What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny tells Phyllis, he tries to remember, but except for that dream with that blonde woman, he doesn’t know what his life was like before. He just hopes no one is out there who thinks he took off on them. He doesn’t even want to go there, because why worry when you don’t have the answers? She says, he was out all night. Why doesn’t he grab a nap until they open? He says he thinks he’ll take her up on that, and she tells him, sweet dreams. He goes upstairs, and Phyllis hears the door. She says she’s sorry, but they’re not open yet, and looks up to see Nina. Nina says, surprise! and they hug.

Valentin orders scotch, neat, two fingers, at the MetroCourt bar. He gets a call, and thanks Martin for calling him back. He’s at the MetroCourt bar. How soon can Martin get there?… He’ll wait… It is kind of important. He flashes back to seeing Brook, and saying, you’re pregnant. Brook says he’s very observant, and he asks if he’s the father. She says, it seems their one-night stand was more memorable than either of them expected, and starts to leave, but he asks why she didn’t tell him before. He could have helped and offered support. She tells him to slow his roll. They had one night together, and it was just for fun. She doesn’t want him bound to her or this baby. He says, it’s a little late for that. If he’s the father, the baby is every bit his responsibility as hers. He’s not letting her go through this by herself. He drinks his scotch, and says, a baby.

Ned tells Brook, he doesn’t mean to sound condescending, but she can’t handle Valentin. She says, sounds condescending to her, and starts to walk away. He says she saw how Valentin came after ELQ. He won’t hesitate to come after her the same way, especially if he knows she’s carrying his baby. She says, he already knows, and Ned says, God help us.

Michael opens the door to see Chase. Chase says he tried the gatehouse, but no one answered. He thought Willow might be there. Michael says, no, she’s not. She mentioned an exam prep class, but he’s not sure when she’s getting back. Chase says, right. He’s sorry for bothering Michael. He starts to leave, and Michael says, wait. He knows what’s going on.

Britt arrives at Maxie’s place, and asks where her nephew is. Maxie says, Mac has him, and Brook says, serious spoiling in progress. She tells Maxie to sit, so she can take Maxie’s BP, and Maxie sits. Britt asks how she and the baby are doing, and Maxie says, the baby is kicking up a storm. Her, not so good. She lost her phone, and has no idea where it is. Britt asks if she tried looking, and Maxie says, nothing’s working. Does Britt know how many photos are on that phone? Britt says, she’s sure it will turn up; don’t worry. She’s avoiding stress, remember? Has she heard from Peter? Maxie says, actually, he came by yesterday, when she was getting rid of his things. He’s still insisting they’re going to be together. Britt says, he has a point. He is the father of Maxie’s baby.

Jax sees Carly at the MetroCourt, and asks if they can talk. She asks, what’s going on? and he says, Nina insists Carly is trying to keep her away from Wiley. Carly says, Michael and Willow are in charge of those decisions, so they don’t need to be talking about it. He says, Nina doesn’t see it that way, and she says, so he and Nina are finally talking.

Phyllis asks what on earth Nina is doing there. Why didn’t she call? Nina says she didn’t know she was coming. She’s on a road trip. She thought about Nixon Falls, and there was literally a sign. She put the address in her GPS, and here she is. Phyllis says she’s delighted to see Nina. Where is she headed? Nina says she honestly doesn’t know, but she knew she wanted to see Phyllis. She’s always been so kind and accepting, and Nina could really use someone to talk to right now.

Ned says Brook saw Valentin, and she saw him? Brook says, yet here she stands. Not locked up in some dark tower until she births his heir. He says, most people run from trouble. Not her. She runs right into it. She says she didn’t plan on seeing Valentin. She ran into him, literally, outside Kelly’s, and she thought, why wait? He says he could think of plenty of reasons, and she says she wasn’t going to turn tail and look away. If Ned is so embarrassed by her condition, she’ll spare him and leave. He says he wants to make himself clear. He’s not embarrassed, but she has to admit this is a challenging situation. How did Valentin take the news? She says, he was surprised, but she made it absolutely clear she has no expectations of him being involved in this baby’s life. He says, and that went over how? She says she got the distinct impression he wanted to be involved in the baby’s life, and Ned says, okay. So they’ll get the lawyers involved, and come up with a strategy. She says she’s got this covered. She has a plan already.

Michael says he saw the Invader article about Chase and his family, and Chase says, it’s everywhere. It’s bad enough having his family implode without the whole damn town watching him. Michael says, believe him, he knows what it’s like having your personal life spread all over the headlines. Chase says, first time for him, and Michael asks if he wants to talk about it. Chase says he wouldn’t know where to start. He doesn’t know what to think half the time, he doesn’t recognize his family, and doesn’t even recognize himself. That’s why he was looking for Willow. Michael says Willow is a great listener, and Chase says, Willow is great all around, but Michael knew that.

At a table in the MetroCourt, Robert says he’s not exactly a fan of Olivia’s husband, and she says he’s not a fan of Robert’s either. He’s threatened by their friendship. Robert says, imagine that. How about if he’s less charming? Olivia laughs, and says, impossible. He says they’re only talking 10%, and she says she’d like to see him try it. He says, maybe nine and a half.

Jax tells Carly, Nina hasn’t been returning his phone calls, so he took a chance, and showed up at Franco’s memorial. Carly makes a face, and he says it was over by the time he got there, so he and Nina were able to talk. Valentin says, well done, Jax. Their little talk chased Nina out of Port Charles.

Phyllis and Nina sit, and Phyllis asks, what’s going on? Nina says Phyllis already knows how Jax knew about her daughter, but didn’t say anything. Phyllis says she remembers thinking, it might have been Jax’s misguided attempt at protecting Nina. Was Nina able to talk to him? Nina says, she tried, but things were more complicated than she realized. Jax didn’t lie about her daughter to protect her. He lied to protect his ex-wife.

Maxie asks if Britt is advocating she get back together with Peter, but Britt says, absolutely not. But she knows Peter, and it’s unrealistic to think he’ll just give up, and let Maxie and the baby go. She’s guessing Maxie asked for some space, and Maxie says she told him that she needed time to heal. Britt asks how he took it, and Maxie tells her that Peter said to take all the time she needs. Britt says, but… and Maxie says, but he still believes in them. Britt says that’s what she’s talking about. Peter has never had anyone like Maxie in his life. He doesn’t want to give her up, and like it or not, Maxie will always be tied to him because of their child. So how is she going to deal with that? Peter knocks at the door, and calls for Maxie. Britt says he must think she’s a fast healer, and he says he needs to see Maxie. It’s important.

Chase tells Michael, he already told Willow about the possibility that Finn was his father, and when the DNA test confirmed it, Willow was there. She convinced him to talk to Finn. Michael asks if that’s why Chase is there, to tell Willow how it went, and Chase says, yes. It was already incredibly awkward, then the Invader article broke.   

Ned says, the last plan Brook had involving Valentin resulted in the family losing control of ELQ. She asks why he’s throwing that in her face, and he suggests they go back to their corners, and start again. **Valentin swears he was only offering her a helping hand, and she appreciates it, but she’d appreciate it more if Ned would trust her. She’s got this.   

Olivia tells Robert that Maxie seemed clear about not wanting Peter in her life. Dante was helping her box up Peter’s stuff yesterday. He says that’s music to his ears, but why the hell didn’t Maxie do it sooner? At least everything came out before they were married. Olivia says, thank God, and Robert says, there’s still the issue of the baby. It’s Peter’s leverage, and don’t think he won’t use it. Maybe Olivia can convince him otherwise.

Sonny lies down. He dreams about seeing Carly in the shadows at the door to the Tan-O.  

Phyllis asks Nina if Jax was there when Nelle fell, and Nina says, no, but he was there soon after. Carly said she and Nelle had struggled, and Nelle ran off. It was dark, Nelle didn’t see the edge of the cliff, and fell off. She was hanging on for dear life, and Carly admitted she hesitated before she helped Nelle. Who does that, when every second counts? Carly claims she couldn’t have saved Nelle. Phyllis asks if Nina thinks Carly did it on purpose, and Nina says, Carly told her, after that moment, she did her best. Whether she did or didn’t, Nina doesn’t know, but Carly keeps lying. If she and Jax had alerted the authorities, and told the truth about how Nelle fell, she could have been buried with dignity. Nina starts to cry, and says, instead, her daughter’s body was exposed to the elements. Doesn’t Phyllis see? Jax is more concerned about Carly and any legal complications. And that’s the thing. Carly will always come first with Jax.

Valentin says Jax wouldn’t leave Nina alone, so she left. Jax asks where she went, but Valentin says if Nina wanted him to know, she’d have told him herself. Carly says, Valentin doesn’t know either. The only reason Nina even told him that she was leaving was because of Charlotte. Valentin says he’s surprised she and Jax are there, and not camped out at the police department. Jax asks what he means, and he says, Jason was arrested. 

Valentin goes over to Olivia and Robert, and says, sorry to interrupt, but he’d like a private word with Olivia. 

Jax says, Jason was arrested? Why didn’t Carly tell him? She says, there’s nothing he can do. It’s up to Diane to get the charges dropped. He asks, what happened? and she says, Jason was accused of killing Franco. Jax asks, did he? 

Peter tells Maxie, open the door; he needs to see her. Maxie gets up, and Britt grabs her arm, but Maxie shakes her off. She says she told Peter that she needed time, and he says he knows. She’s right, and he wants to give her that, but something’s come up and they need to talk. She says she’s not ready, and he says, they have to try. He knows they can make it through this. She always said with love anything is possible. Britt says he heard Maxie; stop harassing her. He tries the door, but it doesn’t open. He asks if Maxie changed the locks. Why did she do that? Britt says, it was clearly necessary, but he says he needed to see Maxie to make sure she was okay, and Dante that hadn’t threatened her. She asks if something happened, and he says, let him tell her. Britt suggests they call the cops, but Maxie says she’ll handle it. Peter says, please, and she opens the door. He says, thank God.   

Michael says, it must have been awkward seeing the article with Finn right there, and Chase says, it gets better. His mom showed up. He knows he should have compassion; what they did was wrong, but they didn’t deserve to see their mistake in a headline. Ned goes to the living room door, and asks if Brook is ready to talk. Chase says, Brook is back? and Michael tells him to go in and see her. Chase goes into the living room, and says he hopes Brook was planning on calling him to tell him that she’s back. She turns around, and he sees that she’s pregnant. She says he just saved her the trouble.

Phyllis says she’s hearing what Nina is saying about Jax and Carly, but Jax insisted on the cover-up in the first place. If he hadn’t, would she still be jealous of their relationship? Nina says she asks herself that all the time. She feels betrayed. She understands Jax’s instinct to protect the mother of his only child, but once again Carly gets what she wants. Carly is uncompromising, and if she perceives someone is a threat to her family, she just goes after them. Phyllis says, goodness, and Nina says, no kidding. Her daughter did damage to Carly and her family, and now Carly is treating her like a threat, and insisted she stay away from Wiley. Phyllis asks, what about Wiley’s parents? and Nina says, they’re great people. Left to their own devices, she doesn’t think there would be a problem. Carly is a different story. Thanks to Carly, she might not have a relationship with her grandson.   

Carly says, Jason did not kill Franco, and Jax says he’s sure Jason denies it. She says, the way it went down was too messy. Jason wouldn’t have been caught with the gun by an eyewitness. Jax says, Jason was arrested, and there was a weapon and an eyewitness. Carly says, either the eyewitness is seriously mistaken or lying. What makes it worse is Elizabeth is taking out her grief and loss on Jason. She’s convinced he’s guilty. Of all people, if Jason was going to kill Franco, he would have done it a long time ago. Shooting Franco in his studio is obvious and stupid, and Jason is neither. Jax doesn’t think that argument is going to stick with law enforcement, and she says, it has to. She can’t lose Jason too.

Valentin thanks Olivia for sending Robert on his way, and tells her that he saw Brook. He knows she’s pregnant with his child. She asks if he wants a cigar, and he says he wants Brook to be reasonable. He’s the baby’s father, and wants to be in the baby’s life. She asks how Brook feels about that, and he says Brook doesn’t want him involved, but she made it clear she wants nothing from him. Nevertheless, he’s offering. She says, offering or demanding? and he says, that depends on Olivia.

Michael tells Ned that Valentin stopped by, and Ned asks if he came by to see Brook. Michael says Valentin came by to see him, and Ned asks what he wanted. Michael says Valentin offered him control of Danny and Scout’s ELQ stock.  

Chase hugs Brook, and says, so she’s pregnant. She says, yes, and the baby needs a father.

Maxie asks, what happened? and Peter says Dante held him at gunpoint. She asks why Dante would do that, and he says Dante lured him to Nathan’s grave. He sent a text from Maxie, saying she wanted to meet him. Dante must have stolen her phone. Maxie says her phone is missing; she’s looked everywhere. Britt says, obviously Peter isn’t shot. How did he get away? He says, Sam was with him when he got the text, and showed up when Dante had a gun on him. She talked Dante down. Britt laughs, and says, Sam stopped Dante from shooting him? Peter says, thank God. He could have been killed. Maxie says she’s not understanding why Dante would do that, and he says, Dante snapped. He was talking about a mission, and Peter was afraid he’d show up there, and hurt Maxie or the baby. He had Maxie’s phone. Britt says, Peter had a phone. Did he call the police? He says he couldn’t, for Maxie’s sake, but he was terrified for her. That’s why he’s here. He thought Dante might harm her. Britt says, all that worry and concern, and he didn’t call the police? Peter says, clearly, Dante isn’t well, and he knows how much Dante means to Maxie. If Dante was arrested, Peter didn’t know what she’d think. He loves Maxie and the baby, and wants to keep them safe. Britt says, now that he sees Maxie is safe, he can go. He tells her, stay out of it. He’s not going anywhere. Robert walks in, and says, yes, he is. It’s time to pack it in, Henrik. Peter says, if he doesn’t? and Robert says he guesses he’ll have to convince Peter.

Valentin asks Olivia to explain to Brook that him being involved is in her best interest. Olivia says, is it? and he says, consider her personal experience with Sonny and Dante, and Julian and Leo. She tells him, don’t presume to judge her. He has no idea why she made the choices she did. He says he’s not judging her. He’s merely pointing out that even with her best efforts to exclude the fathers, they both had strong relationships with their sons. Now Sonny and Julian are gone, and he’s sure she wishes Dante and Leo had more time with them. Olivia says, Leo would have been better off not knowing who Julian was, and Valentin says he’s a better man than Julian. She says, really? How so?  

Chase says, the baby already has a father, but Brook says Chase has stepped up before when a child’s welfare was at stake, and she needs help. She looks at him and laughs. She says he should have seen his face. She almost gave him a heart attack. He says he was considering one before he broke out in a cold sweat. She says, they both know how far he’d go for a baby, and he says, not funny, but she says, everything worked out. He told Willow that he loves her, and they’re back together. He says, it hasn’t exactly been resolved, and she says, enlighten her. He says, when he told Willow how he still feels, he didn’t realize that Willow and Michael were so close.

Ned says Valentin offered Michael control of the stock? In exchange for what? Michael says, for promising Nina a part in Wiley’s life. Ned says, that’s right. She’s Wiley’s grandmother. When they get control of the shares, they’ll be in a majority position again. Michael tells him, stop scheming. He already said no.

Robert asks Peter for one good reason he shouldn’t throw Peter out, and Peter says, don’t press your luck, old man. Maxie says, enough. They both know that stressful situations aren’t good for the baby. She suggests Peter leave on his own, and Peter says, or Robert and Britt could leave. Robert says, don’t let the door smack you on the ass, and Peter says, okay; he’ll leave. He tells Maxie, they’ll talk soon, and goes. Robert suggests Maxie sit and relax. He wants her to understand that he’ll always be there for her, because they’re family. She says she knows, and he asks her to answer one question. How did the bastard get through the door in the first place?

Nina tells Phyllis that she didn’t mean any harm in telling Wiley about Nelle. She was being honest. All the books tell you to be truthful with a child. Phyllis says, it sounds like a miscommunication on Nina’s part. She understands Nina’s concern, but hadn’t Nina said Willow had been Wiley’s mommy as long as she could remember? Nina says Willow is Michael’s wife. She doesn’t want to disrupt their bond, but they’d intended on writing Nelle out of Wiley’s life, and it’s not healthy. In the end, it snowballed, and they wrote her out. Phyllis asks if Nina thinks Michael wanted that, and Nina says she supposes not. What bothers her is that Carly uses an error in judgement on her part to her own advantage. If anyone was hurt, it was Willow, and Nina deeply regrets the incident. But Carly made it about her, and used it to distance Nina from Wiley. She’s tired of Carly always winning. Phyllis says, she makes it sound like some kind of competition. Are they both keeping score, or only Nina? Be careful not to compare her inside to Carly’s outside. Nina asks what Phyllis means, and Phyllis asks if Nina thinks Carly is as strong and invulnerable as she seems. Nina says, Carly has lost a lot too. Her husband died around Christmas. It was sudden and  tragic, and he vanished without a trace.

Carly tells Jax, if Jason goes to trial and goes to prison, it’s not just wrong; it will kill her. She just lost Sonny. She can’t lose Jason too. He’s her best friend. Jax says, Diane is doing what she can to help, and whatever comes next, she’ll still have him and her entire family. She doesn’t have to pretend to be made of steel. He promises her that whatever comes next, he’ll help rebuild her life. They hug.

Sonny dreams of seeing Carly from behind in the woods. She’s about to turn around, when he wakes up. He sits up and says, who are you?

Brook tells Chase, what she’s hearing is, Willow and Michael aren’t so platonic. They actually got together? Michael said he was back with Sasha, and Chase was back with Willow. Chase says they’re finding their way, and she says, great. He says, it was, until The Invader article. She says she knew something was going on, and he says, her intuition will come in handy when her child is a teen. Brook says, that’s a little premature. It’s really complicated. He asks if she’s thinking about adoption.

Carly thanks Jax for his support and for not mentioning that Jason and Sonny chose the business and have to face the consequences. Jax says, Jason and Sonny have nothing to do with this. Carly is hurting, and he wants her to feel better. She thanks him, and says she’s done wallowing now. She suggests they talk about what happened with Jax and Nina at Franco’s memorial, and he says he thought she didn’t care about Nina. She says she doesn’t, but she cares about him. He says Nina told him as much, and she asks what Nina said. He tells her, very little. He didn’t even know she left town until Valentin told him, so… Carly says, that’s a good thing.   

Nina tells Phyllis, Carly loved Sonny a great deal. Losing him upended her life. Phyllis says, maybe they just need cool off time, and Nina says she thinks she’ll cool off better far away; outside Carly’s sphere of influence. Phyllis says, sometimes distance gives you a new perspective, and helps you see more clearly, and Nina says, sometimes you need a whole new pair of glasses. When she thinks of being shut out of Wiley’s life… Phyllis says, when Nina reached out, she was looking for a miracle. She didn’t get what she expected, her daughter is gone, but the miracle is still there in her grandson. She knows he’s safe, in a good home, and knows exactly where he is. It’s a blessing. Given time, Phyllis believes Nina will still be a part of his life. Nina says, that’s precisely why she took this exit. She still has no idea where she’s going. She booked a weekend in Serenity Springs (nice nod to One Life to Live), and she has this. She shows Phyllis a passport, and says she could go to Cabo or Lake Cuomo. Phyllis says, or maybe she could be with people who care about her, instead of being alone, It’s not glamorous or luxurious, but she’s welcome to stay there.

Maxie tells Robert, she wanted Peter to say his piece and leave on his own. She loves Robert, but he’s the DA, and can’t threaten people like that. He tells her, the guy is dangerous, and she shouldn’t let him in. Peter isn’t there for anything good. Maxie says, even if he does get in, they’re not getting back together, especially now that she knows who he is. Britt says, she’s glad that Maxie finally has wisdom, but still thinks they should have called the cops the second that Peter came there. Robert seconds that, but Maxie says, no cops.

Olivia tells Valentin to prove he’s a better man than Julian. It’s not that high of a bar. He says he’s a more consistent and committed parent. Charlotte knows he loves her, and she’s always a priority. Olivia says she’ll give him that. Despite his obvious shortcomings, Charlotte is a bright, lovely girl. He’s obviously a good father. He says, and he hopes to be for the sake of his and Brook’s child. Peter appears and says Valentin did this. Valentin tried to turn Maxie against him, and now she doesn’t know which way to turn. Olivia says, as long as Maxie turns away from him, and Peter tells her to focus on her own family, mainly Dante. She asks if he’s threatening Dante, and he says he’s not, but they had a run-in, and Dante is in bad shape. She asks what Peter did to Dante, and Peter says he wasn’t the one with the gun. Olivia calls Dante, leaving a message to call her back. She asks Peter where Dante is, and Peter says when he left, Dante was with Sam. If she had any sense, she took Dante to the hospital. Olivia jets, and Valentin says, terrorizing Olivia. Faison couldn’t have done better himself.

Ned says, Valentin offered them control of the company again, and Michael sent him packing without consulting him? Michael says he didn’t need to. His son is not for sale. What kind of person would use a child as leverage. Ned says he can think of someone.   

Chase tells Brook that she knows she can talk to him about anything. They’re still friends. Adoption is a big decision and responsibility, especially if she’s not a mom just yet. Ned comes in, and says, he’s sorry to interrupt, but they need to talk. It can’t wait. Chase says he’ll see Brook soon, and leaves. Ned tells Brook that he knows what she’s doing. She’s going to use the child to get Valentin to give them back ELQ.

Maxie tells Britt, the cops are not needed. She and Peter are finished, and there’s nothing he can say that will change her mind. Britt says, he lashes out when he’s threatened, and Maxie says that’s why she’s giving him just enough hope to think he can win her back. Robert says, be really careful in creating false hope. It’s dangerous stuff. She says she knows. That’s why she has to come up with a move of her own.   

Peter says he’s tired of Valentin throwing his father in his face, and Valentin says, then stop acting like him. Peter says, Valentin delivered him to his father, but Valentin tells Peter to take responsibility for what he’s become. He doesn’t deserve a baby in his life. Peter says they’ll see about that.  

Jax tells Carly that he doesn’t see it as a good thing, especially for him. Carly says, Nina left to get away from him, and he says he’s still lost here. She says Nina took off to escape her feelings for him. Any emotions, negative or positive, mean he’s still affecting Nina. It also means that he still has a chance. He says, that’s just wonderful, but he has no idea where Nina is. Carly says, find her. Go after her.

Phyllis tells Nina that she and Lenny have a guest room with a lovely view of the woods and its own bathroom. She hopes Nina doesn’t mind the sound of birds. They present a chorus in the morning. Nina says, it sounds wonderful, but she wouldn’t dream of putting them out. Phyllis says, if it was inconvenient, she wouldn’t be offering, and Nina says she appreciates it, but she’s already asked way too much of Phyllis in the past few months. She should get going. She thanks Phyllis for listening and talking to her. It’s exactly what she needed. Phyllis says, it goes both ways, and they hug. She tells Nina, don’t be a stranger, and Nina promises she won’t. She thanks Phyllis again and leaves.

Sonny comes down, and asks who was there. Phyllis says, an old patient stopped by to say hello, and Sonny says, they forgot something, picking up Nina’s passport from the table. Phyllis says, she’s going to need it; she’s planning to travel. He says he’ll catch her, and Phyllis thanks him. As he’s about to go out the door, Nina is coming back in, and they stand face to face. Nina looks shocked.

Next time, Curtis says he has Portia to thank, Finn says his private life just became public, Valentin tells Cyrus that the last thing he wants is a way out, and Sonny says he knows Nina.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

The guests were shown the door dock while Captain Glenn waited for the test results. Gary tells Glenn, it was an interesting charter, and Glenn says, it’s interesting times. He wonders what if the guests have covid, and Gary says he thinks everyone will get it. In Daisy’s interview, she says, if this ends the season, they’re screwed. Who knows when they can pick up another boat? Everything is an unknown, and it’s pretty scary.

Glenn’s phone rings, and it’s Dr. Laura with the news that the first round of tests are negative for all four guests, but Andy is still symptomatic. She recommends no one come back. Glenn calls for everyone to come to the crew mess, and tells the crew that he just heard from the doctor. The good news is, the tests are negative. However, the guests aren’t going to make it back in time to finish the charter. He tells the stews to pack up the cabins, and get the guests’ stuff off the boat. They’ll get to work turning the boat over for the next charter in a couple of days.

Daisy tells Alli and Dani to just throw the stuff in the suitcases, since they’re not getting a tip anyway. Then she’s calling it a night. Sydney tries to engage Gary in conversation, but he’s not receptive. In his interview, he says, it was a mistake sleeping with Sydney because he has to work with her for the rest of the season. She’s a good chick, but he doesn’t like her that way. The captain gets a message that the guests sent a wire. He radios the crew to the saloon for – believe it or not – a tip meeting. He tells them, obviously he feels badly about the second charter, but at least the guests are safe. They handled it well, since the guests were demanding for four people, but they still kept up. Because they took such good care of the guests, they got $5000 (or $550 each) for the one day. It’s shown him again that they’re an amazing team. He tells them, it’s okay to have a couple of drinks, but don’t go crazy.

Gary tells Alli to have a beer with him, and they can get to know each other. In Alli’s interview, she says Gary is fun, but he and Sydney have got their thing, so this is going nowhere. It’s just for fun. The crew begins to drink, and Colin asks Jean Luc what his longest relationship has been. Jean Luc says, three weeks, and we all go, what? Gary joins them, and Colin tells him what Jean Luc said. Jean Luc says he’s not in a rush, especially working in this industry. Look at the girls on board. Colin asks who Jean Luc thinks is the hottest, but he can’t answer. He says they’ve all got something different. In Jean Luc’s interview, he says he’s never been in a full-on relationship. He moves too much, and enjoys talking to a bunch of different women. Why have one when you can have them all?  Ugh.

Sydney asks Natasha if everyone thinks she and Gary slept together, but Natasha says everyone thinks they just kissed. Gary says he’s calling his mom for advice. In Gary’s interview, he says his mom brought him up, and had to be both parents. She did the best she could, and they’re close. They chat a lot. Some might say, too much. He calls his mom, and tells her that he needs some advice. He kissed his deckhand. She tells him not to play with people’s emotions, and tell them straight-up where he’s at. He says, the girls are coming out, so he has to say goodbye. Natasha sits down, and says, hi to Gary’s mom, and she asks if Natasha is the one he kissed. They all laugh, and Natasha is like, God, no. Everyone clinks glasses, and Daisy says, chuckers instead of cheers, like they do in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.   

Alli tells Gary that she has two sisters; her poor dad. There’s a bunch of nothing banter between Gary and Alli, with Sydney looking pained. Gary says he’s way more fun when he’s drunk, and Alli tells him, most of her best friends are males. While Gary is off talking to the guys, Sydney tells Alli that it’s been weird, and Gary is being standoffish. Alli asks if Sydney likes him, and Sydney says she does, but it’s nothing serious. Alli says she can’t help it if he flirts with her, and asks if Sydney will get upset if he does. Sydney says, not with Alli, and she’s also flirty. Alli says, it’s just for fun. The girls put on bathing suits, and Gary says he thinks he’ll hook up with Alli tonight. I love how he just assumes she wants to. Colin says he can’t believe Gary shagged Sydney the first night, and in his interview, he says he tried to advise Gary not to do it. He’s definitely putting himself in an interesting situation. Glenn is in bed already, and it’s crew gone wild. Colin says he feels bad for the girls. He’s out of it, and Jean Luc is too drunk. Daisy says, and Gary will f*** anything that moves. Sydney dares Gary to crunk, and the crew chants, go Gary – shake your penis. Gary shakes whatever, and Jean Luc says, truth or dare. He dares Alli to kiss Sydney, and she does. Gary tells Colin, it makes your d*ck go bam. Alli says, truth or dare? and asks if Jean Luc fancies Gary. Colin dares Jean Luc to kiss Dani, and in Dani’s interview, she wonders what her life has come to. She’s 32, and playing a high school game with twenty-year-olds. Alli and Jean Luc kiss, but Alli holds something up, so I don’t know if it’s fake or not. Natasha says she’s exhausted, Daisy make drinks, and Alli sits in Gary’s lap. Alli says she wants to go to bed, and Gary says, one last drink. In Sydney’s interview, she says she’s confused, but do whatever you want, bro. She joins Gary and Alli, and Alli splits with her drink. Sydney asks if Gary is okay, and everyone starts going to bed.

Jean Luc tries to be stealthy getting into the bunk above Glenn. Gary tells Sydney that he’s sorry he’s not that nice guy she wants. She says she knows, and she’s sorry she likes him They go their separate ways, and Gary tells Colin that whenever he does something, Sydney is there. Proving his point, she pops into his room, and he says, WTF? She gets into his bunk, and Colin asks if this is the sex cabin. Gary gets in next to her, but says they’re not doing anything. She says, it’s up to him.

Sydney sneaks back to her cabin before dawn, and goes to bed. At 8:30, everyone is starting to get up. Gary tells Colin about what happened, and Colin says Gary made his bed; now he’s got to sleep in it. Gary says he prefers it unmade. He tells Sydney that they need to have a chat about what happened. He put himself in the situation – they both did – and now they have to deal with it. She says she likes him as a person, and he says she’s super cool, but he doesn’t know if this can carry on. She says, it’s unfortunate, and he asks if they can be friends. She says, of course; she’s not going to destroy his life. He says she wouldn’t be able to, and she asks if that’s a challenge. In her interview, she says, if he’s going to like her, he’ll like her, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t; that’s fine. She makes a pouty face. Gary puts his arm around her. I’m surprised he didn’t do the hug/pat thing.

Glenn asks Gary, Daisy, and Natasha to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. He asks if they’re ready for another one, and says the primary is Barrie. He and his ex-husband Tony have been in the limelight for being the UK’s first same sex couple to use a surrogate to have children. They’re divorced, but still the best of friends. They live together with their five children, and their respective boyfriends, who will all be joining them. Daisy, says, sorry, what? Glenn says, it’s nine people, and Daisy wonders where they’ll be sleeping. Glenn reads that Barrie wants to spend time with the chef to discuss the meals, and Daisy says, they want a drag themed night full of fun and dancing, and when everyone’s gone to bed, Barrie would like to propose to boyfriend Scott on the bow in a private moment with champagne. Gary says he’ll keep the kids in the water as much as possible.

Glenn tries to figure out where the guests will be sleeping. Jean Luc says the interior has their work cut out for them. Alli’s dad sends her a message to call right away; it’s about Pa. She calls, and he says Pa passed away. She starts to cry, and says she’s so sorry. He tells her, it’s okay. Pa wanted to go, and he went quickly. She says she wishes she was there to give her dad a hug, and in her interview, she says, Pa was her last grandparent. He was a hard man, but when he developed dementia, it softened him. It’s been hard on her dad, since the relationship he had with Pa growing up is different that the relationship he’s having at the end. It was beautiful to be able to witness, but hearing the grief her father feels, makes her want to give him a hug, and protect and love him. Her heart breaks because she can’t be there. She can’t just run home, but she wants to. It’s the hard part of yachting. She sits and cries.

She tells Dani what happened, and Dani asks if there’s anything she can do. Alli says, it sucks that she can’t be there for him, and Dani says let them know if she needs anything. Daisy tells Alli that it’s going to take a day or two for it to settle in, to not be emotional. She asks if Alli wants some chocolate (which I think is a very sisterly thing to offer), but Alli says the only time she says no to treats is when she’s sad. Sydney asks why Gary is quiet, and in Gary’s interview, he says he thinks Sydney is the kind of girl who won’t take a hint. He friend-zoned her, but it’s not good enough. He wonders if he’ll have to get a tattoo that says I’m not into you. Daisy asks how Alli’s family is, and she says her dad is handling it better than she thought he would. It’s a difficult time to grieve. The last few weeks weren’t happy for Pa, so there’s also a level of release. In her interview, Alli says, what would make Pa most proud would be for her to push through.

Daisy meets with the stews, and says, if it was only six guests, it would be fine, but they’re going to have nine. Natasha makes chocolate-covered strawberries. The provisions come in, and Glenn tells the crew to change into their polos and meet on the aft deck. The guests arrive, and are all wearing suits, with the exception of the one daughter. In Dani’s interview, she says, they must be hot. If they’re this high maintenance with their clothes, imagine how they’re going to be onboard. Glenn says he’s going to pass them to Daisy, she’ll take them on a tour, then they’ll be on their way. Daisy shows them the boat, and a large platter of men’s shoes arrives. I’m not kidding. I have no clue what that’s about. I can understand not wanting to pack them with you clothing, but why an uncovered dish? It’s a mystery.

Natalie meets with Barrie, ex-husband Tony, and the boys. She suggests service be family style, but Barrie says, no buffet. It’s too much work for Tony. He asks who serves the meals, and when she tells him that the stews do it, he says, Daddy Long Legs would be lovely, referring to Jean Luc. She says she’ll put in a word, and tells Daisy, they’re going to be a lot. She says they want Jean Luc to help with service, and in her interview, she says, she’s going to be serving four grown men and four growing boys. She’s f***ed. She tells Daisy, it’s going to be complicated.

Both anchors are home, and Glenn asks Sydney to steer, while he checks out the sail. The engine is turned off, and the boat is at 15 degrees. Guest Brent wonders if he’s unbalanced, and is it the boat or the alcohol? Natasha says she doesn’t have a sailor’s blood, and in her interview, she says, it’s dangerous to cut and cook while sailing, but she has to do a plated service for nine in a short amount of time. Daisy tells Jean Luc that the guests requested him for service, and to do it for the tip. In Daisy’s interview, she says they have nine guests drinking pina coladas and daiquiris from crystal glasses that need to be hand washed and polished. You wouldn’t think washing dishes could weigh a department down, but it does. She asks Gary if she can get some help, and Glenn tells her that someone will come, since Gary can’t be bothered to respond.  

Daisy checks on the dinner orders, and Natasha says, they’re very picky. Daisy gives her the list, and in Natasha’s interview, she says, they want filet at four or five different temperatures, four different kinds of mashed potatoes, and fries. She’s not a Hindu god with eight arms who can do a million things at once. This is ridiculous. Gary suggests Daisy google Barrie, and she reads about a married man falling in love with his daughter’s boyfriend, who’s half his age. She says, it’s what broke up Barrie’s marriage, his daughter’s boyfriend. My dad is my ex-boyfriend. Barrie says his expectations of this dinner are so high, and Daisy calls Jean Luc to help serve. She brings up a bowl muscles and says there are more coming. Barrie says, he’s glad, because the bowl should be his portion alone; he’s not kidding. Barrie says the chef must not have noticed his size.   

Gary and Colin laugh at Jean Luc. Daisy sees them sitting around in the crew mess, and Dani agrees that they should be more helpful. Barrie asks where Jean Luc is hiding during the day, and Jean Luc says he’s working on deck. Jean Luc tells Daisy that he’s proud about his first service. Natasha looks at the list of orders, Barrie bitches that the food is slow to come out, and Brent wonders why alcohol makes you so hungry. Barrie tells Dani, for the future, they can’t eat like this. The food has to come out all together, so they can eat at the same time. Dani tells Daisy, and in Daisy’s interview, she says she thinks there’s a lot going on, and Natasha can’t keep up. It’s embarrassing. Tony says his only criticism apart from the time is, it’s cold. I don’t think it should be embarrassing, since Natasha is one person. If it was a restaurant, or bigger boat, she’d at least have a sous chef.

Next time, Barrie sends food back, and says they should have brought their own chef; Natalie says, Daisy is a bitch; Alli loves the relationship she and Gary have; and when they tender dies, the guests are stuck at the beach. Barrie says he’s literally wasting away, but I say that’s highly unlikely.

😮 Oh It Gets Better…

All about the charter guests who are living an Invader story.

‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’: Who Are Charter Guests Barrie and Tony Drewitt-Barlow?

🐥 Gonna Fly Now…

Tomorrow, prepare to be Overserved. Until then, stay safe, stay having integrity, and stay not getting involved with your deckhand when you have to work together for the rest of the season.