Category Archives: Lisa Vanderpump

Mar16

March 15, 2024 – Heather Gets Surprising News, Clarification, Next, Which Ones, Fallout, Awful Summer, Upcoming Dead, Latest In Pets (!), A Half Dozen Plus One Quotes & Feeling

Posted on March 16, 2024 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone at the hospital, Portia says she’s trying to locate a Dr. Paul Braddock… Yes, this is concerning one of his previous patients… Okay, she’ll hold. Stella, Marshall, and Curtis wait, and Nurse Sarah asks if Portia didn’t want these test results right away. Stella says she can take over and Portia hands her the phone. She leaves with the nurse, and Stella says, yes, she’s here… Yes, she understands Dr. Braddock has retired, but he was part of the Med Psyche Evaluation Faculty. Shouldn’t they be able to reach him?… She thanks them for looking into it. They can call her back at this number. Curtis says he guesses he was being a little overconfident, thinking they could drive down to Maryland and get answers. This Dr. Braddock is hard to find. Stella says, they’ll track him down eventually, and find out why he misdiagnosed Marshall with schizophrenia. Now go on. Marshall asks if she’s trying to get rid of them, and she asks Curtis, does he or does he not have physical therapy? Curtis says he does, and she says, then get to moving. Marshall says, best not to argue with the lady, and Curtis says, bye, Aunt Stella, as Marshall wheels him away.

Gregory thanks Finn, and Finn says, that’s the third time he’s said that. Gregory says, Finn has better things to do than proofread his copy, but Finn says he’s happy to. Gregory says, unfortunately, his keyboard game isn’t what it used to be, and Finn says he can tell. What’s that supposed to be? Gregory reads, went about his way, and Finn says, that makes a lot more sense. He can actually type this for Gregory. It will take him two minutes. Gregory says, it will actually take much longer than that, and Finn is a busy man. His son, the doctor. Finn says, no… when Portia knocks at the door, and Finn asks what he can do for her. She says she just got the radiology report from Heather Webber’s MRI, and Gregory says, that’s his cue to make his exit. It’s good to see Portia. He leaves, and Finn says he takes it there’s something interesting in the report, and Portia tells him, you could say that.

Nina goes into Alexis’s office and says, unbelievable. Alexis says, thank you… Oh, she didn’t mean that as a compliment. Nina says, far from it. That follow-up piece she put in today’s paper about the incident at the docks? Alexis says, what about it? and Nina says, it was an outrage, that’s what about it. Alexis tells her, like Nina said, she ran the piece; she didn’t write it. Nina says, so? and Alexis says, so that’s how it works in local news. Nina says she’s seen how it works, but it was a smear job on Sonny. Sonny knows she’s publishing this newspaper and the last thing she wants is to antagonize him. Alexis says, then quit. Better yet, why doesn’t Nina run the paper, and stop antagonizing her?

At the hospital, Diane looks at her phone as she walks down the hallway with Robert. She gasps and says she’s going to break her kneecaps. He asks, whose kneecaps? and she asks if she said that out loud. He says, she did, when Portia and Finn come out of the elevator. Portia says, DA Scorpio. Just the man she wanted to see.

Standing next to Laura, Doc asks if Heather can state her full name for him, and she says, Heather Grant Moore Taylor… No. Baker, then Taylor. He says, that wasn’t a fair question. How about, what is today’s date? She says, March… something. The days are just blending together. He asks, who’s their president? and she says, the guy with the aviators. She can’t focus. Doesn’t Laura understand? It’s too painful to look at him. All she can see is his brother.

In the hallway, Doc says he wishes he could report Heather is in her right mind, but… Robert says, sane or not sane, he doesn’t really give a damn. She’s being transferred today. Portia says she’d be glad to see the last of Heather Webber, believe her, but unfortunately, she’s not going anywhere.

At Dex’s apartment, he asks if Josslyn can hand him another box, but she says, no. He says, please? and she says, no. She’s not going to help him do the very thing she doesn’t want him to do and that doesn’t have to happen. He says, they’ve been over this, and she says, it still makes no sense. He loves it in Port Charles. He says he does, and she says, and he loves her. He says, even more, and she asks, then how can he leave? He says he’d ask her to come with him, but he knows she needs to stay close to her family, and she says she needs her family, and they need her, but she needs him too. They kiss, and he picks her up, carrying her to the bedroom where they get busy.

Alexis says she has a suggestion for Nina. Why doesn’t she run The Invader the way she sees fit, and leave her out of it? But she can’t, can she? Because she doesn’t know how to edit a newspaper. Nina says, nor does she have any desire to, and Alexis says, then let her do her job. Gregory walks in and says, here you go. Sorry, he didn’t realize she had… Nina snatches the papers out of his hand and asks what Alexis has him writing. Alexis says, Nina… and Nina says, call it quality control. She doesn’t want tomorrow’s paper resembling today’s. Alexis says, that is psychotic, let alone obsessive, and Gregory says, it’s an article on the police department outreach to kids ages 8 to 14. Alexis says, scandalous, and Gregory says, they do field trips, athletics, arts and crafts. His son Chase is one of the volunteer officers. Nina says, it’s highly unprofessional. Look at this, with all of the red marks, the cross outs, the typos. And why didn’t he electronically submit this? Alexis takes it out of her hand and says, if she wants the edition out by tomorrow, Nina needs to get out of her office right now. Out! Nina leaves, saying, whatever, and Alexis slams the door.

Portia says, these are Heather’s MRI images, showing Doc her tablet, and Robert asks, what exactly are they looking at here? Portia says, this is the reason she isn’t being discharged today, not in this condition, and Diane says she loves a good guessing game, but she has the feeling she’s not needed here, so good luck. Robert says he thinks he’s going to need it, and Diane leaves. Dr. Enoch joins them, and Portia thanks him for making the time. Laura asks if somebody can please tell them what’s going on, and Portia tells Dr. Enoch that he can actually speak in front of Mayor Collins. She holds Heather Webber’s health care proxy. Laura says she does? and Portia tells her, that’s what the paperwork says. Laura says, dear God. She supposes she might be the nearest thing Heather has left to family. Doc says, scary thought, and Robert asks if they can get back to the matter at hand. Dr. Enoch says, see these orbs of brightness? They suggest metallosis, specifically, cobalt poisoning. Laura asks how you get that, and the doctor says, fractured or slowly deteriorating hip replacement hardware. Doc says, so Heather’s hip replacement is poisoning her? and Dr. Enoch says, to confirm, they’ll need a blood test, tox screen, and a panel for heavy metals. Finn says, already ordered, and Dr. Enoch tells Doc, that’s the working theory, yes. It’s sometimes accompanied by a spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Have they noticed any changes, however subtle, in Heather’s behavior in recent years?

Curtis lifts his foot, and Don says, good. As he gets stronger, he can increase the use of weights. It’s going to help his quads and hamstrings. Marshall says, and they’re all for that, aren’t they? and Curtis says, how many reps? Don says, as many as he can tolerate. As long as his pain level doesn’t go above a three. Curtis says he knows Don has other patients. Does he mind if Curtis stays at it a minute? Don asks if Marshall will keep an eye on Curtis, and Marshall says, absolutely. Don says, let’s go for it, and leaves. Curtis thanks Marshall for staying and Marshall says he loves it, watching Curtis work so hard, He’s proud of Curtis. Curtis says he’s proud of Marshall. Confronting Dr. Braddock when he knows Marhsall had reservations. Marshall says, oh, that, and Curtis asks if he’s thought about what he’s going to say to him when they’re finally face to face. Marshall says, if it’s the same psychiatrist he remembers, it won’t be anything nice.

On the phone, Finn asks if there’s anything on those orders Dr. Robinson put through… Great. Thanks. He tells Portia that Heather’s test results should be in, and Portia says she’ll look them up. Here we go. She shows Dr. Enoch, who says his preliminary diagnosis is confirmed. Doc asks, what now? and Dr. Enoch says, the hip that’s failing needs to be replaced immediately. Robert asks if the federal pen of the women’s division can’t do it, and Laura says, Robert… He says, she’s a homicidal maniac, and Laura says, yes, but now they’re learning there may be a medical reason for that. He says, she’s always been a bit loony, and Laura says, loony, yes. She used to do crazy things. Like once she tried to give somebody LSD, and she ended up drinking it herself, but she’s not a murderer. She’s definitely not a serial killer. That’s just… Doc says, new, and Portia says she’s not a fan of Heather Webber, but this is about human suffering. She checked with Dr. Randolph, who agrees with her. If they fail to treat Heather Webber, they can be opening themselves up to an investigation for possible liability. Laura tells Robert that they’ve got to let this go, especially if it poses a risk to the hospital. Robert tells her, right, and walks away as he says, to think he missed breakfast in bed because of this.

The reception phone rings, and Stella answers, Dr. Robinson here… Can they say that again?… She thanks them for getting back to her, and watches as Doc goes up the stairs to his office.

Basking in the afterglow, Josslyn says she’s glad they’re still good at that, and Dex asks if she thought they wouldn’t be. She says, no. It’s nice to know, that’s all. They kiss, and he says he wishes they could stay in bed all day. She asks why they can’t, and he says he has to pack, and gets out of bed. She says, he’s still leaving? and he says he has to. She tells him to stop saying that. He doesn’t have to. He’s making a choice to do this. He says, it doesn’t feel like a choice to him. He realized he didn’t know Sonny as well as he thought he did. Maybe that’s how she feels about Jason now that he’s suspected of shooting Dante. She says, Jason did not shoot Dante, okay? That she knows. What he did do was wrap that bandage around him and call 911. You know how she knows that? The two of them are very similar. They’re both good, decent human beings. Just like how she doesn’t understand how he and Jason are so loyal to someone like Sonny. He says he was loyal to Sonny. He’s also afraid of him. Maybe not him so much, but who he’s becoming because of him. Maybe she should be too.

Alexis says she’s so sorry about Nina, but Gregory says, she doesn’t know. Alexis says she doesn’t care what Nina knows or doesn’t know. She had no right to talk to him that way. It was callous and it was rude. He says, maybe, but as her publisher, Nina is allowed to set standards. And after today, it’s become clear to him that he can no longer meet them. She says she disagrees, but he says, pretending otherwise does him no favors. Please allow him his dignity. He takes the papers out of her hand and says, this will be his last article for The Invader. He heads for the door, and she asks where he’s going with that. He says he’s going to make the corrections that Nina wanted, and then he’ll submit his final copy electronically like all her other writers do. She thanks him, he says, the pleasure’s been his, and he leaves.

As Curtis lifts the weights with his legs, he says he knows how Marshall feels about Dr. Braddock now, but what were his impressions of him at the beginning? Marshall says, Dr. Braddock was kind, at first. He was compassionate and understanding. When Marshall told him that he felt like everything was against him, and he meant that… Curtis says, money, work, and Marshall says, family obligations. He was sympathetic, and assured Marshall that it wasn’t his fault. Curtis says, a chemical imbalance, and Marshall says, the way he put it was, there was a part of his brain that was fighting itself. That was an explanation that gave him relief. It was an explanation as to why everything was going to hell. But he didn’t have insurance, so when the doctor prescribed him pills that he couldn’t afford, he was out there cobbling that money together. Don’t ask him how he did it. Curtis says he won’t, and Marshall says, anything to help him better take care of Curtis, his mother, and his brother, but those pills made him rigid. He couldn’t play. He could barely feel his fingers. His mouth was so dry, the reed just stuck to it. Curtis asks if he told the doctor, and Marshall says, that’s when the doctor offered him those shock treatments at the bargain price of $800 a pop. Curtis says, get out of here, and Marshall says he ain’t kiddin’. Curtis says, so what did he do? and Marshall says he blew up on him. He vented his anger, and he vented his frustration. Curtis asks, how did Dr. Braddock take it? and Marshall says, not well.

Heather says, metallosis? That sounds like something you get when your tongue freezes to the flagpole. (Ha-ha-ha! It does.) Portia says, Dr. Enoch believes the condition is what’s causing Heather’s symptoms, and Heather says, her symptoms? Laura says, both physical and mental, and Heather asks Dr. Enoch if he’s saying this poison is making her think things and do things she normally wouldn’t. Dr. Enoch says, it’s a very real possibility that metallosis has altered her perception and behavior, and Heather says, no doctor has told her anything ever except that she’s crazy. Dr. Enoch asks, how long has the pain in her hip been acute? and Heather says she’s not sure, but it feels like an eternity. He says, they would surgically remove the defective apparatus and replace it with a current model, and she says, he means like, buying a new car, and you just junk the old ship and replace it with this year’s model? He says, as with many surgeries, there are significant risks. A standard hip replacement takes approximately two hours. Hers may be double that. She’ll be under anesthesia and carefully monitored. However, in rare cases, patients experience complications from anesthesia. Heather says, complications meaning you never wake up? and he says, in rare cases. But before they do the surgery, they’re going to start her on cobalt chelation… Heather asks if she could just have a minute, indicating with Laura, and the doctor steps aside. She tells Laura that she doesn’t understand what he’s saying. She hears the words, but all that medicalese just sounds like white noise. Does Laura know what he’s talking about? Laura says she thinks she does, and Heather asks if Laura can just figure out for her, please? Laura is her guardian now. Laura says she’s not Heather’s guardian. It’s just in case she can’t make decisions for herself. She’s just in charge of Heather’s medical care. Heather says, as Laura can see, she’s having a hard time with that, and Portia says, she’s having a hard time with what exactly? Heather says, with making decisions. There should be a will. It’s in her file she thinks. Portia says, yes, she’s seen it, and Heather says, short and sweet. Portia says, she leaves her entire estate to her grandson Ace, and Heather says, not that she has anything to leave, but she doesn’t want to leave him. So what does Laura think? Should she have them take out her whole hip and put in a new one? Laura says, it’s a personal choice, and Heather says, please, help her decide. Laura says she thinks Heather should do it, and Heather exhales.

Finn says, Gregory’s back, and Gregory says he changed his mind. Finn says, about? and Gregory asks if he’d mind retyping this, after work. Finns says he doesn’t mind typing it right now, and Gregory asks if he’s sure. Finn says, positive, and Gregory thanks him and sits down. Finn asks, what was the verdict? Is Alexis a fan? Gregory says, Alexis usually likes what he writes, but he’s decided this will be his last article. Finn asks, how come? and Gregory says, the newspaper gig just isn’t for him. Finn says, it will certainly free up some more time. So he can finish up that Chaucer book he’s been working on. Or he always said he wanted to write a novel. Gregory looks at his shaky hand and says, it’s on his list. Finn says, start scratching a few things off, will he? There’s no time like the present, so they say. Gregory says, the present is all we’ve got.

Diane blows into Alexis’s office, tossing her bag on a chair, and marching up to Alexis’s desk. Alexis asks, what’s her problem? and Diane unfolds the paper and reads, Port Charles own redheaded mob lawyer shacking up with the District Attorney. She tosses the paper onto Alexis’s desk, and Alexis says she never said that. Diane says, her paper sure did.

Stella goes to Doc’s office and says she hopes she’s not interrupting. He says, nothing too important. What can he do for her? She says she was hoping to pick his brain, and he says, pick away. She asks if he ever encountered a psychiatrist by the name of Paul Braddock. He practiced out of Baltimore, but from what she gathers, he was fairly well known. Doc tells her, you could say that.

Alexis says she had nothing to do with that, and Diane asks, is The Invader not her publication? Alexis says, Diane seems to have forgotten she has a new publisher, who has shoved a gossip columnist right down her throat. She hasn’t seen anything about that. Diane says, she might want to start reading it. She assumes Alexis is going to print a retraction tomorrow. Alexis asks what Diane wants her to say, that she’s not a natural redhead? and Diane fake laughs. Alexis says she has something Diane might be happier about, and Diane says, thrill me. Alexis says, Nina has forbidden them to mention Sonny at all. Nada. Zip. Not a word. So Diane’s number one client is officially off limits. Diane asks if the woman has a single redeeming quality, and Alexis says, Diane tells her that like she’s going to follow Nina’s orders, and Diane says, a lawyer can dream, can’t she? Alexis says, she means a redheaded mob lawyer, and Diane fake laughs again.

Josslyn says, what if she told Dex that she’s coming with him? and he says he’d tell her that she was lying to him, but mostly to herself. her family is way too important to her. And that’s a good thing. He wishes he felt that way about his. She says, he’s important to her, but he says, that’s different. She says, yes. She loves her family, but she’s in love with him. He says he loves her too, so much. He’s never said that to anyone before. That’s why he wants what’s best for her and that can’t be him. She asks if it’s Sonny he’s worried about. If it’s that, she might be able to protect him. She’ll talk to her mom; her mom can talk to him. She knows they’re not together, and she knows they’ve been through it, but she has the feeling Sonny will still listen to her. He says, what if it’s already too late? when there’s a knock at the door. Josslyn says, what if what’s too late? and there’s another knock. She says she’ll get it and opens the door to Nina. She asks if Nina is looking for more backs to stab. Sorry. She’s fresh out.

Marshall says, it was nice watching Curtis work so hard, putting all this work into his recovery, and Curtis says, don’t do that. His recovery is quantifiable. If he does his exercises, he’ll be back on his feet sooner, but that wasn’t the same for Marshall. Marshall says, their situations are different. Does he know what that difference is? Marshall ran and gave up. Curtis didn’t. Stella comes in and says, working hard or hardly working? and Marshall says, she knows her nephew can’t stop, won’t stop. Curtis asks if she located Dr. Braddock, and she sighs. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says she’s got good news and bad news. Which do they want first? Marshall says, bad, and she says, Dr. Braddock died just before Christmas. Marshall says, they won’t find him mourning the man, and Curtis says, no one would expect him to. Marshall says he knew all this searching stuff would lead to nothing, and Curtis says, Stella told them that she had good news too. She says, the answers they’ve been searching for aren’t hiding in Baltimore. They’re right upstairs in this hospital.

Laura shows Heather, pictures of Ace on her phone, and Heather says, look how big he’s getting. Laura says, baby today, Mayor of Port Charles tomorrow, and Heather asks if Laura thinks he’ll follow in her footsteps. Laura says she doesn’t know what he’ll grow up to be, and Heather says, better Laura’s path than hers. That is for sure. All this went so wrong. When? How? Besides this metallosis stuff, what happened to her? Laura says she doesn’t know. If it makes Heather feel any better, she feels like she’s lived a few different lives, and sometimes she can’t always connect the dots between them. Heather says, that’s exactly it. It’s so random, so disjointed. Sometimes she feels like she’s in freefall, and the only thing worse than the fall itself is the ground rushing up to meet her. Laura asks if Heather knows the upside to having gotten it all wrong, and Heather says she didn’t know there was an upside. Laura says, there’s still time for her to get it right. (Do I smell a contract in Heather’s future?)

Nina asks if Dex is here, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She asks Dex if he’s here, and he comes to the door. Talking at lightning speed, Nina asks if he can relay a message to Sonny. She had no idea The Invader was going to run that story about him today. She’s only been running that newspaper for a very short time, and they don’t run anything by her. Josslyn says she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Sonny read a newspaper, and Dex says, he has not. But Sonny’s very well informed. He just gets his news through other means. Josslyn says, okay, great. So Nina’s in the clear. Okay. Bye. Nina puts her hand on the door and says, hold on. Is Dex going somewhere? Is Sonny going somewhere? Is Dex accompanying him as his guard? Josslyn says, first of all, that’s none of Nina’s business, and second of all, Dex is through with Sonny. Kind of like how Sonny’s through with Nina. Nina says, she is her mother’s daughter, and Josslyn says, and proud of it. Nina says she sees what’s happening here. Dex broke up with Sonny. And that can only mean Josslyn is next.

Alexis says she hates complaining, and Diane says, and yet… Alexis says, the newspaper business is… How does she phrase this? Diane says, miserable? and Alexis says, yes. In general, nobody reads anymore. They scroll. Specifically, it’s this place. It’s this publisher. She’s dishing gossip to make Nina Reeves happy. Who is she? What has she become? Diane says, that’s a rhetorical question? and Alexis says she’d take up the law again for free if it meant giving up this nasty job. Diane says, really? In that case, she has a proposal for Alexis. One that will get her out of this place and away from Nina Reeves for good.

Looking over Finn’s shoulder, Gregory says, the semi-colon should be a period. There are no semi-colons in newspapers. Finn says, noted, and makes the change. Handing Finn a paper, Gregory says, here’s the web address for The Invader worksite. He can post it there. Finn says, this is the password? and Gregory says, yeah. Finn says, all right, and types. There you go. His final article has been uploaded. Gregory says, excellent, and Finn asks if he wants to stick around and have lunch. He knows it’s not the MetroCourt, but the turkey chili is pretty decent. Gregory says, thanks, but he thinks he’ll get home. Try to squeeze in a nap before Violet gets home from school. He thanks Finn again for this, and Finn thanks him for everything. Gregory says he’s not done quite yet, and Finn says, better not be. Gregory says, see him at home? and Finn says, see him at home, and Gregory leaves.

On the phone Finn thanks Boden for getting back to him. Where did they send him this time?… Wow. He heard all hell’s breaking loose there. He realizes his timing is terrible, so he’ll make it quick. His dad’s been diagnosed with ALS… He thanks Boden and says he appreciates that. He knows the course of the disease is different with every patient. It seems to be accelerating with him, and Boden is the best neurologist he’s ever worked with, so he wants to know if Boden has anything. He doesn’t even know what he’s looking for. He thinks a little magic at this point, but… No, he knows the drill. Go save some lives and stay safe. He puts the phone down.

Diane tells Alexis that she doesn’t want to take another hit piece like that gossip columnist just leveled at her. She’s a phenomenal lawyer. Alexis says, Diane isn’t going to get any argument from her, and Diane says, also, she’ hates to think she’s the kind of person who cares what people think of her, but her reputation matters. And she doesn’t want anybody out there thinking she only takes cases for mob money. That’s not why she got into the law in the first place. Alexis asks, why did she? and Diane says she’s going to assume for the same reasons Alexis got in. To be of service. To strive for justice… even if the definition of justice seems to vary a little bit between her and Alexis. Alexis asks if Diane wants her to write a puff piece, but Diane says she just wants Alexis to zip it. Pay attention. Come work with her. Alexis laughs and says, as what? Her receptionist? Diane says, no, as her very esteemed, every other day, colleague. And if Alexis is very good and very nice to her, at some point soon, her partner. Alexis says she thinks Diane is forgetting the small matter of her disbarment. She’s not able to practice law anymore. Diane tells her, says who? and Alexis says, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. It was a swift and decisive ruling, she might add. Diane says, and it’s a ruling she’s betting she can get overturned.

Nina says, now that they’ve established that Josslyn is a chip off the old Carly block, she bets the only secrets Josslyn likes are the ones she keeps herself. Dex says, that’s enough, get out, but Josslyn says, no. What does Nina mean? Nina says, she should really aim that question to her boyfriend, and Josslyn asks Dex what she’s talking about. Nina tells him, don’t be shy. Tell Josslyn about the day she caught him dressed as an orderly coming out of Cyrus Renault’s hospital room.

The guard says, remember, no funny business, and Heather says, there’s nothing funny about surgery if you ask her. There’s paperwork on the tray in front of her, and she asks, who’s got a pen? Laura asks if she’d like Dr. Enoch to go over the procedure with her one more time in layman’s terms before she signs, but Heather says, no. It’s not necessary. Laura thinks she should do this? That’s good enough for her. Portia gives her a pen, and Heather says, gracias, doctore. She signs, and Portia says, they’ll submit her consent and get the ball rolling. Heather holds up her arm, and Portia says, yes, of course (🍷), locking the cuff again. Dr. Enoch says, they’ll talk soon, and leaves with Portia and the guard. Heather asks Laura, what’s Doc like in bed? And Laura says, excuse me? Heather says she was just wondering if there were any similarities with Ryan in that department, and Laura says she thought they were getting along so well. Heather says, they were. They are. Laura tells her, have a good day, and leaves. Heather wonders what she said.

Stella, Marshall, and Curtis sit in Doc’s office, and Doc says he understands Marshall was a patient of Dr. Paul Braddock. Marshall says, once upon a time, yes. He takes it Doc has heard of him. Doc says, he made quite a name for himself, and Curtis says, is this guy famous or something? Doc says, some might go with infamous, and Marshall says, he’s the one who diagnosed him with schizophrenia. Doc says, Stella told him, and Marshall says, gave him all these dire warnings about how it might progress, how he might hurt himself or his family, and the shame it would bring upon them if that happened. He was so scared, he left his boys and let his wife and Stella raise them without him. But none of it was true. Doc says, Marshall didn’t have what Dr. Braddock said he did, and Marshall asks, what would make a doctor tell him that he was schizophrenic when he wasn’t? Doc tells him that he can’t say for certain, and Marshall says, guess. Curtis asks if Doc won’t please help them out. They need answers. Doc says he believes Marshall was misdiagnosed because he was young, male, poor, angry, and Black.

On Monday, Doc says, Marshall just correctly diagnosed his misdiagnosis; Alexis asks Diane what any of this has to do with her; Olivia wonders if she should be relieved or terrified; and Nina asks Ava to advocate for her.

📋 Changing His Status…

Sounds like we’ll be getting another two years out of Stone Cold.

Steve Burton Clarifies His Contract Status at GENERAL HOSPITAL

🛟 There Can Be Only One …

I don’t even remember Heather and I love Fraser, but there will never be another Kate. She and Captain Lee made a dynamite team that will never be topped.

Why Below Deck’s Fraser Olender Is the Next Kate Chastain

💎 Diamond Come Back…

Judging from the photos in their social media, they must be taking Photoshop lessons from Kate Middleton. Where’s Dorit’s other foot???

RHOBH Season 14 Films Soon, but Who Should Come Back?

🍸 Collateral VanderDamage…

The drinks weren’t bad isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

Schwartz & Sandy’s Menu Slashed as Scandoval Fallout Causes Business Woes

🤽 Worst Of the Week…

What is wrong with that woman?

Summer House Season 8, Episode 4 Recap: Groundhog Day

⚰️ Her Turn To Shine…

Michonne does double duty.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/the-ones-who-live-episode-4-written-by-danai-gurira-release-date-and-new-photos-01hrsmz0c9cd

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/watch-rick-and-michonne-in-the-ones-who-live-episode-4-trailer-01hs1tsy8kt4

🐶 This Week In Pets…

He’s a trooper.

https://people.com/mark-wahlberg-four-pet-dogs-canine-costar-but-allergic-exclusive-8608149

March 12, 2024 – Drew Questions Carly About Jason, Ariana Hands Out Ultimatums, Thoughts & Go

Posted on March 13, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam holds Dante’s hand and says she thought if she kept it together overnight that she’d wake up and find it was just a horrible dream, but he’s here and he’s not awake. And no matter where she looks, there’s someone is telling her that Jason’s alive and Jason did this to him. Laura comes in and asks if there’s been any change, but Sam says, Dante’s the same and her world is in pieces.

On the phone, Finn tells Portia that he’d love to do a consult for her. Who’s the patient?… Oh boy.

Heather says Amy is a nurse. Isn’t she supposed to do more than stand there and watch her suffer? Amy says she’ll be taking Heather’s vitals. They’re just waiting for the doctor. Heather says, why doesn’t she write this in her notes? The next time she touches a patient, wear mittens. Her hands are freezing. Amy says she’ll do that, when Finn walks in. Heather says, it’s so nice to see a friendly face. It’s about the only warm thing in this place. He says his being here is not good news, and she asks if he means for him, but he says, for her.

In the elevator, Molly says she wishes there was something they could do for Sam. She seemed beyond exhausted and so shaky. Kristina says, seeing her big sister like that made her shaky. She’s always been a rock. Molly says, Sam’s still holding up better than she would be, and Kristina says, can she imagine. Your ex-husband comes back from the dead and could be the reason your live-in boyfriend is fighting for his life in the ICU. She’d be curled up in a ball somewhere. Kristina says, all they can do is support her. Starting with getting her some breakfast. She’s got to keep her strength up. Kristina says, Molly’s maternal instincts are already kicking in. She’s going to be such a good mom. This baby is lucky to have her. They get out of the elevator just as Blaze is coming by, and Kristina hugs her. She says she didn’t know Blaze was coming, and Blaze says, her girlfriend needs her. Where else would she be?

Carly sees the headline about Dante on her tablet, and that a manhunt is on for Jason as a suspect. There’s a knock at the door, and she opens it to Drew. She says, he didn’t have to knock. He says he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to interrupt in case his brother was here. (I see. He’s going to start off in a-hole mode.)

Jason comes to in the boathouse and looks at his wound, touching it gingerly. He groans and sits up.

Finn tells Heather that Dr. Robinson asked him to consult because she’s presenting with a difficult case. Her test results determined she has cardiopathy, which means a weakened heart muscle. She says, no one’s ever accused her of having a weak heart before, and he says, it’s not really an accusation; it’s a fact, and probably the reason she fainted. She says, that’s the reason she was put on those pills? and he nods. He says, unfortunately, she’s not responding to the medication… She says she’s sorry. She can’t possibly concentrate on his beautiful voice when she’s in agonizing pain. She asks if Amy can possibly move her pillow, since she obviously can’t, and Amy adjusts the pillows. Heather says she’s not a doctor, but she’s learned the ins and outs of the medical profession by binge watching Grey’s Anatomy, and she’s also got quite an education over the years from being in various mental facilities. So she feels qualified to ask, why is the Infectious Disease Department’s very own Dr. Dashing checking out her ticker? He says, the two cariologists that examined her before him came back with nothing, so Dr. Robinson asked him to rule out everything else. To that end, has she ever experienced any problems breathing in the past? Heather tells Amy, could she please, higher with the pillow already? No. To the left. Amy pulls the pillow to her left, and Heather says, no, the other left. How many lefts does she have? She asks Finn if they can get Nurse Elizabeth in here. They really understand each other and she’s not vibing with this one at all. (Oh man, she cracks me up.) No offense. She’s sure there’s a few people who really like Amy in this place. Finn asks if Heather can focus for a moment. This is actually important. Her symptoms are important. Heather says she wishes she could, but she’s afraid she’s too distraught. Her complete devastation is swallowing her every thought. In fact, maybe he can help her and, in that way, she can help him. He says, with what? and she says she really needs to see her grandbaby.

Molly tells Kristina that she’s going to see if she can track down TJ and leaves. Blaze asks how Kristina is holding up. How’s her brother? Kristina says, Dante is out of surgery, but he’s still critical. They’re just hoping he wakes up soon and he’s okay. Blaze says, thank God, and Kristina says, it’s a huge relief. Her whole family is here, so Blaze shouldn’t feel like she needs to stay. Blaze says, Kristina is disappointed. She’s sorry. Kristina says, no, that’s not it. She just knows how busy Blaze is and she doesn’t want to be an inconvenience. Blaze says her girlfriend is never an inconvenience. Never. Not a minute goes by that she doesn’t wish she was with Kristina. Kristina says, girlfriend. It seems like that word is much easier for Blaze to say. Blaze says she can’t believe how lucky she is that she gets to say it, and Kristina says she’s lucky to hear it. Blaze says, believe her, if it were anything else, she’d reschedule her morning to be with Kristina, and Kristina asks, what is it about this morning that’s so special? Blaze says her mother.

Carly says, Jason’s not here, and Drew says, but he was last night. She says, yeah, and they go into the living room. Drew tells her, The Invader said that the police were called to search the Shoreline area and not coincidentally, she lives on Shoreline Road. But even without that, he knew Jason would come straight to her. Last night at the Quartermaines when she came to help with the kids, was he already here? Was he hiding out? She says, no, and he thanks her for that. He says, it was good last night. She really helped with the kids and he felt like they were in it together. He would have hated knowing that was a lie. She says she didn’t lie to him, and he says, but she didn’t call him either.

Jason slides himself across the floor and sits against a chair. Danny walks in, sees Jason, and says, dad?

Heather tells Finn, Laura brought little Ace in last night. He’s sick. Finn says, even if her grandson was admitted, he can’t just take her to see another patient, especially a minor. She says, but her baby’s baby was brought to this hospital. He didn’t come here on a tour, so obviously, something is wrong with him. She’s worried sick about what it could be. Please. There must be something he can do. She’s asking him as a grandmother. He says he’ll tell her what. How about she cooperates with him, and he’ll see what he can do for her. She says, okay. Other than the awful pain in her hip, she’s been bloated for a couple of months, which is kind of strange. She asks if Amy shouldn’t be writing this down, calling her ice paws, but Finn says he’ll take it from here. Amy says, good luck, and leaves.

Blaze tells Kristina that her mom called her this morning and asked if she was free so they could get together for breakfast. Given the way they left things, she felt like she had to say yes. Kristina says, Blaze doesn’t have to explain anything to her. It’s perfectly reasonable that she’d want to see her mom. She’s just curious though. How did she sound? Blaze says she’s not sure. Contrite maybe, but their conversation was really short, so she’s not sure. Kristina says, maybe she’s had some time to process and maybe she’s ready to hear Blaze out now. Blaze says, that’d be nice, but she’s not holding her breath. Kristina says she’d be happy to go with Blaze, and Blaze says, even after the way her mother treated Kristina?

Sam sits with Laura, who says she can only imagine how overwhelmed Sam must be with this whole situation, and Sam says, it’s got to be hard for Laura too. She was Dante’s mother-in-law. Laura says she does know what a truly wonderful human being he is. She hopes Sam knows she can talk to her, but Sam says she doesn’t know what to say exactly. It’s like she has all these thoughts roaming around in her head and she just can’t put words to them. These thoughts are swirling around in her head, and she can’t grab hold of one thought or feeling for more than a second. Laura says, that sounds about right, and Sam says she just doesn’t know what to do. Laura says, it’s going to take some time, and a little bit of rest will help a lot. Sam says, it’s like one second, she’s really hurt because Jason could be out there a fugitive, and the next second, she gets all weepy because she’s grateful that he’s alive. Then she has this voice in her head, and it keeps asking her, where has he been all this time? Why didn’t he try to contact her? She doesn’t know. Laura says, it’s very, very complicated, but Sam says, it shouldn’t be complicated, should it? She and Jason were long over before he disappeared. Laura says, yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was a very significant part of her life. She loved him. She had a child with him. They share all of those experiences, but she can’t expect herself to see things clearly right now while she’s still in shock. And Laura thinks she is. Sam agrees and says she feels she has to keep it together, if only for her kids. She’d asked the Quartermaines to keep Scout home from school, and she’s sure Danny has read the article in The Invader. Right now, he thinks his father’s the one who shot Dante. How is she supposed to help Danny process this if she can’t even process it herself? Laura says she wishes she had better answers for Sam, but she does know this. If she allows her love for her children to ground her and guide her, everything else just has a way of working itself out. Sam thanks her for saying that and for being here.

Danny and Jason soap look at one another for a moment, and Danny starts to run off, but Jason says, wait. He knows he has no right to ask Danny, but he’s in trouble and he needs Danny’s help. Danny asks why he should help Jason. And don’t say it’s because he’s Danny’s father. Jason says, because the police are after him and he didn’t do what they said he did. Danny says, he didn’t shoot Dante? and Jason says, no. Danny says, swear on it. Swear on something that matters to him. Jason says he swears on Danny’s life.

Blaze says she appreciates it, but right now, Kristina needs to be with her family. She can deal with her own. Kristina asks if she’s sure, and Blaze says she’ll be fine. Just knowing she has Kristina will get her through whatever her mom has to say. Kristina says, okay. She’ll be here when Blaze gets back. Blaze says she’s counting on it, kisses Kristina, and leaves.

Finn says, so for the past few months, Heather said she had ringing in the ears, some tingling in the extremities, and brittle nails. Heather says, which is strange because she always had really strong nails. She’s not saying she had a future as a hand model or anything like that, but does he think that had something to do with her heart? He says he thinks he needs to run some more tests, and she says, he can poke, prod, draw all the blood he wants, but after he finds out what’s going on with her grandson. Laura comes in and says, that won’t be necessary, and Heather says, with all due respect, your mayorship, the good doctor and I have a relationship that’s working just fine without you. Laura says hi to Finn and asks if he wouldn’t mind giving her a moment alone with Heather. They’re long overdue for a talk. Finn says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Laura closes the blinds and turns to face Heather.

Carly tells Drew that her first call last night was to Diane. That’s because Anna Devane showed up with Agent Cates and they told her that Jason was alive, and they had warrant and they wanted to search her house. He asks if that’s the first she heard about Jason, but she says, no. When she got back here when she left the Quartermaines, he was here waiting for her. She walked in her house, and he said her name and she recognized his voice. She turned around and he was standing right there and all she could do was hug him. She realized he’d been shot, so she ran upstairs to get a first aid kit and she came down. She was trying to bandage him up, and that’s when Anna started banging on the door. She starts to cry and says, he didn’t know her mom had died. Drew says, so she told him about Bobbie, and she says she was doing such a bad job at cleaning the wound, she mentioned that she wished she could call her mom and ask for help. He said not to, and that’s when she realized he didn’t know. She told him and she could see it hit his face. She wanted to tell him what happened, and that’s when Anna and John showed up. He asks if Jason told her how he got shot, but she says, no. They didn’t talk about it. He says, the police think he shot Dante, and she says, the police are wrong. He asks how she knows that if she and Jason didn’t even talk about it, and she says, because she knows Jason. He tells her, yeah, that’s what he thought she was going to say.

Jason gets up and tells Danny that he’s just a little dizzy. He’s going to sit over here. He sits on a bench near the door, and Danny asks what Jason needs him to do. Jason asks if Danny can bring him a first aid kit from the house, and Danny says, he was shot, right? Jason says, yeah, and Danny says, then wouldn’t he need more than a first aid kit? Should he go grab grandma’s medical bag? Jason asks if Monica is up at the house, but Danny says he doesn’t know. She might have gone to the hospital. Jason says, don’t get the medical bag. It’s going to draw too much attention. Get a first aid kit from the kitchen or the bathroom and bring it down here. Danny says, sure. He’ll be right back. He starts to leave, and Jason tells him, close the door. He does, and Jason takes his gun out of his waistband and sets it next to him.

Molly says, Blaze couldn’t stay? and Kristina says, no. She was a little surprised at first, but Blaze explained it and it’s not a big deal. Kristina asks if she’s sure. She went from elated to deflated in three seconds. She’s Kirstina’s sister. It’s hard to miss. Kristina says, she went to see her mother, and Molly says, and that’s bad? Kristina says, it’s not exactly bad, but Blaze’s mom’s not her biggest fan. Molly says, that’s ridiculous. Anyone who spends more than five seconds with Kristina loves her. Kristina says, not Blaze’s mother. Not since she found Kristina in her daughter’s bed.

Natalia meets Blaze at ~~Kelly’s~~ Bobbie’s, saying, good morning, and hugging her. She asks, what’s good here? and Blaze says, they’re known for their BLTs and their burgers. They sit at a table, and Natalia says, seems a little early for a burger (never), but a BLT may be too salty. Blaze says, that’s it? She wanted to get together to discuss the menu? Natalia says, if they’re going to end up getting something to eat, they should probably look at it, and Blaze takes the menu out of her hand. She says, this is a Port Charles institution. Everything in here is good, really good. There. They’ve covered the menu. Natalia asks why she’s acting like this, and Blaze says she’s not acting like anything. Natalia is the one acting like everything is the same as always and it’s not. They need to talk. Natalia says she knows, and she’s been doing some thinking. She knows things have changed and there’s something she wants to say to Blaze.

Heather asks Laura not to keep her in suspense. It’s not good for her weakened heart muscle. Is Ace all right? Laura says, yes. Ace has an ear infection, but other than that, he’s going to be perfectly fine. Heather says, fine for a child whose mother is dead, and Larua says, they all agreed… but Heather says, no, they didn’t all agree. Her daughter is gone, and Laura is telling her that her daughter’s child, her grandson, is fine. Just how fine can he be? Especially with Laura having Cyrus Renault and Ryan’s twin in his life. Laura is a mother. How could she not know how critical these early years are to a child’s development? Laura says she’s well-aware of that, and Heather says, and she thinks exposing him to the dregs of his gene pool is the way to a happy and healthy childhood? Good Lord. She might as well have him with her in Pentenville. Actually, a better caliber of people. Laura says, that’s actually why she came here to discuss this with Heather, and Heather says, keeping Ace with her? but Laura says, no. That will never happen. Heather says she assumes Laura came her to apologize for clocking her over the head, but she’s taking her sweet time getting to that, so it’s probably not the reason for her little drop-in. Don’t worry about it. She doesn’t need to apologize. She’s fine. Laura says she came to discuss Pentenville with Heather. She’s soon to be someone else’s problem. She had a conversation with Robert. Heather says, Scorpio? and Laura says, uh-huh. Heather says, how is their little DA? and Laura says, good. And he agrees with her that given Heather’s history of escaping and assaulting, they no longer feel Pentenville is an appropriate place for her. Heather asks if they’re sending her back to D’Archam, but Laura says, no. San Quentin Women’s Federal Penitentiary.

Michael asks Sam if everything is okay with Dante, and Sam says, he’s in critical but stable condition. Michael breathes a sigh of relief and says he saw Sam sitting out here instead of in there with Dante, and thought… It doesn’t matter. How is she? She says she’s not entirely sure, and he says, because of Jason. She says, amongst other things. It’s a lot and it’s nothing she was prepared for. He says, none of them were, and add to that worrying about Dante. She says, that’s kind of why she came out here. She needed a couple of minutes to clear her head. he says, right. He came and he took those away from her. He’ll grab a coffee and leave her to… She says, no. Don’t go. Please stay here. Welcome to her world. There’s always room for one more.

Carly says, Jason would never shoot Dante, and Drew tells her, the police said Dante was in pursuit of two suspects. What if Jason shot at the man who was chasing him without realizing it was Dante? She says, there were two suspects, like he just told her. Obviously, the other guy shot Dante. He says, it’s only obvious to her. She can’t even allow for the possibility that Jason made a mistake. Let alone the fact that maybe he shot Dante… She asks why he’s doing this. Why is he so convinced Jason’s guilty? He says he’s not convinced. He doesn’t know if Jason shot Dante and neither does she. She has no evidence. She doesn’t even have Jason’s account on what happened that night. All she has is how she feels about him and that’s enough for her. She walks to the other side of the room, and he says, it’s the two of them, Jason and Carly. They come first with each other. They always have and they always will.

Heather says, San Quentin. California? Laura says, it’s their professional opinion that it’s the best placement for her, and Heather says, please. Please do not do this to her. Laura says, Heather gave her no choice. She’s proven time and again that she’s a danger to this community. As a matter of public safety, she has to put as much space between Heather and Port Charles as possible to make it highly unlikely that she’ll ever come back again. Heather says, she’s letting Cyrus’s whispers get into her head. She knows Laura. She’s better than this. They used to be friends. Laura says she knows. She remembers. That’s what makes this so hard. Honestly, she’s been struggling to understand what happened to Heather. When they were young, she did some pretty horrible things to people, but she wasn’t this. She wasn’t a killer. Heather says, everything she’s done, she swears, was done out of love for her family. Laura’s a mom. You do things you would never think of otherwise. Laura of all people should understand. Laura says she doesn’t understand, and she never will. All she cares about is making sure Heather can never hurt her family again. Heather says, and there is it. Laura’s family. She laughs and says, this was never about a professional decision between Laura and the DA. It was always a personal one. This has nothing to do with her being a danger to their community. Laura tells Heather that her family is part of the community, and Heather says, damn her family. Ace has brought them together and she knows Laura doesn’t like it. He’s binding them together as grandmothers. It’s about Ace. That poor little boy has lost so much already. She can’t send away the only connection to his mom he’s got in the world. She’s begging Laura, please don’t separate her from the only family she has. Laura says, no. Ace is no longer Heather’s concern. She and Doc are going to adopt him. Heather says she’ll die before she lets Laura and Ryan Chamberlain’s brother raise her daughter’s son.

Kristina tells Molly that Blaze’s mother came in and saw her in Blaze’s bed. Blaze told her mother that she was gay, and her mom’s response was like, the room is messy, and she started folding. Kristina could practically see her brain short circuiting because of the cognitive distance. It was wild. Molly says, that must have been… She doesn’t even know. How does Kristina feel about it? Kristina says, they talked about it ahead of time about her family, so she guesses it wasn’t totally unexpected. Molly says, but experiencing it up close and personal is different, and Kristina says, it was tough. But her mom called her today to talk and that’s a good sign. Doesn’t Molly think? Molly nods, but Kristina says, what? What is she thinking super loud and not saying? Molly says, no, nothing. She hopes Kristina is right. Kristina says she knows what Molly is thinking. Of course (🍷). She’s thinking Kristina is being way too optimistic and this is a set-up for Ally to fall and it’s going to be bad for her, which is bad for them as a couple, which is bad for her, which is bad for the baby, which is bad for Molly because it’s her baby… Molly asks how Kristina even get there from… no. Has she said anything like that?

Natalia says she’s sorry for her behavior when she saw Blaze with Kristina and for when Blaze tried to explain. She’s sorry. Blaze asks if she means that, and Natalia says she does. Blaze has to know that she was totally caught off guard and her response was to completely shut down, but she’s not a fool. She knows what she walked in on, and she heard Blaze when she was trying to explain to her. Blaze tells her that she doesn’t know what to say. She was afraid she was going to go her whole life without Natalia ever saying anything like that. Natalia says she also feels that she should have known what was really going on. And why Blaze would feel more comfortable with a woman right now. Blaze asks what she means, and Natalia says, what happened with Linc Brown was so traumatizing. An experience like that would make almost anyone want to experiment.

Michael says he can’t believe Jason shot Dante, and Sam says, he doesn’t want to believe it. She doesn’t want to believe it either, but they won’t know who shot Dante until Dante wakes up… if he wakes up. Michael says, what Sam and Dante have is something really special. They don’t just love each other; they’re partners in every sense of the word. They work as a team. They co-parent. They have each other’s backs. They’re each other’s best friend. It’s inspiring. That sense of support and responsibility makes their love that much more powerful.

Jason dozes, gun in hand, when Danny comes back. Jason says, he came back, and Danny tells him that he said he would.

Laura says, it’s already been done, but she’ll make Heather a promise. Ace will always be safe, and he will always be loved and Heather can rest easy, knowing she will always take good care of him. But she can never see him again. Heather says, no, and looks super sad as Laura leaves.

Molly says, Kristina asked her for the benefit of the doubt. To trust she’d be responsible and healthy and do what’s right for the baby. So maybe she can ask Kristina to do the same for her. Don’t assume Molly is always judging her because she promises she’s not. Kristina says she can do that, and Molly says, they got into this whole thing because they trust each other more than anybody. Let’s not forget that. Kristina promises and says she loves Molly. Molly says she loves Kristina, and they pinky swear. Molly says, and that trust extends to Blaze. If Kristina thinks she’s worth fighting for, so does she.

Blaze tells Natalia, that’s not what this is about. At least not for her. She’s been with women before. Natalia says, if this is what Blaze needs to heal, being with Kristina, she supports Blaze. Blaze says she can’t believe her, and Natalia asks what she said. Blaze says, who she is, her entire being has nothing to do with what Linc did to her. And the fact that Natalia can’t accept that… She can’t. She gets up, and Natalia asks what she’s doing. Where is she going? Please, just sit down. Let them figure this out. Blaze says she’s lost her appetite and leaves.

Carly tells Drew that Jason’s her friend… No, that’s not true. She doesn’t know if there’s a word to explain how she feels about Jason, but that doesn’t change how she feels about Drew. He says he knows she loves him, and she says she does. She loves him so much. He says, and she loves Jax, and she loves Sonny. She loves Sonny a lot, but none of them will take Jason’s place in her life, let alone her heart. Jason is the one she turns to when she’s afraid, when she’s in trouble. He’s the one who keeps her secrets. He’s the one she counts on. She says, he’s never failed her, and Drew says, what about the last two and a half years when he let her think he was dead. That doesn’t count as him failing her?

Sam tells Dante that she’s gotten so used to him being there, she doesn’t think she ever realized how much she relies on him. She’s got this huge news and he’s the only person she wants to share it with. So she’s going to need him to do this thing that only he can do. Where he backs up her feelings and gives her a new perspective all at the same time. Can he do that now for her? Please?

Danny says he thought about calling the cops, and Jason asks, why didn’t he? Danny says, because Jason said he didn’t do it, and Jason thanks him. Danny hands him the first aid kit and sees the gun. Jason picks it up and says, the safety’s on. It’s that little switch right there. If Danny ever has to handle a gun, always make sure the safety’s on, okay? Danny nods, and Jason puts the gun down. He picks up the kit and opens it. Danny asks if Jason needs help, and Jason says, no, but he needs Danny to do something for him. He can’t tell his mother about this, that Danny saw him or where he is. Danny asks, why not? but Jason says he can’t explain that. He just needs Danny to trust him. Danny says, okay.

Tomorrow, Selina says, she and Sonny have been deceived; Curtis has some news that he should share with Marshall sooner than later; Danny needs a favor from someone; Anna tells Sonny, do not go after Jason; and Jason says, it’s not fair for him to bring Michael into this.

Vanderpump Rules

Tom comes home to poor Ann, and whispers, is Ariana here? In Ariana’s interview, she says, it’s the sound of Sandoval coming back from Tahoe. It’s like the Wicked Witch of the West. She would love to click her heels, but she’s already home. Ann asks if there were any fights, and we flash back to all those. Sandoval says, but they had resolutions, and in his interview, he says, all in all, Tahoe was pretty good. The stench of the scandal is wearing off and he’s being humanized again. He’s optimistic. He tells Ann that he’s going to unpack his clothes and his feelings. He’s going to journal.

Donut! Scheana visits Villa Rosa where Lisa is doing Donut training. Scheana says, the day after she saw Lisa in Tahoe was the most emotionally draining day. She realized she’s going through the stages of grief for her friendship with Sandoval. Lisa asks if she’s worried Ariana will be upset, and Scheana says, when she tries to tell Ariana how she’s feeling, Ariana doesn’t want to hear about it. She’s doing everything to be ride or die, but is it not enough? In Scheana’s interview, she says she’s afraid to express how she feels. It’s only about Ariana, but she’s struggling. When she tries to have a conversation with Ariana, she’s made to feel like her feelings aren’t valid. Lisa wonders if it’s because Ariana is experiencing a whirlwind of attention. Scheana says, someone else told her about Dancing with the Stars, and Lisa says she remembers Scheana saying she wanted it more than anything. Scheana says she took dance classes to prepare just in case. In her interview, Scheana says she can be happy for Ariana and sad for herself. Ariana has come a long way from being her back-up dancer. We flash back to that long-forgotten performance, and she tells Lisa, it was a punch to the gut. Lisa says, if their friendship is as great as Scheana says, she should be able to tell Ariana how she feels. Scheana says, when she does, Ariana shuts her down. She wants a relationship where she’s not the only one being supportive. It’s the story of her life. In Lisa’s interview, she says, Scheana tries to make everybody happy. It’s okay to say someone hurt your feelings. Not that she would say it… Lisa asks when Scheana is seeing Ariana, and Scheana says, they’re having a girls’ astrology night at Ally’s house. Lisa says, it’s up to her.

Lala and Ariana go for coffee, and Ariana shows Lala the photos from the shoot. In one photo, she’s smashing a TV, and she says she feels like she doesn’t let herself get angry. We flash back to a few very angry moments, and Ariana says she wants to hit things more often. She asks, what happened on the trip? Scheana called her crying. Lala says, the trip was weird. She’d never seen Scheana this upset. She thinks Scheana believes if she goes somewhere and Sandoval is around, can she enjoy herself and have fun on a surface level? Ariana says she’s not asking Scheana to fight Sandoval. The internet is ripping her apart about a f***ing photo. Lala asks if Ariana came to Scheana’s defense, and Ariana admits she hasn’t. Lala asks if she couldn’t tell her stans to knock it off, and Ariana says she guesses she could. Lala says, that would have been nice, and in Lala’s interview, she says, Ariana is constantly on social just a-scrollin’. She doesn’t want to post because she doesn’t want to be in the mix, but if she steps out of the house she’s in the mx. If she lifts her finger she’s in the mix. Lala tells Ariana that Scheana was very upset about the affair and caught a restraining order. She thinks Scheana needs closure. She needs Ariana to say they’ll always be best friends and whatever Scheana needs to do to heal, do that. Can Ariana say that? Ariana says she can tell Scheana that she loves her because she does, but her position hasn’t changed. She doesn’t want Sandoval having any access to her life, even through mutual friends. If she’s not down with him being around, she can remove herself if the situation is uncomfortable. Lala says, that’s what Scheana is nervous about, but Ariana says she’s not the person to come to for the Sandoval sympathy train. In Ariana’s interview, she says she’s trying to be compassionate, but Scheana is easily walked over. It’s Sandoval’s easiest route to go get them, and when they all come around, he can ice her out. Lala says, Scheana is nervous that she won’t have Ariana as a friend if she does what she needs to heal. Ariana says she wants Scheana to be happy, but she needs to do what works for her to be happy as well.

Kristina, Katie, Lala, and Scheana meet for dinner. Scheana says her daughter broke her arm, and Lala asks what color the cast is. Scheana says, pink. She wanted it to coordinate with Summer Moon’s wardrobe. In Scheana’s interview, she says, it’s just her luck. She’s terrified to let anyone else care for her kid, and right in front of her own eyes, her daughter broke her arm. They talk about Tahoe, and Scheana says, Sandoval was there. They had a spiritual healing meditation, and for the first time, she knows he shed genuine tears. Kristina says she thinks Scheana is sadder about losing the friendship than Ariana is about losing the relationship, and Scheana says, they’d been unhappy for a long time. Kristina wonders why Ariana would stay, and Scheana says, you don’t know when you’re in it. Look at Jax and Brittany. We flash back to their whole relationship, probably because The Valley needs viewers. Katie says, there are still stories about Jax running around town, and Lala says, it’s beyond. Katie asks where Scheana is at, and Scheana says she’s finally going through the grieving process. Ariana grieved her loss, she’s making millions, and living her best life. Scheana misses who Sandoval was before. When they were in New York, he was the only person who welcomed her into photos with the group. Katie says she’s not hanging onto twelve years ago, and in Katie’s interview, she says she wishes Scheana would wake up. Sandoval never gave a f*** about their friendship. She should cut ties, move on, and be a friend to Ariana. Scheana announces that she slept with the bartender here, and Lala says, recently? Scheana says, no, like 2013. Katie says she’s going to jump off the roof if they talk about Sandoval anymore, startling everyone. Lala says, they’re not talking about him, and Katie says, he never even offered an apology. He interfered in her marriage and made her out to be a monster to everyone. Anyone who’s having trouble getting over that trash bag of a human is a demon. Is it me, or is she the one bringing up Sandoval and proving his point by acting like a monster?

Lisa goes to TomTom, which has absorbed some of PUMP’s former staff. Sandoval meets her and she suggests they sit in the garden. She tells him that they want to make the restaurant more dining oriented, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says, it’s weird to make changes without him and Schwartz knowing. In Lisa’s interview, she says, she’d never consult a 2½% partner. Tom brings ice cream, which Lisa declines until she sees the lavender/honey matches the tablecloth. She asks how Tahoe was, and he says, everyone was kind to him. Lisa says when she saw him at Wolf, he looked like sh*t. He looks happier now. We flash back to that, and she says she doesn’t want to see any of them being that depressed. Sandoval says he’s worried about Raquel. He misses her. Lisa asks if he’s spoken to her, and he says, no. He wants to have a relationship, even if they’re just friends. Lisa says she wasn’t going to tell him, but she and Raquel spoke at length, and she didn’t seem happy with him. In his interview, Sandoval says, Raquel told him that when people are done the program, they often stay there for a while. He told her, the longer she stays, the harder it’s going to be. She seemed to be mad at him if he didn’t 100% agree with what the program said, and they were making him out to be bad for her. Nice to see that he really cares about what’s best for her. What a d-bag. Lisa says, Raquel wasn’t comfortable with lying, and he told her, life is lying. He says he didn’t. He’s worried sick and wants to know she’s okay. Lisa says, if she’s willing to talk to him… and he says, she blocked him. Lisa says, then it’s over, and in her interview, Lisa says, Raquel said she felt manipulated and didn’t love him anymore. She tells Sandoval that he’s got to go forward. She thinks it’s the past.

Lisa meets Lala, along with Jessica, aka Lala’s brain, at Lala’s office. Lisa says Lala is grown up now, and Lala says she’s rebranding. She’s got to get rid of Lala in the name. The products need to stand on their own. In Lala’s interview, she says, when she created Give Them Lala, she was shoving herself down everyone’s throat. She’s changed as a person. She’s more reserved and needs the brand to reflect that. She tells Lisa that she needs money for a sperm donor. Her child is now speaking. Lisa asks if Ocean told Lala that she needed one, and in her interview, Lala says she gets it’s not the norm, but going the donor route is the right decision. She tells Lisa that after this one, she’d like to adopt one, and if she meets a guy, they might have a baby. She’s going to have all the kids in the world. In her interview, she says she wants an absolute, and starts to cry. No matter what, it’s her baby. No one can come in and take it from her. She doesn’t want to share on Christmas. It will be just hers. She tells Lisa that she loves being a mom. Lisa asks if Tahoe was a respite, and Lala says, it was emotionally depleting, but she doesn’t have to be torn. Scheana does. She talked to Ariana about the internet dragging Scheana and told her, why not put out a message? Ariana said she didn’t want the headline, but Lala said, everything is a headline, and Ariana did it. She and Scheana need to have a conversation. Something has to give. Lisa says she sees a sh*tstorm coming.

Schwartz brings Jo to See You Next Tuesday, and they sit with Ally. In Schwartz’s interview, he says he knows some of the other girls have problems with Jo, especially Katie. James joins them on his break, and he and Ally agree that Jo and Schwartz give off BFF vibes. James asks if it’s with benefits, and Schwartz dances around that. He says he thinks Tahoe was a great success. There were mini breakthroughs. James says, part of him was stoked to see Sandoval, and in his interview, he says he and Sandoval are in a better place than they were weeks ago. Now what Sandoval does and says going forward dictates how the friendship goes. Sandoval comes into SUR, and Schwartz tells James that he’s been going down a YouTube rabbit hole with old movies. He thinks it would be cool to have a guy’s night Rat Pack style. They can go to a steakhouse. James says he’s in it, and Sandoval comes over. James invites him to sit down, and Sandoval gives James his pair of sunglasses. In Ally’s interview, she says, it feels like Sandoval is trying to buy James. She hopes this sad attempt at an apology doesn’t end up with James disappointed. Why waste time on a loser? James says, Sandoval was like an older brother, and he never lost one thing Sandoval gave him. Ally looks uncomfortable.

Jo and Schwartz go to a Skee-Ball bar, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says he and Jo never had a formal relationship. Last summer maybe he didn’t divulge how much they cared about each other. Partly because of Katie’s resentment. Jo’s not everyone’s cup of tea. He thinks she’s a great cup of tea. They talk about aliens, and he says he’s not convinced she’s not a tall grey. In his interview, a producer asks Schwartz, when was the last time he and Jo were intimate? but Schwartz says he doesn’t remember. In Jo’s interview, she thinks it was a month ago. She thinks they caught feelings for each other and they’re still there.

The guys meet at a steakhouse, while the girls go to Ally’s for their birth charts. In Ally’s interview, she says, when she heard Teardrops on My Guitar on the radio, she decided she wanted to be like Taylor Swift. We see a clip of Ally singing and playing guitar, and she says, but there can only be only one Taylor, so she decided to be an astrologer. Okay. That’s one alternative. Waitress Beatrice takes the guys’ drink orders and says the guy with the chips will be by. These aren’t nacho chips. It’s a Brazilian steakhouse where you flip the chip to green when you want meat. I went to one of these once and could barely move the next day. I was with a group and had a comedian among us who thought it was a riot to loudly say things like, is that parakeet coming next? It was kinda funny. The girls decide that, rather than one-on-one readings, they want to hear it all. This is not my thing, but here’s the gist of it. Ariana’s planet is about luck, wealth, and opportunity. It’s having a four-leaf clover in your pocket. In Ariana’s interview, she says she didn’t feel lucky when Charlotte died, and her grandma died, and her relationship died. We flash back to all that, and she says, maybe Tom was stomping on her four-leaf clover energy, but once his dumb foot was gone, she bloomed. Ally says, Scheana needs partnership to be shining, but she needs to fill her own cup before others. It allows her to shine brighter. In Scheana’s interview, she says she puts everyone first. It’s the story of her life. It’s how she was raised. But like on an airplane, she has to put her own mask on first. Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! I love when I see one of them have a growth spurt. Ally says, this is not Katie’s first lifetime, and Katie says, before this, she was always a male. In Katie’s interview, she says, if anyone wonders why she has Big D*ck Energy, it’s because she had a big d*ck.

Ally tells Ariana that things are looking up. By March 2024, she’s going to be saying, thank God that happened. Scheana says, it must be tough to process, being separated but in the same house, and Ariana says she’s dealing with a lot of legal back and forth. The internet thinks she’s making millions of dollars, but that’s not true. She wasn’t prepared to move financially. Literally a week before it happened, she’d emailed her agent and manager and told them they have to try and do some sh*t because she’s not in a good place financially. In Ariana’s interview, she says, when she started making decent money, they decided to buy a house. After that, she was playing catch up, then put a bunch of money into the sandwich shop. In March, she was literally on her last $2000. Sandoval created a situation that sent her scrambling to get her sh*t together in a financially responsible way so she could move on to the next step.

James asks about Sandoval’s conversation with Lisa, and Sandoval says, Lisa talked to Raquel. He doesn’t like to talk about it in front of James, but James says he doesn’t need to feel weird. It’s a gentleman’s dinner. No one is going to flip over a table. Schwartz says, the night is young, and he’s only had one coconut [drink]. Sandoval says, Raquel’s not happy with him. He hasn’t heard from her in over a month. He keeps checking his phone, but he’s alone. He can’t do this. WOE IS ME!!! Schwartz says, he’s got to get out and start dating, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says he hasn’t dated in 15 years. Obviously, Raquel has made her decision. She couldn’t even give him closure. He doesn’t want to be in another relationship. He just wants female energy in his life. Schwarz folds first on the meat and is stuck paying.

Lala says, the guys are going to be besties and bond. Guys feel differently. Ariana says, James feels guilty, and Ariana says, that’s because he knows he’s betraying himself. Interesting. That’s the approach she tried with Scheana, like, it’s for her own good. Lala says, everyone is worried about losing Ariana as a friend, and Ally says, James lost both an ex-fiancé and a friend. Lala says, time passes, and the healing starts. She wonders what Ariana’s stance will be, and Ariana says she doesn’t f*** with that.

Lala asks if James decides to kick it with Sandoval and Scheana decides to forgive him, are their friendships with Ariana at risk? Ariana tells Lala that she didn’t say anything about forgiveness, but she’s not down with people going out to dinner. In Scheana’s interview, she says this is what she was afraid of. She was going to have a conversation with Ariana, but seeing her reaction about James hanging out with Sandoval, she’s keeping her mouth shut. Lala says she gets it, but what she doesn’t want to see happen to Ariana is what happened to her. She was so invested in what everyone else was doing. Katie says, they can’t overlook Ariana’s situation, which is different from Lala’s, and Lala says, if she wants to apply her situation to reality, no one is going to like what she says. Katie asks, what kind of friend is that? Say it. Get it off your chest, bitch. Lala tells Katie not to talk to her like that, and they go back and forth for a moment, until Lala says, disengage. Ariana says, what Lala is telling her is that it was worse for her, and in Lala’s interview, she says, no one knows what it’s like. She did have to stay with a sh*tty person, and it will eat you alive. It’s like drinking poison and expecting it to kill the other person. She doesn’t want that for her friend. Lala says she rode hard for Ariana, and Ariana is putting her on defense mode. Why is Ariana bringing it out? She hasn’t done a damn thing to her. Katie says, that’s a bit much, and Lala says, Katie is a bit much all the time. Ally says, all they know is how Lala communicates, and they all communicate differently. In Ally’s interview, she says, universal love. We can all get along if we understand people’s birth charts. Lala says, her intention wasn’t to make it about her and have it get heated. At the end, everyone is laughing except Katie.

This season, James sees babies in the future, but Ally doesn’t feel it; Schwartz and Katie are dating the same girl; Scheana doesn’t think she and Brock will be together forever; a boat ride in rough seas; Katie doesn’t want peace; a brunch hosted by Jax; Sandoval tried to talk to Ariana; and Scheana asks Sandoval what she means to him. He says, a lot, but she asks if that’s because of filming or life.

💭 Thoughts. I realize I’m just seeing the equivalent of a screenshot of people’s lives here, but I think Ariana is making some poor choices. I totally get why she hates Sandoval. I hate him too and would probably never want to speak to him or see him again either. I’m not a fan of being friends with an ex. I am friends with a couple of mine, but they’re also old friends and never cheated on me. As far as I know anyway. I also didn’t hang in a large, incestuous friend group like this. But I think she’s making a big mistake in saying she’ll just cut off anyone who relaxes enough to be friendly to Sandoval on a personal level. It’s not a good look, and it’s easy enough to put friends in categories. Gee. Just don’t tell the people who hang with him your business. Noteworthy too, is how she’s afraid of him icing her out when that’s exactly what she’s trying to do to him. I totally get her grief and anger over this situation, but she’s being rewarded in spades. Living well is the best revenge, but I have the feeling if you’re not gracious about it, you can be knocked down just as quickly. And Katie is really just along for the ride, but geez, leave that BDE in your other bag. I think Schwartz is insufferable and lazy, but it’s over. Quit proving Sandoval’s point.

🥔 Potato-ing My Couch…

Join me tomorrow for soap and at long last, the end of the RHOBH season. Until then, stay safe, stay putting the toilet seat down (you know who you are), and stay not being so invested in what everyone else is doing.

Mar6

March 5, 2024 – Heather Corners Cyrus In the Chapel, Sandoval Is Even a Bad Sociopath & World

Posted on March 6, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Curtis says he can’t wait to show Portia the progress he’s been making at physical therapy… He’s getting some of his moves back… Him too. See her soon. Marshall comes in and asks if Trina is here, but Curtis says, she went out. Marshall says he knows Curtis is worried about her, but give her some time. She’s been through a lot, but it’s true what they say, time does heal all wounds. (I disagree, but I think it makes them easier to live with.) Stella tells him, says the man who ought to know. Did he tell Curtis? Curtis says, tell him what?

Cyrus sits in the chapel, when Laura comes in and clears her throat. He looks up and she says she’s sorry. Was he praying? He says, just thinking. How’s his little nephew? She says, they’re waiting for the test results, but Doc was here with a patient, so he’s with Ace now. Ace has been so brave. Cyrus says, he takes after his grandma, and she says, Cyrus can actually be sweet when he wants to be. Cyrus laughs and says he knows her surprise is justified by his behavior, but it still stings just a little. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for the people he loves. And there’s no limit to what he won’t do to anyone who tries to hurt them.

Heather continues to work at the lock, when she hears the guard say, copy that, on the phone. He says he’ll return the prisoner to Pentenville immediately. She works faster.

In the car, Josslyn says, they’re not going to get there any faster if Dex gets pulled over for speeding, and he says he’ll keep it at 10 over. She says she wants to get there just as badly as he does. From what Michael said, all hell is about to break loose, and he does not exaggerate. Dex says, it has to be connected to whoever tried to take Sonny out in Puerto Rico, and she says, that means whoever’s around him is in danger.

Anna tells Sonny, let’s try this again. Why was he here tonight? Please don’t say it was to set up a card game with Selina Wu. Sonny asks if he’s under arrest. Is Ava under arrest? She says, not at this time, and Ava says, then they’re under no obligation to stay. John says, it’s a federal investigation, which means he can hold the two of them for up to 48 hours without charging them. In fact, he doesn’t have to hold them at the PCPD. He can have them transported to an FBI facility. He knows Sonny’s had experience, but what about Ava? She might benefit from the experience. Sonny asks if Anna is okay with this. He’s threatening to take Ava into federal custody. On what grounds? Because she’s standing next to him? Anna says, Agent Cates has the authority to investigate this case any way he sees fit, but Sonny says, this doesn’t have to do with any case. Tell them what it has to do with, Jagger? It has to do with Karen Wexler.

Blood trickles from Dante’s mouth, and he says, Jason. Jason tells him, don’t talk. He’s going to help him. On the phone, he says he’s on Pier 55 (where everything happens). A man’s been shot twice in the chest. He says, Dante, but Dante doesn’t respond. He tells the operator, he just passed out. Get the paramedics here now.

As Olivia puts dishes away, Sam says, Drew put Scout to bed, and she fell asleep right away. She was exhausted. She kept saying how she was so excited that she had this birthday party. Olivia says, you can always tell the success of a party by how much cake you find around the house hours later. (For adults, it’s how much liquor is gone.) Sam says, she loved the cake, the gifts, and she loved most of all that her dad threw her the party. Olivia says, after all the time he spent away from her, she bets Drew enjoyed the party more than Scout did. Sam says, he fell asleep to him reading her The Ugly Duckling for the millionth time. She didn’t have the heart to wake him. Olivia says, that was Dante’s favorite book too. She read that book to him so many times, she thinks she could recite it by heart. She was always trying to skip over the pages to get to the end quicker, but he always caught her, every single time. Sam says she loves it. He’s so brave and solid, she can’t picture it in her head. She thinks she always forgets he was a little boy too once. Olivia says, he’s been through a lot, but he’s still that same sweet little kid who used to bring her flowers home from school. It turns out, they were Mr. Coletti’s prize roses, but she digresses. She loves seeing him so happy. She’s so glad he found Sam. Sam says she’s so glad they found each other, and she and Olivia hug.

Jason takes off his jacket to make a makeshift dressing for Dante’s wounds.

Josslyn says she’s going to call Brick and see if he knows where Sonny is, and Dex asks if she really thinks Brick is going to give her any information about Sonny. She says she’ll try. She’ll explain and hopefully, he’ll understand. On the phone, she says, it’s Joss. Does he know where Sonny is? She’s… Wait. Is he sure?… Okay. Dex says, what is it? and she says she’s looking right now. A police scanner in Port Charles is reporting gunfire on the waterfront. Authorities are looking to shut down the whole area. It’s got to be Sonny. What is he doing? He says, getting off at the next exit. Call a Ride Share and go home. He’ll call her when he knows more. She says, forget it. She’s not leaving him. He says he’d feel a lot better if he knew she was safe. He doesn’t have time to argue about this. She says, good. Then they’ll stick to the plan, and they’ll go into Port Charles together.

John says, they’re investigating attempts on Sonny’s life and a possible connection to another conspiracy. Sonny says, maybe that’s why the FBI sent you, but that’s not why you’re here… Jagger. Ava asks why Sonny’s calling him that, and Sonny says, back in the day, his name was John, but that was too ordinary. He needed a cooler name, so he named himself Jagger. And he had a girlfriend named Karen Wexler… John says, he told Sonny to keep her name out of his mouth, and Sonny thanks John for proving his point. John hates him for what he thinks Sonny did… John says he doesn’t think; he knows. He had a front row seat. So why doesn’t Sonny tell them? Tell them what he did. Sonny says, no, Jagger, you tell them.

Cyrus says he never claimed to be a saint. Far from it. Laura knows that better than anyone. But he does hope she knows his attempts to change are genuine. She says he does seem to be trying, and he says, being a part of a family, her family, filled a void in his life that he didn’t even know existed. He knows he hasn’t been trustworthy in the past, but he hopes she believes him when he says, spending time with her has made him a better man. She says she knows there’s goodness in him – she’s always known it – no matter how deeply he tried to bury it. But words are not enough, even words quoted from the Good Book. He says, then tell him how he can prove himself to her, and she says she can’t do the work for him. He needs to figure that out for himself. He says, okay, and she tells him that she will say this. She’s very grateful to him for tonight, for helping her get Ace to the hospital quickly. He says he’s so glad he was there, and she says, her too. He says he just hopes she can keep him away from his other grandmother, and she says, Heather Webber will be going back to Pentenville, so she will not be able to get close to Ace ever again.

The guard tells Heather that he has to get her home. Her cell’s waiting for her. She says she’s still in so much pain. Doesn’t the doctor have to okay her release? He says, that’s above his paygrade. He’s just following orders. She says, the pain in her hip is really unbearable. He doesn’t like to see an old woman suffer, does he? She’s so parched and the nurse left her water just out of reach. Could he please? She points to the pitcher and glass, and he says, okay, fine. Then we’re out of here. He starts to pour a glass for her, when she gets up on the bed behind him and wraps something around his neck, pulling him back onto the bed.

The guard is passed out on the floor, and Heather tosses his keys onto him. She says, he’ll be fine. She groans and says she’s seriously out of shape. She needs more ER time. She peeks out and sees Amy walking down the hall with another nurse. The nurse says she doesn’t know why everyone is so nervous around Cyrus all the time. She thinks his radio show is very inspiring. Amy says, that’s because she doesn’t know his history in Port Charles. That man is bad news. She just hopes lightning doesn’t strike the chapel while he’s in there praying for that adorable little nephew of his. They continue on, and Heather says, start praying for yourself, Cyrus. She slips out, closing the door behind her.

Curtis asks if Marshall is saying Portia was on the right track when she said he was misdiagnosed all those years ago, and Marshall says, Curtis’s wife is an excellent physician and a very perceptive woman. Stella says, Curtis’s father has been off his meds for an entire year without any symptoms. It seems obvious that he never suffered from schizophrenia at all. Curtis says, that’s great news. Marshall has had this information for a while now. How come Marshall didn’t tell him when he first found out? Marshall says, Curtis had a few other things going on in his life, and truthfully, he felt like a fool. He ran out on his wife and family, left Curtis and Tommy with no father, and all for nothing. He should have handled it all so differently. Curtis says, the past is the past, and Marshall did what he thought was right at the time, but he’s here now. He knows it doesn’t make up for all those lost years, but at least he doesn’t have the schizophrenia diagnosis hanging over his head. Marshall says, it’s like he’s traded one sword for another, since he still doesn’t actually know what was wrong with him. (My guess is an anxiety attack.) Stella says she knows how much he wanted to get to the bottom of this, so she’s been requesting old records and putting together a list of the revolving door of doctors who treated him for schizophrenia. Curtis asks if she found anything, and she says, actually, she did. She was able to find the signature of the so-called specialist that signed off on his father’s diagnosis. Curtis says, after all these years. This is great. So now they track down that doctor and get the answers they need. He knows there’s something Marshall wants to tell Aunt Stella. Marshall says, thanks… but no thanks.

On the phone, Jason says, yes, he’s still breathing. What’s the ETA on the paramedics?… Okay, well, he can live if they get here in time. He tells Dante, just hold on. He can make it. He hears the sirens in the distance, and tells Dante, they’re coming. He can make it. Jason jets.

John says, Karen was his high school girlfriend. She was smart and she was ambitious, and she was beautiful. She was a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She repressed the memories, but it messed with her emotionally. Enter Sonny. He owned a strip club called The Paradise Lounge and he convinced Karen that she could empower herself, that she could take charge of her life by stripping. Did he mention she was underage? Ava asks Sonny if he knew that, and Sonny says he did. John says he’ll admit Sonny didn’t force her; he persuaded her. And when she got nervous about getting out there on that stage, he gave her drugs. Then in the end – John’s voice breaks – he slept with her. That’s the man Ava is standing next to, and that’s the man Anna is defending.

Sonny says, thirty years ago, he did own a nightclub called The Paradise Lounge, and it’s true he befriended Karen. She was curious about dancing, and he encouraged her, and he regrets it 150%. And if he had to do it all over again, he would do it totally different. Karen was abused and she was hurt, and she was acting out. That’s how she made her way to him, because she needed somewhere to go. He doesn’t care if John believes him or not, but he was there to help her. John says, by sleeping with her? By giving her drugs? Sonny says, by listening to her, by understanding what it’s like to be a young kid, powerless. You can’t stop somebody from hurting you. There’s a lot John doesn’t know about Karen, and that’s the real reason John hates him. John says, Sonny is like the Pied Piper from hell. He finds these damaged kids and pretends to save them, when really, he’s just exploiting them. That’s what he did to Karen, and he did it to Stone.

Josslyn and Dex arrive at the pier, and Josslyn says, Dante? They both run to Dante, and she says, it’s Joss. They’re going to help him. Dex says, someone did a field dressing, but she says, they have to do something else. Dex says, he’s got a chest wound. From the way he’s breathing, a lung’s collapsed. They have to plug these holes, so it doesn’t collapse more. He presses on Dante’s chest, and Josslyn gets on her phone. She says she’s on Pier 55 and a man’s been shot… No, there’s nobody else here. He’s alone… Yeah, she can hear the sirens. How long until the paramedics get here?… They need to hurry.

Olivia thanks Sam for sticking around and helping her clean up, and Sam says, of course (🍷). It was the least she could do. After all, Olivia helped with Scout’s party. Olivia says, the smile on her little face was thanks enough, along with the chunk of cake she has stashed in the fridge for later. Sam says she’s going to go. If Scout wakes up, have Drew handle her. She doesn’t want to impose on their time together. Olivia asks if that’s been a thing. Aren’t they getting along? She tells herself to shut her mouth and mind her own business, but Sam says, it’s okay. No one ever said co-parenting was going to be easy. She and Drew had their first disagreement about what’s best for Scout. Olivia says, that’s very normal. That’s going to happen. The stories she could tell Sam about her and Ned. Two big personalities, they butt heads all the time about what’s best for Leo, but at the end of the day, they talk it out, kiss, and make up. She’s not telling Sam to kiss Drew… Sam says she totally understands what Olivia is saying. She doesn’t want Olivia to think there’s friction between her and Drew. It’s not like that. The truth is, ever since Drew came back from Pentenville, something happened in there that changed everything about him. Olivia says she wishes she could tell Sam that she doesn’t have experience with that, but she does. When Dante came back with the PTSD, it was like he was a different person. After the torture and the brainwashing, it was like the boy she’d raised was out of reach. Sam says, they’re really lucky that Dante was strong and brave enough to come back to them, but Olivia says, luck had nothing to do with it. Her boy went through hell, and she didn’t think there was any way he was ever coming back. And then Sam came along.

Laura’s phone chimes, and she tells Cyrus, it’s Elizabeth. He says, good news he hopes, and she says, as a matter of fact, it is. Ace has a really nasty ear infection. He’s going to need a really strong antibiotic, but after that he’s fine. He says, then his prayers have been answered. Does this mean she gets to take him home tonight? She says, yeah. She just wants to fill this prescription while they’re getting him ready to be discharged. Cyrus wonders if Ace is old enough for lollypops (no), because he probably deserves a couple for being so brave. Doesn’t she think? She says, if not a lollypop, he probably does deserve some kind of a treat. She really likes how Cyrus is when he’s thinking about what’s best for Ace. It’s like he’s really learning how to be part of a family. He says, that really means a lot coming from her. Please keep him informed on how the little guy is doing. She says she will, thanks him, and leaves. He sits down, closes his eyes, and says, thank you, God. He hears the door open and says, forget something? He looks over and sees Heather, who says, never.

Cyrus asks what she’s doing here, and Heather says, what does anybody come to a place like this for? He’s a man of God now. He should know. She’s here to pray. He asks what she prays for, and she says, an answer. He says, the Lord is always willing to enlighten us. What’s her question? She says she wants to know why an old, lying, bankrupt weasel like himself gets to go on living, while her sweet Esme is dead. Does that seem fair to him? He reaches for his phone, but she says, don’t even try it, and takes out a huge surgical saw. She says, isn’t she a beauty? It’s amazing what you can find in a hospital, the tools they have to fix people. And then the other things you can do with them. She waves it around and says, I want you to suffer, old man, the way my Esme suffered.

Sonny says, Stone was his brother, but John says, no. Stone was his brother. He was a street kid that Sonny took in to run his errands, and when everything blew up with Karen, when Sonny was busted for underage talent, Stone became his ticket to respectability. Sonny says, he couldn’t be more wrong, and John says, Sonny was lower than dirt in Port Charles before Stone redeemed him. And suddenly he was Sonny Corinthos, mobster with a heart of gold, philanthropist. Who cares about his criminal record? All anybody could talk about was how good Sonny was to his brother. Sonny says he loved John’s brother, and he knows that, and John says, maybe he did. Maybe every moment he spent with Stone was sincere, but it still worked to Sonny’s benefit. Sonny is a shrewd investor, and this paid off for him in spades. Especially with Stone’s girlfriend. Robin treated him like a benefactor. She practically canonized him to the city of Port Charles. And to her mother. That’s the real reason Anna defends Sonny. Because Robin loves him; because he was there when Stone died, and she wasn’t. Anna asks if he’s quite finished.

Curtis says, let him get this straight. Marshall doesn’t want to find the doctor that misdiagnosed him? That mistake cost him his family, his future. Marshall says, it won’t change anything. It won’t give him back the years, the time he lost with Irene and Curtis and Tommy. There’s no getting that back. His focus needs to be on the life he has now. He thought he made that clear. Stella says, he did, and she heard every word, but that was his pain talking, the regret he feels, and she doesn’t want to add to that. It’s just the opposite actually. He’s been suffering as a prisoner for someone else’s mistake for 40 years. This is his chance to set himself free. Curtis says, Aunt Stella’s right. He knows Marshall is scared, but he’ll tell Marshall words Marshall told him when he found himself in this chair – you’re not alone. He misses mom and misses Tommy, but Marshall has him. This is right up his alley. Use his skills. They can pick up the thread Aunt Stella started. They can follow it wherever it takes them and finally put the past where it belongs, in the past. Stella says, Curtis is a smart man. Listen to him. Curtis says, let him do this with Marshall, okay? Let him help Marshall get these answers.

Josslyn tells Dante, the paramedics are on their way. She can hear the sirens. Just hang on. Dex wonders who fixed him up then left him, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Chase comes on the scene, and says, Dante. He runs over and asks, how bad is he? Dex says, from the amount of blood, it looks like multiple gun wounds to the chest, but they didn’t remove the pressure bandage, so they can’t be sure. He can’t find any other injuries. Chase says, the paramedics are on their way. He feels Dante’s neck and says he’s not getting a pulse.

Chase says he’s still not getting a pulse, and Dex says, the paramedics have to be close. Josslyn tells Chase to take over for Dex, who’s putting pressure on the wound. She’ll do rescue breathing while Dex does compression. Chase tells Dante to stay with them. They need him.

Sam says she can’t take credit for Dante’s recovery, and Olivia says, not all of it, no. He had to do the hard part himself, but Sam was a big part of that. After everything he went through with the WSB, seeing him talk about her – and they weren’t even a couple then, by the way – it was the first time she ever saw that spark back in his eye, the old Dante. It was the first time she allowed herself to hope that everything might be okay. Sam says, Olivia never told her that, and Olivia says she’s telling Sam now. Because she knows how happy Sam makes her son. She’s so grateful for Sam. She’s so grateful for her place in Dante’s life. Sam says she actually feels like the lucky one, because Dante was a bigger man, and he was brave, and he was able to fight those demons. Olivia says, he got that straight from Sam. Her son was at the lowest point in his life, and he needed someone to live for. And falling in love with Sam was a big part of that. So long overdue – thank you. She takes Sam’s hands and says, thank you for giving me my son back.

As they continue to work on Dante, Chase tells him, hang on. The paramedics are almost here. (They might have mentioned it was an officer down, not just, a man is shot.) Chase wonders where the hell they are, and Dex yells, we’re back here! He’s got a pulse. The paramedics arrive, and Chase says, hurry. His partner’s been shot. He’s got multiple bullet wounds to the chest that they know of. The paramedics go over to Dante, and Dex says, a pulse was detected. They did compression and rescue breathing. The paramedics do their thing, and Chase says, Dex and Josslyn may have saved Dante’s life. Josslyn says she hopes so, and Chase asks if they were the ones who bandaged him. Dex says, they found him like that. His legs were elevated and the sweatshirt was tied around him for a pressure bandage. Josslyn says, and somebody called 9-1-1. The operator was still on the phone when they got here.

John tells Anna that he’s here for a job, but the job isn’t to take Sonny down. That’s her job, and he looks forward to seeing her do it. She says, if she finds Sonny, or anyone else, doing criminal enterprise, then she’ll use every legal means at her disposal to bring them to justice. Ava says, wonderful. Now that they’ve both declared their mission statements, they can get back to their investigation, and she and Sonny will get out of their way. John’s phone beeps, and he says, one second. He has to go see one of the CSI personnel. He’s going to have to ask Ava and Sonny to stick around a while longer. He leaves, and Sonny asks Anna how long she’s going to let John drag this out, but she says she’s not letting him do anything. He has a case to work and the authority to work it. Ava says, after the show he just put on? He can’t be objective. He shouldn’t be anywhere near this case. (Agreed. And 30 years ago? Come on.) Anna’s phone beeps, and she says she has to take this. She leaves, and Ava says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she believes Sonny. About Karen. She believes Sonny was trying to help her. He thanks her, and she says, but Cates never will. And an FBI agent with a grudge is a bad enemy to have.

Cyrus tells Heather that they’re in a place of God. Please put the saw down. She says she doesn’t think so. She gestures with the saw as she talks, and says she wants him to listen to her. And she wants him to admit what he’s done. This little baby is going to help her make sure that happens. Her Esme came to him desperate and alone. All she wanted was for Cyrus to help her. It would have been so easy for him to do that, but he didn’t. Instead, he betrayed her. He says he knows that’s how it looks to Heather, but he was only trying to prevent… She says, to prevent something bad from happening. Yeah, so he’s said. But he didn’t and her little girl died, all alone, fighting for her last breath. Just imagine the terror she felt. Sheer panic as she fought to keep afloat until the current pulled her under. He says he didn’t want that. Nobody did. She tells him, how convenient that he says that now that her little girl is dead. But she will avenge Esme and become the mother to the son that Esme never got the chance to be. She moves closer while she talks and says, unfortunately, he won’t be alive to see it. Laura comes up behind her and clonks her in the head with something. Heather goes down, and Cyrus takes the saw. He and Laura look at each other, beathing heavily, and looking shocked.

Sonny says, they have another problem, and Ava says, just one? He says, Spinelli planted surveillance cameras all over the warehouse, and if the FBI finds them, they’re going to trace it to Spinelli. And they’re going to confiscate all the footage that happened tonight. She says, including the shooters on the roof, and he says, they can’t let Jagger see that footage before he does. They’re going to detain him here for probably 48 hours. They’re not going to detain her. She needs to get ahold of Dean. Have him take her to Spinelli’s and get that footage. Shed says, he’s trusting her, when Anna comes back. Anna tells Sonny that she has a squad car waiting to take them to the hospital. Dante’s on route to the ER. He’s been shot. He’s in critical condition.

Marshall says, Curtis would do that for him? and Curtis says he’d do anything to help Marshall. But he has to admit, he’d be doing that for all of them. The whole family was affected by Marshall’s diagnosis for decades. And now, thanks to Aunt Stella, they have a signature and a starting point. Stella says, and with his son’s expertise, they should be able to find that doctor and find out the truth. Marshall says he sees. It’s two against one. Talk about stacking the deck. Curtis asks if that’s a yes, and Marshall takes Curtis and Stella’s hands. He says, with his son by his side, he couldn’t lose.

A new guard has Heather, and she says, Laura hitting her in the head was a little extreme. Laura could have killed her. Cyrus says, Heather means, before she killed him, and Heather says, minor detail. Laura says, Heather left her no choice, but she’s glad Heather is okay, and Heather says, now there’s the Laura Webber she remembers. She was so sweet back in the day. Laura says, it’s Laura Collins now. He can take Heather away. Just make sure she gets checked for a concussion. Heather limps away with the guard, and Laura says, she doesn’t look well. She did hit Heather pretty hard. Does Cyrus think there’s anything wrong with her? He says he doubts it. She’s probably trying to escape again. He wouldn’t believe anything that woman says or does. In the hallway, Heather says she can’t breathe and falls on the floor. Laura and Cyrus come out of the chapel.

Olivia asks Sam if she can be a little bit nosy. Tell her to mind her own business and butt out if it’s too much, but since Sam and Dante spend so much time together, any chance of them making it official? Sam says, things are great between her and Dante right now, but she thinks they like things the way they are right now. Olivia says, fair enough. She can’t blame a mother for trying though. There’s a knock at the door, and Josslyn and Dex come in. Olivia says, they’re a little late for the party, and Sam asks, what’s going on? Josslyn says, they just came from the pier. Dante’s been shot.

An agent hands John a camera in an evidence bag, and John says, tell CSI to tear this place apart. They need to know if there’s any more of these here. These cameras are state of the art. The surveillance was obviously part of Sonny and Selina’s plan. He needs to know what network these cameras are running on, what’s on that footage, and most importantly, who’s got it?

Jason leans against a dumpster and feels underneath his coat. He looks at his hand and sees blood on it.

Tomorrow, Cody says, it was an opportunity to spend time with Sasha; Nina says, someone will just have to trust her; Ava finds Spinelli; and Olivia asks if Sonny had anything to do with this.

Vanderpump Rules

They play that sunrise music where I feel compelled to tweet like a bird. In Tahoe, everyone is doing their thing. Sandoval writes in his journal. Lala gets in bed with Scheana, who says, Brock got up at 5 for golfing. She was texting with Ariana last night. They’re not welcoming the Toms with open arms. Sandoval wouldn’t be here if it was their trip. She doesn’t think she can be friends with him again, but during the pandemic she had nothing coming in and he floated her. In Scheana’s interview, she says she woke up to several thousand dollars in her PayPal. Her podcast had been canceled, she was pregnant, and had no income. He was there for her when no one else was. She doesn’t want be best friends, but she’s struggling with not forgiving him. He’s a human and he’s been there for her. Lala asks if she’s feeling torn, but Schena says, no. She’s Team Ariana until she dies.

Ariana does a photoshoot for her new cocktail book, and Katie brings over lunch. In Ariana’s interview, she says, the cocktail book she did before was with Sandoval. He thought she couldn’t do anything on her ow. We flash back to Sandoval naming a cocktail and ignoring Ariana’s input. She says, this is essentially her breakup album. She’s trying to make lemonade out of lemons, but with vodka. She tells Katie that the book is the story of her relationship, and Katie asks if it’s dark. Ariana shows her the chapters: Honeymoon, Betrayal, Devastation, Resilience, and Ad Astra. It sounds like the five stages of grief. They laugh over the cocktail names, and Ariana does some shots outside. The photo kind, not drinks.

Sandoval greets Shannon, the yoga wellness instructor, and they lay out mats for the group. Shannon asks if there’s anything he wants her to touch on, and he gives her the Readers Digest version of Scandoval. He says, it didn’t tear the group up so much, but everyone hated him. This trip is the first time anyone’s let their guard down. Shannon says she’ll do a seated meditation where they work together. Lala, James, Ally, Schwartz, and Scheana show up and everyone remarks on the clarity of the day. Scheana wonders where Brock is. Shannon says the meditation is about awareness to self as well as everyone around you. Brock finally shows up, and Shannon says, they’ll sit by themselves first to center themselves, then they’ll do partner meditation, and end with bringing it to the full group. Allow themselves to be vulnerable and open to the full experience. They sit on their mats, and Shannon tells them to listen to their bodies and give themselves a few moments to be in the moment. Hear the lapping of the lake and feel the air on their skin. It almost feels like they’re playing a movie of their life. We flash back over Scandoval, and Shannon tells them to let go of their labels to help put themselves back together to feel whole. She asks them to sit back-to-back with the person next to them, and poor Scheana is sitting next to Sandoval. Since there are seven people, there has to be a triangle, and Scheana looks panicked when Brock sits with James and Ally. In Scheana’s interview, she says, this is the longest she’s gone in their 15 years of friendship, not speaking to or seeing Sandoval. She’s holding on to anger, resentment, and hatred, and she’s not ready for this. Shannon tells them to talk to the person and ask what they need. She doesn’t want anyone to hold back. Don’t say they’re okay just because it’s what they’re used to saying or walk eggshells. Scheana says she’s not okay and needs a break. She gets up and on her way inside, she says she still f***ing hates him.

Brock finds Scheana inside, and she tells him that she’d rather have done this with him, but he says, there’s other stuff here too. In Brock’s interview, he says he thought Scheana owed it to herself to have this moment and figure out the next step. He tells her that they’re here to figure this out. Outside, Schwartz says he saw this blue jay and it was massive. That’s his story. They’re supposed to symbolize communication and strength, and he thought it was a good omen. Brock tells Scheana that she’s got to be open minded. It doesn’t mean being best friends. It’s about talking through that. Scheana refuses to hug Brock, and he asks if she’s mad at him too. She says she just asked him to be back in time, and goes back outside. She tells the group that she doesn’t feel well and she’s uncomfortable. Shannon asks if everyone feels they’re okay, and Sandoval asks if Scheana is okay. Scheana says, yeah, and Shannon tells them to come back to where they feel whole. The moments in life that felt difficult made them who they are. We flash back over Sandoval and Scheana throughout the years. Shannon says she wants them to feel the beat of the heart and the rhythm of the breath of the person behind them. Then slowly and mindfully back away until their sitting on their own. Turn and face the person and imagine it’s the last time you’ll see them. Scheana looks like she wants to ugly cry, and Shannon asks how it feels to know they’ll never see them again or have them in their life. No matter what has transpired, remember there is much love before the loss. Scheana finally cracks and starts bawling. She says she needs to let go of the hate. It’s not good for her, but she’s still mad at Sandoval. She doesn’t know him. Sandoval says she does, and she says she knows who he is to her and what he did to her. He says, she doesn’t understand, and she says she doesn’t know if she needs to. Sandoval says he was thinking if it was the last day he’d ever see her and got very sad. Then he thought about the beautiful, amazing times they had together, took it in, and sort of celebrated it. Scheana says she thought about the last day many times during this because she was worried that he was going to do something to himself. She needs to let go of hating him, but he did this. Brock cries watching her, and she gets up. In Sandoval’s interview, he say she knows this is especially difficult for Scheana, and he appreciates that she’s willing to do it and be vulnerable with him. Shannon says, the last part is making a big circle, including Hippie (nee Graham). In his interview, Sandoval says he was hoping Scheana would be reminded that he’s not a ruthless, heartless villain. He’s a friend and misses her. He heaves a big sigh. Shannon thanks them and they thank her. In Scheana’s interview, she says, the mask fell and she saw there was still a soul inside. Her friend Tom misses her and their friendship and knows how bad he f***ed up. Schwartz says, they’ll chill, then go to the gondola. Lala finds Scheana and hugs her. Scheana says she saw genuine tears and cries some more. She tells Lala that she texted Ariana this morning, and it’s hard. She loves Ariana and has her back no matter what. Lala says, Sandoval can’t continue to be crucified day in and day out. He made a mistake, and it changed the dynamic of the group. There’s nothing they can do to change it.

Ariana tells Katie about Scheana texting her, and how she ended up with Sandoval as a meditation partner. She was sobbing and it was so uncomfortable. Ariana didn’t have time to ask the follow-up questions, so she just said, it sounds awful. Katie says, if someone wanted to be friends with Sandoval, Ariana’s not their friend? and Ariana says, yep. In Ariana’s interview, she says she’s made it clear. It doesn’t work for her to have mutual friends. She doesn’t want Sandoval to have access to her life in any way. She’s not making ultimatums or telling anyone what to do, but she’s only putting time and energy into friendships where she feels safe. We find out Katie’s date didn’t know what penne is, and she says she feels like in terms of life experience, they’re not in the same place. In Katie’s interview, she says, she already had to introduce Schwartz to the world. She doesn’t know if she wants another project boyfriend.

They get to the gondola, and Schwartz says, they’re one big f****ed up family. In James’s interview, he says, Ally wasn’t going because she’s afraid of heights, but he convinced her. He gets up during the ride, and dances, trying to rock the car, which does not amuse Ally. I identify because I had a boyfriend who did that on the aerial tramway to Roosevelt Island. I wasn’t amused either. James rides with the girls, while the rest of the guys ride in another car. Sandoval asks if the others got something out of the morning, and Schwartz says his relationship with Lala was strained. It was nice to reconnect. We see a clip of him telling her that she’s a good mom and has great eyebrows. Brock says, it was good, but Scheana was upset. She didn’t know how to handle the different relationship dynamic. Lala wonders what the boys are talking about, and Scheana says, her. She’s not wrong. Sandoval says, neither of them did any of this with the intention of hurting anyone. But the way they all reacted was with the intent to hurt them. Brock says, Scheana got slammed with a restraining order, and Sandoval says, because she punched Rachel Raquel in the face. In Brock’s interview, he says, Sandoval is taking 10% accountability, and 90% blaming others for his issues. Sandoval says, it was a hate crusade, and Brock says, Sandoval’s team spread rumors about him and Raquel Rachel. In his interview, Brock says, at the height of everything, Sandoval’s team said that Sandoval wasn’t the only one having an affair. When their team asked where it came from, they were told, off the record, Sandoval’s team. Guess it’s on the record now and I wonder if I need a team. Brock says, for the record, he and Raquel Rachel never looked at each other that way. She was like his little sister. Sandoval’s team was trying to save Sandoval’s ass and threw him under the bus. Sandoval says he’ll literally take a polygraph.

They get off the gondola, and the view is breathtaking. There’s a discussion about whether or not they’d go down a water slide from there. I think, maybe… Brock says, Sandoval is going to die on his own sword for a woman who’s not even here. He needs to stop it and move on. Brock says he needs a beer and tells Scheana that he lost it on Sandoval, although I don’t think that qualified as losing it. He doesn’t get it. brock tells Sandoval that he’s sorry he got emotional. They say what’s on the top of their minds and it’s not conducive to the conversation. Sandoval says he’s not discounting Brock’s feelings, but they it’s the constant kicking while he’s down from them. They saw him touring and they’re thinking he’s partying his balls off, but he had to. He had no money. He could have if he sold that house, but okay. Brock says, Sandoval’s choices of platform were incorrect, but he’s sorry for snapping. He saw Scheana was upset. Sandoval says he understands. In Scheana’s interview, she says, she was by herself last night, and hopped into a photo for someone’s birthday. They posted it and her arm is around Sandoval, technically. He just put himself in there, and now people are dissecting the photo. She’s reading, Scheana this and Scheana that, and it frustrates her. They don’t know she’s personally struggling and assume she’s betraying Ariana. Lala tells Scheana that she doesn’t think she should be reading that. They go in a small yacht to a gorgeous spot and some of them go into the in water. It looks like a blast.

Ariana, Katie and chief consultant Penny meet interview potential employees for the sandwich shop. In Ariana’s interview, she says, despite everything that’s happened, she and Katie’s vision is the same for the restaurant. Penny is working on the nuts and bolts, and she and Katie are focused on the front of the house. She’s never hired anyone and it’s weird to be on the other side of the table. She doesn’t want people to feel like they’re big, bad, boss ladies. First candidate Brent comes in wearing pickle tie because he’s a big dill. Penny seems to ask all the questions, and in Ariana’s interview, she says she appreciates Penny’s expertise, but she feels that she and Katie should be asking the questions. Brock and Schwartz swim out to a log, while Scheana finds a spot by herself on the boat and takes out her phone. No matter what she’s going to do, it’s a bad idea.

Scheana calls Ariana, who tells her that they’re interviewing. She asks if Scheana still feels sick, and Scheana says she’s depleted. They did the meditation whatever thing. Ariana says, Scheana wants healing, but doesn’t want to be put in the position to be friends. He did this to her and he’s not someone she wants to be friends with. She’s saying this for Scheana’s sake. Scheana says, it’s not like it used to be. The instructor had them imagine it was the last time they’d see this person and imagine this and that. Ariana knows how close they were, and it was a heavy loss. She’s struggling. She misses him, but they never be what they were because of what he did. Ariana says, he put everybody in that position, and Scheana says she felt like she got a genuine apology and genuine tears. She needs to let go of the hatred. She can’t keep hating him for Ariana. In Katie’s interview, she says, Scheana is getting close to crossing the line. She’s got the wrong audience. Scheana says she’s mad because she misses her friend. In her interview, Katie says, if Scheana wants to be Sandoval’s friend, Ariana will cut her off. She needs to think about her next move carefully.

In Ally’s interview, she says she’s nervous about James posting a photo with Hippie. Once you put it out there, it’s news. The cat’s out of the bag. Schwartz invites stew Arielle back to the house, and Sandoval passes around oxygen like it’s a bong. Lala asks if everyone had a good with him and he says, pretty much. She wonders if she can ask him a question. When he looks in her eyes says she needs to be real and honest with her life, knowing what he’s doing, how could he look at her and say that? He did an article the day before he got caught. Sandoval corrects her and says, the day of, and Lala says, it was such a mind f***. In Lala’s interview, she says, Sandoval said she has douchey energy and needs to be real. We see the headline and she says, how poetic it should come out on this day, and rich coming from him. Sandoval says, Lala’s life was a mystery for years, and in his interview, he says he lied for 7 months, when Lala lied for a few years about her 6-year relationship. They’re both liars. He calls this a wash. Wow. He just doesn’t get it. He’s even a bad sociopath. He could at least pretend. Lala says, he doesn’t get to talk about her past when he was doing what he was doing to them. She thought he’d say he f***d up and he’s sorry, but he’s not. He says he’s taking accountability.

Sandoval says, they’re putting their lives out there and Lala isn’t, and she asks Scheana if she’s losing her mind. Sandoval wants to say she’s not real. In Lala’s interview, she says she thinks she overestimated the self-work Sandoval’s been doing. She tells him that she felt sorry for him for five seconds, and then he revealed that he’s terrifying. She’s happy with who she is and doesn’t care if he approves. She wanted to have a conversation where he’d be a human being. He says, she came at him, but she says she didn’t. He’s rehashed her past every year because it’s all he has on her. He won’t allow her to evolve, and even though it’s only been 4 months, she let him evolve. She tells him that he isolates and grooms. She doesn’t know him and doesn’t want to. He’s scary. Not being able to think of his own material, he says, she’s scary. Lala walks off, and Brock says, all they wanted was for him to say he’s sorry. No one wants bullsh*t. Sandoval continues to dig in his heels, and Lala says, all she wanted was for him to say he’s sorry. He f***ed up, but he brought up her past. Scheana says, Lala is asking for an apology and feels it’s hypocritical to tell her to be real. In Sandoval’s interview, he says his biggest issue with Lala is that she pulls out skeletons for motivation, yet he’s hypocritical for hiding 7 months of an affair. Lala says, all she wanted was for him to say he f***ed up, and Sandoval says he didn’t understand. Lala insists she’s not coming for him. She’s tired. Sandoval awkwardly hugs Lala and says he’s sorry. The last couple days meant a lot. He’s still processing and it’s a lot for everybody. Schwartz tells Arielle that they’re not usually like this.

Brock comes back drunk on tequila shots, and he and Schwartz talk about past relationships. Schwartz finally says, they’re too drunk to have this conversation. James calls his mom and says he spoke to Sandoval. He’s here. His mom says, no bueno, and James says he’s taking it day by day. Sandoval thanks Schwartz for inviting him. It was a huge breakthrough. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, in the beginning, he felt like a dog. Now at least they’re leaving him food on the porch. He can’t come inside, but maybe he can sleep in the backyard, not on the street.

Scheana tells Lala that she has to defend herself for how she’s standing in the photo. Lala tells her not to be searching for it, but Scheana says, it’s everywhere. It’s in all her mentions. Lala says, she’s searching for it and asks if Ariana came to her defense. Scheana says, of course not. When she tries to talk to Ariana, Ariana dismisses her feelings or says she shouldn’t feel that way. It’s like she’s a bad person for just telling Ariana that she’s struggling. Lala says, her feelings are valid, and Ariana is doing fine. She’s having her moment and deserves it. Scheana says she’s happy for Ariana. Even when she got Dancing with the Stars. Ariana knew how badly she’d wanted to be on it, but she was genuinely happy for Ariana and said she’d be there whenever Ariana wanted. She deserves what she’s getting, and Scheana is happy she didn’t go down a dark spiral, but she’s hurting still. Lala says she understands. Scheana can have Ariana’s back, but she has to acknowledge what Scheana’s been through. In Lala’s interview, she suggests Ariana pull her head out of her ass and remember who her friends are and what they’ve done for her. Scheana is ride or die and it’s time for Ariana to return the favor. Scheana asks why she can’t have a moment about her. She lost a very dear friend and she’s struggling with that. But she’s not allowed to feel that way because it’s about Ariana. She cries.

Next time, Lala tells Lisa that she’s trying to rebrand and get a sperm donor; Lala tells Katie that she’s a bit much; Sandoval is worried about Raquel Rachel; and Lisa says Rachel Raquel isn’t happy with Sandoval.

☔️ Jumping Puddles…

Slide into my blog tomorrow for soap and Part 2 of the horror that is Beverly Hills reuniting. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your dog on a leash outside the dog park, and stay allowing people to evolve.

Feb28

February 27, 2023 – Nina Pleads With Sonny, Worm With a Mustache Goes To Tahoe & Girl

Posted on February 28, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny tells Nina, let’s not waste each other’s time standing around. If she has something to say to him, say it. She says she’s sorry, but she’s startled. She’s heard him use that tone of voice with other people, but never dreamed he’d use it with her. He wonders what she was expecting, and she says she wanted a conversation. She doesn’t want to waste any more time than they already have. They’ve wasted enough time being apart. He says, okay. This is her chance. Stop stalling. Get to where she needs to get. She says she misses him, and she’s done missing him.

Blaze says she and Kristina are more than friends, and Natalia asks what that even means, more than friends. Blaze says, she knows what that means. Don’t pretend… Natalia says she doesn’t have to pretend. Blaze has said barely anything since she got here, and she’s completely lost. Blaze tells her that she’s saying Kristina didn’t stay over because they had some girl’s night that went late. (Well…) Kristina isn’t a friend. She’s Blaze’s girlfriend.

Spinelli says, it’s an auspicious day when two co-parents such as themselves share a house, then share a kiss, and Maxie says, it’s a first for her. He says he has no precedent either, so what now? and she says, they could just pretend the kiss never happened. He asks if the kiss wasn’t to her liking, but she says, it was fine. He says, fine? Fine is akin to nice, linguistically speaking, and neither indicate a great review. She says, it was better than fine. It was better than nice. It was definitely a good kiss. He says, it was very good for him as well, and Maxie says, great. Now that they’ve got that worked out, let’s just go back to the way things were. Spinelli asks if she wants to put the genie back in the bottle, and she says, why not? He says he’s afraid it would be impossible, and she asks, why is that? Please no lectures on the metaphysical properties of genies and why they can and can’t be put back in bottles, because I’m sure there are laws governing the genie universe, but they don’t apply to us. He says, us? Did she just say us? She says, us as in us. Just standing here. It’s only a word. He says, but it means more, and she says, since when? He says, since he thinks he’s falling back in love with her.

Carly asks, so how was Drew’s day? and he says he and the heavy bag spent some quality time together. How was her day? She says, not so great, and he says he hates the way this feels between them, but he’s at a loss. Can they find their way forward or is it the end for them? It’s a good thing she kept her day job, now that she’s printed her first and last issue of Crimson. She comes around the counter and tells him that she may have said some things she didn’t mean at the office. He says he knows he did. He missed her last night. She says she missed him too. She’s been missing him for a while now. He says he’s not the same since prison. He’s been hearing that a lot lately. If she’s looking for the man he used to be, he’s gone, for good.

Sonny says, if he wasn’t willing to listen, he would have been gone by now, and Nina says, it’s funny, because she came here to ask Ava to orchestrate some way for them to be alone together. Lo and behold, he shows up, so no orchestration needed. He asks if she and Ava were talking about him, and she says, of course (🍷) they do, because they’re friends and Ava’s currently staying with him. Ava doesn’t tell her a whole lot, but Ava did tell her that he was almost killed in Puerto Rico. She can’t stand the thought of him being struck down by some unknown assassin… He says, if she talked to Ava, she knows that nobody got hurt. As she can see, he’s fine. She asks if he knows who’s responsible for this, and where was Dex? He shouldn’t let something like that happen to Sonny. Dex should be protecting him. Sonny says, Dex is not her concern, and she says, Sonny is her concern. Everything about him is her concern. She’s not going to stop worrying and caring about him because he served her with divorce papers. No legal document is going to… She starts to cry, and says, his ring. He says, what about it? and she says, his wedding ring. Where is it?

Blaze asks if Natalia heard what she said, and Natalia says she did. Her hearing is just fine, thank you. She looks around and says, Blaze needs to pick up after herself. She starts cleaning up the room and says, unbelievable. She guesses now that Blaze’s career is taking off, she can just have other people do this for her. It doesn’t matter how big she gets. You need to pick up after you. Discipline, self-respect, courtesy, and hard work; these are all really good habits that matter. (She’s not wrong.) Good habits matter because they serve you your whole life, and you don’t just let them slide like this. She guesses what they say is true. A mother’s work is never done. It’s clearly more than just finances. Blaze says, please stop. She doesn’t need Natalia to pick up after her. She needs Natalia to look at her. Natalia does, and Blaze says, there are a million reasons why she didn’t tell Natalia the truth, but now she has one big reason to tell her everything. The fact that Kristina and I… Natalia says, there is no Kristina and I. There’s you, and there is her, and there is some story, some fantasy that this young lady has been whispering in your ear. Blaze says, Kristina hasn’t done anything like that, and Natalia says she doesn’t know Kristina, but she knows her daughter and she knows her daughter doesn’t have these ridiculous ideas. Blaze says, she only knows parts of her daughter. The parts Blaze lets her see and the parts she lets herself see, but she’s trying to get Natalia to see more. Natalia says, Blaze thinks she doesn’t see her? She brought Blaze into this world. There’s nobody who knows Blaze better than she does. She’s always been there for Blaze. Blaze says she’s not that child anymore. She’s an adult who’s been fending for herself in a very tough industry for years. Natalia says she’s always helped Blaze. She’s always been there. Blaze says, and she’s grateful, and kisses Natalia’s hand. But she also knows who she is. And now, she needs Natalia to know too.

Maxie says, Spinelli thinks he’s in love with her. Huh. Well, when he’s sure, shoot her an email. He says, there’s no need to involve the internet. He is in love with her. He’s always been in love with her. She says, let’s not rewrite history here. There have been long periods of time – she’s talking like, years – where Spinelli was not in love with her. He says he may not have always expressed it, and she asks why he’s expressing it now. He says he wishes he was more articulate, for both of their sakes, but please, bear with him. Hear him out, okay? She says, okay, and he says, it’s true, for years he sublimated his feelings, but they’ve returned and they’re stronger than ever. He’s been trying to fight this since last Christmas. She says, he’s had these feelings this entire time? and he says, living in this house, together but separately, if she knows what he… He can’t explain it, but his feelings have overwhelmed him and it just kind of happened. One day, they were co-parents, and the next… She knows, doesn’t she? Last night, he said it using someone else’s words, someone else’s lyrics in a song, but he’s saying it again as him right now. Does she have anything to say in return?

Drew says he doesn’t have a firm grasp on the old Drew or the man he is now for that matter, and Carly says, Drew Cain is good, and kind, and funny, and sweet, and so decent. He’s the man she fell for. He says, he sounds interesting, and she says she’d like to spend the rest of her life getting to know him and never scratch the surface and love every minute because she loves him. And she’s not the only one. Scout adores him because he’s such an amazing father, and he risked everything, including his life, to save Willow. And when they were both facing the possibility of going to prison, he stood up and took the blame for everything and it cost him so much. Drew says, there was no other choice, but she says, yes, there was. Lesser men make easy self-serving choices every day, but not him, not ever. He says he feels like there’s a but coming, and she says, it must be so hard to be such a good man and move through the world the way he does. And she loves him so much… but she wants him to put Pentenville and the past behind him.

Sonny asks why Nina is so surprised that ring means something. It’s a symbol of love, fidelity, and trust, and when they’re gone… She says, it’s only gone when they say it’s gone, and it has to be with the same conviction and passion they felt when they put these rings on their fingers. Look. She still has hers right here. She’s never taken it off. He says, that’s her choice. Nothing is going to change anything once they sign the papers. She asks if he really thinks they can put everything that they are on some pieces of paper, and he says, the paper is going to make things easier. It’s going to make the ending easier. She says, this is hard on him too. Okay then. Forget about the damn papers. Forget about the rings. Even forget about the vows they made to each other. The only thing that truly matters is that she loves him, and she knows that he still loves her. He says, it’s not the only thing that matters, and she says she knows. He can blame her all he wants for throwing Carly and Drew under the bus. She reported them to SEC, but he can’t tell her that he doesn’t understand why she did that. On some level deep down, he understands, and does he know why? He says, why? and she says, because they both live by this golden rule, do unto others before they can do unto you. He says, in his case, it’s business; in her case, it’s jealousy. Jealousy almost put Donna’s mother in prison. What about Wiley? What about Amelia? Carly’s as much their grandmother as Nina is. Nina says, and she’s reminded of that over and over again. She made a rash decision. He says, she doesn’t want Carly happy, plain and simple. It didn’t matter who went to prison, Drew or Carly. As long as Carly’s miserable, it’s a win-win situation for her. Nina says, he blames her for taking Drew away from Carly, but does he ever blame Carly for taking her daughters away from her? Daughters, plural, Nelle and Willow. It seems like she’s the only one ever outraged by that. He says, she can come up with a million excuses why she did what she did, and yeah, he can be ruthless when he has to be, but she’s reckless and petty, and that’s unforgiveable.

Spinelli tells Maxie, forget about Sonny. Not forget forget. He’s unforgettable. The man’s a legend. Maxie says she thinks she’s in love with Spinelli too, and he says, what? She says she thinks… no, she’s almost positive, and he says, you love me? Did you hear that world? She loves me! He moves toward her, but she holds him back. He says, no? and she says, but is that enough?

Kirstina says she’s going to go. She thinks Blaze and her mom should talk. Blaze says, please stay. Kristina is a part of her life, and her mother needs to hear it. Natalia says she doesn’t need to hear any more about this. They have more important things to talk about, like Blaze’s finances. Blaze says, at this moment, the most important thing is Kristina and her, and the sooner Natalia accepts that… Natalia asks, what more does she need to accept? When Blaze first came to her and said she wanted to earn a living trying to sing, she was nervous, but she said, okay. Then Blaze said she wanted to go around the world singing, and what did she do? She jumped in, she took care of the books, and made sure all Blaze had to think about was her music. Blaze says, Natalia managed her money and her investments. She doesn’t manage Blaze’s career. Natalia says, no, that is Brook Lynn Quartermaine, and to be honest, she thinks Brook is awfully distracted lately. As is Blaze, if she’s being honest. Blaze says her focus has never been better, and Natalia says, really? Then where is the new song she’s been promising? Because all she’s heard about is Blaze’s friend. Does Blaze think maybe she’s been distracting her? (I notice that Natalia seems to be refusing to use Kristina’s name.) Blaze says, Kristina’s inspired her more than she ever has been, and Natalia asks, where’s the proof of this inspiration? Blaze asks if she’ll stop looking for a song and look at what’s standing right in front of her. Blaze. She’s being more of her true self with Natalia than she ever has been before. Natalia says, okay. She can see Blaze is clearly not in the mood to listen. She thinks that might be good because they really can’t discuss that kind of business in front of her friend. She picks up her things and says, they can just talk about it later, but Blaze says, don’t shut her out. This is hard enough. Natalia says she’s had enough. She doesn’t want to talk about this anymore. She slams the door behind her.

Kristina asks if Blaze is okay, and Blaze says, her mom is right. She’s really a mess sometimes. Kristina says, she’s allowed to be messy, but she’s not a mess. She’s so sorry Natalia can’t see Blaze for who she is, because she’s missing out on an incredible person. Blaze tells Kristina that she wishes she could say she was surprised by what happened, and Kristina says, Natalia didn’t seem surprised when she came in. Blaze says, and one minute later, her head was back in the sand, and Kristina says, so it seems like maybe they’ve been here before? Blaze says, sort of. She’s tried to talk to her mother, but she just bobs and weaves and dodges the subject every time. She could have given Mohammad Ali a run for his money. Kristina says, her denial did seem practiced, and Blaze says, you would have thought the woman in her bed would have made it a little harder for her mother to avoid the subject this time. Kristina says, happy to help, and Blaze says, the confusing part is, so many of her friends and colleagues are gay. Kristina says, really? and Blaze says, yes, and she doesn’t have any issue with them. None. But when it comes to Blaze, her own daughter… Kristina says, maybe it’s because Blaze is her daughter. She cares about Blaze and worries about her more than she would about someone who was just a friend. Blaze says she wishes they could talk about it like normal people. This is hard enough climbing over the walls she puts up. Her family means everything to her, and she’s always tried to be a good daughter, the kind of person her mom would be proud of. Now Natalia won’t even look at her even though she’s the same person she always has been. Kristina says, it should not be this hard. There are actual problems in the world. Blaze says she guesses for her mom, she’s one of them.

Spinelli tells Maxie that he must confess he’s confounded. How can true love not be enough? True love is everything. Maxie tells him that it sounds great when he says it, but they both know true love didn’t keep them together before. And it’s so easy to look into the past and think the sky was bluer, the grass was greener, there’s no problem they couldn’t solve. He says, that scenario only exists in video games and not very interesting ones at that. They’re talking about them. She says, no. They’re talking about nostalgia. And that’s exactly what she told Sasha when… He says, she discussed this with Sasha? Cody didn’t mention that. She says, he talked about this with Cody, and he says, it may have come up. She says, and? and he says, Cody urged him to – and he quotes – go for it. What did Sasha say? Maxie tells him that she pretty much said the same thing, and he says he fails to see the problem. Everyone is saying the same thing. They were meant to be together. She says, maybe he’s right. They did have a hand in this when the pipes in his apartment burst and he had to come live with them, so who is she to argue with fate? He takes her hand and says, fate had nothing to do with his pipes. She takes her hand away and asks what he said, and he says, his pipes are fine. He moved in to help her.

Drew tells Carly, believe him. He wants to put Pentenville behind him too, but he doesn’t know how that’s even possible because he can’t ignore what Nina did to him. She says, he has every right to hate Nina. She hates Nina too, but she doesn’t have the bandwidth to care about her. She’s not worth it. But he is, and she cares so much about him. She cares about them. He says he cares about them too, and she says she told him before, she doesn’t know how this relationship works if he can’t let go. He says, has she? He means really. Because he doesn’t remember twisting her arm to get her to take over for Nina at Crimson. She asks what he’s talking about. She only took that job because he asked her to. She did it for him. He says, but admit it. She enjoyed seeing Nina lose something she loved. She says, oh my God. She freely admits she loved taking over something Nina loved and making it better, but it didn’t stop there for him. He kept finding ways to get back at Nina, and that’s when she knew she couldn’t stay at Crimson. This place was named in honor of a woman who gave as good as she got. She knew not to chase revenge. Her mom never gave in to her worst impulses; she rose above them. That’s what she’s trying to do. Underneath all the wrongs that Nina has piled on top of him, she knows that Drew Cain – she puts her hand on his chest – is in here. She sees it and she needs him to see it and she needs him to own it. Or else… He says, or else what? and she says, or else Nina wins.

Nina tells Sonny, petty and reckless. She’s been called worse. She never claimed she was a saint. When their paths crossed in Nixon Falls, she did try to call Carly, but Carly didn’t want to hear anything from her. She supposes she could have called Carly back… He says, but she didn’t because she hated Carly so much, and she says, that’s true at first, but then something changed. Something she never expected. She fell in love with him. He’s so certain she’s motivated by jealousy and envy. He says he only knows what he sees, and she says, he’s not seeing the whole picture. Because she’s motivated by something a hell of a lot stronger than jealousy and hate. She’s motivated by the same thing he felt when he forgave her after they got back from Nixon Falls and he realized she knew who Mike was all along. And that motivation is love – their love. He says he’s not going to deny that, and she says, he can’t deny it because it’s true. He felt the kind of love he’s never had before. He never had this with Carly or with anybody else. She’s never had that kind of love. So in spite of everything that’s happened, she dares him to tell her right now that he doesn’t still love her.

Kristina says she and her mom got to a better place, and she thinks with time, Blaze and her mom will also… eventually. Blaze says she’s not holding her breath. Kristina’s already had her coming out. It’s not fair for her to ask Kristina to come along for her ride. Kristina asks if that’s it, or is Blaze sorry she called Kristina her girlfriend?

Sonny says he hasn’t stopped loving Nina, not for a second. That’s why it felt like a knife in his back when she betrayed him. Because he forgave her in Nixon Falls, then she lied to him again. She says, what happened in Nixon Falls was terrible. She should have never kept him from his family. But what she’s saying is, sometimes something beautiful can come from even the worst mistakes. Without that bad, horrible decision, they never would have found that path to getting married, to building a life together. He says he’s not going to play the what if game, and she says she’s not asking him to. She just wants him to consider this, that maybe something beautiful can come out of this mistake. What she did to Carly and Drew was wrong and lying to him was wrong, but they can make all those things right again, as long as they’re together.

Drew says, the only way Nina wins is if she splits them up and she almost did when he got sent to Pentenville, and Carly says, but she didn’t because he’s right here. They’re together and these moments belong to them, no one else. He says he wishes he could be as enlightened as she is, and Carly says, don’t let her desire to move on fool him. She’s not being noble. It’s self-preservation. Her life is far better when it’s not chained to hating Nina. Quit trying to get back at Nina and his life will be better too. He survived that attack in Pentenville. Those animals are still there, behind bars, but he’s here. He’s free. He says, sometimes he feels like he’s still there, on the inside, that he’s far away from her and Scout and everything he loves. She says, his only prison is the one in his head, and he says, but that doesn’t make it feel any less real. She says, he’s going to have to make the choice to let it go. He has to make the first step. (I see the talk with Curtis went in one ear and out the other.)

Spinelli says he’ll admit, a little bird may have told him that Maxie was having financial issues, and she asks if this little bird looked like her mother. He says he wanted to help, so he offered to rent a room here in her home, and she asks, who told him? She’s pretty sure they didn’t discuss it. He says, what matters is true love. Let’s get back to that. She says, let her see if she has this right. His response to her momentary financial setback was to hatch a plan with her mom to bail her out of her own problem behind her back, because they don’t think she can take care of herself and her kids. True love has nothing to do with this. (Actually, it kinda does.)

Spinelli echoes me and says, actually, it did. He was motivated by his love for her. She says, that’s exactly what Peter used to say to her. And Austin. They would use their love for her as a reason to justify lying, but she doesn’t really care what the reason is. Lying has nothing to do with love. At least not the kind of love she wants. (Just putting it out there. If anyone wants to lie in order to pay my bills, go for it.) He says his falsehoods are hardly of the same degree. He didn’t mean to… She says, even if he hadn’t just compared himself to that murderous psycho… He says he did not. Nor would he ever compare himself to him. During her whole lamentable time with that man, he begged her, he fought with her, he did everything in his power to try and warn her away from him. She says, he’s right. He did and she didn’t listen. So now she’s not capable of solving her own problems? He says, of course (🍷) she’s capable, and she says, but he lied to her. He moved in with her under false pretenses. He of all people should know, there are no degrees to trust. And she has to be able to fully trust the person she gives her heart to. He says he does know that, but she should also know, his heart hurts to see her in distress. He only wanted to help. He’s sorry. She says she’s sure he’s sorry, and he says, things came out okay, right? Living here together, watching the kids, rolling their eyes behind their backs, they experienced that old, familiar feeling, right? She says, that old, familiar feeling? As in the wild and crazy Maxie that he constantly had to bail out? That wild and crazy Maxie grew up, and she knows how to take care of herself and her kids. But he still sees her as someone so irresponsible, he has to bail them out. He says, yes… He means, no. She is still as exciting and unpredictable as ever. Living here has afforded him the opportunity to see the new and improved Maximista, and she is even more attractive, more alluring, and… She says, helpless? Is this because she hasn’t been at the top of her game at Deception? Because she’s got to tell him, that’s about to change. And you know what? He can go tell her mother that she doesn’t need his help with any of her financial issues. In fact, better yet, she’s going to tell her. He swears by the old gods and the new (ha-ha! Game of Thrones reference), that they do not see her as helpless. He just wanted to make her life a little bit better, and he’d still like to do that, given the chance. She says, he wants to make her life better? She has something he can do. He says, name it, and she says, pack your bags and get out. (They’re so cute. Why is she doing this?)

Drew says he’d do anything to get rid of this rage he feels toward Nina. He’d rip it out of his body if he could, because he knows Carly is right. He knows he should be content with taking Crimson away from Nina, and if that isn’t enough, he knows she threw away any chance she had of being happy when she lied to Sonny about what she did to them. She asks if that’s so hard, and he says, it’s one thing to say it; it’s another thing to live it. Because it’s still in him. He’s not done. He tossed Nina out at Crimson only to watch her land on her feet as The Invader’s new publisher. She says, imagine how Alexis feels, and he says he doesn’t know how she does this. He doesn’t know how she turns the other cheek and moves on with life. He doesn’t know how she makes it look so easy. She tells him, who says any of this has been easy?

Nina says, if Sonny believes there’s even the smallest chance of them being together, she’ll do anything to make that happen. He says he almost believes her, and she says, he should. It’s true. The magic they found in Nixon Falls, falling in love there, doesn’t have to be a distant memory. They can find that again. They can repair all that damage. They can renew their vows and put that ring back on his finger. They can be Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Corinthos. He says, Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Corinthos, and she says, just forgive her.

Carly tells Drew, there’s nothing easy about dealing with Nina. Every time she hears Nina’s name, she can’t stand it. The hair stands up on the back of her neck. He says, at a basic human survival level, she knows Nina just means trouble, and she says, yes, but she’s never going to be anything different. But Carly can be. She’s done letting Nina rule her life. And since losing her mom… Life is short, and she’s not going to waste any more time settling scores. She won’t. He says he won’t take one second of their time together for granted, and she says, he’s not alone in his hatred for Nina. She’ll never forget what Nina did to her and her family. She’ll never believe a word that comes out of Nina’s mouth. If Nina walked in here and said, good morning, she’d be looking for the meteor to hit. He thanks her for saying that because he thought he was alone in realizing how dangerous she really is. Carly says, he’s not alone, but just remember that Nina is her own worst enemy. He says, she does shoot herself in the foot a lot, and she says, every single time. But as long as they’re together, that’s all that matters. He says he likes the sound of that. Any idea how they can make up? She says she has a few ideas, but they can’t do it here. Drew and Carly leave, and Carly locks the door. We see the closed sign. At home, they get busy.

Spinelli says, just like that Maxie wants him to pack up and vacate the premises? and she says, he told her that he wanted to help her and this is what he can do. Don’t let the door hit him on the way out. He says, she doesn’t mean that literally, and she says, as literal as a busted pipe. He asks where he should go, and she says, how about his own home since his pipes aren’t actually busted? And if he’s feeling lonely, hit up his good friend Cody. Maybe there’s an empty stall at the Quartermaines. (Hey, those stalls are nothing to sneeze at.) He says he knows she’s upset, but she has to understand his intentions were pure. He only wanted to help her without her feeling indebted to him. She says she’s feeling furious and played, but not indebted, so job well done. He says, please elaborate, and she tells him, who says she couldn’t have solved her own problems? Who says she couldn’t have done it without him? He says, she can do anything, and she says she knows that. He and his little bird seem to have forgotten. Forget the packing. She’ll forward his things to whatever address he ends up at. He just needs to go. She backs him toward the door, and he says he never meant… She says, he can see Georgie whenever he wants, but as far as they’re concerned, they’re over, before they even started. She opens the door, he walks out, and she closes it. She looks around, runs back out, and calls, Spinelli!

Blaze says she could never be sorry she called Kristina her girlfriend. From the first time they kissed, she knew what she felt for Kristina was real and so strong. She wondered how she’d find the courage to tell her mother, but when the time came, the words just came out. And for the first time in forever, she felt free. Kristina says she hopes Blaze never loses that, and Blaze says she’s not going to let someone take it from her, that’s for sure. Kristina says she thinks they’ve been honest with everything so far, and they just have to continue to be honest with everything with Blaze’s mom. Blaze says, she may never come around. Her past experience with her mother is reason enough to believe that she won’t. Kristina says, she just has to realize how important this is to Blaze, to them, and Blaze says, even though there’s no guarantee she’ll understand. Kristina says, there’s no guarantee anyway. They didn’t get into this because there’s a guaranteed happy ending, did they? Blaze shakes her head, and Kristina says, so they just have to talk to her and try. Blaze says, don’t worry. She will. Kristina says, good. She has to get going to her meeting for the foundation. Blaze says, this isn’t an ending, but she’s already feeling happier with Kristina, and Kristina kisses her. She leaves and they’re both smiling, but their smiles fade when on opposite sides of the door.

Sonny says he’s asked for forgiveness quite a bit for himself in his life, so he can forgive Nina. But he can never forget. What she did in Nixon Falls, keeping the truth from Carly and his family, that was hard to accept. He told himself that she wasn’t getting back at Carly. She was doing it because she was in love with him. She says, that’s true, and he says, but this is different. It’s more difficult because she deliberately set out to punish Carly. Drew wasn’t the target; he was just collateral damage. But she lashed out without caring about the consequences. He picks up his coat and says, now she’s going to have to deal with the consequences. He walks to the exit, and she follows him. She says, that’s not the end of their story, but he keeps walking. She says, he may be willing to walk out on their marriage – she hears the door shut – but she never will.

Tomorrow, Chase tells Finn that he’s seriously reconsidering that decision right now; Scotty asks John if that’s why he’s here; Carly tells Sonny that Olivia Jerome is dead and she doesn’t want to think about who’s next; and Josslyn says, oh my God.

Vanderpump Rules

Katie wants to know if her car smells like weed, but Ariana gives it the all-clear. The Toms go to an outdoor supply place, while James raps about Graham. In his interview, he says he never thought he’d be able to love Graham again, so he let it go. He erased Graham from his life. We see clips of Graham growing up from puppyhood, and James says, their bond was unbreakable. Somehow the universe… He’s back with who he’s meant to be with. He and Ally have discussed getting a dog – we see a clip from 2 weeks ago – but he doesn’t know how she’s going to react to him bringing in his ex’s dog. Ariana and Katie discuss Something About Her in the car, and in Ariana’s interview, she tells us that she doesn’t want to say things are sh*tty at the restaurant, but someone pooped on their patio. They go over the permits needed, and violations found, and in her interview, Ariana says, they wanted to open already, but there’s logistical red tape. She’d ask who she has to blow to get past it, but it’s West Hollywood and they’re all gay. They talk about the glasses they’re inheriting from PUMP, and in Katie’s interview, she says her level of FOMO over the Tahoe trip is zero. She’s not sure Schwartz even thinks it’s a good idea, but he’s such a people pleaser, he doesn’t want to leave out anyone. Ariana tells Katie that she’s not being loyal to people who don’t reciprocate.

James surprises Ally with Graham, and explains he was a foster and not well-behaved. Kitty Banks comes in, and James holds Graham. Ally says, Banks has never met a dog, and James says, Graham just needs the right training. In Ally’s interview, she says she loves cats. They’re independent. But with dogs… When you have a kid, your life changes. She asks if Raquel knows, and he says, no. She says, Raquel is going to want Graham back, but James says, she’s not getting him. Lisa gave Graham to him. In her interview, Ally says, it wasn’t ideal last year having to deal with Raquel. Now her dog is here. She can’t get rid of Raquel. Graham barks at Banks through the patio door, and James says, let them have a moment, but Ally isn’t keen on that idea. Actually, that’s exactly right. You have to supervise, but they need to figure it out for themselves. Separating them just makes it worse. And I’ve actually had zero problems integrating dogs and cats, even when I had the meanest cat in creation.

The Toms’ shopping commences, and they try to find cool stuff. Schwartz asks Sandoval if he knows about Rachel. He got a news item that she’s out of the facility. Sandoval says he knew she was out because when he sent a text, it went blue. That means her phone is back on. We see his text that says, thinking of u. Hope u r doing ok. (Is he 14?) He tells Schwartz that he got no response, and in his interview, he says, once he didn’t hear from her on his birthday, he started to think she was purposely not talking to him. Sandoval tells Schwartz that Raquel’s publicist is sending his calls to voicemail, and Schwartz says, it’s time to start healing and moving on. The trip is a good start. He’s going in with the utmost positivity. Sandoval says he wants to have fun, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says he’s sticking his neck out and the responsibility is on him. He’s hoping the trip is fun and lighthearted. Like White Hot American Summer, not like The Shining. He tells Sandoval that’s he’s going to need to have conversations with people. It’s time to start moving forward.

Brock and Scheana also go shopping, and in Scheana’s interview, she says she’d definitely feeling anxious, leaving Summer. She has mom guilt, and just spending a few days with Sandoval gives her anxiety. She wonders if he’s going to talk to her and if Ariana is going to be upset. These are constant thoughts in her head. Still in the store, she and Brock discuss getting a nanny, and Scheana says, the woman Tori works for just had a baby, so Tori has a newborn to look after. It’s not going to work. In Brock’s interview, he says, all the effort he went through, finally getting an okay from Scheana, and not it falls through. They’re back to square one again. He just wants a consistent nanny. Scheana tries on clothes as they argue, much to the amusement of the clerk, and Brock asks why they can’t get someone outside of their friends and family. Scheana says she’s not just leaving Summer with some nanny. Maybe he’s comfortable hiring a stranger when they go on trips. Brock says, not from day one, but they have to take the steps. Scheana says she only wants her mom if they’re going out of town, and Brock asks, why can no one else do the job? He thinks Scheana is paranoid that her mom doesn’t think she’s a good enough parent. Then her mom doubles down on pointing out that she’s not a good enough parent. Outside, Scheana tells Brock that arguing in the store is weird and to stop talking.

While picking up the dogs, Katie asks Schwartz if Sandoval is going to Tahoe. He says, yes, and she says she’ll be praying for them. James tells Ally that it was too late to add Graham to the plane ticket, but Lisa offered to take him in her private jet. He told Graham, don’t get too drunk on the plane. Ally says she’s nervous to see Sandoval, and James wonders if he hung out with Graham a lot. Lisa takes photos with the Wolf marketing mascot, Oliver, who is, no surprise, a wolf. In Lisa’s interview, she says, there’s nothing shy about her new restaurant. It’s going to be sexy and masculine, the big bad wolf. It’s just what Tahoe needs. Sandoval calls and tells her that Scheana let him sit with them at the airport restaurant, and Lisa says, keep it going with good energy. He has the rest of his life to get his points across. Don’t attack. He tells Schwartz, so far, so good, and Schwartz says, he got a little humanity from the gang. Sandoval starts crying, and Schwartz says, just to get a hello from people who were disgusted by his very essence is a positive. In Sandoval’s interview, he bawls and says, just Scheana saying hi is a hint of acceptance. Schwartz says, it’s a start.

As usual, there are stupendous accommodations for those who don’t deserve them, and by that, I mean the Toms. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, there’s an air of peace. Who knows what’s possible? They might bond on the trip, and the next thing they know, they’re a happy family again… because of him. Sandoval and Brock meet in the kitchen, and Brock asks how Sandoval is doing. Sandoval says he’s living in the moment, and Brock says he thinks it’s hard on the whole group. He wonders how Sandoval is going to have a good, but Sandoval says he’s already feeling better. I’m hoping that changes, since he still doesn’t seem to get it. Brock says, Sandoval put their friendships in a bad position, and as usual, Sandoval has nothing to give but excuses, saying that he and Raquel didn’t do out of malicious intent, but felt things were done to them with specific malicious intent. James tries to drift through invisibly to go outside, but Sandoval thanks him for being nice, and James says he want to keep the vibes positive. He suddenly has to do his hair and can’t leave fast enough. In James’s interview, he says, it’s too soon for Sandoval to try connecting. They’re not cool yet. Brock tells Sandoval that his feelings are valid, but other people were involved. He needs to understand that they’re not the enemy, just very hurt friends. In his interview, Sandoval says, they’re expecting him to grovel and beg forgiveness (well, yeah), but they’re failing to acknowledge how they came after him. They were talking sh*t about him, selling merchandise, and promoting hardcore conspiracy theories on podcasts. It’s not just him. They need to move on from this together. Everyone sits around outside, and Sandoval thanks them for being friendly. He wants to build on that, and is bringing in Shannon, who will be doing guided meditation and yoga. In James’s interview, he says, Mr. Try Hard. This seems like something Sandoval would do. Sandoval says he thinks he was a functioning alcoholic, and he’s taking a break. Lala says, he doesn’t have to make the call a forever thing. Even she goes day by day. In Lala’s interview, she says she thinks working oneself admirable. Whether it’s BS or not, who gives a f***? They don’t have to go to bed in his head at night. James says he has news, and Lisa brings out Graham.

James says, Lisa saved him, and Lisa says, he’s good, but go slowly. Schwartz says, Graham was in the gulag, and James says he’s renaming Graham Hippie. In James’s interview, he says, it’s an homage to his late godfather George Michael’s dog. He obviously didn’t pick the name Graham Cracker. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he knows what James is saying is not the case, but James isn’t in the headspace hear what he has to say. He definitely doesn’t need to make waves. Sandoval tells Ally that the adopting family couldn’t do it and tried to find a home for Graham. That was the last he heard. Schwartz says, it’s the plot twist, and Brock says, Raquel isn’t coming back. Schwartz says, she wants to be called Rachel now, and Ally says, if she can do that, they can rename Graham. It’s a fresh start for everyone. Rachel and Hippie. The guys jump in the water, but the girls don’t want to get their hair wet.

Designer Lucinda FaceTimes with Ariana, who says, Tom is determined to buy her out, but there’s furniture they jointly acquired. He can’t just have that. In Ariana’s interview, she says she’s come around to the idea of Sandoval owning the house, but the majority of the furniture is hers and she needs to be compensated. She tells Lucinda that she wants to make a list, and Lucinda says, the artist that made Ariana and Sandoval’s LEGO portrait will rework it if she wants.

James congratulates Ally on comparing Graham/Hippie to Raquel/Rachel. He thinks it’s pretty funny. Brock tells Scheana that this happy time away has allowed him to reflect and he apologizes. It’s been bothering him. He should be more aware of his surroundings and care more about her feelings. Scheana says she was caught off guard and went into defense mode. Brock says he’d like to get through the weekend.

Lisa is at the Wolf site in a hardhat, helping with demolition, and I totally get why. After Hurricane Sandy, I helped smash the bottom parts of the walls on my first floor. You’d be surprised at how much fun it is. The group comes by, and Lala says she’s never seen one of Lisa’s restaurants in the building stage. Lisa says, it’s not as big as looks; something they’ve probably heard before. She shows them renderings of the finished restaurant and tells Sandoval to be on his best behavior. She asks if anyone wants to hit a wall, and James says he’ll take a whack at it. He says, you should have looked after Graham better! and hits the wall. Schwartz is next and says he doesn’t want to be single at forty, which is just sad. Scheana yells something about the restraining order, and when it’s Sandoval’s turn, he yells various insults he’s heard like, worm with a mustache! and Charles Manson’s son! In James’s interview, he says, if Sandoval would just admit he’s wrong, he’d seriously start listening and might take Sandoval seriously. Lisa suggests they all have a drink, and they go upstairs, Lisa and Ken joining them with one of the pups (!) after she changes. Lala says, that’s the third outfit she’s seen Lisa in today. She tells Lisa, Graham is like a different dog, and Lisa says, James is too. Lala asks if Schwartz is really single, intimating that Jo shares his bed, but Schwartz says he has no emotional capacity to be in a relationship. He’s single, but not ready to mingle. Sandoval says something insignificant and there’s an uncomfortable pause. Lisa asks James, what’s something he likes about Sandoval? and there’s more silence. Sandoval says, that felt awkward, and James says he needs to eat before having that conversation. In James’s interview, he says, Lisa put him on the spot. But then he thinks about how much Sandoval was put on the spot. It’s embarrassing. Brock asks about the house, and Sandoval says he made Ariana an offer. In Scheana’s interview, she says she can’t imagine how hard it must be for Ariana, living in the house with Sandoval. It’s hard being at the same table. She doesn’t understand how either of them can move on until they’ve made a clean break. Lisa toasts to the new restaurant and tells them, howl to the moon. No surprise, they obey.

Brock asks what to expect tomorrow, and Sandoval says, the wellness facilitator will read the room. James suggests they be chill and normal, giving away no clues. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he knows James well enough to know he exhibits childish behavior when he’s hurt. He asks James to go for a walk, and in his interview, Sandoval says he wants to acknowledge James’s feelings. If he doesn’t rip off the Band-Aid, it won’t happen. He tells James that he doesn’t want to cause problems. He just wants to co-exist. It was so overwhelming, but he wanted to talk to James. He didn’t mean to hurt him. James says, but Sandoval knew it would, and Sandoval says, they couldn’t see any way of it not being catastrophic if it came out. James suggests Sandoval should have put an end to his relationship with Ariana first, and Sandoval says, that’s easy to say. James tells him, say what you have to say, say goodbye, and shut the door. Man up and leave the relationship. Sandoval says, but he and Arina built an entire life, and James says, if that’s what he wanted, he should have left. He asks if Sandoval thinks he’ll be with Rachel when she gets back, but Sandoval doesn’t know. He’s torn between resentment and love, and in his interview, he says, it’s not just about being with Rachel. It’s about getting out of a relationship he knew wasn’t suiting his life path. He wasn’t on a good one and that needed to change. James says he and Sandoval have gone through a lot, and Sandoval says he’s sorry for discounting that. James says, Sandoval is the one he thought was most trustworthy, and in his interview, James says, he thought Sandoval was the last person in Hollywood who was going to f*** him over, the one guy he trusted. It blows his mind that Sandoval would backstab him harder than anyone. Sandoval says he can’t take it back. He’ll just never do it again. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he knows he screwed up and hurt people. He knows he hurt James. He has to take accountability, acknowledge James’s feelings, and make amends. James thanks him and says he misses the whole thing. We flash back to their relationship over the years, and James says, what breaks his heart is that Sandoval was like a big bro to him. Nothing is ever going to be the same. Sandoval says he’s sorry, and James says, that’s why he’s angry and why he says it’s a betrayal. Sandoval promises to listen better, and James suggests they just get through the night. They hug, but it’s one of those halfhearted hugs where you pat the person’s back.

Next time, a boat ride; Lala calls Sandoval insane; Ariana says she won’t be friends with anyone who wants to be Sandoval’s friend; and Scheana tells Ariana that she can’t keep hating Sandoval for her.

🫗 Not Crying Over Spilled Half and Half…

Drop in tomorrow for soap and the beginning of the end of an endless season of RHOBH – otherwise known as Reunion Part 1. Until then, stay safe, stay never making someone feel like a bother or a bore (even if they are), and stay ending one relationship before starting another.

Feb23

February 22, 2024 – Anna Gives John a Choice, Thoughts, A Little Bit Of Soap, Reunion Scare, Volcanic House, VanderFlat, Turning 40, More Awards, Pet (!) Friendly & Revolution

Posted on February 23, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly says, Drew threatened to blackball writers and photographers if they worked with Nina on her new magazine, and he says, Nina tried to ruin both of their lives. The least he could do is return the favor. Carly says, but they’ve already gotten their revenge. He fired Nina and hired her as Editor-in-Chief of Crimson magazine. He knows it’s killing Nina to see Carly take her place. Drew says, she bounced back as the editor of a new magazine and he had to shut her down, and Carly asks, why take the bait? What is the benefit of one-upping Nina? They already have everything they want. Their happiness and success is the best revenge. Why can’t he just ignore Nina? (Because apparently, Drew doesn’t have an actual job himself and has a lot of free time.)

Sasha and Maxie come into Charlie’s and Sasha asks what Cody is doing here. She thought he had to work at the Quartermaines tonight. Cody says his plans changed. He would have let her know, but she said she was staying in to watch a movie. Sasha says she and Maxie had to blow off some steam after the day they had at work. A latte and streaming service wasn’t cutting it, so they decided to come here for a drink or two. Cody says, looks like they had the same idea, and Spinelli says, what a fortuitous happenstance. Maxie says, her mom took the kids for a movie and ice cream, so she thought she’d take advantage of a free night and let loose a little bit. Sasha says, this is perfect timing, and asks the guys to join them. Cody says, they would, but Spinelli was just about to bail on him. Sasha says, what? They just got here. Stay a little bit. They all had so much fun together at the Hatchet Range, she feels they should keep that going. She and Maxie could really use it. Maxie says, definitely. Please stay. Spinelli says, slumber can wait, and Cody says, great. The ladies need drinks. Does Sasha mind helping him? She says, sure, and they go to the bar. Sasha says she brought Maxie here like Cody asked. What tricks does he have up his sleeve?

Dante says, while they’re getting Cyrus mic-ed up, why don’t they go over the plan one more time? Anna tells Cyrus that he’s at Pentenville to preach a sermon as a volunteer chaplain. The arms dealer they’re very interested in, Philip O’Neill, is in protective custody, but they’ve made a deal with his guards to attend the sermon. So Cyrus is going to strike up a conversation with him… Cyrus says, wait. He thought time was of the essence here. He’s already agreed to their plan. Why is she talking to him like he’s an idiot? She says, maybe it’s because he likes to exploit loopholes and she doesn’t want him to weasel out of what they’ve already agreed to. So although she might have made a deal with the devil, she refuses to be damned.

Sonny approaches a house in a woodsy area with Selina, and says he thought he was supposed to come here and question her guard who betrayed her, not take a scenic tour around the property. She says, with everything that’s gone on recently, she prefers to be surrounded by security, and that’s easier on her estate. But don’t worry. His patience is about to be rewarded. He says, how so? She says she doesn’t imagine he cares about her gardening, and opens the door. He sees Li, tied to a chair and gagged, and she says, but she does all her best work here. (I’m like, whoa. Li.)

Drew says, the day after they agreed not to engage with Nina, she tried to sabotage Carly’s first issue as Crimson’s Editor-in-Chief. Is he supposed to let her get away with that? Carly says, no. He’s supposed to have faith in her, because she handled it. That magazine made it to the printer on time despite Nina’s dirty tricks. He says, that’s a testament to how good Carly is already at her job. It doesn’t excuse Nina from her behavior. Carly wants her out of their lives, but Nina has made it very clear that she isn’t going to disappear, no matter how badly they want it. She says, so what? Let her play her games. The only thing Nina wants is a reaction from them, and the best way to fight her is to not give her that reaction. He says, she doesn’t really believe that, does she? Nina was standing right here in Carly’s office, gloating about her next strategy on how to take them down. Doesn’t that infuriate her? She says, yes. It took everything in her not to smack Nina, but she knows and has learned that every time she stoops to Nina’s level, it only causes more conflict. And come on. Sonny’s dumped her. Michael and Willow don’t want her anywhere near them or their children. Nina is almost disconnected with everyone in Carly’s life, except Drew apparently. He says, she’s got a near bottomless bank account. She’s got nothing else to lose. That is a dangerous combination. He did what he did to try to get her out of their lives quicker and to minimize the damage she can cause in the meantime. She says, he just wants to humiliate her, and he says, that, too.

Cyrus says, at least let him reassure Anna that he knows what he’s doing today. After his sermon, Mr. O’Neill’s guards will delay returning him to his cell, allowing him to enlighten O’Neill as to the healing power of confession and how it frees the soul. Anna says, that’s a good start, but the goal is to get him to give up the name of whoever it is he sold the WSB stolen cache of guns to. He says, she does realize she’s asking him to betray his values and his sacred duties as a man of the cloth, and Dante says, Cyrus might want to dial back just a little bit. He’s not even ordained. Cyrus says, there are people at Pentenville who actually see him as a chaplain, with all the responsibilities that entails, and Anna says, he believes they all get closer to God by admitting their sins, right? He says he does, and she says, that’s exactly what he’s doing for O’Neill. Regardless of the motives, Cyrus is giving him an opportunity to change and be a better person. Dante says, that’s right. O’Neill isn’t talking to them. He hasn’t got a plea deal and he’s going away for a long time. They’ve got him dead to rights on an illegal weapons trafficking charge, so nothing they do today, none of the information they’ll be getting, will cause any more trouble for him. Cyrus says, and this may help others, and Dante says, 100%. Anna says, for sure, so much, and Dante says, it’s going to be putting less people in harm’s way, innocent people like Curtis Ashford, who may never walk again because of the guns that O’Neill sold. This confession they’re going to get will help a lot of innocent people. Cyrus says, the Lord does work in mysterious ways, and Dante and Anna agree. Anna says, it’s time. Is he ready? Cyrus says he is. He just hopes his Lord and his Police Commissioner remember his sacrifice. He leaves.

Selina says, Curtis Ashford’s warning that she might be open to assassination came just in time. Sonny asks, how so? and she says, between Curtis’s information and the failed attack on her, she realized she was in greater danger than she thought. He says, that’s been made clear to them already, and she says she needed to start asking questions, and wouldn’t you know, discovered that Li here had just bought a new car, a luxury vehicle. She dug a little deeper and found out he’d recently come into quite a large and unexplained sum of money. She puts her hand on Li’s shoulder, and he flinches. She says, after some convincing, Li confessed that he’d agreed to share her whereabouts, putting her in a very vulnerable position. Her loyal men also recovered a gun that was in Li’s possession, and her people examined it closely. No serial number, but there was a marking on it. Sonny says, let him guess. It’s another one of the missing guns that was stolen from the WSB. Li looks at him and he says he’ll take that as a yes. Li’s been working for the people who took a shot at him – twice.

Cody tells Sasha, so Spinelli used to sing karaoke to Maxie back when they were dating, so he figured, what better way for them to remember their history then for Spinelli to serenade her again. Sasha says, that makes sense. He wants to remind them of all the good times they had together as a couple. Smart. He’s the best.

At a table, Maxie tells Spinelli, Tracy is out of control. She’s trying to make all the decisions at Deception. Tracy thinks she knows better than her or Brook or anyone else who works there. Tracy even suggested she quit and go back to Crimson. Not that she would ever do that. She’s completely committed to Deception. Also, she can’t give Tracy that satisfaction. Spinelli says, that’s egregious. Without Maxie, Deception would crumble faster than if Thanos snapped it out of existence. Maxie thanks him and says she is working really hard to make Deception successful. They all benefit. Tracy’s just not making it easy. The MC comes by with slips of paper and pencils and tells them to remember to put in their song choices early. Maxie says, they have karaoke here now? and Spinelli says, apparently, Kristina just started it. It reminds him of their wedding. Remember? She says, how could she forget?

Sasha says she hopes getting Maxie and Spinelli together here tonight works, without betraying girl code or telling Cody anything they talked about. Cody says he would never disclose the conversations he and Spinelli have had, and Sasha says, they’re keeping their friends’ confidences, but they can have eyes. He says, they do have eyes, and she says she’s keeping her fingers crossed that a night of karaoke with Spinelli will give Maxie the clarity she needs on her feelings for him. He says, once the music starts, who knows what will happen?

Drew says he doesn’t want to fight with Carly, but he’s not going to apologize for wanting justice for what Nina did to him. He thought she would actually back him up on this. Normally, she’s the first person to want to get even with somebody who wrongs her. She says, he’s right. Payback has been her go-to reaction for most of her life. If someone hurt her, she was going to hurt them back twice as bad, but most of the time, that reaction has caused more conflict and life is short. Losing her mom so unexpectedly just brings it home all over again and she’s happy now. She’s so happy with him. They have a great life. Isn’t that enough? He says he thought it would be and it would have been if he didn’t find out who turned them in to the SEC, but he knows and he can’t pretend it doesn’t affect him. He just came back from Pentenville with so much rage. Does she have any idea what it feels like to be beaten within an inch of your life? He was lying on the floor of that shower, and he was in so much pain, he wished he was dead, but he was praying for someone to come save him. She says she’s so sorry that happened to him. That was horrible. He says, then he was freed, and he had nowhere to go with that anger. He had no one to blame until he found out who sent him there. She says, seeing Nina must be so hard every time, and he says, every time he does, he feels the rage boiling inside of him, and he thinks about how much time he lost with Scout when he was in prison. He thinks about being beaten and the pain and the recovery, so yeah, sometimes he feels like he’d like Nina to feel a little bit of that humiliation as payback. That’s true. She says she’s not asking him to forgive Nina. She would never ask him to forgive her. But this anger scares her. He hasn’t been the same since he went to prison. He says he went to prison for… She says, he can finish that sentence. He went to prison for her.

Sonny says he’s done playing games here, removing the gag from Li’s mouth. Who hired him? Selina says, unfortunately, Li seems quite loyal to his other employer. They haven’t been able to get a name out of him yet. She uncovers a table of garden tools and says, perhaps Sonny can get him to be a little more forthcoming. She tells Li, Sonny can be very persuasive, and Sonny says, Li’s working for people who are trying to have him killed. People who would put his family and the people he cares about in the crossfire of an assassin’s bullet. Whoever did this is gonna pay. He picks up a pair of shears, and Li moves around. Sonny says, hey. He usually has people who do this sort of business, but since Li’s friends took a shot at him while his little girl was nearby, he needs a more personal touch. He moves closer to Li and says, whoever did this is going to suffer; he can promise Li that. And whoever’s helping them is going to suffer unless Li gives Sonny a compelling reason to spare him.

Cody asks if Maxie and Spinelli have decided what they’re going to sing yet, but Maxie says, not her. Spinelli is the singer. Cody says he has to check something out. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Spinelli says, if Maxie isn’t going to grace them with the dulcet tones of her voice, he’s not going to sing either. Maxie says, he can’t sit it out because of her. She knows how much he loves karaoke. He says he does, and the MC takes the mic and says, they’re going to get started, so drink some liquid courage if they need it and get ready for some great tunes. Their first singers tonight are Cody Bell and Sasha Gilmore. There’s applause, and Sasha looks surprised. Maxie tells her, get up there, and Sasha tells Cody that she hopes he knows what he’s doing. He says, she trusts him. Come on. She says, he’s never heard her singing voice, and he says, she’s never heard his, and she gets on stage with him. They sing like a pair of professional singers who’ve been singing together all their lives. They finish to lots of applause.

Anna, Dante, and some other guy listen in as Cyrus says, when we confess our sins, we’re not punished, but rewarded for having the courage to bear our souls. With penance and absolution, our conscience is freed and we’re able to step forward with a clear heart.

Sonny says he doesn’t see Li’s lips moving, so he guesses Li’s made his choice. Li asks what Sonny wants, and Sonny says, a description of the man who hired him to betray Selina and his name. Li says, he didn’t give his name. He said it was better Li didn’t know. Sonny moves the shears toward Li’s face and says he guesses Li’s out of luck, but Li says, no. That man doesn’t matter anyway. He was just a go-between working for who’s really in charge. Sonny says, that’s convenient, isn’t it? and Selina says, and Li’s telling them he never met his boss? Li says, no, never, and Sonny says, so let him guess. He never gave Li his boss’s name. Li says, the guy didn’t trust him enough, and Sonny yells, come on! Li says, but he overheard one of his phone calls. His boss goes by the name Stone. (I’m like, double whoa.)

John walks into the room where Anna and Dante are and says, starting without me?

Sasha tells Maxie that she never thought she’d like doing anything like that in front of a crowd, but it was so much fun performing with Cody. Maxie says she’s not surprised Sasha had such a great time. The two of them make a great team.

Cody asks if Spinelli isn’t glad that he stayed tonight, and Spinelli says, it has been illuminating. Cody says, Maxie looks like she’s having a good time too. Maybe Spinelli can convince her to sing a duet with him after all. Spinelli says he knows what Cody is doing, and Cody says, having a fun night out with his friends? Spinelli says, Cody is trying to get him and Maximista to spend as much time together as possible in the hopes it will lead to something, but he’s already told Cody that he has no intention of pursuing his unrequited feelings for her. Cody says, what if it isn’t unrequited? What if she feels exactly the same way he does? Spinelli says, what’s wrong with him? Please stop. Let this go. Cody says he’s just trying to help out, but Spinelli says he didn’t ask for Cody’s help. This is none of his business. Why does he care so much anyway? Cody says he just wants Spinelli to be happy. Okay, maybe he does feel bad about the way he treated Spinelli when he first came to town. Spinelli says, when Cody was blackmailing him? and Cody says he knows. He’s trying to be a better person. He feels like he owes Spinelli one. Spinelli says, then he releases Cody from that debt, making a releasing motion with his hands, but Cody says, that’s not the only reason. He cares about Maxie and her family. They mean a lot to him. And he sees how much Maxie likes Spinelli. He just wants her to be happy. Spinelli says, it’s a touching tale, but Cody isn’t that altruistic. He thinks Cody realizes the longer he plays Cupid with him and Maxie, the more time he can spend with Sasha. Cody says, Sasha is smart, fun, and he’s not going to deny he likes spending time with her, but that’s not the reason he wants Spinelli and Maxie to get together. Spinelli says, tell himself whatever he wants, just butt out of his life, and Cody says, fine. Spinelli says, now that they have that settled, he’s leaving. He gets up as Sasha and Maxie come back, and Maxie asks where he thinks he’s going. He’s not going to sneak out before he sings, is he?

Drew tells Carly that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean that. He doesn’t feel like he went to prison for her. She says, he did. He paid for her crime by losing time with his family and he almost died, and her life basically stayed the same. He says he made a choice to cop a plea to protect her and he doesn’t regret that for a second. He would do the same thing in a heartbeat because he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he says, that’s all that matters. She says, is it? She’s not so sure anymore. He asks what that means, and she says she understands his desire for revenge against Nina. If she had to go to Pentenville and found out it was because of her, she’d feel the same way. She would want to kill her. He says, it’s nice to hear her acknowledge that, and she says she knows her situation is very different. She didn’t have it as bad. She lost some money and a business, but she wants him to know she understands and truly appreciates his sacrifice. He says he knows she does, and she says, but she can’t move on with her life unless Nina is behind her. She doesn’t want to think about Nina anymore, she doesn’t want to argue with Nina anymore, and she doesn’t want to hurt Nina anymore. Because it always comes back to bite her. Nina suffers, but she suffers, and she doesn’t want to do that to herself anymore. She doesn’t want Drew to do that anymore, but she can’t make him feel the way she feels. He says, it’s obvious they’re not on the same page about Nina, but they can keep talking. They can figure things out as they move forward on how to deal with her. She says she wants Nina out of her life completely and she doesn’t know if he can do that. She doesn’t know if he wants to do that. He says he understands, and he wants her to know that he hears where she’s coming from, but he’s not just a passenger here for the ride along with her life. He’s in this relationship just as much as she is, and he gets to have just as much of a say about what to do about Nina as she does.

O’Neill sits at a table, and Cyrus introduces himself as the honorary chaplain at Pentenville. He and O’Neill shake hands, and Cyrus sits down. He says he hasn’t seen O’Neill at any of their services. He wanted to introduce himself and see if there was anything he could do for him. O’Neill says he appreciates that. He thinks he’s good. He’s only recently become incarcerated here. Cyrus says he’s sorry O’Neill finds himself behind bars. As a former inmate, he knows how disconcerting that can be. O’Neill says he didn’t realize a former felon could be a chaplain, and Cyrus says his journey has been an enlightening one. He spent years making all the wrong choices, and finally he decided to listen to what God had been trying to tell him all along. That he was not beyond saving if only he would trust in Him to guide him. And now that he’s been given a chance at redemption himself, he tries to pay it forward by helping other lost souls. O’Neill says, that’s quite a transformation, and thanks Cyrus for sharing. Cyrus says, it turns out it’s his calling, helping others find a way forward when all seems lost. He can see something’s troubling O’Neill. Maybe he can help.

Selina and Sonny come out of the house, and Selina says, from Sonny’s reaction, she gathers that name means something to him. Sonny says, it was somebody he knew a long time ago who was very important to him. He’s gone now. She says, then it can’t be the same person who’s targeting them, and he says, but that name is also very important to somebody else who just arrived in Port Charles.

John says he’s disappointed in Anna. He thought they’d come to an understanding. She says, so did she. She doesn’t think she’s violating that in any way. If he’ll excuse her, she and her detective are in the middle of an operation. He says, one that was never cleared by him. Imagine his surprise when he found out Philip O’Neill isn’t available for questioning tonight because he’s in a religious service, on Anna’s orders. She says she stands on her decision, and might she remind him, this is her jurisdiction and O’Neill is a possible witness. So she’s at liberty to conduct her investigation any way she chooses. He says, she’s not at liberty to keep the FBI in the dark, which is why he’s shutting this operation down.

Dante asks if they don’t want the same thing here, to stop the attacks on these mob figures? and John says he gets that they’re all invested in this case. But it’s their methods he’s got a problem with. They’re trying to get his witness under a wire and extract information without looping him in. He can’t allow that. Dante says, so he wants to tank the entire investigation because his pride’s hurt? John says he’s been working on this case for months. He’s put everything into it. So he’s not going to allow them to blow the whole thing because they have a bias toward Sonny Corinthos. Dante says, and there it is. This whole thing, right? It’s the vendetta John has against Dante’s father. Anna says, Sonny’s been targeted twice. It’s not a bias to find out who’s responsible. It’s literally their job, and O’Neill is the best lead that both of their cases have. And the federal prosecutor couldn’t convince him to talk, so she’s taken matters into her own hands. John says, by acting without authority and going behind his back? and she says, but this could work. Why is he so willing to shut it down?

Sonny tells Selina that Stone was a kid he took in back in the 90s who was very, very important to him. He had a brother, John. After Stone died, John had a son and named him Stone in memory of his brother. John is a Fed. She says she sees, and Sonny says, they never got along. As a matter of fact, John hated his guts. The only thing they had in common was Stone, and after Stone died, he hadn’t seen John in years, until recently. And John still has it in for him. John is the agent investigating all the attacks on organized crime figures. She says, that seems like suspiciously convenient timing, and he says he feels the same way. So if whoever is coming after them is named Stone, it can’t just be a coincidence. She says, it does raise a lot of pressing questions, and Sonny says, and he’s going to get the answers.

The MC says, Damien Spinelli, you are up. Amid pats on the back and cheers, Spinelli takes the stage. He sings It All Comes Down To You to Maxie, who looks enraptured. He finishes to applause and goes back to the table. Sasha says she and Cody are going to get some fresh air, and they go outside. Spinelli and Maxie look at each other.

Carly says she doesn’t mean to make Drew feel like it’s her way or no way. He’s completely justified in wanting to make Nina pay for what she’s done to him. But not if it’s turning him into someone that the people he loves don’t recognize. If Nina accomplishes that, then she wins. He says, that’s the last thing he wants, and she says she knows. And she hates that this is where they are. When they talked about her taking the job at Crimson, her condition was that he end his war with Nina, and he agreed. She picks up the magazine and says, so consider this her first and last issue. She hands it to him and walks out. I’ve never been a huge Carly fan, but I’m liking this new Carly.

Maxie says, that was a beautiful song, and Spinelli says, maybe he should have gone for more of an up tempo, more of a crowd pleaser. She says, the song was perfect. It reminded her about how he’s been singing Lullaby and Goodnight to Baby Lou every night for the last two months. He says, two months? Time flies when you’re crashing in someone else’s abode. She’s not getting tired of that bedtime song? She says, no, never. She loves hearing him sing to her. Almost as much as she loves having him at the house and seeing him with the kids every day. They adore him and they’re all happy to have him. He’s the one who hasn’t been able to be in his own space for so long. He says, it appears the repairs have taken longer than expected, but she says she doesn’t mind. If it didn’t mean his apartment would look like a scene from Avatar: The Way of Water, she would say he should never leave. She’s sorry. She didn’t mean to… He says, no. Don’t take it back. He feels the same way. Living together the last couple of months felt so right. She says, for her too, and he says, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He’s here for whatever she needs. She says, whenever her life was falling apart, he was always there for her. She knows she can count on him. He says, always. She’s one of his closest friends… Actually, he considers her more than a friend. She says, how so? and he kisses her. (Aww!) She kisses back.

Outside, Cody says, this was really fun. He’s glad they did this. Sasha says, her too. She has to admit, as much as they always say you regret your past, it’s fun watching him scheme for a good cause. He’s very good at it. He says, it’s easy when you have a great accomplice.

Maxie suddenly pushes away and picks up her stuff. She says she’s got to go, and jets, telling someone she passes that she’ll see them at work tomorrow. She comes out, and without even stopping, she tells Sasha, we have to go. Sasha says, o…kay, and shrugs at Cody, who says, bye.

Li says he told Sonny everything he wanted, but Selina says, it’s not enough. Li says, but it’s all he has. They know everything he does; he swears. Please. Sonny says, then he’s got one shot to save his life, and Li says he’ll do anything. Sonny and Selina look at each other, and Sonny says, anything.

Cyrus asks O’Neill to tell him what’s weighing him down, so they might pray on it together and find him some peace. O’Neill says he’s worried about his safety. He hasn’t slept in days and feels like there’s so many people in here who are out to get him, after all the things he’s done and the people he’s mixed up with. Cyrus says, his past doesn’t define him. He can move forward in his life. It begins by telling the truth. So give himself a chance. Tell him everything.

John says he is lead agent on this case. He doesn’t have to explain his actions to Anna. He answers to a higher authority. (So does Cyrus. ha-ha!) Anna says she wants them to work together. She’s not the enemy here. Her daughter thinks the world of him, and that’s worth something to her. He says, personally, he has no problem with her. Professionally, that’s a different story. She’s standing in the way of him tracking down a large shipment of stolen guns and possibly stopping whoever’s murdering mob bosses from consolidating their power. This ends now. Dante says, yeah… Something doesn’t feel right about this. It almost feels like John is having a personal issue with Anna or something. John says, that’s big accusation with no proof, and Dante says he’s got proof. They’ve come this far, and he can’t believe John wants to stop them from questioning this witness. Anna says, neither can she. Something else is going on here. If John forces her to shut down this operation, then her hands are tied. She’s going to go to his supervisor and tell them that he’s not fit to investigate this case. So what’s it going to be? It’s his choice.

Tomorrow, TJ asks Molly if it’s him or that was weird; Kristina tells Blaze, in that moment, she felt like the baby was hers; Elizabeth asks if Sam is worried something deeper is going on; and Cyrus asks O’Neill, who is this man who’s worth a lifetime in prison?

💭 Thoughts. This was a good one. I made noises out loud at the Li and Stone reveals. Since I remember squat about Spinelli and Maxie being together, his beautiful singing voice was a surprise too. Although seriously, the most unrealistic karaoke ever. Sasha was surprised when Cody asked her to do a duet, yet they looked and sounded like they’d practiced the song a million times. Even more unrealistic, they put on a show rather than their eyes being glued to the lyrics screen like their lives depended on it. The general consensus in my karaoke group is, if we had to sing Happy Birthday there, we’d need to see the lyrics.

Also, and hear me out here, I’m not sure if John is the man behind the shootings or they just want us to think that. Somebody could have set him up. Even though he hasn’t been in the opening credits yet, they don’t usually bring on a guy like that just to show him the door five minutes later. Just a thought.

🧴 All the Soap That’s Fit To Print…

I wonder if she gets to pet the chihuahua.

GH’s Jophielle Love Shares Backstage Pics From Her Primetime Gig!

She’s living the dream.

January 13 Is Tabyana Ali Day!

Feelings.

Adam Harrington on Taking Over the Role of Jagger on GH

Adam Huss Opens up About Returning to GENERAL HOSPITAL

Réal Andrews Updates Fans On His GENERAL HOSPITAL Status

Up for tons of awards, but they change the team. Go figure.

2024 WGA Awards Daytime Drama Nominees Announced!

🚑 It’s Not About the Esophagus…

This really just describes the scene, but gives no new info.

Sutton Stracke’s Health Scare at RHOBH Reunion Confirmed

🤽‍♀️ Sorry, Hamptons…

Those awful people are back for another season. No recap online yet. Maybe no one wants to watch it.

Summer House Season 8: Kyle Cooke Teases ‘Big Fights Like Volcanoes’ Between Carl Radke, Lindsay Hubbard

🍸 Falling Rules…

I don’t know if I agree. Certainly not that Raquel is needed. Got along without her before we met her, we’ll get along without her now.

How Vanderpump Rules Season 11 is Falling Flat

🩰 Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes…

Iconic.

https://people.com/footloose-40th-anniversary-lori-singer-kevin-bacon-chemistry-electric-exclusive-8584419

🏆 Rewarding Their Work…

BAFTA winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/18/entertainment/bafta-award-winners-nominations-live/index.html

More important, BAFTA fashion.

https://www.theroot.com/our-favorite-black-celeb-outfits-from-the-2024-bafta-aw-1851272322

Everything about the Golden Globes. My dream is to get ahold of one of those swag bags.

https://goldenglobes.com

🐶 Award Worthy Pup…

But did he pee everywhere?

https://people.com/host-david-tenant-brings-dog-named-bark-ruffalo-to-2024-baftas-8584703

💎 Shining Bright Like a Diamond…

Stop in tomorrow for some pre-weekend soap, interesting tidbits on the famous and furry, and quotes to ponder. Until then, stay safe, stay assuming three pieces per person for a pizza, and stay not reacting to someone only trying to get a reaction. It’s the best way to fight them.

Feb21

February 20, 2024 – Anna Asks Cyrus For Help, Sandoval In the Running For Narcissist Of the Year & Strange

Posted on February 21, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Diane says, Sonny has at least four people on stand-by who could do this. He doesn’t need her. He says he wants her to handle this directly. He needs somebody he can trust. Will she do this for him or not? She says she lives to serve, and leaves. Frank tells Sonny that his son is here, and Sonny asks, which one? Dante walks in and says, what does he mean, which one? Does it matter?

Walking into the MetroCourt, Nina asks if Valentin is sure he can’t sit and brainstorm with her, but he says he’s sorry. He’s booked. He goes over to a table where Laura and Robert are sitting, and Robert tells him, have a seat. Since they all know why they’re here, they can get on with it. They’re here to discuss the consequences of Charlotte’s actions when stalking Anna.

Cyrus is folding napkins at the PC Grill when he hears someone come in. He says, we’re closed, and Anna says, even for her? She moves aside her jacket so he can see her badge.

Portia brings in coffee for Jordan and Curtis, and says, now she’ll leave so they can talk, but Curtis suggests she stay. He’s sure whatever Jordan has to say, she can hear. Jordan says, technically, what she’s about to say, Portia can’t here.

Sonny asks what he can do for Dante, and Dante asks if he’s okay. Sonny says, yeah. Why? Dante says, Diane seemed a little pissed off and this isn’t the warmest welcome he’s gotten from Sonny, so he can come back if Sonny is busy. Sonny says he’ll just go out of his mind, and Dante asks, why? About the Olivia Jerome killing? Sonny says he read about that. He’s not going to shed any tears, but he had nothing to do with that if that’s what Dante is implying. Dante says he actually thinks the people who killed Olivia Jerome are the same people who are trying to kill Sonny.

Robert says, as Laura knows, the DA’s office must avoid all appearance of bias, and Valentin says, meaning what exactly? Robert says, meaning any familial ties to the mayor, minor age, injury incurred in the course of the crime negate the fact that the crime was committed at all. Several crimes actually. Valentin says, she wasn’t in her right mind. Robert knows that, and Laura says she appreciates the difficult position Robert is in, so please just tell them what his office has decided. He says his office will not pursue any charges… at this time, provided Charlotte work with a court-ordered therapist, a thousand hours of community service, and three years’ probation. Are they good?

Cyrus tells Anna that he’s sorry, but the Grill won’t open for another hour. He’d be happy to tell the maître d’ she’s looking for a table. Just let him know the number of people in her party and what time. She says she’s not here to dine. She’s here to offer him an opportunity to save lives, including his own. He asks why she’d want to save him.

Curtis assures Jordan that anything she has to say will be kept in the strictest confidence, and Jordan tells her that nothing she says will leave this room. She can’t provide all of the details, but there have been some results in the investigation of the MetroCourt pool shooting. Portia asks if the shooter’s been captured, but Jordan says, no. Portia says, found? and Jordan says, no, but they’re closer now that they know the shooter’s agenda, and they have a definitive answer as to who the target was. Portia says, they already know the target wasn’t Curtis, so who was it? Anna? Sonny? Jordan says, the shooter was aiming at Sonny, and Curtis asks if that’s definitive. Jordan says, they’re as sure as they can be without a statement from the shooter. Sonny wasn’t the only target.

Dante says, they think the same person, or people, who took out Olivia Jerome are the same people who tried to take Sonny out at the MetroCourt pool and in Puerto Rico. They also think they’re responsible for the deaths of various organized crime figures across the country. Sonny says, so Olivia was next on the list, and Dante says, that’s right. They were operating on the assumption it was a lone gunman, but they’re not working alone because Olivia’s guards were ambushed by two men, part of a bigger group or organization. Sonny says, that tracks with what Jagger Cates told him. He also advised Sonny to watch his back. He asks if Dante is telling him there’s a possibility that someone is infiltrating his organization, and Dante says, this is serious. They’ve got to find this traitor. Sonny says, Dante tells him that like there’s only one.

Diane approaches Nina, who’s working at the bar, and Nina says, the bartender should be back momentarily, but Diane says, not to worry. She takes a manila envelope out of her bag and says she’s not here to see him. She’s here to see Nina. She slides the envelope over and says, you’ve been served. Nina opens the envelope and takes out some paperwork. She says, these are divorce papers.

Jordan says, they have reason to believe the shooting is related to a series of attacks on organized crime figures across the eastern US, and Portia says she’s relieved to know Curtis wasn’t the target, but she’s still furious that he became collateral damage because somebody had a vendetta that actually had nothing to do with him. Jordan says she understands the feeling, and Curtis says, they appreciate the update. Actually, he’d begun to look into things himself. Jordan says, really? What did he come up with? He says he didn’t get to far. He had to pause because he underwent surgery. Jordan says, understandable, and Portia says, he’s been focused on his recovery. Jordan asks how the recovery is coming, and Curtis says, there’s definitely been progress. Jordan says she’s glad to hear that. She said she’d keep them in the loop, so that’s why she gave them this information. She knows standing on the sidelines isn’t how Curtis operates, but now that he’s mentioned he’s working on the case, maybe it’s time she speaks to Anna about making him a more active part of the investigation.

Cyrus tells Anna that he can’t imagine why he’d be in danger. Clearly, he’s not the man he once was. She says he considers himself reformed, but she’s not sure everyone feels the same way. His former life puts him at risk. Who’s to say he’s not the next target? He says, then he shall rely on God to be his protector, not the PCPD, and she says, what about all the other targets or collateral victims? Will his conscience be at peace with their deaths, knowing he didn’t do everything in his power to stop this violence? He says, God helps those who help themselves, and he’s not in the business of saving lives. That’s her job. He’s just trying to save a few souls. She says, that’s a very lofty goal, and he says, it’s all he’s got. She says she happens to know he retained contact with his religious acolytes at Pentenville, and he says he goes there twice a week. The new warden has seen the wisdom of allowing him to continue his ministry. She says she wants to make a proposition to him. It’s a win-win situation, because he’s perfectly placed to use his influence at the prison. He says, let’s just speak plainly. She’s not concerned about his ministry or the men who turn to him in search of a pathway to salvation. She’s asking him to exploit the very people who turn to him for guidance. Is he right?

Valentin says, a thousand hours of community service and three years’ probation. He thinks maybe Charlotte should go to court. The judge would give her a more lenient sentence, certainly more reasonable. Laura says, but they’re very grateful Charlotte isn’t going to face detention of any sort. She wants Robert to know though, Charlotte’s already in therapy. Robert says, that was factored into the decision. When it comes to juveniles, his office likes to pursue a direction of reformation over punishment. Valentin says, Victor manipulated Charlotte, and Robert says, Victor was her grandfather and an adult. She was a kid. She didn’t know any better. Valentin on the other hand… Laura says she thinks it’s time for her to get to her next appointment and thanks Robert for his fairness and his consideration in this matter. She’s really grateful, but she really should be going. Why doesn’t Valentin walk out with her? Valentin tells her to go ahead. He has more business. Robert says he’ll be in touch, and Laura says she looks forward to it. She leaves, and Valentin says, Robert has done his professional duty. Now’s his chance to get personal.

Diane tells Nina, the terms are very simple. It’s a 50/50 split of all assets accrued during the marriage. Other than that, both parties keep the toys they came with. Nina says she’s heard nothing from Sonny in all the time that’s gone by, no contact. She thought that he was cooling off, that after he did that, they might try again, but now these papers. No word to her? Nothing? Diane says she always advises clients that communication should be kept to a minimum during separation and Sonny listens to her counsel. Nina says, nice try. Sonny does what he wants. She doubts Sonny would listen to Diane’s counsel more than his own heart. Diane laughs and says, it’s true. Of course (🍷), Sonny listening to his heart over his head is what got them here in the first place.

Dante asks if Sonny is saying he thinks he has more than one mole inside, and Sonny says he takes nothing and no one for granted. Dante says, nor should he, so let him help, and Sonny asks how he’s going to do that. Dante says, for starters, they see where Sonny’s key players were during the attack on Olivia Jerome. So Brick was out of town. Frank was with Sonny? Sonny says, yeah, and Dante says, how about Dex? Sonny says, Dex is not the guy, and Dante says he knows Sonny trusts Dex… Sonny tells him, that’s not what he said. He said, Dex is not the guy. Dante asks how he knows, and Sonny says he appreciates what Dante is trying to do, but he has to go. Dante says, if they pinpoint where Sonny’s people were, then they can figure out who wasn’t where they were supposed to be, and Sonny asks if Dante thinks he doesn’t know how to run his own organization. Dante says, whoa. He thinks he’s actually trying to help Sonny. Sonny says he’s heard that before, and Dante says he gets that Sonny might be on edge with everything that’s going on, but this feels like something else, something Sonny’s not telling him. Why doesn’t Sonny talk to him? Sonny says, it’s his problem, but Dante says, what affects Sonny, affects him, okay? Sonny says he hasn’t figured out the ID of the shooter, but he did sniff out a rat. He got rid of Dex. Dante asks, why? and Sonny says, Dex wasn’t working for him. He was working for Dante’s brother, his son. Dante asks what he’s talking about, and Sonny says, Michael hired Dex, planted Dex in his organization to get evidence against him so Michael could send him to prison.

Nina says, Diane never liked her, but Diane says, none of this is personal. Nina says, please. She turned Diane’s friend Carly in to the SEC. She’s probably doing anything she can not to gloat right now. Diane says she’s had many triumphs in her long career. Nina’s failed marriage to Sonny doesn’t even rate. Nina says, it’s really sad that when Diane considers her accomplishments, it’s only in the context of her career. Profession is not a life. Diane says, Nina is concerned about her. That’s so sweet. Nina wants to play? She’s got a few minutes. They can play. Nina knows nothing about her. However, she knows boatloads about Nina. She knows, for instance, that Nina is an heiress and she’s benefitted her whole life from the sort of soft landings that money provides. (Leaving out those years in a coma where Nina had twins who were stolen from her by her mother who was trying to steal her inheritence.) So when Nina committed – she’ll just pick a random case from their files – assault and kidnapping, she did a three-month stint in a luxury mental facility and then walked out, free as a bird. Fast forward to Nixon Falls, where Sonny is living and has no idea who he is, but Nina knows. And she took advantage. Just like she took advantage of the strain between Sonny and Carly after Sonny came back to Port Charles to break them up, catch Sonny on the rebound. Nina sets herself up as the embodiment of sweetness and light, but thank God, Sonny has finally come to his senses. But don’t worry. She still has all that inheritance money. She’ll have a soft landing, again.

Valentin says, so Robert is coming after him. That’s what this is. Robert says he thinks he’ll keep Valentin guessing. He’s having lunch with a female friend of his. Valentin says he’s trying to be as optimistic as Laura was in hoping Robert isn’t taking his loathing of him out on his daughter. Robert says he thinks the word Valentin is looking for is gracious. He has so much sympathy for Charlotte and everything she’s been through. She shouldn’t be behind bars. Valentin on the other hand, should. He walks away.

Curtis says he hated giving up on his investigation. The stakes are high on this one and he didn’t like the idea of Jordan being out there digging on her own. He’s glad to hear the FBI’s involved now and that she hasn’t been hurt in the process. Jordan says, there was a sticky situation in a hotel room with a dealer who sold the sniper rifle, but she had Anna as back-up. Portia says, this all sounds incredibly dangerous. Why doesn’t Jordan just let the FBI handle this, especially since she and Curtis aren’t in law enforcement anymore? Jordan says, one of the perks of her current office is that she gets to liaise with the PCPD. They all agree that what matters is stopping this guy. And if Curtis likes, she can get the ball rolling bringing him in as a consultant. With her and Laura singing his praises, she doesn’t anticipate much pushback on that. Curtis says, thanks – he looks at Portia – but he’s going to sit this one out.

Cyrus tells Anna that he has work to do. Please respect that, and him. She says she’s not trying to strongarm him at all. She’s asking him to use his powers of persuasion and influence to gain the confidence of a certain person at Pentenville who has valuable information that could just stop this killing spree. He says, gain their confidence by deception. That’s not his way. People come to him who are scared and vulnerable. She says, you know who else is scared and vulnerable? The next person who believes they’re a target. And he may not like them – she may not like them – but she doesn’t think either of them is in a position to judge whether they should live or die. They need their help. And she’s not talking about an offering of thoughts and prayers on Searching with Cyrus. He says, so she’s heard his radio broadcast, and she says she has. He has a unique way of communicating. She might go so far as to say he’s quite gifted in his ability to persuade and instruct. He could be a real asset to them in trying to gain this intel. He says he’s sorry, but aside from everything else, he doesn’t work with cops, and she says, even for a good cause? He says he has only her word for that, when Laura walks in and says, what about her word?

Curtis says he appreciates the opportunity, but he’s focused on his family and his recovery. Jordan says she understands and respects his decision. He would have been an asset to this investigation. Did he turn up anything on his own? Curtis remembers Sonny saying, Pikeman is in bed with the WSB. Former WSB agents work for Pikeman and then Pikeman personnel work for the Bureau. Pikeman has made overtures to him, but let’s just say it didn’t live up to Pikeman’s satisfaction. Curtis tells Sonny that Pikeman may have a reason to come gunning for him, and Sonny says, anything is possible. Curtis tells Jordan, nothing comes to mind. Like he said, his priority is getting back on his feet so he can be fully present for his family. She says she’s certain he will. He’s got this. She thanks Portia, who says, of course (🍷), and Curtis says, Jordan and Anna make a pretty formidable pair. Jordan says she and Anna are working on a tactic, even if it is a little dicey, and Curtis asks, how so? She says, it requires help from Cyrus Renault.

Cyrus says, bringing in the big guns, eh, Commissioner? and says hello to Laura. Laura asks why he’d balk at stopping more killings, and Anna says she has some calls to make and leaves. Laura says, Anna thought he might need a little more encouragement. She has to say she’s really disappointed Anna was right. He says, come on. She knows how he feels about law enforcement. She says, and how law enforcement feels about him? This isn’t about personal or professional animus. It’s about stopping an assassin who’s working an agenda they haven’t even uncovered yet. This is important. This person must be stopped. He says, and she’s really this wound up about saving mob bosses, and she says, he claims the most important thing in his life right now is helping his fellow man. What if it is another mob boss? He used to be one not that long ago, right? He told her that he’s turned over a new leaf now and she really wants to believe that. Here’s his chance to prove it to her.

Dante says, Dex was working for Michael the whole time? and Sonny says, it started off that way, then Carly got involved and it changed course. But no one decided to notify him. So here’s what happened. They sit down, and Sonny says, Carly and Michael hired Dex to protect him, like he’s a child, and Dex reports back to them if he thinks Sonny’s in trouble. Dante says he gets now why Sonny is pissed off. He relied on Dex. Sonny says, and trusted Michael. He’s not going to make that mistake again. Dante says, then Sonny is telling him that Michael had a change of heart and hired Dex to look out for him, and Sonny says, too little too late. Dante says, is it? and Sonny says, his son tried to take him down from the inside. He didn’t just say he was going to do it. He actually tried to do it. So just because Michael changes his mind, he’s supposed to forgive and forget? Dante says, no, but he does remember back then that Michael felt betrayed by Sonny, right? And he came around and opted to protect Sonny. Does he really want to write off his son who, in the end, was looking out for him? Sonny needs people close to him who care about him and it doesn’t really matter how they got there. Sonny tells him, that’s what Michael said, but there’s no room in his life for anybody he can’t trust.

Nina says, Diane wouldn’t be so callous if Diane could relate to what she stands to lose, and Diane says she shall await word from Nina’s attorney. She gets up and heads for the door, but Robert appears and takes her arm. He says, shall we? but she asks if they can get out of here. He says, happily, and they leave. At the bar, Nina tells Valentin that Diane just served her divorce papers from Sonny, and he says, Diane and Robert are infuriating, aren’t they? Reveling in the misery of others. It’s bad karma and they have a lot of it. Nina says she’ll toast to that, and they clink martini glasses.

Outside, Jordan calls Anna, who says she was just about to call Jordan. Jordan says, any word? and Anna says, yeah. None of it good. Jordan says, dammit. That’s what she was afraid of.

Jordan asks if Curtis is having second thoughts about joining the investigation, but he says he’s clear on his role. He’s a husband and father first. She says she’s so glad. She knows how much all of this means to him for him to make that sacrifice. Anna and Jordan are going to figure out who’s responsible for these shootings. They’re going to wrap it up, and they’re going to catch him, so no one else has to endure what they’ve had to endure, or worse. He says he hopes so and tells her that he has to make a call. She says, sure. She’ll start dinner. She walks toward the kitchen, and he calls her back. He tells her that he’s never felt closer to her than he has these past few days, and she says she feels the same way. He says, that’s why he feels like he has to be completely honest with her. He has to warn someone who may be the shooter’s next target. She says, warn who? and he says, Selina Wu. She asks why he’d need to warn her, and he says he’d do it as a courtesy. Because they used to be in business together.

Valentin says he’s sorry and asks how Nina is feeling. She says, miserable. She waited patiently for months and months. She gave Sonny a lot of space. The first real conversation about her marriage that she’s had was with Sonny’s lawyer telling her it was over. She doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Tell her what happened with Charlotte. What did Robert Scorpio have to say? Valentin says, he’s not pressing for jail time, but he wants her to serve a thousand hours of community service and three years of probation. She says, that’s absurd, and he says, lucky Laura was there. She kept him from blowing up. It would have made things worse. She asks him to tell Charlotte that she loves her, and she’ll call her. It’ll be okay. Charlotte has him and her, and Nina will be there for her. She just has to call. He says he’s so grateful Charlotte still has Nina in her life. And for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s sorry she’s being treated so poorly. Sonny serving her with divorce papers without any warning. She says, he probably has a lot going on. Maybe he just needs a little reminding. He tells her, don’t make excuses for that guy. He thinks it’s time she came to terms with the fact that her soon to be ex-husband is not the man she fell in love with. She gets up, and he says, hey, it’s her life. She wants Sonny to change his mind? How is she going to do that? She says she has to get his attention first.

Dante says he gets that this isn’t easy. First Sonny loses Nina, then Spencer, and now it’s Dex and Michael. That’s a lot of loss. Sonny says, it’s different situations, but Dante says, it’s all the same in that these are people who were close to him. Sonny says he guesses not that close, and Dante asks, where’s Dex now? Sonny says, he’s not a problem, and Dante says he obviously can’t just leave that at that, can he? Sonny says, he’s alive, but they both agreed it’s best for him to leave town. He’s telling the truth. Dante doesn’t trust him? Dante says he trusts Sonny. Does Sonny trust him?

Jordan says, if anyone can get through to Cyrus, it’s Laura, and Anna says, yeah, but she has her work cut out for her. He’s being very resistant. Jordan says, not to pile on any more bad news, but Curtis opted not to consult on the investigation. He wants to make a fresh start.

Portia says, wow, and Curtis says, for a while there, he received a cut of Selina Wu’s profits in the poker games in The Savoy’s backroom. She asks if that’s why that woman came to their home with a basket of fruit. That’s why she wanted to buy the club, right? Did Marshall know about this too? He says, yeah. He figured it out. Dad’s no fool to these kinds of things. She says, no, he’s not a fool, but clearly, she’s the fool, and Curtis says he wanted to keep the family safe. Selina Wu respected that until she came here. She crossed the line. She says, that’s what these people do, and he says, she has every right to be angry with him. He should have just told her. She says, this isn’t about anger. She’s terrified.

In Robert’s hotel room, Diane says, this is precisely why she told Sonny that she didn’t want to serve the papers. She doesn’t need the aggravation. He says he has a room service menu here somewhere, and she says, and for Nina to imply she’s some sort of soulless, cold-hearted automaton with no personal life only gets her blood up for a fight in court. He says he does call her Killer Miller. There is nothing wrong with being good at your job. She says, there’s no argument there. She’s good at other things too. He says, not cold either, and kisses her. If it’s any consolation, Valentin accused him today of personal animosity in the professional handling of his daughter. She helps him undo his tie and says, Valentin is a pompous ass. Robert is the soul of integrity. He’s a consummate professional. He’s also quite the softie. He says, every guy likes to hear that, and she says, he’s tough when it counts, but he’s also soft when it counts. He says, let him tell her where it doesn’t count. It doesn’t count what Nina and Valentin think of them. She says she wholeheartedly agrees. You know what does count? What she can give him. She kisses him, and Robert says he thinks he now knows the secret of Diane’s success. She takes rational human beings and makes them forget themselves. He almost forgot the lunch. He’s going to call downstairs and have them send up another menu. He’s famished. She says, her too. She has quite the appetite. She kisses him again.

Dante says he knows he might be the last person Sonny trusts, but he feels like he’s proven himself over the years. Sonny says, of course (🍷) he trusts Dante. And he knows Agent Cates didn’t show up at his office the other day because Cates was concerned about his well-being; he was encouraged by Dante or Anna. Dante says, because they have Sonny’s back, and Sonny says, they’re in the minority. Dante says, Sonny has more friends than he thinks he has. Misguided actions don’t necessarily mean bad intentions. Sonny says, lies and loyalty don’t mix, and Dante says he’s not going to tell Sonny who he should or shouldn’t trust. He doesn’t know, but these are dangerous times. He wants Sonny to consider that help could come from some pretty unexpected corners.

Cyrus comes in with a dish tub, and says, Laura’s still here. She says she’s not leaving until he hears her out on saving lives. She listened to his whole radio show the other day, and he almost had her believing him. Anna comes back in, and Cyrus says, everything he said in that broadcast was the gospel truth. Laura says, he values the lives of others, and he says, as the Lord commands. She says, what about the lives of his former rivals like Sonny Corinthos? and he says, she’s asking too much of him. Anna says she’s sorry to interrupt, and Laura says she thinks it was a mistake to come to her brother. Cyrus asks if he’s just supposed to forget Sonny beat him to a pulp and put him in the hospital. Where’s the concern for him? Laura says she was concerned. She was very concerned, but that was at the time Ace disappeared, and they didn’t know where Esme went… He says he’s so sorry. The Good Book tells us that not even sparrows are forgotten by our Father. So if our Heavenly Father can protect those He overlooks, so can he. He’ll try to live up to Laura’s faith in him. What does Anna need him to do? Anna suggests they sit down, and they do. She says, this all starts with his ministry at Pentenville. They want him to reach out to a certain inmate there.

Curtis tells Portia, there are no more card games in the backroom at The Savoy. His business with Selina Wu is over. She asks why he feels so compelled to warn her, and he says, it seems like the right thing to do. She says, why? She doesn’t get this. Why is Curtis so intent on helping her? She tried to steal his club from him. She tried to take The Savoy away from him. She wasn’t trying to help him. She was trying to swoop in when he was most vulnerable. He says he knows what she was trying to do, but she didn’t, did she? Because dad and Sonny fended her off. He even managed to part ways with Selina Wu amicably and he intends to keep it that way. She says, right now, she’s less worried about Selina Wu and more worried about the shooter who was targeting her. Maybe now they’re targeting him. He says his was an accident, and she says, an assassin was trying to kill a mob boss, and now he’s telling her that he’s in league with another mob boss, and he just told her that Sonny is the one that helped him with Selina Wu. That’s a lot of organized crime going on. She doesn’t get it. He says, she doesn’t have to worry. He’s out. She says she’s worried and she honestly can’t believe he isn’t. All they’ve been doing here is fighting. Fighting for their marriage again. They’ve been fighting for this perfect life together. They’ve been saying how they’re going to make it work and be stronger than ever. How are they going to do that if he’s collateral damage again? How do they know he isn’t already one of the names on the hit man’s list?

Valentin suggests they set some ground rules before Nina goes about getting Sonny’s attention. She’s too classy to grovel. She says, grovel? He should know her better than that. He says he thought he did, then she went and fell in love with a gangster, and she says, it was a very confusing time when she fell in love with Sonny… Mike, or whatever. It was the only thing that made sense. Sometimes she thinks they would have been better off if they’d just stayed n Nixon Falls. They’d still be together. He says, Nixon Falls isn’t reality. Mike wasn’t reality. Sonny is reality. Has she come to terms with that? She says she knows who she married, and he says he can’t believe he’s going to say this, but if she wants to stay married, this is how she stays married. Sometimes the best way to get what you want is by not giving someone what they want. She says, the only thing Sonny wants from her right now is a quick divorce, and he says, don’t give it to him. That’ll get his attention.

Dante asks Sonny to give what he said some thought, and Sonny says he appreciates Dante’s input, but he’s going to handle this himself. Dante says he’s sure Sonny has something he’s cooking up, and Sonny says, Dante knows how much he loves to cook. Here’s the thing. There’s a special place in hell for those who have put his family in danger. And he’s going to send them there.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Maxie, if this continues, they’re in for one hell of a quarter; Tracy says, they’ve all been deceived; Felicia tells Spinelli that it’s time to put an end to their deception; and Selina tells Sonny, now is the time for them to put their alliance to an end.

Vanderpump Rules

James says, it’s pool party day, and he’s excited. In his interview, he says, it’s their first get together in the new house. Welcome to Casa Kennedy. He bought drinks, food, and a grill for the party. He spent at least two grand. Where did it go? Yeah, we all say that. Not the two grand part, but where did it go?

Ariana tells Katie that the Lyft driver who dropped her off the other night said he remembered the house. He said, she and her husband were fighting. He was cheating on her. She told him that they weren’t together anymore, and he said, that makes sense. Good. In Ariana’s interview, she says, he was the driver from the night on March 1^st. She tells Katie, he had no idea it’s a thing, and Katie says, have you heard of reddit? In her interview, Ariana says, he has no clue how many people want to talk to him. Katie says, Lala made some good points, and then Schwartz said they were ganging up on him. In Ariana’s interview, she says, a guy she hasn’t spoken to is suddenly an authority on who she is, how she thinks and feels, and how she lives her life. Just like a man. They talk about Tahoe, and Katie says she’s not abandoning work to get the shop open. In Katie’s interview, she says she’d rather eat a jean jacket. (That’s a new one, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.) They need to get permits and licenses and staff the place. They have their work cut out for them. Ariana says she’s not comfortable staying in a cabin with the Toms, and Katie says she doesn’t understand it.

Scheana and Lala go to Villa Rosa, and Lala asks if Schena wants to bet Lisa is going to say she has no clothes on. Lisa greets them holding new pup Donut(!), and remarks that Lala has no clothes on. She might get everyone here in a bit of a tizzy. They sit down, and Lisa says she wants to talk about so many things, and some of them they’re not going to like. She spent time with Sandoval and knows he’s in a very dark place. Scheana says she’s pissed off because she reached out to him when his friend passed, and he blocked her. He’s diving into villain energy and she’s not here for it. He needs to be humble and have humility. She also told him to get a therapist. In Scheana’s interview, she says, Sandoval is taking no accountability. Lisa is telling them that he’s depressed, but she hasn’t seen that. She’s seen him project. Lisa says he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but Lala says, he’s doubling down. Scheana says, he called Lala a narcissist (my bad. I thought he said Ariana), and Lala says, she should have asked more questions about Randall before getting involved. Lisa says she never held it against Lala, but Lala says, Sandoval has, and he’s talked to the press about her. He also can’t acknowledge how he hurt James. Lisa says, their lives are going swimmingly, and Sandoval’s isn’t. In Lisa’s interview, she says, Sandoval is a shadow of his former self, and she doesn’t want to see him going down that path. He’s depressed. She’s seen depression and she knows it. Her brother used the same words and it stayed with her. She tells the girls that they don’t want to be in the position that they have regret when they look back. Her brother is a trigger for her, and she doesn’t think Sandoval is a person who would say he had suicidal thoughts unless he meant it. Lala says she hears Lisa. She doesn’t want anyone to wear that for the rest of their life. She knows what it’s like. In Lala’s interview, she says she never gave Sandoval’s mental health much thought. She looked at him like her ex, someone with no feelings. She’s holding on to anger and doesn’t trust anybody. It’s not healthy. She doesn’t want to be angry all the time. It’s killing her. Scheana says, Sandoval was genuinely one of the best friends she’s had in her life, and Lisa asks if that doesn’t make it easier to forgive. Scheana asks if it’s worth losing Ariana, and Lisa says, talk to her. Don’t be a people pleaser. Go with her gut. In Scheana’s interview, she says, Ariana made it clear that anyone who chooses to remain friends with Sandoval is dead to her. We flash back to Ariana kissing off Schwartz, and Scheana says, at same time, if someone is struggling at this level, how can she keep coming for him? She tells Lisa that she’s going on Schwartz’s trip, and Lisa suggests they stop attacking Sandoval. None of them is perfect.

Pool party time! Lala and Scheana bring along Scheana’s sister Cortney, and Schwartz brings a plant. In Ally’s interview, she says, that’s the third plant Schwartz has brought them. She’ll have to get a gardener. Schwartz says he’s been on a sober curious journey, but he’s having a few. In his interview, he says, his conversation with Katie and Lala didn’t go well, and we flash back to that. He says, they tarred and feathered him. He wasn’t an accessory to the affair. There’s more to him than that. James goes to the porch roof and jumps into the pool (it’s not that high). Schwartz follows because, as we know, he’s a lemming.

Sandoval and Billie go to the IntoMeSea quantum wellness studio. WTF? The woman at the desk asks if they’ve done a cold plunge before, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says he’s stressed out, depressed, and overwhelmed. He realizes that he has to be able to handle his emotions in healthier ways. He gets in the bath, and Billie asks how intense it is from 1 to 10. He says, a 9, and in his interview, he says, it feels especially weird since he’s never been an outsider with the friend group. He feels like Andy when he first gets to Shawshank. He wants to get back part of something that resembles his old life. It’s the people he was closest to that hurt him the most.

Lala works out with Ally, and they make a pact to do 50 squats a day. What is with the squats? They’re in every freaking workout and I hate them. Lala asks how long it’s been since James was sober, and Ally says, three months. Lala says, the first few weeks are the hardest, and wonders if James would open up if she asked why he decided to become sober. Ally says she knows, but Lala would have to ask James, and Lala says, everyone has a rock-bottom moment where they realize it’s no longer working. In Lala’s interview, she says, something about that rock bottom moment changes everything. We flash back to the Reunion where Lala talked about going to Disney World with Randall’s family and being drunk for four days straight. When she woke up, she knew she never wanted to live this way again and reached out to get help. She says she still has a lot of work to do sober. She tells Ally that she doesn’t want to trigger by asking deep questions, but Ally thinks she should ask.

There’s a fire on the grill, and Ariana has to tell James not to fan the flames, but he rescues the food and says, they survived. Lala tells Schwartz that she knows she came in heavy. She has to not be triggered and make other’s experiences her own. It’s a process. She can’t go from machetes to crying in a fetal position. There’s got to be a middle ground. Schwartz says, Ariana looked at him like he was subhuman. She’s been exalted to queen status and was giving diva energy, as opposed to someone who’s been hurt. He’s not fawning for her affection or validation. Lala says she thought he handled it well. At times, she takes things to heart, but she’s working on not being a dog in someone else’s fight. In Lala’s interview, she says she thought her superpower was calling people on their sh*t, but it’s not healthy. She has to practice forgiveness and can’t wear trauma like a badge of honor. She tells Schwartz that she’s watched him please everyone. That’s how her dad was. He hated conflict and he was bulldozed over. She believes the stress of it killed him. She wants Schwartz to be down for someone, but do what’s best for him and his family. His brother is in the fight of his life, and she’s sorry she didn’t give him grace. We flash back to Lala reaming Schwartz out, and Schwartz says he’s sorry he retaliated, but when he’s mad, it’s easy when they haven’t communicated. He sees she’s a great mom and how much humanity she has. What she’s doing is heartfelt. Maybe she could give Sandoval a little. He can’t abandon that man. He’s family.

Sandoval tells Billie that he feels great, and Billie says, he’s worthy and deserves bliss. She asks if he’s thinking about dating, but he says, no. He misses Raquel. It’s been at least three weeks since they’ve talked. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, when they spoke the last time, he didn’t think it would be the last time. We see a clip from 27 days ago where he’s talking to Raquel on the phone, and he says, in that conversation, she said she was extending her time in the facility. He told her that he loved her, and they’d talk later. He tells Billie that he had love and was addicted. He couldn’t see anything else. Hanging out with her was the best part. I’m guessing that’s when he pontificated, and she looked at him adoringly. In his interview, Sandoval says he hopes they can give it a shot. He’s saving himself for her. Billie says she’s tired of the world hating on him. There were times she thought she’d lose him. He says, it got close. He had to snap himself out of it. In his interview, he says he had all kinds of feelings – pain, anger, sadness, depression, bleakness. He lost all his friends and it felt like the best way to show he’s sorry, give them what they all want, for him to go away. I guess moving was out of the question? Oh yeah, then Ariana would get the house. He tells Billie that he just wants to be happy and he doesn’t feel like he’s allowed. She says, he’ll get there.

Some of the girls hang on a floatie in the pool, and Scheana says she’s personally struggling. She and Lala went to Lisa’s and all three of them were in tears. Lisa was emotional, saying she saw similarities in Sandoval and her brother before he passed. She’s concerned and asked them to ease up. Ariana says, Sandoval and Lisa’s brother are different people. Sandoval won’t take responsibility. Her getting on Instagram and telling people to be nice to her ex is not happening. In Ariana’s interview, she says she understands Sandoval might have had thoughts and feelings, but they’re based on a situation he created where he didn’t give a f*** about anyone else’s mental health. She knows she’s being a bitch to say this, but she feels like it’s a little bit annoying. Ariana says, Sandoval is a scary person, and she doesn’t trust him. It all feels manipulation to her. Ugh, I hate to say it, but I kind of agree. Only because of how he acts like he’s the victim, but then switches it on for someone like Lisa. I’m not so sure his dark thoughts aren’t contrived.

James visits Lala and asks if a baby bottle is hers or Ocean’s, and she tells him, f*** you. It’s not hers, but we flash back to when she had one with her on a group trip that was her own. She asks James how long he’s been sober, and he says, three months. Jumping right into it, she asks, what made him want to get sober? He doesn’t have to tell her if he doesn’t want to. He says, there’s not much to tell. When the Sandoval and Raquel stuff happened, emotions were flowing. He and Ally were fighting, and when he was drunk, he made nasty comments. After he wrote something on Instagram, Ally stayed with her sister. She was gone for two nights, and the cats were gone. The place was empty, and it wasn’t the same energy that was there before. We flash back to 2019, and Raquel telling James that he has to get his sh*t together. In James’s interview, he says, he quit, but then after he and Raquel broke up, he figured he was single and could do what he wanted. He’s doing it for himself this time. He tells Lala that he was going to do anything to get Ally back and basically, that’s the deal. Lala asks if he’s looking at it like forever, and he says he is. If he didn’t have that mentality, he couldn’t do it. He doesn’t want to be an alcoholic 40-year-old who loses everything. Lala says, he can come to her with anything, and she’ll never share anything. In Lala’s interview, she says, she’ll never have a relationship like she does with James. They started off as two kids being trainwrecks – we flash back to Lala saying she sees no one has worked on their summer bodies, and James making fun of Katie – to getting into relationships to their sobriety journeys. It’s hard to find someone like that, who you’re bonded with for life. She tells James that she makes time for the people she loves, and James says, she’s gone miles. He’s proud of her.

Jo cuts Schwartz’s hair at his apartment, and in his interview, he says, she’s the light in his life. We flash back to Schwartz telling Scheana that he and Jo are just friends. Schwartz tells Jo that everyone thinks she’s his secret romance, but he gets the optics. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, Jo was never living with him, although she was staying with him sporadically. She’s not his girlfriend and never was. They had a whirlwind romance, but they’re just buds now. Sandoval comes over, and I note how nicely the floor sweeps up as Jo takes a broom to it. Schwartz tells Sandoval about his conversation with Lisa, and says he booked a sick-ass lake cabin. Ariana and Katie won’t be there good, but he thinks it would be neutral ground for some one-on-ones if Sandoval can leave his ego at home and say he’s sorry. Sandoval says he can tell Lala that he’s sorry he gave her so much content for her podcast and she sold merchandise. She’s not understanding what she did. She showed an entire nation how to treat them. People followed their lead. Um… I don’t even listen to their podcast, and I hate these two, so, no. Schwartz says, this energy is not going to serve Sandoval well, and in Schwartz’s interview, he says, the tone of they don’t know what they’ve done to me worries him. He doesn’t want to undermine Sandoval’s feelings, but he doesn’t think it will be productive. He’s optimistic about Tahoe, but he doesn’t expect it to miraculously cleanse everyone’s memory. He’s just hoping it opens the door a little. He tells Sandoval, something cosmically changed. He’s not saying to let everyone walk on him, but he thinks people are in a place where they’re ready to talk and not necessarily coming after him. Wow. Sandoval is seriously a narcissistic a-hole.

Scheana’s friend Tory comes over to babysit, and in Scheana’s interview, she says she and Brock have dinner plans with James and Ally. As much as she trusts Tory, she’s anxious leaving Summer with someone who’s not her mom. She did call her sister Cortney to help. Trust issues. When they get to the restaurant, Brock says, she’s making progress, and she says, baby steps. James and Ally meet them, and they get some kind of wristbands to tap when they want a drink. Since it’s a self-serve set-up, I’m not sure if it just keeps the tab, unlocks the drink lever, both, or D) none of the above. Scheana says she had a conversation with Lisa before the pool party. She had tears in her eyes and said, after her brother’s suicide, she’s seen similarities in Sandoval. Lisa thinks they should go easier than they have been. James says Lisa called him and asked if he had a minute, and we see a clip of Lisa FaceTiming James and asking for ten minutes of his time. James asks if he’s in trouble, and she says, always a little. Scheana says, it’s going to be the same thing. She doesn’t want Sandoval to do something and then it’s too late. Brock thinks it’s not fair to put that on her, and Ally says she knows she’s going to feel bad. She’s nervous about Tahoe. In Ally’s interview, she says she has no personal issue with Sandoval. He’s been welcoming and kind, but she feels uneasy around him seeing how he hurt James. She doesn’t want to be fake, so she’s preparing for awkwardness. Scheana texts Schwartz to see if he invited Sandoval, and yes, he did. Brock says, there’s a hotel down the street, if need be, but James says he’s not stressing. Brock says, it’s not like they’re picking a side. They all know what Sandoval did was wrong. Ally says, they can ride for Ariana, but have empathy for someone who f***ed up their own life.

At Vanderpump Dogs, Lisa asks the marketing director if she’s sure it’s him, and Summer (not the same one) says, 100%. James comes in, and Lisa asks if he wasn’t worried about Graham. We see a clip from two weeks earlier where James says he doesn’t know where Graham is. Graham comes down the stairs, and Lisa says, he’s been rescued. James cries and in his interview, he says, the second he touched Graham, he could see it was him. He’s got the same wiggle he’s had since he was a puppy. Lisa says she got a call that he’d been in a foster home for two months and bitten a couple of times. They were taking him to a shelter and asked if Lisa would take him. Thank God they knew Lisa, patron saint of dogs. In James’s interview, he says he feels anger and sadness and he’s confused. Graham is his best friend and it’s a dream come true that he’s back. He tells Lisa that he was expecting to talk about Sandoval and thanks her. He’d hoped Graham was in a good place. Lisa says, Graham belongs with James. Does he want to take him? James says, his first thought was of Ally, but they have to make it work. There’s a reason this is happening. It’s meant to be. In his interview, he says, whenever he sees a Goldendoodle, the most popular dog in L.A., he thinks of Graham. Then he shakes it off and gets back to his day. Now he’ll be able to hold and hug his destiny. Graham had made his way back to his true home. He leaves with Graham Cracker.

Again we see the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call 988. I have no clue how that works or if it’s set up for every city.

Next time, Brock questions Scheana about why she doesn’t want to leave Summer with anyone but her mother; James brings Graham home and introduces him to Ally’s cat; Lake Tahoe; and howling at the moon.

💃🏾 Shaking It Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finally, the finale of RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay engaging in genuine conversations, and stay practicing forgiveness and not wearing trauma like a badge of honor.

Feb14

February 13, 2024 – Sonny Takes Dex On a Ride To the Pine Barrens, Sandoval Makes Narcissist Of the Year, Six Degrees Of Vanderpump & Mambo

Posted on February 14, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn comes in with a box and says he’ll put it in Gregory’s room. Gregory says he wishes Finn would let him help. He’s the one moving in and Finn and Chase are doing all the work. Finn says, that’s the way it should be. Sit down and relax. Chase comes in with a box and says he’s in agreement with that. Violet comes in with a suitcase and tells Gregory not to worry. They’ve got him covered.

Blaze asks if Kristina has any morning sickness, but Kristina says, knock on wood, she feels pretty normal. Except for the incredible fact she has a human life growing inside her. It’s pretty amazing she got pregnant on the first try. She thinks it was meant to be. Maybe her purpose was to bring Molly and TJ’s baby into this world. Blaze says, one thing’s for sure, she’s absolutely glowing, and Kristina says she thinks that might have something to do with Blaze.

Laura takes Elizabeth’s coat and says she’s glad Elizabeth called. Spending time with her is just what she needed today. She just put Ace down for a nap, so they have plenty of time to chat. Elizabeth asks how Ace is doing, and Laura says he seems fine, but she’s worried about the long-term effects of losing his mother, and Spencer of course (🍷), and the long separation from Nikolas. But for right now, he seems to be settling in just fine. Elizabeth says she knows Laura has been here before, so she probably has everything she needs, but you can never have too many diapers. She hands Laura a shopping bag, and Laura says, you really can’t, can you? She thanks Elizabeth and says, it’s so thoughtful. Elizabeth says she’s glad Ace has Laura and Doc to take care of him while Nikolas is in prison, and Laura says, with losing Spencer and Nikolas turning himself in, everything has been so hectic. Having Ace here has really helped her… This is about more than dropping off diapers, isn’t it? What’s on her mind? Elizabeth says she’s worried about Nikolas.

Ava goes to see Carly and says, her assistant said she’d be in here. Why is she working in Michael’s office? Carly says, Nina. She gave Carly a story about pipes bursting, so the Crimson offices are an off-limits construction zone. She’s trying to make Carly miss her first deadline as Editor-in-Chief, but that’s not going to happen. Ava says, that sounds complicated, but Carly says, nothing she can’t handle. What does Ava want to talk about? Ava says, it’s about the sleepover Donna and Avery have planned for the weekend, and Carly says, Donna is super excited about it. She told Donna that they could all make chocolate chip cookies. Ava says, that sounds like so much fun, but she’s afraid she’s got to cancel, and Carly asks, why? Ava says, it’s not safe for Avery to stay over.

In the car, Dex asks where they’re going, and Sonny says, the Pine Barrens. (I laugh because we all know what that means.) He has some business he’s got to take care of.

There’s a knock at Kristina’s door and she says, that must be her sister Molly. Early bird for dinner as usual. Kristina opens the door, and Molly says she knows she’s early. She’s used to it for court, and now it’s just her default setting. Kristina says, it’s not like Molly is fifteen minutes early for everything in her entire life, and takes a bakery box from her. Molly comes in and says, it’s nice to see Blaze. Is she joining them for dinner? Blaze says, no. She didn’t realize the time. She actually has to get going. Kristina says, she can stay if she wants, and Molly says, the more, the merrier. Blaze says, sure, and Molly says, they can talk about what an amazing singer she is. She and TJ are total fans. Is she performing live anytime soon? They’re dying to see her. Blaze thanks her, but says she’s actually in the recording studio right now, working on some new material. Molly says she can’t wait to hear the new music, but please tell them when she’s performing again. It would be so fun to see her. Right, Krissy? Kristina says, yes, that would be so fun. They should definitely do that.

Elizabeth says she knows it was part of her statement that she’d testify to everything she saw Nikolas do when he held Esme hostage, but she’s so afraid of testifying against him. Laura asks if Nikolas’s lawyer contacted her, and Elizabeth says, no. Why? Laura says, because Nikolas chose to plead guilty, so there won’t be a trial, and Elizabeth says, this is the first she’s hearing of this. Laura says she’s actually very proud of him. As hard as it is, she thinks it’s great her son is finally facing his crimes and accepting the consequences for it. So Elizabeth doesn’t need to worry. Her life isn’t going to be upended by a constant rehash of all the stuff that happened at Windymere. Elizabeth says she hopes his cooperation helps him at sentencing. Personally, she’s super relieved. Laura says she is too. This is really what’s best for everyone. She and Elizabeth sit on the sofa, and Laura pours them some tea. Elizabeth moves some toys and says she almost forgot how much stuff a baby needs. She’s really proud of what her boys are becoming, but she really misses them being this little. Laura says, babies have a way of making you smile, don’t they? And speaking of babies and smiles, she and Doc have decided to legally adopt Ace. Elizabeth says, what? This is huge news. Laura says, it’s absolutely huge. Obviously, this isn’t something they expected to have happen, but with Spencer being gone and they don’t know how many years Nikolas will be in prison, it seemed like the best solution. Elizabeth says she’s so happy for Laura. She knows how much Laura loves that little boy, and having legal custody of Ace is only going to protect him. although it worries her that this adoption will lead to Heather being even more fixated on Doc. Laura asks what she means, and Elizabeth says, she visited Esme’s grave recently. Laura says, Doc told her that they both ran into Heather there, but he didn’t say anything else. What happened? Elizabeth says, as crazy as she is, Heather was surprisingly warm to her because of Franco, but she did direct all of her anger at Doc. She blames him for Esme’s death.

Ava tells Carly that she and Sonny barely got under cover. They could hear the bullets hitting everywhere. It was really terrifying. She’s just glad Avery was in her room. She missed the whole thing. Not a half hour before though, she was out on the patio. She told Avery the noise was fireworks, but she’s smart. She’s worried Avery can sense something’s wrong. Carly says she understands. She knows exactly how Ava feels, but promises her that Avery is safe at her house. Ava says she knows. Carly’s house is like a fortress, right? Carly says, it is, and she really wants to keep things normal for Avery because Donna loves having her big sister over for sleepovers. Ava says, Avery loves it too. She thinks maybe she’s overreacting. She’s just worried after everything that happened in Puerto Rico. Carly asks why she’s out and about? Why doesn’t she stay home at Sonny’s under guard? Ava says, it’s hard to stay cooped up in Sonny’s penthouse with Avery. Sonny has a guard who follows her everywhere. Carly says, it sounds like Sonny’s keeping Ava as safe as he can make her, and Ava says she thinks Sonny is hiding it well in front of Avery, but he’s really on edge. Carly says, of course (🍷) he is. Someone took a shot at him in his own home. Does Sonny have any idea who’s behind the attack?

Dex says he doesn’t want to overstep, but did something happen he doesn’t know about? Sonny says, Brick brought him some crucial information, and Dex asks if it’s a lead on the shooter in Puerto Rico. Sonny says, not a lead, a suspect, and Dex asks if they’re going to bring him in. Sonny says, already done, and Frank gets in the driver’s seat. Sonny says his rat problem will be over soon.

Violet asks Gregory how many books he has, sounding like every single person in my life, and Gregory says, one can never have too much literature. Unless one moves into an apartment that doesn’t have a library or a study even. There may not be enough room in here for all of those. Violet says he can put some in her room if he wants, and Finn says, that’s very generous, but he thinks her stuffed animal collection might have something to say about that. Violet says she can move them. She’s just so happy grandpa’s going to be here all the time. They should have a tea party to celebrate. She tells Gregory, come on, and he struggles to get up, then sits back down. She asks, what’s wrong? and he says he just stood up a little too quickly. He just needs to rest for a moment, that’s all. Violet tells Finn, grandpa rests a lot. Is he okay? Chase suggests they give grandpa a minute. He’ll help her get everything set up. He leaves with Violet, and Gregory says, they can’t put it off any longer. They have to let Violet know he’s sick.

Kristina says she hasn’t been ice skating in so long. They went to check out the new rink that just opened, and she forgot how hard ice skating is. (I haven’t. I spent more time on my behind than on my skates.) Blaze says, Kristina’s just being modest. Kristina was so much better at it than she was. She’s still sore from all the falls she took. Molly says, sounds like they had fun though, and Kristina says, they did. Don’t listen to Allie. She’s way too hard on herself. Molly says, Allie? And Blaze says, Blaze is a stage name. Her real name is Allison. Molly says she can’t imagine having to change her name for work, but Blaze says she doesn’t mind it actually. She’s a different person when she’s on stage, so it helps her get into the right headspace. Molly says, that makes sense, and Blaze says, speaking of which, she has an early recording session tomorrow, so she really has to get going now. Molly says, it was so nice to get to know her better. She’ll be right back. She needs to wash her hands. (Methinks she’s giving them some privacy.) She leaves and Kristina walks Blaze to the door. Blaze says, her sister is really nice. Talk to her later? Kristina says, definitely, and Blaze leaves.

Elizabeth says, Heather was really brutal with Doc. She blamed him for trying to help Ryan and accused him of causing Esme’s death. She really lit into him. Laura tells her that she can’t say she’s surprised. Heather likes to lash out at people and say horrible things. But no matter how horrible Heather was, try not to let it get to her because Heather is in jail. There’s nothing she can do from there. Elizabeth says she’s glad Heather can’t do anything to them, especially Ace. She still can’t believe they’re adopting that little one. She’s so happy for Laura. Laura thanks her and says, they’re very excited about having him here fulltime. Although she can’t say she ever imagined raising another child. Elizabeth says she’s sure, although he can’t be in better hands. And if Laura ever needs a babysitter, it would be her absolute pleasure to watch that sweet boy. Laura thanks her for the offer, but she doesn’t think she’ll be taking up any of what little free time Elizabeth has. It’s very demanding to be Head Nurse at GH. Elizabeth says, not like being mayor? and they laugh. Laura says she guesses she and Doc have very busy schedules, but fortunately, they’re at a point in their careers where they have a little flexibility. And they’re both committed to giving Ace a happy and stable home. Elizabeth says, if Laura won’t let her volunteer, Aiden loves kids and he’s been babysitting, and Laura says she’ll keep that in mind. Actually, if she’s being honest, it’s good to know there’s some kind of support system there and not just her and Doc in it all alone. Elizabeth says, they’re not alone. So she’ll call them if she needs anything? They’re family. They have to stick together.

Sonny says, Dex looks a little nervous. Is he uncomfortable going to the Pine Barrens? Dex says he is, and Sonny says, what’s going to happen is not going to be easy. It never is when someone you trusted to have your back betrays you. When someone chooses money over their word, they don’t deserve to live. Dex asks if that’s what happened. Is somebody in Sonny’s organization taking bribes? Sonny says, someone has been secretly working against him for months. That’s unacceptable. Dex says, of course (🍷). He knows how important loyalty is to Sonny. Sonny says, it means everything. He does everything for his people. He treats them well and makes sure they’re taken care of. Does Dex agree with that? Dex says, of course (🍷). He’ll never forget when Sonny came back for him in that warehouse. Sonny saved his life, then took Dex into his own home so he could recover. Sonny says, and he thought that would mean more than just a quick payday, but one thing he’s learned in this business is loyalty is rare and people will always disappoint you.

Molly says, that looks promising, and Kristina says, what? Molly says, her and Allie, and Kristina says she knows what Molly is doing and they’re just friends. Molly asks if Kristina is telling her that she isn’t attracted to Blaze. Blaze is hot. Kristina says, that’s not the point, and Molly says, okay, but they look cute together and there’s definitely a vibe there. Does she not see it? Kristina says she’s thought that with a lot of people, but Molly says, not like this. She saw the little looks Blaze was giving Kristina and they make each other laugh. She’s just saying she knows putting yourself out there is hard, but it might be worth it. Kristina says she’ll take that into consideration, and Molly says, good, because she deserves somebody great. Kristina says, now Molly is being just as pushy as their mother, but Molly says, Kristina is doing this incredible thing being the surrogate for her and TJ, so she wants Kristina to be as happy as they are. Is that why she’s not pursuing things with Blaze? She doesn’t want to explain that she’s having their baby? Kristina says, Blaze already knows she’s pregnant.

Gregory says he wanted to talk to Violet, because even though he’s very excited about moving in with her and her dad and getting to spend more time with her, they may not be able to play together as much as they’d both want. Violet asks if it’s because of his leg, and he says, it’s not just his leg. He has an illness. One that isn’t going to go away. She asks if it’s contagious, and Finn says, what grandpa has will only affect him. Chase says, it’s not like getting a cold. She can’t catch this. Violet says, okay. What’s wrong with him? Gregory says he has something called ALS, and she says, Als? Finn asks if she remembers when she learned what an abbreviation is. ALS isn’t a word; it’s an abbreviation. It’s an abbreviation for a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Violet tells him, that’s hard to say. ALS is easier. Finn agrees, and Gregory says, having this disease means they may not be able to do some of the things together that they’re used to doing. Sometimes his symptoms may be very obvious, and he doesn’t want her to be scared when she sees them. She says, like what? and he says he may have a little trouble catching his breath. Chase says, it’s like when they play tag at the park, and they chase each other for too long. That’s not scary, right? She says, no, that’s fun, and Gregory says he may sound a little funny or be clumsy or trip or fall, but he doesn’t want her to worry because he’ll always have another grown-up around him, so she’ll never have to take care of him. Violet says, that’s okay. She likes taking care of him. He thanks her and she says she’s sorry he’s sick, but her daddy can fix it, right?

Ava says, Sonny doesn’t know who’s trying to kill him, and Carly knows how he hates feeling on the defensive. Carly says she doesn’t blame Sonny for being jumpy. It’s incredibly unsettling to know someone took a shot at him and got in a place he always considered his stronghold. Ava says, that’s why it’s so awful. It just feels like no place is safe anymore. And the shooter definitely had information about Sonny’s security that only Sonny would know. Carly says, that means Sonny was betrayed by someone in his inner circle. That’s something Sonny will not tolerate.

In the Pine Barrens, Sonny tells his guys to hold onto Dex, and Dex asks what he’s doing. He asks if Sonny thinks he’s the one who betrayed him, and Sonny says he doesn’t think – he knows.

Finn tells Violet that he’d love to be able to fix grandpa more than anything in the world, but it just isn’t that simple, and Gregory says, some things just can’t be fixed. Some things you have to learn to live with. Chase says, and grandpa can still do so many things with her, but there will be times he feels a little shaky and needs to take a break and rest. Violet says, that’s okay. Her teacher says, it’s good to take breaks sometimes. But she hates being sick. She doesn’t want grandpa to feel bad. Gregory says, don’t worry. He’s not in any pain. And being around her always makes him feel better. She says, it does? and he says, always. Finn says, family makes everything better. That’s why grandpa is moving in with them. They’re all going to take care of each other. Chase says he’s going to be here as much as he can to help, and Violet says, because that’s what families do. She’s sorry Gregory is sick, but she loves him. He says he loves her too, and kisses the top of her head.

Ava says she’s sorry to drop by Laura’s unannounced. She wanted to talk to Laura if she could, but she sees Laura already has company. Elizabeth says, that’s okay. She was just getting ready to leave. She tells Laura to call her if she needs anything. She loves her. Laura says she loves Elizabeth too, and Elizabeth leaves. Ava says she wanted to discuss the gallery’s contribution to the Nurses Ball this year. She knows it’s a few months away, but it’s such an important charity and she wants to give as much as she can. The gallery is getting busy, and she doesn’t want it to fall through the cracks. Laura says, Ava doesn’t have to make excuses to come over here. She disagrees with Ava’s decision to press charges against Esme, but she also understands why Ava did it. And she’s family, so she’s always welcome here. Ava thanks her, and Laura asks if she’d like a cup of tea. Ava says she’d love a cup of tea.

Molly asks why Kristina told Blaze about the baby. She thought they’d agreed on waiting until Kristina was three months along. Kristina says she’s sorry. She told Blaze about the IUI procedure because she didn’t know if she was actually going to get pregnant on the first try, and she did, and it was a miracle. It felt wrong hiding it from Blaze, so she told her, but she promises Blaze won’t say anything to anyone. Molly says, something’s not adding up here. She keeps saying she and Blaze are just friends, but she hasn’t told any of her other friends she’s known much longer than Blaze. They must be really close for Kristina to feel the need to confide only in her. Kristina says, Molly can stop interrogating her. She and Allie are dating, all right? There, she said it. It’s out there. Molly says she knew something was going on. She’s never wrong. Kristina says, all right, but it’s new. She’s not sure where it’s going to go yet, so… Molly says, from the looks of it, it’s going pretty well. They’re clearly into each other. Kristina says she kind of forgot what that feels like, and Molly says, they look happy. So why did Kristina deny when she asked? Kristina says, it had nothing to do with Molly, she promises. Allie’s family is very religious, so they don’t know she’s gay. She’s not out, so Kristina’s been respecting her privacy. Molly says, Blaze isn’t out yet. Is Kristina okay with that?

Brick asks if he’s interrupting, and Carly says, he is, but that’s okay since it’s always so great to see him. They hug, and he says, it’s always great to see her. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says he went by the Crimson offices because he wanted to congratulate her on being Editor-in-Chief (like she earned it), but he saw a construction crew and found out she was here. Is she redecorating? She says, not exactly, and he says, don’t tell him. Nina. She says, but that’s not important. She wants to talk to him about Sonny, so come in. She closes the door and asks what he’s found out about the attempted shooting on Sonny’s island. He says, she heard about that, huh? He can’t say he’s surprised, but she knows he can’t tell her. She says she knows, but Ava was just here, and she implied there’s a traitor in Sonny’s organization. She needs to know how that affects her kids. He says, Sonny’s handling the situation as they speak. It’ll all be over soon.

Dex says, Sonny’s got the wrong guy, and Sonny says, stop lying to him. He’s not leaving this place. So it can be quick and easy or slow and painful. It’s up to him. Dex says he wasn’t working with the shooter on the island. He’s the one who alerted Sonny when the shooting started. Sonny says, maybe that was Dex’s plan all along. He wanted it both ways. He took the money to betray Sonny, then used the shooting to play hero. Dex says, what money? and Sonny shows him a phone. Sonny asks if this is how Dex stays in touch with his enemy. Now is he realizing he screwed up and got caught (which he pronounces cot)? Dex says, Sonny’s got this all wrong, but Sonny says, no, he doesn’t. Brick found two payments that were untraceable from a shell corporation that coincided with the two attacks on him. Which tells him that Dex betrayed him. Dex says, no, he didn’t. This is not what it looks like. Sonny says, then what is the second phone for? but Dex says he can’t tell Sonny that. Sonny says, he’s got a few seconds to survive, so Dex better unlock this phone so he can see for himself. He wants to know who’s paying Dex to spy on him. (Seriously? With all the talent Brick is supposed to have, he couldn’t unlock a phone or figure out who’s linked to the shell corporation?)

Finn asks if Violet has any more questions, but she says she doesn’t think so. Chase says, if she thinks of any, she can always ask them, anytime, and Gregory says, absolutely. She can talk to them about anything. She says, okay, but she thinks she needs to go process this, and Finn says he understands that. Does she want to go in her room and play? They’ll be right here if she needs them. Violet leaves, and Finn says, that was rough. Gregory asks if he thinks they overwhelmed her. That kind of thing is hard enough for adults to process, let alone a kid. Chase thinks Violet handled it okay actually, and Finn says, so does he. He knows Violet doesn’t understand what ALS is or that it’s terminal, but it’s a good first step in preparing her for what’s going to happen. He knows she’s a really smart kid and sees more than they realize, but he thinks she was just looking for some explanation about what’s been going on. Holding back tears, Gregory says he knows Finn’s right, but he hates this. He’s not going to be here to see Violet grow up and her last memories of him are going to be of him sick and in pain. It’s not fair. He was hoping for more time with her. Chase says, he will. He knows this is hard, but he’s got a lot of life left.

Molly says, Kristina shouldn’t have to hide relationships. She deserves someone who is excited to fully commit to her, not someone who’s going to treat her like their dirty little secret. Kristina says, whoa. That is not what’s going on here. Coming out is an incredibly personal decision and Allie has to do it when she’s ready. Molly says she’s sorry. She really can’t imagine what Blaze is going through. She’s lucky she doesn’t live in a time where she has to hide her relationship with TJ. That wasn’t always the case. Kristina says, no, it wasn’t, and if people didn’t approve of her relationship, would she just give up on him? Molly says, of course (🍷) not. She’s just worried about Kristina. She’s not exactly one to hide her feelings. Is she going to be okay pretending to be just friends with Blaze? Kristina says she doesn’t know. Right now, it’s casual, and if it does get more serious, they’ll figure it out, but Blaze is taking a risk too. Molly asks, how so? and Kristina says, because she’s never had a girlfriend before. She’s actually never been in a serious relationship. She’s been happy to focus on her career. Now Blaze is really happy with her and wants to take a chance and have a relationship. Blaze knows if she wants to pursue this with her, she’s got to make some changes. Molly says, changes how? Is Kristina going to have to pretend they’re just friends every time Blaze’s family visits? She can’t imagine Kristina happy like that. Kristina says she doesn’t know, but right now, they’re happy and they’re sorting through things. And at this moment, she’s fine to hold Blaze’s secret and hopes Molly can do the same. Molly says, of course (🍷). She would never out Blaze, but she does have to tell TJ.

Ava asks how Laura is doing. She knows it’s a tough time, but she’s here if Laura wants to vent or scream or throw something. Laura thanks her, but says she’s okay. Having Ace around here keeps her really busy, so it kind of forces her into the present moment. If Ace weren’t here, she might actually get lost in her grief for Spencer’s death. Ava says, Trina is handling it as best she can, but she’s having a really hard time. For Ava, seeing Trina grieve so deeply takes her back to how she felt when Kiki died. How angry she was, how lost. She’s been thinking a lot about Kiki lately. Laura says she understands. You never get over the loss of a child. The pain gets duller she thinks, but it’s always there. Ava says she had Kiki longer than Laura had Spencer, but it wasn’t long enough. A hundred years more wouldn’t have been enough. Laura says she keeps expecting him to walk through the door, and Ava says she bets. She and Spencer had their problems, but she was starting to see him through Trina’s eyes, and she could tell he was getting his life back on track. Laura says she thought so too. It’s generous of Ava to say, especially after everything Spencer put her through. She’s sure he shares some of the blame for Ava’s marriage falling apart. Ava says, he was just a hurt kid, lashing out at her and his father. She’s sorry she won’t get to see the man he was becoming. Laura cries, and says, her too. Ava says, it’s twisted, isn’t it? All this pain goes back to that one family. Ryan took Kiki from her. Esme took Spencer from Laura. Laura says she thinks Ryan played a very big part in making Esme who she was, and Ava says, that man was evil. She’s glad he’s dead. Laura says, God help her, she is too.

Carly says she always feels better that Sonny has Brick watching his back, and Brick says, his pleasure. Carly’s phone dings and she sees a text from Josslyn: May miss dinner. Can’t find Dex. TTYL. Brick says he knows she’s busy. He’ll let her get back… She says, where is Sonny? and Brick says, Sonny’s out taking care of some business, but he promises it’s under control. She asks what Sonny is going to do, and he says, don’t worry. She’s not in any danger. Sonny will always do whatever it takes to take care of his family. No matter how much it hurts. She asks if Sonny thinks Dex is the traitor.

Sonny asks, what’s the password? and Dex says, it’s a password touch ID combo. Dex touches the phone, and Sonny asks what he did. Dex says he activated a kill switch and wiped the phone. There’s nothing left on it. Sonny says, Dex just proved he’s loyal to the bankroller more than him, but Dex says he hasn’t betrayed Sonny. Sonny says, then why did he wipe the phone? What is he hiding? Dex says, the person who’s paying him isn’t out to hurt Sonny, and Sonny says, all right. Tell him his name. Dex says, it’s better for him not to know, and Sonny asks, why? He likes having a lot of friends. Sonny takes a gun from Frank and says, give him the name – now.

Kristina says she didn’t really think this through. She should have checked with Molly and TJ before talking to Allie about this. It’s their baby and they deserve to make these decisions for themselves. Molly says, it’s their baby, but it’s Kristina’s body. She completely understands Kristina needing someone else to talk to besides her about this pregnancy. Just know that neither her nor TJ will tell anybody that Blaze is gay. Kristina says he knows that. She just hopes Blaze can know she can trust Molly and TJ the same way she trusts Blaze to keep quiet about the baby. Molly says she’s sure Blaze will, and Kristina takes her hand. She says she gets that Molly has to tell TJ. All she’s asking is that Molly gives her a chance to tell Blaze first.

Ava thanks Laura for listening. She didn’t come here planning to unload on her, but she feels so much better after talking. Laura says she hopes Ava knows she’s always welcome here. And not just when she’s upset. Laura wants her to share the good times too. Ava says, let’s hope the good times get here real quickly, and Laura says she couldn’t agree more. There’s been a lot of darkness lately.

Violet comes out with a book and a blanket, and Chase asks if she’d like him to read her a bedtime story, but she says, actually, she’s going to read grandpa one. Daddy always reads to her when she’s sick, and he can use her favorite blanket. It always makes her feel better. Gregory puts the blanket across his lap and Violet snuggles next to him.

Carly leaves a message for Sonny to call her the second he gets this. Don’t do anything until he talks to her first. She tells Brick that he’s not picking up. Where is Sonny right now? Brick says, he’s probably a little preoccupied, and Carly looks like she has a headache. He says he knows this is going to be hard at first. Josslyn was so close to Dex. She says, they have to stop this, and he says, Dex had a side hustle going on. He saw the proof himself. Carly says, he has to trust her. He has to tell her where Sonny is before he makes a mistake he’ll regret for the rest of his life.

Sonny says, all he wants from Dex is the name of the person who convinced him to rat on him, and Dex says, telling him will only hurt him. Sonny says, wrong answer, and Dex says he can’t tell Sonny who it is. So do what he’s got to do.

Tomorrow, Curtis wants to celebrate his and Portia’s anniversary properly; Chase tells Brook, it will be a Valentine’s Day to remember; Spinelli is ready to meet the woman of his dreams; and Willow tells Michael that she has something to get off her chest.

Vanderpump Rules

Still at Sandoval’s birthday party, Sandoval tells Schwartz about how James said it had been the ultimate betrayal, and Schwartz says he should have just agreed. Sandoval says, James did the same thing to him, but it was way worse. James f***ed Sandoval’s ex in his bed using his condoms. Schwartz says, if Sandoval gets upset every time someone comes at him, it’s going to be a negative impact on his life.

Emo Night doesn’t seem all that emo, since everyone looks like they’re smiling and having a great time. James arrives and tells Ariana that he just left her house. It’s been six months, and Sandoval texted him out of the blue that he was having a small gathering for his birthday. He thinks it was a manipulative move. In Scheana’s interview, she says, James told people to throw tomatoes at Sandoval on TikTok, yet he’s the first person Sandoval unblocked and reached out to. Maybe he feels her friendship didn’t mean anything to him. Although after what she said on her podcast, maybe he feels like his friendship didn’t mean anything to her. James tells them how Sandoval brought up his transgression from ten years ago, and Ariana says, no one around Sandoval gives him honest feedback. He’s surrounded by people he pays. Lala says, that’s the only type that will be around him. At Sandoval’s party, he whines to friend Kyle, then bitches some more, and complains about what James did to him ten years ago.

Ariana, Scheana, and Katie are up to DJ, and in Ariana’s interview, she says she could have a career pressing play. In James’s interview, he says he wouldn’t be caught dead pressing play on a prerecorded set. In Lala’s interview, she wonders, what band is emo anyway. Nickelback? Schwarz tells Sandoval that he’s going to Emo Night, and Sandoval says he knows being with him is a bad look. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, he feels bad, but he doesn’t have a history with the others like he and Sandoval have. We flash back to better times with the Toms, and Schwartz says, Sandoval is a doucher and everyone hates him, but you don’t come by friendships like that often, and he doesn’t want to give up on that. Scheana introduces band The 27s who are doing Good As Gold with her, and in her interview, she says she’s on Cloud 9. She never wanted to be a pop star. She preferred a Gwen Stefani or Fergie style, where she interacted with guys in a band. She’s living out her dream and it’s so fun. They do a remix of the song, which is not bad, and Schwartz shows up just afterward. He tells Scheana that he’s sorry he missed her song, and Scheana says, that’s what he gets when he chooses Sandoval; he misses the fun. At Sandoval’s party, Billie Lee brings out a cake, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says he can’t express how grateful he is to the people who stuck around. They’ve put up with so much hate for what he did. Billie had to endure transphobic remarks and threats were made against Jason. It means a lot to him. He wipes his eyes, which might tug at our hearts if he didn’t cry all the time. Billie says she’s seen him suffer not just over the break-up with Ariana, but also Raquel. Sandoval says he wants to connect, and in his interview, he says he and Raquel had been talking every couple of days. He thought because it was his birthday she’d reach out, but he’s heard nothing. He considered her his best friend. He loves and misses her. Billie says, now comes his healing. He needs to focus on himself and not a girl. That’s the journey they’re on. 😴

Katie comes over Ariana’s house, and says, the last time she was here, two Toms were here. Ariana says she came home to a quiet and empty house, and Katie says, it looks pretty neat. Ariana says, that’s because Ann’s been cleaning, and Katie asks if Anna gets paid extra for that. Anna says she wishes, and I wonder why she’s working for these cheapskates. Two women come with IVs for Katie and Ariana, and in Katie’s interview, she says she and Scheana are at a turning point. She’s committed to working on the friendship. The lights are on and someone is finally home. Ariana says she feels like Scheana has a soft spot for Schwartz, and Katie says she asked Scheana if she’s going to flip-flop. Ariana says, there are people besides Schwartz who will use Scheana, and Katie says, it makes her nervous to be close to energy drains.

Lisa goes to the closed PUMP, and in her interview, she says, they had a good run. It’s so hard to look around at an empty shell of the restaurant. She knew they were going to close for a while, but seeing it makes it more real. She calls Ken and says she wasn’t prepared. She’s wondering if they did the right thing. Ken asks if she’s changed her mind, but she says, only if it goes back to the original rent. Nothing lasts forever. She doesn’t know where they’re going to put all this stuff. Sandoval comes in bearing flowers and says he knows it’s like bringing sand to a beach. She asks how he’s doing, and he says he’s beat up from his time in New Zealand. She asks if he’s seen anyone. Has he seen Ariana? He says, they haven’t talked, and she says she has no idea why, since they’re in the same house. He should do the gentlemanly thing; give her some space and sell the house. Sandoval says, or one of them can keep it. He put money and work into it. He had his real estate agent send Ariana a letter of intent, but got radio silence. Lisa says, he’s got to move forward, and he says he’s trying to figure it out. It’s a lot for him. She says, he created it, and he says he knows he did. His close friend Ali died, and Scheana reached out, but she’d been releasing rumors about him and Billie on her podcast. She thinks something happened between them. Scheana needs to take the day off from kicking him while he’s down, as well as Raquel. She had a guy Nema (from Shahs of Sunset!) that Raquel dated on her podcast, and he was talking sexual things. If I was Lisa, I would be bringing up Sandoval’s comment about Ariana in a T-shirt, but she doesn’t. In his interview, Sandoval says, a guy Raquel dated for a short time claimed Raquel said he told her that he and Ariana had an open relationship. That’s not true. He went on to say explicit things, like Raquel was begging him to have sex on Scheana’s bed. Raquel called him afterword, and they were on the phone for quite a while. He was grossed out. Wow. After some of the nasty, nasty things this dude has said, that’s rich. He tells Lisa that he’s always been against mob mentality, but Lisa tells him that he should just say he’s sorry and that he knows he didn’t handle it in the best way. Sandoval tells Lisa that when he apologizes, they say he doesn’t mean it. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He wants to move on. Like many men, he thinks moving on means forget about all the mess I just made. Sorry not sorry. It’s true and don’t do that. Lisa tells him to stop being angry, and he says, she’s attacking him. He seems to be having a different conversation than Lisa is, but not surprising when he only thinks about himself. She says she’s trying to help him. He says he’s not living the rock star dream; it’s grueling work. Lisa says he has to have remorse, and he tells her, when he cried, they called it crocodile tears. He thought about suicide. Don’t tell him what he felt. In his interview, he says he felt like he couldn’t dream of better days. Like, what’s the f***ing point? Lisa says he should have reached out. He knows how she feels about that after losing her brother, and he promised her. In Lisa’s interview, she says, after the Reunion, Sandoval assured her that if he ever had any thoughts like that, he’d reach out, but he’s not that person and he wouldn’t do that. It scares daylights out of her after losing her only sibling to suicide. She can’t hear that and do nothing. She tells him that she’ll help him move forward and asks if he thinks he can find a way back to his friendships. He says he doesn’t know, and she says, he has to have utter sensitivity and contrition. He says he understands, but I’m doubtful. I don’t think he’s Robert Chambers, but he’s definitely a high number on the scale of being a sociopath.

Lala and Ariana go shopping and talk about going to see James’s See You Next Tuesday. Ariana says she always thought James was better when he’s sober, but she can’t tell him what to do. Lala says she doesn’t think anyone who still drinks should tell someone not to. She can’t even do it or ask him to a meeting. He has to come to them. In Lala’s interview, she says she thinks being sober is beneficial for everyone. Your skin looks fantastic, you lean out, and you don’t engage with people you shouldn’t. The number of people she gave out her phone number to when she was f***ed up is insanity. Katie meets Scheana at a restaurant, and in Katie’s interview, she says she and Scheana used to be so close. We flash back to that, and Katie says she feels they both genuinely want to make it work. Spending more one-on-one time is the first thing. Scheana says she heard Katie has a date, and Katie says, he’s nice and he’s cute. In her interview, she says she gave her number to guitarist Kevin from Scheana’s band, The 27. She asks Scheana if it isn’t more fun to be a wingwoman for her than Schwartz, and Scheana apologizes for inviting him to Next Tuesday, but she felt bad. It’s the old Scheana who sees someone is being left out. She regretted it immediately. She’s happy where they’re at and doesn’t want Katie to be uncomfortable. Katie says, it’s not about her, and Scheana says she’s been working on self-realization and understanding boundaries with the people she wants to be in her life. Katie says, to carve out time for garbage people just because you have a history isn’t worth it, and Scheana says, if they don’t add value to her life, she doesn’t need them in her inner circle.

Dogs! Schwarz brings Gordo and Butters to Vanderpump Dogs for some grooming. Schwartz tells Lisa that he’s got bad news. His brother is back in rehab. He was rushed to the hospital, and they think he has cirrhosis. It’s his third time in rehab. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, Bert was used to be a ray of sunshine, but after he got jumped outside a bar, he was never the same and has a dependency on alcohol. Any form of addiction makes a brutal impact on the family. It made him rethink his moderation. Lisa asks, what’s happening with Schwartz & Sandy’s? and Schwartz says, they got unforeseen backlash. She says she doesn’t think the punishment befits the crime. Although maybe she’d feel differently if Ariana wasn’t living her best life. Schwartz says he thinks Sandoval is still reeling, and Lisa says, maybe people will always feel differently about Sandoval, but he worries her. He said he had dark thoughts. Schwartz says, Sandoval’s best friend died, but Sandoval didn’t tell him. He found out from other people. She says, it scares the life out of her. Her brother said similar things, and suddenly, it was too late. In Lisa’s interview, she says she doesn’t think there’s anyone who’s lost someone to suicide who doesn’t have regrets. Even if people think it’s foolish for her to reach out, she’ll take it rather than the alternative. They have to help him change the narrative. Schwartz says, he doesn’t make it easy, and Lisa suggests getting them all together in Tahoe. In her interview, she says she’s going to be opening a new restaurant on the division between California and Nevada. Wolf by Vanderpump is going to be the sexiest restaurant in Lake Tahoe. Lisa suggests Schwartz bring someone with him and get back in the groove, and he says he’d like to get the gang back together, but doesn’t want to force anything. He doesn’t think Ariana and Sandoval will ever be friends. Lisa says, Ariana probably will never be there if Sandoval is. She’ll tell him to shove the invite up his ass.

The gang is all at SUR, minus the Sandoval, for James’s Next Tuesday. Lala asks if Schwartz was invited or is he popping in, and Schwartz says, popping in. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, Lala knows where to jab. Strangely, it makes him feel more welcome. He’ll take hate over indifference. She’s acknowledging his existence. He says he got Lala something, and Lala wonders if it’s a f*** you. He gives her a bottle of something called Neurotropic, and says he thought she’d appreciate it since she’s sober curious. In Lala’s interview, she says, she doesn’t recognize these things like sober curious and California sober, but do you, boo. Ariana and Katie arrive, and Schwartz says he’s going to mingle. He goes over to see James and tells James that he had a good conversation with Lisa. He kind of invited himself to Tahoe, and she wanted him to extend the invite to everyone. James says, not Sandoval, but Schwartz says, Sandoval. James says he doesn’t want to spend days feeling anger. Sandoval comes in with Kyle, and in his interview, he says he feels like he’s walking into a lion’s den. He’s taking what Lisa said to heart. He’s going to be apologetic and humble. With this group, it should be interesting. Scheana alerts everyone that Sandoval just walked in with Kyle.

Ariana says she doesn’t know why he showed up at SUR. It’s not happening. Peace out, dude. You suck. Sandoval and Kyle sit at a small table, and Sandoval says, it’s his first time having dinner here in a long time. In his interview, he says he feels like someone is going to accidently spill a drink on him on purpose. He says he talked to James on his birthday, but it didn’t go so well, and Kyle says, Scheana reached out when Ali died. Sandoval says, it was bad timing. After her podcast, he felt it was insincere. Server Jesse says, it’s been a long time. He was worried for Sandoval. He f***ed up, obviously. Sandoval says, there was a lot of collateral damage, and Jesse says, it’s been the worst. He told Sandoval why he had to unfollow him. He didn’t want to be attached to Sandoval’s decisions and choices. Sandoval says he doesn’t want to cause any extra stress and they hug it out. Kyle says, Sandoval has to deal with that all the time, and Sandoval wipes his eyes, saying he feels bad. They didn’t do anything. Schwartz didn’t do anything. Schwartz comes back to the group along with James and tells them about seeing Lisa at Vanderpump Dogs. He invited himself to Tahoe and she told him to invite everyone, so he is, including you-know-who. Katie says, why? and Ariana says she doesn’t want to interact with Schwartz. Schwartz says, it’s a complicated situation, but she doesn’t have to see him or Sandoval. Lala says, after how Schwartz was treated, why does he need to stand by Sandoval’s side? and Schwartz says, they have a beautiful friendship and right now, it sucks. Lala says, the day is going to come when he sees it. He’s going to look back and realize he should have gotten rid of Sandoval. Sandoval will devastate him. Schwartz says, it’s a work in progress, and Ariana says she gave up on Schwartz a long time ago, and her life is better without him. He’s a lost cause. Anything he says to anyone will fall on deaf ears. Schwartz says, she’s not the queen of the group. Her ego is getting too big. In Ariana’s interview, she says, Schwartz is clearly confusing strength and boundaries with ego. She’s not making decisions for anyone but herself. She doesn’t have to be around anyone she doesn’t want to be around. She says, its’ not going to be a situation where Schwartz bridges the gap and brings Sandoval back in the fold, and Schwartz says he misses the group dynamic. Ariana says, no one destroyed it but Sandoval, and Schwartz doesn’t know what to say.

Sandoval tells Kyle, this place has always been so tumultuous, and we flash back to that, and Lisa says, Villa Blanca is where you take your wife. SUR is where you take your mistress. Sandoval sees Scheana and asks to talk to her, but she says, not here. She’s going to the bathroom, and she’ll meet him in the back. In Scheana’s interview, she says, Ariana’s her best friend and she has her back. She has nothing to say to Sandoval that she hasn’t said already to his face. Why he wants to have a public conversation in SUR of all places is beyond her. Behind SUR, where so many server antics have happened over the years, Sandoval brings her a vodka/soda, but she says she’s three weeks sober. They sit down and the silence is deafening. Tom says she looks like she rode in on a Shania Twain motorcycle, and she says she was going for the Y2K look. He says he’s wearing a Y2K sweater, and Scheana says she didn’t expect to get blocked when she reached out after Avi passed. Sandoval says he wasn’t in a good place. He hasn’t been on a lot of days, and he felt like she was just doing it to say she did. Scheana says she’d think after 14 years he’d know her better. Her reaching out was genuine. She has a heart, but he hasn’t been acting like he has a heart. He says, everything he does is looked at in a negative way, and she says, if he’d honestly had remorse from the beginning, it would have been a different outcome. He says he can’t redo the past, and she suggests he apologize and be remorseful instead of doubling down and acting like a villain. He says he did apologize to her at her house, and we flash back to that. She says, not just to her, and he says he’d love to talk to Ariana. Out of everybody, she’s been less vindictive when she has every right to come after him, but she doesn’t get off on that sh*t. She doesn’t want to see him dragged to the point of… Scheana says, nobody wants to see that, but he says, it’s been relentless. He gets that there’s podcast money, but it’s too much. Scheana says she agrees and at a certain point, they stopped. She thinks he needs to humble himself. The next time he does a show, leave Schwarz and Raquel out of his songs. In her interview, Scheana says, someone needs to tell Sandoval to put the mic down. She tells him that everything he’s doing is literally the definition of a narcissist, and he suggests she look it up. She says, narcissists never admit they’re narcissists, and he says, that’s why Ariana would never say she is. Scheana tells him, that’s offensive. She has to get home to her daughter, but her advice is for him to humble himself and have humility. No one is wishing harm comes to him or Raquel. Sandoval says, after the Nema interview, he had to talk Raquel down, and Scheana tells him, but she said it. The interview wasn’t meant to attack them. They just wanted to put the truth out there. She’s not having people saying she’s making up a rumor. We flash back to Scheana telling Ariana about Raquel claiming Tom told her at Coachella that he and Ariana had an open relationship. (Trust, but verify.) In her interview, Scheana says she doesn’t know if Sandoval said it, but Raquel said it to Nema. Sandoval asks if it’s really her business, and she says, when her character is being questioned, it is. Sandoval says, it wouldn’t have been if she hadn’t brought it up to begin with, which leaves Scheana wide open to say, it wouldn’t have if Sandoval hadn’t f***ed Raquel to begin with. In Sandoval’s interview, he says, out of everyone, the loss of Scheana’s friendship is devastating. Scheana is all heart and she’s funny. He misses her. He gets more emo than Emo Night.

We see a text that says to call 988 for the Suicide Prevention Hotline.

🍾 Once You Go Shah…

This was news to me. She and Gigi are like polar opposites.

https://www.distractify.com/p/raquel-leviss-nema-vand-relationship

🤹🏽‍♀️ Passing a Hail Mary…

Make this your stop tomorrow for soap and the 10^th circle of hell that is this season of RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay tasting your food before seasoning it, and stay not carving out time for garbage people just because you have a history. Keep only those who add value to your life in your inner circle.

Feb7

February 6, 2024 – Robert Asks Special Agent Cates For a Favor, Oops, Guess Who’s Back In Town, No Hospitality & Good

Posted on February 7, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lucy breaks away from Scotty and says, what is this? He says, what they’ve always wanted, and kisses her again. They fall behind the hay bales.

Martin says, for the life of him, he can’t figure out why Tracy wants to suddenly unburden her conscience, but like he said, he’s not up for it right now. She wants him to say she’s right? She’s right. He’s broken up with Lucy. They’re done now. Unless of course (🍷), she wants to discuss some obscure point of law, in which case, she can call his office. Tracy says she’s the reason he and Lucy broke up.

John calls for a car to come to the station of the PCPD… He wants to transport a couple of detainees. Robert comes in and says, look what the cat dragged in – Jagger Cates. John tells him that it’s John now. It’s been a while. He looks good. Robert says, better than the last time John saw him, and John says, he beat the cancer well. He and Robin stay in touch, although it’s been a few months since they caught up. How is she? Robert says, they’re doing great, out there saving lives. Noah’s captain of the soccer team and Emma is an intern at Berkeley Astrophysics Center. John asks why it doesn’t surprise him that Robin’s daughter is a genius. He’s glad to hear they’re all doing so well. It’s good to see Robert. Robert says, him too. What brings him to Port Charles?

An officer locks Jordan and Anna in a cell, explaining that Special Agent Cates asked for them to be detained. Anna says, of course (🍷) he did, and Jordan asks if they don’t get a phone call. The officer says he’ll check on that and leaves. Jordan wonders how far Anna’s friend is going to push these obstruction charges, and Anna says, Lord knows. Jordan suggests they tell him what they know. He might be interested to learn that the buyer for the weapons is in Port Charles. Anna says, if they give him their intel, they use their leverage. If they want to be involved in this investigation, then they have to keep what they know to themselves. Jordan says, they won’t have much time to investigate while they’re being arraigned in federal court, and Anna says she’s just hoping their friends intervene. Dante comes in and says, friends like him?

On the phone in his office, Michael tells Drew that he’s glad the meeting went well… There’s no need to come back. Everyone’s gone for the day. He’s just wrapping up a few things himself… Looking forward to it. AND HE ACTAULLY SAYS GOODBYE. Unheard of on a soap phone call. Dex walks in and Michael asks what he’s doing here. Dex says, somebody tried to kill Michael’s father.

At the penthouse, Sonny thanks Brick for coming by so quickly, and Brick says, it sounded urgent. Sonny says, it is, and Brick says, whatever he needs. He knows Sonny is going through a lot right now. Sonny says he needs people he can trust.

Sitting in the interrogation room, and John tells Robert that he’s in Port Charles working on a case. Murder, attempted murder, stolen weapons. Robert says, sounds serious, and John says, it is, but on a lighter note, he hears Robert is DA now. Congratulations. Robert says, John knows him; keep moving, so to speak. Which brings him to why he’s here. He understands Anna was arrested, so after he sorts that little mess out, the three of them should get together. He knows Anna would love to see John. John says he doubts that. He’s the one who arrested her.

Anna asks, who told Dante they were in custody? and Dante says, Nikolas Cassadine is back in town and turned himself in. He brought Nikolas in for booking, and the desk sergeant told him they were down here. What’s going on? Anna says, the Feds arrested them for an obstruction charge, and he says, really? What happened with that? Jordan says, she and Anna tangled with them while following a lead, but Dante says he’ll need a little more information than that. Anna says, they tried to keep the PCPD’s hands clean while they gathered some extra information, and Dante says, right. Well, too late, right? Because here they are the PCPD jail. He can’t override the Feds, but if he’s going to help sort this out at all, they have to tell him what happened. Start from the beginning. Tell him everything. Anna says, it all started with Dante’s father.

Sonny says, someone close to him targeted him and his family in Puerto Rico, and Brick says, so he thinks the shooter is someone he knows? Sonny says, has to be, because they had to have knowledge of his island. They knew how to get through security, they knew where his men were, and they knew how they worked. That kind of information isn’t easy to get, so it’s got to be somebody he trusts. Brick says, so his theory is, someone inside was the shooter or was working with the shooter, and Sonny says, that’s the only thing he can think of. Brick says, no one on the outside would have any knowledge whatsoever of Sonny’s security plans. Hell, some of his own men don’t know. Sonny says, that’s right, and Brick wonders, who the hell can it be? He personally vetted every single person who works for Sonny. Sonny says he guesses he has to question the source, and Brick says, what?! Sonny thinks he’s behind this? Does he?

Dex tells Michael, after they realized the shooter had gotten away, Sonny didn’t want to stay on the island, so they came back to Port Charles. Michael says, everyone’s okay though, right? His dad and Ava… Avery didn’t see anything, did she? Dex says, everyone’s fine. Fortunately, Avery was in her room with her bodyguard the whole time and never even realized anything was wrong. Michael says, that’s good at least. How could someone get close enough to Sonny to shoot him in his own house with Avery there, and why is this the first he’s hearing about it? Dex says, Sonny probably didn’t tell Michael because he didn’t want to worry him, and Michael says, this is exactly why he wanted Dex to keep working for him, so Dex can tell him when things start to spiral for Sonny, and it seems like it’s happening now.

On the phone, Gregory says he needs to make an appointment with the doctor. He’s expecting Gregory’s call… Yes, he can hold. He looks into the restaurant and sees Tracy sitting with Martin.

Martin says he gets it. Tracy and Lucy don’t like each other. He understands. What he’s telling her is, if she wants to gloat, to bask in Lucy’s misfortune, she’d better have the decency to do it somewhere else. His relationship issues have nothing to do with her. She says, they do. With her and with Scotty. He says he’s telling her that he wants to be alone. It’s none of her business. She says, the trouble with Lucy started when she warned him about Lucy and Scotty. She’s the one who put it in his head that their tawdry history has a habit of repeating itself. He asks what kind of game she’s playing, but she says she’s not playing a game; she’s trying to stop the games. She’s trying to be honest with him. She’s been manipulating him. She’s been misleading him. He says, in what way? and she says she doesn’t want to bore him with the details, but she got wind of the fact that Lucy and Scotty were plotting against her. They wanted her to fall for Scotty. He asks, why the hell would they do that? and she says she doesn’t know. She thinks it’s got something to do with Deception. When she found out, she decided to turn the tables and started manipulating them and thereby Martin. Her intention was only to get revenge on Lucy, then he got swept up in it… She’s so sorry. Martin bangs on the table and says, of all the self-centered and hateful… How could she do something like that? She says, believe her, she’s done worse. So he has a choice now that he knows the truth. He can either waste his time berating her or use it more wisely and try to get Lucy back.

Lucy sits up, her hair full of straw and her dress off one shoulder. She says, oh my God. What did I just do? Scotty sits up, looking more rumpled than usual, and says, this was amazing. At the same time, Lucy says, this was a disaster,

Martin says, Lucy’s not picking up, and Tracy asks if he expected her to jump at his call. He just broke up with her. Try again. He says, that’s the third call in a row. Obviously, she doesn’t want to talk to him, and he can’t say as he blames her. He’s an idiot. He let someone like Tracy poison their relationship. He would be surprised if she ever forgives him. Tracy says, if he gives up this easily, maybe she shouldn’t. Why doesn’t he stop wallowing and figure out a way to get her to listen to him? Martin says, do him a favor. Don’t help. She’s done enough already. Then again, he can’t stop thinking, if it’s that easy for her to turn the two of them against one another, maybe it’s not meant to be after all. She says, that’s between him and Lucy. She for one thinks he could do a lot better, but for some unfathomable reason, he’s in love with Lucy, so he deserves the truth. He says, after the damage is done. That’s what he doesn’t understand. Why? She got what she wanted. She got her revenge. She blew up his relationship with Lucy. Why confess now? She looks over at Gregory and says, why indeed.

As she zips up her dress, Lucy wonders how this just happened. How, how, how? What were they thinking? Really, what was she thinking? How in the world did she and Scotty just end up here – again? Scotty says, hang on. She’s single. He’s single. They didn’t do anything wrong. She says, right. Technically, she is single because Marty just broke up with her. But she just ended up with another man in bed… Well, it wasn’t in bed, was it? It was horizontal behind a haystack. He says, it’s a haybale, not a haystack, and she says, who cares? She just had sex with another man when the love of her life just broke up with her. She’s not particularly proud of this. He says, she’s very emotional from all those things Martin said to her. It’s not like they planned this. Lucy says, right. It just sort of happened because she was emotional and devastated and very, very, very hurt. So he’s right. He was here and it just happened. It felt familiar. Scotty says, she better be honest with herself and she sure as hell better start being honest with him, dammit.

John tells Robert, after Anna and Jordan refused to disclose whatever information they had about the unsub, he had no choice but to arrest them. They’re hiding something. Robert says he gets that John has a job to do here, but if Anna… John knows her. If she’s prepared to go to these lengths to check this out, then he’s got to know that she’s got a good reason. John says, too much is at stake here. He needs to clear this case, and both Anna and Jordan are getting in his way. Jordan ignored his warning, then she and Anna joined forces and cost him his best lead. Robert asks how they did that, and John says, the gun dealer lawyered up and isn’t talking. They admit they learned something from him, but they won’t say what. Robert says, so he thinks throwing them in jail on an obstruction charge is going to help, and John says, whatever it takes. They’re both former law enforcement. They understand time is of the essence in a case like this, but Anna is more interested in protecting Sonny Corinthos. Robert says, don’t start him on Sonny. They’re both on the same page when it comes to that guy. As the DA, he understands the position John is in. John says he appreciates that, and Robert says, but he’s going to insist John drop the charges.

Dante says he understands why Jordan wants to investigate who shot Curtis. He’s her ex-husband and she wants someone to pay. Jordan says, Curtis could be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Whoever did that to him should be behind bars. Dante says he agrees, but the problem is, the Feds told her to back off and she went and got Anna involved. Anna says she didn’t need convincing. It could have just as easily been her that day instead of Curtis. Dante says he gets it, but he wishes they’d come to him, but Jordan says, they didn’t want to involve him or anyone else in a fight with the Feds. He says, it would have been better than this. Now they’re in a cell facing serious criminal charges, and Jordan says, if they’d had just a few more minutes with the gun dealer, this would all have been a moot point. He was just on the verge of talking to them when the FBI burst in. They were so close to identifying the person who shot Curtis. Dante asks if they got anything, and Anna says, they did get one piece of intel they can use.

Brick says, Sonny thinks he’s behind this? and Sonny says, wait a minute. They’ve known each other a long time. He can always count on Brick. That’s why he asked Brick to be second in command. Brick says, and he gladly accepted the position and all it entails, and Sonny says he knows that, but he’s been in this business a long time and he knows people have a breaking point. and if Brick was ever in a position like that, he hopes Brick would come to him before he did anything he shouldn’t do. Brick says, of course (🍷) he would. They’ve been through entirely too much together for him to even think of doing something against Sonny. Sonny says he didn’t think it was Brick, but he had to make sure. With all these people that are close to him, it’s making him question everything. Brick says he understands. If he was in Sonny’s position, he’d do the same thing. Sonny says, so they’re good? and Brick says, yeah, we good. But in the spirit of honesty, he has a confession to make.

Brick says he did a favor for Jordan Ashford, and Sonny says, since when does Brick work for the cops? Brick says he doesn’t. Never have, never will. But Jordan isn’t part of the PCPD anymore. She hasn’t been a cop for a while, and now she owes him a favor, whenever he asks, no questions asked. Sonny says, somebody in the mayor’s office owing him could be good down the line, and Brick says, that’s what he was thinking, but Sonny says, it still doesn’t help them with who the rat in his organization is. Brick says, no, it doesn’t. Based on the intricacy of the attack and how easily the shooter escaped from Puerto Rico, this isn’t the result of someone just shooting off at the mouth loosely or letting some information slip. Sonny says, this wasn’t a mistake or an accident. Somebody he trusts wants him dead.

Michael says, Sonny doesn’t know Dex is here? and Dex says, he doesn’t, but Sonny is going to tell him to keep this from Michael, so he’s not going behind Sonny’s back. Between the shooting and Spencer dying so unexpectedly, Sonny’s been going non-stop. He doesn’t think Sonny’s had time to process either of those things yet. Michael says, his first instinct is to go see his father, but he doesn’t think he’s welcome in Sonny’s house right now. Dex says he can’t speak on Michael’s relationship with his father. That’s between the two of them. Michael says, that’s why he made the decision not to turn Sonny in to the Feds. He started working on their reconciliation and they made it. He thinks they did. Things were good between them in Puerto Rico. That’s why he couldn’t bring himself to tell Sonny what Nina did. It would break his heart. He also thought Sonny would take it as him saying Sonny was wrong to choose Nina over his mom. Sonny claims he’s angry with Michael because he kept quiet about what Nina did, but he’s more angry because Michael was right about Nina all along.

Anna says, as they surmised, the shooting was an attempt on Sonny’s life, but it’s a smaller piece of a much larger case, and Dante asks how she knows. She says, because the agent who arrested them gave up a piece of intel. Apparently, the Feds are investigating this string of killings committed using the cache of weapons stolen from the WSB. They believe a single person is responsible for these murders and that all the victims have something in common, but he wouldn’t give up what that something is. Dante says, they should know as well that another attempt was made on Sonny’s life a few days ago on his island, and Anna asks if anyone was hurt. Dante says, everyone’s fine, but obviously whoever this is wants to finish the job, and Jordan says, and they’re stuck in this cell, unable to help. Can he get them out of here? Dante asks, why? So they can run around town, investigating again and putting themselves in harm’s way again? Jordan says, come on. The Feds don’t want to work with anyone else on this, and Sonny isn’t their favorite person anyway. Anna says, which puts them in a better position to help, and they can’t just sit in here while someone makes an attempt on his life. Dante says he knows. He’ll talk to Robert and see if he can get them arraigned and released tonight. Anna thanks him, and he says, don’t make him regret it.

John says, not Robert too. He’s the District Attorney. He should understand better than anyone that no one can be above the law. Robert says, look at this. Something they agree on. Anna is the mother of his child. They’re always going to have each other’s backs. So he’s asking John, let them go. John says he hears Robert, but he needs to know whatever Anna and Jordan are hiding. If he lets them walk, he ends up with nothing. Robert says, if John drops the charges, he’ll get them to share whatever they know with him, and John asks if Robert really thinks he can get them to do that. Robert says, Anna responds better to those who are on her good side.

Scotty says, Lucy can deny this all she wants, but there’s something between them. That spark that they had years ago, that’s still there. So why fight it? Him being with her is like him just breathing. She says, their history says otherwise, doesn’t it? How many times did they cheat on nice, deserving people with each other? How many times did they scheme? How many lies have they told? How much damage have the done everywhere, and how many times did they try to make this – what is this? – this relationship work? Every time, they fail. He says, maybe that’s because all of that didn’t matter… until now. Now, this is their time. She says she admits she feels close to him, and she’s more of her real self with him than with anybody else, and he says, then stop fighting it. He’s about to kiss her, when Martin walks in.

Lucy asks what Martin is doing here, and he says, apparently interrupting. Scotty says, yeah, they’re busy, and Martin says he can see that. He doesn’t have to ask what they’re doing here. Lucy says, you know what? Martin doesn’t get a say. He just broke up with her, remember? He doesn’t get to say what she does. Martin says, they just broke up fifteen minutes ago. Of course (🍷) what she does still matters to him. for her information, he came here to tell her that he was wrong, that he made a mistake when he said they were over. Because it turns out, all of their problems were manufactured by Tracy Quartermaine.

Gregory meets Tracy at the bar and says he’s sorry he kept her waiting. The call took longer than he expected. She says, it’s fine, and he asks if they’re still on for dinner. She says, actually, she’d rather not, and he says, if this is about him leaving her alone for so long, he apologizes, but she says, no. She just lost her appetite. He says, something’s going on here. If she wants to deal with it all alone, he’ll go, no questions asked, but he saw that she and Martin were having a rather animated discussion and he’s here for her if she wants to talk about what happened that got her so upset. She says she doesn’t have a problem with Martin. She has a problem with him.

John says he appreciates how close Robert and Anna are, and he appreciates Robert wanting to look out for her, but nothing Robert does will matter if Jordan and Anna keep interfering in his investigation. Robert says, if John releases them to him, he’ll take personal responsibility for their supervision, and John says he hopes Robert knows what he’s doing. Fine. He’ll extend Robert this one-time professional courtesy and drop the charges against Anna and Jordan, provided he keeps them in line. Robert says he knows John is in a tough position. He owes John one. John laughs and says he’s got to admit, if he’d been told when he was running around Port Charles causing trouble that one day the DA would ask him for a favor, he never would have believed it. Robert says, people change. John should be proud of the man he’s become. Dante says, sorry to interrupt, but can he steal the DA for a minute? John says, sure, and Dante and Robert step away. Dante says he wants to talk about Anna and Jordan, and Robert says he had a little talk with the FBI and they’re going to drop the charges. Dante says, that’s great, and Robert calls to John, saying they have to get together before he leaves town. John says, looking forward to it, and Robert leaves. Dante says, they haven’t met, and introduces himself to John. John says, he’s Sonny Corinthos’s son, and Dante says, yeah. Who is he? John says he’s Special Agent John Cates.

Brick says, Sonny was right to start by looking at the people closest to him. It takes people with the right kind of knowledge to pull a job off like this. He would start off with Frank, Gabe, and Dex. Sonny says, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t find anything on Dex, but Brick says, Dex hasn’t been the most transparent person with Sonny. Sonny says, Dex has been loyal to him repeatedly. He got shot saving Sonny’s life when they were ambushed. If Tony hadn’t come back, Dex would be dead right now. He also did a really good job in Puerto Rico. Dex let him know when the guard was knocked out, and it allowed him and Ava to take cover. Brick says, there could be a simple explanation for this. Whoever’s doing this, they have to deflect attention away from themselves, right? Sonny says, maybe, and Brick says, he put the wheels in motion, so he can come to the rescue and save the day for Sonny and Ava. That way, he looks like the hero, he provides himself some cover, and ultimately Sonny feels gratitude toward him, and maybe allows him even more access into his operation. Sonny says, that sounds like smart play, but the thing is, they don’t know it’s Dex and don’t have evidence of that, do they? Brick says, Dex was coordinating with the head of security on the island. Plus, he’s the one who found the shooter’s hideout. He’s just sayin’, it fits.

Dex says he’s not telling Michael that stuff’s not important, but Sonny is more worried about keeping his family safe, and Michael says, that means finding the person behind the attack. Any leads? Dex says, Sonny’s theory is that it’s someone on the inside, and Michael says, maybe there’s a way he can help his father. Dex asks, how? and Michael says, you.

Sonny tells Brick, it’s possible Dex is a traitor, but he doesn’t really know a lot about the business. That means he would have had to get access elsewhere. Brick says, he doesn’t need to know the inner workings of the organization. He just needs to know how, where, and when Sonny is most vulnerable. Sonny says, like he told Brick before, Dex has gone above and beyond. He offered Dex a job he wouldn’t trust many people to do because it would have bound him for the rest of his life, and he didn’t even blink. He would have gone through with it if Sonny hadn’t stopped him. Brick says he gets it. Sonny likes the kid. He exposed Dex to a lot of sensitive things and he came through, but here’s the question. Is it possible what Sonny is feeling is exactly what Dex wants him to feel?

Dex says he wants to find out who’s after Sonny just as much as Michael does. Because as long as Sonny is in danger, so is his family, and he doesn’t want anything to happen to Joss or anyone she loves. He’ll do anything in his power to keep them all safe. Michael says, good, because if Sonny is right and someone on the inside is working against him, Dex is in a perfect position to find out who it is. Dex says, Sonny hasn’t asked him to look at anyone in the organization yet, but Michael says, he can be discreet. Sonny never has to know. Dex says, it’s risky. If Sonny catches him, he could assume Dex is the traitor and trying to cover his tracks. Michael says, make sure he never finds out. Dex is the best at this, and he’ll gladly pay Dex extra for the risk he’s taking.

Jordan says she thought Dante would be back with an update by now, and Anna says she’s sure he’s moving as fast as he can. Robert comes in and says, they’ve got themselves in a bit of a situation, have they? Anna says, don’t gloat, please. Did he talk to Dante? Robert says, yes. He’s got good news and bad news. Anna asks, what is it? and he says, thanks to his incredible powers of persuasion, Cates agreed to drop the charges. Anna says, that’s great, and Jordan thanks him. Anna asks, what’s the bad news? and Robert says, they have to back off this investigation. Jordan says, they were just making progress, and Anna says, they’re going to find out who’s behind this entire operation. They can’t stop now. He says, they might as well stay in this cell, because Cates isn’t going to give them another chance. They’re civilians. They have no right being involved in this business. They have no power. What are they going to do if they catch this perp? They can’t do anything with him. They may as well cooperate with Cates. Anna says, maybe she’ll do exactly that, and Jordan says, meaning? Anna says, the conversation she had with Mayor Collins last week. Laura offered her a position in her administration, but the timing wasn’t right. She thinks the timing has just changed.

Gregory says he doesn’t understand how Tracy can have a problem with him. All he’s ever done is try to be a friend to her. She says, that’s her problem. His friendship is changing her, and she doesn’t like it. He says, changing her how? and she says, ever since she met him, she’s been getting… soft. She surrenders in feuds. She compromises with the Bensonhurst brigade. She’s trying to help people she doesn’t even like. He says, making donations to grieving widows? and she says, it’s poor form to ask a lady about her finances. But if she did, it’s a direct result of his influence. Being around him is making her nice. He asks if that’s really so bad, and she tells him, that’s easy for him to say; he doesn’t have to live with the consequences. She takes a sharp breath and says, oh my God, I’m so sorry. That’s not what she meant. It came out wrong. She wasn’t thinking. He starts to laugh, barely containing himself.

Lucy asks what Tracy has to do with any of this, and Martin says, for weeks now she’s been intentionally feeding him little tidbits of information about Lucy and her history and her relationship with Scotty, because she wanted to poison the well. She wanted him to doubt Lucy, make him believe that she was being unfaithful to him. Lucy says, what? and he says, that was his reaction when she accosted him in the restaurant just now. Some kind of attempt to unburden her conscience. She mentioned something about turning the tables on Lucy and Scotty because she realized they were plotting against her. Scotty says, their plan was foolproof, and Lucy says, that conniving snake. Martin says, ya think? Because from where he’s standing, she wasn’t far off. Obviously, Lucy has been hiding parts of herself from him and Scotty’s had full access. She and Scotty have been getting closer together while they’ve been drifting apart. Lucy says, that’s not true. He knows her really well, and they’re very, very good together. She doesn’t know what this was. It was just some sort of mistake, that’s all. It was a big mistake. Martin says, the mistake was him coming here to ask her for forgiveness. It was so easy for Tracy to manipulate them. All she had to do was use Lucy’s nature against her. Lucy says, that’s not true. Please. Can they just go somewhere and talk together? She knows she can make it right. She loves him. Martin says, that’s what makes this so sad, because he loves her too. But he’s all talked out. In fact, right now he doesn’t think he ever wants to see her again. He walks out.

Dante asks if John is any relation to Stone Cates, and John says he has a son named Stone, but he thinks Dante is referring to his younger brother. Dante says, so that’s how John knows his father. He used to talk a lot about Stone. He guesses they were really close. John says, they were, and Dante asks if John and Sonny go way back then. John says, they have plenty of history, and Dante says, now John is in charge of an FBI case against his father. Robert brings in Anna and Jordan, and John says he takes it this means they accepted his terms. Anna says, actually no. She’s not stepping back from the case. She’s going to continue to investigate… as the new Police Commissioner.

Lucy tells Scotty that Martin couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with her. He couldn’t even look at her. Scotty says, so what? He wouldn’t even hear her out. She deserves better than him. Lucy says, no, she doesn’t. He just broke up with her and somehow, she ends up in Scotty’s arms, so he’s right. She’s a horrible, horrible person. He says, that’s not true. Listen to him for a second. She says, will he please just leave? and he says, Lucy… but she says, get out now. Now. Please leave. He leaves, and she sits and cries.

Gregory tries to get ahold of himself and tells Tracy that he hasn’t laughed that hard in a long time. She says she doesn’t understand what’s funny, and he says, ever since he was diagnosed with ALS, people have been tiptoeing around him, being so proper and polite and handling him with kid gloves like he’s going to break at any moment. He hates it. He didn’t realize how much he needed someone to talk to him like he wasn’t sick. He laughs some more, and she says, he knows she didn’t mean it the way it came out. He says he knows, but even she did, he’s fine with it. He may have a fatal disease, but he’s still the same Gregory on the inside. It’s just so nice to have someone talk to him like he’s normal. He appreciates it more than she knows. So no matter how nice she may become, he hopes she’ll never stop doing that. She says she’ll do her best, and he keeps laughing.

John says, since when is Anna the Police Commissioner? and she says, Mayor Collins asked her if she wanted her old position back. Anna told her that she needed to think about it, which she did, when she was stuck in the cell. And she accepted that job. John says, so she can continue to undermine his investigation, but she says, no. So she can hunt down the threat to Port Charles in her new capacity as law enforcement, and no one can stand in her way. So if you want the PCPD’s help, Special Agent Cates, you’re going to have to give us the FBI’s help in return.

Sonny says, they can’t count anyone out as a suspect. He needs Brick to look into everyone in his organization, and that includes Dex. Brick says he’ll get right on it. He knows Sonny is fond of Dex. So for Sonny’s sake, he hopes he jumped to the wrong conclusion. But this is him. Sonny knows he’s rarely wrong about stuff like this. He’ll find out if Dex is hiding something.

Michael says, the money is in Dex’s account now, and Dex says he appreciates it, but this isn’t about the money. He just wants to keep Joss and her family safe. And stay in Sonny’s good graces. If he even gets a hint that Dex came on with an ulterior motive… Michael says, he won’t. They both want the same thing here. Just find out who the threat is to Sonny and his family and report back to him. Dex says, he can count on it.

At the door, Brick asks what Sonny will do to Dex if he finds out Dex hasn’t been loyal after all, and Sonny says, he’ll make Dex beg for death. Brick nods his head and says, yeah.

Tomorrow, Ava tells someone that they’re not welcome here; Michael asks what Willow’s secret is; Cyrus tells Laura that he wasn’t expecting quite that level of hostility; and Finn wants to take Gregory to the hospital.

😳 My bad, I got my days mixed up yesterday. Probably because I desperately want this season of RHOBH over. Tonight, it’s the awful people on VPR. Well, one anyway.

Vanderpump Rules

Nice update on the new beginning credits, showing the different restaurants.

The outcast is home and poor assistant Ann has to run interference between him and Ariana. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he came back from a competition reality show after being on the receiving end of more hate than he’s ever gotten. He wanted to punish himself, penance through pain. He’s brought a bribe of athletic shoes for Schwartz, and tells Ann that things are cool between them, but in his interview, he says, things are not okay with Schwartz. Schwartz talked sh*t about him on Jax and Brittany’s podcast, and he feels betrayed. Tomorrow is his birthday, and he wants to have people over. He’s open to having Ariana there, but Ann says she doubts Ariana would want to be there. He tells Ann to text Ariana that he’ll get her a nice hotel room, and in Sandoval’s interview, a producer asks what it’s like for exes to be living in the same house. He says, stupid, and in Ariana’s interview, she says, awkward. He’s done stuff like opening her mail and got a white noise machine that’s annoyingly loud. In his interview, Sandoval says he got it because Ariana would overhear what he was talking about, and in her interview, Ariana wonders if it’s psychological warfare. Ann presents the offer to Ariana, but Ariana says, that’s not happening. She thinks it’s disrespectful and inappropriate, and if they make noise, she’s going to call the cops. In her interview, she says she’s spiraling thinking about parties Sandoval used to have. Loud music and a mess. It was disgusting and would sometimes last until 6 am. Now that they’re not together, she’s not putting up that sh*t. Ann tells Ariana, everything is great, but when she’s out of earshot, Ann says she thinks it’s weird.

Villa Rosa! Hairstylist Patrick does Lisa’s hair for the last celebration at Pump. In Lisa’s interview, she says, Pump is closing after 10 years. The rent is going up, so it’s going to be more expensive, and Ken wants to retire. Ken will be stomping around West Hollywood when he’s in his 80s, and her in her… 40s. It’s just too old. She tells Patrick, sometimes it’s good to know when to walk away. James and Ally discuss if they’re ready to get a dog, and we see clips of James with Graham. In James’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what happened with his dog. He’s never gotten over it and he’s heartbroken. He and Ally get ready to say bye-bye to Pump.

One of Sandoval’s few remaining friends, Jason, visits, and in Sandoval’s interview, he says, since the scandal, he’s lost friends, but Jason stuck around. He’s also the band manager and kept him from being in a bad place. Jason asks about Raquel, but Sandoval says he hasn’t heard from her in a few weeks. In his interview, he says he’s still in love with Raquel and hoping to give their relationship a real chance. He tells Jason that Ariana nixed the birthday party, but Jason says, what’s she going to do? Ann says, she mentioned calling the police, and in his interview, Sandoval says, obviously, Ariana is still very upset with him. (Yeah, obviously.) She thinks what he did makes him a criminal, but he doesn’t think the police would agree. He says, what if they’re out by midnight? and Ann texts Ariana with the idea, including more than one so sorry!

Lala and Ariana meet for smoothies, and Ariana tells Lala about squelching the party idea, but Lala says, he’s allowed to have a party. Ariana says, she’ll call about a noise complaint, and Lala says, what about if she compromises and everyone is gone by a certain time? Ariana admits the suggestion was made, and Lala says, it will be easier when Ariana moves out. Ariana says she will when the house is sold, and Lala says, Sandoval is getting off on making her uncomfortable. In Ariana’s interview, she says, Sandoval wants to buy her out, but she’s not going just because he offered her a measly sum. He f***ed this up, so he doesn’t get to do that and keep it. Lala asks what new boyfriend Dan thinks, and Ariana says, he’s looking forward to her getting her own space, since they’re paying to stay somewhere when Sandoval is in town. She says she thinks Dan has opened her mind to possibilities she couldn’t see with Sandoval. In her interview, Ariana says, being with Sandoval affected her about having kids more than she thought. We flash back to Sandoval saying he wants 3 or 4 kids, and Ariana saying she wants none. She says, Dan made her realize there can be more than just a 50/50 partnership. On a day where she can only give 10%, he can give 90%.

Lisa and Ken go into Pump amid cheers, and I wonder where Pride Day will be celebrated. The guests chant, Lisa! Lisa! and she says, 10 years ago, they had a dream to create the most beautiful garden in West Hollywood. We go down Pump Memory Lane, ending with TomTom. Lisa thanks everyone for their support, and says, that’s a wrap. Let’s f***ing party. Schwartz bartends, and in his interview, he says he feels more at ease than he did 10 years ago. We flash back to him having a panic attack, and he asks Lisa how she’s feeling about closing the restaurant. She says she has mixed emotions, but if it’s not carrying its own weight, it will be a drain. Schwartz says, Sandoval tainted their Schwartz & Sandy’s brand. Their partners said, if he comes in, they’ll close the doors. He’s not welcome. In Schwartz’s interview, he says he didn’t expect Sandoval to fully check out. He could have at least come up with ideas on how to weather this storm. Lisa says she thinks it’s time for Schwartz to reevaluate things, and in her interview, she says she thinks it’s unfair to blame Sandoval totally for the failings of the business. She tells Schwartz to tell Sandoval how he feels.

Scheana goes to the recording studio and says she’s going to be DJing with Ariana and Katie on Emo Night. In Scheana’s interview, she says, it’s a huge event. They listen to emo music and if you’re sad AF, you’re supposed to be because it’s Emo Night. But you’re sad in a happy place. She wants to do Good As Gold as an emo screamo cover, and in Brock’s interview, he says he loves this version of his wife. In her interview, Scheana says, in 2019, after the negativity about her One More Time song and video, she threw in the towel and moved on. But everyone loves a good reunion tour, so guess what bitches? I’m back. I actually have Good As Gold on one of my playlists, but I forgot all about One More Time. Apparently, it was forgettable. She tells Brock that the next thing she and her therapist are working on in exposure work is having someone else watch Summer Moon. In her interview, she says she was diagnosed with post-partum OCD, which magnified her worst fears. It took her almost a year to do anything alone with her daughter. She tells Brock that she’s known Tori since she was 16 and trusts her, and Brock says he’ll take anyone she wants.

Sandoval meets Schwartz at a place they don’t own, and Sandoval drinks a non-alcoholic beer. In his interview, Sandoval says, the catalyst in him getting sober was that he knew Raquel couldn’t drink where she was. He wanted to do it with her. They make small talk for a hot minute, and Sandoval says he knows he caused collateral damage. He can feel Schwartz is angry with him, but he had to tour because Ariana didn’t pay bills for 8 months. In Sandoval’s interview, he says he’s pretty much been paying for everything, and it’s like pulling teeth to get Ariana to pay him back. He says, Schwartz hurt his feelings, saying he was living his rock star dreams. Schwartz says he was dealing with Sandoval’s sh*tshow at the bar. Had he been in Sandoval’s position, he would have at least been pitching solutions. Sandoval tries to spin it six different ways, but Schwartz says, all he should be saying is that he’s sorry. Sandoval says he understands he f***ed up and he’s sorry. He wants to move on. Scwartz says, he’s going get there, and Sandoval asks if Scwartz is sticking with him. Schwartz says he’s doing what’s best for himself. I don’t want to say I like this new Schwartz, but I’ll go with disliking him less.

Tori comes over to Scheana and Brock’s, and Scheana’s mom says she’ll be there with Tori, but she has a torn rotator cuff and can’t be doing any heavy lifting. In Scheana’s interview, she says she absolutely trusts Tori. She’s hoping her OCD brain can take a nap tonight. Brock decides to be an agitator, not seeming to grasp Scheana’s issue, and wanting it to be done with; and this frustrates Scheana even more than she is already. In Brock’s interview, he says, before Summer was born, he and Scheana were a juggernaut of getting things done. Now simple tasks are overwhelming for her, and they get nothing done. Scheana’s mom tells Brock that he needs to validate his wife’s feelings, and in her interview, Scheana says she’s hoping to get to a place where she’s not afraid to do things alone with her daughter, and not worried about something bad happening. She wants to live in the moment without thinking it might be the last moment. Her mom says she’s proud of Scheana putting in the work.

Schwartz visits James and Ally, admiring their new house. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, it’s hard not to feel the sting of losing his dream home. In Ally’s interview, she says she started an astrology business. She did Schwartz’s birth chart. She feels like he could use a little direction. She tells him that it’s the most Libra chart she’s ever seen. He’s a peacekeeper. Sandoval texts James about the birthday party, and James says, if Sandoval comes at him, he’s egging the place when he leaves.

Poor Ann has to decorate too, and Sandoval says, it’s giving him baby shower vibes. He likes it. On the way there, Ally says, it’s not too late to not do this, but James says, he’s not mending things with Sandoval. He feels he needs an apology and Sandoval needs to mean it and show he’s a friend. Ally decides to wait in the car, and in her interview, she says she doesn’t have a relationship with Sandoval, but she does care about Ariana. She doesn’t see the point in forcing a relationship with him. Meanwhile, Katie, Ariana, Lala, Scheana, and Brock go to Emo Night.

In James’s interview, he says, the party is like a who’s who. Like, who the f*** are you people? Sandoval used to be the coolest guy. Now look. A guy named Brett comes up to James and says he has a question about the friend group situation, and James wonders, who the f*** is this guy? He tells Brett that he came to talk to Sandoval, and he and Sandoval step away from the crowd. James says, he feels like a big brother got lost. He was waiting for a text that never came. Sandoval makes time excuses, but James says he’s seen him on Instagram. Sandoval says, sorry he didn’t reach out, and James says, it’s the ultimate betrayal. Sandoval asks why he’s so angry when James hooked up with Kristen. James says, that was 10 years ago, but Sandoval insists it wasn’t. We flash back, and yep, it was. James says, Sandoval is embarrassing, and walks out. In James’s interview, he says, Sandoval is bringing up the past when he’s looking for an apology. He was made to seem crazy when Sandoval was getting his d*ck wet. He pees on the bushes outside, and from the car, Ally says, those are Ariana’s bushes too.

I watched the later airing and there was no preview.

🥃 I keep trying to watch Southern Hospitality, the poor man’s Vanderpump Rules. Or Summer House in a restaurant, if you will. But the more I watch it, the less I care about it. I checked for recaps to include here, but none were posted yet. They’re probably staring at their screens, wondering how to write about this drivel.

🧀 Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cheese…

Join me tomorrow for soap and RHOBH – for real this time. Until then, stay safe, stay not deciding on your order at the counter, and stay remembering that sometimes it’s good to know when to walk away.

Feb3

February 2, 2024 – Two Surprise Returns, Agent Jagger, Goodbye Hello, Side Gigs, Her BFF, Closed Door, VanderScraps, Two For Ones, Grammy Stuff, Bowl Parties, Opossum Pirate, Pups In the Bowl, Two Fivers Of Quotes & Living

Posted on February 3, 2024 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc says he’s glad Laura is home, and she says she’s glad to be home. It took forever to get here. He asks what he can do. She says, hold her, and he does. He says he kept picturing her on that boat in the dark. He should have been there. She says, he was in the hospital, recovering. Thank God for that. And there was nothing he could do anyway. He says, there are few feelings in life like feeling helpless, and she says, when they got there, the search and rescue thing was well underway. Then at some point, Dante came over, and he said they couldn’t find them anywhere. All she could think was, it’s a mistake. It just can’t be. Not her Spencer. He says, she was in shock. She probably still is. She says she guesses. She and Trina stood on the deck of the boat for a very long time. She held onto hope so tightly, but then as the search went on, they could both feel it slipping away. He says, it’s good they were there for each other, and she says, everyone was really supportive. She starts to cry, and says, then Dante and Curtis took care of everything, every detail. She’s so grateful for that. She doesn’t know if she thanked them. He says he’s sure she did, but they’ll do it again. She says she feels like she blinked, and Nikolas was gone. Then Ace, and then Spencer. It’s like her whole family is just fading away before her eyes. He holds her as she cries.

Ava lets Nina in the penthouse, and Nina asks if she’s sure Sonny isn’t going to be home any time soon. Ava says, they got back from Puerto Rico, he got a phone call, and turned around and left. She hopes the call is about whatever’s going on in Paris. Nina says she heard about that. Ava must be worried sick about Trina. Ava says she’s beyond worried. It seems the universe decided one crisis at a time isn’t enough. She and Sonny are lucky to be alive. Nina asks, what the hell is going on? Who’s after Ava and Sonny?

Anna and Jordan hide their guns in a hotel room, and Anna sets up a camera. Jordan says, good coverage, and Anna says, all they can do is be prepared. Jordan says she hopes all of these precautions turn out to be unnecessary, and Anna says, for their target’s sake, so does she.

Carly tells the server at Bobbie’s that it looks like she has things covered, and she says, for the moment anyway. Carly says, if anything changes, don’t hesitate to call her, handing the server the keys. Until Carly hires a manager, she’s the cavalry. The server says, Carly’s got it, and Carly leaves, colliding into a good-looking guy in the doorway.

Trina is about to let herself into the dorm room when Josslyn comes out. She asks what Trina is doing here. Why isn’t she in Paris? Trina says she would have let herself in, but… She walks inside and Josslyn asks, what’s wrong? Trina says, Spencer’s dead.

Sonny knocks at Laura’s door and asks Doc if she’s back. Doc says, she is, and invites him in. Sonny asks Laura if it’s true, and she says, Spencer’s gone. They hug.

Jordan asks if Anna thinks they can count on Brennan’s information, and Anna says she thinks they can count on his opportunism. He doesn’t do anything that doesn’t work to his advantage. They’re in a position to help him, only the gun dealer is not. Jordan says, Brennan gave them the right referrals or O’Neal would have never agreed to meet them. Anna says, keep it short and sweet. If Jordan can get him talking about his clients who have bought guns from him, great. If not, they make a buy and spring their trap. Jordan says, the threat of federal charges should be enough to make him give up whoever bought the rifle used to shoot Curtis. Anna says she hopes so, and there’s a knock at the door.

Carly says she’s so sorry and asks if she spilled coffee on him, but the guy says, no. How about her? Is she okay? Carly says she’s fine. This isn’t how she wants to welcome people to her place. He says, she owns this place? and she says, yeah. He asks when she changed the name, and she says, recently. He says he used to work here when it was Kelly’s. He’s John. She says she’s embarrassed, and introduces herself. They shake hands, and she asks if it’s too late to welcome him back. He says, not at all. Thanks. It’s good to be back. She tells him to enjoy his meal, and he goes inside. Leo calls to Carly, and runs up to her, hugging her. He says he hasn’t seen her in forever, and she says, that means she gets an extra hug. Olivia suggests he go inside and look at his book. She’s going to talk to Carly about getting him some breakfast. Leo asks if they’re going to talk about extra powdered sugar on his waffles, and Olivia asks if he thinks this is her first time or what. He says, no, it isn’t, and goes inside. Carly asks, what’s up? and Olivia says, just so she knows, they’re not here just for the sugar rush. She wanted to check on Carly. Carly asks, why? and Olivia asks if she read the fashion article in the City Gazette, written by Gemma someone or other. Carly says, she came by the office and asked for a comment. Is the article out already? Olivia shows Carly her phone, and says, this morning. Carly reads, Drew Cain is leading with his heart, not with his head. This has Nina’s fingerprints written all over it. (Because no one else could possibly think that.) Olivia says, she quotes an anonymous source, and Carly says, they both know who that anonymous source is. Olivia says she wishes she could say she doesn’t agree with Carly. She was really hoping that Nina was going to try and make peace. That’s what’s best for everyone. Carly asks if that’s why Olivia kept Nina’s secret. Because it was best for everyone?

Ava says, if Dex hadn’t told her and Sonny to run for cover, she wouldn’t be sitting here telling Nina this story right now. Nina asks if Avery was with her, and Ava says, Avery was in her room. She didn’t know they were in any danger. She thought the gunfire was fireworks, thank God. Nina asks if she’s okay, and Ava says, yeah, just a couple of scratches. Nina looks at Ava’s hand and says, that’s more than a scratch. Is she in pain? Ava says, it’s fine. Like she told the doctor, it’s nothing a good, stiff drink can’t fix. Nina asks if Sonny has any idea who did this, but Ava says, nothing he’s talked about in any detail. She knows Sonny. He doesn’t really discuss his concerns. He just gets very, very, very quiet. Nina says, he doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep, he just moves on with the next thing. She doesn’t know how he does it. Ava says she got the feeling he thinks it’s a second attempt by the people behind Curtis’s shooting, and Nina says, that means they’re not going to stop until they succeed. Ava tells her not to worry though. She knows Sonny works with only the very best and takes every precaution. Nina says she’s just got to remind herself that he wouldn’t be where he is if he took chances, and Ava says, and he wouldn’t have been there for so long, right? Relax. She’s not going to be a widow anytime soon. Nina says she doesn’t even know if she’s still a wife.

Trina tells Josslyn, before she could even move, Esme and Spencer were in the water. They had helicopters and divers, but nobody could find them. Josslyn asks if they’re still searching, but Trina says, they can’t be rescued. It’s been too long. It’s impossible. Josslyn says, but they can bring him home? and Trina says, no. The police don’t expect to find their bodies. They think Esme and Spencer were carried out to sea. Josslyn says she’s sorry and hugs Trina.

Laura says she’s sorry she told Sonny about Spencer on the phone. It’s a horrible way to find out. He says, any way would be horrible. It’s good to face the truth. Any update from the French police? She says, they searched for the mandatory 48 hours. After that point, Spencer and Esme were presumed dead. Their bodies were taken by the current out to the English Channel. They’re just gone. She starts to cry again, and Sonny says, she’s going to be fine. Is she doing all right? Laura says he has to remind herself to breathe, and he says, if there’s anything he can do, but she says, there isn’t. He says, if something comes up… She says, it’s not going to, and Doc says, it’s good of Sonny to come by. Laura says, this is very difficult for her, and Sonny says he gets it. She says, it’s not just about Spencer. This is also about her brother. The way Sonny laid hands on him was unconscionable. Sonny says he doesn’t think Laura knows who Cyrus is, but she says she does. She knows what he’s capable of. She thought she knew Sonny. She thought he was a different man. He says he is, and she says she’s sure Cyrus goaded him, and she hopes Sonny just lost control because he nearly killed Cyrus with his bare hands. Sonny says he made a mistake. Cyrus played him. He went after him. He shouldn’t have done that. Is Cyrus worth her trouble? She says she doesn’t know, but Sonny is. Their friendship is, or that’s what she thought. She thinks they owe each other the truth, so she’s going to give it to him now. She’s had a lot of violence and bloodshed in her life and she can’t take it anymore. She won’t take it anymore, friendship or no friendship. He says he gets that, and she says she hopes he does. They hear Cyrus in the hallway saying he has every right… Doc says, impeccable timing. That must be her brother. Dex says he can’t let Cyrus in, and Doc opens the door.

Cyrus tells Sonny to call of his dog. He’s here to see his family. Laura nods, and Doc invites Cyrus in. Laura says, it’s not a good time, and Cyrus says, that’s why he’s here, so he can help his sister walk through this. Doc says he can start by respecting his sister’s wishes, and Cyrus says he has nothing but respect for his sister and the profound loss she’s suffered. Sonny asks how he found out about Spencer, and Cyrus says he watched over Spencer while he was in Pentenville, and he continued to stay abreast of his family’s movements. Sonny says, whether they wanted him to or not? and Cyrus says he laments that he wasn’t able to protect Spencer in the end and he grieves with his dear sister and for her. Sonny says, nobody wants to hear that, and Cyrus says, blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Laura says, stop it. This is not comforting her. Just go. Cyrus says he just hopes she can find some comfort knowing that there is a coming glory… She yells, stop it!

Nina says, it’s good that Ava is staying here with Sonny, and Ava says she doesn’t know how good it is, but it’s safe. There are guards everywhere. Avery’s happy being with her father. Nina says, of course (🍷). Sonny is such a great dad. Ava says, he talks about his family all the time, that’s for sure, and Nina asks if he’s said anything else. Ava says, they don’t exactly sit down at the end of the day and chat about what happened at the office, and Nina asks if he ever talks about his marriage. Ava says, no, sorry. He wouldn’t talk to her about that, of all people. She noticed he’s still wearing his wedding ring though. Nina says, that’s something. It’s easy enough to take off, so if he’s still wearing it, there must be something inside of him that says he doesn’t want to give up on their marriage. Ava says she hopes so. She really hopes that things work out for Nina and Sonny. Nina says, but…? and Ava says she just thinks Nina ought to prepare herself for a life without him, but Nina says she can’t. She can’t lose Sonny. She can’t lose his family because they’re her family too. She can’t lose Willow, Wiley, and Amelia; they’re her world. Ava says she knows, and Nina says, Ava has that beautiful gallery. Ava has Avery. Nina doesn’t have Crimson anymore, and if she loses Sonny and her daughter and her grandchildren, she has nothing.

Leo looks at his book, then looks outside at Carly and Olivia. He takes out his fidget spinner as John watches him from another table.

Olivia says she wasn’t trying to protect Nina, and Carly says, then who was she trying to protect? Because Nina was the only one who benefitted from her silence.

John comes over to Leo’s table and asks if he likes animals. Leo says he’s not supposed to talk to strangers, and John says, that’s a good rule. He taught his son the same rule, but – he sits down – he also told him that it was okay to talk to law enforcement. He shows Leo his badge and says he’s Agent John. Leo asks if he’s really from the FBI, and John says, yes, sir. Leo says, then he’s Leo Falconari, and John says, it’s nice to meet him.

Jordan lets O’Neal in, and he puts his case on the bed. He starts to frisk her, and she asks if it’s necessary. He says, can’t be too careful, and she says she wants to make a buy, not commit a robbery. He says, it’s for someone’s capacity, not their intentions. He’s covering all his bases. She says, no kidding. Buy her dinner first? He says, no wire, no gun. Good start. So who referred her? She says, Maloy, but he already knows that, and he asks how she knows Maloy. She says, book club. Him?… Yeah. That’s what she thought. It’s probably neither of their business. He moves his case to the credenza and opens it. He says he’s got a <insert complicated gun description> gun with the longest fair fight sniper shot in history. (This sounds like an oxymoron, but I swear that’s what he said.) He hands it to her, and she looks it over. She says, let’s talk price, and he says, it’s not a negotiation. She says, since when? and he says, if she wants quality and confidentiality, this thing’s untraceable. She’ll never know where it came from, and he’ll never know how she chose to use it. So, is it an agreement or not?

Trina tells Josslyn that she heard the sirens from police boats and turned away from Spencer just for a second. He was saying something, then he gasped, and when she turned around, he had the strangest look on his face. He looked surprised and he had fear in his eyes. Then she saw Esme with the needle and then Esme tried to come for her. Somehow, Spencer found enough strength to grab her, and they both went in the water.

Jordan says, all right, let’s do this, and hands the gun back to O’Neal. She takes out her phone and asks, what’s the routing number for the wire transfer? He says, it has to be an encrypted transaction, and she says, fine. Give her whatever device he wants to use, and she’ll make the transfer. He says he prefers human touch, and she says she’s aware. He says, she can make the transfer directly to his accountant, and she says, how quaint. Is he outside? Is he on his way here? O’Neal says he’s afraid not. They’re going to him.

Leo says his mom is outside arguing with Aunt Carly, and John asks, what makes him think they’re arguing? Leo says, the way they’re standing and what they do with their arms, and John looks outside. He says, kind of like a threat display from an animal, and Leo says, humans are animals. John says, that is very true. What kind of animals are in Leo’s book? Leo says, all kinds, and John asks if there are bears in there. Leo asks if he likes bears, and John says he does. Bears are smart and they’re strong. He wouldn’t want to meet one in the wild, but he likes reading about them.

Olivia tells Carly that Drew had already gone to prison. Carly’s accounts had already been frozen. Nothing she knew could have changed any of that. All she could do was stop the damage Nina had already done from going even further. Carly says, and the fact Olivia and Ned were also victims of Nina’s lies didn’t matter, but Olivia says, of course (🍷) it mattered. Carly asks if Olivia’s forgotten how furious she was at her for accusing Ned, because she hasn’t. Olivia says she hasn’t forgotten. She thinks about it every day. Carly says, then why would she shield the woman who was actually responsible? Nina stood back and let Ned take the blame.

Ava says she never, not in a million years, would have predicted that Drew would remove Nina from Crimson and replace her with Carly. Nina says, he’s not the same person as he was before he went to prison. He’s harder. Ava says putting Carly in a position Nina has held successfully for years adds a lot of uncertainty and risk to Crimson for no good reason. Nina says, making her suffer is reason enough in Drew’s book, and Ava says, he’s making choices he’s going to regret, that’s for sure. Nina thanks her, and Ava says, she’s welcome. She’s just stating the obvious here. Nina says she appreciates that, but she’s thinking, Ava doesn’t always agree with her choices, but she understands Nina’s reasoning behind it and doesn’t make her suffer. Ava doesn’t punish her for them. Ava says, nobody in this room has a monopoly on bad choices, and Nina says she’s very grateful for Ava’s friendship and her loyalty. She loves Ava so much and thanks her. Ava says she loves Nina too, and she’s welcome. Nina says she shouldn’t be bothering Ava about this. She’s worried about Trina. Ava says she can listen to Nina and worry at the same time, and Nina says, and she’s still coming down from being shot at and attacked. Ava says, the first time somebody shoots at you, it does come as a bit of a surprise, but with time and experience, you kind of get used to people trying to kill you. Nina laughs and says she’s very impressed by Ava’s resilience, more than she’ll ever know, but she must have been afraid in Puerto Rico. Avery could have lost both of her parents. She can’t always look out for Sonny anymore, no matter how much she wants to. Ava has to promise her that she and Sonny will always look out for each other.

Trina tells Josslyn, when they were in Greenland, and Spencer went missing, everyone lost hope. Not her. She didn’t believe he was gone. Josslyn says, and now? and holding back tears, Trina says she wants to believe so badly, but something tells her that this time there won’t be a happy ending.

Doc holds open the door, and Cyrus says he meant no harm. He gives them his word. Sonny says, they all know what that means. Let him walk out with Cyrus. Sonny tells Laura that he’ll call her, and Cyrus says, Laura may not believe in his spiritual awakening, but he prays she believes this. He cared about Spencer as he cares about her. Sonny says, that’s nice. Let’s go. Sonny steers Cyrus out, and in the hallway, Cyrus shakes him off. He says he gave Sonny a pass on the assault charges, but just the one. He’s a believer, not a saint. Sonny says, that makes two of them.

Josslyn asks what Trina is going to do. Is she going to stay here? Is she going back to Paris? Maybe Josslyn could take some time off… Trina says she doesn’t think she could go back to Paris ever again, and Josslyn says she doesn’t want a new roommate. Trina should come live with her again. Trina says she appreciates it, but she’s going to live with her parents and she’s going to take a semester off. She can’t even think about school. All of this seems so trivial. Like, what’s even important anymore? Josslyn says she understands. It’s hard to act like there’s a tomorrow when you lose someone you love. Trina asks if that’s what it was like when Josslyn lost Oscar, and Josslyn says, kind of, but he was sick, so it was peaceful in the end. It’s different than what Trina just went through. But the way you feel like you can’t breathe and the way your heart actually hurts – she tears up – that’s the same. They both cry, and Trina says she feels like it took so long for her and Spencer to finally be together. Then they finally were, and they were in a happy place. Then, like in a heartbeat, all of that was over. She and Josslyn hug.

Olivia tells Carly that she and Ned looked at the situation and made a judgement call. Exposing Nina wasn’t going to help anybody fix anything. And a huge blow-up would have just made everything so much worse. Carly says, so that’s what she and Ned decided, and Olivia says, he took a little convincing, but… She looks inside, seeing Leo with John, and tells Carly, hold on a second. She goes inside, directly to Leo’s table, where he’s reading to John from his book. Olivia says, pretty friendly, huh? and Leo says, this is John. Olivia says hello to John and suggests Leo wash his hands before his waffle gets here. Leo leaves, and John stands up. He says, he’s a great kid, and Olivia says, yeah. He says, he’s on the spectrum? and she says, he has ASD, yeah. He says, so does his son. He’s sorry for approaching her boy, but he could tell Leo was getting agitated watching her and Carly. She says she should have realized he could see them out there and it would bother him, but John says, it’s fine. He thinks he distracted Leo. She says, looks like he did and thanks him. She asks, how old is his son? and he says, he’s grown now, and living independently. She says, so he’s doing well? and John says, he’s doing great. His phone rings, and he asks her to excuse him for a moment. She says, of course (🍷), and he steps away.

John asks, what’s the word?… Nobody moves until he gets there. He dashes out of the diner.

Jordan says, everyone and their cat knows you don’t go to a second location, and he says, suit yourself. He starts to pack up, and she says, there’s got to be a way they can make this happen, right here, right now. He says, it’s unusual for a customer to make this hard a sell. Why does this deal need to happen before he leaves this room? She says she thought she was paying for confidentiality, and he says, at the moment, he doesn’t know what she’s paying him for. She says, that’s too bad. Sorry they couldn’t get this done. She’s about to reach behind a chair pillow for a gun, but he grabs her and says, they’re not done until she tells him who she really is. Anna comes out of nowhere and says, remove your hand or I’ll remove it for you. O’Neal lets go of Jordan and puts his hands up.

As they approach the penthouse, Sonny asks Dex if he’s talked to Josslyn, but Dex says, not recently. Sonny says, Dex should go to her because she should hear about Spencer from him. Go ahead. He has a lot of protection. Dex leaves, and Sonny goes inside. Ava jumps up, and Sonny asks if she’s all right. She says, yeah. She just wasn’t expecting him back so soon. He asks if she has a problem with him being back, but she says, no. She’s just a little jumpy, for obvious reasons. When he left in such a hurry, was that about Trina and Spencer? He says, it turns out, Spencer’s dead, Ava says, oh no, and Nina walks out.

Nina says she’s so sorry, and Ava says, Trina. Sonny tells her, Trina’s safe, and Nina asks, what happened to Spencer? Sonny says, he went over the side of a boat in Paris, he and Esme, and Nina says she knows he loved his nephew. She can’t imagine what he’s going through right now. He says he can’t do this right now.

Doc gives Laura a mug of what I hope is whiskey, and says, this will help her keep up her strength. A little edge cutter was in order. She says she already regrets losing her cool with Cyrus, but the conversation with Sonny was long overdue. He tells her not to beat herself up over Cyrus. What happened was understandable, especially given the loss she’s feeling. She says, but she’s not the only one, is she? Esme was his niece. She knows he did everything he could for her. He says, they both did, and Laura says, the way she was with Ace, she’s never going to believe that was an act. He says, it wasn’t. Esme’s love for Ace was genuine and maybe the only pure emotion she felt in her life. When Nikolas took Ace away, she was isolated, afraid, angry, and she chose the worst possible course of action. Laura says she was the one who talked Esme into turning herself in for breaking into Windymere. If she hadn’t… He says, there is no way she could have predicted that would happen. She didn’t know that Esme had regained her memory, and there was no way to know Nikolas would come back and convince Spencer to let him run away with Ace. There was no way she could know that. He hopes she’s hearing him when he says that. She says, if she’s being honest, all she can hear is silence in a house that used to be filled with voices. He puts his arm around her and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Carly tells Olivia that Leo’s order is next up, and she did tell them extra powdered sugar. Olivia says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s going to crush at Crimson. She’s wicked smart, nobody can match her instincts, and she makes being a leader look easy. That’s why the employees at the MetroCourt are so loyal to her. And she’s going to make a whole new generation of customers fall in love with Bobbie’s. Carly thanks her for saying that, and Olivia says, it’s the truth. Which she’ll never hide from Carly in the future.

O’Neal says, his other clients don’t behave this way, and Anna says, they’re not his other clients. Sit. He sits on the edge of the bed and says, they’re not so different as they keep telling themselves. There must be something in the water here. Anna says she’s under no illusion as to who or what she is, and Jordan asks what he means, there must be something in the water here? He says he doesn’t mean anything, and she says, they’re not the only ones in Port Charles buying from him, are they? He says he can’t talk about his clients. It’ll end his business. Anna says, Einstein, your business is over. He’s been peddling guns stolen from the WSB. So he has a choice to make. He’s either going to tell them what they want to know, or he waits for the Bureau to get here and then they’ll pick him up. They’re not going to sweep this under the rug. He asks what they want to know, and Jordan says, they need to know the names of every person who purchased a weapon from that WSB shipment. The door busts in, and John comes in with some men, saying, freeze. Jordan says, guns down, and they all aim their guns at one another, except for O’Neal, still on the bed with his hands up. He says, don’t shoot, and John says, FBI. Drop your weapons now.

Nina says she didn’t want to make Sonny’s night worse by being here. That’s not what she wanted. She walks out of the apartment, and Ava says she’s sorry. She knows how he feels about Nina being here. He says, it doesn’t matter. Nothing really matters. She says, Spencer. She’s so sorry. That’s just terrible. Trina must be absolutely gutted. She’s going to call her. She puts her hand on Sonny’s shoulder, he thanks her, and she leaves.

Josslyn asks if Cam knows, and Trina says she doubts it. The word hasn’t gotten out yet. Josslyn says, they’ve got to tell him, and makes the call. She says she’s here with Trina and they have to tell him something. She starts to cry and says, they need him to hear it from them.

Olivia asks if Leo wants to say goodbye to his Aunt Carly. She’s got to get to work. He asks if they’re done arguing, and Carly says, sometimes friends disagree. Olivia says she and Carly haven’t been on the same wavelength for a while, but maybe pretty soon they can try to fix that. Carly says she thinks they’ve already started, and Leo says he can tell. Their body language is better. Carly says, you know what? He’s right. Olivia says, how’s this for body language? and hugs Leo. Carly pulls them in for a three-way hug.

Anna says she and her colleague are going to lower their weapons, and John says, do that, nice and slow. O’Neal gets up and says he’s just a bystander. Anna, Jordan, and John say, shut up, and O’Neal says, okay, sitting back down. Anna says she takes it John is the agent in charge, and he asks if she doesn’t recognize him. Anna says, wait… Jagger? and John smiles.

Laura looks at a photo of young Spencer on her phone, when there’s a knock at the door. Laura opens it, and Nikolas is standing there with Ace. He says, hello, mother, and Laura cries tears of joy.

On Monday, Laura asks if it’s occurred to Nikolas that he belongs in prison; Lucy asks Martin for another chance; Anna suggests they bring the case in together; and Dante asks Sonny if it was an inside job.

🪪 Something Old Is Something New…

So far, I’m thinking we should keep him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-harrington-is-the-new-jagger-on-general-hospital

🚑 Coming and Going…

The circle of soap life.

William Lipton Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

Joshua Benard Done at GENERAL HOSPITAL

🤹‍♂️ No Idle Hands Here…

Teaching, directing, kicking ass as a spy. Is there nothing she can’t do?

Ian Buchanan and Finola Hughes Together Again!

Boogieing down for mental health.

Maurice Benard Boogies With TikTok’s Dancing UPS Man!

🐶 Whiskey A Go-Go…

Including this because, dog.

GH Alum Kelly Thiebaud Shares the Cutest Photo of Her Injured Dog

🍑 They Hear Her Knocking…

IRL this makes sense, but in Bravoland, anything can happen.

Kenya Moore Says ‘Door Is Closed’ for NeNe Leakes and RHOA

🍸 Extra Rules…

Maybe she’s hoping for screen time since no one wants to film with him.

Ariana Madix Thinks Billie Lee Is Living in Her House

Totally understandable.

Pump Rules Banned From Filming at Schwartz & Sandy’s

⚰️ Premiere Of Ones…

So be sure to watch the premiere before the premiere.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/amc-amc-presents-the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-premiere-event

🏆 One Grammy Coming Up…

If you just want the basics.

https://ew.com/2024-grammys-everything-we-know-8431969

Or the whole shebang.

https://live.grammy.com

🏈 Don’t Try This At Home…

Super Bowl party fails.

Super Bowl Party Fails

Super Bowl party mistakes. These could go for any party.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/big-game/big-game-parties/game-day-party-mistakes

Real Bowl blunders.

5 Worst Super Bowl Blunders

🦡 He Was Hungry…

The opossum is always the last one they suspect.

https://people.com/opossum-caught-on-camera-stealing-birthday-cookie-delivery-8557650

🐕 Best Bowl Of All…

The Ravens and the pups.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/baltimore-ravens-hang-out-with-rescue-puppies-for-puppy-bowl-xx-

Up for adoption.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/adoptables

Guest appearances!

Puppy Bowl XX slated to be ‘puppiest’ ever

🐬 Quotes of the Week

Take your camera, and take your selfie stick, and take your dogs, and get the f*** out of here. – crazy Karen neighbor, Neighborhood Wars

You are your greatest asset. Put your time, effort and money into training. – Tom Hopkins

At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable. – Christopher Reeve

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man (and woman) which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. – Blaise Pascal

Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts. – John Wooden

You’re no scientist. You’re just crazy. – Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee), Gyeonsueong Creature

Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers. – Voltaire

Babies are supposed to cry and throw a fit. Not you. – Amanda Halterman, 1000-Lb. Sisters

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself. – Lucille Ball

Geometry made me its bitch. – Vince (Louis Mustillo), Mike & Molly (I so relate.)

🎤 Accepting All the Grammys…

Go out and live real life, then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and perhaps a little Deck talk. Until then, stay safe, stay away from doom scrolling, and stay never going to a second location. Everyone and their cat knows that.

Jan31

January 30, 2024 – Esme In Paris, Life After Scandoval, Thoughts & Jazz

Posted on January 31, 2024 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Puerto Rico. Sonny tells Dex that he’s glad they’re away from Port Charles. The environment is easier to control in Puerto Rico, and there’s a lot more things that Avery can do to keep her occupied. Dex says, per Sonny’s request, security was added before they came, so it’s more secure than normal. He’s going to go over all of it himself to make sure. Ava comes in and says, Sonny has gone above and beyond. She doesn’t remember this kind of security the last time she was here. Sonny says, times change. So do threats.

In the visiting room at Pentenville, Jordan says, Anna has a complicated history with the man. She can question him alone if Anna likes. Anna asks if Jordan is worried that he’s going to get under her skin, but Jordan says, on the contrary. She’s worried Anna will wring his neck. Anna says she’s not going to do anything. He’s playing games. She wants to find out why. John Brennan walks his suave self in and sits down. He says, Anna Devane. How lovely to see you. She tells him to spare her the polite chit-chat, and he tells Jordan, she’s in a mood. His compliments to Jordan for figuring out he was the one who contacted her. He wasn’t sure she would put it all together. She says, happy to exceed his expectations. He told her that he had information on the rifle that shot Curtis Ashford. He said he’d be in touch, then went silent. Why? He says, first, let’s talk about what you’re going to do for me.

Martin tells Finn that he needs a decision. What are they doing? Are they going forward as planned or going with this new theory, the malpractice suit is fraudulent? Finn says, Mrs. Muldoon and her kids are a grieving family. He can’t go after them. Drop it. Martin asks if he’s sure. They’ve got the records to prove Dennis Muldoon was financially strapped before he met with Finn, and they’re about to get proof that he was either seen or being treated by an oncologist before he ever set foot in Finn’s office. Whatever his wife’s involvement was, it’s obvious Finn was never going to get the chance to diagnose that cancer. It’s a solid way out. Is he sure he wants to pass it up? The bailiff says, all rise, and Judge Arnold takes the bench. Finn says he can’t put the mother of four at risk for prosecution.

In the hallway, Mrs. Muldoon (who has no first name) says she’s not interested in anything Tracy has to say, and Tracy says, few people are. But she never lets that get in the way, especially when a crime is being committed on a good friend of hers. Mrs. Muldoon says, if she’s referring to Dr. Finn, he’s the one that committed the crime. He allowed her husband to leave, undiagnosed and untreated. Tracy says, Mrs. Muldoon doesn’t know the first thing about Dr. Finn, or her for that matter, but she’s about to get an education on both.

At the hospital, Portia says she knew Curtis was going to push himself hard during his physical therapy session. So honestly, how his he feeling? Curtis says, a little sore, but that is to be expected. He knows it’s going to take a lot of work for him to regain his mobility, but he’s here for it. Marshall joins them and says, that’s his boy, always rising to meet a challenge. Curtis says he knows all this hard work is going to pay off as soon as he’s back on his feet, and Portia says, and he will be. Marshall says, and in no time, he gets to be courtside in what promises to be a fierce game of basketball. Curtis says he knows Portia has her mind on Trina. Is she going to be okay by herself? Portia says she’ll be fine. She has plenty of work to do. And besides, she’ll just wait for Trina to call and tell her what a wonderful time she’s having in Paris.

Paris on the Banks of the Seine. Spencer leads a blindfolded Trina along the deck of ~~the Haunted Star~~ a yacht, and tells her, one more step. He takes off the blindfold and says, welcome aboard. She looks out over the water and says, what is all this? He says he arranged a private getaway for her. He thought she should have a chance to see the countryside before she has to start hitting the books. She says she can’t believe he did this, and he says, they’re going to go on a private cruise. They’re going to travel down the Seine to Normandy. He had the hotel bring their things after dinner and tomorrow morning she’s going to wake up to the most beautiful coast she’s ever seen. She says, it’s hard to imagine anything more spectacular than this, and he says he’s sure they’ll figure out a way.

On shore, Esme says, he can’t steal Ace away from her so easy. She looks in her bag and takes out a capped syringe.

Mrs. Muldoon says she’s already learned all she needs to about Dr. Finn, but Treacy says, she’s wrong. She claims she brought this lawsuit for her family. Dr. Finn has a family. They adore him, especially his young daughter. As a doctor, there is none better. In fact, he’s the reason she’s able to stand here and talk to Mrs. Muldoon. When he came to Port Charles, she was very sick. She’d run out of options, and he saved her life. She’s not the only person who can say that. Dr. Finn is a kind, caring, generous, good man, and Port Charles is so much better for having him here. Mrs. Muldoon says, Tracy is obviously very passionate about her friend Dr. Finn, but for all of his supposed brilliance, his negligence led directly to her husband’s death. She starts to walk away, and Tracy says she was hoping to break through Mrs. Muldoon’s grief to appeal to her sense of fairness, but clearly, she’s going to have to appeal to something else. So how about her sense of self-preservation?

Brennan says he’s offering a trade. His help in exchange for his freedom. Anna says, after he tried to kill her? and he says, if someone tried to kill her, he wasn’t present. Nor can she prove he gave the order. Since their time together is limited, they should spend it on all the valuable information he possesses. Jordan says, neither of them has the power to grant immunity, but he says, Anna has ties to the DA. She even married him – twice. Tell Scorpio that he wants immunity and all charges dropped. Anna says, never going to happen, and he says, then he’s sorry. He just can’t help her. Good luck with the investigation. He nods to the guard, but Anna says, no, and holds up her hand. What if she was to give him an even better offer? He asks, what’s better than his freedom? and she says, his life.

Dex says he’s going to walk the perimeter, and he’ll check back in with Sonny later. He leaves, and Sonny says, it looks like Ava is about to jump out of her skin. She says she could use something to calm her nerves, preferably something with a little umbrella in it. She was on board when he said he wanted to come down here. She thought it would give them more room to breathe instead of being cooped up in the penthouse. But now that she’s here, she feels so exposed. He says he’s making it as secure as he can, and she says, Avery doesn’t seem at all concerned, does she? She practically sprinted from the tarmac to the beach. He says, Avery loves the ocean, and she’s secure with the guards they have and the nanny. No one’s going to get near her. Ava says, okay. That makes her feel a little better. He says, she’s got to stop making herself crazy. All Avery knows is, she’s in Puerto Rico having fun with her parents. Ava says, she’s not such a little girl anymore though. She notices more than he may think. It won’t be long before he’ll have to be having some pretty difficult discussions with her.

Portia tells Curtis not to worry about her and have fun at the game with Marshall, and Curtis says, they definitely will. Laura comes by and says she was just on her way to Portia’s office to look for her. It’s good that everyone’s here because they should all know this. Curtis asks, what’s wrong? and she says, Esme’s not in Toronto. She’s in Paris.

Diane tells the judge, during the recess, Mr. Grey informed her that he’d be adding a witness. She moves to adjourn so that she may prepare for that testimony. Mrs. Muldoon comes in and taps Diane on the shoulder, and the judge asks if Martin has any objections. Martin says he’s afraid he owes the judge and opposing counsel an apology. There’s been a change of plans. He had intended to add a new witness – Tracy comes back – but on further reflection, that will no longer be necessary. So with all due respect, he’d just like to proceed with the witness list he presented to the court. The judge tells him to proceed, and Diane says, if she may. Martin says, this is a first. He hasn’t even started yet, and already Ms. Miller is objecting. Diane says, if her esteemed counsel will just give her a moment, she’s been informed by her client that she wishes to drop the lawsuit. Soap looks all around.

Judge Arnold says, order, even though there’s no reason to, and asks Diane and Martin to join him in his chambers. The bailiff says, all rise, and Diane and Martin go with the judge. Finn says, what the hell just happened?

Sonny says, discussing his business is off-limits to his kids, just like it’s off-limits to Ava. It’s just safer that way. She hasn’t been discussing anything with Avery, right? She says, of course (🍷) not. She’s too young to understand anything about that. She’s talking about the other radioactive subject they’ve all been avoiding… Nina. She knows he thinks he’s been hiding it, but it’s all over his face. She can tell the situation has him all tied up in knots, and being here doesn’t help any. This is where he and Nina were married. She’s sure it’s bringing up all kinds of feelings. He says he’s fine, and she says, is he though? Because she saw him when they ran into Nina and Valentin, and he didn’t seem fine. He looked like somebody punched him in the gut. He says, discussing Nina is off-limits, and she says, all right. Fine. She’s just bringing it up because their daughter is smart. And if she can tell something’s off with him, then so can Avery. He says, Donna and Avery are just kids. He’s done his best to shield them from anything that’s happened with Nina, and he thinks he’s done a good job because Avery hasn’t asked him about it. Ava says, Avery’s asked her.

The captain says, good evening, to Spencer and Trina, and welcomes them aboard. Their suitcases arrived in their state room. Please make themselves comfortable. They’ll be leaving shortly. Spencer thanks him and he leaves. Trina thanks Spencer, and he says, of course (🍷). She says, since being with him, she’s gotten to experience the most amazing things. Not just this trip and all of the amazing things they’ve done in Paris and all the fantastic things he planned in New York to show how well he knows her. But the entire feeling of being with him and loving him and being loved by him in return is the most amazing thing. And it’s all because of him and the incredible person he is. He says, she’s done that for him a thousand times over, but she knows that, right? Before her, all he could see is pain and she opened his eyes to a whole new world. He showed her that there’s much more to feel, and she taught him that he’s a person who’s worthy of love. Being with her has made it so much better; every day is better than the last. She’s everything he’s always wanted, but never believed he could have, and he wants to love her for the rest of his life. They kiss.

Laura says, after laying a false trail in Toronto, Esme used The Invader’s corporate credit card to buy herself a ticket to Paris, and Curtis says, there’s absolutely no reason Esme would have for going to Paris unless she’s going after Spencer. Or worse, Spencer and Trina. Either way, their daughter is in serious trouble. Marshall says, maybe there’s another explanation. Esme had to know the credit card charge would be found. Maybe this is just another attempt by Esme to throw everybody off her trail. They don’t know for a face that she’s even in Paris. Portia says, Marshall is right. She wouldn’t put anything past this girl. Maybe this is just her version of toying with them. Curtis says, or just simply ruining Spencer and Trina’s trip, but Laura says, no. The PCPD has some security footage of Esme getting on a plane to Paris, so she’s definitely there. Portia says, they have to warn Trina, and takes out her phone.

Spencer holds out his arm, and offers to escort Trina to her stateroom, and they leave the deck. Esme watches from the top of the stairs, then walks down.

Finn asks Martin, what’s going on? Why did the judge want to talk to him? The bailiff says, court is now in session, and Judge Arnold says, the case against Hamilton Finn and General Hospital has been dropped. This case is dismissed. He bangs his gavel, and Elizabeth runs over to Finn. She hugs him and says, it’s over. Congratulations. He says he didn’t do anything. Did Martin? Martin says, no, he didn’t. He knows what Finn is thinking, and he swears, no pressure was applied. Mrs. Muldoon just had a change of heart. Gregory says he’s thrilled for Finn. This case was a lie from the start. Nothing that happened to Muldoon was Finn’s fault. Elizabeth says she completely agrees, but that doesn’t explain why Mrs. Muldoon dropped the lawsuit. Tracy says, who cares? Justice prevailed. That’s all that matters. She hugs Finn.

Brennan asks if his life is at stake, and Anna says, you tell me. He claims he can give them information to help them find the person who shot Curtis Ashford. He says he can, and she says, they’ve come to believe the intended target was Sonny Corinthos. She’s sure he’s well-acquainted with Sonny’s reputation. She just wonders, if Sonny were to find out he was withholding this information, how long Brennan would last in Pentenville. That’s not a rhetorical question. He either deals with them or Sonny. Take his pick. He says, how the mighty have fallen. Anna Devane, reformed double agent, zealous defender of law and order, and this is all she’s got, her only leverage is to go tattling to a thug. She asks if that’s a yes or no, and he says, Cesar Faison would be so disappointed in his protégé. She says, you son of a bitch.

Sonny wonders if Avery doesn’t think she can talk to him, but Ava says she doesn’t think it’s that at all. She just thinks, Nina was gone suddenly. Avery can tell he’s upset, and she doesn’t want to make anything worse. She’s done her best to deflect Avery’s questions, but she thinks Sonny has to talk to her. However he wants to do it; she’ll follow his lead. Avery comes in with a basket and shows them the seashells she found. She gives Sonny one that she picked out just for him, and he thanks her. He says he needs to talk to her about something, and they sit down. Ava says she’ll go get settled in her room, but Sonny asks her to stay. He tells Avery that he’s sure she’s noticed Nina isn’t staying at the penthouse. He’s sure she’s a little confused about that. So he wanted to let her know that he and Nina are going to be living apart for a while. She asks, why? and he says, with adults, things get complicated and they kind of have to stay away and figure things out. But he wants her to know everything’s fine with him. She says, okay, and he says he just wants everything to be fine with her too. So how does she feel about Nina living apart somewhere else? She says she guesses it’s okay, but she misses Nina. Nina was really nice to her. Is she ever going to see Nina again?

Martin tells Diane that he’s afraid his curiosity has gotten the best of him. Why did she drop the suit? She says, because her client instructed her to, and he says, as thrilled as he is with today’s outcome, he wishes he’d gotten the chance to best her, fair and square. They shake hands, and she says, he may get that chance – she adds a Southern accent – when hell freezes over. She leaves, chuckling.

Tracy says, this calls for a celebration. Champagne at the MetroCourt, her treat. Finn says, that’s very generous of her, and glances at Elizabeth, who nods. He says he thinks they’ll take her up on it, and Gregory says, count him in too. Mrs. Muldoon walks over and asks if she can speak with Dr. Finn.

On the phone, Spencer says, Laura is cutting in and out… She’s cutting in and out… Hello? Trina asks if the call dropped, and he says, it was super staticky, then it went silent. She says her service is bad too, but he says he wouldn’t worry about it. It will probably get better when they’re off the river.

Portia leaves a message for Trina, telling her to stay safe and call her as soon as she gets this. She loves her. She tells Curtis that she doesn’t get this. Why didn’t she pick up the phone? Laura comes back and says she was able to get Spencer on the phone for just a few seconds before the cell dropped. It wasn’t long enough to warn them about Esme, but he sounded normal, like everything was just fine. Portia says, but when she called Trina, it went straight to voicemail. She never, ever has her phone off. What if Esme’s already gotten to her? Curtis says, don’t do that, and Marshall says, Curtis is right. Don’t panic until they know something for sure. Portia says, they do know something. They know that crazy girl, that psychotic girl is after Trina again, and Trina is halfway around the world from Portia and in danger. And it all comes back to who? Spencer Cassadine.

The captain sees Esme on deck and says something to her in French, but she says she’s sorry. She’s lost. Is this the river tour? He says, this is a private vessel. She’s a stowaway. She’s coming with him. She takes off, but he grabs her. She elbows him, and he doubles over. She grabs the fire extinguisher and whacks him in the head with it. He drops to the floor.

Ava says, even if Nina isn’t living with Avery’s dad, Nina still loves her just the same. That’s not going to change. Avery says, good, and asks if she can go put her seashells back in the ocean. Sonny says, yeah, but hurry up because they’re going to have lunch. Avery says, then candy? and he says, what? Candy? She hugs him and runs off. Ava says, she’s got him wrapped around her little finger and she knows it, and he says he’d do anything for that little girl. He just wants to let Ava know that he appreciates her telling him that Avery was confused about Nina and helping him with her questions. She says, he’s welcome. She thinks he handled it perfectly, although he didn’t really answer her question about Nina. Is that because he doesn’t know? He wonders if she’s asking for herself or for her best friend Nina.

Finn meets Mrs. Muldoon in the hallway, and she says she doesn’t really know how to say this. She owes him an apology. She just learned that Dennis went to see an oncologist before he saw Finn for the first time. He must have known more about his diagnosis than she was aware of. Finn says he sees, and she says she’s so sorry. He may not believe her, but Dennis was a really good man. He loved them. He must have felt so desperate. Finn says, people will go to great lengths for their family to make sure they’re taken care of, and she says, he’s being so understanding after what she put him through. She can’t help but wonder why. Elizabeth watches from a distance, and Finn says, perhaps because he’s a single father to a little girl. He knows how hard it is to be the only person responsible for your family’s well-being. Her family just suffered a terrible loss. He wanted to spare her and her children from any more pain. She says, his kindness won’t be forgotten. His daughter is really lucky to have a man like him for a father. She leaves.

Portia says, Trina should be enjoying her time in Paris and studying. Instead, she’s a sitting duck, because some psycho girl wants revenge? Is that what she wants? Laura says she’s so sorry that Trina has been drown into yet another conflict because of her family, and Portia says she knows Laura is worried about Spencer too. There’s going to be time for them to figure out the why – why this is happening. Right now, the only thing that matters is finding Trina and Spencer, and stopping whatever Esme has planned for them. Laura says she’s on her way to the airport right now. Ned has allowed her to use the ELQ jet, so she’ll get to Paris as quickly as possible. Portia thanks her, but Curtis says, wait. Is she going by herself? Laura says, just on the flight. Dante’s already gone on ahead of her and the Paris authorities have been notified. Curtis says he hopes the ELQ jet has room for one more because he’s coming along.

Esme runs over to the captain and says she’s so, so sorry. She was just trying to find her son and get him back to her. She checks his pulse, and says, thank God. Just keep breathing, okay? She’s in trouble already. She drags him off the deck by his feet.

In their stateroom, Trina says, look at this place. It’s incredible. How does he keep on topping himself? (I’m not impressed. Not only does it look suspiciously like the room Trina was in on the Haunted Star, it has no window.) He says he doesn’t know. He guesses she’s worth it. This is a nice room, isn’t it? He thinks he prefers the New York hotel room though because of what happened there. She says, something happened there? She can’t quite remember what. He says, maybe he should refresh her memory. He’s about to kiss her, when she yawns, trying to hide it. He asks, what was that? They just got on board. She says she’s jetlagged, but she’s guessing he has another surprise for her. He says, no, not tonight, but tomorrow is going to be very special. She says, now she’s really intrigued, but she guesses tomorrow is soon enough. He says, they had a very long day today, so if she is sleepy, they can just go to bed if she wants. They kiss, and she says she wants him – today, tomorrow, and forever. They fall onto the bed.

Gregory says he’s just curious. Was Tracy aware that Mrs. Muldoon has a fundraising page on My Face? He just found out about it a few days ago. A friend helped her set it up to cover expenses after her husband died. Tracy says, Mrs. Muldoon is fortunate to have such caring friends. What does that have to do with her? He says he just checked, and it seems someone made a very generous donation right around the time Mrs. Muldoon dropped her lawsuit. Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t she say?

Elizabeth asks Finn if everything is okay, and he says, yeah. Mrs. Muldoon just wanted to apologize for everything she put them through. She says she’s surprised. She’s glad. Is he relieved that the case was dismissed? He says, of course (🍷). He also feels kind of bad. She says, why? and he says, the Muldoons have lost a husband and a father. They’ll never be the same. Winning that case would have made a big difference for them. Elizabeth asks if he knows how amazing he is. Dennis Muldoon set him up to be falsely accused of malpractice, possibly destroying his entire career, and yet here he is having compassion for the man’s family. He says, that’s very kind, but he doesn’t deserve her praise. He’s no hero.

Laura tells Curtis that she’s sure there’s enough room. She’ll let Ned know right now. She leaves, and Marshall asks if Curtis is sure. Is it a good idea for him to go to Paris. Curtis says his recovery is right on schedule. He’s fine, and even if he weren’t, his daughter needs him, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. Marshall says he understands that. He’s worried about Trina, too, but he’s also concerned about Curtis. Curtis tells Marshall not to worry about him. He’s gotten pretty good at wheeling around in this chair. He’s not going to let it stop him. Marshall says he knows Curtis won’t. Being in that chair doesn’t change who Curti is, and that’s a loving father who’s determined to protect his family – at all costs. Curtis says, damn right, and Marshall says, that’s why he’s concerned about what Curtis will do to Esme Prince if he gets within ten feet of that girl. Portia says, he can double that concern because she’s going to Paris too.

In bed, Spencer touches Trina’s hand and whispers, how did I get so lucky? She says she’s not sleeping. He says, she’s just resting her eyes? That’s okay. Keep them closed. He’ll be right back. She asks where he’s going, and he says he doesn’t know about her, but he’s starving. He’s going to go get a snack. She says, hurry back, and he promises he will. He kisses her and leaves.

Jordan asks if Brennan wants to make a deal, or should she call Sonny? Brennan apologizes and says he and Anna have a history that tends to intrude in the present. She was saying? Jordan says, how did a rifle seized by the WSB end up shooting Curtis Ashford? He tells her, in 2019, the WSB conducted a raid where a cache of mixed weapons, all unmarked, was confiscated. They were given serial numbers and stored in a locker at the Bureau’s Berlin station. The whole shipment disappeared while en route to WSB headquarters in London. Jordan asks if he knows who took them, and he says he only figured out who was likely responsible shortly before he was arrested, so he didn’t have time to act on the information. Anna says, so he sat on it, and he says he thought it might be a useful bargaining chip. And here they are. And since his life hangs in the balance… Anna says she can see he’s terrified, and he says, a bargain’s a bargain, and he said he’d tell them all he knows. Someone’s been selling the weapons at a high price. Find them, and they’ll be lead to the shooter.

Ava tells Sonny, forget she said anything. Just know that Avery isn’t the only person around here concerned about him. Sonny’s phone rings, and Laura says she thought he should know, they found out where Esme went. He says, that’s great news, and tells Ava that Laura found Esme. He says he’s going to put Laura on speaker. Ava’s here. Ava says, please tell her that awful girl is on her way to a jail cell. Laura says, unfortunately, no. She’s in Paris. Ava asks if she’s after Trina, but Laura says, they don’t know exactly. She and Dante are going there to meet with the authorities. Sonny asks if there’s anything he can do, but she says, they’ve got it covered. She’ll update him after they’ve landed. Ava says, please do, and Sonny tells Laura, listen. Esme has nothing to lose, so that’s going to make her unpredictable. So she needs to be careful. He hangs up and tells Ava that he knows she’s concerned about Trina. He’s concerned about Spencer, but Laura and Dante are going to have it all covered. They’ll make sure they’re safe. And that means one less threat to Ava. Ava says, for the moment.

Dex goes out the front gate and calls to guard Adam. He sees Adam lying on the ground and runs over to him.

Tracy tells Gregory, maybe when Mrs. Muldoon posted that she dropped the lawsuit, and someone felt bad and made a donation. He asks if Tracy didn’t speak to her, and she says, they may have exchanged a few words. She may have imparted what a good doctor Finn is. He says, that’s it? Tracy didn’t use her financial powers of persuasion to make it worth her while to drop the lawsuit? She says, if she was to ever conceive of doing such a thing, so what? and he says, it would be unethical for one thing. And she might be in a heap of trouble if the District Attorney constitutes it’s a bribe. She says, lucky they’re just speaking in hypotheticals, and he says, hypothetically, if it were true, he would be extremely grateful that Finn has a friend who’s willing to put herself on the line for him. and he would owe that friend quite a debt. She says, good to know, but she doubts that friend would ever collect.

Elizabeth takes Finn’s hand and says, he was willing to risk everything he’s accomplished in his life for the Muldoon family. She thinks that’s the very definition of a hero. He says he wasn’t risking everything. There was a time when he thought being a doctor was the very essence of his being, that it defined who he was. Then with this case, he realized he has people in his life that he really loves and somehow, they love him back. If he couldn’t practice medicine anymore, he’d still have Violet and his family and her. As much as he loves being a doctor, they’re the ones he couldn’t live without. His true purpose is all of them. As long as he has that, he’ll always be okay.

Jordan says, before they leave, is there any other pertinent information Brennan has for them? but he says he’s told them everything he knows. Anna says, somehow she doubts that, and motions for the guard. She tells Brennan, enjoy the rest of his stay, and he says he looks forward to seeing her again soon. The guard leads him away.

Curtis asks if Portia got someone to cover for her, but she says she’ll do it from the plane. Trina’s in danger. The only thing that matters right now is getting to her. Marshall says, it’s great to see them working as a team, even under these circumstances. Esme’s going to be sorry she ever messed with their girl. Portia says, he’s got that right, when Laura comes back. She says, time to go. Curtis is still coming with her, right? Curtis says, both of them are, and Laura says she’s not surprised. As a mother, she’d want to be there too. Marshall tells Curtis to bring his granddaughter home, safe, and Curtis says, he’s got it. They’re going to get to Trina and Spencer before Esme does.

As Spencer heads for the galley, he sees the door to the deck is open. He steps out and sees the streak of the captain’s blood going across the deck, along with the fire extinguisher.

As she’s getting dressed, Trina hears the door open. She says she hopes those snacks include a baguette. The bread here’s incredible. She turns around and sees Esme.

Dex hears something, and grabs Adam’s gun and his radio.

Sonny says he won’t let anything happen to Ava or Avery, when Dex radios for them to get down. Sonny and Ava duck under the table, and shots ring out.

Tomorrow, Carly tells Tracy that it’s an opportunity she can’t afford to miss; Lois says, if she leaves it up to Olivia, they may never speak again; and Nina tells someone that it’s all she has to say on the record.

Vanderpump Rules

Ariana has a cinnamon pen. I’ve never seen that before. Is that from Brookstone or something? We see what everyone is up to. None of it very exciting. Katie says, everything is falling into place with Something About Her, but as far as I know, it still hasn’t opened. In Ariana’s interview, she explains that she and Sandoval live under the same roof, but they communicate through assistant Ann. Tom and Raquel/Rachel/ whatever are still sending love notes to one another. James and Ally now have a house, albeit too close to the airport, with a pool. In James’s interview, he says he’s seen Sandoval’s cuckoo performances, yelling about Raquel and Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and thinks he’s out of his mind. Scheana tells Brock that Sandoval blocked her, Shenanigans, her sister, and Summer Moon. They talk about Raquel, and Brock says, that one is a whole bag of mixed worms. Best quote of the night.

Lala’s mom lives with her, which is probably the best roommate she could ask for at this point, a built-in support system. The custody battle with Randall is still going on, and Lala says she has a lot of trauma to work through. She thought everything was perfect, then ended up fixated with a custody battle before she could deal with her heartbreak. In order for her to be a good role model for Ocean, she has to work through her emotions. She trusts no one. Her mom says, she’ll work through it.

James meets Schwartz, who comes bearing housewarming gifts. He’s probably glad anyone in the friend circle wants to talk to him. Scwartz is wearing a Schwartz & Sandy’s hat, and says he was worried he’d get booed. In Schwartz’s interview, he says, the bar became a casualty of Scandoval and it was toxic. He had enough problems in his life and didn’t need this. It was the radioactive cherry on the sh*t sundae that was his year. James says, Schwartz is his best Tom when he’s alone, but not so much when he’s TomTom. James is now California sober because Ally gave him an ~~old tomato~~ ultimatum. He’s only drinking Red Bull and Fiji Water, but weed just makes his day better. James is playing at TomTom, and Schwartz asks for advice about approaching Ariana if she shows.

Ariana and Scheana go for a spa day. They talk about Scheana’s kid and Ariana’s new boyfriend Dan. In Scheana’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Ariana has processed the Tom trauma, but if Dan doesn’t sleep with one of her best friends, it will still be a step up. She tells us that she was diagnosed with OCD, and just when she was managing it, the affair took her OCD and mixed it with her anxiety. Scheana asks Ariana about Schwartz, and Ariana says she was on the fence until Schwartz was on Watch What Happens Live and suggested everyone hug Sandoval. Scheana says she doesn’t need Ozempic. She’s got Scandoval.

Ariana hasn’t been back at TomTom since the discovery of Sandoval’s infidelity. In her interview, she says she doesn’t want to make her life smaller because of that idiot. There’s a Lisa sighting, and Ariana decides to ice Schwartz out. In his interview, he calls her the patron saint of scorned women. If she’s not friends with him, it gives him no hope with the other women. In Ariana’s interview, she says, being there is bringing back all her old Sandoval memories, and we flash back to a bunch of those. I always thought he was kind of a d*ck, so not much has changed for me emotionally there. A little more scorn perhaps.

The ladies toast to a Bad Bitch Summer. Lala tells Lisa that she’s feeling a lot of different ways about the Raquel situation. She knows the feeling of thinking there’s only one person on your side. In Lala’s interview, she says she knows what it’s like to have someone paint a beautiful picture and see a future with them, while ignoring what everyone else is telling you. Lisa is glad Lala isn’t being rigid in her position, and in Lisa’s interview, she says, Lala was the last person she expected to have forgiveness. If Lala can come around, she wonders if the others can. Lisa wisely leaves before things get messy. It looks like a good time, but too crowded. I can’t imagine how long it takes to get a drink in that place. Scheana apologizes to Katie, and in her interview, Scheana says she was about to write off their friendship, especially after years of walking on eggshells, but they put their differences aside for Ariana and bonded over not one, but two, common enemies. In Lala’s interview, she says, everything Raquel did was stupid, but as someone who knows what it’s like to see comments about being a mistress, she doesn’t want Raquel to wear that forever. She leaves Raquel a text, and after seeing that Raquel viewed it, she says she’s going to throw up and sh*t her pants.

In Katie’s interview, she says, after 12 years together, she’s happy to say Schwartz isn’t her problem anymore. After the way he spoke about her, he has no access to her life other than joint custody of the dogs. It’s the switching of the dogs day, and when Katie drops them off, she makes the mistake of sitting down. Schwartz says he wants to get on Ariana’s good side, and hints around at Katie helping him, but she’s like, no thanks. That night, Katie has drinks with the girls and tells them about Schwartz’s pet bugs. Against her better judgement, she asks to play devil’s advocate for Schwartz, but in Ariana’s interview, she says, the devil doesn’t need any more advocates. Lala feels like she’s a dog in everyone’s fight, but still has to fend for herself. In Lala’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how to have a friendship when someone shuts her out like Ariana does. She explains her train of Raquel thought to Ariana and admits to sending Raquel a message. (On WWHL, Lala said, Raquel never responded.)

In Ariana’s interview, she compares Lala reaching out to Raquel with Lala having said, no one who communicates with Randall will be in her friend circle, which is apples and oranges. Randall is a creeper, and Raquel is a dumbass. Lala tells Ariana that she can relate to the feeling, and in Scheana’s interview, she says, the temporary restraining order changed everything, referring to the one Raquel took out on her. Ariana says, as far as Raquel getting a foot in the door, there’s not a foot to be had. In a few minutes though, all is well, and everybody loves everybody.

Sandoval comes home to an empty house from wherever the hell he was. I wasn’t paying attention.

This season, same sh*t, different season. A few highlights: Lisa calls Jax a f***ing hypocrite; Schwartz goes blonde; Schwartz says he made out with Scheana in Vegas; lots of arguing between Ariana and Sandoval over the house.

💭 Thoughts: While I’m pretty much over the Housewives – I can’t take one more season of 14-year-old mean girls in middle aged, sequined gowned bodies – for now I’m sticking with the Rules. For one, there are always Lisa/Villa Rosa/various pet sightings. And unlike those women who are outmaneuvering each other for screen time and circle the same drains, we actually see growth in the cast members. Lala is the MVP of this show – so far. That’s why I think it’s a shame they fired Stassi, et. al. Aren’t people supposed to grow and learn from their screw-ups? Kathryn Dennis is another example. Keeping them on by no means condones what they’ve done, but these are reality shows and those people exist. And it’s doubtful ostracizing someone forever teaches them anything. Scandoval aside, watching the VPR cast go from practically children to adults with houses and children and businesses of their own is what reality is about. That and a few ponies, swans, and a pink puppy or two.

🐓 Duck, Duck, Bantam Rooster…

Join me tomorrow for soap and holding my nose before I plunge into RHOBH. Is it me, or has this been an extra-long season? Until then, stay safe, stay never ordering the most expensive menu item if someone else is paying (unless it’s with an expense account), and stay not letting your work define you. Let your true purpose be the people in your life that you really love and somehow love you back.