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September 15, 2017 – Franco’s Biggest Fan, Charlotte Detective, Double the 90 Days, Four Quotes & a Dog

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Sam stands on the docks calling for Jason. She sees him, and asks what he’s doing there. When she reaches for him, he disappears. She wakes up in his hospital room.

Finn tells Sonny that he’s sorry to hear about Jason. Sonny says there’s been no change, and it’s been a rough few days. Finn says if there’s anything he can do, just ask. Sonny was there for him, and the least he can do is return the favor. Anna skulks around, listening.

Nina is going to an event for Crimson. She tells Valentin it’s not a big deal. It’s being hosted by her ex.

Kiki tells Franco to relax. She spent all day setting up the show. He says he’s anxious, and never thought he’d be confronted with this part of his life. Scotty tells him that when the money rolls in, he’ll feel differently; this is his big day. Franco isn’t too sure that’s a good thing.

Amy finds Spinelli, telling him he left his book behind, and leaving a galley around is a big no-no. He thanks her, and hopes that she doesn’t mind the inquiry, but how does she know Nathan?

Nathan asks Maxie why they’re at the art showing, since Franco isn’t a favorite to either of them. Maxie is hoping she can find her story there – Better in Bed Than Dead: My Night with a Serial Killer.

At the hospital, Monica talks to Alan’s picture, saying their boy is in a lot of trouble. Elizabeth brings the test results to her. Monica reads them, and doesn’t look happy. Sonny sees her, and says if she needs anything as far as Jason goes, just ask. She says he’s done enough – he’s the reason her son is in that bed in the first place.

Jordan and Curtis go jogging. He wonders how she has so much energy. She tells him if he’s going to tag along, he has to keep up. He says doing everything together, without anything getting in their way, is nice. She asks if he doesn’t mean anyone. She tells him that TJ told her about Stella staying in Port Charles, and how she isn’t too pleased with them being a couple.

Maxie tells Nathan that she doesn’t exactly want to tell the world about spending the night with Franco, but she needs a story. He says she doesn’t have to blow up her life. She’s glad it’s working out with Man Landers, but doesn’t want her own publishing dreams to get crushed in the process.

Amy tells Spinelli that she went to high school with Maxie, but barely knows Nathan. Why does he ask? He says that he needs to connect with Nathan, but he’ll send a text. Amy tells him that Jason is back in his room.

Nina tells Valentin that it’s Franco’s introduction back to the art world, and she has to make an appearance. He says all he knows is that Franco let her go, which makes him a fool, and he got her, which makes him smarter. He tells Nina that he’ll go with her.

Scotty sees the painting of the two boys. Franco tells him that the painting isn’t for sale; it means a lot to him. He wants to take it down, but Kiki isn’t going to let him leave a gaping hole in the display. Scotty suggests that they mingle, and he’ll make closing deals. Franco looks at the painting and the photo side by side.

Anna sees Finn at the hospital. He asks about her wrist, but she says there for her phlebotomy treatment. She wonders if he thought more about their conversation. He asks if she means about misrepresenting himself, so that she can tie Valentin to a laundry list of crimes. She says it’s the only way to get evidence against him. She thinks that Cassandra’s doctors will jump at the chance for him to examine her. He says that he took an oath to help people, and trying to convince a hypochondriac that they’re really sick goes against it. He tells Anna that nothing she can say will convince him otherwise. She thinks maybe there is.

Sam begs Jason to come back to her. Spinelli enters the room, and she jumps up and hugs him. He says he’s sorry he wasn’t there sooner, and arrived when Jason was having tests. He tells Jason, tis I, Spinelli, and that they’re all here for him when he wakes up. He tells Sam that he’ll stay as long as she needs him. He discussed it with Ellie, and she agrees. He suggests babysitting, since it doesn’t look like she’s gotten much sleep. She says sleep is the last thing she needs.

Monica tells Sonny that there’s a good chance her son won’t wake up, and she’ll lose him again. Sonny says that he didn’t intend for this to happen. She says he never does. If Jason dies, he has the blood of both her sons on his hands.

Spinelli tells Sam that she’s exhausted. She says that since Jason got shot, she hasn’t got much sleep, and when she does, she has same dream. He tells her that sharing it might help it lose its power. Sam says that she’s standing on the dock, looking for Jason. It’s foggy, and she can barely see. His back is to her, and she calls out. She starts walking toward him, but when she’s about to grab him, he vanishes. Spinelli says it’s most unsettling. She says that when she wakes up, she can barely breathe, and can’t help feeling that she’s losing Jason.

Alexis sees the exchange between Monica and Sonny, and says that everyone is under stress. Monica says it’s okay. She can’t apologize to Sonny, but it’s unfair to blame the entire situation on him. Jason chose to risk his life for Sonny, and he has to live with that. Sonny tells her to give Sam his best, and that he’s just a phone call away. Monica tells Alexis that she’s sorry she had to see that, but Alexis says it’s nothing in comparison to what she’s said to Sonny. Monica tells her that the test results came back, and there’s been no improvement.

Finn sees Elizabeth wiping away tears, and asks if she’s okay. She tells him that she just got some news about someone close to her, and she has to go to a fancy event. He doesn’t want to add to her burden, but tells her that Curtis tracked Hayden down. She’s fine, but the baby is gone.

Maxie says hello to Franco, and he’s surprised she’s there. She says she’s known him a long time, and does he have any memories about when they first met? He says, their one-night stand? and mumbles something before he jets. Maxie tells Nathan that he scared Franco off. Nina and Valentin walk in

Scotty asks Franco about the visit to Heather. Franco tells him that it was unproductive, and he decided to take a different route. A woman walks up to Franco, and hugs him tightly. I think we can assume that it’s Betsy.

Finn tells Elizabeth that the pregnancy wasn’t viable. Elizabeth says that she’s sorry. She hopes he’s taking care of himself, and he tells her that he went to a recovery center for a few days just to be on the safe side. She tells him that he shouldn’t go through this alone, and neither should Hayden. She asks when Hayden is coming back, and Finn says she isn’t and doesn’t want to be found. Elizabeth suggests she cancel her plans so they can talk, but Finn says he’s going back to work. It’s better if he stays busy. She tells him that she’s there if he needs her.

Jordan tells Curtis that she meant what she said. She’s done searching for obstacles, and wants to be in it for long haul. He asks what about falling in love? She gets a call, and has to leave on police business. She says she’ll meet him at Perks later. He says she’s enjoying this, and she says most definitely. She leaves, and Curtis sees Sonny.

Betsy says she’s missed Franco. He doesn’t keep in touch, and she was thrilled that he arranged to fly her there. It’s like old times. Scotty says he hopes not too much. Franco introduces them, saying that Scotty is his biological father. Betsy says they did have secrets, but that’s in the past. Scotty leaves, making the excuse that he wants to look at the paintings.

Monica tells Alexis that Jason shows no signs of improving, and there’s a good chance he’ll never come out of the coma. Alexis asks if Sam knows. Monica says she was working up the nerve to tell her, when she saw Sonny. Alexis says they’ll tell her together. It’s not an easy conversation about having to make decisions about Jason’s future.

Sam can’t shake the feeling that her dream is an omen, and that Jason is slipping away. Spinelli tells her that no matter how bleak the future seems, he can’t slip as long as she holds on to him. Monica comes to the door, and wants to talk to Sam about Jason’s tests.

Valentin critiques Franco’s art. He and Nina see the painting of the two boys. Franco steps out, and says it’s about the twin nature of self-desire for companionship; another to share life experiences with. Nina says it’s very striking. Elizabeth literally bumps into Betsy. Betsy says it’s been ages since Franco has shown his paintings. Elizabeth says she’s seen most of them, but all together, it’s a different experience. She asks if Betsy is a fan. Nina practically runs away, with Valentin following. Betsy tells Elizabeth that it’s exciting and she couldn’t be prouder. She’s his biggest fan, and also his mother.

Anna calls Robert to ask for a favor. She wants him to cross reference something about Finn with Sonny.

Curtis asks Sonny about Jason, and he says there’s no change. Curtis says he went to the hospital, but didn’t want to crowd the family. Sonny wants to think him for looking into Morgan’s death; it gave them a semblance of closure. If he needs anything – anything – all he has to do is ask. Curtis says funny, he was about to make Sonny the same offer.

Sam tells Monica that Spinelli can stay; he’s family. Monica says that the latest tests show no change in brain activity. Sam thinks that’s good, since he’s not getting worse. Alexis says it’s painful, but she has to give some thought to a long term facility. Sam says that she’s not doing it. Monica tells her that the hospital is going to need the unit. She can use her influence for him to stay a little longer, but eventually the board will intervene, and he’ll have to be moved. Sam says her only choice is to take him home. Alexis wants her to think about it, but Sam says she’s done her research, and they have the resources. She’ll get the proper equipment and hire a full-time nurse, and he can be home. Monica thinks she should reconsider, but Sam says he’s best off at home with his family. Alexis tells he to think about what it means for Danny and Scout, but Sam says she’s not breaking up the family.

Franco introduces Betsy to Elizabeth. Betsy apologizes for keeping her little boy. Elizabeth says it was a different time, and Franco didn’t know he wasn’t well. She forgives Betsy, and says Aiden is happy and healthy now. Franco tells Betsy that Elizabeth is his girlfriend. Betsy asks what she does, and she says she’s a nurse, and the mother of three boys. Franco says that his mom was a nurse, but just one boy – right? Betsy wants to see more of the art, and says it was nice meeting Elizabeth.

Back at Wyndemere, Valentin asks what upset Nina about the painting? She tells him that she has a headache, and he asks if it has to do with seeing Franco. She says no, then yes, but it’s not the way he thinks. She tells him that her second luckiest day was the day she and Franco broke up, and her first luckiest day was when she met him. She has no regrets, and realizes it was just a transitional relationship on the way to something better. She wanted to have kids and he didn’t, but then he went right to Elizabeth and her three boys. (Isn’t that always the way?) Valentin asks what that has to do with the painting. She says that she didn’t know he could paint like that, and it brought back how much he lied. She can’t be in another relationship where someone lies. Valentin says this isn’t about Franco; it’s about him.

Finn deletes a photo of Hayden on his phone, when Anna calls. She says that she just left the hospital, and needs to speak with him. He asks if it has something to do with her treatment, and she says it’s important, and just hurry. She hangs up, and looks at a folder with Finn’s picture on it.

Franco tells Elizabeth not to take it personally. Now she knows where he got his social skills. He tells her if she wants to duck out early, he understands. She tells him about Hayden and the baby. She feels like she lost a sibling; someone who’s a part of her. Franco gets it.

Finn gets to Anna’s place, and asks where’s the emergency? She says that she’s made tea, and they need to discuss strategy. He says the call was bogus, and she needs to understand the word no. She tells him he has no choice, and hands him the folder. She asks if they should continue.

Nina says that there are unsettling things about Valentin’s past that he refuses to tell her about. He says he’s worked hard to bury it, but will never hurt her. She believes him. She says he was in so much pain, and scared when showed the picture of what he’d looked like, but she fell in love with him that night. They were already married, and she knew that he was sexy and strong, but part of her didn’t want to fall too far. She was holding back, but when she saw who he was inside, she was a goner. He tells her that he loves her so much. She knows and has no doubt. They kiss.

Maxie tells Nathan that they’ve had enough drama. She’s dropping the Franco story, but needs another one to replace the Man Landers scoop.

Amy leaves Nathan a phone message. She says the guy who had the galley proof is a huge fan of Man Landers. She says the book is going to sell, and it’s all because of him. She thanks him now and always.

Sam is back in Jason’s room. Spinelli says he doesn’t mean to intrude, and she asks if he’s there to tell her what to do. He says that’s not his place, and she insists that she’s not in denial. She knows what her mom and Monica think, but if she sends Jason away, isn’t it giving up hope that he’ll never come back?

Curtis tells Sonny that Jason is a friend. If there’s anything he can do to keep the family safe, he’s in. Sonny says he might have to take him up on it. Jordan eavesdrops overhears.

Sam thinks she’ll be forcing her dream to come true. Spinelli says that Jason would want what’s best for her and the kids. If she decides on permanent care, that doesn’t mean she’s giving up on him or her love. Sam hugs Spinelli.

Jason’s hand moves. They gave him a manicure at the hospital too. Maybe Amy has a side hustle going on.

Betsy tells Franco that the piece with the two boys is gorgeous. He says it’s an homage to his imaginary friend, and asks if she remembers him. She says that he didn’t fly her here to see the exhibit. He shows her the photo, and asks who’s the blonde kid. He knows it’s Jason, but wants to know why he’s next to him. She says that she’s sorry. He deserves the truth and it’s time she gave it to him.

On Monday, Scotty asks what Elizabeth’s intentions are, Ava gets a call, Betsy tells Franco to be careful what he asks for, and Sam says that Jason is waking up.

🚔 During those stretches when, even though I have 500 channels, there’s nothing on TV, thank God for the ID network. There are a couple of copycat networks that show similar programming, as well as Dateline on OWN, but they were the first true crime station for insomniacs. Reenactors are so much better than they used to be too. Not long ago, I saw Valerie from GH on one of the shows. My latest favorite is I Am Homicide, that follows Garry McFadden, a Charlotte, NC detective. The reenactments are interspersed with narrative from Garry himself, who has colorful turns of phrase, like, roll me up and call me curly. He didn’t actually say that one, but it sounds like something he’d say. Like Captain Lee, but cleaner. He’s also passionate about helping his community. I’ve always loved true crime, and Detective McFadden brings his cases to life in a lively and interesting way.

💍 It’s time for my 90 Day Fiancé assessment. Since there will be a whole new crop of potential spouses coming up on Sunday, there will be even more names to remember. I stink at names, and think everyone should go around wearing nametags to make my life easier. Don’t ask me anyone’s zip code or phone number either. But I digress.

👫 On the final episode of The Couples Tell All, we got no closer to finding out what Anfisa does for a living than we were before. Well, maybe a little. I think she’s a stripper an exotic dancer, but Jorge never came out and said it. He said that her personality suddenly changed after he paid for her breast augmentation (although he didn’t say it that way, it was easily translatable), and prior to that, she was a nice person. After alluding to her practically being a hooker, everyone else was booted off the stage, and they had a two-on-one with host Shaun Robinson (aka Zzzzz…). Anfisa ended up leaving, and Jorge said she’d have to be the one to say it. Even when Shaun came out and asked if Anfisa was a dancer, he wouldn’t say. All that build-up for nothing. Behind the scenes, Pao and Loren tried to pry from Jorge whether or not Anfisa was a mail order bride, but we got nada there either. Backstage when it was over, Anfisa whined to Jorge that she didn’t say anything bad about him. No, she only acted insane throughout their whole “marriage.” He totally hit the nail on the head when he said it was like dealing with a four-year-old. He told her that she kept her mouth shut because he had even worse things he could say about her. He made noises about staying quiet for her family’s sake, but Anfisa didn’t buy it. I don’t think I do either. These two have some weird, toxic relationship, and I have the feeling they aren’t done with each other.

Pao’s nasty best friend, Juan, was discussed. I can’t imagine allowing any friend to talk about my spouse the way she lets him talk about Russ. Right in front of him. Pao complained about how Russ walked away from the confrontation, but Russ says that’s because he didn’t want to get physical. Frankly, I think Russ should just punch Juan in the nose and be done with it. I’d love to see Juan cry like a little girl, but I’ll bet he’s a dirty fighter. I’ve met queens like him. They’ll shove a stiletto right in your back when you’re not paying attention. There wasn’t much from Loren and Alexi, except for Loren putting the screws to Mohamad some more, which is fine with me. I think Danielle is strange and stupid, but no one deserves to be taken for a ride like that, and then be discouraged from pursuing fraud charges. In the car afterwards, Alexi wasn’t thrilled with Loren being so outspoken, and felt empathy for the “foreigners” of the group, since he identifies. Sorry, Alex, fraud is fraud, and Loren is right that people like Mohamad and Anfisa make it difficult for people who legitimately want to get married. There wasn’t a lot from Chantel and Pedro either, but it looked like Chantel was back to being weepy when the show was done airing. Danielle followed Mohamad around, asking where her court mandated three grand was, until he finally got in the limo and left. I wish her more luck than I had when I won three grand in court from a deadbeat. Good luck collecting.

In a postscript to the show. Danielle kept calling Mohamad’s phone, but only got a recording. She wanted to ask him what his address was, so she could sue him. Did I already say that she was stupid? One of the producers told her that the recording she was getting meant the phone was disconnected, and that it was the same number they had for him.

Keep your eye on the front page for his photo.

💑 On Before the 90 Days, Antonio turned out to be a real human, after leading Cortney on a merry chase, trying to meet up with him. He seems like an okay guy. While his friends discouraged such a lengthy visit (three weeks) from someone he didn’t know, he was all about how special she seemed, and that he believed in rainbows and unicorns. He kept marveling at her “clear eyes.” I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Was he was talking about them being blue or not bloodshot? Who has he been dating? She didn’t even get a chance to go to his place and shower, before he hustled her off to a beauty pageant he was scheduled to judge. From the looks of the next episode, she’s not too happy about this, and ends up walking out. I might take her side if it weren’t for the fact that she invited herself, and he said he works a lot. I’m guessing this pageant was probably on his schedule quite some time ago.

Abby and Sean had a bit of a creepy segment. Abby had a rash, which sounded to me like hives, probably from stress, and they went to see a voodoo doctor. It actually wasn’t too crazy. She talked to Abby for a while, and then burned some sage and shook maracas or whatever. She told Abby that she got the rash when she was in the Dominican Republic, and it came from some kind of bad juju. This made Sean’s antennae go up even further about Chris, and he hoped that Abby read what he did into the doctor’s words – that she should dump Chris as a friend and run off with him. Next time, Sean and Chris meet face to face. At least I hope so. They’ve been teasing this for a couple of episodes.

Darcey and Jesse were up again this time, and got together with a friend of Jesse’s. He was about as kind and tactful as Jesse’s stepdad had been, asking what Jesse was going to do when Darcey was 80? He also pointed out that a relationship with Darcey included being a stepfather. In his interview, Jesse wasn’t too sure he was ready for that. The best part was when they had an interview together, and Jesse – who is so blasé, it’s astounding – said they welcomed the outside analysis at this point in their relationship. He looked at Darcey, and was like, right? Her reaction was priceless. She said, yep, and made a face like Debbie Downer. Wa-waaa. Despite Jesse’s reluctance to start including her daughters in their relationship, she insisted that he Skype with them. I honestly don’t see this as happening, not matter how much Darcey wants to force it. She might have actually had a chance, if she hadn’t started talking incessantly about marriage from the moment she saw him, and never missing the opportunity to slip it in. She’s just way too desperate. Pretty soon, we’ll be seeing T-shirts that say, Run, Jesse, Run!

Last and least, there’s Larry, who’s getting ready to go to the Philippines to meet his Filipino Cupid girlfriend, Jenny. He met with his cousin and the cousin’s wife, who also met on the Cupid site, and they weren’t too encouraging. Apparently, Jenny was, and still is, quite cupidly active. Larry doesn’t care, since he’s already sucked money out of his 401k to fund this love mission. My jury’s out on this one. Maybe she wants to make sure he’s the right dude before she stops looking.

👉  Quotes of the Week

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.Randy Pausch

If you are gracious, you have won the game.Stevie Nicks

If you only hear one side of the story, you have no understanding at all. – Chinua Achebe

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. – Edith Wharton

WeekendDog

 

September 14, 2017 – Who is Patient Six, I Am Jeff & Steve’s Return

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Amy says Kiki wins the basket of the day. The envelope says Dr. Kiki Jerome. Inside, she reads, Looking forward to our reunion. Body shots a must. I hope it’s from Dillon. Dr. Bensch asks, where’s the party?

Maxie says retro Hollywood glam is cliché, and wonders why Nathan couldn’t talk Nina out of it. She asks why he didn’t talk her out of getting back together with Valentin, but he says she’s in love and on cloud 9. Maxie tells him that she needs a special scoop to get her job back, and he says nobody is better at that than her.

At the hospital, Spinelli is looking for Jason’s room.

Anna looks at Finn’s file. Griff drops by. He needs her help.

Larissa shows Ava around. She asks when she’ll see Dr. Baronski. She says the longer she waits, the more time he has to swindle her.

Nina is all excited about having gone riding on Lumiere. She says nothing could have made it better. Valentin begs to differ, and kisses her. He says the world will be back on its axis when she’s moved in. She tells him that she has one more trip. He shows her a framed picture of the Cassadine family tree. He wants Charlotte to know about the family.

Anna asks Griff what’s going on. He says he’ll feel better when he gets answers. He tells her about the groundbreaking work the clinic in Russia does, and wonders if the WSB has any information. She doesn’t think they would be interested in a clinic, but he says what if Valentin is involved? He sent Ava there, and he’s not too sure it’s in her best interests.

Ava says she’s leaving if the doctor isn’t there in five minutes. Entitled much? Larissa tells her to take some time to get acclimated. She wouldn’t want to waste the time of someone who can restore her to her former glory.

Dr. Bensch looks at the gift basket card, and says he sees Kiki is already using the title.

Spinelli tries to get into Jason’s room. Amy tells him that he can’t go in there. He says he knows he’s not family, but his presence might speed up healing process. She says maybe, but Jason isn’t in his room; the doctors took him for tests. Spinelli apologizes, saying he’s wasted time already. He would have been there sooner, but his girlfriend’s mother got taken ill. He asks if Jason’s condition is that grave, and how bad is it? Amy says bad enough.

Nathan suggests a story about how wrong men’s rompers are to Maxie, but she needs something huge. He’s trying for peaceful co-existence with Nina. Maxie knows he loves his sister, but she needs his help. He tells her that she can get her job back on own merits. She says it would involve outing him and Amy.

Kiki tells Dr. Bensch that no one thinks of her as a doctor; least of all, her. Her boyfriend was making a joke. He tells her it’s not a frat house. It’s not an ordinary office either, and her boyfriend should think twice about sending her tequila on the job.

Amy brings Spinelli some water. She says he’s pale, and thinks it’s because he’s worried. He says Jason has survived many dire circumstances and come out stronger, and he will again. He wishes he knew how to help, and she tells him just being there helps. Jason’s family will be glad he came all this way.

Maxie tells Nathan that it’s the perfect story. Amy hiding behind a man’s man, duping everyone, and then they find out she did it for a noble reason. Nathan says she’d be outing Amy and her brother, but Maxie says outing them as good people. Nathan explains about the book deal, and Maxie thinks it will drive sales. Nathan doesn’t, thinking about what will happen when they find out that Man Landers isn’t the man they thought, or even a man. She has to find another way to get back in Nina’s good graces.

Nina asks what Valentin is going to tell Charlotte about Spencer’s lawsuit. He’s hoping he won’t have to say anything if it doesn’t go to trial. Nina asks how that’s going to happen, and he tells her that he’s already neutralized the key witness – Ava.

Ava backs off, and Larissa says she understands. She’ll do whatever it takes to minimize Ava’s anxiety. She’s going to get Ava’s room ready, but she has to give Larissa her phone. Ava says it’s not like she’s going to be posting before and after pictures, but Larissa says it’s about privacy, both hers and the clinic’s. They strive for minimal government interference. Ava says she’s all for that, but she draws the line at no contact. Larissa understands her concern, and tells her that she’s not a prisoner and can leave at any time, but if she can’t abide by the policy, she can’t stay. Ava hands over the phone. Larissa tells her that she’ll find distance liberating.

Griff thinks Ava has made a devil’s bargain. Valentin promised to restore her face in exchange for her rescinding her testimony. Anna asks what business this is of his, and Griff wonders what if he wanted to lure her away for a permanent solution? A trip like that could exhaust her immune system, and leave her open to infection. Anna asks if he thinks Ava isn’t capable of fending for herself. He says he does, and Anna asks again why it’s his business. He says he drove her to it.

Maxie tells Nathan that she hates it when he’s logical, but he says it’s part of his charm. She insists that it might be uncomfortable for the people involved, but everyone will come out on top. She’ll get her job back, Amy will be a bestselling author, and Nathan will be a hero. Nathan says assuming it turns out that way, and explains about the book launch party, and how he has to be there.

Spinelli tells Amy that he’s imposed on her kindness long enough. She has sick people who need help, and he’s just a weary traveler. He asks how long she thinks Jason will be. She doesn’t know, but he says he’ll wait. She tells him there’s not much in the way of entertainment, and he says he brought reading material. He pulls a galley proof of the Man Landers book out of his backpack.

Dr. Bensch lectures Kiki on the need to be professionally focused on care, and not waiting to party. He’s not saying it’s fair, but the soon she starts having that mindset, the better off she’ll be. He says the next time her boyfriend wants to send a gift, make sure he doesn’t send it there. She says it won’t be a problem. He says that he can see she’s smart, and only needs to be told something once

Nina tells Valentin that Ava is always talking about how noble Nikolas was, giving his life to save her. She asks if he was ruthless with Nikolas, and he says no more ruthless than Nikolas was with him. Nina wonders why Ava would retract her statement, and he says he offered her something Spencer couldn’t; the chance to regain what she loves – her beauty.

Anna doesn’t understand why Ava is Griff’s responsibility, since she’s not his patient. He says that he told Kiki he’d help Ava. Anna adds, who’s brother arranged for Duke’s murder. Griff says he already hurt her. All of his attention led her to believe there was something more between them. She kissed him, and he wasn’t expecting it. He apologized for giving her the wrong idea, and said he hoped it didn’t affect their friendship, but it did. Now she’s put herself in Valentin’s hands, and he doesn’t want her to regret it. He asks Anna if she’ll help him, and she says that depends on how involved he is with Ava.

Larissa takes Ava to the lounge. She knows how disconcerting it is to give up her phone, but it might surprise her how nice it is to be unplugged. Sounds good to me. Although not in Russia. When Larissa leaves, Ava tells herself to keep her eyes on the prize. She’s here to get a new face, not to argue with the staff. If the doctor is as good as Valentin said, she’s in good hands. She goes to the window, and when she turns around, she sees a man in a wheelchair. His face is entirely covered. I say omg, wondering if it’s Nikolas, Steve Burton, or will Steve Burton be Nikolas? He’s supposed to be back this coming Tuesday.

Ava says sorry, she didn’t see him. She asks if he can speak English, but he doesn’t reply. She asks if he can hear her at all, and snaps her fingers, but he’s still unresponsive. She hopes whatever happened to him didn’t happen here.

Griff tells Anna that he’s just trying to help. Anna says maybe Ava misunderstood his kindness, but maybe there’s more going on subconsciously. Vows or no vows, he’s still a man, and he could be sending mixed signals. She thought there was room in his heart for the love his vocation forbids. She says he’s keeping himself in limbo, and how does he think Ava will react? If he shows up, it’s going to look like he wants her.

Maxie tells Nathan that if everyone is going to find out anyway, she can sell the story to Nina. Nathan breaks it to her that Nina already knows. Nathan says he doesn’t think that Maxie would deliberately hurt anyone to get ahead; she’s a good person. Maxie says when it’s all over, Amy will be swimming in royalties, he’ll be super-famous, and she’ll be unemployed.

Amy watches as Spinelli starts to read. She asks if that’s a galley proof of the Man Landers book, and he tells her that he has friends in publishing who hooked him up. They talk about the blog, and Spinelli says he’s a Man Landers disciple. He even wrote to him, and he was the one who suggested his facial hair. Amy thinks it looks great. He tells her that not everyone shares her opinion, and he was going to shave. She says he should do what makes him happy. He decides that Man Landers wouldn’t steer him wrong. That’s what makes it hard to see him crash and burn. Amy asks what he’s talking about.

Amy asks why Spinelli thinks Man Landers is in trouble. He says the book is about to be released and he’s going to go through the reviews gauntlet. Spinelli is also an author, and has received his fair share of criticism. Amy says after giving all that advice, Man Landers probably has thick skin. She asks about Spinelli’s book, but Ellie calls, and he needs to leave. He thanks Amy, but runs off forgetting the book. Amy picks it up.

Nathan tells Maxie that he has it on good authority that she won’t remain jobless for long. She asks if he called a headhunter, but he says the good authority is his own. Nina will hire her back, that is if someone else doesn’t hire her first. He says he’s sorry about the exposé, but she’s not walking away empty-handed. She has Amy’s undying gratitude, and his endless admiration. Maxie says he’s her husband; he has to admire her.

Valentin asks Nina if she’s mad about him making a deal with Ava. Nina says she despises Ava, but she’s living a life of misery she brought on herself. Nina is happier than she’s ever been, and she’s not going to waste time thinking about Ava. He tells her that’s a wise choice. She says that coming back to him was too. He tells her that she’s his motivation, and moves in for a kiss, but knocks the frame off of the table. He gets cut on the glass, and his blood drips onto Nikolas’s name.

Griff tells Anna that never occurred to him that Ava might misconstrue his intentions, because he’s that dense, but he has to risk it. His priority is making sure she’s not making a mistake. They can work out the rest later. Anna tells him not to talk to Valentin; it will only alert him. Griff asks what he’s supposed to do, and Anna asks him to let her make some calls.

Quiet dude just sits and stares out the window. Ava asks what’s out there that he finds so riveting? She says that she’s not going to let them dope her into oblivion like they did him. Leave it to her to find the one place lonelier than Port Charles. Ava doesn’t see it, but dude makes a fist with his right hand. I don’t think that’s good. Larissa comes in to tell Ava her room is ready, and asks, what is she doing? She tells Ava not to go near him.

Kiki talks to Dillon on the phone, telling him she’s on duty. She got the gift basket, but it was inappropriate to send to the hospital. Dr. Bensch didn’t approve. She says, no, he’s not a jerk. He’s a well-respected doctor, who’s fast-tracking her through medical school. She says she can’t have gift baskets full of tequila being sent there. It was a great gift, but don’t do it again.

Nina bandages Valentin’s hand. Maxie calls Nina, and says she has something. It’s a juicy story about ownership of some negatives. Nina isn’t impressed, and says the terms are clear. Maxie has to give her a juicy story. Maxie says she’d thought she had something juicy, but it wasn’t as juicy as she thought it would be. If “juicy” was a drinking game word, we’d be halfway there by now.

At the hospital, Nathan asks Amy how Jason is doing, and she says no change. He asks about the galley launch party, and says it’s coming up quickly. He told Maxie about it, and she’s cool with it; she respects his decision. He’s in for good. Amy hugs him, and Spinelli sees them.

On the phone, Anna tells someone to call her back. She tells Griff that there isn’t much, but they’re sending the information that they have. He thanks her, and says that he owes her. I was just thinking, she should have Griff go with her to Morocco, if she goes to Russia with him. Anna tells him that she has deep misgivings. The idea that she’s pushing him toward Ava makes her sick. Griff says Ava’s health is at stake, and Anna says that’s why she’s biting her tongue. She understands his questions about feelings and faith. If he finds no place for himself in the priesthood, please don’t run to Ava. She might be in pain, but there’s another side to her. He needs to who she truly is.

Larissa tells Ava never to approach Patient Six. He’s a dangerous psychotic. His mask is a safety precaution in case he gets agitated. Ava asks what if he’d hurt her, and Larissa says he’s heavily sedated, but don’t get close enough for him to reach her. He’s been the victim of a violent crime.

Nina and Valentin kiss.

Larissa tells Ava that this is the result of a vicious attack. It’s tragic, but not surprising considering his injuries. Ava asks why he’s here. She says his family has hopes for his rehabilitation. She can’t give the details, but she can say that he’s from a wealth family. He was shot and fell into the water. Patient Six is beyond help. Omgomgomg.

So is it Nikolas, or are we just supposed to think that?

Tomorrow, Anna talks with Finn, Sam has one choice, and Nathan’s biggest fan shows up.

😵 On Flipping Out, Baby Monroe is still the loudest thing ever. She’s very, very cute, but has a set of lungs worthy of a Metropolitan Opera cast member. Times ten. Jenni said that she’s loud and throws tantrums like her father, and she’s enjoying every minute of it. Payback’s a bitch. Jeff met with Lea Black from The Real Housewives of Miami to show her some houses. Hearing her nails-on-a-blackboard laugh gave me flashbacks, but that was kind of a fun show. Jeff and Gage are not getting along well at all. Gage is torn between tending to the baby and work, but thinks the relationship will survive. Jeff, on the other hand, is making future plans in his head in case of a divorce, and telling his therapist this isn’t working. He doesn’t know how to handle Gage not giving 100% at the job. When they showed the clip from next week’s show – Jeff’s annoyance at he driveway at the new house being blocked, and loudly saying welcome to the neighborhood – he felt like a kindred spirit. I’ve been surrounded by construction of one kind or another since Hurricane Sandy, and that is my pet peeve.

💍 It’s been a long week, but tomorrow I’ll have much to say about 90 Day Fiancé, especially the finale of The Couples Tell All. Here’s a hint. Jorge was a big, fat disappointment.

Because this is how bored we are…

GHSteveBurton

The Return of Jason, Nikolas, or Both?

 

 

September 13, 2017 – Oscar Breaks In, Two Chefs are Out, Some Quotes & Today’s Everyman

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Michael says just to be clear, Nelle was engaged, he died, and she was investigated for it? She tells him that’s correct. He says for two people who are supposed to trust each other, it’s a lot

Bobbie sees Monica crying in the hallway. She doesn’t know if Jason is coming back.

Anna knocks on Finn’s door. She says that she knows he’s in there; she’s a trained spy. He suggests she uses her training to figure out that he’s not in the mood, but she says she has to talk to him, and she’s breaking in. He opens the door at the same time, and she tumbles inside.

At Carly’s house, Sonny asks Milo how serious the break-in was. Oscar is sitting on the couch, and Milo says that the kid claimed that Josslyn invited him over, but Josslyn is too young to go on dates.

Finn asks if Anna can move her wrist, but she doesn’t want to; it hurts. He checks her out, and says it’s a minor sprain. She asks if he saw Hayden, but he tells her that it was a false alarm. She wonders if Hayden has vanished like her father thought she would.

Bobbie tells Monica that no matter how big or old they get, it never goes away. Monica remembers kissing the booboo to make it go away, and still sees the tiny child. She’s angry, and wonders why it’s happening to their family again. Bobbie says it shouldn’t be. Monica says they’ve both buried children, and it’s not the natural order of things. Bobbie says they’re still carrying on, but Monica wonders where the justice is.

Nelle says that she was afraid to tell Michael. She almost destroyed his parents, and thought there would be no coming back if she told him. Carly was just starting to tolerate her. He asks if she can blame Carly for being concerned. These are huge, life-altering secrets.

Carly tells Milo that it’s Oscar. Sonny asks what happened. Milo says that he came to the front door, and when he found out it was locked, let himself in the back. Carly says she’s told Josslyn to lock the doors, although it doesn’t look like that matters with Milo there. Milo says Oscar tried telling him some story about Josslyn inviting him over. Sonny asks Oscar why he thought it was a good idea to break into his wife’s house.

Bobbie tells Monica that they’ve witnessed medical miracles and the strength of human spirit, and Jason is as tough as they come. She says they’re just not privy to the rest. Monica says they just have to keep on living, and do the best we can for those left behind. Bobbie says that’s what she tells herself too, and lists all the grandchildren.

Michael asks Nelle what happened. She says they were engaged, and had already set a date, but wanted to get away before all the wedding preparations happened. So she planned a trip. They’d kayaked before, but not up north. Zack’s kayak took on water. He was a strong swimmer, but it was too much for him. Michael asks if she went after him. Nelle says she couldn’t. She wasn’t a strong swimmer, and the waves were too strong. They weren’t wearing jackets, which was stupid (yes, it was, and why would you do that?), and she panicked. He asks if she called 911, but she says that they also stupidly left them on shore. Zack did everything he wasn’t supposed to, and couldn’t stay afloat. I’m surprised they made it through any kayaking trips. Michael asks if she didn’t try to save him, and she says she reached out her oar, but he couldn’t get it. She encouraged him to swim, but he couldn’t. She did everything she could, and he came up a few times until he went under. She’s gone over and over it in her mind, wishing she’d done something differently; anything that could have saved him. Michael asks why his parents suspected her, and she tells him that the plug from the kayak was missing. She doesn’t know if it was an accident or someone took it out, but she didn’t sabotage it. It’s not like she wanted him to die.

Sonny says he doesn’t think Oscar would violate anyone’s privacy. Oscar explains that he and Josslyn made plans to meet after school. She’d texted him to come in, since she had headphones on, and might not hear him. He figured he’d try the back, and that’s when Milo grabbed him. Oscar apologizes to Sonny, but Sonny says it’s not his house; it’s Carly’s. Oscar apologizes to Carly, and she says accepted. He also apologizes to Milo. Milo says he’ll forgive him once his story checks out. He wonders why Josslyn isn’t at home, and in perfect soap timing, she walks in. She asks what’s happening, and why Oscar is there. Milo says he told them she invited him, and asks if that’s true.

Finn gets Anna ice and wraps up her wrist. She tells him that he’s being gracious, considering he doesn’t want her there. He asks her to tell him what’s so important, and if it’s about the diamond. She says she got some more intel, and diamond was stolen in a smash and grab that the Bureau believes was planned and executed by a group headed by Valentin, who used the name Theo Hart back then. Finn says maybe she should be breaking into his place. Anna explains that they weren’t able to tie him to it, but the diamonds went to a fence named Cassandra Pierce. She sold them at a profit, and invested in illegal commodities on the dark web. Finn asks if Valentin was involved, but Anna says it’s hard to say. Finn wonders what it has to do with him. He’s trying to pick up the shards of his life, and go back to treating sick people. She says that’s why she’s there.

Josslyn tells them that she’d texted Oscar to meet her at school, but for some reason, it never got sent. She asks Oscar why he didn’t tell them, and he says he tried. Oscar says he owes Sonny an apology too. He should have known who he was before acting like jerk in the park. Sonny says that he seems like a smart kid. He should use his intelligence to think before he acts. Oscar says he’ll work on that, and they shake hands. Josslyn wonders why Milo is guarding the house. She asks about Jason, and Carly tells her that nothing has changed. Sonny wants to talk to Josslyn, and Carly takes Oscar to another room. Milo goes back to work. Sonny tells Josslyn that they’ve done well lately, but even if it means she’ll hate him, he wants to level with her.

Michael tells Nelle that the absent plug raises questions, but everything points to an accident. Why did the police get involved? Nelle says that Zack’s parents didn’t like her. Michael doesn’t think that’s enough to charge anyone with a murder, but she says a few weeks before, Zack had made her the beneficiary of his will. Michael says that changes things. Nelle tells him that she didn’t want the money; it was Zack’s idea. She says it was fun being around them, but it was new to her. He says just like their trip to Morocco, but she says that the biggest trip they took was the one to Maine. They’d planned on traveling after the wedding. He asks how soon she was accused, and she says almost immediately. They’d never thought she was good enough for their son, and they had the clout. The police came after her, but the worst part was that she wasn’t allowed at the funeral. Tears run down her cheeks as she talks. Michael asks if she loved Zack, and she says she thought she did. He’s made her happier than she’d ever been. He was good to her, and she thought that was enough, but she didn’t know what she didn’t know about love.

Anna tells Finn that Cassandra lives in Monaco, and is a virtual recluse who doesn’t socialize. Finn asks how it relates to him. Anna says that she has to make contact, but her sources tell her there’s a zero to no chance on her own. However, Cassandra is a hypochondriac in constant contact with doctors. She’d be responsive to someone of his stature. He says she’s asking him to be a spy, and she says no, a doctor.

Monica tells Bobbie that she loves spending time with grandchildren, but with Jason, she’s had to learn to live and let live. Bobbie says her too, for same reason – Sonny. Monica wonders if she’d pushed harder, if he’d be all right now. Bobbie tells her not to second guess herself, and that they’re both smart cookies. They laugh about some of their past discretions. Monica says that so much has happened, and Bobbie says they’re still standing. They hug.

Nelle asks if Michael thinks she killed Zack. Michael says that it’s getting late. He wants to see Jason, and asks if Nelle will come with him. She says of course. Michael tells her that he doesn’t know if Jason can hear him, but wants to tell him how much he admires him, and could always count on him for hard advice. She asks if he means like now, and he says he knows what Jason would say. He should trust his instincts and do what’s right for himself. He says the answer to the question is no; he doesn’t think that Nelle did it. He takes her hand, and says that he believes her, and believes in her. She thanks him, and says that she was afraid she’d lost him. He says she won’t, and hugs her.

Carly tells Oscar sorry about the misunderstanding, but tensions are running high. He says he should have thought it through; his mom would be pissed if he committed a felony. She asks if his mom knows that he’s spending time with Josslyn, and he says that she knows he has a friend who’s a girl. She wonders if his mom knows her stepdad is Sonny.

Sonny says that Josslyn isn’t a kid anymore. He put something in motion that got out of control. She asks if that’s why Jason got hurt, and Sonny tells her that someone after him and Jason saved his life. She asks if he’s going to be all right, but Sonny says they don’t know. She feels badly for Jason and everyone who loves him, including Sonny. Sonny says that he’s doing everything he can to keep them safe, including extra security. It won’t be forever, but he feels it’s his job to protect the people he loves. Josslyn tells him to be careful too. He says it’s a deal, and they hug.

Anna says that it will be a good opportunity for both she and Finn. He tells her that she said that about visiting Raymond Berlin, and it was a big, fat nothing. She says this time he’ll get to use his doctor talents. He doesn’t want to be put in a situation that will blow up in his face, but she says she’ll be right next to him. He tells her no, and gives her instructions about her wrist while walking her to the door. She tells him she’s grateful, and he says then leave him to his solitude – as of now.

Josslyn and Oscar go to the footbridge. She wonders where the fireflies go when they go, and he says they can google it. She says or they can talk about what happened. She knows it’s a lot to handle. She’s always known what Sonny did, since she was old enough to figure it out, and says sorry he got caught up in it. Oscar tells her that he’s okay, and waves to Milo, who’s at the end of the bridge. He says it’s one thing to know him firsthand, but as of tonight, when it comes to protecting his family, he knows you don’t want to be on Sonny’s bad side. Josslyn says if he wants to call it off, she understands.

Carly tells Sonny that she doesn’t think Oscar told his mother who Josslyn’s parents are. He asks if they should call her, but Carly says not yet. If they continue spending time together though, they’ll have to make the call. She says that she’d be furious if Josslyn was dating some crime lord’s kid, and Sonny is like, what did you just call me? and laughs. She says that’s how his mother will see it. She asks how things with Josslyn went, and Sonny tells her that Josslyn is like her old self with him. They talk about how Michael is cool on the outside, no matter what’s going on inside. Carly says she thinks she made things worse, telling him about Nelle, but it was too important not to.

Michael and Nelle go to the hospital. Michael goes in to visit Jason. Bobbie sees Nelle, and says just perfect; the grieving family fits in with her M.O. Nelle is like, what? Bobbie tells her that they know all about it, and Michael will find out, even if she’s the one who has to tell him. Nelle can continue to skate on thin ice, or take the opportunity to leave town forever. Nelle says that she must be pretty bitter to mess with other people’s happiness, and Bobbie calls her a trailer trash gold-digger. Michael comes out, and Bobbie runs up to him, saying she’s sorry to be the one to tell him, but he interrupts, saying he already knows and he believes Nelle. Bobbie makes noises about her lying to cover it up, and Nelle says that she doesn’t pretend to be perfect. She’s done stupid things, but she didn’t kill Zack. Michael says that at any time, any one of them could end up like Jason or Morgan. He chooses to be with her, and won’t stand there while she’s being attacked. He asks Bobbie to trust him to make his own decisions. She says that she’ll back off, but prays she doesn’t regret it. When she’s gone, Nelle asks if Michael is okay.

Oscar says there’s no way he wants to stop seeing Josslyn. She tells him that Max and Milo have been guarding Sonny since she was born. Oscar says he’s not intimidated, even knowing that his kneecaps could be broken if he messes up. He likes being with her. They kiss. Aww!

Finn tells Roxie that he’s sorry she didn’t get to move into the big house with a new terrarium, but the plans have been put on hold. They have to figure out how to rebuild their lives without Hayden. He says Anna must be out of her mind.

On the phone, Anna tells Robert that she has no intention of giving up. She’s going to get him to cooperate one way or the other.

Monica gives Bobbie some coffee. She says that she was going over Jason’s charts, and couldn’t tear herself away. She asks Bobbie if something happened, and Bobbie tells her that she had a run-in with their mutual grandson, but it’s a story for another day. She wonders how they can watch out for their children when they don’t want help.

Michael tells Nelle that they’ve had their fair share of hard times, but as long as she’s straight with him, he’ll believe her. She says she has to be straight about something else. When she said she loved Zack, she didn’t know what love was. It took Michael to show her. She wants to prove he can trust her, and won’t let him down. She loves him. He tells her that he loves her too, and they embrace.

Carly tells Sonny that Nelle is probably working overtime to convince Michael that the accusations were unfair, and he’ll believe her. Sonny says it’s not like she’s a murderer. Carly is afraid that Nelle will use Jason being in the hospital as a time to strike. Sonny tells her they’re not losing Michael, and they’re not losing Jason. She asks about the business situation, and if it’s stabilized. He tells her not to worry. If anybody makes a move, they won’t live to regret it.

Oscar apologizes to Josslyn. A lot of that going around today. She tells him not to be sorry; she’s not. She says they should be careful though, or Milo will think it’s his duty to report back to her parents. She hopes that Sonny settles things asap, so they can have some privacy. Oscar reaches up, and grabs something. He says it’s the last firefly of the season. He tells Josslyn that if you make a wish and let it go, the wish will come true. She puts her hands around his, and they close their eyes for a moment. Oscar lets the firefly go.

Tomorrow, Maxie says she’s going to have to out Nathan and Amy to get her job back, Griff needs Elizabeth’s help, and Valentin says that they’ve neutralized the key witness – Ava.

🍰 On MasterChef, family members watched as the cooks made dishes inspired by their families, and Cate was the winner. Next, they had to make a “stunning, elegant, and delicious salmon dish. Each contestant got a different amount of time, which Cate dictated. Gordon spit out Yachecia’s salmon (I actually went, oh! out loud.), saying he’d tasted better fish in cat food. Why is he eating cat food? Jeff only had twenty minutes, and the fish was basically raw. Gordon asked if Jeff was trying to poison him, but isn’t salmon often eaten raw? Like with sushi and lox? He tried to say he meant to do that, which didn’t go in his favor. While waiting for the judges’ decision, the cooks got snarky and nasty with each other. Yachecia and Jeff both got the boot. Good. At least I don’t have to type her name anymore, and I think he should have been gone a while ago. Gordon did tell Jeff that they didn’t think they could teach him any more, since he wasn’t prepared to listen. In his exit interview, he called himself Jeff 2.0, which is 2.Out to say.

Flour was in the mystery box, and profiteroles were to be made in 45 minutes. I was confused though, since they looked like cream puffs, and I’d thought they were something else. I guess all this time I didn’t know what a profiterole was. Jason moved on to the finale. Molten cake was the next challenge. I have to mention that I have loved Eboni’s shade of lipstick throughout this season – it’s purple with sparkles, and looks better than that sounds. Dino’s cake was a total mess, since he didn’t get it into the oven quickly enough for it to bake thoroughly. It just looked like a puddle on the plate. Eboni was the winner, and said it’s a long way from the ghetto, telling us about being a single mother in Chicago not long ago. Three cheese soufflés in thirty minutes was the final battle. It was close, but Cate was out, and Dino got the third finalist spot. She predicted Eboni for the win. Her exit was gracious, and she said that she not only learned about cooking, but learned more about herself. She still felt like she won the experience of a lifetime, and so she should. Next time is the two-hour finale.

🙇 Tonight was the Odd Mom Out finale. How long was that season? Like, four episodes?

👯  Reality and Artistry

In theory, we should do the opposite. Exposing people to the sometimes harsh reality of life and history, is truly how you “entertain, educate and enlighten” people. Life isn’t always rosy and handed to you on a silver platter. The sooner people understand that, the better off they’ll be. – Nick Kangadis, TruthChicago  Preach it!

To all of you artists, keep going — we have to support each other. The trick is when you’re in a bar play like you are in a stadium and when you are in a stadium play like you are in a bar. – Lady Gaga  Exactly!

😣  Dude is all of us at one time or another.

http://www.tmz.com/2017/08/27/straight-outta-compton-jason-mitchell-blows-up-on-delta-staff-overbooking/

JasonMitchell

Jason, in Happier Times

 

September 12, 2017 – Carly Outs Nelle, Veronica Outs Justin & Chris Passes Out

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

At the bar, Sonny asks if Griff is ready to leave the priesthood, but Kiki interrupts. Sonny has to get to the hospital, and she asks if there’s any change with Jason, but he says not yet. Griff asks what’s so urgent, and Kiki says her mother.

Ava is on the flight to St. Petersburg. Her seatmate is supposed to get the window seat, but without looking at her, Ava asks if she can have it. The woman tells her that’s fine, and says she’s not bothered by Ava’s scars; she had worse.

Obrecht meets with Franco. She was pleased to hear from him, but knows it’s not a social occasion. Franco says everything he’s known to be true about life is a lie. She suggests they get a bottle of wine.

On the footbridge, Michael tells Nelle that he can’t believe his family is back here again. He was comatose for almost a year as a kid. Is that the last time any of them was in a coma? I find that hard to believe.

Carly says she’s not coming between Jason and Sam. Sam asks when they became friends? Carly says it’s been a while. Sam says she lies, because she loves Jason, and since Jason loved Sam, Carly pretended to warm up to her. Jason can’t watch her put on an act now, so she can stop pretending.

Griff thinks that Ava is making progress. Allowing strangers to see her, with no back-up of family or friends, is a huge step. Kiki says it was shady. Why go to Florida for a spa? Griff didn’t realize she was traveling so far, and thinks it’s strange. Kiki says maybe they can convince her mother not to go, but Griff says they need to talk.

The woman on the plane introduces herself as Larissa. She works at the facility. Ava says that no one told her that she was getting a traveling companion. Larissa didn’t mean to ambush her, and says she’s just here to help. She says that Ava’s life will change into something wonderful.

Franco tells Obrecht about the photo. She says the boy with the brown hair is him. He says that the blonde boy is Jason.

Michael explains to Nelle that a bullet meant for Sonny ricocheted and hit him. He says it was never a choice to leave the business; once you’re in, you’re in. Nelle asks why Sonny thought he could get out now, and Michael says he’s lying to himself. He should have tried harder to get him to see it. Deep down, he wanted a normal dad, but it’s not his reality. He should have told Sonny that there’s no going back. Nelle says he doesn’t know what would have happened, and it’s not his responsibility. Michael says he’s the oldest son. Nelle asks what about Dante, and Michael says that he’s a cop and would never tell Sonny to stay in the mob. He’s the realist, and it was on him. He dropped the ball.

Carly tells Sam that she went through it with Michael and knows what it’s like. Jason wouldn’t want this, lying in a bed, hooked up to machines. Sam snarks that Carly is the authority, but Carly says that’s not what she’s saying; she’s just trying to help. Sam says she was the acceptable one, the one woman Carly could tolerate, but deep down Carly thought Jason and Sonny belonged to her, and she’d be first. She didn’t fight Jason, not because she thought Sam was good enough for him, but because she was willing to take second place. When he came back, things were different. He’s not running around cleaning up her mess, but focused on his family. She can’t stand it, and pretends to be her friend. Carly asks if she’s not her friend, why did she cover Sam’s ass? Alexis overhears.

Carly apologizes. She says Sam is right. She didn’t like her. She had to learn to like her, and came to love her for who she is. She knows that Sam feels a hundred times worse than she does. Sam says she loves Carly too. Carly just nods, and leaves. Alexis says that as an attorney, what should she know about what Carly is covering up?

Nelle asks if Michael has considered joining the business. He says he did when he was younger, but Sonny wouldn’t stand for it. In some ways, he’d be a good fit. He’s objective and practical. Nelle calls him tactical, and he says he’d join in a heartbeat if he was asked. He says it’s limiting financially though, and there’s the whole family thing; he wouldn’t want his kids to be around it. Your enemy only needs to be right once, but you have to be right all the time. He asks if she’s okay with it, and she says she likes having him around. She doesn’t want to lose him. He says she won’t, and kisses her.

Carly runs into Sonny coming out of the elevator. She tells him that she just blew up at Sam, and can’t believe she did that. She explains what happened, and Sonny says it’s Sam’s fear talking. She’s scared like they all are. She needed to scream at someone, and thought Carly was strong enough to take it. Carly says that she didn’t have to scream back, but Sonny says that Sam is a fighter, and a fighter doesn’t want to be coddled. It’s what she needed.

Kiki and Griff go to Ava’s apartment, but she’s not there. Griff looks at a notepad, and asks if a Dr. Baronski means anything. Kiki has never heard of him. She tells Griff that Ava said she was going to St. Petersburg, Florida. He tells her the St. Petersburg part is true, but it’s in Russia, and she’s gone. The flight already left.

Larissa says that it’s lucky Valentin was able to get Ava into the clinic. He’s one of their great success stories. Ava asks if Larissa is too. Larissa tells her that she senses reluctance, but it will be a journey she’ll never forget, a chance to reclaim what she lost. Ava says that you can’t get back some things, no matter how much you want to, and thinks she made a terrible mistake.

Franco shows Obrecht another picture of Jason as a kid. She says that it could be him, but many children look alike at that age. She thinks he’s convinced himself, but why? Franco asks why is Jason in his childhood? Obrect wonders why he’s getting hysterical over a hypothetical theory. She says the twin story was lie, and he asks what if Heather was lying about the lie? She tells him get ahold of himself; there’s a logical explanation. He asks what hers would be, and she says the picture of Jason was taken in Port Charles. That’s a known fact, and his whole childhood is well documented. He couldn’t have lived as Franco’s twin in Brooklyn. Like Scotty, she says maybe it was just a coincidence that the children in the picture are dressed alike. Franco asks what the odds would be, and she says slim, but maybe the other boy just resembles Jason. Franco says even if she’s right, why would Heather refuse to answer his questions?

Larissa toasts to Valentin, but Ava wants to hold off until the end result. Larissa says that she’s sorry that Ava feels it’s a mistake, but it will be blessing. Ava knows that the clinic performs miracles, but Larissa says it’s not the clinic, but Dr. Baronski. Ava says that every doctor has told her that nothing can be done. Now, she’s throwing in with stranger she’s never heard of; she should have followed her first instinct, sand said no. Larissa wonders what changed her mind.

Kiki tells Griff that her mother does have an affinity for vodka. Griff says nothing comes up online, but she did have recent searches about facial reconstruction. (She left her laptop?) Maybe somebody convinced her she’d better luck overseas. He has an idea of whom it might have been.

Sam asks Alexis if she remembers Sonny getting shot, like it wasn’t just five minutes ago. She says it wasn’t the Garveman. She did it. She shot him, pushed him in a hole, and left him to die. She tells Alexis about the hallucinations. Jason and Sonny thought it best not to involve the police. They stayed quiet, and so did Carly. Alexis asks why she didn’t tell her or at least call Diane? She wasn’t culpable for what she did, but covering it up muddies the waters. Sam says she wanted to confess, but she was still sick, and Sonny and Jason didn’t want to add to her misery. Alexis says that they were short-sighted and didn’t do her any favors.

Carly tells Sonny that she did just tolerate Sam, but that changed and she loves Sam. Sonny says that Sam knows that. Carly doesn’t think Sam can do what Jason needs. If he doesn’t come out of it, he would rather be dead. If Sam was being true to who he is, and what he wants, she’d turn off the machines. Sonny says they’re not there yet, but if it comes to that, he’ll do what’s needed for a friend. Carly wants to go get some air, and says she’s going to the footbridge. Sonny suggests meeting at the MetroCourt later.

Kiki tells Griff that Valentin has roots in Russia, and Griff adds that he’s capable of anything. She’s worried about her mom. Griff says he is too, especially if Valentin has something to do with why she took off. Kiki asks how Griff jumped from wondering where she is to thinking she’s in danger? Does he know something else? He says that not too long ago, she alluded to an offer that Valentin made; it could have been exploratory surgery, since she said something about not having to worry about how she looks if she took him up on it. He can’t blame her despair entirely on Valentin. He played a part in it too.

Ava tells Larissa that it’s ridiculous. It’s false hope, and she doesn’t feel good about it. She should go home. Larissa says something got her this far, and that something will change her life, like it did for her. Ava asks what caused her to need a miracle, and she says she’ll do better than tell her. She’ll show her.

Alexis wishes things were different, but they are what they are. She tells Sam that she wasn’t legally responsible, and Sam suggests turning herself in. Alexis says nothing good will come of it – for her or the kids. Sam asks why she didn’t include Jason, and does she think he’s not waking up? Alexis tells her that she didn’t say that. Sam says Carly doesn’t think so either, and came this short of telling her to pull the plug. She says she knows Carly is right. Sonny sees them hug.

Nelle thanks Michael for opening up it; it means a lot. He tells her thanks for listening. Carly approaches, saying great minds think alike. Michael asks how Jason is and she says the same. He asks how Sam is holding up, and Carly says it’s really bad. She says Nelle would know about that after what she went through with her fiancé. Nice, Carly. You’re upset, so you want to take it out on Nelle.

Franco tells Obrecht why Heather would refuse to talk to him. She says self-interest. Franco says if she didn’t know anything, she’d say that she did, and make up an elaborate story. She wouldn’t talk to him because she’s hiding something. Obrecht says or torturing him, since his vulnerable area is his childhood. He tells her about his imaginary friend, and how the memories felt real. He says when he saw the photo, he recognized him, and wondered what happened with his friend who disappeared. Obrect is glad he called her; he’s too emotional to think straight. Heather is in no position to answer his question. He needs to speak with the person who took the picture – his adoptive mother. He tells her that Betsy is fragile. He wasn’t an easy kid, and he’s a less easy adult. He doesn’t want to make it worse. Obrecht says that if her son were in pain, and she had the power to answer his questions, she would want him to come to her.

Kiki tells Griff that she doesn’t have time for vague. He tells her that he and Ava became close after the accident. They became friends, but he doesn’t think she appreciates it now. He was careless with her feelings – not on purpose – he had no idea how it was being interpreted. Kiki asks what he did.

Larissa shows Ava some pictures. Ava says she’s essentially unrecognizable, except for her eyes. She tells Ava that she had a violent husband, anything could set him off, and one night, she stood up to him. Ava says good for her, but Larissa says not for her face. he beat her within an inch of her life, then slashed her with his pocket knife. She thought she’d never recover or see the self she remembered in the mirror. Ava asks what happened to her husband, and Larissa says he’s in prison now. She understands; she’s been there. Ava says their cases are different, but Larissa says that’s not important. It’s okay to be hopeful. Ava says it sounds vain, but more than anything she just wants to be who she was before. Larissa says that’s not going to happen

Carly tells Michael and Nelle that she wasn’t going to do this; she was going to take the high road, but she just left the hospital where her best friend is in a coma and hooked to machines. He might never wake up. She thought about Michael, and doesn’t want him to be hurt again. She tells him that Nelle had a fiancé who died under suspicious circumstances in a kayak accident. Nelle claimed that she tried to save him, but wasn’t a strong enough swimmer. The police and his family think otherwise, and Carly thinks it’s time Michael asked her about it

Franco calls Betsy to come to his art show. He says, awesome, it will be good to see her; they have a lot  to catch up on.

Griff thinks that Ava thought maybe – and Kiki says it doesn’t matter why she left; she’s gone. Valentin could have just been dangling false hope. She thinks Ava could be in serious trouble.

Larissa says the healing process is complicated. She’ll look same on the outside, but on the inside, there will be overwhelming gratitude, coupled with a new sense of purpose. It’s a powerful feeling. Ava says no experience is the same, but Larissa says that she’s yet to work with patient who didn’t attest to the same enlightenment. Ava says it sounds spiritual. Larissa says it is. She’ll be herself again, but much better.

Carly tells Sonny about seeing Nelle and Michael. She says she wasn’t going to say anything, but saw Nelle, and spilled it all. Sonny asks how Michael reacted, but she doesn’t know.

Nelle tells Michael it’s true that when they met, she was lying about everything. She couldn’t believe he forgave her, and she didn’t want her next words to be, btw, she had this fiancé who died. He tells her she’s had so many opportunities since then, and especially after what he’s shared with her. She tells him that she was a coward and scared. He says then tell him now.

Sonny is like, you dropped a bomb and left? Carly thought they should discuss it alone, but at least it’s out there now. She didn’t plan on it; everything just came flying out of her mouth.

Milo calls Sonny. Sonny tells Carly that they have to go. Someone broke into her house.

Tomorrow, Anna needs to see Finn, Josslyn asks Oscar if he wants to call things off, and Michael tells Nelle that she’s been keeping a huge, life-altering secret.

The Haves and the Have Nots

Funeral director Jonathan tells Candace that he’s sorry. She asks Benny why he didn’t tell her that Quincy Jr. was in the casket. He says he didn’t know she was going to open it. Jonathan needs to know if Quincy Jr. looks good enough, but Benny says they’ll keep the casket closed for now. Candace sobs, saying that she can’t believe that War did this. She turns on Hanna, saying she let him. She did it to make Candace suffer. She asks what she did to make Hanna hate her so much. She’s never hated anyone or anything as much as she hates Hanna. She can’t wait for her to be dead and buried in an unmarked grave, and she’ll spit on it. Hanna says it won’t just be one person spitting on Candace’s grave, it will be everyone she lied to or cheated or laid down with. Candace asks if God did all of this. Hanna says she did it with her lying self. She tells Candace to look at her life, and herself. She ran from War, and will always keep running. She says if God wants your attention, He’ll get it. It will get worse until she goes to God. Candace tells Hanna to go to God. Hanna says she can’t even pray, but when it’s all said and done, no matter how much she doesn’t want to pray, He’s still God. She says the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be His name. Candace screams that Hanna can have her God; she doesn’t want Him. She tells Jonathan she wants Quincy Jr. cremated. She walks out, past Kathryn who’s been standing there. Hanna tells Benny to let her go. He says it’s not right. Kathryn says that Hanna had custody, and she can call a lawyer, but Hanna says no. It’s Candace’s child, and it’s just a body. Kathryn says she’s sorry. Hanna says at least they have a chance to say good-by. She opens the casket and cries.

She says in his short life he gave her so much joy, and she’s so sorry. She wishes she could have carried his pain. She says grandma will love him forever. Okay, okay. I’m going to start crying. She says he’s the only thing that’s given her light and joy in a long time, and is glad they found him. She could see herself, Benny, and even Candace in him, and when she looked in his eyes, she saw God. She tells him to travel well into God’s loving arms. She asks God not to let him be lonely or scared. It’s all she can do here for him. She tells God that she still trusts Him, and He’s not getting rid of her that easy. She says God has spoken, and closes the casket. The three of them leave. Geez, that was rough.

Veronica comes into Melissa’s room, where Melissa is sitting in a chair, staring into space. Veronica says Jeffrey still isn’t home, and asks what good Melissa is. Melissa says she can’t make Jeffrey come there. Veronica says she can. Men don’t have brains; they are their brains. She needs Melissa to help her, and she’s just lying there doing nothing. Did she take care of the baby and eat? Melissa says no. Veronica calls Jeffrey, and leaves a message that she’s losing patience and to call her. She tells Melissa she’ll force feed her, and Melissa says why not? She’s forced everything else on her. Veronica says she’d only attract the men who would use her up, and doesn’t have the wherewithal to get them before they get her. She throws the food on Melissa, and says eat. Veronica tells her to clean everything up and do something with her hair. Why would a man want to home to that. Melissa says, especially a gay one. Veronica stops short of smacking her, and tells her that she doesn’t want to hear that word again in regard to her son. She tells Melissa to get her ass together.

Anna and Wyatt walk through the park. He keeps looking around. He thinks his parents had something to do with the DA Jennifer’s death. He wonders if he should call the new DA, but Anna says they won’t be surprised. She says he surprised her though. He wonders when the hurt ends, and she says when you stop talking about it, it gets better. He asks if they can go home. I’m not sure why this scene was even included. It kind of went nowhere and contributed nothing to the story.

Candace is about to go into her room, and sees Jim in the hallway He says fancy meeting her there, and it’s different to see her down and out. He asks if she can’t get her key to work, and if she didn’t pay the bill. She asks why he’s there, and he says a temporary setback. He says that she missed him, and she says, wrong. He tells her his room number, in case she doesn’t want to sleep. He asks who she’s kidding; War is looking for her. She tells Jim that he’s dead. He asks how she knows. She asks how he knew War was looking for her. He says everybody is looking for her, and she brought it on herself when she didn’t pay him. She realizes he told War how much money she had. She tells him that he caused this, and War shot her son. Jim says that he’s sorry. He understands what it’s like to lose a child. She wonders if he had something to do with it, but he says that, inadvertently, she did. She asks if he inadvertently had her son killed, and he says that he didn’t do a damn thing. It would take a special marksman to shoot from the hotel, miss Hanna, and hit her son. How could he do that? He says he doesn’t forget anything, and calls her a bitch. She says neither does she. Too bad she didn’t call him a bitch.

Veronica sees Candace at the hotel bar. She tells Veronica get out of her face. Veronica asks if that’s any way to speak to someone keeping her out of jail, and Candace says she doesn’t care. Veronica says she should. She tells Candace let’s cut to it; she needs a favor. Candace is like, bitch, what do you want? Veronica says she knows that Candace and Erica had something. She knows that Erica was playing with War and hates her guts. She knows that Erica was Candace’s bottom bitch, but also knew Candace didn’t trust her when she saw the video. Candace wonders what video, and Veronica shows Candace her phone. Everything in Erica’s room was recorded. She’d sent Erica flowers. Candace says that Erica threw them out. Veronica says she did, but like most broke girls, she wanted to keep a nice vase, so she went out and got it. Candace asks what she wants, and Veronica says they have a plan for David, and she wants to know what it is and wants in on it. She has the knowledge and intel to make him suffer, and Candace placed the perfect mole. Candace asks why she would want to help Veronica, and Veronica says her freedom. Candace says that she’s already free, but Veronica tells her not really. She suggests that they pull Erica’s strings together, and Candace says as long as it can be around her neck. Several police officers come to the table, and Veronica tells Candace to call her. They arrest Candace for Quincy’s murder.

Jeffrey tells Justin that his mom is serious; she’s going to talk to his wife. He 100% knows she will, and it’s better coming from him than in open court. Justin says forget that, just make love to him. Typical man. A note is slid under the door. It says I know he’s in there. They go out in the hall, and Veronica is walking away. She says that she wanted to let the two love buzzards know she’s on her way to court. She told Jeffrey to come home, but he didn’t, and the time is over for dialogue. Justin grabs her, and she tells him go ahead; she’ll show him how much Black lives matter. She tells Jeffrey that he’s going to jail today for a long time, and she’ll see Justin in divorce court. Justin tells her to do it and see what happens. She says okay.

Melissa slides around the room like Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. She gets a hanger. Omg.

Veronica finds Candace in her cell. She asks if she’s in or not. Candace says if she walks, she’s in. Veronica says she’ll call her. She won’t be in there for long.

At David’s apartment, Erica says a girl could get used to this. He wishes she would, and wishes she would tell him the man’s name who did this to her. She says she wants him to forget about it. She asks if they’re going to get food, and suggests going to the store since there’s nothing in the kitchen. He wants to take her out, and offers to buy her some clothes. Erica suggests a thrift store, and David says he’s not starting shopping there now. His phone rings. It’s Jeffrey.

Jeffrey says that his mom just left, and said he’s going to jail. David tells him not to believe her. If the body is inadmissible for Candace, it is for him too. David tells him to stay where he is and don’t go to court. He advises Jeffrey to  stay away from Veronica, and he’ll be fine. He says he’s going out, and he’ll call Jeffrey in a while.

Veronica arrives at court. She gets a call, and says, she did what? and asks what hospital. She says that she’ll be there when she leaves court. George tells Veronica she’s not winning this; maybe on appeal. Veronica says that she doesn’t know why he’s throwing in with thugs. She says her client didn’t do it, but she knows who did. If all goes well, in a matter of minutes, he will too. He says they traced Jennifer’s calls, and there was one from Veronica before she went missing. Now she’s dead. He wants to know what they talked about, but Veronica doesn’t remember. George asks where Jennifer was going, and Veronica says she doesn’t know. He says that he’s going to find out.

In court, George brings up the hit and run, and says that Veronica is up conspiracy charges. The judge says she can differentiate between the two cases, and asks about the warrant. Veronica objects, saying there was no murder. George says that the warrant was valid, but Veronica tells the judge it was, until the home changed hands. She gives the bailiff some papers. The judge asks if it’s correct. Veronica says that anything after the title changed hands is void, and the body was found after title changed hands. George insists that Candace and someone else committed murder in a heinous way. The judge says it stands, and Veronica says since there’s no evidence, no crime was committed. If there’s no body, there’s no case. George is about to have apoplexy, and the judge says without a body, there’s no evidence to indict.

Jeffrey and Justin walk into court. Veronica says although the body is excluded, they have a confession. Her son admitted to her that he murdered Quincy Maxwell. The judge asks counsel to approach. She asks what Veronica is doing. Veronica says her son committed a crime and should be charged. George is like, are you serious? He could argue ineffective counsel. Veronica says to charge him, and the judge says have it her way, and tells George to arrest him. He tells Veronica that this better not be bullsh*t. She says, “car keys.”

Veronica says one more thing. The judge should recuse herself. She asks on what grounds, and Veronica plays the video of Justin and Jeffrey on the big screen. It isn’t pretty. The judge calls a recess. Jeffrey is taken away, and Veronica tells him to enjoy his stay. Now she has to go to the hospital, because Melissa tried to take his child’s life, adding that some people are so damn ungrateful. He wouldn’t listen, now she’s not listening. She gets in Justin’s face and says, see what you did? Now live with it.

In the car with Melissa, Veronica says the doctor said that she tried to kill her grandbaby. It didn’t work, but they’re letting her take Melissa home because she’s a danger to herself and the baby she’s carrying. She’s taking Melissa to her facility, where she’s getting treated for depression – until the baby is born. She doesn’t understand why Melissa is so unhappy. She says they’re taking Melissa’s raggedy-ass car instead of Veronica’s, as bloody as she’s been lately.

Candace picks up her stuff at the desk. Her phone rings. It’s Charles, who’s been keeping eye on her. He asks her to meet him, but she says no. He tells her that if she changes her mind, to call back. She says that she won’t be calling him, and hangs up

A car follows Veronica and hits her from behind, and keeps slamming into her. Melissa laughs. As the car fall back a little, Melissa grabs the steering wheel, and jerks it back and forth. The car crashes through a barricade, and flips over. Justin drives past.

This was the finale. The Haves and the Have Nots returns in January. Thank you, Tyler Perry, for always managing to top yourself.

Below Deck

Before the show, we see it was filmed in St. Martin, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma.

The beach picnic is still happening. Brianna balances an Oreo on her eye to entertain the guests. And maybe herself, since she hurt her hand opening the champagne. Jennifer helps a guest with a jet ski, but admits she lacks skills.

Kate finds a mess in the laundry room, and calls it laundry Armageddon. She says Brianna should know better. The deckhands set up the dreaded slide and a wall climbing thing. The guests return to the yacht. Captain Lee asks Kate how the crew is working out. She thinks they should get another stew. She can handle it for a charter or two, but not the whole season.

Kate is like, great, Brianna injured her hand and can’t even do the job with two. Captain Lee tells Brianna suck it up, cupcake. Bruno practices knots. He says working on a yacht is a dream come true. He doesn’t know a lot, but he’s a hard worker. Nico says the deck team isn’t getting it. The captain says he doesn’t like being up their ass, but he doesn’t trust them. Until he does, he’ll have to be on deck all the time.

Kate loves working with Chef Matt, and I love looking at his food, although I’d rather be eating it. Crab cakes on deck! Kate discusses the laundry with Brianna. Brianna is perturbed with Kate’s management style. Jennifer calls her daughter. She says leading by example is the best way to teach her, and wants her to learn you can do whatever you set your mind to. Chris blabs endlessly to Matt while he’s trying to concentrate.

Captain Lee calls Kate to the bridge. He asks if she wants to trade crews, but she says it will just be breaking even. He says they can’t continue like this. He’s going to get a couple of day workers, so she can train the stews properly. Jumbo shrimp! Some kind of pasta! The captain says he doesn’t want to see Chris or Bruno with anything but a mop in their hands. Nico says he needs to step up if he’s ever going to be bosun. If he’s not learning, he can’t teach anyone else.

Nico shows the deckhands the morning set-up. He says it’s only day two, but individually they’re at different places, and some aren’t learning as quickly as others. If they’re not advancing as quickly as they should be, they’re going to be screwed. Bruno says he’s never worked on a yacht, and whines about being told he’s a slow learner. Nico tells him that he’s not there to be a cheerleader. Bruno is uncomfortable, since he usually learns quickly, but isn’t getting it.

Kate tries to make Jen aware of how much time she wastes. If she didn’t, she’d be amazing. In her interview, she says at least Jen makes her laugh. Nico talks to Baker. She tells him her dad passed away and today is his birthday. In her interview, she says his passing changed her life. She thinks living life and making connections with people is more important now. Kate thinks the easy guests are kind of making up for the crew.

Nico tells Matt about his brother passing away. Matt feels badly, and says he’s willing to do whatever he can to help.

The Valor isn’t docking, since the guests are leaving by tender. Nico tells Chris and Bruno that the captain doesn’t want them handing the lines. Chris wants to learn, and says he’ll feel like an idiot just watching. Matt makes modified BLTs for breakfast. Two of the guests are doing a sumo wrestler dive, and put on those kooky blow-up costumes. After the dive, everyone gets ready for the guests to depart.

Nico says it’s lucky the guests were so nice. Otherwise, it might have been a disaster. The tip is presented, the water taxi takes the guests, and the stews clean up. Jen and Brianna discuss Kate. Jen says she has a special way of making you feel inferior, but it’s all good. Bruno thinks everyone has the attitude of not caring about your feelings, because Matt asked for his help. He hides in the bathroom.

Chris and Bruno clean the tender. Bruno complains about the lack of respect. Chris says yachting attracts loud, outspoken people, but Bruno says that doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk. In his interview, Chris thinks it might not be the industry for you if you want pleasantries, and being sh*t on is part of the job.

The Valor docks. Baker tells herself not to screw it up. Nico says he can count of her to step up; she has good energy and good vibes. Brianna tells Nico that she lived in Hawaii for a while, but lives in LA now. She asks Nico how it is having a relationship while yachting, and he says it’s working – so far. Chris tells Nico that Bruno was sniffling or crying or something, and Nico says he’ll talk to him.

Tip time! Captain Lee tells everyone that the people were easy, but doesn’t believe everyone performed up to potential. He wants to see solid effort, and not moving in the right direction will bring consequences. The haul is $15K; $1360 each. Bruno feels better now. The captain says that for those who didn’t earn their tip this time, he’ll make sure they do next time. In her interview, Kate feels it wasn’t equally earned, and she should have gotten a lot more. Captain Lee tells the crew that whatever they consume tonight, he’ll be sweating out of them tomorrow.

Chris tells Nico that he was celibate for twenty-six years. Nico says it might fall off if you don’t use it. Chris says that growing up as a Christian, that was his identity, and he gave it a good shot.

Kate instructs the stews on cleaning the cupboards. Jen and Brianna discuss the guys. Jen says being a single mom, you don’t have time to think about it. Brianna says Nico is adorable, but has a girlfriend. She can see fun to be had for sure though.

Everyone gets ready to go out. Nico FaceTimes with his girlfriend. He says the season is super hard, and he misses her. He tells us he was never the most faithful, but he’s trying to be a good boyfriend. Brianna admires Bruno’s body. Nico says the first charter was a sh*t show, but he wants to relax and have a few drinks.

The drinking commences, and of course fabulous food is ordered. Chris talks incessantly. Kate says she’d rather do her taxes or clean toilets. At least toilets don’t make awkward conversation. Brianna keeps touching Nico. Jen says there’s definitely chemistry.

The crew moves on to a club. Nico tells us if you get booze into Matt, you’ll see his true colors. He’s really a dancing fool? He tells Bruno this is his reset button, and to enjoy himself. In his interview, Bruno says words are stronger than actions for him (huh?), and he appreciates Nico talking to him. Chris comes on to Brianna. He says she has a lot of options, and he’s seeing if she’ll invest in him. Apparently not. Kate asks Nico about knowing Brianna before the charter, but he says they only spent one day together just hanging out. Kate says only the cab driver in Barcelona really knows what happened. I wonder if his definition of hanging out is the same as Chelsea and Austen’s on Southern Charm.

The DJ spins, and the crew dances. Nico thinks everyone is ready to go, and rounds them up. Chris talks to Brianna about how cool Matt is, and she wonders if he goes that way. He hugs her, and says he wants to stay there forever. She responds with wanting to go to bed – alone.

The next morning, Nico asks if everyone had fun. Chris liked the part where he drank alcohol, since he didn’t do that for twenty-six years either. Nico says that he didn’t drink enough to have hangover, and Chris wonders why live your life half-assed? I actually think the goal should be not to have a hangover, especially before a work day. Been there, done that, was miserable. Kate makes sure the laundry is happening correctly. Chris thinks he’s paying dues for all the hangover’s not experienced as teenager. No, Chris. When you’re that young, you can stay out drinking all night and then go to breakfast. He complains about not feeling well, but Nico isn’t having it. He keeps calling Chris on the radio, but he’s busy napping. The captain asks why he’s not hearing a response, and Nico goes to check.

Next time, Captain Lee wants to know why the radio was down, Kate wants to play a game, Captain Lee actually laughs, and a restaurateur is the primary guest.

StMartins

St. Martin

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by Hurricanes Harvey & Irma.

 

 

September 11, 2017 – Heather Turns Down a BLT, Double the Wives & Pictures from the Month After

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Valentin tells Ava that she wants that power and attention, and wants her life back. She sits down again. She says she’ll sign away the truth, and he corrects her, saying that she’s going to redact a statement that has no merit. As soon as she signs, she can go straight to the clinic, and get her face back. She calls it the devil’s bargain, and Valentin says better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. Lulu stares daggers at them from another table.

Olivia-Q arrives for Rocco’s birthday party. Charlotte and Rocco are relegated to cleaning up the playroom, while last minute preparations are done. Olivia tells Dante it’s the picture-perfect family, and he says looks can be deceiving. Charlotte’s father isn’t going anywhere.

Franco looks at the photo. Kiki drops by with the promotional poster for his exhibit, which is called To Hell and Back. It’s really cool and I’d love to score one. Kiki says that it really captures the show. Franco wishes he’d designed it himself, but says it’s false advertising. He hasn’t made it back from hell yet; he’s going there today to visit his mother.

Sam talks to Jason about the kids. Elizabeth tells her to take a break; Griff wants to examine him. They try to get her to take a walk, but she says she’s going to be there fighting for him until he opens his eyes.

Sonny talks business to Max on the phone. Carly asks if okay. He says for now. He spoke with the families, and they’re glad he’s keeping his territory, as it preserves the balance of power. Really now? These are the most copacetic Mafia members ever. He tells Carly that Jason is paying the price, but Carly says he’s going to pull through. She wants to move back in, but Sonny says that it’s the last thing he wants.

Valentin waits for a moment, and then tells Ava she’s dragged it out long enough. Sign, or he’s rescinding the offer. She hesitates, and he’s about to take the document back, but she stops him. Nosey Lulu jets over to their table, and asks, what is that? and I ask wtf? out loud, thinking I’d smack her if she horned in on my meeting that way. Valentin says they’re concluding some business. She asks what kind, and he says none of hers. Ha-ha! Ava explains that she was stuck with a tapestry that Valentin is taking off of her hands. Even though she loathes him, she’s selling it to him. Valentin says he’s hired a team to restore it to its former glory. He and Ava shake hands.

Olivia tells Dante that Valentin is Charlotte’s dad, and Charlotte is crazy about him. Dante asks what if it was Julian, and Olivia says she’s lucky he’s in the slammer. They’ll have to figure out how to co-exist with Valentin for Charlotte’s sake. Dante says he doesn’t make it easy. I’m not sure what is wrong with him and Lulu. I get that they believe he killed Nikolas, but he’s done nothing to make this difficult; quite the opposite.

Kiki thinks Franco should stay away from Heather. He says he needs to find out who he is. She asks if Elizabeth knows he’s going to the prison, and he tells her that Elizabeth has a lot on her plate. He asks Kiki how Jason is doing, but she says he’s not family. He tells her that Jason is Jake’s father, and he deserves to be prepared. Kiki says he shows no signs of recovery, and Franco says that’s too bad. She says he sounds like he means it, and he says that he does. Whether he likes it or not, they’ll always be connected.

Sam says that as long as there’s a chance Jason can hear, she’s staying with him. Griff tells her that it could affect his ability to do the evaluation. She decides to go, and he promises to give her the truth.

Carly tells Sonny that even Josslyn came around. Sonny wants them to be a family, but thinks Josslyn would be happier at Carly’s place than surrounded by the walls of the compound. Carly asks if it wouldn’t be safer. Sonny says he has no reason to think that, and Carly understands that he can’t be vulnerable right now. She starts to say something about Jason, and Sam overhears his name.

Lulu asks Ava wth that was about. Ava says that she doesn’t relish doing business with Valentin, but wanted the tapestry taken off her hands. It’s not just any tapestry, but a rare one, and not many houses could do it justice. Lulu says she just shook hands with the man who murdered Nikolas. She’d hoped that Ava wouldn’t waste the second chance he gave her. Ava says that he would understand what she lost in the fire. Lulu asks if she needs money, but Ava says that he would understand how much she needs to be herself again, and wants to reclaim the small part of what her life used to be. Lulu hopes that Valentin paid through the nose for it, and thanks Ava for agreeing to testify in the wrongful death suit. She says the small measure of justice means a lot. D’oh!

On the phone, Valentin says they’re all set. The woman in question will arrive tomorrow, and they’re to deal with her as they discussed. Hmm… odd wording.

Franco tells Kiki that he and Jason may or may not be connected. He doesn’t think they were separated at birth and isn’t obsessed; he’s never going back to the dark side. Kiki says he just told her that he’s walking into hell to talk to a demon. What will Heather get for telling him the truth? He says maybe a BLT from Kelly’s. Kiki asks what he’s not telling her, and he promises they’ll talk later, and shoves her out the door.

Sam thinks Carly believes Jason is going to die, but Carly says no; he’s badly hurt and will take time to recover. Sam says she’s not sick anymore and can take it. Griff asks for a word, and she asks if Jason is waking up or not.

Rocco’s cake looks like a baseball – very cool. Lulu tells Rocco and Charlotte to finish up playroom. Dante talks about a video game that Rocco wants, but they think he’s too young for. Olivia says that Ned plays the same game all the time. She tells Dante to let her know about any inappropriate gifts. She wants to be the cool Nona, and buy the gifts while they have to deal with the aftermath.  She goes to the kitchen, and Lulu tells Dante all is right with the world, but Valentin and Nina are back together again just in time for the custody hearing. Dante says they’ll probably break up again. Lulu says that’s not all. she saw Ava with Valentin.

Ava wonders where Valentin is. There’s a knock at the door, but it’s Kiki. Ava says she has no time right now. Kiki tells her she needs to get out of the house, and spend time somewhere that’s not here. She sees the bags, and asks where Ava is going. Ava says for some much needed R&R at a spa. Kiki asks where, and Ava tells her St. Petersburg. Kiki hopes it’s the one in Florida.

Franco waits with a BLT for Heather, and wonders how long it takes to drag a deranged lunatic out. The guard walks in, and tells him she declined to visit. Franco asks if she knows it’s him. The guard says she does, and Franco thinks maybe she’s confusing him with her other son. The guard says her reasons probably don’t make sense to anyone except her. Franco gives him the sandwich, and says to tell her that there’s more where that came from, but he needs answers. He asks him to show her the picture, and tell her she can have a BLT every week, but he needs to know what’s going on in the photo.

Griff tells Sam that the longer Jason stays in a coma, the less likely he’ll recover. She asks if he’s either going to wake up or die, and Griff says not necessarily. He says that Jason is completely unresponsive, and she should think about long term care. Sam gets annoyed, and Elizabeth says that they just want her to consider options. Sam asks if Jason can hear her, and Griff says absolutely. Sonny asks to talk to Griff.

Elizabeth tells Sam that she knows how scary it is, but Sam says she doesn’t think so. Jason might be Jake’s father, but her whole life isn’t lying in that room. She gets to go home to Franco.

Lulu tells Dante that Ava got strangely emotional, but she didn’t want to press her, since they need her statement. Dante asks if Spencer wins, if she thinks it will help the custody case, which is a really stupid question, especially since he’s a detective. He says last time they tried something like that, it didn’t work out, but Lulu says if he’s found guilty, the judge will have to consider it. The doorbell rings. It’s Valentin with a gift for Rocco.

Carly tells Elizabeth that Sam is saying things she doesn’t mean. Elizabeth says it’s okay; there’s nothing Sam is accusing her of that she didn’t actually do. She tells Sam that she’d love to go back and change things, but Sam says she can’t. That time is gone, and every minute that goes by could be the last. She’s not letting anyone take that away.

Sonny and Griff sit at the bar. Sonny wants to ask a spiritual question. Griff wishes it was something safer, like boxing. Sonny says that when they were both blowing off steam at the gym, they never asked each other why. Griff figured Sonny was thinking about Jason. Sonny says he knew better than trying to get out of the life, but why didn’t God punish him instead of Jason? Griff says he’s not comfortable speaking for God. Sonny asks if that isn’t part of the job.

Ava tells Kiki that the spa caters to clients with conditions such as hers. Kiki wanted her to branch out, and this is like dipping her toe into the water; it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Kiki suggest coming along, but Ava says she doesn’t want Dr. Bensch to think she’s not serious. She tells Kiki that she’ll be back when she feels like a new woman. She doesn’t want to spin her wheels, when she can get happiness and peace. Kiki asks what Griff thinks, and Ava says he’s busy doing the Lord’s work. Kiki thought they were in a good place, and asks what happened.

Elizabeth tells Sam that no one wants to take Jason away. Carly agrees, and Sam says she’s listening to the two people who did want to take him away. Elizabeth wisely goes back to work. Carly tells Sam that if she doesn’t want people to think she’s crazy, stop acting like it. I applaud in my head. She says that Sam needs to stop thinking about what was taken away, and think about what’s left, and think about Jason’s care. Sam gets the idea that Carly wants to be the one to take care of Jason because she wants him to herself. Sam is still crazy.

The guard comes back and tells Franco that Heather still refuses to visit with him, but thanks him for the sandwich. Franco asks if she saw the picture. The guard says she did, but there was no reaction. She asked if they were his kids. He told her exactly what Franco asked him to, and Franco says that’s insane. Both the guard and I go, well, yeah. Franco says that he really needs to speak with her, but the guard says sorry, and hands the photo back.

Lulu says Valentin shouldn’t have, and he says he’d never show up to a birthday party without a present – it’s from both Charlotte and him. It’s a video game, and Rocco asks how Valentin knew. He says Charlotte told him, and Olivia says now he has two. Valentin apologizes if he stepped on any toes, and Dante says it’s all right. They can return the other one, and if Rocco blows up the world, they can blame him. Lulu adds, and they will. Valentin doesn’t want to wear out his welcome, but Charlotte doesn’t want him to leave.

Ava tells Kiki that she and Griff have a friendship based on compassion, but she wants more than that. Kiki asks if she wants more with Griff, but she says no, more of herself. She wants to stop worrying about scars that won’t heal. Kiki wonders if she thinks a trip to the spa will fix it, and she says probably not, but she’s going to try. Kiki accuses her of being cryptic, and says there’s clearly something else going on. Ava says they’ll talk before she leaves, but right now she has to get ready for her big adventure. Kiki leaves. Geez, she’s getting kicked out of everywhere today.

Griff tells Sonny that he’s focusing more on medicine, and Sonny can do better for spiritual guidance. Sonny thinks Griff tells it like it is, and he’s Duke’s son, the one person who understands leaving the life he’s always known. Griff says that starting over, no matter how noble the motives or how hard you try, can still seem like you failed. Sonny asks if he’s talking about Sonny’s life, Duke’s life, or his own life.

Valentin says he wouldn’t dream of crashing a party. He tells Dante that he’s spoken to his attorney, and things are going well. He’d like a court date as soon as possible. Lulu says the sooner the better, and Valentin says they all want what’s best for Charlotte. When he’s gone, Lulu tells Dante he seems confident, and wonders what about. After seeing him with Ava, it can’t be good news.

Ava thinks over the past few months. Griff saying that her appearance has nothing to do with long, fulfilling life; Carly telling her that her face is as ugly as her soul; Sam saying can reclaim her life; Valentin offering her the deal; Griff saying wants to be her friend; Kiki saying she seems energized; and Griff at the gym. She remembers telling him that she wants to look in the mirror and not be reminded of every person she’s wronged. She says that when she comes back, she won’t be hiding anymore. She’ll be living.

Griff tells Sonny that he needs to get back. Sonny asks if he’s okay. He says he’s thinking about what it take to live the life he chose, and Sonny asks if he’s thinking about leaving the priesthood.

Carly says she doesn’t care if she has to call someone to get Sam out of there. She’s out of control. Sam says she’s right; she is out of control, and she’s not going to let her take Jason away.

Franco talks to himself, saying that he’d wished he never had to see mommy dearest’s face again, and now he really needs her. What secret is she hiding? What secret is important enough to give up future BLTs, and what is Jason doing in his childhood?

Tomorrow, Alexis suggests that Carly is covering up something, Griff says that Ava is in Russia, and Carly thinks Michael should know the truth.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Vicki talks to Briana about her upcoming birthday party. She wants to have a roast, but doesn’t understand what that is. Briana thinks she’s way too sensitive for being roasted, and talks her out of it.

Kelly meets Peggy at a boutique where Gianelle works. Omg, Kelly starts talking about the rejuvenation again. I will never escape this topic. When she explains that her hooha was tightened, Peggy asks her if it was loose. <snort>

Meghan and Lydia take a walk. Lydia talks about Doug getting a vasectomy. She thinks it’s a good option just in case she changes her mind about having another baby. She asks Meghan what happened at the drag show. Meghan says that Lydia didn’t seem like she was having a good time. In her interview, Lydia explains that she wasn’t comfortable with dressing as a man in a bar or the sexual innuendo, but she tells Meghan it was when things turned nasty. She says every time they get together, it degenerates into a fight. Meghan brings up Kelly saying that her husband was having an affair, but Lydia says that Meghan was being mean before that. In her interview, she says Meghan has no problem cutting down Kelly’s marriage, but gets mad when it gets turned to her. She’s trying to hold up a mirror. Meghan doesn’t think it’s the same thing. Lydia says she’s kind of on Kelly’s side with this. She feels like Meghan attacked her first. Megan gets all emotional, saying Kelly attacked her marriage. Lydia says that she didn’t mean to upset her. Meghan says that she doesn’t give a flying, but she doesn’t say flying. She says she’s trying to have a balanced life. Lydia says she knows Meghan has a good heart. She’s sorry Meghan is latching on to her side of the story, and should look at the other side too. Let me just say it. Meghan is a know-it-all a-hole. Lydia is right. She can dish it out, but can’t take it. And I’ve said this before, she gossips under the guise of being helpful or informative.

Tamra is making something with a lot of eggs. Vicki calls. She says it’s awkward and hard, but wanted to take the first initiative, and asks her to meet for coffee. She wants to figure out a way to move forward or not. She says one of them has to make the first step; it’s weird not even saying hello when they see each other. We flash back to everyone telling Vicki this has to stop. She tells Tamra enough is enough. Tamra says okay, let’s do it. Tamra tells Vicki that she’s making a cheesecake, and Vicki tells her that she doesn’t know how to cook. Tamra says that she’s in a fog, but not too foggy to immediately call Shannon. She tells Shannon that Vicki wants to clear the air, but Shannon says it’s ridiculous. Tamra says she wouldn’t mind sitting down and telling her how she feels. In her interview, she assumes Vicki has seen the light, and wants to apologize. She says she’s shaking. I often wonder if these women are really adults.

Peggy talks about Gianelle going to school in NYC, and now Giavanna wants to go to school in LA. She says the dynamics of the house are going to change, but she’s ready after twenty years of hearing mom-mom-mom-mom. While driving to mail something, Diko uses the expression does a bear sh*t in the woods, and Peggy says if he lives in the woods, he’s gonna poop there, and has to explain it. She says that she doesn’t understand slang. She tells us that Diko has never mailed anything in his life, and watches as he tries to figure out which mailbox it goes in. She says Diko might be in charge, but she’s the neck that makes the head turn. She tells him that he doesn’t even know how to write a check, and I identify. Rich people, they really are like me. I am also a neck.

Meghan’s mother, Julie, comes for a visit, and fawns over baby Aspen. Meghan says her mom was with her the entire time she did IVF, and we flash back to that. She asks how many people can say their mom was with them when their child was conceived? I hope not many, and that with all of them it’s the same circumstance. She says her hormones are going haywire. She’s breastfeeding and not sleeping; a bad combination. She says she doesn’t have time to deal with the Kelly drama, and doesn’t want to deal with the emotional burden, when she has enough with a newborn.

Shannon’s daughters make her a birthday cake. Shannon and David talk about last year’s birthday when they did their vow renewal. She asks where they stand a year later. He says he wishes things were better, and the last six months have been stressful for her. He tends to pull away when she’s stressed. Of course this is Vicki’s fault. David says it didn’t bother him, but he couldn’t convince her to let it go. Shannon accuses him of saying that she’s obsessed because she never really listens to what the actual words are, and he says he’ll be glad to talk about it. He takes her hand, and she says it’s the first time he’s done that in six months. She feels like they renewed their vows, and then he wanted nothing to do with her. She gets all weepy, saying they don’t go on dates or text. He says there’s ups and downs with everything, but she says they don’t spend any time together. She asks what she did. In her interview, she says she’s not afraid of the answer. She just wants to know the truth. David leaves to check on the cake.

The girls call Shannon “the birthday princess,” and they all sit at the dining table. David says grace. He asks to be brought back to where they were at the vow renewal, and one of the daughters’ heads jerks around. In her interview, Shannon is afraid that they’re at the same place they were when he had the affair.

It’s time for Vicki’s birthday party, and it’s quite a spread, including a chocolate fountain. She’s excited because her family flew in from Chicago. She says it’s always chaos, and thinks maybe that’s why her life is so chaotic; she was raised in it. Briana and Ryan bring a gift. The extra gift is that they didn’t bring the kids. Ryan says he got one for both Briana and Vicki; something they’re doing as a family. It’s a gun. Steve says he’s carried one for the past thirty-six years, and Vicki is shocked that he has one on him all the time, even on their dates. (He’s a police officer.) She says maybe she hasn’t patted him down enough. BA-DUM-CHH!

Across town, Eddie is also having a birthday dinner at a restaurant. Cocktails are ordered, and they’re really weird. They have liquid nitrogen in them, and so does the popcorn. Meghan can’t wait to bring up Vicki, and Tamra says Vicki called her. We flash back to five minutes ago. Tamra says it felt like they were friends again. She says that she doesn’t know if she should forgive Vicki, when the swordfish comes out – with two full-sized swords sticking in it. And Shannon’s steak has been stabbed by a giant fork, and I mean like four feet high. What the hell is this place?

Vicki comes out in her red gown with matching lipstick, but no one notices. She starts singing happy birthday, and everyone turns around. Jeana from the first few seasons is there, and we flash back to the early years. Vicki tells Kelly about the gun. Kelly says she’d like to train, and her husband says she shouldn’t have a gun. I agree. Gretchen shows up in a glittery ball gown, along with Slade. He’s not wearing a gown though. We flash back to the tumultuous relationship she and Vicki had, and she says they’ve moved past it and are friends now. Vicki tells everyone to whoop it up.

Peggy wants to eat, because people think she doesn’t eat. Lydia tells Vicki that she values their friendship. Vicki tells her about calling Tamra. Lydia thinks her dream of reconciliation might come through. She says she believes in them. Normally, I find bubbly people irritating, but I like Lydia. I love how she tells the truth in love, practicing what she preaches.

Vicki thanks everyone for coming, and says she thinks she got it right this time with Steve. Kelly loves seeing a couple in love, but wishes she had it for herself. Vicki says there’s nothing better than having family around, and friends make it perfect. Everyone calls for fireball shots. Kelly says that she and Lizzie (from one of the seasons) have been friends for a while. They worked out at a place where Eddie worked, and everyone thought he was gay. Lizzie says Tamra claimed people say it all the time, and it’s not a big deal. We flash back to Tamra making it a big deal. A dude at the table claims that he saw Eddie making out with a guy. He was their best man, and Kelly asks why he wouldn’t have said something. He says she thought she was okay with it. In her interview, Vicki says she doesn’t want to know, but tell her more. Dude swears it’s the truth.

This season, volleyball, drinking, hookah smoking, Tamra and Vicki making up, Kelly goes to the hospital, the women go to Iceland, Lydia is done, Tamra and Vicki un-making up, and dysfunction to the highest degree.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

The ladies get ready for their trip. Cary Stephanie and Brandi are going to Memphis to visit her grandfather. She hopes the kids don’t give him another stroke. Brandi’s part-time nanny is also coming along.

Jeremy teaches photojournalism workshops, and tells D’Andra about his lecture. He says that Keatin wants to move out. D’Andra says he’s been there less than two months, and now he’s crawling home like a baby. She was hoping they’d set an example, and he’d pick up on the energy. She says all she gets is a vacuous stare, and infers that he has a sense of entitlement. He needs to stick something out for six months to a year. Jeremy asks her to be level-headed when they talk to him, because when she gets angry, she gets angry.

Brandi is making an effort to pull the relationships with the girls together. The Peabody Hotel has a duck pond in the lobby. Very cool. In her interview, Brandi talks about swimming in the Mississippi River as a kid. They pop some champagne when they get upstairs. Stephanie says it’s like she and Brandi are dating again, and meeting the family is the next step. She’s hoping for a proposal soon. Brandi says her grandfather is doing well. She explains about not having known him until about a year ago. She says it didn’t sit well with her grandmother, and she hasn’t spoken to her or her mom since. Brandi says for that side of the family, it’s like a betrayal, but hopes to see her while she’s there. She has guilt that she’s hurt her, and thinks she should have made more of an effort to visit over the years. They plan a girls’ night while they’re in Memphis.

Kameron has a presentation to show her husband for her pink dog food line. He’s not fond of the idea, but she thinks she can get part of the industry. Her daughter suggests she flip her hair to get daddy’s attention.

She visits Court in his office. She says she plays the dumb blonde card so he thinks he’s in control. She says she found someone who’s willing to work with her. He asks her if she can do it at a reasonable price. She tells him $100K. In her interview, she says a blank stare means she’s doing well. She must be doing well. He says no, and she says challenge accepted. He thinks she needs a business plan. He says he’s willing to give her $10K, and if she can show him one, they can talk about taking it to the next level. He adds if she wants to take it from blonde business to real business. She tells us that she has to show him she says blonde business is real business. Being a pet parent myself, I think she has a great idea. People will buy anything for their pets. I know I will. It won’t be a mainstream thing, but people will get it for the novelty, and she’ll make money. Remember the wall walker? You never see it anymore, but that guy made a skabillion dollars.

In Memphis, the girls head to Brandi’s grandfather’s house. Brandi says he looks good, and I agree. There are a ton of family members there, some of whom Brandi hasn’t even met. Brandi and Stephanie decide to have babies at the same time. Cary says he only two people who are more co-dependent are her and Mark.

Brandi asks how her grandfather is doing, and thanks him for having all of them. They toast to their family.

Brandi has a surprise for the girls. Catfishing. No, not that kind. Real fishing with a pole for catfish. The manager gives them waders, since you walk out into the water. Brandi talks about how her grandmother taught her how to catfish when she was a kid. Stephanie says she won’t even touch salmon when she cooks it. She’s stresses over putting worms on the hooks. In her interview, she says she doesn’t like killing things, and thinks it’s a direct line to hell. Um…don’t you eat meat? And wear leather? Brandi gets a fish almost immediately.

The uninvited LeeAnne goes out with D’Andra and Kameron. She’s hoping a girls’ night will perk her up. She’s upset about the trip to Memphis, thinking that she and Brandi had built a bond. Rich says he’s her consolation prize, and once again I wonder why he sticks around when she’s batsh*t crazy.

Brandi and the girls get ready to go out. In a horse drawn pumpkin coach.

In Dallas. LeeAnne is super excited to get to know Kameron better, since she has a woman crush, but not that way.  Kameron says that Brandi told her that her husband didn’t like LeeAnne coming to the house, and isn’t allowed in. LeeAnne says good to know next time Brandi throws a party. She’ll say she can’t come. In her interview, LeeAnne says if she rang tin bell, Brandi would let her in. D’Andra doesn’t know what’s going on with her.

Brandi says her relationship with LeeAnne is a work in progress, but she won’t have her around the family; the girls are scared of her. Carly says she thinks that Brandi could find a common ground. Cary says she’s been a good friend, and if LeeAnne is talking behind their backs, she’s going to go out of her mind.

LeeAnne meets with her therapist, Elizabeth. She wants to talk about Rich. He told her they’d be engaged by last year, but she doesn’t want to push him. It’s been eight years, but she has faith, and he stayed though the bad times. She says the new LeeAnne knows it’s his choice on his terms, and she’s hanging on to hope. She wonders if Elizabeth thinks it’s okay to say something, and Elizabeth says it’s essential. LeeAnne wonders how you push without pushing, and Elizabeth doesn’t know if that’s possible.

Brandi and her mom are going to her grandmother’s. Brandi says that the family is still struggling with a lot of pain. Brandi’s mom says she loves her mother, but has to love from afar. Brandi thinks the family leans on her to put things back together, and it’s a lot of pressure.

Cary asks Stephanie if she and Brandi are back together. Stephanie says it’s better now. She says she wasn’t there for Brandi at a crucial time, and lost everything. Cary tells her that she kisses Brandi’s ass, and Stephanie agrees.

Jeremy tells D’Andra that they need to talk to Keatin. D’Andra tells him that she’s emotional and angry, and fears they’ll be having the same conversation a year from now and ten years from now. She says Keatin never implements any of his ideas. Keatin joins them and she asks why he’s not comfortable. He says it’s just the way he feels, and it’s nothing they did. Jeremy says it’s been less than two months, and D’Andra says he hasn’t explored on opportunity. If he goes back to South Carolina, his life will go back to what it was. Then she tells him if he rolls his eyes again, she’ll take them out of his head. (Remembering that for future reference.) She says the only way to have a happy life is to do something with it. She tells him that he’s selfish and starts getting loud, saying that he has no commitment to anything. Jeremy asks when he’s moving, and Keatin says probably tonight. Jeremy tells him there’s no going back; they’re not supporting him again. He says he understands. They both think he’s making a mistake. Keatin goes upstairs and D’Andra tells Jeremy how upset she is.

Brandi goes to the house while her mom waits in the car. Brandi sees that her grandmother is home, but her biggest fear is that she won’t answer the door. Seriously, what the hell is with people? She rings the bell, while usually she just walked in the back door. She’s feeling awkward, and talks to the barking dog through the door.

Keatin has his little backpack ready. He hugs D’Andra and Jeremy good-by. Jeremy says he means the world to them. In her interview, D’Andra says that she feels like she let Keatin and her husband down; like she didn’t do something, but doesn’t know what it is. She wants a do-over, and I know the feeling. Jeremy says just pray he does good.

Back in Memphis, Brandi still waits on her grandmother’s porch. She says that she knows her grandmother is in there. I’d just walk in the freaking back door like I used to. Brandi asks her grandmother to please talk to her. She leaves a bouquet by the door, and goes back to the car. She says that it’s an empty feeling when you love someone and get shunned, and they don’t let you in. It makes her second guess even trying. Brandi’s mom asks if she could hear her, and Brandi says even if she didn’t hear the bell, the dog was barking. Her mom tells her that she’s sorry, and Brandi cries in her arms. She says it’s painful coming from someone by your side since you were born. She named Brandi, and wonders how it came to this. She calls Stephanie from the car, and tells her what happened. She says it’s okay though, at least she knows how her grandmother feels, and that she tried.

Brandi gets back to the hotel. She says the biggest lesson learned is to not cut people out of your life. She did the same thing to Stephanie, and has learned a lesson. The three of them get in bed with some wine and face masks. The cosmetic kind. Brandi says she wants them to be happy, and Cary says they are. Brandi was hoping for more, but it didn’t happen. She has to let it go. She feels loved by them, and thanks them. She says she’s going to drink a lot, and Cary says they’ll drink too; that’s what friends are for. Cary puts the mask on Brandi, and says that nothing makes you feel better than wine and a gold face mask. Stephanie takes a picture. She says the best thing for broken heart is hydrating your face.

Next time, the Texas State Fair, D’Andra isn’t comfortable with behind the back talk, and LeeAnne calls Cary a condescending bitch.

Some Photos from October 2001

911-2 (2)911-5 (2)

911-3 (2)911-1 (2)

Never Forget

September 10, 2017 – Asa’s Latest Art Project & Twice the Fear

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

Shahs of Sunset

Shervin goes to a cigar store. There is discussion about cigars that I don’t understand, and he joins Mike in the back for a smoke and some whiskey in mason jars. Shervin brings up Tara, saying she’s crazy, and he never touched her. He claims they just went for drinks, and he dropped her off and went home. Mike laughs. Shervin insults Tara again, asking why he should want a Ford when he can get a Ferrari. Bleh. Mike says he’s been through the same thing. In his interview, he says Shervin has it all figured out, which is exactly what he thought about himself when he cheated on Jessica. He says if you build your relationship on lies, it eventually becomes a blurred reality, and when the truth comes out, it will destroy everything he’s built.

GG has a part in an upcoming play (Sex Tips for a Straight Girl from a Gay Man), and meets with an acting coach. He says it’s good she hasn’t had classes before, since there will be no bad habits to break. She explains about having a hearing loss. She says she can hear certain pitches and not others, and sometimes everything blends in. He has her read from a scene. He tells her to take her nervousness and use it. In her interview, she says she’s looking for something that gives her a rush that isn’t drugs or sex, and has always wanted to dabble in acting.

Reza and Adam go to the fertility clinic to check out Reza’s test results. In his interview, Reza explains the procedure, and I go ♫ LA-LA-LA! ♫ The doctor brings in the results, and tells Reza he got an A+. Adam has some abnormally shaped sperm in the sample, and the doctor says that he might want a do-over. Adam claims it was hot the day before. Huh? The doctor says it’s time to think about egg donors. Reza tells him that they want to get settled in a house first.

MJ and Tommy take the dogs to the park. They check out the ducks in the lake, and MJ gets excited over seeing a turtle. She says even though it’s been full-time hospital duty, she needs Tommy to get her pregnant. He says he’s putting his hard hat on and doing his best. She says seeing the “no” come up on the ovulation stick is like a knife in her heart. She tells him about Asa freezing embryos, and insisting she didn’t use them to get pregnant, and lying by omission. She wonders what else Asa is lying about. Tommy thinks there’s no reason to be friends with her.

Asa shows her mom the footage from Israel that she’s editing. She’s excited about an event she’s planning where she’s going to share her spiritual experience. In her interview, she says it was so precious; she wishes everyone had as an enriching experience as she did, but they’re not as elevated. She does an introduction for the film about co-existing peacefully. She hopes the others will be inspired, and let go of the petty bullsh*t.

Mike is doing a photo shoot with a load of babies for his new shoe line. The way he describes what he wants sounds like the old United Colors of Benetton ads. He says he’s optimistic, but babies don’t sit still and pose. Hopefully, out of thousands of pictures, they can get ten they can use. Mike’s mom shows up to support the project. In his interview, Mike says he’s 100% a momma’s boy, and his mom’s validation means everything. He knows she’s thinking about being a grandparent. He understands that men don’t have biological clocks, but is concerned he’ll be an old man by the time he has kids.

GG goes to a hearing clinic to see an audiologist. She explains that she was born with a problem, but it wasn’t noticed until she was around ten, and she became adept at lip reading. They give GG a hearing test like we used to get in school. She hasn’t told the director about her hearing issue, and is worried about hearing the other actors’ lines. The tests show 28% hearing capacity for low to normal pitches, and the doctor suggests discussing hearing devices. In her interview, GG explains that when she was younger, she was already teased for being Middle-Eastern, so she tossed out the hearing aid she had. She tells us that everyone has pushed her to be a better person, but now she wants to do it for herself. She makes arrangements for a new hearing aid, which these days, is practically invisible.

Asa says that she’s a refugee from Iran, so by default, she’s a political artist. The venue looks beautiful – outside, with tiny white lights on the trees, small tables, flowers everywhere, and a screen up front. Hey, there’s Paris Jackson! I forgot that Asa’s boyfriend is Jermaine. She doesn’t want to complain about being pregnant, but she complains non-stop. She feels alone, and wishes her friends were more loving toward her, even though everyone keeps asking what they can do.

Tommy thinks MJ should cover more of her cleavage. He says she looks fantastic, but he doesn’t want her showing the world. She duct tapes her dress to herself. Reza comes by, since he’s going with them. In his interview, he says they’re still living in squalor and it looks like a dump. He points out some hand-painted glasses that he gave MJ, saying that she put them the dishwasher. He asks if they have any kind of plan – there’s not even a sink in the bathroom. He asks Tommy if the baby is going to sleep in the bathtub. MJ says her father is ill, and she’s not moving at micro-speed.

Shervin arrives at Asa’s event. He tells GG that he feels like she played both sides of the street with Tara. He thinks she’s twisting his words. In his interview, he brings up her history of lying, and we flash back to when she said she’d seen a sex tape with Reza in it. She tells him that she doesn’t care what he does, but it’s not cool to call her a liar. He claims he just met up with Tara at a bar. In her interview, GG says he’s backtracking, and she needs for him to be real. She tells him to say what he wants, and let God be his judge.

MJ tells Reza about freezing her eggs, but doesn’t really understand how the procedure worked. Reza explains it, and Tommy says the fact Reza knew more, probably means that MJ should pump the brakes a little. She talks about Asa going to the same doctor. Reza says Asa had confided in him that she was getting egg retrieval at the same time MJ was, and now he’s in a weird position. MJ tells him that Asa lied to her. She says she thinks that Asa is lying to everyone. Reza says from the time that Asa said she was pregnant, something didn’t sit right with him. In her interview, MJ feels it’s a deep level of deceit, and doesn’t know what could be a bigger f-u in life.

Reza says he just let the cat out of the bag. An uncomfortable situation that he was in the middle of, just turned into DEFCON WTF? He wants to respect Asa’s privacy, but she paints a façade of everything being perfect. He understands how MJ feels, since it seems deceptive. A champagne tower is poured, and there’s also a very nice spread of food. In his interview, Mike says he never knows what to expect at Asa’s art shows. Mike gives her a pair of teeny tiny shoes, and she gets baby gifts from several other friends. Reza says MJ looks glazed over, and feels like it’s his fault.

Asa introduces the film. The project is called Our Future. Roll the video. In her interview, MJ says for the past six years, they’ve been supportive of Asa’s art. One year Asa is this, and one year Asa is that, and she’s not faking it anymore. She’s tired of pretending that Asa is a protégé, when she’s really a master bullsh*tter.

Destiney says that Asa comes from a place of healing and love. MJ says she sounds that way, but she lied to them about getting in vitro. GG thinks if someone isn’t giving you what you need, that’s not a friend. Asa realizes that something is going on. She tells MJ that to take her focus off of what she finds wrong in Asa’s life. MJ says that Asa asked a million questions when MJ was going through the process like she never went through it. Asa says she doesn’t trust MJ. In his interview, Mike says that Asa will act like you don’t know what you’re talking about to the point where you believe it. MJ says she’s never done anything to Asa to be treated this way. GG says that MJ feels hurt and tries to intervene, but MJ walks away. Tommy follows her, but she tells him to leave her alone. He says Asa is her good friend, and she tells him to STFU and keeps walking.

Next time, Reza questions Asa’s friendship, GG talks to Annalise, and GG tries to reconcile with her sister.

Fear the Walking Dead – Two Hour Premiere

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

A song, Death is Not the End, plays while zombies amble around, and everyone goes about their various chores, whether it’s pumping water or killing zombies. Jake is coughing, and Alicia asks if he’s okay. He tells her that it’s worse in the morning, and he just needs coffee. Troy and Nick go out on a mission. Madison wanders around. She goes into Jeremiah’s office, and goes through the desk.

A convoy is on the horizon. Nick and Troy head back to the ranch. It’s Walker and his people. Walker shakes hands with Jake, and brings in his trucks. Jake leads a small group to the supply area. Troy doesn’t want Ofelia coming in, since they’re in this position because of her. Jake insists they’re going to accept everyone, and Troy backs down. Walker asks how many feel like Troy, and Sam admits that most of them do. Jake shows Walker the gun inventory. He gives Walker a key, saying that he has the other one. It’s like a safe deposit box – they need both keys to get to the arsenal.

At Jeremiah’s grave, Nick asks if Troy is okay. He says no, he wants to dig him up and kill him again. Nick says he saved people, but Troy says he was a drunk. Nick tells Troy that he lost his dad too. He wrecked his truck on the freeway. The cops said he fell asleep at the wheel, but Nick thinks he chose death. Troy talks about closed caskets, so people don’t have to witness what remains.

At the dam, Daniel tells Lola it’s dangerous out there, but she says she needs to face it.

Walker’s people are patted down. The guys don’t like it, but it’s what Walker and Jake want. Madison asks Alicia about Jake, and tells her to take care of him. Alicia isn’t happy about the treaty with Walker.

Daniel and Lola give out water from a truck. Someone yells that they’re coming, and everybody runs around like crazy. Some zombies head toward them.

Jake holds a meeting. He says their path has been hard, and everyone has suffered loss, but they can’t dwell on it and need to move forward. They can’t hold grudges if they want a better future. If they share supplies and skills, they can have a future and be whole in a generation. Walker says both his people and theirs are equally afraid of one another. He says they must forgive. His grudge died when Jeremiah made his sacrifice. Fear turns into fury, and they need to give that to the outside.

Nick visits Ofelia. She’s glad he survived. He asks if she feels guilty, but she says not as much as she thought. She’s her father’s daughter. She asks what about him, and says they’re not so different.

Walker asks Madison about Troy, and if she’s really in charge. Troy accuses Jake of sleeping with the enemy, since Alicia killed Gretchen. Like there was a choice. Jake says they were at war, now they’re not, so get it right. Troy makes discontented noises to the others.

Walker buries the relics, and Alicia approaches. He says she can join him. He says he never told his people what he did, and it’s best they don’t witness it. The dead should stay buried. He tells her that he wants peace, and she tells him to look to Jake for that, not her mother. He says her mother does what’s necessary.

Madison goes through some files in Jeremiah’s office. At the canteen, Terrence pulls out a gun, and starts shooting. One of Walker’s people puts him in a headlock and squeezes the crap out of him. Walker tells him that’s enough. In the infirmary, Alicia says that Terrence’s sternum is crushed. Walker asks what if others follow his example, and wonders who spit poison in his ear. He says he doesn’t believe in guilt by association, but his people are important. He wants the other key from Jake. He tells Jake not to test him, and Jake says they’re here because of Jeremiah. Don’t test him. Madison tells Jake to give him the key. Jake says they’ll be prisoners on their own land, but she tells him that it’s better than the alternative, and he hands it over. Weapons are gathered from the people on the ranch.

Madison tells Nick that he’s not obligated, but he thinks he is. They go to Troy’s place with a few of Walker’s men. He’s told that they’re keeping the peace, and Madison says they need to search the house; they need his weapons. He says what about his safety. Nick says he doesn’t want to die on his doorstep, and Troy lets them in. He sits at the desk, saying this is where Jeremiah died, and he had to burn the blood off the wood. They’re about to search upstairs, and Troy pulls out a gun, telling them to get out. They back out, but Nick stays. Madison asks Walker to let her talk him down. She says she can fix this; it’s her son.

Troy says he’s going to do what his father should have. He says it doesn’t work like this; they’ll all regress and can’t live in harmony. Nick says everyone just wants to live. Troy shows Nick a cache of weapons, and says this is how it was always going to end. He doesn’t want to die like his father did. Nick says it’s not what Jeremiah wanted, and Troy asks why he cares. He gives Nick a gun. Madison comes to the window, and tells Troy this isn’t the way. She tells him to lay his weapons down and come out. He says it will be total surrender, but she says it’s survival. He says that she wants to save her son, and she says she wants to save him too. She wants him with her. Troy stupidly starts shooting, and gunfire is exchanged. Nick stays out of the fray.

A gunfight ensues. Lots of shooting. Troy gets hit. Some of Walker’s men enter the house. Nick tells Troy that it’s over. Troy tells him that if he can make a fist, he can fire a gun. If he can fire a gun, he can kill. He thanks Nick, saying that Nick is the last person he thought would have his back. He doesn’t mind dying, but it’s good to have company.

Daniel tells Lola that more infected have gotten in. Lola says they’ll deal with it tomorrow; he should get some rest. She says that he’s still looking for Ofelia. He says that he keeps thinking she’ll be the next one in line; hope is hard to kill. Lola says the north is overrun, and every place else is nearly as bad. Hope is one thing; waiting is another. He also made a promise to her, and she needs him. The search will break him. Daniel says nothing breaks him. He’s  immortal, remember?

The shooting continues at the ranch. Nick says he doesn’t want to die, and Troy says he might have backed the wrong horse. Nick doesn’t want Troy to die either, and Troy says he definitely backed the wrong horse. Nick tells him it’s not what his father wanted, and to throw the gun out the window; nothing good can come from this. He says Jeremiah sacrificed himself, and not to ruin it or take it from him. Troy goes bonkers, and Nick gets him down, and yells that they surrender. Troy gets the better of him, and says he’s pissed now. Nick tells him that he’s right, his father didn’t want to take his own life. Jeremiah was going to let everyone die out of spite. He’d lost his mind to drinking, but he didn’t kill himself. Nick killed him. Troy points the gun at Nick. He lowers it, and the door opens.

Walker tells Madison that peace cannot exist without justice. She tells him that Terrence will be dead soon. She says that Troy has to go, but don’t martyr him. Walker says exile, and Madison agrees. Walker says that Nick has to answer for what he did. Madison says that he got Troy to surrender. There can be consequences, but he lives, and he stays at the ranch.

The crowds for the water from the dam are getting restless. Someone yells that they killed the people who worked there, so they could keep it for themselves. Lola gets hit in the forehead with a rock. The crowd surges forward. Daniel tries to help Lola. He manages to get her into the truck, and they drive away, leaving an angry mob behind.

Jake asks Troy what happened to his hand, where he was wounded in the fray, and Troy says if he had a matching pair, he’d be Jesus, and asks if he’s going to be crucified. Jake says he’ll be tested in the wasteland, and can’t come back. Troy understands, and doesn’t blame him. He won’t fight it, but doesn’t trust Walker. Jake says he’ll take Troy to the outside, but Troy says he’s not up to it. He needs Madison to take him. She’ll protect him; he trusts her.

Troy gets one knife, one gun, and one bullet. Walker says that they chose extradition instead of execution. He’ll suffer, but maybe he’ll live. Troy gets I the bed of the truck with Claw Jackson as guard, and Madison takes the wheel.

Madison brings Troy out to the middle of nowhere. She says he’s being banished. He asks if she doesn’t think he can find his way back, and she says he won’t do that to his brother. He calls her a real Pandora. As Claw is cutting Troy’s bonds with a knife, Troy intentionally cuts his own uninjured hand, gets the knife away, and slits Claw’s throat. Wow. Madison draws her gun, and says no more killing. He asks if she’s met her quota, and he tells him to get his pack and go. She says she doesn’t want to kill him. He asks if it’s guilt; he knows what she did. She says that Jeremiah had to die, and it should have been her. He asks who stopped her, and what’s stopping her now. He knocks the gun out of her hand, and grabs her from behind. And he’s not even tired.  She says his father wanted to let everyone die, including him. Troy says that they could have fought and won, and that he doesn’t surrender. Madison backwards headbutts him, and grabs the gun. Troy says he thought she wanted him with her. He pretends like he’s getting tired, but she’s not having it. He picks up his pack and starts walking. What’s she going to do about Claw dude?

Part Two

Nick hears zombies outside his cell. It’s Troy, pretending to be a zombie. He does a somersault like Willy Wonka, and peeks in through the small window. He asks if Nick thinks he saved them, and Nick says he saved Troy, but Troy doesn’t think so. He closes the opening, and Nick begs him to open it again. Troy says he was just playing, and he has the key. He wants Nick to tell him the password. Nick says he’s dying and he owes Troy. Troy opens the cell, and holds out his hand. It’s a just a dream, or a mirage, or whatever.

Madison and Walker look out over what little water there is left. Madison tells Walker that there has to be a plan B. They agree that no one can know because the peace it too fragile. Walker tells Madison about a trading post, but she says it’s a lot to buy. They decide to ration what’s left – two gallons per person per day. Walker tells Jake that they’re giving him two guns, and to keep the peace. Madison tells Alicia that Jake seems better. Alicia says she’ll watch over Nick. Madison says that there’s only six weeks of water left, and no one can know. If word gets out, they need to get out. She gives Alicia a two-way radio if she needs to reach her, and says she’s always been the strong one.

Madison gives Nick a canteen. She says she has to go away for a couple of days, and needs to know he’s okay. She pets him on the head, and says that she loves him. She gets in a truck with Walker.

Nick is released. His bonds are cut, and Crazy Dog says he’s keeping an eye on him. Alicia comes to lead Nick away. She brings him back to the cabin, and he looks at all the bullet holes. She tells him take it easy on the water, they’re rationing. She tells him that Madison and Walker have gone to find water.

Jake talks to a group of ranch people. One woman says her horses and cattle need water, and that they don’t have to listen to outsiders. Alicia tells her to leave then, but guarantees that it’s worse out there. She tells them to trust Jake. Everyone is cool now, and they hug it out.

Madison calls Alicia on the radio. She asks about Nick, and Alicia says he’s dehydrated, but okay. She tells Madison that the people are suspicious and paranoid. Madison says if they don’t find anything tomorrow, they’ll turn around, but Alicia says don’t. She’ll call if there’s a crisis. Walker says she stands between her children and the sun. She asks if he has children, and he says he has three dogs. She says talk to her when he has children. He tells her about one of his dog’s dying in a fight with a bigger dog. When he stuck his hand in to try and save him, his dog bit him – it was the only time he ever did. Madison says thanks; she’s seeing things in a whole new light now.

Nick hears the door open, and jumps out of bed. He grabs a guy coming through the door, and holds a knife to his throat. Sam and a few other ranch guys come in, and say they’re not there to hurt him. Nick lets the guy go, and Sam says that what he did meant a lot, even though no one is saying it. They’re ready to fight, if he is. He says they need guns that they don’t have, and thinks it’s best to keep a low profile. Another guy says they brought him a gift, the last free gun on the ranch. If anyone deserves it, it’s him. They make a plan to talk tomorrow.

People line up for water at the ranch, but they’re not too happy. A little girl smacks the water out of Ofelia’s hand. A guy accuses people of double-dipping, and says that they need to do something.

Walker and Madison drive to a parking lot, past a bunch of dead (really dead) bodies. It’s a marketplace that’s inside a stadium. A guy asks for their guns before they enter, and a woman tells them. welcome to The Bizarre, a safe market in unsafe times. She asks what they have to trade, and if Madison will trade the radio. Madison tries to call Alicia, but gets no answer. She hands the radio over anyway, and gets 29 credits, less parking and security. Apparently, one of the cable companies runs this place.

They go into the market. There must still be lots to trade out there, since it’s seriously crowded. It’s like that money changer song in Jesus Christ, Superstar.

Alicia visits Ofelia. She tells Ofelia that she heard some of Walker’s people went through the water line twice. Crazy Dog gripes about her people being on their land. Alicia says she’s trying to keep the peace like Walker wanted, and thinks there should be a system. Ofelia insists that no one from the Nation went through twice. She says that she heard the militia was rebuilding, and if she really wants peace, she should control her own people first. #GoAwayAgainOfelia

The new militia is anxious to get started, but Nick says Walker’s people have the guns. If they attack first, they’ll end up like Troy, who moved too soon. He’s not suggesting they give up, but wait.

Alicia sees that Nick has a gun, and asks what if Crazy Dog finds it. I keep wanting to call him Crazy Horse. Nick says the ranch guys think he’s a hero, and I wonder where he got the regular cigarette that he’s smoking. Alicia asks what if they find out what he and Madison did? She knew the second they said Otto’s death was a suicide. She was upset that she wasn’t a part of it, but then felt relieved. What a burden it is being mom’s favorite. Nick says he didn’t do it for her. Alicia says he’s not the kind of person who would do it for the ranch. Look what killing has done to him. He says they’re alive. Alicia says that they keep trying to make Madison love them, but it’s broken.

Alicia tries to get Madison on the radio. Nothing.

Madison asks about water, and the merchant asks how thirsty they are. Walker says ten thousand gallons. She says she has half that, but it will clean her out. She asks what they have to offer. He shows her tube containing I don’t know what, but she says it’s not enough. Walker tells her there’s ten thousand more where that came from, and she thinks maybe they can work something out.

A fight starts, and surprise! Victor is involved. He’s apprehended, and Madison asks what he did. He tells her that they’ll hurt her too, and the water lady says no deal. Madison picks up a shovel and starts beating heads with it. Somebody grabs her, but Walker steps in. She, Victor, and Walker all jet, and Victor says he knows a safe place. He leads them through a tunnel to a big cement room. Madison asks how much trouble he’s in, and Walker says he’s in debt, and they should leave. Victor says he can’t leave until his debts are paid. He made a rash, stupid decision that compromised him. He tells Madison about the dam, but says they don’t want to go there. Walker says these people want to kill Victor, who tells him that people either love or hate him, but there’s a damn good reason why he’s here. Madison says they have to rest. Victor says fine, but the bed is his.

Alicia tells a woman at the well to put it back. The woman asks if Alicia is going to turn her in. Alicia starts pouring it back, and the woman starts yelling. Nick intervenes, and she says that they care more about them, than us. Nick says there is no them and us, and a fight starts. Alicia announces that they only have six weeks’ worth of water, and if they don’t work together, they’ll run out and die. It’s that simple; so stop. Everyone gets stupid, and starts fighting. Crazy Dog arrives with Ofelia, and says they’re taking the well to make sure everyone gets what they need. He tells Nick to move, and Nick takes out his gun. Ofelia makes faces. #GoSomewhereElseOfelia  Nick sits on the well, and the people gather around. Ofelia tells Crazy Dog not now. He says that he’ll keep the peace, but not at all costs. It’s the same water table, and they’ll need to get as much out as the can before the ranch people do.

Walker goes through the bizarre with his head wrapped in a scarf. Madison asks Victor where Walker went, and Victor says that he’s not much of a talker. He asks if Madison trusts him. She says they want and need the same thing. He asks if she found Nick, and she tells him she did, and Alicia. They’re safe on a ranch; her children are alive. He puts his arm around her. He says she found Nick, but lost Travis, and calls God a feckless thug.

Two guys suddenly appear with Walker.

Victor and some others are awaiting their fate. Madison tries talking to someone about Victor, but gets brushed off. The people are tied to the fence until their debts are paid. That’s what they saw when they came in. Victor tells her to go back to her children. He says it’s everywhere; the whole word is lost. Madison says that she found him. He says that he was named Victor because his mom knew he’d win. He kisses her, and says he’ll be fine. He’s led out with the others.

Alicia watches from a platform. She sees a few people crossing the field. A woman with a divining rod leads them.

Madison is having a drink, and Walker approaches. He made the water deal. She’ll have it at first light. He tells her to think about what the water will mean for them.

Nick and the others make plans. And spears. He says they’re outmatched. Someone suggests using the RVs as a barricade, but he says fortification is wasted energy. He tells them that if they can get the guns, this back and forth ends. Disarm them, and there’s no blood. Or there’s a lot of blood, one dude says.

Victor is brought outside, and ankle cuffed. He looks pretty scared. Sh*t! (I say this like, a dozen times real fast at the TV.) Zombies are coming. No, no, no! Not my Victor!

At least they gave Victor a pick ax. He whacks a couple of zombies in the head, but then he’s down. Suddenly, two guys come out of the gate and shoot the zombies. Madison is with them, and they let Victor come back in. When they get to the truck, Walker tells Madison that she killed off all of them for this dude. She says buying water was a temporary fix, but Victor has a permanent solution. He’s taking them to the dam.

The nu-militia goes through the fields, and comes up to Ofelia’s cabin. Someone tells Nick to get Alicia out of there – she’s digging with the divining people.

Ofelia tells Crazy Horse Dog that she can talk to him. He says no more talk. They won’t spill first blood, but if the militia attacks, Walker will understand. Nick says that Alicia is trying to save them. He hands the dude his gun and starts to walk toward the digging. Inside, Ofelia and Crazy Dog see Nick. The guys in the militia start to put their guns down, and Ofelia and Crazy Dog go outside. Nick starts to dig. More people join them, and it’s like an old Coke commercial. ♫ I’d like to teach the world to dig. ♫

Next time, Walker says his side comes first, lies have consequences, and Madison meets up with Daniel.

😏 Victor always says he’s got this, and has never gotten anything,Yvette Nicole Brown on Talking Dead

🐅  The Walking Dead starts up again on Sunday, October 22 at 9 pm. I’m looking forward to some King Ezekiel.

TWDKingEzekiel

September 8, 2017 – Maxie Wants a Job, Tarantino’s Dogs, Quotes to Ponder & It

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Maxie and Nathan kiss, but she stops because of her makeup. She says her meeting is too important to arrive smudged. She asks if he’s told her the whole truth about Amy.

On the phone, Ava asks why Valentin can’t come to her. He says that he’s otherwise engaged. She sees that Griff is calling her, and makes arrangements to meet Valentin.

At The Floating Rib, Lulu tells Valentin that Nina isn’t a part of discussing Charlotte’s custody, but Nina tells Lulu that she and Valentin are back together.

Stella tells TJ he’s a hard-working young man like his father and brother. She says Curtis didn’t come home last night, and thinks he must have been on a stake out.

Nope, he’s in bed with Jordan. She wonders how they managed to stay away from each other.

Elizabeth comes downstairs, and Franco puts the photo under the couch. He tells her that the kids are on the bus. She says all three? and he goes, you mean we have three? Ha-ha! I love him. He called the hospital, and asked someone to cover for her. He tells her that she needs sleep. He says he was worried about her. She keeps thinking about Jason, and Franco says he does too. He says her son’s father is in a coma, and it’s as good a reason as any for a personal day. She asks what if Jason isn’t okay? She’ll always wonder if the time she stole from him would have made a difference. Franco is pretty sure everyone is going to blame themselves, but thinks that Elizabeth can make more productive use of her time than beating herself up. He suggests inviting Monica over. She says they’ll talk about it when she gets home from work.

Elizabeth runs into Scotty on her way out. Franco asks if he knows him. Scotty says it’s not his fault they haven’t seen each other in ages. Franco tells him about Jason, and says he’s the last person who’s qualified to give comfort. Scotty says he’s not going to make things better.

Stella asks if TJ needs help paying for school. He tells her not to worry; he’s good. She jokes that the wages must be considerable, and there’s no shame in talking help, but he wants to do it on his own. She says Curtis was the same way. They never needed much looking after. TJ says that doesn’t mean they don’t love her. She says it’s time she went back home and left them in peace.

Curtis tells Jordan that he stated his position clearly. Jordan repeats that he’s dangerously this close to falling in love with her. He asks if she has something to say, but she says the person she needs to talk to is Stella. They have to tell her they’re back together.

Nathan says he’s told Maxie everything. She says she knows; she’s just pulling his chain. She tells him it’s a rare opportunity, and she wants to enjoy someone else in the hot seat. Amy comes by. She fumbles trying to talk to Maxie, and Maxie says she understands. She would have done anything for her sister, but she’s hoping that’s all they have in common. She tells Nathan to wish her luck and jets. Amy tells Nathan that she doesn’t blame Maxie, especially since it’s not over between them.

Valentin tells Lulu that the hearing is a mere formality. Lulu says that she and Dante have custody, but Valentin reminds her that it’s temporary custody. The charges were dropped, and there’s no proof of criminal wrongdoing on his part. They’re just as fit to parent as Dante and Lulu. Lulu says the only reason he got back together with Nina was to score points in family court. Really nice, since Nina has been nothing but gracious. Nina says they got back together because they love each other, and Lulu tells her that she hopes Nina isn’t counting on Charlotte being included in their life. Valentin tells her he wants joint custody, because he wants to act in his daughter’s best interest; does she?Lulu says they have different ideas of what that means. Valentin suggests all four of them go with Charlotte for her first day of school. Lulu thinks that’s a good idea, but wishes they had even more family members to join them. She tells him her mom is still in Europe, taking care of Spencer –  remember him? Nina says it’s hard to forget false accusations, and Lulu says that Valentin killing Spencer’s father is hard to forget too.

Stella tells TJ that she’s cramping Curtis’s style. He never said it, but he’s been waiting for her to go since she got there. TJ says they’ll both miss her. She tells him that she wanted to make sure he had a good head on his shoulders, and that Curtis had his screwed on straight. Now that it’s confirmed, her work here is done.

Curtis tells Jordan that deep down Stella wants him to be happy, and Jordan makes him happy. He’ll do whatever it takes to convince her, but he can’t figure things out on an empty stomach. He suggests breakfast, but Jordan says she can wait. They get busy again.

Ava listens to Griff’s message. He feels terrible, and tells her that he doesn’t want it to get in the way of her recovery. He wants to fix things, but even if that’s not possible, he’s her friend. Ugh. Friend zone.

Elizabeth sees Griff in the chapel. She wants to say a quick prayer before her shift. He’s surprised that she’s working, but she says it’s good to keep busy. He hopes she isn’t doing it to avoid her feelings. Elizabeth says he sounds like Franco, and Griff says that’s a first. She says that Franco can be very perceptive, but can understand how he would seem.

Scotty tells Franco about Lee passing away. He says it’s not like Franco knew his grandfather, and didn’t want to bother him. Franco says he’s Scotty’s son, and hugs him.

Valentin meets Ava at The Floating Rib. She accuses him of picking a public place on purpose, to give her incentive to take the deal. He tells her that he was there already, and as for the deal, he just needs a yes or no.

Maxie walks into Nina’s office. She says Nina looks great, and Nina says that Maxie is probably sensing she’s back with Valentin. Maxie says she’s back in Port Charles for good. Nina says Nathan must be excited to be in the same time zone. She tells Maxie that she has to prepare for a meeting, and Maxie says it’s with her. Nina says of course – Max Jones – and asks if she was in Portland figuring out to catfish her old employer, Maxie says that she didn’t think Nina would see her otherwise. She wants to come back. Seriously? Nina didn’t give pause over that name?

Amy tells Nathan just one more time. and Nathan says she tells him that every time. She explains that Quinn has arranged for a book launch party, and Man Landers needs to be there. She talked to her lawyer, but the fine print states that if Man Landers doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, the contract is null and void. He suggests finding someone else, but she says Quinn has already met him, and it would raise questions. She’ll have to give the advance money back, and won’t have anything to pay for her brother’s recovery.

Stella tells Tj that she’ll visit, or he can come to Baltimore and she’ll take him out for real crab cakes. She says med school is a serious undertaking, and as long as he keeps his eyes on the prize, it’s fine with her. She’ll be back sooner if Curtis can’t keep his act together. Curtis and Jordan walk in holding hands.

Scotty says Franco isn’t known for his affection, and Franco says he’s just being supportive. Scotty tells him that he misses Lee every day. He was kind, fair, and had unshakable integrity, none of which Scotty has ever lived up to, but he knows Lee loved him. Franco says he doesn’t know a whole lot about the family or his own life. Scotty asks if it’s something in particular, and Franco says his relationship with Jason, and shows him the photo.

Scotty says that it’s Franco and some blonde kid. Franco says Monica would say it’s Jason. Scotty says even he looked like that as a kid, and wonders where Franco is going with this. Franco tells Scotty that he spent most of his adult life obsessing about Jason, and this proves they knew each other. Scotty says it proves him and whoever it is, happened to cross paths. Franco points out that they’re dressed identically, and thinks it’s odd. Scotty says that doesn’t mean anything, and it’s just Franco and a friend. Franco says he didn’t have any friends; he made them up. He’s thinking his imaginary friend might not have been imaginary.

Jordan asks if Curtis wants to do this by himself. He tells her that from now on, they do everything together. Curtis tells Stella that he didn’t come to make trouble, but they have something to settle. Jordan and he are together, and staying together. They’ll have to figure out a way to live with that peacefully.

Nina says she offered Maxie her job back, and she declined. Maxie says circumstances have changed – to Nina’s benefit.  She shows Nina her portfolio. Nina tries not to act interested, but she is she. She tells Maxie that she’ll have no problem finding a job. She didn’t fire her because of her work, but because she didn’t trust her

Elizabeth says she knows something is bothering Griff. He doesn’t have to say anything, but she’ll listen. He says that he did something stupid, but he’s not sure he knew he was doing it. He treated someone that he cared about clumsily, which is a really strange word choice. Elizabeth suggests an apology, but Griff says he needs to do more. She asks what it would take, and he says figuring out how he feels.

Valentin is surprised that Ava agreed to meet. She says he’s not her favorite person, and he says she’s in no position to compare transgressions. She tells him that she thought she could piece together a life, but if there a chance to look normal. she wants it. He suggests they talk terms.

Scotty says he has no recollection of the picture, and Franco is creating a half-baked theory. He says they look like a million other blonde kids. Maybe it was a coincidence they had the same outfit on, met by chance, and his mom took the picture. Franco tells him that he’s grasping at straws, and Scotty asks why he wants to revisit the past. Franco says he wants to know what it means.

TJ wishes Curtis and Jordan well. Stella says so this is where Curtis was, and he says sorry to worry her, but he doesn’t know if she would have felt any better knowing where he really was. He knows how she feels, but they have to find a way to work together. He loves her, but he loves Jordan.

Nathan wants to do what he can. Amy says that he made huge difference in Chet’s life. He’s doing a lot better, but rehab is tough, and he isn’t always the happiest camper. She wants to move him to Port Charles, where he can be surrounded by familiar faces. Nathan says that Chet is lucky to have her; not everyone would do so much. Amy says he would. Look what he did for a complete stranger. He’s continued to come through over and over, but she doesn’t know any other way. He admits being Man Landers isn’t his favorite thing, but he doesn’t regret it, and won’t stop now. He has one condition – that he gets wardrobe approval. Amy hugs him.

Nina says she valued Maxie’s work, but relationships are based on trust, and Maxie went behind her back. Maxie says she’s right. Nina’s family is none of her business, and she has no right to insert herself in it, but was it the worst betrayal she ever suffered? If she can forgive others, why not Maxie?

Valentin has two contracts. The first is Ava’s agreement to have the surgery done. Ava gives him photo of a 16th century tapestry. She says she thought it would look good at Wyndemere, and add considerable value to his assets. He’s like, cool, and says the other contract is a retraction of her statement about Nikolas. She doesn’t want to sign it, but he says that’s the deal. She says the tapestry is the deal. He tells her if that’s the case, she’s wasting his time and her own.

Amy has no idea how to repay Nathan. She says she’ll dedicate her next book to him – the man behind the woman behind the man. He just wants his identity not to be revealed. He’s thinking about Chet too. She tells him she can name on one hand the people who know – her, Nathan, Nina, and Maxie – they’re totally in the clear. Nathan looks like he’s not too sure about that.

Nina tells Maxie that she might consider giving her a second chance, but needs more than a promise of loyalty. She wants something valuable, something Crimson needs that no one else has. She tells Maxie she has meeting to prepare for.

Curtis tells Stella that he hopes she understands, and they can be family. She says that she loves them too much to sacrifice a future with them now. She leaves, and Curtis is like, wow, he saw that going worse. TJ realizes that she left her phone, and follows her out.

Outside, Stella says she doesn’t know what she’d do without him. He says the way she handled that was pretty impressive. She says her illness has taught her to deal with adversity, and not let adversity deal with her. TJ suggests that they all have dinner before she leaves, but she says she’s reconsidered her plans. Port Charles suits her fine for now.

Griff asks Elizabeth if she has any words of wisdom. She tells him that she would go and talk it out, and make sure the last words spoken are how he really feels.

Lulu and Maxie are having lunch at The Floating Rib. Lulu stares at Ava. Maxie asks if they can put their lunch on hold.  She tells Lulu that the future of her career depends on something, and she’ll give her the details later.

Valentin tells Ava that Spencer has the mistaken belief that her statement will help in his wrongful death suit, but nothing could be further from the truth. She asks why he wants her to rescind it then. He says that he wants to spare Charlotte from the whole mess of a trial, and Spencer from hearing that Nikolas might have faked his death a second time. Valentin says there’s no proof he’s dead, and doesn’t want Spencer to wonder if his father abandoned him. Ava insists that she knows Valentin killed Nickolas. Valentin says she has two choices; she can look like that for the rest of her life, or sign.

Scotty says that he won’t stand in Franco’s way, and Franco says he was hoping that Scotty would volunteer to be an asset. Scotty tells him that he didn’t even know Franco was his son until a few years ago. Franco asks who he might talk to, and Scotty suggests Monica. Franco is hesitant, since Jason is in a coma. Scotty tells him to go to the one who set everything in motion. Heather Webber.

On Monday, Franco believes that he and Jason were always connected, Sam wonders if Jason has woken up, and Lulu wants to know what that was about.

🐶  I watched Reservoir Dogs last weekend, and now Stuck in the Middle with You is Stuck in my Head. If you’ve never seen Quentin Tarantino’s first effort, and don’t mind a lot of blood, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. A story about a heist gone wrong, it also has a killer cast. Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Tarantino himself, kick ass and get their asses kicked. It leaves no doubt that Tarantino found his true calling early on.

📌 Quotes of the Week

Learning starts with failure. The first failure is the beginning of education.John Hersey

Wherever the truth is injured, defend it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you fall, make it part of the dance.  – Luann de Lesseps

⛵ Because It

Take a look at the It Experience where there are a lot of clowns. I wondered if the somewhat accommodating clown was pissed off because he couldn’t find his nose. The lit up floor with the bugs is fantastic. It would be great for a Halloween party.

https://the-line-up.com/the-it-experience?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Lineup%20Weekly%20Tuesday%20Newsletter%202017-08-29&utm_term=The%20Lineup

ItClowns

Battle of the It Clowns

September 7, 2017 – Nelle is Ambiguous, 90 Days is Longer Than 90 Days & Several Random TV Thoughts

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Jordan hears Curtis struggling with something or someone, and he pops out of Finn’s room. She says she heard him yelling. He tells her that he’s feeding Roxie while Finn is away, but thinks he just lost her.

Franco asks the kid in the picture where he went. Jake comes downstairs, saying that he can’t concentrate. He’s thinking about his dad, and wondering If he’s going to be okay.

Carly talks to God in the chapel. She says she’s talked to him more than ever since Morgan died. She thanks Him for everything, and asks Him to keep Jason safe. She’s asking not just for herself, but for Jason’s kids, his mother, and his wife. She says Sam can’t lose him again, so she’s begging for Him to bring Jason back.

Sonny asks Elizabeth how it’s going She says she only told Jake what he needs to know for now. She tells him that Sam has barely left Jason’s side.

Ava tells Griff that she’s sorry she wasted her time falling for his act, and she’s done. He grabs her hand, and she shakes him off. She tells him to save it for someone else; saving her soul is off the table. Griff tells her that he wants her to stay.

Curtis can’t believe he’s stressed out over a lizard. Jordan tells him to start from the beginning. He tells her about Hayden disappearing and leaving the note. He didn’t see what it said, but Finn checked into rehab as a precautionary measure. Josslyn usually takes care of Roxie, but the family is overloaded right now. He thinks taking care of her is the least he can do. His phone fell in the tank, and she disappeared while he was retrieving it. Jordan wants to help, but he says it’s not necessary. She says they can’t avoid each other forever, and she’s not doing it for him, but for Roxie.

Franco says he knows Jake is scared, but he can’t see his dad yet. He says everyone hates hospitals, but they’re the best place to get better, and that’s what his dad is trying to do. Jake sees the picture. Franco says sometimes when things are confusing, he likes to look at an image that grounds him and puts him back in reality. Jake gets it, and likes the idea. He says his Grandma Monica asked him to help scan some photos, and thinks it will help keep her centered. Franco says it’s a good idea, but count him in, and it’s perfect.

Michael asks Sonny about Jason, but there’s no update. Sonny says they’re going to do more tests. He asks how Sonny is holding up. Sonny says if it wasn’t for him, Jason wouldn’t have been there at the warehouse. Michael says it does no good for him to blame himself. They know how strong and how much of a fighter he is, and he’s made it out of worse situations. Sonny says this one feels different. Michael suggests he get some rest. Sonny is glad Michael came home, and says he loves him.

Ava says she can’t keep track of Griff anymore. He tells her that he doesn’t want to leave things awkward and uncomfortable. She says too late; they are. She takes some of the blame. She knew he had a savior complex. She wonders if he wants to dissect her feelings, but he doesn’t like the thought of someone being upset. He rejected her, and that was the result. Maybe she misread the signals, but there must have been something to misread. She tells him not to put it all on her. She starts to leave, and he says she’s right. He’s as much to blame as she is.

Carly wishes they could go back in time and alter the definitive moment that changed everything. Morgan would still be here. She’s thinking the same thing about Jason. What if he’d stayed Jake Doe? He would never have felt compelled to save Sonny. She pushed Sonny to get out of the business, and it’s Jason and his family paying the price.

Curtis suggests looking in the air vents, but Jordan nixes that. She thinks Roxie found a safe dark place. Curtis wonders when she became a lizard whisperer. She says TJ had a guinea pig that she once spent an entire Sunday afternoon looking for. He says the things we do for those we love. She looks behind the couch, and there’s Roxie.

Griff says he enjoys Ava’s company, and even before the accident, he knew they had a connection. He can’t let himself go there. He isn’t dismissing her feelings, but he took a vow of chastity, and shouldn’t have been reckless with her heart by crossing the line. She says he used her to play with fire and expected no one to get burned. She wonders where his vow was when he hopped into the sack with Claudette. Oh snap.

Jake talks about Jason looking different. Franco says it’s because of the accident, but he’s a tough guy and pulled through; he will again. Elizabeth comes home. Jake asks if his dad is okay.

Bobbie sees Michael at the hospital. He says it’s unreal. He hasn’t seen Carly this devastated since Morgan. Bobbie asks if she mentioned anything important, and he says nothing other than Jason being shot. Nelle joins them, and hugs Michael.

Carly asks if there’s any news. Sonny says Jason is getting more tests, and Michael is back. Michael told him not to blame himself. Carly tells him Michael said the same thing to her. Sonny says he’s right. It was his decision, but deep down he knew it wouldn’t be easy. He tells her that after everything that’s happened, he has to stay in it. There’s no getting out of this life for him.

Griff tells Ava that the affair with Claudette was a mistake. He’s never been so ashamed, but it helped him refocus. She tells him that if he can’t be honest with her, at least be honest with himself. If Claudette had left Nathan, would he have followed his heart and left the priesthood? She says it’s not for every man, and doesn’t think it’s for him. He had one foot out the door because of a woman – a passionate blonde with a self-destructive streak. Apparently, he has a type. She wonders how Claudette tempted him away from his vows, but not her. She thinks it’s because of her face.

Nelle asks how Jason is, and Michael says still in a coma. He says she looks tired, and asks if they found the missing necklace. She says it was a misunderstanding, and it turned up, but not before she had to spend a night in jail. Bobbie is all ears.

Sonny is putting a halt to everything. They did it to protect their families, but his enemies will strike, and he can’t let them see him weak. He wanted to give Carly the life she deserved, but he can’t do it. He doesn’t blame her for not wanting to be a part of it. He has to do what’s right and let her go.

Jake asks Elizabeth if Jason is okay. She says he’s still sleeping, but she’s had a long day. He tells her about the photo project for Monica. She says that they have to get on a school schedule, and asks him to get ready for bed. He goes upstairs. Elizabeth says seeing them smiling and safe, she has so much, while Sam is wondering if Jason is going to wake up. She says she stole precious time from them, and now it might be running out. She doesn’t know how they can forgive her, or she can forgive herself.

Sonny says that he and Carly should cut all ties, resume the divorce, and they can’t use her as leverage. He says he’s going to miss her, but he’ll be able to sleep at night. She says she’s not going anywhere. They need each other more than ever. She wanted to break the cycle of violence, but it can’t be broken. He’ll have to make sure he’s so powerful, that no one comes after him or his family. She’s with him all the way.

Michael asks Nelle if Nina called the embassy. She says they made such a stink, she wasn’t even in cell. She stayed the night, and they brought her back to Nina in the morning. She says that thankfully, Valentin found the necklace in the makeup artist’s bag. She calls the makeup artist “Rochelle,” but Michael thought her name was Naomi. Nelle says maybe Valentin got it mixed up. He suggests she get some rest, and Bobbie thinks that’s a good idea. Nelle asks if Michael wants to come. He asks if Bobbie will be there, she says sure, and he leaves with Nelle. Ha-ha! She thought she was getting rid of Nelle for a second there.

Griff tells Ava that he doesn’t care how she looks; he cares about her as a person. She tells him to save the noble talk. If she wasn’t so disfigured, she could tempt him from his vows. He says his vows would be part of his life whether he’s a practicing priest or not. She says she’d admired him, but now she sees the flaw. He won’t and can’t take responsibility for himself, and uses the priesthood as crutch. She tells him that he should have resigned when he had the tryst with Claudette, but he didn’t. If he can hide behind the collar, he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty. He has needs and wants and anger and fears, and it scares him to death. She says it’s funny, all this time, he told her not to hide behind her mask, but at least she admits she’s wearing one.

Mission accomplished. Roxie is back in her tank. Curtis says he’s had DEA cases that were less stressful. He asks if Jordan wants a drink, since she was on her way to the bar anyway. He takes a couple of beers out of the minibar. He tells her that make a good team; they always have and always will. He kisses her.

Sonny says that Carly wanted him out of the business for years. She says she still does, but not right now. She tells him they have to recommit, but he doesn’t want her to be a target. She says that she’s been one since they started dating. She married him knowing who he was and what he did, and what she hates are the secrets and lies. She says it has to be different; no more keeping her in the dark. She has to know the threats against their family. He doesn’t want to make her an accessory, but she tells him that she’s going to be by his side until they can figure a way out. If they don’t, it’s the reality of their life, and they have to accept it.

Franco tells Elizabeth that if Jason had gone back to his old life right away, it might have been a disaster. He could have been shot instead of Duke. He says they only have one reality, one past, and one present. What happens in the future is up to them. Jake needs her in the present; he’s scared. Elizabeth doesn’t know how to handle it, and Franco tells her that she’s strong, and if not, he’s strong enough for the both of them.

Carly arrives at the hospital. Bobbie tells her that Michael went off with Nelle. She knows it’s not the best time, but they need to talk about her. Carly says it isn’t the best time, and wants to blow her off. Bobbie tells her that the last time the family was in crisis, Nelle used it to take advantage. She’s afraid Nelle will strike again. Carly says that everything was circumstantial, but Bobbie says that it raised red flags, and even more were raised after Nelle went to Morocco.

Curtis and Jordan get busy. She says they have to stop. She asks if they’re going to run around behind Stella’s back, and he says that Stella is getting better every day. Jordan adds, unless they add to her stress level. Curtis says that life is stressful. Jordan tells him that he has no idea what it’s like to be the source of pain, and he says they’ve both made mistakes and are just trying to do better. Somehow, they stayed connected, and it means something. She says maybe all the obstacles are telling them something. Curtis says none of that matters. He’s dangerously close to falling in love with her. He tells her that he’s not going anywhere, and they get busy again.

Sonny sees Griff at the gym. Griff tells Sonny that he’s been monitoring Jason, and he’s waiting for more test results. Sonny says things are eating at him – the harsh truths of life.

Ava calls Valentin. She says he told her that he can arrange a miracle. She thinks perhaps they should talk.

Carly asks if they found the necklace. Bobbie says it was found, but there’s a lot of ambiguity about the story. As a matter-of-fact, there’s a lot of ambiguity about Nelle. Why do bad things happen when she’s around? Carly says that maybe she’s just unlucky. It doesn’t make her a thief or a murderer. Bobbie thinks it’s a big mistake to let her guard down if there’s a chance that Michael is getting into bed with a black widow.

He is.

Franco talks to himself, saying that they can’t change the past, but they can make a better future. Elizabeth goes to change, and Jake comes downstairs and shows Franco a picture of Jason as a kid. He says it looks like Franco’s real imaginary friend. Franco says they’re identical. Is this how they’re going to move nuJason over to make room for Steve Burton?

Tomorrow, Stella says her work is done, Scotty isn’t going to make things better, Maxie wants to come back to work at Crimson, and Valentin meets with Ava.

 90 Day Fiancé now has yet another spin-off on TLC Go called 90 Day Fiancé: What Now? I’ve decided to create still one more, and call it 90 Day Fiancé: WTF?

💞 Tell us about it, Jorge. On The Couples Tell All, we flashed back to Mohamad embarrassing Danielle on national television about how she smells, then he accused her of “fake crying” to get sympathy. I don’t even like her and I felt badly about it. Dude said that after today, nobody is going to hear from him again. Yeah, until we see him on the front page. FYI re Danielle, I can promise you that most people from northern Ohio speak properly, and don’t say things like “you don’t ever take no responsibility.” Loren came right out and called Mohamad a fraud, so enough said. She also said something that was bleeped that he had an interesting reaction to. One of my favorite things is how he has virgin ears every time a woman says a curse word. It makes me want to use every combination of the f-bomb I can think of. Danielle brought a binder of texts and emails with her, but unfortunately, none of them were read out loud. Mohamad tried to make it seem like Danielle wanted something out of him, not the other way around, but failed to explain what that might be, He has such a poker face, I’m pretty sure we’re looking at the next ISIS recruit. Immigration take note for when Danielle sends you that binder. Danielle talked about how differently he acted when she visited him (pre-90 days). This guy would be a great candidate for the Real Housewives, since he thinks we have short-term memory loss and forgot about how he reeled her in time after time, saying that if she treated him nicely, they could remain friends, when he had no intention of it whatsoever.

It sounds like Anfisa was up Jorge’s butt the entire time they were together, not even letting him speak to his family without her being present. There was some discussion about what Jorge’s sister, Lourdes, had said about her spreading her legs for his money, and I had to agree with the majority here. Pao said it best, that he should have just told Lourdes not to talk about his wife that way, end of story. Anfisa did make me laugh when Pao said she had heard about Russian gold-digger schools. Without missing a beat, Anfisa said yeah, she went to one. Pao was like, really? and Anfisa told Pao that she had no idea what she was talking about. I doubt that Anfisa went to classes, but I know they have them for sugar babies here, so it’s not that far-fetched. Jorge claimed that she’s scared of what he’s going to say, but we still have to wait for his big reveal.

Pedro is sending even more money home to his exhausted mother. Who we find out is a lawyer. How come she’s not sending money to them? The chicken feet made another appearance. Everyone was skeptical that it was any kind of local cuisine, but what really gave it away was his mother and sister laughing like hyenas the whole time. Chantal said that not one person ate them, and they had never been served when she stayed there. Even Mohamad thought it was wrong.

If I never hear Mohamad say Dan-nyell again, or anyone say “social media,” I’ll be a happy woman.

💍 On Before the 90 Days, Karine suggested swimming in the Amazon River, and Paul almost had a coronary, since he’s afraid of germs and piranhas. In her interview, Karine said he was too cautious, and she wasn’t that cool with this side of him. I don’t blame her. We both nearly died laughing when he wore a full outfit with long pants to go in the water, even though she begged him not to. When she splashed at him playfully, he made a big deal about going, ptooey! and saying, “Poop water! Poop water!” Then he nearly killed himself getting out of the water, because the pants he was wearing bagged out and stretched all over the place, tripping him. Karine was embarrassed, and so was I. The bathrooms there were a lot cleaner than the ones on the beaches here. Paul wanted them to have some fun together before he brought up the pregnancy and STD tests. I’m not sure what his idea of fun is. Acting ridiculous when being shown local amusements?

Paul trying to talk to Karine’s father was a real sh*t show, especially when he tried to explain that he wanted to marry her. He made a hand gesture that was supposed to be putting a ring on a finger, but it was his index finger and way too aggressive, so I’m sure the father thought he meant something else. Can anyone really be this stupid? I’d thought he was a nerd, but now I don’t know what he is. Her parents gave their blessing, but I have no idea why.

They threw in a guy named Larry, who’s a McDonald’s manager with a tiny chihuahua. He has a couple of sons, and it was another relationship with an age gap. He met his girl, Jenny, on Filipino Cupid, which made me laugh, but apparently, there are Cupid sites for all over the world. We saw him shake her down for having been on the site in the past week (what was he doing on there?), but she told him that her phone basically butt dialed it. There was also Patrick, who seems like a great guy. His baby daughter is his life, and he’s good friends with his ex, admitting that he wasn’t mature enough for a relationship when they were together. His girlfriend, Miriam, lives in Paris, and he’s another one traveling to a country where he doesn’t know the language, but at least Miriam is pretty fluent in English. She’s also a Muslim, and he thinks their coupling might be a problem with her family, as she hasn’t told them about him. His ex was a little concerned that she seemed to show no interest in him having a daughter either, but Miriam also told us that she has a secret.

Sean met Abby’s parents, who were understandably concerned, since he’s older than her mother. There was a language barrier here too, but Abby was able to translate. Next time, he’s supposed to meet her ex-but-still-friend, Chris, which ought to be interesting, since Sean is jealous as all hell.

Karine discovered the pregnancy test that Paul brought along, which didn’t sit well with her, and rightly so. She actually got together enough words in English to ask him WTF? He told her some sob story about an ex, and although she didn’t think it was fair that he was comparing them, said she had nothing to hide, and agreed to take the tests. He was still worried about the freaking results, but was bummed that they had their first fight.

Next time, Cortney goes to Spain and gets stood up, and Larry gets bad news. I wonder where Darcey and Jesse went?

✔  90 Day takeaway point – If you want to act like an a-hole, just say it’s cultural.

💒 I tried watching Spouse House a couple of times, but it didn’t really work for me. It was like Big Brother meets exploratory marriage.

👶 According to Jeff on Flipping Out, Baby Monroe is causing everyone to be sensitive, tired, and overwhelmed. She is one loud baby. Gage kept checking out, and Jeff accused him of acting spoiled and entitled, which made Gage want to go, see ya later, dude. I’m not sure if their relationship is going to survive parenthood.

🙎 Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce is worth watching just for James Brolin, who plays Abby’s father. While he’s a comedic gem (Life in Pieces, Sisters), he’s also a better actor than he’s ever been given credit for. When Abby’s father was in the hospital recovering from a stroke, her mother died from a heart attack in the waiting room. Having a bit of dementia, at first he thought the funeral was Abby’s Bat Mitzvah. When he realized what was happening, the grief was subtle, but plain on his face. I’d give him an Emmy for that moment alone. I met James at a car show back in his Marcus Welby days. He gave all of us kids the advice many actors do – stay in school. I should have listened.

🐉 Now that Game of Thrones is over, I finally found the dragon emojis. 🐲

Jeff and I Share a Thought…

FlippingOutJeff

 

September 5, 2017 – Ava Comes Out of Her Shell, a Funeral is Planned & the Return of Captain Lee

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

 

General Hospital

Andre startles Anna, who’s busy on her phone. She asks if he was able to trace the diamond to the jewel thieves he was tracking in central Europe, and more important, to Valentin.

Officer DeRoche brings Nelle back, and says Nina has friends in high places. Valentin walks in, and asks who he is, and Nina says incompetent. She’s going to have him fired. She says he arrested Nelle, botched the investigation, and now the necklace is probably being divided. Valentin says here it is, and pulls it out.

Ava and Kiki have coffee at Perks. Ava asks her a million questions about the fast track program, and Kiki tells he not to try so hard. She thinks that Ava is freaked out about people staring. Kiki says they’re not, but even if they were, who cares? She says she’s thrilled that Ava is done hiding out, and that Griff is a miracle worker, but she knows it’s hard. Ava says she’ll be strong for Kiki. Kiki says she’s grateful that Ava has decided to start living again. Ava says she’s had help.

Dr. Bensch tells Griff that Marisol’s right side is paralyzed, and she doesn’t have much time. He tells Griff that he’s sorry; nothing ever prepares you for this. Her parents are asking for Griff. He goes over to where they’re sitting, and Marisol’s father asks if there’s anything he can do.

Finn calls Curtis. He asks why Curtis isn’t returning his messages, and to please call him. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Curtis. No Hayden though. Finn asks where she is.

Nina asks how Valentin found the necklace. He says he did his own search, and it wasn’t stolen. It wound up with the makeup. Dillon says they practically tore the place apart. DeRoche asks how he found it when no one else did. Nelle tells DeRoche to buzz off, but he says the case isn’t closed. Valentin talks to him in French. DeRoche says on second thought, it’s closed, and leaves. Nelle thanks them. Nina says she’s sorry it happened, and Nelle should get hazard pay. She tells Dillon they’re scrapping the photo shoot. She says it’s been incredible, but it’s time to pack up and get out.

Andre says the thieves were well-organized and well-equipped, and their MO was consistent. In and out in less than ten minutes, and only big-ticket items. He says their driver was good, but whoever planned the heists was better. He says smash and grab is impulse, but these were planned out to the last detail. He thinks Valentin might have used mercenaries, or been one himself. Anna asks if they can tie him to the robberies. Andre thought they made peace, but Anna says that she’s not blind to who he is. He’s spent most of his life outside the law. Charlotte and Nina might have settled him down somewhat, but he lives by his own code, and might be maintaining ties to associates if it’s advantageous to him.

Griff explains to Marisol’s parents that her organs shutting down. Mrs. Valdez weeps, asking if Griff can’t do something. Mr. Valdez says that he’s a doctor, not a priest. Griff promises she won’t suffer, and Mr. Valdez says God bless him for everything he’s done. They go back to Marisol’s room, and Griff calls a priest to come to GH – and hurry.

Kiki tells Ava that Dr. Bensch is giving her the opportunity for second or third year stuff. Ava laughs, and Kiki asks if she sounds like a kid. Ava says she sounds like she knows what she wants, and is smart and talented enough to make it happen. Just a few months ago, she didn’t know what she wanted to do, now look. Kiki says if she can go for what she wants, so can Ava. Ava says she’s going to start asking herself what would Kiki do? They both leave for the hospital.

Curtis tells Finn he’s sorry. Finn asks where she is, but Curtis says he doesn’t know. He found her trail, but she has the hiding thing down. he got to LAX, where Hayden called him. He doesn’t know how she knew, but she told him to meet her at a hotel. When he got there, the room was empty, but she’d left this. He shows Finn a suitcase.

Nelle speaks with the ambassador, telling him it was just a mix-up. She explains to Valentin that she knows him from the Hamptons. Valentin says he was searching for hours. She says she knows every place in the area, and she’s grateful that he recovered the necklace, but wants to know what he’s covering up.

Anna wonders how the diamond ended up at Wyndemere. Andre suggests Hayden, and she tells him about seeing Raymond. He asks if she believed him. She says if he’s capable of love, he loves his daughter. She starts talking about how you have to make conscious effort to do better, and not just think you can cover your tracks and be decent by day and a criminal by night. Andre says they’re not talking about Raymond anymore.

Finn opens the suitcase. Inside is a bunch of clothing, and the What to Expect pregnancy book. Curtis says that’s not all she left behind. The room hadn’t been cleaned, and he went through the trashcan. She’s not just running; she’s planning on reinventing herself again. Curtis hands Finn her passport. Seriously? A pro like her would have just thrown that away?

Ava tells Kiki to go wow Dr. Bensch. She sees Griff all stressed out. The priest arrives, and Griff takes him into Marisol’s room. He listens, and blesses himself as Ava watches.

Nina asks if Valentin is going to tell her where he was. He says no, and she asks if he’s going to tell her how he recovered the necklace. He says no again, and she asks if this is what he meant by not staying within confines of law. He tells her it is, and she asks if he took the necklace. He tells her that he’d never do anything like that to her. He made some phone calls, and she asks if they were to people that he did business with in the past. He says yes, and asks if it changes anything. She plays with her ring.

Nelle tells Dillon that if he ever has to spend the night in custody, to have a place like this to come back to. Dillon can’t believe she’s making jokes. She says she’s been treated like a criminal before, and it probably won’t be the last time. Dillon says the film is in the can, the necklace has been returned, and they have the whole day to bask in spa treatments. Nelle asks about Jason, but Dillon says he left a voicemail for Ned, but hasn’t followed up, and Kiki is focused on her pre-med program

Dr. Bensch asks Kiki questions. He tells her he wants her observation, not speculation. Kiki goes over the tremor one of the patients had. She says there could be a medical explanation, or it’s possible he’s nervous or panicky about another person being in the room. He kept looking at her before answering the doctor’s questions, and it could be anxiety. She thinks maybe she’s way off base, but Dr. Bensch says they have more patients to see and tells her to keep up.

Finn tells Curtis that Hayden wanted him to have this stuff, and he’s not giving up. He can still find her. Curtis says she did more than leaving her ID behind; she left Finn a message. It was propped up against a cactus plant on the desk. He hands Finn an envelope.

Valentin wishes he was better man, and could offer Nina a spotless past, although he thinks a checkered one makes for a more interesting person. He says that he can’t take some things back, but the only thing he fears is losing her and Charlotte. It keeps him up at night, knowing everything he’s done. She says it sounds bad, and he says it was, but all he can do is tell her the truth in a general way, and hope she loves him for who he is. She says she loves him, good or bad. He says that’s all that matters, and they kiss.

Andre tells Anna to clarify why she’s doing it. She insists that it’s not a vendetta; it’s strictly WSB business. She’s going to follow the trail of the diamond where it leads. Andre gives her a folder. He tells her it looks like a Cassandra Pierce was working with the jewel thieves. He says there’s no way to prove it, but Valentin could have sold the diamonds to Cassandra, who turned them around and sold them at markup and invested the money. Anna doesn’t think Valentin would be involved in something that’s simply stolen goods for cash; she can’t see it. Andre says Cassandra has been living in Monaco, and Anna wonders when was the last time Valentin was in Monte Carlo.

Griff comes out, obviously upset. Ava asks if he’d like to talk. She wants to return hid kindness. He says there’s nothing she can do; there’s nothing anyone can do, and he gets in the elevator. Ava asks the priest about the patient. He says she’s with God now. She went peacefully, but that’s no consolation for the family or Dr. Monroe. He tells Ava that he has the blessing of being both a priest and a doctor, a savor of both body and soul, but right now he feels like a failure at both. Ava gets in the elevator.

Finn looks at the note. Hayden says that she doesn’t know what to write or what to say except that she’s sorry. She’s sorry for the secrets and lies, and her inability to trust. Most of all, she’s sorry for taking the coward’s way out, and leaving before the wedding. At least she knows he’s free to find someone worthy of his love. She tells him to forget she ever existed.

Nina sees that Valentin is wounded, and he says it’s nothing. She tells him that she can’t afford to lose him, and the necklace was insured. She reminds him of how she thought she’d never see him again when he went to The Hague. No one has ever loved her like he has and no one ever will. Valentin feels the same way. She tells him not to risk his life for a necklace or anything. She suggests they just be happy, and they kiss some more.

Nelle thanks Dillon for defending her when he had no reason to believe that she was innocent. He tells her that he took her at her word, and she would have done the same. He says they both have a healthy disrespect for authority. She kisses him on the cheek, and goes off to get a massage.

Kiki tells Dr. Bensch she knows she has a lot to learn, and she’s more than willing to do the work. He tells her that what she said – she interrupts, saying that she knows she should go by science and not feeling. He says that she was spot on. Empathy can’t be taught, and she had a rare understanding of someone older than herself. He says the tremor could be an indication of early Parkinson’s, but anxiety made it more obvious. He likes instincts, and tells her to trust them.

Curtis asks if Finn is okay. Finn says he should go. Curtis doesn’t want to leave him like this, but he says he’ll be fine. Curtis leaves. Finn reads the rest of the note. Hayden says there’s one more thing. Something was wrong with the baby. There was a complication, and the baby didn’t survive. We see Hayden crying as she writes. Finn sinks to the floor and cries.

Griff uses a speed bag at Sonny’s gym. Ava comes in, and watches him. He stops for water and sees her. They stare at each other.

Dillon’s phone rings. It’s Kiki. He asks about Jason. She tells him that Jason is out of surgery, but still in recovery. She asks when he’s coming home, and he tells her tonight. She says that Dr. Bensch likes her instincts. He’s having a hard time hearing her, and she tells him that she’s working her tail off while he was hanging out in Morocco. Dillon says he’ll tell her all about it when he gets home.

Nina dresses Valentin’s wound. He says he’s feeling better already, and apparently so, since they get busy.

Ann tells Andre that there’s no proof that the diamond was ever in Valentin’s possession or that his past association with the thieves is ongoing. She says that Andre is right. He asks if she’s closing the book on it, and she asks what he thinks, and smiles. She says she’ll be in touch. She has to make some arrangements  and Monaco is lovely this time of year. He tells her to stay safe.

Finn continues reading. Hayden says there’s nothing to bind them together anymore, and no need for him to find her. She says that he’s a wonderful person and will find love again. She hopes his new love appreciates how special he is, and how lucky she is to have him. She tells him good-by. Hey, where’s Roxie? How come we never see her anymore? Finn picks up a picture of Hayden’s sonogram, which is a very large baby for how pregnant she was. He clutches it to his chest, and cries.

We see Hayden folding the letter and tossing the passport away. When she gets up, we see that she’s still pregnant – as I suspected.

Tomorrow, Ava calls Griff a hypocrite, Parker tells Kristina that she’s not seeing anyone, and Dante has news for Sonny.

The Haves and the Have Nots

Jim tells Kathryn he loves her. She says she doesn’t love him. There’s been too much pain and heartache. He says after everything they’ve conquered together, really? Yep. She’s going to divorce him. He says she just let him make a fool of himself by allowing him to sleep with her. She says sorry, but she’s done. He does the “baby” thing, and she tells him he should have listened to her about Amanda and Wyatt, and he’s never apologized. He says he’s sorry, but she says it doesn’t matter now; their daughter is dead. He says he thinks about it every day, and the only thing that gets him through is thinking about her and Wyatt. She says he’s out there doing God knows what with a load of money. She doesn’t think she can handle another phone call saying he’s dead. She tells him to go, but Jim says he loves her and he’s not going anywhere.

Jim repeats that he loves her and she laughs. She asks him when her birthday is and don’t look at his phone. He says it’s in February, but she says it’s June. She asks when Wyatt’s birthday is, but he gets that right. She asks when they’re anniversary is and he says he’s not playing this game. She says when you love someone, you know these things. He gets it right, and says he’s not a total idiot. She says he made a horrible mistake, coming in here and trying to seduce her like the Jim from thirty years ago. Golden hair and tight jeans were all he had, and he thought she’d fall for the memory. Does he think she’s that stupid? He says he wanted to make love to his wife. She tells him to be honest for once. She’s not the public or a politician or the campaign trail. She says it didn’t work, and he asks why she participated. She says for this moment, when she tells him she’s through and doesn’t want to see him anymore. If he’s there when she gets back, she’ll take the gun that she killed Jennifer with, and blow his brains out, just as easy as she just blew something else. Whoa.

David brings Erica to his apartment. She goes to use the bathroom, and David calls Jeffrey. He tells Jeffrey that they found a bracelet and set of keys with Quincy’s body. Jeffrey says the keys are his, but he doesn’t know who the bracelet belongs to. He asks what he should do, and David says stay where he is. Veronica is calling every five minutes, and David tells him not to answer and stay away from her. He’s working on something. He’ll let Jeffrey know after it’s done. Jeffrey asks if David is going to hurt Veronica, and David says he’d never do that, and tells him again to stay away. Jeffrey says she knows where he is, and David tells him to change rooms. The hotel Jeffrey is in is booked, and David says go to another hotel. Duh.

Wyatt calls Jeffrey. Jeffrey says he sounds so clear. Wyatt says he’s good, and Anna is amazing. He asks if Jeffrey wants to join them for a walk. Jeffrey says he has a lot going on. Wyatt asks if he’s still going to avoid him. Jeffrey says he’s not, and Wyatt asks about Justin. He tells Jeffrey how Justin showed up with the DA. He says Justin is weird, and to stay away from him. An unusually happy moment between them.

Jeffrey calls Justin, and says he wants to see him now. Just to talk.

David tells Erica that she’ll be safe there. She appreciates it, and he says it’s the least he can do. She says he owes her nothing. David wishes he’d tell her his name. Erica thinks it’s best she stay away from him and leave it at that. He says these situations never resolve themselves on their own. She asks if they can drop the subject, and asks for a drink. She says it’s a nice place, and it is. The view is spectacular, and I think everything is from Urban Home. Omg, she reads my mind, and asks if he did the decorating. That’s a no. He toasts to getting better and stronger, and she says and to him being a free man.

David tells her they have a son, and Veronica has been terrorizing him. Erica wonders if she’s using Jeffrey because of her, but he says it’s a family matter. Erica tells him to act like she’s not here. If she wasn’t, what would he be doing? He says figuring out how to get her there. She asks where the bedroom is, and if there’s just one bedroom. He says one bedroom, one bed; he wants her to sleep in the bed with him. She doesn’t think that’s right and can’t stay there. David says she can, and it’s big enough for both of them. He says to be honest, he doesn’t sleep well alone after sleeping with someone for so many years. He’d like her to stay with him. Erica asks to take it one night at a time. David says as long as she’s in his bed for the first night. His phone rings, and Erica says she’ll give herself a tour.

It’s Jim. Jim says he did the stupidest and hardest thing he’s had to do in years. He slept with Kathryn. David says she’s his wife. He says he hasn’t been attracted to her in years, but she and Veronica are out of control. David says he’s not going to deal with Veronica anymore. As soon as he gets Jeffrey out of her clutches, he’s shaking her off. Jim says Mama Rose is pissed at them, and David has to get Kathryn and Veronica the same room. He just took one for the team. Get them in the same room at the same time. Jim says they’re all going to the penitentiary if they’re not careful. He slept with Kathryn; David knows how serious this is. He says they lost a huge ally with Mama Rose, and they can’t even use their knowledge of the law until they have a meeting. David says he’ll call Veronica, but he’s not sleeping with her. Jim says he went through enough trauma for the both of them, and has to take a shower. Double whoa.

Justin arrives at Jeffrey’s room. He says he’s nervous. Jeffrey tells him to sit down. He tells Jeffrey he needs to see someone. Justin says he’s not crazy, but Jeffrey says he didn’t say that. He thinks he needs some help. He says the anger isn’t healthy for either of them. Justin is like, is that it? Jeffrey asks what else he thought it was. Justin says that it was over. Jeffrey says there isn’t anything on his end. He’s telling him to get some help. Jeffrey’s phone rings and Justin asks if it’s the guy. Jeffrey says no, and Justin gets demanding, and Jeffrey is like, this is the kind of thing I’m talking about. It’s Veronica. The phone stops ringing, and immediately starts again

Jeffrey answers this time. Veronica asks if he’s coming back, and he says no. She asks if he’s with “that boy,” and he says no. She tells him to put it on speaker or she’s coming over there. She calls Justin something like a fluffy ball of yarn, and I laugh. She says she’s going to court to file a motion to save Jeffery. If he’s not at the house in an hour, she’s turning him in. Then, she’s going to the judge’s chambers to argue his case. After that, she’s going to Justin’s wife’s room, and tell her why she should recuse herself from the case, and play the video for her. Justin warns her not to. She says that Jeffrey had better get home, and Justin had better get to the courthouse. His wife will be looking for him.

Jeffrey thinks Justin should talk to his wife. Justin says Veronica won’t do it, but Jeffrey says trust him, she will.

Charles is wrapping up a campaign speech. Landon tells him how great it was, and the poll numbers are good. Landon says he’s going to win. He asks to speak with Charles. He apologizes for what he did to Candace. Charles makes him list everything he did wrong, and thanks him. He says Landon is good at his job. Landon shows him that a search online for Candace shows virtually nothing. He tells Charles that he’s happy and excited to be working on the campaign. Charles says when it’s over, they’ll have a drink.

Landon leaves, and Charles calls Candace. She asks why he’s calling. He sys to see if she’s okay. She says she’s on her way to a funeral home. He says he knows that she’s angry and sad, and he’s sorry. She says she’s fine. He asks her to call later.

Mr. Wilson, the funeral director, leads Hanna and Benny in to view the body. Hanna asks if they can talk first. He shows them the casket that they chose, and tries to get them to pick a more expensive one, since Kathryn had told him that money was no object. Benny is like, move on, and he shows them the program. He asks if they’d like the casket open or closed, and Hanna wants it open. The director says they’ll make him look good. Benny isn’t sure it’s a good idea, but Hanna says she wants them to see what was done to that baby. Candace walks in.

Benny introduces her, and says she’s his mother. Mr. Wilson says he knows it’s a hard time. Burying a child is the part of the job he dislikes the most. Benny tells her that Hanna picked the casket. Candace insists that she wants the blue one. Hanna says it’s more expensive, and asks if she has the money. Candace asks if she does. Candace says she’s his mother, and she wants him in the blue one. Benny argues with her. Mr. Wilson says he can make calls to see if he can get a discount, and Candace says to make the calls.

Benny asks what she’s doing, and Candace says burying her son. She says Hanna went in the bathroom with him, and came out without a scratch. She didn’t get shot. Candace says that Hanna didn’t protect him to spite her. She wanted to get even with her, and wants Candace to say that she’s right. Benny tells her to stop, but Candace says she didn’t help. Benny says he was there, and Hanna did more than Candace ever has. He says that War could have killed all of them for what she did. He says she does the same thing over and over, expecting a new result, and that’s crazy. Hanna would have died for her son.

Benny tells Candace that he’s sick of what comes out of her mouth, and she says that she’s sick of him. He’s depended on her for everything since she’s been on her own, calling her for money, telling her about his fairytale dreams. He says that he was talking to his sister, someone he loves and shares his dreams with, and nobody told her to sell her ass to get anything. Candace says he’s been talking to Hanna, and Benny says her act isn’t working anymore.

Mr. Wilson comes back, and says the price is what it is. Candace says she still wants the blue one, and he asks if he should bill Kathryn. Candace is like, oh no, she isn’t paying for this, and Benny asks if she has six grand. She says that she’ll get it, and Mr. Wilson says the payment has to be made today. Geez, he’s worse than the emergency animal clinic. Candace tells him she’ll bring cash, and she decides what’s best. Benny asks how she’s getting the money. Hanna says from the man who’s running for President. She saw him on the news, saying he knows the family. I’m impressed that Hanna put this two and two together. Hanna says that Candace is probably blackmailing him. That’s why the Secret Service, and why Benny was in jail. Candace is like, what? Hanna says she’s blackmailing him. Mr. Wilson is really getting an earful of some seriously dirty laundry. Candace tells him again, the blue one. Hanna can’t believe she’d rather steal the money, and Candace says she can’t believe Hanna will take crumbs from white people’s tables.

Candace also wants a different cemetery, and says she’ll get a plot there. Mr. Wilson tells her that the service is tomorrow, and she says it will be on Thursday, and she’ll bring the money tomorrow. Mr. Wilson starts to ask if Hanna is okay with all this, but Candace tells him not to ask her another thing about her son. Candace looks at the program, and rips it up. She tells them he won’t be buried in a church, and all of a sudden, I wonder where else people get buried, since not everyone subscribes to an organized faith.

Once again, Candace says she wants the blue casket, and not this one. She opens the one that Hanna chose, and Quincy Jr.’s body is in it. I gasp out loud. Mr. Wilson says he’s sorry, and Benny tells Candace that they were there to view the body.

My hat is off once more to Tyler Perry. Not everyone can cause me to make noises during a show. Very few as a matter-of-fact.

Next time, the finale – Veronica talks to Melissa, David spends money on Erica, Justin has had enough, and Veronica is going to show him how much Black lives matter.

Below Deck

I’m so excited. The stud of the sea, Captain Lee, is back! Not that I didn’t enjoy Croatia, but…

Each cast member puts in thier two cents. We immediately find out that Captain Lee thinks the new crew is a bunch of idiots, and that we’ll be traveling to the West French Indies.

Kate enjoys yachting more because she’s doing it less. She says it’s like sex with an ex. She doesn’t want to recommit, but a fling is good. The captain tells her it was slim pickin’s with the new crew, and they basically got the leftovers. Chef Matt arrives first. He’s from Canada, and seems like a cool guy. Brianna is next. She trusts in the universe to guide her, and has no goals. Yachting is convenient for her nomadic lifestyle. Deckhand Bruno follows. It’s been his dream to work on a yacht. He’s Portuguese, and speaks three languages, but has no clue what starboard means. He also needs subtitles when he talks. Jen has an obsession with boats, and always wanted to get into yachting. She’s also a single mom, and had to put her career on hold for ten years. Nico – the only one other than Kate who’s returning from another season – has come back to yachting after dealing with some family issues, and is ready for more responsibility. Captain Lee tells him that he’s lead deckhand; he’s not ready to be a bosun yet. He says he and Kate had some differences last season, but it’s all about maturing. We’ll see. Chris and Baker round out the deckhands.

Kate asks the stews about their past service jobs, and there isn’t much. Both she and Nico go over duties with the crew. Kate tells the stews to start making the boat look great. Bruno and Chris discuss how neither one of them can tie knots. Baker tells us that she comes from a long line of Southern classy ladies, but she’s more the Burning Man type. Kate and Brianna discuss relationships. Kate says if she’s attracted to someone, it’s probably bad news.

We meet the first officer and another crewmate, but it goes by so fast, I miss their names and what they actually do. It’s like those Academy Awards for behind-the-scenes stuff. Captain Lee says he was green once, and doesn’t mind teaching the crew, but once he shows them something, it had better stick. He tells them no drinking on charter, tips are divided equally, and if you really mess up, you can find a one-way ticket home in your tip envelope.

Kate tells us that most of the chefs are crazy, and we flash back to that. She says Matt seems too good to be true. She doesn’t want to be as strict as she normally is, because this is all she’s got. She shows the stews how to fold the end of the toilet paper. I bet Martha Stewart has a video for that.

The primary guest is Dave, who made his money with a trampoline park. I imagine the insurance premiums must be pretty hefty. His wife, Amy, and a bevy of friends are joining him. They’re into extreme sports, and Dave is a meat and potatoes guy. Matt says they’re a perfect match. Captain Lee says they might have a green crew, but the guests aren’t going to give a sh*t.

Nico shows the deckhands how to use the ropes to dock the boat. The crew has dinner. Jen wants to room with a guy in order to get dominance in the bathroom, and a bigger closet. I don’t know about any of that stuff, so I assume she knows what she’s doing.

Nico does a deck check, and Kate gives the stews instruction on how to ready the boat, along with Captain Lee’s uniform. In her interview, she says adrenaline junkies are coming on board, and no one’s adrenaline is pumping more than hers. Dave immediately calls Matt” Chef No-Pants,” since he’s wearing shorts. Kate does the tour. Nico says it’s going to be a real test to move the boat off the dock, but somehow, they’re successful, and move out to sea. Amy says that for Dave, the higher and more dangerous, the better.

Captain Lee sees cushions floating in the water, and asks one of the crew to snag them. It gets pretty breezy, and the guests lose some chips. That’s not a euphemism for anything. They literally lose some taco chips. The Valor drops anchor. The cushions are rescued. Captain Lee just shakes his head.

Matt makes chicken Cesar salad, and lunch is served. Kate tells Jen to serve the ladies first, and Jen totally ignores that. Nico instructs the deckhands on how to put the tender in the water, but it’s another sh*t show. One of the guests says all kinds of things are happening, and they’re never supposed to notice anything. Captain Lee is called in to help. In his interview, he says he’s more than happy to show them how to do things – once. Kate explains clearing a table. Matt asks how it’s going, and she hopes she’ll only have to teach them on the first charter. Some of the guests use equipment that’s like water-skiing, but you go way up in the air. Like space shoes. I don’t know what this thing is, but it looks scary and fun. Baker says that the fact she’s the next most experienced is scary. Jen seems to be this season’s Lauren, since she’s already spending a lot of time in the laundry room.

Kate make a beautiful fall-color table setting. Jen confuses a gin martini with a gin and tonic. The guest tells her it’s not a martini, and she says she didn’t make the drink. Maybe not, but she ordered it. In her interview, Kate says she asked where the gin, tonic, and olives were, and it’s like which thing doesn’t belong? She says she should have known better, but she’s clearly overwhelmed.

Matt says that the first dinner is extremely important, and cooking what the guests want makes them happy. Just looking at the food makes me happy.

Nico gets a headache trying to teach Bruno one knot.

Kate feels like if she doesn’t check something herself, it’s not going to be right, and basically she’s working alone. Captain Lee asks Nico how it’s going. Nico explains about his younger brother passing away after a fall from a balcony. He says it felt like it wasn’t real. He still tried to call his brother’s phone, but he doesn’t pick up, and is never going to. The captain is sympathetic, and I am too, especially when Nico tears up in his interview. I know that feeling of picking up the phone, and then realizing the person is no longer alive.

Oooh, breakfast. Thank God I love swimming. If I was ever blessed enough to go on a cruise like this, I would eat myself into oblivion. At least swimming would burn off some calories. Dave calls the omelets “art.” Afterwards he takes the long dive from the top. A few of the others dive too. The stews get the beach picnic ready. Brianna likes them, because they can escape the madness. Kate leaves to set up. Kate tells Baker that it’s hard for the stews to work up to speed and learn at the same time. The guests arrive at the beach on the tender.

Back at the yacht, it’s time to put out the toys. Nico tells Bruno to get in the water, and unhook the rope on the slide. For whatever reason, Bruno isn’t getting what Nico is saying, and just flails about in the water. Nico doesn’t know how he’s going to make it through the season. Brianna and Jen relieve Kate at the beach, and Jen struggles to open the wine. On the tender, Kate tells Nico that she’s working by herself. In her interview, she says whatever differences she and Nico had, they need to leave the past behind, as they only have each other.

This season, Captain Lee dresses up, there’s a record tip, obnoxious guests, an embarrassing anchor drop, the boat hits a dock, and there are hook-ups. Nico tells us that the crew is greener than a leprechaun’s d*ck. It looks amazing!

🐄  Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky is being shown way too many times a week. It’s like, oh, we have a half-hour to fill? Just put Jax in. I’ve seen both episodes several times when I would rather not. I also don’t want to be reminded about how Jax has a foot fetish. (You’re welcome.) How about showing the Odd Mom Out with Dave Navarro again?

💍 And yes, I’ll be getting to the 90 Day trifecta later this week. Since Game of Thrones is done, and there were no Shahs this past Sunday, I was glad to be able to watch at a reasonable time.

BelowDeckCaptainLee

Captain Lee is all of us.

September 4, 2017 – GH Holiday, Double the Wives & Some Danielle

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What I Watched Today

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

 

 

Due to the holiday, General Hospital aired a rerun today.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Tamra is vacuuming, and she asks Eddie what’s wrong with this picture. He says it’s a sight you don’t see every day, and she tells him it’s messed up. He says it is; he’s the one who’s the Mexican. How dare he have a sense of humor about such a sensitive subject? Just kidding – I thought it was funny.

Kelly and Meghan meet to go crib shopping. Aspen doesn’t have a crib yet, because she and Meghan are co-sleeping, but it’s time for more independence. Meghan looks at a crib that’s a thousand dollars and change. Kelly says that’s a pair of shoes, and Meghan says that would be two pair for her. For me, that would be a hundred pairs of shoes. Meghan shows Kelly pictures of her and Shannon kissing when they were drunk. Kelly tells Meghan about meeting Shannon at a bar, and that Shannon’s phone was on record. Megan wonders what the point would be, but Kelly doesn’t know.

Peggy’s daughter. Gia, was accepted to an NYC school, so Peggy is going along with her to check it out. She and Diko aren’t on the same page about Gia – he doesn’t want her to move, but Peggy doesn’t want to hold her back. Diko wants Peggy to put a lid on the spending when she’s there, but she says he’s acting like a hypocrite, since their garage of cars is worth millions. If you watch these shows long enough, you start going, “Two million? That’s not bad for that house,” when they do a Living Large segment on the news.

Kelly’s mother, Bobbi, comes by and asks how it went last night. Kelly tells her about Shannon having her phone on record, and that she’d told Meghan about it. She tells Bobbi that Meghan immediately got on the phone to Shannon, who then called her and said she never tried to record anything. Kelly decides to believe Shannon. Bobbi wonders if Meghan was trying to stir the pot, and Kelly calls her. She tells Meghan that she’d wanted to talk to Shannon herself, but Meghan says she thought she was making it better, and apologizes for not letting her handle it. In her interview, Meghan says she didn’t want Kelly to ruin the relationship she and Shannon had just built. Kelly tells Bobbi she can’t trust Meghan now. Maybe her intentions were good, but Kelly isn’t five, and she shouldn’t have gotten in the middle. Let Kelly make her own mistakes, or not.

Vicki and Meghan meet for lunch. They talk baby stuff. Meghan wants to understand where Vicki is coming from with Shannon and Tamra. Her private investigator side is making a comeback. Holy! Meghan’s earrings are ginormous. She tells Vicki that she sounded like a victim, and wonders what they did to hurt her. Vicki says that they’re constantly accusing her about being involved in a scam. She says she got hurt, and benefited from nothing. In her interview, Meghan says she benefited by the attention that she craved. I dunno. I’d say the bad outweighed the good for her, and I honestly think she wanted to believe Brooks, because she has a hard time being alone. Vicki tells Meghan that it took her a year to get over it, and it was like a death. She says she would never do that to Tamra, and Meghan brings up how she said Eddie was gay. Vicki says she only repeated something someone told her. Meghan says what about Vicki saying that Shannon’s husband beat her. Vicki says she shouldn’t have repeated it, but she has the back-up texts. Meghan asks if she wasn’t afraid for Shannon’s well-being if she thought it was true, and Vicki says she was, but didn’t think it was her place to interfere. Vicki tells her that they shouldn’t talk about it, and she can’t fix it. Meghan wants to talk to Jimmy, Shannon, and the rest of the world, but Vicki says she doesn’t want to hurt Shannon. I think Meghan is a gossip under the guise of being concerned.

Tamra and Shannon go to a costume place. Shannon has invited everyone to a drag queen Bingo night that’s going to benefit a youth organization. They’ve decided to go in reverse drag, and are getting costumes for the other women; they’re going to surprise them with this idea. Shannon puts together a Bret Michaels costume. Her phone rings while they’re in the store. It’s Meghan, because she can’t help herself. She tells Shannon about the lunch, and tells her that Vicki claimed to have back-up texts about the rumor. Tamra wears a Peter Pan hat, and says that she gives Meghan credit. For what? Meddling? Shannon says she appreciates Meghan being a good friend. Tamra says if Vicki had proof, the world would have known a year ago.

Tamra brings all the costume stuff to Shannon’s, where Shannon is getting her makeup done. We flash back to the many costumes of Tamra. She says if the girls know what they’re up to, they’re not going to show up. I don’t know why. They’ve done weirder things. Tamra says that Shannon is a dead ringer for Bret – and she is – but she’s not sure if that’s a compliment. Kelly and Lydia arrive, and are met by the other two in costume. Lydia isn’t sure if she can do this. She says she’s never been to a drag queen event. She feels like things are going down the road like with Strippergate, but she’s trying to be open-minded. She says she looks like Liza Minelli and Charley Chaplin’s daughter, and she’s right.

Steve is making dinner for Vicki. She says he’s like a trophy man, and what every woman wants. She tells us that he satisfies her, but I don’t want to know. She asks Steve what she’s missing since her divorce, and he says a boat. She thinks they should go boat shopping as a family. I can’t say I’ve ever done that. She thinks that she and Steve should own it together, and he’s in. In her interview, she tells us that she wants to be married again, but not right this minute She tells Steve that she has plans to whoop it up on Saturday night, but he doesn’t know what that means. In her interview, she tells us they’re still working on balancing each other, whatever that means.

Some of the girls take a limo to the event at Hamburger Mary’s. Meghan is meeting them there. Peggy is busy with NYC, and Vicki is shunned. Shannon wants to go over the history of the horrible thing Vicki has done. Lydia says that the entire time she’s known Vicki, she’s never wanted to talk about it, and wants to make up with them. Shannon claims that she doesn’t even know how to download an Uber app, let alone record anyone. Kelly tells them about Meghan usurping her wish to have a conversation with Shannon herself.

At Hamburger Mary’s, Meghan dies laughing when she sees them. Drag queen Roxy Wood shows them to a dressing area, where they fix Meghan up as she pumps breast milk. The psychic who had alluded to everyone that Brooks didn’t have cancer (in whatever season that was) is there. Lydia isn’t comfortable with it, but doesn’t want to be labeled as close-minded. She doesn’t feel like she belongs there though. Meghan takes pictures. Psychic guy claims there’s a conflict with Kelly and Vicki. In her interview, Kelly thinks there’s an agenda, since Tamra invited him along.

Diko and Peggy go out for dinner. Peggy says she’s so stressed about Gia leaving for school, she’s broken out for the first time in her life. Diko thinks Peggy is pushing Gia to go, and says to let her to make the decision. He thinks that Peggy is selling it too hard, but she says no. She tells him she wants Gia to make the decision and be comfortable with it, but have the confidence to do it. She doesn’t want her to be scared. She says it will never be the right time to let go for Diko. He says it makes him sad, and Peggy says he’s letting her grow up. In her interview, she tells us that Diko had to stop his education to help his family. Wow. He did really well for himself. She tells Diko that their children need to learn what it means to be an adult. If Gia can overcome NYC, she can overcome any obstacle. She tells Diko that you can’t stop them because they’ll regret it one day. I laugh because it used to be if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere. Now, you have to overcome it.

It’s time for Bingo! Lydia gets Bingo, but Shannon brings the card up for Hamburger Mary to paddle her. This must be a new kind of Bingo. We all see Shannon’s butt crack, and along with Tamra, I’ll never be able to unsee that. Meghan asks the psychic guy if Kelly is going to be nice to her, and Kelly says never. Meghan tells them about calling Shannon. Shannon swears that Meghan isn’t a sh*t stirrer, but felt the need to protect her. Meghan brings up the text Kelly sent her when she was pregnant, saying that Jim was having an affair. Because even when they say they’ll let something go, these women never, ever do.

Kelly says she thought that she and Meghan were friends, and Megan talks about the text. Shannon says that kind of allegation is the most painful. Kelly says that Meghan tried to dig up dirt on her, and shows the text that started it, where Meghan accused Kelly of having a side piece, and a subsequent one where they both apologized. Lydia has one foot out the door, and goes to the bathroom insetead. Meghan calls Kelly immature. She says she told Vicki that they’d been close, but can’t think of her the same way. Kelly wonders why she’d tell Vicki anything; she’d thought they’d worked things out. In her interview, Kelly says that Meghan is the source of the problem, not Vicki. Kelly suggests that Meghan go home and take care of her baby. Shannon says you don’t criticize someone as a mother. Tamra follows Meghan to the bathroom – great, Lydia was trying to hide out in there – and says she’s a great mom, and not to let Kelly get to her. Meghan thinks the whole conversation was stupid. Lydia suggests to Kelly that they leave. She says the issue is that they keep bringing it up again. Meghan says that she’s had Kelly’s back, and never thought this side of Kelly would be directed at her. Kelly tells Lydia that they never let things go. Meghan gets in the limo, or taxi, or whatever.

Next time, Lydia tells Meghan that she’s on Kelly’s side, Shannon talks with David, Vicki calls Tamra, and Gretchen makes an appearance.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

Stephanie and Travis go to the new house. She’s annoyed that he bought it without her input, but it’s close to the kids school and some good restaurants. She still hates the pool in the living room. Designer Amanda arrives, and has brought a pool floatie to match Ziggy the black swan. Travis immediately puts it in the pool, saying it’s a sign from God. Stephanie wants it to be more of a home. She doesn’t like the fireplace in the living room either. Or the kitchen island. Travis talks about putting in an elevator, and Stephanie says he wants to be James Bond. In her interview, she tells us that her voice isn’t being heard and he won’t give up the control. Don’t tell her, but I like the pool too.

Brandi and Bryan visit the gynecologist. Brandi tells the doctor that she has baby fever, and Bryan is in agreement. She says if they have a boy, he’ll have to get good at diapers. Brandi says that she had a “mommy makeover,” and was told that if she had another pregnancy, it might not go to term because certain muscles are too tight. She explains about the miscarriage, and says that she blames herself, but the doctor tells her not too. She says plenty of women get pregnant after the same surgery. The doctor wants to do some fertility tests.

LeeAnne meets with D’Andra. D’Andra thinks LeeAnne stepped over the line and was tacky with her costume at the Halloween, being two-faced Stephanie. (It’s so stupid. It’s like something out of young adult novel.) She says that LeeAnne has been building her reputation back up, and she can’t expect to be a motivational speaker if she does stuff like that. LeeAnne thinks Stephanie is a social climber, and says now she bought a house near Heidi, and wants to be friends with Kameron. D’Andra’s wtf? face is the best. She says LeeAnne needs to reconcile her behavior with who she wants to be. LeeAnne says she gets it, and it’s not who she is. D’Andra says if that is her, bury it. I think it is her. LeeAnne starts to give her childhood as an excuse, but D’Andra say she can’t use the little LeeAnne anymore, and has to take responsibility. LeeAnne says at least she told the truth, but D’Andra thinks she should apologize. She’s not bettering herself, but digging in the dirt. Glad somebody said it.

Brandi is taking a trip to Tennessee to visit her grandfather, who she welcomed back into her life last year. He had a stroke, and she wants to spend some time with him. Brandi calls her mother, who says he’s doing great. Brandi thinks she might be crazy to want another child, as the ones she has climb all over her while she’s trying to talk on the phone.

LeeAnne is speaking at the PositiviTea luncheon, that benefits women with HIV. She says that her behavior wrecked her reputation last year, but her anger was just one facet on her diamond, and she sparkles. Or something like that. LeeAnne is introduced. She talks about a woman she heard from who is HIV positive, but afraid to tell anyone. She wants everyone to join her in eradicating the fear. Brandi says last time she made it all about herself, but this time she made it about the cause. Kameron talks about her dog’s Cavalli outfit. LeeAnne says her dog has a hot dog costume. Brandi pointedly ignores Kameron, and in her interview, Kameron says she’s gone out of her way to be nice to Brandi, and she just analyzes her with squinty eyes. Heidi tells them about Stephanie and Travis buying the house across the street from her. Heidi is creepy. Brandi says she hasn’t mentioned it, and thinks it’s awkward. LeeAnne says it’s nothing but a money pit with a swimming pool in the living room. In her interview, Brandi says it bothers her that LeeAnne can be talking sh*t now. LeeAnne says that Stephanie wants to be a part of Dallas society.

D’Andra talks to mom Dee, and says the 90s called and wants their office space back. She wants to either overhaul or move, and thinks moving is the better choice. She says the business has run the same way for twenty-two years. She wants to update, so they’re around for the next twenty-two. She talks to Dee about revamping the product containers. Dee thinks it will take some of the glamour away. D’Andra says she tells her that she can make decisions, but then contradicts them. She complains about one of the employees giving her a hard time about ordering a computer. Dee says she should have taken charge better, but D’Andra says they listen to the person who signs the checks. She wonders if they should start over as far as the team is concerned, and Dee says the employees have to respect you or it never works.

Kameron meets Cary for tacos and tequila. They’re sitting outside, and there’s a little drizzle happening. Kameron puts a raincoat on her Birkin. In her interview, Cary says you should also put the oxygen mask on the Birkin first. They discuss their kids and mom guilt. Cary talks about daughter Zuri’s upcoming birthday party. Kameron talks about trying to get to know Stephanie, but feeling like she’s getting nowhere. We flash back to some rudeness on Brandi’s part. Cary says Brandi is slow to warm up to people, and Kameron is thinking she might be insecure, and she’s simpler. Cary says most people are, and don’t have raincoats for their handbags.

Stephanie and Brandi also meet for dinner. Brandi says it feels like a first date. Brandi talks about the new house being brought up. She says LeeAnne thinks she wants to be a socialite, but Stephanie says no, she’d wanted something closer to the kids’ school. In her interview, Brandi says she doesn’t appreciate being put in an awkward position, and that LeeAnne has no business judging what has nothing to do with her. Brandi does a pretty good imitation of Kameron.

D’Andra tells husband Jeremy about her unproductive talk with her mom. Jeremy thinks she should be firmer.

She tries to talk to Dee again, telling her that sometimes she makes an executive decision, but Dee will then say it’s not happening. She says Dee should either let her fall on her face or succeed. She knows it’s hard on her, because she’s built a legacy, but asks what it will take to trust her? Dee says has to make sure she’s comfortable with D’Andra’s money management skills. She wants D’Andra to be successful. She’s built two multi-million-dollar companies with no degree (another wow), and is probably overprotective, but she’s afraid it won’t go as D’Andra expects, and she’ll lose the company. In her interview, D’Andra says that she appreciates it, but she’s a grown ass woman who’s being treated like a kid. She could walk away, but she’s put too much in it so far.

Brandi meets Stephanie at the new house. Stephanie gives Brandi a tour, and they go out on the amazing back porch, where we see the infinity pool. In her interview, Stephanie says it’s like old times; she’s snatched Brandi from LeeAnne. Brandi tells Stephanie that LeeAnne pointed out that Heidi lives across the street. She asks how Brandi is going to like having LeeAnne around, since she’s in the same neighborhood, and clues her in that she’s never let LeeAnne in her house. She says that you never know what she’ll say, and she doesn’t want it said around the kids. Brandi says that Heidi scares her, and they decide to prank call her. Stephanie blocks the outgoing number, and Brandi talks to her in a Regan from The Exorcist voice, saying she’s been a bad girl. Stephanie is dying laughing, and when Brandi tells Heidi that she loves her, Heidi hangs up. Well, this beats the two of them crying.

Mark asks Cary about the party, and says he’ll be hanging out by the pizza oven to avoid the onslaught. Cary says there’s no such thing as dad guilt. She wants to make up for getting the wrong cake last year, and do something fun and over-the-top. The ponies arrive, and a lemur. Damn. I never got a lemur. Cary puts Zuri on a white pony, and takes pictures. Zuri immediately wants her own pony. Well, what did they expect? The other girls arrive with their kids, and everyone pets the lemur. I have massive jealousy over a 3-year-old’s party.

Stephanie thanks Cary for having her back. Kameron wonders why Brandi is friends with LeeAnne. Stephanie tells her about how she doesn’t let LeeAnne into her house. Cary thinks that LeeAnne is hard up for friends. A beautiful chocolate cake with pink icing comes out, and is acceptable to the birthday girl. Brandi gives gifts to Stephanie and Cary while Kameron is standing there. It’s sets of Jack Daniel’s answer to fireball. Brandi invites them to Tennessee, saying they should make a girls’ trip out of it. She ignores Kameron like she’s the poor stepchild. Kameron says this isn’t awkward at all. She tells Brandi that it feels uncomfortable to be standing there while she’s inviting them. She says she understands that they just met, but still. Both Stephanie and Cary say, sorry. In her interview, Kameron wonders if Brandi needs etiquette lessons, and says she’s just being a mean girl.

Stephanie and Brandi go outside. Kameron tells Travis about how rude Brandi was being. Brandi tells Stephanie that she already had said sorry to Kameron before she passed out the gifts. In her interview, Kameron wonders where Brandi learned her manners, since her kids would know it was inappropriate. Brandi says that she didn’t realize Kameron had a brain. Geez. Have we learned nothing from Legally Blonde?

Next time, the trip to Memphis happens, Brandi visits her grandmother, and LeeAnne talks behind everyone’s back.

💐 The Real Housewives of New Jersey will be back on Wednesday, October 12, at 9 pm. Danielle Staub will be rejoining the cast, and I can’t wait. IMO she set the bar for the whole franchise the day she set that book on the table.

A Few of Danielle’s Finest Moments

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