What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia watches Ned sleep, no doubt after having gotten busy. He says, good morning, and she says, Ned? He says, it’s me.

Lois thanks Yuri for bringing her coffee, and tells him, stop with the Miss and just call her Lois. Brook comes in carrying several folders and asks if there’s any fresh coffee. He says he just brewed some for her mother, and Brook says she’d love a cup. He goes to get it, and Lois says, somebody’s full of energy this morning. Brook says she needs to be, and so does Lois. Lois is going to help her strategize for Blaze.

Willow hurries Wiley along with his cereal and says, they can’t be late this morning. Michael comes in, and tells her that Amelia is happily playing in the nursery in the main house. Willow asks where Wiley’s math workbook is, and he says he left it upstairs last night after she helped him. Michael says he’ll get it, but Willow says, Wiley has to get it, after he’s finished with his breakfast. Wiley asks if they can see Grandma Nina after school. Please.

Nina comes into Kelly’s and asks for a yogurt parfait and an extra-large coffee with a shot of espresso to go. Carly asks if Nina was at the hospital last night, and Nina says, she heard. Carly says she can’t believe what happened to Charlotte, and Nina says, it was terrible, terrible accident. Anna mistook Charlotte for an intruder and shot her.

Charlotte asks Elizabeth if her papa is here, and Elizabeth says, he was at her side all night long, but an hour ago, they were able to convince him to go home and get some rest now that she’s out of the ICU. Charlotte asks if Anna’s been here.

Jordan goes into the interrogation room and asks Dante if he knows why Anna wanted to meet them here this morning. He says he doesn’t, but he can’t imagine it’s anything good. An officer tells them that Anna is here to see them both, and Dante opens the door to her.

Carly asks when Charlotte woke up from her surgery, and Nina says, last night. She and Valentin were both there, and they’ve since moved her out of ICU, thank God. The doctor expects her to have a full recovery. Carly says, that’s incredible. Please tell her if she needs anything, Carly is here for her. They’re family, and she’d like to help out any way she can. Nina thanks her and says she’ll pass that along. She appreciates it and she’s sure Valentin will too. Carly goes to get Nina’s order, and Nina sits down at the counter. Martin walks in, sees Nina, and turns around, but she follows him out to the courtyard. He says, good morning, and she says, give her one reason she shouldn’t have him disbarred for violating attorney/client privilege.

Wiley says, Grandma Nina told him that he could come to her office any time he wanted. She’ll help with his homework. Willow says, that’s very generous of Grandma Nina. Maybe they’ll take her up on the offer, but not today. He has T-ball today, remember? He asks if they can see Grandma Nina after, and she says, maybe, and tells him to go upstairs and grab his math workbook. Wiley leaves, and she says, Michael hates this, doesn’t he?

Olivia falls back on the pillow and says, he’s Ned all right, and Ned says he’s back. She says, that he is, and they kiss. He says he wishes he could spend the rest of the day in bed with her, and she says, don’t tempt her. He says, she’s tempting him, and kisses her some more, but she pushes him away and says she has so much work at the MetroCourt today. He says he has work to do too. ELQ has been neglected for months, and he’s sure he has a lot of paperwork to comb through. A lot of meetings to catch him up. She says she has a meeting with Nina today about the renovations on the rooftop, and Ned flashes back to hearing Martin talking to Nina about turning Drew and Carly in to the SEC. Olivia asks, what’s wrong? Please tell her that he’s still Ned. He says he is, and she blesses herself, saying, thank God. What happened? He says he just remembered something very important.

Lois asks what Brook needs her help with, and Brook says, Linc had Blaze pigeonholed as a popstar. Don’t get her wrong. She’s a great popstar, but she wants to explore other musical styles. That’s where Lois comes in. Lois says, the old tricky transition. That’s not going to be so easy. You’ve got to let your musical talent follow their own inspirations, but you’ve got to manage their expectations. You’ve got to monitor and mentor them, because you want to make sure they don’t reject the new material and run back to what they’re familiar with. All the while, you’ve got to keep an eye on their audience. Brook says, Lois will have to remind her of all that later, and takes out a folder. She says, here is some of the stuff that Blaze is considering. She hands the folder to Lois, who looks through it. Lois says, it’s interesting that her artist Blaze is a popstar. This stuff looks folky and country. Brook says, it is, and Yuri says, the country market is really hot right now. They could – how you say? – lean into this?

Gregory and Chase go to the hospital reception desk, and Gregory says he has an appointment with his specialist Dr. Cramer. The nurse says she’ll check him in, and Gregory thanks Chase for the ride, but says, Chase doesn’t have to wait for him. He’ll get a Ride Share home. Chase says, Gregory’s not getting rid of him that easy, and Gregory says, go to Kelly’s, grab a breakfast, enjoy this fall morning. Chase says he’s not leaving. He’ll be right here when Gregory gets out.

Anna thanks Dante and Jordan for meeting her, but Jordan says, no need to thank them. Anna says, despite being here, it’s not official; none of it. Everything she says is off the record, and she asked to meet with both of them because they’re her friends, and Dante needs to know this because she’s Charlotte’s daughter and she’s family. He says, off the record, 100%, and Jordan says, off the record. What does she have? Anna isn’t sure where to start. What she’s going to say doesn’t justify what happened; nothing can justify that. Jordan says, they’re all friends here. They said they’d keep it off the record. Just tell them what she has to say. Anna says, apparently, Charlotte has been stalking her for months.

Carly comes out with Nina’s order and sees her in the courtyard talking to Martin. Before she can go out, Drew calls her name. He gives her a kiss, and says, it’s his first day back at Aurora, and he thought he’d dress up a little. She approves, and he asks, what are the chances they can have a little bit of breakfast first? I’m not sure if that’s a euphemism, or he means bacon and eggs.

Nina says she’s been trying to get ahold of Martin for weeks. He hasn’t answered her calls; he’s not returning her texts or emails. Is he avoiding her? He says, perish the thought. The simple fact is, he’s a very busy attorney. He has a lot of cases to attend to, not just her. And of course (🍷) there’s Lucy and what she’s been going through at Deception. She has need of his shoulder. Nina says she needs him to shut his mouth. She heard that recording of him accusing her of turning Carly and Drew in to the SEC. He says, that tape wasn’t an accusation; it was an admission. And they both know she was the one who wanted the SEC to investigate Drew and Carly. She says, and he was her attorney. He was her go-between. He was her insurance to make sure she was protected. He promised her that she would be protected, and then he gave her up? She could lose everything. He says, she’s already lost.

Michael says, his opinion of Nina hasn’t changed, but he tries not to make it obvious in front of Wiley, and Willow says she thinks he’s done a great job. She doesn’t think Wiley realizes how he really feels about Nina. At least not now. He says, so he’ll just go on pretending he likes Nina, but she says she doesn’t want him to pretend. That wouldn’t be fair to Wiley. They should always be truthful with him. He says, even when it comes down to the kind of woman Nina really is, but she says, what she hopes is for the possibility Nina has really learned her lesson and changed. He says he knows she wants to believe that, but she’s wrong, and she asks, wrong how?

Ned says, it was Nina, and Olivia says, what was Nina? He says, it was Nina who pointed the SEC at Drew and Carly. Olivia says, what? and he says he overheard her talking to her lawyer Martin Grey at the MetroCourt. She had Martin alert the SEC about Drew and Carly. Olivia says she can’t believe this, and he says, after Martin walked away, he confronted her, and she wanted him to continue taking the fall for her. And eventually, all the people who thought the most of him, wouldn’t believe he was the one who turned them in. Of course (🍷) he refused. She says, low life, and he says, that’s when the hostess came out, interrupted them, and said something about Drew and Tracy at the pool. That’s when he was on his way to tell Drew everything and exonerate himself, and he slipped and fell. He needs to tell Drew and Carly the truth. He starts to get out of bed, but Olivia says, wait. He can’t. He asks what she means, and she says, Sonny and Nina just got married. Sonny is happier than she’s ever seen him before, and Drew is home from Pentenville; he’s safe. Nina and Carly are getting along for once for the sake of the families. Is there any chance he can forget that he remembered? He asks how she can say that. Nina’s the one who turned them in, and Olivia wants her to get away with it? Olivia says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want Nina to get away with it. She’s just saying, maybe letting her get away with it is better than open warfare. He says, that sounds great in theory. How about clearing his name?

Lois asks what Yuri considers great music. Good vocals or something that gives him a good vibe? Yuri says he’s been enjoying the country music, and Lois says, okay, why country? He says, the emotion is right there. It’s immediate. It’s at the surface. It’s raw and unaffected. Brook tells Lois, really good points, and asks Yuri, any particular songs? He says, there’s one song. It’s really about parents and children growing up and moving along, but the lyrics are basically a love song to an adult. But also love songs to a truck and so many love songs to whiskey. The inanimate objects are metaphors for life’s deepest emotions. Lois says, all right. Any songs about boats and trucks in here? She and Brook thumb through the folders.

Chase asks Gregory how his appointment went, then sees a brace on Gregory’s wrist. He asks, what’s up with the brace? and Gregory says he took a fall at The Invader yesterday. He reached out to brace himself and jammed his wrist up. Chase asks why Gregory didn’t tell him, and Gregory says, because it was nothing serious, and nothing to bother Chase about. Besides, it’s fine; it doesn’t even hurt. Chase asks what the specialist said, and Gregory tells him, it’s fine. Let’s get out of here. Chase asks what Dr. Cramer said, and Gregory tells him, the doctor said he should be using a cane. Chase says, then why isn’t he?

Elizabeth walks in the hallway with Charlotte and asks how she feels. Charlotte says, okay, just a little weak, and Elizabeth says, that’s to be expected after surgery. Jake comes out of the elevator with a bouquet of white roses, and Charlotte smiles at him.

Anna says, Valentin told her last night that Charlotte has been stalking her for months, and he found out when Charlotte vandalized her suite at the MetroCourt. Dante asks, what makes him so sure it’s Charlotte? and she says, security footage showing her entering the suite during the window of time that it was trashed, and she was carrying a backpack. Jordan asks, where’s the footage now? and Anna says, he convinced Nina to delete it from the server. Jordan says, why? Why not tell Anna what was going on? Dante says, because Valentin thinks Charlotte is the arsonist who burned down Anna’s house. Right?

Ned says, his life was turned into a living hell, and Olivia wants him to give Nina a free pass just because everyone’s happy. She says, he’s back. She has him back and that’s all she cares about. It’s all that matters. He asks if she’s forgetting that everyone, including her, accused him of making that call to the SEC. Even his own mother thought he did it. Although, she actually applauded the move. Does she know what it feels like to be wrongly accused? She says she can’t even imagine, and I say, oh yeah? What about when Ned accused her of cheating with Robert? She says she’s so sorry she didn’t believe him, and he says, people think he’s responsible for sending Drew to prison, where he almost got killed, so no, he’s not going to drop this. But what he will do is hold off – for now. Trust him. He’s only doing this for her. She wants peace, he’ll give her peace. At least for a little while. But when everything settles down, at some point, he’s going to clear his name and expose Nina.

Carly gives Drew the coffee, saying, it was for Nina, but she’d rather give it to him. He takes a sip and says, it’s so good, but she says, it’s just coffee. He says, it’s so much better than whatever it was they were serving at Pentenville. But breakfast wasn’t the real reason he stopped by. She asks why he did, and he says, just to spend time with her… What’s going on? She says she’s sorry. She just can’t stop thinking about Charlotte and the fact Anna shot her.

Nina starts to go back into Kelly’s, and Martin says, just so she knows. The tape that Michael has wasn’t him giving her up. She says, really? Then what was it? He says, a reluctant admission of something Michael already knows. The man’s got a source, probably someone at the SEC; he doesn’t know. But whoever it is was absolutely sure it was her. What he can say with certainty, however, is Michael Corinthos is a very formidable enemy, and he’s painted a bullseye on Nina’s back.

Michael tells Willow, Nina is never content with what she has. He doesn’t think that’s ever going to change. She’s going to keep pushing for more and more. She’s all nice and light and sweet when she gets what she wants. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she turns into something completely different. Like when she lashed out at them at the visitation hearing. Willow agrees that Nina can be ugly and vindictive, but that was more than a year ago. She’s watched Nina and really thinks Nina has learned from her mistakes, and they’d be setting a bad example for Wiley if they can’t forgive somebody… Wiley comes downstairs and says he found his math workbook, and guess what else he found? She says, his favorite eraser? but he says, no. Grandma Carly’s T-ball hat. He shows her a cap, and Willow says, that’s a very important hat. It’s what Grandma Carly wears to support his team. He asks if Willow can give it back to her, and she says she has a very busy day today, but she can try. Does he have everything he needs? He says, yes, and asks if daddy is taking him to school, but she says, no. She’s going to drop him off. Daddy has to get to the office. She tells Michael that she loves him and leaves with Wiley.

Lois says she doesn’t see any trucks, and Brook says she doesn’t see any boats or dolls, and she doesn’t see any whiskey… Hang on. This one has whiskey. It’s about loving someone and not being able to tell them. Lois says she likes that, and Brook hands it to her. Lois asks, who wrote it? and Brook says, Blaze did actually, which is unusual, since she’s not a songwriter. She’s always gravitated more toward other people’s material. Lois says, from what it looks like, somebody is in Blaze’s heart, but she cannot confess her love. Ned and Olivia come in, and Ned says, morning all. Brook says, Yuri made coffee, and Yuri says, you’re not Eddie. Lois says, Ned? and Brook says, dad, is it really you? Ned says, it’s me. I’m back.

Brook hugs Ned and says she missed him so much. He says he missed her too. She says, wait until Leo hears he’s back, which is hard to say since he’s been here the whole time. Lois asks if it’s really him, and he says it is. She hugs him and says, it better be, because Eddie wouldn’t be standing here in a $2000 suit. Olivia says, doesn’t he look sharp? Conquering ELQ, huh? Ned says he wants to apologize for everything he put everyone through. He loves Brook and he’s so proud to call her his daughter. Brook hugs him, and Lois says, they did a good job with this one, didn’t they? He says, they sure did, and Lois asks, how is it he’s standing here in front of them with his full faculties. What happened? Did Olivia knock him over the head with her lasagna casserole? Olivia promises she didn’t, although she was tempted about a million times, and Brook asks, what happened? How is he better? He says he had a near death experience. He went to the boathouse and followed Lois’s advice. He dove in and almost drowned.

Chase says he knows that this is happening to Gregory, but it’s also affecting him and Finn, because he’s their dad and they both love him very much. It hurts them to see him suffering. They don’t want to take away his independence, but they do want to support him. Gregory says, that’s a fine line, and Chase says he knows it is, but in order for them to help and support him, they have to know what’s going on. So please, don’t be leaving them out like this. Gregory leads Chase over to a bench, and they sit. He says he keeps telling himself that he doesn’t want to worry Chase or his brother – and that’s the truth – but it’s also true that he’s clinging to denial. In spite of the symptoms – the cramping hands, the balance issues, the falls – there’s a part of him that still doesn’t believe he has ALS. He just can’t allow himself to accept the fact that this is happening to him.

Drew says, Charlotte is extremely lucky that she’s going to make a full recovery, and Carly says, Nina told her Charlotte is out of ICU and she’s doing much better. He says, that’s great. He wonders how Anna’s doing through all of this. He should probably stop by and check in on her, see if she needs anything. She hugs him and asks, what’s going on? He says, it just kind of hit him again, and she says, that he’s a free man? He says, how lucky they are, and kisses her.

Nina says, Michael is blackmailing her, and Martin says he’s not surprised. She’d probably do the same thing in a similar situation. She says, no. Actually, she wouldn’t. Now he’s trying to control access to her daughter and her grandchildren, and if she refuses, he’s going to use that recording of Martin’s to tell everyone that she tipped off the SEC. Martin says, call his bluff. Like his mama used to say, everything’s going to come out in the wash anyway. So admit the truth. Tell everyone it was her. Throw herself on Carly and Drew’s mercy. She says she’s not worried about Carly and Drew. She’s worried about Sonny and her daughter… her family. This might be the last straw. They might never want to see her again, and that would destroy her. He says, then he’s afraid she’s stuck with whatever agreement she and Michael have come to. Since she can’t turn him in for violating attorney/client privilege without exposing herself in the process, he’d strive for a more cordial tone. We need friends. Don’t go adding to her list of enemies. He leaves, and she turns to go back into Kelly’s, when Carly comes out with her order.

Jake says, the flowers are for Charlotte, handing them to her, and she thanks him. She says, they’re beautiful. How did he know roses are her favorite? He says he didn’t actually. He told the lady at the flower shop that his friend was in the hospital, and he wanted to give her something pretty to make her feel better. She says she loves them and thanks him again. Elizabeth says, they’re really beautiful, and suggests Jake hang on to them for right now. Does he want to go for a walk with them? He says, yeah, and asks how Charlotte is feeling. Charlotte says, better, now that he’s here.

Dante says, Charlotte was at camp when Anna’s house burned down. He’s driven her to that camp; it’s about an hour away from Anna’s house. She’s relatively tech savvy and has money. She could have easily taken a Ride Share back to Port Charles. Jordan says she’s sure Charlotte is very familiar with the layout of Anna’s house, and Anna says, she is. That’s what Valentin said last night. Dante says, so she spray paints murderer on Anna’s front door, burns down her house, vandalizes her hotel room, and most recently, steals the key to the apartment and shows up there on Halloween with a backpack full of the same spray paint. Jordan says, there’s one thing Charlotte definitely didn’t do. She didn’t take a shot at Anna at the MetroCourt pool.

Gregory tells Chase that he, too, was an athlete. He didn’t have to struggle to stay in shape. He enjoyed exercising and pushing his body, the satisfaction of a good, hard workout. He sees Chase and his effortless grace and balance and remembers when he was like that. It never once occurred to him that he would lose that. He knew he’d grow older, but he took care of himself. He stayed fit. He never drank excessively, he never smoked, so how did this happen? How could his body betray him to the point that he needs a cane to walk? Pretty soon, he won’t even be able to walk at all. Chase says, when he was a kid, he thought Gregory was the tallest man in the world. He remembers sitting on the living room floor, looking up at Gregory and thinking his dad was the strongest, bravest, smartest man he knew. No one could be a better dad than his dad. And guess what? That little kid was right. No one comes close. Any time he was scared of something, Gregory would take his hand and say, I’ve got you, son. And it didn’t matter what it was, he knew everything was going to be okay. Does he remember that? Gregory says he does, and Chase takes his hand and says, I’ve got you, dad.

Anna says, it confirms what she believed, that Sonny was the intended target for the shooting at the MetroCourt, and Jordan says, there are obviously two forces at work here. Dante says, meaning Anna was just an innocent bystander like the rest of them? And the only person who’s been after her this whole time has been Charlotte. Anna says, she convinced herself it was some ruthless killer from her past at the WSB, and all this time she was just being harassed by a teenager.

Carly hands Nina her order and says, it’s the second cup of coffee she made. Drew drank the first one. Nina thanks her and says, Drew’s here? Carly says, he stopped in to see her, and Nina asks if he’s still inside, but Carly says, he went to his office at Aurora. Nina says, Sonny told her that Alexis secured his early release. She’s happy for him, happy for both of them. Carly thanks her and says she’s going to get back to the customers, but Nina asks her to wait. She says, what she and Martin were discussing out here actually concerns Carly.

At the office, Michael tells Drew, welcome back, and they bro hug. Drew says, it’s good to be back, and Michael says he could have come back Monday, but Drew says, is he kidding? He had plenty of time off when he was in Pentenville. He needed this. He needed to get back to work. Michael suggests they start by revealing how Aurora stands amongst their major divisions. It’s in the red. Drew says he looked at the material Michael emailed last night and he was really impressed. Michael’s stewardship of the company has been extraordinary. Michael says he appreciates that. He guesses he’s got a little more Quartermaine in him than he’d like to admit. So where does Drew want to start? Drew says, let’s start with taking over ELQ.

Lois tells Ned that she meant to dive in metaphorically. She was trying to tell Eddie to immerse himself in the music, not to immerse himself in a frozen lake. Ned says, at the time, it was the only way he could finish the song, so he dove in, and it was when he was underwater that he realized, the siren was Olivia. It was her calling to him. Olivia says, literally. Every time she brought her head up for air out of the freezing water. Brook says, she dove in and saved him? and Olivia says she did. And she would do it all over again. Ned says, when he woke up on shore with Olivia kneeling beside him, he literally woke up. Completely. He knew who he was.

Dante says, it’s so much worse than harassing. If it was Charlotte who did this… Anna says, this is why it has to be off the record. Because she doesn’t want Charlotte investigated, let alone charged. And whatever Charlotte was thinking of doing on Halloween certainly didn’t deserve the deadly force she used against her. Jordan says, had Anna known Charlotte was her stalker, she would have never pulled her gun, and Anna says, of course (🍷) not. But Valentin chose to keep that from her, and she trusted him. She won’t make that mistake again. Dante says he’s sorry, and Anna says she needs to talk to Charlotte. She needs to understand why Charlotte was after her. But she has the feeling that’s not going to be easy.

Elizabeth says she’ll get a vase for these beautiful flowers while Charlotte and Jake visit. She leaves, and Charlotte says she’s sorry. Jake says, for what? and she says, for wrecking his Halloween. She’s sorry she snuck off on him. He asks why she did, and she says she had to protect her father. He says, from who? and she says, Anna. She’s not the nice person she pretends to be. Her Grandfather Victor was right. He says, right about what? and she says, he told her to watch out for Anna, and he was right. Anna came in the door, and as soon as Anna saw her, she… He says, she shot Charlotte. Why? Charlotte says she doesn’t know. Maybe the cops will come up with an answer. I think they will, but not the one she’s hoping for.

Yuri asks if anyone wants more fresh coffee, but Ned says he has a busy day. He has a lot to catch up on. He asks if Olivia has any idea where his briefcase is, and she says, Michael has it. There was some crisis at ELQ when Valentin was busy, and he was Eddie Maine. So Michael decided to step in and help out. He asks if she knows what this crisis was, but she says, no idea. He was looking for some deal notes and thought they might be in Ned’s briefcase, so she gave it to him. He says, all the more reason to get back in the office. So he can run ELQ again and Michael can turn his focus back on Aurora. He kisses her and leaves.

Drew says, if the ELQ/Aurora merger had succeeded, then he would have controlling interest in ELQ and he could have pushed Valentin out, but Ned switched sides and the whole thing failed. Michael says, right now, Ned thinks he’s Eddie Maine and his only motivation is his guitar. Drew says, exactly. So the gates are wide open for this takeover. Ned can keep doing whatever he’s doing and strum his guitar, but they’ve got to figure out a way to take ELQ back. Michael says, except last time there was an attempted murder and Drew got sent away for insider trading, but Drew says, this time, there’s going to be no insider trading because this time the only two people who are going to know about this are him and Michael.

Carly asks what Nina and Martin were discussing that has to do with her, and Nina says, even before Charlotte was injured, she knew that she was spreading herself really thin. Running Crimson is a full-time job, and co-owning the MetroCourt is too, so she knows that something needs to go. Carly asks what she’s getting at, and Nina says she’s really enjoyed her time at the MetroCourt and Olivia’s been a really great business partner, but her first love is Crimson. So she was wondering if there was a possibility of them exploring the idea of Carly buying back her half of the hotel. Willow comes by and tells Carly that Wiley accidentally took this home after his last game. She gives Carly the cap and says, he insisted she bring it back to Carly. Carly says, that’s so sweet of him, and Willow says, speaking of Wiley, he really wants to make a date with Nina to help him with his homework. She’s so sorry. They were in the middle of a conversation, and she just interrupted. Carly says, that’s okay. Nina just offered to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt. Willow says, that’s terrific news, and Carly says, they were just in the discussion stage. Willow says, they should talk to Michael about this. She’s sure he’d be happy to help make it happen.

Tomorrow, Dante tells Austin to come up with the name of Mason’s boss and he might have a chance to save himself; Esme says she and Ace need to get away from Spencer; and Carly wonders why Nina is offering to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Kyle is mad at Jessika for inferring he made her feel like a green stew. She wonders how he’s projecting this little thing on her when they have bigger issues. She’s confused. Kyle whines to Tumi that Jessika hurt him. You would have thought he’d attacked her. Tumi says, going forward, whatever regards a person, they’ll speak directly to them, and Kyle says he doesn’t trust a single person on this boat. In Luka’s interview, he says he hopes the captain’s wrist is just bruised. Captain Sandy is the heart of the ship, and he feels like it’s his fault. He hopes she’s okay. Primary Amanda asks if they can have a booze cruise on the tender, and Tumi says she’ll ask about it. Natalya tells Luka that she needs therapy, and in her interview, she says, knowing her partner put his hoo-ha in another woman is very heartbreaking. We flash back to AJ and Natalya having that conversation, and she says, it’s adding more anxiety and stress on her. Kyle texts Zach that it’s stressful, and Amanda and guest Sonali invade the galley, Amanda hugging Jack when she finds out he’s making tortellini and chocolate mousse. In Jack’s interview, he says, it’s a bit overboard, like Beatlemania. He is from Liverpool. She asks if Jack can hang out with them, when Max joins them. They ask where Max eats, and he tells them, the crew mess. They want to see it, and in Max’s interview, he says he doesn’t know if they’re supposed to be here, but why not? C’est la vie! They look in his cabin, and Sonali sees that he’s reading a sex book and highlighting things. She asks him to read it in English, and in his interview, Max says, it’s a Taoist sex book by some monk who specialized in sex energy 2000 years ago. He has to careful around the sexy, blondie, smiley girls. Take a bite of the apple. Luka finds a radio and asks around. No surprise, it turns out to be Max’s, and in Luka’s interview, he says he wants to smash Max, but can’t help laughing at him. He works off positive reinforcement and makes the crew happy. The guests ride the jet skis to shore, and on the boat, Jessika asks how Kyle is. He tells her to get out of his face and calls her malicious as hell. When she said he made her feel like a green stew, that meant he thought she was lower than she is and less than capable of doing her job. Jessika says she’s trying to communicate, and he’s taking it wrong, but Kyle says, they both speak English and have perfect communication. He’s saying things he doesn’t mean because he’s emotionally hurt. He thought she was here for him, since he’s been here for her since day one.

Jessika cries to Tumi, while Lara waits on the guests. Jessika tells Tumi that Kyle was snapping when he and Natalya were in the cabin; he was going off on the green stew thing. She tried to apologize and explain, and he said she was malicious. Tumi tells her, just breathe, and Lara says, when they’re done, a guest wants a lychee martini. No rush. Tumi tells Jessika to take a minute, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she doesn’t take men yelling at her well. She never had a father figure. Her mom was a single mom and had her at 16. She never met her biological dad, and she’s not used to having a strong male personality scream at her. Lara tells Haleigh that apparently Jessika complained that Kyle makes her feel like a green stew. She doesn’t know what happens up there. Haleigh says she feels like their team is falling apart, and in her interview, she says, the chaos and drama reminds her of middle school. Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! She’s thankful the biggest problem the deck team has is how many reps Max did with his pullups. Tumi figures out a way Kyle and Jessika can avoid each other until tomorrow, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she forgets how Kyle is like a toddler. He’s 30 going on 3. She needs Jessika to feel safe and needs Kyle to know that he can’t speak to her that way. It’s time to keep things together, and instead, she’s putting out fires. Natalya texts AJ that she misses him, but it’s hard when she knows he’s sleeping with other girls. Tumi tells Jessika that it was the wrong time to talk to Kyle when emotions are heightened. Jessika will do dinner service with her tonight, so they won’t mix. She tells Jessika that she’s proud of her, and they hug. In Lara’s interview, she says, Max is growing on her. He’s a good person and reads books. Who reads books? Seriously? Lots of people read books. Tumi looks for dress-up stuff for the casino thing, and Haleigh packs liquor for the booze cruise. Natalya passes out vests to the guys, and tells them, no shirts. The guests are ready to get on the tender, and Luka says, welcome to the booze cruise. They get in, and Max flirts. On the boat, Natalya tells Kyle that the theme is neon casino.

Captain Sandy returns, and Tumi asks if she’s okay. She says she has a fracture, and in her interview, she says she has a high tolerance for pain. She had the feeling she broke her wrist, since she’d broken the other one snowboarding. If it had been worse, she couldn’t drive and she’d have to be replaced as captain, but it’s not that bad. She can still drive the vessel. She thanks Nikola for holding down the fort. On the tender, the guests take pics and laugh. Natalya radios Luka and says she’ll need a heads up, since she wants to surprise the guests. He tells her, 10 minutes, and Natalya and Lara pour shots. Lara says, it smells like tomorrow night. Jack plates the… food porn! I dub it such before it even leaves the galley. The guests return, and Luka goes to see Captain Sandy. She tells him that she can still drive. It’s just a little fracture, but she’ll still have to wear the brace for 5 weeks. In Luka’s interview, he says, Captain Sandy’s wrist is broken, but she’s still got that attitude. You’re a boss. In Max’s interview, he says he thinks his reputation is getting better. He’s become the cherry on the cake, and it feels good. The captain stops by to see the guests, and explains that when she was launching the kayak, she backed up and fell on her bum, but she can still drive. Guest Carlie says, Captain Sandy’s crew is top notch. Kyle sees Natalya and says, they might as well fight, the day he’s having, and she asks, what happened? He says, Jessika is feeling a certain way, but Natalya says, he can’t harvest that negative energy. Kyle asks if he’s supposed to thank Jessika for talking sh*t behind his back. The drama is always revolving around the interior, and it’s exhausting.

In Jessika’s interview, she says, after the day she had with Kyle being a rude bitch, being on service reminds her that she’s a good stew, and makes her heart feel better. The table décor is Italian picnic surrounded by beautiful greenery, and the guests are seated. Amanda announces to no one in particular that the chef is having desert with them. Natalya and Luka hang up shiny streamers for the casino, while flirting, and Kyle says he’s drained. Jessika wants to know how she came into the conversation, and Tumi says, Kyle just heard green stew and flipped. Luka helps with service, and the guests cheer Jack when he comes up, thanking him for the best dinner. They ask where he’s from, and he tells them, Liverpool, and guest Sonali says she’s from London. Jack says he’s been there, and another guest says, she’s really from Maryland. They ask Tumi if it’s okay for Jack to have a shot, but Tumi says, it’s not her decision. Amanda asks, what if they demand it? and Jack says, then he’ll have to. They chant, shots! Shots! and Tumi serves them. Sonali says, Jack has to taste test the whole thing, and he throws it back. In Jack’s interview, he says he didn’t even want the shot. He feels possessed. And he can feel Tumi’s eyes on him. She knows he did wrong. He doesn’t know why he’s doing this, but he is. Tumi tells Jessika that Jack’s not allowed do that. Cleaning the cabins, Kyle says, women are literally the messiest of all humankind. We will have to agree to disagree. Jack spends a half hour with the guests, then cleans the galley. At 11:15 pm, it’s casino time. Jack joins them, and Sonali bounces an inflatable die on her palm. Jack finally leaves, and tells Tumi that it’s a good crowd; sexy as hell. Tumi says, Jack has a crush, and took a sneaky shot. Captain Sandy is so strict on that, Jack has to tell her. He doesn’t want her finding out. He says, she won’t unless there’s a snitch, but she says, the captain will find out. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s giving Jack an opportunity. Captain Sandy will find out from one of the guests or a crew member. She hopes he does the right thing. Kyle says he doesn’t feel good; he’s dizzy. He sits down on the floor, and Tumi says she doesn’t know what to do and runs off to get help.  

Tumi call Lara and tells her that Kyle is lying on the floor. Lara speaks to Kyle in Afrikaans, and asks, what’s going on? He says he doesn’t feel well, and Lara asks Tumi to get a cold towel. Kyle says he’s been drinking water, so he’s not dehydrated, and Lara asks if he’s eaten. He says, this morning, and she says, that’s probably why this is happening. Kyle cries that this stupid drama is getting to him. He’s tired. Lara says, a buildup of emotions can create anxiety, plus not eating. Natalya eats in the crew mess, and Lara tells her that Kyle is lying on the floor. He’s crying and dizzy. She’s going to make him some noodles. Tumi tells Kyle that it could be an anxiety attack, and Kyle says, the older he gets, he doesn’t want to deal with this sh*t. No more with Natalya’s up and down relationship and feeling this and that. Tumi says, it’s okay, and Natalya says, they’re going to put him in bed so he can get comfy. Kyle says he’s overworked. It’s just everything. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s not a stranger to anxiety attacks. She thinks the pressure this season is getting to Kyle, and he’s internalizing it. Your body tells you when you need a break, and if you don’t stop, your body will. AJ calls Natalya and says he’s – wait for it – missing part of his soul. <gag> He’s never been this long without her. Lara tells Kyle not to overwork himself, and Kyle texts Zach that it’s been a tough day. He loves and misses Zach. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s overwhelmed. He’s been working long hours. He was similarly depressed on his first yacht. He was in a vehicle with the first officer and jumped out on I-95. He wanted physical hurt as opposed to feeling that way emotionally. But what is he supposed to do? Quit his job? Kyle thanks Lara and Tumi in a group chat, and says he reached his breaking point and can no longer obtain personal life matters from everyone anymore.

Nataly asks if Jessika has read the text, and says she thinks it’s a small dig saying he reached his breaking point. She thinks he means Jessika. In the crew mess Lara tells Haleigh that she wants to get laid. She doesn’t know what it feels like anymore. The breakfast special is smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and I wouldn’t throw that off my plate. Natalya asks Kyle, what’s going on? She thinks they should have an interior meeting when the guests are gone. He says, it’s for him and Jessika to sort out, and Natalya says, Jessika saw his dig at her, but he says he doesn’t care. Anchor is up, and Jessika asks if Tumi read the text. Jessika shows her, and Tumi says, it was just because of Kyle’s panic attack. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Jessika and Kyle’s last interaction was him attacking her, so naturally she’d think it was an insinuation against her. Tumi tells Jessika that Kyle said he can’t take on everyone’s issues. She doesn’t think Jessika was the target. It’s not meant to be a friendship group. Kyle tells Tumi that Natalya wants a meeting, but he’s just going to be sitting there. Tumi tells him that Jessika thought the message was targeting her because she didn’t know what happened, so she explained. In his interview, Kyle says, this is what Natalya’s about. She pokes her nose into other people’s business, and acts like she knows better. Stay in your lane. The guests pack.

The pilot boat comes, and Kyle suggests he and Jessika talk and come to a solution when the guests leave. Luka asks the interior to help with docking, telling them to take a fender each. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s a tight slip, but she trusts her crew. Luka is in work mode, and it’s incredible how far they’ve all come. In Luka’s interview, he says he’s proud of his team. They were focused when Captain Sandy was off the boat, and it made him look good. And when he looks good, the captain is happy. There are hugs and goodbyes from the guests, and Amanda tells Captain Sandy that everything was top notch. She doesn’t know how the crew handled them. It was so fun. She gives the captain the tip envelope, and the guests leave. Captain Sandy tells them to turn the boat around, and then they’ll have a tip meeting. Jack tells Luka about the sneaky shot, and Luka thinks it would be a good idea to tell the captain. Jack meets Captain Sandy on the bridge, and he says that he f***ed up a little last night. He had a shot with the guests. The captain tells him, pack your sh*t, and before he has a heart attack, adds that she’s just kidding. Jack says he doesn’t even like shots, but they were encouraging him. She says, don’t do it again, and thanks him for telling her. She told them it would be a hard charter not to cross the line. He made a mistake, and he knows it. In the captain’s interview, she says she’s glad Jack admitted it, and they’re moving on. He knows better now. Kyle asks Jessika to do cabins with him, and in her interview, Jessika says, she wants to hear Kyle out and is ready to speak to him. He closes the cabin door and sits on the bed. She asks if she should go first.

Jessika tells Kyle, that when she said he made her feel like a green stew, she never meant it in a malicious way. After speaking to Tumi, she needs to think before she says something that will come off wrong. She’s sorry for not talking directly to him. He tells her, if it was Natalya running her mouth, he’d be like, that’s typical. Jessika will see things in her own time. Jessika tells him about Natalya bringing her attention to the text, and he says he understands what she’s saying. Jessika says she’s starting to see it, and in her interview, she says, after the conversation about being on service, she didn’t take it personally until Natalya questioned Tumi laughing. Then she questioned Tumi laughing. We flash back to that, and she says she wouldn’t have second guessed a text if Natalya didn’t make her think about it. Natalya is at the core of the drama. She knows the weak link and uses that to stir the pot. She tells Kyle that she’s sorry, and he apologizes for his approach. It brought him back to being picked on previously. Jessika says she’s truly sorry from her heart and they hug. He thanks her for chatting and being open. They’ve got this. He tells her to watch out, and she says she realizes. The captain calls everyone to the deck salon for the tip meeting.

Captain Sandy says, it was a bizarre charter for the crew, but when she was away, they maintained professionalism. She thanks them, and says, on the flip side, she said the guests would push them to cross the line. She asks, how many were tempted? and a few of the crew members raise their hands. She says, superyacht people don’t cross the line, no matter what. They maintained so well, she booked a charter for tomorrow, and there’s a 24-hour turnaround. This news goes over like a lead balloon, and the captain says, just kidding. Gee, she’s a real laugh riot. What’s with her today? She tells them that owners have arranged for a day off for them tomorrow. Go have fun and blow off steam. The tip is $20K or 1400 euros each. In Lara’s interview, she says she’s excited for a day off. Slick as sh*t. They clink glasses and Captain Sandy thanks them and tells them to have fun.

The crew finishes cleaning the boat and gets ready to go out. Haleigh suggests they get blackout wasted. They teleport to a restaurant, and when Luka orders tequila, water, and cucumber. Lara calls him a basic ass white girl. Food is served, and Kyle asks, what was their most challenging charter? Natalya says, the first one, and Kyle says, this last one was the worst in his history of yachting. Jessika says, it’s always a lot and suggests they be positive for the next one. Kyle takes her hand and says he’s glad they’re together again. To be honest, she looks happier. Tumi is a calm mediator. She knew they needed space from each other, and he needed to be away from the guests. Natalya watches them and if looks could kill. In her interview, she says, they have a trio of three best friends. Be positive. You’re so hot, babe. It does her head in. These are the most ungenuine people she’s ever met in her life. Wow. And she’s the most ungenuine, jealous, vindictive, screwed-up bitch I’ve had the pleasure to never meet in my life. AJ texts that he loves her because he senses potential fun, and she texts back that she loves him too. She tells the others that she’s going back to the boat for a minute, and she’ll meet them at the next bar. Kyle asks, what’s wrong? but she just leaves.

At the boat on the phone, Natalya tells AJ that it’s been a stressful week. It just built up. Everyone is out, but she’s on the boat. He says he’s at work, and she says she feels home sick. She doesn’t feel good and can’t deal with what’s going on.

At the restaurant, Jessika calls ex-primary Amanda, and says, they’re going to be in the bar next to the boat. Kyle says he can party, but he’s done with the girls. Natalya is so aggressive and sh*t stirring. He doesn’t want that toxicity around him. Lara says, it gave him an anxiety attack, and Kyle says he feels free now that Natalya walked off. At the next bar, the previous charter shows up, and Lara says, now the tables are turned. The girls have to buy them drinks. Natalya comes back, and one of the girls is sitting with Luka. Natalya says she could hear them a mile away, and Luka asks where she ran off to. She says she had business, and asks if he wants a shot, but he says, no. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Luka is super cold to her. She feels icy vibes toward him. Um… I think she means from him, but she is an idiot. Everyone dances, and kisses everyone else. Lara racks up 10 kisses overall. With different women. Max, who isn’t doing too badly himself with ex-guest Leni, puts Lara on his shoulders. Go, Lara! In Lara’s interview, she says, she’s got charm the straight ladies can’t resist. She’s a fun drunk. Luka goes into the bathroom with Jessika (!), and Tumi listens at the door. In Tumi’s interview, she says, this is going to end badly. Everyone says their goodbyes, and the crew goes back to the boat.

Lara says she hooked up with every woman who ever existed. Haleigh wisely goes to bed, and Kyle says he’s putting money on Max and Leni not working out. Max is 23, and Leni is a grown businesswoman. Kyle’s engaged, so he’s out. Max somehow thinks S for straight should be tacked on to LGBTQIA+, and Kyle says he must be crazy. He supports Max’s straightness and Max can show allyship, but he can’t be accepted as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Natalya says, maybe he’s bi-curious since he’d be with two girls. I think she’s joking, but again, she’s an idiot. Kyle tells her to take a back seat in this conversation, and she tells him not to talk to her like that. He says, she’ll never control him. Focus on her own f***ed up life. Jack tries to intervene, and Kyle says, she’ll throw him under the bus next. Natalya says she can’t believe what he’s saying. This speaks volumes about their friendship. He says, their friendship’s never been real. She’s been a fake ass bitch since day one.

I would cheer Kyle for telling Natalya what he really thinks, but they’ll probably be friends again by the end of next charter.

To be continued…

🌾Bringing In One Sheaf…

Come around tomorrow for soap and a cup or two of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not letting yourself be dragged into debate on Thanksgiving (change the subject), and stay admitting the truth. Everything’s going to come out in the wash anyway.