Category Archives: soap opera

Dec28

December 27, 2023 – Brook Comes To Tracy’s Defense, TempMaxie, Soap Roll Call, Her Future, But Is He, Almost Quit, News Of Us, What’s On the Eve, Holiday Pet (!) Mix & Party

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina and Molly show up at Alexis’s house, and Alexis says, there they are, my pride, and most of the time, my joy. She thanks them for coming and says she knows it’s early. She asks if they want coffee, but they both say they’ve reached their limit. (I didn’t know there was a limit.) Molly asks, what’s so important she needed to see them before work? and Kristina says, her voice sounded really tense on the phone. Alexis invites them to sit down, and says she’s sorry TJ couldn’t make it, but it’s probably best they speak first, just the three of them. Molly wonders why she feels like they’ve been called to the principal’s office, but Alexis says, they’re not in any trouble… yet.

At Deception, Lucy rifles through photos and papers on her desk, mumbling, and Tracy asks if she can’t do anything quietly. TempMaxie (see below) asks if they want coffee before the senior leadership meeting, but Lucy suggests they just dive right in. Oh wait. They can’t, because the leader of their leadership meeting isn’t here. Maxie says she’s sure Brook will be here any second, and Lucy asks what kind of company Tracy and her granddaughter are running. Tracy says she lightened Lucy’s workload by 51%, which means Lucy should have 51% more time to rifle (coincidence!) through photo proofs and wrangle her spokesmodel. Lucy says, Tracy shouldn’t even be in this office, never mind breathing their rarified Deception air. Tracy says, and yet, here she is, and Lucy says, as if she could miss Tracy, but she sure would love to try.

Brook says, if her grandmother finds out she’s late for the meeting because she can’t find her… Chase says, her bag’s over there, and she thanks him. She says she’s just going to grab a coffee on the way, and he says, brewed, in her travel mug, holding it out to her. She asks if he’s psychic, and he says he doesn’t have to be; he knows her routine. She says, he’s the best. What does he have planned for his day off? He says he’s trying to find wedding venues that accommodate guests with mobility issues, and she sits next to him. He says he wants his dad to have the time of his life at their wedding, and Brook flashes back to Gregory saying that time isn’t on his side. His Christmas wish is to see his son get married to the love of his life. She tells Chase, you and me both.

Finn dashes into an exam room, where Gregory is sitting, and says he was told Gregory was in here. Does Gregory want to tell him what happened? Gregory says he’s fine. He just got a bit overheated. Finn looks at the IV bag and says, this is for aggressive fluid replacement. They don’t just give it to people who are a bit overheated. Does Gregory want to tell him what’s going on?

At Kelly’s with Felicia, Robert orders coffee, and Felicia says, nothing to eat? Is he feeling okay? He says he’s not hungry, and she says, he’s probably full because he already ate with Diane. He says, she didn’t bring him here to discuss his personal life, and she says she didn’t know that was an option, but he’s right. She’s sorry. They need to talk family. He asks if something happened with Mac, but she says, Mac is fine. There’s a mystery she wants solved before he comes back, and she needs Robert’s help.

Sasha finds Cody at the stables and says, it looks like he’s having a busy morning. He says he was just hammering out one of Comet’s old horseshoes, but he always has time for her. What’s up? She says she wasn’t sure if she could beat Comet in a contest for his attention, and he says, totally. Nobody else. What brings her by? She says she came to warn him. He’s in trouble.

Scotty goes to the counter at Kelly’s and tells the server that he hears some people try to eat their feelings. He thinks he’s going to be that guy, because he has a lot of feelings. She gives him a menu and asks what she can get him. He says, everything… from the left side of the menu. And a cup of coffee. He’ll be at his table.

Robert asks why Felicia is still on about this Cody Bell thing, and she says her instincts tell her that Cody lied about those DNA test results. He says, if that’s the case, why is his brother saddled with this jerk? and she says, Mac has a right to know if Cody is his son. She knows Cody is no choirboy, and Robert says, ya think? He hadn’t been in town five minutes, and he almost drowned Britt Westbourne. She says, there wasn’t supposed to be somebody in that pool when he parachuted into it (there wasn’t; she was near the pool and he knocked her in), and Robert tells her, let’s say for instance, he came through the front door and offered his hand and said hi, like a normal person would do. She says, it was a publicity stunt, a job he was contracted and paid for, but Robert says, it was reckless endangerment and he got arrested. She says, he apologized to Britt, and she got over it. Why can’t Robert? He says, because he knows a con man when he smells one, and she says, which proves the exact point she was trying to make. Cody came to their house over the holiday and brought all these gifts for all of them. The kids adore him, and he fit right in. Robert asks if he brought receipts for the presents, and Felicia says, he cares about their family. She can feel it. She can see it. And there’s this undeniable bond between him and Mac and James. He tells her, let’s say he believes her. If she’s right, why would Cody lie about being a part of a family he cares about?

Cody wonders how he’s in trouble, and Sasha says, after Spinelli made him leave Mac and Felicia’s on Christmas… Cody says, Spinelli didn’t make him leave, but Sasha says, Spinelli was rude, out of line, and just completely wrong. After he left, Felicia said she hates not knowing the truth about him and Mac. He says, she knows the truth… a truth. She was at the hospital when he got the DNA results. Sasha says, but he never showed Felicia the printout and she thought that was strange, and he says, Felicia is pretty invested with him being a part of the family. He guesses it makes sense that she wouldn’t accept the results. Sasha says she thinks it’s more than a case of just being disappointed. She thinks Felicia is genuinely skeptical. He says, she was a P.I. and she’s married to a cop. She’s kind of conditioned to be suspicious. She says, Maxie didn’t buy her theory, but they know she’s right. He did lie about the DNA results; he is Mac’s son. And now Felicia is wondering why he’d pretend to be the son of Leopold Taub.

Brook closes the laptop and says, about the wedding… Chase says, she hasn’t changed her mind, has she? and she says, not on your life, kissing him. He says, then what’s up? and she says, if they’re going to do everything in their power to make sure his dad has the best time on their special day, it’s going to need to happen a little faster than they anticipated.

Gregory says he was doing hot yoga on an empty stomach. Dumb idea. Finn says, yes, very dumb. Since when is he doing hot yoga? Gregory says, Finn doesn’t need to hover; the fluids are already working. Dr. Matt comes in and asks what daredevil stunt Gregory was up to this time, and Gregory says, hot yoga. They don’t call it hot for nothing. But he already has his next quest lined up. Matt says he can’t wait to hear about it and asks how Finn is. Finn says he’s fine. He’s just making sure his dad’s okay. Matt says he’s about to examine Gregory right now, if Finn will excuse them, and Finn says, of course (🍷). He’ll be right outside. Gregory says, no need, he’s fine, and Finn reluctantly leaves. In the hallway, a woman comes up to Finn and asks if Gregory is okay. Finn says, he’s fine, and asks how she knows his dad. She says she’s the yoga instructor. She’s so glad he’s all right. She’s never had anyone collapse in her class before.

Molly says she can’t take any more bad news. It’s been a rough few months. Alexis says she knows Molly’s been through a lot, and this isn’t necessarily bad news. She’s happy for Molly and TJ, that they’re soldiering on through this journey to have a baby. She knows that’s what Molly really, really wants. And Kristina, giving her the most extraordinary, generous gift. Molly says, and Kristina knows how grateful she is. Kristina says, of course (🍷). She’s honored. Alexis says she just wishes the commitment they made to each other was legally binding, but it’s not. Their surrogacy arrangement presents what could be a really big legal problem.

Chase says he thought he and Brook agreed on a summer wedding. It’s not too far away, but it still gives them time to plan. She says, too much planning’s overrated. Who says they need this whole elaborate production? He says, she said that, but she tells him, what does she know? He says, Lois told him that she used to sketch her wedding gown in her school notebook, but she says, dreams change. He says he doesn’t want to rush this. He had a quickie wedding once, and they all know how that turned out. She says, they both know why he had that quickie wedding with Willow, and those reasons have nothing to do with why they want to be together. He says he knows, but he’s only doing this one more time, and he’s doing it with her. He wants it to be special. What’s going on? She says, when his dad pulled her aside on Christmas Eve, he said his Christmas wish was to see them get married.

Gregory says, well, doc? and Matt says, at the moment, his vitals look good. Gregory says he’s not surprised. He’s feeling better already. Matt says he’s already recovering from the dehydration, and Gregory says he’s guessing Matt’s prescription for recovery is lots of rest and plenty of fluids. Matt says, it is, and he’d like to admit Gregory for observation.

Alexis says she knows Molly and Kristina have done their homework on the medical side of things and they’re clear about that. She just doesn’t know that they’re clear on the legal implications. Kristina says, well, this baby’s mother is a brilliant lawyer, and Alexis says, she is, but she’s not a specialist in family law. Molly says, true, but she can draw up a contract, and Kristina says, and she can sign it. So lawyer/contract, they’re good. Alexis says she’s not sure that’s entirely true, because there is no binding agreement that she can sign that would make that baby Molly’s.

Maxie says, everyone needs time to adjust to their new corporate reality, and Tracy says, reality, Lucy. The opposite of what’s going on in your head. Maxie says, but they do have to be professional, and Tracy says, why start now? Lucy says she knows blackmail is Tracy’s go-to, but technically, blackmail is not professional, and Maxie says, this is a critical time for Deception. A lot is at stake for everyone who works here. For people who have rent and kids and have to grocery shopping on the way home. Bottom line, they need to make this work. Lucy says, Maxie is so right, but you know what’s not working? Tracy’s powers of manipulation. Judging from the fact Brook isn’t here, her powers are a big, fat flop. Tracy says, Lucy is well-acquainted with big, fat flops, from her marriages to business ventures. She just can’t seem to stick the landing. Lucy says she knows where she’d like to stick… and Maxie says, that’s enough. She can’t believe she has to talk to them like she does her children, but five minutes of silence, both of them. This lasts about three seconds, when Lucy says, Tracy doesn’t really care about Deception at all. She’s just bored and needs a distraction. Maxie says, it doesn’t work on her kids either, and Tracy says she can think of a thousand distractions more appealing than listening to Lucy, and Lucy says, but none of them would distract Tracy from the fact she has nothing to live for since Luke died. (Ouch! That was mean.)

Sasha says she knows the whole Taub necklace scam wasn’t the only reason Cody lied about the DNA results, and he says, Mac’s a good guy. Mac doesn’t deserve a son like him. She says, that couldn’t be further from the truth, but Felicia is a good P.I., and she’s going to dig and keep digging until she discovers the truth, and the fallout from that could be massive in ways he couldn’t expect. Trust her. She speaks from personal experience. He says, that whole Nina Reeves thing, right? and she says her situation was the complete opposite from his. She was hired by Valentin Cassadine to claim she was Nina’s daughter, but looking back, she realizes she could have mitigated a lot of damage if she’d just come clean. The fact that she stayed silent and got busted made the fallout so much worse. He says, maybe he should just move to Bolivia or some other county that doesn’t extradite Americans. Coming clean is not an option, and if Felicia finds out he’s Mac’s son, he’s going to Pentenville.

Felicia says she was hoping Robert and his extraordinary skill set could help her figure out why Cody would lie about those test results, because he’s right. It doesn’t make any sense. He says, take some advice from the man with the extraordinary skill set, and leave it. She says, if he thinks she can do that, he understands her even less than he understands Cody, and he says he understood all too well what kind of a grifter Cody was when he walked into Britt’s office and found them fighting over Taub’s necklace. She asks, what about Leopold Taub? and he says, this time last year, he went to seize Taub’s necklace, the one that Victor wanted. He goes into Britt’s office and they’re both there fighting over the necklace, both claiming ownership. She asks if they ever got it sorted out, but he says he doesn’t think so. Not since it was destroyed. She wonders if Cody ever contested any of Taub’s other assets, and he says, that would be a good question for a lawyer. She looks over at Scotty and says, indeed it would.

Chase tells Brook that he can understand his dad talking about his stamina, but worrying about his death seems seriously premature. Brook says she’s just telling him what Gregory told her; he doesn’t want them waiting too long. He asks if she thinks Gregory is holding something back, but she says she doesn’t know. She’s not going to the meeting; she’s calling the office. He says she doesn’t have to do that; he’ll be fine. She should go to her meeting. The last thing they need is Tracy coming around here looking for her. She says, that’s a good point, and hugs him. They’re going to make sure they do what’s best for everyone, okay? He says, whatever that is, and she gathers up her stuff and leaves. Chase’s phone rings, and he says he’s glad Finn called. Brook just told him something… Finn says, dad’s here at the hospital. He’s okay, but he took a fall. Chase says he’s on his way.

Alexis says she should have known Molly would have done research on the child/parent security act, and Molly says she’s familiar. She hasn’t studied it. Alexis says, because it’s new, which means it can be easily challenged, and Molly says she’s aware, but it does allow for surrogacy in New York. Alexis says, it does, but the surrogate has to be using a third-party egg donor, and Kristina asks if it really makes a difference. Molly says, a big difference actually, and Alexis says, in her case, she’s not using a third-party egg donor. She’s the donor and the surrogate. In this case, it’s called a genetic surrogacy, and the contract for a genetic surrogacy is not enforceable in the state of New York. Kristina says, okay, but if genetic surrogacy isn’t enforceable in the state of New York, they’ll just get pregnant in a different state. They’ll find some other workaround. Alexis says, there are always loopholes, because Molly will tell her, regulations exist because there are precedents. Kristina says, precedents and regulations and loopholes. She’s talking to them like they’re her court case, not her children. Alexis says she’s talking to them this way because they are her children, and she wants to make sure their best interests are protected. Kristina asks if it’s their best interests, or is Alexis really just trying to protect Molly from her?

Tracy tells Lucy not to say Luke’s name ever again, but Lucy says, Tracy doesn’t own Luke’s name, just like she never owned Luke. Tracy says, don’t, and Lucy says, Luke had many, many women in his life, and Tracy was just one of them. She barely cracked the top ten. Maxie says, don’t go there, but Lucy says, why? Why can’t she just tell the truth right to Tracy’s face? Luke was the great, true love of Tracy’s life, but does she know who the great, true love of Luke’s life was? Laura. (People who don’t even watch GH know that.) In fact, Tracy is probably just an also-ran to Holly. Tracy asks where she did her research, Wikipedia? Are they just naming exes now, because two can play that game. The great love of Lucy’s life, Doc, is so happily settled down with Laura. She guesses he doesn’t miss being burned by Lucy. Lucy says she happens to be in love with Martin now. She’s with Martin, and none of her loves married her to extort her. They didn’t stay married and try to escape from her all the time. The fact is, Tracy and Luke were in totally different countries when he died. She needs to know why Tracy did all this. Why did she steal Deception? Is it because she has more to look back on than to look forward to? Is it because her family just barely tolerates her, and when she stands looking around, she has nothing and nobody? She doesn’t see anything, is that it? She can keep doing it. She can keep scheming and using sarcasm as a distraction – Brook walks in – but you know what? Tracy is going to die just like she lived – unloved and completely unlovable. Brook says, who is Lucy to speak to her grandmother that way?

Chase says, hot yoga? Hot yoga is a challenge for people in the best of health. He did it once and it almost killed him, but Finn thinks there’s more to the story? Finn says, the instructor came with him to the hospital. She said he wasn’t just a little woozy. It seemed like he lost consciousness.

Gregory says he knows he overdid it, but is a hospital stay really necessary? and Matt says, his collapse may be the result of a temporary fluid loss… Gregory says, or? and Matt says, or this may be a new symptom of the disease.

Sasha says, even if Mac could arrest Cody for lying about the DNA results, she doesn’t believe he would, but Cody says, he wouldn’t have a choice, thanks to the lawsuit Scotty cooked up. Legally, he’s on the hook. She asks if Cody was suing the WSB for the value of Taub’s necklace? She thought he dropped that lawsuit. He says he did, but only after he was deposed and signed an affidavit saying he was Taub’s son. She says, and that is considered fraud? but he says, worse. It’s perjury. He’ll have to do time for that. She says, he may not. He broke the law for her and it turned out okay. He says he was willing to risk himself, but he doesn’t want to risk Mac. The potential scandal could impact his reputation on the force. Mac’s a good guy. He doesn’t deserve what Cody would do to his life. She asks what Cody thinks Mac would want for his life if he knew he was Cody’s father.

Felicia tells Scotty, sorry to interrupt. Does he have a minute? He says, yes. Sit down. She says, his breakfast companions might not feel the same, but he says, what breakfast companions? He’s alone again as usual. She asks if he tried again with Liesl, and he says he did. He presented his heart to her, and she threw it right against the wall. So they’re done, finished. She says she’s sorry. She respects him for trying. She thinks it’s really brave of him to put himself out there. He says he won’t be making that mistake again. He doesn’t know what went wrong with Liesl, but it was the last nail in the coffin of love for him. She says she’s really sorry to hear that. She just wanted to ask him a question, and then she’ll leave him to… whatever this is. He says, it’s breakfast, and what is her question? She says, Cody Bell, but he says, don’t bring up his name. She says, why? She thought they had a great relationship. He says he doesn’t have a problem with Cody. Cody just kind of goofed up his chances of getting back with Leisl a little bit. She asks, how so? and he says, Cody cost him a big payday.

Alexis says she’s trying to look out for both her daughter’s best interests, and Kristina says, really? She’s just focusing on the contract part of this because she thinks someone is going to violate it, that someone being her. Does Alexis just not trust she’ll abide by the terms? Alexis says, of course (🍷) she trusts Kristina. She’s just trying to look at all possible outcomes. Kristina says she appreciates Alexis advising them of the current statutes, but her concern isn’t really necessary. Alexis says she’s done research, and Molly says, she didn’t really have to go to the trouble, but Alexis says, it was no trouble really. She looks at some papers and says, do they know they can avoid any potential legal conflict between them by establishing parenthood after birth via adoption? (That’s what I was thinking.) Molly says she’ll look into it, but Alexis says, Molly doesn’t have to; she’s already done it. The first step is for Kristina to stipulate that she has no parental proprietary interest… Kristina says, Molly told her that she’d look into it, but Alexis says she can go over this. It’ll be really quick. Kristina says, no. Not for nothing, but Molly is the lawyer here, not her. (Another ouch.)

Cody says he has no idea what Mac would want when it comes to him, and Sasha says she could guess. Mac is a good guy, and she can’t see any world where Mac wouldn’t forgive him. And he’d never do anything to jeopardize Cody’s future. Cody says, what about Mac’s brother, Robert Scorpio, the DA? Not a fan. She says, that’s because Robert doesn’t know what she knows, and he says, what’s that? She says, how much has changed since he signed that affidavit. He put himself on the line for her, and she knows he hates to hear this, but she’ll forever be grateful. He says, they’ve been over this. Gratitude, no; friendship, yes. She says, speaking of friendships, he’s been a really good one. Dante and Sam… He says, they’ve been better to him, and she says, Maxie and all her kids, especially James. That little boy hero worships him. Cody says, he’s too young to know any better, but she says, maybe he knows Cody better than Cody knows himself. Cody has changed a lot, and the only way to prove that is to come clean. Today.

Felicia says, so Scotty and Cody were going to sue the WSB over Taub’s necklace? and Scotty says, yeah, but hush-hush. Nobody really knows about this, and he’s hoping Cody changes his mind. She says, so it was Cody who decided not to move forward, and he says, yes. After all the legal depositions and the filings, all the dirty work was done. She asks, why? and he says he doesn’t know why exactly, but the WSB blew up Cody’s asset and he felt Cody should be compensated. She says, so being Taub’s son would pay off big for Cody, and he says, huge, huge windfall. Why does she ask?

Brook says, Lucy knows nothing about her grandmother, which is insulting, because not only did she take Deception, she’s running it way better than Lucy ever did. And by the way, Lucy is sadly misinformed. Tracy Angelica Quartermaine is greatly loved by her whole family. A love Lucy couldn’t possibly understand how they express, because she’s nothing but a gold-digging outsider who managed to trap Brook’s great uncle into marriage for what, ten seconds? She’s been hanging around for years trading on her single share of ELQ, which Brook’s grandmother managed to get from Lucy, by the way. So now she’s out on the street, exactly where she belongs. Lucy says, Brook really has nothing to say… and Brook tells her, and by the way, Luke Spencer was the love of her grandmother’s life. She accepted him for exactly who he was, fought for him with everything she had, and stuck by him until the very end. Meanwhile, Lucy has thrown away every man who’s ever loved her, with both hands. So do not lecture her grandmother on love, because she understands it way better than Lucy ever will. Tracy looks at Brook proudly, and Lucy says, they can hold this meeting without her. She walks out, closing the door behind her, and Tracy tells Brook, thank you. Brook says she meant every word, and Tracy says, well, she’s still late. So what was more important than the meeting they had scheduled? Brook says, something happened with Chase’s father.

Matt says he wants to run some tests overnight. It could be that Gregory is no longer getting nutrients from food and water intake alone, or the collapse could have been because of his lung intake level falling below 50%, which the tests will show. If it has fallen below 50%, they’ll have to discuss options. Gregory says he’ll give Matt 24 hours to do anything he needs, but he has plans on New Year’s Eve, and nothing is going to stop him from making good on them.

Chase tells Finn, the yoga instructor isn’t a doctor. They don’t know what actually happened. Finn says he thought Chase should know. He left Chase out of the loop once before, and he promised not to let it happen again. Chase says, if dad believes he overdid it, doesn’t Finn think they should trust that? Finn says, dad’s not a doctor either, and Chase says he gets that. And he gets that facts are important, but so is faith. Finn says he doesn’t remember seeing that on the curriculum at med school, and Chase asks, doesn’t a patient’s state of mind effect their health? Finn says, of course (🍷) it does, and Chase says, then a little positivity can’t hurt. Matt comes out and asks why they don’t come in with him and their dad. He has an update.

Alexis says, when Kristina’s right, she’s right. It’s tough to know when to take off her legal hat and put on her mom hat, but either way, she’ll defend her daughters with everything she’s got, and that includes Kristina. Kristina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to dismiss Alexis’s legal expertise or her concern for her daughters. Alexis says, but Kristina thinks she’s overstepping, and Molly says, it’s just that, for her and TJ, this whole journey has been about hope. Now with Kristina as their surrogate, it’s also one of implicit trust. The bond between her and Krissy is stronger than all the legal protections in the world. Kristina says, they’re sisters. Nothing is ever going to make them forget that. Alexis still looks worried.

Molly and Kristina put on their coats, and Alexis says, so it looks like her concern for her daughters has been outmatched by their belief in each other. Well done. Congratulations. Kristina says, it’s the truth, and Alexis tells them that she’s not going to say another word about it. What she did say isn’t because she doesn’t believe in them, because she does with all her heart. And she’s very proud of the way they stuck up for each other, even against her. She loves them both, and she loves the way they love each other. They have a three-way hug, and Kristina and Molly leave.

Gregory asks what Chase is doing here, and Chase says, Finn called and said Gregory was in the hospital. Where else would he be? Gregory says, Finn didn’t need to call Chase; he’s fine. Finn asks Matt, is he? and Gregory says, they’re going to admit him. They’re going to run some tests. 24-hours, that’s it, then he’s out of here. He asks Matt to tell his boys not to worry, and Matt says, an overnight stay is just a precaution. Chase says, precautions are good. He’s all for precautions. Matt says, good. He’ll go take a look at Gregory’s intake paperwork. He heads for the door, and Chase thanks him and says, and take good care of his dad. His dad promised his bride a dance at his wedding this spring. Matt leaves, and Gregory says, they decided on a date? Chase says, they did, and Gregory says he didn’t think it would happen so soon. Chase says, he and Brook decided they didn’t want to wait another minute to make it official in front of the whole family. He can’t wait to marry Brook. Gregory says he’s so happy for Chase, and Chase thanks him. Chase says he just has to… follow her orders and stay out of her way, and Gregory laughs.

Felicia goes back to the table, and Robert says he got a call from the office. He’s got to go. He asks if her conversation with Baldwin was of use, and she says, and how. He asks if she still thinks Cody is Mac’s son, and she says, more than ever. He says he’s not asking for any details, but if Cody chose not to be the son of a man like Mac Scorpio, does Mac need to know? She says, Mac has a right to know, and he says, so what’s the plan? Is she going to get Cody to ‘fess up to lying about the DNA results? She says, he’s held on to this secret for a long time, so no. Robert says he’d move on. It’s going to be hell to prove. He leaves, and she says, not for me.

Cody says he can’t just come clean, and Sasha says she guesses that’s ultimately up to him, but if he does decide to admit he’s Mac’s son, she’ll be right by his side. And if he doesn’t, she’ll keep his secret forever. He thanks her, and she says, that doesn’t mean the truth won’t come out, but it won’t come from her. She looks at her phone and says she’s got to go. She’s beyond late. He thanks her for being such a good friend, and she says, he deserves nothing less, and leaves.

Tracy asks if Gregory’s all right, and Brook says, yes. Things were just complicated. Tracy says, given the circumstances, that’s an acceptable excuse for Brook’s tardiness, but if she’s going to take the helm here, she has to follow Tracy’s example and act like a leader. If Tracy is going to give her this company, she needs to start taking it seriously. Brook says, oh, I am, granny. Very seriously.

Scotty puts more syrup on his pancakes, and Lucy says, keep that up and he won’t make it through the year. He says, who cares? and she says, oh come on. Buck up. She sits down and says she has a way for both of them to end up on top. He says, that sounds physically impossible, but he’s willing to give it a shot. She says, stop, focus, and not on these plates of food please. What is this all about? He asks what she wants, and she says she’s proposing a plan where she’s restored all she’s lost, and Scotty could land a big, fat chunk of change. He says he’s listening, and she says, they’re going to be big winners in 2024. Big winners. And Tracy Quartermaine is going to lose big time. He asks how he fits in, and she says, as a groom. He asks if she could repeat that. Did she just say the word groom? She says, yes, she did. He’s going to marry Tracy and they’re going to take her for everything she’s got.

Tomorrow, TJ says he and Kristina have to set some things straight; Lucy tells Scotty to get ready, because she’s just getting started; and Sonny asks if this is where Alexis wants him to tell her that she’s wrong.

☎️ Today the Role Of…

Since regular Maxie was in the preview, I’m guessing it was nothing major.

That’s Nicole Paggi as the Temporary Maxie Recast on GH!

🥀 Our Loss Is Heaven’s Gain…

This made me miss Passions all over again.

Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2023

🗽 Model Of Legacy…

Some of the forgotten Wives. I met Kristen at a radio station cocktail party years ago. It was after the season where Ramona threw the glass at her. She seemed like a nice person, and I think she should run from any facet of this franchise.

Does Kristen Taekman See Future Seasons of RHONY Legacy?

🛟 Toxicity On Deck…

I just don’t see it this way. I thought Natalya was one of the worst human beings ever, but Kyle? Kyle is just gossipy and emotional, so don’t tell him anything you don’t want anyone to know. Problem solved, and hopefully, he’ll grow out of it. Whereas Natalya was deliberately mean, Kyle just gets all in his emotions and lashes out. Captain Sandy also thought he was the root of the problem, but I’ve disagreed with her before.

Everything That Makes Kyle Viljoen So Toxic

🥇 But At the Time…

It’s like Jerry said in Edward Albee’s Zoo Story, sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly. But geez, don’t mention his stellar final season of Fear the Walking Dead or anything.

https://people.com/colman-domingo-nearly-left-acting-after-losing-big-break-role-8420368

🌁 And the Last Shall Be Divisive…

They seem to be focusing an awful lot on it being parallel to the game, but I don’t think this stuff is confirmed. What is confirmed is it not being aired until 2025… sigh…

https://screenrant.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-divisive-story-reason/

https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/i-cant-wait-for-the-last-of-us-season-2-to-air-but-im-also-dreading-it-heres-why

There’s a blink-and-you-miss-it teaser for The Last of Us, but mostly what HBO/Max has in store for 2024.

https://gizmodo.com/last-of-us-season-2-release-it-prequel-trailer-hbo-max-1851078003

🥂 To Rock Your Eve…

Stuff to watch if you don’t want to brave the night. Like me. Been there, done that, I’m good. Dick Clark might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten on New Year’s Eve.

https://people.com/new-years-eve-specials-2023-everything-to-know-8420122

🐕 Holiday Assortment…

Good advice all year round.

https://people.com/how-to-keep-your-pet-safe-around-the-holidays-8417416

I don’t know how I missed this, but it’s very cute.

https://people.com/pets/adoptable-animals-model-halloween-costumes/

No one can say I don’t include cats. They’re not keen on costumes though, as a general rule.

https://people.com/mandy-moore-includes-cats-in-holiday-traditions-8418338

And last, but never least, the InstaDogs of Christmas.

Spotted: 20 Ridiculously Cute Christmas Dogs on Instagram

🍇 12 Grapes For 12 Months…

Boomerang back tomorrow for soap and some New Year amusement. Until then, stay safe, stay being on time, but not early to a party, and stay not eating the entire left side of the menu if you have a lot of feelings.

Dec27

December 26, 2023 – Nina Makes a Confession, Premature Exit, Silent Night, What They Did, Switching Wives, Paige Tells All, Christmas Lists, Merry Chickmas & My Year

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Carly tells Laura that Christmas Eve never gets old. Did she see how magical it was for the kids? Laura says, it’s the same for her. It was even more magical because she got to see Ace seeing it for the first time. Where does the time go? Carly says, Josslyn’s in college. How did that happen? Sonny joins them and says he thinks he enjoyed Laura’s reading more than the kids did. Laura says, rumor has it that Sonny funded the festivities at the hospital, even more generously than before. He says, rumor has it, and she says, a lady never reveals her sources, but thank you. It’s a shame Nina wasn’t here to see it. She remembers the year Nina headed the committee to plan the party, so obviously, it means something to her. Carly says, Sonny told them she was coming, and Sonny says, Willow told him that she decided to stay in church a little bit, but she’ll be here.

In the confessional, Nina tells the priest, really Cyrus, that she’s never been to confession before, but she didn’t know where else to turn. She wonders if it’s okay that she’s here, but Cyrus says, God is eager to help all His children. Go on. She says she did something terrible. She was spiraling out of control and knew the second she did it, that it was wrong, but she had no idea it would hurt so many people so much. He asks who she hurt, and she says, people who may not be saints, but they didn’t deserve what happened because of her. He asks who these people are, friends, family? and she asks if it matters, but he says, to truly advise her, he needs more information. Let go. Open her heart. God wants to hear everything.

Spencer tells Trina that he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Ace fall asleep that fast. He was out before his head hit the pillow. She says, he’s probably exhausted from all the excitement of the party. He was so happy being around all those people fussing over him. Spencer says, not half as happy as he was. How did he get so lucky to spend Christmas with her and his little brother? She says, Esme was generous to let him have Ace for the night, and he says, maybe this is part of her turning over a new leaf thing, and Trina says, maybe. Or maybe there’s another explanation. Maybe she wasn’t being generous. Maybe she just had plans. He says, doing what? and she says, maybe Esme had a date.

At Windymere, Esme flashes back to setting up the revenge porn, then turning in Trina for it. Then she remembers telling Spencer that he’s delusional if he thinks she’s going to let Trina off the hook, and she remembers taunting Ava, saying Ava drove Kiki to her death. Then she flashes back to setting the Christmas tree on fire in the tower room.

Ava comes into Windymere, and sees the broken window. Her phone rings, and it’s her security company. They tell her that they received a signal of a break-in, and the PCPD should be there shortly. She thanks them, takes out her gun, and says, it may be too late. Dante says, police, don’t move, and then realizes it’s Ava. He asks what the hell she’s doing here.

Spencer asks Trina who Esme would be dating. She doesn’t know that many people here, and the ones she does, know her history. Trina says, Esme’s circle might not be as small as he thinks. She’s got a new job and a new apartment. Maybe she met someone who only knows the new Esme, a co-worker or a neighbor. He says, and she thinks Esme’s on a date with that person? and she says, it’s possible. Would that bother him if she was? He says, absolutely not. Esme is a grown woman; she can do what she wants. If Esme were to start dating, the only thing he’d worry about is how that person treated Ace. Esme should feel free to go off and have a life of her own. Trina says, good, and he says, especially if it leads to more nights like tonight where Ace is asleep in the other room and they’re here alone. They have the place to themselves. Whatever will they do? She says she wonders what, and they kiss. His phone rings, and he says, speak of the devil. Trina says she’ll get them something from the kitchen, and Spencer answers. Esme says she’s so glad he picked up. She has something to talk to him about. He asks if something is wrong, and when she doesn’t answer, he says he gets it. It’s her first night away from Ace after getting the new place, and she’s naturally worried about it, but she doesn’t have to be. Ace had a fabulous time at the party, and now he’s asleep in the other room, dreaming about all the presents he’s going to open tomorrow. She says she’s glad, but that’s not exactly what… She hears Trina asks if Spencer wants cinnamon in his eggnog.

Laura says she thinks this is the first time she can remember being at this party without Bobbie being here. It’s taking her so long to settle Luke’s estate (😕). Carly says she thought Bobbie would be done weeks ago, and Sonny says, estates can be complicated. Knowing Luke, he’s sure Luke left Bobbie a few surprises. Carly says she spoke to Bobbie on the phone earlier, and she sounded cheerful, but when isn’t she? She did say Luke’s affairs were a mess, but she’s making headway. Laura says she guesses they’ll hear all about it when Bobbie gets back.

Nina says, if she had one wish, it would be to turn back the clock. Then she wouldn’t do all the damage she’s done. Cyrus says, this spiteful act, did it cost someone their life? and she says, not their life, but something almost as bad. His freedom. Someone went to prison because she reported them to the authorities when she didn’t have to, and he suffered, and so did the people who love him. She’s also letting an innocent man take the blame for reporting that crime, because she’s a coward. People are so angry with him when they should be angry at her. Cyrus says he understands. Go on. She says she’d like to change it, but it’s too late to make it right. he says, it’s never too late, and she asks if he really thinks so, because she’d do anything to fix it. He says, then she needs to confess to the people she hurt, not just him in this confessional, but she says she can’t. She wishes she were strong enough to tell the truth, but if she tells her family what really happened, she might lose them. She could lose everything. He says, if she doesn’t, the guilt will continue to eat away at her conscience, and it will destroy any chance she has at future happiness. The truth will always set you free. She says, to be free of this burden, this pain, if only, and he says, anything is possible. Be courageous.  Be strong and correct the wrongs she did, and remember, she doesn’t walk alone. God is always with her. She says, God is with her, and thanks him. She says she won’t forget, and leaves the confessional. He says, neither will he.

Dante says he thought Ava and Avery moved into Nina’s place, and she says, they did, but she hasn’t sold Windymere yet. It’s still her property. He says he guesses he can’t stop her from wandering around her house with a loaded weapon, and she says, so he’s not taking her in… for defending herself in her own home after a break-in? He asks if she’s defending herself or looking for an intruder to shoot.

Carly says she couldn’t get over the kids’ faces as Laura was reading, when Nina comes out of the elevator. She hugs Sonny and says she’s so sorry. She can’t believe she missed everything. How did it go? Laura says, it was amazing, due in no small part to her husband’s generosity, and Nina says, the man she married is pretty great. Did he take a lot of pictures? He says, no, but Carly took a great picture of Donna. Could she send it to him? Carly says, sure, and Laura asks if she can see. Carly shows Laura her phone, and Nina asks if Willow didn’t tell Sonny where she was. He says, at church, but he expected her sooner, and she says he didn’t have to worry. Frank drove her here and she felt totally protected and safe. He asks if she got what she needed at the church, and she says she thinks so. He tells her that Willow said she was thinking about Nelle, and she says, yes, Nelle… and others.

Esme tells Spencer that it sounds like there’s someone else there, so she’ll make it quick. Trina asks Spencer what she’s calling about, and he says he doesn’t know, but it’s not going to take long. He asks if Esme is still there, and she says she just wanted him to know that she’s not going to be picking up Ace tonight. He can wake up with Spencer on Christmas morning, and she’ll pick him up later tomorrow. He says, okay. Wow. That’s great. He’d love to be able to spend Ace’s first Christmas morning with him. Is she sure she doesn’t want to take him home? She says, positive. Merry Christmas. He says, merry Christmas, but she’s already gone. Trina asks what all that was about, but he says he’s not sure, but he’s starting to wonder. Maybe Esme does have a heart after all.

Nina tells Sonny that she really needed something tonight, and found it at All Saints, with a new understanding. He says, about what? and she says, it’s probably… His phone dings, and he says, it’s Ava. There’s been a break-in on Spoon Island. Nina says, what? and Laura says, tell her to call the police, but Sonny says, the police are there right now. Dante’s there, but Ava wants him to go because Dante’s his son and he can keep it unofficial. Laura says she might be able to help; she’ll go with him. Sonny says he doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Laura says she wants to go. It was her son’s home and if this break-in is somehow related to him in any way… If for some reason he might be back, she wants to be there. Sonny says he understands, and asks Carly to tell Donna that he loves her and merry Christmas. Nina says she’ll take care of Avery. She wishes she could go with him. He says he’ll talk to her later and thanks her for picking up Avery. She says, of course (🍷), of course (🍷), and Sonny and Laura leave. Carly says she’s going to pick up Donna and go home, but Nina asks if she can wait a second. She has something to say to her. She stayed at the church today because she wanted to ask the priest for guidance… about Carly.

Spencer tells Trina that Ace didn’t even flinch when he stubbed his toe and said a word his grandmother definitely wouldn’t approve of. He thinks it’s safe to say he’s out for the night. Trina says she should get home because her mom is planning a whole breakfast and opening presents tomorrow morning. She has to get started early. He says, that’s a bad idea. Stay here, because it’s so much harder to be away from her, especially after their trip to New York. She say she feels the same way, and they kiss. He asks if something’s wrong, and she says, it’s just that she can’t stop thinking about something else. He says, that’s just what every man wants to hear after he kisses the woman he loves, and she says, it’s Esme. He says, of course (🍷) it is, and she asks if he really believes what he said, that she’s had a change of heart. He says he doesn’t know. He’d like to. She put his grandmother and Ace first tonight. That’s a big step for her. Trina says, it is, and he says he’d really like to think Esme’s turning a corner here, but they don’t know that. So doesn’t she think they talked about Esme enough for one night? She says, they’ve talked enough about Esme for a lifetime, and he leads her to the sofa, saying, so maybe they should stop talking about her altogether. They kiss.

Ava asks if Dante thinks she’d be reckless enough to go after a burglar all on her lonesome, and he asks if she really wants him to answer that. There’s a knock at the door, and Ava open the door to Sonny and Laura, who says she decided to tag along. They go into the living room, and seeing the broken window, Laura says, whoever did this wasn’t looking to hide themselves, were they? Ava says, and everybody knows this place has a security system. Whoever did it thought it was worth risking getting caught. Sonny says, let him take her home. Let Dante do his job. Ava says, absolutely not. She’s not leaving until she finds out who broke in here. Laura suggests she and Dante take a look around, but Dante says he doesn’t think it’s a good idea. The house has been declared a crime scene. She says she used to live here, and her son owned the property for many years. She knows her way around this very large, very confusing home. She’s happy to show him around if it doesn’t interfere with his procedure at all. He says, it probably falls under some kind of grey area, and she says, great, let’s do it, but he says, they don’t know if the house is empty. Please stay behind him. She says, sure, and follows him out.

Esme looks at a photo of Spencer on her phone and wonders what she was thinking. Did she believe she was just going to own up, and he’d forget about all the things she did to Trina? That he’d congratulate her and say, great news, and forget all about Trina, and the things she did? And she, him, and Ace would have this happily ever after? He only cares about Trina and protecting her, and if she told him what she did… She cries and hears footsteps. She puts her ear to the door.

Sonny says, so Ava thinks whoever broke in here is the same person who sent her the pictures of dead Austin? It’s possible, but there’s no way to know. She says she’s sure the intruder is long gone by now.

Carly says, Nina asked for guidance about her? and Nina says she did. Whenever they’re together, they’re always sniping and arguing, and since it’s Christmas Eve, in the spirit of Christmas Eve, she thought it would be nice if they spent some time talking. Carly says, talking about what? and Nina says, when she was sitting in church, she realized, after all the pain, everything she’s been through in her life, she’s so blessed to be able to spend Christmas Eve with her family. She never thought she’d be able to say that. Spending Christmas Eve with her daughter and her children… Carly says, she’s a lucky lady, and Nina says she is. She’s very grateful for all of her family. She and Carly thinking a lot of family in common, and she started thinking about Carly and what she’s been through this year. The accusations of insider trading and financial problems and Drew going to prison… Carly asks if there’s a point to this because she has to go get Donna, and Nina says, there is. She’s sorry, and she’s trying to ask for Carly’s forgiveness. Carly says, forgiveness for what?

Nina says she not proud of herself, that her need for revenge is what drove her to hurt Carly and not tell her that Sonny was alive in Nixon Falls. Carly says, Nina has told her this before, and Nina says, something shifted. She wants to be a better person. She wants to be the kind of mom Willow brags about and the kind of grandmother that Wiley and Amelia are proud of. Sitting in that church – maybe it’s because of all the love around her, and support and peace – she realized there’s still a part of her that’s broken. There’s a part of her that still wants revenge for her daughter… Carly says she’s going to stop Nina right there. She knows what Nina is going to say.

Ava tells Sonny, anyone could have broken in here tonight. Maybe some kids playing a prank. He says, on Christmas Eve? and she says, why not? There’s no neighbors on Spoon Island, and it’s not exactly a professional job, right? It looks like something kids might do. He says, it’s possible, but there’s somebody out there sending her pictures of a dead guy and leaving a gun in her apartment. Now he’s broken in here. So does she think that would be kids or somebody playing mind games? She says she’s so sick of the whole damn thing, and he says, sick enough to do something reckless? That’s not going to happen, because he’s going to do everything he can to keep her safe. She thanks him, but says she thinks he knows she can protect herself. He says, what if she’s not the real target? What if he is?

Esme runs around looking for a place to hide, as Laura and Dante approach the tower room. They go in and Dante looks around with a flashlight. He says, the turret door is open. He’s going to check it out. She says, not without her, and he tells her to please just stay behind him. As they go into the turret, Esme runs out, dropping a glove.

Laura asks if Dante saw anything, but he says, nothing. Maybe forensics can find something. She says she’s sure they can. This person wasn’t really concerned with hiding their footsteps. He says, whoever was here didn’t get out by jumping off the turret, and she says, can they really be sure the intruder was in here? It’s possible Ava left the door open before she moved out. He says, it’s freezing in here. If Ava left the door open, it would be colder than the city. Someone must have left the door open more recently than that. She says, he’s right, and it is cold. She’s going in. They go inside, and Laura says she’s going to check on Ava. She seemed really shaken up. Dante says he’ll be down in a minute, and she starts to leave, but he says, wait. He picks up the glove with a pen.

Sonny tells Ava, the cops haven’t found the gunman who put Curtis in a wheelchair. The target could have been Anna, but it could have just as easily been him. She says, so he thinks whoever took that shot at the MetroCourt pool is sending her pictures of dead Austin and breaking into Windymere. He says, could be if it’s Cyrus, and she says, so he thinks Cyrus is stalking her to get to him? He says, they can’t rule anything out, but she says, as much as she’d like to blame him for her current situation, she does have enemies of her own. He says, whoever hurts her, hurts Avery, and he can’t allow that. So that’s why he’s taking a personal interest in her security.

Nina says, Carly knows? and Carly says, it’s really not that hard to figure out what’s going on here. Nina went to church and got caught up in the emotion of it all. Maybe it was the glow of the candles, or maybe it was the way the priest looked at her. She doesn’t know, but Nina’s guilty conscience started to get to her and now she feels the need to apologize. Nina says, that’s partly… and Carly says, but what’s really going on is that Nina feels that forgiveness is the last gift under the Christmas tree, and she really wants to open it and enjoy it. It makes sense because Nina’s gotten everything else she’s ever wanted. She’s got Sonny, Willow, her grandchildren, and the MetroCourt. Nina says, yes. She’s been very blessed this year. Carly says, at least Nina isn’t going to insult her by pretending she doesn’t see it. So why not feel entitled to ask for forgiveness too? She’s sorry to disappoint Nina, but she’s going to have to seek redemption somewhere else. Carly walks away.

The priest sees Cyrus and says, excuse me. Cyrus asks if there’s something wrong, and the priest says he was supposed to hear a confession and he was unavoidably delayed. Did he see a lady waiting? Cyrus says, as a matter of fact, there was someone here, but he saw her leave. The priest says he’s sorry he missed her, but hopefully, she’ll be back soon. Cyrus says he’s curious. How does he do it? The priest says, do what? and Cyrus says, when the lost come to him, unburden the heaviness of their souls, how does he help them? The priest says, it sounds like Cyrus is asking about someone in his own life, or himself, and Cyrus says, he’s very perceptive. He is asking for someone he knows, but it’s not him. He’s thinking about a friend who’s feeling lost and alone tonight. The priest says, the holidays can often make people feel that way, and Cyrus says he’s felt that way a time or two himself, but tonight he wants to help them, and he’d appreciate any advice the priest might have about how best to do that. The priest says, his friend is lucky to have him looking out for them. Confession is good for the soul. Merry Christmas. Cyrus says, merry Christmas, and the priest leaves. (Not very good at giving advice, is he?) Cyrus says, confession is good for the soul, but if Nina doesn’t do what’s good for her soul, he might have to do it for her. He dips his hand in the holy water, blesses himself, and leaves.

Nina follows Carly and says, please. It’s Christmas Eve. It’s a time when people are supposed to come together, and Carly still won’t give her an inch? Carly says she’s given Nina more than an inch. She’s given Nina more than a mile. She’s invited Nina to family gatherings and stood there while Wiley’s given Nina a hug and a kiss, and bit her tongue until it bled. And she tells herself over and over again that for his sake, she has to try and make things work. Then she has to remind herself that Sonny’s happiness affects Donna and Avery, so she keeps things pleasant, but that’s not good enough for Nina. Nina helped herself to Carly’s husband and her hotel. Now she wants Carly’s forgiveness on top of it? And she assumes she’s entitled to it. That sappy smile and saccharine speech is going to get her everything she wants? She doesn’t get to demand forgiveness; it’s a gift, and she’s not giving it to Nina. Nina says she’s come to Carly with the best of intentions, and Carly’s decided to stomp all over them. She’s not even listening. So much for peace on earth and good will to men. What does Carly want to do next? Does she want to kick over that Christmas tree? Carly says, Nina is unbelievable. She doesn’t get what she wants, and she’s so put upon. She loves playing the victim. Nina says she doesn’t want to fight with Carly. She didn’t come here to fight with Carly. She came here to make peace, to tell Carly her truth. She’s been sincere. Carly says she’s had a really long day. She wants to grab her little girl and go home to her family and enjoy what’s left of Christmas Eve. She walks out. I just have to interject that Carly keeps making it sound like Nina stole the hotel out from under her. She stole Sonny maybe, but Nina didn’t want the hotel in the first place, Carly had to sell it because of financial problems of her own making, and I’m sure Nina paid top dollar. I’m tired of them making it sound like she swindled Carly out of it.

Spencer asks Trina to tell her mom that she couldn’t get a Ride Share. Because of all the holiday parties, they were just awesome busy, so she had to stay a little bit longer. She says, they’re trying to get her mom to like him, remember? So keeping her daughter away from her on Christmas Eve is not a good idea. He says, that’s true, and she says she stayed longer than she planned, and she promised her mom and Curtis that she’d open one present at midnight. He says, fine, but if he had it his way, he’d spend this entire holiday with her. She asks how he’s so sweet, and he says, must be the Spencer side of his DNA. They kiss, and her phone dings. She tells Spencer, it’s her car, and he says, fine. He’ll let her go as long as she promises he can see her in the morning. He kisses her hand, and she says she still has to give Ace his present. He says, then it’s a date. Merry Christmas, Trina Robinson. She says, merry Christmas, Spencer, and they kiss.

At a sparse cemetery, Esme says she doesn’t even know what she’s doing here. It’s not like he was some great father who raised her from birth, and it hurts to live without him. He was as far from that as possible. But she can’t tell anyone else that she’s got her memories back. She thinks he and crazy Heather Webber are the only people who would understand her keeping it a secret. How messed is that? Her parents would be the ones telling her to lie. She guesses it’s true what they say, Christmas Eve is the loneliest night of the year. This year, she’s talking to a serial killer who just happens to be her dad. Talk about desperate. But why is it so hard? It should be easy to be a good person. She should want to take that path, but he never showed it to her. She had to learn it all on her own, and even then, it’s only because she lost her memory. But she’s made a good life here in Port Charles. She has a good job and an amazing child and her own apartment. With Ace’s stuff scattered all around the place, it really feels like home. Their home. And she’s happy. At least she thinks she is. The feeling is still so new to her. But there is another path too, the crooked one that he showed her. It would be so easy to go back, but what if she doesn’t have a choice? What if it’s out of her control and she’s supposed to be bad because it’s in her DNA? That is the legacy he left her. She goes to put on her gloves and realizes there’s one missing.

Dante puts the glove in an evidence bag and asks if Laura recognizes it. She says she doesn’t know. Does he think it could be Nikolas’s since he’s always been into ladies’ gloves? Dante says he knows she’s been looking for Nikolas, but he doesn’t see anything to indicate Nikolas was here, and this isn’t a man’s glove. This wouldn’t fit him. She says, of course (🍷). He’s right. She’s sorry. She’s not thinking rationally, is she? She guesses because it’s his house, she just thought maybe… She doesn’t know. He says, it’s okay. Maybe it’s Ava’s.

Ava says she doesn’t want or need Sonny’s goons following her around. Does he know what it’s like trying to get anywhere with them in tow? He says, very well actually, and she says she can handle whatever this world throws at her and he knows it. She always comes out swingin’. He says, sometimes she needs a little help. Like the help she got from Dante and Dex when she was kidnapped by Mason. She was grateful to them. He has to do what he needs to do. It’s not just about her. She asks what he has in mind, and he says he doesn’t like this any more than she does, but Avery will. She says, why? and he says, until the figure out what’s going on, she’s living with him.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase that it’s going to need to happen faster than they anticipated; Felicia asks why Robert can’t get over it; and Alexis tells her daughters that she doesn’t think it’s entirely true.

🥀 Too Soon For Goodbye…

So sad to hear this. I really liked him on OLTL.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Star Kamar de los Reyes Dead at 56
https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/one-life-to-live/stars-remember-kamar-de-los-reyes

🎸 Channeling Eddie…

Eddie’s alter ego gives us a Christmas serenade.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/watch-wally-kurths-beautiful-performance-of-silent-night

🎄 Soapy Celebrations…

What the soap stars did for Christmas. Probably the same thing you did.

See How Your Favorite Soap Stars Celebrated Christmas!

🍊 Wait… What…?

Wow. I missed something somewhere, but yes, let’s get her on RHOC ASAP. However, a promise ring? How old are we? 14?

PHOTOS: Alexis Bellino Declares Her Love for John Janssen as He Gives Her a Ring, Plus She Reveals If They’re Engaged as Kelly Dodd Reacts & Shares Ring’s Alleged Price

🍹 Spilling Charming Tea…

Paige gives the lowdown on her relationship with Craig. It’s definitely one I never saw coming, so I’m guessing it will somehow work out.

Paige DeSorbo Discusses Surprising Scene With Craig That Didn’t Air, Why She Feels Bad for Him, and When She’ll Move to Charleston, Plus Talks Being Hesitant to Get Married

🎬 For Those Not Done Yet…

The classics.

https://ew.com/movies/essential-classic-christmas-movies/

And the not-so classics.

https://ew.com/movies/best-christmas-horror-movies/

TV episodes worthy of a ho-ho-ho.

https://ew.com/tv/best-christmas-episodes/

🐔 A Chicken For Christmas…

And they come with a lifetime of free eggs.

Victoria Beckham Gifts David Beckham Chickens for Christmas

We actually raised chickens when I was a kid, but I had no idea this was a thing.

Cluck, Cluck! Amanda Seyfried and More Stars Who Have Pet Chickens

👖 Sisterhood Of the Elastic Waist Pants…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and an assortment of useless knowledge. Until then, stay safe, stay not drinking and driving on New Year’s Eve (there are so many options today, there’s no excuse), and stay making sure it’s a priest you’re confessing to if you go to confession.

Dec23

December 22, 2023 – Esme Begins To Remember, Finally, What’s On, Explanation, Salty Talk, Bye House, 1st Roll Call, The Best, Forgotten, Most Extra Trees, Holiday Dress-Up, Stockingful Of Quotes & 4 Hours

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina tells Molly and TJ, it’s the perfect solution. No waiting for an egg donor. She can be both.

Sam says, it’s not too late to change her mind, but Alexis says she can’t. Sam says, of course (🍷) she can, but Alexis says she can’t. She gave him her word. She’s doing it. She needs to do it for her grandchildren. Especially Scout. Girl power. She makes a fist, and Sam says, of course (🍷). Alexis says, Scout needs to see her grandma is brave, like her parents. Sam and Dante exchange a look, and Alexis says, is something wrong? Did something happen to Scout?

In his office, Finn recites, so what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Elizabeth comes in and says, he doesn’t have to be off book. In fact, the kids are going to want to see those pictures. She asks if everything is okay, and he says, yeah. Just, reading this makes him think about family and past Christmases. She says, and now it might be his dad’s last one.

Laura squints at ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Doc asks how many times she’s going to read that book. She says, maybe she’s being a little silly, but she doesn’t want to disappoint the kids. He says, as if she ever could, when Spencer comes out. Laura asks if there’s any way they can convince him to bring Ace over to the hospital party tonight, and he says he wishes he could, but he doesn’t want to push his luck. Especially when Esme said he could come over and watch Ace tonight. He opens the door, and Esme is there with Ace. He invites her in and says he thought they were meeting at her place. Laura says, this is perfect. They can all go over to the hospital party together. Esme says she appreciates the offer, but she can’t stay, and Spencer says, she promised him that he’d get to spend tonight with his brother. She says, that’s why she’s here. She’s dropping Ace off so they can enjoy Christmas Eve together. He says, okay, and thanks her, taking Ace. She says he’s welcome, and he says, what about her? Where is she going to be?

Portia says, Trina looks so nice. She’s guessing Trina didn’t get this dressed up to see Santa, huh? Trina says, if that’s a way of asking if she’s going to see Spencer later, no. He’s spending time with his little brother at Esme’s house, so… She thanks Portia and says, it wasn’t lost on her that Spencer was included, and he appreciated it. So did she. Portia says she’s not completely sold, but in the spirit of the season, right? Trina says she’ll take it, and they hug.

Curtis asks where Marshall and Aunt Stella disappeared to earlier, when Stella walks in. They flash back to dancing on the terrace and almost kissing.

Jordan comes out of the hospital elevator as Cyrus is walking by, and she says, he shouldn’t be here.

On the phone, Donna tells Bobbie that she loves her, and Carly takes the phone. She says, that goes for her too. Please hurry home so they can ring in the New Year. She misses and loves her. Merry Christmas, mom. Donna says she doesn’t want to be late for story time at the hospital, and Carly says she doesn’t want to be late either, but they have to wait for her big sister. Josslyn says, ho-ho-ho, and walks in with Dex and Adam. Donna hugs her, and Carly says, someone’s super eager to get to GH. She says hi to Dex and says, Adam, right? Nice to see you. She’s glad he could join them. Adam thanks her.

Sonny goes into a church with Nina, Michael, Willow, and Wiley, and tells the priest, merry Christmas. He hands the priest an envelope and says, it’s for the collection plate. The priest says, his generosity is much appreciated, and Willow tells Wiley, remember what we said. Best behavior. Sonny says, this guy’s always well-behaved, and Willow says, he should have been at the house when they were putting on their dress socks. The priest says, Sonny has a beautiful family, and Sonny thanks him. He says, we’re truly blessed. Aren’t we? He hugs Nina, and Nina says, yes, we are. Michael scowls because he’s ridiculous.

Finn thanks Elizabeth for being there for him, and she says, always. He knows that. He says he’s not going to let what’s hanging over him rob him of the joy that’s right in front of him, and she says, sounds like a plan. Gregory comes out of the elevator with Chase, Violet, Leo and Brook, and Elizabeth says, look at this festive bunch. Gregory asks if it’s true that Finn is reading the Christmas story tonight. Finn says, yes, with the mayor, and Chase says he doesn’t know. Benign storyteller? He thinks Finn would make a better Scrooge. Finn says, funny. It’s not the first time he’s heard that. Brook says she loves this time of year. Everything is so cozy, and beautiful, and sparkly. Violet says, that’s nice, but where’s her ring? Brook says, this old thing? and Violet says, speaking of… The others say, here we go, and Violet says, if she’s going to be a flower girl, she has plans to make. They’d better set a date.

Sam says, Alexis saw Scout. She’s full of Christmas joy. Alexis says, what she saw was the two of them look at each other when she said Scout’s name. What’s going on? Sam says, under normal circumstances, it would probably be good news. Drew got Scout into Westwood Academy. Alexis says, it’s a great school. The girls loved going there. Dante says, Scout isn’t that interested in it, but Sam says, it’s more than that. She actively doesn’t want to go. Alexis asks if Drew knows that, and Sam says, he’s got blinders on. Like he decided selfishly, this is where their daughter is going to go, and he refuses to see anything else. Alexis says, that’s not surprising, but Sam says she thinks it is. Drew is normally more sensitive to other people’s feelings, but he didn’t even ask Scout if this was something that she wanted. He didn’t even ask her. Alexis says, that isn’t right. But Drew has had a very challenging life, and she thinks he just wants the world for Scout. A better world than he had anyway, and she thinks this is his way of doing that.

Kristina asks Molly and TJ to hear her out. Don’t say no right off the bat. Molly says, what she’s offering to do for them is beautiful… Kristina says, but it’s too much responsibility to put in her hands. Do they think she’s going to screw it up somehow? TJ says, that’s not what Molly is saying, and Kristina says, she wouldn’t blame Molly if it was. Just think of all the advantages. Molly knows her medical history. They’re obviously in contact every single day, and if they use her as the donor, Molly will have a biological connection to her child. Those Davis genes will be all up in there. She can give them what they want more than anything in this world without having to wait. Molly tells Kristina, don’t say it, but Kristina says she thinks she really has to. It’s me. I’m the donor.

Jordan tells Cyrus, for the kids who were hospitalized over the holidays, and their families, this celebration isn’t just a party. It’s an act of courage. So can’t he honor that and go away? He says, she could be more charitable on this holy night. After all, she’s the one who fabricated the evidence that sent him to prison. If he can forgive her, why can’t she find it in her heart to do the same? She says she’ll never forgive him. There may not be a way to prove he was behind TJ’s kidnapping, now that Mason Gatlin has been shipped off to prison, but one day Cyrus will slip up. And when he does, she’ll send him right back where he belongs. Merry Christmas. She walks away, and he laughs.

Josslyn introduces Adam to Donna, and says, Adam goes to school with her at PCU. Donna asks why he didn’t go home for Christmas, and Josslyn says, not everyone goes home for winter break. Adam says he brought Donna a present. It’s outside if she wants to see it. Dex says he’ll go with, and they leave. Carly says she understands why Josslyn invited Adam, especially after everything they talked about. Nobody wants to be alone on Christmas, but it is Christmas. Shouldn’t he be with his family?

Sonny thanks Michael for joining them, and Michael says, they’re family. Willow says, and they’re grateful they can be together. Nina says she’s very, very grateful, and Wiley wonders if they’re going to miss the party. Sonny says, they’re not going to miss the story at General Hospital, but they have to do what they came here to do. They’re going to light a candle. He brings Wiley over to the candles, and says, they light a candle to remember the people they love that aren’t here, like his Uncle Morgan. He lights one, and Michael says, and Uncle Jason, lighting another.

Willow says, Nina is thinking about Nelle, isn’t she? and Nina says she tries not to dwell on it, but on a night like this, Willow’s sister is definitely on her mind. Willow says, her sister. It still seems so strange. All she knew about Nelle was the pain she caused… Nina says she can’t help but think if Nelle was given a chance, would she have been able to turn her life around? Willow says, that would have been a big change, and Nina says, but not an impossible one. Willow says she guesses they’ll never know.

Sonny says, they’ve come a long way, and Michael says, they have. A year ago, they were at each other’s throats. Sonny says he hopes they can put that all behind them, and Michael says, so does he. Sonny tells Wiley, they have one more candle to light. Wiley asks, who’s it for? and Sonny says, Grandpa Mike. He lights the candle.

Stella says, the holidays always get her thinking of the patients who have helped her over the years, and Trina says, not the other way around? but Portia says she thinks she knows what Stella means. Stella says, trust her. The Mike Corbins of this world have given her far more than she’s given them. Trina says she doesn’t think Mike would agree, and Stella says, and then there are family members she misses every day. Thomas… Irene… She looks at Marshall and says, is everybody hungry? She picks up a tray of something and drops it, food going everywhere. She says she’s so sorry, but Portia says, it’s fine. They have plenty in the kitchen. Trina is already cleaning it up, and Stella says, don’t you dare. She made the mess; it’s on her to clean it up. Portia says, it’s okay, and helps too.

Curtis asks if Marshall is picking up strange vibes, and Marshall says, from who? Curtis says, Aunt Stella. She’s just not herself tonight. Marshall looks over at the three women, but probably mostly at Stella.

Esme says she just needs some time herself, that’s all, and Spencer asks if everything is okay. She says, yeah. It’s just hard this time of year, even though it’s all peace on earth and good will to all. People still see the old her and she guesses she doesn’t qualify for grace. He says he’s made his fair share of mistakes. He can’t change that. It’s what they do moving forward that matters. Laura and Doc show Ace the ornaments on the tree, and Esme flashes back to putting the angel topper on the tree in the tower. She says, Spencer’s right. It’s what we do now that matters. Take good care of her boy. Spencer says, she knows they will. She says she’ll pick him up later, and tells Ace that mommy loves him. She leaves.

Josslyn tells Carly, Adam’s afraid to go home and face his parents. She couldn’t leave him in the dorms on Christmas Eve. Carly says, of course (🍷) she couldn’t, and she gets Josslyn wants to help her friend, and she loves Josslyn for that. But maybe it’s not the help he needs. Josslyn asks what she means, and Carly tells her, she said he’s afraid to go home and face his parents. Maybe she’s enabling that feeling. Donna runs in with Dex and Adam following, and says her Christmas gift was a song Adam played for her.

Elizabeth takes Violet and Leo to get candy canes from Santa in the cafeteria, and Finn asks if Gregory is doing all right. Chase asks if they can get him anything. Or does he want to sit down and rest until the party starts? Gregory says, what he’d like is a moment with his future daughter-in-law, if she doesn’t mind. Brook says, they heard the man. Scram. Scoot. Skedaddle. Finn tells Chase, let’s skedaddle. He’ll buy Chase a cup of coffee. They leave, and Brook and Gregory sit down. He says he’s sorry if that was a bit forward, but she says she’s Italian from Brooklyn. Nothing’s too forward. She asks if it’s about his Christmas list. Chase got him something, but she doesn’t know. He says, actually… and she says, so there is something special he wants. He takes her hand and says, something only she can give him.

Gregory tells Brook that Chase doesn’t want to face what’s happening to him. Chase wants him to live forever. Brook says, of course (🍷) he does; they all do. Gregory says, but they know that’s not the reality, and she says she hates it so much. He says, him too. And the last thing he wants is to add to the pressure Violet’s already implying. Brook says, is she ever, and he says, but time isn’t exactly on his side here. His Christmas wish is that she and Chase don’t wait too long for the wedding. He wants to live to see his son, who he cherishes, marry the love of his life.

Dante tells Sam and Alexis that he thinks everything Drew went through is going to mean a lot of change for him. Maybe this is his new normal. He tells them that has to help Scout ice some cookies, kisses Sam, and leaves. Alexis says, that’s one smart boyfriend Sam’s got there, and Sam says she knows. New normal she gets, but she just wishes Drew was home so they could actually talk about this together.

Kristina says, say something. Anything. Just please don’t say no. Anything except for that. Not yet. Molly says, it’s a lot to process. TJ says, it’s one thing when he was sharing his DNA with a stranger; he felt removed from that person. He was grateful to them, but it was like somehow, they weren’t involved. But this, creating an embryo with Molly’s sister… Molly says, it’s a serous step that could complicate things for all of them.

Marshall tells Curtis, Christmas is a tough time, even for those with close family. Sometimes because of a close family, on one hand, you’re surrounded by joy, and on the other hand, it makes you even more aware of those who aren’t with you. He sits down and says, Curtis told him about how he… Aunt Stella… Irene… Irene… Stella. Two peas in a pod, and they worked together to make Christmas special for Curtis and his brother. He imagines Stella is missing Irene tonight. He knows he is.

Trina asks if Stella is all right, and Stella says she’s fine. Portia says, let her see, and feels Stella’s forehead. She says, no fever, and Stella says she’s not sick. The thing about Christmas is, it’s never just about the one you’re celebrating now, it holds the memories of all the other Christmases, and the ones you shared them with. Like Trina’s grandmother.

Laura hands Ace to Spencer and says, they really should be heading over to General Hospital. Spencer asks if Esme seemed weird to either of them, and Doc says, weird how? Spencer says he doesn’t know. He just thinks it’s very unlike her to just drop Ace in his lap. Laura says she would hardly call it dropping him in Spencer’s lap, and Spencer says, and she needs time to herself. Since when? Laura says, since becoming a single mother, and Spencer says, on Christmas Eve, of all nights? Doc says he thought she sounded sincere when she said she wanted Spencer to spend some time with his brother, when there’s a knock at the door. Laura says, maybe she’s had a change of heart. Laura opens the door and Cyrus is there.

A shadowy figure smashes a windowpane at Windymere and goes inside. They look around with a flashlight. Big surprise. It’s Esme.

Wiley – who is fast becoming the most annoying child in the world – pulls at Willow’s coat, and she says she knows. He wants to get to the party at GH. Sonny says, Wiley’s granddad will take him, and they leave. Michael suggests they get going, and Willow asks if Nina is coming. Nina asks if she can tell Sonny that she’ll meet him at the hospital, and Willow says, they will. She tells Michael, they can’t keep Santa waiting, and they leave. When they’re gone, Nina lights a candle.

Donna wants to hear Adam play, but Carly says, if they don’t leave soon, they’re going to miss story time. Adam says, how about this? He’ll send a recording of a song to her sister and Donna can listen to it whenever she wants. Josslyn says, that sounds like an excellent idea, and Carly asks if they’re coming. Josslyn says she thinks they’ll hold down the fort until Carly gets home, and tells Donna to say hi to Santa for her. Carly says, they’ll be back soon, and leaves with Donna. Dex says, the fire is getting low, and Adam asks if Dex wants him to grab more wood, but Dex says he’ll get it. Josslyn says, that was really sweet of Adam, the whole song thing for Donna, and he says, she was pretty excited about it. She says, in the spirit of the holiday, she has something for him too, and he says, like a present? She says, yeah, and he says, she didn’t know he was coming until like an hour ago. How could she get a present? She says she just got the idea. Her dad created a fund for her for traveling. She has free reign over the money, as long as it’s used for flights. She knows he said it was too expensive to go home for the holidays, but she found a flight that can get him home before midnight. He’ll be able to spend Christmas with his family. He says he can’t ask her to do that, but she says, he didn’t; she’s offering. She knows it’s a bit over-the-top as far as gifts go, but she’s not traveling anywhere, so why not put the fund to good use? He yells that she’s not listening. He said he didn’t want to go home.

Jordan says she’s sorry she’s late, and Alexis says, they’re just glad she’s here. Jordan hands her a bakery box and says, for dessert. She asks how their favorite couple is doing, and Alexis says, there’s been a bit of a setback.

Molly says she thinks she and TJ need to talk, and Kristina says, copy that. She starts to leave, and Molly says, whatever they decide, whenever they decide, they’re incredibly grateful. TJ tells her, what Molly said, and Kristina says she loves both of them. She leaves, and Molly says, that was… TJ says, yeah, and she says, it’s Christmas Eve. They don’t have to think about this right this second. He says, true, but will she be able to think about anything else? and she says, no. He says, him neither.

Brook asks if Gregory’s sure he wants to be there when they say I do. After all, she’s the girl who’s all wrong for his son. He says, she’s never going to let him live that down, is she? and she says, nope. He says, yes. He wants to be there when she and Chase get married, more than anything. She takes his hand and says, then she will make it happen.

Violet and Leo come back from getting candy canes, and Leo asks when the story is going to start. Finn says, as soon as the mayor gets here, which he’s surprised wasn’t ten minutes ago. He wonders what’s keeping her.

Laura says, they were just heading out, and Cyrus says he won’t keep them. He just wanted to drop off a Christmas gift for the newest member of the family. He hands her a giftwrapped box and says, for Ace. Hopefully, he can get to know Ace a bit in the new year. She thanks him and says she’s sure Ace will love it. He says he hopes so, and Doc says, they’re really going to be late. Cyrus says, a blessed Christmas to all, and Laura tells him, him too. She closes the door, and says, okay. Who wants to do the honors? She holds out the gift, but has no takers.

Esme sneaks around Windymere, and gets to the tower room, but it’s locked. She remembers yelling for Nikolas to let her out. She’s the mother of his child and deserves to be treated with respect. She flashes back to throwing the tied sheets over the railing and saying she has to do this. Nikolas cannot keep them locked up.

Kristina asks if everyone thinks this is a bad idea, but Alexis says, it doesn’t matter what they think. Jordan says, it’s true. The only ones that count are Molly and TJ. Molly and TJ join them, and Molly says, everyone in the loop? Sam says, Krissy did tell them about her offer, and Molly says, her very loving, kind, and generous offer. Alexis says, absolutely, and Kristina asks if they decided yet. Not that there’s any pressure or rush. Molly says, yes, and Kristina says, yes, as in they’ve decided, or yes, as in yes. Molly says, yes, and Kristina says, yes? Molly says, yes. Would Kristina like to be their egg donor? Kristina says, of course (🍷), and hugs Molly. There are soap looks in the background, when Scout comes in and asks, who wants to see the decorated cookies? Everyone acts like the cookies are Picassos.

Curtis asks if Marshall remembers when he told him that mom used to say, the best Christmas present was the smiles on their faces. She meant that. She was always happiest when she was making her loved ones happy. He knows she would want the same thing for Marshall. She would want him to be happy this Christmas. And to think of her with a smile. Marshall says, Curtis is right. It’s what Irene would want, and it’s what he’s going to do.

Trina says she wishes she could have known her grandmother, and Stella says, Trina is a lot like her. She saw the beauty in things. She loved art and music. That’s what attracted her to Marshall at first, the music. They’d go out dancing and stay out all night long; close down the club. But she’s doing her sister a disservice because she was never one to live in the past. If she was here, she’d tell them to enjoy the Christmas they’ve got, and the time they get to spend together. Speaking of which, they’ve got to get out of here or they’ll miss the whole thing. They run around, getting their coats, and Stella and Marhsall exchange a glance. We see the First Christmas angel hanging on the tree.

Laura arrives at the hospital, and Finn runs up and hugs her. He says, thank God she’s here. He thought he was going to have to be a solo act. She says, rest assured, she wouldn’t miss this evening for the world. Where’s Violet? He says, she’s with Leo. They’re decorating gingerbread houses with the other kids. Sonny, Michael, and Willow join them, and Sonny says, they just dropped off Wiley and Amelia. He thinks every inch of Leo’s house is covered with candy. He hugs Laura and asks how she’s doing, and she says she’s doing well. His bride didn’t accompany him? He says, she’ll be here soon, and Willow says, she just wanted to light a candle.

Nina kneels by the candles, and the priest asks if she’s all right. She says she is and thanks him. He says he’ll leave her to her thoughts then, but she says, actually, is it too late to make a confession? He says, it’s never too late. Give him a few minutes. She says, of course (🍷), and he leaves. Nina goes to the confessional, and Cyrus stands in the doorway.

Violet tells Finn, it’s time, and Laura says, he heard the little lady. Finn picks Violet up and says, let’s do this.

The kids have gathered around, and Laura asks if they want to hear the story. They say, yeah, and she reads: ‘Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Josslyn says she was just trying to help, and Adam says, but she’s not helping, okay? She says, okay, and he says, she doesn’t get what it’s like at his house. Everything is so oppressive, it’s tough for him to even breathe there. So if she can’t even understand that, please just stay out of it. Dex comes back with the wood, and Adam says, tell her mom he said thanks. He can’t stay for dinner. He leaves, and Dex asks, what was that about? She says she doesn’t even know.

Finn reads: Now Dasher and Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen. On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen… Laura reads: To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall. Now dash away, dash away, dash away all.

Spencer bounces Ace in the hallway, when Trina arrives. He says, she looks fantastic, and she thanks him. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says, Ace was having a bit of a moment, so they decided to take a little break, give him a chance to calm down. Trina asks Ace if he’s having a moment. She doesn’t believe it. Spencer says, he’s doing a lot better now. She says she thought he was going to be at Esme’s tonight, and he says, so did he.

Esme goes out on the turret, and flashes back to setting up the phone to tape Josslyn and Cameron. Then she remembers accusing Trina of it. She flashes back to Spencer saying, it was her all along, and her encounter with Elizabeth on the pier. She remembers standing on the retaining wall and saying, she survived this before, she’ll do it again, and falling back. She slides to the ground, looking horrified.

Finn reads: He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.

The Davis girls hug each other, as Laura reads: A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon led me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work – Jordan and TJ hug, and we see Sam, Dante, and Scout sitting together – and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying a finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. Finn reads: He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle. Away they all flew like the down of a thistle. Sonny looks like he’s wondering where Nina is.

Nina sits in the confessional as Hark the Herald Angels Sing plays. She says, forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. Cyrus sits on the priest’s side, and smiles.

Laura reads: But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. Everyone applauds.

On Tuesday (I think), Spencer says, maybe Esme has a heart after all; Sonny says, that’s not going to happen; Dante wonders why Ava’s looking for an intruder to shoot; and Nina says she doesn’t know where else to turn.

🥀 Farewell To an Icon…

Bobbie will her long overdue memorial. It would have been amazing if they’d unearthed Tony Geary, but that would probably affect several storylines too much.

GENERAL HOSPITAL to Air Bobbie’s Memorial in January
Ryan Carnes Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

https://ew.com/general-hospital-memorial-episodes-jacklyn-zeman-bobbie-spencer-8419857

⚖️ Soap Or Football…

Touchdowns will be replacing GH on Monday.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

💎 She Meant To Wear It Backwards…

Unlike Dorit, I’ll buy what she’s selling. I can’t imagine she would have wanted to look ridiculous on national TV. That makes no sense.

https://ew.com/denise-richards-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-dinner-from-hell-wild-behavior-8419082

🧂 Salt Over My Shoulder…

The latest on the Utah crowd.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 15 Recap: Just Another ‘Bermudiful’ Day in Paradise

🎿 Finally Over…

I actually watched this. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ll have to gouge my eyes out now.

Winter House Season 3 Finale Recap: Sayonara Steamboat
Winter House Season 3 Reunion Recap: Winter Should Have Been Fun

☄️ Not Quite Done…

An early roster of who we’ve lost.

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

🎁 Cinematic Merriness…

This Christmas is one of my favorites. I watch it every year.

https://ew.com/movies/best-black-christmas-movies/

🎅🏽 Memory Tease…

Although if we don’t remember they were in them, maybe there’s a reason.

https://ew.com/gallery/celebrities-tv-christmas-movies/

🎄 Oh Christmas Tree…

Sandoval’s got nothing on these trees.

A Guide to the Artsiest, Craziest, Most Extra Christmas Trees in New York City

Only for the determined.

https://nypost.com/2023/12/19/lifestyle/secret-to-getting-the-perfect-christmas-tree-picture-for/

🐩 The Famous and Furriest…

Celebrities. They’re just like us.

Festive Pups! See Stars Celebrating Holiday Seasons With Their Beloved Pets

Us, we’re just like celebrities. I love the Grinch and Max.

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/pets/2023/12/18/2023-holiday-dog-parades/71910408007/

Never say I’m not inclusive. Cats are pets too.

Purrfectly Posed Cats Ready For The Holiday

If you want to plan for next year.

These 15 Cutest Pet Christmas Outfits Are Paws-itively Perfect

All the pets are doing it.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/cute-christmas-dress-up-expands-to-new-pets-from-guinea-pigs-to-bearded-dragons/

🤶🏽 Quotes of the Week

But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid! Listen, I bring you glorious news of great joy which is for all the people. This very day, in David’s town, a Saviour has been born for you. He is Christ, the Lord. Let this prove it to you: you will find a baby, wrapped up and lying in a manger. – Luke 2:11, PHILLIPS

What is Christmas? It is the tenderness of the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future. – Agnes M. Pahro

My brothers and sisters, may the spirit of love, which comes at Christmastime, fill our homes and our lives, and linger there long after the tree is down, and the lights are put away for another year. – Thomas S. Monson

Christmas is a time when you get homesick – even when you’re home. – Carol Nelson

Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. – Ruth Carter Stapleton

The thing about Christmas is, it’s never just about the one you’re celebrating now, it holds the memories of all the other Christmases, and the ones you shared them with. – Stella Henry (Vernee Watson), General Hospital

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. – Shirley Temple

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. – Ebenezeer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

🧚🏽‍♀️ And To All a Goodnight…

We can have the whole day off on Monday, but stop by all the earlier the next day for soap and Boxing Day fun. Until then, stay safe, stay letting go of outside holiday pressure and focus on things that are important to you, and stay knowing you can’t change past mistakes, but it’s what you do going forward that matters.

Dec22

December 21, 2023 – Michael Takes Care Of the Ned Problem, Taylor Fails To Charm With Her 4th Apology & Drummer

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the penthouse, Sonny tells Avery that he thought she found the terms of his last offer acceptable, but she says, let’s review. He says, tonight, they open whatever he wants, then open whatever she wants, and then they open the rest tomorrow. Nina opens the door to Dante, and says, what a nice surprise. She invites him in, and Sonny asks if everything is okay. Dante says, yeah. Sorry. He just wondered if he could have a word with Sonny in private. Ava says, on Christmas Eve? and Dante says, it can’t wait.

Kristina leaves a message for Blaze, and says she hopes Blaze is enjoying the holidays with her family. She can’t wait to see Blaze when she gets back. Merry Christmas. TJ tells Alexis that Dr. Bilson (so it wasn’t Navarro) told them that they’d basically be starting over, beginning with an egg donor. Molly says, and they be at the bottom of the waitlist, and Alexis says, that doesn’t seem fair. Sam says, after everything they’ve been through, the last thing they should be doing is waiting any longer. Molly says she’s honestly not even thinking about them right now. What happens next lands on Kristina.

Sasha puts some presents under Maxie’s tree and says, Maxie’s outdone herself. Felicia says, Maxie’s always been great at decorating, and Maxie says she had to get a little creative this year because of the whole Deception situation. Fortunately, she’s no stranger to decorating on a budget. Sasha says she’s so sorry… when there’s a knock at the door, and Sasha asks if Maxie is expecting anyone else. Maxie says, it is Christmas Eve, and opens the door. Cody stumbles in, wearing a Santa hat, carrying a big, red bag, and saying, ho-ho-ho! He tells Sasha, hey.

Olivia says she feels so bad for Monica, and Brook says, she twisted her ankle, but it could have been so much worse. Tracy says she warned Monica, be careful on the driveway; it’s a sheet of ice. Did Monica listen to her? No. Brook says she’s sure Tracy was happy to tell Monica that she was right, and Tracy says, see? Brook gets her. Olivia says, oh my God, and Willow comes in wearing light-up reindeer antlers. She says, Wiley and Leo are so adorable. They absolutely love wearing these antlers. Olivia says, what’s not to love? and Tracy asks how long she plans on wearing those antlers. It’s one thing for children, but doesn’t she feel a little self-conscious being the only adult wearing those antlers? Lois comes in and tells Tracy, don’t you worry. She brought enough for everyone. Tracy says, of course (🍷) she did.

At the stables, Michael flashes back to Nina telling him that Ned knows she tipped off the SEC, and he wants information about Aurora to keep his silence. Ned comes in and asks what Michael has to say to him that he can only say in front of the horses, and Michael says he wants a truce. Ned says, this ought to be good, and Michael says, like it or not, they’re family. It’s Christmas and he wants to move on. So as a gesture of goodwill, he has a gift. He holds out a manila envelope, and Ned asks, what’s this? Michael says, everything Ned ever wanted.

Lois tells Tracy, come on. Loosen up. Enjoy the fun. Tracy says, what Lois calls fun, she calls torture, and Lois says, tell her something. Do those three ghosts still visit her every Christmas Eve, or did she finally scare them off? There are three children in this house trying to enjoy the holidays. Would it kill her to put on these antlers? Tracy says, those three children are inundated with gifts and treats. They will not notice her lack of headgear. Lois says, this is a gift. Just take it. Tracy says, Lois being here would be gift enough, except she already lives with a bridge and tunnel chick – Olivia and Lois gasp – and she doesn’t need another one. Brook says, all right, everybody, it’s Christmas. So before they say or do anything they can’t take back… Olivia says, they’re way past that, and Lois says, why doesn’t Tracy take these antlers and her attitude, and shove them where Santa’s reindeers are afraid to fly? Tracy says, why doesn’t Lois take the A train back to Bensonhurst? and Lois laughs.

Cody tells Maxie not to mistake this for Christmas spirit. He’s just trying to get in good with his new boss. Maxie says, he did, but prepare himself; her kids can be tough customers. He says he lives to be judged. He has Sasha’s present, wrapped and ready to go. He just didn’t know she’d be here tonight, so he’ll drop it off later. She says she can’t wait to see what he got her, and he says he hopes she likes it. He digs in the bag and says, one for you, giving a gift to Felicia. And he has one for Mac. Felicia thanks him and says, tell her, does he usually buy presents for his boss’s parents? He says, no, but she and Mac have been good to him. Where is Mac, by the way? She says, Argentina, and he says, since she’s not with him, it’s clearly not a vacation. She says, it’s more of a fact-finding mission. All very hush-hush. He says, that’s a shame, and Maxie says, it’s too quiet. That means the kids are up to something. (That goes for dogs as well.) Cody says, like what? and she says, yesterday, she caught James making a boobytrap to catch Santa, and Georgie, being the good sister she is, was teaching him how to camouflage it. So she’s going to check on them. If she’s not back in five minutes, send help. She leaves, and Spinelli comes in with several shopping bags. He says, greetings, and sees Cody. He asks what Cody is doing here.

Michael says he’s giving Ned the voting proxy on half of his ELQ shares. He had his lawyer draw up the agreement. Ned can have his check it out. Ned asks if there’s a catch or is this an out-and-out trap? and Michael says he knew Ned would never agree to a truce without a bribe, so there it is. Ned says he knows it hasn’t been that long since he recovered his memory, but he wasn’t born yesterday. Michael says he doesn’t understand. Doesn’t Ned want the proxy? Ned says he wants to know why Michael is doing Nina’s dirty work.

In the hallway, Dante says he guesses Sonny heard what happened at the docks, and Sonny says, there was a shooting, and Dante and Anna stopped the gunman. Does Dante want to tell him why it had to go down that way? Dante says, it was about Anna, and it was about Sonny.

Molly says, when Kristina offered to be their surrogate, they thought this was all going to happen within the year, but now… TJ says, realistically, it’s going to be another six months at least, just to get to the fertilization and implantation. Molly says, not to mention the pregnancy. This is going to take a lot longer than any of them thought. Kristina says, that’s okay. She understands and she’s still on board. Molly says, she has her LGBTQ+ center and everything that’s coming up with it, but Kristina says she’ll make it work. Molly says she appreciates Kristina’s devotion to this, but don’t decide until she’s thought about it. Kristina says she has thought about it, and Molly says she means really, really thought about it, because none of this has been easy or gone even remotely according to plan. TJ says, facing yet another setback after getting their hopes up… Molly says, they’re just not sure how much more heartbreak they can stand.

Sam asks Alexis, what’s with this brochure? Is she doing an article on skydiving or something? Alexis tries to take it, but Sam grabs it away. Alexis says, no, not exactly, and Sam says, it’s not a Christmas present, is it? Alexis says she would never encourage her daughters to do something so insanely dangerous as jumping out of a plane, and Sam pulls out a paper. She says, this is a liability waiver with Alexis’s name literally on it. Please explain. Alexis says she doesn’t think she can, and Sam says she can’t get Alexis to show up at Pilates, let alone sky diving. She can’t actually see Alexis jumping out of a plane, unless someone was pushing her. Alexis says, or dragging her, and Sam says, this doesn’t make any sense. Since when was she interested in going skydiving? Alexis says, never. And she doesn’t want to go now. Sam says, then what? and Alexis says she has to.

Ava says, is it just her, or have Sonny and Dante been out there a long time? and Nina asks why she’s worried. Ava says, they both know someone is trying to set her up for something. And now one of PCPD’s finest shows up on Sonny’s doorstep? Nina says, his son on Christmas Eve, and Ava says, trust her. Those two aren’t out there swapping eggnog recipes.

Sonny says, so this Brennan guy has ties with Pikeman? and Dante says, that’s why he’s here. The government is coming down pretty hard on Pikeman. If Sonny’s had any business dealings with them, he’s just letting Sonny know he might be getting a visit from the Feds. Sonny says, they’re not going to find anything, and Dante says, good. Sonny says, speaking of the Feds, what are they going to do about Brennan? Does Dante think he had anything to do with the shooting at the MetroCourt? Dante says, he denies it, and Sonny says, what a surprise, but Dante says, he might actually be telling the truth this time. He’s the director of the WSB. He’s going to hire a shooter with a gun that can be traced back to his own organization? If the shooter wasn’t working for Brennan or Cyrus Renault… Sonny says, whoever was targeting him and Anna is still out there.

Lois says, the A train doesn’t even go to Bensonhurst, and Tracy says, don’t care. Lois says, well, there’s a whole lot of bridge and tunnel people trying to get into the city who care a whole lot. Not that it should matter to Tracy. Tracy says, she’s right; it doesn’t. Lois asks if Tracy has any idea how long it takes to get from Bensonhurst to JFK? and Olivia says, it’s not that far as the crow flies, but the train… Lois says, it’s a nightmare. You either gotta take a cab or you gotta take a Ride Share, but if you’re gonna take the train, it’s gotta be the D. Tracy says she’s never going to need this information, and Olivia says, you could take the N or the R. Lois says, what? The Never and the Really? Olivia has been out of Brooklyn way too long. (I laugh at the N/R joke because it’s true.) Oliva says she’s not claiming it’s as efficient. She’s just saying it’s possible. Lois says, no. You cannot take the R because it terminates in Bay Ridge. Olivia says, Lois is right. Maybe she has been away too long. Tracy says, maybe it’s time to move back, and Brook says, couldn’t you take the F and transfer to the bus? Olivia and Lois both say, the bus??? and Brook says, oops. (I laugh about this too. I tool the bus once to get across town. I could have walked faster. Never again.) Lois and Olivia laugh, and Brook asks if Willow doesn’t need some help with her kids. Please tell her that she needs help with the kids. Olivia and Lois continue to chatter, and Willow says, actually, she was just wondering how long this is going to go on for. Brook says, the 12 days of Christmas, right? and Willow says, in that case, she’s going to have to sneak out with Michael. They’re spending Christmas Eve at Sonny’s. Brook says, go. She loves her. Willow dashes out, and Tracy says, stop. They win; both of them. Lois asks if there was a prize attached that they were unaware of, and Tracy says, this endless digression about transportation to the outer boroughs. They were doing it to badger her into submission. They succeeded. Give her the damn antlers. She snatches them from Lois, and says, okay – she puts them on her head – she’s conformed. Now that she has, she has one request please. That they have a civil, peaceful, tasteful Christmas. Is that too much to… She hears the door and turns around. Yuri is there pushing Monica in a wheelchair. Lois and Olivia are obviously happy, as am I.

Tracy says, given that Monica is recuperating from an injury, doesn’t she think it would be a good idea if Lois found other accommodations, so she can have a peaceful home while she’s convalescing? Monica says she likes a full house, and Tracy says, well, there’s full and overflowing. Brook says she doesn’t know if Tracy has noticed, but there are lots of bedrooms in this house, for family and guests, and Monica says, if Tracy does find this house too crowded for her, she can spend the Christmas season elsewhere. Lois, on the other hand, can stay as long as she likes. Lois smiles and adjusts her antlers.

Felicia asks, what’s Spinelli’s problem with Cody? and Cody says, he and Spinelli got off on the wrong foot. Spinelli says, that is a heinous simplification, and Cody says he doesn’t want to get into it, because frankly, he’s not proud of it. Let’s just say that when he came to town, he wasn’t the nicest person to Spinelli. He tells Spinelli, but honestly, he thought they worked through all this. Spinelli asks, what instilled that delusion? and Cody says, when they teamed up to help Sasha. Spinelli says he was pleased to provide assistance to Sasha, and Sasha says, and she appreciated it. Obviously, so does Cody. Cody says he really does, and Spinelli says, then he’s sure Cody can agree, Christmas Eve is for family. Cody says, absolutely, and Spinelli says his family’s here. Cody says, and he’s not a part of it. He’ll see himself out. Felicia says, that’s not necessary, but Cody says, he really just stopped by for a minute, and drop off presents and go. Sasha asks, what are his Christmas Eve plans? and he says, the Qs have invited him to join them, and he’s probably going to be late if he doesn’t get a move on. So merry Christmas everybody, and that goes for Spinelli too. He leaves, and Sasha says she realizes she and Spinelli don’t know each other that well, but he was completely out of line just now.

Molly says she loves that Kristina wants to commit to this, but it’s a complicated process, with a lot of steps and a lot of waiting in between. They can’t even say when they’ll settle on an egg donor. Scout asks Molly to play a game with her, and Molly says, sure. She leaves with Scout, and Kristina tells TJ that she’s sorry. It must be brutal for them. He says, it’s a lot, and it’s not like their lives stop. Molly has a big case coming up and he’s been offered a fellowship. Kristina says, that’s great, and he says, but he thinks he’s going to have to turn it down.

Ned says he and Michael both know that Nina was the one who turned Drew and Michael’s mother in to the SEC. He told Nina that he’d need some compensation in return for keeping quiet. Now here Michael is, essentially giving him control of the company. Michael says, temporary control, contingent on his continued silence, and Ned says, what he doesn’t understand is, if Michael now has the power to drive Nina out of his family for good, what’s stopping him? Willow calls to Michael, and Michael says, in here. Willow comes in and says hi to Ned. She asks if everything is okay in here, and Michael says, they’re just talking shop. She says she’s thinking now would be a good time to head over to Sonny’s, and he says he’ll be right there. She says she’ll get the kids ready and leaves. Ned says, now where were they? and Michael says, if it were up to him, Nina would already be gone, but that would devastate his father and Willow. And exposing Nina won’t bring back all the time Drew spent in prison, or the time his mom spent blaming herself. So Nina gets to stay, and Ned gets the benefit. He’s the single largest shareholder in ELQ, and he’s giving Ned the voting proxy to half of his shares. Ned takes the envelope out of Michael’s hand and opens it. He looks at the papers, and Michael says, merry Christmas. He starts to leave, but Ned calls him back. He says he hopes Michael knows what he’s doing. He wouldn’t trust Nina if he were him.

Dante says he’s sorry for interrupting Sonny’s Christmas Eve, but Sonny says, he’s never interrupting. He appreciates Dante telling him this. Does he want to say goodbye? Dante says he has to get going, and they hug. Sonny tells him, merry Christmas.

Nina says, whoever this person is, has access to where Ava lives. Just tell Sonny. Ava says, absolutely not, and Nina asks, why? She told him about Mason and Austin when they were causing trouble, and he helped her solve the problem. Ava says, if she went to Sonny every time someone was threatening her, she’d be moving in with the newlyweds. No. She can handle this herself. Sonny comes in and says, handle what? but Ava says, nothing, waving him away. Nina says, someone left Ava a gun.

Sonny asks Nina to give him and Ava a minute, and she says, of course (🍷). She’ll go check on Pilar and Avery. He thanks her and she leaves. He says he wants Ava to tell him everything, and do not leave anything out. She says, the first envelope was sent to Windymere, and there was a picture in there. It was Austin, dead, presumably at the house in Pautuck. And a note that said, you’re welcome. He asks why he’s only hearing about this now, and she says, and the day she was moving into Nina’s penthouse, there was another envelope. Somebody had slipped it into her handbag. It was the picture again, Austin, dead, and this time, the note said, don’t tell anyone. And after the workers left, there was a gun and a third note that said, you never know when you’ll need it. He asks, where’s the gun? and she says, in a lockbox in her apartment. He says, bring it to him tomorrow, and she says, it’s Christmas. It’s not very festive. He says he’ll have Brick trace the gun, and she says she’ll bring it as soon as she can. He says, tomorrow.

Spinelli says he knows Sasha thinks fondly of Cody, for reasons which escape him. She says, for starters, Cody risked his life, his freedom… Spinelli says, all right. He has been heroic – she says, thank you – on occasion, but even she must agree, he has a duplicitous streak. Cody may be the new Face of Deception, but forgive him, he thinks that new moniker is meant to be ironic. Cody is literally deceptive. She says, if it weren’t for Cody, she wouldn’t be here. Not celebrating Christmas with friends; not free to go about with her life. She literally wouldn’t be breathing. So Cody may be deceptive, but he also literally saved her life. He’s earned their trust. At least hers. She’s going to see if Maxie needs help with the kids. She leaves, and Felicia says, no one is saying Spinelli isn’t entitled to his opinion about Cody. But whatever he may have done wrong, he’s done a lot that’s right. What Sasha said is true. If not for him, she may not be alive. He says, while he’s not going to forget Cody’s previous misdeeds, he should be more receptive to who Cody proports to be at this moment, until incriminating evidence proves otherwise. She says she can’t tell him what to do… and he says, but she’s strongly hinting at that course of action? She says she’s glad he picked up on that, and he says, perhaps he should try to catch up to Cody. Maxie will be disappointed to see he didn’t say goodbye, and when she realizes he’s the reason Cody left… Felicia is as wise as ever, as always. She says she didn’t say a word, and he says, even so. Clarity is one of her many gifts. He goes to the door and says, it’s just that he’s the only one who knows Cody has something up his sleeve. He leaves, and Felicia says, he’s not the only one.

Sam asks what Alexis means by she has to go skydiving, and Alexis says, Gregory is determined to go, and he wants her to go with him. Sam says, just because she told him that she’d go doesn’t mean she has to go, but Alexis says she wants to. She takes the paper from Sam, tosses it on the table, and says, she wants to want to. Gregory is a very nice person and he’s been very helpful to her at work. Sam says, cool. So she’s going skydiving. Alexis says she gave him her word, and now he has it. Sam says she doesn’t seem very excited about this, and Alexis says, it’s jumping out of a plane. The only thing that separates her from certain death is twine and some poufy fabric. Sam says, and an instructor strapped to her back. They’re certainly not going to let her jump alone the first time. Alexis says, it’s so funny that Sam would think she’s doing this a second time, and Sam says, then back out. She has the perfect excuse built in. Just say it’s her osteoporosis. Alexis says, her doctor doesn’t recommend it, and Sam says, see? Alexis says, she doesn’t forbid it, and Sam says, Alexis can lie and say that she does. Alexis says she can’t lie to Gregory, and Sam says she understands Gregory is a dear friend of hers, but if she told him that she didn’t want to go skydiving, he’d understand. Alexis says she gave him her word, and besides, she’s got to prove to herself that she can do this. Dante comes in and says, sorry he’s late. What’s this? He picks up the brochure and says, skydiving. Who’s going skydiving? Alexis says she is, and he says, it’s amazing. She’s going to love it. Sam shakes her head, and Alexis says, he’s done this before? Dante says he’s done it a few times. It’s awesome. You get up there and you can see the curve of the earth. The first time he did it, the instructor kind of messed with him and told him the shoot wasn’t going to open. Which isn’t that cool when you think about it. You’re traveling 120 miles an hour, hurtling toward the ground, and it’s getting closer and closer. Then you can see people… Alexis runs upstairs, and Dante asks if it was something he said.

Lois thanks Monica for sticking up for her, but she doesn’t want to overstay her welcome. So if Monica wants her to go, all she has to say is, beat it, Lois, and she’ll pack her bags. Monica, now wearing antlers, says, Lois is welcome to stay for as long as she wants to. She happens to enjoy Lois’s company, and her energy. And most of all, she enjoys watching Lois stick it to Tracy.

Tracy says she wants to apologize to Olivia for calling her a bridge and tunnel chick. She shouldn’t have said that. Olivia asks if she meant it. Be honest. Tracy says, of course (🍷) she meant it; she just shouldn’t have said it. Olivia laughs and says, at least she’s consistent. Tracy asks if Olivia accepts her apology, and Olivia asks if she apologized to Lois. Tracy says, no, and Olivia asks if she intends to. Tracy says, why would she? She’s not sorry she said it to her. Olivia tells her, like she said, Tracy is consistent. Yes, in the spirit of Christmas, she accepts Tracy’s apology. Tracy thanks her and says she would like to point out that she was standing up for Olivia, and Olivia asks how she figures that. Tracy asks if Lois’s reluctance to leave doesn’t bother Olivia at all, and Olivia says, no. Why would it? Lois is her oldest friend. They grew up together. Tracy says, and it doesn’t bother Lois that Olivia married her former husband? And Olivia makes a face. Tracy says, oh my God. After all these years of being married to Ned, Olivia and Lois have never hashed this out? Ned walks into the living room and says, what’s with the antlers?

Arriving at Sonny’s door, Wiley says he wants Santa right now, and Willow says she’s sure he’s on his way. Once they’re settled, they’ll check the Santa tracker. Nina opens the door, and tells them, merry Christmas. Willow says, something smells wonderful, and Nina says, it’s hot cider for the adults and hot cocoa for the kids. Nina takes their coats and tells Wiley that he looks super handsome and festive. She thinks he should go check under the Christmas tree. Wiley runs off, and Willow asks, where is everybody? Nina says, Ava and Sonny are in the kitchen with Avery and Pilar. They’re making cookies. Wiley asks if he can go see, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Willow says she’s going to see if Amelia needs a change, and tells Nina and Michael to be nice. Michael says, always, and Willow leaves. Michael says he took care of the Ned problem, and Nina thanks him. He says he doesn’t need her thanks. He did it for his dad and Willow. He just hopes he doesn’t live to regret this.

Sasha and Maxie come back, and Maxie says, of course (🍷) he did. Spinelli may be living here, but it doesn’t give him the right to kick anyone out of her house. Felicia says she likes Cody very much and she knows he’s been great to Sasha, but she thinks Spinelli might be right. Something seems off. Maxie says she thinks she knows where this is coming from, but this is not a Peter situation. Cody freely admits he used to be a con man. He doesn’t present himself as too good to be true. And bonus, he’s not a sociopath. Sasha says, if anything, Cody is too hard on himself, and Felicia says she just keeps thinking back to when they thought he might be Mac’s son. Sasha flashes back to Cody telling her that he is Mac’s son and he lied about it. Felicia says she knows the test result proved he wasn’t. At least that’s what Cody said. Maxie asks if she thinks he was lying, and Felicia says, how would she know? He wouldn’t show her the results. Maxie says, he wasn’t lying to her. Cody was just disappointed. And who wouldn’t be? Who wouldn’t want to be Mac’s son?

Cody sits down in the stables, when Spinelli comes in. Cody asks if he’s here for riding lessons, and Spinelli says, what makes Cody assume he’s not already an accomplished equestrian? Cody says, is he? and Spinelli says, not remotely, but the point is, one should not assume. Which brings him to the reason for his visit. Cody says he’s all ears, and Spinelli says he simply wishes to say that he regrets his behavior toward Cody at Maxie’s. Cody says he’s not exactly hearing an apology, and Spinelli says, nor will he. Cody says, fair enough. Spinelli doesn’t need to pretend to be his friend. Spinelli says, nor will he, but he will refrain from outbursts objecting to Cody’s presence. Cody says he appreciates that, and Spinelli says, it’s becoming clear to everyone that Cody is growing closer to Maxie. Cody says, they’re good people and they’ve been good to him, and Spinelli says, it’s important Cody bear in mind a certain set of facts. He is Georgie’s father. And Cody is a part of Maxie’s business, which is a big part of her life, and he understands and accepts that. It means they will naturally cross paths, especially since he’ll be staying at Maxie’s for an indeterminant length of time. Cody says he doesn’t really spend a lot of time at Maxie’s, but Spinelli says, even so, he’ll be around. So he wishes to extend a truce, even if just to keep the peace. Cody says he gratefully accepts, and Spinelli says, but be warned. If he steps out of line, any misbehavior, any maleficence, and he shall find himself prey to The Jackel. Spinelli is moving back as he talks, and he’s nearly at Comet’s stall. Cody says, why doesn’t he step away… and Spinelli asks if he’s threatening violence. Because despite public opinion and his general appearance, he can assure Cody that he can defend himself. Cody says, that’s great, but he might want to… Spinelli yells, and Cody says he has a first aid kit.

Alexis comes back downstairs, and Dante says he’s sorry. He didn’t know she was so nervous about the skydiving thing. She says, now he knows. He actually helped her make a decision. Gregory is really embracing this challenge and she admires that attitude. And while she’d like to think of herself as a brave person, when it comes to jumping out of a plane, she’s not. She’s a coward. Dante says, she changed her mind, right? and she says, thank you. On the other hand, you can’t show courage if you aren’t scared in the first place.

Molly wins the game, and TJ asks how she did that. Kristina says, it’s all about strategy, right? and Scout says she thinks Molly is just lucky. Molly says she thinks so too.

Lois tells Olivia that Monica has mellowed a bit since… Olivia says, since Lois was married to Ned? and Lois tells her that she was going to say, since Brook was a baby, but same def. And Monica invited her to stay longer. Olivia says, that’s great. Is Lois going to take her up on it? Lois says, maybe, but she doesn’t want to cramp Olivia’s style. Olivia says her style is uncrampable. If she wants to stay, she’s gotta stay. Lois says, mostly she wants to stay so she can continue to annoy Tracy, and Olivia laughs. She says, she annoys everybody else. It’s only fair that she should get hers. Lois says she just wants to make sure she’s not overstaying her welcome. You know what they say, the best part of getting out of Brooklyn is – they finish together – going back. Oliva says, if Lois wants to stay, she wants her to… Scratch that. She wants Lois to stay whether Lois wants to stay or not. Lois asks if she’s sure, and Olivia says she doesn’t think until Lois showed up, that she realized how much she misses the old times. So she means it. Ned says, eggnog anyone? and gives them cups. He says, the sooner they finish the child friendly batch, the sooner they can break out the adults only stash. Lois says, a man after her own heart, and Ned and Olivia clink cups.

Wiley says, Sonny’s tree is bigger than theirs, and Michael says, they cut down their own this year, so it’s on the smaller side. Sonny says, the reason the tree’s big is so they can fit all the presents underneath. And a lot of them are Wiley’s presents. Go check it out. Wiley runs off, and Ava asks, who put coal in Nina’s stocking? Nina says she just had another conversation with Michael, and Ava says, that’ll do it. Nina says, he will never stop blaming her, and Ava says, oh well. What can you do? Nina says, wait. It sounds like she’s siding with Michael. Ava says, trust her. She will never side with Michael. Nina says, thank you, and Ava says, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t right. Nina has done hurtful things to people he cares about. Nina wouldn’t take that lying down; why would she expect him to? Nina says she gets this. Ava is upset with her because she told Sonny about the gun. Ava says, no. She’s just frustrated because Nina always seems surprised when people that she’s hurt don’t just forgive her. She’s Nina’s friend. She’s got her back. But she can’t wash away her sins. No one can. (If Cyrus was here, he’d tell her, the Lord can. Just sayin’.)

Cody says, sorry about Comet, and Spinelli says, that horse should be named Jaws. He rubs his shoulder, and Cody says, that horse is kind of protective of yours truly. As Cody opens the first aid kit, Spinelli tells him to keep his distance. His equine minion has done more than enough damage. Cody says he’s just going to clean the wound, so it doesn’t become infected, but Spinelli says, it’s just a bruise. He’ll be fine. Cody says, still have it checked out, okay? and Spinelli says, Cody’s concern for him is touching. If only it was sincere. Cody says he is sorry about everything he did to Spinelli. All of it. And Spinelli coming here and… not apologizing, he appreciates it. It shows him what kind of man Spinelli is, and that they both care about Maxie’s family. He wants Spinelli to know he’d never do anything to hurt them. Spinelli says, Cody’s word means nothing to him. So just remember, from this moment forward, Spinelli will be watching him. He leaves.

Felicia says, it would be one thing if the test revealed Cody was Leopold Taub’s son. Then it would make sense for Cody to lie and claim that Mac was his father. Not the other way around. Maxie says, that’s kind of her point. She can’t see why Cody wouldn’t want to share the bad news, but Felicia tells Maxie that she’d say Cody went out of his way to hide it. Sasha says, Cody can be very guarded, and Maxie says, and Felicia on occasion can be a professional busybody. Felicia says, even so, it doesn’t add up. And she hates not knowing. And she can’t stop thinking about it.

Sam tells Alexis that she’ll call Gregory. She’ll say she’s sorry to disappoint him, but she’s a concerned daughter and she’s going to exercise her veto. Alexis says, that’s very thoughtful of her. And she certainly can’t think of any reason why Sam shouldn’t do that. Sam thanks her and says, it’s not like Alexis is getting any younger or anything. Dante says, who is, right? and Sam says, so even if it would be a lifetime experience that Alexis would look back on with pride – knowing that she was frightened, but did it anyway – she would just have to put her foot down. She went too far, didn’t she? Alexis says, subtle. All right, fine. She’ll jump out of the toy plane. Dante says, she’s going to have the time of her life, and Alexis says she hopes she lives to tell about it.

Kristina says she needs TJ and Molly to hear her out. TJ says, sure, and Molly says she’ll try her best. Kristina says, what if they didn’t have to find an egg donor? What if there was someone they knew who loves them both and wanted them both to be parents? TJ asks what she’s saying, and Kristina says, what if she wasn’t just the surrogate? What if she was the donor too?

Tomorrow, Adam says he doesn’t want to go home; Alexis asks what’s wrong with Sam and Dante; Gregory tells Brook that he wants to live to see his son marry the love of his life; and Jordan says she’ll never forgive Cyrus.

Southern Charm

Taylor gets up and says she wants to put the conversation they’ve been having for 2½ months to rest. She’s apologized a bunch of times and doesn’t know what else she can give. What happened is what happened. Madison asks, what happened? and Shep suggests they not get bogged down in the details. Taylor asks if they can put it to rest, and Olivia tells her not to act like it’s nothing. She’s sorry Shep’s kumbaya moment didn’t fit. She’s allowed to react and ask questions. Shep says he wouldn’t take that away from her, and Olivia says, it sounds like Taylor is tired of talking about it. Taylor says, it’s her fourth apology. Do they want her to lie? Shep tells her to sit down and relax, and Taylor asks if Olivia wants her to say Austen f***ed her. Olivia says, that’s what happened, but Austen says, that’s not what happened. Taylor says, it’s not what happened, and she’s not going to claim somebody f***ed her without them actually f***ing her. Madison says she appreciates Taylor standing up and talking about what they’re assuming. Austen won’t do it. JT says, Austen needs to stand up, and Madison calls Austen a sloppy mess. Austen says she’s a clown, and Craig says he thinks it freaked everyone that Austen and Taylor talked to their parents about them dating. Taylor says she talked to her brother. She had a moment and went to someone who she loves and adores. She knows Olivia loves and adores her brother. There are crickets for a moment, and in JT’s interview, he says he thinks Taylor is emotionally charged and didn’t realize what she said. In Olivia’s interview, she says, before this, she would feel like Taylor didn’t mean it how it came out, but now she doesn’t see Taylor coming back from saying that. Taylor says, it’s the first time she’s breached Olivia’s trust, and Venita tells her, don’t act like it’s small. Taylor says she lied one time, and Olivia asks what scoreboard she has. Taylor says, Olivia is calling her a liar and saying she hates her, and Olivia says, because it’s true. Taylor says, hate is so strong a word, and Olivia tells her, that’s why she said it. Taylor says she doesn’t need to be verbally abused, and Venita says, she slept with someone’s man. What world is she living in? Craig insists it’s not unfixable, and Taylor leaves. Olivia fast walks in the other direction, and Venita follows her. Craig says, Olivia wants to hear Taylor say she f***ed up, instead of, she only f***ed up one time. Venita says, the same conversation keeps happening. She can’t do it again. Rod says, Taylor apologized to the group, but Olivia thought she was saying, let’s call it a day and forget about it. JT says, at least Taylor stood up. Austen says nothing. In JT’s interview, he says, Austen can’t say he’s sorry. There’s always an excuse. He’s never in the wrong, and it’s sociopathic to think you never mess up. Austen tells JT to drown himself, and JT says, Austen hasn’t stood up like a man, and he’s been nonapologetic. He was watching two girls cry and there he sits with his perfect hair. In Shep’s interview, he says, JT is calling Austen out on his bullsh*t. He’s like Eliot Ness and Austen is Al Capone, and he’s going down. Whitney asks why they care, and Madison says, JT is a gentleman. Austen laughs and decides he’s had enough. He calls JT a p*ssy and leaves.

JT tells Austen, it’s a coward move, but enjoy the walk. He tells the others, Austen’s a straw house and he’s a brick house, which sounds like some kind of rubber/glue thing. Craig says, they can’t keep their stories straight, and Whitney tells JT that he doesn’t know the dynamic. To comment on a man’s character without knowing the deal sounds disingenuous. He feels bad that JT drove Austen away. JT says, Austen hooked up with his best friend’s girlfriend, and Craig says, Whitney is riding hard for Austen. Taylor goes to her room and calls her brother, while Olivia cries to Venita in her room. She says, Taylor crossed so many boundaries. Keep her brother’s name out of her filthy mouth. What was she thinking? Taylor says, she apologized so many times. She stood up at the table and apologized, and Olivia still said shove it up her ass. F*** you. She doesn’t know what else do. In the other room, Venita says, that is not Olivia’s best friend. Dinner is done, and Madison suggests she and Craig walk into the ocean and keep walking. Craif says, they’re crazy. And that’s a lot for him to say because he’s crazy. Taylor tells her brother that Olivia said she hates her, and her brother tells her to move on. Austen should be in trouble too. Taylor says, Olivia loves him and hates him. She’s the devil, but Olivia cuddles with Austen with her bra off. She doesn’t know what the big deal is since they never claimed to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Olivia and Venita listen at the wall, and although Venita begs her not to, Olivia marches into Taylor’s room. She asks if Taylor is f***ing stupid. Talk quieter. She’s right next door with her ear to the wall. She calls Taylor a dumb bitch, and storms back out. Taylor’s brother tells her that she’s not the bad guy. What would Jesus do? Taylor says, keep quiet, and she’s been trying to. Her brother says, good for her. He loves her. Madison and Craig are still at the table drinking, and Craig says he gets what they’re all saying; the stories don’t add up. Madison gets the hiccups, and says she gives Taylor credit for standing up and not crying. Craig says, they don’t know what story the other one is telling, and I’m thinking, what the hell is he talking about? They are telling the same story; they just made out. Craig tells Madison to say, I’m not a fish, something about breathing and hiccups, but it doesn’t work.

JT says, they came, they conquered, it’s time to go. I’ll bet it’s gonna be a quiet flight home. Back already, Whitney brings Chaucey to Patricia, and suggests the dog needs Ozempic. Brett is home, and Madison tells him that she’s still hung over. He says, it’s not her last hurrah. They’ve got to do something else. Madison says she’s celebrating every day she’s not pregnant. What if she’s boring? Brett insists she can’t be, and Madison says she’s thinking about doing a dinner and inviting Craig and Paige. JT FaceTimes with Rod and says, if Austen comes on the next trip, he’s out. He doesn’t want to be around Austen. Rod says, JT and Taylor were like two peas in a pod, and JT says, on every flight, they were side by side. Rod says he can still hear them giggling behind him, and we see a clip of that. JT says, whenever they’re together, they’re laughing and playing, and Rod says, they’re vibing. He suggests JT do something there. Taylor’s mom Leslie calls and asks how the trip was. Taylor says she wasn’t expecting it to go the way it did. She thought they put everything to rest, but it was the opposite She cries and says she thinks she’s not used to be broken down by someone she cares about. It’s hurtful. Olivia tells her mom Robin about eavesdropping on overhearing Taylor. She says she doesn’t understand how Taylor could have said she and Austen didn’t even date. She’ll never look at Taylor the same way again. Robin says she doesn’t know where Taylor’s head is at. Olivia doesn’t need more to deal with, and she thinks Olivia should steer clear for her emotional well-being. Leslie tells Taylor, at the core is what else has gone on in Olivia’s life. She needs grace, and Leslie wants Taylor to move forward. Be humble and kind and be with friends who love her. I’d find a new friend circle. Does she really want to be on the show this much?

Austen and sister Katie drink champagne, and Katie asks how Jamaica was. He says, good, he thinks, and we flash back to the messiness of it all. Katie says she thinks he’s in denial, and he says he was being attacked and Shep was upset with him. Shep prides himself on giving people the horns. Austen doesn’t know the correct path, but it stings more when someone you care about says negative things. Shep and Olivia are triggered by his presence. He knows he pissed Olivia off, and her feelings are valid, but then she calls him or sends him things on the internet. She acted like he didn’t exist at the mountain house, then called him on the way home. She was yelling at him in Jamaica, and after they came back, she was calling him and asking if he wanted to walk on the beach. In Austen’s interview, he says, a perfect example of how Olivia is hot and cold was the Oscars. After Jamaica, they were live texting the whole night. Then when they’re in front of their friends, she bites his head off. He thought they were good. He tells Katie that his therapist described it as being gaslit, and Katie asks if it always went on or was it post what happened. He says, post what happened to Olivia’s brother, and Katie says, Olivia has a lot going on. He says, emotions are flying high, and Olivia has a lot of reason, but at a certain point, he’s paid his penance. Katie says she thinks they need to take time apart. She doesn’t think they can make progress if they’re around each other and keep getting upset. He says he doesn’t think he can ever completely close the book on Olivia.

Madison starts setting up for dinner, and I love, love, love the little branches with tiny oranges (or whatever) on them in vases decorating the table. She calls Patricia, asking how she is, and Patricia says, every day, she’s better. She reads, talks on the phone, and watches bad movies. It could be worse. Madison says, when Brett is out of town, they’ll have a sleepover and talk about everybody. Patricia says, not them, and Madison says she needs help. She’s having a dinner party and hired a chef to cook. She’ll heat it up and take credit. In Madison’s interview, she says, this is out of her comfort zone. It’s the first time she’s being an actual present wife in the home, doing things she wasn’t able to do before. She it wants everything to be perfect. She’s turning into a Type-A. Patricia gives her advice on glassware, and says, Madison is now a married woman, and she’s got to start entertaining. Madison asks if it’s bad she’s not cooking, and Patricia says, not in her book.

Paige is in Charleston and tells Craig that she can’t believe Madison is married. Craig says, Brett and Madison met after they did, but everyone has their own timetable. In Craig’s interview, he says, after all the dysfunction he’s witnessed, he appreciated just having someone he gets along with and loves. All that matters is that he’s happy and she’s supportive. And technically, until they decide to have children, it doesn’t matter where they live. He says, Madison asked if they were going to be long distance forever, and he said, not if they have kids. He knows she’s not ready and he’s prepared to wait. He knows she’s not in a hurry, and it’s not the end of the world if they don’t end up together. He believes he’s a stable person with or without her. She got him there, but he’s stable to the point where if he had to let her go, he’d be sad, but he wouldn’t freak out. He asks if she hopes it works out with him, and she says she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t. She’d be in New York. She’s dressed all in pastels. Obviously, she loves him.

Shep and Whitney meet for bourbon, and Whitney springs for a $1000 a bottle booze. He tells Shep that he’s stocking his new bar with these people, and in his interview, he says, the cottage is Michael’s former house. It needed a gut renovation. We see a clip with Mike the contractor, and Whitney says, the bottom floor is going to be an understated bar/pub/hang out spot. After it’s finished, he’s never leaving again. Shep says his recovery time is becoming weak. He didn’t move for a couple days after Jamaica. Whitney says, people were screaming at each other, and Shep says, Austen was targeted pretty hard. When it comes to females, Austen is not to be trusted. In Shep’s interview, he says he has questions about Austen’s trustworthiness, and it makes him sad. He tells Whitney that he and Austen have seen too much together and laughed too much together to let that go. He hopes Austen learned a lesson after Jamaica. Switching topics, he says he was at the house with some girls and Taylor came by unannounced with Penny. She’s been leaving her dog when she has something to do. Whitney wonders if Shep isn’t giving her the wrong impression and leading her on, and Shep says, that’s a good question. It’s caused friction with her asking, who’s over there and what are you doing? He intends to talk to her and tell her that he’ll love her forever, but they’re not together. They need to establish parameters.

Getting ready for Madison’s dinner, Paige says, Craig looks like a stressed-out accountant. He says he doesn’t know what to wear, and she says, welcome to her world. (Mine too.) She dresses him, and they drive to Madison’s house. Paige says it looks like something out of a movie, and points out a couple sitting on the porch. Nobody does that. He says, it is idealistic, and a nice place to raise a child. They park in front of the house, and Craig almost brings in his to-go drink. Paige tells him to put it in the car, and he pours the remaining drink on the tree lawn. Paige tells him to act like he’s been someplace before. After checking out their impressive house, Craig asks if they bought the house together, and Madison says, they did. He says, that’s very adult, and in Craig’s interview, he says, they’re grown-ups now. He doesn’t know how they got here, but he’s excited about it. Paige says, this is the first moment she’s wanted to move here.

Paige asks Brett how he likes Charleston, and he says he loves it. He’d never even been to South Carolina, but he loves it now. Madison tells him stuff about someone sleeping with someone’s ex, and he wonders what they do out here. Paige says, they asked what happens when they break up in NYC, and she said, never see them again. Craig says, it’s an incestuous town, and I totally agree. Brett asks about Paige’s flight, and she says, sometimes it takes her longer to get to the airport. Craig says, Madison and Brett are the only other long-distance couple, and Madison says she doesn’t know if Brett could put up with her 24/7. Paige asks if Brett feels like he has friends here, and Brett says he has friends aside from Madison’s friends. Madison asks if Craig would like to apply for a position. Brett asks if they have plans, and Craig says, they have plans to make plans. They’re letting the current take them wherever it’s going. One day, they want kids, but Paige isn’t ready. Paige says she’s not ready to move, live in a cul-de-sac, and have a baby. In Madison’s interview, she says she never had plans to do that either. Then she met Brett and asked, which cul-de-sac? Brett says, they can take other steps. Getting engaged doesn’t mean they have to get married quickly and have kids. Paige says, but if they get engaged and she didn’t move here, wouldn’t it be weird? Madison says, they did it for almost a year, and Paige asks how Brett knew what kind of engagement ring to get Madison. He says she sent him some shapes. Paige says she doesn’t know what she likes. She’s tried on her friends’ rings, but none of them feel like her. Madison asks if Paige would like to try on hers, and of course Paige says, yes. It’s really beautiful, a single oval stone in a simple setting. Madison says, oval, 3.5 carats or more.  

Next time, the finale – a New Year’s gift! – Whitney has a Valley of the Dolls theme party; JT tells Taylor that he loves her; Shep asks if Taylor wants to get back together; and Austen finally has enough of JT, and slams him. Somebody had to.

🥁 Keeping Time With the Ox and Lamb…

Come back tomorrow for soap and a pre-holiday display of wisdom and nonsense. Until then, stay safe, stay rolling with the punches and keeping your sense of humor, and stay appreciating it if you have someone you get along with and love.

Dec21

December 20, 2023 – Charlotte Admires Her First Battle Wound, Christina Is Back, Dorit Needs To Answer the Question & Gentlemen

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia looks at a video of Georgie with a gingerbread house and suggests she and Maxie show off their engineering skills to Mac, but Georgie wants to change into something with less frosting on it first. Maxie asks her to check on Bailey, but don’t wake her up, and Georgie leaves. Felicia says, Maxie seems distracted. She’s missing out on Christmas Eve with her kids. Maxie says she’s trying to get in the spirit. This year, the holidays just remind her of how fast life changes. This time last year, Deception was such a success. She was riding high even though she’d just broken up with Austin. She still can’t believe he’s gone. (I can’t believe I forgot all about her and Austin.) She doesn’t have any lingering feelings or regrets for breaking up with him, she just feels awful about how he died. Felicia says, Maxie has a lot going on, but keep the faith. She has the feeling that by this time next year, things will be looking up for Maxie. Maxie says she hopes so, when the doorbell rings.

Josslyn asks if Dex is ready to spend his first Christmas with her family, and he says he needs her to guide him through. She says, first, she needs to guide herself. She really needs this break from classes and studying and… She sees Adam outside the door and asks what he’s still doing here.

Charlotte comes out of her room to see Doc and Laura and asks when they got here. Laura says, they haven’t been here long at all, and hugs her, saying, merry Christmas. Her dad needed to step out for a moment, and she was taking a nap, so he asked them to come over. Charlotte says, it’s Christmas Eve. What could he possibly be doing?

At the MetroCourt, Valentin knocks at Anna’s door and she opens it.

Elizabeth puts on an apron and wonders how they’re going to get all this done tonight, but Aiden says, don’t worry. He’s a professional. She says she’s not. Just keep doing what he’s doing – the doorbell rings – and she’ll get the door. She opens it to Finn and Violet, and says, merry Christmas Eve. He tells her, merry Christmas Eve (is that a thing?), and she says, come in. Finn asks if Violet isn’t going to wish Aunt Elizabeth a merry Christmas Eve, and less than enthusiastically, Violet says, merry Christmas.

Maxie opens the door and Spinelli is there, shivering and wet. He says he requires her urgent assistance.

Portia says, Curtis looks deep in thought, and he says, just admiring his blessings. Look at his beautiful family – we see Trina, Stella, and Marshall gathered around the table – happy and together. And since they are, everyone gather around. He has something to tell them all. Something life changing.

Valentin says he was surprised to get Anna’s phone call. Can they make this quick? He’s missing Christmas Eve with his daughter. She says, yes, of course (🍷). How’s Charlotte? Please tell her that Charlotte’s doing well. He says, she’s got a long road ahead of her, but she’s much better. He wishes he’d told Anna the truth from the start. She says, he owed her the truth, but she owes him the same.

Laura says, Charlotte’s dad was hoping to be back before she woke up, but she’s sure he’ll be here any minute now. Charlotte says she hopes so. Papa promised they’d spend Christmas together, since last year he was… away. Laura says she, for one, is very happy to be home for Christmas. She’s very grateful to get some time with her sweet, little granddaughter. (Charlotte is neither sweet nor little, but because it’s Laura, I’ll let it pass.) Charlotte says she’s very happy they’re here, both of them, and Doc says, thank you. Now does anyone know how to make a ribbon all squiggly? Charlotte says, it’s ridiculously easy, and he says, prove it, handing her the wrapped box.

Elizabeth tells Violet that Aiden is making cookies and they’re going to sing some Christmas carols. Finn asks if she thinks she wants to do some singing, and Violet says, maybe. Can she go color now? He tells her, sure, if that’s what she wants to do, and she goes to the coffee table. Elizabeth asks, what’s going on? but he says he doesn’t know. Leo Quartermaine told her Santa isn’t real, but he already handled it. He thought maybe she was just tired, but she’s been like this all day. Elizabeth says, that doesn’t sound like her. Did anything else happen? He says he asked her, but she won’t tell him. He doesn’t know what to do at this point. She says, just lay low and give her some time, and he says, maybe they’ll get a Christmas miracle.

Josslyn says she thought Adam had an early flight this morning, but he says, not exactly. She says, then what exactly? and he says he’s not going home. She says, since when? He didn’t mention this when they were studying last night. He says, technically, he didn’t decide until this morning, and she says, so he chose to stay in the dorms alone on Christmas? Dex says, some people enjoy the peace and quiet, and Adam says, see? Josslyn says, okay, but the dining halls are closed. What is he going to eat? He says he can call for delivery service, and there’s so much ramen in his room… She says, that’s pathetic. Come on. She and Dex can give him a ride back. He says he can’t go home.

Curtis says, let him start by saying he’s so grateful to share this holiday with them all. It’s been a challenging year, and he can truthfully say he wouldn’t have made it through without the love and support of each of them. Stella says, amen. They love him too. Now spit it out. He says, lovely Portia has been researching clinical trials for people with paralysis. She found experimental treatment that might restore his ability to walk. Stella says, that’s wonderful. He did apply for participation. He says he’s already under consideration, and Trina asks when he’ll start if they select him. He says, it could be as soon as January, and Portia says, that’s exactly right. The doorbell rings – since everyone got a doorbell for Christmas – and Portia answers. Spencer says, merry Christmas.

Anna says, so they now know for certain, James Forsythe was responsible for setting fire to her house, and Valentin thanks her for the confirmation. It was a relief to know Charlotte wasn’t responsible for the arson, but it’s good to know who was and why she was targeted. Brennan? The director? She’s lucky to be alive. She says, luck and an assist from Dante. He says he should have warned her the moment he knew Charlotte was targeting her. None of this would have happened. She says, Charlotte was collateral damage in a conspiracy targeted at her, and she apologizes for that, and he says, no, he apologizes. She says she just wanted him to hear it from her, now that this whole sordid business is over, and he asks if they’re sure about that.

Spinelli thanks Maxie for the shower and the spare clothes, and Felicia says, it’s a good thing she still had that box of Max’s spare clothes they were donating to the shelter. They’ve been in the car all week. Maxie says, they came in handy. So is he going to tell her what happened? Felicia says, do tell, and he says, a pipe burst in his apartment and the super was able to shut it off before it affected other units, but not before his was rendered uninhabitable. Maxie asks, what happened to his computers? and he says he was able to salvage most of it and put it in a storage unit. Some of it is still in his trunk. Felicia says, you poor thing, and he says, that’s why he showed up here looking like a drowned rat. He didn’t mean to impose. He just needed a place to dry off. Maxie says, he was coming here for dinner anyway. This was perfect. He says, while he’d love to dine with her, he supposes he should figure out his lodging. The MetroCourt is booked, and all of the other nice places, but he supposes he could venture further out to Sawyer or Greenfield. Maxie says, he’ll do no such thing, but he says, it’s only temporary until he finds another apartment. Maxie says, absolutely not. He’s living here.

As they make cookies, Aiden asks if Elizabeth is upset that Cam decided to go skiing with his new girlfriend this Christmas, and she says she’s not going to lie. She felt a little twinge about it, since obviously she misses him, but she’s not surprised. He seems to really like this girl. Is Aiden upset? He says, it would have been nice to see him, but he gets it. She asks if he feels a little left out now that his brothers have girlfriends, and he says, actually, there’s someone he likes too.

Jake asks if Violet wants to help him make paper snowflakes, and sits on the sofa, putting the supplies on the table. He shows her what to do and says, careful with the scissors. She says she knows how to use scissors, and he asks if she visited Santa. She nods, and he asks if she thinks she’ll get everything she wants this year. She shakes her head, and he puts his arm around her. He says, she doesn’t have to talk about it, but it might help if she does. She says, her daddy is going away.

Trina hugs Spencer and says, he made it. He sets some bags under the tree and says, wow. Trina says she’ll tell him stories about the ornaments. There might be a few she’s made. He says he’d like to see them, and Curtis says, welcome. Spencer thanks him, shaking his hand, and says, nice to see everyone. Miss Henry, Mr. Ashford. Marshall says, young Mr. Cassadine, and shakes his hand. Good to see him. Maybe he and Trina could put some Christmas tunes on. Spencer says, he almost forgot. One of the light strands out front went out. Curtis thanks him, and Portia asks if he knew Spencer was coming over. He says, maybe Trina just forgot to tell them, and she says, welcoming unexpected guests is all part of Christmas, right? He says, she’s entitled to how she feels. Is she sure she wants to start this next year at odds with the young man her daughter loves? She says, right, and puts on a smile.

Marshall goes out on the terrace, and Stella asks what he’s doing out in the cold. He says, she sounds like I… He’s fine. He just needed a moment, that’s all. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s beyond okay. Last year, he was surprised to be celebrating the holidays with his son and grandson, and this year, he gets to do it again with a brand-new granddaughter. It’s overwhelming. He never thought he deserved all this, the way he walked out on them. She says, let it go. It’s in the past. He can’t keep beating himself up over it. He says he knows. He had a conversation with Irene just the other night right here. They sit, and he says, Irene told him to count his blessings and get over himself. And he’s not hitting the sauce. She says she talks to her sister all the time. They say death doesn’t end a relationship. She feels Irene’s presence around her just as close as she did when she was helping Irene raise his boys. He says he’s beyond grateful that she took on his family the way she did, and she did a wonderful job. She says, it was her honor and her pleasure, and he says, she always had his back. She bridged the gap between him and Curtis when he came back. She kept his secret. She says, and he bridged the gap between her and Curtis when she didn’t tell him that Trina might be his daughter. She appreciated that. he says, looks like they’ve been there for each other, but she says, unlikely, but true. He says, she’s a special woman, and she says, and he’s a kind and loving man. She’s sorry for all he’s endured, including losing the two women he loved, Irene and Epiphany. He deserves all the happiness he can hold. He says he’s sorry she had to give up the gentleman she was going to marry to look after Irene and his boys, and she says, of course (🍷) she would do what she could for her sister and her nephews. She loved them. She and Irene were two peas in a pod. He says, yes, but she was always the feisty pea, and they laugh. A modern version of Deck the Halls plays, and Stella gets up. She says she loves this song, and Marshall joins her. He says, give him that hand, and they dance. He swings her into his arms, and they look at each other. Aww, I like it.

Marshall steps back and says he’s sorry. He got a little carried away. She says, let’s blame it on the music. You know what? I left the stove on. She runs inside.

Adam tells Josslyn that his parents will ask a million questions about his grades and what courses he’s taking next semester. They’d get in his head. So he told them that he had an internship over winter break. This way, he’ll have more time to get his head straight, and he’ll do better in class come January. Josslyn says, so he lied to them again. This is becoming a pattern with him. He says he panicked. He just didn’t want to disappoint them with his grades. She says, his grades are excellent, but he says, his parents won’t think so. Besides, the flights are way too expensive now. So there’s no way he can go home without telling them the truth and begging them for cash. Trust him. It’s better this way. He hopes they have a good Christmas. He leaves, and Dex says, what was that about? Josslyn says she should invite him over to her mom’s house for Christmas, right? Not to stay over of course (🍷). He can stay here, but just so he’s not alone the whole time. She’ll check with her mom. She takes out her phone.

Doc puts a box under the tree and says, and that is the last of them. Charlotte says she still has unwrapped gifts in her room (I feel that pain), and Doc says, of course (🍷) she does. Charlotte says, maybe after they’re done, they could watch Christina Comes Home for Christmas, and Laura says, there’s no avoiding that one, is there? (See below.) She used to watch that movie with Charlotte’s mom. Charlotte says, that’s why they should watch it together, and Laura says, it’s a movie date then, hugging her. Doc says he guesses it’s time for him to rustle up some movie snacks, and goes to the kitchen. Charlotte says she’ll go get the gifts, and leaves. Laura sits down and looks at photos on her phone. She says, sweet little Lu. You’re daughter’s growing up and she needs you. She’ll find a way to get Charlotte through this. She just wishes they were doing it together.

Charlotte pulls a shopping bag out from under the bed and touches her side. She goes over to the mirror and pulls up her shirt where the bullet wound looks miraculously healed. She says, her first battle wound. She goes to her jewelry box and takes out a locket with the Cassadine crest on it. She puts it on, and says, anything for family, looking at herself in the mirror. Doc walks in.

Anna tells Valentin, Jameson is dead; Brennan is in custody. She believes that she’s no longer in any danger. Besides, she feels as if she did the Bureau a service by rooting out a corrupt director. He says, if she’s hoping for a fruit basket, he wouldn’t hold his breath, and she laughs. She says she’d be happy if they reinstated her pension, interest accrued, and I’m thinking, she has more of a chance of getting the fruit basket. She tells Valentin that she would be remiss in saying there aren’t still enemies out there. He and his family would do well to keep their distance. He says, it’s never stopped him before. He has plenty of enemies. She’s always stood by him. She says, they were a great team.

Outside, Portia tells Curtis, Christmas lights go out, Spencer crashes our family Christmas… bad omen or… Spencer comes out and asks if they need help, but Portia says, they’re good. Spencer says, it is cold outside, and three sets of eyes… Curtis thanks him and says, they’d appreciate that. Spencer says he really hopes they get a chance to get to know each other a little bit better in the next year, and Portia says she’s happy to hear that. As long as he makes Trina happy, they’re happy. He says he definitely intends to make her happy. She loves them both so much, and he loves her. Portia asks what he really knows about love though.

Anna and Valentin almost kiss, but Anna backs away. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says, he already knows, but he tells her that he wants to hear her say it. She says, being here with him is just so easy. Now that all the secrets are out and the dust is beginning to settle, she can feel them again. But she closes her eyes and she’s back in that doorway with the dark apartment and the gun goes off in her hand and Charlotte is crumpled on the floor. They can’t go forward, as much as she loves him, and she does love him. He says, and he loves her, but she says, his responsibility is to his daughter. She’s in so much pain. She has to process this whole trauma of the shooting. Charlotte needs him. Anna can no longer be part of his family.

Charlotte asks if Doc hasn’t heard of knocking, and he says, the door was open. She says, sorry. He just startled her. He apologizes and says he just came to find out if she’d like peppermint or regular hot chocolate. She says, peppermint would be lovely, thanks, and he asks if she wants him to carry that bag of presents for her, but she says she’s got it and thanks him. He says, that’s an interesting necklace, and she says, it’s a family heirloom. It was Helena Cassadine’s. Grandfather Victor left it to her in his will and she was thinking of wearing it, but she doesn’t think it’s giving a Christmas vibe. Doc says he’ll leave her to it, and she closes the door behind him. She leans against it and looks at the necklace. (Do you remember that at the reading of the will, because I don’t.)

Spinelli says he couldn’t impose, but Maxie says she got this house so her family could spread out. He’s family. He can take the guest room. He’ll have plenty of room for his computers. Felicia says, it sounds ideal, but Spinelli says he doesn’t know. Maxie says, it’s not forever, just until his apartment is ready, and Felicia says, he knows how everything closes down during the holidays. He says, okay, but only if he can pay Maxie rent, but Maxie says, no. He’s Georgie’s father. She can’t charge him rent. Besides, he’ll be like free, in-house childcare. He says, Georgie’s care is his blessing, not his burden. That goes for all the kids. Truly, he must insist. Her utilities are going to skyrocket. He uses a lot of electricity and water, and he requires top-speed internet. Maxie sees a shopping bag and says, look. The gifts didn’t get ruined in the flood. Felicia says, they must have been in the car already. It’s a good thing. He says, how fortuitous, taking the bag. Georgie runs in and hugs him. She says, he’s late for their Christmas Eve celebration. Are those for them? Wouldn’t it be great if he could spend the night? That way, they could open it tomorrow morning. Spinelli says he’s not sure about that, and Georgie asks Maxie to convince him.

Jake asks Violet to tell her dad what she just told him. She’s got this. She says she heard him and Uncle Chase last night. It sounded like Finn did something bad. He said Finn was going to court. That’s why people go to jail. Finn says he’s so sorry this has been bothering her all day. He’s not going to jail. She asks, then why has he been so sad? and he says, she’s too perceptive for his own good. He’s been a little sad lately because some people think he made a mistake at work and they’re doing an investigation, but he knows he didn’t do anything wrong, and they’re going to work it out. She asks why he’s going to court, and he says, just to make everything official. That’s the way hospitals do things. She says, so he’s not going away? and he says, not ever. She says, pinkie promise? holding out her finger, and he says, pinkie promise. Just her and him together forever. She tells him, that’s what Jake said, and hugs him. Finn says, Jake’s smart.

Elizabeth says, so Aiden was saying he liked someone? and Aiden says, yeah. She says she’d like to hear more if he wants to tell her, and he says, they’re in his science class. They’re really smart. They got to talking about how there’s a lot of science in baking and they asked him to do some demonstrations for the Science Club. She says, so that’s what he’s been doing after school. They sound really nice. Aiden says, his name is Tobias.

Elizabeth says, the science fair. Did he make the wind turbine? Aiden says, he’s really into the environment, and she says she remembers. She thought he should have won. Aiden says, him too, and hugs her.

Portia tells Spencer that she’s sorry. That completely came out wrong. He says, that’s a good question, and until he met Trina, he wouldn’t have known how to answer it. He realizes he’s made a lot of mistakes, and even though he and Trina are in a better place now, it’s not lost on him what he put her through, and he knows he still has a lot to prove to them. But he will. Because he loves Trina more than anyone else he’s ever loved in his entire life. She makes him want to be so much better, and that means earning their forgiveness. And he hopes eventually their respect and their trust. They don’t say anything, and he plugs in the lights, saying, let there be light. He goes inside and Curtis says, well, what about that? Didn’t what Spencer said move her at all?

Trina says he’s back and he survived, and he says, barely. Her mom is tough. Trina says, she’ll come around, but he says he’s not so sure. She says she loves him for trying, and kisses him.

Maxie tells Georgie that it’s her dad’s choice whether he stays or not, and Georgie says, come on. It’ll be fun. Spinelli says he might stay longer than one night. His apartment is waterlogged, and he has no idea how long it will take to repair it. She says, he’s moving in? and Maxie says, they’re discussing it. Georgie says, what’s to discuss? and Felicia says, her sentiments exactly. Spinelli says, they’re defining terms. To wit, whether or not he’ll be a guest or a tenant. Georgie says, all that matters is that he’ll be here. Please? She’ll be extra good and clean her room. She and James can even cook dinner… Maxie says, they can’t use the stove. Has she been using the stove? Georgie asks if it wouldn’t be nice to have dad here for a little while, and Felicia says, it would be a good deed for her daughter’s father. Maxie says, fine. She’ll agree to his ridiculous deal. Georgie says, yay! and Maxie says, you, little Miss Puppy Dog Eyes, can help me set up the guest room. They leave, and Spinelli says he thinks she bought it, doesn’t Felicia? Felicia says, yeah, and claps her hands together.

Laura asks Doc, what’s wrong? Did something happen with Charlotte? He says, no… When he was in her room, he heard her talking to herself. She’s very proud of her wound; her first battle wound, she called it. Laura says, wow. She’s not the expert here – he is – but could that be a way of her coping with her ordeal? Or maybe she feels victorious because she broke up her father and Anna? Either way, she doesn’t think they should underestimate the damage Victor has done to her. He says, that’s likely and he’ll keep examining this in their sessions. Laura says, she seemed so much like her normal self earlier, and he says, when she’s around Laura, she relaxes. She becomes more herself; she’s spontaneous. In her room just now, she was wearing a necklace that she said Victor left to her in his will. Laura says, that’s Helena’s.

Trina says, these earrings are so gorgeous, and thanks Spencer. He says, of course (🍷). So is she. He hopes she likes them. She says she loves them because they came from him, and they kiss. Portia comes in and asks, who’s ready for their tradition? and Stella asks, what tradition is this? Marshall says he’ll make some more cider, but Stella says, it’s already done. The pot’s warming now. He says, great minds, and Trina says, every year, they make an ornament for the tree. Spencer says he’ll get out of her hair and let her enjoy her family tradition, but Portia asks if he has somewhere more important to be, because he’s on glue gun duty. They gather around the table, and Trina says, merry Christmas Eve everybody. They reply, merry Christmas Eve, even though I don’t think it’s a thing.

Adam knocks at Josslyn’s door, and asks, what’s up? She says, he’s invited to her family’s house for Christmas Eve, the part of her family that’s going to be at her mom’s house. He asks if it’s cool with everybody, and she says, they’d love to have him. Right, Dex? Dex says, the more, the merrier, and Adam says he’ll grab his coat and meet them outside.

Felicia says, Maxie seemed to believe Spinelli. Showing up wet was a bold move. She thought they discussed mold, but he says he wanted to go with a strong visual. Great save with the bag of gifts, by the way. She says she can think on her feet, and he says, yes, she can. This was a really great scheme to help Maxie through her financial struggles. He thanks her for looping him in, and she says, Maxie is too stubborn and proud to accept money without feeling like it’s charity. This way, it’s a win-win. Maxie and Georgie come back, and Georgie says, his room is all ready. She’s really sorry his apartment is under water, but now that he’s staying with them, this is going to be the best Christmas ever. He hugs her and laughs.

Elizabeth says, batch number 3 and 4 in the works, and Aiden thanks her for helping him. She thanks him for trusting her enough to tell her about Tobias. She loves him. He says he loves her too.

Laura asks if Doc thinks Charlotte values the necklace because it was Helena’s, and he says, she seems to be proud of that fact. Laura says, so many people have told her so many things about Helena. Why would she ever want to emulate her? He says, off the top of his head, he would say she’s looking for role models. People she feels are powerful. Survivors. Unfortunately, Helena, Victor – in other words, the darker figures in the family – certainly qualify. She may be using them as a way to cope with her trauma. Laura says, sort of like an emotional crutch. She can’t believe it. All the years she spent worrying about Nikolas, trying to save him from the darkness he inherited from the Cassadines. She never dreamed Charlotte would have to battle the same demons. She can’t lose Charlotte too. She has to find a way to get through to Charlotte. In her bedroom, Charlotte puts on the necklace again and looks in the mirror.

Valentin asks how Anna expects him to let her go. If he’s looked forward to anything in this life, it’s because of her. He doesn’t know where he’d be today without her. She says, he accepted her, all of her. She never felt more seen than when she was with him. She’s very grateful for their time together. He says he’s loved her his whole life. He doesn’t know how he’s going to stop that. She says, then let’s not do that. Let’s just accept that. A part of her will always love him, and he says, a part of him will always love her. She says, if love were enough, they would probably be together, wouldn’t they? But… He says, it’s complicated, and she kisses his hand. She says, there. Let’s call it, okay? With as much respect and dignity as we can. He nods, and pulls her close, holding her as she cries. He says he always knew, if he could ever have her, he could never keep her. She pulls away, still holding his hands, and he says, goodbye, Anna. She says, goodbye, Valentin, and he walks out the door, glancing back one more time before he leaves. She smiles sadly at him, and when he’s gone, she sits down and sighs.

Tomorrow, Lois says she brought enough for everyone; Spinelli wants to know what someone is doing here; Sasha says, someone is completely out of line; and Sonny tells Dante, whoever is targeting him and Anna is still out there.

🎁 Coming Home Again…

You can find the whole movie on YouTube.

Christina Comes Home For Christmas on GH — Everything You Need to Know

The Real Unpleasant Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton meets date Sal at a restaurant, and in her interview, she says, it’s the first date where Alessandra set her up. We flash back to their meeting with Dorit, and Sutton says, a first date is a butterfly moment. He could be the one. He’s tall, handsome, and a gentleman. Sal has promise. We find out Sal is from NYC, but loves L.A. He doesn’t miss the humidity and mosquitos in the east. He sweats a lot in the humidity. He’s lived in L.A. since 1990, but his mom still lives in the house he grew up in. He’s in office supplies, and his mom is 88, so he likes to spend as much time with her as he can. He went to Vegas with his mom, and she told the concierge that they needed something to do. They suggested a show of the old school variety, and it was topless. He’s probably the only person whose mother ever told them, what happens in Vegas… As Sal goes on and on about his mother, in Sutton’s interview, she says, this is a serious red flag. There are too many mother stories for her to handle. She’s still proud of herself for staying. Prior to this, she would have had to leave for an emergency or a hangnail. Even though Sal isn’t right, she’s making progress. Sal says he’s digging her shoes.

Kyle has charcuterie for days and has invited the women over. Arriving first, Annemarie tries to pet Pomeranian Romeo and tries to nip her. She says she’d thought they were having a moment, but Romeo was like, no, we’re not. Dorit comes in and remarks on the miles of charcuterie. Kyle says, it’s Shabbot, and she has so much food. The three of them discuss Sutton’s narrow esophagus, and Annemarie insists she didn’t say anything wrong. Dorit says she doesn’t understand, and lists the oddities she finds with Sutton and food. In Annemarie’s interview, she says she hasn’t known Sutton long, but the inconsistencies are telling, and Sutton gets mad when anyone exposes her. We flash back to Sutton sarcastically asking if they should all go to have her esophagus stretched. Kyle says she’s producing a one-hour drama, and Dorinda asks what else Kyle is doing that she doesn’t know about. Did she get more tattoos? Kyle says she got one more and has six now. Dorit asks if Mauricio has seen it, and Kyle says she showed him, and he was annoyed. We flash back to Mauricio chiding his lovebean, and Kyle tells them that Morgan let her tattoo a K on her. We flash back to that, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, her husband put her name on his arm. Kyle and Morgan must have a really close friendship. Dorit says, Morgan and Kyle have been friends for a year – Kyle says, two years – but Kyle has never put a D on her body.

Garcelle meets Erika at a super cool bar that’s incorporated feathers into its décor, and in Erika’s interview, she says she and Garcelle were friendly at first. then they got on the wrong track, mostly because of her. We flash back to Garcelle telling Erika to respect her kid and Erika apologizing, and Erika says, it will be nice to have drinks. Hopefully they can rekindle something. Erika tells Garcelle, be careful. What you wish for might show up. She’s got the residency in Vegas and now she’ll have to perform. In her interview, Erika says, she’s done nothing like this before. Everything is riding on her. She tells Garcelle, it’s amazing how your life can turn around when you stay in the fight. The best thing she’s done is walk forward, no matter how small the steps may be. In her interview, she says she knows it’s a step in the right direction. Garcelle says, a friend is joining them, and Erika asks if Denise is coming. She knows Denise is coming to Taco Tuesday. We see a clip of Garcelle telling Crystal to invite Denise, and Garcelle says, she’ll see. Sutton walks in, and Erika says she knew this was a set-up. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, she’s bringing Erika and Sutton together. They’re all single women, and when they let everything go, they have a good time. It’s a social experiment. Sutton says, Erika makes her laugh, and Erika says, Sutton makes her frustrated, but it’s okay. Erika says, she almost sent an article about gossip in the South to Sutton. They don’t gossip; they put you on their prayer list. She needs to put Denise on her prayer list. Denise needs to stop and give up her four-year beef. Garcelle says, Denise wasn’t clear on her issues. She saw Denise afterwards. We flash back to their lunch with Sutton, and Garcelle says she thinks Denise is holding on to something she wants to get out. Erika says, with what happened to her in the last few years, she took a beating with public scrutiny. At some point, she had to say she’d turned the page. She didn’t want to go there with Denise. Garcelle wonders what’s going to happen on Taco Tuesday, and Erika says, they’re going to have a nice time. She’ll be ready for what walks through the door. Sutton says she’s scared because Lent is over, and they drink a lot of vodka. Erika says, it’s $7 for a naked bundle of Denise on OnlyFans, and Sutton asks if Denise is really naked. Erika says, it started as porn, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, she can do better than that. How about $10?  

Kyle FaceTimes with Annemarie who’s in Hawaii. Kyle says she’s so jealous. She’s getting ready for Taco Tuesday. Denise and Erika will be there, and she doesn’t know what’s going to happen. While she gets ready, Sutton tells her glam team about Denise on OnlyFans, buys the bundle, and gives Denise a tip. She says she hopes she doesn’t find anything real bad… oh! She doesn’t want to know. Garcelle picks up Denise, whose in-laws are visiting for year and a half. Garcelle tells Denise that Erika will want to hear her laundry list of complaints, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s only right for her to tell Denise what Erika said. They need to put this thing to bed. Kyle and Dorit ride together, and Dorit asks why she didn’t know what Kyle’s been doing. She guesses she has to put Kyle’s initial on her body for her to care. In Dorit’s interview, she says she genuinely feels hurt that Kyle has distanced herself. They used to go away a few times year, but Kyle hasn’t invited her on any trips. In Kyle’s interview, she says she hasn’t been reaching out because she felt disappointed in Dorit. We flash back to the Reunion and Dorit telling Kathy that Kyle wants her to accept responsibility, and Kyle saying, this is something that should be discussed in private. Kyle says, when they’re alone, Dorit feels bad. She’s supportive and on Kyle’s side. But when they’re all together, it’s a different tune. That doesn’t feel like a friend. Kyle tells Dorit that people don’t understand her and Morgan’s friendship, and Dorit says, Kyle is morphing into Morgan. In her interview, Dorit says, much of who Kyle has become is who Morgan is. She doesn’t just feel excluded, she feels like she’s been replaced.

Crystal gets ready for Taco Tuesday, and in her interview, she says, there’s nothing she likes more than hosting a dinner. She always has too much left over. It’s a classic Asian culture thing. If your table is empty, that means the guests go home hungry. You’re a bad host if you don’t have an abundant table full of food and lots of to-go boxes. Friend Nia and Dorit arrive first, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she’s always surprised at how many friends Crystal has. She knows it’s that number minus 14, but still… They talk about Vegas, and Nia says, her husband, comedian Bill Burr, performs there. Dorit says, when they were at Magic Mike, one of the girls had a meltdown, and Nia wonders how that’s possible in the happiest place on earth.  

Denise arrives, with Erika coming not much later. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s cold and irritable, and who’s here but Denise, the last person she wants to see. Denise tell Dorit that when she got home from the weed dinner from hell, she had a fever of 103, and in Dorit’s interview, she tells us, if you say so. We flash back the upside-down jacket, and Dorit says, a fever – she mimics drinking – nothing else. She’s buying it. Kim comes in and it’s time to eat. Dorit tells Sutton that she didn’t try to poach Avi, and we flash back, seeing that she clearly did. Dorit says, stop accusing her of doing things she’s not doing, and Sutton says, stop accusing her of putting vodka in her coffee. She doesn’t drink coffee. Case closed. Dorit says, it wasn’t an accusation, and Erika says, they had a great night with Garcelle the other night. They laughed a lot. Dorit whines that she’s hearing about a fabulous night where she wasn’t invited, and Erika says, Garcelle told on Sutton about making out with her driver.

Crickets chirp, then Garcelle says, Oh my God, and Erika realizes how loud she said it. Sutton says, accidentally maybe she did, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, sometimes you find yourself with someone handsome and charming, who says sit in the front seat. Then you lean in at the same time and accidentally kiss. She tells them, it was a make out session like in Happy Days. Dorit says, she’s taking something sexy and making it as unsexy as she can possibly make it. Kyle finds a tissue in Kim’s scarf, and in Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what Kim has stored in her scarf. Snacks? A phone charger? A small kitten? She doesn’t know what she’ll find. Dorit tells Garcelle that she’s annoyed about Crystal drumming up sh*t, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, Crystal doesn’t say much, but when she does, she’s either talking behind someone’s back or stirring the pot. We flash back to forever ago when Crystal claimed Sutton said something dark. Dorit says, at least if you stir the pot, balance it with something else. She tells Garcelle that she’s ripped about it. She’s finding a moment to discuss it with Crystal where it’s not out of left field. Sutton says, her horse is has moved in to his final apartment and tells them about Santos. She says she has a language with him, and Kim says she talks to animals too; she understands them. Nia asks, what happened in Vegas at Magic Mike? and Sutton says she didn’t like the legs spread with the man’s head in between. Denise asks, who was spreading their legs? and Sutton says, Erika and Crystal. She doesn’t know why she has to explain herself. Some people don’t like mustard, but you don’t ask them why 80 times. She wasn’t in a good headspace and ruined the whole night. Thanks for asking. She appreciates it. Garcelle asks how Nia knew about it, and we flash back to five seconds ago when Dorit told her. Nia tells Garcelle that she playfully said, how can you have a meltdown in the happiest place on earth? and Sutton says, it’s not Disneyland. In Sutton’s interview, she says, who is Nia and why is this story relevant to their Mexican fiesta? Dorit says, Sutton had dollar bills she was flashing around and laughing, and Sutton says, it was a joke. Everyone knows it’s the last thing that would really happen. Dorit says, Sutton made out with her driver, and everyone’s like, what? Garcelle says, hold on. That was between her, Erika, and Sutton. Dorit is saying it to embarrass Sutton and that’s not okay. Dorit says, they were laughing, and Sutton says, her driver has become a friend. Dorit says she’s not judging, and Sutton says, she was attracted, and they were having a conversation. They had a little make out session and it was sweet. She enjoyed it, but they haven’t made out since. Why is Dorit bringing it up? Dorit babbles, and Sutton says, answer the questions. She goes into name ‘em mode, and keeps saying, answer the question, which pisses Dorit off royally. A few of the women are in the kitchen listening, and Kyle says, it feels like déjà vu. Dorit says she’s trying to answer. She just found out five minutes ago. Why do they think she mentioned it? It was in jest; they were all laughing about it. Garcelle says, it felt like Dorit was saying it to embarrass Sutton, and Sutton says, she was. Dorit says, Sutton should give people the benefit of the doubt, and Garcelle asks who people are. Dorit says, her, in this instance, and in her interview, she wonders why it’s okay for Erika to scream it. It’s just another reason for Garcelle to take issue with her. If Garcelle doesn’t like her, stop pretending she does. Garcelle apologizes to Sutton and say she didn’t know Dorit would bring it up. Dorit says, Garcelle just attacked her, and Garcelle says she didn’t. Calm down. In Garcelle’s interview, she says. Dorit lives in a bubble, and it’s triggering. They live in a world that’s aware and woke, but Dorit isn’t in that world. Garcelle says, for the record, she didn’t attack Dorit. They were having a conversation. Dorit says, it felt like an attack. Garcelle was suggesting she was deliberately trying to hurt and embarrass Sutton. Garcelle says she wasn’t suggesting it; she said it. And it wasn’t an attack. She feels like for Dorit and her privilege, she can’t.

Dorit asks what she means, and Erika says, she means that for white people, the word has a different meaning. In Erika’s interview, she says, there’s a different meaning to the word attack when a white person says it to a Black person. She doesn’t think Dorit meant to hurt Garcelle, but she did. Dorit says she’s sorry she triggered a nerve and offended Garcelle. She’d love to have a conversation about it. Garcelle says, she’s good. She’s not here to educate Dorit. Dorit says she thinks Garcelle has, and Garcelle says, that’s on her. In her interview, Dorit says she has no idea where this is coming from. All Garcelle needs to say is, a word triggers her, and she’d immediately understand, apologize, and definitely not use the word again in the future. Crystal comes back in and wants a download. Sutton says, Dorit announced she made out with her driver, and asks where Kyle has been. Kyle says, conspiring in the kitchen, and Dorit says she’s glad Crystal joined the conversation. Sutton said Crystal told her that she accused Sutton of putting vodka in her coffee. We flash back to Dorit saying that, and Crystal says she’s happy to talk about it, and Dorit says she doesn’t want to get it wrong. Denise says, apparently, she did already, and Sutton says she knows her life, what she’s accomplished, and what she’s going to accomplish. And she knows what she can’t do to accomplish it. So continue to chatter. She’s moving forward at a rapid speed. In mean girl Kyle’s interview, she parodies Sutton, saying, if I have a drinking problem, I couldn’t say accomplish so many times. Denise says she thinks it came off as judgmental, and Dorit asks if Denise cleared up the thing with Erika. Denise says, which thing? and Dorit asks if they’ve had a chat. Erika says, they haven’t, and in Erika’s interview, she says, how dare Dorit give her that hot potato? She doesn’t want to fight with Denise, but okay. Dorit asks if Denise has anything to say, and Denise asks if Dorit has anything to say, but Dorit says she doesn’t have the issue. Denise suggests she bring it down a notch then, and Dorit says she’s going to see the husband she hasn’t seen in week, and runs away from the situation of her own making, saying, she’s so ready to go home. Denise asks if Erika wants to have a conversation, but Erika says she doesn’t. Denise had a chance at the dinner party. She came in with an agenda, called Erika a bitch, and Erika apologized sincerely. What was Denise upset about? Denise says, to insinuate her daughters at 14 had a threesome is beyond inappropriate. Erika says, children who have a phone have access to everything and they know what it is. Denise’s oldest daughter is on OnlyFans, and she doesn’t know? Denise says, that’s a low blow, and Erika says, Denise came in slurring and inarticulate, and wanted to call her a bitch, then pretend it didn’t happen. Does Denise think she won’t go as low as she can? Did she think Erika wouldn’t go to OnlyFans? Has Denise met her? Denise says, Erika is a mean woman, and Erika says, Denise asked for it. Denise says she didn’t, and Erika says, then don’t come to Kyle’s house acting like a bitch over something that happened 4 years ago that no one remembers. Denise says she thinks Erika is mean, and Erika says she thinks it’s great. But tell her, who’s more profitable, her or Sami?

To be continued…

🎄 Making Merry Christmas Eve Happen…

Take a break from the madness tomorrow for some soap and debatable Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping old traditions, but also starting new ones, and stay walking forward, no matter how small the steps may be.

Dec20

December 19, 2023 – Brennan’s Secret Is Out, Erika’s Update, A Farewell, Getting Ready, All About Emmy, Don’t Sell, Rude, Menu Reveal, Thirsty Or Not, Married, Surviving, Santa Pets (!) & Farm

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lucy meets Doc at the PC Grill. She says, no wine? and he says he thought he’d wait to order. Aren’t Laura and Martin joining them? She says she doesn’t think they’d mind them having a pre-dinner cocktail. She could use one. It’s been a rough day… week… month… year. He says, that’s a bad time. They see Scotty sitting at the bar, and Doc says, looks like Scotty’s had a rough day as well. Before she says, it, he knows the decent thing to do is to invite him over. She says, Good God, no.

Tracy holds a snow globe and says she misses Luke so much, when Lois walks in with Brook. Tracy puts the snow globe behind her back, and Lois says she spies Tracy looking at that, but don’t worry. They won’t tell anyone that they saw her showing some Christmas spirit. Tracy asks why Brook hasn’t responded to her texts, and Brook says she was Christmas shopping with Chase and Leo and Violet. Tracy says, of course (🍷). Her phone doesn’t work in the proximity of small children. Brook says, she stops looking at it when she’s celebrating the joy of the season, and Tracy says, they have a business meeting tomorrow morning to figure out how this arrangement with Deception works. Brook says, tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, and Tracy says she’s well-aware, but now that Brook is going to be her business protégé, she’s going to have to change her priorities. Ned comes in and says, what’s that? Brook says, it’s true. She’s going back to work at Deception. Tracy says, but this time, it’s going to be different. This time, she’s going to be the boss. He asks if Lois knew about this, and she says she did, and she thinks it’s great.

There’s a knock at Ava’s door, and she opens it to Nina. Ava says she thought they were meeting at Rice Plaza to watch Avery and Donna in the Living Nativity, and Nina says she knows, but she needed to see Ava in private, without Sonny and the girls. Ava asks, why? and Nina says she needs Ava’s help before her whole world comes crashing down.

Just when you think Donna can’t get any cuter, they put her in a lamb costume. She asks if she looks okay, and Sonny says, she looks amazing. Michael joins them, and Donna asks if he’s here to watch her and Avery. He says, of course (🍷) he is. She’s going to be an amazing lamb. Donna says, Avery’s a shepherd, and he says, she’s going to be amazing too. He asks if she’s excited about being in the Living Nativity, and she nods. Cyrus approaches and says he is too.

Carly pours coffee for Sam and sees the headline about Brennan being head of the WSB on Sam’s phone. She asks if that’s the guy Sam and Dante are investigating, and Sam says, yes. He’s the new head of the WSB. Carly says, really. Because he told her that he was a security consultant. Sam says, she knows him? and Carly says, John Brennan. He’s been here in the diner a few times. He was here a half hour ago. Sam asks if he said where he was going, but Carly says, no. He got a phone call, and he took off.

At the pier, Anna says her Interpol contact is going to be here in twenty minutes, and Dante asks if she’s sure she can trust this guy. She says, absolutely. She’s confident they’re on the up and up. He says, it wouldn’t be a stretch for the head of the WSB to request interagency cooperation and make them disappear, but she says, not this time. Brennan’s been trying to ruin her life for months, but that all changes tonight. He’s going down.

Lucy tells Doc, sorry. It’s just that Scotty’s been pushing her to travel with him to Florida at Christmas to see Serina and the manatees. He says, Christmas with her daughter. What’s wrong with that? She says, nothing. She’s very tempted, but Scotty didn’t bother telling Serina about his plans and she found out Serina has a brand-new boyfriend… first Christmas and all. Fortunately for her and Serina, Scotty saw reason, and decided not to make the trip. He says he’s sure it will be nice for her and Martin to spend the holidays together, and she says, yeah. Together.

Ava says, Ned is blackmailing Nina too? and Nina says, it’s like a line is forming. If she doesn’t tell Ned information on Aurora, he’s going to tell Sonny that she’s the one who reported Carly and Drew to the SEC for insider trading. Ava says she guesses Nina better find some information that Ned will find useful, but Nina says she doesn’t have access to the inner workings of Aurora. Let’s just say in a perfect world she magically comes up with something and she tells Ned, and Michael finds out. He’s going to retaliate and tell Sonny. This is an impossible situation. Ava says, it is and she feels for Nina, but she’s got problems of her own.

Cyrus tells Sonny that he’s going to be one of the Wise Men. Melchiore, he believes, but they won’t be wearing nametags. He’s just on his way to pick up his crown and robe. Michael says, Cyrus isn’t coming anywhere near his little sister, but Sonny says, that’s all right. He’s taking care of it. Michael says, Sonny knew about this? and Sonny says he’s watching Cyrus like a hawk. No robes or crowns for him today. Cyrus asks Sonny to be reasonable. It’s a Christmas pageant. Sonny asks Michael to take Donna to the Nativity, and they leave. Cyrus says he doesn’t understand. What is the harm in him participating in the celebration of the holy season? Sonny says, celebrate on his own. He’s already been replaced. (Aww.) Laura and Martin join them, Martin wearing a robe, and Cyrus says, et tu, brother? Martin says, the name’s Melchiore, and Laura tells Cyrus, please don’t make a scene. Cyrus says he’s just surprised. Martin’s been averse to Christmas pageants ever since second grade when he tripped on the robe and knocked over the manger. Laura laughs, and Martin says he’ll make sure to watch his step this time. Laura asks if Cyrus will do this for her. Not as the mayor, but as his sister. Cyrus says he wishes them all the joys of the holiday season, and he leaves. Martin says, that’s what he’d call a Christmas miracle, and Laura suggests they be grateful he decided to play nice for whatever reason. Sonny says, thank you, Lord, for making the Wise Man swap, and Martin puts on his crown. Laura says, it looks like the other kings are gathering over there. Perhaps Martin should join them. Martin asks them to say a prayer he doesn’t trip over something, and this is over before they know it. He tells Laura to remember Lucy and Doc are waiting dinner for them, and he leaves. Laura asks if Sonny thinks Cyrus knew Avery and Donna were in the Living Nativity or it was just a coincidence, and he says he’s not sure, but he’s not taking any chances. Like he said before, he doesn’t think Cyrus killed Austin, but he’s not going to trust Cyrus anywhere near anyone he cares about.

Ava brings out the locked box and puts in the combination. It opens, and Nina says, she bought another gun? Ava says she didn’t buy it. It just appeared. She found it in the drawer the day she moved in, along with an ominous note saying, you’ll never know when you’ll need it. Nina says, so someone’s stalking her, and Ava says, or trying to frame her. They’re getting bolder.

Ned asks what Brook is thinking, and Lois tells Tracy that she’s going to need Brook all day tomorrow for last minute Christmas details. Unless of course (🍷) Tracy would like to help. There are cookies to bake, presents to wrap, and then of course (🍷), she got everybody matching PJ sets. She hopes she got Tracy the right size… Tracy says she can move the business meeting to December 26th. The pajamas? That’s a hard pass. She leaves, and Brook says, matching PJs? Really? Lois says, it worked with Tracy, didn’t it? and Ned asks if Lois has lost her mind. How can she, of all people, be happy that their daughter is giving up music to be a corporate executive. Lois tells him to use the good sense God gave him. Obviously, there’s an angle. He says, what angle? and Lois says, Brook isn’t going back to work at Deception for herself. She’s going back to outsmart Tracy and make things right with her friends.

Sam asks if Brennan said why he’s in Port Charles, and Carly tells her, he just said he was a security consultant here on business. He never said he was head of the WSB, but why would he? Sam asks if he said how long he was planning on staying, and Carly tells her, he said he’d be here for a little while. He was a little flirtatious and he seemed harmless. Does Sam know different? (Seriously? Have all those years with Sonny taught Carly nothing?) Sam says she doesn’t have all the facts, but if Carly sees him again, keep her distance and call Dante. Sam jets.

Anna tells Dante, if Forsythe hadn’t come after that report, she doesn’t know if she’d have realized she still had it. It had been stuck in that trunk for decades. But Brennan sending Forsythe is kind of like he dug his own grave. Hume listens from the shadows.

Carly looks at the article again on her phone and sets it on the table. She starts to clean up when she hears the door open. She says, we’re closed, and sees it’s Brennan. He asks if she has time for one more.

Lucy says, Doc is too compassionate for his own good, and he always has been. He says, okay. He’ll bite. What does she mean by that? She says, he really doesn’t understand that they’re completely surrounded by cutthroats and thieves, and sometimes, just sometimes, you really need to look out for number one. He says, just an observation, but it seems like she’s talking about something specific. Care to share? She says, Quartermaines. They never change their spots. He probably knows Tracy stole the company from her, but now she’s given Brook a job at Lucy’s company. This is the very woman who stole all the proprietary information on Lucy’s Deceptor, so she could give it to her grandmother to allow Tracy to file this pernicious lawsuit against them. He asks if it’s possible she’s more hurt than she is angry, but she says she’s so angry… but he’s right. She’s also very, very hurt by the whole betrayal. She trusted Brook. She let Brook in on the team and she turns out to be worse than her grandmother. Even more than Lucy imagined. He says he’s glad she’s getting these feelings off her chest, rather than keeping them bottled up inside, and she asks how he does that. He’s always such a good listener. She thanks him for letting her vent, and he says, she’s welcome. It’s what he does. Just a thought, but isn’t it better that Brook is in the office every day rather than her having to deal with Tracy day in and day out? She says, good point. She guesses she could rise above it, sort of, maybe. Try to make the best out of a bad situation. Scotty comes over to the table and says he can’t believe his ears. Is Lucy going to roll over and let Tracy win?

Lois asks if Ned really thinks she’d be encouraging their daughter to work in an office instead of following her dreams if there wasn’t a hidden agenda. Brook says, mom’s been hounding her for weeks to give in to Tracy. Once Tracy hands over the company to her, then she can give it back to Maxie and make things right. He says, if she thinks her grandmother is going to make this easy, she’s in for a very rude awakening, but Brook says she knows exactly what she’s in for. She either has to convince granny that she’s totally on board, making her completely comfortable enough to give her controlling interest, or due to their close proximity, she’ll have to dig something up in order to blackmail her with. He says, spoken like a true Quartermaine, and Lois says, not that that’s always a good thing, but in this case, Brook would be blackmailing for a worthy cause. He says, as long as her grandmother doesn’t figure it out and turn the tables, and Lois asks if he’s doubting their daughter. He says, absolutely not.

Nina asks if Ava still thinks it’s Nikolas sending her these notes, and that, and Ava says, well, who else? She left him for dead. He’s not going to let that go. Nina asks why he’d send her a gun if his plan is to attack her, and Ava says, or to frame her. For all she knows, this is the gun that killed Austin. Nina says, Ava thinks he’d go that far. That he’d come all the way here just to kill Austin to frame her for murder? Ava says she doesn’t know what to think anymore. For months, she thought Nikolas was dead and she was the one that killed him, and she thought that she could trust Austin. Nina says, she needs to calm down a bit, but Ava says she doesn’t have anyone to talk to about this. Her head has been spinning since Austin died. Nina says she thinks Ava needs a distraction. Why don’t they go to Rice Plaza? Ava says she thinks that’s a good idea. She thinks seeing Avery in that Living Nativity will make her feel better.

Michael tells Donna that she’s all set, and she thanks him for fixing it. He says, of course (🍷), and she asks if they’re going to see Wiley and Amelia on Christmas. He says, yeah, and she wonders if they can hang their stockings together. He says, it’s a great idea, but he thinks she’s going to be at her mom’s on Christmas Eve, and she says, daddy says Michael’s going to be with him and Nina on Christmas Eve. Cyrus watches from the shadows, and Michael says, he, Willow, Wiley, and Amelia and daddy and Nina. Donna tells him, daddy said this is going to be the best Christmas ever now that Nina’s part of the family.

Sonny asks how Laura is holding up, and she says she’s still worried about Charlotte. Physically, she’s on the mend, but emotionally, she’s struggling. He says he thinks she’s old enough to benefit from therapy, and Laura says she agrees. What about Anna? Has he spoken to her? He says, she’s very hard to get in touch with. She blames herself for what happened to Charlotte. Laura says, it was a terrible accident, and he says, they know that, but Anna just blames herself.

Anna tells Dante, the irony is, Brennan covered his tracks so well, he didn’t even realize he was implicated in the report. He kind of just brought this on himself. Dante’s phone rings, and he says he should take this. Hume stands in the shadows, holding a gun, and Dante asks Sam, what’s going on? She tells him, Brennan is in town. Carly saw him in Kelly’s. He must have come into town to take care of Anna himself. He asks if she can call the PCPD and tell the desk sergeant what’s going on, and she says she will. She tells him to be careful, and he says, always. He tells Anna that they have to get someplace less exposed, and they start to walk, but Hume pops out and shoots at them. They duck behind some crates.

Carly says, look who’s back, and Brennan says, apologies. That call pulled him away before he could even put in an order. Now they’re closed and he’s missed his chance. She says, he can stay. The cook is gone for the night, but she can heat up some meatloaf. It won’t be fancy… He says, simple works for him. She’s very kind.

Lucy tells Scotty that she took the deal for Maxie and Sasha’s sake. And besides, 49% of a viable company is a heck of a lot better than 100% of nothing. He says, but she gave away her ELQ tie-breaking vote, and she says she did not. It was extorted out of her by Tracy. If she hadn’t given up her precious share of ELQ, Tracy would have blown the whole deal, and she, Maxie, and Sasha would have been completely bankrupt. He says, so she’s just going to let Tracy trample over the company she built, but she says, absolutely not. She has just begun to fight back. He says, it doesn’t seem like it, and Doc says, what it seems like is Scotty rubbing salt in the wound. Maybe it’s time to head home. Scotty says, all right. He’s not going to justify having to take flack for doing his job. Doc says he doesn’t even know what that means, and I’m glad he said that because I don’t either. Scotty says he’s not going to apologize for representing Doc’s wife’s criminal brother Cyrus or for representing Elizabeth. His Liesl just won’t give him a second chance. Tracy blows in and goes to the bar, where she puts down her bag. Scotty follows and Lucy gets up, but Doc says, Lucy… Stay. She sits back down, and she asks if he isn’t going after Scotty, but he says he doesn’t care about Scotty. He cares about her. Besides, he wants to watch this.

Tracy orders a dirty martini, top shelf vodka, no such thing as too dirty. Scotty sits down near her, and she says, go away. He says, as she can see, his coat was here – he indicates the coat on the back of his stool – so if he’s going to bother her, he suggests she vamoose. She says, nothing he does has any effect on her at all, and he says, fine. She says, fine.

Ava says she’s going to see Avery and will catch up with Nina later, and Nina joins Sonny and Laura. She says, nice to see them. Rice Plaza looks amazing. Laura thanks her, like she did it all herself, and says she’s very proud of their town. It’s really good to see Nina, but she has some things she needs to attend to. She leaves, and Sonny asks why Nina is so late. She says, she and Ava had some girl talk. Why? Did he miss her? He says, always, and kisses her.

Ava says she understands Martin has to learn his Wise Man duties on the job, and Martin says he was a last-minute substitution. Michael joins them, and Ava sees Cyrus going by. She asks, what is that monster doing here? She doesn’t want him anywhere near Avery. Michael says, don’t worry. His dad took care of it. She says, good. Because she doesn’t believe that man’s conversion for a second. Ava flashes back to Sonny telling her that Austin’s boss is Cyrus Renault, and she says she knows Cyrus is as dangerous as he always was.

Carly says she’s glad Brennan is okay with meatloaf. Although it’s going to take a while to heat up. He says he hopes he’s not putting her out. He can just come back another… She says, that’s okay. She wasn’t done closing down the kitchen yet, so she’ll be right back. It’ll just take a minute. She heads for the kitchen, but says, oh, her phone, and turns around. He says, is this it? and picks it up. He sees the article about himself and tells Carly that he sees she knows his secret.

Anna and Dante draw their guns, and Hume says, there’s no way out. Give him what he wants and nobody else gets hurt. She tells Dante, that’s not Brennan, and Hume says, is she willing to add Detective Falconari to her long list of collateral damage? She says she wants to talk to Brennan, and Hume says he’s here to help her before this all gets worse. He hears her latest shooting victim is out of the hospital. Charlotte Cassadine? A child? Really? I say, really? to Hume trying to psyche Anna out. He says, all because of something that happened in the 80s? Let’s end this now. Anna tells Dante, he’s right.

Brook tells Ned that she can’t let granny push her around. The only way to deal with Tracy is to face her head on. He says, sadly, it took him a few more years before he learned that particular lesson, and she says she knows working back at Deception will temporarily take her away from her music career, but she won’t let down her clients. She’ll work 24/7. She’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that granny is out of Maxie’s company. Lois says, Maxie’s company? What about Lucy? Brook says, Lucy has made it perfectly clear she won’t work with her, and Ned says, sounds like she’s facing an uphill battle. Brook says she’s not scared. Nothing is going to stop her from making this right.

Anna says, don’t shoot. She’s coming out. She stands up with her hands in the air and puts her gun down. She says she knows where the evidence is. It’s in a safety deposit box and she has the key right here. She points to her pocket, and he says, slowly. She takes a key out of her pocket, and he says, toss it to him. She says, he knows Brennan’s just tying everything off right now. Forsythe’s dead. Does Hume think he’s going to be next? He says he’s not worried. He earns his keep. She says she’s sure that’s what Forsythe thought too, but Brennan only keeps people who are useful around him. Everyone has a sell by date. Doesn’t he think his is up? In the meantime, Dante has run around behind Hume, and clocks him in the head. Hume goes down, and Sam comes out. Dante asks what she’s doing here, and she says, checking on him. Is he okay? He cuffs Hume, and Sam says, they don’t know who this is. Dante takes out Hume’s wallet and looks at his ID. He says, Roman Hume. It says he works for Pikeman. Hume comes to, and Dante hoists him up. Anna says, where’s Brennan? and Hume says, make him a deal. Dante says, not a chance, and Anna says, they have to find Brennan before he realizes they’ve got his lieutenant. Sam says she thinks she may know where he is.

Carly says, if Brennan had told her that he was the director of the WSB, she would have thought he was a liar, and crazy. He chuckles and says he’s curious as to how she figured it out. She says she looked it up on the internet. (How is he director of the WSB? Not exactly the brightest bulb in the box.) There’s many John Brennans, but only one director of the WSB. She clicked on the link and magic! his picture popped up. Anyway, she’s going to go heat up the meatloaf. He says, Hume told him that her former son-in-law was involved. Falconari, right? The connection’s in there somewhere. She asks how he knows Dante, and he says he’s director of the WSB. If there’s something he wants to know, he knows it. Just as he made it his business to know about Sonny Corinthos, his operation, the people he holds dear. There’s just one thing he doesn’t know. What is he going to do with her?

Nina sees Michael buying cookies and says, they need to talk. In private. They walk off together.

Laura tells Ava that Avery looks adorable, and Ava says, doesn’t she? She’s been talking about her costume for weeks. Laura says, she’s taking her role so seriously, and they laugh. Ava says she knows it’s a difficult topic for both of them, but does Laura have any more information about Nikolas’s whereabouts? Laura says she doesn’t unfortunately, and Ava asks if she thinks she’ll keep looking for him. Laura says she wanted to stay in Europe and keep looking, but she got that call from Valentin about Charlotte and knew she was needed at home. Also, Doc told her that Nikolas will come home when he’s ready to face the people he left behind.

In a more private area, Michael asks what Nina wants, and Nina says, Ned knows she’s the one who tipped off the SEC. He asks what that has  to do with him, and she says, he wants information on Aurora to use against Michael and Drew, and if she gives him that information, he’ll keep taking the blame. He says, she doesn’t know anything about Aurora. What was Ned thinking? She says, he’s thinking she’ll find a way. That’s why she’s talking to him. He needs to help her get Ned off her back. He asks why he’d do that, and she says, think about it. This is like Blackmail 101. If Ned tells Sonny, Michael will have nothing to hold over her head. If he wants her to continue keeping her distance from her daughter and grandchild, he’ll help her out. He says he only kept quiet to protect Willow. She’s going to be devastated when she finds out what Nina did, but maybe it’s best to get it all over with. Nina says, all right. She’ll play his game. If Ned tells Sonny the truth, then guess what? She’ll tell Carly the truth that he knew she was the real informant this whole time and he never said anything. (Wouldn’t a better idea be to tell Willow?)

People run past, startling Ava, and Sonny says, why so jumpy? She asks if he really needs her to answer that question. First of all, they still don’t know who killed Austin. Then there’s the fact that Nikolas is alive and out there somewhere. She can only assume he’s plotting his revenge against her. He asks what she’s not telling him. Did something else happen? Donna runs up and asks if Michael is back with the cookies, and Sonny says, not yet, but he’ll be here any minute. Ava asks if Donna is having fun with Avery. They’re not too cold, are they? Donna says, no. They’re having a great time. Only one thing could make this Christmas even better. Sonny asks, what’s that? and Donna says she wants to open presents with Avery on Christmas, but Avery has to be with her mom. Can Avery and Ava come over to join them? Sonny and Ava look at each other.

Scotty says, that’s a stiff one. How come Tracy is drinking alone? She asks why he cares when he’s clearly doing the same thing, and he says he just figured she’d be at the mansion with the servants and the family. Of course (🍷) they don’t like her any more than he does. She asks if he’s been overserved. Maybe he should go home before he embarrasses himself further. He says, all right. He’s going to raise the white flag right now. It wasn’t that long ago that he was her lawyer. They thought she’d killed that guy, but his assistant had done it. Then remember? They got hot and heavy. (I don’t remember. When was this???) She says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. That doesn’t sound like something she’d do. He says he can’t believe she’d forget the look on Lee and Gail’s face when they came in and caught them going at it on top of his desk. The look was priceless. She says, the only thing she remembers was them asking her why she was slumming with him, and he says, so she does remember. She says, correction. She’s trying not to remember. He says, why the high hat all of a sudden? She’s the one who was married to Luke, that no good, criminal jackass. She throws her drink in his face.

Carly says, Brennan has seriously miscalculated. If anything happens to her… He says he knows all about the mobster ex-husband, and she says she’s talking about the Navy SEAL boyfriend, but Sonny will kill him too. He says he was really starting to like her. Now that he’s seen how she parades under duress, he likes her even more. Sadly, they seem to be the victims of rotten luck. He takes out some brass knuckles, and she says, get away from her. She grabs something off the counter and whacks him with it. He stumbles back, as Anna and Dante come in, guns drawn. Anna says, hands where they can see them, and Brennan puts his hands up.

Ava says she knows Donna wants to be with her sister on Christmas, but her family is so big and family gatherings can be tricky. Sonny tells Donna, that’s a great idea, but why doesn’t she let the grown-ups talk? Go find Avery at the Nativity. Donna says, yay! and skips off. Ava says she knows the girls want to be together on Christmas morning, but she knows the situation is prickly. So please don’t do this for her. Sonny says he’s not doing it for her; he’s doing it for his daughters. She says, right. Of course (🍷). But they won’t stay long. She knows this is his first Christmas with Nina as husband and wife. She wouldn’t want to intrude on that. He says he doesn’t think Nina would mind at all. They’re going to have so many Christmases ahead of them.

Michael says he can explain to his mother what he did and why. Can Nina do the same thing with his father? Nina says she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have said that. It doesn’t have to be this way. Willow doesn’t need to know. Can he just make up something about Aurora so she can pass it on to Ned? It helps both of them if Sonny never finds out. Cyrus listens from the shadows, which seems to be the trend in Port Charles, and Michael says, okay, fine. He’ll take care of Ned.

Ned pours some wine, and Lois says, their marriage might not have worked out, but they did raise one hell of a daughter. He clinks her glass and says, agreed. Brook comes in and asks, what’s going on? What did she miss? Ned says, she didn’t miss anything. He and her mom were just having a nice conversation. Brook says, nice conversations and Quartermaines do not go together, and Lois says, but she’s not a Quartermaine. They were just talking about how much they love her. Brook says, is that all? and Ned hugs her while Lois smooths her hair.

Detectives arrive and Brennan is cuffed. Carly asks how Dante knew to come here, and he says, Sam told him about the conversation they had about Brennan. Carly thanks Sam, and Sam says, of course (🍷). She’s just glad they got here in time. Anna hands a detective the folder, and says, this is the evidence Brennan was so desperate to get ahold of. He asks, what’s the significance of the wallet? and she says, if he pulls back the lining, he’ll see a sequence of numbers that lead to a Swiss bank account. She goes over to Brennan and says, long time, huh? She calls him ex-director Brennan and asks if he thinks they’ll invite Frisco back to clean up his mess. He says, at least she’s been exposed as a double agent. Now everyone knows who she is. She says, that’s right, but her past can’t come back to hurt her anymore. He says, she almost killed a child. What does she have left? She says she has herself, and he says, good luck then. She’ll need it. Brennan is led out, and as he goes past Carly, he says, rotten timing? Dante says, it looked like Anna was willing to risk her life for his back there, and Anna says, if it had come to that, she would have. Brennan is right about one thing. She won’t allow anyone else to get hurt because of her mistakes.

Doc tells Lucy, as if on cue. Scott Baldwin can get under someone’s skin unlike than anyone he’s ever known.

Tracy tells Scotty that she’d say she just wasted some premium vodka, but when a better use comes along, you go for it. She walks out, and he says he’ll send her the dry-cleaning bill.

Lucy watches Tracy leave, and Doc says, don’t. Whatever she’s thinking, whatever she’s scheming, he promises her it will not end well. She says, who, me? She doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He really does worry too much. Laura comes in, and asks, was that Tracy Quartermaine she just saw storming through the parking lot? Doc says, yes, and kisses her. Lucy says, so good to see her, but she thought Martin was coming with her. Laura says she’s so sorry, but Martin is still participating in the Living Nativity at Rice Plaza. Lucy says, that’s great. When Laura asked him, she encouraged him to do it. She just didn’t think it would go so late. Laura says, sorry about that. She’s afraid he’s not going to be able to join them for dinner.

Michael gives Donna the cookies and says, she did a great job being in the Living Nativity. She asks if she can share them, and Michael says she can. She goes over to Martin, who says, it’s so nice of her to offer, and takes one.

Nina runs up to Sonny, who says he was just about to look for her. She says she’s so sorry. There was a minor crisis at the MetroCourt, but she handled everything. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, everything she could possibly ever want is right here.

Martin says, serving as a Wise Man was more arduous than he thought. Donna did a stellar job as their lamb tonight. She was better behaved than the angel. He thinks the angel had a dented halo. Cyrus watches from a distance as Martin talks to Donna.

Tomorrow, Portia asks what Spencer really knows about love; Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t know what to do at this point; Charlotte asks Laura, what could he possibly be doing on Christmas Eve; and Anna tells Valentin that she can’t be part of his family.

💝 Erika Thanks You…

I still miss One Life To Live… sniff…

Erika Slezak Shares a Special Update With Fans

🥀 Best At Bad…

The soap world loses a great villain.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Alum Jack Axelrod Dead at 93

🎄 Christmas Prepping…

How the soap stars are doin’ it.

See How Your Favorite Soap Stars are Preparing for Christmas!

🏆 Best In Daytime…

Daytime Emmy winners.

The 2023 Daytime Emmy Award Winners!

What you didn’t see.

The Daytime Emmys You Didn’t See on TV!

The fashion. Again, so much black. Thank you, Susan Lucci.

Daytime Emmys 2023 Fashion Gallery

Here, I expected black.

Daytime Emmys 2023: The Guys

🏰 We’re Not Ready…

I see her point, but I’d hate to lose that house. Oh wait. I don’t really live there.

Dorinda Medley Has Plans To Sell Blue Stone Manor

💎 In Agreement…

I’m sure Annemarie wants to be relevant, but she came across as a bully. It’s like when you have a disorder that’s not visible, and someone says, you don’t look sick.

Tiffany Moon Drags ‘Rude’ Annemarie Wiley Over Sutton Stracke Esophagus Drama

🍔 Something About a Menu…

Now if they’d only actually open.

The Something About Her Sandwich Menu First Look (Kind Of)

🫦 Giving You Lala…

While I begrudge Ariana nothing, Lala’s not wrong. I think what’s happened is, Ariana is being looked upon as an Everywoman. I also think it’s exaggerating to say her posts are thirsty. And if they are, then she’s always been thirsty.

Why Lala Kent’s Latest Thirst Trap Reeks Of Jealousy

👰🏻‍♀️ Wishing Them Happiness…

I wouldn’t have thought of pairing them up, but they’re two of my favorite celebrities. I’m a huge 2 Broke Girls fan and I’ve loved Andrew W.K. since Party Hard. I’ve often suggested he run for President. Mazel tov!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/larryfitzmaurice/kat-dennings-andrew-wk-married-wedding-details

🤪 All Those Shrinks Can’t Be Wrong…

Some practical tips to get you through the holidaze.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-without-anxiety/201212/10-tips-surviving-the-holidays

🎅🏽 If All Else Fails…

Dress your pet up like Santa or one of his elves or one of his reindeer. And if you don’t have a pet, get one.

https://people.com/celebrity/santa-pets-your-cats-and-dogs-in-holiday-style/

👖 Sisterhood Of the Homebody Pants…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever annoyances I can point out during RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay recognizing the beauty in imperfections, and stay watching your step if you’re a Wise Man in a Christmas pageant.

Dec19

December 18, 2023 – Dante Tells Anna About Finding the Report, Temporary Visit, Rainbow Pancakes On Deck & Spicey Wrapping

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gregory knocks on Alexis’s office door and says, rumor has it she’s looking for him. She says, yes. A freelancer dropped the ball on the rezoning article, and she needs this done. Can he do it? It’s supposed to be in tomorrow’s edition. He says he’ll do what he can and takes the folder from her. Just so she knows, he has some plans in his near future. She says, does he now? What do these plans involve? He says, the defenestration of Tracy Quartermaine.

Chase and Brook walk through Rice Plaza with Leo and Violet, and Leo wonders if Ned will still perform at the Gingerbread Jam. Brook says, he’s very busy catching up on everything he’s missed, but she’s sure he’ll pull out his guitar just for Leo. Violet says, maybe Chase can perform again. Last year, he and Blaze were epic. Chase says he appreciates it, but now that he’s back to fighting crime, he’s put his singing career behind him. Brook says, there’s one thing she and Violet agree on, and Violet says, just one? Brook says, everything her handsome, charming fiancé does is epic, and kisses him.

Blaze tells Kristina, then after midnight mass, her abuela invites everyone over for food I don’t catch the name of, and Kristina asks what something or other is. Blaze says, basically Puerto Rican eggnog. She can make Kristina some when she comes over. Kristina says she’d like that.

Dr. Navarro (I think, different actress) says she was sorry to hear about the miscarriage. Is their surrogate open to trying again? TJ says he’s afraid not. She took it really hard. The doctor says she’s sure. Setbacks like this are devastating for everyone, but they’re here, so she takes it they want to discuss options. TJ says, actually… Molly says, they already have a new surrogate.

At Laura’s apartment, temp Josslyn (see below) holds a gift to her ear, and Trina asks what she’s doing. Josslyn says, making sure it’s not ticking, and Spencer says, digital clocks don’t tick, but if she doesn’t want it… Trina says, it won’t kill her, she promises, and Josslyn says, Spencer shouldn’t have. He says, when she opens it, she’ll wonder how she ever lived without it. Josslyn says she’s sure. Besides, he’s already given her the greatest present ever – there’s a knock at the door – her best friend’s happiness. Spencer says, the gift that keeps on giving, and opens the door. Esme is there.

Brennan walks into Kelly’s, where he lives now, and says he was going to see if Carly needed help, but she seems to have everything under control.

Anna meets Dante at the morgue and asks if there’s a reason they keep meeting here. He says, yeah. He likes it here. There’s no security cameras and the people who are here are bad witnesses. She asks, why the secrecy? and he says he didn’t want to risk tipping anybody off. She asks what he’s been up to, and he shows her a manila envelope and says, investigating Jameson Forsythe.

Violet says she’s going to get a hot chocolate that’s all marshmallow, and Leo says, if it’s all marshmallow, why not call it a marshmallow? (He’s not wrong.) She tells him that the hot chocolate will be poured on top, and Chase tells them to get whatever hot chocolate marshmallow drink they want, and Brook says, they want to take them back to their parents as hopped up on sugar as possible. Chase says, here’s twenty bucks, handing it to Violet. Consider it her Christmas present. She says, not a chance, and tells Leo, let’s go. Brook tells them to stay where she and Chase can see them, and asks Chase, who’s next on his gift list? He says, besides his beautiful fiancé? and she says, Santa already brought her what she wants, looking at her ring. He asks if she’s sure she likes it, and she says, she loves it, but more importantly… He says, Maxie approves, and she says, yes indeed. Now who’s next on his gift list? He says, his dad. No pressure, but this has to be the most special Christmas his family has ever had.

Alexis says, no one understands the desire to send Tracy careening out of a window more than she does. In fact, typically, she’d help Gregory push her, but she didn’t enjoy prison the first time. He says, defenestration isn’t strictly accurate. There will be a fall from a great height, but he intends for Tracy to be flung at her own choosing and attached to a parachute. She says, Tracy is going to go skydiving with him? and he says, that’s the hope. Alexis says, he hasn’t asked her yet, and he says he heard she just got back from Amsterdam. He thought he’d go by her place and pitch it to her. Think she’d go for it? She says, he has a better chance of pitching a strikeout against Mickey Mantle, and he says, Micky Mantle’s been dead for 30 years. She says, exactly. It’ll never happen.

Esme tells Spencer, sorry. She was having a package delivered here and got a notification it was here. He gives her a box and asks, where’s Ace? She says, he’s fine, and he says, that’s not what he asked. She says she met this really nice biker couple who said they’d watch Ace. She didn’t catch their names, but they swore they wouldn’t sell the baby. He says, that’s funny, and she says, he’s in daycare. Relax. He says, she wouldn’t have to rely on daycare so much if she wouldn’t… Trina asks how the new place is, and Esme says, it’s cozy. Peaceful. She thanks Trina for asking, and Josslyn says, then again, anything’s cozier than a jail cell, right? Esme asks if she can talk to Trina for a second… alone, and Trina says, sure. They go into the hallway, and Spencer listens at the door, but Josslyn tells him, leave it.

In the hall, Trina asks, what’s up? and Esme says, Trina may not want to hear this, but thank you.

Anna asks if that’s what she thinks it is, and Dante says, it is. She’s welcome. He holds out the envelope, and she says she told him to stay out of it. He says he knows she did, but she’s not his boss anymore. He doesn’t have to listen to her. She says she told him not to get involved, because if he did, it could be dangerous, and he says he knows. The thing is, she’s his friend and she never turned her back on him, so he’s not turning his back on her. So does she want to see what’s in here or not? She takes the envelope and asks how he got it. He says, the storage locker at the train station, and she asks how he found out about it. He says, the M.E. found a key on Forsythe’s body and handed it over to him. Instead of logging it in as evidence, he kept it. She takes out the report and says, this is it. So she guesses Forsythe must have broken into her apartment that night. He says, that’s not all, and takes out the photos, setting them on the table. He says, here’s her, here’s Forsythe. Who’s that guy? Does she have any idea who that is?

Carly thanks Brennan, but says she doesn’t put her customers to work. He says he’s not just any customer, and she says, but then she’d have to hire him. Deal with the whole hour/wage thing, the insurance, stuff like that. Then she would lose him as her regular. He says, she noticed, but she tells him not to let it go to his head. She always notices when people keep coming around. It’s good business. He says, it looks like she’ll have his business for a while. She asks if he’s sticking around, and he says, it’s taken longer than expected to take care of the security issue in Port Charles. It’s the kind of thing that requires his personal attention. She says she’s sure he’ll figure out the situation soon enough, and he says he hopes not. He’s glad for an excuse to stay. She says, he likes the burgers here that much? and he says, the burgers, The Chuck, the hotel. Opportunities abound in Port Charles, and he intends to jump on every single one of them.   

Brook tells Chase not to worry about a thing, and he says he’ll try. She says, leave it to her and she’ll help him make this the best holiday for his dad. He says, if anyone can do it… She says, thank you. They’re at this beautiful holiday extravaganza, and if they don’t find anything to their liking here, they have the entire city of Port Charles and the internet. So they’ll start here and work their way outward. He says, all right. He and his dad are pretty similar, so if she could just give him a hint of what she’s getting him… and she tells him, like Violet said, not a chance. He says, she can’t blame a guy for trying, and she says, while they’re shopping for his dad, they can find something for Maxie and her kids. It’s so terrible that she’s struggling financially this Christmas, especially since it’s all her fault. He says, once she gives Maxie control of Deception, she’s not even going to remember how tough it is right now. She says, that’s not going to help Maxie through the next billing cycle. She needs to help Maxie right now.

Kristina tells Blaze that Molly and TJ are giving each other presents like the perfect pair of socks or an antique paperweight. Blaze says, they’re so cute, and Kristina says, then she and Sam exchange gifts. Sam got her a pepper spray holster, and she got Sam a pair of brass knuckles. Then her mom launches into this 30 minute, totally inspired speech, free legal advice on concealed weapons. And that was before the Cassadine contingent showed up. Blaze says, so the Davis branch of her family… Kristina says, they’re the sane ones, completely. The Cassadines? Everything Blaze has heard about them… the truth is so much worse. Blaze says, her family is insane, and Kristina says, tell her about it. Blaze says she loves it, and they surreptitiously touch hands. Brook approaches with Leo and Violet, and their hands move apart. Brook says she didn’t know Blaze was going to be here, and they hug.

Molly tells Dr. Navarro that her sister Kristina volunteered to be her surrogate. With Andrea unavailable, they talked it over and would like to get started as soon as possible. TJ says, they haven’t forgotten how much preparation went into this. Kristina knows she’ll be screened and undergo a mock cycle, ultrasounds, bloodwork… Molly says, they’re ready to screen egg donors, and they’re hoping Kristina will be successfully pregnant in the next couple of months. (How come they’re not using Kristina’s egg? Is that too weird?) The doctor says she’s afraid their timetable might be overly optimistic.

Anna tells Dante that she knows him all right. They didn’t have much contact during the operation, but he was involved. Did Dante read the report? Dante says he did. The botched op was trying to get a defector to the WSB, and their job was to escort him to safety. There were other names mentioned in the report besides Anna’s. Who is this guy? How does he tie in? She says, if she tells him… he knows, and he says, she’ll have to kill him. She says she won’t, but someone else might want to. Dante tells her, the way he sees it, knowledge is power, and the more they know, the better shot they have at staying alive and the better shot they have at taking these guys down. She says, don’t say she didn’t warn him. His name is John Brennan, and he was in field ops around the same time as her and Forsythe. Dante asks what he’s doing now. Is he still around? She says, oh yeah. He’s the current director of the WSB.

Carly tells Brennan, as luck would have it, Port Charles is pretty security conscious. They’re a major center for commercial shipping, medicine… He says, crime, and she says, that too. He’ll have plenty of business to jump on. He says, how about her? and she says, what about her? He asks if she feels safe here, and she says, security-wise? Yeah, sure, but she doesn’t live what one would call a typical life. He says he’s not surprised. There’s nothing typical about her. She says, that obvious, huh? and he says, despite the single mother, business owner exterior, she gives off a distinctly unconventional vibe. And he’s very much like to get to know her better.

Gregory says he doesn’t think Alexis is giving Tracy enough credit. He thinks she has an adventurous streak. Alexis says, she definitely has an adventurous streak. Anyone who flees the country as much as she did to avoid prosecution has a sense of adventure. Not to mention, she was married to Luke Spencer. He says he read about Luke in Lucy Coe’s book. He’s like the adventurer in us all. She says, exactly her point. Would Tracy jump out of a plane to avoid capture by either the authorities or the underworld? Easily. But would she jump out of a plane for amusement? He says he supposes only one way to find out, and she says she’s not trying to be a party pooper. Go ahead and ask her, but she doesn’t want him to get his hopes up. This is a big ask for Tracy. He says, it appears to be too big of an ask for everyone, but she says, that’s not true. What about Chase? he says, Chase would do it, but Brook would age thirty years waiting for him to land. She says, how about Finn? but he says, single parent. Violet has to come first. Oh well. Maybe this has to be the one item he won’t be able to check off his bucket list.

Brook says, look at Kristina and Blaze, thick as thieves. She’s glad they hit it off. Blaze says, you can never have too many friends. She loves all the little pop-up shops. Did they get anything good? Violet says, the grown-ups are here to shop. She and Leo are here to see Santa. Leo says, Violet’s here to see Santa, and Brook asks if he doesn’t want anything for Christmas. He says he wants a 3-D puzzle, and Violet says, then tell Santa, but Leo says, there is no Santa.

Josslyn tells Spencer, get away from the door, but he says he doesn’t think so. She asks if he isn’t always praising Trina for being smart and capable, and he says, yes, but… She says, if anyone can handle Esme without back-up, it’s Trina. Now how about if they open her present?

Trina asks, what exactly is Esme thanking her for? and Esme says she knows Trina encouraged Spencer to accept she was moving out. He was so opposed at first, it made it harder for her to do what they all knew was right, but Trina talked him down and made it possible for her to start over and stand on her own. So thank you. Trina says she needed Spencer to know her feelings. To be clear, she didn’t do it for Esme. Esme says she never assumed Trina did. She just… Trina says she asked Spencer to let it go for his own good. She loves Spencer and she intends to have a future with him, but he was trying to be a father to Ace, not a brother, and it was getting in her way. Esme says she figured it was something like that. Even so, Trina has been patient and even polite to her, which can’t be easy with everything she did to Trina. Trina asks if she doesn’t mean the old Esme, and Esme says she’s come to realize that even if she never remembers what happened, all the things she did to Trina, Josslyn, and Cameron… She has to take responsibility for her actions, past and present, so she wanted to thank Trina. But she also wants to apologize for everything she put Trina through. She knows it’s too little too late, but she really hopes it’s not nothing, and maybe someday Trina might even manage to forgive her. Who knows? They might even end up as friends. Trina says, that will never happen.

Carly says she’s happy to get to know Brennan as a customer, and he says, ouch. She says, maybe even as a friend, but she thinks she told him… He says, she’s seeing someone. He remembers. She says, keep remembering, and laughs, and he says, whoever this guy is, he doesn’t seem to know how good he’s got it. She says, he does and so does she, and Brennan asks if the someone she’s seeing is Donna’s father. She says, a different someone. She and Donna’s father are divorced. He says, his loss, and she says, since he’s going to be a regular, what can she get him to eat? He says, sorry. He was being intrusive, wasn’t he? Occupational hazard. She says, that’s okay. She’s an open book. But she doesn’t know a lot about him. He says, ask him anything, and she says, what she knows about him is, he likes to run, he likes burgers, he works in security. What else? He says, there’s one more thing she knows about him, and she says, what? He says, that he enjoys her company, and she laughs. His phone rings, and he says, sorry. He has to take this. He’ll see her again soon. He grabs his coat, and leaves.

Anna tells Dante that Brennan took over as head of the WSB when Frisco was ousted, but when they were part of that failed operation, he was stationed in London and provided remote support and logistics for them. Forsythe was a field agent; she was basically a courier. It was her job to pose as the defector’s girlfriend and get him across the border, which didn’t happen because he got caught and killed. Then the other part is, the money that was allocated to buy the defector’s cooperation was just never recovered. Dante says, so what does the Bureau think happened to all that money? and she says she thinks they chalked it up to intelligence failure. It’s all here – she picks up the report – the dates, the locations, the agents involved. That’s why she kept a copy. Just in case somewhere down the line, they decided to pin this screw-up on her. He says, so Brennan’s now in charge, and Forsythe is dead after going to great lengths to get his hands on that report. There’s got to be something in it worth hiding. She says she guesses Brennan just rose up through the ranks and that would have given him more and more clearance. Eventually, he would have had access to his own records and would have seen a copy of this report. Dante says, but now in his new position, he can’t be implicated for the death of a defector and ten million dollars missing. She says, that’s a lot of money. If they’re right about this, then Brennan wants to eliminate any and all traces of this report. He says, and anyone who knows about it.

On the phone, Dante says, his name is John Brennan, head of the WSB. They want to find out any information about him, news releases, that kind of thing. Anything that will tell them who he is or who he’s connected to… He thanks Sam and tells her, you be careful too. He tells Anna, it’s safe to assume this guy is in good standing with the other Bureaus, the FBI, the CIA… Anna says, yeah. He was always super slick. Dante says, Brennan wasn’t incriminated, but they know he was involved somehow. Forsythe was incriminated, and now he’s dead. She says, what they need is something that ties Brennan to the defector’s assassination. Possibly if they could find out anything on that missing money it would help. He says he might have something. He found this in the locker with the report. He hands her the wallet and asks what she thinks those numbers are. She says, it’s twenty-one digits. That’s the exact number needed for a Swiss bank account. He says, maybe that’s where the missing money is, and she says she doesn’t know that’s where it is, but that could be where it went, and that might lead them to the person who’s responsible for the botched operation. He says, they’ve got to stash this evidence somewhere where Brennan can’t get to it, and she says she knows someone they can call.

Violet says, there is too a Santa, and Chase says, of course (🍷) there is. Brook asks why Leo would say such a thing, and he says, it’s scientifically impossible for one man to visit every single house in the world in one single night. (Again, he’s not wrong.) Violet says, when daddy orders food on his phone, it comes in three minutes or less, and Kristina says, with technology, anything is possible. Leo says, but Santa didn’t have the internet hundreds of years ago. And even if Santa visited every house in the world for one second, that would still be between one and two billion seconds. He’d have to bend the speed continuum to do so. So it’s impossible for there to be a Santa Claus. Violet asks Chase, is it true? Is Santa impossible? Blaze suggests Brook and Chase take Leo shopping, and Brook asks if she’s sure. Blaze says, Brook asked her to trust her as a manager. Does Brook trust her? Brook says, sure, and Chase says, just don’t entice her into a rock and roll lifestyle. Chase and Brook leave with Leo, and Blaze squats down to Violet’s level. She says, here’s the skinny on Santa. The truth is, Leo’s right.

Dr. Navarro says, essentially, Molly and TJ are starting from scratch. Realistically, the soonest they can expect successful implantation is six months, and that’s if the surrogate gets pregnant on the first implantation. TJ asks if there’s anything they can do to expedite things, but she says she’s sorry. As they already know, it’s a painstaking process and there are strict procedures that have to be followed every step of the way. Molly says, they understand. They just let themselves get carried away. She tears up, and TJ puts his hand on her back.

Alexis says, hold it, and Greogry stops on his way out the door. She says, he doesn’t have to defenestrate her diving ambitions just yet. He says he sees what she did there, and she says, does this dangerous and insane thing that insane people do… Does he really want to do it? He says, very much so, and she says, and his condition doesn’t prevent it? He says, not yet, but who knows how long that’s going to last. She says, then she has an idea. Is he ready? He shrugs, and she says, then just do it. Jump. Finn, her, Chase, whoever he wants will be standing there cheerleading. Hopefully, he’ll land safely. Just jump. Does he have to jump out of a plane with somebody else? He says, no, he doesn’t, and she says, there you go. He says, in fact, there’s not a single item on his bucket list that requires a partner, but he wants one anyway. The time is coming when he’s going to be trapped in his own body, unable to put thoughts into words with his mouth or his hands. Essentially, he’s going to be alone with his thoughts and memories until the end of a very short, difficult life. If that’s the way he’s going to go, then he wants his still active, still alert brain to be overflowing with memories and experiences that he shared with people he loves. Experiences that they can tell their kids and grandkids about when he can’t, because he’s unable to or because he’s gone.

Blaze tells Violet, a lot of things are scientifically impossible until someone comes along and proves they’re very possible. I’m thinking, bumblebees, but Violet says, like Santa? and Blaze says, exactly. And here’s how she knows. When she was young and learning how to sing, her voice teacher told her it was too hard for her to hit a high C, that she didn’t have the pipes. But with a little belief in herself and a lot of practice – she sings – now I can sing as high as birds can fly. That’s not impossible after all, huh? Violet says she wants to sing like Blaze. Maybe she can ask Santa for singing lessons. Blaze says, why ask Santa when she’s right here? Kristina watches, smiling.

Alone in the doctor’s office, Molly says she feels bad, but TJ says, she’s hardly the first person to become emotional in the doctor’s office. She says, but she’s not those people. She’s her. She doesn’t do this. He says, why not forgive herself just this once. He teases her, saying, he won’t. He’s so embarrassed. She laughs and he says, that’s better. How does she feel about starting over? She says, her first impulse is full speed ahead, and he says, now that she’s had a second? She says, it’s a long and arduous process. Not just for them. Kristina’s ready to go now. She’s going to have to wait too, and if what happened to Andrea happens with Kristina… He says, she’s right. They need to both be ready to go through all of this again. She says, not to mention the expense, which is another emotional toll. He says he appreciates her mom offering to help them the first time, but he’s not comfortable asking her again. She says, her neither. So she guesses they’re on their own. Can they even do this? He says, they’re going to figure this out. Even if it means they have to do some budgeting, they’ll figure it out. She says, what just kills her is, a month ago, their dream was on its way to happening, and now… He says, they’re back at square one. It feels so… She says, out of reach. Again. He holds her.

Josslyn says, oh my God. It’s perfect. She takes out a dartboard with Spencer’s picture in the middle, and he says he figured the next time he does something that warrants getting a smack, she can save him the bruise. She says, he means he can save him the bruise. She just doesn’t know where she’s going to put it. She can’t put it up in their dorm room. Trina would flip out. He says, Trina knows about it. Josslyn says, Trina’s probably going to use it more than she will.

In the hall, Trina says she’s glad Esme’s changed. And she believes Esme is sincerely sorry. Esme says she really is… Trina says, maybe it’s a good thing that Esme doesn’t remember all the incredibly cruel things she’s done to her. But she does remember. There will never be a day where she or Joss or Cam will look at her and not remember. So they can be cordial, even friendly, but that, this right here, is as good as it’s going to get. Esme thanks Trina for hearing her out, and leaves. Trina goes back inside, and Josslyn asks what Esme wanted. Spencer asks what she said, and Trina tells him, it doesn’t matter what Esme said. It only matters what she said.

Sam comes into Kelly’s and orders a cup of coffee. She tells Carly, it’s going to be a long night. She and Dante are working on something. Carly leaves to get the coffee, and Sam looks up Brennan on Spyder-Finder. She sees an article: WSB NAMES NEW DIRECTOR: JOHN BRENNAN WILL HEAD THE WSB AFTER FISCO JONES OUSTER.

In a very clean alleyway, Brennan asks Hume if he has a location. Hume says, he put their hackers on it. They tapped the GPS system on Anna’s phone and traced her to General Hospital. From there, it’s pretty easy to access… Brennan says he’s not interested in Hume’s processes. Does he know where she is? Hume says, the General Hospital morgue, meeting Detective Dante Falconari. As soon as he connected Anna to Detective Falconari, his people backtracked Dante’s movements. Yesterday he visited a bank where he rented out a safe deposit box. Hours earlier, he was at a train station locker. Security footage shows him retrieving a small package. Brennan says, that must be where Forsythe stashed the report. Now that Falconari has it, Anna does too.

Walking out to the pier with Dante, Anna says, their contact should be here shortly. He’ll make sure the Bureau doesn’t get the evidence, and certainly not Brennan. Dante says, they make sure they secure that report, then go after Brennan himself, and Anna says, yeah. Wherever he is.

Hume asks what Brennan wants him to do, and Brennan says, find that cop and retrieve the report, if he has it with him. And make sure there are no physical or digital copies. Hume asks what Brennan wants him to do about Anna Devane.

Carly pours Sam’s coffee and sees the headline. She asks if that’s the guy Sam is investigating, and Sam says, yeah. He’s head of the WSB. Carly says, really. Because he told her that he was a security consultant. Sam asks if she knows him.

Gregory says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to unload in Alexis’s office. He’ll get to that report. He starts to leave, but she stops him, snatching the folder from his hand. She says, don’t worry about the article. They’ll run a horoscope. He asks if they don’t have one already, and she says, even astrologers need opposing viewpoints. Just ask a Gemini. He says, no. He wants to work. They can still make tomorrow’s deadline. She says, do whatever he wants, but she’s going to be spending the next three hours calling every single skydiving service in the country, specifically to this area, to check the safety reports, because she’s certainly not putting her life in the hands of some random cloud jockey. He says, she’s going with him? and she says, looks that way. He says, no. He didn’t mean to sway her. She made it clear… She says she changed her mind. Besides, it’ll be a good story. He says, for the paper? but she says, for his grandchildren, and hers.

TJ and Molly walk down the hall hand in hand, and he asks if she’s okay. She says she’ll be fine. It’s just, the last thing she wants to do is take more time. They’ve lost enough already. He says he feels exactly the same, but he thinks they should sleep on it. She says she knows he’s right, and he says, it’s just one more day. What’s one more day? Having a baby is the dream. Isn’t that worth waiting for? She says, of course (🍷), but she thinks they should be taking into account their surrogate too. Kristina has offered them this incredible gift, but that’s doesn’t mean there isn’t an expiration date. He asks if she thinks Kristina will change her mind, and Molly says, no, but she has a life of her own. Her center is scheduled to open in June. Are they going to ask her to push back the opening so she can get pregnant? Maybe they’re being selfish using her sister as their surrogate. TJ tells her that Kristina said she wanted to do this, but she asks if they should really ask Kristina to put her life on hold for them. She does know that pregnant women do stuff, right?

Kristina, Blaze, and Violet walk through Rice Plaza singing Deck the Halls, and meet Chase, Brook, and Leo. Brook asks if everything is good here, and Blaze says she thinks so, but someone’s going to have to tell Violet’s dad she’s taking singing lessons, every Wednesday from 4 to 5. Brook says, with Blaze? That’s amazing. Chase tells Blaze, what did he say about dragging her into a rock and roll lifestyle? and Blaze says she’s giving Violet singing lessons, not lifestyle instructions. Leo asks if they can go home now, and tells Violet that he’s sorry he challenged her belief in something that made her happy. Violet says, that’s okay, and Leo says, even if there’s no scientific explanation for it. Violet says, that’s okay too. Right, Blaze? Blaze says, absolutely, and Brook says, Leo is right. They have to get going. She and Chase leave with the kids, and Kristina says, good save. Does she have any more tricks up her sleeve? Blaze says, stick around and maybe she’ll find out. She can’t give away all her secrets. You have to work for them. She tells Kristina that she’s going to get them some hot chocolate and goes over to the vendor. Kristina flashes back to them touching hands, then being interrupted by Brook.

Josslyn says she’s late for a study session with Adam, and Trina says she thought Josslyn told him that he had to find someone else to study with. He’s nice enough – don’t get her wrong – but he’s not Josslyn’s responsibility. Josslyn says she feels bad for the guy. Darts later? Trina says she can’t wait, and Josslyn leaves. Spencer says, it’s just them now. How did things go with Esme? She says, surprisingly well. Esme thanked her for encouraging him to take a step back. He says he bets, and she says, then Esme apologized for everything she did before. He asks if Trina thinks she meant it, and Trina says she does, but that doesn’t mean she trusts Esme.

Holding Ace near the tree, an ornament in her other hand, Esme says, isn’t it beautiful? Their first ornament for their first Christmas tree. Now watch mommy. She flashes back to being locked in the tower at Windymere and decorating the tree with toilet paper. She remembers saying, what a way to end a year. Ironic, isn’t it Ace? The ornament in her hand falls to the floor and smashes.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Ned that nothing is going to stop her from making this right; Laura asks if Cyrus will do this for her; Nina says she needs Ava’s help before her world comes crashing down; and Sonny tells someone that they’ve already been replaced.

🏥 Dropping In To Port Charles…

About the temp Josslyn.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/courtney-fulk-is-the-temporary-josslyn-recast-on-general-hospital

Below Deck Mediterranean

Backtracking a little, Captain Sandy asks if Lily can do turndowns on her own. She needs Lily to be more aware and have initiative. Lily has to be able to do it on her own, and she’s giving Lily one more chance. She knows Lily is exhausted, but how a crew member maintains is how she decides to keep a crew member. She needs to rely on Lily, and so does Tumi. Check in and stay on top with the radio. Lily says she feels she’s got a method now, and in Lily’s interview, she says she has to change people’s perception of her. They haven’t seen what’s underneath these curtains. The captain calls Tumi to the bridge, and says she talked to Lily. Sometimes you need to take time with someone. They could know what they’re doing, but have the wrong attitude. She always hires based on character, not skills. Skills can be taught; character is more difficult. In Tumi’s interview, she says she was hoping the captain let Lily go, but clearly not. She’s tired of picking up the slack, and so are Kyle and Jessika. She needs Lily to step it up. In Jessika’s interview, she says, Lily’s mistakes are her mistakes, and Lily’s successes are her successes. It’s her problem if Lily isn’t successful, and she’s not willing to take the fall if Tumi notices Lily’s mistakes. On deck, Max hums opera and exercises his abs.

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting, and Captain Sandy says, it’s a repeat customer. Luka asks how their first charter went, and the captain says, not good. Primary Billy is the co-founder of an ad agency. We flash back to that cruise, and the captain reads that he’s happy to be back, and hoping they have a boat with working stabilizers and a slide. He’s bringing his fiancé Chris and six close friends. Jack says, they want a Brazilian steakhouse meal and local Brazilian dancers. Tumi ponders local Brazilian dancers in Italy, and Tumi says, they want to have a sparkles and glitter dance party on the sun deck after dinner. Jack says, they want a big gay breakfast, and Luka says, there will be lots of sausage. Tumi says, they’re also asking Captain Sandy to join them for breakfast. Jack says, they love caviar so he’s getting the most expensive, beluga. Captain Sandy looks like she’s all-in with this. Provisions come, and Kyle is still wrestling with a migraine. He asks Tumi if he can lie down, and in his interview, he says, he was struck at 10 pm and had zero sleep. If this is because it’s been an emotional charter season and the stress has built, he doesn’t know. Haleigh calls the captain and says she’s been throwing up all day; she has a stomach bug. The captain tells her to get rest and hydrate. When she feels better, they’ll pick her up. Jessika shows Lily how to smooth out pillows, and Luka tells Max that he’s on at 3 am. Max says, it’s f***ing him up, and in Luka’s interview, he says, there’s extra pressure because of the last charter. We flash to Captain Sandy griping about Luka getting the schedule together, and Luka says, he’s concerned about Max. When you’re down a crew member, there’s an unspoken rule that you pick up the slack. He would never tell his boss that he can’t do it. Tumi wonders what to do for Kyle, and in her interview, she says, Kyle being down is her worst nightmare. He has he most experience. She still needs to supervise Jessika, and that means she’d need Lily to be alone with housekeeping. No. She just tried to get Lily fired less than 12 hours ago. Imagine if she did. Tumi tells Lily that she needs to be as quick as she can; Kyle is down with a headache. Lily wonders what’s happening to everyone, and the captain says, holy cannoli. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she’s giving Lily the opportunity to redeem herself, and now Haleigh is gone, and Kyle is down, and Kyle knows the guests. The worst pressure is on her. She wants to pull this off. Please let the weather be good. Jessika asks Tumi if Kyle is going to be down for the entire trip, but Tumi says she can’t think that far.

The guests arrive, and immediately ask about the slide. We flash back to the captain telling them it’s stuck in customs, and she assures them it will be out. The usual happens, and Tumi tells them that Kyle is ill, but not to worry; he’s coming. Primary Billy and fiancé Chris talk to Jack about the cuts of meat and the temperature of this evening’s steaks, and in Jack’s interview, he says he prides himself on his steaks. He worked in an American steakhouse. He explains how he cooks his steak, and says he’ll put his steak against anyone’s. Jack promises the guests there will be steaks of all temperatures. In Lily’s interview, she says, she thinks it will get easier. She can do whatever she puts her mind to. She has a Masters; cleaning is easy. In Max’s interview, he says, Haleigh is gone, and they have less crew. If you don’t sleep, you go loco. The four things needed are sleep, eating, rest, and loving. Lobster spaghetti, Dover sole, and asparagus are served for lunch. Chris wants a potato for the caviar, and Tumi tells Jack. She comes back, and then is sent for crushed ice. Chris says he’s not a huge fan of mint in his asparagus and he has my agreement on that one. He and Chris tell Tumi that they need another plate and another potato, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, with Haleigh sick and Kyle down, the last thing she needs is dealing with difficult guests. Her aim is to keep afloat. She tells Jack that the guests want two potatoes, and he tells her, 20 minutes. She relays the message and asks Billy if that’s okay, but he says, no. They don’t want them anymore. She brings that info back to Jack, who says he hates them already. He wonders if this is going to be the charter that breaks them.

They anchor, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she needs to fully trust Lily. She needs to be on service, which she wanted to do more, but Lily has to be on housekeeping alone. Good luck, Lily. Tumi checks on Jessika in the laundry, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s pleasantly surprised. Everything is pressed and in order. With housekeeping, it’s a different story, but she believes in miracles, and she’s hoping their Lilybet is a miracle. Max meets the guests and amuses them, and the guests do water sports. The guests get ready for the Brazilian dinner, and Jack goes over the menu with Tumi. Tumi asks Luka to pick up the dancers, and in Luka’s interview, he says, in yachting, communication is everything. Tumi gets an A for communication, and it’s about time. Tumi asks Jessika what the guests are drinking, and Jessika says, literally everything. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she has an awesome deck team. Luka is focused and can implement change. Tumi tells Lily to take all the glitz and glamour out of the cupboard, and Max does The Worm down the hallway, which Lara finds disturbing, as do I. The captain checks on Kyle and asks if he’s sick sick. Maybe he should go to the doctor. He should be better be now; this is not normal. She calls the marina nurse Terry and says she’s concerned about a crew member with a headache. She asks for Terry’s help to facilitate a doctor visit, then calls Luka to the bridge. In Lily’s interview, she says she’s a visual learner. She likes when Tumi shows her stuff, but she’ll never fold a towel the same way twice though. The captain tells Luka that Kyle is going to the doctor, and Luka asks Lara to drive him to shore. In Lara’s interview, she says, everyone is breaking. Who are they losing next? The guests see Kyle leave in the tender, and Kyle tells Lara that he has no idea what’s going on. In Tumi’s interview, she says, great. She needs Kyle’s energy this charter. The guests have a relationship with him, and it adds to their experience. She could never reach their level of craziness.

Tumi tells Jessika, it’s going to be a long night. Kyle left for the doctor. Jessika says she’s shook, and Tumi asks where Lily is. Jessika says, doing cabins, and Tumi checks on her. Lily says she’s made the same bed four or five times, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s shocked that Lily is managing. She’s actually proud of her. Kyle gets to shore, and Lara tells him, get better. Luka steals a kiss from Jessika, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she’s starting to like Luka a lot. Him showing her so much affection makes her think he likes her more. In Luka’s interview, he says, Jessika is funny and fun, and a producer asks if he’s worried about getting attached, but he says, no. Lara picks up the Brazilian dancers, and in her interview, she says, mamacita! They look good. They should give her dance lessons and she can teach them other lessons later. Chris says, he and Billy had a fantastic time in Rio, so they wanted to bring Rio to the Med. The dancers change into Vegas showgirl type costumes and do their thing, some of the guests dancing with them. The guests are seated for dinner and the rare steak is served first. Billy wants a couple of slices, and Tumi explains that it’s not the medium well he requested, but he doesn’t care. He takes a few bites, and tells Tumi that he wants it more done, as though his order came out wrong. He says, they went over what medium is, and there isn’t a range of temperatures. Instead of wasting her time explaining to him that medium takes longer to cook than rare, in Tumi’s interview, she says, he’s just looking for something to complain about. He took the rare steak even though she warned him.

Jack gives Tumi the well-done steaks, and suddenly everything is perfect with Billy. Tumi asks Jessika to help with the cabins, and Jessika finds Lily almost finished. In Jessika’s interview, she says, is this real? Lily is learning. Guest Matthew, who reminds me of entitled brat Spencer on GH, says, the boat is amazing, but they’re not getting much flavor. Dessert is served, and Matthew says, the dinner was super mediocre, but the dessert is really good. Somebody says, it’s glam party time, and Billy says he loved dinner. Tumi tells Lily that she’s proud of her, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, some people need time. She thrived when she was put on laundry and housekeeping. She figured out the navigation, and Lily needed the space to do that. Katie Flood texts Luka that she’s in Portofino, and in Luka’s interview, he says, they used to date, but now she’s a friend. She worked for Sandy in the past. We flash back, but for the life of me, I don’t remember this girl. A producer asks what their history is, but Luka says, they don’t have any. They hung out a few times. What are you getting at? Lily and Max play roughhouse in the galley, and in Lily’s interview, she says, she and Max have fun together. Lily puts glitter on guests’ faces, and Jack asks Max to help wash dishes. In Max’s interview, he says he can’t close his eyes or someone will find him a new mission. He has to be a British spy. Mission Impossible. Kyle texts Tumi, saying he’s spaying the night on land, but should be back tomorrow. In Jack’s interview, he says he was trained in classical cuisine. He’s not sure what a gay breakfast even means, but he’s making it rainbowy. Wearing a rainbow tutu, Tumi hauls a blow-up penis on deck, unsure of where to put it. She finally plops it near the table. The guests sit and Captain Sandy joins them. Tumi tells the guests that the breakfast special is rainbow pancakes, and Matthew snarks that the chef’s specialty is in food coloring. He could make those pancakes. In Tumi’s interview, she says, oh my God. Here we go. She likes chaotic guests, but the ones who have notes on everything are the ones she doesn’t want. She doesn’t need them nitpicking everything.

Captain Sandy says she knows the guests aren’t overjoyed and the missing link is Kyle. Billy asks about Leah, and the captain says, they’re living together now. She tells them about meeting on Facebook. After breakfast, the guests play with the water toys, and Kyle calls. He says he can come back if someone will come get him, and the captain says she’s sending the tender. She tells the guests that Kyle is returning and tells Luka that someone has to pick him up. Max volunteers, and in Max’s interview, he says he feels like an octopus. The tender will be a sweet escape. No one watching. He can do it twice if he wants. Tumi puts a blue wig on. Max picks up Kyle, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, they did a bunch of tests. He was exhausted and dehydrated with a migraine. He feels guilty and asks if this isn’t normally what celebrities are hospitalized for. Is he a celebrity? Captain Sandy says she’s so happy, and Kyle says, guess who’s back? In Max’s interview, he says he’s hungry and tired and has a right to be a bitch to everyone. Tumi tells Kyle that he should wait before going on deck. The energy is draining. Natalya texts Jack that she heard things were busy. Kyle goes out to see the guests, and Billy says, it’s about time. They hug. Max pokes around the galley for food, and Lara points out that there’s pasta, but Max doesn’t want pasta. He tells Jack, there’s no food, just meat. He whines to Captain Sandy that there’s no food and when he leaves, Lara says, Max just doesn’t want what’s there. The captain calls Max to the bridge and says she doesn’t like to be lied to. Don’t lie again. He said there was no food and pitched a fit when there was pasta. Max says he didn’t know there was pasta, and Lara is like, oh no. He asked her if it was from last night, and she said it was vegetarian pasta. He said he didn’t want it. Captain Sandy tells him not to say there’s no food when clearly, there’s food. What he did was wrong. He didn’t want that food. In the captain’s interview, she says she knows they’re down two crew members and knows it’s extra work and tiring, but she doesn’t like liars. Say he’s sorry. Max says – wait for it – no, and walks off. Captain Sandy says she understands he’s tired and hungry, and Lara says she didn’t want to make a scene, but the captain says, she didn’t.

Next time, Jessika says, things are getting exciting with Luka; Captain Sandy says, Luka is smitten with Katie, and Jess hears; Billy tells Jack, more gay fun, less hotel; Lara has to go to the doctor; and the captain is concerned she won’t be able to leave the dock.

❄️ Dashing, But No Snow…

Set a spell tomorrow for soap and the excavation of internet gems. Until then, stay safe, stay being patient and kind if something goes wrong, and stay not challenging a child’s belief in something that makes them happy, even if there’s no scientific explanation for it.

Dec16

December 15, 2023 – Donna Wishes On a Star, PC Special, An Original, Nominee Fashion, Salty Talk, Boomerang In the House, And Stay Out, Theft Off Deck, Top 20, Holidays Are For Pets (!), Long Dozen Of Quotes & Wrapping

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis says she has Jordan on record and the article will come out later in the week. Jordan thanks her and says, before she goes, she wanted to talk to Alexis about something else. This time off the record.

There’s a knock at Kristina’s door and she opens it to Blaze. Blaze asks, what’s her big news? and Kristina says, huh? obviously just waking up.

Brook brings Maxie some caffeine to start her day, and Maxie thanks her, but says, Lucy is going to lose it if she finds Brook here. Why is she stopping by so early? Brook says she’s not just stopping by. She’s coming back to work at Deception.

 At the stables, Cody finds a wrapped gift with a card that says, Merry Christmas Cody. He says, Santa? Is this from you? It’s a little early for Christmas. Sasha hides around the corner.

At the café, Diane does paperwork as she and Robert have coffee. Robert says, that bad, huh? and Diane says, what are they talking about? He says, their first time together and here she is, barely taking a second breath, and with her face in her work already. It’s hardly what you’d call a ringing endorsement. She swipes her work to the floor and says, he was magnificent.

Martin says, he’ll keep this brief because he knows Laura is a very busy civil servant, but he’s wondering if there are any updates in the Austin Gatlin-Holt murder investigation. She says, if he’s asking if their brother is still a suspect, he is.

Sonny tells Donna, that’s a big list, and she says, they’ve got a big family. He says, they do, but you know what’s great? She’s so generous in wanting to buy everyone something. She asks what he wants for Christmas, and he says he’s got everything he wants. She says she’s getting him a special present anyway, and he suggests they focus on other people right now. They’ve got a lot of shopping to do. She asks if Grandpa Mike took him Christmas shopping when he was little, and Sonny says, he did, all the time. Donna asks if she can see his picture, and Sonny shows her a picture of Mike on his phone. She asks if he misses him, and he says, every day. Every single day.

Donna asks, what kind of hat is that? and Sonny says, it’s called a cap. She says, that’s not a baseball cap, and he says, it’s a different kind of cap. His dad loved that cap, and after her grandfather died, he kept it. She asks if she can see it, but he says, it got lost. He kept looking for it, and even asked Donna’s mom if it was in her house, but she said, it’s gone. There’s a knock at the door, and Sonny says he bets that’s her brother. They go to the door, and Sonny opens it to Michael. Sonny thanks him for coming, and Michael says, of course (🍷). He heard they’re doing a little Christmas shopping. Sonny says, she’s got a big list of people she wants to buy presents for; he’ll text it to Michael. Donna asks if he won’t come with them, and Sonny says he wishes he could, but he’s got an important appointment. But go with Michael, and he’ll meet her there. Is that good? She nods and says, it’s a deal. They high-five, since apparently, Donna loves a good high-five. I have to say, she is one super cute kid.

Robert helps Diane pick up her paperwork, and says he really loves the grand gesture, but they’re not in school. He doesn’t need a pat on the head. He just needs to know that she enjoyed herself. She says, they’ve been around each other long enough now for him to know she doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He says he figured that one, and she says, and she’s perfectly capable of asking for exactly what she wants. He says he learned that last night, and she says, yes, he did, and laughs. For the record, she only exaggerates in court. He says, well then, let the record show, counselor, we both enjoyed ourself. He takes her in his arms, and they kiss.

Martin says, Cyrus told him that Laura came to see him, and she says she did. It was a very unsettling meeting. His passion and commitment for his family… Well, to their family… He says, it makes you want to believe in him, and she asks if that happens to him. He says, more often than he cares to admit. Their brother’s a very complicated man. He’s ruthless and manipulative, but he is doggedly loyal. He always goes about it the wrong way, but he’ll never give up on family. Which is something Cyrus has in common with her. She says, it’s true. She doesn’t give up on family, but she doesn’t turn a blind eye either. If Cyrus killed Dr. Gatlin-Holt, he must be prosecuted. Martin says, indeed. Far be it from him to give old Cy the benefit of the doubt, but there’s nothing on this earth Cyrus values more than Laura’s opinion. He got himself released from prison and has a chance to prove himself to her. Why would he throw that away?

Jordan tells Alexis that TJ stopped by her office last night to tell her that he and Molly are trying for another baby; this time with Kristina as the surrogate. She assumes Alexis already knew. Alexis says, the girls told her about it yesterday, and Jordan says she’ll be honest. She doesn’t know how she feels about this. Obviously, she’s excited about the possibility of having a grandchild, and she imagines Alexis is as well. Alexis says, very much, and Jordan says, this all came just a little bit out of the blue for her. She talked to TJ about it, so she knows how he feels, and she’s sure Alexis knows how Molly feels, but she wants to know how Alexis feels about this.

Blaze says, Kristina sent her a cryptic text saying she had big news, then went completely silent. Kristina didn’t answer any of her texts or calls. Kristina says she’s sorry. She should have answered Blaze. Blaze says, it’s okay. She was just worried something happened to Kristina. Kristina says, the day just got away from her, and it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about in text, or even on the phone really. Blaze says she’s here now. It can be in person. What’s her big news? Kristina says she’s going to have a baby.

Cody says, last chance to identify yourself. Otherwise, he’s going to have to assume they’re a secret admirer – he wanders around as he talks, but Sasha stays a step ahead of him – who doesn’t want him to know who they are. He almost catches her, but she dashes out of sight. He says, or they’re one of his many enemies and this present is somehow boobytrapped, and he will be forced to destroy it. Sasha comes out laughing, and he says he knew that would get her. She says, he may have a secret admirer, but the gift is from her, and no, it’s not boobytrapped. He asks if he can open it now or does he have to wait until Christmas? She says, it’s up to him.

Maxie says, Brook is coming back to Deception? Why? Brook says she has her reasons, and Maxie says, please clue her in. The first time Brook came to work at Deception, it was so Maxie could be closer to Baby Lu… Thanks for that, by the way; she’s still super grateful. Brook says, she’s welcome, and Maxie says, the second time, was to spy for Tracy. Not really a high point in their friendship, but she’s moving past it. Brook is a music manager now and she loves that job. Why come back to Deception? Brook says, so she can gain control of the company and give it to Maxie.

Cody tears the paper off the gift, uncovering a book, and says, oh wow. Monument Valley. This is great. He sits down and opens it, and she says she’s glad he likes it. He says, look at that sunset. Can she believe colors like this actually exist in nature? She says, she thought the same thing. It’s funny. She sits next to him, and he says he’s wanted to go here ever since he saw it in one of those old Westerns. It’s pretty ironic that his first trip there will be a photoshoot. The last thing he ever thought he’d be is a model. She tells him not to sell himself short. He’s really getting the hang of it. He says, she’s the expert, but he thinks he and these rock formations will just be a backdrop for her beauty.

Laura thanks Sonny for coming to her office. She knows it was a very last-minute invitation. He says he knew when she asked to see him, it was important. He doesn’t know if it’s a very good idea to do it here. She says she’s been to his office. It only seems fair to welcome him to hers. He says, it’s the public perception of what she does, but she says, if she’s learned one thing since becoming mayor, it’s that people are going to talk about her, regardless. He says he gets it, but they both know he has a reputation in this town, and her inviting him to her office opens her up to allegations of corruption. She says, if somebody wants to investigate her for something, she doesn’t care. She has nothing to hide. He says he just doesn’t want anything to happen to her job. This city needs her. The last thing he wants is for her to be investigated or thrown out of her office, especially because of him. She says, please don’t worry about that. She has no intentions of losing her office, but speaking of investigations, that’s why she asked him here. She’d like to talk to him about the Austin Gatlin-Holt murder case.

Donna looks out the window, and Michael says, they’d better get going. If she wants to get all the presents on her list, they have to get started. Donna asks, if you wish on a star, does your wish come true? and he says, that’s what he’s heard. She says, but there are no stars to wish on, and he says, there’s always stars. You can see them better at night, when it’s dark outside, but there’s stars in the daytime too. She asks if you have to see a star to wish on it, and he says, no. The star knows you’ve made a wish whether you see it or not. She says she’s going to make a wish, and he says, go for it. She looks out again and says, star, it’s me, Donna Corinthos. I can’t see you, but my brother says you’ll know I made this wish. I wish on you that I could find Grandpa Mike’s cap for daddy. This kid is killing me with her cuteness.

Alexis says she’s very happy at the thought of Molly and TJ having a baby, and Jordan says, they’re in agreement on this. Alexis says, then she started to make a list of everything that could go wrong, and how this could potentially end in tragedy. Then she spoke with a friend of hers and he shifted her perspective into a more positive place, tried to calm her down, and boy, being a parent is challenging, isn’t it? Jordan says, it’s been the hardest and best thing she’s ever done, and Alexis says, same. She’s proud of her three girls. She loves being a parent and wants Molly and TJ to have that experience. And Kristina wants to give it to them. Jordan says she agrees. She thinks it’s an amazing gift Kristina is offering them, but does it have to happen right now?

Kristina tells Blaze that Molly and TJ decided to have a baby, and they were super excited about it, but Molly found out she can’t physically carry a child of her own. It was awful. It completely blindsided her. Blaze says, that’s terrible. Of course (🍷) it did. Kristina says, they started exploring their options and felt really good about surrogacy. They found this woman they both really liked and she got pregnant, but then she lost the baby. It was devastating. Blaze says she can only imagine. She’s so sorry. Kristina says she was walking through the park and saw her sister, her super controlled Type-A sister, just absolutely bawling in a public place, not caring who was there or who saw. It just broke her heart. She’s assuming Blaze might know where she’s going with this, and Blaze says she does. Kristina says, it just became really clear to her, she genuinely wants to do this. She wants to give Molly and TJ the thing they want more than anything in this whole world. She can’t really tell what Blaze is thinking right now. Is Blaze about to tell her that she’s crazy for doing this? Blaze says, crazy? No. She takes Kristina’s hand and says she’s thinking Kristina is wonderful and generous, and anyone would be lucky to have a sister like her, but she’s talked a lot about being able to give Molly what she wants. What about what Kristina wants?

Cody thanks Sasha for the perfect gift, and says he feels terrible that he doesn’t have something for her. She says, he already saved her life and her sanity. He’s given her the best gift she could have asked for. He tells her, stop. Don’t say that.

Brook says she knows everything that happened because of her grandmother put Maxie in a bad placed financially. Maxie says she can’t deny that, but Tracy forced Brook to do it, so it really wasn’t her fault. Brook says, Tracy told her the reason why she got control of Deception was to give it to her. At first, she rejected Tracy’s offer, but she just told Tracy that she changed her mind. So the plan is, she’ll start working here again and she’ll convince Tracy that she’s grateful for the opportunity. Then… Maxie says, what then? What is she plotting? Brook says, the next part of the plan is still a work in progress, but she’ll either convince Tracy into signing over control to her or she’ll blackmail her into doing it. Either way, she won’t stop until Deception belongs to Maxie. So what does she think? Lucy walks in and says, who let the spy back in?

Kristina thinks Blaze isn’t so sure she should do this, but Blaze tells her, that’s not what she’s saying. But there’s a big difference between wanting to help her sister and wanting to be pregnant for nine months and give birth to a child. One is seeing Molly hurting and generously wanting to help. The second is a huge commitment and life-changing event. Kristina says she knows no one is going to know for sure how their body will handle a pregnancy, but she’s in great health and the odds are never going to be higher for her than right now to get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby successfully. She knows it sounds so weird to say this, but she knows in her gut that she’s supposed to do this. So Blaze is right that she’s doing this for Molly and for TJ, but she’s also doing this for herself.

Diane asks how they’re going to refer to each other moving forward, and he asks what she means. She says, when she gossips about last night with Alexis – and FYI, she’s gonna – he says, noted – how should she refer to him? Is he her boyfriend? He says, boyfriend, grey hair, long in the tooth, no. He doesn’t feel like he’s anyone’s boyfriend. She says, okay, lover, and he says, absolutely not. She laughs and says, okay, suitor. Main squeeze. How about this? Adult companion. He says, that seems to indicate that money may have changed hands somewhere along the line, and she chokes on her coffee, laughing. He asks if they can’t just say they’re involved, but she says she’d like it to be a little more definitive. How about, they’re just dating? That is, after all, what they’re doing. He says, dating’s good, and she says, good… Are they dating exclusively? He sits back in his chair. I’m laughing because it is a weird thing. Boyfriend sounds like you’re in high school, lover is corny and TMI. I like significant other, but it’s kind of long. So where do you go?

Laura says she knows Sonny is aware that Dante is assisting the Pautuck PD in its investigation of the murder, and he says he and Dante agreed a long time ago for the sake of their relationship, not to discuss Dante’s work. She says, or his, and he says, right. They try to avoid any conflict of interest. Laura says, except she does know he spoke to Dante at some point about Austin, and he asks, why is that? She says, because she asked Dante to give her an update about the murder investigation, and he told her, a reliable and confidential source had informed him that Austin and his cousin Mason were working for her brother Cyrus. He says, really, and she says, his son wouldn’t give up his source, but she knows it’s him.

Lucy says, Brook has some nerve stepping foot back in Deception. She should have Brook arrested for industrial espionage, or maybe intellectual property theft. Maxie says, it’s okay. Brook is here… Lucy says, because why? Does she want to sniff around some more to find out some proprietary information that she can steal from them? Brook says, it’s not stealing if you have a controlling interest in the company, which her grandmother does. Lucy says, Tracy doesn’t care about this company. Tracy doesn’t care about Deception, but she does, and Tracy needs to keep her filthy hands away from here, and Brook needs to stay away from here too. Brook says, it doesn’t matter what Lucy thinks. Tracy’s 51% says she has more of a right to be here than Lucy. Lucy moves toward Brook, but Maxie says, okay, putting her hand in between them.

Cody says, Sasha doesn’t need to thank him. He’s happy that for once he was able to get out of his own way and do the right thing. Trust him. That isn’t always the case. She says she doesn’t care what happened in his past. She’s just thankful for the man he is now, and she’s so grateful that he was able to come to her rescue. He says he doesn’t want her gratitude… What he means to say is, there’s a fine line between feeling grateful to someone, and feeling an obligation to someone. He doesn’t want her to owe him; he wants her to like him. She says, he already knows she does. He heard her say it to Maxie. He says he also heard her say she’s not ready to move on yet. She’s still grieving over the loss of her husband and child. The last thing that would be okay for him is for her to rush through that process because she’s trying to give him something she thinks he wants.

As they walk through Rice Plaza, Michael says, Donna got a lot of presents. Is she ready to take a break? She says, but they don’t have all the presents yet, and he says, they got a lot. Doesn’t she want to save something to buy with her dad? She says, what about daddy’s presents? What does she give him if her wish doesn’t come true? He says, sometimes wishes don’t come true exactly the way you expect, because wishes are magic, and magic is unpredictable. So how about if they buy a back-up gift just in case? She says, look! and runs over to a bench. She picks up a cap that looks just like Mike’s.

Laura says she didn’t ask Sonny here to put him on the spot. She asked him here because she trusts him. She needs to know. Did Cyrus kill Dr. Gatlin-Holt? He says he thinks that’s for the police to figure out, and she says, oh come on. He’s in a position to know things before other people do. She’s asking him, is her brother a murderer? He says, her brother Cyrus has murdered in the past, and he doesn’t for one second believe Cyrus’s religious reformation. But he doesn’t think Cyrus killed Austin Gatlin-Holt. She says, except Dante said Dr. Gatlin-Holt went to see him the night he was killed, and he was prepared to give up the name of his boss. Sonny asks if he gave up that name, but she says, no, he didn’t. He left to go gather proof. Sonny asks if she thinks Cyrus had Austin killed to shut him up, and she says, doesn’t he?

Robert tells Diane that he likes his women. He likes commitment. One woman at a time. She says she’s well-aware of that. She’s well-aware of his exceptional commitment to the women in his life. She’s witnessed it firsthand. Anytime Holly or Anna needed him, he was there. He says, they have a lot of history together. He can’t change that. They would do the same for him. She says she gets it. However, moving forward, if she’s to be exclusive with him, she needs to know that she’s his number one priority.

Sonny tells Laura that he doesn’t see how Cyrus would have known Austin was talking to Dante. Cyrus has no money. He has no manpower to keep Austin under surveillance. And he doesn’t think for a second Dante leaked out the information. Laura says, he wouldn’t do that, and Sonny says, if he doesn’t know, Cyrus has no motive to kill Austin. As a matter of fact, it’s the opposite because Austin helped him get out of prison. So he sees Austin as an asset. She says, that makes sense, and he says, if Cyrus thought Austin was a problem, there are other ways to deal with him. Murder is too risky. With all due respect, he despises her brother, but he’s not stupid. He just got out of prison and he’s going to do everything he can not to go back. She thanks him, and says, it’s really been weighing on her, the kind of man her brother is. It’s a huge relief to know that Sonny doesn’t think he killed Dr. Gatlin-Holt.

Blaze says, listening to Kristina talk about her decision is really inspiring. She doesn’t know if she’s ever done anything this selfless. It’s profound. Kristina says, Blaze is making her sound like a saint. Billions of women have given birth successfully, and she’s sure it’s as big and scary as it seems, but she feels like she’s got this. Blaze says, she might not feel the same way when she’s in labor, and Kristina says she plans on being in excellent physical condition and plan for every scenario. And when she goes into labor… she plans to ask for all the drugs. Blaze laughs, and Kristina thanks her for being so supportive. She knows this isn’t traditional. Blaze tells Kristina that she meant what she said. She’s in awe of Kristina for wanting to do this. Kristina says she really appreciates Blaze being so understanding about this, because she’s really committed to this pregnancy and it’s a big change in her life. And for me and you… If there is me and you.

Alexis tells Jordan, in a perfect world, yes. It would be better for them to wait six months or a year or longer for Kristina to become a surrogate. Jordan says, so they’re on the same page then, and Alexis says, yes, but the timeline becomes problematic, because they’re assuming Kristina gets pregnant right away. And they both know it doesn’t always happen like that. Jordan says, true. None of this is a perfect science. Alexis says, Kristina’s very committed to doing this, but it’s not fair to ask her to put her life on hold for another year or longer waiting to get pregnant. Jordan says she can’t argue with that, and Alexis says, the bottom line is, she and Jordan don’t get a vote on this. All three of them are adults, Molly and TJ want this baby, and they want this baby as soon as possible. They don’t get to just tell them to wait.

Lucy says, Brook doesn’t know half of the horrible, horrible things Tracy has done. She’s blackmailed so many people, she could fill out an entire punch card. Brook says, like Lucy is so perfect. She’s been known to scam rich men out of their money, and also secretly plotted to help Valentin gain control of ELQ. And how many times has she cheated on the loves of her life, huh? Lucy says, lots. Enjoyed it all. She’s made mistakes. She never said she didn’t. The fact of the matter is, she created Deception, and her vision is what made Deception successful. Brook says, and she almost ran it into the ground, almost bankrupt it, and Maxie too… Lucy says, because of Brook, and Brook says, Maxie is nothing but loyal and hardworking. Lucy shouldn’t be mad at Tracy. She should be thanking Tracy for stepping in and saving her and Deception.

Cody tells Sasha to take as much time as she needs. She’s dealing with enough in her life without him putting any pressure on her. And hey, if they’re never anything more than just friends and co-models, that’s good with him too. She says, really? and he says he promises. She says, okay. As her friend, he’s obligated to listen to her. He says, oh, is he? and she says, absolutely. He needs to stop being so hard on himself. He’s not nearly as bad as he wants to believe. As a matter of fact, most of the time he’s pretty great.

Lucy says she doesn’t owe Brook’s grandmother Tracy for anything. Never thank you. Certainly not. Because guess what? What matters is Maxie. And she knows the big sacrifice Lucy made when she took Tracy’s deal to keep Deception solvent. Maxie says she does. And Lucy knows she appreciates that. She’s so grateful for her job. Brook says, since Tracy owns this company and her grandmother wants her here, she’s staying. Lucy says, yippee. Super swell. This is Maxie’s problem now, because she will never ever, ever deal with someone who flat-out lied to her face and spied on her. She walks out, and Brook says she wasn’t expecting it to go well, but she certainly wasn’t expecting that. Maxie says, that was a lot, but Brook says, it’s okay. She’s a big girl and can handle it. Let Lucy go take it up with Tracy. They both know her grandmother will flatten Lucy. Maxie says she doesn’t understand. Why would Brook want that? Before Lucy came in here, Brook was telling her about how she was going to get the company back for them. Brook says she’s getting the company back for Maxie. Only Maxie. Promise her, when she finally gets this done, Maxie will have sole control of the company. Brook wants Maxie to be able to run this company the way she wants. Away from all of Lucy’s crazy shenanigans. Maxie says she thinks they’re getting a little bit ahead of themselves. Why don’t they get control of the company, then they’ll figure out how to divide it up? Brook says, they’ll get control of this company. Maxie knows she’s right. Because when the two of them join forces, they are unstoppable.

Cody says he actually bought Sasha a gift a few weeks ago. The first time in his life he’s planned ahead, but when he saw it, he knew he had to get it for her. She says she’s intrigued, and he says, as she should be. They promised it would be here before Christmas. He’s waiting for them to come through. She asks if she ever told him that she’s very bad at waiting for something she’s excited about, and he says, she’ll just have to be patient. She says, that’s not her strong suit, and she struggles with her coat. Cody tries to help her, and they end up close, face to face. She says she should get going. She’ll see him later. He says, see ya, and she leaves. He sits down, picks up the book, and opens it. It says: To my friend Cody, Thanks for coming to my rescue. Sasha.

Kristina says she likes Blaze, and she doesn’t want this to end. She knows this is early, so if Blaze wants to bail out now before she gets the size of a house, feel free. Blaze says she thinks Kristina will look amazing when she’s pregnant, but she always thinks Kristina looks amazing. Including right now. She takes Kristina’s hand and says she likes Kristina. She likes what’s happening between them, and she doesn’t want to cut it short before it has a chance to become something. She still wants to see where this goes. Kristina says she likes Blaze too, and they kiss. She tells Blaze, and now she’s really actually glad Blaze woke her up early. Blaze says, it’s not early. Kristina does realize she’s a musician and even she’s been up for hours. Kristina says, just her luck. She finds herself a singer who’s an early riser. Blaze says, this singer is about to be late for a run-through with her choreographer, but let’s touch base. Maybe they’ll meet up later? They need to celebrate Kristina’s decision with some wine before she has to give up alcohol. Kristina says, nooo, and Blaze says, for nine months. Kristina says she’d love that. Sounds perfect. They kiss and Blaze leaves.

Alexis tells Jordan, the kids are going to be fantastic parents. They’ll love the hell out of that baby and that baby’s lucky to have them. Jordan says she knows, and she can’t wait to see them holding her first grandchild. So she’ll try to adjust her thinking and be on board like Alexis. If this is what they want – and they are adamant that it is – then she’ll do her best to support it.

Robert tells Diane, Holly came to town largely to save Ethan’s life. It would have been remiss of him not to step in and help her. Not to mention, honor Luke’s memory. She says she gets it. That was a special circumstance. She’ll never appreciate the way Holly went about it, but Holly was desperate, and she understands. What about Anna? He says he and Anna are connected through Robin and the grandkids. That’s never going to change; they’re family. That hasn’t stopped him from getting closer to Diane and enjoying every minute of it. She says she’s enjoyed every minute of it too. All that aside, she needs to know that the next time Holly drops into Port Charles because of an emergency or Anna calls when they’re together, things will be different. He says, understood. The next time one of his exes needs assistance, he’ll have to point out that she’s his priority. She says, then here’s to our well-negotiated, hard-earned agreement, Mr. Scorpio, and lifts her coffee cup. He says, you are worth it, and she says, that’s right. They clink coffee cups.

Martin knocks at Laura’s office door and says, it’s him again. She says, back so soon? Please tell her it’s with some sort of proof of their brother’s innocence. He asks if she wants to run that by him again, how she wants Cyrus to be exonerated, and she says she guesses she does. He asks, what happened? and she says, Sonny Corinthos was just here, at her invitation, and she asked him straight up if he thought Cyrus murdered Dr. Gatlin-Holt. He said he didn’t think so, and right at that moment, she could feel the knot in her chest sort of melt away. She guesses it’s surprising for her to realize how much she doesn’t want him to be guilty. She does want him to turn his life around. Does Martin think it’s possible? Martin says, a hell of a lot more possible now that he has Laura to look up to.

Sonny finds Donna and Michael in Rice Plaza and asks Donna how the shopping is going. She says she didn’t shop for his present; she wished for it. He says, really, and Michael tells her, show him. She brings out the cap and says, this is for him. Sonny takes it, looks it over, and says, this is Mike’s. Angels We Have Heard on High plays in the background, and Michael says, Donna found it. It was sitting over there like someone left it. Sonny says, really? and Michael says, yeah. Sonny says he can’t believe that, and Michael says, neither could he. They were going to ask around and see if anyone lost a hat, but he checked it and it’s actually Mike’s cap. Sonny says he wonders where it came from, and Donna says she told him. She wished for it. On a star. Her wish came true! It’s magic! Sonny says, let him tell her something about her granddad. He believed in magic and wishes. He’d be very proud of her. She says, merry Christmas, daddy, and hugs him. Sonny says, merry Christmas, sweetheart, and looks at Michael. He looks up and says, merry Christmas, dad.

On Monday, Brook says, there’s one thing she and Violet agree on; Kristina tells Dr. Navarro that she’d like to get started as soon as possible; Anna tells Dante, don’t say she didn’t warn him; and Brennan says he’d like to get to know Carly better.

🏥 Port Charles Memory Lane…

January 4th, 10 pm, EST on ABC.

Don’t Miss the GENERAL HOSPITAL Anniversary Primetime Special!

🎼 Adam’s Song…

While he doesn’t have Sonny’s dimples, he’s got the smiley eyes. It’s great how they give actors an opportunity to shine using their non-soap talents.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adams-song-on-general-hospital-was-a-joshua-benard-original

👗 Fashionably Soap…

Wow. There’s way too much black. Spoiler: Dex looks the same.

2023 Daytime Emmys Nominee Reception Fashion Gallery

🧂 Needs Salt…

I didn’t really understand the desire for a pirate themed party. Did they confuse themselves with Below Deck?

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 14 Recap: Queen Monica’s Bermudan Beach Birthday

I guess all losers was out of the question.

The Winners and Losers of RHOSLC Season 4

⛸ Back In the House…

Schwartz is welcomed back. After a week away. Seriously, I can’t.

Winter House Season 3, Episode 8 Recap: Roasted and Toasted

🗽 She Who Won’t Be Uninvited…

No surprise here. She loves showing up where she’s not wanted. No doubt Brandi will follow suit, because ditto.

REPORT: Ramona Singer “Crashed” RHONY Legacy Premiere Party & Wasn’t Invited as Brandi Glanville Reacts

🛥 Worst Guests Ever…

Where do they find these people?

https://ew.com/below-deck-guests-accused-stealing-cast-identities-opioid-scheme-8416388

🎄 Filming Christmas…

All good choices, but not one traditional A Christmas Carol  movie? Really?

https://ew.com/movies/20-top-christmas-movies-ever/

🐶 Pets + Holidays…

The practical.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/health/pets-holiday-danger-wellness/index.html

The famous.

https://finance.yahoo.com/photos/12-celebrity-pets-totally-bringing-191259687/-photo-191409825.html

The rest of us.

https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/a-gallery-of-cute-pets-dressed-up-for-the-holidays

The DIY. I want the hat with the elf ears.

10 Ridiculous Ways To Dress Up Your Dog For The Holidays

🥠 Quotes of the Week

Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. – Mark A. Clement

The way to achieve your own success is to be willing to help somebody else get it first. – Iyanla Vanzant

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

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. – Albert Einstein

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

That food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. – Ann Wigmore

Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding. – Mahatma Gandhi

A man is whatever room he’s in. – Japanese saying

No matter what this study suggests, the best time to exercise is the time you will actually do it. – Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.

Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else. – Nathaniel Branden

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

Nothing frightens me more than a person unwilling to learn, even at their own expense. That is a darkness I will never understand. – G.H. (Mahershala Ali), Leave the World Behind

He looks like a giant red flag. – Shekinah Garner, 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way

🪄 Tinseling Up…

Take a break on Monday really Tuesday for soap and Med absurdity. Until then, stay safe, stay focused on what you can control and let go of everything else, and stay remembering, sometimes wishes don’t come true exactly the way you expect.

Dec15

December 14, 2023 – The Hospital Makes a Decision About Finn, Dress Them Up But Don’t Take Them Out & Good King

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gregory meets Alexis at the PC Grill and apologizes for being late. He couldn’t get a Ride Share, and skateboarding was out of the question. She sees him struggling, and he says, don’t worry. He’ll last through the holidays.

TJ finds Stella in the breakroom, and he asks if that’s what he thinks it is. Chicken and dumplings? She says, it is. Has he had his dinner yet? He says he did, but does she mind if he joins her anyway? She tells him, sit down. Is something on his mind?

Kristina meets Sonny and Donna at the MetroCourt, and Donna asks, what took her so long? Kristina says, parking, and tells Donna that she looks very cute. She kisses Sonny on the cheek, and he says he’s glad she made it. She says she’s glad she got invited. Are they celebrating something special? Donna says, yes. Me. Sonny says, she got a great report card. The teacher in the last quarter said she was talking too much to the other kids… Kristina says, motormouth syndrome. She remembers it well. She used to get all these remarks on her report card. How did Donna turn it around and manage to score a fancy dinner? Donna says she talked less.

At her penthouse, Ava tells Carly that Avery is all settled in and sleeping. She appreciates Carly picking her up from dance class. She’s been so busy with this move. Carly says she had to drop Donna off at Sonny’s for dinner, so it wasn’t a problem to grab Avery. She’s glad they stopped by Kelly’s; she was really hungry, and tired. Ava thanks her for the to-go burger, and says she’s glad Avery was able to get something to eat so Avery could just pass out when she got home… here. She anticipated Avery would have some adjustments to make, but so far, Avery’s been a real trooper. Carly says, she’s moved around a lot. What about Ava? Ava says, moving is so stressful, even under the best of circumstances, and Carly says, but she’s worried about something, and it has nothing to do with moving.

Amy puts out the bin for the hospital toy drive and tells Elizabeth that it really feels like Christmas when they put out the bin. Elizabeth says, that’s the thing about Christmas, people are extra generous and kind.

Portia tells Finn that his recommended treatment plan is spot on, and he thanks her. She says, he knows this is just a formality for the lawyers. He’s a brilliant physician. He doesn’t need any supervision. He thanks her for the vote of confidence, and she says, before he gets all mushy on her, Monica wants to see him in her office.

On the phone, Monica says she can’t tell them how good it is to be home. She’s spending the holidays with her family. And speaking of holidays, she’s wishing them and theirs a wonderful one. She’ll be seeing them. Bye. Tracy comes in and asks if she’s ready for this, but Monica says she’s not sure.

Diane tells Trish that she’s meeting Robert Scorpio, and Trish says, he’s waiting for her. She leads Diane to the table, and Robert tells Diane that she looks great. She says, he cleans up well himself, and he says he’s happy they’re doing this. She says, that makes two of them. She’s especially looking forward to dessert.

Kristina asks, where’s Nina? and Sonny says he promised Donna some one-on-one time. She asked if Kristina could come, so how could he resist? Kristina says, way to go. Thanks to Donna, she scores a free meal at the MetroCourt. They high-five, and Kristina says, not that she needs any excuse. She always loves hanging out with her little sister. Donna says she knows, and Sonny asks why Donna has that look. She says she’s tired of being the little sister. When are he and Nina going to have a baby?

Ava tells Carly, there’s so much going on. Moving out of Windymere, moving into this place, getting organized again. She has a major gallery opening after the first of the year, and of course (🍷) the artist hasn’t delivered all the pieces yet. Carly says, the life of a busy single mom, and Ava says, Carly knows all about that. Carly says she does. She also knows Ava will find a way and make it through. Ava says, she’s right, and Carly says, Ava’s just been rambling on about all the things she’s handling, but she never once mentioned that her boyfriend was murdered.

Alexis looks at Gregory’s phone and says she can’t believe that’s the same sad little tree Violet picked out at Rice Plaza. He says, she took their words to heart, and she says, his words; perfection is the enemy of good. He says, but Alexis clarified it that Violet should look for something special and unique, so she picked out the saddest looking tree on the lot. They took it home and gave it some love, and it’s beautiful. She says, it’s transformed. Everybody looks so happy, even the tree. He says, the whole family pitched in, and she says, even Finn? She finds it hard to believe he’d be the beacon of Christmas cheer. Gregory says, he is when he’s around Violet. He wasn’t exactly ho-ho-ho, but he was radiating joy, and then Violet sang a song she wrote, and Chase accompanied her on the guitar. She says, that sounds incredible, and he says, there’s even more. He’s got big news. Chase and Brook are getting married. She says, he buried the lead. Congratulations. He says he was so worried that Chase would never forgive him about not telling him about his diagnosis, or that Chase would be so devastated, he couldn’t be around him, but look at them now, the literal picture of family unity. She says she’s really happy for him, and he says he loves them all so much. Finn has Violet, and he and Elizabeth are finding their way back to each other. Chase has his true love Brook by his side. he couldn’t wish for more.

TJ says he just came from the OR and grabbed something before he went in, and Stella asks if he’s sure he’s not hungry. He says, she didn’t have to, and she says she can take it back home, but he says, no, taking the dish from her. She says she knows this used to be his favorite. He says, it still is. Don’t tell Molly. He’s fine with veganism, but this is his definition of comfort food. Nobody makes chicken and dumplings like her. She says, actually, Irene made them better than she does. It was their grandma’s recipe and they promised to guard it with their lives. Irene was always a better cook. He asks if she ever regretted moving in with her sister to support her.

Finn asks if they need anything, but Elizabeth says, they’re almost done, and Amy thanks him. Amy goes over to Portia and asks if there have been any updates in Dr. Finn’s malpractice suit. Is there any chance they’d settle and not go to trial? Portia says, this is something the lawyers should be figuring out. They shouldn’t even be discussing this. And it certainly shouldn’t be the topic of any hospital gossip. Just exercise a little discretion. Understood? Amy nods, and Portia thanks her and leaves.

Finn says, Monica wants to see him, and Elizabeth says, maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe she’s lifting the requirement that he needs his treatment plans signed off on. He says, maybe the hospital’s decided to revoke his privileges altogether. Wish him luck. He gets in the elevator.

Finn goes to Monica’s office and says, her assistant said she was expecting him. She tells him, have a seat, and he says he wasn’t expecting to see Tracy here. Tracy says she’s here representing the hospital board. They want a recommendation regarding the lawsuit. Whether to go through a trial, hoping to disprove the Muldoon’s claim of negligence, or whether they should make a separate settlement. Monica says, which would make Finn the sole defendant.

Stella tells TJ, what a question. What brought that on? He says he’d like to hear the answer to the question first, and she says, all right, but it’s not the first time this question has been brought up, and the answer is still, never. She never regretted moving in with her sister and the boys. Don’t get her wrong, she dabbled in the fantasies of what if, but they were just fantasies and can’t compare the life she’s lived, and the life she’s proud of. She and his grandmother Irene shared a deep bond. There was no question she’d step in and help out. She’s proud to have helped raised Thomas and Curtis. They’re her nephews, but she loves them like her own. Just like she’ll always love him and always be his biggest fan. She’ll do whatever she can for him, including sneaking him some chicken and dumplings. He thanks her, and they laugh. She says, that’s the privilege of being an auntie, one of many, and he wonders if Kristina will feel that way.

Robert says, they can swing by Rice Plaza and try and get the tree Diane has been trying to get for so long, and she laughs. She says, touché. No need. She’s already got her tree up. He says he’s impressed, and she says, don’t be. Full disclosure. She actually ordered one from a florist. Did he know they’ll decorate your tree for you? He asks what they’ll think of next. However, he gives her full points for selecting her own. She thanks him and says she does appreciate him coming with her. It’s a shame they had to abort the mission because of Gregory Chase’s attitude. He asks how the malpractice suit is going.

Kristina asks if Sonny and Nina are thinking of having a baby, barely containing her laughter, and he says, that’s not in the cards for a lot of reasons. He’s very satisfied with the kids he has. So is Nina. So Donna is his forever young child, but she’s not a baby. Being a young child means she’s special. Kristina was the youngest for a while. Kristina says, the youngest, the middle, and being the youngest was definitely the best. She asks how things are with Nina, and Sonny says, they’re settling in, and Nina and Willow are doing good. Kristina asks, what about him and Michael? and he says, they’re doing better, but Nina and Michael are not that great. Kristina says, sorry. He’ll probably warm up. Any issues that are going on is probably protectiveness and loyalty. Sonny shrugs, and Kristina tells Donna that she can’t decide. Donna is going to have to pick for her. She trusts Donna. Donna says, sure, and Kristina hands Donna the menu. Hope she likes hot fudge sundaes for dinner.

Ava tells Carly, of course (🍷) she’s affected by Austin’s death. He was murdered, and so violently. She prays the killer is soon caught and behind bars. She guesses she doesn’t talk about it because it’s so upsetting, and it’s complicated. Yes, they were seeing each other, but it was sort of transitional. She doesn’t mean to sound callous, but she really doesn’t know what to make about how she feels now or how she feels about Austin. Carly asks if the police questioned her, and Ava asks, why would they? She didn’t kill him. Carly says, Ava and Austin were involved. Ava was kidnapped by Austin’s cousin. She knows how the police think. It would make sense that they’d ask her about his involvement with his cousin, right? They’d ask her about Austin’s mental state, if he had any enemies, if he was receiving any threats. Ava knows this is standard police procedure. Ava says she doesn’t want to get into that with Carly, and Carly asks, why? Does she have something to hide?

Donna asks if she can see how they make their desserts. Kristina said they use a flame torch. Sonny tells Trish that his daughter got a great report card, and he promised her a great dinner, but she just wants to talk about dessert. Can Trish take her in the kitchen and show her how to make crème brûlée? Trish says she’d love to, and tells Donna, congratulations. Does she want to sample something sweet before dinner? Donna says, yes, please, and goes with Trish. Kristina says, he knows Donna just ruined her appetite, right? but Sonny says, she’ll be okay. How is Kristina doing? Kristina says, good. Busy. She’s assembled the board of directors and the by-laws for the center are done. The construction is set and knock on wood – she knocks on the table – everything’s set. She’s working hard on hiring new staff for the holiday rush at Charlie’s. He asks if she still plans on managing Charlie’s and she says, yeah. Of course (🍷). She loves working there. He says he knows, but he doesn’t want her doing so much that she doesn’t have time for herself. She says she has it handled, and he says, she seems to be talking an awful lot about work and not her personal life. How’s that going?

Gregory says, Alexis wasn’t in the office much today. He finished the article on building rezoning and wanted her feedback. He left her a message. She says she’s sorry. The afternoon got derailed. She has some big news too. He says, a late breaking story he doesn’t know about? and she says, nope. This is personal. She’s going to be a grandmother again.

Portia says she wants Elizabeth’s input on the final candidates for the Epiphany Johnson Scholarship. Maybe before the next meeting. Elizabeth says, Portia’s got it. She thinks it was really great of Sonny to establish that fund in Epiphany’s name. Portia says, and he just underwrote all the Christmas activities for the hospital. The gifts, food, decorations, everything. That man can really surprise you. Elizabeth says, he’s always been really generous with the hospital, and Portia says, now on a not so happy note, can Elizabeth let her know if she hears any gossip around the hospital regarding Finn’s malpractice lawsuit? Amy Driscoll just approached her about news of his suit. Elizabeth says she’ll definitely have a chat with Amy herself. Would Portia mind if she asks why Monica wants to see him? Portia says she honestly doesn’t know, but what she can say is, from her experience Monica is one of the fairest, most impartial administrators she’s ever worked with. And they know Finn is one of the most gifted doctors there is. She thinks they can really hope for the best on this one. She leaves, and Amy approaches Elizabeth. Elizabeth asks why she talked to Dr. Robinson about Dr. Finn, and Amy says she could really use Elizabeth’s advice about that. She was one of the nurses who assisted with Mr. Muldoon’s treatment. She’s supposed to give a deposition, but she doesn’t know what to say or do. Elizabeth says, she has to tell the truth.

Finn says, all he can tell them is that he wasn’t negligent. He’s gone over his notes and examined Mr. Muldoon’s case from every possible angle. He knows he did nothing wrong. Unfortunately, when Mr. Muldoon came to see him, he already had late-stage cancer. It had developed over many years, silently, without any noticeable symptoms. His cancer was also being masked by the presence of a tapeworm, which Finn found and treated with praziquantel. He asked Mr. Muldoon several times to come in and see him for a follow-up, but he was very busy, and it was almost two months before he came back. At which time he ran further blood tests, and more importantly, a colonoscopy, which revealed Mr. Muldoon’s colon cancer. Monica should do what she needs to do. He understands, but he stands by his treatment, whether or not GH stands by him.

Sonny says, Kristina is working at the bar and getting the youth center up and running; that’s two full-time jobs. He wants her to have time to have some fun. She flashes back to kissing Blaze, and says she intends to, but right now she has to focus on other priorities. Fun will come later. He asks, how much later? What doesn’t he know? She says she’s going to be Molly and TJ’s surrogate.

Robert asks if Diane really believes Finn was negligent, and she says, he’s also an attorney, so he knows full well it doesn’t matter what she believes. It matters what she can prove, and she fully intends to prove that if Hamilton Finn had more carefully screened Muldoon, more thoroughly tested him, that Mr. Muldoon’s cancer would have been detected. Hamilton didn’t, it wasn’t, and Mr. Muldoon died as a result… Agree? Disagree? Hello? Robert says, sorry. He wasn’t listening. In fact, he wasn’t thinking about the case at all. He was thinking about her.

Ava says, she and Carly have managed to co-exist and maintain a level of civility for Avery’s sake and she’s grateful for that. But that doesn’t mean she answers to Carly, or that she owes Carly explanations for anything. Carly says, what happens to Ava affects Avery, and she loves that little girl. She’s helped raise her and stepped in for Ava when her life has gotten too dangerous or took her elsewhere. Ava says, Carly doesn’t have to remind her, and Carly says she’s not trying to judge Ava. She’s just thinking about Avery. If Avery were separated from Ava for any reason, it would kill her because she loves Ava. So if Ava had anything to do with Austin’s death, Ava doesn’t have to tell her, but she needs to tell Sonny.

Elizabeth asks Finn, how’d it go? and he says, they won’t be lifting the restrictions on his treatment plans any time soon. Other than that, he has no idea.

TJ says, as Stella knows, their surrogate miscarried their embryo. She’s opted not to try again, and it hit Molly pretty hard. Stella says she’s sorry to have heard that, but there’s still hope, and he says, yes, there is. Because Molly’s sister Kristina offered to be their surrogate. Stella says, what a profound gift Kristina has given Molly, and him, and he says, they’re both very grateful. She says, good… but something’s worrying him. What is it? He says, as a doctor, he’s aware of all the possible risks and health challenges, but what worries him isn’t medical. It’s having to count on Kristina.

Gregory tells Alexis, congratulations. Are Sam and Dante… She says, no. Actually, there isn’t a grandchild yet. He knows Molly and TJ are trying to have a baby via surrogate, right? He says, she mentioned it to him and that the surrogate miscarried, and she says, so Kristina has offered to be the surrogate and Molly has accepted. He says, that’s amazing. Why does she look less than thrilled? She says, because she has mixed feelings about it. She’s of course (🍷) saying this to him in confidence, right? and he says, of course (🍷). She says, because she really has to be able to talk to somebody outside the family. She told him that Molly and Kristina have been bumping up against each other for a while, right? That’s because Kristina wanted to be Molly’s surrogate in the past, but Molly was reluctant about that, and it caused a rift. Just as they were beginning to repair the relationship, the surrogate had a miscarriage. He says, so now Kristina is suddenly option number one, and she says, don’t get her wrong. She’s proud of Kristina for wanting to do something so selfless and loving for her sister, but she can’t help wondering if the two of them are going into this with their eyes wide open or they’re just riding the waves of emotion, not being able to foresee that those waves eventually come crashing down.

Finn tells Elizabeth, the hospital is considering making a separate settlement with the Muldoons. If they decide to do that now, he’ll be going to trial on his own. The fact that the hospital settled would imply they thought there was negligence. Elizabeth says, they can’t do that to him, when Tracy comes out of the elevator. She asks if she and Finn can speak privately, and he walks down the hall with her. Tracy sees Elizabeth glaring at her, and says, oof. Finn says, she’s just voicing her concern and disappointment. He shares both. Tracy says, he knows she considers him a dear friend, but she’s not here as his friend; she’s here as a member of the hospital board.

Monica thanks attorney Clark for coming in on such short notice, and Clark says she assumes this is regarding the proposed separate settlement with the Muldoons. Monica says, the hospital needs to clarify its position on the Hamilton Finn malpractice case.

TJ tells Stella that Kristina has her own way of looking at life and that’s fine, but she’s been impulsive as long as he’s known her. She starts off with the best of intentions, but she doesn’t always follow through. Stella says, so he’s worried she’ll flake out on them with something as sensitive and important as this? She can’t really see that happening. Can he? He says, not intentionally, but his fear is, once Kristina confronts the reality of what surrogacy entails – the hormone treatments, the constant monitoring, the doctor’s appointments – it may be more than what she bargained for. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before an embryo takes. Miscarriage is a significant reality. What if it’s too much? If she changes her mind, he can see her backing out, and that would break Molly’s heart. And his too. Stella takes his hand.

Sonny says he thought Molly and Kristina had some issues recently, and Kristina says, they worked them out. He asks what Alexis thinks about that, and Kristina says, Alexis is her mom. She’s cautiously optimistic, but in the end, everything is going to be fine. And Alexis is going to get another grandchild to love, so she’s going to be over the moon about it. He says, so that’s it? She’s going to put her social life on hold for the next nine months? What does her singer friend think about that? Kristina says, Blaze? and he tells her that he’s just saying. In Puerto Rico, it felt like there was something between them. She says, they’re just getting to know each other. Why? What does he think he noticed? He says he just noticed Kristina lit up when she saw Blaze, and he hasn’t seen her light up like that since Parker. She says, maybe she was just really well lit, and he says he doesn’t want to pry, but if the situation changes, he just wants her to know that he would be happy for her. She thanks him and takes his hand.

Robert signs for the check and tells Diane that he has no doubt she’ll make a strong case. She’s a terror in the courtroom. When he’s not facing off against her, he can’t think of better company. She says, he really knows how to turn a girl’s head. Let her return the compliment. He’s an almost baffling combination of infuriating and irresistible. He says, you sweet talker, you. Did she get a Ride Share? She says, no, she drove, and he says, too bad. He can’t drive her home. She says, no need. He can meet her there… and spend the night.

Alexis says, there’s no need to call a Ride Share. She’s happy to take Gregory home. He asks her not to go to any trouble, but she says, it’s no trouble at all. Besides, he just listened to her vent about her daughters, which she really appreciates, since it’s certainly not something she can share with them. A, she doesn’t want to diminish their optimism, and B, it’s none of her business. They’re committed to this and don’t need their mother mucking it up. He says, she raised capable young women. The risk is theirs to take, and whatever consequences may arise, she’ll be there for them. Let’s just hope the benefits far outweigh the risks. She thanks him for his sage perspective, and he says he’s sagier than ever these days. It’s all about family and connection for him now. That’s what’s keeping him going despite his prognosis. Finn, Chase, Violet, seeing them happy, knowing they’re okay, that’s all that matters. That’s all she wants for her daughters, to know they’ll be okay, and the families will stay connected. She says she wants so much for Molly to have this baby that she wants so much, and she really is grateful that hopefully, Kristina can make that happen.

Stella tells TJ, from what she observed with Kristina and Molly, they have a bond much like she and Irene did. Of course (🍷) they squabble a bit more than she and Irene did, but that’s because of their closeness; they know what buttons to push. He says, the difference is, Molly is like her. The strong one, the rational one. She can tough things out. Stella says, there’s all kinds of strengths. It takes guts to throw caution to the wind and lead with your heart. It’s true Irene leaned on her, but she leaned on Irene too, for advice, support, humor, and consolation. She and his grandmother were sisters. They were a team, and they knew each other better than anybody else. They knew what their successes and happy times meant to each other, just like they knew the heartbreak of their fears and tragedies. Why does he think Kristina offered to be the surrogate, and why does he think Molly agreed? Trust the bond and trust Kristina to see it through. She clears the dishes and says, looks like he was hungry after all. He thanks her for dinner, and she says, absolutely. He says, but the thing he appreciates most is having her as his auntie. He loves her. They hug, and she says she loves him too. It’s going to be all right.

Ava comes out of the bedroom and tells Carly, sorry. Avery wanted a glass of water. Carly tells Ava that she’s said everything she needs to say. She’s going to go. Have a good night. Ava says, if she has a problem that she thinks Sonny can help her with, she’ll tell him, but that’s got to be her decision, not Carly’s. Carly says she has her own life and her own challenges, and she’s all about Ava doing Ava. But she’s not blind or doesn’t care. Ava asks what that’s supposed to mean, and Carly says she hasn’t seen Ava this defensive, or this tightly wound in a long time. She’s obviously in over her head, and if she needs someone to pull her out, Sonny’s the one to do it. And for Avery’s sake, she’d ask him sooner than later. She leaves, and Ava takes a locked box out of the credenza. She puts in a combination and opens it. She looks at the note and the gun, and wonders if Nikolas is back.

Trish brings Donna back and says, she was a very good girl. Donna thanks her, and Trish tells them to have a good evening. Kristina says, speaking of good girls, Santa’s coming soon. Has Donna been a good girl? Donna asks Sonny if she’s been good, and he says, let him think about that… She’s been the absolute best.

Diane unlocks her front door, and she and Robert kiss on the porch. She pushes open the door, and they continue kissing as they go inside. The door closes.

Tracy tells Finn that her recommendation to the board will be that General Hospital backs him. She and Monica agree there was no negligence and there will be no separate settlement. He thanks her and asks her to thank Monica. He’ll never forget this, but what was that whole thing at the meeting where she said she wasn’t his friend? That really scared him. She says she’s not here as his friend. She’s here in a strictly professional capacity. Her decision was based on the fact that he’s an excellent doctor, he’s an asset to this hospital, and they’re very lucky to have him.

Monica tells Clark that they’ve reviewed Dr. Finn’s actions and they’ve found he’s done nothing wrong. Clark says, they’re walking away from a separate settlement, and Monica says, that’s correct. Clark suggests they mount a defense that Dr. Finn was negligent, but acted without the hospital’s knowledge or approval, but Monica says, they concluded Dr. Finn did nothing wrong. So until Clark comes up with another step they can take, Monica thanks her for coming in. Clark gets up and says, as their legal counsel, she feels compelled to offer them some advice. Rethink your decision carefully. The Muldoons have deep pockets and they’re willing to fight. So ask herself, which is more important, backing Dr. Finn or securing the future of General Hospital? She walks out.

Tomorrow, Donna worries about her wish not coming true; Alexis says she and Jordan don’t get a vote on this; Brook says she won’t stop until Deception belongs to Maxie; and Laura asks Sonny if her brother is a murderer.

Southern Creeps Charm

When we left, Shep had alluded to Paige cheating on Craig, and said Craig’s relationship was bullsh*t. Craig gets a free pass because his relationship is long distance, while he’s been torn to pieces with Taylor.

Olivia tells Taylor that she doesn’t enjoy the headlines and stuff. If Taylor had been honest from the start, none of this would be happening. Taylor says she made a mistake and lied about in, and in Taylor’s interview, she says, people have wronged her and she’s forgiven them. Shep cheated on her and she forgave him. She wants a forgiving friend in her life, and if Olivia can’t be that, what are they doing? Olivia says, the level of betrayal is bizarre, and Taylor’s inability to recognize that is baffling. Then she used Austen to make Shep jealous. Taylor says she did a dig, and she’s owning up to it, and Olivia says she doesn’t know where Taylor’s head is at. Craig comes back, and at the bar, Austen says, the dinner turned to mayhem. Olivia says, if there had been headlines about her and Shep, she would have gone to Taylor. She hates that their friendship is broken more than she hates the relationship with Austen being broken. She doesn’t know how to be friends with Taylor anymore, and hates her for that. She hopes he was worth it. She walks out and into the bus. The rest get ready to go, and Shep says he’s sorry, and thank you everybody, like he’s accepting an award. Shep pops onto the bus where Olivia is with Venita and Madison, and says, all she has to do is say she’s sorry. Venita wonders what Olivia has to be sorry about, and Madison tells him to let her deal with it at her own pace. Shep says he told Taylor to apologize. Is Venita out of her mind? Venita assures him that she isn’t, and tells him not to talk to her like that. He says he’s trying to get Olivia and Taylor out of the muck and mire, and Venita says, get out. He wisely follows her direction and sees Craig. They hug, and in Craig’s interview, he says he forgives Shep. He knows Shep’s not mad at him. Shep just doesn’t know how to deal with anger. The islands are not a place for fighting. Olivia says she looks like the crazy girl who can’t drop it, and Madison says, look! The guys are hugging. Craig gets on the bus and asks Olivia how her talk with Taylor went. Olivia says, they just don’t see things the same way. In the other bus, Taylor says she’s not having that conversation again. She apologizes and Olivia says she hates her. She doesn’t want to be verbally abused. In Austen’s interview, he says he thought he as in a good spot with Olivia. We flash back to them talking in the park, and he says, so they have a blow-up and Olivia is upset. It’s disappointing. Taylor says, Olivia doesn’t even want to look at her, but Austen is off the hook. In Rod’s interview, he says, Olivia had a trauma in losing her brother, and he thinks Austen leveraged the situation. Shep says, a post mortem isn’t going to help anybody. On the Taylor bus, Madison imitates JT, while in the Olivia bus, Craig imitates Shep. He says, they made a mistake. We’re all good?

In the morning, JT has a beer in the bathtub, which makes my stomach turn. It’s less about having a beer in the morning, than JT having one in the tub. Austen calls Whitney and says he wants to download Whitney on last night. Whitney suggests they meet on the beach. Madison brings Venita coffee, and Venita says she was ready to fight Shep last night. Madison says, that was her favorite part. She thinks Austen’s therapy is working, and Venita says, he didn’t walk away, so that’s something. We flash back to Austen getting raked over the coals, and they text Olivia about going to the beach. Craig video chats with Paige and says he doesn’t know how Austen and Olivia aren’t exhausted. He tells her about Shep suggesting she cheated, and Paige says, and she went to his lame pheasant dinner. They yell about her when she’s not even around. In Craig’s interview, he says he knows it’s not true, but it’s easier for Shep to yell at him than deal with his own sh*t. He tells Paige that they’re going on a booze cruise later. At the beach, Whitney tells Austen to put on SPF 1000. Austen asks what he’s been doing, and Whitney says, working. Austen tells Whitney about Rod having a problem with him, and Whitney says, it’s a cheap gambit. Rod is trying to get Olivia’s attention. Austen says, JT thinks he’s on a holy crusade to defend Taylor’s honor. The bottom line is, he and Shep landed the girls.

JT and Taylor walk to the pool, and JT tells her that she didn’t say much. She was probably emotionally traumatized. Taylor says, she was being verbally abused, and JT says he felt terrible. He cares about her and he’ll keep defending her. In Taylor’s interview, she says, part of her wishes she had feelings for JT, but girls want bad boys. Boys want girls who aren’t into them, and girls want boys who treat them like sh*t. (Just for the record, not this girl.) Austen tells Whitney that Olivia called him a POS, and in Austen’s interview, he says, even though he’s not pursuing a romantic relationship with Olivia, he cares about her. And her calling him a POS makes him sad. Olivia, Madison, and Venita come across a swing that’s a favorite on Instagram, and Venita takes photos. Austen tells Whitney that Olivia is up and down, then she puts on a show, calling him a POS. In Whitney’s interview, he says, Austen and Olivia are exhausting, but you reap what you sow. Olivia tells Madison that Taylor said things that were inconsistent. It’s the first time they talked since Taylor’s text to Shep. In Olivia’s interview, she says, nothing is consistent with Taylor. Forget the friendship. She’s talking about Taylor’s character at this point. Madison says, Olivia will probably never trust Taylor again.

It’s time for the booze cruise, and the group heads for a yacht club. On the bus, Madison pops champagne, and Craig wonders why Taylor and Shep are sitting next to each other. Austen says, when Shep finally brings someone else around, Taylor is going to get mad. Rod says, if it’s the other way around, Shep will blow up. Imagine if it was JT. Madison asks if Austen is going to come clean. He probably needs to say he’s sorry. In Madison’s interview, she says, they get solid points for having survived a toxic relationship. They now support each other from afar, and Austen came to her for advice. And he needs it. She tells him, quit making it so weird. They go to a marina and onto a yacht, where they’re welcome to the Aristocrat Tour with Captain Sardine. The captain says, the boat is all theirs while they’re here. In Craig’s interview, he says, your worries go away on a boat. If you see someone having a bad time on a boat, they probably suck. Taylor apologizes for snapping at Venita, and says, she thought he said the opposite of what he said. They make a snorkel stop, and I cry because I should be doing this. Not this bunch of losers. Craig says he’ll stay on the boat and drink, since they have no spears to spear fish with. Madison joins him, and Venita and Olivia also sit it out. The others get in the water. Madison asks if Craig misses Paige, and Craig says, he’ll get a tan, go home, and f*** her. Alrighty then. He asks if Madison has a girl crush on Paige, and she says, for sure. He says, Paige has one on her too, and Madison says, get her to move to Charleston. Craig says, the original plan was for him to move to New York for a few years, but his company is getting big, and it’s tied to Charleston. Madison asks what he’ll do if Paige doesn’t want to move to Charleston, and he says, probably break up.  

Craig tells Madison, first he would fight for it, and do what it takes to figure it out. A DJ does his thing, and everyone dances on deck. Mostly badly. Some of the crew do a sort of funky line dance, and in Craig’s interview, he says he loves to dance. He used to watch YouTube videos to learn. NSYNC and Justin Bieber. They head back at dusk, and Shep says he’s going to miss Captain Sardine. He just talked to Whitney, who has upgraded to the presidential suite. Craig asks what Shep would say to the next girl who goes out with JT, and Shep says, don’t wear heels. (In case you didn’t know, JT is short.) Craig asks what Taylor would say to the next girl Shep dates, and she says, don’t expect to finish. Yikes! In Austen’s interview, he says he wants everyone involved to have fun, if it’s one or three. Shep says, as long as he gets off, he doesn’t care. He’s not going through a big production. In Taylor’s interview, she says she can count on three fingers how many times, and I’m just stunned. Whitney has a fully stocked bar delivered to his suite and tells the waiter, it’s not for him; it’s for the hoi polloi. The others approach the door, and Madison says, it’s fancy AF. For whatever reason, Shep decides to try to break in, hitting the door with his shoulder, and only hurts himself. Whitney lets them in and gives Shep the tour. Shep says, it’s Shangri La, and Austen says, it’s where it doesn’t happen. Whitney asks, what happened on the boat? and Shep sits away from everyone. Madison says, they have to change for dinner, and Shep pouts, saying, he’s not showering. He wishes Austen changed. Austen says he does change, but Shep can’t, and that’s the problem. Shep says, a problem for whom? and Austen says, everyone Shep ever met in his life. Ouch.

Shep says he has a lot of good friends and doesn’t need Austen. Austen says he cares about people and would never say that. Shep told Taylor that he liked cheating on her. He’s been an absolute f***. Shep asks what Austen has been, and Austen says, honest. In Craig’s interview, he says, Shep has been in denial so long, he’s finally realizing his best friend hooked up with his girlfriend. Austen says, Shep holds a soft spot for Taylor, and Taylor grabbed him. She came on to him, not the other way around. Shep says, she’s never been honest, but Austen says, she was honest. With him too. Whitney wants Austen to act it out and plays Taylor in the scenario. Shep tells them, f*** off, and Austen says, Shep can’t face the fact that he and Taylor f***… ing made out and she’s moved on. Madison says, he almost said f***ed, and in Madison’s interview, she says, Austen just admitted it. Austen tells Madison that she’s a bored housewife, and Madison tells Whitney that she’ll see him at dinner and leaves.

Taylor is the first to arrive at dinner, and no surprise, Olivia shows up next. Craig says, Austen hooking up with Taylor f***ed up his position, and Shep’s anger at Austen continues to surface. Austen says, Taylor is taking Shep’s lead. He keeps saying it’s all good, but sometimes he gets angry. Shep says, it’s been nice. Austen doesn’t give a f*** about anyone but himself. He used to be 34 and a scoundrel. Austen says, a total scoundrel, and in Shep’s interview, he says, it’s an accumulation of things with Austen. They spent time together in Australia and he didn’t say a word. He has no concept of friendship or loyalty. Austen says, if that’s how Shep feels, he doesn’t know what to say, and Shep says he’s going to change his clothes. Whitney says, thanks for coming. It was a really, really nice time. Shep drove off Madison. How do you do that? Shep says, someone had to. At the table outside, crickets chirp.

Venita sits down and asks for a glass of bubbles, since she’s five, and Madison joins them soon after. In Madison’s interview, she says, talk about awkward. That the hell is she doing here? A family style dinner is served, and everyone else trickles to the table. Craig has his shirt unbuttoned almost entirely, and Madison calls him Rico Suave, buttoning up one more. Austen says, they’re all hammered. He and Whitney made out. Craig says, Austen and Shep finally fought it out, and Taylor says, then made out. JT says, it’s the biggest plot twist on a vacation he’s heard of in his life. Whitney says he and Austen took a jacuzzi, and Madison asks Austen, which kiss was better, Whitney or Taylor? Austen says she’s a f***ing bored housewife, and Madison says, if that’s his dig, lights out. Whatever that means. Austen says, don’t talk to him, and Shep says, they had fun today. Madison says, it was a moment, and everyone toasts to Craig. Shep says, cheers to Captain Sardine, and they toast again. Taylor gets up and clinks her fork on her glass. She says she knows she was quiet last night, but the conversation has been happening for two and a half months. For her of herself and her own well-being, she wants to put this to rest.

To be continued…

🌰 Looking For Pre-Roasted Chestnuts…

Slide in tomorrow for the free-for-all that is Friday, from soap to sage words. Until then, stay safe, stay not over committing, and stay not being the person having a bad time on a boat. Because if you are, you probably suck.

Dec14

December 13, 2023 – Ava Thinks She Knows Who’s Taunting Her, Annemarie Dispenses Unwanted Medical Advice At a Party & Home

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Alexis walks into her house and sees Kristina and Molly. She says, whoa, and tells them that she’ll have to call them back. She tells the girls that she loves having surprise visits from her daughters. Why don’t they tell her what’s going on? Or they could leave her in suspense. Actually, there is no second choice. What’s wrong? They laugh and Kristina says, she got there fast. Alexis says, they both have beautiful faces. And they should never play poker with them. Clearly, they have something to tell her, so let’s hear it. Molly says, she’s right; they have news. Alexis asks if it’s good or bad, and they tell her, it’s great.

The last of Ava’s stuff is moved into her new/old penthouse. She tips the mover, and when he leaves, she says, this is so much better than Windymere. Why did she ever give this place up? She takes an envelope out of her bag that says AVA and slides a picture of dead Austin out of it. She takes out a note that says: DON’T TELL ANYONE.

Josslyn and Trina come back to their dorm room to find Adam playing guitar and singing in the hallway.

Sonny approaches Stella and Felicia at the hospital, and Stella says, well, look who we have here, and Felicia says, hi. Sonny says, sorry to interrupt, but Stella says, his timing’s just fine. What brings him to the hospital? He says, her.

Dante comes in, and Sam says she knows he couldn’t say anything to her at Kelly’s, but they’re home now, so she’s hoping he can tell her. Did he find anything when he opened up the locker? Any indication of who was after Anna?

Carly follows Donna into the park, while Donna kicks along a soccer ball. Carly says, she looked so great on the field today, but Donna says, it’s a pitch, not a field. The coach says, if you lick a ball just right, it will go around the goalie. She’s been practicing. She can show Carly. Carly says, let’s see, and Donna kicks the ball. She says, it was supposed to curve, but Carly says, it’s okay. Like the coach says, she has to practice, right? Let’s get the ball. Brennan comes along, carrying the ball, looks at Donna and asks, by any chance, does it belong to her?

Felicia says, she’ll leave them to it, but Sonny says he doesn’t mean to exclude her. She’s a patient advocate also, right? Felicia says she’s still learning the ropes, and Stella tells her that she’s doing excellent work. Felicia thanks her and asks if Sonny needs a patient advocate. He says he does, but not to help him navigate health situations, and Stella says, that’s a relief. So what can they do for him? He says he wants to do something for the hospital, and she says, he already does a great deal for the hospital. He says, this is different. He wants to donate or underwrite, however she wants to call it, all the hospital holiday celebrations. The decorations, the pediatric party, any expense that has to do with the holiday, he wants to take care of it. Felicia says, he’s like their very own Santa Claus, and nearby, a little girl says, he’s not Santa Claus.

Dante tells Sam that he checked out the locker and came back when no one was watching. When he finally got into the locker, there was a package inside. It was wrapped up like it was going to be mailed, but it didn’t have an address label on it. Sam says, that’s because the late Mr. Forsythe wasn’t able to mail the package, and he says, right. He didn’t want to draw attention to anything, so he got the package out of there. She asks where he went, and he says, to the bank.

Carly introduces Donna and Mr. Brennan, saying, he got the ball out of the bushes for them. Donna thanks him, and he says she’s most welcome. He asks what position she plays, and she says, forward. He says, that’s a lot of running, and Carly says, that’s not a problem for Donna because she’s in constant motion. Speaking of running… He says his job can be a lot of high pressure at times, so he runs to decompress. Sometimes it even works. She asks if he’s been to the running trail on Harborview, but he says, not yet. She says, people swear by it, and he says, what about her? She says she’s not a runner. She likes Pilates, yoga, swimming… Although she hasn’t done that in a while. PCU has a great swim complex. It’s open to the public every morning. He says, maybe he’ll see her there sometime, and she says, he swims too? He says, when he can fit it in. Running requires a lot less forethought and prep time. Donna asks if they can go for a hot chocolate, and Brennan says, at the risk of intruding, perhaps he can accompany them. His treat. Carly says, that won’t be necessary, but he says, it will make up for him up and disappearing the other day. She says, why not? and the three of them leave together.

Adam notices the girls and says he’s sorry. He didn’t realize anyone was listening. Trina says, he’s in the hall, and Josslyn says, of the dorm. He says, normally no one’s here this time of day, and the acoustics are pretty good. Josslyn says, he knows this because he plays in here a lot? and he says, yeah. In the afternoons, he gives himself a break from everything. Trina says, don’t let them interrupt him. Come in. Play something else for them. He follows them into their room and tells Trina that she doesn’t have to say that, but she tells him that if he thinks she’s just saying that to be polite, think again. She’s majoring in art, so she’s never dishonest about an artist’s work. He says, what artist? and Josslyn says, she means him. He says he was just goofing around, but Trina says she’d love to hear what he sounds like when he’s serious. He says, they don’t really want to hear him play, but they both say, yeah, they do.

Alexis sits in between Molly and Kristina, and says she knows how they operate. The last time they sat her down like this, it was to talk her into getting a puppy. Molly says, they’re not trying to talk her into anything. She and Kristina have done a lot of thinking, and they’ve made a decision that will affect both of them. Kristina says, actually, it kind of effects the whole family, and Molly says, they just hope she can support them. Alexis says, oh boy. Okay. Molly says, Kristina is going to be the surrogate for her and TJ.

Ava hears someone coming in, and shoves the picture in the envelope, tossing it on the table. Nina asks how it’s going… What happened?

Sam says, Dante went to the bank? and he says he wanted to go somewhere private and secure where he wasn’t being watched or monitored. He also needed someplace he could leave the package that was secure where someone didn’t have access. So he got a safe deposit box. She says, that’s certainly more secure than leaving it in the train locker. What was in it that was worth killing for? Dante says, that WSB file, pages yellowed like it had been in that trunk for decades. She says, thank God the WSB didn’t have it. They would have destroyed it years ago. He says he saw Forsythe’s name right away. He was the field agent in that op that went bad. He wrote down some names that were mentioned too, including Anna’s.

Felicia says, Lindsay is one of her clients, and introduces the little girl to Sonny. He says, nice to meet her, shaking her hand, and she asks why Felicia said he was Santa Claus. Felicia says, what she meant was, Mr. Corinthos is like Santa Claus because they’re both generous and giving. But she got it wrong. Everyone knows there’s just one Santa Claus, and he’s going to bring her presents at Christmas. Stella says, Mr. Corinthos was offering the people at the hospital to have a happy Christmas, and Lindsay asks why he’s doing that. Sonny says he’s a big fan of Santa Claus and always follows his example.

Adam sings for Trina and Josslyn, and he’s pretty good. They applaud, and Trina says, he’s very good. He says, for a guy on a study break, but Josslyn says, no. She’s right. He has a real feel for the music. She had no idea he had such a great voice. He says, she really thinks so? and she tells Trina, back me up. Trina says, she’s right. It’s not really her kind of music, but even so, she can tell he has a real gift. He thanks her and says he really appreciates that. Anyway, he played longer than he meant to, so he’d better get back to studying. Trina says, he needs to eat, doesn’t he? and he says he’ll have some ramen or order something, but Trina suggests he eat with them instead.

Ava says, Nina knows what moving is like. It’s overwhelming, even in the best of circumstances, which these definitely are, but you do realize just how much stuff you have. And no matter how carefully you box it and tape everything up, what you really want, you’re worried you left behind. But in the end, here she is, back in this penthouse she loves so much, and that’s thanks to Nina. Nina says, Ava will be an ideal tenant. She can’t believe how lucky she is to be leasing it to her. Now what has gotten her so terrified? Ava hands her the envelope, and Nina says, no, not another one of these. Come on. She looks at it, and reads, don’t tell anyone. She asks if Ava got this at Windymere, but Ava says she found it in her handbag.

Alexis says she has no doubt TJ and Molly will be amazing parents, and Molly thanks her. Alexis says, and Kristina, what a generous gift to give to her sister and her brother-in-law. Kristina says, but she has reservations. She knows Alexis did when she first offered to be their surrogate, but it’s been months now, and things have changed. Alexis says, no question. It’s her job as a parent to try and look at every angle with all things everywhere, and she can’t help but see potential pitfalls. Molly says, they see them too. Does Alexis remember when they ran into each other at the Port Charles Grill after she met with the matching professional? Alexis says she remembers, and Molly says, Alexis gave her some really good advice that day. Alexis said, whatever she and TJ decided, they had to make that choice together. It made her realize, as bad as she wanted a child, she and TJ weren’t on the same page about another surrogate. That hit her really hard. She had a meltdown in the park, and Kristina saw her crying. Kristina says, it killed her to see Molly upset like that, and after they talked about it, she put a lot of thought into it, and she decided to offer again. Molly says, before Alexis says anything, she talked it over with TJ, at length and at great detail, and the three of them have made the decision to move forward together. She just hopes Alexis can be happy for them.

Nina asks if Ava thinks the killer was here in this penthouse, and Ava says she certainly thinks it’s possible. With all the movers, and her driver, and a messenger from the gallery, people were in and out of here all day. It would not have been difficult for someone to slip it into her bag at some point. Nina says, Ava can’t let this person terrorize her. She has to go to the police. Ava says, no, snatching the note back. Nina knows why she can’t do that. She had ample motive to kill Austin and has no alibi for when he died. They had a horrible fight that night. He knew that she was abducted. He knew his cousin Mason was following Cyrus Renault’s orders, and he didn’t go to the cops, and he didn’t go to Sonny. He did exactly what Cyrus wanted. He testified to get Cyrus out of prison. Nina says, which seems to indicate that Cyrus murdered Austin, so why doesn’t she tell the police that? Ava says, because these notes. Why would Cyrus waste his time in toying with her? She’s of no value to him. She’s just the opposite really. He knows if he pushes her too far, she’ll go to Sonny, which is trouble he does not need. So as awful as he is, she doesn’t believe Cyrus is responsible. Nina says, all right, then who is? and Ava says, someone with a talent for mind games. Someone with the money to play them. Someone who loves watching her squirm. Someone who hates her and wants revenge. Nikolas. Ha! I called it first weeks ago.

Sam says she’s curious. Why didn’t Dante take a picture of the report? He says he just got paranoid. He figured if it was on the phone, then it’s in the cloud. It could be hacked by the WSB and brought back down, using whatever technology the WSB has that they don’t even know about. He didn’t want to risk it getting out, so he went low tech. She says, he has a point there. That report escaped notice all these years because Anna kept a hard copy in a trunk. He says, and other documentations. It wasn’t just that report in that trunk. There were papers, records, other files. Sam says, seems like she was pretty thorough, and Dante says, or also extremely guilty. That’s a lot of insurance to keep. Insurance you’re not going to need unless you’re blackmailing someone in a pretty powerful position. Sam says she just doesn’t get it. Yes, Anna has a made a lot of mistakes. She has since redeemed herself. He says, that’s what she keeps saying. Maybe that’s what she’s trying to convince herself of, but can you really redeem yourself of all the things you’ve done wrong? Or does enough time pass that you don’t think about it anymore? Or maybe you rewrite it in your mind, or maybe you try to convince yourself it never happened altogether. She asks if he’s still talking about Anna, and he says he’s talking about everyone. How accurately can Sam recall something that happened ten, twenty years ago? A failure, a screw up, a lie she told. She laughs and says she doesn’t know. To be honest with him, she doesn’t want to know. He says he doesn’t think Anna does either. He thinks she’s rewritten the 80s to make it easier for her to redeem herself. But everything else, this report and everything that was in that trunk, that says otherwise. Sam asks him if he trusts Anna.

Donna, Carly, and Brennan walk back to Rice Park with their hot chocolates, and Carly tells Donna, be careful with that. Donna asks if she can go practice some more, and Carly says, just stay where she can see her. Donna says she will, and runs off. Carly says, like she told him, always in constant motion, always, and Brennan asks if soccer is a special passion, or is Donna like this about everything? Carly says, she’s like this about everything. She’s all-in, whether it be a flower girl in a wedding or baking cookies. Although Donna really does seem to like soccer. She’s fast and she’s competitive, so Carly thinks soccer’s a good outlet for her. Brennan says he thinks Donna bears a strong resemblance to her, and Carly says, really? Everyone says she looks exactly like her father.

Sonny asks Lindsay what she hopes to get for Christmas, and she says, a tracing pad. Sonny asks if she’s kidding. He has a daughter just about her age, and she wants the same thing. Lindsay’s mother comes over to them and asks if Felicia could help her with some forms. Felicia says, absolutely, and leaves with Lindsay and her mother. Stella says, Sonny’s always been generous with this hospital, but making this special gift for just holiday celebrations is above and beyond. What has fired him? He says, a friend of hers, and she says, not to brag, but she has quite a few friends. But still, she thinks she knows the one he means. His father.

Alexis says, of course (🍷) she’s happy for them. She wants them to have everything in this world that’s good for them. And she loves being a grandma. She doesn’t always like being called a grandma. A welcome addition to the family is a beautiful thing and the bond Kristina and Molly have built is a beautiful thing. It makes her tear up. That Kristina would offer Molly this gift and she’d accept it… but – Kristina says, here it comes – she’s worried this could be complicated. Pregnancy is complicated and there’s a risk, physically and emotionally, and there’s no guaranteed outcome. Molly says, if something goes wrong, she’ll be devastated, but she’s not going to deprive herself or TJ of what they want out of fear. They all know she likes to be cautious, but if you wait and wait for everything to be perfect, you might miss your chance altogether. Kristina tells Alexis that her OB said she’d be a great candidate. Molly and TJ really want this, and she wants this for them, but selfishly, for her too, to bring her little niece – Molly says, or nephew – or nephew into the world. Alexis says, they don’t need her blessing, but they have it. Molly’s phone rings, and she says, it’s the office. She answers and says, now?… Okay. Have the file waiting for her. She’s on her way. She says she’s so sorry, but Alexis says, if anyone understands, she does, and Molly hugs them goodbye. She leaves, and Kristina says, since she’s here, does Alexis want to finish organizing the upstairs closet. She can totally take the clothes Alexis doesn’t want to the shelter. Alexis says, the closet can wait. Has she really thought this through?

Nina says, according to Laura, Nikolas is in Europe, so why would he come back here to kill Austin? and Ava says, who knows why Nikolas does anything? Maybe Austin double-crossed him too; that seemed to be his pattern. Nina says, double-crossed him how? and Ava says she told Nina that she mistakenly thought she killed Nikolas. Not only did he survive, he made a miraculous recovery. She thinks he may have had some medical intervention. Nina says, from Austin, and Ava says, Austin lied about to her the whole time and helped Mason blackmail her. Maybe Austin made the mistake of trying to blackmail Nikolas as well. Or maybe Nikolas killed him just to torment her. Nina says, she doesn’t really believe that, but Ava says, Nikolas thinks she tried to kill him. Of course (🍷) he wants revenge. And what better way to get it than frame her for Austin’s murder?

At Kelly’s, Josslyn goes to put in the orders, and Trina asks where Adam learned to play guitar like that. He says he thinks he was four when he started to play piano, but he didn’t really have a feel for it. Then when he was about ten, his teacher introduced him to the guitar. That was it. She says, he just knew, and he says he guesses he did. But his parents said, if he wasn’t going to play piano, they weren’t going to pay for music lessons. She asks what they have against him playing guitar, and he says his dad says people who play guitar are low brow, but he really couldn’t let it go. Since then, he’s just been self-taught. She asks how his parents don’t realize he’s really gifted.

Stella tells Sonny that Mike might have started off as her client, but he became so much more. She’s had dear friends before, but none like him. And the way he faced his Alzheimer’s, she admired that. He was scared, but it was always his love that came through. Sonny says, and his encouragement, for all of them, and Stella says, as hard as it was for Sonny to watch what Mike was going through, Mike never saw anything but Sonny’s love. Sonny says he misses Mike every day, especially at this time of year. His last Christmas, he was in and out. Sometimes he would be his old self, sometimes he’d be a stranger, but he always loved Christmas. He loved the trees and the decorations; he was like a kid with the feeling of true joy for the season. Stella says she remembers that, and Sonny says, but it’s tough to get that true joy feeling in a hospital. That’s why he wants to help.

Brennan says he wasn’t talking about Donna’s appearance, but she and Carly share a certain lightness of spirit. Carly asks what he means, and he says, her daughter is open and friendly, not shy and withdrawn. She’s interested in things around her, and she’s certainly not bratty or demanding. She says, not Donna, but there’s plenty of people who would say she’s bratty and demanding. He says, we all have our moments, and asks if she’s unusually demanding. She says she doesn’t think so. She used to think everything had to be a battle. Then she learned how and when to compromise, and when to fight for something she believes in. And she’s not afraid to push if she thinks something’s important. He asks how she decides if something is important.

Kristina says, whatever she does, whatever she decides to do, Alexis is constantly assuming she’s being impulsive. Alexis says, that’s not what she meant, but Kristina says, it is, and it’s how Alexis makes her feel. Alexis can’t credit her with knowing herself or knowing her own brain. For looking at a situation, deciding the best course of action, executing it, and following through. It’s a tired narrative and she’s sick of it, because she’s done her due diligence, and she knows what she’s in for. Alexis says, no, she doesn’t. She can’t, because she’s never been pregnant. She’s never brought a child into the world. She doesn’t know what it’s like physically or emotionally, and no amount of research or due diligence is going to prepare her for that. In the best of circumstances, if nothing goes wrong, for nine months, she’s going to be carrying this life inside of her. Then she’s going to bring it into the world, and Alexis promises her, it will change her. She knows how much Kristina wants to give Molly and TJ what they want, but she’s asking Kristina if she’s truly considered what she wants.

Josslyn sits down, and Trina says, Adam was telling her that he used to take music classes, but then he started teaching himself guitar. Josslyn says, that’s incredible. He plays really well. He thanks her, and Trina says, maybe it’s an advantage being self-taught. You don’t get locked in. You get to explore and develop your own style. He says he doesn’t know about all that. It’s really just something that helps him decompress. Trina asks if he’s thought about playing professionally.

Ava tells Nina that their relationship was so sick and dysfunctional, and she was nearly as addicted to it as he was. As awful as it was, she thinks Nikolas did her a real favor by getting Esme pregnant. That’s when her perspective shifted, and she was able to see their relationship was just misery. She was able to see that if she didn’t get out, Nikolas would destroy her. Nina says she’s so sorry. She knew things were bad between them, but she didn’t know how bad they were. Ava says, neither did she until it was almost too late. She stopped playing games and started pulling back. Nikolas was just too invested. He would not let her go, and that’s why he came to Windymere that night, threatening to take Avery. And that’s why she hit him and that’s why this is happening now. Nina says, if it is Nikolas sending those notes… Ava says, the killer is going to great lengths to torment her, and the only person with the motive to do that is Nikolas. She intends to beat him at his own game.

Dante tells Sam that he does trust Anna, but none of them knows how they’re going to react when the past is dredged up, right? What is Anna going to do? Is she going to cover up what she did? Is she going to overcompensate out of guilt to make it easier for whoever this is to get her? He wants to talk to her, but doesn’t feel he has enough of a handle on the situation. Sam asks what he plans to do, and he says, go back to the bank. Read that report more thoroughly. He skimmed through it enough to know what the mission was. It was all about getting this Eastern Block general to defect and bring his top-secret files with him. In exchange, he was going to get ten million 1987 US dollars. Sam says, whoa. No wonder the WSB wanted him and his files; the man didn’t come cheap. Dante says, but the op went bad. The general was killed, his files went missing. She says, what about the ten million? and he says, that’s also missing. Forsythe was the field agent. The last thing he wants is for this report to see the light of day. She says, what about Anna? and he says, her role was to be the girlfriend of the general so they could cross the border together and it would look less conspicuous than a single guy crossing on his own. She says, what about the other things in the files. He said they didn’t make any sense? He says, there were these passport photos; they looked like they were from the 80s. One was Anna, one was Forsythe, and one was someone he doesn’t know, but there was this other thing… He goes to his duffel bag and takes out the wallet. He says, that, and tosses it on the table.

Alexis says, hormone shifts and swollen ankles, and Kristina may get morning sickness. Kristina says she might, and she doesn’t know how she’s going to handle that. She won’t know until it happens, but she has faith in herself that she knows what she’s doing. Yes, this feels big, and it feels a little scary, but it also feels right. She’s confident in her decision, and honestly, she wishes Alexis had a little faith in her. Alexis says she has faith in Kristina and her courage and her generous heart. She needs to remember that Kristina is a beautifully grown woman, and she’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions and deciding what she wants. And now it’s her job to just step back and support Kristina, and she will support her. She loves her. Kristina says she loves Alexis too, and they hug.

Nina asks if Ava’s sure she’s going to be okay. Ava can always stay with her. Ava says she’s fine. The more she thinks about it, the more convinced she is that Nikolas just had somebody put that envelope in her bag. He wouldn’t risk Laura or Spencer seeing him in Port Charles. She’s sure he’s back in Europe and harassing her from afar. Honestly, she’s fine. Don’t worry about her. Nina asks if she’s sure, and Ava says she is. Nina leaves, and Ava double locks the door. She goes over to her desk, where the middle drawer is a little bit open. She opens the drawer fully and sees a gun with a note. She takes out the note and reads: YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU’LL NEED IT.

Trina says she doesn’t mean to tell Adam his business, but her grandfather is a professional musician, and she knows how important music is to his soul. Adam says, that’s okay. She’s passionate about it; he gets it. Josslyn says, Trina’s grandfather plays the clarinet and he’s absolutely incredible. He actually performed at her parents’ wedding reception, and it was beautiful. Adam says, that’s really cool. Is he successful? Trina says she guesses that depends on how you define success. He doesn’t fill stadiums or concert halls, but he supports himself as an artist and puts is art out there for people to experience. Adam says he can’t imagine what his life would be like if he just spent it making music, and Trina says, he doesn’t have to imagine it; he can actually find out. Josslyn says, he could change his major to music, and Trina says, or join a band or have a solo career… He says, that can’t happen. He’s going to be a doctor. Trina says, that’s good too. Her mom’s a doctor. As long as he knows he doesn’t have to do that. It’s his life, and if music fills his soul, she says he should do it.

Lindsay’s mother says she can’t thank Felicia enough. Being here over Christmas is already tough enough, but now she doesn’t have to stress about the paperwork. Felicia says, no, she doesn’t, and Lindsay says, if she’s here for Christmas, how will Santa find her? Felicia says, that’s easy. General Hospital has been working with Santa Claus for a very long time. They make sure he can find everyone here, so she doesn’t have to worry.

Stella tells Sonny that Mike got her through some tough times. He’d make her laugh until she was crying. That man could flirt. Sonny says, she’s right there, as he recalls, and she says, he better believe it. She didn’t know what courage was until she met that man. He set a whole new standard. But the thing she remembers most is how he loved Sonny. Sonny thanks her for that, and Stella says, he would ask her to remember their friendship even when he couldn’t. Like it was something she could ever forget. He says he appreciates that she treated his dad as a person and not just a patient, and they hug.

Carly tells Brennan, if something touches her family, that’s important to her, and that includes her business because it affects her family. He says, and after that? but she says she doesn’t know. She’s not shy in speaking up if she sees an injustice. At the same time, she’s not here to manage people’s lives. What does he find important? Donna comes back to have her hot chocolate, but she says, it’s barely hot anymore. Carly says, because it’s freezing, and they need to go home. She thanks Brennan for the hot chocolate, and Donna says, thank you. He says, it was his pleasure. Keep practicing. She’s good and getting better. Carly tells Brennan goodnight, and they leave.

Sam looks through the wallet, and Dante says he was going to leave it in the safe deposit box, but then he thought he’d bring it home to get a closer look. She says, ooh. Look. There are numbers here. A lot of numbers actually. She uses a magnifying glass to look at the inside of the bill compartment. He asks, how many numbers? and she says, twenty-one. Maybe it’s an account number. He says, could be, and she says, or it could be a phone number and they’re just throwing it off, disguising it with all these numbers. He wonders how the numbers relate back to the WSB report and whoever is after Anna.

Tomorrow, Portia says, Monica wants to see Finn in her office; Gregory says, Alexis looks less than thrilled; Carly says, Ava doesn’t have to tell her, but she has to tell Sonny; and Tracy asks someone if they’re ready for this.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Mauricio asks how the weed party was, and Kyle says, ridiculous. She says, there are a lot of rumors on the internet, and tells him about her argument with Sutton. We flash back to the ring discussion, and Kyle says, everyone thinks something now. Mauricio suggests she tell them to f*** off. He thinks it’s mean, and it causes more problems, more rumors, more bullsh*t. In Kyle’s interview, she says she shouldn’t be surprised, but she is.

Sutton and Avi go to her store, and she says she’s partied out. Event planner Nicole walks Sutton through the event, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she’s dreamt of having a store for over ten years and got one four years ago. She loved the opening. We flash back to that, and Sutton tells Avi and Nicole that they’re still here. People didn’t believe in her, and she wants to celebrate that. In her interview, she says, it became a business, turned into a bigger business, and now she has a second business pairing on top of it. Everything is happening quick and getting bigger. She’s become a businesswoman. Avi asks about food, but she says, no food. Everyone is on Octavia… Olympic? Avi says, it’s Ozempic, and in her interview, Sutton says she loves that she’s doing it on her own and didn’t take anybody’s money. It feels really good. A producer asks if she used her spousal support, and she says, of course. Hey, she earned that. Crystal calls and asks how Sutton is feeling about tomorrow’s event. Is everyone still invited that was invited? Does she want Kyle there? Sutton says, not if they’re going to fight. To hear Kyle making accusations about her drinking is so ridiculous. Crystal says, Dorit also said something, and Sutton says, it pisses her off. It’s the most ludicrous and dangerous accusation and she’s stomping it out. In Sutton’s interview, she says, it could hurt her business or her custodial arrangement. Her ex could take her son to England.

Therapist Jamie goes to Kyle’s house, and she has to lock the door to the room they’re in because her Golden Retriever can open the door with her paws. I sigh because my Golden, named Einstein no less, would look at a Frisbee until it bounced off his head and was literally scared of his own shadow. Kyle says she’s nervous, and Jamie says, she’s wired to be obsessive and anxious. What was she dealing with that’s triggering her? Kyle starts crying, and says, the past year she’s dealt with family stuff with her sisters, and it affects her intensely. She had an issue with her oldest sister Kathy. We flash back to Kyle asking Kathy how she can say those things, and Kyle tells Jamie, the result is, they’re not speaking again. It’s been happening off and on for ten years, since they first fell out after Mauricio started the agency. We flash back to 2011, and Kyle says, Kathy should be proud, but it’s never that. When she wrote her book, Kathy thought it was something it wasn’t and was mad at her. Kathy had an issue with her opening her store, and when she produced American Woman, she got a letter. We flash back to Kathy saying, it puts their mom in a bad light, and in Kathy’s interview, she says she had her lawyer write a letter saying her family can’t be used. Jamie says, Kyle can let them know she loves them, but it can’t be on their terms where she’s in the doghouse all the time. What would it take for her to feel safe and be open? Kyle says, but people say, it’s blood, but he says, there are no obligatory relationships. Family or not, this isn’t healthy. Kyle says, her very best friend for her whole life took her life on May 1st .

In Kyle’s interview, she says, Lorene was her other half. They were separated at birth, even though Lorene was a 6-foot blonde. We flash back to Lorene joining Kyle for some event on the show, and Kyle says, they met in second grade when they were seven, and were best friends ever since. Lorene was the most important person to her outside of her family and knew everything about her. She told Lorene more than she told her husband. She tells Jamie that Lorene was so together and in charge of everything in Kyle’s life if something happened to her. She doesn’t have answers and it’s frustrating. In her interview, she says she lost someone who’s a constant in her life, who she’s never had a falling out with. Someone who’s been through everything with her, and who she talked about everything with. She talked to Lorene about her sisters and never imagined something like this could happen. Jamie says, it’s a huge loss, but Kyle has to know that what Lorene represented, she still needs. She needs a safe place. What does she need to feel safe? Kyle says she surrounds herself with people who want the best for her. She’s taking care of her body and working out. In her interview, Kyle says, first losing a friend, then what happened with her sister is another loss. Her marriage always made her feel safe and grounded, and not feeling that is a lot. Jamie says, it’s important that she stand firm about feeling good. Relationships where there’s drama and she’s feeling judged aren’t good; it doesn’t matter if they’re blood. Give herself some credit. She’s growing and shifting, and it will ruffle a few feathers. So be it.

Garcelle goes to dinner with Jaid and Ashlyn, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she wasn’t mentally prepared for Jaid growing up and having a girlfriend. Ashlyn is sweet, but it’s hard to see Jaid like someone other than her. Her two boys couldn’t be more different, but she worries less about Jax. He has a mature sense of self, but Jaid is in the head of a fifteen-year-old. Basketball, his friends, his girlfriend, and shoes are all he thinks about. That’s it. He’s who she worries about now. Ashlyn is sweet with good manners. She speaks her mind and is sassy to Jaid. He picked a good one, but she wants to make sure she’s not a grandmother any time soon – again.

Annemarie says her house is bananas. It’s crazy energy at all times with eight million things going on. We see her trying to get the kids to eat breakfast, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says, it’s a tough job, but she loves it. Her kids are her priority and come before work and her husband. She and Marcellus have been married nine years. There were a lot of women going after him, but from day one, he owned their relationships. When they first met, he said, she was going to be his wife and acted accordingly. She won. He’s told her the reason he fell in love with her is that she’s an 8 ½ at everything. She’s not a 10, but a solid 8 ½, and not a lot of people can say that. She did get a 9 ½ on her body though. We see the insanity of getting the kids ready for their day.

Erika calls mom Renee, and tells her that in the 5th grade, she did a book report on a city, and for some reason chose Las Vegas. She just signed a contract for her Vegas residency. We see a clip of Erika being presented with the offer and signing the contract. In Erika’s interview, she says, Erika Jayne is back and bigger than ever. She tells Renee that she’s doing twenty shows, and in her interview, she says, at this time of year last year, she never could have imagined this. We flash back to that not so pretty mess, and she says, it’s nice to share good news for once. She plans on having more good news. She invites Renee to opening night, and her mom says, they knew she had talent, but perseverance is another situation. Erika needed this and deserves it.

Sutton does a double check before the store party, and Avi stresses over her touching things. She tells him to stop bossing her. Everyone gets ready, and Kyle calls Morgan. She tells Morgan that her date is her sister Kim, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, her relationship with Morgan is different than with her other friends. Morgan is constantly teasing her, and she knows when they hang out, she’s going to be roasted. She tells Morgan that she had a huge fight with Sutton. She and Garcelle thought a ring they’d never seen before was a make-up gift from Mauricio for cheating. She wonders what rumor her necklace is going to start. Maybe Mauricio has a family in another country. Maybe she does. The women start arriving, and Erika asks how Annemarie is feeling after the weed dinner, and Annemarie says she thought it was a comedy. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Sutton gave her a heads up that there would be about 80 people. It’s allowed her to mentally prepare herself for the situation going into. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she’s proud of Sutton. Four years is a lot to keep thriving. When she and Sutton met, Sutton said she hadn’t worked in 17 years, and Garcelle thought they’d have nothing in common. Now she loves Sutton. In the limo, Kim tells Kyle that she gets a lot of energy walking into a room, and it can be overwhelming. In Kyle’s interview, she says, she’s happy Kim is going. It will show Sutton that she didn’t lose two sisters. We flash back to Sutton’s cutting remark, and Kyle says, she has one with her. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle’s not stupid. (I beg to differ, but go on.) She brought Kim to prove she and her sisters are close. At least one of them. They all search for something to say, along with some artist that got dragged in, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, if crickets could start chirping, it would be in this moment with Kyle. That’s how awkward it is. In Kim’s interview, she says, she’s here. She showed up. It’s not comfortable. Sutton takes the mic and looking at her notes, she thanks everyone for coming. She says she loves having her girlfriends here with her. A lot of labels get thrown out there about women, and hopefully it’s not women throwing labels at women. But tonight, she loves labels. In Erika’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Sutton is giving the most eloquent speech, but you can’t check all the boxes. Sutton says she’s the worst speaker, but she’s proud of herself. She thanks everyone and tells them to go back to drinking. She tells Avi that she can have her cocktail now, and asks Kyle if it’s okay. It’s her first one of day. She tells Kim that she’s asking permission from mom.

Kim says, obviously, there’s something more, and Kyle says she knows Sutton is upset about what she said the other night. Sutton was acting off, and she said she didn’t know if Sutton had one or five. Sutton says, it’s okay that Kyle had too many at Garcelle’s party, and we flash back to Kyle acting like an idiot. Garcelle asks how Erika felt at dinner with Denise, and Erika says, it was weird. Garcelle says, Erika keeps blowing her mind with her lack of reaction, and Erika says she’s in a place where she’s moved on and choosing to stay present in the moment. She was so high, she slept 17 hours. Kyle tells Sutton that she was talking about a moment. What about the bomb Sutton dropped about her jewelry? Sutton tells Kyle that she never said it was a makeup gift. Garcelle was the one who asked the question. Kyle suggests Garcelle was repeating what Sutton said, and Sutton says, ask Garcelle. It was a symptom of what they were talking about. Kyle wonders who’s saying what about her marriage, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, they’re saying Mauricio cheated. Mauricio moved out, Kyle moved out, Kyle doesn’t love him anymore. She stays out people’s bedrooms… unless they’re single. They go over to Garcelle, and Kyle demands to know why Garcelle didn’t ask if it was an anniversary or birthday gift or something she bought herself, which she did. Why doesn’t she ask about anything else? In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s almost like Kyle wants her to ask. Garcelle says, if there was a story behind it, would Kyle own up to it? and Kyle says, yes. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle has another new ring that symbolizes connection, strength, and love; rooted in partnership. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, is that about Mau? Sutton says she’s disappointed in Dorit gossiping about her. Saying she has a drinking problem is unfair. Dorit denies she said it, but Sutton says, Crystal told her. She said Dorit is running around telling everyone that Sutton has a drinking problem. Dorit says, the only conversation she had was with Crystal and Kyle at Kyle’s house, and we flash back to Dorit saying, Sutton probably has vodka in her coffee in the morning, which is a pretty awful thing to say. Sutton says, the accusation is dangerous, and Dorit says she’ll figure it out with Crystal. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Crystal hardly ever speaks, and now she’s decided to be a carrier pigeon for Sutton. Dorit applauds, but I’m not sure if it’s for herself, Sutton, or the idea of a carrier pigeon. Kyle tells Sutton that she’d like to fix things. Sutton’s comment about denial hurt her. Sutton says she’s sorry. She’s a forgiving person, and as long as the other person is honest, she’ll always move on. Kyle apologizes to Sutton, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, they’ve apologized, but is she running through lavender fields? No. They have to lick their wounds and start anew. They both said terrible things that will take a while to get over. Dorit asks why Crystal is saying she’s going around telling people that Sutton has a drinking problem. Crystal reminds Dorit that she said it to her, and Dorit says, so did Kyle. Crystal says, then both of them did. In Crystals interview, she says, you hear it. You fear it. You wish it never happened. She’s on the other end of a jury interrogation. Dorit goes on and on and on about how Sutton is a drinker, and Crystal says she’s bored. Garcelle and I both laugh.  

Crystal says she wants to be clear, Dorit only told her and Kyle. Annemarie says she overheard Sutton saying she has neuropathy. She must be taking gabapentin, but she said she could have a drink with it. She can’t. Sutton says, her doctor said she could, but Annemarie insists she can’t. Sutton says, her doctor okayed it, and Annemarie says she can a do what she wants, but technically, the two shouldn’t be put together. Sutton says she takes it at night, and Erika says she does that anyway with a lot of things. Garcelle says, they lived it, and Kim says, what about the esophagus thing? Sutton says she’s not on medication for that, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says, what Sutton is telling them doesn’t make sense. Annemarie says, she only does anesthesia, but this sounds like a symptom of something, not a diagnosis. If Sutton has a stricture, she needs to chew her food more. She can get treatment for the problem. She uses it as a reason for not eating food. Sutton says she does eat food, and Annemarie tells Sutton that she didn’t say that. She’s saying, it doesn’t make sense. Sutton says, Annemarie’s not her doctor, but Annemarie insists it doesn’t make sense. Sutton tells Annemarie not to yell at her. Why is she at a doctor’s appointment now? Does she need her insurance card? Annemarie says, she can get treatment, and Sutton says, her brother gets his esophagus stretched out. She chooses not to. Shall they do it as a group? Erika suggests she give a BJ, and in Erika’s interview, she says she’s solved the mystery. Sutton has a small esophagus, so no date number two. It’s not the cat sweater or the kooky behavior. It’s the esophagus. Sutton says, are we done, doctor? and Annemarie says, that was condescending. Well, what’s condescending is Annemarie not correcting Sutton that she is not a doctor, never mind giving Sutton unwanted medical advice when she’s not licensed to; and doing this at Sutton’s party. Why, oh why, do they always bring up inappropriate things at gatherings? Annemarie says, it doesn’t medically make sense, and Sutton says, it works for her. In Sutton’s interview, she says, they just met. They’re basically strangers. She doesn’t know Annemarie’s last name. Buy her something at least. Sutton suggests they get more lighthearted. She’s trying to relax. This is a big deal for her. Kyle says, cheers, and in Erika’s interview, she says, Sutton is a business owner, ambitious, and doing her own thing when she doesn’t have to. She could lay around in a kaftan drinking martinis. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s proud and excited for Sutton, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, she sold her store because the rents were so high. Sutton’s store is a good thing and still going strong. Sutton says, her ex is now moving to England, and she’s scared. Erika says, when you live your own life completely, you blossom. She’ll feel different, free in a different way. In Sutton’s interview, she says, after the divorce, she had to grow up, but she knew he was still there. It’s the end of a fairy tale. She’s seeing herself, not as a housewife, but this woman who’s succeeding in multiple ways. She should be and is proud of herself. They take photos.  

Later in the season, Garcelle tries to talk to her sons about sex; Erika’s Vegas residency; a trip to (I think) Spain; a haunted castle; Kyle is scared to let Kathy back in; Kyle doesn’t know if she and Mauricio are going to make it; Morgan gives a shout out to Kyle at her concert; and Crystal ends up in the emergency room.

🔎 Hunting For the Good Tape…

Join me tomorrow for soap and what passes as Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your normal routine as much as possible throughout the holidays, and stay not waiting for everything to be perfect to try for what you want, or you might miss your chance altogether.