Category Archives: real housewives

December 23, 2021 – Nina’s Hearing Begins, Soap’s On, Changes, New Faces, NJ Romance, Miami Mamas, Sad News, Worse News, Happy News, What Winter Wrought, Holiday Fare, Knowledge Drop, Some Christmasy Quotes & Christmas Live

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Martin wakes up in bed, clutches his head, and says, Lord have mercy. He’s wearing a robe, and his Santa hat is lying on top of him. He pulls back the covers to see a pair of well-manicured feet. He moves to the other end of the bed, and uncovers Lucy, who asks if he’s ready for another round. He puts his Santa hat back on.

Alexis lets Shawn in, and he says he brought her a cup of Corinthos Coffee. She thanks him, and asks what she’s holding. She says, it’s a course catalog from PCU, and he asks if she’s going back to college. She says she is, and asks if it’s a ridiculous idea.

At Cameron’s house, Josslyn and Cameron kiss, and Josslyn asks what time his mom took his brothers ice skating. He says, they left about twenty minutes ago. They’ll be gone a couple of hours. Unless she wants to join them at the rink. She says, let her think, and he says, right, kissing her again. The doorbell rings, and he says he has no clue who that might be. He opens the door, and Esme says, thank God she found him. The absolute worst thing has happened. Josslyn walks up behind Cameron, and says, really? Do tell.

Trina walks into Kelly’s, and says, before Spencer gets a big head, she’s there to get two coffees; one for her, and one for Ava. He says, sure, when Victor walks in. He says, there’s his nephew. How does it feel to have his legal woes a thing of the past? Spencer says, in a word, terrifying.

At the MetroCourt, Laura kisses Doc, and says, what an amazing anniversary they had. She’d take trips more often if she knew she had that kind of homecoming waiting for her. He says he’s just trying to do his part to make sure they’re never separated that long again, and she says, not if she has anything to say about it. They kiss again, and Nikolas approaches their table. He says, clearly, they need more time. Should they reschedule? Laura says, she and Kevin have all the time in the world, but what she has to say to him can’t wait.

Scotty is about to walk into the Llantano County courtroom, when his phone rings. It’s Obrecht, who asks if he’s come up with a strategy to get Willow on the stand. She’s certain Willow knows about Nina and Sonny falling in love in Nixon Falls. He says he’s working on it, and she says, work harder. Michael and Willow walk in, and Michael asks how Willow is feeling. He knows she didn’t agree with him bringing charges against Nina. She says she just wants what’s best for everybody, and he says, what’s best is for Nina to pay for keeping his father hidden from his family for months. He can’t think of anything worse. Sonny and Carly come in, and Michael introduces Willow to DA Sheridan. Carly tells Sonny, Michael is confident the DA Is going to cement his case against Nina today, and Sonny says, that’s up to the judge. He’s sure if Scotty loses today, Nina is going to cop some kind of plea. She says, she hopes so for their family’s sake. She just wants this whole Nixon Falls saga to be over with, and wants Nina out of their lives. Nina walks in, and goes to the defense table. Willow approaches her, and Nina says she really appreciates Willow not saying anything about her and Mike. Willow says she’s not doing it for Nina; she’s doing it for Michael and Wiley. Nina says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s really sorry for everything. Willow goes back to Michael, who asks, what was that about? Willow flashes back to Nina asking if she wants to drive a wedge between Carly and Sonny, and tells Michael, family. Michael says, Nina may be biologically related to Wiley, but her actions made it clear she’s not part of their family.

Obrecht says she’s confident Scotty will find a way to protect her niece, and Scotty walks into the courtroom. Sheridan tells Michael, the hearing is basically a formality. It’s not a trial, but technically, Miss Reeves’s attorney can cross-examine anyone he calls. Scotty tells Obrecht that he thinks he just got a flash of inspiration.

Shawn tells Alexis, it’s only natural to feel adrift when you get out of prison. He struggled himself. She says, but now he’s found his direction. Using his non-profit to take over The Invader is a perfect path to his future. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis opens it to Dante, who apologizes for the impromptu visit. Is Shawn there? This is his last address. She opens the door, and Dante sees Shawn. He says, this is official police business.

Laura tells Nikolas that Doc filled her in on everything about Spencer. She’s upset… She’s concerned. She was pleased to see the two of them managed to co-exist at Christmastime, but she’d hardly call it warm and fuzzy. She knows it’s a step in the right direction, but… He says, he and Spencer have had their setbacks; they both feel betrayed by the other. She says she was heartbroken when she found out it was Spencer who was stalking Ava. It doesn’t excuse Nikolas’s behavior at the party that night, but his instincts about his son were correct. He wonders if that’s why she asked him here, to apologize, and she says she is sorry. He was right about his son, but now she wants Nikolas to do right by him.

Victor says he doesn’t understand. What does Spencer have to be afraid of? Trina says, when her coffee’s ready, she’ll be at the counter, and Spencer introduces her to Victor. Victor says it’s nice to finally meet her. Did Spencer tell her that his plea deal was finalized this morning? She says they didn’t get a chance to talk about it, and Spencer says he signed the paperwork this morning. It’s official. He changed his plea to guilty, he’ll do 500 hours of community service, make restitution to Ava, and do 30 days in Spring Ridge. She says, so no trial, and Victor says, exactly. So what about this plea deal is troubling Spencer? Spencer says, Spring Ridge is minimum security, but it’s still prison. When Victor said he’d take care of Spencer’s situation, Spencer thought that meant he’d go free. Victor says, what Spencer got was a slap on the wrist. No one could have gotten him a better deal. Spencer says he’s truly grateful for everything Victor did. Forget he said anything. Victor supposes, even though it was a long time ago, he does remember being 18 years old, and supposes a month long confinement would have seemed like a death sentence to him. But Spencer is a Cassadine. He’ll keep a stiff upper lip, and when he gets out, he’ll have his whole family waiting for him. Spencer says, not his father, and Victor says, perhaps not, but Spencer will have him. Now why doesn’t he make Victor a cup of tea to go? A heady brew. No one likes a weak leaf. Spencer goes to make the tea, and Victor tells Trina that he’s glad to see his nephew chooses his companions so well.

Esme says she wasn’t expecting to see Josslyn, and Josslyn says, Esme is surprised to see her at her boyfriend’s house? What is Esme even doing here? Esme says she promises nothing nefarious. Spence took the plea deal; he signed the paperwork this morning. Yes, his sentence was lighter than it could have been, but he wasn’t expecting to go to prison at all, and he’s totally freaking out. Cameron says he can understand that. Spencer has to spend a month in prison, and after that, he’s going to have a criminal record for the rest of his life. Josslyn says, and worst of all, despite the fact that Esme is every bit as responsible for stalking Ava, Spencer has to take this whole punishment alone.

Scotty tells Obrecht, this is exactly what they need. He has to go, and Obrecht tells him, good luck, Liebchen. Victor comes out of Kelly’s, and says he remembers when she used to call him that.

Willow asks if Sheridan is still considering a run for Attorney General, and Sheridan says, after visiting their gorgeous home in October, he was concerned about low recognition outside of Llantano County. Scotty puts his briefcase on the table, and listens as Sheridan says, recently, his numbers seem to be going up. Scotty sits, and Nina asks why he looks so happy. He says her aunt has that effect on him.

Lucy says, that was unexpected, and Martin says, he’d call it a Christmas miracle. She hopes he means that in a good way, and he says he means that in the most flattering way possible. He asks, how about some breakfast? He doesn’t know about her, but he managed to work up a very healthy appetite. She asks if he’s serious. He wants to take her down to the MetroCourt for breakfast, and she’ll be wearing the holiday outfit she wore for Christmas that everybody saw her in. Just so he knows, folks will talk. He says he hopes so. He was raised in the South where gossip is sacred, right between Friday night football and Sunday morning service. She thinks he’s forgetting he’s an upstanding lawyer. Not to mention the fact he’s the brother of her ex-husband’s wife, the mayor of Port Charles. He says Lucy is a very accomplished woman, and she thanks him, and says she aims to please. He says her aim could put him in the hospital, but that’s not what he was talking about. Don’t get him wrong, she makes one Olympian Santa’s helper, but he was referring to her role as the co-owner of Deception. Not to mention everything she’s accomplished with the Nurses Ball. She says, he looked her up on the internet? and he tells her, let’s just say he’s noticed her. She tells him, let’s just say, she’s noticed him too, and they kiss. She says she’ll let him buy her breakfast. She hasn’t done that walk of shame in a long time. He says it will be his pleasure to take that walk with her.

Josslyn says, so much of the stalking was clearly Esme’s idea, not Spencer’s. Anyone can see that. She has no idea why Spencer is protecting Esme. Esme says she loves Spence, and as much as he might get on their nerves, she thinks they do too. Cameron was the one who got Spencer the job at Kelly’s when he needed it most. Cameron says she’s right; they care about Spencer. So what can they do to help? Esme says she plans to do what she can to keep Spencer’s spirits up when he’s in Spring Ridge, but if they could create some happy memories before he goes, it would really give Spencer some peace of mind. They already agreed to a weekend getaway, so can Josslyn ask her father if they can use his cabin as soon as possible? Before Spencer has to report to Spring Ridge for his sentence? He really needs this.

Nikolas tells Laura, he’ll be there for his son, but only when he fully owns up to what he’s done. She agrees completely. Spencer needs to take responsibility for his actions, but he’s already trying to do that. Doc says, not only is he working at Kelly’s, he’s started helping around the house. Spencer was mystified as to how to use a dishwasher, but once he showed Spencer how, he started pitching in without too much complaint. Nikolas says, it sounds like there’s progress, but it sounds like Spencer still resents him, and refuses to accept his help. Laura says, what his son needs more than ever is a loving father who can help him make up with Ava, who will set him on the right course. If not Nikolas, whose influence will step in to fill that void?

Obrecht says, the only name she can remember calling Victor is schwein, which is what he is. He says, there’s that fiery minx he fell in love with. He’s so glad the information he provided to the WSB led to her rescue. She says, he’s taking credit for her safe return? He’s the one who had her kidnapped in the first place. Then he tossed her beloved Scotty out of a plane. He says perhaps they could discuss it over dinner. Scotty is, after all, his attorney. She says she’d rather eat glass.

Nina asks Scotty to be honest with her. What are her chances of avoiding a trial? He says, better than she thinks, and she asks what he’s up to. The bailiff tells them, all rise. Court is in session, the honorable Judge Milford presiding. The judge calls the preliminary hearing to order, and tells them, please be seated.

Josslyn tells Esme, there’s been a lot going on, and she hasn’t asked Sonny about the cabin yet. Esme says, but she will, right? and Josslyn says she will, as long as Esme stops asking about how many bedrooms there are, and who’s sleeping where. Esme says she only wanted people to be comfortable, but what’s important now is that Spence has a great time. She’s sure his Uncle Sonny will be happy to support him. Why doesn’t Josslyn call Sonny now? Cameron says, he and Joss will talk it over and get back to her, and she thanks him. She says, it will mean the world to Spence, and to her. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have a great time. She leaves, and Josslyn says, she can’t. Cameron says, whatever they think about Esme, she’s not wrong here. Spencer is going to need all the support he can get before the reality of a month at Spring Ridge hits him. She says, fine. She’ll ask about the cabin, but she’s not changing her opinion about Esme. He says, that’s totally okay. He’d never want to change a single thing about her, especially her mind. She says, now he’s trying to butter her up, and he asks if it’s working. She kisses him.

Spencer brings Trina the coffee, and says, sorry about the wait. She says she knows he put on a brave face for his uncle, but there’s no shame in being nervous about going to Spring Ridge. He says, his uncle is right. He needs to man up. He took the action and needs to face the consequences. He knows he got a lighter sentence because of his privilege. Trina has made it more than clear she thinks he’s a spoiled, entitled baby. She says, true, but she also thinks he’s human, and it’s nice to see.

Doc tells Nikolas, in the new year, Spencer goes to Spring Ridge. Prison is rife with opportunities to make bad choices, align with the wrong people. He needs a strong foundation now. Laura agrees, and says she knows Spencer feels indebted to his Uncle Victor for getting that plea bargain for him. Nikolas says, Victor’s presence in Port Charles concerns him too, and Laura asks why Nikolas helped him in the first place.  

Dante tells Shawn, they got an anonymous tip a while back about a body. They followed it up, and found human remains in the Pine Barrens. A John Doe was identified using dental records, and he was a known felon, a gun for hire. Shawn says, a hit man; who was it? Dante says, his last name was Giles, but he went by other aliases as well. They conducted ballistics on the gun that was buried with Giles, and they were conclusive. It was the same gun that shot Hayden Barnes.  

Judge Milford tells the court to proceed, and Sheridan says he’d like to call his first witness; Sonny Corinthos.

Lucy and Martin come giggling out of the elevator, Martin looking disheveled with his Santa suit coat falling open. Lucy says she finds it exceptionally charming that he chose to leave his Santa suit on his body in solidarity with her walk of shame, but he needs to know something else. If he’d continued his research on the internet, he would have found she’s been a spectacle many times before. He says he’s delighted join her in causing a commotion, and they walk into the MetroCourt.

Laura says, Nikolas had to have known Victor was hiding out in the compound in Crete. Did he know Victor was working with Peter too? Nikolas promises he had no idea about Peter, and Laura says, so he was just offering Victor a hiding place, or does his involvement go deeper? Nikolas flashes back to Victor telling him that Hayden needed to be dealt with, along with those close to her. He suggests he and Laura talk about this in private, and she asks if he doesn’t think she’s going to tell Doc everything he tells her. Nikolas says, after Valentin shot him, and left him for dead, it was Victor who nursed him back to health. If not for Victor, he might not be here. He returned the favor, and let Victor use the compound in Crete. Martin comes up to their table with Lucy, and says, morning, family. Fine day. Laura says, what a surprise, and hostess Trish tells Lucy that her table is ready. Lucy says, excuse them, and they leave. Nikolas tells Doc and Laura, and they say Christmas only comes once a year, and they laugh. GH is quite naughty today.

Spencer tells Trina, humans are terrible; flawed, selfish, and indulgent. She can’t like seeing that in him. She says, humans are also vulnerable, worthy of love, capable of change. He says he wishes he could see himself through her eyes, and she says, he’s perfectly imperfect, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a person of value. She sees him. He just has to take responsibility for his actions, and give people a chance see him too. He takes her hand, and thanks her. She says, anytime, and Esme watches from the doorway.

Sheridan says, they all know the basic facts. Sonny was on a bridge that collapsed, and fell into an icy river. When he regained consciousness, he had no memory of who he was, or even what his name was. Sonny says, that’s correct. No license. He was wearing a watch that was engraved with the name Mike, so that was the name he used. Sheridan asks how long Sonny was away from his wife and children, who presumed he was dead, and Sonny says, nine months. Sheridan says, when did he finally get his memory back? Sonny says, there was a fire at the Tan-O, and Sheridan says, that was the bar owned by the late Lenny Caulfield and his wife Phyllis, right? and Sonny says, he didn’t know who he was or where he belonged, and they were kind enough to take him in, give him a job and a place to live. Sheridan says, when Sonny recovered his memory, was he aware that someone in Nixon Falls already knew he was Sonny Corinthos? and Sonny says, yeah. Sheridan asks, who was that individual? and Sonny says, it was Nina Reeves. Sheridan says, to Sonny’s knowledge, did Nina Reeves deliberately and intentionally conceal his identity? Sonny says, yeah, and Sheridan says he has no further questions. Scotty asks if Sonny ever alerted the authorities that Nina concealed his identity, and Sonny says, no. Scotty asks, why not? According to the DA, Nina kept him from his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his whole life. Why didn’t he press charges?

Nikolas says he has business to attend to, and Laura says she’s sorry if she came on too strong. She knows he and Spencer want to have a relationship with each other. Nikolas says he’ll think about it, and Laura says, his relationship with Ava is so solid, he can afford to spend some time with Spencer, and restore the bond he has with him. Please don’t do anything to undermine that. Nikolas half-smiles, and leaves.

Dante says, he’s there to officially notify Shawn that they found the person who committed the crime Shawn was wrongfully convicted of. Shawn says, the truth is out, finally, and Dante says, in the eyes of the PCPD, Shawn is in the clear. Alexis says, congratulations. She knows how important this is to Shawn. Dante says, the best to him, and Alexis thanks Dante. Dante leaves, and Alexis says, anonymous tip her posterior. Shawn says, nobody could ever accuse Nikolas of being sloppy, when his phone rings. He says, speak of the devil, and he means that literally. He steps away to take the call.

Steam comes out of Esme’s ears for a second, but then she slaps her fake smile on. She tells Spencer that when he hears what she has to tell him, he’s going to love her more than he already does. He asks, what’s up? and she says she was telling Joss and Cam that he has to report to Spring Ridge soon, which moves their time frame up for a couples weekend. He says, it’s not just for couples, right? They want Trina to feel included. Esme says she’s so sorry. She misspoke. Of course (🍷) they want to include Trina. Esme’s phone rings, and she answers, saying, Joss. They were just talking about their weekend getaway. Josslyn says she and Cameron agree. They should have their weekend getaway before Spencer goes away. Esme says, great. They won’t be sorry. Josslyn looks at Cameron.

Lucy says, tell me, Mr. Claus, are you regretting this now? Martin says, spending time with a beautiful, sophisticated woman? Not for one second. She says, uh-oh. Oh boy, incoming, and Doc and Laura approach their table. Laura asks if Lucy would mind if she had a word alone with her brother, and Lucy says, absolutely not. Mr. Claus is all yours. Martin leaves with Laura.

Martin asks Laura if everything is okay. Is everything all right with his nephew? She says she certainly hopes so. There’s something she didn’t tell him about her meeting with Cyrus. He says, apart from the bit where he finds religion? and she says, Cyrus was adamant that he didn’t put out the hit on them; that somebody else arranged for the killer to go to the safe house.

Lucy asks Doc if Laura sicced him on her because Laura hates the thought of her brother being seen in public with the likes of her. He tells her, don’t be silly. They’re talking about something entirely different. Her and Martin… She says, spit it out, and he says, how’d that happen? She says, Martin asked her what she wanted for Christmas.

Martin asks if Laura is saying she actually believes Cyrus, and Laura says she woudn’t go that far, but she thought she should tell Martin about it. Better to be safe than sorry, right? He says, message received and noted; he’ll be extra careful. Is there something else? She says, Doc has a great dry cleaner who’s a wiz with Santa suits.

Obrecht says, Victor’s presence can only mean Sturm und Drang, and he says, let’s not forget that he was the one who saved her life when Peter wanted her dead, even after she held a knife to his throat. She asks if he’s waiting for a show of gratitude, and he says, perhaps she should consider whether threatening him means it’s more or less likely for him to intervene next time. She says, there won’t be a next time, but he says, with you, mr dear Liesl, there’s always a next time. He brushes her hair back, but she jerks away. He says, he adores her, but just don’t get in his way.

Sheridan objects, saying, whether or not Mr. Corinthos chose to press charges has no bearing on the validity of the case. The judge says, this isn’t a trial, and tells Scotty to proceed. Scotty asks again why Sonny didn’t file charges against Nina. It’s a simple question. Sonny says, then let him answer it. Because he lost too much time already… and he wanted to spend time with his wife and his family. Scotty says, but his son Michael doesn’t share the same viewpoint. In fact, Michael and his ex-wife Willow Tate gave a sizable donation to the DA’s campaign just days before his client was arrested. Willow puts her hand on Michael’s arm, and Scotty says, maybe those two should be on trial for bribery.

On the phone, Nikolas tells Shawn to check the balance. The funds should have been transferred. Shawn says, he’ll do that, but Nikolas might want to know, he just got a visit from the PCPD. It seems they found Hayden’s shooter, or his dead body anyway. The crime has been removed from his record; his name has been restored. Nikolas takes it their business is concluded, and Shawn says, Nikolas fulfilled his part of their agreement, so yes. Nikolas says, great. Have a good day. They hang up, and Alexis asks if the money is all there. Shawn says, and then some. Her nephew thinks this all over. She says, isn’t it? and he says, not by a long shot.

Esme tells Josslyn that she’s with Spencer at Kelly’s. He’ll be so happy when she tells him the news. Josslyn says, that’s why they said yes, for Spencer. She’ll asks Sonny about the cabin today. Esme says, great. They’ll work out the details later. Spencer says, what’s the good news? and Esme says, Joss and Cam just committed. Once his Uncle Sonny signs off on the cabin, they’re good for a getaway. Spencer says, that’s amazing news! It’s incredible. He actually has something to look forward to now. He asks Trina if she’s going to come, and Esme says she’s sure Trina is much too busy with her job and college. Trina says she’s always busy, but she’ll make time for a friend. Count her in. She doesn’t want to pass up the chance to give Spencer the send-off he deserves. Spencer says, this is going to be monumental, and thanks Esme, who says, it’s going to be a send-off for the ages.

Martin goes back to the table, and says, ho-ho hello. Lucy says, let her guess. His sister warned him away from her, but he says, nothing of the sort. Lucy says, oh, it’s worse. She’s biting her tongue; the silent treatment. They had so much fun together. That’s enough. She gets up, but he stops her, and says, it was fun. It’s more than he’s had in a long, long time. He doesn’t know about her, but he doesn’t want the fun to end just yet.

Doc says, so, Laura’s brother and Lucy, and Laura says, she’s just as surprised as he is. Between Martin forging whatever this is with Lucy, and Spencer having to make restitution to Ava, and Nikolas getting  tangled up with Victor, it’s going to be one helluva new year

Obrecht says, she’s not afraid of Victor, nor is she impressed. He didn’t compare to Faison in the past, and doesn’t compare with Scotty today. He asks if she really thinks Scotty is that powerful, and she says, stay away from her or he’ll find out. He has no idea what Scotty is capable of. She leaves, and Victor ponders that.

Sheridan says, opposing council’s accusation is outrageous, and Judge Milford asks if Scotty has evidence of a quid pro quo. Scotty says, campaign contributions are public record. They know Michael and Willow gave a huge chunk of money to the DA for his campaign. The timing seems a little fishy. The judge says, Mr. Corinthos doesn’t have to answer, since he’s not one of the parties named, and Scotty says, no further questions. Sheridan says, because Scotty tried to impugn his character, he asks permission to call an additional witness. The judge asks Scotty and Sheridan to approach, and Sheridan says, the defense council is making unfounded accusations against him, and he would like to answer them. The sooner they clear this up, the sooner they can focus on the charges against Miss Reeves. The judge asks Sonny to step down, and the prosecution calls Willow to the stand. Willow gets up, and Nina looks worried.

No preview, just Deck the Halls and full credits.

🎅🏽 In Case You Were Wondering…

The soap schedule for Christmas Eve.

⛹️‍♂️ New Kids On the Soap…

Danny:

Charlotte:

Wiley:

💎 Swimming Pools, Movie Stars…

Some fresh, and no doubt Botoxed, faces in Beverly Hills.

👉🏼 Next…

It’s about time she dumped that guy who was never around. I assume Frank approves.

🌴 What Happened In Miami…

The latest on RHOM.

😢 Not So Happy Holidays…

Don’t read if you’re sad already. No one wants a gift like this for Christmas.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/-walking-dead-actress-alicia-witts-parents-found-dead-home-rcna9704

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10339869/Parents-Walking-Dead-star-Alicia-Witt-died-suspected-hypothermia-officials-say.html

😲 Yikes…

It’s a sad world out there.

💃🏽 On the Plus Side…

It’s good to hear NeNe is moving forward.

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 It’s Official…

I honestly hadn’t seen this coming, but they’re cute together.

Nice picture.

📺 What’s On…

A list of Christmas TV in the US.

https://www.mostlychristmas.com/christmastvschedule

And… somewhere else. The UK? Canada? I stumbled on this accidentally, but it looks like they have some good shows.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/christmas-tv-2021/

🎄 The Real Deal…

Everything you wanted to know about Christmas.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Merry Christmas!

☃️ Quotes of the Week

Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling. – Edna Ferber

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality. – Washington Irving

Christmas can’t be bought from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more. – Dr. Seuss

Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa. – Bart Simpson

It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. – Mother Theresa

Christmas is a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart. – Freya Stark

If you want to experience the true meaning of Christmas, give something to someone who can offer nothing in return. – Toni Sorenson

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

And I Heard Him Exclaim As He Drove Out Of Sight…

Since GH is repeating tomorrow, I’ll see you for soap on Monday (nothing new on Deck). Have the merriest of Christmases if you celebrate the holiday, and if not, celebrate something and have a merry day! Until next we meet, stay safe, stay picking your battles wisely, and stay knowing that, even if you’re perfectly imperfect, you’re still a person of value.

December 22, 2021 – Christmas Day In Port Charles, Heather Makes Shannon a Promise & Swinging

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Epiphany sees Marshall walk into the hospital, and says he looks lost. And he’s carrying a clarinet case. Is he one of the volunteers playing tonight? He says he is, and she says, welcome. She organizes the gig. She’s Epiphany Johnson. She holds out her hand, and he shakes it, saying, Marshall Ashford. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Dr. Johnson.

Curtis sees Portia in a red dress, and says, wow. Is all of this for dinner with Aunt Stella? She says she doesn’t want to get on that woman’s bad side ever again, and he says, understood. He says she has his aunt’s seal of approval. She knows that, right? She nods, and says he looks like he’s in a good mood, and he says he’s just been more relaxed lately. She says, it probably helps knowing he and Drew are going to work together to unravel the mystery of his father.

Drew puts out a punchbowl at the Quartermaines’, and Monica says, nobody ever likes the non-alcoholic wassail, but Alan wanted it every Christmas, so when it’s time to spice it up, she has some high-octane vodka. He takes the bottle and puts it on the bar, and says she doesn’t have to pretend. He knows how hard this Christmas is for her without Jason. Brook brings in Bailey, wearing a little plaid dress, and says, look who appeared for her first night of Christmas. Monica says, she’s adorable, and Brook puts her in the bassinette. Monica tells Drew that she misses Jason more than she can say, but she’s so grateful for the rest of the family. She takes his hand, and says, she’s really grateful to have him home. She goes over to Bailey, and says, hello, gorgeous. She heard a rumor that Santa was really good to her. Brook says, very good. In fact, she thinks Santa spoiled Bailey this year.

Alexis’s family gathers at her house, and Scout says she loves her gift. Sam says, a tambourine. Who thought that was a great idea? Kristina raises her hand, and Sam goes to get another gift. She suggests Scout open the gift from Molly and TJ, and slyly takes the tambourine. Molly says she guesses Kristina isn’t the only one to blame, because she and TJ had a similar idea. Scout opens it, and Sam wonders why she’s scared. It’s a child-sized accordion, and Sam says, how about that? What in the world were they thinking? Molly says, when Sam was away with Dante, she, Kristina, and TJ had Scout and Danny over one afternoon to give them a break from the Quartermaines. Kristina says, and possibly give the Quartermaines a break from them, and TJ says the found a show on TV all about musical instruments. Kristina says, Scout fell in love with the show, and Molly says, she was even playing along with imaginary instruments. TJ says, Scout wasn’t the only one, and Danny says, look what Grandma Alexis got him, showing them bongos. Shawn thanks Alexis, and she says, for the musical interlude? but he says, for the best Christmas he’s had in a long time. She says, both of them. Last year, she was drunk. He says, last year, he was in prison. He’d like to propose a toast, to new beginnings. They clink water bottles.

Obrecht puts a gift under the tree, and Maxie says she thought Obrecht already gave Georgie and James their gifts. Obrecht says, this isn’t for James or Georgie; it’s for Louise. It’s a Christmas angel, waiting for her when she comes home. Maxie glances at Nina, and says, that’s very sweet. Nina says she’s sure Louise will come home soon, and Obrecht can give it to her in person. Obrecht says she looks forward to the day. What about Nina? How dare those people not let her see Wiley on Christmas? Michael Corinthos is trying to put her in prison. This could be her last chance to be with her grandson.

Carly jokes that Wiley doesn’t like his gift, and Michael says, worst Christmas ever. Willow says she thinks there are a lot of gifts for Wiley to open, when Rocco comes in with a shopping bag. He says he was passing the guardhouse, and the guard gave him these for Wiley. Carly says, let her guess; Nina? Michael looks at the card, and says, yes.

Dante is putting on his coat in the foyer, and Sonny says he’s glad Dante came by to celebrate Christmas with the fam, and Dante says he is too. Last year, he came by to drop presents off, and that’s when Carly told him that Sonny was missing. Sonny says, last year wasn’t a good time for any of them. He’s sure Carly appreciated Dante’s company. Dante says, actually, he had an ulterior motive. He’d found out Sonny had secretly paid for his and Lulu’s house, and wanted to thank him. So here he is, a year later. Thank you for our home, and for coming back to yours. They hug.

Drew holds Bailey, and tells Monica that he remembers when Scout was that age. Those were such good times. She says she understands he had a visit from his daughter the other day, and he says he did; Sam brought her by. Scout actually found his favorite Christmas ornament, the star on the top of the tree in the nook. Apparently, it was in the playroom, and Rocco was using it as a sheriff’s badge. She laughs and says she’s not surprised Scout tracked it down. He asks if she knows what’s his favorite part of Christmas, and she says, what? He says, helping Scout put that star on the tree.

Chase asks if Brook wants him to spike some wassail for her, and drops the bottle cap. He bends down to pick it up, and she looks at his behind, flashing back to seeing him naked in the steam room. She says, no thank you. She doesn’t want anything from him. She jets, leaving Chase puzzled.

Brando wheels Sasha out to the reception area, and Deanna says she needs Sasha’s signature on some paperwork. Sasha asks what it is, and Deanna says, assurance someone will be staying with her for the next 24 hours. It’s policy; for her protection. Gladys says, Brando will do that, and Brando asks her to take Sasha’s bag to his car on level A. He’ll meet her down there. She gets in the elevator, and Brando says, Sasha just had surgery, and he thinks Deanna’s right. Someone should be with her. Please come home with him.

Scout plays the accordion (play being open to interpretation), while Danny bangs on the bongos. Sam suggests they go to the kitchen for some cookies, and they leave. Alexis says, full house at the Quartermaines’; they’ll have a huge audience. Kristina asks if Dante will be there, and Sam says, yeah, with Rocco. Alexis says she heard Drew is living there too. Is that going to be a problem for her? Sam asks, why would it be? and Kristina says, the two men in her life. Talk about an embarrassment of riches. Sam asks, how old are they? She and Drew are focused on Scout, and only Scout, and Dante is okay with it. Alexis says she hopes so.

Sonny says he’s sure last Christmas wasn’t easy for Dante, and Dante says, Sonny means everything with Lulu? Sonny says he wishes he’d been there for Dante, but Dante says he’s here now, with his family where he belongs. Sonny says, nothing better than family, and Dante says, speaking of… Sonny says, Olivia’s expecting him, and Dante tells Rocco that they have to go. Rocco thanks everyone for the presents; they’re really cool. He leaves, and Josslyn asks Carly if she thinks Michael and Willow are upset that Nina got Wiley a gift. Carly says she thinks they expected it. She suspects they’re thinking about Sasha and Brando. Josslyn says, they all are. What happened with their baby is just awful. Does Carly think they’ll come by later? Carly says she doesn’t know. She invited them, but doubts they’re feeling up to it. Sonny says, they’ll be here, and smiles.

Sasha says, she and Brando said goodbye to Liam together. He’s the only one who knows exactly how she’s feeling, so yes, she’ll go home with him, but just for tonight.

In the parking lot, Gladys throws the baby seat that had been waiting for Liam into the trunk.

Brando and Sasha get in the car, and Brando tells Gladys, let’s get Sasha home. Gladys says, they have one stop to make first. He asks, where? and she says she promises he won’t be sorry.

Epiphany tells Marshall, Nurse Johnson, although sometimes she feels like she could teach the doctors a thing or two. He says he has no doubt, and asks if she’s a musician. Is that why she’s in charge of the volunteer gig? She says, no. She does it to show the patients some joy on this very special night. He says he’s sure they’re very appreciative of her thoughtfulness. Does she play? She says, no; she’s a singer. He says, so she’ll be singing with the band tonight, but she says, no band, just a combo, and no vocalists. It’s General Hospital’s tradition. He says, he’s a firm believer that some traditions are made to be broken, and she says she believes he means rules. He says, what are rules if nothing but traditions? She laughs, and tells him the other volunteers are already up on the 5th floor. They’ll start there, and work their way down. He follows her into the elevator.

Curtis thanks Portia for listening to him as he goes on about his father, and she tells him that he’s welcome. She says, Marshall unnerved her at first too, and he asks if something happened between the two of them that he needs to know about. She says, Curtis had a lot on his mind, and she didn’t want to bother him, but Marshall appeared at the MetroCourt when she was having breakfast with Trina. He says, Marshall had no business talking to her when she was with her daughter, but she says, it was fine. He asks what Marshall said, and she tells him that Marshall admitted to Trina that he’d abandoned Curtis, his mother, and brother when Curtis was very young. He asks how Trina handled that, and she says, it made Trina think of her father, and why Taggert made them believe he was dead. Curtis says, in Taggert’s defense, he did have a more compelling story, and he wasn’t gone nearly as long as Curtis’s father. She says, the point being, Trina forgave her father. She’s spending Christmas night with him. He says, that’s not going to happen with him and his father, when Epiphany goes by with Marshall.   

Nina suggests they not get into it about Wiley today; it’s Christmas. Obrecht says she just doesn’t see how that family can be so uncharitable. She would have thought they’d make an exception on Christmas, and let Nina see that beautiful little boy. Nina says, they all know Carly has a big problem with her, and that was true before everything that happened in Nixon Falls. She just dopped off Wiley’s present at Sonny’s on her way here. At the guardhouse. She wouldn’t dare go inside. Maxie suggests they figure out a way they can finesse this situation. She thought Nina told her that Willow was an ally, and let her see Wiley in Rice Plaza. Nina says, she did, but she’s afraid Willow will never let her see Wiley again. Obrecht says, why? What changed?

Sonny tells Wiley, nice toy, and Wiley says, yep. Sonny says he loves seeing Wiley having fun, and asks where he got it from. Wiley says he got it from the bag, and Willow says, Nina. Josslyn says, she dropped it off with the guards.

Outside on the phone, Michael asks if everything is set for tomorrow. Everything is in order for Nina’s preliminary hearing?… Good. That’s what he likes to hear. He gets a creepy smile on his face, and goes back inside. Carly asks what he’s doing out there; it’s freezing. Business on Christmas is not allowed. It’s their day to be together and appreciate each other. He says he’s all for that, and the doorbell rings. Josslyn leaves to get it, and Carly tells Sonny that she can’t believe how early the girls got them up, looking for Santa. He says, it started a little after five, and she says, they were able to hold them off until 6:30, thank God. Josslyn says, look who’s here, and Brando, Sasha, and Gladys walk in.

Shawn tells Alexis, it’s a beautiful tree, and she says he must feel pretty good; all settled in his new place. He says, it’s a little sparse on the furniture, but it has a great view of the harbor, and it’s an easy walk to the office. She asks where his office is, and he says, ready to be surprised? He asks for everyone’s attention, and says, Christmas isn’t over yet. He has a really great gift for Port Charles. They’re looking at the new publisher of The Invader.

Drew says he’s happy to see Scout and Danny. Scout looks so beautiful, and Danny looks so handsome in his jacket. He looks just like his dad. Danny says he really thanked Santa for this jacket, and Drew says he bets Danny is missing his dad right now. If it makes him feel any better, he wants Danny to know that his dad was an incredible hero, and so proud of him. He knows Danny loves to see the Chucks play, so maybe this summer Drew can take him to a game. Dante comes in with Rocco, and Rocco says, Danny goes with him and his dad, but Dante says, they can all take in a game together. Drew says, sounds great, and they wish each other a merry Christmas. Dante tells Rocco that they need to find his grandma to thank her for the baseball glove and cleats.

Chase ask if he said something to offend Brook, or did she not like the Christmas gift he got her? She says, the meditation app? Why would she hate that? She’s obviously someone who loves to sit still and chant ohm for hours. He says she just seemed so down in the steam room, he thought it would help, but clearly, he can’t do anything right with her right now. She tells him to stop making this about him.

Nina says she doesn’t want to push the Wiley issue on Willow, and put her in the middle. Obrecht says, Willow’s a grown woman. She allowed Nina to visit Wiley before; why wouldn’t she allow it again? Nina says, it’s not going to happen, and Maxie says, why not? Nina flashes back to Willow telling her that she overheard Nina saying she and Sonny fell in love, and she doesn’t regret it. Nina says, trust her. She can’t ask Willow for any more special favors. Willow is already doing enough for her. Obrecht says, not that she can see. It’s Christmas, and Willow hasn’t lifted a finger to help Nina see her precious grandson. She picks up her phone, and says she’s going to give that Willow a piece of her mind.

Carly says she’s glad they could make it, and asks Josslyn to help with their coats. Gladys goes to get something from the car, and Carly says she’s so glad Sasha’s here, and hugs her. Sasha says, me too, and Willow says, me three. Michael says, me four, and Willow hugs Sasha. Brando hugs Sonny, and thanks him for having them. Sonny says, no problem. They’re all in this together. Liam Mike was a beautiful boy, and right now, he’s with his Uncle Mike. Brando says, that’s what he said to him. He said…

Willow says she’s so sorry about Liam, and Sasha says, if anyone knows what it’s like, it’s Willow. Willow says, it sounds cliché, but it’s true. Someday, Sasha will be able to live with the pain, and she’ll find herself smiling again. Gladys comes in with some shopping bags, and says she hopes there’s room under the tree; she shopped. Sasha thanks Carly for opening her house up to them, and Gladys tells Sonny that she hijacked them like he asked her to. Sonny says he just wanted to help them out; distract them a little bit. It’s Sasha’s first night out of the hospital. Brando says, he didn’t realize until he saw all their faces, that this is exactly where he needed to be. He hopes Sasha feels the same. She nods, and Carly says he heard Sasha felt like she didn’t have a family. She’s wrong. Sonny says, she’s part of the family now, and Carly says, that’s right. Welcome to the family, and hugs her.

Drew looks at a scarf, and tells Scout that he loves it so much. Danny says Scout picked it out herself, and Drew says, he knows she did, because hot pink is her favorite color. Now it’s his too. He puts it on and asks Scout to help him adjust it, and Rocco comes out, telling them that grandma says there’s cake in the nook. Scout says she wants cake, and Drew says, there’s also presents under the tree in the nook. They might want to check those out too. The kids leave.

Chase asks Brook what he did now, and she says, nothing. How about doing something that will get her out of her bad mood, and make her  remember why it’s so important they’re in this fix? He says he’s all for that.

Epiphany introduces Marshall to Stephan, saying, he plays the clarinet. Portia tells Curtis, the hospital does this every Christmas, and he says, he knows. Musicians volunteer to entertain the patients. She asks if he knew his father played the clarinet, and he says, absolutely not. She says, there’s probably a lot he doesn’t know about his father, and maybe it’s not all bad.

Marshall asks what Christmas songs Epiphany likes to sing, and she says she already told him, this is not her gig. He says, he heard her, but maybe one tune? Come on. Everybody loves the lyrics to Christmas tunes. She told him that she does this to bring joy to her patients. Why not double the fun?

TJ says, Shawn bought The Invader. How? Shawn says, he’s not the owner; he’s the administrator of the non-profit that owns The Invader. TJ asks, when and how did Shawn become the administrator of a non-profit? and Shawn says he has his ways. Kristina tells him, she’d say congratulations, but she’s pretty sure his non-profit just bought themselves a boatload of problems. Molly says, The Invader’s philosophy is to exploit and embarrass anyone and everyone, but Shawn says he’s giving The Invader a new mission, to expose injustice. He’s going to make The Invader a platform to advocate for the greater good. TJ says, maybe he should have gotten Shawn a cape for Christmas, calling him, Mr. Superhero, and Shawn says he’s still got time. Molly asks if Alexis is okay with this, and Alexis asks, why wouldn’t she be? Kristina says, Shawn found his purpose, and she’s still looking for hers. Molly asks if Kristina has heard of tact. She promises Alexis will have an important role in the world again, and Kristina says, she already does; she’s their mom. They have a three-way hug. 

Nina grabs Obrecht’s phone, and says, enough; she can’t call Willow. Let it go. Obrecht says she won’t let Nina stand there missing her grandson. Give her back the phone. Maxie gets in between them, and says, stop. It’s Christmas. They need to behave. Obrecht says she’s sorry. The last thing she wants is to upset Maxie. Nina says, the same; she’s sorry. Can Obrecht not pursue this with Willow? She’ll give the phone back, but let this be the end of it. Obrecht flashes back to Scotty saying he wishes he knew something that could turn the DA’s narrative on its head, and her telling Scotty that she believes Nina and Sonny fell in love. Scotty is at the door, and says, I’m here, my dove. Maxie tells Nina that she doesn’t think he’s talking to them. Obrecht opens the door, and Scotty says, he was just working on Nina’s preliminary hearing, and Obrecht says she’s missed him since they opened their naughty gifts this morning. She needs some private time with her sweet, noble savage. She pushes him out in the hallway, and closes the door behind them. Maxie says, wow, and Nina says, no kidding. In the hallway, Scotty says, let’s go home and play, but Obrecht pushes him back and says, someone knows Sonny and Nina were in love in Nixon Falls.

In the foyer, Josslyn says she wanted to give this to Willow in private. She wrote Willow a letter to say how happy she is that Willow is a part of her family. Kristina came by this morning, and Donna and Avery are asleep upstairs after a long day of opening Christmas presents. She loves having so many sisters in her life, and that includes Willow, so she wanted Willow to know that. She hands Willow the gift, and Willow says she never had a sister, and now she knows what she’s been missing. She thanks Josslyn, and they hug.

Sasha thanks Carly for letting her into her family’s life, and for forgiving her sins. Carly says, forget about that. Sasha deserves so much happiness. She and Sonny can’t make up for what happened to Sasha and Brando, but they can do everything in their power to make things easier for them. They hug.

Brando says Sonny and Michael are amazing. They’ve both suffered losses. How do they have the room to be so generous to him and Sasha? Sonny says, because of the losses they went through, they understand his. Jason and Morgan will always be part of their lives, but they have no limit to how many people they can love, right? Michael says, grief shouldn’t always be private. It should be shared, so maybe in some small way it can be alleviated. Brando thanks them, and goes outside. Sasha excuses herself, and follows him. Outside, she puts her arms around him, and says, it’s rough; she knows. He says, it’s better with her here.

Alexis comes out with a bottle of champagne, and says, an ex-client of hers, who has apparently lived in a bubble for the last year, sent her this for Christmas. So she’s going to let them toast with the hard stuff, and she’ll stick with the soft stuff. Molly says, they can go alcohol free, and Shawn seconds that. She says she appreciates the solidarity, but that’s not the way it works in the real world. TJ says, people drink, and Alexis says, some people drink a lot, but now that she’s in the real world, she needs to get used to it. TJ says, it’s part of life, and Alexis tells Molly, see what a great domestic partner she has? Molly agrees, and Alexis says, let’s celebrate Shawn, and this beautiful Christmas night together.

Maxie asks if Nina is nervous about her preliminary hearing tomorrow, and Nina says, is it that obvious? She thought she was putting up a good front, but Maxie says she gets it. The hearing is supposed to give her and idea of how her trial is going to go, but she thought the whole point of the hearing was for Scotty to get the charges thrown out. Nina says, he’s not going to succeed. There’s too much evidence against her. She did lie to Sonny all those months, just like she lied to his family. Maxie says she’s still rooting for Nina, and Nina takes Maxie’s hands. She says she really appreciates Maxie forgiving her for letting Peter get away in Nixon Falls. Maxie says, Peter was threatening James. Nina had no choice.

Scotty says, wowza. Is Obrecht sure Willow knows about Sonny and Nina? Obrecht says, Nina is good at keeping a secret, but Nina is no match for her incredible intuitive skills. There must be a way for him to put Willow on the stand. He says, it could take a little maneuvering, but he’s not sure it’s worth the risk. She says, he wanted someone who could testify that Nina and Sonny were in love in Nixon Falls, and she gave him that person. He says, yes, but how does he know Willow will tell the truth? She’s a Corinthos, and also a Quartermaine, which is just as bad. Obrecht says she knows Willow would never do anything to hurt Michael, and Scotty says, if she lies on the stand, it could make it worse for Nina. She says, they have to try it. Otherwise, her niece has no defense. Nina will go to prison. He says, he’ll do anything for his schnitzel, and kisses her. Brook arrives with Bailey and Chase, and says, oh please.

Maxie says, you know what she’d love for Christmas? and Nina says, what? Maxie says, she wants Peter to die today, and Nina says, then the very best present will come after that. Maxie’s daughter will come home for Christmas. Brook knocks on the door, and comes in with Bailey and Chase. She says, someone wanted to wish Maxie a very merry Christmas. Maxie takes Bailey from Brook, and everyone smiles.

Willow flashes back to eavesdropping (let’s call it what it was) on Sonny and Nina in the chapel. Michael says, a candy cane for her thoughts, and she says she was thinking about how much she loves him and this family. He says he likes those thoughts, and they kiss.   

Brando tells Sasha that he’s been thinking. They created Liam by accident, during one, crazy, impulsive night. They could have gone their separate ways after that, but Liam brought them together. Now Liam is gone, and he doesn’t want to lose her too. He loves her with everything inside of him, but if he’s too painful of a reminder of Liam, he’ll walk away; no harm, no foul. He doesn’t want make their loss worse for her, but he’s hoping something good can come of their son’s short time on this planet. She says, Liam left them a legacy; he left them each other. She loves him too. They kiss.

Epiphany says, Marshall is getting on her last nerve. Okay. Let’s do O Christmas Tree. The combo plays, and Epiphany sings a jazzy version. As she sings…

Curtis and Portia come closer to the music, and Curtis nods to Marshall. He and Portia leave.

Alexis toasts to Shawn, and Shawn says, to Alexis. He wouldn’t be here with TJ and his family if not for her. Cheers.

Scout hugs Drew.

Rocco shows Dante a video game, and says, look what he got. Dante says, sweet. His old man might even be able to beat him at this.

Monica shows Danny a photo, and says, that’s his dad on a motorcycle. Danny says he wants to learn to ride that when he’s old enough. She says, he has to be very careful, and enjoy every single moment of it. That’s what his dad would want. We see the picture of Jason.

Obrecht and Scotty watch as Maxie cuddles Bailey, and Brook smiles at Chase. Nina sighs, flashing back to kissing Sonny.

Sonny and his family have cake and cookies by the Christmas tree.

Sasha and Brando put their heads together, and look up at the sky.   

Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Cameron that she’s not changing her opinion, Esme says the worst thing has happened, Victor tells Obrecht not to get in his way, and Scotty asks Sonny why he didn’t press charges.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Jen visited with Heather, and asked her about working in anti-aging. Jen said she thought about it every second of the day. In Jen’s interview, she said, if they looked like they had work done, she hasn’t done her job. There were a lot of ladies with cat faces in the OC. Jen thought Noella was condescending to her at the party, and Heather said she was sorry things had happened the way they did. She was good with Gina, but not everything was worked out. She wondered why someone wanted to hurt her family, or make Nicole look bad. We flashed back to Heather telling Terry that if Shannon can’t take accountability, they can’t move forward.

Noella met Nicole for lunch, and in Noella’s interview, she said yesterday, she was served divorce papers. Today, she doesn’t even know where he is. She told Nicole that the papers were thrown at her mother, and she needed to track husband James down regarding the credit cards and bills. Nicole said she didn’t think alcohol was always the answer, but today it was all right. Noella tried calling James right then and there, but there was no answer. Nicole said at least she wasn’t blocked, and Noella started crying, saying, she needed a hug, so Nicole gave her one. In her interview, Noella said she didn’t know what the next step was, and had never had a day in her life when she didn’t know what to do. Geez. Welcome to the real world. Nicole said he’d surface, and it would all work out. Noella said, for the first time, she needed friends to show up for her, and cried, saying, her life was falling apart.

In Shannon’s interview, she said things were finally happening for her company Real for Real. She’d hired Stella as an assistant, but didn’t know if it was a good or bad thing yet. In her interview, she whined that she’d gotten two lump sums from David, and a monthly check that didn’t cover her monthly expenses. There had been a laundry list of things not negotiated, and she might have to pay for her kids going to college. It could add up, especially if she suddenly had to be responsible for that too. It was too much to pay for everything. Again. Welcome to the real world.

Gina and Travis had a double-date for dinner with Emily and Shane. Emily was glad they were at the point where Shane could do Shane, and Gina wasn’t offended. They rehashed Heather’s party again, and Emily said she did really like Nicole. She told them about Shane’s party, and said belly dancers would be coming. Gina said she’d seen an article about James’s tax issues, and then Noella called to tell her about the divorce papers. Noella couldn’t even read them; they were in Spanish. In Emily’s interview, she said, in California, there it was automatic that finances and credit cards couldn’t be shut off. Maybe in Puerto Rico it was different, but it made no sense to cut off access to money when there was a kid. Emily asked where Gina was with Shannon, and Gina said she knew where she stood, and was setting different boundaries for their friendship. We flashed back to Shannon saying she’d gone out of her way to be kind to Gina, and Emily said she didn’t like Shannon saying they weren’t trustworthy and were manipulative. She felt that Shannon would always protect Shannon first.

Shannon took Stella to Dr. Moon, and we flashed back to some of his… unconventional treatments. Stella had hurt her back playing volleyball, and in her interview, she said she wasn’t a huge believer in holistic medicine. She was just making her mom happy. Stella asked Dr. Moon to check her emotions, and he wondered who she was angry at. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d been in a marriage that wasn’t healthy, and her kids saw that. She didn’t want what they’d seen or been through to crowd any good in their lives. In Stella’s interview, she said she wanted her mom to be happy, but didn’t think Shannon was truly there yet. It would make her happy to see her mom thrive.

Noella visited with mom Nancy, who said the process server had been dreadful, throwing the papers at her. In Noella’s interview, she said her mom had always been the one to call her home when she was lost at sea. She refused to meet James the first year they dated, since she hadn’t thought James was good news for her. Then she became more of a mother to him than his own mother. Noella said he wasn’t their James, and she wanted to fight to keep her family intact. Nancy thought he was gone, but Noella insisted he’d wake up.

Everyone got ready for Shane’s party. Shannon and Noella video chatted, and Shannon read Heather’s text to Noella, saying, she thought it was harsh. Noella said she’d thought it was all good, and was surprised. In Shannon’s interview, she said Heather didn’t let go of a lot of things. When they first met, Shannon had to apologize over and over. We flashed back to several of those apologies, and Shannon said she’d done a lot of work to get past it, and felt like she was back at square one. Nicole and her boyfriend went to the party in a limo with Heather and Terry. In Heather’s interview, she said she had no problem with Nicole. The problem was the sh*t stirrer who started it. Nicole told Heather that Noella had called her a fake bitch, surprising Heather, who said Noella had been sweet to Max. She’d also texted after the party, and Heather had thought they were good. Nicole said she didn’t think Noella meant it, and didn’t think she remembered saying it. I wondered, then why even bring it up? but, oh yeah, screen time. I was sure Heather would remind Noella in the middle of Shane’s party, since appropriate is a Housewife’s middle name. We flashed back to the tough times when Shane was trying to pass the bar exam, and in Emily’s interview, she said it was her party and Pary’s party, as well as Shane’s party.

Heather surprised me, and instead of ambushing Noella about what she’d said, she gave Noella a gift for being nice to Max. In Heather’s interview, she said, Noella was going through a difficult time. Let’s not ruin two parties in a row. In Noella’s interview, she said she thought there was a lack of genuine connection and caring with Jen, and it put her off. Emily confronted Shannon about saying she and Gina couldn’t be trusted, and were manipulative. In Shannon’s interview, she said, from her experience, she couldn’t trust them, and we flashed back to Emily and Gina talking about John being drunk on the golf course. Emily said she didn’t like that those were the only adjectives Shannon used to describe them. She’d thought she and Shannon were friends. Shannon insisted she hadn’t said that, and Emily asked if she was saying Heather was a liar. Emily dragged Heather in, and Shannon backtracked, agreeing that she’d said they couldn’t be trusted, but not that they were manipulative. Heather insisted that was exactly what Shannon had said, and was like, talk later. But Shannon wouldn’t have it, telling Emily and Gina that she needed to have this conversation, and following Heather.

In Emily’s interview, she said she felt compassion for Noella. She and Shane had their ups and downs, and she didn’t always know what was going to happen, but she always knew it was her choice. Noella didn’t have a choice. Heather asked Emily if there was a private place for her and Shannon to talk, seeing she wasn’t going to shake Shannon, and not wanting to give the whole party an earful. Emily showed them to a beautiful little side courtyard, and they sat on a bench. Shannon said her friendship with Heather meant something, and cared about Heather and Terry. She’d never wanted to hurt Heather. What she did was wrong, but it wasn’t her. Ugh. I hate when people say that. Yes, it was you. You’re the one who did it. Shannon said she wasn’t a gossip, and I nearly choked on my coffee. Heather said she’d heard from everyone, and had a good understanding of the facts, so nothing was going to change her mind. She thought Shannon had a lapse in judgement, and was sorry if she sounded harsh, but this was how she felt. If Shannon ever came after her or her family ever again, Shannon would lose more than her friendship. It would cost a lot. She wasn’t saying it as a threat; she was saying it as a promise.

Next time, a pseudo Kentucky Derby, Jen asks if she upset Noella, Noella says Jen is thirsty, and Gina relays to Heather that Noella said to be careful of her.

🛳 Leaving Port…

Looks like it’s a new GH tomorrow, but Friday is a rerun from February 23rd. Because God forbid they should air something more appropriate for the season. Like an old Christmas episode. Bravo is airing movies, but FYI, there is a marathon of this past season (13) of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, starting at 7 am, if you’re up for that. So it looks like tomorrow will be this week’s Friday, where a mix of tea and wisdom will be served with the usual soap. Until then, stay safe, stay not being pressured into making merry if you’re not feeling it, and stay free to break traditions, and make new ones.

December 20, 2021 – Cyrus Warns Laura About a Secret Enemy, Bailing Stew Off Deck, the Salt You Need & Don’t Want To

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone at the prison, Laura tells someone to email her the details, but it sounds like they made the right choice. A woman says her proposal on creating environmental offsets is ready, whenever Laura has the chance. Laura says she’s looking forward to sitting down with them in person. After all this screentime, it will be a welcome change. The woman says, does that mean… and Laura says she’s coming home.

Brook thanks Chase for bringing her coat to the Quartermaine’s, and he says he didn’t think she wanted it left in the steam room. She flashes back to Chase saying he sees her, and them coming thisclose to kissing. She says she’s sorry for barging in, but he says, no, she isn’t. She asks if they have to keep talking about it, but he thinks they should. She says, why? Because she saw him naked? Michael clears his throat, and he and Willow come in. Brook asks how they slept, and Michael says, not great. Willow says she was up thinking about Sasha and Brando, and Brook says, of course (🍷); she’s so sorry. Michael says he has to get to the MetroCourt. He’s having breakfast with his parents. Willow says, tell them she said hi, and Brook says, her too, and he leaves. Chase asks if Willow wants to talk, but Willow says, she doesn’t know what to say. Brook says, it’s just so horrible, and wonders how anyone gets past saying goodbye to their son. Willow says, you don’t have a choice.

Sonny sits at Charlie’s bar, and Phyllis says, the loss of a child, there are no words. He apologizes for starting her day off with bad news, but he needed somebody to talk to. Scratch that. He wanted to talk to her. He says he’s happy she’s there, and she says she is too. He asks if she’s really happy. She’s not missing Nixon Falls? She says she misses it, but she’s starting to love Port Charles too. She has some good friends there. He says, really? Who? and Nina walks in.

Obrecht goes into the MetroCourt, and asks if she can borrow Carly for a moment. Carly asks if there’s a problem, and Obrecht says she wanted to offer her condolences. Jason Morgan was a good man. Carly thanks her, and says, he was. Although she’s a bit surprised Obrecht went out of her way to tell her that. Obrecht says she didn’t agree with all of Jason’s choices, but she’s saddened by his death. He saved her life, and Britt’s. Carly says, Jason had a habit of doing that.

Victor walks into Kelly’s, and Spencer asks what he’s doing there. Victor asks if people don’t customarily eat breakfast at this time of day, and Spencer says, they do, but Kelly’s? It’s not exactly the kind of establishment Victor is used to. They serve pre-ground coffee. Victor asks if Spencer is calling him a snob, and Spencer says, no. Victor says, he’s joking, but thanks for the warning; he’ll have some tea. He just wanted to see where his great-nephew works. He needs to get to know Spencer better.

Laura asks the woman to please keep it to herself. She’d like to surprise her family. She tells the guard that she’s ready, and he lets her into the visiting room. She sits down opposite Cyrus, and they pick up the phones. He says, sister. How he’s prayed this day would come.

Brook says she’s batting a thousand this morning, and tells Willow that she’s sorry. If anyone knows the horror of losing a child… It was insensitive of her. Willow says she doesn’t expect it to be at the top of Brook’s mind; it happened years ago. But on days like today, it still feels raw. Brook says, this may sound trite, but she means it. She admires Willow’s strength. Willow says, at the time, she was anything but strong, but Chase says, that’s not true. Willow says, lucky for her, she has people to hold her up, and Brook says, Chase is good that way. Willow thinks she’ll get some air, and goes outside. Brook tells Chase that he should make sure she’s okay.

Cyrus says, Laura looks wonderful; healthy and vibrant… She says, let her stop him. She’s here for one reason, and that is to tell him that she’s not going to run anymore. He’s not going to keep her from her family even one more minute. He says, she’s been away? and she says, don’t play with her. His plan to have her and their brother killed has failed. He asks if she’s all right. Is Martin? She says, that’s it. He’s completely done. He doesn’t have any influence in this place. He has no more favors to call in. The assassin he hired was his last opportunity for revenge. He says she has to listen to him. He did not try to kill her.

Spencer says, sorry about the tea bag, and Victor says he thinks he’ll live. He asks Spencer to join him, and Spencer says, it’s completely dead in here, so he thinks he can. He sits down, and Victor says, they never really got a chance to talk at Thanksgiving. Spencer says, thanks to Valentin. Sorry, but is Victor sure Valentin is his son? Victor laughs, and says he is. As Spencer knows, fathers and sons don’t always see eye to eye. Spencer says, they don’t, and Victor says he was sensing a little tension between Spencer and Nikolas that day. Spencer says he’s done with his father. No more trust fund; no more nothing. He refuses to live by Nikolas’s rules. Victor says Spencer is going through some legal problems. He understands Spencer was harassing Ava in an attempt to keep her and Nikolas apart. Spencer says, things got a little out of hand; more than a little. Victor says, and he’s out on bail, and Spencer says, he’s awaiting trial. He could be looking at jail time. Victor says, then it’s a good thing his Uncle Victor is here. He may be able to do something about that.

Michael meets Carly at the MetroCourt, and she hugs him. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she’s just sad. She’s sad for Sasha and Brando, and sad for baby Liam. Out of the clear blue, Obrecht came there to offer her condolences about Jason, and it got her thinking. She’s been thinking about the night Michael was born. What if Jason hadn’t shown up when he did? What if he hadn’t gotten her to the hospital? Michael wouldn’t be standing there right now. Jason saved both of them that night. She’s sorry. She’s just so jumbled up with gratitude and sadness, and anger, so much anger. He says, anger at Nina, and she says, she’s angry with Nina, but she’s angry Jason’s gone. She’s not mad at Jason; she’s mad at the universe. It sounds incredibly selfish, because Brando and Sasha are never going to see their little baby boy grow up. Michael is right there in front of her, and he’s healthy and strong, and he’s capable. She should be grateful for the miracle she got, and not focused on the one that didn’t happen. He says she can be grateful he’s alive, and still angry that Jason is gone. One doesn’t have to cancel out the other. He can feel terrible for Sasha and Brando, and still be grateful he’s got Wiley. They sit, and she asks, how is her favorite grandson? He says, he’s eagerly awaiting Santa. He wakes up every morning and asks if it’s Christmas, and every time he puts Wiley to bed, he asks if Santa is coming tonight. She laughs, and asks if Wiley is getting every single thing on his Christmas list. Michael says, Wiley will, but he won’t.

At another table, Scotty says he missed his schnitzel last night, and Obrecht says he should have allowed her to come over. He says she knows he was working, and her figure – he makes an hourglass with his hands – is a little distracting. She asks how the preparations for Nina’s hearing are coming, and he says, not good, to be honest with her. She says she thought he said Nina’s actions didn’t constitute fraud, and he says, they don’t in his opinion. However, if he can’t get this thrown out in the preliminary stage, he’s not sure how to mount a defense. He wishes he knew something, anything, so he could turn the DA’s narrative right on its head. She says, how’s this? She believes Nina and Sonny are in love. He chokes on his water.

Nina says, she and Sonny had the same idea, huh? Phyllis is a great listener. Sonny says, yep, and Phyllis’s phone rings. She says, apparently, it’s unanimous, Lenny’s sister, and steps away to take the call. Nina asks how Sonny is, and he says, preoccupied, thinking about Sasha and Brando. She says she can think of nothing else, except for Peter. She’s glad he’s in custody, but the idea of him being back in Port Charles is just… He says, not for long, and she says, is he going to… take care of Peter?

Cyrus asks again if Martin is all right, and Laura says, he’s fine. He says, thank goodness, and she wonders why he’s bothering with this innocent act. Did he think she was going to buy it? He says he deserves her distrust and her anger. The path he was on was dark. She says, yeah, and he says, because of that, he has much to atone for. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says he’s finally heard the call. His life is no longer his own. He’s given it to a higher power. She laaaaughs.

Chase puts Willow’s coat on her shoulders, and she thanks him. She says, Brook won’t mind? and he says, no. She was the one who told him to come out there. Not that he wouldn’t have anyway. He can take a hike if she wants to be alone. She says she doesn’t want to be alone, and he says, just frozen. She says, you know how when you got mosquito bites as a kid, you used your nail to make an X in them? (Huh?) and he says, he still does that. It takes his mind off the itching. She says, that’s what it’s doing for her. Maybe if she gets uncomfortable enough, she can forget about everything else.

Scotty says, Nina told Obrecht this? She and Sonny fell in love? Obrecht says, not exactly. She flashes back to Nina saying she met someone and thinks it’s good for her and him, and tells Scotty, Nina hasn’t said anything directly, but trust her, she knows. He says, so when Sonny was in that little Podunk town in Pennsylvania, he was cheating on his wife?

Carly asks what Michael wants for Christmas that he’s not getting, and he says, Brad staying in prison. Everything going on with Sasha and Brando brought back the past year and a half, and when he thought his son was dead. She says, Nelle was just a terrible person, but Brad was Lucas’s husband; he was part of their family. Brad watched Michael act as Wiley’s godfather. The time Brad took from Michael and Wiley, and the needless grief he caused their family, it’s not much different from what Nina’s done to their family. He says, at least Nina is going to be tried for her crimes; Brad is already released. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, Brad was here yesterday. She says, at the MetroCourt? and he says, with his Aunt Celina.

Sonny says, Peter’s in a coma, and Nina says she’s aware. He asks if she wants him to say he’s sorry, but she says, no. The Mike she knew in Nixon Falls would never take a life, but she wasn’t sure about Sonny Corinthos. He says, death is too good for Peter. It’s best to let him lie in limbo. That way he doesn’t hurt anymore people, especially Maxie. He has to go; Carly and Michael are waiting for him for breakfast. Phyllis comes out, and he says he’ll see her later. She says, he knows where to find her, and they hug. He leaves, and Phyllis asks if Nina wants to talk about it. Nina says she wants to grab some coffee, and goes behind the bar to get it. She says she’s so worried about Sasha and Brando. She gets that they have each other, but it’s going be so hard for them. Phyllis says, yes, it is, and she’d be worried about them too, but she was asking if Nina wanted to talk about Sonny. Nina says, what about him? and Phyllis says she doesn’t know . What’s it like for Nina to be constantly bumping into the man she used to love, and maybe still does?

Willow says she doesn’t want to make Sasha and Brando’s loss about her, and Chase says, of course (🍷) not, but Sasha and Brando aren’t here; she doesn’t have to edit. She can feel however she wants to feel; there’s no judgement. She says she misses her son every day. Not minute to minute, or hour to hour, the way it was in the beginning, but the loss is always with her, and it always will be. It’s hard enough to lose a child. You don’t have that physical baby in your arms anymore, but the hopes and dreams that you had for him died too. It’s just so much. He puts his arm around her, and Brook sees them through the window.

Nina tells Phyllis, it’s really hard to see Sonny and not see Mike, but she’ll get past it. She has to. Phyllis says, Mike is still a part of Sonny, and Nina says, she knows. She was just thinking about that yesterday. Phyllis says, even now, back in his old life, sometimes he seems like Mike in a suit. Nina laughs, and says, right? Like where’s the flannel and cowboy hat? They laugh, and Phyllis says, seeing them together just now, it’s obvious the connection is still there, but Nina says, no; there’s no connection. What Phyllis saw was just Sonny being kind. Phyllis says, Nina never answered her question, but Nina says she did. Phyllis asked what it’s like running into him all the time, and she said it’s fine. Phyllis says she asked if Nina is still in love with Sonny.

Obrecht tells Scotty to keep his voice down, but he says he’s just so excited. Christmas came early for him. Sonny stepping out on Carly when he was Mitch. She says, Mike, and he says, whatever. That’s the reason why Michael’s going after Nina, because Sonny doesn’t want to remind Carly that he was… Wait a minute. How is Nina intact? He would have thought Carly would have severed one of her limbs by now. She says, because Carly doesn’t know, and he asks how that’s possible. Somebody in Nixon Falls must have… Wait a minute. The woman who owned the bar is now running Charlie’s. Does Obrecht think Sonny gave her some hush-hush money to keep her mouth shut? She says, possibly, and he asks if the affair is still going on, but she says, Nina’s too sad to be in love. Sonny comes in, and Scotty says, Sonny and Nina, and Carly none the wiser. Until now.

Spencer takes his apron off, and tells Victor that he’s officially on break. Did Victor mean it when he said he could keep Spencer out of Pentenville? Victor says he’ll make some calls, and see what he can do, and Spencer thanks him, saying, that would be great. Victor says, after all, Spencer is the Cassadine heir, the future of this family, and he takes that seriously. Spencer asks if Victor wants him to reconcile things with his father, but Victor says, no. He’s proud of Spencer being his own man, and won’t interfere with that. Spencer thanks Victor for trusting his judgement, and Victor says, however, he is a little concerned about how Spencer is going to support himself on what he earns in this place. Spencer says, he plans on getting something better than this. He was going to wait until after the trial to see how it pans out, but now that Victor’s given him his life back… Victor says he’ll do his absolute best, and Spencer says he can’t thank Victor enough. He doesn’t know how to repay him.

Laura says, let her get this straight, and Cyrus tells her to take all the time she needs. She says, he’s saying he’s been saved, and he says, yes. She says, after all the people he’s killed, and all the lives he’s destroyed, now he’s found God? He says, God found him, and she says, good Lord. He says, He is good. She doesn’t know this, but he became very ill. He had a cold that turned into pneumonia. At first, the guards ignored his symptoms. She says she wonders why, and he says, during a fever spike, he cried out for help, and guess what happened? She shakes her head, and he says, an angel appeared. She says, that’s called a hallucination, but he says he felt it touch his forehead, and this tremendous sense of peace washed over him. He slept, and when he woke, his fever was gone. She says, miraculous, and he says, it truly was. That same day, he asked for a Bible, so he could read and learn, and he let God into his heart. She asks how that’s possible; he doesn’t have a heart. She and Martin have been shuffled from safe house to safe house, all because of his quest for revenge. He says, not this time; never again. To the Lord our God are the mercies and the forgivenesses,; the weak have rebelled against Him. Daniel 9:9. She says she’s heard enough. This charade is obscene. She gets up, and Cyrus bangs on the window, saying, she’s in danger.

Scotty says, Sonny might get knocked down a peg or two. Here he comes. He gets up, but she says, nein. Don’t do this to Nina. Carly can’t know she and Sonny were involved. Scotty goes over to Sonny’s table, and says, hello, Corinthos family. He asks how Sonny is doing, and Sonny says he was doing good until Scotty showed up. Michael says, if this is about Nina’s trial, Scotty can save his breath, and Scotty says, it’s about Nina, just not in the way Michael thinks. Obrecht suggests Scotty leave this family alone, but Sonny says, if Scotty’s got something to say, spit it out.

Victor looks at his phone, and Spencer says, something important? Victor says, very, but not as important as Spencer. Where is he living now? Spencer says, with his grandmother’s husband. Doc took him and Esme in after paying his bail. Victor says, Spencer is living with Laura’s husband, not with Laura herself? and Spencer says, she’s out of town; she has been for months. Victor says, it must be a little uncomfortable. Doc’s not family, not really. Spencer says he’d be lying if he said it was ideal, but they didn’t have many options. Victor says, they do now. Allow him to put them up at the MetroCourt. Just until Spencer decides on his next steps.

Laura picks up the phone again, and tells Cyrus, it looks like they’re back on familiar territory, with threats and more threats. He says, he’s not the one posing the danger, and if she continues to put her focus on him, it only makes it easier for her true enemy to strike. They’re family, and he legitimately cares about her. She says, what about Sonny and Buscema? and he says, what about them? She says, they came there to visit him, and he didn’t put on this little act for them. He dropped hints that he still had power in here, which he doesn’t. He says, it’s true. He has no legitimate power, but he hears things. His change in circumstance left a vacuum on the west coast, which is now being filled… She says she doesn’t care about this, but the fact that he does proves this conversion of his is just for show. He says he can’t deny he feels a pull toward his old life. What do they say? The road to redemption is long and lined with temptation, but he was tested and he chose the light. Will she?

Chase and Willow come back in, and Brook says she made some coffee. Mostly to unscramble her brain, but also to warm them up. Chase asks Willow if it’s still light with two sugars, and makes her a cup. Willow tells Brook that it was thoughtful of her, and Brook says, they may be few and far between, but she does have her moments. Willow tells Brook, there’s something she needs to say to her, and Brook says, good thing she’s sitting down.

Scotty says, Sonny might be able to bribe the DA, but the judge is going to see right through his trumped up charges. Michael says, is that all? and Scotty says, for now. He and Obrecht go back to their table, and Carly says, what was that about? Michael says, no one is more full of hot air than Scott Baldwin.

Obrecht thanks Scotty for thinking about Nina, instead of giving in to his compulsion to stick it to Sonny. He has to keep her secret. He says, sorry. No can do.

Sonny asks Michael to tell him about his run-in with Brad, and Carly says, the gall. Coming in here, of all places. Michael says, Brad claimed he’d stay far away from Wiley, but he doesn’t trust a word that guy says. Carly says, they have another issue. Brad was here with Celina Wu. Michael says he thinks it was a power move on her part, and Sonny says he’ll talk to Celina, but Michael says he already did. He made it clear to her that he’s going to protect his family, no matter what the cost.

Laura says, the light would be believing Cyrus found God? and he says, precisely. She says she knows that’s not true, and he asks, how? She says, that would require love and compassion, and Cyrus isn’t capable of those things. Don’t look so hurt. It’s common knowledge that he only cares about himself. He says, how very wrong she is. He’ll pray for her. She thanks him, and he says, but she must be careful, and keep an eye out for the serpent in the garden. She says she doesn’t know what it is he thinks he has to gain from this latest stunt, but it’s not going to work. She’s going home. Her family needs her.

Spencer says, it’s a very generous offer, but he can’t accept, and Victor says, why not? Spencer says he wants to prove to his father that he can make it on his own, and Victor says he admires Spencer’s principles, but just out of curiosity, how is living at the MetroCourt different than living with Doc? Spencer says, the MetroCourt is a five-star hotel. If he lets Victor put them up there, won’t he be a bit of a hypocrite? Victor says he doesn’t see why. Spencer wants to live his own life, and being a Cassadine is part of that. People make the mistake of equating struggle with virtue. You can be honorable without being uncomfortable. The two don’t necessarily come hand in hand. Spencer says he’ll talk to Esme about it, and Victor says, please do.

Chase gives Willow her coffee, and says he thinks he heard Bailey. He’s going to check on her. He leaves and Willow asks if Brook heard anything, but Brook says, not a peep. Willow says, Chase just wanted to give them time alone, and Brook asks Willow, what’s up? Willow says, she wanted to apologize for what she said to Brook in Rice Plaza. As Brook pointed out, she has no right to judge. Brook says she pushed the issue, and should never have spoken to Willow the way she did. Willow says she guesses she’s overly sensitive to Chase getting hurt after what she put him through. That’s her problem, not Brook’s, and it’s unfair to punish Brook for her mistake. She thinks about it all the time. What would have happened if she’d just told Chase the truth, that she’d fallen in love with Michael? Brook says, then maybe Chase wouldn’t have fought so hard to get better. That’s the thing with what ifs; we’ll never know. You did what you thought was best in the moment. Willow says, like Brook did when she said Valentin was Bailey’s father. She gets it. A mother will do anything to keep her child safe.

Nina says, what she feels or doesn’t feel about Sonny is irrelevant, but Phyllis says, of course (🍷) it’s relevant. Nina can’t just ignore what’s inside of her. Nina says, what’s she supposed to do? She doesn’t know what to do. She and Sonny will never be friends, let alone anything else. Phyllis says she agrees. Sonny loves his wife. She’s not suggesting Nina pursue him. Nina asks what she is suggesting, and Phyllis says, nothing. Take it as more of a warning. Things hidden away in the dark tend to fester, and Nina knows as well as she does, that’s no good to anyone.

Obrecht says she doesn’t understand; Scotty didn’t tell Carly. He says, for now. Not when he can use the secret to keep Nina out of prison. She says, how? and he says, the DA’s whole case is centered around Nina’s intent to harm Sonny, but Sonny never felt like he was being harmed. That’s why he didn’t press charges. Sonny’s not the victim. He thinks Sonny is still in love with Nina. She sees where he’s going right? He wants to convince the judge that it reeks of prosecutorial  overreach, and it would be a big waste of time. Charges dropped. Obrecht says, that part she likes, but what about Nina? She’d still be in danger of Carly’s wrath. He says, but she’ll be free. They’ll deal with that prison; it’s a whole different story. The trouble is the preliminary hearing. He can’t call witnesses; only the prosecution can. She says, because the burden of proof is on them, and he says, he can cross examine if the DA calls them. She says, the DA will call Sonny, and he says, Sonny will lie through his teeth. Nina on other hand… She says, Nina doesn’t want anyone to know, but he says, she’s under oath. She asks if he’s saying he’s going to force her niece to testify that she and Sonny fell in love, and he says, he can’t really as Nina about their affair on the stand, although she’s less likely to lie than Sonny. Then where would they be? She says, Nina clearly wants what happened in Nixon Falls to remain a secret. He’s her lawyer. Isn’t he supposed to be on her side? He says he is on her side. He’s trying to keep her out of prison.

Carly says, if Michael makes a move against Celina, she’ll retaliate. Then his father will be forced to answer. They’ll be looking at another mob war. Michael says she can’t expect him to let it go, and Sonny says, Michael is trying to protect the family, and he appreciates that, but let him deal with Celina. Michael says, dad… but Sonny says, no. How many times have they talked about how he wants Michael nowhere near this part of his life? It’s his responsibility.

Scotty says he can’t wait to see the look on Sonny’s face when this comes out in front of God and everyone, and Obrecht asks, how will he accomplish that? Sonny will simply lie, and he can’t risk Nina doing the same without perjuring herself. He says, the bar lady, and she says, Phyllis. He says, yeah, but he thinks she’s already been bought off by Sonny. If he could just come up with somebody else who knows what happened in Nixon Falls. Somebody. He’s got to find them.

Phyllis says, let her repeat. In no way, shape, or form is she telling Nina to take action, but she can’t get over Sonny by ignoring her feelings, or his. She needs to come to terms with them, in order to let them go. Nina says, what’s the point? Sonny loves Carly; Carly loves Sonny. It doesn’t matter how she feels. Phyllis asks if she doesn’t want to move on, and Nina says, no. She likes sitting in limbo; it’s her favorite. Phyllis says, if Nina she tries to run, instead of acknowledging what’s in here – she points to Nina’s heart – she’ll never find peace.   

Chase asks if the coast is clear, and Brook says, all clear. Willow is being gracious and understanding. Sometimes, Brook’s mouth gets away from her. He says, anyone who’s ever met her understands that. She asks how Bailey is, and he says, she was out like a light. She must have been babbling in her sleep. Willow says, she, for one, thinks it’s good to speak your mind. Brook says, even if it’s something no one wants to hear? and Chase tells her, you know what they say; honesty is the best policy. Brook says, he’s such a Boy Scout, and he says she loves it. She says, a little bit, and Willow says she learned the hard way that telling the truth, however painful in the moment, is the right thing.

Cyrus says he doesn’t expect Laura to trust him, but he’s begging her to believe him when he says he did not hire someone to kill her or Martin. Please be careful. Someone else means her harm out there, and it isn’t him.

Victor comes out of Kelly’s, and sees the woman Laura was on the phone with at the gate. He addresses her as Mayor Ashley, and says he understands from her text that the mayor is returning. She says, Mayor Collins is headed back to Port Charles, and he says, it seems the failed attempt on her life flushed her out, just like he planned. He looks forward to seeing Laura again. She’s always been a worthy adversary.

Tomorrow, Laura asks Santa/Doc if there’s anything in his bag for her, Drew asks if Elizabeth is ready for someone special, Victor tells Ava that danger lurks behind every corner, and Spencer thinks he knows what he wants for Christmas.

Below Deck

Jessica is feeling defeated and overwhelmed. She feels like Martha Stewart in prison. It’s not working for her. The crew gets ready for the next charter, and Jessica asks to talk to Heather. She tells Heather that she wanted to do this, but her body is shutting down. She couldn’t anticipate how taxing the job would be on her system, and her body isn’t letting her. She’s sorry, and hates putting them in a bad place, but she has to leave. In Jessica’s interview, she says she gets that she’s leaving them high and dry, but at the end of the day, she comes first. Heather says she has one hour to pack. In Heather’s interview, she says, bravo, Jess. She leaves three hours before a charter, when Heather could have called to have someone there yesterday. She’s effing pissed. She asks if Fraser has a moment, and says it will be their last one for a while. In Fraser’s interview, he says, as much as he previously wanted to get rid of Jessica, he understands the gravity of the situation. They’re not in a good place, and he’s worried. Jessica packs, and Heather says, she knew it. Fraser asks if she’s effing kidding him. Jessica says goodbye to Heather and Fraser, but not to anyone else. In her interview, she says she’s already leaving them in a predicament. She’s leaving a few hours before charter, and doesn’t want to make a bigger deal than it needs to be. She just wants to get her stuff, get out, and let them go about their day. In other words, she doesn’t want to face the music with anyone. Walking down the dock, she says, sorry not sorry, and Heather says, don’t let the something-or-other hit her ass on the way out.

Heather tells Captain Lee that Jessica quit. She walked her sweet ass off the yacht already, not even giving Heather ten seconds. In the captain’s interview, he says he’s never had a crew member leave without saying anything; goodbye, f*** you, go to hell. He’s never had a silent departure. This is as f***ed up as a Georgia road lizard. The captain calls Eddie to the bridge, and tells him that the third stew took a hike. Interior will need somebody from him to do heads and beds. Heather tells Rachel that Jessica said she hadn’t anticipated how taxing the job would be, and just departed. She asks if Jessica said goodbye to Rachel, but Rachel says, no. She’s okay with it though. If you don’t want to be somewhere, don’t. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she likes to say f*** you before she leaves, and we flash back to her not being happy about making a ten-course meal. She says, if you’re going to bail, bail.

Eddie tells the deckhands that Jessica quit, and it is what it is. They have a job to do, and they’re going to get it done. In Wes’s interview, he says he wishes she would have at least waved. He thought they had a connection, and still does. Eddie tells them that they’ll be needed in the interior, and Rayna says she’s mad as hell. Jessica was one of her best friends there. In Rayna’s interview, she says, it’s the worst timing ever. She has other issues affecting her, like Heather saying the n-word. She’s over it. She whines to Wes, and provisions come in. Eddie says, a storm is coming in, and it’s about to pour. The wind picks up, and Eddie says, welcome to the Caribbean. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, it sums up the morning. Fraser tells Heather that he’s in battle mode, and Heather says she’s 100% with him. Eddie leaves to pick up the guests.

Shitten You Not Bay. Captain Lee looks online for a third stew, and Fraser curses his life in the laundry. The slide is put out successfully on the first try, and Eddie says, it’s literally perfect. Rayna chants, it will be a good charter, and the captain tells the crew to get their assess on the aft deck. He should never be the first one there. The guests arrive, and Fraser passes out champagne. Primary Chelsea introduces herself, and in Heather’s interview, she says, they’re so screwed. They have eight guests, and did she mention there’s a lady with her jaw wired shut?  Guest Rachel introduces her broom, Sally; she’s magic. In her interview, Heather says, and it’s her first charter with a witch. She hopes guest Rachel and Chef Rachel can brew her a new stew.

Captain Lee says Heather will show them around, and they’ll get the party going. In Heather’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how someone with their jaw wired can go on a girls trip. It should be interesting. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the guests are on board, and the deck crew is still uncovering. They’re not down a person. They can’t start that way, or they’ll be catching up for the rest of the charter. It only gets worse. His patience level is transparent now. Rayna bitches that she’s hungry.

Rachel goes over the menu with Chelsea and co-primary Michael. He says they try to liquify whatever everyone else is eating, so Chelsea can enjoy the same things. In Rachel’s interview, she says, someone with their jaw wired shut has to eat constantly, since they’re not ingesting solid food. Now she’s finding out Chelsea wants every course liquidized. WTF? Guest Rachel talks to her broom, and sounds drunk already. In Eddie’s interview, he says, maybe she’s here to clean. Maybe she’s the new stew. She seems clairvoyant and might have got the memo before they did. Rachel opens a cupboard in the galley, and stuff starts falling out. Just like at home.

Heather puts out some cheese, and I get grossed out thinking of pureed cheese. The guests sit down for lunch, and Chelsea says, everyone is eating, and she doesn’t have anything. She’s shaking, and about to have a meltdown. Guest Tiffany asks Fraser to get food for Chelsea; she needs to eat now. Tiffany announces no one is to eat any more until Chelsea gets something. Heather relays the message to Rachel, and Chelsea says she feels like a homeless person who hasn’t eaten, walking by a restaurant. Fraser says, it’s on its way, and Tiffany says, Chelsea is to always be served first. Rachel gives Heather pureed whatever, and says, tell them it takes a while for her strain it. Heather leaves, and Rachel says, it’s going to be one of those charters. She feels it. In Eddie’s interview, he says, as First Officer, it’s his responsibility to help out. He washes dishes, and Captain Lee says, he knew Eddie wasn’t just a pretty face. In his interview, Eddie says, his first job was as a dishwasher in a yacht club. He also cleaned up vomit and poop. I don’t want to know. I also don’t want to go to that yacht club.

Rachel says, she’s over this sh*t. In her interview, she says she has to add liquid to emulsify, but can’t lose integrity of the flavor. It’s not just throwing sh*t in a blender. The guests are having lobster, and Rachel tells Chelsea that she’s getting a lobster smoothie. My stomach flips over. Rayna says, this sucks. She misses Jessica. The guests use the jet skis and slide, and Captain Lee laughs watching them have fun. Eddie sees a rogue jet ski, and tells Rayna, who says, oh wow. She doesn’t know how that happened. Eddie says, it’s amateur hour. In his interview, he says, Rayna is on the swim platform, and should be taking a mental inventory at all times. They can’t have a $20K piece of equipment float into the sunset. It’s bush league. He keeps seeing the white wizard walking down the stairs, with his blue sunglasses on. Please don’t let him come out. On the bridge, Captain Lee remarks on the pretty day, and the jet ski is rescued. The guests play in the water, and things are packed for the beach.

Jake says they’re throwing a sick beach party. He’s jealous, since it’s his favorite kind of party; music, hot girls, and getting absolutely wankers. Rachel curses in the galley, and tells Eddie that they need to shuck oysters. In Eddie’s interview, he says he grew up on the east coast, and they love their oysters in Baltimore. Shucking is dangerous, since it’s easy to put a knife in your hand. He’s shed some blood on oysters. Rayna and Jake set up on the beach. Fraser curses the iron, then does cabins. Heather blows up balloons. In her interview, she says she has a pink party, a silent disco, a bonfire, and a lady with her jaw wired shut. Stop the world, make a latte, and get back to it. Guest Rachel keeps trying get Sally to stand, but it’s not happening. Heather asks Wes to help blow up balloons. She and Wes move to using helium, and talk in funny voices to each other.

Another jet ski escapes, and Captain Lee says, at least they both didn’t get away. In Eddie’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what’s going on, but feels having a wiccan on board might have something to do with it. They could be cursed. He shouldn’t have talked sh*t about Sally. She’s coming back for vengeance. Eddie tells the captain that the jet ski came unclipped, but in Captain Lee’s interview, he says, he thinks someone’s inattention to detail did it. That’s pretty lame. Eddie says he watched it fall off, but the captain isn’t buying it. In his interview, he says, it’s an excuse for sloppy seamanship. They look like a bunch of effing idiots. Eddie picks up Rayna and Jake from the beach. Eddie tells Rayna about the jet ski, and she thinks there’s something wrong with it. Eddie tells Rayna and Jake that he’ll talk to them after he gets back from the principal’s office.

Eddie shows Captain Lee what he thinks happened with the clip, but in his interview, Eddie says, the captain doesn’t want to listen to his point-of-view. The captain says he’s chalking it up to human error. The table is set for the pink party, and it’s very pretty. As well as being dressed in pink, the guests wear pink heart-shaped sunglasses. In Fraser’s interview, he says, this day has not stopped. His legs hurt, he can’t feel his feet, and he’s losing his mind, but they’ll do what they do best, make magic happen… somehow. Eddie says, another day, another ass reaming. He’ll go to bat for the deckhands, but don’t put his head on the chopping block. The crew shovels a meal down in silence in the galley. Rayna criticizes Heather for sticking her finger in the food, and Heather apologizes, and makes a hasty exit. Eddie tells Rayna that wasn’t cool, since Heather is effing exhausted. Rayna complains to Wes about the n-word, and how Eddie doesn’t care. She says she’s got to get off this boat.

Captain Lee texts a staffing agency, but no luck. Rayna goes to help Rachel, and in her interview, she says she’s excited to be in the galley. At Thanksgiving, she’s in charge of the turkey., She loves cooking; it’s a huge stress reliever. The only time she’s happy is at night in the galley. I think, why TF doesn’t she work in that area of yachting instead? In Rachel’s interview, she says, every time there’s service, it’s an arduous process. She has to blend something for a guest to suck down with a straw. Chelsea tells Heather that the gazpacho needs to be strained more, and in her interview, Rachel says, f*** my life. This can eat a d*ck. Oysters are the next course, and I say, ewww! No, no, no. Not strained oysters. Fraser radios Eddie to help with housekeeping, and Chelsea wails that she’s starving. Or at least as much as you can wail with your jaw wired shut. Chelsea won’t stop making everyone else miserable, so Tiffany asks if they can get some quick food for Chelsea. Rachel says, it’s an effing nightmare, and Chelsea says if they bring something out for everyone else, she needs to have something too. This is not a joke. She asks Michael if he’ll go to their room with her, and they get up. Guest Alicia says the rest of them still have a big night ahead of them. In the room, Chelsea cries, while Rachel storms around the galley. Chelsea says she just wants to be like everyone else for a night, but Michael says, unfortunately, that’s not where they’re at. Fraser says, effing hell, and Heather says, oh my God.

I dunno, maybe it’s me, but either I’d have skipped this trip, or seen if I could change the date or something. And if I’d insisted on going, I’d keep it to myself after saying it once. At least give the chef a hot minute to get acclimated. Exist on green drinks and chocolate shakes for a while. And booze.

This season, the crew makes it rain; skinny dipping; Rayna, Jake, and Fraser form a threesome, and yes, it’s what you think (didn’t see that coming); a day off; a new stew; Heather tells Fraser, it was her or nobody; Captain Lee tells Eddie that he thinks the deck crew is spending too much time doing nothing; Rayna says she feels like she can’t trust her boss; and Heather apologizes again.

🧂 This Needs Salt…

What happened in Salt Lake this week.

🎶 Turning the Beat Around…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and who knows what, since there are no Rules this week. Until then, stay safe, stay outspoken, but not rude, and stay not letting hidden things fester in the dark. That’s no good to anyone.

December 17, 2021 – Saddest Farewell Ever, Over, Lawsuit, Big Series, Two From One, Cover Girl, Salem Holiday, Salt Lake Tea, In NYC, Stockings, Pre-Nup, Haunted, Asking Dead, The Tree, a Supreme Court Worth Of Quotes & Spice Wrap

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam finds Drew fixing a little tree in the Quartermaine kitchen, and asks what he’s doing. He says he knows it doesn’t compare to the big one in the foyer, but he hasn’t had a tree, or lights, or anything Christmas for the past couple of years. She says she thinks it’s perfect. She brought someone along who she thinks might agree. Scout comes in, and clings to Sam.

In Portia’s office, Curtis punches the wall, and she tells him, take a deep breath. He says he did, but she says, not deep enough. He says he just can’t believe how willing his family is to accept this guy in their lives. TJ is already calling him grandpa, and, after the initial shock, he thought Stella might invite Marshall over for Sunday dinner. She asks if that would really be so terrible, and he says, yeah. The man deserted his family and let them believe he was dead for decades. Then when he shows up, he shows up without even a shred of explanation. She wonders if she can ask him a question without him getting angry… or angrier. Is trust really the issue here? Or is he just afraid of getting hurt?

Marshall tells Stella, cards on the table, huh? Since when did a nice church-going lady like herself take up poker? She says, these stakes are much higher than a poker game, and he says her secret is safe with him. She says he just doesn’t get it, and he says, tell him what he’s missing. She says, he’s making this about her, when it’s about him, and his choices; to walk away from his family, have her sister raising those boys without him, and then he asked her sister to lie, and tell her children that he’s dead. And she did, and kept her word until her dying day. He says, and what about her?

Britt and Elizabeth look at Liam in the NICU, and Elizabeth says, how is it possible an innocent baby gets to die, while Peter gets to live on? Britt says, for now. Hopefully, not for long. Elizabeth says, still, she doesn’t understand, and Britt says, sometimes it’s a blessing; sometimes it’s a curse. But it’s not their job to pick and choose. Elizabeth says, in this case, she wishes it was.

Sasha tells Brando, no more wallowing, or feeling sorry for herself. She needs to be at her best today for Liam. Their son needs them. Brando says, they’ll be there for him, and she says, what if she’s not strong enough? What if she doesn’t have the courage to do the right thing? He says, that’s why they’re doing this together.

Olivia thanks Carly for setting her straight about this neurology appointment, but Carly says she didn’t set Olivia straight. She just gave Olivia a pep talk. Olivia says, whatever she wants to call it, she just wants to be solid. If Ned sees she’s nervous, he’s going to be nervous. Carly says Olivia is going to be great, and she’s going to pull herself together to be there for Sasha and Brando. Let’s go.

Nina tells Sonny, when they came back to Port Charles, he said the man he was in Nixon Falls wasn’t real, but he was; he is. He’s one and the same, and both Mike and Sonny are men that his father would be very, very proud of. Carly and Olivia come down the hall, and Olivia tells Carly to remember what she said.

Drew tells Scout, he knows it probably feels strange, them getting to know one another again, but he was hoping it comes back to them; kind of like riding a bike. Scout says she doesn’t know how to ride a bike, and he says he’ll have to teach her. Leo comes into the kitchen with Ned, and goes straight to a plate of cookies. Ned says, just one, and asks if they mind. Leo’s going to the doctor. Sam says, and Ned’s bribing him with cookies? Ned says, guilty as charged, and Drew tells him, don’t worry about it. He was just telling Scout that he needs help eating them, and thanks Leo. Leo says, anytime, and leaves with Ned.

Curtis tells Portia, Marshall doesn’t have the power to hurt him anymore. That damage was done when he took off, and let them believe he was dead. She says, some wounds never heal. You can stitch them up, put on a bandage, sometimes there’s a scar, but deep down… He says, that wound never would have reopened if he hadn’t decided to return, and she says, okay, but he has. So now what? He says, now he’s wormed his way into TJ’s life, and he’s cozying up to Aunt Stella. She says, and he doesn’t like that, and he says, that’s an understatement. She says, but what happens now in regards to him? and he says he doesn’t know. She asks if he thinks eventually he could maybe find a place in his life for his father, and Curtis says he can’t see Marshall as that until he knows where Marshall has been, what he’s been doing, and why he’s here. She says, he’s making it sound like Marshall is dangerous, and he says, they don’t know that he isn’t. Joey Novak swears he didn’t see who jumped him outside the club. She says, whoa. He thinks that was his father?

Stella says, Marshall is right. When her sister turned to her for help, she went along with the lie, and heaven help her, it’s haunted her ever since. Marshall says he never meant for her to be part of this, but she says he knew how close she and Irene were. Did he really expect Irene to keep something that big bottled up? One night, it just became too much, and she told Stella that he was alive, but he had his reasons for leaving, and didn’t want the boys to know why. He says he did it for Curtis and Thomas, and for her and Irene, believe it or not. She says, it doesn’t matter what she believes. He and her sister had an agreement. Her sister hated it, but she went along with it, and so did Stella. But only because he said he’d never come back. He tells her, he kept his end of the bargain pretty well, wouldn’t she say? He didn’t even come back when Irene passed. She asks why he’s here now.

Olivia tells Carly that she’s got this, and asks if Nina got her message yet; she’s been trying to reach her. Nina says, no. She’s been busy, and hasn’t even checked. Olivia steers Nina away, saying, this will only take a second. Carly looks at Sonny.

Brando says they don’t have to do anything until Sasha is ready. Dr. Fleming said they could take as much time as she needs. She says, time won’t change anything; Sonny helped her see that. Brando asks what Sonny said, and she says, he mostly talked about Mike, and how difficult the decision was to let him go. He talked about how he didn’t want to, but in the end, he realized that was about him; how it would make him feel better. When in reality, he needed to focus on what was best for his father. He says, that’s true, but Mike had a long and fulfilling life, while Liam’s never going to have that. She says, Sonny said that too, that there’s no comparison, but lost is lost, right? And there will never be another time. They named their son after Mike, so they need to be as brave for him as Sonny was for his father. Can they do that? He says he can if she can, and she says, okay.

Nina tells Olivia that she can stand down. She’s not going to cause any problems for Carly and Sonny. Olivia says, yet she’s here where they are, and where they have no desire for her to be. Nina says she’s here because she’s supporting Sasha and Brando. Not that she owes Olivia any explanation because it’s none of her business. Olivia says she disagrees with that. Carly is her friend and business partner, and what affects her… Nina says, affects the MetroCourt. Don’t even pretend this is about business. Olivia says she’s doing Nina a favor right now. Does Nina have any idea how close she just came to getting wiped off the map? Maybe she hasn’t been in town long enough to know, but Olivia knows from personal experience, Carly Corinthos takes no prisoners. Nina says, is that a threat? and Olivia says, that’s a fact. The only reason Nina is still breathing air right now is because Carly loves having her husband back and alive more than she wants Nina dead.

Sonny says, he and Nina were just talking… but Carly says she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. Sasha, Liam, and Brando are all that matter.

Drew asks what Scout thinks of his tree, and she says, it’s pretty. He says he thinks it would be prettier with some ornaments, but he just can’t find any. She says, they’re all up on the big tree, and Sam says, Scout’s right, but she doesn’t think they’d mind if they borrowed some. He says, he’s looking for one in particular, but it’s not on the big tree in the foyer, and Scout asks, what is it? Sam asks if it’s the star, and Drew says she remembers. He doesn’t know what it is about it; he just loves it. Sam wonders where it went, and Drew says, maybe it got lost or broken or something, or Annabelle II ate it. Sam says, dogs don’t eat ornaments (apparently, Sam has never owned a dog), and he asks if she’s met Annabelle II. She eats everything. He suggests they go online, and Scout can help him shop for some new decorations. Scout says she’s going to find grandma, and leaves. He tells Sam, he’s doing this all wrong, isn’t he?

Marshall tells Stella, a man can change his mind, can’t he? Like a musician can improvise in the middle of a tune. A good musician anyway. She says, this is not a gig; it’s real life. He says she doesn’t have to tell him. Tommy’s gone, and Curtis is a grown man, and he has a grandson who’s a doctor and has a big, beautiful life ahead of him. Can she blame him for wanting to be a part of it? She says, no, but she can blame him for walking away in the first place. He says she knows why, and she says, yes, she does. He says he’s not trying to change the past, or even be forgiven. He’s just hoping to be understood moving forward. She asks if he really thinks there’s a way forward, and he says he thinks this homecoming is meant to be. She says, carful now. He talks like he knows what the good Lord has planned. He says he’ll leave the good Lord to her, but think about it. Curtis owns a nightclub now. She says, so? and he says, as much as music was a huge part of his life, it can’t be a coincidence.

Sasha tells Brando, this isn’t how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to raise him, and love him, and watch him grow into a man. Liam would have had an incredible life. Brando says, yes, he would have, and she says he would have been so lucky to have a dad like Brando to show him the way. He asks if she’s thinking family owned body shop, and she says, maybe, but she’s not talking about teaching him about cars. She’s talking about teaching him to be a good, decent, caring person; the kind who comes into a new town and takes a bullet for a total stranger. He says, Liam would have been lucky, but not because of him; because he had her. She could dazzle him with her beauty of course (🍷), but mostly, she could teach him what real love is. Real, unfiltered true love, so he would never settle for less. She starts to cry again, and asks how this is happening. He just got here, and now it’s over? He says, it’s not over yet, and she says she’s not ready. And she can’t even begin to explain how much she doesn’t want this, but they can still show Liam what real love is. And when they do, they’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he never settled for less.

Nina says, message delivered, thank you, and Olivia says, for Nina’s sake, she hopes it was received. Nina says, if Carly even knew what she was trying to do for… Oliva says, what? but Nina says, nothing. But if Olivia suddenly has an impulse to weigh in on her friend’s marriage, from what she hears, Olivia might be better served to worry about her own. Merry Christmas.

Sonny says Carly doesn’t have to stick around. He’ll stay there as long as Brando and Sasha need him. She says she’s not going anywhere. Unless he’s trying to get rid of her. He says, never, and kisses her cheek. Nina watches.

Sam says she saw the cell they kept Drew in, and he says, nice accommodations, right? She doesn’t know how he did it, being in there for so long, staring at nothing, all alone. He says, it was tough, but the thing that kept him going, the thing that made him believe he was going to get out of there one day, was Scout. She says she saw he scratched Scout’s name in the wall, and he says, it was like the most important part of him was missing. She says, good; now he has her back. He says he does. Not quite the perfect fit. She says, not yet, but it will be. He says, it will be.

Curtis tells Portia, first, Joey Novak shows up, causing trouble at The Savoy, the kind of trouble that gives a club a bad name. Fast forward to Joey being beaten and jumped between the pier and The Savoy. She says, that doesn’t prove it was his father, and he says, right. The nightclub’s reputation takes a hit, the act that was booked suddenly cancels. She says, then a new one magically appears, and he says, he knows Marshall had a hand in Joey’s beating, but she says he doesn’t know that. He says, they do know he’s a proven liar, and she says, that doesn’t make him a criminal. He says, maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, but he’s damn well going to find out.

Stella says, Curtis may have inherited some positive traits from Marshall, like his love of music. Does he still play? He says, sure do, and she says, don’t tell her he still has that old clarinet. He says he likes to think of Henrietta as vintage, but no, he lost her too. He lost her a long time ago. She says, Henrietta. She’d almost forgotten his first love. He says, you never forget your first, and laughs. In any case, he learned his lesson. He pats his clarinet case, and says, this baby never gets left in a car. She says she’s sure they’ve made some improvements over the years, and he says, the newer models are nice. Maybe it’s him, but his fingers don’t fly like they used to. But he has to believe if the mood was right, and he was holding Henrietta, he could still make her sing.

Olivia meets Leo and Ned, and asks how they’re doing. Ned says, good. Just doing what everyone does in a doctor’s office – wait. Olivia asks if Leo knows why they’re here, and he shows her his cookie. Ned says, it’s family tradition, bribery, and she says, if Leo is going to take the Quartermaine name, she’s going to have to accept the family traditions. A doctor walks up, and says he’s going to take a wild guess and assume this is Leo. Olivia says, that’s the guy, and he introduces himself as Dr. Newman, and his nurse, Nurse Meyers. He asks how Leo is doing, and Olivia repeats the question. Leo says he’s good, and Dr. Newman asks if he’d like to play some games and talk for a bit. Leo says he loves games, and the doctor says, great; come with him. He tells Olivia and Ned that they can wait there; they won’t be long. Ned tells Leo to have fun, and Olivia says if he needs anything, she’ll be right here. The doctor and nurse leave with Leo, and Olivia says, no big deal. Ned hugs her.

Britt asks if Nina is okay, and Nina glances at Sonny and Carly. She says she’s just worried about Sasha and Brando, and Britt says, it must be difficult for her; a reminder of Nelle being taken away from her; getting to know her, but it was too late. She knows it’s not the same, but Nina still lost a child. Nina says, and all the mistakes she made because of that.

Carly says she can’t imagine how Sasha and Brando feel, and Sonny says he understands why she stood up for Sasha. Behind that face, she’s got a lot of grit. She’s going to need it. Carly says she understands why he feels so close to Brando. She knows he’s family, but he was practically raised by Sonny’s father. (Wow, has that story changed.) Sasha and Brando come out, and Britt tells them to follow her.

Sam says Drew and Scout will find their way back to each other. It’s just going to take some time. They have to get through the holidays, and then in a couple of months, it’s her birthday. He says, so he’s buying his way back? but she says, that’s not what she’s saying. He says he’s just kidding, and she says, there are going to be so many moments; little ones, big ones, and all the ones in-between. He says he likes the sound of that, when his phone rings. It’s Curtis, and Drew asks, what’s up? Curtis says, what Drew told him, that he’d help look into his father’s reappearance? Does that offer still stand?

Marshall says he’s determined to put down roots, and get back with the family he left behind. She says he can be as determined as he wants, that doesn’t mean Curtis will let him in. He tells her, Curtis may say no, but he’s sensing a definite maybe from TJ, and he’d like to build on that, and have a relationship with his grandson. He could use some help if she’s willing to give it.

Ned says he was wondering if Olivia balked and canceled the appointment, and she says, it crossed her mind. He says he’s proud of her, and she says, he might not be when they get their diagnosis… if they’re getting a diagnosis. She looks at him, and says, they’re getting a diagnosis, and he says, most likely. She says, that’s okay, because their son’s alive and strong and thriving, and it’s more than a lot of people get. He’s unique, and it just makes him more special. Ned says, absolutely, and she says she wants him to know she’s all in on this. Whatever the doctor tells them, she’s here to give Leo all the help that he needs. He says he knows she will, and she asks if he can forgive her. He says, for what? and she says, for making him the bad guy because she was too afraid to look at the facts. He says he was afraid too. The unknown is scary. That’s why they’re here, to figure out what’s going on, and come up with a game plan. If they have that, and each other… She says, they have everything, and he says they do, and they hug.

Carly asks if Sonny is hungry or thirsty, but he says, no; maybe some water. She leaves, and he takes a rosary out of his pocket. He sits down and begins to pray the Hail Mary, as Nina watches.

Dr. Fleming tells Brando and Sasha, once they disconnect the respirator, they’ll give Liam an injection of morphine. Sasha says, so he won’t be in any pain, and Brando says, that’s why we’re doing this. So there’s no pain, no suffering, and he can be with his namesake. Sasha asks if she can hold him. Once he’s off of those machines, can she hold him in her arms? She doesn’t want him to be alone. The doctor says, of course (🍷), and Sasha says, he was with her when he came into this world. She wants him to be with her when he leaves it. Elizabeth and Dr. Fleming help Brando and Sasha get ready, and Britt goes out to the hallway, and leans on the wall. They go into the NICU.

Drew tells Curtis, they’ll talk soon, and Sam says, she’d ask what that was about, but she’s assuming it’s confidential. He says, just a background check. It seems pretty cut and dried actually. She says, how many times she’s said that and it’s been anything but, and he says, don’t worry. She says, too late, and he says he wouldn’t have gone through all that hell just to come back and put a bunch of trouble on her doorstep, or his. She says, no more risks, and he says, no more risks… within reason. He’s got too much to lose. Scout comes in, and Sam says, there she is. He says he was just about to fire up the laptop and shop for some new decorations. Does Scout want to help? Scout asks Sam if they can go home.

Curtis tells Portia, if there’s any dirt on Marshall, he trusts Drew to dig it up. She says, what if he comes up empty? but Curtis says, he won’t. He may not be a P.I. anymore, but those instincts don’t just evaporate. Marshall is hiding something. He looks at her, and says, what? She says, nothing, but he says, it’s definitely something, so say it. She says she knows he’s prepared to hear the worst about Marshall, but what if the big discovery is just that Marshall wants to be his father? Is he prepared for that?

The doctor brings Leo back, and Leo says, it was fun. Dr. Newman says, they had a really great talk. They’ll schedule a follow-up to discuss everything; just call his office. Ned says they will, and the doctor tells Leo, it was nice to meet him. He hopes to see Leo soon. Leo waves, and the doctor leaves. Olivia asks if Leo knows how much she loves him, and she hugs him. Leo says he knows, and she tells him, don’t you ever forget it.

Carly brings Sonny some water, and asks if anything happened while she was gone. Britt comes out, and they go over to her. Carly asks, is it over? Britt just looks sad, and at a distance, Nina closes her eyes.

Sasha holds Liam, and says, Liam Mike Corbin, you were here for such a short time, but you made quite the impact, and you were so, so loved. She has to believe he felt that, and hopes with everything in her that he still does. She kisses him, and says she’ll love him forever. She starts to cry, and Brando kisses Liam. He says, their first born, their son. He looks up, and says, look after him, okay, Mike? Mike appears, and I lose it. Mike tells them, like he said, with everything he’s got.

Marshall sits in his hotel room, and plays his clarinet. We hear his music over the final scenes.

We see Sasha place her baby down, and start to walk away with Brando. She turns back, and Brando puts his arms around her. She cries on his shoulder, and they leave. Mike holds Liam.

Stella comes into the hospital, and sees Curtis with Portia and smiles.

Sam says goodbye to Drew, and Scout hands Drew the star. He gives it to her to put on the tree, but she says she can’t reach. He lifts her up, and she puts it on the tree.

Olivia holds out her hand to Leo, and he takes it, holding out his other hand to Ned. The three of them walk out, hand-in-hand.

Brando and Sasha come out. Everyone looks sad, and Sasha starts to cry. Brando holds her. In the NICU, Mike holds Liam, and asks if he’s ready to go. He says, me too, and walks until he disappears.

On Monday, Chase says Willow can feel however she wants to feel, Laura tells Cyrus not to play games with her, Michael says he’s going to protect his family no matter the cost, and Phyllis asks Nina if she’s still in love with Sonny.

😭 Thanks, General Hospital. Because the holidays aren’t depressing enough. Although I was glad Mike showed up.

💔 That Was Quick…

And their wedding looked so cool. I wonder if he’s taken on too much of the Michael persona at home.

🎾 Ball Changes Court…

I can’t help but wonder if he practices his religion in other areas. Or is he like the people who screech if you eat meat, but wear leather shoes?

💼 Branching Out…

What Diane does on her off-time.

👯‍♀️ BFFs IRL…

I recently wrote an interview for Jessica Morris on Mupo & Friends (YouTube). She is a Lifetime queen, and real life BFF of Melissa Archer.

👠 Going Glam…

First Co-Chief of Staff, now this.

🎄 Christmastime Is Here…

At least in Salem.

🧂 Pass the Salt…

What’s going on in Salt Lake City.

Usually, it’s Jen doing the denying.

🗽 Sticking Around…

They’re not going anywhere.

Unless it’s running out of a restaurant.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/luann-de-lesseps-dines-real-housewives-of-new-york-dashes-out-of-dc-restaurant-le-diplomate

🎅🏽 And You Get a Piece Of Coal…

Apparently Leah is not happy with her co-stars.

⚖️ Little Did She Know…

Suckerfish Hoppy does kind of look like Christian Bale in American Psycho.

🍸 Haunting Split…

What is wrong with that guy?

⚰️ Burning Questions…

The skinny on the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-midseason-finale-708-interview-padre-alicia-strand-war/

🌟 Behold…

This years Rockefeller Center contribution to the Christmas spirit.

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/photos-it-aint-christmas-season-until-2021-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-has-been-lit

☄️ Quotes of the Week

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.Rachel Carson

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Robert A. Heinlein

The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.  – Orson Welles

I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I had yet to meet a celebrity who is as smart and interesting as any of my friends. – Moby

A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. – Ernest Hemingway

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr.

🦌 On Dasher…

Why is it the weeks seem to go faster just before the new year? Here we are at another weekend, or for those of you who are on permanent robe duty, those two days you used to get off work. If nothing else, at least change your slippers for 48 hours. Maybe even live it up and put on real shoes. Until we meet for some soap and whatever’s on Deck, stay safe, stay taking some time for yourself, and stay not settling for less, be it love, or whatever it is you need.

December 15, 2021 – Brad’s First Day Of Freedom, Shannon’s Non-Apology Tour & Rest

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the gym steam room, Chase says, Finn was right. He should have taken it easy, but it’s just so frustrating being on suspension. Finn is a million miles away, and Chase tells him, this is where you say, you shouldn’t have punched Valentin, Chase. Finn flashes back to Elizabeth kissing him and running out of his office, and Chase says he knows Finn has an I told you so locked and loaded. Finn asks if Chase is implying he rubs it in when Chase blows it, but Chase says, he’s implying Finn is a know-it-all. He never misses an opportunity to trash talk Chase. Something’s on his mind.

Portia sees a sign that says yoga class is canceled. Terry and Elizabeth join her. Portia says, it’s been a week since she could take a class, and now it’s canceled. Terry says she was looking forward to it too. Portia opens the door, and says, it looks like they have the room. She says, Terry is as good as Stacy, and suggests Terry teach the class. Terry asks if Portia really thinks she’s that good, and Portia tells Elizabeth to back her up, but Elizabeth is busy flashing back on kissing Finn. Terry asks if Elizabeth is up for a do-it-yourself yoga class, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. Portia says, Elizabeth must have gone straight to the meditation phase, and asks what Elizabeth’s mantra is.

Walking through Rice Plaza, Willow tells Michael that she still can’t believe Brad was paroled. She doesn’t understand. After hearing Michael’s statement, how are they not convinced Brad should remain in prison? He says, Celina must have more pull than he realized. She obviously got to the parole board. It was a done deal before it even began. Willow is glad he suggested Kelly’s. If they’d stayed home, Wiley must have picked up on their anger. Lord knows, they’ve had to sit on it a lot these past few weeks. They’re just going to have to figure out a way to make peace with Brad being back in Port Charles. How long before he’s released? He says, they told him within a few days. Whenever it is, Brad better never come anywhere near Wiley.

Celina and Brad walk into the MetroCourt, but Brad says he’s not really feeling this. Walking into Carly’s restaurant just after being released is not good luck. Celina tells him to hold his head high. She and Sonny have an agreement. Brad says, about him? and she says he has nothing to fear from Sonny or his family, as long as he doesn’t attempt to see Wiley. He says he knows he has no place in Wiley’s life, and doesn’t want to cause anymore grief. He’s just grateful to have a fresh start. And he’s grateful for her help in making this happen. Although he doesn’t know whether to call her Miss Wu or auntie. They’ve never spoken before yesterday, and she collected him from prison, and here they are having breakfast. She tells him, call her Aunt Celina; that’s what she is. Brad is her brother’s son. Since he was adopted, she wanted to respect his adoptive parents, but she’s always kept tabs on him. He asks why she’s reached out now, and she says, it became clear he needed help when he went to prison, so when he was released, she reached out to help him get back on his feet. She arranged for him to have a place to stay, and a job. She sees great potential in him; potential she wants to encourage – if he listens to her. Britt walks in, and Brad yells her name. They run to each other, and hug.

Kristina walks into Alexis’s house, and asks if that’s Molly in the daylight. She must be hallucinating. Molly says she’s been working a lot, but this is her first trial, and she has to be ready. Alexis says she’s so proud of Molly. She remembers her first trial and how excited she was. She worked for weeks, and she’ll have that enthusiasm again for something else when she finds that fit. Sam says she feels that rush when a case starts to come together. Maybe Alexis will come to love it as much as she does. Kristina says, Alexis is going to be a P.I.? She and Sam are going to be working together? Alexis says she’s thinking about it. It could be interesting. Kristina says, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Michael asks why Willow chose an outdoor holiday fair, when they could be inside a cozy, warm restaurant. Willow says she likes supporting the local artisans, and once she’s shopping, she won’t feel the cold. But if he’s cold, he can take off. He says he’s in no hurry, as long as he can keep his arms around her. She says, then she’ll feel guilty for enticing him to blow off work, and he says, entice away. She tells him, go; she’ll be fine. Olivia should be here any minute. He tells her to have fun shopping, and leaves. Olivia arrives, and says she’s sorry for being late, but look who she found. Brook says she just loves a holiday fair. Mind if she tags along? Olivia says, the more, the merrier, right? and Willow fake smiles.

Brad says, it’s so good to see Britt, and she asks when he got out. He says, yesterday, and asks why she wasn’t at the hearing. She says she meant to come, but there was a sensitive situation at the hospital. Very sad, actually, but she guesses her letter of support made a good impression on the parole board? He says, it made a good impression on him too, and he’s going to try to live up to those words. Celina says their table is ready, and Brad introduces his Aunt Celina to his best friend. Celina says she’s very well-aware of who Dr. Westbourne is, and Britt flashes back to Celina telling her to stay out of Brad’s life. Britt says she had an interesting conversation with Brad’s aunt the other day, and Celina says, yes, and repeats their table is ready, and she doesn’t want to keep Britt. She’s sure Britt must be very busy. Britt says she has nowhere pressing to be, especially when her best friend just got out of prison. He hugs her again, saying, he’s missed her so much. Britt looks at Celina over Brad’s shoulder.

Chase asks if Finn is with him, and Finn says he’s listening. Valentin. Who doesn’t want to punch that guy in the face? He’s wanted to punch Valentin a few times himself. Chase says he hates knowing he has six months of suspension ahead. He was just about to get out from behind the desk. Finn says, but isn’t it a really good time? Chase can spend all this time with his baby girl. Think about it. There was tension with Willow; Chase didn’t know whether he wanted kids or not. Now he and Brook have a beautiful daughter together. That’s got to be a lot to process. Chase tells Finn, stop looking for something that isn’t there. Bailey is an amazing, beautiful, precious baby, and when he holds her, he wants nothing more than to protect her with his life. Finn says, that sounds good, but it seems like when Chase talks about his feelings for his daughter, he’s holding a lot inside. If he’s having doubts about being a father, it happens to all of them. Chase can talk to him.

Alexis says, they were just looking over a missing person’s case; Todd Worth’s daughter. Sam says, actually it’s more of an estrangement than a missing person, and Molly wonders where she knows that name. Alexis says, he’s CFO of Deany (not positive on the name, but until I am) Shipping Partners. Was Sam aware? Sam says, yeah, so? and Alexis says, his company was responsible for the big oil spill in the Arctic. Molly says, Deany Shipping Partners have a horrible environmental record, and Alexis says she is kind of surprised Sam took him on as a client. Sam says, she’s working for Worth, not Deany Shipping Partners, and Alexis wonders, what if he’s looking for the whistleblower, and claiming she’s his daughter so Sam will find her? Sam asks if Alexis thinks she hasn’t vetted her client to make sure the daughter is real. She knows how to do her job. Kristina says, three minutes. Longer than she thought.

Terry says, now mountain pose, feet hip width apart; spread those toes, balance your body weight. Roll the shoulders back, and settle the moment. Portia says, something is obviously on Elizabeth’s mind. Is she sure she’s up for this? Elizabeth says she needs this; yesterday was an intense day. Terry says she can imagine, especially with Peter being brought in while she was working. Palms together, interlace the fingers. Reaching down, stretch up, and release the arms slowly to the side. Elizabeth flashes back to holding the scalpel, and says, she reacted badly. Portia says she’s so sorry. She wishes she could have been there to support Elizabeth. Terry says, her too, but Elizabeth says, Finn was very supportive and understanding. She felt like she could lean on him. Terry says, it sounds like they’re getting closer. She knew something was going on between them. Portia says, well? and Elizabeth says she kissed him.

Britt highly recommends the French toast, or the eggs benedict, with… Brad tells her, whatever she’s going to say, yes. Everything looks amazing. He’s here for all of these things. Britt tells him, watch out. He doesn’t want to ruin that beach bod he’s been working at. Has he found a place to live? Celina says, her nephew will be staying with her, and Brad says, for the time being. Britt says, how generous, and Brad says he can’t wait for Britt to catch him up on all the GH latest. Speaking of which, is Lucas seeing anyone? Celina says, it’s important for him to look forward, not backward. Who his ex-husband is seeing shouldn’t matter to him now. Britt agrees. She understands how hard it is to let go, but that’s what he should do now. Finally and completely; that means no holding out for hope. He says he knows he and Lucas are over. What he did was unforgivable. Lying to him, lying to everyone about Wiley being their son. Britt says, let it go; guilt, shame. She knows he can get through this. In time, people will forget all about what happened. Michael comes in, and stomps over to the table, asking, what the hell is Brad doing here?

Willow tells Olivia, she loves this time of year, especially now with Wiley. Olivia says she’s always loved Christmas, especially with the little ones around. She already got all the Christmas shopping done, but there’s always room for stocking stuffers. Willow says, or that special something that catches your eye. Brook asks if Willow has bought a gift for Monica yet. She’s always the hardest to shop for, but maybe if they put their heads together… Willow says she and Michael already have something for Monica, and Brook guesses she’s on her own. What about Leo? He won’t stop talking to her about octopuses, or octopi. She wants to get him a cool T-shirt or something. Willow says he talked to her about it too. Brook could try an online shop. Olivia asks what’s going on between the two of them, and Brook says, Willow hates her because of Chase. Olivia says she means Willow is upset because Brook lied about Valentin being Bailey’s father, when she was Chase’s daughter? Brook says, yes, that, and Willow says she’s still processing and Michael’s jerkface ways are rubbing off on her. She’s still coming to terms with what Brook put Valentin and Chase through; the whole family actually. Brook tells her, she said she’d get over it, and Willow says, yesterday. It’s going to take more than a day for her to work it out. She walks away, and Olivia says, Brook just had to push it. That’s why Brook is here. She knew Olivia was coming there to meet Willow. That’s why Brook practically knocked her down, waving her arms around in the parking lot. Brook says she just wants everyone to get along for Christmas, and Olivia says she wants that too; for all the holidays actually. But it seems like maybe it’s the impossible dream when you’re a Quartermaine. Brook says, Olivia’s forgiven her, and Olivia says she’s being cool in the spirit of the season. She hasn’t forgotten what Brook’s done, and Brook can’t expect everybody, Willow included, to just shrug their shoulders and say, oh well. Willow comes back, and says, they’re here to shop. She’s going to start over there. Brook suggests they get everything out in the open, but Willow tells her that she’s said everything she needs to say. Brook says there’s no room for Willow to judge her. Willow cheated on Chase while they were still married.

Alexis wants Sam to know that she thinks Sam is a competent, responsible P.I. What she does is so necessary and important. Sam says, Alexis doesn’t have to placate her. She knows she’s good at her job, and she likes what she’s doing. Alexis says, Sam’s not good; she’s terrific. She’s oversensitive, and doesn’t want Sam to wind up like her, making the wrong choice thinking she’s doing the right thing. Molly asks what she’s saying, and Alexis tells her that she just doesn’t trust her own judgement. She lost her license over Neil; what was she thinking? She gets self-destructive when things get normal; normal isn’t normal to her. Molly asks if Alexis thinks she’s the same person she was when that happened, and Alexis says she’s been through a lot, so probably no. Molly says, so chances are she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. A small child learns not to touch a hot stove after burning themselves once or twice. She’d think Alexis’s life lessons would impart wisdom. Alexis says, one would think. No matter what, she’ll never be as wise as her soon to be victorious in court daughter. Molly hugs her, and Sam says Molly is such a show-off. Molly says, who? Me?

Brad tells Michael that he got out this morning; his release was expedited. Michael asks what Celina did to leverage the parole board, but she says, she did nothing. He says, we’ll see, and turns to Brad, saying, Brad had the audacity to enter his mother’s restaurant. Celina says, Carly is co-owner of this establishment, and the two of them are friends. Brad asks if he can speak to Michael for a moment privately, and Michael says, most definitely. They leave, and Britt asks, what’s really going on here? Why is Celina using Brad to try and stick it to Carly and Sonny? Clearly, she doesn’t know who she’s messing with. Celina says she thought she made her wishes clear. Britt has no place in her nephew’s fresh start. Yet here she is, crashing their breakfast. Seems like they have a problem.

Finn says, Chase didn’t get nine months to wrap his head around being a father, but Chase says, it’s not that. He’s good with being Bailey’s father. He knows she needs him, and he wants nothing more than to be there for her. In fact, he’s honored. Finn says, that’s one way of looking at it; detached but honored is good. Chase asks if there’s anything he can say to get Finn off of this, and Finn says, okay, Mr. Sensitive, no more questions. Well, just one. When do they get to meet her? Dad and Jackie will be on a plane so fast, it will make his head spin. Chase says, that’s exactly why he’s not telling them. They’re still settling in, and the Quartermaines are a lot to handle. He promises he’ll tell his mom and dad. Finn says, what about Violet? She was talking again last night about a new baby sister; it’s her favorite subject. Chase says, really? The last time he talked to Violet, she was going on about Finn and Elizabeth, something about wishing on a wishbone at Thanksgiving. Finn asks if they weren’t talking about Bailey, but Chase says, now they’re talking about Violet, and Finn and Elizabeth. How’s that? Finn says, he doesn’t even know what to say. There was one thing. She kissed him.

Terry tells Elizabeth, that’s what she’s talking about. Go after what you want. Portia says, if that is what Elizabeth really wants, and Elizabeth says, she didn’t plan on kissing Finn; it just happened. She thinks he was as surprised as she was. Then she ran out of his office. Portia says she’s been known to make a hasty exit too, but if Elizabeth would have stayed… and Terry says, he would have kissed her back. Elizabeth says, all she could think about was getting out of there, and Portia says, she hears her, but maybe this is about more than just a kiss. Elizabeth is still wearing her wedding ring. Elizabeth says she hasn’t been able to take it off. She still loves Franco, and always will. Terry says, of course (🍷) she does. It’s perfectly understandable, and healthy. Elizabeth says, but should she be getting involved with Finn if she still feels this way?

Willow says, Brook is right. She wronged Chase. She was living a lie. Brook says, then she realizes she’s in no position to throw stones, and Willow says, her reasons for marrying and staying married to Chase were a lot more complicated, and Brook knows it. Brook says, how does Willow know hers weren’t? and Olivia says, they’re in the middle of Rice Plaza right now. Let’s just say, nobody has any room to throw stones at anybody right now. She personally feels Brook’s lie had a bigger impact on the family as whole. She may need to work a little harder to regain the family’s trust. Brook says she wishes for once she’d be the one to get the benefit of the doubt, especially since she was just doing what she thought was right for the family, and to protect Bailey. Willow asks how passing off Bailey as Valentin’s daughter could ever be the right thing to do. How is that protecting her? Brook says, Willow will never be in her shoes, so she doesn’t know what she would have done. Willow says she knows she went to jail rather than tell Shiloh where to find her son. Brook used her daughter as a bargaining chip. Brook says, never mind. They’re all right. Willow is a better person than she is. She’s just the family screw-up. Olivia says, everyone take it easy, and Willow says, she  didn’t pick this fight. Olivia suggests they take a breath and cool down. Brook walks away, and Olivia asks if Willow is still in the mood to Christmas shop. Willow says, she needs a minute, and sits by the Christmas tree. Harmony comes into the plaza, and says, hi

Elizabeth says, what they’re saying is true. After Franco’s funeral, she felt like she was walking in a nightmare; life didn’t feel real. Then she had to snap back for her boys, and it was off to the races. Not that she didn’t welcome it. Anything to keep her busy, and keep her from feeling the emptiness when she closed her bedroom door. She eve slept on the couch for a while, until she realized it was making Jake and Aiden sad. Terry says, she’s such a good mother, but she’s a woman with needs too. Loving and letting herself be loved is one of them. Elizabeth asks, but is it fair to get involved with Finn? and Terry says, fair to who? Elizabeth says, Finn? Franco? Herself? She doesn’t know what to feel and think right now; she’s so confused. Portia says, that’s understandable, but as long as she’s figuring it out, it’s okay to take it slow. Terry says, there’s slow, and there’s glacial, and Elizabeth says, that’s what she means. Is it fair to string Finn along while she figures it out? Portia says, Finn is a grown man, and can make his own decisions. It sounds to her like he’s decided Elizabeth is worth the wait. Elizabeth says, no matter how long? and Terry says, she’s seen the two of them together. They both light up; there’s obviously a connection. She thinks, if they’re honest with each other, and talk about their feelings and concerns, it will work out the way it’s supposed to. Elizabeth say, what if they can’t talk about their feelings and concerns? and Portia asks why she thinks that. Elizabeth says, after she kissed him, neither of them knew what to say.

Chase says he’s glad Finn and Elizabeth are moving forward; Violet must be thrilled. Finn says, Violet might be jumping ahead a few steps, and Chase says, Finn just told him that Elizabeth kissed him. Clearly, things are moving in the right direction. Finn says he doesn’t know, and Chase asks, what’s the problem? Talk to him. Finn says he has no idea what the kiss meant to Elizabeth, and Chase says, why? Does she go around kissing people all the time? Finn says, he would hope not. Of course (🍷) not. She was going through something emotional at the time, something heavy. Then afterwards, she ran away. Chase says, well, that’s not the best response, and Finn says, no it isn’t. Now he’s wondering if she just got caught up in the moment and now regrets it. Chase says, absolutely not. He’s not letting Finn do this again.

Harmony says, she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to bother Willow, but Willow says, wait. She’s not mad at Harmony. She just had a thing. It’s good to see her. Harmony says, really? She’s glad to see Willow too. She hopes Willow doesn’t mind, but she couldn’t resist getting a gift for Wiley. Willow can tell him it’s from Santa, or whatever makes her comfortable. Willow says she’s not going to pretend Harmony doesn’t exist. She wants Wiley to know his family, especially since his other grandmother won’t be anywhere around him this year.   

Kristina comes out of the kitchen, and asks what she missed. Alexis says, just a crisis of confidence. She’s all better. She tells Sam, thanks for trying to help. Clearly (WOTD) this P.I. thing isn’t a good idea. Molly says, that means she’s not busy, right? She can look over Molly’s opening statements. Alexis says, Molly doesn’t want her two cents, but Molly says she would love Alexis’s two cents; her five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents. Sam says, stop before she makes it to a dollar, and Molly says, Alexis is the most amazing lawyer she’s ever known, and Alexis holds out her hand for the papers.

Celina says she thought Britt was an intelligent person. Was she mistaken? Britt says, not at all. She’s intelligent, and brave, loyal, and amazingly resourceful. That’s why she has no intention of abandoning her best friend. Celina says, Bradley is with his family now, who will provide for him, and Britt says, a family he’s known for 48 hours? Let’s be real. Brad barely knows Celina. Celina says, it’s time that changed.

Brad tells Michael that he doesn’t want any trouble with him or his family, and Michael says, then why have breakfast at his mother’s restaurant? Brad says, it was his Aunt Celina’s idea, not his, and Michael says, Brad’s Aunt Celina has taken quite an interest in Brad. What does she want in return? Brad says he’s not sure; he’s just glad to be out. They both know Michael’s father could have blocked his parole if he wanted to, but he didn’t. For whatever reason, Sonny’s given him a second chance. Michael says, it was a transactional arrangement between Celina and his father. Bottom line, his dad made a deal, but he didn’t. Brad gets no second chances with him

Willow asks how Harmony is doing, and Harmony says, keeping busy. She’s enjoying her work at Spring Ridge actually. Willow says, is that it? Just work?  Harmony says, what else is there? and Willow says, she gets to have a social life too. Does she have any friends? Harmony says she tends to keep to herself. Her friend group is a little limited to begin with, and after she got out of prison, and Dawn of Day dissolved, she opted to stay away from that crowd. Willow says, good decision. Still, it must have been lonely. Harmony says, don’t worry about her. She needed to focus on herself without distractions. She respected Willow’s need for space, and isn’t trying to make her feel bad. She supports the decisions Willow made for herself and Wiley. She’s sorry she overstepped and showed up at Wiley’s birthday. Willow says, they’re past that now, and Harmony says she’s glad Willow is doing so well; with Michael, and making a loving home for Wiley. It’s important that we live our truth, isn’t it? That’s what she wants to do. She wants more to life and she feels more sure of herself, so hopefully, when Willow is comfortable, Harmony would like to have a relationship with her grandson and her daughter. Does Willow think that might be possible?

Brad says he swears to Michael, if he even sees Wiley, he’ll turn around and go the other way. Michael gets in Brad’s face with his finger, and says, never speak his son’s name again, or he will end Brad. Ugh. I’m so tired of this new tough guy persona. Go back to being boring.

Michael comes back, and Britt asks, where’s Brad? He says, processing; he gave Brad a lot to think about. Britt excuses herself, and leaves. Michael tells Celina, bringing Brad to his mother’s restaurant is a sign of disrespect. She’d be wise to remember that. Celina gets up, and asks if he’s threatening her.

Portia tells Elizabeth, she remembers obsessing over a spontaneous kiss she gave Curtis. She was mortified and she bolted too. Terry says, just talk to Finn, and Elizabeth tells her, and say what? She didn’t know what to say then, and obviously doesn’t have the words now. It’s going to be so awkward the next time she sees him. Terry says she’s overthinking things. They probably both feel the same way. Portia says, Terry’s right. Curtis wanted to talk about it just as much as she did. Elizabeth asks what they said, and Portia tells her, they said what they were feeling. It’s all the what ifs and worst case scenarios rolling around in her mind that will drive her crazy. She doesn’t need yoga to be still and listen to her heart. She just has to trust what’s there. It won’t steer her wrong.

Alexis tells Molly, great job with the evidence, but don’t get too detailed; it’s just the opening. She thinks admitting the neighbor is an unreliable witness is kind of gutsy. Molly says she knows the defense is going to go after her, and she… Alexis says, no, it’s a good strategy, but maybe if Molly…  just ignored her. Molly has her own style, and she’s got this. She’s going to be great. Molly thanks her, and says, it’s good to have her back. Sam and Kristina come back in, and Sam says she seconds that. Kristina thirds it, and Sam says, if private investigation isn’t Alexis’s thing, they’ll come up with something she enjoys. Kristina says, unless Alexis wants to chill. She just got out; no rush. Sam pokes her, but she adds, maybe Alexis should just take her time. Alexis says she has an errand to run, and Sam says she thought Alexis was free this morning. Alexis says she forgot she had something to do, and could use a little fresh air. She thanks them for their help, for the food, for their love. Sam says they do love her, and support her, and they’re here for her, whatever she needs. Alexis says she loves all of them, and jets. Sam tells her sisters, they need to get a few things straight.

Chase says he gets why Finn is gun-shy after how things ended with Anna, but he’s not going to let Finn talk himself out of something potentially great with Elizabeth, for both him and Violet. Finn says, that’s exactly why he needs to be more careful this time. Violet is becoming very attached to Elizabeth. Chase says, as is Finn. That’s why the kiss rattled him so much. Finn says, it’s so confusing. Elizabeth is a really good friend, and they work well together. He doesn’t want to ruin that. Chase asks if that’s why Finn let her run out without following her, and Finn says, at first, he was in shock, and secondly, he didn’t want to push. Chase says, there’s pushing her away, and there’s letting her know he’s still interested. He deserves to be happy. Doesn’t Elizabeth make him happy? Brook walks in, and says, there Chase is. Why hasn’t he answered her texts? Chase says, because he doesn’t keep his phone on him in the steam room, and Finn says, the men’s steam room; the place she shouldn’t really be in. She says she’s seen it all before, and Finn says, that might be true with Chase, but… Never mind, he’s leaving. At the door, Finn tells Brook, Chase is a good man. Bailey is lucky to have him as a father. She never should have kept Bailey from him. Brook says, message received, over and over. His towel’s slipping. Finn leaves, and Brook tells Chase, that is exactly the problem. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says Chase needs to defend her.

Brad tells Britt, it’s true his aunt has taken a sudden interest in him. It’s kind of scary. She says his aunt is definitely used to getting her own way. When they had their little chat, Celina threatened her, telling Britt that she had to stay away from Brad. Brad asks if she’s going to listen, and she says, hmm… like she’s thinking about it, then says, of course (🍷) not.

Celina says, Michael forgets himself. There’s an agreement in place with his father. No retaliation against her nephew. Michael’s body language is aggressive, and he says, the agreement will last as long as Brad stays away from his family. Seriously, Michael is behaving like real jerk, and now has a pattern of crying before he’s hurt. Is he on drugs or something?

Olivia joins Willow and Harmony, and asks if everything is okay. Willow says she and her mom were just getting caught up. She’ll find Olivia in a minute. Olivia moves on, and Harmony says, it’s nice to hear Willow call her mom again. She reaches for her shopping bag, and says, here’s Wiley’s present, but Willow says, keep it. Maybe Harmony can give it to him herself. Harmony says, any time; she has zero plans. Willow says Harmony is going to be alone on the holiday? and Harmony says she’s fine. She’ll just be counting down the days until she sees her grandson. Willow says she’ll speak to Michael and see when they can set up a visit. Harmony thanks her, and says, Willow has given her the best present of all. Willow says, goodbye, and leaves.

Finn dashes into the hospital, and sees Elizabeth by the elevator. She says she thought he wasn’t on until this afternoon, and he says he’s not. He wanted to see her.

Sam tells her sisters, she didn’t expect mom to sign on as a partner forever. She just wanted to give her something to do. She’s floundering without a purpose. Kristina says she wishes Sam had given them a clue. She wouldn’t have opened her big mouth. Molly asks if Sam is really worried about mom, and Sam says, this is a really hard time for her, and she’s vulnerable. If they don’t help her find her way, who will?

Harmony sees Alexis, and calls to her. Alexis says she almost didn’t recognize Harmony without the florescent lighting. It’s nice to see her out in the wild. Harmony says she breaks free now and again. How is Alexis coping now that she’s back? Alexis says she’s not quite sure what to do with herself, and Harmony says she gets that. She usually dives into work, but she’s resolving to find more balance. If Alexis needs a friend, she’s available.

Brook says, do something, and Chase says, what? She says, everywhere she turns, she’s getting grief. Even Willow’s mad at her, and she gets along with everyone. He says he doesn’t know what she wants him to do; he’s supposed to be the injured party. She says, this was his idea, and he says, not all of it. She says, she’s tired of being painted as the bad guy when all she’s doing is protecting Bailey. She fans herself, and says, it’s sweltering in here. She thought he was just coming to the gym to work out. He says he was. His shoulder hurt, so he thought he’d take some steam. He asks how she found him, and she says, the attendant told her. He says, not to be a prude, but can they discuss this after he showers and changes? She says, gladly, and tries to open the door, but it doesn’t budge. She says, the door won’t open. She thinks they’re stuck in here.

Tomorrow, Olivia tells Carly, sometimes dreams do come true; TJ tells Curtis that it wasn’t his place; and Brando tells Nina, maybe Sasha is right not to give up hope.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon went to get some work done on her face, and in her interview, she said, last year she’d pumped six vials of filler into her face, and still couldn’t recognize herself. Noella came along for support, but had a hard time watching needles go into Shannon’s face. Noella talked about her son, and said, his autism was a curveball they hadn’t anticipated. In her interview, she said, it wasn’t a membership she thought she’d be part of, but she was proud of their son. She told Shannon that she and her husband had a house in Puerto Rico; it was beautiful, but a nuisance on the finances. Her husband hadn’t told her that there was not one, but two, tax debt liens on it. On top of it, at first, he’d told her $2.6 million was owed, but it turned out to be $4 million. It was difficult not having trust in the marriage. Shannon said, trust was essential in any relationship. In Shannon’s interview, she said, after David’s infidelity, they’d had a day of truth where she’d asked questions she didn’t like the answers to. She thanked Noella for her support at Heather’s party. She asked if Noella had spoken to Nicole, and Noella said, what Shannon had done was something a lunch couldn’t fix.

Jen’s husband Ryne had been visiting her mom in Jackson Hole. She’d always wanted a close relationship with her mom, and never got it, but her husband did. Gina told Travis all about Heather’s party, and I wondered if he was tired of hearing about these women. In Gina’s interview, she said she didn’t like being the girlfriend since she was a grown woman with three children, but Travis wasn’t there yet. She told Shannon told Heather not to trust them, because she was trying control situation that was already f***ed up. She said Shannon had been there for her in the past, and we flashed back to Shannon helping Gina when she got the DUI. In her interview, Gina said, Shannon was taking shots at her personal integrity. Shannon was consumed with not looking like a bad person, and didn’t give a sh*t who got destroyed.

Heather visited Terry at his office, and told him Nicole called her, feeling bad that she’d ruined the party. We saw a clip of Nicole and Heather talking, and Heather said, Nicole had nothing to do with it. She was as much a victim as they were. Heather didn’t know what Shannon’s goal was, but this wasn’t cool. She said Shannon had texted her, and read the text to Terry, along with her reply. Every time he thought she was finished, and was about to say something, she continued. Shannon texted that she felt badly about the way things ended. She wanted to continue their conversation if Heather was open to it. Heather texted back, among other things, that she didn’t have time to listen to more of Shannon’s rhetoric. Shannon had passed information on that could be twisted, and could hurt Heather’s family. She’d also spread private information about Nicole that could have hurt her as well. It had all happened years ago, and was none of Shannon’s business. Shannon replied that her apology was genuine, but Heather pointed out that there had been no apology in the text. Unless Shannon took accountability, they couldn’t move forward. In Heather’s interview, she said, Shannon hadn’t liked her from the get-go, and we flashed back to that. Shannon was never wrong, it was never her fault, and she was never the problem. Heather begged to differ.

Noella and Gina had a cryotherapy session, which supposedly releases endorphins. They got into booths wearing earmuffs, mittens, socks, and little else. Noella said the cold went up her who-ha, and in her interview, she said being cold was among the top three things she hated, but she’d committed to go with her friend. When they got out, Noella demanded alcohol, and told Gina about the tax debt. She said she thought her husband should just pay it, but he was fighting her on that. Afterward, Gina called Shannon and said she was upset about what happened at Heather’s party. She thought they should sit down and figure it out.

Shane had finally passed the bar, and Emily asked if he was excited. He said, super excited, with the usual lack of enthusiasm. In Emily’s interview, she said, when Shane graduated college, he didn’t even tell his mom, and she was still pissed to this day. Annabelle was being baptized into the Mormon religion, and Emily said she needed to allow the children to follow in their father’s footsteps. She told the kids how their father hadn’t had an issue with her not being Mormon, but with the pandemic, their dad getting sick, and things being dark, she could understand how people had faith. In her interview, she said in the past, she wasn’t open to them being baptized as Mormons, but as she got older she understood how people looked to faith and religion for guidance. She wanted to have a more open view.

Noella, Nicole, and Shannon met for lunch, and Noella asked Shannon if everything was good. True to dismal form, Shannon said, not really, but it’s not important. She was sorry about what happened at Heather’s party, but wanted to explain her frame of mind. She thought it didn’t make sense that the Dubrows would be friends with someone who’d sued Terry. Nicole said, it was never the time or place to discuss someone’s medical history, never mind that the lawsuit never happened. Noella said it wasn’t a lawsuit; it was a non-suit. Nicole said, Heather and Terry hadn’t been mad about it, and she’d felt attacked by Emily. Shannon said she’d stupidly told Emily and Gina about it, but had made them promise if Nicole was the same Nicole, they wouldn’t talk about it. She took full blame, and shouldn’t have said anything. Nicole felt that Shannon was sincere and forgave her, but I’m sure she’ll be sorry for that later in the season. Noella asked if Shannon had talked to Heather, and Shannon said she’d reached out, but Heather had no interest. In her interview, Shannon took back her earlier ownership by saying, she was owning her part, but was anybody else? Maybe Nicole should have communicated that she’d sued them, and Gina was the sole destroyer of the dinner party. The bottom line, and the thing Shannon never seems to get, is that none of it is any of her business. Noella wondered how Shannon could move forward with Heather, but Shannon didn’t know.

Ryne brought Jen’s mom back with him for a visit with Jen and the grandkids. In Jen’s interview, she said her mother had been born and raised in England. She’d been strict, but now as a grandma, she was more relaxed. They talked about Jen’s father, and Jen wondered if he was proud of her. Her mother said he’d been on Jen’s team 100%. In her interview, Jen said her father had died just before she was taking the test for medical school, and it had been traumatic. He’d been riding his bike, and a motorcyclist, going the wrong way down a one-way street, hit him. He’d been the glue that kept the family together. His death brought them together briefly, but without him there to keep it that way, they fell apart. Her mother had been depressed, and Jen felt alone. It forced her to become independent very quickly.

Noella called Shannon, and said she’d been served with divorce papers from Puerto Rico. Everything was in Spanish, so she’d had to get someone to translate. His stuff was still all there, including his cars. His life was there, but he’d shut off the credit cards. In Noella’s interview, she said she was lost. She didn’t know what to do or think. It was a bad dream. She told Shannon that she’d talked to an attorney. She never thought this would be the end of her marriage, and she’d be a single mom. Their son had just been diagnosed, and her mom had recently been hospitalized. Shannon asked if there was no way to reach out.

Gina met Shannon for drinks and appetizers, and Gina said Noella had called her. She was glad she was past her own issues, and in a place where she could help someone else. In Gina’s interview, she said she could completely sympathize, since she’d been through it. It had consumed everything, and she felt like she was trapped in an effed up bubble where it was all bad. They called Noella, and asked if she wanted to join them for a well-needed cocktail, and Noella said she’d love it. Gina told Shannon that she wasn’t happy with what had happened at Heather’s party, but she didn’t want to be fighting. Shannon said it still didn’t make sense that Heather and Nicole wanted to be friends, again not grasping that, one, it’s none of her business, and two, it wasn’t really an issue to begin with. Shannon said she’d wanted to believe they had each other’s backs, and Gina said the day she’d found out her husband was having an affair, he’d brought her to the woman’s home. Everyone knew but her. Shannon wanted to focus on being right, and she didn’t care if Shannon was right. Shannon said she’d gone out of her way to be kind to Gina, and Gina said she didn’t need to go out of her way to be kind to people; she just did it. If it was that much of a burden to Shannon, she needed to reevaluate the friendship. Shannon had told Heather that she and Emily couldn’t be trusted, so why did Shannon tell them? And why was she talking sh*t about them behind their backs in the first place? Shannon said she made a mistake, and was an a-hole for doing it. No argument there, but I don’t think she quite understands what her mistake is. Gina said she could only work with what she had, but she genuinely cared about Shannon. In Gina’s interview, she said she and Shannon had recently gone to New York together, and she’d thought their friendship was on a deeper level. She felt Shannon was pulling her back to a place she didn’t want to go. Shannon said she’d been in a positive, happy place. The last thing she’d wanted was drama or anything negative. In her interview, Gina said she wanted to put this to bed and move on, but she was going to keep one eye open. She wished she had three eyes, so she could keep two open. Gina said it was out of control, and Shannon said, lesson learned. Although she was frazzled to the max, Noella showed up looking gorgeous. She said her husband shutting off the credit cards was a big no-no when she had their son. In her interview, she said she had no savings account, and no access to a line-of-credit. Her husband controlled the family finances. She wondered why this was happening, and had more questions than answers. Here’s where I stop, and say, ladies – or whoever has a partner who’s the main breadwinner – know what’s going on with your household finances, and always have your own money stashed away. I don’t care what the situation is. I have a friend whose father died, and it took her and her mother a year to figure out what was going on financially. Don’t let this happen to you. Noella told them, it wasn’t a safe place for her to be, and thanked them for being helpful. Shannon said both she and Gina had been blindsided, and Noella said, they’d been forced to sell the house in Puerto Rico, and that’s when she found out about the liens. She couldn’t understand why there was this emotional attachment to the house. They’d only owned it for seven months. Why was it a big deal? It was a weird time in her life.

Ooh. I wonder if he has another family in PR.  

Next time, Heather visits Jen, Noella’s life is falling apart, Emily has a party for Shane, Emily confronts Shannon, and Heather tells Shannon, if she ever comes after Heather’s family, Shannon will lose a lot more.  DUN-DUN-DUNN!

🗄 Closing Out the Drawer…

Tomorrow, soap of course, and seeing what fashion can be made out of barware. Until then, stay safe, stay believing you can, and stay living your truth. It’s important.

December 10, 2021 – Peter Feels Threatened, Back Home, Rebuttal, Holiday Duo, Busy Countess, Ouch, Pulled Over, Another One, Maybe, People’s Carpet, Before His Time, Close To 10 Quotes & So It Begins

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny finds Carly working at a table in the MetroCourt, and says she left so early, he didn’t get a chance to say good morning. She says, good morning. Christmas will be there before they know it, and it’s on a Saturday, so she thinks they’ll be busier than ever. She looks at her phone, and says, what? She tells Sonny that she just got an email from her supplier, and there’s a shortage of marzipan. She has to talk to the chef; she’ll be back. She leaves, and Celina comes in. She says, Sonny’s wife certainly throws herself into her work, doesn’t she? He says, the holidays are busy, and Celina says, true. She supposes she’d fill up her days with work too, if she’d lost a good friend like Jason. She trusts Sonny is keeping himself busy too.

Peter wakes with a start in his cell, and says, who’s there? The guard tells him, take it easy. He has a visitor. Peter says, no visitors, unless there’s bullet-proof glass between them, but the guard says, relax; it’s law enforcement. Anna comes in, and asks Peter, what’s wrong? Did he have a bad dream?

Brook opens the door to Chase, and asks, what’s wrong? He says, what isn’t? He hates being suspended from work. It was one thing when he was sick, but he feels useless. She says she gets it, and she’s so sorry. He says he can’t stop thinking about the look on Willow’s face when she found out he was the father to Brook’s baby, and Brook says, just for clarification, she didn’t make him do that. It was his choice. He says it was all he could think of to protect Maxie’s secret. That’s the most important thing, right? Keeping Peter from finding out Bailey is really Louise? She asks if he’s there to face the music, even if it means Willow will never speak to him again, but he says, no. He’s there to step up. To assume the role of Bailey’s father. Everyone has to believe he’s the real deal, so he’s going to start changing diapers, and playing with Bailey, and doing what any proud papa would do.

Brando adjusts Sasha’s covers, and she wakes up and kisses his cheek. He says, good morning. She’s in a good mood this morning. She says, isn’t he? and he says he’s a little stiff from sleeping in the chair. She says she thinks it’s a small price to pay to wake up and face this day together. Can he believe it? Today is the day their baby will be coming home.

Nina asks Britt if there are any updates on Sasha’s baby, but Britt says they’re still on hold, and if she had information… Maxie says they understand; it’s confidential, family only. She can only imagine what’s going through their minds right now; hoping for the best, and worried the worst might happen. The hardest part is not knowing. Britt takes Maxie’s hand, and says she still has faith Louise is going to come home to her. Maxie thanks her, and says she has faith too. Of course (🍷) Louise might already be home if Nina had just called the police when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls. Nina says, maybe she should just go to Crimson, but Maxie says she won’t have any of that. There’s no point in second guessing anything. Choices were made. Peter will get what’s coming to him, and her baby will come home. Britt says she truly hopes so, but at what cost? and Maxie says, whatever it takes.

Willow tells Michael that Wiley was hoping daddy had some time to help pick out a Christmas tree for the gatehouse today. Michael says, maybe tomorrow, and Willow says, so he hasn’t changed his mind about appearing at Brad’s parole hearing? He says, it’s his duty as Wiley’s father. He’s going to do whatever he can to make sure Brad never comes near their son again.

Sonny tells Celina that he instructed his friend on the board to vote in favor of Brad’s parole, but she has to understand something. Michael wants to be at that hearing. He wants Brad to serve out his full sentence. So Sonny doesn’t know what guarantee she has of things going her way. She says, things might be different if Jason were around to guarantee it, but he says, Jason might not be able to influence Michael any more than he would. She says, admirable, but she has to think others might be influenced by Jason’s presence, if he was still around. She’s avoided talking about this topic out of respect. She thinks it’s in everyone’s interest if Sonny just… He asks if she’s saying they should move on, and Carly comes out. She says, move on from what?

Sasha tells Brando, it feels like she’s been counting every second for the last 71 hours and – she looks at her phone – and 42 minutes. All the stress will be worth it when Britt and the other doctors say the therapy to cool Liam’s brain worked, and the EEG confirmed it. He rubs her hand, and she puts her hand on top of his. He asks if he’s rubbing her too hard, and she says, he’s done everything right. From holding her hand to making her laugh to sending her pictures of their sweet little boy, so she can be reminded what it’s all about. She loves this one. She shows him her phone.

Willow says she knows Michael is committed to keeping Wiley safe, just like she is. That’s their first priority. He says, but? and she says, but if his dad is willing to give Brad another chance… He says, this is just a business move for his dad. Brad’s Aunt Celina is a business associate of his father’s, and he thinks she can keep Brad away from Wiley, but Michael doesn’t agree. She says, she doesn’t claim to know all the ins and outs of his dad’s business, but it doesn’t seem smart for Brad’s aunt to break her word with his dad. He says, that might have been true before, when Jason was still there, but now that he’s gone, the level of enforcement is gone. She says she knows he’s grieving for Jason, so why don’t they forget about the parole hearing today? Forget Brad, forget Nina, and forget everyone else Michael thinks he has to protect them from. Let’s enjoy today. The three of them have a chance to shop for a Christmas tree. Wiley’s old enough to really enjoy that. Let’s celebrate that. Brook and Chase walk in.

Anna says Peter looks like something scared him half to death, and he says, not something, someone. Sonny Corinthos has all but put a bullseye on his back. Anna says, it’s hard to believe there’s room for yet another target, and he says, look around. Which one of the guards is on his payroll? Even in solitary he doesn’t feel safe. Not with a Corinthos hit out on him.

Sonny tells Carly, they were just discussing Celina’s nephew’s parole hearing, and Celina says she hopes they can move forward from the mistakes in judgement Bradley made. Carly says she knows Sonny has agreed not to interfere with Brad’s parole as a favor to Celina, but her son has a mind of his own, and plans on testifying against Brad at the hearing. Celina says, these situations have a way of sorting themselves out, as her husband knows. Sonny flashes back to telling Celina that his family is best served with Peter taken care of, so see to it that it happens. Sonny says, as long as everyone keeps up his or her end of the bargain, they’re good. Celina says, consider it done, and leaves. Carly says she always liked Celina. As the only woman running one of the families, she’s tough and she’s fair, but business is business, right? He says, agreed, and she asks, exactly what bargain did she walk in on just now.

Nina goes into Sasha’s room, and says, this isn’t fair. No one should look this beautiful after a C-section. Sasha says she has her new stylist to thank for that, looking at Brando, and Nina says they’ll just have to add that to Brando’s list of talents. Georgie forgot her lunch, so Maxie had to bring it to her, but she’ll be here in a second. She asks if there’s anything Brando can’t do, and Sasha says, if there is, she hasn’t discovered it yet. Lucy walks in, and says, hello there. She comes bearing goodies she got past the nurses station. She didn’t want to face the wrath of Epiphany, but guess what? She pulls out a bag, and says, Sasha’s favorite; gummi bears. Brando says it looks like he’s literally the odd man out, so he’ll leave Sasha with her friends. Sasha says, if he sees Britt, send her in right away, and he promises. He leaves, and TJ sees him getting in the elevator.

Brook says Chase has a lot to learn. Can they believe this guy doesn’t even know the name of their diaper service? Willow says she just thinks they’re lucky to be able to afford to use one. Cloth diapers are so much better for the environment than disposable ones. Chase says he couldn’t agree more. Violet was way past the diaper stage when she came into Finn’s life. This is all new to him. Michael says, too bad he didn’t come forward as Bailey’s dad. Instead, Chase focused on making Willow feel guilty for wanting to be with him and Wiley while she was married to him. I used to not like Michael because he was boring; now I don’t like him because he’s a jerk. Chase says he didn’t come forward because he didn’t know, and Michael says, but he did know he slept with Brook around the same time she got pregnant. The fact that he didn’t ask is a pretty clear indication that he just didn’t want to know. Brook picks up the monitor, and asks if Chase heard that. Bailey really needs them. Chase says, here’s the deal. The other day when Michael and Willow rushed off to be with Sasha and Brando, it was before they could deal with this news, but they can’t keep avoiding this forever. Is there any way they can get past this?

Anna says she’s not going to deny she has some satisfaction in seeing Peter like this, but the reality is, he’s safer there than the gold in Fort Knox. He says, Sonny wants him dead, and she says, she’s sure he does; so do a lot of people. But Sonny’s hands are tied. He knows that since he got back to town, he’s been in the spotlight. Peter asks if she really expects him to believe there’s no credible threat on his life, and she says, Sonny is too smart to risk it. Trust her. Sonny knows law enforcement has been watching his every move. Still, they both know Peter has made a lot of enemies. He says, meaning what? and she says, meaning, if he wants to stay alive, he’s going to have to save himself.

Sonny says, Celina suggested it’s time they start thinking about replacing Jason, and Carly says, replace Jason? That’s impossible. He’s… Sonny says, irreplaceable. She says he knows that, and he says, Jason was like a brother to him, but like his dad always said, the graveyards are full of indispensable men, and Jason was one of them. She says she knows, and Sonny is irreplaceable. Nothing was the same, or could be the same, without him. She means that. Sonny says, she had to carry on for the family and the life they built together. Nobody understood that more than Jason, but when he came back, it threw him that they were together. It doesn’t matter, because there was a void, and Jason had to fill it. Now that he’s gone, because of how much they loved him, and how much he loved them, they have to do the same.

Lucy says, Deception has been doing absolutely great lately, and it’s largely because of Sasha’s role as the Face of Conception. The public is so excited, and everything is turning out so well. There’s a financial institution that really wants to get behind them, so – drumroll – they’re thinking of taking the company public. They’ll all get their initial investment back, not to mention, Sasha has to think about the future. Sasha says, it sounds very exciting, and she’s glad Lucy shared the news with her, but the only future that matters to her right now is lying in an incubator in the NICU.

Britt calls Dr. Fleming to confirm they can go ahead with the EEG on Liam. She says, great. Please send her the results as soon as she gets them.

In the chapel, Brando kneels, and says he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He can’t remember the last time he came to church. He certainly can’t remember the last time he made a confession. Liam has opened his heart in so many ways he never thought possible. He doesn’t know why Liam was born with so many obstacles to overcome. TJ stands in the doorway and listens, and Brando says he guesses that’s why he’s there. Until he can hold Liam in his arms, will God make sure Liam feels loved, and feels safe? Let him know that his mom and dad are here for him, and always will be, and they need him too. He crosses himself and gets up, seeing TJ.

Britt asks what brings Nina back to her office, and Nina says, she thinks there were some things they didn’t get a chance to say last night. Or more accurately, avoided saying. Britt says she was just trying to be gracious, and avoid having this conversation. Nina says, Britt is a doctor. She knows it’s not healthy to stuff those feelings deep down inside. Britt says, no, but talking about it isn’t going to change anything. So what’s the point? Nina asks if Britt doesn’t want to say it to her face; that her life could have been different if Nina had just told  the truth about Peter. Britt says, okay. Nina wants to go down that road, they’ll go down that road. Why didn’t Nina call the cops when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls?

Michael asks why Willow should make it easier for Chase. Chase wanted them to feel guilty for being in love, and the whole time he knew he’d slept with Brook. Brook says, Michael is her cousin and she loves him, but she’s not going to let him call Chase out for this. He didn’t lie about being Bailey’s father; he didn’t know because Brook deliberately kept it from him. She needed to get her ELQ shares back from Valentin, and couldn’t think of another way. So if he’s looking to blame someone, blame her. Willow says she knows how betrayed Chase felt when he learned about her and Michael, but eventually he was able to make peace with it. She’d be a hypocrite if she didn’t do the same with him. But Brook is a whole different story.

Peter asks Anna what she expects him to do now. What deal could he possibly cut? She tells him, who said anything about a deal? He has to confess. He says she can’t possibly mean that, but she says he has to own up to everything he’s done. Every single crime, and they’re not going to stop there. He’s going to give up his rights to his daughter, so that Maxie can have some peace of mind that somewhere down the line, whoever has Louise will return her. In more simple terms, he has to take his punishment, and he has to do it like a man. He asks why he’d do all of that, and she says, because if he faces up to it and stops all his endless games, maybe, just maybe, there’s something she can do for him.

Carly says no one could ever replace Sonny; Jason didn’t even try. And now, there’s no way they can replace Jason. It’s impossible. Sonny could find someone to take on Jason’s responsibilities, someone he trusts, but they’re just going to be following in Jason’s footsteps, right? Sonny can’t replace Jason, and if he thinks he can, he really did change while he was in Nixon Falls.

Lucy says she’s sorry. She thinks it was just her misguided way of taking Sasha’s mind off things for a little minute. Being a mom is tough, huh? It’s sometimes the most healing, breathtakingly beautiful thing in the world, and other times, it breaks your heart. She doesn’t talk about this too much, but she had several miscarriages, and wanted to be a mom so badly. She’s not the only woman in the world who ever had a miscarriage, but that’s why she’s so grateful, because her friend Dominique asked her to carry Serena, and also asked her to help raise Serena with Scotty. She can’t tell Sasha what that meant to her, and even though her girl is living all the way across the ocean, Serena will always be her daughter, in every way that counts. What she’s trying to say is, she knows this is overwhelming and so hard, but eventually, somehow you manage to cherish each and every moment, no matter how very, very scary. Sasha thanks her, and says she’s trying to do that; cherish every single moment.

TJ says he didn’t man to intrude. He heard Brando’s baby is in the NICU, and wanted to see if Brando was okay. There was a time they used to be friends, then stuff happened. Brando says, TJ rearranged his jaw, and TJ says he hopes they’re past that now. He saw Sasha’s friends in her room talking, and thought, if Brando needed someone to talk to… Brando says he was actually talking to someone, and TJ asks if they talked back. They laugh, and Brando says his mom wanted to be an altar boy so bad. Father Hogan would make him say ten Hail Marys and run ten laps if he made a joke like that. TJ says, his Aunt Stella would have made him wash his mouth out with soap for sure. Brando thanks TJ for making him forget for two minutes that his son’s in the NICU fighting for his life. All he can do is wait for him to win.

Nina tells Britt that Peter was blackmailing her. He said he’d hurt James. He also said he was going to tell Carly that Sonny was alive and well Nixon Falls. Britt says, and avoiding trouble with Carly was more important than making sure Peter was stopped. Nina says she thought she could do both, and Britt says, by turning to her mother instead of the police? Nina says, in retrospect, she knows what she did was wrong. She was desperate and needed someone she could trust and confide in. It was Obrecht’s idea to go after Peter, and Britt knows better than anyone else, once Obrecht gets something in her mind, there’s no stopping her. Britt says, too bad Nina didn’t think of that before she got her mother involved. Nina says she’s sorry, and Britt says, Nina does realize, she could have gotten her mother killed. Nina says she does. She loves Obrecht. At least Peter’s in prison. Britt says, Jason is dead, and Nina says Carly believes his blood is on her hands. She’s sure Britt does too.

Chase says Brook didn’t tell him because she knew how he felt about Willow. She kept silent about Bailey’s paternity so they could be together. Willow says, there’s a little more to it than that. She also did it so the Quartermaines could regain control of ELQ. Michael says, that’s what they were taught their entire lives; put the company first. Willow says, obviously, she grew up with a warped idea of what family is supposed to be. She thought other families, real families were different. Maybe not this one. Chase tells Brook that he came to see their daughter, and she suggests they go upstairs. Willow asks them to wait. She says, their kids are around the same age. They’re both Quartermaines, so they’re going to grow up together. She can’t speak for Michael, but for the kids’ sake, she promises to get past this. Brook thanks her, and says she hopes Michael can forget about it too.

Peter can’t believe Anna would suggest he give up his parental rights to Louise. That would mean giving up all hope of being a family with Maxie. Anna says, come on. That was an illusion; it died a long time ago. He says, Louise and Maxie are what keep him human. He won’t give them up. The guard says, time’s up, and Anna says, that means Peter’s arraignment is starting soon. All the pain he’s caused, all the lives he’s ruined and cut short, that isn’t good enough for him. The trouble with her is, she still believes in the justice system. If he owns what he’s done, she’ll do what she can. She leaves.

Sonny says he can’t say the time away from Carly didn’t change him. But when he came back, it wasn’t to pick up where they left off; he wanted them to get closer and just be better for their kids. She says she wants that too. It doesn’t matter what Celina Wu wants, or the people who think they know what’s best for them. They know what’s best. They know what they want. He says he wants her, and she says, she wants him; only him. No one’s here; we’re not open yet. He asks if she thinks that’s going to stop him, and kisses her.

TJ tells Brando, try not to let his imagination get the best of him. Enjoy the fact that Sasha survived a difficult birth, and she’s doing better. Focus on the positive. Brando says, the tests will also come when they come. He thanks TJ, and says he’s been trying to do that. They walk to Sasha’s room, and Brando says, when he left, Sasha’s friends had her laughing. They go in, and Sasha says, Lucy was just showing her the latest Deception baby care products. Lucy says, organic, hypo-allergenic, of course (🍷), and adorable if she does say so herself. Brando says he hates to ruin the party, but they should be hearing from the doctors soon. Lucy says, she didn’t know she’d been there that long, and hugs Sasha. She says she’s rooting for Sasha; for all of them. Then she says, bye, instead of ta, and I puzzle over this longer than I should. TJ says Brando has his number. If he has any questions with medical lingo or anything, call him. Brando says he appreciates it, and TJ leaves. Sasha says, Lucy did a terrific job of distracting her, but they can’t avoid it any longer. It’s almost time, right?

Britt says she’s not playing the blame game with Nina. Nina made choices, and so did she. She’s pretty sure if Nathan was still here, he’d probably tell her to go pay it forward, and go help Nina. Nina thanks her, saying, she sounds exactly like Jay. Britt says, if she can come back, so can Nina. Nina says, Britt will be there for her? and Britt says, Nathan wouldn’t have it any other way. Britt’s phone rings, and she says she’ll be right there. Nina asks if it’s news about Sasha’s baby.

Brook says, that went well, and Chase says, as opposed to what? A firing squad? She says, they have to take what they can get. It seems like Willow is going to give him a pass, whereas everyone thinks she’s the next Cruella de Vil. Chase says he hopes Brook knows what she’s doing is very noble, and she says, that’s not exactly a word used to describe her – ever. He says, one day, her family will know the good thing she’s done, but while Peter is still a potential threat to Maxie and Louise, they’re in this. She says, what other choice could they have made?

Michael kisses Willow, and she says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? He says he’s amazed at how generous she is, and willing to forgive. She says, let’s be clear. Forgiving Chase is one thing. Brook is a whole other story. Michael says, that’s going to be a longer road for sure, and Willow says, while they’re on the topic of forgiveness, if she forgave Chase, and hopefully soon, Brook, does he think he could find it in his heart to forgive Brad?

Peter’s breakfast is slid into the opening in the door by an inmate worker, but he says he doesn’t trust it. The guard says, fine; they’ll give it to the next inmate. It’s removed, and Peter says, wait. Bring it back. The inmate puts the tray back, and Peter takes it.

Carly says, the happiest day of her life was when Sonny came back, and Sonny says, that makes two of them. It all started with the dreams. A blonde woman in the dream; then she became a reality.

Michael says he has to feel consistent, and do what he can to keep his family safe, and that includes keeping Brad in prison and away from their son. The same rules apply to Nina. This is a black and white subject for him; there’s nothing grey about it. Willow flashes back to hearing Sonny tell Nina, that what happened in Nixon Falls has to come from him – and it will. She remembers Nina saying that the love she and Sonny shared was the purest thing she’s known in her life, and she’s so sorry, but she can never regret that. Michael says he understands how Willow can give Chase a pass, and someday forgive Brook. He also gets that she and Brad were close in the past, but he can’t help but wonder how she’s so forgiving about Nina.

Brando says he knows he and Sasha can lean on each other, but it’s nice having friends who can back them up too. Sasha says, when the doctors give them the news, they’ll deal with that. Whatever it takes to give Liam a long and happy life. Starting today. Dr. Fleming and Britt come in, but they don’t look happy. Britt closes the door.

Brook asks if Chase is ready for some diaper changing 101, and he says he’s up for the challenge. He thinks with a little practice, he could be good. He does hope for Maxie’s sake, all the lies stop soon. She says, her too, and they head upstairs. She says, it isn’t enough that Peter’s in custody. It seems that Maxie and her baby won’t be safe until Peter is dead and buried.

Sonny says the second he remembered Carly, he remembered all of it, and all he wanted to do was come home. He just wanted to be with her, his family, and his life. This is where he belongs; this is his home. Anna comes in, and says, she’s sorry to interrupt. She tells Carly that she just wanted to say how sorry she is about Jason. Carly thanks her, and tells Sonny that she has some things she needs to do. She goes behind the bar, and Celina comes in. Carly says, she’s back, and Celina says, the more she thought about it, the more she recognized that the subject of Jason might have caused a miscommunication. But it’s all about wanting to protect Carly and her family. That’s what she and Sonny both want, right?

Anna says, if Sonny wanted to put the fear of God in Peter, mission accomplished. She just came from Pentenville, so can he leave it at that, and let the law run its course? He says she gives him too much credit. Peter is behind bars 24/7, with guards. Even if he wanted to get his hands dirty, how would he do it?

Peter finishes his breakfast, and starts choking. He falls to the floor.

The inmate worker brings back empty trays, and wheels them away. We see it’s Brad.

On Monday, Stella asks TJ what’s going on with Curtis, Trina tells Portia that she doesn’t want to blow this, Epiphany tells Maxie that it’s a bad idea, and Sonny thinks Carly deserves to know the truth.

👯‍♀️ Coming Home For Two…

Kristina on GH.

And the Christina of Christmas fame.

🗣 Ingo Rebuts…

I don’t think his itchy Twitter finger helped him much.

🦚 Days On Peacock…

A look at DOOL’s Christmas movie.

https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-christmas-movie-peacock-first-look/

🎄 Not a Hallmark Movie…

This actually looks intriguing. Like The Big Chill gone sideways.

🎤 She’s Keeping Busy…

I’m not sure which is a worse sounding project.

❗️ Long Island Real…

Gina doesn’t mince words.

🍷 He Should Have Had a V-8…

I doubt he only had a glass of wine with dinner.

🎃 It Keeps On Ticking…

Yet another Halloween movie in the works, including Kyle.

🏖 Make It Stop…

New, no doubt awful, people added to the already awful cast.

https://ew.com/tv/meet-the-cast-of-bravos-summer-house/

👋🏼 Lala Hints Bye-Bye…

I don’t know how much of a loss she’d be, but surprisingly, she’s been the voice of reason this time around. They probably need one of those. LVP has enough to do.

👠 Color the Carpet Red…

The best part of any awards show.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/33624/peoples-choice-awards-2021-red-carpet-fashion

🎸 Leaving the Stage…

IMO, he was the most talented of the group. He was doing music videos long before MTV was a thought. And his mother invented Liquid Paper. Micky Dolenz must be getting pretty nervous though.

https://people.com/music/monkees-star-michael-nesmith-dead-age-78/

https://people.com/music/heartbroken-micky-dolenz-pays-tribute-to-monkees-bandmate-michael-nesmith/

👩🏽‍🏫 Quotes of the Week

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frankl

The best protection any woman can have is courage. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb

Mistakes are part of the game. It’s how well you recover from them, that’s the mark of a great player. – Alice Cooper

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. – Oscar Wilde

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. – Kurt Vonnegut

I still believe that the unexamined life is not worth living: and I know that self-delusion, in the service of no matter what small or lofty cause, is a price no writer can afford. His subject is himself and the world and it requires every ounce of stamina he can summon to attempt to look on himself and the world as they are.James Baldwin

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

🏀 Dribbling Off the Court…

If you’re in a work mindset, another weekend has arrived. For those who’ve moved on from that, another seven Xs have been put on the calendar. And for those people who are already in a holiday panic, you’ve got two weeks until Christmas. No Dead are Walking for a while, so I’ll see you for a little soap, a little Deck on Monday. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ personal space, and stay not second guessing anything. There’s no point.

December 8, 2021 – Willow Confronts Nina About Sonny, It’s Sort Of Real, Heather Shuts Down Her Sushi Party & Love

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Martin picks up Laura’s plate, and she says, yummy. She can see why hummingbird cake is his mother’s favorite. She’ll have to remember to order one when she gets home. He says, maybe. Or maybe they could just order another one and have it brought here. She says she still has to get back, but he says, she still can’t. Not while there’s a threat out there. She says if she chooses to assume the risk, that’s her business, and he asks if they have to keep going over this. Does she really want him to tell Silva that she’s going to make a break for it? She says his devotion to her is astounding, and he says he is devoted; live with it. They’re stuck here, and they’re going to make the best of it. As a matter-of-fact, he has a surprise for her later.

Gladys looks through the NICU window at baby Liam, and dabs at her eyes. Carly hugs her.

Michael goes to Sasha’s room, and sees she’s sleeping. Brando dozes in a chair, but hears Michael, and wakes up. They go outside, and Michael says he didn’t want to wake Brando. Sorry he got there so late. Brando says he wasn’t sleeping, and Michael asks how he’s holding up. Sasha calls to Brando, and says she’d like to see Michael too.

Willow and Nina go into an office, and Willow says she thinks this conversation calls for privacy. Nina says, she and Sonny thought they had privacy in the chapel too, but that turned out not to be the case. Willow was there. Willow says she wishes to God she hadn’t been. She wishes she hadn’t heard a single word.

Maxie goes to Austin’s office, and asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷). He’s just a little surprised to see her. Is she there to tell him that he’s wrong again? She wouldn’t be wrong; he was wrong. He really shouldn’t have interfered with Brook and Valentin. He asks why she’s there if they’re not friends, and she says she doesn’t know where she is with that, but there is someone who thinks they’re friends. Maybe even more than that. He says, her ex, Peter August.

Peter dozes in the interrogation room, when Sonny comes in, slamming the door and startling him awake. Peter asks how he got in there, and Sonny laughs. He says, funny thing about Jason. Some of the cops hated him, and some of the cops liked him, but they all respected him. Peter asks if Sonny really expects him to believe the police thought Jason was an honorable man, and Sonny says he doesn’t give a damn what Peter thinks. Look around. Nobody’s there but the two of them. He killed Jason; all rules go out the window. Nobody wants to protect him, and everybody wants to see him pay. So it looks like Sonny is going to do the honors.

Silva tells fake cleaning lady that he called the management office, and it seems Nancy called in sick. She’s good to go. He’s sorry she had to wait and stay later. She says, it’s okay; she can use the overtime.

Inside, Laura says, nothing in the news about Victor Cassadine’s release. Then again, she supposes they wouldn’t tell the press. Most people don’t know him anyway, but she… Martin says, there is nothing she can do about Victor from here. She’s not leaving. It’s final. It’s too dangerous. She says, it’s not just Victor; she misses her family. He says he empathizes. He feels bad that he selfishly has her to himself. It’s not like he has anybody to miss back home like she does. They hug, and he says he’s sorry. He’s going to make sure Agent Silva gets a slice of this wonderful hummingbird cake, since he’s the one who arranged it. He opens the door, and Silva tells him to close the door and stay inside. Fake cleaning lady digs in her pseudo cleaning supplies, and Martin says he just wanted to make sure Silva got a slice of hummingbird cake. Enjoy.

Austin says he was on duty when Peter came in, so he treated him. Peter saw his name on his ID badge, and recognized him as the one who delivered her baby. Then he insinuated Austin kidnapped Louise. Maxie says, he did what? She’s so sorry. What did Austin say? He tells her that he reacted with professional detachment. Until he didn’t. Because he kind of reacted like an angry middle schooler. He stuck Peter a couple extra times with the syringe when he was drawing blood. Maxie tries not to laugh, and asks what he said about her and him, and their friendship, or lack thereof. He says he told Peter the truth. He told Peter that he’d do anything to keep him from hurting Maxie.

Sonny asks if Peter doesn’t get it. They’re all their friends. They want him gone, and he has the power to make that happen. Peter says he didn’t kill Sonny’s precious Jason, and Sonny says, Peter shot at him, and caused a cave-in, and Jason was buried in that godforsaken island. He doesn’t deserve another breath. Peter says, yet here he is – he takes a deep breath – still breathing. Sonny says, not for long. Peter says, Sonny’s not going to kill him, because if he does, his little secret is going to come out.

Carly tells Gladys, she knows it must be terrifying to see her grandson like that, and Gladys says she wasn’t prepared. She knew there were issues, but she was trying to be good about giving Brando and Sasha space. She didn’t visit. Then Brando gave her the okay, and she came straight here. He’s so little. Hooked up to all those tubes and machines. Carly says, it’s overwhelming. The first time she saw him, she was visiting with Sasha, and Brando brought Sonny there. Gladys asks if Carly heard the name they gave him – Liam – and Carly says, it’s a nice name. Gladys says, it’s not rugged, or stylish like Brando. It sounds like a character in a fairytale book. Not like Brando, one of the most fantastic movie stars in all of movie history. Carly says, Liam Neeson’s a pretty big movie star too, and Gladys says, not like Brando. She tried to offer names, but did they listen? No. Liam, it’s such a lackluster name. It must be a millennial thing. Probably Sasha’s idea.

Michael gives Sasha a giftbag, and says he got this for Liam. She thanks him, and says she loves getting gifts for Liam. She can’t wait to see him in his nursery, playing with all of them, making a mess. Maybe his cousin Wiley can show him how to play blocks. She remembers Wiley being obsessed with them, and Michael says he can’t wait to see them together. She asks if Willow is there, and he says they showed up together, but when he was talking to his parents, she must have wandered off. He’s sure she’ll be here soon.

Nina says, Willow must have misunderstood what she heard, or maybe took it out of context. She and Sonny were talking about Peter, and they were both really upset. She doesn’t know if Willow knows this, but Peter tried to kill her. He set the bar on fire when she was in there, and Sonny rushed into the burning building, and saved her life, so they had a friendship back in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was. They had a bond… Can Willow just tell her what she overheard? Willow says enough to know that Nina and Sonny fell in love, and Nina doesn’t regret it, because it was the purest thing she’s ever known.

Maxie tells Austin that she appreciates chivalry, but Peter might have interpreted it as something more. He says, Peter kind of fished around about that, and he told Peter that he’d be proud to be her friend. She asks what Peter said, and Austin tells her that he thinks Peter senses he’s not in that hallowed circle, and said he’s going to do everything he can to keep it that way. She says, he threatened Austin? and he says, Peter mewled like a cornered little kitty cat, instead of yowling. What’s going on? Why is she asking him all of these questions? She says she went to see Peter, and he asks why she’d do that to herself. She says she needed to prove to herself that she could stand in front of Peter and show him that she’s not afraid of him anymore. She wanted him to know he means nothing to her; that she feels nothing for him but contempt. He says, how’d that go?

Michael says, Liam is a great name, and Brando says, Liam Mike Corbin. Michael says, Mike goes on, and Brando says, he was a helluva guy. Michael says he’ll put the gift with the rest of the collection, and Brando says they’d like to ask him something. Michael asks, what’s up? and Sasha says, it involves Willow too. She takes Brando’s hand, and says, it would mean so much to them. Brando asks if they’d do them the favor of being Liam’s godparents, and Michael says he thinks he can speak for Willow in saying, yes, absolutely. They’d be honored to be there for Liam. He and Brando hug.

Gladys tells Carly, she likes the Mike part of his name; she’s going to call him Mike. Carly suggests she let Sasha and Brando decide what they want people to call their son. Gladys says she’s not people; she’s the grandma, the one and only. She doesn’t have to share him with anybody. She bets Carly hates having to share hers with that awful Nina Reeves after what Nina did to her and Sonny. Carly says she’s just glad Wiley has a lot of people who love him, and Gladys says, depends on the people. Carly says, you know what? Liam’s going to have a big extended family. He’s going to have tons of people who love him. Gladys says she can’t wait to take him to the park, or show him off at Carly’s restaurant. Carly laughs, and Gladys says she wants to be there for his first smile, his first steps, his first word. Wouldn’t it be good if it was grandma? Carly says she bets Gladys will stop at nothing to make that happen, and Gladys says she was so young when she had Brando. She wasn’t ready for a baby, and she missed so much. She hopes she can make up for it. They look in the NICU window, and Gladys says, he looks like Brando, don’t you think? Carly says she sees both Sasha and Brando in him. Both of his parents have strong, fighting spirits.

Nina says, Willow deserves to know the truth. She was good to Nina when she didn’t have to be. Willow says, when she didn’t know the whole story. She was willing to bend the rules for Wiley, even though Carly kept pounding it into her how toxic Nina was to their family. She just didn’t realize how toxic, and my God, Sonny’s been insisting that Michael and Carly let go of their hostility toward her. Is it because they’re in love? Have they been sneaking around all this time? Are Nina and Sonny having an affair? Nina says, no, it’s not like that. Yes, they were in love, but as soon as Sonny found out who he really was, it ended. Willow says, so they had an affair in Nixon Falls? but Nina says, no, they never went that far; it never went to that level. It’s exactly what Willow heard her say; it was pure. It was just love. Willow says, and Nina’s not over it.

Sonny says, are you trying to run a bluff on me, Petah? and Peter says, look at Sonny. So calm, and cool, and collected. Nothing like Mike in Nixon Falls. Poor Mike. He was too simple to even know he was being duped by Nina. Does he remember… Can he remember how righteous he was? Telling Peter all about how he found himself in that little town. What he found for himself was a whole lot of Nina, and guess what? He recorded all of it. He has a great picture of that kiss too. It’s all on a thumb drive, safe in a vault, locked away, ready to be opened in the event of Peter’s death. So if Sonny kills him, he’s just going to breathe life into that little secret about Nina and him.

Martin says he doesn’t know how Laura does it, and she says, do what? He says, maintain a stable marriage. He never could. She asks, why not? and he says, simple. He was a terrible husband. She asks if he thinks it’s because his father was a terrible role model, and he says, possibly. Possibly it was because he was always overly attached to his mama, especially after the family went sideways. On the upside, if it wasn’t for his daddy’s philandering ways, he would be without his magnificent sister. He holds up his coffee cup, and says, to you, beautiful. They clink cups, and she says, if he’s trying to cheer her up, it’s working. He says, excellent, and she nearly does a spit-take. He asks if she’s ready for her surprise, and she wonders if it’s a new video game. He says, no. It’s something to get them in the holiday spirit with everyone’s favorite holiday classic Christmas film. He puts on the TV, and she says, not Christina Comes Home for Christmas? (I wonder, is that a real thing? See what I found below.) She can’t watch that movie; she just can’t. She’s sorry.  

Maxie tells Austin, she doesn’t believe she didn’t see through Peter until now. She used to try and protect him, change him. She’s such a fool. Austin says, he doesn’t think so. Don’t beat herself up. She’s a generous person, kind-hearted, and Peter took advantage of that. From the little time he spent with Peter, he can turn the charm on when he wants to. She asks what he means, and he says, Peter has this way of talking, like heightened language, pretty words. He does seem certain the two of them will be together someday. She says, that’s all Peter’s got; dreams and delusions. He says, Peter mentioned fate, but he doesn’t believe in fate, and told him so. She wishes he hadn’t done that. He probably made himself Peter’s newest obsession. He says he’s not worried about that, and she says, make no mistake. Peter sees him as a rival for her, and that could be dangerous for him.

Peter says, Carly won’t have to know anything about Sonny and Nina, as long as he stays alive. Sonny says, Carly will know everything, when the time is right. Peter can keep his little threats to himself. He doesn’t believe for a second Peter has anything stashed in a vault. Even if he did, does Peter think Sonny would let him hold Nixon Falls over his head? This is bigger than Nixon Falls. He took Jason away from him and his family; he terrorized Maxie. Does Peter think Sonny would let him hurt anyone else? Peter asks if Sonny is going to kill him right here in the police station, but Sonny says, no. He’s going to let Peter wait, and wonder, when he hears those footsteps approaching his cell. He’s going to think to himself, did he send somebody? Am I going to die tonight? Hopelessly obsessed with a woman who despises him, he’s never even met his daughter, and doesn’t know where she is… dead or alive. Peter jumps up, and tells Sonny, don’t say that. Don’t you dare say that to me. Sonny tells him, sit down; relax. Wherever she is, she’s better off there than with him.

Gladys tells Carly, Brando was born so healthy. She didn’t know how lucky she was. Then when he succumbed to drugs, she told everyone he was dead, instead of supporting him through it. How could she have done that to her own son? Maybe this is punishment for her being such a bad mother. Carly says, it’s not punishment. Gladys was a young mother, who probably didn’t have the support she needed, and did the best she could under the circumstances. Brando arrives, wheeling Sasha, and hugs Gladys. Gladys says she was giving them space. Their baby is gorgeous. She asks how Sasha is feeling, and Sasha says she should be up and around in a day or two. Gladys says, that’s great. Now will the two of them tell her when her sweet little grandson gets to come home?

Nina tells Willow, it doesn’t matter how she feels about Sonny. He doesn’t love her; he never did. It’s Mike who fell in love with her. Willow says, because Nina didn’t tell him who he really was; that he had a family here, missing him, grieving him. Nina says she swears she didn’t want it to happen. She fought against it. She tried leaving Nixon Falls, but it would always draw her back. When she left Port Charles, she was in such deep pain and confusion, and she found peace in Nixon Falls; a new life, a new her, and Mike was a part of that. Then Michael called, and told her that she could be part of Wiley’s life again. She thought she’d go back to Port Charles and tell the truth, but that didn’t happen. Willow says, all that time, Nina knew Sonny was alive, and never told them. She played with their son, and never said a word. Nina says she wanted to tell them about Sonny, but then Mike would call, and say he missed her or Phyllis needed support. She couldn’t turn her back on them, and went back to Nixon Falls, and there he was. Mike behind the bar, this man that was so sweet and good. He didn’t want to know who he really was. She tried to stop it, but she fell in love with him. Willow says she knows, and Nina will never regret it. But what about Carly? She understands why Nina hasn’t said anything, but why hasn’t Sonny? Nina says, because it’s over. Why would he tell her? There’s no reason to. Willow says, because they’re still sneaking around, having hushed conversations. Nina says, okay. Willow knows the truth now. What is she going to do? Is she going to tell Michael and Carly?

Carly says she’s going to find Michael, and Sasha says, he’s in her room. He was kind enough to offer to pack up the gifts, and take them to Liam’s nursery. Carly says she’ll lend him a hand, and tells them to call if they need anything. She leaves, and Gladys says, sometimes she’s not so bad. What’s the matter with her little Mikey? Brando says, he was deprived of oxygen, and there was a problem with Sasha’s placenta. No one knew what was happening until Sasha went into labor, and that’s when things turned serious for her during the delivery. Gladys says, but Sasha’s okay now, right? And what about the baby? He’s okay too, right? Aren’t they taking him home soon? Sasha leans on Brando’s arm.

Austin says Maxie doesn’t have to worry about him. Peter is under constant supervision; the PCPD, the WSB. Even if he does somehow manage to escape and come after him, Austin will just kill him, and call it self-defense. He thinks Peter has a lot of enemies. Probably someone else will do him in before it comes to that.

Sonny says, Peter really messed up this time. He has two little girls that are a delight. Thank God Peter’s daughter never has to know the horror show he is. When Sonny is playing with his little girls, and his whole family is loving him back, Peter is going to be meeting his maker. He’s going to be in his cell, alone, asking for mercy, and he ain’t gonna get it. Peter says, Sonny, of all people, feels like he’s qualified to judge him, and end his life? Sonny says he’s doing this with peace in his heart, in the name of all the people Peter has hurt and killed. Jason is at the top of that list. He wants Peter to remember that when they come for him, Sonny sent them. They’ll tell when it’s finished, and he’ll smile, and guess what? Everybody is going be so happy that Peter is done, and it’s the end, especially Maxie. They never have to think about him again. He tells Peter, have a nice life, whatever’s left of it, and leaves.

Michael tells Carly, it’s so unfair. Brando and Sasha should be laughing and having fun, planning where they’re going to put all this in Liam’s nursery, not terrified he’ll never get to play with any of it. She says, it’s hard, and she’s sure it brings up painful feelings for Michael over Jonah. He says he grieved for over a year until he got his miracle. He hopes Sasha and Brando don’t have to wait as long for theirs.

Willow tells Nina that she knows about running away and starting over. She also knows something about secrets and loss. She’s been both the recipient and perpetrator, and knows how they can fester and grow. She knows how you can feel trapped in them and by them. Nina says, that’s how she feels, but Willow says, the thing is, someone always gets hurt, and that pure love of hers was based on deceit. She kept Sonny’s identity and whereabouts a secret. Was it because Nina fell for him, and didn’t want him to leave? Nina says, not at first, but toward the end… it got kind of confusing. She knows what she did was wrong. There’s no excuse for it. Keeping Sonny away from his family caused so much pain, but why should Willow compound it by telling people what she overheard; that Nina and Sonny fell in love in Nixon Falls, when it’s over? Willow says, is it? and Nina says, yes. Sonny is with the woman he loves. He’s with his wife and his family, and she respects that. The fallout from all this has been brutal. Why make it worse for Carly and Sonny’s family? Willow asks if Nina means why make it worse for her?

Martin says he doesn’t understand. Everyone loves Christina Comes Home for Christmas; why doesn’t Laura? She says she does love it. She watches it every year. It’s part of their family Christmas tradition, and she can’t do it this year. He says, because she watches it with Doc, and she says, because it reminds her too much of home. It reminds her of her children and her grandkids, her family and friends, everything she’s missing right now. Going out Christmas shopping, the tree lighting in Rice Plaza. She can’t watch a movie where a woman is struggling to get home when she can’t get home. He says, it might be cathartic. How about they watch it tonight, have a good cry, and wake up feeling better tomorrow? She says, but they’re not going to feel better tomorrow, because Christina gets to go home. She gets her happy ending, and they’re going to be stuck there in this damn house. He says he knows that. He’s trying to make the best of the situation. She says, he’s not. She can’t take it anymore. She’s getting out of here. She gets up, and he gets up, saying, stop talking about it, dammit. Don’t do this. He’s begging her. She just has to hold on a little bit longer. She has to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and that means keeping the faith and sitting tight. This too shall pass, but not if she does something stupid. What good will it do for all those people in Port Charles who she loves and misses, who love and miss her, if she gets herself killed? She says, he’s a pretty good lawyer, and he says he has his moments. She says, she does too apparently. She’s sorry she freaked out. She wants to do the responsible thing, for him and herself, but she can’t watch that movie. He says, understood. How about if he pours her a nice glass of cognac, and she can have a nice soak in that oversized tub? She says, for about two hours? He’s totally going to watch that movie, isn’t he? He says, oh yeah, and she says, pour her a glass. She’ll give him the room. They hug.

Nina says, it’s true. If Willow shares what she overheard, that she and Sonny fell in love in Nixon Falls, it will make her bad situation even worse. Carly despises her, but Sonny loves Carly, and Carly loves Sonny. Does Willow really want to drive a wedge between that? One that doesn’t need to be there? Willow says, the secret is driving the wedge between them. Nina asks if Willow has ever heard it’s best not to confess everything to your partner that’s going to hurt them. It might even be selfish to do so, but she’s begging Willow to keep quiet. Not for her sake; she can take whatever Carly throws at her. Carly already hates her, and Michael got her arrested, and told her that he doesn’t want her to see Wiley anymore. She’s begging Willow to keep the secret. Willow doesn’t owe her anything, and she gets what Willow thinks about her, but just let her do this one good thing. Please keep it to herself. Willow says she doesn’t know what she’s going to do, but she has to go, and leaves.  

Michael tells Carly, he knows the situation is hard enough without Nina hanging around, but Carly says she’s not going to let it get to her. There are more important things. She just came from visiting little Liam. Has Michael seen him? It’s heartbreaking. Michael says he wanted to give Brando and Sasha some alone time, but Carly says, they’re not alone. He asks if Willow is with them, but she says, no, Gladys. She thought Willow was with him. The elevator opens, and Willow comes out. Michael says he told Sasha and Brando they’d bring Liam’s things to his nursery, and she says, Liam is such a beautiful name. How is he, and Sasha? Michael says, Sasha is on the mend. She and Brando are hanging in there, waiting for word on their baby’s heath. They have a long night ahead of them. Carly says they were wondering where Willow was. Nina almost comes around the corner, but ducks back, and Willow sees her.

Austin says he wanted to keep an eye on Peter, and volunteered to be his physician, but Maxie says, undo that. He says he wants to do it for her sake. There’s nothing she can say that will change his mind, so save her breath. It’s the least he can do. She asks what he means, and he says, this whole Brook baby daddy thing; he gave her a hard time. He’s not sure why she’s so invested in Bailey’s paternity, but it doesn’t matter. He’s truly sorry, and he can see now that for whatever reason she and Brook are very close. Maxie asks if they can stop talking about it, and he says, that would be great, because he’s been thinking about it a lot, and like he told her ex, he’d do anything to get back in her good graces. She says, and could he stop talking to Peter and asking questions. He asks, why? and she says, anything and everything. He says, cool, and asks if they can be friends, and she says, sure. He says, congratulations by the way, and she asks, for what? He says, facing Peter, and she says, thanks. It feels pretty good. She leaves.

Sasha says Gladys raised a terrific son. She couldn’t have gone through this alone. She can’t believe she even considered it. Being a single parent must have been hard for Gladys. She can understand why Gladys was worried that she wouldn’t be prepared. Gladys thanks her, and says, she was just telling Carly, she hopes she can make up for her mistakes with Brando with her new grandson. She doesn’t want Sasha to worry. She’s going to be around all the time to take care of their little guy. Brando says, they need to wait and see what Liam’s prognosis is. Then they’ll know when they can take him home.

Michael asks if Willow was checking her nursing schedule this whole time, and Willow says she should have known she’d get caught up in things. She should have come straight here. Michael says, she’s here now. He hopes she doesn’t mind, but Sasha and Brando asked them a big favor, and he took the liberty of answering for both of them. They want them to be Liam’s godparents, and he said yes. She says she’s glad he did. Of course (🍷) they will. He says, as their first official act, they should get the gifts to the car, and go see the baby together. Nina continues to listen in, as Carly redistributes the packages. Carly says she’s so happy they’re so supportive of Brando and Sasha. They need to be surrounded by them right now. Family’s really important. Willow says, yes, it is, and glances at Nina.  

Sonny runs into Maxie, and she says she’s so happy to see him. He asks if she’s coming from Sasha and Brando; he was just going to see them. She says, no; she’s planning on visiting tomorrow. She wanted to talk to him about Peter. He says he just saw that son of a bitch. What’s on her mind? She says, what is Sonny going to do about him? Is he going kill him?

Laura says she’s really glad she and Martin got this time to make up for the time they lost not growing up together. He says, on the other hand, they might have driven each other crazy, and she says, there’s still time. She loves him. She gives him a hug, and he says he loves her too. She goes into the other room, and he puts the movie on. There’s a knock at the door, and fake maid says she has their laundry. He opens the door, and says they were told Nancy was sick. He appreciates it. Of all the things he misses about being home, doing laundry isn’t on the list. He sits back down on the couch, and tells her to put it wherever she sees fit. Behind him, she takes a cord out of the laundry basket, and wraps it around his throat. She tightens it, and he struggles against it.

Tomorrow, Ava says, if Nikolas has anything to tell her, the time is now; Britt wonders why she feels like she’s being judged; Nina says, Jason’s death is her fault; and Carly tells Michael, they’re not on the same page right now.

🎄 She’s Coming Home…

I don’t remember this at all. You can find the episode on YouTube, but it’s in parts.

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2008/12/10/christina-comes-home-for-christmas

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Heather’s sushi party was all fabulous, and Heather introduced Nicole to everyone. In Emily’s interview, she thought it made no sense for Heather to be friends with someone who’d sued Terry. Heather had gotten a photographer, and wanted to do a group shot, which I thought was pretty odd, but she has too much money and needs to spend it. In Shannon’s interview, she said that Nicole wasn’t the Pam Anderson lookalike she’d met 16 years ago. The skimpy dress was the same, but not much else. Meow. Because the expense just kept on coming, each place setting had a personalized box, which I assume held chopsticks. Jen and Nicole literally banged a gong, and Heather asked if they should all go have a nibble, which made me cringe. In her interview, Shannon thought it was bizarre that Nicole was friends with Heather and Terry, when she’d sued Terry. God knows what happened in 16 years, but apparently quite a bit. Gina wondered how Shannon could smile to her face, and talk sh*t about her behind her back, and told Emily the lawsuit had been over an alleged (my word; left over from RHOBH’s last season) botched boob job.  Emily engaged Nicole in a conversation about boob jobs, and Nicole said hers were a long story. It had taken four and a half years for her to get where she was. Shannon found out she and Noella went to the same healer, and Terry stopped by to get screen time. In Gina’s interview, she said she felt like she was participating in something to make someone look stupid. Taking Heather aside, she explained what Shannon had told her and Emily about Nicole.  

Emily asked Shannon if she’d told Heather about Nicole, but Shannon said she wasn’t out to hurt anyone. Shannon went to talk to Heather, and saw Gina had beat her to it. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d made them promise that if it was the same Nicole, they wouldn’t talk about it. While all that was going on outside, inside, Emily told Nicole about what Shannon had blabbed.

Gina said Shannon always made a big thing out of nothing, and Shannon said Gina had promised to keep her mouth shut. Gina said it wasn’t the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and she hadn’t known Heather when Shannon told her about Nicole. Gina split, going back inside to Emily, and Noella came out. Shannon told Noella that she didn’t trust Gina. Heather stomped around saying the show was over. Nicole explained to Emily that she’d made a mistake as a young model. Her attorneys had forced her into a lawsuit. Heather went upstairs, and told Terry that she was leaving the show, and kicking everyone out. That didn’t take long or much.

Shannon told Noella that she became loose-lipped when she drank, and thought she could trust Gina. In Shannon’s interview, she said Gina had no place talking to Heather. They’d just met, and now she was Gina’s good friend. Who TF did Gina think she was? Emily thought if Nicole and Heather were going to be friends, they should clear the air, and in Jen’s interview, she said it was the worst thing in the world to sue your doctor. They were the ones who took care of you, and no one who’d sued her or her husband would be sitting in her house. I get the last part, but it depends on the situation whether it’s the worst or not. Nicole said they’d figure it out, and she hadn’t asked Emily’s opinion, nor did she need it right. Emily told Nicole not to get in her face when she was being a friend. Nicole said she’d only known Emily for 20 minutes, and told Emily, sit down. This was the stupidest thing ever, since, as Emily pointed out, she was already sitting. Emily told her to put her anger somewhere else, and Nicole said Emily was stupid. Go eat sushi, bitch. I might want that on a bumper sticker. Then the yelling started, and Gina suggested Emily walk away. As she walked away, Emily told Nicole that she was trash. She had no education, and had never had a job. F*** you. Then she demanded Gina come with her, which Gina did. This reminded me why I don’t like these shows. It’s not even that I mind the cat fighting, but get a thesaurus, and stop ordering your friends around.

Emily wanted to leave, but Jen coaxed her back inside. Emily joked that she’d handled it well, and Gina said at least she hadn’t called anyone a sloppy chihuahua. We flashed back to Gina calling Braunwyn that. Noella got all excited to meet Heather’s daughter Max, as they were both bi-sexual. Actually, Noella seems like she’s excited about everything all the time. Gina suggested Shannon table it, and Shannon whined that Gina had made a promise.  

Heather and Terry went hunting for Nicole, found her alone, and beat the crap out of her. Not really, but Terry said Nicole had sued him, and Heather asked why Nicole hadn’t told her; they’d been friends for years. Terry said she’d had a complication, and Nicole said she hadn’t thought Terry did anything wrong. She’d been in her 20s, and pushed by her attorneys. She started crying, and Terry said it was fine; Nicole had dropped it, and it went away. In Heather’s interview, she said doctors got sued all the time, and it wasn’t a big deal. It was years ago, and Nicole was allowed a fresh start. I worked for a clinic, and she’s right about them getting sued all the time. That’s why their insurance premiums are so high, and in turn, their fees. The more you know… I was, however, confused at how insane Heather acted, and then she was practically shrugging it off. Terry suggested they hug it out, and Heather said if Nicole left, she’d be super upset. Noella said there seemed to be love and hurt feelings on both sides. Heather asked to talk to Gina and Shannon, and told Gina that people said don’t shoot the messenger, but she was going to. If it didn’t exist in her world, she didn’t know about it. Gina only knew because Shannon told her, and she thought it was sh*tty that Shannon did this. She shouldn’t have said anything. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d been looking forward to rekindling her friendship with Heather, and she was livid. Heather walked away, and said the party was over. In her interview, she said thousands of dollars of sushi went to waste. Is it me? Who’s fault was that? I wouldn’t have shut down my sushi party for this nonsense. Not to mention, why should Nicole stay if there was going to be no dinner?

Shannon said she hoped someday Heather would know her heart. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Heather. Heather said she was disappointed. She’d honestly thought they had a chance to be real friends. Shannon insisted she was loyal and trustworthy, but Heather said Shannon wasn’t. Shannon could have given her a heads up. She told Shannon, let’s just be done.

The next day, Emily asked Heather to have lunch with her and Gina to sort things out. Shannon called Noella, who was still processing, and thanked her for being supportive. In Shannon’s interview, she said, maybe she wasn’t on an island by herself. Part of her felt horrible. She shouldn’t have said anything, but she didn’t intentionally hurt Heather. She told Noella that she hoped one day her apology would be accepted. Terry and Heather discussed the previous night’s events, and Terry said it had been more like a misunderstanding. He wondered what prompted Shannon, and Heather said, no matter what, it was none of Shannon’s business. The only thing she could come up with was that Shannon wanted to hurt them. Terry said it was like a social acid trip, whatever that meant, and maybe Shannon was harboring something from the past. We flashed back to Shannon telling everyone that Terry and Heather wanted to take the Beadors down, and Shannon screeching that everyone would know the truth. Heather told Terry that the party had cost $36K, and they hadn’t even gotten to the entrée. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, all the wrong people have the money.

Jen met her husband for lunch, and he brought the chihuahua. I love him now. In her interview, she said, when she met him, he’d been shirtless, holding a chihuahua, and that was pretty much how he always was. He was an avoider, who didn’t handle high stress well, but she thrived on it. She was looking to have more balance in her life. Emily and Shane went out to dinner for a date night, and in Emily’s interview, she said they were in a good, loving place in their marriage and not fighting. She asked him if he could believe they’d been married 13 years, and he said he thought he’d be dead by now. Emily said she did too. We flashed back to quarantine, and Shane getting covid, and Emily said there was a time she thought he wouldn’t make it. They talked about the afterlife, and Emily said she wanted the kids to feel like they had a purpose in life. She thought Shane could give them a better example, since she didn’t have roots in any kind of faith. In Emily’s interview, she said, growing up, she’d had no structure, and it felt chaotic. She thought that’s why some of the anger she felt as an adult bubbled up. She wanted her kids to have something to turn to in troubled times.

In Gina’s interview, she said she’d f***ed up Heather’s party. As they waited for Heather at the restaurant, she told Emily that she hadn’t thought what she said would have such a domino effect. Then Heather scolded her like a schoolgirl. As soon as Heather got there, Gina told her that she felt bad about messing up the party. Again, is it me? Heather messed up her own party. Heather said she understood Gina was in a difficult situation, but there was a time and place; it wasn’t good judgement. Gina said, hindsight, and told Heather about her ex bringing her to a barbecue at the home of the woman he was having an affair with. Everyone knew, and she found out later; no one had told her. So she did what she thought was the best thing. Heather said she felt bad, and had she known, she would have treated Gina differently. In Heather’s interview, she said she and Gina had connected, and it had been disappointing and confusing. Now that she had an explanation, she was ready to move on. Emily wondered what Shannon’s goal was, and Heather said, success bred contempt. She didn’t like the J-word, but couldn’t come up with anything else. She hadn’t run over Shannon’s cat. Shannon said she’d trusted Emily and Gina with the info on Nicole, but that was a lie too. Earlier, she’d told Heather that they were manipulative and not to be trusted. Which was it? Emily said, same old Shannon, and Heather said a leopard didn’t change its spots.

Next time, Gina and Noella do cryotherapy; Heather wonders about Shannon’s goal; and Gina confronts Shannon.

🐓 Moving Like Jagger…

Tomorrow, I’ll be serving soap with a side of Runway, so come join me. Until then, stay safe, stay having high ideals, and stay cultivating a strong, fighting spirit.

December 7, 2021 – Maxie Confronts Peter, Can’t Keep Her Down, Schwartz Loses Two Bets, a Break-Up, Ladies Of the Lake, Miami’s Coming, Back On Fear & There

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer comes into the gym and sees Josslyn. He says he heard about Jason. He doesn’t even know what to say except he’s sorry. She doesn’t think there’s much else to say, and he asks how Sonny is doing. She guesses about what you’d expect. They’re all just really, really sad… and shocked and angry. He says he was kind of surprised when she texted. He thought she’d be laying low. She says she’d rather be under her covers, but Jason would hate that. So instead of moping around all day, she decided to let off some steam; punch something. He says, and she thought of him, and she asks if he can handle it. He tosses her some boxing gloves, and says, lace up, Jax. She puts them on, and they fist bump.

Esme dashes into Kelly’s, going over to Trina’s table. She asks if Trina minds if she sits, and Trina says, sure. Trina is doing some work, and Esme points out that she looks busy. Trina says, the life of a college student, when Cameron comes over and asks if he can get Esme anything. She says, a large half-caf latte with soy milk, no foam, and Trina says, God forbid. Esme asks if he got all that, and he says they’ll see when she takes a sip. I have this vision of her getting a lukewarm cup of Sanka. Esme says she just loves Cameron’s sense of humor, and Trina says, he’s a real crack-up. Esme says, and now, down to business, and Trina says, they have business? Esme says their trip isn’t going to plan itself. They’re going to have so much fun.

At the hospital, Michael says he’s sorry he wasn’t there when Carly heard about Jason, but she says, it’s okay. She and his dad wanted to be the ones to tell him. They didn’t want to do it over the phone. He says he would have hated that. If he had to hear it from anyone, he’s glad it was Drew. She says, her too, and they sit. He says he can’t believe this is happening again. He knows they’ve survived without Jason before, but… She says, he doesn’t know how. They’ll handle it the second time like they handled it the first time. As a family. She puts her arms around him.

Willow stands outside the chapel, and hears Sonny tell Nina, whatever happened between them in Nixon Falls needs to come from him, and it will. Nina says she understands, but despite all the pain she caused people – and she knows they’ve gone on with their lives – she has to tell him that their love is the purest thing she’s ever known. She’s so sorry, but she can’t regret that. Willow is like, whoa, and jets. Sonny says he refuses to accept that what Nina did, lied to him and his family, was an act of love. She says, it wasn’t; she can see that now. But it went on for so long. She didn’t know how to get out of it. She didn’t know what words to use. How do you explain something like that? She felt like she was just trapped, like her lies were trapping her, and she was living this life she never intended. In a way, it’s like they have that in common.

Peter is sitting in the interrogation room, when Mac comes in. Peter asks, where’s his lawyer? and Mac says, he hasn’t arrived yet. Peter says he hopes Mac knows better than to question him without representation. That’s literally his job as acting Police Commissioner, isn’t it? To protect Peter’s rights? Mac says he doesn’t give a damn about Peter’s rights because he’s not there as the Police Commissioner. Right now, Peter’s talking to Maxie’s father.

Maxie comes into the station, and asks Anna, where is he? Anna asks, what’s wrong? and Maxie says, pretty much everything. She needs to talk to Peter. Anna thinks it’s a terrible idea, but Maxie says she didn’t ask for Anna’s opinion; she asked where Peter was. Anna says, he’s here, but he’s not allowed visitors, and Maxie says, is that what she is? A visitor? She thinks they can make an exception given the circumstances, but Anna says, that’s not up to her to decide. Maxie says she knows; it’s up to Mac, who they both know is going to say no, unless Anna backs her up. Anna asks, why, after everything Peter put Maxie through? All the physical, mental, and emotional torture. Why is it so important for her to see him?

Mac says he’s dealt with some cowards and lowlifes in his time, but Peter is in a class all by himself. Peter tells him, that’s sweet, and Mac says he takes it back. Peter is in a class with Faison. Peter says, like father, like son, he supposes, and Mac says, coming to town, pretending to be an actual human being. Meanwhile, manipulating Mac’s daughter the entire time, using her grief over Nathan to worm his way in. Peter says he loves Maxie, and Mac says, all the time Peter spent with her, and his grandkids. Peter says, i.e. James, the child he brought into this world with his own hands? Mac says, if only he could take Peter out of it, and Peter says, it’s too bad he’s in police custody then. Mac says, bad things happen in jail all the time, and Peter asks if that’s a threat. Mac says, just a fact, and Peter says, noted. Here’s another one. If anything happens to him, Louise stays gone for good.

Spencer tells Josslyn that he and Esme have been talking a lot about that trip she wants to take. Maybe they could do it on Josslyn’s winter break. Does she think Sonny would let them use his cabin? She says, whoa, and he asks if she thinks he wouldn’t. She says she’s sure he would, but she never agreed to this vacation. He says she and Cameron have to go; Esme really wants to get to know his friends better. She says, so let’s get coffee, or have lunch. Do they really have to go on vacation? She’s sorry, but she just doesn’t think a weekend getaway together would best improve their relationship, if he knows what she means. He says, a toddler would know what she means. Why doesn’t she cut Esme a break? She says, she set Ava’s car on fire, and he says he agrees she went too far, but she only did it for him. She says, in that case… and he says, Esme loves him. She asks if Spencer loves her, and he says, yeah. She asks, why? and he says, she’s gorgeous and exciting and passionate… Josslyn says, so she’s hot, and he says, it’s not the sex… It’s not just the sex. He knows Esme can be a lot, but so can he, right? She says, she doesn’t think he wants her to answer that, and he says, they fit, all right? He thinks if she just gave Esme a chance, she’d see how incredible she really is. She says, okay. Tell her about the real Esme.

Esme asks what Trina is studying, and Trina says, a lot of things, but right this second, nature photography. Esme says, like the exhibit at the gallery? and Trina says, something like that. Cameron brings Esme’s latte, and says, it was such a hit, Trina’s professor asked her to give a presentation to her class. Isn’t that cool? Esme says she doesn’t know; it sounds like a lot of extra work. Trina says, which is why she should get back to it. Esme takes a sip, and Cameron says, well? She says, no offending foam; it’s perfect. Cameron starts to leave, but Esme says she and Trina were just talking about their trip. She’s so excited. Spence is too. Cameron says he didn’t think anything was decided, and Esme says, they’re still batting around ideas. She was thinking winter break. She hasn’t been skiing in ages. Do they ski? Cameron says he does, and she asks if there’s a mountain nearby. He says there is, and Esme says, how amazing does that sound? Skiing by day, snuggling by the fire at night. Her and Spence, Cameron and Josslyn, and Trina, of course (🍷).

Sonny tells Nina not to text him again, because he’s not going to meet her, and she says the only reason she reached out was to warn him about Peter. It’s not like she reached out because she wanted to spend more time with him. She’s not delusional, contrary to popular belief. She knows he loves his wife. He says he does, and she says she’s trying to preserve that. She’s trying to protect his relationship with Carly from whatever this psycho may have planned to break them up. He tells her, don’t worry about Peter, and she says, she’s being honest. She doesn’t want to cost him any more than she already has. He might not believe her, so if Peter is trying to stir up more trouble… He says, Peter’s not going to cause more trouble. Trust him. That son of a bitch killed Jason, his best friend, his brother; he’s gone.

Michael asks where his dad is, but Carly says she doesn’t know where he disappeared to. She thinks he’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, distract her. Did Wiley enjoy Thanksgiving in New York? He says, Wiley enjoyed the holiday lights and the holiday windows. His favorite thing was the dogs. Carly says, the dogs? and Michael says, Wiley pointed out every single one of them when they passed them. She says, that’s a lot of dogs. She bets Annabelle is going to need a brother or sister this Christmas. Michael tells her, he said the same thing; they just have to get Willow on board. She asks if they took Wiley skating, and he says they went to the Central Park rink because Rockefeller Center was too crowded. He crushed it. She says, of course (🍷) he did. She asks if he remembers the first time he was on skates, and he says, she, Jason, and dad brought him. She says, her heart just dropped every single time he fell, but Jason was so calm. He’d just pick Michael back up, and make sure he went off again. He says, he always pictured Jason being there for Wiley. the same way Jason has always been there for him. She says she knows, and puts her arm around him.

Willow comes out of the elevator and sees Epiphany, who asks if she’s all right. Willow says she just heard some bad news, and Epiphany says, Sasha and Brando. Just remember they have a great team doing everything in their power to help that baby boy. Willow asks if she’s seen Michael.

Josslyn hits the heavy bag while Spencer holds it, and he says, Esme puts on a good show, but she’s never actually had a lot of friends. Josslyn says, shocking, and he says if she’s not actually going to take it seriously, they’re not going to talk about it. She says she’s sorry; she will. He says, Esme grew up in boarding schools, and her parents died when she was still pretty young. Josslyn says, that sounds awful, and he says, it was. Not that he realized it at first. He saw party Esme like everybody else, but she was one of the few students who stayed on campus during breaks. Josslyn says, like him, and he says, one night they started talking, and they clicked. She says, it doesn’t surprise her. It seems like he and Esme would have a lot in common. He says, they bonded over the loneliness they felt, and how hard it was to connect with other students. Ever since then, they’ve been together; just the two of them. Them against the world. She says, except the world isn’t actually out to get them. He says she knows what he means. He has Esme’s back and she has his. She says, partners in crime, and he says, so to speak. So after hearing all that, does she think she could maybe possibly give Esme the benefit of the doubt?

Esme tells Trina that she doesn’t have to come solo. She can totally bring a plus one. Trina says, she’s not really seeing anyone, so… and Esme says, it could be a fun start to a relationship. Someone must have caught her eye at PCU. Trina says, not really, and Cameron says, which is fine. This is not really a couples thing anyway. They’re just going as a group of friends. Esme says, right, and Cameron goes to wait on another table. Esme says she hopes she didn’t make Trina uncomfortable, but Trina says she’s fine. She’s sure the weekend will be fun. Esme says she feels kind of bad. She never would have suggested they go away had she known about Trina and Cameron. Trina says, what about them? and Esme says, he told her that he and Trina almost got together. Now he’s with Josslyn. Ouch.

Maxie tells Anna, she hasn’t seen Peter since he disappeared from the hospital, but knowing he was out there somewhere, was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She spent months terrified that she’d walk into her apartment or turn the corner, and he would be there. He’s taken too much from her, and she refuses to be scared of him for one more minute. Anna says, she gets it. If she was in Maxie’s position, she’d want to confront Peter too. Why should she be surprised that her fierce, brave goddaughter wants to do the same? Maxie says, so Anna will help her with Mac? and Mac comes out, saying, absolutely not. Maxie says, he doesn’t even know why she’s there yet, but he says, she wants to see Peter, and the answer is no. He’s not done fighting. Peter claims to know where Louise is. Anna says, he doesn’t. He blackmailed Nina in Nixon Falls precisely because he didn’t know where the baby was, and wanted help finding her. Mac tells her, now he’s saying that he just wanted to ascertain how far Anna and Valentin were in their search, and Maxie says, he’s lying. Mac says he’s sure he is. Peter knows his time is up, and he’s grasping at straws, but that’s his point. Anything Peter would say to Maxie would be a lie, and probably a hurtful one. Why would she want to subject herself to that? She says, it’s not about what Peter has to say to her, but what she has to say to him. Anna says, Maxie is very strong, and Mac says, and stubborn. Maxie says she wonders who taught her that, and Anna says, if Maxie says she needs to do this, she believes her.

Nina tells Sonny, it’s not fair. He’s lost so many people. His father, and now Jason. She wishes she could take his pain away. He says, that’s not how life works, and she says she tricked herself into thinking that if she could keep him away from his past, she could save him from a life of violence. He was so unburdened as Mike. He was so relaxed. She thought Nixon Falls would be a fresh start for him, and maybe a fresh start for her too. He says, it’s not a fresh start if you don’t know what came before. He was living a lie. She says she believed in her head it was real, and he says, his friends and family were stolen from him. He would take the pain of losing Jason any day, because Jason was like his brother; they would do everything together. They would protect each other… She says, she’ll regret every day of her life what her lies robbed him of, and he says, they have to move forward. Live the life they have now. She says, move forward; separate lives. He says, yeah, and leaves.  

Epiphany tells Willow that she hasn’t seen Michael. Willow says, that’s okay; she’ll text him.

Carly asks if Michael heard about Sasha and Brando, and he says, that’s why they came to the hospital. How’s the baby? She says, he’s in the NICU. They named him Liam. Michael says he likes it, and she says, he was deprived of oxygen during the delivery. It’s too soon to tell if he has any brain damage. He says, it must be hell for Sasha and Brando, waiting for news like that, and she asks if Willow is with him. He says, she went to put in a good word at the chapel, and Carly suggests they go to the nurses’ desk and see if there’s an update. They see Willow there, and Michael says, what is it? Is there news about the baby? Willow says, none that she’s aware of, and Carly asks, then what’s wrong?

Maxie says, Mac, please, and he says he’s never been good at saying no to her; why break the cycle now? She thanks him and says she loves him. He says he loves her too, but the second whatever’s going on in there feels weird to her… She says she’s out of there. He says, good, and Anna kisses Maxie’s head, saying, she’s very brave. Maxie says she feels anything but brave right now. She has to do this. Not just for herself, but for Louise.

Trina tells Esme, she’s happy for Cam and Joss; there’s no issue there. Esme says, that’s great, and Trina says she’s serious. Esme says, it’s just that, when Cameron brought it up, it sounded like… Never mind. Trina says, she’s gone this far. Just say it. Esme says, not only is it nothing, it’s none of her business. Just for the record, she’s not one of those people who thinks everyone has to be coupled up to be happy. Before she met Spence, she was perfectly fine on her own. She guesses she just never realized the beauty in having someone understand you so completely. Trina says, and that’s Spencer? and Esme says, now that she’s found him, she has no intention of letting him go.

Michael says Willow seems upset; what’s going on? Sonny comes out of the elevator, and hugs Michael, saying, he’s glad Michael is home. Michael says, so is he, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Michael says he’s still in shock. He’s so sorry about Jason. Sonny says, it’s good to have family, and Carly says that’s what she was just telling Michael. As long as they have each other, they can get through anything. Michael says he just can’t believe Jason is gone, and Sonny says, it’s because of Peter August. Carly says she’s glad that bastard has been caught. At least now, he’s going to pay for his crimes. Sonny says, he’s going to pay. He’ll make sure of it.

Peter says, what’s going on? and Mac says, one wrong move, and he’ll shoot Peter himself. He leaves, and Maxie comes in.

Michael says he guesses they’ll just wait for Brando, and Willow says, waiting is her specialty. He says she never answered his question; is she okay? Nina almost comes around the corner, but sees them, and stops. Willow says she’s just praying for that little boy, hoping with all her heart that Sasha and Brando can take him home soon. He says she’s been gone a while. Was she in the chapel the whole time? Willow says, she went, but she didn’t want to disturb the people inside. Nina is like, uh-oh.

Josslyn says, she guesses Spencer thinks Esme is the know all, be all, and she’s really nice – to him. But if she treats everyone else like trash, she’s sorry. She doesn’t want to hang out with her. He asks if they can be real, and she says, let’s try it. He says, it’s not like she’s been that nice to Esme either. Josslyn says, she fired the first shot, but he says, did she though? If he remembers correctly, Josslyn has been pretty cool to her from the start. She says, maybe if he’d mentioned he had a girlfriend; maybe just once instead of hanging all over Trina… He says he was not, and she says she thought they were being real. He says he likes Trina. He thinks she’s super cool. She says, and? and he says, maybe he could have been more direct when he first met her about what was happening. She says, maybe, and he says, but it has always been Esme for him. She asks, then why keep her a secret? and he says he didn’t handle things well in the beginning, okay? She says, all the lying, and the terrorizing of Ava. Ava’s not her favorite person, but even she didn’t deserve that. He says he screwed up. Why is she acting so surprised? It’s not like it’s the first time. She says, no, and she’s sure it won’t be the last, and he says, that’s what friends are, right? The people who love you anyway. She says, all right. Enough with the love talk. He says, she knows what he’s saying. They’ve been friends since forever, so as his friend, can Josslyn give Esme the chance to show her who she really is? She says she can definitely do that.

Peter says Maxie is more beautiful than he even remembered. He knew she woudn’t be able to stay away. She closes the door, and tells him, just shut up. For once, he’s going to listen to what she has to say. This little fantasy he has of them being together, living happily ever after, it’s not going to happen. And honestly, it blows her mind that he still thinks it could. After everything he’s done to her, how could he think she could feel anything toward him but hatred? He says, everything he did was out of love for her, and she says, he’s a murderer. A murderer. He hired a fake nurse to kidnap her and induce labor. That is not love. That is… She doesn’t even know what to call it. Abuse? Torture? She can’t be a mother to her child because of him. She can’t rock her to sleep, or kiss her tiny little hands. She’s missing those moments, and it’s Peter’s fault. She will never forgive him for that. He says he doesn’t believe that, but she says she doesn’t care what he believes. He says he can tell her where Louise is, and she tells him, stop it. He says he can find their little girl, and she says, he’s lying. He says, they can be a family again, and she says, oh my God. He’s in handcuffs, headed to prison, where he’ll rot in a cell for the rest of his life. He’s not going to have a family. He’s not going to have her, and he’s not going to have Louise. There’s nothing for him. Think about that. Choke on it.

Carly tells Sonny that she’d asked for a body pillow for Sasha, and he says, smart idea. She says, it felt good to do something, even if it was just a pillow. He says, every little bit helps. It’s just not easy to wait. She says, nothing is easy right now, and asks him to come sit with Michael and Willow. He says he has something to take care of, and she says, now? He says, Brando texted him, and said he didn’t need anything except good news. She says, the support of his family. What could be more important? He says, if it wasn’t important, he wouldn’t be going, and she asks, what takes precedence over a baby in the NICU? He says he doesn’t want her to worry about it. Call him if there’s an update

Mac says, the search for Louise is going nowhere, but Anna says, that can change in an instant; he knows how this works. He says he feels so hopeless right now, and she says, he’s not putting any weight on what Peter said just now? She doesn’t believe he knows where that little girl is. He says, as a cop, he knows that. Peter is just trying to save his skin. She says, but as a father and grandfather… He says he can’t discount any lead, no matter what the source.

Peter tells Maxie to look at him, and she says there’s nothing she’d rather see less. He says she made him a better man, but she says, he’s not a man; he’s pure evil. And she regrets the day she met him. Goodbye. She’s about to leave, and he says, this is about that doctor, isn’t it? Dr. Gatlin-Holt, the savior in the woods who delivered Louise. Peter met him earlier at GH. Maxie says, so? and he says, so it’s quite obvious he’s interested in Maxie. She says, this is not happening, and he says, which is of course (🍷) a no brainer to him; she’s beautiful. What surprised him is he never imagined Maxie would give him the time of day. She says, are you insane? (Yes!) This has nothing to do with Austin. He says, she’s on a first name basis with him, so they are close, and she says, so what if they were close? So what if they were dating? So what if she was dating the entire PCU football team? That is none of his damn business. She’s none of his business. He says, on the contrary, and stands up. He says, doesn’t she know by now there’s only one man in her life, and that man is him? She says, go to hell, and storms out.

Trina wonders if Cameron’s shift is over, and asks him to join them, but he says he’s meeting Josslyn at the gym. Esme says, that’s where Spence is, and asks for a ride. Trina says, it’s a bummer Esme has to leave so soon, and Esme says, Spence was so glad to have the day off. He’s been working so hard lately. Trina says, maybe Esme should get a job, but Esme laughs, and says she’s way too busy. Trina says, with what? and Esme says, all those classes she’s auditing at PCU, and her internship obviously. Cameron says he can’t imagine working in a prison, and Esme says she calls it prison light. It’s really not that terrible. Trina says, she enjoys it? and Esme says she does. It’s fascinating from a psychological perspective, but she’ll definitely be ready for a break by the time their trip rolls around.

Carly leans her forehead against the vending machine, and repeats, count to ten. Epiphany says, Carly? and Carly says she’s sorry. Epiphany says, what for? and Carly says, for blocking traffic here. There’s no one else around, and Epiphany says, there’s no traffic here. Carly says she doesn’t know why she apologized. She doesn’t usually do that. Epiphany agrees, and Carly says, she doesn’t know why she’s done half the things she’s done in the past few days. Epiphany says, grief. She heard about Jason, and she’s very sorry for Carly’s loss. Carly thanks her, and Epiphany says she means it. Jason was a remarkable person; someone she respected. Carly says, Jason respected her too, and Epiphany says she never doubted that. And she never doubted he loved Carly, without condition or reservation. He would do literally anything for her. Carly says she never doubted that either. Whatever happened, good or bad, if she was hurt, or scared, or wrong, without question, Jason would always be there. She knew he would be, no matter what. Now he’s not going be there anymore. He’s not going to be there ever again. She knows he would want her to keep going and move on, and she will, but she’s going to miss him every single day for the rest of her life. Epiphany says, when Carly is missing him, she hopes Carly thinks back on their wedding day. Jason was happy, and so was she. The love she felt that day is still there, and hers to keep.

Nina comes out, addressing Michael and Willow, and Michael asks if she shouldn’t be meeting with her lawyer. Her preliminary hearing is coming up soon, isn’t it? Nina says, Scotty is on it, but she appreciates his concern. He’s says he’s sure she does, and she says she’s just there for Sasha, not to upset them. Willow says, yet she keeps doing it, and Michael asks, what is her goal exactly? She says, to provide support for Sasha if she needs it. She’ll go wait someplace else. Willow says, good idea, and Nina moves along. Michael asks Willow if it’s selfish to say he’s glad her empathy for Nina only goes so far, and she says, his family comes first with her. He says, their family, and she says, their family. She hopes he knows that, and he says he does. It’s time like these that bring them together. With everything going on, he’s grateful for that. They hug. Wake me when it’s over.

Anna sees Sonny in the stairwell, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, one guess, and she says, she knows he’s ready to explode – they all are – but he’s got to let the authorities handle Peter. He’s being brought up on multiple charges in multiple jurisdictions; he’s not going to walk away. He says, Jason is dead because of that trash, and he wants Peter to know exactly what he’s waiting for.

Josslyn is punching the heavy bag when Cameron and Esme come in. Cameron says, nobody better mess her, and Josslyn says, that’s right. He asks, what’s up? and Josslyn says, she and Spencer were just talking about their trip. Spencer tells them, Josslyn said she thinks they can use Uncle Sonny’s cabin, and Josslyn says she doesn’t see why not, unless he and her mom are planning on using it, but she doesn’t think so. Esme says, sounds like a blast, and Josslyn says, it will for sure be memorable. Esme and Spencer go off to the side, and Esme says, good workout? Spencer says, it was fun, and she says she’s surprised Josslyn agreed to the trip. He says, they had a good talk, and she’s open to getting to know Esme better. Esme asks if he thinks she meant it, and he says, Josslyn doesn’t lie. Cameron asks Josslyn if she’s really cool about this trip thing, and she says, no, but Spencer wants her to get to know the real Esme, and she has a hunch he may be the one surprised. Cameron asks what she’s planning, and Josslyn says, her? Nothing. Esme will do all the work on her own. Until then, there’s no way Josslyn is turning her back on that girl.

Carly tells Michael that his dad had to leave. He said he had something to take care of. Willow says she’s going to check her schedule for next week, and will be right back. Michael asks Carly if everything is okay with her and his dad, but she says, they’re fine. He says, it seems like there’s tension, and she says, there is. There’s grief. Everything that’s been going on with Liam, and… It’s Nina who she’s mad at, not his dad. Michael says he just ran into her, and Carly says, she’s still here? Michael says, hopefully her trial is soon, and they’ll be sending her to jail, and out of their lives for good. She says, from his lips.

Nina sees Willow, and says she overheard that Willow was in the chapel. So was she. Funny. She didn’t see Willow there. Willow says she heard Nina with Sonny.

Peter is dozing, when Sonny comes in, and slams the door, startling him. Sonny stares at him.

Tomorrow, Maxie wishes Austin wouldn’t have done that; Brando needs to ask Michael something; Nina asks what Willow is going to do, now that she knows the truth; and Sonny says since Peter killed Jason, all the rules are out the window.

👠 What Did I Say…?

Helena will be around as long as Constance Towers is. I wonder if I’ll ever find out why Nikolas was left that painting though…

Vanderpump Rules

Brock, James, and Schwartz took a dip in some tubs of ice. Some pseudo therapist told them that it was a mindset, and Brock said it was a way to learn lessons. Yeah. Don’t get in cold water. James was trying to learn to calm down, and the foundation was learning to breathe intentionally. In James’s interview, he said he was looking past normal therapy to get out his rage and anger. He claimed talk therapists didn’t know what to say to him, but I suspect he doesn’t know how to listen. In Schwarz’s interview, he thought, since hot baths were bad for his sperm count, maybe a cold one would do the opposite. I don’t think it works that way though. James said all he could think about was that he was freezing, but it was progress. Afterwards, the guys hung out to talk, and Brock said kids had been cruel when he was young, because he only had four fingers on one hand. In his interview, he explained his hand had gotten caught in the gears of a moving gate as a child. Ouch a million times over. James said when he got in a confrontational moment, it threw him back to a defensive mindset.

Lisa visited Lala, and met dog Lily. Lala said, if Jesus had a dog, it would be Lily. Lily had high liver levels, and was on meds. Lala was waiting on some test results, and was putting out in the universe that it would be a good report. In Lala’s interview, she said Lily had been her companion, her ride or die since she was 21. Lily had gotten her through her drunken days when she couldn’t get out of bed. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Lala had come a long way, and she was happy to be part of her journey. At one time, Lala had been sneaking drinks behind the hostess stand, and now she was a mother, and it was lovely to see. Lala told Lisa about Brock’s birthday, and how she’d gone off on Schwartz for not backing Katie up. She also told Lisa about how the girls were taking pictures of their feet to raise money for Raquel’s new nose. And yes. I know how absolutely stupid that sounds.

Katie’s photographer friend Courtney came to take the foot fetish photos (say that three times real fast), and Ariana said it was the dumbest most amazing thing they’d done. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d done everything to make the best of her bad nose job, but it needed to be redone. Ariana said she’d done a lot of weird sh*t, but never thought she’d be adding this to her resumé. Raquel told them that she was going to be hosting a picnic as a thank you,  a fancy floral scene. In her interview, she said it was an excuse to be a girly girl; she loved it. Charli brought up Brock’s friend grabbing her at the birthday party, and said she wondered why there’d been no back-up from Scheana. In Charli’s interview, she said she’d been a loyal friend, and Scheana chose a random dude’s back over hers.

Lisa escorted Schwartz to a tattoo parlor, since he’d lost a bet with her. In his interview, he said he’d been pouring his heart out to Lisa while they were drinking wine. She challenged him to a high stakes ping-pong game, and ping-pong was his forte. We saw a clip of him saying that he was going to smoke her, but if he lost, he’d have LVP tattooed somewhere on his body. She said, if she lost, she’d send some cases of wine to the new bar. He lost. He said, that’s how he ended up at the tattoo parlor, He told Lisa that the Katie Bubba tattoo had to remain prominent, since Katie wasn’t feeling supported, which didn’t surprise Lisa, since Katie had been pushed out of the new bar equation. Schwartz said he couldn’t get a home equity loan, and would have to stop with the bets. He’d bet Randall in a pickleball challenge, and if he won, Schwartz would get $2000. If he lost, Randall got a drink named after him featured prominently on TomTom’s menu. He wondered if Katie was going to kill him about the tattoo, but Lisa said Katie was going kill him for other reasons. Tell her it’s a message from God.

Raquel had her Raquel’s Dream Tea Party, and invited the usual suspects, along with her friend Paige. Everyone wore poufy dresses, except for Lala, who said, no one told her that it was going to be so chic. In her interview, she asked if she looked like a bitch who had puffy sleeves and a tutu in her closet. Ariana said she’d understood the assignment. They discussed the foot project, and Raquel said it wasn’t about the pasta; it was about the feet. She told the girls that James had been trying different kinds of therapy, and we saw a clip of him doing (I think) bioenergetics where you let the sound out. I only know about this because of a movement class I was required to take at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The teacher was into it, and we all hated it. She was all about no one getting enough love as a child, and going back to the womb or something. We pretended to go along with it just to get through the class. But I digress. Scheana said she’d sent invites out for a photo shoot Brock was organizing to advertise his fitness start-up HomeBody. She said he’d put his heart, soul, and every penny into the company. James had been cagey about doing it for free. Charli told Scheana about the dude grabbing her at Brock’s party, and at first, Scheana claimed she didn’t see anything. Then she amended it to not saying anything because Charli had already said something. Lala said Charli had gone hard for Scheana, and Scheana expected people to defend her, but when the shoe was on the other foot, she was nowhere to be found. Charli said she was loyal and a good friend. When Scheana didn’t like someone, Charli told them to go f*** themselves, but it hadn’t been reciprocated. She thought Scheana didn’t want Brock’s friends not to like her, so she’d ignored the incident. Scheana got all teary, and wanted to go home, as she always does when anyone calls her out.

Ariana visited Katie to enlist her help with designing a drinking game, an embellished Never Have I Ever. In Katie’s interview, she said it was nice not being around an egomaniac, and being expected to kiss their ass every minute of every day. Schwartz came home in the middle of their brainstorm, and told Katie that he had one more betting gaff. He hadn’t thought Lisa would be good at ping-pong, so he hadn’t taken the bet seriously. He showed them his new tattoo, which was actually pretty small, and in Ariana’s interview, she said, Schwartz was so good at charming his way out of everything. If she had been Katie, she’d have shoved her rosé glass up his ass. Katie said Schwartz never had her back, and other people took precedent, but Schwartz said it was out of necessity, and not emotionally. He continued to try and explain himself, but she just said, no, every time he started talking.

Randall had all kinds of pickleball pros at his house for the Emmett/Schwartz 2021 Open. In Brock’s interview, he said it was like little man syndrome on steroids with Randall competing against the least competitive person. Brock wanted to talk to James, who didn’t want to do anything for free. Avoiding the tournament, Raquel and Charli got together for a workout. Afterward, Raquel told Charli that Scheana had asked her to stop being friends with Danica, and she had. Charli said she stopped commenting on Danica’s Instagram, since it offended Scheana. Scheana had been texting her about it, and she hadn’t wanted to lose the friendship over it. Charli told Raquel that when she brought up Scheana not having her back at the party, Scheana had flipped it, and played victim. She said Charli was trying to turn it into a me too moment. 

Lala came out in a cheerleader outfit, hoping they could put an end to this grandpa game. Willie, an American Idol runner-up, sang the National Anthem, and the game began. In Ariana’s interview, she said she hadn’t watched American Idol since Kelly Clarkson won, but she wasn’t going to hate on it. I haven’t watched it since Scotty McCreery won, and Lady Gaga performed at the finale. I didn’t think they could ever top that, so why bother? Randall won, scoring 11 points to Schwartz’s 4. Schwartz gave him a copy of the menu with his drink on it, but in his interview, Schwartz said it wasn’t real. Lala asked James about the photo shoot, and James called Brock over. Brock said James had told Raquel not to text him back, but James said he’d told Raquel, not yet, because he wanted to discuss it with her. I have the feeling that wasn’t the case, since James got animated, and Ariana told him to take it down a notch. Katie suggested James might need a favor from Brock one day, and in James’s interview, he said there was a time Katie was on a campaign to take him down, but she had his back now.

Lala was glad the tournament was over. It was time for Randall to get back to making those dollar signs. Ariana found out that the picture of her feet had been sold, and she tried to get a shot of Lisa’s feet, saying she’d charge extra, but Lisa said she’d better not. Charli told Scheana that she hadn’t been a good friend lately, and in Scheana’s interview, she said she’d just birthed human child, and that was her whole focus. For the unenlightened, Scheana was like this long before she had the baby. She wants to be liked so much, she’s never on anyone’s side but her own. Charli said Scheana was a dictator in friendships, and in Charli’s interview, she said if Scheana couldn’t understand where she’s coming from, they couldn’t be friends. She told Scheana that she hadn’t been getting friend energy back from her, when she’d been a good friend, and they hugged it out.

Next time, Katie and Sandoval go at it, and not in a fun way; Schwartz tells Sandoval that he needs to respect Katie; the Toms decide to take a break from each other; and Ariana has a birthday.

💔 No Festival This Time…

There aren’t many details, but according to Ariana on Watch What Happens Live, everyone was surprised.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-james-kennedy-and-raquel-leviss-call-off-engagement-taping-reunion-bravo-breakup-split/

🏔 Salty Talk…

Bringing you up to speed on Salt Lake City.

🌴 The Wives You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Real Housewives of Miami are back.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-miami-season-4-trailer/

⚰️ Back From the Dead…

Well, we never really did see her die.

https://ew.com/tv/kim-dickens-fear-the-walking-dead-madison-clark-return/

😌 Time For Some Shut-Eye…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and an update on Fancy Pants. Until then, stay safe, stay upfront, and stay giving back the friend energy you’re getting.

Nina Runs Into Peter, Catching Up, Getting Out, Adieu, Returning, Staying, Christmas Quad, a Parade, Not So Shamazing, For Sale, a Feud, Not Funny, Up For Grabs, Brainless, Not Twelve Quotes & Boudoir

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the elevator, Carly says Sonny is going to have to help her keep it together. She doesn’t want to cry in front of Sasha and Brando. He says, they have to help Sasha and Brando. He doesn’t want them to feel alone, and he doesn’t want her to feel alone. They get out of the elevator just as Nina turns around at the reception desk. She asks if they’re here to see Sasha and Brando; there aren’t any other visitors. Carly says, they don’t need an update, and they keep walking. Nina says, it’s just that they’re trying to tough it out, but they’re pretty fragile, so please be gentle. Carly glares at her.

Brando tucks Sasha in, and asks if she’s worried about the news about their baby, but she says she’s not worried. Is he? He says, of course (🍷) not. In fact, when the three of them get home, he’s going to buy their son his first baseball mitt. She wonders if he’s a little young to be playing catch, but Brando says, not with a name like Liam Mike. He’s strong willed, and like Mike Corbin, he’ll be able to defy the odds and live his life to the fullest. She asks if he knows what the name Brando means, but he says he doesn’t, and she says, sword or fiery torch. He says he will fight for their family with a sword or fiery torch, and she says she knows he will. He says, one day, they’ll tell their grandchildren about their heroic dad who was strong willed and defied the odds, and she says, they’re going to say they were worried for nothing and laugh at them.

Brook tells Chase, Maxie is emotionally exhausted. Not that she blames Maxie, but second guessing isn’t going to get them anywhere. They’re in this thing now; they’ve got to see it through. He says he doesn’t know. Maxie made some strong points. Brook says, she did, but they’re committed, which means they have to deal with it, especially now that Valentin is furious with her. With them, and there’s no telling what else Valentin might do. The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door to see Valentin on the porch. Chase says, they had enough trouble the last time Valentin was there, so turn around and walk away. Anna joins Valentin, and says, no one wants any trouble. Brook asks, then what does he want?

Drew is getting some coffee at the Quartermaine’s when Maxie walks in, saying, sorry. She just wanted to get a glass of water. He turns around, and says, hi, Maxie; long time no see. She says, Drew, and he says, in the flesh. He’s not a hologram or a figment of her imagination. She says she heard he was alive. She just hadn’t processed it yet. He says, until now, and she hugs him, saying, it’s so processed.

In the hospital, Peter says he’s fine, despite Jason Morgan’s best attempt to kill him, and Austin says, he’s a lucky man. It’s good he was only shot in the arm. He might have some nerve damage, but nothing serious. Peter says, not like getting shot in the chest, right? and Austin says, no. If he was shot in the chest, he’d be in the ICU. Peter takes it Austin doesn’t believe the rumors, and Austin says he hears a lot of rumors. Which one is Peter talking about? Peter tells him, the ones that say he doesn’t have a heart, and Austin says, don’t be silly. If he didn’t have heart, he wouldn’t be alive. Peter says, how clinical of him – he looks at Austin’s ID tag – Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. Now where does he recognize that name… Of course (🍷). Austin delivered his daughter.

Valentin says he’s not there to hurl accusations or make threats, and Brook says, why not? He did plenty of that before he moved out. Don’t tell her that he lost steam. Chase says, or maybe Valentin found out he was suspended from the force for throwing a punch at him, and came there to gloat. Valentin says he regrets that happened, and Brook asks if he regrets feeding Thanksgiving dinner to the family dog. Valentin says, not really, and Anna says, she understands that passions were running high. It was Thanksgiving; that’s what happens on family occasions. Valentin says, he’s not family, and Chase says he knows this doesn’t help, but when he started putting things together, he was totally blindsided to find out he was Bailey’s father. Valentin says, Brook used both of them, and Brook says, she had her reasons. Anna suggests they not rehash that; it’s not why they’re here. Brook asks if Valentin is there to talk ELQ business with her dad, now that he’s solidified his position as CEO, but Valentin says, no. He’s just there because he wants to say goodbye to his… to Bailey.

Maxie says, Anna told her that Drew was back, but the story was too incredible to be true. Peter faked a plane crash, and then held him captive for over two years? Drew says he wouldn’t have believed it himself if he hadn’t lived through it. Unfortunately, others weren’t so lucky. She says she still hasn’t wrapped her mind around Jason’s death. If only she could go back in time, before Peter was in their lives, when Nathan was still alive. He asks how she’d change the past. Could she stop Nathan from being killed? She says she would if she could, but she guesses at best, she would go back to before she met Peter and fell in love with him. He says, but they can’t go back in time, no matter how much they’d like to. When he was in prison, he just kept focusing on the future, holding on to that, when he’d see Scout again. She says, and Sam… Oh wow. She should just keep her big mouth shut. He says, it’s okay. He went to see them first thing, both of them. She says, Scout and Sam? How did that go? He says, Dante was with them, and she says, it’s been sort of a slow process with them. They kind of got together trying to find him. James is going to be excited to see him. He says he can’t wait, and asks how James is doing. She says, great, and he says she doesn’t have to protect his feelings. He and Sam were done long before Peter abducted him. She asks if he’s saying he’s okay with Sam and Dante, and he says he’s trying to be. It’s not like he has another choice. She says, it must have been great to see Scout, and he says, it made everything he had to do to get home absolutely worthwhile. She says she knows what he means. If she could go back in time, she doesn’t think she would, because then, she wouldn’t have Louise. He says, she found her daughter? Is Louise finally home?

Peter asks Austin to tell him about the circumstances surrounding Louise’s birth. It kills him that he wasn’t there to welcome his daughter into this world. Austin says he certainly was not. He was too busy running from the police to make it to the cabin; Austin’s cabin. And the nurse he hired to kidnap Maxie tried to induce birth. Peter put Maxie, and his own child, at great risk. Peter asks, who’s been feeding Austin all of this? and Austin says, he was there. Peter knows that. Thank God he was hiking in the woods. When he found Maxie, she was already in labor. Peter says, then Austin may have been the last person to see his daughter before she was abducted, and Austin says, it’s a possibility. Peter says, then Austin was in the right place at the right time. Austin knows what became of his daughter.

Sonny wonders if they should take turns visiting Sasha so she’s not overwhelmed, but Nina tells them, go ahead. She just got done visiting Sasha. Carly asks why Nina is still there, and Sonny says, Carly… but Nina says, it’s fine. She knows Carly is upset over the loss of Jason. Carly says, don’t say his name. Nina knows nothing about her and Jason. Carly tells Sonny that she can’t. She’s going to go see Monica. Sonny says, let him come with her, but Carly says she’s just going to go, and walks away. Sonny circles back to Nina, and says, baby’s fine? Nina says, yeah. Sasha should hear an update soon. He says, all right, and walks in toward Sasha’s room.

Sasha says, how can anything possibly be wrong with their baby; look at him. He’s adorable. It’s just that… Brando says he knows. All those tubes are hooked up to Liam, but she has to remind herself, those are making their little boy healthy. She says, yeah, like the cooling blanket, and he says, exactly, and the love of his mommy and daddy. What else does the little guy need? Britt comes in, and says she wants to introduce them to Dr. Fleming, their baby’s neonatologist. Sasha tells the doctor, she’d say it’s nice to meet her, but… Dr. Fleming says she understands, and Brando says, they were told she has news about their baby.

Anna promises Valentin isn’t there to make a scene, and Brook asks if Anna is there to vouch for him. Valentin says, Anna is his friend. This isn’t easy for him. Chase says, of course (🍷) this isn’t easy. None of this is easy. Anna says, especially for Valentin. Brook allowed him, in fact encouraged him, to fall in love with her little girl, knowing he wasn’t her father. Does she expect him to just throw a switch and not love her any longer? Chase says, nobody’s thinking that, but first, Valentin showed up mad as hell, lashing out at Brook in the most hurtful way imaginable, and now he’s here asking for her understanding? What does he want her to believe? Brook feels guilty enough. How much longer is he going to pile it on? Valentin says, he’s not there to pile on any more guilt. That’s not why he’s there. Chase asks if he wants closure with Bailey, but Valentin says he doesn’t believe in closure. Do they think just because he says goodbye, he’ll stop loving her? Chase asks, then why is he here? and Anna says it’s her fault. She insisted he needed to do this. Valentin says, no. Nobody makes him do anything he doesn’t want to do. Bailey is far too young to understand any of this. He hasn’t told Charlotte that she doesn’t have a sister, and he isn’t going to be able to do that until he says goodbye to Bailey. Brook stomps off, and Chase follows her. Valentin tells Anna, he knew this was how she was going to react. She’s not going to let him see Bailey.

Maxie tells Drew, Louise isn’t back yet. She’s just holding out hope that she will be. He asks if there are any breaks in the case, and she says she’s just hoping now that Peter is in custody, whoever has taken Louise will feel it’s safe to bring her back. He says, so she thinks someone took Louise to protect her from Peter? and she says, he thinks she’s deluding herself, doesn’t he? He says, no. He thinks she wants her little girl back more than anything in the world, and if he could make that happen, he would. She thanks him, and says, but she knows in her heart that Louise will be home one day, and it will make all of this worth it. He says, all of what? and she says, things she had to do because of Peter. Things she never thought she’d be forced to do. He says he knows what she means.

Austin says, even if he did know where Louise was – and he doesn’t – Peter is the last person he would tell. Make a fist. That way he can draw blood. This won’t hurt a bit. He plunges the syringe into Peter’s arm, Peter jumps, and I laaaugh. Austin says, oh, goodness me. He’s so sorry; he seems to have missed the vein. He’ll just try that one more time. He does it again, Peter jumps again, and Austin says, oh yeah, there we go. Success. Sorry about that. Normally, he’s not so clumsy. I officially love Austin. Peter says, he’s enjoying this, isn’t he? and Austin says, absolutely. He loves his job, always. Peter says, and that Hippocratic Oath he took to be a doctor? and Austin says, yeah, right, do no harm. It’s sticky though. That’s the question; who gets harmed and who does not? Peter says he supposes it’s the patients who aren’t to be harmed, but he couldn’t tell by the way Austin just stuck him. Austin says, that’s his point. Maxie is also his patient, so do no harm should apply to her as well. Peter asks, and what is Maxie to Austin?

On the phone, Carly says, she went by Monica’s office, but she wasn’t there. She wanted to talk to Monica in person, but it’s probably better it’s on voicemail; she can just hang up if she wants. Carly really hopes she doesn’t. She’s so sorry about Jason. She’s so sorry Monica has to grieve him all over again. He was Carly’s best friend, but he was Monica’s son, and Carly knows what that kind of pain feels like. In all the years of squabbling and fighting, she doesn’t know if she ever thanked Monica for Jason, for the incredible human being he was. He loved Monica so much. Carly knows Monica knows that, but she thought Monica might want to hear it. That’s all. She hangs up, and we see Nina sitting alone on a bench elsewhere at GH.

Sasha asks Dr. Fleming if it’s about Liam’s hypothermia therapy. Is it working? Brando asks if Liam can come home soon, and the doctor’s phone beeps. She says she’s sorry; there’s an emergency in the NICU. Not their baby. Britt says, it’s okay; she’s got this. Dr. Fleming leaves, and Britt says, getting back to their question, hypothermia therapy can take up to 72 hours, as they know. They still need to give the baby’s brain time to cool. What Dr. Fleming wanted to tell them was, the EEG has been scheduled. Sasha says, then what happens? but Britt says they won’t know until they get the results. But they have an entire team dedicated to caring for Liam, and she’ll be the liaison between them and Brando and Sasha. Brando asks what they can do to help, and Britt says, just keep doing what they’re doing, sending a lot of love to that beautiful baby boy, and let the team at GH give him the best possible care. Sasha says, the waiting is so excruciating, and Britt says she knows, but they have to take it a day at a time. Let the therapy run its course. In the meantime, their baby needs them to take care of themselves. Brando tells Sasha, Liam’s strong, but they have to be stronger, and she says, they will be.

Maxie says she knows this is going to sound ridiculous, but she kind of envies Drew. He’s not sure why, and she says, he got the chance to confront Peter. Drew let Peter take his best shot, and he survived. He actually came out on top. He says, at the cost of Jason’s life, and she says she knows. She hates that part, but at least Peter doesn’t have power over Drew anymore. She’d give anything to take away Peter’s power to frighten her. Drew says, when Scout and Danny would have a bad dream, he’d tell them, look under the bed, look in the closet, and when you see nothing but dustballs and clothes, you’ll know that the boogie man has no power over you anymore.

Peter says, do tell. Just how friendly is Austin with the mother of his child? Austin says, Maxie has a lot of friends. He’d be happy to be one of them. Peter says, but he’s not? He suggests Austin keep it that way. Austin asks if that’s a threat, but Peter lifts his hands, showing he’s cuffed to the bed, and says he’s clearly in no position to threaten anyone. But he is a born romantic, and does believe the fates will conspire to reunite his family. Austin says he doesn’t believe in fate, but Peter says he does. Sometimes fate needs a helping hand. Austin smiles, and starts to walk out, and Peter says, bye-bye. Such fun meeting him today.

Carly is looking at a picture of her and Jason on her phone, when Britt comes by. Carly calls her over, and says, Sonny is around here somewhere. They just came to see Sasha. Britt says she just came from Sasha’s room, and Carly asks how she is. Britt says, she’s good; strong. She’s sure Sasha would love to see Carly. Carly says, maybe in a few minutes, heaves a sigh, and sits. Britt is about to go to the desk, but turns back, and sits next to Carly, asking her how she is. Carly says, she just went to say fine, and kind of laughs. She says she came here to support Sasha and Brando, but it’s not like there’s anything she can do for them. Just like she can’t do anything for Jason. How is she? She’s sad, and scared. She doesn’t know what the rest of her life looks like without him. Britt says Carly will figure it out. Know how she knows? Jason told her. He had complete faith in Carly, and she knows Jason doesn’t say things just to be nice. He said it because he believed it; that Carly is strong enough to get through anything. Carly says, she was, when she had Jason to back her up. She didn’t have to be good enough or strong enough for Jason. She could just be her. That’s an amazing feeling, to have someone you can count on no matter what. Jason gave her that feeling. Now he’s gone. She knows how grief works, and the only way out is through. Then someday, when she says she’s fine, she’ll mean it. Britt says, right now, Carly can’t even imagine that day, and Carly says, no. Britt says, her neither; it sounds ridiculous. Carly says, it doesn’t; not to her. She tells Britt to take care of herself, and gets up to go to Sasha’s room.

Chase comes back, and tells Valentin, he’s sorry. Brook wanted to be alone. Valentin says he did warn Chase that honor is in short supply in this house, and so is compassion. If he were Chase, he’d take that beautiful daughter and go far, far away before Brook turns her into a Quartermaine. He tells Anna, let’s go, but Brook says, not yet, walking in with Bailey. Someone misses him very much. She gives Bailey to Valentin, and both Valentin and the baby smile. Chase thinks maybe they should give Valentin some privacy, but Valentin says, that’s not necessary. He and Bailey have no secrets, unlike others in this house. He tells Bailey that she’s a beautiful girl. He has to go, and they may never see one another again. At least not for a long, long time. But he wanted to say goodbye, and he doesn’t know how to find the strength to do that. So what shall they call this? He kisses Bailey’s head.

Carly sees Sonny in the hallway, and asks if he’s been in to see Sasha, but he says he was waiting for her. She thanks him, and says she’s ready. He says, let’s do this, and takes her hand. Brando asks if he can get Sasha anything, but she says, the only thing she needs is for their baby to get healthy, and she knows he will. No child made by a sword and defender of man can be otherwise. He says, Sasha means defender of man? and she says she looked it up when she looked up Brando. He says, strong willed son, daddy is a sword, and mommy defends them both. They’re quite the family. She says, family. She can’t tell him how good that sounds. Family, people she can lean on. Brando says, when she’s scared, and vulnerable, and she says, she’s not the Face of Deception. He says, he’s her family, she’s his family, and Liam’s their family. She says, small… and he says, but plenty big in heart. There’s a knock at the door, and Carly and Sonny come in. Carly says, rumor has it they’re up for visitors, and Sasha says, the more, the merrier. Carly hugs her, and Sonny hugs Brando. Sonny tells Brando, they have his and Sasha’s back. If they need anything, just ask.

Austin sees Britt, and says he just met her brother. She says, he’s not a brother to her; they share a father. Austin says Peter is his patient now, and Britt asks if he wants to be taken off the case, but he says, not at all. He wants to keep on it.

Peter is wheeled down the hall, accompanied by two officers, and he says, how about if he passes on that CT scan? He’s been feeling claustrophobic since that tunnel fell on him. No? All right. In that case, he’ll take a very large muscle relaxant. At the other end of the hall, the elevator doors open, and Nina comes out on the phone. She says she’s running late, and probably won’t make it to the office. She turns to get back in the elevator, but the doors have just closed. Peter is being wheeled toward her, and says, Nina Reeves. Look at her. Still alive and well. It looks like they’re both extra hard to kill.

Valentin shows Bailey a tiny stuffed bear, and says, this is the oldest thing he has. It was his, and got him through some tough nights. He wants her to have it. Drew and Maxie stand quietly just outside the door, and Valentin says, and one day, Bailey will ask her mommy and  daddy where it came from, and they’ll have to tell her it came from someone that loved her so much.

Carly says, they came to cheer Sasha and Brando up, not make them emotional. Brando tells her, they were just saying how important it is to have family to lean on, and Carly says, it is, and Sasha and Brando have them. And they have each other. She and Sonny know how terrifying it is waiting to hear about your baby’s health. Sasha says, Brando told her that Donna had spina bifida. They must have been scared out of their minds. Sonny says, that’s an understatement, and Brando asks how they got through it. Sonny says, they leaned heavily on each other, and Carly says, when she was scared, Sonny let her be scared. He really was strong for her. Sonny says, and she was for him. Carly says, frightening as it was, it brought them closer together, and Sonny says, he’s sure it’s doing the same for them, right? Sasha says she’s sorry they missed Thanksgiving. It must have been wonderful having everyone together. Sonny says, next year, all three of them are coming, and Brando says, they look forward to it. Carly asks if they’ve named their son yet, and Brando says, Liam Mike, short for Michael, after the man who was so good to him when he was growing up. Sonny says his dad would have been very honored, and Brando asks if Sonny wants to see him. Sonny says he’s been waiting for Brando to ask, and they leave. Sasha says, Brando wants to be so strong for her, and Carly takes her hand.

Maxie jets, and Drew follows. Chase tells Brook, he knows Valentin said otherwise, but let’s give him some privacy. Valentin asks Anna not to go, and she stay’s behind. She tells Bailey, it’s quite a little gift Valentin is giving her, and tells Valentin, so beautiful. Outside, Drew asks Maxie, what’s wrong? and she says, it upsets her to see someone separated from a child they love. Brook says, it couldn’t be helped, and Chase tells Drew, Valentin thought he was Bailey’s father, and Drew says, and Chase is; Monica told him. He knows Valentin and the Quartermaines have had their issues, but he might not be there if not for Valentin, Anna, and his brother Jason, may he rest in peace. Maxie quickly walks away.  

Britt asks if Austin feels this loyalty to all the mothers of the babies he’s delivered, and he says, given the circumstances of Louise’s birth, and her bizarre disappearance, can she blame him? She says, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep an eye on Peter, and he says, right. Your enemy’s enemy and all that. She says he has a peculiar habit of being around when things go wrong, whether it’s Maxie giving birth in the woods, or Peter showing up at GH, and he says, and when she loses a dear friend? He doesn’t think things could get much worse, so let’s hope they get better soon.

Nina asks why Peter is here. Why isn’t he locked up in Pentenville? Peter says, she didn’t hear about Jason nearly killing. Because of Jason, he requires medical attention. Nina says, what a shame. Too bad his aim wasn’t better. Peter tells the officers that he and Nina are practically family, and they know how family squabbles can get. Tell him, did her friend Mike finally fly to her rescue, or what? She gets down so they’re face to face, and says, you son of a bitch. There’s a place in hell reserved just for you. He says, people keep telling him that, but he ventures to think she’ll beat him there.

Sasha tells Carly, she made a vow; no more waterworks. Her baby and Brando need her. Carly says, Liam and Brando need her to be healthy, which means she needs to rest. And like it or not, it means doing what the nurses tell her. Sasha says, Epiphany and Elizabeth are having great fun bossing her around, and Carly laughs, saying, she bets. She knows it’s not the experience Sasha looked for, but it sounds like she’ll be able to go home soon. Sasha says, and they’re taking Liam Mike with them. Carly says she likes the name. She kisses Sasha’s forehead, and says she’s going to go, and let Sasha rest. Sasha thanks Carly for being a good friend to her, and Carly says, her pleasure. She’s always here for Sasha. Always. She leaves, and Sasha picks up her and looks at Liam’s picture. She says, you hear that, Liam. You will be coming home with us.

Brando tells Sonny, the tubes feed Liam, and he has a special blanket to cool him down, to help his brain recover from the lack of oxygen. Sonny says, it sounds backwards, and Brando laughs, saying, you’d think it was to keep him warm, but it’s the opposite. Sonny says, you’re never more raw and vulnerable as when you become a father, and Brando asks how Sonny does it. How does he handle the constant fear? Sonny says, you just don’t let it dominate your life. He always pictures Donna’s smile, Avery’s laugh. Kristina, Michael, and Dante are all grown up, but he still worries about them. He’s not Josslyn’s biological father, but he considers her his daughter; he’s her dad. One thing he’s learned about raising kids is, you have absolutely no control. Brando says, that’s a lesson that’s tough for him to learn, but Sonny says, Brando did a great job. He gave his son a great name; Liam Mike. A little Irish charm; his dad’s fighting spirit. Brando asks what makes Sonny sure Liam’s got it, and Sonny says, what makes him think Liam’s not a quitter? Because it runs in the family.

Britt says she has the feeling Austin doesn’t want to keep tabs on Peter out of some professional interest. Austin says he is concerned about Maxie’s physical and emotional well-being, especially now that he’s met the father of her child. Britt says, no one is underestimating the harm Peter is capable of causing, but he’s under guard 24/7, and once he’s released from the hospital, he’ll be locked away for the rest of his unnatural life. Austin says, maybe, but after spending even just a little time with him, he doesn’t sound like a guy who’s giving up on getting his family back. He sounds like a high stakes poker player who’s very pleased with himself because he still has an ace up his sleeve.

Valentin walks into the foyer with Bailey, and tells her, in France, they say, au revoir, mon cheri, which means, until we meet again. Au revoir, mon cheri. He tries not to cry, and gives Bailey to Brook. He and Anna leave, and Brook sighs. Outside, Valentin cries, and Anna holds him. She asks, it’s done. Is he okay? She takes his face in her hands, and says, ready to go? He nods.

Maxie grabs her coat and bag, and says, too many lies, too many hearts broken and lives destroyed. This has to stop. She walks out.

Nina asks the guards if she and Peter could have a second. He’s not going to go anywhere; please? Peter tells them, he’ll be fine. They can go. They leave (highly unlikely IRL), and Nina leans down again, and asks what Peter is intending. He says, me? and she says, yeah, you. He says he doesn’t have to lift a finger. She sealed her own fate in beautiful Nixon Falls when she fell in love with another woman’s husband, and not just any woman, the feisty Carly Corinthos. Frankly, he’s surprised to see Nina in town. He would have thought Carly had run her out of town on a rail by now, right after tarring and feathering her first of course (🍷)… or doesn’t she know. Nina gets up to see Carly standing behind Peter. Rut-roh.

On Monday, Chase says there’s something someone needs to know, Laura wants out of the safe house now, Sonny sees why Britt was special to Jason, and Peter tells Nina to let Carly be the judge of that.

🩰 She Knows Him…

I did know she had a dance background, but didn’t know about Cats.

🏚 She Wants Out Now…

Laura returns to the Port Charles canvas.

🥀 What a Dahl…

Another farewell. I’d forgotten she was Lorenzo Lamas’s mom.

https://people.com/movies/arlene-dahl-actress-turned-beauty-mogul-dead-at-96/

👸🏼 The Princess Returns…

Mac’s better half is home for the holidays.

⚖️ Oh No She Isn’t…

I hadn’t heard this rumor, but I’m glad it’s not true.

📽 Four’s Not a Crowd…

It must have been like old GH home week on this set.

🥁 Soaping the Season…

A good time for a worthy cause.

🏔 She’s Too Good…

Ugh. This woman. She’s like the fly in the Salt Lake ointment.

📿 Housewife Side Hustle…

Garcelle sells her glitzy wares.

🧨 Already It Starts…

And one of them isn’t even on the show.

🃏 I Resemble That…

Eboni did not find it a laughing matter.

😭 Boo-Hoo-Hoo…

Attention ladies, Juicy Joe is once again available.

📺 Sadly, She’s Right…

I’m sure I lose many braincells every time I watch reality TV. Actually, it’s surprising I have a brain at all at this point.

📡 Quotes of the Week

It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. – Mahatma Gandhi

A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. – George Moore

Rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore. – Florence Nightingale

To be a revolutionary you have to be a human being. You have to care about people who have no power. – Jane Fonda

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. – Paulo Coelho

Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast. – William Shakespeare

Success is a collection of problems solved. – I. M. Pei

With no positivity, there is no hope; with no negativity, there is no improvement. – Criss Jami

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain

Is your secret job in a red flag factory?Kalani Faagata, 90 Day Fiancé

People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli

🗼 Au Revoir, Not Goodbye…

Enjoy your next two days off, or on, or whatever your status. See you at the finale of the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay living without regret, and stay knowing that when you see only dustballs and clothes, the boogie man has no power over you.

December 1, 2021 – Victor Makes a Thanksgiving Appearance, Fancy Pants Back In the OC, Three New Wives Plus One, She Ate My Bow & Rain

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dante and Sam kiss, and Dante says, sorry; he overstepped. Sam says, no, she wants this too, and they kiss some more, then head upstairs.

Alexis, Shawn, Spencer and Esme have just finished some take-out Chinese, and Spencer thanks Alexis, saying, it’s a nice break from the traditional turkey. She says, all she did was order in from Noodle Buddha, and he says, she is the one with a working credit card though. She says, good point, and Esme says, she and Spence insist on cleaning up. They start to clear the table, and go to the kitchen. Shawn says, Alexis really doesn’t like Spencer’s girlfriend, does she? She says, it’s not about like. She just doesn’t trust Esme.

On the phone, Valentin thanks Mac, and says he expects immediate action to be taken on this matter. Tonight.

Ned tells Olivia, Scout inherited Drew’s shares when he was declared dead, but now that he’s alive, that calls into question Drew’s shares that he signed over to Valentin. She says, which means Valentin’s majority hold on ELQ is in question. He says, Valentin isn’t going to take this lying down, which means he has to act fast while Valentin is still recovering from the pain of realizing Bailey isn’t his daughter. Olivia looks at him, and he says, just say it. Tell him that he’s a jerk for even thinking about this when they just learned Drew is still alive, and Jason probably isn’t. She says she’s going to shock him, and not going to say any of that. She thinks where Valentin is involved, staying ahead of the situation is absolutely the right move.

Chase finds Brook outside, and asks, what’s going on? She was taking care of Bailey one minute, and then just bounced. She says she’s just overwhelmed, trying to process everything they just learned. Everything Drew told them, the miracle he’s alive, the fact that Jason isn’t. Plus, all their personal drama, and the fact that her dad is disappointed in her again, but the sacrifices they’re making for Bailey will be worth it in the end. They have to, because not everyone is so lucky. Not everyone is going home to their loved ones tonight.

Britt walks onto the footbridge, and tells Carly, sorry. She didn’t expect to find Carly there. She actually didn’t think anyone would be there. She just thought she could… She doesn’t know what she thought she could do here. Carly says she does.

On the phone, Sonny says, Cyrus! Realizing Cyrus is no longer there, he throws the phone, and says, you want a war, you bastard, I’ll give you a war.

Drew says Monica wasn’t kidding about Annabelle. She’s so big, she’s going to need a wing of her own. I laugh, because at first, I think he’s talking about a turkey wing, and I figure she’d already had a couple of them. Monica says, actually, she agrees with him. It took her a long time, but she’s finally fallen in love with that dog. He says, she never left Oscar’s side when he was sick, and Monica says, she laid on his bed for weeks after he was gone. Has Drew seen Sam or Scout? He must be anxious to get back to his old life.

Sam leads Dante to the bedroom, and they get busy. I’m not sure how they can concentrate with that loud music playing.

Drew tells Monica that he tried to concentrate on his life here to give him strength. Mostly Scout. Thinking about her got him through those brutal two years, but he can’t charge back into his life in Port Charles, and expect someone as young as Scout to welcome him with open arms. She says, a lot can change in two years, and he says, exactly his point. He doesn’t even know what a return to his life in Port Charles means. When he left, he was still trying to piece together his identity, and find where his place was in the world. She says, let her help him out. His place is here with his family.

Alexis comes out of her house to find Valentin on her porch. She says she thought she heard him talking out there, and he says, he was hoping her invitation to join the orphan Thanksgiving still stands. She asks why he’s not at the Quartermaines having pizza, and he says, change of plans. Charlotte’s with friends this year, and he’s second guessing his choice to be alone. She asks if there’s anything he wants to talk about before they go inside, but he says, no, and she says, let’s go. They go in, and she says, hey, everybody, make room for one more. Spencer asks what the hell Valentin is doing here.

Sonny tells Spinelli, Renault is in prison, and somehow got ahold of a burner phone. Spinelli says, Cyrus called Sonny from prison? On Thanksgiving? How distressing. Sonny says he needs Spinelli to figure out what’s going on, and Spinelli asks why Cyrus called. Sonny says, he probably heard about Jason, and called to taunt him. Spinelli says, heard about Jason? Is he back from Greece? Sonny says, Spinelli doesn’t know? and Spinelli says, know what exactly?

Carly says, she’s surprised Britt even knows about this place, and Britt says, when she and Jason were on the run, they had a lot of downtime. Carly asks if she knew the original bridge was torn down. It wasn’t safe, so Jason made an anonymous donation, and they built this bridge in its place. Britt says she didn’t know that part, but knowing this place had such significance to Jason, she thought she’d feel closer to him if she came here. She cries, and says she imagines Carly had the same idea. Carly says, long before the wedding they just had, long before Jax, even before she met Sonny, Jason was her other half, strange as that may sound. Britt says she knows. When she and Jason were in the lighthouse, he talked a lot about Carly. She laughs and says, well, a lot for Jason. She knows how much they meant to each other. She gets why Carly is there. Does she want Britt to go?

Brook says she knows what this is doing to Maxie, to Valentin, to everyone. How devastated Charlotte’s going to be when she finds out Bailey really isn’t her baby sister, not to mention what this is doing to Bailey. She’s bonding with the wrong woman as her mother. He says, what about her? Isn’t she hurting? She says, her part in this is basically telling some lies, a skill she acquired at a young age, and has nearly perfected. She’s taking care of Bailey, which surprisingly, she’s good at. He says, see? That’s his point. Valentin, Maxie, Charlotte, they’re sad right now, but one day, when this secret comes out, and Bailey goes back to Maxie, Brook is going to be the one who’s suffering. Has she thought about that? She says, fine. It’s going to hurt everyone, but after the information they just learned, that Peter is responsible for Jason’s death, that he kept Drew prisoner for over two years, it proves they’re doing the right thing keeping Bailey safe from Peter. They made the right decision. He says, now that Peter is in custody with the WSB, they won’t have to keep up this pretense much longer. He takes her hand, and she says, from his lips. Mac walks up, and Chase asks what he’s doing here. Mac says he’s sorry to bother the family on a holiday, but he needs to ask Chase some questions about Valentin.

Alexis reminds Spencer that it’s her house, and she likes Valentin. She knows Spencer doesn’t like him and they haven’t gotten along in a while, and Spencer says, the man tried to kill him when he was a child. Shawn guesses he missed a lot while he was away, and Valentin tells Spencer, that’s the way his father framed an event from his childhood. Alexis says, all right. It’s Thanksgiving, a day to be grateful, so if the two of them could put away their dueling resentments for a few hours, she’d be grateful. Spencer says, he’ll always be grateful, but in 2021, they finally learned the truth; that Valentin is Helena’s bastard child and has zero claim to anything Cassadine. Alexis tells him, that’s not being grateful, and Spencer says, Valentin shouldn’t even be able to use the last name Cassadine. The doorbell rings, and Alexis wonders, what fresh hell is this? and opens the door. Nikolas says, happy Thanksgiving, and Ava says, they brought pie… Is this a bad time? Alexis says, they have no idea. Nikolas says, they wanted to make sure she wasn’t alone tonight, and Ava says, that’s why they brought pie; pumpkin and pecan. Alexis says, that’s very generous, but as they can see, she’s far from alone. She opens the door, and they walk in. Ava says, happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and Nikolas says, maybe a quiet Thanksgiving at Windymere would be better. Spencer says, good idea, but Esme says, come on. It’s a holiday. This is his chance to show he’s the bigger man. Shawn says Alexis promised him that his Thanksgiving wouldn’t be boring. She sure delivered on that.

Ned says, Olivia thinks this is a good idea? Getting ahead of Valentin? She knows that’s equivalent to declaring war with him, right? She says, what his daughter did to Valentin, it hurt. He’s going to be mad and want revenge, and when the dust settles, of course (🍷) he’s going to try and undermine Drew’s shares of the Quartermaine stock. Ned says, he means this as a compliment; how very Quartermaine of her. She says, you can take the girl out of Brooklyn… he knows how the saying goes. She knows she can be reactionary, but over the past year, she’s slowly, but surely, come to realize Ned’s head is back on his shoulders again. She feels she can trust his intentions, not just with Leo, but with the family. He asks if that includes the two of them. Before they butted heads about Leo, he thought they were on their way to reconciliation. Where does that leave them now?

Drew says Monica has always been so incredibly kind to him, more than he deserves, especially considering the mess and trauma his arrival caused. She says, this family thrives on strife and drama. He wouldn’t be a Quartermaine if he wasn’t stirring things up. He says he sees she redecorated, and she says she thought it was time for a change. Does he like it? He says he likes it a lot, but he misses the family photos on the mantel. She says, her too. It was hard putting those away, but it was just always a reminder of everyone they’ve lost, and now Jason’s gone. She tears up, and he hugs her. She says, but sometimes it takes a new perspective to see things, or really see them. Willow came to her, and asked if she could put some pictures Wiley had drawn on the fridge. All of a sudden, she had this sense of family again. Soon there will be drawings Bailey did next to Wiley’s. They’ll never forget the ones they’ve lost, but they’ve got to find a way to move on with their lives. He says, somehow we do.

Basking in the afterglow, Dante says, that was… Sam says, a long time coming, and he says, that’s one way to put it, kissing her again. He says, it felt like the right thing to do, and she says, this big step had to be about the two of them first. Dante’s phone rings, and he says, it’s probably his mom, worrying why they flaked. They should make their families wait until tomorrow. Unless of course (🍷) she thinks he should take off tonight.

Ava tells Alexis that she’s sorry. She thought she was encouraging Nikolas to do a good thing. Alexis says, she’s not sure Nikolas can do a good thing anymore, even with an instruction manual. Ava says she doesn’t want to fight. She just came to check on Alexis, and see how she was doing. She’s sure Alexis remembers the significance of this day, other than it being a holiday. It’s been a year since they last saw Julian before he… Alexis says she must have blocked that anniversary. As Ava knows, things did not end well with her and Julian. Having said that, she knows he’s Ava’s brother and she misses him, and she’s sorry Ava is in pain. Ava thanks her, and Alexis says, now if Ava will excuse her, she’s going to try and make at least one person smile instead of cry before this dreadful holiday is over. The doorbell rings, and Alexis says, who could this be? Satan? She opens the door, and Victor says, hello, Natasha.

Alexis says, he’s… He says, late for dinner? He supposes he is. Is this any way to great a member of her family? She lets him in, and Spencer says, Uncle Victor, you’re alive, and hugs him. Victor says Spencer is all grown up. Quite a chip off the old block. Nikolas says, sorry. He should have warned them. Alexis says, he knew Victor was alive and didn’t say anything? How long has he known?

Spinelli tells Sonny, they just need to access the appropriate technology, a scan that can measure body temperature, and prove there are signs of life. They need to notify the Greek authorities. Sonny says, they did that already; there’s no sign of life. Even though they haven’t found a body, it doesn’t look good. They have to prepare themselves for the worst case scenario. Spinelli says, Sonny finally found his way home, and so did Drew, only for them to lose Jason. Sonny says, Jason knew the risk going to Greece. In this business, they’re provided with a great life, but it also turns them into people who take action. It’s always a risk. They can’t always take for granted  that they’re going to beat the odds and come home. Jason knew that. Spinelli says, Jason was never concerned about risk; he embraced it, but he truly never thought it would catch up with him. He cries, and Sonny hugs him.

Carly says, the footbridge is a public place. It’s not for her say whether Britt can use it or not. Britt asks if she should join Carly, and Carly says, she knows how important Britt was to Jason, and he was to her. Britt says, the last time they talked, Carly said she wished Jason had never met her, meaning he’d still be alive if their paths had never crossed. Carly tells Britt, she shouldn’t have said that; she’s sorry. I fall out of my chair in shock. Britt says, don’t be. She feels the same way. So whatever Carly feels about her, know that right now, she hates herself too.

Brook tells Mac, let her guess. Valentin is filing charges against her for fraud or something? Mac asks why she’d say that, and she says, no reason. She probably shouldn’t have had that second glass of wine with dinner. Chase asks what Mac is doing here. It’s Thanksgiving; he should be home. Mac says, he’d like to be, but when the PCPD has a formal complaint lodged against the department, he has to pay attention. He doesn’t know the whole story, but Valentin is saying one of his detectives assaulted him over a personal matter. Brook says, that’s ridiculous; Chase was just standing up for her. Mac says, there will be a time and place for Brook to give her version of things, but this is a serious matter, which is why he’s not with his family on this holiday. He needs to speak to Chase in private.

Alexis says, Nikolas knew Victor was alive, and didn’t think to tell her about it? Nikolas says, neither she nor Spencer were speaking to him, and he expected Victor to remain in prison. Spencer says Nikolas warned him away from Victor, but as they know, his word is good for nothing. He always thought Victor was a good man. Victor thanks him, and says, that means a lot. He’s sure they’re wondering why he’s here. He went to Windymere, but it was empty, so he came here, looking for the family he has left. He asks Alexis where her daughters are; he was hoping for a proper family reunion. She says, they had other plans, fortunately, and Victor looks at Valentin, saying, all is not lost. He had no idea Valentin and Natasha had gotten close enough to spend a holiday together. Alexis says she didn’t know Victor and Valentin were so close, but Valentin says, they’re not close. Victor is his father.

Olivia tells Ned, it’s a lot to unpack, but it’s different this time. Ned asks, why? and she says, this time she has hope. Over the course of the last year, there were a lot of times she didn’t have any. She thinks it’s a good sign. Is that enough for now? He says, it’s worth everything to him, and she says, one thing she does know is that she wants him in Leo’s life. Julian’s been gone a year, but even when he was alive, Ned was the most fatherly figure in Leo’s life. Despite what’s gone on between them, she regrets they didn’t make it official last year. He says, him too, and they hug. Monica comes in with Drew, and says she didn’t mean to interrupt, but Olivia tells Drew, if he’s hungry, he’d better jump on some leftover pizza; it goes quick. Monica says she’s right. If he wants to hit the pizza, go now before everyone starts on round two. She’ll have the staff get a room ready for him. He says, that’s not necessary, but she says, he needs them as much as they need him, and Ned says she’s right. They have a lot to catch up on.

Sam asks if Dante is going to just cut and run on her, but he says he’s not going anywhere. He didn’t want to be presumptuous. Rocco is spending the night, but if he’s there for breakfast, there are going to be a lot of awkward questions. Sam suggests they set an alarm extra early, and he can sneak out before the kids wake up… He asks where she went, and she tells him, she was going to say she wanted him to stay because she didn’t want be alone tonight, but that’s not true. She doesn’t want him to stay because she’s lonely. She wants him to stay because she wants to be with him. He says, that’s good. He wants to be with her too. So it’s settled then; he’ll stay.

Alexis tells Valentin, they knew Mikkos wasn’t his father. They also knew Helena had an affair with an unknown man. Victor says, that would be him, and Alexis says, eww. Him and Helena? Victor says he knows Alexis had issues with Helena. Of course (🍷) she did, Helena killed her mother, but he saw a different side to her. Valentin says, so if anyone needs it spelled out, that makes him 100% Cassadine bastard. He told Nikolas that he’d be eating his words. Spencer says, Nikolas knew about this? and Nikolas says, he knew Victor was alive, but had no idea he was Valentin’s father. Have they had DNA tests? Victor says, not yet, but he’s willing to, and Valentin says, as is he. And if it turns out to be true, the silver lining is he and Alexis are blood family. Spencer says he doesn’t believe his Uncle Victor would have a son like Valentin, and Nikolas says, he’s no fan of Valentin’s, but he thinks Spencer is putting Victor up too high. Spencer says he didn’t ask for Nikolas’s opinion, and Ava tells Nikolas that she thinks they should go. Nikolas says, good idea, and Valentin thinks he’ll go too, but Alexis says, no one is leaving until every dish is done. Nikolas says, he’ll stay if his son wants him too, and Spencer says, fine by him if Nikolas stays; he and Esme will go. Nikolas asks if everything has to be a grand gesture, and Spencer says, like Nikolas throwing him out of the house and saying Spencer is nothing to him? Talk about grand gestures, how about dressing up like a stalker and stabbing him? There’s no gesture there? Victor does a two-finger whistle, and says, he recognizes that blood feuds are something of a Cassadine tradition, but speaking as the patriarch of the family, that’s going to change starting today.

Chase goes back inside the mansion, and Brook says she’s gotten him into trouble with his boss, hasn’t she? How bad is it? He says, Mac suspended him from the force for six months.

Drew says, when Monica puts it like that, how can he say no? He thanks her, and she says he’s welcome, leaving to talk to the staff. Olivia goes to check on Leo, and Ned says, it’s his turn to welcome Drew back. It’s nothing short of a miracle, and one this family needs right now. They hug, and Ned says, at the risk of sounding mercenary, he wants to warn Drew that his return created complications with ELQ. Sorting it out is going to put a target on Drew for Valentin.  

Victor says, now that he has their attention, the Cassadines have been plagued for far too long with infighting and family members stabbing each other in the back. Spencer says, sometimes they stab you in the chest, and Victor says, his point exactly. Can’t they imagine how much stronger this family would be together? Alexis says, he’s been dead a long time; he’s missed a lot. There’s a lot of bad blood going on between them, especially in the last three months. He’s not going to be the one to patch the family together. Frankly, she doesn’t think anyone can. Victor says, he hopes for all their sakes, that’s not the case. There will always be threats to this family lurking in the shadows. He just hopes and prays they come to realize this family is a lot stronger with a united front, before those threats step into the light.

Sam looks out window. Dante realizes she’s not next to him in bed, and gets up. He puts his arms around her from behind.

Spinelli tells Sonny that he thinks he should be going home now. He’ll get right to tracing the call. Georgie is getting dropped off in the morning. Sonny says Spinelli can stay there tonight; Josslyn and Carly wouldn’t mind. Spinelli thanks him for his kind offer, but thinks he needs to sit with the news, so he can get in a better headspace for Georgie in the morning. Sonny says, they’re just a phone call away, and Spinelli thanks him. He starts to leave, but says, at the risk of speaking out of turn, he knows things were complicated between Jason, Sonny, and Carly after the negated wedding, and he’s glad things got sorted before… before they lost him. He leaves.

Carly tells Britt, she knows what Jason would want her to say. He’d want her to tell Britt that she doesn’t blame her. That was one of the many roles Jason played in her life. He had the ability to talk her down. With him gone, those generous thoughts don’t come natural. They’re drowned out by loss, and knowing Jason is gone and he’s not coming back. Britt says she understands that feeling, and Carly says she doesn’t want Britt to go. Britt walks to Carly, and puts her arm around her. They stand shoulder to shoulder.

Tomorrow, Olivia asks Dante if things are getting serious with Sam; Valentin tells Anna, if he hurts, Brook is going to hurt too; Carly asks what Sonny is going to do about it; and Brando says he has to prepare Sasha first.

Real Housewives of Orange County

Heather aka Fancy Pants is back, and we heard a whole lot about her house, and how fabulous her life is. And we heard aaalll about the kids. We heard about it for so long, I started wondering where everyone else was. Heather’s life is so important, we didn’t even get opening taglines. Gina and Emily also made it back this season, and Emily said they were best friends again. She thought their friendship had been off because they were at low points in their lives. Now Gina was happy and healthy and it was all good. Gina talked about Matt’s court case being delayed because of covid, and how their relationship got better by the time she had to give a victim impact statement. It was tough seeing him plead guilty. She was still seeing Travis though, so it wasn’t like they were getting back together.

I guess Shannon is the OG of the group now, and we had to hear about her kids. She said the kids growing up was a lot to handle sometimes. She was still the same hypochondriac, but somehow, John was still hanging in strong with her. Heather met with new Housewife and friend Nicole for a hike, and talked some more about her kids. We saw an actual roadrunner run across the road, so there was that. It did not, however, make a beep-beep sound. Heather told Nicole that Shannon had been texting her about past good times, and we flashed back to some past volatile times. Heather thought maybe it was like childbirth, and Shannon was only remembering the good parts, but thought everyone deserved another chance.

Emily had some work done, and brought Gina to new Housewife and aestheticist Dr. Jen. Gina said Dr. Jen was the whole package; educated, working full-time, and a mom, and she was doing it all in stilettos. Since Jen later said she’d die without her nanny, maybe she isn’t quite the whole package Gina thinks. Heather met with Nobu manager John about catering an upcoming. In her interview, she said, to her, a party was a theatrical experience, a complete immersion into fabulousness. We flashed back to some of those immersions, including the cake bow incident a skabillion years ago. (See below for the full story.) Shannon met Emily and Gina for lunch, and Emily said they were the new Tres Amigas. Shannon said she was looking at them in a new light, and Emily said they’d grown on her like barnacles. Shannon said Heather had told her about a friend named Nicole, and she thought she knew Nicole from their kids going to pre-school together. She’d dated Kid Rock. After meeting with John, Heather met Nicole and the final new Housewife Noella.

In Jen’s interview, I had to hear about a stranger’s kids, and husband Ryne who deals in high-end vacation rentals and catering. He gets a thumbs up from me because of the way he was cradling their Chihuahua, and the way the Chi looked up at him so lovingly. Shannon told Gina and Emily that she was hoping Nicole wasn’t the person she thought, since she’d sued Heather’s husband Terry. Why Heather wouldn’t know this, I’m not sure, but Shannon made them swear they wouldn’t say anything. I don’t know why any of these women would expect another to adhere to that promise, given past experience. It’s Season 16, and it hasn’t happened once.

Heather met Shannon and Gina for lunch, and then gave them a tour of her house, which was basically as big as a small city. When Heather was out of earshot, Gina asked if Shannon was cool, since she’d once had a house like that in the same area. In Shannon’s interview, she said the house she and David built had both good and bad memories, and we flashed back on those. She said it was triggering her, but it felt like a lifetime ago. She looked like she wanted to escape when Heather showed off her hot towel drawers, in a bathroom bigger than my entire first floor. Noella went to Nicole’s for lunch, and talked about how life didn’t suck being married to ambulance chaser attorney Sweet James. Sweet James? Really?

The women headed to Heather’s party, Shannon making Emily and Gina swear again that they wouldn’t say anything about Nicole. In Emily’s interview, she said it was typical Shannon behavior, causing trouble on the downlow. Then, if it came up later, she played the innocent victim. Gina didn’t understand Shannon’s endgame. Does anyone? Does Shannon even understand it?

Shannon thought she’d met Jen before, but it had been at a party, so the memory was fuzzy. We saw beautiful people in Heather’s beautiful house eating beautiful food and drinking beautiful drinks. In Gina’s interview, she said she thought it was the right thing to do to tell Heather about Nicole. She didn’t think she was capable of pretending it was okay. Then Nicole arrived. We saw flashes of Gina telling Emily that it was a disaster, and Heather kicking everyone out.   

Then, to be continued…

This season, horse races, fabulous vacations, and other rich people things no one in this cast deserves; lots of fights; Shannon is jealous of Gina’s friendship with Heather; Terry wonders if Shannon is harboring ill will from the past; and Noella says her life is falling apart.

👯‍♀️ New Girls…

The newest Housewives in the OC. Plus one who was demoted early on.

https://people.com/tv/rhoc-newcomers-shake-things-up-in-season-16-trailer-exclusive/

https://screenrant.com/housewives-orange-county-new-cast-season-16-facts/

https://meaww.com/who-nicole-james-rhoc-16-heather-dubrow-friend-terry-surgery-botched-demoted-dated-kid-rock

🎀 The Bow Incident…

I don’t remember much about this woman, but I sure remember the fuss Heather kicked up. She must have said, she ate my bow, ten thousand times.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/tbt-sarah-eats-the-bow-on-heathers-cake

🏂 Sliding Out Of This Page Like…

See you tomorrow for some soap and faux fur on the Runway. Until then, stay safe, stay being a queen, but not a drag, and stay not letting generous thoughts get drowned out by loss.