What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Today’s GH Flashback, from May 21^st, 2019, continued with the 2019 Nurse’s Ball. After Finn’s ring went rolling out from the wings to Anna’s feet, Robert told Finn, don’t just stand there; go pick it up. Finn got the ring, then got down on one knee. He told Anna it wasn’t how he wanted to do this, and asked her to marry him. She said yes, and the crowd cheered. Cameron told Josslyn that Oscar had him record a message for her that he wanted her see tonight. He left the recording there, saying it had been Oscar’s last chance to talk to Josslyn. Since he’d recorded it, he already knew what it said, and thought Oscar would want her to hear it alone. My bad, Doc was Doc, and they were on to Ryan by this time, who had blown up a house in Canada, sending Laura and Curtis flying. (It’s all coming back now. Ava and Doc got together to try and draw Ryan out of hiding after he was discovered to be alive and well and killing again.) Doc agreed with Ava to stick to the plan. Kristina told Sam not to get too close to Shiloh, telling Sam that he was a cult leader, and more than a liar.

Josslyn watched Oscar’s recording, and he said he knew if she was watching this, he was gone. He wanted her to live life to the fullest, starting with tonight, and wanted her to sing their song for both of them. Obrecht sang Guilty, and Franco joined her on stage. Every time I hear this song, it makes me want to work out. It’s used in the background on one of my workout videos, and I’m like a trained pony. Josslyn got dressed, and went to the Ball, saying she was doing it for Oscar. Shiloh tried to smooth talk Kristina, and told her to come home, holding out his hand. In perfect timing, Sonny showed up at just that moment, and told Shiloh to stay away from his daughter. Shiloh told Kristina that she couldn’t let her father control her forever, and his door was always open. Sonny said Shiloh’s door was going to be permanently closed. He’d messed with the wrong family, and it was going to cost him everything. Alexis took Kristina away, and Kristina wondered why no one was doing anything about Sam falling under Shiloh’s spell. Without missing a beat, Shiloh moved on to Lucas, and tried to talk him into taking classes at Dawn of Day like Brad was.

Willow literally ran into Nina, spilling her drink, and Nina got pissed off. Willow said the one good thing about losing her job was that she didn’t have to take Nina’s crap anymore. Shiloh kept an eye on Willow, while Cameron practiced backstage, and thought about all the people not there tonight. Josslyn arrived, and told Jax and Carly about the message she’d gotten from Oscar. She said she didn’t know if she was there yet, but one step at a time. Cameron sang a song that may or may not have been called You’re My Star. Afterwards, Josslyn thanked him for bringing her Oscar’s message and being someone Oscar could trust. Kristina wouldn’t leave without talking to Sam, but Neil said that wouldn’t be wise. Since Kristina was still vulnerable, she couldn’t help Sam. She said she’d leave on the condition that Sonny stay and keep an eye on Shiloh, but Sonny said she didn’t even have to ask.

Lucy told Doc that two dozen roses had arrived, and he needed to sign for them. He said he’d gotten them as a tribute for Ava, but Lucy thought the only tribute Ava deserved was poison ivy. In Canada, Laura requested a helicopter, and told the Canadian cops to alert the New York state police about Ryan. Curtis called Chase, and let him know Ryan was on his way back to Port Charles. Finn and Anna celebrated with sparkling cider, and Finn told Anna the ring was a rare Monaco blue sapphire, He’d chosen it because Monaco was where Anna first blackmailed him, and changed his life. He said it wasn’t his perfect moment, but she didn’t care, and they got busy.

Nina eavesdropped on Willow’s conversation about the child she gave up for adoption. Willow said Nina had been making her life miserable since the day they met, and no wonder Charlotte was the way she is. Nina didn’t appreciate Willow’s judgement of her parenting, and said Willow couldn’t even take care of her own child. Nina left, and Willow discovered Shiloh had eavesdropped on her and Nina. Chase alerted the PCPD and the Canadian authorities about Ryan, and Laura tried to alert Doc, but he was already knocked out in the dressing room, as Ryan took a single rose from the bouquet. The episode ended with Ava singing You’re Just Too Good To Be True.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Dorinda visits a Halloween store, and tells the clerk that her Halloween theme is voodoo. The clerk helps her get into a corset. Ben and assistant Roger meet with meet with LuAnn. In her interview, LuAnn says they’re looking for comedians. Her act is a variety show, and variety shows need comedy. They’re waiting for Sonja, and LuAnn says, she probably lost her dress on the way over. Sonja comes in wearing jumpsuit, so she probably had to go to the bathroom. In her interview, Sonja says, LuAnn is so high on life, everything is funny. She wonders if she’s getting paid, and LuAnn says she was paid the last time. In Sonja’s interview, she says LuAnn paid for half of her hair and makeup, so she did her hair herself. The comics audition, and in LuAnn’s interview, she says they’re all good, but for Marry-Eff-Kill, they have to be specific about sex and relationships. Sonja says she’s glad LuAnn included her, and in her interview, she says she’s proud of what LuAnn has built, and excited to be involved, even if she’s not getting paid. Sonja and LuAnn go over their material for the show.

Tinsley calls Leah, who asks, what the hell is going on with her and Scott? Tinsley says, it was so good. In Tinsley’s interview, she says, even though everyone was saying, just get on a plane, she wanted to be cool. But when Scott said, get on a plane with Strawberry and Shortcake, she was all in. It sounds cheesy, but felt like home; like it was real. Leah says Dorinda is putting together an evening of going to a haunted house – Blood Manor – and then out to dinner. She said Tinsley can come if she wants, and Leah wants her to come. Tinsley says she wants to go. She loves stuff like that.

Tinsley and Leah arrive at Blood Manor first, where they’re accosted outside by a zombie and a clown. In Tinsley’s interview, she says she was expecting to be attacked by Dorinda at dinner, not by a zombie on the sidewalk. Elyse shows up next, followed by Dorinda. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she’s been trying to get the group to go to Blood Manor for two years. It’s an institution. It’s scary, and she doesn’t scare easy. She’s the scarer [sic]. She puts her arm around the zombie, and says she’s finally found the man of her dreams. Elyse says, the blondes always die in the horror films. If you’re blonde, and show your boobs, you’re dead. Speaking of which, when met by the zombie and clown, Ramona freaks out, and drops her shopping bag. In her interview, she says, if that’s what it’s like outside, what is it like inside? LuAnn joins them, dressed as a cougar. In her interview, Leah says she’s aspiring to be a cougar. Sonja gets there last. No surprise. In her interview, she says this isn’t for her. She’s already high anxiety, and they’ve had nothing to drink. They go inside, and Leah doesn’t think the clown is an actor. She thinks that’s really how he is.

They inch down a darkened hallway, and the clown opens a door. It’s a typical, albeit well done, haunted house – horror film type sets, lightening flashing, loud noises, and various horror characters jumping out at them. In Tinsley’s interview, she thinks the cackling twins are Sonja and Ramona. We flash back to the two of them at the banya massage, and Tinsley might be right. In Dorinda’s interview, she says, they drop from the ceiling, and come through the walls. They’re everywhere. Outside, Ramona says she’s exhausted and almost peed her pants. They head to dinner. In Sonja’s interview, she says she could use some tequila. Something she’s familiar with; not a haunted house.

The women sit down to dinner, and Ramona says Tinsley posted on Instagram about Scott. In Sonja’s interview, she says Tinsley posted to the world, then they find out. Leah suggests they toast to Tinsley and Scott, and Tinsley says they’re back together; wooo! Leah said Tinsley told her that she and Scott were getting married. We see a clip of Tinsley and Leah in the limo, and Tinsley saying, there’s no ring yet, but she just knows it. For whatever reason, Dorinda decides they should all ignore Tinsley, and in Tinsley’s interview, she says she expected Dorinda not to ask questions, but she’s disappointed that Sonja, Ramona, and LuAnn fell under Dorinda’s spell. Elyse thinks they’ve been hard on Tinsley, and it’s unwarranted. LuAnn asks Dorinda if the conversation is registering, but Dorinda says Tinsley is running game. She’s making asses of them. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she’s not judgmental (I choke on my coffee), but don’t pull the wool over their eyes. She tells LuAnn, don’t bring life to it. In Ramona’s interview, she says Dorinda is telling her not to listen to Tinsley, and she’s in a good place with Dorinda, so she’s sticking with her. What a tool. LuAnn asks where the ring is, and Dorinda says Tinsley will love Chicago. Since she’s living in a hotel, she can pack up and go tomorrow. Tinsley says she’s happy for herself and her dogs, and Dorinda says she’s got a turkey baster. Maybe Tinsley can have a baby. Honest to God, I don’t know how this woman hasn’t been punched in the face by now. Tinsley says Dorinda is mean, and in LuAnn’s interview, she justifies Dorinda’s remarks by saying it’s been overkill about Tinsley and Scott. Wait a second. Tinsley is the one who didn’t want to talk about it, and Dorinda kept hammering at her. W… T… F…?  Elyse says she believes this is it for Tinsley, and she’s going to live happily ever after. In Leah’s interview, she says, the behavior is de classé. They should give Tinsley this one moment, but they can’t. I can tell Tinsley has had it.

Sonja goes with intern Lulu to meet with Michael and Heather from Century 21. In Sonja’s interview, she says, it’s only been phone calls up until now, but the last show blew them away. Now they want to sell her collection. She sent the pieces ahead, and Heather tells her, the quality is incredible. I’ve looked at her site, and the clothes are not only beautiful, they’re reasonably priced. In her interview, Sonja says she wants to pinch herself. Century 21 is known for luxury for less, and designers at a discount, which is what she’s all about. She says she’s so excited, and Michael says their flagship store downtown is going to make a space front and center for her collection. They also want to sell it at their Herald Square store. (For those unfamiliar with NYC, that’s where the big Macy’s is you see on the Thanksgiving parade.) In Sonja’s interview, she says she’s trying to be serious, but inside, she’s dying. This struck a chord with her, and has made her feel confident. Michael says, in the long term, they want to roll her collection out all their stores. It’s a huge opportunity for both of them. In her interview, Sonja says she needs to stay calm. Michael says they’re moving fast, and their buying team has been in touch with her people. They’ll be placing an order in the next couple of weeks. Sonja says she’s ready to start the next chapter.

Dorinda, Sonja, and Ramona share a limo. Ramona tells them that they’re looking at a warehouse, and meeting event planner Larry Scott. In her interview, Ramona says she’s having a birthday party to celebrate herself, and inviting all her girlfriends. Dorinda and Sonja realize they’re going to Long Island, when they thought they were staying in Manhattan. They go to the warehouse of Lawrence Scott Events, and in Ramona’s interview, she says he’s the premier party planner in NYC, Long Island, and the Hamptons. She tells Larry, last year, a friend made the invite list and excluded some of her girlfriends. We flash back to Ramona telling the list maker not to include Sonja. She tells him that she has 60 girlfriends to invite, and he’s shocked she has that many at her age. I’m surprised when she doesn’t react. In Sonja’s interview, she says, if Ramona mentions that she has 60 girlfriends one more time, she’s going to vomit. Larry asks what Ramona’s vision is, and she says, sophisticated jungle, or tropical. It’s her coming out party; she’s single. I guess three people in the world don’t already know that. Sonja says it’s her birthday, as well as Dorinda’s, and suggests they have a joint party, but Ramona immediately shoots that down. In Dorinda’s interview, she wonders why not a joint party? Sonja is Ramona’s real friend, and Sonja needs this. It’s an opportunity to be kind. (I choke on my coffee a second time, since that’s rich coming from Dorinda.) Ramona says she loves them, but it’s her party. In Sonja’s interview, she says, for the last couple of years, Ramona has  wanted the whole spotlight to herself. How hard is it to share a party? Ramona says she’s giving back to the girlfriends she’s known for thirty years, and it’s costing a lot of money, but Larry is giving her a good price. In her interview, Dorinda says, Ramona likes to do let’s make a deal. Dorinda doesn’t do that. She just gives them a credit card. Dorinda says, it’s Ramona’s coming out party? The next thing she’ll be having is an I-got-my-first-period party. In Ramona’s interview, she says she’s chalking it up to jealousy, because they don’t have as many girlfriends as she does. Yeah. That must be it. They sit and go over ideas while stuffing their faces with cookies, and Dorinda suggests a woman covered in sushi. Both Ramona and Larry are like, eww! Ramona says there’s no formal theme, and she wants everyone to sit where they want, and mingle. Larry says people can sometimes get cliquey, and they want to make sure the attention is on Ramona. Like this would ever be a problem. He draws a diagram, and shows her where she’ll hold court. Ramona will be the chandelier. In Dorinda’s interview, she says, it’s always the Ramona show. Dorinda barely celebrates Jesus that much. She feels like she’s been kidnapped. How did this happen? They’re in a warehouse in Long Island, being ignored, and overdosing on sugar. Larry asks them to pose for a social media picture, and in her interview, Dorinda says, and now, they have to do a promo piece for Larry’s business. This has taken up a full day, and now they have to do a promo piece. Save the bullsh*t for your Hamptons friends. You’ve got the wrong audience here.

Rob brings Kier to Leah’s apartment. Leah says she’s testing recipes, and Kier makes a face. In Leah’s interview, she says, being the mom of a teen means you’re reminded every day of how you’re not cool. That’s basically what it’s like. She makes a green juice, and tries it. She says, it’s really healthy, and Rob takes a sip. He says it’s the first time he’s ever had one, and it’s not bad. In her interview, Leah says, it’s hard for a lot of people to understand their relationship. They’re like an amazing married couple, but they don’t live at the same address, and they don’t have sex. Leah asks Rob to throw out a giant plant that’s on its last legs, and Kier says she’s a waster. In Leah’s interview, she says Rob is good to have around to co-parent, but also do the man thing she doesn’t want to do. Except that one man thing. She has batteries for that. He leaves with the plant.

Ramona meets Tinsley for drinks, and says she wants Tinsley to be happy. In Ramona’s interview, she says she felt badly ignoring Tinsley at the restaurant. She suggested they meet for drinks at T Bar, and toast to her being back with Scott. Tinsley says, a lot happened really fast. She’s loved Scott for a long time, and they’ve been on this road before. LuAnn joins them, and in her interview, Tinsley says, it means a lot that Ramona and LuAnn reached out to her after their mean girls episode. If they want to talk about her happiness, she’s more than willing. Ramona’s friend Ron shows up, and in Tinsley’s interview, she says, typical Ramona, but at least she cares this much. Ramona says she’s happy for Tinsley, but it happened fast. Now she’s leaving New York. LuAnn asks if Tinsley is coming to her Halloween party, but Tinsley thinks she’ll be in Chicago; she’s moving tomorrow. In her interview, LuAnn says, it feels like it’s moving fast. She’s happy for Tinsley, but wishes she’d stay for a few days. The Halloween party she’s planning is over the top, and they could include celebrating Tinsley and Scott. Ha-ha-ha! Like that would happen. Nice of LuAnn to make it about her. Tinsley says Scott is building her a closet, and also a glam room, and Ramona says, that’s commitment. They clink glasses, and in Ramona’s interview, she says, when a man builds you a closet, that says a lot. She knows a woman who’s been dating a guy for seven years, and she still doesn’t have closet space in his house. This is real now. She hugs Tinsley, and LuAnn says she couldn’t be happier. They all want the best for Tinsley, and will miss her. They have a three-way hug, and LuAnn says they’ll want to see the ring. They toast, and Ramona says, to Tinsley’s happiness. May all your wishes and rainbows come true.

Tinsley packs, and Dale helps. She tells Dale that some things are going to Palm Beach, some to Newport storage, and some are going to Chicago. Dale looks at Tinsley’s baby cup, and starts to cry. She says Tinsley has always been on the east coast, and Tinsley says, it’s happy. She loves Chicago, and she loves Scott. Dale says, everything is changing. In Tinsley’s interview, she says, so much happened so fast. We flash back to her meeting Scott (and immediately making out with him), Scott bringing her a giant heart of flowers, break-ups, and make-ups. Tinsley says she knows if she doesn’t take this moment, she’ll regret it for the rest of her life. She’s going to listen to herself and what she wants, and nobody else. Leah come by, and says, oh my God, when she sees the dogs in tiny ruffled dresses. She opens some champagne. In Leah’s interview, she says, as sad as she is, she’s happy for Tinsley. She thought Tinsley was crazy for wanting to be the fairytale, and not the legend, but now she wishes she had ten percent of Tinsley’s optimism and belief in love. Sonja arrives, and Dale says, her favorite girl in the world. She hugs Sonja, who almost knocks over a lamp. In her interview, Sonja says she’s had her doubts in the past, but Tinsley is happy, and she only wants the best for her. Get ready, Chi-town. The Tins is on her way. Dale says Sonja took in her girl. She didn’t want Tinsley being by herself when she moved back to NYC, and Sonja said come and stay. We flash back to Tinsley living with Sonja, and Dale says she’s thankful. Sonja is generous and kind, and Dale loves her. Sonja says she loves Dale too. She only wanted Tinsley to be safe, get her own dog, and develop her brand again. Now she’s doing her charities and been in fashion shows, and a man has been thrown in the mix. In Tinsley’s interview, she says she’s glad for the pat on the back. Sonja says she loves that Tinsley’s fairytale is coming true. Leah toasts to Tinsley. In her interview, Tinsley says she’s changed so much since moving back to New York. She thought moving there would trigger her back to the old Tinsley from when she lived there before. It took time, but she feels like herself again, and she’s confident. We flash back to Tinsley performing in the Big Apple Circus, Tinsley dancing on a table, and the fashion show. She says she doesn’t think it would have happened without all the bumps in the way. Thank you, mug shot; thank you, Sonja’s townhouse; thank you, everyone she’s met along the way. It’s been a great ride, and she’s happy where she is. We read that Tinsley got her dream ring when Scott romantically proposed in front of Christmas carolers – with Dale’s approval. She’s in the process of planning her closet.

Coming up this season, Ramona terrorizes Sonja with a lobster, a tropical vacation, Ramona plunges a toilet, LuAnn gets back on a camel, LuAnn and Dorinda have it out, Ramona tells Dorinda to look in the mirror, Sonja tells Ramona STFU, Sonja tells Leah that she cheapens the group of friends, and Ramona tells the cameraman, we’re done.

🍽 We’re down to four on Top Chef, and tonight, Padma said they had one last journey. They were going to Parma, home of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma ham. Tom – who should be on Jeopardy, he’s so full of facts – said that the town is protected by the Italian government, who make sure those products are legit and only come from Parma. Their tour guide was going to be Lorenzo Cogo, the youngest Michelin star chef in Italy. The challenge was to create two dishes – a primi and secondi course – featuring the two ingredients, and they would be serving them to sixteen of the most esteemed chefs in Italy.

The chefs went to the home of a billion cheese wheels, where we learned that with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, age is the most important factor, and only salt is added by immersion. The cheese is tapped with a hammer to see if it’s good. In her interview, Melissa said she grew up with that nasty grated parmesan cheese. Yep. You know the one. It tastes like childhood. Moving on to where prosciutto is born, we learned to never cook it. Lorenzo seemed like a super cool guy, and the grocery store was phenomenal, with an abundance of fresh produce. Stephanie said Parma was very meat forward, but she wanted her dish to be vegetable forward, so the judges would have nothing else to compare it to. Their last stop was a cured ham place that was like something out of Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Afterwards, the chefs reminisced about the season. In Melissa’s interview, she talked about mending her relationship with her father, and said she thought it affected her cooking; her confidence is better. He’d finally said he was proud of her. They stayed overnight at a farm, where Stephanie said she never felt more happy, and when you’re happy, your food tastes better. She was ready to crush it.

Raft: a combination of ingredients that are added to clarify broth by trapping the impurities and then rising to the surface in a floating mass (from RecipeTips.com). I looked this up because Melissa said she broke her raft, and would have to go through the process again. At first, I thought she was talking about a piece of kitchen equipment, but then when I read that, it made sense. She said it was a total rookie move, and she didn’t have time for that.

Padma told introduced guest judge, author and chef Evan Funke. Apparently, he has a huge hand in how pasta is made in the US. Evan thought the challenge was incredibly difficult, because both ingredients have strong flavors and are salty. Tom said he thought the chefs all did well, and Padma told them that Melissa and Stephanie stood out. Stephanie seemed totally shocked, and said earning her place there was humbling and a proud moment. Evan said they were all extraordinary chefs, but the shining star was Melissa. Padma pointed out it was Melissa’s third win in a row. In her interview, Melissa said she couldn’t explain what it felt like, but she had one more big challenge to conquer. Kevin and Bryan looked pretty sad.

Evan said Bryan’s pasta was cooked the best, but he screwed up with the cheese (my words – Evan was much more eloquent). Padma said there was no heart soul in the dish, which seemed to offend Bryan, who said he tried to push the envelope and try something new. Gail said Kevin was too heavy-handed with the cheese, it was agreed the pork in his pork and apple dish was too tough. (During the tasting, one chef had said the pork didn’t welcome you.) Kevin said it was the most soulful of all the food he’d made, and that’s all he cared about at this point in his life. Gail said both of them didn’t execute the challenge when it came to the ingredients.

Tom said he had a lot of empathy for them. Coming back showed what they were made of – as chefs, but more important, as people. Kevin had to pack his knives, which sounded like it was painful for Padma to say. In his interview, said he’d learned to be a fighter, and fight for what he wanted in life. He told Bryan to have a good time, and everyone applauded as he bid farewell. In his exit interview, he said he’d had a lot of hard times, but fought back and won. He wanted people who were struggling to have hope that there were great things on the other side. Bravo, Kevin!

Next time – the finale – the chefs are challenged to make the best four-course meal of their lives, get help from former contestants, and the judges take a turn at cooking.

👨🏽‍🍳 The Young One…

Read more about Chef Lorenzo. He’s quite impressive.

https://www.greatitalianchefs.com/chefs/lorenzo-cogo#:~:text=At%20just%20thirty%2Done%20years,figures%20in%20modern%20Italian%20cuisine.

🍜 Bring In Da Funke…

Learn what rules Evan goes by.

https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/evan-funke-pasta-rules

💃🏽 Beyond the Franchise…

What happens when a Housewife is put out to pasture.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8x4q9z/divorcing-reality-tv-what-happens-after-you-leave-the-real-housewives

🧙🏽 An Unconventional Convention…

At least you don’t have to stand in line for autographs.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/san-diego-comic-con-2020-announces-virtual-convention-dates/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa2i

🚶🏽‍♀️ Limping Along…

It’s been another one of them there long weeks. My dog Trinket (somewhat misnamed, since she’s kind of tank shaped) came through surgery fine, but is still out of it. I’ll have what she’s having. I don’t think she’s thrilled with the fashionable leopard neck pillow she now has to wear either. I got 99 problems, and at least that one is crossed off the list. Go forth and stay safe, stay moving forward, and stay curiouser and curiouser.