Category Archives: real housewives

April 13, 2022 – Sonny Makes Phyllis an Offer, Rocking In the OC, Whose That Knocking & Money

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Charlie’s, Brando and Sasha look at their phones. He says, what about a place with its own dock? and she says she likes the sound of that. He says, they’re not imagining things, right? and she says she keeps pinching herself about how well Deception’s stock did with the IPO. He says she’s a very wealthy woman, and she says, what’s hers is his. They’re a team, which means they can live in the home of their dreams. He asks what she’s dreaming about, when Sonny comes by and says, there’s the happy couple. He and Brando shake hands, and Brando asks if Dante decked Sonny after he left. Sonny says, not Dante, but it’s not important. He just wants to congratulate Sasha on her marriage to his cousin, and say, welcome home. Phyllis comes out, and Sonny asks if she knows Brando and Sasha. She says, they’ve been to the pub a few times. Her staff appreciates the large tips they leave. Sonny says, Brando’s his cousin, and he and Sasha just got married, and Phyllis congratulates them. She tells them that their drinks are on the house. It’s always nice to see such a happy couple. Brando thanks her, and says, they appreciate it. Sasha says, they do, and Phyllis says, she heard they lost their son. They have her sincere condolences.

Dante and Sam walk into the MetroCourt, and Sam asks, why the change of venue? Pizza would have been fine. He says, it would have, but he wanted to do something special. Does she want to get a drink at the bar? She asks, why something special? and he says she asks a lot of questions. She says, that’s the detective in her, and he says he guesses neither one of them can hide anything. It’s the thing that makes them work. She says, one of the things, and kisses him.

At one of the tables, Nina sits with Britt, Scotty and Obrecht, and says she wishes Britt could have joined her at the spa for some pampering. Britt says she was working, and Obrecht says, she works too much. She needs to get out more. Britt declares tonight a rant-free zone. Let’s just enjoy our dinner. Scotty says, good, because he’s starving, and Obrecht says, it’s so nice to have a family dinner like this. It’s unfortunate Maxie couldn’t join them. At least two of her precious girls are with her. Scotty says, if they want a girls night out, he can just lickety split, but Obrecht says, he’s part of the family too. He’s not going anywhere. They kiss, and Ava runs over to the table. She says she’s glad she found Scotty. She needs him.

Cameron and Josslyn are studying at Cameron’s house, when Josslyn makes a frustrated sound. He says, she can’t concentrate? and she says she keeps thinking about that call with her RA. He says, they’re just looking out for her, and she says, asking if she feels safe rooming with Trina. Trina’s her best friend, and she did not secretly record them, and she did not post it. They should be more worried about Esme. He says, they have to find evidence that links her to the recording, so then Trina can accept all the apologies from everyone who’s been blaming her. Josslyn says, that does nothing to lessen the pain Trina’s been feeling.

Spencer goes into the gallery, calling for Ava, and sees Trina. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says, surprised to see that she still has a job? Unlike him, Ava knows she didn’t make that video of Joss and Cam, so here she is. He says, that’s not what he meant. He just didn’t know she’d be working tonight. He’s here to see Ava. She says she heard him asking for her, but Ava’s not here, so he can go. She starts to go back to her work, but he doesn’t move. She asks what he’s waiting for, and he says, her.

Cameron says he can see if Aiden has any award winning cookies left, and Josslyn says, award winning? He says, Aiden won a contest promoting National Carrot Day, and she says, National Carrot Day? He says, it’s a thing. Aiden won it by baking carrot ginger cookies. She says, it sounds weird, and he says he knows, but they were oddly delicious. Did she see his post about it? She says, no, and he says he’s sorry. He forgot she deleted social media. She says, that’s okay. She deleted all of her accounts; too many accounts just to block. The trolls were out in full force. He says, the internet will find something else to fixate on very soon, and she says, until Trina’s trial starts up again. Then the whole thing blows up. She can’t believe she’s saying those words – Trina’s trial. It’s insane that she’s been arrested. He says, she’d never do anything so hurtful, and Josslyn says, it has to be Esme. No doubt she’s confident that she’s pulled this off and covered her tracks, but she is not that smart. There has to be evidence tying her to the video. He says, they have to find it before it’s too late.

Esme comes into the living room, where Nikolas is watching the fire, and asks if Alexis left. He says, she did, and Esme says, Alexis doesn’t want her here, does she? He says, all that matters is what he wants (spoken like a true Cassadine), and he wants her to stay. She thanks him, and says, her hope is that she can help him and Spence heal their relationship. He says, they’re making progress, doesn’t she think? but she says she doesn’t think, she knows. Not that she’s surprised. The more time she spends with Nikolas, the more she realizes what a great father he is.

Sam and Dante clink beer glasses at the bar, and Sam asks what they’re really doing here. Not that she minds having the best night ever. He says, it was just a really tough day at work, and when he saw her, he remembered how lucky he is to have her in his life. He just wanted her to know that. She says, believe her, she knows that, and they kiss.

Ava says she’s sorry to interrupt, but she needs to borrow Scotty; just for a couple of moments. It’s important. Obrecht says, Ava is too late; Scotty is hers. Scotty says, that’s okay, my schnitzel. He’ll be quick. He steps away with Ava, and Obrecht says, it’s so wonderful to finally have found her soulmate. Nina and Britt are long overdue. At least Nina has someone… Nina makes a noise, and Obrecht says, that leaves her Britta. Any news from the matchmaker? Nina says, matchmaker?

Scotty asks if this is about Ava divorcing Nikolas again. He thought she was going to give Nikolas more than 24 hours. She says, this is about his son, and he asks what Spencer has to do with this. She says she doesn’t want Spencer at the gallery, so she’d like for Scotty to arrange for Spencer to do his restitution someplace else. Like picking up garbage or sweeping the streets; either would be good. He asks if this is about Trina, and she says, Trina has been through enough. She’s not going to let Spencer hurt Trina anymore.

Trina asks why Spencer is waiting for her, and he says he needs to know that she’s okay. She asks what he thinks. She was arrested for something she didn’t even do. She had an arraignment hearing, which he didn’t even bother to show up… He says he didn’t think she’d want him there, and she says she didn’t. And how could he possibly think that would be even close to okay? He says, sorry, poor word choice, and she says she guesses that would really affect someone who was vicious enough to post a sex tape, but despite what he thinks, that person wasn’t her. He tells her, stop.

Sasha tells Phyllis that she and Brando are planning a long life together. They’re looking for their first home. Sonny says, if they need any help, just ask. Since Deception did so well in the IPO, they’re not going to have any problems. He’s a happy investor himself. Good luck with their house hunting. He and Phyllis go to the bar, and he says, Phyllis feels bad for Brando and Sasha, doesn’t she? She says, mm-hm. You never get over losing a child, but at least Sasha and Brando have each other. They can focus on building a life together. He says, they seem to be doing good. So how’s everything going with her? She says, look around. Business is booming. He says, that’s not what he asked. He’s talking more like about Port Charles; How’s life? She says she’s amazed at how quickly it’s begun to feel like home, and he says, she doesn’t miss her friends in Nixon Falls? She says she does, but when she goes back to visit, they feel more like the past. Port Charles is her present. He says, that’s good, and she asks what he’s up to. He laughs, and says, actually, he has a favor to ask her.

Scotty tells Ava, the judge would have his head if he tries to change a court order of placement over a couple of teenagers fighting. She says, this is more than a fight; he knows that. Spencer told Trina that he believes she’s behind that revenge porn video. How can she be expected to work with him? He says, unless Trina has some concerns over this thing, Spencer has no legal connection to her case, and she says, except for the fact he keeps defending the enemy.

Nina says she gathers from Obrecht that Britt hasn’t been matched with her soulmate yet, and Britt says, sadly, soulmates are few and far between. Obrecht says, only because Britt has been dragging her feet, and Britt says she filled out the ten-page questionnaire. Now it’s up to Society Set-Ups. Nina says she’s sorry, but she can’t stay for dinner. She promised Phyllis that she’d stop by and see her. She tells Britt to be sure to call her when she meets Mr. Right, and Britt says, when hell freezes over. Nina leaves, and Obrecht says, this has been more than just a few moments. Where has Ava taken mein Scott?

Dante says, his day is definitely improving, and Sam says she’s glad her plan is working. He asks, what plan was that? and she says, to destress him. Does he want to talk about it? He says, some cases are just tougher than others, and she says, Trina Robinson? The new evidence that he asked the officer to email him, any ideas? He says he doesn’t know, and suggests they get a table. They get up, and Ava comes by. She asks for a word with Dante, and he says, sure. Sam says she’ll wait, and he goes with Ava to a private area. He asks what he can do for Ava, and she says, he can stop wasting time and resources on this ridiculous case against Trina.

Spencer tells Trina that he’s sorry, and asks if they can start over. Seeing her caught him by surprise, and he’s reacting inappropriately. She says, in more ways than one, and he says, putting aside everything that’s going on right now, he’s worried about his friend. She asks how he does that, and he says, does what? She says, ignore the fact that he accused her of betraying her best friends, then humiliating them in public. Does he really think they can talk as if none of that happened? He says he supposes not, and she says, but that’s just him closing his eyes to the truth. How else could he stay with Esme after everything she’s done?

Esme says, Spencer doesn’t now how lucky he is to have Nikolas as a father, and Nikolas says he’s made a lot of mistakes with his son. She says, despite everything, she still sees their father/son bond. It might weaken, but it can’t be broken. She often wonders what kind of bond she would have had with her birth parents, had they been alive to raise her, and he asks if she has any memories of them. She says, she was an infant when she was adopted. Then she lost her adoptive parents too. It was hard growing up without a mother. He says, he and Spencer would agree with her, and she says, it’s not as though her adoptive parents left her intentionally; their deaths were unexpected, tragic. But she can’t help feeling that her birth parents just threw her away. She’ll always wonder if she’ll be worthy of their love. He says, children don’t have to earn love. Besides, she doesn’t know why she was put up for adoption. Her parents could have desperately wanted her, but it wasn’t possible to keep her. She says, like his mother couldn’t be a part of his childhood?                             

Phyllis says she’ll do anything for Sonny if it’s in her power, and he says he knows, but she’s bearing the brunt of running this place. He hopes it hasn’t burdened her in any way. She tells him, don’t worry. She’s very happy here. He says, good, because it would help him a lot if she’d take Charlie’s off his hands.

Brando asks if Sasha is okay, and she says, why wouldn’t she be? He says he knows Phyllis’s mention of Liam upset her, and she says, Phyllis was just being kind. Besides, she doesn’t need a reminder of Liam. She thinks about him all the time. Brando says, him too, and she says, it was nice of Sonny to welcome her to the family. Brando invited him to the wedding reception, right? He says, he thought she was handling that, and she says, they discussed this… He says, don’t worry. He’ll make sure Sonny knows. He looks over at the bar, and says, maybe later. It looks like he’s a little busy right now.

Phyllis says, she’d love to own Charlie’s, but she can’t afford to buy it, and Sonny says, trust him. The price would be more than reasonable. How does a hundred dollars sound? She laughs, and tells him, don’t be absurd. He says he’d give it to her for free, but then the taxes would kill her. This place should be hers; she belongs here. She asks if this is misplaced guilt about the Tan-O burning down, and he says, it wouldn’t have happened if she and Lenny hadn’t taken him in. She says, Sonny… and he says, listen to him. She gave him a home. It’s the most beautiful thing anyone could do, and how does he repay that? He smacks the bar, and says, this is a start. Understand him? Phyllis nods, and Nina walks in.

Dante says he doesn’t know if Ava knows this, but he’s not the lead detective on Trina’s case. She says, he could still be the voice of reason, right? The Commissioner has lost her damn mind if she thanks Trina would make a sex tape of anybody, let alone her very best friends. Why haven’t the cops looked into Esme Prince? He says she knows he can’t talk about an ongoing investigation, and she says she’s so sick of the party line. He says, how about this one? They’re following the evidence. She suggests he follow the evidence that leads to Esme’s guilt, before Trina ends up in prison. She leaves, and Dante goes back to Sam, who says, sorry she left him without any back-up. He says, she kind of did, but really, they shouldn’t both have to deal with it. Sam says, she was out of line, and Dante says, yeah, but she was also right.

Obrecht says she hopes Scotty billed Ava for his time, but he says, as a lawyer, it’s never nine to five. He’s always got to be on call for his clients, especially the ones who pay so well. She says she finds his work ethic strangely sexy, and kisses him. Britt rolls her eyes, and says, gross.

Nikolas tells Esme, true. He didn’t meet his mother until he was a teenager. She says, Spence told her about it. She has to admit, it’s nice to talk to someone else who had a lonely childhood. He asks if she didn’t have adoptive brothers and sisters, and she says she did, but they were never close. After her adoptive parents died, the only one who cared about her was Nanny Maggie. Nikolas says, that’s someone, and asks if  they’re still in touch. She says, when she was sent away to boarding school, Maggie found another job, and they lost touch. He says, so Spencer never met her, and she says she’s afraid not, but they really would have liked one another. And Maggie would have liked the fact Esme found someone who really loved her, however briefly.

Spencer says, his situation with Esme is complicated, and Trina says, it was complicated when Spencer thought Esme was pregnant. Ava told her it was a false alarm. Congratulations on dodging another bullet, but he still thinks she’s guilty. She starts to walk away, and he says, she was drunk at the cabin, and she said she didn’t even know what happened. She says, she didn’t walk around with a burner phone in case she got mad at her friends and decided to tape them having sex. And then send out an email while they’re in the middle of class. In case he forgot, she was with him when they got the video. When he was at his mother’s grave. When he decided once again that the rules didn’t apply to him. When he decided to sneak out of prison. She lied to the Commissioner to cover for him. He asks if she’s told her lawyer that he’s her alibi.

Josslyn says she might as well be watching cat videos, and Cameron suggests they take a break. She asks what he has in mind, and he kisses her. She breaks away, and asks if he heard that. Someone’s here.

Nina goes over to Brando and Sasha’s table, and asks if they’re recovering from their exciting day. Sasha says, they’re trying to, and Nina says, it’s no small thing to take a company public. Brando says, his wife is an amazing woman, and Nina agrees. She asks if she’s complimented Sasha on her speech at the launch party, but Sasha says her speech wasn’t that great. Nina tells her, stop being so modest.

Phyllis says, Sonny does realize he’s physically giving her Charlie’s. The place is worth a lot of money. She doesn’t feel right accepting; she’s fine as manager. Nina joins them, and Phyllis says, help her out. Talk some sense into Sonny. He wants to give her Charlie’s. Sonny says he’s selling it to her for a hundred bucks, and Phyllis says, which is ludicrous. Nina says she thinks it’s a wonderful idea, and asks Phyllis to please tell her that she’ll accept Sonny’s offer.

Sam says she knew Dante didn’t think Trina should be charged, but he says, it doesn’t matter what he thinks. He can’t let his feelings get in the way; that’s the job. She says, his job is to serve justice, and he says, the problem with that is, sometimes the law and justice aren’t the same thing. That’s the tough part about being a cop. She says, a good cop, and he says he promises her, he’ll do everything in his power to make sure the right person is punished.

Scotty asks if Nina left, and Britt says, a while ago. He says he guesses he only has eyes for Obrecht, and Britt drains her glass. She says she’s going to get another drink. Does anyone want a refill? Scotty says, sure, and Obrecht suggests Britt flag down a waitress, but Britt is already gone.

Cameron tells Josslyn, he checked underneath every bed and checked in every closet. No one is in this house. He even checked the alarm; it’s still set. She says she must be losing her mind, hearing things that aren’t even there. He tells her not to beat herself up. That kiss just now… Was he moving too fast? She says she wanted him to kiss her. She wants them to be close in that way again. She just feels so exposed. She does feel safe around him, and she’s not going to let a horrible video get in between them. He says, it won’t, and his phone rings. He looks at it, and asks, why is she calling?

Phyllis says, they’re teaming up against her? and Nina says, selfishly, she wants Phyllis to take Sonny’s offer, because it means she’s agreeing to stay in Port Charles. Phyllis says, Sonny doesn’t have to give her this place to get her to stay, and Sonny says he doesn’t have to do anything. He just wants to give Phyllis what’s hers. Nina says, she deserves it, and Sonny asks if she’ll do it for him. Please?

Sasha says she knows she and Brando talked about a house, but do they really want property to maintain? Maybe they should think about a condo. He says, up until now, he’s only thought as far as them living together. He never imagined that… She says, that it would happen this soon? and he says, no, that money wouldn’t be an issue. Where did that come from? She says, they did get married in a hurry, and he says, when you know something’s right, you don’t waste time thinking about it. She says, is he sure that’s it, or did she push him into this? Did they only get married because she wanted to?

Ava goes home to Windymere, and says, Nikolas looks thoughtful. Anything he’d care to share? He says he was waiting for her. He was wondering if she was going to come home. She says, of course (🍷). This is her house. She’s not going to let Esme chase her out of it. Where is that little snake anyway? Has she slithered off somewhere other than Windymere? He says he hates to disappoint her, but Esme’s still here. They had an interesting conversation about her childhood. Ava asks what heart-rending tale of woe Esme spun, or better question, how much of it did he buy? He says he pretended to buy all of it, and she asks if that’s his strategy. Be a sympathetic ear so Esme will open up to him? He says, the more they know about her, the better, and Ava says she already knows more than she cares to know. He suggests they talk about something more pleasant. Why doesn’t he make her a drink? She says, no thank you. She’s going to bed. He takes her arm, and says, sounds good. He’ll join her.

Trina says, her alibi hasn’t come up yet, and he thanks her for not ratting him out, but she tells him, don’t relax yet. She’ll tell Scotty everything if that means she wins the case. She’s not going to prison for him. He says he doesn’t expect her to, and she asks if he’s changed his mind about her. Can he see that she’s telling the truth? He says, it’s hard to believe that she’d do that to Joss and Cam, and she says, so he believes Esme did it? He tells her, he didn’t say that, and she says, then who? Him? Because he was the only other person that was in the cabin. He says, it wasn’t him, and she asks, then what’s his theory? Some random hiker broke in without her, Joss, or Cam hearing anything? Without any sign of a break-in? Or maybe it was a Sasquatch. How far is he going to go to defend Esme? He says he’s not defending Esme. He’s doing this for Trina. Esme set her up. Trina asks, then why is he still with her? and he says he’s only pretending to stand by Esme until she slips up. Until he has evidence that she’s the one who filmed and posted that video of Joss and Cam. That she’s the one who’s guilty, and not Trina. She says, so him saying he believed Esme was just a pretense to trap her? and he says, that’s why he suggested she move into Windymere. She thinks it’s so she’ll stay safe from his Uncle Sonny, but really it’s so he can watch her and try to get evidence that she’s the one behind the video. Trina says, he’s doing this to help her. Why? He says, because he’s falling in love with her. He’s about to kiss her, and she says, what, Spencer? Esme got his tongue? Is he going to keep denying what’s right in front of his face? I assume that was his fantasy, not Trina’s.

On the phone, Cameron says, okay. Thank you for calling and telling me yourself. Josslyn asks what the director of Lila’s Kids wanted, and he says he can’t work at the daycare this summer. She says, he was going to be head counselor; he was so excited. He says he can’t be in charge of the kids with the tape still out there, and she says, this is so unfair. They did nothing wrong. It’s not their fault Esme recorded them and posted something. He says, still, damage is done, and she says, they were campers at Lila’s Kids; this is not fair. He says, no, it’s not, but the director’s not to blame; no one is. Josslyn says, Esme is. She’s going to get everything she wanted.

Esme opens a box, and takes out a stack of letters. She takes one out, and reads: Dear Esme, I was surprised to get your letter saying you’re going to the United States with Spencer. I hope he brings you all the happiness you deserve, but I have to ask if being in New York is wise. No good can come from any contact with your father. Please be careful. Love, Maggie.

Ava says she hopes Nikolas had the housekeeper make a up a guest bedroom for him, because she has no intention of moving out of the master suite, and she certainly has no intention of sharing a room with him. He tells her, we say a lot of things when we’re angry, and she asks if he thinks she didn’t mean it. He says he thinks they’re both passionate, volatile people. He thinks they both live in the moment, and they both say what’s on their minds. Which is why they’re so good together. She says, this isn’t foreplay. As long as Esme remains in this house, he’s going to need a lot of blankets, because his bed is going to be very cold. He says, even after the vow renewal ceremony? but she says, there isn’t going to be one.

Britt looks at her phone, and the email says, congratulations; she has 8 possible matches. She scrolls, and thinks, duck pin bowling? It’s competitive? Is this a man or a twelve year old? Next… Hmm, not bad… She likes that too… She laughs, and thinks, and has a sense of humor. Could it be?

Dante’s phone dings, and Sam doesn’t see him anywhere around, so she takes it out of his jacket pocket. She reads, one new email from Rory, and sees it’s regarding the forensics report Dante requested.

Phyllis says, they act like she’s doing them a favor, and Sonny says, she is. Phyllis asks if Nina knew about this, and Nina says, they just want to make her happy, because when she’s happy, they’re happy. Phyllis thanks Sonny for his very generous offer… She accepts. Nina hugs her, and Sonny says, thank you. Phyllis says, before the finalize the paperwork, she’s got to drop off a deposit in the night box. Sonny asks if Rolph doesn’t walk her to the bank, but she says, he had to leave early. Sonny says, she’s not walking alone to the bank, and calls Frank over. He asks Frank to walk Phyllis to the bank, and make sure nothing happens to her. Phyllis follows Frank out, and Sonny tells Nina that Scotty came to see him at Pozzulo’s. Scotty’s going to subpoena him to be a character witness for Nina at the visitation hearing. Nina says, there’s not going to be a subpoena. She’s going to talk to Scotty, and if there’s a subpoena, she’ll fire him. Sonny says, they’ll see how it goes. He asks if she wants a drink. On the house since she helped him convince Phyllis to take over the pub. She says she’s good, and it was lovely of him to do that.

Brando says, he married Sasha because he loves her. He wanted to make that commitment to be her husband. She says, and not just to make her happy? He says, her happiness is a priority to him for the rest of their lives, and she’d better get used to it. He’d do anything for her. He married her for them. They kiss.

Obrecht calls Dante over to the table, and he sighs loudly. He asks, what is it? and she says she demands he arrest Sonny Corinthos this instant. Dante says, what for? and she says, for threatening her beloved Scotty. Dante says, her beloved Scotty can go down to the station and file a complaint all by himself. Britt comes back to the table, and Scotty tells Dante, there’s no need to make it official. He’s just telling Dante, off the record, since Carly left Sonny, Dante just needs to corral his father.

Sam puts in Rocco as a passcode into Dante’s phone, and says, good thing she knows him.

Cameron asks what time Josslyn told her mom that she’d be home, and she says she’ll text and tell her mom not to worry. He says he thinks she should go; he’s not the best company right now. She says he doesn’t have to entertain her. She just wants to be with him. He says he wants to be with her too, but he has a history test tomorrow, and… She says, and he needs his beauty sleep. He promises to make it up to her, and she says she hates everything that’s happened. They need to prove that Esme’s responsible. He says, they will, and she kisses and hugs him.

Spencer says he wishes this wasn’t happening to Trina, but she can’t blame Esme for everything that goes wrong in her life. She tells him, get out, and pushes him, saying, get the hell out. He leaves, but pauses for a moment in the hallway.

Nikolas says, Ava wants to postpone the vow renewal? Can’t they work through this? She says, this is more than just a lover’s spat. The way she feels right now, any vow Nikolas made to her would be meaningless. She walks out.

Sam reads Rory’s email. Rory writes that it’s the Robinson forensics report Dante requested, and to let him know if Dante has any trouble opening it. Dante comes up behind Sam and asks what she’s doing.

Obrecht tells Britt that she’s sorry Scotty had to leave. His law practice keeps him so busy. Britt says she thought maybe he was running away from Dante, and Obrecht says, her Scotty runs away from nothing. Britt says, of course (🍷) not, and Obrecht says she’s sorry she and Scotty made Britt feel left out. Britt tells her, don’t lose sleep over it. She’s just glad Obrecht found love. Obrecht says, it’s a wonderful feeling. One she wants Britt to experience as well. She paid a fortune to that matchmaker. What’s taking them so long to find the intelligent and handsome man Britt deserves? Britt says, actually, she received some possible matches earlier, and Obrecht gets all excited, saying, really? She did? Britt says she’s still going through their profiles, and Obrecht says, perhaps she should go through them for Britt. A second set of eyes is always useful. Britt hands Obrecht her phone, says, knock yourself out, mutter, and leaves. Obrecht looks at the phone, and runs after Britt.

Brando asks Sonny to thank Phyllis for the drinks, and Sonny tells him and Sasha to have a good one. They leave, and Nina asks if it’s okay if she hangs around until Phyllis gets back. They haven’t really had a chance to connect. Sonny says, yeah, he’s going to stay there anyway, and wait for Frank and Phyllis to get back. Nina says she’ll lock up, but as she gets to the door, two masked gunman bust in, and say, don’t do anything stupid and you might live through this.

Tomorrow, Chase feels terrible that he let Brook down; Dante isn’t sure if he can trust Sam; and Sonny says, they can turn around and go, and this will all be over.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Still inflicting themselves on Aspen, Shannon told Heather that the others were still up at 4 am when she got up to get water. Heather said she was going into town, and would meet Shannon to go shopping. Shannon asked if Gina was coming, and we flashed back to the night before when Gina was pretty drunk. Gina told Emily that she should have listened to her gut, and in Gina’s interview, she said, yesterday after seeing the mine, they went on the ghost tour and she learned about tommyknockers. We saw a clip of the guide explaining these ghosts and how to placate them (see below), and Gina told Emily that she was going back to the mine and bringing a gift to fix this whole thing. In her interview, Gina said, it wasn’t her; it was the demons. They asked Landon and Chef Leigh to make up a basket for them with things like liquor and chocolate. In Emily’s interview, she said Gina didn’t want to take responsibility for being out of control, and was blaming it on evil spirits. Gina told Shannon what they were doing, and when she and Emily left, Landon said they were from Aspen, and never heard of such a thing. Apparently, it is a thing though.

Noella called Nancy, who said it was all good on her end, and Noella said there was mean girl bullsh*t going on, and it didn’t feel good. We flashed back to her argument with Heather, and in Noella’s interview, she said she had enough going on. She wasn’t adding Heather’s negative bullsh*t to it. She was taking time out. Nancy said, if they couldn’t be nice knowing Noella’s father just died, forget them. Emily and Gina went back to the mine, and Gina placed the basket several feet inside, and said they were sorry. She did not give them permission to take up residency inside her or her soul. She wished them well and said she was sorry again. When they left, she told Emily that she felt good about it, and in Emily’s interview, she said, as an attorney, she liked contracts. If Gina wanted to have one with the tommyknockers, she was all for it. Let’s make this legal.

Noella met with wellness coach Betty, and told Betty that she’d just lost her father. Betty said the minerals from the mine held energy. Everything had a different frequency vibrations. The more they were grounded, the more they connected with everything. On the way back from the mine, Emily said, Gina had to work things out with Shannon, and Gina admitted she might have taken some things out on Shannon. In Gina’s interview, she said she’d known Shannon for five years, but Shannon had yet to treat her like an equal. Shannon had known Noella for five minutes, and now could say she was the one helping her. All Shannon was concerned with in regard to friendships was getting praise. Emily said Gina and Shannon needed to sit down and have a real conversation; work it out. Gina said Shannon made her a worse version of herself. They went to the shopping area in town, and saw a giant bear statue. With Shannon’s face superimposed over it, Gina told bear Shannon to stop calling her arrogant. Bear Shannon should be sticking up for her and being a good friend.

Betty said she was getting to Noella’s root chakras. May Noella feel grounded in every step, and know her place in this earth. In Noella’s interview, she said she’d shed lot of dead weight in Aspen, but she was still in the mourning process. Betty said, may Noella have the ability to create and digest emotion and external influence, to know what’s hers and what’s others. In her interview, Noella said she was on the path to healing. Jen and Heather headed for some shopping, and Heather talked about the sky getting pink before it snowed. They met up with Gina and Emily, and Gina said she was upset about the sh*t with Shannon. Emily said she thought Gina was hurt that Shannon cared more about Noella, when she didn’t get the same thing from Shannon. Gina said it bothered her, and Shannon walked in. Gina asked if they could talk privately, and told Shannon that last night wasn’t indicative of who she was. She was lashing out, and not addressing issues she had with Shannon telling people she was arrogant. Shannon said Gina had overcome a lot of obstacles, and was launching her business. It was amazing, but there was a line between confidence and arrogance. Gina had made certain comments that were on the mean side, like asking if Shannon even had any friends. Gina said, Shannon was the one who said she had no friends. The others completely ignored them, and focused on looking for expensive accessories, and Heather picking out a leather jacket. Shannon said, Gina didn’t own what she did, and Gina said she was never included when Shannon talked about her core friend group; it hurt her feelings. Shannon said she’d done things for Gina that she hadn’t done for anyone else, and she never said she had no friends. How dare Gina? When Gina was single, she invited Gina out with her friends all the time, and now she suddenly had no friends? The overall theme was, Gina hadn’t made the effort, and never reached out to her. Gina said she was trying more with Shannon than anyone else. In Heather’s interview, she said she was glad they were getting it out, but she figured the more they purchased, the less irritated the staff would be by the yelling and the spectacle. Gina said Shannon wasn’t answering her texts, yet said she was the one not making an effort. Shannon said she didn’t respond to one text because she was stressing out getting a lunch ready, and in Shannon’s interview, she said she wasn’t a punching bag. She was doing the best she could, and thought she did a decent job of being a friend. Gina got out her phone, and pointed out two texts Shannon hadn’t responded to. In her interview, Shannon said, big evidence. Two times. Shannon said she didn’t know as Gina wanted to get along with her, and Emily said she thought Gina was hurt by Shannon being so invested in Noella and her well-being, when the same effort wasn’t put into Gina. Shannon said, when Gina was going through a hard time, she couldn’t be there because a nasty divorce had consumed her. When she met Noella met, she wanted to be supportive. When bad things happened, she wanted to be there for someone. Gina said she didn’t feel like Shannon wanted to be her friend, and Shannon said she felt horrible that Gina felt that way. She didn’t want to fight. They hugged it out, and Shannon said she cared about Gina, and was sorry for anything done to hurt her. It was the last thing she wanted to do. In her interview, Gina said she hoped her friendship with Shannon was never the same after this, but it was better. It was like remodeling. You had to tear everything down and start over.  

There was a big to-do about Shannon having a splinter, and when that was over with, Noella told Shannon that she thought it was time for her to take her rings off. She asked Shannon to do it with her, and Shannon asked if she was sure. In Noella’s interview, she said she knew what it signified, and Shannon was a great friend. She told Shannon that there was so much unknown, and Shannon said, God had a plan. This wasn’t the right relationship for Noella, but she had a beautiful son. She’d look back later, and thank God this happened, or she wouldn’t be where she was today. It was a bit of a struggle to get the rings off, but eventually, it happened, and Noella said, they put up a good fight. They left for dinner, and in Emily’s interview, she said she had high hopes for their last night in Aspen. She thought it was important to focus on rebuilding and creating cohesion, not tearing each other down.

They went to the French Alpine Bistro, which confused me by playing German music. In Heather’s interview, she wondered how she was seated across from Noella. Noella told the sommelier about how she was going through a divorce, and when she was angry, ordered expensive wine. In her interview, Heather asked, what vintage do you suggest for misery? Shannon said she was excited for her Rack and Roll party. She wanted them to embrace the theme, and channel their inner rock stars. In Shannon’s interview, she said she made a great rib and liked rock and roll. They toasted to rock and roll, and Emily asked them to tell something they’d learned about someone that they didn’t know before. Shannon said Noella had taken off her rings, which meant she was ready to move on. Noella said she came to mourn the death of her father and her marriage, and wanted to go back to the OC fresh. Heather said she enjoyed seeing how Emily prioritized her life based on her kids, and Emily said it was the best compliment she could ever get. Noella said, it was the hardest job in the world, and gave everyone compliments. She said she was happy to have Heather in her friendzone, and in Heather’s interview, she said, if Noella wants to be friends with her, don’t lie about her. In Noella’s interview, she said, if the only way to have a good night was to kiss Heather’s ass – the waiter came over to their table and said a regular wanted to buy them a round of shots – now can they please have fun? There was drinking and dancing, and in Emily’s interview, she said, at the end of the day, they were moving forward, and that’s what it was all about. They toasted to Aspen.  

Mr. Puppers! Noella told friend Keni that she just wanted to be in a new house and rebuild. Keni said she knew Noella would manifest her perfect home. Emily was preparing to do the wedding photo thing, and invited Gina to come. They drank champagne as Emily got her makeup done, and in Emily’s interview, she said, it wasn’t a vow renewal or a wedding – we flashed back to her saying how they got married on the fly and had no photos – but it was a celebration of their marriage, their love, and how far they’d come. Gina said she could tell when Emily and Shane were having a rough time, and we flashed back to that. Gina told Emily, it was nice to know that they’d done the work. They deserved to celebrate. Emily was zipped into her gown, and put on some very expensive borrowed jewelry. Shane and the boys waited at the bottom of the outside staircase, and Annabelle joined them, everybody all dressed up. Emily came down the stairs to Canon in D Major, otherwise known as the main theme from Ordinary People. In her interview, she said, for her to walk down and see her husband and three children was huge for her. She never thought it could be possible. Everything she wanted in life came true. It was like a fairytale. Shane said she was missing something, and opened a jewelry box, showing her an engagement ring. She said, are you serious? and he said, no, closing the box, but then put it on her finger. In Emily’s interview, she said, Shane didn’t really propose, and we flashed back to her telling the women that it happened over Google chat. She said, there had been no engagement ring, and although Shane had given her a wedding ring, she hadn’t found it for three years. He told her it wasn’t over yet, and put a wedding ring over the engagement ring. He said, and ten years was a big deal for her. Then there was eleven, twelve, and thirteen. He added an anniversary band, and in her interview, Emily said she knew Shane had a hard façade, but this was a testament to how romantic and how he did love her. They took pictures, and Gina said they nailed it.   

Shannon got ready for her party, with core friends Dana and Lisa helping. Noella tried to figure out how to set a guitar on fire, and everyone got ready. Heather and Terry had a private kiki beforehand, and Heather said, Shannon was out of her mind. She had the idea they should form a band. She thought they’d just show up and learn a song in 30 seconds. On the flight home, Shannon told her that they were going to form a band, and she said, but Shannon had no song, no musical instruments, and Heather didn’t think anyone in the group had musical talent. What’s the plan? Shannon said she needed Heather’s help, so Heather called Richard Marx, who had a track from a song Heather and Daisy Fuentes had written. We saw clips of the different women doing their bit, and Heather told Terry that they were going to perform it at the party.  

Shannon got laced into her outfit, and everyone trickled in; Noella Hendrix, Emilectra, Gwina Stefani, Fancy Spice, and Thunder Storms. The last one to come in was Doctor Baywatch, who said she wasn’t a rocker, but was virally linked to one. They sat down for dinner, and in Shannon’s interview, she said she’d cooked the ribs all day in apple cider to point of perfection. Maybe she should put a pin in that. In Jen’s interview, she said she had a message she needed to share. Even though Ryne might hate it, the group needed to know, and he needed to hear it.

Jen tells everyone, the time before the last time they got together, she’d been in an emotional state. She didn’t show her emotions often, and thanked everybody for helping her. She usually didn’t reach out, but they lent a hand, and she was happy for the future. Shannon said she was in one of the most blessed places she’d ever been in her life, and was grateful. It was only going to get better. Everyone applauded, and in Shannon’s interview, she said, God had a plan. She had three thriving kids, and someone by her side who she was in love with. There was so much good in her life, she wasn’t focusing on anything but the positive. Heather said, her friends were a great blessing, and in her interview, she said, life was short and unpredictable. She wasn’t perfect, and had made mistakes, but she knew the people in her circle were worthy, and she was proud to call them her friends. Shannon told the women that they were taking half a shot, and then going on stage. In Noella’s interview, she said, it had been a year of change, and from that, rebirth and regrowth. As much as love was important, she thought it was better for her not to focus on sex and relationships, but give love to herself. They got onstage, and Shannon yelled, to OC Realz! the name of their band. She told the crowd that it was their first performance, and Heather thanked Richard Marx and Daisy Fuentes. The song was called Whatever I Want, and it wasn’t awful. It was better than Good As Gold, but I have the feeling there was some autotuning going on.  

This was the finale, and the text went this way. Shannon and John were buying a boat, but Gina was still not in the core friend group, which remained at four. Noella was dating a younger man who she thought was her twin flame. She’d gotten a new house, but had no sex dungeon… yet. Jen’s home was on the market. She and Ryne had separated for over a month, but were looking for a fresh start in a new house. I wondered why Mr. Puppers didn’t get an update. Emily had been in touch with her father, and thought of bringing the kids to meet him. She was still involved in fundraising for the California Innocence Project, but others said she was still guilty of stirring the pot. Gina had brought Travis on a tour of her hometown in Long Island, and they were saving up to buy a bigger house – one that could hold her overinflated ego. Heather and Terry celebrated the 25th anniversary of their first date, and were planning a party for the twins’ graduation. Sushi would not be served.   

Next time, the Reunion.

👻 About Those Ghosts…

A bit more complex than what the tour guide said, but that was the gist of it, despite Landon’s skepticism.

🙏🏽 Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep…

Hope to see you tomorrow for some soap and a flip of the coin. Until then, stay safe, stay humanitarian, and stay knowing that sometimes relationships are like remodeling. You have to tear everything down and start over.

April 12, 2022 – Preemption Junction, Princess Tale, Possible Match, Teresa Embarrasses New Jersey In Nashville, History Of the Banned & Raining

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

No GH today, but funny thing, they didn’t break into the rerun once. It was Peter and Maxie’s wedding interruptus, where Obrecht brought a video of Alex admitting she was Peter’s mother.

💎 Icy Refresher…

In case you forgot or didn’t know in the first place.

💘 Not Alone…

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thought of a Rory/Trina match.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

The big move was happening for Teresa and her girls. All of their houses are so massive, it’s ridiculous. Unless you literally have ten kids, I don’t see the point of needing roller skates to get to the bathroom. Frank and the kids were moving in together as well, and in Dolores’s interview, she said, the kids had never lived with Frank. She’d laid the ground rule of no ho’s, and was hopeful, but everyone had to be respectful. Frank was surprised to find his daughter had a pet chinchilla, with the not very original name of Chinchy. The trip to Nashville was coming up, and Traci’s realtor friend had gotten them a house to stay in. Traci said it was stressful with everyone staying in the same house, because Marge and Teresa had issues. Dolores insisted that Teresa would be in a good place because Luis was coming with her. Like that’s a guarantee.

In Teresa’s interview, she said they’d done renovations since they’d bought the house. She was excited for the girls to see their new home. She choked up, talking about Nono in the kitchen, and in her interview, she said it was bittersweet. We flashed back to the housewarming, and she said they had lots of beautiful memories. She told Gia that they were ready for a fresh new start, and told them all to make sure to label the boxes. Take it from me, she’s not wrong. We flashed back one last time to various memories in the house, and Teresa turned out the lights.

Melissa thought getting away would help Teresa chill. Teresa whined that Marge was always talking about Luis, and it was getting old. Luis had been amazing. Luis met them at the new house, which was just as gigantic as the old one. In Teresa’s interview, she said Luis had two sons. One was 20 and lived with Luis’s ex, but the younger one, Luis Jr. was going to live with them. She hoped he’d love living with the girls. In this case, maybe’s it’s good the house is the size of a small country. I can’t imagine he’ll be thrilled to suddenly be living with several teenage girls. Teresa said she’d been a single mom for five years. Both she and Luis had been on their own for a while, and it was going to be amazing doing it together. In Gia’s interview, she said, it wasn’t easy leaving her childhood home, but it was nice to see her mom in love and happy. She thought as time went on, they’d enjoy their new home. Luis said he had a surprise, and they went outside, Teresa pointing out the meditation area. He said, Teresa deserved for everything to be perfect, and uncovered a paving stone with sempre insieme (together forever) on it. He said it was for her parents, and we flashed back to the memorial service. In her interview, Teresa said, Luis saw her family as his, and her daughters felt that. They were going to fill their new home with love.

Everyone packed for the trip, and Melissa thought Nashville was somewhere in the west. In Jackie’s interview, she said, she and Evan had celebrated their ten year anniversary there, but it was going to be a different experience this time. She was apprehensive about all the tension. Marge told Joe #3 that she wasn’t going to let Teresa treat her like sh*t. The fact that Luis’s name was being dragged on social media was reason to be concerned. Dolores told Frank, there were things you don’t touch on, but Frank thought Teresa should be more understanding. Switzerland Dolores said, they should understand each other. Teresa told Luis that she didn’t want negative energy around. Marge could apologize or go f*** herself. Jackie told Evan that Marge was one of her best friends, but she had to be careful where Teresa was concerned. The stress could cause a chain reaction; the last time, she couldn’t eat because she was so upset. Melissa told Joe #2 that she prayed Marge was smart enough not to dig in about Luis. She didn’t know why Teresa couldn’t get along with any of her friends; it put Melissa in a spot. Joe said he didn’t care who was fighting, as long as it wasn’t Melissa and Teresa.

Marge told Joe #3 that she’d say hi to Teresa, even though Teresa was an a-hole. She wasn’t starting off on a bad foot. That’s the second time I’ve heard that this week, but isn’t it the wrong foot? In Teresa’s interview, she said she couldn’t stand the sight of Marge, and Marge was full of sh*t. On the way there, Traci asked what state Nashville was in. Did anyone go to school??? Melissa said she was tired from Antonia’s Sweet 16, and we saw a clip of that. Joe #2 wanted everyone to get along. He wanted a lot. In the other limo van, Teresa whined that Marge started it, and she didn’t want to talk to her. She told Dolores that she wasn’t intimidated. They arrived at yet one more enormous house, where they were met with a fabulous spread. The agent told them to go to Nashville Underground, where they had a mechanical bull. Marge thought they should put names in a hat for choosing rooms, but Dolores said she’d promised Teresa and Luis the master. In Melissa’s interview, she said, it was just tacky to demand a room. In Joe #2’s interview, he said the women sounded like a group of chihuahuas barking. The guys all went to the backyard, where they discovered a ground level trampoline. The women picked rooms, while the guys goofed off, then gravitated to the indoor basketball court.

Teresa asked if Jackie was okay, since she hadn’t seemed too talkative, and in Jackie’s interview, she said, not only had Teresa been digging around about her husband, she’d been going hard for Marge for months. She was scared to say anything, since Teresa had been vicious to her in the past. Here’s where it got complicated, unless you’re Teresa. Teresa told the other women that whenever a certain blogger came out with something big about Luis, Marge talked about it. In her interview, she said she believed in her gut that Marge was running her mouth, and told the women that Marge was telling the blogger what to write. Everyone was like, no, and Jackie said Teresa was going into a spiral. Get the love bubble back. Jackie told Marge that Teresa was on fire, and Marge said Teresa was a nutcase. In Marge’s interview, she said, Teresa mentioned this before, and we flashed back to Teresa insisting Marge must be talking to Luis’s exes. Marge said, at the time, she thought it was just nonsense, but now Teresa as spreading rumors as facts. That was her M.O.; rumors are now facts. Teresa and Luis talked smack about Marge, and agreed Marge knew what she was doing. Marge told Joe #3 that Teresa said she was making up sh*t about Luis, and now she was pissed off.

Bill arrived late, and in Frank’s interview, he said, it was great to see the Wolf Pack reunited. It hadn’t been the same without Bill. He hoped the girls would take a page out of their book, and stop with the nonsense. Another one who wants a lot. The headed out to Nashville Underground in the two limo vans.

It looked like a really cool place, and Dolores told them, they say it’s the best barbecue in the world, but I know some Oklahomans who would beg to differ. The poor mechanical bull looked like it had seen better days. They lined up to ride it, and Melissa said, being a Jersey girl, she had to take her hoops off. In Dolores’s interview, she said she knew her place in this world, and it was not on that bull. This – she indicated herself – is expensive. All of it. Frank stayed on 6.34 seconds, but Joe #2 beat him at 12.11. In her interview, Melissa said, it was the first time her husband was proud of riding something for 12 seconds. Tiki was the winner, at 14.87, and in Jennifer’s interview, she said, she enjoyed riding him… watching him ride the bull. They ordered drinks and food, and Melissa said she thought they should go to a recording studio and make their own song for fun. We heard On Display, and in Melissa’s interview, she said she wasn’t missing her chance. Teresa refused to go if Marge was going, and Traci was like, WTF? They did a shot, and Marge joked that she knew everyone everywhere. This prompted Teresa to say, Marge talked to everybody, and Marge said she heard Teresa claimed she’d spread rumors to bloggers. How would she have any information on Luis? Teresa said, Marge had been talking to people in Luis’s past, inserting herself, and Marge asked how she’d know who they were. Since Teresa had nothing, she said, maybe they’d contacted Marge, since Marge knows everyone. In Marge’s interview, she wondered where this was coming from. She’d always defended Teresa, and now Teresa was spinning the story, trying to hurt her. Marge told Teresa not to spread rumors, but Teresa insisted it was true. Marge said Teresa was a sick, disgusting liar, and Teresa went nuts; screaming and cursing, and throwing everything off the table. Luis hustled her out, and Marge reminded her that she was still on parole. Teresa called Marge white trash, which was ironic considering Teresa’s behavior, and told Marge to stay out of her face, which was idiotic, since by now Teresa was in the next room. Frank wondered what happened, and Marge said she called Teresa a sick, disgusting liar. In Jackie’s interview, she said she felt bad for Marge. All she did was ask a few questions. In Frank’s interview, he was once again the voice of reason, and said, it was Teresa who came after Marge. Teresa cursed all the way down the stairs, and back at the table, Dolores said she was going with them. Marge said she was going to be upset if Dolores did, and Dolores said she wasn’t choosing sides; they’d come together. Marge said Dolores was one of her best friends, and in Jackie’s interview, she said, Dolores would defend Teresa no matter what, but was nowhere to be found when it came to having anyone else’s back. Frank convinced Dolores that they were the hosts, and Marge said Teresa was a thug and an animal. Downstairs at the bar, proving Marge’s point, Teresa said Marge needed to be taught a lesson. She was going to beat the crap out of that bitch. She picked the wrong girl and was a white trash c-word. A word, I might add, that’s used a little too freely among the Housewives these days.

Teresa stampeded back up the stairs, and Marge told her to stay away. Teresa yelled some more, threatening and cursing at Marge. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she didn’t condone Teresa’s behavior, but Teresa was a close friend. Maybe she could be the calming voice of reason. Somehow, they got Teresa back to the van, and she said she was done with Marge. Marge was a thirsty, disgusting, vile person. Luis asked why Teresa threw things at her, and Teresa said she wanted to smash the table in Marge’s face. Melissa said Teresa was acting crazy, and in her interview, she said she felt bad for Marge, but if she didn’t leave with her sister-in-law, she’d never hear the end of it. Back at the table, things had been cleaned up, and they sat down to eat. Traci said she was mortified, and Marge said, there was no coming back from something like that. Dolores said, Marge didn’t have to express the way she felt about Luis when she knew Teresa wouldn’t take it well. Teresa was a big girl, and could handle herself. In Dolores’s interview, she said, you didn’t tell Teresa what to do or when to do it, totally ignoring the fact that every single time, it’s been Teresa who has brought it up. In the van, Teresa said it started with Marge talking about her boyfriend all the time. They got back to the house, and Melissa suggested they go to bed before the others got home. Teresa said Marge needed to stay the f*** away from her. When she was done, she was done. She and Luis were going to a hotel.

Marge said she hoped things worked out for Luis and Teresa, but at the end of the day, if it was so great, she wouldn’t act that way. Teresa couldn’t hold her composure. Marge got a text, saying, Teresa and Luis were staying at a hotel. At the house, Joe #2 went to bed fully clothed, saying he didn’t even want to changed. He was stressed out. Teresa and Luis left for the hotel.  

Next time, the guys go out for a day of fun; the women go to the music studio; Teresa says, Marge should be ashamed; and at dinner, Teresa tells Melissa to tell Marge, STFU.

🚫 Other Banishments…

Those banned, but not forgotten.

https://ew.com/movies/everyone-banned-oscars-academy/

👋🏽 Ciao For Now…

Hopefully, GH returns tomorrow, and I’ll also be visiting the OC, if you’d care to join me. Until then, stay safe, stay reasonable, and stay not letting rumors are now facts be your M.O.

April 8, 2022 – The Ice Princess Is Found, Soap History, Co-Star Chat, Jill Whines, Teresazilla, Joining In, Unsure, Caroline In Dubai, Shah Bummer, Pets (!), a Heptad Of Quotes & Anything

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jennifer says she guesses she’ll have to dry herself off, as Valentin fiddles with the safe one more time. She says she’s going to slip into something he can easily slip her out of. He finally gets it open and she asks if they should order champagne. He says, voila! Absolutement. Champagne is a necessity; he’s parched. She says she can quench his thirst, and comes out  She asks what he thinks he’s doing, and he says he dropped this, showing her his phone. She says, he seems flustered, but he says he doesn’t want her thinking he cannot handle delicate objects. She says, what if she has her doubts, and he says, then he would prove her wrong, and kisses her.

Anna is at the tiki bar, when Felicia comes along, and asks if she’s seen anything of note. Anna says, Felicia looks like she just stepped out of The Real Housewives of Port Charles, and Felicia says, can Anna believe they wanted her for that show? Anna says, it’s not too late to call the producer. She can step in for Felicia at the auction. Felicia says, they’ve been over this. There are bound to be a few ex-spies here, bidding for the Ice Princess and providing security. Anna is too recognizable. Anna says, and Felicia’s not, and Felicia says, Luke was her friend, and don’t forget, she’s descended from royalty. Anna says, a shame she couldn’t wear some of that Aztec jewelry, but Felicia says, don’t worry. She can still convince people that she has the funds to bid on the Ice Princess. Anna says, they’ll play it Felicia’s way; she’ll just sit on the sidelines. She hopes this whole black market thing pans out, and they find Luke’s killer. She really wants to prove Victor’s behind all this.

Harmony looks at the text on her phone: It’s Brendon. We meet or next I call your daughter. Willow asks if something is wrong, but Harmony says, no, nothing. Willow says, she’s looking at the text like she’s seen a ghost, and Harmony says, she thought she’d blocked it already. There; deleted. Harmony’s phone dings again, and Willow asks if it’s the same person. It’s another text from Brandon: I think Willow may be very interested in what I have to say. Then I call her real mother.

On the phone, Nina tells Scotty, about dinner. She wanted to run some things by him regarding the petition for visitation with Wiley. She wants to do it before Britt and Aunt Liesl get back. He says, no can do. He has to run a few errands for her case. She says, what errands? and he walks into Pozzulo’s. He says he has to get his ducks in a row. Goodbye.

Marshall says, he takes it Trina and her friend are still on good terms, and she says, absolutely. Joss has her back. Portia comes in yelling that she said, no comment. And get off her property or she’ll have them arrested for trespassing. We hear the click of cameras, but I wonder, do cameras still make that sound in 2022? She sees Marshall and Trina, and says, that looks good. Did Trina make Marshall one of those mango smoothies she loves? Trina asks if the reporters are still out there, but Portia says, they’re leaving; don’t even give it a second thought. Is Curtis upstairs with Aunt Stella? Marshall says, Stella is sleeping. Curtis took off for The Savoy. Portia says, really? After everything that just happened to Aunt Stella, it must be something big for him to leave now.

N’neka says, they’re all set; how about Curtis? Curtis is staring off into space, and she asks if he’s okay. He says, it’s just been a long day, when Selena walks in and says, the day’s almost over, and the night is rife with opportunity.

Valentin says, my love, the champagne, and Jennifer says, they don’t need champagne. He says, she’s speaking to a Frenchman. There will always be a need for champagne. It will make their moment together so much sweeter. She says she doesn’t like to wait, and he says, all good things come to those who wait, and makes a call.

Felicia says, while Anna was scoping out the hotel, she was observing the clientele. Anna asks if she found anything, and Felicia says, that bartender, Kai, said there were some potential buyers on site. He overheard this dark-haired woman talking about the auction. Apparently, she was so engrossed in her phone call, she didn’t even know he was listening. Anna asks if he got a name, but Felicia says, negative, but he did see her getting friendly with a mustachioed Frenchman. Anna laughs, and says, okay. She sees a man walking nearby, says, oh bloody hell, and ducks. Felicia says, what? and Anna says she knows that man.

Harmony puts her phone in her bag, and tells Willow, it’s Spring Ridge, and they want to change her schedule, so she needs to call them, but she and Willow will talk later. They hug, and Harmony says she loves Willow so much, and jets. Michael passes her coming in, and asks Willow, what’s that about? Willow tells him, Harmony said it was work, but she hopes everything is okay. She gets the feeling there’s something her mother isn’t telling her.

In the elevator, Harmony’s phone rings, and she answers, saying, stop calling. Stop texting. She’ll meet him. Just tell her where and when.

Marshall thanks Trina for the smoothie and the conversation. It’s been great getting to know her. She says, him too, and tells him to have a good night. She goes over to the fireplace, and Marshall tells Portia, on second thought, he’d like to hang out here a little longer. In case Curtis comes back. If it’s all right with her. She says, of course (🍷). He’s more than welcome. She’s going to check on Stella. She goes upstairs, and Marshall says he’s sure glad Stella’s okay. Trina says, her too. She’s glad it wasn’t another stroke or something. He says, thankfully it wasn’t anything more serious, and she asks if he’s ever had a panic attack. He says, yeah. It’s scary in the moment, but it’s no big deal. Trina says, Stella must be feeling so much stress, and having reporters around can’t be good for her. He says, she doesn’t think she had anything to do with Stella’s panic attack, does she?

Scotty says he comes in peace, and Sonny says, Frank, holding up his hand. Frank heads for the door, and Scotty suggests he go do some squats. Sonny says, well, this is an unwelcome surprise. What can he do for Scotty? Scotty says he thought he’d do Sonny a favor, since he pulled the rug out from under Sonny in Pennsylvania at Nina’s hearing. Sonny says he hasn’t forgot that, and Scotty says, she’s filed a petition with the court for visitation with Wiley. Sonny says, Nina already told him; is that it? Scotty says, no. He’s going to call Sonny as a character reference for Nina.

N’neka tells Selena, sorry, they’re not open just yet, but Curtis says, it’s okay. He’s got this covered. In fact, he’s expecting a delivery any minute. Can N’neka meet them out back? N’neka says, yeah, and leaves. Selena says she was glad to hear Curtis wanted to revisit her proposition. Just so they’re clear on the terms, he provides her with the use of his back room for a high stakes poker game twice a month; she provides her players with a credible venue; and he avails himself of their lucrative connections – all above board. Curtis says, so she claims, and she says, she’s not naïve, and since he expressed his disinterest, if he’s reconsidering now, his circumstances must have changed. That’s his business, and is of no concern to her. She’s only interested in finalizing their transaction. So what does he want from her?

Anna asks if Felicia sees the man in the reddish tropical shirt; a WSB agent. Felicia looks behind herself with a mirror, and says she didn’t know Anna called for WSB back-up. Anna says she didn’t, and Felicia wonders what he’s doing here. Anna says she’ll find out. Hang tight. She goes over to the guy and says, Leeman. What’s he doing in this neck of the woods? He says he could ask the same of her, and she says she’s running a sting. Trying to flush out the parties to the auction of the Ice Princess. Leeman says he’s there because they got a tip about the Ice Princess, and the auction isn’t happening because they know who stole it, and where it is. She asks to tag along, saying, he’d really be helping her out. He hesitates, and she says, okay, it will only take her two phone calls to get clearance. Does he want to be the cause of unnecessary delay and bureaucratic red tape? He says, all right. Is she armed? She says, yeah.

Harmony meets Brendon at Pier 54, since Pier 55 fell into the river because of the traffic being too heavy, and he says, Harmony Miller. He thought he recognized her name. After he met her at Alexis Davis’s office last night, he went back to his room, and sure enough, he was right. She was one of his late brother’s patients. One of the inmates Neil counseled. He’s seen her file. She says, he had no right reading it, but he says he couldn’t help himself. It was full of all kinds of interesting information about her and her daughter Willow Tate.

Willow says she’s glad her mother showed up, so Michael and Smoltz could talk alone. She would have been so nervous. How’d it go? Michael says, he took the deal. He’ll drop the charges in exchange for a five-part feature article series on Nina. Willow wishes it didn’t have to come to this, and he says, him too, but it did. They’ve been more than fair with Nina, and every single time, she’s taken advantage. Willow agrees, and says, she tried to convince herself that Nina was acting out of love, but she’s crossed the line so many times. In the end, it’s their job to protect their son. Who knows? Maybe Nina will back off when the feature is published. He says, that’s the goal. The series might prove useful in more ways than one. It will damage Nina’s image, but it might neutralize some of the tricks Nina and her lawyer might try to pull at the hearing.

Marshall says, Stella’s panic attack wasn’t Trina’s fault. He knows for a fact her mom and Curtis are happy to have her out of that jail and back home. Nobody wants her punished for something she didn’t do. She says she knows that, but she doesn’t want to punish them either. The more this goes on, the more it affects the people she cares about. She wonders if it’s not too late to plead guilty.

Curtis tells Selena, his motives are his own. This is a one-time transaction. She says he misunderstands. Let her be clear. She’s offering a business opportunity that’s mutually beneficial. Rest assured, he’ll profit from this arrangement. As a gesture of good faith, here’s the down payment – she puts two rolls of bills on the table – to make use of his premises. He tells her, as he said, it’s not money he’s after, and she says, what then? He says he needs to acquire information he has no access to, and perhaps she does. She asks, what is this information? and he says, a Witness Protection file, along with sealed arrest records attached to it. She says, the subject being? and he says, Marshall Ashford. She says she’ll do her best. Then we have a deal? She holds out her hand.

Valentin gives Jennifer a glass of champagne, and says, pour vous. He babbles something in French, and she says, damn. Why didn’t she work harder to learn French? He says he can teach her a few key phrases, and she says, that would be nice, moving closer to him. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, what is this? She says, probably just some drunk guests; ignore them. The knock continues, and Anna says, WSB. Open up.

Harmony tells Brendon, leave Willow out of this. Stay the hell away from her daughter. He says, she means, Nina Reeves’s daughter.

Jennifer says, she’ll get rid of them. She hasn’t done anything. She opens the door, and sees Anna, Leeman, and a couple of other guys. She asks, what is the meaning of this? and Anna says, Jennifer Smith? She asks Leeman if this is her, and he says, right where intel told them she’d be. They start to walk in, and Jennifer says, they’ve got the wrong person. They can double-check their intel. They walk past her, and she asks what they’re doing. She’s entertaining a friend. She looks around, but Valentin is gone, and she says, he was just here. Where did he go? Anna says, it would appear her friend had to leave. We see Valentin outside on the patio, and Anna says, perhaps he’s allergic to the Bureau. It’s been known to happen. Valentin walks off, and Jennifer says, now that they’ve ruined her afternoon, what do they want? Leeman says, they have evidence tying her to stolen property, and the murder of Luke Spencer. Jennifer says, that’s outrageous. Luke was her ex-husband; she loved him. Leeman tells the hotel manager to open the safe, and Jennifer says, they can’t do that. They can’t barge in here and search. He opens it, and Anna takes out Valentin’s velvet pouch. Jennifer says she’s never seen that before. She has no idea how it got in there. Anna takes out the Ice Princess, and says she supposes Jennifer’s never seen this before either. Does she recognize it? The legendary Ice Princess.

Sonny asks, what makes Scotty think he’d agree to be his character witness? and Scotty says, he’s not really asking Sonny; he’s going to subpoena him. He needs all the character witnesses he can get for Nina. Since Sonny already testified for Nina in Pennsylvania, and did such a good job, thanks to him, Scotty was able to get Nina off the hook. So he thought they might go two for two. Sonny says, Scotty asked him questions, he was under oath, and he answered truthfully. Scotty says, because Sonny is such a law abiding citizen. He can’t complain because it all did work out in Nina’s favor. He understands things are getting complicated with Sonny and Nina’s second go-around, and Sonny says, his life is his business. Scotty can go now. Scotty says, hold on a second, because no matter how this turns out, Sonny loses.

Michael says, they have to anticipate and be ready to defend anything Nina and her counsel throw against them, and Willow says, at least they don’t have Michael’s assault charge to worry about anymore. Michael says, yeah, but Nina could drag in their parents, and taint them by association. Diane assured him that’s not an argument Nina could make, but he has enough experience with the legal system to know, you have to expect the unexpected. They have to be ready. She says, and it can get ugly, and he says, absolutely. By Nina attacking their parents, she could assert that she has as much legal right to be in his life as they do. She could paint herself as a better influence. His dad would be an obvious target, but since he’s probably siding with Nina, they won’t be after him. She says she’s sorry, and he says, him too, but his dad made his choice. He can’t waste energy thinking about it. Unfortunately, her mom is probably going to be a likely target; Nina could bring up her criminal past. Willow says, they could counter with how she’s worked hard to rehabilitate her life, and he says, they could also cite that Harmony got to know Wiley gradually over time. She didn’t overwhelm him, or take control the way Nina did. Willow’s mother is the model of how to build a respectful relationship with Wiley, which Nina hasn’t shown the ability to do. She says, wow. Their relationship with her mother might actually work in their favor.

Harmony says, her medical files are confidential, and protected by HIPPA law. She could have Brendon brought up on criminal charges. He says, it’s interesting that she brought that up. His brother took notes about the crimes she confessed to during their sessions. He kept Harmony’s file in a lockbox, probably wondering whether he should turn her into the cops. When Neil died, he inherited that lockbox. He had no idea he’d find incriminating information. Such as, her daughter Willow isn’t actually her daughter. Harmony stole her.

Trina tells Marshall, they offered her a deal; plead guilty to the misdemeanor charge, and probably avoid jail time, but that’s not guaranteed. He says, but she didn’t take it, and she says, because she didn’t do anything wrong. It was a set-up, but how does she convince the jury that she didn’t do that, when Spencer didn’t believe her, and he knows her? At least she thought he did. Marshall says, forget him. That boy’s not worth her time. She has to focus on what’s best for her now. She asks if it isn’t selfish. She’s seen what it’s costing everyone. Her mom and Curtis should be enjoying their new home and their new life, not dealing with all of this. And then there’s Joss and Cam. She knows they’ll defend her, but that brings the spotlight back on them; it brings the spotlight back on the sex tape. How can she do that to them? If she pleads guilty, this is all over. Isn’t that worth it for the people she loves?

Curtis tells Selena that their deal isn’t done. He has a few more terms. She says, so the negotiation continues? and he says, two games a month is too much. She says, how about one monthly game to start? but he says he’s afraid any set schedule will bring too much attention. She says, she can have the games on an as needed basis. She’ll call him with a week’s notice, and he’ll make his club available to her. He says, providing there’s no booking conflicts, and he’ll need her to provide the costs for additional security, as well as some assurances that her players will be discreet. There will be no guns and no drugs in his club. She says, these are all reasonable requests. He has her word. He asks if her word is enough, and she says, have a little faith. He says, none of this will work if he ends up in a battle with Sonny Corinthos, but she says she’s done her due diligence with the necessary parties. She’ll begin arrangements for the first game. He says, no, and she says, more? She’s been more than fair. He says his last term is non-negotiable. There will be no games unless he gets the information he’s asking for. She says, then they have a deal. They shake hands as Nina walks in.

Selena says, it’s good to see Nina again, and Nina says, likewise. It seems like she’s always interrupting them. Selena says, they were just discussing a private party, and Nina says, that’s fun. What’s the occasion? Selena says, a family reunion, and tells Curtis that he has his down payment. She’ll be in touch. She leaves, and Nina says, Selena doesn’t strike her as a family reunion kinda gal. Curtis says, if the woman wants to host a party, it’s her business, especially if she’s paying top dollar. He picks up the wads of cash, and she says, my God. Didn’t he tell her that Miss Wu was trouble? He mumbles, did he say that? and she asks, why change his mind about people in that line of business at The Savoy? This is fishy. He says, don’t, but she says she knows him, and she knows when he’s in trouble. He’s always been there when she needed help. Let her be there for him.

Marshall tells Trina that he thinks he can relate. He found himself in a situation that would bring trouble on his wife and sons. It’s not comparable to what she’s facing; she’s innocent. But he found himself grappling with a similar situation. Ultimately, he chose to take himself out of the equation, for his family’s sake. She tells him, he’d said it had caused them pain anyway, and he says, it did. But it would have caused more pain if he’d stayed too. He had to make a choice, so he asked himself a question. He said, self, which would bring the least amount of harm their way? She asks if he thinks he caused his family less harm, and he laughs and says, who knows? We can never be certain. For a long time, he didn’t even know what harm it caused him. But now that he’s back, he sees what it cost them now back see what cost them, and it cost them too much.

Jennifer says she was here to bid on the diamond, and Anna asks if she’s aware it was stolen from Luke Spencer. Jenifer says, no, and you never know with Luke; he might have sold it. Anna says, it’s unlikely though. Did Jennifer steal it? So she could get his attention. So he’d track her down and she could orchestrate a reunion. And when that didn’t work, did she kill him? Jennifer says she could never kill Luke. She swears, this wasn’t her. She’s never seen that… That man, he was in the French navy. His name was Françoise Olivier. He was standing in front of armoire when she came out of the shower. He must have put the Ice Princess in the safe. Anna says, that’s very convenient though, isn’t it? Jennifer tells Anna that she’s not saying another word until she speaks with a lawyer. She makes a locking-my-lips gesture, and Leeman says, cuff her. Random WSB guy puts the cuffs on her, and she says, she’s innocent, she swears. They’ve got the wrong person. She swears she didn’t do anything. Anna says, this is he Bureau’s jurisdiction; nevertheless she advises Jennifer to remain silent. Leeman says, get her out of here, and Jennifer says she swears she didn’t do anything. Anna tells Leeman, one more thing…

Valentin asks Kai, when is the boat to the main island? but before Kai can answer, he takes off. Felicia comes by.

Leeman tells Anna, they received information that connects Jennifer Smith to Kurt Markovich, the cable car inspector who orchestrated the accident that killed Luke Spencer. Once they found the Ice Princess in Jennifer’s possession, the motive is self-explanatory. She took the diamond, and killed him to stop him from taking it back. Case closed. They have their killer and their thief.  

Felicia says, you know the man you just met? and Kai says, that’s the French naval officer he was telling her about. Felicia sees the agents taking Jennifer away, and she tells Kai, that’s Jennifer Smith. Is that the woman he saw with the French naval officer? He says, yes. She’s the woman who was talking about the auction. She says, the officer left? and Kai says, he was talking about the next boat to the main island. Then he just took off.

Willow says, they haven’t talked about Michael’s mom. Does he think Nina will try to smear Carly? He says, Nina still thinks his mom is somehow involved in Nelle’s death, but the investigation cleared his mom of any wrong-doing. Besides, should Nina bring up that issue, it will leave her wide open for them to bring up that Nina retaliated against his mother by keeping his father away from his family. So, even though a judge didn’t think it was a crime, they’ll see what a family court judge has to say about it. Willow says, and whether Nina’s behavior makes it appropriate for her to be around a child. He says, and this might not come up in court, but Smoltz’s article will have run by then. And after that, he doesn’t think anyone will think Nina should be allowed in Wiley’s life. All this experience he has, and he really doesn’t know how court works.

Harmony tells Brendon, she didn’t steal her daughter. If he read her file, he knows she was given to Harmony. He says, by Madeline Reeves. He read the whole sordid story. His brother Neil recorded every detail. How she struggled to make ends meet as a health aid for the city, where she was fortunate enough to meet Madeline, Willow’s grandmother. Harmony says, she was so young, but he says, not so young she couldn’t tell the difference between right and wrong. Nina Reeves was pregnant and in a coma. She couldn’t consent to an adoption. Madeline was a greedy woman, who needed to get rid of any potential heirs to Nina’s fortune. But there wasn’t just one baby, there were two; twins. One little girl went to a black market adoption, and the other little girl went to her. It’s time to pay up, or the truth will come out.

Curtis says he loves Nina and appreciates her, and if he needs her help, he’ll let her know. He pulls out a chair, and asks why she came to see him. They sit down, and Nina says she doesn’t like it, but she needs a character reference, because she’s filing a petition with the courts for visitation rights with Wiley. He says, that’s a big step, and she says she did everything in her power to try to avoid this, but she kept hitting walls with Willow and Michael at every turn. Wiley is getting older, and she can’t keep waiting for things to get better, when clearly that’s not happening. He says he gets it, but she’s going to be going up against Sonny’s son. She says, Sonny knows where she’s coming from, better than most people, and he says, it sounds like they’ve gotten close. She says, it’s not about that; she’s torn up to put Sonny in this position. He says, sometimes they have to make the tough decision about who to put first. She says, so he’ll be her character reference? and he says, she can count on it. He’s glad to help a friend. She thanks him, and says, likewise. She knows he and Portia are going through it right now. How’s Trina? He says, hanging in. It’s hard, but Portia is really a wreck. The whole situation brought home how much they’ve become a part of his life. So he totally understands why she’s fighting so hard for Wiley. Because people like them will go to any lengths for the people they care about.

Harmony asks why Brendon is just coming to her now, and he says, because he didn’t know what he had. He went through Neil’s lockbox looking for bank statements, stock and bonds, cash. It wasn’t until he met her that he put it together, and realized how valuable that file was. Harmony laughs, and says, if he’s looking for a shakedown, he’s got the wrong woman. She’s one step away from living in her car, and looking for a second job on top of her first. He says, lucky for her, her dear friend Alexis has money, and her stolen daughter Willow is the mother of a Quartermaine heir. He’s not asking her for money, but he wonders how much Nina would pay for this information. She says, he’s not taking this to anyone. He’ll open himself up to blackmail charges and accessing private medical records. He asks if she really wants to take that chance, and she says she’s survived worse men than him. She’s not afraid of him or his threats. He says, she should be, because unlike her, he has nothing to lose. Get his money or he blows up her world. He starts to leave, and says, oh, and he doesn’t bluff.

Sonny says if Scotty’s got something to say, say it or get out, and Scotty says, the way he sees it, Sonny has two choices. Save Nina or Michael. Either he betrays his son, or throws Nina under the bus, Now, a lot of people are saying he’s a changed man. Scotty’s money is still on the old Sonny, who’s only looking out for number one, and Nina will just be collateral damage. Sonny asks if that’s what Scotty thinks of him, and Scotty says he thinks Nina will too. She’ll wise up and realize she’s better off without him, and Nina’s aunt, his girlfriend Liesl, will see Scotty as a hero. And poor Nina will just be another girl in Sonny’s path of destruction. Sonny says he underestimated Scotty.

Anna meets Felicia at the bar, and Felicia asks, what just happened? The Bureau just took Jennifer Smith away in custody. Anna says, she knows. She had the Ice Princess in a safe in her room, and Leeman can connect her to Kurt Markovich, the cable car inspector who, in part, orchestrated Luke’s death. They think she’s to blame for all of this. Felicia says, but Anna’s not convinced, and Anna says, is Felicia? Felicia says, no, and she’ll tell Anna why. They go to a table, and Felicia says, after Luke’s memorial service, Jennifer told them she was harboring feelings for Luke. Anna says, she reiterated that over and over again in the room. It could be a cover, but it seemed kind of real to her. Felicia tells her, Kai said he overheard Jennifer talking about the auction. Why stick around if she had the diamond? Anna says, Jennifer claimed she was with a French navy captain, and claimed he’s the one who put the diamond in the safe. It seems to Anna that maybe they were romantically involved, or maybe they were working together, and he double-crossed her or stood her up. Felicia says, Kai saw guy the before they brought Jennifer through. He was asking about a boat. Maybe they’re not working together at all. She asks what Anna is thinking, and Anna says, the whole thing is just too tidy. There’s definitely more going on than meets the eye.

Felicia asks why the Bureau would accept it at face value, and Anna says, because they got what they wanted. They’ve got the Ice Princess; it’s not worth it to keep the case open. She and Felicia are the only ones concerned with Luke’s murder. This has Victor’s handwriting all over it. He must have realized they were closing in, and set someone up to take the fall. Valentin listens from behind a partition, and Anna says, so if Jennifer was framed, their next move is to find this man she brought to her room. Once they find Françoise Olivier, then they should get the truth. Valentin takes off the moustache, and tosses it aside.   

Trina says, gin, and Marshall says, she did not. Girl, you a card shark. Curtis comes in, and Marshall asks if everything is all right at the club. Curtis says he worked it out. He’s going to look in on Aunt Stella. Portia comes out, and says, that’s perfect timing. She’s resting comfortably. Is he good? He says, yeah, and asks if Marshall stayed here. Portia says, he did, and she’s glad. It seems as if he was a real help to Trina. Marshall says, your deal, card shark.

Sonny says, for a long time, he didn’t give Scotty a thought; Scotty was like nothing in his world. Then in Pennsylvania, Scotty surprised him, and he said to himself, wow, but he thought it was a fluke. But now Scotty’s coming in here, showing Sonny what a contender he is. Congratulations. He’s going to get exactly what he deserves.

Harmony looks at a picture of Willow on her phone, and cries. 

Willow yawns, and tells Michael, sorry; it’s been a long day. He agrees, but knows what would make it better – cuddling with Wiley and a bedtime story. She says, that makes everything better. Just be prepared to carry her to bed too. He tells her, then be prepared for him to wake her up. Nina comes in, and they glare at one another. Then Brendon walks in, and stands behind Nina.

On Monday, Ava says, she and Trina need to discuss ground rules; Alexis says, Nikolas is full of surprises; and Carly wonders who Nina is going to go after next.

🧼 On This Day In Soap…

What happened in soaps on this day.

🍵 Dishing the Soap…

The GH stars talk about their co-workers. I can’t believe Roger Howarth isn’t considered Most Likely to Ad-Lib.

🗽 A Given…

Doesn’t everyone wish they’d made more at every job?

👹 Beyond Flipping  Tables…

This looked like literal insanity.

👠 Gia In the House…

Does this make her a friend of the Housewives now?

https://screenrant.com/gia-giudice-reportedly-filming-rhonj-season-12-reunion/

👰🏻 Uncertainty In New Jersey…

I’m guessing she’ll make a decision as soon as the paycheck is big enough. (See article on Jill Zarin.)

💳 Exchanging London For Dubai…

I can’t wait to see this one. I loved Ladies of London, Caroline in particular. And I always enjoy seeing Dubai, since I will never, ever be able to afford to go there. Unless that guy with the balloons visits me, and I don’t mean Pennywise.

I hate to say it, but the house isn’t that interesting. It’s very sterile-looking. Even the closet was a disappointment.

https://www.bravotv.com/ladies-of-london/photos/take-a-look-inside-caroline-stanburys-finished-dubai-home#10858792

💰 Well, That Stinks…

I’ll miss them. I hope Reza gets some kind of spin-off show.

https://people.com/tv/bravo-cancels-shahs-of-sunset-after-9-seasons/

🐶 Ending On an Aww…

Please feel free to squee.

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

🥂 Quotes of the Week

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.Mark Twain

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.B. B. King (Or integrity.)

All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving towards them. – Viola Davis

Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact. – Honore de Balzac

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. – Groucho Marx

When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. – Peter Marshall

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition. – Martha Washington

🛌🏽 Going To My Happy Place…

Meet me here when the Dead Walk again. Until then, stay safe, stay exercising your body and mind, and stay not being so engrossed in a phone call that you don’t know who’s listening.

April 7, 2022 – Michael Promises an Exclusive To Smoltz, Taking Over, New Film, Non-Negotiable, Reuniting & Grazing

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In his office on the phone, Sonny says, he’ll stay in touch. They’ll finalize the deal, and he’ll give them all the details. He’s looking forward to it. He hangs up, and there’s a knock at the door. He says, come on in, and Frank brings in Nina. She says she came here in person so he wouldn’t be blindsided. He has a butterfly bandage over his eye, and she asks, what happened? He tells her not to worry about it. Whatever she came here to say, he appreciates the heads up, because defense is a lot easier when you see the hit coming.

Everyone gets in place for a family photo, and Portia asks Stella what she’s doing. Come here, and get in this picture. Stella’s vision goes blurry, and she drops to the floor. Portia, TJ, and Curtis run over, and Portia asks Trina to get her medical bag. TJ tells Stella that she’s going to be fine; focus on him and breathe slowly. Portia tells TJ, her pulse is thready, and TJ says, her pupils are dilated.

French Polynesia. French navy guy Valentin asks if this chair is taken, and Jennifer says she never turns down a cool drink from a hot man. He sits, and tells the bartender, whatever madame is drinking, bring two. Jennifer introduces herself, and Valentin says, bonjour. Captain Françoise Oliver – he kisses her hand – at her service.

At the MetroCourt, Michael says, Willow still can’t find her phone? and she says, no. She could swear she put it in her purse before they went out the door. He asks if she’s tried looking in her hand, and she says, wow. She’s losing her mind. She puts it in her purse, and he says, she’s just nervous about meeting with the reporter. She says she knows it was Diane’s suggestion, but she’s not convinced offering Smoltz a story in exchange for Smoltz dropping the charges against him is one of her better ideas. He says, it doesn’t hurt to explore their options. He won’t do anything she’s not okay with. They’re a team. She says, and don’t you forget it, and they kiss. A man approaches them, and says, Michael Corinthos and Willow Tate? Willow asks what this is about, and the man hands them each an envelope, saying, you’ve been served.

Harmony goes to Carly’s office, and says, Carly’s assistant wasn’t at her desk. She hopes she’s not disturbing her. Carly asks if she’s lost, and Harmony says, no, but feel free to tell her to get lost after she tells Carly why she’s here.

Laura asks what goal she and Victor could possibly have in common, and Victor says, the well-being of the people they care about. It’s time to put the past behind them and look to the future, and their family’s place in it. If she knew how high the stakes were right now for the people they love, she woudn’t hesitate to help him.

On the phone in a private area of the MetroCourt, Alexis says, they asked her to sit on a television panel to talk about cyber-exploitation… Yeah, it would be great exposure for the newspaper… She thanks them for convincing her she might be good at this job… Smoltz comes out of nowhere, and says, congratulations, Alexis Davis, while doing a slow clap. He says, the cyber-exploitation article is making her famous. Too bad she stole it from him.

Valentin asks Jennifer what’s brought her to the island, and she says, an auction of something priceless to her. Valentin says, how exciting, and she says, it belonged to someone very special. He says, and this someone special, is here with her? She wonders if the captain is asking if she’s single, and he says, how do you Americans say? You got me. She laughs and says, nobody special at the moment. Anyone special in his life?

Laura asks if her family is in danger, but Victor says, not yet. But they do live in uncertain times, and she has a lot of family to consider. There’s her other son, her daughter, her grandchildren, that charming husband of hers, not to mention the two brothers she just recently got to know. She asks what he cares about her brothers; he never cared about his own. Frankly, his rebirth as a devoted family man doesn’t just strain believability; it’s laughable.

TJ tells Stella, good news. This isn’t a stroke. Portia says they’ll conduct an EKG when they get to the hospital, but it doesn’t look like it was a heart attack either. Curtis asks, then what is it? Why did she collapse? TJ says, they’ll find out more when they get to the hospital, but there don’t appear to be any physical symptoms. Stella says she couldn’t breathe, and everything went black. Marshall says, the paramedics are here, and he and TJ help Stella to the door. Curtis asks Portia what she and TJ think happened, and she says they think Aunt Stella might have suffered a panic attack.

Nina says she hopes her news isn’t too much of a hit for Sonny, Michael, and Willow, and he says, she petitioned the court for visitation of Wiley?She says she did; Michael and Willow are going to be served any minute now. He says he was hoping to prevent this, and she says, he did what he could. Like she told him, she doesn’t want him to referee. He says he doesn’t think he could talk to Michael anyway, even if he tried, and she says she did everything she could to keep this out of the courts and minimize the impact on him. Although it seems like her actions only made it worse between him and Michael. He says, Michael’s anger is at him, not her, and she says, regardless of who takes responsibility, her first priority is to make sure she’s in her grandson’s life. It’s a crazy thought, but she’s hoping someday she’ll have an amicable relationship with her grandson’s parents.

Willow wonders if Smoltz filed a civil suit, but Michael says, if that were the case, he’d just be served, not her. They open the envelopes, and she says, oh no. He says, Nina has filed for visitation with Wiley, and she says she can’t believe she’s surprised, but she is. Nina’s going through with it; dragging them all into a court battle. He says he knew she was going to do this. Any pretense of a compromise or being reasonable was just window dressing. She says, Nina is selfish to the core. She goes after what she wants, consequences be damned. He says, what happened to his parents is proof of that.

Carly says, Harmony is Willow’s mom, so if she needs to tell Harmony to get lost, she thinks she can come up with a more polite way to phrase it. Harmony says, fair enough, and Carly asks her to have a seat. Harmony says she won’t take up too much of Carly’s time. She’s looking for a job. Carly says she thought Harmony had one, when Harmony’s phone rings. Carly asks if she needs to get it, but Harmony says, it’s not important. She still has a job at Spring Ridge, but she’s trying to save up for a security deposit for an apartment, and two jobs would be really helpful. Carly asks where she’s living now, and Harmony says, a really generous friend is letting her stay with her temporarily; Alexis Davis. Carly says she knows Alexis, and Harmony says, having a second job would get her out of Alexis’s place faster and into her own. Carly says she admires Harmony’s drive, but is she sure she’s going to have enough energy to moonlight? Harmony says she’ll totally find the energy. It’s important that she doesn’t burden Alexis. She’s caused enough trouble as it is.

Alexis says she didn’t steal anything from Smoltz. Story ideas come across her desk all day long. He says, maybe, but he pitched her that revenge porn scoop first, then she gave it to another reporter behind his back. She says she gave it to another reporter because he would have turned it into tabloid fodder, and he says he can be sensitive and relevant, but she didn’t give him the chance. She took the low road to take the high road. She asks if he doesn’t think she read the articles of his that nutcase Peter put in The Invader? She doesn’t owe him anything. He doesn’t have a high road. He begs to differ, and says, so here’s the deal. He won’t sue her for stealing his idea. In return, she’s in his debt, and he intends to collect. She asks what he wants, and he says, a five part feature in The Invader. She asks if he thinks she’s going to agree to that, and he says, he does. Because if she doesn’t, she’ll be looking in looking dusty corners to find story ideas after his colleagues find out she did him dirty. She says, he doesn’t know all the journalists out there, and he says, maybe not, but he has a huge social following. Even if he’s not liked, he’s known. Is she willing to take the chance that this will go away? No.

Jennifer says Valentin never answered his question. He’s not wearing a ring. Does that mean he’s single? He says, there is someone back home, and she says, of course (🍷), but he says he assumes they’re destined be together. She asks, why? and he says he needs a woman who’s sure of what she wants. She says she knows what she wants. She wants to get to know him better, unless he’s not up for that. He says, au contraire, Jennifer. He would like nothing more, but he’s on leave and has only one night. She says, a lot can happen in one night, and they clink glasses.

The doctor comes in and tells Stella that TJ told him what happened. Stella asks if TJ told him that he thinks she’s losing her mind, but TJ tells her, he didn’t say that. The doctor says, his specialty isn’t the mind, but all doctors know physiology and psychology are closely linked. They can start by examining her. Portia says, they’ll wait outside, and Curtis says he doesn’t want to crowd her, but… Stella says, Portia can stay, and Portia says, of course (🍷).

Willow says, and what about what Nina did to her mom; manipulating her, so she could advocate to them for Nina to see Wiley. He says, they’ll have to make peace with Smoltz, and she says, he means cut a deal. He says, now that Nina filed the petition with the court, he has to make the assault charge disappear, or Nina and Scotty will try to exploit it to strengthen their case. She says, he’s right. They’ll have to play nice with that slimy reporter. Michael says, only to a point. They’ll have to be careful with the kind of story they offer Smoltz. She says, or they may live to regret it.

Carly says, she and Harmony share a grandson, she she’s happy to help. Does she have any experience that suited to hotel work? Harmony says she does; experience in cleaning and serving. Carly says, great. She’d love for Harmony to meet her partner Olivia Quartermaine. She thinks Monday works best. If it doesn’t work for Harmony, they can pick another day… Harmony says, it’s not that. In the interest of full disclosure, Harmony thinks she should tell Carly that she recently went to bat for Wiley’s other grandmother Nina Reeves.

Nina says, Michael can be reasonable. He let her see Wiley when Sonny was in Nixon Falls, until… Sonny says, until he found out Nina lied about him, and she says, that was her 463,000th mistake, and now Michael is angry at both of them. Sonny says, and afraid, because for whatever reason, Michael believes Nina is a danger to Wiley. She says she would never ever hurt her grandson, but the way Carly, Michael, and Willow act, you’d thinks she was a physical threat to him. Sonny says, Nelle was.

Trina asks Marshall if there’s any news, and he says, Stella is being examined. He wonder what she did with the cheese and crackers. Let’s not wait for news on an empty stomach. Trina says she’s not that hungry, and he says he knows how it feels when people get the wrong impression. She says, people think she betrayed her best friends. It makes her sick to her stomach. He says he knows it hurts. It hurts to be misunderstood. You know how he’s learned to deal with it? He brushes his shoulder, and says, not caring what strangers feel about him. She says, what about someone she considers a friend? How does she not care his feelings have changed? He says, that depends. Has he been a true friend to her? She says, her mom would say no, and he asks, why is that? She says, he asked her to cover for him when they first met. Then he did something pretty awful to someone she cares about, and now, he’s choosing to believe someone else over her. Marshall says he understands why her mom thinks this guy’s not deserving of Trina’s friendship, and she says she should have never invested in someone who had so many secrets.

Laura lifts her glass of ice tea, and says, may Victor achieve his dream of being the devoted family man of the year. She takes a sip, and says, come on now. No witty retort? No charming parry? He asks, what is there to parry? The Cassadines have a lamentable history, and the part he played in their schemes is well known. He’s been trying to make almonds amends, but her skepticism is quite understandable. She says he almost sounds sincere, and he says, his life has been horribly lonely over the last few years. When he went hiding after the explosion at Creighton-Clark, Nikolas was the only one who knew he survived. Laura says, he never told her, and Victor says, he told Nikolas not to. Nikolas would check in on him from time to time, but he knew Nikolas’s place was here in Port Charles. He spent a lot of time thinking about Valentin, dreaming about being a real grandfather to Charlotte. She says, as much as he dreamed about money and power. He says, what is money? What use is power if you can’t use it to improve the lives of your loved ones? She asks, what happened to the Victor Cassadine she used to know and hate? and he says, admittedly, he’s come to this appreciation of family rather late in life, but here and now, he’s more committed than she’ll ever know.

Alexis says she’s not going to be bullied by Smoltz, and he asks, who’s bullying? He’s a good writer with well-placed sources. She won’t be compromising herself by giving him a chance. She says, text her; make an appointment. He says she can’t blow him off that easily. She liked his revenge porn story enough to steal it. She thinks he’s a one hit wonder? He’ll just take his next pitch to the competition, and encourage his fellow journalists to do the same. She says, tell her when he comes across his next story. No promises.

Smoltz goes into the other room, and over to Michael and Willow’s table. Michael gets up, and Smoltz ducks and says, not the face. A little assault and battery humor. Kidding aside, there are plenty of witnesses here if Michael does come after him again. Michael says, all he wants to hit Smoltz with is an offer; have a seat. Smoltz tells him, so his attorney said when she set up this meeting. What has he got? Michael says, a mutually agreeable solution to their problem.

Carly says, Harmony went to bat for Nina over what? and Harmony says, over visitation with Wiley. Nina asked Harmony to appeal to Willow and Michael. In retrospect, she really wishes she’d said no. She felt she owed Nina. Carly says, for what? and Harmony says, as someone who doesn’t get much of a chance to see Wiley as well. She understood how Nina was feeling; they both love that little boy so much… Carly says, but now that Harmony has had time to think about it, she realizes Nina only uses people to get what she wants, and Harmony says, absolutely. She knows it’s best to just stay out of Nina’s affairs; getting involved has consequences. Carly thanks Harmony for telling her, and says, as for the job, Harmony can fill out an application online, and she’ll have her HR person flag the application. Harmony thanks her, and Carly says she’ll be in touch. As Harmony is leaving, her phone rings again

Nina asks, how does Nelle’s behavior have anything to do with her seeing her grandson? and Sonny tells her, he’s just saying maybe his family sees something of Nelle in her, and her in Nelle. She says she didn’t even get a chance to be able to raise her daughter, and she’s being blamed for how Nelle turned out? He tells her, he’s not saying it’s right. He’s saying maybe Michael believes it. She has to admit Nelle was capable of evil. She says, so Nelle was destined to be bad because of her DNA? and he says, it could show up in court, even if it’s not true. She’s nothing like Nelle. She says, thank you… I think, and he says, he sees all of her, and he’s thinking maybe Michael and Willow will too.  

Alexis asks if Carly is busy, and Carly says, she already told Alexis’s roommate she’d consider it. Alexis says, consider what? and Carly says, she’s not here about Harmony’s job? Alexis says, at Spring Ridge? and Carly suggests they start over again. What brings Alexis to her office? Alexis says she was offered a television spot to sit on a panel to discuss the article regarding Josslyn and Cameron. Carly says she knew it was getting traction, but didn’t know it was that much traction, and Alexis says, it’s a hot button issue, but if Carly thinks this will make Josslyn uncomfortable, she won’t do it. Carly says she can’t answer for Josslyn and Cameron, and Alexis says, then she’ll speak to them herself. As a courtesy, she wanted to run it by Carly first. Carly says, she appreciates it, and Alexis lingers. Carly asks if there’s anything else she can help Alexis with, and Alexis says, what is this about Harmony and a job?  

Smoltz says, their problem? Michael hit him, which makes the problem Michael’s. Harmony walks in, and Michael says, if the charges are brought to trial many months from now, his lawyer is confident she can prove undue provocation. When Commissioner Ashford is brought in to testify about the alleged attack, his lawyer will cross-examine her about how Smoltz sought him out, and made inflammatory remarks about his younger sister, a traumatized victim of revenge porn. Harmony comes by the table, and asks if she’s interrupting. She just thought she’d say hi. Willow suggests they give Michael and Smoltz a chance to talk, and tells Michael that she won’t be far if he needs her. She and Harmony leave, and Michael says, that’s if this even goes to trial. The DA might consider the case too weak and throw the charges out altogether. Smoltz suggests they talk about the civil suit he can file against Michael, and the damages he’ll get. Maybe Michael can advise him on which Caribbean island is best for the winter months. Michael asks if Smoltz can really afford ten, maybe twenty, years of litigation in civil court, because his lawyers can drag this out indefinitely, and trust him, Smoltz will go bankrupt before he ever sees a dime of Michael’s money.

Harmony asks Willow, what is it? and Willow says, Nina filed a petition for visitation. Harmony sighs, and says she didn’t think it would come to this. Does Willow think they can reach an agreement with Nina before they go to court? Willow says, no. They’re past that point; Nina has crossed too many lines. Any hope for a civil relationship is dead.

Nina thanks Sonny for seeing more of her than just her past. He says, she sees all of him, and she says she tries. He says she doesn’t just try; she does. She accepted his behavior when he’s been off on occasion. She got him through, and didn’t judge him. She asks if he finally wants to tell her what happened, and he says he walked into a punch. She asks if he’s sparring again, and he says, it’s good for the heart. She says, but it’s bad for the brain. He’s still bleeding. Let her take care of him. She gets a cloth and dabs at his wound, and he says, hurts so good. She asks if it hurts, but he says, she has a soft touch, and they kiss.

Jennifer asks how a nice cool shower sounds, and Valentin says, sounds refreshing. However, he prefers the delicious anticipation of waiting for her to return after her shower. She says, you French are such charmers, and he says, of course (🍷) he expects a moment by moment account, and she says, mon capitaine, you are a naughty one. He says, she has no idea, and she opens a wardrobe containing a safe. He watches as she opens the safe, and puts her jewelry inside. She tells him that she’ll be back two shakes. She goes into the bathroom, and he takes out a velvet pouch. She says she’s stepping into the shower, and he asks how the water is. She says, divine, and he tells her, describe everything, as he goes to the wardrobe and opens it. She says, first, her chest. She’s circling around her body, lathering her neck and arms; now her toes. He looks at the safe and hums.

Marshall says, all secrets are not created equal, and Trina says, but lying to protect a secret is never right. He says he’s no philosopher, but he believes certain lies are morally justified, and she tells him, who’s to say what’s immoral or not? He says, that’s a judgement call, and she says, her dad would agree with him. He had her believe he was dead, and she knows now he lied to protect her, but at the time, he broke her heart. He says, seems like her dad and him have a lot in common. Instead of saving their children from pain, they both inflicted it on them.

Stella thanks Portia for staying with her, and Portia says, her pleasure; of course (🍷). Curtis knocks, and asks if he’s invited back in. Stella tells him to come over and give her some sugar. He gives her a hug and kiss, and she asks if the doctor told him, there’s no need to fuss. He says, the doctor told him she’s not suffering from any physician conditions, but there’s definitely something going on. She says, it’s just stress, and he says, enough to cause heart palpitations? Something’s definitely got her rattled… or someone.

Alexis tells Carly, Harmony was her only friend in Spring Ridge; Harmony was her crutch. So if Carly wants her to give a recommendation, she can tell Carly that Harmony is very conscientious, and she’s a hard worker… and not good enough? Carly says, it’s not that, it’s just… Harmony told her that Nina got her to talk to Michael and Willow about visitation with Wiley. Alexis says she has an idea of how Carly feels about that, and Carly says she doesn’t like the idea of anyone forming an alliance with Nina. Alexis says, at least Harmony was honest about it, knowing it could cost her a job, and Carly says, but Harmony said something else that was really strange. She said she owed Nina. Alexis says, owed her what? and Carly says, maybe it doesn’t matter. Is Alexis saying Carly can trust her?

Harmony says, Willow is the most forgiving person she knows. There’s got to be hope for reconciliation between her and Nina. Willow says, not after all the harm Nina has caused; sleeping with Sonny, breaking up his marriage. And all the while, stringing Willow along with a promise of compromise about Wiley. Nina’s a narcissist. She’s selfish and self-serving. Willow doesn’t want her anywhere near Wiley. There’s no compromising on that. Harmony’s phone rings, and she takes a look, but doesn’t answer. Willow says, somebody wants to talk to her. Why is she ignoring it? You know, I can suspend my disbelief over things like Nixon Falls, but who on earth would ask that IRL?

Smoltz says, if he drops the charges, what does he get as thanks? and Michael says, an exclusive. Smoltz asks, how exclusive? and Michael says he just got served with notice that Nina Reeves, real estate heiress, Crimson editor, and convicted kidnapper, has petitioned for visitation with his son Wiley. Smoltz says, her grandson; that’s not news. Michael says, what he’s offering is an on the record account of Nina’s conflict with his family. Everything from her time in Nixon Falls to the present. And a little background to the abduction of Avery Corinthos. Smoltz says, now Michael’s got his attention.

Sonny and Nina continue to kiss, when Sonny’s phone rings. He picks it up, says, business associate, and puts it back down. Nina says, no, she thinks he should get back to work. She picks up her bag and coat, and says, like she told him, she wanted to alert him about the petition. He says he appreciates that, and she says, see him around. He says she can count on it, and she goes to the door. She turns back, and says, mend fences with Michael, even if it means siding against her in court. He says he’s on Wiley’s side, whatever’s best for him. She says, hopefully that includes having his grandmother in his life. He says, kids need all the love they can get. As a matter-of-fact, everybody needs all the love they can get. He smiles, and I like this Sonny.

Curtis asks if Marshall upset Stella, and she tells him, don’t be silly. He says, she and Marshall had an intense conversation earlier. If that bothered her, he needs to know. She says, it’s not his job to worry about her, but he says, it’s his job to protect his family… even if it’s from his own father.

Victor says, if he and Laura work together, combining her pragmatism with his imagination, they would be unstoppable. She says, to what end? and he says, the future; a better future. She says, it’s a shame Luke Spencer won’t be around to enjoy some of that better future, and he says, Luke’s passing is indeed a terrible tragedy. Laura’s phone dings, and she looks at it and frowns. Victor says, bad news? and she says, Doc can’t make lunch. He got called to a staff meeting. Victor says he’s sorry. He’d ask her to join him, but he’s pretty sure he knows what her answer would be. She says, good. Then he won’t be disappointed when she turns him down. He says, she does believe he cares for Nikolas and Spencer, doesn’t she? and she says, he may be sincere in wanting to do right by his family… He says, he senses a but coming, and she says, but it wouldn’t be him, would it? He’s the kind of guy who sees what he wants, and he goes and he gets it. No matter who or what is in his way.

Jennifer says, the showerhead tickles, and Valentin brings the pouch over to the safe. He starts putting in a combination, and says, is that a good thing or a bad thing? She says, so good. Is he sure he won’t join her. The combination doesn’t work, so he tries another, and she says, the water is wonderful. He says, just hearing her voice is driving him crazy, and he gets another dud. He keeps trying, and asks if she’s washing her hair, and she says she already did. The next combination doesn’t work, and he says, magnifique. She says she’s ready for him to towel her off.

Smoltz says, Michael wants a hit piece on Nina Reeves, and Michael says he wants to set the record straight about Nina’s erratic behavior. The damage she’s caused, the laws she’s broken, and the questionable judgement she’s shown. Smoltz says he’ll need more than a list of grievances, and Michael says, he’ll have enough material to write a dozen articles; sources, dates, and even the inside scoop on Nina’s relationship with his father. Smoltz says, if Michael’s got the goods, they’ve got a deal. This will be the feature of a lifetime, and he knows exactly who will run it. Speaking of running it, doesn’t Michael think he should run all this by Carly first?

Nina tells Sonny to put ice on his eyebrow, and stick to dancing. He asks if she knew that boxing and dancing are similar. You could easily be distracted, and if you mess with your footwork, you can get hurt. And they’re both contact sports, so you need plenty of practice. She tells him to call her if he needs a partner, and he says, for sparring? but she says, no. They’ve already fought enough in the ring, but if he wants to perfect his box step, she’ll leave room on her dance card.

Alexis gets a call from Smoltz, but ignores it. She says she can vouch for Harmony’s work ethic, but whether Carly hires Harmony is up to her. Carly thanks her, and also for telling her about Joss and Cam. Alexis has given her a lot to think about. Alexis says she’ll stay in touch, and leaves.

On the phone, Marshall asks Stella how she’s doing, and she says, apparently, it was a panic attack. He says, those panic attacks, they can be frightening, and she says, it got her thinking about all she’s been holding inside. He gets up, stepping away from Trina, and says, that was just what he was doing just now. It’s healthier to unburden oneself. She says, healthier for who? His confession won’t be good for the family Curtis is forming, or their place in it. He asks what she’s saying, and she tells him, if Curtis asks him more about his past, stick to his story.

In a private spot, Curtis makes a call. He says, it’s Curtis Ashford. He’d like to revisit their proposition.

Harmony says, it’s just telemarketers, and Willow asks if she’s sure. What if it’s important? Harmony says, they didn’t leave a voicemail, so… Her phone dings, and Willow asks if she isn’t the least bit curious. Harmony looks at the text on her phone: It’s Brendon. We meet or next I call your daughter.

Laura says, goodbye, Victor, and he says, at least he tried. He won’t press his cause further today. He’ll give her time to change her mind. She says, he may not have that time to give. In fact, his time is rapidly running out.

Jennifer says she guesses she has to dry herself off, and Valentin makes one last attempt. She says she’s going to slip into something he can slip her out of easily, and asks if they should order champagne. He finally gets the safe open, and says, voila! Absolutment. Champagne is a necessity. He is parched. Jennifer comes out, and asks what he thinks he’s doing.  

Tomorrow, Trina says, if she pleads guilty, this is all over; Willow tells Michael, their relationship with Harmony might work in their favor; Anna says, there’s something more than what meets the eye; and Curtis tells Selena, his term is non-negotiable.

🏥 How She’s Doing…

It’s not easy taking over for an already established character, so my hat’s off to her. That being said, I’m missing the old Trina. It’s not the new actress that I have issues with, but the way she’s being directed. The new Trina seems to be more passive in some way, and I’m not loving it.

🎥 Crushing It…

This sounds promising, and it’s free on TubiTV.com. I love that site. You can always find weird stuff there. Try Dinosaur Hotel while you’re there. If you like B-pictures, you won’t be sorry.

🗽 Boo Hiss…

Shame on the Housewives for not letting Eboni play their reindeer games. And contrary to what the article says, I did miss them having a Reunion. I was actually kind of pissed off that they didn’t. I also thought Eboni was a great addition to the cast. God forbid we should learn stuff.

https://ew.com/tv/eboni-k-williams-rhony-castmates-wouldnt-negotiate-future-with-her/

💣 Third Kill…

Another promising piece of entertainment. I would say, you can’t miss with that cast, but I saw Sphere in the movie theater. It’s 134 minutes of my life I can’t get back.

https://ew.com/movies/samuel-l-jackson-uma-thurman-reunite-the-kill-room/

🍩 Whatever Gets You Through the Night…

Hope to see you tomorrow for Friday’s wild card of soap, tea, insightful words, and an appropriate (or not) musical effort. Until then, stay safe, stay thirsty for knowledge, and stay knowing that boxing might be good for the heart, but it’s bad for the brain. So dance instead.

April 6, 2022 – Sonny Makes a Deal With Selena, Aspen Continues To Be Inflicted With the OC & Pieces

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis says, Drew made it, and Drew says, of course (🍷) he did. It’s an honor to be included. He hugs Curtis and Portia, and Curtis says, welcome to their new home. Drew says he’s a little jealous he didn’t snatch it for himself, and Portia says, he’ll just have to settle with life at the Quartermaines. He says, their place doesn’t come with nosy cousins. Stella and TJ join them, and Stella says, Curtis and Portia will just have to settle for one nosey aunt instead. Curtis says, she said it, not him, and Drew says, it’s nice to see Stella again. She says, him too. She understands he’s been through a lot since she saw him last, and he says, things are definitely improving. He asks TJ how things are at the hospital, and TJ says he was just regaling his family on the ins and outs of an ACL repair. Stella says she definitely wants to hear more about it, especially the part where TJ might be closing in on a specialty. Trina comes in, and Drew asks Curtis how she’s doing. Curtis says he and Portia are going their best to support her, but those charges against her are insane. They’re going to have to fight like hell until it’s over. Drew says he’s sure it helps that the people close to her know the accusations are absolutely bogus, and Curtis says, unfortunately, the person Trina’s thinking about is the one person who hasn’t realized that yet.

Spencer punches the heavy bag, like he’s ever been at a gym before, and Sonny walks in. Spencer says he was just finishing up. Unless Sonny has more to say about his lecture; the company he keeps and all that. Sonny tells him, he said all he has to say, and Spencer leaves.

Laura says she certainly hopes Esme had nothing to do with this video of Josslyn and Cameron, and Esme says, of course (🍷) she didn’t. Why won’t anyone believe her? Nikolas comes in, and says, they just have to let the police investigation run its course. In the meantime, he’s keeping an open mind. Laura says, her son has extended his hospitality to Esme. She hopes Esme won’t betray that trust. Ava walks in, and says, they already know the answer to that, and Nikolas says, she’s back. She says, live and in person, and he says, she made her position on sharing a roof with Esme quite clear last night. Ava says, since then, she’s come to realize that some things are more important than her feelings about Esme. He says, what’s that? and she says, this is her damn house too.

At the MetroCourt, Victor sends a text: Get it done. There’s too much at stake. Yohan joins him, and says, Victor wanted to see him, and Victor says he wants Yohan to keep an eye on things in Port Charles, only for a week or two. Yohan asks where Victor is going, and Victor says he has some business to attend to overseas. Yohan says, he’s leaving town just as Kurt has been exposed. Doesn’t that look like he’s fleeing the country? Victor says, unless of course (🍷) that’s exactly what he’s doing.

Anna leaves a message for Valentin, saying, the last time they spoke, he said he was coming back to town shortly, and she was wondering if that’s still the plan. Could he call her maybe, or text? She has some things she needs to update him on before he comes back. She knocks on Sam’s apartment door, and Dante opens it, thanking her for coming. She says their message sounded urgent, and Sam says, they think they uncovered something that can prove Luke was murdered. Anna says, they have her attention, and Sam says, ever since she and Drew ran into Victor on the docks, she’s had Spinelli monitoring the dark web. Anna asks what he found, and Sam says, they’re working on the theory that Victor’s interest in Drew was somehow connected to Luke’s death. They’re trying to make sense of all of it right now. Dante says, they’re trying to connect the two crimes somehow. It didn’t make sense that Luke was murdered, Victor returns, and the Ice Princess is stolen. Anna says, the overlap is too much of a coincidence.

Yohan asks what Victor means, that’s what he’s doing? and Victor says he’s joking. Far from it. It’s legitimate business he has to take care of. He’ll be back before anyone even knows he’s gone. Yohan says, Mayor Collins, DA Scorpio, and Anna Devane all suspect they have something to do with the incident in Austria last December, and Victor says, but of course (🍷) they didn’t. He has a hunch the authorities will find someone who’s a much more credible suspect than either one of them.

Laura suggests she and Esme give Nikolas and Ava a few minutes to talk, and Ava thanks her, saying, they wouldn’t want to get the mother-to-be all worked up in her delicate condition. Esme says, turns out it was a false alarm. She’s not pregnant, but Spence’s grandmother was right. No doubt Ava and Nikolas have much to discuss. They leave, and Ava looks at Nikolas.

In the foyer, Spencer walks in, and Esme says, that was fast. He asks what they’re doing in the foyer, and Laura says, they’re giving his dad and Ava some privacy to talk. Esme asks where he was, and he says he was at the gym. She says, so that’s why he rushed out of here this morning; so he could get away from her?

Drew asks Curtis if there have been anymore updates about Marshall, but Curtis says, not since he found a hole in Marshall’s story. He asked Jordan to access some sealed arrest records, but she wasn’t going for it. He even reached out to Sonny; see if he could use his resources to get the job done. Drew says he hopes Sonny turned Curtis down, and Curtis says, as a matter-of-fact he did. Why does Drew make that sound like a good thing? Drew says, not exactly good or neutral, but organized crime has been trying to make inroads since Curtis has owned the club. Curtis doesn’t want to owe the mob any favors. Curtis flashes back to Selena approaching him about having no limits Texas Hold ‘Em in his back room, and Curtis agrees it’s probably best.

Selena walks into the gym, and says, no phones, no distractions. The pungent musk of testosterone, charming in its own way. Sonny asks what he can do for her, and she says she stopped by his office, but no one was there. She knew this place was right around the corner, so she took a gamble that he’d be here. He says he never took her for a gambling woman, and she says, it has its time, and its place. He says, is that why she wanted to see him? He likes to keep certain aspects of his life private. This is his boxing gym, if she knows what he means. So if she wants to make an appointment, they can have this conversation in his office. She says she’s happy to reschedule, but on her end, the newly appointed Police Commissioner Ashford has been taking notice of her comings and goings. It might arouse suspicion if she were to stop by his office with any frequency. Here, she’s just a professional, potentially interested in a membership to attend a self-defense class. He tells her, make it quick, and she says, her plan is to expand a fraction of her business in Port Charles, gaming mainly, which doesn’t conflict with any of Sonny’s business interests. She feels it’s been an underserved market since Luke Spencer moved away. She would start small, once she finalizes the location, provided of course (🍷) she secures his blessing first. He tells her, what if he says no?

Laura says she thinks it would be in Esme’s best interest not to lose her temper, because it looks like she and Spencer are going to be living here for a while. Esme says, of course (🍷) Laura is on Spence’s side, and Laura says, no; she’s on the side of keeping the peace. She’s just saying she thinks they all need to take a deep breath, and step back from this moment a little bit, okay? In fact, why don’t they join her and Doc for lunch? She thinks they should both get out of the house while Nikolas and Ava talk. Spencer thanks her for the kind offer, but says he thinks he and Esme have things to discuss as well, and Esme tells him, if you say so. Laura says, if they change their minds, they’re welcome to join her. She moves to hug Spencer, but he says he’s super gross, and she laughs, saying, it’s thoughtful of him. She loves him. Try to be kind to each other. Laura leaves, and he tells Esme, he left because he had a lot of thinking to do. She says she supposes they both did. They said some horrible things to each other over the last few weeks, because he’s fallen in love with another girl, or is he going to keep denying it?

TJ asks Trina how she is, and she says she’s compartmentalizing. Nothing’s really happening with her case today, so she’s just staying focused in the present. It is a housewarming party, right? He says, right, and she says, that’s what she’s supposed to say, but really she just wants to scream, she’s framed and she’s innocent. She wants to say that in person, on Twitter, on TikTok, but she can’t, because every time she says she’s innocent, people think somehow she might still be guilty. He says he gets it. He got accused of doing something he didn’t do, when he was her age actually. Not to the same degree to what she’s facing, but he knows what it’s like to be wrongly accused, and how being passionate about defending yourself can turn into this nonsensical feedback. She thanks him for saying that, and tells him, it’s so strange to find her life spiraling out of control when she didn’t do anything wrong.

Stella tells Portia that she and Curtis buying this house together really caught her by surprise. Back in her day, people didn’t move in together so quickly. Portia says, really? and Stella says, she’s not judging. Times change. At her age, you realize you have to seize your happiness where you can find it. Portia says, is that code for telling her maybe she’s happy for them? and Stella says she’s just reiterating what she told Portia over the holidays. She misjudged the connection Portia and Curtis have. It was just her projecting her concerns about Curtis moving on too quickly. He signed the divorce papers, and… Stella remembers putting the envelope in her purse, and Portia asks if she’s okay.

Anna says, very interesting Dante and Sam would make that connection, because Laura, Robert, and herself believe that the Ice Princess is connected to Victor’s return to town, and unfortunately, Luke’s death most likely. Dante says, according to his mother and Ned, Tracy was pretty blindsided when she found out her diamond was fake; that the real Ice Princess was swapped out before Luke was killed. Sam says, the simplest of theories, Luke was killed to prevent him from catching on to the swap, and Dante says, but that doesn’t explain the theft in the first place. No one steals the Ice Princess so they can put it in their own collection on display. They steal it so they can sell it to someone else. Sam says, unless they want to sell it for a whole lot of money, and Dante says, that’s when Spinelli got a hit this morning. Anna asks, what is it? and Sam brings her over to the laptop, and says, a black market auction. The description pretty much explains what it’s about. Anna reads, what remains of what was once the largest uncut diamond in the world, and says, they found it.

Nikolas says, Ava is right. This is her home as much as it is his, which is why he’s so glad she came around to the idea of remaining here. Despite her reservations about Esme, she has to look at the bigger picture. Whatever she may have done, she doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of Sonny’s wrath. Ava says, once again, he’s listening with his heart, instead of his ears, and he says, how so? She tells him, she never said she’d come around to anything. Esme is a liar and a cheat. She’s a conniving reptile, who framed Trina, who’s practically a daughter to her. She’ll never be okay with Esme living here, but she’ll be damned if she lets that off-brand sociopath drive her from her home and marriage.

Stella tells Portia, sorry; she got lost in thought. She’s glad Portia didn’t listen to her when she was being overprotective of Curtis. Portia says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she can certainly understand the impulse, and Stella says, she’s scared for Trina. Portia says, of course (🍷) she is. She’s worried Trina’s entire future will be completely destroyed, if not seriously tainted, over something she absolutely did not do. Stella says she knows as a parent, every fiber in Portia’s being wants to fix Trina’s problems, but there’s only so much you can do. And that feeling of helplessness makes it all the more terrifying. The doorbell rings, and Stella says she thought they were keeping this small; just Drew and family. Who did they invite? Curtis says, no one, and opens the door to find Marshall.

Selena tells Sonny that she must have gotten the wrong impression from their previous conversation. She thought he was on board with cooperation between their two families. He says he’s all for the spirit of cooperation, but they were discussing access to the docks. She never once brought up bringing gambling to Port Charles. She says, it’s an area where their family’s interests don’t overlap. They wouldn’t be in competition as he keeps his gambling interests off-shore. And as this is his territory, of course (🍷) she’d offer him a percentage of the profits. He says, sounds reasonable, but his term still stands; no drugs at all. She says, understood, and he says he’ll let her know about his other terms, but let him say one thing. If he finds out there’s any drugs, or anybody dealing drugs during the games, he’ll shut it down. No second chances. She says she agrees to his terms, and thinks they have a deal. He holds out his hand, and they shake.

Anna says, this diamond up for auction has to be the Ice Princess, and Dante says, they just have to figure out who’s selling Luke’s prized possession. Sam says, maybe the same person who killed Luke, and Anna says, whoever that person is, she believes it’s going to lead them right back to Victor. Sam says they’re going to have to prove they’re in possession of the necessary funds before they make a bid, or they’re not going to get the location of the auction. Anna says, they do that partially because they want to weed out any law enforcement, and Dante says, not much point in showing them their bank accounts. Anna says, when Duke died, he left her a rather large sum of money, which she’s always felt uncomfortable spending because of the ambiguous ways it was acquired. She put some aside for Robin’s education, and the rest she turned into cryptocurrency in case one day she ever had to investigate cyber-crimes. Sam says, it’s totally up to Anna, and Anna says, unless the meet the threshold, they’re not going to be invited to this auction, and she can tell them, the Ice Princess will bring some pretty unsavory characters out of the woodwork. They should do it. Sam says, okay, and starts typing.

French Polynesia. Jennifer Smith sits at a tiki bar, on the phone and sipping a drink. Obviously talking to a partner, perhaps romantic, she says she shouldn’t be much longer. She has very important business to attend to.

Curtis asks what brings Marshall by, and Marshall says he heard they were having a housewarming to celebrate their new home. He hands Curtis a bottle of wine, and asks if he got the wrong date. TJ says he invited grandpa to join, since it’s mainly a family gathering. Curtis says, come on in, and Stella and Marshall acknowledge each other.

Spencer says, his feelings for Trina are complicated, and Esme says, let her see if she has this straight. His feelings for Trina are complicated, so he simplifies things by believing the worst in her. She guesses so he can believe the best in Trina. But now what? He knows she’s not the one responsible for that horrible video. Does that mean there’s a path forward for them? Or she can just leave Port Charles. She can just hope the executor of her trust fund takes pity on her, so that just maybe she can walk away with enough money for a plane ticket and an apartment somewhere on the continent, because now that there’s no baby, there doesn’t seem to be anything keeping them together. She starts to walk out, but he grabs her arm, and says, wait.

Portia asks if Trina is feeling okay; is she eating? Trina says, she’s embarrassed about what has her down the most. Joss and Cam think she’s innocent, Portia and her dad know she’s innocent, Ava does too, and she’s even starting to get the feeling Commissioner Ashford knows in her heart that she’s innocent. Portia says, that should make Trina feel more loved and supported, and Trina says, it does, but why can’t she stay focused on that? Why is she stuck on this one person who thinks she’s guilty. The way Spencer looked at her in the interrogation room… It really hurt her when he asked if she was the one who betrayed Joss and Cam. Portia says, part of growing up is learning the pain of putting your faith in someone who doesn’t give it back to you. She knows it hurts like hell, but it’s also going to teach her who her true friends are in this life. Trina says, it’s funny, because she doesn’t think Spencer really believes she’s guilty. She thinks he wants to believe it, so he can make his messed up situation with Esme easier accept. But that’s always been Spencer’s problem. He wants to do what’s right, but when it really matters, he does what’s easy.

Yohan tells Victor, the more he knows, the more he can help him, when Laura walks in. She heads for the bar, and Victor says, that’s a very kind offer, but in this case, the less Yohan knows, the better. Will Yohan excuse him? At the bar, Laura asks Trish for an ice tea, and Victor approaches. He says, dining alone? but she says, no. She’s meeting her husband for lunch; he’s just running late. He says, patient in distress? and she says, none of his business. He says, since Doc is delayed, perhaps he can offer her a drink, but she says she doesn’t think there’s a martini dry enough to make that offer enticing. He says, ouch; that hurt. She says she knows he heard from Spencer regarding Esme’s possible pregnancy – she’s not, by the way. He says, that’s certainly a relief, but what exactly did he say to Spencer that upset her so much? She says, he offered to handle it for Spencer, and he says he’s sure she’ll agree that Spencer, although a fine young man, is hardly mature enough to raise a child on his own. Unless of course (🍷) it’s okay with Laura that Spencer and Esme are tied to each other for the rest of their lives.

Jennifer says she knows he doesn’t see the value in this auction. It seems wasteful to spend the millions they’ve acquired thus far on something so extravagant. But this belonged to her dear, dead ex-husband, and though she is committed to moving on with her life, she does owe it to him, and to herself… To make sure his most treasured possession stays with someone who cared deeply about him. The Ice Princess simply belongs with me… I mean, us.

Sam says, all they have to do is wait and see if they’re admitted to the auction, and Dante asks if Anna is okay. She says, yeah. Luke was so instrumental in bringing Duke home, she’d like to think wherever Duke is, he’s smiling because his estate is going to a good cause. Dante says she’s putting up a fortune in crypto. Before they go ahead, she should think about the fact this might not have to do with Luke’s death or Victor Cassadine. Anna told them that the inspector was some fanatical true believer of some cause. Anna says, committed to the point of taking his own life. Whatever the inspector believed, he thought his goals were noble and justified to orchestrate this horrible tram car crash that cost so many people their lives. Sam says, the theft of the Ice Princess could have been motivated financially, don’t they think? And not politically? Dante says, or they go hand in hand. Or maybe Victor was exploiting the true believer for his own cause. The sale of the Ice Princess could fund Victor’s belief or cause for a lifetime. Not that he’d let on having a belief other than in himself or his family. Anna says, that they know of.

Marshall says he knows he hasn’t given Drew an answer about the position Drew offered him. He hopes Drew doesn’t think he’s stringing him along. Drew asks if Marshall minds him asking what the delay’s about, and Marshall says, his band picked up more gigs. He started to wonder if being a jazz concierge for Aurora might become a conflict of interest. The last thing he wants to do is keep the job from somebody else who might need it more than him. Drew says, they’re still interviewing other candidates, but keep him posted. Drew excuses himself, and Marshall tells Curtis that he has some nice friends, and a really nice partner. Curtis says he’s a lucky man. In fact, he and Portia were thinking about taking a vacation after they settled in the house, but he guesses all that will have to wait until the situation with Trina is resolved. Marshall says, Curtis has to take care of his family; he has to put them first. Don’t make the mistake he did. Where were they planning on going? Curtis says, Portia has always wanted to go to Buenos Aires; has Marshall been there? Marshall says, yeah, that was a long time ago. He’s sure the city’s changed since he’s been there. if Curtis will excuse him for a second, he’s got to check out that view. Marshall goes out on the patio – where there are an awful lot of trees for it being a beach house – and takes out his pill bottle. Stella comes out, and asks what he thinks he’s doing.

Stella asks if Marshall thinks it’s wise to be popping those pills so openly, and he says, Curtis is already aware of his heart medication; that’s all these are. She says she had to wonder if it’s something else. He’s taking a big chance that could make the truth come out. Marshall says he wouldn’t do that, and she says, listen to her. She’s in this way too deep to go back on her word to Ilene now, and she needs to know that this will not blow up in her face. Her relationship with Curtis, with her family, cannot be collateral damage. He says he appreciates all she’s done for Curtis during his absence, but if anyone is Curtis’s or TJ’s family, it’s him. He goes back inside.

Selena says she was sorry to hear about Sonny’s divorce from Carly, but he says, let’s not go there. She says, family is so important, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a huge disappointment. She has a few in her own family whose loyalty leaves much to be desired; that’s why their chosen families are so important. He says, this is as good a segue as any. He found Jason’s successor. Brick is going to be serving as second in command. He’s going to be doing Jason’s day to day management. Selena says she’s quite fond of him. This is good news, especially given the rumblings she’s been hearing – no doubt he has as well – about a new family that’s been amassing power on the west coast under radar.

Jennifer says, beyond the sentimental value of the Ice Princess, acquiring it will send a message to the entire underworld that they’re a major force to be reconned with, which will enable them to expedite and expand their program and operations at a much brisker pace than they originally planned. They’ve already expanded through much of the west coast without drawing too much attention from the other families. If she wins this auction, it will only be a matter of time before they can start moving east, and strike right at the heart of Port Charles.

Anna says, they placed Victor’s assistant Yohan in Austria at the time of the tram car crash, and he has shown undying loyalty to Victor; far more than salary alone would justify. Sam says, it depends on how big his salary is, and Dante says, maybe they have to figure out what’s near and dear to old Yohan. The laptop beeps, and Sam says, their crypto account passed the test. They’ve been invited to join the auction of the Ice Princess.

Laura says she doesn’t want to get into this with Victor, especially in public. He asks if she can honestly fault him for trying to look out for a family member’s needs; offering to take care of this problem? She says she knows too well what it means for a Cassadine to handle a situation like this, and she’d like something better for those two kids, and for Nikolas.

Nikolas says, so Ava hasn’t had a change of heart? and she says, no, but she’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect those she cares about. That includes protecting him from his own worst instincts. If anybody gets kicked to the curb, it’s going to be Esme, not her. He says, kicking Esme out isn’t an option since Ava decided to sic Sonny on her. She knew damn well what Sonny is capable of if he believes someone hurt his family. She asks if he’s forgotten what she’s capable of; what he’s capable of? Or has he already rewritten their history into some sweet fairytale? He’s so much smarter than this, and honestly, it pains her to see he’s fallen for this poor abandoned waif act. He asks if this is looking out for him and Trina, or is this her keeping a promise to his mother? Because his mother wants her to look out for him, since he’s so naïve and doesn’t know better? It’s so insulting. She says they can go back and forth like this much as they want, but really it comes down to this. As long as he’s choosing to protect Esme, they won’t be sharing a bed. He asks if that’s an ultimatum, and she says, what if it is? He says, then let him remind her, he doesn’t respond well to ultimatums.

Sonny tells Selena, Brick mentioned something months ago about a rival family on the west coast. He hasn’t heard anything since. She says, in her experience, people who can amass power under the radar do the most damage. They’re not their problem today, but one day, they will be. He says he guesses it’s good they’re in the same corner, and she says he has her word that she’ll keep him in the loop with whatever she hears, if he does the same. He says, deal, and she says, deal. Enjoy the rest of his day. She leaves, and he shakes his head.

Drew says he’s happy for Curtis and Portia. He has to get going, but the place is so beautiful. Curtis says he’ll walk Drew out. As Drew leaves, Stella comes back in not looking so well. Portia says, before anyone else leaves, why don’t they take a family photo? Their first get together in their new home. TJ says they’ll use his phone, and Portia brings Trina over. Stella is hanging around he buffet table, and Portia asks what she’s doing. Get over here, and get in this picture. Stella looks at them, her vision goes blurry, and she collapses.

Ava says, so that’s it; Nikolas won’t listen to reason. He says, neither one of them is listening to reason. She’s ignoring evidence and trusting her gut, and he’s trusting his. She says, the way she sees it, he’s trusting a girl who torched her car, who stalked and terrorized her. They all know how twisted Esme’s mind is. She trusts Trina with all her heart, and he says, he’s not saying Esme is completely innocent; far from it, but the evidence is pointing to Trina, not Esme. She says, evidence can be planted; they both know that. He says, Spencer wants to protect Esme, and he wants to stand by his son. Don’t put him in a position where he has to choose her or his son. He’s already done that once, and it didn’t turn out too well. Don’t back him into that corner again. She says, there’s nothing left to discuss, and he says, so that’s it? Nothing has changed since last night? She came all this way to tell him she’s not moving back? She says, no. She said they won’t be sharing a bed as long as Esme is here. However, Windymere belongs to her too, and she’s not letting Esme take it away from her. There are plenty of guest rooms and cottages on the property for her to stay in and keep an eye on things. At least until he opens his.

Esme suggests they just rip off the Band-Aid and be done with it, but Spencer says he doesn’t want her to leave. She says she doesn’t want to leave, but she doesn’t want to be roommates. She wants to be them again. He says he’s not there yet, but if she stays, they can figure it out. One step at a time. He hugs her.

Victor tells Laura, he wants more for Nikolas and Spencer. More than he was offered by his family. She says, if he’s going for sympathy, he’s wasting his time. He says he knows she thinks he’s heartless, but she’s mistaken. He cares deeply about what the next generation is going to have to endure. They both want to leave them a better world. They might differ in their methods, but surely their interests are aligned. She says, she may need that drink after all and will he stop calling her Shirley. He says he means it. He’s deadly serious. Just think about this possibility. Imagine a world where they stop being enemies, and instead, they work together toward a common goal.

Sam says, the auction is being held at a hotel in French Polynesia, and Anna asks Sam to send her the address. She has a WSB agent who will get her there undetected. In the meantime, why doesn’t Sam have Spinelli do a deep dive on Yohan? See what they can turn up. She’ll be in touch. Dante tells her to be careful. She’s going into a den of millionaires, mobsters, and megalomaniacs. She says she’ll do her best. In the hallway, she leaves Valentin another message. She says she’s going out of town, so she won’t be here when he comes back. She has to be honest. She’s starting to get worried about the fact that he’s completely unreachable.

Jennifer says she’ll let him know how it goes, every detail. She hangs up, and sips her drink. She tells the bartender that she’s ready for another, and he says she’s got it. A man says, s’il vous plait, madame’s next drink is on me. It’s Valentin, wearing a moustache and naval officer uniform, and he asks if this chair is taken.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, call 9-1-1; Michael says, the only thing he wants to hit Smoltz with is an offer; Valentin romances Jennifer; and Sonny tells Nina, defense is easier when you see the hit coming.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Noella says, Heather saying she hurt her feelings hit her hard. Gina and Emily stand on the stairs listening, and Noella says, she apologizes if she said anything that hurt Heather’s family. Heather doesn’t say anything, and Noella asks if Heather is receiving that or even heard it. Heather says, it’s not how she feels about what Noella said, but what Noella said. She feels for what Noella is going through, so when things have come up, she’s let them go. But at some point, Heather’s family and life are more important to her than whatever Noella is going through. Gina and Emily go to the kitchen, and have chicken salad with Shannon. Noella asks if Heather put her hands on a crew member, and Heather says she didn’t touch anyone. Noella can keep going there, but she said Heather was slamming people up against the wall, and she saw it. Noella doesn’t recall saying that, and Heather says, she admitted to the girls that she lied, and didn’t see anything. We flash back to that, and Heather says she can’t do this with Noella anymore. In Gina’s interview, she says she can’t express how happy she is to be having a conversation about chicken salad with Shannon as opposed to the alternative, fighting in the other room. Noella says she did follow Heather down the staircase, and Heather says she’s done. In her interview, Gina says, maybe Heather and Noella should have some chicken salad. It promotes friendship. Heather says, Noella is a liar and a thirsty girl; she’s done. She walks to the kitchen, and Noella says she’s shocked Heather knows what thirsty means. I guess the implication is that Heather is old, but she does have a few young kids. Noella joins everyone, and says, it couldn’t be resolved. Her apology isn’t enough; she’s a pathological liar and just makes things up. Heather says, that’s a different diagnosis, and in Gina’s interview, she says, the altitude combined with the alcohol, makes chicken salad the only conversation she can have. Gina suggests Noella just say she was wrong and apologize, but Heather says, she can’t. Shannon says she’s going to bed. She literally had two hours sleep.

Gina calls Travis, and tells him, it’s stunningly beautiful, and they have a chef. She’s suffering. In her interview, she says, Mark, Chef Leigh, and Landon are a dream team. They handle everything, and all she has to do is chew, swallow, and digest. Travis tells her that he’s the staff at home. Landon makes a drink for Noella, and Gina doesn’t think it’s wise to give Noella vodka and a bow and arrow, as they’re going for an archery lesson. In Emily’s interview, she says, she’s glad they decided on archery. Shannon had talked about going to a gun range, and Shannon with a gun and her erratic hands – we flash back to Shannon flailing around – are not safe for anyone. Landon brings Noella a bloody Mary and a bowl of fruit, saying it will make her day better. Noella calls her friend Keni, who looks like she’s had way too many lip injections, and says, they’re doing archery. She doesn’t think she should be with weapon right now, so she’s having breakfast in bed. Yesterday was a great day, everyone was bonding, and Heather came after her, calling her a liar, and screaming at her in a crowded restaurant. I wonder how she’ll justify her exaggerating after seeing the show, but I’m sure she’ll find a way, whether it makes sense or not. Heather tells Emily and Gina that Noella is a prevaricator, and has to explain that the word means liar. Noella tells Keni, what she said about Heather was out there and it was her karma. When she said that to Heather, Heather told Noella, all the things that were going on in her life, like her divorce and her son’s autism, were her karma. She cries, and says, it’s so disgusting. In Noella’s interview, she says, it’s a new low for Heather Dubrow. She didn’t think Heather could get any lower. Keni says she wishes she could be there with Noella, and Noella says, it’s high school with wrinkles. Heather tells Emily and Gina, if it wasn’t so irritating, it would be fascinating, and Noella tells Keni, since she’s all about the truth, it must be annihilating for Heather. I’m not so sure Noella inhabits the same planet as the rest of us.

It’s time for archery, and Shannon has a whole outfit to go with it. In Heather’s interview, she says she’d love to see Shannon’s closet. Shannon likes to dress up, and she wonders what Shannon and John do at home. In Shannon’s interview, she says, she doesn’t know if Noella should join the group today. Every time she’s with them, someone comes after her. Maybe she needs a break. Noella has been through a lot; let her rest. In the limo bus, Emily tells Gina that if Noella doesn’t come to this, she won’t be going to the next thing, since they’re going directly there. In Gina’s interview, she says, Noella says she wants to be part of the group, and now she’s locking herself in her room. Heather says, she and Noella can’t agree to disagree about this, and Jen repeats what she says. In her interview, Emily says, Jen doesn’t have many original thoughts. She follows Heather around, and parrots what Heather says. She just repeats everything. We flash back to several instances, and I’d never noticed it before, but she does, and it’s weird.

In Noella’s interview, she says, with everything she’s going through, she feels disconnected from the things that make her feel safe. She misses her kids and wants to be home, and she’s mourning the loss of her father. She got an email with the final divorce papers, and she was reading through it. There were things she hadn’t thought about, like the destruction of their embryos. She can’t catch a break or her breath. She needs a time out from life. She goes to the creek, and in her interview, she says, her father would have loved it. She misses him, and it’s the first time she’s connected to that feeling. She scream/cries.

They get to the archery range, where they meet their instructor Douglas, who is a master fischel, whatever that is. He says, they’ve come to be warriors, and to learn the way of the bow. They do breathing exercises, and Emily gets a bullseye with her first shot. Shannon does too, and Emily gets another. They shoot at balloons, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Emily is crushing the activities game. She was a badass with horseback riding. If it comes to a Hunger Games situation, she’s glad Emily’s on her side. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s excited about their trip to the mine. If you want to learn things, you do the weird underground things, like seeing the mine, not go shopping at Louis Vuitton. The women decide to meet at the house for lunch later.

Gina and Emily decide to fetch Noella, and Gina says, if Noella wants to have fun, she’ll have fun, but she’s not Noella’s therapist. She knows Noella is feeling a lot, but she’s not going there, and Emily says, neither is she. On the ride to the mine, Emily brings along food, saying, archery made her hungry. In Noella’s interview, she says, they have zero interest in seeing how she is. Just a, how are you, how was your day? would go a long way. She’s gluing a smile on her face. They arrive at Clark Tunnel, where guide Jay says he’s going to give them the smuggler’s mine tour. In her interview, Noella says, she and Emily don’t have a good track record with going in cave like structures, and we flash back to the sweat lodge. She says, at least the temperature is more to her liking. Emily asks if anyone has died in the mine, and Jay says, yep. She asks if he’s seen any ghosts, but he says, nope. Noella says, there must be a ghost if someone died here, and Gina says she should have brought her demon dust. In her interview, she says, she acquired the demon dust when getting her demon extraction. It’s basically her saying, it’s cool you’re here, but eat that bitch not me. Thank you. Emily forgets to duck, and whacks her head. Jay says, back in the day, the average minor was 5’4” to 5’6”, and does a mining demonstration.

The others go on hike, and visit a footbridge. They sit by the creek, and now I notice how Jen repeats what Heather says. Heather says she’s happy, and Jen says she’s happy. Shannon says she feels conflicted. Emily has a large part in stirring things up. Jen asks, how? and Shannon says, she brings stuff up that’s controversial, and puts people on the spot. We flash back to Emily asking if Shannon is jealous of Gina, and Shannon says she understands that Gina and Emily have a close relationship, but Emily repeats whatever she hears. We flash back to Emily telling Gina that Shannon said Gina should – all together now – put a pin in it. Shannon says, Emily doesn’t have to report back about everything, and in Heather’s interview, she wonders if Emily is a sh*t stirrer or truth teller. You can look at it either way. Shannon says, what’s really bothering her is that she and Emily weren’t close, but they bonded in Cabo, and it’s so frustrating. In Shannon’s interview, she says, she and Emily have come to a good point in their friendship, but it took work. We flash back to the Tamra days when they weren’t so friendly, and Shannon says, there doesn’t need to be drama or posturing, It becomes dinner conversation for people. Heather asks how she’s going to shut it down, and Shannon says, she wants to have a talk with Emily. She reached out to Gina, and when Gina is ready, they’ll talk, but she’s going to talk to Emily

Shannon, Heather, and Jen are having champagne and the best chicken ever, when Emily, Gina, and Noella get back. Heather says, the canaries made it out alive, and Noella tells Shannon about having a breakdown at the creek, in a good way. It was a memorial to her dad. Emily says she wants to take a nap, and Shannon asks if they can talk first. They go outside, and Shannon says, some of the things they talk about get misconstrued and put out there. She doesn’t want any negative stuff in her life. The thought of negativity is exhausting. Emily says she’s confused. If Shannon is in a good place, why does she say negative things about Gina? Shannon says, that’s between her and Gina, but Emily says, she and Gina are close, and it’s her business too. Shannon says she does understand, and Emily says, she knows no one’s perfect, and she’s not a perfect person. Shannon says she doesn’t want her and Gina’s issues to affect her friend friendship with Emily, but Emily says, it doesn’t. She apologizes if Shannon feels she did something hurtful; it wasn’t her intention. Shannon says, same. None of them intend on hurting anyone. In Emily’s interview, she says, it’s not as easy of a friendship as with Gina or Heather. It’s more challenging, but she’s willing to put forth the extra effort to navigate a friendship with Shannon. She thinks it’s worth it. She tells Shannon that she wants to build a friendship, and Shannon says she thinks they have an opportunity to wear the bear suit. In Shannon’s interview, she says, there’s only one person in this group who would put a bear costume on to scare the women, and that’s Emily. She’s brought two of them, and they sneak around getting them ready.

Noella calls mom Nancy from the hot tub outside her room. She tells Nancy about finalizing the divorce details. Where there was so much love and joy, now she’s just putting her name a contract with their life itemized. It’s like another death. In Noella’s interview, she says, it’s a scary journey to be walking, but she’s ready to walk through it, and put James in the past. She tells Nancy that her girlfriends will be jealous. It’s the fastest divorce in California history. Emily goes to her room, where Gina and Heather are hanging out on the bed. Heather says she wants to have fun, so if something comes up, squash it; walk away. Emily says she and Shannon are fine. She apologized, and said she didn’t mean to hurt Shannon. Heather says, see how easy it is? and in Gina’s interview, she says, it seems weird that Shannon understands Emily’s point-of-view, when she seems incapable of understanding Gina’s. She thinks Shannon has something more personal against her. She tells Emily and Heather that she just wants Shannon to acknowledge her feelings, and take accountability. It triggers her, and she doesn’t want to say something she’ll regret. They all say, not tonight

Emily has a huge bruise from archery, and I’m surprised no one got a feather slice through their finger, a typical injury for novices. They find out bluegrass band Oak Range are going to play a private concert for them, and Noella tells the story of the finalization email, and how it went through every bullet point. Gina says, it’s the fastest divorce ever, and in Gina’s interview, she says, she’s pumped for Noella to close this chapter, and most important, she’ll STFU about her divorce. It’s a win-win for everybody. The band plays outside, and Emily and Shannon slip out. In Shannon’s interview, she says, two bears are better than one. Who better to don a bear costume with her than Emily? She hopes there are no bear traps out there. They dress up, and in Emily’s interview, she says, she appreciates Shannon’s effort to add the reality with bear sound effects coming from her bra, but if they want to scare the women, why are they walking out into a highly lit backyard? The costumes look pretty unrealistic, and no one is scared. Shannon says, it was a bust, but Noella says, it was awesome. In her interview, Gina says she’s sure the band is saying WTF? Shannon and Emily dance around in their costumes, and in Noella’s interview, she says, she knows where this is heading. She knows Gina’s behavior. She drinks too much and loses her effing mind. Noella needs to get herself away from it.

They go in for dinner, and Emily asks what everyone’s first jobs were. This goes well until Noella doesn’t remember Gina’s friend Tatiana. Gina says Noella spent a long time with Tatiana and it bothers her that Noella doesn’t remember meeting her. Noella says, it’s not that deep, but Gina says Noella should know more than she knows. Gina gets up, saying, she’s done, and in Emily’s interview, she says, Gina is overreacting, but she knows Gina well enough to know that superficial things that upset her have a deeper root. She asks if Gina wants some cobbler. Shannon tells Noella that she cares, and Noella says she feels bad. She doesn’t feel supported or respected. Shannon gives Noella a hug, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, this is supposed to be the time for Noella to mourn her father’s death, but she doesn’t feel she’s in a safe space to let out her feelings. Noella says, technically, it’s been the best ladies trip so far. Gina can’t believe Shannon is still being supportive of Noella, and Shannon says she’s just trying to get to a calm point. Noella was blindsided by her father’s death. Gina says, sh*t happens, and in her interview, Shannon says, did Gina just say sh*t happens? They’re talking about somebody dying. She doesn’t know what to say. She tells Gina that she’s just trying to be nice, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Shannon is being nice, so three years from now, she can say, remember when everyone was against you and I got them off your back when you were going through a horrible time? Shannon likes to be there when people are down, but when you’re up, she wants to drag you back down. Gina says, no matter how awful it’s been, she’s never acted like that. Noella is getting a very large check. It’s not the worst thing in world, and she doesn’t have any sympathy.

Next time, the season finale, a rock concert, Noella tries to take her rings off, Shane and Emily renew their vows, and Shannon asks Gina, how dare she?

✈️ Oh Babe, I Hate To Go…

Pop in tomorrow for soap and to see what else I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay choosing long term goals over short term satisfaction, and stay doing what’s right when it really matters, not what’s easy.

April 5, 2022 – Spencer Confronts Sonny, Marge Sr.’s 75th Birthday Bash, Grammy Talk & License

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the gym, Sonny tells Dante, he’s not looking for any specifics. It’s just when he looks into Esme, Sonny wants to know… Dante says he can’t tell Sonny anything, and Sonny says he’s not asking Dante to, but when he does look, he wants Dante to see the whole picture. Brando walks in wearing a suit, and Sonny asks, what’s this get-up? The wedding already happen? Brando says, yeah, and hugs Sonny. Dante says he heard; congratulations. He shakes Brando’s hand and asks where’s his invite? Brando says, it was a short list, and Dante asks, what’s Brando doing? This doesn’t exactly look like gym attire. Brando says he’s heading to The Savoy; big day for his wife.

Lucy, Sasha, Maxie, and Brook walk into The Savoy, which is decorated for their party. Sasha says, how great Lucy looked ringing the bell on Wall Street today, and Lucy says, they all looked great, but they also looked gorgeous, and powerful, and successful. She does admit, she looked pretty spectacular ringing that bell. Maxie says, it was even better flying home. How great was it that one of their investors lent them his private plane? Brook says, it was unbelievable, and thanks them for including her on the trip and letting her stand up there with them when they rang the bell. It’s a big deal. Maxie says, they’re a big deal. She knows Brook isn’t a partner, but nobody would know how fabulous Deception is if it wasn’t for her. Lucy says, exactly. That makes her invaluable. Sasha says, it’s been a rough year, but through it all, they stayed committed to Deception, and Maxie says, and now, they reap the rewards.

Elizabeth is about to go upstairs, when she hears something. She comes back, and the lights go out. She sees a man’s figure in the shadows, and says, what do you want? He says, don’t forget me, and she asks who he is. She wakes up on the couch. She looks around, and says, okay. It was just a hell of a dream. She gets up, and looks at the drafting table, seeing a painting of the beach with the words DON’T FORGET ME painted over it in red. She touches the paint, and sees it’s fresh.

Scotty asks Ava why they’re eating at Charlie’s instead of Windymere. She knows how he likes the brisk ride out there, and the fresh orange juice, and the fancy frittatas. She says she stayed in town last night, and he asks, is there trouble on Spoon Island? She says, trouble with a capital E.

Spencer pours coffee, when Esme walks in. He asks how she’s doing. He was just about to bring this up to her room. She says, tired, and sits next to him. He asks if she wants any breakfast, and she says, no food, just coffee. He says, the usual? Cream and two sugars? She says, it’s nice of him to still wait on her, especially since they know she’s not pregnant after all.

At Kelly’s, Laura tells Finn, Elizabeth means a great deal to her, and she’s glad Elizabeth has Finn in her life, especially with what she and the boys are going through right now. He says he’s helping her as much as she’ll let him. Of course (🍷) Elizabeth’s first reaction is to try and do everything on her own.

Aiden calls downstairs to Elizabeth that he can’t find his P.E. clothes, and she tells him to check in the laundry room. She tries to hide the painting, but Jake comes down and asks what she’s doing. He says, it happened again? and she stops him from reaching for the painting. He says, don’t forget me? She says she doesn’t want him to worry about this, but he says he’s not a kid anymore. He should know if someone broke in. Aiden joins them, and says, someone broke in again? She says she doesn’t know what happened. Hopefully, the police will be able to tell them. Jake says, and if they can’t? and she says she’ll deal with it. Jake says, by herself? and she says, she’ll do anything to protect them, even if she has to do it alone. Jake says she doesn’t have to, and takes out his phone. She asks who he’s calling.

Ava tells Scotty, her husband has not only invited his son to live with them at Windymere, he’s seen fit to invite Spencer’s now ex-girlfriend. He says, the famous Esme? and she says, he’s met her? He says, no, but his client Trina has given him an earful, and she says, right now, at this very moment, Esme is likely propping her feet up on Ava’s furniture, and nibbling Scotty’s fancy frittatas. The best part, she may be nibbling for two. He asks if she’s saying that Esme is having a little baby Cassadine, when Laura comes in and says, what? For the love of God, please tell her that she misheard them.

Esme says she has a confession to make, and Spencer says, what’s that? She says, last night, when the pregnancy test came up negative, she was worried he’d kick her out. He says he told her that he wouldn’t, and she says, that was before they knew the truth, and once they found out, she guesses she just got scared. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she should just leave and take her chances on the mainland with Sonny. Nikolas walks in, and asks why she’d be leaving.

Brando tells Sonny and Dante, Deception is going public today, so they’re throwing a launch party at The Savoy, and watch how the stock performs. The celebration’s all day; they should stop in. Dante says, that’s huge news, and Sonny says, he must be proud of Sasha. Brando says, more than anything. He’s just happy to see something good happen to her. After all that’s happened, Sasha deserves it.

Nina tells Sasha, this is a great party, and asks how it feels. Sasha says, surreal, but good surreal, and Nina says, get used to it. She has a feeling this is just the beginning. Anna and Felicia have champagne with Maxie, and Anna says she must be so proud. Maxie says she didn’t do it on her own, and Anna says, but no one else here is Felicia’s daughter. Felicia says, or Anna’s goddaughter. Maxie went from assistant at Crimson to an equity partnership with a company on the New York Stock Exchange. She’s in awe. Anna says, she’s British and they don’t do awe, but… and Maxie says, in that case, to awe.

Curtis tells Lucy that he’s honored they chose The Savoy to launch their IPO, and Gladys looks at her clipboard. She says, they have a very select group. With the exception of Brando, all of their guests are here. Brook asks why Selena Wu is crashing their event, but Gladys says, she isn’t crashing; she’s on the list. Selena comes over, and says, what an auspicious occasion. Brook says, what an honor. How is it she’s here? Maxie says, she’s on the guest list, and Selena says, all major investors were invited, so here she is. Curtis asks if she’s saying she bought a stake in Deception, and she says, almost from the beginning. It only took a little patience. When she sees a good investment, she goes for it.

Laura asks if Ava is saying Esme is pregnant, and Ava says, a mere possibility. At least that’s what she gathered before she walked out on Nikolas. Laura says, what? and Ava tells her, she said either Esme had to go or she did, and Esme’s there and she’s here, so… Laura says, oh my God. What is he thinking? and Ava says she has no idea, but please feel free to get all the gory details from her son. Laura says, believe her, she will, and walks out. Scotty says he almost feels sorry for Nikolas, and Ava says she doesn’t. Let’s discuss why she asked him here. He says, fire away, and she says, as her lawyer, she needs him to tell her what she’s entitled to if she walks away from her marriage.

Nikolas says, all things considered, Esme is better off here, but she says, as it turns out, she’s not pregnant after all. He says he won’t tell her how to feel, but he believes that’s for the best, and she says, since she’s no longer carrying Spencer’s child, there’s no reason for her to stay. Spencer says, the invitation to stay here still stands, and Nikolas says he saw how rattled she was yesterday. She deserves to feel safe. She thanks him, and says she can’t tell him how terrifying that encounter with Sonny was. If he and his Uncle Victor hadn’t come along… Nikolas says, they did and she’s safe. That’s all that matters. Spencer says he’s not sure what Uncle Sonny’s intent was, but he’d never let anyone hurt her. She says, really? Despite everything he still cares enough to protect her? He says, and he always will.

Finn comes into Elizabeth’s house, and asks if she’s okay. He’s sorry. He shouldn’t have left her alone last night. She says, he deserves a nice dinner with his family, and he says, she’s family too; all of them. He thanks Jake for calling, and Jake says, thanks for coming. Finn asks Elizabeth to tell him what happened, and she says, it was the weirdest thing. Laura left, and she went to go upstairs. The lights went out, and she thought she saw someone. Aiden says, she saw who broke into their house? and she says she only thought she did. The next thing she knew, she was waking up on the couch. Finn asks who she thinks she saw, but she says she couldn’t make out a face. The person said, don’t forget me. Then when she woke up, don’t forget me was painted on a piece of artwork on the drafting table. It was still wet. What if they don’t catch this guy? Aiden asks if there’s a way to check for fingerprints, and Jake says, or trace the paint? Finn says, smart boys, and now that they have a lead, they need to call in reinforcements.

Sonny says, Sasha’s been through a lot, but Brando deserves to be happy too. Brando says he is. He knows what people are saying; he and Sasha eloped to distract themselves from grieving their son. His own mother thinks all this is too soon. Sonny says, let him tell Brando something about his mother. Gladys has a lot of opinions, but the only ones that matter are Brando and Sasha’s. Brando says he knows. For a while, he thought his mother was right, and he and Sasha woudn’t have a future without Liam. Sonny says, listen to him. Couples have cracked under a lot less. Dante says, and no one can tell how they’ll react when they’re faced with something unthinkable like that. Brando and Sasha were there for each other. They’re getting each other through it; that’s great. Sonny says, they bring out each other’s strengths; that’s a beautiful thing. Brando says he’d love to think that, but Sasha’s strong all on her own. At first, he was afraid she was going to be in denial, but it turns out he was wrong. Sasha’s just doing it her way.

Lucy tells Selena that they’re so pleased to welcome her to the Deception family, and they’re delighted she’s here today to share in their special celebration. Selena says, the pleasure is all hers, and Lucy thanks her. She says, now if Selena will excuse them, she and her co-workers are going to go huddle and mingle. They leave, and Selena walks over to Curtis, who tells her that she’s full of surprises. She says he shouldn’t be surprised that she has varied interests. Her grandfather always told her, only an unwise farmer plants a single crop. He says, her grandfather’s very insightful. In fact, the last time she was here, she told Curtis his favorite fable. She says, which reminds her. The money tree she gave him, is it flourishing?  

Lucy asks if anyone knew Selena was buying up shares of Deception, and Maxie says, absolutely not. She must have invested under a shell corporation. Brook says, now that the stock is being traded publicly, anyone who can afford it can buy in, including lady gangsters. Maxie says, Brook always knows the best things to say, and Brook says, look on the bright side. If the biggest surprise of the day is Miss Wu being an investor, the rest of the day should be pretty seamless. Maxie says, speaking of surprises, she has someone meeting her here. Felicia says, my God, look. The stock is going up. Lucy and Brook run over to see, and Austin walks in. He sees Maxie, and says, hey, big shot. Do him a favor, and don’t forget about the little people who helped her on the way up. She says she’s sorry; who is he? He asks if she wants him to remind her, and they kiss. Brook sees, and nearly has apoplexy.

Sonny tells Brando that his dad liked Sasha. He called her a spitfire. Brando says, Mike would have gotten a kick out of the fact Sasha proposed to him, and Sonny says, she did? Sonny tells Dante, the way he and Sam are headed, they’re going to be next, when Dante’s phone rings. Dante says, saved by the bell, and steps away. Brando says he has to head out; he’s literally tardy late for the party. Sonny says, tell everybody that he said, have a good time, and Brando says, will do. He and Sonny bro hug, and Brando says he knows he tells Sonny this all the time, but he really appreciates everything Sonny’s done for him. Sonny says, Brando is his family, and Brando says, it’s more than being related. Sonny has been there for him, and if he can ever repay the favor, he’d be honored. Sonny says he’ll keep that in mind. Go. His wife is waiting. Brando says he’ll see them there later, and Sonny laughs.

Felicia congratulates Lucy, and Lucy says, for what? She has no idea. Of course (🍷) she has an idea, but she loves hearing it. Felicia says, for bringing her dream company to life, for taking it public, and for ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. And choosing the right outfit to ring it in. Lucy thanks her for all of the above. It was harder picking her ensemble than running an entire company and creating it. Felicia says, she made the perfect choice, and they hug.

Curtis says, the money tree is thriving, and Selena says, as could their partnership. Has he given any more thought to her proposition? He says he hasn’t changed his mind, and she says if he won’t let her host poker games in his back room, there are plenty of establishments that will. He says, wonderful. Then he encourages her to pursue them. He’s made his position perfectly clear. She asks why she still feels there’s a chance of bringing him on her side?

Brook marches over to Austin and Maxie, and asks how long this has been going on. Maxie says, not long; it’s new. Brook says, like five minutes ago new? Which is the only acceptable amount of time to justify Maxie not telling her that she’s dating Brook’s arch nemesis. Austin says, her arch nemesis? She thinks so highly of him. Maxie says she was going to tell Brook, and Brook says she gets it. Maxie doesn’t owe her anything. She stomps off, and Austin says he thinks Maxie’s friend just made them all about her, but Maxie says, she’s hurting. She probably thinks Maxie was intentionally hiding this from her. He says, is she? Because if he’s her dirty little secret, it’s kind of okay with him; it’s kind of hot. She says, he is part of the problem. If he and Brook hadn’t been, and remained, so antagonistic toward each other, she would have felt more comfortable telling Brook about them. He asks what he can do to make this right, and she says, make peace with Brook. He says, anything but that.

Dante asks if Sonny is okay, and Sonny says, why wouldn’t he be? Dante says he knows Sonny is happy for Brando, but that’s got to bring stuff up. Sonny says, because his marriage failed, he can’t be happy for anybody else? Dante knows as well as he does, there’s life after divorce. Dante says he does know that, and Sonny asks if he’s ready to box. Dante says he’d love to, but that was a work call. Sonny says, don’t worry about it. He’ll find someone else; someone better than Dante. They laugh and hug.  

Esme says she and Spencer can spend the day together at least, but he says he has plans. They’ll talk later. He leaves, and Nikolas says, Spencer’s transition back to civilian life might take time. Esme says, that’s kind of him, but they both know Spence isn’t struggling with being home; he’s struggling with her being in his home. Nikolas puts his arm around Esme, when Laura walks in. She says, sorry to interrupt, and Nikolas says he wasn’t expecting her. She says she can see that. She ran into his wife, and she thought she might stop by. He says, she saw Ava? How is she? Laura says, maybe he should ask where she is, and he says, okay, where? She says, at Charlie’s meeting with her lawyer.

Scotty and Ava sit at a table, and he says, let him understand this. She’s throwing in the towel because of an unwanted houseguest? She says, Esme has taken up residence in her home against her wishes. Can he blame her for walking out? He asks if this is really about Esme, or is she just looking for a way out?

Brando arrives at The Savoy, and asks Sasha, how’s it going, wife? She says, stock is trading well, husband. Where’s he been? He says, he just ran into Sonny and Dante at the gym. They send their congratulations, about the company and them. Gladys runs up, and says, Brando. He turns around, and she sees a bouquet in his hand. She says, they’re lovely, but flowers are unnecessary. She’s already forgiven him for eloping and leaving her behind, so he shouldn’t have. He says, good, because he didn’t; they’re for Sasha. He takes the bouquet, and gives it to Sasha, who pulls out a rose, and gives it to Gladys, saying, for her. Gladys says, very gracious. Unlike some. She looks at Brando, and he kisses Sasha.

Nikolas asks Laura, Ava is seeing a lawyer? About what? She says she can’t speak to that, but she did hear the Cassadine family might expanding. Esme says, that’s what she thought, but false alarm. Nikolas asks if Laura spoke to Ava, and Laura looks at Esme. Esme says, if they’ll excuse her, and jets. Laura says, thank God Esme’s not pregnant. At least they avoided that catastrophe. He asks if Ava was okay, and she says, Ava told her that she walked out on him. He says, they argued. He told Esme that she could stay without running it by Ava. Laura asks why he would do that, and he says, because she needed a safe haven. Sonny’s been intimidating her. He had words with her over this sex tape that’s been making the rounds. She says, Sonny’s not the only one who thinks Esme is responsible for that. Cam and Joss both think Esme framed Trina Robinson. And then there’s his wife. If Esme should be afraid of anyone, she should be afraid of Ava. He says he’s sorry Ava is upset, but he won’t let anything happen to Esme, and she asks why he’s being so protective of Esme all of a sudden.

Sonny spars with a random partner, when Spencer walks into the gym. Sonny comes out of the ring, and asks if Spencer wants to hold the bag. Spencer gets behind the heavy bag, and Sonny throws some punches. He says, it’s good to see Spencer out of Spring Ridge. How does it feel being a free man? Spencer says, it’s more complicated than he thought it would be, and Sonny says, he knows what it’s like to be away for so long, and come back and get your life on track. Spencer can do it. Spencer says, a lot happened the month he was away, and Sonny asks if he means when Cameron and Josslyn were taped having sex in his cabin, and now that tape has leaked out? Spencer says, like that, and Sonny says, now that they’re on the subject, they need to discuss Spencer’s girlfriend Esme. There’s a lot of things they need to talk about. Spencer says, he’s damn right they do. Starting with why Sonny thought it was okay to scare the hell out of her.

Nina tells Curtis, fantastic party, and says, hi, to Selena. Curtis introduces them, and Selena says she’s long been a fan of Nina’s magazine. Curtis says, she has? and Selena says, of course (🍷). How is one to be taken seriously in business if one has no sense of trends or style? She asks if Nina wouldn’t agree, and Nina says she certainly would. She thinks she and Selena have a mutual acquaintance; Sonny Corinthos. Selena says, yes. Mr. Corinthos has proven to be a valuable friend, and one can never have too many of those. She looks at Curtis, and says, it’s been a pleasure to meet Nina. She leaves, and Nina says, what was that? Curtis says, trouble.

Felicia tells Anna, imagine, she used to be so bored with stocks and bonds, and Anna asks if she thinks she and Mac are going to investing now. Felicia says, no, too risky, and Anna tells her, says the women who went to Switzerland on her own to rescue her daughter. Felicia says, some risks are worth taking. She can’t wait to see Victor Cassadine get his, and Anan says, her too. Tomorrow, they get the bad guy. Today… Felicia says, we celebrate, and they clink champagne flutes.

Dante asks if the new alarm system was armed, but Elizabeth says she disarmed it. The boys kept forgetting and setting it off. Finn says, the patrols are still driving by, right? and Dante says, they are, but they didn’t report any unusual activity last night. In the kitchen, Aiden asks if they shouldn’t call Cam and let him know it happened again last night. Jake says, Aiden heard mom; he has enough to deal with right now. Aiden says, like what? and Jake says, like college stuff; like girlfriend stuff. Aiden says he wants to feel safe in their house again, and Jake puts his arm around Aiden. Elizabeth says, the dream was bad enough. What if she heard that person in her dream because they were right here, standing over her while she slept? Someone was in her house again. Dante says, and it sounds like that someone’s getting bolder.

Maxie tells Brando that he’s looking sharp, and Sasha agrees. Lucy says, she was thinking, today is special, and she thought, maybe the Face of Deception should also be the Voice of Deception. Sasha says she’s not sure she understands, and Lucy says, now that all the guests have arrived and settled in, she’d love if Sasha would say a few words; make a speech. Maxie says, that’s a great idea.

Scotty says, for reasons that defy logic, Ava is in love with Nikolas. For more obvious reasons, Nikolas is in love with her; he’s crazy about her. She says, that’s certainly one way to look at it, and Scotty says, so he screws up a few times. Why pull that ripcord? She says she may have been a bit rash, and he says, let’s take love out of the equation. He suggests she hang on to her marital property; plant her flag. She says, as always, he’s been invaluable. She knows exactly what she needs to do.

Nikolas says, he’s only invested in Esme so far as she affects Spencer, and Laura says, now that they know Esme’s not pregnant, and they’re not a couple anymore, she doesn’t affect Spencer, and she doesn’t need to be here. He says he can’t leave her at Sonny’s mercy, and she says she seriously doubts Esme is in any real danger from Sonny. He says, if he sends Esme away, and anything happens to her for any reason, Spencer will feel guilty for the rest of his life. Surely they don’t want that. She says, he’s right; they don’t want that and don’t call her Shirley. But they don’t want his wife to leave him, do they? He says, it was a rapidly evolving situation. Spencer found out Esme might be pregnant. Does she know who he confided in first? She says, not Victor, and he says she got it on the first guess. That’s why he stepped in so quickly. It seemed like the best solution for everyone involved. She asks if he told Ava, but he says, she was out the door before he could get that far. She says, maybe she can talk to Ava later, but doesn’t he think he should be more proactive about savaging his own marriage? He says, she’s right. He’ll get right on it. He takes out his phone, and excuses himself. He leaves, and Esme comes back. She says, she senses she should go, but Laura says, not before Esme hears what she’s got to say.  

Sonny says he and Esme just had a chat, and Spencer says, in other words, Sonny intimidated her? Sonny says, Spencer’s going to talk to him about intimidation when he just did time for terrorizing his stepmother, and using Sonny’s daughter Avery as a pawn? Spencer says he made mistakes, and Sonny says, he’s still making them. He’s defending Esme, even after what she did to Cameron and Josslyn, not to mention Trina. Spencer says he doesn’t believe she did any of those things, and Sonny says, let’s say it wasn’t Trina. Was it him? Spencer says, Sonny knows he would never do anything like that to Josslyn, and Sonny says, okay then. Spencer says, they granted Esme sanctuary on Spoon Island to keep her safe from Sonny, and Sonny asks if Spencer thinks he’d really hurt Esme. Spencer says, no, but she is afraid, and Sonny asks what exactly she said went down between them. Spencer says, that if his father and Uncle Victor hadn’t shown up, she doesn’t know what would have happened. Sonny says, here’s what went down. He was just convincing her to own up to what she did. Victor and Nikolas came, and then she had all the waterworks, crying and tears everywhere. Spencer says he doesn’t think Sonny would ever harm Esme physically, but even if her fears are unwarranted, he can’t turn his back on her. Sonny says, Spencer’s loyalty should be to the people who have been by his side. He’s backing the wrong horse.

In a secluded area, Sasha takes a pill, and chases it with red wine.

Austin says, cards on the table, and Brook starts to talk at the same time. He says, forgive him; ladies first. She says she doesn’t like him, and he says, great. It can’t come as a surprise that the feeling’s mutual. She says, but she does like Maxie, and he says, so does he. She says, and putting their issues aside, she sees he’s been a really good friend to Maxie, and he says, and Brook’s been a really good friend to her, so they have that in common. What they also have in common is people like Leo and Bailey, who seem to get hurt when they’re gunning for one another. She says, so is he thinking what she’s thinking? and he says, a cease fire. She says, deal, and they shake hands. He asks if she’d be doing this if he wasn’t with Maxie, and she says, hell no, and walks away.

Brook asks Maxie if Austin makes her happy, and Maxie says, so far. Brook says, that’s all she cares about, and Felicia says, same here. Maxie says, Felicia likes him, right? and Felicia says, so far.

Dante bags the painting, and says he’ll have it checked for prints. Elizabeth will have to come down and have hers done so they can exclude her. In the meantime, her house has been accessed multiple times with new locks and keys. It might be a good idea to stay somewhere else. At least until they catch this guy. She says she can’t do that to the boys. This is their home. They’ve been through enough. Finn says, they can stay with him, but she says he doesn’t have enough space. He says, they’ll camp out, and make it fun. Dante says he’ll leave them to figure it out. He’ll let them know if he hears anything. He leaves, and Finn says, maybe his place is not ideal. He’ll book a hotel for her and the boys. She says she can’t let him do that. She guesses she can ask Laura if the boys can stay with her, and Finn asks where she’ll be, and she says, far enough away to keep them all safe.

Lucy clinks something against her glass, and asks if the guests can gather up a little bit. She wants to thank them for being here to celebrate Deception going public today. Everyone applauds, and she says, and to commemorate this special occasion, a few words from the Face of Deception, Sasha Gilmore. Everyone applauds again, and Sasha says, no dream can be realized without hard work. And she works with some of the most dedicated women in the world. Lucy Coe, their founder; Maxie Jones, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – several people go woo-woo with each name – and she thinks they’d agree that their success couldn’t happen without the people standing in this room. The investors, Deception staff, friends and family, as well those who – she looks at Brando – can only be here in spirit. She raises her glass, and says, to Deception, and everyone toasts.

Spencer says, Sonny keeps telling him that he needs to grow up; that he needs to protect, not punish the people who love him. Sonny says, but Esme is not on that list. He doesn’t know what game Esme is playing, and he’s trying to figure it out, but he does know it’s all about Esme, and she’s going to use Spencer and whoever else to get what she wants. Spencer says, that’s Sonny’s opinion, but that’s not how he sees her. Sonny says, if that’s what Spencer thinks, he doesn’t know Esme like he thinks he does. She’s going to use him. Spencer thinks he should get going, and Sonny tells him, be careful. Sonny has made some choices in his life that have hurt so many people he loves. He doesn’t know if he can get that back, and Spencer is dangerously close to walking in his shoes. Sonny picks up his bag, and heads for the door, saying, welcome home, nephew.

Laura says she certainly hopes Esme didn’t have anything to do with this video of Josslyn and Cameron, and Esme says, of course (🍷) she didn’t. Why won’t anyone believe her? Nikolas says, they’ll just have to let the police investigation run it’s course. In the meantime, he’s keeping an open mind. Laura tells Esme, her son has extended his hospitality to her. Laura hopes Esme doesn’t betray that trust. Ava walks in, and says, they already know the answer to that.

Selena tells Curtis, that was a lovely speech. Is he an investor? He says he doesn’t discuss his portfolio, but he’s sure she made a bundle on her shares of Deception. Seems she won’t need to host poker here anymore. She says, she’ll be the judge of what she needs, and if he agrees to her terms, she’ll provide whatever it is he needs. She flounces off, and Maxie yells, it’s going up again. Sasha asks Nina what that means, and Nina says, it means… Brook says, they’re going to be insanely rich. She and Maxie clink glasses, and Gladys smacks Brando’s shoulder and says, that means they are too.

Finn says he was thinking Elizabeth could stay with him and Violet, but she says she can’t. Look at what’s happening. This insanity isn’t about the house; that’s just the place where it’s happening. Her family is being targeted, and she doesn’t know why. She’s not going to put her boys, or Finn and Violet at risk. So the best thing is for her to stay by herself. He says, stay where? Here? She says, it doesn’t seem to matter where she goes, so she might as well stay put. He says, he’ll take the boys to school. When he gets back, they’ll talk about this. She says she’s made up her mind. No one is going to run her out of the house she shared with her husband.

In the kitchen, Aiden tells Jake, he loves spending time with grandma, but leaving mom here by herself? Jake says, it’ll be okay; mom’s tough. And Dante will catch the person doing this. Aiden says, but he hasn’t yet. Someone keeps sneaking into their house without getting caught. How does a person do that? Unless… What if it’s not a person at all? Jake says, of course (🍷) it’s a person. How else would he explain what happened with mom’s ring and her dress, and Franco’s art studio? Aiden says, what if it’s Franco?

Tomorrow, Nikolas asks Ava if that’s an ultimatum; Esme asks if there’s a path forward for her and Spencer; Curtis tells Drew, he’s going to fight like hell until it’s over; and Sonny says, what if he says no?

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Marge asks Marge Sr. if she can believe she’s 75, and Marge Sr. says she still thinks she’s 50. They go over the details for Marge Sr.’s birthday party, and Marge says, they’re having a big Hungarian menu, a Hungarian violinist, and there will be pictures of Marge when she was little. In Marge’s interview, she says, Marge Sr. was born in Hungary, and in 1956, when she was ten, there was an uprising; the Hungarian revolution. There were tanks and soldiers everywhere. Marge Sr. was harassed, and it was very scary. Austria opened the border, and Marge Sr. and her grandparents fled in the middle of the night with just the clothes on their backs. They were on the first airplane out of Austria to the United States, and since it was Christmas eve, President Eisenhower brought Marge Sr. a doll. Marge Sr. tells Marge that she didn’t speak the language, and in her interview, Marge says she can’t imagine leaving everything she’s known behind. Her grandmother sacrificed to give them a better life. She asks if it’s the life Marge Sr. imagined, and Marge Sr. says, she didn’t imagine. Her mother cleaned house and her grandfather had two jobs. They go over the guest list, and Marge hopes Jennifer can get Bill to come. She knows who’s not coming – Teresa. Marge knows Marge Sr. likes her, but she doesn’t need the drama. Marge Sr. says she’s not interested.

Teresa tells Gia that she’s cleaning out the pantry. Dolores is on her way over to pick stuff for the women’s shelter. Milania calls, saying, practice is over, and she’s wondering where her ride is. Teresa tells Gia to go get her, and in Teresa’s interview, she says, they’re moving in a week. She’s like a chicken without a head, and can’t remember anything. Dolores arrives, and Teresa shows her the ton of stuff she’s donating. Dolores says, it will be a big help, and they sit down for coffee. Teresa asks how Dolores’s mom is, and Dolores says she’s feeling better. She saw David when she was visiting her mom in the hospital, and she has to move on. Teresa says, Dolores needs to get away, and Dolores says she hasn’t had a vacation since long before covid. Ha! I haven’t had more than a long weekend since the late 90s. Teresa says she’d like to get away with Dolores, but not so much the other girls. She didn’t like how Marge said, we’re good, and wouldn’t wear her workout line for the softball game. Traci wouldn’t either. She tells Dolores that Marge is having a party for her mom, but she’s not invited. She thinks Marge’s mom is great, but she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to be around someone who’s negative to her and Luis. To her, Marge is toxic.

Traci, Tiki, and daughter Teagan go to Melissa and Joe #2’s for lunch. They eat outside by the pool, and Joe says, it was an honor playing softball with Tiki. Tiki says he can’t help but be competitive. Melissa says she can’t walk, and Traci asks if her leggings were too tight. She couldn’t believe Teresa wanted her and Marge to wear them, when she’d just been screaming at Marge at the Treescape event, and mad at Traci because Tiki asked Luis questions. It was beyond scope of reality to be mad at her about something her husband said. Joe and Tiki wisely remove themselves from this conversation to play ball in the yard with the kids. Traci thanks Melissa for letting her bring Teagan, since she wants her daughter to get more social. Melissa thinks she’ll grow out of it, but Traci doesn’t know if Teagan is ready for kindergarten, and got her a tutor. She wants to set Teagan up for success. Melissa says she worries about Antonia. She seems mopey since she got hurt. Melissa had gone through a phase at Antonia’s age, but for a different reason. Her father had passed away and they moved, and she got depressed. It was a sad time, and she rebelled. She was jumping out of windows, and hanging out with the wrong crowd. She went wild. She sees Antonia changing her pattern, and she’s freaking out. In Melissa’s interview, she says, Antonia is at a time in her life when she can slip up, and make mistakes that will haunt her. Traci says, Antonia has a stable, secure life that Melissa didn’t have. She has normal teenage issues.

Jackie takes the kids for ice cream, and gets a small cup. They sit outside to eat it, and in Jackie’s interview, she says, it’s the first bite first bite of anything in the last 18 years that deviated from the rules of how she’s allowed to eat. She feels like she’s walking off a cliff. The voices in her head are telling her to stop after three bites, but the kids are offering her a taste of their ice cream and vice versa. That’s never happened before. She’s never been a participant in getting ice cream. She’s never been part of the adventure. For many people, it’s a small thing, but for her, it’s a turning point. She ate more ice cream in one sitting than she has in her entire adult life, and she enjoyed the time with her kids. I think about how many social gatherings revolve around food, both with family and friends, and I truly feel badly for her. She’s missed out on so much.

Melissa takes Antonia to meet with her trainer Maria at the gym. In Melissa’s interview, she says Antonia has been working with her trainer for a couple of months to get back into moving her knee, and doing gymnastics. To get Antonia used to putting pressure on her knee, Maria suggests working on jumping up first. In her interview, Melissa says, she hasn’t seen Antonia train in a while, since Joe #2’s been taking her. For months, she said she couldn’t work her knee, and it’s been scary. Finally, she’s putting the pressure on her knee that she needs to. Thank you, Jesus. Melissa squeals about how good it is, and how proud she is of Antonia. She loves hearing that Antonia wants to tumble. Antonia says she wants to be better, and Melissa says, it broke her heart when Antonia said she wanted to quit. It was like she gave up on life. Antonia says, Melissa is making it sound like she’s depressed, and Melissa says she got nervous, since that happened to her at Antonia’s age. But she wasn’t accepted at her new school the way Antonia has been. Antonia says, it was stressful, and Melissa says she takes ownership for not taking Antonia’s feelings into consideration. Antonia says, Melissa had a childhood that was bad, and Melissa asks if Antonia wants to hug it out, but gets a hard no.

Jackie has a session with therapist Ilene (I catch her name this time), who asks how she’s feeling since their last session. Jackie says she felt good. Her husband wanted to know how he could help, but she’s not ready for that. She doesn’t want him to think she’s crazy. Ilene asks how long they’ve been married, and Jackie says, 15 years. Ilene says, she thinks he doesn’t know her? and Jackie says she was surprised when he said he notices everything. Ilene says, Evan loves her unconditionally. She wants to help Jackie communicate with him successfully, and deal with her issues in more constructive ways. She asks how the ice cream challenge went, and Jackie says she didn’t have a problem eating it, and ate more than half. It was fun, but then she thought about it all day, and felt guilty. A regular person would skip eating something else, and it took a lot out of her not compensate. Ilene says, a normal person wouldn’t skip eating something else because they ate ice cream. Compensatory behavior shows up in most eating disorders. Jackie is choosing not to give to that behavior because she wants to get healthier. It’s a choice. Jackie says she knows she could do it forever until her heart gives out. When some people are stressed, they stop, but she does the opposite. She’d lost two or three pounds when she had a fight with a friend and her husband was involved. In Jackie’s interview, she says she wants to be okay with food, so she doesn’t have to keep the peace with people she doesn’t want to. They decide for her next challenge, she’ll have a serving of something extra, and Ilene says her body needs extras. Indulge in them, and use her energy to get healthier. Jackie says she wants to sit at breakfast and not just eat strawberries. Ilene says, one thing a day, but no compensating or taking anything away.

Everyone gets ready for Marge Sr.’s birthday party. Well, except for Teresa. Jackie tells Evan, she wants to try new stuff; one new thing each day. She’s scared because she feels like she’ll gain weight. Evan says even if she does, it won’t change anything. She looks great at any weight, but she’s healthier at certain weights. She hopes she’ll enjoy it, and not just be scared, and Evan says, once she embraces it, it will go great. Jennifer tells Bill that she’s excited to be invited again. Now that she’s good with Marge, she wonders if Bill will get back in the men’s good graces. Bill says he’s happy to support Jennifer, and if she’s moving on, he will too. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, she was worried Bill didn’t care enough to try, but him making the extra effort to be nice to her friends for her, gives her hope. Bill says, Joe #2 and Evan said Jennifer didn’t have a good heart, and he can’t accept that, but Evan texted him and apologized. We see a clip of Evan texting, hey man, I’m sorry, and Bill says he has no problem with Evan, but who knows about Joe #2? Melissa asks Joe #2 how things are with Bill, and he says he understands Bill is mad, but he hasn’t apologized. Bill shouldn’t let his wife treat her friends like sh*t. He needs to face it, and Joe’s not afraid to tell him.

Milania points out Nana’s favorite drawer in the kitchen, and Teresa asks if they remember Nono cooking squid. We flash back that, and there’s a collective, eww! from the universe. Teresa says, they’ll make new memories in the new house, and in her interview, she says she can’t believe they’re moving. When they moved in, she thought it would be forever. We flash back to that, ad she says she wouldn’t be making such a big step if she didn’t feel in her heart it was right. Teresa points out some things the buyers are taking along with the house, and says she’s going to miss the staircase. We flash back to Gia coming down in her prom dress, and Milania sliding down the banister. Teresa says she loves the foyer. They move on to the living room, and Gia says she remembers taking the family portrait. We flash back to that, and Teresa says, they always used the room for holidays. Milania says she remembers Joe #1 standing at the banister, and we flash back to Juicy Joe making a speech about family. Teresa says, that’s when the legal problems started, and Milania says, the house is their only memory of dad. Teresa says, there were good memories here, but – she tears up – they’re going to make new ones. She tells the girls, don’t mind her. She’s getting her period.

The party begins. There are beautiful flowers on all the tables, a lot of food, and the violin player begins. In Marge’s interview, she says they practiced Hungarian traditions when she was growing up, and only spoke Hungarian at home. But when her grandparents passed, they lost the traditions. It was important to bring them back for Marge Sr.’s birthday; they brought back beautiful memories. She says, let’s get this party started in Hungarian. Kezdődjön a buli according to Google translator. Tons of people come, and Dolores says she loves a good violin. Who would have thought? The guys gather by the bar, and Joe #3 wonders if Bill will make it, and Frank says he just wants to have a good time. Joe #3 says, if Joe #2 lets loose on Bill, he’ll have to shut Joe down. Frank says he’s on board with that. Melissa and Joe #2 arrive, and Melissa points out that Joey’s (#5?) christening was there, and we flash back to Joe #2 starting a fight with Joe #1. Evan says he texted Bill, and Frank asks if Joe #2 is going to be okay if Bill comes. Joe says, he’ll see how Bill acts, and Frank asks if Joe is going to start with him. Joe says, that depends, and Joe #3 tells him not to start anything here. No arguments. Bill and Jennifer arrive.

Joe #3 asks how Bill is, and Bill says, it’s getting better. They bro hug and go to the bar. Frank asks if everything is good, and in Frank’s interview, he says he sees Joe #2 coming over. He’s going to expect an apology from Bill, and Frank honestly doesn’t think Bill owes him one. The situation might not go well. Joe #2 asks how Bill is doing. They missed him at the softball game. Bill says his surgery ran late, and Frank complains that he only got short texts from Bill. He doesn’t like tension among the men. Bill says he wasn’t happy when Joe #2 texted f*** you to him, and Joe says Bill’s wife kicked them out of the house. He thought he and Bill were friends, and expected a phone call. He should have called, and said, whatever the girls are going through, they’ll fix this. Bill says he understands, and admits his wife was out of place. A lot of stuff happened, and things took place leading up to it. Joe says he was hurt, and Bill says he was too. Joe says, then Bill cut out, but Frank says, they were picking on him. Bill and Evan agree they’re good, and Bill says, this is what happens when they get involved in the women’s issues. Joe #2 admits maybe it was wrong on his part. The women have stupid arguments, and they’re not like that. Everything is all good, and Bill is glad they’re in a better place. Translation: He has his drinking buddies back. Joe #2 asks what Bill is going to do to get back in the group, and Bill says he’ll kiss Joe’s butt like Frank did. We flash back to that, and Bill adds that he’ll carve his initials in Joe’s butt, and write Bill’s Bitch. Alrighty then. Jennifer says, it looks like they’re getting along. She thinks this is going to be a good night. They talk Jersey Shore traffic, which I totally understand. It’s horrible. Frank says Dolores is up for a trip, and Dolores tells the women, everyone is going to Nashville. Jackie says she and Evan went for their anniversary, and Marge says she heard Nashville is like Nash Vegas. Joe #3 tells Frank that the women seem to bond when they go away. Clearly, he’s never watched the show. Dolores says she told Teresa she’d been thinking about a trip, but Teresa doesn’t want to go without Luis. Melissa asks if Marge invited Teresa to the birthday party, but Marge says, not after the softball game. Tracy tells Melissa that Teresa said if Marge was wearing her leggings, her ass wouldn’t jiggle so much, and in Jackie’s interview, she says, body shaming is never okay. Agreed. Tracy says Teresa is mad at her, but not her husband, and Dolores says, Teresa won’t fight with men. Marge says, Teresa puts men on a pedestal, even the ones who don’t treat her right, like her ex-husband. Dolores says Teresa can hold her own.

They go into the main ballroom, and everyone gets food. Jennifer says, goulash sounds like something someone would eat in jail. In Jackie’s interview, she says, there are too many options. She’s going to load her plate with food, and people will see she’s eating, but she’s not going to eat everything. Uh-oh. That sounds like playing games with it a bit. She says she’s watching how Jennifer eats what she wants. It’s a crazy concept to her, and she can’t wait until she can just do that. A guy announces the guest of honor, the one and only Marge Sr., and Marge dances in with Joe #3. Dolores says she wants to be like that at 75. Me too, if I make it. Marge tells everyone to take their glasses in hand. This is a gold circle moment for her mother. She was a Hungarian immigrant who rode a bicycle over the boarder to escape communism at age ten, with only the clothes on her back. She was a single mother, and the best role model. Marge loves her so much. In Marge’s interview, she says, even though she gives her mother a hard time – we flash back to Marge talking smack to and about Marge Sr. – one thing she saw was that Marge Sr. could triumph over the darkest things in life. She never squashed Marge’s dreams, or made he feel less then. Marge Sr. told her that she could do anything she wanted. She tells everyone that she hopes Marge Sr. lives to be 150, because she can’t live without her, and asks everyone to raise a glass to Marge Sr. In Jennifer’s interview, she says, for so long, she had this image of Marge being heartless, and not caring about family the way Jennifer does. But it’s clear she loves her mother and would do anything for her family. She guesses they have more in common than she thought. Bill wonders if Jennifer will ever get there with her mother, and the cake is brought out. They sing Happy Birthday, and the announcer guy really gets into song. Like, really. Marge Sr. says, it’s the best night of her life, and Marge says she’s happy it was such a beautiful night, and hopes to be as vivacious as Marge Sr. at her age. She loves her mother so much, and Marge Sr. means the world to her. Bill picks up Marge Sr. and dances around with her. Everyone joins in.

Next time, Teresa moves, Jackie falls off a mechanical bull, Teresa accuses Marge of spreading rumors about Luis, and Teresa clears the table, literally swiping everything to the floor.

🎼 They Write the Songs…

The winners.

https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list

The highlights.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/04/04/2022-grammy-highlights-best-moments/7224764001/

The fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/34245/grammys-2022-red-carpet-fashion

https://915thebeat.com/news/8725501/grammy-awards-2022-best-worst-dressed-red-carpet/

☄️ Catch a Falling Star, Put It In Your Pocket…

Drop in tomorrow for soap and OC antics. Until then, stay safe, stay gleaning from those around you , and stay knowing, only an unwise farmer plants a single crop.

April 1, 2022 – Trina Makes Her Plea, Byrne Return, Another Year, Annulled, Sponsoring, Deck Wedding, Maid Chosen, NYC Reaction, Dragon Due Date, In the Grammy Know, Music In the Quotes & My Name

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brick and Sonny bro hug, and Sonny says it’s good to see him. He asks how Brick got there so fast from L.A. Brick says he knows a guy, who knows a guy, who has a jet fueled and ready at LAX. When Sonny calls, he’s here. How can he help? Sonny says, there’s been a void in his life for too long that he’s been trying to fill, and Brick says, someone used to fill that void. Sonny says, yeah, Jason.

The guy from Charlie’s comes to Alexis’s office and says, it’s been a long time, Miss Davis. She says, it’s you, and he says she remembers. She says she never forgets a face, especially when it belongs to the man who blamed her for his brother’s death.

Harmony walks into Charlie’s, and sees Nina, who apparently lives there now. Nina asks how it went with Michael and Willow. She saw them, right? Harmony says she did, and Nina asks if Harmony told them that it’s in Wiley’s best interest to visit her. Harmony tells her, she said all that and more, and Nina says, don’t leave her in suspense; what did they say? Harmony says, not what Nina wanted to hear.

Nikolas walks into Windymere’s living room, and says, there’s nothing to fear. You’re safe. Esme and Spencer follow him in, and Esme says, this place is extraordinary. Even the name sounds grand – Windymere. Spencer says, it’s not like she hasn’t been here before, and Esme says, not for months. It’s good to be back. Nikolas says, more important, she’s safe from Sonny and his goons here, and Spencer says, what about the lady of the house? When is he going to loop Ava in?

Ava slips into the courtroom and sits down, as Judge Young is saying, Trina Robinson, you have two counts against you. How do you plead? Trina hesitates, and Scotty starts to talk, but she says she’s got this. She tells the judge that she pleads not guilty, and I say, yes!

Brick says, it’s the perfect time to raise a glass to their gone, but never forgotten, friend… What happened to the bar? No single malt aged twelve years? Sonny says he’s taking a break from that stuff, but the bar’s loaded if Brick wants to go help himself. Brick says, whither thou goest, I will go, and Sonny laughs. They sit down, and Sonny says he was hoping Brick would say that. Brick asks, how he can help fill that void? Is Sonny up for adventure? San Juan? Hong Kong? Marrakesh? Sonny says, not adventure. Monica has declared Jason legally dead, so they’re all going to be going to the memorial service. Brick says, may he rest in peace, and Sonny says, maybe Jason can, but he can’t. Does Brick remember Selena Wu? Brick says he does. Formidable lady. Is she causing Sonny trouble? Sonny says, she gave him advice, something he’s heard already, and Brick asks, what advice? Sonny says, that he can’t run the business alone anymore. He needs somebody else to step up and fill that hole Jason left behind. Brick says, I accept, and Sonny smiles and nods.

Alexis says, Brendan, isn’t it? and he says, it is. She says, the last time they saw each other, it was at Neil’s funeral. Not a very pleasant occasion for many reasons. Alexis flashes back to the funeral, and Brendan telling her, this is a celebration of Neil’s life. Alexis stripped Neil of everything he considered worth living for. He doesn’t want this service tainted with her presence. She’s not welcome. We see her leaving, and in the present, she says, he made his feelings crystal clear. And if it’s any consolation, that moment was devastating to her, and sent her into her own personal hell. He says he heard she lost her law license, hit the booze pretty hard, and didn’t stop until she attacked a cop and went to prison. She says she’s very flattered that he kept up with her life. What does he want?

Nina says, Willow just told Harmony what she thought Michael wanted to hear. Get her alone. She’ll change her mind and let Nina see Wiley. Harmony says she’s sorry. Willow doesn’t think it’s in Wiley’s best interest to have contact with Nina. Nina says, so Michael and Willow want a fight. They’ll get a fight, especially after her run-in with Carly earlier. Harmony asks, what happened? and Nina says she was reaching out to Carly to compromise about Wiley, but she wasn’t having it. Harmony says, she’s going through a rough patch, right? She just got divorced from Sonny? Nina says, Carly filed for that divorce. She pushed it through practically overnight. She threw away Sonny with both hands. Harmony tells Nina, give it some time; let Carly lick her wounds. Give her time to heal. Nina says, if that ever happens. And then what? Wiley will be in college, asking, who’s Nina? and he’ll never know who his birth mother is. If only she knew Nelle was her daughter before Nelle died. She could have saved Nelle from herself, and she wouldn’t have to be begging for a chance to get to know her grandson, or for him to know her.

Nikolas says, they can let Ava know when she gets home. Right now, she’s at Trina’s hearing. Spencer says, right, that was today, and Esme asks if he wishes he was there. He says he’s the last person Trina wants to see, and she says she didn’t ask what Trina would want. Nikolas asks if Esme wants to drop her bags off in the bedroom. It’s the same one as the last time. Spencer says, Nikolas can’t stop Esme from bringing up Trina; she’s obsessed. Esme asks if she doesn’t have reason to be. It doesn’t matter that there’s evidence Trina posted that video of Joss and Cam. Sonny Corinthos still believes it was her. Nikolas says, which is why she’s at Windymere and Spencer is home. And she’s safe. She asks if any place is really safe from Sonny, and Spencer says, Uncle Sonny will do anything and everything to protect his family. She says he means protect them from her, and he tells her, he didn’t say that. She says he didn’t have to. She’ll take her bags up. She leaves, and Nikolas asks why Spencer is treating Esme this way when he invited her to stay here. Spencer says he’s sorry, but Esme pushes his buttons; the way he’s been known to push other people’s. By the way, is there a bomb shelter on the island? Nikolas asks, why? and Spencer says, because he’d like to be inside it when Nikolas tells Ava that he and Esme moved in.

Scotty tells Trina, stick with me, kid. They’ll be sorry they tried to railroad you. ADA Arden says, this was a premeditated act that required a significant amount of planning. The defendant specifically targeted her friends with the intent to cause harm. The state requests bail be set at $250,000. Scotty jumps up, and says, your honor, my client is a freshman in college. She’s not Lizzie Borden. She has ties to the community. She’s innocent until proven guilty. She should be released without bond. Arden says, if the defendant is released without posting significant bail, and access to a computer, she has the capacity to do significant harm. (Huh?) Who knows who else she’s taped? Scotty tells her to save that for her closing statement, if she even gets that far. Judge Young tells Scotty, that will be enough, and tells Arden, there’s no indication the defendant poses a threat to the community. Therefore, the defendant is released without bond. He bangs his gavel, and Scotty dusts off his hands. The judge tells Trina that she’s free to go, pending a trial date to be determined. The bailiff says, court is adjourned, and Portia runs over to Trina, saying, she’s never been more prouder of her. She hugs Trina, and Curtis says, Trina was great. Ava says, may I? and hugs Trina, who thanks her for coming. Ava says she’s so proud of Trina, proclaiming her innocence. Josslyn says, they’ll prove it, no matter what it takes, and she and Trina hug. Trina says, you too, Webber, and Cameron adds to the hug.

Brendan  says he was in pain, and he wasn’t ready to face his brother’s failings, so he lashed out at Alexis; blamed her for Neil’s death. Alexis asks if that’s an apology, and he says, it is. She says she wishes she’d known about Neil’s addiction. She could have helped. But he hid it from her, and she had no clue. He says, she suffered enough. Look at her now. Brand new career, off the booze, respected, productive member of her community. She thanks him for the compliment, and says, he was really hostile to her at Neil’s funeral, so what is it with the sudden attitude adjustment? He says he’s had some bad luck himself; failed marriage, failed business. It brings humility. She says, and the need to make almonds amends? He says, as two people who loved Neil, he hoped they could come to an understanding.

Harmony tells Nina that she’s sorry. Nothing can bring back Wiley’s birth mother, but she has to know that Willow loves that little boy like he’s her own flesh and blood. If Nina gives it some time, maybe Willow can convince Michael that she should see her grandson. Nina asks, how much time? Because this is the same woman Harmony told her thinks she isn’t good for Wiley. She remembers when Willow was Miss Tate, and taught her former stepdaughter Charlotte. She didn’t like Willow then, and she should have trusted her instincts. Harmony says, Willow is highly principled, and Nina says, oh please. Willow says she’s going to help Nina, and the next moment, she pulls a 180 and sides with Michael. She doesn’t have a backbone. She only pretends that she’s compassionate. That weeping Willow is no oak. Harmony says, just because she’s gentle doesn’t mean she’s weak, and Nina says she’s sorry. She knows Willow is Harmony’s daughter. She’s just frustrated. Look how Willow has treated Harmony. She’s barely spoken to Harmony since she got out of prison. Harmony says things are much better between them now, and Nina says, until Michael shuts her down. Then what’s going to happen? She’s incapable of standing up to the man, or Carly. Nina would be better off to ask a stranger for help. Harmony hisses, Willow is no stranger, and she’s just as strong as her mother, but Nina says she’s never going to be as strong as Harmony. Harmony has overcome a lot, and turned her life around. Willow would be lucky to have even one drop of her courage. Harmony says she forgot; she has an appointment. She has to go. She walks out, and I’m starting to wonder if Nina is delusional.

Sonny asks Brick if that’s a serious offer. He could use Brick’s areas of expertise. Brick says, he can definitely help with the logistics, business support, definitely cyber security, but Sonny will need to bring in somebody else as a facilitator. Sonny says he’d trust Brick with his life, and Brick says, trust goes both ways; Sonny knows that. Sonny nods, and says, Jason used to do the day-to-day, but since he passed, Sonny has to deal with the other families, and try to figure out who targeted his stepdaughter. Brick asks if he’s talking about the tape of Josslyn and her boyfriend, and Sonny says, he saw the tape? Bricks says, hell no, but he saw people seeing it. It took every bit of self-control he could muster, not to take every one of them out. (What? Where are people watching this? And where is Brick hanging out?) Brick asks Sonny to please tell him that he found out who did this, and Sonny says he knows who’s responsible. He doesn’t have proof yet, but he put them on notice.

Ava says, congratulations. Scotty has one courageous client, and he says, tell him about it, but she’s got a big fight ahead… He sees Arden, and says, counselor, get used to the judge seeing things my way. Arden says, cyber crimes are insidious. The law is still catching up. The fact is, whatever goes on the internet, stays their forever. His client taped her friends without their knowledge and put it up for the whole world to see. Scotty says, hey Molly, tell your boss here… and Molly says, he can address her as ADA Lansing-Davis. He rolls his eyes, and says, okay, but she can’t really believe Trina did this. She says she believes DA Scorpio offered a generous plea bargain, and it was his obligation as Trina’s attorney to advise her to take it. Arden says, her associate’s right. She should have taken the deal, but she didn’t, so they’re going to trial. She’s going to take a stand for everyone who’s ever had an intimate picture or video weaponized against them. His client might have thought it was no big deal, but she was mistaken, and she’ll go to prison for the full term. She and Molly leave.

Trina thanks Josslyn and Cameron for being here and standing by her. Josslyn says, that’s what friends do, and Trina says, they took back the narrative when they told their story to The Invader. Their courage made her realize she doesn’t need to give in to cyber bullies, to Esme. The world needs to know she’s not the one who hurt them. Scotty says, they’ve got to talk strategy, and Portia says, now? Is that really necessary? Trina’s already been through so much today. He says, that ADA’s out for blood, and Curtis says, the judge hasn’t even set a trial date yet. Trina says, honestly, she just wants to take a long hot bath, and Scotty says, okay, she can do that. Tomorrow, they have a lot of work to do. Trina thanks him, and Curtis says he noticed there were reporters outside in the corridor. They’re going to want a statement, which he doesn’t think any of them should be making. Ava says she knows her way around this courthouse. They can exit this way. Portia tells Trina, let’s go home, and they follow Ava out. Josslyn tells Cameron, if she were her mom, she’d walk out of this courtroom with her head held high. He says, but she’s not her mom; she has nothing to prove. Josslyn says, only to herself, and Smoltz stumbles in. Cameron says, he’s too late; Trina went out the back. Smoltz says, it’s not Trina he wants. It’s Cameron and his girlfriend.

Josslyn says, they already told their stories to The Invader. Read it himself if he can afford the paywall. Smoltz says, he did read it, and Cameron says, then he would know they have nothing else to say. Smoltz says he knows Alexis Davis stole his scoop, and cut him out of the story, and Cameron says, oh boo-hoo. Life’s unfair. Smoltz says, what about their friend Trina? Their story did some good, but what about their friend? Josslyn says, what about Trina? and Smoltz says, did she do it? Did she film them and post it? Cameron says, hell no, and Smoltz asks, how can he be so sure? Do they know who’s responsible? Cameron and Josslyn look at each other, and he says, they do know. They just can’t prove it? Josslyn asks what he wants, and he says, an exclusive. Tell him stuff they didn’t say in the interview, and he’ll help them get the goods on whoever set up their friend. Sound good? Ava comes back, and says, you. Get the hell away from them.

Portia says, welcome home, and asks what Trina thinks. Trina says she liked it when it belonged to Joss’s dad, but she likes it even better now that it’s Portia’s. A safe harbor. Curtis says, good memories? and Trina says, yeah. Six months ago, their biggest problem was opening a jar of Sonny’s marinara sauce. Now everything’s changed. Curtis says, she heard what the lawyer said. They’re going to fight this. Portia says, they’re going to fight this, and they’re going to win. Trina says she told Joss and Cam that their courage gave her courage, but Portia and Curtis’s support helped her out a lot too. Curtis says, they can do a lot more than offer moral support. He could find evidence to exonerate her. He hasn’t forgotten how to find clues in dumpsters and garbage cans. Portia says, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, and Trina says, Spencer’s right. On one hand, there are tons of people who believe in her. Curtis says, and on the other hand? and she says, there’s evidence that proves she did it. Esme made sure of that.

Nikolas tells Spencer, Ava is well-aware of Sonny’s methods when he feels someone has crossed him or his family. She’ll understand the need to protect Esme. Spencer says, but will she understand why he’s sitting across from her at breakfast? and Nikolas says, it’s not a permanent arrangement. If Trina is found guilty, Sonny will have to accept the verdict and back off. Spencer says, even if Uncle Sonny does, he doesn’t think Ava will. Ava loves Trina like a daughter. She’d happily throw Esme to the wolves if it means Trina goes free. Nikolas says, and if Esme is carrying Spencer’s child? Ava may not like it, but she’ll make peace with it. Spencer says, and if Esme’s not pregnant? and Nikolas says, that’s all the more reason for Spencer to find out.

Brick says, so little Spencer has a girlfriend, and Sonny says, he’s not so little anymore. Brick says, Sonny has always liked this kid, and Sonny says, he still does, but not his company. Brick says, Sonny is convinced this Esme Prince is behind the video. Is he sure Spencer didn’t help? Sonny says, Spencer has done some terrible things, but he’s known Josslyn since they were in kindergarten, and Cameron is part of his extended family. He thinks Spencer’s hands are clean. Brick says, so the girlfriend is operating behind his back, and Sonny says, yep. If they can prove Trina is innocent and Esme is guilty, it won’t be just justice for Josslyn and Cameron. It will be a way for Spencer to dump his girlfriend. Brick says he knows Sonny’s got his own people on it, but as always, if Sonny needs him… Sonny says, yeah, he needs Brick, and Brick says, then he’s on it, but in the meantime… Sonny says, what is on his mind? and Brick says, Sonny is always running around looking out for everybody else. Who’s looking out for him?

Scotty goes into Charlie’s, and asks Nina what she wants. He’s very busy. He has a young woman who needs his help, unlike her. She says she’s sorry. She thought she could avoid going to court, and he says she thought she could get somebody to intercede with Wiley’s parents? Somebody like Sonny? But he threw her to the wolves, didn’t he? She says, no, this has nothing to do with Sonny. Her go-between couldn’t really do anything because Willow is so besotted with Michael, she won’t stand up to him or Carly. He says, why would she? Her mother couldn’t even stand up to that snake oil salesman Shiloh. Nina says, he’s not making this easy on her. Can they sit down? He asks, why should he? He kept her out of prison, and she turned her nose up at his legal expertise. So if she wants his help now, he’ll have to hear her say it.

Alexis says she assumes this understanding comes at a price, but Brendan  says, he wouldn’t put it that way. She asks how he’d put it, and he says, she couldn’t have risen from the ashes without help. Is it wrong of him to want the same thing? She says, that depends on what he means by help. Forgiveness? Friendship? He says his brother lost his life by getting involved with a self-destructive alcoholic, and she says, there it is. She was wondering how long he was going to keep up the Mr. Nice Guy act. There’s the door, move toward it, and don’t look back. He says, his brother was never a rich man, and funerals are expensive. She can deny it all she wants, but she contributed to Neil’s death. She needs to make things right. She says she’ll never stop wondering what happened to Neil, and starts to get her stuff together to leave. How he became an addict, and how that addiction took his life. She’s not at all satisfied that’s the truth, but she won’t be browbeaten into paying for his brother’s mistakes. There’s nothing he can say that will make her change her mind. He asks if she’s sure about that.

Alexis says, he needs to leave, but Brendan  says he’s not leaving until he gets what he wants. Harmony walks in, and asks Alexis if she’s early. Alexis says, actually, she’s right on time. Brendan was just leaving. Harmony introduces herself, and he says, Brendan Byrne, Neil’s brother. Harmony Miller. Where does he know that name? Have they met before? Harmony says she doesn’t think so. He might have seen her on TV, in connection with an organization called Dawn of Day. She was pretty notorious back then. Alexis says she and Harmony were just leaving, so if he doesn’t mind… He says, of course (🍷). He’ll send her his contact information. If she sees an opportunity she thinks he might be right for, let him know. He leaves, and Harmony says, what was all that about? Alexis says she doesn’t know, but it was scary.

Sonny says, Brick doesn’t have to worry. He survived all those months in Nixon Falls; he can survive anything. Brick says, but he wasn’t alone, and Sonny asks if he’s talking about Nina. Brick says, yeah. She must be one helluva lady to come between Sonny and Carly. Sonny asks if Brick still has something for his wife, and Brick asks if he doesn’t mean ex-wife. He just admires Sonny’s taste, but he gave up Carly. Brick just hopes this new lady’s worth it.

Nina and Scotty get a drink, and Nina says, okay. He needs to hear her say it. She clears her throat, and says she made a mistake. He says, what? and she repeats it louder. She says, she shouldn’t have pinned all her hopes on Willow’s compassion. Does he feel better? He suggests she hire Martin Grey, that folksy downhome charm works with a few judges. She says she doesn’t need folksy downhome charm. She needs a fighter, a killer, that will leave his opponents bloody in the field. He says, that’s him. However, he’s busy right now with Trina Robinson. Nina says she needs his help, and she’s willing to put him on retainer immediately. He says, before he takes her money, he needs to know she’s going to fight for Wiley, no matter what. And if that means kicking Sonny to the curb, then she’s going to do that.

Trina comes back downstairs, and Portia asks what she thinks. Trina says, great room, and thanks her. Portia says she made it up like Trina’s old room, but she probably wants to get rid of the stuffed animals now that she’s grown up. Trina says, no, never, as all of us who have them past our teenage years would say, but she’s still looking forward to returning to her dorms when this nightmare ends and she proves her innocence.  Then this place is theirs. Portia says, it’s Trina’s home too. And she doesn’t have to be brave. They’re in this together. Curtis says, all of them, and they have a family group hug.

Josslyn says, what part of no way doesn’t Smoltz understand? and Smoltz says, give it up, man. Ava faces him, and says, a journalist like Mr. Smoltz won’t stop until you slam the door in his face, or better yet, on his writing hand. He asks if she hasn’t heard of the first amendment, and she says, it comes right before the second, and I literally lol. Smoltz says, that sounds like a threat, and Ava says she was hoping it would. Cameron says he and Josslyn can handle this, and Josslyn tells Smoltz, they’re not interested in boosting his career. Cameron says, in other words, get lost. Smoltz says, fine; their loss. He stomps to the door, and says, and their friend Trina’s. He slams out, and Josslyn says, this wasn’t Ava’s fight. Ava says, on the contrary. Avery would never forgive her if she didn’t stand up for her sister. Cameron says, that guy had one thing right. Trina’s in deep trouble until they prove she’s innocent. Josslyn says, and Esme’s guilty.

Spencer looks out the window, and Esme tells him, she just got an alert on her phone; Trina pled not guilty. He says he hopes she can prove it, and she says, even if Trina tries to accuse her instead, when she might be carrying his child? He says, let’s find out. Why hasn’t she taken that home pregnancy test yet? She says she’s scared, and he asks if she’s scared that she’s pregnant, or that she’s not?

Harmony says she assumes Brendan was there talking about his brother, and that’s what caused all the tension when she walked in? Alexis says, it was really weird. He shows up all sympathetic, not at all like the guy who heaped abuse on her at Neil’s funeral. Harmony asks if something changed, and Alexis says, he thought the Mr. Nice Guy act would convince her to help bail him out of his troubles. When she refused, he went from Jekyll to Hyde. He thinks she owes him because she caused the relapse that caused Neil’s death. Harmony flashes back to injecting Neil, and says, it was good thing she walked in when she did. Just stay away from Neil’s brother. The farther the better.

Ava tells Josslyn and Cameron, don’t lose any sleep over Esme. The truth will come out. Trina will be vindicated. Cameron says she sounds confident, and Josslyn says, Esme has skated so far… Ava… Ava says she’s spoken to someone who has an interest in seeing Esme punished for targeting the two of  them. Cameron looks at Josslyn, and says, who’s that? Ava says she knows it’s difficult for them to trust her, but this time they’re going to have to. Esme is going to get what’s coming to her. Ava strides out the back way.

Esme says she wants Spencer with her when she takes the test, but she doesn’t need a test to tell her what she really wants. He says, which is? and she says him; she wants to be with him. Does he want to be with her? Don’t answer that now, but ask himself this. If it were without the baby, does her being here work to his advantage? He asks, how? and she says, by driving a wedge between his father and Ava. Isn’t that what he wanted all along?

Sonny tells Brick, he’s taking it day to day. As far as him and Nina, he can’t read into the future, but he will say this. The connection they had in Nixon Falls was real. Brick says, he knows Sonny, and when he wants something, he goes for it, and he usually gets it. Sonny flashes back to him and Nina dancing at Charlie’s, and Brick says, Sonny is thinking about her right now, and Sonny asks if they can get back to the matter at hand. Brick says, the future… without Jason. That’s something they can work on. The future without love, with all due respect, is not for Sonny.

Nina says, Sonny knows she won’t force him to pick sides, but Scotty says, Carly, Michael, and Willow will. So if Sonny has to choose… She says, Sonny is going to do what’s best for his family, and she’s going to do what’s best for hers. He asks if she’s willing to lose lover boy, but she says she won’t lose him. Not if he’s the man she knew in Nixon Falls, and the man she sees in Port Charles. He asks what makes her think she can have it all? and she says, she’s going to have her grandson in her life, and she’s going to have the man who changed her life for the better. He says, sorry, nobody gets it all, nobody, but she says, there’s always a first time.

Sonny says, he and Brick will regroup after Jason’s memorial service. In the meantime, is Brick willing to take on more managerial responsibilities? Brick says he can search for a facilitator to take on some of Jason’s other skill sets; don’t worry about that. Sonny says, okay. He has one more job for Brick. He wants Brick to find out how Esme Prince engineered that video. Brick says, he’s on that; no problem. Sonny asks if Brick wants a drink to seal the deal. Raising his glass, he says, sparkling water. Brick says, to think he’s always admired Sonny, and Sonny says, not anymore? but Brick says, now more than ever, and they clink glasses.

Scotty tells Nina, Michael is out to win, and Diane Miller is a tough cookie. She will dig up whatever she can. Nina says, she understands, and he gets up, asking if there’s anything he needs to know before he files the petition. She tells him, don’t faint, but she thinks her life is pretty much an open book at this point. He says, no little secrets in her diary? No skeletons in her closet? She says, no. Wiley is the only thing left of her daughter in this world. She owes it to Nelle be in his life, whether Michael or Saint Willow like it or not. He says, then hang her hat with him. She won’t regret it. They shake hands, and she says she hopes not.

Alexis says, Harmony never said what brought her by, and Harmony says, it can wait. She’s going to cook Alexis dinner; she’ll make something soothing. Alexis says she could use something soothing. Neil’s brother being here reminds her how horrible Neil’s death was. She can’t help wonder if that eviction is the thing that caused his death. Alexis turns out the lights, and they go to the hallway, but Alexis says  she forgot her phone, and goes back to her desk in the dark. Harmony stands in the doorway, and looks around.

Brendan  looks through a bunch of folders, and finds one that says Harmony Miller. He says he knew that name was familiar.

Trina says, it’s one thing to plead not guilty, but she has to live with that decision. That ADA is obviously out to get her. She couldn’t believe when she said $250,000 bail. Curtis says he believes she was just grandstanding, and the judge ignored her recommendation. Trina says, this time. The ADA thinks Trina’s guilty, and Scotty said she’s out for blood. What if the ADA convinces the jury she’s guilty? Portia says, that’s not going to happen. And instead of dwelling on it, why doesn’t Trina take that nice hot bath she was talking about earlier? It will make her feel better. Trina says Portia talked her into it, and goes upstairs. Portia tells Curtis, she doesn’t know how long she can keep this up. What if Trina’s right? They have no idea what’s going to happen. Curtis says, Trina has a lot of people by her side, and more courage than anyone he knows. Portia says she doesn’t disagree; she has faith in her daughter, just not in the world. Curtis says, as long as they have faith in each other, they can’t lose.

Cameron asks if Josslyn is  ready to go home, and she says, actually, she’d like to go back to the dorms. He says, Trina’s not the only one being brave, and she says, she’s not being brave. She just wants things to go back to normal, if that’s even possible. He says he’ll try to help make that happen, and she thanks him. They kiss, and he says, let’s go. He starts to head to the back, but she says, actually, she’d like to go out the front. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, if she can face a bunch of people on campus, she can face a couple of reporters outside. It’s hard to believe Trina is going to come back here and fight for her innocence. He says, it doesn’t matter what Ava says; this is going to be tough. She says, this is why they need to help Trina. They need to find a piece of evidence that Esme framed her. He asks how they pull that off, and she says, by proving Esme can be in two places at once. She leads him out of the courtroom.

Ava walks into Windymere, calling for Nikolas, and Esme says, he’s upstairs. Ava walks into the living room, where Esme is sitting. She sees Esme is reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting

On Monday, Violet asks Brook how her baby is; Gregory comes for a visit; Ava asks Nikolas what it’s going to be; and Spencer tells Esme, it’s time to take that pregnancy test.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Forgotten Brother…

I forgot about him anyway.

🍾 Happy Anniversary…

A look at GH over the years.

👰🏼 Never Happened…

I think the rules regarding annulments must have relaxed. I thought it either had to be fraud or that you didn’t consummate the marriage. And being realistic, the latter probably hasn’t been an issue since the 1600s.

👭🏼 Sisters Helping One Another…

It’s hard to think of Leah being anyone’s sponsor, but stranger things have happened.

🛥 Her New Deck…

She certainly looks a lot happier than she did on the Mediterranean.

https://people.com/tv/below-deck-med-hannah-ferrier-marries-fiance-josh-roberts/

👰🏻 But She Seemed Like the Normal One…

Proof that the world has gone mad. Maybe Dina is still grieving over Grandma Wrinkles and not in her right mind. In other news, I had no idea Kim D had a last name.

🗽 Reboot Raspberry…

I don’t think Jill Zarin ever stopped expressing a desire to return from the time she was let go.

🐉 Flying In Soon…

An update on House of the Dragon.

🎶 Can’t Stop the Music…

All you need to know.

https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-grammys-nominations-64th-grammy-awards-looking-ahead-how-to-watch

Who’s performing.

https://pitchfork.com/news/grammys-2022-performers-list-see-the-full-lineup/

How no one wants to be there. That’s how I feel seeing a performer in Atlantic City. They don’t want to be there. I don’t want to be there. Why are we here?

🎷 Quotes of the Week

Smile, breathe, and go slowly…Thich Nhat Hanh

Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife. – Kahlil Gibran

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. – Buddha

Music is the soundtrack of your life. – Dick Clark

Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me. – Zora Neale Hurston

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. – Bob Marley

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down. – Mary Pickford, 1892-1979, American actress

The only truth is music. – Jack Kerouac

I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz

There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.Albert Schweitzer (Hey, what’s wrong with dogs?)

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. – Steve Jobs

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent. – Victor Hugo

✍🏽 Don’t Forget To Write…

I’ll return to the keyboard at approximately Dead o’clock. Be there or be an octagon. Until then, stay safe, stay seeking truth, and stay letting the courage of others give you courage.

March 30, 2022 – Sonny Tries To Get Esme To Confess, Orange County In Aspen & Salvation

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase comes into the station wearing his softball jersey and hat, and Dante says, there he is. Good to have him back. Chase says, it’s good to be back in the squad room. Dante says, he’s not going to cry, is he? and Chase says, nah. He goes over to his desk, and Dante asks if Chase wants to have some time to get reacquainted with it. Is his suspension over or what? He’s not in the loop. Chase says, he still has 54 days, 11 hours, and – he looks at his watch – 33 minutes, but who’s counting? He’s only here because he volunteered to organize this year’s community softball league. He’ll be fully reinstated when it’s time to play. Dante says, that’s nice of him. They’ll be looking forward to having Chase back on the team and the force. If it was up to him, he would have been reinstated just for what he did to help Maxie’s baby. Chase says he just helped a little at the end. Brook’s the real hero.

Lucy, Maxie, and Brook pass a binder to a woman who looks through it.  She says, everything seems to be in order. The only thing that’s left is to take it to the stock exchange. She’ll be in touch. Lucy thanks her for her time, and says they appreciate it, and of course (🍷) they’ll be waiting. The woman leaves, and they all squeal. Lucy says, it’s happening. They did it, and she’s so proud of all of them; all their hard work that they did together. They’re such a team, and she can’t wait to celebrate all their accomplishments at the IPO launch party. Maxie says, that’s coming up April 5th, and Lucy says, let’s just finalize everything. Guest list, refreshments, the food and drink, and the entertainment, and then let the fun begin.

Brando and Sasha go into the MetroCourt, and Sasha says she’s starving. She could eat the air. He asks if that means the PB&J sandwich on stale bread didn’t do it for her. He guesses that’s the downside of having an extended honeymoon – no groceries. She says she can live with that and he says, him too. He really loved their time away, but it’s nice to be back as husband and wife. She says she’s not ready to give up their honeymoon vibe yet. She loves it when it’s just the two of them. They kiss.

Pacing in her office, Portia says, he’s late, and Curtis says, give him in a minute. She says she just doesn’t know about this. What if he’s not the right fit for Trina? They have no idea. Curtis says, they won’t know until they talk to him. Laura hooked them up, and she said he would know what to do, and Curtis trusts her. Let’s just give him a chance. He trusts everything will work out, and Trina is in good hands. Scotty appears, and says, sorry he’s late; the elevator was chock full of people. He shakes Portia’s hand, and says, Scott Baldwin, at your service.

Trina says, did Spencer just ask her why she did it? He knows she didn’t. Spencer says he was ready to believe it was Esme… and she says they both know she’s not capable of doing anything like this. He says he thought so, but there is evidence, and it points to her.

Victor comes into Charlie’s, and says he’s glad he found Nikolas. They need to talk about Spencer. Nikolas says, later. Did he see Esme outside? Victor says, as a matter-of-fact, he did. Another car was pulling out as he was pulling in, and he saw Esme in the back seat. Nikolas asks, who was driving? Which way did they go? Victor says, he couldn’t tell; he didn’t think it was unusual. Although it did seem like an expensive Ride Share for someone with such limited means. Why is Nikolas worried? Nikolas says, he was asking about the video and Spencer, and she got really upset. She was keeping something from him. She told him that she needed air, and she’d be right back. Victor says, perhaps she felt better and left, but Nikolas says, why would she just take off without a word? She was obviously holding something back. Victor says, that, she most certainly is. Esme could be carrying the next Cassadine heir.

Sonny thanks Esme for coming, and she says she didn’t have much of a choice. He says he’s sorry about his associate; he’s a little rough around the edges. He doesn’t come from the school of social graces. He’s kind of a man of action. Sonny hopes he didn’t frighten her. She says, actually, he did, and Sonny says, that wasn’t his intention. He just wanted Esme to come here so they could chat. She says she doesn’t know why he’d want to chat with her, but he says he thinks she does. She says, Spence? and he says, this is about what she did to his stepdaughter Josslyn.

The new credits are great, but why does Felicia look like she stepped out of Breck ad from the 1970s?

Maxie says, they need to finalize music selections and book the artists, and Lucy says she happens to have some inspired live performance ideas. Maxie wonders where they’re going to get talent on such short notice, and Lucy says, hello? Lucy Coe, mistress of ceremonies of the Nurses Ball. Brook says she thought this was for Deception’s IPO, and Lucy says, she happens to be senior equity partner of Deception. She’s just going to ask all the people who she asked to sing for the Nurses Ball to sing for their company, starting with Amy and Chase. Brook says, about that… and Lucy says, Amy will love it; she’s a sucker for the spotlight. So did Brook get a chance to ask Chase to sing? Brook says, the thing is… and Lucy says, Brook’s not hearing her. They need him to sing, so why didn’t Brook nail him down when he came by here the other day? Gladys comes in and asks if she’s interrupting anything. Are they still talking about the IPO? Lucy says, yes on both questions, and Brook asks what she wants. Gladys says, stock options, especially now that Sasha’s her daughter-in-law. She’d like to revisit having a personal stake in the company. Lucy says, really? They don’t have shares based on nepotism, but if Gladys wants to prove her worth to the company, she can get them all lunch. She’d love a Caesar salad with lots and lots of little croutons. Brook says, she’ll take a chicken pasta salad, and Maxie says, make that two. Lucy repeats the order, and pushes Gladys out the door, thanking her. She says, enough of the distractions. They really have a million things to do. And the first thing is, Brook has to get Chase to sing. Brook says she’s sorry, but the answer is no.

Dante tells Chase, he has to hand it to Brook. He knew she could scheme with the best of them, but this is next level stuff. She didn’t even get anything out of this. Chase says, that’s what he means. Brook went into it for the wrong reasons, but she wound up doing everything right. Dante says, who’d have thought faking a pregnancy would turn out to be a noble gesture? and Chase says, she thought she was looking out for her family. Dante says, that’s Brook right there; she’s a walking contradiction. He told Chase, they grew up together. As kids, she even had this heart underneath all the selfish pranks she liked to pull. Chase says, people grow up, and Dante says, hopefully, she did. Hopefully, that’s what this is, and not just a one-off, and the real Brook, the old school selfish Brook comes back again. Chase says, Brook today is kind and caring, and he doesn’t like Dante talking about her like this. Dante asks where this is coming from. Chase is the one who said he couldn’t trust her.

Brando says, they’re getting their food to go, and Sasha says, okay, husband. He says he loves it when she calls him that, and she says, she loves it when he calls her wife. So they’re doing this? He says, yes, definitely, and since no one knows they’re in town yet, they can just try to ease their way back into reality. But there are a few things they need to talk about immediately now that they’re married.

Scotty sits down, and says, he’s sorry this happened to Trina. He’s reviewed the case, and it’s a doozie. Portia says, her daughter didn’t do the things she was charged with. She knows people probably say that to him all the time, but she didn’t. Trina could never; it’s not her. Scotty says, if she wants him to say he believes her, he does, he really does. He’s got a guy in the DA’s office, so he knows what the evidence is, and the burden of proof is on the prosecution, and this case is loaded with opportunities to cast reasonable doubt.

Spencer says, the whole time Trina was trying to convince him the tape was Esme’s fault, she had that phone with that video. She says she’s never seen that phone before. Someone set her up. He asks if she means Esme, and she says, that’s the only thing that makes sense. He asks how she did it, but Trina says she doesn’t know. How does she do half the stuff she does; she figures it out somehow. He says, they weren’t at the cabin when the video was taken, but he was there long enough to know that Trina was really drunk, and mad at both Joss and Esme. She says she doesn’t remember being mad at Joss, and he says, that’s exactly right. She doesn’t remember what she did or didn’t do, but Esme was next to him nearly all the time, so when would she have had time to do that to Trina? She asks if he’s really trying to accuse her of this, and he says he’s not judging her; he’s in no position to do that. He’s just trying to understand. She says, understand this. She didn’t do it. He says he wants to believe her, and she asks, then why can’t he?   

Nikolas says, Esme might be pregnant? and Victor tells him, Spencer said they don’t know for certain. Nikolas says, that would explain why she’s been so emotional; she’s dealing with a lot right now. Victor says he heard about the break-up, and Nikolas says, obviously Spencer knows. How’s he doing? Victor says, he’s pretty shaken up. That’s why he came to find Nikolas. If Esme is indeed pregnant, that baby will be a Cassadine. Spencer and Esme are going to need their support. Nikolas says, maybe they should talk somewhere more private. He’s just going to call Esme and make sure she got back to Kelly’s all right. He calls, and a phone outside near the bench rings. Nikolas picks it up, and says, this is Esme’s phone.

Esme says she hasn’t done anything to Joss, but Sonny says, she knows what she did, and she’s going to make it right. She says, wait. Is this about that unfortunate video of Joss and Cam? He snaps his fingers, and says, got it, and she says, the PCPD arrested someone for that; it wasn’t her. He says he has very good instincts, and they’re telling him that Trina Robinson wouldn’t do that. She says, he’s never been wrong? and he says, never. And Esme’s name’s being tossed around a lot. She says, it’s no secret that she and Joss don’t get along, but she would never do that to her. Please, he has to believe her. He says, don’t do that. There’s no need for that. He called her here because he wants to know the truth. She says she is telling the truth. What has she done to him that would make him think the worst of her? He says she doesn’t remember the hospital, when she lied to him?

Esme says, if Sonny means the time she mistakenly told him that Nikolas and Ava were taking Avery out of the country – he says, yeah, that’s it – that was a misunderstanding, one she regretted. He says, why? Because it led to the truth about what she did to Ava and Nikolas? She says she didn’t mean for anything bad to happen to his daughter, and he says, now she’s lying to his face. She and Spencer meant every horrible thing that was done to Ava. Then to reach her goals, she involved his daughter twice; once with the teddy bear, and the other time she lied that Nikolas and Ava left with his daughter. She says she regrets the things she and Spence did, but she apologized. Didn’t he forgive her? He says he did, and she says, but he didn’t forget. He says he has a long memory, especially when someone hurts his family. And now she’s hurt Josslyn. He squats down and leans on her chair, and whispers, let’s save everybody a lot of time. Just admit you were behind the sex tape.

Spencer says he believed Trina when it was just her word against Esme’s. What she says means a lot to him, but now there’s evidence. She says, which was planted, because like she keeps telling him, Esme set her up. He says, he and Esme have been through a lot, and Trina says, then he should know what she’s capable of. He says he’s seen the worst in Esme, but he was the instigator when she did those things. She thought she was helping him because she loved him. Trina says, the difference between her and Esme is that she would never… she could never intentionally hurt another person. He says, she’s done things for him she wouldn’t normally do, like lie. If he stoked those impulses in Esme, maybe he did the same to her. Wow. He’s even more full of himself than he was before.

Chase tells Dante, Brook has done some shady things, but people do change, and it’s hard when everyone keeps dredging up who they used to be. But he was there during some of the toughest times. Brook was taking heat from all sides, and he saw how it affected her, and she kept on protecting Bailey. Dante says, he was right; Chase does have feelings for her. Chase says, they went through something significant together, and he knows Brook is more than Dante is saying. Dante says he didn’t mean anything by it, but that’s the beauty of a real friend. They see who you are and like you anyway. Chase tells Dante, all he’s saying is to give Brook a little more credit.

Brook says she can’t ask Chase to do the duet. She feels like she’d be taking advantage of their friendship. Lucy says, this is the same guy who pretended to be a father, even though he wasn’t a father, to help Brook protect Maxie’s baby. This is just a teeny tiny favor in comparison. Maxie says she sees Brook’s point. They owe Chase for everything he’s done already, so let’s explore other options. Lucy says, what good are friends if you can’t guilt them into singing for your company? She’s guilted tons of people over her… Never mind. She gives up for a moment. She needs Maxie to talk sense into herself, then talk sense in to Brook. She needs gummis, and she’s going to get them. She stomps out, and Brook says, thank you. Maxie says, not a problem. Now that it’s just the two of them, what’s Brook’s deal? Does she not want Chase around? Brook says, that’s not it. It’s the opposite.

Sasha asks Brando, what needs their attention? Should she be worried?  He says he hopes not. He just wanted to point out, they’re married and don’t live together. She says, they should figure that out, but let’s just enjoy being married for now, and he says, it’s not like they do things in the right order. She says she knows their relationship has been a little unorthodox, but she’s happy where they are now. He says, him too, and she says, let’s just enjoy the feeling a little longer. Gladys screeches that Brando’s back, and hugs him. She says she missed him so much. She tells Sasha, hello, and says, Sasha is looking well. If she’d known they were coming back, she would have asked for the day off. Sasha says, it’s probably best she didn’t. She’s sure Deception is busy with the IPO. Gladys says, it’s all anyone is talking about, and since what’s Sasha’s is Brando’s now, he’s going to be living on Easy Street; he can retire early. He says he’s keeping the garage, and Gladys says, have it his way. He’ll need somewhere to work on all the cars he’ll be collecting. She has to put in a lunch order, but don’t go anywhere. She wants to hear all about the honeymoon. She flounces off, and Brando says, it’s too late to make a run for it, and Sasha says, so much for easing back into reality.

Victor asks if Nikolas is sure that’s Esme’s phone, and Nikolas says he saw it earlier. Victor says, perhaps she dropped it, but Nikolas says, she’d need it for updates on the Ride Share. He’s sure she would have noticed if she didn’t have it, and would have come back for it by now. Victor suggests she caught a ride with a friend, but Nikolas says she told him she has no friends; everyone blames her for the sex tape. Victor says he heard about that. Carly Corinthos’s daughter, right? Nikolas flashes back to Esme saying Sonny’s had it in for her ever since she stretched the truth about Nikolas and Ava leaving town with Avery. He tells Victor, they have to go, and Victor says, go where? Nikolas says, Sonny Corinthos has her.

Maxie asks Brook to explain. She wants Chase there, but doesn’t want him to sing because of Amy? Brook says, because of her and her feelings, and Maxie says, now they’re getting somewhere. She knew something was going on, because Brook was acting weird around him the other day. This is why she hustled him out of here, and didn’t want to talk to him about singing the duet. Brook says, Chase has made it clear he just wants to be friends. So she has to keep her distance until she can get a handle on her feelings, and get back to the friendzone. She doesn’t want to ask Chase for any favors right now, and to be honest, she doesn’t even want to see him at the launch party. Outside the door, Lucy says, Chase, just the man she wanted to see. Isn’t it funny how the cosmos is working… Maxie pushes Brook out the door, and Lucy says, you put the energy out there, and there you are.

Gladys, Brando, and Sasha sit at a table, and Gladys says, at least they had a nice honeymoon, considering they got married out of the blue. The rings aren’t bad, although she might have gone for something a little flashier. Brando says he picked them out, and he was lucky to find a jewelry store nearby. Gladys says, like finding the garage they got married in, and Brando says, mom… Gladys says she gave them her blessing, and she meant it. She wants the best for them both. Brando’s phone rings, and he steps away to take the call. Gladys says, now that it’s just them, let her tell Sasha how she really feels about this elopement.

Scotty says, he’ll have witnesses testifying to Trina’s stellar character and lack of motive. He’ll get Cameron and Josslyn; they should have significant sway. Curtis says, okay, but first they have to get through the arraignment. What’s that look like? Scotty says, it can go two ways. The best is that they waive bail because there’s no priors. The worst is, they take it up a notch to high profile because of Josslyn’s stepfather. But it still comes down to Trina’s character, which is really great. She’s at PCU, 4.0, she’s got a job, teachers love her, a lot of friends, and Portia’s reputation as Chief of Internal Medicine. Portia says she sees Scotty’s done his homework, and Scotty says he sees Cameron as his grandson. He would never represent anybody who would do this to Cameron. Curtis says, they should get to the arraignment; they don’t want to be late. Scotty says, he’s right. Judges don’t like it if you’re late. He’ll see them there. He leaves, and Curtis asks if Portia feels better about it. She says they’d better get going, but he says, hold up. Is she okay? She says she will be, and starts to cry. She says, she will be after all this is over. She just needs to stay strong for Trina right now. He takes her hands, and says, he knows everything is going to be okay. Whatever happens, he’s got her.

Trina says she knew Spencer was self-centered, but this is next level. She may have gone against her instincts and principles covering for him, but that doesn’t compare to making a sex tape of Joss and Cameron, her best friends, and posting it. She would never do that to anyone for any reason. He says, she was drunk and admitted to buried feelings about Joss and Cameron being together. She asks how he can even consider that she did this. She had faith in him when everyone told her that he didn’t deserve it. All she had was a gut feeling he was a good guy deep down. Where’s that guy now? Was she wrong all along? He says, it’s not that simple for him, and she says, he knows the truth in his heart, but he just doesn’t want to see it. He’s still blind to Esme after everything she’s done. He says, everything she’s done has been for him and his family.

Maxie says, it’s so good to see Chase. What brings him by? She gently pushes him into the office, and he says he was following up with HR about the softball league to get the charity donations set up. Maxie says, oh man, they’re out today; recruitment event. On his way in, did he happen to see Gladys Corbin? He says, no, and she says, typical Gladys. She suggests she and Lucy go to the restaurant to look for her. If she’s not there, they can have a working lunch. She not-so gently pushes Lucy out, saying, they’ll get her gummis. Chase asks what that was about, and Brook says, he knows Lucy. She probably wants to change the color of the softball jerseys or something. He asks if she’s going to play, but she says she hasn’t thought about it. He says she should; it would be nice seeing her around the diamond. She says, actually, Lucy wants to get some singers to perform at the launch party. Remember that duet she wrote? She’d love for him to sing it… with Amy. Plus, it would be fun to see him there. What does he say?   

Trina asks what Spencer means by his family. His father? He says he means the Cassadines, his family. Esme is included in that. She asks, how? By pushing her way into it? He says, she’s part of it now because she… He lowers his voice, and says, she might be carrying my child. Trina says, Esme might be pregnant with his baby? That explains why he has to see the best in Esme, and the worst in her. He say,s she has to understand… and she says, here’s what she understands. From the moment she met him, her life has gotten worse. There were so many times she looked in the other direction when she shouldn’t have, to protect him. Now she’s arrested because of his girlfriend’s lies, and he wants her to understand? She understands that he should know her better than that. So if he can’t look her in her eyes, and tell her that he knows she had nothing to do with it, then she’s done; she’s through. They have nothing left to say to each other. He should go check on Esme. You two deserve each other. He says, Trina… but she stands up and says, leave. The officer tells him, it’s time to go. Come with him. Trina turns her back, and the officer leads Spencer out.

Sonny tells Esme, neither of them is going anywhere until she tells him the truth. She says she has told him; she didn’t do it. He says, okay, and asks if she wants something to eat. She says he can’t keep her there forever, and he says he’s had his share of regrets, choices he can’t take back, but it doesn’t define you. She can step up right now and take responsibility for her actions, and make almonds amends to the people she’s hurt and move forward. She says, some things you can’t make up for, and he says, true. The people you’ve hurt are not obligated to forgive you, and sometimes you can’t make it right by them, but you keep working on it. You know why? To better yourself for you and the people that are going to come into your life. Esme has played games with Avery, Ava, and Nikolas, and now she’s hurt Josslyn and Cam… There’s a young woman sitting behind bars right now. Esme can make it right. All she’s got to do is confess.

Nikolas walks into Pozzulo’s with Victor, and Sonny’s guy asks where he’s going. Nikolas says he’s going to see Sonny, but the guy says, Sonny’s busy. Nikolas says, I’ll bet, and tries to walk through, but the guy stops him. Victor says, take his hands off his nephew, and Nikolas says, where is she? Esme hears them and screams, help me!

Sasha says, she doesn’t expect Gladys to understand why they eloped. It’s what felt right in the moment. Gladys says, that’s her concern; in the moment. Marriage is a big step. They went on that trip to deal with some pretty weighty issues in their relationship, and came back married. It seems like they didn’t think it through.

Dante tells Portia and Curtis that Trina is in the interrogation room. Portia sees Spencer, and walks over to him. She says, he has some nerve showing up here, after what that vile girlfriend of his did to her daughter.

Chase tells Brook, that’s why Lucy was fawning over him. The last time, he’d just come out of the shower in the men’s locker room. Brook says, what? and he says, the first time Lucy recruited him for the Nurses Ball. She basically ambushed him. He had to say yes. It was the only way he could get dressed. She says, they all know how great a singer he is because of what a great success he’s been at the Nurses Ball, and he says, he’s flattered, but he’s not a performer. The only reason he sings at the Nurses Ball is because it’s for charity. She says, making people feel beautiful might not fit into the definition of charity, but it’s still worthwhile. He even said what they do at Deception is interesting. He says, his suspension is up in a few months. He kind of has to keep up appearances. Singing for charity is one thing, but he doesn’t know about singing for a cosmetic’s company. She says she gets it. He has an image to maintain, and he doesn’t fit in her world.

Sasha tells Gladys, her and Brando’s decision to get married was spur of the moment, but they talked it through, and know it was the right decision. She loves Brando, more than she thought was possible. Gladys raised a good son, and Sasha promises she’s going to make him happy. Gladys says she can already see being married to Sasha makes Brando happy. She just doesn’t want him getting hurt. She can’t deny they’ve had issues, but he means everything to her. Brando comes back with Lucy and Maxie, and says, look who he found. Lucy says, there’s the married lady. Congratulations. Maxie says she should be mad at Sasha for not letting her plan the wedding,  but she’s too happy for her. Sasha thanks them, and says, they’re pretty happy themselves. Lucy says, I’ll bet, and tells Sasha that the launch party is on track, but after they celebrate the IPO, and Deception’s fabulous future, they’re going to throw another fabulous, huge party for both of them. Maxie says, a Happy Marriage party. They’ll go all out; everyone will be there. Gladys says, now we’re talking, and Brando thanks them. He says, it’s very generous, and Sasha says, and totally not necessary, but Maxie says, nonsense. Getting married is a big deal. It deserves to be celebrated properly. Sasha says, but they’re already married, and Lucy says, who cares? Brando says, he’ll take any excuse to celebrate his beautiful new wife, and Sasha says, when they put it like that, how can she say no?

An officer brings Trina a soda, and smiles at her sympathetically. Dante asks Spencer if they’re going to have a problem, but Spencer says, no, sir. Dante asks if Portia wants to see Trina now, but she continues to stare at Spencer. Curtis says, Portia? and she says she’s fine. She tells Spencer, she doesn’t have time to deal with him today because her daughter needs her. Curtis says, let’s go, and steers Portia to the interrogation room. Curtis says, he’ll give her a minute, and Dante tells Spencer, there’s really nothing for him to do here. In fact, he thinks Spencer is making things worse. So why doesn’t he help Trina and her mom, and get out of here. Spencer leaves, and Portia goes in to see Trina. They hug, and Portia says she’s sorry Trina is going through this. But she wants Trina to remember, she’s going to be home in a little while. Scott Baldwin is her lawyer. He believes in her; he believes in her case. And when Trina walks into the courtroom, she wants Trina to walk with her chin up – she lifts Trina’s chin – and her head held high. Trina says, she didn’t do it, and Portia says she knows Trina didn’t do it. The truth is going to come out.

Nikolas yells, let her go, and Esme runs to him, throwing her arms around him, fake weeping. Nikolas says, what the hell? and Sonny says, they were just talking. Nikolas leads Esme to the door, and Sonny says, she knows where to find him. Nikolas says, that’s enough, and they leave. Sonny tells Victor, okay, we’re done, but Victor says he doesn’t think so. He and Sonny are just getting started.

Lucy says, once it’s official and they go public, they’re going to focus all their time and attention on a big, wonderful wedding party. She just realized, people are going to flip out when they find the Face of Deception is married. Maxie asks if Sasha is okay, and Sasha says she’s just had a long day of traveling; she’s fine. She’s fantastic. She has the perfect husband, super thoughtful friends. Why don’t they catch her up on the IPO? She’s missed so much. Lucy shows her the binder, and Sasha opens it to a picture of herself when she was pregnant, that says, the Face of Conception. She excuses herself, and Brando closes it. Gladys says, she sure bolted out of here, and Brando says, they were just surprised. She’s probably overwhelmed with everything, but don’t worry. Sasha can take care of herself. In the hallway, Sasha makes a call to Sienna. She says she needs something to get her through. How soon can they meet?

Chase says he didn’t mean to imply anything negative about Brook or her job, but Brook says, she understands where he’s coming from. He’s a cop, not a singer. He wants to focus on getting off suspension and back on the job; she gets it. He says, so they’re good? and she says they are. She needs to get back to work. She promised Maxie some numbers. Shut the door on his way out. He says, okay, and leaves. She almost opens it again, but doesn’t, and they stand on opposite sides of the door.

Scotty asks if they’re all set, and Dante says, it’s time to go. Curtis asks how Trina is holding up, and she says, she’s okay. Thanks. He says, she’s better than okay. She’s a champ. Let’s go.

Nikolas and Esme go back to Charlie’s. He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she says, only because of him. He saved her. She can’t thank him enough. She throws her arms around him, and Spencer walks in.  

Victor says, he’s putting Sonny on notice. Stay away from his family. Sonny says, Spencer is his family too, and what happens to him, or if anybody influences him in any way, that concerns Sonny, especially if they’re coming after his family. Victor says, he’s been warned, and Sonny says, really? Victor says, the Cassadines always come out on top one way or another. Keep harassing his family, and Sonny will learn the hard way. Sonny laughs, and says, he’s faced down men a lot more intimidating  than Victor, and he’s still standing. So if Victor wants to take the first shot, believe him, he’ll finish the fight.

Tomorrow, Nina tells Maxie that she might have found someone who can change that; Scotty asks Trina what she wants to do; Diane has a plan; and Carly is staying right here.  

All the Wrong People Have the Money The Real Housewives of Orange County

Everyone packs for Aspen. Shannon tells John that she and Gina haven’t talked since their blow-up, but she’s sure everything will be fine. As if. John tells her to just be cordial, and she says she’s always fine when she’s on vacation. I almost choke on my coffee. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s excited because she’s never been to Aspen, but she’s also excited to be in a different climate. Cabo was hot and people got irritated. Maybe they’ll cool off in cooler weather. After the fastest plane ride ever, they’re at an elevation of 8000 feet. On the way to the hotel, they get all excited to see a deer on a hill. I guess it doesn’t take much. They arrive at the 7 bedroom, 7 bath house, and in Noella’s interview, she says, now this is a house. Concierges Trisha and Michael welcome them, and Trisha gives them the tour. Yeah, yeah, another amazing place in a galaxy outside of my price range. In Emily’s interview, she says, there are huge windows, and you can see the foilage [sic] of Aspen. She asks a producer if that’s right, and corrects it to foliage, saying, she didn’t learn that in law school. There’s a bowling alley downstairs and Gina gets a strike. In her interview, she says, now she feels like the trip will be a success. Noella tries to play the dead dad card to get a better room, and in Heather’s interview, she wonders if they’re going to compare tragedies to see who gets the best room – like any of these rooms are bad. Noella wants every room, and Heather says she’ll take the dungeon (i.e. the downstairs bedroom). In her interview, she says, Noella likes dungeons, and we flash back to the one in her house. Heather says, they’ll throw in handcuffs, and Noella will be right at home. They get oxygen and IVs with vitamins and such. Jen asks if Ryne should be her emergency contact, and in her interview, Emily says, who else is going to pick Jen up if something happens? Mr. Puppers? I say, absolutely.

They get ready for dinner, and Noella and Emily get all freaked over what they call a huge spider that’s not that big. By the time the others join them, it’s become a tarantula, but we flash back to a second ago, seeing the spider, and the text says, not a tarantula. Noella says, the altitude is real, and they go to Bosq (a restaurant) where several of them get green drinks. I hate drinks or food that’s a weird color. It makes my stomach flip. Emily suggests everyone tell something the group doesn’t know about them, and Jen says she’s been engaged seven times. In Noella’s interview, she says, no judgement. She’s grateful no one knows how many times she’s been engaged. Heather says, when she first met Shannon, she thought Shannon was cool with great style, and she loved Shannon’s home. We flash back to that, and Heather says, what she appreciates about the group is, at the end of the day, they’re all mothers, and that means something to her. She wants everyone to do well. Shannon says, there’s room for everybody, and changing topics, Heather says she doesn’t like mean people, liars, and sh*t stirrers. Shannon says, sometimes Emily can stir the sh*t. She told everyone that Shannon wanted to have more fun at her dinner party than Gina and Heather in NYC. She meant it in a silly way. Emily says, it was a competition, but Shannon says she knew what was going on in her own mind. Emily tells her, just own it. Good luck with getting Shannon to own anything. Has Emily met her?

Emily says, it was a little competitive, but Shannon says that wasn’t her intent. Gina says, Shannon called to say she was having more fun, and Shannon says, there are certain things between her and Gina, but she doesn’t want to have that conversation at the table. In Gina’s interview, she says, the altitude is enough. At this point, she’s fully willing to put a pin in it. Heather says, she thought Shannon had been calling about her podcast, and Shannon says, she didn’t know Heather’s itinerary. I swear they had this conversation already, and Shannon says she was just calling to say hi. She’s an a-hole. Sorry. Noella says, Shannon is taking way too many bullets on this, and in Noella’s interview, she says, they think Shannon is an easy target, and like bullies in the schoolyard, if you don’t hit them back, they keep coming for your lunch money. Noella wonders why Shannon would be jealous; they’ve known each other for a decade. Heather says, Noella doesn’t know them, and Noella talks over her. Heather puts her teacher hat on, and tells Noella, there’s an art to conversation; one speaks and one listens. Noella wonders how she got through life communicating without Heather. Heather says she was excited, and thought Shannon was going to ask how it went. Shannon says she was in the middle of a party she’d been preparing since before 8 am, and everyone was helping with. Um… But isn’t she the one who made the call? Why is she making it sound like Heather interrupted her? Shannon says she called to see how Heather and Gina were, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, Heather likes to single her out. The hoedown is a perfect example. She walked in late – with Vicki. We flash back to Heather telling Shannon to let her know next time, since they were waiting on them. (They weren’t.) Shannon says, clearly Heather is never satisfied with her. She tells Heather that she’s sorry, and gets weepy. She says she’s a single mom running a company, and dabs at her eyes with her napkin, adding, she gets no more than five hours sleep a night. No comment. She says she’s doing the best she can, and Heather says she thinks Shannon is doing a great job, which she’s told her. It’s okay; Shannon wins. In her interview, Heather says, she doesn’t care what happened, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, it’s not like they haven’t seen the Heather Dubrow eyeroll before. Emily says Shannon voiced derogatory things about her friend, i.e. Gina, and Noella says, put a pin in it. Gina says, Noella shouldn’t get involved, but Noella says she’s just being a supportive friend. Gina asks why Noella isn’t supporting her, and Noella says she relates to Shannon. Shannon has a big heart. Gina says, and she doesn’t? Noella tells Gina that she says hurtful things, and Heather says, Noella doesn’t? She claimed Heather slams people against the wall. Noella asks if she’s going there.

Noella says, she saw Heather shove a camera. In Noella’s interview, she says, she saw Heather push a camera. Then Heather stood on her stairs and went off on everybody. We flash back, and it’s more like Heather put her hand over the camera, and talked to everyone sternly. I think she was kind of off her rocker, but in a spoiled way, not in a violent way. Noella says, if Justin Bieber had done that, the police would have been called. Another highly unlikely scenario. Apparently, Noella just makes it up as she goes along. In Heather’s interview, she says, Noella is perpetuating false bullsh*t, and it’s dangerous. Speaking with the royal we, Heather says, did we get heated? 100%, but do we slam a person against the wall? No. Jen asks if Noella saw Heather put her hands on someone, and Noella says, just because she didn’t see it with her own eyes… In her interview, Noella says, Heather went upstairs, and she asked someone what happened. They said Heather was with Terry, and shoved someone against a wall. Noella says, Heather came after her in her podcast room, but Heather says, it was the other way around. We flash back to Noella in Heather’s podcast room, saying she was nervous, since Heather was slamming people up against walls. In Noella’s interview, she says she’s holding Heather accountable because no one else is holding her accountable. Maybe because there’s nothing to hold her accountable for. She’s an annoying spoiled snob for sure, but she definitely wouldn’t slam someone up against a wall. That’s just stupid. In Shannon’s interview, she says, it’s a huge accusation. She doesn’t think Noella is making it up. Someone told her that story. Noella says karma is going to get Heather, and Heather says her karma is just fine, but Noella’s is already hunting her down. Noella whines, so Heather thinks her POS husband causing her problems is a good thing. I love when someone starts sh*t, then cries when you clap back. Heather says she’s out; she’s done. Noella says, Emily heard it too. They compared notes. Emily says, that’s not true. Now Noella is a f***ing liar. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s never made an allegation of assault. She wasn’t there and doesn’t talk about things she doesn’t see with her own eyes. Emily gets up, and goes outside, joining Heather. Noella asks the rest of them if they think she’s pulling this sh*t out of thin air. I vote yes. Heather tells Emily that she’s done of the highest order (is that a thing?). Either Noella leaves the house, or she’s going to a hotel and home. At the table, Noella says, that’s what a guilty person does, and Jen suggests she let it go. Outside, Emily says, if Heather leaves, it will feel like Shannon won. Heather says she doesn’t care, but Emily says she should stand her ground; Noella is the one who’s lying.

On the way back, Jen tells Heather, Noella isn’t credible. How can you argue with that? Shannon talks Heather smack to Noella, and the others get to the limo first. They’re pretty chatty until Shannon and Noella get in. Then it gets real quiet. For whatever reason, Noella tells Jen that she’s sorry, and Jen suggests she say that to Heather. Heather says she has a family and children, and Noella saw nothing. What’s wrong with her? No one is agreeing with her. Just apologize. In the back, Emily tells Gina that Noella claimed to be repeating hearsay, and Shannon says Emily repeated things about John. We flashed back to Emily telling Gina a million years ago that Shannon had been upset about John being drunk at a golf tournament, and Shannon telling Emily at the Reunion that John hates golf. Emily says she repeated something Braunwyn told her, and they all knew that Braunwyn was a POS. Shannon asks if Emily ever said she was sorry, when Noella wails, she hates that it’s day one. Emily tells her to stop acting innocent. She causes problems, then says she’s sorry. Shannon says, Emily causes problems too, and the next day says she didn’t mean it. Emily says, she apologizes; she doesn’t lie. Heather finally tells Noella, shut up. In Jen’s interview, she says, it’s either the altitude or their extreme personalities. Next time, she’s sitting up front with the driver.

Noella tells Shannon that she can’t believe the gang mentality, which is apparently what she calls the majority’s opinion differing from her own made up narrative. Gina and Emily stay behind in the limo, and Gina says she wants to have a normal conversation about normal things. Noella and Shannon are already sitting down inside when the others join them. Shannon says, they don’t have to be best friends, but they’re in the same friend group. They need to figure out how to get along. Heather asks to speak to Shannon in private, which of course ends up including some other people. Heather says, no one is standing up for her, and Shannon says, everyone is standing up for her. In Shannon’s interview, she says, Heather wants them to defend her, but she feels what Noella is going through. It feels like Heather has an expectation they should defend her, but she’s capable of defending herself. A champagne cork pops, and Noella says, love that sound.

Heather tells Shannon, Noella says sh*t about her, and she should apologize, but she’s not hearing it from anyone else, and doesn’t feel supported. Shannon says, her role is to engage Noella in rational conversation, and Heather says, what if someone went around saying Shannon was a thief? She would defend Shannon. In Shannon’s interview, she says, it seems she and Heather have one thing in common. When someone says something they know isn’t true, they get upset and want to defend themselves. We flash back to Heather saying Shannon yelled at her, and Shannon saying she didn’t. Shannon says, it’s hurtful that people can sometimes believe it. That’s why it’s important for her to be a peacemaker. Heather says, if Noella would admit what she did and apologize, she’d forget it like that, and snaps her fingers.

Gina and Emily have wine and snacks. Emily says she thinks she instigated everything, and Gina says, only emotionally. In Emily’s interview, she says, if there wasn’t so much sh*t, she wouldn’t have to stir it. It’s like, which came first, the chicken or the egg? The sh*t was there before she stirred it. Heather tells Gina, there are consequences for lying. Shannon suggests that if Noella wants to make things better, say she blew up a story she’d heard, and she was sorry she did it. Noella says, that she can do. Shannon adds that she not be defensive, and Noella asks if Heather would be receptive to a conversation, but Heather says, not now. Noella says, let her know when the timing is right. She thinks they should discuss things, but was shocked Heather brought it up the first night at dinner. She’d love a one-on-one. Heather says, okay. Let’s have it now, and walks into another room. Noella says, this isn’t awkward, and follows.

They sit on a fabulous couch, Heather looking like the Grinch, with a death grip on her wine glass.

Next time, an archery lesson, which I’m not sure is a good idea; a hike and a mine tour; and Noella has a meltdown.

📌 Putting a Pin In It…

Leaving an empty seat for you tomorrow, when we’ll go over some soap and probably some awards talk. Until then, stay safe, stay as chill as possible, and stay working on making things right, to better yourself, for you and the people that are going to come into your life.

March 29, 2022 – Everyone Agrees It’s Esme, Dolores Hosts Charity Softball, Where It Was, Going Public & Suddenly

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer comes downstairs, and Laura asks how he slept. He says he didn’t, and she says he’s been under lock and key for a month. Maybe it takes time to get used to the comforts of home. He says, that’s not it, and she says, then what is it? He flashes back to finding Esme’s pregnancy test, and Esme telling him that she’s late. Laura says, he knows he can tell her anything, right?

At Charlie’s, Esme smiles looking at the Invader headline about the sex tape. Nikolas walks in, and asks if that’s a smile he sees, and Esme says, good morning. He says, it looks that way. The first night in her new place must have agreed with her.

Trina is brought to the interrogation room, and Jordan tells her, have a seat. She just wants to walk Trina through what’s next. In a few hours she’ll be escorted to her arraignment. If she pleads not guilty… Trina says, if? She’s pleading not guilty because she didn’t do it.

Harmony sets out some breakfast on the coffee table, and Alexis flashes back to Harmony knowing where the carpet cleaner was. Harmony says she made some breakfast to celebrate her new digs. She hopes Alexis likes scrambled. She asks Alexis, what’s wrong? when the doorbell rings. Harmony says she’ll get it, and opens the door to Sam, who asks what she’s doing here.

Carly and Ava go over Avery’s schedule, which is busier than mine. Carly says she talked to Avery’s dance teacher about the little sprain, and she said, no problem. Ava says, Avery loves her time with Carly, and Carly says, not as much as she loves spending time with Avery. She can’t believe how fast they go from playdate to college. It’s crazy. Ava says she heard about that awful video with Josslyn and Cameron. If she ever finds out who’s responsible, she wouldn’t blame Carly if… Sonny comes over, and says, hello. Carly says, she and Ava are going over Avery’s schedule, trying to coordinate some dates. He says he thought they were talking about Trina, and Ava asks why they would be. Sonny says, she just got arrested for making the video of Cameron and Josslyn. Ava says, that’s crazy, and Carly says, Trina would never do anything like that, especially not to Cameron and Josslyn. Ava says she works side-by-side with Trina at the gallery. She couldn’t trust Trina more if she were her own daughter. Carly says, she was clearly set up, and she and Ava both say, Esme. Sonny says he doesn’t think Jordan would have arrested her if there weren’t some kind of evidence, and Ava says, evidence can be fabricated, as they know. She picks up her bag, and says, always a pleasure. Carly asks where she’s going, and Ava says she’s going to make sure somebody pays for this. Sonny asks how Josslyn is, and Carly says, hurt, humiliated, but standing up for herself. He says, Joss has been his stepdaughter for years, and if he hadn’t found out about this tape from Dante, he would have had to find out from the Invader article.

Alexis says she tried calling Sam, but couldn’t reach her, and Sam asks, what’s going on? Alexis says, Harmony is just staying here for a little bit. She thought Molly or Kristina might have called Sam. Sam says she guesses it slipped their minds, and Harmony says she totally forgot the sugar, and heads for the kitchen. Sam says, so Shawn takes off, and Harmony moves in?

Laura pours Spencer some more coffee, and he says, it’s a perfect first morning of freedom. He holds up a breakfast cookie, and says, he would dream about these when he was on the inside. She laughs, and says, he was on the inside for a month, and he says, even worse, he had them so recently and the bakery was so close. She says she’s glad whatever spoiled his sleep didn’t ruin his appetite. Quit stalling, and just tell her what’s wrong. He asks what makes her think he’s stalling, and she says, maybe because she’s known him since he was a little boy, and when he stalls, it looks exactly like this. He knows he can trust her with anything. He asks if she’s ever done something she shouldn’t have, but didn’t realize until it was too late. She asks how much time he has. She could fill an encyclopedia with the mistakes she’s made. She’s tried to learn from them, and hopefully, maybe she can impart some of those hard won lessons to him. He says, it’s about Esme, and she says she thought so. She’s so sorry they broke up. If there’s anything she can do… There’s a knock at the door, and she says she bets that’s her right now, and if it is, she can go upstairs. But it’s Victor, who says, good morning. She says, it was so close to being one, and he says he just stopped by to see if Spencer… Why, slaughter the fatted calf – he goes to Spencer and hugs him – the prodigal has returned.

Nikolas says he knows Esme’s room above Kelly’s isn’t what she’s accustomed to, but she says, it’s fine. It might not be the lap of luxury, but it’s clean and comfortable, and beggars can’t be choosers. He says, she considers herself a beggar? and she says, close enough. She can’t access her trust fund until she’s twenty-five. In the meantime, her allowance is metered out in pieces. He says, oh, the horror, and she says, poor little rich girl. She’s not making a very good case for herself. He says he was joking. He knows how it is being dependent on the largesse of family; sometimes strangers can be more generous. She says, no one has been as generous to her as he has, despite what she’s done to him and Ava. She didn’t deserve his kindness. He says, kindness has nothing to do with it.

Jordan tells Trina, it doesn’t matter what she believes. Her job is to gather evidence, not judge who’s guilty or not guilty. That’s up to a court of law. Trina says Jordan knows her; she knows Trina’s parents. Does she really think Trina would do this to Joss and Cam? Jordan asks if Trina can explain how the phone that posted the video was found in her possession. She can tell there’s something Trina wants to say. What is it? Ava comes in, and tells Jordan, she’ll say it for her. Jordan’s got the wrong person.

Alexis tells Sam, relax. Harmony isn’t taking up residence here. She just needs a place to stay. Alexis is just helping her out until she can afford to get a place of her own. Sam says, clearly Alexis has made up her mind, and there’s nothing she can do to change it. Alexis says, not that it’s going to stop Sam, and Sam asks if she’s ever thought Harmony’s redemption act is too good to be true. Take it from someone who knows, a grifter’s instinct never leaves you. All you can do is own it and fight it. Is Harmony doing that, or is she working Alexis?

Victor takes a bite of on of the cookies, and says, not bad. Laura asks what he’s doing here, and he says he was just checking up on his great-nephew. Now he’s a free man. Spencer says, freedom’s not all it’s cracked up to be, and Victor says, trouble in paradise? Laura says she’s sure Spencer will tell them what’s going on in his own good time. Right now, she thinks they should give him some space. Victor says, what others call lies of omission, he likes to call truths to be told at the right time. She says, a time that benefits him, and he says, she’s a politician. She knows the value of strategy. You can’t succeed without maneuverability and a sense of gamesmanship. She says, funny he should mention that. Rumor has it, he enjoys a good game of cards. He laughs and says, doesn’t everyone? Spencer tries to slip away, but Victor says, there’s something they need to discuss. All three of them.

Esme says she should have known Nikolas wouldn’t find her a place to stay without wanting something in return. She gets up, and says, if this is about her putting in a good word with Spencer, he won’t listen. Not now. He gets up, and says he’s not asking her to go to bat for him with Spencer. Not because his son stopped caring for her, but because he doesn’t have reason to trust her. She says, at least he’s honest about it, and he asks if she can blame him. She came close to driving the woman he loves out of his life. She says she has nothing against him or Ava. She only knew Ava from what Spence told her. She never questioned his perspective because he was in so much pain. When he asked her for help, she couldn’t say no, even though she knew it was wrong. Of course (🍷) that was just the first of many mistakes. He says, yes, it was, and she says she doesn’t understand. If he hasn’t forgiven her for the things she’s done to him, why is he helping her? Why make sure she has a roof over her head, when he could just as easily send her packing? Of course (🍷). He did it so he could keep an eye on her.

Ava asks how Trina is, and she says she’s fine. Jordan says she has to follow up on something; she’ll leave them to talk. Ava asks if she’s not forgetting something, nodding to the officer, but Jordan says, he stays. They have ten minutes. Ava sits, and says she’s so sorry this is happening to Trina, and Trina says, so is she. Ava says she promises she’ll do everything in her power to get Trina out of here and clear her name. This is a terrible miscarriage of justice. Jordan looks in on them, and picks up her phone.

Victor says he regrets they had to cancel Spencer’s welcome home dinner, and suggests the reschedule it. If not as a welcome home dinner, than some other kind of celebration. They do have a lot to celebrate. Laura says, they do? and he says, more than she can imagine. Her phone rings, and she says, Jordan? Jordan asks if Laura can stop by the precinct as soon as she can, and Laura asks if there’s trouble. Jordan guesses Laura hasn’t seen The Invader today, and Laura says she hasn’t. Jordan says, just as well. She’ll brief Laura when she gets there. Laura says she’s on her way, and Victor says, a mayor’s work is never done. She says, something’s come up; she’s sorry. Victor says, never fear. Her grandson is in good hands. She tells Spencer that she’s a phone call away, and leaves. Victor says, alone at last. Suppose Spencer tells him exactly what’s going on between him and Esme? Spencer says he and Esme are over. Whatever they had was over when he realized he couldn’t trust her. Victor says, trust is an illusion. Loyalty, on the other hand, is priceless. Has Esme been disloyal? Spencer says he doesn’t know, and Victor asks if she’s harmed Spencer in any way. Spencer says, directly, no, but she went out of her way to hurt his friends. She tried to pin the blame for something she did on someone else, someone he cares about. When he confronted her, she denied it, they argued, and the day he got out of Spring Ridge, her bags were packed and she left. Victor says he gets a sense the separation is harder than Spencer imagined it would be, and Spencer says, he doesn’t know the half of it. Victor asks if Esme has gotten her claws into Spencer. Has she played the love card? Or more insidious yet, the sex card? Spencer says he’s changed his mind. He doesn’t want to talk about this. Victor says, nonsense. They’re both men of the world. What’s more, they’re of the same flesh and blood. He can’t help unless Spencer tells him what kind of hold Esme has over him. Spencer says, Esme might be pregnant.

Carly says, her priority in all of this has been Josslyn, so if she didn’t tell Sonny about the tape, she didn’t feel it was her place. He asks if she’s okay with Josslyn doing an interview for the newspaper, and she says, that was Josslyn’s choice. She and Cam were being trashed on social media, so they decided to get in front of it; take charge of the narrative and speak up for themselves. She’s damn proud of her daughter. He says, so is he. She’s always going to be a daughter to him, but someone is using that video as a weapon against her, and in his world, when somebody pulls out a knife… She says, you pull out a gun.

Alexis says, Harmony needs her help. What is she supposed to do?  Sam says, okay. As long as Harmony is the friend Alexis needs her to be, and as long as Kristina is okay with it. Alexis says, she is, and thanks Sam for understanding. Sam says she’s here if Alexis needs her, and they hug. Harmony comes back, and asks Sam if she wants some coffee, but Sam says, no. She starts to leave, but stops and says she hopes this all works out for Harmony. She leaves, and Harmony says, by that, she thinks Sam means, save up as fast as she can so she gets out of Alexis’s hair as soon as possible. Alexis says, Sam is very vocal about her concerns. Sam also doesn’t make her decisions for her. Harmony asks if Alexis has made any decisions she needs to know about, but Alexis says, not yet. She can’t help but notice how well Harmony knows her way around the house. It almost seems like Harmony has been here before without her knowledge. Harmony says, because she has.  

Victor says, pregnant? Is that all? Spencer says, isn’t that enough? and Victor says, if he’s the father. Spencer says, of course (🍷) he is, and Victor asks if he’s sure. Spencer says, yes, but Victor says, no, he’s not. The man never can be. Spencer says, Esme moved to Port Charles for him. She even broke a few laws because she thought it was going to help. Victor says, and Spencer feels responsible, and Spencer says, isn’t he? Victor says, listen to him. Spencer is a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He has a family with almost unlimited resources, a family that loves him very much, even though sometimes they have a hard time knowing how to express it. If Esme is indeed pregnant, and Spencer is indeed the father, they have a whole array of options at their disposal. They can pay her off. They can resettle her somewhere. They can arrange to have the child brought up by more appropriate parents. They do that all the time in this family, in case Spencer hasn’t noticed. Spencer says he’s sorry, it’s a lot, and Victor says, let him simplify. He can arrange to have mother and child cared for without tying Spencer down. Spencer thanks him, and Victor says he was a little relieved. He was worried at first that Spencer was obsessed with that young lady who works at Ava’s gallery. Spencer says, Trina? What about her? Victor says, hasn’t he heard? Apparently, she betrayed her other friends and got herself arrested.

Nikolas says, of course (🍷) he’s keeping an eye on Esme; she helped Spencer terrorize his wife. She says, everything she did, she did for Spencer, and he asks if he’s supposed to believe she doesn’t have a mind of her own. She couldn’t see Spencer’s plot spiraling out of control? She says she doesn’t know how many times she can say this. She was wrong and she’s sorry. He says he provided her with a place because there’s a good chance this break-up is temporary. If that’s true, he needs to know she’s good for his son. She says, in other words, he gives her shelter and a chance to prove she’s not some gold-digger? and he says he needs to know she’ll inspire Spencer to be the man he can be. She says, according to whose standards? Society’s or his family’s, because it’s becoming clearer by the day that those are two totally different things. He says, whatever path Spencer chooses, will she be there? Does she really care for him? She asks if she hasn’t proven that by now. Of course (🍷) she cares for Spencer. She loves Spencer more than she’s ever loved anyone. He says, now she has a chance to remind him, but she says he doesn’t understand. It’s too late. She goes back to the table and sits down.

Ava asks Trina to tell her everything that happened. On second thought,  just tell her what the police already know. Trina says she tried to show the Commissioner her phone to prove she didn’t have the sex video on it. She pulled out what she thought was her phone. It was identical; same case, same model. Then she heard a chime from a text on her actual phone, and realized her phone was still in her bag. Someone planted the other one. Ava says, and they may not know how they did it, but they know who. It was Esme, wasn’t it?

Jordan thanks Laura for coming, and Laura says she saw The Invader on her way over. Trina Robinson can’t possibly have anything to do with that sex tape, can she? Jordan says, they’re exploring all angles. That’s why she called Laura. There’s another piece of the puzzle she needs to make Laura aware of, personally. Laura says, because the tape involves Cameron? and Jordan says, actually, it involves her other grandson, Spencer.  

Carly tells Sonny, the first step is to prove Esme did this to Josslyn and Cameron. Then Carly will make her pay. He says, so he has no say? Does she agree with Michael that Josslyn doesn’t concern him anymore? She says, Michael agrees with Josslyn, and she’s made it clear she doesn’t want Sonny involved. He says, he understands how they feel about him, but he’d do anything for his children. She says, then do what Josslyn has asked and stay out of it. Has he even read the interview with Joss and Cam? He says, not all of it, and she says, he should. It’s pretty impressive. Josslyn showed a lot of courage. He says he doesn’t need an interview to tell him how brave Josslyn is; he sees it. Just like he sees Trina is taking the fall for this, and someone else is getting away with a vicious attack on Josslyn’s name and privacy. She says, someone is Esme, and he says he’s not going to stand by and let that happen. He’s going to take care of it. He strides to the elevator, telling Sam hi as he passes her. Sam tells Carly, she knows that look. Someone’s going to suffer.

Trina tells Ava, of course (🍷) Esme did it, but she wasn’t in the cabin when the video was recorded. She was in the car with Spencer on her way back to town. Ava says, she didn’t have to be there physically to make the recording; it’s not that hard. The officer says, sorry, time’s up, and Ava says she promises to move heaven earth to get Trina out of this. Trina asks, do people really think… Ava says, who cares what people think? Her family and friends, her good true friends, they know her. And so does Spencer, whether she cares what he thinks or not.  

Laura asks Jordan how Spencer is involved, when Ava comes out. Laura asks, how’s Trina? and Ava says, innocent.

Spencer looks at the Invader article and says, this doesn’t make sense. How could they arrest Trina? Victor says he imagines the police found evidence of a crime that pointed to her guilt. Spencer says he’s sorry; he needs to take a minute. Victor says he can take a hint. He’ll see himself out. He leaves, and Spencer flashes back to Esme telling him that Trina’s asleep and they can send for their bags. Let’s go. He moves to remembering them being in the car, and Esme saying, what is she up to? It’s not enough he believes she orchestrated the weekend to blow up his friends. He says, which she denied, and she asks if he believes her. He says he wants to. That’s why he’s asking what the hell she hoped to achieve asking the questions she did during the drinking game. Esme asks how she was supposed to know she’d hit a nerve. Then he flashes back to asking Esme to tell him that she had nothing to do with the video, and her evading the question, saying, you don’t always get what you want.   

Esme tells Nikolas, not only has Spencer kicked her to the curb, there’s a target on her back because of what certain people think she’s done. He says, what people? and she says, Josslyn’s mom for one. He saw the bruise Carly left on her arm. She thanks him again for taking her to the hospital, and putting Carly on notice. That leaves Mr. Corinthos. He says, Sonny? What about him? She says, he’s had it in for her ever since she stretched the truth about Nikolas and Ava leaving town with Ava. Her misguided attempt to bring everyone together seriously backfired. He says, let him worry about Sonny. Just work being the person Spencer trusted; the person he cared for and still cares for. Can she do that? She says, that’s just it. Lately, Spencer’s put his trust in the last person he should, the person who actually did this terrible thing to Joss and Cam. She shows him the article, and he says, Trina? and she says, Spence thought she did it. If he won’t believe her, maybe he’ll believe his own eyes. Maybe he’ll finally see it was wrong to trust her. Nikolas asks if Trina being out of Spencer’s life brings him and Esme back together, and she says, it might have, before she found out… He says, found out what?

Sam looks at the article, and tells Carly, first of all, that anyone would even do this at all is horrific, but to Josslyn, knowing Sonny Corinthos is her stepfather? Carly says, she knows. Sam should have heard the way Esme spoke to her. She was doing it just to get a rise out of her in front of Nikolas. Sam asks if it worked, and Carly says, he rushed to her side to defend her. She doesn’t know how Josslyn has managed not to slap Esme into next week. When she was Josslyn’s age, back in her day, she would have ripped Esme’s hair out of her head, and that’s before she tried to frame Trina. Sam says, that explains the smoke coming out of Sonny’s ears, and Carly says, Michael and Josslyn want him to stay out of it. Sam says, like anything is going to be able to stop him.

On the phone, Sonny says he needs Brick to coordinate with Spinelli; try to find a trail. Whoever did this… He knows what people are thinking, but he needs to have a clean slate, so proof is absolute. Does Brick know what he’s saying?… Right. There’s a knock at the door, and Ava comes in. She says she needs a drink. Gin if he has it; scotch otherwise. He says, she’ll have to go to the bar. He’s not doing that stuff. She says, kudos to Nina, and he laughs. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she just saw Trina. He says, and? Ava says, she didn’t do it. As he already knows, it was Esme.

Harmony says, Kristina was living at Alexis’s house when she was interested in Dawn of Day. One day she waited until Alexis left, and knocked on the door. Kristina opened it. Alexis says, Harmony wanted to talk to Kristina when she wasn’t there, and Harmony says, Shiloh wanted her to check Kristina out. They were having coffee in the kitchen, and there was some mishap with the coffeemaker. She can’t remember exactly what happened, but it spilled everywhere. They had to clean it up, then she put the mop and cleaning supplies back. That’s how she knew where they were. Alexis says, right. Just to be clear, she’s going to speak to Kristina about this. Harmony says she wants Alexis to do that. She knows she should have told Alexis, and she’s sorry. She was so ashamed of the reason why. She tells Alexis, please say something.

Nikolas asks Esme if there’s something he should know about this video. Something that involves Spencer. She says, no. Spencer had nothing to do with it. He says, good, then what is it? He can’t help her if he doesn’t know. She says she knows he wants to help, but it’s just… He says, go on, but she says she’s sorry. She needs to get some air. She grabs her stuff, and dashes out. Outside, she smiles, and rolls her eyes.

Spencer comes into the station and sees Laura. He asks why she didn’t tell him Trina was there, and she says she didn’t know until she got there. He asks where she is, and Jordan says, Trina’s in the interrogation room. He can go right in. The officer lets Spencer in, and Laura asks why Jordan let Spencer in to see Trina. Does she believe her grandson is involved in this? Trina tells Spencer, it’s funny how things work out, but he says, there’s nothing funny about this. She says, yeah, there is. They last time she saw him, he was the one in custody. Now it’s her turn.

Carly tells Sam that she wishes Jason was here. She wishes that thousand times every day, but especially now. He could figure out how Esme framed Trina, and he could stop Carly from losing her mind. Sam says, probably, and Carly asks if she’s heard from Monica. Sam says, about Jason? and Carly says, she wants to have him declared legally dead. She heard it from Britt, then Monica reached out. She thinks it will help Jason’s kids move on. What does Sam think? Sam says she thinks it seems impossible, saying goodbye to Jason, and Carly says, she’ll never be able to. Sam says, they have to try to move on, and Carly says she’s moving on with so many things right now… and so is Sam. How are things with Sam and Dante? Sam says, great. She had to try really hard to find the strength to move on from Jason. So maybe it’s possible. If Carly finds her strength, she’ll be able to move on from Sonny.

Sonny asks what Ava wants, and she says, the same thing he does – justice. She knows Trina. She’s good, a helluva lot better than either of them. He says, faint praise, low bar, and she says, good point. He says, so? and she says, so they both know Trina would never do this to Josslyn and Cameron. Sonny says, Carly’s convinced it’s Esme, and she says, Carly is right. And if she and Carly agree on something, it’s got to be true. Now what is he going to do about it? He says, he’s on it.

On the bench outside Charlie’s, Esme reads from the article. We refuse to be victims, says Josslyn Jax. Cameron Webber echoes that sentiment. Whoever thought they could shame us into hiding, has made a serious mistake. Esme laughs, and says, the mistake was all yours, Trina. Someone approaches, startling her.

Alexis says she has to go to work, and Harmony asks if Alexis wants her to leave. Alexis says, they’ll talk about it later, and leaves.

August 2020. Harmony uses a key to let herself into Alexis’s house. She looks around with a flashlight, and goes upstairs. She shines the light on Neil’s driver’s license, and we see Alexis and Neil sleeping. Harmony takes out a syringe, and injects Neil. In the present, she looks panicked.

Carly tells Sam, she divorced Sonny. That counts as moving on, right? Sam says, not really, but she’s giving Carly a pass on this one, since she’s got a lot to deal with. She needs to stay focused on Josslyn. Carly says, Josslyn is going to get through this. Going public with Cam was a good first step. Now they have to make sure her best friend doesn’t pay for a crime she didn’t commit.

Spencer says he rushed over as soon as he heard, and Trina asks, why? So he can tell Esme it worked? He says he didn’t believe Esme when she accused Trina, and she says, which time? He says, to be honest, he thought Esme did it, but now, if the Commissioner has evidence… She says, planted evidence. He knows better than anyone she’d never deliberately try to hurt Joss and Cam. He says, then why did she do it?

Jordan tells Laura, other than being in the cabin the night the video was taken, she’s not sure Spencer was involved at all. Laura says, he seemed upset about something this morning, and Jordan says, maybe Spencer’s adjusting leaving the system and returning to a normal life. Laura says, she’d like to believe that, but then there’s his Great-uncle Victor who’s always ready with a helping hand.

Victor goes into Charlie’s, and says he’s glad he found Nikolas. They need to talk about Spencer. Nikolas says, later. Did he see Esme outside, and Victor says, as a matter-of-fact he did. As he was pulling in, another car was pulling out. He saw Esme in the back seat. Nikolas asks, who was driving? Which way did they go?

Esme is plopped into a chair in Sonny’s office. Sonny swivels around in his desk chair to face her, and signals his guy to leave. He says, Esme. Nice of you to join me, and smiles. I laaaugh.

Tomorrow, Dante asks Chase, where’s this coming from; Brook tells someone, the answer is no; Spencer says he wants to believe Trina; and Sonny says, all Esme’s got to do is confess.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

When we last left, Teresa was losing her sh*t at Traci’s Treetop event. In Melissa’s interview, she said, she and Jennifer had just made up, and everyone was getting along. She didn’t understand why Teresa was trying to start something. Teresa then insisted the headlines about Luis were like the rumor about Evan, and tried to blame Marge for that. Jackie told Marge not to worry, she wasn’t buying it, and somehow we got back to the analogy thing. A word I’d hoped never to hear again from this bunch. Teresa whined that Jackie hadn’t said it was an analogy to begin with, and Marge tried to explain that wasn’t the way it worked. You didn’t go, by the way, I’ll be using an analogy now. In Jackie’s interview, she said, there never would have been an analogy in the first place if Teresa hadn’t been spreading a rumor about someone she loves. Dolores wondered why Teresa was getting worked up over old stuff, and Marge said it was a deflection.

A beautiful table was set for lunch, which is always a total waste on Housewives. Teresa said she was all about love. It upset her that Traci was telling her husband to ask questions about her boyfriend, but Traci said she never asked him to do anything, and Luis had no problem with it. Teresa said she had a problem with it, and Marge wondered why, since it was already out there. Not surprisingly,  Teresa confused Traci with someone else, accusing her of being a husband stealing nanny. Tracy was like, I wasn’t a nanny, but Teresa had already moved on. Marge said it was Luis’s exes who had put it out there, and Teresa suggested Marge had been talking to them, and encouraging it. She was in an amazing love bubble, she was protecting it, and no one was popping it. She decided to leave, but not before reminding the women that her workout line was in gift bags with their names on them. She told Melissa to make sure no one was talking about her, and Melissa said, if they were even arguing in the woods, they were doomed.  Everyone agreed that Teresa had come in hot over nothing, and they didn’t get what they came for. Melissa gave herself a gold star for making up with Jennifer, and Dolores said they had a softball game coming up. It was for charity, and they were all on the same team. Traci said she didn’t want to be near Teresa when she was doing practice swings.

Mel excited about Antonia’s Sweet 16 party, and told Joe #2 that this would be the 16th time she was planning a party for her. She only had one girl. Joe said his sister got everything when they were growing up, and Melissa said Teresa showed up to the Treetop event in the worst mood; she came in screaming and yelling at Marge and Traci. She thought she was in the Twilight Zone.

Teresa told Antonia and Gia that they were moving in a week and had to go through everything. We flashed back to when the girls were little, and Gia said it was going to be sad. Teresa said it was the house they grew up in, and in Gia’s interview, she said it was the last physical thing she had of her dad in the United States. We flashed back to Juicy Joe with the kids, and she told Teresa, it was the last piece of him. It wouldn’t be theirs anymore. Teresa said she was ready for a new beginning with Luis. It was pissing her off to no end that Marge and Traci were bringing to light the false accusations against him. How dare anyone question him? Gia asked if anyone had Teresa’s back, and Teresa said, Dolores.

Frank and Dolores brushed up on their softball, and Dolores asked if Frank was going to run in such a weird way. He said, this time last year, he couldn’t even walk, and we flashed back to his accident. Dolores said she’d had enough of his balls hitting her, and they went inside. She told Frank that she wanted to raise money for the breast cancer center; they’d been good to her. In her interview, she said she’d been raising money for the last few years, but last year, she’d had a breast cancer scare. She told Frank that they’d saved so many people. They’d already raised $75K in ticket donations and they were all clear to play at Maimonides Park. It was going to be her friends against the doctors. She was concerned that Teresa was going to show up with both barrels loaded.

Teresa told Gia that she didn’t stay for lunch, and in Teresa’s interview, she said the only reason she even went was because she wanted to give the women her workout line. It was the only time she’d see them before the game. She was going to sell her line there, and donate some of the proceeds to charity. Melissa told Joe #2 that Teresa went screaming through the forest, but as she was leaving, she was like, here’s my workout line. She wants them to wear it at the game. Dolores wondered how the women were going to be civil at a charity event after fighting in the woods. Frank told her, good luck.

Jackie went to see her therapist, and said she’d been in a panic, It was her last chance to count calories before the therapist was going to make her stop. The therapist said she couldn’t make Jackie do anything; she could just make suggestions. She asked what Jackie was afraid of, and Jackie said, losing control. She’d been holding on to her eating habits for twenty years, and always had to calculate everything. It took so much work. She’d have to examine the calendar, and see which days she was going to have to eat. It was all day, every day. Her body hurt, but she did it anyway. The therapist said what usually caused eating disorders was low self-esteem. That amount of anxiety had to be seeping into everything all the time. Jackie had full-blown anorexia. Somewhere something had gone wrong. Jackie said it had been traumatic being heavy as a child. She was putting on lipstick in the hallway, and a boy walking by said, it won’t help. He said she was gross, and they made her feel bad about herself. In college, she’d been cutting her calories in half and losing weight, when she met her husband. Since she knew he liked how she looked, she wanted to keep it going. In Jackie’s interview, she said she knew he loved her regardless, but she had an irrational fear that if she put on weight, he wouldn’t see her as the same person. She worried that he wouldn’t embrace the new here. The therapist asked if anyone had ever said anything, and Jackie told her that she always said, leave her alone, she was fine. But she was alone with this in her head. She didn’t know anyone could help. She made it seem like she’d recovered, but clearly she hadn’t. She was scared since her kids were getting older, they noticed more. The therapist asked if Jackie thought the kids knew she was suffering, and Jackie said she hadn’t known they noticed things, but her husband told her that they do. She was horrified. She took the kids for ice cream, but never ate it herself. The therapist asked when she last had it, and she said, twenty years ago. The therapist wondered if that wasn’t a good goal, and Jackie said she didn’t know how to do that. It was so stupid. The therapist told her to shoot for not counting calories and not compensating, and Jackie said she might even get a topping.

Jackie talked to Evan about her session, and suggested they go out to dinner. He understood the nuances of her disease, and there were so many. In Evan’s interview, he said, since they’d met, they’d had no more than four consecutive vacation nights because of the meals. The only way Jackie ate vegetables was steamed, and they had to call restaurants in advance to make sure they could steam spinach. He wanted to travel, and it clouded the relationship. He told her that it was unhealthy and could lead to something bad. He worried. She said it was hard to hear, and he asked how he could help. She said she knew she jumped on him when he tried to help; she’d always done everything herself so she could trick herself. The therapist said she had full-blown anorexia, and she’d never said the words out loud. She’d never gotten to the point where she was ready for help. She wanted to be present, and Evan said it helped them have a deeper connection. Jackie asked, if she gained weight, was he okay with that, and he said he loved her no matter what size she was. He was proud she’d taken the first steps. She said, when she was good, she’d throw out her measuring spoons, and he said she must have a hundred of them.

Jennifer and Bill went out to eat. It was the first weekend in a long time that Bill wasn’t on call. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she was still mad at Bill, but it was moments like these that made her grateful she’d stayed. She told him about making up with Melissa, and said maybe he could find a way to make things good with the guys. He said he had certain feelings about what took place, and we flashed back to the guys night debacle, and Bill said they needed to know when to back off. Jennifer said what they were going through superseded the girls . They had an anniversary coming up; it had been twenty years since they met. Jennifer asked if Bill thought they’d make another nineteen. She didn’t want to look back on an unhappy. She wanted to make it work, but didn’t want to turn into her mother, and be resentful of the world. She told Bill, the whole car ride back from the airport, her mother never mentioned Bill’s affair. We flashed back to Jennifer telling her brother that she didn’t want her mother to hear it from somewhere else. Jennifer said she thought her mother would have an opinion, but she didn’t. She was mad at Marge. Bill said, it happened many years ago, but Jennifer said she didn’t give a sh*t. She had been at home tending three small children and she was pregnant. He’d given her no consideration. She told herself that she’d be a tough girl, but she didn’t want to give him a pass. She didn’t want to go through a divorce, and felt, as long as both parties were willing to keep working, they were golden. When one partner checked out, it was going downhill. In Jennifer’s interview, she said, it felt good that she didn’t hold back. The ball was in Bill’s court. Now they’d see if he did anything about it.

Lexi worked on invites for Marge Sr.’s 75th birthday. Marge reminded Lexi about the charity softball game, and Lexi asked if Marge read Teresa’s group text. She wanted them to wear her shorts to the game. She knew she could raise more money for charity if they’d be her stunning models. Lexi was surprised at Teresa’s audacity. Clearly she doesn’t know Teresa. Marge said Teresa couldn’t stand her, but needed a favor. Lexi said Traci was on the text too, and Marge called her. She told Traci that she wasn’t wearing Teresa’s shorts. It would be like she was saying it was okay to treat her like sh*t, and would do whatever she could just to be friends.

Before the game, Dolores said they’d gotten $125K in donations from a bank, and there were 2000 people in advance ticket sales. Everyone gathered in the locker room, where everyone got a jersey with their name on it. Frank hoped, since it was a fundraiser, the women would cut the sh*t for once. Marge couldn’t believe Teresa wanted them to wear her stuff, and Dolores played Switzerland. Teresa breezed in last with Gia and Luis, and said she’d brought her workout line. Marge said, we’re good, which pissed Teresa off. Gia said they supported everyone with everything, and Marge said she did support them, but not today. In Marge’s interview, she said she loved Gia, but wished Teresa would tell Gia not to fight her battles. In Gia’s interview, she said, even though they were arguing, Marge and Teresa were still friends, so she thought Marge should be supportive. In Teresa’s interview, she said, someone finally someone had her back, even if it was her daughter. In Dolores’s interview, she said, everyone had their own relationship with Teresa, and made their own choices. In Melissa’s interview, she said she got where Mage was coming from, but she wasn’t having a war over leggings. In Jackie’s interview, she said, Teresa let Jennifer take the fall for digging up dirt on Evan, yet Jennifer is still wearing Teresa’s clothes.  Teresa’s got her hand up the puppet’s ass. In Jennifer’s interview, she said, Bill didn’t want to come. She was hoping he’d change his mind. He kind of owed her one.

Dolores got a friend of hers, who’d played baseball in college, to be the pitcher, since they weren’t an athletic bunch. Jennifer was worried about her nose, so she wore a catcher’s mask. Bill was a no show, and Frank thought he was running from the situation. In Frank’s interview, he said he’d texted Bill a few times, and gotten short responses. It wasn’t like him. But the last thing he wanted at a charity event was to see Bill going head-to-head with Evan or Joe #2. A dude introduced Dolores, who talked about the charity. In Marge’s interview, she said she knew nothing about baseball. She only knew a homerun. <wink-wink> Teresa asked if they’d scored a touchdown, and Joe #2 said he’d played football in high school. Why didn’t she know the difference?  Good thing Jennifer was wearing that mask, because she took a spill while she was running between bases.

In Jennifer’s interview, she said, the Louis Vuitton’s were a mistake. They have no grip… freaking read bottoms. In Joe #2’s interview, he said, physical performance is enhanced by alcohol, and the guys did shots. Teresa said if Marge was wearing her leggings, her ass wouldn’t jiggle as much, and she’d hit the ball. In Tracy’s interview, she said, Teresa was a typical bully. In Marge’s interview, she said, nothing was too low for Teresa. When Tiki arrived, Teresa was all kissy-kissy with him, baffling everyone. Traci put it best when she said, it makes zero f***ing sense. (Maybe she thought Tiki would wear her leggings.) Seeing Frank Jr. dropping the ball was pretty funny, and Tiki won the game for them by catching a ball. I believe the final score was 9 to 6, but don’t quote me. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she liked the feeling of them wanting her here and that she belonged. She hoped Bill heard about it, and felt more comfortable with being part of the group. In Dolores’s interview, she said it was one of the greatest nights of her life. They’d raised over $200k, and for the most part, everyone was on their best behavior. It was a Jersey miracle. We all watched fireworks over the stadium.

Next time, Bills shows up for Marge Sr.’s birthday, Melissa has a talk with Antonia, Teresa moves, the guts talk to Bill, and Bill says, f*** you.

📠 The Deets…

The when and where of the softball game. I might have gone. If it wasn’t so far. Like if it was across the street.

👏🏽 Brave Lady…

After hiding for so long, it must be tough to announce your business to the world.

https://www.today.com/health/mind-body/rhonj-jackie-goldschneider-eating-disorder-rcna14232

👟 Runnin’ Down a Dream…

Come away with me tomorrow to the opera of soap and the County of Orange. Until then, stay safe, stay caring about at least one cause, and stay not calling lies of omission, truths to be told at another time.

March 25, 2022 – Jordan Follows Up On a Tip, Their Song, Hold Up, New Start, a Fight, a Spin-Off, a Crossover, Two Firsts, Teresa Tales, Nasty, Apology, On the Range, Legacy, New Award, The 12 Of Quotes & Spice

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny asks what kind of favor Curtis is talking about, and Curtis says he knows Sonny has access to certain kinds of information. Sonny asks if he can be more specific, and Curtis says he has to get his hands on a certain police file.

Nikolas says, perhaps it’s time Victor told them exactly what he’s been planning since before he got back in town, and Victor says, maybe Nikolas is right. Nikolas says, he’s got their attention; what’s the big plan? Victor says he’s afraid the information is for family only, and Nikolas says, they are family. Victor says, some more so than others, and looks at Ava.

At the MetroCourt, Taggert tells Portia, stop worrying; Trina is only ten minutes late. And frankly, it’s giving him some time to wrap his head around this Joss and Cam sex tape. Whaat? Portia says she doesn’t think you can actually call it a sex tape when the people involved don’t know they’re being taped, and he says, that would be considered revenge porn, and that is against the law in the state of New York. She says she just thinks it’s disgusting that anyone would target Trina’s friends in that way. To her, too much of their kids’ lives are already on the internet for everyone to see, but to exploit someone’s private moments like that, that’s disgusting. He asks, what about Spencer Cassadine’s girlfriend? Really? Accusing Trina of posting this video? Portia just hopes this makes Trina realize that Esme and Spencer are bad news all around for her. He says, look who it is, and nuTrina walks over. They hug her, and Taggert says he’s so glad she could make it. He’ll tell the hostess they’re ready. Trina says she can’t stay; she has class in thirty minutes. Unless they want her to blow off class. Portia says, perish the thought, and Taggert says he’s amazed at Trina’s schedule; full time student at PCU, along with her new job at the gallery. Trina says she knows what they’re doing, and Portia says, trying to spend time with their precious girl? but Trina says, they’re trying to see if she’s surviving all this craziness. Taggert says, since she brought it up, how is she handling this Joss and Cam thing? Trina says, it’s horrible, but it’s made her realize she needs to be more careful about who she spends her time with.

Stating the obvious, Spencer says, this is a pregnancy test, and Esme snatches it out of his hand. She says, what it is, is none of his business. He wants her out of here? Fine. She’ll go. He says, wait, and she asks what else he can say, because he’s already broken her heart.

At the station, Dante asks if he can talk to Jordan, and she asks, what’s up? He says he was talking to ADA Rodriguez about possible charges against whoever put that video of Joss and Cameron out on the internet… and she says she’s stopping him there.

Cameron and Josslyn walk into an empty classroom, and Cameron asks if they’re really that late. Josslyn says, that’s weird. She thought Professor Kahn would still be there, so at least they could explain the situation. He asks if she thinks they’re the first to use still talking to the police as an excuse for missing class, but she says she thinks Professor Kahn has heard every excuse in the book. He says, Josslyn was quiet on the ride over, and she says she was thinking about her interview with Detective Lopez, going over her statement in her head, making sure she covered everything. Why don’t they check and see if the professor is in her office? He says, they don’t have to leave just yet; they can spend a few more minutes here. She asks, why? What’s wrong? He says he just thinks things are a little chaotic out there. They can spend a sec in here, while everyone is getting situated in their classes. She says, so there’s fewer people watching them walk down the hall? and he says she’s got him. She asks if he really cares what random people think, and he says he doesn’t want to care, but it’s their first day back since the video came out. It’s obvious people are talking about us. She says, about us? It’s mostly about her.

Sonny says he knows Curtis had a big part in taking down Cyrus Renault when he was living in Nixon Falls, and he kind behaved badly at The Savoy a couple months ago… Curtis says, don’t even worry about it. He knows Sonny was going through a lot. He was trying to save his marriage. Curtis’s marriage with Jordan blew up over a year ago, and he knows exactly how difficult that is. Sonny says he appreciates that. So Curtis wants him to get a sealed arrest record? Before he goes any further, who’s it for? Curtis says, it’s for his presumed dead, but very much alive, father.

Portia says, tell her more about who Trina is going to allow in her life, and most important, who she’s not. Trina says she visited Spencer at Spring Ridge, and made it very clear she can’t be friends with him as long as he’s involved with Esme. And Spencer stayed with Esme, which definitely clarifies things, and frees her from any impulse to worry about him. Portia says she’s proud of Trina, and Taggert says, good for her for standing up for herself. Trina says, but it’s hard, because she still thinks he’s a good person deep down. Taggert says he doesn’t know about that. He remembers way back when, when Nikolas was a few years older than Spencer. He was dating Taggert’s sister Gia, and he doesn’t think the Cassadines strike him as particularly deep. Portia asks what class Trina is off to, and Trina says, Social History Through Art. Portia asks if Joss and Cam are in that class too, and Trina says, no, but even if Joss was, she wouldn’t be there. She hasn’t been in any of her classes since… Taggert says he knows about the video. Her mother told him all about it. So how is Joss handling all this? Trina says she’s not sure. She’s been staying at her mom’s rather than the dorm. It’s like Joss needs to hide out for a while, which she totally understands, so she’s trying to give Joss her space. Portia says, if she were in Josslyn’s position she wouldn’t want space; she’d want her best friend. Trina says, Joss hasn’t texted her in a while. She figures if Joss wants to hear from her, Joss will let her know.

Cameron says, us, you, it’s doesn’t matter; we’re in this together. Josslyn says, they’re both in the video together, and both had a private moment stolen from them, but the fallout is different. It shouldn’t be, but it is, because she’s being slut-shamed all over the place. People are making fun of her, they’re critiquing her body, they’re judging her for even having sex at all, and Cameron tapped that. She’s just some tramp who gave it away. He says he’s sorry, and she says, it’s nothing that he did. It’s just the way things are. She knows the only way out is through, and she just has to face it down, and keep moving forward. Trust her, that’s what she’s going to do, but she hates that she has to deal with something that’s so ugly, sexist, and blatantly unfair. He says he’s sorry, and he knows it’s unfair. He saw the way she reacted when they thought people were whispering, and she says she thought she handled it pretty well. He says, no one else would have noticed, but he knows her. He knows when she’s confident, and when she’s only pretending to be. She says she loves how he knows her, and kisses him, but then pulls away, saying, she hates how this bothers her so much because it shouldn’t. They didn’t do anything wrong. He says, this is why he didn’t want to do the Invader article, but she says, they needed to go on record. They needed to state they didn’t record that or post it themselves. And it’s also important for people to know how invasive this entire experience was, and they can help other victims of revenge porn. He says he agrees with everything she’s saying. He just can’t bear to see her get hurt. She says, he doesn’t have to protect her; it’s not his job. She didn’t ask for any of this, but here they are, and she’s not going to hide. He tells her, he didn’t say they have to hide, but they don’t have to be in the spotlight either. She asks why he didn’t say this before, and he says he did. She asks him, then what is he saying? This is her fault now?

Nikolas says, as far as he’s concerned, Ava is more his family than Victor. Anything Victor has to say, he can say to both of them. Victor says he’s sorry, but no, and Ava says, that’s okay, and gets up. It’s sort of a compliment really. Nikolas can tell her later; she’ll be at the bar.

Spencer says, Esme knows he’d never intentionally hurt her, and she says, like he knows she’s not the one responsible for that disgusting video. He says, they’re not talking about the video. Why does she have a pregnancy test? She asks why he thinks? They made love that night before he went to Spring Ridge. He says, she’s pregnant?

Dante says, revenge porn is a crime in the state of New York; what’s the problem? Jordan says she’s aware of that. An investigation into the video of Josslyn and Cameron has been opened. He can provide back-up support as needed, but that’s it. Josslyn is his stepsister. She can’t risk the defense casting doubt on any information he receives. He says, who his father married shouldn’t disqualify him as an investigator, and she says, he needs to take a step back from this one. And any evidence he does uncover, he needs to take to Detective Lopez immediately. He says, by the book; got it. She says she understands his frustration, but take it from her, nothing good comes from breaking the rules. Been there, done that, and it didn’t end well.

Curtis tells Sonny, his dad who he thought was dead, suddenly shows up in Port Charles a few months ago. You would think he’d be ready to answer some questions, but instead, he’s been extra cagey about where and when he’s been. He says he wants to start over. Curtis had Drew do a deep dive into his background, which prompted Marshall to admit to Curtis that he has a criminal record, and it’s been sealed. Sonny says, with all due respect, why is it Curtis’s business? and Curtis says, normally, it isn’t. They all have a past they’re not proud of, including him. Sonny says, but Curtis wants him to get sealed information on his father, and Curtis says he has reason. Marshall’s been lying to him.

Victor says, he’s spent too many years preparing for this to have it all fall apart now, and Nikolas says he still has no idea what Victor is talking about. Victor says, Time was, the Cassadines were among the most powerful families on this planet, and Nikolas asks if that’s not a little exaggerated, but Victor disagrees. Heads of state would routinely line up to do business with them. They were true power players on the international stage, and it’s high time they reclaimed that influence.

Ava goes over to Portia and Taggert’s table, and says, good evening. She asks if Trina will be joining them, but Portia says, she’s already come and gone; she had to get to class. Taggert says, they were lucky to get ten minutes with her. It amazes him how that girl races through life. Ava says, ah, the energy of youth, when Taggert’s phone rings. He steps away to take the call, and Portia invites Ava to join her. Ava says, just for a minute. She’s actually here for a family celebration. She sits down, and Portia asks, what’s the celebration? Ava says, Spencer’s release from Spring Ridge, and Portia says, forgive her if she doesn’t find that a reason to celebrate. Ava says she agrees with Portia, but for Nikolas’s sake, she’s playing nice. Portia says, better Ava than her, and Ava says, make no mistake though, it’s going to be difficult, especially when Spencer starts work at the gallery for restitution. It helps that he won’t be answering to her directly; Trina will be supervising him. Portia says, that’s not going to happen.

Spencer says, Esme is pregnant? Why didn’t she say anything? She asks when she was supposed to tell him, before or after he called her a monster? For the record, she hasn’t taken the test yet, but she is late. She kept waiting to get her period, but after ten days, she finally chalked up the nerve to get the test. He says, she thought she might be pregnant for over a week, and didn’t say anything? and she says, it was his last week in prison. She thought he had enough to worry about without the possibility of being a father. He says, well, let’s find out. She needs to take that test – right now.

Cameron says he doesn’t want to fight, and Josslyn says, neither does she. He says they have to remember they’re in this together, and she says, yes, they are, and there’s no reason to hide in here, so let’s go. Trina walks in, and says, hi. It’s been a few days since they’ve seen each other. Cameron says, which is pretty weird, right? and Trina says, right. How are they doing? Josslyn says, hanging in there, and Cameron says, class is over. Why is Trina here? Trina says she was looking for Professor Kahn, but Cameron says, she already left. Trina says she’s got to get to her next class, but Josslyn says, wait. This is crazy. Trina says, it is. She missed them so much. Josslyn says, they missed her too, and they have a three-way hug.

Sonny asks how Curtis knows his father was lying, and Curtis says he had Drew go along with the background check. He found some information that made Curtis question Marshall’s account of where he’s been all these years. He’s all for a person’s right to privacy, but when they start lying to him, he needs to know why. Sonny flashes back to picking Marshall’s prescription bottle off the floor and giving it back to him, and says he can’t help Curtis.

Portia says she thinks Spencer’s a bad influence on Trina, and she knows Ava cares about Trina, which is why she’s asking Ava to reconsider making Trina Spencer’s supervisor. Can’t someone else do it? Ava says, when she spoke to Trina about it, she seemed fine working with Spencer, but Portia says, things change. She suggests Ava check in with Trina, and see how she’s currently feeling about Spencer.

Jordan tells Dante, don’t get her wrong. She’s done questionable things in the past when her family was involved. She learned her lesson the hard way, and it’s because of that experience that she refuses to bend the rules again. It’s a very slippery slope. He says he knows, and he doesn’t want to compromise the case, but he’s concerned about Joss and Cameron and what they’re going through, and wants to help. She says she feels the same, but Josslyn and Cameron are doing okey. Detective Lopez said their statements were clear and very helpful. He says he doesn’t want it slipping through the cracks, and she says, it won’t. Josslyn and Cameron are victims of a crime, and the perpetrator’s not getting away with it.

Trina says, it was good of Cameron to leave them alone, and Josslyn says, Trina knows Cam. He’s super considerate, and she’s in desperate need of some girl time. Trina says, her too. Did Josslyn get her text? Josslyn says, no. When did she send it? Trina says, when the video came out. She wanted Josslyn to know she was thinking about her. Josslyn says, she got so many pervy messages that day, she started deleting them without looking. She must have accidently deleted Trina’s too. Did Trina get her text? Trina says, she did, but all it said was that Josslyn was staying at her mom’s house, and then she didn’t hear anything else. Josslyn says she didn’t hear anything else from Trina either. Why didn’t she text again? Trina says, when Josslyn didn’t respond to her first text, she figured Josslyn needed space. Josslyn says, space from the world, absolutely, but space from Trina, never. Trina should know that. Trina says, how? Josslyn didn’t come to the dorms; she didn’t respond back to Trina’s text. Josslyn says, she explained that, and Trina says she gets that now, but then, she thought Josslyn didn’t want to hear from her. Josslyn asks why she wouldn’t want to hear from Trina, and Trina says, Josslyn knows how her brain works. When she doesn’t get information, her brain makes up crazy scenarios, and the longer the silence was, the crazier they got. Josslyn says, like what? and Trina says she thought Esme got to Josslyn, and she believed Trina was behind the video.

Esme says she’s not taking this test now, and Spencer asks, why not? She says, because she needs to get out of here. She can’t stand to look at him one more minute. If Laura hadn’t kept her here, she would have been long gone. He says, without telling him that she might be pregnant, and she tells him, stop making this about him. It’s her body. He agrees it is, but if she’s pregnant, it’s his baby too. She asks if he’s going to grow out of his clothes. Is he going to have morning sickness? Is he going to grow a person inside of him for nine months? He says, they’re getting way ahead of themselves. They don’t even know if she’s pregnant. They used protection. She says, which isn’t 100% effective; no one likes to talk about that, but it’s the truth. What is she going to do with a baby? She can’t even take care of a dog. He says, they don’t know there is a baby, which is why she needs to take the test. There’s a knock at the door, and he tells her to ignore it, but she opens it. Cameron says, he’s sorry. Is this a bad time? Esme says, no. She was just leaving. Spencer says, no, they need to talk, but she says, her body, her choice, and leaves. Cameron asks, did just say… and Spencer says, there’s a chance Esme could be pregnant. Outside, Esme leans on the door a moment. It’s hard to tell what she’s feeling, since she makes a bunch of faces, then she leaves.

Curtis asks if Sonny can’t help him or won’t, and Sonny says, Curtis should know the truth, and he could help, but he chooses not to. To him, it’s a family matter between Curtis and his father. He doesn’t want to get involved. Curtis says he needs to know the truth, and Sonny agrees. Curtis should know the truth, but he should get it through Marshall himself. Hear him out. Marshall’s not a fan of his, and if he gets involved, it’s going to make it worse.

Nikolas says, that’s it? All of these mentions of a momentous plan, and Victor has just been referring to a business merger? Victor says, this is no simple business merger. He can assure Nikolas, the resources they’ll gain from Bronze Hills Holdings (I think – sounds like) will be a significant step in this family regaining its former power. Nikolas tells Victor, he’s not saying it won’t be a financial benefit, because he knows it will be. He just expected more. Victor says, like what? and Nikolas says, Victor made it sound like something… Victor says, sinister? Like world domination? He’s not quite as out there as Nikolas’s grandfather Mikkos was. Nikolas tells him, he was going to say criminal. They’ve both crossed that line in the past. Victor says, true. He’s not one to arcane laws and petty bureaucracy get in his way. However, right now he’s focused on building a power base. The question is, does he have Nikolas’s support?

Cameron tells Spencer, hold on. Can they back up? Esme had her bags packed and they were obviously fighting. Does he want to know what it was about? Spencer says he accused Esme of recording Cam and Josslyn and posting it. Cameron asks what she said, and Spencer says, she denied it of course (🍷). Then she tried to blame Trina, which is absurd. Cameron says, completely, and Spencer says, he defended Trina, which made Esme furious, and they broke up. They just had the same argument at Spring Ridge, and she stormed out, but he didn’t know it was over. Esme decided they were, and she was almost out the door before he saw she had a home pregnancy test. Can Cameron believe she wasn’t even going to tell him? Cameron says, that’s a lot, and Spencer says, if Esme is pregnant, he’s going to be a father. Cameron asks what Spencer is going to do, but Spencer says he honestly has no idea, and goes upstairs with his bag.

Josslyn says, she and Trina both know it was Esme who posted that video, after she found a way to record her and Cam without their knowledge. It was her. It was all her from the jump. How could Trina think Josslyn could blame her for this? Trina says, it’s just that things got so weird that night at the cabin. The hot toddy hit her so hard, she still can’t remember everything that happened, and since that was the night the video was made… Josslyn says, please. It was Esme. Esme has hated Josslyn from the second Esme laid eyes on her. Why? Because Josslyn could tell she was psycho. It was Nelle 2.0 waiting to happen. And that’s why Josslyn got so frustrated when Esme presented Trina that phony apology at Kelly’s, and Trina went along with it. Trina takes Josslyn’s hands, and says she owes Josslyn a major apology. Esme was all upset because Spencer gave her that art book, and Trina didn’t want Esme to feel like she was taking her boyfriend. Not because of Esme, but Trina didn’t want to feel like that kind of person. She also didn’t know how she felt about Spencer. But Josslyn’s right about all of it. Esme is a whack job, and Spencer’s just… blind. She should be thanking Josslyn for calling Esme out, instead of being offended. Josslyn says, it’s okay, but Trina says, don’t tell her it’s okay. Josslyn is going through hell, and Esme is trying to blame Trina for it. She’s hateful and horrible, and Trina should have never tried to compromise with her. Josslyn says, they came to it from two very different experiences. Trina believes in compromise, and most of the time, compromise is a good thing, but not when it comes to Esme. She sees that, and takes it as a sign of weakness, and that gives her an opportunity, an opening. That’s why Josslyn shouldn’t have even gone on the ski trip in the first place, because Esme pushed so hard for it. She should have realized Esme had an agenda. Trina asks if Josslyn thinks Esme always meant to tape her and Cam, and Josslyn says she thinks Esme always meant to hurt them. Not her and Cam, but her and Trina.

Officer Perez hands Jordan an envelope, saying, this file was just delivered. Detective Lopez sent it over. It’s information on that PCU sex video from the anonymous tip line. She thanks him, and since Dante has nothing better to do than lurk around, he appears at Jordan’s shoulder and asks, what kind of information? She looks at it, and says, the damning kind. An eyewitness account, naming the perp.

Sonny says Curtis’s father has some kind of problem with him because he saw Sonny at the hospital with TJ, and he didn’t like it one bit. Curtis says, so his long lost dad doesn’t like Sonny; that’s why Sonny is protecting him? Sonny tell Curtis, he’s not saying no for Marshall’s sake. He’s saying no for Curtis. He knows what it’s like to be in a difficult relationship with a father. He didn’t speak to his dad for years. Everybody tried to intervene; everybody tried to fix it. But there was only going to be two people who could salvage the relationship – him and his dad. So if Curtis wants to know what’s in that sealed criminal record, he has to go to Marshall. Marshall walks in, sees them, and does not look happy.

Taggert says he’s so glad he and Portia decided to stay for dinner. It’s nice. What is this Trina is telling him about her and Curtis shacking up? She says, shacking up? Really? They’re buying a home together. It’s out by Queen’s Point, it’s right on the water; it’s so beautiful. He asks if they’ve moved yet, and she says, they’re in the process. He says he’s happy things are so going so well with her and Curtis, and she thanks him, adding, it means a lot, considering their history. He says, the past is long gone. The only thing is to move forward. She says, and now that Spencer’s in the rearview, things are looking up everywhere. He says, Trina and Josslyn still need to get beyond that speedbump in their relationship, and she says she thinks they will. They’ve been friends forever. It’s almost like they’re sisters. He says, he and his sister had some vicious fights back in the day, and she says, but at the end of the day, he and Gia always loved each other. The same goes for Trina and Joss.

Josslyn says, Cam’s a guy. He tried to accept Esme for Spencer’s sake, but Esme always saw both of them as a threat for different reasons. She was always going to try and take them down. Trina says, it’s so good to hear her say this. To see through that hateful… Josslyn says, bitch? Trina says she loves the way Josslyn hates, and Josslyn says, it’s a true talent. Trina says she just wishes she’d known what Josslyn was thinking, but Josslyn says she should have reached out. Trina asks why she didn’t, and Josslyn says, this whole situation was completely overwhelming. It’s total public humiliation. Everyone on social media has an opinion on it. She can’t tell Trina how many people she doesn’t even know called her some variation of a slut or a whore. But it gets even grosser. She’ll also see messages and posts calling her hot, and asking if she and Cam are exclusive. Trina says, that’s so inappropriate, and Josslyn says, yeah, but they’re of legal age now. Does Trina remember how excited and happy they were when they were turning 18 and got to vote? Trina says, yeah, it felt so grown up, and Josslyn wonders, is this the other side of adulthood? What happened to common decency? It feels like it’s been open season on her. Trina says, it’s beyond awful, and Josslyn says, it’s horrible, and when she didn’t hear from Trina, she thought Trina was embarrassed to be her friend. Trina hugs her, and says, never in a million years.

Spencer says, the more he thinks of it, Cameron had the right idea. Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, staying a virgin for life. Cameron says, Spencer and the whole world know he’s not a virgin, but Spencer says he seriously doubts that Cameron’s little video has been seen by the whole world. Cameron says Spencer is a poor excuse for a friend, and Spencer says, possible father here. That’s way bigger than a temporary embarrassment. Cameron says, maybe for him, but for Joss, it’s so much worse. They’re being absolutely savage to her online. He’s getting virtual high-fives, while they’re calling her a slut. It’s not fair. Spencer says, it’s awful. He’s really sorry Josslyn is going through that. Cameron says, now Spencer believes Esme is behind the video? but Spencer says he doesn’t want to believe it. Esme’s been so good to him. Cameron says, that works out nice for Spencer, but what about the rest of the planet? Spencer says he knows, just because Esme is good to him doesn’t mean she’s necessarily good to everyone else. Cameron says, Spencer has to face it. She’s sneaky and vindictive. Spencer says, and possibly the mother of his child.

On the phone, Ava asks Avery how her arm is. It hurts? She’s on her way; she’s coming right home. She tells Nikolas and Victor, sorry fellas. She hopes they had a nice chat. Avery needs her, so she’s going home. Victor says, seeing as Spencer is a no show, he’ll leave with her. Nikolas says he’s going to wait for his mother, and Ava says she’ll see him at home. Victor says, no hard feelings, and Ava says, of course (🍷) not. Nikolas sits back down, and Esme sees him from the doorway. She watches Ava and Victor get in the elevator, and goes over to the table. She asks if Nikolas will help her.

Dante says, she wouldn’t do something like that, let alone to Cam and Joss, and Jordan says, that’s what she thought too, but every possible tip needs to be checked out. He says he’ll take care of it, but she says she’ll handle this one personally, and leaves the station.

Sonny tells Curtis that he’s got to go. Think about what he said. Good luck. He leaves, and Marshall asks why Curtis was talking to Sonny Corinthos. Curtis says, Sonny was telling him about a run-in he and Marshall had. Care to explain? I’m honestly surprised Curtis didn’t ask Marshall where he got off telling him who to talk to. Especially since he’s been so cranky lately.

Cameron says, he and Josslyn gave separate statements to a detective, and Spencer says he’s glad the cops are taking this seriously. Cameron says, so is he. Detective Lopez says, whoever did this is looking at up to a year in prison. Spencer asks if Cameron knows what that means. That means his baby could be born in prison. Cameron says, way to keep it real, and Spencer says, it could happen. Cameron says, maybe Spencer should find out if Esme is actually pregnant before he starts shopping for jail baby clothes. Spencer says, Cameron is right, but he doesn’t even know where Esme went. He really hopes Esme’s not pregnant, because if she is, and she wants to have the baby, he’ll be tied to her for life.

Esme sits down, and tells Nikolas, she was going to stay at the MetroCourt for the night, so she had a place to get her thoughts together. She thought she had enough money to cover it, but her credit card was declined. He asks if she’s sure she and Spencer can’t work things out, but she says, Spencer said horrible things to her. If that’s really what he thinks of her, she can never be with him again. But what is she going to do? He’s the only guy she’s ever loved, and what if it turns out she’s… Nikolas says he remembers being her age. Every argument felt like the end of the world, but he’s sure with a good night’s sleep, things will be clear in the morning. She says she has nowhere else to go. Is there any way she can stay with him? I have an idea. Pay for her hotel room, but for Pete’s sake, don’t take her home.

Taggert asks Portia if that’s the notorious Esme Prince who Trina keeps talking about, and she glances behind her. She says, oh, he’s never seen Esme before, and he says, no, first time. She seems pretty upset. He wonders what the drama is this time, and Portia says, just be glad they’re not involved. They both look over at Esme, and Portia says she’ll bet him anything Esme is the one behind the video of Joss and Cam. She’s so relieved Trina is finally out of Esme’s orbit.

Josslyn says, it feels so good for things to be back to normal, and Trina agrees. She says she knows Josslyn wants distance from the video, but don’t tune her out. Josslyn can talk to her about anything. Josslyn says she knows and she will. It’s so nice to hear that. They’re a team, and always will be. Trina says, count on it, when Jordan walks in. Josslyn asks if there’s a lead in her case, but Jordan says she’s actually here to see Trina. Trina says she’s sorry, but she’s already late for her next class, but Jordan says, this can’t wait. She needs Trina to come down to the station, and answer some questions.

On Monday, Harmony says, it’s under consideration; Jordan asks if Trina minds answering some questions; Josslyn says, the person Dante should be talking to is Spencer’s psycho girlfriend; and Scotty asks why Nina doesn’t want to go down the legal road.

📻 Not An Oldie…

All about the song that Sonny and Nina danced to yesterday. Normally, I try to look that stuff up, but was pressed for time. Apparently, inquiring minds wanted to know.

👗 Reunion Runway Fail…

Apparently, Shannon had to get something off-the-rack. Oh, horrors. I do wonder what the blip was up with Bones though.

https://people.com/style/project-runway-bones-jones-talks-shannon-beadors-reunion-dress-outfit-botched/

https://www.distractify.com/p/shannon-beador-rhoc-reunion-dress-drama

You decide what held things up.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/style-living/andy-cohen-reveals-what-held-up-filming-during

🍊 Freshly Squeezed Start…

The only question for me would be, is there enough room for Mr. Puppers to live his best life?

🥊 In This Corner…

Another showdown between the east and west coast. Maybe they can have a rap battle.

https://screenrant.com/rhugt-dorinda-medley-vicki-gunvalson-covid-vaccine-fight/

🗽 NYC Spin…

Twice the Housewives fun.

🍹 Conover Crossover Continues…

So will Paige be showing up on Southern Charm? Speaking of which, will Southern Charm be showing up?

https://people.com/tv/craig-conover-talked-about-kids-spending-life-with-girlfriend-paige-desorbo/

🎂 Never Too Early…

Oh why not?

🍍 In Teresa News…

The latest on Luis.

I wonder what procedure she had. Then I think it’s pretty sad that I’m wondering about that.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1324490/teresa-giudice-thanks-fans-for-prayers-and-well-wishes-after-hospitalization

👇 Bar Set Even Lower…

I think Kelly might have outdone herself this time. Not only does she sh*t all over people who can’t afford as much as she can, she thinks material goods reflect good parenting. What they reflect is a future on a shrink’s couch.

🙏 New Apologizer…

Pretty soon, Ramona is going to have some competition. And she was thisclose to saying the old, I’m a work in progress. Ugh.

🐎 Josh On the Outs…

This looks good, and I love me some Josh Brolin. I think he’s one of our most underrated actors.

https://ew.com/tv/outer-range-trailer-josh-brolin-amazon-prime-video/

📽 Hurts So Good…

No Kiss of the Spiderwoman? No Eyewitness?? No Altered States??? I thought those were pretty memorable.

https://ew.com/movies/william-hurt-most-memorable-roles/

He will be missed.

https://ew.com/movies/william-hurt-death-reactions/

🏆 The People’s Oscar…

Looks like the Academy Awards are sliding into the MTV Movie Awards territory. Fine with me. That’s the only interesting awards show.

🌬 Quotes of the Week

We don’t have a choice in the matter. We must go where history takes us. – Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), The Gilded Age

A person’s life purpose is nothing more than to rediscover, through the detours of art or love or passionate work, those one or two images in the presence of which [their] heart first opened. – Albert Camus

I’d bet on rabbits if you could get them organized. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons. – Confucius

The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

You can’t cry on a first date. – Veronica Rodriguez, Pillow Talk: The Single Life

For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the sheltered will never know. – The Wiseman (Scott Glenn), Sucker Punch

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. – Wayne Dyer

Everything in moderation, including moderation. – Oscar Wilde

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. – Desmond Tutu

The great Western disease is, ‘I’ll be happy when… When I get the money. When I get a BMW. When I get this job.’ Well, the reality is, you never get to when. The only way to find happiness is to understand that happiness is not out there. It’s in here. And happiness is not next week. It’s now.Marshall Goldsmith, American author (And adding my personal favorite, when I lose weight…)

What a day. What a goddam day. – Warlord Ian (Michael Biehn), The Walking Dead

🙂 Don’t Worry, Be Happy…

It’s time again for us to part company until the Dead Walk. In the meantime, stay safe, stay fighting against double standards, and stay knowing the only way out is through. You have to face it down and keep moving forward.