(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Elizabeth tells Finn, the doctor she argued with, the one who fell down the stairs, it was Reiko. He asks if she thinks Reiko fell because of her, and she says she doesn’t just think it; she knows it’s true.
On the phone, Nikolas tells Demetrius that Esme’s not in her room. She tied her bedsheets together to make a rope, probably so she could use them to get off the ledge into an adjoining room… He looked through the entire main house, and she’s nowhere to be found.
Cody tears open the envelope, and Felicia says, well? Mac says, give him a moment, and she says, he’s right… Moment’s over. Is Mac his father? Cody says, Mac’s not his dad. Mac asks if he’s sure, and Cody says, he’s not a match. Felicia asks to see the results, but Mac tells her not to drag it out. Looking at the paper isn’t going to change what it says. Cody’s not his son. Felicia hugs Mac, and says she’s sorry. Britt asks if Cody is okay, and Cody tells Mac, congrats. The Scorpio gene pool remains pristine.
Willow tells TJ, she’s so scared. She doesn’t want to die. He hugs her, and she cries. Michael walks in, and she asks if Melanie got Wiley okay. He says, Wiley’s fine. What did he just walk in on?
Sitting in his car, Valentin says, Anna should have been here by now. He listens on a police radio, and hears about a hardware store alarm being tripped. He says, nothing about a police transport. Anna, where are you?
At the hospital on the phone, Sonny says, he hasn’t heard from them. How’d it go with Anna? Dante comes by, and asks what Sonny knows about Anna.
The transport van sits off-road with a crunched-in front, steam coming out of the hood, Dex and the guard unconscious. We see Anna, also unconscious, in the back. On the radio, a dispatcher asks, what’s their status? Dex comes to, and checks the guard’s pulse. He suggests the guard to himself a favor and stay unconscious. He gets out, struggling to walk to the passenger door on the other side. The dispatcher says, prisoner transport 2015, do you copy? She needs a status check. Dex tries to rouse Anna, saying, he needs her to wake up now. Help him out here.
Sonny tells Dante that he heard Anna was being transported to Pentenville tonight. He just wants to make sure when she gets there she’s taken care of – unofficial of course (🍷). Dante unofficially thanks him, and Sonny says, Dante knows she was set up, right? and Dante says, yes, but there’s literally nothing they can do until they get some evidence of what really happened to Lucy Coe. Sonny asks if he’s working on that, and Dante asks, what gave it away? The badge and the gun? Sonny laughs, and Dante says he was doing a witness statement, but he’s glad he ran into Sonny. He suggests they have a guys night, and Sonny says he’d love to, but isn’t Dante supposed to be spending his free time with Sam and Rocco, working on blending their families? Dante says, they’re blended up. If he can make the time, Sonny can. Sonny asks, what’s going on?
Mac thanks Cody for agreeing to the DNA test. At least now they know the truth. He tells Felicia, let’s go, but Cody tells him, hold on a sec, and Britt suggests she and Felicia give them some privacy. They leave, and Mac asks, what’s left to talk about? and Cody says, they may not be related, but Britt kept telling him how great a guy Mac is, and other than Dante, he really doesn’t have any friends here. Mac asks if he wants to go out for a beer sometime, and Cody asks if that would be so bad. Shoot some pool, go on a hike… Mac says, Cody doesn’t have to fake a friendship to spare his bruised feelings, but Cody asks why it has to be fake. According to Britt, Mac’s a good guy, and he could use a buddy. Mac says, in case he gets arrested again? and Cody says, there’s that sense of humor Britt was telling him about. What does Mac say? Should they give this friend thing a shot? Mac says, why not? They’ll go out for a beer some time. As long as Cody doesn’t feel forced. Cody says, deal.
Finn says, this memory Elizabeth has been having is about Reiko, and she’s been too afraid to tell him? She says, it’s a jumble, and all the flashes… Then she suspected her dad was involved. She was really confused, and didn’t want to burden Finn until she knew more. Now she wishes she never found out she caused Reiko’s death. He asks how she even knows anything her parents told her is true.
Michael says, none of this makes any sense. Willow is supposed to be at her OB appointment. Why is she in Dr. Randolph’s office? TJ says, there’s information Michael doesn’t know, and Michael says, whatever he needs to hear, he’ll hear from Willow. Why did he walk in on her in an empty office in the arms of another man? What exactly is going on here? She says, oh my God. Does he think she’s cheating on him with TJ?
Britt says she knows Cody was on the fence about gaining a new family. So look on the bright side. Now his life doesn’t have to change. He sees Mac and Felicia hugging, and says, yeah, bright side. Mac tells Felicia, let’s go, but she says, not so fast, tough guy.
Valentin hears a request for all available units to go to Route 31. Prisoner transport 2015 is overdue and not responding. He says, that’s Anna’s transport, and starts the car.
Dex says he needs Anna to wake up now. If she doesn’t, he has to take her to the hospital, and they’re both screwed. She says, okay, and opens her eyes. She sits up, and he asks if she knows her name. Does she remember where she is? She says she’s Anna Devane and they’re on their way to Pentenville. He looks in her eyes with his phone flashlight, and says, she hit her head, but her pupils are even. There’s a wound on her head, but it looks shallow. Other than a headache, she should be fine. She asks, what happened? and he says, the guard figured out he was a plant, and tried to grab the steering wheel. She asks if the guard is okay, and Dex says, he’s unconscious, but should be fine. She asks, where’s Heather? but he says he’s not sure. When he came to, there was no sign of the second prisoner.
Dante guesses he’s worried about Sonny, but Sonny says, there’s nothing to worry about; he’s fine. Dante says he knows Sonny’s rift with Michael has been weighing on him for a long time. This thing with Anna. Brando getting murdered. Ava and Diane attacked; that’s a lot of stuff. Sonny says he’s used to having a lot on his plate, and Dante says, Sonny doesn’t have to go it alone. He’s here to look after Sonny while Sonny is busy looking after other people. Dante’s phone rings and he steps away. Sonny looks at his phone, and says, Dex, come on. Dante walks back, telling someone to text him the details. He’s on his way. He tells Sonny that he has to go to work, and Sonny says, be careful. Dante says he will, and tells Sonny, you too.
Willow says she can’t believe Michael would ever think she’d cheat on him. Wait… Nina was in the park. She said something to him, didn’t she? Oh, that woman. He says, forget Nina. What’s going on? Willow says she’ll tell him what’s not going on; she and TJ are not having an affair. TJ says, Nina is wrong. She totally misinterpreted their friendship. Michael says, Nina told him that she’s seen them having emotional, intimate talks. What’s really going on? Willow asks TJ to give them some privacy, and he tells her, good luck. He leaves, and Michael says he knows every word coming out of Nina’s mouth is a lie, but when Sonny said Willow had been on edge, he couldn’t deny it. At first, he chalked it up to her pregnancy and a new job, but something has been off for a long time now. Whatever it is, tell him the truth. She says, he’s right. She’s been on edge for a while… because… she has leukemia.
Britt asks how Cody really is. She knows he had mixed feelings about becoming a Scorpio. He says he thinks he got what he deserves, and she asks what that means, when her phone beeps. She says she has to check on a patient, and leaves.
Felicia tells Mac, talk to her. After all these years of helping raise Robert’s daughter and her daughter, he thought he had a son of his own. It’s got to be a big disappointment. He says, it’s not like he knew Cody very well, and now he doesn’t have to worry about anything disrupting their family. It all worked out for the best. She says, so that’s it? It’s back to life as usual? Mac admits he was a little excited at the prospect of having a son, and she says she’s sorry. He says, if Cody had turned out to be his, he would have enjoyed that, but that’s not what the test results proved, and that’s okay, because he loves his life as it is. He’ll be okay. She says, maybe when they go home, they can video call Robin, and Mac’s phone rings. He answers, and says he’s on his way. He tells Felicia, there’s an issue with Anna’s transport to Pentenville, and she tells him to go; she’ll call a Ride Share. Keep her posted. He leaves, and Cody says, Mac sure took off in a hurry. She says, what’s it to him?
Finn says he remembers this. Reiko was hospitalized for some injuries; she fell down a flight of stairs. She told him that she tripped. Elizabeth says she wishes it was true. She remembers it now. She caused the fall that put Reiko in the hospital where she contracted Blackwood’s. She’s been pushing Finn away so she’d never have to know what happened, and neither would he.
Nikolas walks into the living room, and the lights won’t work. He finds broken glass on the floor, and says, that’s strange. He sees there’s no lightbulb in a nearby lamp, and says, why would this… A hooded figure enters the room, and raises a hook.
Finn tells Elizabeth, that can’t be what happened. It doesn’t make any sense. If Reiko fell because of a fight with her, why did she claim she was alone? Why would Reiko lie to him? Elizabeth says she loves him… and he says, just say the words. She says, Reiko and her dad were having an affair.
Anna wonders if Heather escaped, and calls out for her. Dex says, when he came around the van, the door was open, and Anna was alone. She says, they need to find her, and asks if he has the keys. He uncuffs her, and asks if she’s injured anywhere else, but she says she’s fine; she just feels dizzy. Is he okay? He says he’ll be fine, but they need to get out of here before the cops find them. She says, and anyone else who wants her dead. They get out, and see headlights, but it’s Valentin, and Anna tells Dex, he’s with us. Valentin asks if she’s okay, and she says she’s fine; she hit her head. He says he has a police scanner in the car, and they’re on their way. They’ve got to move. Anna says, they can’t leave until they find Heather; she escaped. Valentin says, there’s no time, but Anna says, she’s dangerous. He says, the police are on their way, and they’ll take her to Pentenville where Victor wants her. Victor is going to eliminate her. She says, all right, gives Dex her thanks, and they leave.
TJ sees Sonny, and asks if there’s any chance he’s here with Nina. Sonny says he’s here by himself. Can he help TJ with anything? TJ says, no. His problem’s with Nina, and Sonny says, really? Is this about him and Willow?
Michael says, leukemia? and Willow says, that’s why she’s in Dr. Randolph’s office; Terry is her oncologist. The test results she was getting weren’t about her pregnancy; they were about her cancer. He asks how long she’s known, and she says, since maybe a week after she found out she was pregnant. TJ was the first one to suspect it. She’s sorry she kept it from him. It’s been the hardest decision she’s ever had to live with in her life. He hugs her, and says, he’s so sorry.
Cody tells Felicia, what’s it to him? He honestly doesn’t know. Mac rushed out, and he looked upset. Mac may not be his dad, but he still cares. She says, Mac got some unsettling news about one of their good friends, and he says he’s sorry. Are they going to be okay? She says, it’s kind of him to ask, but it’s clear he was ambivalent at best at being a part of their family. She can imagine he might feel guilty, since Mac got his hopes up. He says, from what sounds like, he’s not worthy to be a part of their family, and they’re better off without him. She says, if he feels that way, then the results are for the best. Take care of himself. She means that.
Dex checks the guard again, and says, he has a pulse. Good. Now how is he going to get him to the hospital? He’s about to phone Sonny, when he hears sirens. He tells he guard, help is on the way, and limps off.
Nikolas walks through the room in the dark, the hooded figure following him. The hook comes down.
Finn says he doesn’t even remember a Jeff Webber, and Elizabeth says, all she knows is, her father and Reiko were having an affair. Her dad had a history of cheating on her mom. Finn says, he and his wife were happy, and she says she knows, and she’s really sorry. He says, so is he, touches her face, and leaves.
Willow thanks Michael, and says she’s sure he has a lot of questions. They sit down, and he says, let’s start with the obvious. How is she feeling? She says she’s scared, and he says, and the baby? She says, the baby is fine, and he says, so all the times she’s been dizzy and tired… She’s been doing chemo all by herself? She says, for the baby’s sake, she hasn’t started chemo yet. She decided to wait until the second trimester. He asks, why? even though she just told him.
Sonny tells TJ that he was hoping he didn’t have to get into this personal matter, but Willow is the mother of his grandchildren. And his son is involved, even though they’re not on good terms, and also Molly. He was hoping the TJ he knew wouldn’t jeopardize all this. TJ tells him, can we stop, please? This is all a huge misunderstanding. Nina confronted both him and Willow separately, and they made it clear they’re not having an affair, but Nina doesn’t want to believe it. Now she’s dragged Sonny into it, and he doesn’t… Sonny says, he doesn’t what? Say it. TJ says, Sonny has always been there for him, and he respects Sonny, but Nina is hell-bent on causing trouble for Michael and Willow, and doesn’t care how much trouble it’s going to cause for Sonny too.
At the crashed transport van. Mac tells Dante, the security guard is on his way to GH. He’s in good condition; no injuries except for the bump on his head. Dante asks what he said, and Mac tells him, the guard was blacked out until the paramedics arrived. Once he regained consciousness, Mac asked a few questions, but his memory is still foggy. Dante asks if he knows how the crash happened, and Mac says, the transport was supposed to stop at Pentenville first, D’Archam second. The driver drove right past the exit for Pentenville. Dante says, so the driver was a plant, and Mac says, that’s what the guard thought. He tried to stop the driver, that’s when the van spun out of control. Dante says, so this whole thing was organized to spring one of the prisoners. He can only imagine that Anna was the one to sort something like that out. Mac says, she certainly has enough contacts to call for support and stay on the run. Dante says, Anna is going to give them a real run for their money. Frankly, I think the guard should be fired. Obviously I’m on Anna’s side, but playing devil’s advocate, the guard should have waited until they got to D’Archam, and called for help while Heather was still in the van. Not try to take the wheel or shoot the driver while the van is moving.
Valentin tells Anna, they have to wait here for a minute. They can’t risk getting pulled over. She says, that’s a good strategy, and he says, thank you. She says, not even an ounce of modesty anywhere, and he says he’s good at this stuff. She says, lucky her, and asks if he thinks Dex is going to be all right. He says he thinks Dex is going to be fine. Even if the guard realizes he was a plant, the guard can’t ID him. And Sonny will take care of Dex. She thanks him for taking care of her, and he says, always, kissing her hand. He likes taking care of her. She says she hopes he’s ready for this. She thinks it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Nikolas fights back, and The Hook drops her hook. She runs out, and Nikolas collapses.
Elizabeth leaves a message for Terry. She says she just spoke with Finn, and she really needs someone to talk to. Can Terry call her back? She flashes back to confiding in Nikolas, and looks up his contact info.
Nikolas’s phone rings, and he struggles to get up. Holding his head, he finds his phone. He uses the phone flashlight to look around, and sees the hook on the floor. He takes out a hanky – because all guys who live in castles carry them – and picks it up. He says, this is from our boathouse. You should have killed me when you had the chance, Esme. You made a big mistake.
Willow tells Michael, she did her own research, in addition to what the doctors here told her. If she were to start chemotherapy in the first trimester, it would put their baby at great risk. If she could wait to start chemo until the second trimester, that would give their baby the best chance of survival. Michael says, she’s been living with this by herself all these months? It must have been so hard on her. She says she wasn’t totally alone. The doctors here have been supportive, and TJ has been a great friend. But the decision to delay chemotherapy has come with a cost. Dr. Randolph just told her that the test results confirm her leukemia is in Stage IV. He says, okay, what’s next? and she says she’s starting chemo right away, but because of the advanced stage, Terry also wants to look into a bone marrow transplant.
Britt rubs her neck, and Cody says, you know what’s really good for a stiff neck? She says, if he’s going to offer her a massage, no thanks, but he tells her, he was going to say muscle relaxers. And he happens to know a great doctor. He gives her a cup of coffee, and tells her, it’s to say thanks. She says, for what? and he says, standing by him during all of his Maury drama. She takes a sip, and he says, it’s just a latte, not poison. She says, don’t do that. Stop trying to avoid what’s really going on here.
Willow says she’s sorry she waited so long to tell Michael, but she swears, even if he hadn’t walked in on them, she was going to tell him today. He says he believes her. It’s just… She says, he wants to know why she didn’t tell him before, and he says, they’re a team. They built a life together, with Wiley. If he said or did anything that would make her think he wouldn’t be supportive, or wouldn’t be able to handle it… She says, it’s not that. When she heard her diagnosis, and what chemo would mean for their unborn child, and the doctors here – Britt, Terry, and TJ – all wanted her to start chemo immediately. She struggled with it. Deep in her heart she knew she couldn’t face losing another baby, not after losing Jonah. She knew that wasn’t fair to Wiley; that the worst case would be that the leukemia progressed, and she woudn’t recover. But she convinced herself that it wouldn’t do much harm to delay treatment for a few weeks. She felt it was the best choice for her entire family. Michael tells her to let him make it clear; it was always her choice. He supports that today, and would have supported it then. She says she just wanted them to enjoy their time with Wiley, before things got too hard. To spare them all heartache, especially if she doesn’t have much time left… which she might not.
Sonny says he appreciates TJ warning him about Nina, but he knows her really well, and believes her heart is in the right place. TJ says, okay, but what possible good could come of telling Michael that he and Willow were having an affair? That’s absolutely the last thing Willow needs. Sonny says he saw them together, and it seemed like something was going on. He even said something to Michael. TJ says, Sonny has known him practically his entire life. Is that what Sonny thinks? He’s a cheater? Sonny says he’s not hearing TJ deny it, and TJ says he promises he and Willow aren’t romantically involved. He gives Sonny his word; that is not happening. Sonny says, something is happening, and he knows it, but TJ tells him, that’s not for him to say. He’s asking Sonny to trust him. Sonny says, if TJ tells him nothing is going on between him and Willow, he chooses to believe it, but that’s not going to be enough for Michael, and TJ knows it.
Valentin says, a lot of people are looking for Anna, and she says, Victor’s people, law enforcement, and in no time, they’ll be searching for Valentin too. He says he knows. They have to get someplace secure. They look around, and she asks what he thinks. Can they risk getting on the road now? He says he doesn’t think they have a choice. If they stay here, the police will find them in the morning, and all this will have been for nothing. He starts the car, and she touches his face.
On the phone, Dante says, he needs a BOLO posted for the two women who were being transported to Pentenville Penitentiary and D’Archam Asylum. He doesn’t believe they’re armed, but Heather Webber should be considered dangerous. The other woman, Anna Devane, is a fugitive, but not a threat. He thanks them, and tells Mac, he’s notified the highway patrol, although they don’t have much to go on since the guard didn’t give them much of a description of the driver. They don’t know if Anna and Heather are on foot or in a vehicle. Any chances of them getting a lead tonight are slim.
Cody asks what Britt thinks is going on here, and she says she thinks he’s hiding behind sugary coffee, so he doesn’t have to deal with his feelings about Mac not being his father. He says, she can’t blame him for wondering what it’s like to be part of a close knit family. For a few seconds, he thought maybe he wouldn’t be alone in this world. She says she gets that. Even though her mom drives her crazy, she doesn’t know what she’d do without her. He says, Taub might be a son of a bitch, but he’s my dad, and that is that. He’s pretty much been alone his whole life. Looking out for just him has served him well so far. She says, maybe he dodged a bullet. Family is a curse. She leaves, and he looks at the results. No huge surprise, Mac is 99.9999999999998% his father. The red herring was his willingness to let Felicia take a look.
Michael says, from now on, he and Willow are a team, no matter what comes. She says she’s sorry she didn’t tell him sooner, and he says, the important thing is, he knows now. She doesn’t have to face this alone. They’re going to get through this how they always do – together. He tells her that she’s his family, and they hug.
Dante calls Sonny, who says, he thought Dante was working. Dante says he was, but since Sonny was talking about her before, he thought he’d let Sonny know, Anna escaped, along with Heather Webber. Sonny says, Heather’s with Anna? and Dante says he guesses there was a problem with the vehicle that was supposed to take Heather to D’Archam, so she was thrown in there with Anna. The plan was to take Anna to Pentenville, then take Heather to D’Archam, but they didn’t make it that far. There was an accident and the van crashed, and he’s here on the scene right now. Sonny asks, what caused the accident? but Dante says he doesn’t know. There was some sort of struggle, but there was only a guard here when they got here; he was the only one with the vehicle. He was injured and taken to GH. Sonny says, any idea what happened? and Dante says, no, not yet, but he’s going to figure it out.
Dex goes through the woods. He leans against a tree, and checks the bullet wound in his side.
Finn sits in on the floor in his office in the dark. He looks at a picture of him and Reiko on his phone.
Heading for the door on the phone, Nikolas says, do not let anybody off the island. That hook wielding psychopath was in the house, and he’ll be damned if he lets her get away. He walks out, slamming the door behind him.
Esme is at the docks, but hears something and hides. Elizabeth comes out, and Esme peeks at her from behind a crate.
Tomorrow, Willow asks Michael for a favor; Victor asks if there’s any word on his son; Elizabeth says she spotted a fugitive; Dante says, Heather Webber is capable of anything; and Heather says, they’re going to get what they deserve.
🎄 Unless She’s the Grinch…
I don’t even know what to make of this, but God help me, I’ll probably watch it.
This is the best show! Like Sweet Home Oklahoma was, it’s fun without being mean. They’re sort of like the Kardashians would be if they were a million times more relatable, and actually worked.
Check in with me tomorrow, for some soap and smack talk about possibly the worst reality show ever, Winter House (interchangeable with Summer House). Until then, stay safe, stay being clear-sighted, and stay not hiding behind sugary coffee, so you don’t have to deal with your feelings.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Nikolas tells Ava, it’s not a good time, but she breezes past him, saying they have a lot to talk about. He suggests they meet at the PC Grill later, and she says, how about now? but he says, she can’t be here.
Esme works at the lock with the picture wire, but is unsuccessful. She says she doesn’t know how big the baby’s brain is yet, but they need all the help they can get. How are they going to get out of here?
Spencer picks up some torn pieces of paper from the library floor, and Cyrus comes in and says, tear-aways. Men tear pictures of women out of men’s lifestyle magazines. He shrugs, and Spencer says, that’s pathetic. Cyrus says, prison is a lonely place. The magazines are full of holes. Spencer says, just like Cyrus’s redemption story.
Kristina meets Sonny and Dante at the MetroCourt, and apologizes for being late. She had to train the manager who’s going to sub for her. Sonny asks if she’s looking forward to her trip, but she says, it’s not a trip; it’s a management incentive. Sonny says, they’re overdue for a family meal, and Kristina asks which guard Sonny has today. Frank, or is Dex back?
Alexis says, Diane scared her, and Diane says, Alexis doesn’t scare easily. Alexis says she’s always scared. It’s just manifested as righteous indignation. Diane asks if it was Alexis’s fear that made Alexis goad her attacker.
Robert calls Anna, and asks if she found Lucy, but Anna says, no, and she doesn’t like it. The reminder on Lucy’s calendar was a sunset cruise leaving from Pier 47, but there’s no sign of her or a boat. Anna hears the shots from Pier 55, and runs toward them.
Sonny says, Dex is back, and Kristina says, thank God Sonny finally backed off Dex being a person of interest. She tells Dante, it made no sense whatsoever, and Dante says, it kind of did, but they’ve since found evidence that points them in a different direction. She says she told them. For a minute there, she thought Sonny lost confidence in Dex too. Sonny says, for a minute there, he did.
Alexis says, Diane read the open letter in The Invader, and Diane says she’s been very busy, but managed to find time. Alexis says, when she saw Diane on that garage floor, she wanted to do something. She wanted to get the attacker, smoke him out, goad him into slipping. Diane says, her; the attacker was a woman. Alexis says, good job in keeping her presence of mind to make the partial ID. She thought the open letter was a good idea at the time, but now there’s been another attack, She didn’t mean to provoke… Diane says, objection, counselor; that’s speculation.The real killer doesn’t need to be provoked. She wasn’t the first victim, and she won’t be the last. Alexis made a valiant effort, and she appreciates it. Alexis says she would hate it if she was responsible for anyone else having to go through what Diane did, but Diane says she’s still standing… lying, sitting. And besides having time to read Alexis’s profound journalism, it’s given her a chance to put things in perspective. Like if she’s living her life to the fullest. Maybe there’s something out there she’s been missing. Robert stands in the doorway, and says, ka-nock, ka-nock. Now there’s a sight for sore eyes.
Ava asks Nikolas if Uncle Victor is telling the truth; he said Nikolas was going to divorce her. He steps away from her, and she asks if he was going to tell her, or was she just going to answer the door one day at Nina’s, and be served with papers? He says, it’s not what she thinks, and she says she doesn’t know what to think. She thought he wanted to work on things. He says he does, and she asks why Victor thinks otherwise. He flashes back to Victor demanding he divorce Ava, and says, Victor probably got the wrong idea because he’s been so cynical about their chances. It’s not like she’s been giving him hope. She asks if he thinks he deserves it, and he says, probably not, but he will spend the rest of his life trying to win her back, and won’t let anyone stand in his way.
Esme says she knows she’s asking a lot of the baby, but they’re the only reason Nikolas hasn’t wrung her neck. She tries the wire on the lock again, and says, you’re my ace in the hole, kid, and your daddy knows it. That’s why he’s trapped them in there. She really knows how to pick them. Just wait until you meet your brother Spencer.
Cyrus says, Spencer has every right to be skeptical. In his previous life, he was a scoundrel by every definition, but he’s no longer that man. Spencer says, he’s reformed, and Cyrus says he was faithless once too. Spencer says he has faith, just not in men who say one thing and do another. Cyrus says, like Spencer’s father, or Spencer, and Spencer says, Cyrus doesn’t know him. Cyrus says, we’re family, but Spencer says, no. He’s a Cassadine. Family is simply a means to an end with them. Cyrus says, that saddens him because he values family greatly. Martin and Laura… Spencer tells Cyrus not to say his grandmother’s name, and Cyrus says, he merely meant to convey his regret in pushing away the two people he’d like to get closer to. In Spencer, he sees an opportunity to make almonds amends. Spencer says he’s sorry, but the adopt-an-inmate program has been discontinued, and Cyrus laughs. He says he notices Spencer’s uniform isn’t his size, and heard his bedding went missing. He can endure this hazing or let Cyrus look out for him. Book comes in and says, careful. If Spencer relies on this old man, he won’t last ten minutes in this place. Is this guy new or just stupid? Not to mention, Cyrus looks like he could easily take most inmates on.
Anna calls 9-1-1, and says, shots fired on Pier 55. She walks out to the dock, and sees a shoe near the edge. Victor calls to Lucy, and runs onto the pier. He says, is that Lucy’s shoe?
At the MetroCourt, Alexis nearly runs into Dex, and says, he works for Sonny, doesn’t he? He says he’s working right now. Sonny is having dinner with her daughter. She says, Kristina’s here?
Dante says he’s sorry, but duty calls. A raincheck on the family dinner? He says goodbye to Sonny and Kristina, and leaves.
Anna asks what Victor is doing here, and he says he might ask her the same thing. She says she heard shots, and he says, as did he. He was on his way to meet Lucy at Pier 47, when he heard the shots. He told his driver to pull over in case someone needed assistance. He doesn’t see anyone here but Anna. Anna says, she was at Pier 47, and Lucy’s not there. Victor wonders where she could be; she’s not answering his calls. Anna shines her flashlight around, and he says he hopes nothing’s happened to Lucy. He’ll feel so responsible; he’ll never forgive himself. Anna says, is he responsible? and he says, it’s his fault she was out here all alone. He was late, and if that shoe’s any indication, she was waiting at the wrong dock. He calls Lucy again, and says, still voicemail. He’ll call the PCPD. Anna says, she already did, but he says he wants to make sure they’re en route. She says she’ll call the harbormaster.
Book tells Spencer, prison is all about partnerships, and Spencer says he’s just trying to keep his head down. Book says, he can go that route, but the attention he’s getting won’t stop at his fluff and folds. He adjusts Spencer’s collar, and Cyrus says, take your hands off him. Book says, it’s all in who you know. Isn’t that right, old man? Spencer might think he has it made, but those Corinthos guys can’t be everywhere all the time, and the best he’ll get aligning himself with this prehistoric pusher is an extra helping at mealtime. Cyrus asks if Book thinks Spencer should align himself with his lot, and Book says, no one can look out for Spencer 24/7 in a place like this. It’s dangerous and random. Spencer asks what he wants, and Book says he wants his work assignment back. Spencer asks where he is now, and Book says, laundry. Spencer looks at Cyrus, and says, mystery solved. Book says, what does Spencer say? Spencer gets his protection for his old gig back?
Ava says, Nikolas would fight for them? and he says, clearly she wants him to. She moves closer as if she’s going to kiss him, and says, how arrogantly presumptuous. Nikolas tells her, admit she still loves him and doesn’t want to give up on them any more than he does, but she says she admits nothing. He asks why she’s here. The minute she thinks he’s going to throw in the towel, she shows up. She tells him not to flatter himself, and he asks if she has another reason to be here. She says she does. She has to take inventory when she closes the gallery, and left some files in the tower. So she’ll go get them and they can continue this conversation when it’s more convenient. He says she can’t go up there, and she asks, why not? What’s really going on around here?
Robert says he didn’t mean to chase Alexis off, but Diane says, he didn’t. They had a long and lovely visit. Did he capture her assailant? He says, not yet, but he thought he’d see how she was doing. He went to the ICU, and they told him she’d been upgraded, which he expected, her being a tough cookie and all. She says she tries. She guesses this is the universe’s way of telling her to slow down, and he says, it’s too bad the universe can’t give us these messages in a less painful way. She asks what she can do for him. Does he have more questions for her? He wonders if any details have crossed her mind; it could be totally insignificant. She says she’s tried, but aside from the fact it was a woman with jangly bracelets, the only things she can remember is her life flashing before her eyes. They say that happens, and it’s true. He says he’s been there, once or twice.
Anna asks why Victor and Lucy were meeting, and Victor says, they were going on a sunset cruise. She says she doesn’t see a boat. Why does he suppose her shoe is here? He says he hasn’t a clue, and asks what brought her to the docks? Anna says she told him, and Dante comes in with some officers. He tells Anna that he got a call about a missing or abducted person. Does she know anything about that? She says she believes the shoe belongs to Lucy Coe; they found it there. Victor says, to be accurate, Anna Devane found the shoe. He arrived shortly after the gunshots. Dante examines the shoe, and Anna says, two gunshots in rapid succession, from a small caliber weapon. She can’t be sure of the precise origin, but if Lucy’s missing… Dante says, is Lucy missing? and Victor says, it would seem so. They were supposed to meet here, and Lucy’s nowhere to be seen. His calls are going to voicemail. Dante tells an officer to cordon off the area, and get CSI and forensics down here. They also need an underwater dive. Victor asks what Dante thinks happened, but Dante says he doesn’t know, but he’s going to find out, and then so will Victor.
Esme fails at lockpicking again, and throws books and paintings around the room. She screams at the top of her lungs, then flings herself on the bed, pounding on it, and throwing a tantrum.
Nikolas tells Ava, a pipe burst in the north tower. It’s not safe to go up there; it’s a mess. She says, all her files will be ruined, but he says, don’t worry. Everything was boxed up and moved to a different area; there’s no damage. When the tower is structurally sound, he’ll grab her files and get them to her. He hustles her to the door, and she asks if he’s trying to get rid of her, but he says, it’s just the opposite. He has to get back to check on how the work is coming. She says, it’s night, and he says he has to meet the foreman in the morning, and likes to be hands-on. She says she’s meeting Nina for dinner anyway. About what Uncle Victor said… He says, nothing can be further from the truth. There is no third party intervention needed. He wants her; the ball’s in her court. She says, all right then, and leaves.
Spencer tells Book, it’s a tempting offer, but he thinks he’ll watch his own back. Spencer heads back to the shelves, and Book tries to follow, but Cyrus blocks him. He says, Book heard his nephew, and Book punches Cyrus in the jaw, but Cyrus is hardly fazed.
Esme continues to pound on the bed, then sits up, wondering, what was that? It felt like butterflies. Is the baby moving around or just giving her indigestion? Either way, she supposes they’re right. She can’t give up now and start feeling sorry for herself. She won’t give up. We won’t give up. She picks up the wire, and works at the lock some more. It opens, and she says, we did it. Let’s go see your grandfather. She steps out, and Nikolas is there. He asks if she’s going somewhere.
Sonny tells Kristina, he’s proud of all his children, Michael included. Even though they’re not blood related, Michael is the most like him, and the first child he raised. You think you know what it’s like to be a parent until you become one. She asks if things are still tense between him and Michael, and Sonny says, tense is an understatement. He thinks it’s over, but Kristina doesn’t believe that. She says, Michael is hurt and angry, but underneath all of that, Michael loves him and he always will. He says, like her and Alexis, and Alexis walks over to their table. Kristina asks if she’s heard from Diane, and Alexis says, Diane is out of the ICU, and recovering by leaps and bounds. Sonny says, that’s good to hear, and tells Alexis, have a seat. He has to take care of something. He leaves, and Alexis sits down. She says she’ll just sit for a bit. She doesn’t want to take time away from Kristina’s dinner with her dad. Diane said Kristina called; that was thoughtful. Kristina says, Diane is Alexis’s best friend, and Alexis says, and she also saw the flowers Kristina sent to Brando’s memorial service. Kristina says she’s sorry she had to miss it, but she’s going out of town, and couldn’t take time off before she leaves. She’s sure Alexis thinks her slinging drinks and wings isn’t as important as her cousin’s funeral.
Cyrus tells Book, the Bible says, if someone smite thee on thy cheek, turn to him the other one, and Book says he’s glad God approves. He raises his hand, and in a second, Cyrus has that hand twisted behind Book’s back, and Book up against the wall. He says, it also tells us to put on the full armor of God, so ye can stand against the wiles of Satan. He lets Book go, and says, move… on. Book says, and if he doesn’t? Is Cyrus going to drop the spiritual act, and do what? Cyrus says, only God can judge him, when a guard walks in and asks if there’s a problem. Cyrus says, Book’s got a shiv, and Book says, he doesn’t. The guard reaches in Book’s pocket and takes one out. He says, looks like Book earned solitary confinement, and hustles him out, as Book wails, it’s not his. Like no one in prison has ever said that. Cyrus asks Spencer, now what were we discussing before we were so rudely interrupted?
At the docks, Dante talks to Victor, and Anna leaves a message for Valentin. She says, when he gets this, he needs to call her immediately. It’s about Lucy. Victor asks if she’s calling his son, and she says, it’s none of his business. He says he is right here; he does have ears. Anna says, and Valentin’s unreachable, as Victor knows. It’s such a coincidence, isn’t it, that Valentin is in Switzerland when all of this happening? He asks if she’s accusing his son of something. Charlotte has an equestrian event, and she’s like her father there. That’s the only reason Valentin is there. She says, it’s understandable, given how long it’s been since he’s seen her, and he says, what’s less understandable is Anna feeling the need to loop Valentin into Lucy’s situation. She says, Valentin is a major shareholder in Lucy’s company, and he says, yes, of course (🍷). He underestimated how heavily Valentin is invested in Deception. Dante joins them, and says, officers are checking Lucy’s home and office. Victor’s driver corroborated his story. Victor says, so he’s free to go? and Dante says, he can leave the pier. He doesn’t think it would do Victor any favors to leave town. Victor says, of course (🍷) not. Please let him know if they find out anything. It’s all so troubling. He does hope Lucy didn’t meet with foul play.
Nikolas says he should have known how enterprising Esme could be, after she stalked Ava, framed Trina, and seduced him. She says, it didn’t take much to seduce him, and she may be enterprising, but he isn’t remotely equipped for this. Does he think he can shove her in a room for six months with no preparation or planning? What is this, amateur hour? Like father, like son. He tells her, shut up. She’s taken everything from him. She blew up his marriage, his son is in Pentenville all because she came into their lives. He’s so sick of her. She asks what he’s going to do to her; she’ll scream. He tells her, go ahead. Nobody’s coming for her.
Sonny asks how Dex is holding up, and Dex says, good. Sonny asks if he wants to take off for a couple hours. Dante left, and he just ordered with Kristina, but Dex says he doesn’t mind staying. Sonny says he wants to thank Dex for not holding what happened against him. Mistakes were made; Dex was treated unfairly. One good thing that came out of this is, Sonny knows how strong and discreet Dex is. That’s very important in this business. Dex says he hopes he’s proved his loyalty, and Sonny says, loyalty is very important, and rare, and he doesn’t take it for granted.
Victor sees Ava at the MetroCourt bar, and says, twice in one day; what a delight. She says, for him, and he says he’s sorry. Has he offended her in some way? She asks if he’s forgotten the glad tidings he brought her earlier, about her husband’s plans to divorce her? He says, no, but he’s a little surprised at her reaction. Nikolas betrayed her. He would have thought she’d want to be rid of him. She says, they’ve been over this several times, but she’ll try it again. Her marriage is none of his concern. He says, of course (🍷), but allow him to be candid for a moment. As much as he cares about Nikolas, he’s hardly her equal.
Spencer asks if Cyrus set Book up, and Cyrus says, that’s one way of looking at it. Spencer asks if Cyrus knew the guard was coming back or was that just luck? Cyrus says, he believes in blessings, not luck, but he does have connections Book knows nothing about. People often mistake bluster for power, but real power is much quieter. Spencer asks if the Bible doesn’t also something about bearing false witness, and Cyrus laughs, saying, apparently, God isn’t through with him yet. It’s hard reconcile sometimes, but there’s a spiritual world and there’s a real world. It’s not his job to take Book off this planet, but he can remove him from Spencer’s sphere, at least temporarily. Maybe he’ll think twice approaching Spencer next time. Spencer supposes he should thank Cyrus, but Cyrus says he’ll settle for the benefit of the doubt.
Diane asks if all of Robert’s injuries are work related. He doesn’t have a scar or broken bone from something more pedestrian? He says, there was a scar after his cancer surgery, but he’s not letting her see it until she buys him dinner, or maybe vice versa. She tells him, don’t make her laugh. Point taken, and point made. He’s no stranger to brushes with death. Before this, the closest she came was a broken pinky toe sliding into third in elementary school. He says, she was a tomboy? and she says, not so loud. People think she’s classy. He says she gets brownie points because someone came after her with a hook; that never happened to him. She says, it’s not a thrill she recommends, and he says, he remembers the times he thought he was going to die. He felt very uncomfortable with that vulnerability. She says, perhaps that’s why they have empowering jobs, and he says, or perhaps they’re just as tough as old boot leather. She says, in any case, coming face-to-face with her mortality was sobering, and he says, we are not now that strength… She says, which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. (Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson)
Anna tells Dante, she was looking for Lucy on Pier 47, and heard two shots. They seemed to come from this direction, and she arrived on the scene a few minutes later. No one was there, and something caught her eye; the shoe. She can’t swear it’s Lucy’s, but it’s definitely her style. Dante says, back up. Why was she looking for Lucy in the first place? She says, she was worried for Lucy’s safety, and he says, why? It can’t be a coincidence that she and Victor were on the same dock. She says, it’s not. She believes Victor knew Lucy was going to be here, on Pier 55, not Pier 47, where she was informed Lucy would be. He says, informed by who? and asks if she thinks Victor had something to do with Lucy’s disappearance. She says she does. She can’t prove it, but yes. He says he trusts Anna’s gut. So assuming Lucy’s missing, why would Victor target her? She says, Lucy was working for her to get information out of Victor so she could take him down. Before Dante can say anything, she says she knows. She was trying to get Lucy to stop, but she refused. She called Lucy’s office to find out who she was, and they said she was going on a sunset cruse with Victor, leaving from Pier 47. She came to try and extract Lucy from the situation, but then she heard the shots, and came here, and found the shoe. He says, so she thinks Victor’s on to Lucy? and she says, an hour ago, she had no reason to think so, but now, she believes Victor found out somehow, and he’s done something about it.
Kristina tells Alexis, she knows. Why become a better manager when all she manages is a pub? Alexis says, Kristina’s job is important to her, and what’s important to Kristina, is important to Alexis. Kristina says, but it’s just a job, not a career, and Alexis admits that she’s sometimes questioned how Kristina goes about things, and Kristina says she’s not even going to pretend she doesn’t know why. Alexis says, but she sees Kristina being responsible and enthusiastic. She’s being recognized for doing a good job, and seems happy. Kristina says she is happy, and Alexis says, that’s what’s most important. She never wants Kristina to think she’s not proud of her. She’s so proud of Kristina.
Sonny tells Dex, he had the best working for him; dedicated, steadfast, but he’s gone now. Dex says he knows he can’t fill his shoes, but he’d like to try, and Sonny says, Dex kept his head, and came through for him. He needs a lieutenant he can trust. Dex says, he’s Sonny’s guy. He thinks he’s ready for a new challenge. Sonny asks if Dex can think of anything more important than protecting his family, and Dex says, no, sir.
Cyrus says he’d like to get to know Spencer better, but perhaps he’s asking too much. He starts to leave, but Spencer says, wait. This just arrived this morning. He picks up a book, and says, this is WilliamTyndale’s 1534 translation of the New Testament. Cyrus says, that’s the seminal version. It contains his prefaces and his notes. Spencer says he hasn’t logged it into the system yet. It’s Cyrus’s if he’d like it. Cyrus says, bless you, taking the book. Spencer says, it only seems fair; a book for a Book. Now he doesn’t owe Cyrus anything. Cyrus says, he never did.
Esme pounds on the bathroom door and yells, as Nikolas removes everything from the room. She says he can’t leave her locked in the bathroom, and he asks, who’s going to stop him? She says he’s made his point. She shouldn’t have tried to leave when he was just trying to help her. He says he’s clearing this room. She’s lost her privilege of luxury. For the sake of the baby, he won’t make her sleep on the floor, but she’ll have little else. She tells him, do this, and he’ll be sorry, and he says he’s already sorry. She screams, let me out!
Diane says she didn’t peg Robert as a lover of poetry, and he says, nice to know he has some surprises left. She says, it will be no surprise when he catches that killer, but please make it soon. He says he’s doing his best to make things safe for her, and gets up. He says he does like sparring with her in court, and she says, it’s going to be a while before they do that again. He says he guesses he’ll just have to come in here and spar, and she says she looks forward to it.
Victor says, he really does care for Nikolas, but he’s aware of Nikolas’s limitations. Frankly, she’s too much woman for him. She asks, what’s that supposed to mean? and he says, he thinks she knows, but he’ll spell it out for her. She’s full of life, vivacious, beguiling, a force of nature. He hates to see such a woman wasted on the wrong man. She says, not that it’s one iota of his business, but who pray tell, is the right man? He says, one who would repay her loyalty with devotion of his own, and she asks if he has someone in mind. He says, as the Americans say, he should stay in his own lane. Let it suffice to say, he does know the crushing disappointment of putting your trust in the wrong person. They both deserve better. She watches as he leaves.
The forensics team works at the pier, and Anna tells Dante, if Victor is onto Lucy, then he’s onto all of them. Which means this investigation is compromised, and Victor won’t be charged for his crimes. Dante says, she means Luke Spencer’s death, and she says she should have never done this. She should have never enlisted Lucy to work Victor. She was trying to keep Lucy safe. He says, for all they know, she still is, and Anna says, what are the odds of Lucy leaving a designer shoe on the docks willingly? They have to assume Victor has figured it out, and he’s dealt with her. They know what he’s capable of. Dante says, and they know Lucy, and know what she’s capable of. Lucy is relentless. If anyone can survive Victor, it’s her.
Lucy pulls herself out of the water, and onto a rocky shore, where she passes out.
Tomorrow, Martin asks if there’s any news about Lucy; Epiphany is holding Marshall personally responsible; Anna tells Victor that she’s making it her business to destroy him; and Willow sees something that makes her scream.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – The Reunion – Part 2
We jump right in because we were already there. Garcelle says she doesn’t hate Diana. She just wants to be left alone. She doesn’t want Diana posting about her and harassing her on social media. Diana says, Garcelle called her evil, and Andy asks if that wasn’t after Diana called Sutton the c-word. We see a clip of the after-show, where Garcelle calls Diana’s behavior evil, and Diana asks, what’s worse, calling someone the c-word or evil? LisaR says she calls herself the c-word, and finally we agree on something. The consensus is that evil is worse, because this is bizarro world where everything is topsy-turvy. Andy asks if Sutton needs to say anything to Diana, or clear anything up, but Sutton says she’s clear on their non-relationship. Diana says she’s disappointed and hurt about Garcelle, and Garcelle laughs, saying, it’s always her. Diana says, no one in the group would go after Garcelle’s sweetheart son, and Garcelle is stone-faced, which she is throughout a lot of this show. It totally beats all the weird faces the rest of them keep making. Andy says, Diana filed a lawsuit to force the revelation of who’s behind the bots. Andy asks who it’s filed against, and Diana says, John Doe. Andy asks, whose job is it to uncover the name? and Diana says, her lawyers are going to be busy. Which means it’s them? Andy asks Garcelle’s reaction to the lawsuit, and she says, good. Erika says, Diana has good intentions good. Garcelle is hurt. Garcelle says, she’s hurt, but she’s not putting things on social media about Diana, and Andy asks, what kind of stuff is Diana posting? Garcelle says, she doesn’t want to fuel it anymore; she’s good. Andy thanks Diana for rallying to join them, and it’s goodbye. Several cast members hope to God they’re breaking for lunch. Behind the scenes, LisaR picks at an energy bar, and says, it’s sad. The bot thing causes division in the group. She and Erika agree that’s the reason behind it. Sutton hangs out with Garcelle, who points out that Sutton’s socks have her dog Waylon on them. Sutton says, Garcelle did great with Jax talk, and Garcelle says she’s not going to stop until she knows who bought the bots. She’s glad Sutton and Crystal have been able to move on, and Sutton says, it was nice to see some support. In another dressing room, Dorit tells Kyle that Crystal is struggling to admit she wasn’t telling the truth to cover her ass. We flash back to Kyle saying, there was no real dark story, and Kyle says, if you don’t tell the truth, you can’t keep your story straight.
Andy welcomes us back, even though we haven’t gone anywhere. They talk about Kyle’s tattoos, all of which are boring because Kyle is boring. Andy says, for 12 seasons, Kyle has shared her life, which has gotten more fabulous with each season. We flash back over Kyle’s most recent season, and not all of it is boring. Some of it is stupid. Andy asks if Farrah has set a date, and Kyle says, not yet, but they want to get married in La Quinta. Andy says, the bride’s family foots the bill. He assumes they’ll spare no expense. Kyle says, Farrah doesn’t want anything over-the-top, but it’s their first, and they have to go as big as Portia’s Bat Mitzvah. We see a clip of that, and Andy moves on to rumors of Dorit cheating with Mauricio. Apparently, viewers read something into a three-way hug between PK, Mauricio, and Dorit. We see a clip of it, and the thought of it being anything other than what it is, is stupid beyond belief. Erika says, when she was at the World Cup in Berlin, a guy asked if she and her friend were in porn, and his name was Paul Kemsley. Dorit says, he was being an ass, but Erika says he was just being his sassy self. Andy says, Garcelle’s hustle never stopped. She had a book come out, bought a beach house, and a Birkin. Mazel. We flash back to the Birkin party, my favorite line being, does it come with money in it? Andy asks, who owns one? and everyone except Erika raises their hand, and she says, it’s not her thing. Andy says, Garcelle’s book has a chapter on Bill Cosby, and she says, he called her modeling agency, and asked for number. They asked her, and at the time, he was huge. She’d just turned 18, and got a small part on his show. He invited her to his townhouse to work on her acting, and gave her some Sambuca. She took a sip, and it didn’t feel right being there, so she ran. The name of the chapter is, Listening to Your Gut. Andy asks if Erika skimmed Garcelle’s book before chucking it in trash, and we see the post with it in the garbage. LisaR says she was the one who threw it in the trash.
LisaR says, she and Garcelle had a handshake agreement; the kids were off limits. Garcelle mentioned Amelia in the book, and not in a positive light. It turns out to be just a rehash of a moment on the show where Garcelle asked if LisaR thought her body image affected her daughter. LisaR says, it didn’t have to be in the book, and Garcelle says, LisaR read it, and the next thing she knew, LisaR’s lawyer called her manager. LisaR says, then it got hot and heated, and Garcelle says, it was a week until publication, and they decided to print a second edition where the reference was removed. LisaR says she was good with that, and had only sent the video to the group chat. One that Garcelle is not privy to, but Erika chose to post it. Erika says, Garcelle also used her remark about Erika not needing her to make herself look bad to promote the book. She’d posted the clip on Instagram, and said, another way to make yourself look bad is not buy her book. There’s a big discussion on recycling, which apparently was an issue after this staged photo was posted. Andy says, even LVP weighed in, saying Garcelle should have sent Erika a scratch and sniff book so she’d understand, which I think is pretty funny. Erika gives a nasty retort that I’m not breathing life into. Andy brings up Oliver working for LVP in Las Vegas, and Garcelle says, LVP was having an event for Haiti, and she was invited. It was the first time they met, and she knew Oliver was looking for a job. Andy asks how recently Garcelle saw LVP, and she says, pretty recently. We see the headline about them filming together, and LisaR says, wow, like this is some betrayal. They take a break, and talk more about recycling.
Once again, we’re welcomed back, and Andy says, Lois was beloved by family, friends, and fans, but LisaR’s anger took over. Was it excusable or out of line? We see clips of Lois, LisaR talking about Lois’s death, the group cheersing Lois, then on to the anger. We see Sutton’s interview, where she said, it would take an exorcism to get the soap actress out. We flash back to LisaR’s breakdown, and the poor strangers at the table. Andy asks how it’s been, and LisaR says, it’s hard to come do the show, and maybe it would have been better if she’d taken time off. She’s done the best she can, and she’s sorry for being a crazy maniac, screaming, and doing what she did. Andy says, there was a memorial in July, and LisaR says, waiting to put Lois to rest was difficult, but Lois had asked them to wait until the summer. She left a lipstick print on Lois’s urn. They talk about Lois’s belongings, and a viewer wonders if LisaR is using others as a scapegoat for her grief. LisaR babbles that she’s never been so all over the place, and Andy asks if she’s talking to a therapist. She says she has from the beginning, which is worrisome. Erika says, they’ve talked privately, and it’s hard for LisaR. Andy asks what Lois made of LisaR on the show, and LisaR says, she never judged. She never made LisaR feel bad or less than. I wonder, then why does LisaR dishonor her by doing that to other people?
Andy asks if Sutton’s clumsiness is an asset or liability, and we flash back to Sutton’s awkwardness throughout the season, and LisaR and Erika talking about Sutton. A viewer suggests that Sutton reacted differently to Dorit’s home invasion because of her past, and her father committing suicide. Kyle says, it felt flippant, and Sutton says, it’s the worst thing she’s ever said in her life, and she’ll regret it until the day she dies. Dorit tells Sutton that it feels like that’s what she needed, and they’re good. A viewer says, Kyle got so physical with Sutton at Garcelle’s party, but she didn’t like it when Brandi shoved her down the stairs. We flash back to that, and it’s still good for a laugh. The surprise on Kyle’s face is priceless. Kyle says, the two things are very different, which they always are when it’s her. She says she didn’t hurt Sutton, but Sutton says, Kyle pulled on her aggressively, and immediately went to Diana’s side. Andy says, Kyle doubted Sutton’s miscarriages, and Kyle apologizes. Andy asks if Sutton was making it about herself or relating, and Kyle says, she gets now that Sutton was trying to relate. Andy asks Garcelle if Sutton makes things about herself, and Garcelle says, if she’s being honest, a little bit. Andy asks Erika why she considers Sutton a liability, and Erika says, she obstructs them getting to know Garcelle. Sutton wonders if the same can’t be said for everyone, and Andy asks if Erika is a liability to LisaR. Garcelle says, she never hustled Sutton out of a party to protect her, and we flash back to LisaR shoving Erika toward the door at some party, I forget which one. Erika says, we’re all different, hooray, and I have no idea how this applies. Crystal says, the others protect each other more than they claim Garcelle and Sutton do. We go over the sauce and the Elton John thing for the billionth time. A viewer suggests that Sutton does not want LisaR as a friend, and Sutton says, LisaR has shown that she hates her. LisaR says she doesn’t hate anyone, but Andy says, Sutton was a bit of a punching bag for her. LisaR says, Sutton pisses her off, and Sutton says, even after filming, LisaR came after her on social media. LisaR goes back to her tired excuse of, she had a rough season, and Sutton says, LisaR didn’t do it to anyone else but her. She doesn’t consider LisaR a friend; how can she? Viewer Andrea from San Francisco says that LisaR’s behavior toward Sutton at the wine tasting was disgusting, especially after accepting Sutton’s apology. Andy says, LisaR and Sutton’s lunch was fun, and we flash back to that. Sutton says she talked to LisaR during the time Lois was in hospice, so when she was getting yelled at repeatedly, she kept thinking, did LisaR not remember? She was a good steady friend, and turned into a dead horse. She was giving glue to every elementary school in L.A. She needs an apology. LisaR says she’s sorry, and Sutton says, it was a pattern. LisaR says she’s sorry she took her pain, anger, sadness, and fear out on Sutton. Dorit says she doesn’t get the glue analogy, and it has to be explained that they make glue out of horse’s hooves.
Andy says he’s spoken to LisaR privately, and said her social media is disastrous. She has no impulse control, and makes trouble for herself with posts she later deletes. Dorit says, it’s like getting a thrill for people with no impulse control, and Andy says, even if it’s negative? LisaR says she doesn’t like the negative, but yes. Andy says, she posts sh*t, and he’s like, what is she doing? She blaming production for the bots. LisaR says, she was expressing stuff, and Andy says, production was upset. She says she doesn’t always think it’s bad when she’s doing it. She’s a work in progress. I hate that phrase because it sounds like what it is, an excuse, and Andy says, it’s in her control. She says she knows that; give her a chance. He asks if she’s had any thoughts about giving social media up for a time, and she says she tried. A viewer says she needs to be put on pause, and LisaR says, put her on pause. She doesn’t care. She sips her drink with her Creature of the Black Lagoon lips, and Andy says, there was a post she deleted that said, when they fight with Garcelle, they’re called racists. I’m not afraid of you ho’s. LisaR says, she was talking to the trolls and haters, and Garcelle says, sometimes what is said is perceived differently when comes to them. It could have undertones that are racist or microaggressions. Crystal says, that’s how she felt about the Sutton conversation. It wasn’t Sutton’s original intention, but it’s how she felt. Kyle says, this is different, and Crystal says, Kyle has to stop. Kyle says, Crystal said something was real that didn’t exist. Garcelle says, people don’t realize the impact, and Crystal tells Kyle to stop making it about how she experiences it. It’s her truth. Kyle doesn’t understand it, and never will. She doesn’t want to get in trouble. Andy says he thinks Kyle and Crystal are talking about two different things, and Dorit ends this nonsense by asking if anyone feels anyone in the group is racist. It’s a hard no from everyone, and Dorit says, they have a lot to learn. Erika says, things are changing, and it’s subtle, yet the consequences are big.
Andy tells them, what’s going to happen is, they’re going to do one more package, take a break, then bring Kathy out. Everyone suddenly needs a drink, and a limo pulls up outside. Kyle asks where Kathy is sitting, and Andy says, next to him. Kyle can’t believe she’s having coffee at this hour, and says, she’s f***ed. Kathy gets out of the limo in her PJs, robe, and slippers. Inside, LisaR paces, babbling about the truth. In her dressing room, Kathy says she brought her tequila.
Next time, the conclusion. Thank you God. LisaR talks about being traumatized; Erika doesn’t talk about the earrings because it’s on appeal for legal reasons; Kathy’s big entrance; Kathy says LisaR said, I get it. You’re preaching to the choir; and Kyle says, the only one that gets hurt is her.
🚤 I was watching Andy’s Mystery Door panel at BravoCon on Watch What Happens Live, and Captain Lee looked obviously uncomfortable. Like if he could disappear, he would. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look so uncomfortable. I guess it helps pay the bills. It all looks chaotic, and makes me glad I wasn’t there.
🧳 Packing It In…
Drop by tomorrow for soap and possible smack talk about Winter House. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering it ain’t over ‘til it’s over, and stay not mistaking bluster for power. Real power is much quieter.
In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke
Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr
Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor. – Hesiod
The really magical things are the ones that happen right in front of you. A lot of the time you keep looking for beauty, but it is already there. And if you look with a bit more intention, you see it. – Vik Muniz
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. – Dante Alighieri
Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe (I was going to say, that’s genius, but…)
We never know when our last day on earth will be. So, love with full sincerity, believe with true faith, and hope with all of your might. Better to have lived in truth and discovered life, than to have lived half-heartedly and died long before you ever ceased breathing. – Cristina Marrero
We rise by lifting others. – Robert G. Ingersoll
🥁 Turning the Beat Around…
It’s time again for the weekend, or the next two days if you’ve loud quit. I’ll be back when the Dead Walk, if you’d care to join me. Until then, stay safe, stay going the extra mile, and stay not having public meltdowns, especially if your last name is Hilton.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Marshall tells Sonny, this here is a celebration. They don’t want no trouble. Sonny says he doesn’t want any trouble either. He’s there to celebrate Trina, just like everyone else. He just wants to have a minute with Curtis. Curtis says, now is not a good time, and Marshall says, Sonny heard his son. He thinks it’s best Sonny leave now. Taggert tells Portia, nothing’s going to happen, and she asks if he’s sure about that. He says, 95% sure, and she says, he likes those odds? He says, whatever happens, Sonny and Curtis can work it out, and she says she hopes he’s right. She just wanted Trina to have a lovely party to celebrate, and… it looks like she’s got some drama of her own.
Trina says, the envelope has her name on it. Did Spencer find it somewhere? He says, no. Can she give it back please? She says, why should she? It’s hers. He says, no. Actually, it’s his. He was going to give it to her… She says, now she has it, so why does he want it back?
Willow wakes, and reaches for Michael, but he’s not there. She hears Wiley giggle, and Nelle’s voice says, say bye-bye, grandma; bye-bye, daddy. She goes downstairs and sees Carly and Michael lying dead in the living room. Nelle is there, holding Wiley’s hand, and she tells Willow, it’s no use. She’s too late. Willow says, give her her son, but Nelle says, she doesn’t have Willow’s son. Oh, Willow means her son. Willow says, Nelle is nothing to Wiley, and Nelle says, guess again. Now that the obstacles have been removed, she and her son can be together. Willow asks what she did to Michael and Carly, and Nelle says, she didn’t do anything; Willow did. Willow looks down to see her hands covered in blood, and says, no. Nelle says she’s so glad karma is finally paying Willow back for taking her son from her. Now there’s no more Michael, no more Carly… Thanks for that by the way. Willow says, no, no, no, and Nelle says, and when she disappears with her son, Willow won’t have anybody anymore. Say bye-bye. Wiley says, bye-bye, mommy, and Willow moves toward them, but they disappear. Willow looks at Michael and Carly, and screams. She wakes up, and sees Michael isn’t there. She says, oh my God, and jumps out of bed.
Downstairs, Carly thanks Temp Michael for letting her help put Wiley to bed. She’s going to miss that little guy when she’s on her trip. He says, Wiley loves spending time with her, and he appreciates the reinforcement, because Willow has been going to bed really early lately. Carly says, of course (🍷). She’s working and pregnant. He says he knows. He’s starting to realize how big a deal that is. Willow comes in, and says, thank God, throwing her arms around Michael. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Nelle.
Spencer says, it doesn’t matter why he didn’t give Trina the letter. They’re his words, and he no longer wishes Trina to read them. Give it back. She says, no, and he says, please. That letter is his property. She says, possession is nine tenths of the law, so if he wants it back he’s going to have to do more than say please. Follow her. She leads him outside.
Sonny says, he means no disrespect, but this doesn’t involve Marshall. Curtis says, regardless, he decides who he wants to have a conversation with in his own club, and Nina comes by. She asks if Sonny minds if she steals him away for a second, and Sonny goes with her. Marshall says, he’s gone. Now tell him what the hell is going on. Curtis says, thanks. He knows what Marshall is doing, but he and Sonny go back aways. Whatever issues they have, they can resolve them on their own. Marshall says, he’s been in the music business a long time, and he’s seen Sonny’s type and how they behave in establishments like Curtis’s. Once they get their hooks in, there’s no getting them out. Curtis says, Marshall has warned him about this before. Trust him. He gets it. Marshall says, he’s not meddling, but Curtis has great back-up with Police Commissioner Ashford. All Curtis has to do is call it in, but hey, he’s not meddling.
Jordan tells TJ that she’s working on a case involving one of those genealogy companies, and it reminded her of when Stella took her test. She’d almost forgotten that’s how Stella found her cousin in London. TJ says, it was, and it’s been a whirlwind adventure ever since. She says, at the time, they all thought her long-lost relative was here in Port Charles, and he says, and they said it was a closer match than a cousin. She guesses they were wrong, but he says he doesn’t know. When she found her cousin, they let it go, but honestly, the whole thing never set right with him. They chalked it up to a technical glitch, but it seems unlikely a reputable company would make that mistake. Stella arrives, and tells TJ to give her a hug.
Josslyn asks if Cameron has some place else to be, but he says he has another surprise. She says, another secret, and he says, a surprise, not a secret. She says, close enough, and he says, she’s the one keeping all the secrets. HE didn’t know his girlfriend was a pro dumpster diver. Is she still mad at him? She asks, what for? and he says, not telling her about Spencer’s plan to save Trina. She says, no. Of course (🍷) she wasn’t thrilled, but she gets it. Spencer put him in an impossible situation.
Spencer says, until he gives it to Trina, the letter is his property, and he’s not giving it to her. This is totally unfair. She says, he’s really going to complain to her about what is and isn’t fair? She’ll give him the letter back – he says, thank you – but first she has to tell him why he’s being so weird about it… Fine. She’ll open it. He says, it’s not for her, but she says, it has her name on it. He says, that’s because it’s addressed to Trina his friend, and according to her, they’re not friends anymore.
Cameron tells Josslyn, in the interest of not keeping secrets, Spencer wrote Trina a letter. In it, he explains everything; how he always believed Trina, and was only pretending to back Esme. She says, wow. She’s almost proud of him. Does Cameron think that’s what they’re talking about? He says he hopes so. All these secrets haven’t been doing anyone any good. It’s time for everything to be out in the open.
Trina says she set a boundary, and Spencer says, he’s just trying to respect it. She says she didn’t mean to hurt him when she said they couldn’t be friends anymore, but he says, we Cassadines have ice in our veins. She didn’t hurt him, but thank you. He appreciates it, and knows she wasn’t trying to hurt him. She says, he has to admit, their relationship got pretty toxic, and he says, toxic or not, their relationship meant a lot to him, and it always will. She says, it’s meant a lot to her too, but their friendship wasn’t good for her. She felt like she kept compromising herself over and over again. She hopes he understands, and he says he does. And since they’re sharing, there’s something he’d like to tell her too.
Jordan and Stella hug, and Stella asks, where’s that nephew of hers? Jordan gestures to Marshall and Curtis talking, and Stella says, those two look like they could use a minute. Now what’s going on with TJ? Starting with how thin he’s getting. Is Molly feeding him enough?… She says she’s sorry. They’re a modern couple and they feed themselves. TJ says, between Molly’s schedule and his, they manage to grab the occasional meal, and he promises he’s taking care of himself. She says, okay. What’s going on with Jordan? She’s kind of quiet. Is everything all right? Portia runs up, and says she’s sorry to interrupt, but it’s so good to see Stella. They hug, and Stella sees Portia’s ring. She says, wait a minute. What is this?
Curtis says he knows Marshall doesn’t like Sonny, but he’s got it covered. Marshall says, don’t get it twisted; this isn’t personal. He barely knows Sonny, but he knows Sonny’s type; the type that can cause trouble. Curtis sees Selina, and Marshall says, if Sonny is trying to rope Curtis or The Savoy into something shady, they got to deal with that. Curtis says he hears Marshall, but he and Sonny don’t have that kind of relationship.
Willow says, Nelle had Wiley by the hand. She tried to take him from Nelle, and they disappeared. She was standing there with Michael and Carly, and they were both dead. Then she woke up. Michael says, it was just a dream, and Carly says, she got intense dreams when she was pregnant; she gets it. Willow says she hopes she doesn’t have them until she delivers. She’s tired enough as it is. She’s cutting back her hours at GH. Carly says, that’s smart, and she’s sure GH is understanding. Michael says, and she has him to take care of her, and Carly says, and her entire family. Willow says she appreciates that, and Michael promises there will be no stress during this pregnancy.
Nina goes to Nelle’s grave with a bouquet of flowers, and says she’s sorry she wasn’t here earlier. It’s been a long, exhausting day, but Nelle is never far from her thoughts. She can’t believe it’s been two years since she lost Nelle. It’s been an interesting two years. She never even visited last year. Nelle says, no big deal, and Nina looks up to see her. Nelle says, she’s literally living rent free in Nina’s head. Hi mom.
Selina says, always a pleasure, and Sonny says he didn’t expect to see her here tonight. She says, Curtis is a valued partner of hers. She came to express her congratulations for Trina’s good fortune. He says, that’s very generous, and she says, sit with her and have a drink. Unless he’s waiting on Miss Reeves. He says, Miss Reeves isn’t with him tonight. She says, then they’re both unescorted, since Curtis is occupied with family matters. They should have a chat. Sonny says, about what? and she says, there’s always business to discuss.
Spencer tells Trina that he’s sorry he made their friendship confusing. That’s all on him. He should have been upfront about Esme, and he should have told Esme about his feelings for her. Maybe if he’d done that, he could have saved them from the path of destruction they were on. She says, that would have been preferable, and he says, maybe they could have… The point is, everyone deserved better, and that’s essentially what he wrote in the letter. He just wanted an opportunity to come clean, and let her know he would have done everything differently. She says she appreciates that, and he says he understands why they can’t be friends anymore. He messed up her life, and he’ll always regret that.
Stella says, that looks like an engagement ring, and Portia says, Curtis proposed. They’re engaged.
Willow says, Wiley is safe and sound, sleeping like the angel he is, and Carly says, it doesn’t hurt to make sure. Michael says, she got dressed. Is she going out? Willow says she’s just getting some air, and he says he’ll go with her, but she says, one of them needs to stay with Wiley. He says, his mom can do that, or that can take Wiley to the main house. Willow says, Michael wants to wake Wiley so he can babysit her? and Carly says she actually needs to go over some things with Michael before her trip. Willow says she’ll be fine, and leaves. Michael asks what Carly wants to talk about, and she says, nothing. She gets that his heart is in the right place, but she thinks Willow needs time alone. He says he doesn’t want to hover, but Willow’s been acting so off lately, he can’t shake the feeling there’s something she’s not telling him.
Nelle says, normally, she’s not a fan of being forgotten, and Nina says, she didn’t forget Nelle. Nelle says she knows. Nina was doing the Lord’s work in Nixon Falls. Thanks for that, by the way. She knows Nina didn’t do it for her, but Nina did it because of her, so that’s good enough. Nina says she was upset with Carly. She let Nelle slip, and even after she knew what she did, she didn’t tell Nina that Nelle was her daughter. She just left Nelle out there alone. Nina cries, and says she didn’t mean to let things go as far as they did, but Nelle says, didn’t she? It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that it paid off beautifully. Nina broke up Sonny and Carly, and kept Sonny for herself. Nina says she’s not going to apologize for her relationship with Sonny, but she did hurt a lot of people, including Wiley. Nelle says, Wiley’s a baby. He’s not going to remember any of it anyway. Nina says, Wiley’s not a baby anymore. He’s old enough to have things affect him. Nelle says, if Michael and Carly, and that baby-stealing insufferable Willow, want to tell him things about her or Nina that might be hurtful, that’s on them. They’re in the clear. Nina says she doesn’t want anyone to hurt Wiley, but Nelle says, he’ll get over it. It’s not like anyone’s stealing his kidney for cash, like Frank Benson. Nina says, her greatest regret is that she couldn’t protect Nelle growing up from that horrible, neglectful person. Nelle says, Nina’s mom did put her in a coma, and shrugs. Nina says, she would have been a good mother. Nelle’s life would have been so different. Nelle says, it would. Nina would have given her so much love, everything she ever wanted or needed. They hug, and Nelle says, she could have followed in Nina’s footsteps. Maybe become Editor-in-Chief of Crimson magazine. Nina says she wishes she could have given Nelle that life, and Nelle says, it’s a shame they didn’t know who they were to each other. She could have learned from the best. Together, they really could have made Michael and Carly suffer. They could have made sure Carly stayed in the nuthouse for the rest of her life. They could have hidden her son away from Michael. Working together, they really could have done a lot of damage.
Carly tells Michel, being pregnant is like being on a roller coaster. One minute, you’re glowing and happy, and the next minute, you’re just miserable. He says he knows he’s being over-protective, but how random is it that Willow dreamed about Nelle? She says, Nelle died two years ago today, and he says he didn’t realize. She says she tries not to think about it, but sometimes it just hits her. Reaching out, trying to grab Nelle and help her, and she just falls. It was awful. Then she felt relief. Nelle’s gone. Her friends and family are safe. Then she was terrified she was going to be blamed for Nelle’s death – and she was, once Nina found out the truth. Michael says he’s going to just call and check on Willow, and Carly says, it’s been five minutes; come on. He calls, but gets voicemail, and says, Carly doesn’t think she’d go to Nelle’s grave, does she? Carly says, he knows Willow best. What does he think? He says he thinks it’s a possibility, and since it’s the anniversary of Nelle’s death, he thinks there’s a chance she’ll run into Nina. Carly flashes back to finding out Nina is Willow’s mother, and he says, what happens if Willow runs into Nina? She says she thinks it will be unpleasant, but she doesn’t think Nina would hurt Willow. He says he’s going to check on her, and asks if Carly would mind watching Wiley. She says, yes, of course (🍷), when Wiley runs in, and asks where Michael is going. Michael says he’s going to pick up mommy, but Wiley hugs him, and says, no. Michael asks, what’s wrong? He loves Grandma Carly. Wiley says he had a bad dream, and doesn’t want Michael to go. Carly says, she’ll check on Willow, and Michael can stay with his son. She won’t let anything happen to Willow. He thanks her, and she leaves.
Nelle says, if Nina’s mother hadn’t pawned her off on Frank Benson, and Carly hadn’t let her plummet to her death, and if she and Nina had known who they were to each other, she could have had the most beautiful life. They could have punished them all. Nina says, that’s not what she wanted for Nelle. Everything she did, all the mistakes she made, were because she was in pain. Nelle is her baby, and Nina misses her, but she’s going to have to spend the rest of her life making up for her mistakes. Nelle says, what’s the point in whining about that? If Madeline hadn’t done what she did to Nina, and if Frank hadn’t done what he did to her, it’s the best get-out-of-jail-free card ever. Nina says, just because they got hurt doesn’t absolve them, and Nelle says, they got hurt, and hurt the world around them. Face it. They’re exactly the same. They had a connection, but Nina couldn’t let herself recognize that Nelle was her own flesh and blood. Not while Nelle was working for her, not while Nelle was standing in front of her, not when Nina testified against her, when they were trying to take her baby away from her. Nina had every opportunity to be the mother she always wanted to be, and she pushed Nelle away. Nina says she didn’t know, and cries, her face in her hands. When she looks up, Willow is there instead of Nelle.
Trina tells Spencer, she doesn’t know what to say, and he tells her, she doesn’t have to say anything. He just wanted her to know he’s sorry. She says she wishes things were different, and he says, him too. Rory comes out, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but she’s been gone a while. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. Spencer says, he’s kept her from her party long enough. They’re done here anyway, aren’t they? She hands him the letter, and he leaves. Rory asks if she’s okay, and she says, yeah… She doesn’t know what just happened. He asks if she wants to get out of here, but she says, no. This is her party, and she wants to enjoy it with her date.
Sonny says, it’s a little late for business, and Selina says, friendship then. Let her buy him a drink. He says he doesn’t want to intrude any longer, and she says, it’s hardly intrusion. He’s welcome here. Or has he been made to feel otherwise?
Taggert asks if that thing Trina had to take care of had anything to do with Spencer, and she says, they just cleared the air. She told him they couldn’t be friends anymore. He says, smart decision. He knows it wasn’t easy, but that kid, he’s no good.
Portia says, they were going to tell Stella tonight. This is not how they wanted her to find out. She’s so sorry. Curtis comes over, and says, sorry for what? Stella says, it seems that he’s been keeping some things from her, and Portia says, she saw the ring, so… He says, they were going to tell her together in person tonight, and Stella says, oh, independent corroboration. Jordan says, she and TJ will give them some privacy, and they move on. Portia says she’s so sorry, but Stella says, Portia doesn’t owe her an apology; Curtis does. But first, allow her to welcome Portia to the family. They hug, and Portia thanks her. Stella says, Curtis finally takes her suggestion, and proposes, and she’s the last to know. He says, it wasn’t on purpose, and she asks if they’ve started making plans yet. Curtis says, slow down just a bit; they just got engaged. Stella says, like that’s an excuse, and Portia says, there is one thing they did, that they definitely agree on. Curtis says, that’s part of the reason they were waiting for tonight to tell her, and Stella says she’s dying to know. Curtis says, they’d like to know if she would marry them, and she says she’s never officiated at a wedding before. He says, it’s easy. You just go online, fill out some paperwork, and register with the clerk. Portia says, and you can just drop it in the mail, and Stella flashes back to never mailing the divorce papers. Portia asks if she would do them the honor, and Curtis takes Stella’s hand, saying, because there’s really no one better to marry them. She says, marrying the two of them would be the honor of her life, and Marshall says, and he’ll handle the music. Portia thanks them, and says, that’s one thing down. Now all they have to do is pick a date, a venue, the guest list, and apply for a marriage license. Stella says, for that, they have to supply proof of their divorces, and Curtis says, come to think of it, he doesn’t remember getting that. Stella says, he’d better look into it.
Willow asks who Nina was talking to, and Nina says she was talking to herself. Willow says, sorry for intruding. She knows how hard this day must be for her. Nina says, it is hard. She didn’t know Nelle was her daughter when she was alive, but she carried her. Nelle was her baby. Willow is probably wondering why she’s grieving when Nelle did such horrible things. Willow says, Nelle was still Nina’s child, and a mother’s love is unconditional. Feeling sadness over what could have been, that’s just human. Nina thanks her, and says she’s guessing Willow is here for Jonah, but Willow says she’s here for Nelle.
Selina asks if Curtis is giving Sonny any trouble, but Sonny says, it’s just a misunderstanding. He ran into a singer, Harrison Chase. Does she know of him? She says, the detective on suspension, and he says, he’s a good singer, and a good guy. He thought Chase would be a good fit for The Savoy. She says she appreciates Sonny making the connection. She’s sure Curtis will too.
Curtis asks if Jordan’s got a minute, and she says, what’s up? He says, this is going to sound strange, but did she ever receive notification that their divorce was finalized? She says, now that he mentions it, she’s not sure. She remembers filing the papers, but… He says, maybe it’s because he moved, his got lost in the mail, but she’s sure she got hers? She says she doesn’t remember seeing it, but she did get a lot of mail while she was away at the clinic. She could double-check; maybe she misplaced it. He says he hates to ask, but he needs it to apply for a marriage license. She says, of course (🍷). In order to get married again, you need to be divorced.
Stella congratulates Trina, and hugs her, saying, she had faith that Trina would be exonerated. Trina thanks her and thanks her for coming. Stella says, absolutely, and Curtis asks if he can steal Stella away for a minute. They leave, and Taggert tells Trina that he’s going to bounce. Have fun, stay late with her friends, and enjoy being young while she can. She says she supposes she can, as long as he promises to get lattes with her at the Haven Bistro soon. He says, twist his arm, and hugs Trina, saying, he has such a good daughter. He tells Jordan, see ya, and leaves. Jordan asks where Rory is, and Trina says, he went to get drinks. Jordan says she wanted to tell him about a break in a case, but shop talk can wait. Trina says, he’d love to hear about it. He loves his work. Jordan says, it’s pretty interesting. One of those DNA genealogy sites gave them some important evidence. Trina says, that’s so cool, and Jordan says, it make her glad those tests have become mainstream. Has Trina ever done one?
Willow tells Nina, Nelle was Wiley’s birth mother. She felt she should pay her respects, for Wiley’s sake. Nina says, Willow came out of respect for Nelle; that’s nice. She must be conflicted, since she and Michael are trying to erase Nelle from Wiley’s life. Willow says, they’re not trying to erase Nelle; they’re protecting Wiley. Even Nina admitted Nelle did terrible things. Nina says, and that’s what they want to do, lie to Wiley. Tell him people don’t have flaws. Willow says, Nelle was beyond flawed. If she’d had her way, Michael would have never known Wiley was his son, and Nina would have never known Wiley was her grandson. Every time she thinks she’s making headway with Nina, there’s no reasoning with her. She only sees what she wants to see. Nina tells Willow to get off her damn high horse. She’s sorry Nelle did horrible things, but it’s made Willow so self-righteous, she can’t acknowledge anyone’s pain but her own. Carly walks into the cemetery, and says, enough. If anyone needs perspective, it’s Nina. No matter how hard she tries to rewrite history, no matter how much she wishes Nelle had been redeemed, it doesn’t change the facts. Nelle was a kidnapper and a murderer, and the only reason they’re safe is because she’s dead.
Sonny says he can handle his business with Curtis, and Selina says, she and Sonny go back many years and many favors. Sonny agrees they do, and she says, anything she can do to strengthen their ties, don’t hesitate to ask. He says he’ll keep that in mind. She and Curtis have been doing business; how’s that working out? She says, splendidly. She found Curtis to be quite accommodating. Sonny says he’s going to let Curtis get back to his family, and thinks Selina should do the same. You know what they say about a good man. He whispers, they have their limits, and she whispers back, thank you for the advice. But she knows exactly where she and Curtis stand.
Trina tells Jordan that she took a DNA genealogy test for a project in high school. Why does she ask? Curtis gets on stage, and says, good evening. He thanks everyone for coming to The Savoy for Trina. Everyone yells, and he says, when he first met Trina, it’s safe to say she was profoundly unimpressed. But he on the other hand, immediately noticed what a strong, smart, resilient young lady she is. It’s impossible not to. So in honor of Trina, please help him welcome tonight’s entertainment, Cameron Webber. Cameron comes out with an electric guitar, and apparently has a band we never knew about. He asks how everyone is feeling tonight, and they whoop and holler. He says, his first song is dedicated to Trina. In fact, they’re all dedicated to Trina, since this is her party. This song is about a person they both know. She’ll get what it means. There’s a lot of da-da-da stuff, and something about someone being messed up in the head, but they don’t give a damn. I’m actually not positive, but I assume it’s about Esme? Cameron finishes the song to cheers and applause.
Spencer sets the letter on fire, and watches it burn.
Carly suggests Willow go home, and take care of herself and the baby. Michael and Wiley are waiting. Willow says, Carly’s right. It was a mistake to come here. She leaves, and Nina says, this is precious. She comes here to have a private moment with her daughter, the two of them show up, uninvited, and she’s the villain. Carly says, Nina and Nelle are alike. Nothing was ever Nelle’s fault, and nothing is ever Nina’s fault. Nina says, she’s taken responsibility for her actions, and she’s paid the consequences, and Carly says, but she doesn’t believe she deserves them. She and Nelle sing the same tune; that they’re a product of their circumstances, and that excuses their actions. Nina says, Carly of all people should sympathize. Not with her, but with Nelle. Because it was Carly’s adoptive father who neglected Nelle, abused her, and sold her for parts. Carly says she had compassion for Nelle, and in return, she was sent to Ferncliff for months, Michael was left to burn in a car, and Nelle switched Wiley for Willow’s dead baby. Does Nina get that? Nelle used someone’s dead infant as a prop. How proud Nina must be. Carly walks out, and Nina says, it didn’t have to be like this.
Tomorrow, Felicia tells Maxie, that would be a bad idea; Anna tells Robert, she doesn’t know whether to find that funny or disturbing; Victor tells Lucy, it will be their little secret; and Sonny wants to get something straight with Cody.
Speaking of evil, come by tomorrow for some soap and the Housewives who have the market on the devil’s work these days. Until then, stay safe, stay not shooting the messenger, and stay not crashing anyone’s private moments at the cemetery. No good can come of it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase lounges in a floatie donut in the pool. Dante comes by and says, this reminds him of a movie he saw once. Disillusioned guy spends the summer floating around in a pool so he can avoid his future. Chase says, The Graduate. It’s a good movie. The key difference is though, the main character had Simon and Garfunkel singing his confusion. Dante says, right, and Chase says, and didn’t have to pay for his pool chaise. Dante says, that’s true too. Don’t kid himself though. That guy was a lot younger than him. Chase says, thank you. Did Dante talk to his guy at the CCRB? Dante says, yeah, and Chase says, and? Is there a chance he’s getting back on the force? Dante says he’s sorry. He wishes he had better news to report.
Lucy comes into the Deception office, and tells Brook and Maxie that she’s sorry to keep them waiting. She was on the phone with Paris again and again, and she appreciates them coming to this meeting at such short notice. Maxie says she’s supposed to meet Britt for brunch, but if this is about what she thinks it’s about, Britt will forgive her. Lucy says, yeah, Sasha, and Brook says, it’s all over the news. It’s blowing up their social media. They need to release a statement. Lucy says, exactly, and Maxie says, one that protects Sasha’s privacy. Lucy says, that is a given, but they also have to consider Deception’s image and protect their company. Maxie says, more important, they help their friend, but Lucy says she’s not sure they can do both.
Martin gives Sasha some coffee, and says, it’s not Perks, but why doesn’t she try to drink it anyway; be as sharp as she can. She just stares ahead, and he says, Sasha? If she doesn’t have anything more to say, he guesses he’ll see what time transport is set for her arraignment. Outside in the squad room, Gladys arrives, and Brando hugs her. She says she brought Sasha fresh clothes. He looks like he hasn’t slept a wink. Where’s Sasha? He points to the interrogation room, and says, she’s int there conferring with her lawyer Martin Grey. She says, excellent. He’s Valentin Cassadine’s attorney; he’s high-powered. He’ll help their girl for sure. Martin comes out, and Brando asks, how’s Sasha? Martin says, she’s just great. Why shouldn’t she be? She’s only facing charges of reckless endangerment, disturbing the peace, willful destruction of property – both public and private – and oh yeah, attempted murder.
Gregory meets Alexis at some outside tables, and she says, he’s early. He says, only by a few minutes. He’s eager to hear the feedback on the op ed he wrote. She says, and so he shall. She promised to be honest. He tells her not to keep him in suspense. Who came out on top of their little wager? She says, you tell me, and hands him her tablet.
At the MetroCourt Gardens, Sam thanks Spinelli for meeting her. He says, of course (🍷). He’s always at her service. Cody walks in, and Spinelli says, unlike others, she’s entirely worthy of his time and efforts.
Cody sees Britt, and says, hello again. He sits next to her, and she says, and goodbye again, getting up. He says, come on. Don’t be like that. She doesn’t have to take off. She says, sorry. She has to go. He says, what? She needs something plugged in again? She needs to wash her hair? He knows she doesn’t need to see a guy about a horse because he’s that guy. She says, he’s right. She doesn’t need to make excuses. The simple truth is, she just doesn’t like him.
Chase says, so the Review Board is going to rule against him? and Dante says he doesn’t know about that. All he knows is, his guy on the inside, when he asked if Chase would get his badge back, he said the chances were slim. Chase asks if there’s anything he can do to derail this, and Dante says, the new member appointed by the public advocate is making a point of throwing the book at cops who step out of line, regardless of their exemplary record. Chase says, so that’s it, he’s no longer a cop, but Dante says, take it from him, you’re still a cop until you actually hand your badge in for good. There’s always hope until that happens. Chase says, hope doesn’t pay his late rent, and Dante says he’ll spot Chase rent money. Chase says he appreciates that, but he got himself into this, and he’ll get himself out. Dante says, even if it means taking a job outside the force? when Linc appears, and says, then it’s a good thing Chase has other options.
Brook scrolls on her tablet, and says, the comments are so rude. Poor Sasha. Maxie says, she kept insisting she was okay, but in retrospect, it’s clear she wasn’t. Lucy says, these media hounds are baying for blood. They’ve got to simply reset the narrative. They need to engender empathy for Sasha that maintains her position here, and hopefully placates the Board of Directors. Maxie says, they need to come up with a strategy that shields Deception from liability, while not abandoning one of their partners. Brook says, right. Where do they start? Maxie says, let’s get the ball rolling, and asks if Brook would mind taking notes. Brook says, of course (🍷) not, and Maxie says, Deception’s press release subject: Deception’s commitment on supporting health and mental well-being.
Gladys brings a garment bag in to Sasha, and asks how she’s holding up.
Alexis tells Gregory, this one says, Professor Chase’s opinion piece seems like a complaint in search of a cause, and he says, but if you scroll up, you’ll see Cronkite’s Ghost – he laughs – says his op-ed piece eloquently illuminates the necessity of objectivity. She laughs, and says, Cronkite’s Ghost. They say a handle says a lot about a person. She’s getting pompous blowhard. He asks if she’s ascribing that characterization to him, but she says, no, of course (🍷) not. Here’s one. Newshound86 thinks his op-ed piece is a dumpster fire. He says, how constructive… and poetic, and she says, this one just wants her to put the horoscopes back in. He says, he’d argue that astrology is subjective, so he marks that one in his favor. She says, by a slim margin, it appears the readers approve of his point-of-view. Cue the gloating. He says, him gloat? No. It’s enough he’s feeling validated that his so-called antiquated notions have merit. Thanks for following up. She says, a deal’s a deal, and he says, speaking of which, their deal was, if he won, she’d take more of his input on board. She wonders why the hairs on the back of her neck on end. Cue the smirk. He smiles.
Cody says, Britt hasn’t been shy about her disapproval, and she says, and yet, here he is. Haven’t they played this scene before? He says, yes, we have, but we keep screwing up the finale, and she asks what he means by we. He says, he can admit that he doesn’t always say the right things, and she asks if he expects her to say something to the contrary, but he says, no. He was just giving her the chance to admit that she’s unforgiving when it comes to human frailty. He takes a sip of his drink, and says he’ll wait. She says, by all means, help yourself.
Sam tells Spinelli that she thinks she hit a brick wall, but he’s busy staring at Britt and Cody. She says, then Felicia made a great suggestion to her. She said, think analog. He says, interesting, and she says, the documentation she needs is abroad. Is he available for a quick trip? He asks, where? and she says she was thinking Mars. She hears the planet is notorious for sloppy record keeping. He says, that’s just common knowledge, and she says, he’s not even listening to a word she’s saying, but he says, he is. Analog records… messy… Mars? She tells him, she said Mars, and the word she used is sloppy. What’s messy is him eavesdropping on Britt and Cody’s conversation. She wants him to tell her why, and no lame excuse or denial, because she’s not buying it.
Sasha comes out, and Brando her. He says he’s not going anywhere, and Gladys leads her away. Martin says he’s glad Brando’s mother brought fresh clothes; she needs to be as presentable as possible. Brando says, clothes aren’t going to do anything. Her eyes are vacant and she doesn’t look good. They need to get her out of here. Tell him, how are they going to beat these charges? Martin says, they can’t.
Cody tells Britt to look at it from his point-of-view. She tore into him about falling into the pool at the mixer. He was hired to jump, and she was standing smackdab in the middle of it. She helped him in the alley when he got beat up, but then she assumed he deserved it. He did not. Then she drenched him on their date because he went a little overboard trying to impress her. And she woudn’t even accept his apology. Then when she finally did accept his apology, she found some trivial reason to get angry at him again. It’s like she wants him to fail. He guesses if people don’t live up to her ridiculously high expectations she’s set for them, she gets to feel justified punishing them. She says, he’s right. He’s got her number. He says, he does?
Sam says, Spinelli is on good terms with Britt, so his beef must be with Cody. Why? He says, Mr. Bell is a scoundrel of ill-repute, and she asks if he realizes Cody and Dante are best friends from childhood. Leo loves the guy, as do the horses. He seems like a nice guy. What’s Spinelli’s issue with him? Spinelli says, he’s a man of many faces, and she says, meaning? He says he can read people well. Remember, he never liked Peter August. She says, nobody liked Peter August. Why doesn’t he save his incredible reading skills for the documentation they’ll be hunting down on their trip? She’d like to leave by the end of the week. He says he’s completely at her disposal stateside, but he’s too occupied with work to cross the International Dateline. She says, work. She’s so glad he brought that up. What is it he does these days?
Dante says he wasn’t talking to Linc. What does he want? Linc says, nothing to do with Dante. He has business with Dante’s friend here. Dante says, Chase is still a cop, so Chase is his partner, and Chase asks Dante to give them a second. Dante asks if Chase is kidding. This guy might be the reason he gets kicked off the force. What business could Chase possibly have with him? Linc says, standing right here, and Dante says, go stand over there. Chase tells Dante, he knows what he’s doing, and Dante says, all right. Just don’t let this punk bait him. He leaves, and Linc says, Chase gave him 30 days to show him what he can do. It hasn’t even been a week, and he’s booked Chase a gig at The Savoy. What has Brook done for him lately?
Maxie asks Brook to read that last part back, and Brook reads, together we pledge to stand up for the Deception family by breaking the stigma of mental health challenges, ensuring their partners and their families receive all the help they need. Therefore, Deception will make a one million dollar donation to help families with mental illness. Maxie says, sounds good. Just change the Deception family to our Deception family, and she thinks that’s their press release. Brook agrees, and says, Sasha’s arrest was definitely a cry for help. Hopefully, framing it this way will inspire compassion. Haters be damned. She’s going to make this change, email it to herself, and take it to PR. Maxie asks her to have legal put their eyes on it first. Then tell them to work with PR. She wants it posted on all their social media platforms as soon as possible. Brook says, she’ll make it happen, and leaves. Maxie asks if Lucy didn’t have anything she wanted to add, but Lucy says, no. Actually, everything Maxie and Brook said is fine. Lucy scarfs gummi bears as they talk, and Maxie says, she’s glad Martin is representing Sasha; he’s one of the best. And she’s not just saying that because… you know. Lucy says, my guy knows his stuff, and it’s good for Sasha’s sake, and for ours. Maxie says, ours? and Lucy says, it’s just that Martin sees the big picture, and understands how important it is to protect all of Sasha’s interests, which includes Deception. Which means they have some tough decisions to make. Maxie says, how tough? and Lucy says, Maxie’s not going to like what she has to say.
Martin tells Brando, he had a call into the DA’s office, and his contact just got back to him. Martin wanted to run something by him. Brando says, something about Sasha? and Martin says, Brando’s got to understand some things. Brando says, sounds serious, and Martin says, in the first place, he’s sorry he rattled off those charges at Brando like that. He wasn’t trying to be flippant. He’s a little punchy in the morning when he hasn’t slept, but he swears he’s taking this case seriously. He wants Brando to know, he’s looking at every possibility to help his wife; all of them. Brando thanks him, and asks if Martin was being punchy when he said they couldn’t beat some of these charges. Martin says, some of the charges he believe can be thrown out, or restitution can be made, but on some of the others, no way. They have to contend with a very damning video; a video where Sasha isn’t just out of control, she looks outright violent.All those assault charges are going to be tough to beat. Brando says, but he’ll try, right? They’ll do whatever he wants them to do. Martin says he believes Brando will, but can the same thing be said of his wife?
Gladys wipes Sasha’s face, and Sasha pulls away. Gladys says, Sasha is still a little smudged. She’s just trying help. Sasha says, thanks, but nobody can help, and Gladys says, that’s not true. Sasha has a whole army behind her. Maxie’s been blowing up Gladys’s phone; she just hasn’t had a chance to get back to her. She’s sure Maxie and Lucy want to visit Sasha, but Sasha says she’s not. Not after what she did. Gladys asks why she did it, and Sasha says, she was standing up for herself, and she would do it again.
Gregory says, he heard Sasha Gilmore recently attacked the vehicle of one of Alexis’s reporters, and she says, Smoltz (who apparently has no first name) is a freelancer. He says, whatever Smoltz’s role at The Invader, he’s surprised there’s been no mention of it in her paper. Why is that? She says, because the story is still evolving, and they’ll cover it when they know more. Unless of course (🍷) he’d like her to report the salacious account of a spokesmodel having a nervous breakdown. He says, that’s a narrow way of looking at it, and she says, and his way? He says, the facts. A reporter – one affiliated with her paper – was attacked while doing his job.
Lucy says, maybe they should consider finding a new Face of Deception, and Maxie asks if she’s talking about pushing Sasha out, but Lucy says, no, absolutely not. Sasha is their partner, and always will be. She’s just thinking maybe Sasha should step aside as spokesperson, just for a while. Take a sabbatical or something. Maxie says, after everything Sasha has lost, Lucy wants to strip her of more, and Lucy says, it’s hard to say and hard to hear, but look at everything they’ve built; look at all this company means. All the money, everything, is tied up in its stock value. And if it goes belly-up, it’s Brokesville again; they’ll have nothing. She knows Sasha wouldn’t want that. Does Maxie? Sasha is their friend, always; this is just business. Maxie says, okay. Then as the head of this business, Lucy can tell her, and she walks out.
Gladys says, can’t the court just ask Sasha to pay for the damage to that reporter’s car? She’s good for it. Sasha says, Smoltz deserved it; so did Sienna. Pretending to be Sasha’s friend, when all along, Sienna wanted to ply her with more drugs so she could stab her in the back. She’s so sick of them. She’s tired of being exploited. Gladys says, of course (🍷) she is, but isn’t she also tired of feeling out of control?
Martin tells Brando, he doesn’t know what the hell’s going on or why, but they simply don’t have time to figure it out. For some reason, Brando’s wife has completely shut down. Every answer she gave him was model celeb, if she answered him at all. Brando says, Sasha’s in shock. Spending the night in jail didn’t help at all. Martin says, he’ll definitely ask the court to take that into consideration, but that’s not the only issue at play here, is it? He was up most of the night going over the evidence in this case, trying to wrap his head recent events, and he doesn’t have to tell Brando, it doesn’t look good. Sasha has blown up her sobriety, she’s spun out on national television… She caused a fatal car accident... Brando says, she didn’t cause that; Harmony ran out in front of her. Martin says, so what? His point is, with Sasha these days, it’s one thing after another. This is just something else in a long line of bad looks. Now, worst of all, she’s either in denial or she’s intentionally avoiding the help she so desperately needs.
Britt tells Cody, she is too hard on people; she always has been. He asks if she thinks she misses out on getting to know folks, and she says, probably. He says, it’s kind of worse that they end up missing out on knowing her, and she says, okay, this is sliding into the sappy zone. What he doesn’t understand is, she doesn’t really like people all that much, so it’s no great loss. He says he’s see how she and her buddy Brad get on, when she’s not scolding him, and she says, that weirdo? He says, besides, what’s a little sap between friends? Nothing wrong with that. Not to be presumptuous, but he has a sappy present for her. He knows they’re not friends or anything like that, but consider him a weirdo. He takes an envelope out of his pocket, and puts it on the table. He says, it’s just a little token to prove he’s not some conniving grifter, and she says, he just happened to be carrying it in case he bumped into her? Not conniving, eh? How did he know where to find her?
Spinelli assures Sam, his work is of the greatest importance. Not as important as hers of course (🍷). He has contacts all over the world who can be at her disposal. In fact, he’ll connect her with someone who can help aid in her investigation. She says, nice try. She’s not done interrogating him yet. He says, she’s an astute sleuth. Can’t she detect a dead end when she sees one? Speaking of sleuths, how are things with Detective Falconari? She says, well, he asked her to move in with him. Spinelli says, congratulations. Glad tidings… are they not?
Chase tells Linc, that’s great about The Savoy, but he’s sure Brook has some irons in the fire. Linc says, while she’s flailing around, he’s crushing it. How does a gig at The Mercury Lounge sound? Chase says, in New York City? Out of his league. That place is for the big acts. Linc says, it is, and it will be for Chase before he knows it, with Linc managing his career. It’s hard to have a serious conversation with a floatie between them. Chase gets out of the pool, and Linc hands him a towel. He says, it’s good to see Chase’s unemployment paid off with more gym time. When he’s through marketing Chase, their key demo is either going to want to be him, or want to be with him. Brook walks in, and says, Chase isn’t just a piece of meat; he’s an artist – a talented, beautiful artist. Chase gets dressed, and Brook says, he’s got talent, and smarts, and heart. Linc says, sure. He’s the total package, but he assures her, Chase’s fans will be more interested in his eyes than his IQ. His development department has put together a promotional plan for Chase. He’s also booked studio time for them to start laying down tracks with top writers and producers. After the gig at The Savoy, then they’ll focus on The Mercury Lounge. At both gigs, the concert goers will be able to stream and share his EP. They’ll be able to sell a ton of merch at The Mercury Lounge. Either way, it’s instant revenue for Chase. Chase says he could actually use the money, and Brook asks, how much is this studio time? What are they talking here? Chase says, it does sound expensive, and Linc says, you bet it is, but not for Chase; it’s part of the package. Like his styling, his wardrobe, and his voice lessons. Can Brook offer him the same? Dante watches them, and Brook says, no, but she can offer him something even better.
Britt asks if Cody is having her followed; paying people to let him know if she shows up here? He says, Maxie told him… Well, she mentioned something about brunch plans, and he took a chance. She says, it’s still invasive, and he says he hears her, but it’s still better than showing up at her hotel room or her office. He didn’t have any other options. Is she going to open it or what? She holds the envelope to her ear, and says, it’s not ticking. He says, no need. He’s blown up enough chances with her. She opens the passport and starts to read, and he says, she’s a hard woman to make arts and crafts for. He’ll totally understand if she hates it. She says she doesn’t hate it, and he says, does she think maybe they could add another stamp? Any night she’s available. She asks if there’s any way he’ll take no for an answer, and he says, statistically? Probably the same chances as her refraining from sarcasm. She says she calls the meal this time, and he says, deal.
Sam tells Spinelli, there’s so much to consider. She’s not sure about moving. She doesn’t want to uproot Scout and Danny; the penthouse is their home. He says, home is wherever she is. Doesn’t she want to live with Dante? She says she thinks things are really good the way they are. Why change it? He asks if there’s any other reason she’s hesitant to do this, when Maxie walks in, and says, hey guys. She’s having a morning. Is she interrupting if she sits? Sam says, not at all, and Spinelli says, have a seat. Britt says she never would have figured Cody for being the arts and crafts type, and Maxie says, it looks like Britt and Cody are getting along. She guesses she doesn’t have to apologize to Britt for missing their brunch. Looks like she gave true love an assist. Spinelli asks why she’s so certain Cody is right for Britt, and she says, because she trusts Society Set-Ups. And she’s spent some time with him; he’s a sweet guy. Sam says she happens to agree, but Spinelli says, they both couldn’t be more wrong, and storms out.
Alexis says, not everyone sees things through the lens of a journalism professor, and Gregory says, he’s also a citizen. It concerns him whenever freedom of the press is constrained by threats or violence. She says, she agrees, but he doesn’t know Smoltz. His tactics are less than savory, and she wouldn’t put it past him if he goaded Sasha into a reaction, hoping to provoke just what he got. So if she were him, she wouldn’t hang out the shingle of the First Amendment rights on this one. He says he’d like to invite her to one of his PCU lectures, and she says, he’s lecturing? He says, PCU wooed him out of retirement; convinced him to teach a course. He thinks she’d get a lot out of it. She says, really? She’s argued First Amendment rights in a court of law a lot more than he’s ever lectured about it in a classroom. He says, then she undoubtedly knows, the character of the victim doesn’t preclude the reporting of the crime. Mr. Smoltz may not be the kind of reporter she respects, but he was the target of violence, which makes it at least worthy of her attention, and in his learned opinion, most definitely newsworthy.
Sasha says, Gladys thinks she’s out of control? and Gladys says, doesn’t she? Lately, she’s not the Sasha that Gladys has come to know and love. Sasha says, love. Gladys didn’t even want her to marry her son. Gladys says, she didn’t. Not then. Not at the time, for a few reasons. It seemed like they were rushing, for one thing, and she didn’t like being excluded. But once she saw how much Sasha really loved Brando, and how happy she makes him, and how kind and smart she is, she’s been proud to call Sasha her daughter-in-law. And she’s done what she could to protect Sasha. She thought Sasha knew that.
Brando asks if Martin thinks he gives a damn about optics. He cares about Sasha. He cares about what Martin can do for her. Martin says, Brando needs to care about all of it. Just like he does. Sasha’s drawn the attention of the internet; she’s gone viral. Given the recent nature of political events involving their mayor, the DA’s office is doing everything to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Sasha’s a celebrity. Optics. Translation: don’t expect any kind of preferential treatment, because they’re in no position to give her a break. Brando asks what they do, and Martin says, he motivates his wife to take a more active part in her own defense. He agrees she needs help. She needs a psyche consult, but he doesn’t know if she’d be receptive to the idea. Most of all, she needs to demonstrate her commitment to intensive therapy and restitution. Brando says he doesn’t know if Sasha is ready to confront this, and Martin says, and that severely limits their options. He can only think of one other way to keep Brando’s wife out of prison.
Britt tells Cody, it’s official; she’s been stood up. She’s going to the pool. He says, he’d ask to join her, but she’d just say he’s pushing it, and she says, maybe he is getting to know her. Maxie and Sam join them, and Maxie says, they are getting along. Britt asks for a word with her, and they step aside. Britt asks, what happened to brunch; did Maxie forget? Maxie says, she got hung up at Deception, damage control, and Britt says, right. Sorry. How’s Sasha doing? Any word? Maxie says, nothing from her side; not happy things from theirs. Britt says, when she sees Sasha, tell her she has friends, and Maxie says, she will. It seems like Britt is all about friends these days. Looking pretty cozy over there. She asks, what’s that? indicating the envelope in Britt’s hand, and Britt says, just a silly gift Cody made her. Maxie says, oh… really, and Britt says she’ll overlook whatever part Maxie played in securing him a second date. Maxie gets excited, and says, they’re going on a second date? Britt says, calm down. It’s just a date. Don’t go pricing wedding venues.
Alexis tells Gregory, what Sasha did to Smoltz is news, regardless of extenuating circumstances, but is it newsworthy? He says, that sounds like leftover lawyer speak, and she says, it’s human speak, because she’s a human being. You know who else is a human being? Sasha Gilmore. Gregory says, one that she knows personally. Could that be precluding her view? She says, she barely knows Sasha. She’s looking at the big picture, and given the impact of social media, and various platforms, in contemporary journalism, that’s something that has to be taken very seriously. He says, by all means, put the truth out there, and she says, Cronkite said, in seeking the truth, you need to be able to look at both sides of the story. If they just tell the facts of what happened to Sasha, it’s a disservice to her and their readers. He says, don’t tell him she has alternative facts, and she says, she has context. In the span of a year, Sasha has overdosed, she’s gotten clean, she’s fallen in love, she’s lost a child, she’s been in a fatal car crash, she’s relapsed, and she’s still struggling with her mental health. So if they omit all that, and just print she attacked a car with a valet sign, that’s not showing respect to the Fourth Estate. It’s character assassination disguised as journalism.
Martin says he knows he can cut a deal with the DA’s office, predicated on the promise that Sasha stays out of trouble moving forward, but Brando says he doesn’t know if they can guarantee that. Martin says, in her current state? Brando had better guarantee it, because if he makes a deal, and she breaks her promise, she will be remanded to prison. Like he said, there might be one other way, if Brando’s prepared for it. Brando asks if it’s something that would get the DA to accept this deal, and Martin asks if he knows what guardianship is. Brando says, it’s like a conservatorship, right? and Martin says, exactly. In New York state, the guardianship is utilized when an adult is considered legally incapacitated. Brando says, Martin wants them to claim Sasha is incapable of taking care of herself? and Martin asks, what happened during her last therapy appointment? Brando says, she didn’t make it, and Martin asks if Brando would say her condition makes her less able to manage things, like her health and financial affairs. Brando says he doesn’t know about this, and Martin says, take it easy. They’re not talking about tossing Sasha into some 19th century house of hysteria; this is simply a strategy. It’s a way to keep her at home, and out of prison. Appoint someone, a guardian to watch out for her well-being, make sure she gets to appointments on time, safeguard her finances. It doesn’t have to be forever. Brando says, it seems extreme, and Martin says, it’s Brando’s call, but given Sasha’s state of mind, is she ready for a trial? He doesn’t think it would go well for her. Does Brando?
Sasha says she’s tired, and Gladys says she knows, but they’re all doing their best to help her. She can’t read Sasha’s mind, but she’ll tell Sasha what’s on hers. Sasha is her family now, and that means Gladys will do whatever it takes to look out for her.
Brook says, what she can offer Chase is unique, and Linc says, what is this, a double-standard? Brook tells him, get his head out of the gutter, if it’s at all possible. Linc is only looking at Chase as a performer. She’s a songwriter and they’ve collaborated before. If they share songwriting credit, he’ll get a larger share of all songs produced and streamed. The money won’t be instant, but the residuals mean a lot more in the long run. Chase says, it’s very tempting, and she tells him, think about it, and leaves. She walks over to Dante, and he says he’d clap for her, but he doesn’t want to blow her cover. That was a great show. Is there anything she can’t do? She says she can’t understand what he’s saying right now. Why is he smiling? He says, it’s him. They go way back. The whole wanting to be Chase’s manager is a good angle, but he knows a con when he sees one.
Gregory tells Alexis, beautifully expressed. Miss Gilmore is lucky that Alexis is Editor-in-Chief. She says, he’s agreeing with her? and he asks if that’s so hard to believe. She says, given their interaction thus far? and he says, fair enough. He agrees this story can’t be told without including Miss Gilmore’s state of mind as a mitigating factor. It’s wise to take a more nuanced approach. Alexis says, she’s concerned about violating medical confidentiality. How does she inject nuance without compromising privacy? He says, it’s tricky, but there are ways, and she says, okay, professor. He’s offered a lesson. Okeydoke. She takes out her notebook, and says, school’s in session. He says he’s honored, but she says, don’t be. She’s doing it for Sasha.
Brando says, Martin is sure no plea deal can be made? and Martin says, not if Sasha doesn’t demonstrate some kind of cooperation. Brando asks if she wouldn’t have to agree to a guardianship, but Martin says, not necessarily, especially if she was incapable of making that decision. Brando says, she’s already accused him of trying to control her life. He doesn’t know if he’s comfortable with this. Gladys and Sasha join them, and Gladys says, comfortable with what? Are they talking a game plan, a strategy? Martin says, they have a couple options to consider, but for now they’re taking it one step at a time. He tells Sasha, this officer is going to escort her to the courthouse where she’s going to be arraigned. They’ll meet her there. Does she have any questions? Sasha shakes her head, and Brando takes her hands, and says, everything’s going to be okay. She says, promise? and he says, better than that, a vow. For better or worse, in sickness and in health. He’s got her.
Maxie goes back to Cody and Sam, and says, Cody’s gift was a hit. Congrats. They high-five, and Cody thanks her for encouraging him to give it to Britt personally. Sam says, smooth move, Maxie, and he says, too bad all of Britt’s friends aren’t as supportive as they are. Sam says, if he’s referring to Spinelli, don’t worry about him; he’s been all over the place lately. Maxie says, she’s noticed that. What’s with him? Sam says she doesn’t know, aside from the fact he gave Cody a dirty look the entire time she was talking to him, and Maxie wonders why he’d be doing that. Does Cody have any idea? He says, not a clue.
Britt lies on a chaise, her eyes closed, when Spinelli clears his throat, startling her. He says, she’s about to make a mistake, and she says, his mistake was looming over her like a vampire. He almost got a swift kick. She gets up, and he says he’s serious. She can’t go out with Cody again.
Britt says she knows Dante wants his partner back, but whether he wants to believe it or not, Chase real future in music. Dante says he knows Chase is a talented guy, but he also happens to know, Chase is thinking things are pretty bleak right now, and he doesn’t want Chase to make a mistake. So please level with him. What the hell do the two of them have cooking up?
Chase tells Linc, that’s great. Tell the development team to send over the promotional package, and he’ll have his lawyers look at it. Linc says, he’s convincing, but not good enough for Linc, or himself. Chase says he’s not sure what Linc is getting at, and Linc says, don’t play a player. He knows Brook, and he knows what she’s really up to.
On Monday, Cody says, might as well put their cards on the table; Willow has the feeling Ava want something from her; Obrecht says, Nina needs to walk away now; and Dex says he just gave Michael the perfect opportunity to nail his old man.
Southern Charm
Austen joins Kathryn for a pedicure at a nail place, unoriginally called The Nail Place. He says he’s excited for girls day, and in his interview, he says he’s always had a soft spot for Kathryn. He did win Drama King in high school, and Kathryn can be dramatic as well. She asks if he’s getting a color, and he says he’s not Craig. Working at home, Craig tells himself, work smarter, not harder. Naomie calls, and he tells her that he’s working on his spring collection. She says she had a strange reaction at Olivia’s, and needs to pick his brain. She asks if he wants to get coffee, and we flash back to Paige saying, it’s inappropriate to hang out with one’s ex. Craig asks why she’s calling him about it, and Naomie says, it’s about Kathryn. She thought he’d be the best person to advise her. We flash back to Craig asking Paige, what about having lunch with an ex? and Paige saying, no. He says, it must be serious enough if she wants to talk in person. He’s going to be over by her later, and there’s a coffee shop nearby. In Craig’s interview, he says, it’s just coffee. He’ll get in and get out. They’re not getting their nails done together. Meanwhile at the nail salon, Austen says he loves Kathryn’s blond look, and she asks how things are going with him and Olivia. He says, they haven’t spoken since the party. It bothered him that after he’d talked to her about Madison, Olivia invited her to the party. He doesn’t want to pursue someone who wants to be friends with his ex. In Kathryn’s interview, she says, sometimes Austen can be a petty bitch.
Olivia and mom Robin discuss the party, and agree it was fun. Robin asks about Austen, and Olivia says, they didn’t end on the best note at the party. We flash back to Olivia telling Austen that she’s waiting for the day he doesn’t care about Madison, and she tells Robin about it. Robin says, he does seem more tense around Madison. She thinks it’s sensitive and sweet, and says, you usually don’t hear about a woman being… whatever [Madison] is. Olivia says, everyone has ex stuff, but she wants Austen to be right in that department. In Olivia’s interview, she says, a relationship with Austen is too much work. She’s not enough drama for him. He seems to like it; it’s what he’s used to. While they get a paraffin foot treatment, Austen says he’s happy Kathryn and Chleb are back together. Kathryn says, they’re trying, but in her gut, she feels like something is off. At the party, he was talking to Naomie a lot. It was weird super and disrespectful, and she felt hurt. We see a clip of Chleb telling Kathryn that Naomie was calling her names, and Kathryn saying, he should have shut it down immediately, not listen because he’s being a good guy. In Kathryn’s interview, she says she wishes he would be more aware of what he’s doing. Loyalty, hello? Austen tells her, if she thinks something off, then something is off.
Leva sees her trainer, and he does some kind of massage/stretching exercises for her muscles. In Leva’s interview, she says she wants to be present. She’s reading books about essentialism, so she doesn’t cook as much, lets the house be messy, and picks her battles at work. She’s consciously practicing to be a calmer person. But it’s not working. She loves Little Lamar, but he’s two and chaotic. We see some clips of Little in action, and she says, he’s so high energy from 6 am until his bedtime at 9 pm, which is her fault. Venita’s mom Vi visits her, and says she loves Venita’s big hair. When she was young, she had big hair. In Venita’s interview, she says, her mother didn’t tell her be perfect. She told Venita that perfect was however she chose to be. Venita tells Vi that she had a bad week. She didn’t get invited to Olivia’s party because Olivia didn’t want the garden party again. She guesses it’s embarrassing, and her feelings are hurt. Vi says, Venita’s got to talk about things, but when she’s rational; not in the heat of anger. Venita says she doesn’t know how to go about it, since she’s never seen it. Vi didn’t show her how to handle things, and hid any disagreements with her dad. Vi says she’s not talking about Venita’s dad, and in her interview, Venita says she was an only child. She was in high school when she came home one day, and her dad was gone. Her parents could have worked for the Secret Service. She had no idea it wasn’t working out. She tells Vi, all she knew was that she had two parents, and then one of them was gone, and Vi says, Venita still has two parents. In Venita’s interview, she says, her dad was probably living a double life since she was about 14. It took until her aunt called and said he was marrying someone else for her to understand her parents were done. Vi says, Venita’s dad was thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy, and it wasn’t something to discuss with her daughter. She didn’t want Venita to see her pain. Venita says she doesn’t have the insight her friends do, because they saw their parents argue, then figure it out. Vi says, it’s probably because she grew up in a house where they did argue, and Venita asks what it taught Vi. Vi says, not to do it, and in her interview, Venita says, teaching you how to avoid fighting doesn’t teach you how to deal with fighting. She’ll get overly upset at a simple confrontation, because she’s never seen anyone do that on a personal level. Vi says she tried to protect Venita from the pitfalls of life, which was not necessarily a good thing. Venita didn’t learn how to handle adversity, and Vi apologizes for what she didn’t do. Going forward, she’ll do her best. Books on parenting don’t work. You have to go through it to learn. She asks if that satisfied Venita, and Venita says, it’s more than she had yesterday.
Little Craig! Shep visits Whitney and Patricia, who’s gotten Little Craig a champagne bottle toy, which she says is unshreddable. Whitney says, Little Craig is like a piranha meets the Tasmanian Devil, and Shep says, his dad calls the dog a French terrorist. New guy Randy is doing the butlering, and Patricia says, nobody can take Michael’s place, but he’s good. Whitney says, Randy alleviates his duties, like official dog walker. In Patricia’s interview, she says, Randy is a lovely man. He’s a good server and fixes drinks so much better than Whitney. We flash back to Whitney bumbling through things, and see that Little Craig is already well on his way to totally destroying his new toy. Patricia says, speaking of incurring damage, Little Craig was involved in Peaches’ violation. Shep asks if they had a roll in the hay, and Whitney says, Little Craig is a feral mess. Done with his toy destruction, Little Craig runs to find Peaches, and Patricia says, let him; the damage has been done. In her interview, Patricia says, mounted is too strong a word. He sullied Peaches’ reputation. She tells Shep that Little Craig has to do the honorable thing. She’d like to have a wedding. (I can’t wait!) Shep asks if she wants Little Craig to make an honest doggy of Peaches, and Patricia says, he thinks she’s kidding. She doesn’t see anybody here doing anything in the near future. Shep says, so they’ll give her the wedding she richly deserves. She asks if Little Craig has a tux. She’s getting Peaches a wedding gown. In Shep’s interview, he says, if Whitney had his way, he’d be a bachelor for life. Still living in hope, Patricia says she doesn’t want to preempt any wedding bells, and asks Shep about Taylor. Shep says, Taylor’s not a pressure type of gal.
Taylor visits Marcie, and checks out the nursery, saying, it’s so pink; she loves it. Marcie says she’s glad she’s done. She’s due in 5 weeks. In Taylor’s interview, she says, in her perfect world she’d get married around 30, and have kids by 33. How old is she now? (I looked it up. She’s 27.) Marcie shows Taylor the outfit she’s taking the baby home in, and they move on to an entire closet full of clothes. In her interview, Taylor says she gets giddy looking at clothes and strollers. Shep’s clock isn’t ticking, but hers is. Shep tells Patricia that he thinks he’s in the clear, but Patricia says, don’t kid yourself. Whitney asks how long they’ve been going out, and Shep says, two years. Patricia says, if there was no proposal after four months, that’s it. In Patricia’s interview, she says, Taylor is making a mistake be acquiescing. She needs to give him an ultimatum. Patricia says, she’s amazed that any woman could put up with the two of them, and Shep says, they’re on the George Clooney/Warren Beatty track.
Naomie calls Craig, saying she’s at the coffee place, and they’re out of chai. She places both their orders, and when he gets there, she asks why he’s grumpy. He insists he’s not, and she asks if he had fun at Olivia’s party. He asks it was about Kathryn she wanted to discuss, and she says, during the party, Chleb came up and started going in about Kathryn. We flash back to that, and Naomie says, Chleb was saying not nice things. Craig says, like what? and we flash back to Chleb saying he could only listen so much to Kathryn, then he’d put on ESPN and tune out. Like practically every man doesn’t do this. She tells Craig, Chleb doesn’t seem happy. The one lesson she learned after her and Craig was, never air your dirty laundry to other people. She has regrets about talking bad about Craig, and she’s pretty sure Metul did the same thing to her. Karma is very real. She wonders what’s making Craig uncomfortable. He’s jittery, making no eye contact, and keeps looking over his shoulder. Who’s coming? She says, he’s acting like she’s part of a sting operation or something. She doesn’t know what’s going on, and wishes he’d just be straight and not act like a weirdo. In Craig’s interview, he wonders why they needed to have coffee for Naomie to tell him that Chleb was talking sh*t about Kathryn. Naomie says she feels bad for Kathryn. They’ll never be good friends, but she feels it’s the right thing to hand Craig the information. Maybe he could just talk to her. He says, maybe, but he’s got to be going. He’s picking up Paige from the airport. Naomie suggests they do a fun night out, and Craig says, one day, maybe. Naomie says she just wants to have fun, but Craig says, unfortunately, there are boundaries. He’s glad they can catch up and be friends, but at the end of the day, Naomie is his ex-girlfriend, and Paige doesn’t appreciate it. They can’t hang out just yet. Naomie says, they can’t forget the past, and in his interview, Craig says he thinks Paige is being understanding, even though she doesn’t understand the situation, since she lives in NYC, where you don’t run into your ex all the time or hang out with them. He doesn’t want to push or disrespect her any further. In Naomie’s interview, she says, if she hadn’t thought she and Craig were on the same page, she wouldn’t have asked him for coffee. She’s not trying to get with him. She’s not the type who tries to get with a guy who has a girlfriend. If it feels awkward, that’s on them, not her. I can see it both ways, but I’ve never really wanted to hang out with an ex. Oh wait. I do hang out with my boyfriend from high school once in a while, but those feelings are long gone. If they were even real at that age. Now he’s someone I grew up with.
Olivia calls Naomie from the car, and says she’s meeting Venita. Naomie says, awesome; heal it up. They meet at a juice bar, and in Venita’s interview, she says, with her parents, all she’s seen is avoidance of fighting, confrontation, and issues. She wants to step up and resolve this, rather than letting it sit. Venita asks how the party was, and Olivia says, fun. They toast to this thing (i.e. their meeting), and Olivia says she appreciates Venita reaching out. Venita says, they had a rocky start, and she wants to be able to lay everything on the table. Olivia says she thinks Venita has a false perception of who she is, and she was thrown by Venita’s misconceptions. Insinuating something is not cool. Venita says, when Olivia walked away, it felt dismissive, and Olivia gets how it could be perceived, but it’s her way to cool off when she knows nothing is going to get resolved in that moment. Venita apologizes for coming at Olivia so hot. It wasn’t necessary, and it’s not who she is as an individual. She suggests they make it a clean slate. Now they just have to worry about everyone else. She says, with all that smoke and heat between Austen and Madison, why invite Madison to the party? Olivia says, she and Madison are fine, but she got an earful about it. We flash back to Austen acting stupid, and Venita asks if Olivia and Austen are dating. Olivia says, they only went out one-on-one once, and they’re in in that weird limbo. Venita wonders if Madison knows, and Olivia asks why it would matter. Venita says, Madison and Austen were so deeply involved, part of Madison feels entitled to know what’s going on. It’s not worth it.
Chleb goes to mom Debbie’s house, and she asks if he’s working hard. He says, seven days; he’s pretty damn tired. Debbie wonders if he didn’t take the tag off his shoes, but he says, it’s the style. She says, it seems awkward, but he says, it’s the drip these days. She asks how Kathryn is, and he says, they went through some stuff. There was a girl named Naomie at the party who Kathryn dislikes, and she and Chleb got to talking. We see a clip of Kathryn telling Chleb, it’s embarrassing. In Chleb’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to be in a relationship with someone he’s thinking negatively about. Debbie says, it takes work, and suggests he make a list of what he likes and dislikes about the relationship. She says, if you have more dislikes than likes, you ain’t gonna make it, baby.
Paige is at Craig’s, and he offers her every coffee flavor known to man. She says, yuck to maple, which is one of my favorites, but she also hates mint, and we’re in agreement there. My only exception is Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. She asks if he can imagine when they actually have a kitchen, and in Craig’s interview, he says, it’s hard to play house with no kitchen, and living out of boxes. The fact that Paige feels comfortable with things as is, is an incredible sign. Paige suggests sitting outside, and Craig wonders if they make an iced coffee maker. Paige is like, nooo, and says, he loves tea anyway. In his interview, he says, Paige loves how he is, and he loves that feeling. She’s his biggest fan. Aww. They’re not engaged yet, but he thinks he’s found his person. They sit in rockers on the porch, and he tells her that he’d like a big family, and wants to renovate the house with that vision.
Event planner Erica goes to Patricia’s, and Patricia says she thinks it would be fun to have a dog wedding, so she needed a wedding planner. Erica asks how big it will be, and Patricia says, around 25 people. It might be the only wedding she throws. In Patricia’s interview, she says she has Whitney’s wedding planned. A medieval cathedral, a florist from Paris, Valentino for the mother-of-the-bride dress, but she doesn’t get to make those decisions. Erica asks, who is going to officiate? and Patricia says, Little Craig and Peaches go to the same vet. She thinks Dr. Berger will agree to officiate. They decide on having it in the garden, and Erica asks if Patricia wants the guests welcomed with champagne. Patricia says she does, but she wants it in coups, not flutes. Erica asks about cakes, and Patricia wants the ones featured in Steel Magnolias. The groom’s cake is an armadillo cake in red velvet. She tells Erica, the invitations have already gone out.
To be continued…
Next time, Whitney and Shep talk human marriage; the dog wedding happens; Olivia brings a date that’s not Austen; Whitney plays guitar; and Craig tells Naomie that she left a loving relationship to be with a controlling a-hole. She won’t affect his life anymore.
A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts. – Joshua Reynolds
Happiness depends to some extent upon external conditions, but chiefly upon mental attitudes. – Paramahansa Yogananda
Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live. – Nora Roberts
The greatest source of unhappiness in the world comes from having unreasonable expectations about the behavior of other people. – Don Fehr
Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. – Les Brown
Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil
Security is mostly a superstition… Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller
Life is like a novel. It’s filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going to happen until you turn the page. – Sidney Sheldon (Well, let’s hope it’s not like a Sidney Sheldon novel.)
If there’s a world here in a hundred years, it’s going to be saved by tens of millions of little things. The powers-that-be can break up any big thing they want… but what are they going to do about 10 million little things? They break up two of them, and three more like them spring up! – Pete Seeger
The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. – Gloria Steinem
🛣 On the Road Again…
It’s certainly been a week. If it’s been one for you too, or even if it hasn’t, you have my permission to take the next two days off. But be back on Monday for soap and a Mediterranean cruise. Until then, stay safe, stay away from overly processed foods, and stay never trying to play a player.
In watching this, I understood what it is about Diana that I don’t like. She expects others to be empathetic of her without really knowing her, but she’s quick with judgements about people she doesn’t know. There was a poll on Twitter asking if she was soulless – which I think was just a dramatic word Sutton used, and not to be taken seriously – and I read she blocked people who said yes. Why? Is she afraid she might learn something about herself?
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie
Never try to outstubborn a cat. – Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism. – Erin Wright
Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. – Revelation 21:4 (NLT)
One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. – Elbert Hubbard
I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace. – Thomas Paine
If you don’t like my shade, get out of my shadow. – Shereé (yes, that one) Whitfield, Real Housewives of Atlanta
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie
I have more in common with a three-toed sloth or a one-eyed pterodactyl or a Kalamata olive than I have with Winston Churchill. – Boris Johnson (What?)
Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. – Jimi Hendrix
Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.- Annette Funicello
🦛 Taking My Hunky Dory and Going…
If all goes according to plan, we’ll all be filling the next two days with activities that are gratifying and/or productive. Or not, if that’s what you like. Then we’ll reconvene on Monday for soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay doing everything in moderation, but allowing for a splurge now and then, and stay trying to understand where others are coming from. You might not like them anyway, but you won’t hate them. Don’t be a Diana J.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny picks up Nina’s necklace from in front of Nelle’s gravestone. I knew it!
In a cab, Nina tells the driver that she’s going to the airport; the international terminal. Her phone dings, but she brushes it aside.
On the phone, Sonny tells Phyllis not to worry. He’s going to find her.
Sam says, when Cody said, partners in crime, is he talking about Detective Falconari? Cody says he can’t wrap his head around the cop part. This guy’s mom sent him to summer camp to keep him out of trouble, and he got in a lot more while he was there. Dante says, that was because of Cody, and Cody says, right. He’s the one who led Dante astray; Dante’s the innocent one. Sam says, they’ve known each other that long? and Cody says, we were twelve?Thirteen? Dante says, twelve. He came home from school one day, and his mom had a bag packed. He was going to camp for the summer. Stay out of trouble and get into nature. Sam says, and Cody was the bad influence that corrupted Dante? Cody says he was a bad influence, but so was Dante back in the day.
Josslyn sees Cameron at the pool, putting out towels, and says, two shifts? Kelly’s, now here? He says, with everything going on with his mom, he figured he could use the extra work, and she asks if they can talk about what’s going on with them.
In front of her house, Trina says she can’t believe she and Rory stayed out so long, and he says he guesses that means they were having a good time. She says she guesses so, and thanks him for everything back at the pool, and for dinner, and for ice cream. She’ll pay him back for everything. He tells her not to worry about it, and thanks her for introducing him to that amazing food truck. She says, right? She only knew about it because it goes by PCU on certain days. He says, another testament to her incredible taste. Good art, good food. He can’t wait to see what else she introduces him to.
Spencer says he promises whatever Esme has to say, he’ll listen, but can he please go first? He’s had a lot of time to think about what she said to him; how he takes her for granted, and how Trina gets under his skin. But he evades every time she calls him out on it, and he realized she’s right. She deserves some answers.
Ava says, don’t tell her that he hired a divorce lawyer already, and Nikolas says, no, but he was ready to give up on their marriage. She says she was too. She drew a line in the sand, and she was ready to walk away. Thankfully, she realized it was the last thing she wanted. They can find their way back from this, can’t they?
Dante says, Cody didn’t corrupt him, but he definitely coerced Dante into going along with his more harebrained schemes. Cody says, like Dante didn’t have any suggestions, and Dante says, Cody knows it wasn’t his idea or choice to take a canoe out in the middle of the lake, and tip it over on purpose. Cody starts laughing and banging the table, and says, they pretended they were drowning, and yelled, help! help! until the prettiest CIT came over. Dante tells Sam, that’s Counselor-in-Training, and Cody says, she swam over. She – air quotes – rescuedus – end air quotes – and boy she was mad. Dante says, they got banned from the beach for the rest of the summer, and Cody says, then Dante stole all the camp director’s cigarettes out of his cabin. Dante says, and why did he do that? and Cody says, because he dared Dante to. Dante says, they got busted because this guy smoked every cigarette in the pack, and started puking all over the place, and Cody says, nothing like a little adrenaline rush to let you know you’re alive. Sam says, it’s like jumping out of a plane and crash-landing on an unsuspecting woman, and Cody says, talk about mad… and pretty. She actually reminds him of that CIT. Still, if she hadn’t been there, it would have been a perfect landing. Dante says, instead of a potential negligence lawsuit, and Cody says, look at Dante, former renegade, embracing the straight and narrow path to a humdrum life. Dante says he doesn’t know if staring down the barrel of a loaded gun is as dangerous as jumping out of a plane, and Cody says he’s just messing with Dante. He’s going to get another round for that dinner Dante is going to buy him. He gets up, and puts his hand on his back. Sam asks if he’s okay, and Cody says, that tumble just fired up some old injuries. He’s good. A little pain just lets you know you’re alive. He goes to the bar, and Sam wonders why Dante never mentioned him before. Dante says he doesn’t know. They saw each other at summer camp, had a helluva time, but they lost touch after Dante stopped going. Sam says, that’s too bad. He seems like a good guy. Dante says, he is a good guy. Good at getting in trouble.
Josslyn says she feels like she and Cameron should be able to tell each other everything by now. Unless this is something bigger. Does he feel like they need time or something? He says, no. He doesn’t want that. Does she? She says she doesn’t know what else to do. Clearly, something is going on. Cameron flashes back to telling Spencer that he’s not going to lose Josslyn because Spencer can’t keep his head in the game. Make it happen, or he will. Cameron says, Josslyn is right. There’s something he has to tell her. She says, okay, when Adam walks in. Cameron says, isn’t that…? and she says, the creep who tried to hit on her when she thought they were just study buddies? Adam says he’s sorry to interrupt, but he really needs to talk to her.
Taggert tells Portia that he was hoping Trina would get home before he left, and she says, Trina is actually supposed to be back by now, but she has been working a lot. Dealing with everything hanging over her head, Portia doesn’t blame her. She wishes there was something she could do to make things better, and Taggert says, she will. He asks her to give Trina a big hug from her dad, and she says she sure will. Trina’s still a daddy’s girl; don’t worry. Taggert opens the door to find Rory and Trina standing there, and asks, sweetheart, who’s your friend?
Nikolas downs a drink, and Ava says, they had a fight; so do most couples. She just had to remember everything they’ve shared. How they’ve survived, despite everyone’s predictions to the contrary. Because they love each other. Because they understand each other. It’s going to take a helluva lot more than an argument to sever that bond. He flashes back to… I don’t want to talk about it, and says, to be fair, it was more than one argument. There are things between them that aren’t easy to resolve. She says, nothing between them has been easy, and it hasn’t stopped them yet, but he says, she walked away from him; from them. He thought it was over. She says she thought so too, but it’s because they’re both stubborn, passionate people. When they’re at odds, things can get really ugly, but when they’re together, they’re unbeatable. That’s the problem. They stopped working as a team. They started to let their own agendas drive them, and forgot to protect this life they’ve created together. That life is beautiful. It’s remarkable, and utterly their own. And she’s not going to let Spencer and Esme tear it down.
Spencer says he’s so sorry for how bad things have gotten between him and Esme. He’s so sorry for the way he treated her. He takes her hand, and asks if she’ll please forgive him.
On the phone, Sonny asks if Brick can track down Nina for him. She’s not returning his calls, his texting, or nothing… He’s just afraid she’s not in a great state of mind, and she might do something she’s going to regret.
Nina thanks the driver for making the stop; she left her passport in the office. She realizes her necklace is gone, and asks him to wait. They have to make another stop before he drives her to the airport.
Cody comes back with beers, and says, to Port Charles finest. That means Dante. Dante says, to unexpected reunions, and they clink bottles. Sam says, no wedding ring; he’s not married? He says, free as a bird, and she says, no kids? He says, no, and she asks if there’s anyone special in his life. He says, she asks a lot of questions, and Dante says, Sam is a private investigator; occupational hazard. Sam says, it’s like jumping out of a plane and landing on a roof. It’s sort of like skydiving. Is that what Cody does for a living, or is it his side hustle? Cody says, actually, for a long time, he was a stunt horseback rider, and Dante says, cool. Cody was always good with horses. Cody says he grew up around them, and when he moved out west, he worked on ranches. That’s where he learned stunt riding, but after too many tumbles, he had to hang up his saddle. Now he makes a living doing short term gigs. Sam asks if dropping out of the sky isn’t hard on his back, and he says, yeah. He’ll probably have to quit that too. So how long have Sam and Dante been together? Dante asks if Sam wants to take that one, and she says, they’re coming up on a year. Cody asks how they met, and Dante says, Sam has been a family friend for years. Sam says, her ex-husband was best friends with Dante’s father. Cody says, Dante found his father. He remembers Dante wanted to know who he was. Dante says he got to know his father a little over 10 years ago, and Cody says, that’s significant; tell him about him. Dante says, he’s a businessman in Port Charles, and Cody asks, what’s his business? Dante says, Corinthos Coffee, and Cody says, his dad is Sonny Corinthos?
Sonny tells Brick, talk to him… a plane ticket, where?… Dammit. Milan?… How soon?… All right. He’s on it. He starts to leave, but meets Nina, who’s coming into the cemetery.
Cameron says, if he was Adam, he’d get the hell out of here, but Josslyn says, it’s fine. Let’s hear what he has to say. Adam asks if they can talk in private, and Cameron says, he’s joking, but Josslyn says, it’s fine. He’s got a minute. Cameron steps away, and Josslyn says, one wrong word, and he’s in the pool, and she’s pretty good at it. He says he’s been afraid to talk to her at school, but he saw her come in there, and figured it’s now or never. She says, for what? and he says, an apology.
Nikolas tells Ava, as convenient as it would be to blame Spencer and Esme, they’ve struggled with trust and honesty from the beginning, and he takes his responsibility in that. Ava says she knows they have legitimate issues to work through, but despite that, there’s love here. There’s a kinship even, and there’s certainly no denying their attraction. Surely those things can see them through. What does he say? Is still in this with her? He says, don’t call him Shirley.
Esme says she appreciates Spencer’s acknowledgement that he’s treated her badly, but it’s not that simple. She removes her hand from his, and gets up. He follows and says, he knows he messed everything up. He’s trying to work it out. He wants to be the man she deserves, but in order to do that, he may need a second, third, or fourth chance, and he doesn’t even know which one he’s on now. Just believe he’s trying to do better by her. She says she needs more than trying, and from where she’s standing, it doesn’t look like he’s trying very hard, except to justify his behavior. She’s been willing to stand by him, no matter what, but she hasn’t gotten anything close to that from him. She deserves better. His father reminded her of that.
Nikolas says he’s with Ava, always and forever. She moves to kiss him, but he backs up a little. She says, forever lasted all of four seconds, and he says she just surprised him. She says, and his instinct was to recoil; that’s not very reassuring. He says he’s as in love with her as ever. He wanted to grab her in his arms so many times, and he had to restrain himself. They came so close to the edge of giving up. It might take time for him to feel normal. She says, there is still one giant thing between them. If they really want to move forward, they have to settle it once and for all.
Spencer says, Esme talked to his father about him? and Esme flashes back to – oh! My eyes! She says, among other things. Nikolas saw her suitcase, and she accidentally broke the news about Ava’s offer for them to move out of Windymere in exchange for an allowance from his trust fund. One thing led to another, and she told him they fought, and she was on the verge of walking out on him. Spencer asks what Nikolas said to make her stay, and she says, Nikolas cares about Spencer and doesn’t want to see him hurt, so he talked her down. He gave her a new perspective on relationships. It was a lot to take in, but it made her realize she has to be honest in what she needs from Spencer. He says he knows their relationship has been rocky. He’s been in a bad head space ever since he came back from Spring Ridge, but he’s ready to do whatever it takes to make this work between them. She asks if he really means that.
Portia asks if she can get Rory anything to drink, but he says he’s fine. Trina asks if Taggert wasn’t supposed to be leaving, and Portia thinks she remembers Rory. Wasn’t he at the courthouse at Trina’s arraignment? He says, yes. It was the first day he officially met Trina. Trina says, Rory got her a soda when she was in the interrogation room. Portia says, well, that’s an interesting story, and the three of them force a laugh. Taggert says, mm-hm, and Rory says he heard how Taggert and Commissioner Ashford took down Cyrus Renault. Great work. Taggert says, ya think? He broke the law. He had to convince his ex-wife and daughter that he was dead for nearly six months. Trina says, which she had a problem with at first, but then she realized he was just doing what he had to do. Rory says, it sounds like Taggert did what he needed to do to protect his family and community. He admires that. Taggert asks if Rory likes breaking the rules. Is that the real reason he’s hanging out with Taggert’s daughter?
Josslyn says, Adam wants to apologize? and he says he does. He’s sorry for being a total jerk. He had no right to say the things he said. She says, no, he didn’t; so why did he? He tells her, he’s ashamed to say it now, but all he saw was a hot girl in a video. He didn’t think about how it felt to have her privacy violated. Then he read her article in The Invader. Reading about what she went through, it was seriously messed up, and made him check himself. If someone did that to his sister, he would be furious. He’s really sorry, and sorry he made it worse for her. She thanks him, and says she accepts his apology. He asks if they should hug it out or something, and she says, remember the pool? Don’t push it.
Dante says he’s guessing Cody knows the name Sonny Corinthos, and Cody says, he knows Sonny roasts a mean bean. Can Dante hook him up with some free coffee? Dante says, some things never change; always looking for an angle. Cody says, it’s not what you know, and Dante says, it’s who you know. Cody asks what Dante is up to tonight. Does he want to raise a ruckus to honor the old times? Dante says he has an early morning, and Cody says, Dante has to keep those bad guys off the street. Dante says, and get his kid to school. Cody says, look at Dante. He’s a dad with a great job, and a cool girlfriend. He didn’t think Dante had it in him. Cody is happy for him. It looks like he grew up to have a full life. Dante thanks him, and says, it looks like Cody got the life he wanted too. Cody says, more or less. He’s glad they had this chance to catch up, even if it’s just one night. Sam says, they’re having dinner at her place tomorrow night. Why doesn’t Cody come by?
Sonny says he was worried about Nina. He called and texted, but she didn’t return his calls. She says she put her phone on silent; she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. He says he heard her petition to see Wiley was rejected. He’s sorry. She asks if he’s upset about how she let Scotty go after Michael, and he says he doesn’t like to see Michael in pain, but can’t he feel for her too? She says she won’t be hurting Michael or anyone anymore. She’s headed to the airport as soon as she finds… He says, this? holding up her necklace. He won’t give it to her, and she says, she’s running late; there’s a car waiting for her. He says, too bad. He’s not letting her go.
Ava says, her offer to Spencer wasn’t only to get him and Esme to move out; it was for her and Nikolas. Nikolas says, she wanted to give them space to work on their marriage, but it hurts that his son chose money over their relationship. Ava says she means no disrespect, but in Spencer’s eyes, Nikolas did the same thing. As a gesture of good faith and to show him she’s committed to their marriage, she won’t make Spencer choose. He says, if she reneges on their deal, Spencer will be furious, but she says, no. She’ll still give him the money, on the condition he remain here. Of course (🍷) she’ll still have to put up with Esme. He says, not necessarily. Esme and Spencer might be breaking up. Esme seems to think so. Ava says, maybe that’s why Spencer was looking for her. Maybe she’s gone already. This calls for a toast. Things are looking up already.
Spencer tells Esme, he means it with all his heart. He wants them to make it. Can she please accept his apology? She takes his hands and says she loves him. She wants to make this relationship work, so yes, she forgives him. She hopes this can be a new beginning for them. He says he wants that too. He’s ready for all this drama to be a thing of the past. She says, the best part is, she knows he means that.
Portia tells Taggert, this isn’t an interrogation, but Rory says, it’s a fair question. Actually, he’s a by-the-book guy. That’s why he looked it up, and there’s no rule he’s not allowed to be friends with Trina while she’s awaiting trial. Taggert says, he’s a rookie, right? There’s something Rory needs to understand about law enforcement; there’s written rules, and unwritten rules. Rory says, yes, sir. He takes that seriously. Just like he takes seriously their oath and motto, to protect and serve; that’s why he was drawn to the job. He’s not violating the oath or motto by hanging out with Trina. If someone has a problem with that, it’s on them, not him. Portia asks what Rory likes to do in his spare time, and he says, Trina is teaching him about art; she has a great eye. Trina says she keeps telling him, art is subjective, but she guesses she’s been around it more. Rory says, no false modesty; own it, lady. Trina says she guesses she’s pretty good at it, and Rory says he likes to keep active; play sports, swim, work out when he can. The job keeps him pretty busy, and the whole work/life balance is tough. Portia says, let her know when he’s got that figured out, and he says, right now, he’s trying to remind himself to make more time for the things he enjoys. He and Trina smile at each other.
Cody tells Sam, he appreciates the offer, but he’s got to hit the road tomorrow. She says, no way. He’s only there for the day? He says, life in the gig economy. His next job’s in the Finger Lakes area, but Port Charles seems like a nice town. Sam says, it is. Too bad he can’t stick around and get to know the place. Cody says he never gets too comfy in one place; got to pay the bills. Sam asks if he’s looking for something long term, and he says, since he quit riding, he just goes where the wind blows. He’s open to opportunities. Why does she ask? She says she might know of a job that’s a good fit, if of course (🍷) he’s interested.
Nina tells Sonny, she can’t stay here. She hates losing him, leaving him, but she can’t keep doing this. Her mistakes have cost him everything, and they’ve finally caught up with her. He says he meant what he said on the stand; he forgives her for what she did to him. She thanks him, and says, it means everything, but it doesn’t change the fact she lost Wiley, her grandson, her flesh and blood, the last link she’ll ever have to her daughter. He says, she doesn’t know that for sure, and she says, Michael and Willow won’t let her see Wiley after everything that happened in court today. He says, Michael and Willow can’t keep her from her grandson forever, but she says, they can. They won’t let that little boy see anything redeemable in her. Willow accused her of being exactly like Nelle. And Nina said terrible things. She has a habit of lashing out when she feels cornered. She missed her chance at getting what her mother stole from her. She won’t know Nelle, and now she won’t know Nelle’s son. The only thing she has left of them is that necklace. Please give to her so she can go. It hurts too much to stay here. He puts the necklace in her hand, and asks her to do him a favor. Before she leaves; let him ask her one thing. How does she think Wiley will feel when he finds out she gave up on him?
Sam tells Cody, her kids spend a lot of time at their grandmother’s. They have stables and horses. They just got a new horse, and they’re actually looking for another handler. Cody says, so old money? New? She says, does it matter? He said he worked on ranches. Does that mean he has experience in managing and grooming horses? He says, yeah. When he was a kid, his family tended to some horses that were on an estate near the camp. He helped out, and even took over for a couple years before he went out west. She says she can’t promise anything, but she and Dante can get him a foot in the door, but Dante says, he thinks it’s a good idea, but he doesn’t think it’s the right one for Cody. Never too comfy in one place, right?
Cameron gets a text from Spencer: All good. Plan on track. Josslyn comes back with Adam, and Cameron says, everything okay? She says, yeah, and Adam says, he was telling Josslyn that he read their article in The Invader, and how sorry he is everything went down the way it did. They’re really brave, and he appreciates them both. Cameron says, cool, thanks, and Adam leaves. Cameron asks if he’s legit, and Josslyn says, actually, yes. He apologized, and told her that when he read the article, he changed. They changed his perspective. It’s just more validation that they made the right decision in agreeing to do the article. He says he guesses they did. He’s glad she’s finally getting some closure. She tells him, she wouldn’t say that. She won’t get any closure on any of this until Esme gets what she deserves.
Spencer and Esme walk in, and Ava says she’s glad Spencer is here. She has some news. She’s decided to amend their agreement. Spencer says, she’s giving him full control of his trust fund? but she laughs, and says, no. She’s still giving him an allowance like they agreed, except Spencer won’t be moving out. He’ll stay, and work things out with his father. Spencer says, she wants him to stay here? and she says, yes, and it seems the timing has worked out perfectly. Nikolas told her what happened. Esme looks at Nikolas, who gives a small shake of his head, and Esme asks Ava, what was that exactly? Ava says she understands Esme and Spencer have been having some difficulties, and are looking to take a break. She’s not going to insult Esme’s intelligence by saying she’s sorry to hear that. She’s sure Esme will land on her feet; find some other family to terrorize, as long as it’s not hers. Esme says, that’s where Ava is wrong. She and Spencer worked everything out. He stays; she stays. Does that alter Ava’s terms? Ava looks at Nikolas.
Nina tells Sonny, she’s not giving up on Wiley; she’s fighting to stay in his life. Sonny says, until now. She had one setback, and she’s going to throw in the towel? She says she can’t sit on the sidelines and watch that little boy play out the rest of his life without her, knowing his family poisoned his mind against her. It just hurts too much. He says, if she runs away, Wiley is going to believe the lies. He’s going to grow up, and want to know his mother and her family. He’s going to seek Nina out, and maybe want a relationship with her when he finds out how great she is. She says she doesn’t see that happening, but he says, they don’t know the future, but he can tell her right now, she’s not going to have a relationship with Wiley if she’s not here. She says she just feels hopeless, and he says, so she’s going to run. That’s what she does; it’s her pattern. She has to break that pattern. Otherwise, Wiley is going to grow up believing all the lies people are telling him. She says, what if it’s too late? but he says, that’s her fear talking. Remember what she said to him? The only way she could make it up to Wiley is to prove how much she loves him. She believed that then, believe it now. She says she doesn’t know what she believes, and he says, stay here. She has a life here. She could have one with Wiley, but she’s never going to know if she runs away.
Cody thanks Sam for the offer, but says, it’s not the right gig for him. Dante says, ever since they were kids, Cody’s had adventure in his veins, and Cody tells Sam, he’s right. Dante’s always had his number.
Cameron says his break’s just about over, and Josslyn says, he was going to tell her something before Adam interrupted them. He says, it’s not really important; it can wait. She says, really? Because she can’t shake the feeling he’s hiding something from her. He says, no. He’s sorry. He’s probably giving off weird vibes; he’s worried about his mom. She says, right. She’s sorry, but he knows he can tell her anything, right? He says he loves her, and she says she loves him too, and they hug.
Ava says, the most important thing is that Nikolas and Spencer work out their problems. If Esme and Nikolas are back track, it seems that Esme will be sticking around. Nikolas says, that is if Spencer decides to stay; the decision is his. And Nikolas supports whatever he decides. Esme says, seems like win-win to her, and Spencer says, how can he refuse such a generous offer? but the look on his face is skeptical. Ava says, then it’s settled. As a welcome home gift, she’ll wire his first payment. She jets, and Spencer says he’ll come too. He follows Ava out, and Esme tells Nikolas, she thought they’d never leave. In the hallway, Spencer asks if Ava is really okay with Esme staying here. She says she’s committed to her marriage, just like she’s committed to Spencer and his father moving forward. If that means putting up with Esme, Ava will do her best to tolerate her. She walks away, and inside the room, Esme says, so Nikolas didn’t tell Ava? She doesn’t suspect? Nikolas says, no, and what happened between them can never happen again. They’re back together with their partners, and have another shot at making it work. He thinks it’s best if Spencer and Ava never find out, and Esme says she totally agrees. Ava and Spence never have to find out. Nikolas leaves.
Rory says, it’s nice meeting Portia and Taggert, but unfortunately, he has an early morning. Portia says, it was nice meeting him too, and Taggert says he was just leaving; he’ll walk Rory out. Rory says, see Trina soon, and leaves with Taggert. Trina laughs, and picks up her phone. Portia says, he was nice, and he was cute too. She picked up a little connection. Trina tells Portia, like she said, he’s a nice person, but she barely knows him, and Portia says, okay. Whatever Trina says. They both squeal.
Nina touches Nelle’s gravestone, and tells Sonny, okay. She’ll stay in Port Charles, for Wiley. He says, she’s making the right choice, and she says, she’ll watch that sweet little boy become a stranger to her, or worse, afraid of her because of what his family has said about her. She’s not sure how she’s going to handle that. He says, she’s not going to handle it alone. She has him, Phyllis, her family and friends. He takes her hand and says they’re here for her, and she says, that’s a good thing. He says, every step of the way, and she says, because she doesn’t know how she’s going to watch Wiley grow up without her, or how she’s going to live without him. Sonny holds her, and she cries
On Monday, Portia asks if Marshall gave Curtis a reason to trust him; Valentin tells Ned, everything has a price – what’s yours; Willow tells Carly that dealing with Nina helped her come to a big decision; and Elizabeth tells Finn that he’s hurting her more than he realizes.
⌨️ Why the Temp…
It was a little startling. The weird thing was, I kind of thought he made a better Michael than the regular Michael.
Trust is lost in buckets and gained in drops. – Judge Faith Jenkins
The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax. – Albert Einstein
If I were to search for logic, it wouldn’t be among the English upper class. – Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith), Downton Abbey
I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles. – Audrey Hepburn
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers. – Kahlil Gibran
Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them. – Orison Swett Marden (Or smack them out of the way.)
There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. – Nelson Mandela
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
🧍🏽♀️ Just Taking a Step To the Right…
Come hither again when the Dead are Feared. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your priorities straight, and stay not letting your pattern be running away. And if it is, break it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase tells Brook that he needs more context. He’s going to help her take back her life how? She says, Linc not only owns the rights to her songs, he’s turning them into trash; just imitations of what they were meant to be. He says, the hell with Linc. Write some new songs; better songs. She says, because it’s just that easy, and he says, she makes it look that way. She says she doesn’t want to start over from scratch. She wants her old songs. She poured her heart and soul into them, and she’s not giving up until she gets them back.
Outside the courtroom, Carly gets a text saying the DNA test results are ready, and she can pick them up at her earliest convenience. Inside, Nina tells Sonny that she’s grateful he’s here. He tells her that he said he’d be here, and she says she knows he did. It’s just the looks he’s getting from Michael and Willow, maybe it’s best he goes. If he takes her side today, he’s burning the last bridge that connects him with this son. He says, there’s too much at stake; he ain’t leaving. Carly comes in, and says, he’s right about the stakes. Everything else can wait.
At the park, Violet asks Gregory when they can see Aunt Elizabeth, and he says, when her daddy tells them it’s okay. In the meantime – he takes out a frisbee – have at it. He unpacks some food, and picks up a copy of The Invader. He looks at the cover, where there’s an article about the hearing, and Violet tells him to put that down and come play with her. Seriously, what is she going to do with a frisbee by herself? He says, her wish is his command, and she says, Uncle Chase taught her; he’s really good. He asks who she thinks taught Uncle Chase, and takes the frisbee, telling her, watch and learn. He tosses it, and says, oh. Did he hit someone? Alexis brings back the frisbee, and says, good thing she isn’t a lawyer anymore, or she might be tempted to sue him.
Laura sees Cameron at the hospital, and hugs him, saying, she’s sorry she couldn’t be here sooner. How’s his mother? He says he doesn’t know. She’s in there with Finn and Doc. At least she’s not talking about ghosts anymore. Laura says, that’s a good thing, but he says, is the real thing any better? All the weird stuff that was happening, how scared they all were; that was just mom stalking herself the whole time?
Finn says, there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore, but Elizabeth says, there’s her. He says, that’s not true, and she says, yes it is, and he knows it. She started a fire that could have burned down a whole building, a whole block, and landed Chase in the hospital. Who’s next? Her boys? Violet? She’s a threat to everyone she cares about. So she has to go away, and stay away.
Marshall wakes up in a panic, and Curtis says, it’s him; it’s your son. Marshall says he must have been dreaming, and tries to get up, but Curtis says he’s going to get the doctor. Marshall tells him to wait, and asks how long he’s been out. Curtis says, ever since he got jumped, ever since he was in that alley, and Marshall says, Curtis means since he came out of nowhere, and beat those guys’ butts. Curtis says, TJ’s the real hero.If he weren’t there, it could have been a whole lot worse. Marshall says, they’re both his heroes. He pats Curtis’s hand, and says, his son and his grandson. To think he could have lost them both. Curtis says he’s not going anywhere, and neither is Marshall.
Carly goes to Michael and Willow, and Michael thanks her for coming. She says, where else would she be? and Nina walks over. She says, it’s not too late. Can they just try to settle this between them? Willow says, after Nina threw Harmony in her face, and Carly says, that’s nice. Diane tells them, don’t engage, and Scotty leads Nina away, saying, don’t fraternize with the enemy. This is war. Diane says, she told Michael and Willow, if they want to win, there’s only one way to play this thing. Are they in? Scotty says, so Nina is in, no matter where it leads? Michael takes Willow’s hand, and says, they’re in. Nina tells Scotty, all or nothing.
Finn says, Elizabeth needs more time with the people who care about her, not less, and she asks, what if she hurts them? He says, she won’t, but she says, he doesn’t know that. What if she can’t stop herself next time, and she does more than rip up one of Violet’s drawings? She burned down Franco’s art studio. Who’s to say she won’t do that to her own house? Laura and Cameron come in, and Laura hugs her. She says she knows Elizabeth is scared, but trust her, it will be okay, if she just faces whatever it is inside and deals with it. Can they agree on that? Doc says he’d listen to Laura if he were Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says she always does. She just doesn’t know how to do this. Laura says, that’s why she has all of them to help her, and Elizabeth says, what if the resources at GH don’t cut it? Laura says, then they’ll find a place that will; a place where she feels safe and can get the care she needs. Elizabeth asks if Finn heard that. He’s going to have to let her go. It’s the only way she’ll find her way back.
Brook tells Chase, she doesn’t know what’s worse, the watered down lyrics or the generic techno beat, which any twelve year old can produce on an app, and probably did. He asks what she’s going to do. Sue Linc to get her songs back? He knows an attorney who specializes in intellectual property, who helped Gregory get one of his academic papers back. She says, unfortunately, that’s not an option. She spoke to Diane a few years back, and the contract is airtight. He says, that was a few years ago, but she says she double-checked this morning. She can’t sue Linc. They need a Plan B. He says, and that’s where he comes in?
Curtis says he’s done a lot of soul searching. It would have been easy to blame Marshall, like he did the first time Marshall walked out, but when he looked in the mirror, he didn’t see a scared little boy anymore, holding his mother’s hand; he saw a grown man, who was so bound and determined to get answers, that he essentially drove Marshall away. Marshall says, it wasn’t Curtis’s fault. He wasn’t able to, or couldn’t be honest with Curtis, or himself. So he ran away – again. Curtis says he has questions, and Marshall says he’s sure Curtis does. Curtis says, but whether or not he gets answers, he just wants Marshall to come home, to his family. No strings, no conditions, just a chance to start fresh for all of us. He really hopes Marshall wants that too.
Gregory tells Alexis that he’s sorry. He was trying to make Violet’s frisbee boomerang. It didn’t quite work out as planned. She says, he might want to work on that, and he says he will. He suggests Violet show off her bubble blowing skills, and Violet runs off. He tells Alexis, why don’t they start over? What brings her to the park today? She says she was just finishing up a Tai Chi class down at the duckpond, and he says he’s always wanted to try Tai Chi; the movements look so beautiful, therapeutic. She says she needs all the therapy she can get. She doesn’t know if Finn told him, but it’s been quite a year. He says, his son’s not a talker; she might have noticed. She says, he would enjoy the Tai Chi; the silence is deafening. Gregory picks up the paper, and asks if this is her way of expressing her opinions these days. She says, he’s a reader, and he says, he is. He can’t quite say he’s a fan.
Scotty says, nice work, getting Sonny here today, but Nina says she didn’t do anything. Scotty says, what’s she talking about? If he gets Sonny up on that stand, he’s not going to be in her corner? She tells him not to put Sonny in that position, and he says, come on. She told him to do what he needed to do, let him do it. The bailiff says, all rise, and Nina looks at Sonny, who shakes his head. The bailiff says, the honorable Judge Foster presiding, and Michael takes Willow’s hand. Nina looks at Sonny again, and he gives her a nod. Carly sees them and doesn’t like it, and looks at the text again. The judge tells Scotty to present his petitioner’s request, and he says, his client, the mother of Nelle Benson, is seeking visitation with her grandson Wiley Corinthos, as permitted by state law. He’s presenting a precedent in the Abercromby versus Higgins case. Diane interjects, saying, as the court is aware, there are numerous other precedents to deny visitation, and her clients are going to explain why that’s the case. Judge Foster says, they’ll get their turn. She’s read the petition, but she’d like to hear Scotty’s client’s request in her own words. She calls Nina to the stand, and she’s sworn in.
Alexis says, she guesses she just assumed that as a professor of history and journalism, Gregory might approve of the changes she made at TheInvader. Unless of course (🍷) it’s her inexperience that’s giving him pause. He says, experience doesn’t equal talent, and she says, agreed. He says, look at Dickens and Hemmingway; they both started out as journalists in their teens, and she says, something to aspire to. He suggests she might aim smaller, maybe local coverage, specifically her feature on Nina Reeves. She says she finds that interesting. She was very proud of that story; it was very truthful and unbiased. He says, wasit? and she asks if he preferred The Invader the way it was before; tabloid fodder opting for the sensational? He says, at least as a reader, you knew where you stood. It seems like she wants her journalism both ways.
Cameron says, Laura wants to send his mom away? but Laura says, no, that’s not what she wants, but if it’s what Elizabeth needs to get better, they’ll do it. Elizabeth thanks her for being realistic, and tells Cameron that she’s a danger right now, to herself and everyone around her. It’s just not safe for them to be together right now. He says, she would never hurt them, but she says, they don’t know that for sure. She knows it’s awful and scary, and makes her feels so out of control, but it’s the truth. She just loves him so much. He says he loves her too, and she says she refuses to let whatever’s doing this to her harm him or his brothers; it’s just not an option. She tells Finn that she needs him to have her back on this, and he says he does. Always. He just can’t see the benefit of locking her away from the people who care about her. Laura tells him, she knows how hard this is, but right now, they have to do what’s best for Elizabeth.
Marshall asks if Curtis knows what he’s setting himself up for, and Curtis says he does. Marshall says, he ran away not once, but twice. Who’s to say the next time he feels the walls closing in on him, he won’t lace up his sneakers yet again? Curtis says, because there won’t be any walls, at least not between them. There’s nothing Marshall can say that will scare him off or turn him against Marshall. He’s Curtis’s father, Marshall Ashford, flesh and blood. Nothing is going to come between them unless they let it. TJ comes in and says, granddad, you’re awake, and Marshall says, it’s going to take more than a couple of muggers to get the better of the Ashfords. Curtis says, damn straight, and Stella walks in. Marshall says, oh Lord, and she says, Marshall better be thanking Him too. Curtis hugs her, and asks what she’s doing here. She says, taking care of her family, since it’s obvious they need her. Curtis asks, how? and she says, Portia told her, and she was on the first flight out. Does Marshall know how lucky he is that it wasn’t worse? Marshall says, no luck was needed. He had his son and his grandson by his side. He takes Curtis and TJ’s hands.
Scotty asks Nina to tell the court why they’re here today, and Nina says, they’re here in court because Wiley’s her grandson and she loves him. It’s really that simple. He asks how well she knew Nelle Benson, and Nina says, not really well. Nelle worked with her in different capacities. Nelle was a troubled soul. She made countless mistakes and damaged a lot of lives, but no life was as damaged as Nina’s daughter’s. He asks when Nina found out Nelle was her daughter, and she says she didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after Nelle died, and that’s when she realized Wiley was her grandson, all that she had left of Nelle in this world. He asks if she got to see him, and she says, she did. He asks how that was, and she says, it was great. Love at first sight, at least for her. He asks how Wiley felt about her visits, and she says, Wiley made it really easy; he has such a warm, inviting spirit. They built block houses, colored together, read together. Every moment she got to spend with that little boy was a precious gift. Scotty asks, what happened? Why did Wiley’s parents cut her off? She says, because they decided she was a bad influence for Wiley. She’s not perfect, far from it, but she is a good grandmother and she loves Wiley, and he loves her. It’s that simple. Wiley is her family, and no matter how much they want to, they can’t change that.
Finn suggests they all get on board with this plan. Where would Elizabeth even go? Doc says, Shadybrook. It’s perfect. It’s excellent, it’s close, it’s comfortable. Cameron says, they’re not going to lock her up in a padded cell or something? but Doc says, it’s not that kind of place, and Cameron asks, what kind of place is it? Doc says, Elizabeth can expect a week or two of intensive conversation and exploration, then hopefully she can transition to outpatient care. Laura asks how that sounds, and Elizabeth says, she’s more concerned with what Finn thinks. She wants to do this with his support. He asks if she really thinks this is what’s best, and she says she does. He says, okay, let’s give it a shot. He’ll take her there, and come visit as often as he can. She says, he can’t. She has to do this on her own.
Brook says, she was thinking, since Chase has two weeks on his suspension, he could shadow Linc; catch him doing something shady they could use to get her music back. What does he think? He tells her that she’s crazy.
Stella says, three strangers to three amigos. When did this happen? Curtis says, he’s just trying to convince Marshall to come back to Port Charles with them. TJ says, is that even a question? and Curtis says, apparently. Stella says, she didn’t fly all this way to let Marshall go back to a loner life, and Marshall says, some people like to be alone, but she says, he’s not one of them. He’s a fool if he doesn’t grab this chance with both hands. The doctor asks if it’s okay for him to take a look at the patient. He won’t take long. They leave, and outside, Stella asks if Marshall ever explained why he left… this time, and Curtis says he didn’t want to push Marshall. He takes the prescription bottle out of his pocket, and says, but TJ may have answers based on what he found in Marshall’s hotel room. TJ says, these aren’t for his blood pressure; they’re anti-psychotic medication. Curtis says, but Stella knew that already, didn’t she?
Alexis says, if by both sides Gregory means telling the truth and turning a profit, guilty as charged. She’s not a professor, who sits in an ivory tower. She’s the editor-in-chief of a paper, so she has to tell stories about real people with real problems. He says, so she thinks he doesn’t know anything about real life? but she tells him, that’s not what she said. He just used Dickens and Hemmingway as an example, and this is the 21st century. She’s competing with 24 hour news cycles. She’s competing with social media. She’s competing with instant – and she means instant – information. He says, and he admires he for that, but she says, she’s not getting that impression. He says, isn’t there a danger in mixing titillation with the truth? It seems to him that you end up accomplishing neither. She says, if he bothered to read the latest article, which he clearly did not, he’d see she bent over backward to be objective and not take cheap shots like his ex, Jackie. He says, they’re talking about Alexis’s journalistic integrity, not Jackie’s, when Violet comes over, and says she doesn’t think Gregory is playing nice
Scotty asks if Nina is Wiley’s only grandparent, and she says, no. He asks if she can tell them who else is, and Diane says, relevance? Scotty says, he’ll tell her the relevance. His client is being denied access to her grandson. It seems like there’s a standard for her, and another for everybody else. Judge Foster says she’ll allow it, and Nina says, Wiley has two other grandparents who are here in the courthouse, Carly Corinthos and Sonny Corinthos. Scotty says, so Sonny Corinthos can see his grandson any time he wants, but she’s been deemed a bad influence. Diane objects, and Scotty says, withdrawn. Is that it as far as grandparents go? Nina says, Wiley had another grandmother, Harmony Miller, but she recently passed away, and Scotty says, Harmony Miller who killed Neil Byrne and his brother, and attempted to kill two other people? Nina says, that’s correct, and he says, so Harmony was able to see Wiley, and Nina’s not. Wow. They’re done. Diane says, if it please the court, she has a few questions for the petitioner. Carly smirks, and Sonny looks grim.
Diane says, Nina testified that she didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after her death. Did anyone else know Nelle was her daughter before she did? Nina says, yes. Carly Corinthos and Jasper Jax. Diane asks if they knew Nelle was her daughter before her death, and Nina says, Carly claimed she didn’t know, but she has her doubts. Diane says, that’s probably upsetting, and Nina says, to find out she had a daughter only after she died? Yeah, it was upsetting. Diane says she imagines Nina regretted all the time she didn’t spend with her daughter, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she did. If she had known… Diane says, what? and Nina says, things would have been different. She could have raised Nelle, and given her the love she deserved to have, and Nelle wouldn’t have turned out the way she did. None of this would have been set in motion. Diane says, correct her if she’s wrong, but wasn’t Nina in a coma from prior to her daughter’s birth until she was in her 20s? and Nina says, yes. Diane says, so this regret is all just a delusional twisted fantasy? and Scotty objects. He says he doesn’t hear a question in there, and Diane says, how’s this for a question? Isn’t this petition of Nina’s an act of revenge? Scotty objects, and says, leading the witness. Diane says, she’ll rephrase. Isn’t this petition of Nina’s yet another act of revenge? She doesn’t have Wiley’s best interests at heart at all, does she?
Laura suggests they give Finn and Elizabeth some privacy, and Doc says he’ll call Shadybrook. He, Laura, and Cameron leave, and Finn says he’s not second guessing her decision. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, if he is, it’s because he’s part of this too. His presence in her life has played a part in bringing forth this… She says, crisis? and he says, they’ll go with that. She says, doesn’t he see? That’s why he can’t be a part of this. He was so convinced there was someone out there trying to split them up, and she was equally convinced it was Franco’s ghost. They were both really wrong. Is it her? Is there something buried deep down that feels threatened by her feelings for him? As scary as this is, as much as she wants him to hold her hand through all of this, they can’t. She has to do this on her own.
Brook says she thought Chase was on her side, and he says he is, but she says, obviously not. He asks if she has any idea how many laws she’s asking him to break. One, they have no warrant; two, she’s talking about blackmail here. And four… She says, he was on three, and he says, and three, yes, he’s on suspension, but he’s still a cop. Not for long if he goes along with this highly unethical plan of hers. She says, she’s unethical? and he says, in this moment. She’s asking him to coerce a suspect into committing a crime; it’s called entrapment. She says, she doesn’t care what it’s called. She can’t sit back and do nothing. He says he gets that, but she says, he doesn’t. These songs are her babies, and she will not let someone take them away from her. He says, babies? and she says, yes. She created them and nurtured them. She cried when they failed and celebrated when they were genius. That’s how much they mean to her. He says, that explains it. She’s not just mourning her songs; she’s mourning Bailey.
Curtis tells Stella, there’s a story here; a story that started about 40 years ago. TJ says, and if he still has a prescription for these kind of drugs, the story continues to this day. Stella says, she knows they want answers, and they deserve them. And yes, there’s a story, but like she said, it’s not hers to tell. The doctor wheels Marshall out, and says, it looks like a concussion, but he wants to run a few more scans before approving Marshall’s discharge. TJ says, if he’s afraid Marshall will be alone… Curtis says, don’t worry; he won’t be.
Gregory tells Violet, you know how sometimes you go to the playground, and get on one end of the seesaw? Alexis says, and someone gets on the other end of the seesaw? and Gregory says, then they lift you up and don’t let you down. Violet says she doesn’t like that, and Gregory says, you get upset, then they get upset. Alexis says, and then you’re arguing about a silly seesaw. Violet asks if they were being silly, and they say that they were. Gregory tells Alexis that he apologizes for his criticism, and she asks if he retracts it. He says, no, and she says, no retraction necessary. She has an idea. Why doesn’t he put his money where his mouth is? Why doesn’t he state his opinion in print, on the record? Unless he’s all talk.
Scotty says, this is character assassination at its worst, and the judge tells Diane to get where she’s going. Fast, or drop the line of questioning altogether. Diane says, Nina’s character is the sole reason they’re here. But of course (🍷). Is Nina familiar with the series of articles in The Invader? Nina says, yes, she skimmed it, and Diane says, so she knows, in addition to the other details of her rich and full life, it speaks about the time she spent in a little town called Nixon Falls. Is that portion of the story a lie? Nina says, like she said, she skimmed it. Diane says, is it a lie to say, while Nina was in Nixon Falls she ran into Wiley’s grandfather, Sonny Corinthos, when everyone else presumed him dead? Nina says, that’s true, and Diane says, and did Nina keep the knowledge from Mr. Corinthos that he was presumed dead, and at the same time keep the knowledge that he was alive from his wife and family, including precious Wiley, knowing the pain and suffering it caused? Scotty says, badgering the witness, and Judge Foster says, sustained. Nina says, at that moment, she wasn’t thinking about the pain and suffering, and Diane says, of course (🍷) not. Nina was thinking about revenge; getting back at Carly Corinthos because she possibly kept Nelle’s existence a secret from her? And isn’t it that same revenge that’s driving her today?
Finn says, Elizabeth is right, and she says she loves it when he says that. He says, he’s not crazy about the idea of letting go, and she says, her neither. He says, but in this case, he has to. He doesn’t want to impede her recovery. Would it be okay if he said he’s really going to miss her? She says, she’s going to miss him, but he heard Doc. It might only be afew weeks. He says, she’ll be back in no time, and she says, good as new. He says he liked the old version, and she says, then good as old. He says, even better, when Doc comes back with Laura and Cameron. He says, she’s all set, and Laura says, she and Doc will drive Elizabeth over. Cameron says, just get better. He’ll make sure Jake and Aiden stay in line while she’s away. Elizabeth says she knows he will. She’s never been more proud of him than she is right now. He says he’s proud of her too, and Laura says, they all are.
Gregory asks if Alexis is inviting him to submit something for publication, and she says, The Invader welcomes all kinds of opinions. Unless he’s afraid to hear from the readers. Violet says, grandpa’s not afraid of anything, and Gregory’s phone dings. Violet asks if that’s daddy. Are they going to see Aunt Elizabeth? Gregory says, let’s do it, and starts to pack up. Alexis tells him to give her best to Finn and Elizabeth. She hands him the newspaper, but he says, no thanks. Have a good one. She says, him too, and he and Violet leave.
The doctor tells Marshall that he’s going to set up the tests, and leaves. Marshall sees the prescription bottle in TJ’s hand, and says, he’s been less than honest about a lot of things. Stella says, it’s time; time to let go of the past. Curtis says, that can wait, and TJ says, what matters is getting Marshall better. Marshall says he appreciates that, but Stella is spot-on. Curtis deserved an explanation a long time ago. He wasn’t able to get it right with Tommy, but he can get it right with Curtis.
Nina says, what happened in Nixon Falls was more complicated than Diane is making it, but Diane says, not really. Nina either lied or she didn’t; which is it? Nina says she lied. Who hasn’t lied in here? That doesn’t make her a bad grandmother. She loves Wiley. How can she prove to Wiley how much she loves him if she’s shut out of his life? How can she prove it, not just by her words, but by her actions? Diane says, with all due respect, she had her chance, and threw it in the garbage. No further questions. The judge tells Nina to step down, and Michael says he thinks Diane did it. Diane says, let’s hope, and he tells Willow, that’s the end of that. Judge Foster asks if there’s anyone else prepared to speak for or against the petition, and Sonny tells Scotty to get him on the stand. Nina says, no, he doesn’t have to, but he says, yes, he does.
At GH, Finn tells Violet that Elizabeth is going to a place where she can get the care she needs. She’ll be home soon. Violet says she hopes Elizabeth Feels better, and Finn says he hopes so too. Elizabeth comes out, and Violet hugs her. She tells Elizabeth that she can take the frisbee, but Elizabeth tells her to hang onto it. They’ll play when she gets back. She asks for a hug for the road, and tells Violet that she loves her. She tells Cameron, don’t think he’s getting out of another one, and he says he wouldn’t want to. They hug, and she says she loves him. He says he loves her too, and Finn says, he’s not saying goodbye. Violet says, see you later, and Finn says, he’ll see Elizabeth later. Elizabeth says, not if she sees him first, and he hugs her. She says, tell the boys she loves them, and she’ll be home as soon as she can. Elizabeth gets in the elevator with Doc and Laura, and Finn holds her hand until the elevator doors start to close.
The doctor asks if Marshall is ready for the scans, and Stella tells him, be careful. He has precious cargo. The doctor says, as soon as they’re clear, Marshall can go home, and Marshall says, that’s exactly where he’s going – home with his family.
Brook says, this has nothing to do with Bailey, and Chase says, no? She says, no. It’s about her taking her life back, and everything she’s worked for. Is he going to help her or not? He says he’s sorry; he can’t. She says she’ll do it herself, and gets up.
Judge Foster says, if Scotty and his client have no more witnesses to call… Nina looks at Sonny, then nods to Scotty. Scotty says, they have one more witness to call. He calls Sonny Corinthos to the stand. Sonny gets up, and is sworn in. Everyone sits stone-faced.
Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Cameron, she finally figured out a way to stop Esme; Victor tells Ava, welcome home; and Diane asks why they should trust Sonny’s judgement.
🥀 Soap’s Loss…
I only watched Guiding Light for a hot minute, but I remember her from the soap magazines.
While the spring continues, generating pollen for all, join me tomorrow for soap and what’s happening with those who hold the diamonds. Until then, stay safe, stay letting your conscience be your guide, and stay keeping in mind, experience doesn’t equal talent.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Nikolas leaves a message for Ava to call him. On another phone, Spencer says he gets it. Cameron’s girlfriend isn’t happy with him right now, but if he can ride out Joss and Trina hating him, then Cameron can too. Please, Spencer needs him to do this one favor. Esme walks in as he’s talking, and says, what favor is that?
At the gallery, Trina hears a noise, and gets her pepper spray out of her bag. She goes toward the entrance as Rory is coming in, and she says, oh, it’s you. He says, she can put that down now, and she agrees she can, but she doesn’t know if she should.
Portia says she was worried about Curtis. She couldn’t reach him all day. He apologizes for being radio silent, and she wonders if he’s going to tell her that Marshall left town, and he went after him. He nods, and she asks if he found Marshall. He says, he found Marshall; then he lost him again.
Dante meets Willow and Michael in the MetroCourt Garden, since it’s replaced the pool as the hot new set. He says he’s sorry Sam can’t make it. Something came up, and she sends her regrets. Michael asks if everything is good, and Dante says he thinks so. Sam encouraged him to come, so he’s sure it’s nothing too serious.
In the ER, TJ checks Alexis’s vision, and Sam runs in. She asks, what happened? and Alexis says, she and Carly barely escaped with their lives. Girls night out. Sam asks TJ what she’s talking about; is she okay? TJ says, she’s not exaggerating. She and Carly were attacked. Sam asks, by who? and Alexis says, by someone she thought was her friend.
Jordan is in another cubicle with Carly, and Amy tells Carly that the attending wants to monitor her; try to get some rest. As soon as she’s gone, Carly takes off the oxygen mask, and says, she knows Jordan has questions for her, but they’ve got to find Harmony before she goes after Willow and Wiley. Jordan asks why she thinks Harmony is a danger to her own daughter and grandson, and Carly says, Harmony had some kind of psychotic break. She’s desperate to keep the secret that Willow is not her daughter.
Sasha kneels by Harmony, and the photographer says, how’s this for a headline – Supermodel Speedster Slays. She says, can’t he see? This woman is barely breathing. She needs an ambulance right now. On the phone, Gladys says she doesn’t know the exact location, and Sasha says she can’t focus. She tells the photographer to help Gladys, and he takes the phone, while Gladys goes to help Sasha. Sasha says, help her turn Harmony over, but Gladys isn’t sure they should. Sasha says, this lady is barely breathing; she needs CPR right now. On three, she wants Gladys to turn Harmony toward her. One… two… three. They turn her over, and Gladys says, she thought it was a deer, but it was a person. Sasha sees it’s Harmony, all bloody, and she’s shocked.
Alexis tells Sam, she took off on foot. She could be anywhere.
Carly tells Jordan that she found a piece of paper in a file. They were notes from a therapy session, and mentioned Harmony by name. Something about Harmony feeling guilty for taking a child that wasn’t her own. Jordan says, these were Neil Byrne’s notes? and Carly says, when she went to the fireplace, because Harmony was burning some papers, the heading on the paper said, Dr. Neil Byrne, Psychiatrist, and that’s when Harmony came after her with a needle. Jordan says, this could explain why Brendon Byrne was found dead in the water by the pier, and Carly says, all she knows is, when she woke up in her SUV, she could hear Harmony and Alexis arguing. Harmony was threatening Alexis. She went after Alexis, but then Carly tackled her to the ground. The moment Harmony heard Alexis get through to 9-1-1, she took off. Jordan says, this was all because of Neil Byrne’s file. What was so compelling that Harmony would commit multiple homicides to keep it quiet?
Willow says, she’s sorry Sam’s missing out, but she won’t complain about having two handsome dinner companions. Dante wonders if he won’t be the third wheel. Don’t they want a rare night out? Willow says, they manage get out when they can, and asks what Dante’s been up to. Dante says, working. He was just at the gym; Sonny was there. He heard Sonny and Michael had a dust up. Willow says, excuse her. She’s going to call the nanny and check on Wiley. She leaves, and Dante says, that was very tactfully done. Michael asks what their father had to say, and Dante says, he heard Sonny’s side; he was hoping to hear Michael’s. Michael says, it’s between dad and him. It’s best Dante stays out of it.
Curtis tells Portia that he’s sorry about today. He’s in a negative headspace. He had a confrontation with Marshall, and of course (🍷) it didn’t go very well. She asks how this confrontation was any different than the others he had with Marshall, and he says, this time, he had knowledge. He discovered some secrets Marshall’s been keeping from him. She asks how he came across this knowledge, and he says he did some digging. She says, and Marshall was upset about the invasion of his privacy, and Curtis says, so much so, he packed his bags and left town. She says she sees. And what does he think upset Marshall more, that Curtis unearthed his secrets, or that he used Drew to do it?
Rory says he didn’t mean to scare Trina. He noticed she hadn’t locked the door. She says she meant to; she just got caught up with work. He says, she should be more careful. Commissioner Ashford told him to keep watch. She said there’s been some trouble with the press? Although he doesn’t recommend pepper spraying a reporter. Can she put that away now? She says, sorry, and puts it back in her bag. He says, close call. Looks like she has good aim. She says, she does. Her dad is an ex-cop. He says he’s sure he taught her the importance of handling weapons safely, and she says, trust her, she knows. He says, good. He’d hate to have to take her in. She says, like he did with Cam and Spencer? Overreact much? He says, she’s still mad that he detained her friends, but she says, friend. Cam is her friend. He says, and Cassadine isn’t?
Spencer tells Cameron, he’s glad they understand one another, and ends the call. Esme asks, who was that? and he says, Cameron. She says, Cam’s doing him a favor? and he says, if he knows what’s good for him. He told Cam that he needs to watch what he says about Esme in the future, or things might get physical again. She says, he and Cam got into a fight? and he says, they were dragged down to the PCPD, but now Cam knows that he’s not going to tolerate him badmouthing her anymore. She says, he did that for her? He has to be careful. He can’t get arrested again. He says, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her, and tells her that he has to get going. She asks, where? and he says, the gallery, so he can get started on the many menial tasks Ava’s assigned to him. If he goes after hours, he can avoid Ava and Trina. She says she appreciates that. He kisses her on the cheek, says, it always has been us against the world, and leaves.
Nikolas’s phone dings, and the message from Ava says: Plans tonight. Don’t wait up. He throws the phone across the room, when Esme walks in. She says, something on his mind? He says, this is a waste. All that effort, Ava isn’t even taking his calls. He flips over the table set for his and Ava’s dinner, sending everything flying. Esme says, it was a beautiful table. She’s sorry about Ava, and for her part in ruining his plans. He says, it’s not her fault, but she says, Ava isn’t here because Ava resents the fact she is. She starts to pick things up, but he tells her, leave it; he’ll have someone clean it. She says, Ava even put their vow renewal on hold, and he says, no one’s forced her to make those choices. She says, it’s so obvious how he worships his wife. She can’t understand how Ava doesn’t appreciate that. She sees what kind of partner he is, and she wants that kind of passion and loyalty in her life. She takes his hand, and says, he doesn’t deserve to be stuck in this house without the love he so desperately needs. Laura walks in, and says, she comes bearing glad tidings. Nobody has to be stuck. Esme doesn’t have to hide out anymore.
Trina says, she asked Rory not to arrest Cam, if he recalls. Now if he’ll excuse her, she has work to do. She’ll lock up when he goes. He says he wasn’t trying to be a jerk. Commissioner Ashford is really pushing for everything to be by the book. She says, nothing wrong with being disciplined; she can relate. He says, and so she knows, both guys got off with a warning. She says she supposes he’s just doing his job, possibly taking it too seriously, and he says, since she cut him some slack, he wouldn’t turn down something to drink while he keeps watch in his patrol car. She says, Officer Invisible did give her a soda once. She guesses she can return the favor. He says, actually Cabrera, but she can call him Rory, if she ever needs to call him.
Curtis says, Drew told Portia about their plan? and she says, he told her the basics. He said he set up an interview with Marshall so they could do a background check. Curtis says, Marshall was upset by all the subterfuge. He was even more upset that Curtis ignored his wishes to stop searching. She asks, then why did he do it? and he says, he did it for her and Trina; for Aunt Stella and TJ, and everyone he loves. They had to find out what Marshall was hiding. And he doesn’t regret doing it, because what he found out was eye-popping. The man was never in the Witness Protection Program, and no link to organized crime. In fact, his arrest was because of a protest rally decades ago. She doesn’t understand why he would hide that, and Curtis says, he’s guessing, pride. He was embarrassed he never did jail time. Instead, he was sent to a mental institution. He was going to tell her; he just wanted to confront the man first. She says, Curtis doesn’t owe her that information, but she’s wondering why he didn’t share with her how he acquired it. Subterfuge, digging; her perspective could have helped him with this. And she thought they were in this together, but he didn’t trust her with any of it?
Michael says, he doesn’t recognize their father anymore; does Dante? Dante says, of course (🍷) he does. He’s going through some changes. Michael says, changes that directly affect his mother and son. His mother can take care of herself, but Wiley can’t. That means he has to put his relationship with Sonny behind him. Dante asks, for how long? when Willow comes back, and says, Wiley’s just fine. Dante’s phone rings, and he says, now it’s his turn to be excused. He steps away, and Willow asks if everything is okay. Michael says, Dante didn’t try to talk him out of his positions, and she says, relationships with parents are tricky. She needs to check in with her mom about her drinking last night. It’s not like her. Dante comes back, and says, he just got called to the scene of an accident; he has to jet. Willow says, eventful night, and Dante says, it appears so. He tells Michael, whatever happens with him and Sonny, they’re brothers, always. Michael says, always, and Dante says, raincheck on the dinner? Michael says, sounds good. Next time, bring Sam. Dante says, of course (🍷). No more third wheel for them.
Sam says, Alexis couldn’t have known how deep Harmony’s lies went, or what she was actually capable of. Alexis says, she didn’t; not even close. She killed Neil, then became Alexis’s friend, and tried to kill her.
Carly says, Harmony stole a baby. That’s pretty shocking. Jordan asks if it’s sufficient motive to try to kill Carly and Alexis, kill Neil Byrne, and his brother. Was it all to avoid going back to prison, or is there more to the story? Carly flashes back to confronting Harmony about saying owed Nina, and Harmony saying that she misspoke. Carly says she’s not sure, and Jordan says, try her. Carly says she thinks Brendon knew Harmony killed his brother, and Jordan says, then why not come to the police?Especially when he had damning evidence in her file? Carly says, apparently, he was trying to shake Harmony down, and Jordan says, but why go to such extreme lengths? And what was in that file? What else does Carly know?
Sasha does CPR, and Gladys asks, if she dies, are they going to get in trouble? Harmony takes a breath, and Sasha says, she’s back. She tells Harmony, hold on; help is coming. The photographer starts taking pictures, since he learned nothing from Princess Diana’s death, and tells Sasha, look at him.
Jordan wonders if there was anything, any indication why Harmony would kill two people, and try to kill two more, and Carly doesn’t know what Jordan wants her to say, What she does know is, Willow is going to be devastated, and she’s worried about Willow’s safety. Michael and Wiley too, which is why she has to let them know what’s going on. Jordan says, it’s being handled. Everyone has to remain calm, including Carly. So sit tight; got it? Carly nods, and Jordan’s phone rings. She leaves to take the call, and Carly says, you bet I’ll sit tight, and starts to gather up her stuff.
Sam wonders if Alexis needs more medical attention, but Alexis says, she heard TJ. No concussion. She’s fine… at least physically. Sam says she’s so sorry Harmony did this to her; she let that woman into her home. Alexis says she’s realizing Harmony wasn’t just the cause of one bad night, but many.
The photographer snaps photos all around the gurney the paramedics have Harmony on. One of them says, dude, seriously, what are you doing? The photographer goes over to Sasha and Gladys, and says, there’s two ways this thing can play out. He can sell these pictures with Sasha being the heroine who saved the day, or she can stand in his way, and the story is, she caused this tragedy. Gladys tells her to go with the first one. He’s going to sell something. The bad press will make Deception’s stock go down. Is that what she wants? The photographer says, it benefits them both, and he wants his memory card returned. The paramedics bring Harmony through, and one tells Sasha, nice job keeping her alive, and the photographer says, isn’t she great? They go to the ambulance, and the photographer says, his memory card, holding out his hand. Sasha says she doesn’t think so, and starts to walk away. He says, okay, the Face of Collision it is. She asks why he doesn’t leave her alone, and he says, the whole world will see she’s flaming out after she lost her kid. Wow. He’s extra stupid, since I doubt the public would be on his side. Sasha goes after him and Gladys pulls her back. Dante arrives, and gets in the middle, saying, stop.
Portia says, she doubts Curtis would have gotten Drew involved unless she had serious concerns, but she wishes he would have trusted her. He says he does trust her, but ever since they moved in together, he’s been concerned about Marshall’s past showing up on their doorstep. And leaving Trina alone with him when Aunt Stella had her panic attack didn’t help matters. She says, Trina seemed perfectly safe with Marshall, and he says he’s not saying Marshall’s the danger. He’s worried about Marshall’s past, and had to get answers. She asks how he went about it. Didn’t Marshall’s background check come back clean? He says, Marshall had a sealed arrest record. He told Curtis that himself. She says she knows Marshall didn’t tell him the contents of that record. How’d he go about finding out?
Laura sees the mess, and asks, what happened here? Nikolas says, a momentary lapse.What’s this great news? She says she had a conversation with Sonny, and he assured her, Esme has nothing to fear. He gave her his word, and his word is his bond. So they can all resume their normal lives. Perhaps Esme can move out now. Nickolas says, let’s not be too hasty.
Rory is looking at a painting, when Trina comes back. She says, sorry, this is all they have, handing Rory a bottle of Pellegrino. She asks if he likes the painting, but he says he’s not sure. He doesn’t know anything about art. He’s walked past the Chuck museum a thousand times, but never set foot inside. She says, that’s sad; he’s definitely missing out. He says he really likes the front steps. It’s a great place to eat his lunch. She says, trust her. What’s inside is a million times better. He says, even if he has no idea what he’s looking at? and she says, the thing about art is it’s subjective. How does this painting make him feel? Spencer quietly comes in, and Rory says, hopeful? Trina asks, why hopeful? and Rory says she’s putting him on the spot. Something about the mixture of dark and light. She says, she can see that, and Spencer says, that’s called contrast. Rory should ask Trina to educate him about chiaroscuro, the treatment of light and shade. Trina says, he is the expert on all things shady. Why is he here?
Portia says she knows a former investigator has all kinds of sources, and she’s not asking Curtis to reveal them, but getting access to a sealed police record… He says, she doesn’t approve, and she says, she’s not judging him; she’s concerned. He says, about Marshall or his relationship with Marshall? and she says, of course (🍷) she hopes Marshall is okay. She’s sensitive to him wanting to keep his mental health issues private. As far ask their father/son relationship, she’s with Curtis. She supports what he wants. He asks, then why is she upset? and she says she doesn’t want to lose him.
Rory says, if it isn’t the mayor’s grandson. What brings Spencer here? Spencer says, work. He’s here to start his restitution, and since Trina is no longer supervising him, he figured he could make his own hours. Rory says, he bets. Spencer seems to like making up his own rules. Spencer says, if it’s a bad time, he can leave, but Trina says she’ll go. She just needs to finish. Rory says he’ll be in the car, thanks Trina for the water, and leaves, and my God is his belt LOUD. Spencer asks why Trina is hanging out with Rory, and Trina says, not that it’s any of his business, but Commissioner Ashford assigned him to her for her protection. He says, like a bodyguard, and she asks why Rory made that comment about him being the mayor’s grandson. He says, so they’re on a first name basis now, and she says, he used his grandmother’s position to avoid charges. He says, Rory would have found out anyway, and she says, he doesn’t think twice, does he? He just throws money and influence, or both, and expects things to go his way. She thought he’d grow out of it, but she was wrong all along. He’s still the same entitled brat she had the bad luck of meeting months ago.
Nikolas tells Laura, Spencer and Esme can’t support themselves, and Esme says she still doesn’t have access to her trust fund, and Spence is making nothing at the gallery. Laura says she’s sure Spencer could go back to working at Kelly’s, but Esme says, Spencer and Cameron had a… disagreement. Laura says, she’s aware. She was Spencer’s first call from Jail. Esme says she should probably go talk to Spence; tell him the good news. She fakes being happy, and thanks Laura, hugging her. Laura says she’s so welcome, and Esme leaves. Nikolas says he appreciates Laura coming and delivering the news in person, and she says, not a minute too soon it seems.
Dante asks, what happened? What’s going on? The photographer says, he’s bleeding and Sasha is insane. Sasha says, he’s insane, calling him a bloodsucker, and Gladys says, not another word without an attorney present. She’s calling Brando. She tells Dante, Sasha’s not saying another word, so save his breath. The photographer says he needs medical attention, and Dante says he can drive himself to GH. Just don’t leave the hospital before Dante gets his statement. He says, Dante is going to get his statement all right, and Dante says, get out of here. He leaves, and Dante asks if Sasha is okay, but she says, no. How’s Harmony? He says, too soon to tell. What happened here? She says, that horrible man was chasing them, and he asks, was he trying to get photos? Sasha says, she was trying to get away from him. She was driving… He stops her, and reminds her that she does have a right to counsel, but he needs to know what happened with Harmony. How did she get hurt? Sasha says, she ran out into the road right in front of her car. She couldn’t swerve. My God. What if she doesn’t make it? Gladys comes back, and says, that’s enough for now. Can’t Dante see she’s upset? He says he’s going, but Sasha should get to GH; she could be in shock. They can come to the station in the morning to give their statements. Gladys tells Sasha, let’s go, and leads her away. Dante sees something on the ground covered in blood. The memory card?
Michael says, some date night, huh? and Willow says, it started off weird. Sam couldn’t make it, and Dante got called away. It’s not his fault. He says he’s been in a funk since Dante brought up his dad, and she says, having a parent out of your life is not easy, but it doesn’t have to be forever. Look at her and her mom. He says, enough gloomy talk. Like Dante said, it’s a rare night out. Let’s make the best of it. She asks if he has anything particular in mind, and he says he has a few things in mind. They kiss, and his phone rings. He says, of course (🍷). It’s Carly, who asks if Willow is with him, and he says, they just sat down to dinner. Is everything okay? She says, everything is not okay. It’s not about Wiley, but she needs him and Willow to come to the ER right now. She’ll tell him everything when they get here. He says, they’re on their way, and Willow asks, what is it?
Carly asks if Alexis is okay, and Alexis says, she’s fine thanks to Carly. Carly saved her life. What about her? Carly thanks Alexis, saying, if Alexis hadn’t shown up when she did… Sam comes out, and says, Spinelli’s trying to get a location on Harmony’s phone, and Alexis says, Harmony sure as hell won’t be calling her. Her reporter was at the PCPD, and said they have no information yet, but hopefully, they’ll find Harmony, and this will all be over soon. Amy tells Alexis that her discharge papers are ready, and they’re working on Carly’s. Harmony is brought in on a gurney, and the paramedic says she was in full arrest on scene, and a bystander performed CPR. She has multiple head injuries and probably head trauma. Amy says, that’s Willow’s mother, and TJ says a bunch of medical stuff. I laugh, wondering if he even knows what he’s saying.
Gladys says she agrees with Dante that Sasha should be checked out at GH. Brando’s very worried about her. Sasha tells Gladys, just say it. Gladys says, Harmony came out of nowhere. There’s no way Sasha could have avoided her. She lowers her voice to a whisper, and says, the fact is, Sasha was speeding. What’s on that memory card that’s got her so bent? Sasha flashes back to the photographer taking photos of her taking a pill, and she says she’s so sick of being treated like an animal on exhibit. Since she lost Liam, her grief has been judged and analyzed, and she can’t take it. Gladys says she gets it. Don’t worry. The memory card is safe in her purse. Sasha asks if she can have it, and Gladys says, of course (🍷), but she wants to get Sasha to the hospital first. Sasha says she hopes Willow is there. She owes Willow an explanation.
Alexis asks what Jordan found out. Does she know what happened to Harmony? Jordan says, apparently, she was struck in a single vehicle collision, and Sam says, Harmony was able to commandeer a getaway car and crashed it? Willow and Michael come in, and Willow asks if this is about her mom. Where is she? What happened? Jordan suggests they have a seat, but Willow says, tell her what’s going on with her mother. Is she okay? Jordan says, her mother was struck by a car earlier tonight, and Willow says she wants to see her, but Jordan says, they’re stabilizing her now. Carly tells Willow that they’ll do everything they can for her mom, and Willow says, she doesn’t understand. Did her mom drive off the road? Michael ask how Carly found out, and what happened to her face? Carly says, they’ll talk about it later, and Willow asks if Carly knows what’s happening here?
Curtis says he’s not going nowhere, but Portia says, he can’t promise that, not if he’s using questionable methods; he’s keeping her at bay. She went through this whole thing with Taggert. She’s not doing it again. He says, he did what he did to protect what they have, and she says, did what exactly? There’s no way he got that sealed report from a legitimate source. He says he doesn’t want to jeopardize what they’re building, and she says she’s glad to hear it. She knows his past is important to him, but he needs to promise, from this point forward, to put their future first.
Laura says, she seems to have walked in on a sort of close moment between Nikolas and Esme. He indicates the mess, and says, he was upset because Ava wasn’t available for a surprise dinner he’d arranged. He didn’t realize Ava had other plans. Esme blamed herself, and he was consoling her. This makes me cringe, and Laura says, seems to her, he should be consoling his wife. He says, now that Esme won’t be around as much, hopefully, things will improve, and Laura says, she’s worried about Spencer. He’s been fighting with his friends, and he’s becoming increasingly isolated. Soon it will just be Esme and Victor. Nikolas says, and him; they’re still growing closer. Laura puts her hand on his arm, and says, get Esme out of the house. She is the common denominator in all of these strained relationships. He says, Esme’s not perfect, but Laura is giving her too much power. Laura says, she’s manipulative. Can’t he see that? She sows chaos. He says, bottom line, Esme wants to be loved and needed. Once she and Spencer patch things up, and get back on track, Spencer can rebuild his life. Then he and Ava can rebuild theirs, and once that finally happens, they’ll come together as a family. She asks, when did he become an optimist? and he asks if it’s wrong to hope for a positive outcome. She says, not necessarily, but she thinks he’s being naïve. There is a scorpion under his roof. Get rid of her before she poisons all of them.
Spencer says, Trina can’t blame him for using his connections. Another arrest on his record, and he could go back to prison. Isn’t she doing all she can to keep from being incarcerated? She says she’s innocent… not that he believes her. He asks if she really regrets meeting him, and she says, how self-absorbed can you get? She’s facing trial, and a Title 9 investigation that could get her kicked out of school. Out of all the things she stands to lose, he’s the least important. He says, he knows he hurt her, but don’t try to hurt him, no matter how much he deserves it; it’s just not her style. She says, maybe he doesn’t know her after all. She was certainly wrong in thinking she knew him. He says, she does know him. She believes in him. At least she did. She says, he’s the only person who would try to make her feel guilty for his sick wack friendship. He says, that’s not what this is, and she says, yes it is. He’s playing all the hits, but she’s not listening. He abandoned her when she needed him the most. If he wants to work nights, she can work days. He tells her not to interrupt her schedule. He just needed to get out of the house. She says, issues with his dad? and he says, actually, they’re on better terms than they’ve been in a long time. She says, then what is he running from? His beloved Esme?
Curtis says, there’s nothing more important than their future together, and Portia says, what about Marshall? Will Curtis look for him? He says, Marshall disappeared successfully for decades. He’s beginning to think Marshall doesn’t want to be found. She says, nobody knew to look for him then; now they do. She gets the feeling family means everything to Marshall. He says, then he and Marshall have that in common, because she and Trina are family too. Trina’s not his daughter, but he cares about her. He hopes Portia trusts that he’ll always do what’s best for both of them. She says she does, and he says, ethics and integrity mean a lot to both to them. Going forward, she’s never going to have to worry about that. He kisses her hand.
Nikolas tells Laura, there’s nothing more important to him than Ava and Spencer, and he believes his family will be intact when the dust settles. She says she admires his confidence and resolve. She just hopes he knows what he’s doing.
Spencer tells Trina, believe it or not, he misses going to Kelly’s. He used to feel useful there. He hated the job at first, but started to appreciate how feeling productive can improve his state of mind. She says, then go back, especially if he’s taking nights here. He says, Joss and Cameron won’t want him rehired, and she says, Joss maybe, but Joss is just protecting her, and she doesn’t mind. She gets how it would be important to him. He says, she always does, and she says, but not how Esme gets him, right? She’ll leave him a to-do list, so he can go home to his phony twisted witch who’s the love of his life. He says, Esme is anything but that, and Esme overhears just as she’s about to walk in.
Dante thanks the photographer for his statement, and he says, what about his memory card? The mother-in-law stole it from him, and Sasha attacked him when he asked for it back. Dante looks at his hand, and says, yeah, it looks real life threatening. Bandaging his hand, Amy holds back her laughter, and Dante asks if he wants to press charges. The photographer says, yeah, that’ll show her, and Dante says, that’s cool; that’s his right. But it’s also Miss Gilmore’s right to counter-sue for assault and harassment. The photographer says, forget it, and Dante says, that’s what he thought. Oh, since there will probably be an investigation about illegal vehicular pursuit, do him a favor, and don’t go anywhere. Amy hands him something, and he says, thanks – she leaves – for nothing. He takes out his phone and calls Smoltz. He says, Smoltz will want to hit the ATM with what he’s got that Smoltz is going to want.
Willow asks if Carly was with her mom, and Carly says, not at the time of the accident. Alexis says, before, at Whatchamacallit Point. Willow asks, why? when Harmony is wheeled past. Willow asks TJ if she can talk to her, but he says, no time. Her mom’s injuries are critical. He’ll give her news as soon as he has some. He tells the orderly that they have to get Harmony to the OR now. Sasha and Gladys come in, and Willow wonders, who could have done this to her mom?
Tomorrow, Brando asks Sasha why the photographer was chasing her; Willow says she’ll never forgive herself for pushing Harmony away; Trina says, someone made their choice, so deal with it; and Ava asks Nikolas, please tell her that he’s not letting Esme stay.
Take a break tomorrow with me for some soap, tea, bon mots, and a musical moment. Until then, stay safe, stay ready to lend a hand, and stay making your own rules, but not in an entitled brat way.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase checks on his phone to make sure the cameras are working, and Finn comes downstairs. He says he shouldn’t be long, but if Elizabeth wakes up before he’s back, have her call him. Chase says, don’t worry. He has everything under control. He gets the feeds from all the cameras on his phone, so he doesn’t even have to get off the couch. Finn says he owes Chase one, but Chase says, no problem. They’re going to find out whoever’s been harassing Elizabeth. That’s a promise.
At the station, Jordan says she heard Rory had a problem with a perp tonight, and he says, yes, ma’am. He filled out all the appropriate paperwork. She says she was referring to that bruise, and indicates his cheekbone. It doesn’t look serious, but he might want to ice it. He says he’s good, and she asks, what happened? He says, a fight broke out at Kelly’s. Spencer Cassadine was the instigator. She says, Spencer? At Kelly’s? Who else was involved?
Cameron and Spencer are in their cells, and Spencer asks if Cameron would mind telling him what the hell he thought he was doing back there. It’s not as though they don’t have plenty of time on their hands. Cameron says, will you shut up. He can’t believe he’s in a jail cell right now. Spencer says, if Cameron hadn’t punched him… and Cameron says, he deserved it. Spencer says, that’s not the point. Cameron assaulted him, and he’s locked up for no reason. Cameron says, no reason? Spencer assaulted an officer. Spencer says, it was an accident. Is that guy even a cop? He’s barely older than they are. Cameron says, he’s not the problem. Why the hell did Spencer say that crap about Trina and Josslyn? Spencer tells Cameron that he had to say something. Cameron and his big mouth were about to ruin everything.
On the phone at The Savoy, Maxie says, no problem. She gets that it was an emergency. She was just hoping there were other doctors capable of saving lives… She tells Austin that she really does understand. Do his thing, and they’ll try for a different night. She hangs up, and says she hopes Britt is having better luck with her date.
At Beradino’s, Britt sits sipping wine. A man tries to take the chair next to her, and she says, it’s taken. He leaves, and she says, that is, if he ever shows up. At another table, Britt sees Drew sitting with a woman we don’t know, but later find out her name is Mia. Drew says, the digital side is going well. That credit goes to his nephew Michael. He really knows his stuff, but the print division, that’s lagging, and that’s on account of him. Mia says, he only recently took control, having returned from an extended absence. He says, that’s one way to put it, and she says, let her ask him a question. Does he want to run a media company, or having survived a life-threatening incident, is there something else he’d rather do?
Marshall meets Epiphany at the Bistro, and she says she just finished her shift. She’s glad he called, but then again, maybe he needed to vent. Did something happen between him and Curtis? He says, something like that. He asked to see her because he wanted to tell her personal; he’s leaving Port Charles.
Curtis asks if everything is to Selena’s liking, and she says, he’s exceeded expectations. The back room is set up just as she asked. He says, their deal was, after the first game, she’d provide him with a certain sealed police record. When can he expect that? She says, the game hasn’t even started yet, and he says, just a reminder, per their agreement, she will run clean games here; no guns, no drugs. She says she doesn’t anticipate any problems, but she’s wise enough to expect the unexpected. And she’s right. She watches Sonny walk in.
Spinelli approaches Maxie, and says, Maxinista. He’s wearing what I suppose you could call clubwear, and turns in a circle. He asks what she thinks, and says, It feels a little like cosplay, but the sales associate assured him it was the right look. She says, it’s fantastic, but just a few adjustments. She removes his fanny pack and puts it on the table, and starts to take off his scarf, but he says, this pulls the whole outfit together. She asks if he means pulls it apart. With all due respect to the salesperson who helped him, who’s the fashion editor here? He says, she is, and she puts the scarf aside. She says, now he’s perfect, and he thanks her. He says, it’s been a while since he’s done this, and she says, done what exactly? He says, sought companionship, and she says, something non-serious, or with the potential for something more? and he says, something romantic of course (🍷), but you can’t buy if you don’t shop. She says, don’t say that to anyone – ever, and he says, noted. What about her? Is this work related or is she out with the girls? She says, no. She was supposed to meet Austin tonight, but he had a hospital emergency, which she totally understands, but she could have used the distraction tonight. He says, why tonight? and she says, after months of wavering, Britt is finally on a date. Britt’s been all mysterious about the guy, so of course (🍷) all Maxie wants to do is go over there and see him.
Britt tells herself, face it. The guy is a no-show. She thinks she’s relieved.
Drew asks what Mia is suggesting. He hand over his half of Aurora to Michael, and go trekking in the Himalayas? She says, it’s his life. How does he want to spend it? In the boardroom or clinging to a mountainside? He says, he’s done the mountainside, and there were moments of incredible exhilaration, but he missed out on a lot of time, time he can’t get back, with his daughter and his family. So he chooses the 9 to 5 boardroom. She says, not surprising, but impressive, and he says, she’s lost him. She says she’s asked hundreds of execs some version of that question. They all choose the boardroom. Then they trip over themselves to convince her that deep down inside, there’s some dangerous man or woman yearning to live on the edge. But in his case, he’s actually been to the edge. He says, not everybody who goes gets to come back. He feels he owes it to them and to himself to embrace the life he has here and make the most of it. Not that running a company is a noble endeavor, but if he does it right, a lot of people have jobs and his family has security. She says, he chooses the boardroom. Next question. Aurora or ELQ?
Chase is looking in the refrigerator, when Aiden comes in. Chase says he thought Aiden was at his grandmother’s, and Aiden says, he biked over. Chase says, it’s kind of late. Does he need something from his room? Aiden says he needs Chase’s help.
Rory tells Jordan, Cameron Webber and Spencer Cassadine were arguing; Trina Robinson and Josslyn Jax were also present. He could tell things were starting to escalate, and when he turned around, Cameron assaulted Spencer, a punch to the face. That’s when he intervened. She says, alone? Where was his partner? He says, still at the Byrne crime scene, and she says, he should have been with Rory. Breaking up a fight by himself is dangerous. He says he had it handled. Webber backed off right away, and Cassadine was on the ground. She says, so that was it?One punch. He says, yeah, and she says, and Spencer still wants to press charges against Cameron? He says, Spencer didn’t say one way or the other. He brought them in on disorderly conduct. She says, both of them? and he says, first there was Webber’s punch to Cassadine, which was an assault, and then Cassadine threw an elbow, which was an assault on a police officer. So he followed procedure and took them both in. Webber was cooperative; Cassadine wasn’t. She says, Spencer Cassadine revisited arrest? and he says, not physically, but he was running his mouth the whole time at the station. Who does that guy think he is? Laura comes in and asks Jordan, where are her grandsons?
Cameron says, Spencer’s strategy of lying to his friends and sitting back while they all go down in flames is just genius. He wouldn’t want that to get screwed up. Spencer says, Cameron couldn’t keep his mouth shut for one day, and Cameron says, in case Spencer hasn’t noticed, Josslyn despises him. She’s on fire against him for being protective of Esme and throwing Trina under the bus. So he couldn’t listen to her tear Spencer down, because Spencer is trying, in his own weird pathetic way, to fix it. Spencer thanks Cameron for defending him, and says, don’t let it happen again. Cameron says, don’t worry; he won’t. He was defending Spencer before Spencer landed him in jail. Spencer says he’s not going to press charges. He’ll tell the cops he instigated the whole thing. Cameron asks if he’s sure about that. Will this whole situation violate his parole? Will being arrested land him back in prison?
Curtis excuses himself, and Selena tells Sonny, this is a surprise. He says, it’s her first night poker game. He wanted to check it out. Just curious. She says she heard about the attempted robbery at Charlie’s. She hopes everyone is all right. He says he took care of it, and she says, of course (🍷), and smiles. Brad comes in, and tells Curtis, someone is requesting a brand of liquor they don’t have in the back room. Curtis says, his bar is stocked with the best, and Selena asks if there’s a problem. Brad says, one of the players beer of choice is Conners Ale, and Curtis says, that cheap stuff?We don’t pour that here. Brad tells him, he says it reminds him of the old neighborhood, and Selena says, then go buy some. Brad leaves, and Selena says, he’ll get better. Curtis says, he hopes so and leaves. Sonny asks Selena if everything’s okay, and she says, fine, but he says he disagrees. He thinks she’s making a big mistake.
Aiden says, it’s a school project, putting a Ouija board on the coffee table. Chase says, about trying to talk to ghosts? It’s way cooler than anything he ever did in school. Aiden says, he did a bunch of research online about Ouija boards. He wanted to test one out, and write down what happens. Like an experiment. Chase asks, why not do this at his grandmother’s place? but Aiden says, her apartment is too new and modern. He figured this place would have more spirits attached because the building’s a lot older. Chase says, so that’s how this works, and Aiden says, yes, but the internet says, unless you’re extra sensitive to the supernatural, you can’t use a Ouija board alone. Since his mom is sleeping, will Chase help him? Chase says, sure, but he has to warn Aiden, he doesn’t think anything is going to happen, but Aiden says he does. He has the feeling someone wants to talk to him.
Selena says she’s cleared this with Sonny; the game is going well. She fails to see how she’s made any mistakes. He says, by bringing her nephew in? No disrespect, but Brad is a lying weasel. She has to be careful who she chooses to represent her. She says she understands his reservations about Bradley, but she assures him, Brad is under her supervision now. He’ll do as she says. Sonny says, is that so? and she says, unquestionably.
Maxie says, Spinelli has to talk her down – go. Spinelli says, Britt wouldn’t appreciate Maxie crashing her date, and Maxie says, he’s right; she wouldn’t. What else has he got? He says, she might feel pressure; she’s still trying to get to know her gentlemen, and Maxie says, she’s meeting him for the first time tonight. Maxie is dying to see what this match looks like. He says, match? and she says, Britt’s been using this matchmaking service, Society Set-Ups, and she was matched with six different guys. She’s meeting her first match tonight, but Spinelli is right. Maxie needs to respect Britt’s privacy. He says, one little peek wouldn’t hurt. She won’t even know we’re there. Maxie says, we? and he says he’ll drive. They go out past TJ, and Maxie tells him, gotta run.
TJ asks Curtis if he’s seen Grandpa Marshall. He thought he might find Marshall here. Curtis says he hasn’t, but Drew called and told him what happened at the gym. TJ says, Curtis had Drew do a background check on Marshall? and Curtis says, he did. TJ says, he’s angry. He tried to talk to Marshall, but he didn’t want to. Curtis says, that’s Marshall’s M.O. Everything’s a secret. It makes covering his lies easier. TJ asks what Marshall is lying about
Epiphany says she thought making amends with Curtis was important to Marshall. Now there’s no hope? He says, he and Curtis are at an impasse, and she says, since when? The last time she looked, they were doing fine. He says he thought so too. It seems Curtis doesn’t want a relationship with him. At least, not on terms Marshall can accept. She asks where he’s going to go, and he says, that’s yet to be determined, but come tomorrow, he’s gone. She tells him, she thought he said getting his family back was the most important thing to him. So why is he going to leave again? He says he regrets that, but the fact of the matter is, he should have stayed gone. Expecting his family to let him back in after all this time is too much to ask. She says, damn right it is.
Drew says, Mia has certainly given him a lot to think about, and she says, then her work is done. He says he’s glad they had the chance to meet face-to-face, and she says, her too. He’s a refreshing departure from her usual client. He says he’ll call her, and set up their next consultation, and she says she looks forward to it. They shake hands, and she leaves. Britt looks at Drew, and he comes over to her table. She asks if he ends all his dates with a handshake. She knows it’s been a while, but he might want to speed up the process. He says, that was a business meeting, and she says, so much for her power of perception. He says, forgive the cliché, but is that seat taken? She says, it is now; please join her. He says he hasn’t seen her in a long time. How is she? She says, fine, and he says, that was a real question. Honestly, how is she? She says, maybe she’s not fine, but for now she’s better. For one thing, she doesn’t have to keep holding that seat. He asks if she’s expecting somebody, and she says, so his associate, Aurora or ELQ? He says, what? and she says, his business meeting. He says, maybe a little of both actually. Mia’s a coach. Britt says, he must take his softball league pretty seriously. He doesn’t have to get ready. He seems like he’s in pretty good shape to her. He says, thanks, but she’s an executive coach, to get the most out of your business. He’s back at Aurora, and he’s kind of stuck. He doesn’t know which direction to take, and Mia had some good ideas. Britt says, good luck. Remember, sometimes it’s best to trust your own instincts. Advice can take you in the wrong direction.
Rory tells Laura that he made the arrest. He didn’t realize the perps were related to the… She says, both perps are her grandsons, and asks where they are. Rory says, they’re in their cells, and she asks, have they been charged? but Jordan says, no. They’re still sorting it out. How did she find out? Laura says she was Spencer’s one phone call. Finn joins them, and says, he was Cameron’s.
Cameron asks how Spencer is supposed to help Trina if he’s back behind bars? Spencer says, they can’t send him back; he’s served his sentence. Cameron asks if part of his sentence isn’t working at Ava’s gallery. How is he going to manage that… Spencer says he’s not going back. No way. It’s a bogus charge. Cameron says, Spencer cracked a uniformed officer in the face, and Spencer says, he’ll sue the PCPD if he has to, for harassment. Cameron says, so that’s his solution? Threats and throwing around money? Thank God Spencer’s not the only one helping Trina. Spencer says, Cameron needs to calm down. They’re going to get out of here, and he’ll go back to making Esme slip up. That’s their best chance of getting Trina exonerated. They just have to stick to the plan. Laura walks in, and says, and what plan is that exactly?
Aiden and Chase sit in the living room, the only light coming from a candle. Aiden tells Chase, you have to place your fingertips lightly on the planchette. He’ll be the leader, that’s the one asking the questions. They put their fingertips on the planchette, and Aiden asks, is there a spirit present? Does anyone have a message for them? Franco? Chase says he doesn’t… and the candle goes out. Chase puts the lights back on, and says, it was probably a breeze, but Aiden says, Chase knows it wasn’t. It was Franco. He’s trying to contact them. Look at everything he’s done so far. The portrait of mom, don’t forget me spray painted on the photos (wasn’t it another painting? continuity, people), mom’s dress, and her wedding ring. Chase says, a lot of unsettling things have happened, but it’s deliberate. Someone wants them to believe it. Aiden says, yes; Franco. The cops can’t find evidence of anyone getting in the house because no one is. It’s Franco’s ghost. Chase says he doesn’t believe in ghosts, but Aiden says, lots of people do. Miss Coe, the cosmetics lady, does. Chase asks why Franco would want to scare his family like this, and Aiden says, he doesn’t mean to. He hasn’t hurt anyone. Not yet. Chase says, nobody’s getting hurt. That’s why he’s here; to protect Aiden’s mom, and find out who’s doing this. That’s why he installed all these cameras around the house. Aiden says, Chase shouldn’t have done that. What if it makes Franco mad?
Spencer says, grandmother, thank God, and Laura asks if they’re both all right. Cameron says, Spencer called their grandma? and Spencer says he didn’t want to wait for his father to get here from Spoon Island. Cameron says he’s sure it has nothing to do with Laura being mayor, and Laura says, Finn is upstairs waiting for Cameron. This officer will walk him up there. The officer lets him out, and Cameron says, sorry about this. Laura says, it’s okay, and Cameron leaves with the officer. Spencer says, what about him? and Laura says she thinks she might leave him there, and he says, why? That guy overreacted. She says she saw the bruise on that officer’s face, and he says, that guy was trying to give him a hard time because he has out for him. She says, that guy is an officer of the law, and he’ll adjust his attitude immediately.
Sonny says, it looks like Selena has some heavy hitters; he’s impressed. She says she thinks of it as high stakes networking, and he laughs. He says he thinks he’s going to go back and sit down, but she says he doesn’t want to interrupt the game. He says, oh yes he does. They won’t even notice. He leaves, and Brad comes back. He says he’s got the brewskis. Judge Adams is all set. She tells him, never say a player’s name in public. Her associates expect discretion. He says he’s sorry, and she says, this is only his first game, but she expects him to learn quickly. And never ever make the same mistake twice.
Drew says, he takes it Britt has received some less than helpful advice lately, and she says, her mother is pressuring her to use the matchmaking service she signed Britt up for. He says he actually thinks it’s sweet. It’s hard for him to picture Liesl Obrecht having faith in a matchmaker, but he saw on Cassadine Island how much she loves Britt. She probably just wants Britt to be happy. She says, she means well, but some things can’t be forced. He says he’s also felt the pressure from well-meaning loved ones, trying to get him to regain his past life. Reuniting with Scout has been a joy, and family and friends. He’s just having a hard time at Aurora. She says, after all he’s been through, he’s entitled to an adjustment period, but he says, he’s been back a while. He probably should have his act together by now. She says she actually has the opposite problem. She’s really focused on her job. She loves what she does as Co-Chief of Staff at GH, and she doesn’t know if she’s ready for a relationship right now. He says, what if she’s not? It’s okay to be unsure. Life has a way of doing what it wants anyways. You just gotta roll with the punches. She has plenty of time to figure it out. She says, right, and he says he’s sorry if that sounded glib. He didn’t mean to offend her. She says, he didn’t. It’s actually nice to know she’s not the only one struggling. He says, it’s nice to know his struggling brings her comfort, and she says she didn’t mean it like that, but he says he’s just kidding. Maxie and Spinelli come in, and Maxie says, Drew is Britt’s match? Why didn’t Britt tell her? This is amazing! She throws her arms around Britt.
Chase asks if Aiden is mad at him for calling Doc to pick him up, and Aiden says, he could have ridden his bike back to the apartment. Doc will tell his grandma, and she’ll be all worried about him, or worse. Doc will try to talk it out with him. Chase says, it doesn’t hurt to talk. Does Aiden want to talk to his mom? Aiden says, no; don’t wake her up. He doesn’t want them to worry about him. He made a big deal out of nothing. Chase says Aiden doesn’t have to worry. He’ll figure this out, and he’ll stop the scary things from happening.
Maxie says, she’s a little surprised, but she could see it. It could work. Britt says, no. Maxie has it all wrong. Drew isn’t her match; they just ran into each other at the bar. Drew says, she had a date, like tonight? and she says, she got stood up. Remember that matchmaking service she told him about? Her mother signed her up for Society Set-Ups, and she was set up to fail. Her date never showed. Spinelli says, perhaps the gentleman has been delayed, and Britt says, by 30 minutes with no explanation or text? He’s clearly not coming. She didn’t even want to do this in the first place, and now she’s being blown off by some jerk? Spinelli loudly says, that’s not possible.
In the interrogation room, Spencer says, because he basically provoked Cameron, he won’t be pressing charges against him. Jordan says, Cameron is free to go, and Cameron says, what about Spencer? Finn tells him, quit while you’re ahead, let’s go, and they leave. Spencer says, what about me? and Jordan says, it’s up to the arresting officer, looking at Rory.
In the squad room, Finn gets Cameron’s stuff back, and Cameron checks his phone. He sees a text from Josslyn: Are U OK? and texts back: I just got out. Call me. On the desk phone, Finn tells Chase, the charges were dismissed. He’s bringing Cam home to Elizabeth’s. Chase says, just out of curiosity, who was the officer? Finn says, new guy, rookie. Cam’s starving, so they’re going to stop and eat. Does Chase need anything? How’s everything there? Chase says, Aiden was here. Doc just picked him up. Finn asks if Aiden needed to speak to Elizabeth, but Chase says, she was still sleeping. It’s a long story. He’ll fill Finn in when he gets here.
Epiphany says, if Marshall believes the right thing is to cut and run, then he hasn’t learned anything, and he’s definitely not doing his family any favors by sticking around. Is he that man? Because she thought he was different. Maybe he fooled her with his pretty words, and how passionately he played his clarinet. Maybe he put all of his soul into his music, and there was nothing left for the people around in his life. He says, that’s not fair. He loves his family. He only left because he cared about them. She asks if he’s sure, or is it just an excuse he’s making for himself? Because caring from a distance can be a lot easier than sticking around. Now he has a choice. He can disappear or stick it out. Talk to Curtis; fight for that family he says he loves.
Curtis watches as Selena tells one of the players, she has many associates who could have supervised the game, but she chose him because it’s an expression of respect. TJ asks Curtis if everything is all right, and Curtis says, it’s just a busy night. TJ says, it’s a good thing Grandpa Marshall didn’t come here and confront Curtis, and Curtis says he would have confronted Marshall right back for what he’s hiding. He’s not exactly sure what that is or what Marshall’s lying about, but he has the feeling they’ll know soon enough. Sonny comes out, and says, it’s good to see TJ. TJ says, they let him take a break from the hospital every now and then. It’s good to see Sonny too. How’s Avery’s arm? Sonny says, everything is good, thanks to TJ, and tells Curtis, TJ is great. He asks if he can have a second with TJ’s uncle, and TJ says he’ll be at the bar. Sonny says, it looks like Curtis found a way to access the information he wanted, and Curtis asks, what makes him say that? Sonny says, back room poker’s not Curtis’s style, and Curtis says, it’s just business.
Maxie asks if Spinelli is okay, and he says, he just meant to say, no man in his right mind would stand up someone as accomplished and fair of face as Britt. Britt says, thanks? She probably dodged a bullet. Matchmaking is such a desperate and fickle endeavor. How can anyone decide which people click? Spinelli says he prays she doesn’t give up hope. The theory behind matchmaking is sound. Matching based on common interests, meticulous analysis; it provides a solid foundation. Maxie says, look at the time. They need to go. Spinelli says, they do? and Maxie says, yes. She’s sorry Britt’s date stood her up. He doesn’t know what he’s missing. Britt thanks her, and Maxie says, don’t forget, she matched with five other guys. Drew tells Spinelli that he’s looking sharp, and Spinelli thanks him, and says, his attire is more suited to The Savoy, but because of Maxie’s curiosity and Britt’s date, he had to retire from there prematurely. Drew says, still, looking good, and Spinelli says, since his life has taken an unexpected turn, he’s trying something new. Drew says he knows the feeling.
Spencer says, Rory’s got to agree it was an accident. Spencer didn’t mean to hit him. Rory walked into it. Laura coughs, and Spencer says, but he should have followed Rory’s instructions, he was disrespectful, and he’s sorry. Jordan tells Rory, his call, and Rory says he’s going to let Spencer off with a warning. Jordan and Laura thank him, and he leaves. Spencer asks if Jordan has to report this. Could he go back to prison? He hasn’t done his restitution hours yet. She says, he’s not on parole, so no, there are no consequences. Laura says, but if he had been charged, any judge would take into consideration how quickly he got back into trouble, and add to his sentence. Jordan says, he got lucky, and she hopes he appreciates that. Now he’s free to go.
Chase is sleeping on the couch, and hears something. He calls to Elizabeth, and looks at his phone. He runs out of the room.
Selena tells Brad not to let the beer get warm, and Brad takes it in the back. Sonny says he’s leaving. Good job tonight. She nods, and he leaves. Curtis says, Miss Wu, and she says, please. Selena. They’re partners now in this endeavor. He says, about that. The game’s begun. She promised him Marshall Ashford’s sealed record. He’s waiting. She says, he’ll get it tomorrow, first thing, and goes in the back.
Marshall says, he knows it looks like he’s pulling another disappearing act, and takes Epiphany’s hand. He says he knows he’s probably letting her down too. She says, he’s letting himself down. This is about the man he says he hopes to be for his family. He has so much to give. He says, he wanted to be that man. He wanted to be the man she sees in him. She says, then stay, and he says, she’s making it harder to go. She says, good, because they both know things get harder before they get better. From the way she sees things, everything’s been better between him and Curtis. They just need to ride out this rough patch, and give it some time. Does he really need to leave tomorrow?
Maxie practically runs out of Beradino’s, Spinelli following. He asks, why the hasty exit? Does she think Britt and Drew want to be alone? She says, what was up with him in there? Why was he so interested in Britt’s epic fail of a match up? He says he just couldn’t understand what kind of cad would leave her hanging, and she says, oooh. Is Spinelli interested in Britt? He says, no, and she says, is he thinking of joining Society Set-Ups himself?
Drew says, they deserve another, and Britt hesitates a moment, saying, Spinelli means well… but then says, they do. Drew toasts to an uncertain future, and all it may bring, and they clink glasses.
Laura thanks Jordan for her help and discretion, and Jordan says, this was easy; much ado about nothing. She leaves, and Spencer says, see? Jordan gets it, and Laura says, she’s Commissioner Ashford to him. She hopes he heard her say how lucky he was today, because it could have played out very differently. He says, to continue in the Shakespearean vein, all’s well that ends well. She asks if he thinks this is funny, because she can assure him it isn’t. What is he doing with his life? Is he trying to get sent back to prison? He says, of course (🍷) not, and she says, then act like a responsible adult.Cameron’s not a violent guy, but he’s learned the hard way that his actions have consequences. What did Spencer do to provoke him? He says, it’s over. He and Cameron straightened it out. They’re good. She tells him, never try to dismiss her again. And when an officer of the law tells you to do something, you do it.
On their way into the house, Cameron thanks Finn for getting him, and not telling his mom. He’s just glad she’s getting a decent night’s sleep. Finn says, Cameron’s going to have to tell her, and they go inside. Chase is lying on the floor, unconscious, and they run to him. Finn checks his pulse, and says, Chase.
Tomorrow, Trina asks Marshall if he’s leaving for good; Ned toasts to Leo; Carly tells Sam, Harmony knows more about the Nina situation than she’s letting on; and Harmony tells Alexis, absolutely not.
💏 Behind the Coach…
This is so cool. I actually thought she was very good, and I liked her look.
Calling it an early night, but come back tomorrow for soap, some tea, sage sayings, and a song. Until then, stay safe, stay going the extra mile, and stay remembering things get harder before they get better, so don’t cut and run.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 