Category Archives: television

May8

May 7, 2017 – A Musical Fairy Tale Wedding, Mary, an Atlanta Mention & a Quote

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

Once Upon a Time – the Musical Episode

Young Emma sings into a tape recorder. Her sister makes fun of her. She says that Emma is just like everybody else – all alone.

Moving forward, Snow has found her old wedding gown, and asks Emma if she wants to wear it. Snow never thought they’d have a moment like this. Kelly Clarkson appears and…just kidding.

Back in the day, Snow says there’s no way they can stop the Evil Queen. Charming tells her that they will, and she needs some rest. On the balcony, she wishes for a happy ending, and a star glows brightly.

Bluebirds, well, really a parakeet, wake Snow. She’s surprised to find herself singing. Charming comes in, singing that someone has cast a spell or curse, because he can’t stop singing in verse. Snow sings that it’s because of her wish, and they’ll defeat the Evil Queen. They sing about love being the most powerful magic of all. This is pretty cool, and I’m already impressed with the sets and costumes. And the lyrics actually aren’t awful. Surprisingly, the cast can also sing. Although there is the magic that is autotune.

In Storybrooke, Snow brings her dress back from the cleaners, but it turns black when Emma holds it up. The Black Fairy pops in, poof! in a cloud of black smoke. She says she was never a fan of white weddings, and light and dark must have their reckonings. Unless Emma wants to give over her heart now. She says deep down, Emma is still the lonely little girl she always was, and the final battle is coming, whether they want it to or not.

The Black Fairy plans on separating the friends with a curse. When the clock strikes six – at the time Emma and Hook are to be married – it will be released. Regina says she ruined Snow’s wedding, the least she can do is help Emma have hers.

Way back when, the Evil Queen and her mirror sing a duet about the spell that’s been cast. The mirror tells her that her curse might not succeed. We see the Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, and the others singing happily in every mirror the queen passes. It makes her go ballistic. The queen sings about love being a waste of time, how it can’t match her power, and doesn’t stand a chance. BTW, Lana Parrilla (Regina) has a great voice. I’d love to see her on Broadway. The Evil Queen breaks into everyone else’s happy scenes, dancing on the tables and kicking things over.

Right now, Hook looks at his white suit, and asks David if he thinks Emma would be disappointed if he doesn’t wear it. Emma comes in, and tells him about the Black Fairy’s curse. She says she has to fight the final battle alone. She tells him not to worry; she’ll be at the wedding on time. He says that’s not it; he knows she’s come to say good-by. She tells him she loves him, and jets.

Back in the day, Snow and Charming go to a tavern to find Hook. Charming wants him to take them to the Evil Queen. They’re prepared to pay handsomely. Hook sings about revenge, and how it’s worth more than anything else. When Snow asks revenge on who, he tells her to wait for the second verse. I’m liking these songs. Is the soundtrack available? Hook sings about how the crocodile ruined his life. He sings about the Dark One, and Charming says he’s in their dungeon. Snow tells him that if he can help them, he has himself a crocodile. Colin O’Donoghue (Hook) can definitely co-star in my Broadway show.

In the present, Hook goes to Gold’s shop. He says Gold betrayed all of them, but Gold says he did what he needed to do to keep his family together. Hook shoots him with a dart. He wants to knock him out long enough to get his mother. The Black Fairy appears, and says her son isn’t the only one looking out for his family.

Emma is in her office, gathering some pictures. Henry tells Emma that she’s doing the right thing. The final battle is what brought her there in the first place, and he knows she’ll win. He hits play on the cassette player on her desk, but Emma turns it off, saying it was nothing. She has to hurry, and hugs Henry good-by.

Regina can’t find anything, but Zelena says there must be something she used back then that she can use this time. Regina says the first curse stopped time, so maybe there is something.

The Evil Queen visits Rumpelstiltskin in his cell. She says Snow and Charming are using a singing spell to break her curse, and he’s going to help stop them. He says he didn’t teach her to come crying to him at the first sign of trouble. If she wants to prove that he chose the right one, fix it herself.

Zelena sings about Rumpel choosing the wrong witch. She thinks the future is looking more appealing now. She’s happy things aren’t working out for Regina. She sings about how wicked always wins, while terrorizing some stray Munchkins. She wonders why just revel in her demise, when she can use it to her advantage? When Regina wins, she’ll swoop in, and Rumpel will realize his mistake. She stirs her cauldron, singing that the happy ending will be hers.

Fast forwarding, Regina shows the group a vial. She says it’s the secret to stopping the curse. Regina wonders what their teacher would say. Rumpel appears, and says, how about thank you, and magically snatches the vial back.

Emma visits the Black Fairy. She asks if Emma is going to give up. The Black Fairy says she was going to separate Emma from her friends, but they did it for her. Some grey smoke clears, and everyone is standing there, frozen. The Black Fairy says she’s been watching Emma for a long time, and plays the tape Emma made as a child. The fairy says she went to sleep to sounds of misery like that every night in the mines. She tells Emma that she can’t do this alone.

At the office, Emma’s hand shakes, and Henry asks what the Black Fairy did. He tells Emma that even if she froze their family, she’s not alone. Emma says that the fairy reminded her of a time when she was on her own, and when something big came along, she ran. She says she wasn’t brave enough to keep him, but Henry says that was a long time ago, and she’s changed. Emma says that’s because he came into her life. He says she’s the Savior, and she can still beat the Black Fairy and save them. Emma thinks maybe she’s supposed to give the Black Fairy her heart. He says that’s not the way the story ends, but Emma says at least he’ll still have the family.

In the past, the Evil Queen appears, and Charming suggests she come with him and Snow. She makes a fireball, and is about to lob it at them, and they start singing. She misses them, and sings about her own magic and how love doesn’t stand a chance. They have a song duel. The Evil Queen sings that the spell will still be broken. She opens a box and sucks their singing into it. She tells them that she’s won. She didn’t just take their song; she took everyone’s. She says it proves love isn’t the strongest magic, and tells them to enjoy what time they have left. They disappear, poof! in a puff of purple smoke.

Snow and Charming stand on the balcony. The Blue Fairy appears. Snow says it was Blue who granted the wish. Charming tells Blue that the Evil Queen took the song. Blue says it’s still inside all of them, but it wasn’t meant to conquer the Evil Queen; it was for Emma. With everyone’s song in her heart, she’ll have a happy ending. One day she’ll face a battle that no one has faced before, and she’ll have to face it alone. Their songs will be inside her, and they have to hope they’’ll come out when she needs them the most.

In the here and now, Henry says there has to be a different ending to the story. He sees a page from the book he hasn’t seen before. It’s Blue, giving Snow the songs for Emma. Henry says that Emma’s not alone and never was.

Emma tells the Black Fairy she can have what she came for – Emma’s heart. The Black Fairy says it’s a deal. Emma tells the frozen Hook that she’s sorry, but it’s the only way. The Black Fairy says at least one of them is getting a happy ending, and takes Emma’s heart. She wonders why Emma won’t die. Henry walks in, saying that Emma’s heart is stronger than the Black Fairy thinks. He plays the song that Emma sang as a child, and says it’s been in her the whole time. It’s not her weakness; it’s her strength. Emma sings about once living in darkness. As she sings, her heart returns to her. She sings that the song in her heart is more powerful than the Black Fairy. She knows what she’s living for; all along the answer was inside her. As she sings, everyone comes back to life. She tells the Black Fairy she’s not alone any more. The Black Fairy says her curse is still coming, and the final battle will be worse than they can imagine. She disappears, poof! in a puff of slate smoke.

Emma says that Snow and David were always with her. Suddenly, we’re at the wedding.

Floral arches abound, and Archie is officiating. Hook wears black, and Emma looks like Grace Kelly, in a beautiful old-fashioned, high collared wedding gown, with lots of tiny buttons and lace. We go right to the vows. Hook says when they met he had a heart of revenge, but now it’s full of love. He says a captain’s heart belongs to his ship, but with this ring, it now belongs to her. She tells him that she spent so much of her life on her own, but Henry found her and helped her find the rest of them. She didn’t believe she’d ever find true love, but thanks to him, she has. They exchange rings and I dos. Archie pronounces them husband and wife. Much applause. Hook says they did it; a happy ending. Emma says it’s something else – a happy beginning.

They sing about happily ever after as they dance their first dance. The others join them, singing that if they stand strong together, there’s no way they can fall. They sing about happy beginnings, and there’s much dancing on the rooftop. Where’s Pongo?

They look to the sky. The clock in the tower explodes. The Black Fairy’s curse is here. Like humongous octopus tentacles, black smoke snakes out of the clocktower and envelops them.

Next time, the two-hour season finale. A final curse is cast, all the realms will be destroyed, and Snow tells Hook to make Emma believe again.

🐎 Tonight, on Return to Amish, we learned Mary’s story. I nearly went out of my mind when Abe and Mary went on a road trip, and she insisted on stopping at an abandoned amusement park. That’s one of my dream trips, visiting abandoned places. It turns out that Mary had a boyfriend who worked a Ferris wheel, and she told us about how she ran away with the carnival, and got pregnant the first time. She also has a secret car, and finally got her license. Mary is full of surprises. I think we could all learn a lot from Mary. Next time, she does some line and pole dancing.

🍑 I’ll be checking out part four of the Atlanta Housewives reunion later. It’s imperative that I see Kandi crying out about the lies! the lies! while Kenya looks on like the Cheshire Cat. I like Kenya. I think she’s made some poor choices due to her need for attention. but given her family life, that’s understandable. She certainly got more than she could handle with Matt this season. If anyone deserves to sit back and watch Phaedra and Porsha sink themselves, it’s Kenya.

🐦 🐝 Because I grew up Mennonite, the first time I learned about sex was when I had sex. – Sabrina, Return to Amish

OUAT-Hook&Emma

🎶 And yes, the soundtrack is already available:

https://www.bustle.com/p/the-once-upon-a-time-the-musical-episode-soundtrack-is-already-available-for-repeat-listening-55235

May6

May 5, 2017 – Brad is Foiled Again, a Quadrangle of Quotes & the Dude

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Yesterday’s show was so good, I’ve decided to stop watching GH, since they’ll never be able to top it. Just kidding. Like that would happen. It’s like a marriage. When it’s bad, I remind myself of all the time I’ve already put in.

At the station, Alexis talks to a judge about her suspension. She wants to know what her odds of getting reinstated are. He tells her that they haven’t improved.

At the hospital, Hayden leaves a voicemail for Tracy saying she hopes she finds what she’s looking for. Brad – who I’m starting to think doesn’t do any actual work – tells her that it’s one less Quartermaine to protect her boyfriend. She says Finn is doing well, but Brad says he wouldn’t count on it.

Griff gets Finn’s second drug test back, and tells him it was positive. He’s still using, so he’s out.

Martina meets with Carly. Carly asks what Martina and Sonny were talking about.

Ava skulks around the preschool. She remembers seeing Sonny take off his ring and follow Martina. Sonny arrives. She asks if they can present a united front for Avery’s sake. He says okay, he won’t mention how much he despises her. She says it’s surprising he made it there at all. She tells him she saw him at The Haunted Star, and asks if he thinks it will hurt his case.

Alexis doesn’t see how what happened with Julian has to do with her reinstatement. The judge says maybe she’s not as good of an attorney as he thought, and asks what she was doing in a hotel room with him, except for the obvious. Alexis says that was an inappropriate remark, and the judge has to agree. Alexis tells him that she didn’t aid or abet Julian; she was trying to get him to turn himself in. It’s her duty, even while suspended, to pursue justice. He tells her that under the code of conduct, a lawyer has to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, and the standard wasn’t met.

Jordan tells Julian what Alexis said. He asks if she believes Alexis, but Jordan says it doesn’t matter. One of them lied, and she’s going to do everything in her power to make sure the rest of the charges stick. She leaves, and Julian sees Alexis outside the room. They do some soap opera staring at each other.

Finn tells Griff that he’s not using, but clearly Griff doesn’t believe him. Griff says he supervised both tests, but Finn says that Griff didn’t perform the test himself. Griff asks if he’s suggesting that they were tampered with, and if so, by whom? (He really said who, but that’s incorrect. I was an English major, what do you want?)

Hayden tells Brad that recovery is a difficult and challenging process, and she has every confidence in Finn. Brad says drug users lie, and people like them get caught in the middle. Brad goes on about how he was involved in the Blackwood Syndrome cure and didn’t get a dime. Hayden says he wasn’t promised anything, but Brad says that Finn should have done the right thing. Brad claims to be worried that the donation Finn gave the hospital gave him a free pass. Hayden asks why he has a problem with Finn; he’s getting help. Brad says he’s a junky and a jerk, and thinks the rules don’t apply to him. He guarantees now that Tracy is gone, there will be no saving him. Obrecht overhears, and asks about Tracy. Hayden tells her that Tracy has left the country on personal business, indefinitely. She says she knows what Obrecht is thinking, and she couldn’t be more wrong. Well, clue me in.

Ava tells Sonny that she doubts infidelity would influence the court, but he should be more discreet; Carly has a high capacity for rage. Sonny tells her to stay out of his personal life. Ava says Carly is a bitch, and she’s glad Sonny is free. She says when she saw him slip off his wedding band, noting that it’s back on again, she was happy for him. He tells her stay out of the divorce or else.

Martina makes something up about telling Sonny to admit defeat, but Carly says that’s not going to happen. Michael comes along, and Martina jets. Carly tells him that Martina is the Diane of the West Coast. Michael looks at the divorce petition. He asks if she’s really going through with this.

Alexis goes into the interrogation room, and asks how Julian is. He says okay, and thanks her for what she did. She says she only told the truth, and thinks it’s high time they were honest; not just with each other, with everyone. He says the truth isn’t going to set them free, and he can’t let her ruin her life because of him.

Carly tells Michael that she thought over how they wanted her to compromise, but when she remembered Jax, she decided Sonny is getting what he deserves. She says it will take him six months tops to launder enough money to get another legitimate business going. She’s hitting him hard, with no regrets. Michael says, not yet.

The pre-school administrator comes in. Ava says the facility is impressive. Sonny says his grandson Rocco went there. The administrator says that Avery seems like the ideal candidate, but they’re pressed for space, and there’s no room.

Hayden tells Obrecht that Tracy’s absence doesn’t mean she’s getting back on the board, and that the Quartermaines will still have a large voice. Obrecht says the days of fairness and a sense of democracy at the hospital are over. Hayden calls Obrecht a regular Justin Trudeau. Obrecht hopes Finn isn’t shirking his duties on the tests he’s allowed to perform; the rest of them will have to go about the business of saving lives. Hayden reminds her that the cure Finn came up with is saving plenty of lives. When Hayden is gone, Obrecht tells Brad that a garden is missing a gnome. He tells her to just wait. I hope Obrecht performs at the Nurses Ball this year. Kathleen Gati is awesome!

Griff tells Finn that he has no choice but to let Monica know. Finn says in a timely fashion, which gives him time to follow up on his theory. He asks Griff to order new tests and get a new sample. If Griff oversees everything, Finn guarantees that he’ll pass. Hayden walks in, and says yes, he will. She tells Griff that someone is setting Finn up; she was just talking to them. Finn says they don’t want to go public yet, but Hayden says they can trust Griff. She says what if there was a test to show that Finn was set up? I’ll miss Brad. Ha-ha!

Julian tells Alexis that she doesn’t need this after all the pain he’s caused her. She says it’s her responsibility to deal with it. Julian says she showed him a love he didn’t understand until he met her, and gave him reasons to be a better man, but he screwed up. She doesn’t deserve any of this. He could have just let her go on her way, but he didn’t. Alexis says she’s glad he didn’t, and there was no reason to say he forced her. He tells her that she could lose her license forever. She tells him the DA isn’t pressing kidnapping charges. Her license is still up in the air, but everything will work out. He says he’s sorry. Jordan pops in, and asks what’s going on.

Ava tells the administrator that Avery is an exceptional child and will be an asset to the school. The administrator says they applied late, and didn’t provide references. Ava asks how much to miraculously find a spot? The administrator says it’s not a matter of money. Sonny says they’d might as well address elephant in the room; both he and Ava have reputations. He’s been in the news lately, and not for anything good – although he did save a boatload of people a while back. He tells her that she shouldn’t believe what she reads, since it’s not the whole story. Avery is a beautiful, intelligent girl because of the way she was raised. He gives Carly kudos, and mentions that she owns the MetroCourt. He goes on about how Carly loves Avery as her own, and Ava backs him up. He says that Avery would love to go to same school as Rocco did, like Avery cares. He tells the administrator that Avery would be just as good for the school as the school would be for Avery. He pulls out his Ace card – his dimply smile.

Michael tells Carly that what Sonny did to Jax was unforgivable, but Jax will be okay, and the rest of them will still be standing. Carly says, not good enough. Michael says they have each other, but all Sonny has is his businesses. He says they’re not just business fronts; they’re dear to him. Carly agrees a truce might be best for everyone else, but not for them. Sonny wants what he wants, and will flatten everyone in the process. He needs to know how it feels, and she wants him to pay for what he did to Jax. She says that Josslyn is on her side, and asks if Michael is too.

Brad complains to Obrecht about how Finn cheated him. She pulls him aside, and says she was the first to be concerned about Finn.

Griff reconsiders. He’ll make one-time exception to allow a third test. Brad comes over, yelling that it’s an outrage. Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Brad doing any real work.

Alexis tells Jordan that she shouldn’t have come in. Julian says Jordan is the one who left the door open. Jordan says she’s sick and tired of them protecting each other, and that Alexis would follow Julian anywhere. She used to be smart, strong, and confident; now she’s nothing but co-dependent. What happened to her pride and self-respect? She tells Alexis that this is the example she’s setting for her daughters.

Carly tells Michael that she has to do this, but doesn’t think she can without him. He says he’d never go against her, but wants what’s best for all of them, including Sonny. Michael tells her that he’s not siding with anyone; he’s Switzerland. Carly says every time she and Sonny try talking, they end up angrier. He says just let it end then, instead of waging war. Carly tells him she loves him. She’ll listen to him about anything except for this. Sonny brought it on himself, and has to face consequences.

Sonny tells the administrator that he hopes he made sense, and she can see how important it is. The dimples work. She says she feels confident that they can squeeze one more in for next year. She says she’ll include a donation slip in case he’s feeling generous, but Sonny says it’s already done. She shakes his hand, saying he wasn’t what she was expecting. He says a lot of people say that. She leaves, and Ava says, that was good. Sonny says he just put her at ease. Ava says it proves they can work together when it comes to Avery, and tells him good luck with divorce. She asks who Carly’s lawyer is, and he tells her to stay out of it.

Brad totally freaks out, and Griff says Monica will be apprised. Obrecht calls Monica incompetent. Finn says she’s always popping in out of nowhere, and asks her to wear a cowbell. He says sorry Brad feels the way he does. Brad says he helped both of them, and they turned their backs on him; there are going to be consequences. Griff tells him to get back to work. Apparently, Griff hasn’t gotten the memo that Brad doesn’t know what the word means. Brad tells Hayden that her boyfriend is an addict and a loser, and she says, buh-by.

Michael visits Sonny, who tells him about the pre-school interview. Michael says wants his fair share of finger paintings and art projects. He says took a glance at divorce papers, but Sonny doesn’t want him involved. Michael says he doesn’t want to be. He tells Sonny that in Carly’s mind, she has every reason to keep everything, and Sonny is in for rude awakening. The harder he pushes, the harder she’ll push back. Sonny says he’s not backing off. She’s not getting away with destroying his businesses.

Martina tells Carly that this is going to be a bare-knuckle brawl, and bridges will be burned. Carly says that she can’t let guard down for a second. Carly takes a call in the other room, and Ava literally runs into Martina, whose papers go flying everywhere. Ava apologizes, and then stares at her, saying it’s nothing when Martina asks what’s wrong. While Ava helps her to pick everything up, she sees Martina’s card. She says, oh, Martina is a lawyer, and Martina says she’s in family law. Ava says she has a custody issue, but Martina explains she’s from out of town for a special case. Carly comes out, and informs Ava that they’re in the middle of a business meeting. Ava is like, omg.

Alexis wants to go, but Jordan stops her, saying that Julian is a murderer, yet she was willing to cover his sorry ass. She doesn’t understand it and never will.

Brad talks to someone on the phone about bringing down samples. Either we caught him really working, pretending to work, or running another scam. Griff tells Finn that no matter how it turns out, it’s going to be bad news for someone. I’m telling you, that guy is The Amazing Kreskin. (Google it.)

Michael tells Sonny to stall, and push the hearing date back. It will give Carly time to cool off. Maybe they won’t forgive each other, but Michael wants him to remember their history, and the people they have in common. Without his legitimate businesses to hide behind, he’ll be under scrutiny, and Carly won’t lose sleep if Sonny has to live on his island. His island. Rich people problems. My problem is that I can’t afford my own island. Sonny tells Michael that he’s met Carly’s lawyer, and he knows how to handle her. Bad Sonny.

Ava asks if Martina is Carly’s divorce lawyer. Carly asks how is it her business?

On Monday, Elizabeth thinks the clues are on the island, Michael sees Nelle with Charlotte, and Ava tells Sonny he won’t regret it, but Sonny tells Ava that she might.

Quotes of the Week

The dude abides. – Jeff Bridges as The Dude, The Big Lebowsky

The single greatest thing you can do to change your life right now would be to start being grateful for what you have today. – Oprah Winfrey (I am not a huge fan, but she comes out with some good ones.)

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Horror films don’t create fear. They release it. – Wes Craven

🎠 Some advice for your weekend…

DudeInnerPeace

May5

May 4, 2017 – Best Good-By Ever & Six Small Chefs

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 General Hospital

The time has come for Tracy to step out of her father’s shadow and make a life of her own. She can’t do it in Port Charles, so she’s leaving. Ned asks what that means (someone, get that man a dictionary), and she says she’s called them there to say good-by.

Nathan comes home to an empty place. He picks up the welcome home card he’s made for Maxie, and tears it in half.

Carly takes her ring off, and says let’s get started. When her lawyer shows up, Sonny is surprised to see it’s Martina. He flashes back to five minutes ago. She and Sonny act like they’ve never met. Diane suggests getting down to business. She thinks it’s possible to avoid a lengthy arbitration.

Monica tells Tracy that if she wants dramatic effect, it’s not working. Tracy says she wants to make a worthwhile life for herself. Her father is going to bankroll her, since the proceeds of the sale of the painting will be more than enough. $20 million? Yeah, I’d say so. The doorbell rings. The food has arrived. It’s pizza.

Ned explains the Thanksgiving pizza tradition, and says it sounds like it’s the last time they’ll be a family for a while. He tells Tracy she doesn’t need to travel the world to find meaning. Hayden asks what she’s going to do, and she says she has no definite plans. Ned asks if they can talk her out of it, but she says no. She’s not happy about leaving him and Dillon, but they’ve been living their own lives for years, and it’s time for her to do the same. Dillon says they’ll come to visit her wherever she is. They all say they’ll miss each other, and I’m trying to rise above crying over this.

Amy 2.0 knocks on Nathan’s door. She wonders why Maxie has flaked about the Nurses Ball. Lucy wants her to handle it, but she’s a talent; she doesn’t work behind the scenes. Nathan explains that Maxie is in Portland. Amy says she’s still the same self-centered witch she always was. Nathan is like, excuse me?

Diane talks about Sonny’s various assets that have been transferred to Carly. Martina says they were signed over months ago, and Sonny has no claims on them. Diane says they’re still married, so technically, Sonny has equal rights. Martina says the assets were put into Carly’s name to keep the government from seizing them. She says if he fights it, she’ll have to bring up his overseas businesses. Sonny claims they’re legit, but Martina tells him that she’s surprised at how low the casino proceeds are. She says it’s as if he has secret offshore accounts, and reminds him that would be a felony.

Dillon says he’s used to him being the one leaving for parts unknown. Tracy says he has a big heart, and is more than capable of dealing with life. She tells him that his heart makes him the strongest Quartermaine.

I hate you, George Stephanopoulos. We’ve been interrupted. On Tracy’s last day. Fie on you, Washington DC! Although I have to admit to being interested in the insurance topic, since I got totally screwed over with Obamacare. Looks promising, but we’ll see.

And we’re back. Tracy tells Michael that if the company tanks, they’ll be hell to pay.

Carly doesn’t want to bring the legality of Sonny’s offshore holdings into question. Martina says Sonny should thank her, and to quit fighting about the rest. Carly says he lost his temper and made bad decisions. Now he has to pay the consequences.

Tracy tells Ned sorry to steal his thunder, but he’s always been a Quartermaine whether in name or not. Ned says that the house needs an Edward Quartermaine under its roof. She tells him that he’s her rock, always has been, and always will be. Crap. Ned is starting to cry. I’m sure this was an emotional day for everyone involved.

Monica tells Tracy that the jet is fueled and ready to take off, and her car will be there shortly. Tracy says it’s real now. Monica says she doesn’t know what she’ll do without Tracy. Tracy suggests celebrating, but Monica says somewhere along the line, Tracy she went from being her sister-in-law to her sister. She never hated her. She loves her. Here come the waterworks.

Nathan tells Amy II about being caught off guard with Maxie staying in Portland. The only thing not there for her is him, and he wonders if he still fits in her life.

Diane thinks they’ve painted themselves in a corner. Martina says they need to compromise, and Sonny makes noises about them keeping what they came with, and throwing Carly a few bones. Carly says see you in court; they’re done here. She walks out, and Diane follows, leaving Sonny and Martina alone. Martina says it was unexpected, and Sonny asks what kind of game she’s playing. Actually, if he was up for it, Sonny could make a stink about this being a conflict of interest. If nothing else, Carly would have to get a new lawyer.

Amy2 says Nathan is coming up with reasons why his marriage won’t survive, but a case could be made for the opposite. If he really loves Maxie, he’ll find a way to make it work. He tells her she’s good at the advice thing. She says to think of her as his bartender, and that she gave her four brothers advice when they were growing up. Nathan goes to change, and Amy looks at a picture of Nathan and Maxie on the sign he ripped.

Carly tells Diane that until the divorce is final, she should talk to her attorney. Diane says she’s approaching her as a friend. She says they’re not the first to divorce after a child’s death, and she understands that Sonny has provoked her, but what part of any of it surprises her?

Sonny asks if Carly put Martina up to this. Martina says that Carly has no idea. He was just a stranger she met in a bar, and she was as shocked as he was. He says there has to be a violation here somewhere, and she stops him from continuing.

The car has arrived. Tracy tells Lulu and Laura to take care of each other. She tells Hayden and Finn that they taught her something important – we don’t have unlimited time. She says to stop wasting it. She warns Michael to remember that she expects ELQ to keep turning a profit. From Dillon, she expects to be invited to a premiere sooner than later. She says that if he needs a patron, to go to Michael. It’s time for ELQ to branch out. She tells Olivia-F that Ned has a bad habit of trying to take care of everyone, and she’s grateful that Olivia is the one who’s going to take care of him.

And Monica. Tracy is worried about her decorating ideas. Monica says she’ll leave their house the way Tracy wants it. Tracy points out that she said our house instead of my house, and Monica says that she knows what she said. Tracy takes Monica and Ned’s hands, and says she cherishes them all. She turns and flies out the door, and we’re all left with tears in our eyes. She runs back in for a four-way hug, with Ned, Dillon, and Monica.

Nathan tells Amy2 that he’s sorry Maxie flaked. Amy says the show must go on, and they’ll make it bigger and better than last year. Nathan offers to help. Amy thanks him and leaves. In the hallway, she takes the picture that she was looking at out of her purse. She tears it, detaching Maxie. I’m guessing that Amy is interested in Nathan now, but wasn’t she interested in Dillon literally a few weeks ago? What happened with that? She doesn’t strike me as the type who would give up easily.

Diane tells Carly that she understands Sonny better than anybody. His first reaction to being hurt is to lash out, and she can choose to compromise. If not for him, for everybody else, including herself, who doesn’t want to watch them tear each other apart. Carly asks if Diane has said this to Sonny, and Diane says that he’s less than reasonable on the best of days. Carly has to be the bigger person here. Carly says that’s not going to happen; she can’t do that. Diane says she’s legally obligated to carry out her client’s wishes, and regrets what’s about to happen. She thinks Carly and Sonny will regret it too.

Martina tells Sonny that she could be disbarred. Sonny says she just got done telling him he was a stranger, so what’s the big deal? He says she’ll just get a warning from the bar. She wants him to do nothing; anything before today was a chance encounter between strangers that he’ll never speak of again. Carly comes in, and asks what’s going on. Martina makes something up. I just thought of something. Why is it that Sonny keeps getting new babes, but Carly just gets recycled Jax?

Monica says the house won’t be the same. Dillon offers to insult her every morning at breakfast. Olivia asks Ned how he’s doing. He says better than expected, even though it seems like his family is getting smaller by the day. Olivia says she was going to keep her last name, but Olivia Quartermaine has a nice ring to it. The Quartermaine family is the heart of Port Charles, and Port Charles is her home. Someone has to look after it, so why not them?

They look at the family photograph.

Tracy arranges a sale for the painting. The dealer tells her that there’s been an offer of $60 million from a private collector. Tracy wants to close asap. He says they can close as soon as she fills out the paperwork. She signs the contract, and the dealer says he thought she’d be reluctant to sell it. Tracy tells him that she gained more parting with it than keeping it. He gives her a moment alone with the painting, which is kind of funny. Tracy tells the painting that she doesn’t know who she is or what kind of life she lived, but she knows she’s going to live her life on her terms. The dealer comes back, saying the money has been wired to her account. She says she could use a good cup of coffee, and he says he’ll show her a place across the street.

We see clips of Tracy and how she’s grown. Excuse me while I bawl.

Good-by, Tracy. Hopefully, you’ll stop by now and then.

The dealer takes Tracy to the coffee shop. Where Luke is waiting.

I don’t even know what’s happening tomorrow – I was too busy crying. Kudos to GH for giving Jane Elliot a beautiful send-off. It was also everything a fan could have wanted. And thank you, God, for not making the news break too long. It had to be God. It certainly wasn’t out of the goodness of any politician or newscaster’s heart.

🍟 There are six chefs still cooking on MasterChef Junior. Tonight, they made a lamb dish for first responders and construction workers. I don’t even like lamb, and I would have eaten this, it looked so heavenly. A female police officer said if she wasn’t in uniform, she would be chowing down on the chops. I hear you, sister! This evening’s mystery box contained a couple of Muppets. Miss Piggy and the Swedish Chef paid a visit, causing the kids to go out of their collective minds, especially when Miss Piggy called Gordon every name except Gordon, and he kept correcting her. Kids love an ongoing joke. She also took up the challenge of preparing steak frites along with the young chefs, and was voted out, so really, no one went home. Next week, the kids cook for critics, chefs and journalists in pop-up restaurant on the beach.

An Applicable Quote

🍨 A person holding a grapefruit in one hand and a blowtorch in the other has let the world know they won’t be putting up with any of their malarkey today. – Allison Robicelli, Why You Should Set Your Breakfast on Fire

GHTracy

 

 

May4

May 3, 2017 – Tracy Bids Farewell to PC, Carole’s Head Explodes & a Few TV Thoughts

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Tracy tells someone on the phone to get it done by tomorrow. Dillon asks what’s up tomorrow, and Tracy says she’ll tell him tomorrow. He says she’s focused and energized. She’s made her mind up about something and won’t stop until she gets it. Tracy says her life is off course. Dillon tells her that Larry conned all of them, but Tracy says something happened to her. She fell for Larry’s con and went to the crypt to say good-by to Lila. She tells him about her courtroom hallucination, with Scotty being her attorney and Sonny being the judge. She says that if her bad deeds outweighed the good, she was coming back as the baby Skye Chandler is about to adopt. He asks if doing the right thing gave her a nervous breakdown, but she says she’s finally at peace with herself.

Carly tells Kiki she thought that she and Sonny would find closure about Morgan’s death, but instead they’re getting divorced. Kiki says they clearly love each other, but Carly says sometimes that’s not enough. Kiki tells her that a wise person once said she never hated a man so much that she gave him back his diamonds. Zsa Zsa Gabor?

Sonny gets busy with the strange woman. I get busy with my lunch.

Tracy gets a brunch ready. She tells Monica their guests are about to arrive. Monica is like, nice of you to throw a party in my house, which is a little mean, since Tracy lives there and it’s not like a one-bedroom apartment. The doorbell rings, and it’s Kiki. She asks Dillon if Tracy is okay, since she was nice. Ned says it’s a long story. Tracy says it’s hers to tell when the rest of the guests arrive.

Olivia-F discusses the Nurses Ball with Lucy. Lucy says they have a lot to set up, and thanks Olivia for helping. She says the Nurses Ball sneaks up on her every year. Me too. Olivia says she has to go kiss her mother-in-law’s ring, and leaves for the brunch. Nathan tells Dante that Maxie is on her way home. He says in her absence, he may or may not have created a mess in the house. He hired someone to clean while he splurged on a romantic MetroCourt evening. He says the way she sounded, Port Charles is the last place she wants to be.

Carly and Lulu had planned on discussing a pending convention on The Haunted Star, but Lulu says she just got an SOS from Tracy, and asks if they can reschedule their meeting. Carly says for Tracy, no; for Lulu, yes. Lulu asks how Carly wants the divorce to play out.

It’s morning, and Sonny tells the strange woman that it was unexpected. They introduce themselves. Her name is Martina. Sonny asks if she has any regrets. Martina says she’s a big girl, but does he have any regrets?

Hayden asks Finn why they’re at brunch. He thinks it has something to do with the painting. They discuss the artist. Tracy calls for attention, and says she has an announcement she’ll make when everyone gets there. Olivia-F arrives, but says there’s no food and nearly freaks out. Tracy says there will be after she makes her announcement. Olivia tells her the guests are starving, but Tracy says, my party, my rules. Ned says in the meantime, he has his own announcement, as long as he’s not violating the rules.

Tracy tells him to go ahead. He says they’ll never have to hear Larry Ashton’s name again.

Martina thinks Sonny is getting over something, and hopes it helped. He says it was a welcome distraction from what he has to do today. She says she has a meeting in an hour. They start kissing.

Lulu tells Carly that Dante mentioned she’s planning on keeping Sonny’s assets. She asks if Carly really wants to bleed Sonny dry. Carly says he has all kinds of assets offshore. Lulu says their illegal, and he can’t bring anything into the US. Carly says Jax can’t come into the US either, and if Sonny has to spend time laundering money on some island, he deserves it. He’ll live in the lap of luxury, and gets to take Avery, who she loves, with him. She says that it will force him to rethink his priorities. Lulu says that once Carly goes down this road, she might not be able to come back. Carly doesn’t think there’s anything to come back to.

Lulu goes in the back to get something, and Carly hears a noise. She goes to investigate. It’s Sonny in the stateroom, knocking the phone off the table while in the throes of passion. Carly tries the door. Lulu asks what she’s doing; there are guests in the stateroom. Carly apologizes, and they move on. Carly asks if she should take her rings off, and Lulu tells her not to do it until she’s ready. Carly says Sonny was still wearing his, which surprised her. Lulu says maybe there’s hope after all.

Martina is pressed for time. Sonny asks if she’d like to meet again, but she says she’s just there for a week, and her work will probably take up all the time. Sonny says if they bump into each other again, they’ll see how it goes. She says it’s a deal.

Ned tells everyone he was named after Edward, and he was close to his grandparents growing up. He always had to explain why his last name wasn’t Quartermaine, but Quartermaine is how his mother raised him, and how he thinks of himself; it’s intrinsic to his identity. It falls to him and Dillon to carry on the Quartermaine name, and he’s proud to do so. He shows them a petition that he’s filed to change his name to Edward Lawrence Quartermaine, assuming Tracy approves. She says with all her heart, and hugs him.

Nathan says Portland is the land of opportunity for Maxie, whereas Port Charles isn’t exactly a fashion hub. He leaves to pick her up. Lucy comes back, and tells Dante to hustle. She’s afraid Nathan wants his mother to perform. Lucy says she’s been calling non-stop – although she is talented, but Lucy would never tell her that. Nathan comes back in, and says Maxie isn’t coming home.

Lulu arrives, and Tracy says they can get started. She tells Lulu about Ned’s decision, and then tells the room that she’s now going to attempt to set the record straight. She talks about Edward faking his own death. She tells them about the painting, and how Edward was traveling under the alias of J.L. Holt when he bought it. Tracy explains that he left the painting at a monastery in Turkey, and that the monks were going to sell it, until Larry concocted an elaborate hoax, but Ned stopped him.

Nathan says Maxie was offered something more at the magazine, and it doesn’t sound like she’s coming back any time soon. Lucy gets upset, because Maxie was supposed to help with the costumes. Dante says they can work it out, but Nathan says she’d made the decision without him. He can’t blame her, since she likes the work and is closer to Georgie. Dante says people deal with long-distance relationships all the time. Lucy says she and Doc did it when they were married.

Diane and Carly show up at the divorce hearing first. Diane tells her that Sonny needs his business interests, but Carly says the documents are air-tight. She says when Jax is allowed back in the US, she’ll turn the assets back over. In the meantime, Sonny will be just fine. Diane says he’ll be without his children or her. Carly tells Diane he’s not going to miss her, but Diane says he’ll miss her like a drowning man misses oxygen. She says Sonny is his own worst enemy, and Carly is the only one who’s been able to save him from himself. Every time he falls apart, she’s the only one who can put him back together. Diane says it’s easy to dissolve a marriage, but they’ll never dissolve the relationship. She thinks they should just go into their separate corners for a while. Sonny arrives, and Diane says she thinks they had a breakthrough, but Carly sees that he’s no longer wearing his ring.

Laura is shocked that Samira was working for Larry. Monica absolves Finn from doing the paternity test, but tells him don’t do it again. Laura thanks Ned, and also complements Tracy for wanting to make the sacrifice. Tracy tells everyone about how Laura came with her to Turkey, and about the letter. She says Edward told her he loved her, which may sound simple; however, he was anything but. The letter set her free.

Lucy tells Nathan, on second thought, never mind her and Doc; they’re just one couple, and there are lots of couples who have long-distance relationships. Their break-up was her fault. She realizes she’s not making Nathan feel any better, so she leaves to extract her foot from her mouth. Dante tells Nathan they’re nothing like them. He’s sure Maxie feels the same way, but Nathan says she was quick to stay. Dante says it’s a great opportunity, and she probably feels the marriage can handle it.

Sonny asks if there was a reason why he shouldn’t take his ring off. Carly says no. Guess who her lawyer is. And it’s not Nora. That’s right – Martina.

Tracy tells the group that she’s spent her adult life in and out of Port Charles, and in and out of their lives, but she always came back. She wanted a place there, so she fought, maneuvered, and schemed, but the thing she was chasing was the love expressed in the letter. She tells them that she loves all of them, the people in the room and the people in her heart, but it’s time for her to step out of her father’s shadow and make a life for herself. She can’t do it there. She starts to cry, and says she’s leaving.

Tomorrow, Ned doesn’t believe it, Nathan wonders if there’s room in Maxie’s life for him, and Sonny asks Martina what kind of game she’s playing.

The Real Housewives of New York City

I can’t wait to watch Carole’s head explode.

Carole and her mother are going to Pennsylvania to manipulate get out the vote. Carole says she and her mother have more of a bickering sister relationship. Aww, poor Carole just had a visceral reaction to Trump becoming POTUS. He stands for everything she’s against. Carole has developed such a know-it-all, annoying attitude, people like her are exactly why Trump won.

Ramona goes to the plastic surgeon. She’s getting a laser treatment on her face, since she has a big birthday coming up. She’s in disbelief of her age, since when she looks in the mirror, she sees someone fifteen years younger. Apparently, she avoids looking at her neck.

Carole talks about subsidized housing being a dirty word when she was younger, and how her mother protested the protestors. She discusses her and Adam “shacking up” with her mother. She says she doesn’t regret not having kids, and her mother says that’s okay, she has enough grandchildren. Good woman. My mother-in-law never pressured us, and I think she felt the same way. Carole doesn’t feel the need to introduce her parents to Adam, which I think is kind of odd. Carole gets weirder as this show goes on.

Sonja goes out to dinner with Rocco, a restaurateur she’s known for a long time. She’s torn between him and Frenchie. Rocco is more interested in settling down, whereas Frenchie lives in the moment. She says there’s guys you sleep with and guys you marry, and at present, she’s only sleeping with Frenchie, even though it seems unfair. Rocco asks how many people live at her house, since there are always different people there when he comes over. She tells him how Tinsley didn’t even give her a birthday card. In her interview, Sonja says it’s not the mannered Tinsley she knows. Geez, maybe she just forgot.

Dorinda and Luann meet for shopping. Luann has gotten Tom a Rolex for his birthday, but wants to get him something extra, like a nice tie. They talk about Carole’s election party, and Luann says she’s only involved in the politics of love right now. Dorinda tells her how she’s planning the invitations to Ramona’s surprise party, with Ramona thinking she’s been invited to a different party.

Carole is excited, but wants to throw up. She’s hoping her party will turn into a celebration of the first woman president. She says the election has taken its toll on some friendships, and she’ll be glad to move on. Too bad so many people haven’t moved on, and I’d hazard a guess that Carole is one of them.

Heather from another season has been invited, since she’s a friend of Carole’s. Carole insists that Hillary is going to win. Shock starts to come over her. Dorinda’s late husband worked with Hillary, so she kinda sorta knows her. Omg, Carole is friends with a gay Republican. How did that happen? Bethenny and friends arrive. She says Carole will short circuit if Hillary doesn’t win. I’m laughing already.

Dorinda talks about Ramona’s surprise party, and tries to talk Bethenny into going. Bethenny wishes Ramona a happy birthday, but doesn’t want to go. Carole is getting nervous, but not panicking…yet. <snort> Dorinda is going to cry. Bethenny asks if Carole is all right. Dorinda leaves, wanting to go to bed and have it be a bad dream in the morning. Carole can’t believe what’s happening, and I can barely contain my laughter.

Weepy Carole calls her mother in the morning. She’s stunned, and can’t put words to how she feels. She reads the speech she was going to give. Her mother asks what they do now. Move to Canada? Shoot yourself? Act like a normal person and let life go on? Carole is a dumbass dumbfounded.

Ramona shops for a sexy birthday dress. She tries on something red with zipper detailing. I like it, but think the neckline is too high. Carole joins her. Ramona isn’t holding a grudge, but she’s also not talking to Carole about politics anymore. In her interview, Carole says the two of them shopping in an expensive, exclusive store is why people who live outside of the city think they’re out of touch, so the irony isn’t lost on her. I lived in the city for over 20 years, and I still think they’re out of touch.

They talk about Ramona’s argument with Bethenny. Ramona still tries to justify what she said, and in her interview, Carole thinks she’s off-base. Ramona believes Bethenny is the reason she wasn’t invited to the election party, and Carole tells her that’s not it. Ramona talks about Dorinda’s party invite, and Carole says something about it being a surprise because she’s an idiot. Since Ramona is an even bigger idiot, she doesn’t realize that Carole just let the cat out of the bag.

Tinsley is ready for Ramona’s party. She has on a fabulous beige dress with tiny white flowers appliqued on it, but the invite says LBD, so she goes to change. This just goes to show that people don’t really read things.

The party looks fantastic. Dorinda is picking Ramona up, but she’s running late. Since Ramona has a date after the party she thinks she’s going to, and Dorinda is running late, she calls a cab. Dorinda is afraid she’s not going to show up. Sonja arrives with Tinsley in the proper attire.

Dorinda tells everyone to get ready. The guest of honor arrives, and everyone yells surprise. Ramona starts to cry and falls on the floor in a fit of drama. Dorinda can’t believe she pulled it off. Carole thinks it’s a good thing Ramona doesn’t listen to her. Does anyone? The infamous Harry is there. We flash back to him giving Sonja a ring at some party, and then leaving the party with Luann. In her interview, Sonja says Harry is like the itch she can’t scratch; everywhere she goes, there he is. Ramona calls her date, whose first name she’s forgotten (we find out it’s George), and invites him to the party.

George is incredibly underdressed. Ramona tells him it’s her surprise party, and he asks if he should chill or what? Bleh. And he’s no Brad Pitt. Or even Brad Paisley. Either make the best of it, or go home, George. Luann talks to John. In her interview, she tells us about the Irish good-by, where you leave a party and no one notices. She slips out. Dorinda thinks Bethenny should have done a drive-by. The drinks flow and the food looks incredible.

Ramona and Sonja talk outside on the observation deck. Ramona says she likes that Sonja doesn’t sweat the small stuff. She brings up Bethenny, saying she has no time for superficial crap. She says all she did was ask something out of concern. In her interview, Sonja says it’s amazing how Ramona can spin something. Sonja changes the subject, saying it’s a momentous occasion, after struggling to say the word momentous. In her interview, Ramona says Bethenny is holding a grudge.

The cake comes out. According to the candles, Ramona is a tall one-year-old. She thanks everyone for coming, and says she’s totally shocked.

Next time, Carole complains about not having space, a dog drives a car, Luann tries on her wedding dress, and Ramona continues the argument with Bethenny.

👠 Tonight, on Watch What Happens Live, the guests were Ramona Singer and Alex McCord. It was fun to see Alex again – I miss her and Simon. They’re living in Australia now, and it must agree with her, because she looks great. We also got a fun flashback from when Ramona walked off the first reunion because Alex had dared to have nude art photos taken. They’ve made up since then.

🕶 Another fun show that aired tonight was Andy Cohen’s Then and Now. It’s a pop-culture retrospective, and the first episode covered 1997. From Princess Diana‘s death to my beloved Spice Girls, using clips and celebrity interviews. Like with the death of John Kennedy before her, people tend to remember where they were when they heard the news about Diana. Oddly enough, I was watching the Spice Girls, who were on Saturday Night Live that night.

🍑 Just a note about The Real Housewives of Atlanta. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of crying and screaming and walking off stage in part four of the reunion. The lie about Kandi wanting to drug Porsha and have sex with her comes to a head, with Phaedra admitting that she initiated it. It’s my understanding that Phaedra has gotten the boot from Bravo for this move, and good riddance. That was beyond uncalled for.

 

May3

May 2, 2017 – A Triangle of Chimeras, a Tangle of Lies & a New Boat Launches in the Mediterranean

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Anna says she knew Valentin would recognize the necklace. She doesn’t remember where she got it, but realizes why she kept it. He asks if it’s a fondness for Greek mythology. She recalls the last time she asked Valentin to steal information – the Chimera Project – and says it went horribly wrong.

Sam wonders if the page of the book was deliberately hidden or the pages were just stuck. Jason says he doesn’t know, but he’s seen the chimera before. It’s freaking him out that he thinks he was meant to see it.

Elizabeth thanks Franco for helping with the boys. She sees the timeline on the table, and the new drawing. She asks what it is, and Franco says it’s nothing good.

Ava bugs Scotty, who tells her that he does have other clients. He doubts Julian is going to make bail. Ava says she’s there for her own needs, and he asks what hole she’s dug for herself this time.

Carly complains about Lucy leaving her hanging about the finalized arrangements for the Nurses Ball. Josslyn drops by the MetroCourt, needing a signature for a field trip. She asks if they’re going to pretend that nothing happened with Jax. Carly says she hates it, but the best they can do is for Josslyn to meet him in Montreal. She’s unhappy about it, but they have to accept it.

Sonny walks in, and Carly tells him to have Diane call her attorney. He says it’s not about the divorce; it’s about Morgan.

Ava says she’s not in any trouble, and Scotty asks for a minute to get over the shock. She says her optimistic viewpoint is starting to pay off, thanks to him and his advice. He thinks maybe he should become a self-help guru. She says that’s a noble idea, and he says it’s also where the money is. She says his assurance that Morgan’s pills won’t come back to haunt her was what did it.

Sonny tells Carly about the pills showing up in the evidence from The Floating Rib robbery. She says the robbers must have been questioned, but Sonny says they made a deal. Carly tells him that it doesn’t make sense. Sonny says that’s what he thought; why would Morgan bring the pills to the bar? She asks why Sonny didn’t tell her sooner, and he says he was waiting for an answer. She says even if Morgan had brought them to the bar, they wouldn’t be there six months later. She wants them analyzed, but Sonny says he already did it, and the results are in.

Sam wonders why Helena would give the book to Elizabeth if she wanted Jason to find it. She doesn’t think they’ll find anything else out tonight, but Jason feels they’re running out of time and have to deal with it now.

Franco tells Elizabeth it looks like a medieval manuscript, but Elizabeth says this wasn’t something Jake studied in school. They don’t want to ask Jake, but Franco says on some level Jake trusts him to help. Elizabeth thanks him for caring, and tells him to go ahead.

Anna tells Valentin that she kept the necklace as a symbol of what might have been. She says it’s an illusion, a dream, a glimmer of hope; something that ended too soon. She wishes she could go back, but Valentin thinks there’s no reason. She says there are moments from that night she cherished. It was magical. She talks about making love in the hotel, but he says when she was in the shower, he found the proof of him being on the kill list. She says it’s was a warning. She says he thinks he knows the whole story, but he’s wrong.

Valentin gives Anna his jacket. She wishes she’d never heard the word chimera or manipulated him out of the secrets. If he believes her or not, she would never have ordered his death. She lit a candle and prayer to Santa Teresa for forgiveness. He says she’s the patron saint of missions. Anna says her regret isn’t losing the secret of the project, but losing him. The necklace reminds her of the hearts she broke that night – his and hers.

Franco gets online and looks up the chimera. He reads the definition to Elizabeth, and she says the picture is exactly like Jake’s drawing. Jason calls. He asks if Jake has ever mentioned a chimera. Elizabeth tells him to come to her place right away.

Scotty wants to go get martinis, but Ava says she has a case for him. She says what’s catastrophic for Sonny is good for her. Carly is no longer on Sonny’s side, and it’s the perfect opportunity to get Avery back.

Sonny tells Carly that everything checks out. Morgan’s death had nothing to do with the pills. Carly says they’re going to find out why he was spiraling out of control. If one of the links in the chain were missing, Morgan would still be alive. Sonny gives her a copy of the lab report. Her phone rings, and she says it’s not a good time, but then says she’ll be there. She tells Sonny the lawyers want them to meet to divide assets. He asks if they can’t do it between them. He says she can take whatever is his. She says she has what’s his already, and plans on keeping it.

Sonny says he didn’t sleep with Nelle, but Carly slept with Jax. He didn’t cheat; she did. He doesn’t want to bring it up in court, but she says go ahead. Everything is hers; he signed it over to her. He says he did it to protect her and the kids; he can’t believe she’s holding it over him. She says she can’t believe he had Jax deported. They start to argue, and Josslyn steps in. She tells Sonny to leave her mother alone. She doesn’t forgive him for anything and can’t wait for the divorce. She says Morgan wouldn’t have forgiven him either. He says maybe not, and leaves.

Scotty says as Ava’s lawyer and friend, relax and enjoy her newfound tranquility. He says Sonny and Carly will always be loyal to each other; when it comes to the kids, they present a united front. She says it might be her chance to get Avery back. He tells her to do nothing and stay alive. She needs to stay away from anything to do with Sonny’s family.

Jason and Sam arrive at Elizabeth’s house. Jason shows Elizabeth the book. He wonders what the significance is. Elizabeth shows them the timeline.

Valentin tells Anna that he’s got to get home to Nina. Anna says she forgot about Nina, bringing my dislike for her up a notch. He wants Anna to go to a doctor, but she won’t, so he suggests driving her home. Where does he keep his car? Isn’t it at his home? Although I guess he’s rich enough to keep another car in Port Charles. He helps Anna off the docks.

Elizabeth tells Jason and Sam about the numbers on the timeline. Sam wonders why Jake would draw the chimera so close to his birthday. Elizabeth and Franco tell them about the birthday trip, and how Jake seemed like he was being told not to go. Sam wonders if it’s just an excuse. Franco thinks they’re running out of time, and Jason agrees.

Valentin says what’s an act of kindness between mortal enemies, and Anna asks if that’s what they are. The car won’t start, and Valentin thinks it’s weird since he just used it. He says he’ll get her an Uber. She says he’s stuck with her for a while longer.

Ava tells Scotty, okay, she’ll table the Avery talk. At least for tonight. He still wants to go for drinks, but she feels like she doesn’t have much to celebrate anymore. He changes her mind, and tells her that she has to buy all the rounds.

Carly tells Josslyn to count to ten and listen. Her divorce has nothing to do with Josslyn. She and Sonny have difficulties, and right now are bringing out the worst in each other, but agree that they love their kids. What he did wasn’t right, but neither one of them want Josslyn to be hurt. They hug.

Sonny goes to The Haunted Star and gets a scotch, telling the bartender to leave the bottle. A woman sitting at the bar says somebody had a bad day. He says he doesn’t like to whine about his problems. She asks if he’d rather drown them in scotch, and says that’s why she’s not married. He asks why she thinks it has to do with his marriage. She says lucky guess. He says it’s over soon anyway, and asks if he can buy her a drink.

Carly suggests that Josslyn stay with her dad for a while. She thinks Josslyn could use some distance. Josslyn doesn’t want Carly to be alone, but Carly says she has Michael on her side. Josslyn says he wants a truce, but she wants Carly to take Sonny for all he has. She says maybe she can spend time in the summer there, and Carly can come with her. Carly says she can come for a couple of weeks, but can’t be there for an extended time. She doesn’t want to use Jax as a crutch; it wouldn’t be fair to any of them. Josslyn asks if she’s going to make up with Sonny, but Carly says it’s over. Josslyn asks why she’s still wearing her ring.

Sonny and the stranger sit at a table. She says she’s visiting from LA. They talk about the beach, and Sonny says that he has interests in the Caribbean. They toast to warm water and white sand. Scotty and Ava walk in. The woman asks Sonny if he surfs, and he says hell no. Neither does she.

Franco says the detail shows that Jake has seen it before. Jason says the obvious conclusion would be that he saw it on the island, but Helena likes misdirection. Sam thinks they need a break. Elizabeth says they can start fresh in the morning, and they agree not to question Jake. Jason says whether he likes it or not, Jake thinks he has a connection with Franco, and tells Franco to do the right thing. After they’re gone, Franco wonders what that was about.

Anna asks Valentin to stay until the Uber comes. She says she doesn’t consider them mortal enemies, and asks him not to shut her out. He thinks it’s better that way. She says for what it’s worth, she’s grateful he didn’t seek revenge and turn the Chimera Project over to the DVX. He says they weren’t the only ones interested, and she asks if he turned it over to someone else.

The woman says boring stuff to Sonny about the beach. Ava tells Scotty that it didn’t take Sonny long to get over his heartbreak. Scotty says he’s getting the car, and tells her to meet him out front. Sonny tells the woman it’s been great chatting, but he has to go. He says the drinks are already paid for. She tells him good night and leaves. He takes his ring off and follows her. What? Have we learned nothing from Nelle? Ava makes a soap opera face.

Carly looks at her ring and wonders why she’s still wearing it. Josslyn returns, and they leave together.

Anna says something must have stopped Valentin, and he says don’t be so sure. If he took it further, she has to know. The Uber arrives, and he says right on time. He helps her out of the car, but she still wants an answer. She mentions that it’s nice he still has the watch, and I wish he’d jump up and down on it already. He leaves her there, and she makes an even better soap opera face than Ava.

Jason thanks Sam for her help. She says she’d do anything for him. She didn’t want to frighten Elizabeth, but whatever Helena did to him and Jake, she thinks it’s all tied together. Jason does too, and thinks the chimera is the key, and Greece is the place to start. He has to go back to Cassadine Island.

Franco says Jason can’t take it back now. Elizabeth says that Jake is important to him and Sam. She suggests they go to bed. Franco says he saw something online that he didn’t want to tell them about. According to legend, the chimera foreshadows disaster. If you were paying attention, I told you this yesterday.

Tomorrow, Nathan is happy that Maxie is coming back, Tracy has an announcement, Sonny gets busy, and Lucy gets the Nurses Ball together. I can’t wait to see how she loses her dress this year. It’s right up there with the Quartermaines having pizza on Thanksgiving. Soap tradition is everything.

If Loving You is Wrong

When we last left Maxine, the cops were running from Kelly’s house, coughing. It’s gas. An officer says someone left the stove on. Travis and Justice are nowhere to be found. Esperanza tries to get Kelly to calm down.

Commercial break with important information. The Haves and the Have Nots returns on June 20.

Peter calls for Alex, who’s in the laundry room, crying. He tells her the police are everywhere outside. Alex thinks it has something to do with her. She tells Peter to take his sister upstairs. She opens the door, and Rick is standing there. He says they’re looking for a lost boy. Esperanza tells her that they can’t find Justice, but Alex says he’s with her, upstairs. And here he is. Kelly asks why he didn’t answer his phone. He says he was talking to Travis, and Kelly tells him to never talk to Travis again, and never get in his car.

Esperanza tells Alex that Travis has been stalking Kelly, and took Justice without telling her. Alex is shocked because Travis has always been nice. Esperanza tells Rick that means nothing. Kelly wants him arrested, and Rick tells her to come to the station. She wants to bring Justice, but Alex promises not to let him out of her sight. Kelly leaves with Rick. I’m hoping Kelly ends up with Rick.

Steven asks Ben if he was in the captain’s office, but he says no. Eddie watches with as much interest as he’s capable of. Steven takes Ben into the office, and asks if he should look at the tape. He knows Pete was using the computer. Pete says he was just looking something up, but Steven doesn’t buy it. He used the captain’s code to log into the FBI website, and Steven wants to know why. Ben says Eddie told him that he works with Steven, and asks if they’re “down.” Steven asks if he wants to be fired, and Ben says do what he has to. Relenting, Ben tells Steven that he was told to find out about Claudia by Eddie. When Steven asks why, he tells him to ask Eddie. Eddie gets called into the office.

Steven asks why he sent Ben to look Claudia up. Eddie says better that Ben get fired than him. At least with Eddie, you know where you’re at. Steven says they have nothing on her, but Eddie insists she’s FBI. He tells Steven that he had a run in with Julius the other day. Julius wanted him to take out three people – Quan, Quan’s mother, and Claudia. He doesn’t know why. He says it’s his in, and he already has one down, even though he had nothing to do with it; Lushion’s son pulled the trigger. He says if he gets the others, Julius will be in debt to him. Steven says they’re loyal until they kill you, but if Eddie gets in with Escada, he wants in too. Ben asks what happened when Eddie comes out, and Eddie calls him a dumbass.

Tyrell calls his mother from prison. She asks if he’s heard from the parole board, but he hasn’t yet. He says he’s calling to tell her to stop giving Kelly a hard time. He says she’s raising their son, and he needs her to be there for him. He says Justice is doing fantastic in school, and Kelly is a good mother. He took this fall for Justice, so let Kelly take her time telling him. Diane says it isn’t fair, and she doesn’t like it. He says she’ll do it when the time is right. Diane agrees to get off of Kelly’s back. He says he’ll be out soon enough.

Randal sees Natalie getting out of a taxi and calls to her. She ignores him. He says he wants to talk to her, and tells her welcome to the neighborhood. She asks what he really wants. He says he wants to apologize, since they haven’t gotten along. She says they never will, and tells him to move along. She doesn’t know, like, or trust him. If he was on fire, she wouldn’t spit on him. He says he thought she’d want to know that Lushion has been cheating on her; he saw Lushion coming out of Alex’s house, and Alex told him they were. Natalie tells him to stop lying, and he says that Alex says the baby is Lushion’s. She says good-by; she’s not listening to him. Good move, but you know it has to be on her mind now.

Randal leaves, and Natalie strides over to Alex’s house. She knocks, and Alex invites her in. Alex asks about Joey, and says they must be moving in soon. Natalie says soon, but she’s not sure exactly when. She asks if Lushion dropped by today, and Alex says he did. Natalie asks why, and Alex asks if she’s been home. Natalie says no, and Alex says that Lushion was just checking on her. Natalie asks how long it took, and Alex says not long. She asks where Brad is, and Alex tells her that he moved out. Natalie says, so it’s just her and the kids, and Alex says yes, asking if everything is okay. Natalie says she’s fine, and she has to get back. Awkward exchange.

Natalie goes back to the new house. She sees Lushion on the porch. She asks if he went to Alex’s house today, and he says no. She keeps asking if he’s sure, and then tells him that Alex said he was. He says oh, yeah, he was. She says Alex told her he was asking about mail and he agrees. Natalie says she doesn’t like being lied to, and asks why he went over there and why he lied. He keeps trying to get her to come in the house, and she asks how many times he’s seen Alex when she wasn’t there. He asks what’s gotten into her. She asks if they’re sleeping together. He says he knows she’s tired, and he’s going to forget that. She asks if that’s because he doesn’t want to lie. She says she’ll go ask Alex herself. He says he’ll be there after she makes a fool of herself.

Natalie goes back to Alex’s house. After finding out the kids are upstairs, she asks Alex if she and Lushion are messing around. Alex asks if Randal told her that, and says she’d told him they were, but they’re not. Natalie asks why she said that, and Alex says she was in a bind. She tells Natalie about the court hearing, and how she had to think of something quickly. She told the judge she doesn’t know who the baby’s father is, and when Randal pointed out the baby is half-Black, she couldn’t think of anyone else. Natalie asks if she has fantasies about Lushion, and Alex says she wouldn’t do that to her. Natalie says she did it to Marcie. Alex says she knows it was wrong, and she’s sorry, but she’s never spent more than three minutes alone with Lushion. He came over to borrow something. She can’t say what; it’s a surprise. Natalie tells her to keep Lushion’s name out of her mouth, and Alex says she will. Natalie says people get hurt talking this kind of crap, and she needs to tell Randal the truth before it gets around. Alex promises she will, and tells Natalie she’s sorry again.

Natalie goes back to the house. Lushion has it all furnished and decorated. She asks if he did this, and he says he’s not talking to her. She apologizes. He says no, and asks if she talked to Alex, and Natalie explains why Alex said what she did. He says Natalie jumped on him because of some lies. She says she asked him a question and he lied. He shows her the candle, and says he wanted it to be a surprise. He says she’d better be glad he loves her. He asks if she likes the place. He tried to find things she had circled in magazines, and she didn’t know he was paying attention. He says they’re not exactly the same; they’re cheaper versions, and she says she loves it. And she loves him. She says she’s sorry, and he’s like, Alex? Please. His phone rings, and Natalie tells him to answer it while she looks around.

It’s Pete. Lushion says his timing is bad. Pete tells him that he was in physical therapy with a kid who got shot. He said the kid knew Lushion, and said that he’d gotten shot because Lushion was a weak officer. Then a bunch of cops came in and took him away for violating probation. Lushion asks what the kid’s name was, and Pete says Joey. Lushion asks when they picked him up, and Pete says about an hour ago, and they were taking him to the infirmary. Pete asks what’s wrong, and Lushion says Joey is his son. Pete says he’s sorry, and Lushion says not as sorry as he’s going to be when he tells Joey’s mother.

Natalie looks around and everything is beautiful. Either Lushion is really gay or had help.

Pete apologizes again, and Lushion says he’s grateful for the information. He goes in one of the bedrooms where Natalie is crying happy tears. She says it’s what she always wanted. Not for her, but for the kids. He says he knows. She wonders if they could get the girls a scholarship for a certain school, and Lushion says maybe they can. She goes into the master bedroom and sits on the bed. She suggests they break it in. He tells her that Joey is in jail, and that they picked him up from the hospital. She says, Lord have mercy, if it ain’t one thing it’s another. Boy, did she get that one correctly. He tells her it’s all right, and they’ll get through it.

Meanwhile, Kelly runs into Diane at the station. Diane says Tyrell could be coming home; they’re making his parole decision. She wants to make sure everything is ready. She has a key, and if he gets out today, she’s bringing him over. Kelly wants her key back. She says Tyrrell isn’t coming to her house. Diane says she can tell him to his face. Kelly goes in to make her statement.

Randal comes to Brad’s office. Bead wants to kick his ass, but Randal says that Brad should hear what he has to say first. He wants to apologize, but Brad says get out. Randal says he’s dropping the lawsuit, and gives him the declaration. Brad starts counting. Randal babbles, saying the baby might be Lushion’s. Brad still counts, and gets up from his chair at nine. Randal says he’s going. Eddie walks in. He asks what the hell Randal is doing there. Brad says he was just about to leave, but Eddie says he’s not going anywhere. The party is just getting started.

Next time, Eddie draws gun on Randal, Lushion has to take a paternity test, and Marcie tells the doctor that Alex is the one who slept with her husband.

Below Deck Mediterranean

We meet the new cast, and I already feel behind. The chief stew is still Hannah, so at least there’s someone I’ll remember.

Destination Croatia; yacht name, Sirocco. Captain Sandy welcomes Hannah aboard. The captain says she’s not a micromanager, but she does observe, and doesn’t want her image tarnished. Captain Sandy does a walk-through with Hannah. The cabinets need massive organization, as things fall out of them when they’re opened. Chef Adam arrives. He lives in a van. Not by the river. He’s a surfer dude, who follows tasty waves.

Bosun Wesley is next. He’ll be Adam’s cabinmate. Captain Sandy tells Adam to come to her with any issues. He asks if she’s the chief stew, and she tells him she’s the captain. She’s used to it, so she isn’t offended. Bobby is also back this season, and he has braces. Stew Lauren has already met Hannah, when Hannah stayed with Bobby in New York and Lauren dated him. Seriously small world. Bobby is hoping things won’t be awkward. Bugsy is the second stew, although her real name is Christine.

Wes and Bobby load stuff onto the yacht, and deckhand Max shows up. He wonders how hard yachting can be. Malia, also a deckhand, rounds out the crew. It turns out Bugs and Wes know each other.

Captain Sandy has a team meeting. She says she’s not an a-hole unless you don’t follow the rules. She’s had every scenario happen to her, including being chased by pirates. She seems pretty cool, but I miss Captain Lee, and hope they do another season with him.

The captain is concerned about the clean up being done in time for charter. The crew gets to know one another while getting the boat ready. Bobby chats up Malia. The captain calls for Wes, Adam, and Hannah. The primary guest is Melissa, and the group is fitness minded. They also want a tribal themed dinner. Adam thinks their food restrictions are bogus, but he’s being paid, so he doesn’t care. Wes tells us that he’s “not the most smartest of people,” and we need subtitles to even understand what he’s saying.

Hannah meets with the stews. Bugs has been a chief stew before, and Lauren grew up in the hospitality industry. Hannah says she works hard, but she’ll always have time for any issues. The captain reminds the crew of their 9 pm curfew. Bobby and Hannah chat, and we flash back to Bobby cursing Hannah out the previous season. The captain insists Hannah get to bed early. She says the reason she’s so successful is that her crew gets rest.

Bobby thinks Wes’s name is Wiz because no one can understand him. The guests arrive. Bobby says they have a bunch of cougars. Now I remember how freaking annoying he is. Captain Sandy says her crew is not only professional, but sexy. Hannah gives the tour. Very nice; lots of beautiful wood with an African theme. I like the simpler décor. Except for the gold bathroom fixtures. There’s no getting away from those. It’s time to shove off.

Bobby says this season he’s here to work, as opposed to last season when his job seemed to be not leaving Julia alone. The crew has lunch in the galley. Chef Adam uses Post-It notes to remember who has what food tolerances. Bugs is into decorating, and the guest table looks awesome. A sea/starfish theme. The guests talk about what they’re going to do while on charter. Adam tells us that Eddie Vedder’s wife once threw a live octopus at him and told him to cook it. He pried it off his arm, and ended up getting a standing ovation for the meal. The guests are served. They think the food is amazing, and it looks amazing. Hannah is getting along with Adam, and hopes he doesn’t have a dark side.

The wind is picking up, and the yacht is dragging anchor. Captain Sandy calls Wes to the bridge, and says the anchor has to be pulled so they don’t crash into the rocks. An alarm keeps going off. The deckhands get the anchors up. The captain explains about the anchorage to the guests, and tells them that they have to head to port, but tomorrow, they can play in the water. Lauren cuts herself, and Adam helps her out. She thinks he’s adorable, and decides to spend more time in the galley. Yeah, they’re always adorable until they become divas. Wes guides the captain in. Great, the guy who can’t talk. They manage to dock safely.

Croatia is absolutely gorgeous! Bobby talks with Max about having dated Lauren. Adam prepares dinner. I want to charter a yacht just to eat the meals. Another beautifully decorated table is presented. One of the guests says it’s like a piece of artwork. Truth! The food is too. Adam sneaks in extra butter. Dinner is a success. A few of the guests stay up for espresso martinis. And then late-night nachos. Hannah tells us that waking up a chef is never fun, and I take her word for it. Adam wonders what happened to the preference sheet when Hannah tells him they want nachos with everything, including meat. Hannah says, I’m a vegan, but my alter-ego is a sixteen-year-old stoner.

The captain tells the guests that they’ll be anchoring if they want to do water sports. Breakfast happens. Bugs is annoyed because Adam wants her to write down the orders, but he thinks it works well for accountability. The crew gets the water toys together, and sets up a picnic on the beach. Captain Sandy says it’s the greenest crew she’s ever had. And she doesn’t mean ecologically. She teaches Malia how to drive the tinder. Hannah thinks it’s not the time to be giving lessons, and gets irritated when she finds out the food is arriving with the guests, since she’d wanted to have it set up first. She doesn’t know whether she’ll last the season.

Speaking of this season, Bobby has a good time, Bobby flirts, Bobby argues with Hannah, on board romance, an overflowing sink, complaining guests, and helium inhalation.

yacht-sirocco

 

 

May2

May 1, 2017 – The Painting Plot is Exposed, Thomas is Losing His Touch & the Chimera

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

We revisit Tracy telling the family about her decision to give the painting to Samira. Monica didn’t think she had it in her. Ned tells her not so fast; there’s something she might want to look at first.

Valentin asks Nina when she’ll be done with work, but she doesn’t know. She still hasn’t replaced Maxie yet. She tells him not to wait up. Anna listens in down at the docks. Nathan is out jogging, and startles her.

Elizabeth wonders if something triggered Jake’s subconscious to write his birth date on the timeline, but Franco says maybe they’re just numbers. He doesn’t think they’ve missed any clues.

Sam tells Jason maybe he needs a fresh set of eyes to look at Jake’s book.

Ned thought the conversation with Finn was odd, and Tracy says that it was private. Ned tells them that he picked up the results of the DNA test. Tracy tells Ned thanks for ratting Finn out. Tracy explains how she set up the test because she had reason to believe Samira is Edward’s daughter. Monica tells her it’s an invasion of Samira’s privacy, but Tracy says she won’t mind, especially if the results are what she thinks they are. Tracy opens the envelope.

Valentin kisses Nina. Nelle walks in, and is like, oops! Nina tells Valentin that Nelle is working on a project for her, and she’s indispensable. Valentin leaves, and Nina tells Nelle to follow him, but Nelle says she can’t do that.

Anna says she’s used to seeing Nathan in more clothes, and explains that sometimes her medication makes her loopy: she has good days and bad days. He tells her that the PCPD can breathe easier with Julian off the streets, with Maxie getting fired, it’s not the newlywed bliss he was hoping for. He jogs off, and Anna breaths sigh of relief. Hmm… She actually seems kind of off, so now I’m wondering if, when she went to the WSB to get her memories back, they didn’t do something to her to get at Valentin.

Tracy talks to her father. Dillon explains to Kiki that this is an ongoing occurrence. Monica says when she’s finished communicating with Edward, they’d like to know results. Samira is not Edward’s daughter. Tracy says when Samira gave her Edward’s ring and journal that he gave to her mother, she jumped to conclusions. She apologizes. Samira asks if she’s changed her mind now she knows they’re not related, and Tracy says no. Ned thinks there’s another solution. He’s looked at it from another angle.

Elizabeth wishes there was more time before Jake’s birthday arrives. Franco says that Jake was there for his last birthday, and wonders why Helena would wait that long if she was up to something. I’d like to add that they keep talking like she’s still alive because Helena will never die. Not as long as Constance Towers is alive anyway.

Sam doesn’t see any hidden clues or encrypted messages. She wonders why Helena would give Elizabeth the book, and says maybe Jake just made the whole story up himself.

Ned gets Samira alone. He tells her that she has two options; she can play this out, or take a check for $10K and the visa extension, and figure out her life. She takes the check, and Ned says wise choice. She starts to say something, but he doesn’t want to hear it. He tells her to call an Uber from outside. She asks Ned to tell them she’s sorry, and he says not nearly as sorry as someone else is going to be.

Jason asks Sam why Jake would make all that up. She reminds him of Jake pretending someone broke in the house and was stalking him. Jason says he seems happy that Elizabeth is with Franco, but Sam says maybe he’s looking for attention. She’s not saying he’s a liar or troublemaker, but it’s going to take years to straighten everything out. This is just one hurdle to clear first.

Franco tells Elizabeth that Jake is going through some terrible feelings, and maybe something was done to him. It doesn’t make him a bad kid or wrong; he needs help. Elizabeth asks if they’ll figure it out, and Franco says they will.

Nelle tells Nina that she hopes Valentin isn’t cheating, but if he is, she doesn’t want to be the one to catch him. Besides the fact that she’s trying to be a decent person, it won’t make Nina feel any better to find out. In her case, there was another side of the story, so maybe there is with him. She asks Nina to find out for herself, and ask Valentin to be honest. She might be surprised.

On the docks, Valentin calls for a boat. He sees Anna faking an injury, and asks if she’s all right.

Ned tells everyone that Samira is happy with the arrangements. Kiki says acquisition fever can make a reasonable, rational person need to acquire. Ned says Kiki has a point. Not about him, but someone obsessed and determined to acquire painting at all costs. The doorbell rings, and he says, here they are now. It’s Larry. When he sees everyone, Larry remembers an engagement, but Ned says he’s not going anywhere until this is settled.

Nina tells Nelle that it’s not the first time she’s been cheated on, and even if he’s only thinking about it, she’s scared he’ll throw away what they’ve built for something that never existed. Nelle tells her again to talk to Valentin. Nina says she did, and got nowhere. She tells Nelle that it will just be between the two of them. She begs Nelle not to make her threaten to fire her. Nathan comes in, and Nina tells Nelle that it’s better for the family and Charlotte if they can be on the same page. Nelle says she’ll give it some serious thought.

Nina tells Nathan that she’s busy, but he can always visit her at Windemere. She asks if he still gets seasick, and he says it’s not the boat; it’s her husband.

Anna tells Valentin that she fell and hurt her ankle. He says it’s not broken, and probably just sprain. He thinks she should get checked out, but she says she’s had enough of doctors. He helps her up. He wonders what had her so deep in thought that she face-planted. She says it was him.

Jason tells Sam that given the alternative, he wishes Jake was seeking attention, but he was obviously terrified when he saw the picture; something he did terrified his son. He has two years not accounted for, and wishes he could prove something. Sam says maybe he can.

Elizabeth tells Jake that since he’s feeling better, maybe he can do some homework, but relents when Jake isn’t very enthusiastic. Franco suggests planning his birthday, and says maybe they can go camping. Jake isn’t receptive to that idea, which puzzles Elizabeth, since he’s always wanted to go. Jake says he doesn’t want to anymore. Franco says they can go anywhere, but Jake says he can’t.

Ned grabs Larry by the arm and tosses him into a chair. Larry says he wants to apologize. Ned says he knew Larry was up to something, but didn’t realize how far he’d go. Tracy is surprised that Samira was a con, and Ned says there was never a kidnapped daughter. She was working for Larry.

Tracy tells Larry not to deny it, and Ned says he has him dead to rights. Larry says it’s not as nefarious as it sounds. He was going to donate some of the profit to charity. Ned explains that Larry gave the monks a large donation, so in return, they gave him Edward’s journal and ring. Then he hired Samira, thinking her blue eyes would make Tracy think they might be related, and left Tracy a trail of breadcrumbs to the monastery. Larry’s face makes me go, HAHAHAHAHA! Best moment with this Larry so far.

Jake wants to include Jason, Sam and the other kids. Franco says they can have a big party, and Elizabeth says there will be two celebrations. Jake says he’ll do his homework now, since his mom won’t let him have a party if he doesn’t do well in school. He takes his homework to his room to concentrate better.

Sam hacks into a database to see when Jason was admitted to hospital. She says if she can’t find it, Spinelli is only a phone call away. Jason says he’s glad she’s on his team.

Nathan tells Nina that he doesn’t feel comfortable dropping by. She asks what’s going on with him, and he says it’s good; he’s staying busy with his job and working out. Nina says he’s missing his wife, and he says she’s killing it in Portland. She wishes were in the same city, but everything else is awesome. He adds that they’ll figure it out. He asks about Charlotte, and Nina says she’s incredible. When he asks about Valentin, Nina tells him that she thinks she’s losing him to Anna.

Valentin puts together a makeshift icepack for Anna. She says he doesn’t have to stay, but he tells her that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly. She says when she thinks of their experience at the WSB, she’s filled with regret. She wishes she could have a do-over, and he asks what would she change? She tells him, everything, then touching his hand, says not everything. UGH! Nelle watches.

Dillon wonders if the monastery knew about Samira, and were part of plan. Ned thinks she was conning them too. Tracy says she had no idea he could be so thorough. Ned says that Larry did a good job, but took it one step too far.

Ned talks about the hymn. We Gather Together was the perfect song to convince them, but Edward once told him that Lila started the tradition. Tracy says Edward would never have taught it to Samira’s mother. Ned tells them that it was Larry who called ICE. Kiki says on top of everything else, they put their butts on line for someone running a con. Tracy says it was all Larry.

Nathan asks Nina why not just bust Valentin, but Nina wants him to be honest with her. Nathan says that he’s bad news, but Nina says he’s just confused about Anna. She doesn’t blame him; it’s weird and strange. When he first came to town, Anna was hell bent on getting something on him and trashing his name, and now it’s like someone flipped a switch. Nathan says that his first advice is to tell her to leave, but she’s not going to take it, so be careful for both her and Charlotte. Charlotte will need a strong role model, and Nina is it. She’s the best thing happen to Valentin, and if he doesn’t know that, he’s not as brilliant as he pretends to be. They hug. Nathan tells Nina to call if she needs him.

Nelle continues to watch Anna and Valentin. Valentin tells Anna there’s no reason to bring up the past. She says it’s their past. He says when she forced herself to sleep with hunchback, and she says it wasn’t like that. He wants to get back home, but she starts playing with her necklace, and he notices it.

Sam thinks she has something. She tells Jason that the records have been amended a few times, but he was admitted in August of 2014. He says for two years he could have been doing things that scared Jake or hurt him, but he has no memory of anything, except for Helena. He tells Sam about the hallucination he had, where Helena said that he’ll never remember what happened to Jake on the island. He wonders how he can recall that. Sam breaks out the liquor, and says maybe it will help. I’m in.

Elizabeth asks if Franco believes Jake. He said, “I can’t,” to the vacation like he wasn’t allowed to. Franco says he shouldn’t have said anything. Elizabeth tells him that she’d feel better if she knew Helena’s plan. Franco says, if she had one. He wonders if they should ask about the numbers, but Elizabeth says he’s too fragile. Franco suddenly says he’s inspired by the light, and they should go to her bedroom. She asks if he’s trying to distract her, but thinks catching the light is a good idea. I’m hoping her bedroom isn’t upstairs where Jake is doing his homework.

Tracy grabs a fireplace poker to whack Larry, but the family stops her. She says that her only reason letting him live is because of their son. If he ever darkens their doorstep again, the Quartermaines are fully capable of covering up a murder. Larry jets, and Ned says, well done; he thinks Larry is finally gone from their lives.

Jake unrolls the timeline.

Dillon says they were suckers, and Ned corrects that to kind, generous people. Larry took advantage of a tragedy, but Tracy still gets to keep painting. Dillon is sorry he called it stupid, and Monica says she can hang it in the den. Tracy says that her father wrote that she’d know best where it should go, and he was right.

Nelle goes to Nina’s office. She tells Nina about finding Valentin on the pier. Nina asks if he was with Anna, but Nelle says he was alone, and he went to Windemere on the launch. She tells Nina that she was overreacting. He loves her, and she has nothing to worry about.

Anna unclasps the necklace, and asks Valentin if it looks familiar. He takes it from her and looks at it. She says it’s a lion with a serpent’s tail, and calls it the Chimera.

Jake starts to draw

Sam pours some tequila, saying maybe Jason will relax enough to have an open mind. And if not, it should still be a lot of fun. I added that last part. Jason spills some of it on the book. He tries to dry it, and calls Sam over. Two pages had been stuck together. He shows her the hidden page, and she says she told him the tequila would loosen something up. It’s a drawing of the Chimera.

Just like the necklace, and just like what Jake is now drawing on the timeline.

Tomorrow, Scotty asks Ava what hole she’s dug for herself, Jason has to deal with something now, and Carly wants it all.

Southern Charm

Patricia struggles to pick up Pug Chauncey. Michael tells her that he’s about four pounds overweight. She thinks he’s underestimating.

Cameran tells us that she went through a white witch phase in high school, died her hair purple, had spell books, and did weird stuff in the woods, but she was still homecoming queen. She and her mom go to her friend Larry’s house, where he makes hoodoo dolls that are supposed to bring good into people’s lives. He asks which one speaks to Cameran, and she picks out Mama Estelle, who’s pretty freaking creepy-looking. She asks about love dolls (no, not that kind), and Larry says he’s been considering making them, but he’s willing to custom make something. She wants it for Shep.

Shep meets Austen for a basketball game. He asks if Austen had any luck at the party. In his interview, Shep says he knows what happened with Chelsea, and knowledge is power. Shep wins 3-0. Geez, for non-smokers, and not that old, these guys are both breathing pretty hard, and it wasn’t that long of a game. Shep says he’s about to hyperventilate, and it’s either it’s a wake-up call or a senior moment. They sit on a bench. He asks Austen if he’s seeing Chelsea. Austen says they’re hanging out, the definition being that they’re planning on doing things together. Shep thinks he should have gotten a heads up. In his interview, Austen thinks it’s absurd to check in with Shep first. Austen says he likes Chelsea’s company. Shep says he does too, but she’s probably not his type. He tells Austen that Chelsea is robbing the cradle like Demi Moore, but I don’t think the age gap is that wide. Austen suggests that if he’s Ashton Kutcher, Shep is Bruce Willis.

Whitney waits for Thomas at a restaurant. He tells the waitress that the friend he’s waiting for is a complete alcoholic, and orders a double-bourbon for him. Thomas arrives, and says he was busy playing Mister Mom. Thomas thinks he’s lost his touch, and he’s just an old man now. He says he used to walk into a bar and own the place, but he’s lost confidence. He tells Whitney that the women who approach him say he has too much baggage, and he scares them off. Whitney tells him to check his baggage, and that he thinks Landon likes him. He asks what’s holding Thomas back, but Thomas gives no definite answer. Whitney thinks he should give Landon a chance.

Kathryn calls Jennifer, who hasn’t heard from her in ages. Kathryn says she’s been busy, but in her interview, says that some interactions between Jennifer and Thomas unsettled her, and they haven’t talked in months. She says that Jennifer knew everything about how she felt regarding Thomas. She asks Jennifer if she wants to meet for lunch. Jennifer asks if she wants to meet now, since she’s in town and has a babysitter. In her interview, Kathryn says she wants some understanding about what happened between Jennifer and Thomas.

The UPS man has visited Craig’s house with several boxes. Craig tells us that he loves sewing, and takes a machine out of one of the boxes. He calls Naomie and tells her about his new toy. She asks what’s wrong with him. He tells her it has an embroidery attachment too.

Jennifer meets Kathryn, and says she was excited to hear from her. She asks what she did to upset or hurt her. Kathryn says the last time she saw Jennifer, Jennifer and Thomas had made up, but she wasn’t aware of it. Jennifer says he apologized, but Kathryn wonders how she can think it’s sincere. She tells Kathryn that she’s tried to prove she’s a good friend, and it was a particular time of need for her; she needed all the love and support she could get. In her interview, Kathryn wonders if it’s more about social climbing, saying that she needs genuine, honest people in her life, and doesn’t think Jennifer is owning up to anything.

Jennifer tells Kathryn about Ascher’s emergency brain surgery and starts to cry. Kathryn is glad he’s okay. In her interview, Kathryn says she’s sympathetic, but thinks everything is fishy right now. Jennifer tries to bring up the friend thing again, but Kathryn tells her to focus on what’s important, her son. Kathryn says she holds no ill feelings, but doesn’t think they’re on the same page. She wishes it had gone differently.

Shep calls his parents in the Hamptons. He tells them about how winded he was playing basketball, and that he made a doctor’s appointment. He thinks his liver might be begging for mercy. In his interview, he says his father had a heart attack at forty, and he just turned thirty-seven. He tells them he’s going to make some changes.

Landon and Austen go to a bar that she’s investigating for her website, Roam. Austen is confused as to what the site is supposed to be about, besides an excuse for going out to eat and drink. Austen tells her about Chelsea, and how Shep told him he broke bro code. Landon says it’s typical Shep; he wasn’t interested until he found out that Austen was. Austen talks about going skiing with Chelsea, and Landon says she knows it’s getting serious when she goes traveling with someone, and you learn a lot about them. In her interview, she tells us that her last three relationships ended when she they went away for the weekend. She talks about Drew, and how he’s nine years older than she is. Austen tells her that he’s working too – he’s researching other beers.

Cameran calls someone about a real estate listing, but she’s too late. It’s under contract. She says she has an interested client, so if anything changes, let her know. She’s trying to find Craig a place, but it’s not going well.

Craig creates an embroidered piece. Cameran calls him to tell him the bad news. He says that he had to take time to crunch the numbers. She says that if he likes something, they have to jump on it, although he shouldn’t be impulsive. He says he’s made the decision to buy a property to turn into a rental, but Cameran doesn’t think he understands the work involved.

Thomas sips bourbon and calls Landon. She tells him she’s going to Phish concert tomorrow. She explains who Phish is (are?), and he’s offended that she thinks he doesn’t know. He says he wanted to make plans for dinner, and she says she’ll be around during the day. He fears the friend zone, but says he’ll call her tomorrow.

Shep goes to the doctor’s office. Since he met the doctor through Thomas, he figures the judgement level will be lower. We flash back to some of his drunker moments. The nurse asks him questions. His average is seven, eight, maybe nine drinks a night. When he finds out a shot counts, it’s twelve. He says it’s similar to how many sexual partners you’ve had: divide by two and add ten. The doctor comes in, and Shep tells him that it’s a precautionary visit. He tells the doctor how he got winded playing basketball, and about his father’s heart attack. The doctor checks him out. He’s also going to run some blood tests, and suggests Shep not drink for a week. He’ll feel better, and it will create momentum for him to stay on track. Um…probably not.

Thomas and Landon go to dinner. Landon asks fifty questions about the liquor. Although I actually understand that, after having had the worst Blood Mary in the world (at Friday’s) and cheap house wine. She asks about last night, and Thomas complains. She tells him to stop trying to score on the weekend; he needs more than that. He asks what she’s looking for, and she says a companion and friend. She’s been seeing someone, but horrors! he’s never been to NYC, and she thinks he must not care what’s going on in the rest of the world. Honestly, I’m can’t even fathom how this woman looks at things. She says she needs a lot from somebody, and wants to get married again and have kids. In his interview, Thomas thinks they’re kindred spirits, but he has to break down Landon’s boundaries.

Craig makes dinner to surprise Naomie. I dunno. Unless he’s leeching off of her, I don’t see why she wants to change anything. Her parents live down the street, and he sets up a beautiful dinner on their patio, which has a great view. In his interview, Craig thinks he’s a good catch, and hopes Naomie feels as lucky as he does. Naomie gets home, and he tells her that he has a surprise, bringing her to the patio. In her interview, she says he can drive her nuts sometimes, but it’s little things like this that remind her why she puts up with him. They sit down to eat.

Craig tells her that he has a lot of projects going on. Naomie says that Cameran was talking to her about him looking at properties. She tells him he can’t do a hundred things at once and do them all well. He says there’s one more thing; he’s starting a clothing line. She tells him he can’t be doing everything that he is, plus a clothing line; the bar has taken him years longer than it should have already. In his interview, he thinks she should be supportive. She says he’s going to screw up his life if he waits until the last minute for everything. He asks if he’s lost anything, and she says not yet. Craig is probably the late-bloomer type of person, who you think is going nowhere, then suddenly, they end up going further in life and making more money than you and all of your friends put together.

Naomie says it isn’t about what he says, but what he does. She asks if he wants to be a lawyer. He says he’ll know when he passes the bar. He doesn’t know if she has a grasp of how he thinks. He keeps trying to talk, but she talks over him. She says whether he wants to be a lawyer or not, just be straight up. He tells her that she’s acting dumb. She says he’s the one talking in circles and not making sense. She says she’s getting up from the table if he doesn’t apologize. He says he didn’t say she’s dumb, but she was acting dumb, which she thinks is the same thing. He says they’re not getting anywhere and he’s done talking about it.

Next time, Shep takes a yoga class (which he compares to a sobriety test), Patricia has a dinner party, Cameran puts a love spell on Shep, and Naomie is done with Craig.

🦁 Wikipedia tells us that the Chimera, also Chimaera (Chimæra); was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of more than one animal. It is usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail that might end with a snake’s head, and was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna,and a sibling of such monsters as Cerberus and the Lernaean Hydra.

The term chimera has come to describe any mythical or fictional animal with parts taken from various animals, or to describe anything composed of very disparate parts, or perceived as wildly imaginative, implausible, or dazzling.

The seeing of a Chimera was an omen for disaster.

Maybe not this baby one though…

ChimeraBaby

Chimera

May1

April 30, 2017 – Rumpelstiltskin’s Beginnings & the Amish Return

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

Once Upon a Time

What I missed last week: Zelena tried to fight the Black Fairy, but she didn’t do very well, and Regina suggested that she go back to Oz. In the past, Zelena turned a dude into the Tin Man when he suggested she needed to make friends more than she needed to time travel. In Storybrooke, Emma and Hook’s wedding was in the planning stages, but Emma thought they should postpone it until the Black Fairy was out of the picture. Zelena made up with Regina, who ended up being proud of her when she stopped one of the Black Fairy’s spells, but she still ended up having dinner alone. The gang got the Blue Fairy’s heart started again, but she’s still not awake. She knows the Black Fairy’s darkest secret, so the Black Fairy isn’t very happy. Damn. I guess I am a little wordy as a general rule.

Moving on to tonight.

The Black Fairy (Fiona) is giving birth. It’s a baby with Robert Carlyle’s head on it. Not really, but that would be funny. It’s a boy. The Blue Fairy and Fairy Tiger Lily drop in. Tiger Lily is also the baby’s godmother. They talk about a child known as the Savior.

In Storybrooke, Gold pokes at a dead baby dragon, trying to extract medicine for the Blue Fairy. She breaths it in, but nothing happens. Gold is pissed off, and goes outside, sending a newspaper vending machine flying. Belle tells him to stop it. He says the Black Fairy has Gideon’s heart, and he doesn’t want to lose another son. He feels like it’s their family’s fate to be torn apart. Emma calls them inside. The Blue Fairy is awake.

Hook starts pumping her for information. The Black Fairy appears, and David turns into Gideon. The Black and Blue (ha-ha) Fairies disappear, poof! in a puff of black smoke. Gold tells Gideon that it’s time to get his heart back.

Zelena has given up her magic, and is having trouble putting a piece of baby furniture together. And you definitely need magic for a task like that. She says she’s useless, but Regina tells her that she helped them all by sacrificing her magic. She wonders how she’ll protect her daughter, and Regina has an idea.

Belle tries to find out where Gideon’s heart is, and Emma wants to go after the Black Fairy. Gold asks if Belle trusts him, and she says she trusts he’ll do what’s right for their family. He’s going to Gideon’s dream realm with Emma. He throws some golden glitter in the air, and the three of them – Gold, Gideon, and Emma – fall asleep.

In a dream forest, Gold tells Emma the Black Fairy can’t control the dream realm. They look for Gideon. Gold says he brought Emma with him to stop her from doing anything in Storybrooke before it’s time. They approach a cottage in the woods. Inside, an empty cradle rocks. They hear a lullaby. Gold tells Emma he was born there. She says it’s his dream, not Gideon’s. He says maybe so, but his son is there somewhere.

Back in the day, the Fiona sings to her baby. Fairy Tiger Lily appears. Startled, Fiona draws a sword. She says she hasn’t been able to eat or sleep since finding out that her baby is the Savior. She’s been reading up on fairy lore, and Tiger Lily says it’s their job to protect him, and her job to raise him. Fiona says that motherhood makes you soft and sharp at the same time. Tiger Lily holds the baby. Fiona grabs Tiger Lily’s wand, says some magic words, and turns into a fairy. Tiger Lily says it’s not possible.

In the awake and now, Regina has gotten a car for Zelena. I have no clue about cars, but it’s very cute and retro-looking. Or old and in really good shape. Zelena has never driven anything except a broom. Regina tells her it’s time to drive another kind of stick, and gives Zelena a driving lesson. It doesn’t go well.

Regina tells Zelena that Henry will want to fight to the end in the final battle, but not everyone makes it out. She says he can’t be anywhere near it, and wants Zelena to take him to New York. He can be safe, and start a new life with her. Zelena asks if Regina trusts her to raise Henry, and Regina says she trusts Henry to raise Zelena.

Snow calls Regina from the clocktower. She wants to know what Blue meant about the center of town. Regina says the center of Storybrooke means the heart. Snow says it must be Granny’s. Regina tells Zelena she’ll have to sit this one out.

The Blue Fairy is imprisoned by the Black Fairy. She wants to know where the rest of the wand is. She says there are ways to get information besides Blue talking – and they’re more fun. She produces a bunch of tools that look like archaic medical instruments.

Way back when, Tiger Lily and the Black Fairy check out a baby. Tiger Lily says they’ve looked at a million of them, and none had the crescent scar she’s looking for. The Black Fairy says there’s one out there who’s destined to kill her son, but they haven’t tried everything yet. It won’t be easy, but with Tiger Lily’s help, she can create a new spell. Tiger Lily says it’s forbidden, but the Black Fairy says stop being afraid and help her. She needs to get into the secret fairy vault.

In dreamland, Emma wants to know that Gold is really on her side. He asks if she’s serious. He says his mother never did one thing a mother should. She didn’t even give him a name. He won’t shed a single tear when she’s defeated.

Gideon appears. They hug. Gideon thanks Gold for fighting for him. Gold gets weepy, and asks where the heart is, but Gideon doesn’t know. The Black Fairy has it well-hidden. Gold thinks they’re finished, but Gideon says the secret lies in the reason the Black Fairy gave Gold up. They see a baby in a basket. Gideon says all his answers are inside him, but he has to be willing to face them.

Fast forwarding, Regina and the others tear Granny’s apart, looking for rest of the wand. Hook and David move the jukebox, and find a secret compartment in the floor. Inside is a box with the piece in it. Regina takes it, but Snow asks how they know she isn’t the Black Fairy. They know, because the Black Fairy is suddenly there behind Regina. Regina says she’s not giving the wand up without a fight. The Black Fairy says she’s never killed a queen, and Regina says she’s never killed a fairy. They both disappear, poof! in a puff of purple smoke.

Out on the street, the Black Fairy tells Regina that she invented this town, but Regina says she doesn’t even have the guts to inflict her own curse. Regina tells her that Zelena got her good, and the Black Fairy zaps Regina. Zelena nearly runs her over, accidentally on purpose, and she disappears, poof! in a cloud of ebony smoke.

In the realm of dreams, Emma tells Gold that it’s all right to be scared. No curse or monster will be as terrifying as finding out why he was abandoned. If he won’t do it for himself, do it for his son; it’s his story too. Gideon says he’s come this far, and Gold says okay. He looks at the baby blanket, and goes back in time.

Fairy Fiona cuddles baby Gold in the secret vault of the fairies. She places him in a basket. She tells Tiger Lily that wolfbane is the last ingredient. Tiger Lily realizes she’s creating a curse, not a spell. Fiona says it will protect her child, but Tiger Lily won’t let her cast it. She’s trying to correct something that will never be. Fiona says she’ll banish him to a land without magic, but Tiger Lily says every other child will end up there. Fiona begs her to reconsider, saying that fairies are supposed to protect children. Tiger Lily says he’s destined to die, so others may live; it’s the fate of the Savior. Fiona steals Tiger Lily’s heart, saying that if she has to destroy his godmother to protect him, she will. At that moment, she turns into the Black Fairy. Tiger Lily says she’ll know the great evil by the crescent it bears, and we see a crescent scar on the Black Fairy’s wrist. Tiger Lily tells her that evil wasn’t born, it was made. The Black Fairy says that she’s the great evil. She and her son are destined to destroy each other.

Gold, Emma and Gideon come back from the dream realm. Regina says now that nap time is over, it’s time for battle. Emma says she doesn’t think it’s her; It’s on Gold. Regina is like whaaa…? Belle asks if it’s true, and Gold says it is. She says all these years she knew he was good, now he knows it too. Gideon asks to help, but Gold days he’s put him in enough danger. He looks at the wand, and says it’s best he faces his mother alone.

Gold wanders around with the wand. The Black Fairy appears. He says the wand was meant to destroy her; as was he. She says he found out. He says in some ways he always knew; he just needed to remember. He was meant to be the Savior, but she left him, because she was afraid he’d kill her. She says he has an answer, but not the answer. She asks to show him what happened.

In the past, Tiger Lily says they can find another way, but the Black Fairy says they tried and failed. The Blue Fairy appears, and says they won’t be crushing any hearts today. Tiger Lily brings out the shears, and tells the Black Fairy to sever her powers. The Black Fairy suggests severing the baby’s destiny instead, and she’ll still be strong enough to protect him. The Blue Fairy tells her that he’s destined to be the Savior, and immobilizes her. The Black Fairy says she’ll get them back, and gets sucked into a gold portal.

Back to the present, Gold asks why she lied. She says she was banished, and it was easier to let him hate her. He says she chose her power over his, and she says she was trying to protect him. He says he’s made the same decision, and knows a lie when he hears it. She sentenced him to a life of cowardice. She says she wanted to protect him. She tells him that the world is a dangerous place, and he says because of villains like you and me. She says if her choice was wrong, she did it out of love. She’s sorry she caused him pain. He asks about Gideon, and she says his pain made him strong. Gold says their family history is dark, and he tried to save Balefire and Gideon. She says he understands she loves him, and they can be a family. She asks if he can forgive her.

Flashing back, the Blue Fairy and Tiger Lily bring the baby to his father. They tell him there was an accident while Fiona was trying to protect their son. He asks how can he raise his son alone? Tiger Lily says by trying. His son needs his father and a name. He says his wife is dead thanks to him. He names the baby Rumpelstiltskin. I’m not sure why this is necessarily a bad thing in a world where there are dwarves named Grumpy and Sneezy.

Moving forward, Gold tells the gang that he’s banishes the Black Fairy for good, and the Blue Fairy is safe and back with her kind. Snow says good, the wedding can happen tomorrow, because being mother-of-the-bride, it’s all she can think about. Emma tells Gold that he did good as Savior. Gold gives Gideon back his heart. Gideon thanks him, and Gold tells him welcome home. Gideon tells Belle he missed her. He apologizes for letting the Black Fairy take control. Gold says he doesn’t have to worry about her ever again and that it’s over now. The Black Fairy will never be a problem for them again.

Belle is proud that he fought for the family, and saved their son. Gold says everything he does is to keep Gideon safe, even though it might not be apparent at the time.

Back home, Hook tells Henry that they’ve been through a lot, but now he’s going to give Henry the most important mission yet: Operation Best Man. For the next 24-hours, Henry has to keep the wedding rings safe. If he doesn’t, his mother will kill him. Emma joins them, and Hook tells her that a seafaring man doesn’t take superstition lightly. He’s leaving for tonight, but tomorrow, Emma will have a hard time getting rid of him.

The Black Fairy asks Gold if they trusted him and believed the heart was hers. He says no one doubts him. She says that he may have been born the Savior, but he adores being the Dark One. Gold says, call it a family trait. He says that Gideon is safe, and has no idea what’s to come. The Black Fairy says, at long last a happy ending for their family. Gold says that in the final battle he may no longer be the Savior, but one still stands, and tomorrow is a special day for Emma – the day she dies.

🎶 Next time, a very special musical episode. Snow wishes on a star, and a spell is cast, making everyone break into song. I could make an un-PC joke about the Fairy Fairy, but, well, there, I did. It’s a wedding special event!

🐎 I spent most of today watching the Return to Amish marathon, airing in preparation for their season premiere that I’m watching right now. It was a great trip down Amish Memory Lane. It’s my understanding that some of it, at least at the beginning, was somewhat contrived. For instance, Abe and Rebecca were already married when they filmed the couple’s wedding. The situations are real though, and it’s never taken away from my enjoyment of the show. Growing up in Ohio, when I was a kid, we made many day trips to “the Amish country” in Pennsylvania, so I also appreciate the scenery. Not to mention the cast going to NYC on a few occasions. What draws me to the show though, isn’t the breaking or returning to Amish. From the jump, the way these kids talked, you knew they were in contact with the outside world. There are also things like “hut parties,” where the young Amish cut loose, and Esther introduced us to an Amish chat line when she was in NYC. This is interesting for sure, but while I’d love for Lisa Vanderpump to adopt me, I’d also like Mary Schmucker to be my grandmother. Second only to LVP, she is my all-time favorite reality cast member. She’s like if you had an old school grandmother who was stellar at knitting afghans and baking pies, but was still a hundred times cooler than you. In the Best. Episode. Ever. Mary beat some college kids at beer pong her first time playing it, and outdrank them. Mary has been shunned by the church (which she explains is not as bad as banished, but not much better), but continues to stand up for herself, telling off the elder (or whatever) who kicked her out of her own father’s funeral. I even checked to see how far Punxsutawney is from me, so I could personally shake Mary’s hand, but it’s a bit of a drive. At present, she’s a genius at selling Tupperware, and I’d love to go to one of her parties. I love how she holds on to her core values, but knows bs when she sees it. Mary is definitely the breakout star of this show.

🔊 Have you ever noticed that the loudest thing in the world is somebody trying to be quiet? Just sayin’.

Mary

Apr29

April 28, 2017 – Life Vs Tracy & a Quad of Quotes

Posted on by
Standard

 What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Tracy packs, putting photos into a case and talking to them, tossing AJ’s picture aside. She’s hitting the road, and taking the painting with her.

We revisit yesterday’s ending. Ned points out Samira to Officer Stick-in-the-Mud. The officer says she’s in the country illegally, but Ned produces a six-month extension on her visa. He tells the officer that his services are no longer required. Glad I didn’t bother learning his actual name.

Tracy brings roses to the crypt for Lila. She says she’s off to the land of sun and fun, and Samira isn’t even a blip on her radar. She tells Edward that for all his criticism, she’s the last one standing. They should have appreciated her. Who cares if she doesn’t meet arbitrary criteria for being a good person? AJ’s plaque falls off the crypt wall and whacks her in the head. She’s down for the count.

Officer Stick-in-the-Mud checks on the visa extension, and says it came from the highest level of government. Ned says he went to boarding school with someone that’s a high official now. Monica tells the officer that if he bothers them again, she’ll have him checking baggage for the TSA. No doubt a more thankless job than the one he has already.

Ned says that the Quartermaine cutthroat instincts are genetic. Samira asks what’s going on. Ned thinks they should finish the discussion at home. It’s time the situation is resolved, but they can’t do that without his mother.

Scotty tells Tracy it’s show time. There’s no putting it off, and she has to wake up. Suddenly, she’s with him, sitting outside a courtroom. She asks why she’s there. Nathan comes out and says she’s next.  Life vs Tracy Angelica Quartermaine is on the case roster next to the door. She walks in, asking what she’s done, and Diane asks what hasn’t she done? She asks if Tracy’s strategy is bewilderment. Scotty tells her it’s ADD and I laugh. Using a TV screen, Diane shows Tracy how she got hit in the head, and says maybe it will jog her memory. Tracy says that explains it; she’s unconscious, and Diane tells her that she’s dead. She asks what Scotty is doing there, and he tells her not to overthink it. Diane says this is where the newly departed are reviewed, and welcome to her judgement day.

Thus begins Tracy’s this-is-your-life retrospective, done through TV, laptop, tablet and phone screens.

Scotty is to present her good deeds, and Diane, her bad ones. If the good outweighs the bad, she ascends; if not, she’s reincarnated. Diane mentions that Skye Chandler is going to be pregnant soon. <snort> Tracy is concerned about Scotty being her counsel, but he tells her Lorenzo Alcazar was supposed to be poodle, and he got him out of it.

The judge enters. It’s Sonny. He gives a dimply smile from the bench.

Sonny calls the court to order. Tracy demands a mistrial. She says she wasn’t ready to die, and they all laugh. She says the judge is biased. We flash back to when she, Sonny, and I were babies, and she’s trying to get money from him. He talks about what she did to Lois, and how Lois didn’t deserve the shaft. On the bench, Sonny says he forgot about that. We all did. It was like, 30 years ago. Diane tells Tracy that the entirety of her life is going to be evidence. Scotty says Sonny is biased, but Sonny tells him the only other judge available is Anthony Zacchara, and Tracy is suddenly okay with Sonny.

Back in the real world, Kiki tells Dillon she had no idea Ned was a shark. Dillon says he’s a great white, and like a gunslinger who gave it up to be a farmer. Samira sees that the painting is gone. Monica says three guesses who took it.

Diane tells Tracy that she squandered her latest life. She’s incapable of goodness, and must be sent back. Scotty says good is relative. She’s not Heather Webber bad, but compared to her father, she seems fine. Diane says even Edward wasn’t as cruel with his words as Tracy has been. She takes us back to Alan telling Tracy that Monica is fooling around with Ned. Tracy says Alan blames others for not being able to hang on to his wife, when she’s not worth hanging on to. We move on to an argument between Monica and Tracy, see Tracy talking about Jenny to Lila, and insulting various other people. She says, for this she’s risking being Skye Chandler’s baby? Diane says let’s move on to deeds.

Tracy tells Scotty to object, but he says there’s nothing to object to. Tracy says she’s afraid of coming back as a flatworm. Scotty says the prosecution has painted his client as a heartless shrew, and thinks they should move on to her conquests. Tracy says they weren’t all bad, but Diane says her relationships haven’t furthered her personal growth. Scotty says there is a man who has inspired fulfillment and growth in her life, but it sickens him to say the name – Luke Spencer. Diane says he tricked Tracy into a fraudulent marriage, but Tracy says it turned into something else. We see a sweet scene between them, where he tells her that he loves her. Scotty says she had a real, honest love with Luke. Diane says until she couldn’t trust him, and we see Tracy telling Luke to take a hike, calling him a fractured, pathetic loser, who she’ll enjoy seeing beg to get her back. Diane says that was the end of that. Tracy tells Scotty that he’s fired.

Kiki says maybe there’s another explanation for the missing painting. Ned joins them, and asks what Tracy has done now. Dillon says she’s disappeared and taken the painting.

Tracy says that Scotty hung her immortal soul on her romantic interests. She wants Sonny to consider one of the good things she’s done. Saving Luke’s life counts, but she also gave birth to two children. We look back to when Tracy was pregnant. She says Dillon and Ned are proof she did something right. She learned to use her strength to give comfort and guidance to the Quartermaines. Diane says, until she didn’t. We see Tracy and Alan having an altercation. He tells her she’d better not ruin Monica’s party or embarrass them. Tracy asks Diane if she’s kidding. Dinner party shenanigans? Diane says that’s just a warm up. We see Tracy with Jenny in the hospital, and Edward telling her to pack her bags. The original Edward, David Lewis. Next, baby Ned tells her she has a pathetic record as a mother. She’s able to erase the rotten things she’s done to him, and she cares about only one thing in this life – herself. Omg, everyone is so young in these clips.

We see Tracy apologizing for being a disappointment to Lila, who says she never wants Tracy to go through this kind of pain again. Diane says that’s not the worst of it.

Tracy suggests they wrap it up, but Sonny says all the relevant facts have to be presented. Tracy says she runs from this memory every day and doesn’t need to see it. I’ve already guessed what it is. Edward is about to sign his changed will. (I’m right.) He says she’d do anything to get her hands on the trust fund, including go against his direct orders. He tells her that it proves she no longer loves him; if she did to begin with. He says he’s no longer her father. She says that he’s the only one who ever mattered, and he tells her to prove it, but starts to choke. He asks her to get his medication, and she just looks at him. She says then he can live long enough to sign the will; she’ll have to think about it. She tells him that all Quartermaines love each other, but there’s one thing they love more – money. She learned it at his knee – never count on people, only on money. She asks him to tear up the will as he struggles. If he tears it up, she’ll give him the medication. He keels over. Back in the courtroom, Tracy says, enough.

Tracy is alone with a spotlight on her. She says she was selfish and greedy, but then why did her family take her back? She knows she’s done good, and can do more; she can prove it. Don’t send her back as Skye’s baby or a flatworm. Send her back as her.

Ned says Tracy ordered the jet fueled and a flight plan mapped, but he’s canceled the flight. He tells them not to write Tracy off just yet. She could surprise them.

Tracy tells her father that he wins; she gives up. She knows he’s there pulling the strings and having the last word. Judge Sonny was a nice touch. She says he never forgave her, but she never forgave herself either. All she wanted was to please him and make him proud of her. She wonders what her life would have been like if she’d just been herself. Would she have made herself proud? If she only had one last chance…

Tracy opens her eyes in the crypt. She hears something moving in Edwards crypt.

Kiki asks if Tracy has a “find my family” app, and Monica says Tracy doesn’t want her family to find her. Dillon tells them that they don’t need the painting to help Samira; maybe it’s time they spent their money on something worthwhile. Samira says the monks already have buyer for painting. Dillon can’t imagine Tracy coming back with it. Tracy walks in, saying his imagination is in for a surprise. She knows what they’re thinking, and they’re not wrong. She was taking off with the painting, but recent events caused her to reevaluate things. She’s been extraordinarily blessed, and it’s time to use her gifts to help others. She values the painting, but Samira needs it more. Ned asks if she’s sure, and Dillon tells him to shut up; Tracy is having a generous impulse. Tracy says she has to start somewhere, and she’s giving up the painting. Everyone smiles, and hearts are warmed all over Soapland.

This was a wonderful retrospective, and a beautiful (early) send-off for Jane Elliot. I couldn’t help wishing they’d done the same for Anthony Geary when he left so uneventfully. Jane says she’s retiring from acting, and wants to put her energy into some other things, but I’m glad they left the door open. At least I think they did. We still have a few days to go. Her last air date is May 4th.

On Monday, the DNA test results are in, Nelle thinks Nina should be honest and talk to Valentin, and Valentin asks if Anna is all right.

Quotes of the Week

Don’t try so hard to fit in, and certainly don’t try so hard to be different… just try hard to be you. – Zendaya Coleman

She’s transitioning. So are we. – a guest on Dr. Phil who is related to a trans woman and has a very valid point.

Being a New Yorker is always knowing where the nearest weapon is. – Me, while watching a woman in jep Lifetime movie

Stay evil, dollface. Spread the word. — Deadshot (Will Smith), Suicide Squad

General-Hospital-spoilers-1

 

 

Apr28

April 27, 2017 – ICE Nails Samira, Small Chef Memories & the Debut of John Gray

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Jason and Jake do some drawing. Jason says Jake is talented and must have gotten it from his mom. Jason puts Jake in a wrestling hold, and Jake says he can’t breathe. Jason tightens the hold. And then wakes up.

Jake has a temperature. Did Elizabeth just say it’s 110? He doesn’t look like he’s in a coma or dead. Franco comes to visit, and Elizabeth sends Jake back upstairs. She says he’s been up all night and doesn’t want to go to school. She’s concerned. She did say 110, so I guess Jake is faking it. Or he’s an incredibly hardy child.

Samira tries to get out of the hospital bed, and Kiki tells her she has to be cleared to leave, and that she can’t help Sadika if she’s sick. Samira asks if Kiki’s ever had someone she’d like to save, and Kiki tells her to get dressed.

Monica tells Laura that Samira will be better when Tracy coughs up the painting.

Tracy talks to her father’s photograph, and tells him that the journal was dry as dust. He seemed lonely; like his life was pointless without his family. She ponders how many hours he spent staring at Lila’s picture, or if he was frolicking with Samira’s mother. She wonders if it was all a set up for the cruelest double-cross of all. Dillon walks in and asks if she’s talking to Edward’s picture.

On the phone, Sonny asks if they can make it sooner. The pills might be the missing link in his son’s death. Ava rings the doorbell.

At the MetroCourt, Diane tells Alexis she’s not being charged. Carly walks out, and Diane says sorry, but Sonny already retained her services for the divorce. She hopes they can come to an equitable agreement. Carly asks Alexis if she’s available, because Carly is waaay out of that loop.

Samira tells Kiki that she has to go back; maybe the brothers will have another idea. She begged Tracy, but she won’t let the painting go. Samira thinks she should offer to take her daughter’s place. Because human traffickers are easy to haggle with.

Dillon asks Tracy if Edward is talking back, and Tracy says he’s wondering when Dillon is going to join the family business. She says there’s no reason to stop sparring with Edward now. Dillon tells her that when she’s ready to talk to a live person, he’s the guy. She asks if he thinks she’s a bad person if she doesn’t give up the painting.

Ava says she has something to talk to Sonny about. She asks if Lucy is shaking him and Carly down for donations. Sonny says she hasn’t bothered him, but he doesn’t know about Carly. Ava says she’d like to discuss Avery’s preschool, and asks if Carly is there.

Diane says she’s sorry for Carly and Sonny’s troubles, but thinks when the smoke clears, they can put it behind them. Carly says Sonny has pushed her too hard, and this time she’s pushing back. Diane says duly noted.

Elizabeth tells Franco about letting Jason know that he thought Jake was afraid of him. She says Jake said that’s not it, but it’s halfway right. Jake is afraid of the man Jason used to be.

Jason says he couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake Sam, so he stayed on the couch. Sam says she could tell something was off; he didn’t even eat dinner. She asks what’s going on, and if it has to do with Jake. He says Jake is afraid of him. Not so much who he is now, but who he used to be.

Sonny tells Ava to let him know what preschool she likes, and he’ll see if they agree. Diane breezes in and says apparently, a storm is brewing. Sonny says Ava was just leaving.

Alexis asks if Carly is sure she wants to do this. Carly tells her about Sonny having Jax deported permanently. He has sensitive information on Jax, and thinks he’s punishing Carly, but he’s really punishing Josslyn. She says he doesn’t care who he hurts, and this time, she’s done. Alexis says she was busy with her downward spiral, but Kristina filled her in, and she’s sorry. She tells Carly that she doesn’t have her license back yet. Carly asks if she can be Alexis’s first client, but Alexis says it could take months. Carly says she’d be willing to wait, but Sonny won’t, so Alexis recommends another lawyer (Nora?).

Kiki tells Samira that she’s taken risks that are stupid, but she’s learned not to act out of fear. She says the Quartermaines are difficult, but they have good hearts and money, and she should give them another chance. Kiki says if Dillon is on her side, she’ll be okay.

Monica tells Laura that only the people who admitted her know Samira is there. She says Tracy has offered to cover the medical expenses, and isn’t that nice? Laura can tell Monica isn’t happy with Tracy, but says since her father died, Tracy has changed. Monica says it’s a big test, and so far, she’s failing. Laura says she has faith that Tracy will do the right thing in the end. Monica tells her not to hold her breath.

Dillon says that Tracy knows how he feels about Samira’s situation, but he also understands how Tracy feels. He says Edward wasn’t there for her when he was alive, so what makes her think he’ll be there for her now? He tells Edwards’s picture that his way of loving sucks, and tells Tracy he’ll always love her, even if she disappoints him. She asks if it would disappoint him if she doesn’t give up the painting. He says it would, but she’s stuck with him. The Quartermaines aren’t he nicest people, and incapable of expressing emotion, but it doesn’t mean they can’t feel love and loyalty. If they stick together, it will be okay. Tracy says that’s what family does. Dillon tells her that their numbers are dwindling, and they can’t afford not to. He leaves, and Tracy smiles at the picture.

Tracy asks if Edward heard that. Dillon won’t kick her to the curb, and is being her support system. Laura appears, saying too bad Samira doesn’t have one. Tracy wonders who keeps letting random people in. Laura says she spoke to Robert, and human trafficking in Turkey is on the rise, especially with refugees. Tracy says that’s not her problem, but Laura asks if it will be if Samira is her sister?

Kiki tells Monica that Samira is getting restless. Monica says who wouldn’t be, waiting on Tracy. Officer Stick-in-the-Mud walks in, and says he needs to talk to Monica; they can have a discussion here or at the station. Kiki asks if he has any paperwork, and Monica explains that he’s there investigating an enemy of the state. He says it’s an expired visa. Monica stands corrected, and gives Kiki the papers to get “the patient” released. Kiki asks if she should call legal counsel, but Monica says no. The officer asks why Monica lied to him. Kiki tells Samira they have to get her out of there stat.

Elizabeth explains to Franco how Jake shut down when they saw the picture. Franco thinks it’s odd, since Jake knows he’s the same person. Elizabeth says he does conceptually, but he’s still a little kid. She tells him that Jason has no memory of the island. Franco says it’s good; it’s a starting point. It’s time to start considering that Jake was traumatized by something he saw or something the old Jason did.

Jason tells Sam about what happened when Jake saw the photo. Sam says Jake is a child who’s seen a lot of trauma and has a lot of challenges. Jason asks what if he hurt Jake? Sam says what if he didn’t, and that it all comes back to Helena. Jason wonders what if it doesn’t? Scout cries, and Sam goes upstairs, leaving Jason to ponder things.

Monica says she didn’t let Officer Stick-in-the-Mud interrupt her busy day to insult her. He says when he first questioned her, she said she didn’t know Samira. Monica says that’s wrong; she said Samira wouldn’t be found in her house, and he calls semantics. She tells him to produce evidence to the contrary or go. He shows her a picture of Samira in her living room.

Kiki asks Dillon if they can take Samira back to the estate, but he doesn’t think she’ll be any safer there.

Laura says that Tracy has turned painting into physical manifestation of her father. Tracy says it meant a lot to have his love and forgiveness. She asks Laura, what if he wasn’t the man she thought he was?

Elizabeth tells Franco that they’re reading a lot between the lines. She says Jason could never hurt a child. Franco says he wasn’t aware of his actions when he planted the bomb on The Haunted Star, and maybe the same thing applies – he wasn’t acting of his own free will. Elizabeth says it won’t help Jake to pursue that avenue. Using soap opera timing, Jake appears and says, help him what?

Jason asks why Jake would be afraid if he hadn’t hurt him. Sam thinks Helena’s attempt to control their lives continues on. She wanted to create chaos and succeeded. Jason wonders what he did. Sam says they can’t change what happened; all they can do is help Jake move forward. Jason wants to know what Helena did to him.

Ava sees Alexis and Carly. Alexis says that’s her cue, and starts to leave. Ava tries to talk to her about Julian, but she’s not having it. Ava asks Carly if it’s too early to have a glass of champagne to toast the divorce.

Diane tells Sonny that Carly is going to make the divorce as miserable as possible. She would have advised against what he did to Jax. He has to remember that Jax is Josslyn’s father, and Carly is going to retaliate. Sonny says Carly can leave with what she came with, and nothing else. Idiot. Diane tells him not to be so sure.

Laura thinks Tracy knew Edward the best, except for Lila. Tracy says what if the man she tried to please was running around on her mother? If Samira is his daughter, the time and energy she put into the relationship was wasted. Either he was a good man with flaws or a callous bastard. Either the painting is declaration of love or the most highly valued thing he gave her. Either way, she’s not giving it up.

Kiki tells Dillon to get scrubs and a wheelchair, and pray they don’t get caught.

Monica asks if the officer was spying. He says a concerned party was worried about Samira’s presence. He’s willing to overlook it if she tells him where Samira is hiding. If not, he’ll have no choice but to arrest her.

Jason tells Sam no offense to Andre, but he doesn’t know Helena’s capabilities. He thinks there’s another way without involving Jake. Maybe the book Helena gave Jake has the answers.

Jake wants pancakes. Elizabeth wonders how he could be into pancakes with a 110 temperature, but goes into the kitchen. Jake asks if Franco wants to color, since he got some new crayons. Franco sees 0705 on the timeline, and asks what it means. Suddenly Jake doesn’t feel good, and goes back upstairs. Franco looks at the timeline and gives us a soap opera face.

Monica says she doesn’t know the woman in the photo. Officer Stick-in-the-Mud says he’ll find Samira, with or without her help. She asks him to come into her office, and he tells her to do the right thing. She wonders what the right thing is, and says she’s getting tired of the witch hunt. In the meantime, Ned comes out of the elevator, running into Dillon and Kiki trying to get Samira out. Monica claims the photo was photoshopped, but the officer tells her she’s under arrest. Ned says that won’t be necessary. He says Samira is right there, and points to her. Monica asks if he knows what he’s done, and he says he does. Not sure what Ned is up to here.

Laura tells Tracy that the painting is just a painting, and if Edward strayed, it doesn’t mean he didn’t love Lila. Tracy says maybe he didn’t deserve Lila, but Laura says he made her happy, and they were a good balance. She tells Tracy that if she wants to honor them, to follow in their footsteps and be compassionate and generous, a legacy to be proud of.

Ava says now that Carly and Sonny are divorcing, Carly is out of Avery’s life. No marriage, no baby Avery. Carly says Avery isn’t one of their irreconcilable differences. They both love her and want what’s best for her. She tells Ava that if she pushes her, she’ll be the one out of Avery’s life.

Diane shows Sonny the trusts he set up when he thought he might go to prison, and the remainder of his assets that he signed over to Carly. He says it was in case he got convicted, but Diane says no provision was made to transfer it back when that didn’t happen. They’re still in Carly’s name. He says he’ll talk to her. She tells him to go easy; Carly holds the cards. He’s the one who may have to live outside the country to avoid federal difficulties.

Carly calls the attorney. She says she’s divorcing her husband, and wants everything. Doesn’t everyone in that position? Good luck with that.

Jason tells Elizabeth that Helena liked riddles and puzzles. He thinks the answer might be in the book. Elizabeth shows him the number on the timeline, and asks if it means anything

Alexis shows up at Sam’s place, and Sam tells her that she and Jason are pursuing different avenues regarding Jake. She thinks she has to go to Cassadine Island, and Alexis is like, no way.

Jason says it could be a date. Franco says that it would be the European way of putting the day before the month. Jason wonders what May 7th means, and Elizabeth says it’s Jake’s birthday.

Tomorrow, a special Tracy retrospective. While telling Edward she’s going off for fun in the sun, Tracy gets clobbered by a plaque falling off the wall in the family crypt.

🍱 Tonight, MasterChef Junior gave us a nostalgic trip through past seasons, so there was everything from astronauts to elves to that cute, tiny girl with the big hair bow. I might have had kids if I could have been guaranteed that one. I love a trip down Memory Lane, and wish I could have paid more attention, but a friend called and I didn’t think I could blow them off by saying I needed to watch things I’d already seen. I might give it another look over the weekend On Demand.

⛪ I checked out an episode of The Book of John Gray (OWN) and really enjoyed it. He’s the associate pastor of Houston’s Lakewood Church, under Pastor Joel Osteen. It was both pleasant and entertaining. John is a very funny guy. It was a nice balance of Gray’s church and home life. Although I may or may not be a steady viewer, it gets a thumbs up from me.

Apr27

April 26, 2017 – Anna Sets a Trap, Ramona Has a Dinner & a Coupla Returns

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Ava and Kiki have dinner at The Floating Rib. Ava is proud of Kiki turning her life around. She likes the sound of Dr. Jerome, but Kiki tells her not to get ahead of things. Ava suggests Dillon come with them next time. Kiki wonders why Ava is in such a good mood, and what her secret is for getting over a bad experience so quickly. She asks if there’s a magic pill, and Ava says there are no pills that can help or harm her. Which is a really bizarre statement.

Bobbie runs into Sonny at the hospital. She asks if they should address the elephant in the room. He tells her if she has something to say, have at it. She tells him that having Jax arrested and deported was the worst mistake he could have made. Carly is on the warpath, and he has no one to blame except himself. Frankly, I think everyone is getting too old for this nonsense.

Michael discusses business on the phone. Carly brings beer and hot dogs from Josslyn, and tells him she said he’s the only normal person in the family. She also tells him that Jax has left the building.

Nelle wants to put her mistakes behind her. Nina says her job description just expanded; she’s adding covert operations. Nina wants her to spy on Valentin.

Valentin tells Anna that whatever was between them is over, and she owes him nothing. Anna says she owes him her life. I’m hating Anna right now.

Ava asks Kiki about her job. Kiki says she has a lot to learn, but it’s helping with her studies. She feels like she’s doing something that matters. Ava hopes it doesn’t bring back any bad memories. Kiki says she wants to help people who are dealing with the same illness that Morgan did. She says it’s not all work though; they’re gearing up for the Nurses Ball. Ava asks if she’s performing with Dillon again, and reminds Kiki that it was the first time she and Dillon kissed. Kiki talks about Morgan seeing them, and wishes she could have explained. Ava says everything worked out, and Kiki asks if they should pretend Morgan never existed.

Bobbie tells Sonny that his and Carly’s anger doesn’t affect just the two of them, and it especially affects their children. She says it does no good for them to punish each other. She thinks they should take a step back. They love each other and are grieving. Whatever went wrong, the real problem is that they’ve lost Morgan.

Carly tells Michael about Sonny turning Jax in, and how he had to go back home. She says he’s no longer allowed in the country, and she underestimated Sonny. Michael says Jax isn’t helpless. It will take some time, but he’ll reach an agreement and be able to return. In the meantime, Josslyn can meet him in Mexico or Canada. Carly says he’s acting like it’s not a big deal. He says the last thing she should be doing is getting back at Sonny. She says she won’t do anything he doesn’t deserve. Yep. A lotta leeway there.

Nelle thought Nina and Valentin were solid. Nina says he’s complicated, and likes to keep secrets. She just wants to be kept in the loop. Nelle thinks she should talk to him. The worst thing she could do is assume something and have it eat away at her; she’ll do things she’ll regret.

Griff asks Andre for a quick word. He asks if Andre is aware of Anna having blood cancer, and if she’s told him about receiving treatment outside of GH. Andre is surprised, and Griff wonders if Anna is hiding something.

Valentin tells Anna, apology accepted. She says he saved her from serious complications, and she got a diagnosis. She says she pretends she doesn’t have cancer a lot of the time, but discovered that she’s not indestructible. He says it’s not like she has to go through it alone. She tells him that it’s opened her eyes to her own imperfections, and how blind she was to the real him. He asks if it’s the one she didn’t want to kiss or the one she slept with? She says he endured all the operations and pain, so that he was the same on the outside as he’s been on the inside – tall, straight, and strong. Bleh.

Griff tells Andre that he tried to talk to Anna, but she puts walls up. He says it seems like Valentin has shaken her to the core. Lucy interrupts, saying she’s found two of Port Charles’s most eligible bachelors. She asks them to sign up to perform at the Nurses Ball, and they suddenly have other things to do. Lucy asks them to think about it. Andre pushes her out the door, but Lucy accosts Griff in the hallway. She gets a call, and he runs for his life.

Kiki is annoyed, and Ava says she didn’t mean they should forget Morgan; she just doesn’t want Kiki to be sad. She admires Kiki for the work she’s doing. They hug.

Carly tells Michael that she almost said yes to Jax when he asked her to come with him. Michael asks why she didn’t. Taking time away from Port Charles might do her some good, and she could take things slow. He says just because Sonny is spiraling out of control, doesn’t mean she has to. She says she can’t leave him right now. He asks if it’s because he’s in the same town as Nelle. Carly asks why he’s even thinking about Nelle.

Nina tells Nelle she’s right. Getting other people involved will just complicate things. She suggests they have a girl’s night out.

Sonny tells Bobbie that they haven’t been able to put the pieces back together. She says it can be almost impossible to come to terms with a senseless loss. He says that he has questions, and he’s not stopping until he gets answers. Lucy interrupts. She wants to finalize the donation from Sonny. She sees the bottle of pills in his hand, and it startles her. He asks if something is wrong. Please. These bottles all look the same, and Sonny is on medication. Why would this be so surprising?

Kiki tells Ava that next time, dinner will be on her. Ava says she can be whatever she wants to be, including a smash hit at the Nurses Ball. She says it would be fun to see both of their names in the program. Kiki asks if she’s performing, and she explains that she donated a piece of art that’s worth a lot.

Bobbie asks Lucy if something is wrong. Lucy says it just occurred to her that maybe Sonny doesn’t want to go to the Nurses Ball this year. If that’s the case, she apologizes. He says Morgan was named after Stone, and it’s important, so he’ll be doing the usual. Lucy says there’s something she needs to tell him.

Carly says she understands Nelle in a way that Michael never will. She tells him that when she first got to Port Charles, she met Jason. She was a mess, lying and cheating all over the place. You’d think she would have liked having someone who didn’t judge her, but she ended up sleeping with Jason’s best friend. She couldn’t get out of her own way, and the only way to recognize love was to test it. Jason is her best friend, but doesn’t love her the same way anymore. Nelle is like she was. She’ll destroy whatever she loves. She’ll test Michael until she breaks his heart, and she can’t let that happen. He thanks her for the take-out, and she says that’s his way of telling her he’s doing what he wants. She says she’ll never stop being his mom. He says he’s glad to hear it, but probably not.

Anna tries to talk Valentin into a glass of champagne. She quotes Churchill, and Valentin says how can he say no? He wanders around. His phone rings; it’s Nina. She asks where he is. He says his errand turned out to be more complicated than he thought. Anna makes a sound, and Valentin says he’s losing the connection.

Sonny asks Lucy if it can wait, and she says sure. Andre comes by, and Sonny goes off with him. Lucy wonders why they’d be meeting, and Bobbie says it’s none of their business. She says they’re both trying to make sense of Morgan’s death, and Sonny’s not quitting until he gets answers.

Griff sees Kiki and Ava at the restaurant. They make small talk about Kiki’s job. She jets, and Griff says she took the loss of a loved one and made something positive about it. Ava says she didn’t realize Kiki’s surgeon was a priest, and Griff says he tries not to advertise it, since people tend to want to confess.

Sonny tells Andre about the pills. He wants to find out why they were there and who had them, and maybe it will explain more about his death. He wants to know why Morgan went so out of control. He spills the pills onto the desk and says they’re the answer.

Valentin wants to leave, but Anna insists on one toast. She promises there’s nothing in the glass but expensive champagne. She asks if he remembers what they used to say at the Academy, and Valentin says, “Some drink for God and country, but we drink to us.”

Carly runs into Nelle and Nina. She tells Nina that Nelle is still making life uncomfortable for people. Nina says everyone deserves a second chance. Carly says what about the people who Nelle hurt? Nelle says she’ll take a raincheck, but Nina says no. Carly says Nelle didn’t tell her everything.

Anna pours more champagne, and Valentin tells her take it easy, since she’s on blood thinners. She says maybe they can think of it as a new beginning. He starts to leave, and she tries to give him the watch back.

Andre tells Sonny that the number of pills is consistent with Morgan taking them. Sonny said he didn’t think he’d lie in his own diary. Andre says he’d wondered if Morgan was taking something else that reacted badly with the prescribed meds. Sonny says without an autopsy, they can’t know for sure. He wonders if the pharmacy screwed something up. He wants to know why his son died.

Ava says Griff can take the night off; she has nothing to confess. Not that she hasn’t made mistakes. She says she’s sure he’s heard terrible things about her past, and it’s probably true. She quotes the Bible, saying there’s no sin too great to be forgiven, and Griff says he’d be out of a job if there was. He asks if there’s something on her mind.

Lucy wonders what kind of answers Sonny wants. Bobbie asks if it’s entertainment for her. Lucy says she feels horrible, and she gets no pleasure out of the tragedy. She just thought she could help. Bobbie asks if she has a magic wand, and Lucy says what if she did? Kiki interrupts – the theme of the day – and tells Lucy good going, getting Ava to make the sculpture donation.

Ava tells Griff that he came there for ribs, not someone bearing their soul. He says it doesn’t have to be in church. He’s sure there have been plenty of confessions on barstools. She asks if she can buy him a drink and orders two martinis. They sit at the bar.

Sonny thanks Andre. He’s going to send Morgan’s pill to the recommended lab. Andre says he thinks it will give Sonny peace of mind. Sonny doesn’t know if that’s possible, but he’ll settle for justice. In the hallway, Kiki overhears.

Michael talks business on the phone. He says sometimes you have to cut your losses. He looks at Nelle’s number on his phone.

Carly tells Nina that Nelle never actually slept with Sonny. She drugged him and lied. She tells Nina proceed at her own risk.

Valentin tells Anna that he can’t take the watch. Anna says she guesses it was just wishful thinking. She needs to feel that something that is irreparably broken can be fixed. He says if it means that much he’ll take it. She puts it on his wrist and thanks him looking at him all creepy. He leaves, and I wish he’d smash it.

Anna drinks more champagne and smiles. If I don’t find out that Valentin has done something astonishingly awful, she is pure evil.

Nelle says there’s nothing Nina can say that she hasn’t said to herself. She knows she’s not wanted. Nina says that she’s going to take advantage of Nelle’s extracurricular talents. She’s going to spy on Valentin. And knowing him, Nelle had better be damn good at it.

Tomorrow, Elizabeth tells Franco that it’s not Jason who’s scaring Jake, Laura thinks Tracy will do the right thing, and Carly asks Alexis to represent her in the divorce. Um…she has no license.

The Real Housewives of New York City

It’s time for Ramona’s dinner party. Tinsley is nervous to meet Dorinda. She’s worried that if she likes Dorinda, Sonja will be mad at her. Because we’re in middle school. In her interview, Dorinda thinks Tinsley isn’t paying rent to Sonja in Benjamins, but paying in other ways. Tinsley talks about her arrest. Dorinda says there isn’t anyone in the room who hasn’t screwed up. In her interview, Tinsley says she likes to get the elephant out of the room right away.

Carole tells Sonja that she missed a fun dinner – that ended very abruptly – explaining how Ramona brought up Bethenny’s not-that-sordid past, under the guise of being concerned about her daughter. Sonja doesn’t think it’s a big deal, and we flash back to some of Sonja’s stage performances. Luann tells Tinsley how she had a better room when she stayed with Sonja. Luann asks Carole about the election party. Carole thinks Ramona doesn’t really want to come, and I translate that to Carole doesn’t want her to come.

Dinner is served. Dorinda says Ramona is a great cook, but she’s not buying that Ramona cooked what they’re eating. They talk about their housing situations, and in her interview, Sonja talks about how Ramona rescinded her invitation to stay over. Sonja tells Dorinda that she looks gorgeous, and Dorinda responds by telling Sonja to quit talking smack about her. Dorinda tells Sonja to shut her mouth, and calls her private parts The Holland Tunnel. Holy! Luann tells Dorinda to calm down. Carole laughs into her linguine. Ramona was hoping that Dorinda would wait at least until desert, or (God forbid) do it privately. Dorinda brings up the stripper at Luann’s shower, and asks if Sonja had a good time. Tinsley says she doesn’t know the history, and tries to say that Sonja wanted to smooth things over, but Dorinda won’t have it.

Luann decides to jump in, saying a blogger wrote that Sonja wouldn’t be caught dead at her wedding. Sonja says she wouldn’t miss it, but had planned her vacation long ago. Dorinda says you need an invitation to go to a wedding, and you can’t go to something you’re not invited to. In her interview, Carole tells us that this is Dorinda on Diet Coke, and we can just imagine had the martinis been flowing. She says Dorinda has a valid point, but it gets lost in the delivery. Sonja suggests Luann talk to her rather than reading the newspaper.

Some dude tries to stop it from getting out of control by proposing a toast. Carole says may the best woman win the election. Dorinda brings up Sonja having worked for Donald Trump, and starts insulting her about some other things. Tinsley thinks it’s the wrong place to have this conversation, and Dorinda calls Sonja a liar and a fraud, and starts hopping around. She says some oddball stuff, and makes references to Grey Gardens. She leaves the room, and another guest thinks it was mean and unnecessary. Carole brings up that Sonja was quoted in yesterday’s paper, and ties the whole thing to Sonja not being invited to the Berkshires. In her interview, Tinsley says they were both hurt, but she doesn’t think it was as one-sided as Sonja presented it. Bethenny calls Carole. She’s there to pick Carole up, and can hear the screaming all the way to the car. She says she’s like Joe Pesci in Home Alone, sitting in the van, eavesdropping.

Sonja gets up, and Dorinda starts to follow her, but wisely sits down. Tinsley says they’re just yelling and not giving Sonja a chance. In the kitchen, Sonja tells Ramona that Dorinda needs to calm down. Ramona thinks they should hash everything out. Carole asks Bethenny to wait ten minutes. She doesn’t want to stay – it’s literally a nuthouse – but she wants to talk to Ramona. Bethenny say this is the best decision she ever made, and the best party she’s ever attended.

Carole tells Ramona she doesn’t think that she should come to the election party, because she doesn’t want drama. In her interview, Carole says it’s not that Ramona is voting for Trump, but she acts like a know-it-all when she doesn’t know anything. Ramona says they’re a bunch of fakes. Dorinda still won’t shut up about Sonja. Carole sneaks out. Ramona brings out a birthday cake for the November babies, which was supposed to include Bethenny, and Sonja blows out the candles.

Luann hosts a brunch. Candace Bushnell, who was also at Ramona’s dinner, is a guest. I’m wondering how she got caught up with this crowd. Dorinda is feeling relieved, and like she’s given birth. She points out that there are cider donuts. I’d never heard of these before, and a neighbor gave me some last Christmas. They were incredible, and I ate them like they were the last donuts on earth. In her interview, Dorinda says that she’s not a grudge-holder, and life is too short. Apparently not for a ceaseless tirade. Ramona gripes about Carole disinviting her to the party, and thinks Bethenny should have shown up at the dinner. Dorinda says it takes a long time for her to get to that point. There was no gently talking to her.

Sonja and Tinsley walk to Luann’s. In her interview, Sonja thinks Dorinda didn’t mean everything she said, and half of it didn’t make sense. Dorinda talks about a middle-aged woman living in the past being unattractive. Ramona asks if she likes Tinsley, and she says she does. The girls arrive. Dorinda and Sonja hug. Sonja says she feels good because they’ve both gotten out what they need to. In her interview, Tinsley says she guesses this is how they do it. Everyone is happy for the moment.

Luann announces that this is a breakfast/brunch/renovation party, and gives them a  tour of the addition. Sonja says she’s happy for Luann, and tells her to let things slide. In her interview, Luann says she has a hard time believing this will last. Me too. They watch the ducks go by on the water. Tinsley and Luann talk on the deck. Sonja tells Ramona that she was invited to the wedding, and in her interview, Ramona says Sonja likes to make things up. We know. Luann toasts to happiness and friendship, and suggests zipping it when someone comes toward any of them with a microphone.

Back in the city, Tinsley meets Dorinda for dinner. She says it’s been difficult connecting with her old friends. Luann joins them, and she and Dorinda are dressed the same. Dorinda wants to do something special for Ramona’s 60th birthday. We flash back to her birthday lunch last year. She says the biggest problem with planning the party is everyone keeping their mouths shut. I’ll bet. I had lunch with a birthday girl the same day as her surprise party, and I almost said, “See you later,” when we parted company. Tinsley wants to make sure there are no issues with her being friends with Sonja, who she didn’t tell about the dinner. Dorinda thinks she’s brave. She says Sonja can be jealous and holds grudges.

Sonja speaks to Frenchie (Edgar), the new man in her life. They plan to meet in an hour. In her interview, Sonja says he’s smart, romantic and all good things; possibly too good to be true. She goes through her underwear, wondering what’s best to watch a movie in.

Luann talks about planning Tom’s birthday. Tinsley talks about getting arrested, and how it gets expunged from her record after a certain amount of time. Dorinda admits you do crazy things when you’re in love. In her interview, she says that love and hate mixed with jealousy and alcohol is a bad combination. They discuss Tinsley’s mug shot, and toast to reinventing yourself.

Dorinda brings lunch to John at work. She tells us they’ve been dating four and a half years, and they’re happy. We learn that John has lost weight and his blood pressure is down. Dorinda says John is gun-shy, since he doesn’t have a great track record with the ladies. She talks about Hannah moving out. Since she has a rule about not having sleepovers with kids around if you’re not married, this is exciting for John. I usually give John a “bleh,” but he seems almost tolerable.

Carole has two kittens and a dog, all named Baby. Bethenny says the creative juices are flowing, and Carole can write a novel, but can’t come up with three names for her pets. Carole says she and Adam are “shacking up.” Carole doesn’t want to look at it as living together, because it’s too serious. Adam is planning on getting his own place eventually. She asks about suckerfish Jason Hoppy, and Bethenny says she’s done; she’s not going on like this. She brings up Ramona talking about her daughter. She says she wishes Ramona well, but she’s hit the wall. Even if she made up with Ramona, they’d just end up in the same place again.

Sonja talks to her assistant about Tinsley seeing her friends more than her. She found out about the dinner, and some other thing, and wonders how to bring it up. Tinsley overhears. In her interview, Tinsley is shocked, since Sonja wanted her to go out with her friends. Tinsley comes in and tells Sonja about hearing what she said. They discuss who is close friends with who. Sonja says don’t make her feel bad, and Tinsley tells Sonja not to make her feel bad. In her interview, Tinsley wonders if because she’s staying in Hannah’s room, Sonja is treating her like a daughter, and telling her what to do. Sonja says it’s just a matter of etiquette, and she should have been invited; she’s hurt, not angry. She brings up her birthday. Tinsley says she gave Sonja a candle, but Sonja says that’s because she’d brought a man home, and that’s a no-no in her daughter’s room. Geez, Tinsley couldn’t even cough up a birthday gift for Sonja?

Next time, Carole’s Ramona-less election party, Carole ruins the surprise, and Ramona tells Sonja that they’re not friends.

🗽 Important news – Million Dollar Listing NYC begins on Thursday, May 29th at 9 pm.

🐎 I also can’t wait for Return to Amish, this Sunday night at 8 pm (TLC). Mary is my all time favorite reality show cast member. Aside from LVP, of course.