Category Archives: real housewives

Jan20

January 19, 2022 – Brook Foils a Romantic Intrusion, the OC Private Jets It To Cabo & Valley

Posted on January 20, 2022 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the gym, Chase tells Dante that he’s glad he came. It feels good sweating off the stress from the move. Dante says he noticed Chase was pumping iron pretty good. Does it have anything to do with Brook?

Brook flashes back to overhearing Chase tell Dante that she’s not his type, and even if she were, how could he trust her? She tells herself to get it together. Who cares about one guy’s opinion?

At the hospital, Curtis says, that was a struggle, and Portia asks if TJ didn’t want to go back to work. Curtis says, he told TJ that he’d let him know if there were any updates on Marshall. Did the doctor come by when he was gone? Epiphany says, no, but thanks to Finn the cardiac care team was here when they arrived. Elizabeth says, his father is in good hands, and Finn says, it’s scary, but his father is going to be okay. Curtis thanks them for getting Marshall there as quickly as they did. Portia asks how he’s holding up, but Curtis says, honestly, he doesn’t know. Mostly, he’s confused.

Carly tosses a magazine aside, and picks up her phone. She looks at an old voicemail from Jason. There’s a knock at the door, and she opens it to Sam, who holds up a six-pack, and says, thirsty?

Brook asks herself what she needs Chase for anyway. There are thousands of guys who will think she’s awesome. Obviously. That’s what dating apps are for. She picks up her phone, and sees the battery is low. She wonders what she did with her charger, and digs around in a box. She hears a door open, and says, Chase?

Chase asks why it would have anything to do with Brook, and Dante says, Chase was pretty harsh with her back at the house. Is it underlying resentment about the baby or… something else? Chase says, it’s a confusing situation, and Dante says he bets it is. Chase says, one minute they’re fine, and the next… They’ll figure it out. Does Dante want to grab a beer after this? Dante says, sure. Why not? Is Chase buying? Chase says, done. Consider it a thank you for helping him move. Sonny walks in, and says he and Chase need to have a talk.

Curtis says, right before Portia called, he was deciding whether or not to give Marshall a chance. Then he had a conversation with Drew, and Drew reminded him that he had time to make a decision, but that might not be the case now. He knows he has legit reasons to be cautious… She says, he has very legitimate reasons, and he says, he can’t help wondering if he wasted time interrogating Marshall, instead of getting to know him. Portia suggests they take one step at a time. First, they need to hear what the doctor has to say. Then we’ll take it from there. He thanks her for throwing we in there, and she says she’s right there for him. No matter what, she’s got him. They hug, and the doctor comes out. Portia introduces Dr. Rose to Curtis, and says, Curtis is Marshall’s son. Curtis asks if his father is going to be okay.

At the PC Grill, Shawn toasts to his an Alexis’s partnership. They clink glasses, when Alexis sees Harmony on her way out. She asks if Harmony wants to join them.

Carly says, Sam does know she has a minibar, right? and Sam says, where the beer costs an arm and a leg. No offense. Carly says, none taken, and asks how Sam knew she was here. Sam says, Spinelli. He had a feeling she wasn’t going home, and had Sam check on her. So she came here. Carly says, that’s sweet, but Sam can see she’s fine. Sam says she’s not. She knows Carly, and knows she would normally talk to Jason at a time like this, but she can’t. Sam knows she can’t replace him. She could put on a black T-shirt if it makes Carly happy. Carly laughs, and Sam says, the kids are at Monica’s for the night, so she’s all Carly’s. Does she want to start over? Carly says, okay, and Sam hands her a beer. She asks how Carly is feeling, and Carly says, not so great.

Sonny says he hears Chase is Bailey’s father, not Valentin. Chase says, that’s right, and Sonny says, good; Valentin doesn’t deserve that little girl. Did Chase hit him? Chase says, it wasn’t his finest moment, and Sonny says, he probably had it coming. He asks what’s going on with Chase and Brook, and Chase says they’re not together. Sonny asks if Brook isn’t good enough for Chase, and Dante says, whoa. Sonny tells Chase, he’s just saying that any man is lucky to have someone like Brook, and Dante says, but if Chase isn’t interested in her, Chase isn’t interested in her. Sonny tells him, if he says so, that’s fine, and Chase says he’s going to hit the showers before they grab a beer. He tells Sonny it was good to see him, and leaves. Dante asks Sonny, what was that? Sonny lit into Chase; what for? Sonny says, Brook is his goddaughter, and Dante says, she’s also an adult. No offense, but with everything that’s going on with Sonny right now, doesn’t he think he should be more focused on his own life?

Brook pokes around in a box until she comes up with a vase. She says she’s got this, and sneaks downstairs. She looks around, and sees pillows and a blanket by the fireplace. She checks some other rooms, and sees someone going into the living room. She smashes them over the head with the vase.

Dr. Rose says, it wasn’t a heart attack, and Portia says, that’s very good news. Curtis asks, so what happened? and the doctor says his father’s blood pressure was elevated. They’ve switched his medication to one that will hopefully take care of that. Curtis asks if he’s all right, and Dr. Rose says, he’s perfectly fine. He can be discharged as soon as he gets his new prescription. Feel free to go in and see him. Curtis thanks the doctor, and thanks everyone for their help, and for waiting with him until Curtis got there. Elizabeth says, of course (🍷), and Portia’s phone beeps. She says it’s a patient, and asks if she can check in with Curtis in a little bit. He says, that’s fine. He should call TJ and let him know what’s going on. Elizabeth asks if Epiphany is okay, and Epiphany says, something’s just not tracking. Excuse her. She leaves, and Finn says, he knows she doesn’t like to elaborate, and Elizabeth says, not so much. He says, now that they know Marshall is in the clear, they have a big decision to make. Elizabeth says, they do? and he says, correct him if he’s wrong, but they were having a pretty okay time before all the excitement. His babysitter is still on the clock for another couple of hours. Elizabeth says, same here, and he asks how she feels about continuing their date. She says she feels pretty okay about that, and he says, let’s go. They start to leave, and Elizabeth’s phone rings. She says, Cameron, hi; then says, wait. What?

Sonny tells Dante, he’s just looking out for his family like he always does. Why is everyone giving him so much grief? Dante asks, who’s everyone? Carly? Sonny says, yeah. It’s like they’re mad at him for something that happened in Nixon Falls. He didn’t know who he was; he didn’t have control over it. All he’s done since he came back is try to make things okay. Dante says, okay. How can he help Sonny? Sonny says he’s just trying to clear his head. He’s going to work out. He tells Dante to go with his friend, and starts punching the heavy bag. Chase comes back, and says, ready? but Dante thinks he should stay with his dad. Sonny tells him, no, go, and Dante says, don’t worry about it. Chase says, no problem, when his phone rings. He answers, and says, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang tight. He’ll be right there. He runs out.

Harmony tells Shawn that it’s good to see him, and Alexis says they were just going over some of their plans for The Invader. Harmony says Alexis seems excited, and Alexis says she is. She asks Shawn if they’re done with business and asks Harmony to join them. Harmony says she’s just there for take-out. Enjoy their evening. She goes over to the bar, and Alexis says she’ll be right back.

Alexis asks if everything is all right, and Harmony says, yes; why? Alexis says, she seems uncomfortable, and Harmony says she gets the sense that Shawn’s not her biggest fan. Alexis says, he, too, will come around, and Harmony says, like Sam did the other day. Alexis asks what that means.

Carly says she’s furious, and Sam says, of course (🍷) she is. Carly says, about all of it. Nina gets top billing because she’s a hateful liar, but Sonny too, for not telling her all this time that he fell in love with Nina. And the worst part is, she can’t get angry about it, because if she does, they switch places in this story. Sam says, her and Nina? and Carly says, yeah. Nina becomes the victim and she becomes the villain, which is laughable, after Nina kept Sonny from his family out of spite, and stole months from his life in the process. Sam saw; she watched. They were barely hanging on over here, while Sonny and Nina attended barn dances and barbecues. And God forbid she wants Nina to deal with some kind of consequences; that makes Carly the bad guy. Sam says she hardly thinks that makes Carly… but Carly says, oh yes it does. She doesn’t have the words for how messed up this is. Sam says she actually thinks Carly is doing a great job.

Epiphany approaches Dr. Rose, and asks if she can have a word about Marshall. He says she knows he can’t discuss Marshall’s case with her, and she says she knows, but she couldn’t help noticing he quickly determined it was a simple medication issue. He says he’s confident in his diagnosis, and she says, with all due respect, in her experience, it’s best to perform ambulatory monitoring to rule out any underlying causes of hypertension. He says he understands she’s a very experienced nurse, but as Mr. Ashford’s doctor, he knows what he’s doing.

Curtis goes into the examining room, and asks how Marshall is feeling. Marshall says he’s embarrassed by all the attention, and Curtis asks if this has happened before. Marshall tells him, the doctor says there’s better medication that should help, and Curtis asks how long he’s had blood pressure issues. Marshall says, this isn’t an issue; he has it under control. Curtis says, really? Look where he is. Marshall says, it’s nothing for Curtis to concern himself about, and Curtis says, what if it’s hereditary? and Marshall says, leave it alone.

Alexis says, Sam told Harmony that she’s watching her? and Harmony says, it was more a warning than a statement. Alexis says she wishes Sam hadn’t told her that, and Harmony says she didn’t tell Alexis to cause friction between Alexis and Sam; in fact, the total opposite. She and Alexis talked about how difficult their friendship might be for Alexis’s daughters. Alexis says, they did, and she understands where Sam is coming from, but she’s also a grown woman, and is allowed to have the friends she chooses. Harmony says, under normal circumstances, sure. The bartender puts her to-go bag on the bar, and Harmony says, Alexis knows she cherishes their friendship, but now they’re seeing the reality of it. She didn’t want to keep Alexis in the dark about how Sam was feeling. If she needs to distance herself while her daughters come to terms – if her daughters come to terms with it – she completely understands. She takes the bag, and leaves, and Alexis goes back to the table. Shawn asks, what’s wrong? and Alexis says, she’s trying to do what’s right for her and what’s right for her daughters, and she’s starting to think that might not be possible.

Brook lets Elizabeth, Finn, and Chase in, and says she’s really sorry. Elizabeth asks, what happened? and Chase says he’d like to know the answer to that too. Brook says she was upstairs giving herself a manicure; moving is hard on the nails. She heard a noise, multiple noises actually. She grabbed a vase and came downstairs. We see Cameron and Josslyn on the couch, Elizabeth examining Cameron’s head, and Finn checking his eyes. Brook says she thought Cameron was an intruder, so she whacked him over the head with the vase. Cameron says, she’s very strong, and Brook thanks him. Josslyn says this is all her fault. She thought the house was empty. She had no idea her dad loaned it to Brook. Elizabeth says, the good news is, he doesn’t need stitches, and Finn says, he’s going to be okay. Brook says, thank God, and Elizabeth thanks Brook for calling her. Brook says, of course (🍷), and Cameron says, yeah, thanks a bunch. Brook is just glad his head is still intact, and Josslyn says, her too. She’s really sorry for the… Brook says, intrusion. It’s okay. Josslyn promises it won’t happen again, and Elizabeth suggests they get home. They leave with Finn, and Chase asks if Brook is okay. She says she feels awful that she hurt the poor kid, and he says, he gets why she called Elizabeth, but why did she call him?

Sonny and Dante sit down, and Sonny says, Dante should have gotten a beer while he had the chance. He asks if Dante wants to get in the ring, and Dante says, in a minute. He wants Sonny to tell him what’s going on first. Sonny says, he did, but Dante says, there’s clearly more than that going on. Sonny says, Carly came by to say goodnight to Donna and Avery. That’s what she’s doing now to make them think everything is normal. Dante says, but everything’s not normal? and Sonny says, it isn’t because they keep asking, when is mom coming? Is she staying? It’s not going to work out. Dante says, Sonny did tell Michael that he’d give Carly space, and Sonny says, he tried, but it’s obvious to him that Carly refuses to see what’s in front of her.

Sam asks if Carly has been holding this in the whole time, and Carly says she lost her mind on Nina at first, but yes, since the hearing. I guess she’s leaving out the part about going to Nina’s office and slapping her. Sam says she can’t imagine how hard this must be on Carly, and Carly says, anger is the easy emotion. She’d rather feel rage than everything else. Sam asks, what’s everything else? and Carly says she feels embarrassed. She feels stupid. She should have known something was going on. All the times Sonny insisted they shouldn’t go after Nina and all he wanted was to focus on their life together. Tell her one time Sonny hasn’t demanded retaliation, especially when someone hurts his family. God knows they were. Sam says she knows they were, and Carly says, she remembers how confused she was, and how devastated everyone was. Nina did that to them, and Sonny stood by her. He swore on the stand that he wasn’t Nina’s victim. What the hell was that? They’re all Nina’s victims; every single one of them. Do they not matter? How is she supposed to believe Sonny loves her when he still has a place in his heart for a woman who hurt her like that?

Brook tells Chase, she accidentally assaulted a hormonal teenager. She’s sorry if she didn’t know what to do. He says she really needs to break this pattern of hitting people in the head, accidental or not, and she says she was alone in a strange house that they moved into to protect a tiny baby from a giant psychopath. She’s sorry. She was terrified and he was working out. He says, she told him to go, but she says, not because she wanted him to.

Curtis says, for someone who says they want a relationship – Marshall says he does – why is everything off limits? Marshall says, not everything, just some things. If he thought it was important to Curtis in any way… Curtis says Marshall’s medical history is important. He just suffered a cardiac episode. Marshall says he’s fine, and asks if the doctor didn’t talk to Curtis. Curtis says he’s talking to Marshall. He needs information from Marshall. Does anything warrant a conversation, or is he only allowed to know that Marshall plays the clarinet? Marshall says he’s sorry the events in his life have made him guarded. He’s also sorry the events in Curtis’s life have made him more inquisitive. Curtis says, these are regular run-of-the-mill questions. The only thing that irregular is, Marshall refuses to answer them. Marshall puts his hand on Curtis’s shoulder, and says he hopes and prays they’ll somehow find a way to reconcile their differences. Curtis says, they’re some big differences, but Marshall says, they’re not insurmountable. He’s willing to try. Is Curtis?

Carly tells Sam, she gets it. If she ignores all the horrible things Nina has done, she can see why it would be hard for Sonny to turn off his feelings for her. She couldn’t do it with Jason. Sam shifts her position, and Carly says she’s sorry, but Sam says, don’t be. They passed that a long time ago. Carly says she knows it hurt Sonny when he came home and found out she and Jason had developed feelings for each other. That was really difficult for him. Never mind that it never would have happened if it weren’t for Nina and her lies. But the point is, the second Sonny came home, she and Jason shut that door permanently, and she’s done everything she can to do right by her husband. But Sonny is still acting on his feelings for Nina. Sam asks if Sonny is saying he loves Nina, and Carly tells her, he’s saying he still has feelings for her, but what they had is in the past. How does she believe that when he keeps defending her? Sam says, Nina’s in the wrong, clearly, but if Sonny keeps sticking up for her, Sonny is making Carly feel like it’s her attacking Nina. Carly says, yeah, and what does it say about him if he feels that way? More important, what does it say about their marriage?

Sonny tells Dante, he and Carly had this moment, that undeniable pull, then Carly’s walls go up. Dante says he’s sorry, and Sonny says he just thinks if they were living together, Carly would see what they have and who they are, and nothing’s changed. Whatever residual feelings he has for Nina doesn’t compare to his love for Carly. Dante says, maybe deep down she does, but she hasn’t processed it yet. Sonny knows he hurt her, right? Sonny says, but if anybody gets it, it’s Carly. She fell in love with Jason, then she insisted on being with him. What’s the difference between that and what happened with Nina? Dante says, but there is a difference. Say what he will about Carly and Jason. He’s not going to touch that one, but they thought Sonny was dead, so in their eyes, there was no betrayal. In Carly’s eyes, she feels Sonny betrayed her, because he protected Nina after he knew Nina lied about him being alive. Sonny admits he didn’t say anything when he first came back, because he thought he could get over these feelings. Then Jason died and a lot went down. Dante says, the bottom line is, Carly asked for space and time. Is she Sonny’s person? Sonny says, she is, and Dante says, then he’s got give them to her. Sonny says, that’s worst thing he could do.

Back home, Elizabeth tells Finn that she’s going to check on Jake and Aiden, and goes upstairs. Josslyn’s phone dings, and she says, oh no. Devon just texted. He’ll be here soon to pick her up. Cameron says, goodbye already? and she says she knows. Finn says, he’ll just be… not here, and goes in the kitchen. Josslyn says she had a lot of fun tonight. Up until… Cameron says he knows. They can try again at the cabin. She says, that should be no problem. They just have to avoid Esme, and Spencer, and Trina. He says, see? Easy. She says, honestly, alone or not, she likes spending time with him, and he says, as does he, and they kiss.

Brook tells Chase that she’s sorry. She’s just overwhelmed with the situation. They keep trying to set boundaries, and Bailey’s still in danger, and she doesn’t know what the right thing to do is. He says, it’s an adjustment for sure, but they’ll figure it out together.

Elizabeth meets Finn in the kitchen, and he says, some first date, huh? She says, not the most romantic in history, and they laugh. He says, it might sound crazy given all the interruptions, but he had a good time with her. If she lets him, he’d love to take her out again. She says she’d like that very much, although she’s hoping for less eventful. He says he’ll see what he can do, and they kiss.

Shawn tells Alexis, he’s all for second chances. God knows he’s been given a few, but Harmony’s not just a former criminal; the crimes she committed were against Alexis’s daughters. She says she’s very well aware of that, and doesn’t excuse any of that. However, it’s important to realize that Harmony was also one of Shiloh’s victims. He asks if she thinks Sam and Kristina will see it that way, and she says she doesn’t know about Sam, but truthfully, Kristina’s opinion matters more. He asks if Kristina knew how beneficial Alexis’s relationship with Harmony was, what does she think that opinion would be?

Epiphany goes in to see Marshall, and he says, she’s still here. She says, hypertension can be a sign of something more serious. She knows Dr. Rose is convinced it’s just a matter of Marshall’s medication, but if he wants a second opinion… but he says, no; it won’t be necessary. It’s happened before, and everything’s been fine. She asks if he calls this fine, and he says he and the doctor have an understanding. He thanks her for looking out for him, and says, her patients are lucky to have her. She tells him, don’t think he has an out. She’s still paying her half of the bill. They laugh, and he says, deal.

Portia asks Curtis how Marshall is, and he says, the same; closed off and stubborn. He feels like he’s getting whiplashed. One minute he never wants to see Marshall again, and the next minute, he’s reminded of why they’re at an impasse in the first place. She says, relationships are tricky, and he says, that’s an understatement. She says, they’ll make progress; they’ll have setbacks. It’s to be expected. He says, how can they expect to make progress if Marshall is controlling how much he can and can’t know? She tells him, he said it himself. He wanted time, and now thankfully he has it. It’s up to him how he wants to spend that time. He says he does want a relationship with his father. He just doesn’t know if it’s possible.

Sonny says he took Dante’s advice. He talked to Carly, but it didn’t help much. Dante says, or Sonny could say he made his point, and she made hers. He thinks it would be a huge mistake if Sonny doesn’t listen to what she wants. Sonny says, she wants space. They had it for nine months. They should be making up for that. Being apart, they gain nothing. Dante says, obviously, Carly doesn’t see it that way.

Sam tells Carly, she knows how hard it is when you and your husband aren’t on the same page. She’s so sorry. Carly says, for the first time in a long time, she has no idea what to do. She doesn’t know what comes next. That’s not true. She knows that she goes to bed, and she’ll get up in the morning because she promised the girls she’d be there early to make them pancakes. Sam says she’s going to go. Does Carly want her to call Josslyn? She doesn’t want Carly to be alone. Carly says, Josslyn and Michael have already came down pretty hard on Sonny. She doesn’t want them more involved than they already are, or feel they have to pick sides. Sam starts to leave, then stops and asks Carly, what’s the hardest part? Carly asks what Sam means, and Sam says, Carly told her that she was angry, then she said she was embarrassed. What else? Carly says, underneath it all is this deep aching sadness. Nina devastated her family, and she’s not so sure they can recover.

Curtis says he guesses Marshall is free to go, and Marshall says, he guesses so. He’s sorry things got tense earlier. He didn’t know what to expect when he came back, but he knew he had to try. It seems he’s not doing too good of a job. It means a lot that Curtis showed up. He should call for a car. Do they have taxis out front? Curtis says, they do, but he’ll give Marshall a ride. Ready? Marshall says, lead the way.

Chase hands Brook a glass of wine, and she thanks him. He says, long day. huh? She asks if he was working out when she called, and he says, he and Dante were just finishing up. He was a little confused when he didn’t recognize the number. She says, her phone died; she called from Cameron’s phone. He says, Cameron has his cell info? and she says, no. He asks how she called him then, and she says she knows his number by heart. He says, for real? and she tells him, don’t sound so pleased. After the Maxie/fake Chloe horror show, she thought it was a good idea to memorize some important numbers in case of an emergency. He says, important? and she says, he is Bailey’s father. She flashes back to overhearing Chase say letting himself fall for someone like Brook would be a major disaster; she lied, schemed, and hurt people. Brook says she’s so tired. It turns out amorous teenagers breaking into your house takes a lot more out of you than she thought. Sorry she ruined his night. He says she didn’t, and she says, it’s not always going to be like this. Most of the time, he won’t even know she’s here. She tells him, goodnight, and goes upstairs.

Alexis says, Shawn is right, but he says he’s not looking to be right. She says, the friendship she formed with Harmony in prison will end up being hurtful to Kristina. Shawn says, even if Kristina knew how Alexis feels about Harmony now? and she says, even if, and she doesn’t want to make things difficult for Kristina. He says he thinks she has her answer, and she says, apparently, she’s not going to be able to continue her friendship with Harmony.

Dante says, if Sonny keeps pushing Carly, he’s going to sabotage the whole thing, but Sonny says, no. The only way he’s going to do that is by letting this go on. He needs to up the stakes; he needs to show Carly how much she means to him. One thing he does know is, he can’t fix this if they’re not together. If she wants time, then they’ll do it together. Dante says he doesn’t think that’s what Carly meant, and Sonny says he doesn’t care what she meant. It’s Carly who he wants, and he’s going to let her know that. End of story. Sonny leaves, and Dante looks worried.

Carly thanks Sam for letting her get all that off her chest, and Sam says she practically forced Carly into it. Carly says, either way, it felt good. Sam says, she’s glad. In case no one told Carly, she’s not the bad guy here. Nina hurt her, a lot, and if she’s being honest, Sonny did too. Carly is entitled to feel all of these emotions. Just know that. Carly thanks her, and Sam leaves.

Elizabeth asks how Cameron’s head is; does he need some ice? He says he’s fine. He’s so sorry her date got messed up because of him, but she says, she’s just glad he still needs her. Is everything good with him and Josslyn? He says, everything is great, and she says she likes seeing his smile. He says he likes seeing hers too. He bets Franco’s really glad to see them doing so well. She says she hopes so, and he says he knows so. She says, he and Josslyn are being safe, right? and he says, goodnight. She says she can’t wait to finish this conversation in the morning, and he says, great, as he goes upstairs.

The clock says quarter to three, when there’s a knock at the door. Elizabeth comes down in her robe, and opens the door to Dante. He says he’s sorry. He knows it’s early, but something terrible happened last night, and he thought she should know about it.

Tomorrow, Chase asks Finn what the hell he’s talking about, Maxie says there’s nothing else to remember, Cameron asks why Dante is here, and Peter can’t wait to tell the world what someone did to him.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Emily shopped for bathing suits with Jen and Nicole. She said she didn’t remember having all those tequila shots at Max’s party. In Emily’s interview, she said Jen and Nicole were not normal sized people. Nicole said it was going to be awkward with Noella now, and we flashed back to Nicole telling Noella that she couldn’t be the friend Noella needed. Nicole said Noella had talked sh*t about her and Heather, and she was over it. In Emily’s interview, she said, she didn’t know what was going on, but clearly Nicole’s intent was to get her to think badly about Noella. Nicole said if Noella went to Cabo, she wasn’t going. Emily suggested they share a room – a padded room.

While Shannon packed for the trip, she called John. She said she hadn’t seen any of the women for two weeks, since she’d been in Nashville. Before that, she’d felt like they were going after each other. In Shannon’s interview, she said Gina and Emily had blindsided her with their untrust ambush. They’d never discussed it further, and it posed a potential problem. She was glad she and Heather were in a decent place. We flashed back to Heather saying Shannon would lose more than her friendship if Shannon ever came after her family again. In her interview, Shannon told John that she was having fun reconnecting with Heather, and he said, it was time for fun and healing.

Gina visited Heather in her giant house that apparently has more than one doorbell, since Gina got one of the staff by mistake. Heather joked (I think) that there was a vetting process. They hung out in the hallowed closet, and in Gina’s interview, she said her sex dreams were the closet. She told Heather that she was excited to be flying private, and Heather said she’d rented a house in Cabo. Gina asked if Heather would do her a favor. She knew Heather and Noella weren’t thick as thieves, but as excited as she was, she felt badly for Noella. They’d been texting, and Noella said she was going to be lonely when they were in Maxico. In Gina’s interview, she said she understood what Noella was going through. She’d rather Noella be with her, or she was going to worry about her. Noella was going through a hard time, and Gina wanted her to have fun. Heather said she didn’t dislike Noella, but every time she tries, something goes sideways. She extended an invitation to Max’s party, and when Max came home, she found out Noella had given her a questionable gift. It was a Pride themed card game, which was fine, but Max was 17 and the questions weren’t appropriate. She read some of them, but so much was bleeped, the only audible word was licking. In her interview, Gina said, it was so awkward. Being in this room was like when you make the mistake of watching a movie with your parents, and there’s an explicit sex scene. You’d do anything to get TF out of the room, but you’re trapped. Boy, do I know about that. When I was in school in NYC, I’d gone home for winter break, and my sister and I wanted to watch American Werewolf in London. My dad was with us, and we’d forgotten there was a nakey shower scene. It wasn’t all that explicit, but nothing we wanted to watch in front of him. When it got to that scene, it was so quiet, you could hear the proverbial pin drop. After what seemed like hours of silence, my sister suddenly said, I don’t know why they have to put this kind of scene in every movie. Yep. I wanted to get TF out, but I was trapped. Heather reads another card that says something about telling Heather Dubrow to f*** off. She told Gina that it was basically porn, and Gina said, it wasn’t appropriate. Heather said she didn’t want anyone to feel left out or bad, especially at her expense, but give her a reason why it was a good idea to invite Noella. Gina told Heather that she wasn’t saying this was her best decision, and couldn’t give Heather a reason why things wouldn’t go awry, but she was asking Heather to do her a solid. Heather said she’d extend an invite, but it was on Gina.

Heather conferred with her driver Pete about the trip, and he said, it should be fun. She asked if he was being serious or facetious, and he said, they had champagne, right? In Heather’s interview, she said they went to Cabo ten times a year, maybe more. She loved Cabo, and she was excited to hang out with the women there. She and Shannon historically, had a great time on trips. We flashed back to some of that, and Heather said, she and Gina have connected. She loved Jen, and she was excited to get to know Emily. Heather told the group that Nicole said she couldn’t come, and Noella would be coming late. In her interview, she said she wasn’t sorry Noella would be late. We saw them in the private airport area via Heather Cam, and on the private plane via Gina Cam. In Gina’s interview, she said, some people would think Heather was controlling, but she thought, this bitch is handling everything. All she has to do is show up. Yes I’ll fly on your private jet. In Heather’s interview, she said she had a legal pad where she wrote everything down. It was important to have a framework or there was no plan. The plane looked like a good time. I would love to fly on a PJ. I’d even settle for flying first class.

The women arrived at San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, and had more champagne in the limo going to the villa. Emily told Shannon that if she said fun Emily one more time, she’d snatch the tequila out of Shannon’s ass. Which made no sense whatsoever, but was still funny. The group was met by the staff, including a Spanish tutor, and some tequila. Heather toasted to a successful, fabulous trip. She said the villa was amazing, with a big main house, and little casitas. They had privacy and pools. They danced around by the pool to a mariachi band and Spanish dancer. The rooms were… Oh never mind, you know how fabulous they were. They took a tour of the place, deciding where they were going to bunk, and in Gina’s interview, she said she and Emily were vacation wives. If there was one bed, no problem. If Travis wasn’t there, she could slot Emily right in. The found the perfect casita, with two beds.

Jen called, and in her interview, she said she never took trips without her family. If she had time away from the office, she spent it with her kids and husband. She said, there was no balance in home life, work, and friendships. If you worked on one, the others suffered. Heather showed Emily and Gina some house plans for a place in Cabo, and in her interview, she said she and Terry had been talking about vacation homes for two years. She wanted it to be a beautiful, cool, sexy hideaway. She told the two of them that Terry thought it was a lot of money to park in a place they don’t live at, but she wanted to have a place they could give the kids; a place that could be theirs. She and Terry had them when they were older, and they wouldn’t be around forever. In Heather’s interview, she said she had a dream, seeing her kids in the future. They were looking at something, but she didn’t know what, and one of them said, mom would have loved this. She wanted to make sure they had places to go together. She told Emily and Gina that she was hoping to find something already built, and would be looking at land and houses tomorrow. They could do everything or nothing; their choice. Gina wanted to go horseback riding, and in her interview, she said she was a legit survivor of a shark attack, and we flashed back to when she was on a jet ski and there was a shark in the vicinity that was not Jaws. She said, riding a horse was still better than swimming with sharks.

In Noella’s interview, she said, obviously, she was the last person invited, but she could get over it for her feet in the sand and a Skinnygirl margarita. I have to give a shout out to Noella’s chihuahua Rihanna, who is just an adorable angel. Emily, Gina, and Shannon went horseback riding, and in Shannon’s interview, she said, she grew up around horses; they had 18 acres. In Emily’s interview, she said she grew up riding horses in Ohio, and in Gina’s interview, she said she didn’t know how to ride a horse. Shannon thought her horse was a little feisty, and they all trotted down the beach. In her interview, Gina said Emily looked good on a horse; hair flowing and sexy. She expected Emily would get off the horse, and there was going to be a porno. That’s how good she looked.

Heather told Jen that she never ate carbs so she could eat them on vacation, and Jen said she had a narrow diet because of how her schedule was. Heather asked if she did family dinners, and Jen said she strived for them, but usually didn’t get home until 8 or 9 pm. Heather said, earlier in his career, Terry had never around, and we flashed back to Terry saying, Max was sending him photos of the empty dad chair. Heather said he’d gotten to the point where changes had to be made, and he did. In Jen’s interview, she said Ryne didn’t recognize what she did for the family because he wasn’t living it. In turn, she didn’t recognize what he did, but she wanted the family dynamic; they were disconnected. She told Heather that she was going to work out, and in her interview, she said, in her 20s, she’d had a long, painful journey with a tumor in her femur. They’d replaced the marrow with cement, and she was always in pain, but managed it with physical therapy, and working out. Heather thought it should be a chill-by-the-pool day.

After riding, Emily, Gina, and Shannon sat on the beach. Gina popped some champagne, and Shannon almost got creamed by the cork. Shannon was worried about Noella coming, and the reception she’d get from Heather. Gina said she was the reason Noella was on the trip. She’d asked Heather for a personal favor. In Shannon’s interview, she said she was surprised. She thought Noella should come, but if there were feelings of animosity, she was worried about that. Gina thought if they got Noella and Heather under the same roof, they’d bond, to which Emily gave a quick and hard, no, she didn’t think so. In Gina’s interview, she said she was hoping they’d hit it off. She wanted Noella to come with an open mind, and hoped it worked out. Shannon suggested Gina act as peacemaker, and Gina said she just wanted to take one step in the right direction. Here’s where the camera panned out, and we saw the poor guide waiting with the horses.

They came back and got in the pool at Gina and Emily’s room. This place was absolutely amazing, but everyone kept saying, it’s so hot, and I’m not fond of the heat. In Shannon’s interview, she said, tequila Emily and Gina were more fun than the everyday Emily and Gina. In Emily’s interview, she said, fun Shannon was great. There was no bad behavior; just having a good time. Everyone got dressed for dinner, and Heather mentioned that Terry was having dinner with John and Travis. On the way to the restaurant, Shannon said Noella had texted to say they wouldn’t take her passport, but Heather rolled her eyes and said, Noella forgot her passport. In Heather’s interview, she said she had mixed emotions about Noella coming. She wanted to believe it was going to be great, but the truth was, historically, when Noella showed up, things went to sh*t.

By the time Noella got there, the others were already at the restaurant, and in Noella’s interview, she said, everything was lovely, and she wasn’t being shady, but – she fanned herself – she was the guest. She was grateful for the invite, but she would have made an effort to be there when the guest arrived. At the restaurant, the women were shown to the jungle room, which was magnificent. Shannon said Noella had texted, and was on her way there. In Gina’s interview, she said, it was a big job. Noella was a bit of a wild card, and she didn’t know if she could tame a wild child. She had the feeling that Noella was going to light this sh*t on fire.

Noella was brought to the table, and Heather said, the traveling sounded long. Noella said, it was pure hellishness, but it’s all good; it was so gorgeous there. Heather thanked Noella for joining them, told everyone, happy dinner, and they ordered starters. Noella explained that she usually traveled by private plane, and brought a passport card, but the airport would only accept an actual passport. In Noella’s interview, she said she knew she was spoiled AF, but this was her first trip since she’d lost the private plane. They got tequila shots, and Noella whined that there was no ice. She said, yay to warm tequila, and in Heather’s interview, she said, she understood getting picky about vintage champagne, or the clarity and color of a diamond, but it was a tequila shot. Throw it back and shut up.

Noella raved about how much she loved Shannon’s phone calls, and how Shannon was always checking in with her. Shannon said she’d been through it, and in Jen’s interview, she said Noella was in The Noella Show. Emily asked Noella why she’d been talking smack about her and Gina. She’d said all Emily did was take the kids out for yogurt, and go to Costco. Noella admitted she’d said that, although I don’t quite understand how anyone could come up with an insult like that. I’m not sure if it’s even an insult. Gina told Noella that she’d said Travis was a loser, but Noella insisted she never said anything about Travis. In her interview, Noella said she did say something about Gina’s house before she’d even met Gina, but she’d heard it from Braunwyn. Ugh. I wanted to like this woman, especially since she has a cute dog, but no. She said, obviously Nicole had gotten marching orders to discredit her, and when a producer asked, from who? she said, Heather, duh.

Emily pointed out that Noella wasn’t eating the meal she’d ordered, and Noella made a big production about taking a bite of potatoes. In Gina’s interview, she said, if Noella didn’t want to eat, be low key. Gina was just trying to manage the dynamic, and the dynamic was already becoming unmanageable. Gina, Emily, and Noella went to the bathroom, which was code for, they were going to talk on the side. Emily told Noella that she thought Heather was annoyed that she was picking up the tab for a meal Noella ordered, but didn’t eat ~~after Heather had thrown out $3 million in sushi the previous week~~. In Noella’s interview, she said, she didn’t need anyone to tell her how to behave. Emily and Gina must have drunk the Kool-Aid. Something was going on. These weren’t the same girls she’d hung out with before. She told Emily that she didn’t care if Heather thought she should eat or not, and at the table, Heather said this was the exact situation she didn’t want. She was worried. She hadn’t wanted to do this, and still didn’t.

To be continued…

This season, a trip to Aspen; Shane gets his diploma (or whatever you call it) for passing the bar; Ryne leaves Jen; Noella has a breakdown, and says she smells bullsh*t, but I’m not sure if the two are related; John tells Shannon, f*** Gina; Shannon says she owns her sh*t; Heather says, Noella is a liar and a thirsty girl; and Noella is shocked Heather knows what thirsty means. Is that an admission of thirst guilt?

🏂 Sliding Under the Covers Like…

It’s been real, so come back again tomorrow, for soap and a Supermodel on the Runway. Until then, stay safe, stay looking for hidden opportunities, and stay knowing that even if difficulties are big, that doesn’t mean they’re insurmountable.

Jan18

January 17, 2022 – Brick Warns Sonny About a New Player, Vow Renewal On Deck, It’s Back, Salty Talk, Betty’s Birthday, Fit For a King & Dream

Posted on January 18, 2022 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the gym, Drew tells Michael that his shares were in a trust for Scout, and Sam signed the proxy over to Valentin. So assuming he can figure all that out… Michael says he’d have to remove the proverbial gloves, and get in a bare-knuckle brawl with the family. Drew says, been there, done that? and Michael says, he’d hoped for a knockout in the hearing, but Nina walked away without a scratch. The way she keeps coming between his mom and dad, this fight isn’t going to end any time soon.

In her office, Nina flashes back to saying Carly is going to drive Sonny away for good, and if Sonny comes to her, she’s definitely not going to send him away. Britt knocks at the door, and asks if it’s a bad time.

Carly tells Donna and Avery that she knows she’s been working a lot, but she’s going to be there every morning to take them to school, and every night to put them to bed. Sonny says, there’s no school today, so Laura is going to take them sledding. Avery asks if Carly can come, and Carly says she wishes she could, but she has so much work to do. She’s working all day, and all night. Sonny says he knows they’re disappointed, but they’ve just got to make the best of things. So why don’t they find Pilar? Carly tells them not to forget their mittens, and they go upstairs. Sonny says, Pilar always makes sure they have their mittens, and Carly says she’s just looking out for their girls. He says, they’d be a lot happier if she stayed home. So would he.

At the Savoy, Laura says she’s sorry she missed Curtis on New Year’s. She wanted to ring in the New Year with him, and pray for a better year. He says he’s sorry he missed her, but 2022 is off to a great start. She says she thinks she knows that look. Did he ring in the New Year with Portia? He says, and then some, and she laughs. He says, enough about him; what about her? She says she got tired of hiding, and he asks if that means Cyrus is no longer a threat. She says, it means she went to pay a visit to him in person before she came home, and he asks what Cyrus had to say. She tells him to brace himself. He claims he found religion. He says, Cyrus Renault is holy. So he found religion? She says, or seen the light; whatever version Curtis prefers. He says, pardon him if he finds it hard to believe, when he can still feel the scar where the man shot him, and she says she’s pretty skeptical too. Like everything Cyrus does, it’s sort of bigger than life and kind of flashy. He asks what she thinks Cyrus’s angle is. Is he trying to gain sympathy, or is he trying to gain the ear of some powerful person who will fall for it? She says she’s not sure; time will tell. He says, if recent events have taught him anything, it’s that time doesn’t change people like that. It only brings out the worst in them. She says, they’re not talking about Cyrus anymore, are they?

In an examining room, Marshall tells Epiphany that he doesn’t need an x-ray, but she says, he came to the hospital. It’s her job to be thorough. He’s going to sit tight and she’s going to schedule things with radiology. She drops his chart, and he picks it up and hands it to her. She asks if that’s not his injured wrist, and he says, maybe it’s the other one. She says, Mr. Ashford… and he asks her to call him Marshall. She says, Mr. Ashford. Her break’s almost over, and she has legitimate patients to see who have real issues, so if he doesn’t mind… He says, okay, he’s busted. His wrists are fine. He was just trying to get her attention. He hasn’t seen her since he asked her to join his band, after they teamed up and serenaded the GH patients for Christmas. She says she remembers, but he says she didn’t give him an answer one way or the other, which is better than a cold, hard pass, but he’s texted her since and no response. So it begs the question, is she not interested in his music, or him?

Michael says he wants to talk about his parents rocky marriage about as much as Drew wants to talk about ELQ. Drew says, fair enough, and Michael asks how it’s going with Drew’s little girl; they’re reunited again. Drew says, it’s the best thing in the whole world. It blew him away how much she’s grown. She was a little shy at first, but every time they get together, it gets better and better. It’s like they’re building a vocabulary of their common experience; it’s so in the moment. Michael asks if Drew is building a vocabulary with Sam, since he’s clearly out of the loop, and Drew says, she’s moved on. He doesn’t blame her; Michael’s brother Dante is a great guy. Michael says, he’s one of the best, but so is Drew. Drew says, you know what they say about nice guys, but Michael says, that’s not necessarily true. They don’t always finish last. Maybe he could help Drew prove it.

Nina says she doubts Britt is just there to check up on her, but Britt says, they made a pact at Nathan’s grave to always support each other. She takes that very seriously, and she heard what happened at Nina’s hearing; quite the bombshell. Nina says, as Britt can see, she walked away without a scratch, but Britt says, take it from a doctor; some scratches only show up on the inside. Nina takes it Britt and her mother have been talking about this. Let her guess. Obrecht thinks she’s busy licking her wounds, but she can assure Britt… Britt says, Nina is a big girl. She knows Nina can handle it. Nina thanks Britt for not seeing her as a victim, and Britt says, no way. It sounds to her like Nina left the hearing with her head held high, and Carly’s head was left spinning. What about Sonny? Nina says, what about him? and Britt says, from what she hears, the two of them are in an interesting place. Nina says, let’s cut to the chase. What does Britt want? Britt says she has a friend who’s in a bit of a sticky situation, and he has an aunt who’s even more lethal than her mother. She called in a favor that her friend delivered, and now he’s afraid she’s going to hold it over his head. Nina says, no offense, but Britt isn’t known to have a ton of friends. Are they talking about Brad Cooper? Britt says, yes, and he needs help; the kind of help Sonny Corinthos can deliver. Nina says, and Britt wants her to get him to deliver it.

Sonny says he’s not going to lie to Carly. It’s only been one night, and he misses her. She says she misses him too, and he asks why they’re wasting every precious moment staying apart. She called his bluff, and went to the MetroCourt, and proved her point. So let’s figure out what we need to move forward. She says she’s not trying to prove a point, and she’s not trying to call his bluff. She meant what she said. She needs some time to herself. She needs to wrap her head around what came out at that hearing. And not just Willow’s testimony. He admitted he had feelings for Nina. He says, they can’t get through that if they’re sleeping in separate beds or avoiding each other instead of working this out. She says she was tagged in an email from the pharmacy. Did he refill his prescription? He sighs, and says, for a second there, he thought she didn’t care, and she says, did he? He flashes back to throwing the pill bottle across the kitchen, and he says he’s on it; don’t try to change the subject. He’s going to give her the time she wants, but he’s not giving up on their marriage. Is she?

Curtis says, while Laura was away at the safe house, being protected from Cyrus, his life has been a lot less eventful. Which is why he traded his P.I. license for a liquor license, which she framed and hand delivered. Now he’s just a hard-working club owner, chasing down a million minute details. She asks why she feels like he left out a story or two in his very uneventful life. She’s kept in touch with Jordan. She’s recuperating, and told her that things are going very well with him and Portia. And Doc has given her glowing reviews about how TJ is excelling at the hospital. So did somebody else get under his skin? He says she does know him, and she says she can tell he’s trying to tough something out, and she knows he can handle anything, but maybe she can help if he lets her.

Epiphany says she and Marshall did make some beautiful music on Christmas, but when she made the mistake of thinking he had some personal interest in her, he told her that he wasn’t in the market for a social life. He says, so it’s not the music; it’s him. She says, he might be on wiz on that clarinet, but he’s just like every other man she’s met in her life. He thinks it’s all about him. There was somebody else who thought it was all about him too, and he took her job from her. Compared to him, Marshall’s a saint, but she got her job back, and that’s all that matters. He says, understood, but he began to think she was mad at him because he mistakenly called her doctor.

Michael tells Drew, he feels like a placeholder at Aurora. He took the job because Sam asked him to, and it gave him a place to land when he was out as CEO at ELQ. Drew says, Sam told him that Michael is doing an incredible job. The profits are up at Aurora, and Michael is making it respected throughout the industry. Michael says, thanks, but Drew set the standard. He’s just doing his best to maintain it. Aurora is Drew’s vision – always has been, always will be. He’s more than willing to step aside and let Drew take his rightful place behind the desk, and start calling the shots again. If that’s what Drew wants.

Britt tells Nina, Brad’s done some terrible things, but he’s paid for them. Not only by doing his time in Pentenville; he lost his husband and his son. His aunt came to him with a chance for parole and he took it. Nina asks what exactly she asked him to do, and Britt says, did she ask Nina for a play-by-play of her time in Nixon Falls with Sonny? Nina says she guesses Britt thinks she knows enough to ask her for a favor. What does she want Sonny to do? Britt says, Sonny can be very persuasive. If he were to intercede on Brad’s behalf… Nina says, hold on. Sonny hates Brad. Brad kept Michael away from his son for a year. Sonny’s never going to forget that. Britt says, not even for Nina? and Nina walks into the reception area. Following her, Britt says, according to the testimony at Nina’s hearing, she has pull with Sonny. Nina says, it doesn’t matter what was said at the hearing. All that matters is, Sonny loves Carly. Nothing else matters. Britt says, not even how Sonny feels about Nina, or Nina feels about him?

Carly tells Sonny not to force her to make decisions about their marriage on her timetable, but he says, he’s not forcing her to do anything. As if he ever could. But she’s not going to stop him from telling her about how he feels and what he wants, and what he wants is their marriage, her, their family. That’s what happened when he wasn’t himself. It wasn’t the medication; it was the memories that brought him back to her, and brought him back to their kids. If she doesn’t trust how he feels about her – if she can’t cross that bridge – trust how she feels about him. That’s going to tell her all she needs to know. Carly says she knows how she feels about him. Everything would be so much easier if she didn’t. He says, it’s never been easy with them; that’s just the way it is. It’s not who they are, but in the end, it’s always good. The door opens, and Brick comes in. He says he loves those guards. They wave him in like he’s one of the family… On the other hand, maybe they shouldn’t have called him up. He feels like he walked into the middle of something.

Laura says, so this guy shows up, claims to be Curtis’s father who died decades ago? Wow. She can see why he’s skeptical. Just because the guy has a few details and photos doesn’t necessarily mean he’s who he claims to be. Curtis says he’s a trained P.I.; he’s trained to be skeptical. Pictures can be doctored, stories can be invented. He was sure this mystery man was up to no good. Then Aunt Stella confirmed it. Marshall Ashford is the man who abandoned them all those years ago, and let them believe he was dead. Now this man comes back to Port Charles, and wants to reconnect, and wants to start fresh. TJ, God bless him, he’s all for it. He was ready to accept Marshall as his grandpa from the jump. She says, he’s never been hurt by this man. What about Curtis? Is he ready accept his father back in his life?

Epiphany asks if Marshall is saying there’s something wrong with being a nurse, but he says, not at all. He thinks it’s a noble profession. He’s sorry if he touched a nerve by assuming she wanted an MD after her name. She says, if she overreacted, it’s because there was a time she did have dreams about being a doctor. When she was in high school, she used to haunt the library, pouring over the Gray’s Anatomy – the book, not the TV series. She even took an after school job with a vet, so she could assist her when the vet was setting a broken bone for a cat, or stitching up a dog. He says, that takes real dedication. So what happened? Why didn’t she follow her dream?

Drew tells Michael, he started Aurora Media with Sam. It was more than a company for them. It was so they could break free from a life of uncertainty and danger, for the family they wanted to create. Michael says, and a life working closely with his dad, and Drew says he realizes when he stepped away, he probably dampened his friendship with Sonny. Sometimes he wonders if it was the right thing. Michael tells him not to second guess himself. He was right to distance himself from Michael’s father.

Nina tells Britt that she cares about Sonny way too much to get in between him and Carly. Britt says, that didn’t stop her in Nixon Falls, and Nina says, Nixon Falls was a fantasy. Now she’s back here in reality, and Sonny’s reality is at home with his wife and his children, both the older ones and the two little girls at his home. She doesn’t want to be the cliché, the heartless homewrecker. Britt says she understands, but is Nina sure there’s still a home left to wreck?

Carly hugs Brick, and says, he is family. He’s always welcome and never an interruption. He says, what that really means is, he stepped in it, didn’t he? but Sonny says, when Carly gives you a pass, you take it. Brick says, Sonny talked him into it, and hugs Carly again. She says, it’s good to see him, but she has a feeling they need to talk business, and she needs to get to the hotel. Tell the girls that she’ll be home later tonight to see them. Sonny says he’ll see her then, and she leaves. Brick says, she’s gone now; it’s just the two of them. What’s going on with him and Carly?

Curtis tells Laura, when Marshall first came here, he wanted to forget the past and start over. Curtis made it abundantly clear that was not okay. When they started talking, Marshall said he got mixed up in some bad business; got on the wrong side of some seriously dangerous people. Not long after that, he went off the radar. She says she can relate to that, and he says he thought she might. She says, if his situation was anything like with her, he had no choice. Stay with the family, put the family at risk; stay underground and the family is safe. He says, that’s exactly what Marshall told him, and she says, so if Marshall’s story is true, Curtis has to face something she’s not sure he’s willing to accept. No matter how much his father hurt him, he did it out of love.

Epiphany tells Marshall, why didn’t she become a doctor? It’s a long story, and her break’s almost over. He says, she’s still got a few minutes. She can skip the lollypop or whatever she rewards her patients with, and just tell him, what happened that she didn’t become Epiphany Johnson, MD? She says, life happened, and he says, meaning? She says, you dream big, work hard, and you learn sometimes things don’t go the way you planned them to. He says, been there for sure, but it’s not too late for him. She tells him, says him, and he says, he wouldn’t have moved to Port Charles if he didn’t believe that. And if it’s not too late for him, it’s not too late for her.

Drew says he thought Michael was devoted to his father. He knows Michael didn’t go into the business, and took the corporate route, but he didn’t think Michael was ashamed to be a Corinthos. Michael says, it’s not that; he’s not ashamed of his last name. It’s just that he and his dad have had their differences in the past… and in the present. Drew asks, how so? and Michael says, his dad defended Nina in court, despite all the harm she did to him and their entire family, especially his mother. Drew says he saw Carly last night at the MetroCourt; she seemed pretty upset, but Michael knows his mom. If she’s not okay now, she’ll find a way to be okay very soon.

At the MetroCourt, Carly says, sorry to keep Diane waiting, but Diane says, that’s okay; she’s on her third mimosa. Carly says, really? but Diane says, just coffee. Carly sits with her, and Diane asks if someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Carly says, wrong side, wrong bed, and Diane asks whose bed they’re talking about. Carly says, her bed, but not at her house; she’s staying in the hotel. Diane tells her, before she says another word, did Carly ask to speak to her as her friend or attorney? Carly says, friend. She’s sure Diane heard all the dirty laundry that came out at Nina’s hearing, and Diane says she got the general gist; she’s so sorry. Carly says, it’s not like she stopped loving Sonny, and she adores the girls, but is staying in a broken marriage good for Donna and Avery? Is love enough? Diane says, in her vast experience, she’s found it takes more than two people to break up a marriage. Carly says, so Diane knows what she’s up against, and Diane says, Sonny and Nina had a relationship in Nixon Falls, and Sonny is continuing to protect Nina in Port Charles. Carly says, that’s why she’s staying at the hotel. She needs some space to clear her head, figure out what her options are, what’s best for the girls, and if things start going south… Diane says she’s going to stop Carly there.

Sonny tells Brick, this is about marriage; something Brick knows little about. Brick says, fair enough, but he does know something about trouble, and he knows Sonny’s got it. And he’s not talking about Sonny’s marriage. One of his suppliers on the left coast is out of business, permanently. His going out of business sale was brought on by a brand new player, a complete unknown. Sonny says, players come and go, and Brick asks if Sonny is listening to him. This dude just took out one of Sonny’s players. That’s like waving a red flag in front of el toro, even from 2000 miles away. Sonny asks if this player has a name, and Brick says, everybody’s got a name; he’s working on it. Sonny says, Cyrus made noise about someone filling the power vacuum he left in the west, and Brick says, it could be part of the same party. Sonny says, he’ll ask around. He makes an aggressive move, then rubs his forehead, saying, he’s got a lot on his mind. Brick says, pardon him for asking, but such as? Sonny shakes his head, and Brick says, okay. He was just being a friend. He’s going to say it for Sonny, whether he wants to hear it or not. One man, two women; it’s one too many.

Nina tells Britt, of course (🍷) there’s still a home to wreck; two little girls are living in it. Britt asks how Nina can be so sure, and Nina says, Carly was standing at the same spot Britt is two days ago. Britt says, Carly came here looking for Nina? She hopes Nina had on body armor. What happened? Nina says, before Carly slapped her across the face? and Britt says, ouch. Nina says, Britt can guess what Carly had to say. She blames Nina for what Willow said on the witness stand, and blames her for what Sonny confirmed on the witness stand, even though she and Sonny never… Britt says, they might have. And they still might, if Carly keeps driving him into Nina’s arms. Is that what earned Nina the slap? Nina says, she told Carly that if Sonny showed up on her doorstep again, she woudn’t say no. Britt says, from what she’s been hearing, Sonny didn’t come back to a marriage. Sounds more like a prison with two unhappy people locked inside. Doesn’t Nina think she might be doing Sonny, and Carly, a favor if she gave him the key?

Curtis asks Laura, if Marshall was really trying to protect his family by dropping out of sight, why risk it now? She says, that’s an excellent question, and she’s sure Curtis asked it. What did he say? Curtis says, it was more about what he didn’t say. He said the danger is less, but he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, give proof to back it up. He warned Curtis against digging into his past. He said the only way to keep Aunt Stella and TJ safe was to let things be. She says, and he might be right about that, but Curtis says, or he might be blowing smoke. He doesn’t know what to believe, or if this man is even telling the truth.

Marshall says Epiphany can be anything she sets her mind to, and she says, like becoming a doctor? He tells her, he didn’t say it would be easy. She can start small; baby steps. She says, by joining his band? and they laugh. He says, warmer, but he was thinking about something a little easier, like dinner for two. She says, she thought he said he wasn’t into having a social life, and he says, he misspoke. He’s new in town, and he’s still putting one toe in the water, and the water is brutal in western New York this time of year. What does she say? Can they start over?

Drew says, it’s the second time he ran into Michael’s mom; the first time was on the footbridge. He had the distinct feeing he was not who she wanted to see. Not that she blames him for Jason’s death, it’s just, he’s still alive. Michael says, and Jason’s not, and Drew says, last night seemed different. She really needed someone to talk to, and he just happened to be there. If she could confide in him, of all people, it made him that maybe she’s… Michael says, desperate? and Drew laughs, saying, thanks. That’s good for his ego. Michael says, he meant he’s glad Drew was there for his mom. Drew says, him too.

Carly says she doesn’t understand. She thought she could tell Diane anything. Diane says, of course (🍷) she can, and trust her, she’s heard everything. As Carly’s friend, she’d never judge her or Sonny, but if they’re talking about a potential separation and possible divorce, just as Carly has her on retainer, Sonny has her on retainer. She can’t represent one of them without recusing herself of the other. Carly says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to put Diane in an awkward position. Diane says, welcome to the wonderful world of domestic law. Whatever decision Carly makes, it will be one she doesn’t make lightly. Carly has to be honest with herself. Is this a step she wants to take?

Brick says he knows his way out, but Sonny says he guesses it’s public knowledge, everything that came out during the hearing. Brick says, people talk; it’s his business to listen. Unless of course (🍷), Sonny only values his electronics expertise, and not his friendship. Sonny says, Brick knows that’s not true. He appreciates everything Brick does, and appreciates Brick coming to him with this threat on the west coast. He has to keep his eyes open, right? Brick says he does, and Sonny says, as far as what Brick walked in on… Brick says he knows Sonny misses Jason a lot. He misses Jason too. Not that anyone could replace Jason in Sonny’s business or his life, he’s just saying, if there’s anything he can do, or any way he can help, he’s there for Sonny. Sonny says he appreciates that. This nameless threat is child’s play compared to what he and Carly are going through. It’s like they’re going through a maze and they’re lost. Brick suggests he drop some breadcrumbs and leave a trail, but Sonny says, they have to work this one out for themselves.

Nina tells Britt, she’s not going to take advantage of what may or may not be happening in Sonny’s home, and Britt says, it’s so obvious what Nina wants. Why doesn’t she just go for it? Nina asks why she’s getting the feeling there’s something more to this than Britt encouraging her to follow her heart? What’s in it for Britt? Britt says, fine. She thought Nina wanted an objective opinion; God forbid a friend, but from now on, Nina can make her own mistakes. She gets up, and Nina says, wait. She’s a little tired of being the other woman without the benefits. Britt says, yes; now they’re talking. The question is, what does Nina want to do about it?

Curtis says he’s sorry to lay all his troubles on Laura, but she says she didn’t just come home to snip ribbons in the strip mall. She wanted to see the people she loves, and hopes he knows he’s one of them. He thanks her, and says, balancing the budget of Port Charles has got to be simpler than unraveling the mystery that is Marshall Ashford. She says she thinks she can solve one mystery for him, and he asks, what’s that? She says, despite Curtis’s doubts and questions, she thinks he does want to have a relationship with his father. Maybe even more than his father wants one with him. He thanks her for her insights, and hugs her. She tells him to take care of himself and let her know how it goes, and she leaves.

Epiphany tells Marshall that her break’s over; she has work to do. He says, understood, and starts to leave. She says she has an idea, and he says, he’s listening. She asks how he feels about prime rib, grilled to perfection, and he says, medium rare? She says, mm-hm, and he says, with blue cheese? She says, mm-hm, If he’s serious about dinner, her shift ends at six. The PC Grill has some of the best food around, and a fantastic wine list. He says, that sounds great, and maybe she can finish that long story of hers. She says, we’ll see, and he says, okay then. He’s looking forward. She says, her too, and he leaves.

Drew tells Michael, for what it’s worth(🍷), when he left Carly last night, he’s pretty sure he saw that spark back in her eye. Michael’s mom might be down, but she’s not out. Michael says he’s glad to hear it. Honestly, it’s getting harder for his mom and dad to put the pieces back together again. Drew says, all Michael can do is trust their love for each other is stronger than anything, or anyone, that comes between them. Michael says, he never used to doubt that, but now… Drew says, Michael knows he can’t fix this for them; that’s their job. All he can do is be there if they need him. The two of them leave the gym.

Carly tells Diane that she doesn’t know what she’s prepared to do, and Diane asks if that doesn’t speak volumes. If Carly was ready to pull the plug on her marriage to Sonny, they’d be sitting there as attorney and client, not two girlfriends. Carly says, maybe, and Diane says, perhaps Carly wants to fight for her marriage more than she realizes. Call her if she needs to talk – Diane gets up – as client or as a friend. She squeezes Carly’s shoulder, and leaves.

Nina tells Britt, there’s nothing for her to do, as long as Sonny, Carly, and their children are living under the same roof. She’s just an outsider, looking in, and she’s not going to break up their family. As far as Brad is concerned, she’s in no position to ask Sonny for any favors. Britt says, she won’t take no for an answer. So if Nina can’t or won’t reach out to Sonny on Brad’s behalf, she’ll do it herself. I don’t know why she doesn’t, since Sonny expressed a fondness for her after Jason died. And I use the term died loosely.

Sonny tells Brick, if he hears any more chatter about Mr. Nobody, let him know. Brick says he’s got it. In the meantime, he’s in town for the next few days. How about if they go out to dinner, all three of them; him, Sonny, and Carly. Sonny says he’d love to, but he thinks Carly is probably busy at the MetroCourt. Sonny’s phone rings, and Brick asks if he needs to take that. It stops ringing, and Sonny says, I guess not.

Nina tells Britt, hang up the phone, but Britt says, he picked up. Hey, Sonny. Avery says her daddy isn’t here, and Mama Carly isn’t here either. Britt says, okay, never mind, and thanks Avery. Nina asks what Avery said, and Britt tells her that she’s not entirely sure, but it sure sounded like Carly moved out of the house.

Wow. Even though she’s correct, that’s a big leap from Avery saying Carly’s not there to her having moved out.

Tomorrow, Portia tells Terry, maybe Camelot is closer than she thinks; Epiphany tells Marshall that she doesn’t want to hear any arguments; and Maxie says, she’s not going back to that cabin.

Below Deck

When we last left, Fraser was comforting Rayna who misconstrued Eddie and the captain’s attempt to make her feel better about things.

In Rayna’s interview, she said, she felt alone, and couldn’t act happy when her feelings were played with like a puppet. Eddie tried to get Rayna to tell him what the problem was, but she said she just needed a minute. In Heather’s interview, she said they weren’t even halfway through the charter, and still had a beach picnic and vow renewal. She was relieved Kaylee was coming to save the day. Guest Melissa got water in her ear, and stayed in her room, so Heather delivered breakfast to her. Fraser asked Wes what was up with Rayna, and Fraser said, Rayna wasn’t fine, but she would be. Fraser relayed that to Heather, adding that he thought it was code for, nothing’s okay on deck. Eddie questioned Rayna again about what had happened, and she brought up Heather having used the n-word. She told Eddie that Heather had apologized, but it didn’t feel right. She said, the first time she’d told him, Eddie said it shouldn’t bother her, which confused Eddie, since that wasn’t what he said. He asked what had happened this morning, but Rayna was like, later. Rachel told primary Tony that she was making Japanese for dinner, and he said it was one of his favorite places in the world. Captain Lee told Eddie that Rayna had sounded like someone in distress, and asked if he found out what the problem was. Eddie told him about Heather using the n-word, and said Heather hadn’t directed it at Rayna, but apologized. In his interview, the captain said he personally found the word offensive, and couldn’t think of any context where it would be okay. Eddie told Captain Lee it had been about something else this morning, but Rayna didn’t want to talk about it. The captain said they had to get to the bottom of it.

Eddie took Wes, Fraser, and Rayna to set up for the picnic. Still not feeling well, Melissa decided to stay behind with husband Pete. Fraser told Rayna that he was hoping the new stew would do the things he hated, like laundry. From the beach, they saw the small boat bringing Kaylee to the yacht, and in Fraser’s interview, he said he felt betrayed. He’d earned his place with Heather, and they worked well together. He was still the best bitch on the boat.

Shitten ~~You Not~~ Bay. In Kaylee’s interview, she said she was coming in mid-charter, and had no idea what she was coming into. She and Heather had been roommates on the last boat, and were good friends. Heather had the spotlight, and Kaylee was in the background, where she still got light, and she was okay with that. The guests played cornhole on the beach, while Captain Lee went over the vows they’d be saying. In his interview, he said he didn’t know why anyone needed a vow renewal, but he’d been volunteered. He guessed he was good with it – said no one ever. Jake chatted with Kaylee in the crew mess, and when the guests came back, they gave her a big woohoo. Kaylee introduced herself as she handed out warm towels. Tony and wife Porcha went off on the jet skis, and Fraser was given a break. In his interview, he said he was happy to hear the word break, and when he came back, Kaylee could do laundry while he tended bar.

Eddie tried to pin down Rayna again, and told her, what Heather said was uncalled for, and he had her back. Rayna said, it bothered her more that he’d shrugged it off, but he said if he’d heard that happen, he would have shut it down; it was not okay in any way, shape, or form. He wondered if it could be worked out with Heather, but got a hard no. Rayna said she could work with Heather without being friends, and Eddie said if there was anything he could do to make Rayna more comfortable, let him know.

Heather introduced Kaylee around, and in Rachel’s interview, she was excited about the Japanese dinner. In Japan, they didn’t reinvent the wheel; they just perfected it. She told us, every finite detail had to come to the table perfectly, and she may or may not be a control freak. Captain Lee joined the guests for dinner, wearing his dress uniform, and Tony asked for permission to be seated. Jake flirted with Kaylee, but in her interview, she said she was okay with being single. Tony told the captain that the trip was exceeding expectation. He said guest Darion was the new cornhole king, and sometimes you had to let people win. Tony pronounced the first course of seaweed salad amazing, and it looked amazing. The next course was a delicious-looking miso soup, but Melissa said her ear was painful when she chewed. Poached egg with caviar was next, followed by a rice cake, but not the kind of dry desperation snack you get in the grocery store; a real cake made of rice. The captain said he’d never had the same meal twice from Rachel, and I thought, unlike Chef Leon, who made beef cheeks every chance he got. Melissa ended up leaving the table, and in Heather’s interview, she said it was a huge bummer. It was a situation she couldn’t control, but it could still be a reason they lost tip money. There was an ice cream concoction for dessert, and in Rachel’s interview, she said, dear God. Thirty thousand tip, here we come. I think this is my favorite meal since I’ve been vicariously cruising with them.

It was time for the vow renewal, and Heather made up a reason to get the wives off the deck for a moment, so it was a surprise when everything was in place. Captain Lee told the couples, in these tumultuous, sometimes frightening times, they had each other. They were there to celebrate their bonds with each other, and the vows they’d taken. The captain then gave a renewal spin to the traditional vows, ending with, as I continue life with you, to which the couples said, I do. The crew applauded, and in Rayna’s interview, she said the way the men looked at their wives was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She loved Black love, and it was something people her age needed to see. Agreed. Afterward, Captain Lee asked Eddie about Rayna, and Eddie said he felt deflated after they talked. It seemed her main issue was with him. She was accusing him of brushing off her concerns. We flashed back to Rayna waking Eddie up to tell him about Heather, and him talking to her for a while. He did tell her to try and separate personal stuff from work, but it wasn’t like he brushed it off. The captain told Eddie that he wanted Rayna to be comfortable, but as long as she was doing her job, that was all he cared about. I don’t think he meant it as bad as it sounded. It was more like, they’d tried several t times to ask her what was wrong, and there was nothing more they could do.

Rachel’s departure day breakfast special was a seafood omelet with caviar, or chicken and waffles. Yes please! In Fraser’s interview, he said so far, so good with Kaylee, but his first impressions were mostly incorrect. So he was hoping for the best. The captain radioed for the crew to go to the main deck in their whites. The guests said goodbye, and guest Bonnie gave Rachel a Navy service pin as a thank you. In Rachel’s interview, she said they weren’t given out often, and it meant a great deal to her. Tony said he searched for superlatives, but couldn’t come up with anything – they were that good. They loved the crew. He asked for permission to go ashore. I loved the whole respect thing Tony gave the captain. When the guests were gone, the crew changed, and started turning over the boat.

Fraser told Heather and Kaylee about getting sprayed in the face with a bidet, and in his interview, he said, no one uses them, ever. It was time for the tip meeting, and Captain Lee said they’d gotten a good dose of military personnel, and rose to the occasion, taking pride in their work. The tip was $25K, or $2270 each. Since Kaylee got to partake of that share – the captain saying she was appreciated – I’m sure that steamed the rest of the crew, although no one made a peep. The captain told them to work hard until 5, and they’d be leaving the dock at 11 am. Another one bites the dust. Heather said, one more, and Kaylee did laundry. The crew got ready to go out.

On the way to the restaurant, Rayna told Fraser that she liked Kaylee, but wasn’t happy to be out money. Still, not an awful complaint. Fraser said Kaylee genuinely helped, and she was great. At the table, he raised his glass, welcomed Kaylee, and toasted to a successful trip. Rachel thanked Rayna for her help in the galley, and everyone else who helped. Rayna said cooking excited her, and she felt it was time she needed to figure things out. Rachel suggested she go to the country to study. In Rayna’s interview, she said it was something she’d like to take seriously in the future. Eddie said Rayna was a kickass deckhand, but she shined in the galley. It’s where she was laser focused. Rayna noticed Jake wearing a colorful thong under his pants, and he danced around with his pants lowered. Rayna said she wished she had that much confidence. Fraser went to sit with Heather and Kaylee, and said, when he heard Kaylee was coming, he thought his efforts were void. She took the initiative and respected him, and he appreciated it. In his interview, he said he had a different perspective now. He was being an immature, insecure brat. He said he appreciated Kaylee, and Heather said that meant the world to her. On their way back, Jake took off his shirt, and jumped into the pool in the restaurant courtyard, which I don’t think was for swimming. Fraser said he wasn’t sharing a back seat with Jake.

Back at the boat, Wes ate chips, lying on a crew mess bench, and dropping them into his mouth. Eddie tried to fix a bidet, and Jake and Fraser had another drink on deck. Jake said Fraser would be the one he stayed friends with after the season, and in his interview, he said, as different as they were, he and Jake were friends for life.

Next time, primary Jennifer is a real estate entrepreneur who wants the trip of a lifetime; the guests are Hamilton fans; Heather is grumpy and over people being grumpy and over it; a guest whines for champagne; Captain Lee says, the crew better either get their heads out of their asses, or he’ll eat their asses; and something else falls off the boat.

🏖 Summer House is back again. Didn’t we just leave these awful people? They’re worse than a bad penny. Or a toxic boomerang. The main takeaway points were as follows. Carl was getting his act together, doing things like going to AA meetings. He said he needed to be more serene, but I failed to see how being on this show, or dating Lindsay, of all people, was going to help with that. Kyle’s motto this season was, go big or go home, but it looked like the only big thing will be his out-of-control drinking. Paige had dated Andrea after Vermont’s Winter House, but he asked her to stop seeing other people, and she didn’t want to give up being single. At the time of filming, she’d been with Craig (Southern Charm) for two months, but they weren’t exclusive, and free to do what they wanted. We also found out that Lindsay had been pregnant by Carl, but lost the baby. It didn’t take long for Kyle to make a drunken ass of himself, and Amanda to be pissed off. Word on the street had it, if the wedding was called off, he’d have to pay back her parents. My only question is, why are 50 45 40 35 year olds acting like they’re twenty, and have never been out of the house? Otherwise known as the cast of The Real World.

If you want more, go here:

Summer House’s Amanda Triggered When Kyle Ignores Her in Season 6 Clip

Or here:

https://www.bravotv.com/summer-house

🧂 Salting the Wound…

All you need to know about the latest RHOSL.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/16/rhoslc-recap-jen-shah-says-meredith-marks-has-10-boyfriends/

🎂 Happy Birthday To You…

In honor of Betty White’s 100^th birthday, one of her last pictures is shared, and donations are made. In honor of Betty – or even if not – please donate to your local animal shelter.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/17/betty-whites-assistant-shares-one-of-last-pics-of-late-icon/

https://people.com/pets/betty-white-would-be-touched-to-see-animal-shelter-donations-on-her-birthday/

🙏🏾 He Had a Dream…

Things to learn.

15 Things to Teach the Whole Family about MLK

Things to stream.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/9-titles-to-stream-on-mlk-day/

Things to ponder.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. – Martin Luther King Jr.

💡 Flipping the Switch To Off…

Come back again tomorrow for soap and the Rules of James and Raquel’s engagement. Until then, stay safe, stay fearless in your faith, and stay knowing that even though things didn’t go as planned, it’s never too late for your dream.

Jan15

January 14, 2022 – Laura Has a Family Meeting, Back On, Anniversary, Returning, Undecided, Salty Talk, New Old Romance, Awards, Final Tally, Puppies (!), 22’s First Baker’s Dozen Of Quotes & Birthday

Posted on January 15, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew sits at the MetroCourt bar looking at the picture of him that Scout made. Carly comes in, and asks what he has, and he shows her, saying, it’s a portrait of him made by a budding young artist who goes by the name of Scout. It looks just like him, wouldn’t she say? She does say, and adds it’s good he appreciates the effort. He asks if she’s okay. After the other night on the bridge, he wants her to know she can talk to him. Her phone rings, and it’s Michael, so she steps away to take it. She asks, what’s up?

Laura asks Doc if he thinks there’s any chance this could work, and he says, either way, she has to try, right? She says, absolutely. She can’t just stand by and watch her family fall apart. She says they should get going on this, and calls upstairs to Spencer. He asks what he can do for her. It’s not about his take-out order of dinner, is it? She says, no. It’s about a family meeting. He says, what’s tonight’s topic? and she says, family unity. There’s a knock at the door, and Doc lets Nikolas in.

Britt says, Brad poisoned Peter? He means literally poisoned him, not a figure of speech? He says, literally, but she doesn’t believe it, and says, he’s no killer. He says he’s done some pretty horrible things, and she says, agreed; so has she. But murder? She gets up, and says, he hadn’t crossed that threshold. He says he still hasn’t. Peter’s not dead. She says, attempted murder doesn’t score him any points, and he says he didn’t know what he was doing until after the fact. She says, okay. How did he get the poison? He says, his Aunt Selena. I’m not sure why they’re both acting like this is the worst crime of the century, since, had Brad succeeded, he would have been doing the world a favor. And how come Selena wasn’t on top of this, and someone finish the job?

Ava goes to Nina’s office, and hears Martin saying that Nina’s in the clear now. It might be in her best interest to let sleeping dogs lie. Nina sees Ava, and tells her to come in. She’s just finishing up with Martin. Ava says she thought Scotty was Nina’s lawyer, but Nina says she had to fire him after he forced Willow to talk about her relationship with Sonny on the witness stand. Ava says, which got the identity fraud charges dropped. It’s thanks to Scotty that her legal problems are over, or has something new come up? Nina says, there’s nothing new. It’s still what it’s always been about; her grandson Wiley.

Michael says, Carly moved out? Where is she? She says she has a suite at the MetroCourt. She just needed some time away from Sonny so she could get her head straight. He asks if she took Donna and Avery with her, but she says, no. She couldn’t disrupt their lives, and Avery has been so clingy with Sonny since he got home. She didn’t want the girls to think she and their father were having problems. She told them that she was working a lot at the MetroCourt and had to stay over. She’ll be there at night before the go to bed, and first thing in the morning when they go to school. Michael says, that’s a lot, and she’ll probably run into dad. Won’t it be too much for her? She says, yeah, but keeping some semblance of stability and seeing the girls will be worth it. What about him? Has he talked to Sonny since Nina’s hearing? Sonny walks in, and Michael says he’ll call her back.

Ava asks how Nina expects Martin to help her with Wiley. No offense. Martin says, none taken, but maybe they should discuss this another time. Nina says they can speak freely in front of Ava, and tells Ava that she’s consulting Martin about ways to ensure she can see Wiley. Ava asks if she’s talking about taking Michael and Willow to court, and Nina says, it’s an option. Martin says, if memory serves, he and Ava were discussing the same point a while back. How in the state of New York, if a biological parent is deceased… Ava says, yes, and a biological grandparent has the right to visitation. She asks if Nina is sure she wants to start poking this hornet’s nest. She doesn’t think she and Michael can work something out between the two of them? Nina says, with Carly whispering in Michael’s ear? No, not likely.

Michael says he didn’t expect to see Sonny here, and Sonny says, he heard Michael was speaking to Frank about his whereabouts, instead of talking to him directly. Michael says he’s still processing. He couldn’t believe what he heard that Sonny said on the stand, and Sonny says he didn’t want Michael’s mom to hear that on the stand. Whatever he and Nina had is over. Michael says, what happened between Sonny and Nina is none of his business, but the look on mom’s face when she told him about it? That, he can’t forgive.

Drew finds Carly in a private lounge area, and says her name. She says, she’s sorry. It’s been a day. It’s been a really rough day. He says he really hopes things get better, and starts to leave, but she says, he’s not going to ask her what’s going on? He says, it seems like she’s got a lot on her mind, and she says, it’s because of New Year’s Eve, isn’t it? She’s sorry. She should have never put him off, and acted the way she did. He says she has nothing to apologize for. He’s not trying to take Jason’s place – been there, done that – but just know, if she ever needs a shoulder… She says she does.

Laura thanks Nikolas for coming, and Spencer says, no Ava? At least grandmother realizes she isn’t part of our family. Nikolas says, Ava is most definitely part of this family, and Laura agrees. She invited Ava, but Ava politely declined. Nikolas says, Ava was being thoughtful. She probably thought her being here would make the conversation less smooth. Spencer says, she’s probably out spending his money, and Nikolas says, what was that? Spencer says, when she summoned him to the MetroCourt to discuss the work he’d being doing for her at the gallery to make restitution – after he serves his sentence – she made it a point of throwing it in his face that she was using money from his trust fund to cover their tab. Doc comes in, and says he thinks they’re getting off track, and Laura says she’s very sorry she wasn’t here when everything fell apart between the two of them. Spencer says, translation, when Nikolas lost his mind and gave Ava control of his trust fund, and Nikolas says, because Spencer refuses to accept that Ava is part of this family. Spencer says, not his family, and Doc suggests they take it down a notch. Laura says, how about if they all sit down? but Spencer says, he’ll stand.

Brad tells Britt, his aunt told him to deliver a specific food tray to a specific cell in solitary. When he got there, he realized he was transporting a meal for Peter August, and that there might be something suspect about it. She says, he had no idea whatsoever? Why did he think his aunt was catering for anyone, let alone Peter? Brad says, he had his suspicions, but it was the only way she’d help with the parole board. Britt says, now she has leverage. Brad does her bidding or she’ll tip off the cops about Peter’s adventures in not-so fine dining. He says, nothing that satiric. He’s afraid his aunt will kill him if he tries to defy her. There’s a knock at the door, and Britt says, come in. Dante walks in, and Britt asks what she can do for him. She asks if it has something to do with a patient’s confidential medical information, but he says, no. Not currently. He has information about Peter August. She says, what about Peter? and he says he wants to discuss plans to have Peter moved to the infirmary in Pentenville. According to his doctor, he’s going to be strong enough to travel pretty soon. Brad sighs, and Dante asks if Brad has something to say. Britt says, soon isn’t now. How can she help facilitate this transfer? Dante says, that’s what he’s here to try and coordinate. They have to make sure all the boxes are checked. They need to have the medical records done by the medical director, and schedule the appropriate section meeting before they can have him released. Once that’s done, they can issue a transfer warrant. He knows it’s a lot, and he’ll walk her through it, but they can’t have anyone dropping the ball on this one. She says, agreed. Let her look at Peter’s labs, and they can talk tomorrow. Dante says, sounds good; give him a call. He stops before he goes out the door, and says, hey, Brad. What’s this he hears about Brad staying with Selena Wu? Brad says, she’s his aunt, and Dante says, that’s a good idea, right? Getting close to the head of the Wu crime family while you’re on parole. Watch your step. Britt asks why Dante is harassing Brad. Dante’s brother is the one threatening people. Dante says, Michael? and she says, yes, Michael. He threatened Brad at the MetroCourt in front of everyone. Dante asks if she was a witness to this alleged threat, and she says she heard about it. Dante says, so no, and asks if Brad wants to file a complaint, but Brad says, no need. He just wants to get on with his life. Dante says, sounds like they’re done here, and Britt says, tell his brother that Brad won’t be intimidated, and Dante says, sure. He asks her to let him know when she has those labs, and leaves. She says, that went well, and Brad pops an antacid.

Laura says, Nikolas and Spencer are so much alike, and Doc says, birds of a feather. Nikolas says he’s sorry. As the adult, he shouldn’t have let Spencer bait him. Spencer says, Nikolas keeps forgetting he’s an adult too. He has a job, and makes his own money. He’s certainly not relying on an inherited family fortune. Laura says she’s proud of him for that. She’s proud he kept his job at Kelly’s, even though it wasn’t easy for him. Spencer thanks her, and says, he’s adjusted. After he serves his time, both at Ava’s gallery and Spring Ridge, he can start saving up for his own place. Laura says, this is exactly what she wanted to talk about. He’s only got a few weeks before he goes to Spring Ridge, and serving a 30 day sentence. And going to prison, even if it’s a minimum security prison, is going to test his emotional and mental strength. She knows he can do it, and has every faith in him. Look how stubborn he’s being now. She thinks it would be better and easier if when he went to Spring Ridge, he had his whole family standing by him. She turns to Nikolas, and says, she thinks it’s important. Does Nikolas think he can reconcile with his son before Spencer goes to prison? Nikolas says, he wants that. He hates the walls between them. He misses his son. Spencer says he misses Nikolas too. He sits down, and Esme comes in. She asks, what’s going on? and Spencer says, they’re just having a meeting. Grandmother wants him to make peace with his father. She says, is that what he wants? He gets up, and says, no. She says she’s glad she came home when she did. Don’t worry. She won’t let his family gang up on him. She takes off her coat, and stands in front of them with her arms folded.

Nina tells Ava that Willow came to her last night, and suggested she give up her legal rights to Wiley as a gesture of good will to Michael. Ava says, that sounds extreme, and Nina says, she accused Willow of doing Michael’s dirty work, but Willow said it was her own idea. She promised to do everything she can to get through to Michael so Nina can still be in Wiley’s life. Ava says, Nina can’t give up her rights to her grandchild, and Martin says, he explained doing so would be irrevocable. If Nina legally abdicates her rights as Wiley’s legal grandmother, she can’t turn around and take them back if Willow failed to soften Michael’s attitude. Nina says, it’s too risky. She can’t take that chance. She picks up Wiley’s photo, and Ava says, then don’t. Do not give up her rights; listen to Martin. Nina says she did, and they were talking about the alternatives, which include going to court, so she can guarantee she has a right to see Wiley. Ava says, she’d be going on the offensive. Is she ready to do that? Nina says, what other choice does she have? She can’t just wait around for Michael’s mood to soften. She wants to be part of her grandson’s life now. Ava says, of course (🍷) she does. The question is – she looks at Martin – can Nina win? He says, she can definitely win. The problem is, is she really ready to burn down that last bridge?

Drew asks if Carly just wants to dive right in and talk about it, but Carly wants to hear about something that makes her smile. Why doesn’t he tell her about Scout? He says, she’s amazing. She’s getting more comfortable every time they see each other, just like Sonny said she would. Him, on the other hand, he’s been gone so long, half of Scout’s life. He has a lot of catching up to do, things to learn. What’s her favorite color? Her best friend’s name? He asked her what her favorite flavor of ice cream was, and she was so confused, like, you don’t know? You’re my daddy. Carly says, that must have hurt, and he says, he just told her that he had a lot to learn, and she needs to teach him. That made her happy. It brought home how much time they’ve lost and how many things they have to get back. She says, reunions are tough. As happy as you are to reconnect, you realize the person has changed since you last saw them.

Sonny tells Michael, when he came home he was hit with a lot of things. Michael’s mom was getting married. He wanted to tell her, but then Jason died. He did the best he could for his family. Michael says, Nina lied to Sonny, to them, for months. How is it best for his family to protect her? Sonny says he understands; Michael wants to hold Nina accountable. He’s not saying anything about that. Michael says, but Sonny doesn’t understand what he’s feeling, because if he did, he would have never stood up for Nina at that hearing.

Doc asks Esme to allow him to buy her a cup of coffee while the family talks, but Esme says she thinks she should be here. Spencer says, go, it’s fine. Please go. He needs to do this on his own. She kisses him, and says, if he needs her, just text her. She’ll come right back. Doc opens the door, and says, shall we? Esme snatches up her coat, and they leave. Spencer shrugs, and says, Esme seems to be the only one who’s there for him, and Nikolas says, he wants to be there for Spencer, but Esme’s attitude of us-against-them isn’t helping. Spencer says, and Ava’s idea of family unity is? Laura asks if they can please get back to where they were. It’s really only about the two of them, father and son. Do try to leave everyone else out of it. It’s really frustrating for her, because she knows how much they love each other. Nikolas says he does love Spencer, and Spencer says he felt the love all those years Nikolas let him believe he was dead.

Drew tells Carly, it amazes him how quickly Scout warmed up to him, as if nothing bad ever happened to her in her life. She’s fearless. Who knows? Maybe there will come a time in her life when she doesn’t remember daddy wasn’t around to tuck her in. She says, the father/daughter bond is so special. She’d never want to deprive Avery or Donna of it ever. He asks, why would she? and she says, she and Sonny are having a problem. He says he’s sorry to hear that. Who threw the first vase this time? She laughs, and says, nothing was thrown. She moved out.

Nina says, maybe she should give it more thought before she take legal action, and Martin says he thinks that would be advisable. Why set something like that in motion if she’s not certain? In the meantime, he’ll see if he can find any precedents that help or hurt her cause, should she decide to go forward. Nina says she likes that idea, and he says he’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Ava sits down. She says, that must have been some chat with Willow to get Nina to contemplate legal action. Nina says, Willow was her second visitor; Carly was her first. She stormed in here, and demanded all the details about what happened between her and Sonny in Nixon Falls. Ava asks, how did that go? and Nina says she went all scorched earth; she held nothing back. Ava says, define scorched earth, and Nina says, she told the truth. That if she hadn’t said no, Sonny would have made love to her.

Nikolas says he’s sorry he didn’t tell Spencer he was alive, but he didn’t want to bring Spencer into the lie, and Spencer was better off. He can’t change his past mistakes, and will always regret hurting Spencer. Laura says, part of growing up is learning to forgive the people who’ve hurt us. Does Spencer want to keep carrying this pain around with him, or does he want to have a relationship with his father now? She thinks it’s time to let bygones be bygones, and move forward as a family. Spencer laughs, and gets up, and she asks if she said something funny. Spencer says, she sounds a lot like Uncle Victor.

At the Bistro, Doc assures Esme, Spencer will be fine. It’s just a family meeting. What has her so upset? She says she’s not upset. She just doesn’t like being dragged away from her boyfriend when he needs her. Doc says, he recalls Spencer asking her to leave, but she says, that’s because he didn’t want to look weak in front of his father. He asks if she thinks Spencer is weak, and she tells him, don’t try to shrink her. She knows a thing or two about psychology herself. He says, that’s right. How is that internship at Spring Ridge going? She says she’s enjoying it. She finds the criminal mind fascinating. She’s sure Doc can relate. She’s read his books on the subject. He says, has she? and she says, which is why she doesn’t understand how he can say Spence being with family makes him safe, considering his brother is Ryan Chamberlain. It’s hard not to notice the large succulent on the table, possibly some hybrid spawn of the moss bowl🎍. I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Brad thanks Britt for standing up for him with Dante, and she says she’ll always stand up for him, but he needs to stop popping those antacids and strengthen that spine. Get his mojo back. Never mind how he got his parole; he’s out now. Leave that prison mentality behind, and start thinking, start acting like a free man. He asks if he wasn’t clear enough. his aunt’s hospitality comes with a price tag, and a huge spotlight. The last thing he wants is police scrutiny. She asks if his aunt has threatened him outright, but he says, not directly. In fact, Aunt Selena’s been very kind, while she controls his whole existence. That’s why he had to wait until she was out of town to visit Britt. He doesn’t know how to distance himself from her without creating offense. People who offend Selena Wu tend to disappear.

Ava says, Nina told Carly that Sonny wanted to have sex with her? Nina says, she was pushing and demanding specifics. She wouldn’t shut up about it. Ava says she knows how relentless Carly can be. But that she came to Nina tells her that Carly is worried. She asks if Nina has heard from Sonny, but Nina says, not since New Year’s Eve. Ava asks if he’s still staying at his place in Harbor View Towers, and Nina says, according to Carly, he’s home. He just wants his family back. Ava says, that doesn’t necessarily have to include Carly, and Nina says, since when? Ava says, she doesn’t know when the tide turned, but the fact Carly was here talking to Nina, instead of home, working things out, reinforces what Ava told Nina the other day. Sonny is still in love with Nina, and Carly knows it.

Sonny tells Michael, he wasn’t going to lie on the stand. Yes, Michael’s mother should have heard about Nina from him, but every time he wanted to say something, it wasn’t the right time. Michael says, Sonny could have found the time, and Sonny yells, he can’t change what happened. He can only be there for the family now; reassure them that they can count on him. Michael says, he was counting on Sonny to help him put Nina behind bars. Instead, they were all blindsided by what he said on the stand. Because of Sonny, the charges against Nina were dropped. That’s not protecting his family. They start to argue loudly, when Dante comes in and says, hey, enough!

Carly tells Drew, she can’t stay in the house with Sonny, because if she does, she can’t breathe, and can’t figure out how she’s feeling. He says, she needs to trust her instincts, and she tells him, Jason used to say that. Drew says, Jason knew her best, and she says, she’s going to be there in the morning when the girls get up, and she’ll be there at night to put them to bed. She wants to keep as much consistency as possible for them. He thinks it’s great she’s thinking about the kids. She’s an incredible mother; it’s obvious the kids are her priority. But does she know how, on an airplane, they tell you to put your oxygen mask on before your child’s? She nods, and he says, that’s because you’re not going to do your kid any good if you’re passed out. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do for you. That way she can be the best mom for Donna and Avery. She says she doesn’t want to break up her family, and he says, from what he’s seen, she and Sonny are the real deal. They’ll find their way back together. She says, what if they can’t? and he says, then he refers her to his original advice of trust her instincts. She thanks him, and says she owes him an apology.

Nina tells Ava, Sonny’s in love with her? She hadn’t even allowed herself to consider that, even though Sonny did say on the stand he was in love with her in Nixon Falls. Maybe more of his feelings survived when he got his memory back than Nina thought. Ava says, there’s no maybe about it. Carly is running scared for a reason. Obviously, she sees Nina as a threat to her marriage. Nina says, everything is nuts right now, but if Sonny and Carly separate, does Ava think there’s a chance for her and Sonny to be together here in Port Charles? Ava says, not if Nina sues Michael for visitation with Wiley. If Nina goes to war with Michael, she’ll lose Sonny forever.

Dante asks, what’s going on? and Michael asks what Dante is doing here. Dante says he came to talk to Michael about something else, but never mind that. Why are they yelling at each other? Michael says, his mom is living at the MetroCourt, and Dante says, he’s sorry to hear that. Michael says, she moved out because dad refuses to leave the house, and Dante says, he thought Sonny was at the penthouse. Sonny says he’s not giving up on his marriage, but they’re at an impasse, and he called Carly’s bluff. Michael says, she wasn’t bluffing, and Sonny says he didn’t expect her to leave; he’s not giving up. He’s getting Michael’s mother back. Michael says, by ignoring what she wants? and Dante says, it’s a tough situation for everyone, okay? Michael says, that’s easy for Dante to say. His mom’s not the one who’s got to stay away.

Ryan says, his brother is a very dangerous man, but Esme isn’t really comparing Laura and Nikolas to Ryan, is she? She says, no. She just means people go on and on about how great family is, but psychopaths have families too. He says, yes, they do, and sometimes we’re hurt by the people we love and trust. She must been hurt when her parents died. She says, of course (🍷). She was devastated. He says, Spencer told him she has siblings, but he’s never heard her mention them. Were they separated when their parents died? She says, they’re not close, but they were talking about his brother; Ryan, his twin. Does he ever visit Ryan at Spring Ridge? She’s never seen him there. He says he monitors Ryan’s progress, but he doesn’t visit, and she asks if people with Locked-In Syndrome ever recover. He asks just how much time is she spending with Ryan? but she says, barely any. His case just stands out. Doc says, Ryan is not a simple case study. He’s a man who’s killed people, and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, given half the chance. If she ever saw who Ryan really is, she woudn’t be intrigued. She’d be terrified, and she’d be right to be so.

Laura asks how she sounds like Victor, and Spencer says, Uncle Victor gave him a whole speech on family loyalty. Laura says, this is very important. Do not fall prey to Victor’s manipulations. Spencer asks, what happened to forgiveness? She doesn’t have any of that for Uncle Victor? She says she misspoke. We forgive the people who are truly sorry for having hurt us. That’s not Victor. Spencer says, Uncle Victor might not be the most popular person, but Victor’s always been good to him. Nikolas says he knows how important family is to Spencer, but he doesn’t have to turn to Victor. Nikolas is right here. He loves Spencer. He wants his son back.

Britt says, they can figure out a way to get the better of Brad’s Aunt Selena, and he asks if she’s been paying attention. The woman is formidable. She says, so are they. Formidable, and well-versed in wiggling out of trouble. He says, except when they get caught. He just doesn’t see a way out of this. His aunt has him under her thumb, and has already warned him to stay away from Britt. Britt says, so what? She’s there for him, no matter what his control freak aunt wants. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s stood up to worse than his Aunt Selena, and lived to tell. He’s her best friend. She’s not letting his aunt take him from her. He says, he’s lucky to have her, even if she did betray him by getting another wingman. She says, he’s back! She just had an idea. She might know someone who could help him.

Doc hopes Esme heeds his warning about Ryan. He’s not being dramatic; it’s for her own safety. She says, got it. How much longer does she have to wait before she can go back to Spence? He says, Laura will text when they’re finished. He asks if Esme is still worried, and says, she doesn’t need to protect Spencer from his family. It seems to him, not long ago she was pushing for a reconciliation. What happened? She says, maybe it has something to do with him being sent to a correctional facility, and his family is letting it happen. Doc says, Spencer committed a crime. There was nothing they could do about that. She says, Ava never had to press charges in the first place, and he says, she wanted Spencer to take responsibility. Esme says she guesses Ava got what she wanted, and he says, they’re all on Spencer’s side. She asks if he’ll excuse her. She needs to use the ladies room. She promises not to sneak out. He says he didn’t expect her to, but thanks for the heads up. She leaves, and he makes a call. He says, it’s Dr. Collins for Warden Brewster. It’s urgent. He needs to restrict who has access to Ryan Chamberlain.

Spencer says he wants Nikolas back too – without Ava. Nikolas says, this again, and Laura says, honestly? Spencer says, those are his terms, and Nikolas says, Spencer is being completely unreasonable. Spencer says he guesses there’s nothing left to say, and walks off. Nikolas tells Laura, he tried. He needs to go. Laura loudly says, same time next week, and Spencer stops and says, they’re doing this again? She says, he thought this was a one and done? Absolutely not. She’s not giving up on the two of them. They’re going to keep talking, because talking to each other is the only way they’ll be able to work this out.

Ava says, Nina knows how Sonny is about his kids. If he has to choose between Michael and Nina… Nina says, no contest, and any hope of her having a life with Sonny will be dashed, but what about Wiley? She doesn’t want that little boy growing up with Carly’s version of her; he’ll hate her. Ava says, Sonny’s on Nina’s side. He’ll get Michael to come around. Nina says, but won’t Michael just hate her even more because she broke up his parents’ marriage? but Ava says, seems like his parents’ marriage is exploding all on its own. Nina just has to stand back and let it happen. Maybe be around to pick up the pieces. Nina says, it’s a great fantasy, but Ava says, it’s not a fantasy. Just play cool. Play her cards right, and Nina can have Wiley and Sonny in her life. Isn’t that what she really wants?

Drew says, Carly has nothing to apologize about, but she says she does. When Jason came home, she got so caught up in having him back, she was totally focused on that, when Drew was having a hard time. He says, it was a crazy situation, and looking back, he didn’t handle it well. She says, how could he? He was still trying to come to terms with what happened to him, and who he was. He says, he pulled away from her and Sonny too; it was a tough time. She says she wishes she’d been a better friend, and he says she’s a great friend. He hopes she hasn’t been worried about this; he’s long over it. She says she doesn’t really know him that well; the real Drew Cain, separate from Jason. She’s glad she got a second chance. He says, him too. Look what she almost missed. They laugh.

Dante says, Michael is being protective of his mother; he’s being protective of his father. But neither of them are in the relationship. They’re on the outside, looking in, so they can’t judge. Decisions were made, and now they all have to deal with the consequences, right? Sonny says, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do, and Michael says, now, after the truth has come out. Sonny says he loves Michael’s mother. Does Michael know that or not? Michael says he does. He loves them both, but hates seeing mom in so much pain. Dante says, they’re all just trying to protect their family, and Michael says, that’s what he’s trying to do, but dad needs to give mom what she’s asking for, which is space and… Sonny gets loud, and yells, why does Michael keep asking him to do something? He can’t make amends if Carly won’t talk to him. Dante asks if Sonny is okay, and Sonny says, he’s okay. He’s just got to talk to Carly. Michael says, but he can’t push. Sonny says he doesn’t like waiting, but for Michael’s mother, he’ll wait.

On Monday, Laura asks if Curtis is ready to accept his father back into his life, Marshall asks why Epiphany isn’t following her dream, and Diane asks Carly if this is a step she wants to take.

🏥 In and Out Item…

Apparently, GH won’t miss a beat.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Resumes Production

💖 Ten Years…

Not exactly the anniversary you want to celebrate, but it’s nice to look back. It was always my favorite of the ABC soaps.

Stars Reflect on the End of ONE LIFE TO LIVE

On the Anniversary of ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Final Episode, Relive Some Classic Moments

👸🏼 Don’t Call Her Princess…

Felicia’s back and feistier than ever. I have a dog named Felicia, but so far no reaction when they say Felicia on GH. And no, she wasn’t named after the GH character, but after a character in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Kristina Wagner Opens up About Her Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL

🎢 VickiCoaster…

It seems she can’t decide whether she’s happy or angry about the break-up.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/12/vicki-gunvalson-hosting-breakup-party-at-male-strip-club/

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/12/vicki-gunvalson-chased-ex-steve-lodge-out-of-a-restaurant/

🧂 Salt Shaking…

What’s happening with The Real Housewives of Salt Lake.

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City Recap: Party Bus PTSD

And what’s to come.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/12/andy-cohen-teases-rhoslc-bombshell-thatll-rock-the-cast/

💏 For the Gram…

I don’t know how they came full circle here, but I don’t know if I’m picking up what they’re putting down.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/12/summer-houses-lindsay-hubbard-confirms-carl-radke-relationship/

🏆 Bundling Awards…

Daytime viewers will be interested.

Daytime Drama Writers Guild Awards 2022 Nominees Announced

Probably the most people are interested, since it’s somewhat of an Oscar nomination prediction.

https://www.cnet.com/news/golden-globes-2022-the-full-list-of-award-winners/

And there’s the booze.

https://pagesix.com/article/drunkest-celebrities-at-golden-globes-through-the-years/

https://nypost.com/2022/01/09/screw-the-irrelevant-golden-globes-awards-and-their-winners/

Fewer people will care about this.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/2022-sag-awards-nominations-list/

And so few people cared, it’s not even happening.

https://ew.com/awards/critics-choice-awards-postponed/

🥀 Roll Call of 2021…

Those we loved and lost.

https://pagesix.com/list/celebrity-deaths-2021/

🐶 Sending You Off With a Doggy Bag…

Puppy Bowl 2022!

https://ew.com/tv/puppy-bowl-xviii-photos/

https://ourcommunitynow.com/sports/meet-the-super-cute-puppies-competing-in-puppy-bowl-2022

🐝 Quotes of the Week

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle (Or kick one out.)

It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not. – Andre Gide

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. – Spencer Johnson

Celery, useless except when used as a peanut butter delivery system. – Mike Baxter (Tim Allen), Last Man Standing

Tough times never last. Tough people do. – Robert Schuller

Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. – Kent Nerburn

How to sell books in 2020: Put them near the toilet paper. – New York Times

The best proof of love is trust. – Joyce Brothers

Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment in to a gracious gift. – Margaret Lee Runbeck

To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves – there lies the great, singular power of self-respect. – Joan Didion

Before you’ll change, something important must be at risk. – Richard Bach

Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity… successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results. – DuPree Jordan, Jr. (Getting out my tiara…)

Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. – George Addair

🥨 Late Night Snack Time…

Whether you call the next two days the weekend, or you refuse to bow to labeling days anymore, Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Until then, stay safe, stay having a dream, and stay not judging by skin color, but by content of character.

Jan13

January 12, 2022 – Alexis Won’t Cooperate, Noella Pinpoints James & Stars

Posted on January 13, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook comes out of the hospital elevator, and literally runs into Austin. She says, her bad, and he asks what she’s doing here. He hopes she’s not terminally ill. She says she’s meeting Chase and Bailey; Chase brought Bailey in for her check-up. He’s such a devoted daddy. Austin says, probably just trying to make up for lost time. Not that it was his fault. Have a beautiful day. He walks away, but she follows him, saying, wait. She knows they got off on the wrong foot, and a lot of that was on her hands… He says, all of it was on her hands. Sorry, he interrupted. What was she going to say? She says, a lot has happened since they saw each other last. She was hoping they could hit rewind, and start over. He walks away.

Alexis meets Sam at Charlie’s, and Sam says, it’s good to see her. Molly sends her regrets; she got hit by some work thing. Alexis says she remembers working in the DA’s office and getting hit by that thing. Sam says they wanted Alexis to know how proud her daughters are that she’s the new editorial voice of The Invader. Alexis says it was her daughters who inspired her. Make sure Kristina knows that too. They’ve always held her to a higher standard. Sam says, don’t do that. Alexis deserved this; she worked really hard. She just hopes Tracy pays for what she did.

Tracy looks out from behind bars, and says, this is persecution. She’s being pilloried by the proletariat, all because she carries the Quartermaine name. Do they know what a burden that is? Dante says, she might want to drop the poor little rich girl routine. It’s not going to get her any traction with the jury. Ned says, good morning, mother. He just posted her bail. She’s welcome. She says, he wants her to thank him? Look how long it took him. He says, actually, the one she should thank is her lawyer. He’d like her to meet Martin Grey. Martin says, no thanks necessary. He took the case as a favor to his sister, Mayor Laura Collins. She says, the long lost brothers. The Kentucky fried lawyer, and the ponytailed gangster. He says, that’s them. So what does she say they get her out of here? Get this over with. Sit down and cut her a plea deal.

Olivia is at MetroCourt hostess stand, when Robert asks if the place still takes walk-ins. She says she thinks they can fit him in, and hugs him. She asks if there’s any news about her erstwhile mother-in-law, and he says, now, now. She says she knows. He can’t discuss the details of the case. The last thing she wants to do is put him in a compromising position… She means… He says he knows what she means.

Valentin goes to Nina’s office, and says, she summoned him? She says, he seems surprised, and he says, it doesn’t happen very often. The only time in recent memory is when Peter forced her, but she doesn’t seem to be in any danger. She says, yes, well… and he asks if she thinks he can’t refuse her. She’d be right. She says she’s happy to hear him say that.

Sonny looks at the message about renewing his prescription, when Avery and Donna run into the kitchen. He says, his two favorite girls, and hugs them. He says he packed up their lunches, and knows they already ate breakfast, but before Frankie takes them, they have to take their gummi vitamins. Avery says they’ll take theirs if he takes his, and he says, of course (🍷). He gives them their vitamins and their lunches, and Carly walks in. Avery says, daddy made them lunches, and Carly says, wow, daddy thinks of everything. She hugs them, and tells them, have a great day in school. She loves them. She thanks Frankie, and he leads them outside. She tells Sonny, she thought they agreed he wasn’t staying last night, and he says he guesses she thought wrong.

Alexis tells Sam, she’s not saying she’s forgiven Tracy for framing her for that DUI, and of all the reasons; Tracy was trying to hide what happened between Alexis and Ned. Sam says she’s sounding merciful, but Alexis says she’s just thinking that maybe losing Luke is punishment enough for Tracy. Sam says, what happened to Luke was an accident. What Tracy did to Alexis was deliberate. You can’t set out to destroy someone, and expect to get a pass when… nothing happens. Alexis turns around, and sees Harmony has come in.

Tracy says she wants Martin to get the charges dropped, dismissed, expunged. Make them go away. Martin says, the DA has enough evidence to send her for a not insubstantial stay at Pentenville, but Tracy says she has the influence of the Quartermaine name. Martin says, just because she’s a member of a prominent family doesn’t make her immune to consequences, and she says, really? She thought they were in Port Charles. Ned says, this makes no sense. There’s no reason for Tracy to stay here. She asks Martin his name, and he says, Martin Grey; they’ve met. She tells him that he’s fired.

Brook follows Austin into his office, and closes the door. He says, no. he’s not going to press stop and rewind, or whatever she said. She tried to get him fired. She almost destroyed his professional reputation. She says, look at little Leo. Thanks to Austin’s diagnosis, Leo is finally getting the help that he needs, and it brought her dad and Olivia back together. And the cherry on top is, look at him and her dear friend Maxie. They’ve become great friends, so what does he say? Can’t they just let bygones be bygones?

Nina says, Valentin has been through a lot since he came to her rescue in Nixon Falls. For what it’s worth (🍷), she’s very sorry about what happened with Bailey. He thanks her, and says, Charlotte’s taking it surprisingly well. Her attitude seems to be, I loved Bailey when Bailey was my sister, why should that stop just because she isn’t? Nina says, that sounds like Charlotte, and he says, Charlotte feels the same way about her, if she ever wants to stop by. She says she’d love that, and he tells her, say the word. Charlotte is almost a teenager. She says, God help him, but of course (🍷) he has Anna, and she’s sure Anna is full of wisdom about those things. He says, indeed, but she didn’t call him just for a catch-up. What can he do for her? She says, she was hoping they could join forces, and he says, they’re not talking about Crimson and Deception. She says, no. She’s talking about a personal threat. He asks, what kind of personal threat? and she says, she’s made a new enemy, and it turns out her enemy is also his enemy.

Carly says, she thought she told Sonny last night, if he was here this morning, she was going to leave. He says, he knows what she said, and she says, but here he is. This is how he respects her feelings? He says he respects their marriage enough to not leave it hanging, and she says, but not enough to tell her that he and Nina did everything except tumble into bed together. He says, he remembered who Carly was. He remembered her face, her hair, the way she walked and talked. That’s why it didn’t go any further with Nina, because he remembered who Carly was and how much he loved her. And how much he still loves her. Isn’t that enough? Yeah, well, we all know that’s not entirely true.

Harmony starts to leave, but Alexis asks her to join them. Harmony says she knows how hard these mother/daughter moments are to come by, so some other time, and Sam says she’s sure Harmony has something else to do. Alexis says, please. For her sake, could they come to some kind of a truce? She was alone in that prison for a long time, and then Harmony was her only friend. Not only that, on New Year’s Eve, she was sitting right there, staring at a bunch of champagne flutes that she was really thinking about downing, and Harmony stayed there and talked to her until she came to her senses. So things would have gone a lot differently if it weren’t for Harmony. She has Harmony to thank for that.

Ned asks Martin not to quit, and Martin says, he didn’t. Leona Helmsley here gave him the boot. Ned says he hired Martin; Martin is working for him. Tracy says, Ned is fired too, and Ned says, for the last time, she can’t fire her children. They’re not like husbands. Dante says, this is super fun and everything, but he’s giving them five minutes to sort this out, and he’s going to escort Tracy from the building so she can wait for her court case to start. He tells Tracy, it’s a blast as usual. He’ll probably see her back in here sometime soon, and Tracy says, et tu, Dante? She can’t believe he’s kept her as a villain. It was Alexis who went nuts and stabbed him. He says, yeah, that sucked, but she did her time, and went to jail, but got out early. Maybe the same thing will happen with Tracy. Ned says, listen to reason. Let Martin sit down with Robert on her behalf, and negotiate a deal. If Luke was here, isn’t that what he’d want her to do?

Robert and Olivia sit at a table, and he says he’s been meaning to contract her. He wanted to thank her for telling him about Luke. He was touched she thought of him. She says, of course (🍷) she thought of him; he was the first person she thought of. Also, it gave her an excuse to call him. He says, she doesn’t need an excuse, but she says, really? Lately it seems like he’s been making himself scarce. He says, he thought he was doing her a favor be keeping his distance, and she says, because of Ned? He says he doesn’t want to get in the way of whatever is going on between them, but she says it wasn’t about Robert; it never was. He says he doesn’t know whether he should be glad or sad.

Austin says Brook really is a piece of work. She did everything she could to destroy him; then forced him to relinquish his rights to his own family’s legacy. Now she wants him to just let bygones be bygones? No. He can’t do that. He’s just not wired that way. She says, the rest of the Quartermaines are. She knows this may be new to him, but believe her, he came out of this pretty unscathed. He says, no, he didn’t, but at least she wasn’t as destructive with him as she was with Valentin.

Valentin asks Nina to narrow it down. Right now, he’s focused on Brook. She says she hopes he’s not too hard on Brook, and he asks, why not? She says, because, Brook’s family made her feel like an outcast; he knows what that’s like. And she felt the only way back into the family’s good graces was to reclaim her voting shares of ELQ. He says, it would be one thing if he was the only one hurt, but Charlotte lost her sister. He’s not going to forgive Brook for that. Is that it? Is it something against the Quartermaines? She says, just one. Michael Corinthos.

Carly says she doesn’t doubt Sonny loves her: not any more than he should doubt she loves him. He says, then what are they doing sleeping in separate bedrooms, drawing lines in the sand? They have what most people would die to have; a marriage that’s stood the test of time. Whatever people have thrown at them, they’re still here. She says, she needs more than words and the memories they’ve shared. She needs time to deal with what he told her. Time to deal with the fact he doesn’t think what Nina did was criminal, and time to deal with what he didn’t tell her, and she found out on a witness stand; that he has feelings for Nina. That’s why she said if he wouldn’t give her the time and space she needed, she was going to leave. He tells her, people say all kinds of things in the moment, then the next morning, it’s a different ballgame. She says he’s doing it again. He’s acting like they can go back to the way things were before Nina. He says, forget Nina; that’s in the past. She says, then why was he with Nina on New Year’s Eve? And why the hell did she have to hear about it from Nina?

Alexis says, thanks to Sam, Tracy has been arrested, and Harmony says, the woman who framed Alexis? Alexis says, tried to. As it turns out she’s the only one who can send herself to the slammer. Harmony says she’s glad Tracy is paying for what she did to Alexis, and Sam says, she started to. Harmony asks what she missed, and Alexis says, she was protecting her family. Sam says, that’s no excuse for what Tracy did to Alexis, and no reason to ease up on her, and Alexis says, Sam’s not wrong. She asks what Harmony thinks, and Harmony says she thinks Tracy took away Alexis’s agency when she framed her, but Alexis is in control of what happens next. Alexis says, she’s right. She’s in control of what happens next. She asks them to excuse her; she needs to make a phone call. She leaves, and Sam tells Harmony, before she gets back, they need to get things straight about Harmony and her mother.

Olivia tells Robert, Ned was the one who crossed the line. He jeopardized their marriage when he cheated with Alexis. Robert says, so he really was just her plaything, and she says, stop it. It was more than that, and he knows it. He says, she found out she did love that bugger, and she says, guilty as charged. Robert’s phone rings, and he says he has to take it. Olivia says she has to go, and leaves. Robert asks, what’s up? and Alexis says she needs a favor.

Tracy tells Ned, Luke would expect her to fight, not cave to Johnny Law. Ned says, Luke seems to have rubbed off on her, and she thanks him, but he says he didn’t mean it in a good way. She says she knows. She won’t accept a so-called plea deal that involves jail time, probation, community service, or even the most tacit admission of guilt. Martin asks Dante for a word, and they step away. In the hallway, Martin says, Tracy is obviously impervious to logic. Dante has some kind of relationship with her; can’t he intercede with the DA on her behalf? Please.

Ned tells Tracy, no offense, but is she out of her mind? She says she’s never been more sure or sane in her life. Luke’s affairs need to be settled, and in order to do that, she has to get on a plane to Amsterdam asap. She can’t do that if these charges are hanging over her while she’s out on bail. He asks why she didn’t say that before, and she says, because it’s nobody’s business. And by the way, she’s not leaving this jail cell or the country until they’ve had a conversation about Ned’s daughter. He says, fine. Tracy hunted him down at the MetroCourt to tell him something about Brook. What is it? She says, it could be nothing; it could be something; it could be everything. He says, just tell him. Why is she being so mysterious? She says, it has to do with his granddaughter, and he says, Bailey? What about her?

Brook tells Austin, she’s genuinely sorry she hurt Valentin, and especially his daughter Charlotte. Austin says he doesn’t believe her. She had to have known what was going to happen. She had to have known people were going to get hurt, and she did it anyway. She asks if he’s really that different. Wasn’t he prepared to do anything for his father, to keep his promise to get him a seat at the family table Austin believed was rightfully his? Austin says, it was rightfully his, and she says she understands his sense of loyalty; she even admires it. So she’ll talk to the rest of the clan. They can’t give him a seat at the table, or ELQ shares, but she’s sure there’s something they can do. He says, sure. There has to be something she can do to buy him off.

Nina tells Valentin, Michael is furious, and there’s very little he won’t do to keep her out of Wiley’s life. She’s already lost a daughter, she’ll be damned if she’s going to lose her grandson, especially when New York state guarantees her rights. He says, rights are one thing, but if she’s going to take on Michael, she’s not just taking on the Quartermaines. She’s taking on the Corinthos family, and that means Sonny. He can’t imagine Sonny was too thrilled to find out she’d been keeping him from his family. She says, she and Sonny have made peace about her… decisions, but Valentin wonders how long that peace is going to last when Sonny finds out she’s going after his grandson. She says, he’s her grandson too. Mike understands that. He asks, who’s Mike? and she says, that’s the name Sonny used in Nixon Falls. He says, maybe Mike understands, but he doesn’t think Sonny ever will.

Carly says, Sonny spent New Year’s Eve with a woman he claims is in the past he left in Nixon Falls. He says, first of all, he didn’t spend the night with her. He was shaken with everything that went down at the hearing. After he left Carly, he went to Charlie’s. He had too much to drink, and it so happens Nina was there, and drove him to his penthouse. She says, and? and he says, then she left, and he woke up with a hangover. Does that make her happy? She says, none of this makes her happy. Does he think she enjoys thinking the worst about him, or suspecting him? Or wondering when’s the next time Nina just so happens? She hates it. She hates feeling like their marriage is built on quicksand. She wants to trust him without thinking about it, like she used to, but now… He says, he’s trying to be honest here, but since… Does she want to call it quits? Is that what she’s saying?

Tracy says she can’t tell Ned, and he says, why not? She was so fired up to tell him this little secret, she came out in the open, and got herself arrested. She says, it gave her time to think, and she needs more information before she gets him involved. He says, are they talking a crime or just a conspiracy? and she says, that’s what she has to find out. Go talk to Harlan Sanders, Attorney at Law, and she’ll find out exactly what Brook is hiding. He says, no. She can’t imply Brook is involved with something, then just drop it. Dante comes back with Martin and Robert, and says, good news, everyone. Robert says, the DA’s office revisited the case, and Martin says, they don’t have one. The guard opens the cell, and Ned says, excellent. It’s what Tracy wanted; let’s go. Tracy says, wait a minute. This is too good to be true. What changed? Alexis walks in, and says, she supposes she did.

Brook says, first of all, there’s no reason for her to buy Austin off. He already relinquished his claim; there’s nothing to buy. Austin says, agreed. Don’t even bother then. She says, there’s the family, and there’s the family business. The problem with a lot of people in the family, including herself, is they don’t separate the two. They literally don’t know how. He says he noticed that, and she says, if there was a document, a codicil to her great-grandfather’s will that said he’d recognized Austin’s dad, then that would be that, but there’s nothing. So for her to even suggest… He asks why she’s doing this. She’s just trying to ease her own conscience by purchasing his. She says, Mister Man of Principle. If he didn’t care about money, he never would have come knocking on her family’s door. Now that there isn’t any, he can say it was never his intention. He says, it’s just not about that. It’s about her family recognizing his father, and realizing he deserves to be remembered, and deserves to be respected. She’s so blinded by her privilege, she assumes everyone else in the world is as greedy and self-serving as she is. She used Leo, tiny little Leo, as a pawn in her game, when all he did was react as any doctor worth a damn would react. She asks if he’s finished, and he says he’s finished with that point, but he’s just getting started. He walks out of the office, and she follows him.

Nina tells Valentin, forget it. She got caught up in all the drama with Michael and the family, and got carried away. He says, when he learned she’d been keeping Sonny’s identity from him, he just assumed it was retribution for Carly keeping Nelle’s identity from her. She says, it was at first, and he asks if she had feelings for Sonny. Did they have feelings for one another? She says, they were both very lost in different ways, and he says he’s not judging. He thinks it’s better if he doesn’t keep track of the details of Nina’s life; he’s getting pretty good at that. She says, he’s moved on, and he says, it seems they both have. She says, which means they can help each other without complications? but he says he doesn’t know if going toe to toe with Sonny is without complications. She asks if he’s saying he’s not going to help her with Michael, and he says, it’s not just Michael, is it? She’s talking about fighting a war on two fronts, with a child in between. He can’t help her in that, but please don’t go against Michael. He’s not going to make life easier with Sonny. It’s good to see her. She says, he really has changed. Is he really telling her to turn the other cheek? He gives her a slight nod, and leaves.

Carly asks if Sonny is saying he wants to call it quits, but he says, he’s here, isn’t he? Even after she told him to leave last night, he slept in the guestroom. She asks if that’s because of his pride, but he says, it’s because he loves her; he doesn’t care if they sleep in the same bed. She says, it was her love for him that made her sleep apart from him, and he says, that doesn’t make sense. She says, it’s the only thing that does make sense, because if this marriage is going to work, they can’t force it. They need time to figure out what went wrong, and what they can do to make it right. He says, she’s over-complicating it. Here’s what happened. He fell off a bridge, and into the river. He went on shore, and woke up; he didn’t know who he was or where he came from. She says, and along came Nina, but he says, Nina can’t come between them if they don’t let her. She says, Nina is here. She’s in this room, she’s in their marriage, and unless or until Sonny can forget her… He asks if Carly is going to forget Nina. Or is she using Nina as an excuse not to get back with him because a part of her is already gone? And it went with Jason.

Sam says she knows Harmony has changed; she’s seen it, and believe her, she didn’t want to. Harmony thanks her, but Sam says, don’t thank her yet. She can’t imagine how hard it was to testify against Shiloh, but after what Harmony did to all of those women, and Sam’s sister… Harmony asks if Sam thinks it doesn’t make her sick, thinking she was helping those women when she was drugging them, including her own daughter. When she looks back on that time, it’s a hell of a nightmare to wake up from. She has to live with it every second of every day, and she’s doing everything she can to atone for that. So if there’s more she can do for Sam, or her mom, and especially Kristina… Sam says she’s glad Harmony asked, because actually, there is. Harmony says, name it, and Sam says, her mom is trying her hardest to turn her life around, and she’s doing a really good job, but she’s in a fragile state. One little slip, and she destroys everything. So Sam is asking Harmony to be straight with Alexis, as her friend. Harmony says, of course (🍷), and Sam says she doesn’t mean just being honest. if Harmony says she’s going to do something, do it. Harmony says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she truly believes that she and Alexis can help each other. Sam says, because Harmony is Alexis’s friend? and Harmony says, and because Alexis is hers, and that’s what friends do. Unless Sam thinks her mother would be better off alone.

Tracy assumes Alexis is there to gloat, and Alexis says, what about? She just informed Robert that she’s decided not to cooperate with The People versus Tracy Quartermaine. Ned asks what that means, and Robert says, without Alexis’s testimony, they won’t pursue the case. Dante says, not that they couldn’t. They still have Sam’s testimony, and his mother’s. Alexis says, but if she doesn’t cooperate, there is no victim, and Martin says, and in the absence of a victim, there’s no crime to prosecute. Robert says, as such, the DA’s office is going to pass on this one, and Tracy asks if she’s free. Dante says, unless Alexis changes her mind, and Ned says, they’ll take that as a yes. Tracy jets, and Martin says, not so much as a thank you. Ned says, he’d apologize for his mother, but… Alexis says she thinks that’s as good as it’s going to get from her, and Ned says, knowing her, she has another fire to put out. Dante says, she’s probably going to start one.

Austin says he’s glad he ran into Brook today. He’d almost forgotten the kind of people they come from, so thanks for the reminder. She says, he’s welcome. The Quartermaines are full of righteous indignation. He says, he noticed, and she says, but they never storm out of a room without figuring a way back in, but he did, which proves he’s not really one of them. He says, but he is; his father was. He was Edward’s son. She says, so what? and he says, that’s her argument? She says, bringing Jimmy Lee back into the fold was completely up to Edward. He didn’t do it, and now he’s gone, and the more Austin insists on having some claim on her family, the more reason they have to shut the door in his face. He asks if she thinks that’s going to stop him, when Valentin comes along. He asks Austin if something is wrong.

Carly says, she and Jason told Sonny everything. How their friendship turned into something more when Sonny was presumed dead, while Nina kept him from his family. So if he wants to compare that with what he kept from her since he’s been back, and not just what happened in Nixon Falls, but how he still feels about Nina… Is he kidding her? He says, it’s not just how he feels about Nina. She has to admit, there are more than three people in this marriage; there’s four. She says she’s not going to apologize for mourning Jason, and he says, of course (🍷). In time, Jason is going to be a memory; an unforgettable memory, but part of her past. As long as Nina is alive, there’s no chance for their marriage. He asks if that’s a threat, and she says, does he think she’d risk losing her kids to end Nina? That’s up to him. Sonny needs to kill Nina off, not physically, but in his heart. Until he does, there’s no chance for them, and they can’t both live here. She’s going to be the one to go, because Avery and Donna are so happy he’s home. She’s not going to traumatize them again by making daddy go away. She’ll be back in the morning to start their day, and come again at night to put them to bed. She walks out, and Sonny sighs and rubs his forehead.

Sam tells Harmony that Alexis is hardly alone. She has her daughters, Diane Miller, Shawn Butler; she’s got a great new job, and a really beautiful looking future. So whatever Harmony is selling, she’s not buying it. She puts on her coat, and Harmony gets up, saying, she’s not selling anything. Sam says she wishes she could believe Harmony, but after what Harmony did to her and her sister, she won’t forget. Harmony says, no one is asking her too. When she looks back on that time… She needs to prove herself, if Sam will just let her. Sam says, okay. Harmony can try, but she’ll be watching. She leaves.

Robert thanks Alexis as she signs off on a document. She’s saved him and the city a lot of time, trouble, and money. She says, anything for Port Charles, and he says he’ll get on this right away, and have the charges dropped. Dante says he has to get back to work, and asks if Alexis is sure about this. She says she is, and he leaves. Ned says he knows his mother was less than appreciative, and Alexis says, surprise, surprise. Good thing she didn’t do it for Tracy. He says, then why? She didn’t do it for him, did she? She says she did it for Luke. A little bit for Ned, but she did it mostly for herself.

Brook tells Valentin that she and Austin were just setting some things straight. Now if he’ll excuse her, she’s going to be with Chase and their baby. She leaves, and Austin laughs. He asks if Valentin caught that. She just twisted that knife a little bit. Valentin says, apparently, some people think he’s softened; that he’s lost his edge. Austin asks if he has lost his edge, but Valentin says, he doesn’t know; maybe Austin can help him answer the question. Has Austin forgotten how the Quartermaines treated him? Austin says, no, why? Is Valentin interested in making Brook pay for what she did to him?

Tracy runs into Brook at the hospital, and says, she thought she’d find Brook there. Brook says, she thought Tracy was in jail, but Tracy says, they need to talk. She pulls Brook into the elevator, and presses a button. Brook asks if they can’t do it later. She needs to see Chase and her baby. Tracy says, Brook means Maxie’s baby.

Nina sits at her desk, but can’t concentrate on work. She calls Martin, and he says, what a pleasure. Or should he be asking what Valentin has done now? She says, nothing, which is the problem. He says he doesn’t follow, and she says, it’s just a joke she has with herself. Is he free for lunch? She needs legal advice.

Carly sees Olivia at the MetroCourt, and Olivia says she thought Carly was working from home today. Carly says, as of now, the MetroCourt is her home. Olivia says she hopes it doesn’t mean what she thinks it means, and Carly says, it means the house isn’t big enough for her and Sonny, so she’s moving in here while they take a time out. Olivia says she knows it’s none of her business, but she’s going to butt in anyway. Is Carly sure? Carly says, one of them had to go. He couldn’t. She could. So she did.

Sonny puts the scotch decanter on the kitchen island. He looks at his prescription bottle, throws it across the room, and pours a drink.

Tomorrow, Chase asks Brook how screwed they are, Anna needs Maxie’s help, Drew says he has some things to clear up with Victor, and Peter asks someone if they’re looking for anyone in particular.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Heather and Max went to an intuitive reading of their auras. In Heather’s interview, she said she loved any kind of reading, and we flashed back to a psychic from several seasons ago. She says, it has two purposes. Mother/daughter moments are incredibly special and necessary. They went to the aura photography area, and had a photo taken of their hand on a sensor. Heather was disappointed in how hers looked, and in her interview, she said, a messy blobby aura is not cute. The reader said Heather needed to nurture herself to find balance. Max’s aura was one of the most social and artistic, and Heather told Max that she was excited to see her fly; it was her moment. In her interview, Heather said that Max suffered from social anxiety and became a shut-in during lockdown. She came out as bisexual during that time, turned it into a podcast, then turned it into a book.

Gina visited Noella, who said she found James. She had access to a credit card he was using, and she discovered he was in Mykonos, an island in Greece. A mid-life crisis made sense, but this wasn’t who she thought he was. In Noella’s interview, she said it was time she moved on. She needed to take off the dirty robe, get out of bed, and stop crying over a man who doesn’t deserve it. She told Gina that she wanted to slap a man. Maybe it’s not a good idea for her to date right now…

Heather, Emily, and Jen went to a sauna, and Emily hoped they’d be doing lunch too. Emily asked if Jen had always intended to be breadwinner, and Jen said, after she and Ryne had gotten married, her ex-boyfriend sued her. He said his gifts had been loans, and she and Ryne went through some hard times. In Jen’s interview, she said she’d met her ex after her father died. He was intelligent and wealthy, and said he was divorced. She broke up with him when she found out he was really just separated. Three days after she married Ryne, he sued her. We saw a headline that said, Billionaire Sues Cheating Ex. His purpose was to hurt her and her relationship. She told Heather and Emily that Ryne stayed home and watched the kids, and she was able to build her career. Emily asked about resentment, and she said she’d been there with Shane. In Emily’s interview, she said, there was a point when she didn’t think she and Shane were going to make it, and we flashed back to some of that. Her advice was to put the work in. No one dates a forty-five year old with kids in Orange County. You’d have to move. Emily took a sandwich out of her bag, and Heather reminded her they were detoxing. Emily said it was turkey, and in Heather’s interview, she wondered why Emily had a turkey sub in her purse. Eating a sandwich in the sauna was not a thing. They followed up the sauna with a nail appointment. Champagne was served, and Emily said the strawberries in it were her daily dose of fruit. Heather suggested a girls trip to Cabo, and asked how Jen was feeling about Noella. Jen said she’d texted Noella about going out for drinks, but there was no response. Heather said she’d invited Noella to Max’s book party, because she was sweet to Max, but now she knows that Noella’s been talking about her, calling her a phony bitch. And she’d be a phony bitch if she pretended she didn’t know what Noella had said. In Jen’s interview, she said, Noella was going through some things, but there was never an excuse to be rude and condescending. Heather wanted to say she was hopeful, but said, they’d see.

Shannon and her daughter’s visited Shannon’s mom Pat in Nashville. In Shannon’s interview, she said, with all the girls’ activities, it was easier for her mom visit them. Seeing how happy her mom was, made Shannon feel the need to come more often. They toasted to being together for the first time in a long time, and Pat said the girls had done a good job with the divorce. Shannon said they’d been exposed to an unhealthy marriage, and in her interview, she said her parents divorced when she was 17. She was a living example of repeating a parents’ patterns, and she didn’t want her kids to continue the pattern. She wanted to break the cycle. Sophie said she saw herself marrying boyfriend Reese one day, and Shannon said that broke her heart. In Shannon’s interview, she said she got married at 36, and Sophie was 20. In Sophie’s interview, she said she’d never been in a relationship before, and it was all new. She understood that her mom was nervous because she didn’t want to see her get hurt, but she already lived 1200 miles away, and was on her own as it was. Shannon said, her good part started at 55, and in her interview, she said she knew the girls were still carrying everything that continued to happen with David.

Heather invited Noella over, and Noella arrived while Heather was filming an infomercial with Terry. Heather motioned for Noella to stay quiet and sit down. In Noella’s interview, she said, Heather was the one who scheduled this. She wanted Noella to see it, and feel impressed. She wasn’t there to go toe to toe with Heather, but if Heather brought it, Noella would end it. After Heather was finished, she took Noella to her podcast studio, saying it was the only quiet place. In a fifty room house. In her interview, Noella said she had her suspicions before, but this was concrete evidence that Heather was a narcissist. If she wasn’t so creeped out, she’d be impressed. Heather told Noella that she’d heard some things, and felt weird not suggesting they sit down and talk. Nicole had said Noella called her a phony or fake bitch. We flashed back to that, and Noella said fake bitch. Noella told Heather that she was very emotional, and was really angry with James. Heather’s name was brought up, and she lashed out. Heather said she understood. When she heard all Noella was going through, she let it go, but Gina also said that Noella told her not to trust Heather. We flashed back to the racetrack, and Gina telling Heather that Nicole said she wasn’t to be trusted. Heather asked why Noella felt distrustful of her, and Noella said, she and Nicole had been friends, and Nicole changed based on a phone call with Heather. We saw a clip of Nicole telling Noella that she was a mean girl, and saying they weren’t friends. Heather said if there was a chance of friendship between her and Noella, this was no way to start, and Noella said, they started with her being in the house when Heather was slamming people up against walls and yelling. Heather said she didn’t slam anyone up against a wall, and in her interview, she said she was getting psycho vibes. Was she being punked? Heather said Noella had a lot going on, and she didn’t take it personally. Noella said she didn’t mean it personally, and Heather said she wasn’t sure she was the right friend for Noella. In Heather’s interview, she said she felt bad for Noella, but she wasn’t giving this life. Noella said she didn’t need deep friendships with everyone, and was happy with some social friendships. Heather said Noella should focus on her family and take care of herself.

Noella’s driver picked her up for Max’s party, and I wondered how she was still paying for a driver. She talked to him about having to play Matlock with James, which I thought wasn’t the smartest thing, since she wanted to keep it on the DL. In Emily and Shane’s car, Emily talked about falling asleep early all the time, and in her interview, she said, every night, Shane asked what movie she wanted to sleep through. Maybe she needed to stop eating turkey.

Max’s party for her book, I’ll Give It To You Straight, was pretty crowded, and had a booth for chakra readings. In Heather’s interview, she said, despite Noella being off the rails, and telling tales about her, it was Max’s night. Enjoy yourself over there. We’re good. It’s worth noting that Nicole’s purse looked like a sparkly old school portable phone. Her other accessory was boyfriend Vic. Noella noticed there was no hug for her, and told Gina that she’d tried to invite Nicole to lunch, but Nicole hung up on her before she even got there. In her interview, she said, if Nicole can’t go deep at Noella’s deepest, most painful part of her life, the friendship was officially over.

Noella and Jen were friendly now, and in Jen’s interview, she said she was glad Noella was owning the lies she’d told about her, but she was still a little guarded. We saw a clip of Noella apologizing, and Jen said they were building trust. Taking baby steps. She was married to Ryne, and used to baby steps. Jen explains how Ryne changed the spelling of his name from Ryan, and in Emily’s interview, she said, all it did was confuse people and make it difficult to pronounce. Noella relayed the news that Shannon had taken the red-eye back, and woke up with chest pains. In her interview, Emily said that she and Shannon had a history, and still had not worked everything out. We flashed back to Emily confronting Shannon, and Emily said she was going to take any opportunity to take a jab at Shannon because she deserved it.

Travis hung out on the sidelines with Shane, who wondered if they were being rude or smart. Emily got her aura read, and said she thought the red energy in her vagina field might be a stop sign. She was 45, tired, and just wanted to watch Netflix. Heather said she and Terry had met on a blind date, and at the end, he said, let’s never speak again… because it couldn’t get better. Jen said for her, it was love at first sight, and Ryne said he was still coming around. In Heather’s interview, she wondered what he actually meant. Ryne hasn’t decided if he likes her? Of course he hasn’t decided on a name either. Emily mentioned Cabo to Noella, who said she wasn’t invited. In Noella’s interview, she said, the last time she and Heather met, she didn’t kiss Heather’s ass. She was sensing her invitation was going to get lost in the mail.

Heather got everyone’s attention, and thanked them all for coming. She said she was so happy to have them there. She was impressed with Max, at how raw, open, and honest she was; maybe too honest sometimes. What she’d shared was special, and she was proud of Max. Max took the mic, and said she wasn’t one for emotions, but she hoped the book would help readers with their mental health, sexuality, or whatever they needed. In Heather’s interview, she said, that her child could take a time in her life that sucked and use it to help others, what more could she ask for? Everyone partied, and Emily said she was so drunk, she should go home. Noella said she thought Emily and Shane must have the hottest sex of any of them, and Emily said, when she stayed awake. In Noella’s interview, she said, never count the little man out.

After doing a comedy routine using Nicole’s phone purse, Emily asked Jen if her ex had paid for her school, but Jen said he hadn’t. Emily wondered what why she had to pay him back for anything, and Jen said, it was anything and everything he could think of, and she did it to get him to go away. Emily asked if he was hot, and Jen said, no, but he was smart and interesting. Emily didn’t believe Jen was attracted to his personality, and told her to admit she liked the money. She yelled over to Gina, who quickly came over, and said she thought maybe it was time for Emily to go home. In Gina’s interview, she said she’d seen where these conversations tend to lead, and we flashed back to Emily’s confrontations with Kelly and Nicole. Gina didn’t want to end this night with a negative comment, and steered Emily away. Seeing Heather, Emily got excited about Cabo, and realizing she was loud, asked Heather if Noella was invited. Heather said, no, and Emily said, but she was invited, right? Heather said she was, and in Heather’s interview, she said, Noella had been lovely tonight, and brought a gift for Max, but she didn’t want to take a trip with someone who lied about her. They were good. Emily wanted Shane to help her pee, apologized for falling asleep the night before, and promised to put out when they got home. Shane wasn’t sure if that was likely.

Next time, the trip to Cabo, riding horses on the beach, Gina advocates for Noella to Heather, Jen is having a breakdown, and Noella shows up.

📤 Outgoing…

I’m hoping to catch an extra Z tonight. Or maybe even an LMNOP. Join me tomorrow for soap and hair-dos on the Runway. Until then, stay safe, stay living within your means if possible, and stay leaving the righteous indignation to the Quartermaines.

Jan8

January 7, 2022 – Sonny Goes Back Home, Postponed, Luke’s Death, an Exit, Last Bow, Possible Wife, SI DUI, Ring Clap, Ringing It In, the First Dozen Quotes This Year & a Tale

Posted on January 8, 2022 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Deception office, Chase asks if Brook is working late. She says he didn’t have to come himself. She would have called the baby nurse to pick up Bailey. He says, now that Peter’s awake, he doesn’t want to take any chances. If it were up to him, he’d never take his eyes off this little angel. (Bailey is really cute, and one of those very aware babies who seems to know what’s expected in a scene.) Brook says she appreciates that. Unfortunately, Peter isn’t their only problem now that her grandmother is back in town. He says, her grandmother Tracy? and she says, yes. If he sees her anywhere in the house, steer clear. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. He says, so she doesn’t want him to take Bailey back to the house? and she says, kind of like at the last possible moment. He tells Bailey, it looks like it’s just you and me, kid.

Trina and Ava are seated at the MetroCourt, and Ava asks for another place setting. Trina asks if someone is joining them, and Ava says, yes. This is a working dinner with their new employee. Spencer walks in, and Ava says, he’s right on time.

At Charlie’s, Cameron tells Josslyn, there’s a lull right now, so if she wants to vent about her mom and Sonny, now would be the time. Josslyn says she’s so pissed at Sonny, and he says, keep going. She says, he totally protected Nina in court. She’ll never have to pay for what she did. He doesn’t even view it as a crime. He’s completely betrayed his family, especially her mom. Cameron asks if her mom has said anything, but she says, not directly. He should have seen her on New Year’s; she was hurting so bad. He takes her hand, and says he’s sorry her family has to go through this, but he thinks everything will be okay. How many times have her mom and Sonny been married? She says, one more time than they’ve been divorced, and he says, exactly. He thinks they’ll get through this. She says, this time, she’s not so sure. She really thinks her mom and Sonny may have broken up for real. Esme walks in, and says, oh my God. That’s terrible. Josslyn says, it is, and thanks her. Esme asks if that means they can’t use the cabin.

Phyllis knocks at Nina’s office door, and asks if she’s interrupting. Nina says, is she kidding? Of course (🍷) not. She’s exactly the person Nina needed to see. She takes Phyllis’s hands, and says, as a matter-of-fact, she was going to drop by Charlie’s when she got off work. Phyllis is glad she saved Nina a trip, and Nina says she bets Phyllis can guess what she needed to talk about. Phyllis says, the hearing? and Nina says, it was crazy. She won’t believe what happened. Phyllis says she knows exactly what happened. It finally came out that Nina and Sonny fell in love. Nina says, it was a disaster, and Phyllis says, she’s right. So what is she going to do about it?

Olivia says, Sonny told Carly how he felt about Nina, and she was honest with him about how she felt about Jason on her wedding day, but has she been honest with Sonny about how she feels about Jason still? Sonny walks in, and Carly asks what he’s doing here. He says, he lives here, and doesn’t want to leave until they settle things. He asks Olivia if he can have time with his wife, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). She was just on her way out. She tells Carly that she’s rooting for her; don’t let her down. She leaves, and Sonny asks how Donna and Avery are. She says, they miss him. She told them that he was away on business. He says he doesn’t want them to think he’s gone, and she says, unlike Nina, she has no desire to keep him away from his family. He says, good, because he wants to come home. They’ve been apart too long. He knows he made a mistake, and he should have told her from the beginning, despite his reasons. She asks, what reasons? and he says he told her, Jason died. She says, then Sasha and Brando lost their baby, and he didn’t want to cause any more pain. He says, Sasha and Brando went through a terrible tragedy, and it broke his heart. Then they lost Jason, and Carly was able to express her hurt and grief. He lost his best friend, his brother, and he had to stuff all that inside. He had to be tough for her. He didn’t want to lose her, and didn’t want this thing with Nina to come between them. He didn’t say anything, and he should have, and it made it worse. But now, he’s been apart from her for nine months, and one night. He doesn’t want to spend one more minute without her.

Elizabeth sees Finn in the hospital locker room, and he asks if they’re still on for tonight. She asks, why wouldn’t they be? and he says he doesn’t know. Emergency? Family? Friends? The weather? She laughs, and he says, maybe she’s having second thoughts? She says, no, never. There’s no way she’s missing their first official date. She even brought a dress for the occasion. Don’t tell her that he changed his mind. He says, him? No. He’s just – he takes her hand – he’s just really happy if she feels like she can move on with him. She flashes back to putting her ring away, and says she thinks Franco would want her to be happy, and she is happy, with him. He kisses her.

Josslyn says, that’s nice. Her mother’s marriage is falling apart, and Esme is worried about a weekend getaway. Esme says she’s right; it was insensitive of her, and she’s truly sorry. Josslyn says, apology accepted, and Esme says, it’s just that all she can think about is Spence. He’s with Ava right now to discuss restitution. It’s torture. Not only this business with Ava, but the whole going to prison thing. She sits down, and says, the only thing Spence was looking forward to was their time in the cabin. Josslyn says she’s really sorry, but the last thing she wants is to ask Sonny for anything, and Esme says she understands. She doesn’t know how she’s going to tell Spence the weekend is off. On top of everything else, how can she take this from him too?

Spencer says he didn’t know Trina was going to be there, and Trina says, same here. She’ll leave if they’re going to be discussing… He says, please don’t leave on his account. He never minds seeing her. Ava on the other hand… He sits down, and Ava says, there’s no need to flatter Trina; he already has the job. He says, a job is usually paid for; this seems like indentured servitude. Ava says, court mandated indentured servitude. He owes her. The fake blood did damage to her gallery, not to mention the art itself. She opens the menu, and suggests they have a little something to eat before they talk business. Surf, turf, or both? Spencer says, he can’t afford to eat anything there. Ava has a stranglehold on his trust fund. Ava asks who he thinks is paying for this meal? She tells Trina to order whatever she likes. It’s on Spence.

Brook asks if Chase has heard anything about his suspension, but he says, not a peep. Which is fine. Not having to work means having more time to look after this little troublemaker, and when he’s not watching her, he fills his time with working out, and looking up brand new facts. Did she know the severed head of a sea slug can grow its whole body back? She says she doesn’t find that fascinating; she finds it repulsive. He says, why can’t it be both? and she asks if he’s really okay. He says, he was just so eager to get out of the wheelchair, and now that he’s able-bodied, he’s still kept from doing what he loves. It’s beyond frustrating. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, he told her, it’s not her fault. She says she can’t help but feel responsible. He was suspended for punching Valentin in her honor. He says he would do it all over again. Olivia comes by, and says, thank God Brook’s here. Brook asks if anyone is hurt, but Olivia says, not yet, but if Brook doesn’t talk her down, she’s going to Crimson, and rearranging Nina’s lying face.

Nina says, Phyllis knows what happened at the hearing? She was under the weather, so Nina assumed she was out of the loop. Phyllis says, one thing she’ll never take for granted again, in Nixon Falls, when she and Lenny had problems with their marriage, they never ended up on the news. Nina says, what? Phyllis found out about this on the news? Phyllis says, yes, and Kristina also filled her in on what happened at the hearing. Nina is sure Kristina had a mouthful to say about her, and Phyllis says, she did, but she’s hurt and confused, like Phyllis imagines Nina is. Nina says Phyllis has to believe her. She never wanted anyone to know about her and Sonny. No one, especially not like this. Now Sonny and Carly’s marriage was in trouble, and he was a wreck on New Year’s Eve. Phyllis says, she saw Sonny on New Year’s Eve? Alone? She’s asking for trouble.

Olivia says, then Willow testified that she heard Nina and Sonny talking about falling in love in Nixon Falls, which then Sonny confirmed, also on the stand. Chase says, poor Willow, and Brook asks, how’d Carly react? Chase says he has to meet his brother at GH, so he’ll take Bailey, and leave them to talk. Brook says, he’s introducing the baby to his brother? and he says, yeah. It’s going to be fine. He hands her a paper bag, saying, he almost forgot. He thought she might be working late, so he got her turkey on rye, her favorite. He added a banana because she always seems to steal his. Brook thanks him, but says, don’t think for a second her banana stealing days are over. He says he wouldn’t have it any other way, and says, goodbye, wheeling Bailey’s carriage out. When he’s gone, Olivia asks Brook to tell her every single detail. Brook says, about what? and Olivia says, her and Chase obviously.

Ava says, she and Trina came up with a list of projects Spencer can tackle at the gallery after he serves his sentence. Spencer says, if he’d thought this plea deal meant working for her, he’d have asked for more prison time, and Ava says, that’s gratitude for you. Luckily, she has good news. He won’t be working for her. He’ll be working for Trina.

Cameron tells Esme that he’ll break the news to Spence once he finds out what’s going on with Sonny, but Josslyn says, that’s okay. Esme’s right. They promised Spencer a fun time at the cabin, and considering it’s the last fun he’ll have in a long time… Esme says, that’s so decent of her. She knows it will mean the world to Spence. Josslyn says, the way she sees it, after what he did to her mom, Sonny owes her, and she could use some time away. Esme says she knows the feeling. Before they died, her parents were in the process of splitting up. It was brutal. Cameron says, it’s never easy; he’s sorry. What happened? Esme says, what didn’t? They both know the drill. He betrayed her, and they blamed each other. It was devastating. Josslyn says she’s sorry, and Esme thanks her, but says, she’s not. She may have been just a kid, but it taught her a valuable lesson. There’s a circle in hell reserved for people who tear families apart.

Nina says, nothing happened with Sonny, but Phyllis says, trust her. When the two of them are together, something happens. They have unresolved feelings for each other, and whether they act on those feelings or not is beside the point. Right now, being together, even casually, is inappropriate. Nina says, Phyllis is probably right, but Sonny has unresolved feelings for her. Phyllis asks what point Nina is making, and Nina says, she was chatting with her friend Ava, and it got her thinking. They all deserve happiness in life, right? She knows it sounds crazy, but right or wrong and not now, what if Sonny’s happiness lies with her?

Carly says, that’s the man she married, and Sonny says he thinks that’s who he is. She says, Sonny told her that he has reasons for keeping the truth about him and Nina from her. What reasons? He says, it doesn’t matter; it doesn’t exist. She says, that’s not the truth, and he asks what she means. She says, the reason he didn’t tell her was because he knew she’d ask the inevitable question. He asks if they have to do this now, and she says, yes, they do. She says she asked him last night, and she’s going to ask it again, and if he can’t answer it this time, he can turn around and leave. Does he have feelings for Nina? He doesn’t say anything, so she shouts, does he have feelings for Nina? and he says, yeah.

Trina says, Spencer’s working for her? But it’s Ava’s gallery. Ava says she won’t be there very much in the coming months. She and Nikolas are going to renew their vows. Their first wedding was last minute, so they want to plan something elegant, and in her absence, Trina will supervise. Spencer says, that’s no better. No offense, Trina. Trina asks if he thinks she wants this. Excuse her. She jets, and Spencer says, wait. Ava tells him, sit down. They’re not finished here yet.

Cameron says he knows how it feels. His family was torn apart when Franco was killed. He almost let his anger get the best of him. Esme says, sometimes anger can be fuel, and Josslyn’s phone rings. She excuses herself, and steps away. Outside, she asks Trina, what’s up? and Trina says she’s at the MetroCourt with Ava and Spencer, and things just went totally sideways.

Esme apologizes for getting intense, but Cameron says, she’s entitled. She thanks him, and says, it’s just that she didn’t grow up with her biological family, and the family that chose her imploded. That’s probably why she’s so devoted to Spence. He’s her family now. Cameron says, makes sense, but as far as anger… She says, he doesn’t agree? and he says, he’s sure she’s right. Anger can be fuel. But they can’t let it overrun them. Wasn’t it anger that drove her and Spencer to stalk Ava?

Sonny tells Carly, it’s complicated. He has feelings for Nina, but he’s getting over it. She says, you don’t just get over that, and he asks if she’s speaking from experience. She says, don’t do that. When he asked her about Jason, she was honest. He says, but she didn’t tell him right away, and she says, she told him within days. Didn’t she answer every question he asked? And she’s been asking for months for him to tell her what happened in Nixon Falls, and he was consciously keeping it from her. He says, that wasn’t him, but when she was with Jason, that was her. She says she doesn’t blame him for what he did as Mike, but he owes her the truth. He says they’re not going to be able to get through this if they’re not under the same roof, and she tells him, he said he wasn’t Nina’s victim. Now she realizes how true that was. Sonny was Nina’s accomplice.

Nina asks how many times Phyllis has told her, she and Sonny shouldn’t ignore their feelings for each other, but Phyllis says, she advised Nina to come to terms with her feelings. That’s very different. Nina says, if Sonny and Carly separate – if – does Phyllis think it’s possible for her and Sonny to be together? Phyllis says, first, she’ll answer the question Nina asked. Yes, it’s possible. Now she’ll answer the question Nina didn’t ask. If it’s possible, does she think Nina should act on her feelings? Hell no.

Josslyn says, basically, Spencer would be working as a handyman? Has he ever even held a hammer? Trina says she doesn’t think it’s just about the work. Ava isn’t making this easy on him. Josslyn says, he and Esme stalked Ava for months. They made implied threats to Avery, and, oh yeah, set Ava’s car on fire. She knows Spencer’s their friend, but after what he’s done, he’s getting off easy.

Ava says she admits she had a little fun at Spencer’s expense, and he says, she means, kicked him when he was down. That’s low, even for her. She says, still not quite as low as leaving a teddy bear teddy with a murderer’s voice for her child to find. He asks, why involve Trina? and she says, besides paying for what he did to her, his true task is to make restitution to Trina. Does he think she needs the money him doing odd jobs at the gallery will save her? Restitution isn’t only about money. It’s about righting wrongs. Repairing what’s broken. Restoring what’s been stolen. He says he never took anything from Trina, and she asks if he can honestly say he didn’t hurt Trina. He says, one of his greatest regrets is how he treated Trina. He should have been honest. He should have told her that he already had a girlfriend. He shouldn’t asked her to cover for him, when she didn’t realize he was actually going after Ava. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to make that up to Trina, but Ava says, he can try. Him framing a few pictures with Trina at the gallery isn’t going to fix the trust that’s broken, but trying to make Trina’s job easier could go a long way.

On the phone, Trina says she thinks they calmed down a bit. It was looking pretty intense for a while. She thanks Josslyn for letting her vent, and Josslyn says, anytime. Trina knows Josslyn’s got her back.

Esme says, Cameron is right; about the anger thing, and what she and Spence did to Ava. She’s a work in progress. He says, they all are. Trust him, he’s not judging. If she knew what anger drove him to do when Franco was killed… She says, do tell, and he tells her, all he’ll say is, he was impulsive, and he was reckless. He’s very grateful he had people around him who were patient and forgiving. She says, angry Cameron sounds quite intriguing, and he says, she’ll never meet him, not if he can help it. Josslyn comes back in, and says, that was Trina. Sounds like Spencer’s super unhappy over whatever Ava cooked up for his restitution. Esme says, Trina’s there? Spence didn’t mention she’d be at the meeting. Cameron says, maybe he didn’t know, and Josslyn says, even if she is, what’s the big deal? They’re all friends here, right?

Chase brings Bailey/Louise to the hospital, carrying her in a baby sling, and Elizabeth says it’s so nice to see her. Is she all snuggly and comfortable with her daddy? Finn says, it’s about time he got to meet his niece, and Elizabeth says, she’s beautiful. Chase says, that’s all her mother, and Finn says, definitely, but Elizabeth says she thinks Chase has something to do with it. She has to get back to work, and tells Chase, congratulations. She tells Finn that she’ll see him later, and leaves. Finn says he can’t believe his little brother is a father, and Chase says, Bailey’s not the only good news in the family. Is he imagining things, or do Finn and Elizabeth seem… closer? Finn says, he thinks he and Elizabeth have decided to see where this can go, and Chase asks, what finally changed? Finn says, she did; mostly. She’s been through a lot, and he thinks she’s ready now. Chase says, it’s been a tough year for both of them. He’s glad they can look forward to a future together. Finn suggests they not get ahead of themselves. And what about Chase? What does his future hold?

Brook tells Olivia that she and Chase are friends; there’s nothing going on with them. Olivia says she saw the energy between them, and don’t argue with her. She has a nose for these things. Brook says, that’s not why Olivia came there. How’s Carly taking the news about Sonny? Olivia says, that’s why she’s so steamed. Carly is so angry at Sonny right now, and rightfully so, but she’s also torn. She desperately wants to forgive Sonny, but it’s a massive betrayal to get past. Brook says, if Olivia can forgive her dad… Olivia says she’s forgiven him for many things, and Brook says, then Carly can forgive Uncle Sonny, can’t she?

Phyllis says, sorry she was so blunt, but Nina says, that’s okay. She just doesn’t want Phyllis to get worked up when she’s recovering. Phyllis says, some of the responsibility of this situation lies with her, and Nina says, no. What did Phyllis do? Phyllis says, if she’d been completely honest with Nina after Sonny regained his memory, Nina might not still be fantasizing about a future with him. As Lenny would say, it’s never too late for settin’ straight. So is Nina ready to get real?

Sonny says, Nina’s accomplice? and Carly says, he’s Nina’s protector. He told Carly to lay off Nina. He says, he didn’t want a war, and she says, look where that got them. He promised Nina would stay away from their family, but that didn’t stop the two of them from reminiscing in the hospital chapel. Is he kidding her? Is he going to stand in her way now, and asks her not to go after Nina, after she fired the first shot at the hearing? Is he? He says he doesn’t know what that’s going to accomplish; just forget about Nina. She says, like he has? and he says, she doesn’t want to trust him, and doesn’t want to forgive him. Is he wasting his time? Is she saying there’s no hope for their marriage?

Chase tells Finn, fatherhood has been great, so far, but without his job, he feels useless. Like he doesn’t have a purpose. And he gets the feeling he’s starting to bug Brook. Finn says, first things first. Being a dad is the greatest job there is. There’s nothing useless about spending time with his little girl. That being said, he understands Chase’s suspension has made him feel restless, but it’s not going to last forever. Chase says, here’s hoping, and Finn says, he thought Chase and Brook were good friends. Chase says, they usually are, but lately, their vibe has been off. Hanging out with Brook is effortless, but lately, it’s just awkward. He’s not sure what’s come between them. Finn laughs, and says, you’re wearing her, bro. Co-parenting Bailey with Brook has brought a new dynamic into their friendship. There’s bound to be some bumps in the road, but they’ll figure it out. Chase says, that makes sense, and Finn says, it’s going to all fall into place. Chase asks how Finn can be so sure, and Finn says, it comes from frequently being right. Just think of all the things Chase overcame this year, and he’s still standing, literally. Chase says, thanks to him, and Finn says, and Chase’s own resilience. He knows he’ll never have Chase’s optimism, but he hopes he can learn to embrace life like Chase does. Elizabeth goes by, whispers, hi, and Chase says, it looks like he already has.

Trina comes back to find Spencer heading for the reception area, and she asks where he’s going. He says he’s going to find a waitress. He can’t stand being here one more second. So he’s going to get his dinner to go. After all, he did pay for it. Trina says, Ava ambushed both of them. She didn’t know Ava was going to have her supervise him. She’ll decline. He says, no. He’s grateful to have the opportunity to work for her, if she’ll have him. She says, why not? Good help is hard to find.

Esme gets some coffee, and asks what she owes Cameron, but he says it’s on the house. She thanks him, and says he’s a life saver. She tells Josslyn that she hopes her mom and stepdad weather the storm, and if they can’t, Josslyn emerges strong anyway. She thanks Cameron for the caffeine, and Josslyn for the cabin, and says, she knows what it’s costing Josslyn. Esme leaves, and Josslyn says, is she crazy, or did Esme almost seem sincere?

Nina says, Phyllis has always been real with her. That’s why she values their friendship so much. Phyllis says she hopes they continue to be friends after she says this. Sonny may not see himself as a victim, but what Nina did, pretend not to know who he was, and keeping him from his family, including the grandson they shared, allowing Sonny to fall in love with her, that was a violation. And the only way to make this right is to leave Sonny alone. Nina says, what if he doesn’t want to be left alone? and Phyllis says, let Sonny and Carly figure this out. Whatever the next step is, it’s not hers to take. Phyllis gets her coat, and leaves.

Carly says, if there’s any chance for them, Sonny needs to be honest with her. He says, he’s already admitted he has feelings for Nina. It’s confusing and complicated, and he doesn’t want to have these feelings. That’s as honest as he can be. She tells him, he said they didn’t have sex; did he kiss her? Did he touch her? He says, it doesn’t matter, but she says, it does to her. He asks why she wants to hurt herself; she’s already hurt. She says, she can’t forgive him if she doesn’t know what she’s forgiving. He says, it’s not going to help, and she says, it can’t be worse than what she’s imagining in her head. Tell her. He says, to move forward, you have to forget, but she says, for her to move forward, she has to know every last detail. He says, that was Mike; he’s Sonny. She points at a plate, and says, his daughter wanted him to have that cookie, and walks out of the house.

Trina goes back to the table, and says, Ava knows she’ll do anything Ava asks, but when she asked if Trina was comfortable having Spencer work at the gallery, Ava never mentioned she’d be supervising him. Ava says, she doesn’t want to supervise him, and Spencer’s the one being punished, not her. Trina asks why she’s being punished, but Ava says, she’s not; she’s being rewarded. Doesn’t Trina think it would be a little satisfying, bossing Spencer around after everything he’s done to her? Trina says, honestly, no, and Ava says she doesn’t know why she’s surprised. Trina is cut from a much kinder cloth than she is. Now she feels bad that she sprang this on Trina. Can Trina forgive her? Trina says, of course (🍷), and Ava says, good. Because Trina is going to run her own gallery one day, and she’s going to need this experience, boss’s orders. Trina says, when Ava puts it that way… They see Spencer, carrying a to-go bag, and waiting for the elevator. Trina catches his eye.

Cameron says, it was sincere for Esme, and Josslyn says, it certainly was a surprise, Esme confiding in them about her childhood. Cameron wonders if it was a good surprise or a bad surprise, and Josslyn says, that depends on whether Esme was lying or not. He says, it seemed like she was telling the truth, and she says, it did. She hates to admit this, but there may be an outside chance that there’s more to Esme than she’s given her credit for. He says, if Spencer likes her, how bad can she be?… Gotcha. He asks if they should give Esme the benefit of the doubt, just this one time, and Josslyn says, she gets an A for effort, but they’ll see if she passes the class.

A nurse hands Esme a bag at the hospital pharmacy, and asks if it’s a new prescription. Esme says, it is, and the nurse says Esme needs to speak to the pharmacist. Esme says, that won’t be necessary, but the nurse says, the dosage is strong. She advises a consultation to go over proper usage. Esme says, no need. She knows exactly how to use this.

Olivia says, thanks for the chat, and Brook says, anytime, walking her to the door. Brook says, huh, she actually meant that, and Olivia says, no one is more surprised than she is. Brook says, don’t tell everybody they’re getting along; she has a reputation. Olivia says, Brook definitely has a reputation, and thanks Brook for keeping her from punching Nina in the nose. Brook says, what Nina did was truly messed up, and Olivia says, but? Brook says, but she’s made choices she knew would hurt people. Sometimes for reasons people think are right in the moment, and dig holes that are just too big to climb out of. Olivia says, Brook’s made mistakes, and Brook says, one or two. Olivia says, but beneath all of Brook’s barbs and bluster, she’s got a beautiful heart. She loves without reservation, and Olivia thinks Brook just wants to be loved in return. Brook says, the heart is a muscle; it will atrophy without use. Olivia says, start using it, and Brook says, easier said than done. Olivia says she doesn’t know about that. Sometimes the very thing we’re looking for is right in front of us.

Finn thanks Chase for introducing him to his niece. He tells Bailey that he’s so glad to finally meet her, and Chase says he wants to get her home. Finn says he should probably go find a cure for a disease or two, and Chase says, only if he has the time. He’s thrilled for Finn. He was starting to enjoy curmudgeon Finn, but thinks he can learn to like nice Finn too. Finn tells him, don’t get carried away. He knows he and Elizabeth took their time getting here… Chase says, it took them forever. They were the last two people to realize there was a spark between them. Finn says, sometimes it works that way, right? There were some obstacles, but now it seems like nothing is standing in their way.

In the locker room, Elizabeth takes out her dress. Something falls out of the locker, and she picks up her wedding ring.

Sonny is all alone in the kitchen, without even the moss bowl 🎍 for comfort. He flashes back to when he was in the Nixon Falls clinic after the fire at the Tan-O. He remembers Nina saying, what they have is real. If he leaves, she wants him to know something. She honestly loves him. He takes a swig of his drink, then smashes the glass.

On the phone, Nina says she’s sorry. Her meeting ran late. She’s on her way. She’ll be in the conference room in five minutes. Carly comes in, and slams the door. She tells Nina, you’re gonna miss that meeting.

On Monday, Trina says she saw the Ava that Josslyn warned her about, Victor tells Spencer that it’s time he lived up to being a Cassadine heir, Sonny says he really screwed up, and Nina says there’s something else Sonny didn’t tell Carly about.

😷 Down But Not Out…

Supposedly, it won’t affect the schedule.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-postpones-production-due-to-covid-surge

🧼 Good Soap Characters Never Die…

Since Tony Geary is still alive and well, and living in Amsterdam ~~smoking weed~~, I’m not buying it.

https://ew.com/tv/general-hospital-killed-off-luke-spencer/

Relive the moments.

End Of An Era: Relive The Life And Times Of Late GH Antihero Luke Spencer

⚖️ Say It Ain’t So…

What the what? But he and Obrecht are so cute together.

Kin Shriner Wraps His Latest Run on GENERAL HOSPITAL

🎭 Closing the Curtain…

One Life To Live liked her so much, she came back later to play a different role. I had no idea she was Arthur Miller’s sister though.

Revered Veteran Soap-Hopper Dead at 99

https://people.com/theater/joan-copeland-broadway-star-and-sister-of-playwright-arthur-miller-dead-at-99/

💎 Wifely Tease…

I wouldn’t mind seeing her added to the cast. I liked that reality show she had with Dave Navarro.

https://www.justjared.com/2022/01/07/carmen-electra-teases-possibility-of-joining-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-cast/

🏎 Influenced Wife…

Apparently using the Kim Kardashian filter on that IG post.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/06/mob-wives-star-renee-graziano-addresses-accident-dui-arrest/

💍 In Defense Of Morganite…

It’s still a gorgeous ring, and it was still expensive. I think my engagement ring was around $500.

https://people.com/style/scheana-shay-claps-back-at-fans-who-criticized-her-pink-morganite-ring-i-didnt-want-a-diamond/

🎉 Happy Last Year…

You didn’t think I’d forget. The celebration continues, even if only in my mind.

https://nypost.com/2022/01/01/new-years-eve-celebrations-across-the-world/

Celebrity Celebrations.

https://people.com/celebrity/happy-new-year-2022-see-celebrities-celebrating-in-photos/

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/star-gazing-new-year-2022/#1137443

How Daytime does it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/abc/see-how-the-stars-celebrated-new-years

See How the Stars Celebrated the New Year!

📯 Quotes of the Week

The moment we choose to love, we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. – Bell Hooks

The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized. – Rachel Carson

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell

Art is not what you see but what you make others see. – Edgar Degas

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. – Maya Angelou

Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli

If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive. – Audre Lorde

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell

Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil

Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them. – George Eliot

🌃 Into the Night…

It’s the second weekend of the new year. That two-day break from work if you’re still doing that, and if you’re on the resignation bandwagon, call it whatever you like. But whatever you call it, enjoy a change of scenery, even if it means moving your computer to another room. You’ve got an open invite to join me on Monday for soap and Deck adventures. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving them wanting more, and stay leaving it alone, if the next step is not yours to take.

Jan7

January 6, 2022 – Ava Wants Every Delicious Detail, Real Housewives On the Runway & Colder

Posted on January 7, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy tells Bailey that she’s had an interesting life so far. Or should she call her Louise? She wonders, if the baby could talk, would she tell her what Brook is up to. Brook comes back, and asks, what makes Tracy think she’s up to something? Tracy says, isn’t she?

Maxie runs into the office, and Lucy says, at least one of them is here. Maxie says, sorry she’s late, and Lucy says, not as sorry as she is. Tell her, is she the only one who’s excited about taking Deception public? Maxie says she’s excited too. She was just putting out a fire. Lucy asks, what is more on fire than their IPO? Think about the substantial amount of money they stand to make as a company and as shareholders. Not to mention the fact, the sense of accomplishment. Look at them. Three women who had a dream. They brought it to fruition. It’s a reality. Deception is their baby, and she wants to see their baby thrive. Maxie flashes back to asking Brook if Tracy knows Bailey is Louise, and Brook saying, Tracy just knows Bailey isn’t hers. Lucy apologizes, and says she shouldn’t have used the word baby. Baby’s a dumb word. What she should have said is, Deception is a beautiful flower that’s worth millions of dollars. Maxie says Lucy is right. Deception is their baby, and you’d do anything to protect your baby.

At the MetroCourt, Sam tells Alexis that she wants to celebrate Alexis being the editor of the new and improved Invader. Alexis says, yeah, and Sam asks if she’s having second thoughts. Alexis says, of course (🍷) she’s having second thoughts. Just because she edited The Law Review doesn’t make her a journalist. Sam says, there’s no one better than Alexis who will know how to get the paper out of the jungle, but Alexis says, which is why they have a legal department, which she can’t join because she’s not a lawyer. Sam says, but she does know the ins and outs of the law, and Shawn wants his paper to be able to fight for justice. And that makes her perfect for the job. Alexis says, what it makes her, is terrified. She likes that.

Brando meets Gladys at the bar, and they hug. Gladys says she’s so glad to see him in person finally, and he says it’s good to see her too. She says she’s been so worried about him, but she didn’t want to nudge him with a thousand messages. He says, just a hundred and fifty or so, and she says, it’s only because she cares. He says he knows she does, and she says, losing her precious little grandson is like a knife in her heart. She cries every day for Brando and Liam. He says, and for Sasha? and she says, of course (🍷). Isn’t she joining them? He says, she called to say she couldn’t make it, when Sasha walks in behind him. Gladys says, is he sure?

Ava walks into Nina’s office, and says, so, is it true? Did that judge in Pennsylvania throw out those ridiculous charges? No more trial. No more smug look on Carly’s face? They set Nina free? Nina says she sees Ava’s heard, and Ava says, yeah, she heard, but she heard from some gossip at the spa. Why didn’t Nina tell her right away? They hug, and Ava says she’s so happy for Nina. She really is. She told Nina that Scotty was a great lawyer, and Nina says, he’s certainly effective. Ava asks what kind of rabbit he pulled out of his hat this time, and Nina says, he didn’t pull out a rabbit, just a witness that dropped a bomb on Sonny and Carly’s marriage.

Carly tells Avery that she can have the last cookie, but Avery says she’s saving it for daddy. Carly says, that’s sweet. She bets Avery is wondering why her daddy didn’t come down for breakfast this morning. Avery nods, and Carly says, she doesn’t want Avery to worry. He’s not going away again; not like last time. Avery says, then where is he?

On the phone, Sonny tells someone to have Tony oversee the shipment. He’s going to have a sit-down with Selena Wu. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, come in; it’s open. Dante comes in, and Sonny tells whoever to have Tony text him when it’s finished. He asks how Dante found him, and Dante says he talked to Michael. How’s Sonny doing? The last time he saw Sonny… Sonny says, let’s just forget about New Year’s Eve. Dante asks how they’re supposed to forget about New Year’s Eve? Sonny is there at the penthouse instead of home with Carly and his kids.

Brook says she’s late for a meeting at Deception, and she’s bringing Bailey with her, and Tracy says, take your daughter to work day? Brook says, they have wonderful daycare, and Tracy says, quite the role model; juggling work and motherhood. Maxie’s going to be there too, isn’t she? Brook says, her point? and Tracy says, Felicia is concerned that Maxie is getting overly attached to Bailey, using her as a substitute for her lost daughter. Brook says, with all due respect, Felicia worries too much. If Maxie being around Bailey is helping her cope with her own loss, she doesn’t see the harm. Brook picks up the car seat, and tells Bailey, let’s go to mommy’s office, and Tracy says, very interesting. She never, ever thought of Brook as the maternal type. Brook says, neither did she, but it changed. Tracy says, maybe. Maybe she just got better at hiding it.

Sasha gives Brando a kiss, and he says he’s glad she changed her mind about joining them. Gladys asks if she can order something for Sasha, but Sasha says, no thanks. Brando says they haven’t really seen or talked to each other since Liam’s funeral, and Sasha says she’s sorry. She just needed to be by herself. He says he understands, and she says she knows. How is he? That’s a stupid question. He says, it isn’t a stupid question. He’s glad to see her out and about. He thinks it’s good for her, even if it means sitting down with his mom. Sasha tells Gladys that she’s sorry she didn’t return her text; she’s been holed up in her apartment. Gladys says, no need to explain. It’s good to see her. Brando says he’ll go grab them a table, but Sasha says, actually, she can’t stay. It’s a big day for Deception. They’re getting ready to launch their IPO. Gladys says, oh yeah. Deception’s going on the stock market. Is that about right? Sasha says it is, and thinks the best thing for her is going back to work. Brando says he thinks Lucy and Maxie will understand, and Sasha says, she knows, but she can’t stare at her walls any longer, where she’s reminded of everything she wanted to do with Liam. He says, of course (🍷). He understands. She says he told her that he was back at the garage, so she figured, why not get back to work herself? He says he’s glad she stopped by, and she says, her too. He tells her that he loves her, and she says she loves him too, and leaves, giving Gladys a wave. Brando tells Gladys, she’s okay, and Gladys says, mm-hmm.

Alexis says, here’s to lessons learned, and she and Sam clink coffee cups. Sam says, and bravery, and Ned approaches the table. He says he called Alexis’s house, and Kristina said he could find her here. She asks if he’d like to join them, and he says, for a few minutes, if they don’t mind. He sits, and congratulates Alexis on her new job. She says, she just got this job five minutes ago, and it’s news already? Sam says, welcome to journalism in the 21^st century, and Alexis thanks Ned for his good wishes, but says, something tells her that he didn’t track her down to celebrate her new career. He says, no. He has some bad news. Luke died. Sam says, no, and Alexis asks if he was sick. Ned says, no. He was killed in a terrible accident. They might have heard about it on the news; the cable car in Austria? Sam says, Luke was in that? and he says he’s afraid so. Alexis asks where he heard this, and he says his mother told him.

Ava tells Nina that she wants to hear every delicious detail, but Nina says she doesn’t take joy in any of this. Ava says, but she does; that’s why she’s here. So tell her, who was this witness, and what was the big bombshell? Nina says, Scotty called Willow to the stand and asked her to reveal what she knew about Nina’s relationship with Sonny back in Nixon Falls. Ava says, and as God is her witness, she could not tell a lie, and Nina says, she told the truth. She overheard a conversation Nina and Sonny were having about how they fell in love when he thought he was Mike. Then Sonny and Carly… Ava says she can just picture it. Sonny, sitting there with his guilty conscience, and Carly wanting Nina to walk the plank. And her, without a front row seat.

Carly says Avery’s daddy is away on business, and Avery asks, for how long? Carly says she’s not sure, but he’s not far, and he’ll be back really soon. Olivia comes in, and says she hopes it’s okay, and Carly says, sure. They were just talking about how Avery wants to leave a cookie for her daddy. Olivia asks if Avery has a hug for her Aunt Olivia, and Avery hugs her. Carly asks Avery to check on Donna and Pilar, and Avery leaves. Olivia says, she’s getting big so fast. When she comes back in this room, she’ll be ready for the prom. Carly tells her, don’t say that, and Olivia says she’s been trying to reach Carly all week; she probably noticed this morning especially. Carly says, sorry. It’s been non-stop since she got back from Pennsylvania. Olivia says she knows Nina skated. What she doesn’t know is why. Carly says, because Nina fell in love with her husband, and it turns out he felt the same way about her.

Dante says, when he left Sonny last night, Sonny was three sheets to the wind. He took Sonny’s keys, by the way. How’d he get here? Sonny says, Nina showed up after Dante left. She wanted to drive him home, but he did as Dante asked, and told her to drop him off here. Dante says, and did she? Drop him off? Sonny says, if Dante is wondering if she stayed, the answer’s no. Dante says, did he want her to?

Alexis says, Ned’s been in contact with Tracy? and Sam says, the last they heard, she was on the run from the PCPD, and fell off the grid. Ned says he knows what his mother did was unconscionable, but Luke’s death has really hit her hard. Sam asks how Tracy got ahold of him. Did she email him, because the last thing she would want is to be in front of Alexis. Tracy comes in, acknowledges Sam and Alexis, and tells Ned that she’s glad she found him.

Brook dashes into the office, saying, sorry she’s late, and Lucy thanks her for joining them finally. Brook says she needs to talk to Maxie for a second, and grabs Maxie’s arm. Lucy says she can’t, and Brook says, but she is. Maxie says, give them a second to get whatever it is out of the way, and pulls Brook outside, Brook telling Lucy, they’re going to be ahead of schedule in no time. Outside the office, Brook says, Tracy not only knows Bailey isn’t hers, but she suspects she’s Louise. Maxie says, and she left the baby with Tracy? but Brook says, no. She brought her to daycare. Lucy tells them, come on; they have a lot of work to do. Maxie says, one second, and tells Brook, they need to bluff this out. See if Tracy’s actually going to pursue it. Brook says she doesn’t have a better plan, so… They go back in, and Lucy says, yay, finally. They have so much to do. They have to schedule a press conference to announce the actual date of the IPO. Then they have to arrange for all of them to get to the stock exchange, because one of the partners has to ring the opening bell. Since Deception is her brainchild, she volunteers to do that very high profile honor. Maxie says, too bad it can’t be the Face of Deception, and Brook says, she knows she’s only staff, but shouldn’t the face of the company be the face of the company when they go public? Lucy says, that’s a fair argument, but Sasha was only supposed to take maternity leave, and now it’s turned into bereavement leave, which means all of them have to stick together and pick up the slack. Sasha walks in, and says, that’s sweet, but it won’t be necessary. She’s back, and ready to give her all for Deception.

Ava tells Nina, don’t stop now; they’re getting to the best part. What happened after Willow threw Sonny under the bus? Nina says, the judge called Sonny to the stand to confirm or deny Willow’s testimony, and Ava says, he tried to deny it, didn’t he? Nina says, no, he didn’t. He actually talked about his feelings toward her when he thought he was Mike. He not only talked about her falling for him, but also him falling for her. Ava says, so he told the truth. What did Carly do? Nina says, Carly left the hearing before the judge could dismiss the charges, and Ava says, Carly walked out on Sonny, and left him to Nina.

Olivia says, so Willow overheard Nina and Sonny talking about their past in Nixon Falls, but it’s still no secret Nina kept Carly from knowing Sonny was alive. Now they know why, because Nina had fallen for her husband. Carly says, and he fell for Nina, but Olivia says, according to Nina. Carly says, he didn’t deny it, and Olivia says, he didn’t know who he was, and Nina knew that, and took advantage of him. She’s not saying Sonny’s not a dog; all men are dogs. For example, Ned. Olivia happens to be a dog lover. But just because Nina had feelings for Sonny, doesn’t mean he has feelings for her. Carly says she asked him that question, and he said he loves her. Olivia says, and? and Carly says, she told him that wasn’t an answer. Then she told him not to come home. Olivia looks at her, and Carly says, what? Does Olivia think she was wrong? Olivia says, not at all, and she’s not comparing the two situations in the slightest, but what did Sonny say when Carly told him about her feelings for Jason?

Sonny tells Dante, part of him – the Mike part – wanted Nina to stay, but that was just a hangover from the past; the memories that were stirred up by the drinking, and thinking about the mistakes he made when he came home. It would have been very easy to just have her stay, think about Nixon Falls, and how easy it was, or how easy he thought it was. Damn. It’s like, Carly was the one who brought him back to himself. It’s who he wants; his home. Know what he did before he conked out? He was hoping when he woke up in the morning, Nina would be forgotten. So he wakes up, opens his eyes, and the feelings are still there. And you know what? He can’t get rid of them.

Tracy says she needs a word with her son, and Ned says, she needs to get out of here before someone tips off the police. Alexis says, actually, Tracy has just done her an enormous favor. She was just sitting here, worried she didn’t have the chops to be a journalist, but it turns out that Tracy, being the giver that she is, just gave her a brand new headline. It’s all about privilege and the abuse of power.

Brando tells Gladys, he tried backing off. He tried giving Sasha time to grieve. Gladys says, it’s killing him, isn’t it? You don’t want to send a single message or God knows, call her. You’re worried even the slightest gesture will make her think you’re hounding her. You’re worried if you don’t reach out, it will seem like neglect. He says she hit the nail on the head, and she tells him not to look so shocked. She understands because she’s been doing the same thing with him. Her instinct is to love bomb him like crazy; shocking, she knows. She’s been listening to this podcast about loss, and it says, grief is like a daffodil. You plant it in the wintertime, and wait for spring until it blossoms. Or wait. Is that the podcast on gardening? Maybe it’s both, but he gets the idea. He says he’s not sure he does, and she says, she’s just giving him space until he’s ready to talk about it. He takes her hand and thanks her, saying, he appreciates that. She says, he’s welcome. Anything for her son. So, is he ready to talk about it?

Maxie says, Sasha shouldn’t be here, and Lucy says, it’s too soon. Brook says Sasha needs to take care of herself, and Sasha says, losing Liam was the hardest thing she’s ever known, but it would dishonor his memory if she curled in a ball and stopped living. Brook says, in that case, she’s been keeping a folder with all the information on the IPO for her. Sasha thanks her, and Lucy says, actually, publicity has asked her if they have any new photos for the press release. Sasha says, she’s ready for anything, and a woman comes in with Bailey. She says she’s sorry to interrupt, but Brook must have left Bailey’s pacifier in her bag.

Nina says she hates to burst Ava’s bubble, but Sonny followed Carly out of the hearing, so they could talk things through. Ava says, of course (🍷) he did, and of course (🍷) Carly took him back, right? She wishes Nina would have given her a heads up. She could have used the information Willow had to extract a confession on the child custody front. Nina says, if Ava is going to make everything about her, when Nina’s done what she can to honor Sonny’s wishes and not come between him and Carly, she can go. Ava says she’s sorry. She knows it must have been hard when Sonny turned his back on Nina and returned to Carly, and they lived happily ever after. Or did they?

Carly asks what Olivia means about her and Jason? and Olivia says she was at the wedding. She saw Carly coming down the aisle, and she looked very much like a woman in love. Carly says she told Olivia before about bottling things up, and Olivia says she told Carly, it’s not healthy. Carly says, they were extraordinary circumstances she and Jason were thrown in, and Olivia tells her to go ahead and just say she fell in love with her best friend. Carly says she did, but when Sonny came home, she put those feelings aside. Olivia says, Carly bottled them up, and Carly says, okay, she bottled them up, but the point is, she went back to the man she loves. She chose Sonny. She made a choice. Obviously Sonny can’t do the same.

Dante hates seeing Sonny seeing tear himself apart like this, and Sonny says, it’s like there’s two of him. The father Dante knows, and the guy he never met, Mike. Carly never met Mike either. Dante says, Nina met him, and Sonny says, he’s gone and doesn’t exist. It’s like that place; it’s magic every hundred years. Dante says, Brigadoon? He had to do that musical in elementary school, about a magical town that shows up every hundred years. Sonny says she can’t see Dante in a musical, but Dante says he was pretty good, thanks to Sister Mary Joseph. Sonny says, then what happened? and Dante says, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy travels back in time, gets girl, and walks off into the sunset, and the curtain falls. Sonny says, that’s make believe, and Dante says, kind of what Sonny and Nina went through, except that’s over. Unless Sonny is telling him it’s still real.

Ned tells Tracy that she shouldn’t be out and about, but she says, she’s not an invalid. Sam says, but she is a fugitive, and Tracy says, and Sam’s mother is a so-called journalist, while the man she loves is gone. Alexis says she’s very sorry to hear about Luke. She and Luke had a very fulfilling, yet complicated relationship. Tracy says, he told her, but then her mind would begin to wander, and Alexis tells her, having said that, there is no such thing as bereavement leave when you’re on the lam. And her loss, devastating as it may be, has nothing to do with her not owning up to what she did. Tracy says, Alexis wants her to go to prison? She’s already in the house with Monica, who, when she’s not telling her, it’s my house, Alan gave it to me, is moaning about some Russian. Ned says, Belarus, and Tracy says, whatever. In any case, something is going on with Ned’s daughter, and she needs to talk to him about it. Don’t talk to her about privilege. Alexis says, Tracy avoided arrest by fleeing the country on a private jet, and Tracy says, and Alexis has become a so-called journalist by failing her way to the top. Or did she sleep her way to the top this time?

Sasha asks if Bailey knows how lucky she is. Her mommy and daddy are even luckier, because they have her. They will always have… She tells everyone that she’s fine, and Brook gives Bailey her pacifier. Lucy says, about those publicity shots… and Sasha says she called Suzanne, her go-to makeup artist, on her way over, and Suzanne should be there soon. So she’ll just freshen up before they take the photos. She leaves, and the women look at each other.

Nina says, if Ava is going to take everything she’s saying and use it as ammunition to hurt Sonny, then no. She doesn’t want Ava to use it to gain advantage involving Avery’s custody thing. Ava says she was just kidding around. Seriously, she doesn’t want to see Nina end up holding the short straw. Nina says she’s not. As a matter-of-fact, last night she was helping Sonny out. She found him at Charlie’s, all alone and overserved. Ava says, he was smashed at Charlie’s? Really? Was he a mad drunk, a sad drunk, or an amorous drunk? Nina says, none of the above. He didn’t have his keys, and didn’t want her to drive him home, so she drove him to a penthouse at Harborview Towers, and she dropped him off. Ava says, Nina didn’t go inside with him and make sure he got to bed okay? Nina says she made sure he was safe, they had a little conversation, and she left. Ava says, damn. Nina really loves that guy, doesn’t she?

Olivia wonders if Carly and Sonny are all that different. They’re strong-willed and stubborn as hell. She sympathizes because she and Ned have a lot of that too. They have their pride, albeit in significantly smaller doses. What they do have is Leo, and doing what’s best for him is bringing them back together. It makes her kind of guilty to talk about this because of everything Carly is going through, but Carly says, she’d love to hear some good news. Olivia says, they decided Ned is going to officially adopt Leo, and they’re going to renew their wedding vows, and Carly says, that’s wonderful. Olivia says she thinks so, and Carly says, it’s great because they’re going to have challenges ahead. Olivia says, honestly, the marriage part worries her more than the… She has to get used to saying it. Autism. Carly says, Leo’s a great kid, and Olivia says, that’s not going to change. Carly says, that’s a great way to look at it, and Olivia tells her, don’t waste time like she did. Marriages and families, there always going to be a challenge. Most marriages end in divorce. Families with cousins cutting each other out of the picture books. Don’t be those people. Carly asks what she’d do without Olivia, and they hug. Olivia says, Carly will never know; she’s not going anywhere. Carly and Sonny are destined for each other; until death do us part. The man even died and came back to her. Carly laughs.

Sonny tells Dante, the love he has for Carly and for his family is real. I suddenly notice a big plant in bowl on the coffee table. It’s no moss bowl 🎍, but still distracting, and I wonder who’s been watering that if no one lives there? Who’s been cleaning this place? Sonny says he doesn’t have to tell Dante that; Dante knows that. Dante says, of course (🍷), and Sonny says, when he was in Nixon Falls, he told Carly, he would always have this vision. He would dream, and see a blond woman. He’d try to touch her, and he couldn’t, and she woudn’t come to him. It happened quite a bit. Then, when he came close to dying, it all rushed back to him. The blonde woman was Carly, and he knew that’s where he belonged, with her and with his family. This whole thing with Nina, the feelings and all, doesn’t really matter. Dante says, he believes Sonny, and Sonny asks how he makes Carly believe him. Dante says he thinks Sonny has to stop telling him about it, and talk to Carly about it.

Ned says he’s taking Tracy home, but she says, not until she has a word with him in private. Ned says, excuse them, and they step away. Sam asks if Alexis is okay, and Alexis says she’s great. Mixing it up with Tracy is invigorating. Sam says, as amazing as that all was, Tracy needs to pay for what she did to Alexis.

Brando says, he admires the way Sasha’s able to cope, and Gladys says, he’s sweet to admire how well she’s handling this, but trust her when she says this. A woman can’t carry a child for nine months, and lose it, and turn the page overnight. You can’t wallpaper over a hurt like this no matter how hard you try.

Brook wonders if someone should check on Sasha, and Maxie says she knows her experience with Louise is different, but Sasha might need some time alone to pull herself together. Lucy says, you never ever really get over a loss like that. Maybe this is too soon, and Sasha’s pushing too hard to get over it. Brook says, if she is, they’ll be there for her, and Maxie says, in the meantime, they just have to hope Sasha knows what’s best for Sasha.

Sasha looks at herself in the bathroom mirror, and says, get it together, Gilmore. Your friends and your partners are counting on you. Do not let them down. She takes a lipstick out of her bag, and her hand shakes, but she takes a deep breath, and puts some on.

Nina tells Ava that she’s never denied her feelings for Mike, and what she still feels for Sonny. Ava tells her, what Nina’s not saying is… Nina says, go ahead. Ava is dying to say it. So say it, and get it out of her system. Ava says, it’s clear how Nina feels about Sonny, but what Nina’s still not able, or willing, to face, is how Sonny feels about her. Nina says, she knows it’s hard for Sonny to forget what they went through together in Nixon Falls, but they’re back in reality, back here. Ava says Nina still doesn’t get it. Nina thinks Sonny is caught between the past and the present, but that’s not what this is about. He’s caught between Carly and Nina.

Carly says, she knows Sonny came back from Nixon Falls, but Mike came with him. Olivia says, Nina is the one who won’t let Sonny go, but don’t worry; she’ll get what’s coming to her. Carly asks if she promises, and Olivia says she does. They don’t call it karma for nothing. Carly needs to think about what she wants. After everything that happened in Nixon Falls, and knowing what she knows and how she felt about Jason, be honest. Can she expect Sonny to be there totally and completely for her, if she’s not there totally and completely for him?

Sonny tells Dante, he’s not sure Carly wants to see him right now, the way they left things. Dante says, she was hurt, and she was angry, and Sonny couldn’t make it better, so he tried to drink himself numb. He took his time out, and it didn’t work. So now he has to go back there and talk to her, and it’s going to hurt, but that’s the way it is. Dante’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Sam. Sonny tells him, go ahead, and Dante steps away. He asks Sam, what’s up? and she asks how soon he can make it to the MetroCourt. He says, it’s too late for lunch, and too early for dinner. Are they talking business or pleasure? Sam asks if it’s not too late to make an arrest.

Brando suggests Gladys grab a table while he settles the tab. She says he doesn’t have to, unless he insists. She asks if he knows how proud of him she is, and he says, of what? She says, he admires Sasha for being strong, and getting on with her life. She thinks he’s just as strong, if not stronger, for letting himself hurt.

Sasha says, sorry to keep waiting them waiting, and Brook says, she looks… wow. Maxie says, of course (🍷) she does; she’s the Face of Deception. Lucy says, yes she is, and Sasha looks awesome. She thought while they were waiting for Sasha’s makeup artist, they could what Sasha is going to say at the press conference. Maxie and Brook step outside, and Maxie asks what exactly Tracy did to make Brook think she believes Bailey is Louise? Brook says, it’s nothing she did or said. It’s that crocodile smile. Like she knows that Brook knows that she knows. Maxie says, can they trust her? She’s a liar and a schemer. Tracy would exploit them in a way that would benefit her own agenda. They need to come up with a plan. Before Tracy blows it, and Peter finds out they’ve been hiding his daughter in plain sight.

On the phone, Ned tells someone to let him know if there are any new developments. Tracy asks if he’s done, and he says, it was about ELQ. Normally she’d say, there’s nothing more important. She says, this time there is, namely, his daughter. He asks what Brook has done now, or rather, what is Tracy accusing her of having done. She says, it’s about that baby of hers. He says, Bailey? What about her? She says, Bailey. What kind of name is Bailey? While they’re on the subject… Dante walks over to Tracy, and she says, just a minute; this is important. He says she’s under arrest, and handcuffs her. Sam and Alexis clink coffee cups.

Nina tells Ava, Sonny loves Carly. End of story. Ava says, maybe this story has a sequel. She picks up her bag, and says, stay tuned. She walks to the door, and says, Sonny may love his wife, but he still has feelings for Nina and can’t shake them. Deep down, Nina knows it’s true.

Carly looks at her phone, and tells Olivia that her mom keeps calling her. She wonders what that’s about. Olivia says Carly should call her, and find out. Carly says, she will, but first, she wants to hear Olivia’s news. Olivia said she had something to tell her. Was it the whole Leo and Ned thing? Olivia says, no, but she thinks it’s Carly’s mom’s news to tell, but suggests they talk after, and about the other stuff they talked about. Sonny told Carly about how he feels about Nina. Carly told him how she felt about Jason on her wedding day, but has she told Sonny how she feels about him still? Sonny walks in.

Tomorrow, Ava tells Spencer that they’re not finished, Finn asks if Elizabeth is having second thoughts, Nina wonders what if Sonny’s happiness lies with her, and Sonny says he doesn’t want to spend one more minute without Carly.

Project Runway

There were seven designers left, and Chasity said she was feeling the pressure like never before. She felt she had to push harder. She had some little Black girls looking up to her as their hero, and couldn’t fail them. The designers gathered at the runway, where there were containers of apples, oranges, and flowers, and Christian said they played an important part in the challenge. This week, it was the Real Client Challenge. They’d be working with some women who were real, and knew what they wanted. From The Real Housewives of New York City, it was LuAnn and Leah; The Real Housewives of Potomac, Grande Dame Karen, Gizelle, and Wendy; and from The Real Housewives of Orange County, it was Shannon and Gina. The designers’ task was to create the ultimate Reunion show look for Real Housewife, Christian reminding them that each one had her own particular needs and wants. LuAnn said the Reunion was something they waited for a whole year, and they had to look amazing. More concisely, Leah said they needed to look effing fierce. We saw some clips from the Reunions.

The designers were paired up with a Housewife: Anna with Gina, Aaron with Gizelle, Chasity with Karen, Kristina with Wendy, Bones with Shannon, Shantall with LuAnn, and Coral with Leah. Leah told Coral that she wanted to look like a sexy Disney princess, but in Coral’s interview, she said she had more warrior goddess in mind. She didn’t do Disney. The designers were instructed to balance their personal vision with what the client wanted.

They had 30 minutes and $700 in Mood. While Coral had promised Leah an emerald color, she was drawn to a fabric with cut-outs that was a nude, and hoped the color change was okay. Leah might have wanted flowers and ruffles, but she wasn’t doing that. Gizelle had told Aaron that she thought of herself as a Barbie, which he thought went along with his forte of fashion meets costume.

Instead of models, the designers got the Housewives. In Aaron’s interview, he said, they don’t give a sh*t, are highly opinionated, and always extra. They needed to love their looks. Coral’s dress looked beautiful, but it definitely wasn’t what Leah asked for. When Leah first saw it, it looked like things might go south. Instead, Leah said it wasn’t what she was expecting, but it was epic. It was better than what she’d come up with in her own head. In Coral’s interview, she said she’d taken a huge risk, but it totally paid off. Leah said she effing loved it.

Since it’s impossible to have Housewives in a room without drama, Kristen had created a pantsuit for Wendy that had a bustier top with wide-leg flowy pants. Wendy said she’d just gotten new boobs and new butt, and wanted to show them off. She wasn’t mean, but obviously unhappy, and Kristina started crying. In Aaron’s interview, he said you could learn techniques in school, but the only way to learn to do custom work was to actually work with clients. Kristina ran out to calm down and have a smoke, and Anna and Gina followed her to lend support. They also told her smoking was bad for her, although that probably wasn’t the time for that lesson. Gizelle asked if Wendy had made Kristina cry, and Christian said, it was down to the wire, and Kristina was probably just emotional. In Kristina’s interview, she said it was very stressful and intense, and reminded her of school in Antwerp. She’d had a nervous breakdown, but the school had psychotherapy, and she took advantage of that. She recovered, and was able to go back to work. Still, she sometimes got emotional under stress. She and Bones had a drink, and let out a scream on the rooftop.

In his interview, Aaron said, it was runway day, and that meant chaos was about to ensue. The Housewives came for their final fittings, and Kristina had made modifications to the pantsuit, and added a long, flowing scarf. It seemed like Wendy still wasn’t too thrilled though. To be fair, Kristina had said she could do a gown or pantsuit, and Wendy had said she didn’t really care. In Bones’s interview, he said he thought Anna wasn’t as focused as she had been, and felt he’d be able to stay longer in the competition. Meow. The Housewives went to hair and makeup, and I thought the outfits didn’t look ready, although Wendy actually ended up looking pretty good.

Brandon hoped the designers had gotten through the challenge without having wine thrown at them, and Andy Cohen was introduced as guest judge. It went this way. Gizelle wore a pink jumpsuit with one long, dramatic sleeve. In Aaron’s interview, he said she was perfection. She was using the sleeve, and living her best life. She was a vision. Karen wore a sparkly black gown, and in her jumpsuit, Wendy used the scarf all over the place. Gina wore a skirt and top; the top having space age shoulder pads, and the skirt being a more relaxed pencil skirt; the whole thing very boxy and constructed. Shannon wore a just above the knee black cocktail dress, with an asymmetrical hem. There were two sleeves – one of her must haves – but one was lacy with feathers. In Bones’s interview he said, Shannon’s ex should feel sad, because she looks sexy AF now. Leah’s neutral gown was sheer underneath, with the overlay of the cut-out fabric, strips of it flowing at the waist. LuAnn wore a black gown that was a combination of business and cabaret party, with one sleeve, a corset top, and a high slit skirt, lace peeking from the slit. All the Housewives worked the runway, and afterwards, Elaine said she felt like she just got off a roller coaster ride. Andy said, welcome to the Housewives.

The Housewives stayed behind as well, to give their opinions, and Elaine said they’d do it by franchise. NYC was first, and LuAnn said she liked to dress classically, but also loved cabaret. Nina said the dress was fit for a countess, and Brandon said it had gotten one of his highest scores ever. He said there was an understanding of women in Shantall’s work that was rare. I thought of Oscar de la Renta, since I feel that way about him. Leah loved her look as well, and Andy said he’d thought it wasn’t what she would wear, but he liked the overlay, which was hippie-ish and her style. Brandon said he was worried the color would wash her out on camera, but Elaine thought she looked commanding. From the OC, Andy thought Shannon’s look was her, but it was refreshing to see her in black. Shannon said it felt slimming, and Nina thought she looked fabulous. Andy liked the drama of Gina’s shoulders, but it wasn’t his idea of her. Nina thought it was poorly made, and that Gina had a hard time walking, and Brandon thought it felt gothic. Gina said she thought they were both trying to make each other happy, and Elaine said, communication was key. Representing Potomac, Elaine thought Wendy’s metallic hot pink was dated, and Wendy said it was more like compromise than collaboration because she knew it was a competition, and wanted Kristina to work in her wheelhouse. Gizelle thought Aaron had killed it, and she felt like she could cut a bitch out. Andy asked Karen what she thought about Gizelle’s outfit, and Elaine accused him of stirring the pot, but Karen said it was the best she’d seen Gizelle look. Aaron said it was about giving Gizelle a moment with the one long sleeve. Brandon said they made a good duo, and Gizelle said Aaron was going where she did. Elaine said it seemed like there were good vibes with Karen and Chasity, and Karen said Chasity was willing to listen, but put herself in it as well. Nina thought it was a little safe, and Brandon said the look wasn’t new, but Karen looked like she was in charge like the Grande Dame should be.

Andy said pleasing Housewives was difficult, and he was impressed. Elaine said overall, they’d done a good job, and Andy said the Housewives were not only happy, they looked great. The judges deliberated, and Brandon said Gizelle looked comfortable and confident. Elaine said it was a match made in heaven. Andy said, LuAnn liked a sequin or 500, and the gown was a departure, but still in sync with who she was. Brandon thought she’d never looked better. Nina was disappointed in Chasity, although Andy said Karen was happy. Brandon said it was all about the client, but the gown wasn’t very original. Andy said Gina’s outfit would be savaged on Twitter; they wanted glam, not Goth. The Reunion was their Superbowl moment, and there was nothing Superbowl about it. Nina said, Wendy almost had a Janet Jackson moment, and Andy said she obviously wasn’t happy with the collaboration. Brandon said it was obvious there was a struggle, and a designer should quietly and poetically inject themselves into what they’re creating.

Everyone came back out, and Nina said Shantall was the winner, LuAnn’s gown being elegant, intelligent, and modern. Andy said it was elegant, sophisticated, and perfect for both LuAnn and the Reunion. Nina pointed out that was two in a row for Shantall, who said she was honored to be among such talented personalities. In Shantall’s interview, she said the win would help her be recognized as a designer, and would be an opportunity to make her brand grow. LuAnn told her that she was a great designer, and deserved it. Bones and Coral were declared in without fanfare. Nina said Chasity was in, however, she needed to push herself in the next challenge.

Elaine said it was painful to see the strongest designers up there. Nina said Kristina’s collaboration with Wendy didn’t go well, and the scarf was ill-conceived. Anna’s outfit for Gina was executed, and not appropriate for the Reunion. Anna was out, Bones’s prediction coming true, but Nina said she was still a huge fan of Anna’s work. She was sorry, but it was getting close, and the most painful part of the competition. Although she was crying, Anna said she appreciated their encouragement. Elaine said Anna would do incredible things, and in Anna’s interview, she said she was disappointed because she knew she could deliver more. She felt the competition helped her discover a part of herself she never had before. She said her goodbyes to the group, and Christian said she’d do unbelievable things. She made stunning, gorgeous clothes. In her interview, Anna said, Asian Americans were conservative and held themselves back a lot, and the competition had allowed her to show herself off. She was excited to see what she was going to do in the future.

Next time, collaborations with up and coming stylists, the look inspired by the hairstyle of the model; and Aaron wonders what he needs to do to win.

🚉 Next Stop…

Set a spell tomorrow for some soap, tea, and a knowledge drop or two. Until then, stay safe, stay cultivating common sense, and stay out of the spotlight if you’re on the lam.

Jan6

January 5, 2022 – Tracy Figures It Out, Gina Gets an Invite To the Track & Long

Posted on January 6, 2022 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Wiley is at the table in the nook, drawing, and Willow tells him, on the paper not the table this time. Deal? They fist bump and Wiley says, deal. She says she can’t wait to see his masterpiece. Michael comes in to get coffee, and she asks if there’s any word from Sonny or Carly. He says he spoke with his mom briefly, and Willow asks how she is. He says, not good. He’s worried about her, but she wanted space, so he’s giving it to her. She says, and his dad? He says, according to Tony, he’s fine. He can’t believe the judge said what Nina did isn’t a crime. She says she’s sorry. She wishes more than anything that she hadn’t gone to the chapel that day and overheard Sonny and Nina, but she did. Then she made the choice to keep it from all of them. He says, no one blames her for that; he doesn’t blame her for that. That’s why he did what he did with DA Sheridan. They were both protecting their family.

Brook asks Tracy to keep her voice down. She knows everyone in this house has supersonic hearing. Tracy says she’s waiting for an answer. Brook is not the mother of that baby. How does she know that? Because Brook was never pregnant. How does she know that? Because Brook called her asking for help finding a black market baby. Brook says, and Tracy hung up on her, so she had to take matters into her own hands. Tracy says she can see that. How did Brook get the baby? And please do no tell her, the old-fashioned way.

At Charlie’s, Anna asks Felicia how she think Maxie is going to react to this plan of theirs. Felicia says she’s not sure. She knows Maxie loves Louise, and wants nothing more than to have her daughter home… Anna says, but? and Felicia says, the way Maxie is dealing with it worries her. Anna says she knows. Like, the other day when she was so positive Louise was going to be back with her by next Christmas. She wants that too, obviously, and wants Maxie to have that kind of hope, but it’s really strange. Whenever she tries to bring up the subject of searching for her baby, Maxie seems kind of reluctant. Felicia says she thinks she knows why.

Maxie comes out of the hospital elevator outside Peter’s room, and Britt asks what she’s doing here. Maxie asks if she’s talked to Peter, but Britt says, not yet. Maxie says she’d like to know when he’s being shipped off to Pentenville, and Austin says, not before his condition stabilizes. Maxie says, and that will be… Britt says, he’s being guarded 24/7; Maxie doesn’t have to worry. Maxie says, she doesn’t have to worry? Peter has escaped from this hospital once already. She can’t deal with that again.

Victor sips coffee at the MetroCourt, when Valentin comes in. Victor says it’s good to see him, and Valentin tells him that he’d say the same, but he’s not going to lie. Victor says he did as Valentin requested, and gave him space to enjoy the holidays with his daughter, and Valentin asks if he’s back to his campaign as father of the year. Victor asks if Valentin and Charlotte had a nice Christmas, but Valentin doesn’t answer. Victor says, all right. How is Valentin holding up? Valentin says, tip top, patting his side. Almost back to 100%. Victor says he wasn’t talking about Valentin’s gunshot wound. He heard Valentin lost a child.

Britt tells Maxie, she knows it’s hard to believe after everything she’s been through, but Peter isn’t going anywhere. Martin comes along, and says, perhaps they could direct him to Peter’s room. Austin says, his room is right there, but it’s approved visitors only. Maxie asks why he wants to know, and Martin thanks Austin. He goes over to the guard, produces his card, and says, Martin Grey, Attorney at Law. Britt wonders what the hell is going on.

Martin goes into Peter’s room, and Peter says, he made it, and thanks him for coming. Martin asks what he can do for Peter, and Peter says he’d like to hire Martin to be his attorney. Martin says, to do what exactly, and Peter says, to prove he did not kill Franco Baldwin.

Alexis tells Shawn, she appreciates him trying to help, but he says, it’s not charity. Running The Invader is going to take a lot of work. She says she’s sure it is, especially since he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He says, so she’s afraid of trying something new? and she says she’s not afraid. He says, so she’s good? and she says, pushy, pushy. There’s a knock at the door, Alexis opens it, and tells Sam to come in. Sam asks if everything is okay, and says hi to Shawn. Alexis says, Shawn’s non-profit just bought The Invader. Shawn says he knows it used to be no better than a tabloid, but he’s changing the mission completely. Sam says, good for him, and Alexis says he wants her to be his second in command. Sam says, wow, and Alexis says, crazy, huh? Sam says, not necessarily, and Alexis says, what? Sam says, hear her out. She always thought that Shawn was a discerning kind of guy. Shawn thanks her, and Sam says, he must have his reasons for wanting Alexis to be part of the paper. What are they?

Michael says he knows he should have brought Willow into the loop about having Nina arrested, but she kind of did the same thing by not telling him about dad and Nina’s relationship. (I say, nice try, Michael.) What he’s saying is, moving forward, maybe they could give each other a little grace, because as parents, they’ll have to make executive decisions in the moment. Willow says, they’re not the same thing. The secret she kept from him had nothing to do with Wiley or parenting. It was about two grown adults who fell in love. He says, one of whom was his father, and both of whom are Wiley’s grandparents. She says, still… and he says he thought they were on the same page. What is he missing?

Maxie says, Martin isn’t going to take Peter’s case, and Britt asks how she knows. Maxie says, because he wouldn’t stoop that low.

Martin says he’s extremely reluctant to take Peter’s case. The list of allegations against him is epic, and it wouldn’t do Martin’s record any good defending him if he gets locked up. The only way he would consider accepting someone like Peter as a client is if the compensation were generous and prompt. Peter says, in other words, Martin can be bought, and Martin says, no, but his services can be acquired on a limited basis for a $50,000 retainer. Peter says, done, and Martin says, however, to be perfectly clear, he’s only willing to defend Peter on the charges of murdering Franco Baldwin. As for the rest of it, the catalog of heinous allegations against Peter is some other lawyer’s problem. Peter says, understood. So tell him, what is he up against? Martin says he doesn’t know yet, and sits down. He says, he’d have to look at the official files, and see what the PCPD has held back from public record. However, based on what he’s read, he thinks he can poke a hole or two in the prosecution’s case. Peter says, excellent, and Martin says, still, even if Peter is exonerated – and that’s one big if – there is an avalanche of charges waiting for him in other jurisdictions. Peter says, one battle at a time.

Felicia tells Anna, Maxie is in denial about Louise’s disappearance. She’s convinced herself that wherever her baby is, she’s safe and well cared for. Anna says, you kind of have to do that, don’t you? How else would you carry on? Felicia says, absolutely. She thinks that’s how Maxie finds the strength to be a mother to Georgie and James right now. Anna says she remembers doing that. She convinced herself that Robin was happy with Philomena when she couldn’t be with her. Felicia says she felt the same way when Mac was raising the girls, and Anna says, they were right. Their children were happy and safe, and they knew where they were. Maxie doesn’t have that. Felicia wonders how much longer Maxie can go on, not knowing if her daughter is alive, but Anna says, don’t say that. She doesn’t know.

Martin comes out, and Maxie says, he’s not going to take that monster’s case, is he? He says he’d appreciate if she referred to his client by his name, and Maxie says, no. He says, yes. He’s been retained to represent Peter in his upcoming murder trial. She says, what about New Year’s? She helped him and Lucy sneak out. He says he knows, and sincerely thanks her for the assistance, but business is business. New Year’s Eve was purely pleasure. He gets in the elevator, and the doors close.

Valentin tells Victor, Bailey isn’t lost; she’s perfectly fine. Victor says, but she’s lost to Valentin; no longer his little girl. Valentin says, that’s right, she’s not, and Victor says he’s very sorry about that. For both of them. He’d have loved another granddaughter. Valentin tells him not to get any ideas, because he’s never going to see the one he already has. Victor says, never say never, and Valentin says, if Victor thinks he’s ever going to let him anywhere near Charlotte, he’s crazy. Victor says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to push. Valentin says, he’s all about restraint, isn’t he? and Victor admits he’s more a man of action. He finds it intolerable what Brook did to Valentin. He assumes Valentin is going to retaliate, and Valentin says he can handle Brook. Victor says he doesn’t have to do it alone. Why don’t the two of them show her that no one crosses a Cassadine?

Brook tells Tracy that she found a mother who couldn’t raise her baby, and she helped. Tracy says, that’s really generous of her, and Brook says she did it for the family. She wanted to gain control back of ELQ from Valentin. Tracy asks if that worked, and Brook says, not for long. Valentin found out she was lying, and took back his shares. Tracy says, and now Brook is trying to pass off Detective Chase as the father, and Brook says, she couldn’t admit she faked the pregnancy. Tracy asks, why not? and Brook says, how would she explain the baby? Tracy doesn’t understand. Brook had already been found out. Why not tell the truth? She could understand if the adoption was illegal, but if the mother was on board… Oh no. Don’t tell her Brook was stupid enough to steal a baby. The doorbell rings, and Brook says she’ll get it.

Maxie joins Felicia and Anna, and says, sorry she’s late. Martin Grey has taken Peter’s case. Anna says, he didn’t, and Maxie says she ran into him at the hospital. Felicia asks what she was doing there, but Maxie says she didn’t see Peter. Don’t worry. She just wanted to make sure he was still there. So when’s Peter getting shipped off to prison to await trial? Anna says she doesn’t know. As far as she’s aware, he’s kind of incapable of being moved right now, physically and medically. Maxie says, he’s kind of famous for breaking barriers, and Felicia says, not anymore. Peter’s going away for the rest of his life. But enough about him. Maxie says, this was a great idea, the three of them getting together; relaxing, laughing, destressing. Anna says, actually, they have something important they’d like to discuss with her, and Felicia says, it’s a difficult subject, but they’d like to talk about the search for Louise. Anna says, it’s not been easy, there aren’t many leads, but everyone is very determined to bring Maxie’s baby home. Robert comes in, and Felicia says, on that note… He approaches the table, and Anna asks if he’s okay. He says he’s got a bit of bad news. Nothing to do with Robin. There’s been a rather tragic cable car accident in Austria. Felicia says she heard about that on the news, and he says, according to Tracy, Luke was on that cable car. Luke’s gone.

Harmony walks into the nook, and says, knock, knock. Happy New Year. Willow says, mom, and Harmony says, Brook pointed her in this direction. She got the feeling Brook was in the middle of something. Michael says, she usually is, and Harmony thanks them for letting her bring Wiley his gift. Willow says she’s sorry it took this long to find a good time, but Harmony says she’s just happy for the invite. Willow brings Wiley over, and asks if he remembers his Grandma Harmony. Wow. Three grandmothers. How lucky is he? Harmony squats down to Wiley’s level, and says she’s sorry she didn’t get to see him last week, but she’s been thinking about him the whole time. She puts a large gift in his hands, and says, merry Christmas. Willow asks what he thinks it is, and they bring it over to the table.

Britt walks quickly through the hospital, slows down, then walks again. Austin comes up behind her, and asks, whatcha doin’? She asks if anyone ever told him not to sneak up on anyone, but he says he’s not sneaking, just walking. She says she’s going in there, indicating Peter’s room, and he asks if she thinks that’s a good idea. She says she thinks she didn’t ask for his opinion, and he gets in front of her, and says, hold on. They both know she’s not Peter’s doctor, is she? She says, no, but she is Co-Chief of Staff, which gives her free reign in this hospital. He says, fair enough, but help him understand something. Why does she want to go in there? When was the last time she saw Peter? She says, Cassadine Island, where he killed Jason, and almost killed her and her mom. He says, exactly, and she says, which is exactly why she needs to see him. She starts to walk, and he says, it’s not a good look, the Co-Chief of Staff is arrested for murdering one of the patients. She says, believe her, if she wanted to hurt Peter she wouldn’t get caught, and he says he does believe her, but he didn’t hear the part where she says she’s not going to hurt Peter. She says, very observant, doctor, and tells the guard that she needs to monitor the patient. She goes in, and Austin watches from outside. Britt closes the door, and Peter says, hey there, sis. He raises his hands, showing her he’s chained to the bed, and asks, what’s up?

Brook tells Tracy, let’s keep our voices down. Better yet, let’s table this whole discussion permanently. Tracy says, so Brook did steal her, and Brook says she didn’t steal her. Her hand to God, Bailey is absolutely positively not stolen. Tracy says, good. Good news finally. Brook says, now that’s settled, and the rest is really none of Tracy’s business. Tracy says, except that’s not true. Brook is trying to pass that child off as a Quartermaine, which makes it all her business. Back to Chase. Why couldn’t Brook just say she had a one-night stand? Why did she have to involve a police detective? Brook says she didn’t involve Chase. He decided all on his own to help her out. Tracy says, Brook means lie for her, and Brook says, whatever. Tracy says, so Brook and Mr. Law and Order? but Brook says, it’s not like that. She and Chase are just friends. Tracy wonders why she finds that so hard to believe.

Wiley pulls out a train made of colorful blocks, and says, cool. Willow asks what he says, and he says, thank you, looking in the wrong direction. Harmony says, he’s welcome, and gathers up the wrapping. Michael says, that train set is pretty legit, and Willow says, it must have been expensive. Harmony tells her, don’t worry about it. She’s been saving up so she can spoil him. Wiley asks if he can show Leo, and Michael says he can, but he should say goodbye to Harmony first, because Toby’s mom will be picking him up soon for his playdate. Wiley brings Harmony a drawing, and she says, he’s such an amazing artist. She knows exactly where she’s going to hang it. (On the refrigerator.) She hugs Wiley, and he scampers off with his train. Harmony thanks Willow for calling. When she didn’t hear from Willow, she thought Willow changed her mind. Willow says, sorry about that. There’s been a lot going on. Harmony says, she heard the charges were dropped against Nina after the preliminary hearing. How do she and Michael feel about that? Willow says, Michael is understandably angry that Nina got off Scot free. That wasn’t the worst part. Some things came out during the hearing that Michael thought Nina purposely withheld to blindside the family. Harmony asks what Willow thinks about it.

Felicia says, it seems impossible, a world without Luke in it, and Robert says he knows. Anna asks if they suspect any tampering, but Robert shakes his head, and says, first thing he checked. It would appear his luck just flat ran out. Maxie says she’s so sorry. She knows how important Luke was to them. Robert says, his best friend. Brother, actually. No amount of time or distance could change that. Felicia asks if Bobbie and Laura know, and Robert says, yes. He called to check on them afterward. Olivia had broken the news. They’re both pretty devastated. Bobbie’s taking it particularly badly. Felicia says, of course (🍷) she is, and Anna asks if Bobbie wants to see anyone. Robert says, no. She asked to be left alone until she can process all of this. Felicia feels it’s the last thing Bobbie needs, but she’ll respect Bobbie’s wishes for now. Anna asks, what about Tracy? but Robert says he hasn’t spoken to her yet. Maxie gets up, and says she thinks she’ll stop by and offer her condolences, and Felicia says she’d like to drive her. Maxie says, yeah, and Felicia gets up. Felicia says she loves them, and cries a little, and Anna hugs her. Maxie and Felicia leave, and with tears in her eyes Anna says, first Holly, now Luke. She’s glad Robert’s here. She takes his hands, and he says, right back at her. He looks stunned.

Shawn tells Alexis and Sam, he doesn’t need another journalist. What he needs is someone with a conscience who can lead and guide the paper. Someone to fight for what’s right. Sam says, that sounds like her mom, and Alexis asks why he didn’t just say that in the first place, instead of calling her a chicken. He says, he didn’t call her a chicken, but she says, he called her a chicken. Sam laughs, and Shawn says, the bottom line is, he needs a warrior, and Alexis is the smartest warrior he knows. So what does she say?

Peter says, he was wondering when Britt would drop by. He was hoping his sister of all people… She says, don’t call her that. They’re not family; they never will be. He says she can’t deny blood, and she says, watch me. Jason is dead because of him. He says, the tunnel collapsed. It’s not exactly in his control. She asks, what about the shootout? Was that in his control? Because that’s what caused the cave-in, dumb ass. Not to mention, if it weren’t for him, they never would have been on that island. He says he understands… and she says, understand this. She’s so glad she didn’t grow up with him. She’s so glad she never knew they were related, because all he does is bring pain and suffering to everyone, most of all Maxie, whose life he essentially ruined. He says, that’s not true, and she says, thanks to him, Maxie’s daughter is God knows where, possibly crying, injured, or scared. Or alone, if she’s even still alive. He tells her, don’t say that, and she says, aww. I’m sorry. Did that hurt? Was it hard to hear? Good. She didn’t know it was possible to actually despise a person. It is. She despises him. He says, point taken. He’ll make sure to let the authorities know. They’re still searching for the person who poisoned him. She laughs, and says, please, moving closer to him. If she’d poisoned him, she’d have gotten the dosage right, and they woudn’t be having this conversation. Besides, she doesn’t want him dead. She wants him rotting in some supermax prison for the rest of his life, knowing he’ll never lay eyes on his daughter. She wants him alone, until he joins their father in hell.

Willow and Harmony have coffee, and Willow says, Nina’s reaction after everything came out, she seemed genuinely upset. Maybe she’s just being naïve. Harmony asks if that’s what Michael said, and Willow says, no. They definitely have different opinions when it comes to Nina, and her role, if any, in Wiley’s life. Harmony tells her to trust her instincts. If she really feels that Nina means no harm, isn’t it better for Wiley to have a grandmother who loves him, than for her to disappear? Michael comes in, and Willow asks if Wiley’s off. He says, Wiley’s off, and insisted on bringing his train set on the playdate. Harmony says she’s glad he likes it, and Michael asks what they were talking about. Willow says, Nina, and Harmony says, Willow didn’t give her any details, but she urges Michael to trust her daughter’s instincts. He says he doesn’t mean to be disrespectful, but how is that any of her business?

Valentin says, so Victor wants to team up like some dynamic father son duo, and Victor says, stronger together, as they say. Martin runs in, and Valentin asks Victor to excuse him; he has a meeting with his attorney. Victor says, by all means. Just think about his offer. Valentin and Martin go to a table. Martin says, before they discuss ELQ, there’s something Valentin should know, and he thinks Valentin should hear it from him. Valentin says, that sounds ominous, and Martin says, he’s agreed to represent Peter August.

Britt comes out of Peter’s room, and sees Austin leaning against the wall. He says, hey, and she says, you again? He says he didn’t hear any bells or whistles, so he’s going to assume Peter is still breathing. She says she has to get back, and he asks her to come sit with him for one tiny little second. They sit on a bench, and he asks if she feels better. She says, because she’s sitting? and he says, no, because she confronted Peter. She says she does. She could tell her words really hurt him, and it felt good to see him in pain. He says he totally gets it, and she says, he doesn’t think she’s a horrible person? He says, not at all. Not even a little bit.

Shawn says he and Alexis make a great team; she knows they do. The fact that he’s sitting there a free man says it all. Just think about it before she says no. She says she will, and he gets his coat. He asks Sam to work on Alexis for him, and Alexis says she heard that. He leaves, and Alexis says she’s going to take a moment and think about it, so don’t try to talk her into anything. Sam says, okay, but Alexis has been very clear that she doesn’t think she’s qualified for the job. Alexis says she’s not, and Sam says, okay, but does she want the job?

Felicia and Maxie come into the Quartermaine living room, and Felicia says, they heard about Luke. Maxie says, they’re so sorry, and Tracy thanks them. She knows it’s a loss for them as well. Felicia says, they have a whole lot of memories, but nothing compared to what Tracy and Luke shared. Bailey cries, and Maxie goes over to her, Tracy definitely noticing. Felicia asks if Tracy was in Austria when it happened, and Tracy says she wasn’t. She’s sure they can imagine how much she regrets that. Brook goes over the bassinette, and says, someone needs to be changed, taking Bailey out. Maxie says she’s going with Brook, so her mom and Tracy can talk. Brook says, good idea, and they go into the foyer. Brook says Bailey smells like roses, and Maxie asks, what are they doing out there then? Brook says she has to tell Maxie something she’s not going to like. Her grandmother knows Bailey isn’t hers.

Tracy asks Felicia if something is wrong, and Felicia says she’s just worried that being around Bailey might be painful for Maxie. Tracy asks, why? and Felicia says, Maxie’s daughter is still missing. Tracy says she’s so sorry. She heard about that. It must be hard on Felicia and Mac as well. Felicia says, it’s terrible. She and Mac never got to meet their granddaughter. She was taken just after Maxie gave birth. Tracy asks if there are any leads on her whereabouts, but Felicia says, no. She has to believe in her heart that Louise is safe, but after seven months… She starts to cry, and Tracy says, seven months? So Brook and Maxie’s babies are the same age? Felicia says, yeah, and Tracy says, that must make it particularly hard. She looks at the bassinette.

Austin brings Britt coffee, and she says, it better not be decaf. He says he’s not a monster, and asks if she doesn’t go home soon, but she says she’s in no rush. She has nothing waiting for her at the MetroCourt. He says, she lives in a hotel? and she says she never has to make a bed. He says, it’s true, and she says, to be honest, she does better at work. Her social life is lacking. He says he’s been in Port Charles for like, six months, and barely knows anyone outside of GH. She laughs, and he says, it’s funny? She says, no, but if he’s really lonely, she knows a matchmaker. He says, she does not, but she says she does. Her mother signed her up for a matchmaking service, as a Christmas present no less. He says, wow, that’s… wow. Britt says, she’s really obsessed with the get out there and meet someone nonsense. He says he thinks that’s exactly what Britt should do.

Alexis tells Sam, everything Shawn said about the Invader job appeals to her, and Sam says, except? Alexis says, except she doesn’t know what she’s doing, and Sam says, no one knows what they’re doing on a new job. She’ll learn. Alexis tells her not to finagle it, and Sam says she’s not. When you boil it down, aren’t opening and closing statements just appeals for justice? Alexis says, yes, but… and Sam says, to get the jury to do the right thing. Alexis says, that’s in a courtroom, and Sam says, so? Alexis is an amazing public speaker. All she has to do is, put it down on paper. Alexis asks if Sam really thinks she could do this, and Sam says she believes in Alexis. Alexis needs to believe in herself too.

Maxie says, Tracy knows that Bailey is Louise? but Brook says, no. She just knows Bailey isn’t Brook’s. Maxie asks, how? and Brook says she’s so sorry. Before they came up with a plan, she told Tracy that she was faking a pregnancy. Maxie says, Brook didn’t think to tell her this until now? and Brook says, she’s sorry. Her grandmother, all the way in Amsterdam, knew she was faking a pregnancy. No, she didn’t. Maxie says, this is bad, but Brook says, don’t panic. Maxie says, it’s too late for that. What if Tracy figures this out? Brook says, she won’t. Why would she? No one else has. Maxie says, because no one is as sneaky as Tracy, or as suspicious.

Anna tells Robert, she remembers the first time she met Luke. He laughs, and says, it was unforgettable. He certainly knew how to make a dramatic entrance. She says, he knew how to make a splash, and Robert says, no one ever did it better. He certainly lived life to the fullest. She says, he was a very loyal friend. He really helped her when they thought Robin was dead that time. Remember? He says, he wouldn’t have made it through that, literally, and she says, they don’t get to say goodbye. It doesn’t really surprise her, because Luke was always on the move. He says, no time or patience for sentimentality, and she says, on the surface perhaps. She’s really going to miss him. Robert says, so is he.

Valentin says, that’s why Martin was late? For taking on a new client who absolutely deserves to be behind bars? Martin says, he has the right to a defense just like everyone else, but Valentin says, Martin doesn’t have to be the one who provides it. How much is Peter paying him? Martin says, please, he has bills to pay. Mother’s care is extremely expensive. It’s not like Cyrus is going to cover it anymore. He couldn’t work when he was in witness protection, and on top of everything else, he has to pay alimony three times over. Valentin says he has to go, and Martin says, then he’s to be punished. Valentin says, Martin was late, and he has somewhere else he has to be. Martin asks, what about their meeting? and Valentin says he guesses they’ll have to reschedule. Valentin gets into the elevator, and as the doors are about to close, Victor gets in, saying, room for one more?

The doors close, and Victor asks if Valentin has given any more thought to him helping put Brook in her place. Valentin asks, why he should work with Victor? and Victor says, they have a common enemy. Valentin says, Brook’s never done anything to Victor, but Victor says, she disrespected the Cassadine name. That effects all of them, and there have to be consequences. And he wants a relationship with his son. So what does Valentin say? They work together to right this terrible wrong? He knows family is important to Valentin, as it is to him, so let’s start acting like one. The fact is, Brook used Valentin. She lied to him, and Victor can’t believe it doesn’t make him furious. Valentin says, of course (🍷) it makes him furious, and Victor says, then accept his help. The doors open, and Victor says Valentin knows where to find him. Valentin says, wait. What does he have in mind?

Tracy thanks Felicia and Maxie for coming; it means a lot. Maxie says, they were so sorry about Luke, and Felicia goes over to the bassinette. She says, and you are getting so big and so beautiful. Brook must be over the moon. Brook says she really is.

Shawn comes into Charlie’s on the phone, and says, tell me you have good news for me. Alexis says she thinks so, and he says, she’ll take the job at The Invader? She says, they’re going to turn this paper into a mission for justice. She is in. He says, hot damn. When can she start?

Harmony tells Michael that she’s sorry; she overstepped. She was just trying to express that she trusts her daughter’s judgement. He says, so does he, which is why she’s standing in this house, despite what happened to his sister. She says she hopes he knows she’s changed a lot since then, and all she wants is a relationship with her family. He says, for her sake, he hopes that’s true.

Britt says, Austin thinks she needs a matchmaker? but he says, no. She says, but…? and he says, if she’s looking for a wingman, he’s trying to figure out his personal life in Port Charles too, so he’s volunteering. If they’re in this together, how bad can it be?

Brook asks Bailey if she’s still hungry, and says she’ll make her a bottle. She asks if Tracy can watch her for a sec, and Tracy says, of course (🍷). Brook asks if she’s sure, and Tracy says, please. She raised Brook’s father and her uncle. She can be alone with an infant for five minutes. Just to be clear, if Bailey needs anything, she’s calling Brook. Brook says, got it, and leaves. Tracy tells Bailey that she’s had an interesting life so far, hasn’t she? Can Tracy call her Louise?

Tomorrow, Alexis asks where Ned heard this, Sasha thinks the best thing for her is to get back to work, and Dante asks if Sonny is telling him it’s still real.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

We started where we left off, at Emily’s party for Shawn, with Heather telling Shannon that she’d lose more than friendship if Shannon ever came after her family again. It was going to cost a lot. It wasn’t a threat, but a promise. She’d defend her family until the end. She’d thought she and Shannon were good, and it was like a big f*** you. Shannon said she was horrified by the whole thing, and Heather said she didn’t know if she could trust Shannon 100%, but she was willing to forgive Shannon. Shannon said she had a lapse in judgment and apologized, but in Heather’s interview, she said, Shannon wasn’t crying because she felt bad or had remorse, but because she got caught. Heather told Shannon again, don’t f*** with my family, and Shannon said she wasn’t going to. Then they pinky swore. I’m not making that up. We flashed back to Heather kicking Shannon out of her house, and in Shannon’s interview, she said, they’d worked through a rough start. Only time would tell. Heather said she needed Shannon to apologize to her husband, and went off to find Terry. In her interview, Shannon said she felt like Heather was a grade school teacher grading her, and she’s 57. Shannon told Terry that what she did was wrong, and she wasn’t that type of person. Terry said he didn’t get why she even brought it up, since it was so long ago, but he appreciated the apology. He thought they should just move on and forget it.

Noella, Emily and Gina declared themselves Charlie’s Angels, and the buffet happened. It looked pretty extensive and impressive. Shannon’s boyfriend John asked if Heather and Terry were gracious, and she said Terry was. She told him about what Heather said, and he said it was not okay. In their dual interview, John said his heart broke for Shannon because what Heather said was underserved. Shannon said she’d never had someone in her life that she knew had her back. Heather told Noella that if she needed them, just call. In Jen’s interview, she said Jen had been acting snotty and rude to her all night for no apparent reason, and she wanted to clear the air. She told Noella that she felt there was tension between them. She knew Noella was going through a lot of stuff, but if she’d done anything to upset Noella, she’d like to make it right. In Noella’s interview, she said, the few times she and Jen had met, it was superficial, and Jen had been quick to do a selfie. Noella said she wasn’t necessarily upset, but found it disturbing that Jen had posted a picture of herself – in bad light – and tagged her. She works with MedSpa and had to report it to Instagram to have it removed. Jen said she didn’t remember tagging Noella, and Noella said, it wasn’t even a cute photo. In Jen’s interview, she said she felt like she was dealing with a child having a temper tantrum. Noella said she felt thirsty energy from Jen, and she should go be relevant somewhere else. In her interview, Jen said she’d be happy to be relevant somewhere else. Yeah, Noella is starting to seem kind of weird.

Jen told Heather about the exchange, and Noella told John and Shannon about it. Heather told Jen that Noella had said she was a fake bitch, but she was choosing to let it go. Sometimes people in a bad place lashed out. Jen said she didn’t think being rude was ever the answer. Noella stomped over to Jen, and Jen said she hadn’t liked Noella’s condescending talk, and Noella whined that she’d had the worst week. Jen said she’d reached out to Noella, and gotten treated badly. Heather said they couldn’t do this at two parties, and led Noella away. Seated at the table chowing down, Gina said she didn’t know what was happening, and she was happy about that. Shannon and John cruised the buffet, and Shannon decided to stick to what she knew. I was kind of surprised she wasn’t very adventurous when it came to food. Even more surprising was how Shannon picked up something with her hand – I’m not sure what; it might have been half of an onion – and then put it back. The one who’s paranoid about her health apparently doesn’t care about anyone else’s. Gina introduced Travis to Heather, and Shannon told Noella that Heather was ignoring her. Noella said Shannon had done good with her apology tour. Heather said she and Terry had extra tickets for the track, and asked Gina and Travis to come with them. In Shannon’s interview, she said, you don’t invite people to an event when there are people around who aren’t invited. She’d been officially blackballed from Heather’s invite list.

Emily asked for everyone’s attention, and said she was excited to celebrate Shane taking the bar. He did it with a wife and five children, and never gave up. She was so proud of him, and felt she’d won the lottery when they married. Shane said they didn’t agree on a lot of things, but… Everyone toasted to Shane, and the belly dancers did their thing. Everyone put on jingle belts, and danced.

Shannon went out to lunch her dad Gene, the girls, and Stella’s boyfriend, who was a budding podiatrist, so Shannon tried to hit him up for foot advice. In Shannon’s interview, she said her dad was calling himself Gene the Machine, which was at least better than what Kelly called him. We flashed back to Kelly dubbing Gene Big D*ck Daddy, and Shannon said her father thought he was a lady’s man. She hadn’t seen him in action, but would be horrified. Gene talked about living in Bel Air, and Dean Martin sitting next to him. Shannon said the kids didn’t know who that was, or Frank Sinatra. In an interview with two interchangeable daughters, they looked up Rat Pack, and thought it was a musical group. Shannon talked about the girls going to college, and said, she had two years left, and then the girls were all gone. Gene thought maybe she’d like to spend more time with her father, and in Shannon’s interview, she said she hadn’t seen a lot of him when she was a child.

In Heather’s interview, she talked about her friendship with Gina, and said sometimes you just clicked when you met people. She didn’t know if it was a New York thing, or Jews and Italians, but she and Gina clicked. Heather went over the kids’ schedules with them, and said she was proud of their family dynamic. It was loving, nurturing, and accepting of everything.

Noella took Shannon to her energy healer Tracy. In her interview, Noella explained that Tracy put her hands on your body to give it a fine tuning. It was a big sign of their friendship for her to share Tracy with Shannon. Shannon commiserated with Noella about Jen, and told her about what Heather had said. In Noella’s interview, she said, Heather was manipulative and controlling, and it was not cool. In Shannon’s interview, she said the fear that kept her up at night was not being able to provide for her kids. She felt she’d failed them in many areas, and wasn’t letting them down again. Tracy had Shannon take a deep breath, and Shannon said it was twice as big as the breaths she’d been taking. Noella said Tracy was her miracle woman, but I think Shannon just relaxed for a hot minute.

Nicole brought a Louis Vuitton suitcase filled with cheese to Jen’s house, and made a charcuterie board. Emily and Gina joined them, and in Jen’s interview, she said she hung out with her employees during the day. It wasn’t easy to make new friends, and her employees were nice to her because she was the boss, but she didn’t think they cared as much about her as she did about them. Emily said she was confused about Noella, and Jen said, when she and Noella first met, Noella kept changing her story about her marriage. She didn’t think Noella and James were really married. In Emily’s interview, she said, it was salacious to say Noella wasn’t really married. She thought Jen just didn’t like Noella. Jen said she thought Noella needed professional help, and Emily agreed she needed direction for her anger.

Shannon video chatted with mom Pat, who’d been living in Nashville for ten years. Shannon was planning a visit with the girls, and had only visited there once since her mom moved there. In Shannon’s interview, she said now she understood how her mom was preoccupied with an unhappy marriage. We saw a clip of Pat telling Shannon to concentrate on her own life, and what she wanted to do. Shannon said her mother was happier now, and her own life was busy and full, but she needed to make time for the mom she was lucky to still have.

At the Del Mar Racetrack, a lot of people were dressed up, and Gina bought a hat before she went inside; not like a ballcap that said Del Mar on it, but a nice sunhat. She and Travis joined Heather and Terry in the winner’s circle. In Gina’s interview, she said everything Heather touched turned to diamonds, but she had champagne taste on a beer budget. She wondered if Heather would adopt her. I’ve always hoped LVP might adopt an older child. I swear, she’ll never even know I was there. They had lunch at a fancy table, and in her interview, Gina said she’d been to the track before, but was confident being with Heather would be a different experience. I went to the track once; the Belmont Stakes. I placed a small bet, but the only thing I won was a drunk trying to pick me up outside the ladies room. I would have appreciated a different experience. Travis and Terry made some bets, and they toasted to new friends. Gina told Heather that Noella had warned her to be careful of Heather. Although she hadn’t given a reason, Noella felt that Gina needed to be on the defensive. Heather said she wasn’t negating what Noella was going through, but her remarks were uncalled for. In Heather’s interview, she asked if she’d missed something. Had she run over Noella’s cat? She told Gina that she’d invited Noella to her party because she’d been nice to Max, and Gina said she didn’t want to be collateral damage from anyone’s problems. She thought Noella was a bomb that was going to go off at some point. The William Tell Overture played as the horses ran.

Emily paid a visit to Noelle, who said she’d put out a sadcuterie. Her heart hadn’t been in it, but as soon as the champagne hit her mouth, the better her life would be. She told Emily that she didn’t want the divorce. She still loved James, but felt she’d be a fool to let him back into her life. A man had come to the house with beautiful flowers, and when she’d asked where the note was, he asked if she was Noella Whatever-her-last-name-is. When she said, yes, he said she’d been served. I have to say, that is a pretty creepy thing to do, and Emily said it was next level. In Noella’s interview, she said, the first time, her mother had answered the door. Because she hadn’t technically received the papers, he’d sent flowers to make sure she’d come to the door. Emily asked if she had a good lawyer, but Noella said the goal was to be as non-litigious as possible. Emily told Noella that Jen had questioned her marriage being real, and said she’d had a fake wedding. In Emily’s interview, she said she thought Jen was presenting Noella as someone she wasn’t, which made her question Jen. Noella said she didn’t think Jen was authentic, and Emily said she was clinical. In Noella’s interview, she said, that’s not how divorce works. You have to be legally married to get a divorce. She was going to be leaning on Gina. Emily, and Shannon. Emily suggested they throw the flowers out, and shoved them in a dumpster outside. She made Noella throw the vase in as hard as she could, smashing it, and said, bye, James.

Next time, Emily brings a sandwich into a sauna, Max promotes her book, and Heather confronts Noella.

🚌 Hopping On the Bus, Gus…

Come on over tomorrow for soap and the Runway dressing the Housewives. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating the beauty of winter, and stay not letting any amount of time or distance change your friendships.

Dec31

December 30, 2021 – New Year’s Eve In Port Charles, What’s On, Who’s Gone, Backlash Defense, Lala’s World, Bad Idea, Celebrations, Traditions, 22 Quotes for ’22, Eve Talk & Another One

Posted on December 31, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Today’s drinking game will include extra words because, New Year’s Eve (🍷).

Portia comes into The Savoy, and Curtis says she looks stunning. She tells him that he cleans up pretty nicely himself. He says, it’s a big occasion, and she says, happy New Year (🍷). He says, not just New Year (🍷); new beginnings. Right here with her, where it all started. He kisses her. Martin comes in with Lucy, and says, good evening and happy New Year (🍷), to Nika, who’s playing hostess. He asks if Valentin has a reservation this evening, and Lucy wonders why he needs to know.

At Kelly’s, Valentin sees Anna, and asks if the seat across from her is taken. He sits, and she asks if this is when he asks her about the conversation with his purported father. He says he couldn’t care less about anything Victor says or does, and she says, her either, but she thought he’d want to hear what was said. He says, not really. He and Anna have been tiptoeing around each other for far too long. He’s over it, and thinks she is too. So why doesn’t she let him take her out tonight? They can kick this wretched year to the curb, and start 2022 (🍷) fresh, the best way he can think of starting it – with each other.

Holding a gift bag, Drew knocks on Sam’s door, and when she answers, he says, surprise.

On the phone, Josslyn says she was really looking forward to them having her dad’s house to themselves, and Cameron asks if she’s sure she can’t get away. She says, unfortunately, something major happened with her mom, and she’s sorry, but she can’t leave. She’s really going to miss being with him tonight. He says, him too; she has no idea. She says she thinks she does. She’ll call him at midnight.

Michael tells Willow that Dante just texted him. He found Sonny. Willow hopes he’s okay, and Michael says, he’ll be fine, but he thinks it’s best if Sonny keeps his distance for a little while after he hurt mom. She says she’s so sorry. She can’t believe the mess she made. He says, she did nothing wrong. She told the truth about his father, which is something his father should have done a long time ago.

Carly takes down Sonny’s stocking from the fireplace, and looks at it. Then she looks at a picture of the two of them. Michael comes in, and says, mom? Carly says, excuse her, but he says, just talk to them. Willow says she’s so sorry about what happened in court, and Carly says, when Willow testified that she’d known for weeks about Sonny and Nina, did it ever occur to Willow to let her know her husband had fallen in love with someone else?

Maxie and Nina sit down at the Savoy, and Maxie asks, what’s wrong with Nina?. She gets to ring in 2022 (🍷) free as a bird; she should be celebrating. Nina says she should, but she’s not exactly in the mood. Scotty’s legal maneuvering kept her out of jail, but he blew up her life. And possibly Sonny and Carly’s.

Sonny knocks back drinks at Charlie’s, a stack of crumpled bills on the bar, when Dante walks in. Sonny asks what he’s doing there, and Dante says, Michael called him. He was looking for Sonny. Sonny says, congratulations. Dante found him. Dante says he can see that. Michael also told him about the hearing, that Willow took the stand and testified that Sonny and Nina fell in love in Nixon Falls. Sonny says he did not fall in love with Nina. That was Mike. He didn’t know who the hell he was, but he can’t get Carly to see that. She kicked him out. What if he never gets her to understand? What if he’s lost her forever? He slugs back another drink.

Drew apologizes for not calling first, and tells Sam, he promised Scout that he’d drop by with something special for New Year’s Eve (🍷). She says, it’s fine. Scout will be happy to see him. He says, here’s hoping, and she says, enough with the false modesty. Their daughter adores him.

Martin says, Valentin is his most lucrative client, and Lucy says, so the more the merrier. He says, no, far from it. As a matter-of-fact, Valentin made it clear that his and Lucy’s association is a bit of a conflict of interest. So much so, he issued an ultimatum; either his business or her. She says, obviously he chose her, but he says he doesn’t see why he should have to make a choice at all. He’s not here, and he’s not going to be here. The way Martin sees it, if they don’t make a scene, he can have his hummingbird cake and eat it too. How does that sound?

Maxie says, so Willow said Nina and Sonny fell in love. In court. On the stand. Nina says, yep, and Maxie says, wow. That is so dramatic. How did she even know? Nina says, Willow overheard her and Sonny talking in private, and she convinced Willow to keep it a secret, but Scotty pried it out of Willow. Maxie asks how Scotty found out, and Nina says she has no idea. Obrecht joins them, telling them, happy New Year (🍷). She sees Nina’s face, and says, what?

Scotty gives Cameron and Aiden what look like cassette tapes, and says he’s sorry he didn’t get these to them before Christmas. He tells Elizabeth that he has one for Jake too, but she says, he’s at a sleepover. She’ll make sure he gets it. He says he didn’t know Violet was going to be there, but Finn says, it’s okay. Scotty says, who doesn’t need five bucks? and Cameron says, Franco used to say that. Finn says, okay, and Violet takes the money, thanking Scotty. Scotty says he bets Franco did; he was always bumming five bucks from him. Aiden wonders what the gift is, and Cameron says, they’re old school tapes of sorts. Scotty says, it’s Franco’s music. He thought they could listen to it and keep Franco’s memory alive on New Year’s (🍷). Franco always liked this really crazy music. What do they think? Elizabeth looks sad.

Michael says, Willow came to apologize, and Willow says she’s so sorry. She never wanted to say what she had to at that hearing, but she had no choice. Carly says, she had a choice before. She chose to keep it to herself. Willow says, was she supposed to tell Carly that she overheard Sonny and Nina talking about how he fell in love in Nixon Falls, when he didn’t know who he was? It was over. Sonny is back, and Carly is the one he loves, not Nina. She didn’t want to hurt their marriage. She didn’t want to hurt Carly. Carly whirls around and says, but you did, Blanche! Oh wait, wrong drama. Carly asks if Willow didn’t want to hurt her, or did Nina ask her not to?

Dante says, Sonny has to give Carly some time. She’s got to remember that Sonny is Sonny. He’s not that guy who fell for Nina in Nixon Falls. Mike is gone; he doesn’t exist. Sonny says he told her, and it doesn’t matter, but Dante says, eventually, it will. How many times have they broken up? Sooner or later – hopefully sooner – Carly will come around and realize there’s nothing left between him and Nina. That’s right, isn’t it? There’s nothing left? Sonny asks if Dante shouldn’t be with Sam, but Dante says he’s got to get Sonny squared away first. Sonny says he just wants to be with his wife. There’s nothing Dante can do about that. Dante says, just like there’s nothing Sonny can do about falling for Nina when he thought he was someone else. That’s love. It’s like chemical stuff. There’s nothing you can do to control that. Nina is the guilty party here. Sonny didn’t do anything wrong, and Carly’s going to see that. Sonny says, that’s not the problem; not the whole problem anyway. He should have told Carly what happened in Nixon Falls before it came out in that courtroom. Dante asks why he didn’t.

Michael tells Carly, attacking Willow isn’t going to make this any better, and Josslyn says, Michael’s right. The blame is not on Willow; it’s on Nina. She’s the one who let Sonny keep thinking he was Mike. Michael says, and when they fell in love, Nina kept this whole sorry charade going. Carly asks Willow if Nina asked her to keep her and Sonny’s secret, and Willow says, yes, she did. Carly asks if Michael knew, but he says, no, not until the hearing. She says, and he’s okay with that; that Willow chose Nina over him. Over the family who welcomed her with open arms.

Nina says, it was Obrecht who told Scotty about her and Sonny, and Obrecht says, gerne geschehen (you’re welcome). Nina says, Scotty figured out that Willow knew something. How could she? Obrecht says Nina is free; that’s all that matters. Nina says, at what cost? She and Scotty might have wrecked Carly and Sonny’s marriage. Obrecht says, pity, and calls for more champagne. She asks why they’re not drinking yet, and Nina says, and destroyed her life. Obrecht says, all the more reason she should be drinking, and she didn’t destroy Nina’s life. On the contrary. She saved it.

Curtis tells Portia, he’s allowed this club and his father to monopolize his attention when he should have been giving her his time and energy. She thanks him, but says, all the time and energy he’s put into this club has been totally worth it. The Savoy is a success. And so is he. He thanks her, and says he didn’t think he needed to hear that, but he did. She says, as far as his father goes… He says, he doesn’t really want to talk about that man when he’s trying to have a special evening with his lady. She says, that’s always nice to hear, and he says, in fact, he’d like for them to be closer. She says, what a coincidence, because she wants that too, and he kisses her.

Scotty says, they’ve got to remember all the times with Franco, but they’ve also got to live their lives; he would want that. He tells Elizabeth that he’s sorry, and asks if he stuck his foot in it again. She says, no. Cameron just said something to her like that, and Scotty tells Finn that he’s got to watch his step. This is his family. They’re his heart. Finn says, his too, and Scotty says, but don’t tell anybody he has a heart. Finn asks who’d believe him? and Scotty says, nobody. He tells them, happy New Year (🍷), and leaves, and Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay. She says she’s just glad he’s here to help her bring in a brand new year.

In the kitchen, Elizabeth tells Aiden to bring the cake in, and she’ll clean up in here. Finn says, he’ll do it, and she says, she’ll wash; he’ll dry? He says, deal, and she puts her wedding ring on the shelf above the sink.

Sam brings Scout downstairs, and Drew says she looks adorable. Does she remember he said he’d bring something special by for New Year’s Eve (🍷)? She nods, and he says he hopes she likes them. He takes a pair of gold 2022 (🍷) sunglasses out of the bag, and asks if he can put them on her. She says, yes, and he does. He and Sam rave about how she looks, and Drew says, 2022 (🍷) coming. He has noisemakers too, and Sam tells Scout not to make too much noise for mommy, but Drew suggests she make noise all night. He thought Sam would look good in a pair of them too, and gives her a silver pair. She says he knows she loves a good pair of sunglasses, and Scout asks if Drew will stay until midnight.

Willow says she saw that Carly and Sonny were happy together. Why change that? Carly says, because Willow knew Sonny was in love with someone else. Michael says, he’s not defending dad, far from it, but Sonny doesn’t love Nina, and Mike from Nixon Falls doesn’t even exist anymore. Carly says, last night, she asked Sonny point blank if he still had feelings for Nina, and he couldn’t answer her. Josslyn asks if Sonny’s been cheating on Carly, and Carly tells her, he says not. Josslyn asks if Carly believes him, but Carly says she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know what to believe. Sonny says he still loves her, but she doesn’t know how he could, when a part of him is still in Nixon Falls with Nina. She says she doesn’t know what the hell to believe, and storms out.

Sonny tells Dante, when he got his memories back, when he knew who he was, he lashed out at Nina, like she was a stranger and enemy. Dante says, when it came to filing charges, it was Michael’s call, not Sonny’s; why? Sonny says, he wanted it to be over. He didn’t want to relive it in a courtroom. He was going to tell Carly privately, then Jason died. They were grieving, then Sasha and Brando’s baby died, and he thought it would be cruel to tell Carly then. He wanted some distance from all the loss, and he waited too long. He asks for another drink, and Dante says, so when it came to Sonny’s testimony, he said what Nina did to him was not a crime, right? Sonny says, she lashed out. She was hurt. That’s what people do when they’re hurt. Dante says, so is he saying he feels sorry for Nina, after she kept him from the people who love him? Sonny tells him, he didn’t say he felt sorry for her, and Dante says, but he felt something? Sonny says, yeah, and Dante asks if he still feels something. Sonny says, yeah, and Dante wonders what that something could be. Sonny says, here’s the problem. It’s like Mike is still in him. He didn’t leave all of Mike behind in Nixon Falls. He still carries a small piece of Mike’s heart, and God help him, that small piece of Mike’s heart belongs in some way to Nina.

Carly goes out on the terrace, and says, Jason, where are you? Why aren’t you here?

The kids bring their dishes into the kitchen, and Violet tells Aiden, that cake was super delicious. Cameron says he agrees, and says, it was top-notch. Aiden says he can’t take all the credit; it was Franco’s idea. Cameron says, Aiden baked it, and Elizabeth says, the fireworks are about to start. She tells them to get ready, and they go upstairs. Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s sorry if Franco’s presence… They just really miss him. He says, it’s okay. It’s nice they can share their memories. Franco obviously did a lot of good for the family, and her. She feels around the shelf, and looks around the sink, and says, her ring; it’s gone. It must have fallen down the drain.

Drew says, he’d absolutely love to stay, but something tells him, midnight past Scout’s bedtime. Sam asks Scout if she remembers that she wanted to wait until her brother got home to celebrate, but Scout says, that was before they got these glasses. Drew says he has to get home, but how about if he gives her an airplane ride all the way upstairs and tucks her in? Sam says, sounds like fun, and Drew says, one… two… takeoff! He picks Scout up and spins her around, then takes her upstairs.

Dante says, he doesn’t entirely understand what Sonny went through, but Sonny can’t just forget what happened while he was Mike. Those feelings and experiences were real. It’s a real part of him; it doesn’t just vanish. Sonny says, a shadow, an echo; Mike is still in here. Don’t get him wrong, it’s not like the feelings he has for Nina have anything to do with the love he feels for Carly. Nina’s like an ex. He laughs, and says, she’s just going to fade away. Dante says, it might not happen while Sonny is drinking himself into oblivion though, and Sonny says, it needs to start fading tomorrow. Tomorrow is New Year’s Day (🍷). It’s a good time to hit the… Dante says, reset? True enough. Sonny laughs, and says, the last thing he wants is to have Dante sitting with him at a bar, when he could be ringing in the New Year with Sam. Dante says, okay, he’ll go, and asks Sonny where he’s staying; he’ll drop Sonny off. Sonny says, he’s fine, and Dante asks if he’s is sure he’s okay? Sonny says he’s a big boy; he can take care of himself. They hug, and Sonny thanks Dante for being him, and a great son. Dante slips Sonny’s keys in his pocket, and says he wants Sonny to know that everything he said stays between them. Sonny thanks him, and Dante tells him, be good, and leaves.

Josslyn says she can’t believe Sonny did this, and Michael says he gets that Sonny was protecting Carly by keeping it a secret, but that doesn’t excuse it or make it right. Josslyn says, what’s that saying? It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. Willow says, sometimes the worst things happen when we try to shield our loved ones from knowing the truth, when Carly comes back in. She says she’s sorry. She knows they’re here for her, and she loves them for that. All of them. She takes Willow’s hand.

Scotty walks over to Obrecht’s table, and asks, where’s the champagne? Life’s a ball, and we’ve got a lot of living to do here. Obrecht says she’s afraid Nina doesn’t see it that way, and Scotty asks if Nina is still upset. Nina says, the last thing she wanted was for her and Sonny’s feelings for each other in Nixon Falls to be used as a weapon. He says, funny. He didn’t think she’d want to rot in a prison in Pennsylvania. If he blindsided Willow, he had to; they would have lost. Nina says, she would have taken the risk. Now, Sonny and Carly are hurt; the whole family is devastated. He says he didn’t know the Corinthos family morale was of such importance to her. Maybe Nina should have told them Sonny was alive a year ago instead of keeping it a little secret. Nina says she’s so sorry. She can’t stay here. She tells Maxie that she’s sorry; happy New Year (🍷); she loves her. She’s mad at Obrecht, but happy New Year (🍷). She leaves, and Maxie says, unbelievable. Scotty is as tactless as he is rumpled. She follows Nina, and Scotty asks, what’s this rumpled business? Obrecht just looks at him, and he asks what he did. She tells him that he said too much that wasn’t necessary, and he says, he got the charges dropped. She says, he didn’t have to rub Nina’s nose in her mistake, and he asks if they’re having a little love spat.

Martin says, as much as he loves showing Lucy off for this crowd, how would she feel about coming back to his place? She says she kind of knows exactly what he’s doing, and kisses him. She says, okay, and they get up. He sees Valentin come in with Anna, and leads Lucy out the back door. He says, this is not an exit, and she says, it’s kind of like they’re hiding out. He wonders how they’re going to get out of there, and she says, it would be very simple if he’d just fire Valentin as a client and pick her.

Curtis says he’s been thinking about the first time he and Portia were together. It was so wrong, but so much was so right, because it brought him here tonight, making memories with a caring, kind, intelligent, beautiful woman. Portia asks if he’s saying he’s feeling her, and he says he’s feeling her. He’s fallen for her.

Valentin tells Anna, oh look, Martin’s here. That means Lucy Coe can’t be far behind. She asks why that matters, when Martin approaches their table. He says, if it isn’t his favorite client, and his favorite operative. Happy New Year (🍷). He tells Anna that she looks exquisite. As a matter-of-fact, they’re a matched set. Come to think of it, it’s kind of sad. Valentin asks, what’s sad? and Martin says, he looks as good as they do, but he has no one to dance with. He’s alone; bereft of company, on the busiest date night of the year.

In the back, Lucy puts on a New Year’s hat and glasses. She sees Maxie, and says she needs Maxie’s help desperately. If she doesn’t get out of here without Valentin seeing her, Martin is going to lose his most lucrative client. Please, please, please. Maxie relents, and Lucy thanks her. They go inside, and Maxie says, stick with me. She’s got Lucy’s back.

Finn messes around under the sink, and Elizabeth asks if he’s sure he knows what he’s doing under there. He doesn’t strike her as the handy type. He says, really? He’ll have her know, he put himself through two years of medical school working at a plumbing company. She says, really? and he says, really. He drops the wrench, and we hear water splash. He comes out, and she asks if he’s okay, handing him a towel. He wipes his face, and stands up, saying, refreshing. He holds out her ring on his pinkie, and she thanks him. She starts to put it on, but stops, and looks at Finn.

Sam lets Dante in, and he says, nice sunglasses. She says, Drew got them for her and Scout. It was a surprise. Drew comes downstairs, thanking Sam for letting him tuck Scout in. He sees Dante, and Dante holds out his hand, saying, happy New Year (🍷). They shake hands, and Drew says, happy 2022 (🍷) to the both of them. Have a good night; he’ll see them around. He starts to leave, but Sam says, Drew. He turns around, and she hugs him, saying, any time, while Dante pretends to look at something on the desk. Drew leaves, and Sam says, he only stopped by to see Scout. He says she doesn’t have to explain anything to him. He gets it. Sam says, okay, and he says, it’s all good. He takes her hand, leading her to the couch, and says, the countdown’s about to begin. In the hallway, Drew puts on his coat, and leaves for real.

Carly makes a beeline for the door, and Josslyn asks where she’s going. Carly says she needs to get out of the house and unthink. Michael asks if she’s okay to drive, and she says she is. It’s a lot to take in. She needs to deal with her thoughts. He tells her, just be careful, and she says she will. She leaves, and Josslyn says, she’s going to be okay, right? Michael says she knows mom. When things are tough, she puts her guard up. That’s how she deals. Josslyn says she’s going out for a bit, and Willow asks if she’s going to follow her mom. Josslyn says, no. The way she drives, she’s halfway to wherever she’s going by now. Josslyn leaves, and Michael says, it must be almost midnight, and Willow says, pretty close. He says he’s not in the mood to celebrate, and Willow says, yeah. He takes her hand, and pulls her into a hug.

The guests at The Savoy count down, and yell, happy New Year (🍷)! Maxie brings Lucy through the club. Scotty and Obrecht kiss. Valentin and Anna kiss. Martin slips out after Lucy and Maxie, and he and Lucy leave together, Maxie giving them a thumbs up. Curtis and Portia kiss, and there’s lots of horn blowing, but no confetti. I’m guessing Curtis doesn’t want to clean that mess up.

Sonny looks around, and sees Nina come into Charlie’s.

Curtis and Portia go back to one of their places – a bedroom with a lot of lit candles – and get busy, while a female vocal of Auld Lang Syne plays. Fireworks go off, both figuratively and literally. The song continues to play in the background for the rest of the show.

Anna and Valentin kiss some more. He says, they should do this more often. I concur.

Nina tells Sonny, she just stopped by to say hello to Phyllis, but he says, Phyllis isn’t there. He has to go. She says she doesn’t think he should drive, but he says he’s fine. He wonders where his keys are, and she says if he needs a ride, she’ll drive him home. He says he’s not going home, and she says, then she’ll drive him wherever he wants to go. He grabs a glass of champagne going by on a tray, and drains it. he says, let’s go, and follows her out.

Carly goes to the footbridge, and watches the fireworks. She says, Jason.

Dante and Sam kiss, and Sam asks, what took him so long? He says he was with his dad, and Sam asks if Sonny is okay. Dante says, yeah. He’s going through some things right now, but he’ll be fine. At least he got his dad to open up to him; they talked a little. She says, if Dante feels like he needs to be with Sonny, she’s not kicking him out, but… He says, no. He offered, but… She asks if Sonny is drinking, and Dante says, he took Sonny’s keys. He needed some space, which evidently leaves them here alone. He kisses her.

Elizabeth looks at her ring, and puts it in the drawer of the kitchen island. She turns to Finn, and he holds her.

Cameron watches the fireworks with Avery and Aiden. Josslyn arrives, and he says, she’s here. She says, of course (🍷). She couldn’t let 2022 (🍷) start without this. She kisses him, and the little kids smile.

Willow looks out the window at the fireworks. Michael comes up behind her, and puts his arms around her.

Carly hears something on the footbridge, and turns to see Drew.

Tomorrow, a rerum from February 24^th. Next week, Britt says Victor certainly has a lot to celebrate, Drew asks if it’s possible that Carly blames herself, and Nina tells Sonny to sleep it off.

🎉 And the Rest…

Which soaps will be on New Year’s Eve.

Find Out if Your Favorite Soaps Are Airing on New Year’s Day

🥀 Those Who Have Gone On…

The soap stars we lost in 2021. Farewell, sweet prince.

Remembering the Daytime Stars We Lost in 2021

⚖️ In Defense…

Tamra is the worst. I’ll just leave it there.

https://pagesix.com/2021/12/23/tamra-judge-defends-herself-after-shannon-beador-comment-backlash/

💋 Giving You Lala…

Like he can do better.

https://pagesix.com/2021/12/27/lala-kent-says-there-is-proof-of-randall-emmett-cheating/

Interesting how she never wanted Randall involved with her brand. No muss, no fuss now.

https://pagesix.com/2021/12/29/lala-kent-focusing-on-beauty-bran-after-randall-emmett-breakup/

This surprised me, since GG and Reza were at Lala’s party. And like GG hasn’t stuck with a few red flagged partners.

https://pagesix.com/2021/12/28/gg-gharachedaghi-defends-pal-randall-emmett-slams-lala-kent/

⚰️ Just No…

Unless Alan Ball is writing it, I say let Six Feet Under stay six feet under. It was the perfect ending. Let it go.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/six-feet-under-follow-up-in-the-works-at-hbo/

🍾 Auld Lang This Syne…

Enjoy some New Year’s Eve celebrations.

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/holidays/photos/new-years-eve-around-the-world

And some New Year traditions.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/g25360543/new-year-traditions/

🥠 Quotes of the Week

No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again. – Buddha

Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start. – Nido Qubein

Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life. – Robin Sharma

Packaged inside of every mistake there lays a great lesson. And while I don’t want to take the mistake into the New Year, I most certainly want to take the lesson that’s packaged inside of it. – Craig D. Lounsbrough

You are never too old to reinvent yourself. – Steve Harvey

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King

Be so busy loving your life that you have no time for hate, regret or fear. – Unknown

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. – T.S. Eliot

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C.S. Lewis

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. – Seneca

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. – William E. Vaughan

You do not find the happy life. You make it. – Camilla Eyring Kimball

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

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

Listen. I wish I could tell you it gets better. But, it doesn’t get better. You get better. – Joan Rivers

The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become. – W.E.B. Du Bois

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on. – Hal Borland

It always seems impossible until it’s done. – Nelson Mandela

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are. – J.P. Morgan

On New Year’s Eve the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world. – Akilnathan Logeswaran

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. – Albert Einstein

🗓 See You Next Year…

We’re back on Deck January 3^rd of the New Year. A bit about that. If you’re a resolution maker, start early, and make one not to pressure yourself about resolutions. And resolutions or not, don’t pressure yourself about New Year’s Eve. It doesn’t matter who you spend it with, even if it’s only yourself. I’ve spent it more ways than I can count. On a cruise around Manhattan, in a lavish restaurant, a hot club, and a dive bar. I’ve seen Barry Manilow sing It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve at Radio City when the clock struck twelve, and I’ve stood in the middle of Madison Square Park watching the clock strike twelve. I’ve spent it with a lot of people, a handful of people, as part of a couple, and alone. The only thing I’ve never done (and never will) is Times Square. Back in my single days, my roommate went. She said someone spilled beer on her, somebody else peed on her, and when the crowd moved, you moved. It was a first and last for her, and a never for me. But my point is, one thing for sure, January 1^st came and another year began, no matter what I did the night before. In the eloquent words of Bill Murray in Meatballs, it just doesn’t matter.

So no matter what New Year’s Eve path you choose, stay safe in all ways, stay being moderate in all things, and stay having a Happy New Year, no matter where you’re at. Or at least a Tolerable New Year.

Dec30

December 29, 2021 – Judge Milford Makes a Decision, Second Act Flop, Maybe She’ll Stay, Christmas Leftovers & What

Posted on December 30, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer sees Josslyn in a classroom at PCU, and asks what she’s doing there. She says she’s taking a seminar; is he? He says he’s trying to withdraw from the classes he scheduled for next semester. He doubts PCU has a remote learning platform for students in Spring Ridge.

Stella goes to Portia’s office, and asks if she’s busy. Portia says she’s never too busy for Stella, and invites her in. Portia asks if Stella is okay, and Stella says she’s fine. She’s there about Curtis. Portia gets up, and asks if something happened with Curtis, but Stella says, no. She’s sorry. It’s really about Marshall.

Marshall says, it’s good to see Curtis; it’s a surprise. Did Curtis use his P.I. skills to track him down? Curtis says, Aunt Stella told him where to find Marshall, and Marshall says, it’s not very fancy, but it will do until he finds a place of his own. Curtis asks if Marshall is looking for an apartment in town, and Marshall says he thought he’d stay and get to know his family… TJ and Curtis. Does Curtis coming there mean it’s a possibility?

Alexis walks into the seminar, and Spencer asks if she’s looking for someone. Alexis says, Professor Kahn. She signed up for the Sociology of Crime seminar. Josslyn says, her too, and Spencer asks why Alexis signed up. Alexis says she’s interested in the sociology aspect, and since she can’t practice law anymore, she thought she’d look into mediation or conflict resolution; something law adjacent. Josslyn says Alexis can sit with her, and Alexis says, cool.

Willow asks if Nina used her, but Nina says she had no idea Scotty was going to put Willow on the stand, or that he even knew that Willow knew something. Willow has to believe her. Michael says, he believes this is what Nina wanted, and Nina says, this is what she wanted? For the whole world to know about her relationship with Mike in Nixon Falls? Is he crazy? She begged Willow not to say anything. Michael says, Scotty blindsided his father and the DA to inflict maximum damage by calling Willow. Nina managed to evade the law, and hurt his family at the same time. Nina says, Michael is the one bent on revenge. If he hadn’t pressed the Llantano DA to arrest her, then none of this would have come up. Her relationship with So… Mike would have stayed a secret.

Sonny calls to Carly, saying, wait. She stops, and he asks her to let him explain. Will she listen to him? She says, listen to who? Sonny? Mike? Or someone else entirely different? He says, her husband, and she says, tell her that he’s not still sleeping with Nina. He says he didn’t sleep with Nina, and she says, he remembered his family before he could? Is that it? He says, he remembered his family and came home to her, where he belongs, and she says, he fell in love with someone else. (Pot, meet kettle.) Where does that leave her?

Curtis says, so Marshall thinks he can just show up there and plant roots? and Marshall says, he just started looking. He’s not sure how long it’s going to take. Curtis says, so Marshall intends to play house in Port Charles, after all this time? Where has he been? Marshall says, everywhere and nowhere. He never stayed in one place very long. Curtis says, that’s it? That’s all Marshall’s got for him? Marshall says, they keep going over this thing. He can’t give Curtis an explanation that will satisfy him. All he can say is how ashamed he is for all the time he lost with Curtis. That’s why he’s here; that’s why he’s staying. He wants them to get to know each other. Curtis says, Marshall wants to get to know him now. Well, guess what? It works both ways. All those years he and Tommy grew up without a father, where was he?

Spencer asks if Alexis has to go back to school to be a mediator, and she says, that’s what she’s trying to figure out. She thought if she just took a three-week seminar during winter break, it might help her decide if she’s ready to be a student again. He says, that’s valid, and asks why Josslyn is taking classes on her winter break. Josslyn says, they’re reading Professor Kahn’s book in her Introduction to Sociology class, and it’s pretty great. When she saw the professor was giving a seminar, she thought it was a great opportunity. He asks if she’s ever explored this concept he calls leisure. He was good at it until his dad fell under Ava’s spell, and his life became a complete dumpster fire. The professor comes in, and asks everyone to take their seats. They have a lot to cover in very little time. She introduces herself, and says she’s passing around a sign-in sheet. If they don’t sign it, they won’t get credit for this lesson. She hands it to Spencer, who just stands there, and she asks if there’s a problem. Josslyn says, no problem, and grabs Spencer, pulling him into the seat next to her, and telling him to be quiet. He might actually learn something.

Willow tells Nina, don’t you dare try to turn this back on us. Michael didn’t come after Nina for revenge; he wanted justice. What Nina did to his father was criminal. What’s worse is, Nina came and went in and out of their lives the whole time. She stood by, and watched Sonny’s family grieve for months. It’s not just criminal; it’s cruel and selfish. Nina says she realizes what she did to Sonny and his family was horrible. She’s said it a million times. That’s why she stayed quiet. She realized Sonny wasn’t telling anyone one about their… her and Mike’s relationship. It was over. The only reason it came out was because Willow overheard a private conversation, and she’s not going to apologize for that. Nina stomps back to the courtroom, nearly running down Scotty on his way out, and telling him, not now. Willow follows Nina, and Michael says Scotty miscalculated, using Willow like that, threatening her and badgering her on the stand the way he did. He won’t forget that. Scotty says he was defending his client, and Michael says, they both know there’s no legal defense for the hell Nina put his family through. Scotty says, Michael must have missed the part where the judge called his father back to the stand, and he testified that he was not Nina’s victim. So don’t blame him if dada was having a good time in Nixon Falls, and didn’t want to come home to his family. Michael punches him in the face.

Sonny says, he and Carly belong together; she knows that. She says, he fell in love with Nina, and he tells her, that was in Nixon Falls. He had amnesia; he wasn’t himself. She asks if he forgot his life as Mike when he remembered he was Sonny? and he says, no. She asks why he didn’t tell her, and he says he was going to, but Jason died, and he didn’t think it was the right time. She says she knew something was wrong, but she thought it was her. She blamed herself because of everything that happened with Jason, but Sonny was lying to her. When she found out Nina knew he was alive – not from him, but from Maxie – what did he say to her? He said, let it go. Now she knows why. He was protecting Nina. He says, he didn’t want to lose her in a war with Nina. He didn’t want to waste any more time with Nina. Nixon Falls is done; it’s over. She asks how he can stand there and say that to her, and he says, because it’s the truth. She says, he’s not just lying to her. He’s lying to himself.

Professor Kahn says, you can track the changes in society by seeing how the laws change in that society while it develops. Take for instance the United States versus Porter. In that case, Arthur Porter was charged with assault when a man broke into his home. Despite putting that man in the hospital, he was found not guilty because he was defending his property. Alexis says, well… and the professor says, excuse me? Alexis says, nothing. Carry on. Professor Kahn thanks her, and says, this is an example of property being valued over people. Alexis says, not really, and the professor asks if she knows the case. Alexis says, actually, she does. Porter was defending his wife and child, so she could argue that Porter was concerned with their well-being and safety, which was the deciding factor. The professor says, oh, she could.

Portia asks if Stella is telling her that Marshall has an ulterior motive for getting back into Curtis’s life, but Stella says she doesn’t know. She hasn’t seen Marshall in years, and has no idea what kind of man he is now. Portia asks, what kind was he? Was Stella unhappy he married her sister? Stella says, no. Irene and Marshall loved each other; that much she does know. But Marshall wasn’t always the easiest person deal with. Portia says, running off from his family, and letting them believe he was dead for decades certainly fits with that description. Stella says, what concerns her, is how Curtis is dealing with it. Earlier, Curtis told her something she never knew; how he and Tommy would make up stories about their heroic dad when they were kids. Portia says, so they painted their father as a hero; it’s not uncommon. And now that childhood fantasy is back from the dead. She gets the sense, that even with all Curtis’s misgivings, he really does want to know his father. Stella says she knows, and she’s worried the reality is going to crush Curtis.

Marshall says Curtis thinks everything he’s saying is lip service, but he’s truly sorry his sons had to grow up without him. If he’d had a choice, it wouldn’t have happened. Curtis says, he keeps alluding to this choice, or lack thereof, whatever that means. As far as he knows, Marshall left and pretended to be dead. Marshall says, it was the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life, and Curtis says, then why did he do it? Marshall says, he thought what he was doing was best for his family, and Curtis says, leaving his mother to raise two boys on her own was best? Marshall says he knew their Aunt Stella would be there to help, and Curtis says, and she did, thank God, but it wasn’t her job. She’s not their father. That’s what they needed – their father. It’s been so long, Curtis barely remembers Marshall. Marshall says he remembers Curtis. He has fond memories of Curtis and Tommy. Giving them piggyback rides up and down the stairs. They used to wear superhero PJs, and drape a towel around their neck like a cape. Marshall tears up, and says, Curtis’s smile was the greatest part of his life. Curtis says, if they meant that much to Marshall, why did he leave? He didn’t care to see them grow up? Marshall says, more than Curtis knows, and Curtis asks, then why did he leave?

Scotty says, that is assault, but Michael says he doesn’t care. He tells Scotty, arrest him, and walks out.

Willow approaches Nina back in the courtroom, and asks if she was wrong this whole time. She gave Nina the benefit of the doubt, and said nothing to Michael or his family, and Nina used her to hurt the people she loves. Nina says, she didn’t do that. For the last time, she didn’t tells Scotty about her and Mike, let alone that Willow knew about them. She’s not responsible for Willow’s choices. Willow says she had no choice, but Nina says, she could have lied.

Carly asks Sonny to tell her the truth. She wants to know every single thing that happened in Nixon Falls. Sonny says, he had no past; he had no ties. He only had a watch with a message engraved on it, to Mike, so that’s what he called himself. Then Phyllis and Lenny took him in and they were great to him. Then Nina showed up; she was Phyllis’s friend. Carly says, Nina knew exactly who he was, but Sonny says he didn’t know that she was lying to him. Then this con man Elijah Crow was trying to take the Tan-O from Lenny and Phyllis, and Nina helped Mike stop him. Carly says, and he fell in love with Nina, but Sonny says, he didn’t remember Carly. She says, maybe he didn’t want to. (I know I wouldn’t.)

Stella says, she’s sure Portia thinks she’s a busybody, but she can’t sit back and wait for Curtis to admit he needs support. Portia says, Curtis needs to work it out in his own way, but Stella says, not if it means leaving him on his own. This isn’t the time for Portia to give Curtis space. It’s the time for her to step up, and show him that he’s not alone.

Marshall tells Curtis, it’s not easy for him to talk about his past. He had some really bad years. Sometimes, he didn’t know if he was going to make it through, but he turned things around. Now he’s finally in a place where he can give Curtis the support a father should. Curtis says, he’s a grown-ass man. He doesn’t need Marshall’s support now. What he needs are answers, but Marshall doesn’t seem to be in a place to give them. He could have used this fatherly support when he was growing up. He and Tommy were teased by the kids. They didn’t believe Marshall had died. They said he was probably in jail. He can’t remember the number of fights he got into defending Marshall’s name, and it was all a lie. Marshall says he’s sorry if he hurt Curtis, and he’s sorry if he hurt Tommy. TJ told him that Tommy had PTSD when he died. He never knew. Curtis says, how would he know that, and what does it matter? Marshall says, everything matters to him about Curtis and Tommy, and Curtis says, then he should have stuck around.

Nina says, when Scotty asked Willow if she knew another reason Sonny wasn’t coming after her, Willow could have said no. Willow says, she was under oath. Scotty was threatening to have her charged with perjury. Nina asks, who would contradict Willow? Who would have stood up and said Willow was lying? Not her. Not Sonny. No one. She hurt Sonny in so many ways, and this was her one chance to do something good for him, and Willow took that away. She starts to walk away, but Willow tells her to get over herself. Not everything is about her. She grabs Nina’s arm, but Nina jerks away, saying, don’t. Willow says, she kept Nina’s secret, but she wasn’t going to lie on the stand for Nina, or put herself at risk to cover up Nina’s mess. Nina says she already told Willow, she wasn’t at risk, and Willow tells her, she also said she didn’t tell Scotty that Willow overheard her, but unless he’s psychic, Nina must have let something slip. Once she was on the stand and under oath, she had to tell what she knew. Nina says, all right. God forbid Willow should get down in the mud with the rest of them. Congratulations. She told the truth, and devastated the family she claims to love in the process.

Sonny says, Carly can’t possibly think he chose not to remember her, but she says she doesn’t know. She didn’t know he and Nina had a secret. He says, that’s not the way it was, and she says, how many times has she found him and Nina together? She was so stupid. He says, there is no him and Nina, and she asks what Willow overheard then. He says, something she didn’t understand, and Carly asks how many times he’s met with Nina. He says, he only met her the one time, to get her to understand the way things were, and that once he remembered Carly and his family, she was nothing. Carly says, before that did she make him happy? He says, he had dreams about Carly when he didn’t know what his name was. The deepest part of him remembered her. He’d have dreams of a blonde woman, and he’d try to touch her, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t see her face, but somehow he knew she was his and he was hers, and he’s still hers. Can’t she see that? She says, not after what she heard in that courtroom.

Curtis says, this was a mistake, but Marshall says, don’t go. Curtis says, he doesn’t like carrying around this anger any more than he liked growing up without a father. Marshall just doesn’t get it. He grew up lost. He didn’t have a man to show him how to be a man, the man he wanted to be. Marshall says, yet here he is, and Curtis says, through a lot of hard knocks and stumbles along the way. By the grace of God, he’s here. No thanks to Marshall. Curtis open the door, and Marshall says, please. He can’t change the past, but give him a chance to make things up to him now. Curtis says, not unless Marshall tells him where he’s been. What’s more important than family? Marshall sighs, and Curtis says, all he’s asking for are answers; clear answers, with facts and dates. If Marshall can’t give that to him, don’t bother staying in Port Charles.

Willow asks if Michael is all right. Scotty’s threatening to file a complaint for assault. Did he really punch Scotty? Michael says, right in the face. He knows it was wildly inappropriate. He let Scotty get under his skin, and he lost it. He talked to Diane, and she already cut a deal citing harassment and provocation. Willow says, that’s one less thing to worry about, and he says, he’s sorry DA Sheridan opened the door for Scotty, and put her on the stand. She says, she’s the one who kept Nina’s secret. If she’d told him, none of this would have happened. He says, it’s not her fault. Nina manipulated her. She says, she was trying to protect his parents’ marriage. She didn’t want to be the one to mess things up, and now she did anyway. He tells her not to blame herself. This is all on Scotty and Nina. He just hopes the judge didn’t buy their tactics. He asks if his parents came back, but she says, no. She doesn’t know where they are. Sheridan comes by, and says, this is it. The judge has made his decision.

After class, Spencer wonders if Alexis is going to write an addendum to the professor’s book; Alexis really schooled her. Alexis says, she just takes exception when people don’t state all the facts; she likes facts. Josslyn says, she definitely made the lecture more interactive. It was more like a debate, and Josslyn liked it. Professor Kahn calls to Alexis, and Alexis says, rut-roh. The professor says she’d like a word, and Spencer and Josslyn make themselves scarce. Alexis says, she realizes she overstepped. She gets passionate. She’s sorry she disrupted the lecture. The professor says she recognizes Alexis’s name; she’s the defense attorney. Alexis says, she used to be a defense attorney, and Professor Kahn says, she read Alexis’s article in the Law Review on jury bias; she made some very interesting points. Alexis thanks her, and she asks how Alexis has time to take the seminar, and why would she want to? Alexis says she’s looking at a career change. Her days in the courtroom are over. The professor says, then she’ll cut to the chase. Alexis is wasting their time being here. Alexis doesn’t belong in her class.

Sonny says, he didn’t know who Carly was in his dreams, and she says, she used to see him. She see him, and talk to him when times were bad. He says, that’s because they belong together; she knows that. She says, he kept a part of himself from her. Was he ever going to tell her about Nina in Nixon Falls? He says, yeah. He wanted to so many times, but Jason died; then Brando and Sasha’s baby was in crisis. He wanted to tell her, but he’d get interrupted. She says she thinks he believes he was going to tell her the truth, but she doesn’t. She thinks it was a story he told himself to justify the secret. Meanwhile, he locked away his time with Nina somewhere in his heart, and kept telling her there was nothing wrong; there was nothing between them. He says she keeps putting Nina between them. She’s going to have to let that go. She says, he’s dodged every time she’s asked him. Just now, she asked if he fell in love with Nina, but instead of answering, he said he couldn’t remember Carly. That’s not an answer. He says, it is. He wouldn’t have looked at Nina if that blonde woman in his dream had turned around, and he’d seen her beautiful face. He loves her. She tells him, he said that. What he hasn’t said is how he feels about Nina. Right here, right now, today.

Alexis says, if Professor Kahn is worried she’ll interrupt, she promises to try and control herself, but the professor says, that’s not what she’s talking about. Alexis should be teaching. The students could benefit from her passion for the law, and it’s clear she’s not shy about public speaking. Alexis says, really? and the professor says, she happens to know about a professor who’s retiring. There might be an opening at PCU. Maybe Alexis could start off as an adjunct, and work her way up. Alexis says she never thought about teaching, and Professor Kahn tells her, think about it. It could be just what she’s looking for.

At Portia’s office, Curtis says he hopes Stella wasn’t telling Portia an embarrassing story, like when he lost a tooth trying to ride his bike off their front stoop. Portia says, no, but she’d definitely like to hear that story another day. What brings him by? He says he just left from talking with Marshall, and needed to see her beautiful face. She asks how it went, but he says that’s not why he’s here, and kisses her.

Judge Milford says, this court is here to interpret and uphold the law, not mediate personal disputes. In reviewing all documents and evidence, it is the court’s determination that the Commonwealth has failed to prove Miss Reeves’s actions meet the legal definition of fraud. He’s dismissing all charges against Nina Reeves, and this case is hereby dismissed. This court stands adjourned. The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. Willow tells Michael, she’s so sorry, but he says, this isn’t over. Sheridan says he’s sorry. He’s also stunned by Judge Milford’s ruling. He wouldn’t have brought the charges if he didn’t think they had a strong case for fraud. Michael says Sheridan made a strong argument, and assures him ELQ will continue to support his campaign. Sheridan says he appreciates that, and apologizes to Willow for calling her to the stand. If he’d had any idea Scotty was going to ambush her, he’d have left her in peace. Willow says she’s just sorry Scotty was able to use her testimony to his advantage, but Sheridan says, actually, Mr. Corinthos’s testimony was the deciding factor. Michael asks what he’s talking about, and Sheridan says, once Mr. Corinthos said he didn’t consider himself a victim, in his mind at least, no crime was committed. Michael says he wasn’t in the courtroom for that, and Sheridan says, it’s an interesting question of law. He wishes he’d done better with it. They leave, and Nina sits at the defense table, looking dejected. Scotty asks what’s with all this business? She’s free as a bird. She asks how he knew about her relationship with Sonny, and he says, that’s what she pays him for, but she says, this is not what she wanted.

Sonny asks if Carly doesn’t think he’s angry at Nina for letting Scotty pull that stunt. She says, and? She asked him how he felt about Nina. Sonny rubs his head, and she says, Sonny. He says, okay, okay, hold on. She has to understand what it felt like to wake up in the woods, not knowing who he was, alone, scared. Phyllis and Lenny took him in. They gave him a job, an anchor. Then Nina… when he sees her, he sees her as Mike’s friend, his confident. But he also sees what she did to Carly and to his kids. It’s really all jumbled up in here, he indicates his heart. She says, Nina let her believe he was dead, and he still has feelings for her after everything she did. Sonny says, let’s go home, but she says she needs time to think. He asks what that means, and she says, she needs some time apart.

Spencer finds Josslyn on a bench in the hallway, looking at her phone, and says, success. The dean’s office was still open; he’s enrolled. She says, see? It worked out. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, Nina’s preliminary hearing was today, but she still hasn’t heard a word from anyone. He says, no news is good news, and she asks when that’s ever been true. Fingers crossed, the judge will throw the book at Nina Reeves, bind her over for trial, and revoke her bail. He says, Josslyn’s not vengeful or anything, and she says she hates Nina. She’s the worst kind of hypocrite. She acts all sweet and sympathetic, when all she really cares about is herself and what she wants. He asks why she doesn’t hate Ava that way, and she says, she does hate Ava that way. She’ll never forgive Ava for what she’s done to Morgan. However, she is Avery’s mom and Trina’s mentor, so she has to suck it up and has to coexist. However, she will never buy into Ava’s BS, and she’ll never think Ava is a gracious lady, but she chooses to keep the peace. If he’d come to her before he went on his stalking kick, she’d have told him the same thing. He says he wishes he had. Josslyn would have shot his stalking idea down in flames, and he wouldn’t be looking at 30 days in Spring Ridge. She says, he’ll be okay; he’s stronger than he thinks he is. He says, he hopes so. In the meantime, while his freedom lasts, this trip should erase any traces of lingering tension between her, him, Cameron, Trina, and Esme. They’ll get to know each other better. Josslyn says, she certainly hopes so.

Professor Kahn tells Alexis that she’ll send an introductory email to the chairman of the department. She knows it’s winter break, but she (the chairman) is a workaholic. Alexis says, maybe she’s just passionate about what she does, and the professor says, good. Use that approach. Alexis says she kind of likes this idea. She might like teaching at PCU, but hopes she has the proper qualifications. The professor says she’s certain Alexis does, especially as an adjunct. Who knows? They might want her full time with her credentials. All she needs to do is ace the interview, and pass the routine background check. Alexis says, background check. Of course (🍷).

Marshall lets Stella in, and says, Curtis came by to see him today. She says she figured he would. He had questions, so she told him to come talk to Marshall, but Marshall didn’t tell Curtis, did he? She saw Curtis a while ago, and he surely would have mentioned it. Marshall says, he left dissatisfied, and she says, Curtis is not going to stop until he gets answers. Marshall says, he’s not surprised. Is that why she’s here, to warn him? She says she’s worried about how it will affect her relationship with Curtis, but he says, don’t worry. He’ll never, ever tell Curtis that she knew he wasn’t dead. She’s like a hero to his sons, and he doesn’t want to take that away too.

Portia says, not that she’s objecting at all, but Curtis didn’t answer her question. He says, that’s because he doesn’t want to talk about Marshall. He wants to focus on her. She says, that’s fine with her, and he says he hopes she’s ready for tomorrow night, because he has big plans for them on New Year’s Eve.

Michael says his parents aren’t answering their phones, and Willow hopes they’re all right. He says, they’re really going through it right now. He wants to let them know, according to the judge, Nina’s actions aren’t criminal at all. Willow asks what he’s going to do, and he says he doesn’t know, but what he’s not going to do is sit back and let Nina get away with her crimes against his family.

Nina tells Scotty that he’s not going to stick around for the paperwork; she’s got to go. He says she can thank him, but not just with a check. He did his job. She’s not going to prison. So she’s welcome. She says she can’t think about that right now. She’s too worried about Sonny.

Sonny says, Carly doesn’t need time. He wants her; he wants their family together. She knows that. She says she knows Nina still has a hold on him, but he says, she doesn’t. She asks him to look her in the eye and tell her that Nina means nothing to him. He says he doesn’t know what she wants him to say. Listen… He reaches out to touch her, but she says, stop. He says, they can still work this out, but she says, they can’t. Don’t come home tonight. She walks off, leaving Sonny alone.

Tomorrow, Curtis says he’d like to be closer to Portia, Scout asks if Drew can stay until midnight, Valentin says he’s over it and thinks Anna is too, and Dante asks Sonny if he felt something.

👰🏼 That Was Quick…

I wonder what Vicki predicted for this one.

https://pagesix.com/2021/12/24/joe-bidens-nephew-cuffe-biden-owens-meghan-king-split/

🍼 Picking Lanes…

Now that she’s without Randall’s paycheck, hanging out with the SUR crowd doesn’t seem so unattractive.

https://pagesix.com/2021/12/28/lala-kent-reconsiders-vanderpump-rules-return/

🎄 Not Done Yet…

The last day of Christmas is technically January 5^th, so here’s some post-Christmas Day cheer.

Some blessings:

https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/craic/irish-christmas-blessings

Some lights:

https://nypost.com/2021/12/18/a-stunning-look-at-the-famous-dyker-heights-christmas-lights/

And some celebrities. Who knew Diana Ross liked the matching family PJ thing?

https://www.essence.com/celebrity/celebrity-christmas-photos/

⛄️ Before I Melt Away…

Once again, tomorrow will be this week’s Friday, so join me for soap, tea, quotations, and a seasonally appropriate tune. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your expectations realistic for both yourself and the new year, and stay not telling yourself a story to justify a secret.

Dec28

December 27, 2021 – Willow Gives One Reason, Soap Caroling, Hayden Weighs In, What Kathy Wants & Things

Posted on December 28, 2021 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook opens her eyes to a naked Chase who asks, is this hot enough for you? and gets in her bed. She wakes, and says she’s been single way too long.

After hot yoga class, Drew tells Chase, if this is what staying in shape looks like in 2022, he might have to consider confinement again. Chase says, it’s supposed to be a nice total body workout. It’s supposed to get you limber, which is weird because he doesn’t think he can get up. Curtis holds out his hand, and says, forget about being limber. This was torture. Compared to work, there’s nothing worse. Drew says, really? Nothing?

Marshall brings Epiphany a bouquet of flowers, and she asks what they’re for. He says, these, Dr. Johnson… Nurse Johnson, are an expression of gratitude, for sharing her dulcet tones with him, the staff, and the patients of General Hospital. Now when can they do it again? Epiphany laughs.

The class changes, and Maxie sees Chase coming out. She asks how class was, and he says, it’s exhausting. She says that’s why she hates hot yoga; he’s probably dehydrated. She asks how Bailey is, and he says, she’s amazing. She does this thing where she feeds herself. She’s trying to. It makes for a hilarious and very messy mealtime. She says she’d love to see that, and he says she should come by the house… and realizes he’s saying it like he lives at the Quartermaines. He says he’s actually headed there now, as long as Brook doesn’t have a problem with it. Maxie asks why she would, and he says, you never know with her lately. He tells Maxie, see ya around, and leaves. She goes into class, and tells Lucy that they should really air the place out after hot yoga class. Lucy says, what? and Maxie asks if the nose of Deception can’t smell how stank it is in there. Lucy says she hadn’t noticed, and looks zen already.

Laura sits with Martin at the MetroCourt, and asks where Lucy is. He says they just ordered breakfast, and she bolted. Something about exercise he thinks. She tells him, you don’t say, and he sits back, saying, go ahead. She says, what? and he says, she’s sitting there flexing her sisterly muscles, dying to warn him off the delightful Miss Coe. She says, nope. She has no sisterly advice for him. In fact, she’s got to go focus on being a grandmother.

At Kelly’s, Esme wonders what she should pack for a cabin getaway, and asks Spencer if Sonny’s cabin has a hot tub or sauna. He says he doesn’t know; he’s never been there. Besides, doesn’t she think it’s a little early for packing? She says she’s just excited; isn’t he? He says it’s hard to get excited about a trip, knowing when it’s over, so is his life. (Dramatic much?)

Willow is sworn in at Nina’s hearing.

Valentin comes up behind Martin, and takes off Martin’s Santa hat. He says, trouble at the mall? Martin says, oh what fun it is to laugh. The holiday spirit lingers this year. Not that it had anything to do with Valentin. Valentin sits, and says, what is it now? and Martin says, his gift must have gotten lost in the mail, but Valentin says, clients don’t give gifts; clients receive gifts. Martin says, forgive him. It’s hard to get all the holiday shopping in when you’re busy avoiding death. Valentin says, congratulations, and Martin says, on being alive? Valentin says, yes. He thought if Cyrus didn’t kill Martin, surely Laura would. Martin says, a hardy humbug to him too, and Valentin laughs.

Brook races into what is apparently called the Nook, grabbing some coffee, and Ned asks, when was the last time she slept in like this? She says she was up all night with Bailey, and when she finally got to bed, all she could do – she thinks about her dream – was toss and turn. She asks, where is the oat milk in this house? He says, bad dreams? and she says, something like that. What is Ned even still doing there? She thought he and Olivia had an appointment with Leo’s doctor. He says, soon, but he always has time for his one and only daughter. And the mess she’s made of her one and only life.

Martin says he’d hoped Valentin’s Turkey Day revenge had dulled the pain of losing Bailey, but he doesn’t think there’s a slice of ELQ big enough to make up for losing the love of a child. Valentin says, no, and Martin says he’s sorry; both for Valentin going through it, and that he wasn’t there when Valentin did. Valentin says Brook hurt him. Worse than that, she hurt his daughter Charlotte, and he wants to make sure she pays for that. Martin says, that’s his boy. Does Valentin want to order breakfast, and mull over ways to even the score? Valentin says he does, but right now he has other matters on his plate. Victor walks in, but Anna intercepts him, and says she doesn’t think so.

Esme says Spencer’s been going through a lot, so much stress. It will be good for him to get away; for both of them. When was the last time they had any privacy? He admits it’s been ages, and she says they could really use some time behind closed doors. Laura comes in and asks what today’s special is.

Carly wonders what Scotty is doing, and Sonny says, he’s probably trying to get them to drop the charges by going after the DA’s credibility. Michael says, he’s turning the attention away from Nina and onto him, but did he have to use Willow? Carly says, Willow will be fine, and Michael says, she will, but Scotty won’t. Not when he’s through with him. Sheridan says, sorry to spring this on Willow, but he wants to address opposing council’s allegations. Has she ever donated to his campaign as Pennsylvania Attorney General? She says, no, and he says, his previous campaigns for Llantano District Attorney? She says, no, and he asks if she’s met him prior to today. She says, in October, at the home she shares with her son and his father, Michael Corinthos. Sheridan asks if she can describe the nature of that meeting, and she says she arrived home to find him and Michael speaking. He asks if she remembers the subject, and she says, their shared values. He says, what else? and she says, there were introductions, and then he had to get back to Llanview. He asks if at any point during that meeting she came to know that Michael had pressed him to bring a case against the defendant. She says, no, and he thanks her for clearing that up. No further questions. Judge Milford asks if opposing council has any questions, and Scotty says, one or two, and gets up.

At the Bistro, Drew says, Corinthos Coffee, and Curtis says, not much to choose from in these parts. Drew says he’s not complaining. It’s nice to come back and have at least one thing unchanged. Curtis asks if the thrill of his homecoming is wearing off a bit, but Drew says, not the Scout part. Seeing Scout is thrilling every single time, and after talking to only guards for the past few years, having a conversation with a normal person is quite a trip. (Was he kidnapped in 1975?) Curtis says, but the rest? and Drew says he can only sit on his butt at Monica’s for so long. He has to do something with his life; he has to be productive. He just has no idea where to start. Curtis says, what about Aurora Media? and Drew says, Curtis means the company he and Sam created for a fresh start? Curtis says, good point. There’s no place for him at ELQ? Drew says he’d have to get a therapist first. Thanks to Curtis, he does have something to do with his time. He’s been thinking about Marshall, and may have come up with an angle.

Epiphany tells Marshall, she thought the flowers were to say thank you, and he says, they are, but he was also hoping to soften her up for his proposition. She asks, what proposition is that? and he says he had a wonderful time last night. She says she did too, and he says he thought so, but she didn’t stick around long enough to say so. She says she thought it was obvious, and he says, maybe she’s just more inclined to express herself through song rathe than word. She laughs, and says, he’ll soon learn she has no problem speaking her mind… If he sticks around. He says he plans to, and leans forward. He tells her that he thinks they make beautiful music together, so he wanted to ask her – she says, yes? – if she wants to join his band.

Brook says she should have put Ned’s empathy on her Christmas list. Why can’t they go one week without him coming down on her? Like she doesn’t know she has issues. Like she needs him to point them out. She’s trying to make her life better, and him, of all people, talking about mess? What’s going on with him and Olivia? Are they even in the same bed? The same room? The same wing? He says she’s right. He’s the standard bearer for messes in this family. She’s an amateur by comparison. She says she’s confused, and he says if she has any issues, it’s in large part because of him. What kind of example has he set when it comes to relationships? What kind of example has he set when it comes to anything actually, and he’s sorry for his choice of words. He thought the word mess was an objective take, and something they have in common. She says, now they’re bonding over their mutual chaos? and he says, maybe they can come up with some solutions. He’s been working on his mess with Olivia, and he’s been doing some thinking about her situation with Chase. She needs to get out in front of this. Make sure Chase doesn’t hold Bailey over her head like Valentin did. From the doorway, Chase clears his throat.

Scotty says, Willow referred to Michael as the father of her son, the man she lives with, not married. She says, no, and he says, that’s kind of a modern arrangement. Sheridan says, it’s irrelevant, and the judge tells Scotty, stick to the point. Scotty asks if she and Michael revisited the subject of the DA’s visit after he left, and she says, the subject came up. He asks if she took it at face value; two guys just shooting the breeze about values. She says she wondered about it. and he asks if that wondering got the best of her. Did she ask Michael? She tells Judge Milford that she thought her conversations with Michael were protected, but the judge says, they’re not. Scotty says, spousal privilege doesn’t apply to co-parenting, but you know what applies to just about everyone? The penalty for perjury.

Maxie tells Lucy, the timing of this IPO could be better. Does she think they should give Sasha time to grieve? She can’t imagine Sasha can work right now; she doesn’t know how Sasha is functioning at all. Lucy flashes back to her tryst with Martin while she says, ohm. Then she says, ohmmmmMartin. Maxie says, what was that now?

Martin asks Valentin, just out of curiosity, who should he be more concerned for? Anna or Victor? Valentin says, Victor, definitely.

Anna says, eyes on her, and Victor says, it’s a wonder anyone’s eyes are ever off of her; his son’s in particular. What exactly is the nature of their relationship? She says she thinks that falls under the category of none of his bustiness, kind of like his stretching this morning during his pastoral workout. He says he didn’t see her there, and she says, she’s everywhere. She saw him picking up The Invader, and he picked up mints; that was very considerate. She was also at Kelly’s when he visited Spencer. He says, she’s following him, and she says she is. Port Charles is her home, so from here on out, she’ll be his shadow. And if he gets out of line, she’ll be there to deal with him. He says, the way she dealt with Peter? and she smiles.

Spencer pours coffee for Laura, and says he brewed it himself. She says, he’s learned his way around a coffeemaker, and Esme says, he’s doing a great job, grandmother… Sorry, she meant mayor. Laura tells her, Laura will be fine for now, and says Doc been telling her about this wonderful shift he’s seen in Spencer, but she doesn’t know if it’s because of this job, or just a byproduct of getting caught. Spencer says, here it comes. He knew it was too good to last. Christmas is gone, so is the peace. Let him have it. How disappointed is she? Or has her disapproval moved on to hate, just like his father?

Scotty asks if Willow needs a refresher course in the consequences of lying in court, but she says, that won’t be necessary. Michael told her, like many businesses, his family’s company seeks relationships with political figures, and Scotty says, the evidence shows, the DA received a huge chunk of money from her and Michael. The DA objects, saying, no such evidence has been offered. Miss Tate has never made a donation to his campaign that he’s aware of. Judge Milford says, sustained, and Scotty says, ELQ made a huge donation to Sheridan’s campaign before his client’s arrest. So what was expected from that donation in return? Willow says she wasn’t privy to the conversation, and Scotty says, but she must have thought Michael was going to get something for his gift. She says, Michael’s only interest was in justice, and Scotty says, for whom? She says, for his father. Nina kept Sonny from his family for nine months. Scotty asks if she didn’t expect Michael was going to get the DA to pursue charges against his client for his donation, and Sheridan objects, saying Scotty is close to badgering. The judge says, sustained. Scotty asks if it isn’t Willow’s understanding that the DA was going to bring charges against Nina in exchange for a hefty donation to him. She tells him, whatever was said was between Michael and DA Sheridan. As far as she’s aware, the contribution was entirely above board and legal. He says, funny she should bring legal up, because that’s what they’re trying to get to. Do the charges against Nina even merit a trial, or should they just be tossed out; that it was possibly an act of heroism. Does she have any reason to believe that the alleged victim, Sonny Corinthos, sees himself as a victim at all?

Victor tells Anna to forgive him if he finds her threats lacking in substance. As he understands it, she’s had multiple opportunities to end Peter’s reign of terror, yet every single time, she’s backed off, which confounds him. He’s read her file. Her no-nonsense reputation is well-earned. She thanks him, but says, yet here he is still testing her. He says, by living his life? and she says, by imposing himself on Valentin. He laughs, and says, they’ve come full circle. She does care for Valentin, doesn’t she? While he’s truly gratified at her attachment to his son, he suspects Valentin is even more so.

Epiphany says, Marshall is putting together a band? and he says he’d be honored to land her as the lead vocal. He thinks their chemistry is off the charts. She says, it was just one performance, and he says, exactly. It can take people weeks, sometimes months, to gel like that. They were total strangers, nowhere near a studio, or anything resembling a stage, singing holiday tunes, yet it was still a natural fit. He got to talking with the other musicians afterwards, and they all thought, why not give it a shot? Get together for at least one day, and feel out something that doesn’t sound like it’s wrapped in tinsel. What does she say?

Drew says, Curtis hasn’t been able to find out much about Marshall Ashford, and Curtis says, he’s got zero digital footprint, and if his mother owned any property with him, she parted ways with it a long time ago. Drew says, civic documents? and Curtis says, birth certificates, educational records, but all of that dried up after Marshall married his mom. Drew says, he’s no P.I., but it seems strange, and Curtis says, very. It suggests Marshall had another life before he came here, or someone went to great lengths to erase all traces of him. Drew says, then maybe it’s time they stop looking for Marshall Ashford… Curtis says, and start looking for the man he’s pretending to be.

Carly wonders what’s going on, but Michael doesn’t know. Scotty says, Willow is close to the crime; that’s why the prosecution called her. She possesses a different perspective that the judge might want to consider before this goes to trial. Judge Milford allows it, but tells Scotty, keep it moving. Scotty asks if Willow would like him to repeat the question, but she says, no. To her knowledge, Sonny is no one’s victim. Scotty says, he’ll rephrase it then. Sonny testified that he didn’t bring charges against Nina because he wanted to move on with his life; he’d lost enough time with his wife and family. Does she think Sonny left anything out? Sheridan objects, and asks if Scotty can be more vague. The judge tells Scotty to get where he’s going; make it fast and make it direct. Scotty asks if she thinks Sonny had some sort of unstated motivation to not sic the state on Nina.

Laura says, she could never hate Spencer. Is she disappointed? Absolutely. He put his father, Ava, and Ava’s daughter through a living nightmare. He says, Avery was never in any danger, but she says, Avery was kept away from her mother, and don’t make excuses. It just makes everything worse. What he did was horrible. Esme says, he didn’t do it alone. He had help from her. Spencer says, she was just trying to be supportive, and she says, but she went overboard, and should have used better judgement. Laura says, that’s an understatement, and Spencer says, he’s learned his lesson, but Laura says, has he? Really? Spencer says she doesn’t believe him? and she says she wants to believe him, but the fact he’s thrown in with Victor makes her wonder.

Valentin tells Martin, Victor’s sudden revelation that he’s a Cassadine has him wondering if there’s any wiggle room in the will. Martin says, what will? Mikkos’s? The one who got Ava thrown off the parapet? That will? Valentin says, if he could avail himself of some of the fortune that Nikolas stole after all, it would make for a happy ending, wouldn’t it? Martin says he’ll look into it. If he were Valentin, he’d just focus on Victor. Shake the tree, and see what comes loose. Valentin says he can handle Victor, and it looks like Anna can as well. Martin asks how are things with Anna, and Valentin wonders if he’s asking for a friend, but Martin says he’s not throwing his hat in the ring. They both say, he’d lose, and Martin says, there’s no need for a duel. With all due respect to Anna, he’s decided to move on.

Maxie says, Martin Gray? and Lucy says, namaste; keep her voice down. Maxie says, sorry. She had no idea Lucy was interested in him. Lucy says, neither did she, and Maxie says, tell her what happened. Lucy says, he fell into her lap. No, she fell into his lap, and the rest is sort of history. Maxie says, good history? and Lucy says, it was so fun.

Ned says he hopes Chase isn’t offended, and Brook says, he just compared Chase to a Cassadine, but Ned says, Chase comes out far ahead in comparison. Brook says, lightyears ahead, and Ned says, but Valentin has already started his retaliation for the lie about Bailey, and there’s sure to be more to come. Brook says, and his point? and Ned says, children bring out the best and worst in people. He’d hate to see his granddaughter used as a weapon again between warring parents. Chase says he’d hate to see that happen too, and Ned says, good. His suggestion is for the two of them to sit with lawyers, and iron out their respective roles in Bailey’s life. The clearer they are now, the less room for conflict moving forward. Chase says, makes sense, and Ned says, it’s all about the boundaries.

Scotty tells Willow to wrack her brain, and Nina tells him, no. He asks if Willow knows any reason Sonny wouldn’t file charges against the woman who allegedly kept him away from his family. Willow says, she’s not in Sonny’s head. She can’t tell him all Sonny’s reasons, and Scotty says, one reason. Give him one singular reason. Nina says, no, but he tells her, quiet. He asks why Sonny wouldn’t want restitution, and Sonny tells Carly, let’s go. She says, now? and he takes her hand, heading for the door, but she stops. Scotty says, the penalty for perjury is seven years behind bars in another state away from her son. How old does she think her son will be when she gets out? Willow says, yes, and he says, yes what? She says, there is another reason why Sonny didn’t go after Nina.

Epiphany says she has no time to devote to a band, but Marshall says, they’ll work around her schedule. She says her shifts are all over the place, and he asks if it’s her polite of saying no. She says, it’s not a no or a yes. She got turned around when he said proposition, that’s all. He says, oh. Oh. She thought he was asking her out. She says, her mistake, but he says, for the record, if he were to ask out a virtual stranger, he sincerely doubts he could aim higher than her. The truth is, he doesn’t date. He hasn’t for a long time. The fact is, he wasn’t very good at it, but if he could ever interest her in a jam session… She says, it’s possible. It depends on her schedule. He says, then just follow the music, she laughs, and he leaves.

Curtis tells Drew that Marshall has had several aliases, and probably lived under several dozen rocks over the decades, but he has no leads, and the guy’s not forthcoming with information. Drew says, so Curtis asked? and Curtis says, more like demanded, but the more Marshall said nothing or talked around the answers he wanted, he just got so pissed… Drew says, he shut right down, and Curtis says, so if he goes in all curious and nice, Marshall will be suspicious. Drew says, then let him try. Let him do the digging. Curtis should just play it straight. Curtis asks, how? and Drew says, they can’t get a lead on Marshall’s missing years, so they need Marshall to cough one up. They lay a job in his path, something that’s just too good to resist. He’ll have to put down his social security number or a reference or something. Real or fake, it doesn’t really matter; it will give them a place to start. Curtis says, a job; that’s good. He says, Drew does know this means he’ll have to deal with Aurora or ELQ, and Drew says, let him deal with that. Curtis wonders what kind of gig Drew can put out there. As far as he knows, all the guy does is music. Drew says, believe it or not, music is something his family knows.

Brook asks if Ned is done with his extremely practical and very mercenary advice, and he says he is. She tells him that he should go; he doesn’t want to be late for his appointment. He says he’ll provide her council, and tells Chase to let them know when he’s found a lawyer. He leaves, and Brook says she’s so sorry about Ned butting in, but to be fair, it’s a family tradition. Chase says, he would get a lawyer, if he were actually working and could actually pay for one, and if Bailey was actually his, but he does agree with boundaries. He’ll do everything he can to keep up appearances for Maxie and the baby, but when it comes to them, she needs to let him know how much space she needs, and he’ll give it to her.

Lucy says, ohm, and the instructor says, the eternal. Earth, air, heaven… Maxie asks Lucy if there’s going to be a second round, and Lucy says they kind of talked about it. Maxie says, she’d like there to be, right? and the instructor suggests they focus on their breathing. Maxie asks if Lucy wants to get out of there and grab a latte, so they can chat about it. They dash out, Lucy saying, namaste, as they go out the door.

Martin tells Valentin, Lucy Coe, and asks if Valentin is wishing he could trade places. Valentin says, no. He’s wishing he had a lawyer with more common sense. Lucy is his business partner. They’re about to take Deception public. It’s going to make him, Lucy, and Martin a lot of money. Martin says he’s still not seeing the problem, and Valentin says, Martin can’t effectively represent him and his best interests if he’s sleeping with Lucy Coe, who, by the way, is notorious for getting the better of her lovers. If Lucy gets the better of Martin, she gets the better of him. So Martin can have him or Lucy, but he can’t have both.

Anna says she’ll be keeping an eye on Victor, and he asks if that isn’t superfluous, given his deal with the WSB, but she says she’s not beholden to a deal. So she strongly advises him to behave himself. He says, or? and she says, he read her file. You tell me. She walks away.

Spencer says, Uncle Victor is the only reason he’s going to Spring Ridge and not Pentenville, and Laura says she’s grateful for that, but wishes she didn’t have Victor to thank for it. Spencer knows he messed up, right? and he says, yes. She says, good. His job now is to make amends. He says, okay, and she says she wants to see that; not just give lip service. He says he has to get back to work, and leaves. Esme tells Laura, don’t worry. Once Spence gets out of Spring Ridge, he’ll have plenty of people to keep him the straight and narrow. Her, Laura, Doc; one big happy family. She hugs Laura, who looks pretty surprised.

Sonny tells Carly, let’s get out of here, but she won’t budge. Sheridan says Scotty has gone far enough with his fishing expedition. He’s threatening Willow with perjury when she hasn’t been deposed, and there’s no indication that she knows anything germane to these proceedings. Judge Milford says, overruled. He wants to see where this is going. Scotty says, whenever she’s ready, and Willow looks at everyone. Nina looks like she wants the earth to swallow her up, and Willow says, a few weeks ago, she overheard Nina and Sonny having a conversation at General Hospital. Scotty asks if it was out in the open, but she says, in the chapel. He says, so it was just the two of them? and she says, yes. He asks what they said in this conversation, and she says she wasn’t there for all of it. He says, the part she was there for, did Sonny touch on the nature of his relationship with Nina? She says, he did, and Sheridan says, hearsay, but Judge Milford says, overruled, and asks Willow to be more specific. She says she overheard Sonny say, whatever happened between him and Nina in Nixon Falls has to come from him, and it will. Scotty asks, what was that? What was between the accused and the alleged victim? and Willow says, love, and Nina closes her eyes. Michael is like, what? and Carly looks at Sonny, all pissed off. I laugh.

Tomorrow, Curtis asks Stella what he doesn’t know about Marshall, Olivia wonders what if Leo needs something she can’t provide, Michael asks why Willow didn’t tell him about overhearing Nina and Sonny, and Scotty asks if Sonny considers himself the victim of a crime.

❄️ Still Ho-Ho-Ho’ing…

Enjoy the soap version of Let It Snow.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Sing “Let It Snow”

🤷🏻‍♀️ Is She Or Isn’t She…?

Will Hayden stay gone? Your guess is as good as hers.

Rebecca Budig Opens up About Her Status at GENERAL HOSPITAL

💎 Aspirations…

Everyone’s favorite friend talks RHOBH.

https://extratv.com/2021/12/22/kathy-hilton-reveals-what-she-wants-her-role-to-be-on-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-season-12/

🐖 Pig Flying By…

Hope Santa was good to you, or, if you’re not a Believer, you were good to yourself. Since there was no Deck – although there was a great episode of Galley Talk, reviewing the Shame Cocoon episode – can I possibly go to bed early? Nah, but I can log in another hour of Korean TV on Netflix. I’m currently obsessed with the series Black. This week looks much like last week. There are new Rules, but no new Housewives, and GH is a rerun on Friday. Of February 24, 2021. I shake my fist at the sky once again, saying, why? Why can’t they rerun a decent holiday episode on a holiday? Alas, God gives me no answer. So until tomorrow, stay safe, stay not feeling pressured to have a date on New Year’s Eve, and stay following the music.