What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dante shows up at the ax throwing bar where Sam is by herself, and totally misses the target. He says, that was special… which was the nicest word he could think of. She suggests he give it a try, but he says he doesn’t want to show her up. She says, now he’s sounding like an egomaniac. She hands him an ax, and tells him, give it a whirl, positioning him. He tells her to stand back; he doesn’t trust himself with this thing. He makes a perfect bullseye, and she says, of course (🍷).

Finn says he doesn’t want Elizabeth to worry. Dante will figure out how the painting got here, and he’ll be here in case anything else weird happens. She says she just doesn’t understand why. Is she in danger; are her kids not safe? What’s the endgame here? Jake walks in, and says he heard the police were here earlier. What’s going on?

Portia sees Drew at the MetroCourt bar, and asks if he minds if she sits down. He says he’d be lucky, and she sits down, saying, she’s grabbing some dinner for Curtis, and it’s going to be a minute. She says, he’s not expecting anyone, is he? but he says, no. He just finished a meeting. She asks if it was business or personal, and he says, it was a little bit of both actually; business on behalf of a friend.

On the phone at the Bistro, Curtis says he’ll send the paperwork over, and tell the band he’s excited to have them at the club. Marshall comes in, and Curtis asks why he wanted to meet. Marshall says, because he knows what Curtis did.

Mac makes noises at Bailey, while Felicia talks babytalk, and asks if she knows she’s the cutest baby. Mac says she’s asking the softball questions, and has to hit Bailey with some hard ones, like FDPC or PCPD? when Anna walks in and says, PCPD all the way. Felicia asks if she’s ever seen a more perfect picture, pointing at Maxie holding Bailey, and Anna says, beautiful. Maxie says, Bailey maybe, but she barely had time to brush her hair this morning. Mac says she’s absolutely glowing, and it’s all because of Bailey. Maxie says, it’s because Mac gets to go home today. She’s going to let them visit with Anna, and Felicia leaves with her to pick up a prescription for Mac. Mac tells Anna, talk to him. Will the WSB be able to get any information out of compromised Agent Kreger? She says, doubtful. He’s dead.

Laura sees Maxie with Bailey, and says, there’s the precious baby girl that so many people worked so hard to protect. Maxie says, talk about guardian angels. Her heart is so full of gratitude, it could burst. Austin joins them, and says, how about forgiveness? Is there room in her heart for that?

Dante guesses they can chalk that up to beginner’s luck, and Sam says, beginner’s luck, her you-know-what. He says he loves her you-know-what, and she says she thinks he’s done this before. He says he’s never thrown an ax before, and she says, liar. He says he’ll swear on anything she wants him to, but he’s never thrown an ax a day in his life, and she says, liar. He asks why they don’t chalk it up to beginner’s luck, and his superior hand/eye coordination, and she says, or maybe… You know how some people think they had a past life, and you can bring those skills to this life from that life? She thinks maybe he was a frontier guy, a mountain man. She certainly wasn’t either of those. He says, that’s good because he doesn’t want to picture her as a mountain man. She asks how his day was, and he says, good; a lot of work. She says, anything interesting? and he says, more like strange. He thinks Elizabeth has a stalker.

Jake asks why the police were here, and Cameron comes downstairs, and says, because when he and mom came home, they found this on the mantel. He indicates the portrait, and Jake says, that’s Franco’s. He thought Elizabeth said they were all destroyed, and Elizabeth says, that’s what she was told. Finn asks if Jake saw anyone around the house when he left yesterday, but Jake says he doesn’t think so. Finn says, what about something unusual, like a car he didn’t recognize? What about Betsy Frank? Has she been in contact with him? Jake says, no, and wonders why Finn is asking him this stuff. Cameron says, because someone broke in and placed that here. Finn asks if Jake knows anyone who would do this.

Austin says he never intended for Louise to be in danger, and Maxie tells him, it’s Bailey Louise now. He says he loves that; it’s beautiful. He tells Bailey, he Bailey Louise. He’s Austin. They met when she first arrived. He tells Maxie that he’s sorry. He didn’t know Victor was helping Peter, and Maxie says she asked him to stay out of Brook’s business multiple times. He says he didn’t know what was going on, and that’s no excuse; there is no excuse. He did a dumb thing, and his stupid vendetta could have cost her everything. If she can’t move past it, he gets it. Laura says she’ll give them some privacy, and thanks Austin for giving her the information about Victor. He says, a lot of good it did, and Laura says, the jury’s still out, and leaves. Maxie asks what he had on Victor.

Mac says, so there’s nothing to clue them in as to who could have sent Agent Kreger to kill Peter? and Anna says she thinks it’s significant that Kreger’s dead. He was hit and it was serious, but nobody thought it was fatal. The prognosis was that he was going to recover, then he up and dies here in the hospital? He says, it’s convenient for somebody, when Laura walks in, and asks, how’s the patient? Is he ready to get out of here? He says, the sooner, the better. There’s a loose end in Europe. Anna says, she was just explaining that a Bureau agent went after Peter, and there ended up being an exchange of gunfire with her team, and he got hit, but died before he could be interrogated. He had a phone on him though. Laura says, anything there? and Anna says, no. Most of the data was related to navigation. There was one phone number that piqued her interest. Mac says, belonging to? and she says, it was a burner unfortunately, but the area code was local. He says, local to here? and she says, yes. Laura says, so whoever the agent was communicating with was likely here in Port Charles. Is anybody thinking who she’s thinking? Mac asks Anna to hand him his clothes. He’s not waiting for the nurses anymore. He has to get down to the precinct. Felicia comes back, and says, no, he doesn’t. If he thinks he’s going anywhere other than home, he has to answer to her first.

Marshall sits down, and says he just got a job offer from Curtis’s boy Drew, and Curtis asks, what kind of job? Marshall says, jazz consultant-slash-concierge for Aurora, but Curtis knew that already, didn’t he? Despite the subterfuge, he appreciates Curtis sending work his way, but why couldn’t he just be honest? Curtis says, like Marshall has been with him? and Marshall says, oh, so this is payback? but Curtis says, no; this is an opportunity. One that he knew Marshall would turn down if he knew Curtis had a hand in it, because he’s stubborn and prideful. Marshall says, traits he passed down to his son, and Curtis laughs, and says, fair enough. But he knows Marshall operates on a need to know basis, so he can’t be mad when someone else does the same thing. Marshall says, it’s a moot point anyway. The job requires an extensive background check. Curtis says, and that’s a problem? and Marshall says, it could be. There’s an incident from back in the day that concerns him. Isn’t Curtis going to ask, what kind of incident? Curtis says, no. He’ll wait for Marshall to tell him – or not. Marshall says, progress. If he accepts this offer, Drew might discover he has a criminal history.

Jake tells Cameron that he has no idea what’s going on right now, and Cameron says, mom’s a little but weirded out with this whole portrait thing. She’s also relieved Peter August is toast. Jake says, what? and Cameron says, mom didn’t tell him? Jake says, tell him what?

In the kitchen, Elizabeth says she doesn’t want Finn giving Jake the third degree, and he says he just asked if Jake noticed anything. She says, it felt like he was insinuating Jake had something to do with the portrait, but he says he wasn’t suggesting that. Does she really think he’s accusing her sons, or is she actually worried they could be involved?

Sam tells Dante, it’s so creepy to have a portrait in your house, knowing that someone had been there. Then the ring and the dress. Ugh. He says, Elizabeth was pretty shaken up, and she asks what he thinks. He says, it sounds like it could be a jealous lover, and she asks if he thinks Franco was cheating. He says, no, but he doesn’t know, and she says, he can’t rule anything out. He says he barely knew the guy, and asks what her take is. She asks if he thinks she paid attention to Franco, and he says, no, but she’s friends with Elizabeth. They’ve gotten closer, so maybe she knows about some trouble in paradise. She says, the only thing she saw was, Franco was devoted to Elizabeth, Elizabeth was devoted to him, the kids loved him, he loved the kids; they were one big happy family. He says he guesses he’d better look through Franco’s cell phone records to see if there was anyone he was in constant communication with. She asks if he floated it by Elizabeth, but he says, not yet. She asks if Elizabeth had any ideas, and he says, she’s convinced. Sam asks who Elizabeth thinks is responsible, and he says, Betsy Frank.

Portia says she’s really glad Drew is back, which she knows is a strange thing coming from her, considering they’re not close, but she can see how much he means to Curtis. It’s so sweet, the friendship they share. Drew says he’s really grateful for it, especially considering he’s now lost both his brothers, and she says, she’s so sorry. He thanks her, and she says, when you think about it, he and Curtis have gone through so much change recently. She could write a book about him… He says, please don’t, and she says, but Curtis too. Just this past year, his aunt’s health issues, a divorce, a change of careers. Drew says, and a father reappearing after four decades.

Curtis says, Marshall has a criminal history that Drew may discover, and Marshall says, the records are sealed. Curtis says, sealed records don’t usually show up in a background check, and Marshall says, but it exists, which means it can resurface. Forty years ago, he got locked up briefly, a non-violent offense, but it was the inciting incident that precipitated his disappearance. Curtis says, the reason he went into hiding, and Marshall says, for lack of a better term, yes. He wishes he could forget it ever happened, but it did, and severely impacted his life. He told Drew that he can’t move forward, and Curtis asks if he even wants the job. Marshall says he does, but he wanted Curtis to hear about it from him, not his friend, and Curtis says he appreciates that. He hopes it means Marshall trusts him. Marshall says, of course (🍷) he does. His holding back is not for lack of trust. In fact, telling Curtis is a relief. Curtis says, in that case, why hold back at all?

Felicia asks if Mac heard her, and he says he thinks the whole hospital did. She says, his choice is here or home; work is not an option. He says, there’s a situation… and she says, there’s going to be a situation if he tries to do anything other than get better. Does she have Laura and Anna to thank for this? Anna says, no, and Laura says, us? Felicia asks if they’re encouraging her husband to prematurely return to work, and Anna says she was just briefing him. Mac says, turncoat, and Laura says she was just checking on him. He is indispensable. He says, see? and Laura says, she too, is concerned about his health, so she’s going to see about his temporary replacement. NuJordan walks in, and says, no need for a replacement. She’s back, and reporting for duty.

Austin thanks Maxie for coming to his office to talk to him. When it comes to people like Victor Cassadine, the walls have ears. She asks what Laura was saying about him giving information on Victor, and he says, it wasn’t enough. Victor destroyed the bug before they could hear anything… She says, hold on. He planted a bug on Victor Cassadine? He says, technically, Liesl did, but he set the stage. She looks confused; is she confused? She says, he and her former mother-in-law hatched a plan to trap Victor? and he says, she’s not confused. She says, what was… how was that… why? He says, the answer to that is twofold. First of all, Liesl didn’t really give him a choice, and she says, and the second part? He says he really wanted to make it up to her. It was entirely his fault that Victor found out about Louise. Sorry. Bailey Louise. And he just needed to know what Victor’s game was. She says, but he didn’t find anything, and he says, the bug bit the dust before they heard anything. All they really heard was Victor talking to Drew Cain about memory suppression and tarot cards. She asks if that’s important, and he says, he doesn’t know. The mayor seemed to think so.

Everyone crowds around Jordan, hugging her, and asking how she’s feeling. Mac says, they could have sent a squad car, and Laura says, they could have done better than a squad car. Jordan says, she left yesterday. She took a car service, and she feels great. Anna says she looks great, and Jordan says, being at the clinic for so long had its challenges, but she couldn’t argue with the level of care. Anna asks if she’s back for good now, and she says she is, and apparently needs to get caught up. Laura suggests they step outside, and Mac says, it’s really good to see her recovered. She says, now it’s his turn, and he gives her a thumbs up. They go into the hallway, and Felicia tells Mac that he nurse gave her the discharge papers. Is he ready to go home? He says, he was born ready, and she says, to leave the hospital? He says, that really doesn’t work, does it?

Dante says, Betsy told Elizabeth that she was at Franco’s grave around the time the break-in happened, and Sam asks if he questioned her. He says he tried. He called the hotel, but she wasn’t there. She says, what about an APB? Betsy is technically a person of interest. Dante says, the problem is, Elizabeth is worried Betsy is involving her kids, and she thinks a formal inquiry will blow back on the family. Plus, he’s not convinced that it’s Betsy. She says, Elizabeth is, and he says, because the alternative for Elizabeth is, she has to consider the fact there might have been another woman in the mix. She says, Betsy’s very scary, and he says, she’s scary, crazy, all of that, and he will look into it, but how obsessed with your own kid do you have to be to shred a wedding dress, and burn his art studio? Sam tells him, she’d have to say, pretty obsessed, and he says, he has to retrace Betsy’s steps; find out if she was actually at the cemetery when she said she was. Sam messes with her phone, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she has skills too, and he says, other than throwing axes. She says, hey, Spinelli. She’s going to need his help.

Elizabeth says her boys wouldn’t terrorize her this way. They adored Franco; they would never use his memory to punish her. He agrees, and asks if she’s being defensive because she thinks he shouldn’t question them at all, Because he just wants her to be safe. But if she thinks he’s overstepping, say the word, and he’ll back off.

Cameron asks Jake to say something, and Jake says he’s glad. Is that wrong to be glad when someone dies? Cameron says, not if that someone was Peter August. He took Franco away from them. Jake says, and everyone believed his dad killed Franco, and Cameron says, including him, which made things pretty crappy between the two of them. Jake wishes Peter had died sooner, and Cameron says, Jake’s dad died fighting him. He wishes that too. He hugs Jake.

Marshall says he knows he’s not an ideal father, and Curtis says, ideal for who? Marshall says, anyone, but talking specifically, Curtis, and Curtis says, he’s a grown man. It’s not Marshall’s job to live up to some boyhood fantasy. If Marshall can trust him, and feels a sense of relief to unburden himself, then why not fill in all the pieces of the puzzle? Marshall says, because it might not be safe to do that yet, and Curtis says, Marshall is under no obligation to unburden his soul to him, but if he’s harboring secrets that could be a danger to either his club or his home, he needs to know. He will not put Portia and Trina at risk. Marshall asks since when Portia became a fixture in Curtis’s home, and Curtis says, since he asked her to take the next step with him. The plan is to find a new place and make it their own. Marshall says, that’s wonderful; it fills him with joy to see Curtis so happy. Curtis doesn’t have to be afraid of anything. On everything they hold dear, he promises he will not allow anything to hurt any of them. Curtis says, understood, and if Marshall needs to share more, Curtis is here for him, and he won’t pry. Marshall says, that’s his plan, but right now, he needs to see a man about a job.

Portia says, having Marshall drop from the sky, certainly has knocked Curtis for a loop, and Drew says, he got that impression. It does seem like they’re working toward something. She says she hopes so. All she wants is for Curtis to be happy. He says, what do you know? They want the same thing. Is she doing what he’s doing? She says, what’s that? and he says he’s giving Curtis a little space so he can draw his own conclusions, but at the same time, he’s keeping a cautious eye out. She says he must have been spying on her, and he says, obviously, he prays that Marshall’s intentions are good, but just in case there’s any doubt, he’s at his buddy’s disposal. She says she loves that Drew has Curtis’s back, and he says, always. She raises her glass, and says, to long friendships. He says, and to new ones. He really looks forward to getting to know the woman who clearly has stolen his buddy’s heart.

Anna says, it’s good to see Jordan; she’s looking so strong and healthy. Jordan says, and ready to hit the ground running, and Anna says she’s missed Jordan so much. Jordan says she missed Anna too, and thanks her for all the calls and texts, and Laura for the beautiful weekly flower delivery. They both kept her spirits up. Laura says, they’re both grateful to have her back, but is she sure she’s ready to go back to work? Jordan says she’s sure. They should have seen her when she heard Peter was on the loose. Anna says, they probably had to lock her in her room, and Jordan says, almost. She knows that’s wrapped up, but there have to be other pending cases. Anna says, the investigation’s not completely wrapped up, and Jordan asks, what’s the status? Laura says, some of this is classified, and Jordan isn’t officially back on the job yet. Jordan says she’s sorry; she should have called first, instead of assuming she could just pick up where she left off. Anna thinks they might need as much help as they can get, and as soon as they can get it, and Laura says, barring a few small, but necessary formalities, she hereby reinstates Jordan as Commissioner of the PCPD. Welcome back. Jordan says, she won’t regret it, and Laura says, she knows.

Finn says they haven’t established who he is to Elizabeth’s boys, but he’d like to build something with them… if it’s okay with her. She says she’d like that, and he’s not overstepping. She just wishes she had answers. He says she’s going to. They’re going to figure out who’s doing this, and put a stop to it, he promises.

Jake tells Cameron that he’s sorry mom is freaked out, but also happy Franco’s painting was saved. At least now he has something to remember Franco by. Cameron says they have their memories too, and Jake says, yeah, but memories fade. People move on, and sometimes he worries Franco’s being forgotten. Finn listens in.

Dante stands behind Sam, putting one hand on her waste, and the other on her hand holding the ax. Much like when he taught her to swing a bat, he explains how to throw the ax. He says, just like how she throws a baseball, and she says she likes baseball. He tells her to bring it forward, let it go, and let the ax do the work. She says she’s ready, he steps back, and she throws. She says, bullseye, and it’s very close, but not quite. She thanks Dante and hugs him, and says, she just needed… He says, a little lesson, but she says, a little him; her mountain man. They kiss, and her phone rings. She says, Spinelli is the best in the biz, but his timing is always off. She answers saying, hey… Okay… Send it over right now. Dante asks what Spinelli’s got, and she says, he’s sending over camera footage from the entrance of the cemetery. They look at her phone, and Dante tells her, roll that back. Is that Betsy? She says, sure does look like her. He asks what she’s doing, and Sam says, she never went in; she just left. He says, which means she lied, and they can’t account for her whereabouts. The phone rings again, and she says, talk to her… Okay… She’ll tell him. She tells Dante, Spinelli was about to run a background check on Betsy, mostly insignificant. He says, mostly? and she says, it looks like last November, she was arrested by the New York State Police.

Portia says, a dumpster, why? and Drew says, they were looking for a bag from a defunct Chinese restaurant. It’s a long story. They were hoping to the bag would tie a guy to the crime. They’re in there, and come across this enormous rodent. She says, no, and he says she should have seen it. He’s never seen anybody jump so high so fast in his entire life. Curtis’s exact words were, no, no, no – he waves his finger – I don’t do rats. She says she can see him doing that. How Indiana Jones of him. Drew says, it really was, and she says, they’ve really had some adventures together. He says, they have, and he hears Curtis is about to embark on a new one with her. He heard they’re moving in together. She says they’re looking at properties, and he says, congratulations. Any luck finding one? She says, not so far. They want spacious, and they want contemporary, but nothing’s been quite the right fit. He picks up his phone, and says, before he moved in with the Quartermaines, he was shown a property that was amazing, and it’s still available if she wants him to email her the listing. She says she’d love that. If it works out, she’ll owe him for sure. He says he hears her culinary skills are amazing, and he never turns down a homecooked meal. Just saying. She asks about the kitchen in the new house, and he says, it’s incredible. It’s super high end. It’s got a dual fuel range. It’s got an induction cooktop. She’ll love it. She says, all right, then it’s a deal, and they shake hands.

Austin tells Maxie, he listened to Victor for as long as humanly possible, and that guy, that slippery bastard, didn’t say anything even interesting, much less incriminating, and they had no idea where Peter was taking her. He wishes he could have done more. She says, he did a lot. Making a move like that on Victor took guts. He says, it took Peter. He was afraid they wouldn’t find her. He was afraid of what would happen to her. He was afraid she wouldn’t forgive him. Maxie says, she was afraid too, and he says, of course (🍷). He didn’t mean to compare what she was going through with what he was going through. It must have been very difficult for her, especially when she had to leave Bailey behind. She says, that was the easiest decision she made actually. Believe it or not, she’s used to leaving Bailey behind, especially if it means she’s being protected, which is funny, since now she can’t let Bailey out of her sight. He says, that was the easy part; what was the hard part? She says, staring down the barrel of forever, alone with Peter. Not seeing the peoples she cares about anymore. That made her blood run cold. He says he could imagine. Her mom and Mac… She says, Anna and Britt… Liesl… you. He says he made the list, and she says, whatever Victor’s involvement was with Peter, it wasn’t his fault. She knows he only wanted the best for her. He says he still does want the best for her, and she says she knows. He thanks her for saying that, and asks if this means he’s forgiven. She says, hmm… How do they say yes in Pawtuck? He says, we pretty much just say, yes, and she says, yes. He holds out his hand, and she takes it.

Jordan says, Obrecht told Laura that Victor seemed to want something from Peter? and Anna says, something related to Drew? Laura says, and his conditioning, and Anna says, it’s most likely Victor was working with Peter, quid pro quo. Jordan says, but if the theory is Victor helped Peter escape, why send someone to kill him? and Anna says, maybe he outlived his usefulness? Laura asks if Anna thinks Victor got what he wanted, and what would that be? Anna says, Laura’s guess is as good as hers, and Laura says, all right. They’ll meet tomorrow at the precinct; she’ll text Jordan. She leaves, and Anna asks if Jordan wants to grab dinner. She thinks TJ will probably be in surgery a while. Jordan asks if she can take a raincheck. There’s someone she needs to see.

Portia walks into The Savoy, empty except for Curtis, and says, she comes bearing gifts. He asks if it could be a steak from the MetroCourt, medium rare, and she says, it could. And it’s still warm; she got green lights all the way. He says, this is his lucky day, and she says, luckier than he knows, because she has some exciting news for him.

Dante asks what Betsy was arrested for, and Sam says, a driving infraction. Her phone can’t provide details of the arrest. She usually goes to a friendly neighbor law enforcement guy. He says, how friendly? and she says they’re pretty tight. They have great chemistry, and make the most beautiful ax throwing together. He says it sounds to him like she wants him to like this guy, and she says, no one likes him better than she does. They kiss, and he takes her phone. She says, she knew it; he’s going to show her up. He calls Donovan, and asks if he can do Dante a favor. He tells Sam, she’s not the only person who knows people, and kisses her again.

Finn says he didn’t mean to question Jake earlier, and Jake says, it’s okay, but Finn says, it’s not, and he’s sorry. Jake doesn’t know him well, and sometimes he has a tendency to live in his head. Communication is not always his best suit. Forgive him. He’s just worried about Jake’s mom. Jake says, he and Cam can take care of their mom. They have been ever since Franco… Elizabeth says, they have been, and they’ve been amazing, but it’s not their job to take care of her. She wants, and Franco would want, for them just to enjoy being kids. Jake asks how could she know what Franco would want when he’s not there to tell them? and she says, the same way they knew his favorite paint color, and what part of the movie would make him laugh. They knew him, and they’re so much luckier for it. Finn says he’s not trying to replace Franco, but he hopes together, if Jake is willing, maybe they could forge a different bond. One of their own.

Portia and Curtis look at her phone, and she says, double-sided fireplace, and all that space for entertaining. He says, and a big room for Trina in case she wants to take a break from the dorms. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says he’s thinking it’s perfect, and he’s thinking she looks great. She says she absolutely loves it, and he says he absolutely loves her. Did they just find their new home? He says, they might have, and she squeals and hugs him. Jordan has walked in, and sees.

Marshall finds Drew still at the MetroCourt bar, and says, about that job… Drew says, he reconsidered, and Marshall says he was always interested. He just had to run it by someone important first. He’s grateful for this job offer, and would like to be considered. Drew says, after he fills out the standard application, they’ll get started on that background check, and Marshall says he’s got nothing to hide.

Austin says he’s glad they can talk through this, and Maxie says, her too. His friendship means a lot to her. He asks, how much? and she says, he means on a scale of one to ten? He says, yeah, how much? There was a time not so long ago, they talked about being more than friends. She says she remembers, and he says, him too. She said she had to focus on getting her Louise, now Bailey Louise, back. What is she going to focus on now?

Anna’s phone rings, and she answers it with, what on earth do you want?

Dante says, Betsy was arrested for driving erratically, but she was not under the influence, and Sam says, being sober doesn’t get you arrested. He says, no, but attacking a state troper does, and she says, yikes. He says he guesses Betsy was in such a bad way, they had to stop at the first hospital, and put her on a 19-7A hour hold for evaluation. Sam says, a 72 hour involuntary psychiatric hold? and he says, that’s pretty good, P.I. She says she has her moments, and asks if he knows what it means. He says, Betsy was a danger to herself and others

Finn says he wants to be here for all of them, but he agrees with Jake. Franco shouldn’t be forgotten, and he won’t be. Jake asks if he can go upstairs, and Elizabeth says, of course (🍷). The doorbell rings, and Elizabeth opens the door to Betsy. Elizabeth says she wasn’t expecting Betsy, and Betsy says, there’s something she needs to… She sees Finn, and says she thought Elizabeth would be alone, and starts to leave, but Elizabeth says, wait. Clearly she’s hear for a reason. Tell her what it is. Betsy says she wasn’t honest with Elizabeth before. She deserves the truth – all of it.

Tomorrow, Cameron tells Stella, he can’t help but feel it’s all his fault; Britt tells someone that she has their back; Maxie says she’s ready to make up for lost time; and Anna tells someone, whatever game they’re playing, count her out.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Emily talked to stepdaughter Shelby about Annabelle’s baptism. Shelby says she’ll feel warm inside, and Emily said that Shelby seemed different; grown-up and so happy. She felt emotional, but didn’t know if it was about the baptism or menopause. She told Shane that it made her think Annabelle could be like Shelby. In Emily’s interview, she said she had no doubt or apprehension about Annabelle’s baptism into the Mormon church, but if you’d asked her a year and a half ago, she would have said, absolutely not. She told Shane that she wondered why she was so emotional. She wanted better for her children than she had. Shane said she had that, and Emily said her dad left when she was young and wasn’t around; she wished he’d been more like Shane. In her interview, she said her parents divorced when she was six, and she didn’t see her dad much. She didn’t know if her mom had alienated him, but she’d had no foundation of a father/daughter relationship. Shane said she didn’t know the whole story, and she said when she saw her dad now, he was the coolest guy ever. She wished she’d had that her whole life. She told Shane that he was a good man, and he said he didn’t need a stack of vaginas. He was a one woman man, and she was his woman.

Heather, Shannon, Jen, and Heather’s friend Tawnie met for drinks. Tawnie was wearing the stupidest outfit I’ve ever seen. Okay, maybe not ever, but it was high on the list. She had some kind of wench-type cincher under her boobs, which were hanging over it, and it was definitely not the sexy look I think she was going for. Jen said her day had been stressful, and Heather asked, why? Jen said it was her relationship. She wanted to talk to Ryne in a professional setting or it would end up worse. In Jen’s interview, she said Ryne felt distant. He’d walked out, and it was humiliation. Then he came home the next morning to yell at her, and she had to go to work and be a normal person. It was an exhausting cycle. She told Heather that she got an email that the mortgage hadn’t been paid, freaked out, and Ryne told her to quit yelling at him. Heather said she had to figure out Ryne’s language, and Shannon said she’d written David a letter since she felt talking went in one ear and out the other. Jen says, she used a sports analogy; Ryne was on the court, but not catching the ball. Instead, he walked off the court. Heather said Terry wasn’t good with feelings, and Shannon said, most men weren’t. We flashed back to Terry wanting onion rings at a dinner party, and Heather working them into their Western party. She told the women, she thought, let’s change the narrative, and got jewelry as a bonus. Jen said she’d mocked Ryne’s gold necklace, and he got her a mini version when he was in Hawaii. Heather said Jen had to pass the ball back, and she’d have them over. In Heather’s interview, she said she thought this was a make or break moment in Jen and Ryne’s relationship, and we flashed back to Jen saying Ryne needed an example of a normal relationship. Heather said it would be helpful for them to be around couples who had navigated the ups and downs of life. They needed to learn how to communicate.

Batsh*t crazy Noella visited friend Keni, and popped some champagne, saying, it was an all the way to the top kind of day. Keni asked how mediation went, and Noella said, it was crazy. She could see the airport where James’s jet would be, but he wasn’t physically there. He’d pushed for them to do it in person, and Keni said, but only for Noella to be there in person. In Noella’s interview, she said James was on FaceTime, but they were in separate rooms. She didn’t hear his voice or see his face. She said, the whole thing felt sad, and all they discussed was money. Keni asked if James asked about personal stuff, and Noella said, zilch. He asked about no specifics like art, furniture, or his $20K shoes. She was into details, like life insurance and their son’s education. In Noella’s interview, she said, there was nothing about James’s concerns, thoughts, or what was in his heart. She would have even settled for hate. She wanted something, but there was only silence after six years of so much noise; joy, excitement, and their child. She told Keni that she could do nothing more to get closure from him, and needed to do it on her own. Keni said Noella couldn’t fix him anymore, and needed to be happy. What she got in her divorce settlement was herself.

Heather visited Gina, and since they were going through Gina’s closets, she brought Gina a new pink leather jacket. In Heather’s interview, she said Gina was launching a business, and needed clothes that reflected the changes in her life. Gina could think of her as her Fairy Godheather. Gina showed Heather around, and in Gina’s interview, she said she and Heather both recognized that her tour was shorter. We flashed back to Heather’s tour of her house, which is as big as a small town. In her interview, Heather said, it was amazing that six kids lived there, and it hadn’t been ravaged. They went to Gina’s bedroom closet, which wasn’t too shabby, and possibly as big as my first NYC apartment. Gina brought out her old prom dress, and Heather wondered why she was keeping it. She was never going to wear it again. Gina said she probably couldn’t fit in it, but when she tried it on, she said it was tight, but she fit. She could wear it to the supermarket there, and no one would bat an eye. Heather went through Gina’s clothes, and wondered why so much still had tags. Gina said she didn’t go anywhere, but she liked to shop. In Heather’s interview, she said Gina didn’t understand her own personal style yet. She wanted Gina to dress young and fresh, but also professional and edgy. She had some nice pieces, but you couldn’t see them because they were smashed together with blobby silhouettes  and weird things. She told Gina that some of her clothes needed to find a new home, but she didn’t know whose home. Gina brought out her wedding dress box, and said it had moved with her several times. She’d wanted her daughter have it or thought maybe the kids could make it into baptism gowns or something for their children. It made her sad. In her interview, Gina said she never thought her life would be different. In letting go of the dress, she was letting go of the life she thought she’d have. She told Heather that even though she was happy, and had no regrets or doubts, that doesn’t make it not sad. Heather suggested she do something fabulous, and give it to someone. It was time to let it go, and make some other bride happy.

Emily had a baptism reception for Annabelle, and Lizzie was there. Remember her? She was on RHOC for a hot minute. Emily joked about it being a Mormon baptism where there was drinking afterward. She told Shane that he hadn’t known he was going to do the blessing. He said he’d spoken from his heart, and it had felt like someone was telling him what to say. In Emily’s interview, she said their friends and family were there, and Shane dunking Annabelle was a beautiful thing to see. It was a beautiful moment between her husband and daughter. She told Shane, in the thirteen years they’d been married, it was only the second time she’d seen him cry. In her interview, she said, she and her sister grew up and floundered. They made stupid mistakes because they didn’t have guidance. She picked the best guy ever to be a dad, but she’d never know what it was like, and it made her sad. Gina and Travis arrived, and Gina said, the ceremony was so beautiful, it made her cry. Emily said she was glad she wasn’t the only one, and everyone applauded Annabelle. There was a huge spread, and they sat down to eat. Emily and Gina sat privately, and Emily thanked Gina for coming. She asked if Gina remembered when she said Shannon was jealous. She had six glasses of champagne, and told Shannon. In Gina’s interview, she said, it wasn’t her first day in high school. She knew if she told Emily something, it would probably get back to Shannon. That wasn’t to say, she didn’t want to take that shot herself. Emily said Shannon told her that Gina liked to talk about herself a lot, and Gina said Shannon was starting to piss her off. There wasn’t much more of Shannon that she could take. If that’s what Shannon got from who she was, Shannon didn’t know her, and she was pissed.  

John and Shannon went out to lunch at the Not So Quiet Woman, and sat at what Shannon now called her booth. Shannon said she was surprised hearing the doctor talk to her about her energy levels possibly being related to hormones. We saw a clip of the doctor saying, if Shannon wasn’t balancing her food properly, she might have a problem with hormones. In Shannon’s interview, she said she and John both said they’d never experienced this level of intimacy with any other partner. She didn’t know some of this stuff was possible. I really didn’t want to know any more, and thank God she changed the topic. She told John that when she’d had the lunch for the women, Heather had brought up Gina’s skincare line. Gina told Emily that Shannon appeared jealous. John said that was so irritating to hear, and in her interview, Shannon said she didn’t know where to go with her friendship with Gina. It went back to the sushi party. We flashed back to that, and Shannon said she was confused as to where the judgment was coming from. She thought it was arrogance. She wondered why Gina wouldn’t bring it up to her, and John said Gina tried to find things to make Shannon look bad. Shannon said it was pretty low of Gina to ask if she even had any friends, and we flashed back to Shannon telling Gina that she only had a small circle, and John said, it was beyond mean; it was cruel. Where the hell did Gina get off saying it looked like Shannon had no friends? In John’s interview, he said, confidence was super attractive, but cockiness was not. In her interview, Shannon said they needed to get to the deeper issue. The little comments kept coming. John said he’d never been anything but kind to Gina and Travis, and for Gina to talk behind Shannon’s back and the comments that came out of her, who did she think she was? Not knowing John that well, I wasn’t sure if he was bored or enjoyed adding to the drama. Either way, I thought they were both exaggerating just a tad.

In Heather’s interview, she said, having a dinner party was like putting on a stage production. Since she had no time, it was simpler than she usually did. Translation: pretty fancy to the rest of us. She found an error on the menu, and in her interview said, she liked things to be the way she envisioned them. It was going to bother her all night. Terry was happy that onion rings were on the menu, and Heather said she’d made the menu of things he loved. Jen wanted Ryne to see how they operated. Terry was like, Ryne? and Heather said, like the river. Terry said he needed to process that.

In the car, Jen whined for Ryne not to talk superficially all night, and he said sports weren’t superficial. They were a metaphor for life. In Jen’s interview, she said Ryne had no idea what he was stepping into when she asked him to wear clothes.

Heather gave last minute instructions to the waitstaff, and Terry realized there was still a tag on his shirt. He asked if that wasn’t how you showed you were successful, and got a hard no from Heather. Coming up the walk, Ryne wished he’d brought dog, and said, who doesn’t like that dog? Not me, and I wished he’d brought Mr. Puppers too. When asked what they’d like to drink, Ryne asked for water, and Jen said he’d never had alcohol. Terry asked if the first question wasn’t always, was he a Mormon? and Ryne said, or an alcoholic. He’d never had any drugs either. It was noted that he was wearing athletic ankle socks with his dress shoes, and he said he didn’t wear shoes often. In Heather’s interview, she said she was just glad he was wearing a shirt. Jen went with Heather to the kitchen, while Terry and Ryne went downstairs to hang. Jen said it wasn’t easy for Ryne. Terry asked what Ryne was into, and Ryne said, sports and gambling. Terry said, so he did have a vice, and asked what Ryne’s game was. Ryne said he played poker until the kids were born, and Terry asked if he did more stuff with the kids than Jen. Ryne said he did, and Terry said it was a kind of role reversal. He couldn’t imagine, as a guy, being married to a doctor. That actually surprised me, coming from him, and he said Jen had met the perfect person. Ryne suggested Terry mention that to her.

Heather’s friends arrived. Michael and Nancy, who had been married 40 years, and Sara and Paul who had been married 20. In Heather’s interview, she said the couples were good compromise, family, and communicating, and had fun together. Jen and Ryne could learn a lot by being with them. In Jen’s interview, she said Ryne acted aloof in social situations, and people sometimes took it as arrogance. They thought she was married to an a-hole.

They sat down to eat, and Jen told Ryne how to angle his chair. In Heather’s interview, she said, Jen was hammered, and we saw clips of all she drank before sitting down at the table. Heather said she liked to see Jen letting loose, but the more loose she became, the more introverted Ryne was getting, and that was bad. Heather suggested a toast, and Jen said, to women’s underwear; not the best thing in the world, but the closest thing to it. Heather said, oh dear, and dinner commenced. Ryne tucked his napkin into his collar, and Jen told him to take it down, but he said he didn’t want to dirty his shirt. Jen was insistent, and he said, for her, he would. In her interview, Heather wondered what he was protecting; the one shirt? Terry said being married successfully for 20 years wasn’t easy; you needed to get past the down time. Heather said nothing about it was easy, but it was worth working for. Paul said his father told him the secret to a successful marriage was to wake up every morning and say he’s sorry. Paul was following suit. Heather asked how Jen and Ryne met, and Jen said she saw a guy in Louis Vuitton sunglasses, and wondered, who TF is he? She slipped him her number, and he called four weeks later. Terry asked how long they were dating before Ryne proposed, and Jen said they had the children before they were married. She’d gotten a job offer at Harvard, and told Ryne that she wasn’t giving up her career unless he asked her to marry him. She was only willing to stay if he proposed. Heather asked what Ryne’s side of the story was, and he said he was going with what Jen said. Heather said, but why did he pick that moment? and Ryne didn’t say anything. Terry said they needed to swear the witness in, and Heather said he was going to be thrown out of court. He actually started to talk, when Jen interrupted, and Heather said it was Ryne’s floor. I think it’s pretty obvious what the problem is in their relationship. He was right when he said it had to be the Jenny Show.  

Ryne said he’d go with what Jen said, and in Heather’s interview, she wondered if he was scared because it was a different story or if it was embarrassing. Jen wouldn’t let Ryne talk, and he was happy not to. Jen said the wine was fantastic, and Heather said, wait until they had the 2013; it was insane. Jen said the wine was very good about ten times, and told Heather that she was connoisseuring [sic] everything that was put in front of her. She might seem drunk, but she was concentrating. She didn’t give a f*** who you like, this was good. She caressed Ryne’s face, and he asked her to stop, to which she responded, f*** you, and told the server to fill her glass. Ryne got up, and she grabbed at him. He told her that she needed to stop drinking, and she said it was good wine. He wandered off, and got on his phone, and Terry gave a toast, to well-established friends and newly established ones. Jen said Heather was awesome. She couldn’t believe Heather put this all together. In her interview, Heather said she’d never seen Jen like this. Loosening up was a goal, but getting hammered was the polar opposite of what she’d been hoping for. Jen needed to be honest about what her part was. Whatever you say was not good. Jen teetered to the door, gathering up Ryne on the way. She said she loved Heather; she was awesome.  

Heather told the other guests that Jen and Ryne had been going through some rough waters, and they’d all been through that. Nancy said Ryne was very shy.

In the car, Jen said Ryne did awesome, and asked if Terry was cool to hang out with. Ryne said he was, and Jen said she literally wanted to collapse in his arms. She put her head in his lap, and he talked workouts with the driver.

Everyone said how Ryne was sweet and nice, and Terry said, let’s be honest. They’re a mess.

Next time, the trip to NYC, Heather and Gina get drunk and eat pizza on the street, Shannon says Gina needs to put a pin in it, and Jen sees a therapist.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Saying Goodbye With Shalom…

Come on down tomorrow for soap and tea. And for those of you who would rather watch people cook than do it yourself, like me, the new Top Chef starts tomorrow (Thursday), along with spin-off Top Chef Family Style. Until then stay safe, stay choosing your friends wisely, and stay leaving your connoisseuring at the door when going to a fancy dinner party.