Maxie says, he heard Nina. That’s the way Britt wanted it. He yells that he doesn’t care what she wanted; he wants her. His one and only friend. His best friend in this lousy, messed up world. Now she’s gone, like that, without so much as a goodbye. Now all that’s left is picking out a stupid funeral get-up. Maxie says, don’t worry about it; she’s got it handled. He says, this is going to be Britt’s last look ever. He’s not letting Maxie choose some boring dress from Wyndham’s. Maxie says, if he thinks she’s letting him dress Britt in some fast fashion trash, he has another thing coming. He follows her out, saying, they need something with style and impact, and she says, style, yes.

Doc says he’d like to spend more time observing Esme, and he’d like to consult with a neurologist that TJ brought in. But his initial assessment is that Esme suffered significant memory loss. Dante asks if it’s permanent, but Doc says, no way to tell, but if so, they may never know where she’s been or who’s been taking care of her. Dante says, at seven months pregnant, Esme was in no condition to take out an officer, or kill Britt Westbourne on the pier last night. So the more pressing question is, who really is The Hook killer?

Austin tells Obrecht that he doesn’t believe Britt’s killer will go unpunished. He doesn’t know if she knows this, but the police have a suspect here at GH, under guard 24/7.

Esme says, all she remembers is waking up in here. She hasn’t killed anyone; she couldn’t. Elizabeth believes her, doesn’t she? Elizabeth says she thinks the best thing Esme can do for herself is just rest. She goes to the door, and Esme calls to her. Elizabeth turns around, and Esme says, Elizabeth does believe her, right?

Martin says, his priority is to find Lucy. He has no time for this. Nikolas says he knows Martin was assigned to the case pro bono, but he’ll double Martin’s normal fee. Esme is the mother of his child; she must be kept safe, and not hounded by the police until she gives birth. Martin says, and then what? and Nikolas says, triple his normal fee. Martin says, deal, as Elizabeth comes out, and Nikolas says, Esme is in good hands with Uncle Martin.

Heather says she’s so happy she and Ryan had this little talk. She’ll just find another hook, and then they’re back in business. He asks, what happened to the first one? and she says, it got snagged, but don’t worry. There’s no way they can trace it back to her. Just let her do what she does best, and he can look forward to the happy day when they’re all reunited as a family; the three of them. He says, she miscounted by two. There’s Ava, and… She says, a little baby bear in the oven; that makes five. She always knew he was a softy. She calls him grandpa, kisses his head, and leaves.

Obrecht sees Britt’s lab coat hanging on the back of her chair. She takes it off, and looks at the ID.

Esme pulls the tray toward her, looks at the food, and pushes it back.

Cody thanks Felicia for coming in person with the news about Britt, and she says, thank Mac; it was his idea. He would have come himself if he wasn’t so busy on the case. Felicia hugs Cody, and leaves.

Nina goes in Britt’s office, saying, she got Obrecht’s text. She looks in the box, and gets out her phone. We see Obrecht’s text: Meet at Britt’s office, and Nina texts Obrecht: Where r u?  

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she be given something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. That can be arranged. She smiles.

Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Carly, this happened because of her; Spencer tells Cameron, it’s because of that jerk Dex: Drew says, a woman’s life could depend on it; and Sonny attacks Nikolas.

🎭 Behind the Mask…

The actress behind Esme.

🐻 Mama Bear Speaks…

From sitcom to serial killer, this one is just right.

🔥 Blazing a Trail…

I was hoping Chase would have more of a music career, but no. He has to go and be Dudley Do-Right. I guess a Blaze storyline is out.

🕵🏾‍♂️ New To the Force…

And he has a name!

🧹 Ding-Dong…

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

https://extratv.com/2023/01/05/lisa-rinna-exits-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/

🤷🏽 Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That…

I couldn’t care less who he sleeps with, but I still want to know what he does for a living that got him a reality TV gig. Or how he steals for a living. A hissy fit isn’t a good look on anyone though. He’s pretty mean.

👠 Giving Glam…

More of the best fashion from last year.

📽 What We Watched…

Two takes on the best films of 2022. Nope was great. I could watch that a thousand times.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-movies-2022/

https://www.theroot.com/the-best-black-movies-of-2022-1849902905

🐕 And To the Pets…

Because I have to.

https://www.yardbarker.com/lifestyle/articles/20_celebrity_pets_that_will_make_you_say_aw/s1__34563662

🧺 Wringing It In…

Stop in tomorrow for a little soap, a little tea, words of wisdom and humor for the new year, and music from the eclectic collection in my head. Until then, stay safe, stay taking satisfaction in your accomplishments no matter how small, and stay remembering, life goes on. It has to.

December 30, 2022 – The Clock Strikes Midnight In Port Charles, Preempt, Jersey Devil, Husband Talk, NYE Happenings, Drink It Up, About Those Pets (!), 2 X 3 = 5 Quotes For the New Year & Another

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt’s cake is brought out by a shirtless waiter, and Brad says, they all know how much Britt hates the birthday song. Maxie says, but there’s one tradition they must insist on, and they both say, make a wish. Britt looks at everyone around her, and Finn looks at Elizabeth, who jets out of sight.

On deck, Trina says, she and Spencer should get back inside. People will wonder where they are. He says, that’s the idea; to get people wondering about them, so word gets back to Esme. Someone watches from the shadows.

Willow picks up a pair of 2023 eyeglasses, and Michael comes downstairs. He tells Willow that Wiley is completely zonked out, and she says, poor little guy. He was determined to make it until midnight. Michael says, he did see midnight, in London, and she says, it was genius on his part, but Wiley really wanted to stay up and ring in the New Year in Port Charles. She puts the glasses on him, and he says, there’s always next year.

Dante asks why Sam wanted to come to Kelly’s instead of staying at the restaurant, and she says, because nothing on their menu looked as good to her as an ice cream sundae. She hopes he’s not disappointed, but he says, nothing with her could disappoint him. He’s glad it’s just the two of them.

Outside, Josslyn apologizes for making bodyguard Steve wait outside. She just needs some privacy to talk to Cam. He tells her to take as long as she needs, and she goes inside. She sees Sam and Dante, and they all say, happy New Year. Dante asks, what brings her to Kelly’s on New Year’s Eve?

Laura says she’s not just worried about Nikolas; she’s worried about Spencer. If he knows something, he should tell her. He says he can’t, and she says, why? Has Victor threatened him? He says, no one is at risk if they play Victor’s game, but if she insists on taking Victor down, he’ll go down with him. Leave him alone, or she’ll lose her son. She says she’s not going to let Victor do this to him. Victor can’t take Nikolas away from her. He says, don’t be so sure, and she asks if he’s fallen so far that Victor is his only way back.

Esme says, one day Ace will go to school, and she’ll teach them about the fire triangle, the three things you need to start a fire; oxygen, fuel, and heat. She takes the matchstick out of her cardigan pocket, and smiles.

Britt says, she wishes… but Maxie says, don’t. Brad says, her wish won’t come true, and Britt says, forgive her; it’s her first birthday party. In a low voice, Austin tells her, there’s still time. She can change her mind and stay. She blows out the candles, but only on one part of the cake. Maxie says she knows Britt’s new to this, but tradition is that she blow out all the candles. Nina blows out the rest because she can’t help herself, and everyone applauds. Brad picks up a knife, and asks if Britt will do the honor of performing surgery on her cake. Britt’s hand trembles slightly, and Terry says, she needs the practice for all those surgeries she’ll be picking up while Britt is on vacation. She takes the knife from Brad, and cuts the cake. Britt squeals, and everyone applauds. Terry puts a piece of cake on a plate, and Brad says, the birthday girl gets the first slice, giving it to Britt. Drag queen Alyssa says, besides cake, they have another special treat for the birthday girl. Mommy dearest, you’re on. Obrecht takes the stage, and says, this is a song she sang at the Nurses Ball, which brought the house down if she does say so herself. Everyone cheers.

Finn finds Elizabeth on deck, and says he knows it’s none of his business, but he’s still a doctor and still cares about her. Drinking this early in her pregnancy isn’t good for the baby. She tells him, there is no baby.

Spencer tells Trina, just a little longer. They want everyone to miss them, remember? She says, this is a very dangerous game, and he takes her hand, saying, it’s not all a game. The lurker starts to walk out to the deck.

The woman behind the counter tells Josslyn that Cameron isn’t there; he’s filling in for one of the catering crew. Josslyn asks when he’ll be back, but she says, not until after midnight. Josslyn guesses she’ll have to talk to him another time, and tells Sam and Dante, happy New Year. She starts to leave, and Sam makes a face at Dante. He gets up, and tells Josslyn, wait. What’s the rush? Does she want to join them?

Nikolas says he’s the only one to blame for the errors in his judgement, and won’t let Laura get involved. She says she is involved, and he says, it’s like he made it his life’s work to disappoint her. She tells him not to say that. There is nothing he could ever do to make her stop loving him. The Cassadines have been trying to take him away from her since the day he was born, and she’s not going to let them win. He says he loves her fighting for him, but it’s not just about him.

Esme looks at the fire alarm, and says, it’s a long shot. She may get trapped, instead of finding a way to escape, but it’s the only chance she’s got. No. The only chance they’ve got. Brace yourself. It won’t be long now.

Scotty says, Obrecht was wunderbar, and Nina says, a real star. Too bad we didn’t get to see it. Britt hugs Obrecht, and says she wishes there could be an encore. Obrecht tells her, there will be if she has anything to say about it.

Finn says, what does Elizabeth mean, there’s no baby? and she says she had a miscarriage.

Nina tells Sonny, it may be Britt’s first birthday party, but she did it right. Everyone’s enjoying it. He says he’s happy as long as Nina enjoys it.

Trina says, the other guests must be asking about them by now, and Spencer says, if they are, then good. It’ll get back to Esme. She says, they should get back, and he says, yeah. They hear something, and she says, what was that? He says he doesn’t know, but we see it’s The Hook who’s lurking. She says, it’s probably the people at the party.

Willow says, it’s fine if Michael opens a bottle of champagne. She won’t feel deprived. He tells her, don’t be so noble; he knows she loves champagne. She says she does, especially the kind he buys. Since they have a rack full of it, open one. He says, so he can have champagne while she goes without? No. She says she’s happy with her sparkling cider, and he says, so is he. They’ll have champagne next year. She says she thought they were celebrating with Wiley next year, but he says, they can do both. Champagne for them, and cider for Wiley. They can wake up the baby, and they can ring in the new year together. She says, nothing says happy New Year like a screaming baby, but he says, maybe their daughter will be a night owl, and she’ll like staying up until midnight. She says, then he can be the one to get her back to sleep, and he says, she has his solemn promise. She says, what if she’s not here next year?

Finn says he’s sorry for Elizabeth’s loss, and she thanks him. She says she wouldn’t blame him if he said it was some kind of poetic justice, but he tells her that he’d never say that. She and Nikolas could try again. She says, she and Nikolas were never going to last. Ava knows, but she never told the boys. Not that he owes her anything… He says, they won’t hear it from him; no one will. She thanks him, and he tells her, happy New Year. He goes back inside, passing Terry, who’s on her way out to the deck. Elizabeth says, Terry probably wants to know what that was all about, and Terry says, when Elizabeth is ready, she’ll tell her, or not. They hug.

Scotty takes the mic, and asks for everyone’s attention. Sonny says, Scotty’s not going to sing, is he? and Scotty says, he couldn’t carry a tune if it had handles. So if there’s no more hecklers, let’s get on with this. They had great music, and had a great cake, but there’s one thing missing. Britt says, presents? and everyone goes, wooo!

Josslyn gets a sundae, and says, Dante and Sam are super dressed up. Are they going somewhere fancy to watch the ball drop? Sam says, they did fancy. Now they’re just enjoying sundaes. Josslyn says, it’s a fun way to start the new year. She bets they’re excited. Dante says he’s excited for all the cool projects they have planned, and Sam says, their New Year’s resolution is a do-it-yourself remodel of the den. What about Josslyn? Any resolutions? Josslyn says, to become a doctor, and Dante asks, since when? She says, a lot of it has to do with when she found Ava after she’d been stabbed. She felt so helpless; she didn’t know what to do for her. Then she realized she can learn what to do, so she submitted her application to switch her major to pre-med. Dante says, she’s going to be an incredible doctor, and Sam says, good for Josslyn, to go through something terrible, and find a positive way to take action. Josslyn thanks her, and says she hopes the police find Esme, lock her up, and throw away the key. Dante says he wants to catch The Hook too, but they don’t know that it’s Esme for sure. She knows what happens when they jump to conclusions, right? Sam asks what she’s missing, and Dante says, for a while, Sonny thought Dex was behind the killings.  

Nikolas tells Laura that he should have never come back to Port Charles. He would have done everyone a favor if he’d stayed dead. She tells him, don’t ever say that. She was heartbroken when she thought she’d lost him, and that’s when Spencer began to spiral. Actually, she doesn’t think he ever recovered from it. They need Nikolas to fight for himself and fight for them. If he gives in to Victor now, Victor will never let go. He says, what if it’s too late? but she says, it is not too late. She’ll back him up with every possible resource she can muster. Everything, she promises. If he could have a clean slate – wipe it clean, and start over – would he do it? He asks if it’s possible, and she says, yes. It is. It’s never too late. It can start tonight. All he has to do is decide. Does he belong to Victor or does he belong to himself?

As The Hook raises her hook, Trina says she hopes Joss and Cam will join them before midnight, and Spencer says, they will, if Cam gets off in time. Maxie calls to them, and asks what they’re doing out here. They’re missing all the fun. The Hook shrinks back in the shadows, and Maxie says, there’s cake and birthday presents, and Spencer says, they were just getting a breath of fresh air. Maxie says, in the cold? and Trina says, they didn’t realize how long they were out there, handing Spencer back his coat. Spencer says, it didn’t feel that cold to him, and they all go inside, while The Hook goes back to lurking.

Esme takes an ornament off the tree, and says, something to remember their first Christmas by. She puts it in her cardigan pocket.

Taking the mic, Maxie says, after a slight delay to round up some stragglers, it’s time to get back to the business at hand. She tells Britt, some of her nearest and dearest worked together to give her a very special birthday present. Obrecht gives Britt a box, and Britt thanks everyone. She opens it, and says, a remote control. Brad says, bring it in, boys, and the waiters roll in a giant TV. Sonny asks if Nina has any idea what’s going on, but she says, just watch. Brad says, lights, camera, action, and tells Britt, press play. Obrecht says, Britta Westbourne, this is your life. A song presumably called I Am Here to Win plays, and pictures and videos of Britt’s life come on the screen – baby pictures, pictures of her growing up, her graduations, with Nathan, Nina, Obrecht, Finn, Terry, Epiphany <sniff>, Brad, Brad, Brad, Cody, Carly, Austin, and Spencer.

Josslyn says, if Dante is asking about what Sonny did to Dex, he already knows the answer. Dante says, Michael made some serious allegations, and Dex denied them, and Josslyn says, lucky him. Sam asks why Dante is lucky, and Josslyn says, because he doesn’t have to arrest his own father. Michael was worried, because he didn’t want Dante stuck in the middle, even though he is. Sonny put him there, and keeps putting him there. Dante says, Sonny has been who Sonny has been long before he came to town, and Josslyn says, there he goes, making excuses. Dante asks if that’s what he’s doing, and Josslyn says she can’t tell Dante how to feel. All she can tell him is how she feels, and she feels Sonny’s a fraud. All of that talk about honor and loyalty is just words; he doesn’t live it. Dante does. He’s a good cop. He puts his life on the line to protect and serve, while Sonny sits back and lets other people put their lives on the line. To what? Make him richer? Then when he almost kills someone, he expects them to lie and cover for him. Now Sonny is protecting her. Is she supposed to feel grateful? That’s not happening.

Britt’s Memory Lane ends with a video of her waving goodbye. Everyone applauds, and Brad says, speech. Britt thanks everyone, and says, that was… Brad says, fantastic? and Maxie says, terrific? Britt says, that was one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for her. She did prepare a speech, but being here now, and seeing their faces, faces she loves, she wants them to know how very, very much… She gets choked up, and Maxie says, blame Austin; it was his idea. Austin says, and in case she doesn’t want to haul a huge monitor around with her, they got her this cute digital frame. Maxie says, she, Brad, and Liesl have the password, so they can upload photos. That way, they can be with her, on vacation or where she goes. Britt hugs Austin, and thanks him.

Nikolas tells Laura, happy New Year, but she says she doesn’t think it’s midnight yet. He still has time to make a New Year’s resolution. He promises to think about what she said, and if there’s a way to disentangle himself from Victor… She says, they can manage on their own. Throw him out, change the locks, then stand back and dare him to do his worst. Because Nikolas isn’t just a Cassadine, he’s her son, and he’s Spencer’s father, and as long as they stick together, they’ll be just fine. She tells him that she loves him, and they hug

Esme tells Ace, no matter what happens, no matter how scary it gets, remember mommy is with you. Womb to tomb. She looks at the smoke alarm, and lights the match.

Nina and Sonny come out on deck, and she asks why he’s taking her away from the party. He says, don’t worry. He’ll have her back before the ball drops. She asks if he’ll have her back before she freezes to death, and he puts his arm around her, asking if she’s warm now. She says she’s getting there, and he asks if she remembers last New Year’s Eve. She says, when he was at Charlie’s, and he says he was at a tough point in his life. Dante grabbed his keys and wouldn’t let him go home, then Nina came along. She says she took him home, and thought that would be the end of them. That he’d sober up the next day, and go back to Carly. He says, here they are a year later. Is she sorry about how it ended? She puts her arms around him, and tells him, who said it was ending? They’ve only just begun. He tells her to kiss him, and she does.

Nikolas pours a drink, when the fire alarm goes off. He runs upstairs. In her now smoke filled room, the tree ablaze, Esme says, maybe this wasn’t such a brilliant plan after all. She watches the door.

Britt thanks Spencer for coming, and he says he woudn’t miss it for the world. She asks where his plus one is, and he calls Trina over. He says, there’s someone he’d like her to meet, and Trina wishes Britt a happy birthday. Spencer says he was telling Trina how much Britt means to him and how alike they are. Britt says she hopes not, and tells Trina, if she’s truly Spencer’s friend, make sure he doesn’t end up like her. He says he’d be proud to be like her, they hug, and Britt mouths he’s the best to Trina. Brad tells them, break it up. It’s the last dance before the year ends. He pulls Britt away, and Spencer asks what Britt said over his shoulder. Trina says she’ll never tell, and leads him onto the dance floor.

Josslyn tells Dante that she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to go off like that. It’s not the best way to ring in the new year. Sam says, Dante started it, and Dante says, he kinda did. Josslyn tells him, all she’s trying to say is that she thinks he’s awesome, and she’s sorry he’s stuck in this position. He thanks her, but says, don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a lucky guy for many reasons. Sam says, and don’t you forget it. She asks if she can make an observation, and Josslyn says, please; she has it coming. Sam says she thinks Josslyn is smart and strong, especially since she realizes she wants to become a doctor. Focus on that. Being hung up on Sonny is a waste. She has better things to do with her time. Josslyn thanks her, and says she’ll try to remember that. Dante says, it’s almost midnight. Times Square might have the crowds, but Port Charles has the fireworks. It’s a pretty good view. He asks if Josslyn wants to join them, and she thanks him for the invitation, but she wants to try and make Britt’s birthday party. They all wish each other a happy New Year, and Josslyn leaves. Outside, Josslyn tells Steve that she’s going to head home and change, then go to the party at the Haunted Star. Sonny will be there; he doesn’t have to worry. He follows her out of the gate.

Willow tells Michael, sorry. They were having such a nice time, and she… She was going to say killed the mood, but that sounds morbid. He says, she can be morbid, scared, or angry. She doesn’t have to put up a front for him. Wiley is a child and has to feel secure, so she has to pretend with him, but she doesn’t have to pretend with him. She says she’s not pretending. That’s the crazy part. As scared as she is that she’s going to die, this is the happiest time of her life. She loves him, she loves Wiley, she loves their daughter, she loves where they live, with his squabbling relative right up the driveway. There was a long time when she was alone, and now her life is so rich, and so full, beyond anything she could have imagined. Most of it came from him. He thinks her, but says he thinks he got the better half of the bargain. She changed his life. It wasn’t a bad life before. He’s been blessed with a lot, and knows he’s lucky, but with her, he has a connection he’s never felt with anyone. He loves the trust and compatibility. He know he sounds unromantic… She says, not to her. She feels compatible with him too. He says, hold that thought.

Nikolas unlocks Esme’s room, and goes in with a fire extinguisher. As he sprays it and calls her name, she runs out.  

Michael shows Willow a ring, and says, remember this? She says, it’s his great-grandmother’s ring, and he says, to him, it’s Willow’s ring. It has been since she accepted it the first time. She says she gave it back when they had their marriage annulled, and he says he hated signing those papers. She says, so did she, and he says, it’s a family heirloom. He could have put it back with his great grandmother’s jewelry, but he held on to it, hoping she’d accept it again – but this time forever. He gets down on one knee, and asks her to marry him.

Esme runs out on the parapet, coughing. She says, let mommy catch her breath. Then they’re out of here. She hears a door close, and Nikolas is on the parapet with her.

Sonny and Nina come back inside, and Spencer says, nice up there, huh? Nina says, it’s beautiful, and Spencer says, they thought so too, putting his arm around Trina. Alyssa says, okay, party people. It’s that time. Out with the old year, and in with the new. So chill the champagne, grab someone you love, or at least you don’t hate, and get ready for the countdown. Finn looks at Elizabeth.

Nikolas tells Esme, she took her best shot. The fire is out, and there’s only one way out, which is down. Or did she forget last time? She says she hasn’t forgotten, and he says he knows she cares about the baby. Once they get to Cassadine Island, she’ll have everything she needs or wants until the baby is born. He promises her. Just take his hand. She hoists herself up, and stands on the wall. She looks down.

Everyone gets coupled up, and Finn starts to leave. Austin asks where he’s going, and Finn says, the emcee said you should be with someone you love, so he’s going home to bring in the new year with his daughter. He leaves, and Britt hugs Austin, thanking him for the gift. Being quiet about where she’s going has given everyone she loves something to remember her by. Alyssa begins the countdown, 10…9… 8…

Willow says, yes, with all her heart she’ll marry Michael. He puts the ring on her, and says, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. She says, as long as they both shall live, and they kiss.

7…6…

Dante wonders if he should have driven Josslyn, but Sam says, she has Sonny’s bodyguard. She’s probably having fun at the party right now. Truth? He says, of course (🍷), and she says she didn’t really want to share him tonight, and they kiss.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1! Happy New Year! Horns blow and noisemakers make noise, and Austin watches Britt slip out. Scotty kisses Obrecht, and Sonny kisses Nina. Spencer and Trina get close enough to kiss, but he blows a noisemaker instead. Elizabeth hugs Terry, and Terry says, it’s going to be a better year for Elizabeth; she promises. Elizabeth says, it has to be. For Terry as well. Terry says she’ll drink to that, and they clink glasses. Maxie asks if Austin has seen Britt, and Brad says, she’s missing the best part of the party. Austin tells them, say what you will about Britt, that woman knows how to make an exit. Happy New Year. The three of them clink glasses

Nikolas asks what Esme is doing, and tells her, get down. She says she’s survived the drop once before, and she’ll do it again. He watches as she falls backward.

All dressed up, Josslyn waits at the docks. So does The Hook, who comes out of the shadows.  

Next week, Dante asks Sam what justice looks like when it’s applied to his father; Britt says, ten minutes before she says goodbye to Port Charles; Nikolas tells Elizabeth, no one is going to know; and The Hook comes for Josslyn.

Just a thought, but what the hell was Steve thinking, letting Josslyn wait on the docks all by herself? I knew she said Sonny was going to be at the party, but the party was not on the docks. He should have made sure she got on the boat safely. He’s fired.

🏈 No Soap Monday…

But if you like college football, you’re the lucky one.

👠 Real Nightmare of New Jersey…

Did she bother watching her own contribution to the mess?

It wouldn’t surprise me.

It never occurs to them that they might be asked to leave.

🥾 Having Their Say…

How come there hasn’t been a Real Househusbands series yet?

🎊 Here It Comes…

All about kicking 2022 to the curb, and ringing in 2023. Mostly if you don’t have something better to do, like actually going out. We’ve decided we’ve done it all, and did it when it was safer and less expensive.

https://www.hola.com/us/celebrities/20221229340929/5-new-year-eve-tv-specials/

This actually sounds really cool.

https://blockster.com/where-to-celebrate-new-years-eve-in-the-metaverse

🥂 Agreed…

The Mayor de Blasio comment was the best.

https://www.gawker.com/celebrity/cnn-andy-cohen-drunk-new-years-eve

🐕 Because I Have To…

Ending 2022 with something interesting about what I like to call God’s best invention.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/6-fascinating-things-we-learned-about-pet-dogs-and-cats-in-2022/

🦜 Quotes of the Week

If your goal is to enjoy some genuine joie de vivre this holiday season, keep in mind that the simplest acts of generosity, connection, and self-care can offer the biggest rewards. – 11 Ways to Experience Holiday Joy

Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back a short distance correctly. – Jerry, The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

If you hear a voice within you say, you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. – Barbara Bush (Or your pets!)

🍾 Auld Lang Syning Off…

There’s no GH on Monday, and although there’s a new Deck, I’m postponing it a day, since I have a deadline on Tuesday. New Year’s Day isn’t exactly an ideal workday, so… Enjoy your journey into the new year, whether you celebrate or not. And don’t feel pressured to, or let anyone tell you how to feel about it. So until next year, stay safe, stay being true to yourself, and stay finding a positive way to take action when you go through something terrible.

🎉Happy New Year!🎉

December 29, 2022 – Britt’s New Year’s Eve Birthday Bash, Returned, Why Lie, Copycat Corden, Bravo’s Finest, NYC NYE & Waiting

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Terry sees Finn at Britt’s party, and says, Elizabeth must have dragged him here, since it’s not his scene. She asks where Elizabeth is.

Elizabeth gives Nikolas a list of stuff Esme will need in the coming weeks, and he says he’ll take care of it. She says, and she’ll take care of Esme, and he says he appreciates all she’s done. She says she’s not doing it for him, and goes upstairs. The doorbell rings, and Nikolas opens the door to Laura, who tells him, Happy New Year. He says, it’s not a good time, and she says she’s sorry to hear that, and walks in.

Trina finds Spencer sitting on the deck steps on the Haunted Star. She apologizes for being late, and asks if he was waiting long. He says, it’s worth the wait; she looks beautiful. She says, him too… He knows what she means. He asks if she’s ready to do this, and she says, be seen together to generate a buzz? He suggests they post a photo on social media, and she says, they can make Esme jealous enough to become reckless. He says, one look at her, and mission accomplished, and takes the photo. Sonny and Nina board the boat, and Sonny says, when Kristina said she saw Spencer at Christmas, he said, that’s impossible. His nephew wouldn’t show up in Port Charles without coming to see him.

Michael meets Dex at the docks, and Dex says, Sonny’s cutting a deal. Michael asks, with who? and Dex says, with someone he’ll regret doing business with.

Esme’s door opens, and she says, oh, it’s Elizabeth. Kind of overdressed for nursing a prisoner, isn’t she? Elizabeth asks how she is, and Esme says, like she cares. Elizabeth says, Esme and her baby have been on her mind a lot lately, and Esme tells her, it’s not too late. Help her get out of here. Not for her sake, but for the baby.

We see a sign that says, Britch Fest! with a caricature of a woman (presumably Britt) in a martini glass. Britt comes in with Obrecht, and takes a drink from the tray of a shirtless waiter, saying, happy birthday to me. She and Obrecht clink glasses, and Obrecht says, he has nothing on mein Scotty. She goes off to find him, and Maxie and Brad join Britt. Maxie says, fashionably late she sees, and Britt says she wanted to make an entrance. Brad says she did; that ensemble is smokin’. Britt says, that’s the plan. Good job on the waiters. She knows it was Brad’s contribution. She tells Maxie, everything looks gorgeous, and Maxie tells her to note it’s prosecco, not champagne. Britt says, Maxie knows her well. Austin comes over and says, Maxie looks great. He knows Britt is his boss, but can he say, wow. She says, just for tonight, and Maxie says she and Brad are going to check on some other surprises they have up their sleeve. They leave, and Britt says, they went to so much trouble. Austin says, they love her and want to make her happy. So she should consider how they’re going to feel when they find out it’s their last opportunity.

Spencer says he’s sorry. He’d meant to come by and thank Sonny for looking out for him in Pentenville. He truly appreciated it. It’s just that so much has happened since he got out… Sonny says, relax. He’s just happy to see Spencer. They hug, and Spencer says, hopefully, he won’t need any more favors from Sonny. Nina says she was sorry to hear about Trina’s friend, Officer Cabrera, and Sonny says he heard Rory was a very good man. Trina says, he was a very good man; too good. Spencer says, Rory was there for Trina when she needed support, and Nina says, they’re going inside, and will see them later. Trina thanks Spencer for what he said about Rory, and for helping bring his killer to justice. Spencer says, she knows he’d do anything for her, but this isn’t just for her. He’s the one who brought Esme to Port Charles. That makes it his responsibility to rid the city of her forever.

Inside, Sonny says, looks like Britt went all out, and Nina says she appreciates him coming out with her. This is a bit more lively than their New Year’s Eve last year. He says she doesn’t have to thank him. He likes being by her side. She says, it’s important for her to be there for Britt. She, Britt, and Maxie made a sister pact, and they’ve been close ever since. She just wants more time with Britt. He says, Huntington’s is like Alzheimer’s. It’s a no joke disease, and she’s going to have a rough road ahead.

Austin tells Britt to just hear him out. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea, this whole running away thing. She swears if he starts hounding her, she’ll throw him overboard. And to be clear, she’s not running away. She’s making a graceful exit. He says, there’s still time to rethink that, but she says, not much. In four hours, when the countdown begins, and the topless hotties are topping off drinks, she’ll slip away, with a one-way ticket to destiny.

Finn asks where Yuri is, and Terry says, he’s sick. It’s adorable how the biggest, toughest men become babies when they get the sniffles. (She can say this because she’s not living with one.) He says, it’s a good thing Yuri knows a doctor, and she says, it’s nice to have someone to take care of, and be taken care of in return.

Laura says she knows Nikolas prefers she call before she comes over, but she didn’t want to give him the opportunity to come up with an excuse not to talk to her. He says, about what? and she says she spoke with his uncle. He asks what Victor said, but she says, no, Cyrus. She went to visit him in Pentenville. He asks what possessed her to do that, and she tells him, Cyrus said he had some information about their family. It got her to wondering what else she doesn’t know. He says, about Cyrus? but she says, about him. Nikolas told her that he’d betrayed all the people he loved the most. Can he tell her what he meant by that?

Esme says, Elizabeth cares so much about this baby, yet won’t help her, even though Elizabeth knows she didn’t hurt anyone. Elizabeth says, maybe Esme didn’t kill anyone, but she hurt a lot of people, her son included. Esme says, so this is about revenge, but Elizabeth says, it’s not. The way she sees it, Esme has two options. She can stay in this tower or face prosecution for the slew of crimes she’ll be charged with if Elizabeth turns her in. Esme says, there’s a third option. Set her free so she can leave town and raise her baby. Elizabeth asks why she’d do that. It wasn’t that long ago Esme threatened a hunger strike, and refused to take her prenatal vitamins. Esme says, she’s desperate. Can’t Elizabeth see that? She swears she’ll take care of this baby, but she needs to be free so they can be safe. Elizabeth says, on the run, no family resources, constantly looking over her shoulder. How is that any safer than a roof over her head, nutritious meals, and consistent care? Esme says, because she won’t have to live with the fear that Nikolas will kill her as soon as she gives birth.

Sonny asks where Nina went just now, but she tells him not to pay attention to her. It’s a celebration, and she refuses to be a buzzkill. He says, she can tell him anything, and she says she was thinking about her brother and Nelle, and how now she doesn’t get to see Wiley anymore. Her family is very small, and the thought of losing Britt… He says he gets it. He lost his dad; he lost Brando. Now he can’t see Michael or Wiley. Michael is going to have another child, and is he not going to be able to see that child?  Probably not. She says, he has to pay a big price to have her in his life.

At Britt’s party, Sirens blare, and someone is brought out in a wheelchair. Drag queen Alyssa Edwards pops up, and spins around. She says, they’re all so hot, she may have smoke inhalation, and asks if there’s a doctor in the house. Brad says, yes, there is, and she loves to dance. He pulls Britt over, she and the Alyssa air kiss, and everyone starts to dance. I want to be at this party.  

Nikolas says, he and Ava have been struggling for months, but Laura says, this is not about Ava. That’s not a reason Spencer would turn his back on Nikolas. His son just got out of prison; that should matter to him. He should be spending time with Spencer tonight, working on their relationship. Where is Spencer? Does Nikolas know? Does he care? He says, of course (🍷) he cares, and she asks what he’s done for his son to alienate him. She does know it’s New Year’s Eve, right?

Elizabeth says, if Esme is worried Nikolas is going to harm her, that’s not the plan. Esme says, maybe not the plan he shared with Elizabeth, and Elizabeth tells her, lie back, preparing to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. She says, maybe Esme is judging Nikolas based on her own standards. She’s wrong about Nikolas, and wrong about her too. She’s not going to let anything happen to Esme. They listen, and she says, strong heartbeat. Esme smiles, and Elizabeth asks if she’s in any discomfort or pain. Esme says, no, and Elizabeth asks if she has any other concerns. Esme says, what if there are complications? but Elizabeth says, so far, her pregnancy is progressing typically. Esme says, so far, but she’s only seen one ultrasound since she’s been pregnant, and nothing since. Elizabeth says she’s assisted in a lot of births – three of her own –  and Esme doesn’t have to worry. Women have been giving birth since the dawn of time. Esme says, Elizabeth talks like she’s a patient in a maternity ward, and she’s not; she’s a prisoner. Elizabeth is right. She’s hurt people; people who didn’t deserve it, especially Cam. But what if Elizabeth is hurting the baby by helping Nikolas? Can she live with that?

Dex says, Sonny met with a representative from Pikeman Security Group, and Michael says, they’re military contractors. They do everything from weapon design to manufacturing logistics and private squads of soldiers. What do they want from Sonny? Dex says, they want to move their product through Port Charles; they want Sonny to facilitate. Michael says, Pikeman is paying Sonny to smuggle military weapons. That’s as illegal as it gets.

Trina says, maybe Spencer is the reason Esme came to Port Charles, but she’s responsible for the devastation she caused, for the lives she’s ruined, and the ones she’s taken… if it was Esme. He says, come again? and she says, Ava told her, Ryan is convinced Esme’s not the killer. He says, like they can trust a word Ryan… blinks, and she says, maybe not, but what if they’re wrong? What if Esme’s not the killer? What if it’s someone they never even suspected? Someone who could be on this ship with them at this very moment.

Britt puts her arms around Brad and Maxie, and asks where they got Alyssa. Maxie asks if she’s surprised, and Britt says, is she ever. She loves it all. She’s never going to forget this as long as she lives.

Austin looks at a waiter’s back, and says, it’s good he asked. It’s probably just a mole, but he’d get it checked out. The waiter moves on, and Obrecht asks if Austin is on the clock. Austin says, always. She knows how it is when people find out you’re a doctor. She says, that ends when you lose your license. She hasn’t always been his biggest fan, but he’s been a good friend to her daughter. She’s grateful. He thanks her for saying that. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Britt. She says she hopes it continues. Britt needs her friends now.

Terry asks Finn if Elizabeth is showing up later or… He says he’s really not sure, and she says, Elizabeth has been hard to pin down lately. She might have to page her at GH just to catch up. Is Elizabeth okay? He says he would be the wrong guy to ask.

Esme says, help her get away, so she can be free to raise her baby in peace, and Elizabeth says she was right. Esme does care about this child. Esme says she doesn’t know if she’s mom material. She can be selfish and willful, but she does know that even if neither of them is innocent, this baby is, and she wants to give him or her a better start in life than she had. Elizabeth starts to pack up, and says she’s going to ask Nikolas to order a portable ultrasound machine. Next time, maybe they can do a scan, and give Esme a picture of her baby. Esme asks, what if it shows something bad? and Elizabeth says, they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. If they come to it. She doesn’t want Esme to worry. She heads for the door, and Esme says, why worry when life is so wonderful. Have fun at your party. Elizabeth leaves, and Esme smiles at the Christmas tree.

Nikolas says he’s let Spencer down many times, but Laura says, that doesn’t explain why he had such a big reaction to Nikolas being unfaithful to Ava. He says, Spencer is disappointed that he’s set such a poor example, and she says, unless it’s not that Nikolas had an affair, but who he had the affair with. Who is she? He says he doesn’t want to discuss it, and she says she doesn’t really want to discuss it either, but this has affected their whole family, so she’d like to know. Elizabeth says she’s leaving now, and stops short when she sees Laura. She tells Laura hello, and says she didn’t realize Nikolas had company. Laura says, that makes two of them, and tells Elizabeth that she looks beautiful. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she’s going to Britt’s party. She’s going to be late, so she’d better go. Laura says, stay safe, have fun. Maybe they can get together soon. They have a lot of catching up to do. Elizabeth says she’d like that, and tells them, goodnight and happy new year. Nikolas says, happy new year to her too, and thanks her for stopping by. She leaves, and Laura says, please tell her it’s not Elizabeth.

Dex tells Michael, the Pikeman rep, a guy named Hume, handed Sonny a briefcase full of cash just for showing up. Michael says, so Sonny draws the line at drugs, but he’s willing to ship weapons of war, and Dex says, there’s only two reasons people want to ship under cloak of darkness. Either what they’re moving is dirty, or what they’re moving is being supplied to dirty people. Michael says, in this case, both, and Dex says, this deal is extremely lucrative for Sonny, but also extremely dicey. Michael says, this is it. This is how they bring Sonny down. Dex says, this isn’t like busting Sonny on RICO violations. Pikeman had contractors in Afghanistan; they’re heavy hitters. Think twice before messing with them. Michael asks if Dex is backing out.

Sonny says, the other day, Nina was worried about how she didn’t want to get close to Donna, but Nina says she was just having a moment. She didn’t mean to be so maudlin. He says he’s been thinking about what she said; that she didn’t want to latch on to Donna to fill a void. She says, it’s actually kind of embarrassing, that whole conversation, and he says, isn’t that what loved ones are supposed to do for us? Fill that space inside of us when we lose somebody or feel alone? She says she supposes so, and he says, that’s what she did for him. She takes his hand, and says, that’s what he does for her. He says he wants her to latch on to him, Donna, and Avery. She’s got more family than she knows. She kisses him.

Laura says, Nikolas cheated on Ava with Elizabeth? but he says he told her he doesn’t want to discuss it. She says, too late; he already confirmed it. Does he have any idea how fragile Elizabeth is right now? He says, it’s over, but she says, it doesn’t matter if it’s over; the damage has been done. No wonder Spencer is so upset; she’s family. Her sons are his cousins. What was Nikolas thinking? He says he and Elizabeth have a past, and she says, it should have stayed in the past. She thought the two of them were just friends. Does Finn know? He says, he and Elizabeth hate that they hurt Finn and Ava. That’s why they wanted to keep it quiet. They don’t want to cause any more pain. She says, no one will hear anything from her. But don’t kid himself. Secrets like this are impossible to keep. He notices the list Elizabeth left on the desk.

Dex says he’s not looking for a way out, and Michael says, good, because he needs updates on every step of this partnership between Sonny and Pikeman. He means names, dates, shipping container numbers, bills of lading, all of that. Dex says he just wants to be sure Michael knows what he’s getting himself into. Any evidence they get against Sonny will also be evidence against Pikeman. Who even knows how many laws they’re breaking by shipping this stuff? If they connect it back to him and Michael, it could get messy.

As he lights the candles, Esme says, Demetrius didn’t forget a single detail of that special meal she told him about. He remembered everything. He says, she doesn’t have to feel alone, and she pats the spot next to her on the bed, saying, join me?

Spencer puts his jacket around Trina’s shoulders, and she says, thanks, but no one’s watching them. He asks if he can’t be a friend while at the same time being a gentleman. With all due respect to Ava, he does think Esme is the likeliest suspect. She says, okay, boss. All due respect to Ava? That must have been some talk they had. He says, he and ava are never going to like each other, but Ava cares about Trina, and he knows Trina cares about her. That he can respect. She says she has something to clear up. At her party, she said they’re not friends. He says he recalls, and she says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean it. She was upset and hurt… He says he’s glad to hear it. Not that she was upset and hurt, but that they can still be friends. He doesn’t have many of those. She says, he has her, Joss, and Cam – and Britt. That’s respectable. He says, that would be the first time he’s heard the word respectable applied to him, and she says, there’s a first time for everything. He says he really is grateful, especially since he hurt them all, Britt included. She says, Britt means a lot to him, huh? and he says, she was always there when he was a kid. She stuck by his side from his bratty juvenile shenanigans to the wreck of things he’s made since he got back. He and Britt have a lot in common. They tend to push away the people in their lives they so desperately need.

Britt dances with Brad, Maxie, and one of the waiters. She dances over to Obrecht, who tells her, be careful. Don’t over-do it. Britt asks if that’s not what tonight is for, and Obrecht says she’s glad Britt is enjoying herself, she can’t get over tired; it takes a toll. Britt tells her, mutter, stop worrying, but Obrecht says she is Britt’s mutter; it’s her job to worry about Britt. Britt says, not tonight. Tonight, her job is to have fun. Please. It’s important to her. She’s so happy Obrecht has Scotty. Life will never be dull with him. Sonny brings Nina over, and Nina says, Britt looks cover worthy. Sonny says, great party, and asks how Obrecht is doing. She says, all is well, and asks them to excuse her; mein Scotty needs me. Nina asks Britt to please tell her that she’s having the time of her life, and Britt says she is. She says, Nina doesn’t need to look at her like that, and Nina says, like what? Britt says, like she’s the walking dead.

Terry asks Finn, what’s going on? and he says he and Elizabeth broke up. She says, Elizabeth didn’t breathe a word, and he says he’s not surprised. It was sudden. She asks, what happened? and they see Elizabeth walk in. She and Finn look at each other.

Nikolas grabs the list, and throws it in a drawer. He tells Laura that it pains him that he’s disappointed her again, but she says, it’s okay. She’s just worried about Spencer. He just got out of prison, and he’s coming home to this chaos. Nikolas says he’ll be a better father going forward, and Laura says, if Spencer gives him the opportunity. He says, Spencer can’t completely distance himself. His release is contingent on Victor’s custody, and Victor insists on staying at Windymere. She asks if he’s saying Spencer is legally in Victor’s custody, and he asks if it matters. She says, oh my God, yes. Victor only acts in his own self-interest. Sooner or later he’s going to use Spencer. She can’t let that happen. He asks what she’s going to do, and she says, whatever it takes, but he says, she’s no match for Victor. Leave it alone.

Britt says, they don’t have to pretend. Her mother told her that she told them. Sonny says, we just never know how much time we have in life. Look at Jason. What matters is what we do with the time we have. Nina says, how we spend our time; who we spend our time with. She takes Britt’s hand, and says, this party was a great idea. Sonny says, Jason would want to see her getting all she can out of life.

Finn walks off, and Terry says, got anything she wants to tell her? Elizabeth says, maybe one or two.

Alyssa takes the mic, and says, ladies, gents, them/theys and anyone else here to slay. Tonight is about honoring that other infamous Queen B. The MD with the B-day, Dr. Britt Westbourne. Everyone applauds, and Alyssa says, Britt’s partner in wine Brad tells her, when they’re not busy reading red carpet fashion for filth or murdering mimosas, their favorite pastime is dusting their karaoke competition. We have a mic. We have a stage. We just need two showboats willing to serve. Come make some noise for Brad and The Britch. Britt and Brad take the stage to cheers and whistles, and Britt asks what they’re going to sing. He says, it’s handled, and the music starts. They sing I Knew You Were Waiting (George Michael). There are more cheers and applause.

Terry asks why she had to find out from Finn that he and Elizabeth broke up. Explain yourself, missy. Elizabeth grabs a shot off a tray going by, and downs it. Alyssa goes on stage, and says, okay boys. Show the birthday girl what you’ve got. The waiters bring out a cake with lit candles, and Brad tells Britt, don’t worry. They all know how much she hates the birthday song. Maxie says, but there’s one tradition they must insist on. She and Brad say, make a wish, and Britt goes over to the cake. She looks at everyone around her, and says, okay.

Michael tells Dex, just get the evidence against Sonny. He’ll make sure it gets into the right hands, and doesn’t implicate either one of them. Dex says, if they expose Sonny, Sonny will have a target on his back; with the law and Pikeman. Michael says, he’ll be better off in custody, and Dex says, if he’s convicted of the charges he’ll be facing, he’ll be in prison for a very long time, possibly forever. Is Michael prepared for that? Michael says he always knew what Sonny was capable of; torturing Dex was a new low. This, running weapons through a back channel for a military organization, is not the father he knew. He doesn’t want Sonny near his family. So to answer Dex’s question, forever’s fine with him. I guess collateral damage isn’t a term Michael is familiar with? Or maybe how anyone else might feel? Like Sonny’s kids? Michael pisses me off.

Nikolas tells Laura, for his sake, don’t antagonize Victor. Victor can accuse him of terrible things. Laura asks if Victor has proof, but Nikolas says he can’t get into it. She says, then she can’t help him, and he asks what she means. She says, it’s not just about him. She’s also very worried about Spencer. If he knows something, he should tell her. He says he can’t, and she says, why? Has Victor threatened him? He says, no one is at risk if they play Victor’s game. But if she takes down Victor, she takes him down. Leave it alone or she’ll lose her son.

Esme sits at a small table in front of her finished dinner, and tells Demetrius, the steak is delicious. She’s sorry he couldn’t join her. He says he’s glad she enjoyed it, and she raises her glass, saying, to kindness, found in the most unexpected places. She pretends to swallow the wrong way, and starts coughing. She gets up, Demetrius handing her a napkin. He goes to the door, unlocks it, and she thanks him. She says, it’s meant more to her than he’ll ever know. Happy new year. He says, happy new year in Greek, and blows out the candles. He takes the tray out, and she takes a matchstick out of her cardigan pocket. She says, and happy new year to us, Ace.

Trina says, they should head inside, but Spencer says, five more minutes. She says, nobody will see them on deck, and he says, the buzz can be that they stole some time alone. She says, they’ll assume she got emotional, and needed some air. He says, and he came out to check on her, and she says, and she leaned on him for comfort? He buttons the jacket on her, and says, and in some combination of heightened emotions, and the twinkling lights… She says, and the waves and stars, and his warmth as he held her. He says, it brought back all of those old feelings; the ones they never acted on. She says, and they felt like the only two people on earth.

Tomorrow, Austin tells Britt to change her mind and stay; Laura asks if Nikolas could have a clean slate, would he do it; Michael asks Willow to marry him; Sonny tells Nina, they’ve only just begun; and Sam says, what was that?

🩺 The Doctor’s Back In…

Andre has always been a favorite of mine. This storyline should be fun.

His backstory, in case you didn’t know, or like me, forgot.

💎 Door Number Two…

I think it’s more likely the necklace was the reason. It at least factored heavily into the decision. I still wonder what he would have done had Felicia read the results.

🖼 Not Everything’s About You…

Next he’ll be picking on teenager’s bedrooms.

🎶 Light the Corners Of My mind…

Memorable or cringeworthy? You decide.

It still boggles my mind how they get away with some of this nonsense. It’s pretty bad when production has to step in.

🥂 About New Year’s Eve…

If you’re brave, crazy, or both. I’ve never gone and never will. Back in the day, my roommate did the Times Square thing, while I went elsewhere. She told me that she could barely move, someone spilled beer on her, and someone peed on her shoe. Good times…

https://www.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-new-years-eve/nye-faq

Who will be there.

https://people.com/music/new-years-rockin-eve-times-square-performers-announced/

https://www.nashicon989.com/news/dick-clarks-new-years-rockin-eve-reveals-star-studded-lineup-of-performers/

No more for them.

🎊 Dropping the Ball…

Tomorrow, join me for more of the same, and ending the year. Until then, stay safe, stay not driving while intoxicated, buzzed, or in any way impaired – there’s no excuse; take an Uber – and stay knowing, what matters is how we spend our time in life, because we just never know how much time we have.

December 28, 2022 – Cyrus Offers His Help To Laura, Why He Left, NeNe Wants Grace, Avoidance, Captain Eddie, Continuing To Celebrate & Party

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Zaanse Schans, Netherlands. Anna and Valentin walk into a café. Valentin asks if she’s sure they’re not being set up, but she says she told him. It’s not just a former colleague; it’s an old friend. And here he is. Andre says, Anna Devane, it’s been far, far too long, and they hug.

Britt clinks a martini glass against a framed photo of her and Brad, then puts them both in a suitcase. She looks at a bracelet that says Britt on it, and puts that in too. She says she guesses this means she has plenty of room for clothes.

At Kelly’s, Ava says, it was a lovely memorial for Rory yesterday, and Trina agrees. She thanks Ava for being there, and Ava says, of course (🍷). She’d do anything to support Trina. Trina says she knows she can count on Ava, and Ava says, her question is, can Trina count on Spencer? She shows Trina her phone, and the article in The Invader with the picture of her, Spencer, and Laura, is on the screen.

As Spencer tries to get out the door, Victor says he’s glad he caught Spencer. Spencer tells Victor that he was just on his way… but Victor asks if Spencer will join him. He promises not to keep Spencer long, and then he can join his friends for the New Year celebrations. Although it’s a little early, isn’t it? He pours them drinks, and Spencer says he has some things to get done before Britt’s birthday party. Victor says he’s surprised Spencer is attending, and Spencer says, she was a good friend to him when he was a kid, and luckily, they’ve remained friends. Victor says, good. He was hoping Spencer would be available tomorrow afternoon. He was hoping to get the family together for a nice brunch to usher in the New Year. Spencer says, forgive him, but under no circumstances will he be having brunch with his father. He has every intention of turning 2023 into a fresh start for himself. Which means, once he moves out of Windymere, he hopes never to speak to or lay eyes on his father again.

Esme looks at her Christmas tree, and says, a definite fire hazard. Now all she needs is the spark. She hears keys, and jumps on the bed. Nikolas comes in, and she asks what she did to warrant a visit from her jailer. He says, her plan is not going to work.

Martin meets Laura in the Pentenville visitor’s room, and they hug. She says she’s glad to see he’s all right, and he says, none the worse for wear. She says, when he called her from a jail cell in Ireland… He says he can’t tell her how much he appreciates her riding to his rescue, and interceding on his behalf. She says, of course (🍷). That was very brave of him. He says, bravery had nothing to do with it. The last thing he expected when he went over there was to fall on his sword so that Anna Devane could get away. She laughs, and says she thinks he’s pretty lucky the WSB let him get away with just a fine. He says, something fishy about that. For all the good it did him. He went from one prison to another. She says, at least he’s not behind bars in this one. He didn’t have to come. He says, after all she’s done for him, did she think he’d let her face their wayward brother alone? What does she think he wants? The guard lets Cyrus in, and he says, sister. And is this his brother he sees before him? What a lovely surprise. The Lord has truly blessed him this day.

There’s a knock at Britt’s door, and Obrecht says, it’s her mutter; open up. Britt says, just a second, and tries to put the suitcase under the bed, but it doesn’t fit. Obrecht knocks again, and says something in German. Britt says, just hang on, shoving the suitcase in the other room, and opens the door. She asks what Obrecht is doing here. She thought they were meeting at the party. Obrecht says she thought Britt might need help getting ready. Is that how she’s wearing her hair? Britt says, yes. She’s decided brushing her hair is giving in to the patriarchy. Of course (🍷) she’s not wearing her hair like this. Obrecht says, thank Gott. What will she be wearing? Britt says, this, indicating the robe she’s in. It goes with the coiffure. Obrecht sees a garment bag, and says she found Britt’s regalia. Britt says she can’t wait to hear what’s wrong with it, but Obrecht gasps and says, it’s wunderbar. It’s just the tiniest bit wrinkled. She’ll hang it in the shower, turn it on, and see what happens. She nearly trips over Britt’s suitcase, and asks what Britt is doing with it.

Victor says he thought Spencer moved past this childish resentment of his father, but Spencer says, his father continues to top his previous transgressions. It’s one thing to let your family think you’re dead. It’s quite another to take advantage of a vulnerable woman. Victor says, come on. What Nikolas did might be inexcusable, but to characterize Esme as vulnerable… Spencer says he was talking about Elizabeth Baldwin, and Victor says, oh. Spencer says, Victor knew, and Victor says he did. Spencer asks how he can be okay with this, and Victor asks what there is to disapprove of. Nikolas and Elizabeth are consenting adults. Spencer says, everyone knows she’s been struggling. She checked herself in to Shadybrook. He’s sure she turned to Nikolas for comfort and support, and he used her trust to get her into bed. It’s disgusting. He hopes Cameron’s mother comes to her senses, and kicks him out of her life for good. Victor says, Spencer has to be realistic. There’s no way Elizabeth can cut ties with Nikolas now. Spencer asks, why not?

Esme asks, what’s his plan? and Nikolas says, Demetrius informed him that she barely touched her lunch, and she still hasn’t. She asks if he’s worried about her, and he says, the baby needs nourishment. She says she wasn’t hungry. Heartburn is a thing; look it up. He says, it will make her life a lot easier if she just accepts her situation, and she asks, what about her situation is acceptable? He says, if she wants something in particular, tell Demetrius, but he won’t tolerate a hunger strike. Eat her dinner, or he’ll get her a feeding tube. Don’t push him. He leaves, and she says, she’ll push Nikolas… right off a cliff.

Valentin says, Anna didn’t tell him that her contact was the esteemed Dr. Maddox. Andre says, If he’d known Valentin was going to be here, he might not have shown. Anna says, here’s the thing. She has to clear her name, and they also want to bring down Victor. So all of that is more important than past conflicts. She needs both their help. Call her selfish, but that’s what they’re going to focus on. Andre says, absolutely; anything he can do to help. Valentin says he’s sure Andre’s intentions are sterling, but he doesn’t see how a doctor – Andre says, a psychiatrist – can help them. Andre says he was thinking the same thing. What does Anna think he can do? She says, it’s not because of who he is now, but who he used to be.

Cyrus says, praise God that He has softened his brother’s heart enough to grant him this visit, but Martin says, God hasn’t softened anything. Cyrus says he understands Martin’s anger… Laura says, that’s great. The warden told her that Cyrus wanted to see her, so what does he want? Cyrus says, to warn her there’s a serpent in her garden, and she asks if they can skip the Biblical metaphors. Just tell her the name of the snake. He says, strings were pulled in order to arrange her grandson Spencer’s early release, and Martin says, early release usually requires some kind of string pulling. Cyrus says, unfortunately, all these strings lead directly back to Laura.

Britt says she decided to go on a little vacation, and Obrecht asks where she’s going. When is she leaving? Why doesn’t she have Britt’s itinerary? Britt says, a whole bunch of places, and she’ll send Obrecht postcards from when she gets there. To answer her remaining question, she’s flying out tonight after the party. Obrecht asks why this is the first time she’s hearing about this vacation, and Britt says, it was a spur of the moment idea, and she got a good deal. She also doesn’t need Obrecht’s permission; she’s a grown woman, even though tonight will be her first birthday party ever. Thank you for that. Obrecht says she didn’t have parties growing up, so she never threw any for Britt. She thought Britt was better off; that doing without such trivialities would make her stronger. She didn’t realize what Britt was missing. Britt says she was just kidding, and Obrecht says she knows she wasn’t the warmest mother when Britt was growing up, but she knew the world was tough, and needed Britt to be tougher, so she pushed Britt. It’s a miracle she grew into the magnificent woman she is. Britt is her miracle. Britt asks if Obrecht thinks for a second that she wouldn’t have the drive, the strength, and vastly superior skills she has, if Obrecht hadn’t drilled it into her? Obrecht says, a mother should be someone who inspires you, not someone you have to survive. Britt says, we are who we are. They’ve both changed for the better, and that’s good enough. Obrecht says she hasn’t changed enough, and Britt asks what she’s done. Who did she kidnap this time? Obrecht says, what she’s done is worse than a simple abduction. She betrayed Britt’s trust.

Ava says that she knows before Rory died, Trina was struggling with her feelings for Spencer, and Trina says, the last thing Rory said to her was that he meant it when he told her that he loved her. She was planning to break up with him. Ava says, she can’t control how she feels. Choosing to tell him was brave of her. Trina says, it feels kind of the opposite, and Ava asks if she’s told Spencer about her feelings, but Trina says, God no, and she can’t now. Ava says, that’s probably for the best. Just for now. Trina is grieving, and needs to give herself time to heal. Trina says she can’t heal until Rory’s killer is caught. This has to end. Esme needs to be stopped.

Cyrus says he worries about Laura’s political future if her constituents think she interfered with Spencer’s sentence, but Laura says, he doesn’t give a damn about her political future, and he knows she had nothing to do with Spencer’s early release. Spencer told her that Cyrus was here with him when Victor picked him up. Obviously, Victor is the one who arranged for the early release. Cyrus says, the three of them know the truth, but they also know, in politics, appearances can be more damning than the facts. Martin says, so Cyrus thinks Victor is trying to frame Laura for this, and Cyrus says, Victor has a lot of sway in Pentenville. It’s obvious from the way he was able to meet with Spencer in the prison library. They also know Victor never gets his own hands dirty. One of his agents did the actual work to get Spencer’s release. This agent also works for Laura. He’s sorry to tell her, but there’s a mole in the mayor’s office. Martin says, along with the snake, and Cyrus says, as her brother, he feels it’s his duty to warn her that her Deputy Mayor is working for Victor.

Andre says, the research he was doing was for the WSB. It was only later he discovered it was corrupted by the Cassadines. Anna says, Victor and Helena, and Andre says, yes, as well as her old nemesis, Liesl Obrecht. Anna says she more interested in his interactions with the Cassadines, in particular Victor. He says he had to give the occasional progress report on his various dealings. Does she need him to be more specific? She says, not with the dealings, but the communication. Did they come to him, or did he go to them? Andre says, he went to them, always the same place, and Valentin asks Anna if he thinks Victor is using the same location. She says, the WSB never found that particular base of operations, and Victor has no reason to risk moving that location because no one really remembers it… except Andre. So where is it?

Spencer asks Victor why Elizabeth should run, and Victor says, regardless of what happened, Nikolas and Elizabeth are bound together, and Spencer should support them. Spencer says he hopes Elizabeth snaps out of whatever led her to this lamentable lapse in judgement, but regardless, his father is no longer his concern. Victor says, Nikolas is Spencer’s family. He can’t just walk away. Spencer says, why not? Nikolas doesn’t want anything to do with him. Victor says, that’s not true, and Spencer says, then tell him why, when he told Nikolas of his plans to leave, Nikolas didn’t say he was proud of Spencer for being his own man. Victor says he must have misunderstood, but Nikolas walks in, and says, Spencer is right. He thinks it’s best if Spencer leaves Windymere. Victor says, that’s a ludicrous thing to say, and Spencer suggests the two of them talk it out. It’s no longer his concern. He leaves, and Victor asks why Nikolas isn’t fighting for his son, and Nikolas says, Victor doesn’t understand. Victor says he understands more than Nikolas thinks. Does Nikolas imagine a new baby will really give him a second chance?

Esme hears someone coming and gets back in bed. Demetrius comes in, and says, she needs to eat, but she says she guesses she’s sad. He asks if she has any requests for dinner; anything. How about a steak? She asks if he trusts her with a knife, but he says he’ll bring it pre-cut. She says, whatever, and he says, he’ll have the chef prepare something special. She smiles, and says, he’s been so nice to her, but what she wants doesn’t matter. Nikolas has made that perfectly clear. He starts to leave, and she says, actually, there is something she’d like.

Anna says, where in Paris? and Andre says, the 11th. He can’t tell them exactly where. Unfortunately, he was blindfolded every time he was taken there. Anna says, of course (🍷), but maybe some detail, a sound he heard, and he says, the place was like a fortress, security everywhere. He can’t give them the exact location, but the route was always the same. He got the sense they turned off a main boulevard, not a side street. She says, that’s a good place start, and Andre asks what Victor has done now, and Anna says, they think… they hope that’s where Victor is holding Lucy Coe, because he faked Lucy’s murder, and then framed her for it. So any help Andre can give would be greatly appreciated. Andre asks if the WSB is looking for the space, but Anna says, no. They’re working on their own. Andre says, so the two of them are going to infiltrate Victor Cassadine’s top secret base by themselves? Valentin says, piece of cake.

Obrecht tells Britt that it wasn’t her intention, but Scotty was away, and she was left alone with her fears. Britt tells her, just spit it out, and Obrecht says she told Nina about Britt’s condition. Britt says she’d rather Obrecht didn’t, but Nina is family. Obrecht says, and Sonny. She’s so sorry. Britt says, Obrecht told Sonny her deepest most personal secret? and Obrecht says, not really. She told Nina, and Sonny just happened to be there. It’s been so difficult keeping this terrible secret. Britt says, it’s her secret, and Obrecht says, Britt is her daughter. No matter what kind of mother she was, the mother she is now can’t tolerate her suffering. For what it’s worth (🍷), they promised not to tell anyone. She asks if Britt hates her.

Demetrius says, whatever Esme wants, he’s certain the chef can provide it, and she says, steak medium rare does sound delicious. But what she really wants is some company. Is there any way he can join her for dinner?

Nikolas asks how Victor found out about the baby, and Victor says, Ava told him. Nikolas asks what she said, and Victor tells him, not only was Nikolas having an affair with Elizabeth, she was also about to furnish him with a new heir. Congratulations, by the way. Despite the circumstances, another Cassadine is always a blessing. Nikolas says, Elizabeth had a miscarriage. Ava must not have heard when she talked to Victor, but she knows now. Victor says he’s sorry to hear that, and Nikolas asks why he was talking to Ava in the first place.  

Ava says she understands how much Trina wants justice for Rory… Trina says, and Ava, and Diane, and Brando, and even Oz Haggerty. If it wasn’t for him, she might be in prison right now. Ava says she knows the police are doing everything they can to find this killer, whether it’s Esme or someone else, and Trina flashes back to hatching a plan with Spencer to catch Esme. Ava asks what she’s thinking, and Trina says, that she’s going to follow her heart, and do what’s right. Ava says, no doubt, when Spencer walks in. Ava says, just remember, while she’s following her heart, she should also protect it. Spencer walks over to their table, and says he’s glad he ran into Trina. She thanks him for being supportive at the memorial, and Ava says she should be on her way, but Spencer says, if Ava doesn’t mind waiting, he’d like to speak to her alone.

Laura says, if Eileen is working with Victor, why does Cyrus care? and Cyrus says, she already knew this. She’s using Ashby against Victor. That is a bold move. She says, he still hasn’t answered her question, and he says, if it becomes public knowledge that the Deputy Mayor arranged for Spencer’s release, Ashby could easily say she was acting on Laura’s behalf. Laura asks why that sounds like a threat, and Cyrus says, because she doesn’t trust him. It saddens him, but he understands. But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Martin says, Cyrus best get comfortable. He’s going to be waiting a long time. Cyrus promises it’s not a threat; it’s a warning. She asks why he would warn her, and he says he reached out because they’re family. Victor Cassadine interfered with his family, and he has no intention of turning the other cheek.

Valentin wonders if there are any specific defenses other than armed guards, and Andre says, they entered the building via secured elevator underground. Despite being in the center of the city, the place is like a bunker. Anna says, they’ve gotten into tougher places than that, and Valentin says, they have? She says, they’ve certainly gotten out of them. She figures getting in will be easier. Andre suggests he go with them. He might remember something when he’s in the general vicinity. Valentin thanks him, and says, he’s been very helpful as it is, but Andre says he wasn’t not asking Valentin, and asks if Anna can really trust this guy.

Britt says she knows Obrecht wouldn’t betray her trust on purpose, and Obrecht says she swears, it just spilled out. Britt says she’s sorry. She didn’t realize keeping her Huntington’s a secret was taking such a toll on Obrecht. Obrecht says, I am the mutter; you are mein kind. She realizes she wasn’t there for Britt as a child…  Britt says, oh, she was there, and Obrecht laughs, and says, Britt knows what she means. But she is here now. Britt says, still, she’s sorry for all the pain she caused, but Obrecht says, no. She’s the one who should be sorry. Any pain she’s feeling is worth it. It’s worth anything to have Britt as her daughter.  

Victor says, Ava wanted to discuss the terms of her divorce, and Nikolas says, with Victor? Victor says, after finding out Nikolas had strayed, not only with Esme, but Elizabeth as well, does Nikolas blame Ava for wanting to come to him for advice? Word of warning. Don’t give his soon-to-be ex-wife more ammunition. Ava is out for blood.

Spencer asks if Trina wouldn’t mind giving him and Ava a moment alone. Then he’d like to talk to her about Britt’s party. Ava asks, what about Britt’s party? and Spencer says, he’ll explain, if she’ll listen. Trina says she’ll check in with Joss, and leaves. Spencer sits down with Ava, and she says she assumes this is about the trust fund, but he says, it’s not about money. It’s about something entirely different. She says, if he’s expecting any help from her about Trina… but he says, this has nothing to do with Trina. She says, if it were up to her… He asks her to shut up. He’s trying to apologize.

Demetrius says he’s Esme’s guard; it wouldn’t be right. She says she understands. It’s just, she’s so lonely up here in this tower, and it’s New Year’s Eve. Her favorite New Year’s Eve memory is when Spencer surprised her with a romantic dinner; candles, a single rose adorning the table. It made her feel so special. He says, Mr. Cassadine would not like it, and she says, probably not, but it is his duty to guard her. What better way to ensure she’s eating than to be in the same room? They can enjoy a candlelit dinner. He doesn’t say anything, and she tells him that she understands. She knows that’s probably not how he’d choose to spend his evening, but he says, it’s not that. She asks if that means he’ll consider it, and he says he will. She thanks him, and says, he has no idea how much this means to her.

Ava says, Spencer wants to apologize to her? and he says, if she’ll ever let him get around to it. He put her through hell because she broke a promise to him. He thought she wasn’t good enough for his father, but it turns out, his father wasn’t the man Spencer thought he was. And he’s sorry, because he never should have targeted her. No one deserves to be put through what he put her through. He knows they’re not going to be friends, and she says, certainly not… Nikolas let us both down. So what is this about Britt’s party? He says, Trina is going with him. He figures it’s better than her sitting at home alone missing Rory. He just wants to help her get through this. Ava says, then he’ll have to be a much better man than his father. If he lets Trina down in any way… He says he knows. He’ll answer to her. She says, he’s got that right.

Nikolas says he knows Ava will never forgive him, and Victor says he thinks Elizabeth would make a better match for him than Ava. She seems to be more malleable. Nikolas says, clearly, Victor doesn’t know Elizabeth. She may have her vulnerabilities, but she’s no push over. Victor says, even better, and Nikolas says, all Victor needs to know is that he trusts her. Victor tells him, just don’t make the same mistake as he did with Ava. Don’t trust her with any Cassadine family secrets.

Britt says, she and Obrecht have come a long way. Yes, there have been nicer, warmer, and fuzzier mothers, but there’s no one like her. And she means that in the best way. There’s no one more fierce, more protective, more loyal, more brilliant, and hilarious, and extraordinary. To be here with her, to celebrate and mourn with her, to forgive and be forgiven by her, to evolve with her. It’s no surprise she’s always been so protective of her heart, because there’s no one Britt has ever met that feels as deeply and as passionately as Obrecht does. It is an honor and an adventure – she takes Obrecht’s hand – to be her daughter. It’s a thrill ride, and she’s so glad Obrecht is her mom. Obrecht says, and she’s so proud to be blessed with such a strong, acerbically witty, beautiful and brilliant daughter. Not only a doctor – just like her mutter – but Chief of Staff – also just like her mutter. Britt says, Co-Chief, and Obrecht says, only because Monica Quartermaine is an idiot. Britt says, Monica is a savvy and brilliant woman. And if Obrecht ever repeats that… Obrecht says, she could never, not without choking. Britt says, unfortunately, she won’t be able to do this job much longer, and Obrecht says, when Britt falters, she’ll be there to see that Britt soars again. That is her promise to Britt. Britt will not go through this alone. She’ll be by Britt’s side for everything. Britt says, ich liebe dich, and Obrecht says she loves Britt too.

Valentin says, Andre’s not questioning his motives, is he? and Andre says, he is a Cassadine. Helena used to talk about him all the time. He was the one person she really seemed afraid of. Valentin says, Andre is flattering him, but Andre says, not at all. He’s simply stating, he knows Valentin’s reputation. He knows how dangerous Valentin is. Valentin says, Andre has no idea, and Anna says, all right. Valentin’s dangerous. Andre’s dangerous. She’s dangerous. The three of them are threats to the common good, but they’re all trying to be better, aren’t they? She trusts Andre’s intel; she trusts Valentin with her life 

Laura says, so Cyrus wants to take Victor down? and Martin says, only one bully in the playground, right? Cyrus says he wants to protect his family. He will be an enemy to their enemies, and oppose those who oppose them, and Martin says he knew Cyrus would circle around to the Old Testament sooner or later. Laura asks if Cyrus is suggesting they work together, and Cyrus says he thinks they’re stronger together. He has resources she doesn’t; can do things she can’t. Laura says, he means, that she won’t, and he says, she’s a fair person. Doesn’t she think it’s fair that Victor pay for Luke Spencer’s death?

Alone with Valentin, Anna says, she told him that she vouches for Andre. Valentin says he doesn’t trust anyone who’s willing to get involved with the Cassadines. She asks if he wants to run that by her again, and he says, she knows what he means. He didn’t have any choice; he was born into this family. Tell him again why Andre is willing to help them. She says she’s sure he has a lot of reasons to hate the Cassadines. Besides, wouldn’t Valentin want to help someone who said they were going to bring down Victor? He says he would if it was her. He’d do it in a heartbeat.

Esme looks at the tree, and says, not very fancy, but oh so flammable. She tells Ace that she only needs one more thing to make her escape. And Demetrius is going to provide it.

Nikolas tells Victor, don’t worry. He’s not going to share any of his Cassadine secrets with Elizabeth. Victor says, good. Elizabeth may be a loyal friend, but she’s not family. Don’t let her too close. Nikolas says, that’s not going to happen, and Victor says, from now on, he thinks it’s best he deal with Ava in regards to the divorce. They seem to have developed a kind of rapport. Nikolas says, that’s fine by him. He has his hands full enough. Victor says, anything he can help with? and Nikolas says, he’s just trying to figure out the mess he’s made of his life. Victor says he knows it seems like Nikolas is on a long road right now, but from where he stands, it looks like Nikolas is headed in the right direction. Soon his marriage to Ava will be behind him. Nikolas says he can’t pretend to be happy about that, and Victor tells him, just remember, he’s meant for much better things… So is Ava.

Ava and Trina wish each other a happy New Year, and Ava tells Spencer to be good. She leaves, and Trina thanks Spencer for telling Ava about the party. She was working up to telling her. Spencer says, there’s no reason Trina should suffer Ava’s questions and judgement when he’s here to take the brunt. She says, how gallant, and he says, besides, the whole reason they’re doing this is to get people to talk. Wherever Esme is hiding out, she’ll be furious if she thinks they’re together. Unless of course (🍷), Trina’s changed her mind. Then he’ll go back to his original plan, and try to lure Esme out of hiding by himself. She says, no. We said we were going to do this together. He says, we? She’s the one who said that. He just knew better than to argue with her. She says, he’s finally learning, and he says, just so she knows he can handle it. She doesn’t have to help him. She says, yes, she does… even if it means pretending to enjoy his company, and he says, when Esme does come after them, they’ll be ready.

Britt comes out in an amazing black sparkly dress, and Obrecht says, she looks absolutely atemberaubend. Britt says, she looks underfed? and Obrecht says, no, atemberaubend – stunning. Britt says, Obrecht is right. She does, doesn’t she? Obrecht says she’s always right, especially when it comes to Britt’s beauty. She suggests they take a picture to remember the moment, but Britt says she doesn’t need a picture to remember. Obrecht says, come, and they stand together. Obrecht tells Britt, say happy birthday, they do, and Obrecht snaps the picture.

Cyrus says he’s offering Laura justice for the father of her children, but Laura says, he’s talking about vengeance. He says, what if he is? Isn’t she entitled to that as well? Martin asks, is it Deuteronomy or Romans where the Lord says, vengeance is Mine, and Cyrus says, both. Laura says she doesn’t think this is about justice or vengeance. She thinks Cyrus wants to use her to get rid of Victor. Cyrus says, the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still. Laura says, but vengeance isn’t his, because he’s not God. She and Martin get up, and Cyrus says he’s really enjoyed their little family reunion. Happy new year, sister. I’ll be right here when you need me.

Tomorrow, Finn tells Terry that he’d be the wrong guy to ask; Trina says she has something to clear up; Nikolas tells Laura, if she takes down Victor, she takes him down; and Britt says, happy birthday to me, and a shirtless waiter offers her a drink.

🏥 Confusing Exit…

Wow. Two radically different stories. This sounds more like backtracking, but who knows?

🍑 More Confusion…

This woman is becoming the NeNeCoaster. Five minutes ago, she was suing the network and accusing Andy of being racist, and now she wants back on the show? I just don’t get it.

🌬 Toxicity Be Gone…

But how is she going to avoid herself?

⚓️ Below Deck Begot…

Apparently, he’s redeemed himself since the Rocky days.

🎄 Not Done Yet…

I like to milk the holidays as long as possible.

https://people.com/celebrity/christmas-2022-how-stars-celebrated-photos/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/holidays-2022/

👶🏽 In With the New…

Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and music. Until then, stay safe, stay not feeling pressured to celebrate on New Year’s Eve, and stay remembering, while following your heart, you should also protect it.