What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Monte Carlo, Monaco. Dante plays with a pair of dice at a casino, when Sam comes in wearing a cocktail dress. She says he’s smiling. Does that mean he approves? Does she look like a jet setter? He says she looks dressed to kill, an she says, hopefully it doesn’t come to that. Unless they find Drew.

Curtis tells Nika that he thinks a coin toss seems fair. Heads, he wins; tails, she wins. They toss, and Curtis says, she’s all yours. Have fun. Esme sits at the bar leaving a message for Spencer. She asks why he hasn’t picked up, and tells him to join her at this hot new club called The Savoy. They have so much to celebrate. Ava’s finally leaving his life, and this time, it’s for good. Nika asks how she can help Esme, and Esme says, it’s been quite the day, but she’s celebrating now. She’ll have a Cosmo with a twist, and make it with their best top-shelf vodka. Wow. 1999 called, and wants its drink back.

Nikolas says Spencer hated him because he left, and now he’s caused Ava to have to do the same thing to her little girl, and for what? There was no threat. They were happy. They were building a life, a family together. He would have welcomed Spencer into all of that. So why would Spencer do this? Does he hate Nikolas that much? Spencer says, no, he doesn’t hate Nikolas, and Nikolas says, then please tell him this is some horrible mistake; that none of it’s true. Ava walks in, and says, what isn’t true? Nikolas asks what she’s doing there, and she says she just had a very odd, very confusing encounter with Esme. She seemed to think they were heading to Bora Bora together. Then she spoke with Trina, who told her to get there as soon as possible. Obviously, she walked in on something. Would either one of them like to tell her what’s going on?

Nina walks into The Savoy, and Curtis says he was starting to think she took up permanent residence in that small town in paradise. She hugs him tight, and says he has no idea how good it is to see a friendly face. He asks, what’s wrong? and she says she messed up, big time. Maybe the biggest of her life, and the worst part is, she doesn’t know how to make it right.

Willow and Michael have French fries at Kelly’s and Willow says, there’s no way in the world she’d consider that movie a romantic comedy. He says he saw her laughing, and she says, wait. Does he realize this is their very first date night since they got back together? He promises it’s the first of many. Next time, he’ll even let her pick the movie. She says, deal, and now that Nina’s back in town, Wiley has one more option as a babysitter. He wonders if everything is okay with Nina; she seemed a little off. Josslyn comes by and says, mom didn’t tell them? Michael says, about what? and Josslyn sits down, saying, about Nina? About what she did to all of them?

Carly asks how Sonny’s appointment was with Dr. Sullivan, and Sonny says the doctor put him back on his old prescription, and said he was good. Carly says, that’s great, and Sonny asks if there’s something on her mind. She says, not something, someone – Nina. He says, what about Nina? and she says, Maxie came by earlier, and she knew the name of the town he’s been in this whole time, because Nina knew he was alive for almost a year, and didn’t tell anyone. And she knows why.

Sam says Dante is really pulling off the formalwear, and he says, thanks, he thinks. She says, it’s a compliment. It’s nice to see him out of his regular wardrobe. He thanks her, and says she looks absolutely incredible in that dress. She bites an olive off of the skewer from her martini, and thanks him. He says, it’s a good thing Sonny made it back to Port Charles; everything is back to normal. Whatever that means. They were able to hop on a flight to the French Riviera and follow up on that lead Harmony got them. She says, Shiloh’s fixer is somewhere in this casino, and he says, short of finding Peter, this Dallas Kirby guy is the best chance they have of finding Drew. She says, Harmony never said he’d tell them, so they have to be subtle about who they talk to. He suggests they win big, and a man and woman walk by and sit at a nearby table. Sam says she has an idea; follow her lead.

Nina tells Curtis, there you have it. She kept Sonny from his family for months, and made an even bigger enemy of Carly, and she may never see her grandson again. He says he has to admit it’s an incredible story, but it does seem a bit short-sighted to think she acted merely as revenge against Carly. She says, so he hasn’t lost all respect for her? and he says, they’ve all done things they’re not proud of. Their motivations are the blind side, but he doesn’t buy that she set out to hurt anyone. She says she didn’t want to hurt anyone, but people got hurt, and Sonny’s not the forgiving type. He takes her hand, and says, she’s a courageous woman, but he hopes she knows, whatever happens, she’s not alone. She thanks him for being so kind. She so appreciates it. Nika comes to the table, and tells Curtis that she needs his input on this ID. They have a problem.

At the bar, Esme says she can’t believe she has to leave Spencer a second message. Where is he? They did it. The wicked witch is dead. Come celebrate with her.

Spencer tells Ava that he was her stalker. The cockroach, the plastic hand, the vandalism to the gallery; it was all him. Nikolas says he’s leaving out a part of the story. It wasn’t all him. He had help, like with the burning of Ava’s car. He says, whatever Esme did, she did because he told her too. It was his idea; his agenda. Ava says, she doesn’t understand. The cockroach was last February, so he would have been in school in France. He says, the truth is, he returned to Port Charles long before he announced it to his family and friends. He stayed in short term rentals, and didn’t even use his real name. He told people that he was Victor. He lied to keep his plan going, which was to get Ava out of his father’s life forever. She says, that isn’t all he did. He used her little girl as part of his plan, and Spencer says he’d never hurt Avery, but Ava says she had no way of knowing that. He got in Windymere undetected, the same at the MetroCourt and the gallery. What’s worse, he knew Kiki was murdered. How could he make Ava fear for Avery’s safety? Spencer says he didn’t consider all the possible ramifications. He doesn’t blame her if she hates him. Nikolas says, and he did all of this so he could have Nikolas to himself? Spencer says he never knew his mother, and when Valentin shot Nikolas, he thought Nikolas was dead for three years, which made him an orphan. Then Ava went back on her word to testify against Valentin. He was angry and hurt and alone. Ava says what she doesn’t understand is why he didn’t stop. She was leaving. All his wishes were about to come true. So why this 11^th hour confession?

Curtis tells Nina, duty calls, and tells Nika to make sure Nina gets whatever she wants. On the house. He goes over to Esme, and says, congratulations. She asks if she’s the thousandth customer, and drinks are on the house, but he says, nothing like that. Congratulations on the best fake ID he’s ever seen. She says she’s flattered he thinks she’s that young. Her secret: use a great French moisturizer. He says perhaps he’s wrong, but if it comes down to keeping his liquor license, or keeping her money, he’s going to keep his business. He’s going to keep her fake ID too. So here’s where he gets to ask her to leave. She says he can’t blame a girl for trying. The legal drinking age in France is eighteen. It’s so strange being treated like a child here. She leaves, and he goes back to sit with Nina. He says, the old fake ID. He supposes they all tried it once at that age. Now where were they? She says they were talking about what a mess she made of her life, but she’s been talking about it for days, and she’s all talked out. She thanks him for listening and being a good friend. Now it’s time she’s his friend.

Willow asks if Josslyn is sure there hasn’t been a mistake, and Josslyn says she’s always liked Nina. She was hoping Nina would get back together with her dad, but there’s no mistaking what Nina did. Michael says they spent months grieving their dad, thinking he was dead and they’d never be able to see him again. How could Nina ignore that? Then she had the audacity to show up at their house and play with Wiley like nothing was wrong? Willow says she knows Michael is upset – he has every right to be – but maybe this explains what was going on with Nina today. She’s probably afraid it was her last visit with Wiley. He says, there’s a simple way to avoid that. Tell dad’s wife and kids that he’s still alive and lost his memory. That’s the right thing to do. Willow says, of course (🍷) it is, but the situation is anything but simple. There’s the Nelle factor. His mom and Jax figured out that Nelle was Nina’s daughter and kept that a secret. Does he think that’s why Nina did it? Did she really risk everything to get back at Carly?

Sonny asks Carly, what else did Maxie say? and Carly says, Maxie didn’t go into Nina’s motives. She didn’t have to; it’s obvious. Nina blames her for what happened to Nelle. And Nina blames her for Michael and Willow not letting her see Wiley. She retaliated by letting them all believe Sonny was dead. It’s no mystery as to why Nina lied, but why did he let her hear the truth from Maxie? Why didn’t he tell her that Nina knew he was in Nixon falls all this time?

Dante wonders if that guy is Dallas Kirby, is the woman with him his informant, or his date. Sam says, could be both, and he says they’ve got to separate the two of them. She tells him to kiss her; just do it. He says, if that’s what it takes, and kisses her. She throws her drink in his face, and says, how dare you? 

Nina says, the last time she and Curtis spoke, he and Jordan were talking about divorce. Any chance they worked it out? He says she has missed a lot being out of town, and she asks what he means. He says, he and Jordan signed the papers, but before the ink dried, Jordan was injured in the line of duty. She says she’s so sorry; is Jordan okay? He says, eventually, but because she has one kidney, it’s going to make the recovery complicated. She left town to seek treatment from a specialist in Albany. Nina asks what the prognosis is, and he says, good overall. Jordan has made it clear to him that nothing’s changed, and she’s got it handled. She says, sounds like Jordan. What about him? Does it change things for him?

Nikolas says, there’s been a lot to process over the last few days. Sonny turned up alive after all this time when they thought he was dead. Then Sonny had the mistaken notion that they were leaving town, and taking Avery with them. Ava says he asked her to do that weeks ago and she refused. Where would he get the idea they were leaving with her? Nikolas says, apparently Esme told him. He thinks Spencer’s girlfriend likes to stir the pot. Spencer says, that’s not true. Esme only did what she thought he wanted, but when he saw that Uncle Sonny was going to have Nikolas beaten up by his bodyguards, he realized he might lose the one thing he wanted most, but now he’s lost Nikolas anyway. Nikolas says, all he can think about is how far Spencer was willing to go to terrorize Ava and keep them apart. Spencer says he knows there’s nothing he can say to excuse what he’d done. All he can say is that he’s truly sorry. He hopes they believe him. Ava says she believes he’s sorry. The question is, is he sorry for trying to destroy their happiness, or simply sorry his plan failed?

Michael says, when he thinks about how much he and Willow went to bat for Nina with mom, insisting it was in Wiley’s best interest to spend time with her… Outside on the phone, Esme says she doesn’t know whether to be annoyed or worried that Spencer’s not calling her back. The plans have changed. The Savoy is out, and Kelly’s is in. She’s waiting. She goes inside, and Josslyn says she was always nice to Nina. Nina was always sweet friendly… Esme comes to the table, and asks why they’re so serious. Who died? Josslyn says, fortunately, nobody, and Esme says, that’s right. Her stepdad turned up alive. She had the pleasure of meeting Spence’s uncle today. Mr. Corinthos is everything  they say he is, and then some. Michael tells Willow, they should get home to Wiley. If Nina’s still there… Esme says, Nina Reeves? Editor-in-chief of Crimson? Esme just ran into her at The Savoy. She was wearing the most amazing outfit… Michael and Willow leave while Esme is still talking, and she asks Josslyn if it’s something she said. Trina and Cameron join them, and Trina says, no. It’s something she did.

Carly says when Sonny came back, after he got his memory back, he never told her the name of the town, or that Nina knew he was there. Sonny says, after everything that happened, it didn’t seem that important, and she says, Nina lied to their faces; she kept them apart. He says, when he walked through the door, it was non-stop. He was focused on her and the kids, and getting his life back. He doesn’t even want to think about what happened in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was. She says, nine months Nina stole from them. When she saw Nina today, she was remorseful for a minute. Then she was justifying her actions, blaming everything on Carly. Sonny says, wait. She talked to Nina?  

Dante wipes his face, and asks what’s wrong with Sam. She says, what’s wrong with him? He asked her here for a drink, then all of a sudden, he treats her like a pretty play thing. The woman from the nearby table comes over and asks if there’s a problem. Sam says, who wants to know? and the woman says her name’s Dallas Kirby. She’s the owner of the casino.

Curtis says, seeing Jordan in a hospital bed, all helpless, brought him back to when she was rushed into the hospital to have her kidney removed. He thought he was going to lose her. Nina asks if it made him reconsider things. She’s not lobbying for an outcome, just asking. He wishes it was that simple, but they had history that led them to signing those divorce papers. She asks, what about Portia? Have things progressed with her? He says he’s not sure. They were exploring… something, then the Jordan thing happened. He doesn’t even know. Maybe Portia is having second thoughts. She made it clear – and he doesn’t blame her – that she’s not interested in a rebound romance. Nina says, that could be it, or she could be waiting for the timing to be better. Nobody likes a rebound. Michael and Willow come in, and Willow says, it won’t do anyone any good if he makes a scene. He says, it won’t take long, and goes over to the table. He says he wants to hear Nina explain how she knew his father was alive for months, but didn’t find it necessary to tell his family.

Esme asks just what is it she’s supposed to have done? and Trina says, just what we thought you’d do. Cameron says, by we, Trina means herself. This was all her brilliant idea, and it worked. Sounds like Esme really stepped in it with both feet. Esme says, maybe Josslyn can translate what they’re saying, and Josslyn says she thinks Trina can speak for herself. Trina asks if the words Bora Bora mean ring any bells, and Esme says, that’s where Trina told her Nikolas and Ava were flying off to so they could be together. Cameron says, is that what she heard? and Josslyn says, that’s when Esme went up to her stepdad. Sonny Corinthos? Trina says, it wasn’t enough for Esme to repeat exactly what she heard. She added the juicy detail that they were taking Avery with them, knowing it would set Sonny off, and put the final nail in Ava’s marriage. It was a very sneaky plan, but she’s happy to say it didn’t work.

Spencer says he knows if he told Ava that he’s changed his mind, and thinks she’s a great fit for his father, no one would believe it, so he’s just going to be honest. He still hasn’t gotten over how Ava hurt his family by not testifying against Valentin. However, it’s a lot easier to hate her from overseas. When he got back and saw how badly she was hurting, he wanted to stop, but he couldn’t. He only hopes in time… She says, that will be for her to decide. If he’d only just targeted her, but he didn’t. He brought her little girl into it. He used her love for Avery to come between her and the father he claims to love. Nikolas says, he knows he has his share of blame in this too. He caused the dominos to start falling when he pretended to be dead. Spencer says, that’s how they show love in this screwed up family. They say they’re helping each other when they’re really hurting each other over and over. He convinced himself that this was for Nikolas, just like Nikolas convinced himself his actions were for Spencer. Can Nikolas see that? Can he understand that? Can Nikolas forgive him for just following tradition? Nikolas says he can’t forgive Spencer. Not after what he did to the woman Nikolas loves, and her daughter. He can’t have Spencer in his house or in his life. Get out – now.

Carly tells Sonny, yes, she saw Nina. She knew Nina would try to squeeze in a last visit with Wiley before all hell broke loose, and she was right. Nina was there, playing the doting grandmother, like she didn’t steal a year Wiley could have spent with his grandfather. Sonny is sure it wasn’t pleasant, and Carly says, it wasn’t. She gave Nina hell for what she did, but Nina got off easy. He asks her to define easy, and she says she was about to kill Nina when Jason showed up. He asks, how did Jason show up?

Dallas tells Dante and Sam, the casino isn’t her main focus; it’s more of a hobby. But she does take interest in her guests. What’s their game of choice; roulette, baccarat? She calls to Laurent, the man she was sitting with, and says she heard Dante and Sam arguing. Maybe a cooling off period would be good for them. She asks if she can buy Dante another drink… in the interest of keeping the peace. Laurent holds out his hand to Sam, and says, may I? she tells Dallas that Dante’s all hers, and walks off with Laurent. Dante says it looks like Dallas was right on time. He and his date were having a bit of a misunderstanding.

Curtis tells Michael, it’s not the time or place, but Michael ignores him, asking how Nina could show up at the house  and make a big show of how much she cares for her grandson. She’d been lying to all of them, making them believe their grandfather was dead. He gets that she hates his mom. She doesn’t deserve it, but she can defend herself. He thinks Wiley and Donna are too young to understand, but for him, Josslyn, Dante, and Kristina, it was pure hell. Avery is just a little girl, and Nina robbed her of almost a year with her father. Willow says, keeping Sonny away from his family all that time, she just can’t justify it. They start to leave, but Curtis says, hold on. They both had their say. Now he’s going to have his.

Esme says she’s the new girl in town. They claim to be Spencer’s friends. When Cameron told her that Ava and Nikolas were running away, it didn’t occur to her that he was lying. She assumed Ava wasn’t leaving without her daughter. The whole time the three of them were conspiring to set her up. Trina says, right, because they’re the ones who helped Spencer stalk Ava. Josslyn asks what happened when Sonny found Nikolas and Ava? and Trina says, Spencer showed up, and so did his conscience. He was finally tired of lying, and confessed everything. Esme says, he must have been out of his mind, when Spencer walks in. He says, no, he wasn’t out of his mind. He just told the truth. Trina asks what his father said, and Spencer says his father kicked him out and never wants to see him again.

Ava gives Nikolas a drink, and asks if he’s sure this is what he wants. He says she’s what he wants. He knows that. He almost lost her because of Spencer. She says, Spencer is a very hurt and angry young man, and he says, don’t tell him that she’s thinking of forgiving Spencer after everything he did to her. She says she just wishes there was another explanation than knowing it was his son all alone. Nikolas says, Spencer is dead to him, but she tells him, don’t ever say that.

Carly tells Sonny that Josslyn was with her when Maxie told her everything. She took off, and guesses Josslyn freaked out and called Jason, who had Spinelli track her phone. Sonny says he’s grateful Jason was there to take care of her. They talked a little in the cemetery. She asks what Jason said, and flashes back to telling Josslyn how excited she was to marry Jason. Sonny says, looking at a grave with your name on it is surreal. It also reminded him of how lucky he was to be able to come back to the woman he loves. She says she thought she’d lost him forever, and he says, forget the past. Let’s just concentrate on something else. She says, what? and he says, us. That’s all that matters. They hug.

Laurent asks if he can take Sam up to the terrace. The view is amazing. She says, sure. When in Monte Carlo… Dallas tells Dante that Sam is in good hands. Laurent has perfect manners and very old money. She hopes she’s in good hands too, and Dante says he doesn’t have old money, but his very Italian mother taught him some old school manners. He asks where the name Dallas came from, and she says, Austin was taken by Roger Howarth. She asks what brings him to her casino, and he says, she does. He just didn’t know Dallas Kirby was a beautiful woman. She asks why he was looking for her, and he says he had a bit of a score to settle with the owner there; he wasn’t a big fan. He found out there was a new owner, and wanted to see if it was an improvement. She definitely is. She says, flattery will get him everywhere, but she hopes he knows, Rudge is history, and he says, good. Maybe they can make some history of their own. She says, why don’t they move this conversation upstairs to her room? and he says she read his mind. After her. They leave, and Sam comes back just in time to see them go.

Curtis says, Nina knew Michael could cut Wiley out of her life, and Michael says, they agree on that much. Curtis asks if he’s thought about what’s best for Wiley. Have neither of them ever messed up? He knows he has; they all have. He’s not asking Michael to give Nina a pass, but he is asking for a second chance for her to make up for the hurt she’s caused, and  to make that little boy’s life better with having two grandmothers in his life. If all Michael wants to do is punish Nina, he needs to think about the fact that he’s in danger of punishing his son too.

Esme tells Spencer, she’s sure that’s not true. Once she explains everything… Trina asks if Esme hasn’t done enough of that, and Josslyn says, after everything she’s done? Spencer says, lay off of Esme. Everything she’s done, she’s done for him. He wanted Ava gone, and Esme tried to help him make that happen. Esme says, nice work, Joss. Thanks to Josslyn and her minions (a word Esme clearly doesn’t understand the definition of), Spencer has been banished from the castle. Josslyn says, that’s all Esme cares about, right? Esme says she cared enough to help Spence try to win his father back, and Josslyn asks how that worked out for her. They’re Spencer’s real friends, which is why they had to do something, before he dug himself into a deeper into the hole. Cameron asks why Esme didn’t do that, and Spencer says he can’t take this anymore. He walks out, and Trina follows, saying, wait. He tells her, go on, let him have it. He deserves every insult she can throw at him. She says he doesn’t get it. Yes, she’s furious, and he scared the hell out of her with the fake blood, but she doesn’t enjoy seeing him like this. Maybe Esme does. Maybe it makes Esme feel needed, but that’s not her. She wishes they could turn back the clock to when they met. If she’d known he was Spencer, not Victor, and knew what he was planning, maybe she could have talked him out of it before he hurt Ava and his dad. Before he hurt himself, more than anyone.

Ava says she understands Nikolas is angry at Spencer, and disappointed. He should be, but he’s lucky. Unlike hers, his child is still alive. With enough time, everything can be forgiven. He says he doesn’t want to talk about Spencer anymore; not after everything they’ve gone through on tonight. He suggests they talk about their new reality, and Ava says, like there was never an actual stalker, and they were never in danger. More important, Avery’s life was never in danger. He says they have no reason for a divorce, or for her to leave – ever.  

Carly says it feels good being in Sonny’s arms, as if the nightmare of the past nine months never happened. He says he missed her so much. He didn’t know how much. Does she hear that? She says, Avery and Donna are asleep, and Josslyn’s back at her dorm. She doesn’t hear anything. He says, exactly, and kisses her. He asks if he’s rushing it, but she says, no. They’ve lost too much time as it is. He kisses her some more. I hope he’s thinking about Nina.

Dallas asks what Dante drinks, and he says, scotch. She says, a man after her own heart. She saves this blend for special occasions, and thinks this is one. She pours both of them drinks, and hands him one. She says, to new friends, and he says he’ll drink to that.

Spencer wants to tell Trina something, but Cameron and Josslyn come out. Cameron asks if she’s ready to go, and, reading the room, Josslyn says, or they can go alone. Esme comes out, and goes to Spencer’s side. She says she’ll never underestimate Trina again, and Trina says, let’s go. The three of them leave, and Spencer says he doesn’t even know where to go from here. He wonders if his father is going to cut him off again, and if he’ll have to go crawling back to his grandmother. Esme says, don’t worry. No matter what happens, he has her. They can fix this. She hugs him, but neither one of them looks happy.

Nikolas shows Ava the copy of their divorce papers, and asks what he should do with it. She supposes they have to keep the fire going. They wouldn’t want the house to get cold. He says he likes the way she thinks, and throws it into the fireplace. She says, it’s warmer already, and we watch it burn. I assume they’re getting busy immediately.

Curtis says he’ll take Nina home, but she says he’s taken enough fire for her already. She can’t afford to lose the only friend she has left. She kisses his cheek, and leaves.

Willow tells Michael, what Nina did was cruel, maybe even criminal. But is it in Wiley’s best interest to try and cut her out of his life?  

Nina goes outside, and thinks about kissing Mike/Sonny.

Sonny leads Carly upstairs, and we see the photo of him, Carly, and Jason.

Tomorrow, Portia says surprise her, Dante says it would be in Dallas’s best interest to tell them what they want to know, Peter tells Victor that he’ll make it happen if Victor gets the key, and Drew says, welcome to hell.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Backtracking, in Mzi’s interview, he says, they’re about hit the groundlines and it’s his fault.

Captain Sandy says they need to hustle. The port dolphin is in front of her, and she’s going to hit it. Malia tells Mzi that he needs to hurry, and to throw the line the shortest distance. She tells David to hurry too, and in her interview, she says she’s at her wit’s end with how many mistakes are being made. They keep dropping the ball and making rookie mistakes. Courtney tells Katie that it’s effing hard with just the two of them, and Katie says, be careful what you wish for. The guests pack, and Katie asks Courtney to meet her in the main salon. The captain tells everyone, nice work, and asks Mathew if he’s looking forward to going out. Is he going to rumble? He laughs, and says, no rumbles, and she says, no ultimatums? He says, never again. Courtney meets Katie, and Courtney says, it’s very formal. Is she getting fired? Katie says, no. She’s been thinking about this for a while. She reaches into her pocket, and brings out an epaulet. She tells Courtney not to think she’s doing this right now to be nice. She honestly thinks Courtney deserves it. Courtney is always on it; Katie doesn’t even have to ask. Without Courtney, she’d be f***ed. Katie gives Courtney her stripes, and in Courtney’s interview, she says, holy sh*t. Katie is saying she actually knows how hard Courtney is trying. She tells Katie that she’s so happy, and goes to show Mathew. Mathew says, congratulations; I salute you, and tells her that she has more stripes than he’ll ever have. The guests’ luggage is taken out.

Malia says, it’s been a rough morning. She thinks Mzi is afraid of her right now. In Mzi’s interview, he says, actions have a ripple effect, and he knows he can do better. And he will. Guest Ben, who was flirting with Katie, gives her one of his hats, and in her interview, she says, it’s a nice gesture, but it feels wrong because he was flirting with her. It is a vibey hat though, and she’s here for it. Courtney shows Mzi her stripes, and in his interview, he says he feels glad for her, but everything is awkward because of the flowers. The crew gathers on the dock, and primary Anthony says Mathew’s food was nuts. Everything they offered was with a smile, and it felt genuine. He appreciates their attitude, and thanks them. He gives Captain Sandy the tip envelope, and the guests leave. The captain says, nice work. Now out of their whites, and into their reds for the tip meeting.

The captain says she allowed Katie the space not to bring in another stew, and Katie showed that she could do it. Well done. In Malia’s interview, she says, interior is busting their asses, but it’s the last charter. She doesn’t think they’ll get the work done without the deck crew. Everyone is exhausted, and making stupid mistakes. Captain Sandy compliments Courtney on her positive energy, and tells Mathew that not one client has complained. She’s blown away. The deck crew has to work it out. They were challenged by logistics, but could be more focused. They did take the beach picnic to the next level though. The tip is $15K or $1362 each. She tells the crew that they’ll be going to a winery, and they clean up.  

Malia thinks the deckhands’ mistakes are piggybacking on her own. She wants to be more on guard. She’s Captain Sandy’s disciple, and wants to be the best she can be. She wants to impress Captain Sandy, but also doesn’t want to be a sh*t bosun. Malia has a deckhand meeting, and asks if they noticed tension this morning. Do they know why? It’s an actual question. Mzi says, his f*ck ups? and David says, the anchor ball? Malia says, what all the mistakes have in common is that they’re rookie mistakes. She knows everyone is learning, but it gets under her skin. Mzi is green, but it’s time for him to tell himself that he shouldn’t be making mistakes. At this point, he should always know what to do next. If they see her hustling, she expects them to hustle too. She found David talking to Mathew when he should have been working, and he’s usually the guy she can count on to set an example. In David’s interview, he says, he took a step back because of his leg, and now he’s supposed to suddenly switch. Malia says their boss might not be as nice at their next job. She wants them to nail the next charter, and knows they can do better.  

It’s time for the preference sheet meeting, and Malia is excited. The captain says, the primaries are Ian and Crystal, who are celebrating their one year anniversary, and bringing along some friends. They’re all high-profile clients. Katie reads that on the first night, the primaries want to celebrate their anniversary, and on the next night, they want Captain Sandy to join them for dinner. They also want the crew to put on a talent show. In Katie’s interview, she says she has no hidden talents. She was a dancer growing up, but her talent is doing stewy things on big white floaty things. The guests have also requested a picnic off the boat. In Mathew’s interview, he says he’s excited that he has a perfect record; no guest complaints, except for Captain Sandy’s fish. She really just gave him feedback, but it’s still in his head. The captain says she knows they’re going to kill it. Afterwards, Malia says David seems upset and sad. She didn’t mean to come across the way she did; it’s just the end of the season. Katie goes to get the hat Ben gave her, and tells them that he left her a quote inside. She reads: How quickly I become jealous of the wind when it, and not I, gets the privilege of properly messing up your hair. In her interview, she wonders if it’s just a poetic way of saying he wants to f*** her. She puts it on, and Malia says, whatever works. Katie did what she had to do 

Lloyd says, last night, he was thinking about the season coming to an end, and wants to take advantage of it. The crew gets ready to go out, and heads to the taxis, this time, the girls in one and the guys in the other. Courtney says she wishes there was sexual chemistry with one of the guys, and Katie says she’s always wanted to have sex on the bridge. In the other taxi, the guys talk about their best pickup lines, but none of them is very good. Katie says she’s more into the guys in the engine room. They get to the winery, and take pictures. To go with the wine, the waiter brings a ton of grilled clams in the shell. Malia can’t believe it’s the last charter, and Mathew says they should all go somewhere and chill for a few days before they go home. In Katie’s interview, she thinks it would be really cool to get away from the environment of the boat. They’re a weird little mixed up family. Might as well spend a few more days together. They go inside, and through the building to another outside area where there’s a table set for them. Courtney gets excited, saying, it’s like a secret area.  

They sit down, and Malia asks if the deckhands understand why she has to be hard on them. She can’t always be their friend. If she didn’t have faith in Mzi, she wouldn’t have put him on in the morning. In her interview, she says Mzi still has a lot to learn, but he’s doing a great job. She wants to push him a little more, and wants him to gain confidence on deck. He won’t be coddled on the next boat. Courtney toasts, to Katie, the best boss bitch. She appreciates everyone’s help, and she’s so happy. She loves them. They all clink glasses, and Courtney says, good vibes all over. Malia says, even though Courtney is exhausted, she still lightens the mood. They toast, to Coco, and Mzi says he feels like he should apologize to Courtney. He feels like an idiot, but Courtney asks if he’s joking, and tells him to shut up. She appreciates him so much, and feels bad for joking. She hugs him, and in her interview, she says she hopes this helps get them back to where they were in their friendship. Mathew says this is his favorite night out. Lexi’s not there. Katie says she was waiting for that, and we flash back to one of Lexi’s tirades. Malia says Mathew was out of line too, but Katie says he didn’t take it to the next level. We flash back to Lexi telling Malia that she’s just a bosun, and to stand down. Malia says she and Lexi grew up in similar situations. Lexi grew up in a strict, religious household that she was trying to get away from. Maliah can identify, and says, they both still want love from their moms, but it’s not an excuse. Courtney tells Mzi that they just missed a full conversation about Lexi, and David wonders why they’re talking about Lexi; she’s gone. In Katie’s interview, she says, Mathew got his wish, and he’s lucky to be there. He isn’t authorized to speak badly about Lexi; he’s just as bad. Just drink your wine and eat your dinner. Katie says, everyone has a reason to feel the way they do, but Lexi is human and f***ed up. Courtney says, Lexi is sh*t, and Mathew says he’s still angry about her standing in his dirt pile. Courtney starts crying, and Mathew says, Coco is going through a rough time too. Malia says she doesn’t think Lexi is a terrible person, and Courtney weeps that everyone is having a rough time, but no one else is taking it out on other people. She and Lexi had shared a moment about their dads in a restaurant. We flashed back to that, and Courtney says, she knows everyone does things differently, no matter what they’re going through In her interview, she says, everyone is going through sh*t, and she’s dealing with her dad’s illness. She cries, and says, someone having Alzheimer’s is hard because you basically lose the person. Malia says Courtney was a champ. She never knew Courtney was going through things. She’s a legend, but some people don’t have that. David hugs Courtney, and Mathew says, stop calling Lexi a nice person; she’s the worst. Lloyd says, just because it’s yachting, doesn’t mean it’s allowed, and Katie says, with a normal job, you go to work from 8 to 5, and go home. Yachting will always be different. In Lloyd’s interview, he says he took the time and effort to change careers, but his experiences in yachting have made him wary about his next job, and if it will be a safe, understanding environment. David tells Mathew to take a moment to appreciate that Lexi is a human being and has feelings. In David’s interview, he says, in the worst case, Lexi will be in a dark place after this. He’s been there. In his head, he was convinced that if he took everything he had, he’d just go to sleep for a few weeks, but he woke up in the hospital and he was empty. It was a dark time. Even though Lexi wasn’t nice to him, she’s still a human being. David says, that’s all he’s got, and Mathew tells Courtney that he’ll always be there for her. In the taxi, Malia asks David, what’s wrong? and he says, everyone is tired, and it’s difficult. He’s spent four and a half years on boats. Malia says she’s harder on him because he works at a bosun’s pace. She doesn’t hold the others on the same pedestal. David gets less direction, and she expects more. David says he gets the point, but sometimes feels condescended and under-appreciated. Malia says she completely gets it, and appreciates him. Lloyd tells Mathew that he’s lucky to be there. His food is good, but he’s a bit of an ass. He’s lucky they put up with him. Mathew says he doesn’t care because he’s holding a bottle of tequila and two beers.   

Back at the boat, they drink some more, and David goes to bed. Everyone dances around, while Mathew, Courtney, and Mzi sit on a low wall near the dock. Mzi falls backward into the shrubs, but they’re all laughing so hard, he can barely get back up. He says he’s the drunkest human being on this planet. Everyone goes to bed.

Five hours before charter. Everyone tries to get it together, and Malia checks the route. Katie says, it’s going to be a sh*t show, and Malia says, it will be a lot with two people. The deck crew can help, but… Katie says, it’s not on them, and in Malia’s interview, she says, the last guests weren’t very demanding. If yachting has taught her anything, it’s that it won’t happen again. She thinks it’s going to be a hectic last trip. The crew gets everything ready, but Lloyd can’t find his radio. He hugs Courtney, who tells him not to be stressed. In his interview, he says he’s looking at the long game. It’s in his head now; wondering how he’ll find a new crew, and if it will be a nice job. He asks Malia about courses she thinks he should take, and she asks if he wants to stick with the deck, or get into engineering. He says he just wants to do a good job. The captain calls Malia to the bridge, and says, unfortunately, the wind is coming in early. They’ll have to take off earlier. She’s going to anchor off of Sibenik, and pick up the guests from there. In Katie’s interview, a producer asks if she has any regrets that she’s a stew down, but she says she doesn’t. She made the right decision in going with her gut, and did what needed to be done and what was best for the boat. The provisions arrive.  

Lloyd has trouble with the bow line, and starts breathing heavy. Anchor is dropped, and Malia tells Lloyd to slow down. In her interview, she says, something is off. Lloyd is making rookie mistakes that he almost never makes. She tells him that he didn’t call out the colors like he was supposed to, and needs to pick up his game. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but she needs the real Lloyd back. Lloyd gets sick and throws up in the water off of the swim platform. Malia asks, what’s going on? and he says he’s anxious, and feels tightness in his chest and stomach. She tells him to get off deck, and he goes to his cabin.  

Malia relays Lloyd’s symptoms to the captain, and says, it started this morning. She could tell something was up. Captain Sandy says she’ll take his blood pressure; there are heart problems in his family. Malia brings Lloyd to the bridge. He doesn’t look good, and the captain asks if it’s worse. He says he’s all right, and she tells him that he’ll be okay. He says he feels stupid, but she says, don’t. He gets sick again, and she says he needs to go to shore. She calls a water taxi, and tells the doctor that Lloyd’s blood pressure is high, he has chest pains, and he’s nauseous. She’s concerned. Lloyd leaves in the water taxi…

To be continued…

🤷🏽‍♀️ That’s All I’ve Got…

I’m cutting class early, but join me tomorrow, when I check in on those crazy, nearly forty-year-old kids, who used to work at SUR. And of course (🍷) the usual soap. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping your word, and stay remembering, just because you’re having a rough time, you don’t get to take it out on other people.