Category Archives: Lisa Vanderpump

March 1, 2023 – Dante Makes a Discovery In the Tack Room, James Has To Be Escorted Out & Survive

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny goes into Pozzulo’s and tells Dex that he can take the night off, but Dex says, there’s something he wanted to ask Sonny.

There’s a knock at the gatehouse door, and Michael asks if Willow is sure she’s up for this, but she says she’s the one who invited them over. He opens the door to Carly and Josslyn, and Carly says, Willow told them it was important. Willow says, very important. It’s about their future.

Scotty says, everybody take it easy and breathe, and Elizabeth says she knows Obrecht has questions… and Obrecht smacks her across the face.

Dante works at the tack closet lock, when Bennett comes in. He asks if Dante needs a hand, but Dante says he’s got it.

Sonny asks if there’s a problem, but Dex says, everything’s fine. He was there by himself for a while, and got to poking around the kitchen. He found some recipe cards… Sonny says, they’re his, and Dex says he knew Sonny liked to cook, but there’s some legit recipes in there. He decided to try his hand at one. Sonny asks, which one? Dex says, chicken piccata, and Sonny says, good choice. Dex asks if Sonny would like to try some, and Sonny says, why not?

Michael goes upstairs, and Willow says she hopes she didn’t worry them, but Josslyn says, they’re curious. Willow says, their wedding day is going to be here before they know it, and there’s so much to do. They have to start moving on plans. Carly says, between them and the Quartermaines, every last detail is going to be perfect, and Josslyn says, anything Willow wants for her day, it’s hers. Willow thanks them, and says, what she’s wishing for is much bigger than flower arrangements or entrée choices. She knows what she’s facing. She knows her marriage to Michael will be much shorter than either of them envisioned, but she doesn’t want the fact that they’re running out of time to be the focus of the wedding. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t, and Willow says she wants the day to be a celebration of everything they have; their love for each other, their son and daughter, the life they’ve managed to build together. It should be a happy day. Carly says, it should and it will be. They promise. Willow says, good. Now let’s plan a wedding.

Finn runs over and says, that’s out of line, but Elizabeth says, it’s okay. He asks if she’s all right, and Nina suggests she and Obrecht go someplace they can talk. Obrecht says she knows what Elizabeth did; how she aided and abetted Nikolas in keeping Esme Prince a prisoner. She knew, yet she didn’t come forward. She let the police continue their search, and now Obrecht’s daughter is dead because of her. She remained silent. Elizabeth says she’s sorry. If she could go back… Obrecht says she wouldn’t wish this on anyone, not even Elizabeth. You reap what you sow. Nina takes her arm, and leads her away.

Dante gets the door open, and looks around with a flashlight. He tells Bennett, you see what I see? and Ava braces herself. He asks if Bennet is seeing what he’s seeing, and Bennett says, sure do. Dante says, Nikolas was definitely here, picking up a watch. There are his initials. Bennett asks if Ava recognizes the watch, and Dante says, NMSC. Ava says, Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine, and Bennett says, that’s a serious name. She says she gave it to Nikolas for their first anniversary, and Dante asks if he was wearing it the last time Ava saw him, but she doesn’t know. He tells Bennett, look at that, showing him the watch, and Bennett says, that’s interesting.

Scotty tells Elizabeth that he’s sorry. He thought he could calm Obrecht down before she went off like that. Elizabeth says, that’s okay; she got what she deserved. Finn says, Obrecht shouldn’t have hit her, but Elizbeth says, she lost her son once. She knows what it’s like. Obrecht lost her daughter, and Obrecht’s right; she did play a role in that. Scotty says he loves them both, and doesn’t want this rift going on, and Elizabeth suggests Scotty check on Obrecht.

Obrecht tells Nina, Nikolas she understands; that man is a schwein. But Elizabeth is supposed to be virtuous. She had the power to stop those horrible attacks, and she did nothing. Nina says she knows Obrecht wants someone to blame… Obrecht says, someone? Elizabeth is the reason Britta is gone, but Nina says, Heather Webber is the reason. Obrecht says, Heather Webber could have been caught if the police had focused on someone else. Whose fault is that? She demands justice for her daughter. Yes, her killer was apprehended, but her enabler walks free. Scotty joins them, and Obrecht says, and some have decided to take her side.

Michael comes back downstairs, says, don’t mind him, and they don’t. Carly says, Olivia’s going to want to handle all the food, and Willow says she’d like Wiley and Amelia to be part of the ceremony. Carly says, having her kids be part of the ceremony is going to be so beautiful, and Willow asks Josslyn to be one of her bridesmaids. Josslyn says, of course (🍷); she would love that. Willow asks how Carly would feel about matron of honor duty, and Carly says she kept the truth from Willow about Nina being her mother, but Willow says, Carly is such an important part of her life. Carly’s become like a mother to her. Carly hugs her, and says, yes. She’d be honored. Josslyn says she hopes so; it’s in the title. Carly thanks Willow, and Willow says, but of course (🍷) the most important detail is their dresses. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Willow says she has some options on her tablet. She gets up, and is suddenly dizzy, but Michael rushes to her side and says he’s got her. Is she okay?

Dex sets a plate in front of Sonny, and says, moment of truth. Sonny takes a bite, and says, it’s good. There’s something missing. Dex wonders if it’s the sauce, or too many capers, but Sonny says, the sauce is great. He gets a tiny bowl of something, and says, parsley. Dex says, curly or fresh? but Sonny says, it doesn’t matter, and sprinkles some on. He takes another bite, and says, that’s more like it. He asks Dex to join him, and Dex goes to make a plate for himself.

Dante says, the watch and the band are both broken, and asks when Ava last saw Nikolas wearing it. She says, the evening of February 13th, and Dante asks, what time? She says, 7, 7:30, and he says, the watch stopped on February 13th at 8:07 pm. The watch is a clue Nikolas came down here for some reason. Bennett suggests Nikolas stashed some gold there in case he had to make a quick getaway, and Dante puts the watch in an evidence bag, saying, they’ll have CSU do a sweep of the area. Nikolas Cassadine was definitely in this room before he disappeared. Bennet says, now they just have to figure out where the trail goes from here.

Scotty says he knows it was a big blow to hear about Nikolas and Elizabeth, but he wishes Obrecht had some time to process it before confronting her. She asks, why is that? Because he can’t stand anyone confronting his precious Elizabeth? He tells her, that’s not what he’s saying, when TJ comes by, and asks if Obrecht isn’t waiting for Terry. Obrecht says, for some test results, and TJ says, she got pulled into an urgent meeting and won’t be available for a while. Obrecht looks at Scotty, and says, of course (🍷) she won’t. She no longer has a Co-Chief of Staff to share responsibilities with. TJ says, Terry did give him permission to go over the results with her, and Nina asks if they’re in. He suggests they discuss it in his office, and they follow him, walking past Scotty, who then follows them.

Finn says, Elizabeth has to stop beating herself up, but she says, people are finding out what she did, and coming to the same conclusion. He says, not people; one, sort of person. She says, because of her, Heather Webber was able to kill more people, and he tells her to be careful. Obrecht’s crazy and she’s going to want to avenge Britt, and there’s no telling how she’s going to go about doing that. Elizabeth and the boys may want to… He says he’s not doing that again. She probably needs space, and he’s going to leave her to it. He starts to leave, but she says she doesn’t need space from him.

Willow says she’s fine, and asks Josslyn to grab her tablet. Carly says, they can do this another time, but Willow vehemently insists she’s fine. She just did it too fast. Josslyn gives her the tablet, and Michael suggests she take a nap. They start whispering like she’s already asleep, and I see why she didn’t want to tell anyone she was sick. These people are annoying. She says she wanted to show them the dresses, but Carly says, she and Josslyn aren’t going anywhere. They can pick this up after she takes her nap. Michael says, think how good she’ll feel, and Willow says, a quick nap. He says, the quickest. He’ll help her upstairs. Michael and Willow go upstairs, and Josslyn says, with Willow home, it’s almost like everything’s okay, but it’s not even close to okay. Carly says, there’s still hope. Michael’s not giving up; neither should  they. Josslyn wishes there was something she could do to help, but Carly says, she’s helping. She’s here, giving them every ounce of love and support she has, and when Josslyn can’t handle it, call her. Josslyn says, careful. She has unlimited calls, but Carly says she pays the bills. They’re going to get through this. Some way, somehow. She hugs Josslyn.

Dex asks if Sonny learned cooking from his mom, but Sonny says his mom wasn’t that big of a cook. If you wanted to learn to cook, you went to Gloria’s house; Gloria Cirillo. Dex says he’s heard of her; that’s Michael’s cousin. Sonny says, Gloria was her grandmother, an amazing Italian woman from Bensonhurst. When he closes his eyes, he can smell that house; it was warm and inviting. If you were a kid who didn’t have a great home, that was the place to go. Dex assumes Sonny was one of those kids, and Sonny says, anybody was welcome at Gloria’s house, and she taught him what a strong, happily married wife looked like. It was an honor for him to be a member of the family in a sense; it was good for him. She could cook. The recipe cards are in her handwriting. Dex says he saw one for a marinara sauce that looked killer, and Sonny says, she used to tell him, the secret ingredient is celery. Everybody would ask what she meant; celery has no taste. They wanted something fancy, but if you eat that without celery, you will notice a difference. I believe this. One of my SILs makes amazing macaroni salad. I asked what was different from other macaroni salads, and she said, celery salt. Celery is amazing, and it does too have a taste, Sonny.

TJ tells Obrecht and Nina to have a seat, and Scotty follows them in. Nina asks if Obrecht is a match for Willow, and TJ says, Terry’s cheek swab showed at least six HLA markers for Willow, making her a potential donor candidate. They had some bloodwork done to ensure her bone marrow would be compatible with Willow’s. Dr. Obrecht is a confirmed match for Willow. Nina gets super excited, and says her daughter is going to live, hugging Obrecht, who barely responds.

Sonny asks what Dex’s story is; who turned him on to cooking? Dex says, it was less a who then a what. The food was terrible in the army. He promised himself that he’d learn to cook. He’s getting there. Online tutorials help, and recipes. Sonny says, it’s relaxing, and Dex says, his work, the day in, the day out, takes its toll. Cooking is a way to relieve some of that stress.

Michael comes downstairs, and Carly asks how Willow is. He says, she’s sleeping, and said she’s sorry, but Carly says she assumed Willow was okay; she should have checked with him first. He says he gets it. Willow doesn’t want to spend the time she has resting. Carly says, of course (🍷) not. She wants to feel every moment. She tells Michael that he can say anything to them, and Josslyn says, if anybody knows how he feels… He says, it’s her, and she tells him that she’s not saying it’s the same thing. She and Oscar were nowhere near his and Willow’s level. They didn’t have kids. He says, but she knows what it’s like to watch somebody she loves… There’s a knock at the door, and Michael lets a woman with a clipboard in, telling her to go upstairs. He tells Carly and Josslyn, it’s the hospice nurse, and Carly hugs him, saying, she’s so sorry. He says he just wants to give Willow the world. All she’s asking for is more time with her family. Josslyn says, and time is the one thing he can’t give her.

Nina asks, what’s the next step? and TJ says, Dr. Obrecht will go through a physical, a bunch of medical stuff, and other various tests. They have to rule out any possible medical issues that could cause problems for her or Willow. Nina asks how likely that is to happen, and he says, the probability increases with age. Obrecht has been staring into space, and Scotty says, Liesl. She says she’s sorry; it’s all a bit overwhelming. TJ says, they know she’s a doctor, but they’ll be here to walk her through every step of the way, and he’s here to answer any questions she might have. Obrecht says, and this will work? Willow’s life will be saved? TJ says, there’s never 100% certainty, but he’s optimistic, and Nina says, how lucky are we? Obrecht says, lucky indeed.

Finn says, he and Elizabeth are still friends, right? He wants to be there to support her, but only if it’s what she wants. She says, look at him, respecting boundaries, and he says he’s trying to. She says she does need his support, more than he knows. She should be facing the consequences of her actions, and would have, if she didn’t have the boys to think about. Finn says, having Scotty broker a deal was a good move; her boys need her. She says she knows. She just feels awful about the pain she caused, especially for Obrecht. Regardless of what she’s done in the past, she’s still a mom grieving over her child. Elizabeth played a role in her daughter’s death. The least she can do is face Obrecht and take the hit. He says, literally, and she says, there’s going to be more because of what she and Nikolas did. He says, because of what Nikolas did, and she says, there’s going to be a ripple effect. If he stands by her, he’s going to get caught in the crossfire.

Ava leads everyone back into Windymere, and Dante says, just to go over this again, the last time she saw Nikolas was the night of February 13th. He shows up, they argue, he takes off around 7:30. Bennett says, he then goes to the tack room to pick something up before skipping town, and Dante asks if Ava knows what Nikolas was looking for. She says, no. She never uses that room. Dante says, Nikolas gave her the impression he was leaving Port Charles? and she says, yes. Bennett says, then it stands to reason that whatever he retrieved, it was necessary for him to get out of Dodge. Dante says, he’d moved out all of his stuff. Why would he be looking for anything here? Why not go to the place where he was staying? This is kind of stupid, since the Cassadines could have gold ingots or something buried all over the island. Ava asks if Dante is sure he didn’t, but Dante says, they have this as his last known location. Bennett suggests Nikolas met up with someone who helped him get off the island, and Dante says, Victor, and asks Ava if she knows where Victor is, but Ava says, no. Bennett asks if Nikolas told her how he was leaving or said where he was going, and Ava says, they had an argument. He said something about being done with her and being done with Port Charles. He didn’t say anything about a destination, and as to how, Nikolas had resources she knew nothing about. Dante says he doesn’t believe that for a second, but Ava says, it’s true. There was a time she and Nikolas shared everything, but once their marriage deteriorated, he kept her out of the loop. Clearly. Dante asks if Bennett has any more questions, but Bennett says, not at the moment. Dante thanks Ava for her time, and she says she’ll walk them out. In the foyer, Bennett’s phone rings, and he says, it’s the station. He’ll meet Dante outside. He leaves, and Dante tells Ava, actually, he doesn’t think they’re quite through here. She says she told him everything, but he says, they both know that’s not true. He knows she’s trying to hide it, but facing Ryan Chamberlain would have rattled anyone, even her. She says she’s certainly had better nights, and he says he’s not just talking about last night. Ryan’s had his sites on her for years, and put her through hell. It sticks with a person. She says, his point? and he says, nobody would blame her if she wanted to get some help. She tells him to be careful. He’s starting to sound like he gives a damn. He says, she’s his sister’s mother, and she went above and beyond to help them with The Hook investigation. She says, they were on the right track; they just couldn’t put the pieces together. Heather Webber? He says he’s glad she got out of there unscathed, and she says, physically. He says, that’s what he’s talking about. There’s people who have been through what she’s been through. He has resources, and can put her in touch. She thanks him, and says, it’s kind of him to look out for her, but he says he doubts she’s going to take him up on it. She says she’ll keep it in mind, and he says, fair enough. The upside is that she doesn’t have to go around looking over her shoulder anymore. The darkness is dead and buried. He leaves, and she quickly shuts the door.

Finn says, it won’t be as bad as Elizabeth thinks. Just because Obrecht reacted one way doesn’t mean everybody will be as unforgiving. She says she’s just trying to be realistic. People are going to have some strong, negative feelings toward her. He says, that’s just because they don’t know the whole story, and she says, he’d be smart to keep his distance. He says, since when has he been smart? and she says she doesn’t want him ending up as collateral damage for the things she’s done. He says, she should know by now that he doesn’t care what people think about him. She stuck by him through the whole Peter August ordeal. It’s his turn to stick by her.

Scotty tries to take Obrecht’s hand, but she shakes him off and asks, how soon can she get the physical? TJ says he’ll make the arrangements now, and Nina thanks him. He says he’s just doing his job, and she says, he knows what she means; given their history. He tells her, let’s just get Willow well, and leaves. Nina asks how she can ever thank Obrecht, and Obrecht says, she won’t; Willow’s family. Nina says, the way Obrecht is stepping up for them is the definition of selflessness. She’s so grateful. Obrecht says she’d do anything for Nina and theirs, and they hug. Obrecht tells her, go on. She knows what comes next. Nina runs out, and Scotty says, Britt would be so happy that Obrecht is going to save Willow, but Obrecht says, don’t dare talk to her about her daughter. He helped Elizabeth get away with murder. As far as she’s concerned, Britta’s blood is now on his hands as well.

Michael says, they should be sending out birth announcements, or preparing for kindergarten orientation. They should be looking forward to their life, not the end of it. Carly says she’s so sorry, but he still has some time with Willow. It may not look like he pictured, but it can still be rich and full of love. He says, it has to be, and Josslyn says, it already is. She sees how he is with Willow, Wiley, and Amelia; he’s amazing. He says he wishes he could do more… There is something he could do for Willow. Josslyn says, don’t leave them in suspense, when his phone rings, and he says, it’s Nina.

Dex asks if he can take a picture of some of the recipe cards, and Sonny says, Gloria would be thrilled to know people are still making her food. She used to tell him, food is to be shared. Forget that top secret recipe nonsense. Dex says, Sonny was lucky to have someone like her in his life, and Sonny says, doesn’t he know it. Frank comes in, and says, Sonny wanted to see him? Sonny says he has an update on Pikeman.

Scotty says, Obrecht is making this more complicated than it actually is, and she says, did he or did he not strike a deal so Elizabeth wouldn’t face charges for her role in Britta’s death? He says, Elizabeth got caught up in a big mess, and Obrecht says, at which point, she should have gone to the authorities. If Elizabeth had, her daughter wouldn’t be… He says, if she had, there was no evidence to lead the cops to Heather Webber. He hates to say this, but there was no way to save Britt. Obrecht says, Elizabeth isn’t his daughter, but he says, she kinda is. She says, Britta was hers, and now she’s dead. Elizabeth could have stopped it, but she walks free because of him. He says, Liesl… but she says she doesn’t want to hear excuses. Leave her alone. She turns her back to him, and he leaves.

Willow comes downstairs, and sees Michael, Carly, and Josslyn in a huddle. She asks, what’s wrong? and Michael says, nothing. For the first time in a very, very long time, everything is right. She has a match; confirmed from a cheek swab and a blood test. She says, oh my God. I have a match? He says, you have a match, and they hug.

Sonny tells Frank, let’s go into my office. He tells Dex, thanks for dinner. He can clean up, and then go. Dex says, but Sonny told him that he had an update on Pikeman, and Sonny says, he does. Dex says he thought he was in on it, and Sonny says, he was. He goes into his office with Frank, and tells Frank, close the door. Dex looks confused and a little panicked.

Austin says, what the hell was that? Ava told him that Nikolas was dead. She says, he was dead, and he asks if she took his pulse. She says, of course (🍷) she took his pulse, and he says, one time, they told him in medical school that a dead body doesn’t just get up and walk away. She says she’s sure she was in shock, but she can tell him one thing for certain – Nikolas’s heart was not beating. She’s sure of it. Austin says, then where the hell is he?

We see hospital machines, and on the phone, Mason says, it’s him. Do they want an update?… He’s stable. On life support. We see Nikolas in a hospital bed, hooked up to the machines, and Mason says, Sleeping Beauty’s got everything he needs right here.

Tomorrow, Gregory congratulates Alexis on the scoop of the year; Robert tells Diane, it’s an expression of his gratitude; and Chase says he wants to be the one to take him down.

Vanderpump Rules

Scheana made Katie’s pain about her, and Katie bitched to Ariana about Scheana telling Schwartz her business. In Katie’s interview, she said she’d been careful not to dip into the friend group for flirting or hooking up. A producer asked why, and she said, because she’s not an a-hole. She and Schwartz had been a package deal for so long, she was worried people would draw lines and choose sides, and they’d choose Schwartz. DJ James told everyone at the Canyon Club – which I thought looked more like a food court than a club – to make some noise. Raquel and Ally went outside, and Raquel said James had told her about hooking up with Lala when they’d been together. Ally said she knew about it, and it made her sick. Raquel asked if Ally was okay with James having kept it secret and that he was still friends with Lala, and Ally said when James told that he was drinking again, she got worried. In Ally’s interview, she said she thought Raquel was just looking out for her, but how many talks were they going to have about James? They talked about James’s charm, another guy where I just don’t see it. Sandoval was about to go on with the Most Extras, and in his interview, he said, the adrenaline was spiking. Just f***ing do it. I was not feeling the first number at all, then James called Ally Bubba, and I got confused. Ally said, Raquel told her to be careful, and James said it pissed him off. It wasn’t okay, and he was going to warn Raquel’s next boyfriend that she didn’t s*ck d*ck. Ally was like, let’s not talk about it and just dance. Sandoval then did a rendition of Jesse’s Girl, changing it to Schwartz’s Mom, and it was actually pretty funny. He also kept flashing a 1982 picture of Schwartz’s mom that he’d stolen and taken on tour. Schwartz said it was a dubious honor, and Sandoval had a good heart, but there were some sexual overtones. During her interview, Raquel was shown doing nothing but drinking heavily, and I wasn’t sure what that was about, but then at the bar in the club, Raquel asked Schwartz to make out, so maybe that was a real time sequence.  

In Schwartz’s interview, he said he was flattered, since Raquel was hot, and part of him wanted to get into a tongue-locked embrace with her, since he is single. But he was like, no thank you, and Raquel said she liked Katie, but it wasn’t like they were close. He told her that Katie would be upset, since apparently, she’d forgotten that Schwartz and Katie were very close five minutes ago.

Sandoval visited Schwartz, and said his brothers were in town. They’d planned a party at Schwartz & Sandy’s, thinking it would be open by then. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, it would be smart to save the money by not having the party, but his parents had invested a quarter million in the bar, so they were doing it. Scheana came by to see if Schwartz had made any progress with his new place. She’d sent him some links, and said he needed to tidy up. Sandoval said, Schwartz needed to get his mojo back, like he ever had any. They make a list of what he needed, and in his interview, Schwartz said he knew he was still in there, but he was down to a pilot light and wanted to be a roaring fire. I don’t see that as ever happening. He told Sandoval and Scheana that he and Katie had an agreement not to date friends. He wasn’t even supposed to be hanging out with them. Scheana again managed to make it about herself and got all weepy over Katie calling her a troll, like she hasn’t been called worse things. She said if there was picking sides, she’d pick sides. Meanwhile at SUR, Charli was back from the Hamptons. I guess she’s too young and/or sane to be on Summer House. She added that she’d spent $400 on dessert when she was super drunk, so I’m going with too young. Unless the dessert involved an entire bottle of a one-of-a-kind vintage bourbon. Raquel told Charli about Sandoval’s concert, and said, at the end of the night, James had an argument with Ally and had to be escorted out. We saw a clip, but it was kind of vague, and Raquel said she was sure it had something to do with the conversation she’d had with Ally. Charli told Raquel that it wasn’t her place to discuss Lala with Ally, and the needle started going back to sane. Because she couldn’t let it go and we’re 15, Raquel asked Charli’s thoughts on her making out with Schwartz. Charli said, it would probably be weird, and in Raquel’s interview, she said she thought she had a crush on Schwartz. He was always happy to see her. Charli asked how Raquel would feel if she made out with James, and Raquel said, weird, but you do you. In her interview, Raquel said, Scheana had put the idea in her head, but it had grown on her like a fungus. Charli said, people would call her a homewrecker, but Raquel said, there was no home to wreck.

The Toms met with Greg, and Sandoval told him that they were having a friends and family party tonight. Manager Matt had been let go for drinking on the job, and Greg said, his people knew not to drink on the job. When they’d had the Daily Mail event, it seemed like the atmosphere of a party for everybody, but he chose not to have some of them come back. They needed to make sure they were focused on actually opening. Schwartz said they’d been thinking August 26th, a month from now, and Greg suggested they give him a heads up when they form an idea and not tell him later. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, everything they’d suggested about opening in the past few months, Greg had vetoed. They were paying $25K a month in rent. Greg said, they weren’t finished. They had a long lease, and a lot of money to pay back. They had to do what it took to make it work, and he had no time for bullsh*t. Lisa met James at a tea shop, where they had – no surprise – a pot of tea. Lisa said she’d been hearing things, and we saw a clip of Raquel telling Lisa that James had to be escorted out after Sandoval’s concert. James said, it was interesting bringing alcohol back into his life, which I guess is one word for it. Lisa wondered why he did, since he’d been doing so well, and in James’s interview, he said he wanted to get back out there, but hadn’t been on a date in years. He felt like an older, more mature guy now. He told Lisa that he was in love with Ally, and Lisa reminded him that just yesterday, he’d said Raquel was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Now he was saying the same thing about Ally. James said he’d always been emotional, like we didn’t know that, and Lisa said he’d been heartbroken and devastated after the break-up. We flashed back to James weeping at the Reunion, and James started to cry in the tea shop, saying, it’s a lot. In Lisa’s interview, she said she didn’t think James wanted anyone to know how badly he’d been hurt by Raquel dumping him. He wanted to be the dumper, not the dumpee. James said he loved his life, and Lisa asked, but can he manage it?

Before the party, the Toms took a breath together. These two could give the Extreme Sisters a run for their money. Sandoval said, Schwartz & Sandy’s, night two; let’s go! The family and friends were all impressed, as Peruvian tuna ceviche was served. Katie brought friend Kristina Kelly as her plus one, and in Katie’s interview, she said, they’d just traveled to Rome for their friend’s wedding. In Ariana’s interview, she said, Katie bringing Kristina felt obvious. Sandoval’s mom said, it was unbelievable, and in his interview, Sandoval said, she was a retired firefighter. It was important for him to show her that he could follow through with what he planned. Most of the VanderGroup showed, except for Lala, who was sick, and James, who had a See You Next Tuesday gig. Kristina said, Scheana was making Katie’s divorce messy, and Katie said, if Schwartz wanted to hook up with one of the friend group, she would run a train through his restaurant. Ariana laughed like this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. Katie suggested a girls trip to Vegas, and driving to Havasu afterward and renting a house on the lake, but she wasn’t inviting Scheana.

Schwartz told Katie that Sandoval’s family was all there, but she was his only family in L.A. Katie said she was upset about Scheana’s meddling, but Schwartz said, Katie was setting boundaries that didn’t exist. Katie said, him being with Raquel would make her uncomfortable. People kept interrupting to congratulate Schwartz, causing him to lose focus in the conversation. Katie said she was going home, and Schwartz said he’d prefer it if she left. In his interview, he said, Katie had forced him to choose a lot during the relationship, but they weren’t married anymore, so it wasn’t his problem anymore.

Ariana met Raquel and Katie for wine and cheese, and Katie said she thought they should rage responsibly in Vegas, and she wasn’t inviting Scheana. Raquel said she had a confession to make, and told Katie about asking Schwartz if he wanted to make out. In Raquel’s interview, she said, Katie was going to find out eventually, and she’d rather Katie hear it for her before the girls trip. She said, Schwartz was respecting Katie’s boundaries, but Katie said, Raquel wasn’t. Raquel said she was sorry, and Ariana said she didn’t know Raquel had it in her. Raquel said she didn’t know who she was anymore, and flipping the script to her liking, Katie asked how much the Schwartz thing had been motivated by Scheana. Raquel said, Scheana put he idea in her head, and Katie said, that’s why Scheana was dead to her. In Katie’s interview, she said, Raquel wasn’t smart enough to think up something that diabolical. She was the human equivalent of cotton candy. Raquel used the excuse that she’d been drinking, and Katie said, it was too much. Her house was about to be sold in three weeks, and it was a lot. She was on the verge of crying, and kept repeating that she just wanted to have fun.

Lisa brought the Toms to the Rose Garden at SUR, and said, the party had been a success, why weren’t they opening? She told them that Greg seemed peeved, and we flashed back to Greg telling Lisa that the Toms know nothing about the business. Sandoval admitted they might have misled Greg about their level of experience, and she asked, who was paying the rent? Sandoval said they were, and she said, but Greg owned the lease. They should have come to her, and she would have told them not to sign it. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Greg had no urgency to open if he wasn’t paying the rent. She thought Greg was an experienced restauranteur, but the boys had more pressure to get the doors open or they’d be in trouble. Sandoval said he wasn’t sleeping, and pacing no his lawn at night, and Schwartz said he was already a cautionary tale with his marriage. He didn’t want to be one with his business. Lisa said maybe they could think of a way to open where Greg wasn’t involved.

Next time, The girls trip; a Schwartz piñata; Ken suggests buying Greg out; James’s mom asks if it’s wise that he’s drinking again; Raquel meets Garcelle’s son Oliver; and Lala says it would be no contest between her and Raquel.

🧊 Picking It Up Like It’s Cold…

Time for tea tomorrow, along with the usual soap, and some awards talk. Until then, stay safe, stay never mistaking kindness for weakness, and stay forgetting that top secret recipe nonsense. Food is to be shared.

February 22, 2023 – Everything Comes To Light, Scheana Is an Evil Little Troll, Walk It Like It’s Hot & Peng

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac assures Laura that the island is sealed off and Ryan won’t get away, and Doc says, if Esme is Ryan’s daughter, he sees her as a possession; someone who belongs to him, like an extension of himself. They know he’s obsessed with Ava and will do anything to hold her. Laura says she can’t wait and do nothing while Ryan does his worst. They’ve got to make some kind of move. Esme stumbles through the front door, and collapses in Laura’s arms, sobbing. Jordan tells Esme to put her hands where she can see them, and Laura asks if she’s hurt. Esme says she’s in labor.

On the phone, Portia tells Zeke that she’d appreciate him not saying anything to mommy and daddy just yet. She’d like things to calm down a little bit first… No, she doesn’t want him to come back. She promises she’s fine, and thanks him for not judging her… She loves him too, and she’ll give Trina his love when she sees her. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, that might be Curtis. She hangs up, and answers the door, but it’s Taggert.

Elizabeth thanks Finn for the coffee and the ride home, and he says, it’s quiet without the boys. Does she want company? She says he doesn’t have to stick so close. She knows he’s afraid if she’s alone, she’ll think too much, and maybe turn herself in… tonight.

At the hospital, Austin asks Felicia if there’s any word, but she says, nothing so far. The team is searching the island for Ryan, and Ava’s still out there. He says, she has a gun. He’s a little afraid the cops are going to mistake her for a threat and shoot her. Felicia tells him not to assume the worst. Mac will make sure Ava’s safe.

Trina says she thought Esme’s parents were dead, and Spencer says, her adoptive parents are. Her nanny implied her biological parents were alive, which explains why she was so eager to volunteer at Spring Ridge, and why she was so fascinated with Ryan Chamberlain. Alexis says, she’s known Ryan was her father the whole time, but Spencer says, she couldn’t have known Heather was her mother. One thing he’s sure of is, Esme didn’t fake her desperation to find her mother.

Heather says, the baby is coming, and Jordan says she’s calling for paramedics. Bennett comes back, and says, there have been reports of shots fired on the northwest corner of Spoon Island, and Laura says, Ava and Ryan. Mac says, maybe, and heads out the door. Jordan tells Bennett to take custody of the prisoner. Heather Webber is The Hook, and she needs to know Heather isn’t going anywhere. And call the paramedics. She leaves, and Bennett radios that he needs medical transport dispatched immediately to Spoon Island, the main house; a woman is in labor. Laura asks Doc, what’s happening? as Esme yowls. Doc says he thinks it’s best to focus on the contractions.

Ava says, Ryan’s got one thing right. His life is in her hands. He says, til death do us part, and she repeats, til death do us part. She pulls the trigger, but the gun just clicks. She tries again, and a third time, but nothing. He says, she’s not done with him yet.

Finn says he is worried about Elizabeth. She seemed to be enjoying the wedding, but her toast… She says, he didn’t like it? and he says, it was beautiful, but it sounded wistful. Her celebration of Curtis’s and Portia’s beginning sounded like an ending for her. The doorbell rings, and it’s Scotty. Elizabeth asks what he’s doing here, and he says, they have unfinished business, wouldn’t she say?

Portia is wearing a sweatshirt that says Just Married on the back, and Taggert says, nice sweatshirt. She says, it was a gift from Trina. She gave one to Curtis too, and said they could wear them on the plane to their honeymoon. He says, Trina’s thoughtful that way, and she tells him that he can go ahead and say it. He asks, what? and she says, that Trina is generous, giving, and loving, and she doesn’t deserve Trina. Don’t worry. She feels exactly the same way.

Spencer tells Alexis that when Trina was on trial, he dangled the possibility of finding Esme’s mother in front of her, and she genuinely considered it. She wouldn’t have done that had she known her mother was a few miles away at D’Archam. Trina says, that must have been some bluff, and he says he was doing whatever he could to help her. Alexis wonders what Esme thinks of Heather seeking retribution in her name… Oh, they don’t know. Heather isn’t just Esme’s mother; she’s The Hook killer.

Heather begs Doc to help Esme, and Doc asks if she feels pain here, touching her bump, but she says, it’s more like pressure. Here it comes again. Doc tells Laura, they can’t wait for the paramedics, and Laura asks if Esme can make it to the launch. They have to get her to General Hospital right away. Heather tells Esme, it’s a trap. They’ll take her baby and lock her up. Bennett says, the only one headed for lock-up is Heather, and Laura says, Esme’s health and welfare is her only priority. Doc gets behind Esme, and says, they don’t have time. This baby is coming now.

Felicia says she’s sure they’ll get word any minute that Ava is safe, and Austin asks if she’s always this optimistic. She says she hopes for good outcomes. He had one himself tonight. They’re saying he’s stable and in good condition. He says, someone’s been sneaking around asking the nursing staff questions, and she says she’s glad he’s okay. He was really lucky. He tells her to remind him to get a lottery ticket, and she says, his sense of humor is still intact. He says, thank God, and he’s still got his teeth, so there’s that. She says she thinks he’s got more than that, and he says he’s lucky to have friends like her and Ava. She says, Ava was frantic when she saw he was hurt. She didn’t realize they were so well-acquainted. He says he treated her when she was attacked. Now he knows how she feels. Felicia says, she survived The Hook attack; she’ll survive tonight. He says, she’d better.

Ryan approaches Ava, and says, a little shoulder wound can’t come between them. He forgave her for that knife in the back. She’s passionate, and he understands those carnal impulses. He’s never given up on her. He’s never lost hope, even when she married that imbecile. They’re alike. They belong together. She’ll see. He reaches for her, and she says, get away from me, pushing him back. He growls at her, and is about to rush her, when a shot is fired. He drops to the ground. Ava turns to see Mac behind her.

Scotty says he thought he and Elizabeth would finish their conversation, unless she doesn’t want his help anymore. Finn says, she’s not going to wait until morning? when his phone rings. He says, it’s the hospital, and steps away to take the call. Scotty says he guesses Finn knows about the crimes Elizabeth committed, but she says she doesn’t want him involved. He’s just being a friend. Scotty says, accessory after the fact, and Finn comes back, saying, he has to get to the hospital. There’s been another Hook attack. He asks Elizabeth not to make any rash decisions tonight, and she thanks him for the ride home. He tells her, tomorrow’s a new day; things may look differently. He leaves, and Elizabeth tells Scotty that she’s made her decision.

Keeping the gun on Ryan, Mac goes over to him. Ryan looks up, and says, it had to be you. His head drops back down, and Ava says, she tried to… Mac says he knows, and Jordan arrives. She radios that the suspect is down, and to call for a second unit. She asks if anyone else is hurt, but Mac says he’s fine, and Ava is okay, more or less. Ava says, he woudn’t give up. He was never going to give up. Jordan checks Ryan’s pulse, and says, he’s dead. Mac tells Ava, he’s gone; it’s over. Ava asks if he’s sure, and he says he’s positive. Jordan asks, what happened here? and Ava says she shot him. Mac says, Ava got off a shot; it hit him in the shoulder. Chamberlain kept approaching, and Mac stopped him. Jordan says, sounds justified. She’ll need Ava’s statement later, but first, she wants Ava to get checked out at GH. She doesn’t suppose Mac will go with her, and Mac says, no chance. Other officers join them, and Jordan goes to talk with them. Ava says she needs to tell Jordan… but Mac says, a lot has happened tonight. In the days to come, there’s going to be questions and determinations, but what’s most important is, he’ll take no more victims. Ryan Chamberlain’s reign of terror has come to an end.

Alexis says, it all fits perfectly. Heather orchestrating her transfer to Spring Ridge, and the letter saying she only struck those who wronged me and mine. Trina says, so it wasn’t Esme coming after her. It was her crazy mother avenging her enemies. Alexis says, Spencer and Trina were probably at the top of the list, and Spencer says, Esme finally found her mother. Trina says, they’re having some warped version of a family reunion, and they have Ava with them. Spencer says, and his baby brother or sister.

Laura brings pillows and blankets, and Doc tells Esme that he has to wash up so he can attend to her properly. He leaves, and Esme says, she’s delivering here, now? Laura tells her, it’s going to be okay. Doc will take good care of her. Esme asks if she’s sure, and Laura says, he’s a doctor. Is there something she can do? Esme says she doesn’t want Heather here, but Heather says, she doesn’t mean that. Laura tells Bennett to take the prisoner back to the mainland, and Heather says, the prisoner has a name. Bennett says he’s sorry, but the launch is engaged. They’re waiting for it to return. Laura says, then wait in the other room, and Bennett tells Heather, let’s go. Heather says, a small town politician doesn’t have jurisdiction over the laws of nature. She deserves to be here as much as Laura does. Esme says, she’s the baby’s grandmother, and Heather says, so is she. She’s the baby’s grandmother too. She’s Esme’s mother. Esme cries out, both in pain and frustration.

Taggert says, Portia has never given him much credit. Like when she was trying to hide her affair with Curtis. She says, that’s because when he came back from his undercover assignment, they were trying to work on their marriage. She didn’t want to jeopardize that. He asks if she knows why he was trying so hard. Because he found out. He knew she was unhappy, but didn’t blame it all on her; he knew he was part of it. She says she had no idea he’d be this understanding, and he says, in his heart, he’d already forgiven her for the affair. Does she really think he’d have loved Trina any less if she wasn’t his? She says she was just afraid to test it, and as the years went on, the fear got worse. She was worried it would change the way he and Trina saw each other, and she loved the father he was to Trina. And she was always such a daddy’s girl. How could she take that away from the two of them? He says, she’d never have had to worry about that if she’d told him from the start… but she didn’t.

Ava gets to Pier 55, and Trina hugs her. She says she’s okay, and Trina says she was so worried. She heard Ryan Chamberlain and Heather Webber were at Windymere. Ava says, there’s no danger; Ryan is dead. Spencer asks, what about Esme? and an officer says, sorry, folks. Orders are to get Miss Jerome to GH immediately. Ava leaves with the officer, and Spencer says, if Trina wants to go with them, and make sure Ava’s okay… Trina says, what about him? She knows he’s worried about Esme and the baby. He says he’ll call if he hears anything, but she says she can’t just leave him. Alexis says, he’ll be fine; she’ll look out for him. Spencer says, go, and Trina asks him to promise if he needs anything… He says he’ll call, and Trina leaves. Alexis says, it’s nice to see that he and Trina have a friendship again.

Austin says, of all the nights to be on Spoon Island, and Felicia says, ironically, she was there about Ryan. Why was he? He says he told her; he treated Ava. She says, last year. A little late to do a follow-up house call. He flashes back to Ava telling him, they have to move Nikolas before Elizabeth’s guilty conscience sends the cops to Spoon Island, and he tells Felicia, the island must be crawling with cops. She says, that’s a good thing, right? The more, the better. Finn comes in, and says he understands Austin had a run-in with The Hook killer. Austin says he sure did, but he’s here to tell the tale, so he’s guessing no poison was involved. Finn says, his bloodwork confirmed it. He’s just here to take Austin’s vitals. Felicia says she’ll step out, and Austin thanks her for looking out for him. She says she’s glad he’s okay.

Ryan’s body bag is zipped up, and Jordan says, this town has had a long history with Ryan; he posed a clear and constant threat. Mac says he knows he should be breathing easy, but all he feels is a knot in his chest, and she says, to take a man’s life, even someone like Chamberlain, is a hard thing for a police officer, especially a good one like him. He says he did what he had to do, and she says she has to admit, what bothers her most is the mountain of paperwork waiting. Mac says he’ll do the paperwork. Chamberlain made Felicia’s life hell. He would have killed her tonight; Felicia and Ava both. Jordan says, it’s a big win for the community. She’s sure Heather will never see the light of day again, but there’s still Esme Prince, and what role, if any, she played in what went down tonight. He says, and whether she’ll spend the night in a cell, or a maternity ward.

Heather says, she and Esme have been reunited. They’ll never be parted again. Laura says, this isn’t the time for this, but Esme asks if it’s true. Is this woman really her mother? Laura says, evidence suggests that Heather Webber gave birth to her, and Heather says she’d do anything for Esme. Esme says, like commit mass murder? and Heather says she did all of it for Esme. Can’t she see? It was to protect her. Don’t let these rich, small-minded people get into her head. Esme says, Heather isn’t going to see this baby today or any day. Get out! Heather says, Esme doesn’t mean that. She’s Esme’s mother. Bennett pulls her away, and she says she’ll always be Esme’s mother. She’d give up her life for her. Esme will always be hers. Esme cries in Laura’s arms.

On the floor now, Doc tells Esme that she’s doing great, and Laura tells her to breathe. A paramedic comes in, and asks, how far along? and Doc says, second stage; the cervix is dilated and the contractions are regular. Esme says she can’t, but Laura says, it’s okay. So many mothers feel that way. She gets behind Esme, and tells Esme to lean against her. Doc says, here we go. Deep breath and push. Bear down.

Taggert says, if Portia had told him in the beginning that Trina might not be his daughter, he would have been mad, he would have been angry, he would have been screaming and yelling. But he would have stopped long enough to hear what she had to say. She asks why he’s not screaming and yelling. He has every right to. He says, because he’d like to think he’s grown in that time, that he can put himself in her shoes; that he could understand what she did and why she did it. But understanding doesn’t make it hurt any less. Damn it! He wishes she would have given him the chance to show her that his bond with Trina is more than DNA. That Trina was his daughter in every way that counts because Portia was dishonest? Trina is now questioning that. Portia says, that’s what she was trying to avoid, but she just made it worse. Tell her, how is Trina doing? He says, she’s in pain; she’s confused. Portia asks if she wants to know who her real father is; whether it’s him or Curtis. He says, it didn’t come up and he didn’t want to push it, but let’s get one thing perfectly clear. He is Trina’s dad. Point blank. Period.

Finn asks, what happened tonight? but Austin says, he’s not really sure. The cops will sort it out. He was unconscious for most of the time. It’s not over, and he’s really worried about a friend. Finn says he knows the feeling.

Felicia asks the reception nurse if there’s a phone she could use, when Trina and Ava walk in. She tells the nurse, never mind, and goes over to them. Ava asks, how’s Austin? and Felicia says, he’s doing okay. They ruled out the poison, and the wound isn’t what they feared. How is Ava? Ava says she’s fine physically, but Jordan and Mac wanted her to get checked out. Felicia asks if Ryan got away, and Ava says, he was coming at her, and it was Mac who stopped him. Ryan is dead. Felicia says, thank God, and they hug.

Elizabeth asks Scotty if she should be nervous. He’s never speechless. He says, let him understand. She and Nikolas held Esme captive without medical attention. She says, that’s where she came in. She gave the medical attention. He says, and obstruction of justice; a police investigation was going on about Esme. She says she knows it was bad, but when he says it like that, it sounds worse. Can he broker some sort of deal for her? He says he needs to know if she’s lost her mind.

On the phone, Alexis says, Ryan Chamberlain is dead, and Esme Prince’s whereabouts are still unknown. She’ll give them details later. She wonders if Laura will tell her anything more about Esme, and Spencer says, grandmother is on the island? Alexis says, she and Doc headed over there. Don’t worry. Mac and Jordan aren’t going to let anything happen to them. He says he thinks Alexis would be doing everyone better if she wasn’t here with him. He’ll tell her if he hears anything. She leaves, and he starts to write a text, when he hears Heather saying, no. Her daughter needs her; she’s in labor. Spencer says, Esme’s in labor? and Heather tells Jordan, she needs her mother. They’ll be hearing from her lawyer. Bennett drags her away, and when they pass Spencer, Heather says, you were next. Jordan says, get her to the station, and Heather is hauled away. Spencer says, Esme is having the baby right now? and Jordan says, last she heard. He says he realizes Windymere is a crime scene, but he needs to be on that island immediately.

Esme says she’s sorry, and Laura says, of course (🍷) she is. She’s been through so much, but she’s safe and supported. Doc says, and she’s almost there. One more push should do it. Esme says she needs a few minutes, but Doc says, the baby needs to come now. Laura says, it’s time. She can do this. Summon all the strength she can, and give the baby one big push. When she’s ready, take a deep breath. Esme pushes, and Laura says, she can do it. We hear a baby cry. That was fast. I think it came out crying. Although after the day it’s had…

Portia says, of course (🍷) Taggert is Trina’s dad. He raised that girl. He’s always been there for her. He says, not always. He let her think he was dead. He let her know later that he was protecting her, but the deception hurt her. Everyone makes mistakes. They both screwed up, thinking they were doing the right thing at the right time. She says, Trina’s the most important thing to both of them, and he says, she’s got that right. She didn’t want to have anything to do with him, but Portia just kept stripping away at her defenses, encouraging her to hear him out. Portia was a big reason Trina gave him another chance and forgave him. He’s never going to forget that. She tells him, like she said, he’s good father, and he says, she’s a good mother, who made a terrible mistake. He can’t guarantee things will be different, but he, Portia, and Trina are a family, and nothing or no one is going to change that.

Trina brings a clipboard to Ava, saying, the nurse told her that it shouldn’t be too much longer. Ava just has to fill this out, and put down an emergency contact. She asks if Ava is okay, and Ava says she’s just thinking about the events of the day. Trina says, don’t feel guilty if she’s glad Ryan’s dead. He and his daughter made Ava’s life a living hell. Ava flashes back to telling Ryan that he’ll keep taking unless someone stops him. She says, Ryan left an awful lot of carnage in his wake, and Trina says she knows Ava’s divorce has been rough, but if Ava wants, she’ll try to find Nikolas. Ava says, thanks, but there’s nothing Nikolas can do for her anymore.

Laura tells the paramedic that Esme will be in police custody while in the hospital, but she will not be separated from her child. Spencer walks in, and asks if Laura is okay. She says she is, and tells him that he has a new little brother. He sees Esme, holding the baby and smiling.

Mac finds Doc outside, and asks if everything is okay here. Doc says, mother and baby are doing just fine. How’s his team? Mac says, safe and accounted for, and Doc says, and Ryan? Mac says, come with him, but Doc says, just tell him. Mac says he had no choice, and Doc says, Ryan’s dead. Mac says, it could have been Felicia. It could have been Ava, or anyone. Ryan wouldn’t have stopped. Doc puts his hand on Mac’s shoulder, and says, show him.

Portia says, Taggert is right about one thing; she does underestimate him. She thanks him for coming here and being so generous with her. He says he doesn’t like what she did, but they share a child. She says, they always will, and he says, if she’s worried about Trina, he can always find her. She says, good. They’re daughter needs him, especially now. He says, their daughter is unbelievably forgiving, and she says she wishes she shared his hope. Their daughter is also strong-willed, and she’s been putting up boundaries and setting limits. He says, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? but she says, what if this is all too much to forgive? She starts to cry, and says, he didn’t see the way Trina was when confronting her, and the things Trina said to her. She’s worried she might have lost Trina forever.

Trina asks if Ava wants anything from the cafeteria, but Ava says she’s fine. It’s late; Trina should get home… What’s the matter? Trina says, the long day just caught up, and it occurred to her, The Hook has been caught. For the first time in a long time, she doesn’t have to worry about who’s hiding in the shadows. Seems like today, everything just came to light. Ava hugs her.

Alexis sees Finn, and asks how Austin is. He says he has to write an order for his patient… who will recover. He keeps walking, and Alexis says, and he walks away from her, which usually means he’s troubled about something. She’s assuming it’s about that friend who could be an accessory to a felony. He says he’s still concerned, and he thinks his friend made a decision. She says, and he’s worried that decision is going to ruin his friend’s life? but he says, at this point, it’s out of his hands.

Scotty says he can’t believe Elizabeth let Nikolas talk her into that cockamamie plan. Where’s he now? He’s off somewhere, and left her holding the bag? She says, if he can’t help her, she understands, but she can’t live with this guilt, thinking of the damage to the boys. He says, she’s got to be there for the boys, and she says she knows. The only stability they have in their lives is Cameron, and he’s too young to shoulder this responsibility. He asks how going to prison is going to help them, and she says, that’s what she was hoping he could prevent. He says, no problem. Walk in the park for him. She says she knows it’s a lot, but he’s practically the boys’ grandfather, and the closest thing she has to a dad. He says he’ll do everything in his power to get her out of this mess, and she says, that’s good enough for her.

Mac takes Doc to Ryan’s body, and Doc kneels down beside it. He says, I knew it. I could feel it. It’s real this time. He unzips the top of the bag, revealing Ryan’s face. Felicia runs to Mac, and hugs him. Mac says he’s fine, and she’s safe now. She asks if Ryan is really gone, and Mac steps aside. She goes over to the body, and kneels down beside Doc, putting her arm around him. He says, at least it’s the end of a long nightmare for her, and she cries, saying, but he was still Doc’s brother. Doc says, I hope you can find the peace you could never find in this life… brother.

Spencer walks over to Esme and she says, he’s beautiful, isn’t he? He says, he looks like a Cassadine, and she says, Nikolas told her the truth. Spencer’s not the father of the baby; Nikolas is. Spencer says he just thought since they used to be… She says, the person she used to be sounds pretty messy; no wonder she didn’t know who the father was. She’s not that person anymore; she promises him. She loves his little brother, and would do anything for him. Laura says she’ll come and check in on Esme when she’s settled in at the hospital, and Esme thanks her. As she’s being wheeled out, Esme asks if Spencer can tell his father about the baby. She doesn’t know how to reach him. He says, that makes two of us, and Laura gives him a long look.

Ava tells the nurse that she needs to talk to Austin, but the nurse says, he needs his rest, closes the door, and draws the blind.

Tomorrow, Drew says someone has no one else to blame but themselves; Nina can’t believe someone would be okay with that; and Sonny wonders if Brook can help him.

Vanderpump Rules

I’m fully aware that this show is somewhat boring, but I live for glimpses of her VanderHighness, the menagerie, Puffy (!), and the glory that is Villa Rosa. Again I say, bring back Overserved.

Raquel took Graham to the emergency vet, and it turned out to be an infected puncture wound on his neck. I don’t know about Graham, but if one of my dogs doesn’t eat, there’s definitely something wrong. Lisa approached Raquel about dating Peter, and Raquel asked if Lisa was telling her that she couldn’t make out with Peter in front of customers anymore. She actually had Lisa going for a moment, and I was surprised Raquel has a sense of humor. Lisa said Raquel had lost a bit of direction since breaking off the engagement, and we flashed back to Raquel giving James the ring back at the Reunion. Raquel said she was hurt that James had found someone to replace her so easily, and admitted she still loved him. Ariana and Katie looked at a potential space for their sandwich shop, and in Ariana’s interview, she said, the main thing she learned from the Toms’ experience was, don’t jump in. Have everything laid out and prepared ahead of time. That, and don’t use your own money. She thanked the guys for being guinea pigs.

Scheana went to Schwartz’s new apartment for her podcast, and started with the getting old game of Marry-F***-Kill, using Lisa, Lala, and Raquel. Schwartz said he’d marry Raquel, bang Lisa (but of course), and would have killed Lala before last night. Since she sent him a sweet text about the Daily Mail party, now he was struggling. Scheana asked if he thought Schwartz & Sandy’s ultimately led to divorce, and although he thought it was too soon to address, he couldn’t blame the bar. She said, there were rumors that he’d made out with Raquel at Coachella, but it turned out he hadn’t even been there. She asked if he could make the rumor true, and he said, maybe after a couple of tequila shots. Ugh. This show is almost painful to watch.

James and Ally went for lunch at SUR, and Lisa asked about Graham. James said he hadn’t known Graham wasn’t well, and Lisa said she was keeping out of it. Then she warned Raquel, saying, she thought James knew. In James’s interview, he said he missed Graham more than Raquel, and I totally understand. The worst part of a break-up is breaking up with the ex’s family, friends, and pet. And sometimes, their apartment. James confronted Raquel, who said she hadn’t wanted to worry him. He asked how Graham got the neck wound, and she said when she’d boarded him, he escaped, digging a hole under a fence. No doubt the fence had poked him. James started crying because when does he not? Not that I blame him in this instance, but just pointing out it’s a pattern. Raquel said, Graham was fine, but James wanted to see for himself. Raquel said she’d think about it, and in his interview, James said, she didn’t have the decency to call or throw him a text, and it was f***ed up.

The Toms met with Schwartz & Sandy’s general manager Brett. Schwartz was worried about the opening, and Sandoval said, they’d have to move mountains. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, because of the optics, people thought the bar was open. Now there was pressure to live up to the hype. They still had to finalize the food and the cocktails, and back of the house staffing was hard to find. Proving his point, some people wandered in, wondering if they were open.

Katie, Raquel, and Lala went out for girls night, and in Lala’s interview, she said she and Katie were both on new paths. There was something sweet and inspiring about leaving everything you were used to behind, and not knowing what the future held, but knowing you’d be okay. They toasted to the single life and dodging bullets. In her interview, Lala said that Raquel had seemed vacant when she’d been with James, but she seemed to have come into her own. Pointing to her head, she said she was seeing things happening up here. Katie said Schwarz had done Scheana’s podcast, and Scheana was pushing him to date Raquel. Raquel confirmed that Scheana kept saying she and Schwartz should make out, but even though she liked Schwartz a lot, she’d never date him seriously. What was that Lala said about vapid? In Katie’s interview, she said, Scheana was one of her bridesmaids, and she had supported Scheana through her divorce. Scheana would have been living if Katie had hooked Shay up with one of her girlfriends. Lala said, this is where she was stepping in to defend her friend. She got all kinds of messy, but wouldn’t do that sh*t. She said, Katie’s feelings would be hurt, and told Katie not to pretend they woudn’t be. Katie said she wasn’t ready to see that or be there yet. Raquel tried to deflect, saying, she’d been loyal to James, but now she was hearing about him having been with other girls when they were together. Lala said, while they were on the subject, she’d hooked up with James when he and Raquel had been together. It was when their relationship was new, as well as hers with Randall. In Raquel’s interview, she said, Lala was judging her for hypothetically making out with Schwartz, yet she’d slept with James when he and Raquel were together. She was an effing hypocrite. Lala said, she and James had both been drinking then, and Raquel said she cared more about James falling in love with Ally a month after they broke up.

Sandoval’s band, Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras, had a show coming up, and we saw a bit of rehearsal. I thought it was more like Tom Sandoval and the Most Adequate. In James’s interview, he said he thought it was Sandoval’s way of spending money and having fun, but he should work on opening the bar. James talked about meeting Ally being the most magical night of his life, and a bunch of bullsh*t I didn’t listen to. Scheana suggested Raquel do a Hot Girl Walk (see below), which is a silly name for what are basically positive affirmations while walking. She told Raquel that she and Brock were pre-gaming at Schwartz’s before Sandoval’s show, and invited Raquel to join them. Raquel said Katie didn’t like that Scheana was pushing Schwartz on her, but Scheana said she’d been in Vegas with Katie when the rumors had been going around, and Katie said she’d embrace it. Raquel was like, no, Katie said it wouldn’t be okay, and in Scheana’s interview, she said her friendship with Katie was a roller coaster where they struggled to find the good in each other. She was over apologizing for things she wasn’t sorry for. When you’re divorced, you move on and deal with it. Raquel told Scheana about Lala hooking up with James, and Scheana looked all kinds of shocked.

Lala wanted to get together with Tai, who she’d met at the TomTom party. She thought he was good for dipping her toe back into the pond, but she hadn’t wanted to go alone. She asked Logan to find a dude for Katie, and they met with Tai and Mel, who said people called him Melrose. After they had lunch, Lala invited Katie to the bathroom with her, and said she felt the need to abort the mission. In Lala’s interview, she said she wasn’t connecting with Tai. He needed to date a 23 year old, not a 31 year old mother. To prove her point, even though she’d told them she was sober twice, they asked if the girls were going out drinking tonight. James met Raquel at a park to have a visit with Graham, and in his interview, James said, Graham remembered him (of course he did; he’s a dog), and we saw a puppy picture of Graham that made me squee. Raquel questioned James about hooking up with Lala, and he said they were both drunk – alcohol was to blame – and Lala wouldn’t let him leave the room, taking absolutely on accountability. He then questioned Raquel about Peter, but she said he was deflecting. He’d made her feel like she had nothing to worry about with Lala. James said it was a good thing they didn’t get married. Why Raquel still cares is beyond me.

Katie listened to Scheana’s podcast, where Scheana said she’d be Schwartz’s cheerleader, wingwoman, and best friend. Lala called Katie, and Katie said Scheana was an evil little troll, bringing Schwartz on her podcase when he was in a vulnerable state, and coercing him to say sh*t. Karma was going to come, and she’d watch while Scheana’s world burned and smile. Wow. Ariana told Sandoval, the pre-gaming sounded like a double-date, and in Schwartz’s interview, he said, Raquel was drop dead gorgeous, funny, and cool, but he and Katie weren’t hooking up with each other’s friends. Scheana told Schwartz that Katie had been getting laid, and in Schwarz’s interview, he said, it stung a little. Raquel thought Katie was overreacting, and Brock wondered when Schwartz was going to grow balls. Scheana asked why Schwartz couldn’t flirt, but Katie could f***.

Schwarz said, make outs are like pizza; even sh*tty ones are good. Um… no. Everyone got ready to see Sandoval’s band, and in Katie’s interview, she said she was ready to drag a ho. At the bar, she acknowledged everyone but Scheana, who insisted she’d just invited Raquel so she didn’t have to come alone. Katie said she heard about Scheana’s plan, and Scheana said, Katie seemed to think it was okay when they were in Vegas. Katie said she didn’t mean it, and Scheana asked how she was supposed to know that. While she has a point there, apparently, she has zero insight and empathy. Katie said it was disrespectful, none of Scheana’s business, and there was no room for Scheana in this. She called Scheana a little troll, and in Scheana’s interview, she said, Katie was mad at herself and Schwartz, and the problem had nothing to do with her. Get back under your bridge, bitch. Ugh. More awful people. Bravo is rife with them. Katie said she was done with Scheana.

In James’s interview, he said Scheana had Raquel on her podcast two weeks after they broke up to get her while it was fresh. She’d tried to get him on the podcast and talk about it, but that was a no. Ariana said Scheana got left holding the bag, while Schwartz was the nice guy, and in her interview, Ariana said it pissed her off how people were always mad at the other person, and not Schwartz. Katie told Schwartz that Scheana was a snake, and she was done with her. I swear, Schwartz was literally ducking as Katie talked, and I’m with Brock. I don’t think he should go out with Raquel, but he needs to grow a pair. Schwartz said Katie was quick to undermine his friendships, but she said he wasn’t losing anything with Scheana. James called Scheana pumpkin pie – sweet on the outside, but it goes bad quickly, and the whipped cream on it just hides the truth. Did he make that up? Ally didn’t seem to happy with any of it.

To be continued…

👠 Hot Walking…

Again, stupidest thing ever. Not that it’s a bad thing to pump yourself up, but it’s not that deep.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/hot-girl-walk-can-this-tiktok-trend-really-boost-your-mood-and-fitness

🍦 Bringing My Milkshake Back In the House…

Join me tomorrow for soap and some mismatched cups of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not hiding your light under a bushel basket, and stay making sure Ryan is dead. I still don’t trust it.

February 15, 2023 – Trina Confronts Stella, Celebrating Not Being Open, Anniversary Preview, Possible Not Probable, Après Bowl Plus Puppy (!) & Girl

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Heather asks why Ryan wants to make a stop; he’s jonesing for a Slurpie? He says, hardly, and she says, this is about his precious Ava. He says, the heart wants what it wants, but she doesn’t think it’s his heart calling the shots. Get his head back in the game. The longer he dilly-dallies, the closer Detective Falconari and his girlfriend come to blowing them up.

Sam and Dante go back to their room, and Sam says, the barmaid knows more about Maggie than she’s letting on. They could be closer to finding Esme’s parents than they thought. He agrees, but thinks they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves. They have a hunch, but no proof. Sam thinks he should go to the pub and push the barmaid for more answers. He asks if she’s still feeling jet-lagged, and kisses her.

Maggie flips through Esme’s letters, and shoves them all in her bag. A man named Cyril comes in and asks for his usual lager, but she says, they’re closed. He says he’ll see her in the morning then, and she asks, when’s the next train to London? He says, the express leaves on the quarter hour, and asks if she’s going on holiday. She says, something like that.

Drew says, to the best of the best. Congratulations! The guests all raise their glasses, and say, to the best of the best. Curtis and Portia thank and hug Drew, and he says he meant every word. He announces, it’s the maid of honor’s turn next, and tells Trina to show herself, but Trina’s nowhere to be seen. Portia says she knows Trina was excited to give her toast, and wonders where she could be. Curtis suggests she didn’t know the toasts would be so soon, and says, she can give hers later. Portia says, every wedding has their hiccups, right? She guesses this is theirs. He asks if their hiccup wasn’t Aunt Stella taking a sick day, but she says, that was a hitch. He suggests they go with the flow, and she says, it is their day after all. Molly clinks her glass, and yells, kiss! and they oblige.

Stella asks if everything is all right, and Trina says, it’s fine. The wedding was beautiful, and everyone’s at the reception. She was really worried about Stella, and thought she must really be sick to miss the wedding. They come in, and Spencer asks if she’s feeling better. Trina says, nothing from room service, no boxes of tissues, no cough drops? and Stella says she may have exaggerated the state of her health somewhat. She just needed a quiet evening. Trina says, instead of a major family celebration? She doesn’t understand what would keep Stella from her mom and Curtis’s wedding.

Curtis says, they’ll pick up the speeches later. In the meantime, he encourages them to eat, drink, and be merry. Elizabeth asks to give a toast, and he gives her the mic, conceding to the lovely lady.

Sam asks if Dante is trying to distract her, but he says he’s just trying to collect his thoughts. Sam just told him to go back and hold the barmaid’s feet to the fire. She says she didn’t mean Dante should interrogate her. She only said, the barmaid knows more about Esme’s nanny than she’s letting on, and Dante says, it’s something they can do in the morning. Sam says, and give her time to warn the nanny? By that time, Maggie Fitzgerald could be off in the wind.

Maggie walks Cyril to the door, and tells him, get home safe. She turns the sign to closed, and looks out the window. She looks at her phone, and says, an hour before the train. She makes a call to pub owner Archie, and says she’s coming down with something terrible. Can he open up for her in the morning?… She can’t reschedule because she’s not going to be here. She slams the phone onto the bar.

Heather says she’s trying to save their little family from ruin, and Ryan is planning a rendezvous with that harlot? She grabs her Valentine, and says she’s taking this back. He says, her jealousy of Ava is getting old, and asks if she’s thought of deep breathing. She says, he wants her to meditate while those two nosybodies are on the hunt for Esme’s nanny? He says, they wouldn’t be on the hunt if she wasn’t so willing to talk to Dante, but she says, Dante gave her no choice. She was protecting Esme. While he sits lounging all day long, she’s doing all the work. He says he’s looking for his violin, and she asks, who broke out of prison? Who’s the one seeking retribution for everyone who wronged Esme? Who broke back into prison? He’s never once thanked her for all her hard work. She even let that perky, wannabe princess, Felicia, cozy up to her. He says, you what?

Elizabeth tells everyone to raise a glass to the happy couple, and they all say, to Portia and Curtis! Portia tells Marshall, what a wonderful speech that was (oops, I think I missed something), and he says, all these people express love and admiration for them both. Curtis says, they are blessed.

Josslyn tells Ava that she’s recording wedding messages for Portia and Curtis. Is there anything she wants to add? Ava says, get everything in writing, as she eats the olive from her martini. Josslyn says, what was that? and Ava says, may the road rise up to meet you. Josslyn moves on, and Sonny and Nina walk over. Nina says, at the risk of complementing her own hotel, everything is spectacular, and Ava says, to Nina and her classy hotel. Nina says, half the hotel, and says she’ll go get Sonny some more food. She leaves, and Ava says, she’s overcompensating, but Sonny says, she’s just worried for Willow, and doesn’t want to spoil the wedding. Ava says, it must be tough putting on a brave face. She’s proud of Nina. Sonny says, him too. He asks Ava to keep Nina distracted, and Ava says, will do. He says he appreciates her being such a good friend to Nina, and Nina brings back a plate for him. She asks if Elizabeth’s toast wasn’t sweet, and Ava says, sweet… saccharine, but nice. Sonny goes to see Laura, and Nina asks what Ava thought of Drew’s speech.

Sonny asks if he can sit with Laura, and she says, of course (🍷). It was a nice ceremony, right? He says, the officiant was top-rate, and she says, not too last minute? He says he doesn’t think anyone would know she didn’t have time to prepare, and she thanks him. She feels sorry for Stella; to come down ill in the eleventh hour? He asks if Laura thinks she’s all right, and Laura says she hopes so.

Molly says, will Portia look at that cake just dying to be eaten? and TJ says she’s been eyeing the cake since they got here. Marshall says, she’s not the only one, and Curtis guesses this is their cue.

Stella tells Trina, there was a good reason she wasn’t at the wedding; a reason her mother would understand. Trina says, but Stella didn’t tell her the reason. She said she was sick. Stella says she hated lying, but she didn’t want to make Portia’s day about her, and Trina says, her mom is worried about Stella. Why would she understand Stella’s absence? Did they talk about something when they picked up their dresses? Otherwise, she doesn’t understand. Stella says, it’s not for her to understand, then apologizes, saying, that didn’t come out right. She just didn’t want to complicate things. She knows how difficult it is planning a wedding. That’s why she asked Laura to take her place. One less thing for Curtis and Portia to worry about. Trina says, that still doesn’t explain why Stella wouldn’t perform the ceremony. What is Stella not telling her? Spencer says, in his experience, the longer secrets are kept, the more damage they do, and Stella says, with all due respect to his experience, this is a family matter, and the last time she checked, he’s not family. He says, she’s right, and apologizes. Trina says, but she’s family now, right? and Stella says she is. She wanted to be there, but simply couldn’t in good conscience.

Curtis and Portia cut the cake, and everyone applauds. She tells him if he smears cake in her face, he’ll live to regret it, but he says he wouldn’t dream of it. He feeds her a tiny piece, and asks if she still wants to be his wife. She says, that’s all she wants. Marshall steps away, and TJ asks if everything is okay with him. Marshall says he wishes he could do more to show how much he loves them. TJ says, Uncle Curtis knows, and being here is the best possible gift. Josslyn asks to borrow TJ, and TJ tells Marshall, try not to worry so much. Promise. Marshall says, hell to the no, and TJ says he loves Marshall. They hug, and Marshall says he loves TJ more. TJ leaves, and Marshall takes a clarinet reed out of his pocket.

Josslyn films, and TJ says, welcome to the family, Portia. Molly tells him not to forget about Trina, and he says, Trina, you have always felt like family; now it’s just official. Step-cousin doesn’t do it justice; he sees her as a sister. Molly tears up, and he tells her, this is a happy occasion. She says she is happy.

Ava says she thought the speech was very nice, but Nina says, Ava doesn’t want to hear what she thinks of Drew. Ava says, now she does, and Nina says, he and Carly are involved, and they’re trying to hide it for some reason. Since Carly doesn’t do anything without an agenda, she’s sure the reasons are less than legitimate.

Sonny asks if Laura saw the smile on Spencer’s face when he saw Trina; like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. Laura says, she brings out the best in him. He needs that now more than ever. Sonny says, little chance he’s going to get that from Nikolas, and Laura looks over at Ava.

Ava tells Nina, who knows why Carly and Drew are keeping things quiet? Their reasons might not make sense to anybody but the two of them, but she’s clearly no expert in relationships.

Ryan says, you idiot. Heather knows better than to play games with Felicia Scorpio. She asks if he just called her an idiot, and he says, if the shoe fits. She says, he was with her when Felicia came here with her hubby, threatening to send them both back to D’Archam. It’s not like they were having tea and crumpets. He says, and Heather hasn’t seen her since? and she says, no. The brothers Scorpio ganged up on her when she had her physical at GH, again threatening to send her back to D’Archam. But since of course (🍷) she’d prefer Spring Ridge as her base of operations, she told them that she’d get some useful tidbits about Ryan’s relationship with Esme, which would prove of course (🍷) she’s the one who killed their boy in blue, Officer Cabrera. He asks what she told them, and she says, nothing useful. She was just stringing them along, and protecting him in the meantime. He’s welcome. He says he doesn’t need protection. She knows what he’s capable of. She says, maybe back in the day, but he’s not exactly in practice. He’s not much more than a piece of furniture. He laughs, then grabs her by the hair and slams her against the wall. He puts the knife to her throat, and says, think again. She says, he’s back, ladies and gentlemen. The Ryan Chamberlain we all know and love. The Ryan Chamberlain we need. Just get himself ready to act. She feels it in her bones; the hour is nigh. She opens the door, and says, just in case he feels like exercising his legs tonight… She puts her piece of gum in the door frame to prevent it locking, says, feel free, and closes the door.

Esme reads about bedtime routines for the baby, and says, spend time in the rocking chair. She puts the book down and gets up. Heather tells her not to sweat it. Baby books are for suckers. You know more than you think you do; Dr. Spock. He was the foremost pediatrician of the twentieth century, and a very wise man. Esme says, that may be, but she’s in prison. There aren’t exactly any rocking chairs in here. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them. Heather tells her that she doesn’t have to worry about a thing. Everything’s going to be taken care of. Esme asks what that means.

Dante says, Sam might have a point. Who is that barmaid anyway? She says, exactly. They just happened upon the pub and thought she was someone local, but what if she knows more about Maggie than she’s letting on? Dante says, Sam’s not going to let this go, and she says, not a chance.

Maggie pours herself a drink, looks at her phone, and says, come on. She drains the glass, and takes some cash from the register, saying, sorry, Archie. She stuffs it into her bag.

Finn tells Elizabeth that her toast was beautiful, and she says she meant every word. When she was speaking, it suddenly hit her; what if this was her last chance to tell everybody how she feels?

Josslyn asks if Marshall wants to say anything for the wedding video, and he says he’ll try. It’s been his pleasure… no. It’s been his honor to… He’s sorry. He’s not good at speeches. Drew comes along, and says, Marshall will say something later with the band backing him up. Marshall says, right.

Laura says, it means the world to her that Spencer still has Sonny in his life, and he says, Spencer’s all he’s got left of his sister. He loves that kid. Laura wishes Spencer could have that kind of closeness with his father.

Nina says she’s sorry. Here they are at a wedding, and Ava just finalized her divorce. Ava says, Nikolas should have never come back to Port Charles. They’d all be better off.

Portia tells Curtis that Trina isn’t responding to her calls or texts. She’s officially getting worried. Where is she? He says he’ll go look, but she says she’s probably just overreacting. Besides, he’s the man of the hour. He can’t just disappear too. Josslyn comes by, and Portia asks if she’s seen Trina. Josslyn says, Trina texted earlier that she and Spencer needed some air. She’s sorry. She should have told Portia that before. She moves along, and Curtis says, see? She’s fine.

Trina says, good conscience? What does her mom marrying Curtis have to do with Stella’s conscience? Stella says, Trina may be too young to understand this, but as you get older, there are some things you just don’t say. You equivocate, because you want everybody to get along. Most important, you don’t want to hurt anyone. And all that stuff you didn’t say, catches up with you. Trina wonders what Stella hasn’t said, and asks if she’s upset that Portia had an affair with Curtis. That was twenty years ago. Or does she think because Portia cheated on her dad, she’ll cheat on Curtis? Come on, Trina, do the math.

Drew asks if Marshall is ready, and Marshall says, Drew should tell everyone that he’s a little rusty and they shouldn’t expect anything. Drew says he’s going to introduce Marshall, Marshall is going to walk out on stage, and he’s going to play because he’s a pro. He’s got this. Marshall says, right, and Drew says, all right, everybody. He asks if the band doesn’t sound fantastic, and everyone applauds. He asks if they’ve ever wondered where Curtis gets him impeccable style, rhythm, and charm. It’s his great pleasure to introduce the father of the groom. Put their hands together for Marshall Ashford. Marshall comes out to applause, hoots, and whistles, and Curtis wonders if Portia knew about this, but she says she’s just as surprised as he is. Marshall thanks everyone, and says he wants to dedicate this song to his son and his lovely wife. He plays as the band backs him up. If that’s not him really playing, he’s doing a good imitation. I used to play sax; same thing.

Dante asks if Sam doesn’t want to go back to the pub with him, but she thinks the barmaid would be more willing to talk without her there. She’s going to be busy cyber-sleuthing the local school areas. Maybe Maggie was a third grade teacher or something. He says he respects her and her doing this, and kisses her. She tells him, cheerio, and he says, cheerio, my lady, and leaves.

Esme asks what Heather means by it will all be taken care of, and Heather says, she needs to relax. The baby hormones are driving her a little crazy, aren’t they? She just meant, it will all work out, and Esme asks how she knows that. Heather says, her baby daddy is very rich. He’s not going to let her languish in here, or his baby. The guard tells them, five minutes to lights out. Time to get back to their cellblocks. Heather says she’ll take Esme back to her room. She’ll even show her a shortcut.

Marshall finishes playing, and everyone applauds. Curtis says, wow, with tears in his eyes.

Stella says, it’s not about Portia’s affair with Curtis, and Trina says, but that’s part of it. Stella says she’s sure Trina knows she kept a secret from Curtis, and it almost ruined their relationship. Curtis spent 40 years without a father, and her silence was part of the reason. That experience changed her, and she won’t keep a secret like that ever again. Spencer thinks he should leave, but Trina asks him to stay. She’s kind of freaking out. Is there something her mom doesn’t know about Curtis?

Portia thanks Sterling and Zeke for coming, and Sterling says, thank her groom. Zeke says, Curtis made all the arrangements, and Curtis says, they still had to show up. Sterling says, they wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It’s wonderful to see Portia so happy. Zeke is sorry he didn’t get to see more of his niece; it’s so weird. Portia says, she’s off with a friend, and Zeke says, instead of with her mother on her wedding day? but Sterling tells him to go easy on his granddaughter. You’re only young once. They hug Portia and Curtis, and leave.

Stella says, there’s something Portia needs to tell Curtis, and needs to tell Trina too. Trina deserves to know the truth. Trina asks why Stella can’t tell her, and Stella says, even though she’s family now, it’s not her place. The truth is going to be hard for Trina to hear, but she believes Trina will be better off for it, and she trusts Spencer will look after his friend. He says, yes, ma’am, and she hugs Trina, saying, she’s a strong, young woman. She believes Trina is going to make it through. Trina and Spencer leave, and in the hallway, he asks, what was that about? She says she has no idea, but she’s going to find out.

Sam looks at her tablet, and says, come on, Maggie Fitzgerald. What happened? Did you marry? Did you change your name? What am I looking… There’s a knock at the door, and it’s the B&B manager, Miss Buxley. She asks if she can come in, and Sam says, of course (🍷). Miss Buxley says she forgot to ask at check-in if they preferred coffee or tea at breakfast, and Sam says, coffee… Is there something else? Miss Buxley says she noticed Dante went out again. It’s none of her business, but the village closes early, and he’ll be disappointed if he went sightseeing. Sam says, Dante likes to take long walks at night; it helps him sleep. Miss Buxley starts to leave, and Sam asks if she’s been in this village long. Miss Buxley says, her entire life, and Sam says she’s sure Miss Buxley knows practically everyone. Miss Buxley says, indeed she does, and Sam says, and she doesn’t miss much. Miss Buxley says she supposes she’s more observant than most, and Sam wonders if she’d mind if she asks a few questions.

Esme asks where Heather is taking her, and Heather says, she’ll see. A guard comes out, and asks what they’re doing here. Esme asks what Heather has gotten her into.

Stella asks the Lord if she did the right thing. Please tell her that she didn’t destroy her family.

Miss Buxley says she’ll help if she can, and Sam thanks her. Sam says, she and her partner are looking for a Maggie Fitzgerald, but Miss Buxley says she’s sorry. She is observant, but not terribly good with names. Sam asks if she knows of a woman in the village who may have worked as a nanny or possibly a schoolteacher, and Miss Buxley thinks a moment, then says she believes the barmaid at the pub once worked with children. Sam asks if she’s talking about the tall woman with curly red hair, and Miss Buxley says, that’s her. She worked as a nanny in America. Her name’s Margaret. Is that the one Sam’s looking for?

Dressed to go out, Maggie wheels her suitcase through the pub. She turns out the lights, and opens the door. Dante is there.

Josslyn offers to look for Trina, but Portia suggests she throw the bouquet. She doesn’t want Trina to catch it anyway. Josslyn announces that the bride is ready to throw her bouquet, and tells the women to get on the floor and take their chances. Sonny sees Ava putting on her coat, and he says, she’s not going for the bouquet? She says she’d rather crawl over broken glass, and he says, she’s not the only one leaving early. They see Laura go out the door, and Sonny says, Nikolas isn’t taking her calls, and she’s worried. The way he feels, he wouldn’t care for one second if he never saw Nikolas again.

Heather apologizes to the guard, and says, they just got turned around. Esme says, Heather told her this was a shortcut to her cell, and the guard says he’s escorting Heather back. He grabs her arm, and a set of keys falls to the ground. He asks where she got them, and she says she found them in the dayroom. Are they important? He says, don’t move, when Ryan puts a knife in his back. He says, hi, Esme. Road trip?

Terry tells Portia to toss the bouquet already. She’s not getting any younger. Portia turns around, and there’s a drumroll. She throws the bouquet, and it goes over everyone, landing on the floor in front of Trina, who’s just walked in with Spencer. Portia says, they’ve been trying to find Trina, and Trina says, and she’s been trying to find answers. Curtis looks at Portia.

Tomorrow, Sonny asks, who’s buying what Pikeman is selling; Ava says, no more putting this off; and Trina asks what Portia is keeping from her.

Vanderpump Rules

It was two days before Schwartz & Sandy’s Daily Mail party to promote the restaurant, and the Toms’ partner Greg was concerned since they had no chef or staff. As usual, the boys were on top of the important stuff. They interviewed servers, and while Sandoval wanted those who could handle stress and had experience, Schwartz said he’d take personality over experience. Sandoval said they had yet to impress Greg, who was a hard-ass. Translation: Greg actually wants them to work and get sh*t done. Raquel went out with Peter for lunch, and in her interview, she said, some part of her was still holding on to the relationship with James. She didn’t know if she was into Peter, but said, your tastebuds change every five years. Maybe your taste in men does too. Um… I don’t think it works that way. She told Peter she’d been on an all-carb diet since after the Miss California pageant. We saw clips from that, and she said she placed in the top 15. It was heartbreaking, since it was her last pageant, as the top age to compete was 27, and it had sent her into a deep depression. She started crying at the table, and it reminded me of when I went on a class trip to Russia in high school. One of the girls was bawling because she hadn’t been prom queen. Like anyone cares about this stuff 15 minutes afterward. I felt bad for her, but only because I couldn’t fathom something like that being important enough to cry over while on an amazing trip. In Raquel’s interview, she said she hadn’t broken free of the relationship, and was figuring out who she was. She told Peter that she’d used James as a crutch, and was now on her own. She loved it, but it was expensive. Katie and Lala went for a spray tan, and Lala said she wasn’t in a place to practice compassion and forgiveness. She wanted to feel safe again, and it had to be enough not to drink. In Lala’s interview, she said, when she found out about Randall, she went into fight mode. Just existing and not picking up a drink had to be good enough. She needed any extra energy for her kid.

In Ariana’s interview, she said her love language was quality time. These days, the quality time she and Sandoval had was collapsing in bed and passing out. Lala visited Lisa at Villa Rosa, and said she felt happy, but also felt the weight of the custody battle. It was more disturbing with every person who talked to her about Randall. Lisa wondered why Lala hadn’t seen red flags early on, and in Lisa’s interview, she said she thought Lala had been blind, and she’d persuaded herself that the relationship was what she wanted it to be. Someone waving a red flag was doing you a favor. In Lala’s interview, she said she should have listened to what people were telling her, but if she had, she woudn’t have Ocean, who was the only reason she wasn’t banging her head against a wall. Lisa said, Randall had wanted to see her, but she nixed that idea, and Lala said, the girlfriend Randall took up with when she was pregnant had moved in two days after she left. Ugh. That guy is such a troll, inside and out. I can’t imagine anyone’s wallet being that attractive. And that’s not a euphemism. I can’t think of any other reason anyone would want to be with him.

Raquel’s dog Graham did not want cheese, and I wasn’t surprised when she said he didn’t feel good, since cheese is the universal love language in the animal world. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d recently learned, to make a clean break, boundaries were needed. That meant James could no longer see Graham. I’m no James fan, but that seems like cruel and unusual punishment. Scheana and Ariana came over to see Raquel’s new and fabulous apartment, and Ariana mentioned that Raquel had been making out with Peter when she was drunk. Raquel said she didn’t remember, and Ariana said she thought Peter had feelings for Raquel. In Ariana’s interview, she said, Raquel was free now, and should run like Forrest Gump. In Sandoval’s interview, he said he understood the strain of opening a venue, and was grateful that Ariana had stayed by his side. We flashed back to Greg saying that opening a business could destroy a marriage, and Sandoval said he hoped if they made things look good enough at Schwartz & Sandy’s, no one would notice they were held together by duct tape and hope. James and Ally went out to lunch, and James said he’d felt weird about Raquel seeing Peter. He’d been pissed, but he was over it, and had no anger. He was in a good place. In Ally’s interview, she said she thought the relationship got serious a little quick. He ate food from her mouth which totally grossed me out.

Katie said she was trying to be excited for Schwartz, but had a complicated history with the bar. James arrived early to the party, saying, he brought the funk, and the Toms gave him cases of toilet paper to sit on for nostalgia purposes. We flashed back to his first DJ gig in 2018. In Lala’s interview, she said, Schwartz was on her sh*tlist, but she liked Sandoval, and appreciated hard work. She wasn’t shocked that it looked amazing, but was aware that it was a party to celebrate that they’re not open yet. Lisa came with Ken and Puffy (!), and in her interview, she said, a lot of good music had been created on mushrooms. Apparently restaurants could be too. She asked how James felt about Raquel dating Peter, but Ally said, Raquel just made out with Peter when she was drunk. Peter went to get Raquel a drink, and Raquel told Scheana that it was awkward, and she knew it wasn’t going anywhere. Scheana said she was going to make herself scarce, and Raquel needed to tell Peter how she felt. I actually think Peter is the only promising guy in this bunch, but he’s a bit mature for someone who’s weeping over losing a pageant.

Lisa told Peter that it wasn’t 2012, and he couldn’t be shagging employees. In Lisa’s interview, she said, in the enlightened time of metoo, an employee underneath a manager could no longer literally be underneath a manager. It would be like her shagging Andy, which was a really poor example. Even a producer said, that wouldn’t be happening for other reasons. Raquel asked to have some real talk with Peter, and told him that she didn’t see a future between them. She wanted to break things off now before it became complicated. Peter flashed back to what Lisa told him, and agreed. In Raquel’s interview, she said she was under the impression Peter was more into her, and her feelings were hurt. Apparently, there’s no pleasing some people. She told Peter that he’d consolidated [sic] her when times were tough, and he said, she meant consoled. Yeah, maybe Lala was right the first time, and she is stupid. Scheana asked Schwartz to be on her podcast, and in her interview, she said, all of her friends had been on, but she’d never interviewed Schwartz solo. She told him that he had to get himself out there again, but he said, the thought of going on a date still felt like cheating. Sandoval passed out shots in chocolate shot glasses, and I yawned, since I used those a million years ago at parties. Lisa talked to Greg, who said, trying to get everyone on the same page was exhausting. It wasn’t about bullsh*t. Lisa told him, that’s where the Toms’ strength lies, and he said he didn’t realize how big of a learning curve they needed. They knew nothing about business. Again, why am I not on TV and making millions?

Greg told Lisa, every day they didn’t open, they lost $1000, and we flashed back to Sandoval and his many, many, many ideas for the bar. Lisa said she was happy Greg had adopted her children, and he asked if he could give them back. Katie told Schwartz that the place had good vibes; he’d worked hard. Schwartz said, no amount of success could replace not being there for his family and Katie. He’d been sucked into a parallel universe. Katie said, it broke them, and he said he didn’t want her to think he’d chosen the place over her, but she said he never chose her. Even when she had his back, he never took her side of any argument or conflict. In Katie’s interview, she said, the other woman in their marriage had been the bar, and now she was standing inside her. She told Schwartz that she’d chosen to ignore or try to live with what wasn’t okay. Schwartz said he was trying not to beat himself up about it, but he was self-aware. Ha-ha! Doubtful. He’s not even not-self aware. In Schwartz’s interview, tears streaked his face as he talked about watching The Notebook, and Ryan Gosling saying, it’s still not over. He thought, maybe he should have had more of that, and sometimes asked himself if it was worth it.

Next time, Lala goes on a double-date with Katie; Raquel asks James how many times he had sex with Lala when they were together; Scheana grills Schwartz about making out with Raquel at Coachella; and Ariana tells Katie that she’s left holding the bag while Schwartz looks like the nice guy.

🚑 Sneaky Peek…

Hard to believe it’s been on 60 years. When they talk about the longest running TV show, it’s always about prime time. GH should be given a medal for outlasting, outwitting, and outplaying when most of the other soaps were getting the ax.

💎 VanderReturn…

I wish, but I think it’s doubtful. And why should she waste her time? They should bring back Overserved. That was the best.

https://extratv.com/2023/02/09/lisa-vanderpump-on-rhobh-return-rumors-and-lisa-rinna-s-exit-exclusive/

🏈 After the Bowl Is Over…

The commercials. The good, the bad, and the WTF?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-2023-commercials-best-and-worst/

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/best-and-worst-super-bowl-commercials-2023-1234678821/

Rihanna’s bump.

The movie trailers.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/super-bowl-2023-new-trailers-movie-tv-marvel-dc

The National Anthem.

https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/babyface-america-the-beautiful-2023-super-bowl-1235252492/

And while this article technically came out before the Bowl, I could not resist including this little nugget of a pup.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2023/02/12/puppy-bowl-2023-joey-two-legged-dog/11236954002/

🎈 Love Has Left the Air…

Come set a spell tomorrow for soap and tea with a dash of a tune. Until then, stay safe, (which has so many more meanings now), stay straight up, so you’ll never have to keep your story straight, and in the same vein, stay not keeping big secrets. The longer secrets are kept, the more damage they do.

February 8, 2023 – Elizabeth Asks Scotty For Help, VanderBack, Sequel Role, Incident Statement, Please Don’t Leave & Everything

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava dreams that Nikolas is in the bed with her, but she says, this isn’t real; he’s dead. He says, she bludgeoned him, and she says, it was an accident. He says, an accident of passion. It’s always been like that with them, and always will be. She tells him to go away, but he says he’s not going anywhere. What’s between them is forever. She wakes, and sees blood on her hand. She pulls back the covers, and the sheets are bloody. She screams, then really wakes up. Her bedroom door opens.

Carly finds Michael in Willow’s room, and asks if he needs anything, but he just wants to see Willow’s face when she meets the baby. She’s been sleeping since the C-section. Carly suggests he take a break, but he says he can’t leave until Willow opens her eyes.

Elizabeth looks at a picture of her boys, and flashes back to Finn telling her to sleep on it before she turns herself in. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Laura, who asks if she’s heard from Nikolas.

Finn goes to Alexis’s office, and she asks, what’s going on? He says he needs some hypothetical legal advice, but she says she’s not even a hypothetical lawyer. He says, how about some advice about the law from someone who’s good at it? and she asks, what’s up? He asks, what kind of charges someone would be facing if they were an accessory to a felony? He’s asking for a friend.

Nina looks at the baby through the window, and Obrecht joins her. Obrecht says she remembers when Britta was born; she was vocal and disapproving from the start. And as beautiful as Nina’s granddaughter. Nina says, it’s good to see Obrecht here, and Obrecht says, of course (🍷) she’s here; she had to see her grandniece. She asks how Willow is, and Nina says she thinks Willow is sleeping. Willow doesn’t really want anything to do with her. If Willow wants to see her, she’ll be there in a second, but she made a promise to herself not to upset her daughter.

Willow wakes up, and Michael asks if she wants to meet her daughter. She can’t wait to meet Willow. Welcome back. He says he loves her so much, and kisses her forehead. Carly slips out of the room, and in the hallway, she tells Sonny that Willow’s awake. Michael tells Willow that their baby is perfect, and wants to meet her mom. Willow says she needs to see her now, and asks Michael to bring her their baby.

Scotty joins Obrecht and Nina, and asks how the newest member of the family is doing. Obrecht asks if that’s why he’s here, or is he checking up on her? He says, the kid may need a lawyer. It’s never too soon to start suing people. The hardest thing for him about memorials is, people say nice things, then go back to their lives. She says, her Britta’s gone, but her heart rejoices for Nina, and she can’t wait to meet her grandniece. Nina gets a text from Sonny that says, Willow’s awake.

Sonny says, their son has a daughter, and Carly says, now that she’s here, Willow can get the stem cell transplant she needs, and this nightmare will finally be over. He says, babies are miracles. Can she believe their granddaughter is going to save Willow’s life? It’s amazing.

Willow says she remembers them showing her and Michael their baby. Then they took her away. He says, Willow asked him to go with her, and she says, then she remembers… not exactly. Did something happen? He says, from what he was told, Willow started hemorrhaging, and her heart stopped on the operating table. She says, Michael was there, but he says he was in the NICU with their daughter. She says, then he came back, but he tells her that they wouldn’t let him back in. She says she heard his voice, as clear as she’s hearing it now. He told her to come home and live. He tells her that he did say that, but he was in the waiting area, praying as hard as he could for her to come back. She says, and she did.

Finn tells Alexis, someone he knows made a really big mistake, but it’s over. He’s worried confessing will ruin their life without making anything better. She says, so this crime is not ongoing? He says, no, and she says, murder? He says, no, and she says, accidental death? He says, no one got hurt, not really, and she asks if the friend was part of planning the crime. He says, they got roped into helping the person, and chose to protect them rather than going to the police, and she says, so this person might be an accessory to the crime after the fact, which would be a misdemeanor at worst. He says, that doesn’t sound so bad, and she says, or a felony, depending on the details of the crime.

Elizabeth says she hasn’t spoken to Nikolas since they argued at the hospital, and Laura says, it was obvious they were both shaken by it. Is she okay? Elizabeth says, no. She thinks her friendship with Nikolas is over. Laura says, after everything they’ve been through all these years? Doesn’t Elizabeth think it’s possible they just need a little time? She knows it’s not her business, but does Elizabeth know what happened between Spencer and Nikolas? Elizabeth asks her to narrow it down, and Laura says, Spencer wants to sue for custody of Nikolas and Esme’s baby. Elizabeth looks shocked, and Laura says, Spencer said he knew something about Nikolas; something he thinks is unforgivable. Elizabeth asks if Spencer said what it was, but Laura says, he told her it was best she didn’t know, but he insists Nikolas should not be allowed to raise the baby. Elizabeth asks how Nikolas reacted, and Laura says she’s never seen him so devastated. It’s like he really lost everything.

Austin asks if Ava is okay. Does she want to focus on some breathing? She takes some deep breaths, and says, Nikolas, he’s dead. Austin says, he is, and she says, he was going to take Avery. She just wanted to stop him, and she hit him with a statue and he fell. Austin says, he did, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, she asked him to spend the night and keep an eye on her, and she says, he scared her, walking into her room like that. He says he heard her scream, and was worried about her, and she tells him, get out. He goes to the door, and says, at some point, they’ll have to talk about what happens next. She says, what happens next is, he leaves and forgets he was ever here, and they never speak of this again. He says that works for him, but what is she going to say when people notice Nikolas is missing? She tells him, she’ll say, Nikolas was here and they argued about Windymere. He regretted giving her Spoon Island and wanted it back, but she wouldn’t give it to him, so he stormed off. She doesn’t know what happened to him after that. He says, that’s good. A good lie manages to stay as close as possible to the truth. She asks where he learned that, and he says, his family. She thanks him for not turning her in, but says she meant what she said. He should go and never look back. As far as she’s concerned, he was never here. He says, if only it were that easy, and she asks, what’s hard about it? He says, his cousin Mason. Mason is the reason he stopped by last night. He’s after Ava. She says, Mason’s a thug. Does Austin think she’d let him in her house? Austin says, he came here just in case, and she says, if Mason had shown up instead of him… He says, if Mason had glimpsed her hiding Nikolas’s body, he would have had her for life. She says she’s glad it was him, and he’s right; she’s going to keep it really simple. Nikolas was here, he left, and she doesn’t know anything else. They don’t want the cops focusing on Spoon Island. He asks if Nikolas’s kid is going to be a problem, but she says, Spencer won’t be a problem. Elizabeth might be.

Elizabeth tells Laura, after she ran into Nikolas, Finn came to see her. Laura asks how that went, but Elizabeth says, not well. Laura asks if Elizabeth was angry before she ran into Nikolas, and Elizabeth says, she told Nikolas what her parents had done to her as a teenager, how they hurt and betrayed her. He knew she was struggling because of it. Laura asks what he did, and Elizabeth says, he just made it about himself. He made it seem like he was inconvenienced by her pain. Laura says she’s sorry Nikolas let Elizabeth down, but she also feels sorry for Nikolas because Elizabeth has been such a positive influence in his life. Elizabeth says, not always. She’s not as perfect as Laura thinks she is.

Finn says he’s worried his friend’s life is going to be torn apart because they thought they were doing the right thing, but Alexis says, they weren’t. Clearly, there’s a victim here. Was the victim aware of Elizabeth’s involvement? He says he doesn’t think so. Not yet, unless they figure it out. She says, if there’s a chance it can be figured out, his friend needs to get ahead of it, and come forward voluntarily, and he asks if they’ll still go to prison. She says, probably. Here’s a thought. Would his friend consider testifying against the person who committed the crime in the first place?

Carly and Sonny fawn over the baby, as she’s wheeled past to see Willow. The nurse takes the baby into Willow’s room, and Carly says, she’s so beautiful, and she’s smart. She, Bobbie, and Josslyn went to the NICU to see her. They were blowing kisses and waving, and Carly swears the baby was looking right at her.

Willow holds the baby, and Michael says, she’s so beautiful and awfully big for a preemie.

Laura says, Elizabeth has something more on her mind than just Nikolas. Whatever it is, she’s here for her. Elizabeth says she knows, but she’s come to realize her friendship with Nikolas is bad for both of them. She’s sorry. Laura says she’s sorry it’s come to that, but Elizabeth has to do what’s best for her. Nikolas is spiraling, and she’s worried about him, but saving Nikolas from himself isn’t Elizabeth’s responsibility. Elizabeth says, it’s not Laura’s either, but Laura says she’s his mother. She’ll never give up on him.

Finn isn’t sure if his friend would testify, and Alexis thinks he should try to convince them. Cooperating with the prosecution can go a long way. It could reduce his friend’s sentence. He says, reduced, as in no jail time? but she says she doesn’t know the details of this case; she doesn’t want to know. He thanks her for the advice, and she suggests his friend call Diane or Martin, someone they can give the details to, because his friend is on a slippery slope. He says, that’s what he was afraid of, when there’s a knock at the door. Gregory comes in, and Finn says he’s on his way out. He jets, and Gregory asks if he interrupted something important.

Sonny says, Carly knows she’s dying to go in, but Carly says, Michael and Willow deserve a little time with their daughter before she busts in the room. He says, it reminds him of the first time they saw Donna, and she says, her too. They thought spina bifida was going to limit Donna’s life somehow; that she was going to grow up with extra struggles. He says, but she’s perfect, and Carly says, she is. They’re so lucky. He says, they are.

Michael films Willow with the baby, and she says, Wiley is going to be so excited. He says, no pressure, but he thinks before they introduce their kids, their daughter needs a name. They have to give their daughter a name that’s not Annabelle III or Ashoka. She says, actually, she knew the baby’s name the moment she saw her.

Carly tells Sonny that she’s happy for Michael; he was denied this chance with Wiley. He says he hates to think of the pain Michael went through, and she says, because of Nelle, Nina’s daughter. He says, who Nina never knew (try saying that 3 times real fast).

Scotty steps away to take a call, and Obrecht says she knows every cell in Nina’s body is aching to go to her daughter. Nina says, it’s torture, but it’s what Willow wants, and Obrecht says, for now. Perhaps someday, and soon. It’s not right that Carly gets to share in this moment with Michael and Willow. Carly is no better than they are, but she gets to share in this moment while they’re shunned. She’s forgiven her transgressions, while Nina is considered the transgressor. That is unacceptable. How she’d love to dig Carly’s skeletons out of the closet and into the light. Nina says, come to think of it, there is something Carly’s trying desperately to hide. Obrecht says, tell her more.

Austin says, so Nikolas was holding Esme Prince captive, in a tower no less, and Elizabeth was helping him? He didn’t know she had it in her. Ava says, still waters with that one, but he doesn’t get how Elizabeth is a threat. If she was helping Nikolas, wouldn’t it be in her best interest to keep quiet? She says, of course (🍷) it is, but Elizabeth’s conscience tends to flair up at the most inopportune moments. If her guilt sends her to the cops, Spoon Island will be swarming with police, and they could find the body. He says, we need a plan, but she says, not we; just her. This is her problem. He says, the second he saw her hiding the dead body, her problems became his problems, and she says, that’s noble of him, but nobody would have any idea they had a relationship beyond doctor and patient. No one will ever know he was here. The doorbell rings.

Ava answers the door to find Laura on the porch, and says, Laura wasn’t the person she expected. She invites Laura in, and Laura asks if Ava was expecting her son, but Ava says, definitely not. Laura asks Ava to tell her what happened with Nikolas last night.

Gregory says, it’s not like Finn to rush out like that, and Alexis says, he had a lot on his mind. He says, a nice way of telling him to butt out, and she says she likes his shorthand. He asks how her day is going, and she admits the editorial meeting was a little rough. He asks if there are any new developments in The Hook case, and she says, no, which is why they have to keep the pressure on the PCPD, so they find the lunatic. He asks how she’s going to do that, but she says she’s not sure. He suggests an early lunch and a little brainstorming, but she asks if he doesn’t have classes this morning.

Nina tells Obrecht that she saw Drew hugging Carly, comforting her, and wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but it was clear they were trying to keep their relationship a secret. Obrecht wonders what there is to hide. Even she knows they have a history of friendship. No one would be surprised if it evolved into more, so why would it matter if it had? Nina says she has no idea, and Obrecht suggests she find out.

Ava asks why Laura thinks she saw Nikolas last night, and Laura says, he and Spencer had a horrible argument. Nikolas seems to think Ava sided with Spencer against him. He stormed out, and she assumed he would come here. Ava says, he did. He barged in like he still owned the place. He went on and on about how it  belongs in the family. Austin slips out, and Ava says, in the end, they both said things they can never take back, so it’s just as well they’re divorcing. She wants him out of her life. Laura doesn’t see how that’s possible. Not if Ava is helping Spencer to blackmail him.

Carly asks if she can come in, and Michael says, 14 minutes and 20 seconds; Willow owes him twenty bucks. Carly asks how Willow is feeling, and Willow says, never happier, now that Amelia is here.  Michael says, let’s make it official, and introduces Amelia Grace Corinthos to Carly. Carly says, it’s perfect.

Nina asks if Sonny got to hold the baby, and he says, no, but he saw her on the way in. She says, Willow and Michael must be thrilled, and Sonny’s phone dings. He says, Willow is sending a text from Michael’s phone, and asks if Nina is ready,. He shows her a picture of the baby, and says, their new granddaughter has a name; Amelia. Nina says, Amelia Grace, and hugs Sonny.

Gregory says he doesn’t have a class today, and Alexis says, it’s hard to tell. He asks what she’s getting at, and she says, he never talks about his classes much. He says, of course (🍷) he does… doesn’t he? She says, most professors love talking about their classes; the interesting conversations, the offbeat questions, their students and how they inspire them. He says, here’s an offbeat question for her; what’s her point? She says, maybe he’s not as invested in teaching as he used to be, and he says, because he doesn’t tell her about his classes? She says, it’s possible he’s just over it, and ready for a change.

Ava says, Laura, of all people, can’t condone what Nikolas did, and Laura says she probably wouldn’t if she knew what it was, but Ava and Spencer are holding it over his head, aren’t they? She knows Nikolas treated Ava badly, but does Ava think it’s a good strategy to respond in kind? If they keep tearing into each other, how will that end? Ava flashes back to the argument with Nikolas and whacking him in the head, and tells Laura that she didn’t want this. Laura says, of course (🍷) Ava didn’t, but she’s worried about her son. He’s lost Ava, and apparently had a terrible falling out with Elizabeth. She’s afraid Spencer’s threat to take away his child is going to be the last straw. Whatever secret Ava shares with Spencer, Spencer lorded it over his father last night. Nikolas felt so betrayed, and was so angry. She feels like something horrible is going to happen now and she’s going to lose her son for good.

Finn offers his condolences to Obrecht about Britt, and she thanks him… for his absence at Britta’s memorial. At least he’s not a hypocrite like so many others at this hospital; giving Britta her due only after she’s gone. Since he’s feeling so generous today, perhaps he can do something about his friend Elizabeth.

Elizabeth thanks Scotty for coming over, and he says, she calls, he comes, they are family. She says she’s glad he’s part of the boys’ lives, and he says he’s going to cut to the chase. She sounded funny on the phone, and said she wanted to see him in a professional capacity. Now she’s telling him that she’s happy he’s part of the boys’ lives. What gives? She says she’s in trouble.

Laura says, there’s nothing to stop Nikolas from throwing in with Victor now, and Ava says, Nikolas hates what’s become of his life. He doesn’t think there’s anything for him here in Port Charles. But for what it’s worth (🍷), she doesn’t think he’ll throw in with Victor. Laura hopes Ava is right, but wishes he’d return her calls. She supposes she’ll hear from him eventually. He probably just needs a little time to lick his wounds. She’s probably overreacting. Ava says, she’s reacting as any mother would.

Nina thinks it’s a good sign that Willow sent Sonny the photo, but he says, it’s not the real thing. She says, he’s right, and hugs him.

Carly holds Amelia and says, she’s beautiful. Michael says he thinks some peace and quiet might do the baby some good, and Willow says she knows what he’s trying to do, but she doesn’t want to take her eyes off Amelia. Carly says, Willow has the rest of her life to look at Amelia; she can rest. Willow says, when she puts it that way… and closes her eyes.

Alexis asks if there’s a chance Gregory is no longer interested in teaching, and he says, they already talked about him becoming a journalist. She says, this time, she’s not just talking. She’s offering him a job.

Laura says, if Ava hears from her son, text her, and Ava says, absolutely, but Nikolas made it clear that he never wants to see her again. It’s probably for the best. All they seem to do these days is hurt each other. Laura says she wishes it could have gone differently, and Ava says, so does she, more than anything. Laura leaves, and Ava leans against the door.

Finn asks what Obrecht thinks he needs to do about Elizabeth, and she says she just lost her daughter, but is her Scotty here with her? Obviously, he’s not, because Elizabeth called with yet another life crisis she’s ill-equipped to handle. Since her Scotty is both blessed and cursed with an excessively kind heart, he ran to her aid. Why? What does Elizabeth want with Scotty?

Scotty says, what kind of trouble? but Elizabeth says she’s not exactly sure. He says, she needs a lawyer, but doesn’t know why? and she says she knows what she did. She just doesn’t know how bad it is legally speaking. He says he’ll help her any way possible, so spit it out, and she says she committed a crime. Actually, several crimes.

The nurse wheels Amelia out of Willow’s room, and Michael comes out. Sonny starts to say something, but Michael sees Austin, and runs after him. He asks if there’s any news about the stem cells, and Austin says, Dr. Randolph should be on her way. Michael asks if they can wait for Terry in Willow’s room, Austin says, sure, and follows Michael in. Nina says, it sounds like they harvested the stem cells. Willow is going to get the transplant, right? This whole ordeal is going to be over. Sonny says, she’s going to live a long and happy life, and Nina says, hopefully, she’ll be part of that life.

Carly asks Austin if there’s any news, and he says, there is, but they should wait. Willow says she’s awake, and asks if Austin has met Amelia. He says he has, but wasn’t aware they’d named her. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Willow says she misses Amelia already, and Michael suggests she get some shuteye. They’ll wake her when Terry gets here. She says, or they can cut to the chase. Have the stem cells been harvested? She’s ready to move forward right away. She wants to get treated, and get out of this hospital as soon as possible. Her children need her. Austin doesn’t say anything, and Michael asks if there’s something wrong.

Tomorrow, Willow says, whatever it is, she can handle it; Elizabeth says she’s decided to turn herself in; and Nina asks what Sonny is thinking, and he says, she’ll see.

Vanderpump Rules

This was pretty much the same old, just with the players moved around. Lala talked about Randall’s mess of a life, and the LA Times article. Among the many sins of Randall listed were, his casting couch, sending assistants to run drugs, and $25 million in lawsuits. In Lala’s interview, she said, the LA Times confirmed what 50 Cent had said; Randall was a little Harvey Weinstein with less money and power. James had a new girlfriend, Ally, who’d already moved in. Raquel told us that James had found her replacement in three weeks. She was surprised when James called Ally the love of his life, since five minutes ago, he’d said the same thing about her. James was also drinking again after over two years of being sober. It was the old I just like a glass of wine with dinner justification, and I wonder how long before he’s the old James again. I’m pretty sure the old James has been lurking just beneath the surface this whole time.

Scheana and Raquel went to some spa to be wrapped in infrared blankets, which the manager said was the same as a cardio workout. If it was, we’d all be doing it. Raquel was going out with Peter, sort of. She told Scheana that she wasn’t trying to date Peter. She just wanted to under James’s skin. She could do worse. He’s certainly the most mature of the bunch. No surprise, James made a comment about Peter’s belly, even though Peter isn’t fat. Why does this twit continually call people fat to insult them? It’s wrong on so many levels, especially in 2023. In Raquel’s interview, she said she thought Ally was in for a rude awakening, and she couldn’t believe what she’d tolerated when she was with James.

Schwartz and Katie were divorced, and Schwartz thought they had a good friendship. It had been a healthy divorce, although he thought divorce was a dramatic word. You should just say, I want to start a happy new beginning… without you. Schwartz had also played pickleball with Randall, and was on Lala’s sh*t list. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, it seemed insane that Lala hadn’t seen what was coming, and we flashed back to some red flags. The girls made plans to go to Hotel Ziggy where James was going to be DJ’ing, and Raquel said she thought it was going to be stressful with Ally plus James plus Peter.

It was Lala’s first time being single and sober, and it freaked her out. Rachel decided to rip the Band-Aid off and get to know Ally. They talked on a couch in the bar lounge, and it was all rainbows and unicorns. Until some weird guy, wearing only a towel, came by, and said it was his couch. His face was blurred, so I’m guessing he thought better of his decision making when sober. But seriously, WTF? Schwartz tried to talk to Lala, and said he couldn’t believe she cut him from her life for hanging out with her ex seven months after the fact. Lala said, if he didn’t want to be on her team, that was fine, but then he wasn’t going to be in her orbit. He said he hadn’t been being malicious, and she sent him a malicious text, making a derogatory comment about his marriage. In Schwartz’s interview, he wondered who the f*** Lala thought she was. He’d been at the lowest point in his life, and Lala hurt his feelings. Cry me a river. I don’t blame her for being pissed. Lala apologized for her timing, and in her interview, she said, it was the year of burning bridges. Either you were with her, or out of her life.

This season, twerking: a girls trip; Vanderpump Paris opens; a Schwartz piñata; Garcelle (!); delays in Schwartz & Sandy’s opening; and Schwartz calls Lala a bootleg Housewife.

🃏 No Joke…

So that’s where Morgan has been all this time.

🏋️‍♂️ Dropping the Bar…

It’s not even low anymore. It’s on the ground.

https://people.com/tv/peacock-shares-statement-after-brandi-glanville-caroline-manzo-rhugt-incident/

😭 Say It Ain’t So…

My dream vacation was to cruise on a yacht with Captain Lee driving and Kate as chief stew. Alas, it looks like it will never be. Like I’d have a year’s salary to spend for a few days on a boat. Still, the show won’t be the same. It’s suffered from Kate leaving. This will be the final nail unless they pull one huge rabbit out of a hat.

💃🏽 Whiskey Tango Foxtrotting Out…

Check in tomorrow to find out what’s happening in Port Charles and have some tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not crossing a bridge until you come to it, and stay not believing an infrared blanket is the same as a cardio workout.

January 27, 2023 – Terry Gives Willow Another Option, She’s Fine, Paris Meeting, Messy On Deck, Last Return, Early Roll Call, AniPug, Quotes Of Ten & Borderline

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly wakes up and asks why Drew is smiling. He  tells her that when she sleeps her nose wrinkles.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Victor says, give him the latest. Have  they determined the cause of the flooding? A man with a French accent says, the water main under the building burst, and Victor says he’s aware the pipes are old, but it’s inconceivable that they should happen to burst on the very night Valentin and Anna come to retrieve his guest. Have they found  his son? The man says, not yet. Or Miss Devane or Miss Coe. Victor says that’s not the answer he was looking for, and asks, what’s the hold-up? The man says, the adjoining catacombs collapsed; it’s too unstable. Victor says he doesn’t care how dangerous it is. He wants a team down there right now looking for his son.

Martin goes into the elevator, and flashes back to the first time he met Lucy when he was dressed as Santa, and their subsequent romantic encounter. He looks at a photo of her on his phone, and says, my dear sweet Lucy, where are you? The elevator stops, and the door opens. He sees someone there, and says, they’ve been ignoring his calls, which he doesn’t appreciate. Now what the hell… He’s grabbed by the lapels and pulled out.

Victor says he’ll pay triple the rate. His son might be trapped in those catacombs; he could be injured. He sees Alexis sitting at one of the tables in the restaurant. He says, just find him, when Alexis comes over. He asks if she’s having breakfast with her daughters; he’d love to see them. She says, he never gives up, and he says, family is worth every effort. She says she’s sorry to disappoint him, but she’s here to see the mayor, not her children. Victor says, that’s a pity, and excuses himself, going over to the bar. Alexis follows him, and asks how everything is going with Nikolas. He says he assumes she’s referring to his utter and total disappointment in his nephew. Fathering Esme’s child is just… She says, so unseemly. She guesses things are a little tense at Windymere, and he says, they would be. He’s taken a suite here at the MetroCourt. Not that it has anything to do with the conflict with his nephew. She asks, then why? and he says he thought Nikolas would have told her. He’s handed Spoon Island over to Ava as part of the divorce settlement.

Ava is looking at the settlement papers, when Nina comes out. Ava says, Britt’s memorial is today, isn’t it? At General Hospital? Nina says, they’re honoring her work as Co-Chief of Staff. She thinks Britt would really like it. Practicing medicine was important to her. Ava asks how Nina is holding up, and Nina says she’s fine. Her job right now is to be strong for Aunt Liesl, and that’s what she’s going to do. Ava says she was referring to the Willow situation. They haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet. Ava can’t believe it. Willow is Nina’s daughter? Nina says, a fact she wouldn’t know if that bitch Carly had her way.

Michael tells Willow, good morning, and she says, is it morning? It’s always so hard to tell in here. Did he get any sleep? He says, a few hours, and takes her hand. She asks him to promise he won’t let go, and he says he promises.

Ava says, what Carly did was unconscionable, and Nina says, first with Nelle; now it’s Willow. Ava says, to be fair, Carly didn’t know Nelle was Nina’s daughter until after Nelle died. Nina says, and that makes it okay? but Ava says, of course (🍷) not. She’s not defending Carly. Nina says she hopes not, since there is no defense. Of Course (🍷) St. Carly will be forgiven, because she was protecting Willow from evil Nina, who no one would ever want as a mother. And now that she’s not a bone marrow match, there’s no foul, no harm. She knows that’s what Carly is going to say, and people will buy it. She doesn’t care if the whole world forgives Carly; she’s not – ever. She’s not going to rest until that woman pays for what she did to her.

Drew says, it’s so incredible being alone with Carly. Does she have any idea how hard it is pretending to be just friends? She says, really? She thought it was easy. She’d see him across the room, and think, there’s Drew. Whatever. She’s kidding. When she would see him across the room, like at the Quartermaines’ on Christmas, he has no idea how bad she wanted to come across the room and kiss him. He says, if she’s feeling the urge… and kisses her. Wake me when this is over. She thanks him for sticking with her. He had every reason to bail. She’s really glad he didn’t. He says he is too, and she says, any regrets? He says, except for the fact they can’t go public? and she says, it’s so frustrating because the Aurora/ELQ merger didn’t even happen. She doesn’t know why there’s this issue with insider trading. He says he guesses it helps on some level, but someone could still report it to the SEC, and she asks if they can talk about something else. He says, please, and she tells him to start. He says he loves waking up with her, and she says she loves waking up with him. Is there anything else he likes doing with her? He says he can think of a few things, and she says, tell her more. He says he’d rather show her, and they get busy. Zzzzz….

Terry comes into Willow’s room, and asks how she’s doing. Michael says, she’s in some pain, and suggests upping her medication, but Willow says she doesn’t want that. If she gets more medication, she’ll just sleep, and she refuses to waste… She asks if Terry is here to discuss treatment since Nina isn’t a viable bone marrow match, and Terry says, the donor registry could still come through. Michael says, they can’t count on that though, and Terry says she woudn’t advise it. Michael says, so what now? and Terry says, there is another option. As they know, when bone marrow is taken from a donor, stem cells are harvested, and Willow’s body can use those healthy stem cells to fight leukemia. But bone marrow isn’t the only source. They can also find stem cells in cord blood from the umbilical cord and placenta. Willow says, if Terry is talking about taking something away from the baby to help her, the answer is no, and I wonder how she passed nursing school. Michael says, if there’s an option that can save both Willow and their daughter, they need to hear the doctor out.

Alexis finds it hard to believe Nikolas would give up Windymere, and Victor says, perhaps he felt he owed it to Ava for sleeping with his son’s ex-girlfriend. She says, when he puts it that way… It still seems out of character for her nephew. Laura joins them, and says she hopes Victor is happy. Victor says he doesn’t know; is he? She says he’s gone too far this time, and he asks what on earth she’s talking about. She says she was just contacted by the Paris authorities. Valentin is dead. Alexis says, Valentin is dead? and Laura says she’s sorry. A portion of the Paris catacombs collapsed last night. Alexis says, how? Why? Laura says, it flooded when the water main broke. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but they’ve already recovered three bodies. One of them has been identified as Valentin. Alexis says, what about Anna? Wasn’t she traveling with him? Laura says, Martin told her that he saw them leave Ireland together, so yes, and Alexis asks, what about the other body? Laura says, a woman, but she hasn’t been identified yet. Alexis says she can’t believe Valentin is gone, and Laura says, it’s just horrible. All she can think about is Charlotte. She’s going to be completely devastated. Alexis says, and Robin, but Laura says, they don’t know about that yet. As bleak as it may look, there’s always the possibility that Anna survived somehow.

Martin walks through the woods, blindfolded, and asks if it’s necessary. Clearly, he’s cooperating. Robert and Felicia are with him, and Felicia says, it’s best for all of them, him included, if he doesn’t know where they are. Martin says, mission accomplished, and Felicia knocks on the door of a small house. Anna opens the door, and tells them to get inside. She and Felicia hug, and Felicia says, it’s good to see her safe. Anna says, and breathing, and Felicia says, well, there’s that. Robert says, good to see her, and Martin asks if he can please take this thing off. Robert says, so sorry, and undoes the blindfold. Lucy runs out, saying, Marty, Marty, Marty, and throws herself into his arms. He tells her that she’s a sight for weary eyes, and she says, take it all in, and then kiss her this instant. He says, if she insists, and he does. He says, the nightmare is over, but Valentin comes out, and says, not quite. There’s the small matter of his death.

Basking in the afterglow with Drew, Carly says she wants to stay right here forever. Is that too much to ask? He says he’s got to admit, hiding out sounds pretty damn perfect right now, and she says she doesn’t want to go back to the real world. It’s where Willow has cancer, Wiley might lose his mom, and Michael… She sits up, and grabs her phone, saying, she promised Michael that she would take Wiley to visit Willow. Drew says, Michael asking her to bring Wiley is promising that things are going to be okay between them, and she says she’s lucky Michael has a big heart. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Sonny. It’s probably news about Nina. She says, hello?… No… Are they sure?… Okay. Thanks for calling. Drew says, Nina’s not a match? and she says, no. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, Willow is so sick. What if they don’t find a donor in time? She leans back in his arms.

Nina tells Ava that she could strangle Carly for trying to keep her daughter away from her. Who does she think she is? Ava tells her, stop it, and Nina asks if Ava is saying she doesn’t have the right to hate Carly. Ava says, of course (🍷) she does, but Carly isn’t what’s important right now, and Nina says she’s not going to let it go. She can’t let it go. Ava says she knows. Because it’s easier to be angry with Carly that facing the pain and fear of losing another child. Willow is Nina’s daughter, and she’s very sick. Nina says, she can’t save her. She can’t.

Willow says she won’t do anything to jeopardize the baby’s health, and Terry says she understands, but the baby won’t be affected in any way, other than being delivered by C-section a few weeks early. Willow says she knows she agreed to have the baby early to prepare for the marrow transplant, but she was never comfortable; she’s still not. Their daughter will be born when she’s ready. Terry says she’s consulted with Dr. Navarro, and she’s confirmed that this late in the pregnancy, the risks to the baby are minimal. 99% of babies born at this stage not only survive, but thrive, and after the birth, the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer serving a purpose. It’s possible to harvest stem cells from the blood. Michael asks, what’s the success rate of this type of transplant? and Terry says, nothing’s 100%, but it’s the best chance they have. Because the stem cells are coming from Willow’s baby, they only need about half the HLA markers to match, which is less than bone marrow stem cells. Michael says, that’s incredible, and we finally agree on something. It is pretty amazing. Terry says, in her medical opinion, this is by far Willow’s best option. Will she give it a shot?

Robert asks if there’s any reason they needed to bring Martin here, and Valentin says, it was vital. Anna says, otherwise, Lucy would have driven them crazy. Felicia says, when Anna called this morning, saying they brought Lucy back, she doesn’t remember the last time she was so relieved. And Anna’s life as a fugitive is over. Robert asks if they’re forgetting the fact that the PCPD has a videotape of someone looking a lot like Anna putting a bullet in Lucy point blank, and Felicia says, Lucy will just say the shooter wasn’t Anna. Charges dropped, right? Anna says she doesn’t know as she’s ready to reveal herself just yet; not since they’ve gone to the trouble of convincing Victor that Valentin is dead. Robert says, any plan that puts Valentin six feet under is fine with him, and Felicia says, they really need to think about this. There are people other than Victor who will be very upset. Are they willing to have that on their conscience?

Victor asks, who contacted Laura, and why did they call her and not him? Laura says, because Charlotte is Valentin’s next of kin, and Alexis says, poor Charlotte. Victor asks how they know the body is Valentin’s, and Laura tells him not to pretend he cares. He says, of course (🍷) he cares; Valentin is his son. Laura says, who he tried to control by threatening Valentin’s little girl, and Victor says, Charlotte was never in any danger, but Laura says, face it. Victor only values family when it works to his advantage. He says he needs to make some calls, and leaves.

Nina tells Ava that she’s filled with regret; what they missed out on and what could have been. Ava says, stop talking in the past tense. Willow is not gone. There’s still hope. Nina says she was Willow’s hope. She was supposed to be the game changer. Her bone marrow was supposed to save Willow’s life, and then Willow would forgive her and love her, but Willow doesn’t want to be her daughter. She doesn’t want anything to do with Nina. Ava says she’s been there, and knows how much it hurts, and Nina says she can’t breathe. She just feels the pain going through her body with every heartbeat. Now she has to go to the hospital, and say goodbye to her cousin when she knows her daughter is there fighting for her life, and there’s not a damn thing she can do about it. She won’t survive losing Willow. Ava hugs her.

Michael asks what Willow thinks, when Carly peeks in, and asks if it’s a good time. Michael says, of course (🍷). Bring him in. Terry says she’ll give them some time to consider their options, and leaves as Wiley runs in. Michael lifts Wiley onto the bed, telling him to be careful, but Willow says she wants the biggest, strongest hug she can get. She hugs him, and says she’s missed him so much, and he says he’s missed her too.

On the phone, Victor says he wants to know exactly what the Paris police know, down to the last detail. This is unacceptable. His son was never supposed to be harmed. He wants answers and he wants them immediately.

Alexis and Laura sit at a table, and Alexis says, Victor seemed really shaken up. Laura says, did he ever, and Alexis says, well done, Madame Mayor; she was very convincing. Laura says, you this better work.

Anna says, Laura and Alexis know the truth. They brought them in on it. Felicia says, what about Charlotte? Valentin can’t be okay with letting her believe he’s dead. Valentin says, there’s a plan in place. Laura knows exactly what to say to Charlotte. Anna says, and if everything has gone according to plan, Laura should have broken the news to Victor right about now. Robert is sure their illustrious mayor is right on schedule. He laughs, and says, sometimes he just can’t believe that little Laura, on the run from Frank Smith, holding the Cassadines at bay with a machine gun. Now here they are, the epitome of law and order. Felicia says, look who’s talking, Mr. District Attorney, and he says, my, how the mighty have fallen.

In the bedroom, Martin asks Lucy to swear to him she’s all right, and she says she’s fine. He says, they didn’t hurt her or touch her in any way? and she slips off his jacket, asking if she doesn’t feel all right. He says she feels incredible, and kisses her. He says, still, it had to be awful being Victor’s prisoner, and she says she did spend every minute of every hour of every day praying to get out of there, and did manage to concoct a few escape plans. He says, that’s his girl, and she says, surprisingly, physically they treated her okay… except for the part where she was chained in the basement. Literally. She thinks it was all part of the plan to get Anna and Valentin… He says he could just kill that smug son of a bitch, and she says, the worst part, she actually had to swim through the catacombs, and it was disgusting and icky. Okay. Deep breath. She breathes, and says, that is all in the past, and she’s back and home safe with him. He kisses her, and says, yes, she is. He  thanks God for that, but watching her get shot, that drone footage… She says she knows, and rubber bullets are really not rubbery, but they hurt. He says, it’s not funny. It was one of the worst moments of his life. She says, her poor baby. She’s so sorry he had to go through all of this. He asks if it’s just him, or does this not feel real? She says, it’s real, and she knows just how to convince him. They get busy.

Ava says, Nina has to hold on to hope, and Nina asks if there is any. Ava says, of course (🍷) there is. As long as Willow is alive, there’s always a chance to reconcile, but Nina says, if she beats this cancer, the possibilities of that are remote. Ava says, look at it this way. Nina’s feelings changed the second she learned Willow was her daughter. She immediately saw Willow in a different light. Nina says, but that wasn’t the case for Willow. She’s made that abundantly clear. Ava says, still early days, and Nina says, she tried to remember the first time she saw Willow – it may have been the park or the classroom – when she was only Miss Tate, and giving Charlotte a hard time. She couldn’t stand Willow. Ava says, because Nina thought Willow was picking on her kid, and Nina says, turns out Willow was her kid too. It makes sense that they didn’t get along; Willow is a lot like her, never running from a fight. Willow’s always been really strong. Ava says, now it’s Nina’s turn. Don’t let Willow push her away. Nina asks what Ava wants her to do. Should she force herself into Willow’s hospital room? Ava says, that might be going a little too far, and Nina says, Ava is a really good friend. Ava says, don’t give up, and Nina says, no giving up. Ava says, that’s more like it, and they shake pinkies.

Willow talks bagels with Wiley, and he asks when she’s coming home. She says she’s not exactly sure, but the second the doctors say she can, she’s running straight to the gatehouse. He says, in a hospital gown? and she says, if she has too. Carly says she’d like to see that, and Michael says, him too. Carly takes a handmade card out of her purse, and tells Wiley to give mommy the card he made her. Willow opens it, and it says Get Well Mommy on the inside. She says, he didn’t make this, but he says he did. She says, these pictures are amazing. They must have been drawn by a professional artist. He says he’s the artist, and she says she loves it. Michael and Carly slip out of the room, and Willow says she’s putting the card next to her pillow, so it’s the first thing she sees when she wakes up. In the hallway, Michael thanks Carly for bringing Wiley, and she says, seeing Willow’s face light up when she saw him was everything. He says, it means the world to Willow, and she says, it meant the world to her that he asked. She hopes this means they’re okay. He says, they are… At least they will be eventually. She asks what Terry had to say, and he tells her, it was actually good news. There may be a way to save Willow.

Alexis says she was relieved to get Laura’s call this morning; she was starting to lose hope. Laura says she was too, but it’s true. Anna, Valentin, and Lucy are safe, and back in the U.S. Alexis says, good, and asks if she thinks Valentin’s supposed death will hold up under Victor’s scrutiny. Laura says, she thinks so; at least in the short term. She thanks Alexis for her help, and Alexis says, The Invader will print an official story that the French authorities say Valentin was caught in an underground flood in Paris. He’s been declared dead. Laura says, excellent. She has to get going. Britt Westbourne’s memorial is going to start very soon. Alexis says she’s so sorry. What happened to Britt is tragic. Laura says, she did die a hero, and Alexis says, if only all of them could say the same thing. Laura says, they’re good? and Alexis says she’s got it from here. Laura thanks her, and leaves.

Lucy comes up for air, and says she has to tell Martin something.  You know how they say when you’re about to die, your life flashes before your eyes? He says, it must have taken a while, and she smacks his arm. He says, that’s not what he meant; she’s the definition of ageless beauty. He was thinking his Lucy is a woman who’s lived one heck of a life. Lucy says she sure has, and he says he loves that about her. She lives each day to the fullest and then some. She says, her last conscious thought before she hit the water was that she didn’t want it to be over, and he has a lot to do with that. There’s so much she still wants to do, and there’s so much life left to live. She’d kind of like it if he’d do it with her, and be by her side. He kisses her, and thanks her for coming back to him. She says, any time, and he says he means it. He doesn’t know what he would have done if she hadn’t. She says, he knows she would never, ever let Victor Cassadine get the best of her. Never. He kisses her.

Anna asks if Robert has heard from Holly, and he says, no, but he doesn’t expect to. At least not until she finds Ethan. She asks, what about those pieces of the Ice Princess that Victor was looking for? and he says, Victor thinks that was destroyed in the explosion. She says, they’re getting closer and closer to Victor paying for what he’s done to Luke.

Felicia says, it’s good to have the gang back together, isn’t it? and Valentin asks if he’s part of the gang. She says, he did okay in Paris. He managed not to slow Anna down. He says, that’s high praise, and she says, how about this? As long as Anna trusts him, she’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the second he steps out of line… He says, message received.

Carly tells Michael, this is incredible. It’s the answer they’ve been looking for. He tells her not to get too excited; Willow hasn’t agreed to it yet. Carly asks, why woudn’t she? and he says, Carly has seen how protective Willow is over the baby; she’s going to say no. Carly says, that’s insane. They have to convince her to do this. He says he’ll do his best, but ultimately, it’s Willow’s decision. They go back into Willow’s room, and Wiley is saying, okay, baby, it’s time to come out. We’re ready for you. Willow says, Wiley’s right; it’s time. They’d better call Dr. Navarro. They’re having a baby. He kisses her, and says he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he asks if Wiley is excited.

Victor looks at his phone, and Alexis says she’s sorry to intrude. Has he been able to find out anything? He says, not yet, and she sits down. She says, it’s absolutely unfathomable that Valentin is gone. They got off to a rocky start, but they ended up in a good place. She so sorry for his loss. He says, don’t be. Screw these reports. He refuses to believe his son is dead.

On the phone, Valentin thanks Laura, and says he’ll pass along that update. He tells the others, Victor bought it, and Anna says, that’s great. Felicia says, they finally have him off-balance, and Robert asks, what’s the next part of the plan? Anna says, they exploit Victor’s guilt. Maybe he’ll admit to something in his grief stricken state. Robert says, ramp up the pressure, and Valentin says, big time. Anna says, ideas? and Felicia says, don’t worry. She’s got plenty.

Carly cries in the hallway, and Drew sees her. He asks if Willow had a setback, but she says, just the opposite. She thinks Willow’s going to be okay. He says, that’s incredible, and they hug. Nina walks out, sees them, and moonwalks back out of sight.

On the phone, Ava tells Demetrius that she wants Nikolas out of Windymere by tomorrow… No, this is not a negotiation. The house is hers; she wants him out… Good… No. She doesn’t plan on moving in right away. She’s staying here for the time being.

A nurse tells Michael that she’ll have Terry paged right away, and Wiley asks if she has any apple juice, confusing the nurse with a waitress. Michael says, sorry about that, but the nurse says, no problem, and tells Wiley that she thinks they can scrounge up some juice. He asks what scrounge means, and she says, let’s find out. They leave, and Michael says, Willow means it? She’s going through with the cord blood transplant? She says, yes. She’s going to trust the doctors that their daughter won’t be hurt. He says, she won’t. She’s strong just like her mother. Willow says she can’t wait to meet her, and he says, neither can he, and someday they can tell her how she saved her mother’s life.

On Monday, Curtis says, this is great news, and Marshall says, but what if it isn’t; Stella has a surprise for the bride-to-be; and Nina says, aren’t you two cozy.

🗽 Sure She Is…

The more she keeps saying how happy she is, the less I think that’s the case.

💎 Allez les Filles…

Maybe they were celebrating LisaR making her exit.

⚓️ Out Like a Lamb…

I’m with Captain Lee on this one. All she had to do was give him a quick call, which she apparently had time to do after the fact.

Passive aggressive much?

While we’re at it, none of these people are a prize.

🤯 Already…

They didn’t waste any time. I’m not surprised. It’s very engaging, and the creatures are pretty cool.

🥀 Dropping Like Flies…

Already the roll call is forming.

https://www.distractify.com/p/lance-kerwin-cause-of-death

https://ew.com/celebrity/stars-we-lost-in-2023-celebrity-deaths/

🐶 Double the Doug…

If anyone deserves it, Doug does.

https://people.com/pets/doug-the-pug-working-on-animated-show/

🎬 Quotes of the Week

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once. – Albert Einstein

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Indian Proverb

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. – Oscar Wilde

Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. – John Kenneth Galbraith

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. – Henry Ford

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. – Vince Lombardi

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

Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do to maintain the life you’ve created.Judge Lynn Toler, explaining to a man why he has to work to feed his children (sigh)

Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve.Erich Fromm

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

☁️ In the Cloud…

If you’re still hanging in with me, hang out on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s happening on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay resilient, and stay not sleeping with your son’s ex-girlfriend. It’s unseemly.

January 25, 2023 – Renee Reveals Her True Intentions, Behind the Cataphile, Why She Left, Crystal Reads the Room, New Pump, WeHo Friends, TikTok Emu & Snow

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer and Trina see Laura coming out of Kelly’s, and Laura says, it’s nice to see them. She thinks Cameron needs friends tonight, and Spencer says, they’ll look after him and make sure he’s okay. Laura leaves, and Trina asks if he knows what going on with Cam. He says, Joss stabbed him in the back.

In her dorm room, Josslyn flashes back to Cameron saying he’ll keep her secret, but not to thank him for being a better person than she is. Unlike her, he doesn’t betray the people he cares about. There’s a knock at the door, and Josslyn opens it to Carly, who says she got Josslyn’s message. What’s wrong? Josslyn says she screwed up, and grabs Carly in a hug.

Drew is arm wrestling with Wiley, and asks if Wiley’s been lifting weights. Wiley says, no, and Drew lets him win, saying, then he’s definitely been eating spinach. Look what just happened. Wiley says he’s strong, and Drew says he demands a do-over. Wiley wants to tell grandma, and Drew flashes back to being on the beach with Carly and kissing her.

On the phone in a private area of the MetroCourt, Victor says he’s perfectly aware the accommodations aren’t as luxurious as their guests would wish, but they’ll have to do for the time being. Keep him apprised of any developments. She might just be his best hope of bringing his son back to him.

Anna asks if Lucy can hear them, and says, it’s her and Valentin. Valentin tells her, nod her head yes or no; is she hurt? Lucy yells a bunch of stuff, but she’s not understandable through the gag. We see she’s handcuffed to a pipe, and Anna says, they’re going to get her.

Drew says, Wiley can tell grandma about his epic win later. Right now, it’s time for bed. There’s a knock at the gatehouse door, and Drew opens it to Olivia, who has a foil covered platter in her hands. Wiley says, hi, Mama Q, and Olivia says she told him, it’s Auntie Olivia. He tells her, Cody said, it’s Mama Q, and asks if Annabelle is with her. Olivia says, Annabelle is sleeping because she’s tired out from playing with him, and Drew tells Wiley, it’s PJ time; time for bed. Olivia says, that’s why she’s here. Wiley is officially invited to a slumber party up at the main house. Drew asks how that sounds, and Wiley says, yay! Olivia tells him to pick out his favorite PJs and two toys, and Wiley runs upstairs. Olivia says, cutest kid ever… other than Leo of course (🍷). Drew says, of course (🍷), and it’s sweet of her to invite him up to the main house. She says she figured they could use a break. He’s doing a good job of hiding his feelings, but she can tell Drew is worried about Willow. He says, aren’t they all? He’s definitely gotten closer to Willow and Michael over this past year. She’s such an incredible woman, it kills him that she’s going through this right now. She says, at least now there’s hope for a donor. She assumes he knows that Nina is Willow’s mother, and he says he guesses news travels fast. She says, whatever her feelings are for Nina, she just hopes Nina is a good match, and Willow’s going to be okay. Drew says, Willow could be okay already. She could already have her bone marrow transplant, and on her way to recovery if… Olivia says, if what? What isn’t he telling her, and why does she get the distinct impression it has something to do with Carly?

Carly asks, what happened? and Josslyn asks, how’s Willow? Carly says, she’s the same, waiting to see if Nina’s a bone marrow match, and Josslyn says she should have stayed. Carly asks, what’s going on? Josslyn didn’t leave a lot of detail in her message. Josslyn says she hurt Cam all over again. She lost him as a friend. They’ve known each other forever, and she blew it. Carly asks why she says that, and Josslyn says, Cam came over here tonight, and she wasn’t alone.

Walking into Kelly’s, Trina says, Spencer has to explain it to her. What does he mean by Joss stabbed Cam in the back? Cameron looks up from the counter, and Spencer says he can’t believe Trina’s best friend didn’t tell her. Trina says, tell her what? What’s going on? Cameron says, she really doesn’t know? and Spencer says he kept his mouth shut for once. Trina says, about what? If something’s gone wrong with Cameron and Joss, she needs to know. Spencer asks if Cameron wants to tell her, or should he.

Laura brings Charlotte into the MetroCourt restaurant, and they walk over to Martin at the bar. He wonders how he could be so lucky that the two most attractive ladies in the room are paying attention to him, and Laura says, Doc is working late. She and Charlotte decided to have a girls night out. Charlotte asks if he’d like to join them, and Martin says, it’s official. She’s as well-mannered as she is beautiful, but he’d never intrude on a girls night out. Laura suggests Charlotte wash up before dinner, and Charlotte asks Martin to think about having dinner with them. He looks like he could use a friend. She leaves, and he says, out of the mouths of babes. Laura says, she’s very observant, and she’s right. He should have dinner with them. If nothing else, they’ll provide a distraction.

Still on the phone, Victor says, he wants frequent updates and a speedy resolution, when he turns to see Charlotte on her way to the bathroom. He says, hold it right there, granddaughter.

Martin tells Laura to enjoy her girls night out. He has no reason to subject his brand new niece to a serious case of low spirits. She says, he’s got to have faith. She believes Anna and Valentin are going to find Lucy, and bring her home. He says, amen to that. Truth be told, he was sitting here stewing about how he could tip things in their favor. Speaking of, has she ever pondered what was said at Pentenville when they had that little tête-à-tête with their dear incarcerated brother? She asks if he means when Cyrus suggested they work together to bring Victor down. He’s not actually considering that, is he?

In the catacombs, Renee says, she knows the way, follow her, but Anna says, wait. There’s a door right there. Is that the only entrance? Renee says, oui, and Anna says, it’s going to be guarded obviously. Is Renee sure there’s no other point of entry? Valentin says he thinks they’re looking at one. These joints are so rusted, he thinks they can yank this grate right off. He and Anna pull at the grate.

Drew says, Carly has known Nina was Willow’s mother since Harmony died, and didn’t say anything. Olivia says, she what? and he says, she thought she was protecting Willow. As soon as she found out Willow was sick, she did tell the truth. Olivia says, but in the meantime, she kept that information from everyone, including Drew, and he says, but that wasn’t the only lie. Carly was so determined that the truth didn’t come out, she actively sabotaged his search for Willow’s birth family. Olivia asks how he found out about all of this, and he says, Carly confessed once he told her that Willow had leukemia. She says, he’s dealing with some really heavy stuff here, and he says, Willow collapsing and being rushed to the hospital is heavy stuff. They have to show up for her, and that’s all that matters right now. She says, of course (🍷) that’s what matters most, but his relationship with Carly matters too. Does he think their friendship can survive this?

Josslyn tells Carly that she talked to Michael a little bit, but he was totally focused on Willow of course (🍷). She was just sitting around the hospital, and didn’t want to run into Sonny or Nina. Dex showed up, and they  rode in the elevator together. She brought him back here, and it really helped to talk with him and be with him. They decided to order food, and Dex was only in his pants. She wasn’t in much more, and when they went to answer the door, it was Cam. She cries, and says, the look on his face… Carly sits next to her on the bed, kisses her forehead, and says she’s so sorry. Josslyn says, so is she. She’s not sorry she was with Dex, but she’s so sorry she hurt Cam like that.

Trina says, Joss broke up with Cameron on New Year’s, and she’s just hearing about this now? Why didn’t Josslyn tell her? Cameron says he doesn’t know; maybe she was embarrassed. Spencer says he’d be embarrassed to break up with Cam, and I laugh, while Cameron looks like he wants to. Trina asks why Josslyn broke up with him in the first place, and Cameron tells her, she said they grew apart. Spencer says, allegedly, and Trina says, he doesn’t believe her? He says he already told Cam that he thinks there’s more going on than Josslyn’s lame reason, and judging by the look on Cam’s face, he’s guessing he’s right.

Laura says, Martin knows as well as she does that Cyrus’s good intentions also come with an agenda. He says he guesses she’s right, but don’t worry. He’s not seriously considering working with Cyrus, but he did bump into Victor earlier when he was at the hospital. It was a harsh in-your-face reminder why he’s not sitting here having dinner with Lucy tonight. She says she believes Anna and Valentin are going to bring Lucy home; she promises him. He asks how she’s in a position to promise him that, and she says, Valentin sent her a message on Christmas. He asks why she didn’t tell him sooner. Did he say anything about Lucy? She says, he didn’t, but he did say things were going well, and they’re making headway. He asks what the hell that means. They both know, the longer it takes to find Lucy, the less her chances for survival. He’s sick and tired of sitting around, putting all of his eggs in alternate baskets. He’s going to find another way to get to Mr. Victor Cassadine. She says, by representing Esme Prince?

Victor says, Charlotte, how lovely. He’s been meaning to visit her for ages now, but her grandmother has other ideas. He and Laura have their differences, but he was hoping they could put them aside where their shared family is concerned. Oh well. So how is she doing? Charlotte says she’d be a lot better if she knew where her father was.

Valentin and Anna get the grate off, and Anna runs inside. She removes Lucy’s gag, and asks if she’s all right. Lucy says, Anna saved her… after Anna tried to kill her. She doesn’t understand. What the hell is going on? Anna says, it was a set-up; she was framed. They don’t have time to explain. She works on Lucy’s handcuffs, when Renee takes out a gun and says she’s sorry, but Lucy’s not leaving, and neither are they.

Josslyn tells Carly that she asked Dex to leave. He didn’t want to, but he did, and the second she and Cam were alone, he asked her straight out if she’d slept with Dex before they broke up. She didn’t even need to say anything; he could see the truth on her face. Carly asks, what is the truth? and Josslyn says, she and Dex have been sleeping together since New Year’s. So now Cam thinks she’s a liar and a cheater, and she broke up with him for Dex, but she didn’t. Carly says, two things can be true. Her feelings for Cam could have changed at the same time she was starting to connect with Dex. Josslyn says she should have broken up with Cameron weeks ago, but she kept putting it off. Part of that is legit, because they had a lot going on. But another part of her didn’t want to hurt him, and she ended up hurting him even worse. It’s not even that he just walked in here. She had to ask him not to say anything about her and Dex. Sonny told Dex to stay away from her. If he finds out Dex disobeyed him, he could kill him. Carly says, she’s right. Dex is risking his life by being with her, but he’s also risking his life by working for Sonny. That doesn’t seem to bother Dex; does it bother her? Josslyn says she doesn’t know what Carly is asking, and Carly says she was about Josslyn’s age when she met Jason. He also didn’t have a problem with risking his life. In fact, she thinks he liked it, and she liked that he liked it; that he was dangerous, but made her feel safe. Jason would take these crazy chances, but she always knew he’d be there for her. Is that how Dex makes Josslyn feel? Josslyn says, yes, and Carly says, then she’s going down a really difficult road, and needs to be sure this is what she really wants.

Drew tells Olivia, Carly lied to him when she told him that Nina wasn’t Willow’s mother, but he had no reason to doubt her. He certainly didn’t think she’d go to such lengths to cover up the truth. Olivia says, he’s angry, and he says, she’s damn right he’s angry. On Willow’s behalf, knowing what she’s going through, and his; he trusted Carly. Olivia says she and Drew have a lot in common. They’re both straightforward people. They don’t like lies and secrets. They want everything out on the table so they can deal with it. It’s been a real challenge for her dealing with the Quartermaines, and it’s going to be a challenge for Drew dealing with Carly. She can understand why Drew is upset with her. He says, on some level, he gets why Carly lied to him. She found out about Willow’s DNA results during Wiley’s visitation hearing, and he remembers how hard it was on Willow, how furious she was at Nina. He stood up for Carly when her family was laying into her a little bit for telling the truth. Olivia says, clearly, he still cares a little bit about Carly, and he says, of course (🍷) he cares about her, but that doesn’t change the fact she lied to him.

Cameron says, Trina would have to ask Joss. He only knows what she told him. Trina says, they’re going through a rough patch (another phrase I’ve never heard anyone say IRL) right now, but they always seemed meant to be. She thinks they can work through it. Cameron tells her, drop it. He and Joss are done. He gets up, and Spencer says, go easy. Cameron asks what Spencer and Trina are even doing together right now. Esme’s been found; they can stop pretending. Isn’t there enough BS to go around already? He goes in the back, and Spencer says, wow. Sorry about that. Trina says, it’s fine. Cam’s just hurting, so maybe they should give him a break. It was nice of Spencer to stick up for her though. He says, anytime, and she asks if anyone is in his corner tomorrow for Dr. Westbourne’s memorial service. He says he can’t believe she’s gone. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to say goodbye. She asks if it would help if she tagged along, and he says, it would. She says, then it’s a lock, and he says, cool, and thanks her. He says, Cam’s right though, and she says, about what? He says, there’s no reason for them to keep pretending they’re closer than they really are.

Laura asks how Martin could take Esme’s case, and he says, number one, he didn’t have much of a choice. Number two, don’t you dare. If he had to wait around for her approval of all of his clients, he’d never work again. He seems to remember her having a really dim view of him representing Peter August, and look how that turned out. She says, Esme is no Peter August, but she did horrible things to Laura’s family – his family too. He says, which her son made abundantly clear to him when Nikolas had him assigned to this case pro bono. And just so she knows, he tried to remove himself, but Nikolas promised him triple his rate to remain her attorney. He’s been up all night. Even if Nikolas is hiding something up his sleeve, two can play at that game. Her boy and his beloved uncle have been thick as thieves lately. She says, please tell her that he’s not going to use a pregnant girl, who has traumatic memory loss as leverage, and he says, a little. He’s not a monster. They both know the information is power, and if something lands in his lap that will free Lucy, he’s damn well going to take advantage of it. She says she supposes she understands that, but consider this a warning. If he tries to out maneuver Victor, he’s only going to end up in trouble.

Victor asks Esme to join him for a bit. Can he get her a soda? She says, no, and he asks why she’d think he’d do anything to her father. She says she’s not naïve. Victor sent her to boarding school in Switzerland to keep her away from him. He says he thought she was enjoying her new school, but she says she didn’t enjoy not being able to leave or not seeing her papa. Now Victor has done something to get him out of Port Charles. Victor says, her father makes his own choices. He’s very sorry if those choices keep him away for too long, but he fully intends to bring them all back together again soon. Laura appears, and says, they’ll be skipping that reunion. She tells Charlotte, let’s go.

Renee tells Anna, step away from Lucy, and Anna backs away, holding up her hands. Renee says, Anna Devane, always looking escape plan, but there’s no escaping this. In French, she yells for Jean-Claude and Gavin to come here, and they come in. Gavin tells Valentin and Anna to kneel and put their hands behind their heads, and Valentin asks who paid Renee to sell him out. She says she needed the money; she had no choice. Valentin says, she had a choice. She just made the wrong one. Renee says, that depends on where you’re standing, or kneeling, as the case may be. Lucy says, you’re not going to kill us, are you?

Victor says, sorry for interrupting. He was just… Laura says, Charlotte, and steers Charlotte out. Victor’s phone rings, and he says, what? Gavin says, everything’s set. Would he like to speak to everyone? Victor says, put him on speaker, and asks Valentin and Anna how the reunion is going. He’s sorry it’ll be short lived.

Trina tells Spencer, the cops don’t think Esme’s the killer, which means the real Hook is out there, still attacking people who are connected to her. Which means keeping up this charade is their best bet for luring her out from whatever rock she’s hiding under. He says, so they’re agreed; they keep pretending to be a couple. She says, yes, even though her mom called her out for letting him back into her life. He says he can’t say he’s surprised. She had a strong reaction to them. Trina’s mother hates him, and he probably deserves it. She says, it doesn’t matter. She stood up to her mother; told her who she hangs out with is her business. He says, sorry to cause problems between her and her family, but she says she keeps telling them that they need to learn boundaries; that she can make her own choices. He says, her family just cares about her. A lot of people do.

Carly says she can’t tell Josslyn how to live her life. Josslyn is just like her. No one can tell her anything; she has to figure it out for herself. But Carly’s life can be divided by what happened before she met Jason, and everything that happened after. It’s going to be the same for Josslyn if she stays with Dex. That person who puts you in danger, and gets you out of it. That person who makes you want to take crazy chances. The person you want to lie for, even when he doesn’t want you to. As Josslyn’s mother, Carly doesn’t want that for her. Does Josslyn want that? Because it isn’t just some other guy. This will change her life. Josslyn says she can’t un-meet him, and she can’t un-care about him. What’s going to happen between her and Dex has already started, and she doesn’t want it to stop.

Olivia tells Drew, she understands that no one likes to be lied to, but Carly kept the truth from Willow because she was trying to protect her. Her motives could not have been further from selfish. He says, understanding Carly’s motives and trusting her are two different things, and Olivia says she’s willing to bet he was drawn to Carly for all of these traits he’s grappling with right now. Her open heart, and her determination to protect her family at all costs, even when she sometimes hurts the people closest to her. His eyes are open. There’s no pretense about who Carly is, about the things she’s done, and he chose her anyway.

Valentin asks if Victor is going to kill them while he’s half a world away. He never pegged Victor as a coward. Victor asks if Valentin thinks he could dispose of him that easily. He can’t make Charlotte an orphan. Besides, he still has hope for their relationship… Although it probably never stood a chance with her influence. Valentin asks, whose influence? and Victor says, just know that he’ll always be Victor’s son. He’ll never give up on Valentin. Gavin knows where to take Miss Coe and his son. Get rid of Miss Devane. Valentin jumps up, and says, he’ll kill Victor himself.

Drew says, Olivia is right. He wanted to be with Carly for everything she is. Olivia says she knows better than anybody that Carly sometimes goes about things in a backwards way, especially when she’s trying to protect her family. She and Carly have had some epic arguments about their sons, but Carly has also come through for her many times. He says he cares about Carly a lot, but he just doesn’t see kind of future they can have moving forward. Olivia asks if he thinks it was easy for Carly to lie about this. She and Carly have been friends a long time. Carly feels things very deeply, and she’s willing to bet Carly was at war with herself about this. Wanting to be honest with him, wanting to protect her family, not wanting to lay another secret on him. He says, she was so adamant she did right thing, and Olivia says, who knows? Maybe she did based on what she knew and didn’t know. Carly will protect the people she loves at all costs, and damn if that’s not the person she wants to have in her corner. He says, bottom line, they can’t be in relationship where lying is okay, and she says she gets that. Only Drew can decide what’s okay and not okay in his relationship. He’s got to make that decision for himself. She’s going to wrangle Wiley. She heads upstairs, asking him to lock up before he leaves.

Carly tells Josslyn that she said Dex is going to be the person Josslyn lies for, but don’t lie to her. She won’t always approve of what Josslyn’s doing or agree with everything, but she’ll always have Josslyn’s back, and needs to know Josslyn will always come to her when there’s something wrong. Josslyn says, Carly has her own problems and her own life, but Carly says, nothing is more important than being Josslyn’s mother. Josslyn says, okay, she’ll come to Carly, and Carly says, she better. Josslyn asks if Carly misses Jason, and Carly says, every day. Josslyn says, but Drew helps, and Carly says, he did. Josslyn asks if they broke up, and Carly says, not yet. Josslyn asks, what happened? and Carly says she found out Nina was Willow’s mother and didn’t say anything, and he feels betrayed. She kept things from him; she lied to him. Josslyn says, she’s just going to give up? and Carly says she’s holding onto hope they can work through this, but she does understand how he feels. Josslyn says she knows why Carly kept Nina and Willow’s relationship a secret. The same reason she kept her feelings for Dex a secret from Cam. Why inflict unnecessary hurt? Carly says, but Willow and Cam got hurt despite their best intentions, and Josslyn says, because they can’t control how other people feel. They can’t control other people’s reactions to their decisions. That’s why it’s better to tell the truth. It’s less painful than defending a lie. Carly wonders how Josslyn got so wise, but Josslyn says she’s not sure, and they hug.

Trina asks if Spencer has spoken to his father since… Spencer says, since his father got his ex-girlfriend pregnant? No. He’s tried to avoid his father as much as he possibly can, and plans to keep doing so. His father has hurt him again and again. He hates his father for it, and wants nothing to do with him. She says she gets the impulse, but it may not be feasible. Spencer’s about to have a new sibling. Is he really going to let his feelings for his father prevent him from having a relationship with his new baby sister or brother?

At a table with Martin and Laura, Charlotte asks if Laura knows where her papa is. Laura says, they know he’s safe because he sent them a message on Christmas, but Charlotte says, that’s not the same as knowing where he is, and what he’s doing. What if Grandfather Victor has done something to make him disappear, and they never see him again?  

Lucy is released, and Gavin says, let’s go. Renee wonders, what’s this? It was in Anna’s bag. She holds what looks like a tube of some kind, as Anna presses a button she’s had hidden in her sleeve. They hear an explosion, and Anna says, that would be the something-or-other she attached to the watermain. In about one minute, this whole chamber is going to be flooded. Valentin says, Anna was onto Renee from the very beginning, and Anna says, Renee changed her appearance when she left their hotel room, so she had to figure maybe Renee was more than just a cataphile. Valentin says, and he does everything Anna says. Anna and Valentin jump up, and Valentin takes care of Gavin and Jean-Claude. Anna punches Renee, knocking her out, and says she hopes Renee can swim or breathe under water.

Carly knocks at the gatehouse door, and Drew opens it.

Spencer tells Trina, of course (🍷) he’s not going to turn his back on his sibling, but his father is toxic, and he needs to make sure he doesn’t get the chance to hurt his sibling and treat them the way he treated Spencer. The best thing to do would be ensure his father doesn’t get to raise the child. She says, obviously that would be best, but Esme’s not much of an improvement. Besides, Esme’s facing criminal charges, and may be sent to prison. So his father may not be the best option, but he’s the only option. Spencer says, not necessarily. What about him?

Laura says, one thing she knows about Charlotte’s father is he would move heaven and earth to get back to her. Martin says, and the rest of them will be here for her until he does. Charlotte thanks them, and Laura says, it’s her turn to wash her hands. She’ll be right back.

Laura walks over to Victor, and says, leave Charlotte alone. He says, she can try to turn his family against him, but she won’t succeed. Charlotte will come around, if she ever wants to see her father again.

Valentin, Anna, and Lucy run out of the catacombs, coughing and gasping for air. Valentin says he doesn’t think Anna has ever been more beautiful than when she punched Renee in the mouth, and Anna says, he’s so romantic. She asks if Lucy is all right, but Lucy says she doesn’t know. Thank God for Anna, or she would have ended up like Renee and those guards. She’s not going to miss them, but seeing their dead bodies is not a sight she can get out of her mind. Anna says, it’s tragic, but it was Lucy or them. Valentin says, they’ve got to move, but Lucy says she doesn’t want to go yet. Do they have a phone that’s still working? She needs to call Marty. Anna says, she can’t, and Lucy asks, why not? Valentin says, because as far as the rest of the world knows, they’re all dead, and Anna says, and we have to stay that way.

Tomorrow, Sasha tells Nina to show up for Willow the way she showed up for her; Selina tells Gladys, it’s time to cover her debts; and Carly asks Drew where they stand.

🔦 C’est Une Cataphielle…

Two and a Half Men is my guilty (very guilty) pleasure, and although I don’t remember her, I assume she’s one of the girls Charlie dated.

🏥 Real Reason…

This must have been hard for him to hear.

💎 Casual Observer…

Crystal gets the Voice of Reason award for last season.

🗣 Not the Real Reason…

Again, are we watching the same show?

🍸 Pump Your Tinis…

What’s Garcelle doing there? Starts February 8th.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/vanderpump-rules-season-10-cast-premiere-date-trailer

👨‍👨‍👦‍👦 About Those Friends…

If you missed the premiere, you can watch it on YouTube.

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/real-friends-of-weho-49055137

The drama before the drama.

https://www.distractify.com/p/todrick-hall-controversy

📲 New Emu In Town…

Looks like LiMu has some competition.

https://people.com/pets/emmanuel-tiktok-famous-emu/

🤺 Moving Like Jagger…

Come join me tomorrow for soap and a cornucopia of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not sitting on the fence, and stay telling the truth. It’s less painful than defending a lie.

January 13, 2023 – Carly Confesses All To Nina, Burdensome, True Story, a Farewell, New Ultimate, Maybe Moving, VanderNext, Dead Talk, Literary Dogs (!), Quote Octet & Glory

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Trina plays cards with Curtis and Portia, and Portia asks what Trina is doing on her phone. She’s been texting all night. What’s going on? Who is she texting? Curtis says, only if she feels like sharing, and she says, sorry. She didn’t mean to be rude. It’s Spencer; he needs her. We see her text to him: Hang in there. You’re not alone.

There’s a knock at Sonny’s penthouse door, and Spencer lets in Alexis, thanking her for coming. She says, he told her it was important. What’s up? He says, take her pick. Esme’s been found, his father’s sunk to a new low, and Britt is dead. She says she’s really sorry about Britt, and he says, it’s so wrong that she’s gone, and it scares him that there’s someone out there who may be even more dangerous and unhinged than Esme is.

At the station, Jordan says she understands the position Dante is in, but this investigation needs a break. The interview with Britt Westbourne was helpful. They now know the killer’s wearing a mask, but she’s still on the loose. If he’d feel more comfortable, she can take the lead. He says, no. It’s all good. They need to get to the bottom of what happened to Britt Westbourne that night. She says, that they do, and she’s hoping his connection with the witness pays off.

Michael asks if Drew knows where his mom is, and Drew says, she’s with Nina. Michael says, this night’s already bad enough. Why would she talk to Nina of all people? Drew says, there’s something Michael needs to know, but Michael says, if it has to do with Nina, he’s out. Drew says, he gets it. Nina has made life difficult for him and Willow. Michael says, she’s been hounding them for months. She took them to court over Wiley, and said Willow was cheating on him. Nina can’t stay out of their lives no matter what they do.

Outside Willow’s room, Josslyn asks if Sonny has seen Michael, and he says he hasn’t, but he’s sure Michael is close. She says, something’s come up and she has to go, but she told Michael she’d stay with Willow, and she feels really bad leaving her. Sonny says he’ll stay with Willow. Go ahead and go. He’ll explain it to Michael. She says, okay, and leaves. Sonny goes into Willow’s room.

Nina says, before Carly starts, if this is about her upsetting Willow again, she didn’t go over there for that. Carly says, that’s not what this is about. As Nina knows, Willow is sick. Nina says, that’s why she and Sonny were at the chapel; they were praying for Willow. Carly says, praying is good, but Nina can do more to save Willow, and Nina says, anything she can do. Carly says, good, because Nina may be the only person on earth who can save Willow.

Portia says, Spencer needs her? and Trina says, he needs a friend. Portia says she didn’t realize Trina still considered Spencer a friend, and Trina says, Esme resurfaced, and Spencer found out she was pregnant – by his father – and then he lost Britt who he was very close to. It’s been a lot on him. Portia says she doesn’t doubt it, especially the pregnancy part. She’s sure Spencer has a lot to unpack. What about Josslyn and Cameron? Can’t they help him? Curtis says, they know how amazingly compassionate Trina is, and Portia says, of course (🍷) they’re extremely proud of Trina’s instinct to help someone in need. But she has a very giving and forgiving heart, and she’s going through a lot right now herself. Curtis says, he and her mother want to make sure she’s supported. She has a lot to process, like, how does she feel about Esme being caught? Trina says, honestly, she’s conflicted. For months, she wanted Esme to face the consequences of filming that video and framing her. Esme made her life hell. Portia says, of course (🍷) she would want justice, and Trina says she did, but she wanted more than justice. She wanted revenge, and part of her still does.

Alexis says, so Spencer is living here now? and he says he is. She says, enough about that. She assumes he’s been told the PCPD is no longer considering Esme as a suspect, and he says, yes, but that doesn’t mean she’s innocent of anything else. He’s learned not to underestimate Esme. She says, hard won wisdom, and he says he did speak with her though. She asks what Esme said, and adds, she’s asking as his aunt, not as an editor. He says, that’s cool either way. She didn’t know who he was. Either she’s a very convincing fake, or she’s got amnesia. Alexis says, or maybe it’s possible she committed the crimes and doesn’t remember. She thinks it’s smart that the PCPD moved on to other suspects. He says he almost wishes she was guilty, so he could stop worrying that someone is targeting Trina and their other friends. She says, Britt was incredibly brave, and he says he almost wishes she wasn’t. She put her life on the line, but if she’d just run away like the person she was protecting, she might have lived to fight another day. He doesn’t know.

Dante thanks Josslyn for coming to the station so quickly, and she says, he told her it was important on the phone. He says, it is; it’s about The Hook killer. She asks if they found her, and he says, not yet, but he was hoping she could help them out with some questions. She says she wants to do whatever she can to help, but will it take long? and he says he doesn’t know. Does she have somewhere to be? She says, actually, yes. She was with Willow. They walk into the interrogation room, and Jordan and Robert are there. Josslyn asks, what is this? and Jordan asks her to have a seat.

Sonny says, Willow looks so fragile, but he knows she’s anything but. He’s seen her take on Shiloh and Nelle to protect Wiley. She’s been in a jail cell… She’s a fighter. That’s why he knows she’s going to fight this. She has the best medical care, and Michael’s going to do everything he can to take care of her. He just wishes he knew how to take care of them both.

Michael tells Drew, Nina actually came to their house tonight and accused him of jeopardizing Willow’s health. She confused Wiley; she upset Willow. If he has to get a restraining order, he’ll get one. He’ll do everything in his power to keep Nina away from Wiley. Drew says, he does not want to do that. He and Carly think Nina could be a bone marrow match for Willow. Michael knows he’s been searching for Willow’s birth family, right? Michael says, don’t tell him that Nina is some distant relative, and Drew says, not so distant.

Nina says she’s happy to get tested, just like everyone else, but Carly says, she’s not like everyone else. She needs to get tested now, and needs to rush the results. Nina says she understands the urgency – Willow’s having a medical crisis – but why did Carly have to come to her personally? Carly says, because a family member has the best chance of success, and Nina is the most likely match. Nina says she and Willow aren’t related, but Carly says, they are. Nina asks if Carly is all right. They’re only connected through Wiley, and that’s only because Nelle was her daughter. Carly says, Nelle isn’t Nina’s only daughter. Willow is too.

Dante says, Josslyn knows Britt Westbourne was murdered recently by The Hook? and Josslyn says she does. Jordan says, Dr. Westbourne was nicked trying to defend someone else, and Dante says, the intended victim, the person Britt rescued… They have security footage from the docks, and they think they have a lead. He slides his tablet over, and Josslyn looks at it. He asks if she recognizes anyone, but she says, it’s grainy. He says, that footage was captured on Pier 54, at 11:57 pm, the night of December 31st; fifteen minutes before Britt called in the attack on Pier 55. Josslyn slides the tablet back, and asks, what’s the question? Jordan says, was Josslyn the intended victim the night Britt died?

Curtis says, it’s perfectly natural that Trina would want Esme to pay for her crimes, and Trina says, but she’s not sure she does anymore… at least not like she used to. They should have seen Esme when she showed up on the deck of the Haunted Star. She looked pathetic, soaking wet, shivering, pregnant. She looked completely vulnerable. Portia says, that night maybe, but that doesn’t mean she’s still not a threat. Curtis says, Esme drugged Oz Haggerty to the point he had to be put in a medially induced coma, and she’s still a suspect in The Hook killings. Trina says, no doubt Esme’s done some horrible things, but that was the old Esme. Portia asks if Trina believes Esme doesn’t remember what she’s done, and Trina says, that’s what the doctors think, right? Is it possible amnesia changed Esme?

Sonny tells says, he’s lost so many people in his life. His son can’t lose Willow. For Michael, the sun rises and sets in her eyes. She’s the mother of his children, his best friend, his soulmate. He knows Willow’s encouraged Michael to communicate with him; to meet him halfway. She’s never lost hope that they’re going to be a father and son again. Everybody needs her. The family needs her; he needs her. Losing her would mean there’s no hope of the family getting back together again.

Michael says, Nina is Willow’s birth mother? The woman who’s been antagonizing Willow since she was a teacher? And Harmony knew the whole time? How could she… Drew says he knows it’s a lot to take in, but Willow needs Michael. She needs Michael’s support. Carly wanted to tell her, but because time is of the essence… Michael says, Drew’s right. She needs to hear it from him.

Nina asks what Carly is talking about. Willow is not her daughter. Carly says she understands this is a shock. She’ll be happy to give Nina an explanation, but later. Please come to the lab… Nina says she’s not going anywhere with Carly until Carly tells her… Carly says, there’s no time, and Nina says, then talk fast. Carly says, Nina had twins, and Nina says, impossible. Carly says, no. She was in a coma. Nina says she had medical attention. Phyllis was one of her nurses. She took Nelle to Florida, and gave Nelle to the Bensons. Carly says, that was the second baby, and she’s guessing that was by design, because Madeline had to make sure she separated the babies so she could get her hands on Nina’s inheritance. Nina says she doesn’t know why Carly is doing this, but she’ll play along. If Willow was Nelle’s twin, Carly is saying Madeline handed of Willow to… Carly says, Harmony. Nina’s mother gave the baby to Harmony.  

Dante says, the person in that footage looks a lot like Josslyn, and if it is her, that means she was in the vicinity of that attack. That means she could possibly help them ID the killer. Josslyn says she’d tell them if she thought she could help, and Robert says, no need to be cagey. She’s in no trouble. Jordan says, they believe Josslyn was the victim that night. It’s curious she didn’t say anything. Dante says, they think she was the intended target the night Brando was killed. If what they suspect is right, then the killer got a second shot at her on New Year’s Eve. Jordan says, if Britt hadn’t shown up, Josslyn’s family might be planning her funeral. Robert says, they can’t protect her unless she gives them all the information. Talk to them. Diane walks in, and says, not one word.

Curtis says, whether or not Esme has amnesia, Trina can’t let her guard down. Trina says she hears them. She fully believes Esme is a psycho, but not a serial killer. Portia says she’s not clear on the laws regarding memory loss, but she doesn’t think it gives Esme a free pass. She committed crimes; she’s a criminal. She needs to face the consequences of her actions. Trina tells them, that’s what Spencer said, and she doesn’t disagree. She’s not saying she’d trust Esme again, but she’s not using Esme as a means of closure. She wants to end that chapter of her life and move on. Portia asks how letting in Spencer helps her do that.

Alexis says, Spencer was closest to Esme. She didn’t have any family; is that true? He says, just adopted siblings. They’re not close, but in due time, Esme will give birth and contribute directly to her family tree. Alexis says, and ours.

Sonny says, they’re going to do everything they can to get Willow well, so she can get back to her kids and his son. Even if he’s not invited back into the fold, it doesn’t matter. He just wants them to be together and happy. Open her eyes. She can do this. Just… Michael walks in.

Nina tells Carly, who knows how Harmony got Willow? That woman was a pathological liar. Carly says, one that tried to kill her and Alexis just to keep this secret safe, and Nina says, if Harmony wanted to keep it safe, how did Carly find out? Carly says, Harmony told her the night she died, and Nina says, Carly suspected she was Willow’s mother the night Harmony died last year? Carly says, if she’d known Willow was sick, she would have said something a lot sooner, and Nina asks if she told Willow. Carly says, no, and Nina says, good, because there is no evidence beyond a troubled woman’s sick confession on her deathbed. This is irresponsible of Carly to go out and present this as truth. She kind of understands it because of what Willow is going through right now, but she’s going to do Carly a big favor. She’s going to pretend this conversation never took place. Carly says she knows for a fact Nina is Willow’s biological mother, and Nina asks, how? Carly says she has proof.

Sonny says, Josslyn was called away, and didn’t want Willow to be alone, and Michael says he appreciates Sonny being here. Sonny says, of course (🍷). He’ll leave them alone. He leaves, and Michael sits by Willow’s bedside. He says he can hear her voice in his head, telling him to go after Sonny. Life’s too short, and he’s trying. Please don’t tell him their life is going to be cut short. He needs her. She’s his conscience, the voice in his head. And he needs to hear it out loud, even if it’s scolding him. She opens her eyes, and says she’ll remind him that he said that.

Trina says, since Rory died, Spencer’s really been there for her, and Portia says, at what cost? She’ll always be grateful Spencer did the right thing in the end, but she can never forget he lied and took Esme’s side. Trina says, he was playing her, but Portia says, not the entire time. She doesn’t get how Trina can excuse that, and let him back in. How is that moving on with her life? Curtis’s phone rings, and he says he has to check in on the club. He leaves, and Trina says she understands Portia’s concerns, but her eyes are wide open. She sees how Spencer has matured this past year. Those months in Pentenville, and now losing people he loves. It’s changed him; given him purpose. He’s committed to doing better. Portia says she’s genuinely sorry for what Spencer’s going through. The way his father betrayed him is indefensible. Trina says, Spencer’s crushed. He was really tight with Britt. And his father – the only parent he has – keeps letting him down over and over again. Portia says, one of the other reasons she’s so uncomfortable with them reconnecting. The Cassadines are dangerous, even to themselves. Everyone who goes near them ends up being burned.

Alexis says she takes it Spencer isn’t thrilled with having a new sibling. Keep in mind, it’s not the baby’s fault; the baby’s innocent. He says he’s not going to hold a grudge against a baby, and she says she knows. He’s a good one. He has forgiveness and empathy. He thanks her, and says, here’s the issue. If Esme finds a way out of this, she’s going to take that baby as far away from Port Charles as possible. Alexis says, Esme’s got some serious legal trouble pending. Even if she finds a way to get over that, Spencer’s father is resolved. He wants full custody.

In the squad room, Dante says he should have known Josslyn was going to call Diane. She’s Carly’s daughter. She’d probably never talk to the police without a lawyer present. Jordan says, Diane looks to be in fighting form, and Robert says, killer Miller. Diane comes out of the interrogation room, asking if she hears her name. Her client is ready to give a statement. They all go back in, and Jordan says, she wanted to keep this informal. Diane asks if that’s why she had Josslyn’s stepbrother call her down her and ambush her, with the District Attorney and the Commissioner. They know the rules. They can’t compel a potential witness to say anything. Robert says, there’s no need to pull out the heavy artillery; they’re just talking. Diane says, her client is ready to make a statement. The moment this turns into an interrogation, she pulls the plug. Josslyn says she was on Pier 55 at midnight on New Year’s. Someone did come at her with a hook. She doesn’t know who; she was wearing a mask. She tried to get away, but she was in heels. She fell down, and The Hook was basically on top of her. She was going to stab Josslyn, then Britt came out of nowhere, swinging her bag. Britt told her to run, and she did. Jordan asks why Josslyn didn’t come forward when she heard Britt died, and Josslyn says, she only found out about Britt a couple hours ago; they had a family emergency. Robert says, if what she’s saying is the truth, why did she engage counsel? and Diane says, first of all, it’s her constitutional right. Robert says, if she was arrested, which she wasn’t, and Diane says, it’s only a sensible idea to retain counsel. Josslyn is following her mother’s example, and the example of her Uncle Jason, who, if Robert recalls, never sat down to a police interview without the benefit of counsel. Think about all the misunderstandings they’ve avoided over the years, and look at them now, avoiding another one. Robert says, there’s really no comparison, unless she’s accusing his office of persecuting victims of crime. Diane says, not at all. She trusts him to act in good faith; just as Josslyn trusts her to ensure he does. Does Josslyn have anything to add? Josslyn says she didn’t see anything that night that could help them. She wishes she had. Dante asks if she remembers if her attacker was pregnant, and she says she doesn’t really know. She wasn’t really paying attention. She was kind of focused on The Hook, and trying to get away. Diane says she knows exactly how Josslyn feels. If she has nothing more to add… Josslyn says, no, and Robert says he’ll walk Diane out. Dante asks if Josslyn has a minute, but Diane says, only if it’s a family matter and not police business. He says, it is a family matter, and Josslyn says, it’s fine. Diane, Robert, and Jordan leave, and Dante says he’s sorry about this. Josslyn asks if it was his idea, and he says, no, but he went along with it. She says if she knew anything that could help him, he wouldn’t have to ambush her. She would have come to him herself. He says he knows. Looks like she outmaneuvered them anyway by calling Diane. She says she learned from the best, and he says she did. What was the family emergency?

Nina asks what proof Carly has that Willow is her daughter, and Carly says she ran a DNA test on the two of them. After Harmony told her that Nina was Willow’s mother, she was skeptical. So she took a few strands of hair from Willow’s hairbrush, and a glass Nina had used at Charlie’s Pub. Nina says, Carly stole her DNA, then ran an illegal DNA test without her knowledge or consent? Carly says, the results were conclusive, with a probability of 99.9%. Nina and Willow are biologically mother and daughter.

Sonny says, it’s good Drew is here. Michael needs all the support he can get, and he doesn’t want it from Sonny. Drew tells Sonny that Josslyn said she filled him in about Willow, and Sonny asks if Drew’s known all along, but Drew says, no. Willow filled him in a couple of weeks ago. Sonny says, it kills him that she didn’t loop them in, and Drew says, it’s always better to have things out in the open. Sonny wonders if he can ask Drew a question, and Drew says, yeah. Sonny says, Carly’s in the chapel right now with Nina instead of Michael and Willow. Does he know anything about that?

Spencer says, his father wants the baby, and Alexis says, he plans to sue on the grounds that she’s unfit. He says, pot meet kettle, and she says she knows. She doesn’t know the details; she doesn’t want to. She just knows he’s serious. Spencer says, with his considerable resources and no one to vouch for Esme… She says, he stands a good chance. So if Esme isn’t the killer, who is? He says he wishes he could tell her. He really thought it was Esme. She asks if Trina has any enemies, but he says, everyone loves Trina. She says, what about Portia? What about Taggert? He says he doesn’t think so. Trina’s dad and Curtis were both in law enforcement, so maybe, but why would they go after Trina instead of going after them directly? Is she looking for a scoop? She says she’s looking for the truth. She’d like the killer caught. She has to go to work; she has a conference call. Don’t tell his father that she told him about his plans. Spencer says he won’t. It was good to see her. She says, as far as vouching for Esme, is there anyone important to her, aside from that sociopath Chamberlain? He says, yes. She’s very devoted to Esme. Maybe enough to kill for her?

Portia says she’s tried to be open minded about Trina’s connection to Spencer, but his father lost her when he terrorized the kids at Windymere because he was trying to teach Spencer a lesson. Now that same man cheated on his wife, with Spencer’s girlfriend, and got her pregnant. The same girl that terrorized Ava. And don’t get her started on Victor Cassadine because… Trina says she knows. She knows Spencer’s family is messed up. Portia says, amoral is a better word for it. She doesn’t want Trina anywhere near those people. Trina says, Spencer’s not his family; he’s his own man. Portia says, he’s a two-time convicted felon, and Trina says, growing up, Portia taught her never to judge people by their worst mistake. Portia says she knows, but you also have to look at the patterns people do. Trina says she gets that Portia is just looking out for her, but please trust her judgement. Portia says she does, and Trina says she hopes one day Portia sees Spencer the way she does, but ultimately, she doesn’t have to. Because he’s not Portia’s friend; he’s hers.  

Willow asks, what happened? and Michael says, she collapsed at home, but she’s stable now. She says, Nina was in the house with Wiley… He says, Wiley is with Brook and Chase; he’s fine. She asks if Wiley saw her pass out, and he says he’s afraid so. She says, he must be terrified, and Michael says, he knows she’s sick. He doesn’t the have details, but they can explain it to them together. She asks if she’ll make it home to do that, and he says, of course (🍷). Why would she ask that? She says, he has the strangest expression on his face. What is he not telling her? He says, it’s about Nina, and she says she never wants to hear that woman’s name again.

Drew tells Sonny that he knows why Carly wanted to speak to Nina, but it’s not his place to share. Sonny says, Carly’s not here, and he needs answers. If it involves his family, he needs to know, and he suggests Drew tell him.  

Nina says she wants to see those results, and Carly says she’ll get Nina a copy. Nina says, never mind. She doesn’t know if Carly used her samples or Willow’s. She’ll get her own test. Carly says, they don’t have time. Why would she lie? Nina says she doesn’t know why Carly does the things she does. Maybe because she’s a liar. Maybe because Carly hates her, or maybe this is some bizarre revenge because she fell in love with Sonny. Carly says, Willow is dying. She has Stage IV leukemia. She needs healthy blood forming cells from a relative, and she only has one. She has Nina. Nina flashes back to her interactions with Willow over the years, both friendly and antagonistic. Carly says she knows Nina hates her and the feeling is mutual, but it’s not about them. This is about Willow. Please go get tested. Please. Nina says, Carly is a monster. Carly made her feel like the scum of the earth. She said over and over how Nina was wrecking their family. What about Nina’s family? How could Carly keep her away from her child? Carly says, Nina can lash out at her all she wants after she gets tested, and Nina says, don’t tell her what to do. Go to hell, you selfish bitch. She’s going to go save her daughter. She slams out of the chapel.

Trina tells Portia, it’s been a long day. Tell Curtis thanks for dinner. She’s not in the mood for dessert. Goodnight. Trina goes upstairs, and Curtis walks in with a couple glasses of wine. He tells Portia that he heard most of it. Does she want to talk about it? She asks if it’s that obvious, and he says he knows her face. He’s literally memorized every expression. Call it a survival tactic. She says she thought Trina put Spencer in the rearview, but she seems determined to revive their friendship. He says he wondered about that when he saw them together, and hoped it wouldn’t become a habit, and Portia says, it won’t if she has anything to say about it. He says he’s not sure she does. Trina has made it clear that she values boundaries. Portia says she wants to respect that, but she’s not going to sit back and watch Spencer worm his way back into Trina’s heart again.

Spencer says, last Esme mentioned her, Maggie was living in London, but Sam could tell Alexis more. Alexis says, her Sam? and he says he asked Sam to find Maggie Fitzgerald when he thought she could be the key to getting Esme to confess she framed Trina. But then Trina was exonerated, and he never followed up. In a letter, Maggie warned Esme against having any contact with her birth father. Alexis says, he told her Esme had no family, and he says, none that she knew of, but Esme claims Maggie knew her biological parents, but never told her. Alexis thanks him for this. Let her know if he hears anything else. A reporter took a picture of him and Trina together after Rory’s funeral. He says, they’ve been spending time together, and she says, be careful. If Trina is a target, it could put him at risk. He says he knows how to protect his own, and she says, his own. He is growing up.

Drew tells Sonny, he’s not gatekeeping family business. It’s a personal matter that involves Nina. Sonny says, Nina’s his family, and Drew says he’s sure Nina will tell him. Carly comes along, and tells Sonny to back off. Sonny asks, what’s going on? Where’s Nina?

Willow says, every time she turns around, Nina is invading their space. Making wild accusations; trying to get close to their son. Nina is toxic. Michael tells her to calm down, and she tells him to make her a promise. If she loses this battle, promise her that Nina will never have access to Wiley ever again. Nina walks in, and Willow says, get out. Leave her alone. Michael says, not now, and Willow says, not ever. She wants Nina out of this room, and out of her life for good. Nina says she’s sorry, but Willow’s life may depend on her.

On Monday, Spencer says, this baby may not know either of its parents; Sonny asks what Carly has to feel guilty about; and Michael suggests Willow hear what Nina has to say.

🚑 Heavy Weighs the Soap Crown…

I don’t think I’ve ever watched the scene in question, but it sounds pretty awful. I remember Roger Howarth being uncomfortable about Todd having been a rapist on OLTL, then going on to be an antihero.

👩🏻‍⚕️ The Real Why…

I totally get it, and she certainly went out with a bang.

🥀 Another Goodbye…

I didn’t watch the soaps he was in, but the fact he wrote The Deer Hunter makes him worthy of a mention.

https://www.soapcentral.com/young-and-restless/news/2023/0110-oscar-nominated-quinn-redeker-a-days-and-yr-alum-has-passed-away.php

🏖 But Will They Survive…?

This actually sounds somewhat interesting. Ultimate underdogs.

🩺 Flipping the Script…

It’s stretching the married part, but then again the Housewives are rarely housewives.

🍸 A Full Trailer…

Something to look forward to. If you have no life. Yeah, I’ll be watching.

⚰️ Here’s Where It Gets Complicated…

You’ll need a daily planner if you want to keep up with all of these.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-to-end-season-8/

🐕 Dogs On the Page…

For the bookworm dog lover.

🐳 Quotes of the Week

I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. – Vince Lombardi

I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?John Lennon while doing mushrooms

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

Happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. – Frederick Koenig (Well, duh, Frederick Koenig.)

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.William Feather

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. – Harry S. Truman

Happiness is for dogs and Americans. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

🥠 Netflix and Chinese…

When it’s at the point you have to dust them, it’s time to take the decorations down. After you’re finished with whatever the next two days hold for you, take time out on Monday-really-Tuesday for some soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not eating your feelings, and stay never judging people by their worst mistake.

January 6, 2023 – Josslyn Admits Being the Target, Sad Exit, Spotlight, Salty Sentence, Get Out, She’d Rather, Traitors Trailer, Cuteness, a Handful Of Quotes & Eighth

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina looks through the box in Britt’s office, and takes out a photograph. She says, Britt, look at you, so beautiful. She takes out a trophy, and says, Doctor of the Year for everything you did to help people. Everything you still could have done. It’s not fair.

Going into the stables, Wiley says he wanted to stay out with Thor, but Michael says, they can go back in a bit. Wiley asks if it’s because mommy’s tired, but Michael says, it’s cold outside. They just came in to warm up. They sit down, and Wiley insists he isn’t cold, but Michael says, it’s freezing. Wiley’s nose is about to fall off. Wiley says, it isn’t, but Michael says, what about this? doing the old I-got-your-nose thing, and Wiley says, it’s his thumb. Michael asks if he’s sure, and says he better check. Wiley touches his nose, and says, when his baby sister comes, she’s going to guard his nose and he’s going to guard hers. He can’t wait for her to be here. Michael says, neither can we.

On the phone, Drew says, he knows that Claiborne County Colorado is a rural area, but he doesn’t understand how, in this digital age, there can be three Josiahs out there they can’t find addresses for… That’s a great idea. Keep on it, and remember, a woman’s life could depend on it.

The moss bowl🎍! Bigger and badder in 2023. Josslyn shuffles into the kitchen, saying, she barely slept. She sees Dex with Carly,

Spencer walks into Kelly’s, and says, Cameron looks how he feels. Cameron says he worked late last night. He wasn’t supposed to come in this morning, but someone called in sick, so here he is. He’s on his break though, so coffee? Spencer says, double espresso… He’s just kidding. Coffee’s fine. He sits down, and Cameron pours him some coffee. He says, the good news is, Esme’s in custody. The bad news is, she’s pregnant. Cameron says he’s going to need Spencer to say that one more time. They found Esme, and she’s pregnant? Spencer says, yes, which brings him to his question. Does Cameron have any tips on being a good big brother?

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, dressed in Britt’s lab coat, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she get something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. She can arrange that.

Nikolas asks if Elizabeth is sure the baby is okay, and she says she told him; the baby’s heart pattern looks good, no signs of distress. He says he still can’t believe Esme jumped. It’s a miracle, right? Elizabeth says, she’s one lucky girl, and he says he’s glad Marty decided to take her case, but he wishes he could get in there to talk to Esme. She says, that’s not going to happen.

Esme asks who Obrecht is, and Obrecht says she’s glad Esme asked. She’s a mother whose daughter has been taken from her. Esme asks what she wants, and Obrecht says, her pound of flesh.

Elizabeth says, Nikolas needs to stay as far away from Esme as possible, and he says, if Esme is faking, he’ll know. Elizabeth asks why she would. She has all the leverage if she remembers. He could bring back those memories. Does he want to risk that? He says, of course (🍷) not, but Elizabeth went in there, and Esme didn’t remember her. Elizabeth says she’s not the father of Esme’s baby, and she’s not the last face Esme saw before she chucked herself off the parapet. He says he wants to see Esme for himself, but she says, too bad. The longer it takes for Esme to remember, the better it is for them. He tells her, it’s going to be okay. As they speak, Demetrius is cleaning every piece of evidence that Esme was in the north tower. Once he’s done, it’s going to be Esme’s word against theirs. She tells him, in the meantime, stay away from her.

Drew goes into the stables, and says hello to Michael, Willow, and Wiley. He says he came by to see if he could take Carmen for a ride, and Wiley asks if he met Thor. Drew says he didn’t, and asks if Thor brought his hammer. Michael says, Thor is what Wiley named the new foal, and Drew says, of course (🍷). He saw Thor out there; he just didn’t know the foal had a name. Wiley asks if he can take Uncle Drew to meet Thor, and Willow says, Wiley is so excited about the new horse, they can’t keep up with him. Wiley says, mommy and daddy are too old, and Drew laughs, saying, he would love it if Wiley introduced him to the one and only Thor. Wiley says, yay! and he leaves with Drew. Willow says she just needs a minute, and Michael says, she’s got it.

Josslyn asks what Dex is doing here, and he says he needed to talk to her. Did she hear about Dr. Westbourne? Josslyn says, what about her? and Carly says, there was another hook attack last night. Josslyn says, that’s awful, and asks why The Hook would attack Britt. Carly says, the way she understands it, The Hook was after someone else, Britt intervened, and the intended victim got away. Josslyn says, that’s good. No one got hurt, right? They don’t say anything, and Josslyn says, Britt’s okay, isn’t she? Carly takes Josslyn’s hands, and says, no, she’s not. Britt died. Josslyn says, but Britt was fine, and Carly says, according to The Invader, she suffered a scratch. The hook had poison on it, and Britt collapsed about an hour later. Josslyn asks if she was alone, but Carly says, she was with her mom. She knows it’s terrible… and Josslyn says, this happened because of me.

Cameron and Spencer sit at a table, and Cameron asks if Spencer knew that Esme and his father… Spencer says he found out before he went to Pentenville. He knew his father slept with Esme, but didn’t know Esme was pregnant until last night. Cameron asks how long Spencer’s father has known, but Spencer says he has no idea. However, he definitely got the impression his father knew before last night. Cameron asks if Esme admitted to attacking people with a hook, and Spencer says, of course (🍷) not. Can he imagine Esme admitting to anything, ever? She said she can’t remember a thing.

Sonny comes by Britt’s office with Frank, and Nina thanks him for meeting her there. She tells him, there are reporters all around the MetroCourt, hoping to get a quote about Britt. She had security try to… What? He says, they’re vultures, and she says she hopes they don’t get ahold of Aunt Liesl, because that won’t be pretty. Sonny asks if it’s just the one box, and asks Frank to take it to Nina’s car. He asks how Nina is doing, and she says, not great. She’s worried about Aunt Liesl. She already talked to Scotty this morning, and she’s broken. He says, she’s grieving. She lost a child; there’s no greater pain. Nina says, she doesn’t handle grief well. Who does? She’s supposed to be here. She packed that box. Where does he think she is? He asks if Obrecht knows that Esme is in this hospital, and Nina says, no, and runs out the door.

Esme says, a pound of flesh? Is Obrecht talking about her? Obrecht says, yes. Perhaps she recognizes another quote, from a Scottish tragedy, in which a certain lady says, look like the innocent flower, but be a serpent under it. Esme feels around for the call button,  but Obrecht snatches it away. She takes out a syringe, and Esme says she doesn’t know what happened to Obrecht’s daughter, but whatever did, she doesn’t remember. Obrecht asks if that’s supposed invoke her mercy? Does Esme think the taking of her daughter’s life was forgettable? Esme says, whatever happened, she didn’t do it, and Obrecht says, how does she know if she doesn’t remember? She doesn’t deserve the peace Obrecht is about to bestow on her, but the world does. Esme owes her daughter an explanation, and she’d better think of one fast, because she’s about to see her. She shoves a washcloth in Esme’s mouth, as Esme screams and bites her hand. Obrecht says, schweingen. Another peep, and I will make this exquisitely painful. You scratched her with that infernal hook. She died in my arms. Now it’s your turn. Esme shakes her head, but Obrecht says, she needs to know that nothing she says now matters. The only thing that matters is Dr. Britta Westbourne. Her daughter, murdered, poisoned, taken by her. Obrecht notices Esme’s bump, and says, she’s pregnant? Esme nods.

Cameron asks if Spencer thinks Esme is faking her amnesia to avoid being charged as The Hook, and Spencer says, she’s capable of anything. On the other hand, she’s got a baby bump out to here. Her running around stabbing people seems unlikely. But if Esme isn’t The Hook, that means someone else is out there targeting them and Trina. Cameron asks, who else besides Esme would be targeting Trina? Spencer says he doesn’t know, but he thinks him, Cameron, Josslyn, and Trina should get together and figure out what happens next. Cameron says they might have to meet without him. Just let him know what they decide. Spencer asks why he’s acting so weird. Is this about their parents? Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, what’s going on? Cameron says, he and Joss broke up.

Carly says, this is not Josslyn’s fault, and Dex says, there’s only one person responsible for this, and it sure as hell isn’t her. Josslyn says, but if they’d stayed… Carly says, stayed where? What is she talking about? Josslyn says she was the intended victim. Britt interfered with her. She got away. Carly says, oh my God. Is she okay? Josslyn says, she’s fine, thanks to Britt and Dex, and Carly asks if it was Esme, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. The attacker was wearing a mask; she didn’t see their face. All she saw was this hook swinging around. Carly asks why she didn’t wait for the police, and Josslyn says she was so freaked out, she just wanted to get out of there, and she didn’t have anything helpful to tell them. Carly says, she left Britt alone, and Josslyn tells her, Britt said it was okay. She said she was fine; she had it handled. Carly says, she spoke to Britt? and Josslyn says, yes. She wasn’t wounded; nothing was wrong. She doesn’t think Britt knew. Carly says, that’s not what she’s asking. Why did Britt tell the police that she didn’t know the identity of the person being attacked? Dex says, because of him.

Sonny and Nina get out of the elevator across from Esme’s room, where a guard is standing. Sonny says, everything seems fine, and Nina says she’s going to find Aunt Liesl. She leaves, and Sonny goes over to Elizabeth at the reception desk. He apologizes for interrupting, and asks if she’s seen Obrecht, but she says, not since last night. Her phone beeps, and she steps away. Nikolas walks over to Sonny, who asks what he wants. Nikolas asks if Sonny has spoken to Spencer, but Sonny says, not today; why? Nikolas says, he and Britt were pretty close. He’s concerned about how Spencer’s taking her death. Sonny suggests Nikolas try talking to him, but Nikolas says, Spencer’s not taking his calls or his texts. Sonny asks what he did now, and Nikolas says, Sonny will find out soon enough. As he probably heard, Esme’s in the hospital. Turns out she’s pregnant. Sonny asks if Nikolas is telling him Spencer is going to be a father, but Nikolas says, it’s not Spencer’s baby; it’s his. Sonny grabs the front of Nikolas’s shirt, pushes him against the desk, and punches him. Esme’s guard runs over.

Obrecht plunges the needle in Esme’s IV tube, and says, out, out brief candle. Esme whimpers, and Obrecht says, her end will be far more merciful than the one she gave her daughter. Nina comes in, and tells Obrecht, stop. What has she done? Esme’s eyes are closed.

Spencer says he can’t believe Joss and Cam broke up, and Cameron says, he thinks he can’t believe it. Spencer says, when he got out of Pentenville, Cameron had said they were good, and Cameron says he thought they were. He guesses he was wrong. Spencer says, so the break-up wasn’t mutual, and Cameron tells him, Joss said they’d grown apart. Spencer asks if this is because of that jerk Dex.

Carly says, Dex made her daughter leave the scene of a crime, and she wants to know why. Josslyn says, Dex didn’t make her do anything. It was a mutual decision, and Britt agreed. She said she could handle it. Carly asks, what if the attacker had followed Josslyn? Where did she go? Josslyn flashes back to getting busy with Dex, and Dex says, the reason she didn’t go to the police is because he was carrying. It’s a gun Sonny gave him for work. It isn’t registered to him. He doesn’t know where it came from, and doesn’t know what would come back if the police put a trace on it. Carly says, at least she knows why Josslyn felt safe going wherever, and Josslyn says, Dex should probably go, but Dex says, her mom has questions, and he’s happy to explain. Josslyn thanks him, but says she’ll fill Carly in. She walks him out past the glorious moss bowl🎍 that makes all right with the world, and on the patio, she tells Dex, it’s just better if her mom hears everything from her. He says, everything? and she says, God no. She just wants to make sure her mom understands he didn’t talk her into anything; that the decisions she made were hers. He says, any regrets? and she says, other than leaving Britt alone, not one. He says he feels like he should stay, but she says, this is between her and her mom. He says, then he won’t push anymore. She knows how to reach him. She says she does, and goes inside.

Willow says, let’s go visit Thor, but Michael asks if she’s sure she’s not doing too much. She says she’s barely doing anything, and he says he just doesn’t want her to push herself too much. She says, now that the first round of chemo is out of the way, she’s getting her strength back. This morning, she was actually hungry. He says he noticed she ate a whole piece of toast, and she says, and she picked it up all by herself. She says she’s going to get through this, and he says he’s counting on it, kissing her. Drew comes back, and tells them, don’t panic. Melanie lured Wiley back into the house for some hot chocolate. They seem like they’re doing better. Willow says, they’re hanging in there, and Drew asks if they’ve heard anything from the donor registry. Michael says, nothing yet, but hope springs eternal. Willow asks how the search is going for her birth family, and Drew says he’s sorry he doesn’t have any news, but his reporters are working on it. Michael says he hopes they find a lead soon, because obviously a relative is the best bet for a donor, and Drew says, they know the urgency here. He’s glad he ran into them, because he has a question. Michael says, fire away, and Drew asks Willow if Harmony or Doug stayed in touch with the leader of the commune in Colorado; specifically, did they ever mention a guy by the name of Josiah? She says, yes. Didn’t she tell him? Harmony took her to visit Josiah after they left.

Nina runs over to Esme, taking the washcloth out of her mouth. She asks if Obrecht killed her, but Obrecht says, not yet. It was just a sedative to keep her quiet. Nina says, okay, so Esme’s fine; the baby is fine. There’s no lasting injury. Obrecht says, not yet, and Nina says, not ever. She’s got to get Obrecht out of here. Obrecht says, just give her a moment, picking up a pillow, and Nina struggles with her over it, saying, give it to her. This is not what Britt would have wanted. Obrecht says, her Britta can’t want anything anymore. She’s dead because of her. Nina says, Obrecht would kill a mother and her baby? but Obrecht says, nein. She would not. Not the baby.

Drew asks what Willow remembers about her visit to Josiah, and Willow says, sorry. She doesn’t remember much of anything. She only remembers visiting because it was her first time in an airplane. She remembers looking out at the clouds, and Harmony giving her a piece of gum so her ears would pop. That’s about it. Drew asks if it’s the only time they visited, and Willow says, as far as she recalls. Shiloh made Harmony cut ties with Josiah when they joined Dawn of Day. Michael says, of course (🍷) he did. He had to cut off their escape route, and Willow says, why? Does Drew think Josiah knew her birth father? Drew says, his reporters are still searching for other members of the commune, but they do think probably Josiah would be their best bet. In the meantime, it’s important Willow stay positive. She says she is, and he says, good. And if he could ask, if she has the time and energy, give Carly a call. She’s concerned that with the stress of the pregnancy, any more bad news about the search for Willow’s biological family could be overwhelming. Michael says, his mom doesn’t know Willow’s sick, and Drew says, Willow asked him not to say anything, and he hasn’t, but Carly is just worried. To be honest, he’s worried too, that maybe Willow is losing hope, but Willow says she’s holding onto hope with both hands. She’s determined to see their daughter and Wiley grow up

Nina asks if Obrecht is saying she would take the baby, and Obrecht says, why not? Esme took her child; she owes Obrecht another. Nina says, Obrecht knows she’s done that, and she knows from experience that is a mistake. Obrecht says, her baby is gone, and this creature took her. She doesn’t deserve a child. Nina says she will not let Obrecht do this, and Obrecht asks how Nina plans to stop her. Nina says, she’ll call for help, and heads for the door. Obrecht tells her, do what she thinks she must, picking up the pillow again. Her Britta is owed justice, and who better to administer it? Nina flies over, grabbing the pillow, and says, this is not justice. She won’t let Obrecht do this. Obrecht says, why not? and Nina says, because it’s a mistake. Obrecht’s not thinking clearly. Does she want to spend the rest of her life in prison? Obrecht says she doesn’t care, and Nina says, but she cares. James, Maxie, and Scotty, they all care. Don’t throw her life away. Obrecht says, what about Britta’s life? How can she let Britt’s killer go merrily on her way and mother a child, when her child is dead at her hands? Nina says, can she prove that? Does Obrecht know that for sure? Because if she kills Esme before it’s proven she’s The Hook killer, she’ll make Esme the martyr, and she’ll be the villain – again. She takes Obrecht’s hand, and asks if she thinks that’s what Britt would have wanted for her.

The moss bowl🎍 hypnotizes me, as Josslyn tells Carly that she kept trying to get away, but she was in heels, and couldn’t kick them off. She thought about turning and running, but then she would have been stabbed in the back. Josslyn managed to shove The Hook… and Carly says, The Hook was close enough for Josslyn to shove her? Josslyn says she shoved her multiple times. She eventually got her to the ground, and Josslyn was going to make a break for it, but The Hook kneed her, and Josslyn totally lost her breath and fell. She looked up, and the killer was just over her, and the hook was in the air. Carly says, oh my God, and Josslyn says, then there was Britt, and she was incredible. She hit The Hook with her bag, and totally knocked her out of the way. Britt told her to run, but she couldn’t; she still couldn’t breathe. Then there was a gunshot, and Dex was there. Carly asks if he shot The Hook, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. He either shot her, or scared her enough that she dropped the hook. She left, and that’s all Josslyn cared about. Carly hugs her, and says, thank God she’s alive. Josslyn says, Britt saved her life, and it cost Britt her own.

Cameron says, Josslyn didn’t say anything about Dex. Why would Spencer jump to that? Spencer says, his father slept with his girlfriend. Forgive him if he doesn’t have a lot of faith in relationships right now. Cameron says he’s surprised to hear Spencer say that, and Spencer says, why? Because he’s always such a sunny optimist? Cameron says, no. Because Spencer and Trina went to Britt’s party together. It’s obvious Trina is giving Spencer another chance. Spencer says, as friends, yeah. They were pretending to be closer than they actually are, so they could make Esme jealous and lure her out of hiding. Cameron says, they set themselves up as bait? and Spencer says, romantic, huh? Sonny comes in, and asks if Spencer’s got a second. Spencer says, for him, always, and Sonny tells Cameron that he might want to stay. He sits down, and Spencer asks, what’s going on? Is everything okay? Sonny says, there was another hook attack last night, and Spencer asks, what time was it? Esme showed up at the Haunted Star. Does Sonny know about his father and Esme? Sonny says he doesn’t want to get into that right now. Let’s just get to The Hook attack. Someone else died; someone they know. Spencer asks, who? and Sonny says, Britt Westbourne.

Nikolas tells the guard that he doesn’t want to press charges against Sonny. It was a private squabble in a public place.

Nina and Obrecht leave Esme’s room, and Nina asks if Obrecht is sure it was just a sedative. Obrecht says, Esme will wake unharmed, and her Britta will still be dead. Nina gently pushes her into the elevator.

Elizabeth asks Nikolas, what happened? and he says, Sonny punched him. She asks if it’s because Sonny found out Esme was having Nikolas’s baby, and Nikolas says he told Sonny. She asks if he has a death wish.

Josslyn tells Carly, Britt called the cops, and Dex didn’t want explain why he had the gun, and Britt said they could go. Carly says, go where? and Josslyn says, Dex’s apartment. She flashes back to her and Dex getting busy again, and says, he lives in the Charles Street district, so don’t worry; it was close. Carly says, she went to Dex’s apartment, then what? and Josslyn says she went to Kelly’s to talk to Cam. And then she came home. Carly says, she went to talk to Cam, and with tears in her eyes, Josslyn nods, and says, she broke up with him.

Spencer tells Sonny, no. It’s not possible. They got it wrong. Sonny says, they didn’t… and Spencer says he just saw her last night. She was having the time of her life. She was happy. She was dancing; Sonny saw her. Sonny nods, and Spencer says, she was alive. Cameron asks, when did this happen? and Sonny says, it was on the docks after midnight. The paper said Britt saw The Hook attacking someone, and tried to stop it. Very brave thing to do. Spencer says, Britt’s always been brave, and Sonny says he knows they were close… Spencer asks them to excuse him, and goes to the private stairs. He sits down on the steps.  

At Nina’s penthouse, Obrecht says she never finished cleaning Britt’s office, but Nina says, don’t worry. She doesn’t want Obrecht to worry about anything. She’ll go back and make sure Obrecht didn’t miss anything. Obrecht thanks her, but says she’s not worried. What’s to worry anymore? She’s just very tired.

Willow tells Drew, they do have some good news. She’s done with her first round of chemo. Drew says, that’s incredible. Congratulations. She says she’s glad it’s over. Now it just has to work. He says, now she gets some time to recover and enjoy life a little bit, and she says, three weeks. He says he’ll make sure he gets some answers before that, and  Michael thanks him. Drew says, absolutely; they’re family. He just wishes he was a match. Michael says he knows the feeling, but they have to believe the donor registry will come through. Willow’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Dr. Randolph. She asks if Terry got her results back. Is the chemo working?

Elizabeth sees Nikolas, and says she has an update for him, calling him Mr. Cassadine. She tells him to come with her, and leads him to a more private spot. Elizabeth asks if he’s trying to get caught, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says, he’s standing outside Esme’s door having a staring contest with that cop. He says, if anyone questions him, he has the perfectly good excuse of being concerned about the mother of his baby. She says, as guilty as he looks right now, why don’t they just go to Jordan and confess? Why wait for Esme to remember what they did to her? He says, if they do that, they both go to prison, and she says, maybe that’s for the best. He says, she’d just leave her children? and she says she doesn’t want to, but the way he’s behaving, she has no choice in the matter. He says, if he goes to prison, there will be no one left to raise his kid, but she says, that’s not true. Nikolas knows how much his Uncle Victor loves molding Cassadine children in his own image. She’s sure he’ll jump at the chance. He says, that cannot happen, and she says, then they need to hold tight – together.  

Spencer comes back, and Cameron asks if he’s okay. Spencer says, no, when Dex comes in. He comes over to Sonny, but Sonny says, give him a minute, and Dex locks eyes with Cameron, then leaves. Cameron says he’s sorry, but he has to get back to work. He tells Spencer to let him know if he needs anything, and Sonny says, go ahead. He’ll take care of this. Cameron leaves, and Spencer says, was she alone when she died? Sonny says, no. She was with her mother. Spencer says, that’s good. He’s glad she wasn’t alone. Sonny says, Spencer doesn’t have to be alone, and Spencer says, these attacks have to stop. Sonny says, his guys are on it; the cops are on it. Spencer says, Britt’s still gone, when Dex walks back in. Spencer says he’s fine. Sonny can go ahead and deal, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to do anything; he’s good. Spencer says, he’s so tired. The last thing he wants to do is go back to Windymere and see his dad. Sonny says, he doesn’t have to. Listen to him. It’s an easy fix. Just come home with him. Cameron comes out behind the counter, looking at his phone. He sees Spencer and Sonny leave with Dex, he and Dex locking eyes again. When they’re gone, Cameron looks at a photo of him and Josslyn.

Josslyn tells Carly that she tried to talk to Cameron before Britt’s party. She went to Kelly’s; she had everything prepared. When she got there, he wasn’t there. He was on some catering job. Then the attack happened, and everything became clear. She knew she couldn’t stall anymore. She knows she owed him the truth, so she went back to Kelly’s. She talked to him and… He was so hurt. Carly takes her hand, and says, she’s had some night. Josslyn says she couldn’t sleep at all. All she could do was lie there and replay everything… the attack, and the break up and… what she would have done differently. Carly says, one thing Josslyn could have done is called her, and Josslyn says she knows Carly would have been there in a second, but she felt she had to figure things out for herself. Carly says she gets that when it comes to Cam, but she needs to know if Josslyn’s in danger. Always. Josslyn has to call her, and she’ll always have Josslyn’s back. Josslyn tells Carly that she loves her, and Carly hugs her, saying, she loves Josslyn too.

Elizabeth touches Esme, who shrinks back, saying, don’t hurt me. Elizabeth says she’s okay; she’s safe. Nobody is going to hurt her. Esme says, that doctor… She was… Elizabeth says, it sounds like she was having a bad dream. Try to go back to sleep. Esme closes her eyes.

Obrecht says she just wants to sleep, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Get some rest. She tells Obrecht to lie down in her bedroom. She’ll be right here if Obrecht needs her for anything. She goes to the box of Britt’s things, and takes out the photo and trophy. We see Willow’s chemotherapy report in the box, and Nina clutches the trophy to her chest.  

Still on the phone, Willow says, really? She thanks Terry, and says she’ll see her then. Michael asks if her numbers are better, but Willow says, her results aren’t back. That’s not why Terry was calling. She matched on the registry. She has a bone marrow donor. She’s going to live. He hugs her as she cries happy tears, and Drew smiles.

On Monday, Drew tells Jordan that he thinks they can eliminate Esme as a suspect; Elizabeth says she has to tell Finn something about Esme; and Willow isn’t sure she can go through with it.

😭 In Case You Need a Reminder…

This episode was so sad, it gave me a headache.

📑 Still Around…

Like a bad penny, he keeps showing up. Whatever that means. I’m not actually sure.

💸 Shahcarceration…

That’s what you get for coming old people.

💎 So Go Already…

I said it first.

Translation: Good riddance.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-reacts-lisa-rinna-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-exit-an-iconic-run/

🍑 Me Too…

You couldn’t pay me enough to endure any of the Housewives in the franchise, especially on a trip the would undoubtedly ruin for me.

https://people.com/tv/kenya-moore-would-rather-do-military-drills-than-embark-on-rhoa-trip/

🕶 New Reality…

Sounds promising. Especially the buried alive part.

https://people.com/tv/reality-stars-buried-alive-peacock-show-the-traitors-first-trailer/

🦥 To Pets and Beyond…

Something precious to send you into the weekend.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

🌐 Quotes of the Week

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.Kofi Annan

I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone.Claudette Colvin

Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. – Edgar Allan Poe

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. – Leonardo da Vinci

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6, NLT

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

☄️ Catching a Falling Star…

Come on down on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay setting boundaries, but not limits, for yourself, and stay telling the truth to whom it’s owed.  

November 30, 2022 – The Necklace Changes Hands, the Real Ka-Boom, Carly’s First Day, Where’s the Exit, Her Opinion, the Tree & Traditions

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the bullhorn, Jordan tells Holly that it’s her last chance and to give herself up. Inside the cabin, a woman grabs the briefcase, knocking the lantern over and starting a fire – we can’t see her face. Jordan says she doesn’t like this, and tells Mac to give the order to move, but Robert says, give her a chance to do the right thing. Jordan says, she’s had a chance, multiple ones. Time’s up. There’s an explosion inside the cabin, and debris blows everywhere. Robert says he has to get in there, but Mac holds him back.

Curtis and Portia struggle over a piece of pie, and Curtis says he promised N’neka, but Porta says, N’neka gets plenty of pies and other things from her Savoy suitors. This pie is for Terry. It’s praise-worthy pie. He says he knows; he baked it. She says, with her sweet potato pie recipe, and he says he’ll surrender that piece of pie in exchange for something just as sweet. They kiss, and Trina slips out the back door. On the patio, Marshall says, sneaking out?

Brook tells Chase that she’s starving, and Olivia will kill them if they hold things up. She starts to leave, but he says, look at him. Was she ever going to tell him about the CCRB letter she never wrote? She acts like she’s not sure what he’s talking about, and he says, the letter she told Dante that she’d write; the one that might give him a fighting chance to get his badge back.

Britt goes up to the bar at The Savoy, bumping Ava as she sits down. She orders a Cosmo, tells Ava, her bad, and asks how Ava’s Thanksgiving was. Ava says, it was great; she had Avery. Britt tells N’neka to put Ava’s drinks on her tab, and Ava says, not necessary, but very nice. She asks how Britt’s Thanksgiving was, and Britt says, amazing. It had highs, lows, my mother, cranberry from a can. It was very traditional. Now it’s time for her to get her groove on. Cody walks in, and Britt says, one more box to check. Ava says, which is? and Britt says, a little somethin’ somethin’, when Nikolas walks in, and catches Ava’s eye.

Also at The Savoy, Victor sits alone at a table, and Selina tells him, happy Thanksgiving. He says, and to her, and she asks if he enjoyed a family celebration earlier. He gestures for her to sit, and says, just with his nephew. Sadly, he couldn’t gather the other Cassadines for a celebration of turkey and conviviality. His phone dings, and Selina says she’s sorry, but he tells her not to shed any tears on his account. That’s all going to be changing going forward. He sees a text from Gavin (no doubt the guy I’ve been calling Johann): Have approx. location on Holly. En route. Victor texts back: Necklace top priority. Holly expendable. He tells Selina, he hopes soon to have the incentive he needs to bring his family together.

The woman in the cabin, now consumed by fire, runs out and flails around the yard before finally falling down. Robert screams, Holly! and breaks away from Mac, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over her. Mac runs over, and Robert looks under the blanket, and yells, no! I guess it must be her. Jordan tells an officer to cordon off the area. Canvas the cabin, and find out if anyone within a one-mile radius saw or heard anything. The paramedics tend to Holly, and Mac pulls Robert away. Robert says, she needs him, and one of the paramedics says, they need to move her, or she’s not going to make it.

Selina tells Victor, family can be so troublesome, and ungrateful. She’s been tempted to disavow herself of the whole lot. He laughs, and says, not so easily done. Biological imperative compels us to protect our clan, no matter how sorry a bunch they might be. She says, it seems they have much in common, and asks if she can call him Victor. He says, if he can call her Selina, and she says she’d like to continue their conversation. Perhaps they can compare notes. He raises his glass to her.

Ava tells Britt that she never associated Thanksgiving with trysts. Most people just want a nap. Britt says, when you’re in her position, you carpe diem and carpe dictum, and Ava asks, what position is that? Britt says, hard up. She’s been without since Jason, and before him, there was one forgettable wham-bam with Jax, then a fling thing with Ava’s brother. She hasn’t had relationship sex since… wow… 2014. Nikolas joins them, and Britt adds, with Ava’s husband.

Obrecht stomps over to Cody and says, you – with me, and he follows her out.

Curtis asks what Portia thinks about their first family Thanksgiving, and she says, definitely deserving of high marks. And the food was fantastic. She even overheard his father telling Stella that his son’s turkey was so good. It’s true; she’ll give him that. Curtis says, he’s just so grateful that he has a father to fuss with. Tommy never got that chance, and he intends to make the most of his, just in case this disease tries to take his father away again. What are the chances it rears back up? I’m guessing none, since I don’t think Marshall has schizophrenia.

Trina asks if Marshall pulled guard duty, and he says he’s just minding his own business, cleaning his clarinet. She wraps a blanket around herself, and asks if he isn’t cold. He says he’s wearing a sweater. Curtis busted his chops, and highly suggested he could keep Trina company. He figured boredom would drive her out here sooner or later. She says, here she thought she and Curtis were making progress, and Marshall says, he means well. She says she knows, but it’s not like she’s out here asking to be attacked by a freak with a hook. She just needs to breathe. She’s climbing the walls being shut up most of the time. He says he knows the feeling. Been there; done that.

Brook says, Dante told Chase about the letter? and he says, Dante assumed he knew; that Brook had looped him in. He figured she just hadn’t had the time to write it yet, what with making music and scamming Linc. She says, they’ve been crazy busy, right? Every day, all day, she’s hustling for every number Chase performs, setting up interviews and promos. She can barely breathe. He says, it’s a lot of work, and she’s thrown herself into it, and she says, letting all her responsibilities at Deception slide… He says, so maybe she wanted to and just didn’t find the  time. Maybe she thought she did tell him, or maybe she drafted the letter, and didn’t want to spring it on him until it was perfect. He’d understand anything; just tell him. When was she going to let him know Dante asked her to write a letter to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, recommending he get his badge back? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, never? She says she meant to tell him once they got Linc, but he says, that’s not a sure thing. She says, neither is her letter, but he says, Dante told him that her account of his run-ins with Valentin and Linc would go a long way in getting him right with the Board. She says, what’s to stop Linc from having his say? That liar could deny everything. Chase’s best shot at getting his badge back is after they beat Linc, and expose him for the skeeze that he is. She takes Chase’s hands, and says, once they prove Linc has no credibility, is when he can march into the CCRB with her letter, and prove he never gave up on law and order, just because law and order gave up on him. He says, that timetable doesn’t work; which he could have told her if she’d let him in on what was happening. But she didn’t. He can’t think of a single reason why she wouldn’t just tell him. She says, there is only one good reason; the only reason she needed. Us.

Trina says she didn’t mean compare being shut up with family with what Marshall went through when he was hospitalized, and Marshall says, let’s see. You can’t leave when you want to. Your mother and Curtis watch your every move. You can’t see the man in your life, Officer Cabrera. They share enough similarities to make them understand one another. She says she doesn’t think she could ever really understand what he went through, and he says he hopes she never does. She says, he doesn’t talk much about it… you know… He says, having schizophrenia. Why dwell on yesterday, when today’s so rich, and tomorrow’s so bright.

Portia says she can’t tell Curtis if Marshall is going to have another schizophrenic episode. She’s not a psychiatrist; she’s not even up on the latest science. He tells her, Marshall said he never had an episode, not since the arrest that institutionalized in the first place. Maybe Marshall caught a break, like he did, dodging his father’s genetic markers.

Ava and Nikolas gaze into each other’s eyes, and Britt says, they’re so cute. Look at them; coupled up, wedded bliss. Ava says, aren’t they though? and Nikolas says he saw Britt’s mother over there. Britt tells him, her mother says marriage is for the bourgeois. Britt thinks it would be nice if her significant other knew what toppings she likes on her hot dog, or took the wine glass out of her hand when she fell asleep on the couch. Someone who would throw her a birthday party and serve her favorite cake… or just say happy birthday. Ava says, Britt never had a birthday party? and Britt says, no birthday party, no husband. Nikolas says, she still has time, and Britt says, ain’t it the truth? She asks N’neka to get her and her friends another round.

Selina says, Victor’s nephew appears to be occupied with his wife, and Victor says, soon to be ex-wife. Selina says she’s sorry to hear that, but he says, don’t be. It was an imprudent match to begin with; harmful to both of them. It was never meant to last. Selina says, love never is, but that alone never stopped anyone from fighting for it.

Robert goes with Holly to the ambulance, saying, he loves her; hang in there. Mac stops a paramedic, and asks about Holly’s condition, and the paramedic tells him, on observation, it looks like she has burns over 75% of her body. GH is good, but she needs better, so they’re taking her to a burn unit. They’ve radioed for a medivac. Robert says he’s going with her, but Mac says, he’ll just get in the way of the paramedics. He’ll drive Robert to the airfield. Robert tells Mac to get out of his way before he belts him one, when Jordan interrupts, saying, this is a crime scene. She needs her Chief of Detectives. She tells Robert to move, and he leaves.

Portia says, Curtis and his father are lucky, no matter what the reason is. She hopes some of that luck rubs off on Trina. She can’t wait for Esme to be brought to justice. Speaking of Trina, where is she? They look outside, and see her on the patio with Marshall.

Trina says, Marshall has a way of putting things into perspective, and he says, everybody has their burdens. But no one carries it with grace such as hers. Curtis comes out, carrying the piece of pie, Portia behind him. He tells Marshall, the game is on, and Marshall gets up. He says he guesses Portia is going to watch the game with him, and she says she’ll definitely be watching. Enjoy the pie. Marshall asks if that’s the last piece of pie; he doesn’t believe this. He and Portia go inside, and Curtis puts down the pie near Trina, and sits down. She pushes it away, and he says, okay, her loss. He thought it would take the edge off after being caught in his net.

Chase says, Brook took away his best chance at getting his badge back for them? She says she’s never had this before. She’s been with other guys – she’s not exactly Snow White – but true intimacy? Not once. She was starting to think she wasn’t capable of a true connection, but then he came along. She realized, not only was intimacy possible, but it’s here, between them. Since they started working together, it’s only gotten deeper and stronger. If she never gets Linc, if she never gets her songs back, if she never exposes Linc for the creep that he is, she’d be okay. She’s be frustrated and disappointed, but she’d still be okay. Because the true gift is, every minute, she gets closer to him. She thought he felt the same way. He says he does, and she says, that’s why she didn’t tell him about the letter. She thought everything they were doing together was better than anything they’ve done alone. She thought, given enough time, he’d forget about the badge, and what he really wanted would be here with her. Just tell her she’s right.

Outside The Savoy, Cody says he thought he and Obrecht were getting along better. Is he still in the hole for punching Scotty? She says she was moved by his apology, as well as Britt’s endorsement of him. Her feelings are immaterial; only Britta’s matter. She’s a fundamentally lonely person, yearning for what she’s never had; someone to rely on. Now is no time to look for a substitute. Britt can’t do with a romantic distraction; she needs her mother. They both know Britt is headstrong, and behaves contrary to wisdom, and Cody is persistent. So… If it’s money he wants, then it’s money he shall have.

Britt asks Nikolas to be her wingman, and help scope out the sponge-worthy. She stumbles a little, and he asks if she’s okay. Ava suggests she sit down, when Selina comes over with Victor, and asks if there’s a problem. Britt says she just slipped, and Selina asks if she’s been overserved. Britt says she just had one drink, and Selina says, come with her. She tries to take Britt’s arm, but Britt throws Selina’s hand off, and almost falls again. Victor comes on the other side of her, putting her drink on the bar, and he and Selina head for a table with her.

The ambulance stops in the middle of nowhere, and the paramedics get out. Dressed as one of them, Felicia opens the back, and says, all clear. Holly sits up, and takes her head covering off. Robert asks if she’s all right, and she says, right as rain. She’s all fired up. Wow. I really thought it must be someone else, since we couldn’t see who she was. Well done.

Chase tells Brook, singing’s been a pleasant surprise. He had more fun than he thought he would. And it’s not just the performing or celebrity; it’s her. He would have never tried to be Chase the singer with anyone but her. She says, he’s got her, so there’s no problem, but he says, the problem is, he’s not Chase the singer. That’s just some face he was wearing that’s not his. She says, but it could be. She’s seen him when he gets up on stage; he comes alive. He’s so in the moment when he sings. He says, and right when he’s done, he’s checking his newsfeed. He has this fantasy that he’s the one who finds Brando’s killer; that he could still do some good at the PCPD. She says, he can. She never expected him to give up the cop forever; just put him on mute for a while. He says, until he forgets the sound of his voice altogether? Maybe she’s right. He can forget he’s a cop, and focus all his energy on singing, given enough time. But it has to be his choice. Does she get that? And she took that away from him.

Trina says she thought she and Curtis had an understanding after their discussion on boundaries, and he says he thought he’d given her a wide berth. She says, it doesn’t feel that way, and he says, they agreed he wouldn’t go behind her back and butt into her life. He did that. He even refrained from butting in from the front. He’s up for a Nobel Peace Prize. She says, which he’ll lose after assigning his father to guard her, but he says, all he did was set up a watch to keep eyes out for Esme Prince. A man is allowed to protect his castle, and all who reside in it.  

Marshall tells Portia, Trina’s not going anywhere. She’s just feeling hemmed in. She thanks him for talking to Trina, and helping her get some of that out, and asks if he’d mind possibly playing for them tonight. He says, sure, and she asks if his illness ever gets in the way of him playing. She’s sorry… He says, no, that’s okay. No one’s ever asked. The only way schizophrenia got between him and his music was when he had to go underground to protect his family from the stigma. She says, so it never inhibited his performance? and he says, just his ambitions. Why all the questions?

Mac asks Jordan if there’s any idea what caused the explosion, and she says, the theory is a faulty stove. She has to get her people inside. Hopefully there’s some evidence to explain Holly’s strange behavior. He hands her an evidence bag, and says, maybe this will help. The firefighters pulled it out. She asks what it is, and he says, the remains of Robert’s briefcase; the one he put the necklace in. She says, so where’s the necklace?

Holly thanks Felicia for the clothes, and Felicia says she’s happy she got the sizes right. She has Holly’s new passport and her international driver’s license. Does she feel better? Holly says, just a little singed around the edges. Robert joins them, and says, that was something. Holly says she’s just sorry he and Mac had to see it; she can’t imagine what it looked like. Felicia says, the danger was minimal. She and Holly worked it out to a tee. Holly tells her, thank you for that… We see Felicia meeting Holly, and Holly says, Felicia was waiting for me when I arrived at the cabin last night. They go inside, and Felicia gives Holly some things out of a duffel bag. Holly says, with fireproof garments, and fire retardant gel to make the ruse look real. Felicia tells her to put it on her face, and Holly says, we went over the instructions on how to rig the stove at the appointed time. Back at the ambulance, Felicia says, Holly flambé. She can’t believe Holly was able to work it out in time. Robert says, they had no choice, and Holly says, they were operating on Victor’s timetable. She couldn’t just hand over the necklace. Robert says, she couldn’t defy Victor either, and Holly says, or Ethan would have paid the price. She and Robert faked Robert’s drugging, so she’d have the opportunity to steal the necklace, and lay a trail to the cabin for the PCPD to find. Robert says, it only works if they have a credible witness to Holly’s injuries, and Holly says, because Ethan’s only chance of survival is if Victor believes she’s of no more use to him.

Cody says, Obrecht’s willing to pay him to stay away from Britt? and she says she’s prepared to give him six figures. He says he doesn’t want her money. He just wants what, by rights, should belong to him. She says, Dominique’s inheritance, and he says, yeah, and he wanted something else; not something, someone. She says, her daughter, and he says he thought he could have both. Boy, did he misjudge that situation. Now it looks like he can’t have either, but maybe all he wanted was Britt. Obrecht will be happy to know, he blew it big time. Her daughter wants nothing to do with him. She says, perhaps Britta’s learned some wisdom after all, and he says, she can tell Britt that he can take no for an answer, and he can take living hand to mouth. So Obrecht can keep her money, and not worry about him dogging Britt. He doesn’t want to go where he’s not wanted. Obrecht says she’ll make sure Britt knows, and he says he’s sure she will. One more thing. What’s wrong with Britt? Why is Obrecht willing to go broke just to keep him away from her? Obrecht says, sorry. Answers were never on offer.

Britt shakes off Victor and Selina as they get to the table, and Victor says he’s going to get her mother. Britt says, leave her mother out of this, and leave her alone. Selina says she’s getting Britt a cab, but Britt says, this is ridiculous. She had one drink. Victor says, not counting the drinks she had on the way over, and Britt says she can handle her liquor. Selina says, but she can’t even stand up straight unaided, and Victor says, wait. This isn’t alcohol, is it? Britt’s sick.

Ava says, Victor won’t be very pleased, seeing Nikolas consorting with the enemy, and Nikolas says he has no intention of divorcing her. She says she had no intention of becoming bait for the PCPD, but sometimes, one never knows what the day may bring. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, Mac Scorpio thinks Ryan Chamberlain can lead them to Esme if she convinces him to.

Victor says, Faison’s legacy, and Britt says, shut up about that, when Obrecht flies in between them. She slaps Victor, and says, touch her daughter, and she’ll kill him. Selina says, everyone, calm down, and Cody hustles Victor off, suggesting they take a walk. Britt says, he’s going to tell people, but Obrecht says, he wouldn’t dare. There’s a special place in hell for men like that. Selina says, the Ninth Circle… I’ve heard it said.  

Robert gives Holly some keys, and says, the car’s untraceable. Drive it over the border to Canada, and with her new ID, she can disappear. She says, Victor will follow up, but he says, witnesses will recall there was a woman placed in a medivac. Felicia says, yours truly. She’ll be dropped off outside Port Charles, and flight plans will indicate Holly Sutton was transferred to a plane transporting her to a burn clinic halfway across the world. Robert says, very private, very secure, and Felicia says, reports will have her comatose with a long, difficult recovery. Robert says, and Victor will probably lose interest, leaving her free to rescue her son. Holly says she won’t squander their efforts, and Felicia says she knows that. Holly thanks them for everything they’ve done on her behalf and her son’s. She just wishes they didn’t have to leave Mac in the dark, but Felicia says, this way, Mac can’t lie to Jordan about Holly. Besides, he’d be the first to agree she’s worth it. Holly wonders how she can ever repay them, and Felicia hugs her, saying, get her son back, and get Victor. Holly says she’s working on it. She remembers…

Selina holds up a diamond, and says, interesting. Holly says, satisfied? and Selina says, she’d prefer the entire necklace, but Holly says, that’s all that’s available, and only in exchange for the guarantee that Victor Cassadine ingests this. She holds up a vial, and asks if it can be done. Selina says she sees Victor at The Savoy on occasion, but she can’t have the club associated with a death. Holly says, if she wanted Victor dead, he’d be dead. He’ll only feel the effects of this drug if the circumstances arise… or don’t. Selina asks, what did Victor do to earn Holly’s animosity? and Holly says, Victor fancies himself a family man, whilst he’s holding her son hostage. She’ll never get Ethan back if Victor is dead. In the meantime, a dose of this will pay him back in kind. Selina says, there’s a special place in hell for such men, and Holly says, the Ninth Circle. Will she do it? Selina says, Holly has her word, and takes the vial.

N’neka brings Victor another drink, and he raises his glass to Selina, who looks at the vial in her hand. She says, and my word is my bond.

Curtis says, Trina’s not a prisoner. He just wants to make sure she’s safe and sound while she’s here. If she doesn’t like his rules, they’re only temporary. But he does need her to respect them, just as he respects her boundaries. And while he hopes this doesn’t compromise the friendship they decided to try out, he’ll understand if it does. She says, two steps forward, one step back is still progress. Fork? He gives her the fork, and she snatches the pie away, telling him, don’t squander that progress. He says he made that pie, and she says, from her mom’s recipe. He throws up his hands in surrender.

Portia says she guesses she’s just curious that none of Marshall’s doctors ever suggested genetic counseling or screening like Curtis had. He says, things like that weren’t around back when he was in the hospital, but she says, those things are commonplace nowadays. Has he ever considered it? and he says, what’s the point? He already has a diagnosis. What would genetic counseling tell him that he doesn’t already know? Um… what I said before.

Chase tells Brook, the only way he’d want to become a singer is if he decides himself, but she never gave him that option. She says she thought he wanted it as much as she did, and he says, to take down Linc? Sure, but she knew how bad he wanted to return to the PCPD. So when Dante asked her to write the letter, she didn’t tell him because she knew he’d be all for it. She says she never thought of it like that, and he says he’s been where she is, making decisions for others, and personal experience showed him just how wrong it was. He did it with Willow. She says, so that’s it? He’s hanging up the mic? She gets it. He says, she doesn’t. It’s not just the mic; it’s us. His singing career is over, and so are they.

Nikolas tells Ava that she can’t be in Ryan’s presence; it’s too dangerous. She says, Ryan is a  turnip, and any danger would be worth it to protect Trina. Esme is out there killing people, and she has to do what she can to stop her, even if it means she pays the price for Esme going over the parapet… or he does.

Marshall asks, what would be the benefit after all these years, to get confirmation of what he already knows? when Trina and Curtis come back in. Portia says, somebody enjoyed the pie, and Curtis says, the pie that he barely got to taste. Is Marshall ready for some football? Marshall says, let’s do this, and puts on the TV.

Brook tells Chase to think about what he’s saying, and he says, she’s the most exciting person he’s ever met. She made him feel like the luckiest guy alive. She says, he made her feel the same way, and he says, but then they went in on this plan to expose Linc, and it muddied things up for the both of them. They should have set boundaries; either working together as singer and manager, or two people who can’t get enough of each other. But not both, because now they don’t work as anything. She tells him, don’t say that. That’s not true. They can work this out. He says, she lied to him. She kept him from the thing that makes him who he is. There’s nothing to work out. It’s over. He leaves, and she cries.

Britt tells Obrecht, everything was fine. She could swallow her drink, then suddenly, her feet fell out from under her. Obrecht says she’s so sorry. Let’s go home. Britt asks why Obrecht’s never thrown her a birthday party, and Obrecht says she must have some time, but Britt says, she didn’t. She’s going to throw herself a birthday party to end all parties. If she’s going down, she’s going down dancing, even if she’s dancing on her own. Obrecht helps Britt out of the club, as Cody watches.

Holly tells Robert, so this is goodbye. She’s sorry for everything. Most of all, she’s sorry for coming back to him only to leave again. If there was any other way… He says, there isn’t, and she says, this isn’t their moment. He says, it never is, but she says she recalls a certain… Goodbye, Robert. He asks if she isn’t forgetting something, and she kisses him, but he says he actually meant something else. She says, oh? and he says, the necklace.

Mac says, the firefighters didn’t see a necklace, and Jordan says, call CSU. They need to conduct their own search. They need to make sure nobody walked out with it. He says, it’s possible Holly ditched the necklace, or handed it off to Victor before holing up, and Jordan says, or she had it on her when she left with the paramedics. He says he’ll check with Robert. It’s possible it got destroyed in the fire. She says, a diamond necklace? and he says, a hot enough fire can turn diamond to ash. It might be gone for good. She says, the WSB is going to be pissed

Victor swirls his drink, and drains his glass. His phone dings, and a text from Gavin says: Holly disabled. Necklace missing. Victor shatters his glass on the table.

Holly tells Robert, oh, the necklace. She almost forgot. They laugh, and she takes it out of her pocket, giving it to him. She asks why Victor wanted it so badly. What’s so special about it? He says, it came from the Ice Princess itself. He thinks it has something to do with the diamonds. She says, the Ice Princess has a bad habit of destroying those who covet it. Be careful. He says he’s always careful, and she says, except with his heart, touching his chest. He says, be seeing you, and she slowly walks away. She turns, blows him a kiss, and walks into the mist.

Tomorrow, Sasha tells Chase, in her heart, Brook was doing it for them both; Nina says she hopes Willow can help out a friend; Carly asks Josslyn if Dex is a factor in her decision; and Sonny says, if something is too good to be true, it usually is.

🔥 Like a DVD Extra…

It was pretty impressive.

🚑 Entering the Hospital…

The final (TBD) Carly recalls her beginnings on GH.

🥱 More Old News…

Blah-blah-blah, Ramona, blah-blah-blah, Andy.

🚂 She Thinks They Can…

Why is Teddi weighing in on this? Is she a relationship coach now? Apparently, this site likes her, but still not a fan.

🎄 Light It Already…

Yeah, yeah. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are cute, but it was like, come on and flip the switch. Not as bad as waiting for the Best Picture Oscar though.

https://www.rockefellercenter.com/holidays/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting/

🤸‍♀️ Holly Jollying…

Tomorrow, soap and another episode of that horrifying House. And I’m not talking about The Watcher. Come suffer with me. Until then, stay safe, stay serene in a stormy world, and stay not dwelling on yesterday, when today’s so rich, and tomorrow’s so bright.

⚠️ Warning: Some words not for sensitive ears:

November 11, 2022 – Laura Visits With Two Inmates, Mostly Cut, Possible Pair, Soap Son, Days Return, Ho-Ho-Ho, Too Long, More Wives, VanderNew, Daryl’s Spin, CMAs, 11 Quotes For 11/11 & Balloons

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna kisses Valentin, and he asks if she slept well. She says, you’d think the adrenaline rush would have kept her awake, but no. How about him? There’s a knock at the door, and Valentin answers. It’s Sonny, who says, helluva night, right?

On the phone, Josslyn tells Carly that she was with friends, and got in late, but they walked her back to her room.. Yes, she’s being careful… No she won’t be alone. We see Dex sleeping in Josslyn’s dorm room, which has one fantastic view, and looks like no dorm room in the real world.

Trina goes into Kelly’s, where Cameron is looking at his phone. She says she’d like to speak to the manager. He’s supposed to be serving, not surfing. He says he is the manager, and he’s been trying to reach Joss all morning. She asks if he’s worried, and he says, kind of. She hasn’t responded to his texts. Has Trina seen her on campus? She says, today’s her late class, but she’s sure Josslyn’s fine. Does he want her to try? He says, he’s probably overreacting. He’s just a little on edge with all the attacks that have been going on. She says, they all are, especially given the latest news. He says, so she heard Esme’s back in town? and she says, not until now.

Laura hugs Spencer, and says she’s been waiting months to do this. She can’t believe he let her get away with it. He says, she is the mayor, and sits down with her. She says, he’s looking thin, but he says, it’s probably the ill-fitting clothes. She asks if he’s doing okay, and he says, things could be worse. He’s being looked after. She says, that’s good. Who’s doing the looking after?

Austin calls Spinelli, and leaves a message, saying, maybe Spinelli could give him a call, and let him know about the favor he asked Spinelli to do for him. At the vending machine, Britt drops her change, and says, dammit. Austin says, let him, and picks it up for her. She says, that’ll teach her to polish off a bottle of Beaujolais on a school night, and he says, the French government doesn’t release the new Beaujolais until the third week in November, so technically, it’s probably a bottle of old Beaujolais. He puts the change in the machine, and asks what she’d like. She says, club soda, and he gets it for her. She thanks him, and says she didn’t know he was a wine aficionado. He says, not at all; he dated a girl in college who was. She takes a sip, and coughs. She tells him, don’t worry, she’s okay, and he says, she could have fooled him.

On the phone, Jordan tells someone to come to her office. She needs to see them right away. A guy walks right in, followed by Officer Clark, and the officer says he tried to stop him. Jordan asks who the guy is, and he shows his badge, saying, Agent Whitten with the US Marshal Service. She thanks Officer Clark, and asks him to shut the door. He leaves, and Whitten says, he’s here to talk to her… She says, let’s get something straight. She doesn’t give a damn if he’s a marshal, CIA, or one of the Avengers. Don’t barge into her office like that. Now what does he want? He says, everything she has on the Anna Devane case. He’s assuming control of the investigation.

Trina asks Cameron, where? Do the cops know? He says, they know. His mom spotted her on the pier. When she was trying to dial 9-1-1, Esme tried to grab the phone, and his mom fell and hit her head. She asks if his mom is all right, and he says, thankfully, but Esme got away, and they don’t know where she is. She’s still out there. Trina says, Esme’s graduated from torching cars and making revenge porn, to trying to kill that bartender. She’s seriously unhinged. He says, they have no idea what she’s capable of, and Trina asks if Josslyn told him Commissioner Ashford’s theory. He says, about The Hook targeting people closely related to Trina and the trial; yes. She says, Esme as the maniac? She can’t wrap her head around it. He tells her, please watch her back, and she says, him too. Does Spencer know? He says, they didn’t tell Spencer because they didn’t know Esme was back in town. They also didn’t know about The Hook’s connection to her. She says, and they were busy telling him other things? He says, Trina’s name did come up, and she says, Joss told her, especially how Spencer’s feelings were hurt when he found out she knew he’d believed in her all along, and never acknowledged it to him. Cameron asks why she didn’t, and she says she tried before he was taken to Pentenville, but by the time she reached the PCPD, he was gone. Cameron says, she knows where to find him, and he wonders what’s holding her back.

Laura says she guesses it’s his Uncle Victor pulling the strings, and Spencer says he’s had support from all of his uncles; each are useful in their own way. She says, Sonny is usually great, and he says, Uncle Martin tried like hell to get his sentence reduced. She says, he told her. He said Spencer refused to give him the name of the accomplice who helped him get an unauthorized pass from Spring Ridge. He says, she disapproves, and she says she understands him wanting to visit his mother’s grave, and she guesses he’s taken full responsibility and accepted the consequences, but whoever helped him should also face some consequences, because what they did was wrong too. He says, it seems unfair to penalize others for his decision, and asks how his great-grandmother Lesley is doing. Laura says, she’s recovering. She’s doing well, but it was so sad. They lost everything. Bit by bit, their new place on Lake Como is starting to feel like home. He says he’s glad. It’s good she’s back. It’s nice to see her. She says, him too, but he says, she shouldn’t have come here though.

Jordan says, to the best of her knowledge, Anna hasn’t crossed state lines, which puts this case under the jurisdiction of the PCPD, but Whitten says, not any longer. The mayor’s office called him in. She says, Mayor Collins called him? but he says, no. Mayor Collins is out of the country. Deputy Mayor Ashby contacted his office. Jordan says, on what grounds? and he says, the Deputy Mayor feels that city and state resources are stretched too thin. She says, what law enforcement department isn’t? She has this under control. He says, not from what he sees. A failed prisoner transport – the second in less than a year – and now she has a potential serial killer on the loose. It appears her resources are severely overtaxed. She says she’ll need confirmation confirming his jurisdiction, and he hands her some paperwork, saying, he’s not here to step on her toes; he’s here to help. From his understanding, in addition to being a WSB agent, the fugitive was also once Police Commissioner? She says, his understanding is correct, and he says, look at it this way. Relinquishing control of this investigation will avoid any appearance of impropriety for both her and her department.

Sonny asks, what happened out there? and Anna asks if Dex didn’t tell him. He says, no, and she says, Heather Webber happened. She was added to the transport at the last minute, and Dex tried to change the route so they’d go to D’Archam first and drop her, then Pentenville. She guesses the guard got suspicious, there was a struggle up front, Dex lost control of the vehicle, and crashed. After that, she doesn’t remember. Sonny says he hears the guard is still alive, so he can give them a description, and Valentin asks where Dex would go if he wanted to keep a low profile. Sonny says he doesn’t know. Dex doesn’t have many connections, and without him, Dex could be anywhere.

Dex struggles to sit up, and Josslyn says, let her help. He asks if he’s in her dorm room, and she says, good guess. He popped a stitch, then she found him not far from the house. He wasn’t completely unconscious, so she was able to get him in her car. She couldn’t take him to a hospital, so she brought him back here. He says, that was risky, but she says, not really. He looked like a drunk frat guy. He says he can’t believe she did all this for him, and she says, neither can she.

Austin and Britt go to an exam room, and she asks if he’s forgotten who’s the Chief of Staff. She gives the orders. It was nothing; she swallowed too fast. He asks her to put her hand out, and not be a difficult patient. She does, and her hand is shaking slightly. He says, they need to run some tests, but she says, no need. Too much caffeine. He says, what about the dysphasia? A first year med student can see it’s hard for her to swallow. How long has it been going on? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, it’s probably nothing, but they’ll just run a scan. He doesn’t need to tell her, the symptoms she’s exhibiting might be part of a larger neurological muscular disorder. She says she doesn’t need a test because she knows what’s going on. She has Huntington’s Disease.

Sonny says, everyone at GH is being questioned, and Anna says, what about Heather? He says, she’s been apprehended, and Anna asks where they found her. He says, Kelly’s, of all places. His phone chirps, and he says, voicemail. It didn’t even ring. Valentin says, they’re pretty remote, and Anna says, there’s no reception here. Sonny steps away, and Anna says she feels terrible about Dex. That kid out there hiding; she just wanted this to be a clean operation. He says, extractions can get complicated. Sonny’s guy knew the risks going in. She says, now he’s paying the price because of her, but Valentin says, because of Victor. Victor made her take the fall for what he did to Lucy. Dear old dad. Sonny comes back, and says, Jordan wants to talk to him at the precinct. Anna says, she suspects he helped her, and Sonny says, could be, but she can’t prove it, so this will be the last time they can have any kind of contact. He and Anna hug, and he tells her to take care of herself. She thanks him, and he says, prove her innocence, and leaves.

Spencer says, Laura is wasting her time here. There’s too much happening in Port Charles right now. She says, it’s never a waste of her time to see him. Nothing is more important to her. She has some news for him. Apparently, Esme has been spotted again in Port Charles. He asks if she’s been arrested, and Laura says, no, but the authorities are looking out for her. He says he hopes they deploy dogs, and she says, he has every right to feel betrayed, but holding on to his rage and resentment will ultimately only hurt him. He says, this isn’t just about Esme, is it? and she says, his dad told her there had been another rift between them. He won’t be in here much longer. Does he think they can all work this out together? Maybe Sundays at her house? He says, obviously, his father didn’t tell her why they’re estranged, an she says, no, but he can. What happened? He tells her, ask her son, or when they find her, ask Esme.

Josslyn tells Dex, she used her keycard to nab some medical supplies from the gym, and the locker room had most of what she needed to clean and rebandage his wound. He asks if she has a roommate, but she says, it’s taken care of. He asks, who else has a key? but she says, nobody is going to come in here. He’s fine. He says he can’t stay here, and rolls out of bed. She tells him, don’t get up, and he nearly falls over on her. She helps him back to bed, and says, he’s heavier than he looks. He says, all muscle, and she looks at the bandage. She says, no blood, so that’s good. He could have popped another stitch pulling that stunt. She hopes it’s worth working for Sonny. How much is Sonny paying Dex to get shot for him? She doesn’t see Sonny risking his life. Dex says, no comment, and she says, he needs food and hydration. If she gets something from the dining hall, does he promise to be good and stay put? He says he doesn’t want her involved, but she says, it’s too late. Besides, he has nowhere else to go. He says he does. Grab his phone, and he’ll make arrangements. She says, he didn’t have a phone, and he asks if he can borrow hers, but she says, not if he’s going to use it to call Sonny.

Whitten asks if Jordan has any leads on the individual who commandeered the van, and she says, not at the scene. He says, did the security footage from the General Hospital parking garage turn up anything? but she says, their mystery man was shy with the cameras. One of her officers did make contact during transfer. He says he’ll need to talk to that officer, and she says, he was focused on the transfer, and never even saw the driver’s face. Should he remember any details, she’ll have him meet with their sketch artist and have a composite drawn. He says, jar that memory. An ID on that driver will lead them to whoever aided Anna Devane’s escape. She says, okay, Captain Obvious. There’s a knock at the door, and Jordan says, come in. Sonny walks in, and Whitten says, Mr. Corinthos. You just saved me a trip.

Trina tells Cameron, the last time she talked to Spencer, she told him that she didn’t want to be friends. She’s not sure she can take that back. She’s not sure she wants to. Cameron says he guesses that’s up to her. If she’s moved on, more power to her. He thinks ultimately, Spencer just wants her to be happy, even if it’s with Rory. The same goes for him. She thanks him, and says, Rory is a great guy. Cameron says, they seem at ease with one another, like him and Joss. She says, he and Joss have gone through a lot in the past few months, and they’re still together. He says he thinks it’s their friendship that keeps them grounded. Because of that bond, it’s easier to find their way back to one another. Trina says, she and Rory are friends too; he’s so supportive. Cameron says he’s glad. Maybe it’s for the best Spencer never gave her that letter.

Laura says, ask Esme? What does she have to do with the rift between Spencer and his dad? Spencer tells her, that’s not for him to say, and the guard says, time’s up. Spencer says, it’s great to see her, and she asks if there’s anything he needs. He says, she came to see him. He couldn’t ask for more. Before she left, he made her a promise, and he’s sorry he let her down. She says, he didn’t let her down. What he did for Trina is the epitome of protecting the people you love. She couldn’t be more proud of him. He thanks her, and she says she’ll see him soon. He leaves, and the guard tells Laura, before she goes, there’s someone else who would like to talk to her. She asks, who? and Cyrus says, her big brother. Hello, Laura.  

Josslyn says she can’t stop Dex from asking Sonny for help, but he’s not doing it from her phone. He says he gets that she hates the guy… and she says she’ll never shake the sight of Dex hanging from a meat hook. His face all bruised, shivering with cold, all these knives laid out in front of him. And this is the man he wants to go to for help. Is she supposed to be grateful while Sonny acts all concerned and protective? No. He says he can’t stay here forever, and his options are limited. She tells him, he can send Sonny an email, but he can’t do it from her account. He says, not exactly the most expedient form of communication. (Remember when it used to be?) Just give it to him please. She brings over her laptop, and says she’s going to grab some stuff. Stay here and be good. She’ll be back soon. She leaves, and he opens the laptop.

Trina asks if Cameron is talking about the letter Spencer almost gave her at the party, and her phone rings. It’s Josslyn, and Trina asks if everything is okay. Josslyn says, everything is totally fine, but Trina says she sounds weird. Josslyn says she doesn’t want to freak Trina out, but is she planning on swinging by the room today? Trina says she’s not sure. What’s up? Josslyn says, apparently, they’re spraying for bedbugs, and Trina says, gross. She tells Cameron, they’re spraying the room for bedbugs, and Josslyn asks if she’s with Cam. Trina asks if Josslyn wants to talk to him. He’s been trying to get ahold of her. Josslyn says, tell him she’ll call him back later. She has to clear some stuff out of the room so they can spray. Trina asks if she needs help, but Josslyn says, no; she’s got it covered. Trina says, keep her posted, and Cameron asks if Josslyn didn’t want to talk to him. Trina says, it sounded like she had a lot going on.

In Josslyn’s room, Dex sends an email. In the hallway, Adam asks Josslyn if they have bedbugs, and she says, that’s the rumor. Check his mattress. He says he woudn’t know the signs. Can she show him what to look for?

Cyrus says, it’s good to see Laura. Please sit with him. She says she can’t stay. She’s still the mayor, and has some important things to attend to; no thanks to him and those Friends of Port Charles. He says, she’s still angry about the recall effort, but he has no desire to hurt her, despite her belief to the contrary. She says she does know now it wasn’t him who was behind the attempt on her and Martin’s life at the safe house last June, and he says, good. He told her. She says he did. Forgive her if she doesn’t always take him at his word. He says he forgives her. Does she know who’s behind the attack? She says, if she told him, what would he do? and he says, just send a message. She says, ahh. So much for his conversion, but he says, safeguarding his family is in line with biblical principles. It’s good to see her; she’s looking well. She tells him that she doesn’t know how to say this without sounding mean, but she didn’t come here to talk to him. He says he knows, but maybe that can change. Maybe she and Martin could visit him together. He’d love to see his brother. How is he? Laura says, Cyrus should ask him, and he says he’d like to, but she’s here and he’s not. Has something happened? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, she’s afraid he’ll use personal information to hurt Martin. She has to believe him. He’s doing everything he can to make things right with his family. Starting with his  great-nephew Spencer.

Valentin says, if Deputy Mayor Ashby is on Victor’s payroll, who knows who else could be? and Anna says, but Ashby needs definitive proof to tie her to Victor. Valentin says, it’s time we stop focusing on Victor’s guilt, and focus on proving your innocence, and she says, we? He says, of course (🍷), but she says he has to go. He says, in due time, but she says, now, today. If they get caught, he’ll go to prison too. He asks if she thinks he doesn’t know that. She’s a survivor, but how is she going to hide out here, and conduct an investigation by herself? She says, carefully. He has to go. He asks if she has any idea how much she means to him, and they touch foreheads.

Britt tells Austin, her father had Huntington’s. When she found out, she chose not to get tested. She started having hand tremors, and it turned out it was just repetitive motions disorder, but she realized it wasn’t doing her any good to hide. The fear that she might have Huntington’s was ruining her life. So she talked it through with someone she respected, and decided she needed to know one way or the other. Now she knows. He says he’s sorry, and she says, there’s no wrist brace to stave off this disease. She lives every day knowing symptoms can present at any time. He asks what kind of timeline her treating physician gave her, but she says she doesn’t have one, and he says, doctor, you need a doctor. He’s no expert, but from what he remembers about this horrible disease, she’s in the early stages, and there are protocols that can help her manage her symptoms. She says she knows her disease progresses in stages. She knows it may be able to carry on with activities for years. There are meds that can help her deal with symptoms without assistance, yada-yada. He says, it’s not yada-yada. All of those things should comfort her. She says, cut the crap. Let’s be real. There’s a bomb in her brain, and the countdown has begun.

Whitten says he’s surprised to see Sonny Corinthos easily saunter into the Police Commissioner’s office, and Jordan says, at least he knocked. <snort> She’d requested his presence before Whitten barged in. Sonny says, Whitten seems to know him, but he doesn’t know Whitten, and Whitten says, Agent Whitten with the US Marshal’s Service. Sonny asks if he should have his lawyer present, but Whitten says, no; it’s just a friendly conversation. Sonny says, no such thing from the Feds, and Whitten says he’s been going through Anna Devane’s file, and it appears she and Sonny go way back. Sonny says, so what? and Whitten says, Miss Devane is a high value fugitive. The government is anxious to sit down with her. Jordan says, he’s hoping to make a deal, and Sonny says, maybe a trade in classified information. Whitten says, Sonny would be making a friend at the Attorney General’s office if he helps them, but Sonny says he doesn’t need a friend. And if Whitten thinks he’s going to coerce Anna into giving them state secrets, he doesn’t know her at all. Whitten says, Sonny does. Just let his friend know they can offer her safe haven… if Sonny is in contact with her. Sonny says he’s not, and Whitten says, that’s a shame. His bosses say, if they can’t bring her in bring, they have to bring her down. Jordan says, no need to get combative, but Whitten says he doesn’t see the need to waste time or mince words. She says, Anna Devane is no danger to the public at large, but he says, they don’t know that. He’ll take the file with him, and have any files related to this case uploaded to his office this afternoon. He gives Sonny his card, and says, in case there’s anything he needs to know. He leaves, and Jordan says she didn’t know he’d be here when she called Sonny. Sonny rips up the card, and says, he gathered. Ambushes aren’t her style. She says, that wasn’t a bluff, was it? and Sonny says, when he told them he’d take down Anna if he couldn’t bring her in? He thinks Whitten meant every damn word.

Anna says, the best thing Valentin could do for both of them is leave. Because she would feel devastated if something happened to him. He says, why doesn’t he stick around a few more days? and she says, because if Victor realizes they’re both missing… Valentin says he’s sure Victor knows by now. He’s sure Victor knows he helped with her escape. She says, but what if Victor takes advantage of his absence, and seizes Charlotte again? and he says, she’s safe with Laura. Anna says, he just got her back. He was in hell without her. He needs to be there for her. He has to keep her safe. She’s a big girl; she can manage. He says, okay, and takes off his ring. He says, this ring has a lot of complicated feelings for him. She says, the Cassadine ring, sure, and he says, and every time he tries to get rid of it, it finds its way back to him. Will she hold on to it until they’re together again? He puts the ring in her hand, closes her fingers around it, and kisses them.  

Britt tells Austin, obviously, she covers all the bases with her patients, but she reserves the right not to waste her own precious time. Maybe she’ll get her affairs in order instead. Austin says, okay, but he thinks the way it goes is, there are horses, and then there’s a cart. She says she’s had her fill of horse idioms, and he says, how’s Cody? Does he know? She says, only her mother and Scotty know. She hasn’t told anyone else who matters. They laugh, and he says he’s just kidding. She doesn’t have to manage his feelings. She says, the irony. It’s the first time in a long time things have started to go well. He says he’s sorry, but he doesn’t see it as the end of the line for her. She says she thinks that’s something he’d say to a patient, and he says he knows she’s not his patient, but they’re both physicians, so they know there are advancements in medicine every day. And they caught this early, so maybe they can take advantage of one of them. For what it’s worth (🍷), if he had to wager between her and Huntington’s, he’s all in on her.

Josslyn tells Adan, just google bedbugs. She thinks they’re tiny dark spots on your sheets and pillowcases. He says, don’t you have to throw everything out? He’ll check just in case. He’s glad Trina is back at PCU, and they can all move on from what happened. She says she appreciates that, and he says, she deserves a drama free year. He leaves, and she says, that’s not gonna happen.

Trina says, before Joss called, Cameron was going to say something about Spencer’s letter. Does he know what Spencer wrote? Cameron says, he just said he confessed everything; why he did what he did. Not that it matters now though, right? She says, what’s done is done, and he says he has to go back to work in the kitchen. Promise him she’ll stay vigilant. They all have to watch their backs now that Esme’s around. She says, 100%. One more thing. Was Spencer confessing to playing Esme, or something else? Cameron says, for that, she’ll have to ask Spencer herself.  

Laura asks why Cyrus is bringing up Spencer, and he says, they got acquainted here. He sees great things in Spencer; a lot of her energy. She says, no. Stay away from Spencer. Cyrus shouts that he’s been protecting Spencer… and she tells him not to raise his voice. Sit down. Cyrus says, ever since he became a ward of the state. In case she didn’t notice, it’s a little dangerous in here. She tells him, sit down, and they both sit. He says, ask Spencer. Did Spencer seem okay to her? She says, he did, and Cyrus says, he’s going to make sure Spencer stays that way. He can’t promise the same for her friend Anna Devane. If she’s captured, perhaps as mayor, Laura can pull strings to make sure she doesn’t come to Pentenville. Laura asks, why? What does he know? He asks if the name Olivia Jerome means anything to her, and Laura asks if Olivia has said something. He says, only that she can’t wait to roll out the Pentenville red carpet for Anna Devane. He knows Laura doesn’t trust him, but trust this. If Anna is on the run, it’s best she stays that way.

Jordan says, if Sonny know where Anna is, let them bring her in. It’s safer that way. He asks if she thinks Anna would really be safer in Pentenville within Victor’s reach. He’s the one who set her up. Anna is lucky she has friends, them included. She says, Anna is a dear friend, but she can’t break the law outright for her. Sonny says he gets it, but she can’t turn Anna over to that hotshot agent either. She says, hell no. He only wants to impress his bosses. They can’t let that happen at the expense of Anna. He says, so they’re on the same page here. Anna is safer on her own.

On the phone, Whitten says, they find the person most likely to have helped Anna escape. Then they lean on him until he breaks. He opens a folder, and looks at Valentin’s picture. Um… When I think of Valentin, I don’t think of someone who cracks easily.

Anna says, when Valentin is back in Port Charles, he’ll be able to keep an eye on his father, and he says, if she leaves here, how will he find her? She says she’ll find him, and he tells her, be careful. She tells him to be careful too, and they kiss. He says, je t’aime, and she says, à bientôt. He leaves, and she looks at the ring and cries.

Britt tells Austin, here’s a positive. She can blame her britchiness on Huntington’s. He says, there’s the indominable spirit that everyone around here respects so much, and she asks if he missed the part where she said britch. She’s not Miss Popularity. Austin says he doesn’t think people see her the way they used to, and she asks how he knows. He says he works here. She knows how doctors and nurses are; they all talk. She’s respected. For her deep, deep compassion, even though she tries every way she can to convince everyone she doesn’t have any. She’s got a lot in her life. She’s got Brad. She’s got her mom. Maxie and her kids. Britt says, thank God James and Bailey don’t have the marker, and he says, if they did, she’d be there to support them, right? She says, of course (🍷), and he says, so maybe let everybody support her now. There’s nothing you can’t share with someone that you love.

Kiley, Josslyn’s RA, bangs on her dorm room door. She asks if Josslyn is in there. She needs to talk to her; it’s important. The door handle rattles, and Dex quietly freaks out.

The guard leads Spencer to the visitor’s room, and Spencer says he thought his time with this grandmother was up. The guard lets him in, and Spencer sees Trina. He smooths back his hair, and they kind of smile at one another.

On Monday, Josslyn says she’s not hiding anything; Ava says, this particular matter can’t wait; and Carly blocks Elizabeth from closing her door, and says, she needs to make the time.

✂️ Better Than a Poke In the Eye…

At least he has an audience to share his pain and outtakes with. For the average Joe who got cut, no one cares except his family. Maybe.

Look for GH’s Michael Blake Kruse in ‘Wakanda Forever!’

⚖️ Strange Moment…

Yeah, what was that about in the elevator? It’s kind of out of the blue.

Diane and Robert on GH? — Carolyn Hennesy Speaks Out!

🧼 Next Soap Generation…

A soap torch being passed.

Joshua Benard Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🏕 Switching Camps…

Sonny’s right hand man has a new gig.

https://people.com/tv/steve-burton-returns-to-days-of-our-lives-reprising-harris-michaels-role/

🎄 It’s Beginning To Look…

Upcoming Christmas joy from handsome guys.

Join Ryan Paevey for a Special Christmas Event!

Cameron Mathison Stars in a Romantic New Holiday Movie!

💸 Sadly, No Surprise…

I figured they’d been at it a while. Apparently, all those complaints went in the circular file. Bureaucracy at its best.

✈️ Worldly Wives…

This is old news, but I’d never heard of them. It’s kind of sad that this junk I admittedly watch has infiltrated other countries.

🍸 New Rules…

The forgot to mention, LVP’s many pets.

⚰️ Vive le Mort…

This sounds pretty interesting, even if they stole the nightclub idea from Z Nation. (Checking… yes, still bitter about it’s cancelation.)

🐎 Take Me Home…

The CMA winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/09/entertainment/cma-awards-winners-list

And more important, the CMA fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/35290/cma-awards-2022-red-carpet-fashion

👩🏽‍💻 Quotes of the Week

Short term decisions have long term consequences. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. – Anais Nin

We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. – Carlos Castaneda

We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in. – Arianna Huffington

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. – Gloria Steinem

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan

If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.Michele Ruiz

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. – W. Clement Stone

If I can’t eat it, bang it, or bet on it, it’s not in my phone. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

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

🌻 Pursuing Happiness…

Wrapping it up for now, but I’ll be back when the Dead are Walking. Until then, stay safe, stay thanking every veteran you meet, and stay letting people who love you support you in a crisis. There’s nothing you can’t share with someone that you love.