Category Archives: soap opera

July 7, 2021 – Bad News Travels Fast In Port Charles, Sutton Has Enough Of Crystal, NYC Goes To Salem, VanderPup Marathon & Dawn

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Phyllis walk through a 4th of July celebration, and Phyllis hands Sonny a flag. She tells him that Lenny is going to join them at the parade. He loves the high school band, and the majorettes in the unforms that are always a little too snug. He says he misses Lenny, but he’s glad Phyllis talked him into taking it easy tonight. She says, what about him? He seems to be working like crazy. Why doesn’t he take it easy, and enjoy some rare time off?

Dante asks if Sam and Elizabeth really started the fire, and Elizabeth says, it was just some harmless fun. Finn says they might not want to say anymore, and Sam says, please. Everything was under control… until she had a little bit of tequila. Maybe a lot. Dante says, that’s funny. All these buildings are full of flammable materials. One spark, the whole thing goes up. Sam says, boom, and Elizabeth says, but it didn’t. He says that’s not the point, and Sam says, seriously, take off the badge; it’s a holiday. Elizabeth gets up and says she’s taking Sam home, but Dante says, no one’s going anywhere. Not until he gets some answers. Sam says, or what? and he says, or he takes them down to the station.

Cameron says, if Dev hadn’t made him think Josslyn wasn’t into him, what would have happened? Would they have gotten together after they kissed at the dance? Would they be together now? She says she doesn’t know. They never got the chance to find out.

Maxie rocks Louise/Bailey, and says she’s so happy to see her. She’s missed her so much. With all her heart and soul. Monica comes in, and Maxie says, isn’t she beautiful? Monica says, yes, she is. She’s gorgeous. Can she hold Bailey? Maxie seems hesitant.

Anna and Valentin kiss, and Anna asks what he’s doing. None of that. He says he kissed her, and if you ask him, it’s long overdue. Ditto if you ask me.

Obrecht meets Nina at Charlie’s and they hug. Obrecht says their paths have barely crossed since Nina has been back in town. Nina says she knows, but now they have time to catch up. Tell her everything. How is she? Obrecht says, so much has happened, she wouldn’t know where to start, and Nina says, all good, I hope. Obrecht says, some wonderful, some heart-wrenching, but they can talk about her later. Nina is the one who’s been off on an adventure. Nina says, that’s one way of putting it, and Obrecht asks, what exactly is out there that’s kept her away from Port Charles for so long?

Sonny says, if the heat continues, he may take Phyllis up on her offer, and she asks what the weather has to do with it. She takes out her keys, and says, take her car. Go visit Nina in Port Charles. She holds the keys out to him.

Carly says sorry Jason has to stick around for Vincent Novak’s sake. She knows he’d rather be at the bridge. He says, wouldn’t she? and she says, hell yeah. The view of the fireworks is much better from there. He says he’ll survive, and she tells him, she used to resent that bridge. She hated it because it was a Jason and Robin thing. It felt very off-limits to her. (Have I mentioned that I hate Carly?) He says he took her there himself, and she says, it’s a girl thing. They should go back to the bridge one day. He says, whenever she wants. Deal? She says, deal. Britt and Jax come out of the elevator, laughing, and walk over to the bar. Carly asks if they’re together, and Britt says, sure are. Small world, isn’t it?

Elizabeth says, the station? and Dante says, yeah. Sam gets up, and says so he wants to detain them? Arrest them? She holds out her wrists, and he says he wasn’t going to take it that far, but he could have them for drunk and disorderly, public disturbance… She pushes him, and asks why he doesn’t add assaulting a cop while he’s at it. He says, right here, pointing to his cheek, and she takes a swing at him, but fails miserably, nearly falling. He tries to grab her, but they both fall in the water.

Josslyn asks if Cameron and Dev ever talked about… He says, they talked around it, kind of. The more he thinks about that last night, the more he thinks Dev wanted to come clean about that journal. She says, he just ran out of time. It’s so stupid. He says, what? and she says, why didn’t they all just talk to each other, and say how they were really feeling? He says, that would have made things a little easier, but she says, it would have made them real. Instead, they were just pretending. He says she has no idea. Does she remember when he helped her make Oscar jealous? She says, yeah. He brought it up a couple months ago, and let it drop. He says, if he’d had the courage to finish what he was saying, it was that when he was pretending to be into her, he wasn’t pretending at all.

Monica suggests they put Bailey back in the carriage, but Maxie says, it’s okay. Monica says Maxie’s arms must be getting tired, but Maxie says she could hold this little peanut all day long. Monica asks if she doesn’t want to spend some time with James and Georgie, and Maxie says, they’re with her mom and Mac, which allowed her to spend some time with this little one. Brook walks in, and Monica says she’s sure Bailey wants to see her mommy.

Anna backs away from Valentin, and says, this is inappropriate. He moves forward until her back is to the railing, and says, is it? She says, it’s not their relationship; it’s never been their relationship. He says maybe he’s crazy, but it felt like she kissed him back. She says, okay, fine. She kissed him back, but it can’t happen again.

Sonny thanks Phyllis for the offer, but says, it’s no time to take a vacation. She asks what he’s afraid of. That Nina’s happy where she is without him, or if he goes and tells her how he feels, she might just say she feels the same way?

Obrecht says, what’s waiting for Nina back in that Pennsylvania town? Or is it a who? Nina says, Obrecht just assumes there’s a man? and Obrecht says, is there?… There is. Nina says, yes, there is. She met someone and it’s really good for her. She believes it’s really good for him. Obrecht says, that’s wonderful. Does this mystery man have a name, and does she have any pictures? Nina says, Mike, and Obrecht says, Mike, how industrial. Mike…? Nina says, Mike, and Obrecht says, no last name, no photos… Ach nein. Tell her he’s not married.

Britt says it’s not really a surprise they’d all run into each other. Carly owns the hotel, Britt’s room is downstairs. It’s so nice, by the way. Doesn’t Jax think her room is nice? I laugh, and Jax says, very. Britt says, speaking of surprises, Carly and Jason. Wow. Carly says, kind of like Britt and Jax, and Jax says he and Britt actually discovered they have a lot in common. Vincent Novak watches, and Jason suggests he and Carly get a table. Carly tells Britt and Jax to enjoy their evening, and Britt says, them too. Carly and Jason go to sit down, and Jax asks if Britt is okay. She says she could use some air, and they go out on the terrace. Carly tells Jason, Britt and Jax came there because they knew Jason would be there. And they’re sleeping together. Does he realize they’re sleeping together? Jason says, thanks, Captain Obvious. Not really, but he should.

Sam and Dante are out of the water, and Sam says, it was just an accident. She’s thankful for it, because it’s like, 90 degrees out there, and now she’s cooled off. Dante tells her that she’s skating on really, really thin ice right now, and Sam yells, melted ice! Cuz it’s hot! Elizabeth says, obviously, they acted impulsively, arguably stupidly… Dante says, arguably? and Elizabeth says, there were mitigating circumstances. He says he’s listening. What was it? Sam was declaring her independence. From what? Sam says, not what; who. Elizabeth says, obviously they haven’t heard about the big engagement, and Sam says, Carly and Jason are getting married.

Cameron says he’s liked Josslyn for as long as he can remember. That doesn’t take away from their friendship; he thinks it actually strengthens it. She says, because the trust is already there, and he says, right. She’s someone he can talk about anything with. She says they should try that sometime, and he says, she’s someone who’s been there with him since he was a kid. Someone who’ll give him a kick in the butt if he needs one. She says, and then some, and he says, it’s really special. She says she knows, because that’s exactly how she feels about him.

Brook thanks Maxie for watching the baby, and Maxie says, any time. Monica says they were just going to put her down for a nap. Maxie says, good idea, and Brook moves to take her, and Maxie says, watch her head. Brook asks Maxie if she’d go to the nursery and grab the fuzzy blanket with the ducks; it’s Bailey’s favorite. Maxie says they can’t have Bailey getting cold, and Brook thanks her. Maxie says, no problem, and goes upstairs. Monica tells Brook that she’s got to disagree with Maxie. They have a big problem.

Anna tells Valentin, things have been stressful for her lately, and obviously, she’s not thinking clearly. He says, obviously, and she says she doesn’t know what happened. He says, it’s called a kiss, and she says, it’s called proximity. He says, so if the mailman had been there, she would have kissed him instead? and she tells him, don’t try to be cute. He says he doesn’t have to try, and she says they’re all entitled to errors in judgement, and this is not irrevocable by any means. He says he thought it was a good kiss. She says, it was, but that’s not the point. The point is, the two of them, and everything they’ve been to each other over the years. That’s why this is wrong on so many levels. He says, it won’t happen again, and she says, no. He says, why not? and she asks if he’s not listening to everything she’s saying. He says she’s so beautiful and enchanting – he pulls her to him – and he’s wanted her for years. She says, that’s the other problem. He just doesn’t see her clearly; he never did. That’s why none of this is real. He says it felt pretty real to him.

Nina asks if she and Obrecht can talk about something else. Her phone rings, and she sees it’s Mike/Sonny. She decides to ignore it. Sonny gets voicemail. He says he was wondering how her 4th of July was going, and hopes she’s having fun. Obrecht asks if it was him, and why didn’t Nina answer? Nina asks if she’s always been this nosey, and Obrecht says, yah. Nina says she has actual news she needs to tell Obrecht, but the only reason she’s telling her is because it directly affects Britt. Obrecht asks, what is it? and Nina says, Britt and Jason have gotten really close. Obrecht says, finally, the man who’s a match for her Britta, and vice versa. Nina says she’s sorry. She hates to be the one to tell Obrecht, but Jason and Carly are getting married. Obrecht looks crestfallen.

Carly tells says she’s so sorry. She knows this must be hard for Jason. He says, Britt can do whatever she wants, and Carly says, she’s rebounding so hard, she might as well be on a trampoline. And so is Jax. He’s supposed to be so in love with Nina, why the hell is he jumping into bed with Britt? Jason says it’s none of their business, and Carly looks miffed. Good. I hope he starts telling her to shut up. Vincent approaches their table, and says he tried to pay his tab, but was told it’s on the house. He thanks them for their hospitality. Carly says, of course (🍷), and he says, congratulations again. Expect a wedding gift from the Novak family. Carly says they love gifts, and Vincent leaves with his crew. She tells Jason, that went well, and he says, as well as it could. She says, now that Novak is gone, she’s going to talk to Jax. Jason tells her, don’t, but she says she didn’t listen to him before, and she’s not listening now that they’re getting married. She walks out to the terrace.

Dante says, if he’s shocked, he can only imagine how Sam is feeling right now. She says she’s fine, but he says she doesn’t seem fine. No offense. Finn goes over to Elizabeth, and asks if she’s okay. She says she and Jason were over a long time ago. It’s Sam she’s worried about. She just didn’t want Sam to be by herself. He says, that’s nice to hear, and when Sam suggested pyrotechnics, Elizabeth couldn’t talk her out of it? She says, well… and he says, it was her idea? She says it may have been her idea, but it was for a good cause, and nobody got hurt. He looks at Dante, and says, almost no one. Dante tells Sam, come on, and she asks where they’re going. He says she’ll see, and she asks if he’s taking her to the station. He says, no. Does she trust him? She says she doesn’t know. Does she? He takes her hand, and tells Finn that he’ll make sure Sam gets home. Finn says he’ll do the same there, indicating Elizabeth. Dante leaves with Sam.

Josslyn says, for the longest time, she thought she was betraying Oscar by having feelings for Cameron, so she never acted on it. He says he felt that too. Like somehow he’d be taking advantage of the fact Oscar was gone. She says, imagine if they’d just talked about this like normal people, and he suggests they talk about it now.

Brook puts Bailey in her carriage, and Monica says, if Brook heard what she heard, and she did, she’d know the situation is very serious. Brook says she doesn’t know if she’d call it a situation, and Monica says, if Maxie is using Bailey as a substitute for her pain, that’s very unhealthy.

Anna says she knows Valentin has a dark past, and all these demons and things, and she’s always been unattainable to him or whatever, but go see a shrink. He can’t go around kissing her to work it out. He asks what her therapist would say about her kissing him, and Anna tells him, she would say that he’s the avatar for all her mistakes, and she feels he has empathy for those mistakes. That’s the reason she’s drawn to him, and blah-blah-blah psychobabble. He says she gets him like nobody gets him, and she says, don’t do that. Don’t do the whole shorthand thing. He says so she admits there’s a shorthand with them, and she says, yes, but… He says, but nothing. They understand one another. He’s fascinated by her, and he’s intensely attracted to her. He doesn’t want to apologize for that.

Sonny tells Phyllis that he tried calling Nina, but she didn’t pick up. He guesses she’s busy with her grandson. She says, probably, but she bets Nina is wondering what he’s up to. She’d be jealous as all hell to find out they’re feasting on barbecues and beers before watching the fireworks. He says, it’s pretty nice, huh? and she says, like heaven. Just missing one sweet blonde angel. He laughs.

Britt tells Jax, she’s sorry he had to see that. It was childish and snarky. She’d say it’s way beneath her, but thinks they both know that would be a lie. He says he doesn’t mind that she’s picking a fight with Carly, but he wants to warn her that it’s an unpleasant experience. She says, please. She grew up with Liesl Obrecht. Carly doesn’t scare her. The devil herself walks out, and asks if she can have a moment with Jax. Britt asks Jax if he’d like to have a moment with Carly, and he says, sure. Britt says she’ll be at the bar, and leaves. Carly whacks Jax with her hand, and tells him, stop being fake. She gets that they’re consenting adults, but what’s wrong with him? He knows Britt fell hard for Jason. Don’t take advantage of that. He says he’s tempted to say, if she knew about Britt’s feelings, why didn’t she restrain herself? and she says, but he’s not going to say that at all. He says he thinks it’s kinder this way, saving Britt from what Carly put the others through. She says, what others? and he says, Robin, Courtney, Elizabeth, Sam. They all thought they had something special with Jason, right? But the truth is, they didn’t, because she has this stranglehold on Jason, and refuses to let go.

Jason sits by Britt at the bar, and heaves a sigh. I want to smack him. He says, Carly doesn’t know about the Huntington’s, and she says, okay, refusing to look at him. He says, nobody does. He hasn’t told anyone, and he’s not going to. He knows they’ve been over this, but he wants to make something absolutely clear. Just because he’s marrying Carly, doesn’t mean he’s bailing on her. He’s there for her, whatever she needs. She guesses it’s her turn to be clear, since it obviously didn’t sink in the first time. Go to hell.

Finn tells Elizabeth, it’s just him there; she doesn’t have to worry about Sam’s feelings. It’s okay if she’s feeling upset about Carly and Jason. She says Sam was feeling upset about Carly and Jason. She’s not upset, and she’s not surprised. Carly and Jason always came first with each other, everyone else be damned. He says he’s heard that before about a certain person and the WSB. No matter who you are, you always come in second. She says, look at them. Misery loves company. He tells her, that’s what they say, but he’s not miserable. Is she? She says, no. Not right now anyway.

Josslyn asks where they start, and Cameron says, the dance might be a good place, where they kissed. She says, for the record, it was an awesome kiss; she really loved it. He says he thought so, the way she kissed back. Then the Dev stuff happened. She says she kept hoping he’d bring it up, but he never did, so she assumed the kiss didn’t mean anything. He says, she thought it didn’t mean anything? and she asks how she was supposed to know. He says, it meant everything, but she says, it was so long ago. So much life has passed. They can’t go back. He says, maybe not, but maybe they can move forward.

Valentin says, if Anna is telling him it’s more than she can do right now, that’s fine; no harm, no foul. She says don’t make it about her being weak and not being able to handle it. It’s that she can’t be interested in him that way, and she never will. He asks if she’s sure, and she tells him, don’t stand there thinking he’s all irresistible. He says he is irresistible, and she laughs, saying, oh my God.

Dante and Sam go into Charlie’s, and Sam says she’ll buy the coffee. It’s the least she can do. He says he’s buying; she had a rough night. She says, that’s no excuse. Obrecht approaches them, and says, so it’s true. Jason and Carly are getting married. Sam says, word does get around. It’s true. Jason and Carly are getting married. Obrecht sits back down, and Nina says she’s so sorry. The news seems to be hitting Obrecht hard. Is she going to be okay? Obrecht says she just thought her Britta had a chance at happiness. What if it’s the last one she gets?

Britt says, Jason made his choice – Carly. Let’s move on. Jason doesn’t get to marry Carly, then make himself feel better by swooping in and protecting her. She doesn’t need help. She’s strong enough to deal with her diagnosis on her own. He says he knows, but he gave her his word, and his word means something. She says, really? Then something more important came up? She gets it. They’ve known each other three months, and he and Carly have been friends for decades. Of course (🍷) Carly is the one he’s committing to, and she gets kicked to the curb. He says, that’s not… She says, what happened? and he says, that’s not how he felt. Britt meant something to him; she still does. She says, there is no choice where everyone gets everything. It’s impossible. Even Superman had to pick a lane. (Ha-ha! Nerd joke.) Does he want to do something for her? He says, anything, and she says, be honest, and admit he’s been in love with Carly all along.

Jax says, it was inevitable, and Carly asks, what was? He says she just had to come first in Jason’s life. As soon as Sonny died, it was inevitable that she and Jason… She says, watch it, and he tells her, he’s not saying she didn’t love Sonny; he knows she did. But it was convenient that Jason was Sonny’s best friend. She could be Sonny’s wife, but keep a grip on her fallback. She says, Jason’s not a fallback, and Jax says, he’s much more than that, isn’t he? He was an idiot to think this might be a way out of this life for her. The irony is, Jason would have let her go. Sonny, probably not, but Jason would have. But it’s not what she wanted. She wanted Jason, and he comes with the mob. So here she is, as cemented in this life as ever.

Finn says, it’s nice sometimes, just letting everything go, and Elizabeth says, for a little while. She might be hungover in the morning. He says, that might be a distinct possibility. She tells him, it’s worth it. The fireworks start, and she says, they’re starting. She watches the fireworks, and Finn watches her.   

Josslyn says, Cameron asked what would have happened if Dev hadn’t forged her journal, but she said she didn’t know. She says she knows what she wanted to happen, and he says, him too. He kisses her, and fireworks go off. Literally.

Monica tells Brook that Maxie is talking as if Bailey is her own baby. She thinks Maxie needs counseling. She’s going to talk to Mac and Felicia. Brook says, Maxie is a grown woman. Monica doesn’t need to go to her parents. Monica says, then who else? and Brook says she’ll talk to Maxie. She’ll voice Monica’s concerns, gently of course (🍷), and try to make her understand. Monica says, and if she can’t? Brook says, then they’ll revisit the parent option. She promises she’ll be careful. Maxie walks in, and says, careful about what?   

Anna says, Valentin is endlessly resistible to her, and he says, but he’s charming. She says, charming, yes. He’s somewhat amoral, but he’s a good father; she’ll give him that. But then he solves his problems with blackmail and murder. He’ll just encourage her to give in to her worst impulses. That’s just it. He’s a terrible influence on her. He says, her worst impulses are the sexiest he’s ever seen, and he couldn’t influence her if he wanted to. She says she’s going to keep it that way.  

Sam and Dante look at the fireworks, and Dante says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks Jason messed up. He had the chance of a lifetime, and didn’t take it. If it had been him, he’d have chosen her. Sam moves toward him, and they kiss.

Jason says, he’ll always love Carly. She always took him as she found him. Britt says, so did she, and he says, he and Carly have been to hell and back; name it, and it happened to them. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t love the other women he’s been with, because he did. With Carly, it’s not more or less; she’s just a part of him. Britt says, who wouldn’t want to be loved like that? She’ll give Carly this much; she knows it, and knows the good thing she has in him. She loves him as much as he loves her, so congratulations. She hopes they’ll be happy together. She walks away from the bar.

Carly says, nothing Jax is laying out is as simple as he makes it. She’ll tell him this, and he can believe it or not. Marrying Jason is the best choice she could make for her family. He says he knows she believes that. That’s what makes it so damn sad. Britt comes out, and says Carly’s fiancé is waiting, and Carly goes back inside.

Elizabeth says Finn isn’t the only one who needs a break from everything. He doesn’t want to start a fire, but he thinks he knows where she’s coming from. Elizabeth puts her head on his shoulder, and he says, the last few weeks, spending time with her, he doesn’t think she realizes how much it meant to him. How important she is to him. He looks at her, but she’s asleep, and he smiles.

Josslyn tells Cameron, that was awful. She laughs, and says she’s kidding. He says she’s the worst, and she says she knows. He says she’s his best friend, and she says she knows. She tells him that she has to get going. She has to get Donna and Avery. He says he should probably get Jake and Aiden at the pool, and they say goodnight. Josslyn starts to walk away, but he calls her back. He asks if she wants to hang out some time, and she says, when? He says, tomorrow? but she says she can’t tomorrow; she’s already made plans… But she thinks she can cancel them. He says, cool, and she says, cool. She leaves, and he looks up at the fireworks.

Brook tells Maxie that she was talking about being careful with the temperature. The AC can get aggressive, and they don’t want Bailey to freeze. Maxie picks up a blanket, and Brook says, got it, taking it out of her hand. Brook puts it on the baby, and Maxie says she was checking out the nursery. Monica says, it’s so sweet, and Maxie says, the sweetest nursery for the sweetest girl in the whole world.

Valentin says he can’t force Anna to see things the way he did, and she says, he can’t. He says, if it’s just a kiss, he’ll take it, but if she wants more, she knows where to find him. She asks why he keeps doing that. Act like he’s backing off, then do the opposite. He says because she denies it, when she knows there’s more pulling them together than pushing them apart. She says she’s not going to stand there, dissecting kiss didn’t mean anything. He knows who she has to find. If he hears anything from his contacts, let her know. He says, absolutely, darling, and she leaves.

Dante says, sorry, and Sam says she can’t do this. She walks away, and he sits outside Charlie’s.

Nina says she knows Obrecht is worried about her daughter. She’s sorry Obrecht has to go through this heartache, but she thinks the situation is something Britt will figure out on her own. Obrecht asks how that’s working out for Nina. Any idea what comes next?

Phyllis tells Mike/Sonny that she’s sure Nina will call back after her time with her family. He says, God knows he’s enjoying spending time with his family. Everyone watches the fireworks.

Carly tells Jason, Jax knows how to stick the knife in and twist it. Not like Sonny, where it was just cheap shots. The problem is, a big part of her is afraid Jax might be right. Jason says, come on, and she asks, where? He says, if they go to the bridge, they’ll miss the fireworks, and they walk outside. He says, they’re doing what they have to do. Whatever happens, he’s glad he’s there with her. She says, her too; happy 4th. She hugs him, and Britt watches.

Tomorrow, Nikolas talks to Martin about the divorce, Curtis asks if Jordan is going to fight their divorce, and Stella tells TJ, it ain’t over til it’s over.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

The show started at a party, with Sutton asking Crystal why she’s so defensive, and Crystal saying Sutton is upset because she’s jealous. Sutton says, jealous of what? Crystal’s ugly leather pants? Sutton left the party, trailed by LisaR asking, what happened?

3 days earlier. In LisaR’s interview, she explained that Harry’s three specialties were Harry’s meat, which was Kobe beef, blueberry pie, and bolognaise. He was the domestic one, and no one wanted her cooking. She was a great cheerleader though, and could make you feel fabulous while you’re doing all the work. Sounds like a position I’d like. Erika, Crystal, and a couple of Crystal’s friends went to Kathy’s place to use her tennis court. In Erika’s interview, she said, Kathy told them, just let yourself in, and that’s what was great about friends like Kathy. Erika was trying to motivate herself to go out and do things, and not wallow. So she was there… and she was terrible. Erika spoke the truth. I probably play better, and I stink. In Crystal’s interview, she said she was a total tomboy, and seriously into sports. A lot of people said she was competitive, but whoever said that was probably a loser. I think Crystal’s problem is, she wants to be a cool girl, and ends up just sounding mean. More like a cool girl who rules by fear, and ends up on the losing end, like Regina George. I will give her this, she’s a good tennis player, and she and Erika ended up winning the match even though Erika was the worst. In her interview, Crystal said that Erika’s willingness was a 10, but her skill level was a 2. They had lunch with Kathy, and Erika said her new place was in shambles, Kathy said, but it was hers, and Erika agreed. She said she was trying to be social, and Kathy asked if she’d been social when she was married, Erika said, all the time, but it was all business. It was all of what Tom wanted. In her interview, Erika said, it was all set up already; she just inserted herself. Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you’re independent. She had no housekeeper or gardener now, but she valued her privacy. Plus, she could throw her sh*t all over because it was her place. Kathy said Erika’s smile seemed genuine and not forced. I have to note, Kathy has several dogs, but one is either a Pekingese or a Peke mix. Information you need to know…   

Kyle and family took their Christmas card photo, all wearing matching red PJs. Kathy came by, and pulled an amazing amount of items out of her bag. In her interview, she said you could find everything in her bag; socks, extra shoes, a sweater, a pair of sandals for a pedicure… In Kyle’s interview, she added carpet samples, drapery samples, and wallpaper samples. I carry a lot of stuff too, but never home goods samples. Kathy said she’d talked to Kim for three hours, and Kyle said she was worried about Kim being in quarantine. Kathy said she’d asked if Kim wanted to come along, but Kim said she was too nervous. She also gave Kyle the news that Kim had changed her phone number. We saw a clip of Kyle telling Mauricio that she and Kim weren’t talking, and the relationship was strained. At times, they were okay, but it seemed hard to get all three of them on the same page at the same time. Kyle said she had a husband, children, and dogs, but Kim was by herself. Kathy said Kim claimed all this was supposed to have happened, so they could have quiet time, and figure out where they wanted to be in life.

LisaR visited Erika in her new home, which we found out costs $9500 a month to rent. LisaR said it had a good vibe, and in her interview, she said it gave her a hopeful feeling seeing Erika in her own space that she created. It wasn’t easy to go from a life where you had help and everything was done for you, to doing everything yourself. In Erika’s interview, a producer asked if she had money concerns, and she said she did, but she’d also had a bunch of lucrative projects in a row, like her book, being on Broadway, and several collaborations. She had enough for her little house. Sutton joined them, and brought Erika a housewarming gift of Dolce & Gabbana’s book, Queens. In Sutton’s interview, she said, what better housewarming present? When Erika was sad and lonely, she could see Sutton’s picture – twice. She told Erika that she hated to say it, but she seemed happier, and Erika said there was only so much time you could have with someone before you wanted to talk about real things. In her interview, Erika said she’d mentioned to Tom that she was seeing a shrink, and all he said was, okay. Because what does she have to be depressed about? Sutton said Crystal wasn’t willing to back up, and say maybe she used the wrong word. LisaR asked if Crystal was still talking about it, and Sutton said the peeping Tom thing needed to be dropped. In her interview, she said she didn’t think peeping Toms knocked on the door. They peeped.

Garcelle’s son Jax was learning Japanese, and got frustrated when Garcelle made to much noise in the background while he was taking his online class. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, being trapped inside with two teenage boys was maddening. They were home schooling, and everyone was on top of each other. She found herself going to the pantry for a quick shot of tequila. She was on the teenage hormone train, and didn’t know what was coming next. Last week, Jaid wanted her all to himself, but this week, he wanted nothing to do with her. When she was growing up, she wasn’t allowed to have those emotions.

LisaR had Harry prepare an Italian meal for the women, and in her interview, she said that Harry had lived in Italy for three years; it was in his blood. He had LisaR taste-test sauces, and LisaR discovered she liked the one with the tomatoes from their garden the best, which made sense, since they’d be freshest. In LisaR’s interview, she said Garcelle had wanted a birthday party, but couldn’t have one due to covid. They were still in the process of repairing their relationship, but knew she couldn’t force it. At the end of the day, they might not end up being great friends. Kyle visited Dorit, who had a fabulous Christmas village set up. Kyle said Dorit made her feel like an underachiever, and Dorit said Kyle had three trees. Kyle said, but she didn’t have a Santa village. In Dorit’s interview, she said she’d mostly designed swimwear and leisurewear, but was moving into bridal. Designer Nektoria had reached out to her to collaborate on a wedding dress line, and she couldn’t wait to see the first bride walk down the aisle in her design. She’d wanted something comfortable, but special, for her own wedding, and wished she’d designed her own dress.

Harry welcomed the women to Napolitano, where they sat at an amazing outside table under an arbor.  In Dorit’s interview, she said Harry was a gourmet chef, while PK specialized in, babe, can you get me a sandwich? Harry pointed out that their pool wasn’t for them. It was so their kids would come back with their kids. Kyle said she’d been Amelia’s age when she had her first child, nearly giving Harry apoplexy. When Sutton arrived, someone – I think Kathy – said, hi, Thomasina, which did not go over well. Sutton said she was ready for that to end. Garcelle reminisced about being there for a party where she and LisaR had been on the dance floor all night. In her interview, she said her assistant had been her date, and she hadn’t remembered stumbling out. Harry joined them for the meal, and LisaR said that the girls were going to Cabo for Thanksgiving. They’d originally planned on meeting them, but were concerned about the borders closing because of covid. It was the first time she wouldn’t be spending Thanksgiving with the girls or Lois. She wasn’t asking a lot of questions about Amelia and Scott, and Crystal chimed in that Rob was older, but they were the exception. Of course they are. Crystal is also a can-you-top-this person. LisaR said she was trying to be easy with it, but the tabloids had them engaged. In her interview, she said her mom saw one at the market, and called her asking if it was true. That’s what she was dealing with. Harry said the age difference between him and Ursula Andress was 14 years. He’d been 29 and she was 44 when they had their son. In her interview, LisaR said, you never think it will come back to haunt you when you have kids. Harry ate, then dashed to the kitchen, bringing out a cake. Garcelle’s birthday wish was, she wanted him hung like a horse, and Harry told her to be careful what she wished for. Garcelle said she probably wouldn’t know where to put it. She said she appreciated the party, especially LisaR throwing it. In Garcelle’s interview, she said last year, it was a rocky road with her and LisaR. They needed to figure out if they had a friendship and what it looked like. That LisaR was making an effort, definitely meant something.  

It was present time, and Crystal, Kathy, and Kyle kicked in to get Garcelle a duplicate of a ring she’d admired on Crystal. Erika gave Garcelle a fluffy jacket that was no doubt cashmere, and Dorit gave her a designer cap. Kyle asked Sutton what was wrong, and Sutton said she didn’t like being where she didn’t like people. Kyle asked who she didn’t like, and Sutton shifted her eyes to Crystal. Kyle told Sutton to come with her, and they went to a bar out in the yard. Sutton said she wanted to go home, and Kyle asked what she’d missed. Nothing had happened. Sutton said to tell the truth, she had a difficult time being fake, and in her interview, she said it was hard to sit across the table from someone who obviously didn’t like her. She told Kyle that Crystal had been talking bad behind her back, and was looking smug at her. I have to agree here. Crystal smirks a lot. Sutton said it was wearing at her, and she still felt weird. Crystal had talked behind Sutton’s back, Sutton had tried to say her piece, and Crystal never apologized. In Kyle’s interview, she said this wasn’t the Sutton she knew. Sutton was being extremely emotional and irrational. Yeah, let’s not even get into what a very poor judge of character Kyle is. If someone was smirking like that at me all the time, I’d be hard pressed not to wipe it off their face, but Sutton doesn’t know what to do because she’s polite. She told Kyle that she wasn’t over being told she violated someone. Kyle said Crystal had told them she didn’t mean sexually, and we flashed back to that.

At the table, LisaR screeched that they should do shots, and everyone chanted, shots, shots, shots! Sutton told Kyle, she was so not okay, and she couldn’t get it together. Garcelle turned into that person, and came over, asking, are you crying? very loudly. Sutton gave the standard reply that she had bad allergies. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she thought Sutton was more hormonal than her kids. Sutton said she was upset about the insinuations. It was hard to pretend things were great, and hunky dory when they weren’t. In Kathy’s interview, she wondered if Hunky Dory was someone’s nickname. Sutton told them that she just had moment. By this time, the whole miserable gang was there, and Sutton said Crystal had said a lot of things about her, and she couldn’t sit across the table from her . Garcelle asked what Sutton needed from Crystal; tell Crystal what she needed, so they could move on. Sutton said she thought it was sh*tty that Crystal had used so many words about her. No surprise, Crystal kept interrupting, and Sutton finally told Crystal to let her say her piece. The word violated was crazy to her. She asked what planet Crystal lived on, and Crystal said, not Sutton’s, as she once again looked smug. Garcelle said they weren’t going to get anywhere, and Crystal said she wasn’t changing the word, since she’d used it correctly. Garcelle again asked what Sutton needed, and Kyle said she thought Sutton wanted an apology. Crystal said she was sorry Sutton was upset, and Sutton said that wasn’t an apology, which we all know. It’s like a murderer saying they’re sorry the victim died, leaving out the fact they killed them. Crystal told Sutton to look up the word. It meant abuse of privacy. Is this woman loopy? First of all, I don’t know what dictionary she’s using, but the standard ones don’t exactly put it that way. Secondly, there are plenty of words that have several definitions, but are known by a certain one, gay being a prime example. Garcelle said that Sutton hadn’t known Crystal was naked, and Sutton asked why Crystal was so defensive. Crystal said Sutton was upset because she was jealous – period – and Sutton said, of what? Crystal’s ugly leather pants? I wondered jealous of what too. Sutton said she was out, and Kathy told LisaR, it was her house, so she should get a handle on this. Sutton headed out, asking again what she was jealous of. The rest of the women followed her, except for Crystal, who stood there with her hands in her ugly leather pockets, and smiled.

To be continued…  

Next time, Crystal says she won’t apologize, and calls Sutton an inappropriate, awkward person; Erika deals with the headlines saying her divorce was a sham to hide assets; and Erika says she could have never predicted this effing sh*t.

The Real Housewives of New York City

Leah video chatted with everyone, and said the election was driving everyone nuts. To keep their sanity, she thought they should get out of town. With covid restrictions, they couldn’t really travel, but a place she’d always been fascinated by was Salem, Massachusetts. In Leah’s interview, she said she could be kind of witchy, and was into manifesting. And these women were a bunch of witches. It would be like visiting the motherland. She wanted to do a latex and leather themed dinner party the first night, and told Ramona that she wanted to invite Bershan. In her interview, she said she pretty much wanted to do anything the women wouldn’t normally do.

Ramona met Bershan for lunch, and Bershan wondered if Ramona really had vertigo, or just didn’t like Eboni’s Night in Harlem event. Ramona asked what Bershan thought of it, and Bershan diplomatically said, it was educational. Ramona said, it was a hard sell. In Bershan’s interview, she said she thought it was long winded, but appreciated that Eboni wanted to teach the girls. Bershan told Ramona that she liked the women, and Ramona warned her about them fighting on the trip. She added that they made up, and these women were her core. Bershan said she was in.

In Sonja’s interview, she said she was glad Eboni was trying to set her up with someone. If it had been Ramona or LuAnn… She just shook her head. Sonja told Eboni that she had a hard time getting her words out around the other women because they cut her off, and they didn’t listen. Eboni said, they shut down conversations, and we flashed back to Eboni refusing to let Ramona do that. In her interview, Eboni said she was going to be patient with Ramona, because she’d actually pushed through the panic and was talking to her. She and Ramona were going to be an experiment. She was looking at the trip, not as a do-over, but a do-more.

Sonja and Eboni flew privately to Philadelphia to meet Devyn, Eboni’s matchmaker. In Eboni’s interview, she said Sonja needed to give love a chance again, so she was excited about this introduction. Sonja was afraid her reputation preceded her, but trusted Eboni. Devyn asked what causes Sonja was passionate about, and Sonja said, the vulnerable. No broke-ass men either. In her interview, Eboni said, Sonja married the bank. Where do you go from there? She told Devyn that she thought Sonja was ready for a new chapter. Sonja said she trusted that Eboni had described the real her, not the straw that stirs the drink.

Everyone packed for the trip. LuAnn said since they were going to a haunted house, she needed a good chapeau, and freaked when her assistant put her hats on the bed, which is bad luck. Leah FaceTimed with Sonja and Eboni, telling them to get their asses home and pack. In her interview, Leah said, let’s get out of our comfort zone. Let’s get spooky, bitches. She told them, no sh*t in Salem. They got on the most gigantic bus ever, and Leah said it was rock star style. Sonja thought it was so LuAnn, and they were the groupies. She thought it was getting weird because she’d packed grey and black, and Ramona was wearing those colors. Along with pink, so that was a stretch. LuAnn asked about Sonja’s matchmaking trip, and Sonja said she was ready for commitment. Ramona and Leah took naps, while the others talked about marriage and divorce. Bershan said she found out she had stage 4 breast cancer two weeks before getting married to a British banker. In her interview, she said, she was told she had three months to live, and prayed, telling God she’d be a warrior for everyone on the planet if she survived. When someone tells you, you’re going to die, you wake up. She’d been cancer free for 14 years. Leah said there would be fortune tellers at the leather and latex dinner, as well as tattoo artists, and she’d be getting one. Dinner was going to be at the tattoo shop. In Ramona’s interview, she said she didn’t want to deface her body.

They arrived at the Hawthorne Hotel, named after Nathaniel, which Leah described as spooky, but beautiful. On the way to dinner, Eboni considered the tattoo thing. This was some tattoo parlor. It looked like an upscale antique store, with a restaurant in the back. It was really gorgeous. In her interview, Leah said the women were impressed, and although they had a few days, she felt like she’d already gotten an A+ on the trip. There were a pair of spooky twins that Sonja found cute, and the fortune teller passed out fortunes. The women sat down in a large booth, and Sonja babbled on about how Eboni was new to the group, and had wanted them to understand her life’s work. In LuAnn’s interview, she said Sonja was stirring the cauldron. Eboni said, they couldn’t get to the kiki if she had an outstanding question on whether they’re aligned with white supremacy. Everyone was a little startled, and in Eboni’s interview, she said white supremacy wasn’t the Jim Crow south. In today’s United States, you were either anti-racist or a racist. In Ramona’s interview, she said she didn’t know where Eboni was coming from, since none of them had given any indication of being racist. LuAnn said all of them heard her, but Eboni said LuAnn could only speak for herself. Ramona hadn’t wanted to hear her.

Leah said she thought it was more about Eboni’s personality. When the new woman came in, they got sh*t on. She got sh*t on by Ramona. We flashed back to that. She said, Eboni wasn’t allowing that, and in 14 years, they’d never had a Black woman in their group. Could they imagine the pressure? Every news outlet was talking about it. Ramona said, ignore the press, and Leah told her, STFU. Leah said Ramona lived in a tiny bubble, and Ramona said Leah didn’t know who she was. Leah said Ramona was what’s wrong with the world. Ramona tried to jet, saying, she wasn’t enjoying the conversation. Everyone urged her to stay, and Eboni said she’d come a long way. Ramona sat back down, and Bershan told Eboni her delivery could be harsh. Eboni said she received and heard Bershan, and knew it might feel exhausting. Every MF’ing day, it was something else. Ramona got all animated, and said Eboni had a great life. Eboni told everyone that Ramona was saying something a lot of people say when they see her. In Leah’s interview, she said, no one saw Ramona struggling, but she probably had to deal with some stuff. Triple that, and that’s Eboni. Eboni said that some people aligned with Trump were white supremacists, and in her interview, said, if you support him for economic reasons, say so. You’d get pushback, but she could have a dialog. Ramona woudn’t even go there. Everyone started saying, not me, and Ramona tried to make herself really small, hoping to blend into her seat. Eboni said her mother voted for Trump in 2016, and had her reasons, but she was vocal about it. Ramona slid out, and in her interview, she said she just came for some fun. She didn’t need this. Leah asked if Eboni thought anyone who voted for Trump was a supremist, and Eboni said, no. She just wanted to know where Ramona stood on the issue. That was it. Eboni said she could respect supporting him for tax cut reasons or economics. Leah said Ramona couldn’t have this conversation; she barely knew the English language.

Surprisingly, Ramona came back, but she acted all weird, saying she wanted to play a game, and then making a cheer out of, I want a game. She was also wearing a black latex catsuit, by the way. In Leah’s interview, she said she was cringing. Ramona should have stayed wherever she was. She would probably never live down coming back and doing the I’m white dance. Leah told Ramona that they had to go through this, and Eboni said she was still Black. Ramona said she was sorry she was white. Did Eboni want an apology? Her mother came there with nothing. Leah said, it didn’t matter; this was different. Several of the women scattered, leaving Leah, Eboni, and Bershan. Leah said, and then there were three.

To be continued…

Next time, Ramona does a table dance, the women reenact pioneer days, Eboni gets a tattoo, Bershan says they’re being grandmas, and – big surprise – Sonja overdoes it.

🐶 Bravo had a Vanderpump Dogs marathon, and I love this show so much. They also train service dogs, and match them with owners, so we saw some of that. The dogs are adorable, and the stories, both pup and human, are both heart-wrenching and heartwarming. Some people have negative things to say about LVP, but I have great admiration for her work ethic and her love for dogs, which is more than apparent in this show. I’m also still wondering if she’d consider adopting an older child. My dogs and I wouldn’t take up much space. She’d barely know we were there.

📋 Past Quitting Time…

Wives as promised, and now to bed. Until we meet on the morrow, stay safe, stay engaged, and stay not rebounding so hard, you might as well be on a trampoline.

July 6, 2021 – Jason and Carly Go Public, Candace Has a Visitor From the Past & Blues

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Violet runs into Charlie’s with a baseball, and tells Anna that her daddy gave it to her. Did she see him play? Anna says she did, and he’s a true hero. Violet asks if they can have a tea party, since Anna has pretty cups, and Anna says, any time she wants, but it might be a little different; Daddy won’t be there. She says she misses Violet, and Violet says she misses Anna too.

At Charlie’s, Michael says, Sam’s final play won the game. Good for her. Dante says it was all his coaching, but Sam says she made the play despite his coaching. Violet tells everyone, shh! Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow are coming. Finn picks her up, and Willow wheels Chase in. Everyone yells, surprise! and Violet confirms, it’s a surprise, in case that was unclear. Everyone applauds, and there are smiles all around.  

On the terrace with Bailey/Louise, Valentin tells her, happy 4th of July. This is a family celebration where the firework’s are literal, so she might want to enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Brook comes out, and says she’s already late for Chase’s party, and wants to be there to support him. Valentin is good, right? He’s going to be Bailey’s primary caregiver for a couple hours. Monica comes out, and asks to see Brook for a moment – alone.   

Jake asks why Cameron brought him to the park. He wants to go to the pool with Aiden and their friends. Cameron says he thinks they need to talk, and Jake asks, about what? Cameron says, give him a break. He’s trying. He knows Jake is still mad and still hurt about what he did, and what he said to him when he was so sure Jason killed Franco. Jake says Cameron called his dad a killer, and said he was stupid for believing Jason. Cameron said he was sorry, and he said it was okay. Cameron says, obviously, it’s not okay, and he wants to fix it.   

Clothes are all over the floor in Britt’s room. Jax wakes up and looks at Britt. She opens her eyes, and he waves and tells her, good morning. She says, what the… and he says, it’s just him. Does she remember Charlie’s Pub last night? They had a few drinks, and she invited him back to her place. She says, things happened, and asks, what time is it? He checks, and says, no way; it’s the afternoon. She says, wow, time flies, and asks if he has anywhere to be. He says, actually, he doesn’t, unless she wants him to go, of course (🍷). She says, you tell me, and asks if it was pity sex. He says, no, not on his part. She’s beautiful. She says, good answer, and kisses him, because no one has bad breath or messed up makeup after a night of drinking and wild sex on a soap.

Carly asks if Josslyn is going to the park to watch the fireworks. Avery is going to a Lila’s Kids event, and she thinks Avery would feel better if Josslyn was close by, just in case she gets insecure. There’s been a lot of upheaval in Avery’s life recently. Josslyn says she was going to meet Cameron and Trina at the docks, but she’ll switch it to the park. Speaking of Trina, Carly will never believe what happened at Trina’s party. Actually before the party. Trina came face-to-face with Ava’s stalker.

On the phone, Trina says she told Portia that she’s over what happened last night. She’s not scared… She’s at the pool. She sees Spencer (another one who now goes by two names), and says she just spotted someone she knows.

Jason comes in, and Carly says, good; he’s here. Josslyn asks what Jason is doing for the 4th, and he says he thinks he’s going to spend it with her mom. Josslyn asks if they’re going somewhere, and Carly says, they’re not sure yet, but they have something to tell her. She and Jason are getting married.

Brook says she’s used to the third degree from Olivia, but what did she do to provoke Monica? Monica says she just wanted to talk without Valentin, and Brook says, okay. What’s the problem? Monica says she heard Maxie was there to see Bailey again, and Britt says, so? Monica says, it can’t be healthy. It breaks her heart knowing what Maxie is going through. Her baby is with a kidnapper, and coming to see Bailey is going to open the wound over and over again. It’s not healthy. Maxie comes in, and says, happy 4th! Look at that sweet, precious little girl. How cute she is in her 4th of July outfit? She looks adorable. And she does. Bailey/Louise is a very cute baby.

Violet tells Chase and Willow, happy 4th of July. Chase thanks her, and says she’s dressed for the celebration, but what is all this? Jordan says, they missed him, and thought it was a good time to celebrate, and tell him that they can’t wait to have him back. Dante can’t believe he’s saying this, but they missed Chase on the field too. He struck out a lot, but sometimes Chase actually hit the ball. Finn tells him to take his time in rehab. The longer they can avoid his pitching, the better. Violet says, just so everyone knows, today is only a party, not the reception. That’s later. Finn says, right. Chase wanted to make it clear that they’re saving the reception for when he’s is back on his feet. Chase says, which will be before they know it. He’s starting physical therapy. Willow convinced him to come there for a bite before visiting his physical therapist, and he totally believed her. Jordan says she told Chase’s new wife to lie, and Chase says, that’s a first. Dante says they have a little something for Chase and his new bride, and holds up Bride and Groom baseball shirts. He says he can’t wait for Chase to be back, so he can strike out again. Jordan suggests Chase and Willow both cheer them on this Thursday when they’re playing Aurora, and Violet says, yay, Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow! Everyone goes, yay!

Spencer says he’d ask if Trina is stalking him, if he wasn’t happy to see her. She says he wishes she was stalking him, and he asks if she hasn’t been on every pier looking for him. She says she was staking out a place to watch the fireworks with her friends, but she just got a text; they’re going to the park instead. He asks how the rest of her party was, and she says, awesome. Thanks for talking her into staying. He says, most people would have called it a night, but Trina tells him, she got some good advice about staying. He asks if she wants to catch some rays with him before meeting her friends, but she says she doesn’t have a swimsuit. He tells her, wear her birthday suit. He will if she will. She says she has a better idea. Why doesn’t she take him to the park… wearing clothes.

Cameron tells Jake that he’s sincerely sorry for insisting Jason killed Franco; he apologizes. Jake says, okay, but why did he? Cameron knows his dad would never hurt him like that. Cameron says he sees that now, but he was so hurt about losing Franco. Somebody told him recently that being angry is easy, but it’s so much harder to be sad, to be hurt. He took the easy way out. He was a jerk to Jason and a lousy big brother to Jake. He’s so sorry, and he’ll continue saying it until Jake believes him.

Josslyn says, Carly and Jason are getting married? That’s… unexpected. Carly says she knows it’s a surprise, but they thought about it carefully, and believe it’s the best choice for them. Josslyn says she only ever thought of them as friends, and Jason says, they are, and definitely couldn’t do this if weren’t best friends. They’ve always counted on each other, and been there for each other, and realized they should make the bond formal and legal by getting married. Josslyn asks if they think they’ll be happy, and Carly says, of course (🍷). What would make them really happy is knowing their family supports them. Josslyn says, of course (🍷) they have her support.

Jake says, Franco was his stepdad too, and he loved Franco. He didn’t deserve to be murdered. Maybe Cameron is right. Being mad at him is a whole lot easier than being sad. Cameron sits next to Jake on a bench, and says, he gets it. As soon as Jake stops being mad at Cameron, he’ll have time to miss Franco. Jake says he does miss Franco, but he also misses his brother. Playing video games with him, playing soccer, and teasing him about girls. Jake starts to cry, and Cameron says he misses those things too and knows it can be really scary to feel sad. How about if they do it together? Cameron puts his arm around Jake, and Jake says, okay.  

Josslyn tells Jason, welcome to the family. Except, he’s always been a part of the family. He says he’ll take the welcome anyway, and Josslyn asks if they don’t feel weird about being friends, then husband and wife. Carly says she thinks there’s going to be an adjustment, but they’re good. Josslyn says, clearly, they have it figured out, and the more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Who else are they going to marry? Sonny understood their relationship, but she’s not sure other people would. Relationships can be totally awkward, and they’re better off sticking to what they know. Carly says she doesn’t know whether to be proud that Josslyn is happy for them, or concerned that she’s such a cynic when it comes to relationships. She hasn’t even gone to college yet. Josslyn says she’s not a cynic. She just realizes that relationships can get complicated when you don’t want them too, but they’re so lucky. They already know  each other, inside and out. She has to get going, and Carly tells her to have fun. She says she will, and congratulates them, adding that she means it. She looks at Jason and says she doesn’t have to call him dad, right? Carly laughs, and Jason says, no. She says she was just making sure. Bye, engaged people. Happy 4th. She leaves, and Carly says, that was weird, but it went kind of well. Are they ready for the next step? Jason looks uncomfortable, and says, there’s something they have to do first.

Jax tells Britt, not that they need any more fireworks, but today is the 4th of July. She says, is it? and he says, picnics, fireworks, barbecues, the red, white, and blue. She laughs, and he asks, what’s funny? She says she was thinking about her first 4th of July in Port Charles; it was a nightmare. She can laugh now, but back then, it was terrible. He asks, what happened? and she says, for starters, she was carrying a baby that wasn’t hers, but that’s not even the main part of the story. Patrick Drake’s daughter Emma had this hyper-realistic doll, and she was holding it. It just started peeing on her, and it caught her so off-guard, she chucked the evil doll off her lap, and it landed on the barbecue grill, and exploded into flames. Every part of that story is true. They laugh.

Chase thanks Finn and Elizabeth for pulling off the surprise party. Being with friends and family is the best medicine. Finn says they hoped he’d feel that way, and Elizabeth says she wants to check on Cameron, and make sure he got his brothers to the park. She leaves, and Chase says, Finn and Elizabeth always seem to be together. What’s going on with them?

Jordan tells Anna, it’s been a while since they had a proper catch-up. She knows Anna has been looking for Maxie’s baby. Anna says she’s been searching for any evidence with Valentin, and Jordan says, Anna and Valentin? Wait a minute.

Valentin texts Anna: Are you still coming?

Britt asks what Maxie is doing there again, and Maxie says she was passing by, and wondered what they were up to with baby’s first 4th of July. Monica asks, what about James and Georgie? and Maxie says, they’re on a picnic with her mom and Mac. She’s going to join them later. She just wanted to see what was up with Brook and Bailey. Brook says, Valentin is a doting father, and every time Olivia comes by, she swoops in for her Bailey time. The Qs have a ton of nannies, so she thinks she’s covered. Monica says she’s going to going leave them to talk, and when she’s gone, Maxie asks why Monica is being weird. Brook says, she’s being weird because of Maxie.   

Finn tells Chase, Elizabeth is Violet’s aunt, and she’s been a good friend. When Chase got sick, she kept him from falling apart. Chase says, so there is something there, but Finn says, she’s still mourning the loss of her husband, and he still has issues because of Anna. Willow comes back, and Finn says, it’s really nice what she and Chase have, a good old fashioned, uncomplicated relationship. Chase says he couldn’t agree more, and Willow says she’ll go get them something to drink. Anna comes by, and asks if she can have Finn’s brother for a second. Finn says, of course (🍷), and gets up, saying, he kept the seat warm. She says, thanks, and sits. She says she wants to congratulate Chase on the wedding, and he says, thanks; he’s never been happier. She says, he deserves it.

Elizabeth tells Finn, Chase is right. Friends and family are really the best medicine. Finn says he’s almost happy himself. Then he remembers Peter is still in the freezer. She says she needs a drink. Does he want anything? He says, a drink sounds good, but no thank you.

Trina says Victor/Spencer will like her friends. They’re all going to college together in the fall. It was a whole drama. One was going to a California school, the other got waitlisted for Southern Coastal, but in the end, they all decided to go to PCU, which shows excellent taste, since she’s going too. Come on. She’ll introduce him to Cameron and Josslyn.

Josslyn sees Cameron and Jake, and asks if Jake is joining them, but he says, no way. He doesn’t want to be a third wheel. He’s meeting Aiden at the pool. He leaves, and Cameron says he doesn’t know where Jake got the third wheel idea. She says, it’s no big deal. Besides, she has exciting news. She’s glad he did his apology tour and all is forgiven, because her mom and Jason are getting married.

Jason tells Carly that he doesn’t want to lie, but something so simple like telling people they’re getting married, is… They both say, it’s complicated, together. He says, but what he told Josslyn was true. He couldn’t do this if Carly wasn’t his best friend. She says she feels the same way, and he takes a ring box out of his pocket. He tells her that he got her this.

Brook says, Monica has a point; Maxie shouldn’t be there, and she doesn’t need to be. Brook maneuvered her way into a job at Maxie’s office so she could see her daughter at daycare without anyone suspecting. Isn’t that enough? Maxie says, it was an ingenious plan, and she’s grateful, but it’s a holiday weekend and she’s here. Let her spend time with her daughter.

Valentin flashes back to being with Anna in Austin’s cabin, and Anna saying she couldn’t have gotten through the last few months without him. He tells her, nor him without her. He sort of smiles.

Willow asks how Michael’s 4th of July is going, and he says he thinks he’s looking at the calm before the storm. She says, it sounds ominous, but he says, it’s good news. He was shocked when he first heard, but then he thought about it and it made perfect sense. He’s happy for them. She says, who? and he says, his mom and Jason are getting married. Elizabeth and Sam are sitting at the bar, and overhear. Willow asks if she heard that right; his mom and Jason? He says, after them being best friends his whole life, they decided to get married. They had a discussion about it, and he believes they know exactly what they’re doing, and they’re fully committed. Sam drains her drink, and jets. Elizabeth follows her.  

Carly looks at the ring, and says, it’s beautiful. She hands it to him, he sighs, and puts it on her finger. Bleh.   

Jax says, Britt barbecued a doll in front of the girl who owned it. That’s horrible. She says, it’s funny now, but back then, it was a nightmare. Jax suggests they make some better 4th of July memories. Would she care to join him on the terrace deck to watch the fireworks?

On the phone, Carly thanks Olivia for letting her know, and Jason asks what Olivia wanted. She says, Vincent Novak is at the MetroCourt, and he says, maybe they want to make peace. She asks if he really thinks so, and he says, Brick’s team is efficient. The Novaks lost a lot; they lost their offices, and they lost trucks. She says, in that case, it looks like they watch the fireworks from the MetroCourt, and holds up her hand with the ring.

Trina asks if Victor/Spencer is coming, but he says maybe he’s not ready to meet her friends. She says, all of a sudden he’s shy? and he says, just thirsty. He’s going to grab some bottled waters, and he’ll catch up with her.

Cameron says, so Josslyn’s mom is marrying Jason. Is she excited about that? She says, yeah. They’ve been friends for, like, ever. Like she told them, who else would they marry? He says they have to talk about her and him, the graduation party, and how she kissed him. Trina joins them, and says they’ll never believe it. She ran into that guy again, Victor, the one who convinced her to go back to the party after she was drenched in fake blood. Josslyn says, he must be some guy, and Trina says, he’s cute. Not that she’d ever tell him that. She moves on, and Josslyn tells Cameron, she guesses their talk will have to wait.

Anna asks why she’s meeting Valentin on the Quartermaine terrace, and he says, it’s 4th of July, and she’s British. She doesn’t have to be bitter and alone. She says he’s funny, and asks if his lovely little daughter is around. He says, she’s inside with her mother, which is good because she’s a little young for what he has in mind. She says, which is? and he says, Anna likes plenty of fire, right? She says, always, and he says, he has sparklers. He shows them to her.

Maxie says she’s missed Louise, and Brook says, Peter is still out there. What if he’s following her, watching her going to her non-friend’s house? He’s psycho, but not stupid. He’s going to put two and two together. Maxie says, she knows that, and after today, she’ll stay away. Brook asks, isn’t she the one who said she’d protect her baby at all costs? She can’t even keep her distance on a long weekend. What happened to her? Maxie says, Louise is her daughter; her flesh and blood. She knows better, but she can’t help herself.

At the pier, Sam says Elizabeth doesn’t have to babysit her, but Elizabeth says, babysitters don’t bring vodka, and takes out a bottle. Sam says, they both heard Michael say it; Jason is marrying Carly. If Elizabeth is afraid of leaving her alone, she can call one of Sam’s sisters. Elizabeth asks if she’s not the perfect person to vent to. She loved Jason too, and knows what it’s like to come in second place to Carly. Sam says, they didn’t even try to hide it. Carly always came first; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Elizabeth suggests they start with the shots, and pours them into plastic cups. She says, so Jason and Carly are getting married. She guesses it was inevitable, but doesn’t Sam think it’s a little soon? Sam says she doesn’t know. For as long as she and Jason were together, there was always Carly. There was Sonny too. Jason being Sonny’s best friend, business partner, and right hand man. Then Carly just took him, all for herself. Elizabeth says, that’s why doing shots won’t be enough, and Sam asks what she’s talking about.

Josslyn asks where Trina’s new friend is, and Trina says, he should have been there by now. Maybe he decided not to come, and Cameron says, if he’s already playing games, Trina might want to drop him, but she says, he’s just being a guy. If he comes, tell him that she couldn’t wait. Josslyn says, she’s leaving? and Trina says, it’s good not to be too available, besides, her mom keeps texting her. She’s still nervous about last night, so Trina is going to watch the fireworks with her. She says she’ll see them later, and leaves. Cameron says that gives them time to figure out what happened, but Josslyn asks, what is there to figure out? Dev forged her journal entry, and she never wrote that he was a bad kisser, because that’s not what she thinks. He says, there’s a lot more to it than just that.

Sam lugs a tote bag onto the pier, and asks Elizabeth, what now? Elizabeth says, now, they have another drink, and hands Sam a cup. Sam says, excellent, and they clink plastic cups. They drink another shot, and Sam asks what they’re doing. Elizabeth says, back in Colorado, her closest friend Terry, Dr. Randal, didn’t really date, but was the best shoulder to cry on. Whenever a crush moved on to someone else, Terry had this idea that you couldn’t really move on until you cleansed the person from your system. Elizabeth lights a rolled up newspaper, and throws it in a trash can, starting a fire. She asks Sam, what’s in the bag? and Sam takes out her leather jacket, saying, Jason gave it to her years ago. She reaches into a pocket, and takes out two concert tickets. She says, Springsteen tickets. They never used them. Elizabeth says, into the fire, and Sam tosses them in. Elizabeth says, now the jacket, but Sam says, no. Elizabeth says, yes, and Sam kisses it, and throws it in. Elizabeth asks, what else? and Sam pulls out a wooden box. She says, dominos. Don’t ask her why she and Jason loved the game. She doesn’t know, but they did. She adds it to the fire, but says, it’s not burning. Who knew dominos wouldn’t burn? She thinks she has something that will help, and takes a bottle of tequila out of the bag. She takes a drink, and throws the bottle in. She says, it was a memory, but not anymore.

Dante tells Finn that he’s going to find Sam and Elizabeth. He leaves Charlie’s, and Finn picks up Violet. She says, Uncle Chase and Aunt Willow want to take her to see the fireworks. Chase says, GH is letting the patients and the staff watch from the roof, and Willow says they promise to get Violet home afterward. Violet asks if she can go, and Finn says, two hours tops. He tells Chase, don’t over-do it, and Willow says she’ll make sure of that. Finn thanks her for everything, and tells Violet to stay with Uncle Chase. Dante comes back, and says he can’t find them anywhere. His phone rings, and he says, are they? He’ll be right there. That was a friend from the fire department. Apparently, Sam and Elizabeth are on the pier. Finn says, let’s go, and they leave.

Valentin hands Anna a sparkler, and says he got these for Charlotte, but she decided to go horseback riding. Apparently, her tastes are more sophisticated than run of the mill sparklers. Anna wonders where Charlotte got her extravagant taste from, and he says, guilty as charged. She says she happens to like sparklers. Light her up. He lights one for her and one for him.

Carly and Jason are in the MetroCourt elevator, and Jason asks if she’s ready. She says, let’s do it, and takes his hand. They walk in, and Vincent Novak gets up. He says he heard about the unfortunate misunderstanding with his nephew, and Jason says he’s surprised Joey didn’t know any better. Vincent says, he can be a hothead. He’s spoken to Joey, and hopes their families can continue to co-exist in peace. Jason says, that’s their goal too. If he and Carly had known Vincent was going to be there, they would have invited him to celebrate with them. Vincent says, celebrate what? and Carly says, Jason asked her to marry him, and she said yes. She shows him the ring.

In the park on the phone, Trina says she’s on her way home… No, she wants to be with Portia. They can look at the pictures from her party. She leaves, and Spencer comes out from the trees.  

Josslyn tells Cameron, Dev did a messed up thing. What else is there to say? He says, but if Dev hadn’t made him think Josslyn wasn’t into him, what would have happened? Would they have been together after they kissed at the dance? Would they be together now?

Maxie tells Brook, just a few more minutes, and she’ll leave. Britt says she knows Chase’s party is breaking up by now. She has to change, and she’ll give Maxie one or two minutes alone with Louise/Bailey. She’ll be upstairs, so hopefully, it won’t look too suspicious. Maxie thanks Brook, and Brook leaves. Maxie tells Louise that she’s missed her so much. She has no idea. Or maybe she does. Maxie loves her with all her heart. Monica walks in, and does not look thrilled.   

Anna says, ow! and drops her sparkler. Valentin asks if she’s all right, and she says, it’s just a spark flew. He says, let him see, and he takes her hand. He says, it’s just a little burn, and kisses it. Then he kisses her. I’m in. it’s about damn time.

Chase thanks everyone for coming. The next time the party is going to be… Violet says, a wedding reception, and he says, that’s right. A big old fancy wedding reception. He and Willow will do a first dance and everything. Violet says she can’t wait, and Michael and Willow look at each other.  

A fireman sprays the trashcan with a fire extinguisher, and Dante says he’s from the PCPD. He shows the fireman his badge, and says they got a call that there were two women out there. The fireman says, right through that door with his partner, and Sam and Elizabeth come out with another fireman. Dante says, they’ve got this, and thanks the firemen. Dante asks if Sam and Elizabeth are okay, and Elizabeth says, they’re fine. The fire’s out. She and Sam sit, and Dante asks if they started the fire. Sam says, come on. Join them in the celebration. It’s the 4th of July. She takes a slug from the vodka bottle, and says, she just declared her independence.

Jax and Britt get in the elevator at the MetroCourt, and he tells her that she looks beautiful. She says he cleans up pretty nicely himself, and he says he’ll make sure there are no grills around, and the only doll on fire is her. She says, cornball, and he says, wait until he starts with the dad jokes. She tells him that she didn’t say corny was bad.

Carly says, sorry Jason has to stick around. She’s sure he’d much rather be at the bridge. He says, wouldn’t she? and she says, the view of the fireworks is much better from there. She used resent the bridge. She hated it because it was a Robin thing. It felt hands off to her. He says he took her there himself, but she says, it’s a girl thing. They should go back to the bridge. He says, okay; whatever she wants. Britt and Jax come in, and Britt and Jason lock eyes.

Tomorrow, Jason tells Britt that she still means something to him, Nina has something to tell Obrecht, Monica says they have a big problem, and Phyllis encourages Sonny to visit Nina.

The Haves and The Have Nots

Benny knocks on Rianna’s door, and she opens it. He asks if he can come in, and she says she shouldn’t do this. He says he drove all this way for her, and she lets him in. She says he wasn’t followed, was he? and he asks if she’s scared of that dude. She says he won’t leave her alone. She’d move away, but her mom is in a home there, and needs her. He asks, why? and she says her mom has had cerebral palsy her whole life. It got to be too much. He says, sorry, and she says, it’s okay. She can afford it most times. He says, most times? and she wonders why she’s telling him this… She’s drunk. He asks if he can have some, and she says she’ll get him a glass. She comes back with red wine, and he thanks her. She asks if he’s excited about his new house, and he says, come here. He tells her that she needs to be held, but she says she’s fine. He says, come on, and she says she’s not sleeping with him. He says he won’t bite, and she sits next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. He says going to be okay. He promises she will. She asks how he’s so sure, and he says he has a sixth sense about these things. She thanks him for defending her, but he says he was only doing what any man would do. She says, no. He made her feel so safe. She wants to thank him. She kisses him, and he asks what she’s doing. She tells him, shut up, and kisses him again. He says he ain’t going to be responsible. He told her that he’s not letting her take advantage of his body. They kiss some more, and she pushes him back. He takes off his jacket, and she unbuckles his belt, then kisses down his chest, and… well, you know.

David asks the guard, who just left? and the guard says it was a guest of David’s son. He said his name was Tanner. David tells him to run the plates, but he says he already did. The guy’s full name is Leonard Tanner Lewis. David asks how he knows Jeffrey, but the guard doesn’t know. David tells him to find out all he can. Jeffrey comes downstairs, and says David doesn’t have to do that. David asks Jeffrey to tell him who nobody is, and Jeffrey says, he’s Justin’s brother. David says, the boy who set himself on fire? What did he want? Jeffrey says Tanner wanted him to come to the funeral. David asks, why? and Jeffrey says, Tanner told him that Justin cared for him. David asks if Jeffrey plans on attending, but Jeffrey says, no. David says, good. He doesn’t think it would be appropriate, and Jeffrey says, there’s something about Tanner that he doesn’t trust. David says, then he shouldn’t. You never know what people’s motives really are. David goes upstairs.

Jim pulls into David’s driveway, and the guard asks if he can help him. Jim says he’s going in to see David, and the guard asks if David knows him. Jim says he does, and asks if he isn’t the sorry-ass security guard Jim fired. He let Jim’s son escape. The guard asks if he can help Jim, but Jim says, no. He’s going in to see David. The guard says he has to be announced, but Jim says he doesn’t think so. The guard puts his hand against Jim’s chest, and says he’ll put Jim on the ground if he doesn’t wait. Jim tells the guard to take his hand off. He’d like to see the guard try. The guard tells him, move toward the door, and he will. Jim laughs, and says, okay, announce him.

The guard tells David that Jim is there to see him, and David says, okay. Jim comes in, and says he sees David hired the sorry-ass security company he fired. David says, they’re doing okay so far. What brings Jim there? Jim says he’s in a bind. He needs $100K. That crazy-ass bitch wife of David’s is representing Celine. Judge Modine will put his ass in jail if he doesn’t give Celine $50K in 24 hours. David says, Jim doesn’t have $50K? Jim says he doesn’t have 50 cents. These women… David says he knows, and Jim says, that damn Hanna. David wonders if she said no, but Jim says he’d rather shoot himself than ask Hanna for money. David says he’ll loan Jim the money, and Jim says he appreciates it. These damn women… David says, they’ve lost their minds. He’s surprised Jim is paying Celine, but Jim says he has no time to be in jail, and Modine is just the bastard who will send him there. David says, speaking of wild women, Mama Rose… Jim says he talked to her? but David says, no, she retired. Apparently, she has health problems and moved to Florida. Jim asks, when? and David says, a month ago. Jim says that means he can go after Candace, but David says, not necessarily. Vinnie is running things. Jim says, he’s vicious, and David says, he can be. Jim asks what David suggests, and David says, pay him. Jim says, for what? and David says, Candace. Have Vinnie get rid of her. Jim says, good idea. What does David think it would cost? David asks what it’s worth to get rid of her, and Jim says she took $8 million from him. David says, give Vinnie $100K, and Jim asks if David can make it $200K. David says Jim will probably need it, and Jim thanks him. David says he’ll have his lawyer write it up, but Jim says, no lawyers involved. He doesn’t trust lawyers. He was a lawyer. Some of his best friends are lawyers. He leaves, and David gets on the phone.

Hanna walks in the door to Kathryn’s house, when Kathryn calls. Hanna says she’s on her way out, but Kathryn says, on second thought, let Jim go over there. Hanna says, but Kathryn’s boyfriend… and Kathryn says, he’s not her boyfriend. He should be gone by now, and if he’s not, Jim can kick his ass out. Hanna says, the two of them are something, and asks what Kathryn wants her to do. Kathryn says, call Jim on a three-way. She knows Hanna doesn’t want to, and Hanna says Kathryn has no idea how much that man makes her blood boil. Hanna makes the call, and when Jim answers, Kathryn says, Wyatt is at the loft. Jim says, the one she was supposed to have sold? and Kathryn says, he’s there. Jim says, he’s in the hospital, but she tells him, go over there and see what’s going on. He asks how she knows this from jail, and she says, just go. He asks again, and she says she heard Wyatt on the phone. He asks why she was calling there. Who’s living there? She says, no one, and he asks if it’s that damn Hanna. What’s going on with them? Are they having a fling or something? She tells him, just go, but he says he’s not going until she tells him, and has her girlfriend release some money. She says, if he doesn’t go, and Wyatt harms himself, she’ll know it’s him. He says, bye, and she asks if he hung up. Hanna says, he did, and she asks Hanna to go over there. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn thanks her, and says she’ll try to call in an hour. She’s sorry. Hanna says, it’s okay, and Kathryn says, Hanna has the power and the money.

There’s no afterglow for Rianna, who looks miserable. Benny asks why she’s crying, and she says, sorry. He says, for what? and she says she thinks he should go. She didn’t want to do this. Who knew she was this vulnerable? He says she needed to take her mind off it. How did he do? She says he’s so lame, and he apologizes. She tells him that his credit sucks, and he says, damn. Why is she bringing it up now? She says he needs to work on it, but he says she didn’t have him there for no credit. Is she nervous or something? She says, maybe a little. She shouldn’t have done that. She needs to ask… He says he’s healthy, and she asks if he’s sure. He says, is she? and she says she has nothing. He says, it’s good then, but she’s still nervous. Why don’t they have a snack? She says she can make him a sandwich, and he says, that’s it? She can’t cook? She says, can he? and he says, hell yeah. What’s she got? She suggests he put on clothes first, and he says, how about this? lifting the sheet. She says, it’s sexy, and tells him she’s going to get dressed, but he says if he’s cooking nekked, she is too. She asks him to tell her about himself. Is he a whore? How many women has he slept with? He says he’s not answering that. How many men has she slept with? She says, two, and he says she means he’s two? He laughs, and says, get out with that bullsh*t, but she promises it’s true. He asks how she hooked up with Sandy. She must know he hates Black people. Sandy told Benny straight up that he doesn’t like him. She says Sandy loves her too much. He’s going to come after Benny hard. He says he’ll handle it, and she says, how? He says he’d like a burger, but she says, it’s too late for a burger. (Who made up that rule?) He says, it’s what he wants, and he needs to get ready for round two. She says they’re not doing it again, and he wonders if it’s like she wasn’t doing it the first time. They already did it once, and if they do it twice in the same night, it don’t count. She says, he’s the worst, and he tells her, don’t look at his butt. He gets up, but he’s wearing underwear.

Rocky is at the loft, and says Kathryn wants Roderick out, but Roderick says he told Rocky, he’s not leaving. Rocky says he doesn’t want to do that. Go to his own place. Roderick says he doesn’t want to go to that dump; he’s staying there. He looked online, and he can claim squatter’s rights. (Um… isn’t he in the country illegally? Weren’t the Feds looking to question him?) He says Kathryn can’t kick him out. He can sue her for more than the place is worth. Rocky says he doesn’t want to do that. He sounds like a junkie, and he’s asking for big trouble. Roderick says, the hell with them, and asks Rocky to stay and have a drink, but Rocky says he’s not going to be there when they come knocking. Roderick says, no one is knocking, when there’s a knock at the door. Rocky says someone is knocking at the door, and he’s leaving though it. He walks out, and Hanna comes in. Roderick asks what she wants, and she says he’s not supposed to be there. He says he’s not leaving, and Jim walks in. Jim says he’s looking for Wyatt, and Roderick asks how Jim is. Jim wonders what the hell is going on, and Hanna says he was telling her that he’s not leaving. Jim asks, where’s Wyatt? and Hanna says she’s leaving, and goes. Roderick says he doesn’t know; Wyatt isn’t there. Jim asks what Roderick is doing there, and Roderick says he was just cleaning the place. Jim asks where his son is, and Roderick says he doesn’t know. Jim asks his name, and Roderick tells him. Jim says, if he’s there cleaning, what’s up with his luggage? Roderick stammers, and Jim mimics him, and says, get out. Roderick jets, and Jim looks at the drugs on the table, and says, dammit, Kathryn.

Candace answers the phone, what? and Landon asks if she’s seen the news. She says, what news? and he says, it’s on all the news stations and in the paper. He’s been sending her clips. She says she hasn’t watched them, and he says, because she has Jim’s money. She’s not going to touch it. She says she won’t. How does he know? He says he knows where she is right now. She needs to let him advise her on the money. She says, no, and he says, then they’ll take it. She says, who? and he says, the IRS. She has to put it in a business account, and shelter it. She says she already did; she’s two steps ahead of him. What does he want? He says he’s asking her to come to DC. She says, get the hell out, and he says, he just wants her to do one interview. The whole world will change its perception. She says, no, and he says, Charles (using the he/him thing) doesn’t do well without her. She says Charles should have thought of that before he kicked her out, and put her in the back of a car. He asks if they can’t let that go. They get it. Their people screwed up. What’s her plan? She says she’s going to call the guy who made Landon piss himself, and Landon says, he kind of liked Mitch afterward. He says he’ll call again, but she says, just listen. She’s not doing an interview, and she’s leaving the hotel. He says they’ll just find her in the next one. She says, okay, fine. She’ll go tell her side. He asks why she’s doing this; he’s trying to help. She says he’s helping Charles, and Landon says, and himself. She says she’s not going to be a pawn, and he says they’ve gone over this. She’s still a stupid hood chick. She says, say that again, and he says, it’s politics. He knows she’s enjoying this. Candace says she’s not enjoying it, but he says, tell that to someone who doesn’t know her. She’ll have them eating out of the palm of her hand. He tells her, at least change hotels; that one looks low rent. She says it was good enough for him to come by, and he says he’s done some of his best work in those places. She hangs up.    

Charles comes out, and Landon asks if he’s all packed, then answers his own question. Of course he is; they’re going to the White House. It’s exciting. It’s amazing to think how far they’ve come. Charles says he almost can’t believe it, when Conley joins them. He says he came to see Charles off, and asks if Landon can give them a moment. Landon leaves, and Conley asks if Charles is good.

Landon goes back to his office, and Oliver asks if Conley is there. Landon says, he’s been here a lot… Okay, what? Oliver says, nothing, and Landon asks if Oliver knows what he hates about him. Oliver says, everything? and Landon says, his smug attitude. Little bitch. He was thisclose to firing Oliver. Oliver says, sorry, and Landon says, the only reason he’s keeping Oliver is that he has potential. When he becomes a detriment, he’s going. Now what the hell did Oliver want to tell him about Conley? Oliver says, Conley’s got an angle, and Landon says, he knows. Oliver asks, what is it? but Landon says, that, he doesn’t know. He tells Oliver not to come back unless he has actual information. Landon does know Conley’s angle, but don’t come back unless Oliver has proof. Oliver asks what it is, but Landon says he’s not going to tell him.

Conley tells Charles that he’s headed for the White House. He’s so proud. Charles thanks him, and asks if Conley is okay. Conley says he did want to know if Charles spent any more time considering Devoir. It’s Charles’s decision, but did Charles look at his proposal? Charles says he didn’t, and Conley encourages him to look at Devoir’s resumé. He thinks Devoir would be great for the state of Virginia. Charles says he thought they already talked about this, but Conley says he wanted to make sure Devoir got a fair shake. Charles asks, what is it? Why is Conley pushing this guy so hard? Is there something else? Conley says, no, and Charles hopes Conley won’t mind if he asks him to stop pushing so hard. Conley asks if there’s anything he can help with, but Charles says, everything is done. Conley says, of course. Charles is the President of the United States. Everything is moved for him. Charles says, it’s obvious Conley has an agenda, and Conley says, how about them Mets? he’s heading home. They need him at the farm. he didn’t mean to push. He should know better. Charles tells him, it’s okay, and Conley leaves. Landon asks if Charles is all set, and Charles says he is. Landon says, sir… Charles says he knows when Landon addresses him like that, it’s something bad. Landon says, it’s not bad, but it’s about Devoir, and Conley’s request that he be made head of the EPA. Has Charles ever been to the farm? Charles says, a lot of times, and Landon says he looked at the pipeline being proposed. It’s going to run through protected land, and across Conley’s farm. He stands to make a lot of money. Landon thinks that’s why Conley is pushing so hard. Charles says he knew it had to be something, and Landon says he’s afraid so. Charles asks if Landon knows what it feels like to be used at every hand, and Landon says, sorry, but Charles says he bought it. He thinks he should be used to it, and Landon says, the higher you go… Charles says he didn’t expect it from Conley, and Landon says, onward? Charles says, onward. Landon says, going to the White House, Mr. President? and Charles says, yes, please. They shake hands, and Landon says, let’s do it. Landon’s phone rings, and Charles asks who it is. Landon says, Candace.

Charles says, let him answer, and Landon asks if he’s sure. Charles says, give him the phone, and says, hello? Candance says, Landon… but Charles says, no, it’s him. She asks how he is, and he says he should be asking her. She says she’s okay. She wanted to talk to Landon. Charles says she got him, but she says she’s not ready to talk to him. He says he’s not ready to talk to her either, and she asks why he’s on the phone. He says, the same reason she was calling. She says, why is that exactly? and he says she misses him like he misses her. She says, the last time he saw her, she was in the trunk of a car. He says he’s so sorry. He misses her, and would love to see her. She says she doesn’t think that’s going to happen. She’s not going to walk through that door, or sneak in and out. He says he doesn’t want her to, and she says he wants her to walk in the front door of the White House? He tells her, come to Pennsylvania Avenue, and she says he doesn’t mean a damn thing he’s saying, but he says he does. He’s President Elect. What the hell are they going to do to him? She says, it was a big deal before, but he says, not anymore. She’s a bigger deal. Come see him. She says she’ll think about it, and he says, they’ve got nothing but time. She says, at least seven months, and he says, what? She says she’s pregnant. She waits, and says, it’s quiet. He says, how many… and she says, it’s his. He’s the only man she had unprotected sex with. He tells her, okay, and she asks if that’s all he has to say. He says they should meet soon. Can he call when he gets to DC? She says, yeah, and he says, they’ll talk soon.

Charles hands the phone back to Landon, who says, may he ask what she said. Charles tells him, she said she’s pregnant. Landon says, from him? and Charles says, that’s what she said. Let’s go to DC. Not a word to anyone. Landon says, no, sir, and leaves. Charles wonders WTF to do.

The guard tells Jeffrey that Madison is there, and Jeffrey says, let him in. Madison walks in, and Jeffrey says he thought Madison was working. Madison says, they let him go home, and Jeffrey asks, why? Madison says he got piss thrown on him, and Jeffrey says, what? Sorry. Did he shower? Madison says, of course, and Jeffrey says he’s kidding. Madison says, and then he got choked out. Jeffrey says, by who? and Madison says, Wyatt Cryer. He escaped from the hospital in Madison’s scrubs, while Madison got left on the floor. Jeffrey asks where the hell Wyatt is, and Madison says, the police are looking everywhere for him. He stole powerful drugs that could kill him. Jeffrey thinks he should tell his dad, and runs upstairs. The door opens, and the guard tells Madison that a friend of Jeffrey’s is there. Madison asks, who? and the guard says, Wyatt Cryer.  

Madison says, the guard is security, right? Wyatt is a prisoner who escaped from the hospital. Bring him in, and detain him. The guard says, okay, and lets Wyatt in. Wyatt seems really jazzed, and asks where Jeffrey is. Madison says, upstairs, and asks if Wyatt is high. What did he take? Wyatt asks where Jeffrey is again, when Jeffrey comes downstairs, and says he’s calling the cops. Wyatt says he’s leaving, but the guard blocks him, and says he’s not leaving. Wyatt does a slow clap, and the guard says he’s not going anywhere. Wyatt tries throwing a punch, but the guard flips him to the ground, and gets Wyatt’s hands behind his back.

Candace is in bed when there’s a knock at the door. She asks who it is, and a male voice says, me. She asks who me is, and he says he’ll break the door down if she doesn’t let him in. She says, do that, and she’ll blow his brains out. He says, they both know she doesn’t have a gun, and she says, try it and find out. The door opens, and it’s Oscar. She says, what the hell? How is he there? He asks what she means. How she pushed him out of a window? She thought it would kill him. She says she knows she did, but he says, she thought she did. She says she saw him fall from the 30th floor. He says, nothing she ever does will work. Don’t worry. He’s not going to kill her. She asks why he’s there, and he says, we’re all here. She asks, who’s we?, and he says they’re all here to destroy her.   

Is this going to be some kind of riff on A Christmas Carol?

Next time, Veronica says, she’s Veronica, bitch, you can’t kill her; Jim says he’s taking Wyatt’s ass to rehab or dragging it to jail; Kathryn gets a new cellmate; and David says Veronica’s end is coming.

🤹‍♀️ To Be Continued… Tune in tomorrow for soap and double the Housewives. Until then, stay safe, stay looking for the silver lining, and stay knowing that relationships can get complicated when you don’t want them to, but not being a cynic

July 5, 2021 – The Stalker Is Unmasked, No Wedding On Deck & City Summer

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jax tells Britt, save the date? For what? She says, Jason and Carly’s wedding. Surely he’s heard about it. He says Carly told him (and stop calling him Shirley), but he’s confused as to why she cares.  

In the visiting room at the prison, Molly asks if TJ is okay. He says, it’s not like Shawn to call out of the blue and ask him to visit. Molly says, at least Shawn was able to make the call himself. It’s been days since she’s heard from her mom.

Alexis paces, and tells herself, don’t think; just breathe. She sits on the cot, and says, she doesn’t think. She hears her own voice say, that’s her problem. She doesn’t think. She sees herself dressed in business attire, and other Alexis looks around, and says, Alexis brings her to the best places.

Josslyn asks what Cameron is talking about. She doesn’t think he’s a bad kisser. He says he read it in her journal. Should he not believe her own words? She says, believe this, and kisses him.  

Ava asks if Portia has any idea where their girl is, and Portia says, she should have been there by now. She was going to stop by the gallery. Portia starts to text Trina, and Taggert approaches her. He says he doesn’t want to monitor Trina on her graduation night, but if she doesn’t show up in ten minutes, he’s going to start texting.   

Trina walks in, and everyone looks shocked. She’s covered in what looks like blood, and says, mom? Portia and Taggert run to her, and Taggert asks if she’s okay. She says she is. She doesn’t know what this is, but she’s drenched. He asks if she’s injured, but she says, no, and Josslyn asks, what happened? Jordan tells Trina to take a deep breath, and Trina says she was going to the gallery to talk to Ava. It was a trap.

Trina says, all of a sudden, someone appeared out of nowhere, and she pepper sprayed him. Taggert says, that’s his girl, and she says, Nikolas was trying to catch the stalker, and he caught her instead. Ava wonders why Nikolas was at the gallery, and steps away to call him. She leaves a message that she’s with Trina, and to call her right away. Taggert asks Trina to tell them what happened, and Trina says, After that whole mess with Nikolas, she left the gallery. Then she realized she’d left her phone. She went back in, saw a remote control on the floor, and picked it up before she realized it hadn’t been there before. A guy in a mask was suddenly there… Portia asks if he had a weapon, but Trina says she doesn’t know. She saw he had a bag, and assumed he was a burglar. She tried to pepper spray him too, but the canister was empty, so she threw the remote at him. The sprinklers went off, but instead of water, this red goop that looked like blood poured out. Portia asks, what happened to the burglar? and Trina says, he ran off, but she chased him. Portia asks if she’s insane, and she says, obviously, it didn’t work, so she came there, and that’s how she made her dramatic entrance. Curtis says, the most important thing is, Trina is unharmed, and Portia says she’s glad Trina didn’t catch the stalker; he could have hurt her. Taggert says, he’s so proud at her for being brave, but when they run, just let them go, and Portia says, the most important thing is, Trina is okay. Jordan joins them, and says she just got off the phone with Dante. The fire department responded to the sprinklers going off, and when they saw something that looked like blood, they called the PCPD. She’s headed over there now. Ava says, she’s going with Jordan, and they leave.

Shawn sits across the glass from Molly and TJ, and says, Dr. Ashford, and Molly Davis, Esquire. It’s great to see them. He’s sorry he couldn’t see TJ graduate. TJ says he is too, and Shawn says, sorry to have gotten TJ’s hopes up that he might get out. He would have loved to see Molly graduate too. She says she would have loved having him there, and TJ says, the parole board is messed up. Shawn agrees, and TJ asks what they can do. Why did he call? It sounded urgent. Shawn says he’s afraid he has bad news. Alexis is in solitary.   

Britt tells Jax that Cyrus sent men to her office that were going to kill her. Jason showed up, and got her out of there. Jax says, ever the hero, which is pretty funny coming from him. Britt says, Jason got shot, and she operated on him in a safe house. They slept in a barn, crossed the border with fake passports, and ended up in a lighthouse on Lake Ontario. Really exciting stuff. He says, so she and Jason are… They were… She says, what else are they going to do in a lighthouse? and he says, that’s too much information. She says she has to admit, for a guy who’s not very expressive, Jason helped her through a difficult time. She thought they were… you know, and then Jason asked Carly to marry him. C’est la vie, and au revoir. Jax says he wouldn’t take it too personally. Carly and Jason’s first loyalty has always been to each other. And to Sonny of course (🍷). Now Sonny is gone, and it’s just the two of them. Britt says, maybe it’s better off being single, and he says, truer words. Here’s to being alone, single, whatever, and they clink glasses.

The gallery walls are dripping red, and Ava says, oh my God. Dante tells her not to touch anything; it’s still an active crime scene. Jordan guesses they don’t have to worry about footprints, since the fireman have been all over, and Dante says, they had to clear the building. She asks what he has, and he says, it’s nothing toxic. It’s like what you’d use on Halloween or for a stage play. Jordan says, ingenious, and he says, a remote was used to set it off the sprinklers. Jordan says, that matches Trina’s statement, and he says, there was some kind of silent alarm set off by the front door, but Ava says she doesn’t have one. It’s an art gallery; she wants the alarm to be as loud as possible. Does he think the stalker set it up so they would know when she came there alone? Dante says, it’s possible, but it doesn’t sound like something the stalker… Nikolas comes in, and says, the stalker didn’t set up the alarm; he did.   

Without being seen, the stalker comes into the Savoy. Trina says, this is a lost cause, while the stalker slips through the back of the club, and goes through another door. Trina thanks everyone for coming, but thinks she should call it a night. She’s not in a party mood. Josslyn says Trina’s dress is in the back, and suggests Trina get cleaned up, and then decide. Trina doesn’t know, and Taggert says, or she can let a criminal ruin her night. Josslyn says she’ll help, but Trina says she might end up covered in this stuff. Bartender N’neka says she can help; she can get goop on her clothes. Curtis thanks her, and she says, don’t worry, boss. Taggert says  he needs a drink, and Nina says she does too. Josslyn says, it’s been a crazy night, and Cameron says, in more ways than one. Why did she kiss him?

Molly asks what Alexis did that she’s in solitary, and Shawn says, there was an incident at the library. Technically, Alexis assaulted a guard, but she was only trying to help him. TJ says, at least none of the prisoners can mess with Alexis in solitary, but Shawn says, solitary is no vacation. Molly says, time alone with nothing to do but think. Sometimes her mother’s brain can be her worst enemy.   

Mirage Alexis says, what is this? Sage? It’s not her color. Alexis says, great. She’s only been in there two days, and she’s already losing her mind, and imaginary Alexis says, relax. She’s dreaming. The good news is, she finally fell asleep. Alexis asks who dream Alexis is; her conscience? Dream Alexis says, hell no. She’s just there to tell Alexis to stop screwing up her life. Alexis says, it’s a bit late for that. Okay, Ghost of Christmas Past, tell her what she could do better. Phantom Alexis says, don’t do anything. Do nothing. That’s her advice. Alexis says, that’s her advice? It’s impossible to do nothing, so it would help if she’d be more specific, and tell her exactly what she should stop doing. Dream Alexis tells her not to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.

Curtis tells Trina, there’s a green room in the back where her dress is waiting. It has a private bathroom where she can wash up. Portis says, if she wants to stay or go, it’s fine, but Trina says she’s got this. She knows she freaked out, but she’s okay now. Curtis says, it’s perfectly reasonable to be upset. She ran into a man in a ski mask, and ended up covered in blood. Trina says she thought it was blood, but it’s not real. She wasn’t hurt, just scared a little. Portia says, Trina… and Trina says, okay, a lot. Portia tells her to go change, and let her know if she wants to stay or go. No pressure. Trina thanks Curtis, and leaves with N’neka. Portia and Curtis look at each other, and Curtis follows Portia back into the club. A good-looking young man comes out of a door to the hallway, presumably the stalker. The stalker is definitely not Hayden.   

Jax says, Britt should celebrate; she dodged a bullet . She’s already learning things about Jason and Carly that he never will. Jason only cares about himself, not who he hurts, as long as he can hold on to Sonny’s power. She says, wow. He’s known them a long time, but doesn’t know the first thing about Jason. He’s not like Jax describes. Is he a user? Sure, but he truly wants to protect those loves. Jax says, that’s a short list, and Carly is on top. Whatever Carly wants, Jason gets. If she says, jump; he asks how high. Britt laughs, and he says, it’s true. She says, it is. For instance, when they were on the run, Jason was so supportive, even steadfast. That’s an old-fashioned word, but it still applies. He was someone she could count on. Then Carly called, and Jason ran so fast, he left a vapor trail. Jax says, trust him; she’s better off. She says she should have known the good guy wasn’t going to choose her.

Ava asks if Nikolas is all right, and he says, it just stings. Trina has good aim. Dante asks, what’s up with this silent alarm? and Nikolas says he set it up to catch their stalker. It went off, but he found Trina instead. He startled her, and she pepper sprayed him. Dante says, a teenager got the drop on Nikolas; that’s good. Jordan starts to ask Nikolas a question, and Ava asks if he’s sure he’s all right. He says he was checked out at GH, and should be fine. Ava says she’s so glad… and she’s so mad. She smacks him with her purse.

Curtis asks if Portia is all right, and she says, other than feeling sick that her daughter came face-to-face with the man who’s been terrorizing Ava, she guesses she’s okay. He says, Trina is okay, and whoever it was didn’t hurt her. She says, but they could have, and he says, speaking as someone who’s been on Trina’s bad side, trust him. That clown didn’t stand a chance. She thanks him, and tells him to keep reminding her of that, and he says, can do.   

Nina asks if Taggert is wishing he was out there looking for the creep who scared his daughter, and he says, damn straight, but he’s retired, so Jordan would kill him. He thinks it’s more important that he be there for his daughter, and she says, spoken like a loving dad. He thanks her, and says it’s the best compliment he can get. She toasts to parents and children, and they clink glasses. He says Nina is by herself, but there’s got to be some lucky guy in her life. She says, not at the moment; what about him? He and his ex get along well. He says, that’s why they’re exes. Portia tells Curtis, what bothers her most is Ava’s reaction. Whoever the stalker is, they got under Ava’s skin. He says, for now. He doesn’t know Ava well, but he knows she’s resilient and a fighter. Does that sound like anyone? Nina tells Taggert, Portia is feeling better, and he says, Portia has doctor instincts. She’s always calm in a crisis.

Josslyn says, Cameron claimed she thought he was a bad kisser, and she said he wasn’t. He wouldn’t shut up, so she thought maybe she didn’t remember. and decided to find out. He asks if she confirmed what she wrote in her journal, and she says she didn’t write that. Why doesn’t he believe her? He says Dev read it to him, and then showed him. He saw it with his own eyes. Was he hallucinating? She says she didn’t write it, and he asks why Dev would say she did. She says, maybe he was lying, or maybe he wrote it himself.   

Jax tells Britt, he’s sorry to set the record straight, but Jason’s not a good guy. She says, actually he is; he’s just unavailable. What about Jax? What’s his deal? Is he still pining for Carly, and longing for a reconciliation? He says he’s not longing or pining, and she says, really? He looks like he has someone on his mind, and he says, the woman in question doesn’t want anything to do with him. She asks what he did, and he says he betrayed her trust. She says, cheated or lied? and he says he kept a secret. He tried to fix the relationship, but it didn’t work. She says, in the end, he did the right thing, is she right? He says he thinks so, and she laughs, saying, doing the right thing is so overrated. She has a reputation as a selfish bitch, and she’s starting to think she should get back to that; looking out for number one again. Enjoying the life she has left. He says he thought she and Jason were together for just a little bit. Is he really going to leave that huge of a hole in Britt’s life? She says, absolutely not. What she meant is that she needs to stop being nice. Stop taking life so seriously, and have some fun. He says she’s talking his language, and they clink glasses.

Molly tells Shawn, that’s terrible. She’s glad her mom has Shawn to talk to in there. Shawn says Alexis only saw him in the library, and his privileges have been revoked. TJ asks, why? and he says, that’s what he needs to talk to Molly about… alone. He’s always glad to see TJ, but now that Molly is a lawyer, he wants her advice. Molly says, that’s flattering, but she hasn’t actually taken the bar yet. But she can consult for guidance. TJ says, he’ll leave them to it, and Shawn tells the guard that he’s consulting with his lawyer; he needs privacy. Both the guard and TJ leave, and Molly tells Shawn, to be absolutely clear, he knows he can’t officially practice law yet, but he says they needed to talk without the guard there. Alexis isn’t in solitary for pushing a guard. She’s in there because of Judge Carson.

Alexis supposes by sticking her nose in, dream Alexis means Judge Carson. Dream Alexis says, that would be the immediate concern, yes, and Alexis asks if she’s supposed to ignore Carson’s pattern of bias, and that she’s imposed stricter sentences on people of color, like Shawn. Dream Alexis says she’s in no position to call Judge Carson into account. Alexis says, Shawn is her friend, and shouldn’t be in prison at all, let alone this long. Nobody is helping him. They need to help him. Dream Alexis asks, how is this helpful? How is being in solitary confinement helping Shawn? Alexis says, it isn’t, and dream Alexis says, good. Now she’s learning.

Trina thanks N’neka, and says she’s a lifesaver. N’neka says it’s her pleasure. Enjoy her party. Trina says she intends to. N’neka leaves, and Trina comes face-to-face with the stalker sans ninja outfit. She asks who is he, and what is he doing there?  

Ava asks what the hell Nikolas was thinking, setting up a silent alarm behind her back. He says, the stalker found their way around regular security. He needed to make sure no one knew, not even Ava, and she says, so he came there to face the stalker by himself? He asks what she’d have him do, and she says, maybe call the cops. He says he was trying to stop the stalker so she could stop living in fear and forget the stupid divorce neither of them wants. She says she not only wants the divorce, she damn well intends to have it.

Cameron asks if Josslyn thinks Dev lied. She says, she didn’t write that, and Cameron is telling her that he saw it? He wonders if that means Dev forged the entry, and she says she doesn’t want to believe it, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. Cameron asks why Dev would do that, and she says, Dev told her that he was interested in her, but she never thought of him in that way. He says, right… and she says, what? He says, the night of the bombing at The Floating Rib, the night Dev died, before the bomb went off, Dev kept trying to apologize for something. Does she think Dev meant coming between them?

The stranger says he wanted to make sure Trina was okay, and she says she’s asking again, who is he, and why would he care? She doesn’t know him. Why is he back there? Does he work there? He says he does, and she asks what he does. He says he’s a barback; he saw her come in. She says sorry he had to see that. He says he promises not to tell s soul, and he’ll take down the Facebook post. He’s kidding. She says he’d better be. She’s already having a terrible night. He says he figured, which is why he wanted to check on her. She says, no one is going to forget that entrance ever; covered in fake blood, calling out for her mom. She just wants to run out the back door and go home. He says he agrees on one thing. People will definitely remember her entrance for a long time. Because it was epic.

Shawn says he and Molly’s mother found a pattern of bias in Judge Carson’s sentencing. She imposed significantly harsher sentences on non-white defendants. Molly says, the records her mom requested were all criminal cases in Port Charles County from 2015 to the present, and he says, Alexis didn’t want anything to alert Carson, but he thinks the judge got wind of it anyway. She says, oh my God. Does he think Judge Carson exerted pressure? He says he can’t be certain, but yes, that’s what he thinks happened. She says, so her mom didn’t push the guard? and he says, she did, but the most she should have gotten was one day, not three. Molly says, if Judge Carson is exerting undue influence, she needs to be brought in front of the Commission for Judicial Conduct, and that’s just for starters, but Shawn says he’s telling her this as a warning; stay away from Judge Carson. Molly says she can’t just drop it, and Shawn says, tell Diane what’s happening, and she’ll take it from there. Leave it alone. Don’t jeopardize her future for Carson. Alexis is under enough pressure. Don’t make Alexis worry about her too.

Dream Alexis says, drop it. Forget Judge Carson ever existed. Alexis asks if she knows how many people of color are serving longer sentences because they were unlucky enough to have Carson as a judge, and dream Alexis asks what the Prison Advisor told Alexis. Alexis says she told her a lot of things, and dream Alexis says, do your time, and keep your head down. Alexis tells her, she also said, find your purpose. She can’t just sit around reading the classics while people are being unfairly imprisoned. Dream Alexis says, how’s this for following her purpose? Stay out of solitary. Because if she keeps on doing what she’s doing, she’s going to end up living there. 

Nikolas says, the stalker has just been trying to scare them; they haven’t been violent. Ava says, not yet, when Jordan joins them. She says, whoever accosted Trina was a male, and Nikolas asks if Trina is okay. Ava says, Trina isn’t okay. She showed up at the Savory drenched in blood. Jordan says, fake blood, but Ava says she didn’t know that at the time. Trina was clearly traumatized. Nikolas says, Trina wasn’t hurt; she was just shaken up, but Ava says, that’s not okay, and Dante says, Trina wasn’t the intended target. Who knows what the outcome would have been if they’d come across Ava or Nikolas. Jordan asks Dante to walk her through the rest of the crime scene, and they leave. Nikolas says, look… and Ava says he can’t keep doing this. She means it. She doesn’t know how much more she can take.

Nina goes over to the bar, and clears her throat to get Curtis’s attention. Curtis turns around, and she says she saw him and Portia talking; they look really good together. He says, they do. There was definitely a spark, but he doesn’t know. It’s like she remembers something, then she shuts down. Now that he thinks about it, he knows he’s right. Somebody definitely warned Portia away from him. Nina says, maybe, but it’s definitely not Taggert.

The barback says he heard Trina tell her friends what happened at the gallery down the street. She took on some sketchy guy in a mask. That’s pretty badass. She asks if he thinks so, and he says, definitely. What he wants to know is – and feel free to tell him that it’s none of his business – she says she will – what was she doing there when the gallery was closed? She says she works there; Ava, the owner of the gallery, has been good to her. He says, right, and she says, excuse me? He says, Ava is notorious. Didn’t she kill someone? Trina says she doesn’t know. She wasn’t there; was he? He says, no, but… She says Ava is her friend, and he’d better watch what he says. He says it’s what he’s heard, and she says, then he needs to stop listening to gossip. Ava is a good person. He says he believes her, and he’s truly sorry. She says he should be, and he says she’s pretty fierce. That creeper didn’t stand a chance. She says she stands up for her friends, and he says her friends are lucky. Doesn’t she want to go party with them? It’s her night, and she looks amazing. She says, she and N’neka did the best they could. He says, his complements. So is she going to sneak out and run home, or go in there and show everyone that she’s not going to let some jerk ruin her night?

Charlie’s bartender says they’re going to close in thirty minutes, and Britt tells Jax. this place has gone downhill since it became family friendly. Jax says if they were in Melbourne, he would take her to this place that has amazing beer and barbecued snags. She says, snags? and he says, in Australia that means sausages. She says, sounds good. She’s a red meat kinda gal. Most doctors are, but don’t tell anyone. He says he won’t, and she says, but she’s not hungry. He says neither is he, but he doesn’t want to go home. She suggests he come home with her.

Dream Alexis says, who is Alexis? And Alexis says, this again. A fighter… an idealist… and an advocate. But how is she supposed to be an advocate if she can’t advocate? Dream Alexis says, if she’s stuck in there, and losing her mind talking to herself, she can’t. She’s Alexis Davis. She’s enough. She doesn’t have to save everybody. Alexis sits up, and says, this is not forever. She can do this.

Nikolas tells Ava that he’s sorry. He’s trying to end this. She says they are ending it, by getting a divorce, but he says they can’t be sure it will appease the stalker. She says, it’s better than antagonizing them. Why is he still fighting her on this? He asks why she thinks. He loves her, and won’t let this come between them. Why is she giving up? She says the stalker has proven he can get to them, get past security into their home, in her workplace, and all the way to her little girl. Avery isn’t safe, and she needs Avery to be safe. That’s why she wants a divorce, and she’ll do what she has to, to get one.

Britt puts her card key into her room, and for a moment, we think she came in alone. Then she starts ripping Jax’s clothes off, and they get busy.  

Alexis tells herself to pull herself together. She’s okay. She breathes, and says, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.  

Molly comes out, and TJ asks what that was about. She says, Judge Carson, and he says, the one who sentenced her mom? She says, the one who basically offered to take her under her wing. She intends to take her up on it.   

Trina says the barback never told her his name, and he says, Victor. She says she’s Trina, but he knew that. Nice to meet him. So is he coming? He says he’s got to get back to work, but maybe he’ll see her around. She says, maybe, and he watches her leave, appreciating what he sees.

Nikolas says Ava knows he doesn’t want a divorce, and she asks if he remembers the time he was gaslighting her when she was in Shadybrook? He was so good at it. He asks why she’s bringing it up now. She knows he hated that he did that, and he’ll always regret it. She says, if that’s the case, why is he doing it again? He says he’s not, but she says he is. He’s telling her the things she thinks, feels, and sees aren’t real. He says, no. He’s telling her that he loves her like she loves him. Things they both know are true. Ava says, except what she’s telling him is true is real. She doesn’t want to be married to him anymore. Does he understand? Get out of her face. She can’t stand to look at him. She walks out, and Jordan tells Nikolas that she’ll need his official statement. He says, first thing tomorrow, and leaves. Dante and Jordan look at a tablet, and Dante says, there are a lot of shoe prints. Trina went out the front, and hers are almost done. These are standard issue, police and firemen… Jordan says, there. She makes one picture bigger, and says, there’s no other foot traffic in this area. We see a solitary red footprint, and she says, the tread is not standard issue. He says, it’s not Nikolas’s shoe. They might have their first lead right there.

Nina tells Curtis that Taggert hit on her. He says, did he? Now he knows Taggert has good taste. She says, thanks, but that’s not the point. He saw Curtis and Portia talking, and there wasn’t a trace of jealousy. Curtis and Portia were smiling at each other, and it didn’t bother Taggert one bit. He says, if Taggert didn’t warn Portia off, who did?  

Cameron says Josslyn didn’t regret kissing him? and she says, not at all. He asks if that means they should… but Josslyn says, stop. He says he hasn’t started, and realizes Trina is behind him. Josslyn says, killer dress, and Cameron says Trina no longer looks like the last girl in a horror movie. She thanks them for their support, and says she’s ready to party. Cameron says, ready and waiting, and Josslyn says she’s glad Trina changed her mind. Trina says, fortunately, someone reminded her that it was their night, and not to let some lame-ass stalker ruin it.

Victor cuts himself on his bag, opens it, and wipes off the blood with a cloth. He takes out a photo of him, Laura, and Nikolas, and says, sorry, father. It’s for your own good. Victor is Spencer. All grown up. And nicely, I might add.

Tomorrow, Maxie says she can’t help herself, Trina has a better idea, Carly and Jason have something important to tell Josslyn, and Willow wheels Chase into Charlie’s.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Ostrica, Croatia. Guest Terez berates Captain Sandy about the terrible dinner, saying, it was unacceptable. She screeches, it’s a mega yacht! and the captain agrees, saying they have no chef because of covid. She’s never been in this position, but anyone coming on board has to be quarantined for seven days. Guest Jordan says, come on, girl. We’re on your team, and I wish they’d stop calling the captain girl. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she gets it. She has no chef and a new crew. It’s never easy to hear criticism, but she has to shoulder it and do all she can to please them. In David’s interview, he says he’s more than happy to help any department, but imagine finding him in the galley, and thinking he had anything to do with the food. Katie wonders if Mathew is coming back, and in her interview, she says, it’s like losing a limb. She’s praying he comes back, but she wants to strangle his little head. Everyone goes to bed.

Captain Sandy says, it’s like a bad dream, and Katie asks if Mathew is coming back for breakfast. Malia says she’ll help by starting to prep, and in her interview, she says she’s never seen a yachting crew without a chef to cook for the guests. It’s probably the worst thing she’s ever faced, and they’ve crashed tenders. Behind closed doors, Terez’s significant other says she’s getting mad at him because of the trip. They can’t get their money back. She says she’s going to bed, and she says she doesn’t care. In Zee’s interview, he says he thinks his brothers in yachting would be proud. Lexi tells Courtney about how she was Miss Bahamas, and went to Russia for the Miss Universe pageant. Guest Jordan wants someone to do an airplane, and Katie volunteers. I have no idea what this is, when Jordan lies on her back on the floor, raises her legs, and Katie balances on top of them. WTF? Lexi peeks out of the galley, and says, it’s getting freaky now. Jordan says Katie is their girl, and she’s going to lift Katie higher next time. Imfowerments [sic]; she’s a little drunk. Lloyd goes on anchor watch, and in his interview, he said he’s worked with people a lot in his career. He sold cars for a while, and it was the worst part of his life. They made him stay late on the phone, while he stood on a table and people threw things at him to try and make him smile. It made him the strong person he is today. Again, WTF? Katie takes stuff out for breakfast, and Lexi vacuums. In Katie’s interview, she wonders how the f*** they’re going to survive the rest of the season if this day one. Lexi tells herself that her brains are fried. She calls her mom, and says she’s used to working charters, but this is madness. In her interview, she says her dad died a couple of months ago. They weren’t allowed in the hospital with him because of covid, and her mom got a call that he hadn’t made it. Talking about him makes her sad, and she hasn’t really dealt with it.

Day two. A storm is headed their way, and Malia asks David if his roommate is back, but he says, no. In Malia’s interview, she says, they’re toast. She tells David, they have a bachelor party to throw, and Captain Sandy texts Mathew, asking if he has any word. David says, this weather came out of nowhere. The captain texts Norma from yacht staffing, and in her interview, she says she has to figure this out. She also needs a deck stew, so she’ll never be caught without a crew member in quarantine again. Norma says she’ll send a chef to quarantine, as Courtney cuts a pineapple. Good luck to her. Those are hard to cut. In Courtney’s interview, she says she’s glad to be out of the laundry, but she’s not supposed to be in the galley. Mathew calls the captain, and says he got the results back from his MRI.

Mathew tells the captain that it’s nothing serious. He’s sore, but he’d love to come back and start fresh. Captain Sandy says, first and foremost, she’s glad he’s okay, and asks if he’ll be there for breakfast. In her interview, she says, as captain, she’s had to deal with a fire on the Red Sea and she’s faced pirates, but no chef is like the end game. The big question is, is he capable of continuing? She radios the crew, who all respond with comments like, thank the Lord and hallelujah. The captain says a water taxi is approaching, and hopefully, it’s their chef. Mathew gets on board, and Captain Sandy tells him, welcome back. He takes off his booties and mask, and tells her that he’ll get changed and get to it. The captain tells Katie that she was going to drag Mathew’s ass back if he wasn’t coming. Mathew says, it’s nothing serious, but he’s in a little pain. In Mathew’s interview, he says he always has deep anxiety before the first meal with new guests. Instead of dealing with that, he bailed. There were two jobs that he left before he started them because of anxiety. He wants and needs to overcome it. I wonder why this didn’t come up as far as references go, and Katie tells Courtney that she’s never been so excited to see a bloody chef in her life. In Zee’s interview, he says, Courtney has a beautiful smile. Katie says Mathew owes them big time. She wants to make sure he knows that, and that he’s not leaving… let’s hope not. Mathew asks if it was a disaster, and Courtney asks if it matters. In Courtney’s interview, she wonders where Mathew’s limp went. He came in, acting like he was fine. Mathew tells Captain Sandy, it was a sad start to the trip, and he’ll talk to the guests. He suggests having someone else do the crew food, and ordering a wedding cake. The more he can outsource things that don’t matter as much to the guests (like the wedding cake???), the more he can focus on the more important stuff. The captain says, they have to do the crew food? and he says, he’s still getting used to the space, and he’s in pain. He tells her he’s going to speak to the guests, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says, I mean, come on. She knows chefs can be very finicky, and some are temperamental. The last thing she wants to do is bombard Mathew when he’s asking her for help. She can’t get a new chef, so she wants to ease him back into the role. Mathew apologizes to the guests for the start of the trip, and the captain tells Malia that they’ll have to do the crew food; sorry. Malia says she’s cool with it.   

Malia tells David to get out the unicorn island, and Zee helps them blow it up. In Lexi’s interview, she says, after speaking to her mom, she feels better. She was exhausted and overworked. Malia hugs the unicorn, since she doesn’t have a boyfriend right now, and David says it’s going on its maiden voyage. They name the floatie Maureen the Magical Unicorn. Lexi dances and sings while ironing, which is why she has that job and I don’t. In Mathew’s interview, he says he’s trying to stay positive. He’s in a weird head space, and in pain. He’s trying to internalize, be calm, be cool. Maureen is put in the water, and Malia makes paninis for lunch. Katie serves drinks to the guests in the hot tub. David needs to find radishes, but doesn’t know what they look like. Third WTF this evening. Lloyd and David talk England, and David says he grew up in Brighten, which was a wicked city to grow up in. Katie has to bring so many drinks to the hot tub, she says, her poor arms. She’s not a stew anymore; she’s a bartender.   

Lloyd preps for the next round of paninis. Jordan suggests Katie just leave a bottle of champagne and a carafe of orange juice, so they can do their own refills. In Malia’s interview, she says the crew is still getting up to speed, but she doesn’t see any red flags… yet. Captain Sandy asks how Mathew is doing, and he says, there’s too much stuff; he doesn’t know what’s where. I might interject, he’s the one who ordered too much stuff. The captain says she can help him organize, and he apologizes about the crew food. She says he’s not even at the starting line. Once he’s there, he’ll do the food. Seeing the huge amount of fruits and vegetables they have, the captain says, ridiculous. Malia says the paninis are ready, while David wrestles with Maureen. Katie tells Courtney that they have a bachelorette party coming up, and in Courtney’s interview, she says, all of her friends are having weddings, houses, babies, and dogs. Traveling girl, single and alone, just getting drunk in the corner. Katie and Lexi set the table for lunch, and Katie does some correcting of the silverware. In her interview, she says she’s not one of those chief stews who are particular about a lot of things, but she notices if the table setting isn’t cohesive. Captain Sandy curses her life while organizing the pantry, and says, he’s on his own. Zee makes himself a baloney sandwich, and tries to engage Courtney in small talk. In his interview, he keeps hearing, don’t screw the crew, but if you enjoy someone, why not give it a shot? At the same time, he’s green.

The guests head to the table for lunch, and in Mathew’s interview, he says he never thinks of wowing the guests, he just puts his heart out there and hopes they like it. He gives us the six Ps of yachting – proper preparation prevents piss poor performance. The guests are loving it, and happy he’s there. One of them says he totally redeemed himself. Malia asks if Zee is good, and he says, good-ish. He asks if she’ll show him how to tie a line, and she demonstrates for him. She tells him to keep an eye on the jet ski line. Lexi tells Mathew that she loves him, and in her interview, she says, always lie to the chef. Tell the chef you love them. Mathew makes chocolate mousse for dessert, which redeems just about anything, and Terez says, everything is on point. Katie asks Courtney to help clear lunch, so they can set up dinner. Captain Sandy asks how lunch went, and Katie says ,it’s a good vibe. A guest wonders what that jet ski is doing floating away.  

Zee tells Malia that he’s not sure how it happened, but she tells him, it’s okay. In her interview, she says she’s letting him off the hook, since she also watched a jet ski float away. It’s a rite of passage. David drives the tender to a fishing spot for Clint’s bachelor party, while Karry and her pals get in the unicorn for her bachelorette. Clint says his life is officially over, and Karry asks for a bottle of vodka. In Zee’s interview, he says he worked in hospitality, and guests are happier when they’re drunk. It’s the first thing he’s been comfortable with. One of Clint’s party suggests that the chef bring down a fish, and they can say they caught it. The tender comes back, and Malia brings the fish out, asking if they want to take a photo. Karry and Clint kiss, and Mathew says he prepared dinner for the crew. Captain Sandy tells him, lunch and dinner for the crew while they’re on charter, and in her interview, she says she knew he’d come around to making crew food. She had to play her cards right; one step at a time. Let him settle back in. David and Lloyd talk women, but I’m skeptical as to whether either one of them has ever been on a date. In Lloyd’s interview, he says he doesn’t get to speak much to Katie. Plus, she’s chief stew, so she’s also scary. Katie and Courtney set the table for dinner, and in Katie’s interview, she says, the more stews you have under you, you lean more toward administration. Some chief stews don’t like to get their hands dirty, but she still likes a challenge. The guests get ready for dinner.

The wind picks up, and it starts to rain. The crew covers the deck furniture. In Mathew’s interview, he says, he’s going in with his first dinner, and doesn’t want to overcomplicate things. He knows he can do this, but needs to prove to the guests, captain, and crew that he can do this. In Katie’s interview, she says, synchronization is so important. Plus she thinks it looks good, bringing everything in at once. Katie tells Courtney to do turndowns, then laundry. In Malia’s interview, she’s skeptical about how much Mathew is physically hurt. It starts to get windy outside, and a guest’s wine glass gets broken. Katie says they’ll have to move everything inside, and Mathew frets about the food getting cold. He tried to make it perfect, now his whole dinner could be f***ed.    

They move operations inside, and… Did Clint just whistle for a drink? What is he, a heathen? The fish is served, and everyone loves it. Jordan toasts to Karry and Clint. Clint brushes Karry’s hair back, telling her to show off her outfit, by which he means her boobs, and she gets annoyed. Katie says, the guests have been drinking since 8:30 am, and Karry tells Clint that he’s drunk. He starts getting snarky, and she rolls her eyes. The dessert comes out, and Clint yells, cream [sic] brûlée! Malia says Mathew is efficient; she thought it would be a disaster. Mathew says, based on yesterday, she probably didn’t have very high expectations. In Lexi’s interview, she says Mathew thinks he’s a hero, but he isn’t. He screwed them over on the first day. He signed on to cook. Why should he get a pat on the back for cooking? Courtney says, on no boat has she witnessed this madness, and Malia says Mathew seems temperamental.

Clint and Karry go to their cabin, but Clint says he doesn’t want to go to bed. They argue over whose phone charger is whose, and Clint says Karry is drunk as sh*t. She says she’s calling her mother, and he tells her, go ahead. She calls him a d-bag, and he says, call him that again… She says he’s a d-bag, and she’s not marrying him. He says he doesn’t want to get married anyway. He’s done. Katie jets from her eavesdropping position in the hallway, as Clint comes out the door. In the room, Karry cries, and lightning strikes over the ocean.  

Next week, Lexi says there’s a weird vibe, David is attracted to Malia, Terez won’t eat the lamb, and Mathew tells Lexi to get out.

😵 Is It Friday Yet…?

Tomorrow brings Temptation Tuesday, but I probably won’t get to those wacky NYC Wives until Wednesday because I am a slave to the Zoom meeting. It could be worse. So until we see who has and has not, stay safe, stay fearless, but not stupid, and stay out of solitary. It’s not helpful to anyone.

July 2, 2021 – Trina Meets the Stalker, In Memory, Goodbye Joe, Baby It’s Real, What’s On, Best Dressed, Double Farewell, Garcelle Spills, a First Look, Another One, Many Short Quotes & Back

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt sits down in the prison visiting room, and picks up the phone. She says, lookin’ good, hot stuff, and Brad says, what’s with the red-rimmed eyes? Oh my God. Did they cancel Grey’s?

Michael says, for as long as he can remember, Jason and Carly have been friends. Friends doesn’t even cover the loyalty they have for each other. Even when they disagree, they’re still on each other’s side. He has no doubt they love each other, but he does doubt that’s the reason they have to get married. Jason says, it’s the best option they have right now under current circumstances, and Michael asks, what circumstances? Carly says, there are problems with the business.

Jax walks into Trina’s party, and sees Cameron and Josslyn. He says he heard Cameron is going to PCU. Maybe the two of them could keep each other out of trouble? Josslyn says, like Jax never got in trouble. Curtis says, Taggert made it, and Taggert says, he has so much to celebrate. He thanks Curtis for everything he’s doing for Trina, and Curtis says, no problem, but watch out. That daughter of his is going to keep him on his toes. Portia joins them, and says, she gets it from her mom, and Taggert says, that’s right.

Ava and Nina walk in, and Ava says, this is great. Maybe they could get Curtis to offer Nina’s boyfriend Mike a job there. Nina says, first of all, he’s not her boyfriend, and secondly, he’s not moving to Port Charles. Jax tells Josslyn he never got in trouble in college, and Nina asks if Ava can just drop it. Ava says her lips are sealed, and Nina walks over to Jax. Jordan arrives, and Ava tells her, congratulations. She heard Jordan took down Cyrus Renault. Too bad she couldn’t shoot to kill. Jordan thanks Ava, and tells her to enjoy her night. Ava says, highly unlikely, since she has a madman terrorizing her and her family. She wants Jordan to tell her what she’s doing about it.

At Charlie’s, Laura asks if Doc is ready to go. He looks at his phone, and says, yeah… and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he hasn’t been able to reach Nikolas. She says, he left without saying goodbye, and he was preoccupied when he was here. He’s not in a party mood; he has a stalker and a divorce looming. He says, Nikolas isn’t planning on a divorce. He’s determined to fight for his marriage at any cost.

Trina walks into the dark gallery, and literally bumps into someone. She sprays them with pepper spray, and we see it’s Nikolas, who throws up his hands and yells in pain.

Taggert wonders if Trina is going to make a grand entrance, and Portia says, Trina texted her, and she needed to make a stop before she came. Taggert says, that gives him time to practice his speech, but she says, no speeches. Don’t embarrass Trina. He tells her, speak for herself. There’s only three times a grown man gets to cry over his daughter; graduation, marriage, and childbirth. He will not be deprived. She says, so get ready for the waterworks. Ava tells Jordan that she believes she’s entitled to a thorough investigation; this has been going on for months. Taggert excuses himself, saying, his former partner needs rescuing. He picks up a couple of glasses of champagne, and goes over to Jordan. Portia tells Curtis, Taggert likes to seem tough, but he’s full of emotion when it comes to Trina. Curtis says he doesn’t doubt it. It seems Portia and Taggert are getting along well. It gives him hope with him and Jordan as exes. She says they keep it civil for Trina, but they both still have their moments. As a matter-of-fact, Taggert mentioned to her that he knew about her and Curtis’s prior relationship.

Britt tells Brad, they’d never cancel Grey’s, but there’s talk that the series might end soon. He says, no, and she says she can’t even go there right now, but she still has a DVD player, and they’re going to watch all the box sets she’s been keeping. As soon as he gets out, she’s going to take a couple of days off, and they’ll do the ultimate binge watch. He says, and Meredith hasn’t found true love, since Derek… She says, true love doesn’t even exist. The hot guys aren’t even what they used to be. He says, liar, and she says she just doesn’t want to make him feel bad. He says, in this Eden of teardrop tattoos and toilet wine? And she says, don’t tell her he drinks that. He says, it’s like 200 proof, and only on Sundays. She says he has no idea how much she missed him, and he says he might have some idea, She says, of course (🍷) he does. She’s sorry she hasn’t come by more, and he says, it’s okay. He knows she’s busy. She says he has no idea, and he asks, how’s Wiley? She says she hears he’s growing like a weed. They don’t travel in the same circles, but she’s sure Michael and Willow are taking good care of Wiley. Not as good as him of course (🍷).

Carly says, as Michael knows, when Jason was on the run and unavailable, she took Sonny’s seat at a meeting with the Five Families spaghetti sauce with mushrooms. She told them she was in charge, and then Jason came back. Jason says, the other families expect one of them to push the other out, and Carly says, specifically, they want Jason to push her out. Jason says, that hasn’t happened. One family in particular, the Novaks, sees an opening, and the Novaks have hit them a couple of times. Michael asks, how bad? and Jason says, they took out a warehouse. Michael asks if they retaliated, and Jason says, last night, the Novaks lost a building where their main offices are located. No one was hurt, but the building was burned to the ground. They also had 27 trucks stolen. Michael says, it’s impressive, and Jason says, it sends a message. Carly says, her and Jason’s engagement will send a message too.

Josslyn says hi to Nina, who says she hopes it’s okay that she crashed the party. Cameron says, it’s Trina’s party, and he’s sure Trina will be happy to have her. Nina congratulates Josslyn and Cameron, and gives Josslyn a gift. Josslyn thanks her, and says it’s great that she’s there. She’s sure Wiley will be glad to get to know her. Will they be seeing more of her? Nina says, maybe, and Jax smiles.

Ava tells Jordan, in the absence of a viable suspect, she’s had to upend her life. Taggert comes over, and hands Jordan a glass, saying, he thought she could use this. She thanks him, and tells him to grab a table while she and Ava finish up. He leaves, and Jordan suggests Ava come by her office, and they can talk.

Laura tells Doc, Nikolas isn’t answering her calls either. What else did he say? Doc says, that he’s not taking this stalker business lying down, and she says, that’s what she was afraid of. He mentioned something about setting a trap for the stalker. Doc says he has a bad feeling that trap might have been sprung.

Nikolas rubs at his eyes, and Trina says she’s so sorry. Don’t rub at your eyes! He asks, what the hell was that? and she says, pepper spray. Her dad gave it to her to fend off attackers. He says, congratulate him on a job well done, and she tells him, sit down. She helps him wash out his eyes with a bottle of water. He asks why she sprayed him, and she says she thought he was an intruder trying to snatch her. She didn’t know it was him. Why is he even there? He says he’s trying to save his family. The ninja peeks out, and sees them. Trina tells Nikolas, be still. Pepper spray is a thousand times hotter than if he wiped his eyes after handling a jalapeno. He says that’s not making him feel any better, and she says he needs to concentrate on something else. Psychologically, it might be better to have something to take his mind off the pain. He says the only thing he wants to think about is why he’s there; he’s looking for Ava’s stalker. She says, and they thought the stalker might be there? They might have told her. She’d like to know if someone is creeping around Ava’s place of business. He says he didn’t want to scare her; he thought he could catch the person responsible. Why is she there, and not at her party? She says she heard about the divorce, and she wanted to check on Ava. Maybe she should call Ava… He says, no, please. She’s not going to be happy. She needs to hear it from him. He suggests she go to her party, and says, her friends are waiting there. She says, no; she’s not leaving him like this. She’s getting him help whether he likes it or not. If it’s not Ava, who’s it going to be? He hands her his phone, and she asks if he has communication issues.

Laura says, Nikolas should have gotten back to them by now, and Doc says, maybe he’s giving his statement to the police. Her phone rings, and she says, there he is. Trina says, it’s her. She’s at the gallery, and Laura’s son needs her. Laura says she’ll be right there. Doc says, what? and she says she’ll tell him in the car.   

Curtis says, Taggert spoke to Portia too, and she says, Taggert told Curtis that he knew about them? He says, not in so many words, but he got his point across. Luckily with a shrug of his shoulders, and not a fist to Curtis’s chin. Portia says she’s glad Taggert didn’t make a huge deal about it, and Curtis says, him too. Did he with her? She says, no; he was pretty understanding. It’s all water under the bridge anyway, but she should have mentioned it to Curtis, and sort of warned him. He says, well, they haven’t been connecting lately. He’s beginning to think it’s intentional.

Cameron and Josslyn step outside, and Cameron wonders what happened to Trina. Josslyn says, maybe she wants to make an entrance, and Cameron suggests she open Nina’s present while they’re waiting. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. Things are still kind of weird between Nina and her dad, so she didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. He says, she’s worried it’s going to be what? Rolling papers? I wonder where that came from. She tells him, stop it, and he says, open it; let’s see what it is. She hands him the bow, and opens the box, because on soaps, there is never traditional wrapping paper. She says, it looks like a book, and he says, maybe it’s a hangover cookbook for college. Josslyn takes out a leather-bound volume, and says, it’s a journal. Wow. Is Cameron ready to party, or what? He seems to be down for some weed and wine.

Jax says, it’s sweet of Nina to give Josslyn a gift, and she says, it’s nothing really. He says she looks great. Has she been seeing Wiley? She says, yes. Michael and Willow, and Carly surprisingly enough, have been very gracious… especially given the circumstances surrounding the invitation. He says he doesn’t regret clearing the way, and she says, even if it means things are difficult with Carly? He says he thinks he’s the farthest thing from Carly’s mind, and she asks why he’s saying that. Did something happen? He says she’ll find out sooner or later, but Carly and Jason are getting married.

Jason tells Michael, the Novaks and the other families are watching for signs of a power struggle. If they see him and Carly fighting, they’ll up the pressure, hoping to rip this family and the organization apart, and they’re going to step in and help themselves to their territory. Michael says, but there is no power struggle? and Jason says, no. They know that, but the other families don’t. Carly says, their marriage will send a message that she and Jason are a united front. Michael says, but do they want to get married?

Britt holds her phone up to the glass, and Brad says, thanks; he’s good. She says she thought he’d want to see Wiley, and he says he does, but there’s only so much he can take before it goes from heartwarming to gut wrenching. Where did she get the pictures? She says, they were all around Bobbie’s office, and he says he thought Bobbie got the boot. She says, she did, but she and her stink-eye are back patrolling the halls, now that Cyrus is kicking rocks. He says he can’t keep up. He assumed she’d gotten the photos from Jason. She asks why he said that, and he says, please. He saw her slobbering after him on Valentine’s Day. She says, shut up; she did not. He says, whatever. He can almost see it. Jason has the looks, the body, the smarts; factor in the – he lowers his voice – contract killing and mob boss BFF, it’s a helluva catch. She says Brad doesn’t know what he’s talking about. There’s more to Jason than that. He asks, how would she know? Is she sleeping with him? She says, no… not anymore.

Doc examines Nikolas’s eyes, and Laura asks, what happened to calling the police? Nikolas says, for all he knows, the stalker could be in law enforcement. Obviously, they’re familiar with Ryan Chamberlain, and have enough technical knowledge to bypass the security at Windymere, and using Ryan’s voice in that toy bear. Trina asks how Nikolas is. Is there going to be permanent damage? Doc says, he’s going to be fine. She got him good though. Trina says she thinks she emptied her cannister, and Doc says, it was excellent aim given the pressure she was under. She says her dad taught her well. Laura asks if Doc thinks they should  take Nikolas to GH, and he says, he thinks they should, to be on the safe side. They get on either side of him, and Laura tells Nikolas to walk while they steer. She tells Trina, sorry. She hopes they didn’t ruin her big night, but Trina says, it’s okay. She’ll just be fashionably late. Laura says she’s such a good sport, and when they leave, Trina turns out the lights. The ninja comes back out.

Brad tells Britt, do not leave a single thing out; he’s deprived. The gossip in there centers around who got jumped, the menu, and how to score two-in-one shampoo. Start talking. Go. She says laughs and says, okay. Cyrus sent two thugs to kill her, and Jason saved her life. As they were escaping, in a jailbreak of sorts, Jason got shot. They went on the run, and she was taking care of him. They wound up in a lighthouse in Canada, and they got really close. He says, and? and she says, if he was hoping for a play-by-play, forget it. He says he’ll forego position for the sake of accuracy. Was Jason everything she’d hoped he’d be? She asks what he thinks, and he asks why she looks like that then. She said not anymore. Does she mean to tell him that she scored the city’s hottest gangster, and it was a one and done? And since when does she withhold details? She says, she and Jason experienced something extreme together, and now that’s over. No hearts, no flowers, no frou-frou romance. It was all circumstantial, and that was all it was every going to be. He says, holy crap. She really cares about the guy.

Carly says she wants to be married to Michael’s father, but that’s not possible. This is a business arrangement, but she wouldn’t do it with anyone else but Jason. Jason says, Carly’s right. This is for the business. The only reason it makes sense is because they understand each other, and they know it’s going to work. Michael says they’ve obviously thought this through, and know what they’re doing. Have they set a date?

Nina says, Carly and Jason are getting married? She never thought of them as anything other than just friends. Jax says, back day, they were much more. For the first few years of Michael’s life, everybody thought Jason was his father. Nina says, is this a reunion of sorts? and Jax says, or a return to disfunction. He knows Carly’s personal life is none of his business, he just doesn’t want to see her make the same mistakes over and over. Nina says, it is his business, because Carly is the mother of his child, and Jax loves her. He says, it might seem ridiculous, but he doesn’t want to see her get hurt, and she says, that’s his M.O., but try as you might, you can’t control someone else’s choices. Even if you can stave off the pain and stop the hurt, maybe you shouldn’t. He says, why? Because it’s not his place? She says, because sometimes hurt is necessary. They grow out of pain and find out how strong they are. They can rebuild their lives, and sometimes if they’re lucky, be happier than they were. He thanks her for her wise perspective. He’s missed that, and he missed her too. He touches her arm.

Josslyn says, Nina must have remembered that she journaled last year, and Cameron says, but she gave that up, right? He supposes she can start again, and Josslyn flashes back to Trina telling her that Dev showed her journal to Cameron. She says, why, so he can read it like the other one? and walks away.

Curtis says, ever since that kiss… and Portia says, they discussed this. He made it clear that wasn’t something he wanted. He says he remembers something different. He remembers being in the hospital, and it was just after surgery. She told him it had been a mistake. Portia says she was agreeing with him. Why are they revisiting this conversation if they’re of the same mind? Curtis says, maybe they aren’t.

Taggert bets Jordan is grateful he ran interference with Ava. What is her problem? Jordan says, she’s got a fan… super dedicated.

The ninja steals though gallery, and a light comes on. The ninja knocks a device off the desk, and Trina comes in. The ninja slips away, and Trina picks it up. She says, damn. She’s really late. Stop screwing around, Trina. The ninja touches Trina’s shoulder, and Trina turns around. The ninja puts a finger to their lips.

At the hospital where Nikolas lies with a mask on his eyes, Laura says she can understand Nikolas wanting to hold on to his marriage no matter what. Nikolas says, but it’s not worth it? and she says, on the contrary. She can see how much they love each other, but she also understands how terrified Ava must be right now, knowing how close the stalker came to Avery. Maybe down the line, things will be different, but right now he has to honor Ava’s wishes, and let her have her space so she feels safe. Doc says, not to alarm him, but his pushback could actually endanger Ava. Nikolas sits up, taking off the mask, and says, that’s exactly what the stalker wants them to think. He won’t stand by and be forced out of his marriage. He tells Laura, don’t worry. He’ll make sure nothing happens to Ava, and she doesn’t get hurt. Laura says, even if he’s right, what if something happens to someone else?   

Trina tries using her pepper spray, but she was right; she emptied the cannister. She asks the ninja, please don’t hurt her.

Josslyn runs through the club with Cameron on her heels, saying, wait. He follows her out the front door, and says, it’s not at all what she thinks. She says, so he did read her journal. He says he didn’t go hunting for it, and she says she knows; Dev showed it to him. He asks if Trina told her. How long has she known? She says, not long, but this isn’t about Trina; it’s about them. How can they be friends if he’s not honest? He asks where she gets off lecturing him about honesty, when the proof of everything she doesn’t say was in her journal? Like what she really thinks about him.

Curtis says he’s sorry if he put Portia on the spot, and she looks over at Jordan and Taggert. She says she knows he didn’t mean to, but nothing can come of it. He asks how she knows, and she says, because it wouldn’t be received well. She excuses herself and walks away.

Jax says he didn’t mean to overstep, and she says, it’s okay. She hopes she didn’t give him mixed signals, and he says she didn’t. He just thought that maybe… Forget it. He thought wrong. She says, it’s good to see him, and he says, it’s good to see her too, and she moves on.

Carly tells Michael, this all just happened. They haven’t planned a ceremony yet… She means she hasn’t planned a ceremony. Jason says, there are people they need to tell in person, and Michael says, like grandmother? Carly says she knows Monica is going to hate it, but she needs to hear it from them. Maybe Jason should handle it solo. Jason says he’ll figure it out, and Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t know, but she didn’t want to overshadow Josslyn’s graduation celebration. Michael says, a lot of people are going to be surprised, but once they have a chance to think about it, they won’t be surprised at all. Carly says she told Jason the same thing. Even people who don’t know the business part, she doesn’t think that many people will be surprised. Jason flashes back to Britt saying he told her that he wasn’t good at what ifs, and she really liked that about him. Don’t lose it now; just get out.

Britt asks Brad, how pathetic was she? What was she thinking? That they’d be a couple? That they would pick out furniture and move in together? When did she get so lame? He reminds her that she’s talking to a man behind bars, who conspired with a homicidal maniac to steal a baby from the child’s father. She says, they were running for their lives, and following the 10-hour rule. She let herself get caught up in dreaming of a future, when actually she doesn’t have one. Brad asks what’s stopping her, and she flashes back to Jason saying it could be thirty years. It’s her life and her choice, but for what it’s worth (🍷), he’d still like to know her six months from now. She says she wants to know him too. Britt tells Brad, with Jason, she means. Brad says she obviously likes him. He had no idea Jason was so smooth. She says, he was just kind to her and she ate it up like a hot fudge sundae. Poor Britt, starved for affection, took common decency for a love connection. He says he’d thank her not to make fun of his best friend. She’s smart, beautiful, funny as hell, and a doctor, which makes her fierce. He knocks on the glass, and asks if he’s getting through to her. She says, thanks; she’s a catch. Just not one you catch and keep. He says, that’s on Jason, and if he’s not smart enough to realize it, too bad for him. Britt says, there’s only room for one woman in Jason’s life, and it’s not her. He asks, who would that be? but she says she doesn’t want to get into it. She thinks she should see a doctor. She feels like a hippo is squatting on her chest, and someone is playing her stomach like a marimba. Brad says, she’s not sick, just heartbroken.

Doc says, the messages are a direct threat. This person has physically intruded into their lives, their home. Nikolas says, if the stalker wanted to hurt them, they’d have done it, or worse. They can get in and out of Windymere, and their room at the MetroCourt. Why’d they stop with the messages? Why not take the opportunity to do worse? They’re trying to scare him and Ava, and he thinks it’s time he calls their bluff.

Trina says, please, and the ninja reaches for the device. Trina runs across the room and throws it at them. It bounces off the ninja and onto the floor. They both look up.

Taggert tells Jordan that she’s not going to solve the case tonight while they’re celebrating Trina’s graduation. Portia approaches their table, and says she’s glad Jordan could make it. They make small talk, and Curtis watches.

Josslyn says she doesn’t know what Cameron is talking about. What exactly did he read? He says, nothing. Dev read it. He didn’t want to intrude on her privacy, but Dev insisted he hear it, and once he heard it, he couldn’t unhear it. So if she wants to be friends again, the radical honesty starts with her.

Jax walks out of the Savoy, telling himself that he’s such an idiot.

Brad tells Britt, the guard is giving him the wrap-it-up glare. He’s sorry if he said something that set her off, and she says she shouldn’t have come there and dumped this on him. He says, please. It’s the most normal he’s felt in a long time. She says she’s happy to oblige, and he says he’s sorry Jason hurt her, but it might be a blessing in disguise. Staying away from Jason will probably add years to her life expectancy. She says, of course (🍷) it does, and he says, do him a favor. Go do some self-care. She says, it’s too late for a massage, but he says he was thinking more like, get drunk and make a mess. She says, without her wingman? No way. They’ve got to get him out of there. He says he has a parole hearing coming up, and she says he’d better work it. The Nurses Ball is coming up this fall. He says, she’ll have the ice cream? and she says, and Sam’s red carpet whoopsie on loop. He laughs, and says he’s there. They fist bump through the glass.

Carly tells Michael, she and Jason are going what they need to do to protect Sonny’s legacy and their family. Michael says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks dad would understand and approve. He realized, he never asked, but does Jason want to run the business? Jason says he never wanted to, but he knows how to run it, and to keep things stabilized for this family; it’s necessary. Carly says she appreciates Michael’s concern, but they’re going into this with eyes wide open. Michael says, then they know some people won’t like this at all. Jason says he knows.   

Carly walks Michael to the door, and thanks him for looking out for them. He says if Jax gives her any trouble, let him know; Jax owes him one now. She says, does he? and Michael says, it’s all good. Congratulations. He’s happy for the both of them. He leaves, and Jason asks, what was that about Jax? She says she’s 99% sure Jax blackmailed Michael into letting Nina see Wiley, and he says, blackmailing with what? She says, that’s the detail she doesn’t know, and Michael refuses to tell her, and she’s sure he’s doing it to keep the peace with Josslyn. Jason says, it makes sense. The last thing Josslyn or any kid wants is friction between their parents. She says, so Jax gets what he wants by taking advantage of Michael’s concern for his sister? He asks if she wants to pick a fight with Jax, and she says she wouldn’t be the one picking the fight. He asks again, and she says, no. Jax is really angry that they’re getting married. He asks what Jax said, but she says, he didn’t have to say anything. She could tell what he was thinking. Sonny tied her to the business, and all the risks that come with it. Jax was thinking, with Sonny gone, she was free, but now she’s marrying Jason, which ties her to the business again. He says, sorry, and she asks, why? He’s not forcing her to make this decision; they made this decision together. He’s not having second thoughts, is he? He says, no. They’ve looked at it from every angle possible. Getting married is the best way to stabilize the business, and more important, the best way to protect this family. She says she was just making sure, and he says, what about her? Is she having second thoughts? She says, no. She’s just not excited about the judgment that’s coming her way. Maybe if Jason had spent years trying to run off every man she wanted in her life… Although many could make the argument that he did. He asks, how’s that? and she says, because of all the times she turned to him and he was there, especially when her life was falling apart. It never bothered Sonny, but Jax hated it. So maybe he is just as responsible for them winding up together. He asks if that makes her happy, and she says, sure. A shared blame is better than taking the fall alone. She looks at her wedding set, and says she guesses it’s time; she has to take these off. Jason takes her hand, and says, only if she’s ready. She says she’s not, but it has to be done. She always loved them. They were just so flashy and so Sonny. He loved showing off. She cries, and says she misses him. Jason says he misses him too.

Jax is having a drink by himself. I don’t know where, but Britt walks in, and asks, is this seat taken? He shakes his head, and she sits down. She says, so. Did he get a save the date?

Laura tells Nikolas, baiting and taunting a stalker who wants to emulate Ryan is dangerous. Doc says, Laura is right. Let the police handle this. Nikolas says his family isn’t PCPD priority, but it’s his. So he’s going to do what they can’t. He’s going to string this bastard up by his toes before he can make another move. She says, and he could get killed in the process. He should be thankful that the only thing he encountered tonight was Trina and her pepper spray.  

Josslyn says, what hasn’t she been honest about? and Cameron asks why she couldn’t have said she just wanted to be friends. He might not have liked it, but he would have accepted it. She left him hanging. Instead of talking to him, she wrote in her journal that he was a bad kisser, that he was gross and clumsy and sloppy. She asks what he’s talking about. She doesn’t think he’s a bad kisser. He says, he read it in her journal. Is he not supposed to believe her own words? She grabs his lapel and says, believe this, and kisses him.   

Nina tells Curtis, nice soft launch, and he thanks her. She asks, what’s going on with the mother of the graduate? Any progress? He says, not really, but he thinks he’s figured it out. Portia didn’t back away from him on her own. She was pushed. He looks at Jordan and Taggert, talking to Ava. Ava asks Portia, any idea where their girl is? and Portia says, she should have been here by now. She was stopping at the gallery. Portia decides to text her, and Taggert says he doesn’t want to monitor Trina, but if she doesn’t show in the next ten minutes, he’s going to start texting her.   

Trina walks slowly into the room, and everyone looks horrified. Trina is covered in blood. She says, mom?  

Today’s theory. Whatever that is the ninja dropped set off something that broke the skylight.

Curtis tells Nina that someone warned Portia away from him, Cameron asks if he confirmed what was in Josslyn’s journal, Shawn has some bad news, and Trina says, it was a trap.

👑 Fit For a Prince…

An upcoming tribute to Stuart Damon is in the works.

Another Star Falls To the Sky…

Ray MacDonnell, aka Joe Martin from All My Children, has joined the ranks of heavenly soap stars.

🤰🏻 IRL…

Sasha’s baby bump is the real deal.

🎇 Holiday Schedule…

GH will be on. Not so some of the others.

👰🏽 Who Wore It Best…

I voted for Anna from GH. Right now, she’s coming in second.

🎞 More Than Soaps…

Another loss, for both the soap and anime world.

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/philece-sampler-dies-digimon-mimi-voice-actress-anime/

💎 But Would She Really…?

On Watch What Happens Live, Garcelle literally said that Denise would come back if someone left. When Andy suggested that someone might be LisaR, Garcelle laughed like a hyena, which said it all. I wish.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-garcelle-beauvais-denise-richards-would-return-wwhl-video/

⚰️ Latest On Dead…

Fancy. The trailer looks like something Zack Snyder directed.

https://ew.com/tv/the-walking-dead-season-11-mercer-first-look/

🦈 It’s Getting Closer…

The newest of the new Suicide Squad trailers. It looks good. Love the shark guy.

https://www.dccomics.com/videos/the-suicide-squad-official-rain-trailer

🐓 Quotes of the Week

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. – George Bernard Shaw

Only the paranoid survive. – Andy Grove

Happiness is an inside job. – William Arthur Ward

To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor. – Stacey T. Hunt

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. – Maya Angelou

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. – Elmer Davis

Deserve your dream. – Octavio Paz

The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do. – Andy Warhol

Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. – Carl Sagan

Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort. – Fred Rogers

It takes 30 seconds to make an impression that last 30 years. – Loren Brovarnik’s father, 90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!Audrey Hepburn

Liberty is the breath of life to nations. George Bernard Shaw

A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you. – Elbert Hubbard

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi

Without music, life would be a mistake. – Friedrich Nietzsche

I call her BF, which doesn’t stand for best friend. It stands for bitch face. – woman on Dr. Phil whose sister slept with her boyfriend

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. – William Faulkner

💥 Be a Firework…

July 4th is here once again, and whether you watch Hamilton or the kinder, gentler 1776, remember although the forefathers made mistakes, they also dumped the tea, and gave their all for today’s freedoms. While we still have miles to go, if not for them, you might be paying for Queen Elizabeth’s hats. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay keeping your pets safe from the fireworks, and stay making them go, oh! oh! oh! as you shoot across the sky (sky, sky).

July 1, 2021 – Carly Makes an Announcement, Irreplaceable, Life After GH, a New Role, Nervous, a Bummer, Questionable, Recovering & Ten Minutes

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cameron’s graduation celebration at Charlie’s has begun, and Laura asks how it feels to be graduating. He says it’s awesome, and Portia says they’re so proud of all the kids have accomplished. Laura says, they persevered, even thrived. It’s truly admirable. Trina asks if they can believe they’re headed for college. Soon she’ll be in a dorm. Portia asks if she can please enjoy the last few months with Trina, and Trina says she’s not moving to another state. She’s not even moving to another city. Besides, she knows her mom, and Portia will be getting into all kinds of trouble with her out of the house. Freedom! She and Cameron high-five, and Curtis walks in.

Doc tells Nikolas, it was very nice of Ava to close Charlie’s for this. He’s just sorry she can’t be there. Nikolas says he is too, and Doc says Laura filled him in; he’s sorry to hear about the divorce. Nikolas says, there’s not going to be a divorce. He’s doing everything in his power to make sure Ava and Avery come home to him.

Nina walks into the gallery, and asks Ava if she’s ready for their long overdue catching up. She knows they said martinis, but she reconsidered, and brought wine for the occasion. Ava says, thank you, no. She’s mainlining water right now. Did they set something up? Not that she’s not happy to see Nina; she is. Nina says Ava doesn’t remember because they didn’t set anything up, but she saw Ava’s post from last night. Throwing her wedding rings at Nikolas’s foot? Ava says, one of her finest moments, to be sure, and Nina pulls up a chair, saying, Ava has to spill. When Ava mentioned divorce, she thought Ava was exaggerating. She and Nikolas were in love. What happened?

Bobbie says Josslyn got the biggest cheer when she went up to get her diploma, and Josslyn says, because they were so loud. Carly says, even Jason piped in, and Jason says, it doesn’t happen often, but when it’s something as important as Josslyn graduating high school… Josslyn says she’s glad he was there, and he says, him too. Michael says, his little sister, all grown up, and Josslyn says, college bound. He says, it seems like only yesterday he was teaching her to dive a speedboat, and she says, now he eats her wake. He asks if he can have a hug, or is she too cool for that now? but she says she’s never too cool for a hug, so they do.

Carly tells Jax that he doesn’t have to worry. Whatever he did to Michael, he doesn’t have to worry. Michael would never tell Josslyn. He would never do that to his sister.

Jason’s phone rings. It’s Britt, who says, she was thinking, since they got interrupted last night, how would he like to have dinner with her on Friday?

Jax tells Michael, what a day, and Michael agrees. Jax says he’s really happy for Josslyn, and Michael asks if they can not do this small talk thing. Jax says, he’ll get straight to the point then; thank you. Michael says, for what? and Jax says, for not telling Josslyn about what happened between them. Michael says, what happened? That’s a nice way of putting Jax blackmailed him. He’s not going to tell Josslyn because Jax is her father, and it would break her heart, but to be clear, he might be smiling in photos with Jax, but he hasn’t forgotten or forgiven him. Jax broke something, and the worst part is, he didn’t even have to. Jax made his choice, now he has to live with the consequences. Michael walks away, and Josslyn comes by. Jax says, there’s his graduate, and she asks if everything is okay. He says, everything is fine, but more important, how is she doing? She says she’s good, and he says, she just graduated high school with honors and she’s just good? She says she’s on the fence about going to Cameron’s party, and he asks if things are still tense between them. She says, it’s not so much tense, but distant. They’re headed in different directions, so she doesn’t know. Now that Cameron is going to PCU, she guesses all that could change. He says, if they’re drifting apart, and Cameron is no longer going to be a part of her life, would she miss him? and she says, yes, a lot. He says he thinks that says it all, doesn’t she?

Jason asks if Britt can meet him tonight, and she says, absolutely. What time? He asks if now is good, and she hesitates, but says, now is great. She’s in her room at the MetroCourt. He says he’ll see her soon, and she looks around her mess of a room. She says, crap, jumps up, and heads for the bathroom.

In the MetroCourt restaurant, Obrecht says she’s glad Scotty could join her for coffee, but he says he can’t really stay. He’s late. She asks if he’s meeting with a client, but he says, no. Cameron’s graduation party. Just like that – he snaps his fingers – Cameron is off to college. She says she sees; a family only affair. He says, Trina’s coming, and Trina’s mother, Josslyn… He doesn’t really know. She asks if he could bring a date.

Ava says she and Nikolas can’t be together, and Nina says, that sounds very different that not wanting to be together. Ava says, it’s not really what she wants, and puts her hand to her head. She says she has this headache, and really needs it to go away before Trina’s party. Nina says she’s so sorry. Curtis invited her. Ava asks if she’s going, and Nina says she doesn’t know. She has a gift for Josslyn, but thought it would be weird to just show up on Carly’s doorstep. Ava says, it would; that’s good thinking. Nina says she doesn’t mean to be rude, but Ava doesn’t exactly look party ready. Ava laughs, and says to tell her the truth, it’s the last thing she feels like doing, but she told Trina she’d be there, so she’ll be there. Nina asks if Ava has eaten, and Ava says, no. Nina suggests they grab a bite, and then go to the Savoy, and Ava says, okay. Nina says, great. Let’s go. Ava can tell her what’s really going on with her and Nikolas. She grabs Ava’s hand and pulls her up.

Curtis congratulates Portia on her day, and Portia thanks him. She says she didn’t realize he’d be there. Doesn’t he have to get ready for tonight? He says, please. He has people for that. Being the boss means you get to show up when the party starts. I dunno about that. It is the soft opening. He says, she looks beautiful. Is she ready to party, or what? She says she has to make a call to check on one of her patients, excuses herself, and walks off.

Trina and Cameron see Jake, and Trina asks, who won, him or Aiden? He says, won what? and she asks who gets Cameron’s room when Cameron goes to the dorm, and who stays in the one they share now? Cameron asks who says, he’s giving up his room? They’ll have to fight for it. Jake says, no battle. Aiden can have it. He likes the room he has. Cameron says, Jake is the older brother, and his room is bigger; Jake should have it. Jake says, his has better lighting, and Aiden doesn’t care. He spends most of his time in the kitchen. He’d rather keep the room he has. He tells them that he’s going to say hi to his grandma, and leaves. Trina says she guesses Jake is still mad at Cameron for accusing his father of killing Franco, and Cameron says he wishes Jake would get mad. He wishes they could have a huge, screaming fight, where Jake could unload all his anger, but it’s not like that; it’s just… polite. Josslyn warned him this could happen. That by the time he realized he was wrong and was ready to apologize, it would be too late. She says, it’s never too late. He’s Jake’s older brother, and Jake wants to forgive him. He’s just got to give Jake a chance. He says he’s apologized, and she says, keep apologizing until Jake knows he means it. Deep down, Jake misses Cameron as much as Cameron misses Jake.

Nikolas sits down with Doc, and says, whoever’s sending these threats, has Ava afraid for Avery’s life. Doc says he’s been keeping an eye on Ryan’s condition, and hasn’t changed at all, but Nikolas says he doesn’t think Ryan is the stalker. Doc says, Ava does, and Nikolas says, or someone equally as dangerous. He has to prove to her whoever is doing this is just playing head games, and there’s no reason for them to be apart. Doc says, it would help if they knew who the stalker was, and Nikolas says, it just so happens, he may find out tonight. Doc asks, how? and Nikolas says, he set a trap.

Jason tells Josslyn that he has to go, and she says, that’s okay. She thinks she’s going to go to Cameron’s party now… unless that’s weird. He says, for him? He doesn’t have a grudge against Cameron. She says, really? and he says he appreciates her having his back, but she never has to be the one who fights for him. He doesn’t ever want something he did to cost her a friendship or anything else. She thanks him, but says, she stood up for him because he was innocent. As much as she hated fighting with Cameron, she couldn’t pretend to believe something that she just didn’t. Yes, Cameron was grieving, and probably not thinking clearly, which is why she chose to forgive him, but defending Jason was as much for her as it was for him. He says he’s so proud of her; he loves her. She says she loves him too, and they hug. Jason goes over to Carly, and says, Britt called. He’s going to go see her. She says, okay, and he leaves.

Scotty says, so Obrecht wants to go to Cameron’s party? and she says, why not? He says he just didn’t give it any thought, and she says, he doesn’t want her there? He says he didn’t know she’d be interested, and she says, well, she is. He says, let’s go, and she says, yeah? He says, yah, and they get up. Nina and Ava walk in, and Obrecht hugs Nina, saying she didn’t know Nina was back in town. Nina says, surprise, and Scotty tells Ava that he has a little legal business to discuss. Nina and Obrecht step away to chat, and Scotty tells Ava that he talked to Nikolas’s lawyer about what they discussed. Ava says, and? and Scotty says, he knows nothing. She says, he knew nothing about how to proceed? but Scotty says, he knew nothin’ about nothin’. Nikolas never called him about the divorce.

Nikolas asks Doc, the stalker is focused on Ava, and where does she go every day? Doc says, the gallery, and Nikolas says, he added some extra security and connected it to his phone. If the stalker trips the silent alarm, he’ll know about it. Doc asks if the gallery doesn’t already have security, and Nikolas says, so does Windymere. It didn’t stop them from getting around it. He added a motion sensor at the entrance that only he knows about. Doc says Nikolas isn’t thinking of confronting this person on his own, is he?

Laura asks if Elizabeth has heard from Scotty, and Elizabeth says, he just texted and he’s running late. And he’s bringing a friend. Any idea who that is? Laura says she thinks she might.

Trina asks Cameron where Josslyn is, but he says he doesn’t know. She never gave him a formal yes or no. Trina says, she’ll be there. Josslyn and Cameron are back to being friends, right? He says he hopes so.

Britt straightens up her room like a madwoman, and gets dressed. Jason knocks at the door, and she tells him, come in. She took the liberty of ordering dinner since they have to eat, but the night is totally flexible. We can eat before… or after, or… What’s wrong? He says he has something to tell her, and really needs her to hear him out.  

Scotty says hi to Elizabeth, who says she didn’t realize Obrecht was his mystery guest. Obrecht says she’s thrilled to be part of their family gathering, and Scotty says he’ll get them a couple of stiff drinks. Elizabeth says she’s glad Obrecht could join them, and Obrecht says she thinks Franco would be too, doesn’t Elizabeth? Laura tells Scotty, bringing Obrecht to a family celebration. Wow. Big step. She laughs, and asks if she’s reading too much into it.

Nikolas tells Cameron to enjoy his moment; he’s proud of him. He hugs Cameron, and goes to the bar. Cameron asks if Trina heard that Nikolas and Ava are getting a divorce. Trina says she did. Ava tried to hide it, but she looked miserable at the ceremony.

Ava tells Nina, she’s been getting threats. Nothing violent yet. Just a creepy little gifts and notes. Whoever is doing this obviously doesn’t want her and Nikolas together. Nina says, so that’s it? Some whacko is fixated on breaking them up, and Ava goes immediately to divorce? Ava says, not immediately, but everything changed once the whacko made it clear they could get to Avery.  

Josslyn asks Carly if she’s sure it’s okay if she goes, and Carly says, it’s her graduation night. She can do what she wants… within reason. She hugs Josslyn, and says she’s proud of her. Jax says he thinks she speaks for them all, and Bobbie says, he definitely speaks for her. She hugs Josslyn, and tells her, have a good time. Carly says Milo is going to be with Josslyn all night. Don’t go anywhere without him. Josslyn says, copy that, and Michael says he loves her. You did good, little sis. She says, so sentimental, and he says, just this once. She asks him to give Wiley a kiss for her, and he says, of course (🍷). Jax says he’ll walk her out, and on their way to the door, she says she wishes Lady Jane could have been there. Jax says, him too, but she was with them in spirit, and so were Morgan and Sonny. She says, and Grandpa Mike, and he says, right. Everyone who loved her. Now go paint the town red, or whatever the PCU colors are. She hugs him, and says she’ll call him tomorrow. She leaves, and Jax tells Carly that he’s thinking of heading out, but she asks him to wait a minute. There’s something he should hear. They go back to the living room, where Bobbie and Michael are, and Carly says she knows they have lives to get back to, but bear with her minute. She has something important to tell them.

Britt says Jason sounds ominous, and he tells her, what he’s going to say changes things… a lot. She says, don’t make her stand there and dread it; spit it out. He says he and Carly are getting married. She laughs, and says that might possibly be the last thing she expected to come out of his mouth. She would think he was joking, but he doesn’t do that. He says, it’s not a joke, and she says, when did… How long have you been.. engaged? He says, it just happened, and she says, like right before he got there? He says, yeah, more or less. They realized it’s what’s best for the family and each other for them get married, so that’s what they’re going to do. She says, okay. Thanks for the update. You can go now. She heard him; he’s getting married. She opens the door, and says, get the hell out of her room. I hate Carly even more now, and hope Jason never sleeps through another night.

Laura says, so? and Curtis says, so… She says he and Portia seem to be enjoying each other’s company a lot. Has he asked her out yet? He asks if they’re in junior high, and she laughs and says, yes. He says, they’re just friends, but she says, not from where she’s standing. Friends don’t generate those kind of sparks.

Josslyn comes in, and Trina says, told you. Cameron says Josslyn made it, and Josslyn says she did. He hands her something to drink, and she says, they’ve been friends for a long time; nothing can change that. Trina says, finally, they can celebrate properly. She doesn’t know what else to say except, they did it. Cameron says, they did it, and Josslyn says, this is huge. They clink Solo cups.

Nina says, the teddy bear with Ryan’s voice is beyond creepy. Ava says, it’s disturbing. Luckily, Avery thought it was just a toy, but she got the message loud and clear. She even sent Avery to stay with Carly, just in case. Nina says, that must have been hard, and Ava says, it broke her heart, but she knew it was the right thing to do, like she knows she and Nikolas must divorce. Nina says, Nikolas doesn’t feel the same way, and Ava says, no, but despite how much they love each other, she and Nikolas are coming from different places. Kiki was murdered, and it’s not something she’s just going to get over. Nina says, she shouldn’t, and Ava says, Nikolas doesn’t have a memory like that, but she does. She simply can’t take any chances. If she ignored this, and stayed with Nikolas, and something happened to Avery, she wouldn’t survive; she just wouldn’t.

Carly says she and Jason are getting married, and Bobbie says, Jason who? Carly says, what does she mean, Jason who? Their Jason. Jason Morgan. Bobbie says, it’s a little sudden, and Carly says, it is, and it isn’t. They’ve both been struggling since Sonny died, and left a big hole in their lives. She knows they’re not unique to that; everyone has their own grief and loss. But after their friendship, and all the years they’ve known each other… Sonny wasn’t just her husband; he was Jason’s best friend. The three of them were a team, and the central person is now gone, and Jason’s the only person who really knows what she’s going through. And not just that. They need each other, and Sonny would want them to take care of each other. They’re not just doing this for themselves, but they’re doing it for their family, and she’s asking them to accept it. I hate Carly.

Jason goes to the door, but closes it. He says, yes, he’s marrying Carly and he can’t be with Britt the way they were, but he understands what she’s facing. He said he’d be there for her, and he will. She says, wow, unbelievable. Thanks but no thanks. She doesn’t need his pity, and definitely doesn’t need his support. She doesn’t know why she’s so surprised. It was obvious from the day they met, Carly comes first. They have a commitment between them that can’t be broken. She witnessed it the night Carly literally opened a vein for him, and gave him her blood. That’s great. Good for them, but she’s not going to stand in line waiting got a few minutes of his time, like some charity case, because he happened to be with her when she found out she was dying. He says, that’s not the way he sees her… but she says, it’s good. Trust her. He did her a solid. Even she can admit that, with his whole, if it suffocates you rather than frees you thing. He’s right; now she knows. She has her whole life ahead of her, but you know what? He will not be there for her. He will not show up for her. He will not lend her a hand, or anything. Because he’s now otherwise engaged, pun intended.

Ava tells Nina, she has to admit Avery is happy at Carly’s. The next thing on her list is finding a place to live. She can’t camp out at this hotel forever. Nina says she has an idea. Why  doesn’t Ava camp out in her newly decorated guest room? She’ll be the first to stay in it. Ava says she couldn’t impose, but Nina says, she’s not. Besides, it used to be Ava’s apartment. Ava says Nina paid fair market price, and Nina says, thanks for the not discount. That doesn’t mean she can’t offer a really good friend a room. Besides, Ava would be doing her a favor; she’s hardly ever there, and her future plans are up in the air. Ava asks if it’s got anything to do with Nina’s new friend, and Nina says, she and Mike/Sonny have a connection; at least it feels that way. It has none of the disfunction of her past relationships. Ava says, so no lying, no deception, like with Valentin, and Nina says, no. Mike is an open book. Ava asks, what’s this guy do? and Nina says, he’s a bartender. She met him through her friend Phyllis. They have a lot of fun together. Ava asks, how much fun? and Nina tells her to get her mind out of the gutter. They haven’t even had a real date. She’s just happy to be around him. Ava says, it sounds so nice, like it has real potential. Nina says, could be, and Ava asks, when Nina isn’t in Port Charles, is she thinking about being with Mike.

Michael congratulates Carly, and Bobbie says, yeah. If any two people know what they’re getting into, it’s Carly and Jason. They trust each other implicitly. Carly says, they do, and Bobbie says, if it feels right, she’s all for it. Michael says he is too, and Carly says, so soon after his dad passed? He tells her, like she said, dad would want this. For her, for Jason, for all of them. He believes Sonny would understand better than anyone. Carly says Jax is awful quiet over there, and he says no one ever stopped her and Jason from doing what they wanted to. He wouldn’t dream of trying now. She says she’d appreciate it if he kept it quiet. She’d like to tell Josslyn herself; she knows Josslyn is going to have a lot of questions. He says, ya think? and she asks if that’s a yes. He says he thinks he’s going to do what he thinks is best for their daughter, and walks out. Bobbie says she guesses not everyone is thrilled with this development.

Britt asks why Jason is still there, and he says, because she matters to him. Not just because she saved his life. He cares about her. Britt wipes her tears away, and says he has an interesting way of showing it. He says he’s not the kind of person who spends a lot of time thinking about if things were different, but if things were different, they’d be at dinner on Friday; they’d be in that bed right now. She says, remember when he told her, he’s not good at what ifs? She really liked that about him. Don’t lose it now; just get out. She turns her back to him, and he reluctantly leaves. She cries, and I hate Carly.

Someone dressed like a ninja walks into the gallery with a tool bag. We see their eyes, and it looks like it might be a woman. Hmm… I wonder if it’s Hayden.

Laura asks Portia, where’s Trina? and Portia says, she went to the gallery to talk to Ava. She wanted to let Ava know that she doesn’t have to feel pressured to come tonight. Laura says, always thinking of others, her little girl, and Portia says, not so little anymore. Laura guesses not, and Portia says she’s so sorry to hear about Ava and Nikolas, but Laura says, relationships don’t happen in a vacuum. Sometimes outside forces can pull a couple apart. Portia looks at Curtis.

Cameron tells Josslyn, this is going to be the summer of the lake, doesn’t she think? Before things get crazy? She says, it sounds great, but she doesn’t know how much time she’ll be able to spend there. The PCU volleyball team starts training in a couple of weeks, and their schedule is intense. He says he totally understands. She’s going to be pretty busy. She says, looks like it.

The ninja hears someone, and grabs their tool bag. Trina walks in, and call out, asking if Ava is there.

Nikolas’s phone chirps, and Doc asks if that’s what he’s been waiting for. Nikolas says, yeah. He has to go. Doc says he’ll come; Nikolas shouldn’t go alone. Nikolas says he’ll call the police on his way there, which we all know he has no intention of doing.

Nina tells Ava that she’s thought of relocating, and it’s not just Mike. She’s fallen in love with the town. She loves the people, and loves who she is when she’s there. Of course (🍷) this was before Michael changed his mind about Wiley. Now she’s just trying to figure out what to do about Mike. Ava says, that’s not a big deal. Get to know him some more, figure out what he means to her, and if she can’t live without him, maybe he could come there. Nina says, no, that can’t happen, but Ava says, he’s a bartender; he can work anywhere. Nina says they should get going. Trina’s party is probably starting… Ava asks why Nina has to choose between having Mike or Wiley in her life. She can have both, can’t she? Nina says, trust her. If she knows one thing, it’s that there’s no future for her and Mike in Port Charles.  

Bobbie says she doesn’t know how Carly is going to tell Monica, but she would proceed with extreme caution. She is not going to be happy. Michael says, actually… No. Bobbie is right. She’s going to hate this. Carly says she and Jason have weathered worse than Monica. They’ll be fine. Jason comes in, and Bobbie tells him, congratulations, and hugs him. She says, welcome to the family, not that he hasn’t always been a part of it. She says she has to go, and tells Carly they’ll talk soon. Jason says, so Michael’s mom told them the news? and Michael says, she told them that they’re getting married, and she explained why, but she didn’t explain everything, did she? He looks at Carly.

Curtis tells Portia and Laura, he’s about to get ready for the next party. Laura says, have a good time, and Portia says she’ll see him there, and he leaves.  

Scotty says he’s so glad Obrecht came with him, and she says he’s welcome for the suggestion. He asks if that’s a smile he sees on that pretty face of hers, and she says she’s just happy. She’s with a nice man, and Britt is with a nice, if somewhat dangerous man. All is right with the world.

Britt shoves the cart with dinner on it into the hallway, leans on the door, and cries. She pulls herself together, and says, to hell with him. She gets her bag and jacket, and leaves.

Josslyn follows Cameron outside, and says, even with volleyball, she’ll always make time for him and Trina. Save her a chair at the lake for her. He says, it’s going to be a great summer, and she says, yeah, but they start with tonight. He says, they do. Shall we? He gives her his arm, and she takes it, and says, we shall. Scotty and Elizabeth watch them from the window.

Trina goes back into the main gallery room, and runs into someone. I think it’s Nikolas, but we don’t see a face, and he and the ninja are both dressed in black.

Tomorrow, Curtis tells Portia that he thinks it’s intentional, Doc believes the trap has been sprung, and Michael doubts that’s the reason why Carly and Jason have to get married.

👑 🥀 Good Night, Sweet Prince…

I was remiss in not posting this yesterday. Stuart Damon was truly a treasure. I actually stopped watching GH for a while after they killed Alan off. Realizing their mistake, and bringing him back as a ghost did not make it any better. I still miss him reading the Christmas story at the hospital party every year, and no one will ever be as charming of a prince.

💣 Moving On From the Mob…

What comes after life in Port Charles.

📽 Carrrlos…

He certainly didn’t let being shot and dumped in the river slow him down. And he was Don Draper’s guru.

💏 Can’t Say I Blame Her…

He’s too old and he has three kids.

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-lisa-rinna-is-nervous-about-daughter-amelia-hamlin-dating-scott-disick/

🔬 An Unwelcome Return…

I’m not exactly a Nene fan, but I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, and give her credit for being so supportive. God help me though, I couldn’t help noticing her amazing cheekbones. Did she have implants? Is she on the Keto diet? What’s going on there?

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/nene-leakes-confirms-gregg-leakes-cancer-has-returned-details

He Has Questions…

I haven’t seen this, but I get the impression it’s like that Kurt & Courtney documentary.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-addresses-questionable-erika-jayne-documentary-and-how-it-might-affect-her-rhobh-future/

👨🏼‍🦽 Hope He Has His Own Bell…

Michael has possibly one of the best jobs on earth. While he obviously works hard, I’m sure he will never lack for anything. I love these two, and wish they had their own spin-off show. Whitney could make cameo appearances.

https://people.com/tv/southern-charms-patricia-altschul-butler-michael-kelcourse-after-spinal-cord-stroke/

🏃🏽‍♀️ Freedom For Me…

Calling it an early night. Tune in tomorrow, for soap, a pot ‘o tea, and only the best quotes. Until then, stay safe, stay being proud of whoever you are, and stay always making time for old friends.

June 30, 2021 – Spinelli Is Approached By a Novak, Eboni’s Harlem Night, Kyle Has a Cocktail Party & Raise It

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Scotty says, so Finn needs some legal advice. What are they talking about? Malpractice? Finn and Elizabeth look at each other, and Scotty points to his watch, and tells them, time and elevators wait for no one. Finn says, it’s about Peter August.

Valentin asks if he’s on Anna’s list of friends, and she says, of course (🍷) he is. He’s been a wonderful friend. She couldn’t have gotten through the last few months without him. He says, nor he without her. He strokes her hair, and they come pretty close to kissing.

The bartender at the MetroCourt asks what Austin will have, and Austin says his father used to order a Manhattan, and gives the bartender specifics on the rye. The bartender says he’s got it, and leaves. Sam approaches Austin, and says, that’s interesting. A simple country doctor who’s pretty particular in his choice of whiskey. He says she’s questioning his choice of drinks. Is there anything she’s not suspicious of? She says, no.

Ava comes in, and sees Nikolas at a table having a beer, but keeps walking to the bar. She says Austin’s drink looks positively sinful. She’ll have whatever this handsome stranger is having. She sits and says hi to Sam.

Diane joins Spinelli at Charlie’s, and he thanks her for meeting him. She says she’s always happy to assist him. First of all, does he anticipate this situation becoming litigious? He says, heaven forbid. The last thing he wants to do is go to court with Ellie. She asks what the situation is. Tell her he didn’t cheat on Ellie. He says, no, never, and she says she had to ask, doing her due diligence. He says Ellie is concerned about his exposure to potentially dangerous, and allegedly criminal activity. To wit, Sonny’s organization is under pressure from potentially dangerous entities like the Novak family. She asks if he’s told Jason any of this, but he says he doesn’t want to burden Jason. He just came home from being a fugitive. He and Carly have plenty of troubles of their own.

Carly tells Josslyn that she’s sorry. She’s just really distracted right now. She has a lot on her plate. Josslyn asks if she wants to talk about it, but Carly says it’s nothing Josslyn should be worried about. Josslyn says she’s not worried. Whatever it is Carly is worried about, Josslyn knows she can always talk to Jason.

Britt is standing in her office, when Jason comes in and says her name. She turns around, and smiles, asking what brings him to her door. He says he just wanted to see her, and she says, what a coincidence. She wanted to see him too. He flashes back to Carly saying she keeps thinking about what Ava told them about it being theater; a performance that demonstrates a binding contract. Does he see where she’s going? Is she wrong? He says she’s not wrong. The lightbulb goes on over my head, and I think, they’re going to get married, aren’t they? and I hate Carly for ruining my plans. Britt asks where Jason went, and he says he’s sorry; he was just thinking about business. She asks if he came to her office to think about business, but he says he came to ask her if she wanted to grab a beer. She says, a beer sounds really great, and takes his arm. She says, just so he knows, he’s buying.

Josslyn tells Carly, it must be great to have Jason as a best friend. Don’t get her wrong. Trina is all kinds of awesome, and she’d be lost without her, but Jason is on a whole other level. When Carly tells him something, he keeps it in the vault; he can physically protect her; and he’s patient when she totally melts down. Carly asks who says she melts down on Jason? and Josslyn says, wild guess. Carly says, enough about her and Jason. Right now it’s about Josslyn. It’s a very important time for her. She has her team building trip for volleyball, where she gets to meet all the new girls, she has her classes for PCU, and best of all, she has graduation and Trina’s party afterwards. Josslyn says Carly just hit the one area where Trina beats Jason; she’s social and actually wants to party. Carly says Jason doesn’t really like social events, and Josslyn says that’s why Carly is Jason’s best friend. They balance each other out. She hugs Josslyn, and asks if Josslyn can do her a favor. She just put Donna down, and she’d like Josslyn to hang out with Avery. She’s missed Josslyn. Josslyn says she missed Avery too, and goes upstairs. Carly looks pained.

Spinelli tells Diane, it’s no use giving Ellie assurances about Jason and Carly, that alas, he’s in no position to give. Diane’s phone rings, and she looks at it, saying, this might be serendipitous. She steps away, and Carly says she needs to talk to her. Is she free? Diane asks if she’s home, and Carly says, yes. Diane says she’s on her way. She tells Spinelli, her best advice to him is just talk to Ellie. Tell her why he’s so loyal to Jason, and everything Jason has done for him. She’s sure they can come to some kind of compromise. They’re both incredibly smart people, and they love each other. She has no doubt they can work this out. She leaves, and a man approaches Spinelli. He says, Spinelli, right? and sits down. Spinelli says, and he is…? He says, Joseph Novak, but his buddies call him Joey. He holds out his hand.

Scotty says, Peter August? If he ever showed his face in this town again, Scotty would make him pay for every tear he caused Elizabeth and the boys. Not to mention the fact that every time he picks up the phone to call his son, he knows his son isn’t there because he was murdered in cold blood by Peter August. Elizabeth says, no one wants to add to Scotty’s pain, and Scotty says, Franco’s not the only kid he buried; first there was Karen, then Logan. He would give anything to have that time back, to spend it with his kids again. Finn says he’s sorry; he had no idea. Elizabeth says, it’s awful. Every moment a parent gets with their child is a gift. She pointedly looks at Finn, and Scotty says he’s sorry he’s ranting like this. It’s just that at the mention of Peter, he goes berserk. He’s sorry. What can he do for Finn?

Anna and Valentin put their hands together, palm to palm, and link fingers. Her phone rings, and he says, as far as bad timing goes, that was exquisite. He asks if she’s going to take it, and she does. Dante asks if it’s a good time to talk, and Anna asks what he’s got. He says Jordan just sent him the Medical Examiner’s report on nurse Chloe Jennings. He forwarded it to her. She asks him to give her the bullet points, and he says, the cause of death was a broken neck she sustained when she fell into the abandoned mine shaft. They also ran a DNA test. Take a look, and let him know if she has any questions.

Ava asks if Sam is going to introduce her to this very handsome man, and Austin says, this is fun. Stuff like this doesn’t happen in Pawtuck. Ava says, Pawtuck? How charming. Is he some kind of outdoorsman? Sam asks if Ava isn’t going to order a drink for Nikolas – her husband. Remember him? Austin says, her husband. How didn’t he see that? He could see that rock from space.

Dante sits with Nikolas, and says Nikolas wanted an update on the stalker investigation. Nikolas asks if he traced the bear that was left for Avery in the hotel, and Dante asks if they shouldn’t wait for Ava. She was the one who seemed most upset. Nikolas says, Ava is learning how to get over it, and they both look at the bar.

Ava tells Austin, don’t worry about that. She has an open marriage. Sam says, since when? and Ava says, since recent events changed things. In fact, her marriage is about to be blown wide open. Sam points, and tells Austin, see that guy in the grey suit? That’s Nikolas, Ava’s husband. He’s sitting with Dante. Austin remembers Dante, doesn’t he? Austin says, sure do. He thinks Dante had enough of him in Pawtuck, and the last thing he needs is a jealous husband, so if they’ll excuse him… Ava says, please don’t go. She doesn’t even know his name. Sam says, his name is Austin, like the city in Texas. Ava says, that man is her husband, but truth be told, they’re getting a divorce. Sam says, excuse me?… Excuse me. She leaves, and Austin says he’s sorry to hear that; it sounds very difficult. Ava tells him, come sit, and orders another round for her and her new friend. The bartender says he’ll be right with them. He goes in the hallway, and makes a call. He says they wanted him to let them know if something was going on. They should stop by and see for themselves.

Finn tells Scotty that he’s going to need legal representation, and Scotty says he doesn’t understand. Finn just pulled off a miracle cure, and saved Chase’s life. Why would he need legal advice about Peter? Elizabeth says, what Finn is talking about is hypothetical, right? and Finn says, there’s nothing hypothetical about his feelings for Peter. He made no secret about the fact he hated Peter, and they almost came to blows every time Peter came into the hospital. Scotty says that makes Finn like everyone else in this town who wanted to punch Peter in the nose. That is no crime. Elizabeth tells Finn that he has nothing to worry about, but Finn says, there might be. Peter vanished, and the police are looking for him. Won’t they start looking at his known enemies? Elizabeth tries to intervene, but Scotty tells her to hold on. Finn is making himself perfectly clear. Does he know something about Peter’s whereabouts?

Valentin comes in with more wood for the fire, and sees Anna working. He asks, what’s with the laptop? and she says, it’s amazing what you can find in a Pawtuck rental. He says, room service? and she says she wishes. He asks what Dante said, and she says he sent the Medical Examiner’s report, and they managed to ID the woman posing as Chloe Jennings. Her real name is Marie Hopkins. He says, that’s a helluva break. What do they know about her? She says, next to nothing. She managed to pass herself off as a competent nurse, but she didn’t hesitate to drug Maxie, and try to kidnap Maxie and the baby, which to her, doesn’t sound like somebody operating under duress. He says, sounds like a pro, and she says, but a pro with no history. Could it be someone Peter’s father knew? He says, someone the PCPD doesn’t know? and she says, but the WSB might.

Outside, Josslyn instructs Avery on the importance of putting holes in the jar lid so the fireflies can breathe. One day, she and Avery are going to teach Donna how to catch fireflies, and how you gently cradle them in your hand before putting them in the jar, and then watch them light up. Avery says, and then they set them free, and Josslyn says, a girl after her own heart. Look! There’s more. Avery jumps to catch one.

Carly gives Diane a drink, and hopes she didn’t take her away from something important. Diane says, Spinelli sends his regards, and Carly asks if everything is okay, but Diane says, it was more of an informal conversation; a catch-up between friends. They did touch on a legal question, so she can’t say much more. How can she help Carly? Is she there as a friend or attorney? Carly says, this definitely needs to be covered under attorney/client privilege, and Diane says, understood. Carly says, Jason is getting pressure from the other families, specifically about her involvement in the business, because she went to a meeting when Jason was incapacitated. Diane says she thinks the phrase Carly is looking for is, shot while trying to escape, and Carly says, the point is, Jason couldn’t be there, so she went in his place. Diane says, leading to a perception problem, correct? Because when a family appears vulnerable, even if they’re not, it can lead to chaos, which leads to violence, and violence tends to rattle everybody. So the question becomes, how do you change the narrative? Carly flashes back to Jason saying, if they take this step, it will send a message that Carly supports him, and there’s no possibility of divide and conquer. She says, it makes sense from a business perspective, and he says, besides complete destruction, it’s the best option he’s heard so far. Carly tells Diane, she and Jason might have come up with something.

Spinelli says, look, Mr. Novak, but Novak says he told Spinelli, his friends call him Joey. Spinelli says, Joey. He’s unable to pursue an acquaintance right now. He’s late for an appointment. He starts to get up, but Joey stops him, saying, he should be flattered. Spinelli’s special talents have been noticed by Joey’s family. They could use a man like him. Spinelli says, with all due respect, he’s not available to be used by Joey’s family. Joey says Spinelli is acting like he has a choice. Let him be clear; Spinelli doesn’t. When the Novak family sees something they want, they take it, and they want him. Britt and Jason walk in, and Jason asks Britt to wait at the bar. He won’t take long. Joey asks how Spinelli is going to play this. Is he going to be smart and volunteer, or do they have to draft him? Jason’s hand comes down on Joey’s shoulder, and he asks if there’s a problem here.   

Jason wants to speak to Joey privately, and says, let’s go. They leave, and Britt sits down with Spinelli and puts a bottle in front of him. She says she took the liberty of ordering him a beer, and he says, gracious thanks. She asks if they ran into him by accident, or did Jason know he’d be there? He says, it’s a most fortuitous coincidence. Fortuitous for him, maybe not so much for his unwelcome companion. She says, who was that guy? and Spinelli tells her, he said his name was Joey Novak. She asks if that’s supposed to mean something to her, and he says, the Novaks are an alleged crime family of some significance. The boss is Vincent Novak, and he believes Joey is his favorite nephew. Britt wonders if that’s what Jason was talking about; he said he had a business problem. Spinelli says, that’s not like him, and she asks what he means. He says, Jason rarely refers to business unless it’s to those directly involved. Britt says, they were fugitives together. It’s a little late for him to be keeping secrets from her.   

Carly tells Diane, she and Jason are considering a strategy that will strengthen their position with the other families. Diane asks her to be more specific. Unless it involves murder. In which case, don’t be specific. Carly says, they need to send a clear message to the competition that Jason is in charge and has her full support. There’s no division in the ranks; no way to split the Corinthos organization in faction. Diane says, it’s a sensible solution in theory, but how do they intend on putting it into practice?

Sam sits with Nikolas and Dante, and asks Nikolas if he’d care to explain what’s going on with him and Ava. He tells her, let’s just say, his marriage has been under a lot of stress lately.

Ava orders another round, but Austin says, none for him. He knows they just met, but maybe it’s time to slow down. She says, what’s the matter Pawtuck? Small town fella can’t take the big city fast lane? He says, that’s not really the problem, when Nikolas joins them, and tells Ava, that’s enough. She says, on the contrary. She’s just getting started.

Finn tells Scotty, he was reluctant to come forward because someone else is involved. Elizabeth suggests he tell Scotty about Chase. Chase was so sick because Peter poisoned him. Scotty asks if that’s true, and Finn says Peter was targeting him as a way to hurt Anna. There was a mix-up, and Chase got poisoned instead. So Scotty can see he has plenty of motive to hurt the guy. Which is why… He looks at a picture of him and Violet on his desk, and Scotty says, why what? Finn says, why the police might want to question him about Peter’s disappearance. He doesn’t want Violet visiting him in Pentenville. Scotty says, if Finn were to bump Peter off, they’d give him the keys to the city. Finn doesn’t have to worry about his kid visiting him in prison. If Mac brings Finn in for questioning, Scotty will be there, ready to spring into action. Finn thanks him, and Scotty says, anything else? Finn says, one more thing. He wants to make certain if something happens to him, Elizabeth will be Violet’s legal guardian. Scotty says he’ll take care of it, and leaves. Finn closes the door, and tells Elizabeth, sorry. He should have asked first. Are you kidding? She’d probably love having a girl in the house.

Valentin tells Anna, there must be something in Marie’s past; a high school, a hometown, a poodle. She says, a poodle? and he says he likes poodles. They’re hypoallergenic. She’s not the only one who does research. She says, good to know, but they’re talking about Marie Hopkins. She has a brother. He says, don’t tell him the brother is dead too, and she says she hopes not, but he is in a high risk profession. He’s a helicopter pilot.

Here’s where they interrupted for – wait for it – Bill Cosby. Are you kidding me? His release was all over the internet all morning, and we needed to interrupt for this? Ugh. Using the internet to move on.

Britt says she thinks she owes Spinelli a thank you, and he says, in what regard? She says, the Canadian passports they used north of the border. They were flawless. When they used them at the hospital, no one even blinked. He says he was unaware Jason needed further medical attention, and she says, he didn’t. They visited a clinic out of an abundance of caution. He says, impressive. He can’t think of many who could convince Jason to go. She must exert significant influence. She says she thinks Jason just wanted to put her mind at rest. She was getting neurotic; hiding out with nothing else to think about. Jason comes back, and Britt says she got him a beer, sliding a bottle over. He thanks her, and Spinelli asks if everything is okay. Jason says, it’s fine. He sent Joey home with a message for his uncle. Britt asks if that’s blood on his hand, and we see his bloody knuckles.

Elizabeth says she’d be happy to look after Violet, but they’ve been careful. She doesn’t see how their secret can get out. He says, Peter is just a few floors below them in a hospital freezer. As long as he’s there, there’s a good chance they’ll find him. Elizabeth asks what he’s saying, and he says, Peter’s got to go.

Valentin reads that Marie’s brother David was a former Black Hawk pilot who served in Iraq, left with an honorable discharge, and flew various charters from Hawaii to Maine before striking out on his own. She says, a helicopter pilot for hire; that’s no coincidence, is it? She picks up her phone, and he asks what she’s doing. She says, notifying the WSB, but he asks if she isn’t worried about alerting Peter. She says he’s right. If Peter is anything like his father, he has eyes and ears all over the agency. Valentin says, the helicopter pilot will end up as dead as his sister. They started this on their own, and he suggests they keep it that way.

Austin says he doesn’t want any trouble, but Ava grabs his arm, and says they’re not done. Although she’s definitely done with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Nikolas says she’s still his wife, and he won’t let her make a fool of herself in public. She says, he’d rather she make a fool of herself in the privacy of their own home. He wants her resigned to the fact that she’s some kind of kept woman. Let her remind him of something – nobody owns Ava Jerome. Sam comes over and suggests they keep their voices down before they all get thrown out. Dante tells the security guy that he’s a cop; he’s got this. He says maybe it’s best if Austin goes, and Austin says he’d love to leave, but Ava’s not letting go. Ava says, if don’t want her business in this establishment, she’ll go someplace else. She tells Austin, come on, and he says, thanks, but no thanks. Nikolas says, Ava doesn’t take another step to self-destruction as long as they’re man and wife. Ava says that’s something she can fix. She takes off her rings, and drops them on the floor.  

Diane tells Carly, from a legal standpoint, it would just be formalizing a preexisting arrangement. She and Jason already have each other’s power of attorney, they’re trustees of each other’s estates, the guardian’s for each other’s children, and co-owner’s of Corinthos Coffee. She can’t see any reason this won’t work. Carly says, she can.

Jason says Joey won’t be bothering Spinelli again, and Spinelli says he’s grateful for the intercede, but it’s not going to stop the Novak family; it might even inflame them. Jason says, it’s been handled, and Spinelli says he believes Jason. Ellie won’t. Jason asks if something happened, and Spinelli says Ellie threatened him with separation unless he distances himself from Jason and Carly. He’s run out of assurances. Jason says he can speak to Ellie, and Britt says, let him try. For a guy who has seemingly zero communications skills, he can be incredibly convincing. Spinelli says Jason has already done everything in his power to insure his safety, and Ellie knows that, but he fears it’s not enough. She wants stability and peace. Frankly, he can’t blame her. If they’ll excuse him, he’s expected at home, where he’ll have to explain how Joey Novak approached him tonight. Britt says Spinelli doesn’t have to tell her, but Spinelli says, yes, he does. Goodnight. He leaves, and Britt says, there goes a man who doesn’t understand the adage, discretion is the better part of valor. You can have honesty in a relationship without blurting out every detail. Jason says he’s sorry, and she says, about? He says he needs to take her home, and she says, business? He says, yes, and she says, okay, no worries. But since she got the beers tonight, next time, he’s definitely buying.

Carly tells Diane, she just lost Sonny. If this goes wrong, and she loses Jason, she loses the way they are to each other, the way they know each other, the way they never fail each other… Diane says, stop. It’s perfectly reasonable to worry about Jason dying; the man takes unconscionable risks on a regular basis. But it’s absurd and self-indulgent to worry about losing him. If he hasn’t turned his back on her by now, he never will. Josslyn and Avery come in, and Avery asks if Diane will read her a bedtime story. Diane says she’d love too. What is Avery in the mood for? Avery says, her book about the stars. She and Josslyn saw the Big Dipper. Diane says, that constellation has another name, Ursa Major, which means big bear in Latin. Avery and Diane go upstairs, and Carly laughs. Josslyn asks if everything is all right, and Carly says, yeah. Diane was going over some legal technicalities with her, and everything she said makes sense.

Elizabeth says she knows what accidentally happened to Peter is weighing on Finn, but thinks it’s best they leave things the way they are. He says, just leave him in the freezer like a rack of lamb, and she says, it’s weighing on her too. She swore to heal like he did, but she’s not going to pretend she’s sorry Peter is gone. Not after what he did to Franco and Chase. And think about Maxie. She prays every day that Maxie gets her baby back, and when she does, the baby will be better off without Peter in her life. Finn says, Elizabeth is involved too, and he can’t let her take the risk, and she says, they started this together; they’re going to finish this together. Let’s go; it’s late. Violet needs her dad to tuck her in. They leave the office, and Scotty is standing outside. He says they think they have him fooled.

Nikolas picks up the rings, and says, Ava lost these. She says she didn’t lose them. She’s done with them. Sam says, that’s kind of cold, isn’t it? and Ava shrugs. Austin says he’s a big fan of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? but he can’t stick around. Ava grabs his arm again, and says she knows plenty of places they can go for a nightcap. Sam says she thinks Ava should call it a night, and Dante agrees. Someone watches from another room. I wonder how many people will get the literary reference.

Anna asks if Valentin hears that, and he says he doesn’t hear a thing. She says, the rain stopped, and he gets up and looks outside. He says, it looks like the storm has blown over, and she says, the weather advisory has been lifted. The roads should be open in an hour or so. He says maybe he should call Brook and asks her to leave a light on… if they’re not spending the night. She says they should probably put out the fire, and he says he’ll do that. Didn’t they just drink the good part of a bottle of whiskey? Have they learned nothing from Alexis? While Anna is putting the laptop away, she sees a photo, and brings it out. He asks what she’s found, and she says, a family photo, she thinks. He asks if it means the mystery is solved, and she says, no, but she thinks it’s the beginning of another one.

Diane comes back down, and tells Carly that Avery is asleep. Carly thanks her for reading to Avery, and Diane says it’s her pleasure. Avery is one of her favorite people. She’s bright, curious, and she misses her dad. Carly wonders if she asked about Sonny, and Diane says she asked if he could visit her from heaven. Diane said he absolutely could. Carly says she told Avery the same thing, but she’s sure it’s reassuring to hear it from Diane too. Diane says she’s glad someone around there respects her opinion, and Carly says she respects Diane’s opinion too. She wouldn’t have asked her over if she didn’t. Diane says, let her reassure Carly that, from a legal standpoint, this is a sound and effective strategy. It makes perfect sense. Whether or not they choose to pursue it is up to her and Jason. She leaves, and Carly sighs, having caught that from Jason.

Anna asks if Valentin recognizes the little boy in the photo, and he says, it looks a little like Austin. She says, it is. Remember she said she had the feeling he was familiar to her? Now that she sees him with his parents in the photo… He asks if she’s saying she knew Austin as a child, and she says, no, but she knew his father.

Austin tells Nikolas that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to cause trouble between Nikolas and his wife. He’s just there for a quiet drink. Sam says, maybe it would be better if he went back to the woods, and he says he thinks she’s right. Bears and wildcats, he understands them better than he understands people sometimes. Ava calls him a coward, and Sam leads her away. Austin tells Nikolas, if it’s any consolation, he thinks she’s trying a little too hard to forget all about him. He leaves, and Dante asks if Nikolas is okay. Nikolas says, no, but he will be, and we see someone is still watching them. Nikolas says he doesn’t care what Ava says. They’re not done.

Scotty tells Elizabeth, just because he was Franco’s father doesn’t mean he expects her to wear black for the rest of her life. Elizabeth says, oh, no, and Finn says, they’re just friends. Scotty says, it’s none of his business. They all lost a lot this year. If they can find a friend in each other, so be it. He walks off, and they look each other.

Carly finishes her drink, and says, a sound and effective strategy. Right. Jason walks in, and says he’s been thinking. She say,s her too.

Tomorrow, Trina asks Cameron if he and Josslyn are friends again, Ava asks if Nina is thinking about being with Mike, Michael tells Jax that he has to live with the consequences, and Jason tells Britt that what he has to say changes things.

The Real Housewives of New York City

In Eboni’s interview, she said, some of the women are in their Upper East Side bubble, and she wants to show them something different with her Harlem Night dinner. In Sonja’s interview, she said, if she can’t walk, someone has to drag her there, or send a car service. A woman after my own heart. In LuAnn’s interview, she said, the UES wasn’t that far from Harlem, and she used to go dancing and to Sylvia’s (restaurant) with Jack. I waxed nostalgic, thinking of Sylvia’s. Ramona invited new (Black) friend Bershan to come along, and in her interview, Ramona said that New Yorkers stay within their region, which is kinda sorta true. Eboni told us that she was coming off a massive dose of their world, and wanted to show them Black culture and black excellence, so she was hosting A Harlem Night with Eboni K. Williams. She also invited a friend Natalie the party. The venue was B’Harlem, which had been a real speakeasy back in the day. I love anything NYC historical, and old time Harlem is the best. It was downstairs, with the staircase outside, and the women all had a hard time navigating in their heels. Sonja said she might have to spend the night, but it wouldn’t be the first time. No surprise, everyone dressed up, and in Sonja’s interview, she said Eboni usually dressed like a lawyer, and the fact that she took the girls out, meant something. A mixologist who could have moonlighted as a stand-up comic showed them how to mix a few drinks. In Ramona’s interview, she took note of the fact that the Black girls were on one side of the bar, and the white girls on the other. It didn’t make a difference, but since they were doing a cultural infusion (sounds like a cooking class), they should go with that. In Leah’s interview, she wondered how Ramona suddenly turned into the anti-integration police. She was making strides. Ramona took a picture, instructing them how to pose in a way that looked best on Instagram. In her interview, Eboni said maybe Sonja was on to something, and Ramona was all about the Gram.

Everyone sat down for dinner, and Eboni said that her love language was gifts. She gave everyone a candle with a scent that was inspired by something Harlem-ish. They all had names like Savoy, James Baldwin, Speakeasy, and Brownstone. She explained that she’d assigned each of the women an icon from the Harlem Renaissance. My favorite was Natalie’s candle, inspired by W.B. Du Bois, the first Black person to get a PhD from Harvard. He’d said, the pleasure was all Harvard’s. Eboni explained who various figures were and what they’d accomplished, and in her interview, Ramona said she liked learning new things, but she wished they’d been given an agenda. In Leah’s interview, she said Eboni was losing some of her students. Bershan announced they were all the same, but Eboni disagreed. In her interview, she said, these bitches already thought they were all the same. They needed understand their exceptionalness and uniqueness. She felt undermined. Ramona started squawking about being tired, and saying her vertigo was bothering her. Surprisingly, no one knew what that was. A lot of people have it – I have it – and it’s an inner ear thing that can cause you to lose your balance. Ramona did a demonstration, but I wasn’t sure if she was actually suffering from this, or it was just an excuse to bounce. Ramona said it was from stress, and made her exit. Since she bent down to kiss Sonja goodbye, and got up just fine, so I leaned on the side of this being a get-out-of-the-party-free card. It was agreed it was probably best that Ramona left, since they then discussed small weenies, and I don’t mean hot dogs. Eboni said she thought Harlem was a magical part NYC, and a part of black excellence in America.  

Eboni met Leah at the Brooklyn Chop House, which FYI, isn’t in Brooklyn. Eboni asked if Leah thought her Harlem night resonated with everyone, and Leah said she thought it did, but Ramona had a disconnect. Eboni thought LuAnn was quiet, but not everyone could be on all the time. Leah said she thought white people were scared to get it wrong, and in Leah’s interview, she said the women had been walking on eggshells after the Hamptons. They didn’t know how offensive they were sometimes. We flashed back to Ramona and the help thing. Leah is spot-on about them being clueless, but that’s actually one of the things that makes this Housewives show better. When there’s a blow-up, it’s almost always because someone was clueless or being self-centered. With some others in the franchise – I’m talking to you RHOBH – it’s a ploy for screen time. Eboni said that education was her life’s work, and Leah said she didn’t think Eboni was always aware of her power. She was knowledgeable and powerful, and it could be intimidating. In Eboni’s interview, she said she made no apologies for who she was. I’m a a lot, and you bitches are too. Leah said Eboni shouldn’t feel like it was her job, but Eboni said, if not her, then who? In her interview, Leah said she thought Eboni just getting to know the women, and being their friend would teach them. Victoria visited LuAnn, and we found out Victoria has been sober for a year. LuAnn said she’d like to see Sonja reel it in, but Victoria told her to just be an example. In LuAnn’s interview, she said, being present is a gift you give to people, and she and Victoria got a little weepy. LuAnn said she was connecting the dots, and realized her father was a river that ran through her life. She was realizing how it had effected everyone. Victoria said she’d wanted LuAnn to acknowledge the insanity and apologize, and the two of them had a moment.

Leah and Kier met with admissions consultant Whitney to talk about Kier’s applications to private high school. Leah apologized to Whitney for Bunny calling her, and in Leah’s interview, she said her mother was trying to get involved in the decision. She was obsessed with any decisions made about Kier, and Leah thought it was because Bunny believed Kier could be what Leah wasn’t. Leah had gone to an all-girl Catholic school, and Bunny wanted Kier to go, but Bunny was meeting resistance. Leah wanted Kier to have a great high school experience. She didn’t want her daughter to end up in a therapeutic community run by nuns. My sister actually talked my parents out of sending me to an all-girls Catholic school. Thank you, Linda. Whitney said she wanted Kier to own this process, and then had a one-on-one with Leah, which seemed contradictory. Leah wondered how Kier could adjust to the change from public to private school, and didn’t want her in a school with elitists. Whitney said it was a hard balance, and my thoughts went to the short-lived NYC Prep. I loved that show, but man, they were snobby. Leah thought Rob was going to awkward in interviews, and wondered if he had to be there. She was going to tell him that he’d be playing the role of a mute.

Eboni paid a visit to Ramona, who said in her interview that she wanted to get to the meat and potatoes of Eboni. She thought Eboni could be preachy, but liked her. Ramona told Eboni that she was blown away by Eboni’s attention to detail; she took the party to another level. Eboni asked about the election, and how Ramona thought it would be in the city. She was happy that her daughters might see a female VP. Ramona said she didn’t want to talk politics. She just wanted to have a nice evening. In Eboni’s interview, she said she was shocked. She thought they could have a middle ground as women with daughters. In Ramona’s interview, she said she wanted to know more about what she and Eboni had in common. She wanted to peel back the onion. Ramona said Eboni had opened her eyes in the Hamptons. She’d looked up white girl aggression, and we saw a clip of Ramona explaining the term and triggering words to LuAnn. Eboni said they had a divided country, and that they didn’t know who had won yet was indicative of that. Ramona insisted it was all about the mail-in ballots. She said Eboni was preaching and teaching, and she had to walk away for a minute. In her interview, Ramona said that she felt like Eboni was shoving something down her throat, and she was sounding a little preachy. She interacted with Coco, asking the dog why Eboni couldn’t back off. In her interview, Eboni said she was trying to connect and understand Ramona’s values, so they could have a real friendship.

Ramona came back, and toasted to being in a happy place. Eboni said she wanted to be in an authentic place, but Ramona insisted a happy place was where she wanted to be. Eboni said it was her white fragility talking, and Ramona said she didn’t want to talk race, religion, or creed, and Eboni was lecturing. We saw a clip of LuAnn saying, it was like being back in school, and Sonja saying, she thought Eboni should talk about a different subject sometimes. Eboni told Ramona, they were all big girls, and everyone should say how they feel. Ramona said this was too heavy for her right now; she wanted to enjoy life. Eboni said she didn’t have the privilege of being that way. Did Ramona have a coat closet for her Blackness? Ramona said she felt like she was being attacked. She’d wanted to talk about T.J. Walker, the first Black woman millionaire. Eboni corrected Ramona, saying, it was C.J. Walker, and Ramona said, whatever. Eboni said it wasn’t whatever, and Ramona said she felt like she was with a teacher. Well, that may be, but I thought Eboni was saving Ramona from future embarrassment should she share that information. I’d want someone to correct me privately if I got it wrong, but in Ramona’s interview, she said that she was shocked Eboni was picking on her for no reason. Ramona told Eboni that she was leaving. I think what she meant to do was tell Eboni to leave, but she got confused. Eboni told Ramona about Sonja bringing up the pictures Ramona posted –and Eboni reposted – of her new Black friends, and perhaps it was for show. Ramona said Sonja was just jealous and resentful because she gave Eboni some attention. They ended up hugging it out, and Eboni said she wasn’t going to treat Ramona with kid gloves; Ramona was a strong white woman. Ramona said Eboni was a strong Black bitch, and Eboni agreed. In Eboni’s interview, she said, it was a sh*t show, but one they survived. She thought it ended up bringing them closer in a weird way. She said she wasn’t going to let Ramona kick her out, and said it was pretty funny that Ramona was going to leave her own house. She told Ramona she was wondering what to do, since she didn’t even know how to lock up.

Next time, Eboni brings Sonja to her dating coach, a trip to Salem, and Leah says Ramona is what’s wrong in the world.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton took Erika for a ride in her mid-life crisis divorcee car. In Erika’s interview, she said, based on Tom’s last two divorces, he was a fighter to the end. If she got a Bentley, she’d be lucky. Sutton rented a spa for the two of them, so they could be mask-free, and brought along a divorce care package, consisting of Pop chips, some kind of toffee, and Dom Perignon. In her interview, Sutton said she’d been through a divorce, and a divorce could take a long time, especially if it was complicated, and it was a rich people divorce. Friends were crucial to the process. Erika said they had chips, candy, and champagne; what more could she want? She told Sutton one moment she was good, and the next, she was lost. Sutton said they’d been married to powerful men, and Erika said they could be sadistic. Tom wouldn’t be rolling over to give her anything. In her interview, Erika said she knew how mean and overly dismissive was, and we flashed back to Tom snapping at Erika when they were at dinner with Ken and LVP.

Crystal had a session with kickboxing instructor Rashad, and in her interview, she said she started kickboxing to get the baby weight off. She always struggled with body image, and had stopped working out, but discovered a regular routine helped her. This is possibly the only time she and I will agree. I work out almost every day, and I love to incorporate kickboxing into it. Toward the end of Crystal’s workout, daughter Zoey had a meltdown, and in Crystal’s interview, she said she wasn’t an instigator <choke> or a fighter, but she would defend herself when she knew she was right. Her high energy house was sometimes too much.

Erika and Sutton did some cryotherapy, Erika saying she was an ice queen anyway. Afterwards, they hit the sauna, and Sutton asked if Erika was mad that Tom never came to see her in Chicago. Erika said it hurt. She’d gotten there because of his support, so why wasn’t he there for the payoff? In her interview, she said she was the wife he’d supported and funded, and became a lead in a Broadway show, yet he didn’t come. Then she had to defend him. We saw a clip from Watch What Happens Live, when she said he’d planned on coming when covid happened. Erika said her marriage was different from the rest of the women, and that was the hardest part. She told Sutton that she spent four months in NYC, and realized she was literally on own and okay. She thanked Sutton for the spa day, and said Sutton was one of the most kind-hearted people in her life.  

In Garcelle’s interview, she said talk show host was on her bucket list, but she’d never imagined she’d be doing it from home. Sadly, the Kyle goldfish had died, but Garcelle said, for a goldfish, he’d lived a long life – 2020-2020. Once she’d gotten The Real, things had gotten really busy, and housekeeper Glenda was hired when it became too much. You know with a name like Glenda, I would expect her to arrive in a giant pink bubble every day. Garcelle asked the boys how they’d feel if she got married again, and son Jax wondered why she’d want marry someone. In her interview, Garcelle said she sometimes wondered how the divorce had shaped them. She had to be sensitive, but they also needed to see what a happy, healthy relationship was; she wanted to model how it should be.

Erika picked LisaR up in her Range Rover to go Christmas decoration shopping, and LisaR brought Santa hats for the occasion. They talked about various rumors, and Erika said there were headlines that she’d been seen with a couple of guys she hadn’t seen in years. We saw a clip of Garcelle and Erika discussing it, and Garcelle saying that an acquaintance had said she’d seen Tom out with someone who wasn’t Erika. In Erika’s interview, she said it wasn’t the first time she’d heard something like that. If at 81½ he was still out there getting p*ssy, hats off to you, player. I guess I’d feel the same way. He’s no <insert your favorite handsome actor here>. Erika said, you can’t even acknowledge this sh*t, and LisaR told her that the rumors of her daughter being with Scott Disick were true. Amelia had told her that they were just friends, then sent a video of them on the beach. LisaR said, Amelia was 19, and Scott was 37 with three kids. Erika said there was nothing she could do, and LisaR was thinking, maybe it was a phase. She wondered if she should text Kris, but she didn’t want to bring attention to it. They put their Santa hats and masks on, and went into the store. In her interview, Erika said she could have taken a lot of things, but she didn’t. It just brought back memories, and she couldn’t compete with her tiny house. Mind you, she means tiny according to her standards, which is probably big to us regular folks. In LisaR’s interview, she said she’d seen Lois every year at Christmas, and it was hard. Kyle called while they were in the store, and told them that she was inviting everyone over for drinks tomorrow, since they thought there was going to be another shutdown. She suggested sending Scott to Erika’s house, but Erika said she’d be too old for him.

In Kyle’s interview, she said when children were little, you were their favorite person, and they wanted to spend every waking minute with you. Then, they wanted nothing to do with you. You were not cool. It had been hard for Portia when Sofia went to college, since they were each other’s favorite people. She said when they’d left Sofia in D.C., Portia cried the entire way home. Portia was also having a different experience from the others, since she was going to a new school, but hadn’t gone to an actual campus, and she wasn’t meeting other kids. Kyle was worried for her, and had set up a surprise. When the family sat down to dinner, Sofia showed up. She had come directly from her campus, and said she’d tested negative, but was still being careful. So they couldn’t hug, but they touched toes. In her interview, Kyle said they loved each other so much. She hoped they would never lose it.

Everyone got ready for Kyle’s cocktail party, and Crystal said, growing up, she had been a tomboy; she was lucky there were stylists, since she had to go to events with her husband. Sutton put a giant black bow at the neck of her white blouse. Later, on WWHL, Andy would call it a tarantula bow, which was pretty accurate. I wouldn’t wear it, but I support her right to. Sutton always makes interesting fashion choices. She rode with Kyle to the party, and said that Crystal needed to get a sense of humor. The women met at the Huntley Hotel, where they modeled their attire for each other. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, Dorit commits to her brand, head to toe, and Sutton looked like a big old gift. There was an appetizer buffet, and Erika ordered another hot toddy. I wondered if she had a thing for them now. They do sound good, but only if it’s like, thirty degrees Fahrenheit out. LisaR wondered if she needed to call Scott Lord, and Kathy said she had to curtsey, which I assume was a joke? Kyle got loud, saying, he was too damn old, and had three kids. They all gave a hard no to their daughters dating older men, but in Erika’s interview, she said she was the girl dating the older man. In Kathy’s interview, she said from her experience, it could be worse. Dorit walked in during the discussion, and asked if it was mazel tov or no. Kathy thought mazel tov could mean good luck or merry Christmas. Garcelle said her oldest son Oliver had been lost, and then he met Sam, a woman who had an eight, six, and two-year-old. And she became pregnant with Oliver’s child. In her interview, Garcelle said Oliver had been lost for a long time, and we flashed back to a reunion where Garcelle talked about his addiction. She said she did what she could for him, from being supportive to giving tough love, but Oliver had a rough time for a long time. She told the women that Sam had been the best thing that ever happened to him, and all of them were her grandchildren. You couldn’t judge a book by its cover, and LisaR could be the grandmother of three.

In Garcelle’s interview, she said that her dating coach had gotten her on Bumble. She’d had to verify her photo five times because men thought she was catfishing. They sat down to eat, and Erika told the women, when she found out she had to get online to date, she was like, whaaat? She wanted to go over their financials first. Kathy called Sutton Thomasina, as in peeping Tom, and Sutton was not amused. Kyle said she’d explained to Kathy what happened in Tahoe. Crystal said Sutton had violated her, which gave the implication it was sexual. Crystal said she was naked, and felt uncomfortable. In Kyle’s interview, she said, embarrassed, awkward, or rude would have been more appropriate words, not violated. They kicked around definitions, and in Sutton’s interview, she said Kathy walked in on her when she was half-naked on the phone. She thought it was a normal girls trip occurrence, but maybe Crystal didn’t really have girlfriends. Garcelle said violation sounded like something intentional, and that wasn’t the case. In Erika’s interview, she said Sutton was a good Southern girl; thoughtful and generous. A word could get twisted around, making something small become bigger, and getting everyone involved. In Dorit’s interview, she said she thought the issue was insignificant, and they needed to move on. Sutton said she’d thought it was okay to come in, and there was nothing freaky going on. She was getting angry, and Crystal didn’t want her getting angry. I wondered if she turned into the Hulk or something, and she said she wasn’t in a bad place emotionally now. She’d been in a vulnerable in Tahoe, and apologized for it. She wasn’t letting Crystal make it sound like she was a weirdo. Crystal needed to tell everyone that nothing weird happened, and everyone had to agree on it. It was about her reputation. She wasn’t Mr. Poppins. This caused a lively side discussion about who Mr. Poppins might be, and in Garcelle’s interview, she asked if Mary Poppins had a man and she didn’t. Crystal said she didn’t believe Sutton came in to do anything weird, and she’d said that. It suddenly becoming more significant, Dorit said that wasn’t the case, and Crystal’s conversation about it was different than what she was saying now. In her interview, Dorit said when Crystal first talked about it, she made it sound like Sutton had set out to hurt or harm her, or make her uncomfortable. We flashed back to Crystal telling some of the others about it, and saying it was creepy, and Sutton had been shaming her. Dorit said, now Crystal was saying Sutton had no bad intentions, Now it was a different story. Kathy said everyone had been under pressure, and both Sutton and Crystal had a lot going on. Crystal hadn’t been away from her husband and kids. The night before the trip, Kathy had been excited, but scared. Kathy then called Dorit her English girl, and Erika said Dorit was from Connecticut. Dorit said her husband was English, but Kathy waved all that away, saying she’d never heard anything shady about Sutton. It was a game of telephone. Sutton said it was a dangerous game, and in Garcelle’s interview, she said nowadays, with cancel culture going on, it wasn’t the time to be throwing around strong words. Crystal said she wasn’t going to stop being an a-hole backing down on the word. It was done. Sutton said, no, it wasn’t.

Next time, Erika plays tennis badly, Harry Hamlin cooks for the women, and Crystal calls Sutton jealous.

🥂 Tomorrow Is Another Day…

We’ve almost made it to Friday, or the fifth day for those no longer caring. The Shahs are moving to Thursdays starting July 11th, but in the meantime, it looks like soap and a wild card. As always, stay safe, stay doing you, and stay avoiding perception problems that lead to chaos and violence. It tends to rattle everybody.

June 29, 2021 – Jason Suggests Ava’s Solution, Sandy Wants Benny Dead, Cursed Out & Get Up

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth knocks on Finn’s office door, and says she has the lab results he wanted. He thanks her, going back to his desk, and she says, don’t. He cured Chase, and Chase’s health is getting better by the day. With physical therapy, he should be able to walk again, especially with Willow by his side. Finn should be happy for that. Don’t dwell on Peter. The world is a better place without him. Finn says Peter’s body is still in the subbasement, and it’s only a matter of time before the police find it. She tells him that Anna already almost figured it out.   

Valentin and Anna run into Austin’s cabin, as rain pours down outside. She says she hopes there’s a hot shower. She thinks the rain will destroy any possibility, and Valentin says, of finding the baby? Maybe they should go home. She asks if he’s saying he’s giving up. Does he think Maxie’s baby is gone for good?

Maxie says, Sasha is pregnant. She didn’t realize. They haven’t talked, and their paths haven’t crossed. She congratulates Sasha, and they hug.  

Brook walks into the MetroCourt, and asks Michael if he has a second. He says, not really, but she says he’s been hard to catch at the mansion, and she’d like some one-on-one time to talk about him and Willow. When are they getting back together? He says, Chase has had another setback; he can’t walk. She says, oh my God. Hasn’t Chase suffered enough? She hopes it’s not permanent, and he says, Finn doesn’t know; no one does. Willow can’t tell Chase that they’re together while he’s going through this. Brook says, they can’t be together for a long time, when Josslyn joins them. She asks what’s going on between Michael and Willow?   

Scotty sees Obrecht, and pats the stool next to him, pulling it out for her. She sits, and he says, guess what? He landed a client with deep pockets. What say they fly first class from there to Honolulu? She says, it sounds lovely. Britt walks in, but waits by the entrance, and Obrecht says, perhaps a vacation with him will help her forget the sorrow in her head. He asks, what is it? Maxie’s baby? Franco? What’s making her so sad?

Carly gives Jason a beer, and says she just keeps thinking about what Ava said. How it’s theater; a performance demonstrating a binding contract. Jason says, Ava doesn’t know their situation, and Carly asks if he sees where she’s going. Is she wrong? He shakes his head, and says, no. She’s not wrong.

Josslyn asks if Michael and Willow are together together, and Brook says she has an important meeting, and she’s late per usual. Good luck. She leaves, and Michael says he got him and Josslyn a table. They walk over, and he tells her, have a seat. She sits, and says, not so fast. Mom told her that Michael and Sasha broke up. Is that the reason why? Michael says, no, and she says, from what Brooke said, it sounded like he and Willow wanted to be together, but can’t. Is she getting warm?

Sasha says she’s so sorry about Maxie’s baby, and Lucy says, that’s why she didn’t want Maxie to be part of the meeting. Maxie asks if Lucy thinks she can’t be happy for Sasha, and Nina says, congratulations. She didn’t realize. Is Sasha in a relationship? Sasha says, it’s complicated, and she’s sorry. This isn’t the way she wanted either of them to find out. Nina says, don’t be silly, and don’t feel bad at all. Celebrate the life she’s carrying. Nina and Sasha hug, and Sasha thanks her, especially after Sasha lied. Nina says she’s not thinking about the past; she’s tired of the past. Brook flies in, saying, sorry she’s late. Is it her imagination or… She sees Maxie and stops.

Anna suggests she and Valentin look at what they know. The nurse sent a PIN, and hands off the baby to someone before she falls. Peter vanishes without a trace, and the nurse conveniently falls to her death in an abandoned mine shaft. It’s vintage Peter. If Peter has the baby, he’s going to make certain he’s not found again. Valentin says, Peter’s not infallible, like Faison wasn’t infallible. They’re going to find Maxie’s daughter. Anna asks why he’s doing this. Why is he there when he could be warm and dry with Charlotte and her baby sister?  Valentin says he won’t rest until they find Maxie’s daughter.

Finn asks if Anna was checking the subbasement, but Elizabeth says, Anna was on the roof, and found the elevator. She thought that might be how Peter got away, but she convinced Anna that wasn’t possible. Anna figured out that Peter was going to take a helicopter, and now she’s determined to find out the identity of the pilot. Finn says, that’s not going to help, but Anna won’t stop digging until she finds out. Sorry. She says he has nothing to apologize for, and he says, he’d interrupted her before. How close was she to telling Jason about Peter? She says, Jason is an expert at this kind of thing, in making sure inconvenient people aren’t found. She was tempted to tell him. Finn says, and he stopped her. As much as she trusts Jason, he doesn’t know Jason, and doesn’t want him involved. She says she hears him, but it’s only a matter of time before the police investigation leads them back to the hospital, where Peter was last seen. They’re going to check the sealed off areas, and discover the body. What can they do to not make this worse?   

Scotty says he wants to take Obrecht’s problems away, and she says he’s so kind. Britt joins them, and Obrecht says Scotty was trying to cheer her up. Scotty suggests taking the girls out for a couple of T-bones, but Obrecht says, perhaps another time. Britt invited her for a drink. Scotty says he’d never try to shoehorn in on mother/daughter business; it’s important. He and Obrecht will talk later. He leaves, and Britt says, congratulations. Obrecht had nothing to worry about. She and Scotty are a couple. Obrecht says, they are, like Britt and Jason.

Carly tells Jason she needs a favor. Be honest, and tell her straight out, what do the Novaks and other families expect? How do they demonstrate Jason is in charge? He says he makes her disappear, and she asks if he means kill her? He nods, and says, or if she wants to move, that might be enough. What does she think? She says, Port Charles is her home. Her business is here, her home is here, the home she shared with Sonny. But she doesn’t want to risk her or her kids’ lives to save face.

Jason says Carly and her kids are well protected. The best way to keep them safe is to show they’re too strong to make a move on again. They have no weaknesses to expect. Carly says, no power struggle? No question about who’s in charge? and he says, that’s exactly what Ava’s solution would do.

Britt says, Jason told her that Obrecht spoke to him about her having the genetic marker for Huntington’s disease, and Obrecht asks if that’s why Britt invited her for a drink, to discuss that. Britt says, Jason said Obrecht needed someone to talk to, and Obrecht says she’s afraid she lost control of her emotions. Looking into those blue eyes, she couldn’t help herself. Britt says she doesn’t want the disease to define who she is, and Obrecht asks, who else does she have to talk to? Britt says, how about no one? and Obrecht says, Britt and her brother were the only good things to come out of her misguided obsession with Faison, and he killed Nathan. Now Huntington’s will… Britt says, kill her? and Obrecht asks how she’s supposed to stay strong for Britt, even as the disease takes hold of the daughter of her heart?

Josslyn says she heard Brook telling Michael that he and Willow had to take time apart for a while. To her, that sounds like some people who are together. He says just because she aced her psych class doesn’t mean there’s a deep, dark secret. He invited her there to talk about getting into PCU, not talk about him. Scotty comes by, and says, hello, Michael Corinthos III and Josslyn. He understands there’s an ELQ board meeting coming up, and Michael says, there is, but what does that have to do with Scotty?  

Maxie wonders what Brook is doing there, and Brook says she’s there for a collaboration between Crimson and Deception. Lucy says, Brook came up with the idea for a social media campaign, and Brook says she already has tens of thousands of followers on Insta. Lucy says she’s dying to know what the campaign is, and Maxie says, what about Bailey? Did Brook leave her with the nanny? Nina says, the nanny’s name is Valentin, but Brook says, Valentin is away on business, but Olivia is taking care of Bailey. Lucy says Brook enlisted Valentin to go to bat for her, and face it, the guy with the purse strings gets a say. Maxie says she needs to talk to Brook alone, grabs Brook, and jets out the door with her.  

Valentin pours some whiskey into Anna’s coffee cup, and toasts to finding Maxie’s baby. Anna adds, and bringing her home. He asks if she changed her mind about giving up, and she says, actually, he changed it for her. He says they could start a fire. He saw a shed, and he’s sure firewood must be in it. She says he’s changed so much. When he first came to Port Charles he had a chip on his shoulder, and hated her. He says, I barely tolerate you now, darling, and Anna and I laugh. He says she was kind to him in their WSB days, then she rejected him. She gave him the greatest night of his life, or so he thought. She says her sister never did things by halves. She derives great pleasure in hurting the people who care for Anna. He says he was a fool as a kid, but she says, he was kind; so kind and smart, and a great sparring partner. He says, so is she, and she says she hated that he got sent away to school so young. It was like he was abandoned. He says, is she kidding him? He’ll go check on the firewood. He leaves, and Anna leans back on the couch, and shakes her head.

Finn says if Elizabeth is suggesting they move Peter’s body, He thinks it’s a bad idea. She asks if he had a better one, and he says, something needs to be done, but she’s not the one to do it. She says he can’t do it alone, but he says he can and he will. He’s going to the PCPD and confessing to killing Peter.

Jason tells Carly that he wants to be clear. It’s not a magic bullet. Taking this step won’t guarantee peace but… She says, it won’t prevent it, and he says, it will send a message that she supports him as head of the Corinthos Organization, and it’s not possible to divide and conquer. She says, it makes sense from a business perspective, and he says, besides complete destruction, it’s the best option he’s heard so far. She says, but they’re not a business; they’re people. What would this mean for their lives?

Scotty says, the ELQ shareholder’s meeting is no secret. He’s done his research. Michael asks why Scotty is interested. He doesn’t have anything to do with ELQ. Scotty says, everyone needs a hobby, like birdwatching. Some are more interesting than others. He’ll see Michael later. He leaves, and Josslyn asks what that was about. Michael says her guess is as good as his, but he doesn’t want to think about Scotty tonight. When does volleyball practice start? She says, soon. There’s a team building trip coming up, and she’ll get to meet the players. Michael says that must be exciting for her… isn’t it?

Maxie asks what Brook is thinking. She doesn’t even like to work. Brook says, that’s not true. Valentin said she’d make a dynamic businesswoman, and she found a way to build her resumé, and for Maxie to see her daughter. Maxie asks how Brook is going to make that happen, and Brook says, both Crimson and Deception are socially conscious organizations. Maxie asks how that’s going to help her, and Brook says, there’s a childcare center next door. She’ll bring Bailey/Louise to work, and since she can’t have the baby in the office, Maxie will be able to see her daughter away from the busybody Q’s wondering why she’s there.

Elizabeth says she and Finn talked about going to the police, and decided it was a bad idea. Finn says, that was when Chase was sick. He found an antidote. He promises not to implicated her, and she says, if he confesses, his life is over. He says, so is hers if they find her DNA on the body. If he confesses, they’ll have no reason to check. She says he needs to think about this, but he says that’s all he’s done. If he’s going to do this right, he needs to have lawyer. He called Franco’s father.

Valentin gets a fire going, and says, a fire and a bottle of whiskey; what more could they want? She says she’d like his full attention. He couldn’t get out fast enough when she brought up his childhood. She didn’t pity him; she admired him. She admired his courage. He’s very strong, and still is. He pours some more whiskey into his cup, and says, the rain’s not stopping. She asks if he thinks they’re stuck, and he says, stuck in what way?  

Britt tells Obrecht that she’s not getting sick tomorrow. Or next week, or even, hopefully, next year. Huntington’s strikes most people older than she is. Obrecht says, she understands that Britt doesn’t want the disease dominating her life, and Britt says, especially since she has to fight to keep her Chief of Staff position. Obrecht says she heard Monica was back in charge, and Britt says, and another doctor wants her job. She suggests they make a deal. No more breakdowns in front of Jason, and instead, Obrecht can confide her worries to Scotty. Obrecht says Britt wants her to tell Scotty the truth about her? and Britt says, have at it, waterworks and all. Obrecht thanks her, and promises Scotty won’t tell a soul, or he’ll have her to answer to. Nor will he look at Britt any different. Britt says Obrecht doesn’t have to make that promise. Scotty won’t be able to help it; no one can. Obrecht ask if Jason sees Britt any differently.

Carly says, once upon a time, Michael was a toddler, and she didn’t want anything more. She sabotaged everything, and threw him away with both hands. Jason says, he came back, and he thinks it’s better. Before, Carly couldn’t have anything good, because if she got what she wanted, she would test it until it broke. That’s why he worked for Sonny. She and Sonny could test and break each other, and still come back together. She says, Sonny is gone, and no one else understands how empty she feels. No one else has the same hole in their heart except him. She sighs.

Josslyn says Michael doesn’t need to worry about her; she’s got this. He says, okay, but it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed going to college. She says, Trina is going to PCU, and they already have housing there. He says, Cameron is going there too, right? and she says, that’s what he posted. He asks if they haven’t gotten over their disagreement, but she says, it was more than a disagreement. He says, they’ve been friends since kindergarten, and she says, Cameron almost shot Jason; he’s family. Michael says, people make mistakes, and they forgive them, and she asks if that’s why he let Nina back in Wiley’s life. What changed his mind and made him decide to forgive Nina?

Lucy says, Maxie is devastated about her baby’s disappearance, as she should be, and Nina didn’t know her daughter until after she was dead. Nina says, Nelle was taken from her a long time ago, but she’s right to worry about Maxie. That’s fresh, and Peter put her through so much pain. Maxie’s daughter is out there. Sasha says her idea combines their campaign with a way to help find Maxie’s baby, and Lucy says she’s all ears. Spill.

Maxie asks if she’s hearing what she thinks she is. Brook deliberately took a job so she could see her baby? Brook asks why she looks so surprised. The whole point was to keep the baby safe from Peter, not keep Maxie and her baby apart. Maxie says she doesn’t know what to think, and Brook says when she saw Maxie holding her daughter, she saw the love Maxie has for her, and the pain in letting her go. She has complete faith that Maxie made the right decision. The best place for Louise is with her and Valentin, but she wants to do everything she can to make it easy for Maxie to see her baby as much as possible. Maxie hugs her.

Finn tells Elizabeth that Scotty is on his way, but she says there’s still time for him to change his mind. Don’t throw away his life for Peter. As far as she’s concerned, Peter got just what he deserved. He says, Maxie still thinks Peter is out there, and he’s going to find her baby and disappear. Or target her and her children. At the very least, he can put her fears to rest. Elizabeth says, it’s good to be noble, but don’t turn himself in to protect her. He says her sons need her. They just lost their stepfather, and she’ll do them no good in prison. If he’s going to do this, he needs to do it alone. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s the nanny with Violet. Finn asks if Violet is okay, and the nanny says, Violet couldn’t sleep; she missed him. Finn picks up Violet and holds her, and Elizabeth smiles. Guess he forgot about Violet.

Jason tells Carly, this is a big step. If they take it, there’s no going back, so they have to be sure. They have to weigh what they can gain against what they could lose. They could lose everything. She asks if he’s really thinking of doing this? and he says he thinks they have to. She says she needs time alone to think about this, and he says, him too. She says she knows he’s oblivious to things like this, but everyone will think she planned this. They think she ran off every woman he’s loved in case she needed him, and now she needs him… He says, it they do this, they know why, and that’s all that matters. He leaves, and Carly does some thinking.

Britt tells Obrecht that she doesn’t think Jason looks at her any differently. He accepts her as she is, before and after. Obrecht asks if they made love after she revealed her diagnosis. Isn’t that significant? Britt says she’s not discussing her sex life with Obrecht, and Obrecht apologizes for overstepping. Britt must stop avoiding her feelings, and tell Jason the truth, that she cares for him. Britt asks, who says she cares for him? and Obrecht says, Britt does. It’s in her eyes, and the tone of her voice when his name comes up. Whatever time she has left, live it passionately with the man she knows she’s growing to love. Something else tells her that he loves Britt too.

Michael tells Josslyn that he had time to think, and maybe giving Nina a second chance isn’t a bad idea. She asks if he discussed it with their mom. He knows how she feels about Nina. He says Carly isn’t afraid of sharing her opinion, but he can’t worry about that right now. She says, because of the Willow thing, and he says, there is no thing. Willow is married to Chase; there’s no story. She says she wants him to be happy, and he says, like her? She says she’s fine. She has college stuff to look forward to. He suggests they have dessert to celebrate, but she says she can’t. She should get home. He congratulates her again, and makes her promise to get together with him soon. She says she loves him, and thanks him for dinner. He says he loves her too, and she’s welcome.

Brook and Maxie come back in, and Lucy says, it looks like they worked things out. Maxie says they had a good talk, and she realized she can miss her daughter without drowning in it. Lucy says Maxie is amazing, and they need to support her. Maxie says she could bask in their compliments forever, but they need to move on. She asks Lucy to show her concept, and Lucy says, great. When Sasha came to her, and told her that she was pregnant, she wondered how they could include new moms – Sasha says, and mothers-to-be – in their product line, and in the pages of Crimson. This is what she came up with. She unveils a photo of a pregnant Sasha that says, The Face of Conception. Nina says, very cool, and Lucy says, there’s another part to the launch, but it was Sasha’s idea, so she’s going to let Sasha tell them. Sasha says she thought, to keep the search for Maxie’s baby in the forefront, everyone could hold a midnight candlelight vigil across the country, and alert the nation to the kidnapping of Maxie’s baby. Brook says, that’s a terrible idea.

Anna looks at Bailey/Louise’s picture, and says, she’s gorgeous. Valentin says she’s right. Objectively, she is a beautiful baby. She lights up the room. Anna asks, what’s going on with him and Brook? and he says, she’s candid and outrageous, and surprisingly kind. He likes her. She amuses him. Anna says, cozy? and he says he doesn’t know how cozy it is, but they’re getting along. She says, that’s a good thing, and he asks if there’s anyone in Anna’s life to ease the pain of her losing Finn.

Finn says he misses Violet too, but it’s past her bedtime. She says, his too; he works too hard. Elizabeth asks if Violet had fun being a flower girl, and Violet says her daddy made Uncle Chase better, like he said he would. Why can’t Finn be with her more? Finn says he wants that more than anything in the world, and Violet says, when Uncle Chase leaves the hospital, they can have a tea party, with him, Willow, and Roxie. Finn says, Uncle Chase will love that, and so will Willow. Violet asks, won’t Finn be there?

Lucy asks how holding a vigil for a missing child be a bad thing? and Brook says, it will remind Maxie of her own baby. Nina says, they’re trying to help Maxie, not hurt her, and Sasha says, she agrees. She thought as many people as possible should be made aware that Maxie’s baby was stolen, and Lucy says, if Peter has a light shone on him, the more people might look for him. Nina says, they might call the police, and Lucy says, it’s for Maxie. Sasha says, they’re right. It’s a great idea, and Maxie says, who knows? Maybe they’re right.

Anna tells Valentin that she has plenty of people in her life who make her feel better; Robin, her grandchildren, Violet, Maxie, her friends. Friends and family, but she doesn’t get to see them all that often. He says he can think of someone she sees quite often, and she says, Robert? He nods, and she says Robert just recently forgave her. When she went back for Sean’s memorial, they talked. He asks, how about him? Is he her friend? Is he on her list of friends? She says, see what he did? Of course (🍷) he is. He’s wonderful. She couldn’t have gotten through the past few months without him. He says, nor him without her.

Finn says he loves seeing Violet, but it’s late, and time for bed. He tells her, goodnight, and Violet says goodnight to him and her Aunt Elizabeth. At the door, Finn tells Violet he loves her, and blows her a kiss. Elizabeth says, now he knows why he can’t confess. She’s not the only one with children who need her. Scotty arrives, and says the nanny gets prettier every day. She’s like a gift of sunshine. Finn said he needed legal advice. What are they talking about? Malpractice?

Josslyn walks in, and says she can’t figure out what’s going on with Michael, but stops when she sees Carly. She asks if Carly is okay, and Carly says, sorry. What’s going on with Michael? Josslyn says, nothing. What about her? She has that look on her face. Carly says, what look? and Josslyn says, like she’s thinking about something important.

Britt goes to her office. She remembers what Obrecht said about living passionately with man she’s grown to love, and flashes back to her and Jason getting busy. Jason comes to the door, and says her name. She turns and smiles. He doesn’t smile, but it’s hard to tell if it’s not just his normal look, or if there’s a problem.

Tomorrow, Austin asks if there’s anything Sam isn’t suspicious of, Finn says he needs legal representation, Ava wonders if she can fix something, and Jason asks if there’s a problem.

The Haves and The Have Nots

When we last left, Jim accused Celine of killing his daughter Amanda.

Celine asks what Jim is talking about, and he says Celine was the last person to see his daughter alive. She asks again what he’s talking about, and he says he knows she did it. She asks why he’s saying these things, and he says Veronica knows what he’s talking about. Celine asks why he’s saying this; she never hurt Amanda. He says her lawyer should be the one to tell her what’s going on, and Celine says, one of them tell her. Veronica says, Jim is  going to try and frame her. Celine says, with what? and Jim says, the DA made it clear that he wasn’t certain it was a suicide. Celine says Jim would use his daughter’s death to destroy her? and he says he’d use the devil herself. Celine says, he is the devil, but he says, the devil is this beautiful bitch standing by Celine’s side. Celine says Jim has done a lot to her, but she can’t believe this, and he tells her to be a good little girl. Drop this, or he’ll make her life a living hell. She says, it’s already hell, and she’s not dropping it. He suggests she drop in the hole he’s already dug for Veronica, and Veronica asks if he’s threatening to hurt her, but he says, it’s not a threat. Consider it something he’d like to check off his bucket list. Just wait and see. Veronica says she’s waiting, and he tells her, get off his property. She says he’s been served. She wants the money in 24 hours, or he’ll go to jail. He says they’ll see about that. Since she served him, she might as well leave the papers. She hands him the envelope, and says, he’s been served. He thanks her, and says, he’s used to it. He goes inside.

Hanna goes into Wyatt’s dark apartment, and walks into the bedroom. She says she’s not trying to see this, and bangs on something, rousing Roderick and two women. He asks who the hell she is, and she says her name is Hanna Young. She works for Kathryn. He says he doesn’t need anything, thanks, and starts to lie back down. She says, no, and he says, what? She says, ladies, and slams a pillow repeatedly on the bed. They need to get up, get their clothes and their things, and get out. Roderick asks who the hell she is, and she says they need to go. She doesn’t think her boss would be too pleased to find out there were ladies in her house. Roderick says, fine, and tells the women, get up, hustling them out of the bed. Hanna says, let’s move, and seeing they’re not wearing much except thongs, she says, my God Jesus. She tells Roderick that Kathryn also wants him to answer his phone. He says, okay. Hanna isn’t going to tell her… Hanna says, oh yes she is, and he says, she’ll ask him to leave. Hanna asks what Kathryn is to him, and he asks if Kathryn didn’t tell her. Hanna says she wants him to tell her, and he says Kathryn is a really good friend; she takes care of him. They take care of each other. Hanna says, okay, and starts to leave, but Roderick grabs her arm. She says, hands off, please, and he says, don’t tell Kathryn. He knows a beautiful woman like Hanna knows what it’s like to do what you have to. She says she knows damn well he’s not trying to flirt with her. Does he know how much money he’d have to pay her? Boy, bye. She walks out.

Okay, here’s how I’m going to do this. The thug Jim hired to take care of Veronica will be Thug 1. The French thug Veronica hired to take care of Thug 1 will be Thug 2. Kind of like Thing 1 and Thing 2. Hey, I’m doing the best I can. A car pulls into a parking garage. Thug 2 holds a gun on Thug 1, and tells him, get out of the car. Thug 1’s phone rings, and Thug 2 tells him, answer it. He does, and Jim says, the bitch just left house. He wants it done now. Thug 1 hangs up, and puts the phone on the ground. He asks if Thug 2 is going to kill him, and Thug 2 says, sorry, man. He knows how it goes. Thug 1 says, you live by the sword, you die by the sword, and Thug 2 says, that’s right. Turn around. Thug 1 grabs the hand holding the gun, and knocks it away. They fight, using a lot of kicks, which I always like. They fight for a while, and Thug 1, who looks like he might have gotten the worst of it, asks Thug 2 if he gives up.   

Benny calls Rianna, who says he can move in tomorrow. She needs to drop off the keys, and he suggests they meet at the house. She agrees, and he says he’ll be there shortly, but she says, no, tomorrow. He thanks her, and she says she’ll see him then. He sits on the bed, and she calls back. She says she wanted to tell him how sorry she was about what happened. No one ever stood up for her before. He says he wasn’t letting that happen, and she says she’s had to move four times. He says he’s sorry to hear that. What about killing Sandy’s…. She says she had an abortion. He was so abusive, she didn’t want a baby to be part of it. She’s regretted it every day, and thinks it’s God punishing her. He tells her, don’t feel that way, and she says she doesn’t know why she put that on him. She poured a drink… He says she shouldn’t drink alone, and she says she has no one else to drink with. He says he’ll come over, but she says, she’s alone and vulnerable. No. He tells her to send the address. She shouldn’t be alone. She says, okay; she’ll text him. He says he’ll clean up, and be over. Rianna texts Benny the address, and Candace walks into the hotel room. She tells Benny that he’s not going anywhere. That kid is serious. He says Sandy doesn’t know where he is; he’ll be fine. She says he just doesn’t listen, and he says he’ll be back, and leaves.   

Mitch walks into the Iron Bone, and sees Vinnie sitting in a booth. He sits across from Vinnie, and asks where Mama Rose is. Vinnie says she put him in charge, and Mitch says, she did? Vinnie asks if Mitch doubts him; never doubt him. Mama Rose is getting older. Mitch says, so Vinnie is the new Mama Rose? and Vinnie says, that’s right. Mitch says Vinnie wanted to talk to him, and Vinnie says, yeah. Come on. Let’s go to the office.   

In the office, Vinnie hands Mitch the phone, and says, talk to her. Mama Rose tells Mitch that she’s in Florida, and Vinnie is in charge. She’s tired. She’s not happy about what he did. Mitch asks, what did he do? and she says, Vinnie knows how to handle it. Talk to him. Mitch says, Mama…? and Vinnie asks if she hung up. Mitch says, yeah, and gives the phone back to Vinnie. Mitch says, so Vinnie is the new Mama Rose. Congratulations. Vinnie thanks him, and asks how he’s doing. Good? Mitch says he’s okay, and Vinnie wonders when was the last time Mitch had some real food, Italian food. Mitch says he’s good, and Vinnie sees he’s got a new phone. What’s with him? How did he get it? Mitch says, it was a gift from a friend, and Vinnie asks if it was Candace. Mitch is friends with her and her brother? Mitch says he is, and Vinnie says it’s good Mitch went to bat for them. Mitch told Jim that the family was protecting them. Does Mitch know how much Candace took from Jim? Mitch says he knows, but they’re good people. Vinnie asks if Mitch knows how many times Jim and David saved the family; Mitch’s uncle, his grandfather, Sandy, Sammy, his mom. Mitch says he didn’t know, and Vinnie says, they made evidence disappear. He’s in deep with Jim, and Mitch says, he didn’t know. Vinnie asks why Mitch lied to the family, and Mitch says he was just trying to protect his friend. Vinnie says Mitch shouldn’t have done that, and Mitch says he’s sorry. Vinnie says, him too. Now he has to punish Mitch for lying to the family, and Mitch says, all right. Whatever punishment Vinnie has is fine; he’ll take it. Vinnie says, it’s a delicate balance, and Mitch says, Candace brought them War, but Vinnie says they would have gotten War anyway. He’s already done her a lot of favors; she’s out. Mitch says, okay. He’ll go take his punch. Vinnie calls in Sal, who is pretty big, and Sal says, come on. Mitch goes with him.    

Outside the Iron Bone (I just like putting in Iron Bone as much as possible) Sal says, sorry, and Mitch says he’s got to do what he has to. Sal says, it is what it is, and Mitch says, just not the face. Give him a break. Sal says, sorry, bitch, and, along with two other guys, punches the sh*t out of Mitch’s stomach. Sal says, sorry, kid, and gives Mitch a punch in the face. The other two guys continue pummeling him.

Hanna is lying on the couch, and gets a collect call from Kathryn. She asks if Kathryn is doing all right, and Kathryn says she’d like a steak and a drink. Hanna says she can’t have that in there, and Kathryn says, apparently not. Did Hanna see Roderick? He’s still not answering his phone. Hanna says, mmm, and Kathryn asks what mmm means. Hanna hesitates, and Kathryn says tell her. She really likes him. What did Hanna see? Hanna says, he wasn’t by himself; he had a couple of women in there. Kathryn says, what? Dammit! Hanna says, sorry, and Kathryn says, put him out. Go with the Sheriff, and have him put out right now. Hanna says she’ll try tonight, but if not, first thing in the morning. Kathryn says, that’s the reason he’s not answering his phone; that bastard. How many? Hanna says, two, and Kathryn says, what?

Kathryn says, two in the bed, and Hanna says, yeah. Kathryn says, son of a bitch, and Hanna says she’s sorry. Kathryn says, not as sorry as he’s going to be. Hanna says Kathryn is really still married, and Kathryn says, don’t judge. Hanna say she’s not judging, and Kathryn asks if it’s too much to want be loved and love. Hanna says, no; it’s a wonderful thing. It just depends on how you get it. Kathryn says she knows Hanna’s not interested in the details, but it felt good to be held and feel loved, even if she was lying to herself. Life hasn’t been easy for her. Hanna says he can understand why Kathryn is saying that, and believes her, but she started off with more than most. Kathryn says, money doesn’t stop the pain, and Hanna says, she knows. Kathryn laughs, and asks what the hell is she doing? Hanna says Kathryn has too much on her mind to be thinking about all this, and Kathryn says she still wants Roderick’s ass out. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn suggests Hanna call him now, and let her speak to him. Hanna puts Kathryn on hold, and calls Roderick. When Roderick answers, Hanna patches Kathryn through, and Kathryn says, get the hell out, you son of a bitch. He says, let him explain, but she says, there’s nothing to explain. He had women in her house. He says he didn’t; Hanna is lying. Kathryn says, is she? and he says his sister was there. The look Hanna gives the phone is priceless, and Kathryn says, his sister was in the bed with him. He says, she was on the couch. He knew Hanna was going to lie. He loves Kathryn. Kathryn says, does he now? and he says he does. He knew Hanna would lie, and he hates a liar. Kathryn says, so does she, and he asks if she’s out. She says, no, and he says he’s worried about her, and wants to see her. He asks if they allow conjugal visits, and again, Hanna’s face. Kathryn says, what she hates are liars, and he says, so does he, but she says he lied to her. A recording comes on, saying, there’s one minute remaining. Roderick asks how Kathryn is calling him, and she says she has a friend on the line. He asks, who? and Hanna says, the liar who told Kathryn he was in her house with two other women. Roderick does a face palm, and Kathryn tells him, get your sh*t and get out of my house, or the Sheriff will be there to throw you out. Wyatt tells Roderick, get the hell off the phone, and Kathryn asks if that’s Wyatt. Is that her son? She asks Hanna if Roderick hung up, and Hanna says he did. Kathryn asks if that was Wyatt, and Hanna says, it sounded like him. Kathryn wonders what the hell Wyatt is doing there, and asks Hanna to find out for her. Hanna says, okay, and Kathryn says, he’s supposed to be in the hospital. What’s going on? Hanna says she doesn’t know, and Kathryn says she’ll call back in a few hours. She owes Hanna so much. They hang up, and Hanna drags her ass back up off the couch. I know how she feels.

Thug 1 asks if Thug 2 gives up, but Thug 2 shakes his head. Thug 1 says, go, man, and Thug 2 says he’s going to die, but Thug 1 says, it will be no easy win. Thug 2 says he sees that. Military? Thug 1 says, Marines. Him? Thug 2 says he was in the French Navy. Respect. He wishes he was on Thug 1’s team. (I am not making this up; this scene is too funny.) Thug 1 says, that can be arranged, and Thug 2 says, how so? Thug 1 asks how much Veronica is paying him, and Thug 2 says, fifteen. What did he get? Thug 1 says, he got thirty, and Thug 2 says, he’s got to do this. He needs the money. Thug 1 says, unless Thug 2 takes the money, and just says he took care of it. Then he’ll take care of Veronica. It’s a win-win. Thug 2 says he likes it. What say they shake on it? He holds out his hand, but Thug 1 says, no. He doesn’t trust Thug 2 as far as he can kick him. Thug 2 says, smart man. So deal? Thug 1 says, deal, and Thug 2 tells him to get his gun, which ended up on the parking lot floor, along with Thug 2’s gun. Thug 1 picks up both guns, hands Thug 2 his gun, and they both get in the car.

Veronica walks into a gay dance club, and approaches the drag queen hostess. The hostess touches her arm, and Veronica says, don’t touch me. The queen says, I love your shoes, honey, and Veronica says, you’d never fit in them, honey. The queen asks if she can help Veronica, and Veronica says she wants a drink. Does she think they’ll have anything she can drink in there? The queen says, they’re dripping in divas. What does Veronica want? Veronica says she wants to see someone, but the queen says, no one is looking for bitches here. Veronica asks if they’re looking for pink unicorns, and the queen says, it’s gay pride every day here. She asks what Veronica wants, and Veronica says she’s looking for the owner. The queen says, he’s not here, and Veronica asks when he’ll be back. The queen says she doesn’t know, and Veronica says she’s not coming back. The queen says, good, and they both laugh. Veronica says, tell him to call her, and the queen says she’ll think about it. Veronica says, think, darling, and she needs to do something about those toes. Her, of all people, should wear closed toe shoes. The queen says, bitch, get the hell out, and Veronica says the queen doesn’t scare her. She can drag as good as the queen can. Veronica decides to go in, and the queen says, it’s ten dollars. Veronica says, honey, please, and keeps walking. The queen yells, there’s a homophobe bitch in the club. That bitch with the short hair. She calls for security, and Veronica walks up to a guy at the bar. He asks what Veronica wants, and she says she’s there to see him. Relax. It’s time. He says, for what? and she says she has something to tell him. He says he’s sorry he didn’t tell her that he was gay, but she says she doesn’t care about that. It was a long time ago. He says she made sure to ruin his life, and she says he did okay. He owns this place of debauchery. He says, that’s not how they see it, and she says she doesn’t care how they see it. Tell Miss Thing to make her drink… in a plastic cup, please. Forget it. Just open a new bottle, and give her the bottle. He says, okay. What do they need to talk about? She says she’ll give it to the queens. They sure can dance. He asks if she came to see them dance, and she wonders why anyone would look at them otherwise. She came to tell him something, but now she wants to dance. Where’s her drink? Someone brings her a bottle of what looks like vodka, and she slugs some back. He says he thought she wanted to talk, and she tells him, hold her pocketbook. He says, no, and she asks if he knows how expensive it is. He knows he wants to own it. She puts it on his arm, and he says it looks better on him. She says he looks all right, and yells, work it, bitch! Work it! She tells him that she can’t stand their gay asses, but they sure can dance. She works around the dance floor, and grabs him, dancing around him, as he stands there. The hostess queen, says, come on, sugar, and she and Veronica dance in the middle of the floor like it’s a gay Footloose. I wonder how the hell we got here, and if Veronica is a closet reverse drag queen. Veronica sashays out, and the hostess queen asks, who was that ignorant bitch? He says, it’s a long story. I’ll bet, and I wonder if somehow he’s Jeffrey’s father…

There’s a knock at the hotel room door, and Candace asks who it is. A voice says, maintenance, but Candace says she didn’t call for maintenance. Surprisingly, she opens the door, and it’s Conley. She asks who he is, and he says, Senator Westley. She says she told him that she didn’t want talk, but he says he only needs a minute. Please. She lets him in, and he thanks her. She asks what he wants, and he says Charles loves her (using the usual he instead of Charles). She says she’s heard that. First he sent Landon, now Conley. Conley says Charles didn’t send him, and she repeats that she doesn’t want to talk. Conley says Charles loves her; he’s sick without her. She says she doesn’t care, but Conley says he knows Charles really loves her, and with the turning tide of the press, he thinks she should reach out. She asks if he’s done, and he says he’s just started. He’s begging her. He came there hoping to change her mind. She says he won’t. Charles humiliated her. He put her in the trunk of a car, and smuggled her out of town. Conley says Charles was advised to. He knows Charles, and he’s a scared kid, trying to figure it out. Conley did research on her, and likes what he found. She’s a shark, and Charles needs a shark. She says, Charles is a shark. She’s seen how dangerous and cold he is. Conley says, only to protect himself; he’s a fighter. She says, let him fight for someone else, and Conley says he needs to share something. Charles’s wife didn’t die of natural causes. She committed suicide when Charles was at work. The kids found her; they were really young. He can’t imagine how difficult it must have been, and then Charles found Candace. She’s a girl with issues, but she won his heart. It’s been a long time since Conley has seen him like this. She woke him up. He asks her to please not tell anyone what he told her about his wife’s death. No one knows. He knows she lost a son, and understands grief. He wanted to tell her that she’s woken Charles up inside, and he cares way too much about it to let it die on the vine. He thanks her for listening, and tells her, have a good night. She says, him too, and he leaves. She sits on the bed, and ponders all of this.

Wyatt has lines of God-knows-what lined up to snort, along with a bottle of (I think) whiskey. Roderick says, hey, and Wyatt says, don’t bug him. Roderick asks if Wyatt wants to die. Does he know what that stuff is? Wyatt says he doesn’t care. Don’t say anything to him. Roderick says, that stuff will kill him, and Wyatt says, he’ll die a happy man. Roderick says, fine, and Wyatt says, go clean his kitchen. He starts to snort a line, and Roderick says, Mr. Cryer… Wyatt says, get out of his face, and Roderick tells him, his mother said he was angry. Wyatt asks why his mother was talking about him to Roderick. Shut up, and clean the kitchen. He pours more liquor into his glass, and Roderick asks if he’s doing downers and uppers at the same time. Wyatt says, it looks like it, and snorts a line. Roderick’s phone rings, and Wyatt says, don’t answer it. Roderick says Wyatt’s mom heard him, and Wyatt asks if she knows he’s there. Roderick says he guesses so, and Wyatt says he doesn’t give a damn. Roderick says Wyatt has problems, and Wyatt tells him to get more blow. Roderick asks if Wyatt has any idea how much he’s had, and Wyatt says he doesn’t give a damn. Roderick says, he’s going to die, and Wyatt says, go. Roderick says he has no more money, and Wyatt asks if his mother isn’t taking care of Roderick. Roderick says she wants him out; he has to leave. Wyatt says he knows where he can get money – his parents’ place. His mom has jewelry, and his dad has watches. They can sell them. Roderick says he’s not doing that, and Wyatt asks if he’s an honest whore now. Roderick repeats he’s not doing that, and Wyatt says he’ll do it himself. Roderick says, whatever, dude. He’s got to get out of there. Wyatt asks for his car keys back, and Roderick hands them over, saying, he can’t get far without…  Wyatt says, get out, and Roderick says Wyatt is going to die. Wyatt says, a happy man is he, and Roderick leaves. Wyatt talks nonsense to himself.

Back at the Iron Bone, Sandy walks into Vinnie’s office, holding an ice pack or something against his head. Vinnie asks, what the hell happened? and Sandy says, Mitch didn’t tell him? Vinnie says, no, and Sandy says, that kid Mitch has been protecting. Vinnie says, Benny? What about him? Sandy says, they got into it. Mitch’s boy did this. Vinnie says, Benny did that? He should whip Sandy’s ass for that. Sandy asks what he did, and Vinnie says, for coming in there looking like that. He knows what happened. Word gets around. Sandy says he wants Benny dead, and Vinnie says, so why doesn’t he do it? Sandy says he came to ask permission, and Vinnie says he’s got it. The two of them. Sandy says, okay, and Vinnie says, or is Sandy scared he can’t do it alone? Sandy says he’s not scared, and Vinnie says, okay, then do it. Kill them. He gives Sandy a gun, and says, do it. Sandy picks up the gun, and says, he’s dead. Vinnie says, don’t come back until he is. He wants him dead. Sandy nods, and leaves.

Next time, David tells Jim that Vinnie is now running things, Kathryn calls Jim to tell him about Wyatt, and Wyatt shows up at David. And Oscar returns! Only two more episodes before the finale.

🤬 I have to mention, I think since it’s their last season, they’re trying to squeeze in as many curse words as possible. I counted like 5700 bitches in this episode. Slight exaggeration, but there were a lot.

🗽 Postponement…

Unfortunately, my weekly Zoom meeting is at the same time Real Housewives of New York City is on. I DVR’d it, but don’t really want to see the sun come up as I go to sleep, so it’s something to look forward to for tomorrow, along with Beverly Hills. So until then, be safe, be pragmatic when necessary, and stay not testing things so much that they break, especially relationships.

June 28, 2021 – Jason Says Peace Is Not an Option, Returning Deck, New Crew, Soap Reboot & It’s There

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nikolas punches the heavy bag, and flashes back to Ava telling him that he knows her better than anyone, and must know if anything happened to Avery, it would kill her, so they’re done. He punches harder. Lucy comes in, and throws him a towel. She says, trouble? With Ava Jerome? Good luck. Ta! She leaves him standing there with the towel in his hands.   

On the phone, Nina says she thought it would be nice to hear Mike/Sonny’s voice again. She’ll call again soon. She misses him. She looks at the picture of them together on her phone. Ava says, she knows that look. That is the face of a woman in love. They hug, and Nina says, it’s good to see Ava. Ava says, it’s good to see Nina too. Clearly, they have some catching up to do.

At the hospital, Sasha runs into Brando, who asks if they didn’t just have breakfast. She says she has a vague recollection, and he says if he’d known she was coming there, they could have walked over together. She knew he was going to see his mother, and didn’t say anything. Is everything okay? She says, everything is fine. It’s just a routine OB appointment. He asks if there’s a reason she didn’t want him to know.

Valentin, Austin, and Anna are in the woods, and Valentin asks Anna if she wants to walk the area again. She says she does. She knows he’s thinking it’s a waste of time, but she can’t help thinking Dante might have missed something. That one little clue that will lead them to finding Peter and Maxie’s baby.

Laura sees Maxie at the MetroCourt, and apologizes for not coming by, but Maxie says, it’s fine. Laura has been busy, and she’s been lousy company anyway. That’s one of the reasons she couldn’t stand being alone with herself in the apartment anymore. Laura says she must be crazy with worry. There is nothing is worse than not knowing where your child is. She has the feeling they’ll find Maxie’s baby soon, and Maxie says she prays Laura is right.

In the hallowed halls of the moss bowl, Carly asks if Brick would like coffee or something stronger. He says he’ll stick with Corinthos’s finest, and says she’s sorry to call him back so soon. Not that it’s not a pleasure to see him. He says he’s always there to help any way he can, and Carly says, be honest. How much trouble are she and Jason in? He says, that depends on their next move, and Jason comes in. Jason thanks Brick for coming, and Brick says he was on his way to L.A., but Sonny’s business is always a priority; Jason knows that. Carly asks what the damage is, and Jason says, most of the shipment was saved, but the warehouse is a complete loss. She asks if he’s sure it was Novak, and Brick says, it was definitely the Novaks. His sources say this is going to amp up the pressure. Jason and Carly are running out of time to push back.

Nina apologizes for not calling Ava, and says, it was a surprise trip back. Michael invited her to see Wiley. Ava says, wonderful, and asks how it went. Nina says, wonderful; it was really great. She promised not to mention Nelle’s name, which she gets. Ava asks if she’s sure, and Nina says, does she like it? No. Does she understand? Of course (🍷). Ava asks, how long before Carly showed up? and Nina swears Carly teleported there. Ava says she’s happy Michael and Willow came to their senses. She hopes Nina will be able to see more of Wiley now that she’s home. Nina says she thinks the door’s open for her to be more in Wiley’s life, but as far as home is concerned, she honestly doesn’t know where home is anymore.

Brando and Sasha sit down, and he says he knows she’s not ready to make plans, and they’ve done this upside down. Most people don’t have their first date this far into the pregnancy. Sasha says, true. They haven’t taken the conventional route. Brando says he has every intention of being there when she needs him. He’ll also do his best to respect her privacy and need for space, but when it comes to baby’s health, and hers, he prefers to be kept in the loop, not on the sidelines. She says she appreciates that, but it’s not the reason she didn’t tell him about the appointment. It just didn’t occur to her. She’s so used to taking care of herself, it never crossed her mind. Brando says, she forgot about him? but she says she wouldn’t put it that way. He says, that’s kind of what happened, and she says, that’s exactly what happened, but she wouldn’t put it that way. It’s embarrassing. He says, maybe next time, and she promises to let him know. Definitely next time; she’s going to have lot of appointments. Brando says, now that he’s not working for a drug lord, his time will be more flexible, and she says she’s glad he’s standing by her. There’s so much she doesn’t want to get wrong. Every day there’s some new lesson, and the books only tell you so much; it can be overwhelming. He says, next time, let him know if there’s something he can do, but she says, the next item on her agenda isn’t something he can help with. He tells her, try me, and she says, okay. How does she tell Nina that she’s pregnant?

Laura tells Maxie that Mac said they’d found the kidnapper’s body, but there was no sign Louise had ever been with her. Maxie says, it was kind of a good news/bad news situation. She kept thinking, if the kidnapper has the baby, the baby isn’t with Peter. Laura asks if Maxie thinks Louise is with Peter, but Maxie says she has to tell herself that Louise isn’t. That’s another reason she wanted to get out. She kept waiting for someone to call her, and say Peter was caught, but it never happened. It’s agonizing. Laura says it’s good she got out; even an hour or two can help. Maxie says, Georgie and James were so excited to have a baby sister. She wanted to give her kids a happy, safe life. So what did she do? She opened the door, and let a monster walk in.

Anna says, there’s no sign of a struggle around the mine shaft within a 50 foot radius, and Austin says, would there be signs of struggle in a forest? Valentin says, if you know what you’re looking for, and Austin says he’s a little lost. What is Anna getting at? Anna wonders if it’s possible the kidnapper simply fell, and Austin says, when the sun goes down, it gets very dark in the forest. She might not have known there was a mine shaft there, and the wood had rotted. Anna says, obviously, she handed off the baby before she fell, or she possibly was pushed. Whoever took the baby… Valentin says, took care of the kidnapper, and Anna asks if Austin had any sense that there had been another person there when he woke up. He says he was pretty out of it, but he was focused on Maxie and the baby. Anna says, something feels off.

Brick says, right now the Novaks are playing downhill; all the momentum is on their side. Jason says, not after tonight. The Novaks are going to experience a major setback in their territory, which will make them think twice about expanding into Sonny’s. The moss bowl is suddenly gone from the kitchen island, and I desperately look for it. Brick asks if Jason needs help, but Jason says he just needs intel; the mechanics are taken care of. Carly says he can’t. When Sonny was alive, Jason was the one who handled the mechanics. Now that Sonny is gone, Jason and Brick made it clear to the Five Families focaccia that Jason is running the show. Not her and Jason together. Jason says, that’s why he’s sending the Novaks a message, and she says, he can’t be the one to send it. Brick says, Carly’s got a good point.

Sasha tells Brando that she was hoping to tell Nina in private, but Nina has been out town. Now Lucy set up a business meeting for the three of them and, given her and Nina’s history, it seems cruel to spring her pregnancy on Nina in front of other people. He takes it a text won’t cut it, and she says, the only way to do this is in private, face-to-face. He suggests she get there early, and talk to Nina before she goes in. He saw how concerned Nina was when she was in the hospital. Maybe Nina will be happy for her. She says, one of the things that makes her relationship with Nina so special, is that it’s also so fragile. After everything that happened, everything Sasha did, they reached a good place. The last thing she wants is for her pregnancy to bring back the pain she caused, and remind Nina of the person she used to be. Gladys rolls up, and says, perfect soap timing. Continue. She’s dying to hear about the person Sasha used to be.

Laura says Maxie opened up her heart, and it’s a very brave thing to do.  Unfortunately, it turned out that Peter… Maxie says, was just as bad as his father? and Laura says, Peter is a very a bad man, but he fooled a lot of people. With a little luck, Maxie and her kids will never see Peter again, and when her kids see Maxie again, they’ll see what strength and resilience looks like, and that’s what they’ll remember. Nina comes in, and signals to Maxie, who says she has to go. She thanks Laura for saying that; she needed to hear it. Laura says she’s welcome, and she’s there for Maxie anytime. Maxie says she might take Laura up on that, and Laura says, good.

Maxie goes over to Nina, and says, thanks for getting her out of the apartment. Nina says, it’s her pleasure. Maxie looks beautiful. Maxie says, all things considered, and Nina says, all things considered, she looks beautiful. Maxie says, it’s amazing how makeup can hide the look of fear, anxiety, dread… Nina says, and deception.

Austin says he hates to abandon them in the middle of search, and Valentin says, he has somewhere else to be? Austin says he does. He has another engagement out of town. He gives Anna the keys, telling them, make themselves at home, straighten up before they leave, and leave the keys in the drop box. They have his number. Anna thanks him, and Valentin says he’s been a big help. Austin says, it’s been a pleasure. Let him know if there’s anything else he can do. He leaves, and Valentin asks Anna, what is it? She says, there’s something familiar about him. Is Valentin getting a déjà vu vibe. (So this is how we’re dealing with Austin looking exactly like Franco?) He says, no, and she says she forgets that their histories don’t line up as much as she thinks they do. He says she has excellent instincts, and she says, when her judgement isn’t compromised. He says her instincts were spot-on; she just didn’t trust them. He’ll always trust her instincts. She says, that’s nice of him to say, all things considered. He asks what her instincts are telling her about Austin. Did he have something to do with the kidnapping? She says, no, not that. She’s not sure. It’ll come to her.

Brick says, Jason was respected as Sonny’s enforcer, but as the person in charge, he can’t get his hands dirty. Jason suggests he get the Novaks to back off, then they can reevaluate, but Carly says, what if Jason gets shot, or arrested, or he dies? Then she’s in a worse position than she was before. He says nothing is going to happen to him, and she says when she was planning his escape, and saw him in prison, he told her that she had to consider how the plan would work, and how it would fail. What if he fails? Is it worth the risk of doing it in person? Jason tells Brick, the logistics are in place. Does Brick have a team to do the work? Brick says, just a phone call away, and Jason says, make the arrangements. Brick says, consider it done, and Carly thanks him. Brick says he’s happy to help, but with all due respect, the Novaks are just a symptom. The two of them are the problem. They still haven’t sent a message saying one of them is in charge, and the other one is out. Until they do, the competition will come right on coming. Jason sighs, and I wonder if he, too, is fretting over the moss bowl’s absence.

Scotty tells Laura that he’s looking for Ava, and asks if Laura has seen her. Laura says, no, but her head was down in her work. Scotty says he hates squeezing in emergency marital issues into his busy schedule. Ava comes up behind him, and says she’s there. Unlike her attorney/client privilege, which – from the look on Laura’s face – went out the window. Scotty says, Laura asked, but Laura says she specifically chose not to. He says, that’s how she gets him to talk. For cryin’ out loud, he assumed Ava’s soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law knew about this. When Ava called him, she said she wanted a quick, public divorce. She’s got it. Thank you. Laura asks what Ava is doing.

Ava apologizes if the news blindsided Laura. She should have known not to expect discretion from Scotty. Scotty says, the way he sees it, he did her a favor. She wanted it out there, and – he snaps his fingers – now it’s out there. Laura asks if she can have a minute alone with Ava, and Scotty tells Ava, he’s billing Ava for this. He drew up what she wanted him to. He shows her a manila envelope, and says, irreconcilable differences. Laura says he’s violating attorney/client privilege again, and he says, so sue him. As if Laura’s son wasn’t going to tell his mother. As Ava’s attorney, he’s wondering how many zeros they’re looking at. He’s looking at nine. Ava says, zero zeros. She doesn’t want to take anything from Nikolas. He asks where Ava has gone, when his phone rings. He says he has to take this, but before he does, he wants to tell her that he thinks she’s a fool. When you have a Cassadine on the hook, you take them to the cleaners. (Nothing like a mixed metaphor.) His phone rings again, and he looks at it, saying he has to call back. See what she made him do? He stomps off, and Laura says,  things were going so well between Ava and Nikolas. What happened? Ava says, the first thing Laura needs to know is that she never loved anyone more than she loves Laura’s son, with the exception of her children. It’s too late for her to save Kiki, but she’s damn well going to save Avery. That’s why she and Nikolas are through.

Carly thanks Brick for his help, and he says, always. They hug, and Brick leaves. Carly asks if Jason is mad, and he says, yeah. She asks if he thinks she’s wrong about delegating, but he says, no. Brick has a team. It’s fine. Let him handle the Novaks, but it’s not always going to be like that. There are some things he’ll have handle in person. She says, some, but not all, and he agrees, but adds, Brick is right. The real problem is that they look weak. She asks how they prove they’re strong, and he says, they can’t. The Five Families fettucine are going to expect him to push her out. If he doesn’t, they’ll increase the pressure, and test them for weakness. They’re going to hope Sonny’s organization splits, then they’re going to walk in, carve up the territory, and take it. She asks what they’re supposed to do, and he says, they make it expensive. You make a takeover expensive, so the families don’t want to pay. When they’re hit, they hit back harder. She says, so peace is not an option? and he says, no.  

Nina asks if Maxie is sure this isn’t not too much too fast, but Maxie says, no. She’s desperate to keep busy, and keep her mind off Louise. She would do anything to lose herself in one of those powerhouse workdays they used to have. Nina says, like everything and everyone you don’t want to face, they’re not in these pages – she pulls the magazine out of her bag – they’re not in the office; those things will just have to wait. Maxie says, it’s like having a moat, and Nina agrees. Maxie says she could really use a moat right now, and Nina says, okay. In that case, the next thing she has in her busy schedule is a meeting with Lucy and Sasha. Maxie says, ouch, and Nina says, they’re not excluding Maxie, they’re just… Maxie says, excluding her, but Nina says, no. They know how much Maxie has on her mind, and they decided not to burden her with it. If they knew how Maxie felt, they’d be really glad to have their brilliant partner back with them. So why doesn’t Maxie join her and surprise them? Maxie asks if Nina means just jump right back in, and Nina says, yes, but if it’s too much… Maxie says, it’s not. Does Nina know how wonderful a business meeting sounds right now?   

Gladys says, don’t let her interrupt. She’d love to hear about Sasha’s life before. After all, Sasha is carrying her grandchild. Sasha says she doesn’t want to get into it now, but Gladys says, why not? She’s sure Sasha has come up enough in the world, that her sordid past isn’t an obstacle. Sasha says she definitely has, but she told Jackie Templeton everything – her and the rest of America. She’ll send Gladys the link. Gladys says she thinks it’s still on her DVR. When the baby is old enough, she looks forward to watching it with them. Sasha says, if Gladys is still living… in Port Charles. That sounded awful. Gladys says, good thing Sasha is the face of Deception, and not the voice. Sasha says she’s also a partner in the company, and has other responsibilities. The price of success she supposes. Gladys says Sasha must be under a lot of pressure. It must be difficult to stay on the wagon. Brando says, okay. Is Gladys ready to go? Gladys says Brando that papers need to be signed at the desk first, and he says he’ll be right back. Play nice. Gladys says it’s good to see Sasha, and Sasha says, likewise. She’s missed their chats. Gladys says, now that it’s just us girls, she wants to know what kind game Sasha is playing at.

Ava tells Laura, if it was just her and Nikolas, she’d dare the stalker to come after them. But Ryan killed Kiki, and she can’t risk losing Avery; she won’t. Laura says, of course (🍷) not. She completely understands. She just wishes there was another way. Nikolas has been so happy, the happiest she’s ever seen him. Ava says she was happy too, but she has to do what needs to be done. She should go; she shouldn’t keep Scotty waiting. Laura tells her to take good care of herself. Ava goes over to Scotty, and asks if he’s done playing phone tag. He hands her the envelope, and says he’d go over the document with her, but since she has no intention of going after money, property, or assets, he has no interest. She’s killing him. She says, not yet, but it’s on her to-do list, and he says, if she has any changes, give him a call. He has a meeting to get to. She says she’s touched by his compassion, and he says he’ll see her later. He leaves, and Nikolas comes out of the elevator. He starts to say something, but Ava says, don’t. Please don’t. He says he’s not giving up on them, and she says, that’s his mistake; they’re finished. If he can’t see that, she’ll have to make him see it. She gets in the elevator and the doors close.

Valentin tells Anna, he thinks it’s safe to say they’ve reached the point of diminishing returns. It’s an exposed crime scene, and they’ve been over it multiple times. It’s deteriorating with every moment that passes, plus it’s been 72-hours since the baby disappeared. He doesn’t have to tell her what that means. Anna says, the longer she’s out there, the less chance they have of finding her.

Lucy goes into Nina’s office, and says it’s so very good to see her. Nina says it’s nice to see Lucy too; it’s been too long. Lucy says, it’s been way too long, but it gave her the opportunity to work on the proposal and marketing for a brilliant idea she can’t wait for Nina to see. Nina says she can’t wait to see it, and Lucy says she’ll have to wait a tiny bit longer, because they have to wait for Sasha, but teaser; it’s an idea, a concept they kind of worked on a while ago. Maxie walks in, and says she’s glad Lucy is there. She had to step out for a second… Lucy says Maxie can’t be there. She simply can’t. She needs to leave immediately.   

Sasha says Gladys asked what she’s playing at? She was going to use the baby to rope Brando in. She missed her shot at Michael, but Brando is Michael’s cousin, the next best thing to give her access to the Corinthos money. How does that sound? Gladys calls Sasha a little gold-digger, and says if Sasha thinks she’s not going to tell Brando… Sasha starts laughing, and says, oh my God. Gladys’s face. It was totally worth it. She and Brando are figuring things out, and whatever Brando wants to tell Gladys about the baby is up to him. Brando returns, and says, no one is bleeding, broken, or dead, and Sasha says, not yet. He says, great. Is Gladys ready to go? Gladys says she has an idea. How about the three of them going for coffee, her treat, and they can talk about living arrangements after the baby is born? She’s looking forward to being a babysitter. Sasha says she has to take a raincheck; she has a meeting to go to. Gladys asks if it’s an AA meeting, and Sasha says she goes to NA, not AA, but it’s a Deception meeting. She thanks Gladys for the offer, and Brando says he’ll see her later. She leaves, and Brando tells Gladys that she has to let up on Sasha. Gladys says she’s been nothing but cordial. Sasha was the one talking through her fangs. It’s not her fault Sasha is keeping him at arm’s length from the baby.   

Laura tells Nikolas that she couldn’t help but notice what was going on with him and Ava. Is he all right? Ava told her about the divorce. He says, Scotty? and she says she thinks Scotty is the one doing the paperwork. Nikolas says, that was fast, and she says, Ava is terrified. Ava told her about the note with the knife in it, and the bear with Ryan’s voice, and how both times there was no sign of forced entry. Nikolas says, it’s all very unnerving, and Laura says, especially for Ava; she’s been traumatized. Ryan murdered her daughter, and Ava doesn’t want to leave him, but she has to.

Scotty is about to sip his martini, when Austin joins him. Scotty says, it’s nice to meet Austin, but he didn’t get Austin’s last name. Austin says, just Austin is good for now, and Scotty says Austin can call him Mr. Baldwin, Esq. He guesses this is some sort of legal matter, and Austin says, it is. He understands Scotty is familiar with the families in Port Charles. Scotty says, if he is, why would that be of interest to Austin?  

Jason tells Carly that the move against the Novaks should slow them down, and she says, what If it doesn’t? He says, then they have to keep escalating. The more the Novaks lose, maybe the other families will realize their best strategy is to accept that he’s taking Sonny’s place. Carly says, taking Sonny’s place. She never thought she’d hear him say those words. He tells her that he never thought he’d say those words, and she sits. Jason says he never wanted this, and she says she knows. He says she’s probably the only person who truly understands that, but if he steps back, the Five Families bruschetta will rip the city apart fighting for control, and the people they love will get hurt. Since she went to that meeting, their first target will be her. He’s not going to let that happen.

Scotty tells Austin, let’s narrow this down a little bit. What families is he interested in? Austin says he’ll be happy to tell Scotty as soon as he knows he can trust him. Scotty says, no; he’s a lawyer, and Austin says, thank you for your honesty, and gets up. Scotty says he’s just kidding. He holds a client’s secrets very sacred. He doesn’t hold much sacred, but that he does. What can he do for Austin? Austin asks what Scotty knows about Jason Morgan, and Scotty says, find someone else to deal with Jason. He’s not interested. Austin suggests he tell Scotty specifically what he’s looking for, and then he can decide if he’s interested. 

Nikolas tells Laura, Dante has a theory that it’s all for show; empty threats designed to scare them. Laura says, clearly, Ava doesn’t feel that way, and he says, in all fairness, seeing Avery hold the bear with Ryan’s voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Laura says she doesn’t believe it’s possible that it’s Ryan, and he says, copycat? She says, maybe, or some disciple of Ryan’s. Whoever it is, if they’re cruel enough to do this, who knows what else they’re capable of? He says he’s been asking himself that constantly, and she says she knows how much he loves Ava, and sees how much Ava loves him, but he has to see the toll this is taking on Ava. He says he sees it. Watching Ava suffer like this is excruciating. Filing for divorce is the one thing she can do that gives her peace of mind. She asks what he thinks about that, and he says he’s going to do everything in his power to avoid it.

Ava arrives at Carly’s, and says she hopes she’s not interrupting. Carly says she told Avery that Ava was coming, and Ava says she misses Avery so much. Carly says, Avery was telling her about her room at Windymere. It sounds like they’ve made her happy there. Ava says, they try, and thanks Carly for keeping Avery’s room how she likes it. She knows it will be a comfort when she tells Avery that they’re not going back to Windymere. Carly asks if Ava and Nikolas are finally moving out of that drafty castle, but Ava says, just her and Avery. Nikolas is no longer in the picture. Carly asks, why? She thought they were crazy about each other. Ava says, they are, and Carly asks if it’s because of what happened the other night. Jason has come downstairs, and asks, what happened the other night? and Ava says, long story short, she and Nikolas have been getting threats from a stalker. Now the staler has proved they can get to Avery. Jason says, if it happens again, let him know, but Ava says she’s already taken steps to address the situation.

Scotty says, well, well; a lifetime opportunity, and Austin says, it is. Scotty says, call him Scotty, and Austin says, okay, Scotty. He thought Scotty would be intrigued. Scotty says, very intrigued. They’re going to ride this all the way.

Brando tells Gladys, he and Sasha are new to this baby thing, and figuring things out. She says if he asks her, Sasha should be grateful he’s not running for the hills, which is what he should have done before he hopped into bed with her. He says, it’s a good thing he didn’t ask her. If Sasha needs time to figure things out, he’s going to respect that. She says, one of the most precious lessons she’s learned is, there are people who are private and people who keep secrets. Lucky for him, she can sniff out one from the other. He says, really? Because she didn’t sniff out Cyrus. She says, that’s her point. Cyrus was a hard lesson. One he should learn. The sooner he figures out the differences, the better. Let’s get out of here.

Lucy says, it’s not that she doesn’t want Maxie there; she simply can’t be there. It’s good to see Maxie, and Lucy thanks her for coming, and she says this with a lot of love – she makes a heart with her hands – ta! Nina tells Lucy, calm down. This is Maxie’s company too. Maxie says, no, it’s okay. She knows what’s going on. Lucy is planning a surprise party for her to cheer her up. Lucy says Maxie is absolutely right. It’s a great big… Sasha walks in, and Lucy says, surprise?

Anna tells Valentin to go home to his daughters. She’ll look around some more. He says, no. Absolutely not. She says she’ll be fine, but he says she’s not fine now. She’s blaming herself for what happened to Maxie’s daughter. He’s not leaving her alone out in the woods with only her guilt for comfort.

Laura asks what Nikolas’s plan is, and he says, it’s shockingly simple. He’s going to give Ava the peace of mind she needs right now, and let the stalker believe what he wants. Laura says, then what? and he says, then, when this Ryan knockoff is basking in the glory of their false victory, he’ll be laying a trap. And he will catch them.

Ava tells Carly, Dante is investigating, but he has no solid leads. She can’t take any chances, so she has to divorce Nikolas… Don’t both of them offer her sympathy at once. Carly says she’s sorry Ava is being stalked, and Ava says, she’s sorry it’s costing her the man she loves. It would be nice if marriage was really just a romantic pact that didn’t matter to anybody else. Just two people making a promise, a vow. It’s a sort of theater, a performance to demonstrate a legally binding contract, two people becoming one. If an enemy strikes at one, they strike at both. She used to find it comforting until a stalker got to Avery. She’d like to see her daughter if it’s okay. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Ava goes upstairs. Carly asks Jason, is he thinking what she’s thinking?

Tomorrow, Maxie asks Brook if she heard what she thought she did, Josslyn asks what changed Michael’s mind about Nina, Britt wants to make a deal with Obrecht, and Jason says it’s the best option he’s heard so far.

Below Deck Mediterranean

It’s a new crew, so bear with me. Chief stew Katie is the first to arrive, and meets Captain Sandy. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s not a typical chief stew. On her last boat, she had seven girls under her, and thinks if you’re in a higher role, you should show you can work as hard as the others can. You get more if you keep a good vibe, than by being a psycho bitch, telling them what to do. Then it’s like, f*** you. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, last season was the hardest. Everyone looks back and has regrets, but she was ready not to do this anymore. It’s the stuff that defines your character. She decided to come back because she loves mentoring people, and loves leading a team. Returning bosun Malia shows up next and meets Katie. Chef Mathew arrives, and in his interview, he says he’s worked for a lot of prominent families, as well as Hugh Jackman. He’s nervous about it being a new job, and wants to make people happy. Malia says hello to Captain Sandy, and tells her that she’s just off of a Mediterranean charter. In her interview, she says, it’s a crazy feeling being back in Croatia. The first time she was there, she was a green deckie. Captain Sandy’s guidance made her want to stick with yachting. Mathew sets up the galley.

Stew Lexi informs us in her interview that she was Miss Bahamas in 2013, but doesn’t tell other crew members or they act like the boss of her. In Malia’s interview, she says, the break-up with Tom took a toll on her. She just wants to put her head down and work. Deckhand Mzi – call me Zee – is next, and in his interview, he says he’s the youngest of five siblings, and calls himself the black sheep of the family. A joke because he’s the only Black kid in the family. The oldest has been in yachting for 20 years, and is a captain. It’s a jump for him, having never worked on this big of a boat, and he’s nervous. Malia says they’re starting washdowns, and Zee says he’s going to take notes. In her interview, Malia says she loves the notebook. That means she can teach him like Captain Sandy taught her. She’s come full circle, and that’s special to her.

The captain asks the crew to meet in the main salon. She tells them, it’s the beginning of the season, and she loves their energy. If they want a career in yachting, she’s there to help make it happen. She wants to go over the guidelines and protocol, and tells them if anyone – them or a guest – is injured, she wants to be the first to know. If they’re on prescription medication, they need to log it, and no drinking on charter. In her interview, she says, the Lady Michelle was designed for charters. There are so many stairs, the crew can go to each deck without being seen. She tells them, let’s get the boat turned around, and get ready for tomorrow. The deckhands get to cleaning, and provisions come in. It’s a literal truckload, and Captain Sandy says she’s never seen that before. In Mathew’s interview, he says he thought it would be a sh*t show before the provisions arrived. He overordered, and now he’s stressed. He tells Captain Sandy that he wanted to impress the guests. In Courtney’s interview, we find out that she became queen of laundry on yachts, but before that worked at Disneyland Paris, as a promo girl, a nanny, and a bartender. She gets bored easy. It’s the same with men.  Katie meets the other stews, and Malia. In Malia’s interview, she says she learned a lesson last season in choosing a lead deckhand based off of CDs. Katie says she’s not a crazy chief stew, and in Lexi’s interview, she says she has a love/hate relationship with chief stews. When they get to that level, they can get a lazy bitch mentality.

Mathew says he has to get two floors down on a winding staircase. He’s thinking about the guests arriving in 24 hours, and has to put everything away. He makes a misstep, and hurts his knee. The captain calls Malia, Katie, and Mathew to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. Terez is a marketing professional, and husband Lee is in real estate. Primaries Clint and Karry had to cancel their original wedding plans, and want to have a beautiful, intimate ceremony with their closest friends in attendance. They also want to have a 40th birthday party for guest Jordan, and a neon dance party afterward. They want a bachelor and bachelorette party, and want the captain to officiate at the wedding on day three. In Mathew’s interview, he says he loves weddings, but it will be the first one he’s done alone. His parents married, divorced, and married again. He was conceived during the divorce, and they call him their bastard child.

We find out Katie’s ex is Jack from season whatever, and he got a tattoo of her face on his ass when he was drunk in Thailand after knowing her a few days. In her interview, she says, they were young and passionate, and it was never going to work out, but they spent a year and a half together, so it was worth it. Right? Mathew hopes the guests aren’t a-holes. He asks a lot. He gets up 3:30 am, and in his interview, he says he’s nervous. He couldn’t sleep since he was thinking menus, wedding, everything. He’s not prepped at all. He calls Captain Sandy, and asks her to meet him in the galley. He tells her that he feels like he can’t do this properly since he hurt his knee. She asks if he needs help, but he says it won’t be the same, and he’s freaking out. He doesn’t know what to do, and wants to get an x-ray and an MRI. Malia joins them, and the captain sends her to call the doctor.  

Deckhand David shows Z what do, and in David’s interview, he says he was born in Italy, and didn’t meet his dad until he was 17. His mentors were captains, and he wants to help as many people as he can. Malia tells Katie about Mathew, and Courtney volunteers to help. In Katie’s interview, she says they have no time to be angry or upset. She doesn’t want to let her third stew go, but they have no choice. Malia says, and it’s only day one. She asks if anyone has experience in cooking, but no one does. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s ready to vomit, and it’s just the first day. She can’t determine if someone has an injury or not, and has to follow protocol. She can’t get a new chef because of covid, since they’d have to quarantine for seven days. Courtney goes to the galley, and helps Mathew prep for the meal. Sandy makes a call to get Mathew an MRI.  

It’s 30 minutes until the guests arrive, and in her interview, Katie says, every chief stew has their own ways. She can’t stand wet towels on the floor. Dudes not using bathmats drives her insane. The captain explains to the crew that the chef injured himself, and they’re going to leave him at the dock so he can get an MRI. He’s prepared lunch, and should be coming back for dinner. David says he’s never been on a chefless boar, and Sandy tells them, don’t give up. Malia tells the deckhands, once the luggage is on board, their soul attention is on getting the boat off the dock.

Captain Sandy welcomes the guests, and introduces Katie. She says Katie will show them around, and then they’ll take off. In deckhand Lloyd’s interview, he says he has a lot of apprehension. He’s sure the guests are going to be more demanding than what he’s used to. Katie gives the tour, and tells the guests that Croatia is amazing. This is seriously one big boat. Mathew whines, and Malia curses her life. When the guests get to the bridge, Captain Sandy tells them about the chef’s injury, and says he’s getting an MRI. He did prepare lunch, and they’re going to try and make it happen. The guests are all, oh my God, and the captain says their hands are tied because of covid. Terez says she’ll have to tip them, and in her interview, the captain says this has never happened in her entire career. They could be f***ed. She tells the guests, they’ll make it happen.

In her interview, Malia says, it’s nerve-wracking docking with a new team. One little mistake can cause a big problem. The stern lines are on deck, and they move out. The guests rave over lunch, which they describe as perfect; light but filling. In Lexi’s interview, she says there’s good money in yachting, but she prefers someone handing her champagne. Malia asks Lloyd to help with the anchor, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says this coastline is more nature, country, and small villages. She loves it. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s a laid back kiwi, but sometimes turns into a stressed out bitch. She’s not perfect. Courtney says she put some of Terez’s clothes in the laundry, and Terez has a mild freak out, saying nothing should be washed. Courtney takes the clothes back out. Katie makes espresso martinis, and Terez gives Courtney glow sticks and sundries for the neon party. The dreaded slide is brought out, and the captain checks on Mathew, but so far, he’s gotten no results.

Captain Sandy asks if she can borrow a sous chef from a neighboring boat in quarantine. In her interview, she says, it’s not a chef, but they can figure this out together. She has a crew meeting in the crew mess, and tells them that she has the feeling Mathew isn’t coming back. They have a sous chef to help in the galley, but they’ll need to make dinner. Everyone looks dazed, and she says, it’s surf and turf. In Malia’s interview, she says, they’re f***ed. Captain Sandy helps with the oysters, and tells David to google lobsters. She cringes hearing how they’re prepared, and in David’s interview, he says he’s not the hunting type. The captain asks Siri how to kindly kill a lobster.

The guests get into the hot tub, and sous chef Duska arrives. She knows nothing about lobsters. In David’s interview, he says a chef that can’t cook lobsters after he murdered them? and laughs. Duska gets to work, and Malia asks, are we loving charter? Captain Sandy says, it’s not fair, and Duska says, life is unfair. You got that right, sister. The table is set, and in Lexi’s interview, she says she doesn’t do tacky. The neon theme hurts her soul. Courtney says, this is not okay, and in her interview, says the best she’s done is cook for the family she nannied for.  Duska doesn’t seem to know what’s going on, and in the captain’s interview, she says, what’s happening in the galley is a disaster. In the worst case, they’ll make paninis. Lloyd puts on a red cap, and Malia says he looks like Mario. We see Mario and Lloyd side by side, and by God, he does. They try grilling the lobster.

The guests toast to Jordan’s birthday, and Duska says, meat! The guests begin to eat, and do not look thrilled. Courtney tries the lobster in the galley, and thinks it’s chewy. The guests say things like, sucks, dry, and disgusting. In Katie’s interview, she says, it’s not yachting; it’s surviving. Someone asks if there’s a Domino’s anywhere, and everyone agrees it’s horrible. In her interview, Katie says, it’s not acceptable, but in terms of the situation right now, it’s all they can offer. Sandy tells Duska that she appreciates the help, but she can go now. In her interview, the captain says, dinner was a sh*t show. She prays the chef comes back. Terez says she wants to talk to Sandy, since apparently she didn’t pay attention when Sandy talked to her earlier.   

Lexi tells the captain that the primary is looking for her. Heads up; she doesn’t look too happy. Sandy goes to Terez’s room, and Terez says, girl, this not acceptable. Did she taste dinner? The steak, ‘kay, but not good. Oysters not okay. She gave the chief stew lights and stuff, but they didn’t get the party they wanted. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s not easy to hear criticism, but she failed them. Terez screeches, it’s a mega yacht. A mega yacht!

There was no preview. Why? Who knows?

🛥 You Figure Them Out…

The new Med crew.

https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-mediterranean/about

👢 We Live In Hope…

It was a dark day in Soapland when AMC and OLTL were canceled. At least we still kept Todd/Franco/Austin on GH.

🚣🏽‍♂️ And So It Goes…

I need sleep tonight to store up for Temptation Tuesday, along with those wacky Wives from NYC, and the usual soap. So until then, stay safe, stay making your point clear, and stay trusting your instincts, but not compromising your judgement.  

June 25, 2021 – Repeating the Vote, Daytime Wins, What’s News, Goodbyes, May Be the Last, Already Sniping, Curses, New Love, Traci’s Test, She Tried, Reality Pay, Going Down, In the Shade, Quotes Twelvefold & Wild

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There was no new GH anywhere today. Those who had it, got a rerun from when Josslyn and Trina went back in time, and saw their foremothers as Suffragettes. That was a great episode, and I would have watching it again, but it was not on in my area. So I watched People’s Court, which I only see, like, once a year anymore.

Speaking of which, People’s Court won a Daytime Emmy, and as a preempt consolation prize, so did GH, Sonny, and Mike. Read on for the scoop.

🏆 And the Winner Is…

Who got the award.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/daytime-emmy-awards-2021-winners-list-1234972638/

Who wore what.

Who shouldn’t have worn that.

🧼 In Other Soap News…

Maxie is recovering nicely.

A peek at the AMC reunion.

🥀 Those We’ve Lost…

Three more soap greats left us recently, along with Andy Cohen’s old buddy, sadly discovered after he’d been missing for a month.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lisa-banes-dies-age-65-hit-and-run-accident/

https://people.com/tv/john-gabriel-dead/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/robert-hogan-actor-who-appeared-everything-laverne-shirley-wire-dies-n1269288

https://nypost.com/2021/06/21/andy-cohens-friend-found-dead-four-weeks-after-going-missing/

🍑 Nothing We Haven’t Heard Before…

But if it is her last season, will Peter be her replacement? He’s always desperately wanted to be a Housewife.

https://okmagazine.com/p/cynthia-bailey-talks-about-future-on-real-housewives-of-atlanta-says-this-could-be-my-last-season/

💸 Place Your Bets…

I wonder how long the divorce is going to drag out, and just how nasty it will get.

https://people.com/tv/erika-girardi-accused-of-refusing-to-turn-over-bank-records-using-glam-lifestyle-to-hide-assets/

https://people.com/tv/erika-girardi-claims-bankruptcy-case-lawyer-made-false-statements-about-her-on-social-media/

🤬 No Surprise…

If she had a swear jar, she’d be an effing millionaire.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/22/brandi-glanville-crowned-most-foul-mouthed-reality-star-on-twitter/

👩‍❤️‍👩 She’s Movin’ On…

Braunwyn has a new main squeezette.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9718519/Braunwyn-Windham-Burke-works-sweat-new-girlfriend-Fernanda-Rocha-Palm-Springs.html

👠 Possible Addition…

Or is this just a test?

https://radaronline.com/p/tiki-barber-wife-traci-lynn-johnson-bravo-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-rhonj/

🗽 Operative Word: Attempted…

I don’t know exactly what Heather was doing, but she was definitely trying too hard.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/09/heather-thomson-attempted-to-fit-in-on-rhony-via-eboni-k-williams/

💵 A Housewife’s Worth…

Who gets the most filthy lucre in the franchise.

The Highest Paid Bravo Real Housewife is Revealed! Plus Find Out Teresa Giudice’s Salary and How Much the Cast Gets for Their Reunion Dresses

📉 Nose Dive…

I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s very obvious that LisaR wants screen time, and is the mean girl ring leader, even though Kyle – who bores the pants off me – thinks she’s queen. Now we have Crystal, who’s chosen to sit at their lunch table, stirring the pot.

RHOBH Season 11 Debuts to Low Ratings, Find Out How Many Viewers Tuned in After Episode Two Hits New Lows

No amount of accountability coaching will save them either.

🕶 Take Off Your Sunnies…

Andy and LVP are throwing shade, but not at each other.

https://pagesix.com/2021/06/16/andy-cohen-shades-danielle-staub-and-dana-wilkey-over-erika-jayne-doc/

Lisa Vanderpump Shades Kyle Richards’ Nose Job as RHOBH Alum Says Kyle’s “Always” Trying to Make Her “Look Bad”

📣 Quotes of the Week

Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them. – Orison Swett Marden (Or smack them out of the way.)

The commonality of who we are is not what we believe, but how we love. – Jackie Griffin

The courage to admit when you’re wrong doesn’t show weakness. It shows your strength. Your integrity speaks volumes about you as a person. – Blaque Diamond

You have the need and the right to spend part of your life caring for your soul. It is not easy…To be a soulful person means to go against all the pervasive, prove-yourself values of our culture and instead treasure what is unique and internal and valuable in yourself and your own personal evolution.Jean Shinoda Bolen (Getting off social media once in a while won’t hurt either.)

Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight. – Phyllis Diller

We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them. – William Arthur Ward

I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.Mark Twain

When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye.Cathy Guisewite

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe (I was going to say, she’s a genius, but I’m not sure if I should…)

Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion. – Arthur Koestler

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein

If you’re going to die in your sleep and get all growly and sh*t, you got to let a brother know. – Braithwaite (Bechir Sylvain), Black Summer

🤸🏽‍♀️ Got No Strings To Tie Me Down…

It’s here, that thing more people are calling the weekend again. Except some of them want to call it that from home now. There’s no Dead on tap, so see you next week with I don’t even know what. And whatever your weekend vantage point, stay safe, stay grounded, and stay walking boldly through your obstacles, or giving them a good swift kick out of the way.

June 24, 2021 – Another Setback For Chase, KJ Gets a Win In an Uncertain Market, Ryan Finally Moves In & Houses

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina puts flowers on Nelle’s grave, and says, hello, daughter of mine. It’s been a long time since she visited and she’s so sorry. She just needed a little breather from this town and these people. From life, she guesses, but never from Nelle. She hopes that much is clear. Clear hasn’t been her forte these past few months. She doesn’t know what she’s doing anymore. She flashes back to dancing with Sonny at the Tan-O, and says, she’s been on this mission to find herself for months, and instead, she found someone else. Michael rudely interrupts her.

Willow goes to Chase’s room, and sees Chase and Finn looking grim. She asks, what’s wrong? and Chase says, it’s his legs. He can’t walk. She says she doesn’t understand, and Finn says Chase’s legs had atrophied from being in bed these post few weeks. She says, that’s to be expected, right? and he says, yes, but the toxin may have caused some nerve damage. Coupled with the atrophy, Chase is unable to move his legs. She asks what this means, and Chase says, right now, he can’t feel anything below his waist. Willow asks if Chase is paralyzed.

Alexis tells Shawn, she’s worried if they go public with what they’ve learned, there could be retaliation. He says if Carson wants to come at him, bring it, but she says, it’s not just them, but their loved ones on the outside. They just need to be prepared. He says they’re talking about a bunch of state employees, and bureaucratic red tape; how serious of a break does she think this could be?

A woman comes by Molly and TJ’s table at Kelly’s, and stops. She asks if Molly is Alexis’s daughter, and Molly says the woman is the judge who presided over her mother’s case. Judge… The woman says, Carson, and Molly introduces TJ, her partner and an intern at General Hospital. Carson says, impressive. Nice to meet him. She understands Molly is going to be working as an ADA at Robert’s office. She guesses they’ll be bumping into each other more often.

The hospital employees gather in the breakroom, and Elizabeth sees Terry. She says, it’s been forever, and Terry says, it’s been two days. Elizabeth tells her, like she said, forever. Oncology must be keeping Terry busy. Terry says there’s a position open there, and they’ve been pressuring her to make it official. Elizabeth says, that’s fantastic… isn’t it? Terry says, normally yes. She loves it in Port Charles, but the hospital’s future is still in question. And face it, she doesn’t exactly get along with the Chief of Staff. Elizabeth says she’s not exactly alone, although does Elizabeth have a story for her. Portia joins them, and Elizabeth tells her a meeting was called with all the department heads; it’s got to be about Cyrus’s replacement. Portia asks if they have any idea who it is, and they both say, no. Terry tells Portia that she has an idea of who might, when Laura walks in.

Britt asks if Jason remembers what a good time is, and he says, vaguely. She says, top down, the wind in her hair… and he says, it’s a convertible? She says, obviously. Maybe she’ll take him for a ride if he’s not too scared. He says, speed doesn’t scare him, and she says, even with her behind the wheel? He tells her, he said she was an awful driver; he never said she wasn’t safe. She says she’s definitely unsafe, and they almost kiss, when annoying Carly walks in, and says she and Jason have to talk about the Novak situation. She looks at them a moment, and says she’ll be at the MetroCourt. She’ll take care of it. She starts to walk out, but Jason says, wait. Is it important? Is it time sensitive? Carly looks at Britt, and Britt says, message received. This is clearly not something they can talk about in front of her.

Chase asks Finn if he doesn’t have that meeting, but Finn says he can skip it. Chase gives him a look, and Finn says, but he shouldn’t. He tells Chase to text if he needs him. He leaves, and Willow sits next to Chase’s bed. She says, talk to her, and he says, the nerve damage should repair itself over time. she says, so it’s not permanent, and he says, hopefully not, but time is of the essence apparently. She asks what that means, and he says if he has any shot of walking again, he has to relearn how to do it in the next few months.

Finn walks down the hall, and flashes back to his argument with Peter on the roof, and Peter launching the antidote over the side. He remembers throwing Peter down the stairs, and Elizabeth confirming Peter was dead. He gets in the elevator, hearing Gregory say that he’s the only one who can save Chase’s life.

Michael tells Nina that he’s sorry to interrupt – hint: if you think you’ll be sorry, don’t interrupt – but he saw her in the parking lot when he came in. She says, he’s here to visit… and he says, his dad. She thanks him for the visit with Wiley, and says she had a really good time. He says, Wiley did too, and she says she was surprised at his sudden about-face. He says they’d talked about it, and she says she knows, but she also spoke with Jax, and knows he’s been an advocate of her having more access to Wiley. But exactly how hard did Jax push Michael?

Carly tells Jason, there’s a time element in play, yes, and Britt says, it just so happens that she has a meeting at the hospital, so they’re in luck. But for future reference, she’d rather be told, you can’t hear this, than be talked around. She thanks Jason for the boxing lesson, and says she’ll let him know when the car comes in. She leaves, and Carly says, for future reference?

Elizabeth says she’s going to talk to Laura. Heading for Laura, she nearly collides with Finn. She says she didn’t think he was coming there, and he says, neither did he. Terry says they would have saved him a spot, and he thanks her, but says he’s more comfortable in the back of the room. No one will call on him there. There’s obviously a subtext going on, and he tells Elizabeth that he’ll see her around. When he’s gone, Terry asks Elizabeth, what was that all about? and Elizabeth says, Finn’s brother is still recovering… Terry says, everyone at the hospital knows what’s going on with that. She means, what’s going on between Elizabeth and Dr. Finn?

Portia, who’s beat Elizabeth to Laura, asks if Laura has any intel on who will be Cyrus’s replacement, and Laura says she does. Her mother gave her the scoop. Portia asks if she’s popping champagne or updating her resumé, and Laura tells her, let’s just say, it’s going to be interesting.

TJ asks Carson if she wants to sit, but she says she’s just grabbing some coffee. She asks if Molly took the bar in February, but Molly says she’s scheduled for July. She just finished law school. TJ says, talk about impressive. A job with the DA before she even graduated. If Molly won’t brag about it, he will. Carson says she commends Molly for taking a job at the DA’s office even after her mother was sent to prison. No one would have blamed her if she’d lost faith in the system.

Shawn tells Alexis, they’re not talking about gun-toting mobsters, and she says, they’re talking about people in power. He says, who want to stay in power, and she says, by any means necessary. There was an incident she heard of where a judge was being called into question by a defense attorney. The next thing you know, the defense attorney’s family is being harassed by local authorities, friends and family were denied permits, and that’s the least of it. So she thinks they should just alert Molly and TJ to all of this. What does he think? Quiet route or loud route? He says, neither. They just let his whole thing drop. If there’s any chance someone could get to TJ, they don’t do anything at all. She says please tell her he’s joking, and he asks if he looks like he’s joking. Even if they backchannel this, they can’t keep Carson from finding out. She’s well-respected and well-connected, right? Alexis says, right, but… He says, why give TJ another reason to be harassed? He can maintain in there. He only has a few years left on his sentence. She says, a sentence he shouldn’t be serving, for a crime he didn’t commit, and he asks if she thinks it’s the first time this happened to someone who looks like him. No. And it won’t be the last.

Carson says she’ll leave TJ and Molly to their coffee; it was nice to meet them. She tells TJ, good luck at the hospital, and Molly, good luck with the bar. If Molly ever has any questions or needs any pointers on case law, look her up. She’ll be happy to help. Molly thanks her, and says, it’s very generous.  Carson goes to the counter, and TJ says, wow. A judge offering to take Molly under her wing; it’s awesome. Molly says, is it?

Elizabeth says, it was really intense helping Finn save Chase, and Terry says, intense how? Elizabeth says, they had disagreements, and Finn requested she be taken off the case… Terry says, that obviously didn’t last long, and Elizabeth says, no, and they ended up making a pretty good team. Terry says, that kind of experience must have really bonded them, and Elizabeth flashes back to Finn touching her face. She says, yeah, you could say that, and looks across the room at Finn, who’s obliviously drinking his coffee.

Willow says, it’s like one setback after another, and Chase says, easy. He’s the one who should be worrying, not her, and he’s not. Because he’s got this. He’s going to walk again. For her.

Michael says, Jax definitely advocated for Nina seeing Wiley, but there were other factors that went into that decision. The main one being, he and Willow chose to trust her. Trust that she’d follow the guidelines and the rules when it came to Wiley. The reason he approached her is that they need to talk about Nelle. He knows they did a little, but there’s more to say. She says, of course (🍷). By all means. He says she knows what Nelle did to him, Willow, Wiley, his mom, and Brook; the list goes on. How Nina chooses to feel about Nelle, and make sense of the things she did, that’s up to Nina to figure out in her own time, but he can’t have her putting any of that on Wiley. Nina asks if she can be so bold as to ask him to do the same.

Carly says she doesn’t want to pry into Jason’s personal business, and he says, great; he appreciates that. (Like he’s going to get off that easy.) He gets out of the ring, and she says this isn’t her first rodeo. She gets it. He saved Britt’s life, he got shot, Britt saved his life… He says she saved his life, and she says he knows what she means; she’s not blind. Something’s going on. He says they’ve been over this, but if she needs to hear it again, yes. Something is going on with him and Britt, and it has nothing to do with her. Carly suddenly turns into her true form, a fire-breathing dragon, and burns the gym to a crisp. Not really. She says she’s sorry, but she disagrees. Anything that affects him, affects her.

TJ says, Carson is nice, isn’t she? and Molly says, yeah. She meant what she said. It was extremely generous of her to offer her guidance. He asks what the problem is, and she says, it feels kind of weird, considering she’s the judge who sentenced her mom. She knows her mom pled guilty, and she should consider herself lucky her mom got only three years… He says, it was a lenient sentence, and she says, still, her mother is in prison because of Judge Carson. Isn’t that a conflict of interest?

Shawn says, a man of color falsely convicted for a crime against a white woman. This isn’t new. Alexis says, which is why she wants to help, and he asks if she can single-handedly fix centuries of institutional racism. She says, no, but she can try, and he asks where all this righteous indignation was before she was in there with him, and before it affected someone she knew? He’s telling her to back off because he doesn’t think the risk is worth it for his son, or her daughter by the way, but she refuses. Does she even care what he wants? Or is this just all a savior complex? She says, that’s not what this is. She can help him. She’s a lawyer, for God’s sake. He says she’s not. She’s an inmate, just like him.

Nina says she’s hoping Michael and Willow will extend her the same courtesy, and not speak ill of Nelle to Wiley, and he says, Wiley doesn’t need to know who Nelle is. She says, eventually, he will, and Michael says she’s right. They’re preparing for that. It’s going to be a long and careful process to do it in a way that Wiley understands who his biological mother was, a troubled woman who did some terrible things, and not take it on himself. They’ve actually been meeting with Doc. He helped them find a child psychologist, someone they have lined up. The goal is to do this in the best, gentlest way possible, so it’s not some horrible secret that devastates Wiley when it comes out, and he won’t carry the burden of what Nelle did. Nina says she doesn’t want that for him either. She just hopes one day, at some point, she gets a chance to tell Wiley who she thought Nelle could have been. He says, when Wiley is 22 years old (kind of random, but okay), and his psychiatrist tells him it’s okay, he’ll be fine with that. Right now, Wiley is too young to understand anything other than Willow is his mom and he loves her. That’s where he is, and that’s where he’s going to stay until they collectively decide otherwise. She says she agrees 100%. She’s not there to rock the boat; just the opposite. He’s glad they’re on the same page. He tells her, take care, and leaves. Nina turns back to Nelle’s grave.

Chase asks if Willow remembers the rock climbing wall they never got to, and she says, the rock climbing wall he was going to drag her to, kicking and screaming? He says, they’re going as soon as he’s back on his feet. When Finn gets out of that meeting, he’ll have Finn set up physical therapy sessions. It’s going to take a while, so he wants to get started right away. She says he’s still recovering from the nerve damage. He needs to be careful of pushing himself too hard too fast. He says he’s going to push himself just right. Anything to get near his goal. She says, rock climbing? and he says, marrying her again, in the Quartermaine rose garden, with a ceremony and reception, in front of all the people who care about them. And he’s not going to be wheeling himself down the aisle. No way. They’re going to be walking hand in hand.

Carly says, whether or not it was the right move to force Jason to escape, she did it because they’re in this together. She knows they’ve always been in this together, but since Sonny died, things are different. Is she wrong? He says, no, and she says, and this isn’t a normal business. Hell, it’s not even a business; it’s a family, and everything that means. The protection, the planning, the danger. She had no idea how hard that was, but they’re in this together. So can he see how concerning it might be when he comes back from being on the run with Britt… He says he came back because she called him for help, which is exactly what she should have done. He said he would handle it, and he handled it. She says, he did. He came in guns a-blazing on the pier, and saved them like always. Except this time, he’s connected to someone she barely knows, and she really seems important to him. Is she? He says, yes, she is.

Britt dashes into the breakroom, and Terry tells Elizabeth, she made it. For a second, she thought maybe they would be the ones who got to write her up. Elizabeth says, believe her, she has a laundry list of complaints about Britt, but Britt believed in Jason when Elizabeth didn’t. She stood by Jake’s father when Elizabeth didn’t. So what is she supposed to do with that? Terry says she thinks it’s impressive the way Britt stood by Jason, but Elizabeth can be grateful to Britt and still not like the way she runs the hospital. Two things can be true. A woman comes in, and tells them, good morning. She knows they’re all curious about what was decided by the Board this morning. The revelations about Mr. Renault were troubling, to say the least, and they took swift action in removing him and finding a replacement that will make this Board, this hospital, and this city proud. A potential candidate was suggested by none other than Lesley Webber, and it’s with great pride that she shares this candidate was elected unanimously. Someone who has a long tenured history with the hospital, who they know will embrace this role with gusto, not to mention professionalism and competency. Please welcome their new Chairperson of the Hospital Board, Monica Quartermaine. Everyone applauds, and Monica takes a little bow.

Laura tells Monica, congratulations; no one is more deserving. Monica thanks Laura, and thanks all of them for the warm reception. She can’t tell them how honored she is to be back working at General Hospital. She’s missed walking around these halls so much in the last few months. She wants them to know, as Chairperson, she’ll remain as dedicated and devoted as ever. She’ll spend every day proving to them that she’s worthy of taking General Hospital into the future by also honoring its past. Everyone applauds again. Only Britt doesn’t look thrilled.

Carly says, Britt is important to Jason how? What does that mean? He says, it means he can’t tell her any more than yes, and she says, she just went over all the reasons they need to be a team, and he says, they are a team. She says she needs to know what’s going on, and he says she asked if Britt was important to him, and he told her yes. He can’t tell her why or how; it’s something he can’t talk about. She says she gets privacy, and they can have all the privacy they want. She just needs to know what she’s dealing with here. She looks like she might cry, and Jason says, nothing is going to change between them. Like she said, they’re a team. No matter what, it’s going to stay that way. Good Lord. Carly is acting like a jealous high schooler.

Molly asks TJ something I can’t hear about taking the job with Robert, and he says she knows where he stands on that. She asks him to go through it with her again, and he says, first and foremost, he supports her, but does he think it will be hard changing the system from within? Yeah. She says, it has to be possible, right? and he says if anyone can do it, it’s her. She says, and his mother. She walks that line every day. He says, she tries to. Remember when he was accused of shoplifting? She says, wrongly accused, and he says, his mom had to navigate being both a mother and the Commissioner, and she’d be the first to tell Molly, she didn’t succeed at either. It wasn’t her cross to bear. Molly says, when you put yourself on the front lines, it ends up that way.

Alexis says she’s sorry, and Shawn says he is too. She says sometimes she gets so caught up in the rightness and wrongness of something, she forgets there are actual people involved. It’s a blind spot, and not the first time someone has pointed it out, but she’ll try to make it the last. And he’s right. In there, she’s not a lawyer. He apologizes for saying that, but she says, it’s true. As the person advising him, she has to respect his wishes. If he wants to hit the pause button for a while, they will. Two guards come in, and Guard #1 tells Shawn to get back to his cell. Shawn says he has permission to be there for a few more hours, but the guard says, not anymore. His library privileges have been revoked. Alexis asks, why? and the guard tells Shawn, say goodbye to Ms. Davis. They’re not going to be seeing each other much anymore.

Monica says she’s 100% committed to bringing General Hospital back to its former glory. Part of that is reversing some of the questionable decisions her predecessor made, so effective immediately, Bobbie and Epiphany are returning to their positions. There’s more applause, and Laura asks if Monica told Bobbie and Epiphany the good news. Monica says she did, and Bobbie has already gotten her clipboard out of storage. They all laugh, and Monica says, Epiphany accepted graciously, but she’s not about to cut her Cabo vacation short. She’ll be joining them when she gets back. That’s about it. Everybody get back to work. People congratulate Monica as they leave, and Finn says he really missed Monica. She says she missed him too. Now go tend to his brother. He says, yes, ma’am, and leaves. Portia says she knows she and Monica didn’t overlap for very long, but she’s heard nothing but wonderful things about Monica’s leadership. Laura says, they’re all in excellent hands. Monica is the best at what she does. Monica says now she’s on the business side, so watch their budget overruns. Britt says she guesses it’s time to face facts, and Monica asks, what facts are those? Britt says she was the one who replaced Monica when she was fired. She sacked Epiphany, per Cyrus’s request. Payback’s a bitch, right? She guesses Monica is going to replace her as Chief of Staff. Everyone gives each other soap looks.

Nina tells Nelle’s headstone, even though it stings, and she didn’t love everything Michael said, she does believe Michael is right. She’s so thankful. The way she’s been acting lately, not a lot of people would have given her a second chance, but he did. If feels good that Wiley has a father that is so devoted to him. Wiley feels loved and cared for and safe. This really delicate place of trust that they’re in, is going to be blown to hell if Michael ever finds out she knew Sonny was alive, and didn’t tell anyone for months. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do. She isn’t going to be able to see her grandson, who is the only piece she has left of Nelle, ever again.

Jason tells Carly, the situation with Britt is a reality. He’s not going to lie about it. He’s not going to say there might not be an overlap, and when Carly calls because she needs his help, he might not be with Britt. She says he’s allowed to have relationships, and he says he doesn’t know what this is; where it’s going or if it’s going. She says, but it’s something, and he says, yeah. It’s personal with Britt and it’s personal with him. She says, and he can’t talk to her about it, and he says he’s not trying to shut her out. He just can’t go there, but she knows him. He’ll honor his commitment to her, always. Nothing’s going to change on his end. He can’t speak for her… She says, what? How can he say that to her? Honestly, if she doesn’t calm down, she’s going to have a heart attack.

Willow tells Chase not to do it for her. He should focus on getting better for himself. He says, can’t it be both? She’s everything to him. Finn walks in, and says he really needs to work on his timing. Actually, there’s a meeting he can go to… Willow says, he has work to do. Chase is all his. She starts to leave, and Chase says he loves her. She says she loves him too, but hesitates for so long and makes so many faces, I’m surprised Chase doesn’t ask if she’s sick. Michael comes out of the elevator while she’s hyperventilating in the hallway, and she runs to him. He holds her, and she cries.

Molly guesses her assumption that she could just swoop in and make the justice system fair for everyone was a little naïve, but TJ says she won’t know until she tries. She thanks him for being her biggest champion, and he says, always. She says she’s his too; he knows that, right? He says, if this mug doesn’t say it all, he doesn’t know what does, and they kiss.

Shawn says he was granted permission to use the library weeks ago, and hasn’t had an incident since. Guard #1 says he doesn’t have to tell Shawn, but the orders came from the warden himself. Alexis asks, on what grounds were Shawn’s privileges revoked? and the guard says, the same as they were granted, at the discretion of the warden. Alexis tells Shawn that he needs a lawyer. She’ll get him one by the end of the day. Guard #1 gets close to Alexis and tells her that she’s walking a fine line. Shawn puts his hand on the guard, and the guard pushes him back. Alexis tries to intervene, and Guard #2 pulls her away. Alexis falls to the floor, as Shawn struggles to go to her.

Nina says, Sonny has embraced his life in Nixon Falls. She kneels down by Nelle’s grave, and says, she didn’t really know him well when he was in Port Charles, but you could tell that he was tortured. He was burdened by his power, and haunted by all these tragedies. But the Mike she knows doesn’t have any of those things. She knows from Carly and Michael’s perspective, what she’s doing is wrong, but when she looks in Mike’s eyes, he doesn’t have any of that pain. He’s happy, so maybe she’s not wrong. It’s not because she feels drawn to Sonny, or she likes this version better. It’s because this man has been through hell, and now all that is washed away. And he’s happy. He’s truly happy. She puts her hand on the gravestone and says, that’s something she never had a chance to give to Nelle.

Guard #1 tells a random guard to take Shawn to his cell, while Guard #2 helps Alexis up. Guard #1 tells Alexis that she just instigated an altercation with a guard from the Department of Corrections in New York. He hopes she enjoys solitary confinement. Guard #2 takes her away.

Britt tells Monica, don’t worry. She won’t hold it against her. Monica says she hasn’t made any decision about the Chief of Staff, but assures Britt that when she does, there won’t be any prejudice involved. It’s a personal decision, and her ability to get along with that person is paramount. Terry says, if the matter isn’t settled, consider her as well. She’s sorry, but she’d like to throw her hat in the ring for Chief of Staff. It annoys me that she felt the need to apologize. As women, we often feel the need to apologize when we shouldn’t.

Finn is surprised Chase’s spirits are high. He just got a pretty serious diagnosis. Chase says he’s staying strong for Willow. He can beat this. He has to.

Willow tells Michael, Chase said their wedding is the thing that will get him through this; that he’s going to walk for her. How is she supposed to tell Chase the truth about her and Michael now?

A building blows up on the pier. It looks pretty impressive.

Carly says nothing will ever change for her when it comes to Jason. She’s just tired of being the selfish one all the time. Hint #2: stop being selfish then. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, people are always saying she’s the one who makes impossible demands on him; asking him to do everything. He asks why she cares about what the rest of the world thinks. She’s loved him, she’s supported him, she’s fought for him. She’s been there for him since the day they met, and they both know, it goes both ways. Yes, he does a lot for her, but he wouldn’t be standing there with the life that he has if it wasn’t for her. They’re both up against it right now for a lot of reasons, but they look weak, and if they don’t deal with it, it’s game over. So they’re going to deal with it because they’re in this together. She nods, saying, she really needed to hear that, and he hugs her. His phone rings, and he says,  yeah?… When?… He heaves the huge sigh he’s now become famous for, and says, he’ll let them know the next steps. Carly asks, what happened? and he says, the docks have been hit. Somebody is making a move against them.

Tomorrow, Valentin asks what Anna’s instincts tell her about Austin, Lucy tells someone they’ve got to leave, Sasha doesn’t know how she’s going to tell Nina that she’s pregnant, Nina doesn’t know where home is anymore, and Brick tells Carly and Jason, they’re running out of time to push back.

Million Dollar Listing New York

Tyler said he was busier than ever. He was meeting the owners of a 3000 square foot, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath apartment in Morningside Hts., located between parks and near Columbia, on 110th Street in Harlem. (I used to go to a great pizza place up there. Good times…) Tyler had convinced the owners into sinking $30K on staging before he started showing the apartment, and prayed they loved the results. He told owner Jeannine that it was no longer a family home, but a product. He explained the concentration was on neutral colors, and low key furniture, so potential buyers would take in the amount of space. Jeannine said it no longer looked like a home where kids had been throwing footballs around. In Tyler’s interview, he said he could tell there was going to be an emotional connection to the lives that had been lived there, but he wanted to get it marketed because of the upcoming election. He said, whichever way it went, a pause would be put on real estate. Whether or not people came back to NYC would depend on how the virus was being handled. He was selling both memories and somebody else’s future.

KJ met with fitness instructor/guru Megan Roup at a park. They’d connected virtually, but it was the first time they were meeting in person. She told Megan about the 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment on 14th Street that she was trying to sell. Seller and friend, Stephanie was moving to Miami, and not happy with how long it was taking. Since brokers weren’t having events in the conventional way, KJ thought she’d have a workout event in the outside space of the apartment, which had more square footage than the inside. Since it was a walk-up, the attendees could warm up by taking the stairs. Megan would teach a class, then KJ would take groups to see the apartment. We learned that KJ had been the National Champion in race walking, and she did a demonstration.  

Ryan said since he’d opened his brokerage, things were going really well, but before he built a new sales force, he had a handful of listings to take care of from Nest Seekers. He met team member Talia at the 84th Street property to brainstorm about promoting it. Talia said people were coming back to NYC, and in Ryan’s interview, he said the city was slowly picking up. They discussed the neighborhood, and Ryan said one of the things he loved about NYC was that it was the most culturally and racially diverse city in the world. Talia said it was upsetting seeing what was happening in the world, but she felt a silver lining. It was opening up opportunities for people to talk about injustice. It was nice to see people coming together, and becoming more educated. They talked about real estate terms no longer used, like master bedroom. She said change was happening, and in his interview, Ryan said he couldn’t experience what Talia did, but he could listen, hear, and help as much as possible. Talia said the problem with showing the apartment was that people didn’t want to travel there, with public transport still being iffy. Ryan said since they weren’t spending money on events, they could put it into transportation.   

KJ set up with the workout/showing with her assistant, putting out tons of juices, water, and eco-friendly glass straws, and completely opening the NanaWall. In KJ’s interview, she said it took some thinking outside the box, but she knew people were missing in-person exercise classes. So she’d invited brokers to work out with a celebrity fitness guru. Her hope was, they’d be so sore, they’d remember the apartment.

Tyler was having a brokers showing for the apartment on 110th Street, and told Kemba to play up the fact it was near three major parks, one of them being Central Park. People were looking for outdoor space. He’d invited Alana, an intuitive psychic, to do an entrepreneur workshop, at Jeannine’s suggestion, and his life coach Vivace, who would coach female entrepreneurs and businesswomen to feel inspired about future. He felt people were losing confidence, and they could be socially distant while getting affirmation and career advice. In Tyler’s interview, he said, usually, it was about the agents getting excited about the property, but this one would be all about the agents. He told the brokers that the apartment was his anti-suburb listing, for people who wanted space, but didn’t want to leave the city. In his interview, he said it was hard to be an agent right now, and it felt good to have an event that empowered other agents. They had to keep their heads in the game. The pandemic wasn’t going to last forever.

Steve talked to Cornelia Guest, owner of the 456-acre Artemis Farm. He told her people were interested in having their own space, but being within driving distance of the city. He thought upstate New York was a hidden gem, more discreet than the Hamptons. He thought a price tag of $3.995 million felt good, and she said she trusted him, and knew he had her best interest at heart. Steve said he loved the city, his life there, and his job, but selling upstate was a damn good way to spend a Saturday. The farm felt like a country manor; modern, but not too modern. It was the perfect combination of shabby and chic. Before he went full throttle, he wanted to do pre-showings with people he thought could help get it sold. His secret weapon was Dorinda Medley (Real Housewives of New York City), who was Berkshires royalty. Bluestone Manor was famous, and he thought she was the perfect person to spread the word. Among others, he’d also invited publicist Greg, who was also a marketing guru, hoping that this showing would get a lot of people interested. He kept property manager Tim on hand to answer any questions, and in Steve’s interview, he said, a good broker knows where their expertise ends and someone else’s begins. The land was protected so that no one could build on it, but the upside was, no taxes had to be paid on it, and it could be rented out for events. Steve said one event could pay for the mortgage.  It really is a gorgeous, magical property, and if I had a spare $5 million, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Dorinda said it would be a safe purchase in the long term, and Steve suggested selling Bluestone Manor for her. Dorinda said he might as well sell her soul; she was Queen of the Manor. Steve said the best way to show a large property was to show how much fun you could have with the space, and took his guests all around the place in an ATV. When they left, he wanted them to tell their friends what a joyride the property was.  

In Ryan’s interview, he told us that he was now the most followed real estate company in world. For the showing on 84th Street, he got what he called his covid-19mobile, a Lamborghini SUV with all the trimmings, including Plexiglas between the passengers, air filters, and Yuri in a Hazmat suit. He said a mixture of people were coming for the showings; some had reached out to him, some were his personal clientele, and there were even people he’d talked to on the street. He decided he could talk to them about the neighborhood, and 5200 square foot, 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath property, during the drive. He presented Yuri as fully protected and sanitized, and in his interview, he said, from crisis comes opportunity. This is why he’s so successful.

Once again I laughed at KJ trying to work and take care of her kids, who were like, mommy! mommy! mommy! She said she had a fabulous nanny, who was also student, and there was no back up childcare right now. KJ admitted she was not a WFH person, but her team had stepped up, and were doing showings at 14th Street, and doing a great job. Stephanie was in the process of moving, and putting pressure on her. The asking price was $2.625 million, and KJ got an offer of $2.3 million. In her interview, she said the covid discount seemed to go from 10-15% to 30%. There was nothing worse than getting a seller to drop aggressively, then getting a lowball bid. Stephanie was surprisingly understanding, saying, given the times, it wasn’t horrible. Everyone agreed $2.375 was a pretty fair number, but the buyer wanted to some of the furniture thrown in for that price. Stephanie said that hadn’t even been in the conversation, and when KJ could get her to budge by reminding her that she wouldn’t have to move it, KJ offered to lower her commission by $10K for the furniture gap. It was deal, but I didn’t cry for KJ, whose commission was still $61,250. In KJ’s interview, she said it felt like a win considering the uncertainty in the market.

Next time, Fredrik deals with an unhappy seller, KJ looks at property in her home town, and Ryan takes on the most luxurious development project in Brooklyn.  

Ryan’s Renovation

At the end of the last episode, Ryan and Emelia faced another delay, and it would be another three months before they could move in. They weren’t going to be in by Christmas as planned, and were a million dollars over budget. The goal was now Greek Easter.

In March, they had the completion reveal. It had been almost two years, and Ryan said it had been like Build-A-Bear. He and Emelia met with the interior designers. In April, they moved in some personal items, but were starting fresh with the design team working at the house. Emelia said it was exciting to be packing, but bittersweet. Ryan said their Soho apartment had seemed extravagant when they moved in. It was hard to believe how far they’d come. When they met, he’d just started in the business, and Emelia had just gotten out of law school. We flashed back to their wedding, and he said they’d expanded in all ways. They even had a tiny human they made together, and had outgrown the home that seemed perfect for them. The movers came, and Ryan had to go to work, leaving Emelia and her mom to deal with Zena. When move-in day arrived, Ryan said he couldn’t believe they were actually moving into the house, and that it was done and furnished. He wasn’t ready. He told Emelia, after everything they’d been through, he thought this moment would never come. The designers met them at the door.

Emelia thought their styles had been married well – hers being moody and dark, and his light and airy. Ryan said it was completely insane. They’d designed it on paper, and now it was real. We saw some before and after photos, and the whole place was beyond fabulous. Ryan said they’d do the landscaping when Emelia was in Greece during the summer. Emelia’s mom liked her downstairs suite, but said it was too far; the issue being the reception of the baby monitor. I suddenly wondered why they didn’t get a TV monitor like you’d have for your front door. I’m sure it’s expensive, but they just spent a skabillion dollars, so what’s a couple hundred more? Ryan said the closet was 250 square feet, the same as his first apartment. Emelia said she felt very blessed, but humbling as it was, she was proud that after so many years, they were there.  

In an amusing moment, Ryan showed Zena Andy Cohen’s picture on his phone. She wasn’t impressed. Zena was deposited with Emelia’s brother Stratos, while Ryan had a virtual meeting with his team. A bunch of family members came over for champagne and tons of food. Ryan thanked them for coming and breaking the house in, and said they were welcome forever. We flashed back over the renovation, and Emelia said, in spite of the ups and downs, it was worth it. It feels like home. Ryan said he never thought he’d say it, but all their hard work paid off. Alone on the terrace, they toasted to a happy Easter, Ryan adding, and to never doing it again. Emelia said, except maybe in Greece.

I really enjoyed this show. I like Ryan and Emelia. They seem like genuinely nice people, who worked hard to get where they are, and deserve what they’ve worked for. Although I’m sure Ryan isn’t going to slow down any.

🕍 Renovation Of a Lifetime…

There aren’t many after photos, but take it from me, it’s one amazing house. With a lot of stairs. I thought the elevator installation was very wise.  

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-new-york/style-living/see-inside-ryan-serhants-new-brooklyn-townhouse

https://people.com/home/see-ryan-serhants-expensive-renovation-in-sneak-peek-of-the-million-dollar-listing-spin-off/

🦘 G’Night, Mate…

Oh wow, it’s not daylight out yet. Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and many a quote. Until then, stay safe, stay ignoring the haters, and stay finding opportunity in crisis.