What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny is sitting outside Kelly’s, and sees Robert. Sonny says, it’s been a while, and suggests they chat. Robert tells him, stop right there. If he wants to chat about Dev, forget it. It’s a touchy subject, especially now that he’s DA.
On the phone, Carly tells someone to move the party. She has no idea how long Jax is going to be in town. Call her back in August. She tells Jason that she doesn’t know whether she’s annoyed or happy that Jax is still at the hotel. He’s in her best suite, and paying full price, but she has to keep moving bookings. Jason asks if she wants Jax to move, and she says not necessarily. He’s still talking about buying Connie’s house. Josslyn would love it. Jason says, Sonny would hate it. Carly says, maybe it’s better if he stays at the hotel. Jason wants to talk to her about her newest employee.
Cameron sees Dev, who tells him that Josslyn went for a run with Trina. Dev is tossing and catching some keys, and tells Cameron that they’re Sonny’s speedboat keys. He took it out this morning. It was sweet, especially when he didn’t run out of gas. The girls join them, and Cameron asks how the run was. Trina says, longer than expected, and Josslyn says she needed extra endorphins after last night. One of her last memories of Oscar disappeared.
Finn tells Chase that he doesn’t want to talk about it, but Chase says he has to bring it up. Imagine his surprise when the woman he was questioning said she was almost his sister-in-law. He didn’t even know Finn had been engaged. He’s never once mentioned it in the two years Chase has been there. Finn says, the past is the past, and Chase says he thought they were trying to have a real relationship as brothers. He knows nothing about Finn’s life, while Finn knows everything about his.
Willow runs into Michael at the MetroCourt, and explains she needs a job until she can track down a teaching position. Michael is sorry the school reversed its decision, but she says parents don’t want someone teaching their kids who’s spent time in jail. Michael says she was just protecting her child. His mother co-owns the hotel, and he’s sure she’d be happy to find Willow something. She says maybe she’ll take him up on it in a few months if she’s still unemployed. He says his family owes her. She tells him she was glad she could help his sister, but she’s hoping to get her next job on her own merits. He says, that’s admirable, and she says, or stubborn. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says, it’s Wiley’s birthday today. Why not be happy?
At Crimson, Jax says he has to hand it to Nina. The ad rates have been good since they promoted the Ava issue. Nina says wait until he sees the subscription revenue and page views. He’s sure he’ll be thrilled. She asks if he’ll be thrilled enough to concede she’s right about the budget. He says he concedes that she’s right on a lot of things. She asks Curtis if he heard that, and Curtis tells her not to rope him in. She asks Jax what she’s right about. He says her dangerous woman concept. What woman should be up next? She says, Helena, and he says, never. She says, Alex, and he says, a possibility, but who was the other one? She says, Cassandra Pierce, and asks what he knows about her. Curtis listens.
Jax asks if they didn’t have this conversation before. Nina says Ava interrupted them before he told her his connection. He says they’ve never met. He knows nothing about her, He wondered if she had personal dealings with Cassandra, and that’s why she came to mind. Curtis says he thinks Nina should change her passwords, but Nina thinks it can wait. She tells Jax that she met Cassandra a few times, but Cassandra has a more complicated past with her fiancé. But he already knew that, didn’t he?
Finn says Chase is right, and he should make more effort. What would Chase like to know? Chase asks how long Finn was together with Hayden, and Finn says, not long. Eleven months, two weeks, and four days, if you’re counting. It was intense. She was the first person to recognize he was an addict. Chase says, another thing Finn doesn’t talk about. Finn says he does, but prefers telling strangers at a meeting with bad coffee. Chase says, fair enough. Finn says Hayden was there when he pushed everyone else away. She helped him through his addiction. He found out that he wasn’t dead inside. He could feel something again after Reiko died. He loved her, but there were problems in the relationship. He flashes back to Hayden saying maybe they’re jumping the gun, and him saying he wants to be a family with her. He tells Chase that she was pregnant.
Sonny says he doesn’t know what Robert is talking about. Dev’s been a close member of the family for a long time. Robert asks what he wants to talk about, and Sonny says, Dante. Dante shot Peter. Robert says he hated how that went down. Peter should never have been in the facility. Sonny says, neither should Dante. Robert promised to bring him home, but he’s not even going to treatment willingly. Robert says, the Bureau handled it badly. If he hadn’t been put out to pasture, he could have done something, but Dante acted on his own. He knew the risks, and took them.
Willow tells Michael, Wiley has two loving parents. It’s everything she wanted. Michael says that doesn’t mean she can’t miss him. She says she does, and always will, but she knows he’s safe and loved. That’s more important. Michael admires how she’s dealing with it. She asks, what about him? Wiley and Jonah were born on the same day, and he’s facing a loss much deeper than hers.
Josslyn says the padlock is gone, and Cameron asks, what padlock? She says the padlock from Oscar’s locker at school. She knows it’s stupid, but they signed their initials on it in nail polish, and attached it to the footbridge. Cameron flashes back to community service guy telling him to remove them. Josslyn says it was on Oscar’s last good day; the last time he was on his feet. It was the last day he was able to leave his own home. She’d promised it would be there forever, and everyone who walked by would know they loved each other. For a while, it worked. There were more locks; more couples who wanted to leave something permanent. When she went there last night, they were all gone. She doesn’t get it. Why would someone cut them all off?
Jason asks Carly how Dev is working out at the restaurant. She says, everything seems fine. He hasn’t worked many hours. She doesn’t need a dishwasher, but he knows what they say about idle hands. Jason says, especially Dev’s. She asks if Jason thinks Dev staying there is a bad idea. He says, Dev is a decent kid; a little wild, but that’s not surprising. He’s sure she and Sonny are keeping a close eye on him. Carly says they are, but things are going to get crazy soon. A baby is a huge adjustment. It’s a lot. Jason asks if there’s something she’s not telling him about the baby, and she says, there is.
Robert tells Sonny that he’ll have a contact keep an eye on Dante. Sonny says he appreciates that, but has another concern; his daughter Kristina. How long is she supposed to tolerate Shiloh walking around like he’s king of the world. Robert says he argued, but the judge chose to let Shiloh walk on bail. However, he is allowed to do his job. Shiloh’s freedom is only temporary. By the way, he and Sonny have to establish clear boundaries on what they can and cannot discuss. Robert is a member of law enforcement, and Sonny is… Sonny says, an importer. Robert goes into Kelly’s.
Willow asks if Michael wants to talk about it; fair is fair. Michael says the truth is, he’d give anything for Jonah to be there celebrating his first birthday. But if he dwells on it, he’ll miss out on what’s right in front of him. It’s Wiley’s birthday, and Wiley is his godson. He’s going to focus on that; the life that surrounds him. Willow says, it’s a beautiful idea, but doesn’t make it easier. He says, no, it doesn’t.
Chase says, Hayden was pregnant? He’s an uncle? Finn says, no. The baby didn’t make it. Chase is so sorry, and Finn says that’s all the sharing he can do for one day. Robert asks Finn for a word, and Finn says, saved by the bell. Chase says, this time, but he wants to continue the conversation. There might be hugging. Finn says, no threats. Chase leaves, and Robert says, he spoke with Anna, and she understands Valentin has lots of questions about their friend Cassandra.
Jax isn’t clear what Nina is implying. She says he wouldn’t be asking if he wasn’t already aware of Cassandra’s complicated history with Valentin. She asks if he’s making sure she can be objective if they run her profile. He says she caught him. He doesn’t want any conflicts like with Ava. She says the interview with Ava should have taught him that he can trust her instincts. He asks her to let him make it up to her, and take her and Valentin out to dinner.
Jason says he noticed Sonny and Carly have been quiet when the baby is talked about, and Carly says, it hasn’t been easy to process, let alone saying it out loud. Talking to him makes her feel better. The last ultrasound showed the baby has spina bifida. In simple terms, the nerves in the spinal cord are exposed. Jason asks if they know how serious it is, and she says they’ll find out today. He asks how she is, and she says, terrified, but trying not to show it. She already loves the baby with all her heart, but fear keeps whispering in the back of her mind that love isn’t enough. Jason says that’s not like her. She says she’s not a victim, and he says she comes out swinging. She has nowhere to put her energy. She says it would make it easier if she could scream or yell at someone. He tells her, scream at him. She says there is something he can do for her, and he says, anything. Name it. She says, Dev is going to need someone to keep an eye on him so he stays out of trouble. Can Jason do that for them?
Josslyn bets none of the other couples are freaking out. Trina says she doesn’t know that, and even if they don’t care, that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t. Josslyn says, it’s just a symbol, but Dev says, symbols are important. They remind you of things you can’t express in words. Cameron says he’s so sorry. He’s the one who cut the locks. Josslyn asks him, why? and he says he was doing community service. His supervisor told him to cut the locks off. Trina says it’s not hisfault. He says he would have saved it if he’d known. She asks where he put them, and he says he threw them in the trash near the bridge. Dev says, maybe they’re still there, but Cameron says he saw the garbage truck take it. Josslyn says it’s not his fault. It’s not like he knew. No one can do anything. She runs off, and Trina follows her. Cameron asks Dev, what if there’s still a way to make things right?
Chase meets Willow at the MetroCourt. He asks Michael how his side is, and Michael says he’s been hurt worse, but never pitched to worse. He has to take off, and Chase asks if Willow is ready to go. She says she still has to put in a job application. Michael distracted her. Chase says he planned the whole day. They can bike to the new brewery, have dinner, and then they’re showing The Princess Bride in the park. She says she appreciates what he’s trying to do. He says, have a great day? and she says, he’s trying to distract her because it’s Wiley’s birthday. He asks if it’s working.
Josslyn and Trina come back, and Josslyn says, typical. Dev left the boat key. She’ll have to put it back unless Trina wants to go on the water. Trina says they have to figure out what they’re doing tonight. She says The Princess Bride is showing at Rice Plaza. Does Josslyn think Dev has seen it. Josslyn asks if they’re taking him, and Trina says, if Josslyn wants, they can stay in and binge watch Grey’s Anatomy again. Josslyn says Trina is a great friend, and Trina says Josslyn would do the same for her. Josslyn says Trina must be thinking it’s stupid to be this upset over a lock, but Trina says she gets it. It’s like Dev said, symbols say things we can’t say in words. Josslyn says she could go there and remember Oscar. Trina says she doesn’t need a lock to remember him, and Josslyn says, not now, but one of these days Oscar won’t be the first person she thinks of in the morning, and the last thing she thinks of before bed. She’ll move on, and he’ll be gone forever.
Cameron and Dev go to where the recycling is kept. Dev asks if Cameron is sure it’s in there. Cameron says, it’s where they unload the recycling. Dev says, it could be anywhere or nowhere, and Cameron asks if he’s going to help or not. Dev remembers talking to Josslyn on the bridge. She tells him that the lock was supposed to be a symbol of her and Oscar’s love lasting forever. Now, it’s gone. He’s gone. Dev says, okay. Where does Cameron want to look first?
In the examining room, Sonny tells Carly, whatever the results are, they’ll deal with it. The doctor comes in, and says she’s sure they had a lot to think about since last time. Carly says she read about in utero surgery that cold repair the open spinal cord before the baby is born. The doctor says, it’s an option, but it’s mostly used to treat more severe cases, and Carly isn’t a good candidate for it, given her history. They’ll do the ultrasound, see what they’re dealing with, and take it from there. The doctor gets everything ready, and puts the device on Carly stomach. They all look at the screen.
Robert tells Finn that Anna wants to find out why Valentin is curious about Cassandra. Finn asks if Anna shouldn’t be bringing in the WSB, but Robert says, too risky. She wants to keep it on the QT. Is Finn interested in what he dug up or not? Finn says, what? and Robert says Cassandra was spotted once in northern Italy.
Carly and Sonny wait. Sonny says he’s going out of his mind; how’s Carly? Carly says, terrified (WOTD). The doctor comes back, and Sonny asks, what’s the verdict? Carly says, how serious is the baby’s condition?
Josslyn tells Trina, hard as it is, missing Oscar every minute, she hates knowing it will change. She has to live her life, and it will eventually fill the huge hole left behind. If she if allows that to happen, she’ll betray Oscar’s memory. Trina says, Oscar would never think that. He planned his own memorial, and the first rule was, no one was supposed to cry. He wants her to remember, but not make her life smaller. She can be happy, and hold the memoires of Oscar in her heart, even if she doesn’t have the lock.
Dev tells Cameron to give him a boost, but Cameron says he’ll do it. Dev can watch for the guard. Dev says they’re not real police, but Cameron says they can call the real cops, and he’s on probation. Dev helps him into the dumpster, and Cameron says it’s disgusting. Dev says, it’s trash. What did he expect? They hear a guard say, kid! What are you doing? Cameron ducks into the dumpster, and Dev puts something on top to hide him better. He tells the guard that he’s sorry to bother him, but he has a report for summer school on waste management. The guy says he’s just a guard, but Dev says who better than someone who works there? and starts to ask questions about recycling. Cameron rips open a bag, and digs around in it.
At Sonny’s place, Michael is glad he caught Jason. He says Jason and Drew have made good progress on the treehouse. Jason says the plans Michael drew up are easy to follow. Michael thinks the new baby and Avery might want their own treehouse. When Jason is done, maybe they can team up, and build a Corinthos treehouse. Jason asks if Michael knows anything about carpentry. Michael says, not really, and Jason says, why not? Michael asks if Jason wants him to tell Sonny and Carly, but Jason says he just missed them. They’re at the hospital for their OB appointment. Michael says they’re probably listening to the baby’s heartbeat as they speak. He asks if Josslyn is there, and Jason says, she’s on the terrace with a friend. Michael says he won’t bother her. He’s happy she has a friend to talk to. His phone rings. It’s a collect call from Pentonville from Nelle.
The doctor tells Sonny and Carly that there’s less likelihood of nerve damage with the type of spina bifida their baby ha. There might be other possible complications though. Sonny asks what they do, and the doctor says they’re doing a C-section to minimize them. The baby will also have surgery within 48 hours of delivery.
M won’t accept the charges. Jason asks what it was, and Michael says, it was from Pentonville. Nelle is trying to call. It’s the anniversary of Jonah’s death, and she could be using it to manipulate him. According to Willow, she’s been asking questions. Jason asks how he knows that, and Michael says, how’s this for a small world? Harmony is Nelle’s cellmate.
Willow tells Chase that she had a good talk with Michael about Wiley and Jonah, and how dwelling too much on the past can cause you to miss out on the present. Chase says he should apply that to his brother. Finn is many things, but a talker isn’t one of them. He avoids personal conversation like the plague. He had no idea Finn was engaged to Hayden or that she was pregnant, and they lost the baby and broke up. Willow, says, that’s a lot. Even if he’s not a talker, it’s likely there’s a lot going on in his head. He must have had a lot of thoughts about being a parent. She did. Chase says she’s be a parent again, but she says, not yet. The past year was a whirlwind, and she’s just putting her life back together. One day. What about him? He says, sure, but not any time soon. He never thought about it until recently. She asks where this is coming from. He says, it’s the sort of conversation two people have when they love each other, and he loves her.
Nina says, Jax is inviting her and Valentin to dinner? He says they started off on the wrong foot. They can usher in a new era of their working relationship. Nina says she’ll do him one better. Come to their place. She’ll have the staff prepare a five course meal. She tells him to bring his girlfriend. He says Hayden is only his CFO, but on second thought, great. She suggests tonight, and he says, perfect. He wouldn’t miss it for the world. He leaves, and Curtis asks what the hell is she thinking?
Carly says, the baby is going to need surgery hours after the birth? The doctor knows how it sounds, but they won’t know how severe the process needs to be until they know how severe the nerve damage is. Carly says, so they’re still playing the waiting game.
Josslyn tells Trina that she can’t shake the feeling that she and Oscar’s love would have lived on at the footbridge. Dev and Cameron come back. Dev says, told him, and Cameron says, it was his idea to track it down, and dig through the trash. Dev says he had a chat with the guard, and learned more about waste management than he ever wanted to know. Cameron tells Josslyn, it got busted up, and the paint is chipped. He gives her the lock, and she throws her arms around him.
Willow says, Chase loves her? He says she doesn’t have to say it back, but she says she loves him too. They kiss, and Willow says she should fill out the application. She starts to walk away, but he pulls her back, and they kiss again
Finn asks if Robert knows anything else. He says a letter was delivered by a guy they think was on the same mercenary team that forced Finn to work on Cassandra, but he wasn’t close enough to the surveillance cameras for a positive ID. In any case, Finn is out. Finn asks if Anna is telling him, or Robert. Robert says, Cassandra is a dangerous woman. She’s already got a grudge against him. Robert tells him, stay out of it, and leaves;
Curtis tells Nina, they both know Jax has a file on Valentin. Why invite him into her home? She says she’s letting him think he’s winning her over. He’s going to let his guard down, and she’ll wine and dine him until she finds out why he’s so interested in Valentin.
On the phone, Jax says Nina did them one better. They’ve been invited to Windymere. It’s the perfect opportunity to search.
Jason asks if Michael wants to get breakfast, but Michael wants to wait for his parents to get back. Jason leaves, and Michael’s phone rings again. It’s another collect call from Pentonville. The recording asks if he accepts.
Harmony prays Brad and Lucas take the baby and run, Valentin has instructions to escort Obrecht home, and Nina gets bad news.
The Real Housewives of New York City – The Reunion – Part Three
Ramona says she thinks LuAnn is still drinking on the side. You don’t leave rehab after two weeks. LuAnn says, it was three weeks. Ramona says LuAnn has a problem, and LuAnn says Ramona is her problem. Andy asks LuAnn, in leaving early, if she can see how the others would think she’s not serious about her sobriety. She says she totally understands why she was misconstrued. Bethenny says maybe she wasn’t ready to leave, but LuAnn says, that was in May, and it’s July. It was a long time ago. Andy asks how many months of probation LuAnn has left, and LuAnn says, three. She tells Ramona, today, she’s not drinking, and she’s taking it one day at a time. Andy congratulates her on far she’s gotten. We see text that says six days after this was filmed, she went to court for her probation violation, and was given more conditions.
We travel back to the Berkshires next. The naked chef, going to the Morgan house, Sonja drunk at dinner, cabaret in Rhinebeck. We then see clips of Miami, Sonja drunk at dinner again, and the paramedics coming. We see a clip of Sonja’s interview, where she says, the trips can get tense, but in the end, they work it out. LuAnn says Tinsley has a nice butt, referring to one of the clips. Andy says she’d been so shy, then somehow something happened in Miami. He asks if she feels more comfortable now, or was she just drunk. Tinsley says, both. She was having fun. Andy says viewers were surprised Dorinda has a sister. Dorinda says Melinda is a character. Their lives are totally different, but they have the same mannerisms.
Phyllis from Detroit wonders if there was a certain moment that consumed Sonja at the Morgan house. Sonja says if she didn’t have a daughter, and hadn’t served on the Morgan charity board, she doesn’t think she would have been so affected. Dorinda had told her to get out from the burden of the house. Andy asks if Dorinda thought it took a wrong turn. Dorinda says her own house was built by Stanley (of Morgan-Stanley), and they were friends. So she wanted to be friends with Sonja again. it was a fig leaf. I think she means olive branch. Sonja says she thought it was nice, but realized when she got in the thick of it, why she moved out of the townhouse. It gives her agita.
Andy says some people found Sonja’s interaction with Tej amusing, but some thought it was inappropriate. Sonja says, it was too far, and days she was too much for him to handle. Andy sighs, and says, not him; it was her. She agrees, but says it wasn’t her intention. Andy says concerns about Sonja’s drinking have been raised over the years, and there were two instances that were scary. In the Berkshires, when she was freaking out about the letters, and in Miami, when she fell off of her chair. Sonja says the welcome drinks were hard liquor, and she downed five with no food. Bethenny says when the medics came, she discreetly went through Sonja’s purse off-camera, since LuAnn made no small accusation. She found a thousand hormones, and was googling things, making sure Sonja wasn’t mixing the wrong thing. LuAnn says she didn’t claim Sonja was dropping acid. Bethenny says she let Sonja know the next day, but she’d done it privately, and for Sonja’s safety. Sonja is totally cool with it.
We revisit Ramona going to her hometown, and how her dad left her nothing when he died. Ramona says it brought up memories she’d thought were buried. We flash back her and Bethenny, trading childhood horror stories in the bar. Ramona says she had to face it, but she was afraid to go by herself. It was very cleansing. Andy says Dorinda seemed taken aback, and she says it was news to her. She guesses she never absorbed the intensity. She felt sad for them both. LuAnn interrupts by asking Andy what time it is, since she has to do her breathalyzer thing several times a day. Andy thanks the women for sharing, and says, it was intense.
Andy welcomes Barbara. He says she came from the construction site, hoping to build friendships, and we see clips of her throughout the season. Getting put in the fish room, being a mediator, Ramona being a jerk, LuAnn saying the other women have brainwashed her. It ends with a clip of Barbara telling someone that LuAnn can’t sing. D’oh! Andy asks if she’s in the doghouse again, and LuAnn nods. LuAnn says the first thing she thought was Barbara was at it again; like she did with Carole, talking about her wedding. We flash back to Barbara telling Carole that LuAnn would rather get married and end up divorced, then cancel the wedding. I hate to say it, but that was probably true. LuAnn says, someone who can’t sing, she’s been cast in Chicago on Broadway. (Kinda sorta. Links below.) She can take that, and shove it up her ass. Barbara asks if LuAnn is directing that at her, and LuAnn says she is. Barbara says she supported LuAnn through every cycle of her life. She dropped her own life for LuAnn. She’s been to eight shows, and brought a number of people. She thinks LuAnn is a great performer, and loves the show. But LuAnn needs some self-awareness. She thinks everyone would agree, and Devil Andy says, that she can’t sing? Barbara says, she’s not Adele. Andy asks what the other ladies think about LuAnn’s singing, and – I kid you not – there is total silence for a moment, then stammering. I’m dying. LuAnn says she doesn’t pretend to be a great singer, so why is it an issue? She’s going to kill it on Broadway. Dorinda says, they get it. Congratulations. Dorinda tells her that Barbara is trying to say she was ride or die. LuAnn says she’s the same, but Barbara says not the same way she was to LuAnn. Bethenny says LuAnn is really way off. She’s tone deaf about this one. LuAnn says, it was upsetting to see. Barbara apologizes. She didn’t mean for it to come out like that. She loves the show. Dorinda says they all think she’s a great performer. Bethenny thinks Barbara is wearing too much tanner, and walks over to her with tissues. LuAnn says, there’s too much shimmer, and Dorinda says, she looks like the Tin Man. Bethenny shows what’s on the tissues, and we see a clip of Barbara leaving it all over her room in Miami.
A viewer comments, why would LuAnn take herself so seriously? That’s the appeal of the show; the spectacle of it all. She’s not Liza Minelli, who can sing. LuAnn says, there’s always going to be haters and negative people. Bethenny says she’s not a great singer, and LuAnn says it isn’t nice to hear. Barbara feels like LuAnn is ready to ruin a friendship over something like that. Bethenny asks who goes for a hall pass, and everyone does. LuAnn agrees to give Barbara one. A viewer asks why Ramona is anti-Barbara, and if it’s really for shallow reasons, like how she dresses, and being rough around the edges. Ramona is no finely polished gem. Ramona says she helped Barbara pick out outfits when they went to Miami. Andy says she clearly didn’t want Barbara to join them in going out. Ramona say she apologized the next day. She’d wanted a one-on-one with Tinsley. Barbara tells her, they kept saying she wasn’t engaged and involved, but when they were going out, Ramona didn’t want her to come. Ramona agrees it wasn’t welcoming. Andy reminds her about Ramona and Dorinda heckling her outfit by the pool. Barbara says she was the new girl, but Dorinda says Barbara acted like a bitch – after she pissed all over Dorinda’s apartment (she means figuratively, not literally). Barbara says Dorinda asked her to leave, and she felt uncomfortable. Andy asks why Dorinda lost it to such an extreme, and Dorinda says she thought her relationship with LuAnn was rock solid, and Barbara was an interloper. It’s like the kid’s game about which one doesn’t fit in the fruit basket, and there’s a basket of fruit with a big fat turnip in it. LuAnn says Barbara was trying to protect her; being her warrior, but she felt like a turnip. Andy says Barbara revealed her past relationships with women on camera, and she says, not in the big picture. It’s important that people know there are people like her on the spectrum. She went out with a woman for a year. If people want to call her bisexual, and label her, go ahead. Andy says Sonja had called her gender fluid, and explains it’s sexually fluid. Barbara says she believes in love. Andy asks what it was like, being confronted by the whole group about not fitting in, and Barbara says, it was hurtful. It was like being at camp. She doesn’t think anyone got know her. Bethenny says when Barbara called her upset, she said Barbara didn’t reveal herself. The show is about opening up, and taking chances. She gets up to hug Barbara – not too close, because of the tanner – and says that’s why Barbara makes a good friend. It’s a good thing. She doesn’t have to get dirty and banged up, but gets to be on the show. LuAnn gets up, and gives Barbara a full-on hug. Her foot is asleep, and she plops down on the couch. Dorinda asks if it isn’t better than being mad. LuAnn says she’s tanner now, and goes back to her seat. Sonja hugs Barbara next, and says she did interviews, and talked about how wonderful Barbara is. Not wanting to be left out, Ramona hugs Barbara too, telling her, what they said. Bethenny says, Tinsley is wearing a $6000 dress, and she’s not hugging anybody. (A note on what the women are wearing. They dress very high-end, like Beverly Hills, but more sophisticated. IMO, Bethenny wins this reunion in a sparkly – not sequins, metallic thread – color block dress of simple design. It’s just gorgeous.) Andy asks if Barbara was pissed about Sonja and Ramona stuffing lobsters in their purses. Bethenny says, this is Dan Rather with a lobster update. Barbara says she told them to take the food. She’d rather it not go waste. She was actually happy about it. Andy thanks her for joining them, and spreading her tan.
Andy says the women thought, as LuAnn’s cabaret show grew bigger, her head grew with it. Ha-ha-ha! That’s pretty good. The bestowed another title on her – diva. He asks if LuAnn is on her high horse, or is everyone else just jealous? We see clips of LuAnn’s fabulous cabaret life and insensitivity. The fish room debacle, and Bethenny’s tirade. Bethenny says she needs a moment. Andy tells LuAnn that she’s said multiple times she thinks the ladies are jealous. LuAnn says, what is it then? I guess because it can’t possibly be her. She asks why don’t they leave her alone about the cabaret thing. Ramona says she thought after seeing the show, LuAnn would have realization. When the most oblivious, self-absorbed person says that, you know you have a problem. Bethenny asks what LuAnn just watched. What’s the general thesis? LuAnn says, tell her, and Bethenny says LuAnn said they’re jealous. Dorinda says they do support her, and always tell her how proud they are. Andy says, are they jealous? like it’s a legitimate question. Bethenny says LuAnn can’t possibly think that. Ramona says, it’s all about me, me, me. Which is funny, coming from her, her, her. Dorinda asks LuAnn where Sonja’s daughter is going to school. LuAnn doesn’t know, and Bethenny says, Penn. LuAnn says Sonja never told her, and Ramona says they asked. LuAnn says this is the support she gets, and Andy says it’s about her being singularly focused on herself. LuAnn says when she watches the show, she thinks she looks like an a-hole, but she was trying to keep herself together. She didn’t have enough to give, and felt attacked about the cabaret. Bethenny says they just didn’t want go every day. LuAnn makes it sound like she was being abusive, after she’d helped LuAnn. Andy reminds LuAnn that she was told a room was being saved for Bethenny, she said, screw Bethenny, and made a hand gesture. We flash back to that, and LuAnn calling Bethenny the queen bee. LuAnn says it’s not about Bethenny, and Bethenny says it’s her name that LuAnn keeps referring to. She felt stabbed in the back.
LuAnn stammers, and says she didn’t mean to stab Bethenny in the back. Andy asks if LuAnn hasn’t always acted entitled. Why is it more over the top this season? Dorinda says, it was more intense, and Bethenny says it’s like she reveled in having a comeback from the arrest, thinking she was more famous than ever. She took it as a positive. Andy says she also worked hard, and LuAnn says she made lemonade out of lemons. Bethenny says they’re actually happy for her, and they have been supportive. A viewer says LuAnn’s reaction to her Halloween show showed a lack of gratitude, an essential tool in recovery. LuAnn says she’s still working on it. I give her credit. She did not say she was a work in progress. Bethenny says, most people are humble for a while. For LuAnn, it’s jail, recovery, let’s go. LuAnn says when you first get sober, there’s a moment of elation called the pink cloud. Dorinda thinks a lot of it is a defense mechanism. She’s putting up good façade. Bethenny doesn’t think LuAnn is in a position to be nasty to her. It’s the least she can expect. LuAnn says she wasn’t exactly nasty, and says think of what Bethenny has called her in the past. We flash back to Bethenny calling LuAnn a slut, liar, and snake. Andy says the bigger question is how did LuAnn get from the intervention to calling Bethenny a queen bee. LuAnn says she wouldn’t call it name calling. Bethenny says, it’s not humility. Dennis was thinking about getting money for her, and Bethenny got her rehab paid. Ramona says LuAnn should kiss Bethenny’s ass. Bethenny wiggles her ass at LuAnn, who kisses it. Andy says he’s seen a lot at reunions, but…
Andy wants to get to Miami. Bethenny completely lost her sh*t at diner. Bethenny says it wasn’t all LuAnn. She’d hit her limit. She was filming three weeks after Dennis died. She had LuAnn’s intervention, Dennis dying unexpectedly, she was trying to nurture a new relationship, and wanted to spend time with her kids. When she landed at dinner, she felt hurt, LuAnn say she felt bad. She didn’t want create a breakdown. Bethenny is sorry it happened. LuAnn was the catalyst and the vehicle, but she didn’t want do that to the group. LuAnn says she felt like no one got or respected her. Dorinda says, it was like a champagne cork popped. They were all feeling the same way, but Bethenny verbalized it. Andy says they’d all tried to express it previously, but Bethenny says, LuAnn doesn’t take small doses. She needs to be whacked. Andy tells Bethenny that she’d said she wasn’t sure if LuAnn would change. How does she feel now? Bethenny says she’s been on the couch many times, but she always believed in LuAnn. She does the best she can. Andy wonders where everyone else is coming from; do they think LuAnn will change? Dorinda says she wants to help LuAnn get to the finish line, and LuAnn says she needs the help. Ramona says she’s gone through a lot. Andy says she’d felt unsupported, and asks how she feels now. LuAnn says she feels good. Like her girlfriends are back on her side. She felt like she’d lost her team. Looking at herself, she saw she could have done better as a friend. She needed to take care of herself, and it looked like she wasn’t grateful. She’s sorry. Andy says it looks like they’ve moved forward. Bethenny and LuAnn hug.
Virgin mojitos are brought out. Dorinda says it would be delicious with vodka, then tells LuAnn, sorry. LuAnn says, don’t be sorry; she agrees. Andy say they’ve watched the women play Truth or Dare. It’s time for truth. He says tell the one thing they said or did that made them cringe the most. Sonja says, giving Raj advice. She shouldn’t have done it that way. Nearly everyone says, it’s Tej. Andy says, that was advice? She says she was making him googleable. Ramona says her comment about Dennis. Dorinda says, not going to the clambake and breaking the silence. She was too afraid. LuAnn agrees that she would have been receptive. Bethenny says she was ready at gangster lunch. LuAnn and Dorinda raise their glasses to each other. Tinsley says hers was, sobbing at the circus. The big bow, the whole thing. it was a lot. Andy says she also went on national TV with no lashes or lip gloss. We flash back to her crying about Bambi, and she says, that was her baby. Dorinda and Bethenny both say, that was beautiful, at the same time. Bethenny says when they were at the art galleries. Someone mentioned Bethenny didn’t get a present, and she said her daughter was her present. Tinsley didn’t have one. Tinsley says she didn’t take it as an insult, and Bethenny says she didn’t mean it that way, but when she watched it, she didn’t like how it sounded. LuAnn says she had no business making that hand gesture in regard to Bethenny. Bethenny didn’t deserve it, and she didn’t really mean it.
Andy thinks they’ve had good resolution, and asks LuAnn if she feels she’s in a better place with the group. She says she feels like she has her friends back, and can get through the next couple months. Bethenny says, onward and upward. Andy suggests they toast, and LuAnn says she’s got one. She says, God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change; the courage to change the things we can; and the wisdom to know the difference. Andy says they’re toasting with an AA prayer. LuAnn says, it’s a God prayer. Bethenny says, it’s irony. To cabaret. LuAnn says, life is a cabaret, and Bethenny says, it’s a wrap.
🐺 Tired and Remiss…
Yesterday, I forgot to mention the passing of Rutger Hauer. Bladerunner, Ladyhawke, The Hitcher, True Blood, and Channel Zero are just a few of the things in the body of his wonderful work. He will be missed.
🎭 It’s Set In Stone – We’re So Excited…
When LuAnn said she was going to be in Chicago, I wondered in what capacity. They’ve had many guest stars in the main roles, but never one who couldn’t sing. Um… she hasn’t exactly signed on the dotted line
🐆 She’s a Maneater…
I can totally understand why a man would be interested in an older woman, but not this older woman.
❓ Who?
Oh, she’s Lynne Curtin’s daughter, from The Real Housewives of Orange County. So like I said, who?
🗽 New York City Rehash…
No new news, but worth it for the pictures.
💃 Not Your LuAnn’s Chicago…
But when I will finally get to bed at a decent hour.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 