Category Archives: soap opera

August 5, 2022 – Deception Does Damage Control, Yesterday’s Charm, 2 Anniversaries, He’s Restless, Days Move, Kindness Please, Regrets, Sit Down, Med Captain, 50 Cent’s 2 Cents, Transformation, Who’s On, 5+5 = 10 Quotes & Here It Comes

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase lounges in a floatie donut in the pool. Dante comes by and says, this reminds him of a movie he saw once. Disillusioned guy spends the summer floating around in a pool so he can avoid his future. Chase says, The Graduate. It’s a good movie. The key difference is though, the main character had Simon and Garfunkel singing his confusion. Dante says, right, and Chase says, and didn’t have to pay for his pool chaise. Dante says, that’s true too. Don’t kid himself though. That guy was a lot younger than him. Chase says, thank you. Did Dante talk to his guy at the CCRB? Dante says, yeah, and Chase says, and? Is there a chance he’s getting back on the force? Dante says he’s sorry. He wishes he had better news to report.

Lucy comes into the Deception office, and tells Brook and Maxie that she’s sorry to keep them waiting. She was on the phone with Paris again and again, and she appreciates them coming to this meeting at such short notice. Maxie says she’s supposed to meet Britt for brunch, but if this is about what she thinks it’s about, Britt will forgive her. Lucy says, yeah, Sasha, and Brook says, it’s all over the news. It’s blowing up their social media. They need to release a statement. Lucy says, exactly, and Maxie says, one that protects Sasha’s privacy. Lucy says, that is a given, but they also have to consider Deception’s image and protect their company. Maxie says, more important, they help their friend, but Lucy says she’s not sure they can do both.

Martin gives Sasha some coffee, and says, it’s not Perks, but why doesn’t she try to drink it anyway; be as sharp as she can. She just stares ahead, and he says, Sasha? If she doesn’t have anything more to say, he guesses he’ll see what time transport is set for her arraignment. Outside in the squad room, Gladys arrives, and Brando hugs her. She says she brought Sasha fresh clothes. He looks like he hasn’t slept a wink. Where’s Sasha? He points to the interrogation room, and says, she’s int there conferring with her lawyer Martin Grey. She says, excellent. He’s Valentin Cassadine’s attorney; he’s high-powered. He’ll help their girl for sure. Martin comes out, and Brando asks, how’s Sasha? Martin says, she’s just great. Why shouldn’t she be? She’s only facing charges of reckless endangerment, disturbing the peace, willful destruction of property – both public and private – and oh yeah, attempted murder.

Gregory meets Alexis at some outside tables, and she says, he’s early. He says, only by a few minutes. He’s eager to hear the feedback on the op ed he wrote. She says, and so he shall. She promised to be honest. He tells her not to keep him in suspense. Who came out on top of their little wager? She says, you tell me, and hands him her tablet.

At the MetroCourt Gardens, Sam thanks Spinelli for meeting her. He says, of course (🍷). He’s always at her service. Cody walks in, and Spinelli says, unlike others, she’s entirely worthy of his time and efforts.

Cody sees Britt, and says, hello again. He sits next to her, and she says, and goodbye again, getting up. He says, come on. Don’t be like that. She doesn’t have to take off. She says, sorry. She has to go. He says, what? She needs something plugged in again? She needs to wash her hair? He knows she doesn’t need to see a guy about a horse because he’s that guy. She says, he’s right. She doesn’t need to make excuses. The simple truth is, she just doesn’t like him.

Chase says, so the Review Board is going to rule against him? and Dante says he doesn’t know about that. All he knows is, his guy on the inside, when he asked if Chase would get his badge back, he said the chances were slim. Chase asks if there’s anything he can do to derail this, and Dante says, the new member appointed by the public advocate is making a point of throwing the book at cops who step out of line, regardless of their exemplary record. Chase says, so that’s it, he’s no longer a cop, but Dante says, take it from him, you’re still a cop until you actually hand your badge in for good. There’s always hope until that happens. Chase says, hope doesn’t pay his late rent, and Dante says he’ll spot Chase rent money. Chase says he appreciates that, but he got himself into this, and he’ll get himself out. Dante says, even if it means taking a job outside the force? when Linc appears, and says, then it’s a good thing Chase has other options.

Brook scrolls on her tablet, and says, the comments are so rude. Poor Sasha. Maxie says, she kept insisting she was okay, but in retrospect, it’s clear she wasn’t. Lucy says, these media hounds are baying for blood. They’ve got to simply reset the narrative. They need to engender empathy for Sasha that maintains her position here, and hopefully placates the Board of Directors. Maxie says, they need to come up with a strategy that shields Deception from liability, while not abandoning one of their partners. Brook says, right. Where do they start? Maxie says, let’s get the ball rolling, and asks if Brook would mind taking notes. Brook says, of course (🍷) not, and Maxie says, Deception’s press release subject: Deception’s commitment on supporting health and mental well-being.

Gladys brings a garment bag in to Sasha, and asks how she’s holding up.

Alexis tells Gregory, this one says, Professor Chase’s opinion piece seems like a complaint in search of a cause, and he says, but if you scroll up, you’ll see Cronkite’s Ghost – he laughs – says his op-ed piece eloquently illuminates the necessity of objectivity. She laughs, and says, Cronkite’s Ghost. They say a handle says a lot about a person. She’s getting pompous blowhard. He asks if she’s ascribing that characterization to him, but she says, no, of course (🍷) not. Here’s one. Newshound86 thinks his op-ed piece is a dumpster fire. He says, how constructive… and poetic, and she says, this one just wants her to put the horoscopes back in. He says, he’d argue that astrology is subjective, so he marks that one in his favor. She says, by a slim margin, it appears the readers approve of his point-of-view. Cue the gloating. He says, him gloat? No. It’s enough he’s feeling validated that his so-called antiquated notions have merit. Thanks for following up. She says, a deal’s a deal, and he says, speaking of which, their deal was, if he won, she’d take more of his input on board. She wonders why the hairs on the back of her neck on end. Cue the smirk. He smiles.

Cody says, Britt hasn’t been shy about her disapproval, and she says, and yet, here he is. Haven’t they played this scene before? He says, yes, we have, but we keep screwing up the finale, and she asks what he means by we. He says, he can admit that he doesn’t always say the right things, and she asks if he expects her to say something to the contrary, but he says, no. He was just giving her the chance to admit that she’s unforgiving when it comes to human frailty. He takes a sip of his drink, and says he’ll wait. She says, by all means, help yourself.

Sam tells Spinelli that she thinks she hit a brick wall, but he’s busy staring at Britt and Cody. She says, then Felicia made a great suggestion to her. She said, think analog. He says, interesting, and she says, the documentation she needs is abroad. Is he available for a quick trip? He asks, where? and she says she was thinking Mars. She hears the planet is notorious for sloppy record keeping. He says, that’s just common knowledge, and she says, he’s not even listening to a word she’s saying, but he says, he is. Analog records… messy… Mars? She tells him, she said Mars, and the word she used is sloppy. What’s messy is him eavesdropping on Britt and Cody’s conversation. She wants him to tell her why, and no lame excuse or denial, because she’s not buying it.

Sasha comes out, and Brando her. He says he’s not going anywhere, and Gladys leads her away. Martin says he’s glad Brando’s mother brought fresh clothes; she needs to be as presentable as possible. Brando says, clothes aren’t going to do anything. Her eyes are vacant and she doesn’t look good. They need to get her out of here. Tell him, how are they going to beat these charges? Martin says, they can’t.

Cody tells Britt to look at it from his point-of-view. She tore into him about falling into the pool at the mixer. He was hired to jump, and she was standing smackdab in the middle of it. She helped him in the alley when he got beat up, but then she assumed he deserved it. He did not. Then she drenched him on their date because he went a little overboard trying to impress her. And she woudn’t even accept his apology. Then when she finally did accept his apology, she found some trivial reason to get angry at him again. It’s like she wants him to fail. He guesses if people don’t live up to her ridiculously high expectations she’s set for them, she gets to feel justified punishing them. She says, he’s right. He’s got her number. He says, he does?

Sam says, Spinelli is on good terms with Britt, so his beef must be with Cody. Why? He says, Mr. Bell is a scoundrel of ill-repute, and she asks if he realizes Cody and Dante are best friends from childhood. Leo loves the guy, as do the horses. He seems like a nice guy. What’s Spinelli’s issue with him? Spinelli says, he’s a man of many faces, and she says, meaning? He says he can read people well. Remember, he never liked Peter August. She says, nobody liked Peter August. Why doesn’t he save his incredible reading skills for the documentation they’ll be hunting down on their trip? She’d like to leave by the end of the week. He says he’s completely at her disposal stateside, but he’s too occupied with work to cross the International Dateline. She says, work. She’s so glad he brought that up. What is it he does these days?

Dante says he wasn’t talking to Linc. What does he want? Linc says, nothing to do with Dante. He has business with Dante’s friend here. Dante says, Chase is still a cop, so Chase is his partner, and Chase asks Dante to give them a second. Dante asks if Chase is kidding. This guy might be the reason he gets kicked off the force. What business could Chase possibly have with him? Linc says, standing right here, and Dante says, go stand over there. Chase tells Dante, he knows what he’s doing, and Dante says, all right. Just don’t let this punk bait him. He leaves, and Linc says, Chase gave him 30 days to show him what he can do. It hasn’t even been a week, and he’s booked Chase a gig at The Savoy. What has Brook done for him lately?

Maxie asks Brook to read that last part back, and Brook reads, together we pledge to stand up for the Deception family by breaking the stigma of mental health challenges, ensuring their partners and their families receive all the help they need. Therefore, Deception will make a one million dollar donation to help families with mental illness. Maxie says, sounds good. Just change the Deception family to our Deception family, and she thinks that’s their press release. Brook agrees, and says, Sasha’s arrest was definitely a cry for help. Hopefully, framing it this way will inspire compassion. Haters be damned. She’s going to make this change, email it to herself, and take it to PR. Maxie asks her to have legal put their eyes on it first. Then tell them to work with PR. She wants it posted on all their social media platforms as soon as possible. Brook says, she’ll make it happen, and leaves. Maxie asks if Lucy didn’t have anything she wanted to add, but Lucy says, no. Actually, everything Maxie and Brook said is fine. Lucy scarfs gummi bears as they talk, and Maxie says, she’s glad Martin is representing Sasha; he’s one of the best. And she’s not just saying that because… you know. Lucy says, my guy knows his stuff, and it’s good for Sasha’s sake, and for ours. Maxie says, ours? and Lucy says, it’s just that Martin sees the big picture, and understands how important it is to protect all of Sasha’s interests, which includes Deception. Which means they have some tough decisions to make. Maxie says, how tough? and Lucy says, Maxie’s not going to like what she has to say.

Martin tells Brando, he had a call into the DA’s office, and his contact just got back to him. Martin wanted to run something by him. Brando says, something about Sasha? and Martin says, Brando’s got to understand some things. Brando says, sounds serious, and Martin says, in the first place, he’s sorry he rattled off those charges at Brando like that. He wasn’t trying to be flippant. He’s a little punchy in the morning when he hasn’t slept, but he swears he’s taking this case seriously. He wants Brando to know, he’s looking at every possibility to help his wife; all of them. Brando thanks him, and asks if Martin was being punchy when he said they couldn’t beat some of these charges. Martin says, some of the charges he believe can be thrown out, or restitution can be made, but on some of the others, no way. They have to contend with a very damning video; a video where Sasha isn’t just out of control, she looks outright violent. All those assault charges are going to be tough to beat. Brando says, but he’ll try, right? They’ll do whatever he wants them to do. Martin says he believes Brando will, but can the same thing be said of his wife?  

Gladys wipes Sasha’s face, and Sasha pulls away. Gladys says, Sasha is still a little smudged. She’s just trying help. Sasha says, thanks, but nobody can help, and Gladys says, that’s not true. Sasha has a whole army behind her. Maxie’s been blowing up Gladys’s phone; she just hasn’t had a chance to get back to her. She’s sure Maxie and Lucy want to visit Sasha, but Sasha says she’s not. Not after what she did. Gladys asks why she did it, and Sasha says, she was standing up for herself, and she would do it again.

Gregory says, he heard Sasha Gilmore recently attacked the vehicle of one of Alexis’s reporters, and she says, Smoltz (who apparently has no first name) is a freelancer. He says, whatever Smoltz’s role at The Invader, he’s surprised there’s been no mention of it in her paper. Why is that? She says, because the story is still evolving, and they’ll cover it when they know more. Unless of course (🍷) he’d like her to report the salacious account of a spokesmodel having a nervous breakdown. He says, that’s a narrow way of looking at it, and she says, and his way? He says, the facts. A reporter – one affiliated with her paper – was attacked while doing his job.

Lucy says, maybe they should consider finding a new Face of Deception, and Maxie asks if she’s talking about pushing Sasha out, but Lucy says, no, absolutely not. Sasha is their partner, and always will be. She’s just thinking maybe Sasha should step aside as spokesperson, just for a while. Take a sabbatical or something. Maxie says, after everything Sasha has lost, Lucy wants to strip her of more, and Lucy says, it’s hard to say and hard to hear, but look at everything they’ve built; look at all this company means. All the money, everything, is tied up in its stock value. And if it goes belly-up, it’s Brokesville again; they’ll have nothing. She knows Sasha wouldn’t want that. Does Maxie? Sasha is their friend, always; this is just business. Maxie says, okay. Then as the head of this business, Lucy can tell her, and she walks out.

Gladys says, can’t the court just ask Sasha to pay for the damage to that reporter’s car? She’s good for it. Sasha says, Smoltz deserved it; so did Sienna. Pretending to be Sasha’s friend, when all along, Sienna wanted to ply her with more drugs so she could stab her in the back. She’s so sick of them. She’s tired of being exploited. Gladys says, of course (🍷) she is, but isn’t she also tired of feeling out of control?

Martin tells Brando, he doesn’t know what the hell’s going on or why, but they simply don’t have time to figure it out. For some reason, Brando’s wife has completely shut down. Every answer she gave him was model celeb, if she answered him at all. Brando says, Sasha’s in shock. Spending the night in jail didn’t help at all. Martin says, he’ll definitely ask the court to take that into consideration, but that’s not the only issue at play here, is it? He was up most of the night going over the evidence in this case, trying to wrap his head recent events, and he doesn’t have to tell Brando, it doesn’t look good. Sasha has blown up her sobriety, she’s spun out on national television… She caused a fatal car accident... Brando says, she didn’t cause that; Harmony ran out in front of her. Martin says, so what? His point is, with Sasha these days, it’s one thing after another. This is just something else in a long line of bad looks. Now, worst of all, she’s either in denial or she’s intentionally avoiding the help she so desperately needs.

Britt tells Cody, she is too hard on people; she always has been. He asks if she thinks she misses out on getting to know folks, and she says, probably. He says, it’s kind of worse that they end up missing out on knowing her, and she says, okay, this is sliding into the sappy zone. What he doesn’t understand is, she doesn’t really like people all that much, so it’s no great loss. He says he’s see how she and her buddy Brad get on, when she’s not scolding him, and she says, that weirdo? He says, besides, what’s a little sap between friends? Nothing wrong with that. Not to be presumptuous, but he has a sappy present for her. He knows they’re not friends or anything like that, but consider him a weirdo. He takes an envelope out of his pocket, and puts it on the table. He says, it’s just a little token to prove he’s not some conniving grifter, and she says, he just happened to be carrying it in case he bumped into her? Not conniving, eh? How did he know where to find her?

Spinelli assures Sam, his work is of the greatest importance. Not as important as hers of course (🍷). He has contacts all over the world who can be at her disposal. In fact, he’ll connect her with someone who can help aid in her investigation. She says, nice try. She’s not done interrogating him yet. He says, she’s an astute sleuth. Can’t she detect a dead end when she sees one? Speaking of sleuths, how are things with Detective Falconari? She says, well, he asked her to move in with him. Spinelli says, congratulations. Glad tidings… are they not?

Chase tells Linc, that’s great about The Savoy, but he’s sure Brook has some irons in the fire. Linc says, while she’s flailing around, he’s crushing it. How does a gig at The Mercury Lounge sound? Chase says, in New York City? Out of his league. That place is for the big acts. Linc says, it is, and it will be for Chase before he knows it, with Linc managing his career. It’s hard to have a serious conversation with a floatie between them. Chase gets out of the pool, and Linc hands him a towel. He says, it’s good to see Chase’s unemployment paid off with more gym time. When he’s through marketing Chase, their key demo is either going to want to be him, or want to be with him. Brook walks in, and says, Chase isn’t just a piece of meat; he’s an artist – a talented, beautiful artist. Chase gets dressed, and Brook says, he’s got talent, and smarts, and heart. Linc says, sure. He’s the total package, but he assures her, Chase’s fans will be more interested in his eyes than his IQ. His development department has put together a promotional plan for Chase. He’s also booked studio time for them to start laying down tracks with top writers and producers. After the gig at The Savoy, then they’ll focus on The Mercury Lounge. At both gigs, the concert goers will be able to stream and share his EP. They’ll be able to sell a ton of merch at The Mercury Lounge. Either way, it’s instant revenue for Chase. Chase says he could actually use the money, and Brook asks, how much is this studio time? What are they talking here? Chase says, it does sound expensive, and Linc says, you bet it is, but not for Chase; it’s part of the package. Like his styling, his wardrobe, and his voice lessons. Can Brook offer him the same? Dante watches them, and Brook says, no, but she can offer him something even better.

Britt asks if Cody is having her followed; paying people to let him know if she shows up here? He says, Maxie told him… Well, she mentioned something about brunch plans, and he took a chance. She says, it’s still invasive, and he says he hears her, but it’s still better than showing up at her hotel room or her office. He didn’t have any other options. Is she going to open it or what? She holds the envelope to her ear, and says, it’s not ticking. He says, no need. He’s blown up enough chances with her. She opens the passport and starts to read, and he says, she’s a hard woman to make arts and crafts for. He’ll totally understand if she hates it. She says she doesn’t hate it, and he says, does she think maybe they could add another stamp? Any night she’s available. She asks if there’s any way he’ll take no for an answer, and he says, statistically? Probably the same chances as her refraining from sarcasm. She says she calls the meal this time, and he says, deal.

Sam tells Spinelli, there’s so much to consider. She’s not sure about moving. She doesn’t want to uproot Scout and Danny; the penthouse is their home. He says, home is wherever she is. Doesn’t she want to live with Dante? She says she thinks things are really good the way they are. Why change it? He asks if there’s any other reason she’s hesitant to do this, when Maxie walks in, and says, hey guys. She’s having a morning. Is she interrupting if she sits? Sam says, not at all, and Spinelli says, have a seat. Britt says she never would have figured Cody for being the arts and crafts type, and Maxie says, it looks like Britt and Cody are getting along. She guesses she doesn’t have to apologize to Britt for missing their brunch. Looks like she gave true love an assist. Spinelli asks why she’s so certain Cody is right for Britt, and she says, because she trusts Society Set-Ups. And she’s spent some time with him; he’s a sweet guy. Sam says she happens to agree, but Spinelli says, they both couldn’t be more wrong, and storms out.

Alexis says, not everyone sees things through the lens of a journalism professor, and Gregory says, he’s also a citizen. It concerns him whenever freedom of the press is constrained by threats or violence. She says, she agrees, but he doesn’t know Smoltz. His tactics are less than savory, and she wouldn’t put it past him if he goaded Sasha into a reaction, hoping to provoke just what he got. So if she were him, she wouldn’t hang out the shingle of the First Amendment rights on this one. He says he’d like to invite her to one of his PCU lectures, and she says, he’s lecturing? He says, PCU wooed him out of retirement; convinced him to teach a course. He thinks she’d get a lot out of it. She says, really? She’s argued First Amendment rights in a court of law a lot more than he’s ever lectured about it in a classroom. He says, then she undoubtedly knows, the character of the victim doesn’t preclude the reporting of the crime. Mr. Smoltz may not be the kind of reporter she respects, but he was the target of violence, which makes it at least worthy of her attention, and in his learned opinion, most definitely newsworthy.

Sasha says, Gladys thinks she’s out of control? and Gladys says, doesn’t she? Lately, she’s not the Sasha that Gladys has come to know and love. Sasha says, love. Gladys didn’t even want her to marry her son. Gladys says, she didn’t. Not then. Not at the time, for a few reasons. It seemed like they were rushing, for one thing, and she didn’t like being excluded. But once she saw how much Sasha really loved Brando, and how happy she makes him, and how kind and smart she is, she’s been proud to call Sasha her daughter-in-law. And she’s done what she could to protect Sasha. She thought Sasha knew that.

Brando asks if Martin thinks he gives a damn about optics. He cares about Sasha. He cares about what Martin can do for her. Martin says, Brando needs to care about all of it. Just like he does. Sasha’s drawn the attention of the internet; she’s gone viral. Given the recent nature of political events involving their mayor, the DA’s office is doing everything to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Sasha’s a celebrity. Optics. Translation: don’t expect any kind of preferential treatment, because they’re in no position to give her a break. Brando asks what they do, and Martin says, he motivates his wife to take a more active part in her own defense. He agrees she needs help. She needs a psyche consult, but he doesn’t know if she’d be receptive to the idea. Most of all, she needs to demonstrate her commitment to intensive therapy and restitution. Brando says he doesn’t know if Sasha is ready to confront this, and Martin says, and that severely limits their options. He can only think of one other way to keep Brando’s wife out of prison.

Britt tells Cody, it’s official; she’s been stood up. She’s going to the pool. He says, he’d ask to join her, but she’d just say he’s pushing it, and she says, maybe he is getting to know her. Maxie and Sam join them, and Maxie says, they are getting along. Britt asks for a word with her, and they step aside. Britt asks, what happened to brunch; did Maxie forget? Maxie says, she got hung up at Deception, damage control, and Britt says, right. Sorry. How’s Sasha doing? Any word? Maxie says, nothing from her side; not happy things from theirs. Britt says, when she sees Sasha, tell her she has friends, and Maxie says, she will. It seems like Britt is all about friends these days. Looking pretty cozy over there. She asks, what’s that? indicating the envelope in Britt’s hand, and Britt says, just a silly gift Cody made her. Maxie says, oh… really, and Britt says she’ll overlook whatever part Maxie played in securing him a second date. Maxie gets excited, and says, they’re going on a second date? Britt says, calm down. It’s just a date. Don’t go pricing wedding venues.

Alexis tells Gregory, what Sasha did to Smoltz is news, regardless of extenuating circumstances, but is it newsworthy? He says, that sounds like leftover lawyer speak, and she says, it’s human speak, because she’s a human being. You know who else is a human being? Sasha Gilmore. Gregory says, one that she knows personally. Could that be precluding her view? She says, she barely knows Sasha. She’s looking at the big picture, and given the impact of social media, and various platforms, in contemporary journalism, that’s something that has to be taken very seriously. He says, by all means, put the truth out there, and she says, Cronkite said, in seeking the truth, you need to be able to look at both sides of the story. If they just tell the facts of what happened to Sasha, it’s a disservice to her and their readers. He says, don’t tell him she has alternative facts, and she says, she has context. In the span of a year, Sasha has overdosed, she’s gotten clean, she’s fallen in love, she’s lost a child, she’s been in a fatal car crash, she’s relapsed, and she’s still struggling with her mental health. So if they omit all that, and just print she attacked a car with a valet sign, that’s not showing respect to the Fourth Estate. It’s character assassination disguised as journalism.

Martin says he knows he can cut a deal with the DA’s office, predicated on the promise that Sasha stays out of trouble moving forward, but Brando says he doesn’t know if they can guarantee that. Martin says, in her current state? Brando had better guarantee it, because if he makes a deal, and she breaks her promise, she will be remanded to prison. Like he said, there might be one other way, if Brando’s prepared for it. Brando asks if it’s something that would get the DA to accept this deal, and Martin asks if he knows what guardianship is. Brando says, it’s like a conservatorship, right? and Martin says, exactly. In New York state, the guardianship is utilized when an adult is considered legally incapacitated. Brando says, Martin wants them to claim Sasha is incapable of taking care of herself? and Martin asks, what happened during her last therapy appointment? Brando says, she didn’t make it, and Martin asks if Brando would say her condition makes her less able to manage things, like her health and financial affairs. Brando says he doesn’t know about this, and Martin says, take it easy. They’re not talking about tossing Sasha into some 19th century house of hysteria; this is simply a strategy. It’s a way to keep her at home, and out of prison. Appoint someone, a guardian to watch out for her well-being, make sure she gets to appointments on time, safeguard her finances. It doesn’t have to be forever. Brando says, it seems extreme, and Martin says, it’s Brando’s call, but given Sasha’s state of mind, is she ready for a trial? He doesn’t think it would go well for her. Does Brando?

Sasha says she’s tired, and Gladys says she knows, but they’re all doing their best to help her. She can’t read Sasha’s mind, but she’ll tell Sasha what’s on hers. Sasha is her family now, and that means Gladys will do whatever it takes to look out for her.

Brook says, what she can offer Chase is unique, and Linc says, what is  this, a double-standard? Brook tells him, get his head out of the gutter, if it’s at all possible. Linc is only looking at Chase as a performer. She’s a songwriter and they’ve collaborated before. If they share songwriting credit, he’ll get a larger share of all songs produced and streamed. The money won’t be instant, but the residuals mean a lot more in the long run. Chase says, it’s very tempting, and she tells him, think about it, and leaves. She walks over to Dante, and he says he’d clap for her, but he doesn’t want to blow her cover. That was a great show. Is there anything she can’t do? She says she can’t understand what he’s saying right now. Why is he smiling? He says, it’s him. They go way back. The whole wanting to be Chase’s manager is a good angle, but he knows a con when he sees one.

Gregory tells Alexis, beautifully expressed. Miss Gilmore is lucky that Alexis is Editor-in-Chief. She says, he’s agreeing with her? and he asks if that’s so hard to believe. She says, given their interaction thus far? and he says, fair enough. He agrees this story can’t be told without including Miss Gilmore’s state of mind as a mitigating factor. It’s wise to take a more nuanced approach. Alexis says, she’s concerned about violating medical confidentiality. How does she inject nuance without compromising privacy? He says, it’s tricky, but there are ways, and she says, okay, professor. He’s offered a lesson. Okeydoke. She takes out her notebook, and says, school’s in session. He says he’s honored, but she says, don’t be. She’s doing it for Sasha.

Brando says, Martin is sure no plea deal can be made? and Martin says, not if Sasha doesn’t demonstrate some kind of cooperation. Brando asks if she wouldn’t have to agree to a guardianship, but Martin says, not necessarily, especially if she was incapable of making that decision. Brando says, she’s already accused him of trying to control her life. He doesn’t know if he’s comfortable with this. Gladys and Sasha join them, and Gladys says, comfortable with what? Are they talking a game plan, a strategy? Martin says, they have a couple options to consider, but for now they’re taking it one step at a time. He tells Sasha, this officer is going to escort her to the courthouse where she’s going to be arraigned. They’ll meet her there. Does she have any questions? Sasha shakes her head, and Brando takes her hands, and says, everything’s going to be okay. She says, promise? and he says, better than that, a vow. For better or worse, in sickness and in health. He’s got her.   

Maxie goes back to Cody and Sam, and says, Cody’s gift was a hit. Congrats. They high-five, and Cody thanks her for encouraging him to give it to Britt personally. Sam says, smooth move, Maxie, and he says, too bad all of Britt’s friends aren’t as supportive as they are. Sam says, if he’s referring to Spinelli, don’t worry about him; he’s been all over the place lately. Maxie says, she’s noticed that. What’s with him? Sam says she doesn’t know, aside from the fact he gave Cody a dirty look the entire time she was talking to him, and Maxie wonders why he’d be doing that. Does Cody have any idea? He says, not a clue.

Britt lies on a chaise, her eyes closed, when Spinelli clears his throat, startling her. He says, she’s about to make a mistake, and she says, his mistake was looming over her like a vampire. He almost got a swift kick. She gets up, and he says he’s serious. She can’t go out with Cody again.

Britt says she knows Dante wants his partner back, but whether he wants to believe it or not, Chase real future in music. Dante says he knows Chase is a talented guy, but he also happens to know, Chase is thinking things are pretty bleak right now, and he doesn’t want Chase to make a mistake. So please level with him. What the hell do the two of them have cooking up?

Chase tells Linc, that’s great. Tell the development team to send over the promotional package, and he’ll have his lawyers look at it. Linc says, he’s convincing, but not good enough for Linc, or himself. Chase says he’s not sure what Linc is getting at, and Linc says, don’t play a player. He knows Brook, and he knows what she’s really up to.

On Monday, Cody says, might as well put their cards on the table; Willow has the feeling Ava want something from her; Obrecht says, Nina needs to walk away now; and Dex says he just gave Michael the perfect opportunity to nail his old man.

Southern Charm

Austen joins Kathryn for a pedicure at a nail place, unoriginally called The Nail Place. He says he’s excited for girls day, and in his interview, he says he’s always had a soft spot for Kathryn. He did win Drama King in high school, and Kathryn can be dramatic as well. She asks if he’s getting a color, and he says he’s not Craig. Working at home, Craig tells himself, work smarter, not harder. Naomie calls, and he tells her that he’s working on his spring collection. She says she had a strange reaction at Olivia’s, and needs to pick his brain. She asks if he wants to get coffee, and we flash back to Paige saying, it’s inappropriate to hang out with one’s ex. Craig asks why she’s calling him about it, and Naomie says, it’s about Kathryn. She thought he’d be the best person to advise her. We flash back to Craig asking Paige, what about having lunch with an ex? and Paige saying, no. He says, it must be serious enough if she wants to talk in person. He’s going to be over by her later, and there’s a coffee shop nearby. In Craig’s interview, he says, it’s just coffee. He’ll get in and get out. They’re not getting their nails done together. Meanwhile at the nail salon, Austen says he loves Kathryn’s blond look, and she asks how things are going with him and Olivia. He says, they haven’t spoken since the party. It bothered him that after he’d talked to her about Madison, Olivia invited her to the party. He doesn’t want to pursue someone who wants to be friends with his ex. In Kathryn’s interview, she says, sometimes Austen can be a petty bitch.

Olivia and mom Robin discuss the party, and agree it was fun. Robin asks about Austen, and Olivia says, they didn’t end on the best note at the party. We flash back to Olivia telling Austen that she’s waiting for the day he doesn’t care about Madison, and she tells Robin about it. Robin says, he does seem more tense around Madison. She thinks it’s sensitive and sweet, and says, you usually don’t hear about a woman being… whatever [Madison] is. Olivia says, everyone has ex stuff, but she wants Austen to be right in that department. In Olivia’s interview, she says, a relationship with Austen is too much work. She’s not enough drama for him. He seems to like it; it’s what he’s used to. While they get a paraffin foot treatment, Austen says he’s happy Kathryn and Chleb are back together. Kathryn says, they’re trying, but in her gut, she feels like something is off. At the party, he was talking to Naomie a lot. It was weird super and disrespectful, and she felt hurt. We see a clip of Chleb telling Kathryn that Naomie was calling her names, and Kathryn saying, he should have shut it down immediately, not listen because he’s being a good guy. In Kathryn’s interview, she says she wishes he would be more aware of what he’s doing. Loyalty, hello? Austen tells her, if she thinks something off, then something is off.

Leva sees her trainer, and he does some kind of massage/stretching exercises for her muscles. In Leva’s interview, she says she wants to be present. She’s reading books about essentialism, so she doesn’t cook as much, lets the house be messy, and picks her battles at work. She’s consciously practicing to be a calmer person. But it’s not working. She loves Little Lamar, but he’s two and chaotic. We see some clips of Little in action, and she says, he’s so high energy from 6 am until his bedtime at 9 pm, which is her fault. Venita’s mom Vi visits her, and says she loves Venita’s big hair. When she was young, she had big hair. In Venita’s interview, she says, her mother didn’t tell her be perfect. She told Venita that perfect was however she chose to be. Venita tells Vi that she had a bad week. She didn’t get invited to Olivia’s party because Olivia didn’t want the garden party again. She guesses it’s embarrassing, and her feelings are hurt. Vi says, Venita’s got to talk about things, but when she’s rational; not in the heat of anger. Venita says she doesn’t know how to go about it, since she’s never seen it. Vi didn’t show her how to handle things, and hid any disagreements with her dad. Vi says she’s not talking about Venita’s dad, and in her interview, Venita says she was an only child. She was in high school when she came home one day, and her dad was gone. Her parents could have worked for the Secret Service. She had no idea it wasn’t working out. She tells Vi, all she knew was that she had two parents, and then one of them was gone, and Vi says, Venita still has two parents. In Venita’s interview, she says, her dad was probably living a double life since she was about 14. It took until her aunt called and said he was marrying someone else for her to understand her parents were done. Vi says, Venita’s dad was thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy, and it wasn’t something to discuss with her daughter. She didn’t want Venita to see her pain. Venita says she doesn’t have the insight her friends do, because they saw their parents argue, then figure it out. Vi says, it’s probably because she grew up in a house where they did argue, and Venita asks what it taught Vi. Vi says, not to do it, and in her interview, Venita says, teaching you how to avoid fighting doesn’t teach you how to deal with fighting. She’ll get overly upset at a simple confrontation, because she’s never seen anyone do that on a personal level. Vi says she tried to protect Venita from the pitfalls of life, which was not necessarily a good thing. Venita didn’t learn how to handle adversity, and Vi apologizes for what she didn’t do. Going forward, she’ll do her best. Books on parenting don’t work. You have to go through it to learn. She asks if that satisfied Venita, and Venita says, it’s more than she had yesterday.

Little Craig! Shep visits Whitney and Patricia, who’s gotten Little Craig a champagne bottle toy, which she says is unshreddable. Whitney says, Little Craig is like a piranha meets the Tasmanian Devil, and Shep says, his dad calls the dog a French terrorist. New guy Randy is doing the butlering, and Patricia says, nobody can take Michael’s place, but he’s good. Whitney says, Randy alleviates his duties, like official dog walker. In Patricia’s interview, she says, Randy is a lovely man. He’s a good server and fixes drinks so much better than Whitney. We flash back to Whitney bumbling through things, and see that Little Craig is already well on his way to totally destroying his new toy. Patricia says, speaking of incurring damage, Little Craig was involved in Peaches’ violation. Shep asks if they had a roll in the hay, and Whitney says, Little Craig is a feral mess. Done with his toy destruction, Little Craig runs to find Peaches, and Patricia says, let him; the damage has been done. In her interview, Patricia says, mounted is too strong a word. He sullied Peaches’ reputation. She tells Shep that Little Craig has to do the honorable thing. She’d like to have a wedding. (I can’t wait!) Shep asks if she wants Little Craig to make an honest doggy of Peaches, and Patricia says, he thinks she’s kidding. She doesn’t see anybody here doing anything in the near future. Shep says, so they’ll give her the wedding she richly deserves. She asks if Little Craig has a tux. She’s getting Peaches a wedding gown. In Shep’s interview, he says, if Whitney had his way, he’d be a bachelor for life. Still living in hope, Patricia says she doesn’t want to preempt any wedding bells, and asks Shep about Taylor. Shep says, Taylor’s not a pressure type of gal.

Taylor visits Marcie, and checks out the nursery, saying, it’s so pink; she loves it. Marcie says she’s glad she’s done. She’s due in 5 weeks. In Taylor’s interview, she says, in her perfect world she’d get married around 30, and have kids by 33. How old is she now? (I looked it up. She’s 27.) Marcie shows Taylor the outfit she’s taking the baby home in, and they move on to an entire closet full of clothes. In her interview, Taylor says she gets giddy looking at clothes and strollers. Shep’s clock isn’t ticking, but hers is. Shep tells Patricia that he thinks he’s in the clear, but Patricia says, don’t kid yourself. Whitney asks how long they’ve been going out, and Shep says, two years. Patricia says, if there was no proposal after four months, that’s it. In Patricia’s interview, she says, Taylor is making a mistake be acquiescing. She needs to give him an ultimatum. Patricia says, she’s amazed that any woman could put up with the two of them, and Shep says, they’re on the George Clooney/Warren Beatty track.

Naomie calls Craig, saying she’s at the coffee place, and they’re out of chai. She places both their orders, and when he gets there, she asks why he’s grumpy. He insists he’s not, and she asks if he had fun at Olivia’s party. He asks it was about Kathryn she wanted to discuss, and she says, during the party, Chleb came up and started going in about Kathryn. We flash back to that, and Naomie says, Chleb was saying not nice things. Craig says, like what? and we flash back to Chleb saying he could only listen so much to Kathryn, then he’d put on ESPN and tune out. Like practically every man doesn’t do this. She tells Craig, Chleb doesn’t seem happy. The one lesson she learned after her and Craig was, never air your dirty laundry to other people. She has regrets about talking bad about Craig, and she’s pretty sure Metul did the same thing to her. Karma is very real. She wonders what’s making Craig uncomfortable. He’s jittery, making no eye contact, and keeps looking over his shoulder. Who’s coming? She says, he’s acting like she’s part of a sting operation or something. She doesn’t know what’s going on, and wishes he’d just be straight and not act like a weirdo. In Craig’s interview, he wonders why they needed to have coffee for Naomie to tell him that Chleb was talking sh*t about Kathryn. Naomie says she feels bad for Kathryn. They’ll never be good friends, but she feels it’s the right thing to hand Craig the information. Maybe he could just talk to her. He says, maybe, but he’s got to be going. He’s picking up Paige from the airport. Naomie suggests they do a fun night out, and Craig says, one day, maybe. Naomie says she just wants to have fun, but Craig says, unfortunately, there are boundaries. He’s glad they can catch up and be friends, but at the end of the day, Naomie is his ex-girlfriend, and Paige doesn’t appreciate it. They can’t hang out just yet. Naomie says, they can’t forget the past, and in his interview, Craig says he thinks Paige is being understanding, even though she doesn’t understand the situation, since she lives in NYC, where you don’t run into your ex all the time or hang out with them. He doesn’t want to push or disrespect her any further. In Naomie’s interview, she says, if  she hadn’t thought she and Craig were on the same page, she wouldn’t have asked him for coffee. She’s not trying to get with him. She’s not the type who tries to get with a guy who has a girlfriend. If it feels awkward, that’s on them, not her. I can see it both ways, but I’ve never really wanted to hang out with an ex. Oh wait. I do hang out with my boyfriend from high school once in a while, but those feelings are long gone. If they were even real at that age. Now he’s someone I grew up with.

Olivia calls Naomie from the car, and says she’s meeting Venita. Naomie says, awesome; heal it up. They meet at a juice bar, and in Venita’s interview, she says, with her parents, all she’s seen is avoidance of fighting, confrontation, and issues. She wants to step up and resolve this, rather than letting it sit. Venita asks how the party was, and Olivia says, fun. They toast to this thing (i.e. their meeting), and Olivia says she appreciates Venita reaching out. Venita says, they had a rocky start, and she wants to be able to lay everything on the table. Olivia says she thinks Venita has a false perception of who she is, and she was thrown by Venita’s misconceptions. Insinuating something is not cool. Venita says, when Olivia walked away, it felt dismissive, and Olivia gets how it could be perceived, but it’s her way to cool off when she knows nothing is going to get resolved in that moment. Venita apologizes for coming at Olivia so hot. It wasn’t necessary, and it’s not who she is as an individual. She suggests they make it a clean slate. Now they just have to worry about everyone else. She says, with all that smoke and heat between Austen and Madison, why invite Madison to the party? Olivia says, she and Madison are fine, but she got an earful about it. We flash back to Austen acting stupid, and Venita asks if Olivia and Austen are dating. Olivia says, they only went out one-on-one once, and they’re in in that weird limbo. Venita wonders if Madison knows, and Olivia asks why it would matter. Venita says, Madison and Austen were so deeply involved, part of Madison feels entitled to know what’s going on. It’s not worth it.

Chleb goes to mom Debbie’s house, and she asks if he’s working hard. He says, seven days; he’s pretty damn tired. Debbie wonders if he didn’t take the tag off his shoes, but he says, it’s the style. She says, it seems awkward, but he says, it’s the drip these days. She asks how Kathryn is, and he says, they went through some stuff. There was a girl named Naomie at the party who Kathryn dislikes, and she and Chleb got to talking. We see a clip of Kathryn telling Chleb, it’s embarrassing. In Chleb’s interview, he says he doesn’t want to be in a relationship with someone he’s thinking negatively about. Debbie says, it takes work, and suggests he make a list of what he likes and dislikes about the relationship. She says, if you have more dislikes than likes, you ain’t gonna make it, baby.

Paige is at Craig’s, and he offers her every coffee flavor known to man. She says, yuck to maple, which is one of my favorites, but she also hates mint, and we’re in agreement there. My only exception is Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. She asks if he can imagine when they actually have a kitchen, and in Craig’s interview, he says, it’s hard to play house with no kitchen, and living out of boxes. The fact that Paige feels comfortable with things as is, is an incredible sign. Paige suggests sitting outside, and Craig wonders if they make an iced coffee maker. Paige is like, nooo, and says, he loves tea anyway. In his interview, he says, Paige loves how he is, and he loves that feeling. She’s his biggest fan. Aww. They’re not engaged yet, but he thinks he’s found his person. They sit in rockers on the porch, and he tells her that he’d like a big family, and wants to renovate the house with that vision.  

Event planner Erica goes to Patricia’s, and Patricia says she thinks it would be fun to have a dog wedding, so she needed a wedding planner. Erica asks how big it will be, and Patricia says, around 25 people. It might be the only wedding she throws. In Patricia’s interview, she says she has Whitney’s wedding planned. A medieval cathedral, a florist from Paris, Valentino for the mother-of-the-bride dress, but she doesn’t get to make those decisions. Erica asks, who is going to officiate? and Patricia says, Little Craig and Peaches go to the same vet. She thinks Dr. Berger will agree to officiate. They decide on having it in the garden, and Erica asks if Patricia wants the guests welcomed with champagne. Patricia says she does, but she wants it in coups, not flutes. Erica asks about cakes, and Patricia wants the ones featured in Steel Magnolias. The groom’s cake is an armadillo cake in red velvet. She tells Erica, the invitations have already gone out.  

To be continued…

Next time, Whitney and Shep talk human marriage; the dog wedding happens; Olivia brings a date that’s not Austen; Whitney plays guitar; and Craig tells Naomie that she left a loving relationship to be with a controlling a-hole. She won’t affect his life anymore.

🎉 Happy Anniversary…

Scotty celebrates his 45th.

💐 Another Congrats…

Not as long, but still. She took a small villainous part and turned it into being a major player.

🧼 Jumping Soap…

I vaguely remember him being Todd on OLTL for five minutes. Even they realized it was a bad idea. No one can replace Roger Howarth.

🦚 Goodbye and Hello…

Yep. They’re going to nickel and dime us to death. Or in this case, $4.99 us.

https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-moving-to-peacock/

💝 Sharing Is Caring…

NuTrina has a message for all of us.

🎡 Yeah, Yeah…

LisaR needs to get off the merry-go-round that’s her feelings. Next week, she’ll be back to the shading game.

💎 She’s Rocking the Boat…

Sheree can be on my fantasy spin-off too.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1340467/why-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-sheree-zampino-says-kyle-richards-should-sit-down

Cruising the Med…

Captain Sandy’s voyage to reality star.

🍸 Backing His Home Girl…

50 Cent is back to dogging Randall.

https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.72274/title.50-cent-randall-emmet-power-ex

⚰️ New Rick…

Daryl’s journey to leadership.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-daryl-rick-grimes-revolver/

🌜 On the Moon…

The VMA line-up.

📣 Quotes of the Week

A room hung with pictures is a room hung with thoughts. – Joshua Reynolds

Happiness depends to some extent upon external conditions, but chiefly upon mental attitudes. – Paramahansa Yogananda

Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars? Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live. – Nora Roberts

The greatest source of unhappiness in the world comes from having unreasonable expectations about the behavior of other people. – Don Fehr

Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. – Les Brown

Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil

Security is mostly a superstition… Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller

Life is like a novel. It’s filled with suspense. You have no idea what is going to happen until you turn the page. – Sidney Sheldon (Well, let’s hope it’s not like a Sidney Sheldon novel.)

If there’s a world here in a hundred years, it’s going to be saved by tens of millions of little things. The powers-that-be can break up any big thing they want… but what are they going to do about 10 million little things? They break up two of them, and three more like them spring up!Pete Seeger

The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. – Gloria Steinem

🛣 On the Road Again…

It’s certainly been a week. If it’s been one for you too, or even if it hasn’t, you have my permission to take the next two days off. But be back on Monday for soap and a Mediterranean cruise. Until then, stay safe, stay away from overly processed foods, and stay never trying to play a player.

August 4, 2022 – Curtis Tells Portia About the Plan To Wake Oz, Charming Postponement & Shades

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly comes into Kelly’s, and hugs Josslyn. Josslyn asks why Carly didn’t tell her that she was coming, and Carly says she wanted to surprise Josslyn, and she was dying for a Kelly’s milkshake. She asks where Cameron is, and Josslyn says, he had to take care of a later shipment, and she’s on her way out. Carly asks if everything is okay, and Josslyn says, yeah. Carly asks if Josslyn wants to join her for a milkshake; she’s buying. And Josslyn can tell her what’s really going on. Josslyn says, Cam lied to her, and she hates it.

On the phone in his office, Sonny tells Brick to get the information as soon as he can… No. He has a different assignment for their friend Dex, so he can prove to Sonny that he belongs in this business. He thanks Brick, and there’s a knock at the door. Sonny says, come in, and Frank brings in Dex. Dex says, Sonny’s got a job for him?

Sienna gets in Smoltz’s car, and says, that was a bust. He says, ya think? She’s obsessed with true crime. She says, at least she tried. So pay up. She holds out her hand, and he tells her, dream on. You succeed, you get paid. She says, he wants her to try again? and he says, the Gilmore girl is obviously on edge. The tiniest thing could push her over. They feel the car rock, and suddenly Sasha is at the driver’s window. Smoltz asks what she’s doing, and she says she was about to ask him the same question. And why the hell was Sienna setting her up?

TJ tells Curtis, bringing Oz out of the coma carries serious risks, and Curtis says, on a scale of one to ten, how dangerous is it? Portia comes by, and says, they’re looking serious. Curtis says, they were talking about Trina’s trial. How did everything go in court today? She says, it was one surprise after another, and Curtis says, good surprises, or bad ones?

Dante thanks Jordan for considering him for Operation Running Circles. He’s sorry he had to turn it down. Jordan says he explained his reasons. It’s all good. He says, it’s not, if saying no means he won’t be considered for future opportunities.

Smoltz gets out of the car, suggesting a new deal. He’ll drop the Harmony Miller angle if Sasha admits, for the record, to falling off the wagon. She asks why he won’t leave her alone, and he says, trainwrecks sell, especially beautiful ones. The public loves a fairytale, but what they love even more is a fairytale princess dragged down to earth. It makes them seem more human. She can get them behind her if she just pulls herself back together. Admitting there’s a problem is the first step. So when did she start using again? Was it after her kid died? Sienna says, okay, that’s enough, and Sasha asks, what’s wrong with him? She walks to the exit, and leans against the wall. Sienna says, he needs to back off, but Smoltz says, he just asked her a question. Sienna says, a highly insensitive question, when Sasha picks up the Valet Parking sign, and starts smashing Smoltz’s windshield.

Sonny says, when Dex came to him looking for work, he was eager to prove himself, and Dex asks if Sonny thinks that’s changed. Sonny says, he’s still a little eager, but a lot of guys talk a big game and can’t back it up. Dex has shown Sonny that he’s capable. Dex says he appreciates it, and Sonny says, keep it up, and there may be a place for Dex in his organization. Dex says he’d love that, and Sonny says he needs to see more of Dex; that’s what this next job is about. Completing it will result in greater trust between them, and he’ll give Dex more responsibility. Dex says, whatever it is, he’s in, and Sonny shows him a picture on his phone. He says he needs Dex to find this guy, and Dex asks, who is he? Another drug dealer like the photographer? Sonny says, his name’s Beckett Reed. He’s the manager of a theater; no criminal record Sonny knows of. Dex asks what he did to get on Sonny’s list.

Josslyn tells Carly, Diane surprised everyone, and called Spencer for the defense. And he testified he was with Trina when the video got released. Actually, he went a step further, and said he thought Esme was the one who recorded them. Carly says, Spencer finally saw the light? It’s about time. Josslyn says, that’s the thing. Apparently, Spencer saw the light this whole time. He was only pretending to support Esme, while he tried to find evidence that Esme set Trina up. Carly says, let her guess. That didn’t really work. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) it didn’t work; there are a thousand ways that could go wrong. But the point is, Spencer didn’t want to tell anyone because it could get back to Esme. Carly says, sure. He didn’t want Esme leaving town. Josslyn says, but he told Cam. Not at the very beginning, but close enough. Carly says, and Cam kept it from her, and Josslyn says she knew something was off. She asked Cam over and over if there was something wrong, something he wasn’t telling her, but he had an excuse every time, and it seemed reasonable. But she knew something was going on. Things were just different between them. Now she knows why.

Jordan asks what’s on Dante’s mind, and he says he’s just been thinking about next steps lately. He wants to grow in his job; move on to bigger roles in his department. She says she admires his ambition, and he says, even though it’s counterintuitive, considering he turned down the last assignment. He couldn’t do that to Rocco. He couldn’t leave Rocco again, and upend his life like that. So for the time being, he needs to focus on assignments closer to home. She says, and he’s worried it could derail his advancement? and he says, will it? They sit down, and she says she doesn’t see why. He’s speaking to a fellow single parent. She understands sacrifices and tough decisions you have to make. She respects his choice to stay local. He says, but she chose differently, and she says, in a completely different situation. Her decision to go undercover… There were men out there who were legitimately dangerous; who she knew putting away would result in a safer world for her son. Did she miss out on time with TJ? Yeah, a lot of it. They weathered some rough patches because of that. Dante says, it seems like he’s doing pretty good now, and she says, he’s thriving. They’re close again, and she’s so grateful, but if she could go back… she honestly doesn’t know what she’d choose.

Portia says, apparently, Spencer had an attack of conscience, because all of a sudden, Diane changed her strategy, and called Spencer as a witness. Curtis says, for the defense? and she says, yes. He asks, how’d that go? and she says, Spencer confessed he was with Trina at the time the video was sent out. TJ says, at Spring Ridge? and Curtis asks, why didn’t Trina say so? Portia says, he wasn’t at Spring Ridge. Apparently, he broke out to go visit his mother’s grave. Curtis says, let him get this straight. Trina ran into Spencer at the cemetery. Portia says, and Trina kept it quiet because she didn’t want to get Spencer in any trouble. TJ says, that was months ago. So Spencer committed a major infraction, gets away with it, then confesses to it in the courtroom? It sounds like he went out on a limb for Trina. Portia says she guesses, but she’s having a hard time believing Trina kept it a secret for months now. If she would have just said  something sooner… There’s no point in thinking about the what ifs. Curtis asks if Spencer’s testimony was a major blow to the prosecution, but Portia says, not really. The ADA poked holes all through the alibi. She really believes Trina is guilty, even though Spencer testified he believed Esme is the one who did it, as did Josslyn, as did Cameron. Can somebody please tell her how this girl isn’t being investigated? Curtis says, Jordan is trying to connect Esme to the bartender right now, and Portia asks, what’s the status with that? And what about the bartender? Is he any closer to waking up or what?

Sasha screams as she pummels Smoltz’s windshield, and he says, what is she doing? Sienna says she’s out of here, and jets. Brando shows up, and asks what Sasha is doing. He tells her to stop. She’s going to hurt herself. But it’s like she doesn’t even hear him. He finally gets the sign out of her hands, and tells her, stop, putting his arms around her. He says he’s not leaving her, and goes limp, crying.

Dante thanks Jordan for her understanding; it means a lot. She says, of course (🍷). Right now, the best thing is for him to be with his family. He says, having said that, Rocco is getting older, and he’s hoping to have some help at home soon. She says she’ll keep an eye out for assignments that won’t take him too far. How’s that? He says, sounds like a deal, and she says, if he ever needs to talk about his future, professional or otherwise, her door is always open. An officer tells Jordan that they just received a call about an altercation at the MetroCourt involving some high profile people. A unit is already on the way. Jordan asks, who’s involved? and the officer says, Sasha Gilmore from Deception and a local reporter. Jordan tells Dante, run point? and he says, let’s go for a ride, leaving with the officer.

Curtis tells Portia, the way he understands it, Oz’s doctors are in the process of bringing Oz out of a medically induced coma as they speak, but it could take a while before he wakes up. She says, they don’t have a while; the jury deliberation starts tomorrow. If her baby girl has to spend one second in prison, a conviction is going to be set in place. There’s no guarantee it’s going to be overturned by an appeal. They’ll be at the mercy of whatever judge happens to be assigned to that case. Curtis says, she’s right. The best thing hands down for Trina is that bartender testifying before the jury makes a verdict. She says, so their best hope is lying in a coma, and their next alternative is wrangling the truth out of that conniving little snake Esme. There has to be some other way. Something they haven’t thought of; something they haven’t explored, right? She looks at Curtis, then TJ, and says, obviously something is going on here, and she really doesn’t have the patience or energy to guess. Tell her what it is.

Josslyn tells Carly, it’s not just that Cam lied. It bothers her of course (🍷), but if their positions were reversed, she can see a situation where she would keep Trina’s confidence. Carly says, right, but that’s not what happened, and Josslyn says, what Spencer did, going rogue, and trying to bring Esme down by himself, and making Trina think he’s turned against her is immature. And the fact Cam went along with it is childish. They’re not playing a video game here; this is Trina’s entire life. And Spencer knew it was Esme the entire time and stayed silent? It’s dumb. Carly says, it’s not the smartest way to go about it, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know why she’s surprised. Spencer has always had to be the star of his own drama. He’s been like that since they were kids. Carly says, he’s grown up a bit since, but Josslyn says, not enough. Spencer’s big plan never had a chance of succeeding. She’s shocked Cameron couldn’t see that. He’s known Spencer as long as she has. Is he really that clueless? Carly says, Josslyn is going to have to be real intentional about her own feelings. She knows herself. She trusts her instincts, and knew something was off with Cameron and she was right. Josslyn says, like Carly knew something was off with Sonny.

Dex says, this guy must have done something to get on Sonny’s bad side if he’s siccing Dex on him, and Sonny says, he’s a jury foreman on a trial he’s interested in. Dex needs to have a conversation with him; let him know the outcome Sonny wants, which is Trina Robinson goes free. He doesn’t care what the jury thinks. He doesn’t care if it’s a hung jury. He doesn’t want Trina going to prison. He hands Dex a folder, and says, Beckett has family members with health issues. Maybe he needs a hand in medical bills. Dex says he’ll make it clear what Beckett stands to gain by cooperating. If he refuses? Sonny says, then Dex makes it clear what he stands to lose. Dex wonders if he can ask why, and Sonny says, why what? Dex says he read about the trial. He knows what Trina Robinson is accused of involves Josslyn. Sonny and Josslyn are obviously not on the best terms. Sonny says, part of doing this job is not asking questions, and Dex says he gets that; need to know basis. However, he’s of the opinion, trust goes both ways. Sonny says, Dex can ask, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to answer, and Dex says he accepts that. He starts to leave, and Sonny says, Trina’s innocent. She was set up. She’s a good girl. He knows she didn’t commit this crime. Dex says, so Sonny is attempting to right a wrong, and Sonny says, let him know when it’s done.

Smoltz says, my oh my. He was just trying to confirm Sasha was high when she ran down Harmony Miller, but being the Face of Deception’s latest victim is so much better. He simply can’t wait to publish the heck out of this story. We hear sirens, and Brando says, stop talking, or those will be the last words Smoltz ever speaks. Dante comes on the scene, and asks if someone wants to tell him what the hell is going on here.

Portia leads Curtis and TJ into her office, and says, spill. What tricks do they have up their sleeves? TJ says, not tricks, and Curtis says, an option. TJ says, a potentially dangerous option, and Curtis says, but if it’s Trina’s only hope, he thinks it’s worth pursuing. Portia asks, what is it? and Curtis says, Trina needs her right now. Portia should focus on her, and let him and TJ take care of the rest. She says, now he’s really making her nervous. He can’t leave her like that. He has to tell her what’s happening here. Please tell her. Curtis says, TJ brought it to his attention that they can wake Oz up. TJ says, they’re warming him up, and weening him off the drugs that are keeping him in an induced coma. When that finishes, he still has to come to on his own. Portia says, and that could take some time, and TJ says, by that time, it might be too late for Trina. They can speed up the process by giving him a large dose of flumazenil and some other medical thing to quickly reverse the effect of the drugs he’s on. Curtis says, once he wakes up, they can get him to give them the evidence they need to exonerate Trina. She asks if they’ve completely lost their minds. That man was put into a coma for a reason. To forcibly wake him up would be completely denying his medical needs. No. That’s the very definition of unethical. She’s surprised TJ would even think about this, and Curtis says, TJ warned him that this would be drastic, but he said they should do it anyway. She knows he’s right. If there’s ever been a time for drastic measures… She says, this is insane; he doesn’t understand. Curtis says, he spoke with Jordan, and apparently Spencer told Britt Westbourne that he saw the exact same drug that the bartender OD’d on in Esme’s things. She says, whoa, what? and Curtis says he believes Esme drugged Trina at the cabin. That’s why that one drink hit her so hard. Portia says she’s going to kill that girl, she swears, and Curtis says, just know that Esme is dangerous. She’s been planning this for months, and hid evidence so Trina would take the fall, but Oz’s testimony could change all of that. They just need him to wake up. TJ says he can give Oz the reversal drugs… but Portia says, he’ll do no such thing, and Curtis says, what other choice do they have?

Sasha is now huddled on the ground, and Brando tells Dante, he just got here at the end. He can’t tell Dante how it all started. Dante says he’ll come back, and approaches Smoltz, who says, he can’t wait to sue that woman for everything she’s worth. Dante says, why doesn’t Smoltz tell him his side of the story, and Smoltz says, there’s only one side. She’s insane. She attacked his car with a pole. Dante says, out of the blue, unprovoked? and Smoltz says, yes. He was minding his own business. He didn’t even know she was here. If Dante doesn’t believe him, he has dashcam, recorded the whole thing. By the way, he’s pressing charges if that wasn’t abundantly obvious. Dante says, of course (🍷) he is, and tells Smoltz to take a look at Sasha. Obviously there’s something real going on, something painful. Does Smoltz really want to be that guy? Smoltz says, what guy? and Dante says, the kind of guy who kicks a woman when she’s down. Smoltz says, last he checked, destroying property is a crime. Does Dante want to be that cop who lets dangerous criminals go free? Dante says, that’s what he thought; that’s a yes then. Brando asks if Sasha thinks she can give Dante her statement, but she shakes her head. He says, it’s okay; no rush. Don’t worry. He’s going to get her some help. Dante asks how it’s going, and Brando gets up and says, Sasha is spent. Does Dante mind if they come by the station tomorrow to give her statement? Dante says he can’t do that, and Brando says, obviously she’s in no condition to speak. He just needs to get her home. Dante says he would if he could, but this guy’s pressing charges. He’d love to let her go, but he can’t.

Dex sees a guy sitting outside Kelly’s, and says, Beckett Reed? Beckett asks if he knows Dex, and Dex says, not yet, but they’ve got a lot to talk about, namely the Trina Robinson trial. Beckett says he’s not allowed to discuss that, and gets up, but Dex says, trust him. Beckett is going to want to hear what he has to say.

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s not saying the situations are at all alike. The Sonny thing is another level. Carly says, Josslyn’s right though. She knew something was off with Sonny, that something was wrong with them, and she didn’t trust her gut. Josslyn says she hates Sonny for what he did to Carly, but Carly says she doesn’t want to get into it. Josslyn asks how she can stay so calm. Just saying his name makes her blood boil. Carly says, because she’s all right. What happened in that courtroom… and she doesn’t mean when Sonny testified, although that drove her crazy, but it’s really about what happened after. Sonny sided with Nina after Scotty had been so unfair to Michael. That cinched it for her. Sonny is Donna’s father and that’s it. He has no bearing on any other part of her life. Josslyn says she wishes she could turn off her anger and resentment, and Carly says, she can. She’s just coming off her freshman year with a 4.0 and a starting spot on the volleyball team. Josslyn has so much going for her; so much ahead of her. Don’t waste her energy leading the charge against Sonny. Besides, Michael’s got that covered. Josslyn says, but Carly stood by Sonny for decades. Carly gave him everything, and he threw that away. Carly says, it hurt, but staying mad and wanting revenge and wanting to see Sonny fall, all that energy could be spent in other places, and on other people. Josslyn says, so she’s just going to let it go? and Carly says she’s just gonna let it go. Josslyn should too. Not because it’s good for Sonny; it’s good for Josslyn.

Dex says, so Beckett understands why it’s important that he do as Dex’s boss asks? Beckett says he does, and Dex says, and what is it? He just wants to make sure Beckett’s memory is on point. Beckett tells him, say Trina Robinson isn’t guilty, and Dex says, good job. Josslyn walks out, and asks what Dex is doing here. She says she recognizes Beckett; he’s on Trina’s jury.

Brando walks into the station with a handcuffed Sasha, and tells her, do not say anything. He asks if Dante can’t see she needs help, and Dante says he promises that’s what he’s trying to get for her. Jordan asks if there’s a problem here, and Brando says, yeah, his wife shouldn’t be here. Dante says, Sasha needs to sit down, and brings her to the interrogation room to rest. Brando starts to follow, but Jordan says, hold up. Tell her what’s going on. Dante tells Sasha to have a seat, and says, she needs to get a lawyer. She just stares into space, and he says he’s going to help her… countersue Smoltz or something. She says she couldn’t stand it anymore… She’s so tired. Dante tells her, sit tight. He’ll be right back. He walks out, and Brando is telling Jordan, please. This is not like Sasha. That dirtbag must have said or done something to make her snap. Jordan asks Dante, any input? and he says, Smoltz has dashcam footage. He’s got Sasha taking a pole and smashing his car; he’s going to press charges. Brando insists she had to have been provoked, but Dante says, even so, if she was… Jordan says, they have to book her, and Brando says, is Jordan kidding? Has she seen Sasha? Sasha can make bail; it’s not a problem. Jordan says, court’s closed. She’s sorry, but Sasha is going to have to stay until her arraignment tomorrow. Brando says, they can’t hold her. He’s telling Jordan, she won’t make it.

Beckett says, he can’t be seen with anyone connected to the case, and exits stage left. Dex says he doesn’t know what Josslyn heard… and she says, who is he? What’s his name? He knows hers; what’s his? He says, Dex Heller, and she says, she didn’t just record that, so he doesn’t have to pitch her some sob story… but he says, it wasn’t just some sob story; it was the truth. She says, that he didn’t have a choice but to follow Sonny’s orders? She believed it the other night in the alley, but not so much anymore. She despises Sonny, but doesn’t believe for one second if Dex went to him and said he wanted to quit, Sonny wouldn’t let him go. He says, no offense, but she’s Sonny’s ex-stepdaughter. That gives her privileges she doesn’t realize she has. She says, they’re not doing this. This isn’t about her; this is about him here. He’s talking to someone from Trina’s jury. Does he think it’s a coincidence? Did Sonny send him? He says, sorry. He’s got nothing. She says, shocker. She’s out of here. She goes back inside Kelly’s.

Josslyn sits down, and Carly says she thought Josslyn left. Josslyn says, Carly will never guess what she just witnessed outside.

Sonny’s phone rings, and he asks Brando, what’s up? Brando says, Sasha’s been arrested, and Sonny asks, what happened? Brando asks if he remembers Smoltz, and Sonny says, yeah. Brando says, he must have done something to set Sasha off, because she trashed his car. Sonny says, how is she? and Brando says, she’s in pretty bad mental shape, but he’s pressing charges, so they’re holding her here overnight. She can’t stay here; not in the state she’s in. Sonny says, he’ll call Diane, and they’ll prove Sasha was acting in self-defense, but Brando says, there’s dashcam footage. Sasha approached Smoltz, not the other way around. Is there another way they can get her out of here? Sonny says, not in the conventional sense, if Brando knows what he means. Brando says he doesn’t know how to help his wife, and Sonny says he’s on his way. It’ll take him ten minutes. Brando says he doesn’t want to upset Sasha any more. There’s nothing Sonny can do anyway. Sonny says, Brando needs support, and Brando says he appreciates it, but he’ll keep Sonny posted. Sonny says, whatever he needs, and Brando says he knows and thanks him. I gotta say it. First of all, Sasha would be able to request to go to the psyche ward at the hospital rather than jail. I also doubt the PCPD would be risking a lawsuit keeping her there when she’s obviously having mental issues, especially in today’s climate.

Portia says, the risks of waking this guy up to soon are cognitive impairment… death, and Curtis says, he can also survive it. Portia says, yes, he could. His heart could be beating, but who’s to say he’ll be able to speak? And if he can speak, what if he can’t tell them want they want to hear? Curtis says, and if he does? and Portia says, then TJ will be violating his oath. He’ll be putting his whole medical career in danger when it’s barely begun. Not to mention the legal ramifications if he gets caught. TJ says he won’t get caught, but she says he doesn’t know that. This is too big of a gamble. She won’t let them do this. There’s no way. She can’t. Curtis says he doesn’t think she understands, but she says, no one wants Trina exonerated more than she does, but for TJ to lose his medical license? It’s not worth it. TJ needs to promise her, just leave it alone. TJ says, okay, he promises, when his phone dings, and he says, it’s about a patient; he has to go. Portia says, the fact he was willing to risk everything for her baby girl, she’ll never forget it. TJ leaves, and Curtis says, there’s a million things that could go wrong. She says, a million and one, and he says, how else are they supposed to help Trina? She says she thinks there’s another way, and he says, if there is, he doesn’t see it. Aside from Esme, Oz Haggerty is the only person who can prove Trina’s innocence. They need Oz awake, and there’s a way to do it. Frankly, he’s surprised she’s shutting this down so quickly. She asks if it’s really that hard to believe she wouldn’t let another doctor go to jail with, or in place of, her daughter? He says, but she’d let herself. And that’s exactly what she’s going to do, isn’t it? Ha! I knew it.

Josslyn tells Carly, she swears she heard the jury guy say Trina’s name. Did she just see what she thinks she saw? Carly says, someone who works for Sonny trying to influence a juror? That sounds about right. Josslyn says, Sonny’s trying to help Trina? and Carly tells her, don’t seem so surprised about that. Sonny has known Trina a long time, and she’s really close with Ava. Josslyn says, but to do it like this?… But it’s Sonny. He just does what he wants when he wants; to hell with anyone else. Carly says, she can look at it like that, and Josslyn asks, how else is there to look at it? It’s not right. Carly says, it’s not right for Trina to go to prison for a crime she didn’t commit either.

There’s a knock at Sonny’s office door, and he says, come in. Frank walks in, and Sonny says, is it done?

Curtis says, Portia doesn’t want TJ to risk his career, but she’s willing to risk hers. She’s going to wake Oz herself, isn’t she? She says, please don’t ask her any more questions, and he says, is she? She says, yes, but without him and without TJ. It’s her turn to shield Curtis. He has Marshall, Stella, and TJ to thinks about. He says he has her to think about as well. All those million and one things that could go wrong, and she wants to do this alone? It’s like she’s asking to get caught. She says, so she gets caught. She’s Trina’s mother. She signed up for this the second Trina was born. She cries a little, and says, and if there are consequences, she’ll face them. As long as her baby girl is happy and safe, but this is her job, not his, understand? It’s no one else’s. He takes her hands.

Brando tells Jordan, Sasha is not a criminal, and Dante says, they know that. Brando says, hear him out. This is a mental health issue. They can see the state she’s in. Sasha is led to booking, and Brando says he’s sure the dashcam footage shows it too. She’s fingerprinted, and he says, Sasha’s not in her right state of mind. She needs help from professionals – Sasha is patted down – and as long as she stays in there, this is traumatizing for her. He’ll make sure she comes back to do whatever they need her to do, but she needs to come home. Sasha’s mugshot is taken, and Brando tells them, if she doesn’t, he’s scared she won’t recover. Please.

Sonny says he’s glad Frank said something, and Dex comes in. Sonny asks, how’d it go? and Dex hesitates, but Sonny says, he can talk in front of Frank. Dex says he met with Beckett, and got the point across, but he can’t say for sure Beckett will comply. Sonny asks, how come? and Dex says, Josslyn interrupted them, and Beckett took the opportunity to take off. Sonny says, but Dex delivered the message, right? and Dex says, nothing to do but wait and see. Sonny thanks him for the update, and tells him to take the rest of the night off. Close the door. Dex leaves, closing the door behind him, and Sonny says, lines up with what Frank told him. Frank says he had eyes on Dex the whole time. He didn’t leave anything out.

in the restaurant, Dex takes a huge chance, and calls Michael. he says, he’s leaving Sonny’s office. They need to meet. He wants to renegotiate their deal.

Josslyn says, Sonny is doing something she doesn’t agree with; that on the outside is wrong, and Carly says, true. Josslyn says, but he’s doing it for someone she loves, and Carly says, also true. Josslyn says, and Trina is innocent, so maybe on some level it’s right? Carly tells her, life is mostly shades of grey, and Josslyn says she still hates Sonny for what he did to Carly. Carly says, her too, and Josslyn says she refuses to owe him anything. Carly says, her too, and Josslyn says, ever. Carly says, okay. What’s Josslyn going to do about what she saw. Josslyn says she doesn’t think there’s anything she can do.

Jordan says she hears Brando, but he says he doesn’t think she does. She says she really wishes they could do this another way, but Sasha broke the law. The victim is pressing charges. There’s no getting around that. Dante says, listen to him. They’re going to hold her overnight. He promises they’ll look after her. They’ll get her a psyche evaluation in the morning. Brando says, she can’t stay here overnight, but Dante says, she has to. Sasha comes out, and Brando tells her that he promises he’ll get her out of here. He’ll be there when the sun comes up to get her out of here. He loves her so much. As she’s led away, he says, they’re going to get her through this. It’s going to be okay. Again, they could take her to the ER to be put in the psyche ward, and no one has even suggested it. Arrgh. It annoys me when they ignore an obvious protocol. I’ve given up on the hospital.

Curtis says, it’s absolutely amazing the way Portia loves her daughter. He’s never seen anything more fierce, and beautiful. He touches her face, and she says she hopes that means he won’t stand in her way. He says, no, but he’s not trying to let her go at it alone. She says she can’t let him do this, but he says she’s not; he’s offering. Better yet, he’s insisting. He loves her and Trina. This is their family, and he wants to defend it. They’re going to do this together. She asks how she can say no to that, and he says he doesn’t think she can. He puts his arms around her, and they cling to each other.

Tomorrow, Gregory says, Alexis came out on top in their little wager; Martin says he can only think of one other way to keep Sasha out of prison; Maxie asks Lucy if she’s talking about pushing Sasha out; and Britt asks if there’s any way Cody will take no for an answer.

🚕 Screeching To a Halt…

It’s been a day, and night, so I’m making the executive decision to postpone the Charm until tomorrow, in order to edit properly. I’m sure it will be worth the wait, and besides, what else do you have to do on a Friday night besides reading about exes who can’t quit one another in Charleston? I know, to quote Portia, a million and one things, but come by anyway for soap, the promised Charm, tea, wisdom, and music. Until then, stay safe, stay being kind to yourself, and stay spending your energy in other places and on other people, not on staying mad and wanting revenge. Because life is mostly shades of grey.

August 3, 2022 – Ava Asks Sonny For a Favor, LisaR Has a Wine Tasting, a Thought, Better Than the Owners & High School

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina sees Sasha come into the MetroCourt Garden, and asks how she is. Sasha says she’s good. She feels like wearing a sign around her neck that says she’s okay. She’s sorry. Nina is the last person she wanted to snap at, but Nina says, no need to apologize. Enough people ask, how are you? and you want to slap them. Sasha says she doesn’t want to keep Nina, and asks if she’s waiting for someone, but Nina says she’s getting a feel for the place, since she owns half of the MetroCourt now. Sasha says, sorry, she forgot, but Nina says, it’s understandable. Sasha has other things on her mind. Besides, Nina can hardly believe it herself. Sasha asks if it’s good or bad disbelief, and Nina says, it’s going to be a challenge. She has no experience running a hotel, and it’s not like her partner is welcoming her with open arms. But the more she wraps her brain around it, the more certain she is that it was a good call to keep the hotel. Sasha says, in that case, would Nina show her to her table? and Nina says, this way madame. She seats Sasha, and says she’s glad Sasha feels up to going out. Where’s Brando?

Brando goes to Sonny’s office at Pozzulo’s, and Sonny says, Sasha? Brando asks how Sonny can tell, and Sonny says, the look on Brando’s face. What happened? Brando says, Sasha’s ghosting him. She’s not at home, and she turned her phone off. Sonny asks why Brando is here, and not with her, and Brando says, because tracking Sasha down might be the worst thing he can do right now.

Josslyn walks into Kelly’s, and Cameron asks if she didn’t get his texts and calls earlier. What happened at Trina’s trial? She says, Trina testified and she was great. Spencer was arrested. He says, again? What is he arrested for now? She says, he testified he was with Trina when the video got posted. Cameron says, he testified as a witness? and she says, yeah. He came forward at the last minute, and convinced Diane that he could give Trina an alibi. Cameron says, so he was at Spring Ridge with Trina? Why didn’t he say anything before? She says, they weren’t at Spring Ridge. Spencer snuck out. He visited his mom’s grave. It was the anniversary of her death, and he ran into Trina there. Cameron wonders why Trina didn’t say anything, and Josslyn says, she was protecting Spencer. Trina finally told her before the trial started. Trina promised if things got desperate, she’d name Spencer as her alibi, but she didn’t have to; Spencer came forward on his own. He says, at least he stepped up for Trina. Wow. She says, yeah, wow. He did a total 180. He told the whole court Esme was the one who recorded them and sent the video to the whole school, so why isn’t Cameron more surprised? He says, Spencer knew Trina was innocent all along, and goes in the back. She says, what?

Trina and Rory go to the pool, and Trina thanks him, saying, this was a great idea. He says he figured after what happened in court today, she needed to clear her head, and she says, explain to her why Spencer went back on that stand, and said he escaped from Spring Ridge. He says, to help her, but she says, it doesn’t make any sense after everything he said to her.

At the station, Jordan tells the officer to uncuff Spencer; she’ll take from here. She says, he knew when he gave Trina an alibi, he’d be admitting he escaped from prison. Why? He says, throw enough reasonable doubt at the jury, and they just might acquit her, and she says, if Trina is acquitted or not, he’s most likely going back to prison.

Nikolas tells Ava, he put the sitting room back in order. There’s no sign she and Esme had a fight. She says, he’s positive there’s no sign of Esme where she fell from the parapet, and he says he scoured shoreline, and that’s the only thing – he indicates Esme’s shoe – that washed up. She asks if he thinks Esme’s dead, but he says he doesn’t know. They should move forward as if she is. He’s already started laying the groundwork for their cover story. She asks if he spoke with the staff, and he says, he talked to one of the maids. He asked if Esme had left yet, and she said she hadn’t seen Esme. They have to make sure everyone believes Esme took off after their argument. Ava says, she took off all right, straight over the parapet. He reaches for her, but she says, don’t. She told him; he’s touched her for the last time. He says he knows she’s angry, and she says, he just doesn’t get it. She’s better off on her own than with the man who betrayed her.

Brando tells Sonny, he and Sasha had a fight. He said something cruel to her; something he didn’t even mean. Sonny says, that’s what happens when two people who love each other get in a fight. Did she storm out, and he didn’t get to say he’s sorry? Brando says he apologized, but since the fight was about him trying to control her, he thought it was a bad idea to follow her. Now he wishes he had. Sonny says, because she’s ignoring his calls. The last thing she said to him after the fight was that she needed space. Sonny tells him, do himself a favor, and give her some space, and Brando says, why? So he can let her know he’s not a controlling jerk after all? Sonny says, he’s not a controlling jerk. Sasha had a relapse. Brando is there for her, and he’s understanding what she’s going through. Brando says, he means as a recovering addict. Whenever he and Sasha are apart, he has nightmares of her buying more drugs. Sonny says, Brando can’t keep living this way. It’s not good for him or Sasha. Brando says, which is why he needs a favor. Can Sonny spare a guy to look after her? Sonny says, Sasha’s not going to like a bodyguard, but Brando says, she doesn’t need to know. Sonny wonders if Brando is asking him to help spy on his wife.

Cameron says he’s been wanting to tell Josslyn for months. Spencer was only pretending to believe Esme, so she would slip up and provide evidence that it was her who filmed the video, not Trina. Josslyn says, all this time, Spencer’s been playing Esme? and Cameron says, once Trina was arrested, Spencer knew she wasn’t capable of something so evil, and that it had to have been Esme who framed her. Also that Esme would do a very good job at covering her tracks so nothing led back to her. She says, so Spencer was only pretending to support Esme, because he was really convincing. He says, think about it. If Esme got the slightest bit suspicious, she would have left town, and they’d have no evidence it was actually her who was responsible. No one could know. She says, no one except him, and he says, Spencer came over one night. He and Trina had just gotten in a big fight. He wasn’t cutting Spencer any slack, and forced Spencer to tell him. He wanted to tell her so badly, but Spencer made him promise. She says she doesn’t care what Spencer made him promise. She’s his girlfriend, and she has a right to know.

Sasha tells Nina, Brando isn’t joining her. They need a break from each other. Nina asks if something happened. Did they have a fight? They’re practically still newlyweds, so she doesn’t think they should be needing a break so soon. Sasha says, they’re not getting a divorce. She just came here to get a drink. It’s not healthy for a couple to spend all their time together. Nina says she agrees with that 100%, but Sasha knows her. Why be cool, calm, and collected when she can overreact? Sasha laughs, and says she knows it’s coming from a place of care. Nina asks if Sasha wants her drink with company or without, and Sasha says, normally, she’d love to have a drink with Nina, but she’s meeting someone. She knows Nina is dying to ask, but Nina insists she doesn’t care. Sasha says, that’s okay. She’s meeting Sienna Colby, the makeup artist. Nina says, they use her occasionally at some Crimson photo shoots, but she doesn’t know know Sienna. Why doesn’t she keep Sasha company until Sienna shows up?

Smoltz meets Sienna outside Kelly’s, and she says, finally. They have to hurry; Sasha’s already at the MetroCourt. Smoltz says, relax. If this girl thinks Sienna is bringing her drugs, she’ll wait. Are the clear on how this needs to work?

Rory asks if Trina talked to Spencer after he left court, and she says, yeah. She wanted to apologize for going off on him earlier. Then Jordan came and arrested him. She gets quiet, and he says, what? She says, before Spencer got arrested, he told her that he should have said something from the start. She thinks he meant to say he never believed she was guilty… but he still stayed with Esme, so that doesn’t make any sense. Sorry. She shouldn’t be talking about this. He says, why not? Cassadine’s testimony was a big deal, and she’s still processing. She says she doesn’t know how to feel about Spencer yet. She means she doesn’t know how to feel about what Spencer did, and what Rory did too. He asks if she means what he said on the stand, but she says, no. Her… and him… He says, what about them? and she says, they kissed.

Nikolas says, Esme could be dead, and Ava was fighting with her when she fell from the parapet. Ava can’t bear the brunt of this on her own. She needs his help. Ava says, she didn’t push her. They were fighting over the letter. Esme yanked it out of her hand, and it was her own momentum that forced her over. He says, he believes her, but they already went over this. Everyone knows about her hatred for Esme, and she didn’t call 9-1-1. She says, because he told her not to, and he says, because it was the right thing to do. He’s just pointing out, they have to live with that decision. She tells him, stop saying we. There is no we. The we is done. He had sex with Esme. That was vile enough, but then he lied to her face for weeks. He kept her at arm’s length, then he had sex with her after being with Esme; that’s disgusting. She’ll never forgive him. She starts to leave, but he says, if she walks out of Windymere on the heels of Esme’s disappearance, everyone is going to wonder why. What is she going to tell them? That he slept with his son’s girlfriend, and she found it unforgivable? If that’s not motive for murder, he doesn’t know what is, especially since the staff heard her fighting with Esme loudly enough to call and tell him. If Esme’s body washes up on the shoreline, Ava is going be the PCPD’s one and only suspect. His phone rings, and he says, speak of the devil; it’s the PCPD. He answers, and Spencer says he’s been arrested. He’s being charged with escaping Spring Ridge. Will Nikolas help? Nikolas says, he’ll be right there. Ava says, who’s been arrested? Is it about Esme? Nikolas says, Spencer’s at PCPD, and she asks, why? What happened? He says, Spencer testified on Trina’s behalf in court. Apparently, he saw Trina at the cemetery when he visited Courtney’s grave on the anniversary of her death, and Trina was there when she supposedly posted the sex tape. He gave her an alibi. She says, Spencer did that for Trina? and Nikolas says, and he’s been arrested thanks to his good deed. He’ll return as soon as he can. She says, don’t rush. She’s not going to be here when he gets back.

Josslyn says she told Trina that Cameron had been acting weird, and making up all kinds of excuses. He was lying to her. He says, she’s the one who knew Spencer was Trina’s alibi since the video was posted, but she says she that found out just before the trial started. He’s been actively lying to her for weeks… months. They’re supposed to trust each other; that means no secrets, especially when it’s about something like this. This isn’t who hooked up at a party or got drunk. This could potentially affect the rest of Trina’s life. He says he told her, he wanted to say something, but this was important to prove Trina’s innocence. She says, but he didn’t. Spencer still has no solid evidence proving Esme made that video, and what on earth made Spencer think a snake like Esme would ever admit the truth? He says, Spencer had incentive. There was a plan. If Esme exonerated Trina, Spencer would tell Esme who her birth mother is. She says, what? and he says, Spencer was bluffing. She says, he needs to tell her everything from the beginning.

Nikolas says, Ava’s not thinking straight. He’s sorry he slept with Esme, and he’ll apologize for the rest of his life, but right now, she has to set aside her anger and let him help her. She says, any man stupid enough, weak enough to have sex with his son’s manipulative girlfriend is a liability, not an asset. He says she can be as hurt as she want, but she says she doesn’t want to be hurt. She didn’t choose for him to be unfaithful. He tells her, he’s just saying, she can’t afford to focus on the infidelity; they have bigger priorities right now. They can’t let anyone ever find out what happened to Esme. She says she can take care of herself. It’s not exactly her first rodeo. He says, don’t do anything rash. They’ll talk when he gets back. She says, fine; go.

Jordan brings Spencer to the interrogation room, and he says, she’s not taking him to a cell? She says she’s not completely cold-hearted. She’s aware of the sacrifice he made to help Trina. He sits, and she says, so let’s hear the full story… unless he wants to wait for his lawyer. He says, it’s okay, and she sits opposite him. She asks how he escaped Spring Ridge, and he says, it’s a minimum security prison; he just did. She asks why he felt compelled to escape, and he says, it was the anniversary of his mother’s death. Even when he was away at boarding school, he made sure flowers were left on her grave, and this was the first year he wasn’t going to be able to do that. It drove him crazy, and he was growing desperate. She says, and that’s where he saw Trina, and he says, she was there for research on a school paper. He convinced her not to turn him in, and promised he was going right back to Spring Ridge – which he did. She says, so he got away with his little adventure. Why confess now? He says, for Trina.

Trina says she shouldn’t be talking about another guy with Rory, and he says she can if she wants to; he can take it. She says she gets it. If the jury finds her guilty, she’ll have to go to prison. You can’t do much dating behind a glass window, especially if one of you is a felon and the other’s a cop. He says she has to help him out here. He has no idea what she’s talking about. She says she’s reading all of his signals loud and clear. She’s too complicated, and they should just be friends.

Sienna tells Smoltz, if she said she was clear on what she had to do, would he believe her? He says, it never hurts to go over it one more time. Call him before she meets Sasha. Then slip the phone into her purse so he can hear the whole conversation. She says, Sasha talking about the night Harmony Miller died, and he says, best case scenario, they get the Face of Deception to admit she was high when she hit Harmony with her car. Or, better to get Sasha to buy pills off her, or at the very least, get her to admit she’s been using drugs. Sienna says, he’ll keep her name out of it? and he says, of course (🍷). She’s his anonymous source, and she’ll get 500 bucks for her trouble. She says, he really has it in for Sasha, and he says, it’s not personal; just business. Sasha Gilmore is clickbait. Sienna says, she’s not that famous, and he says, not yet, but soon, she’ll be infamous.

Brando says, he’s not asking Sonny to spy on Sasha, but Sonny says, Brando wants one of his guys following his wife without her knowing. What does he call that? He laughs, and Brando says, when Sonny puts it like that, it does sound bad, but Sonny says, stop worrying. He’s not saying no… Brando says, Sonny was right; it’s a bad idea. The last thing he wants to be is that guy. Sonny tells Brando to give himself a break. Sometimes when you’re watching somebody you love suffer, you do crazy things. Brando says, he’s not making it better by smothering Sasha, but Sonny says, Brando’s got great instincts. If he thinks something is going on with Sasha, there probably is. What does he think? Brando asks if Sonny thinks he should go look for her, and Sonny says, sometimes when people are in a bad way, they don’t want to ask for help. If that’s what’s going on with Sasha, what does Brando’s gut tell him? Brando thinks for a moment, and says, that Sonny is right. He has to go find her. He dashes out the door.

Sasha tells Nina, Brando doesn’t trust her. He watches her every move to make sure she doesn’t do something crazy, but Brando’s the one making her crazy. Nina says, being under the microscope is no fun… Sasha says, but? and Nina says, Brando was on the set of Home & Heart when Sasha thought Liam was in the baby carrier. He brought her to GH to put her on that 72 hour psychological watch. So he’s a little worried about her. Sasha says she knows she’s put him through a lot, but Nina says, it’s not her fault. Sasha says, it is. She thought going back to work would help her stop grieving for Liam, but she took on too much too soon, and it totally backfired. She promises to be more careful going forward.

Sienna puts the phone in her bag, and walks into the restaurant. Nina says she just wants to remind Sasha that she can talk to her about anything. Sienna comes over to the table, says hi to Sasha, and tells Nina, what a surprise. Sasha asks how Sienna has been, and Sienna says, good; crazy busy. Will Nina be joining them? Nina says, no. She was just keeping Sasha company until Sienna arrived. She gets up, and tells them, have a nice dinner. She leaves, and Sienna sits down, saying, sorry she’s late; traffic was a nightmare. She’s so glad they’re doing this. Sasha says she was surprised when she got Sienna’s text, and Sienna says, she’s been meaning to reach out, and see if Sasha needed anything. Smoltz listens in from his car, and Sasha says she’s glad Sienna suggested this. She feels like having fun tonight. Sienna says she totally gets it. Sasha should head for the bathroom first, and she’ll follow. Smoltz says, good, good, good.

Jordan hands Spencer’s arrest report to an officer, and tells him to send it to the DA’s office. Nikolas comes in with Martin, and asks, where’s his son? Jordan says she assumes Nikolas wants to speak to him, and Nikolas says, alone, if possible… Please. She says, Spencer’s in the interrogation room. He’s got 15 minutes. Nikolas thanks her, and goes in. Martin tells Jordan, as she knows, his client was a model prisoner at Spring Ridge; fully served out his sentence. She says, and skipped incarceration without notifying the authorities. Save your breath, counselor.

Nikolas says, when he saw Spencer testifying for Trina, he had a feeling this would happen. Spencer says, it will be worth it if Trina’s found not guilty, but Nikolas says he’s afraid that’s not a sure thing. Spencer says, which is why he needs Nikolas to do something for him. Make sure Esme does not leave town.

There’s a knock at Sonny’s office door. I guess today is the day he gives out favors. Ava comes in, and he asks what she’s doing here. She says she needs his help.

Martin says he takes it by Jordan’s refusal to listen to him, that she opposes leniency for a young man who was merely trying to honor the memory of his dead mother? She says she’s not the person he needs to convince. He needs to go before a judge. He says, by all means. What does she say they process Spencer ASAP, so they get him on that night court docket? He’s sure his client would love to get out of here as soon as possible, and to be clear, they’re hardly talking about a dangerous felon or a menace to society. He’s simply an impulsive young man who made a bad decision.

Nikolas wonders why Esme suddenly matters to Spencer now. If he knows she made the sex tape, how could he possibly still have feelings for her? Spencer says, the only feelings he has for Esme are anger and contempt, but as long as Esme’s in town, there’s a chance she can exonerate Trina. Nikolas says he doesn’t see that happening, and Spencer says he’s been looking for evidence to link Esme to that video, but so far, he’s come up empty. Nikolas says, Esme is too savvy to slip up, and Spencer says, yeah, so he came up with another idea; to offer Esme a deal.

Rory says, Trina thinks he only wants to be friends. Where did that come from? She says, to start, he’s not bothered by her talking about another guy. Then there’s a good chance she might be found guilty and sent to prison, which means a bad chance of them getting any closer, and Rory just has to be practical. At this point, it makes sense that they’re friends. And not even that if it’s awkward. He says, awkward for who? and she says, it’s okay. Her feelings aren’t hurt. He says he’s sorry to hear that because he’s totally into her. She says, he is? Then why is he letting her run her mouth about Spencer? Shouldn’t he be jealous? He says, if Spencer Cassadine fell into a hole never to be seen again, he wouldn’t shed a tear. But obviously something is bothering her, and he wants to help. If it means talking about Spencer’s testimony and wondering why he came forward, Rory was willing to bite his tongue until it bled and listen. That’s what he gets for being a nice guy. She says, he’s not trying; he is.

Sienna gets the pills out of her bag, but Sasha says, actually, she’s good. She’s hungry. Does Sienna want to order something? Sienna suggests they start with cocktails, and go from there, and Sasha says, sounds good. Anything particular in mind? She can choose. Sienna says, by the way, Sasha looks great. She was worried about Sasha after Home & Heart. Sasha says, thanks. She’s doing a lot better. Sienna says she’s overindulged a few times herself when the stress got to her, and Sasha says, but not on national TV. Sienna says, true, and Sasha asks if she’s done any exotic shoots lately. Sienna says, she was in Venice recently, and Sasha says, lucky her; tell her everything. Sienna says, it was amazing. The models were temperamental at times; Sasha knows how it is. The photographer has one vision, and the stylist has another. And when she’s working on the models, it’s, more blush, not enough blush, too much eyeliner, can the lip gloss be shinier? It doesn’t matter if you’re in front or behind the camera. If people knew how stressed out this business makes them. Sasha says, it’s a good thing they don’t know. They’re in the business of selling a fantasy. Sienna says, it doesn’t matter how much they suffer (oh, please, stop). Like when Sasha had that horrible accident with Harmony Miller. In the car, Smoltz says, amateur. You’re going to blow this whole thing.

Ava tells Sonny, Trina’s trial is finishing up. The jury starts deliberation tomorrow. He says, and it doesn’t look good for Trina, but she says she doesn’t know. It could go either way, but she’s not willing to sit around and wait. He says, that’s not her style, and she says she needs to be sure Trina is acquitted. He says, the easiest way to do that is to get the guilty party to confess. Or he could just go to Esme Prince and tell her… Ava says, no. He can’t do that.

Sasha asks if Sienna knew Harmony, but Sienna says, no. She’s just a true crime junkie. Smoltz looks like he’s going to have apoplexy, and Sienna says, that Harmony committed two murders, and tried to kill two more caught her attention. Sasha did the world a favor, taking her out. Sasha says, every death is a tragedy, no matter who the victim is, and Sienna says, of course (🍷). So what happened? Did Harmony just run out in front of Sasha’s car? Sasha says, this was a mistake, and Sienna says, she’s so sorry. She’s like a bull in a China shop when it comes to true crime. Please stay. Sasha says, good luck finding someone else to discuss her true crime obsession, and leaves. Smoltz says, damn it. The Titanic stayed afloat longer. Back to the drawing board.

Ava tells Sonny, it’s not important for the world to know that Esme’s behind the revenge porn. All that matters is that Trina goes free. Sonny says he thought she’d jump chance of bringing Esme down; personally escorting her to Pentenville. Ava laughs, and says, well, Esme’s gone. She left town. He says his people can find her, but Ava says, they have no time for that. What if the jury comes back with a verdict before they find her? He says, his people are very good at finding people, and she says, trust her. They won’t find Esme in time. He gets up, and asks what she did, but she says, this is not about her. This is about a young woman’s future. Will he help Trina or not? He says he’ll take care of it, and she asks what he’s going to do. He just looks at her, and she says, okay. She thanks him, and leaves.

Cameron tells Josslyn, Spencer thought Esme would care more about finding out who her biological mother was than she would about hurting Trina. She says, well, he was wrong, and he was trying to outmaneuver the biggest manipulator on the planet. And there was probably a much simpler, more direct way to help Trina, but Spencer wanted to be the hero, and he wanted to pull the strings. Cameron says, and he should have seen that, but she says, not necessarily. It’s always easier to say what you would have done differently when you’re looking back on a situation. She wasn’t in Cameron’s position, and didn’t have Spencer begging her to keep this secret. Still, she’d like to think if he had told her, they could have figured something out together. He says he’s sorry, and she says, now that she knows everything, they need to work together to bring Esme down.

Rory takes Trina’s hands, and says, earlier, she sounded pretty sure she’d be found guilty, and she says she has to consider the possibility. He says, or she could consider being an optimist, but she says, if she gets her hopes up, and she’s found guilty, she’ll be crushed. It’s better to prepare for the worst. She takes her shoes off, and sits at the edge of the pool, putting her feet in the water. He takes his shoes and socks off, and says, she was great on the stand, and she has some serious guts risking cross-examination. The word on ADA Arden is, she eats barracudas for lunch. Really? I did not get that impression. She seemed more like a high school student pretending to be a lawyer. Trina says, and she’s just a minnow, and he sits next to her. He tells her, don’t sell herself short. She gave the jury a chance to see her, Trina Robinson, a flesh and blood person; not some mustache twirling villain looking to humiliate her friends. She says she wishes he was on her jury, and he asks if she regrets taking the stand. She says, no. She got to speak her truth, and thanks to Diane, she got to tell the jury how much Esme hated Josslyn. He says, her lawyer did a great job pointing out that Esme had the means, opportunity, and a strong motive, and she says, whatever happens, at least she knows she did everything she could to help herself. He says, and whatever happens, he’s glad to know her. He inches closer to her, says, and he definitely wants the chance to know her more, and they kiss.

Spencer tells Nikolas, Esme was tempted to confess in exchange for learning the identity of her biological mother. He could try again, maybe get her to crack, but he can’t do that if she disappears. Nikolas says, Spencer should focus on his own problems, not Esme, and Spencer says, what if Nikolas spoke to her? At this point, Nikolas has a better chance of getting through to Esme than he does. Nikolas says, that’s ridiculous, and Spencer says, is it? Nikolas and Esme have gotten a lot closer lately. It’s worth a shot. Nikolas says, there’s something he has to tell Spencer. I wonder, why bother this kid with this now? It’s not like Esme can tell him. Oh wait. Scratch that. She’ll probably be waiting when they get back to Windymere.

Brando approaches Nina at the restaurant, and asks if she’s seen Sasha. Nina says she saw Sasha here earlier; she was meeting a friend. He says he checked. She’s not here now. Nina says she needs to go to Crimson to make a quick edit. Did he try the pool? He says, no, and thanks her, running off.

Ava finds Nina on her tablet in a corner of the restaurant, and says, look at her. Hard at work already. Taking to owning the MetroCourt like a duck to water. Will Nina be delivering her room service meals personally? Nina says, very… Wait a minute. Ava has taken a room? Does that mean more problems between her and Nikolas? Ava says, another problem in a long list of problems, and Nina guesses Trina’s probably at the top of that list. How is the trial going? Ava says, that’s actually one thing she feels good about. Nina says, Trina won’t be going to prison, and Ava says, she can almost guarantee it.

Sonny calls Dex, and tells him to come by. Sonny’s got a job for him.

Nikolas says, as far as Esme goes… and Spencer says, what did she do now? Nikolas says, she’s gone, and Spencer says, gone where? Nikolas tells him, she left town. Oh good. At least he’s not telling Spencer what an idiot he really is.

Trina says, so Rory is interested? and he says, he told her. She says, it looks like she’s stuck with him, and he says, like glue. She says, well, at least until she goes to prison, but he says he’s not giving up on her just yet, and she shouldn’t either.

Spencer and Nikolas come out, and Spencer says, time for his arraignment? Jordan says she’s afraid not, and Martin says he’s sorry. He couldn’t get Spencer before a judge until tomorrow morning. Nikolas says, Spencer’s got to spend the night in a cell? and Spencer says, his home away from home; good. Nikolas says, let him take Spencer back to Windymere. They have his word; he’ll have Spencer back to go before the judge tomorrow. Jordan says, if she did that for him, she’d have to do it for every parent who made a similar promise. Spencer says he’ll be okay. He’s just sorry he can’t be there for Trina. He needs Nikolas to find Esme. She’s the key to Trina’s freedom.

Nina is having a drink with Ava, when Brando comes back. Nina asks if Brando found Sasha, and he says, she’s not at the pool; she’s not at the restaurant. How did she seem when Nina spoke to her? Nina says, she seemed fine. She did mention they’d had an argument. He tells her, he said the wrong thing, and Ava says, a specialty of hers too, she’s afraid. Brando says, it sounds like Sasha is covering her true feelings. Nina says she doesn’t know, but she gets the sense that Sasha is definitely not okay.  

Sierra gets in the car with Smoltz, and says, that was a bust. He says, ya think? She’s obsessed with true crime. She says, at least she tried. So pay up. She holds out her hand, and he says, dream on. If you succeed, you get paid. She says, he wants her to try again? and he says, the Gilmore girl is obviously on edge. The tiniest thing could push her over. The car rocks, and suddenly Sasha appears at the driver’s window.

Tomorrow, Dex says, whatever it is, he’s in; Josslyn says Carly will never guess what she just witnessed; and Sasha wants to know why the hell they were setting her up.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

LisaR calls each member of the group. Diana says she’s struggling. She’s  sick of being sick. Kyle says she’s out of covid jail on Monday, and LisaR says she’s having a wine tasting. She calls Dorit, and Garcelle, saying she’s having a little afternoon soiree, and tells Sutton that she can wear leather pants. Dorit says, this is actually happening, and in LisaR’s interview, she says, the whole enterprise stemmed from the wine tasting where they got sh*t faced. We flash back to that, and Dorit says, she wouldn’t miss it for the world. LisaR says, there’s only going to be six of them, and Dorit says, she’s one of the last women standing. Her and Kathy. LisaR says, Kathy was exposed, so she’s not coming. Dorit is the last woman standing.  

Sutton shows her son Philip how to make chicken salad, and her daughter Porter joins them. In Sutton’s interview, she says, during Christmas, her children were in Italy with their father. We flash back to her telling Garcelle, this is her life as a single person. She says, it’s weird to be alone with no family around. She talks to herself, she talks to her animals…  She asks about the pictures from Philip’s birthday party, and Porter says, the skydiving, and in her interview, Sutton says, when Philip was three, he hated flying. They were on a flight, and he screamed, we’re all gonna die! She was mortified, telling people, he’s three; he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Now he’s jumping out of planes. A year ago he wanted to join the Army, because he’d been too comfortable in life. She thought, she’ll make him uncomfortable then, and sent him to Georgia when it was 105 with 100% humidity. She got him a job delivering vending machines, and when she picked him up a month later, he wanted to go to college. He’ll be attending The Citadel, which is a military school, so they both win. Porter says, the chicken salad is gross in theory with all the mayonnaise, but it tastes good.  

Garcelle meets Dorit for dinner, and Dorit says she hates not hugging. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she and Dorit have past hurdles, but it’s all in the past now. Dorit apologized for calling her a bully. Now they can have fun, not judge, and move on. She tells Dorit that she’s recording the audio portion of her book, and we see a clip of her in the studio. Dorit says, not many women would have cojones to put everything out there, and in her interview, Garcelle says, there are stories she never talked about. She had an experience with Bill Cosby that was scary. There were things she thought she had peace around, but when she was writing, she found they were still haunting her. Dorit says, she did it. Garcelle says she heard about PK’s DUI, and Dorit says, alleged DUI; he was never booked. He was arrested, and took a breathalyzer, but he was under the limit, and the cops said he’d have to find his own way home. He was so shook up. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, she heard the officers drove him home. That would never happen with anyone in her world. Did they stop and get a steak too? I literally lol. Dorit wonders if Erika is going to drink at the wine tasting; and Garcelle says, they had drinks the other night, and she’d said she’s not allowed with the medication. She told Erika she was concerned, but didn’t know Erika fell until after the fact. Dorit is shocked, and says, Erika’s got to figure it out. Garcelle tells Dorit that Erika said something interesting; that being Sutton’s friend may be a liability. Dorit wonders what she meant, and Garcelle says, being Sutton’s friend is detrimental. In her interview, she says, maybe it was a compliment. She’d be liked more if she wasn’t with Sutton, but that would also mean she can’t handle herself, and let it happen. Dorit says, Garcelle doesn’t seem like the Thelma and Louise type. Garcelle says she’ll throw something at someone for you.

Mikey makes espresso, and he, Erika, publicist Jack, and assistant Laia talk Pretty Mess Hair. They want to get stylists to post about it, and Erika says, everyone is always adding hair. Mikey ask if Erika is dating someone perfect, and we see something about an NFL player, but she says she’s just trying get good d*ck. She needs someone to slip into her DMs for her, and they all agree Jack would be perfect to respond to offers. In Erika’s interview, she says, she wouldn’t be a good girlfriend just coming off a 20 year relationship. D*ck is great, but she and a boyfriend have no time for each other. She tells them that she sent a text to the wrong person, thanking them for the good d*ck. They responded, what are you talking about? I’ve been trying to give you some. She’s decided she wants to be a part-time dominatrix. In an intimate moment, a man she was with said she’d be good at it, and should explore it. She’d be high-end with no more than five customers. In her interview, she says she’s bossy, and likes to administer pain for pleasure. She loves latex and costumes, and knows there are people who like that. She says she’s calling it Pretty Mess Dungeon, and tells Mikey to call the trademark lawyer immediately. Who knows older, narcissistic, rich men better than she does?

LisaR meets Sutton for lunch, and Sutton says she likes LisaR. LisaR says, people think she’s a bitch, and they’re scared of her. Sutton says she was only scared one time, and we flash back to that whole Elton John ticket thing. LisaR says, she doesn’t want to hold it, but it makes her mad sometimes. At the end of the day, it’s been while. It’s over, it was silly, Sutton did say she was sorry, and LisaR has to move on. Ugh. Even more to loathe. She’s one of those people who forgives you, then gets mad all over again out of the blue. LisaR says she likes to torture Sutton, and Sutton says she can take it. LisaR says she doesn’t think she’d do it if Sutton couldn’t, and Sutton says, LisaR is like the Grinch. Her heart gets bigger. LisaR says, she has a big mouth on top of a big heart.

Everyone gets ready for the wine tasting. Dorit calls Diana, who says, look how much they did to avoid covid, and it took them down anyway. Erika calls Kyle from the car, and they talk about Kyle’s new puppy, Smokey. We see a picture, and yep, he’s adorable, and big. Sutton calls Crystal, saying she wants to bring Crystal some soup, and Crystal says she’s just lying around and eating; she’s gained five pounds. At LisaR’s house, Erika asks for chamomile tea, saying she’s not supposed to drink with the meds she takes, and she does. In Dorit’s interview, she says she was there to witness how Erika behaved at Garcelle’s party, and now Garcelle mentions her falling. It makes Dorit think she might need to keep an eye on Erika. Erika tells everyone, it says on the bottle not to do it, but of course she did. Garcelle comes in with a jacket screaming Balenciaga, and Dorit asks, who made it? Harry joins them, and says his house is blessed. LisaR says, they set everything up because everyone has covid, and Dorit tells her, be honest. Did she and Harry do it, or just Harry? We flash back to Harry’s Bolognese dinner, and Lisa says she blew the leaves. Harry says she did it very well, and Erika says she read in a book that LisaR is a good blower. Sheree (not that one), says, if Harry left a Yelp review… Erika says, from one to five, how’s LisaR’s BJ? LisaR says, it better be ten, and Harry says, ten, but she tells him, it took way too long.

Erika brings up Crystal’s eating disorder, and says she asked Crystal if she’s gotten professional help. She talks about it a lot. Dorit says, Crystal told her that she was vomiting every day, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, clearly if Crystal is talking about it, it’s a sign she needs help. LisaR says, her daughter was 15 when she had an eating disorder, and they sought therapy right away. Erika says, Crystal has been  talking about it on Instagram, and Dorit says she was shocked by some of the things Crystal told her. LisaR says, Crystal can’t get better unless she has help. In Sutton’s interview, she says she doesn’t like it when they talk about someone who isn’t there. She doesn’t know a lot about eating disorders, and hasn’t talked one-on-one to Crystal. She wants to stay out of it, and not get involved.

LisaR calls them to the wine tasting table, where their wine people Doug and Maggie await. Doug says the rosé is a continuation of their France trip, and it’s from the Provence area. In LisaR’s interview, she says, she’s putting herself in a vulnerable position. These bitches could go hard, and tear it apart. In Sutton’s interview, she says, the rosé is perfect for her taste; she likes a pale rosé. They taste several wines, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, at a wine tasting, you normally take a sip, spit, and put it down, but nobody here has a spit bucket. Harry thinks the brut needs more work, and it’s agreed the rosé is perfection. Garcelle asks if LisaR is going to feed them, and LisaR says, they have pizza and charcuterie. Harry made the pizza of course. Harry says he’s going for a walk, and escapes these harridans. Dorit says she has a friend who’s into Garcelle, and thinks she’s the most beautiful woman in the world. He’s been asking for her to introduce them for the last couple of years. Sheree asks what he looks like, and Dorit says, he’s not a man on the prowl, looking to get laid. Erika says, then he’s not the guy for her, and announces she’s having a lot of sex. Dorit asks if it’s with the same person, and Erika says, yes. Dorit asks if that isn’t dating, and Sheree suggests it’s more like he’s providing a service. Erika says, and she’s providing one back. Dorit mentions Erika’s drinking, and in her interview, Dorit says, she doesn’t want to be judgmental, but she wants to be a good friend. She’s kind of torn.

Garcelle wants to speak to Erika, and the others have cookies on the patio. Sheree says, LisaR is very nurturing, and LisaR says, everyone thinks she’s a bitch. Sheree says, she’s a sweet soul (um… no), and we can all get caught up in the bitchy. Erika and Garcelle sit on a bench, and Garcelle says she loved having drinks with Erika, but it threw her off when she said Sutton was a liability. She wondered what Erika meant by that, and Erika says, Garcelle always has to clean up after and take care of Sutton. She feels like Garcelle doesn’t have to; Sutton gets herself in hot water. Garcelle says, she gets that, but it’s what friendship is for. Erika says, some of the things Sutton says are wild, like she’s sorry she didn’t have a gun put to her head when Dorit did have one put to hers. Garcelle says she told Sutton it was wrong. and asks if they can invite Sutton into the conversation. Erika says, no, and Garcelle asks, why? Erika says, why would they? and Garcelle tells Erika, maybe Sutton will say something that will change her mind. Erika says she doesn’t think now is the moment, and Garcelle says she comes from a big family. They have each other’s backs. Doesn’t Erika think Garcelle would stand up for her? Erika says, she thinks it would be conditional. She feels Garcelle would do more for Sutton, but she and Sutton are closer. She doesn’t think Garcelle would cut her the same slack. Garcelle has been clear about how she feels about Erika and what happened, and she doesn’t think Garcelle necessarily believes her. Garcelle says, she doesn’t know if she believes everything, and in Erika’s interview, she says, Garcelle has set her sights on her again and again. She wants to make Erika the bad guy. She doesn’t know what she’s done to Garcelle, but witness her life burning down. She’s so judgmental.

Sutton says she doesn’t like being called a liability, and we see a clip of Garcelle telling Sutton that she’s going to talk to Erika. She says, if Erika felt like that, Erika should have told her, not Garcelle. She asks why Erika feels she’s a liability, and Erika says, Garcelle always cleans up for her and supports her. Sutton says, that’s called being a friend, and Erika says, she’s had spats with her, Diana, and LisaR, and Garcelle is there to defend and support her. Garcelle asks why Erika is trying to make her feel bad about being a loyal friend, and Erika says, Garcelle supports Sutton when Sutton falls out with one of them, but Sutton went tit for tat for Garcelle about LisaR. We flash back to Sutton on Watch What Happen Live, saying, LisaR and Harry never thanked her about the Elton John gala tickets. Erika says, Garcelle would never embarrass or hurt anyone, but Sutton did. LisaR says, Sutton has no idea of how much she hurt her and Harry. There’s a reason she wants to hurt LisaR, and she has to figure out why. LisaR always wants some complicated, diabolical reason for what are basically off-the-cuff hurtful remarks people make when they’re pissed at you.

Sutton says, LisaR talked about forgiveness, but it doesn’t sound like she’s forgiven Sutton. Their lunch went differently than it is now, and she thinks LisaR plays it with an audience does, but she does like her. LisaR makes fun of Sutton’s accent, and Sutton says she thinks LisaR is a good person… some days. LisaR says, Sutton doesn’t respect her (God knows I don’t), and in her interview, LisaR says she doesn’t know why it bugs her. There’s an injustice to it. Sutton is still not being honest and it’s frustrating. Sutton says, things were different at lunch. LisaR said she’d talked nasty behind Sutton’s back, and we flash back to LisaR talking smack about Sutton with Erika, Kyle, and Diana. In her interview, LisaR says, if Sutton said she wanted to hurt her because she’d hurt Garcelle, she thinks she could move past it. Sutton says, LisaR talks out of both sides of her mouth, and LisaR says, so does Sutton, since that’s the best she can come up with.  

LisaR’s head spins around, and she tells Sutton, f*** you! Get out of my house! If you’re going to talk like this, leave. In Sutton’s interview, she says, the soap actress never leaves LisaR’s body. It would take an exorcism to get it out. LisaR says, come after her as much as she wants, but if she comes for LisaR’s children and husband, end of story. She screams, if you come for my children or husband, I will f***ing hunt you down! She asks if everyone is clear, and Sutton asks if it’s a threat or a promise, and LisaR says, it’s a fact. Garcelle says, no kids allowed, and LisaR says, or husbands. I’m sitting here wondering WTF happened, and I guess this husband tirade is because Sutton said she’d gotten tickets for LisaR and Harry. See why he goes for walks? Sutton tells LisaR that she’s sorry 100%, and LisaR says, Sutton tried to humiliate them, but she humiliated herself. She’s slurring her words at this point, laughs, and says she’s drunk. Then she tells Sutton that she looked like a f***ing fool, humiliating her, Harry, and the charity tenfold. Get ready. That’s the truth.

Yeah, between the two of them, I don’t think it’s Sutton who’s humiliating herself.

Next time, PK gets new teeth; Sutton tells Crystal what was discussed at the wine tasting; Dorit has a dinner where a celebrity who is not Boy George plays a concert; and LisaR totally breaks down.

💡 You know, I do feel badly for LisaR about Lois, but I can’t support her using it for an excuse to be an a-hole. She was an a-hole before Lois passed away, but she’s using Lois as a reason to let fly with whatever she likes at this point. The soap actress has given way to the she-devil.

🐕 All About Those Pets…

The pets of Beverly Hills, which I would so much rather see than the Housewives.

🧸 Lullaby and Goodnight…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and some Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay supporting local businesses, and stay knowing, It’s always easier to say what you would have done differently when you’re looking back on a situation. So don’t beat yourself up about it.

August 2, 2022 – The Trial Concludes With Another Surprise, Changing Camps, Upgrading Thrones & Night

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava and Esme struggle over the envelope. Esme grabs it and runs out on the turret, Ava right behind her. Esme crumples it, and is about to throw it over the wall when Ava grabs her arm, and they battle over it some more. Nikolas comes in, yelling for Ava, and hears them outside. Esme pulls, and yanks too hard, backpedaling right over the wall. Nikolas runs out, and sees Ava looking down. He asks, what the hell happened? Did you push Esme?

Willow waits in Terry’s office. She flashes back to asking if TJ thinks she has cancer, and TJ saying he’s worried she has leukemia.

Curtis watches as a nurse puts Oz’s chart in a file holder. Since we all know how lax security is at GH, the second her back is turned, he takes the folder, puts it under his jacket, and strolls away. When he gets around the corner, he starts taking pictures of the information. Jordan calls to him, and he tries to look innocent.

In the courtroom, Diane tells Trina, she wants to make it clear. When they were at the cabin that weekend, Trina didn’t have feelings for Cameron, because she had feelings for Spencer, correct? Trina says, yes, and Diane asks how long she had these feelings for Spencer? Trina says, they met at her high school graduation party, and he was pretending to be someone else; he called himself Victor. Diane asks if Trina was attracted to Victor, and Trina nods. Diane says, let the record show Miss Robinson has nodded in the affirmative. Yes, she was attracted to Spencer Cassadine when he was using his guise as Victor. So Trina’s had romantic feelings for Spencer for over a year. Trina says, just this past January; maybe even longer, but she doesn’t have romantic feelings for him now. Diane says, to the best of Trina’s knowledge, did Spencer ever return those feelings? and Trina says she doesn’t know. They never went on a date or anything. She thinks he saw her as just a good friend. Besides, Spencer had a girlfriend. Diane says, she would be referring to Esme Prince, and Trina says, yes. Diane says, the same Esme Prince that went to the cabin with them that weekend, and Trina says, yes. Diane asks if Esme was aware that Trina had feelings for her boyfriend.

Elizabeth walks down the stairs with Willow’s lab results, and stops, her pen falling from her hand. She flashes back to Peter lying on the landing, and taking his pulse. She drops all of the paperwork, holds onto the railing, and sits. She hears a child say, daddy.

Ava tells Nikolas, Esme was trying to leave. She had a letter she didn’t want Ava to see, and they were fighting over it. She just… went over. Nikolas says he doesn’t see her anywhere, and Ava says she has to call 9-1-1. She runs inside for her phone, and Nikolas follows. He tells her, don’t call the police. They’ll think she pushed Esme over the parapet. She says she made no secret of wanting Esme gone; she threatened to kill Esme. She looks around, and says, this room has to look pristine. He says, she can’t be here. She was never here… but the staff heard her; they called him. He tells her to go to the master bedroom, and don’t let anyone in but him. Make sure she’s not seen. He hustles her to the door, saying he has to make sure the staff doesn’t come in here. He sees the suitcase, and asks if it’s Esme’s. She says, they have to find her, but he says, Ava has to take care of herself. He checks the hallway, and says, it’s all clear. Go, now.

Trina says, Esme knew she liked Spencer, and she was suspicious of her friendship with him. Diane asks if Trina thinks Esme was jealous of her relationship with Spencer, and Arden objects, saying, it calls for speculation. Diane says, withdrawn. Would Trina describe her relationship with Esme for the court. Trina says, Esme was around because of Spencer; they weren’t friends. Diane asks, why not? and Trina says, Esme helped Spencer stalk her friend Ava Jerome. Esme set Ava’s car on fire. Arden says, objection. Spencer Cassadine pled guilty, and spent a month at Spring Ridge Minimum Security Prison for the crimes he committed against Miss Jerome. There has been no evidence Esme Prince was involved. The defendant is living in the land of wishful thinking. Judge Young says, sustained. Diane’s client can only bring up what can be proved, not what she thinks may have happened. Diane says, of course (🍷), and tells Trina, throughout this trial, the prosecution has accused her of being the kind of person who would violate her friend’s privacy in the most despicable and insidious manner. Has she ever wanted to violate a friend in such a vial manner for any reason? Trina says, no, especially not to Joss and Cam. Their friendship means everything to her. She would never do anything to jeopardize that. Diane thanks her, and says, no further questions. The judge tells Arden, her witness.

Jordan asks if she wants to know, and Curtis says, she doesn’t. She asks, how’s Mr. Haggerty? and he says, still in a medically induced coma. Was she able to draw a connection between him and Esme? She says she went to Windymere, and Nikolas wasn’t aware of Oz visiting there. Nikolas was at the hospital with Spencer when Curtis saw Oz take the launch to Spoon Island. He says, and with Esme’s help, Oz was able to get off the island without anyone seeing him. Jordan says, unfortunately, they don’t have proof Oz met with Esme, and Curtis says, he and Marshall met Ava at the dock, and filled her in on their suspicion that Oz sold Esme the black market phone she used for revenge porn. Ava hoped to find Oz and Esme at Windymere, but when she got there, there was no sign of him. She says, Esme must have helped him get off the island undetected, and he says, Oz was the loose end she needed to tie up. Before Oz lost consciousness, he said, she gave him something. He’s sure Oz meant Esme. Jordan says, to prove it, they have to find evidence that Esme was at the apartment with Oz, and he says, any chance of that happening? She says, forensics is going over the apartment, but there’s so much DNA, it could take months before they discover if any of it belonged to Esme. He says, Trina could be in prison by then, and an appeal could take years, and she says, however, she did learn something interesting.

Elizabeth sits on the steps, hearing a child say, daddy… mommy… She says, who is it? What do you want? Finn says, hey, and comes down. He asks, what happened? Is she okay?

Michael is looking for Willow, and calls her, but gets voicemail. He leaves a message saying, he just got back, but she’s not here. He hopes everything is okay. He loves her. He sees TJ, and asks if he knows what happened to Willow.

Terry comes into her office with Britt, and says she’s asked Britt to consult on Willow’s case. Britt says, unless Willow would like another obstetrician, but Willow says, no, of course (🍷) not; Britt is her OB. Terry asks if Elizabeth came in while Willow was waiting, but Willow says, no. Terry says, she should be here with the results soon, and Willow says, and the results will confirm she has leukemia. Terry says she’s reviewed Willow’s initial bloodwork, and the symptoms she’s shown over the last few months – weakness, fatigue, loss of energy and appetite – can be consistent with adult onset leukemia. Willow asks how that could be possible. She’s healthy. She’s been tired, but she’s had so much going on. Terry reminds her that her diagnosis hasn’t been confirmed yet. If she does have leukemia, it could be genetic, and many patients diagnosed with leukemia have no known risk factors. Willow asks what this means for her baby. Terry suggests they not get ahead of themselves. They need to rule out all other possibilities first. Willow asks how they do that, and Terry says she’d like to perform a blood marrow biopsy. Britt says, Willow studied that procedure in nursing class, and Willow says, they draw the blood marrow out of the pelvic bone to determine if there are cancer cells, and what type they are. Terry says, A+. She’d like to schedule the procedure as soon as possible. As Willow knows, it’s an outpatient procedure, and takes about 30 minutes. Willow says, and it’s safe for her baby? and Britt says, absolutely. They’ll give her a sedative that’s safe for both Willow and her baby. She should avoid eating and drinking before the sedative is administered. Terry says, and she’ll need someone to drive her home, and Willow asks if there’s any way they can do this now. She fits the pre-biopsy criteria; she won’t need a strong sedative. Britt says, it’s painful if she goes that route, but Willow says she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to wait. She needs to know what she and her child are dealing with. Terry says she has room in her schedule if Willow really wants to do this now, and Willow says she does. Britt asks if she wants to call anyone to be with her, but Willow says, no. She can do this by herself.

Finn tells Elizabeth that she’s okay. He’s going to help her. He’s not going to let anything hurt her. He takes her hand, and she asks, what happened? He says he was hoping she could tell him, but she says she doesn’t know. He says, it’s okay; they’ll figure it out together. Take one deep breath. She does, and he says, better? Let’s take you out of here. He leads her away, leaving the papers littering the stairs.

Curtis sneaks around, putting the file back the same way he took it – with no one noticing, even though the nurse is at the desk. Jordan joins him, and says she spoke to Dr. Westbourne about Mr. Haggerty’s tox screen. She said he has acute opioid intoxication, and she didn’t find a prescription for it in his name. Jordan’s officers checked his motel and his apartment; no sign of drug use. He says, Oz got it from somewhere, and Jordan says, Dr. Westbourne also said someone approached her recently about identifying a drug. She looked it up, and surprise, surprise. The drug Oz ingested was the same one brought to her earlier. He says, who asked Britt about this drug? and she says, Spencer Cassadine.

Arden asks if Trina can account for her whereabouts when Josslyn and Cameron were secretly filmed having sex? Trina says she was in her room. She had too much to drink, and was sick. Arden asks how many drinks she had, and Trina says, one, but she’s not used to whiskey. Arden says, she’d have the court believe she fell ill after one drink, and Trina says, that’s what happened. She felt dizzy, hot and cold, and she went to her room and eventually went to sleep. Arden asks if she remembers the events of that evening, and Trina says, Josslyn told her what happened, but Arden says she’s asking about Trina’s own memories, not Miss Jax. Trina says, she remembers playing Never Have I Ever, but not what anyone said. Then she remembers running out of the room, and then talking to Josslyn through her bedroom door. Arden asks how Trina knows she was in her room for the rest of the evening, and Trina says, because she knows she was. Arden asks if she doesn’t remember retrieving the phone she used to film her best friends, and Trina says, she doesn’t remember because she didn’t film them. Arden asks, then how did the phone come to be in her possession? and Trina says, because she was set up by Esme Prince.

Ava looks in the mirror, and sees a bruise on her shoulder. She says, damn, and dabs makeup on it. Nikolas comes in, and she asks if he found Esme.

Michael tells TJ that he can’t find Willow. Did TJ get her test results, and is everything okay with her and their baby? TJ flashes back to Willow asking him not to say anything to Michael, and tells Michael, he hasn’t seen her, but as far as he knows, she’s still here. She probably can’t get to a phone. Michael says, she’ll get back to him when she can. He’s trying not to hover, but obviously, he needs to work on it. TJ says, Michael just found out he’s going to be a dad; he’s allowed to care. Michael thanks TJ for looking out for Willow, saying, TJ’s been good to her. TJ says, A, that’s his job, and B, it’s easy to be good to Willow; she’s a special person. Don’t you forget it. Michael says, as if he would. She’s really changed his world, and now they’re having a baby. He can’t say those words enough after how these last few months have been. TJ congratulates him, and says he wishes them every bit of happiness. Michael says, they’ve already been blessed with Wiley. Now they get to experience parenthood again. How lucky can he get?

Willow lies on the operating table, and Terry says she’s administered local anesthesia to Willow’s spine. But without the sedative, she’s about to feel a sharp pain. Willow says she knows. She’s ready.

Curtis tells Jordan, so Spencer asked about the same drug bartender Oz OD’d on. That can’t be a coincidence. She says, according to Dr. Westbourne, Spencer brought her a single capsule, saying he found it. When she pressed him, he said admitted it belonged to Esme. He says, so Esme had access to the same drug Oz took; the one she apparently gave him. What else did Britt say? She tells him, Spencer said he was concerned because he never observed Esme taking this medication. When Britt told him the side effects, he asked what would happen if someone took it with alcohol. Curtis says, the tox screening said Oz ingested the opioids with alcohol, and she says, from that medical chart he didn’t want her to know about? What’s significant about the alcohol connection? If Spencer witnessed Esme taking this drug with alcohol, he would have noticed her getting extremely ill. He says, what if it wasn’t Esme?

Arden says, as stated in multiple witness testimony, Miss Prince was not in the cabin at the time the video was taken. Trina says, she didn’t have to be. She could have put the phone on a timer, or started the video before she left the cabin. Arden says, and yet, Commissioner Ashford testified the phone was recovered in Trina’s bag, and Trina says, Esme planted it. Arden asks if she has proof, and Trina says, no. Arden asks her to speak louder for the record, even though we heard her just fine, and Trina repeats, no. She doesn’t have proof. Arden says, surely if Trina believes Miss Prince framed her, she must have some idea of when she planted the phone. Trina says, she’s done nothing but think about it, and don’t call her Shirley. There was a day when she went to Spring Ridge to visit Spencer Cassadine, and she left her bag on the  table when they were talking. It wasn’t always in her sight, and Esme was there that day interning. Arden says she has the list of staff present at Spring Ridge on the day Trina visited the facility. If Trina believes that’s when the phone was planted in her bag, isn’t it true that any of the staff members could have done it? I object on the grounds of stupidity, and Trina says, why would they? She doesn’t know them; they don’t know her. The only person is Esme Prince. Arden says, the fact is, Trina was the only one in the cabin with Josslyn and Cameron the night the revenge porn video was filmed. No one can account for her whereabouts; not even her. The phone that filmed her friends was found in her bag, and contained her credit card information. Nothing backs up this fanciful story of hers, that Miss Prince filmed the video and planted the phone on her. Diane objects, saying, Arden is badgering the witness. Judge Young sustains, and Diane adds, is there a question anywhere in their future, or is the Assistant District Attorney simply going to use her client as an excuse to expound her own absurd theories? The judge says, duly noted, and tells Arden, if she has a question, ask it. If she doesn’t, sit down. Arden says, no further questions, and Diane says, redirect. Judge Young says, proceed, and Diane says, Trina testified that she and Esme were not friends. Trina says, they weren’t, and Diane asks if Esme and Josslyn were friends. Arden objects, hearsay, but Diane says she’s going to ask her client about interactions she specifically observed between Esme and Josslyn. The judge says he’ll allow it, and Diane asks if Trina ever observed tension or hostility between Josslyn and Esme. Trina says, Josslyn hated Esme from the jump. She called Esme out every chance she got. Diane says, called her out? and Trina tells her, Josslyn said Esme is a liar, and a manipulator. She said to Esme’s face that she didn’t trust her, and they weren’t friends. Diane asks if it was just one altercation, but Trina says, it went on for months, before and after the cabin. Diane asks how Esme reacted when Josslyn called her out, and Trina says, sometimes she acted hurt; other times, she got angry. Diane asks how Esme’s anger showed itself, and Trina says, Esme told Josslyn that she was spoiled and entitled, and that she’d be sorry for what she did to Esme. Diane says, Esme Prince told Josslyn that she’d be sorry, and Trina says, yes. Diane says, and was Josslyn sorry when Esme filmed her most intimate moments, and uploaded them for the entire world to see? Arden objects, and Diane says, withdrawn. She asks if Trina loves her friends, and Trina says, with all of her heart. Diane asks if she’d ever hurt any of them, and she says, never. Diane says, no further questions, and the judge tells Trina to step down.

Nikolas tells Ava, he found the spot where Esme fell, but she wasn’t there. He did find this. He shows her a shoe, and she says, they don’t know if Esme is dead or alive. He says, between the height and the rocks, she could have broken her neck or drowned, but Ava says, they both know that fall is not necessarily fatal. Exhibit A. He says, if Esme lived, what would she say happened between the two of them?

Post operation, Terry says that she’s personally walking this biopsy to the lab, and will let Willow know the results as soon as she gets them.   The nurse will be in shortly to take Willow back to her room, so she can get dressed and be discharged. Just rest until they get here. Willow thanks her, and Terry says, they’re working to rule out other possibilities. Willow says she understands, and Terry says, she did so good. She leaves, and Britt asks if she can take Willow’s picture and hang it on her office wall with a little plaque that says, Bravest Person of the Year, and Willow says she’s hardly that. Britt pulls a stool over and sits. She says, Willow is still brave if she talks to someone and tells them what’s going on. Oversharing can be a positive experience. Willow says, not always. She doesn’t think she can handle the concern. She’s not that brave or strong. Britt tells her not to sell herself short, or Michael. All we can control is what we have now. Willow says, Britt sounds like she really understands, and Britt says, it comes with the job.

Finn gives Elizabeth some water, and asks if she needs anything else, but she says she’s good. He says, don’t hate him, but he doesn’t think she is. Can she tell him what happened? She says she was just delivering some lab reports to Terry’s office… oh, reports. She starts to get up, but he says, it’s okay. He talked to Epiphany. She got a nurse to collect the reports, and she took them to Terry’s office. She thanks him, and sits back down. He says, so she was on her way to Terry’s office… She says she was on the stairs like she’d been doing all day, and he says, and? She tells him that she lost her balance, and he asks if she fell. Is she hurt? She says, no. She caught herself, and lowered herself to the ground where he found her. He says, she was pretty out of it. She didn’t recognize him at first. She says she was just trying to get her bearings, but he says he thinks she might need more than a physical exam. She says she’s not hurt; she just pushed herself too hard on her first day back. He suggests getting a neurologist to check her out, and she says, he thinks she needs her head examined.

In her closing argument, Arden says, of course (🍷) people spin all kinds of stories to hide the truth. That’s why in law we have to rely on facts and evidence. The evidence in this case clearly points to one person – the defendant Trina Robinson. Diane gets up, and says, no one saw Trina set up the phone to record Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber. No one saw Trina send the email. The evidence in this case is purely circumstantial, and as such, is open to an alternative interpretation. Esme Prince was threatened by Trina’s relationship with Spencer, and took revenge by framing Trina, by filming and distributing revenge porn, which of course (🍷) had the added collateral benefit of humiliating Josslyn Jax. (I have to interject that throughout this day of trial, Spencer has alternated between looking very uncomfortable and looking like he’s going to fly out of his seat.) We know Esme Prince was gone from the cabin when that revenge porn was filmed, but just as an email can be timed in advance, so can a camera on a cellphone. And Esme Prince had the means, opportunity, and a far more compelling motive than Trina Robinson. The prosecution in this case has utterly failed to meet the burden of proof. Now it’s the jury’s responsibility to see that justice is served. They must find Trina Robinson not guilty. Court is adjourned, and Arden tells Diane, nice closing, counselor. Diane says, yes, it was especially good, wasn’t it? and laughs. Portia says she’s so proud of Trina, and Taggert says, that makes two of them. Trina says she told the truth. Now her fate is out of her hands. They hug.

Jordan says, what if it wasn’t Esme? but Curtis says, think about what they know about Esme Prince. She’s sharp. She orchestrated a sex tape, and posted it without any evidence leading back to her. So let’s say she slipped Oz the pill in order to prevent him tying her to the phone. Does Jordan think it was a coincidence Oz was drinking, or did Esme set it up that way because she knew what the combination of the drugs and alcohol would do to him? Since Spencer didn’t think it was a prescription, let’s say Esme did obtain the opioids through less than legal means. Let’s say she researched it because she had another idea in mind. Maybe Spencer did see someone acting strangely after taking the pills mixed with alcohol. She says, like… He says, Trina. The one drink she had at the cabin, she got sick and blacked out. He thinks they can both agree that’s not normal. What if her reaction wasn’t from the drink? What if Esme spiked it? She says, if he’s right, they need to talk to Esme.

Ava tells Nikolas, she came back ready to pack her things and leave, and she ran into Esme. Ava flashes back to Esme saying she’s leaving town, and says, she couldn’t let Esme leave, not when Trina was being framed for her crimes. She tells Nikolas, told Esme that she had to confess, that she wouldn’t let someone who’s like a daughter to her pay for Esme’s actions. She remembers Esme asking where her motherly devotion to Kiki, and if Trina was filling the read void of the daughter Ava drove away. Ava says, she hit Esme. She cut Esme’s lip with her ring. Nikolas says, Ava came home, Esme taunted her and came at her. She had to defend herself. Ava says she knows what he’s trying to do, but she’s still going to look like the aggressor. The cops are going to want to know why she didn’t walk away, and how Esme ended up falling over the parapet. He says, there were no witnesses. Even if Esme did survive, it’s Ava’s word against hers. Ava says, everybody knows she hated Esme. He said himself, the staff heard them fighting. Ava’s DNA is probably all over her; evidence of an assault. If Esme is alive or dead, she’s certainly going to be implicated.

Jordan says, Esme is getting more desperate by the day. Curtis’s bartender is proof of that. He says, Oz is the only one who can prove Esme bought the phone that filmed Joss and Cam, but he’s in a medically induced coma, and they don’t have time for him to wake up. She says, which makes Esme their best lead at this point. She’ll do everything she can to get something out of her. Jordan’s phone rings, and she says, …okay. She’ll deal with it herself. She tells Curtis that there’s a situation that requires her immediate attention that could have repercussions for Trina.

Portia asks how Diane thinks it went; no sugarcoating. Diane says she never sugarcoats. They accomplished what they set out to do. Taggert says, create reasonable doubt in the jury’s mind, and an alternate suspect, and Diane says, a viable suspect. Now it’s just up to the jury to come to the right conclusion.

Trina asks Rory if it’s mean for her to want Arden to vanish in a puff of smoke, and he suggests throwing a bucket of water on her and seeing what happens. Spencer heads toward Trina, but Josslyn intercepts him. He says he can just walk around her, and she says, he did a really nice thing for Trina. Leave it at that. Rory says, Trina’s testimony was very impressive, and she asks if he’s just saying that. He says, she was strong and passionate. There’s no way the jury won’t believe her. She says, it doesn’t hurt she got help from the last place she expected. Josslyn says she will admit she didn’t think Spencer had the guts to stand up there, and say that Esme framed Trina, and he says he told her, Esme’s not his girlfriend anymore. She says, ex or not, she’d pay actual money to see Esme’s face when she finds out that Spencer said she framed Trina.

Nikolas says, Esme could have evidence on her that incriminates Ava, and she says, they have to strategize. He says, fact number one, Esme’s gone, and fact number two, questions will be asked, and they have to have answers, especially for Spencer. She says, answers that do not involve the police. Spencer will want to know why Esme was leaving. Nikolas says, Esme didn’t tell her; no one would expect her to. She says, and if Spencer doesn’t buy it? and he says, things were not always good between them. He just gave Trina an alibi in court. Ava says, and if Esme’s found and her DNA is on her? Nikolas says, she fell into the rocks or the water. Most of Ava’s DNA probably washed off. Not to mention, they lived in the same house. Traces of Ava’s DNA would be on Spencer and the staff… on him. She says, what about the suitcase? and he says, they’ll put it someplace so that if anyone goes looking, they’ll find Esme’s things gone. I can’t believe they’re not pawing through that suitcase, as well as whatever she was leaving behind. He says, no one ever needs to know what happened. Get dressed, and meet him downstairs. She says, wait. What if Esme turns up alive?

Finn says he doesn’t think Elizabeth needs her head examined, but they both know vertigo can stem form psychological causes, not just physical ones. She says she definitely doesn’t need more counseling; he can trust her on that. He says he does trust her, but clearly there’s something going on with her. If she doesn’t want to do it for herself, do it for her kids. They need their mom to take care of them. She says, how dare he accuse her of not being able to take care of her kids? I make the decision that a relationship with Elizabeth is just too damn much work.

Willow sees Michael, and he asks where she was. She wasn’t returning his calls, and he was starting to worry. She says, the doctor wanted to run another test, and he wonders how many tests she needs to take. She says, if she’s learned anything from her nursing class, it’s that GH insists its doctors be as thorough as possible. He says he doesn’t remember Nelle taking this many tests when she was pregnant with Wiley. Then again, she wasn’t exactly honest with him. She says, maybe procedures have changed since Nelle was pregnant, and he says, she seems off. Is everything okay? She says she’s having a baby with the love of her life. What’s not okay? he says, so the appointment went well; no surprises? She says, none worth repeating, and he says, okay.

Finn says, Elizabeth is an amazing mother, and she asks, then where’s he going with this? He says, if there’s a chance something is wrong, doesn’t she want to know for her boys’ sake? and she looks at him like he has two heads. He says, when she checked herself into Shadybrook, she said it was as much for them as it was for her. Doesn’t she want to be healthy and whole for them? She says she’s not broken, and she’s got to go back to work. She opens the door, and Terry is there. Terry asks how she’s feeling, but Elizabeth storms past her. Terry asks Finn, what happened? and he says, something is very wrong.

Nikolas says, if Esme is alive, they’ll deal with it, and Ava says, with any luck, Esme will never be found. They’ll tell the staff she left in a huff (or a minute and a huff), and that she didn’t say where she was going. They’ll look for her. He says, they’ll take care of this. The truth stays between them, he promises. He won’t let anything happen to her.

TJ says he got Curtis’s text; what’s up? Curtis says, Trina is running out of time. Her best chance at freedom is in a medically induced coma. Curtis needs him to wake up. TJ says, waking from a medically induced coma isn’t like flipping a light switch. It takes time, there can be risks… Curtis says, but can it be done? and TJ says, it can be, but he’s not authorized to do that. Curtis says, an innocent young girl could be sent to prison. If there was ever a time for drastic measures, it’s now. Or tell him what he can do. TJ says, he needs Curtis to understand, this will just as likely kill him.

Trina says she owes Spencer an apology for going off on him earlier, but he says, she owes him nothing. He should have spoken up from the start. She says, he testified on the stand that he thought Esme made the revenge porn and posted it. When did he figure that out? Jordan walks in, and says, Spencer is under arrest for escaping Spring Ridge, and Trina says, but he went back. Spencer says, it’s okay, and Jordan reads him his rights. He looks at Trina as he’s walked out the door.  

Tomorrow, Trina asks if Rory thinks they can just be friends; Josslyn tells Cameron, as his girlfriend, she has a right to know; Sonny wonders if Brando is asking him to spy on his wife; and Sasha feels like having fun tonight.

🍊 Switching Allegiances…

Although it’s still California. It’s not like she’s moving to Salt Lake City. Who wants to be around those awful women from RHOBH anyway?

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-of-orange-county-taylor-armstrong-joins-season-17/

🐉 Movin’ On Up…

Or one more way a streaming service gets your money.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/game-of-thrones-is-getting-a-major-upgrade-on-hbo-max/

⛏  Workin’ In the Coal Mines…

I still have work from my real job to do tonight, so join me tomorrow for soap and the latest villains of Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting in a rut and changing it up once in a while, and stay remembering, all we can control is what we have now. And sometimes we can’t even control that.

August 1, 2022 – The Heroine Of Her Own Story, Bad Bosun On Deck, Farewell Lieutenant & Sabotage

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Two young women watch Mac swimming, and one says, oh my God, Silver Fox. Hello daddy. Felicia listens, as they watch Mac get out of the pool, and the other women says, that’s Mac Scorpio, the Chief of Detectives; she saw him at press conference. The first woman says, he can slap handcuffs on her anytime. Felicia walks over to them, and says, sorry to disappoint, ladies, but that Silver Fox has a Mrs. Silver Fox, and that would be me. She walks over to Mac, and passionately kisses him.

On the phone outside Kelly’s, Michael says he has a business associate who’s being screened with a background check, and he needs certain information to show up… They said could handle it. Just get it done today. Sam comes out, and says, whoa. Now she guesses she knows what kind of boss he is; decisive and demanding? He’s got a lot on his plate. He says, she doesn’t know the half of it.

In an exam room, TJ says he couldn’t help noticing Willow giving Michael the runaround when Michael asked why he was taking the lead and not Britt. Is there a reason she’s not telling Michael this isn’t her usual OB appointment? She says, there is nothing Michael needs to know until the test results come back… Unless there’s something more serious he found out. Is that why he looks so worried?

Elizabeth tells Finn, at least she doesn’t have to worry about getting her steps in with some of the elevators being out of commission. Finn says, he knows it’s a pain, but the functioning elevators seem to be prioritized for the patients in trauma. She says she knows, but it’s a helluva way to start her first day back. He asks how she feels about coming back, and she says, grateful. She’s got a really good support system rallying around her now that she’s recovered. He says, maybe it’s the addict in him talking, but at meetings they never talk about being fully recovered. Every day is another day in recovery. It’s okay if she’s still got some recovery to do. There’s no shame in taking more time before she comes back to work.

Judge Young says, there will be a 30 minute recess, and tells Diane to be prepared to call next witness when they return. Portia says, all this time Trina had an alibi for when the revenge porn was distributed. Why didn’t she tell them? Trina says, if push came to shove, she was going to testify about it. She never expected Spencer to do it himself; he could go back to prison. Taggert suggests she just focus herself. While Spencer’s testimony isn’t a not slam dunk, it could create reasonable doubt with the jury. Portia says, at least Spencer seemed adamant when he told the jury that he didn’t believe their daughter would do this.

In the hallway, Spencer tells Nikolas, whatever this is, it can’t take long. He needs to get back in the courtroom. He wants Trina to see him when she testifies. He needs her to know whatever sacrifice he made was worth it. Nikolas says he hopes it helps Trina, because Spencer might have just thrown away his freedom.

Ava tells Esme, playtime is over. They’ll deal with Esme sleeping with her husband another day, but right now, Esme is going to go directly to the courthouse. She’s going to exonerate Trina. She’s going to tell the world that she filmed Joss and Cam. Esme says, they’ve already had this conversation. She has no idea where Ava is getting this crazy idea from. And besides, why would she even do it? Is Ava offering to help her disappear, so she doesn’t have to go to prison? No. She has no intention of being a fugitive for the rest of her life. Ava says, darling girl, you misunderstand me. She moves closer to Esme, and says, Esme either confesses to framing Trina or she will make sure nobody finds her… not while she’s still breathing. Esme asks if Ava is threatening her, and Ava says, if one were to believe the rumors, she’s killed for a lot less. Esme says, Ava is judge, jury, and executioner, all rolled into one person, and Ava says, Esme tried to take her husband from her. She and Spencer teamed up to try and take her sanity, and now she wants to take Trina? Ava will not let that happen. Either tell the truth or it’s the end of the line for Esme Prince. You decide.

Felicia tells Mac, those two women were totally checking him out when he got out of the pool, but Mac says, they were not. He’s too old to be checked out. She says she’s not kidding. One of them called him a Silver Fox, and the other one knows he’s Chief of Detectives. She was fantasizing about him slapping some handcuffs on her. He laughs, saying, get out of here, and she says she had to get a little possessive. She let them know that Silver Fox is married – to her. He says, now she knows what he has to deal with when they go out. She’s usually the one turning heads. She says, stop, but he tells her, what can he say? They’ve still got it. He kisses her.

TJ tells Willow, he knows waiting is hard, but they don’t want to speculate about things until they get information back from the lab. Like she said earlier, raised white blood cells can mean any number of things, or it can be an anomaly in the first reading. She says, but if the results are consistent, he’s afraid the issue is serious? She’s about to graduate from nursing school; he can’t bluff her. He says he’s not trying to bluff her, which is why this makes for a good example that doctors and nurses make the worst patients. Though he has to ask, if she’s worried it’s bad news, why doesn’t she want Michael here to support her?

Taggert asks what Diane thinks. Is Spencer’s testimony enough to cause reasonable doubt with the jury? Diane says, they definitely made progress in the right direction. Although, as the ADA demonstrated, Spencer’s alibi isn’t foolproof. Trina says, she doesn’t understand. Why put Spencer back on the stand? Why have him admit he snuck out of prison if it isn’t going to do her any good? Diane tells her, like her father said, it creates reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury, and that’s like money in the bank for them. It actually didn’t help that Spencer said he bribed an official in order to sneak out of prison. It’s not a good look for a star witness, but it just means Trina has more work to do.

Spencer tells Nikolas, he had to do it. He can’t stand by and let Trina take the fall for this. Nikolas says, that’s where Spencer lost him. All this time, Spencer and Esme have been insisting they thought Trina was responsible. Spencer says, it was just an act to try and get Esme to slip up and admit she was guilty. Does Nikolas think for one second Spencer thought Trina would hurt Joss and Cam that way? It was Esme who was insisting Trina was guilty.

Ava says she woudn’t hesitate to give up her life to save Trina. She certainly wouldn’t think twice about sacrificing Esme’s. So Esme had better think very hard about how she’s going to play this. Trina is like a daughter to her, and she won’t allow Trina to go to prison, where someone as demented as Esme belongs, locked up. Esme says, Ava’s devotion is touching, but where was all this motherly devotion to her daughter Kiki? Is that why Ava is obsessed with Trina? Because she’s filling the void of the real daughter Ava drove away? She certainly can’t blame the dashing and gorgeous Dr. Griffin Monroe for upgrading to a younger model, especially when the current model is Ava, because Ava is just downright awful. Ava drove away her daughter, just like she drove away Nikolas. The only problem is, when she drove away Kiki, she didn’t just skip town. Ava drove her to her death. Ava cracks Esme across the face, and the envelope flies out of her hand.

Felicia asks if this means Mac is having second thoughts about Dante  taking over for him as Chief of Detectives when he retires, and Mac says, he told her. He only mentioned it to Dante as a possibility; something to think about down the road. He’s not planning on retiring anytime soon, but this day off has its appeal. He’s had so many careers. He’s been a mercenary, he’s owned a bar; he’s been a P.I. and a Police Commissioner. He’s always been a bit nomadic when it comes to his career. He’s looking for what comes next. She says she agrees with all that, so she’ll ask him directly; what does come next?

Sam suggests she and Michael take a seat and talk about it. She has the feeling she knows what’s going on. He says, she does? and she says, it doesn’t take a P.I. to know what he’s up to. It’s Aurora, isn’t it? Michael says, she’s got him. The stock price went into free fall when the merger with ELQ fell though. She says he heard about that. How bad is it? He says, the bleeding stopped, but it will take a while for Aurora to get back to where it was a few months ago; not to mention his mom inflated the price. He’s just a hired CEO, but he takes it personally. He had big plans for the merged company, plus he feels like he let Sam down. She says, her? How? He says, Aurora only started because it was her dream with Drew, and she says, that was like, five lifetimes ago, and they only did that for Scout’s future. She’s not saying that to pressure Michael or make him feel bad. She knows he’ll do everything it takes to get it back for Scout, and for Wiley too. He says he thinks she means Wiley and his new sibling. She puts her hands over her mouth, and he says, yeah, he and Willow have some exciting news to share

Willow tells TJ, Michael is going through a lot right now. His parents’ divorce, his anger at Sonny choosing Nina over his family, and Aurora’s in trouble ever since the merger with ELQ didn’t happen. TJ says he’s aware of all of that, but he’s also aware she just lost her mom, and she’s about to become a nurse. Her plate is pretty full too. She says she knows, but Michael’s finally got some good news when he found out they were having another child. She doesn’t want to take that happiness away from him, not until there’s an actual reason to worry. He says, that’s a heavy burden to be carrying all by herself. If she doesn’t want to talk to Michael, isn’t there someone she can confide in? What about Sasha? She says, talk about someone who has a lot on her plate. Besides, it’s hard for Sasha to be around her, knowing she’s pregnant. He says he gets her point. What about Michael’s mom? She says, no. Carly is dealing with her divorce, and the loss of the MetroCourt. She’s telling him, she can handle this. It’s not going to be a very long wait. The test results will come back, and fingers crossed, TJ will tell her it’s nothing, and she and Michael will laugh about this later… right?

Taggert asks if Portia is okay, but she says, not really. She knows their daughter is in college, and she’s growing up and not going to tell her parents every single thing, but that girl had an alibi since day one, and she’s had all of them running around, scrambling, trying to help her for months now. Portia is upset and hurt. Trina chose to protect that spoiled entitled brat over herself. He says he was shocked too, but they’ve got to remember, she said if she thought it was necessary, she’d bring it out in her testimony. She says, that’s her point; why wait until the last minute? If Trina would have been honest from the very beginning, maybe they could have gotten the PCPD to use their resources to find the real criminal, who isn’t their daughter. He says he knows. It’s tough watching their daughter suffer. She says, this is just all so completely unbelievable to her. Their daughter is on trial for a crime she didn’t commit, and for the first time in Spencer’s life, he’s decided to tell the truth, which is great, she guesses. She just doesn’t know if it’s enough at this point to help Trina.

Rory and Josslyn go over to Trina, and she says she knows what they’re thinking, but she was always planning on admitting she had an alibi for when that video was distributed. What doesn’t make sense is Spencer. Why would he admit he escaped from Spring Ridge? He has everything lose, and nothing to gain. Josslyn says, maybe Spencer couldn’t sit back, knowing what it was costing Trina, and Diane says she needs a word with Trina in private. They step away, and Diane says, Trina is up. She’s putting Trina on the stand next. Trina says she knows; she’s ready. Diane says, except things have changed. The calculus is a little different, so she needs to pursue a different line of questioning. Trina asks what she means, and Diane says, it might be a little more personal than they’d originally intended.

Esme’s lip is bleeding, and Ava says, Esme’s been begging for that for months. Esme asks if that’s all Ava’s got, because she’s not afraid of Ava. She wipes the blood with her finger, and licks it off, adding, at all. Ava says, the walls are closing in on Esme, but she’s too arrogant to understand. She’s the definition of a poor little rich girl; she will never be loved. Esme says, she’s so done with Ava and her entire family. She starts to get her suitcase, and Ava sees the envelope. She picks it up, and says, Esme seems to have forgot something, fanning herself with it.

TJ tells Willow, he predicts outcomes of professional sports or awards all the time, but a patient’s diagnosis, never. His phone beeps, and she asks if everything is okay. He says, yeah. He needs to check on a patient. He promises he’ll be right back. He leaves, and goes to the reception desk. He picks up the phone, and asks, who’s on call for oncology today?… Okay. Have Dr. Singh paged… Yes, it’s very important. He needs a consult on some lab results.

Nikolas says, Spencer believed Esme made the revenge porn, and he was just trying to get her to slip up to save Trina. He should have let Nikolas know. Esme was a guest in his house. Spencer says he understands Nikolas is confused. but the more people who knew about his plan, the greater the chance of him being found out. They both know how smart Esme is – Nikolas flashes back to you-know-what – and how quickly she can twist things to her own advantage. It’s complicated, all right? Nikolas says, he just wishes Spencer would have included him in his plans. It would have changed so much. Spencer says, they can work out this mess later, but he needs to get back into court. Nikolas says, there’s something he needs to tell Spencer, and Spencer says, when the trial is over for the day, they’ll go someplace, and talk, but Nikolas says, he has to tell Spencer now. It’s very important Spencer hear it from him, and no one else. So does Nikolas think someone might tell Spencer in court? This guy is the king of bad ideas. Which is no small achievement in Port Charles.

Ava says, the letter, the one Esme didn’t want her to see. She wonders what kind of incriminating evidence is revealed in here. Esme flashes back to writing to Maggie, saying, she doesn’t quite have everything she wants just yet, but she’s well on her way. Ava says, how does she know this is Esme’s at all? It could be a Cassadine letter she’s stolen for some kind of leverage. Esme says, it’s hers, and she wants it back. She lunges for it, but Ava holds it away from her and laughs. She says, Esme is so desperate to have it. She wonders what’s written here.

Elizabeth says, she appreciates Finn’s concern, but she’s ready to get back to work. Keeping busy is going to help her feel normal again. And she processed her grief over Franco, and as long as she doesn’t overwork herself, or self-medicate with sleeping pills, the worst is behind her. Now she just needs him and Terry to understand that she can handle this. He says, of course (🍷). He owes her an apology… She says, they’ve already talked about this. He doesn’t owe her an apology, but he says, if Terry is guilty of smothering her, so is he, and he apologizes. Maybe he’s a little gun-shy. His last relationship kind of went off the rails because of all the secrets being kept. It destroyed everything they had, and he guesses he went all-in on the truth, and no middle ground. He knows it’s a terrible excuse, but he’s still trying to find the right balance with privacy and someone he loves.

Michael tells Sam, keep it down. He’s excited, but Willow is still in her first trimester, and they’re not telling everybody just yet. Sam says she’s really happy for him, and he says he’s so excited. The last time he found out he was going to be a father, it was turbulent to say the least. She says, that was different because it was Nelle was the one having his baby, and he says he hated the way she lorded it over him. Then after she gave birth… Sam says, it’s going to be different. He and Willow love each other. He says he’s so happy he and Willow make such a good team. This time around, he has nothing but hope for the future.

Willow paces, her hands on her stomach. She says, it’s okay, little one. It will be just fine.

Dr. Singh looks at the report, and TJ says he really hopes his diagnosis is wrong. Please tell him that he’s overreacting. Dr. Singh says, unfortunately, he thinks TJ’s diagnosis is spot-on.  

Ava says, there must be something really juicy in here. Did Esme write about how she framed an innocent woman for a crime she committed? Or how she seduced Ava’s husband? Esme says, Ava is so self-centered. Her letter said nothing about Ava, but it’s hers and she wants it back. She reaches for it, but Ava pulls it away again, and says she believes she’s detecting some real genuine emotion. Rage mostly, but fear underneath. There’s something here Esme doesn’t want her to know, and she can’t wait to see what it is. She starts to open the envelope, and Esme tackles her.

Spencer says, whatever Nikolas has to say to him is obviously weighing on him, which means it will probably be a long discussion. So it really needs to wait until the trial is done for the day. Nikolas’s phone rings, and Spencer says he really needs to go back inside. He jets, and Nikolas says, what is it?… What kind of commotion?… Who’s upstairs with his wife?

Elizabeth asks Finn what he just said, and Finn says, he thinks he said… you know… something about love. And by love, he means he really, really cares about her… and there’s no getting out of this one, is there, after his truth speech? He knows he’s been taking things deliberately slow, and he’s not sure how she feels about him, but he’s pretty sure he knows how he feels about her. He loves her. He’s in love with her. And she doesn’t have to say anything back. She doesn’t have to say anything at all. Her phone dings, and she says, TJ needs her help with something, so she should… He says, she should, and she leaves.

Trina tells Diane, don’t worry. She knows exactly what she needs to do. Diane says she’s Trina’s attorney; it’s her job to worry about Trina. She’s endured so much during this trial. She can’t imagine what it’s like, sitting there listening to that woman try to convince everyone that Trina would betray her friends in such a heinous fashion. A lesser woman would have crumbled under the pressure, but Trina’s not a lesser woman. Her mom and dad raised a strong, confident woman. Trina thanks her for the pep talk, but Diane says, it’s not a pep talk; it’s the truth. She can’t believe she’s going to say this, but Spencer actually helped their case. But the ball’s not in the end zone yet. That’s up to Trina. She needs to be the heroine in her own story. Trina says she likes how that sounds, and Diane says she thought Trina might. They go back to Portia and Taggert, and Portia says she knows Trina is testifying next. How is she feeling? Taggert says, she’ll do great, but Trina says, she’s going to do better than great. She’s going to be the heroine of her own story. She looks at Diane, and Diane says, let’s win this. The bailiff says, all rise, and Trina sees Spencer come in with Josslyn. The bailiff tells everyone to be seated. Court is now in session. Judge Young asks Diane to call her next witness, and Diane calls Trina to the stand. Trina looks at Spencer once again.

Ava and Esme struggle, knocking over furniture, and rolling around on the floor. It’s actually pretty funny. Ava gets away, and Esme pushes her down. Esme grabs the envelope, but before she can skate, Ava grabs her ankle, and she falls, the fireplace screen falling on top of her. Now I’m really laughing.

Diane asks if Trina can confirm Nikolas’s testimony that she and Nikolas were together at the very moment that revenge porn email was distributed. Trina says, yes. She was at the cemetery, working on an assignment for her Art History class at PCU, and the last person she expected to see was Spencer because she knew he was serving his sentence at Spring Ridge. She was shocked to say the least. Diane says, if she’s always had this very clear alibi, why did she wait until now to bring it to the court’s attention? Trina says, as the ADA demonstrated, emails can be sent by a timer. So Spencer being with her when the email came out, was never going to be enough to clear her name. And if Spencer came forward and admitted he bribed someone to let him go for the day so he could visit his mother’s grave, he would get into a lot of trouble. So she was hoping there would be enough of the other evidence to prove her innocence without jeopardizing Spencer’s future. Diane says, but Trina is on trial for felony charges. That’s an awfully big risk, doesn’t she think, to put someone else’s well-being ahead of her own future? Trina says, she’s sorry; what’s the question? Diane asks her to please tell the court why she put Spencer’s future ahead of her own. They’ve already established she’s an intelligent young woman; she gets excellent grades. And yet she sat on a key witness that could have provided her with a rock solid alibi because she didn’t want to harm him. She’s just trying to understand Trina’s motivation here, and she can only come up with one reason. It was an act of love. Spencer looks like he might cry, and a tear rolls down Trina’s cheek.

Mac tells Felicia, Dante is super focused on the day to day; raising Rocco as a single parent, forging a new relationship with Sam, playing the go-between with Michael and Sonny. He’s an extremely good detective, but he’s not thinking about his overall career objectives. Sometime way in the future when he wants to retire, Mac wants someone to replace him that he knows can do the job as good as he can. So the conversation he had with Dante, he was just planting a seed. He’s not turning his badge in anytime soon. She thanks him for the clarification, and he says, on the other hand, when he stepped in and hosted open mic night at the Haunted Star, it reminded him of how much he enjoyed running The Floating Rib. Sure, the insurance check they got from the explosion made a nice nest egg for them, and for that he’ll be eternally grateful. (Yikes. Did he forget it killed Dev and Dustin, and put Lulu in a coma?) He says, but he misses it as his home base. He felt anchored to the community. It’s where people came to get engaged, to celebrate an anniversary, or an entire office would come to celebrate a retirement. Or if someone was just having a bad day at work, it was someplace friendly to unwind. He loved all that. She says she knows what he means. When they lost The Floating Rib, it left such a void. She thinks she tried to fill that void by revisiting her P.I. skills. Between working with Anna and giving Sam advice, it was fun for her. He says, as he recalls, she was the best in the business. He knows they’re grandparents, but they’re still young at heart. She says, that’s true. When she was working with Sam, she felt so useful. He says, about that. She told him that Sam was struggling with a heavy case load, and she pointed Sam in the right direction concerning someone’s biological parents? She says, she suggested Sam look for a hard copy of the analog records, and he says, maybe Sam could use more than her advice. What if she stepped in and lightened Sam’s case load?

Sam tells Michael, it’s amazing news. It’s the kind of surprise she could actually use on a day like today. He says he’s surprised Dante didn’t tell her, and she says, his brother knew and was holding out on her? He says he thinks Dante was waiting for the official green light to tell anybody. It’s no secret, but the doctors tell them not to broadcast the news until they’re safely through the first trimester. And Dante’s got a lot on his plate, navigating things between him and Sonny. She says, Dante’s pretty good at keeping things close to his chest. Sometimes she feels like she needs a decoder to figure out what’s going on inside his head. She’s not saying he keeps secrets from her, but like Michael said, it’s a big job negotiating between him and Sonny, and she just thinks there’s a whole world going on inside Dante’s mind. Which means she’s always in for a surprise as they take their next steps in their relationship. He says, that sounds newsworthy. What kind of next steps are they planning?

TJ tells Elizabeth that he needs a favor, and asks her to go to the lab and print out a more detail analysis of this patient’s bloodwork, and bring it to his office. He needs to make this a priority. She says, of course (🍷), and leaves. TJ asks Dr. Singh, what happens now? and the doctor says, when he gets the results, he’ll share them with Dr. Randolph, and they’ll discuss what options Willow has. Willow steps outside the exam room, and sees them talking.

Ava grabs the envelope, and Esme gets herself out from under the fireplace screen. She grabs at it.

TJ tells Willow, the blood work shouldn’t take too much longer, and then he can answer her questions. She says she saw him talking to Dr. Singh. They both seemed extremely serious. She has to ask. Were they talking about her? She knows he doesn’t want to scare her, but she’s about to be a nurse; she can handle it. Dr. Singh is an oncologist. Does he think… Does this mean he thinks she has cancer? He says he’s worried she has leukemia.

Elizabeth finds Finn, and he says, that was really fast. She says she just had to pick up some time sensitive results. Now she has to take them downstairs. He tells her, what he said before… He doesn’t want to put any pressure on her. She’s been through a lot, and they haven’t even… She kisses him, and says she loves him. He says, she does? but she says, if she doesn’t leave right now, Epiphany is going to think she’s playing hooky. Will she see him after her shift? He says, absolutely, and she goes into the stairwell. He raises his arms in a sign of victory.

Elizabeth walks down the stairs, and stops suddenly, her pen falling from her hand. She remembers Peter lying on the landing, and taking his pulse. She drops everything, and sits down on the step.

Sam tells Michael, she didn’t mean for that to sound so big; she was talking in the abstract. She and Dante are happy, but they’re taking it slow out of necessity. They have three kids involved between the two of them, and Rocco’s mother is in a coma, and it’s complicated. And she and Dante are consumed with work and parenting, and her caseload is intense. He says, his mom told him she was looking into ways to get Trina exonerated, but she ran into a brick wall. Sam says she did, but she got some excellent advice from a veteran P.I. tis morning, and she has the feeling this tip could get them closer to the proof they need.

Felicia asks how many Mai Tais Mac has had. Sam never told her that she’s looking for a partner. He asks if she’d be interested even if Sam wasn’t. They’re both Jacks of all trades, and love dabbling in everything. That doesn’t mean Felicia can’t scratch that itch by helping Sam out every now and then. She says, it could be fun. Plus, Sam told her that she needed to be stealthy about this investigation because it would hit close to home for some people. She can speed the process along by doing the legwork. It’s not like she has any connection to the client’s biological parents.

Esme grabs the envelope and runs out onto the turret, as no one with any sense would do. Ava is right behind her, and Esme balls up the envelope. She’s about to throw it over, when Ava grabs her hand, and they struggle.

Diane says, the prosecution alleges that Trina filmed that video of Joss and Cam because she was jealous of their relationship. So let’s clarify things. Was Trina ever involved with Cameron Webber? Trina says, no, and Diane says, but she once had feelings for him? Trina says, they kissed twice, and decided they were better off as friends. Diane says, and at the cabin last January, did Trina have feelings for Cameron then? but Trina says, no. Diane says, because she had feelings for someone else, and Trina says, yes. Diane asks, and who would that person be? and Trina says, Spencer Cassadine. Spencer smiles, Diane looks smug, Portia looks like she wants the earth to swallow her, Josslyn looks at Spencer, and Rory looks grim and annoyed, although I don’t know why, since it was before his time.  

Nikolas comes flying into the sitting room, calling for Ava, and hears Esme and Ava on the turret. Ava and Esme are battling over the envelope, and Esme gives it a good pull, falling back and over the turret wall, as Nikolas comes out.

Tomorrow, Jordan tells Curtis that he needs to talk to Esme; Trina says she told the truth, now her fate is out of her hands; and Ava asks if Nikolas found Esme. I’m starting to think that fall from the turret is only about four feet, since pretty much everyone survives it.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy tells Raygan that she needs a bosun she can trust, and who makes the guests a priority. Raygan promises to prove herself. The captain says, sometimes she sounds harsh, but she doesn’t want them to be learning in front of the guests. They should be there already. The theme of tonight’s dinner is Morocco, and Natalya says she’s ready to live her best life in Morocco, with a rich old guy about to cork it, and he has a tragic death. Raygan tells Storm that Captain Sandy’s not happy with her. They’re not organized. Storm suggests they put everything in the water, and Raygan says she’s going to have a meeting. The captain says, the weather is going to be terrible, and Raygan calls the deck crew together. Dave tries doing something nice in leaving coffee for Tasha outside their cabin, but she steps on it when she comes out. Seriously, placement is everything with liquids. She tells Dave that she’s struggling to wake up, and Dave says, she’s grumpy. She says she came out of their cabin, and kicked coffee everywhere. She wonders why he’s being weird, and in Tasha’s interview, she says, they seem in a good space, but deep down she’s struggling with this situation with Dave. She broke up with her ex just before they got on the boat, but ever since she cheated, she’s felt guilty. Now she’s trying to keep Dave from telling the crew, since a lot people have different perceptions of cheating. Some people might think she’s the worst person in the world, and she doesn’t know how the crew would react to the situation. Raygan tells the deckhands, try to be as quick as they can, and inflate everything. She says, Storm is more experienced with mega yachts than she is, and asks who’s good with smaller boats. Jason says he’s good on the tender, and in Raygan’s interview, she says she feels pressured. Captain Sandy is annoyed with her, and she feels like her job is on the line.

Breakfast happens, and guest Noah says, hangovers are bullsh*t. Why do they have to be the consequence for drinking? Ah, the age old question. We flash back to them harassing Dave the night before, and primary Emily says she’s seen them worse. Natalya tells them, a swim helps with a hangover; it washes them away. She suggests a trip to the caves for a swim or dip, and Jason packs the tender. In Jason’s interview, he says he’s used to smaller boats, and he’s comfortable taking guests out on adventures. All he’s doing is inflating and deflating things, and he could be used more in the tender role. He’ll keep working hard until his time. Tasha tells Dave they’re doing a Mexican theme for lunch, and in Dave’s interview, he says he’s struggling. The night before he and Tasha joined the boat, they made an agreement. They’d give it a week and then slowly adapt. Otherwise he woudn’t have shared a cabin with her. Now he feels like she’s avoiding him, and he can’t handle the pressure anymore.

Tasha and Natalya do the cabins, while Storm takes the guests to the caves in Crystal Lagoon. The guests all jump off into the water, and I could cry, it’s so beautiful and looks so relaxing. On the boat, Captain Sandy says she doesn’t trust the weather, and monkey brain welcome back shots are prepared. I look this up, and it’s vodka, Irish cream, lemon juice, and grenadine. Urghhp. The captain says, the storm is coming early; she sees it building. The guests return, and take photos. Captain Sandy points out the sky, and says, they’re going back to the dock. The wind is going to be 30 knots, with 4 meter seas, which are massive. She feels bad, but it’s a safety issue. In her interview, she says she never wants to have to go back. They’re here to show the guests a good time, but it’s all about safety. It’s her responsibility, and they have to go back. She radios the crew, and Kyle says, heaven help me, probably because the pressure is now on the interior to be entertaining. Raygan eats tacos in the crew mess, and Captain Sandy says, they’ve got to hustle; the wind is picking up. The stews decorate for lunch, and the guests are bummed. The captain calls Raygan to the bridge. Noah asks Jason about his career path, and Jason says, he’s been captain on smaller boats; in particular a 60 foot sailboat. Before that, he was in corporate America. He tells Noah, America is a sh*tshow right now, and he doesn’t want go back. Captain Sandy says she wants the stern clear to swing away from the dolphins, and in her interview, she says, there are too many variables; wind, the current, too many dolphins. She has to zig-zag, and it’s difficult. Raygan tells the deckhands the plan for docking, and Noah sprays beer in his own face, trying to poke a hole in the can. Anchor is home, and they head back.

Raygan says she hasn’t eaten all day, and jets to the mess. I guess she means she hasn’t eaten since ten minutes ago. Storm radios Raygan, but she ignores it. In Storm’s interview, he says, WTF is she doing? This is bullsh*t, dude. Right now what she’s doing is eating a jam donut, which she says is proper jammy. In Mzi’s interview, he says, Storm likes to take charge. He has a big work ethic, and can be a perfectionist at times, but he always steps up. Raygan finally tears herself away from the donuts, and joins the deckhands, saying, they’ve got 40 minutes to bang this out. Dave throws down some laundry, and it hits Tasha. She says she got a G-string in her eyeball; it’s the lowest point of her life. Dave says he’s so over this. The guests decide to wait until after they dock for lunch, and in Dave’s interview, he says, delaying lunch is the worst because of the potential of the food drying out. Then if dinner is later, it’s the same nightmare, but he carries on. He has to be flexible, but this could be a disaster. The guests ask for more cocktails, and Natalya says, the laundry room makes her feel like she walked into a brothel. When the laundry is out of control, she feels out of control. The wind begins to gust, and the guests go inside. Mzi and Storm go over the docking procedure, and in Raygan’s interview, she says, she’s comfortable when it comes to docking. She knows what she’s doing. Noah makes Jason explain what he’s doing until Raygan comes along, and tells Noah that Jason has to concentrate on what he’s doing. They come into port, and wow, the dolphins are tight. Captain Sandy asks if she’s clear, and Raygan says she’s got three meters. Jason says, it’s one meter; they’re going to hit. The captain hits the dolphin, and because that’s not bad enough, Noah yells, you hit it. Captain Sandy dashes to the deck.

In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, no captain wants to hit anything. It’s the first time in her career that she’s touched anything. It’s not okay. The guests are impressed with the table décor, and the lines are thrown ashore. I see a fly, but I’m not sure if it’s on the lunch table or my TV. Jason says, it’s a bit of a sh*tshow, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, the environment makes it difficult. There’s no leadership. In the captain’s interview, she says, when she approaches the dock, she expects the bosun to have things in order. This was mismanaged, and lines were everywhere. Raygan doesn’t know her job. Tasha tells Dave that he can’t expect to function on two hours sleep, and in her interview, she says she’d like to think Dave is respecting her wishes, but she can tell it’s eating him away inside. She doesn’t want to hurt him, but she feels like she’s treading on eggshells around him. Captain Sandy tells Storm, nice job, and in Raygan’s interview, she says, they could have done a few things better. They docked safely; that’s the main thing. She tells the captain, they just slightly touched; there’s no damage. Guest Anna says, food is her love language, and this is love. Natalya tells Kyle that the laundry is like a brothel, and he says, that’s because she works there. BA-DUM-CHH! They set up a plank so the guests can go ashore, and Captain Sandy says, they have permission to take the tender down. In Storm’s interview, he says, structure is needed. It’s a new team on a new boat, in a new area. There’s a pace at which they need to do things. Jason is sucking his thumb, and packing a box that should take two minutes, and it’s taking thirty. Kyle says, when he laughs, he farts, and Natalya says, his butthole needs a plug. They pretty much banter like this all the time. Noah whines about having to dock, and Mzi says, it’s for safety. Noah says, when you don’t follow rules, life is better. Obviously he’s drunk away his hangover. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the docking was a mess. It starts with leadership. You have to be able to lead your team. We flash back to Raygan’s lack of leadership skills, or any skills except smoking and eating, and the captain says, the docking was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She texts Norma from Yacht Staffing, and says she’s looking for a bosun. Norma says she has none available, and asks if a deckhand could work.  

Storm takes the guests on a ride around the city in the tender. When they get back, it’s vodka/lychee/raspberry shots which is finally something that doesn’t turn my stomach. The guests get ready for dinner, and Natalya says, her life is doing laps. In Dave’s interview, he says, the guests want Moroccan; Moroccan is sick. If he was doing cooking like he did in Morocco, he’d dig a hole in the mud, and use charcoals, but he can’t. He has to settle for braising it in a big pot, and adding spices and herbs. Storm flirts with Natalya in the laundry room, and in her interview, she says she’s not on the hunt, but if it pops up, she won’t say no. He has to be cool, from a good family, with a good friendship group. She just broke up with her boyfriend, so she’s not rushing into anything, but she’s happy to ride the train and see where it’s going. In his interview, Dave says, on their previous boat, he and Tasha were always together. She was going to leave her current boyfriend, and he thought he was in the door. He’s afraid she’s regretting it now, and it’s making him feel worthless. When he falls in love, he want to talk about it, but he can’t. What a drama queen, but what he can do is make amazing food. He comes up with the dinner, and guest Kelly says, he’s the man. She’s trying so many new things. Kyle says, are we happy penis? then insists he said happiness. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s a born service queen. The interior is excellent. Tasha’s cocktails are extraordinary, and Natalya excels in housekeeping and laundry. He’s all for supporting the team, but if the tip is whopping, it’s because of them. The guests go to the upper deck for dessert, and it’s decorated with gauzy white drapes, low tables, and floor pillows. Noah asks if this is more of that hippie sh*t. Dessert is a white chocolate pie, which Kelly says, rocked their world. I’m not a huge white chocolate fan, but I have the feeling that I’d even like things I don’t like from some of these yacht chefs. Emily says, this day of the charter was a terrible day, and she lost a sh*t ton of stocks. Noah says, she’s still rich. In their cabin, Storm bitches at Mzi for missing the toilet. Tasha asks if Dave is okay, and he says his mind won’t stop. She says, stop what? and he says, thinking about everything. Is there something she’s not telling him? She says, he’s starting to freak her out. It’s like she’s on eggshells. He asks if she’s scared of what he’s going to say, and she says she just doesn’t know what he’s going to do. It’s not stuff anyone needs to know. Dave says he feels like crying all the time, and doesn’t like it. She tells him that he needs to get some sleep, and he tucks her in. Ugh. These chefs are always so sensitive.

It’s breakfast time, and Tasha says, Dave must have slept, but he says he got no sleep. She says, that’s not all right, then they move to the topic of bread making. Captain Sandy asks Storm to meet her on the bridge for a quick chat. They talk about the docking, and she says she loves how he took charge. He understands it’s critical to get the lines on shore. She wanted to acknowledge that, and says she’ll talk to him later. Emily says they went above and beyond, and Anna says she’s so sad to leave. The guests pack and the crew changes to their whites. The captain radios the crew to meet on the dock for guest departure.

In Mzi’s interview, he says, at the end of every charter, there’s a woo-hoo. It’s been tense, so he’s looking forward to a drinky winky tonight. Emily tells them, it was unreal. They were all amazing, and the only complaint was being kept waiting to get in the water. We flash back to that, and yeah, there was no excuse. Emily gives the captain the tip envelope, and says, well done, team.

At the tip meeting, Captain Sandy says, it was a difficult docking. The lines took a long time, and she touched the mooring buoys. That can never happen. Interior, as always, did an amazing job. She hasn’t had a chef like Dave in a long time; he’s doing a great job. It was overall a great charter. The tip is $19K or $1,727 each. The crew applauds and toasts themselves. The captain thanks them, and tells them to enjoy their night out.

Captain Sandy calls Raygan to the bridge, and tells her, have a seat.

To be continued…

🥀 Final Frontier…

She was truly a trailblazer.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/31/entertainment/nichelle-nichols-star-trek-dies/index.html

👢 Walking the Line…

Drop by tomorrow for soap and a tea leaf or two. Until then, stay safe, stay away from pettiness, and stay not struggling over anything on a turret.

July 29, 2022 – Spencer Steps Up, Soap Chef, Returning, Dubai Invite List, Kyle’s Reaction, No Just No, Shameful Shah, Squid Triumph, Just Over 10 Quotes & Lipstick

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny punches the heavy bag, when Brick walks in. Sonny says, it’s been a few months since he’s seen Brick in person, and Brick says, Sonny asked him to assess the west coast family situation. Sonny asks what he found, and Brick says, so far, all’s quiet on the western front. He’s not sure that robbery had anything to do with the west, but things have died down. That means he can give his full attention to finding a replacement, somebody to fill Jason’s shoes. Sonny says he thinks he may have found someone.

Michael tells Dex that he’s tired of Sonny taking whatever he wants. It’s time to face the consequences. Brando comes out, and bounds up the stairs, seeing them. He asks what they’re doing here, and Michael says he’s telling Dex for the last time, stop following him. He doesn’t know if Dex is following his dad’s orders, or he’s showing off, but Sonny’s new errand boy won’t stop harassing him, and it ends today. Dex says, no law against taking the stairs. Last time he checked, Michael didn’t own them.

Sasha thanks Willow for letting her vent. It helps so much to know that Willow understands what happened to her mom was truly an accident. Still, hearing about it can’t be easy. Willow says, no easier than for Sasha to talk about it she imagines. Accidentally hitting someone with her car has to be traumatic for her. Sasha says, it is for sure, especially when those tabloid people keep implying she was driving under the influence. Willow says, those jerks didn’t get to her, and Sasha says she doesn’t know what she did to deserve a friend like Willow. She’s hurt Willow in so many ways, always unintentionally, but still, Willow has never wavered in supporting her. A lot of people would have walked away. Willow says, the feeling’s mutual. She hopes Sasha knows that, because she knows Sasha will have her back, just like she has Sasha’s. Sasha says, Wiley is so lucky to have Willow as his mother, and so will this little one. Willow flashes back to TJ telling her that she has an elevated white blood cell count, but he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy.

At Windymere, Esme says she has to get the hell out of here. She finds a book, and takes a paper out of it. She puts the paper into a manila envelope, and puts that in her suitcase. As she’s zipping up the suitcase, Ava walks in, and says, you conniving little whore. Esme says, as the saying goes, it takes one to know one. Ava says, Esme’s not going to try and talk her way out of this? So unlike her normal lying ways. But even for Esme, this is a new low, sleeping with her boyfriend’s father. That is beyond tacky. Esme asks if it was beyond tacky when Ava was having an affair with Morgan Corinthos, then slept with his father. How old does Ava think Avery should be when Ava informs her that she’s the product of hate sex? Ava asks how she knows about those things, and Esme says, Ava didn’t think she’d do her research? She likes to know what she’s dealing with. Ava asks where Esme thinks she’s going, and Esme says she may have had sex with Nikolas, but Ava is still going to get what she wants. Esme is leaving town, and Ava will never have to see her again. Ava grabs Esme’s arm, and says, she’s not going anywhere; not until she pays for the damage she’s done.

Judge Young tells Diane to call her first witness, as Portia hurries in. She tells Taggert that she got here as quick as she could, and Diane calls Spencer Cassadine. Everyone is like, wha-a-at? and Portia asks, what the hell is happening here? Taggert says he has no idea, and Spencer is sworn in.  

Brick holds the bag as Sonny punches, and asks if Sonny’s been looking at candidates without him. He’ll try not to take it personally. Sonny says, this guy kind of fell into his lap. A low-level guy he has working for him. His name is Dex; he’s a military vet. Brick asks where Sonny found him. He knows Sonny ain’t running help wanted ads in the classifieds. Sonny says, when Chet was away, Dex was running the gym, and Brick asks what Sonny likes about him. Sonny says, he’s hungry; it’s like he’s chasing something more. Brick says, so he reminds you of you, and Sonny laughs, saying, not just him. He’s like Stone, Jason… Brick says, far be it for him to question Sonny’s judgement – which he won’t – but allow him to question Dex’s. There’s no shortage of people who want to get in this business, thinking they know what they’re getting themselves into. But he and Sonny both know, there’s no way to know what it actually does to someone until they live it.

Brando steps between Michael and Dex, and says, that’s enough. He tells Dex to back off Michael. Go for a walk. Dex says, fine, whatever. He’ll see Michael around. Dex leaves, and Michael says he appreciates Brando stepping in, but he could have handled this. Brando says, he’s confused. Dex just followed Michael to the hospital and tried to intimidate him? Michael says he has no idea. Other than maybe Dex thinks he’s impressing Sonny, Michael has no idea what this guy wants from him. Brando says, maybe Michael is right; maybe Dex is just trying to impress Michael’s dad. He can backchannel to Sonny that Michael is having issues with Dex, but Michael says, absolutely not. Brando says he was just trying to help, and Michael says he appreciates it, but he doesn’t want Sonny involved in this. Besides, Brando has bigger things to focus on.

Sasha says, honestly, she doesn’t know what she’d do without Willow’s friendship, when TJ comes out. He says he’s ready for Willow, and Willow tells Sasha, they’ll talk soon. Willow leaves with him, and Sasha’s phone dings. She looks at it, and says, am I keeping my counseling appointment today…

In an exam room, TJ thanks Willow for coming back. He just needs another blood sample. She asks why they need another blood test, and he says, to make sure the first wasn’t an anomaly. She says, doctors aren’t usually the ones who take blood samples, and he says she’s his friend. Sue him if he’s a little invested. She says, raised white blood cell counts can indicate any number of things, but it’s clear he’s worried about something specific. Can he tell her what it is he’s looking for?

Esme says, well, well. It seems Ava’s Prince Charming finally decided to be honest, and tell her that he’s just another slimy frog. Ava says she’s had Esme pegged from the very start. She’s selfish and entitled, but she’s very, very smart; Ava will give her that. Esme helped Spencer torture her for months, and it all came quite naturally to her, didn’t it? She knows Spencer says he put Esme up to setting her car on fire, but Ava saw that look of fear in his eyes. Spencer didn’t do that. He’s selfish, self-centered, and self-serving, but he’s no psychopath; not like Esme. And Esme couldn’t just set it on fire. She had to go a step further and put Ava’s dead daughter’s ID next to it, and that is just sadistic. And Esme made that revenge porn video of Joss and Cam. Again, only a demented mind like Esme’s would do something like that. And she framed Trina to take the fall, but all of that wasn’t enough, was it? Esme had to seduce her husband. She had to trick Ava’s husband into falling into bed with her. Esme says, Nikolas hardly had to be seduced. All thanks to the shrewish ways Ava’s been treating him. Every day Ava came up with new and creative ways to emasculate him. Ava made him feel like less man. All Esme had to do was be there to catch him when he fell.

Diane says, they danced around this during Spencer’s previous testimony, so let’s just cut to the chase, shall they? Does he believe Trina Robinson filmed and distributed an intimate video – Nikolas walks in and sits behind Trina – of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber? He says, no, he doesn’t. He knows for a fact Trina couldn’t have distributed that video. Portia tells Taggert, Spencer is defending their daughter, and Diane asks if he can tell the court why he’s so certain. He says he knows for a fact Trina couldn’t have distributed that video because she was with him when the video was released via email.

Willow says she knows TJ doesn’t have any firm answers yet, but what is he worried about? There’s a knock at the door, and Michael comes in. He says he’s sorry to interrupt, but the nurse said they were in here. Willow says, he’s not interrupting, and TJ says, he’s done here. He says he’ll be right back, and leaves. Michael says he’s confused. He thought Willow had an OB appointment; why was TJ here and not Britt? She says, it’s nothing. He was just being a good friend.

Esme says, Nikolas felt unappreciated. In name, he and Ava were husband and wife, yet they were sleeping in separate bedrooms. Who does that? I tell her, probably more people than she thinks, and she says, Ava drove him away, just like she drove away every single person she cared about. Ava says, all the research Esme has done on her, Esme doesn’t know her. Esme says, doesn’t she? She knows Ava turned her back on her brother before he died. Ava says she loved her brother very much. Julian was self-destructive. She had no choice but to walk away. Esme says, just like Ava walked away from Kiki when she found Kiki sleeping with her boyfriend Griffin Monroe. She’s hardly the catalyst for what happened with all of them. Ava does see that the common denominator in all of those twisted scenarios is herself? Ava says, that’s enough. Don’t try to make this about her. Nikolas is Spencer’s father. Did Esme think she was going to trade up to more money by targeting him? Esme says, one more time, she did not target Nikolas. He came running to her. Ava says she knows better. Esme is a stalker. Esme and Spencer played their sick mind game with her; they made her fear for her daughter’s life. The ways they attacked her…. She stops for a moment, then says, all this time, she thought Esme was just her stepson’s obnoxious entitled girlfriend. So why then does this all feel so very personal? Why does Esme hate her so much? There has to be more to this story. There has to be. Esme glances at the envelope sticking out of her suitcase.

Diane asks if Spencer is saying, he was with Trina at the moment that email was distributed to the PCU. He says, that’s exactly what he’s saying, and Diane says, correct her if she’s wrong, but that day her was serving a sentence at the Spring Ridge Minimum Security Prison, was he not? He says, yes, that’s correct, and she asks if Trina was visiting him on that day. He says, no, and she says, he’s going to have to help all of them out here. If he was with Trina in person and not in prison, where was he? He says he arranged for a kind of off-the-books day pass to leave prison. You might say Trina saw him when he escaped.

Sonny says, good workout, and Brick says, all he did was hold the bag. Dex comes in, and asks if it’s a good time, or does Sonny want him to come back later, but Sonny says, no. Actually, it’s a good time. They were just talking about him. This is a good time for Brick and Dex to meet. Sonny introduces them, and says, Brick is a trusted friend, second in command. Brick and Dex shake hands, and Dex says he wanted to give Sonny an update on that thing they discussed when he has a moment. Sonny tells him, whatever he’s got to say, he can say in front of Brick. Brick is like family to him. So how’s their good friend the photographer doing this afternoon? Dex says, he’s not going to be selling anything to anyone again. He definitely won’t be opening his mouth. Dex made sure of that before the cops showed up. Sonny says, Dex talked to the cops?

Michael asks if Willow can tell how excited he is, and she says she can; she is too. He says he can’t stop thinking about how lucky they are. Everything is going to be different this time. They’ll both be there from the very start, and they’re not going to miss any moments with their child.

Brando sees Sasha, and says, there she is. She asks what he’s doing back at the hospital, and he says he felt guilty leaving her behind. Is she going to be late? She says,; she’s not going. He asks, why not? and she says she ran into Willow. It turns out the photographer, the one who harassed her and got in his car and chased her, which led her to hit Harmony, is here at GH. It kind of forced her and Willow to unpack a lot of things they needed to discuss. She was very sympathetic, and in a way, it was therapeutic. He says he understands. Why don’t they reschedule her therapy appointment? She says, no. She’s all talked out.

Portia wonders why Trina didn’t tell them any of this, and Taggert says, she was probably protecting Cassadine. Rory says he has no idea what’s going on, and Josslyn says, she doesn’t either, but maybe Spencer is doing the right thing for once. Judge Young says, quiet in the courtroom, banging his gavel, and tells Diane to please continue. She says, to clarify, Spencer escaped from prison, and Spencer says he planned on going back. He did go back. Arden objects, saying, there’s no way to verify this, but Diane says, the same as any witness’s testimony. Now it’s up to the jury to determine its voracity. The judge says, overruled, but get to point soon. Diane asks how Spencer was able to leave undetected, and he says he’s not proud of this, but someone was bribed to look the other way. She asks why this day was so important that he obtained this unofficial hall pass, and he tears up and says, it was the anniversary of his mother’s death. His mother died when her was a baby, so he never met her. The anniversary of her death is important to him. As a boy, he always laid flowers. The last several years, he was away at boarding school in France, so he couldn’t. So to be back here in Port Charles on that anniversary, and not be able to honor her with flowers was incredibly painful. He went to the graveyard to see her. He never meant for anyone to see him. That’s when he saw Trina at the cemetery, working on a project for PCU. Diane tells the judge that her associate is currently collecting proof of Trina’s PCU assignment, which she’ll be entering as evidence. She asks if Spencer realizes, with this, he could be jeopardizing his freedom, since he was released from Spring Ridge. He says, he knows, and starts to cry, looking at Trina. He says, but at a certain point, you have to stop doing the easy thing, and start doing right thing.

Dex tells Sonny, it’s not his first rodeo, but Brick says, even veteran riders get tossed off the bull. Dex says, he knows enough to make himself scarce before the cops see him. It was Sonny’s son, the detective. Sonny says he doesn’t care who it was. Someone shows up with a badge, you don’t say anything. Dex promises, that’s exactly what he did. He’s sorry he didn’t handle it correctly, but he thought he was doing what Sonny wanted. Sonny says, Dex is right; he did the right thing. Like with Josslyn. Brick asks, what happened with Joss? and Sonny says, they were having a discussion with that reporter that gave Sasha drugs. It got a little heated, and they roughed him up a little bit. It so happens that Josslyn shows up, starts filming the whole thing, and threatening to take the footage to the police. Brick says, what? and Sonny says, she’s upset about what happened with him and her mother, and she wanted payback. Thanks to Dex… He talked her into deleting the footage. He tells Dex that he hasn’t thanked him for that. He appreciates that. Now Dex knows what the boundaries are when dealing with his kids. Dex says, Sonny is the boss; he makes the rules.

Sasha asks Brando, doesn’t he get it? She’s emotionally drained right now. She’s too spent for another therapy session. He says he does get that, but she needs to stick to her program if she’s going to get any better. She says, that’s not for him to decide, is it? and he tells her, he’s not saying that. If she wants, he’ll make the appointment for her. It’s not something she needs to stress out over. She says, oh my God. The only one stressing her out is him. He and Gladys are smothering her.

Ava asks why Esme’s attacks on her are so personal? First Esme threw Morgan in her face, then Kiki and Griffin. Esme didn’t know any of those people (and we barely remember them). Who is giving her this information and why? What the hell did she ever do to Esme? Esme says, if her time in this provincial city has taught her anything, it’s that people here love to gossip. Not many people here like Ava much. Not that Esme’s treated Ava any differently than she would have treated anyone else. It’s a lesson you learn pretty quickly in boarding school. People can be vicious, so a good defense is the best offense. So she learned things. Ava just happens to have more dirt in her past than most people. Ava says, that’s not it. She’s onto something. She knows it; she can feel it. When Spencer asked for Esme’s help torturing her, Esme jumped at the chance, didn’t she? Why was Esme so willing to help him? Spencer ended up in prison. Esme could have very well ended up there as well. If Esme was some simpleton just trying to please her crush, Ava would buy it, but Esme’s no fool, and obviously not very devoted to Spencer. Esme says she’s not the one who’s devotion wavered, and Ava says she sees she pushed a button. Let’s see if she can push a few more.

Diane says, if Trina Robinson didn’t distribute this revenge porn video of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber, Spencer must have some suspicion as to who did. Unless of course (🍷) Josslyn and Cameron filmed themselves. Spencer says, no way. It was their first… They wouldn’t do that. Diane asks if he had anything to do with it, but he says, no. Absolutely not. He might not have been the best friend to Josslyn and Cameron over the course of the last year, but he’d never hurt them in that way. She says, this cabin they’ve been discussing belongs to Josslyn’s former stepfather; is that correct? Spencer says, yes. This trip to the cabin was before Sonny and Carly got divorced. She says, tell her about this cabin. Is there staff? Is there anyone else who might have made this video? A cleaning crew perhaps? Spencer says, there was no staff there, okay? and Diane says, okay. Someone else then. A disgruntled neighbor perhaps. Spencer says, no. The cabin is very isolated. Diane says, all right. There were five of them there that night, Trina, who he knows is innocent. Josslyn and Cameron, also innocent. Spencer, who denies any responsibility. That leaves who? Arden objects, saying, speculation, and Diane tells Judge Young, there were five people at the cabin that night, and Spencer was one of them. His opinion has merit. The judge says, overruled, but tread carefully, and Spencer says, there was no outside staff. It had to be someone who was staying in the cabin. Diane says, uh-huh. Who? Spencer looks at Trina, and says, his girlfriend at the time, Esme Prince. Soap looks are exchanged all around.

Brando says, he and his mom don’t mean to smother Sasha. They just want to see her get better. He knows she had a good talk with Willow, and he’s glad they cleared the air. He knows Willow is a good friend to her, but Willow is not a psychiatrist. And the whole Harmony part? He knows she has guilt over that, but it isn’t her main issue. She needs to talk to a doctor about why she turns to pills when she’s already seen how cocaine damaged her life. He’s an addict too, remember? She needs to deal with the root cause. She says, he doesn’t trust her, and he says he does, but he knows how addicts think. The temptation of drugs gets the better of your brain. Sasha needs her psychiatrist’s help. He and her doctors wanted her to go live in rehab, but she didn’t want to do that. So if she’s not going to rehab, she needs to stick to her outpatient therapy. She yells at him, stop trying to control her every move, and he yells back, given the way their life together is spiraling out of control, maybe somebody does need to control her.

Sonny tells Dex to take off; he’s going to go over some stuff with Brick. Dex  starts to leave, but Brick says, hang on. Sonny mentioned Dex was a vet; same here. He’s sure they have a lot to talk about. Dex says he’s sure they do, and leaves. Sonny asks Brick what he thinks, and Brick says, he’s too full of himself. Cocky. Too reckless as far as Brick is concerned. Too flippant with the way he speaks about Sonny’s family, and dealing with the cops. Sonny says, he’s young; he’s got to learn the ropes. Brick says, he deserves a shot. He’s just not sure about sending a rookie to deal with some drug dealer. Sonny says, Dex volunteered, and Brick asks if Sonny thinks someone this young and green will be effective in the enforcer role. Sonny says, Dex is about Jason’s age when Jason started working for him, and Brick says, yeah, but this generation seems to need a lot more growing up than the previous one. Sonny says, every generation needs time to mature. Isn’t that always the case?

Outside, behind a warehouse, Dex looks at his phone.

Michael tells Willow, even though they didn’t plan for the pregnancy, he thinks the timing couldn’t be better. Wiley and the new baby are only going to be a few years apart. She says, for so many years, she was desperate for a brother or sister. Someone she could talk to, play with, share the crazy of life with Harmony. What about him and Morgan? Were they close? He says, there was a time they were fighting over Kiki, but for the most part, they were close. Then there was Dante. Obviously, the didn’t grow up together, and they met as adults, but he’s very glad Dante is in his life. No one can talk him off a cliff like Dante can. His phone dings, he looks at it, and sighs. She asks if something’s wrong, and he says, no, it’s a work thing, but he really needs to handle this. He tells he that he can stick around if she wants, but she says, no. She’s fine. If this were some big step, she’d want him to be here, but it’s just another routine appointment. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, absolutely. He says he’ll see her at home, and leaves.

Diane thanks Spencer, and says, no further questions. Arden says, it’s Spencer’s testimony that he was with Trina the moment the email containing the revenge porn was distributed at PCU; is that correct? He says, that’s correct, and she says, but he has no accounting for Trina’s whereabouts at the moment the video was being filmed, does he? She reminds the court, it’s the non-consensual recording that’s the most pressing charge here. He says, um… and she says, let her repeat. Was he with Miss Robinson when the revenge porn video was filmed? He says, no, he wasn’t, and she says, and to reiterate his previous testimony, he was with Esme Prince when the video was filmed. He says, yes, he was, and once again, I wonder why he’s not bringing up Esme going back to the cabin to get whatever he’d left there, especially since he said something to Esme about it, like, five minutes ago. Arden says, okay then, moving on. Spencer audited classes at PCU last fall. Did he ever have to pull an all-nighter? (For auditing???) He says, yes, and she says, when he needed to turn in a term paper to a professor in the middle of the night, was he aware that you could schedule send an email later for a more reasonable hour using a run-of-the-mill app? Now I stamp my foot and say, that’s a dumb thing to even say, since it’s not like a new email shakes you awake to read it. Spencer says, she lost him, and Diane objects, saying, the State has lost everyone with this line of questioning. Arden says, withdrawn, and tells Judge Young that she’d like to enter into evidence an email that she personally sent to him and opposing counsel. Diane says, excuse me? and Arden says, give it a second. Diane and the judge’s phones beep, and Arden says, there it is. While Mr. Cassadine was accounting for the defendant’s whereabouts, she scheduled her email to be released later.

TJ comes back, and asks Willow if Michael had to leave. She says, it was a work issue. She told him to go deal with it. He says, if she wants to reschedule for a time they can both be here, they can do that, but Willow says she has time. He closes the door, and says he couldn’t help notice that she gave Michael the runaround when he asked why TJ was  taking the lead here, and not Britt. Is there a reason she’s telling Michael this isn’t her usual OB appointment?

Michael tells Dex, he hopes this is important. He was at the hospital with Willow. Dex asks if she’s okay, and Michael says, just standard pregnancy stuff. So what’s going on? Talk to him. Dex says he just wanted to make sure Michael got things squared with Brando; he seemed pretty suspicious. Michael says, he was 100% suspicious, but he bought that he was pissed at Dex for harassing him. Dex says, good, because he has enough people looking at him suspiciously. Michael asks what that means, and Dex says, this guy Brick. He thinks Brick is going to dig into his past. Michael thanks him for the heads up, and says, but if Brick is doing a background check, that’s a good sign Dex is moving closer into Sonny’s inner circle.

Brick says, if Sonny sees something in this guy, there must be something there. Still, Brick is going to run a full background check on him. And that ain’t a request. Sonny says he’s not even going to try and stop Brick. But no matter how much they look into Dex’s past, it’s not going to tell them whether he can deal with this life. All he’s taken care of so far is a low level drug pusher, slash, tabloid photographer. Brick says, so Sonny wants to give Dex a bigger assignment to test him, and Sonny says he was thinking, why don’t they see if Dex can prove himself; trial by fire. They laugh, and Brick says, he likes that.

Brando tells Sasha that he’s so sorry. If he could take those words back, he would. He didn’t mean it. She says, didn’t he? and he says he doesn’t want to control her. He’s just worried about her. So are Michael and Willow, and his mom, and everyone at Deception. Sasha says, admit it. He finally said what he felt. He stopped walking on eggshells like he’s been doing; like everybody’s been doing. He says, that’s not true, and suggests they go home and talk privately, but she says, no. She needs space. He says, from him? and she says, from everybody. She storms out to the stairwell.

Diane objects to the ADA’s theatrics. There’s no proof to suggest that video was sent via pretimed email. Arden says, no further questions, and Judge Young tells Spencer to step down. He asks both counsels to approach the bench, and as Spencer passes her, Trina says she can’t believe he did this. He says, he can’t believe it didn’t work. He’s so sorry. He keeps walking, and Portia asks why Trina didn’t tell them that Spencer was her alibi before. Trina says she was hoping Curtis would have a Hail Mary, so she wouldn’t have to, and Taggert tells her, just keep your chin up, baby girl. Diane is right. There’s zero evidence that video was sent via email timer. Maybe Spencer was her Hail Mary. At the door, Josslyn says she knew she could trust Spencer to do the right thing… after he exhausted all other options. She leaves, and Nikolas asks if he and Spencer can talk. It’s important.

Sasha runs down the stairs, and her phone dings. She stops at the first floor, and sees a text from Sienna: Hey, feel like blowing off some steam with me tonight? Sasha texts back: Sure – I’ll meet you anywhere!

Ava says, so Esme does still have feelings for Spencer. And she’s so jealous that Spencer has feelings for Trina, she slept with his father as what? Revenge? Payback? And she and Trina were just collateral damage, or something more? Esme tries to push the envelope further into the suitcase, but Ava grabs it, and says, what is that? Esme snatches it back, and says, that, is none of your business. Ava says, forget it. Trying to find answers in Esme’s bizarre twisted behavior would have her running in circles, but make no mistake, after everything Esme has done to make the people she loves suffer, Esme is going to do the right thing for the first time in her life. Esme says, and what is that? and Ava says, playtime is over. They’ll deal with Esme sleeping with her husband another time, but right now, Esme is going to march down to that courthouse. She’s going to exonerate Trina, and tell the world that she made that tape of Joss and Cameron. Esme says, they’ve already had this conversation, and she has no idea where Ava is getting this crazy idea. Besides, why would she even do it? Is Ava offering to help her disappear, and make sure she doesn’t go to prison? No. She has no interest in being a fugitive for the rest of her life. Ava says, Esme misunderstands her. She walks closer as she talks, and says, if Esme doesn’t admit she framed Trina, she will make sure nobody ever finds her. At least not while she’s still breathing.

On Monday, TJ wonders why Willow doesn’t want Michael’s support; Portia asks Taggert, what if it’s not enough; Diane says, Trina needs to be the heroine in her own story; and Ava tells Esme, she either tells the truth or it’s the end of the line.

👩🏽‍🍳 Different Kind Of Gig…

Although if she’s playing herself, is it really acting?

🏥 They’re Back…

When I saw this, I was like, what now? But it turns out they actually get a vacation.

👰🏼 Nervous Bride…

I can’t say I blame her.

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-of-dubai-caroline-stanbury-talks-inviting-cast-to-sergio-carrallo-wedding-exclusive/

💎 She Has Receipts…

Like her longevity is a guarantee. Welcome to 2022.

🍸 Please No…

And what would be the title? The Most Awful Human Being On Earth?

💰 Shah-king My Head…

This is just such a shame.

https://people.com/tv/shahs-of-sunset-mike-shouhed-criminal-charges-paulina-ben-cohen-domestic-incident/

🐙 Double the Squid…

Squid Game should definitely be proud of itself.

https://ew.com/awards/the-awardist-digital-magazine-squid-game-double-nominees/

🦉 Quotes of the Week

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times. – Mark Twain

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Unknown

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. – Albert Einstein

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. – William Arthur Ward

Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. – Hippocrates

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore Vail

You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. – Richard Bach

People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. – H.P. Lovecraft

A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult (I vote for lowering expectations.)

They were great. If I could only make out the words, they’d be greater. – an audience member referring to seeing The Sex Pistols in Pistols

🛌🏽 Taking It To the Sheets…

Enjoy the next two days, but boomerang back on Monday, when there will be soap and Deck doings. Until then, stay safe, stay looking after your mental health as well as your physical health, and stay not doing the easy thing, but the right thing. And don’t wait until you’ve exhausted all other options.

July 29, 2022 – A Surprise Witness For the Defense, Olivia’s Charming Oyster Party, For Real & Chocolate

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac and Dante are at the hatchet throwing place, and Mac says, who knew Dante was such an expert? Dante says he doesn’t know if it’s his baseball skills that translate, or Sam seems to think he was a frontier explorer back in another life. Mac says, what about this life? How are things with him, and no, it’s not an official inquiry. Dante says, things are good. It took a while to acclimate to the pressures and chaos of police work, but he’s glad to be back. Mac says, the PCPD is glad to have him. He understands Dante turned down that undercover bust in Manhattan. It could have beefed his profile. Dante says he understands, but he’s a single dad, and likes to stay local if he can. Mac says he gets that, but it’s important to consider his future. Dante asks if Mac has a side hustle. Does he need a partner? Is he thinking of opening up a cop bar? Mac says, he’s thinking Chief of Detectives.

Walking into the hospital, Brando asks how Sasha feels about her first therapy session. She says, resigned, and he says, that enthusiastic, huh? She says she doesn’t see the point. It was a slip. The drugs are out of her system now; she won’t go looking for more. She just wants to move on. Brando says, talking to a psychiatrist will help her do that, and she says she knows. He says, does she? and she says she does. He doesn’t have to stay. She promises not to make a run for it the second he’s gone, and he says he wasn’t thinking that, but he doesn’t mind waiting for her. She says, she does mind.  

TJ asks if Felty has any double vision, but Felty says, nope. TJ says, it’s official; he doesn’t have a concussion. Felty says, TJ couldn’t figure that out without waking him up every hour? He’s exhausted. TJ says, better safe than sorry. He took quite the beating, The police are going to want to talk to him.

At the gym, Dex tells Sonny, looking good. He has a mean right hook. Sonny says, they have to get Dex in the ring sometime, but Dex says, MMA’s his sport; the padding just gets in the way. Sonny asks what he’s talking about. That’s not a sport; that’s like street fighting. Dex says, Sonny’s no stranger to that, right? Like that paparazzi guy. Sonny says he does what needs to be done, and Dex says, and he does it well. No one can accuse him of going soft, that’s for sure.

Taggert asks how bad Spencer’s testimony hurt Trina’s case, and Diane says, Spencer did reenforce the fact that Trina had ample time to hide the cellphone, and that she’d been drinking, and that she was angry with Cameron and Josslyn, but none of that is a surprise to her. ADA Arden is presenting exactly the case Diane expected her to present. What Arden didn’t expect is the opening Spencer just gave them, which Diane intends to take full advantage of.

Josslyn says, there’s no sign of you-know-who, and Trina says, leave it to Esme to want to make an entrance. Josslyn says, don’t worry. Diane’s not going to let her get away with anything on the stand. Trina says, Diane’s amazing, but they all know when it comes to Esme, you never know what you’re going to get.

Spencer sends a text to Esme: Where r u? ADA calling next. He looks at all the texts he’s sent to her, and says, Esme, what are you up to?

In the hallway, Arden says, it’s about time. Where has Esme been? Esme says, it may shock Arden, but she has a life too. Trina Robinson isn’t the center of the universe. Arden suggests they go over her testimony, but Esme doesn’t want it to sound rehearsed. Ava comes along, and says, don’t be silly. Esme always makes sure her lies sound completely natural. Arden leaves, and Esme says she didn’t ask to be called as a witness for the prosecution. Ava says, save the victim act. She’s the only person here, and she’s got Esme’s number. Esme says, really? Because there are a few things Ava doesn’t know. There are a few things Ava doesn’t want to know. Ava says she’ll pass, but Esme says, don’t walk away from her. She could destroy Ava’s world. Ava says, try it, I dare you, and Esme says she’s so tired of Ava looking down on her, so superior. Ava says, Esme is lucky she tolerates her at all. One word to Nikolas, and she’d be out on the street. Esme says, that’s funny, because as she recalls, when she moved in, Ava got the boot. Ava says she left of her own volition. Things are different now. She and Nikolas are better than ever. Esme says, so Ava thinks, and Ava asks what that means. Esme says, just that maybe Ava doesn’t know her husband as well as she thought. Nikolas is full of surprises. Ava says, such as? and Esme says, for starters… Nikolas appears, and says, stop, but Esme says, he’s too late. She’s ending this right here, right now.

Rory asks if he can get anything for Trina, and she says, a time machine would be nice. So when a jerk calling himself Victor tries to hit on her, she can walk the other way, and not let Spencer and Esme into her life, and not be so stupid. He says, sorry. He’s fresh out of time machines. Trusting people isn’t stupid, by the way. She says, maybe not, but it hurts when they do let you down.

Dante says, Mac is the Chief of Detectives, and Mac says he’s not going anywhere just yet, but when he does retire, he wants to make sure his office is in good hands. He can’t think of a more stand-up guy than Dante. Dante says, Mac is irreplaceable, but Mac says, that’s not true. Chief of D’s would be a good fit for Dante, unless he’s not interested. Dante says he’s honored. He just doesn’t think past tomorrow. Right now, his life revolves around Sam and her kids. Sam walks in, and asks if Dante just said her name. Dante says he did, and they kiss. Mac asks if Sam has seen Felicia, and she tells him to check his texts, because the two of them are needed at home for babysitting duty. Mac looks at his phone, and says he sees. He guesses they’ll have to reschedule their couples hatchet throwing challenge. He asks if Felicia was able to help Sam with that case, and Sam says, Felicia gave her excellent advice. Mac says he’s sure he’ll hear all about it when he gets home. He tells Dante, think it over, and leaves. Sam says, think what over? and Dante asks if they can talk. Sam says, sure; talk about what? He says, about their future, and she says, their future? She thought they learned that with three kids between them, planning anything is pointless. He says he knows Rocco, Danny, and Scout keep them busy, but he was trying to make it easier. She asks what he has in mind, and he says, taking the next step. He gets down on one knee.

Dex says, it got his blood pumping, showing that photographer what happens when you mess with the Corinthos family, but Sonny says, Dex has to understand something. There’s a time and place for everything. He just can’t go around picking fights. Dex says, he gets that. He just meant… if Sonny ever needs something like that done, he’s Sonny’s guy. Sonny says he’ll keep that in mind.

Brando asks if Sasha wants him to leave, and she says she doesn’t, but she just doesn’t see a reason for him to hang around, especially after he’s been holed up with her all day. Go take a walk; go to the gym. What about the garage? He’s been so focused on her, she’s sure things have been piling up. He says, the garage is fine. He’s way more concerned about her. That’s why he’s here. Michael and Willow join them, and Willow asks how Sasha is feeling. Sasha says, mortified after her meltdown on live TV; otherwise, she’s good. Willow says, Sasha has nothing to be embarrassed about, and Michael says he 100% agrees. Sasha says, what about Willow? Has she been okay since she fainted? Willow says, yeah, no more dizziness, and Michael says, actually, they have some good news. Brando says, they could use some of that, and Michael looks at Willow questioningly. Sasha says, it’s okay; she won’t break. She already knows Willow is pregnant.

Ava says, Nikolas is just in time to hear Esme’s latest lie. Apparently, this one involves him. Esme says she is so going to enjoy this, and he tells her, be quiet, but she says, come on; it’s time. He says, she doesn’t want him as an enemy, and Ava says, time for what? Esme tells Nikolas to have a nice chat with his wife, and goes into the courtroom. Ava says, she doesn’t like the way Nikolas is acting. It makes her think there’s something she is in the dark about. What is it?

Spencer says, what did Esme decide? Is she going to exonerate Trina? She asks if Trina is all he cares about, and he says he certainly doesn’t care about her. Now that he’s seen her for who she really is, she’s alone in this world again. It does not have to be that way. He can give her the name of her birth mother if she gets up on that stand and tells the truth. She says, and his precious Trina just goes free, and he says, that’s right. She says, he realizes it’s a wasted effort, right? and they look over to see Trina hugging Rory. Esme says, she’s found her knight in shining armor, and it isn’t him, but Spencer says he doesn’t care. He’s not letting Trina go down for something she didn’t do. Esme can either benefit from this, or leave with nothing. It’s up to her.

Brando says, for real? and Michael says, for real. Willow says, they’re having a baby, and Sasha hugs her, saying, it really is wonderful news. Brando shakes Michael’s hand, and says, congratulations. Michael thanks him, and says, to be honest, they were nervous about telling Sasha and Brando after everything they’ve been through. Sasha says, she’s not that far gone that she can’t be happy for her friends. they should celebrate soon. Michael says, they’d love that, and Willow excuses herself for a moment. Sasha says, Brando should get out of here too, and Brando says, still newlyweds, and his wife is sick of him already. She says, never. She’ll see him after her session. He leaves, and Michael asks if it’s just him, or did Brando not want to leave. Sasha says, it’s not him. Brando has barely left her side since the… incident, which is incredibly sweet… Michael says, it’s a little overwhelming, right? and she says, a little. He says, Brando is just looking out for her, and she says she gets that. She just wants things back to normal.

TJ asks if Willow is here for those additional tests, and she says she is, but can he do her a favor? She hasn’t told Michael there could be an issue, so please don’t say anything in front of him. TJ says he’ll always respect a patient’s privacy, but as her colleague… She says she doesn’t want to worry him over what might be nothing. Once she knows what she and her baby are dealing with, she’ll fill Michael in.

Dante hands Sam her phone, saying, she dropped this, and she thanks him. He asks what the hell is the matter with her, and she laughs. She says, he started to talk about their future, then got down on one knee. He laughs, and says, she thought he was going to propose to her? and she says, he wasn’t talking about marriage? He says, hell no. They’re not ready for marriage yet, right? She says, right, but she thinks her heart stopped for a second. He says, sorry, and she asks, what was it he was talking about? He says, them living together, and she says, oh. He asks if that’s a good oh or a bad oh, and she says, a surprised oh. She guesses she hasn’t thought about them living together. He says, really? Why not?

Spencer says he has Esme’s mother’s name and current address, and she says, in Portugal. He says, she can be face-to-face with her tomorrow, and Esme says, of course (🍷) she wants to know where she came from, and who she came from, but she doesn’t need his help to do it. No deal. It turns out she’s not as alone as he thinks she is. She’ll find her birth mother a different way.

Ava and Nikolas go into an office, and she says she’s beginning to feel very foolish. He asks, why? and she says, because she was so confident Esme was bluffing, spewing her regular dose of lies and nonsense. But then he came tearing in the way he did, and it’s obvious there’s a secret. He says he’s so sorry. He should have gone with his first instinct to tell her right away. She says, tell her now, and he says he loves her so much… but he made a huge mistake. She asks, what kind of mistake? He says he thought they were… over, and he… slept with Esme.

Dante says, he and Sam do kind of spend all of their time together, and their kids get along great together. The thought never crossed her mind? She says she guesses so… yes, the thought has crossed her mind, and he says, so she has thought about it. She says, fleetingly. He asks if she’s still thinking, and she says, their life is really, really good, great together. Why change it? He says, maybe they can make it even greater, and kisses her. He says he’s got to go, but she says, he just can’t throw that on her and leave. He says he didn’t mean to have a huge conversation about it. It’s the logical next step, no? She says she’s not opposed to it, and he says, that’s a ringing endorsement. She says, don’t be mad at her. She’ll start thinking about it more frequently, and less fleetingly. She loves their life together. He says he does too, they kiss, and he leaves.

Brando comes into the gym, and Sonny tells Dex that he can go. Dex leaves, and Brando asks if something’s up. Sonny asks how he’s doing. It’s good to see him out. Brando says, it wasn’t exactly his choice. Sasha practically forced him to leave the hospital. She’s got her first therapy session today. Sonny says, that’s a good thing, right? How is she doing otherwise? Brando says, better. She’s getting back to her old self. Sonny says, he seems worried, and Brando says he is.

Arden says, Esme was at the cabin on the night in question; is that correct? Esme says, yes, ma’am, and Arden says, in her opinion, how was the defendant acting? Esme says, Trina was drinking – they all were – and Esme was worried about her. Trina was definitely the most affected. Then she got very upset with Josslyn and Cameron. Arden says, upset about what? and Esme says, Trina admitted that she felt shut out and betrayed when Joss and Cam got together. She stormed off to her room… Stumbled is probably a more accurate description. Trina tells Diane, Esme was the one saying those things. She put those words in Trina’s mouth. Diane says, don’t react. They’ll get their chance, and when they do, watch out.

Willow says she’ll see Michael later, and he tells Sasha to take care of herself. He leaves, and Sasha says she hopes Willow’s not too stressed out about telling her that she’s pregnant. Willow asks how Sasha found out, and Sasha says she overheard the nurses talking the day Willow fainted. It wasn’t too hard to put two and two together. Willow says, so Sasha has known almost as long as she has… which means she knew before going on Home & Heart. She hugs Sasha, and Smoltz comes by. He asks, what brings them to General Hospital? and Willow asks Sasha what they call that. Sasha says, none of his business, and Willow says, right. None of his business. He says, they were looking pretty cozy. Does that mean Willow has forgiven Sasha for mowing down her mother? Reminding myself again to never check into this hospital, as they have more lax security than a crack house or a port-a-potty.

Ava says, Nikolas had sex with Esme, and he says, yes. He regretted it immediately. He has no other excuse other than he was weak. She says, so weak he cheated on his wife with his son’s girlfriend, and he says, Esme manipulated him. She says, more excuses, and he says, Ava was having serious doubts about them. It felt like he lost… She says, stop talking. How long has he been slithering into Esme’s room on the regular, as they say? He says, it was only one time, and she says, how noble and restrained of him. When? Where? Did he take Esme into their bed? He says, he would never… and she says, never what? Betray her that way? He says he thought they were over. He couldn’t believe it when she showed up, wanting to give them another chance. She says, and she found him in the sitting room. And the door was closed and locked… Oh God. He said it was the wind, and she believed him. He said he’d fallen asleep, and that’s why he was so disheveled. Was she there? He says, who? like he just came into this conversation, and she says, Esme. He says, she was on the turret, and Ava starts to cry, saying, of course (🍷) she was. So have the two of them been making fun of her all this time? He says, it’s not like that, and she says, what was it like? He says, it was a moment of madness. Things were so cold between them. Ava was talking about walking away. He thought he’d lost her; he was devastated. She says, and Esme kissed him and made it all better, but he says, she saw her chance, and she took it. Ava knows how that girl is. Ava says, poor you. Seduced by a high school graduate. He says he knows he’s responsible for his actions. He said it; he was weak. She says, he’s stupid, and he reaches for her, but she says, oh no. Never again. He’s touched her for the last time.

Diane says, Spencer Cassadine testified that Esme left the room after she argued with Josslyn and Cameron. Is that true? Esme says she might have; she doesn’t really remember. Diane says, it would have given her ample time to plant that cellphone, wouldn’t it? and Esme says, it would, just like everyone else. Diane asks, who’s idea was the ski trip? and Esme says, hers. She wanted Spence to have a last fun trip before he went to Spring Ridge. Diane says, a nice trip with his friends, and Esme says, yes. Diane says, but they’re not her friends, and Esme says she doesn’t understand. Diane says, Trina, Cameron, Josslyn, they’re not Esme’s friends, and Esme says, she tried to befriend them. Diane says, she didn’t include them in the planning. The trip, the drinks, the drinking game, that was all Esme’s idea. In fact, the entire evening Esme orchestrated; all of it. And she’s jealous of Spencer’s friends, especially his friendship with Trina. Arden objects, and says, is there a question in here, or is the defense simply going to tell the witness how she feels? Diane says, the ADA’s own witness testified that Esme would never hurt Trina because she knew he and the defendant were so close. In doing so, he opened the door to the question of motive. Judge Young says, he’ll allow it, and Diane says, it must have been intimidating, joining that foursome; a group of friends so close for so long. Esme says she held her own, and Diane asks if Esme thought they welcomed her with open arms. Esme laughs, and Diane says, she finds that funny? Esme says, no, she wouldn’t say that, and Diane asks, what would she say? Esme tells her, that she was met with hostility and resentment, and no matter how hard she tried, they never gave her a chance. Diane says, that must have been frustrating, and Esme says, it was. Diane says, so frustrating, Esme intended to teach them a lesson, and Arden objects. Diane says, withdrawn. No further questions. Arden asks Esme, when she and Spencer left the cabin, where were Josslyn and Cameron? Esme says, in the living room, and Arden says, and Trina? Esme says she assumes Trina was in her bedroom, but she didn’t see Trina, so she can’t confirm. Arden thanks her, and says, no more questions. The judge tells Esme to step down, and Josslyn says, Diane did it. She cracked Esme’s mask. Rory says, let’s just pray it’s enough.

Michael meets Dex in a stairwell, and Dex says, hey, boss. Michael says, don’t call him that. They shouldn’t even be meeting right now, but he needs a progress report. How are things going with Sonny? Dex says he has Michael’s father right where he wants him.

Willow says, her mother’s death was a tragic accident. If Smoltz wants any further comment, he can contact her attorney Diane Miller, or he could always speak to Michael. She’ll be sure to tell him that Smoltz has been asking. Smoltz asks if she’s implying Michael might punch him again, but she says, why would he do that when it’s so much easier to sue Smoltz for libel? Smoltz says, what about Sasha? Did the guilt over killing Willow’s mother contribute to that televised breakdown of hers? Willow says she’s getting security, and leaves. Sasha says, Smoltz is nothing more than a disgusting vulture. Go feed on someone else’s unhappiness. She’s fresh out. He says he’s just giving the public what it wants, and sees Willow talking to the guard. He says, that’s his cue, and jets. A worker comes by, and puts an out of order sign on one elevator, and a for emergency use only on the other. Willow tells Sasha, that man might be the literal worst, and Sasha says, Willow had no problem handling him. Willow says, Michael gave her a tutorial; when in doubt, invoke her lawyer. Sasha says she’ll be sure to remember that, and Willow asks if she’s sure she’s all right. Sasha says she’s fine, and Willow says, they’ll sic Diane on him if he writes one word of that garbage, but Sasha says, let’s be real. Nothing he said was a lie.

Judge Young says, they’ll take a brief recess, and be back in 20 minutes. Josslyn says she thinks that went pretty well. How about Trina? Trina says she hopes so, and Taggert asks Diane if they’re still planning on using the same defense strategy. Diane says she intends to call one witness, and one witness only – Trina. He says he still doesn’t think that’s a great idea, but she says, trust her. This case comes down to character. Whether or not the jury thinks that Trina is so jealous of her friends, she would actually set out to humiliate them. Taggert says, then call character witnesses to speak on her behalf, but Diane says, Josslyn and Cameron did that when they testified. Josslyn was especially adamant in her defense of Trina. Josslyn says, hostile witness here, and Diane says, the jury knows Josslyn thinks Trina is a friend worth defending. Now this is Trina’s chance to show them why; who she is, and who she is not. Trina says she wants to do it, and Taggert asks if she’s sure. Trina says, it’s like Diane said, it’s not enough for people to talk about her. She needs to show the jury the kind of person she is. Josslyn says, the best kind. Taggert says, it’s a lot of pressure, but Trina says, it’s her future on the line. She should be the one to defend it.

Dante goes into Felty’s room, and introduces himself. He asks if Felty remembers him, and Felty says he does. Dante says, Felty really got worked over. What happened? Felty says he got mugged, but Dante says, yet his phone and wallet are still here. Not a very successful mugging. Felty says he guesses he got lucky, and Dante says he knows it’s Felty’s job to get in people’s in faces and snap photos, and sell them for money… Felty says, it’s a living, and Dante asks if he’s sure he doesn’t know who his attacker was. Felty laughs, and says, like he’d tell Dante of all people if he did. Dante says, why not? What’s special about him?

Dex tells Michael, he just visited Felty, and made sure he didn’t talk. Michael asks if his dad sent Dex, but Dex says, he volunteered; another chance to show initiative. Michael says, another chance? and Dex says, there was a complication when they went after the photographer. Michael’s sister Josslyn recorded the beat down. Michael asks how Josslyn got involved, and Dex says, she was out for a run. She confronted Sonny, and told him that she was going to take the recording to the cops. Sonny tried talking her down, but Josslyn wasn’t having it. When he couldn’t make any progress, he took off; left Dex standing in the alley with the unconscious photographer. He threw himself on Josslyn’s mercy, and told her, even if Sonny didn’t go to prison, he definitely would. She said, Sonny had trashed enough lives, she wasn’t going to add his to the list, and she erased the video. Michael says, stay away from his sister, understand? and Dex says he’ll keep his distance. The point is, Sonny was grateful. He thinks he can build off that gratitude. Maybe offer to be his personal bodyguard. Michael says, don’t appear too eager. Sonny is a lot of things, but stupid’s not one of them. Dex asks how he gets someone like Sonny to trust him, and Michael says, be who Sonny wants him to be; something he lost. Dex says, what’s that? and Michael says, his son.

Brando tells Sonny that he prays things go well with the psychiatrist. Sasha needs someone to confide in. Sonny says, it must be difficult if that someone isn’t him, and Brando says, he’s her husband. He’s supposed to be there for her. Sonny says, he will be, but Brando says, she’s not making it easy. Every time he tries to reach out to Sasha, she shuts him down. Sonny says he knows he tells Brando this all the time, but Brando’s got to show her that he’s not going anywhere. No matter what. Brando says, no matter what.

Nikolas asks Ava to look at him, and she says, he disgusts her. He says, he’s so sorry. He knows he keeps saying that… She says, to cheat on her with Esme of all people. A woman she can’t stand… a girl she can’t stand. Hardly a woman; young enough to be his daughter. He tells her, don’t say it like that, and she says, like what? He says, like he’s the one who took advantage. He swears she planned the whole thing. And right after, he was going to confess, and she talked him out of it. She says she’s sure it was very difficult. He’s always been a coward; scurrying away from his problems instead of facing them. He says, that’s not true. He came here today because he was going to tell her everything. She says, how convenient. When he’s caught in a rat like a trap, he confesses, mere moments before Esme could throw it in her face. She supposes he wants her to thank him, and he says, he knows she’s angry. She says, he’s right about that. She thought she married a man, but he’s not a man. He’s a spineless weakling, and she’s going to burn him to the ground. She walks out after giving him one last glare.

Dante asks why Felty feels he can’t to him in particular, and Felty says, he’s a cop, so… Are they through here? Dante says, yeah, take it easy, and Felty says, him too. Dante leaves, and Smoltz comes in, saying, my little paparazzo. Felty said he had something for him? Felty says he’s glad Smoltz cares so much, and Smoltz says, if it bleeds, it leads. Who did Felty cross? Felty says, he thinks he has a bigger story in mind.

Michael tells Dex, ask for Sonny’s advice. He loves to pass on his wisdom. Dex says, let Sonny mentor him, and Michael says, don’t fall for his act. The only person Sonny cares about his himself. He’s vulnerable now without Jason, and he knows it. Dex says, Morgan, his righthand man, and Michael says, Jason started working for Sonny when he was younger than Dex. Sonny taught Jason everything about the business. Eventually, Jason was running everything; he knew where the bodies were buried. And Jason would have died before he flipped on Sonny, and if he did, Sonny would be doing life without parole. Dex says, Michael wants him to follow in Jason’s footsteps, and Michael says, just be in the right place with the right attitude when he starts to repeat the pattern. Sonny needs someone to look up to him, so be that someone.

Josslyn asks Spencer, where’s his girlfriend? and he says, Esme’s not his girlfriend anymore. Josslyn says, he finally realized what a crazy person she is? and he says, he’s known that for a while. She says, he sure didn’t act like it, and he says, he was trying to… never mind. It doesn’t matter; it didn’t work. She says, what didn’t work? when he sees Diane go into the hallway, and says he has to go, following her.

Taggert asks how Trina is feeling, and she says, nervous, but she’s glad to be able to tell her side of the story. Josslyn says, just make sure she tells them everything, and we flash back to Trina telling Josslyn about being with Spencer at the cemetery when he was supposed to be in Spring Ridge, and that he could be her alibi.

Spencer approaches Diane, and she says, not now. He says, it’s important, and she says, they’re in the middle of a trial, in case he hasn’t noticed. He says, that’s why she needs to listen to him. He can fix this.

Michael says, Sonny has tried taking whatever he wants. It’s time to face the consequences. Brando comes out and runs up the stairs. He asks what they’re doing here.

Willow says, Sasha needs to hear her. She’s not responsible for Harmony’s death. Sasha says she was driving too fast, but Willow says, even if Sasha had been going the speed limit, her mother came out of nowhere. She was so focused on getting away, she ran into the road without looking. Who could possibly be prepared for that? It was an accident. Willow knows that, and really hopes Sasha does too.

Smoltz asks what Felty’s got, and Felty says, it’s huge. Smoltz says, he’ll be the judge of that, and Felty says, what if Sasha Gilmore, the Face of Deception, was on drugs the night she ran over Harmony Miller?

Diane says she needs Spencer to understand this doesn’t guarantee the jury will find Trina not guilty, and it will put him in jeopardy. He says he knows, but it will help, right? She says, it will help, and he says, then he wants to do it. He has to. The bailiff says, court is back in session, and Diane tells Trina, slight change in plans. The judge tells Diane that she may call her first witness, and Diane thanks him. The defense calls Spencer Cassadine. Everyone looks confused, and as Spencer walks to the stand, he nods to Trina.

Nikolas looks at a picture of Ava and him on his phone. He sighs, and says, no. He’s not losing her without a fight.

At Windymere, Esme grabs her suitcase, and says she’s getting the hell out of here. She takes a piece of paper out of a book, puts it in a manila envelope, and puts that in the suitcase. As she’s zipping up the suitcase, Ava walks in, and says, you conniving little whore.

Tomorrow, Brick says he and Dex have a lot to talk about; Spencer says he knows for a fact Trina couldn’t have distributed that video; Portia wonders what’s happening here; and Brando says, maybe somebody does need to control Sasha.

Southern Charm

Charlotte, North Carolina. Austen tells Craig, it was a successful night in Charlotte, and Craig agrees it was a lot of fun. Austen says he thinks he’s still drunk. He’s going to call the valet for the car, and tells Craig to meet downstairs in 15 minutes. Shep examines his belly, and says, yeah, he’s fat. He tries calling Taylor, and when the call is forwarded to her mailbox, the recording says it’s full. She picks up, and he tells her to do something about the full mailbox, but she says she deleted everything, but it’s still full. She asks if he’s having fun, and he says, there are girls everywhere; so many girls. He laughs, and she says she’s glad. He tells her that he’s kidding. They’re about to get the day started. They’re going to Austen’s parent’s house to raid their furniture, Taylor suggests he get a new couch, but he says, no, for Austen. He’s also going to have lunch with his little nieces. Life is good. He gets up, scratching his butt.

In the car, Craig remarks that the girl waiting behind them is cute, and Shep says he thought Craig didn’t think about other girls while he’s dating, but Craig says he and Paige appreciate hot people. Austen says, they moved here when he was eight or nine, and Shep wonders if Austen’s mother is making egg salad. He doesn’t like egg salad. Austen phones his mom, and says he’s wondering what they’re having for lunch. She says she got a nice ham (that’s such a mom thing to say – it’s always a nice ham), turkey, Swiss, and she just made egg salad. He says, it’s got Shep’s name all over it, and in Shep’s interview, he says he can’t tell us what his problem with egg salad, other than it’s slimy and cold, and it smells; it’s the smell. Austen tells his mom, love you, and the guys have a discussion over it, after Shep tells them, he never says that. On a personal note, I always end a conversation with loved ones by saying it. If something happens to them, and it turns out to be your last conversation, you’ll regret it if you don’t. Craig says his jaw hurts from laughing so much, and Austen points out various streets and his relationships with them. Cutting through someone’s yard with his car, egging a house at Halloween, and learning to rollerblade in a cul-de-sac. Shep says, rollerblading isn’t cool, but Austen says, he was cool. Shep says, there’s no such thing as a cool rollerblader, and I think he’s an idiot.  

They arrive at Austen’s parents, and Shep says, he’s not an egg salad person, but he has to try it. He admits it’s pretty good, and Wendy makes sandwiches. She has a box of stuff to show Austen, and they look at pictures. In Austen’s interview, he says, they lived there 25 years, and have some great memories. It’s easy to think about the good things that happened, but there were definitely some dark times that happened in that house. We flash back to Austen telling Chelsea about  his older sister passing away. When they’d first moved there, she fell off the side of Chimney Rock. They look at more pictures, and in his interview, Austen says, a beautiful thing that happened in the house was Katie being born there. New life was brought into their home, and for the first time, they had a time to heal together. Craig announces he’s found Austen’s Poetry Notebook, and they read some and laugh. Shep asks if he can have it, and begs Austen’s parents to put it in their new house.

Venita has coffee outside with dog Charles – well, she has coffee; he chases a toy – and calls Olivia. She says she thinks they had a rocky start, and we flash back to the garden party. Olivia says she would have rather not been invited, than go somewhere people didn’t want her. Venita says she’s sorry Olivia felt that way, but they need to have the talk, confusing this with the talk parents have with their kids to explain sex. She asks if Olivia wants to do it over lunch, coffee, or cocktails, and Olivia suggests a happy hour somewhere. Madison calls, and Venita asks Olivia to hang on. She tells Madison that she’s talking to Olivia, and Madison says, call her when she’s done. She gets back on with Olivia, who says, she’s sure Venita will hear about her family throwing an oyster party. Initially, everyone was on the guest list, but Olivia feels it would be fake to have Venita there. Venita says, she’s not invited; got it (which seems to be one of her catch phrases). They need to figure this out. In Venita’s interview, she says she’s never dealt with something so childish. She’s a Southern girl, and understands keeping it cordial when at someone’s parent’s house, but Olivia isn’t giving her the opportunity. She tells Olivia that she hopes they have a good party, and they’ll chat soon. Venita calls Madison back, and says she doesn’t ever thinks she’s not been invited to something her entire life. She asks if Madison got a personal invite, and Madison says, Olivia called. It was weird, since she hasn’t seen Austen since she got engaged. In her interview, Venita says, Olivia doesn’t want drama, but invites Madison. She wonders how much Austen has told her. If they can’t work it out, she’ll let it go, but it’s stupid. I dunno. Some people can’t just jump right into heavy discussions when they’ve only known you five minutes.  

Back in Charlotte, Austen looks at the under contract sign in front of the house, and says, it’s weird to see. Austen tells the guys, there are a few things he wants to bring, and they put stuff in the truck. Wendy asks Shep to help move some things, and Craig says, moving sucks. Agreed. A million times over. A box pops open, and Wendy says, it’s Teddy, picking up a worn stuffed bear. Austen says, Kyle never let this go, and I assume this is the sister who died. In Austen’s interview, coming home put him at ease. The fact it’s no longer his go-to place is slowly starting to sink in. He says goodbye to his parents, and Shep says he’s got to get ice cream with his little nieces. Wendy gives Craig the poetry book, and Austen says him pulling out in a U-Haul for the last time is poetic. Wendy says, that’s it.

Shep picks up his nieces, and promises his sister that he won’t give them sugar. When they get in the car, he says, he’ll get them whatever they want. They’re going to have a good time. He asks about school, and they’re pretty talkative. In Shep’s interview, he says he sees them once every three months. The coolest part is watching the little spawns’ personalities unfold. Shep tells them he got kicked out of one school. They ask about Little Craig, and he shows them pictures that Taylor took. He says, Little Craig is like his kid. Taylor visits Olivia, and Taylor says she’s excited for the party. Olivia says, she and Austen had their first one-on-one dinner, and Taylor asks if they’ve defined the relationship. Olivia says, there’s absolutely no definition. She asks if Taylor and Shep are on the same page about the future, but Taylor says, no. She doesn’t know if marriage is in the cards, and Shep says he doesn’t see himself burping a baby at 3 am. She feels like she’s talking to a 32 year old guy just figuring it out, but Shep is 42. He’s seen the rest of his family get married and have children; where’s the disconnect? Shep gets ice cream with his nieces, and they sit outside to eat it. In his interview, he says, being the fun uncle starts with a gift. You have to buy their allegiance. He tells them that he had good grades, but the teacher’s comments were sometimes of concern. One teacher in the 4th grade wrote, Shep thinks he can get through life on charm alone… but he doesn’t have that much. He says he’s not perfect, and one of his nieces asks if that’s his excuse for everything. Out of the mouths of babes. Shep says, his problem was waiting until the last second with homework and studying for tests. A niece says, he could have changed that. Taylor tells Olivia, Shep makes her happy, but their trust was breached. It was over a year ago, but Taylor sees her, and she’s triggered. Shep brushes it off, saying, it was a long time ago. In Taylor’s interview, she says she doesn’t consider herself a jealous person, unless you cross her. It brings out a side she doesn’t like. She tells Olivia, if it happens again, she’s out.

It’s the oyster party, and I want to be there. I’m only in these shows for the architecture and the parties. There is every possible oyster, some with something called mignonette that sounds wonderful. In Olivia’s interview, she says, her mom is definitely the perfect host. She loves entertaining, and is a real Southern belle. There aren’t many occasions she doesn’t want to host a party for. Everyone gets ready, and Chleb says he’s excited for the oysters. In Kathryn’s interview, she says, they got back together, and we see a clip of them at a romantic dinner, and Chleb saying he wants to come home. They toast to a fresh start. Kathryn tells us, there’s slim pickin’s in Charleston, and this is the closest thing to a normal relationship she’s ever had. She doesn’t want to let it go so easily. She and Chleb fist bump. We finally see Marcie’s John, and Shep and Olivia wear matching lemon patterns. Shep says, they look like geeks, but IMO, only he does. In Taylor’s interview, she says she’s not surprised about Kathryn and Chleb. Kathryn changes her mind about things all the time. Chleb is one of them. Shep says, he and Taylor are a couple of lemons, and lobs an oyster shell into the water. Madison arrives while Kathryn is talking to Austen, and Austen barely hears a word, he’s so focused on Madison. Madison walks over, and Austen says, he’s getting a drink and making an exit. He jets, and Kathryn says, don’t make it awkward. She asks if Madison and Austen aren’t still friends, and Madison says, she thought so. Kathryn asks if he’s congratulated her, but Madison says, no. In Austen’s interview, he says, after all the sh*t he’s told Olivia about Madison, why is she here? We flash back to Austen babbling about Madison to Olivia, and he says, why would she want this person around? She’s not going to be friends with his ex.

Whitney and Patricia show up, and Patricia asks, where’s the bar? Craig congratulates Madison, and Austen bitches to Naomie about Madison being there. Naomie tells him to relax; it’s going to suck, but it will be fine. Patricia compliments Olivia’s parents on their house, and says, what’s not to like? A chorus of bystanders says, hurricanes, and I understand. Same here. Pringle things Austen should congratulate Madison, but Craig says, Madison has never apologized for what she did to Austen. Kathryn says, he’d be the bigger person, and Marcie says, just says, congratulations. There doesn’t have to be a discussion. In his interview, Austen says, there were real feelings, and when Madison got engaged, it hurt. He didn’t know it would hurt so much. Madison is talking to Olivia, and Pringle tells Austen, it’s the perfect spot; take a tray of shots over. Austen says, he’s not doing that, and in his interview, he says, Madison didn’t give a sh*t enough to tell him she was getting engaged. It felt like a final f*** you. Leva says she heard Olivia uninvited Venita, but Olivia says, Venita wasn’t uninvited; she was never invited. It would seem fake. She was uncomfortable at the garden party, and she’s not comfortable acting like things are fine when they’re not. Leva says, it’s not like they have a big history, and it doesn’t mean it can’t be resolved. Pringle brings over shots, and toasts to Olivia’s party, Madison’s engagement, and Leva being Leva.

Austin says he wants to talk to Olivia about WTF is going on, and follows her inside. He asks to talk to her, and says, what the hell was that with Madison? He was watching them laughing, and he felt slighted. WTF is Madison doing here? Olivia asks why he cares, and he says, no one he’s interested in should be friends with her, but Olivia says she just wants to. In Olivia’s interview, she says, it’s a Southern thing to do, and obviously they have something in common. She tells Austen that she’s waiting for the day he doesn’t care about Madison. Madison was too present in their conversation on date night. He talked through the entire meal about her. We flash back to that, and I think, he needs therapy, not a date. Olivia says, she and Madison are going to see each other, and in her interview, she says, Austen just got done saying he wanted to take it slow. Now he’s telling her who she can’t invite to parties? That’s not going to fly.

Madison leaves, and Austen tells Craig, f*** Olivia. Now she and Madison are BFFs. Let’s be forced to pretend everything is okay. Craig says, it’s the weird position sh*t of Charlton. There’s no other city where your exes are everywhere. It’s a never-ending circle of misery. He adds that Olivia’s parents are nice, and Austen says, they’re awesome. Chleb tells Naomie that a picture came up on his phone when he was at one of her parties years ago. In Chleb’s interview, he says, he’s known Naomie longer than Kathryn. Kathryn holds grudges, which means he has to have a grudge too. If Kathryn is mad at someone, he has to stay away from them, but she has a problem with so many people; it’s hard to stay away from everybody. Naomie asks how things are with Kathryn, and Chleb says, it’s hard for him to be talking about Kathryn. Kathryn tells Pringle that she wonders what Chleb and Naomie are talking about, and Pringle says, he doesn’t like that Naomie’s conversation is always about drama. He’s not good at drama. Kathryn says, her either. Chleb tells Naomie that Kathryn got deeper than what he is. He’s not shallow, but he’s simple. He doesn’t do the drama thing, When he comes home, he listens to Kathryn to a certain extent, then turns on ESPN, and tunes her out. He thinks it’s f***ing nuts. Naomie asks why he’s dating Kathryn if that’s how he feels, and he says, that’s my girl. In Naomie’s interview, she asks, is this a cry for help? She doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. Naomie says, Chleb is a good person, and if he’s having these feelings, it’s for a reason. He says, that’s a relationship, but she says, no, it’s not. He says, she and Metul went through some sh*t, and Naomie says, they did, but when she started feeling like that, they broke up. She asks if Kathryn is going to be upset they spoke, and Chleb says, of course. She says, he doesn’t need to be dealing with a narcissist, someone toxic. Chleb says he feels like he’s the person put on this earth to break through that sh*t, and Naomie says he has a savior complex. No one can break through that sh*t. He says, we’ll see, and goes back to Kathryn. Naomie tells Leva that she had an interesting conversation with Chleb; he doesn’t like Kathryn. Chleb tells Kathryn that Naomie is a bitch. She was trying to manipulate him. Kathryn asks how it ended, and he says, with him not saying what Naomie wanted to hear, so he ended it. Naomie says, if Lamar said those things about Leva, she would gut him, but Leva says, Naomie would be the worst person to tell Kathryn anything. She’s going to freak out. Good Lord. The guy was only bitching about his relationship, nobody needs to be told anything. In Leva’s interview, she says, Chleb doesn’t go through life thinking everyone is after him; Kathryn does. Leva tells Naomie, it’s grounds for war.

Next time, Austen and Kathryn get pedicures; Patricia says, Little Craig sullied Peaches’ reputation, and she wants a wedding (omg, I can’t wait!); Venita wants to know about her dad; and Olivia and Venita talk.

🥀 You May Now Mourn…

This whole thing must have been so weird and depressing for his family and friends.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/entertainment/tony-dow-obit/index.html

🔖 Bookmarking the Page…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, a selection of tea, words to consider, and music for your soul. Until then, stay safe, stay making informed choices, and stay invoking your lawyer when in doubt.

July 27, 2022 – Spencer Testifies At Trina’s Trial, LisaR Calls Erika On the Carpet & Try It

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Windymere, Jordan says she’d like to ask Nikolas a few questions about his recent visitor. He says, if she’s talking about Esme, she’s not a visitor; she’s their guest. She says she wasn’t referring to Esme, and he says, then who? She says, but since he mentions her, would she or anyone in his household, have any reason to meet with a man who traffics in black market goods? Nikolas opens the door, and she walks in.

Esme goes to Ryan’s room in Spring Ridge, and says she needs his help. He asks, why the sad face? Doesn’t she know by now they can accomplish anything if they put their minds to it? She says he’s right, and kneels in front of him, saying, thank you, daddy. He says, tell him, where has she been? and she says, Doc had PCU cancel her internship, and had her banned from Spring Ridge. He says, family. It’s often more trouble than it’s worth. She says she hopes he doesn’t seriously mean that, because she’s considering sacrificing everything in the name of family.

Trina starts to walk toward Spencer, and Rory says, that’s not a good idea. She says she knows, but keeps going. She asks why Spencer is here, and he says he’s here for her.

Cody walks into the pool area, and slips Aaron some cash, thanking him for the tip, which confuses me for a millisecond, since he’s giving Aaron a tip. He tells Aaron, remember, every time she’s here… Aaron says, he’ll call. Maxie walks in with Britt, and says she thinks they needed this. Britt says she has to stick to mocktails; she has to go to the hospital later. Maxie says, boo, and Britt agrees. Cody approaches, and says, what a pleasant surprise, but Britt says, pleasant is in the eye of the beholder.  

Taggert asks if Ava has any idea what Spencer plans to say on the stand, but she says, no. He was asking questions about the trial yesterday, and didn’t even mention he’d be here today. Trina says, so Spencer is here for her. He contacted Diane, and volunteered to testify on her behalf. He’s a witness for the prosecution. How is he going to help her? He says, by doing his part, and she asks what that even means. He says, it means he’s going to tell the truth, and she says, the actual truth, or the gospel according to Esme? Arden asks if Trina will excuse them, and Trina says, gladly. She leaves, and Arden says she’s glad to see Spencer, but where’s Esme Prince? Why isn’t she in this courtroom?  

In the hallway, Josslyn asks if Trina is okay, and Trina says she was fool to believe this would all work out. Josslyn hugs her.

Nikolas says he can’t think of anyone who would have any reason to be dealing with a black market, and Jordan says, the individual she’s referring to, Oz Haggerty, was seen boarding a launch to Nikolas’s home yesterday at approximately 10:30 am. He says, it’s news to him, and asks if he can offer her a drink. Ice tea or water? He knows she’s on duty. She says, no thank you, and tells him, this shouldn’t take long. She sits down, and he says he wishes he could be more help, but he wasn’t there much yesterday. She asks, who was home yesterday?

Ryan says, sacrifice everything, what does that mean? and Esme says she can’t stay long. If Doc learns she’s here, she’ll be in trouble. He says, obviously, she managed to work her way around him. How’d she manage that? She says, Nikolas pulled strings, and he asks, why? She says she was convincing, and he says, she held their tryst over his head. Was that wise? She says, what’s leverage if you can’t use it? and he says, Nikolas may feel compelled to confess to Ava. She says she thought he wanted Ava to learn of Nikolas’s unfaithfulness, but he says, on their terms. If the transparency comes from him, it could work to his advantage. The noble sinner confesses and comes clean; all that crap. For such a smart girl, sometimes she can be… She says, what? and he says, so short-sighted. She says she’d be careful if she were him. It was her short-sightedness that got her back in here, wasn’t it? He says, when you’re right, you’re right, and she thanks him. She says, besides, if anyone is to blame for their separation, it’s probably his old friend Felicia. She thinks Felicia is the one who ratted her out to Doc.

Maxie asks if Cody would care to join them, but he says, it’s up to Britt. Britt says she’d rather ride a horse. He says, she’s been ducking his calls, his texts, his emails. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was avoiding him. Britt says, my advice, know better, and Maxie asks what she’s missing here. Britt says, Cody was her last Society Set-Ups date, and by last, she means… Maxie says, wait. The only thing she knows about Britt’s last Society Set-Ups date was that it was terrible. No offense. Cody says, none taken. It was terrible, and it was completely his fault. Britt asks if he means that, or is he just telling her what he thinks she wants to here, and he says, all he’s asking is for her to let him make it up to her. She says she’ll text him her answer, and Maxie says, you know what makes for a really good apology? A beverage. Let’s start with those. Cody says, any preference, ladies? and Maxie says, something fruity. Britt says, virgin margarita, and Cody goes to the bar. Maxie says, this guy really gets to Britt, and Britt says, because he’s arrogant, infuriating, and persistent. Maxie says, seems like Society Set-Ups got this one right, and Britt says, she and Cody are the opposite of a match. Between the horse, and the straw hay… Maxie says, she does know that straw and hay are two completely different things, right? Britt says, she didn’t ask, nor does she care, but Cody does. Maxie should ask him. Maxie says, this guy has really gotten under Britt’s skin. That could mean something. Cody comes back, and says, a pina colada for the lady, a beer for the me, and a virgin margarita for the other lady. Britt says, gee, thanks, and asks if it tastes like lies. He asks what it’s going to take to start over, and Maxie says, she’s going to go powder her nose. She leaves, and Cody says, good. Now he can really begin groveling. Britt asks if he shouldn’t be on the ground for that, and he says he would if he thought it would work. She wouldn’t respect a man who did that, would she? She says, only one way to find out, and he says he really is sorry; he admits it. He was wrong. He was trying too hard to be someone he thought she wanted instead of getting to know the real her. He really is sorry and it won’t happen again, he promises. From now on, all she’s going to get is the unadulterated, pure this guy. Remember, she asked for it. So what does she say? Does she want to forgive and forget?

Ava asks if Taggert’s heard from Portia, and he says, she’s still dealing with a patient emergency. Ava says, Trina will understand.

Josslyn asks what Spencer said, and Trina tells her, he’s testifying for the other side. Josslyn says, because he’s a spoiled, selfish tool, and Trina says, the worst part is, for a split second, she thought he was going to say he had her back.

Arden says she needs Esme on the stand, and Spencer says, so does he. She says, excuse me? and he says, don’t worry. He’ll make sure Esme gets here.

Ryan tells Esme, Felicia and his brother will be dealt with, just like anybody who stands in their way. She tells him, he says the sweetest things, and he thanks her. He says, in the meantime, she needs to put some distance between herself and the Cassadines, but she says, she thinks she should stay at least a few more days. He asks, why? They don’t need anything else from them. She says, that may be true for him, and he asks why she came here. She says, Spencer wants her help to exonerate Trina in exchange for information, and he says, she played with that gang of wayward children like they were spiders in a jar. Now she’s paying the price. What is Spencer offering? She says, the identity of her birth mother. Her phone dings, and she looks at a text from Spencer: Where r u? Get 2 the courthouse or no deal. Ryan snatches the phone from her, and says, not on his time.

Nikolas tells Jordan, he and Spencer spent most of the morning at GH, and Ava was at the courthouse attending Trina’s trial. She says, and Esme? and he says, as far as he knows, she was here all day. She asks if Esme could have left without his knowledge, and he says, he’s not Esme’s jailer; she’s free to do as she pleases. Jordan says, anyone else? and he says, just the staff. How long was this guy on the island? She says, undetermined. He was last seen boarding the launch at 10:30 am, and didn’t return via the launch. Any idea how he got off the island? He says, not offhand. He could be of more help if she clued him in on what this is about. She says, Mr. Haggerty is currently hospitalized; drug overdose. Nikolas asks if she thinks he obtained the drugs here, and she says, potentially. She’s also trying to ascertain if he provided an unregistered phone used to film an intimate encounter. He says, the sex tape Trina’s accused of making, and she says, new evidence suggests Mr. Haggerty’s testimony could have bearing on the case. Nikolas says, why not just ask him? and she says she’d love to, but he’s in a medically induced coma, which means he can’t testify either. Convenient, huh? He asks if Mr. Haggerty’s overdose was accidental, and she says, there’s evidence he had a visitor before his collapse. He says, any idea who? and she thanks him for his time. Please speak with his household staff. He says he’ll take care of it personally, and she says, if Esme saw Mr. Haggerty, they’ll need to speak with her right away. Nikolas flashes back to Esme saying she terrorized Ava for Spencer, but she was wrong; Esme taunting Ava, and Ava warning Esme to keep her daughters’ names out of her mouth or she’ll be sorry; Esme saying Sonny and Ava refuse to accept it’s Trina, even though all the evidence points to her; and Esme telling Nikolas, she wants to tell Ava and Spencer that they slept together. The lightbulb comes on.

Britt says, fine. Cody is forgiven, but she never forgets, ever. He says, so what she’s saying is he’s unforgettable? and she says, ugh. Go away. He tells her, smiling causes less wrinkles than frowning. She may not care now, but when she hits 50… She says, yeah, right. Look, he bought her a peace offering, she begrudgingly accepted it. Let’s move on. He says, to another date? and she laughs, saying, not if he was the last cowpoke in the countryside. He says he doesn’t get it. Why won’t she let anyone close to her? She says, he doesn’t know her, and he agrees that he doesn’t, but he’s trying to get to know her. Maxie returns, but hangs back, and Britt says, well, know this. It’s the absolute height of arrogance to assume just because she doesn’t want him to get close to her, that she doesn’t want anyone to get close to her. He says he saw the video of her TED talk at the mixer. Her views on love are pretty clear. She gets up and says she’s done. She tells Maxie, sorry, she’s late for work, and walks out. Maxie says, wait, but Britt keeps going, and Cody asks how he did. She says, that was a clear triumph.

Arden asks if Spencer recalls the weekend getaway he took in January with Cameron Webber, Josslyn Jax, Esme Prince, and the defendant. He says, he does. They were supposed to spend the weekend at his Uncle Sonny’s cabin. She says, supposed to? and he says, their weekend was cut short. She asks, why is that? and Diane objects, saying, Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber have already testified on record as to why that weekend ended early. Arden says, Josslyn and Cameron stayed. It might benefit the court to get Mr. Cassadine’s perspective on that evening’s events. Judge Young says he’ll allow it, and Arden asks why the weekend ended early. He says, Trina was sick and upset. She ran out of the room while the rest of them argued. Arden says, while this argument took place, where was the defendant? He says, in her room, and Arden says, or so she claims. Diane objects, saying, this blatant sarcasm is meant to influence the jury. If the ADA actually has a question, do you think she can ask it?

Nikolas rifles though stuff on his desk, and grabs his keys. On his way out, Victor comes in, and asks where he’s off to in such a hurry. Nikolas says, whatever this is, he doesn’t have time for it. He needs to get Ava. Victor says, why? Is she in trouble? Nikolas says, no, but his marriage is, and Victor says, mistakes are made in haste. Slow down and tell him what this is about. Nikolas says, it’s a mess, and Victor says, lucky he showed up when he did. Cleaning up messes is one of his specialties. Nikolas says he doesn’t think Victor can fix this, but Victor says, let him be the judge of that. What’s the nature of this particular mess? Nikolas says, it’s Esme. There’s a delicate matter she may tell his wife about.  Victor says, what could Esme possibly tell Ava that… Oh no, Nikolas. Tell me you didn’t. Nikolas says he did, and if he doesn’t stop her, Esme is going to tell Ava everything, and she’s going to blow his future and his family to hell.

Ryan looks at the text from Spencer, and says, thanks to Esme’s childish vendetta against the Robinson girl, Spencer now has a bargaining chip. Worse, his curiosity could lead Spencer to discover he’s her father. She says, that’s his only concern? and pulls over a chair. He says, she’s been compromised; she’s of no use to him. She says, so this relationship is purely transactional? and sits. Doc told her that he feared Ryan could never truly care for another person, and she’s starting to think he was right. He says she knows he cares for her, and she says, does he? Why does he never ask her what she wants? He says, fine. What does she want? She says she wants to know who her mother is, and he says, she’s not seriously considering taking Spencer’s offer? She says she needs the truth; if not from Spencer, than from him – whatever it takes. He asks if Spencer happened to mention how he came by her mother’s identity, and she says, his Uncle Victor. He says, Victor Cassadine. He does have considerable resources. But so does he. If he couldn’t find her, he’s not sure Victor could. She says, there’s a DNA test, and he says, she submitted to a test with names and identifiable markers? She says, of course (🍷) not, but Spencer… He says, managed to get a sample anyway. How convenient. She says, they live in the same house; it’s not like it would be difficult. He says, taking the deal is a bad idea, and she says, if he doesn’t want Spencer to tell her who her mother is, fine. You tell me.

Cody tells Maxie, he doesn’t know how to read Britt, and every time she baits him he just – ugh – walks right into it. She says, there’s a word for that, and he says, insanity? She says, chemistry, and he says, whatever you call it, he’s still dumb enough to pursue it. Any advice? She says she’d advise him to be fearless. But he is the guy who dropped into the pool from 10,000 feet, so… He says, still safer than approaching Britt Westbourne, and she says, come on. Her bark is worse than her bite… Actually, no; scratch that. They’re both terrifying. Britt just wants someone who’ll let her be herself, at her best, and especially at her worst. He says, okay. He might be able to show how he can be that guy, but he’s going to need Maxie’s help.

Judge Young says, objection sustained. If Arden can’t make her case without editorializing for the jury, perhaps she should stop right now. Arden apologizes, and asks if Spencer saw the defendant go into her room. He says, no, and Arden asks if he can verify that Trina was in her room from the time she left the group until the time he left. He says, no, and she says, back to this argument. What happened next? He says, Josslyn went in on him pretty hard. She thought that Esme suggested the drinking game to upset Trina, which was completely unfair. At this time, Esme held nothing but admiration for Trina, and they were both close friends of Trina’s. Trina leans over and tells Diane, that’s not true. Should they object? Diane says, not right now. This is one time they want to let him talk. Arden asks if at that point they left, and Spencer says, yes. Esme demanded to leave as soon as she got back. Arden says, got back from where? and he says, Esme left the room collect herself after Joss unloaded on her.

At the hospital, Jordan asks Britt if the tox screen is back on Oz Haggerty, and Britt says, she’s not sure, but she can check. She’s sorry. She just got in, and isn’t up to speed yet. Is Mr. Haggerty family? Jordan says, he’s related to an ongoing investigation, and Britt asks if she has a warrant or court order allowing Britt to help her. Jordan says, how about if she asks questions, and Britt answers, and Britt says, fire away. Jordan says, the paramedic report indicted Mr. Haggerty OD’d on prescription pain medication. Can Britt confirm or deny? Britt says, maybe, but first she needs Jordan to tell her something. She heard a nurse say that Curtis Ashford has taken up residence outside the patient’s room. Is there something she should know?

Nikolas tells Victor, not only did Esme post the recording she made of Cam and Josslyn, she may have drugged the person who sold her the phone to do it. He’s at GH now in a coma. Victor says, the lady is enterprising, and Nikolas says, she’s a monster, and he allowed her in his home. Victor says, not to mention his bed, and Nikolas says, no one can judge him more harshly than he’s judging himself right now, but Victor says, he’s not judging; he’s assessing. Nikolas says, assess faster. If Esme is capable of framing Trina, what might she do to Spencer or Ava? He has to go warm them. Victor says, no. Neither Ava nor Spencer need ever know about this. As head of the family, he’s made a decision. Esme is no longer entitled to Cassadine hospitality. Nikolas asks what that means exactly, and Victor says, meaning it’s time to evict Esme for good.

Esme says, Ryan is always so vague on the subject of her mother, and he says, his relationship with her mother was… unorthodox. Their courtship was mysterious, exciting. He never knew her friends, her family, not even her real name. She says, he didn’t know her name? So she was just some hookup? He says, she was so much more than that. She understood him. She accepted him. And when she disappeared, he looked everywhere for her. Esme says, so he doesn’t know who she is, and he says he knows her to her core. But unfortunately, he can’t give Esme what she wants. He doesn’t know that Spencer can either. He may be bluffing. Even if he has this information, can she trust him to hold up his end of the deal? She says she doesn’t need to confess. She just needs to get Trina off the hook. He says, so the state is left with no one to prosecute, and she says she can always just run away. He says, as if he’d ever allow that, and she says, and if she dares disobey him, what then? He says, consider herself an orphan, again, and she says, fine. She’ll stay, but if the authorities come looking her way for that stupid sex tape, she might have no choice but to leverage information about him in order to avoid jail time. He gets up and walks over to her.

Cody asks what Maxie thinks about Society Set-Ups, and she says, aside from the pretentious name, it seems legit. He says, Britt doesn’t seem to think so, but she says, Britt is a natural sceptic. As far as her experience with Society Set-Ups goes, her results have been… mixed. He says, fair point. However he does happen to know, Zelda is a wiz at what she does. She says, Zelda is the real deal, and he says, maybe if people Britt cares about can think he’s not wrong for her, Britt can too. She asks if he really likes Britt, and he says, he’d like to like her. Does Maxie think she’ll like this? He hands her a booklet, and she says, a passport? He says, open it, and she reads, no kids, no horses, no slippers. Just you, me, and the adventures we can have together. She turns the page, and says, the first stamp is the Quartermaine stable. He says, he thought it would be a good idea because they’re both explorers… this is corny, isn’t it? Unforgivably corny. She says, this is definitely corny, but it’s also really sweet. She doesn’t get the slippers reference, and he says, you had to be there. Tell him honestly. Is Britt going to hate it?

Jordan tells Britt that Curtis doesn’t want to be far away if Mr. Haggerty wakes up. He may have relevant information to a case that’s personally important to Curtis. Britt looks on the computer, and says, acute opioid intoxication, ingested with alcohol, which led to an adverse reaction. Jordan asks if this person has a prescription, and Britt says, if it’s drug history Jordan is after, she’s forbidden by law to tell Jordan if this person has visited their pharmacy or any pharmacy in western New York. Jordan asks if Britt can tell her if he hasn’t visited those pharmacies, and Britt says she can confirm there’s no record of him doing so. Is this a drug investigation? Because with Cyrus gone, she’d hoped this problem was over. Jordan asks if they’ve had a rash of opioid overdoses, but Britt says, no, but she did have someone recently ask her about this drug in particular. Jordan says, the one Haggerty OD’d on? and Britt asks if she should prepare her staff for more of these, but Jordan says, that would be premature. Their interest in Oz Haggerty has less to do with drugs than the Trina Robinson trial.

Arden asks if after Spencer and Esme departed, they returned at any point, but he says, no. They returned to his grandmother’s house, where they were staying at the time. Arden asks, if after he and Esme left, his testimony is that the only individual present all night with Josslyn and Cameron was the defendant, but he says he doesn’t know who or what happened after they left. They could have thrown a rager with the neighbors for all he knows. She asks, when he and Esme left, was there anyone else in the house with Josslyn and Cameron? and he says, to the best of his knowledge, no. She says, no further questions, and the judge calls for a short recess, telling Diane that she’ll be able to question the witness when they return. Hmm… What about Esme going back to the cabin for Spencer’s watch or whatever it was?

Nikolas tells Victor, put his phone away. Whatever he’s planning, that’s not what Nikolas is asking him for. Victor says, why let this girl jeopardize his happy home life, not to mention this family? and Nikolas says, Esme didn’t jeopardize anything; he did. He should have followed his heart, and told Ava everything immediately. Victor says, this gratuitous guilt is tedious, and in this case, misguided. Esme is nothing more than a vengeful Lolita, who exploited her friends, then drugged a man into a catatonic stupor. They’d all be a lot safer if she were eliminated. Nikolas says, and if Spencer ever finds out their part in that, he’ll lose his son again, but Victor says, Nikolas risks losing him if she lives. Nikolas says he doesn’t want to go down a path he can’t come back from, and Victor says, that ship has already left Southampton, and is well on its way to the iceberg. Nikolas says, before his mother left, she was worried he’d fall into old patterns, and killing Esme would definitely quality. Victor says, Laura’s integrity is admirable, but sometimes she fails to see the bigger picture. Nikolas says he knows Laura doesn’t understand, but he wants to make her proud. He wants to show her, Spencer, and Ava that he’s willing to face up to his failings.

Ryan gets closer to Esme, then hugs her. He says, his brother’s wrong. He’s not an unfeeling monster. His voice cracks as he says, her mother meant everything to him. He puts his hand under her chin, and says, and so does our daughter. She asks why he didn’t tell her any of this, and he says, that time in his life was very painful. Her mother was the only person he could completely be himself with. Then she walked away from him, and that’s why he can’t bear the thought of Esme doing the same. She says she would never do that to him. She would never leave him, and she would never, ever betray him. He says, I know that, my sweet girl, besides – he leans in toward her ear – there’s no place you can go, no place you can run, no place on earth I wouldn’t find you. He kisses her head, and says, one day they will be reunited with her mother, but right now, they have more immediate concerns. He holds her, and she cries.

Maxie tells Cody that she thinks Britt is going to love it. Right after she hates it first. He’s going to need a spare. He says, if she burns it? and she says, see? He’s already learning how Britt thinks. He says, maybe Maxie should give it to her, but she says, no way. She’s not getting in the middle of this mess. He says, she already saw for herself; Britt wants nothing to do with him. She says, the you Britt wants nothing to do with is the phony you that showed up on your date. If he shows up as the real him – gift in hand, heart on his sleeve – that just might show her that he’s the right guy for her. Besides, asking a third party to pass a note is beneath everybody involved. He thanks her, and she says she’s a diehard romantic.

Britt asks if the patient is a potential witness in Trina’s trial, and Jordan says, the individual who inquired about this opioid, could they be connected to our victim? Britt says, Jordan doesn’t think the OD was accidental, and Jordan says, it’s early days. Could the individual who asked Britt about the drugs shed any light on Oz Haggerty, or the video of Joss and Cam? Britt flashes back to Spencer asking her about the pill he found in Esme’s closet, and she tells Jordan that she couldn’t say. Jordan asks if this conversation is privileged, but Britt says, no. Jordan says, Britt is protecting someone; she gets it. But a young woman’s freedom may be at stake. Britt says, what happens if she gives up this person’s identity and the information becomes useless? and Jordan says, if it doesn’t help Trina, then they never had this conversation. How about it? Can Britt tell Jordan what she knows, and let her decide if it’s relevant?   

Diane steps away to take a call, and Trina asks if it isn’t enough that Spencer trashed their friendship and sided with his psycho girlfriend. He had to testify against her? He says, he was subpoenaed; he didn’t have a choice. She says, like that makes a difference. Esme won’t stop until she’s destroyed Trina, and he’s happy to help. He says, she’s wrong, and she says, prove it. Rory comes over and tells Trina, it’s not worth it, and she says, truest thing said in the courtroom today, walking away with him. Ava looks at Spencer.

Victor doesn’t understand Nikolas’s confused sense of honor. Personally, he’d rather bury accusation and accuser before throwing himself on the mercies of an angry wife. Nikolas says he appreciates the thought, sort of, but when it comes to Ava, he refuses to compound his mistakes. He’s done lying. Victor says, at least let him drop Nikolas at the courthouse. Yohan has a talent for shortcuts. Nikolas says, and speed limits? and Victor says, it’s like flying on angel’s wings. Nikolas says, he’ll take any and all the help he can get. I don’t think Nikolas should get in a car with Victor.

Ryan tells Esme, if Ava and Nikolas survive this infidelity, then all of their efforts will have been for nothing. It can’t happen. Her phone rings, and she says she has to take this. She tells Arden that she was just about to call, and Arden says, why call when she could be there in person like she’s supposed to be. Where is she? Esme says she had a family matter, and Arden says, if she’s not here after this recess is over in ten minutes, she’s going to hold Esme in contempt. She says she’s on her way, and tells Ryan that she has to go. He says, if she promises not to do what Spencer asks, he’ll make a promise of his own. When he get out of here, they’ll find her mother together. She says, no promises, and leaves. Ryan sits back down in his wheelchair.  

Diane tells Trina, she knows it was hard, but there’s good news. Trina says, not from where she’s sitting, and Diane says, Spencer Cassadine wasn’t able to account for all of Esme’s whereabouts. That gives them an opening they didn’t have before he took the stand. Taggert says, which means… and Diane says, which means, when Esme Prince gets on the stand, all bets are off.  

Rory says he should have handled his testimony better yesterday, but Josslyn says, he was just doing his job. Trina doesn’t blame him for that. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, read the room, officer. Trina let him hold her hand while she kicked Spencer in the teeth. She thinks he’s good. He says he’s read the room, and Trina. She still cares about Spencer. Josslyn says, so? Spencer was Trina’s friend, and he took Esme’s side against her. That, she will never forgive.

Ava says she’s on to Spencer, and he asks what nefarious thing he’s done now. She says, it’s what he didn’t do. He had every opportunity to give Esme an ironclad alibi, and yet… He tells her, what can he say? He’s an idiot. He turns around, his back to her, and she leans forward and says, he’s a lot of things, but an idiot, never. He smiles, and she says, which begs the question, who’s side is he really on?

Tomorrow, Nikolas says he made a mistake; Esme says she’s so going to enjoy this; and Dex says, if Sonny needs something like that done, he’s Sonny’s guy.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

We come in where we left off, Erika announcing there are chicken  tenders, but Crystal can’t have one. Also, she needs another drink. Kathy arrives, and talks to Sheree (not that one) like they know each other, but Sheree doesn’t think they’ve met before. We flash back to Kathy mistaking Garcelle for Kyle. A guy sits down at the piano, and Erika goes to the mic, but someone steers her back to her seat. Asher sings O Holy Night, and I’m like, someone shoot me. In LisaR’s interview, she says, it’s so magical, moving, and meaningful; he’s a talent. Oh please. He’s okay, but the song is a bit ambitious for his limited range. Erika starts to sing loudly along with him, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she thinks Erika misses the spotlight. She won’t shut up. Erika yells for him to hit high note, but luckily he doesn’t reach for that. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Erika’s had too much to drink, and her behavior is not respectful. She’s a little out of control. Asher finishes, there’s applause, and the guests disperse to mingle. Kathy gets some compliments on her bag, and she says, it’s an antique. Kyle says, it’s last season, and Kathy says, that’s antique for Beverly Hills.

Erika once again tells whoever’s listening that she’s lit, and tells the waitress that she wants a champagne orgasm moment. I have no idea what that means, and I’m not sure I want to, but I’m grateful the drink she’s brought doesn’t have a vibrator as a garnish. Kathy sits down, and Erika says, she needs to get something off her chest. Kathy invited her to events, but she didn’t want to bring scorn and her scarlet letter to Kathy’s daughters or Kathy. For real, she said it like that. Kathy says, if Erika hadn’t replied, it would be different, but she did, and Kathy respects her feelings. Erika asks her to explain to Paris and Nicky that it’s not personal. She just didn’t want to bring shame to them. Like they even noticed she wasn’t there. They toast to Paris and Carter. Kyle is sitting with Crystal, Garcelle, and Sheree, and tells them that Sutton was excited to come, but tested positive for covid. She thought Sutton seemed lonely, and has to be alone on Christmas. It broke her heart. Kathy joins them, and Garcelle asks how Erika is. Kathy says, getting out of control. On the other couch, LisaR suggests Erika put her drink down, but Erika says, no. Kyle says she thinks Erika was having a good time, and they cut her some slack, but Garcelle says, Kyle cut her some slack; she’s not doing that. Kathy says, you don’t want to put yourself in the position of drinking and getting out of control. Erika tells Diana that LisaR’s daughter Amelia inspired her to take care of her mental health. She’s on Lexapro and Wellbutrin, and she’s had drinks, but she’s okay. Not a great endorsement for Amelia’s inspiration. Garcelle tells Kyle, they can’t be in denial for the safety of the friendship . Erika was out of control on the boat – we flash back to Erika telling Garcelle to pee on the new girl – and at Garcelle’s party – we flash back to her telling Garcelle’s son, get the f*** out – and now tonight, when Asher was singing, she was shouting out. Kyle says she thinks she’s sensitive to someone saying someone else drinks too much because of Kim, and in her interview, she says she thinks it’s dangerous to throw around labels. Garcelle wants her to say Erika has a drinking problem, but she’s not doing that. I think it’s more like Kyle is non-committal because she’s a coward. She tells Garcelle that labels make her nervous, and Garcelle says, sometimes there is no excuse; it can just be bad. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Kyle’s idea of being a loyal friend is backing the person 100% of the time. Crystal expects her good friends to call her out, and not just back her blindly. Amen, sister.

Erika says she couldn’t have made it through without LisaR, her daughter, and the people around her. LisaR says, that’s what friends are for, and thank God, Erika doesn’t start singing. Erika starts saying nonsense, and LisaR says, it’s Erika’s first time out, and they need to go home. Erika has a hard time standing, and Diana and LisaR get on either side of her, helping her up. She says she loves everyone. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, maybe tonight everyone will see that Erika is having a hard time. She’s been saying it all along, and knows she’s right. She doesn’t want to be right, but it’s happening right in front of them. She tells Diana that everything was beautiful, and Diana apologizes for her behavior at Garcelle’s party; it was inappropriate. Sutton said a few things, and pressed every button, and she lashed out in a rude way. We flash back to that, and Diana apologizes again. In Diana’s interview, she says she enjoys Garcelle. Garcelle is at ease and approachable. She doesn’t know if it’s Garcelle, her, or Sutton not being there. Kathy hides Kyle’s bag, and Kyle says, this is not an Easter egg hunt. In her interview, she says, her sisters love to hide things. Kathy thinks if she doesn’t have her purse, she can’t leave, so she’ll stay and have more fun.

PK and Dorit sit down to talk, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, three weeks ago, PK was driving home from a work dinner. He’d had a glass of wine, and was pulled over and brought to the station. We see the various news programs talking about it, and she says, weeks later, the press magically found out that PK was brought in on suspicion of a DUI. She found out the day after, but now they need to have the conversation again because she’s annoyed again. He tells her, it was late and he didn’t want to worry her. He’d blown an .081, which was over the legal limit, but on a second test, he blew a .073. He just got a ticket, and originally wasn’t going to tell her. She says, the one thing that’s important in their marriage is, don’t lie, period. He says, no husband would want to wake their wife at 4 am after what she’d been through, and Dorit says, the only reason he told her was because he needed her to pick up his car. In her interview, she says, he should be counting his blessings. He had to tell her. If she’d found out when the press did, they’d have bigger problems. She tells him that she doesn’t trust anyone more than she does him. He says he’d never lie to her, but sometimes he’ll delay telling her, or pick the right time. In Dorit’s interview, she says, she can tell he had the scare of his life, and learned his lesson. She tells him, don’t do it again; she was about to kill him.

Erika, Mikey, and some other assistant check out 25 samples of hair extensions that have come in. LisaR comes by, and Mikey tells her that they’re having a Pretty Mess Hair meeting. In Erika’s interview, she says she knows what it’s like to have it all, and we flash back to private jets, lavish vacations, etc., etc., etc. She says, she’s going to work her ass off to get everything back. Why hair? She’s worn every extension, clip-in, ponytail, tape, and keratin (um… isn’t that a conditioner?) for over a decade, and has the knowledge just from wearing it. Mikey says, it’s on brand, and a long time coming. The meeting breaks up, and LisaR asks if Erika got home from the party okay. Erika says she blacked out. She got home, hit her head, then vomited. In her interview, Erika says, the holidays are hard for everybody, and they’re hard for her this year. She has great memories of family holidays before. They were loving and great, and now it feels desolate. She tells LisaR that it’s the fallout of everything that’s happened, and in her interview, she says she wanted to feel good and have fun, so she overdid it. LisaR says, Erika has been having stronger drinks, and Erika says, it was a routine part of socializing, and it’s hard to regulate. LisaR says, she was out of control, and Mikey says he’s known Erika for twelve or thirteen years, and she’s not a drinker. In her interview, LisaR says she thinks Erika needs to hear what she has to say, and tells Erika that she can’t cross that line; it’s not good for her. Erika says, it’s reckless. She could hurt herself. LisaR says, Erika has gone through tremendous trauma. Her husband wasn’t the guy she or any of them thought he was, and Erika had to deal with it because they’re married. She’s in a lot of pain. In her interview, LisaR says, she comes from experience. When she was six, her sister died of an overdose. Her sister was in pain, but they didn’t consider her an addict. She understands. She tells Erika, stop this now; it’s not who she is. Erika says, it’s hard to accept. She always prided herself on being controlled. She pushed too far, and sometimes it’s hard to be honest with friends. She thanks LisaR, and LisaR says, they all have a rock bottom moment. She thinks this was Erika’s. I can’t help thinking, the only reason LisaR beat Garcelle to the punch is, she thought it would be good screen time, and good for her image as the concerned friend.

Everyone talks about holidays, and in LisaR’s interview, she says, they lost Lois in November, and had to go through Thanksgiving and Christmas without her, but she feels lucky to have spent every Christmas with her. We see clips of what everyone did on Christmas, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, there’s nothing better than spending Christmas Day alone. She bought herself a present so she’d have something to unwrap. We see a beautiful silver and blue cocktail ring, and she says, 2021 was weird. She’s thinking, 2022, this is it. Yeah. We all thought that 2020 was going to be our year.  

Garcelle tells Jaid that she’s doing an audio version of her book, and he says, books suck; he hates reading. Sutton comes over, and Garcelle asks if she has cooties, but she’s good. Garcelle says, she’s so hopeful for 2022. She’s going to try and make a change with herself. Sutton says she wants to be better. She loses her temper. We flash back to her calling Diana an a-hole and soulless, and Garcelle tells her about Diana’s party. She says, Asher sang, and his hair was flowing, and Erika was more than tipsy. Kyle insisted she was just getting lose. Sutton says she doesn’t think Erika would receive any advice from her too well, and Garcelle says, she’ll take care of it. In Sutton’s interview, she says, that would go over well. She’d say, you have a problem, and get her face eaten off. She tells Garcelle, this is her life as a single person. She has to fix that; put her guard down a little. Her ex, Christian, has a serious girlfriend. In her interview, she says, she thinks it’s important that she put herself out there. It’s not fun being alone. She and Garcelle bonded over being divorced single mothers, sharing custody with their exes. They both wanted someone to talk to, since they didn’t have a partner. Sutton says, the failure of it all, and Garcelle says, stop. Sutton says, you feel vulnerable when you’re sick and don’t have anybody. She called every one of her exes.

In Sutton’s interview, she says, this is her fifth date in five months. She’s looking for someone who’s tall, has a job, and is educated. She tells assistant Joshua that she wants to look relaxed, but not slutty. In her interview, she says, dealbreakers are affection for hoodies, ponytails, and white unmarked vans. We flash back to the Reunion where Sutton said boyfriend Michael broke up with her Valentine’s weekend. In her interview, Sutton says, this might point out that she’s not the best dater. She’s just trying again to see if she can be better. A producer asks if she’s considered friends with benefits, and she says, her [male] friends are gay. She’s not sure they want that benefit.

Dorit visits Kyle, and says, the headline about PK has surfaced weeks later. In Dorit’s interview, she says, people who know you, people who haven’t spoken to you in years, everyone wants to send a message. She has to tell the story, and relive this again and again and again… Kyle says, PK told Mauricio, and he didn’t say anything to her. Dorit says, PK tells Mauricio everything. He’d take a bullet for Mauricio. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s nice PK and Mauricio have a great relationship, but clearly something major happened, and Mauricio never bothered to tell her. She’s not going to pretend it’s not a big deal, or didn’t hurt her feelings; it did. Kyle tells Dorit, it’s a reminder; a lesson to everyone. She sees the police, and already feels like she has a dead body in the trunk. She would die if she was pulled over. No comment. Kyle says she checks on her daughters every night, and they check on her, and Dorit says, an open doorway of communication is important. She tells her kids the same thing she tells PK: never lie to her. They’ll always get through whatever it is, but it will be better than if they lied.

Sutton meets Sanjit at an upscale pizza place, and in her interview, she says, she never dated much. She married young, and it’s hard to date in 2022 when you’re 50. She and Sanjit met on the [sic] Bumble. We flash back to the women getting in on a call to Sanjit, and Sutton says, after the girls were in his face, they went out. She found out he’s from Virginia, and went to law school in New Orleans. He was also on Jeopardy. She does background checks on people she dates. I can’t say I blame her. She says, they went on one date, and she loved it. They went to a dive bar (not sure what her definition of that is). He had a beer, and she had a glass of wine, and they talked about movies, books, and college football. A month later, they’re going on a second date, and she wants to dive deeper, and get to know him. Sanjit says he loves music, and he found out the Go-Gos are playing at the Whiskey. Instead of taking that cue and saying she’d love to see them, she says she also loves music. She loves garage bands, since she grew up in the 80s. He mentions The Clash, and she says, those were the days. In her interview, she says she doesn’t know what she’s looking for. She doesn’t think marriage. Just somebody to put up with her. She says she’s trying to decide if he wants a third date.

Garcelle meets Erika at a rooftop restaurant/bar, and asks, how’s Erika’s dating life? Erika says, her sex life is better than her dating life. What’s she going to do, hold hands? She asks the waitress for chamomile tea with honey, but the waitress says, they don’t do hot drinks on the roof. Erika asks for cognac, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, that was a jump. Maybe a Shirley Temple or water. They toast to a happy new year, and Garcelle asks how Erika is. Erika says she’s okay, and Garcelle says, the last time she saw Erika, she was tipsy, but Erika says, not tipsy; blacked out. Garcelle says she was starting slow, and Erika says she appreciates Garcelle being gentle, but she was blacked out. She was thinking she could drink with her medicine, and wanted to have a good time. Garcelle says she gets it, but Erika doesn’t want to let it get to the point where everyone is worried and it looks messy. Erika says, LisaR called her on the carpet, which surprises Garcelle as much as it did me. Erika says, obviously, she’s struggling. She lost her husband, her home, and her stuff, but no one tells you how to rebuild. Um… downsizing for a while maybe? She tells Garcelle, her gut says she’ll be all right, but there are moments she’s like, oh sh*t. Garcelle says, just like everyone else (although everyone else doesn’t have a Glam Squad), and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, the first step is recognizing you have a problem. She believes Erika, and is glad to see she’s owning it. Erika says, she’s had so much ripped away, her eyes are open, and Garcelle asks if she sees anything in their friend group that she didn’t before. Erika says she’s glad Garcelle has Sheree, because Sutton is a liability; she’s unpredictable. In her interview, Garcelle says, she finds it strange that Erika is saying that, since Erika and Sutton were buddies in Mexico. We flash back to that, and Garcelle says, Erika is a liability walking around. Is there a more scandalous woman in America? Garcelle wishes everyone would lay off Sutton, and Erika says, Sutton is the master of her own disaster. She knows Sutton is Garcelle’s friend, but Garcelle doesn’t have to cover for her all the time. Garcelle says she doesn’t think she does that, but Erika says she thinks Garcelle feels responsible for protecting Sutton. Sutton is a big girl. She knows what she’s doing. Garcelle makes a skeptical face.

Next time, LisaR says, everyone thinks she’s a bitch, and Sutton says, she is; Garcelle talks to Dorit about Erika; LisaR brings the group to a wine tasting; and Sutton and LisaR have it out.

🐶 Dogging the Days Of Summer…

Stop in tomorrow to check out some soap and some Charmers. Until then, stay safe, stay motivating others, and stay remembering mistakes are made in haste.

July 26, 2022 – Nina Feels the Fallout, Honored, Jack’s Message, Mistake, Shocking, One More, Revelation, Next Chapter, In Love, For Shame, Sub-Genre, Adding Spice & Stop

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Josslyn brings Carly coffee, and she takes a sip. She tells Josslyn, it’s really strong, and Josslyn says, sorry. She added a few extra scoops. She couldn’t sleep last night, and has to get through the trial today. Is it too much? Carly says, it’s fine; she likes it. Josslyn was out late last night. What’s up? Josslyn says she went for a run, and took a longer route than usual. Carly says, and that route led her to Sonny?

Nina tells pool bartender Aaron that one of the servers just called in, and they’re short-staffed already. Can he fill in? He says he’s a bartender, not wait staff, and she says she realizes that, but it would really help if he could pitch in. He won’t be busy there until lunch. He says he’s in the middle of prep, and doesn’t think she knows what his job is like. She says she thinks he has the time, and he says, she’s been here a whole day. Is Mrs. Quartermaine around? She says, it doesn’t matter how long she’s been here. She’s co-owner, and she’s telling him to pitch in. He says he knows all about her. He read the article in The Invader. He knows how she stole that baby, how she stole Mrs. Corinthos’s husband, and this hotel. Carly was an awesome boss, so he’ll be taking his orders from Mrs. Quartermaine, not her. Sonny says, he’d better watch his mouth. You don’t talk to your boss like that.

Taggert walks Trina into the courtroom, and asks if she’s okay. She says, every person who testified yesterday knows she’s innocent, but the ADA kept twisting their words around, making it sound like they were covering up for her; asking them questions they didn’t know the answer to. He puts his hands on her shoulders, and tells her not to lose hope. Every person who testified yesterday came out swinging. They took every chance they could to protect and defend her. They’re Taggerts. This ain’t over til it’s over. Rory comes in, and says, agreed, and whatever that jury decides, it will be in her favor.

At the hospital, Portia hugs Curtis, and says she missed him last night. Did he get any sleep at all? He says he missed her too. TJ managed to sneak him into one of the on-call rooms for a quick snooze. He wanted to be close, in case Oz’s condition changed. He’s still in a medically induced coma. She says she knows; she checked as soon as she got here. He asks why she’s not at the courthouse, and she says she’s on her way, but had to check on a few of her patients first. He asks how Trina is doing, but Portia says she doesn’t know. Trina was quiet this morning, and left with her dad. Did Curtis talk to Taggert at all? He says, not yet, and she says, talk to her. Tell her how he found this guy. Tell her what happened. Jordan joins them, and says, she’d like to know the same thing.

Esme calls the hospital, and says she’s checking on the status of her father. He came in last night with a drug overdose; Oz Haggerty. She hears someone coming, and hangs up. Spencer comes in, and she says she was just on her way out. He says, no you don’t. Time’s up.

Nikolas asks if Ava is sure she doesn’t want him to go with her to the courthouse. He knows how worried she is about Trina. She says she’ll be fine. That’s sweet though; he’s been very sweet this morning. He says, speaking of sweet… and kisses her. He tells her to call as soon as she knows anything. She says she will, and picks up a manila envelope. He asks, what’s that? and she says, it’s here. He says, what is it? and she says, our future; their divorce papers. Did he know Martin was sending them? He says he was under the impression Martin was still reviewing them. She says, he did. It just needs their signatures. He takes them from her, and tells her not to worry about them now. She’s got enough on her plate worrying about Trina. She’d better get going. She says, they might as well get it over with, but he says he can’t sign them.

Spencer tells Esme, quit stalling. What’s her answer? Is she going to exonerate Trina, so she can learn who her birth mother is; yes or no? She says, that’s not something she can decide overnight, and he says, they’re testifying today, so she needs to make a decision now. She says, so he can go crawling to Trina, and tell her about his noble gesture? He tells her that he hasn’t said anything to Trina. He doesn’t care what she thinks of him. Esme says, oh please, give me a break, and he says, Trina is innocent. All he cares about is making sure she doesn’t go to prison. She says, but he doesn’t give a damn if she goes there? She doesn’t even think it’s possible for her to get Trina off the hook without going to jail herself, but he says, she’ll figure it out. Scheming is second nature to her. She’s been manipulating people and situations since the day they met. She says she never manipulated him; she loved him. Everything she did, she did for him. He wanted to break up his father and Ava, and maybe she took some things too far, but she did that because they were a team and they loved each other; at least she thought so. He says he’s heard all this before. What’s her answer? Is she taking his deal? She says she’s not sure his offer is worth helping Trina. Trina’s the reason she lost him.

Trina says she didn’t think she’d see Rory today, but he says he took a personal day; he wanted to support her. He’s so sorry for what he said on the stand. He feels terrible that he gave the jury any cause to doubt her. She says, that ADA is definitely doing a good job. She’s convinced Trina is guilty. Rory says, well, she’s wrong. It’s lucky Trina has such a smart lawyer. He’d thought he’d blown it for her completely, but when Diane cross-examined him, she gave him a chance to explain that the only reason Trina was in The Highsider was to get the bartender to ID Esme. But he should have done a better job with his original testimony, or figure out a way to dodge ADA Arden’s questions. She tells him, stop. She’s not the least bit upset, so give himself a break. He says he’s upset with himself. He’s going to make it up to her… if she’ll let him.

Jordan says she heard Curtis was quite the hero last night, and he asks if it’s an official interrogation. Jordan says she’s sure they’re both upset with her after her testimony, but she was under oath; she had to answer honestly. Portia says, no one expected anything otherwise, and Jordan says, really? Because she can tell Curtis is holding something back. Come on. Let her have it.

Josslyn says, unbelievable. Sonny came running to Carly after the way he’s treated her. What did he say? Carly says she wants to hear what Josslyn has to say, and Josslyn says, like she told Carly, she went for a run, and took a longer route than usual. She saw Sonny get out of his car, alone, which she thought was weird. Then she saw him walk into this alleyway, which was weirder. She went to check it out, and pulled out her phone as a precaution. She saw Sonny and his new muscle beating up some guy and threatening to kill him, and she recorded the whole thing. Carly says she’s sorry Josslyn had to see that, but she knows Sonny’s life. Did she stop and think it could turn into a more dangerous situation? Josslyn says, at the time, she just saw Sonny breaking the law. If it was anybody else, she would have done the same thing. Maybe not let them see her or hung around after… Carly says, Josslyn did that because she knew Sonny wouldn’t hurt her, and Josslyn says, who cares if Sonny wouldn’t hurt her? He was definitely hurting that guy in the alleyway. Why should Sonny get away with that? Why should she pretend it isn’t happening? Sonny trashed their family, and she’s done looking the other way.

Nina thanks Sonny, but says she thinks she’s got this. He asks the bartender what his name is, and Nina says, his name is Aaron. Sonny tells Aaron that he heard what Aaron said to his boss, and he gets it. What Aaron said was foolish and disrespectful, but in his experience, people who do those kinds of things usually have something else going on. He knows it felt good in the moment, but it doesn’t solve what’s really going on, and it doesn’t help Aaron in the long run to disrespect Nina like that, does it? Aaron shakes his head, and Sonny says he could be wrong. He has been in the past, but if that’s the case, they’ve got a bigger problem.

Curtis tells Jordan, there is something he wants to say, and she says she’s listening. He thanks her, and tells her that he saw what she did on that stand. ADA Arden had her backed into corner after corner, yet Jordan chose her words carefully, so as not to give the ADA any added ammunition against Trina. Then in the cross, she made sure to point out that Trina’s demeanor was not consistent with that of a guilty person, and answered before Arden could object. She did her job admirably; it meant a lot. Portia says, it meant a lot to both of them, and Trina feels the same way. Jordan says, Trina’s a strong young lady, and she’ll always be on the side of justice. To that end, she needs to know how it happened to be Curtis who brought in Oz Haggerty; the same bartender who came up when Diane was questioning Officer Cabrera. The same bartender who allegedly sold Trina the unregistered phone that was used in the crime. Curtis says, it happens that he found Oz passed out, and made sure he was brought here safely. She says, tell her how he found Oz, and why. What does he know that she should know?

Rory says he intends to be by Trina’s side for the rest of the trial, and she asks if Diane knows she’s being replaced. He says, for real. He promises to do all he can to make things better for him. Arden sees them, and says she wants word with Rory, now.

Ava asks if there’s a problem, but Nikolas says, no problem; it’s clarity. He just realized, she was right all along. The divorce is off. She says, he’s been convincing her for weeks they needed to do this. Now he’s doing a 180, and she’s confused. He says he knows. He was wrong. Reality struck. Hearing his grandmother’s house burned down, reminded him how unfair and random life can be. Anything can happen at any moment, and he can’t risk putting her through that. Please tell him that she understands.

Spencer says, all these proclamations of love, and what a team he and Esme were. He thought so too, but he realizes now what they had was never love. If someone loves him, they don’t hurt his friends. They don’t lie to his face over and over again. She says she didn’t, but he says, just don’t. Take the energy she spends on her lies, and put it to good use. Figure out how to set Trina free before it’s too late.

Aaron says, Sonny is right. He has stuff going on with his parents. He’s sorry for what he said, and how he said it. He’ll clock out and go. Nina says she’s not firing him. She accepts his apology. Just don’t let it happen again. He thanks her, calling her boss, and leaves. She tells Sonny that she’s impressed how he talked to Aaron. It reminds her of a man she knew in Nixon Falls. He says, him too, and she thanks him for having her back. He says, always. He had it when he suggested she sell her half of the hotel. This is the exact situation he warned her about. She says, really? How so?

Carly says she gets where Josslyn is coming from, and her feelings are 100% valid, but like she’s told Josslyn’s father many times over the years, if you go after Sonny, you have to consider the collateral damage. Josslyn says, Donna and Avery, and Carly says, yes. They’ve already had so much loss, it’s not fair to take their father away from them again. Josslyn says, that was Sonny’s message too. He said busting him for assault and attempted murder was somehow unfair to Donna and Avery. Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t agree? and Josslyn says, being a father is not a get get-out-of-jail-free pass. It doesn’t excuse the things Sonny has done, and will continue to do. Everyone is saying he’s such a good father, but shouldn’t they consider the life he leads puts Donna and Avery in danger? He certainly didn’t think about them during his time in Nixon Falls. Carly says, he didn’t remember them, but Josslyn says, he didn’t want to remember them. Isn’t that what he said during his testimony? That he was so happy with Nina in Nixon Falls, he didn’t care to think about anything else? Carly says she gets it. She gets Josslyn is mad about what Sonny put them through. So is she, but she’s trying so hard to move past it, and she can’t do that if she’s worrying about Josslyn going after Sonny.

Ava tells Nikolas, of course (🍷) she understands. The divorce on paper is tempting fate. It’s symbolic maybe, but legally binding. She’s thrilled they’re ditching it. He says, him too. Being her husband is all that matters to him. She says she feels the same way about being his wife. Now that that’s settled, she really has to go to court. What’s he going to do with those? He says he’ll find a symbolic way of destroying them, and they’ll celebrate not divorcing tonight. She asks if he has anything in mind, and he says, she’ll find out. They kiss, and she leaves.

Esme says, Spencer is asking a lot of her, but he says, in return for equal value. His Uncle Victor used considerable resources to find her birth mother. Does Esme want to know who she is or not? Nikolas walks in, and asks if everything is okay, and Spencer says, Trina’s trial is today, so they’re a little on edge. Nikolas says he’ll bet. At least he has some good news for Esme. He pulled some strings, and her internship at Spring Ridge has been reinstated. Esme says, oh my God. Really? This is amazing. She thanks him, and hugs him. She says she’s going to call her supervisor now, and work on her schedule. As she leaves, Spencer says, too bad she can’t start today, and she says, yes, of course (🍷), closing the door behind her. Spencer asks why Nikolas is always helping Esme.

Curtis says, he’s surprised the Commissioner is personally investigating an overdose victim, and Jordan says, she takes an interest when the victim’s name comes up in testimony during an ongoing trial. And when the person who found him is closely connected to the defendant. Portia says, certainly Jordan isn’t suggesting that Curtis had anything to do with the OD, and Jordan says, absolutely not, but it does raise questions. What’s going on? Curtis says, if he tells her, this can’t get back to the ADA.

Arden asks Rory, what’s going on? He’s not testifying today, and he’s out of uniform. He says he’s not on duty. He’s here as a private citizen, and she asks how he thinks it looks, cavorting with the defendant. (Cavorting?) He says he can’t control what people think, and she says, but he can control his actions. And if he doesn’t, is he ready for the consequences? Trina and Taggert watch from the courtroom, and Trina asks if Taggert thinks Arden is reprimanding Rory for his actions; for being here and supporting her. He says, it’s very possible, and she says she doesn’t want Rory to get in trouble because he’s her friend. Taggert says, she made Rory aware of the possible ramifications when they started the friendship. What’s going on here and now is not on her. Rory made a choice. I’m not quite getting this, since Arden isn’t his boss, but it’s not the first time something hasn’t made sense to me in Port Charles.

Josslyn says, Carly can relax, because Sonny’s guy convinced her to delete the recording. Carly asks how he managed that, and Josslyn says, he told her that if she turned the footage over to the cops, Sonny would just beat the charges, and that he – the guy – wouldn’t. And he’s probably right. Diane has gotten Sonny out of much worse. She just didn’t understand why the guy should go to prison for just following orders, yet Sonny’s not going to go for giving them. Carly says, makes sense, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷) the guy’s an idiot for even accepting a job from Sonny. Everybody knows who Sonny is and what he does. He had to know sooner or later he’d be expected to do something illegal. Carly says, Jason worked for Sonny, and he wasn’t an idiot, but Josslyn says, maybe he was. She loved Jason – she thought he was the best – but maybe he was an idiot, for making all those sacrifices for Sonny. No offense, but maybe Carly was an idiot for standing by him for that long. Sonny didn’t do that for her. Michael’s right. Sonny’s gotten away with all this crap for all these years because they lined up and made excuses for him. But he showed them who he really is. He showed them what they mean to him. Carly takes Josslyn’s hand, and says she’s not going to defend Sonny, but he’s still Donna and Avery’s father, and for their sake, she’d like to coexist. Josslyn wonders what she’s asking, and Carly says, the next time Josslyn goes for a run and sees Sonny walking down an alley, keep running. Josslyn says, she probably would have, except… Carly says, except what? and Josslyn says she was still mad about her testimony. Carly says, so that’s what fueled her interaction with Sonny? She thinks it was about control. Josslyn says, control of what? and Carly says she thinks Josslyn needed to reclaim some for herself, after the ADA weaponized her words against her best friend.

Sonny says he’s glad Olivia still serves Corinthos Coffee, and Nina says, why wouldn’t they? It’s top notch. He says, it would send the wrong message to change brands now, after everything that’s going on. All he’s saying is, Nina keeping Carly’s half of the hotel is going to cause a fallout. Nina says, now that they’ve established Sonny Corinthos is right, she has a few interns she needs to… He says, it’s not about who’s wrong. It’s about her accusing him of being more concerned about Carly than her. He’s there for her. He’s just trying to protect her. She says, really? She’s dealt with difficult employees before, but she needs to know he has her back when it counts. He says, always, and she says, it didn’t seem that way when he was trying to convince her to sell her half of the MetroCourt. He says, because he thought it was the wrong move. He has to speak his mind, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t support her. She says, there’s a difference between honesty and undermining, and he says he’s always going to be straight with her, even if she doesn’t like what he has to say. If she can’t deal with that, this is not going to work.

Jordan says, her part in Trina’s trial concluded after she gave her testimony, but as far as she’s concerned, the investigation is ongoing. She’s only obligated to inform the DA’s office if she sees a miscarriage of justice. Curtis says, okay. He’s tracking the black market phone Jordan found in Trina’s purse. He’s working to prove it was bought from Oz Haggerty by Esme Prince. Portia says, that’s why Trina and Joss were at The Highsider. They even brought it up in court yesterday, but of course (🍷) they twisted it, and used it against Trina. Curtis says, yeah, they did, but Josslyn and Trina went to that bar to find the bartender who sold Esme that phone. When they found him, they showed him a pic of Esme, and he recognized her. Jordan says she’s impressed by their initiative, but it was reckless. Portia says, she and Trina’s father weren’t happy about it, but she wasn’t surprised. At least they found something. Curtis says, he and Taggert took it from there, with a little help from Marshall, and a nephew who will remain nameless. He and Marshall followed Oz to his hotel room. They dropped a few threats about his connection to Trina’s case, and he took the bait. He went straight to Windymere. Jordan says, that’s interesting. Did he meet with Esme? Curtis says, they couldn’t get proof of that, but they saw Ava at the pier, and looped her in. But by the time she got there, Oz was gone. He’d disappeared, and didn’t return on the launch. He thinks Esme helped him get off the island undetected. Portia says, and now he is here, in a coma, with information that could clear her daughter.

On the phone, Esme says she called before about her father Oz Haggerty… Still no change?… They’re sure?

Nikolas says, Esme is Spencer’s girlfriend; why wouldn’t he help her? Spencer says, pulling strings takes effort. Phone calls, reciprocal favors. He’s just surprised Nikolas is going the extra mile for her. Nikolas says, nothing is more important to him than Spencer, and as long as Spencer cares for Esme, her concerns are important to him as well. Spencer says he didn’t ask Nikolas to do all that for him, and Nikolas says he wants Spencer to be happy. Is he happy? Spencer says he’s trying to be, and Nikolas asks how things are between Spencer and Esme. Spencer says, things are complicated, and Nikolas says, maybe he’s the problem. Spencer asks, how?

Josslyn tells Carly that she’s really worried for Trina. Her case isn’t looking so good. Carly says she knows, and she’s been where Trina is. Josslyn says, that’s what scares her. She felt so helpless on the stand. She counted on her testimony to help show Trina would never do something like that. As the victim, she thought it would turn the tide. That ADA twisted her words, and made Trina look guiltier than ever. Carly says, that’s her job, and Josslyn says she knows, but she doesn’t care. She hates herself for even answering the questions. She should have lied. Carly says, that would be perjury, and Josslyn says, then she should have shut her mouth, and let them hold her in contempt. Carly says, Josslyn did nothing wrong, and Josslyn says, then why does she have this awful feeling? Carly says, she’s afraid for her best friend. When Josslyn was on that stand, she was passionate in defense of Trina’s character, and put the blame on Esme. And the jury heard her, even though the ADA was trying to object. She showed strength, courage, and loyalty, and Carly is damn proud of her. She hugs Josslyn, and asks if she’s ready to go to the trial. Josslyn says, absolutely. She wants anyone on that jury who still doubts Trina to know her friends are not abandoning her. Carly says, that’s right.

Trina asks, what happened? but Rory says, nothing. She says, it was definitely something. ADA Arden didn’t look happy. The ADA thinks it’s bad optics for Rory to support her in public, doesn’t she? Rory says he’s not worried about her, and Trina says she’s not worried about her; she’s worried about him. Ava comes in, and asks how Trina is doing. Rory leaves, and Ava says, Officer Cabrera is back, huh? She hugs Trina, and says, he doesn’t appear to be on duty. Trina says, Rory is here to support her, and Ava says, Rory. Trina says, they’re friends, and Ava says, that’s all? Trina says, ask her again when the trial is over.

Taggert sits next to Rory, and says, Rory is a good friend to his daughter; he appreciates that. She needs her support system at this time. Rory says he’s proud to call Trina his friend, and Taggert says, he should be. Just for the record, Rory and him? They’re still not friends. Rory says, understood, sir.

Sonny says he came here because he didn’t like how he and Nina left things, and he doesn’t want to fight. Nina says, neither does she, but maybe this is another indication they need to take things slow. He says, why is that? and she says, they’re still trying to figure things out. He says, they’ve already figured each other out, but she says, if one fight derails them, it’s better to know now than later. He asks if that’s how she sees it, because he doesn’t see it that way, and she says, it is. He has a need to protect her from the world and coddle her? She doesn’t need to be coddled. She doubts he ever felt he needed to coddle Carly. He says, he and Carly have said way worse things to each other, and done way worse over the years. She says, if they’re aiming to have the kind of arrangement he had with Carly, where it gives them permission to be verbally abusive to each other, she doesn’t want any part of that, and walks away.

Curtis says, as soon as he connected Oz to Esme, he finds Oz fighting for his life. They know Esme is capable of some serious stuff, but this is attempted murder. Jordan asks if he thinks Esme knew he was on to her, and he says, it’s possible. Jordan says, since they can’t rule out illegal drug use being in play, it allows her to discreetly investigate. Portia says, thank you so much, and Curtis says, they appreciate it. Jordan says, she’s doing her job, and leaves. Portia’s phone dings, and she says, one of her patients is critical. Curtis tells her, go look into that, and he’ll stay to keep eyes on Oz. They can’t let him slip through their fingers again, not until he helps Trina.

Nikolas says he hasn’t been the best example to Spencer. He’s sorry Spencer is unhappy. Spencer says, they’ve had their moments, but this isn’t on Nikolas, and Nikolas says, part of being a parent feeling your child’s pain as if it were your own. He knows he’s caused that pain many times, but Spencer says, they’re moving past that now. Nikolas says he doesn’t know if he’ll ever move past the mistakes he’s made with Spencer. He’s like to promise not to make any more, but he probably will despite his best intentions. Just know that Nikolas loves him, and he’s a flawed man. Moving forward, he never wants to hurt Spencer again. Spencer says, they’re both flawed men. It’s okay. He’s… Esme comes in, and says she’s all set to resume her internship. Spencer says, great, but they should be getting to the courthouse. She says she’ll meet him there; she needs to change. He says he’ll wait, but she says, no need. She’ll be there. She won’t be late. He leaves, and Esme says she can’t begin to tell Nikolas how much this means to her. He says, they need to talk about her almost telling Ava and Spencer that they slept together, and she says she overreacted. He has no idea how much this internship means to her. It’s everything; it’s her future. When she contemplated telling them, it was in a weak moment. She would never do anything to hurt him or Spencer that way. He says she sure seemed to mean what she said, but she says, thankfully, it never came to that, and leaves.

Carly asks how Trina is doing, and she says she’s hanging in. Carly says, they’re all behind her; don’t forget that. Stay strong. Carly’s phone rings, and she steps out to take the call. Josslyn asks if that’s Trina’s dad sitting next to Rory, and Trina says she knows, right? His face seems neutral, which is a good sign. She can’t believe Rory showed up for her.

Ava catches Carly in the hallway, and says she understands Carly relinquished her share of the MetroCourt. Carly says she did, and Ava says, if Carly wants to spend more time with Avery, she’ll be glad to make that happen, since Carly will have more free time now. Carly says she’s always happy to spend time with Avery. Her family means more to her than a job ever could. Ava says, Carly is so fortunate she still has them. She’s lost so much lately. Carly says she is fortunate. Ava on the other hand, has to endure living with a stepson who hates her, and his psycho girlfriend who framed Trina. All because Ava’s husband can’t man up and kick them out, huh? Ava says, let’s just hope for the best for Trina, shall we? and goes into the courtroom. Carly’s phone rings again, and she says, Pilar? What’s up?

Sonny says, he knows he and Nina are just getting started. It’s going to take a little while to find their way, but that doesn’t mean they can’t speak their mind. He thinks that’s important, like they did in Nixon Falls. She says, absolutely, and he says he wants this; does she? She says, more than anything, and he says, then they have to stop comparing their relationship to his and Carly’s. That’s in the past. He takes her hand, and says, what they have is different. It’s meaningful, right? Nina says, he doesn’t always have to support her decisions – she knows he won’t – but she needs to know his loyalty is always with her. Carly’s long shadow is always going to hover over them, and no matter how hard they try to move forward, she’s afraid they’re never going to escape it. He says, they won’t, and she says, so he admits there are three people in this relationship, but he says, not between them. Carly is always going to be part of this. They can make peace with the past, but they can’t separate from what’s happened. Carly is the mother of his children, so it’s never going to be just the two of them. He can live with that because Nina means that much to him. What she has to decide is how much he means to her.

Carly tells Josslyn, she’s sorry, but she’s got to go. Donna got hurt on the playground. She’s okay. Pilar said she’s fine, but Carly wants to go home and make sure she’s okay. She’ll text when she gets there, and wants Josslyn to do the same; let her know what’s going on. Josslyn says, sure, and they hug. Josslyn tells Carly to give Donna a hug for her, and Carly leaves.

Taggert tells Trina that Diane is on her way; traffic. How is she doing? Does she need anything? Trina says she’s fine. She’s glad he’s here. She looks at Rory, and asks Taggert to excuse her for a minute. She needs to talk to Rory. Taggert says he’ll wait for her here, and she goes over to Rory. Taggert’s phone rings, and it’s Portia. She says, she doesn’t know what to do, and he tells her, take a breath, and tell him what’s going on. He thought she’d be here by now. She says, that’s the problem; she has an emergency. One of her patients is in critical condition, and being prepped for surgery right now. How does she do that to Trina? He tells her, do what she needs to do, and Trina will understand, but she says, Trina needs her. Trina needs her support, but her patient’s life depends on her. He tells her to take care of her patient, and he’ll take care of their daughter.

Trina says she knows Rory is downplaying what the ADA told him. If he needs to go, please leave. She doesn’t want him getting in any more trouble because of her. He says he wants to be here, but if him being here stresses her out… She says, that’s not what she means. She wants him to know that she realizes he’s putting himself out on a limb for her, and it means a lot. He says, in that case, he’s not going anywhere. Spencer walks in.

At Windymere, Nikolas asks Jordan if it’s an official visit, and she says, actually, it is. He asks how he can help, and she says she’d like to ask him a few questions about his recent visitor.

On the phone, Esme says she knows she’s not on the schedule yet, because her internship just got reinstated, but she needs to come in to see Ryan Chamberlain. Please tell her that she can see him right away. It’s urgent.

Tomorrow, Taggert asks if Ava has any idea what Spencer plans to say on the stand; Esme says, what’s leverage if you can’t use it; Victor says, as head of the family, he’s made a decision; and Ryan says, when you’re right, you’re right. I would assume to Esme, since he doesn’t talk to anyone else.

🍀 Lucky Lucky…

Pretty prestigious. It would have been nice if they’d been more specific about what he’d written though.

🙏 Thankful…

I don’t have kids, but I can’t imagine anything more difficult than losing a child.

⚠️ Not Yet…

Don’t you hate when that happens?

💎 It’s Her Turn…

Looks like Kathy is going to be in the hot seat for a while. She’s had a free ride too long.

💸 Another Day, Another Lawsuit…

I’m honestly starting to wonder.

👠 Took Long Enough…

What is wrong with these women that they even associate with that trash talking drunk?

https://okmagazine.com/p/kim-richards-reveals-why-she-ditched-brandi-glanville-friendship/?utm_source=Jeeng

🍑 After the ATL…

Cynthia is moving and shaking.

💕 Enjoying the Ride…

What that Sheree is up to.

👩🏻‍🍳 Model Chef…

I’d be amazed if anyone even remembers her being on ANTM. I don’t.

https://www.realitytitbit.com/bravo/below-decks-rachel-hargrove-body-shames-tyra-banks-after-2005-clash

🙀 Horror Plus…

The latest in queer horror.

https://ew.com/movies/rise-of-queer-horror-hannibal-chucky-shudder/

And while we’re on the subject, I can’t wait to see this.

https://ew.com/movies/kevin-bacon-they-them-trailer-theo-germaine/

🎶 Stop Right Now…

Not only is she posh, she’s a good sport.

https://people.com/music/victoria-beckham-does-spice-girls-karaoke-on-vacation-the-one-and-only-posh-spice/

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/victoria-beckham-sings-spice-girls-hit-hilarious-karaoke-87375405

World Tour 2008 – All 5 – It was the best!

🧍🏽‍♀️ Taking a Little Sidestep…

Meet me here tomorrow for soap and whatever’s cringeworthy in Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay letting your conscience be your guide, and stay knowing, if you accept a job from a mob boss, sooner or later you’ll be expected to do something illegal.

July 25, 2022 – Josslyn Catches Sonny Threatening Felty, Captain Sandy Needs a Bosun She Can Trust & Something

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dex shoves Felty down some steps in a stairwell, and Sonny comes out. He says, Felty. He’s heard a lot about Felty. Felty says, it’s all a big misunderstanding, and Sonny says, we are way beyond that. He comes down the stairs, as Dex shoves Felty up against the emergency door. Sonny says, Felty’s been exploiting Sasha Gilmore, pushing drugs on her, but Felty says, she asked for them, because apparently, he’s an idiot. Sonny punches him in the stomach, and Felty doubles over. Sonny tells Dex that he didn’t want to do that, and tells Felty, listen to me. He doesn’t want Felty to talk; Sonny just wants him to listen. Felty offends him, and people who offend him, they tend to disappear. Understand?

Valentin pours champagne at a table near the pool, when Anna walks in. He says, if memory serves, she likes roses, and hands her one. She thanks him, taking it, and says she also like champagne. He says, then he’s two for two, and asks her to sit, pulling out a chair. She does, and he picks up his glass, saying, to her, the most beautiful sight he’s ever seen, and they clink glasses. She says she can’t do this. She’s sorry. She doesn’t want to put up with this anymore. She picks up her bag, and he says, put up with what? She says, the dishonesty.

In the MetroCourt lobby, Ava says she’s going to need Nikolas’s help. He says, anything, and she says, martini first, yes? He agrees, and she says she has every intention of ordering a second, but under no circumstances should she be ordering a third, so don’t let her, no matter how much she insists she needs it. He asks why she’d need a third martini, and she says, to numb the pain of how badly Trina’s trial went today. He asks, what happened? when Spencer comes in. He greets them, and asks if they’d mind if he joins them. It’s important.

Oz seems like he’s having a hard time breathing, and pulls off his jacket. Esme says he’s not looking too well, and he asks what she did to him. He passes out on her shoulder, just as Curtis knocks at the door. Esme jumps up, and Curtis bangs harder, saying, Oz, open up. He tries the door, then kicks it open, seeing Oz passed out on the couch, but no Esme.

At the hospital, Molly brings TJ a smoothie, loaded with greens and antioxidants for immune support. He thanks her, and asks what she’s doing here. He thought she’d be tied up at the DA’s office until way late. She says she needed a mental health break. Trina’s trial has just become a glaring example of how broken their legal system is.

Carly lets Drew in, and thanks him for coming. He says, she told him she had a major announcement, and he wasn’t going to miss that. What’s she got? A plan to get her hotel back? She says, it’s way more important than the MetroCourt, and he says he guesses it is pretty major. She points him to the living room where Michael and Willow are waiting, and he asks if they’re here for the big announcement too. Michael says, actually, they are the announcement, and Willow says she’s pregnant. Drew says, get out of here, and Michael says, true story. Drew says, well, it’s about damn time this family had some good news, and congratulates Willow, hugging her.

Dex is about to toss Felty down another flight, when Felty says he’ll do anything. Sonny says he’s already done too much, and nods to Dex, who throws Felty to the floor instead. Dex kicks Felty, and Sonny says, they’re going to bury his body so deep, no one’s ever going to be able to find him. He nods to Dex again, and Dex beats Felty with a Billy club. Felty passes out, and Sonny puts his hand on Dex’s shoulder. He says, you bastard, a bullet would be letting you off too easy. Josslyn appears at the top of the stairs, and says, Sonny is so busted. She just recorded the whole thing, and he’s going down. Obviously, there’s some irony here, but really? She had to pick the good thing he was doing?

Curtis tells Oz to find the energy to wake up. He has some questions to ask Oz about a phone he sold a young lady. Someone’s future depends on it. He comes closer and says, Oz? He pulls Oz to a seated position, and says, you’re not hammered. What did you take? We see Esme hiding in another room, and Oz comes to a little. Curtis asks what he’s on. He’s just here to help Oz. What did Oz take? Oz says he doesn’t know; she gave him something. Curtis says, she who? What’s her name? Esme looks panicked, and Curtis says, stay with me, but Oz passes out again. Curtis takes his phone out, and calls for an ambulance.

Ava asks Spencer if Esme will be joining them as well, and Nikolas flashes back to That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named. Spencer says, she doesn’t even know he’s here, and Ava says, in that case, have a seat. Although be warned, it’s been a very long and terrible day, so if a sparring match is what he’s after… Spencer says, it’s not, and asks, what about Nikolas? Is Nikolas okay that he’s here? Nikolas says, of course (🍷), and asks, what’s going on? Spencer says he was actually looking for Ava. What happened at Trina’s trial?

Valentin asks Anna to sit down, but she says, what’s the point? He says, please don’t end this before it starts – please. She sits again, and he thanks her. He says he hasn’t lied to her, and she starts to get up again, but he says, wait. By omission? Sure, he’s held things back; things he wishes he could tell her, but he can’t. She says, things like where he was when he was supposed to be at the clinic? He says, supposed to be? and she says she contacted them, which she can do, and knows he left the clinic weeks before he came back here. Where was he?

Molly says, when she was first assigned Trina’s case, she was conflicted, and TJ says he remembers. She says, could she do her job without being biased, or should she recuse herself? She made a choice to trust the system; the way the system is supposed to work. The prosecutor makes the strongest case they can, based on the evidence, and the defense makes the strongest case they can for innocence or extenuating circumstances, and the jury, given proper instructions from the judge, makes the call. He says, clearly, she put a lot of thought into this, and she says, the joke’s on her, because it turns out her role as prosecutor was never up to her. He asks what she means, and she says, ADA Arden pulled some strings, and now she’s loaded down with all these other assignments. Arden has effectively moved her off the case. He says, so instead of her asking Molly to recuse herself, Arden did it for her? and she says she loathes all these behind-the-scenes politics. That’s why she busted her butt for a law degree? No. She did it to pursue justice. He says, that must be insanely frustrating. He’s so sorry. She thanks him, and he asks if he can say something selfish. She says, sure, and he says he’s glad she’s not the one arguing to put Trina away. She says, they had many conversations, sometimes arguments when she joined the DA’s office, whether it was really possible to change the system from the inside. She’s starting think he was right. She’s fighting a losing battle.

Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here, and she says, she had a very hellacious day in court today, so she decided to go for a run to let off some steam. She saw Sonny get out of his car, and thought, A, it was weird for him to be alone, and B, he was going down some sketchy alleyway. So she decided to follow him, and as a precaution, she pulled out her phone, and good thing, because she saw him and Mr. No Neck here beating the pulp out of some guy, and threatening to kill him and bury him where nobody will ever find him. She’s pretty sure that’s assault and premeditation, which will send him to prison for the rest of his life. So her hellacious day just got a whole lot better.

Drew congratulates Willow and Michael, saying, he’s so happy for them both. Carly passes out champagne, and Drew gives Willow some sparkling cider. He says, there’s a lucky kid in there. You just can’t be born into a family more loving. Carly says, if he’s referring to Michael, Willow, and Wiley, absolutely, but some of the other distant relations can be a bit prickly. Drew says, if she’s referring to the Quartermaines, he thinks prickly is too kind. More like backstabbing, blackmailing, and a lot worse than that. Carly says, Ned and Tracy maybe, but that doesn’t apply to them, and they’ve already established Drew is following Lila’s tradition. They’re the good Q’s. Drew says he knows what his mistake cost Carly, but Michael says, their mistake, which wasn’t attempting to merge the companies; that was a sound business strategy. Their mistake was trusting Ned. Carly says, amen, and Michael says, setbacks aren’t final. Carly says, amen again, and he says he means it. They won’t stop until they reclaim what she lost.  

Valentin says, Anna checked up on him, and she says she’s not proud of it. She really wrestled with how to proceed, but in the end, she trusted, but verified. He says, that’s how she knows about his time in the clinic, but she doesn’t know the whole story. Everything he’s done, he did for Charlotte. She asks what Charlotte has to do with him leaving the clinic, and he says he left for the same reason he put Charlotte in boarding school. He developed a severe staph infection that spread to his spine. As she can imagine, it’s particularly sensitive after all the corrective surgery he’s had. The first clinic wasn’t equipped to handle such a severe infection, so he was moved to a second clinic, where he underwent 30 days of intravenous antibiotics, and extensive physical therapy. It was one long winding road, but he made it.

Ava says, things went very badly for Trina in court today. Spencer might be happy to know that. Spencer asks why it would make him happy, and she says, because he’s seemingly loyal to Esme, and Esme framed Trina. Nikolas says he thinks it’s clear by now Spencer doesn’t wish Trina ill, and Spencer says, exactly the opposite. Nikolas says, at the same time, Spencer simply can’t write off Esme. His son is caught in a difficult situation.

Curtis asks where they’re taking Oz, and an EMT says, General Hospital. Curtis says he’ll meet them there, and an officer tells Curtis that they’ll take it from here. Curtis says he wants to check the apartment, as Esme looks for a way to escape, but the officer says, it’s officially a crime scene

Carly says, enough shoptalk. They’re here to celebrate their growing family. She just wants to say that when Nelle told them she was pregnant, it was difficult to find the joy, but she gave them Wiley, so they’ll forever be thankful. She takes Willow’s hand, and says she wants Willow to know, she’s kind, loving, generous, and Carly is so grateful Willow and Michael found each other. And she’s so excited for this family they’re creating… Enough. She doesn’t want to cry. Cheers. They clink glasses, and Drew says, to family.

Sonny bounds up the stairs, and says he doesn’t think Josslyn understands what she walked in on. She says, that’s fair. She’ll leave it up to the cops. He says she doesn’t want to do that, but she says she can’t wait. He says he knows she’s angry, and he doesn’t like how it ended with her mom; he regrets that. She says, now he regrets it, and he says, the pain the family is going through… but she says, no. The pain he put them through. He says, if she has him arrested, it’s not going to hurt just him; it’s going to hurt everybody else. Donna and Avery need their father. She says, they needed their father all the months he was gone, but he didn’t remember them, or couldn’t care to. He says he didn’t know who he was, and she says, Michael told her when Sonny was on the stand at Nina’s ridiculous visitation hearing, he stopped asking where he came from. He says, right, and she says, because he didn’t want to know? He was having too much fun with Nina to care about those little girls. They got by fine without him then, and they’ll get by fine now.

TJ gives Oz oxygen, and says a bunch of medical stuff to the orderly. Curtis comes into the hospital, and Molly asks if everything is okay. He says he’s checking on a guy the paramedics brought in, Oz Haggarty. She asks if he’s a friend, and Curtis says, no, but he could be a criminal witness to prove Trina was framed.

Spencer says, whatever else Ava thinks of him, he really does care what happens to Trina. Please just fill him in on the trial. Esme is about to walk in, sees them, and steps back. Ava says, maybe talking about it will help. For starters, Scott Baldwin had some kind of family emergency, so Trina is being represented by Diane Miller. Spencer says, that almost sounds like good news; Diane is badass. Ava says, she definitely can be, and Nikolas’s phone dings. Ava says, the ADA went on the offensive by calling Cameron and Josslyn as witnesses for the prosecution. Nikolas sees a text from Esme that says: Here outside the MetroCourt. Can you meet? Or do you want me to come to you? Spencer says, but Joss and Cam have been saying Trina’s innocent from the start.

Valentin tells Anna, he was in no condition to take care of Charlotte, so he trusted Victor to take her to boarding school. Anna asks, why not Laura or Nina? but he says, at the time, Nina was preoccupied with the Sonny Corinthos situation, and Laura had extensive mayoral and personal responsibilities. She says, they sound like valid reasons, if they were talking about anyone other than his daughter. She knows he’d do anything for her. He says he would. Not too many people know that. It makes her a target. So as much as he despises Victor – and he does – he felt Victor was best equipped to protect her. She says, from who? and he says, enemies from his past, on both sides of the law, of which there are many. He was flat on his back in a hospital bed, fearing for his daughter’s safety. She asks why he didn’t tell her what was going on.

Carly says goodbye to Michael and Willow, and Drew says he guesses he should go too. She says, if he has to, but he says he doesn’t have to do anything.

Sonny tells Josslyn, she can say what she wants and think what she wants, but if she sends him to prison, does she think Kristina is going to thank her? Dante? Donna and Avery? She says she notices he left Michael off that list, and he says, what about when Donna and Avery are old enough to understand what happened? They’re going to see their father in prison, and Josslyn did that? She says she loves how he’s making this her fault. Like she forced him to beat up some guy in an alleyway. That was all him. Just like sleeping with Nina and trashing their family was all him. He says he’s not going to sit here and try to tell her that there’s two sides to every story, but punishing him and punishing her siblings are two different things, and he thinks she can tell the difference. He goes up the stairs, and Josslyn starts to leave, but Dex says, wait. None of this was his idea; he had no choice. She says, explain then, but keep his distance, and just so he knows, she has pepper spray.

Anna tells Valentin, she understands what it’s like to be scared for your child’s safety; to know that at any point they may be made to pay the price for stupid decisions you made in the past. She went through that with Robin, and could have helped him if he’d told her what was going on. He says he knows, and she asks, why didn’t he? He says he was helpless. He was flat on his back in a hospital bed, and then he was hobbling around on a walker. He didn’t like her seeing him like that because it takes him back to when they first met, and all she felt for him was pity.

Nikolas says, there’s a situation at Cassadine Industries; he needs to make a call. He leaves, and Spencer says he doesn’t get what could have gone wrong at the trial. Josslyn would never say anything against Trina. Ava says, she didn’t mean to. It’s just, the more Joss tried to defend Trina, the more damage she did.

Nikolas asks Esme, what’s this about? and she says she was hoping he’d be able to restore her internship at Spring Ridge, but while she was waiting for him… He says, what? and she says, she realized this secret their keeping is weighing on her. She can’t keep going like this; she wants to come clean. He says, she doesn’t mean that, but she says she does. She’s sick of the cover ups, the lies of omission. She wants to tell Ava and Spence that they slept together.

TJ says, the paramedics said a bystander called 9-1-1; was it Curtis? Curtis says he wasn’t exactly a bystander; he went looking for the guy. Oz Haggarty is a bartender at The Highsider, and he also sells black market phones like the one that was planted in Trina’s bag. Molly says, Trina has maintained from day one that the phone was planted, and Josslyn has been just as adamant that Spencer’s girlfriend Esme Prince is responsible for the revenge porn and framing Trina. Could this Oz ID Esme as being the one who bought the phone? Curtis says, that’s the hope, but when he found Oz, he was too out of it to answer questions. The orderly pops out of Oz’s room, and tells TJ that Oz is coding. TJ runs in.

Dex says, if Josslyn gives that footage to the cops, it won’t just be Sonny who gets arrested; he will be too. She says, maybe he should have thought of that before going to work for a gangster, and Dex flashes back to Michael telling him, coming to the Quartermaine estate was out of line. His family is off limits. Dex says, it’s ironic, considering Michael hired him to take down his father. Dex tells Josslyn, his work situation is complicated, and she says, he helped attack a man. Dex clubbed him unconscious and planned to kill him, but Dex says, no. They weren’t going to kill him. At least he didn’t think they were. As far as he knew, they were just supposed to scare him.

Carly asks if Drew would like more champagne, and he says, who is he to say no to that? She pours them both a glass, and I can hear the bubbles hiss. Um… I don’t think champagne is that loud. He says, to the new baby, and she says, can he believe it? He says he can, and she guesses she can too. They clink glasses and he asks how she’s doing. She says, great, but he says he means it. How is she doing really? She says, okay. She bounces from fury to frustration all day, and he says, sounds like fun. Fury and frustration over Nina? and she says, yeah, and the fact Nina now owns her hotel. He says, half her hotel, and she says, but you know what? She’s so grateful for everything she still has. He says, it sounds like she’s all over the place, and she says she is, but Michael’s right; it’s just a setback. And as someone who’s been down this road, she would know. She asks why he’s not throwing her out a window, and he says, what? She says she’s had some bad things happen to her, but nothing compared to him, and he says she’s right. That was outrageously insensitive of her. He gets up, and says, come on. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, getting ready to throw her out a window. He tells her to look at him, and says, no comparisons. The past is behind him, and sometimes he lets himself think about it, but only to realize how good he has it now. She says, she agrees, and he says, of course (🍷) it could always get better. He smooths her hair, and she says, any idea how? He says, one or two, and they’re about to kiss, when Sonny barges in. He says, Carly’s got to get her daughter under control.

Nikolas tells Esme to think about it,  but she says, she has. It’s all she can think about. He says, telling Ava and Spencer about their encounter, it’s only going to cause unnecessary pain. It’s not like they have any feelings for each other. It was a one-time lonely vulnerability. It’s better to put this behind them. She says she just wishes she knew there her life was going. She had an internship at Spring Ridge, and was going to be studying psyche at PCU; now it’s all up in the air, and she feels like the only way she can get a fresh start is if she gets the truth out. He says he gets that. If the internship at Spring Ridge makes her feel grounded, he’ll get her reinstated. She says, what if it’s already too late? She might have missed her window to use it to get into the psyche program. He asks her to give him until tomorrow. He promises she’ll get everything she wanted. She says she knew he’d come through, and hugs him.

Ava tells Spencer that Josslyn said in her testimony, Trina would never buy a black market phone. Then the ADA called Officer Cabrera to the stand, and he said Trina tried to do just that. Spencer says, he said that about Trina? Why? She says, apparently, Joss and Trina went to find the man they believe sold Esme the phone, and tried to buy one themselves in the process. (Wait, what? No one ever said that.) Spencer face palms, and she says, ironic, isn’t it? Trina tried to prove her innocence, and only made herself look more guilty.

Anna says, she and Valentin aren’t the same people they were when they met. She’s not an angry young woman anymore, and he’s not… He says, a scarred hunchback, and she tells him, don’t do that. That was part of his transformation… She doesn’t have any illusions about him. She knows he’s done regrettable things; so has she. But she’s seen him work to be better; to grow and be more honest, to try to make amends. He wonders if she knows how bad he wishes he could make amends, and she says, it’s always going to be like this. They’re never going to walk a straight line, are they? This whole process is just going to be a series of stops and start. He says, it feels like two steps forward, two steps back sometimes, and she says, are they ever going to trust each other? Did she just break that trust by checking up on him? He asks why she did, and she says, ever since he got back, he’s been different, and she wanted to figure out why.

At the stables, Michael says he hopes Willow is okay with his mom’s little announcement get-together thing. She asks if he thinks she wouldn’t be, and he says, she just kind of threw it on them, but Willow says, no, she loved it. Could Drew’s reaction have been any sweeter? She’s so happy they’re working together, and he says, it’s nice having someone in the trenches that he trusts. They’ll get Aurora back in the black. She says she knows they will, and his mom seems good. She’s moving on from the divorce, and the loss of the hotel. She seems freer. He says, she’s the strongest they’ve seen her in a long time, and Willow asks if that changes anything. Does seeing his mom happy and moving forward give a little more room for grace for Sonny?

Dex asks if Josslyn knows Brando, and she says, he’s extended family. Dex says, this guy she thinks is innocent has been pushing drugs on Brando’s wife. Sonny was pissed, and just wanted to make sure they scared him bad enough to leave Sasha alone. She says, even if he’s telling the truth – he says he is – there’s a chance that Sonny wasn’t telling him the truth. Sonny could have killed this man if she hadn’t shown up. Would Dex have stopped him? Dex says he doesn’t know, but he’s glad he wasn’t faced with that choice.

Sonny tells Carly, this guy was pushing drugs on Sasha, so he put the fear of God in this lowlife, and there’s Josslyn. She’s filming the whole thing, and threatened to take the footage to the cops. Carly says, okay. What does Sonny want her to do about it?

TJ tells the orderly that Oz will have to be monitored closely, and goes back out. Curtis asks how Oz is doing, and TJ says he had to put him in a medically induced coma. His brain is swollen, and needs a chance to heal. Curtis asks when TJ thinks he’ll wake up, and TJ says he’s requested a neuro consult. Once Oz has been evaluated, they’ll know more. He also ordered a blood panel, so they can see what drugs are in his system. Curtis says, before he passed out, Oz told him that a woman gave him something. His guess is, Oz was drugged on purpose to shut him up, by none other than Esme Prince. Molly asks if Curtis has ever seen them together, and Curtis says, no, but he followed Oz to Spoon Island. What the hell would Oz be doing at Spoon Island, if he weren’t meeting Esme? Molly says, it all fits, but Curtis says, there’s no way to prove it until Oz regains consciousness, and Trina’s almost out of time.

Esme calls the hospital, and Deanna answers. Esme says she was notified that her father, Oz Haggarty, was brought into the ER. Is he going to be all right? Deanna says she’ll take down Esme’s information, and have the attending call her, but Esme says, she’s in Oregon, and can’t be there for hours. Can she just talk to him? Deanna says she’s sorry, but her father’s been unconscious since he arrived. He is stable though, and he’s been admitted to the ICU. Esme asks when he’ll wake up, but Deanna says she really needs to speak to the neurologist. Esme says, neurologist? Is he in a coma? Deanna says she’ll take down Esme’s information whenever she’s ready, but Esme hangs up and smiles.

Nikolas says, sorry, and Ava says she hopes his emergency wasn’t too dire. He says, it’s a problem that requires immediate action, but it’s solvable. Spencer gets up, and says, he hopes things go better for Trina tomorrow. Ava says, she does too, but unless some miraculous witness drops from the sky to exonerate her, Trina may well lose everything.

Anna says, there’s a darkness in Valentin’s eyes ever since he came back; like something is really bothering him. He hides it well, but it’s there. He says he loves that she can read him like this, and she asks, what’s going on? He says, she’s right; something’s troubling him. It’s no big mystery, but he doesn’t think they should be thread pulling. He likes her, and the closer they get, the more he knows it’s going to hurt when he loses her. She asks why he’d lose her, and he says, a thousand reasons, but when she looks at him like she is now, he doesn’t want to think about them. She says, let’s not think about anything, and kisses his hand. He gets up, and kisses her forehead, then they make out like bandits.  

Willow says she’s not advocating for Michael to reconcile with Sonny, but drop this vendetta against him. All this anger and hate isn’t good for him, and can lead him to do something he’ll regret. He asks if she wants him to let it go, and she says, for his own sake, especially since it’s clear Carly is doing fine. He says, this isn’t about revenge, and she says, isn’t it? He says, it’s about doing what right, and for him and his family, it’s not having Sonny in his life anymore. She says, that will make him happy? and he says, she makes him happy. Thinking about their future makes him happy. Thinking about them, Wiley and the baby, that makes four. Maybe someday five or six. She tells him, slow down, and he says, the point is, they have a lifetime of love ahead of them. She flashes back to TJ telling her that she has an elevated white blood cell count, and he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy. Michael asks how she could think of anything else, and she says she can’t.

Dex says, if Josslyn turns that video over to the cops, Sonny’s lawyer can maybe get him out of it, but not him. He’ll 100% be convicted. And not for nothing, it doesn’t feel like she took that video to uphold the law or prevent a crime. It feels like she did it to get back at her stepfather. Maybe Sonny deserves it, but she doesn’t know Dex, and he’s never done anything to her. This could ruin his whole life… please. She takes out her phone, and looks at the video. She says, Sonny’s ruined enough lives. She doesn’t see the point in adding his name to the list. She deletes the video, and tells him, it’s gone. He thanks her, and she says she still thinks he’s an idiot to work for Sonny. He says, noted, and she leaves. He looks at Felty at the bottom of the stairs, and says, he guesses they both got lucky tonight.

Sonny says, just call Josslyn, and tell her to delete the footage, but Carly says, Josslyn is an adult. If Josslyn witnesses a crime in progress and chooses to report it, that’s none of her business. He says, so if he gets convicted and sent to prison, does she think Josslyn is going to feel good about that? She’s got to stop Josslyn now. She says, isn’t it perfect how what works for Josslyn also allows him to get off scot-free? and he says, this is on her. She asks how it’s on her, and he says, Carly keeps egging Josslyn on about him, and now she’s out of control. Drew says, Sonny should leave before this deteriorates any more, and Sonny asks if Drew is telling him to leave his own house. Drew says, it’s not his house anymore, and Sonny says, last he checked, it wasn’t Drew’s house either. Unless they’re moving in… Carly says, enough. Sonny doesn’t get to barge in her house and start barking orders. She’ll consider the situation, and guide Josslyn to do what’s best for her. If it lands Sonny’s ass in Pentenville, so be it. He doesn’t have to worry. They allow conjugal visits. He and Nina should be just fine. He says he would pull back if he were her. She already lost her hotel. There’s a lot more to lose. He leaves, and Drew asks if Carly is okay. She says she’s fantastic. She’s got Sonny right where she wants him.

Tomorrow, Jordan asks what Curtis knows that she should know; Spencer tells Esme to figure out how to set Trina free before it’s too late; Rory says he wants to make it up to Trina, if she’ll let him; and Sonny tells Nina that if she can’t deal with it, it’s not going to work.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Julian’s Bay, Malta. In Dave’s interview, he says, when they were on their last boat, he and Tasha got on. There was a flame. In Natasha’s interview, she says, when she joined her last boat, her relationship wasn’t in a good place. Dave paid her compliments and they had fun. Dave says, Tasha would sneak into his room, and that made it more passionate and fun; it was epic. Tasha says, the first time she hooked up with Dave, they were drunk. Her ex had cheated on her, but was it right to cheat back? She’s not proud of it. Dave says, he thought when they joined this boat, it would be secret for a while, but then they’d be a couple. Tasha says, Dave is a ticking time bomb. He wants to release their secret, but she doesn’t want people judging them. At the restaurant, the crew wants to party it up. They do shots, and Kyle takes a picture to send to his boyfriend. They move on to a techno club, and most of them get on the dance floor. Storm says he and Natalya have a vibe. Tasha almost sits with Dave, but Raygan asks her to dance. We see it’s 11.5 hours to charter, and in his interview, Dave says he feels like Tash is going out of her way to push him away. They get in a couple of taxis, and Jason says, Dave and Tasha need to quit the bullsh*t; it’s exhausting. They get back to boat, and Kyle remarks that Raygan is knackered. A few of the crew have something to eat in the super nice crew mess. Dave bugs Jason about flirting with Tasha, and says Jason is going after all the girls. Jason tries to extract himself, but Dave follows him. Natalya tells Dave not to antagonize Jason, but Dave insists he’s not fighting. Storm wisely suggests going to bed, and Jason says he’s going, but Dave tries to stop him. Jason suggests Dave not touch him, and Dave backs off, but tells him to go wash his hair. In Jason’s interview, he says, he’s too old for this. The first time he was knocked out, it was a Taco Bell, and he was a drunk college frat kid. It’s exhausting, and will only make it worse. Dave waits in their cabin for Tasha, and waits… and waits… Finally she comes in, and he says he swore at her boyfriend. She’s like, huh? Kyle asks Jason what happened, and Jason says, it was a power move because Dave is insecure, but that’s just his opinion. Tasha moves to the master cabin, and in her interview, she says, Dave is drunk and angry, and the last thing she wants to do is share a cabin. She needs space. She cries herself to sleep, which is no way to end the first outing with a new crew.

Grand Harbour Marina. Everyone is hung over, and Raygan sums it up best, but opening her eyes, and saying, oi. Tasha tells Dave that she went to the master cabin because he was in a rage. She needs to focus on herself, and she can’t deal with the drama or stress. Dave says he respects that, and he’s sorry. It’s so stupid that they can’t talk about the real reason. In Dave’s interview, he says he obviously f***ed up. He was out of order, and now Tash can’t look at him, and he can’t blame her. He tells her that she didn’t deserve that, and he’s sorry. Kyle tells Captain Sandy about last night, and says, when they start doing somersaults on the dance floor, it’s time round them up. She asks if he was doing somersaults, but he says, no, Raygan was. Natalya does laundry, and the captain looks at charts. Storm tries to radio Raygan, who says, everything is spinning. The deckhands wander around, and Raygan throws up. Tasha gives the stews their tasks, and in Jason’s interview, he says, if you’re hung over or sick, fine, but what’s important is to be there. He used to go to father events for his sisters, because their father was a POS. (I wasn’t totally paying attention, but it sounds like they don’t have the same father.) He says, laziness makes him frustrated. Natalya sings as she does laundry, and Dave apologizes to Jason. They shake hands. Raygan is still sleeping.

Tasha makes Dave some coffee, and Captain Sandy calls Tasha, Dave, and Raygan for a preference sheet meeting. Raygan answers the radio from her bunk, but she is fully dressed. When the captain gets to the mess, she asks where Raygan has been, and Raygan says she was sick. Captain Sandy says, that’s called a hangover, and Raygan tries a Hail Mary Pass, saying, it could be food poisoning, but the captain says, nope. It’s alcohol. Don’t kid herself. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the last thing you want to show her on the second charter is that you’re incapable of your job because of a hangover. It’s okay to have fun, but you need to bring it. The primary is Emily, who’s in her family business of real estate. They expect a fully stocked bar at all times, and want to be in the water from sunup to sundown. They’ve requested a Moroccan inspired sunset dinner, and Dave notes that there’s one who hates seafood. The captain says, Raygan can jump in any time, and Raygan says, all waters toys will be in the water. The captain says, water sports, water sports, water sports. It’s the second charter, and now that Raygan is familiar with the boat, pull out everything first thing, or it will make her mad. On deck, Raygan tells the deckhands to do whatever they feel like doing. Jason tells Mzi that there needs to be a procedure, and Mzi says, 100%. Tasha texts Dave, asking if he wants to chat in their cabin, and he says he’ll be right down. He teleports there, and she says she has to take a shower. He goes in with her, and she says she has five minutes. We have no clue what they’re doing, and only hear running water, but 28 minutes later, Tasha comes out fully dressed.

Provisions come in, and Raygan says, teamwork makes the dream work, but I’m not sure if she’s being sarcastic. Kyle says, Tasha and Dave are a power team; they’re so in love. Tasha says, that’s not funny, but Dave says, no argument from him. Kyle says, if it doesn’t work out, Dave always has him. Raygan drops off the deckhands’ schedule to Captain Sandy, and the captain radios the crew to get in their whites, and be on the dock in five minutes. In Raygan’s interview, she says, the first charter, it was just her and Jason. She didn’t have time to make up a schedule. She had a hangover, and she understands that’s not professional, but now they have a whole team. She thinks they’re going to kick it.

The guests are welcomed with mini margaritas and pineapple upside down cake shots. My stomach turns over, thinking of how sweet those must be. Tasha shows them around the boat, and guest Noah says, the amount of beers he’ll be drinking will be absurd. The luggage is brought onboard, and Captain Sandy checks out what’s going on in the galley, telling Dave that his food is art. In her interview, she says she’s had some chefs who were incredible. We flash back to them, and she says, but Dave is like no other chef on the planet. He’s a true artist, and it’s incredible to witness him at work. They begin to pull out of the marina, and Noah says, this is a legit boat. I’m not sure what he thought he’d be on for the price of a small country. Tasha and Natalya make drinks, the fenders are pulled up, and they’re on their way. Dave blowtorches some apples, and Raygan tells the deckhands to start inflating the inflatables. Jason tells Mzi that Captain Sandy wants it to look like a toy show out there. Mzi realizes the Seabobs aren’t charged, and Jason says, no one made him aware they should be. Raygan manages to make her way to them, and Jason says, he thought they ran on gas. Raygan says, Seabobs are always charged, like he should know, and in Jason’s interview, he says he’s been on the boat for five days, and it’s a clusterf***. He’s getting irritated because no one is leading. It should have been explained.

One of the guests asks if Kyle isn’t married, and Kyle says he’s gay. She says she thought he’d been flirting with her, and I can’t imagine making that mistake. In Natalya’s interview, she says she likes to rearrange and coordinate things. She’s a compulsive organizer, and that’s why she loves being on laundry. She has everything organized her way. Mzi gives Jason some instruction, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, last season, he gained knowledge and confidence, so he’s comfortable taking more authority. With Raygan, there are miles to go. Tasha hugs Dave, telling him that she’s proud of him, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he thinks they’re a cute couple. He loves seeing Tasha dainty and smiling around Dave, and Dave melts like Jell-O around her. Something’s going on here. Raygan radios Mzi to bring out the jet skis, and realizes the banana should have been inflated. Captain Sandy watches her talking to the deckhands, and Jason tells the guests that he needs to get a ladder for them to get in the water. Raygan tells him to do the passerelle (it’s like a gangplank), and Jason says, he needs someone to tell him what to do. The captain comes out, and asks where the inflatables are. She tells Raygan that she’s got to manage this deck, and tells Jason, get everything in the water. She takes Raygan over to the side, and says, Raygan’s got to organize her team; it’s chaos. She told them to get everything out, and Raygan was sitting and watching when she should be working. She needs to manage this; give directives, and do it out of the way of the guests. She doesn’t want to hear complaints. She wants Raygan to do her job. She doesn’t want to be the bosun.

Raygan gets the banana out, and tells Jason to pick up the pace. Captain Sandy talks to herself, saying, Raygan is in over her head. Raygan tells them to get everything out and ready, and Jason asks what she thinks he was doing, twiddling his thumbs? Then she starts bitching about the passerelle. Don’t start nitpicking; he’s doing his best. I wonder if the guests can hear them, and Raygan says, just try to pick up the tempo. Kyle says Dave looks super stressed out, and in the laundry, Natalya sings, laundry it’s your friend; it never ends. Tasha goes over the dinner menu with Dave, and in his interview, Dave says he loves to experiment. There are a few people who don’t like seafood, but he doesn’t follow preference sheets. It’s a bit of a gamble, but he does do extreme stuff and gambles. In Storm’s interview, he says he gets his passion from his mother. She had a full 8 to 6 job, and when his sister was born, they needed to drive her around for her to go to sleep. His mother was too tired, so he’d drive, which was totally illegal, but he was on work mode. Tasha asks Kyle for help setting the table, and goes over the service plan with him and Natalya.

The guests are seated, and Kyle asks if they’re ready to get the party started. Guest Tommy wonders what their eating, and Noah says, there’s a menu in front of him, but Tommy says, it’s too much to read. Primary Emily asks if Captain Sandy would like to join them, and the captain says she’d love it. I think, wouldn’t the chef like to know? but it looks like she’s just going to stand there a while and talk to them. Emily tells the captain that her family owns a brokerage, and everyone in her family sells real estate. The first course is served, and Emily says she doesn’t like octopus, but tastes it anyway (good for her!). She says, she wouldn’t order it again, but it’s good. The way it’s prepared is fabulous. Another guest says, it can be chewy, and this isn’t, which makes me want to taste it, but I don’t eat that anymore. Mzi tells Captain Sandy that the Seabobs weren’t charged, and Jason had never used one, so he woudn’t know. It’s the small things that creep up. She tells him that he had someone he worked under who was very experienced, and now he’s under someone who doesn’t have experience. In the captain’s interview, she says she understands the expectations of the crew. It’s the bosun’s job to teach the crew. We flash back to Malia, and Captain Sandy says, a bosun has to lead the team and give direction. Raygan isn’t demonstrating leadership. She just hopes they make it through the charter. Mzi says, if they had direction, it could make a difference.

Dave’s dessert is white chocolate/ginger cheesecake inside a hollow chocolate bomb, and I want to cry, I want one so badly. Kyle congratulates the guests on staying up so long after what they’ve consumed. Natalya fights with a doorknob that keeps coming off in the master cabin. Tommy falls off his chair after what he’s consumed, and Natalya radios Kyle for help. Tasha tells Dave that his food is unreal, and he says, her drinks are unreal. Tommy says, everyone who can be cool is fly. Is he right or wrong? Emily says, they have no clue what he’s saying, when Dave brings the chocolate balls up, and pours hot chocolate sauce over them. Sigh… Dinner breaks up, and most of the guests go to bed, but Tommy and Noah run drunkenly around. Noah bugs Dave in the galley, while he guzzles beer, and Tommy howls for him on deck. They finally call it a night.  

Captain Sandy calls Raygan to the bridge, and says, she wants to see Raygan succeed. She needs to be organized, and that’s when she’ll gain the trust of her deck crew. She should practice; put the toys where she can get to them. Raygan says she’s realizing where she needs to be, the captain says, it’s not where she needs to be; it’s how she needs to lead. The deckhands need clear, concise instructions. She wants to build Raygan up, but she’s also here to do business, and no one is being told what to do. Raygan says she’s figuring the deckhands’ weaknesses; today will be better. Captain Sandy says, Raygan needs to figure out her own weaknesses, and where she’s struggling. It’s complete chaos, and she has no system. She understands Raygan had positions on other boats… and Raygan says, but they weren’t as horrendous and busy. The captain says, superyachts aren’t like what Raygan worked on. They have a system in place, for safety. Raygan needs to show the captain that she can do this job. She needs a bosun she can trust, and who has guest priority.

Next time, the guests do cannonballs; Dave thinks Tasha is different; Dave is starting to freak Tasha out; and Captain Sandy hits a dolphin for the first time ever. A marker, not the mammal.

✈️ Oh Babe, I Hate To Go…

Peek in tomorrow for some soap and a spot of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay bucking the system, and stay remembering setbacks aren’t final.