What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth unwraps the painting of the brothers. She tells Franco it’s all his – again.

Molly asks Alexis to breakfast at Charlie’s. TJ and Curtis join them. TJ starts to talk about their landlord, and Alexis has the feeling it’s not just breakfast Molly invited her for. They want to take the landlord down, and Alexis says they’ll need good counsel. Molly says, that’s her.

Ned and Michael meet at the MetroCourt. Michael doesn’t want to sacrifice the character of the Charles Street neighborhood for development, but Ned says there’s a way to keep it, and still make money. Since Mayor Lomax is out, it’s a whole new ball game. Michael says they need to make sure they’re not pitting ELQ against the residents.

By the bar, Julian tells Olivia-Q that she has knack for business. She asks what he wants. He says the same thing she does; what’s best for their son. That means more time with his father.

Jordan brings Anna coffee at the hospital. Finn is stable. Anna explains that Cassandra forced a dose of her synthetic opioid on him. She says they’ll have to charge her with assault or attempted murder, but Jordan says first they have to find her. She’s disappeared.

In Tulum, Mexico, Laura peruses a travel book. Doc thinks they should skip sightseeing, and explore each other. She says they have the rest of their lives to do that. He wants to save the Mayan Ruins for next time, and spend time with her now, before she becomes mayor.

Molly tells Alexis that the heat was off again last night, and it’s not the only thing. There’s been no basic maintenance either. Alexis says negligence isn’t exactly harassment. They have to prove deliberate intent. She tells them to keep a record, and Molly says she’s been documenting everything. Alexis says they’ll have to write a letter, and take it to the court, but the landlord will probably just end up paying a fine.

Ned shares Michael’s concerns about Charles Street, he’s just asking Michael to keep an open mind. A man joins them, and Ned introduces him as Jim Harvey from Niagara Equities. He says they share ELQ’s vision for Charles Street. Michael says he’s aware of their reputation of closing a deal – better to apologize than ask permission. Jim says they take pride in finding diamonds in the rough, and turning them into precious gems. Michael reminds Ned that Tracy used to say, even the most expert jeweler has to be careful in cutting a diamond. One small slip can destroy it.

Franco tells Elizabeth he’s not hanging the painting in the house. It’s just another monument to his mom’s secrecy, like the card she sent. Elizabeth says he’s been distracted since he saw it. He says he doesn’t know what’s true or not, and it’s the latest reminder. Elizabeth says at least she took the negative energy and secrets with her. Now they deal in the truth. They kiss, and Franco suggests she call in sick, but she has to go to work. When she leaves, he looks at the painting.

Anna tells Jordan there’s no way Cassandra roused herself and walked off. Jordan doesn’t know what to say. If Anna hadn’t seen it for herself, she would have thought it never happened. Anna says it sounds like a professional wipe-down. Jordan says they have a missing woman who allegedly assaulted her and Valentin, and Finn is in the hospital with an OD. What kind of operation has Anna been running?

Laura is flattered, but asks why Doc is bringing it up. He thinks she’s uniquely qualified to be mayor. She says she has every intention of fighting for Charles Street, but wants the subject tabled. She’s excited to be there, and wants to see the ruins.

Jordan says Anna had a WSB operation in her jurisdiction. It would have been nice to get a heads up. She asks what possessed Anna to involve Finn? Anna says that Cassandra is a hypochondriac, and Finn is a disease specialist; it was a match made in heaven. She tried cutting him loose after they got back from Morocco, but he wanted to stay involved, and he was a good operative. Jordan says she was led to believe he made a mistake somewhere, and asks how Cassandra got wise. Anna says he didn’t make a mistake; she did.

Olivia tells Julian not to push his luck. He says he needs more time with his son. She knows it’s a foreign concept, but doing the best for Leo comes first. Julian says he was exonerated, and he’s rebuilding his life. He just bought a new business.

Kiki drops in on Franco. He thought she was visiting with Dillon, and she says that was the plan. She’s so angry, she wants to break something, and asks if he has a vase he doesn’t like. He gives her Betsy’s card to tear up. He asks if she feels better, but she says not really. She got to the airport, and because of snowstorms, flights were either delayed or canceled. Dillon had to get back to Los Angeles, and she had to get back to studying. She sees the painting, and Franco says it’s like a karmic boomerang. She thinks maybe it’s trying to tell him something.

Anna tells Jordan that the OD was forced on Finn. Cassandra turned her product into a weapon. Elizabeth arrives to check on Finn. Jordan says they still need to question Valentin, but Anna says he won’t know anything. He was tied to a chair with her all night. Elizabeth comes back, and says Finn is asking for Anna.

Finn motions for Anna to come near the bed. She tells him she’s sorry, sorry, sorry, and he tells her to shut up. He came back to her place to celebrate, and found Cassandra there instead of her. She did this to him; he didn’t use. Anna says she never thought he did, and hates that he has to go through this again. He takes her hand, and Anna asks what happened. He tells her that Cassandra knew everything. She threw white powder into his face, and said she was going to keep him on drugs to force him into working on the formula. Then she threatened Anna, and he couldn’t let Cassandra hurt her.

Jim shows Ned and Michael an artist’s rendering of the idea for Charles Street. Luxury condos and office space, incorporating the existing architecture. They can preserve the existing façade and character on the outside, while inside, it’s state of the art. It’s visually less disruptive, and ties everything together, but it’s all brand new. The most exciting thing is the ELQ Arena, designed to host professional hockey and basketball, but it will also be the home to concerts, conventions, and high-profile events. Michael says they thought of almost everything. What happens to the residents? Will they be incorporated in, or forced out to pave the way for the arena?

Molly doesn’t understand why the lack of heat and maintenance isn’t harassment. Alexis says they have to prove intent. She suggests they find out who else is having problems in the area, and go for a class action suit. Molly says they’ve never even seen the landlord, but Curtis says he’ll get the proof to nail them.

Jordan asks Anna how Valentin is involved. Anna says he had a history with Cassandra, so she went to him. Jordan wonders why he’d comply, and Anna tells her about Cassandra wanting him to work with her, and threatening his wife and child. Jordan asks where he might have gone, and Anna thinks probably the MetroCourt, since it was their anniversary. Anna believes one of Cassandra’s associates must have gotten her. She’s concerned Cassandra will come after Finn, and says they need to get her in custody. Jordan says she seems worried about him, and Anna says he’s her responsibility. Jordan says maybe more than that.

A blizzard warning interrupts the show, but I don’t miss much.

Curtis is all for family helping family, and says while he tries to work within the law, he might have to go into some grey areas. Alexis reminds him that she can’t use anything illegal. He suggests a don’t ask, don’t tell approach, and asks if she can live with that. She smiles.

Julian tells Olivia that he owns Charlie’s Pub now. She asks if this makes him a paragon of virtue, but he says he’s trying to put down roots, and it’s the cornerstone of the neighborhood. He proved that when they fed the homeless on Christmas. He wants Leo to be proud of him as a father, unlike her trophy husband. He walks over to Ned’s table, and helps himself to a piece of bacon, calling Ned “Ted.”

Ned asks where they were, and Michael says talking about the high cost of progress. He asks what about affordable housing? Jim says they’ll do what’s best for everyone. It’s not the first time they’ve encountered pushback from a neighborhood, but the former mayor supported their vision. Michael says he’ll give the proposal consideration. Jim tells him to take his time, but not too much. They have other investors who are interested, but ELQ is their first choice. Jim leaves, and Ned asks if Michael is trying to kill the deal. Michael says since he’s been at the helm of ELQ, there’s been growth potential, but they also need to practice good corporate citizenship, and doesn’t think Ned gets it. Ned says they still need to turn a profit. Charles Street will make someone a boatload of money, and he’d like it to be them.

Franco says he should destroy the painting. Kiki grabs it, saying it means something. He wanted a clean slate, but hasn’t painted single thing. Whatever was in the past, is still in the present, and the painting reminds him of it. He has unfinished business. A lot of that going around this week.

Anna tells Jordan that Finn is her friend, and she has feelings about what happens to him. She had him plant a bug; something simple, since he wasn’t an experienced operative. That also made it more easy to detect. Cassandra discovered it, realized she’d been betrayed, and targeted him. Jordan gets a call, and steps away. Elizabeth approaches Anna. She says she doesn’t know the details, but Finn pretends to be impervious and that the world is a joke, but he’s susceptible to the same feelings they all share. Life is random and uncertain, and what gets us through is the people we connect with. If there’s a chance of happiness, she should go for it.

On the phone, Jordan says she’s still at the hospital. She asks when and where? She tells Anna that an agent got word to her that Cassandra has been located. Anna says, get her.

Doc explains symbols on a piece of pottery to Laura. He says the most important one is the sun. Legend has it that if they don’t have someone good and wise to lead them, the private and public worlds collide or fall apart. Civilization can disappear. She asks if he found the pottery in the ruins. He says he did, and he could get locked up for having it. She wonders about the ancient hieroglyphic that says made in Taiwan. Doc says the point is she can do the job and be great. He’ll give all his support, and even kiss a baby and wear a First Dude T-shirt. She has to want it though; it’s up to her.

Alexis says what Curtis doesn’t disclose doesn’t concern her. TJ and Molly are to keep their heads down, and let Curtis do his job. They don’t want the landlord tipped off. Julian arrives, and they basically ignore him. TJ and Molly are going to check code violations, and Alexis tells them to go on ahead. Julian asks if she wants to talk about it. She says, nope, and he says he didn’t think so.

Michael recalls Edward’s cardinal rule of never seeming too anxious. Ned is concerned they’ll find another partner, but Michael says they want the Quartermaine name as a stamp of approval. They can’t buy that kind of endorsement. Ned asks if Michael is willing to risk losing the deal to save some crummy apartments. They start to argue, and Olivia steps in. Ned says Michael brought him back on board to deliver, but Michael says he needs time to go over it. Ned says there’s no such thing as a perfect deal, and Michael reminds him that he’s the CEO. Ned tells him to shove his title. Michael can run ELQ into the ground if he wants. He quits.

Franco tries to give Kiki the painting, but she thinks it’s there for a reason only he can figure out. She has to go, and brought some Christmas gifts for him and the family. She hopes he realizes how lucky he is, and he says he does every night. She tells him whatever is haunting him, he needs to deal with it before he loses the best thing that’s happened to him.

Elizabeth checks Finn’s vitals. Anna pops in, and she says he just went to sleep. Anna stands by the bed. Finn is shaky, and she touches him. He grabs her hand, and says there’s something he needs to tell her.

Julian is glad the kids are standing up for their rights. Alexis tells him that Curtis is helping, and he asks if she thinks they might be in over their heads. She says they don’t know what they’re dealing with, and Julian says the landlord doesn’t know what he’s dealing with. He says since he’s right across the street, does she want him to keep an eye on things? She says it’s probably best he doesn’t, and he asks if that’s a yes.

Olivia tells Ned that they have to sit down and talk it through. Ned says he’s done talking; he’s out, Michael says he’s sorry it didn’t work out, but he has to use his best judgement. Since it’s a family company, the door is always open. He leaves, and Ned says the new year is starting out with a bang. Olivia says maybe he should think of it as a blessing in disguise. Maybe ELQ’s loss is the city’s gain. He should run for mayor.

Laura loves Doc’s faith in her. She’ll go to every town hall meeting, hand out flyers, write emails, and continue to fight, but she doesn’t have to do it from the mayor’s office. Doc respects her decision. Laura points at the pottery, and tells him this hieroglyphic says they should hang a do not disturb sign on the door and get busy before catching their flight back.

Franco sleeps. He dreams about the boy in the painting telling him to open his present. He opens it, and it’s a rabbit’s foot keychain. He says it’s the best present ever. The boy says Franco is his best friend ever. Franco wakes up, and gets the rabbit’s foot out of a drawer. He says if that’s his best friend, why did he try to kill him?

Jordan asks Elizabeth to convince Anna to go home. Whatever Finn has to say can wait. Inside Finn’s room, he tells Anna that he killed Cassandra.

Tomorrow, Anna asks what’s the last thing Finn remembers, Jordan questions Valentin, and Spinelli says he got one lead that sparked two more.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

When we last left, Siggy admitted Margaret wasn’t anti-Semantic, but thought she was anti-Siggy. At this point, so am I.

Melissa goes to the boutique, where her package has arrived from Italy. The trip to Milan opened doors for her, giving envy an advantage over the other boutiques in Jersey. Joe #2 stops by, and she shows him the purse that came. He wonders if she went all the way to Italy for that, which she knew he would say. In her interview, she says she doesn’t love serving food; she loves dressing people. Family and business is tricky, and a huge reason why she’s not into the restaurant. Joe suggests throwing parties there. Melissa says he gives her space with envy, so she’s backing off. He doesn’t think it’s fair. Really? He helps with the store? Yeah, I didn’t think so. He says maybe they’ll see each other at home.

Margaret goes by the office, and the luggage line is discussed. She says she thinks they need to work with a larger factory, and tells them the Siggy story. She felt like she had to force an apology out of her. They’re throwing her birthday gala soon, and she’s all about the dancing. She wants to walk the property to figure out the logistics, and tells Joe #3 that he has to pick up all his sh*t. Yes, he does. There are tools and construction materials everywhere. Margaret grew up on disco, and was obsessed with it. There are going to be disco balls everywhere. A renegade bee flies by, and after everyone flails their arms at it, they decide to go in. Planning over for today.

Teresa has a photo shoot for her book cover. Siggy (bleh) joins her. Siggy says in life certain people won’t mesh with you, but she’s going to try and get in a good place with Margaret. She thinks they should treat each other with kindness and respect moving forward. She and Teresa talk about Joe #1. Teresa says she can’t tell him exactly how she feels, even though Siggy is pressuring her. She’s been honest in her book though. Joe has not really apologized or taken full responsibility for putting her and the rest of the family in a horrifying position. I’m sure plenty of people think she got what she deserved and knew what she was doing, but I don’t. For one thing, I think because they’re well-known, the judge made an example of them. Like with Martha Stewart. The crime they committed was nothing extraordinary, and judging by how their marriage looked, I think he said, sign this, and she did. However, I don’t think that would ever happen again. This experience wised her up quickly. Teresa comes out in a black glittery jumpsuit, and it’s not the first time I’ve thought post-jail looks good on her. In her interview, she wants to tell Joe #1 how she feels, but to look someone in the eye is different from writing it down. She wonders where they go if he doesn’t apologize.

Frank and Dolores are taking Frankie on a college tour to Sacred Heart. They talk about his various options. Frank is liking it, because it’s like a family trip. Like the Griswold’s. Dolores says it’s a proud moment; they got their kid this far. They parented together, and it wasn’t easy, but they held it together. She’s not ready for an empty nest, and it’s starting to hit her. My advice is to get more dogs. She says it’s terrifying, and she doesn’t get scared of anything. She never went to college, and it was her goal for the kids. Geez, the rooms at Sacred Heart are huge. As big as my first apartment. Frankie wasn’t expecting it to be this nice. Frank says he’s scared, since it will just be him and Dolores in the house now.

Margaret’s ex, Jan, comes by with bagels. She makes coffee. She says they’re better friends than a couple. They’re good in small doses together. She asks who he’s bringing to her party, but he’s coming alone. She asks if there would be a chance the kids would ever speak to her again. She’s been wanting to bring it up since the retreat. She starts to cry, saying she wishes things were different. He’s the only one who lived it with her, so who else is she going to talk to? He says for a long time she was a great mother to his kids, but chose a different life. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t care. He resents what she did, but doesn’t hold it against her. She takes responsibility for hurting her husband and kids when she left. She says he’s still her family. Since the kids’ biological mother was gone early on, the two mom figures in their lives left them. She says she’s not giving up, and asks Jan to tell them she loves them. He tells her he won’t charge much for the session.

Frank and his girlfriend are on a break. Dolores says it’s simple. He needs her right now, and is back home. He says the reason he’s there is, so she can see her boyfriend. David delivers elevated risk babies, and they don’t get a lot of time together. She wants to discuss it with David, but doesn’t think there’s much more he can do. Frank asks if she thinks David appreciates her. He feels badly about their own marriage, but she says he’s made up for a lot. She thinks the timing was off, and he needed to grow on his own. He asks what if David won’t give her more time, and she says it’s the second-half of her life, so she needs to think about what she wants to do with it, and who she wants to spend it with. Oh for God’s sake, just get remarried.

Teresa is on her way to Danielle’s house to apologize to her daughters. That’s very grown up. She’s nervous, wondering how they’re going to take it. Melissa thinks it will be good for all of them.

Danielle has made tea. Teresa says they’re in a good place, but it’s hard to know her actions affected her kids. They’ve been sitting on it a long time. Danielle thanks her, but says Christine isn’t willing to sit down; she doesn’t believe anyone has changed. in her interview, Danielle says the past can’t be erased, but now that she and Teresa have reconnected, it’s not her job to make it right, but Teresa’s. Teresa thanks Jillian for meeting with her. She tells Jillian that a lot of things have happened, not all of them good. When she was in jail – it’s hard for her to even say the word – she wanted to reach out and apologize to Danielle. She says she’s open to any questions or whatever. Jillian says that when she heard that Teresa and her mom were going to yoga together, she flipped out. Danielle insisted Teresa had changed, and Jillian hoped she was right. She says she still gets repercussions that cascaded into other things. Danielle says at the time, she she told the kids to pack a bag; they were moving. It was the beginning of a rough time. Teresa says she also has daughters, so she would never want to hurt them in any way. She feels horrible, and had no idea she caused all this hurt all this time, but she’s glad they spoke. If she could, she would take it back. She says in the heat of the moment, you don’t think, and she takes full responsibility and is sorry. Jillian accepts the apology. She’s glad things are better, and they can move on. She hopes Christine can get on board, but it’s harder for her. Danielle is proud of both of them, and thinks it’s a big step to healing from the past. Wow. Even that kid is more mature than a thousand Siggys.

At Gorga’s, Joe #2 says it’s a disaster today, and they have to step it up for the launch party. Teresa and Melissa are late, and he’s behind. It hurt him that Melissa doesn’t want to be involved with the restaurant.

Margaret says her mom is going to the opening of a casual restaurant, and thinks she’s a Vegas show girl. Marge Sr. says in case she has to go off on Siggy, she’ll look good. Margaret says she got a nice text from Siggy, saying how excited she was to be invited to Margaret’s birthday party, and it’s about the Gorgas, not them.

Siggy brings her dad some food to eat outside. He’s teaching classes on the Holocaust. Siggy tells him that she just got back from Italy, and needs his opinion on something. She introduced a friend to the group, but she and the friend aren’t getting along. She tells him about Margaret calling her “Soggy” like a mean girl, and how she told Siggy that she shouldn’t be walking in the fashion benefit, because Kim D had said nasty things about Teresa. She says Margaret didn’t understand, and should have minded her own business. She told Siggy that Hitler wouldn’t have killed her, but does it make him a good person? Siggy’s father asks what’s the question? In her interview, Siggy says she’s the daughter of a Holocaust scholar and survivor. Her father says to stay away from Margaret. The whole thing doesn’t need philosophizing (we’re in agreement there). It’s never appropriate to mention Hitler, and she should apologize. Siggy says she did, but then Siggy called her an anti-Semite. He says Siggy shouldn’t have done that. He doesn’t know Margaret’s personal feelings, so he can’t be sure of it. Of course, Siggy is leaving out that Margaret’s husband and children are Jewish, along with a few other facts, but okay. Siggy says Margaret brings out the worst in her, and her father says the best way to handle it is to not to get involved or say things she might regret. Siggy says Margaret has succeeded in turning her upside down. Her father tells her to be polite, but keep a distance.

Teresa arrives at the restaurant, and Joe #2 asks her to do something. She starts cutting the pizzas. The food looks phenomenal. She asks where Melissa is, and Joe tells Teresa that Melissa doesn’t want to be involved, but they’ll make the best of it. Melissa walks in (not much later than Teresa), and Teresa tells her that she’s shocked Melissa doesn’t want to be part of the business. Melissa tells her that she never said that. She said she didn’t want to boss Joe around. Teresa says it’s a family restaurant. She has to take it seriously, and stop with the attitude. In her interview, Melissa says she and Teresa are great alone, but when it’s the three of them, they gang up on her. I agree. She tells them to dial it down.

The guests start arriving. Marge Sr. starts looking for Siggy, and Margaret reminds her that they made up. In her interview, Margaret says if she didn’t know better, she’d think Siggy was avoiding her, but she’ll take it over an ambush. Dolores says it’s a little rude of her to ignore Marge Sr., but that’s how she is. Joe #2 calls Teresa and Melissa up for a toast. Margaret says Siggy is three feet away, and still hasn’t acknowledged her. She’s definitely purposely ignoring her. Joe says that they lost their mother two months ago, but before she got sick, they had talked about opening a restaurant. They decided to do this in her honor, and to keep the memories and recipes going forever. In her interview, Melissa says she’s not mad anymore. She loves them, loves the family, and is proud they did this for her mother-in-law.

Melissa explains to Teresa that she’s a control freak, and just wanted Joe #2 to have his own thing like she has envy. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t help. Teresa says in the beginning, Melissa was annoyed about Joe not telling her about it, but Melissa says that’s more like he surprised her in buying it. In her interview, Teresa says she’s learned that couples have to communicate, especially when it’s something big, and Joe should have informed Melissa about any business decisions. Teresa offers to help Melissa at envy if she needs it. In her interview, Melissa says she forgets sometimes that Teresa’s husband isn’t there, and she might like to spend time with her brother.

Marge Sr. asks Margaret how it’s going with Siggy, and Margaret says it’s not. Danielle thinks Marge Sr. should meet her, and goes over to ask Siggy to be cordial. Siggy refuses, because she’s a big ass rude jerk. She says she’s not walking across the room to meet someone’s mother when she doesn’t get along with the daughter. Is it me? Didn’t she say they were going to be kind and respectful? In her interview, she says it would just be another ambush and “The Sig” ain’t stupid. Yes, she is, and apparently doesn’t know the definition of polite, which is what her father suggested she be. Danielle says she’s not going to force her. In her interview, Margaret wonders why she’s being so rude. After she got the text about the birthday party, she thought they’d made up. She doesn’t rescind invitations, and has good manners, but also wouldn’t say she’s never effed anything up. She tells Danielle she’s never kicked anyone out of her home, and Danielle says there’s a first time for everything.

Next time, Siggy is apprehensive (please), Teresa visits Joe #1 in jail, and Margaret’s party happens.

👑 A Quote Too Appropriate to Wait

Kim D is like a character on Game of Thrones. – Robin Lord Taylor, on Watch What Happens Live

🌎 I’m In…

Tulum, Mexico