She’s right. That boat needs to die. I’m sure Glenn and Colin are having a grand old time holding it together with duct tape and bubble gum, but it almost tanked the season.
Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. – Dean Koontz
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. — John Powell
The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke
A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult (I vote for lowering expectations.)
Even while we kill and punish we must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves—to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may, in this world or another, be cured: in fact, to wish his good. That is what is meant in the Bible by loving him: wishing his good, not feeling fond of him nor saying he is nice when he is not. – C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity
I can tell you, without diversity, creativity remains stagnant. – Edward Enninful
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato
That wasn’t karaoke. It was you, a jukebox, and a bar full of angry people. – Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell), Mike & Molly
🕺🏽 Curly Shuffling Away…
Tune in for a chance of Fear on Sunday, and on Monday really Tuesday for soap and double the Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting your elders no matter how old you are, and stay making sure that when you’re singing karaoke, you’re really at karaoke.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
Morgan goes to King County, and sees zombies feeding on some skunks. He walks to his old house, and says he’s here, calling out for Duane. He hears zombies growling inside, and runs. He kills the feeding zombies, and says he can kill them, but he can’t kill Duane. He doesn’t know why, but he can’t.
Grace shows up, and Morgan wonders how she knew he was here. She says, he sent her an SOS using their code, but he says he didn’t. No one knows he’s here. She asks what the smell is, and he says he killed some walkers feeding on skunks. She suggests they get him cleaned up, and asks what he’s doing so far inland. He hears something in the truck bed, and Mo comes out from under a tarp. She says she’s the one who sent the message, and tells Morgan that Madison got away. He wonders how she knew where he was headed, and she says she knew the graffiti on the boat meant something, even though he told her it didn’t. He says, she’s smarter than she has any right to be, and she asks about Jenny and Duane; their names were on the wall too. He tells Grace to get Mo out of here, and Grace tells Mo, those were his wife and son. Morgan says he came to put his boy to rest, and asks how Mo knew their code, Dock of the Bay. She says she knew the song meant something to him and mom, and asks if it’s okay she calls Grace that. Grace says, of course, and Mo asks if this is what getting in trouble with your parents is like. Morgan says, they’re not the ones she needs to worry about, and asks how she got away from PADRE. She says, Madison’s friend Daniel helped her. He’s building an army to take PADRE down. They can help him. Morgan says he has to do what he came here to do first, and Grace asks where Duane is. Morgan says, they were looking for food, and he told Duane to stay in the kitchen while he went to the basement. Maybe the door was ajar, because when he came up, Duane’s mother was standing opposite him, but she wasn’t his mother anymore. Before he could get his gun up, Jenny was on top of him. He finally did what he should have done weeks before, and fired, but it was too late. Grace says she’s sorry, and he says, the blood and the teeth… He just ran. He didn’t know what else to do. He ran and left his boy to become one of them. Mo asks where he went, but he says he doesn’t know. It’s a blur. It comes back to him in pieces. He started killing anything that moved, whether it was alive or dead. He thinks he should go inside by himself, but Mo says, they want to help him, and he really needs some new clothes.
They see a flare go up, and Morgan asks if Grace was followed, but she says she was careful. He suggests they get out of here, and they run, but Sherry rides up. They start to run in the other direction, but see Dwight, and duck behind a truck. Dwight says, there’s nowhere to go, and Morgan tells Mo and Grace to stay where they are. Mo asks how he knows Red Kite, and Morgan says, he’s the reason Dwight is at PADRE. He comes out, and asks how they found him. Dwight says, they’re here to take Morgan back to PADRE, and Sherry says, they heard the message he sent Grace. Coordinates and Dock of the Bay. Did he really think they wouldn’t figure it out? She smells Morgan, and says, he’s going on the back of Dwight’s horse. Morgan says, PADRE’s got their son, doesn’t he? He’s using their son against them. Sherry says, damn right, but if they bring Morgan back, he’s giving them their son and the freedom to go where they want. Morgan says, they can’t believe that, but Dwight says, they’ll take their chances. If they don’t bring Morgan back, worse will happen to Finch than has already happened. Morgan sold them out seven years ago to rescue his own kid; they’re just returning the favor. A zombie toddles toward where Mo and Grace are hiding, and Dwight gives it an ax to the head. He sees Mo and Grace, and they come out. Sherry asks if Morgan brought them, but Mo says, technically, they came without his permission. Shrike radios Dwight, and he tells Sherry that PADRE will hurt Mo if they bring her back, but she says, they won’t see their kid if they don’t. Shrike radios again, asking if they need assistance, and Dwight says, if Morgan runs with Mo and Grace now, they’ll find some walkers and mess up their faces like they did with Virginia. Morgan says, they got lucky that time, and Sherry agrees. Dwight asks if she wants Finch to know what they traded for his freedom, and tells Morgan that there are two guards babysitting them. They rode ahead to sweep the town, and he suggests Morgan make his decision before they catch up. A guard radios that they’re approaching, and asks their status. Morgan says, there’s something he has to do first, but Grace tells him, let it go. He says he’s sorry, but he can’t, and tells them to run, grabbing his pokey stick to hold Dwight and Sherry at bay. He takes off, and Dwight tells Sherry to cut them off at the entrance.
Zombies start to come out, and Morgan leads Grace and Mo to a house. They go inside, and he says, it’s clear, after banging on the wall. He tells Grace where there are supplies, and that there’s a rifle upstairs. They’re going to need it. The walkers will find them before Dwight and Sherry do. She asks how he knows where everything is, and he says he lived here with Duane before he died. She asks if this is a good idea, and he asks if she has a better one.
Morgan uses tomato soup to get rid of the smell, but he thinks it just masks it. Mo asks how he knew it would work, and he says Duane had a dog when he was little who got on the wrong side of a skunk. They bathed her in it, and then she smelled like a mix of wet dog and bad ketchup. There was still soup there because Duane refused to eat it. She asks if the way things used to be was nice, and he says, it wasn’t bad. She wonders if it will ever be like that again and he says he thinks if they do things right, it could be even better. People can get the second chances they wanted. He apologizes for telling Mo they weren’t her parents. They are in every way that matters, but Isaac and Rachel were her real parents. They sacrificed everything so that she would survive. They hear zombies outside, and he tells Mo to go upstairs. Grace says, the walkers are going to lead Dwight and Sherry to them, and he says he wants her to take Mo and go as far north as her truck will take her. He has to take care of Duane, then he’ll catch up with them and they can regroup with Madison and Daniel. Grace says, he needs to leave now, but he says he has to put his boy to rest. She says, when they met, she was sacrificing herself for people who were already dead. It’s Mo’s life. He says, Mo needs to know he won’t let her down, , and she says, they’re trapped in this house now because he brought them here. Dwight radios Morgan, and says, we’re here. He tells Morgan to look out the window, and Morgan peeks out, seeing zombies clawing at the house, as well as Dwight, Sherry, and the guards. Dwight tells him to be smart about this, and Grace says, whatever happened in this house with Duane doesn’t have to happen with them. He tells Dwight that he’s listening, and Dwight tells him not to make it any harder. Grace says, maybe they can still make that deal, and Dwight says, we’re waiting. Morgan tells him, they can keep waiting. The walkers are a bigger problem for him and Sherry than they are for them. Sherry says, maybe they can help Morgan do what he came here for. PADRE thinks he came for a reason; weapons, more soldiers, to plan an attack. But Morgan says, it’s not like that. His boy died in one of the houses close by. He came back to bury him. Sherry says, they have their son to worry about too, and a guard sends up a flare. Dwight says, every walker within ten miles will be here soon, and Mo calls to Grace and Morgan. They go upstairs into a bedroom covered in graffiti, and Grace asks if Morgan did this. He says he doesn’t remember coming here after Duane died, and picks up the rifle. He tells her, Jenny was always outside. She came there most nights, and he’d wait. He wanted to put her to rest, and didn’t want Duane to see his mother like that. A man named Rick Grimes gave him the rifle to put her to rest, but he couldn’t. He looks at the walls, and says he must have come back here after Duane died. He wasn’t right for a long time afterward. Mo asks what clear means, and he says, that was when he was killing anyone or anything that came near him. Mo picks up a photo album, flips through it, and says she likes it when he smiles. Grace says she does too, and wonders what they’ve been doing the last seven years. He says, they were doing what they thought they had to, and Mo asks if they ever saw each other. Morgan says, now and then. If PADRE knew what they meant to each other… Mo says, PADRE would have used it against them. Another flare is shot, and Dwight says, maybe this will hurry them up. Morgan looks out and sees Jenny, as well as a zombie whose arm is on fire. Dwight says, they’ll save him a bullet; this one’s a courtesy kill – a guard gives the burning zombie a whack in the head – but the next one, they’re letting go. Morgan says, they’re going to get Mo killed, but Dwight says, no. Morgan will. They’re giving him five minutes, and then sending a zombie onto the porch. Morgan says he should have taken the deal, but Mo says, he made the right choice. Grace says they have to get back to her truck, and Mo says, he just has to clear for them. He says, it’s not that simple, but she says, this is his second chance. Grace says, maybe this is what he needs to show himself that things can be different this time, but Morgan says, PADRE will hurt Sherry and Dwight’s son. Mo says, not if they can help Daniel take the island first, and Grace says, Rick gave him the gun for a reason. Use it.
Morgan says, he’ll cover them, but when he says, take a hard right, go for the truck, and don’t stop. Grace says she meant what she said; she’s sorry they wasted so much time. She kisses Morgan, and Mo makes that face you make when you’re a kid and see your parents kiss. She asks, what’s that for? and Morgan asks if she’s never seen anyone kissing before. She says, no, and she doesn’t need to again. Grace kisses Mo’s cheek, and Mo asks if they can just start killing Carrion please. Grace opens the door, and Morgan comes out shooting. He kills a bunch of zombies, but then sees Jenny and can’t shoot. Grace whacks some zombies in the head, but one breaks through the porch railing and they get close to Mo. Grace tells her to go back in the house, and Mo goes in, slamming the door shut. While Morgan is still being weird about Jenny, Grace tells him that one is on fire. He’s still faltering, when a guard shoots the blazing zombie. Dwight asks why Morgan is really here, and Morgan says he told Dwight; he’s here for his boy. Dwight says, the only way PADRE is going to believe Morgan is if he shows them.
They go into Morgan’s old house, and he says, after they find his boy, they can take him back to PADRE, but they need to get Mo out of that house. Sherry says, they’ll make sure she’s okay, and they hear a zombie growling behind a door. Morgan asks to be the one to do it, and promises not to try anything. Dwight gives him a cross peen hammer, and opens the door. Morgan kills the zombie, but says, it’s not him. Morgan calls out for Duane, insisting he has to be here. He freaks out, and Sherry says, Duane must have gotten out. Morgan says he waited too long, and Grace says, it’s okay. He says, it’s not, sinking to the floor. He should have put his boy to rest then, and he can’t now. He put her and Mo in danger for nothing. The guard tells him, on his feet, and radios Shrike that he’s lying; his kid’s not here. Shrike says, if Morgan won’t tell him why he’s there, kill him, and the guard cocks her gun. Grace says, he needs to tell them about Duane, and the guard says, lastchance. Grace says, he needs to tell them what happened here, but Morgan says, it’s already over. If they’re going to do it – he grabs the gun barrel and puts it against his forehead – then do it. Grace says, no, and Morgan pushes the gun barrel away. Dwight and Sherry knock the guards out, while Grace shields Morgan. Morgan says, they shouldn’t have done that, but Dwight says he’s not going to watch Morgan get killed in cold blood. Sherry says, he’s not the only one trying to escape his past, and Dwight says, what PADRE is making them do is like living at the Sanctuary all over again. Morgan says, their boy is going to end up just like his. He can’t have that on him. Shrike radios, and Morgan says, they’re going to kill Finch, but Dwight says, not if they have something to do with it. He answers the call, and Shrike says she wants to talk to Oriole. Dwight says, she can talk to Oriole after he talks to his son. He wants to know Finch is okay. Shrike tells Finch to go ahead, and Dwight asks how he’s feeling. Finch says he thinks the treatment worked. What’s going on? Dwight asks if Finch remembers that thing he taught him in class before he got sick; the Chimney Sweep. Do it now. Finch swipes a chair across Shrike’s legs, and she hits her head on the table going down. Finch says, she’s out. Now what?They’re going to find her. Dwight tells him that there’s a supply boat leaving in 20 minutes, and to hide on it. They’ll meet him on the dock where the boat lands. Finch says, okay, and Sherry says they have to get going. Dwight tells Morgan, whatever happened here, he has a chance to make things different with Mo. Don’t forget that. They leave.
Grace radios Mo and says, they’re coming to drive the walkers away. Mo tells her to hurry, and Morgan tells Grace that she’s Mo’s best shot. She saw what happened to him outside that house. She tells him that he has to put it behind him, but he says he can’t. She says, neither can she. She didn’t want him to hear what she was listening to in the truck. The book was on double speed. The radiation’s caught up with her, and she’s sick. He has to get Mo out of that house. He asks how long she’s known, and she says, a few months. She found a hospital and did a scan. She’s paying the price for chasing the dead, and he can’t do the same. He says he’ll get Mo out, and the three of them will spend time together. He radios Mo, and she says, one of the flares hit the house, and the fire is spreading. He tells her to get to the attic; he’s coming to get her.
The house is on fire, and zombies surround it. Morgan starts shooting them, and Mo hears something in the attic. Morgan sees Jenny, and once again can’t shoot. Mo sees a zombie chained to the wall, and says, Duane? like he might answer. Morgan says, you’re not her; none of you are her. He shoots several zombies, Jenny among them. A beam falls on Mo, and she gets trapped. Morgan gets in the house, and Mo yells that she’s stuck. Help her. He realizes he brought Duane there, but hesitates to shoot him. Mo says she knows he can do it, and he remembers Duane as a child. Recognizing that Duane is no longer that child, Morgan shoots him. He asks if Mo is okay, and she says, he did it. It’s going to be okay.
Morgan buries Duane and Jenny, and says, there are a few things he has to do, but he’ll be back. And it won’t take ten years; he promises. The three of them hug. Grace says, it’s over. He didn’t let it happen again and that’s what matters. He says, they’ll help Madison and Daniel with PADRE. They’ll reunite every child with a their parents who are still out there, then they’ll do what they said and spend time together. Grace says, he once told her that they can handle anything that comes, and that’s what they’re going to do. When do they tell Mo? He says, they were just reunited, and he doesn’t want to take that away from Mo just yet. Mo holds up the photo album, saying, look what she found. She sits to look through it, when a zombie pops out of the rubble and grabs her. Morgan and Grace run over to her, pulling the zombie off and killing it. Morgan asks if she got bit, and Mo says she didn’t, but she thinks the zombie was skunked. He says, forget the photos. They need to look for cans of tomato soup for her. Grace shows Morgan that she got bit during the struggle.
Sherry and Dwight wait at the dock in a shelter, and Sherry worries that Finch hasn’t gotten off the boat yet. Finch comes up behind them. They nearly shoot him, and he runs to them. Dwight suggests he never sneak up on them, when a truck pulls up. Sherry wonders if they’ve been seen, but Morgan gets out, shooting the boat guards. He tells them that he needs their help with Grace, and asks if Finch’s treatment worked. Sherry says, it looks that way, and he says, then they’ve got to get Grace to June. It’s her only chance.
Dwight drives the boat, and Morgan tells Grace to hang on. June can fix this. She says, he doesn’t know that, but he says, no matter what’s coming, they have to live. Grace says she promises they will.
Next time, the boat is attacked; Morgan tells Grace that June has a way to treat bites Shrike asks, why do they think she put the train car on wheels; and Morgan says, they can’t stop him.
🐞 Snug As a Bug In a Rug…
Stop by tomorrow for soap, sailing, and awful Summer people. Until then, stay safe, stay sensible, and stay not sneaking up on anyone during a zombie apocalypse.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Jordan is about to knock on Curtis’s door, when she flashes back to their kiss. As she starts to knock, Curtis opens the door, surprised to see her, and she says he’s probably wondering how she knew he was here. He says, so she came to see him? and she says, yes. His wife told her where to find him.
The bank officer tells Spencer that everything seems to be in order, and brings him the safety deposit box. Per instructions of the late Victor Cassadine, the contents of the box now belong to him. He’s sorry for Spencer’s loss. Instead of laughing, Spencer thanks him, and he leaves. Spencer tells Trina, it’s not too late. They can leave the box and walk out of here. He knows his Uncle Victor, and no good will come from opening this box. She asks if he really doesn’t want to know what this box might be protecting his family from.
Ava finds Austin at the hospital, and wonders if she can ask him a question. He says, sure, and she says, it’s about her post-op recovery. She suggests they find somewhere private, and he says, you bet. His voice gets louder, and he says, if they’re going to discuss her post-op recovery, they should probably do it in his office. They walk down the hall, and she says, they’ve got a problem.
Michael walks into Sonny’s old kitchen, and Carly says, perfect timing. She just made brownies. What brings him by? Not wanting to admit he’s there to visit the moss bowl🎍, he flashes back to Josslyn telling him to give Carly the evidence to save herself. Carly says, it’s not bad news, is it?
Josslyn goes to Dex’s apartment, and says, they’re in private, so no one can listen to them. Can he please just email her the video of Sonny taking the shipment from Pikeman? He says he doesn’t have it.
Sonny sees Dante at the pool, and asks if he’s seen Nina, but Dante says he’s been too busy looking at that pretty girl over there, indicating Sam. Sonny says, it looks like they’re in a good place, and Dante says he can’t complain. Sonny seems lighter. Sonny says, maybe it has something to do with him and Nina being engaged, and Dante hugs him, saying, congratulations. That’s awesome news. Things are looking up in Sonny’s world. Sonny says, not everything, as Ned walks in. Sonny goes over to Ned, and Sam asks Dante, what’s going on with Sonny? Dante says he doesn’t know, and asks if Sam knew Sonny and Nina got engaged. She says she just overheard him telling Dante, but she guesses she shouldn’t be surprised. This means he and Carly have truly moved on.
Carly asks if Willow is okay, but he says he spoke to her this morning, and so far, so good. She asked about Carly. She’s worried; they both are. Carly says she doesn’t want Willow worrying about her. She has to focus on herself. Would he please tell Willow that she’s fine? He says, they both know she’s not fine, and from what she told him, she doesn’t have many options. She says she’ll take her chances in court, or go for a deal, okay? and he says, which means offering up Drew or dad to the Feds. She says she knows it’s not much of a choice… and he says, so she’s going to take her chance in court? She says she doesn’t know, but it’s her decision to make. That’s why she doesn’t want him and Josslyn fighting over this. This is her problem. He says, what affects her, affects them, and she says she knows that. Whatever decision she makes will be what’s best for this family. He asks what decision that will be.
Josslyn says, Dex doesn’t have the footage? and he says he gave the only copy to Michael. She asks, why? and he says, because it’s his property. Michael paid him, he gave Michael the footage; end of story. She says, it’s not end of story, because that video’s the one shot her mom has at not going to prison. He says, then she needs to get it from Michael, and she says she can’t believe he risked his life to get this video, and he doesn’t keep a copy for insurance. He says, that’s not how he works. He provides a service. When he was in the military, he had a mission, an objective, and he completed it. He didn’t take ownership of it. It’s the exact same thing now. Michael hired him; the footage belongs to him. Even if he had a copy, which he doesn’t, he couldn’t give it to her.
Ned says, no need for Sonny to get in his face. He has no beef with him. Sonny says, only with Carly, ratting her out to the SEC? That’s low, even for a Quartermaine. Ned says he doesn’t owe Sonny any explanations. He’s here to see his wife. Sonny says, Ned’s not going anywhere until he’s done with him.
Ava tells Austin that Nikolas inherited property in the Chechen Republic, and Laura thinks that’s where he’s been hiding out. Austin asks, why? and she says, the theory is that Victor hid him there once before, and Laura wants to fly to Chechnya, find him, and bring him home. He says, she told him they have a problem. If Laura wants to go to Chechnya, she’s not going to find him. Let her go. Let her try. Ava says, it’s dangerous. She could be hurt or worse. They have to stop her. He says he’s going to push back on that just a little bit. If Ava goes to Laura and tells her not to go to Chechnya to look for her long lost son, she’s going to want to know why. He totally understands that she’s worried, but she can’t say anything to Laura. She can’t do anything to raise suspicion. She says she can’t have any more blood on her hands, especially not Laura’s.
Curtis says, Jordan spoke to Portia about him? but she says, don’t worry. She didn’t tell Portia what happened with them at The Savoy. Isn’t he going to invite her in? He says, absolutely, and she walks in the house. She says, it really is lovely here. When was he going to tell her that he moved back home? He says, actually, he was coming to find her right now. He opened the door and there she was. She says, she’s always here when he needs her, except she’s not sure it works the other way around. He says, she’s angry, and she says, he can add hurt to that. Definitely confused. After they kissed, they agreed she’d wait, and while she was waiting, he reconciled with his new wife.
Spencer puts the key in the box, and tells Trina, if Pandora had left that box closed, the world would have been spared its evils. She says, hope also came out of that box. Stop stalling. He opens it, and she asks if that’s what she thinks it is. He says, what fresh hell? and takes out a tablet. He tries it, and says, of course (🍷). No juice. Maybe it’s sign. He puts it back in the box and closes it, but she says, it just needs a fresh charge. Good thing his girl always comes prepared. She digs in her bag, and says, her dad has a rule; she should never be without a charge. She takes out a charger, and he says, remind him to thank her dad the next time he sees him. She plugs in the tablet, and he takes an envelope out of the box, pulling out a paper. She asks if that’s a receipt, and he says, from an online pharmacy. This is a prescription filled from Esme for the same drug that almost killed Oz Haggerty. She says, and poisoned her.
Carly says she’s not selling anybody out, but Michael says, maybe she shouldn’t look at it that way. She asks how she’s supposed to see it. She either turns on the man she loves or the man she used to love, who happens to be the father of her kids. He says, she told Sonny that she wouldn’t double-cross him. While that’s admirable, from where he’s standing, Sonny hasn’t exactly extended the same courtesy to her or this family. She says, that’s not true. Sonny offered to give her information that she could offer the Feds; something he could defend himself against. She turned him down. She doesn’t want to open that door. He says, what if she had something Sonny couldn’t defend himself against?
Ned suggests he save Sonny and himself some time. If he doesn’t pull some strings and get the SEC to stop the investigation against Drew and Carly, Sonny makes him pay. Is that the gist of it? Sonny says, Ned’s going to pay, and Sam tells Dante that he may want to do something about this. Ned asks if Sonny is threatening him, but Sonny says he doesn’t threaten people; he gets even. He thought they had mutual respect, until Ned went after the mother of his kids. Ned says he had nothing to do with it, and they start yelling at each other. Dante comes over, and tells them to settle down, but Ned says he’s not the one who started this. Sonny says he’ll finish it. Is that what Ned wants? Olivia comes out, and asks, what the hell is going on here?
Ava tells Austin that she’s a mother too. She understands what Laura is going through, but she can’t risk anything happening to Laura while she searches for Nikolas, especially since it’s her fault he’s gone in the first place. He says, let’s do it. Let’s figure out a way to stop Laura. She thanks him, and he says he’d like to propose some terms though. She says, like what? and he says he doesn’t see any reason to rush things. It’s probably hard for anybody to go to Chechnya, let alone an American, and it’s probably not going to be easy for Laura to get out of Chechnya. So whatever plan Laura comes up with has to be well thought out and considered, and hopefully, that will give them some time to really think about how to stop her.
Curtis tells Jordan that him moving back in with Portia isn’t a reconciliation. It’s just a first step. She asks if Portia knows that, and he says he’s staying in the guest room. She says, even so, what gives? Was he ever considering reviving what they had together, or was she just there to help him sort out his feelings for his wife? He says he’d never play her like that. What happened between them was spontaneous. It was compulsive, but it was completely organic. She says, maybe this is on her. She got wrapped up in a single kiss. She misread the situation, didn’t she?
Spencer says he wasn’t sure Trina knew that Esme drugged her that night at the cabin, and she says, her mom and Curtis suspected it. She barely drank that night, and certainly not enough to make her feel so out of it. How did he know? Did Esme tell him? He says he found pills. He was going through all Esme’s things trying to find something that would clear Trina in court, and he brought one of the pills to Britt. She told him that it was an opioid analgesic, something if mixed with alcohol could cause a person to lose consciousness. He’s so sorry. She says, so is she, and he says he means he’s sorry he didn’t tell her about this sooner, but things just kept happening, one thing on top of another, and he guesses it just got buried. He’s sorry. She says, she knows. It’s okay. it’s been a lot, but it sure comes back up though. It was such a violation, and it started the whole revenge porn case. At least she didn’t end up like Oz Haggerty in a coma. He says he wanted to be the one to save her, but he didn’t have any actual proof. She picks up the prescription, and says, until now.
Ava thanks Austin, and says she feels so much better. It really helps her that she has someone to share this with. He says, literally any time. When she said there was a problem, he thought she might have heard from Mason, but she says, not a peep. He says, that’s great, but weird, because usually when he has his hooks in somebody, he’s not inclined to let go. She says, small favors, as he opens his office door. Can they hope that Mason has given up… Just outside the door, Mason says, given up on them? Never.
Dex opens his laptop and tells Josslyn, look for herself. She says, if he tells her it’s not there, she believes him. She has to. Because if he’s lying, they’ve got nothing. He says he spent months telling her half-truths and keeping secrets. He won’t do that again. She says, even if it’s his job? Just like it was his job to get the video for Michael, and not keep a copy, and not give it to her? He says, to him, honesty and evidence are two different things. He can tell her what he’s doing, but he can’t make her a part of it.
Ned says, he and Sonny were just having a friendly chat; one where he just shuts up and listens. Olivia says, in case Sonny’s forgotten, this is her place of business, and Sonny says, so he can’t have a conversation in her hotel? Sam says she thinks what Olivia means is, they should do this more privately, and Dante says, like not at a patio with a pool full of witnesses. Sonny says, to be continued, and Ned says he gets that Sonny is pissed. Had he done what Sonny is accusing him of doing, Sonny would have every right to threaten him, but as God is his witness, it wasn’t him.
Michael says, at least he and Sonny are in agreement about one thing; they both don’t want Carly to go to prison. Carly says she knows he has huge issues with his dad, and he says he does. Despite everything that happened, he still had to come to grips with wanting to save his mother at the expense of his father. Carly says, it’s a good thing he doesn’t have to, and Michael says, Joss is worried about her and so is he. If it came down to the choice of saving her or Sonny… She says she’s not going to sacrifice Sonny to save her own skin; she won’t do that. He says, what if he does it instead?
Trina wonders how this receipt got here. Is there something else in that envelope? Spencer takes out a folded paper, and says, it’s a letter, handing it to Trina. She reads: Dear Maggie, I need your advice. I may be in a lot of trouble… He says, that’s Esme’s nanny, takes the letter and reads: That sleazy bartender I met has been harassing me. I tried to convince him to leave me alone, and things got out of control. I slipped him something so I could get away. I may have seriously hurt him. Trina asks if Spencer realizes what this is, and he says, evidence. She says, it’s got to be Esme’s handwriting, and he says, it looks like it. She says, isn’t that just like Esme, trying to slant things to make herself look like the victim? She’s the one who purposely drugged Oz Haggerty. You could never induce that girl to tell the truth. He says, total amnesia could, and Trina says, this is amazing. A receipt that proves Esme bought the drugs that could incapacitate two people, and a written confession. What else do they need? He asks if she thinks it’s enough, and she says, only one way to find out. She opens the fastest charging tablet in the world, and they look at it.
Curtis says, Jordan didn’t misread anything. His feelings for her are real, and him moving in here doesn’t change that. I call him an idiot, and she asks, how real are his feelings for Portia? He says he’d be lying if he said he didn’t have feelings for Portia as well, and she says she’s out of here. He says, she accused him of not giving their marriage the chance it needed, and she was right. When Jordan wanted to work on things, he walked away because he wasn’t ready to handle the pain at that time. Now he’s trying to learn from his mistake. It wouldn’t be fair to her and Portia if he walked away from his marriage before he sorted out his feelings. She asks how he plans on doing that, and he says, by not avoiding Portia, by committing to having the hard conversation, by doing what he didn’t do with her, and that’s putting in the hard work. She says, that’s admirable, and great news for Portia, but where does that leave her?
Ned says, Sonny is right. They’re families have had an ugly history, but they share a family member. They both prioritize family, and granted, the Quartermaines don’t always show it. But when push comes to shove, they’re loyal and they pull together. When he threatened Drew, he was angry, but that’s where it ended. And he considers Carly family, not just because she’s Michael’s mother, but she’s Olivia’s best friend, and loved by his son Leo. He would never hurt her. Sonny suggests they not pretend Ned would never act in his own self-interest. His family loyalty took a vacation when he threw in with Valentin, and that’s the reason Carly lost half her hotel. Ned says, and he regrets that, which is why he’d never kick her while she’s down. Olivia says, she and Sonny go way back, which is why she’s not asking him to believe Ned. She’s asking Sonny to believe her. Her husband didn’t do this.
Mason says, don’t Austin and Ava look comfortable; all cozy and at ease. Did they miss him? Mason comes in, and Austin closes the office door. Mason says, sorry he’s been gone so long. He was out of town on important business. But worry not. He didn’t forget about them. He’s keeping tabs. Austin asks, how? and Mason asks if anybody ever told Austin that he worries too much. He should be more like their girl Ava. She’s been living her life; carrying on without a care in the world. It’s almost as if she didn’t miss her husband.
Dex says he’s sorry. Josslyn’s scared about her mom, and she came to him thinking he could save her, but he can’t. He feels like he’s failing her. Josslyn says she came up with a plan that didn’t work. She thought he could give her something he literally doesn’t have. So it’s not his fault. None of this is his fault. It’s her family’s mess, and she doesn’t know how to fix it. If her mom doesn’t turn in that evidence, and goes to prison, then Donna literally has nobody except Sonny and Nina, and she needs her mom. He says, Donna will have her. He thinks Josslyn needs her mom too, and Josslyn says, but she’s grown, and she shouldn’t need her mom as much as she does. He says, we always need the people who care about us the most, and she says she can’t sit here and do nothing. She has to find a way to help her mom. He suggests she start by trusting her mom.
Carly tells Michael, the Feds have been circling this family for years. She hasn’t talked, and she’s not going to start now, even for a deal. He says, she could probably send Sonny away with what she already knows, and she shrugs. He says, but there’s a way to ensure she never has to open her mouth. He takes out the flashdrive, and tells her, what’s on this flashdrive is irrefutable evidence that Sonny violated the National Security Act. Just give him the word, and he’ll make sure the relevant parties see it. Her hands will be clean. She asks, what’s on the flashdrive? and he says, video footage of Sonny and his crew finalizing a deal to transport a dangerous weapon. She asks how he knows this. How did he even get that flashdrive? He says, because he commissioned it.
Sonny says, because of Olivia, this is over, but if he hears Ned had any part of this… Ned says he won’t, and Olivia tells Sonny, see you around, and leaves with Ned. Sam gives Sonny and Dante some space, and Dante says, what the hell was that? Sonny says, from what he knows, Ned had something to do with Carly’s problems with the SEC. What does Dante expect him to do? Dante says, not that. He wants to go to bat for the mother of his children, that’s fine, but don’t go after Ned in a public place. Ned has an accident or something, and who does Sonny think they’ll want him to talk to? Sonny. Does he really want both of Donna’s parents to end up behind bars?
Carly says, Michael paid someone to spy on Sonny? and he says he needed proof of criminal liability that could send Sonny to prison for the rest of his life, and this was more than he could ask for. Obviously upset, Carly asks what he was thinking. What’s on that drive could destroy their family. He says he knows. Willow told him the same thing. That’s why, after they got married, he decided to forget about taking Sonny down anymore. She says, but he still held on to it, and he says, it’s a good thing he did. This could be the only thing that’s standing between her and federal prison.
Dex says, Josslyn can’t tell Carly how to handle this, anymore than Carly can tell her how to handle her life. Josslyn says, she definitely has opinions, and he says, about him; about her being with him. Josslyn says, she told him; her mom just doesn’t want to see her get hurt. She never directly told Josslyn not to be with him. She knows Josslyn wouldn’t listen. He says, it would have solved all their problems if he’d done what Michael wanted and left Port Charles, but she says, not really, because she offered to go with him, and she meant it. He says he knows, and the fact that she was willing to do that terrified him.
Ava says, you freak, and Austin steps between her and Mason, who says, ouch. Is that really what she thinks of him? After everything he’s done for her? Does he need to refresh their memories about what would have happened if he hadn’t stepped in to solve their little problem? They don’t like sunshine and fresh air? Because he could go to the PCPD right now, and guarantee they never see those again. Austin asks, what’s his point? Is there one? Does he have a purpose, or is he just there to torment them? Mason says, don’t rush him. Although he appreciates the go-getter attitude. He’s going to need it. It’s time for the two of them to show poor old Mason some appreciation.
Looking at the tablet, Trina says, is that… Spencer says, Esme with the bartender, and she says, this looks like a still from the security camera on the docks. What are they doing? Spencer says, that’s a hand-off, and Trina asks if this is proof Esme paid for a burner phone; the same one she filmed Joss and Cam with? He says, sure looks like it, and she says, all this time they thought Esme could cover up her tracks so well. She guesses there’s no such thing as a perfect crime. He says, no. At least not where his Uncle Victor is concerned.
Curtis says he knows this is uncomfortable for Jordan, and he knows it isn’t fair. But he never would have asked her to wait if he thought she was some consolation prize. She asks if Portia knows she’s the other half of this equation, and he doesn’t say anything. She says, for someone who hates dishonesty, doesn’t he think he should be fully transparent to both women in his life? He says he does. There’s just more at play here. She says, Portia told her the news. He’s Trina’s father. He says he is, and she says, congratulations. He thanks her, and she says, he’s navigating so much. Is there really room in his life for another complication? He says, she’s much more than that. It just took him too long to realize it. Can she give him just a little bit more time?
Mason says, if it wasn’t for him, they would both be behind bars, and Austin suggests Mason just tell them what he has in mind. Mason says he has something he needs them to do, and Ava says she’d be happy to buy him a bus ticket out of town. He doesn’t even have to ask. Mason says, Ava’s attitude will come in handy, as well as her charisma and fearlessness. Ava’s got all the charisma they need. Ava says, his needs are not her problem, and her ample charisma is none of his damn business. Mason says, so feisty, and Austin says, she is. Why doesn’t he just explain to Ava what he wants from her? Mason says, we want to work your very specific connections, and Ava says, we who? And what connections is he talking about? Does he want a deal on a piece of art? Mason says, it’s not about her art. It’s about her family.
Trina says she has so many questions. How did Spencer’s uncle obtain all this evidence, and how long was he sitting on it for? And if he hadn’t died, would Spencer have ever known? Spencer says, those are all valid questions. This safety deposit box contains a smoking gun. This is exactly what he was hoping for. Trina suggests they get everything together and go to the PCPD. He has everything he needs to get custody of his baby brother.
Jordan says she’s been living in limbo since her and Curtis’s divorce. While he reunited with Portia, fell in love, and proposed, she found herself buried in work, even resisting going out on dates. He says he never wanted that for her, but she says she’s not blaming him. It was her choice not to move on. Maybe subconsciously she was holding out for hope. He says he doesn’t want to keep her waiting. That’s exactly why they’re having this conversation, so he can find out where he stands with Portia, and find out where he stands with her. She says she knows where they stand. She hopes he can find what he’s looking for here, and hopes he and Portia can be happy, together or apart. He says, and her? and she says she has to truly let go; finally. Two years was too long to put her life on hold. She leaves.
Olivia says she’s sorry, but Ned says he doesn’t blame her. He’s let her down before. She says, he’s also been there before, like with Leo. She should have never doubted him. Can he forgive her? He says, maybe. Can she remind him what she said to Sonny again? She says, my husband didn’t do this? and he says, one more time. She repeats it with tears in her voice, and he kisses her.
Josslyn tells Dex, she gets it. This is just too much. What started as a casual thing just got way too intense. He says, they’ve never put a label on their relationship. In the beginning, he was excited to just spend time with her, but usually she was tearing into him for working for Sonny. Then she rescued him from a meat hook, patched him up when he was shot. She even covered for him when he took a shot at that killer on the docks. She says, anyone would have done that, and he says, not anyone would have gone to the lengths for him that she has.
Sonny says, Donna shouldn’t have to lose time with her mother in jail, and Dante says, okay, but Carly’s actions bear some responsibility, no? Sonny says, she didn’t do it on purpose, but whoever pointed the SEC at Carly and Drew sure as hell did. There’s an agenda. Sam comes back with drinks, and Dante says, Sonny sounds like he has someone in mind other than Ned. Sam says, that tip to the SEC was anonymous, and Sonny says, anybody could be trying to get to Carly, or use Carly to get to him.
Carly covers her face with her hands, and Michael says he’d decided this information would never serve a good purpose, but now he realizes it could save her. Does she want to use it, or does she want him to? Carly says she’d prefer it didn’t exist, and he says he respects that, but if she changes her mind… She says she won’t. This footage can never see the light of day. Who else knows about this? Wait. I haven’t seen the moss bowl🎍since that first scene. Did Michael steal it when she wasn’t looking?
Dex says, Josslyn has defended him to her mom, gone to bat for him with her brother, and even pleaded his case to Sonny. She’s special; once in a lifetime. The thought of losing her scares him because he’s in love with her. Now it’s his turn to ask; is this too much for her? She says she loves him too, and they kiss.
Pfft! for a Friday ending.
On Monday, Tracy asks what the hell someone is doing; Mason wants Ava to use her connection to Sonny; and Trina asks Spencer what he’s keeping from her.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Although I do think the reason she’s so vapid is that Ariana was right the first time; she finds her identity in men. Without a puppeteer, she’s a literal blank slate.
Most of this isn’t shocking. It’s a little sad how Ariana feels about LVP. Of course LVP can do no wrong, but I actually see where she’s coming from. She’s a lot older than the cast, and she’s always taken on the mom role. It’s not that she condones what that awful weasel with a moustache did, but as one of her kids, she’s not totally turning her back. And seriously, is she supposed to pull out of her investment in TomTom?
Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You’ll find they haven’t half the strength you think they have. – Norman Vincent Peale
Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. – Eleanor Roosevelt (Oooh, snap!)
Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive. – Haruki Murakami
There’s diseases in mouse poops. – the son of a hoarder, Hoarders
Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let’s stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another. – Anne Raver
I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard…We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. – Malala Yousafzai
The haunted house was a success. We made people cry. – Jonah Johnston, 7 Little Johnstons
🌿 Springing Into Summer…
Enjoy your break from the daily, unless enjoyment is your daily. If so, carry on. Perhaps there will be a dip in the Dead pool on Sunday, but definitely on Monday really Tuesday there will be soap, Deck, and awful Summer people for all. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping cool in hot situations, and stay opening any safety deposit box you’re bequeathed. You never know.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
Madison opens her eyes to a zombie head wrapped in a burlap sack and cinched in a vise above her. She struggles to get up, but realizes she’s tied up and strapped down. A guard comes in and tells her, sorry about the sedative, but it was easier that way. Madison asks if they haven’t taken enough blood, but the guard says, they’ve moved beyond studying her blood. It will be easier if Blue Jay explains. June comes in, and Madison says, Naomi, but June says, that was a long time ago. So long, I forgot she was ever called that. The guard says, PADRE wants her back on the island, and to get Madison ready. Madison asks if June is one of them, but June says, not by choice. Madison wonders if June has been the one drawing her blood, but June says she didn’t even know Madison was alive. She’s done everything she can to put Shrike off. Madison asks, from what? What is Shrike going to do to her? June says, Shrike has ideas on how to cure Carrion bites based on Alicia surviving as long as she did. It’s probably why Shrike was collecting Madison’s blood. It might be something besides radiation, something hereditary. Madison asks if Shrike is right, but June thinks it’s too soon to tell. There’s a boy who’s been responding to the radiation, but it hasn’t even been a week. Madison looks at the head moving around in the bag, and wonders if she can ask June a favor. June says, anything, and Madison says, there’s a file with the names of the children she took; their real names, not the names PADRE gave them. She promised Mo that she’d track down the kids’ parents, but June says, everything she’s tried to do since being at PADRE has blown up in her face. Shrike radios, asking if Madison is ready, and June nods. The guard tells Shrike that she is, and June reminds Madison of how she saved them all when she was left at the stadium. She won’t leave Madison now. She’ll be with her until the end. Madison looks again at the zombie head.
12 years ago. A teenage girl (obviously Shrike when she was younger) and boy walk into a room, and the girl says, they shouldn’t be here. They check out a two-way mirror, when a voice on the loudspeaker asks what they’re doing in here. They’re about to run, when a man in uniform comes in. It’s their dad, and he says, they should have seen their faces. The boy says, the mirror is creepy, and the soldier says, it helps him with meetings. The girl says, he needs to get the mic fixed too, but the soldier says, Sergeant Brenner says it’s probably just a faulty wire. The girl asks if he really has to go today, and the soldier says he wants to show them something.
The girl looks through binoculars and the soldier tells her, it’s a middle-spotted woodpecker. When their mom gave him the binoculars, she said, it was so he’d always see what’s coming. When he saw that bird this morning, he felt like she was trying to tell him that they’d be okay here. These birds live in families, and cooperate to raise their young. If the birds can do it, so can they. A soldier asks if they should load up, calling the man General Kreddick. The general asks for a minute, and his daughter says she hates when he leaves the island, but he says, that’s the way they’re going to help people rebuild; the same way they did this place. Each shipping container is filled with supplies to rebuild. The boy says, it’s dangerous out there. LA and Atlanta were bombed. Kreddick says, they need to seed new communities, calling the boy Ben. The young woman asks how they even know there’s still people out there, and Kreddick asks if they remember Elias and Senator Vasquez. They made contact with Vasquez yesterday. He and his staff are beneath the Franklin Hotel in Galveston. They’re safe. Ben asks why Kreddick can’t stay on the island until it’s safer, but Kreddick says, they’ll never survive here cut off from the world. What will happen when their supplies run out if they don’t have trading partners; other communities to rely on? He promises they’ll be safe here, and tells them to use the code names he gave them if they communicate by radio; it’s for their safety. The boy says he’s Crane, right? and the girl asks why she has to be Shrike. Kreddick says, the shrike may be small, but it’s brutal when it needs to be. Doesn’t hesitate to take care of its family. He tells her to take care of her brother while he’s gone, and she salutes him. He hugs them, says he’ll see them soon, and leaves.
Shrike removes the burlap, revealing the zombie head, which is pretty disgusting, and says, after everything PADRE gave Madison, she betrayed him. This is how she’s going to make it up to him. And she won’t be alone. Nightingale is going to next to her, as soon as they can find him. Madison asks why PADRE is doing this, and Shrike says, for the same reason he does everything. To ensure what he’s built endures.
Running along some railroad tracks, Mo whacks a zombie, and Dove asks if she realizes how far they are from the rest of the group. Mo says she has to do this. They need to see what’s in the railroad car.
Shrike tells Madison, years from now, when people talk about how PADRE was able to stop infections from Carrion bites killing, they’ll remember today. Madison will be a hero.
Mo thinks Finch might be inside. He never came back from his surgery. Dove says, he’s recovering from his surgery, but Mo says, after Finch’s boat got attacked, PADRE sent guards after him. She checked the logs, and it said they went to an old railroad museum, but nothing is there. She thinks someone moved the train car here. Maybe PADRE isn’t telling them the truth. What if something bad happened in there? What if it’s still happening?
June asks to sedate Madison, but Shrike says, she brought PADRE plenty of pain. It’s time she felt a little herself. The head moves closer.
Mo bangs on the tracks with a sledgehammer, and tells Dove that they have to know what’s going on in there. A guard asks what they’re doing, and comes toward them, but they run off.
Madison yells as the head comes closer, when Mo pulls the plug. Shrike tells the guards to get her out of here. Now. As the guards come for Mo, June grabs Shrike’s gun and knocks her out with the butt. Mo yells for June to help, and June stabs the head, then cuts Madison’s bonds, saying, she owes Madison one. June shoots one of the guards, and Madison gets herself free, grabbing Mo, and ducking down with her behind a cabinet. She asks what Mo is doing here, and Mo says they have to get out of here so they can do what they said, but Madison tells her that she’ll never be able to get near the island after this. Mo says her dad can help, but Madison says, until he’s back, they’re on their own. June has a gun battle with the remaining guard, and finally shoots him in the head. Mo tells Madison that they just have to find the prefects, and get through to them the way Madison got through to her. If they do that, the other kids will follow. June gives Madison some oxygen, and Hawk radios Shrike, saying, they’re done for the day. Shrike reaches for the radio, but Madison kicks it away. Dove comes in, aiming her gun, and tells them not to move. Shrike tells her to call the prefects and tell them to get more guards, but Mo says, don’t. She was going to kill Lark. Dove says, Lark deserves it, and Mo asks if Finch did. Shrike tells Dove not to listen to Mo, and Mo says, Shrike killed him, didn’t she? Shrike says she saved him, but June says, that is a lie. Mo asks where he is, and Shrike says, somewhere his parents can’t do him anymore harm. June says, Shrike is the reason Finch got bit, and Dove asks, what the hell is going on here? Shrike says, she’s ensuring what PADRE built, and ensuring they have a future. Madison asks if that’s what this looks like to Dove, when Hawk radios Dove, asking her location. Shrike tells her to let them know and tell them to get over here, but Madison says, don’t do it. PADRE lied to her about this. Think of what else he’s lied about. Her parents could still be out there and she can help find them. Dove says, they abandoned her because they couldn’t take care of her, but Madison says, that’s not true. Dove asks how she knows, and Madison says she’s the one who took Dove away from her parents. Dove asks their names and where Madison took her from, but Madison says she doesn’t know, but knows Dove’s face. The only one tricking her is PADRE. June says, that’s why PADRE kept this a secret, but they can change that. Madison says she just needs to get to the island. There’s a file there with the names of all the kids she took, and where she took them from. That’s how she can help Dove. That’s how she can help all the kids. Hawk radios again for Dove’s location, but she turns the radio off. She says she’ll help Madison get back to the island. She doesn’t care what’s in the file, but she cares about the truth, and wants to hear it from PADRE. Shrike asks how she’ll do that, and Dove says she can if Shrike helps her. Shrike asks why she would, and Dove holds her gun to Shrike’s head. Shrike says, if Dove kills her, he’ll do worse than she planned to do to Lark today. Dove asks, why is that? and Shrike says, because she’s PADRE’s daughter. They hear something outside.
Kreddick tells the other soldiers, let’s move out, and Shrike peaks out from her hiding place, telling Ben the coast is clear. She says, he shouldn’t be here, but he says he just wants to make sure she’s safe. He sees that their dad forgot his binoculars, and wants to take them to him; he won’t be able to see what’s coming without them. Shrike says, it’s just a superstition. He’ll be fine. Ben says, that’s what they said about mom, and tells her to get out of his way, but she says, no. He shoves her out of the way, and locks her in, using a tool to brace the door shut. He runs after their father.
As they leave the train car, Shrike says, Dove is making a big mistake. Whatever answer she’s looking for, it’s not that. A group comes out of the woods with guns, and a man tells them, hands up. A woman (Diane) says, tell them what they want and no one gets hurt, and Madison says, she knows them. They’re all parents, aren’t they? Diane looks at Dove, who asks what she’s looking at. Diane asks where their kids are. Where’s Adrian? Madison says she doesn’t know any Adrian, but June says, he was here, he’s dead. Diane says, he just wanted to find his daughter, and June says, he did, but she’s dead too. She died a long time ago. Shrike says, because of June, but June says, because of what Shrike made her do. Mo says, if they want to find their kids, Madison can help, but Diane says, she’s with PADRE. Mo says, not anymore. She’s changed. Dove says, PADRE lied to all of them. Shrike is his daughter. Maybe they can find out what else he’s lied about – together. Diane says they’ll wait for the Commander, and Dove asks who that is, when a man tells them, turn around. Madison says, Daniel? and he says, Madison… and June. June says, he’s alive. Diane says, he knows these people? and he says, give them back their weapons. It seems they all have nine lives. Madison says, they’re going to need them.
Walking through the woods, Madison takes more oxygen, Daniel says he often considered the possibility of Madison being alive, but not like this. Madison says she’s not proud of what she did. She just wants a chance to make it right. He says, you and me both. Maybe they can help each other. He’s been looking for that damn island for years. If what she’s telling them is correct, she may be the best and only shot for these folks to get their children back from PADRE. She asks how he wound up with them, and he says, seven years ago, Morgan told PADRE they were out here, and PADRE found them. They brought everyone to a ship to assess them before deciding where they were going to be sent according to their skills and usefulness. Some went to the mainland, some went to the island; others, he doesn’t know where they went. PADRE thought he was too old to be of any use, so they dumped him in the swamp. Madison says she’s sorry, and Daniel says, PADRE was right about one thing, he is old. But PADRE was wrong about everything else. Being old doesn’t mean to be useless. He could take care of himself. So could everyone in the group, except for Charlie. She asks, what happened to Charlie? and he says, Morgan didn’t tell her? She says, Morgan didn’t get to tell her much before PADRE figured out what they were up to and separated them. He says, Charlie became very sick. She was like a daughter to him by then, and he promised he’d stay with her to the end, so she didn’t have to die alone. Like Ofelia. He broke his promise. He wasn’t there for her. He wasn’t there for Luciana either. She says she’s sorry, and knows Morgan would be too, and he says he had no purpose. Then he found these folks; this angry, desperate group of people in search of their kidnapped children. It gave him a purpose. He organized and trained them, and made them into an army. They’re strong and getting stronger, because there’s more of them out there. He lost his family, but he’s going to fight to help them get back theirs. She says, maybe he hasn’t lost all of his family. The files. There’s not just the kids in there. Luciana, Charlie, maybe he can find out what happened to them.
Dove says, maybe they can use the transport boat to get back to the island, and Shrike asks if she’s sure she wants to go down this road. Daniel suggests Shrike stop asking questions and start answering some, and Madison says, like who else knows she’s PADRE’s daughter? Shrike says, not many, and Daniel asks why her father separates children from their parents, but doesn’t do the same to himself. Shrike says, they don’t get it, but Madison says, they do. He’s an a-hole, like every other a-hole who runs places like this. Shrike says, he’s not. PADRE believes in the way the place is run and how they do things; he has for a very long time. Madison says, that makes no sense, and June says, she’s right. Why are they killing people for an experiment that will never pay off? Shrike says, it will pay off. Look at Finch. Madison asks, what happened to Shrike’s father? Why’d he build a place like this? Dove says, they’ve got to go, and Diane asks where Dove came from before PADRE, but Dove doesn’t know. Why does she care? Diane asks if Dove knows her, but Dove says she’s never seen the woman before. A bunch of guys from PADRE come out with guns, and one says, move away from the boat now. Madison says, they don’t understand. Shrike is PADRE’s daughter. They’ve been lied to. Daniel says, PADRE has been ripping families apart, yet kept his daughter by his side all this time. Mo says, it’s true, calling the guy Hawk. PADRE’s been lying to them all this time. Shrike suggests they focus more on getting her out of there, and Hawk says, Mo and Dove don’t have to go along with this anymore. Dove says, they’re going to the island, and Mo says, they’re going to get some answers from PADRE. Hawk asks who they are to question PADRE, and Dove says, it’s not just her. She’s seen some sh*t today. On the train. PADRE has a lot to explain. He says, she’s not thinking straight, and Daniel tells Hawk, the same could be said for him. All these people have lost children to PADRE. Maybe they could find Hawk’s parents. Hawk says, their parents abandoned them, but Diane says, we didn’t. We’ve been fighting this whole time. Daniel suggests Hawk’s group join them; fight alongside them. Hawk tells Dove to just hand her over, but Dove says, no. He says, maybe she’ll listen to PADRE, and takes out his radio, but Madison goes behind Shrike (who I keep wanting to call Shrek) and grabs her, holding a knife to her throat. She says, they can’t wait any longer. If PADRE knows they’re coming, they’ll destroy the files. Hawk asks, what files? and Madison says, the ones that say where Dove came from; who her parents are. Who all their parents are. Hawk says, they’ll make sure she never gets it. They’re not getting on that boat. Daniel says, they’re going to have to go through them, but Hawk asks if Daniel doesn’t think he’d shoot an old man. Mo stands in front of Daniel, and says, he might, but would he shoot her? Daniel says, they’ll hold them off, and tells Madison to go, but she says she’s not leaving Mo. Mo tells her, get that file. If Madison can show Dove the truth, the rest of the kids will follow. Go. June, Dove, Shrike, and Madison get on the boat, and Madison drives it away.
Ben runs through a container yard, yelling for his dad, while Sam/Shrike frees herself from the boat. She runs after him, calling his name, but it’s like a container maze, and she hits a dead end. She sees a container with DEAD HERE spray painted on it, reminiscent of the DEAD INSIDE sign Rick saw in the first Walking Dead episode. She hears Ben yelling for help, and zombies growling. A couple of them have cornered Ben, and more come and surround him. Shrike calls his name.
Finch sits in an interrogation room, and over the intercom, PADRE says he thinks it’s time Finch told them where he’s been. Finch asks what he means, and PADRE says, he was bit, but he’s still here. Healthy. Thriving. Finch asks where Red Kite is, and Starling, and PADRE says, they’ve been reassigned. Somewhere they can’t cause him any more harm. Finch says, they saved him, but PADRE says, they saved him. Over the radio, a man says, they have a situation, and the guard asks, what kind of situation? Madison says, they have his daughter. How about telling their guards to stand aside so they can have a chat? Shrike tells Madison not to do this, but Madison says, time to stop hiding behind the mirror and tell the truth. Shrike says, he doesn’t have to answer for anything, but Madison says, yes, he does. Every kid wants to know why they were ripped away from their parents, but he wouldn’t do the same with his own daughter. Over the radio, Daniel tells Madison that they got away and asks if Dove is still with her. One of their people thinks she might be Dove’s mother. He hands the radio to Diane, who says she didn’t think it was possible, but a mother knows. Shrike says, don’t fall for this crap, and Diane says, Dove’s name is Alex, and she was taken outside Baton Rouge years ago. She thinks it was that woman, Lark. She searched for so long. She sang You Are My Sunshine as they took Alex away. She never stopped looking. Shrike says, this woman is just trying to get into Dove’s head, but Madison says, stop lying to her. Shrike says she’s not lying, and Madison says, there’s one way to find out. Dove’s file. They want it. Shrike says she’s making a mistake, but Madison says, do it, or she tells everyone here who Shrike really is. PADRE says, give her what she wants, and Madison tells Dove that she’s about to get the answers she came here for.
Inside, a guard plops a box on the table, and Shrike says, there’s something Dove needs to understand before she sees that file. Madison asks, what’s that? They already know this place is built on a lie. Shrike says, it’s not what they think. It’s the only way to protect them from what happened here before. Madison asks PADRE, what happened before? but he says he doesn’t answer to her. She tells him, he always says he never lost a kid, but she doesn’t know if that’s true. Who did they lose?
Ben is totally hemmed in, whimpering, as Sam watches. There’s gunshots, and the zombies drop. Kreddick asks what they’re doing here, and Ben throws his arms around his father. Ben gives him the binoculars, saying, he forgot these, and Kreddick says, he has to get them out of here. The shipyard’s a pool of the dead. More zombies show up, and Kreddick shoots, but runs out of ammunition. The three of them take off.
Madison asks again, what happened here?
Kreddick says, they have to get back to the boat, but zombies are coming out of everywhere, and they’re completely trapped.
Shrike says, Madison is never going to get her father to admit to anything. Madison says, why is that? and picks up a sledgehammer she conveniently found on the way in.
Kreddick shoves the closest zombie away, and gives Shrike a boost to the top of a container. He shoves more zombies, and boosts Ben up.
Madison asks why he won’t answer them.
Ben reaches down, and Kreddick takes his hand, but they slip apart. The zombies start to feed on Kreddick, and he tells Ben, don’t let this die. It’s too important.
Madison smashes the two-way mirror with the sledgehammer.
Kreddick – who, to his credit, is taking this like a champ – says he loves them both. Ben and Shrike watch as the zombies envelop him, and a single tear rolls down Shrike’s cheek.
Madison sees Ben behind the mirror.
Kreddick goes down in a sea of zombies, as Ben cries.
Shrike says, her father can’t answer Madison because her father is dead. She and her brother lost him a long time ago. Dove wanted to ask PADRE for the truth. Go ahead. Ask them. They are PADRE.
Shrike watches the zombies mill around, her father now one of them.
Madison asks how this went from what their father was doing to what they’re doing now. Shrike says, they didn’t know how to go on.
Still on top of a container, Ben brings out a gun and says he found it inside. Shrike takes it, and in a voiceover, she says, what did they even have to go on for? In the past, a guy over the radio Shrike is holding asks if PADRE 1 copies.
Shrike says, but then the universe answered, and Ben says, it was one of the kids from the island. He wanted to know what happened to his parents. They all did. Shrike says, they knew what it would do to the kids if they knew their parents died; how it would break them. Madison says, so they lied, and Shrike says, they told them that their parents abandoned them. Their parents knew they couldn’t take care of them, so they fled. Madison says, and they believed it? and Ben says, their parents left and never came back. What else were they supposed to think? Shrike says, they told the kids that they’d face this new world together without their parents; that they’d be better for it. Madison says, and the shipyard? Those containers? Shrike says, their father died protecting what was inside. They made sure it stayed that way. Madison asks, how? but Ben says, it doesn’t concern her. June asks how they recruited adults. They were just a bunch of kids. Ben says, it was easy. They made them believe he was still here, and they kept on believing it. Dove asks why they lied, and Shrike says, to protect them. Dove asks, from what? and Shrike says, open it. It’s what she wanted. Madison looks through the files until she finds the one for Dove. Shrike says, go on. Tell Dove who she is. Madison sees that her name was Odessa and her mother was Ava Sanderson. She flashes back to Ava saying, she cried when Madison pulled Odessa away from her on the beach. Madison says, no, and Dove asks, what’s wrong? Shrike says, go on. She deserves the truth. Madison says, her name is Odessa, and Dove says, her parents? Madison says she knew Dove’s mother. Her name was Ava. Shrike asks, what happened to Ava? and Madison flashes back to killing zombie Ava. Madison says, she died, and Shrike asks, how? Madison says, she was trying to take Dove back from PADRE, and Shrike asks, who made her believe that was possible? Madison flashes back to telling Ava that they can help her and her baby, and Dove says, her mother is dead because of Madison? She slams Madison up against the wall, and June tells her, no. Dove says, Madison made her believe in something more, and puts her gun to Madison’s head. Shrike says, let her go, but Dove says, she needs to pay for this. Shrike says, she will, but not this way, and Ben radios the guards, telling Dove to stand down. The guards come in, and Madison asks what Shrike is going to do now. Shrike says, they’re going to continue what they started on the train, and June says, like hell they are, but Ben says she doesn’t have a choice. She says, he’s a monster, but Shrike says, she and her brother are protecting these kids from the worst pain of all; the pain of losing a parent. Madison asks what that has to do with the train. The experiments? Ben says, as long as the world is the way it is, children will continue to experience unimaginable loss, but if there’s a cure, that would change everything. Seriously? No one has thought of that before this? Shrike says, they can go back to family, to connection. But in the meantime, they’re going to protect these kids the way they always have. She holds out the microphone to Madison and asks if she wants to tell the kids she rescued the truth. Go ahead. Let the whole island hear… That’s what she thought. The guard takes Madison and June, and Dove leaves with Shrike.
June, Madison, and Dove are on a boat with two guards, Shrike driving. Madison asks what Nick and Alicia were like, and June says she doesn’t think Madison would have recognized them. The boat stops, and Dove says, let’s go. They start to walk through the woods, when Daniel, Mo, and company come out. Daniel says, they’ve got to stop meeting like this. The guards draw their guns, but Daniel says, let their people go, and they’ll walk away. No one has to get hurt. They’ve got another 12 soldiers deep in the woods, and they’ve got their prefects. Shrike says, they wouldn’t, but Daniel asks if she wants to take that chance. Shrike signals the guards, who lower their weapons, and some of Daniel’s group disarm everyone. Diane says, Alex? but Dove says, that’s not her name, and Diane isn’t her mother. Her mother’s dead. Because of Madison. June says, Dove can still have a family, even if it’s not who she thought. She said Madison made her believe in something more. That’s still there. Come with them. Dove doesn’t say anything, and Shrike says, looks like she made her choice. And every other kid on that island is going to make the same one. Remember that. Mo says, no, they won’t, and Madison tells Daniel that she’s sorry. Diane says, this was a mistake; she can’t help them. Daniel says, yes, she can, but Madison says, she’s right. Those kids are never going to follow her; not after everything she’s done. Diane says, not just them, and Madison says she’s not the leader they need. But she thinks she knows who might be. Mo asks, who’s that? and Madison says, your father. They walk off, leaving Shrike and Dove on the path.
Zombies growl behind a metal fence, as Shrike watches them. She asks if Crane copies. He says he does, and she says, he was supposed to meet her. Ben says, after what happened, being out in the open doesn’t seem like a good idea, but she says, they’ve got a bigger problem. The parents know where the island is, which means it’s only a matter of time until they get here. Ben looks at an old photo of him, Shrike, and their father, and says, they’ll destroy everything they’ve built. She says, not if they’re not here. It doesn’t matter if they know who they are. What matters is that what they’ve built survives. He asks how they’re going to do that, and she says, by expanding. They’re going to do what dad said. Ben says, there are thousands of Carrion in that shipyard. Carrion they put there to protect what’s inside. She says, they taught the kids to fight for a reason. It’s time the kids showed them what they’ve learned.
We see tons of zombies in the shipyard.
Next time, Dwight tells Morgan that there’s nowhere to go; Morgan says, they’re trying to burn them out; Mo calls to her dad for help; and Grace says, they’ll kill him if he doesn’t tell them what happened.
🧟♀️ Don’t Be a Stranger…
Stop by tomorrow for what’s on Deck, and smack talk about awful people reuniting and talking smack about each other. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering those we’ve lost in service to our country on Memorial Day, and stay knowing that if you ask for the truth, it might not be what you think it is, or what you want to hear.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Fear the Walking Dead
June tacks up signs on the trees that say: Turn Back. PADRE will take your children; PADRE is a lie – turn back. She stabs a zombie in the head, and keeps walking. She sees someone wrote, They took my daughter. Please help, on one of the signs. She hears someone contact Warbler on the radio, saying they have a lead on an egg; it might be a mess. Using binoculars, she sees a boat come through the canal or whatever it is. She shoots the two people in the boat with tranquilizing darts. Using surgical tools and skills, she cuts their index fingers off and sets the boat free. Back at her cabin, she puts the fingers in a jar, and hears Warbler say, they’ve been hit. That a-hole got us. When he finds that son of a bitch., he’s going to cut off both his hands. I love how he assumes it’s a man.
Walking in the woods, June sees another message written on one of her signs: Who are you? Where can I find you? She looks at an old billboard that says Coastal Railroad Museum, and on the radio, a woman says, PADRE 3; rescue complete. A man responds, en route to you now.
June deposits more fingers in the jar, when a man comes to the cabin. He says he just wants to talk, but June draws her gun. She asks how he found this place, and he says he followed her. He’s the one whose been writing on the signs. His name is Adrian, and he needs her help. The Collectors took his daughter Hannah from him a few years ago. June says she doesn’t know Hannah, and he says, but June knows PADRE, and he knows she can help him. He tells her to ask whatever she wants, but she says she doesn’t want to get to know him; she doesn’t want to know anybody. He asks what they did to her. Did they take her kid? Did she take kids for them? She tells him, get out and don’t come back, but he shows her Hannah’s picture, and says, it was taken when she was 7; she’d be 12 now. He shows her a friendship bracelet he’s wearing, and says, Hannah made one for each of them. She says she can’t help him, but he says he’ll be back every day. There are a lot of like-minded people who could help with what she’s doing. They’re forming an army to take PADRE. She tells him that if she sees him here again, she’ll kill him, but he says he thinks she’s just trying to scare him. She says, if PADRE’s had his daughter this long, he’s not getting her back. They use the people you care about the most against you. He says he’s not going to stop looking. She can either kill him or help him, but he’s not giving up. She backs him out the door, and shuts it, but he says, they know who she is now, and he’s not giving up.
June looks at the photo of Hannah that Adrian left, and packs a bag, including the jar of fingers. She leaves the photo behind.
June tranquilizes three more people in another boat, and is about to collect more fingers, but she unmasks one of them, and it’s Dwight. She unmasks another, and sees it’s Sherry. She says, sh*t. She hears a gun cock, and a boy tells her not to move. June says she didn’t know there were kids on board, and the boy says he hid under the tarp. He tells her that he’s going to call PADRE, and picks up a radio. He says, PADRE 2; we got attacked. A man addresses the boy as Finch, and asks, where’s Whistler? Finch says, dead; she killed him. He asks about Red Kite and Starling, and Finch says, she knocked them out. He asks the location, when Dwight and Sherry start to come around. June grabs the radio, and Finch accidently shoots the boat, which deflates. Dwight asks if that’s June, and Finch says, she shot them. She was trying to steal their boat. Sherry says, June’s the one who’s been cutting people’s fingers off, and Dwight snatches her tool roll from her. Finch wonders why June is calling Red Kite Dwight, and asks if she used to be at PADRE. Dwight tells her that they think Finch has appendicitis, and needs surgery. She asks why he doesn’t take Finch to the clinic, and he asks where she thinks they were headed. The man comes on the radio again, and Finch tells Dwight to tell them where they are, but he says, no. June is a nurse, and is going to help him. Sherry says, his appendix could burst by the time they get him to the clinic on foot, but June says she doesn’t have the equipment. Dwight says, she’ll have to figure it out, and June asks, why is that? He says, if she doesn’t, he’s telling PADRE who’s been cutting off his Collector’s fingers. June says she just wanted to leave, and Sherry asks, why? June says, it wasn’t safe for her anymore, and Dwight asks Finch to step away for a bit, giving the boy an oar in case he sees Carrion, and reminding him to aim for the eyes. Sherry wonders what happened to June, and says, if she does the surgery, they’ll get her a boat, and she can go wherever the hell she wants. PADRE will never know it was her. June says, Finch is their kid, isn’t he? The one Sherry was pregnant with when they were found on the rafts. Sherry says, PADRE doesn’t know Dwight is his father. Dwight teaches all the kids combat, and she’s in the nursery. Finch doesn’t know he’s their kid. Dwight says, they’ve been following PADRE’s rules, and Sherry says, once the surgery’s done, they’ll take Finch back, and no one will be the wiser. June says she knows where they can do the surgery, but they can’t ask any questions. She’ll take them there and do the surgery, then they have to keep up their end of the bargain and get her the boat. Sherry promises they will.
They go into a railroad car that looks less than sterile, and see a zombie head in a clamp. Dwight asks if June is sure it’s safe, and she stabs the zombie head, saying, it is now. She turns on some machines, and preps Finch for surgery. Finch asks if it will hurt, but Sherry says, he won’t feel a thing, and when he wakes up, he’ll feel better. Sherry finds a binder that contains studies on people who have turned, and asks June, what is this; who are these people? June says, the deal was no questions, but Sherry says, the deal’s changed. Dwight says, she’s got to give them something, when they hear the cock of a gun. It’s Adrian, and he asks who the kid is. June says she’s trying to help him, and Adrian says, two Collectors from PADRE? June says, it’s not what he thinks, and he says, PADRE has his daughter Hannah. Sherry says, maybe they can help him, and Dwight says, this doesn’t have to end in a fight. He’s sure she’s fine. PADRE hasn’t lost a kid yet. If Adrian can tell him what she looks like, maybe they can figure out something. A man asks Adrian’s location on the radio, and while he’s distracted, Dwight reaches for the gun. It goes off, hitting a wall. Outside, zombies gather. Dwight holds a gun on Adrian, and crushes the radio under his foot. Adrian says, there’s lots of more of them, and they can’t be stopped. They won’t let them hurt any more kids. Dwight says, they brought him here to save his life, and June says, they have a problem. The bullet hit the control panel, and she can’t do surgery without power. Finch cries out in pain, and June says, there’s an emergency override in the back of the train. They can have power if it’s turned on. Dwight says he’ll go, and gives Sherry the gun. June says, he can’t walk through the train; it’s full of the dead. She used to work here. It was off the books. PADRE didn’t want anyone to know about the experiments they were doing. Sherry asks if they’re the ones in the binder, and June says, the woman in the photos is Shrike. PADRE wanted her to find a way to stop the effect of walker bites. She had an idea; a treatment. Radiation. It was slow and painful. It was worse than dying from the bites. PADRE tried to force June to administer the treatments. She couldn’t do it, so she ran. Sherry says, they have to get to the back of the train. Dwight looks up, seeing a trapdoor, and says he doesn’t think they have to.
Adrian tells June that he’s sorry, and she says she told him to stay away. He says, if he had, he wouldn’t have seen this place. It shows she knows more about PADRE than she let on. She says she can’t help him, and he says, can’t, or won’t? Her attacks aren’t stopping them. She’s barely slowing them down. If she wants to do something, help him find Hannah, or help the boy and get him out before those Collectors bring him back to PADRE. She says she can’t, and he says, she told him PADRE uses the people you care about against you. He’s sorry for what happened to her, but if she never gets close to anyone again, what’s she living for? The electricity comes back on, and Dwight radios, asking how Finch is. June says, he’s still sleeping, but the medication won’t last much longer. Dwight and Sherry climb to the top of the train, and Dwight asks Sherry, what’s wrong? She says, seeing Finch and hearing him call her honey. She can’t snap back to the way things used to be. They made a choice when they were picked up on the rafts. They’d play by PADRE’s rules because they thought it was the safest place for their son. After what she’s seen today, she can’t bring Finch back here. It doesn’t feel safe. June knows all of PADRE’s collecting grounds and all the places he would look. They’ll find a place, and once they’re settled, they’ll find a way to let everyone know the truth about PADRE. He asks if they can really be a family, and she says, they can. She saw it earlier. They can do this. He kisses her, and they fall through the roof of the train into a car. June radios, asking, what happened? The car is full of zombies, and Dwight shoots some of them, then he and Sherry climb up onto a luggage rack. He tells June that they fell into a car of walkers like he’s never seen. She tells them to stay where they are. She’s on her way, but he says, it’s too risky. He doesn’t have nearly enough ammo. June says she’ll figure it out, but he says, no. Finch needs her for the operation. If they don’t make it back, promise him that she’ll take care of Finch. She tells him, stay put; she’s coming. Adrian asks what she’s doing, and she says, they have to survive for Finch. He asks if she’s doing this because it’s what’s best for Finch, or because she’s afraid she’ll have to take care of him, and she draws her gun, telling him, don’t follow her.
June walks through a car where there are shelves containing jars of zombie heads, and chained up zombies who snap at her as she goes by. She says she’s so sorry, and keeps walking. The door to the next car is padlocked, and the zombies start to break free since the pipes they’re chained to are pretty beat. She starts to shoot them, falls, and the gun goes flying. She fends them off as best she can, but luckily, Adrian didn’t listen to her, and comes in, stabbing them in the head. She says she told him not to follow her, and picks up her gun. He says, good thing he didn’t listen, but she says, he should have. He says, they’re a lot alike. The only difference is, he still has someone to live for. She has to find hers. Like he told her, there are more people like them. Together, they can take down PADRE. She says she can’t help him, but he says he’s not doing it for himself; he’s doing it for Hannah. He’s going to find her whether June helps him or not. And when he does, he wants her to see that her father isn’t who PADRE says he is. They should keep moving. Finch appears with his oar, and says he’s coming with them. June says, it’s too dangerous, but Finch says he can handle the Carrion; Red Kite taught him how.
The zombies start reaching through the rungs on the luggage rack, when June comes in shooting. Finch gets one with an oar, and asks, how was that? Dwight says, that was good, kid, and Adrian and June stab the last of the zombies. Sherry asks what Finch is doing here, and he says he’s going to tell PADRE how he fought the Carrion, but Sherry says, they’re not going back to PADRE. Dwight says, they want what’s best for Finch, and it’s not there. Sherry nods, and Dwight says, they’re his parents. Finch says, they’re not, no, and Sherry tells him that she knows it’s a lot to take in right now, but she promises they’ll figure it out as a family. Finch doubles over in pain, and June says, they should get him back to the operating room. They start to move forward, and Adrian turns around, seeing a child zombie through the door window. He says, no. Hannah. He grabs June, and says, that’s why she wouldn’t help him; she knew. June killed her. June says she tried to save her. She treated Hannah for asthma when she first came to PADRE. She was just a scared kid. She missed her dad. She reminded June of her own daughter, and June wanted to take care of her and make her feel safe. Adrian says, she’s a liar, and June says, then she went out on a scout. She went off-island and got bit. It was on her back, and June couldn’t amputate, but she had to do something. He asks if Shrike put Hannah through treatment, but June says, it wasn’t Shrike’s treatment; it was hers. She saw someone survive a bite longer than anyone she’d ever seen. She’d been exposed to radiation, so June thought, if it worked for her, it might work for Hannah. She gave Hannah radiotherapy using equipment salvaged from the hospital. It stopped the infection, but the amount of radiation it took made things worse for her, and June wanted to end her suffering. Adrian asks why she didn’t, and June says, Shrike wouldn’t let her. Shrike wanted to let Hannah turn so she could study her. See how long it took. Adrian says, and June let her? but June says she didn’t have a choice. Shrike held a gun on her, and said, as long as her finger was on the trigger, June had to keep the experiments going or other people would pay the price. That’s how this whole place happened, because she tried to save someone she cared about. Other people suffered as a result, so she made sure Shrike couldn’t do to anyone else what she did to her, and she took Shrike’s trigger finger. June knew they couldn’t do the experiments without her, and knew as long as she stayed away from here, away from people, no one else she cared about could get hurt. Adrian lets June go, and looks at zombie Hannah, saying, she was all he had left. He understands now why June wants to be alone. He walks up to the window and puts his hand on the pane. He opens the door and goes in, and June says, no! He holds Hannah, telling her that he’s got her, and the zombies close in on him. The others look away.
June stitches up Finch, and says, he’s stable. He should be awake soon. Dwight thanks her, and she says she held up her end of the deal. They should arrange for that boat. He says, they will, but when it comes, they want to all get in it together. June says, that wasn’t the deal, but Sherry says, things changed. June says, for who? and Sherry says, when Finch wakes up, they want to take him away from this place. Dwight says, they want to try and be a family, and she asks what it has to do with her. He says, she’s family, and Sherry says, they understand why June chose to be on her own, but they can’t let her end up like Adrian. Dwight says, someone who doesn’t have anybody to live for. He told her before, he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her and John. He has a family because of that, and wants her to be a part of it. That is, if she wants to. She says, okay. Adrian saved her so she could find someone to live for, but she needs to put Adrian and Hannah to rest first. They’ve suffered enough. As she’s about to walk into the next car, a couple of PADRE people come in with guns, and steampunk woman says, hello, Blue Jay. June is knocked out.
Steampunk woman says, oh good; June is coming around. June asks how she found her, and steampunk woman says, they figured it was her as soon as the Collectors started showing up without to the island without fingers. She holds up her hand, missing an index finger, and even though she doesn’t say it, we know she’s Shrike. Shrike says, no one else could be so precise. When they heard the boat that was missing had a kid who needed surgery on board, she knew June would come here. Dwight asks, what’s going on? and Shrike says she assumes Blue Jay told them what this place was; how much promise it had. Sherry asks if that’s what she calls murdering people, but Shrike says, they were about saving lives. Dwight says, she’s full of sh*t, but she says, he’s the one who lied to PADRE about what they were doing today. He says he brought Finch here to keep him safe from a-holes like her, but she says, no one wants the children safe more than PADRE. They created this place so the children would be safe from Carrion. But Blue Jay ran off before she could perfect the cure. June says, everyone she tried it on died, and Shrike says, that was then. She has faith June will get it right this time. PADRE’s got something big and expansive planned. He wants these children to be as safe as they can be. June needs to pick up where she left off. June says she won’t do it, but Shrike says, she just needs a little motivation. One of the men grabs June, pulling her to the side, and another brings in Adrian’s snapping head, putting it in the vise, and pushing it closer to a sleeping Finch. Dwight and Sherry get up, saying, hey, stop it! Sherry yells for Finch to wake up, and Shrike presses a button. The head moves closer to Finch, and June launches herself toward it, but Shrike pulls her back. Dwight and Sherry continue to yell, and the head bites Finch’s shoulder. Sherry cries, and Shrike makes the vise reverse. Dwight says he’s going to kill her, and she asks why he would do that. She’s the only one who can save his life… Well, they are. She tells the men to get them out of here, and they take Dwight and Sherry out; Sherry wailing, and Dwight threatening to kill Shrike. Shrike tells June that she’d better get to work. She’s got a lot to catch up on. They’ve got new patients on their way at this very moment. There’s just one thing they have to do first. They have to make sure that Blue Jay can never hurt them. She cuts off June’s finger, and June screams.
Morgan rides in the back of a truck with Madison, and she asks if he knows where they’re being taken. He says, her guess is as good as his, and she asks why he doesn’t think he can be the person Mo needs him to be. What the hell happened? What’s holding him back? They may not be alive long enough for her to pass judgement on him. He says he keeps thinking about a thing he did – actually, a thing he didn’t do – a long time ago. She asks, what? and he says, it doesn’t matter. She asks if he can fix it, but he says, not the worst of it, no. She says, some of it? and he says, maybe. She asks what the hell he’s doing here. Mo needs him. He needs to do whatever it takes so he can move forward. He says he’s not exactly in a position where he can call the shots, and Madison starts to cough. She falls off the bench, onto the floor, and Morgan yells for the driver to pull over. She can’t breathe. A man comes back, and pulls Madison back on the bench. Another man says, get her a tank, and as he’s reaching to get one, Madison rushes both of them, and shoves them out the back door, tumbling out with them. She yells for Morgan to go, as one of the men grabs her. Morgan takes off into the woods, and she yells, do what you need to do!
Next time, Madison gets the zombie head in her face; a fight on the train; Daniel returns; and Madison says, it’s time to tell the truth.
🐷 That’s All Folks…
See you tomorrow for the usual. Stay safe, sane, and as serene as you can.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Jordan says she’s sorry Curtis is hurting, but if there’s one thing she knows, it’s that Curtis Ashford can weather whatever comes his way. And he won’t have to go through it alone. She takes his hand, and says, he has so many people who love him, and they’ll be right by his side, no matter what. He kisses her. Then he kisses her again.
Walking into Portia’s office, Taggert says, Portia can’t go off half-cocked gunning for Spencer. It’s going to backfire on her. Portia says she’s tried to look the other way, especially since it might alienate Trina, but all the while, Spencer keeps becoming more and more a part of her life, and alienating Trina from her. He says, but she’s seeing progress. Why blow it now? She asks why he’s not with her on this. She doesn’t get it. He says, when Trina was rescued from the Haunted Star, he told her to back off, but she’s doing the exact opposite; she’s doubling down. Portia says, maybe that’s because Trina came back closer to Spencer than ever before, and he says, which they anticipated, given what they went through. Are there valid concerns about Spencer being in Trina’s life? Hell yes. But he’s starting to wonder if she’s laser focused on Spencer because she doesn’t want to focus on herself, her husband, and the state of her marriage.
Outside Kelly’s, Cody tells Scotty that he’s not asking for a team to salvage the Haunted Star like it was the Titanic. The necklace was on the boat when it went down. So why can’t they just cut through the red tape… Scotty says, because the WSB is all about the red tape. They’ve been down this road before. Scotty told him, it’s because they have to establish that the necklace belongs to Cody, which means he has to sign an affidavit that says he’s Leopold Taub’s son. Cody says, more red tape. Is that absolutely necessary? Scotty says he knows it’s like saying Genghis Khan is Cody’s father, but the WSB isn’t going to give Cody money just because he says so. They go inside, and Scotty says, Cody has to suck it up for 35 million dollars, and say he was the Taub he was born to be. Sitting at a table, Obrecht and James watch them.
Nina looks at a glossy color photo of Sasha that says, Beauty isn’t magic, it’s Deception, and another photo of Sasha with The Deceptor. Sasha asks if those are the new ads, and Nina shows her. Sasha says, it is amazing what good lighting can do, but Nina says, the woman in these ads doesn’t need any lighting to look beautiful. And she also looked beautiful on the Home & Heart shopping channel. Sasha says, Nina saw that? She’s not going to lie; it was white-knuckle time in front of those cameras, especially when she heard the sound of a baby crying in her earpiece. Nina says she couldn’t believe it when Lucy told her that someone deliberately tried to sabotage Sasha, and Sasha tells her not to underestimate how low some people will sink to get what they want. Nina says she never has, and she never will.
On the phone at the hospital, Michael tells Carly not to worry. He’s honoring Willow’s wishes. Nina won’t get anywhere near her. Dante comes out of the elevator, and says he couldn’t help overhearing, and Michael can tell him to mind his own business. Is that what Willow wants, or is that what Michael wants for her?
There’s a knock at Sonny’s office door, and Frank says, he has a visitor. Josslyn comes in, and Sonny says, this is a surprise. Is everything good with her mom and Donna? She says, everyone’s fine. This is about her. He tells her, go on, and Josslyn tells him that he always says he’d do anything for her. He says, no matter how she treats him, that always stands, and she says, good, because she’s about to take him up on that offer. He asks if she’s in some kind of trouble, but she says, it’s not about her. He says, then what’s it about? and she says, Dex. She wants Sonny to fire him.
Gladys walks into Pozzulo’s as Dex is saying hello to Frank. Dex says he needs to speak with Sonny, but Gladys says, take a number. Family first.
Michael says, Dante is right. It’s none of his business. Dante says, that’s not the first time he’s heard that today. He was interviewing a perp in the ER who said the same thing. He was in the building and thought he’d check in on them, but he’ll take his nosy butt out of here. Michael tells him, wait. He doesn’t tell Willow what to do. If she wants to make room for Nina, he won’t stand in her way, but she’s going through a lot right now, and he won’t stand for Nina intruding. Dante says he hopes for Michael’s sake and his kids’ sake, that changes. He had Sonny at his wedding. Anything can happen.
Sasha tells Nina that she’s gathering something else is brewing besides Deception’s ad campaign. Would it have to do with Carly or Willow? Nina says, no psychic channeling please. Sasha isn’t here to give her a reading or to listen to her sob stories. Sasha’s here so they can talk about the Crimson spread for her new product, The Deceptor; which she tried and it’s great. Isn’t Maxie joining them? Sasha says, of course (🍷). Maxie knows Deception has a lot riding on this campaign.
Scotty tells Cody, as Taub’s heir, they have to stake a legal claim. He knows Cody doesn’t like his father, but 35 million dollars will buy him a lot of sports cars, and a lot of therapy. Is Cody listening to him? Cody says, give him a minute, and walks over to Obrecht’s table. Scotty says, these kids have no priorities, and Obrecht introduces Cody to her grandson James. James shakes Cody’s hand and says, nice to meet him. Cody says, they have an ice cream sundae here, so is it a celebration? Obrecht says, yes. They just came from James’s moving up ceremony. Cody says, congrats; that’s awesome. Does James have any plans for the summer? Obrecht says, James is going to a great summer camp. She tells James to guess where Cody works, and James says, where? Cody says he works at the stables. Does James like horses? James looks away, and Obrecht says, James is a little afraid of horses, which might be a problem at his camp. Cody says, maybe they can do something about that.
Portia says, worrying to death about Trina going missing is the only thing that’s keeping her from replaying every wrong move she made with Curtis. She can’t stop thinking about hearing the hurt that was in his voice, and seeing the distrust and betrayal in his eyes when he looked at her. Taggert doesn’t know how hard she prayed for forgiveness, and wished she could go back in time and tell him and Curtis the truth from the start. Taggert asks if she’s told Curtis that, and she says she’s tried, but he won’t stick around long enough to listen, much less have a conversation with her. And Jordan, of all people, warned her more than once that lies are what drove a wedge between them. So how can she even blame Curtis for being mad about being deceived all over again? Taggert says, Curtis loves Portia and will forgive her, but she has to forgive herself. She has to stop feeling guilty and stop tiptoeing around Curtis. Tell Curtis she loves him, before it’s too late.
Jordan pushes away from Curtis, and he says, come on. Let’s get out of here. She says she’s tempted; he doesn’t know how much. But this isn’t the first time they felt that old spark. He says, maybe they should do something about it, but she says, before this goes any further – if this goes any further – they need to know why.
Cody says, James is friends with Leo, right? So is he. Something else they have in common is, Cody went to camp too. Is James looking forward to going? James says he doesn’t know. He hates mosquitos. Cody says, that’s something else they have in common. Take it from him, camp is worth a couple bug bites. James asks, why? and Cody says, when he was James’s age, his summers were really lonely. Until he went to camp, and met his best friend ever, Dante Falconari. They had a blast. James says, Cody knows Dante; he’s James’s godfather. Cody says, Dante is his oldest friend, meaning he’s known Dante the longest; not that he’s old. Funny. I always feel the need to clarify that too. He taught Dante how to ride horses, and Dante taught him how to paddle a canoe. James says, at camp? and Cody says, that’s where they first became friends. He bets when James goes to camp, he’s going to meet a kid he’ll become friends with forever too. And he might be able to paddle a canoe. James asks if Cody likes sundaes, and Cody says, who doesn’t? Of course (🍷). James hands him a spoon, and says he’s kind of scared of canoes too… and bats. Cody says, bats are awesome; they eat mosquitos. He takes a bite of James’s sundae, and James smiles.
Sasha says she thinks the text in the headline would pop more in white, but other than that, everything looks great. What does Nina think? Nina says, sorry. Sasha was talking to her. Sasha said, color, white… Yes, she can see that. Sasha says, Maxie’s not here, but it seems neither is Nina. They can reschedule. Nina apologizes, and says she can’t get her mind off of Willow. She’s alone in the isolation room; she doesn’t have the ability to hold her own children. Sasha says, or be held by her own mother, and Nina says, stop getting into her head. Sasha says she understands in her own way. Nina can talk to her. Nina says, it’s just that, if Michael and Carly have it their way, she’s never going to get close to Willow. She’s trying not to dwell on that. She just wants this transplant to give Willow her life back, whether she’s in it or not. Sasha says she’s going to talk to Carly and Michael on Nina’s behalf, and Nina says she appreciates the offer, but she wouldn’t put Sasha in that position. She has enough to handle lately. Sasha says, actually, she’s feeling very confident lately. Despite that attempt to get her to melt down on television, she held it together and came away stronger than ever. Nina says, yes, she did, and Sasha says she’s made up her mind. She’s going to petition the court to end Gladys’s guardianship. She’s taking charge of her life again.
Gladys says, tell Sonny that his Cousin Gladys is waiting, but Frank says, he’s in a meeting; door’s closed. Even the President and the Pope would have to wait. Gladys steps away, and Frank gives Dex and envelope, and says, the boss gave him this to give to Dex. He said Dex earned it. Gladys sees that there’s a ton of cash in it.
On the phone, Sonny says, let him know what they come up with. He apologizes to Josslyn, and asks why she wants him to kick Dex to the curb. She says, because she wants him to be free to make his own choices and live his own life, and Sonny says, if that’s what Dex wants, Dex should respect him enough to ask him to his face and not send her. Josslyn says, Dex doesn’t even know she’s here; she’s the one asking. Sonny says, she knew Dex was on his payroll when she met him. So why is she coming now. What’s changed?
Scotty comes over to Obrecht’s table with a bakery box, and says, the waitress said these cupcakes are for her, and James asks if he can have a cupcake, but she says, these are for later. James asks if Cody can come home with them and have one, but Scotty says, he and Cody have to take care of some legal business. Cody has to sign an affidavit. Cody says, he’s right. Sorry, pal. Obrecht says, an affidavit? and Scotty says, it’s no big deal. Cody tells her that he needs a legal document to establish his family background. It is nothing, but Scotty’s right; they have to get back to work. James asks if Cody can’t stay, and Cody says, for a few minutes. Does James like brownies? James says he loves them, Cody says, cupcakes later, brownies now, and they go to the counter.
Nina says, that’s great news that Sasha is taking charge of her finances and her life again. She’s so proud of Sasha. Sasha says she’s honored Nina is proud of her. She’s still a very important person in Sasha’s life. Nina says, it’s ironic, isn’t it? She once thought Sasha was the daughter she’d always wanted, and that turned out to not be the case, but now she’s closer to Sasha than her own biological child. Sasha says, Willow doesn’t know what she’s missing. For Willow’s sake, she hopes that changes soon. Nina says, Sasha’s a little biased, and Sasha says she is. Nina could have turned her back on Sasha when she found out Sasha misled her. Nina says, she kinda did, but Sasha says, after a while, Nina forgave her. If she’s the daughter Nina always wanted, Nina is the mother that she always wished she had. They hug.
Dante says he’s glad Willow could at least wave at them before she went to sleep, and Michael says, him too. Glimpses of her awake and alert are rare occurrences these days. Dante asks if Michael is okay, and Michael says he just has to keep telling himself that this will be over soon, and Willow will have a full recovery. Home stretch. Dante says he believes that, and tells Michael not to feel he can’t reach out for support if he needs to. He knows they don’t agree on some things, but Michael knows Dante’s got him, right? Michael says he does; thanks. About Sonny, they’re actually in a better place. As long as Sonny doesn’t lobby for Nina. Dante says, he’s going to do that; he loves her. Michael flashes back to Sonny agreeing to let Nina and Willow figure out their relationship on their own. Can Michael do the same? Michael tells Dante, at the end of the day, he’s counting on Sonny to choose his family over Nina, but Dante says he doesn’t know about that. It’s a long shot. Michael says, maybe; maybe not.
Josslyn tells Sonny, nothing’s changed. She fell for Dex, despite the fact he works for Sonny, and she owns that. I laugh, since I can’t imagine telling my father that I fell for someone. Sonny says, she’s her mother’s daughter; direct, and honest to a fault. She says she thought he valued honesty, and he says he’s come to an understanding with her brother Michael. Does she think they can’t also? She says she’s game. He can start by letting Dex go. He says, if Dex wants that, he knows where to find Sonny.
Dex puts the envelope in his pocket, and Gladys says, nice work if you can get it, huh? What did he do? Place a bet for Sonny? Ponies? Something else. Dex says he only bets on sure things; Sonny’s one of them. Josslyn comes out, and Gladys jets into Sonny’s office. She closes the door, and says, Cousin Sonny, this is your lucky day. Outside, Dex asks Josslyn what she’s doing here.
Portia says, it might be too late for her and Curtis, and asks if Taggert knows something. He says he doesn’t know anything. He just knows from experience that things can get out of hand. They can go too far, and you can’t go back. She asks if he’s saying she and Curtis have reached some sort of turning point, and he says, the guy dropped everything and risked everything to bring Trina back home. A lot of it was because of Trina, but a lot of it was because of her. Now it’s her turn. She has to decide what she wants, and then she needs to fight for it. He’s talking about the focus and tenacity she has when she fights for her patients. She says, what about fighting for their daughter? Is she supposed to just let Trina fend for herself against Spencer Cassadine? They both know how that ends. He says, she can’t send Trina to her room any more than she can make Trina forgive and forget what she’s done to her by turning her life upside down. Trina’s not her little girl any more. Portia says, she might be his though, and he says, she’s always going to be his, no matter what the tests say. Nobody can tell Trina how to run her life. He knows how stubborn Portia is, and no matter how hard it is to let this go, Portia has got to let Trina live her life. Then maybe Portia can concentrate on living hers.
Curtis says, he and Jordan have always had strong feelings, which is why they got together in the first place. Those feelings… He’s always had them. Maybe he always will. Jordan says he had other feelings about her too. Remember? Ones he couldn’t get past, involving mistrust and betrayal. She lets go of his hand, and says, that’s why they split up, and he moved on to Portia. The two of them rekindled their relationship and fell in love. He says, but that was before… and she says, let her finish. He and Portia were happy. She saw that. They bought a house together, and made it a home for Trina and his father. They exchanged heartfelt vows and got married in front of their friends and family. They had the fairytale ending. He says, but they didn’t, and she knows why. And here we are. She says, yes, here we are, but is this the last grasp for something that’s ended? Something they should let be over? Or will these feelings always be here, just waiting for them to rekindle them?
Josslyn says she’s not here, and leaves with Dex. Sonny asks what Gladys wants, and she says she has a proposal that’s in their mutual interest. As he knows, she’s in charge of Sasha’s day to day decision making, including investments. He says, for the time being. He heard during Sasha’s last TV appearance, she was doing okay and holding her own. Gladys says, thankfully, Sasha didn’t fall to pieces like the last time, but Sasha isn’t ready to handle her finances. He says, so Sasha should keep trusting her, and laughs. She says she knew he’d understand, and sits down. As it turns out, she has a knack for finances, which is why she’s letting him in on the ground floor of an amazing opportunity. Take it from her, it can’t miss.
At the Bistro, Maxie thanks Sasha for meeting her, and Sasha asks, what’s so important that Maxie had her run out of Nina’s office where they were supposed to have a meeting about Deception? Maxie says, that can wait. She has something to tell Sasha, and thinks she’ll want to know.
At Kelly’s counter, Cody shows James how to tie knots, and Scotty tells Obrecht that he thinks that kid is going to have a hell of a stomachache. She says, Nathan never got the chance to spend time with his son, and Scotty says he’s sorry about that. Nathan would have made a hell of a father. James has got a lot of people who care about him; even Cody. He’s not family, but maybe they’ll have more of these outings. She asks where this new and unexpected fondness for Cody came from. What’s his legal action all about? Scotty says he thought they weren’t speaking any more, and she says, they’re speaking now. He says, then hear this. He doesn’t want to ruin the surprise.
Portia says, if living her own life means ignoring all the big flashing warning signs when she sees Trina and Spencer together, Taggert can forget that. She won’t let this go. He says he’s not asking her to let this go. He’s just asking her to be smart about how she approaches their daughter. Trina has them, Curtis, Marshall, Jordan; all these people who care about her. Portia asks what he means by Jordan, and he asks if Portia thinks it’s a coincidence that Jordan was stuck in the elevator long enough for Portia to talk to that bartender and convince him to testify on Trina’s behalf. Portia asks if he’s telling her that Jordan did that deliberately. Did she tell him that? He says, she didn’t have to. They’ve been partners long enough; he knows her. The point is, Jordan also cares about Trina. Which means Portia can stop using Trina as an excuse, and start putting her energy into working on her marriage.
Jordan tells Curtis, it never ended for her. Even when things were at their worst, she was still ready to fight for them. He walked away from her… right into Portia’s arms. She’s not blaming him, or Portia. She’s come to terms with her part in things, and trying to be more mindful going forward, but did she ever stop caring, stop feeling, loving him? Never. She truly wanted him and Portia to be happy. She told Portia that she needed to tell him the truth, so Portia wouldn’t make the same mistakes she did. He tells her that he always said she was a class act, but Jordan says she wouldn’t give herself much credit. Does he know why she didn’t come to his wedding? In part, she was sitting it out because she knew what Portia was keeping from him. But mainly, it was because she couldn’t bear to hear him pledge his love to someone else. She still loved him that much. So before they go any further, she needs to know where he is, what he feels, what he wants. Is he on the rebound or are he and Portia really over? And if so, do they get a second chance?
Outside somewhere, Dex says, it’s just him and Josslyn now. What went down in Sonny’s office? She says she told Sonny that she wanted him to cut Dex loose, and Dex says, she told Sonny to fire him? She says, it was the only way she knew how to get him out of Sonny’s world, and he says, unbelievable. What did he say?… Don’t bother. Sonny said, if he wanted out, it was up to him to ask for himself. She says, he knows Sonny well, and he asks why she got involved in this. She says, maybe because Sonny will kill Dex if he finds out Dex has been working against him, and he says he knew the risk when he took the job. He doesn’t need her constantly trying to rescue him. She asks if he’s sure. So far, her track record’s awesome. He says he appreciates that. He appreciates her. They’re supposed to be in this together. She says, exactly. So no more risking his neck without telling her. He says, that’s unrealistic. He can’t run it by her every time Sonny asks him to do something, and he can’t have her going to Sonny on his behalf and asking Sonny to fire him when he doesn’t even know about it. She says she wants him free and clear of Sonny. She’s sorry. She thought that’s what he wanted too. He says, she knows he does, and kisses her.
Sonny tells Gladys, they have to wrap this up. He has somewhere he needs to be and something he needs to do. She says she’ll make it quick. It’s about Deception – the company. The thing Sasha was hyping on the Home & Heart shopping channel was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a whole new line in the works; maybe a whole new division. New products need new investing. He says he’s sure Lucy and Maxie have all the financing taken care of, but Gladys says, there’s always room for more. This is a golden opportunity. He gets in now, he makes bank when this line hits the market. He asks, what’s in it for her? and she says she was thinking a finder’s fee. He laughs and asks, how big? She says she hadn’t thought of a percentage. She was just circling around, doing some calculating. He says, it sounds like a winner, but it’s a no from him, because his portfolio is fine. And she knows about the trouble Carly got in with the insider trading thing. It pretty much falls under the same umbrella. And she doesn’t want to open herself up to that, does she? She can thank him later, because he does everything he can to protect his family. He hustles her out the door, and asks Frank to get his cousin a big box of biscotti. He leaves, and Gladys wonders what just happened.
Dante looks at his phone, and tells Michael, apparently his perp just remembered he had a partner. He has to go back to the ER. Michael says he’s glad Dante stopped by, and Dante says, he is too. Michael sounded cryptic before. Is everything cool with him and Sonny? Michael tells him, let’s just say they found one point of understanding, and Dante asks, with Willow or Nina? Michael suggests Dante save his skills for he perp downstairs, and Dante asks him to tell Willow that they’re thinking about her; him, Sam, and the kids love her. Michael says, willdo, and Dante says, don’t make Sonny choose between him and Nina. Michael tells him, say hi to Sam, and Dante says he gave it his best shot. He goes to the elevator.
Sasha says, Cody was in the studio the day of The Deceptor pitch? and Maxie says, according to Lucy, Cody found out they were messing with Sasha, and threatened to streak in front of the camera. And she believes it. He did it at the Nurses Ball. Sasha wonders if he’s still at Kelly’s, and Maxie says, when she spoke to Liesl, he was still there, checking up on James. Sasha says, excuse her. There’s something she needs to take care of.
Curtis tells Jordan that he’d love to say he has all the answers. But the truth is, his life’s up in the air. Jordan says, because of the DNA test? and he says, that’s a big part of it. He’d be lying if he said he knows how he’ll react if he finds out he’s Trina’s biological father. Or if he’s not. She says, that’s understandable. What about the other parts? He says he guesses after what he experienced in Greenland – that Victor Cassadine madness – coming out of an intense experience like that, shook things up for him. What is he doing with his life? He’s made this place a success, and he’s proud of that, but then he wonders, is this all there is? Because he’s feeling like it’s not enough. She says, sounds like he’s restless again. Is he wondering where his heart lies? He says he doesn’t know. He cares about Jordan way to much to make promises he’s not sure he can deliver. She says, why couldn’t she have been a little more honest with him, and him, a little less honest with her? He says, we are who we are, and asks if she can give him some time until he can figure out the rest.
Dex and Josslyn kiss, and she says she’s got it; they’re in this together. He says, they have to trust each other, and she says, she’ll trust him when he has to act alone sometimes, and he has to trust her. Does he? He says, of course (🍷), and she quickly kisses him, saying she’ll see him later. He asks where she’s going, but she says, trust me, and leaves.
Jordan tells Curtis to take the time he needs. Once he unravels the knots in his marriage, and deals with the results of the DNA test, he knows where to find her. He kisses her cheek, tells her, take care, and she leaves.
Portia and Taggert walk down the hall, and she says she’s glad he stopped by. He says he feels like he did all the talking. Did any of it stick? She says she heard what he had to say, and appreciates it, but she can’t be the only one to make their marriage work. Curtis has to want it too. Curtis knows how desperately she wants things to work out. So in the meantime, she’s not going to take her eyes off the other love of her life. She’s not going to let Trina become another casualty of the Cassadines. She’s going to make sure Trina sees Spencer Cassadine for who he really is.
Frank gives Gladys the biscotti, and she says she saw him hand Dex that big fat envelope earlier. What was that about? Some big deal he and Sonny pulled off? Frank says, she knows better than to ask that, being family and all. Gladys takes out her phone, and goes outside. She calls Selina, and says, she knows what she owes Selina, but she may have something that’s more valuable than money.
Josslyn asks if she and Michael can talk somewhere private, and he asks what she wants to talk about. She says, him… and Dex.
Scotty says, he and Cody have to get that thing signed ASAP, and Cody tells James that he’ll talk to James’s grandma or mom, and they’ll figure out a time James can come to the stables with him and Leo. Scotty walks them out, and says he has his car. Can he give them a lift? Obrecht asks where he parked, and he says, in the lot. She walks toward the parking lot, and Scotty says, things are looking up.
Cody eats the cherry from James’s sundae, when Sasha walks into Kelly’s, obviously looking for him.
On Monday, Carly asks how she and Drew beat this without turning on each other; Tracy tells Chase, forgive her and skip off into the sunset, or cut her loose; and Sonny tells Nina, peace comes with a condition.
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up. – Jesse Jackson
Faith is daring to put your dream to the test. It is better to try to do something and fail than to try to do nothing and succeed. – Robert H. Schuller
Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. – Maya Angelou
It’s a general moral principle that the more power you have over someone, the greater your duty is to use that power benevolently. Well, who is the one person in the world you have the greatest power over? It’s your future self. You hold that life in your hands, and what it will be depends on how you care for it. – Rick Hanson
Listen to what you know instead of what you fear. – Richard Bach
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. – Khalil Gibran
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. – attributed to Edmund Burke
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Clichés are tropes because they’re true. – Wesley Fists (Austin Crute), Daybreak
If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. – Mark Twain
🌪 Never Was In Kansas…
There will perhaps be some Dead here on Sunday, but for sure there will be soap, Sailing, and awful Summer people on Monday really Tuesday. Until then, stay safe, stay letting other people finish their sentences, and stay not making promises you’re not sure you can deliver.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Nina meets Ava at The Savoy, where a martini is waiting. Ava says, let’s get the party started, and Nina sit next to her at the bar. Ava says, Trina and Liesl are home, which means Willow has a donor. What should they drink to first?… She says, Nina doesn’t look like she’s in the mood to celebrate anything. What’s wrong?
Carly and Drew walk hand in hand at the hospital, and Carly tells him, she has to say, their relationship being out in the open… He says, makes the whole SEC investigation worth it? and she tells him that she wouldn’t say that, but it is the one silver lining. They hug, and Josslyn walks in. She says, don’t mind her, and hugs Drew, telling him, welcome home. He says he’s so glad to be here; she has no idea. She says, seeing him is like confirmation everything is going to be okay, and thanks him.
Dex comes out onto the hospital roof, and checks a text: Need to meet ASAP. GH roof.
Michael looks in on Willow, when his phone rings. A text says: I’m here. He flashes back to Willow saying the conflict between him and Sonny affects everybody they love. He remembers telling Sonny that eventually Sonny will be forgotten, like he never existed, Sonny replying, he’ll always love Michael, but if he wants Sonny to forgive, he’ll have to pay.
Frank lets Valentin into Sonny’s office, and Sonny says, hail the conquering hero. Valentin says, Sonny can just call. He doesn’t have to send his staff. Sonny says he doesn’t want to inconvenience Valentin, but there are some matters they have to discuss, and no one’s leaving this room until they do that.
Carly asks if Josslyn talked to Trina, but Josslyn says, she’s with her mom and dad. Trina texted her that she and Spencer are alive and back in Port Charles. She thanks Drew, saying, he rescued her best friends, but he says, it was a huge team effort. Spencer and Trina were pretty heroic themselves. Josslyn says, they’re so grateful he was able to get Dr. Obrecht back in time to save Willow. Seriously, he’s a hero. Drew tells her not to get carried away, but Carly says, Josslyn’s right, even though he didn’t get the hero’s welcome he deserved. Josslyn asks, why? What happened?
Nina says she really appreciates Ava coming out with her tonight, but maybe she should go see Trina. Nina knows how worried Ava was. Ava says, she’s safe and with her parents. They should celebrate. At the very least, they should raise a glass to Nina’s Aunt Liesl. She survived being kidnapped by Victor Cassadine – again – and she made it home in time to save Willow’s life. Nina says, yes. Her Aunt Liesl had the procedure to donate her bone marrow, and Willow’s going to have the transplant as soon as she completes her chemotherapy. Ava says, that’s wonderful. Why so glum? Nina says, this morning, Willow offered a way for her to make peace, and Ava says, another reason to celebrate. Nina says, it would be, except she already screwed it up.
Obrecht knocks on Willow’s window, and the phone next to Willow’s bed rings. Willow picks it up, and says, hello, Aunt Liesl. Obrecht says she’s sorry she kept Willow waiting, but she was abducted by a homicidal madman, and Willow tells her, don’t let it happen again. Obrecht says, don’t worry; it won’t. Willow says she’s just glad Obrecht is all right, and Obrecht says, she, too, is quite pleased by her survival. It was a great relief to donate her bone marrow today. Willow says, so it’s done? and Obrecht says, yes. Willow asks if she’s okay, and Obrecht says she had the easy part. She was under anesthesia. Aside from some mild soreness, she feels absolutely fine. Willow tells her that she doesn’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t even cover it. She starts to cry and says, she’ll be able to watch her children grow up… Grow old with Michael. She’ll be alive, all thanks to Obrecht. Obrecht says she did what she had to. After all, Willow is her family.
Michael comes out on the roof, and thanks Dex for helping Josslyn bring Wiley and Amelia to the hospital. It meant a lot to the both of them. Dex says he’s glad to help. How’s Willow doing? Michael says, she’s tough. She’s determined to pull through for her family. But true to form, she’s more concerned about others than herself, which is why he called Dex here. Dex says he thinks he knows what Michael is going to say. He’ll admit, he thought Michael would want to wait until his wife was better to turn Sonny in… Is there another problem?
Sonny says, he spoke to Anna, and she told him how Valentin got Trina and Spencer and Liesl home. Valentin says, Victor was his father. It was kind of on him to stop Victor, and Sonny says, he’s the reason Nina got her aunt back, and now Willow’s going to get her bone marrow transplant that he hopes saves her life. Valentin says he’s just glad Liesl made it back in time, and Sonny says, Valentin stepped up. He’s not going to forget that. Valentin says he appreciates that, and Sonny says, now can they get to how Valentin’s associates nearly go him and his people killed?
Valentin says he’d never get in the way of Sonny’s operation, much less harm his people, and Sonny says, let him explain the new developments in the Pikeman deal, which Valentin facilitated. It seems like he left out a few important details. Valentin says, with respect, he told Sonny everything he knows. He’s just a middleman; they’re not going to give him specifics. Sonny says, Valentin went on the run after that, so let him fill Valentin in. He was preparing for the first shipment, and a sniper tried to take him out. Fortunately, he missed. When they were discussing this deal, Valentin said something about there being significant risks. Was that code? Did he or did he not know that Sonny could have a target on his back? Doesn’t Sonny always have a target on his back? He is a mob boss.
Willow says she’s grateful for everything Obrecht is doing and has done, and Obrecht says, Willow doesn’t really know her, certainly not well. She understands Willow’s fear that accepting her into her life means accepting Nina, who she thinks she does know well. But she wants Willow to know she has no agenda. Regardless of how Willow feels about her, she considers Willow family. Obrecht has lost almost all her relatives. When that happens, we tend to latch on to whatever family we have left. Sometimes we even put too much pressure on those relationships. Willow asks if that’s a hint for her to be more receptive to Nina, but Obrecht shakes her head, and says, there will a time and place for Willow to consider what role, if any, she wants Nina to have in her life. It doesn’t matter right now. The important thing is that Willow heal, so that someday she may have the opportunity to make that decision and a lifetime of other, happier ones. Willow says she can’t make any promises about Nina. Right now, she’s just praying she comes out the other side of this. Obrecht says, she will, and Willow says, she sounds so certain. Why? Obrecht says, because she’s aware of the tribulations Willow has endured in her life. Tell her. Does it annoy Willow when people assume she’s fragile? Or does she use it to her advantage, so they underestimate her? Willow says she doesn’t know that she’s ever thought about it that way, and Obrecht says, no matter. She sees Willow for the strong woman she is. Even in this weakened state, it’s obvious. She is a survivor. She knows, because it’s in Willow’s blood.
Nina tells Ava, her daughter asked her for a favor, which she’s never done before, so she thinks that’s a step forward. Ava says, it sounds promising. What was the favor? Nina says, unfortunately, it’s something she can’t give Willow, and Ava asks what she wants. Nina says, Willow wants her to drop her vendetta against Carly, and Ava says, that’s all? She fails to see the problem here. She knows how much Nina hates Carly, but compared to having a relationship with her daughter… Do this for Willow. Lay down her arms. Nina says, it’s too late. She made sure of that when she ratted out Drew and Carly to the SEC.
Drew says, then Diane showed up, and she kind of shut the whole thing down, at least for now. Josslyn says she can’t believe they dragged Drew out of there after he risked his life to rescue Victor’s hostages, and he says, the important thing is, they haven’t been charged with anything; this is an ongoing investigation. Carly says, that’s right, and Diane’s on her way here now to discuss the case, and Josslyn says, if Diane’s on it, she’s not going to worry too much. Carly says, Josslyn needs to know, while the SEC is conducting the investigation, her accounts and assets are frozen, and Josslyn asks if Carly needs her to get money from her trust fund, but Carly says, no. She just wants Josslyn to be aware. She doesn’t want Josslyn worrying about her, because Diane is on it, and they’re going to figure it out. Josslyn wonders how long it’s going to take, but Drew says, unfortunately, there’s no way to tell. His phone rings, and he says, it’s the lawyers from Aurora; he has to take it. He steps away, and Josslyn says, it’s really great to see Carly and Drew together out in the open. She can tell Carly is happy, despite everything. Carly says, they are. Speaking of a secret relationship being out in the open, does Josslyn want to talk about showing up here with Dex?
Michael says he’s decided he’s not using the Pikeman evidence against Sonny, and Dex asks if Michael found something else to use against him. Michael says he’s not turning Sonny in at all, and Dex says, why not? Michael says, Willow helped him realize, by sending Sonny to prison, he’ll just be tearing his family apart, and Dex says, Michael told him that he’d be willing to accept that. Michael says, for himself, but not for his siblings. Josslyn wants to see Sonny face justice, but Kristina would never forgive him. And Donna and Avery will be stuck in the middle. It’s not fair to make them choose between Josslyn and Kristina, or him and his father. Dex says, Michael is the boss. He has the right to change his mind. But he was hired to do a job. A job he’s risked his life for a year now getting done. He’s been shot, hung from a meat hook, and threatened with torture. He’s had to spend every day with the knowledge that if Sonny finds out he’s working against him, he’s dead. He knew there were risks when he started working for Michael, but decided it was worth it. (Well, shut up then.) He’s since come to understand Sonny better, but that doesn’t change anything for him. His options are limited here. Michael says he knows he put Dex in a tough spot, and he’s sorry, but for his family’s sake, he can’t turn Sonny in. Dex says, great. He’s really happy for all of them, but where does that leave him? The way he sees it, he only has two options here. He keeps working for Sonny indefinitely, or he puts Sonny away. Michael says, there is one more option. He disappears. Um… How about Dex tells Sonny that he can’t work for him because of Josslyn? I hate when they give Sonny no credit for being a somewhat understanding guy.
Valentin says, Pikeman has a lot of enemies. The kind of people who are going to want to keep Pikeman’s merchandise out of their own enemies’ hands. He didn’t know Sonny was going to be targeted, but he can’t say he’s entirely surprised. Sonny says, the Pikeman rep is cagey any time he tries to ask them for any information, and Valentin says, as with any Pikeman employee. It’s all need to know. Sonny says, the sniper was a ghost, but here’s the thing. He wasn’t a mob hitman; he was black ops.From the espionage world. Valentin’s world. Valentin says he’s not going to get Pikeman to confirm or deny that, but he has good news. He spoke to his source at Pikeman, and they’re happy with the way the shipment went down. They want to work with Sonny again. Sonny says, tell them he’s not interested.
Scotty sees Obrecht going down the hall at the hospital, and says, she’s back. She says, yes, and he says, in one piece he might add. She says she’s unharmed. She should be… He says, he moved heaven and earth to find her, and got chloroformed for his trouble. She says she heard, and he says he’s sorry he almost got her blown up, but he had to do something. She says, on the bright side, his misguided efforts to save her, effectively blew up Victor, and Scotty says, good riddance to him. She says, yes. As she said she should be… She starts walking away, but he says, wait a second. He knows they had a lot of problems before Victor grabbed her, and a lot of stuff to work out, but he thinks about her – she turns around to face him – in the morning when he wakes up, and he thinks about her before he goes to sleep, but the trouble is, he doesn’t sleep anymore. So he was wondering if she feels the same way. Not that she doesn’t sleep. He wouldn’t wish that on anybody, but maybe they could get things back on track. Is there any way things might work out with them?
Josslyn tells Carly, Dex was a big help getting the kids here, and there’s no real reason to hide their relationship anymore now that Sonny knows. Diane comes out of the elevator and walks over to them, and asks if she’s interrupting a mother/daughter catch-up. Josslyn says, nothing they can’t talk about later, and Carly says, and they will. She thanks Diane for coming here, since she didn’t want to stray too far from Willow, and Diane says she understands. Josslyn says she’ll leave them to it. She knows they have a lot to talk about. Now that she knows Diane is the one helping out, she’s sure it will be okay. Diane says she appreciates the vote of confidence, and Josslyn leaves. Diane asks, where’s Drew? and Carly says, he’s making a call. She thanks Diane for getting him released, and Diane says, it was a little too easy… Drew comes back, and thanks Diane for coming. Let’s hear it. What are he and Carly looking at? Diane says, unfortunately, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Nina and Ava go to a table, and Nina says she hates that she turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC. She let her jealousy get the better of her for Carly becoming more of a mother to Willow. Now she did something she can’t take back. Ava says, when Willow asked her to make peace with Carly, did Nina tell her it was too late? and Nina says, not exactly. When Willow asked her to make peace with Carly, she lied a little bit, and said she wouldn’t get into it with Carly anymore. Ava says, technically, it’s not a lie though. Nina talked to the SEC before she promised Willow. Nina says, it won’t matter to Willow that she took revenge on Carly before Willow asked her not to. That loophole is not going to work for her here. Ava says, Carly will weasel her way out of it somehow. Hopefully after she’s suffered a little bit. In a way, Nina bought herself some time to find her way out of this. Nina says, that doesn’t change what she did to Drew. That man went to Greenland, he faced off with Victor Cassadine, he brought Aunt Liesl back so Willow could get a bone marrow transplant. Almost as soon as he brought Aunt Liesl back to GH, he was intercepted by the SEC. Ava says, that is not ideal, and Nina says she was there; it was horrible. Ava says, there’s nothing Nina can do. What’s done is done. She can’t change it now. Nina says, maybe so; maybe not. Ava asks what she’s thinking, and Nina says she needs to mitigate the damage here. So the only thing she can do is tell Willow the truth.
Diane says she’s been working to get Carly’s private bank accounts unfrozen. Unfortunately, the judge has ruled that they’ll remain frozen for the duration of the investigation. Drew says he’s sure he can arrange for a loan from the Quartermaine assets, but Diane says, no. She strongly advises against that. While the SEC is deciding whether he used his private relationship with Carly to divulge business secrets, how’s it going to look if he loans her money? Carly says, Diane’s right. She doesn’t want him to get in any more trouble. He asks what she needs for money, and Carly says she has some liquid assets to keep her afloat. Besides, Diane is going to get their names cleared. Diane says, about that. Unfortunately… Carly says, no. Diane’s been saying that word a lot today. Diane says she knows. She’s sorry. However, she can’t represent both of them.
Obrecht says she’s just been through a harrowing experience with Victor, and Scotty says, he knows. That’s why… She says, please, let her finish, and he says, anything you want, my schnitzel. She says she dreamed of him calling her that. She confesses that in moments her survival was in question, she did think about him. He has her heart. He takes her hand and says, she has his as well. So with that, they can probably get through anything. She says, if only it were that simple, and pulls her hand back. Her heart doesn’t belong to him alone. He shares that space with her children who are no longer with her; Nathan and Britta. He says he knows that he hurt her, and he’ll do everything he can in his power to make it up to her, but she says, sadly, he cannot. She was a captive on the Haunted Star, the very vessel where her Britta breathed her last breath. When the air strike destroyed it, she thought, it’s gone, the place where her Britta had the best night of her life, and she had her worst. She didn’t know what to think, how to feel, but Scotty was involved, no matter how inadvertently, in its destruction. And it felt like a gift. He says, maybe he did do something right, and she says he’s done many things right, but as much as she loves him, it’s hard for her to even look at him right now. All she can see is Elizabeth, and how he sided with her. And while she understands he sees Elizabeth as a daughter, she must side with the memory of hers. That is our truth, mein Lieber, and unfortunately, it doesn’t set us free. She walks away.
Michael says he’ll give Dex all the money he needs to start somewhere new. Somewhere Sonny can’t touch him. It’s the least he owes Dex. Dex says, that’s not what he agreed to. The deal was, he’d get enough evidence for Michael to put Sonny away forever, then get out of his business. Michael says, Dex did everything he asked Dex to do. He gained Sonny’s trust, he braved the brutality of Sonny’s world. He can’t thank Dex enough for all he’s done. He realizes changing the terms comes at great risk to Dex. Dex says, but Michael’s not going to change his mind, is he? and Michael says, no, he’s not. Dex says, then he’s screwed, and Michael says, Dex knew this job could go wrong a million different ways; he signed up for that too. Dex says he signed up for exactly two possible outcomes. Either Sonny goes to prison, or Sonny catches him and he winds up dead. And since option one is off the table now, the only other one is him not breathing. Michael says, there’s a way for Dex to escape with his life if he lets Michael help him get away. He’ll protect Dex from Sonny. Dex says, if he disappears, he has to say goodbye to his life, and he’s grown very attached to… to this city. Michael says, he’s grown attached to this city or attached to Josslyn?
Josslyn stands at Willow’s window, and on the phone, Willow says she’s happy to see her. Josslyn says she’s surprised Willow is even awake. How’s she feeling? Willow says, if she’s being completely honest, the chemo’s taking a lot out of her. But it will all be worth it, providing Liesl’s donation takes. Josslyn says, it will, and asks if there’s anything she can do for Willow. Willow says, tell her what’s going on. What’s happening in the outside world? Josslyn hesitates, and Willow says, it doesn’t have to be anything big. Tell her something small and personal. Like how she’s studying for her finals. Is she a flashcards or an outlines student? Josslyn laughs, and says, Willow’s lowered the bar. They can do better than that. She’s sort of seeing someone. Willow says, Michael and Carly sort of hinted she was, but didn’t give her any details. She was very annoyed they respected Josslyn’s privacy like that. So tell her. Is Josslyn seeing anyone she knows?
Sonny says, the cargo was a lot riskier than they discussed, and Valentin asks, what was the cargo? Sonny says, just one of the most powerful plastic explosives in the world. Did Valentin know that? Valentin says he knew they dealt in explosives, but he didn’t expect them to ask Sonny to traffic it. Not on his first job with them anyway. Sonny says he’s not in the market of arming terrorists, but Valentin says, he’s not. Their main client is the US military. They make limited covert exports to small countries that need to defend themselves from larger, better equipped military forces. Sonny says, meaning countries that have a vested interest in making sure Pikeman doesn’t move their merchandise, and Valentin says, and would go to extremes to eliminate anyone facilitating the move of said merchandise. Sonny says, there’s no way he’s going to sit back and be Pikeman’s collateral damage, and Valentin says, so Sonny wants him to tell them no deal?
Ava says she loves Nina, but that is a terrible idea, and Nina says, it’s the only thing she can think of. This whole thing is horrible. They froze Drew and Carly’s assets. Ava laughs, and Nina says, it’s not funny. Ava says, it’s not funny when it comes to Drew, but Carly? Considering she lost her shirt in the very deal she’s being investigated for, it’s lucky she has any assets to freeze, and it’s delicious. Nina says, Willow’s not going to see it that way. They could be facing serious prison time, and if there’s any way of salvaging this, building any kind of relationship with her daughter, she’s just going to have to come clean. She’ll have to apologize to Willow for all the pain that she’s put her and her family through. Ava says, let her remind Nina of something. None of the former or current members of the Corinthos family are forgiving people. That includes Willow. If Nina comes clean, Willow will be furious with her. Nina says, what if she finds out later? and Ava says, then she’ll be furious later. If Nina admits what she did, Carly will be out for her blood. Not to mention Michael and Drew, and the whole Quartermaine clan. And of course (🍷) there’s Sonny. Nina, who certainly can’t foresee the consequences of her actions, says, what about Sonny? and Ava says, Carly’s the mother of his children. Does Nina think he’s really going to be fine with her turning Carly over to the Feds? Nina says, he loves her, and Ava says, he does now, but when he finds out she threw Carly to the wolves, she promises Nina, that will change. Nina says she knows there’s going to be consequences. Shouldn’t she face them? Ava says, when Nina dropped the dime on Carly and Drew, was she lying? Nina says, no, and Ava says, exactly. What they did was illegal. All Nina did was report it. If they didn’t want to go to prison for insider trading, maybe they shouldn’t have done it. All Nina will get for her honesty is lifelong and very powerful enemies. She’ll lose Willow, and she’ll lose Sonny forever. Does she really want to throw away everything that makes her happy?
Willow asks Josslyn if she’s happy, and Josslyn says she is. Willow says, good, and thanks Josslyn for sharing at least that much with her. Josslyn promises to share everything eventually with Willow, and Willow says she’ll hold Josslyn to it. She thanks Josslyn for being here; it means the world. Josslyn says, it’s not just her. It’s Michael and her mom and Drew; they’re all here. All of them are going to be here for her every step of the way. Willow says, love and support from the whole family has kept her going through all of this; the way everyone’s coming together. Josslyn says, they love her, and Willow says she loves all of them too. And as nervous as she is about the transplant, she’s also feeling hopeful for all of their futures again. Josslyn tells Willow, goodbye, hangs up the phone, and then says she feels the same way.
Sonny says he wants Valentin to deliver a message from him. He might be open to another deal, one that would facilitate another shipment; the way it was before, not under these circumstances. Pikeman needs to get their affairs in order, and figure out who came after him. Then they can move forward, but not until then. Valentin says he’ll convey that message and get back to Sonny, and leaves.
Nina says, Ava brings up some good points, and Ava says, that Nina obviously hasn’t considered. Nina says, but where does she go now? Does she just go forward with this huge secret hanging over her and everyone she loves? Ava says, yep, and Nina says, what if she gets caught? Ava asks if anyone else besides her is aware Nina knew Drew and Carly were romantically involved prior to the merger, and Nina says, Martin Grey. Ava says, attorney/client privilege; he can’t say anything. Nina says, he assured her that there’s no way to trace the tip back to her, and Ava says, great. She’s not going to say anything, so good news. Nina’s already gotten away with it. She’s the last person anybody would suspect. Nina asks why Ava says that. Her animosity toward Carly isn’t a secret. Ava says, whose animosity toward Carly is a secret?Aurora’s assets were frozen too, right? And Aurora owns Crimson, so why would she undermine her own business? Nina says, that’s true, and Ava says, Nina’s gotten away with murder. Don’t tell anyone where to find the body.
Diane says she was happy to step in and get Drew released, but moving forward, it wouldn’t be in his best interest to have the same representation as Carly. Carly says she doesn’t understand. Won’t it help if they both have the same strategy? Diane says, the SEC is going to pit the two of them against each other. If this goes to trial, they’ll be separate defendants, so they should have separate attorneys fighting their respective cases. Drew says, then Diane should represent Carly, but Carly says, no. He’s the CEO of Aurora. He engineered the merger. He should have the better representation. He says, the Q’s have a shark tank full of lawyers he can use. Carly should have somebody that knows her implicitly and has represented her and her family for years. Carly asks what Diane thinks, and Diane says she thinks Drew is a very smart man who makes a compelling argument. Carly says, okay. Then that’s what they’ll do. Diane says, now that that’s settled, she’ll be in touch. In the meantime, the two of them look great together. She leaves, and Carly puts her head on Drew’s shoulder.
Nina asks if that’s Scotty, and Ava says, he has that lost puppy dog look. As he passes the table, Nina asks, what’s up? and Ava asks if he’s all right. He says he tried to mend some fences with Liesl, but they’re finished. Nina says, she’s just been through a lot, and he says he knows. He thought she might come to his waiting arms, but no such luck. Nina says, just give her some time, and Ava says, the woman obviously loves him. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be so mad at him. What did she say exactly? He says, she told him that their truth does not set them free, which it seems to him means, if you love somebody and mess with the family, there is no coming back.
Carly asks how Drew thinks the SEC is going to pit them against each other, and he says, if they want to play dirty, let them. They can handle whatever the SEC throws at them. The way he sees it, they can take on the world as long as they’re together. They hug.
Scotty tells Nina and Ava that he’s not good company. He’s going to go have some martinis. He heads for the bar, and Ava asks Nina, so what are we doing here? Celebrating, or is Nina planning on ruining her relationship with Willow? Nina says, Ava’s right. She can’t tell Willow that she turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC. Ava says, exactly. Trust her. Nothing good will come of Nina clearing her conscience. Ava lifts her glass, and says, to seeing reason. Everything is going Nina’s way. Liesl is going to save Willow’s life; Carly and Drew will face the consequences of their actions. The best thing for Nina to do is to keep her mouth shut and her eyes forward. Nina lifts her glass, and says, and hope for the best. They clink glasses and drink.
Josslyn comes to the roof, and hugs Dex, asking why he needed to see her. What’s going on? He tells her that he has to say goodbye.
There’s a knock at Sonny’s office door, and he says, come in. Frank says, Sonny has another visitor, but Sonny says he’s not expecting one. Frank says, he’ll want to see this one, and Sonny says, send him in. Frank leaves, and Michael walks in.
On Monday, Lucy asks if Sasha is absolutely sure she’s ready for all of this; Josslyn says she’s going with Dex; Drew tells Nina, it’s just not an option; and Michael tells Sonny that they need things to change before it’s too late.
I love this show. I’m almost done with Season 2, and it’s even better than Season 1. It can be borderline Disney, but not in a bad way. And it’s something different.
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. – Immanuel Kant
I’ll join this conversation on the proviso that we stop bitching about people, talking about wigs, dresses, bust sizes, penises, drugs, night clubs, and bloody Abba! – Bernadette (Terrence Stamp), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better. – Robert F. Kennedy
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. – Marie Curie
A leader is a dealer in hope. – Napoleon Bonaparte
The pendulum of the mind alternates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong. – Carl Jung
His first word was a paragraph. – Rosetta McMillan (Cleo King), Mike & Molly
I believe in Liberty for all men: the space to stretch their arms and their souls, the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine, and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color; thinking, dreaming, working as they will in a kingdom of beauty and love. – W.E.B. DuBois
🤹🏽♀️ A Mother Of a Day…
Follow the breadcrumbs back on Monday really Tuesday for soap, Sailing, and Summer smack talk. Fear the Walking Dead begins Sunday, so we’ll see on that. Mondays is rough. Until then, stay safe, stay loving your mom even if it has to be from a distance, and stay not messing with the family of somebody you love. There might be no coming back.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Brook lets Cody into the nook. He’s holding a bowl, and says he’s out of cereal. Mama Q said he could just… but she says, don’t bother. She knows why he’s really here. He wants to know if he’s going to get fired.
At Charlie’s, Gladys tells Sasha not to waste a single second feeling sorry for a lying grifter like Cody Bell. Sasha says, Cody’s always been very nice to her. She’s having a hard time seeing him the way Gladys does. Gladys says, that’s because Sasha is a sweet child. Gladys has seen his type before. When she used to go to Atlantic City, sharpies like Cody were a dime a dozen. They flex their muscles and flash their pearly whites, and saunter off before you even realize they’ve made off with your wallet. Sasha says, Gladys paints quite a vivid picture. She can’t wait for Gladys’s memoirs. Gladys says, her point is that you can’t trust someone like Cody. So if he comes around, spouting nonsense… Sasha asks, what kind of nonsense? and Gladys says, who knows? He’d say anything to stay in Sasha’s good graces… and close to her money.
At the hospital, TJ asks if Molly is sure she doesn’t want him to stay. He can get Dr. Michaels to cover for him. She says she’s sure. It’s just a routine follow-up. Dr. Navarro will tell them that they have to keep trying. He tells her, always listen to your doctor’s advice. Can she believe it? This time next year, they may have a baby Lansing-Ashford. She says, or is it a baby Ashford-Lansing? and he says, negotiations set to resume later tonight. They kiss.
Drew brings Curtis to a storage unit containing a bunch of boxes, and Curtis says, this is Kim Nero’s stuff? Drew says, when she moved to Manhattan, Kim kept some of his stuff in case he made it home. He sees a sports cap, and says, this is Oscar’s Browns hat. The only thing he loved more than his music was his favorite football team. He wore this all the time. Kim said this was going to be hard seeing his boy’s things. Losing a child is hard enough, but losing one right after you find out you’re a father… Curtis says, is absolutely his worst nightmare.
Laura sees Alexis at the hospital, and Alexis says she’s in a bit of a fog today. Laura says, the last few days have been pretty surreal. She just came from visiting with Anna; she’s recuperating very nicely. Alexis says, that’s great news. Any word about Spencer and Trina?
Dressed in mismatched sweats and an old cardigan, Trina is tossed into Spencer’s stateroom, and he asks what she’s doing here. What is she wearing? Trina says, stuff from the lost and found. The guard said she could take her pick, but it’s not her personal style or choice. He laughs, and she says, it’s definitely warmer than her ballgown. He says he can’t believe they left her with him. He thought Uncle Victor wanted to keep them separated. She says, maybe that was his original plan, but with all this commotion on deck, she even overheard one of the guards saying they need all hands. He says, they’re consolidating areas to guard. They might be bringing Dr. Obrecht in here next. Trina says she’s scared.
Dex asks Sonny if the Pikeman shipment conflicts with his son’s wedding, but Sonny says he’s not letting anything interfere with Michael and Willow’s big day. Dante knocks at the penthouse door, and asks if he’s interrupting. Sonny says, they were just finishing up some business, and hands Dex a manila envelope. He says, deliver this, and take the rest of the day off. He leaves, and Sonny says he didn’t expect Dante to come by. What’s up? Dante says he wanted to know if Sonny wanted to get lunch with him later, and Sonny asks, why today? Dante says, it’s as good a day as any other. Why? Does Sonny have plans? Sonny says, yeah. He’s going to Dante’s brother’s wedding. Dante says, no, he’s not.
Spencer says, whatever his uncle has planned next, he’d never let Victor hurt Trina. She knows that, right? She says she knows Spencer would do everything he can to stop Victor; he proved that on deck. But what if there’s a reason Spencer can’t help her? What if he hurts both of them? He says, his Uncle Victor is out of his mind right now. He’s drunk on power. He’s emboldened by his own savior complex, but Spencer does believe there’s still a shred of humanity left inside of him. She says she knows he doesn’t want to hear this right now, but they can’t count on that. Right now the only thing they have to rely on is each other. He swears to her, as long as they have each other, there’s nothing they can’t face, and they hug.
Drew says, they’re going to find Trina, and Curtis says he wants to believe Drew, but the longer it’s taking… He just found out Trina might be his daughter. He can’t lose her. Drew says, he’s not going to. They’re going to have lots more time together. Curtis says, his bad, bringing up his stuff in the middle of Oscar’s things. He knows it can’t be easy for Drew to be here, but Drew says he thinks it’s worth it. The key to finding Trina might be in one of these boxes. He gave Oscar some of his things in the hope it might tell Oscar his story. It’s a long shot, but maybe they’ll come across something from his days as a SEAL. Anything that tells them about Project Demeter. He digs through a box, and asks Curtis what he’s got. Curtis says, military stuff. He’s got bedtime stories… music theories… Greek mythology… Drew takes the book, and says he used to tell Oscar how much he loved these stories. Curtis says, it looks like that one’s pretty well thumbed through. He takes out a paper, and Drew says, it’s a map.
Alexis tells Laura that Victor hasn’t included her or her daughters in any of his plans. She’s never been privy to the inner workings of the Cassadines; she’s Cassadine adjacent. Laura says, that’s probably why Alexis is sane. Does she have any childhood memories of Victor? Alexis says, there was always tension between her father and Victor. Her father was a monster – he was into power and greed – and Victor fancied himself having loftier goals. Laura wonders what those goals were.
Dr. Navarro goes in to see Molly, who’s wearing a hospital gown. Molly says she’s a little confused. She thought she was just getting the results of her ultrasound. Dr. Navarro says, after reviewing Molly’s ultrasound, she’d like to get some more thorough testing done. Molly asks, why? What did she see? The doctor says, nothing to be overly concerned about at this stage. Molly has been experiencing irregularity and pain with her monthly cycle. She’d like to get to the bottom of what’s causing it. Molly asks if she wants to do more testing now, and the doctor says, yes, and this time, she’d like to do a biopsy.
Cody asks Brook, why would he be fired?… Okay. He has been a little worried about what they’re thinking since the incident. Brook says, he means the incident where he was arrested, charged, and arraigned, and he says, that’s the one. She takes the bowl out of his hand, puts it on the counter, and says, he should be thanking her. He says, for the cereal? but she says, no, for pleading his case. Her dad wanted to fire him. It wasn’t so easy changing his mind. He’s been in a bad mood with all this ELQ stuff. Cody asks what Mama Q thinks, and Brook says, he’d have to ask her, but if he wants to know Brook’s opinion, she thinks Gladys Corbin is a walking disaster. She’s a mess. She’s always misplacing important things. She wouldn’t be surprised if Gladys left that bracelet lying around backstage at the Nurses Ball. He says he’s glad someone’s on his side, but she says, not quite. How did that bracelet end up in his pocket?
Sam goes into Charlie’s carrying a garment bag. Seeing Gladys, she flashes back to Cody saying, Gladys set him up because he told her that he was going to tell Sasha she’s not to be trusted. Kristina tells Sam, if looks could kill, as Gladys tells Sasha, some people just can’t be trusted. Cody is one of those types, and trying to take advantage of Sasha’s good nature. Sam asks if Kristina ever wished she could know someone’s secrets with a single glance, and Kristina says, it’s probably better for everyone in this town that they can’t. She asks if that’s her dress for the wedding, and Sam hesitates giving it to her, saying, this is her dress for the day. Kristina asks when she’s ever kept anything of Sam’s, and Sam says, her brown leather jacket, those really cool biker boots that have the zipper on the side, and her leather pants.
Sasha says she appreciates Gladys looking out for her, but Cody has had a really rough go in life. Gladys says, so has Sasha, which is why she’s been thinking they could both use a vacation. Sasha says, that’s an abrupt change of topics. What prompted that? Gladys says she thinks they could use a little getaway, and Sash asks if there’s another reason Gladys needs to leave town.
Cody tells Brook, no one was more shocked than him when that bracelet showed up in his tux jacket pocket, which at the time he wasn’t even wearing. He was on stage, taking his clothes off for a worthy cause. Brook asks if he’s been stealing from her family, and he says, no. She says she had to ask. He’s been given free reign in this house. Should she be checking her jewelry case? He says, no offense, but her stuff isn’t exactly his style. No, he’s not a thief; he was framed. He left the tux jacket in the dressing room. That had to be when someone planted it in there. Brook says, let’s say she believes him. Where’s his proof?
Dante says, the way things are with Sonny and Michael, Sonny crashing the wedding is just going to fan the flames. Don’t do that. Sonny says, that’s not what he’s doing. Michael invited him. He’s going to be celebrating with the family tonight. Dante says, that’s great. He knows how much not being there was probably eating Sonny up. He and Nina are making some progress. Sonny says, Nina’s not invited.
Sam says she’s happy the wedding was moved up, and Kristina says, with what Michael and Willow are going through, they deserve one perfect day. Is it giving Sam and Dante any ideas? Sam says she and Dante are good with the way things are right now, and suggests they look at Kristina’s life for a change. Dex walks in, and Kristina says, perfect timing. She needs back-up here. He says he’s actually here for Sonny, and Sam guesses that’s her cue, and steps away. He gives Kristina the envelope, and says, Sonny wanted him to give her this. She takes out some paperwork, and says she can’t believe her dad did this.
Gladys asks why she would need to get out of town, and Sasha says, next month is the two-year anniversary of when she got shot. Gladys says, after Brando refused Cyrus Renault’s order to shoot her. If she hadn’t gotten involved with those shady people, her son wouldn’t have been in that position. She’ll always regret that. Sasha says, but look at how far she’s come. She should be really proud of herself. Some memories are hard to face. She knows that better than anyone. She can’t get away right now, but Gladys should book a trip for herself. Use her credit card. Gladys says, that’s very generous, but Sasha’s paying her a salary. She can pay. Sasha says, then how about if she pays for any upgrades (I would be so upgraded if someone told me that)? and Gladys says, the resort she’s been looking at does have an incredible spa package. Sasha says, then consider herself all pampered. She tells Gladys that she’s got to run, and leaves. Sam looks at Gladys from across the room.
Alexis says she has to tell Laura, this is the first time she wishes she were in the inner circle of the Cassadines. Then she could help. Laura says she knows Alexis is doing as much as she can, and Alexis says, what about Nikolas? Has Laura heard from him? Laura says, the international news picked up this story, so even if Nikolas left the country, he would still be aware of what’s happening here. Alexis says, and still he hasn’t been in touch, and Laura says, no. Nobody’s heard a word from him. It’s fine for him to walk away from her, but from his two sons? For him to be missing in action, knowing how much danger Spencer and Ace are in? Alexis says, what if he doesn’t have a choice?
Curtis asks if this is Oscar’s handwriting on the map, but Drew says, no, it’s his. Curtis says, good. Is this a travel map, or something more? Drew says he doesn’t remember this map at all, or why it’s hidden in this book. So if he had to guess, he’d guess something more. Curtis holds it up, and says, there’s a mark in the corner, and Drew says, that’s the sign for Virgo. Curtis takes a canteen out of the box, and it has the same symbol. He says, first the canteen, then the map. He never realized Drew was so into astrology. Drew says he’s not. He was born in September. Curtis says, on the canteen, it makes sense; it’s Drew’s. But why would it be embossed on a map? Drew says, maybe there’s something else here that can help them, and flips through the book. He says, here you go. The versions of mythology differ, but the most popular cites that Virgo has ties to Demeter, the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Curtis says, Demeter, as in Project Demeter, and Drew says, the assignment Victor was so keen on knowing everything about. This is the link.
Spencer holds Trina, and says he bets she wishes she never followed him on this doomed ghost ship. She says she’s afraid for their lives, and she wishes his baby brother wasn’t at risk. They sit on the bed, and she says she’s glad she’s with him. Any doubts about being with him are gone. He says, that’s a big mistake, Miss Robinson. The man you’re crushing on is a non-reprobate. He’s a convicted felon. She says, oh no, and he says, he’s a spendthrift, an entitled bourgeois, hot tempered, good-for-nothing. She says, that sounds about right… except for one detail. He’s not the man she’s crushing on. He’s so much more than that.
Drew tells Curtis, there’s nothing else in here marked with the symbol for Virgo, but that’s not a coincidence. Virgo, Project Demeter, and a map. Maybe they should take this to the WSB. Curtis says, no. He knows what to do.
Alexis wonders if Nikolas could be one of Victor’s captives, but Laura doesn’t think so. Trina didn’t mention seeing him on the Haunted Star. And if she’s being honest, she hates to admit this, but she thinks her son fled town to avoid his legal problems. Alexis says, Laura knows how much she loves her nephew, and she also knows he’s made a lot of mistakes, but there’s still time for him to do the right thing. Laura says she hopes Alexis is right, but even so, she’s determined to find her grandsons, and bring them home. She wipes some tears away, when TJ comes by, and tells them, his mom is completely focused on finding the Haunted Star. Laura says she knows. He doesn’t have to convince her how hard his mother works. Port Charles is very lucky to have her. Alexis says, Victor is not going to get away with this, and Laura says, no, he is not. She gets up, and says she has some calls she needs to make. Let her know if they hear anything. She leaves, and I notice Alexis’s white sweater looks like a robe. For a moment, I get confused, wondering if I missed something and she’s a patient. She tells TJ that Laura is justifiably worried, and he says he has the feeling Laura isn’t the only one.
Dr. Navarro says, all the symptoms Molly is having, combined what she saw in Molly’s ultrasound, could indicate endometriosis, and Molly says she’s heard of it, but what exactly is it? The doctor says, a condition in which the endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus. Often it leads to cramping, heavy menstrual flow, and pain during intercourse. Molly asks if it’s rare, but the doctor says, actually, it affects 10% of all women. Molly says, and a biopsy would confirm if she has it, and Dr. Navarro says, it’s more effective than imaging. She’ll scrape off a few cells, send them to the lab, and a technician will look at them under a microscope. Don’t worry. It’s a quick procedure with relatively little discomfort. But they don’t have to do it today if she needs a little time to think about it. Molly says, let’s just get it over with. She needs to know what’s happening in her body. And not just for her sake.
Dante asks how Nina is taking it, and Sonny says, she wanted him to go to the wedding, even though she’s not invited. Dante says, that’s gracious of her, and Sonny says, Nina’s gracious, but he knows it hurts her not to be at her daughter’s wedding. He also believes Michael isn’t the one who wants him there; it’s Willow’s idea.
Kristina spreads the papers out on the bar, and tells Dex that her dad knows she’s been wanting something more for her life, and he found a way to get it to her.
Sam approaches Gladys’s table, and on the phone, Gladys says, you’re right. Unlimited drinks by the beach is important. What’s the differenced in price… You know what? It doesn’t matter. They sold her, and she’ll call them back. Sam says, taking a trip? and Gladys says, sure am. Sam says, it sounds pretty grand, and Gladys says, they all spend on what matters to them. Apparently what matters to Sam is Cody Bell. Did she hear right that Sam bailed him out?
Cody tells Brook, if he had any kind of proof, he could get the charges dropped. All he has is his word, which he knows doesn’t get him very far in this town. Brook says she knows what it’s like not to be trusted. For everyone to assume you have some ulterior motive. But for what it’s worth (🍷), she doesn’t think he’d steal anything. He asks if Sasha thinks so, but Brook says she doesn’t know. Gladys Corbin is her mother-in-law, and they are really close. She’s sure Sasha’s upset. He says he hates this. She’s the last person in the world he wants to hurt. Brook tells him, say he was right, and he was framed. Does he have any idea who set him up? Sasha walks in.
Sam sits with Gladys, and says, yes, she posted Cody’s bail. Gladys asks, why? They had him dead to rights. They found the missing bracelet in his pocket. Sam says, so she heard, and Gladys says, then why bail him out? Sam says, because she’s not sure he did it.
Brook asks if Sasha brought her all the Deception goodies, and Sasha says, yeah, putting a train case on the counter. Brook takes the case, and says she’s getting out of here, and Cody says he really hopes Sasha doesn’t think he did this. Sasha says she doesn’t know what to believe, and he says he didn’t steal anything, especially some bracelet Gladys was wearing. He wouldn’t do that to Sasha; she’s his friend. She says, is she? Or is he just using her? He says, using her for what? and she says, you tell me. He says he’s not going to deny he’s made some mistakes; the way he treated Britt, for one. Which Sasha knows, since he trusted her enough to tell her. She saw how much he regrets what happened with Britt. He’s grown a lot this year. She says she thought he did, and he says, she doesn’t now? She tells him that she’s not sure. Gladys made some good points. He tells her not to listen to anything that woman says, and Sasha asks why she shouldn’t. He says, because she’s the one who set him up.
Kristina tells Dex, these are the properties that can be used as homes for transitional youth. The other day when she went to see her dad, she told him that she was thinking of opening up a restaurant, and he pointed out that it would be so time consuming, it would interfere with her job here and her volunteer time at the youth center. He’s right, but he also knows she’s been searching for a greater sense of purpose and responsibility. Dex looks at a card, and reads, Corinthos-Davis House. Her dad’s opening a charity in her name? She says, he even highlighted the ones that have industrial kitchens. He found a way for her to combine all her interests in one place. Dex says, it’s a very thoughtful gift, and she says, it doesn’t surprise her. Her dad gets her. He sees what’s in her heart, and he protects his own. She just wishes everyone could see the Sonny Corinthos that she does. Dex looks guilty, as he should.
Dante asks if it really matters who invited Sonny, and Sonny says, a little bit, but it’s a good first step. He knows it matters to Nina. Dante says, this could be the last time she gets to celebrate anything with her daughter, and Sonny says, the grandchildren will be at the wedding. She misses seeing Wiley and Amelia. Dante says, it’s going to get tougher the sicker Willow gets too, and Sonny says, it’s really hard for Nina to see her suffer. Dante says, they’re all praying for Willow’s recovery, but whether it’s Michael and Willow raising their kids together, or God forbid Michael doing it on his own, that doesn’t mean Nina is going to be accepted. What is that going to do to Sonny and Nina’s relationship, if he’s back in and she’s left out?
We see Alexis has a pamphlet on ALS, and she tells TJ, it seems they’re all on edge. He sees the pamphlet, and asks if it’s something she wants to talk about. She says, it’s not for her, it’s for a friend, and puts the pamphlet in her bag. He says he’s sorry about her friend, and she says, from what she understands, the progression is brutal. He says, no two patients are the same, but ALS is a rare and devastating neurological disease with no cure. She says, what she’d like to know is, is there any hope?
Curtis and Drew find Laura at the hospital, and Drew says, they may have found something to lead them to the Haunted Star. She asks what it is, and Curtis says, they think it has something to do with Drew’s past… and Victor’s future.
Spencer says, Trina means a lot to him; more than she’ll ever know. He just wishes they’d had this conversation anywhere else. She says, he challenges her, and with him, she wants to experience everything she never has. He says, everything? and she says, everything. They can start new experiences now. He says, this is not how he pictured their first time. He just doesn’t want her to regret it. She says, losing her virginity? and he says, it’s a big deal for her, and it should be special. She says, where she does it and when isn’t what makes it special. What makes it special is that it’s him and her. She kisses him, and says, this could be their only chance to be this close again. They don’t know what tomorrow will bring. They kiss, but I keep thinking, what if someone walks in?
Drew, who always sounds like he’s teaching a class, tells Laura that they were going through some of his old things. They found this book of mythology, and found out that Virgo has ties to Demeter, as in Operation Demeter. Laura says, which is what? and Drew says, which is a black op he was involved in when he was a Navy SEAL, but he doesn’t remember anything about it at all. But in the book of mythology, there was a map hidden in there, and you can see this symbol. He shows her the map, and says, this map is embossed with the symbol of Virgo. Curtis says, obviously, there’s something of value to be found in one of those circled locations, and Laura says, or at each of them. What kind of mysterious treasure could this be?
TJ says, it depends on how Alexis defines hope. He’s sure the neurologist he’s shadowing would be happy to answer questions for her and her friend. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and on the forefront of research on diseases like ALS. Alexis thanks him, and the reception nurse tells him that Dr. Navarro is finishing up with Miss Lansing-Davis. Alexis says, Molly’s seeing Dr. Navarro? Isn’t she an OB? TJ nods.
Dr. Navarro says, she sent Molly’s cells to the lab. They should have the results in a few days. Molly says, it sounds like the doctor thinks it’s just a formality though, and Dr. Navarro says she wants to hold off on an official diagnosis until she sees the results. Molly says, unofficially? and the doctor says, based on Molly’s symptoms, her examination, and the imaging, it’s highly likely Molly does have endometriosis. In less severe cases, it can be treated with hormone therapy and pain management. Molly says, and in more severe cases? and the doctor says, commonly a laparoscopy or laparotomy. Molly says, surgery? but Dr. Navarro tells her not to worry about that right now. They’ll cross that bridge if they come to it. Let’s just take this one step at a time. Molly says she has one more question. How will this diagnosis affect her plans to have a baby with TJ?
Dex says, it’s great that Kristina’s father is doing this for her, and Kristina says, she’s very lucky. Her mom and her sisters are amazing, and love and accept her completely, but no one gets her like her dad. He’s always been her biggest champion. She doesn’t know what she’d do without him. Another guilty look on Dex’s face. Good.
Gladys asks what more proof Sam needs. Cody was caught red-handed. He’s a low-class crook, spinning lies and tall tales, and using the fact that Sasha sees the good in everyone to cozy up to her vulnerable daughter-in-law just when she lost her husband. Sam says, it’s in the hands of the authorities now, but the bracelet wasn’t even Sasha’s, so the real victim here is the jeweler. Gladys says, a crime is a crime, and Sam says, yes, it is, but why is Gladys taking it so personally?
Cody tells Sasha, he was dancing on stage with Magic Milo, and his tux was in the dressing room. That’s when Gladys planted the bracelet on him. Then she led the search backstage. Sasha says, she would never do such a thing, but Cody says, she would, and she did. He’s sorry. He really didn’t want to tell her this way, but Gladys framed him. Sasha asks why on earth she would do that.
Sonny says he’s been seeing a real growth in Nina and Willow’s relationship, and Dante says, that’s great. He’s hoping the same thing for Sonny and Michael. Sonny says, it’s all going to work out. Call him an optimist… Dante says he doesn’t think he can do that, and Sonny says, then call him a realist. He laughs and says, someday, when this is all over – and that includes Nina – they’re going to be a family again.
Outside somewhere on the phone, Dex says, the Pikeman shipment arrives tonight. He’ll call and let them know what he comes up with.
Sasha says, give her one good reason Gladys would frame Cody for stealing that bracelet, and he says he could give her several thousand. She says she’s sorry, but he says, no, he is, because he can’t tell her. He flashes back to telling Sam about informing Gladys that he was going to let Sasha know she wasn’t to be trusted. But he can’t tell Sam exactly why though, because he likes his kneecaps where they are. He says he’s telling Sasha the truth. Please believe him. Sasha says she’s supposed to believe him over her mother-in-law. The woman who held her when she was sobbing over the loss of her child, and stepped up to be her guardian when her husband died. Gladys has been there for her through some of the worst times of her life, and he expects Sasha to take his side over hers? He says, this is all his fault. He should have told her his suspicions weeks ago, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She says, what suspicions? and he says, remember how he told her, with Gladys, you need to trust, but verify? He’s sorry; he was wrong. She can’t even trust Gladys. She says, no, the person she can no longer trust is him, and walks out. Brook comes back and asks if everything is okay, and Cody says, just great, picking up his empty cereal bowl and leaving.
Gladys tells Sam, she was wearing the bracelet. It would have been her responsibility to replace it. As a cop’s girlfriend, Sam should be more discerning. Supporting Cody is a mistake. Sam laughs, and asks if it would be a mistake for her, or for Gladys, and Gladys walks out.
Molly comes out of the elevator, and says, she didn’t expect to see Alexis here. When was she admitted as a patient? TJ asks how it went, and Alexis asks, what’s wrong?
Laura says, if they go by what Trina told them when she was able to call on the satellite phone – Drew says, the Haunted Star’s heading – it would be moving in this direction, right? She points to a spot on the map, and says, just to this one circled location on that very likely course. Curtis says, then they may know where the ship is headed, and Drew says, and stop Victor. Laura says, and get their loved ones back home.
Trina and Spencer get busy, and he asks if she’s okay. She says, what was that? and he asks if she heard that. She says she didn’t hear anything, and he gets up and looks out the window. He says, they’ve docked. They’ve reached land.
On Monday, Michael says he’s getting married today; Robert says he thinks he’s figured out how to find them; Valentin says his attorney will be handling that; and Tracy tells Felicia that she won’t rest until she proved than man killed Luke.
👠 Reunion Rumbling…
Andy is starting to age like every President during their time in office.
The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so. – Plato
Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter McIntyre
Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway. – Mary Kay Ash
Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today? – Mary Manin Morrissey
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. – Aldous Huxley
How do you use your rage? Is it your superpower or kryptonite? – Kathleen (Leslie Uggams), Nanny
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. – Richard David Bach
🏞 Don’t Fence Me In…
Join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap, getting off the Deck dock, and that trainwreck of a House I can’t stop watching and loathing. Until then, stay safe, stay looking after your patch of the earth, and stay always listening to your doctor’s advice.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Anna says, they never should have let Eileen go without wearing a wire, but Valentin says, it’s not like they had a choice. She refused to go otherwise. She was just supposed to drop off the counterfeit necklace and get out of there. Anna says, she pushed her luck. Now she’s dead. Drew says, assuming Victor killed her, and Valentin says he doesn’t think the Deputy Mayor went swimming fully clothed. The real question is, how much information did she give up before he killed her? Anna says, she couldn’t have told Victor where they are; she didn’t really know. Drew says, either way, they can’t stay here. It’s not safe. Valentin says, they’ve got to get out of here, but Sonny says, if they leave now, they’ll be signing their death warrants.
Lucy gets her popcorn ready, and turns on the TV. Reporter George says, we’re here at the MetroCourt hotel, when in just a matter of a few hours, the curtain will rise on Port Charles’s benefit of the year, the annual General Hospital Nurses Ball. Lucy looks wistful. And adding to the significance of this year’s ball, is the hospital’s 60th anniversary. It’s safe to say, tonight is a can’t miss event. Lucy says she’s missing the can’t miss event, and George says, with us now is the co-chair of the Nurses Ball Planning Committee, Maxie Jones. He asks Maxie what it’s like being part of this spectacular event, and she says, it’s been an honor planning this night’s festivities.The Nurses Ball is known for philanthropy, and entertainment; their contribution to GH’s 60 years of caring for the community will be talked about for years to come. George asks how it’s been, organizing this even without the guidance of the late Lucy Coe, who was known of course (🍷) as the force behind previous Balls, and Maxie says, Lucy is irreplaceable, and tonight is dedicated to her. She believes Lucy is with them in spirit, trusting her, and her co-chair Bobby Spencer, to make her proud. George says, on that note, there has been some backstage buzz. What does she think Miss Coe would make of the talk there’s been a hiccup in tonight’s acts? Lucy gets up, the popcorn bowl falling from her lap, and says, what hiccup?
Near a bench in the park, Spencer thanks Victor for meeting him, and Victor says, anything for him. Mystery man skulks around, and Victor asks if he’s to understand from this that Spencer is willing to do what needs to be done. Spencer says he’s not willing to sit back and let Esme call the shots. She was less than cooperative when they took Ace to the hospital. Victor asks if anything is wrong with the baby, but Spencer says, according to the doctor, Ace has cholic, and it’s nothing serious. Grandmother thinks they should be patient, exercise caution, and gain Esme’s trust. He’s done waiting. Victor says he needs to hear Spencer say it. He needs to hear Spencer say the actual words. Spencer says, let’s move forward with your plan. Esme must be dealt with.
Esme comes out of the exam room to see Ava coming out of the elevator. Ava says, hello, and Esme says she hasn’t seen Ava since… Ava says, since the night Esme’s lovely parents held her hostage, but Esme tells her, she was going to say, since the night she went into labor and gave birth to this guy. Ava says, what’s his name? and Esme tells her, Ace. Ava says, he looks like his father…my husband.
Carly strides into the gatehouse, seeing Willow on the sofa, and Nina standing over her, saying, please, answer me. Carly asks, what the hell happened?
Maxie laughs, and tells George, there are always hiccups for any live performance, and their performers and team members behind the scenes at the Nurses Ball are committed to executing tonight flawlessly, and giving a performance that’s worthy of it’s reputation. He asks if she’s found a dancer to replace the one that dropped out of the popular Magic Wands act, and she says, Dex Heller has agreed to step in, and he’s going to be great. George says he’s sure, but he was referring to the latest vacancy – the one yet to be filled. Lucy wonders, who dropped out? She doesn’t even know who’s in. She kicks the popcorn bowl, sending kernels everywhere, and says, the Nurses Ball is toast.
Maxie says she doesn’t know where George is getting his backstage buzz, but she guarantees tonight’s Nurses Ball will be the best yet. She thanks him for his time, tells him that he looks very nice, and jets.
Lucy makes a call, and says, Maxie, pick up the phone. She gets voicemail, and hangs up. She says, this is not what they’d said they’d do. Not what they’d planned. And she’d better answer the phone. Lucy calls again.
Nina says she was just asking Willow if she needed to call an ambulance, and Willow says she’s fine, really. Carly asks what Nina is doing here, and Nina says she was dropping off a care package of Deception products for Willow. She was putting it at the front door, and Willow asked her in. Willow says, to tell her that the bone marrow transplant’s a go, and Nina says she heard it from Aunt Liesl, but hearing it from Willow is wonderful. Carly says, Willow’s very generous, and Nina says, she is, and she doesn’t need Carly jumping to the wrong conclusions. Carly says she thinks she’s in a better position to know what Willow needs than Nina.
Esme says she heard Ava divorced Nikolas, and Ava says, he was her husband when Esme conceived their child. Esme says she doesn’t regret having Ace, but she’s sorry about what happened, and Ava says, what about everything else she did? Setting fire to Ava’s car, leaving behind a hospital ID belonging to her late daughter. Framing Trina Robinson. Those things didn’t just happen. Esme says, if those allegations are true from the old Esme, it’s some truly awful acts, and Ava says, referring to herself in the third person. How grandiose. Esme says she’s no longer that Esme Prince. Does Ava think it’s easy, constantly apologizing for some person she used to be? Ava knows nothing about that. Ava says, they’re all judged by their worst mistakes. It can be possible to overcome them. Esme asks if Ava has ever had to live with someone who constantly reminds her of all the wrong things she’s done. Spencer thinks he can’t forgive her past, and he thinks she’s a liar, and that Nikolas is some deadbeat runaway dad. Ava says, Spencer is basing his impressions on his experience. His father is not here for him, or for Esme’s baby. She’s truly sorry that Nikolas isn’t here to help Esme raise her child. Esme says she’s not. As far as she’s concerned, he can stay gone. She walks off with Ace.
Victor says, the last time he and Spencer met to discuss the Esme dilemma, Spencer was loathe to employ alternative tactics. What changed his mind? Spencer says, Esme mentioned getting a job. When she’s got a little bit of money saved up, she’s going to move out; maybe move on. He’s not sure about leaving the country, but he thinks she can legally leave the state, and he doesn’t love the idea of this brother being 2000 miles away from him. Victor says, Spencer may not have a choice, especially if Esme manages to acquire a veneer of respectability, and Spencer says, a judge may buy it, and look on Esme favorably when granting custody of her son. Ace is his brother. Victor says, and he’s willing to try this less than orthodox route? and Spencer nods. Victor says, Spencer shouldn’t hesitate for a second to prioritize the welfare of his baby brother. Should they talk about broad strokes? Spencer says, here? and Victor asks if he has a problem. Spencer says he’s used to meeting at the MetroCourt, but Victor says, that’s not possible, and Spencer says, why not? Why are they meeting here?
Sonny says, it’s too risky to make a move now, but Valentin says, it’s too risky to stay here. Victor’s already left the MetroCourt; he could be on his way here. Sonny says, give him time to make arrangements for a new place. When it’s safe, he’ll get them. They only want to relocate once. Valentin says he knows how to disappear, and Anna says, they have Lucy with them. Drew says, Eileen definitely didn’t know the location? and Anna says she doesn’t know. They were very careful about this, and took every precaution. She was blindfolded, they took different routes to get here, the phone was switched off. She doesn’t know what to say. Valentin says, it’s not impossible that she picked up some information she gave to Victor. Are they willing to risk their lives finding his father before his father finds them?
George tells Maxie, good luck, and she thanks him for all the Nurses Ball support. He leaves, and Felicia says, congratulations. She really kept her cool with that reporter. Maxie tells her, Lucy always says, never let them see you sweat, and Felicia wonders how he knew there was another Magic Wands drop out. Maxie says, before she did? She wishes she knew who was blabbing backstage. Who is she kidding? She knows it’s Amy Driscoll. That girl is so sweet, and has a killer voice, but she couldn’t be discreet to save her life. Felicia says, Maxie has bigger problems, like finding a Magic Wands replacement, when Maxie’s phone rings. She sees her phone says, crazy person, do not answer, and says, and maintaining her sanity.
Leaving a message, Lucy says she knows Maxie sent the call right to voicemail, and that’s not the deal they had… Never mind. She hangs up, and says, why does she even bother? She throws the phone down, and says, okay. Deep breath… and eat a gummi… Deep breath, and eat a gummi. She puts a gummi bear in her mouth, and says, mmm. You’re overreacting. So Bobbie and Maxie are going to be just fine. They know exactly what they’re doing and the Nurses Ball is fine. It’s in good hands. She turns and says, it’s not. You’re the only one who has the connections. You’re the one with the imagination. And they need you. She eats another gummi bear, and makes a call. She says she needs a car, and they can put it on the Deception Cosmetics account… They don’t need an address. Have the driver meet her at the corner of Marigold and Chestnut. She’ll be the striking woman in the fake fur coat… and tell them to hurry please. Ta! Wow. Deception’s car service isn’t too discriminating. No money, no name, no address, from an unknown number, and she’s getting a ride.
Carly says, Nina knows about the transplant and dropped off the care package. As she can see, Willow’s really weak. Willow says, it took her forever to settle Amelia for her nap, and Carly suggests she rest. Willow says she will, when Michael and Wiley come back from the store. They’re getting snacks for when they watch the Nurses Ball pre-show. Carly says, why doesn’t she nap until then? She can show Nina out, and wait for Michael and Wiley. Nina asks if that isn’t for Willow to decide.
Anna says she has to make a couple of calls. Robert’s going to know by now that Eileen is dead, but Felicia may not be aware. Sonny says, tell them to stay away, and after he and Drew leave, no more visitors. Drew says, Sonny’s right. What’s most important now is not risking more exposure.
Victor says, spring has sprung in all its glory. Doesn’t Spencer appreciate the fresh air? Spencer says he should have brought his binoculars so they could birdwatch, and Victor says, Spencer must be relieved to be rid of the stultifying air of his grandmother’s apartment, and Spencer says, Victor Cassadine, nature enthusiast. Will wonders never cease? Victor says, Spencer can mock, but he really appreciates all the park has to offer. Besides, it’s really more secure than the MetroCourt, particularly now that it’s teeming with guests for the Nurses Ball. Spencer still thinks they should have met in Victor’s suite, but what are the next steps in getting his brother away from Esme? Victor says, they need to find evidence in all the dormant cases against Esme; evidence compelling enough to force the District Attorney to prosecute her. (Really? This is the guy with the big plan, and that’s all he can think up?) Spencer asks what Victor needs from him, but Victor says, just sit still. Leave it to him. If Spencer’s father had trusted him, they wouldn’t be in this mess, would they?
Ava asks if Esme is sure she’s not upset that Nikolas is out of the picture. At the very least he could have helped her out financially. Esme says, Nikolas didn’t want to help. Actually, he tried to get her to sign away the rights to her son. Nikolas came to Spring Ridge, all smiles and sweet words, and paperwork to legally strip her of her parental rights. She and Ace are better off without him. As far as she can see, so is Ava. Ava says, Esme doesn’t know anything about her marriage to Nikolas, and Esme says, she knows that Nikolas slept with her while married to Ava. Ava says, doesn’t she mean he slept with the old Esme? and Esme laughs, saying, touché. She knows she sounds insane, trying to distance herself from… herself, but she has changed. And she intends to do what she can to make up for the things she’s done. Ava says she’s glad to hear it. So how does Esme plan on making it up to her?
Willow asks how preparations for the Ball are going. Are Bobbie and Maxie losing their minds? Carly says, they insist that everything is under control, but she just got a text from Josslyn who said it was unorganized chaos, which is no one’s fault. Even if Lucy were still with them, she’d have a lot less time to prepare. The Ball is usually the last week in June or the second week of September. Nina says, she and Olivia had to do a lot of juggling to get the ballroom at such short notice, and Carly says she’s sure they did. Willow struggles to get up, and they both fuss over her, but she says she’s fine. She wants to do a little prep before showtime. Carly says, if she needs anything… Willow says, she’ll be sure to yell, and goes to the kitchen. Nina says, it breaks her heart seeing Willow try to appear normal, and Carly says she prays the bone marrow transplant goes well and is a success. Willow deserves all good things. Nina asks if it wouldn’t benefit Willow if they put aside their personal differences with each other, and presented a united front for Willow.
Maxie says, what about the one who works with Mac with the amazing arms? but Felicia says, he moved to Las Vegas two months ago to dance in an all-male review. Maxie says she should have been a career counselor, and Lucy slips in, wearing sunglasses and a faux fur coat. Felicia’s phone rings, and she says she has to take this, but don’t worry. They’ll think of someone. She leaves, and Maxie flips through a binder. Lucy comes up behind her, and says, no. Maxie yelps, and says, Lucy? Lucy says, shush, and Maxie asks what she’s doing here. Lucy says, what she was born to do, and Maxie puts her hand to her forehead.
Felicia says, dead? and Anna says, yeah. So as she can imagine, they’re reevaluating their safety measures. Felicia says, but Eileen couldn’t have told Victor their location because she didn’t know it. They were extremely careful. She had a blindfold and a bag over her head every single time they took her to the safehouse. They even confiscated her devices. Anna says she knows, but they have to err on the side of caution. They have to assume that Eileen told Victor that they’re all working together. To that end, no one can come to the safehouse in the next few days. Felicia says, they could be followed.
Victor tells Spencer, building a case against Esme will solve their problem, particularly if she’s basically friendless and without resources. He’s concerned Spencer doesn’t look convinced, and Spencer says, if Esme goes to prison, she’ll take his brother with her, but Victor says, only for the first eighteen months. Or would he rather wait until the boy’s too old to go with her to prison? But then he runs the risk of her suddenly deciding to take him with her and run to another state, or changing her name and both of them disappearing. It’s still his first choice to take Esme out of consideration altogether. Spencer says, no. His friends need to see justice done in the form of a trial and a guilty verdict. Victor says, fine. They’ll just have to find good enough evidence before Esme decides to leave town. Spencer says, let’s do that, and Victor says, but if they can’t find evidence compelling enough for the DA to rearrest Esme, he’s going to go with his first instinct. Whatever happens to Esme, baby Cassadine will remain in the family fold.
Esme asks how she can make it up to Ava, and Ava says, the change in her has to be genuine. Esme says, it is, and Ava says, and permanent. Esme tells Ava that she can’t say her memories will never come back, and Ava says, that’s why she can’t be trusted. She believes Esme really lost her memory, and she’s sorry for the ordeal Esme’s monstrous parents put her through. Esme even cares about her little baby. Esme says, but Ava still doesn’t trust her, and Ava says she’ll never forget what Esme did. She believes the old Esme, the one who delighted in inflicting pain on others, is still inside her, and Ava believes one day, she will come back. She doesn’t wish Esme ill, but the moment Esme remembers who she really is, she will recognize it, and she’ll finish what Esme started. Austin walks up, and asks if he’s interrupting something, but Ava says, no. She and Esme have said all they need to say. Esme asks if the bag he’s carrying is for her, and he says, it sure is. There are samples of the formula they talked about, and the probiotics. Call him if it’s not working, or if she has any questions. She thanks him for treating her son after everything that happened, and he says, his pleasure. Esme tells Ava that she knows Ava and Spencer don’t believe her, but she has changed… for good. All she wants is what’s best for her baby. She leaves, and Austin asks what Ava thinks. Does she believe people can change? She says she does… for the worse. Look at them. He asks what she means, and she says, they’re covering up a crime. He says, oh, that. He has a confession. He doesn’t always recycle. She says, normally, she would think that was funny, but nothing is normal. They’re constantly lying and looking over their shoulders, and there’s no end in sight. She just lied through her teeth to the wife of the Chief of Detectives.
Maxie pushes Lucy down the red carpet, and asks how she got here. Lucy says, the same way she got here the other night. She climbed out a window, walked a half a mile, and took a car. Maxie says, only cats have nine lives. Every time she escapes the safehouse, she increases her chances of getting caught. She heard what Anna said. If Victor Cassadine finds out, he’s not going to pretend to shoot her; he’s going to really shoot her. Lucy says, okay, but if Maxie would have just answered her texts, answered her phone calls, taken an email from her, she wouldn’t have had to risk her life. Maxie asks why she’s here, and Lucy says, she was watching the TV and saw Maxie talking to that reporter, and she came up with the perfect solution to Maxie’s Magic Wand conundrum. An older man with a cane hobbles up, and Maxie asks how she can help him, as Lucy quickly turns away. He says he has lunch plans with his niece, but the garden patio’s deserted, and Maxie says, the garden patio is closed today for a special event, but the MetroCourt restaurant upstairs is open. She sees Felicia, and calls to her. She asks if Felicia will help this nice gentleman up to the MetroCourt restaurant, and Felicia says, sure. If he’s never been up there, he’s in for quite a treat. She leads the man away, and Lucy says, that was so close. What if Felicia had seen her and known it was her? Maxie says, she would have notified Anna that Lucy had gone rogue – again. But that’s the least of their worries. All the people coming to the Nurses Ball know who she is. She has to leave now. She grabs Lucy’s arm, but Lucy won’t budge, and says she’s not leaving now. Not until Maxie hears her out. She does have the perfect suggestion for a Magic Wand. This is a man who’s used to coming to the rescue.
Carly says she has no intention of letting her feelings about Nina impact Willow, and Nina says, again? Carly asks if she didn’t just suggest to play nice, and Nina promises to do better if Carly will. Carly doesn’t say anything, and Nina pretends to be busy with stuff. She says, it must be disappointing for Donna not being able to stay at her daddy’s, but Carly says, she just explained to Donna that her father’s busy and she won’t be visiting Sonny for a while. Nina says, it must be hard for a child to understand, and Carly says, that’s life with Sonny; constant conflict and danger. Nina is a long way from Nixon Falls, isn’t she?
Valentin says, as long as they’re in possession of the necklace, Victor is dead in the water. He has the decryption key, but nothing to use it on. Drew says, which is only going to make him more desperate. If he wasn’t following Robert, Laura, and Felicia before, he will be now. Anna says, they need to find Victor before he finds them, and Drew says, the man is not an island. Somebody’s got to know where he is. Who is he close to in Port Charles? Anna says, his great nephew; Sonny’s nephew. Sonny says he’ll speak to Spencer and see if he’s heard from Victor, and Valentin says, assuming Spencer will cooperate. Victor Cassadine is a master manipulator. Spencer’s young. He’s not match for Valentin’s father. Sonny says, Spencer’s made a lot of mistakes, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’ll do the right thing. Did Sonny just come to Port Charles?
Spencer looks at his phone, and tells Victor that Esme’s probably wondering where he is. He’s supposed to pick up her and Ace at the hospital. Victor says he’ll put their plan in motion. When he has an update, he’ll give Spencer a time and location to meet. Watkins (mystery man gets a name!) will supply Spencer with a number to reach him; he’s going to dispose of his old phone. Spencer says, Victor’s avoiding the MetroCourt, setting new meeting locations, and now he’s changing phones. He’s ramping up security, isn’t he? Victor says, you can’t be too careful, and Spencer thanks him. He owes Victor one, and won’t forget it. Spencer leaves, and Victor says he’s counting on that. Watkins says, Victor didn’t tell Spencer that he’d be leaving Port Charles, and Victor says his intentions are always on a need to know. It’s more imperative than ever. Watkins says, his nephew’s custody fight? and Victor says, will soon be irrelevant. His great nephew is giving himself all kinds of anguish about something that will never see the light of day. If he knew the truth of Victor’s real plan, he’d never go along with it. If he has to keep lying to the lad, so be it. He needs Spencer on board.
Maxie tells Lucy, wait just a second. Lucy wants her to ask Mac to perform with the Magic Wands? Lucy says she can’t very well do it, and Maxie says, because she’s dead. Lucy says, think about it. Mac is such a well-known, well-respected member of this community. And to be perfectly honest, he’s a fox too. She’s often what’s underneath those button-down… Maxie says, stop. Mac’s her stepdad. Lucy says, he’s a daddy all right (missing the opportunity to use mack daddy), and Maxie says, that’s so inappropriate. Why couldn’t Lucy just text her requests instead of risking her life and coming in person? Lucy says, she tried. Instead of yelling at her, Maxie could thank her for saving the Nurses Ball. Maxie asks why she can’t stay away. Is it her need to control, or does it go deeper? And don’t hide behind some inappropriate remark or dumb excuse. Lucy says, okay. She does realize how everybody sees her, including her current roommates. That she’s vapid and silly, and selfish – she takes off her sunglasses – but the Nurses Ball, when she’s putting on that show, it’s the one time of year everybody takes her seriously. Despite all her business success, she’s running that show. She feels like she has a purpose. Like she’s fulfilled, like she’s needed, like she’s useful. It’s magic, and it’s so incredible that every single person in Port Charles is somehow putting on the show, or performing in the show, or donating to their cause. It’s like that one moment we all come together. She tears up, and says, Maxie knows there’s nothing else like it. Maxie says, the Nurses Ball is very special, and it’s mostly due to Lucy, and Lucy thanks her. So… Mac? Maxie says, what part about Mac is her stepdad does Lucy not understand, and Lucy says, what part doesn’t Maxie understand about, the show must go on? Maxie says she knows who would be a perfect fit, and Lucy says, who? Maxie asks if Lucy’s car is waiting for her, and Lucy says, of course (🍷). Who? Maxie says she’ll walk Lucy to her car, and Lucy follows her out, saying, who?
Sonny says, when he finds another safehouse, he’ll have his people come and get them, and Anna thanks him. Drew walks out with him, and Sonny says, Luke Spencer was his great friend. He loved Luke, and respected him. Victor is going to pay for Luke’s death, and Sonny has to stop him before he does any more damage to Spencer. He’s going to make sure of that. He gives Anna a quick smile, and he and Drew leave.
Nina says she knows who Sonny is and what he does, and Carly says, intellectually, sure. But when Nina was so eager to have Sonny all to herself, did she stop and think about what she’d have to give up? Nina says she’s not discussing her relationship with Carly, but Carly says, Nina doesn’t have to; she can see it in her eyes. And eventually Sonny will too. Nina bit off more than she can chew, and she’s not the first. Nina says she’s going to say goodbye to Willow. She has to get back to the hotel and oversee preparations for tonight. Carly says she’s only going to say this because Sonny’s the father of her kids, and if Nina is going to be with him, there’s something she needs to know. Sonny needs to be with someone who knows the good, bad, and ugly about him and his business. Who will stand beside him no matter how dirty things get. Does he share his entire life with Nina, or does he shelter her? Nina says she and Sonny have an understanding that works for them. It’s not the same relationship Carly had with him, and that’s what appeals to Sonny. Carly says, Nina didn’t want Mike to know his real identity when he was in Nixon Falls, and now that Sonny’s back, she wants to turn a blind eye to his business. Ignorance isn’t always bliss, and in this case, it looks like it’s the beginning of the end. Wow. Carly reads a lot into not much.
Willow comes back, and says, preparation finished. Is everything good? Nina says she was telling Carly that she has to get back to the hotel and get ready for the Ball. Is Willow going to be okay? How is she feeling about tomorrow? Willow says, nervous. The Nurses Ball will be a nice distraction. Still, she can’t stop thinking about everything that could go wrong. What if the transplant doesn’t take? What if Liesl’s bone marrow isn’t compatible with her after all? Carly says she’d be feeling the same way if she were Willow, but that doesn’t mean any of that’s likely. Nina says, Willow’s come too far to be disappointed. And if success can be guaranteed by sheer will, she and Carly have Willow covered. Tomorrow’s a fresh start, and she won’t be alone.
Anna says, it’s all going wrong, and Valentin says, every operation has it’s fair share of unknowables. He takes her hand and they sit on the sofa. She says she enlisted another civilian as an asset, and it’s too dangerous. She doesn’t know what the hell is wrong with her. He says, she tried to steer Lucy clear of this, and she wouldn’t go. Eileen Ashby was on borrowed time the moment she started working for Victor Cassadine. In fact, he thinks they gave her the best chance at survival. She couldn’t follow instructions. It isn’t Anna’s fault. Anna says, it is her fault, but he says, don’t do that. There’s only one person who’s going to pay for all of this, and he’s Valentin’s father. And he will. Somehow.
Spencer goes back to the hospital, and Esme says, there he is. He’s been gone forever. He says, not quite that long, and tells Ace that his mother’s a very impatient woman. She says, the doctor was very helpful, but they’ve been waiting a while; he said he’d be back. Spencer says, here he is. He had to take care of something. She asks, what’s more important than his brother? and he says, nothing, magically getting the elevator as soon as he presses the button.
As they walk through the halls, Ava tells Austin that Felicia was asking what he was doing on Spoon Island the night Ryan, Heather, and Esme showed up. They need an explanation as to why he was there. A good one; one they can sell. He says, any idea of what that explanation might be? and she asks if he owns a tux.
Lucy pulls of her coat, and says, unforgivable, Maxie. You shoved me in that car before even telling me who the replacement for the Magic Wand was. She bets Maxie doesn’t even know who the replacement is. She slumps down in her chair.
Maxie asks why she ever agreed to plan the Nurses Ball, and Felicia says, because she’s the best event planner in New York state, and nobody handles a crisis better than her. They will find a suitable replacement for the Magic Wand act. Maxie says she thought of a replacement… and it’s better than the alternative. Felicia says, alternative? and Maxie says, it’s a story for another day. Hopefully, it never comes to that. They leave, and the guy with the cane comes back. He straightens up, leans the cane against the wall, and makes a phone call.
Victor says, you have something for me? and cane spy says he tailed Felicia Scorpio to the MetroCourt. Victor will never guess who showed up in the lobby. Victor says, do tell, and cane spy says, Lucy Coe. She left here twenty minutes ago in a luxury sedan; hired car judging from the stickers. Victor thanks him, and says he’ll take it from here. He tells Watkins, once again, Lucy Coe proves herself invaluable. He’s got them. Anna and Valentin can hide no more.
On Monday, Willow says, tonight, she’s exactly where she wants to be; Sonny says, he and Nina are a long ways from dancing in Nixon Falls; and Lucy says, without her? She doesn’t think so.
I’d rather see my face aging than a face I don’t recognize at all. – Cameron Diaz
Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it. – Wilferd Peterson
Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else. – Nathaniel Branden
Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult. – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian Politician
A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times. – Unknown
I want to ride a camel with you every day. – Debbie, 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way
🛴 Cash Me Inside…
If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by on Monday really Tuesday for soap and trash talking the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay away from making excuses, and stay knowing that it’s possible to overcome your worst mistakes, even if people have judged you by them.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura meets Jordan at the crime scene, and asks, what happened? Jordan says she was on her way to Spring Ridge, when she found Mac on the side of the road. She’s glad she did. Now on a stretcher, Mac says, that makes two of them. He’s got to get to Spring Ridge. Jordan says, he has to get to the hospital and get himself checked out, but he says he’s got two fugitives on the loose. She says, he’ll go, and that’s an order, and Laura asks to be brought up to speed. Who are the inmates who escaped? Mac says, Heather Webber and Esme Prince, and Laura asks how he knows about that. He says he’s the one who found them.
Valentin asks Anna where Felicia is. She said she’d be late, but he wonders if something happened to her plan. He doesn’t think Eileen Ashby is the right one to get to Victor. Anna says, she’s all they have, and before she threw in with Valentin’s father, her record was unblemished. Anna doesn’t know what Victor has on her, but Eileen isn’t a career criminal. Valentin says, she’s a politician, and Anna says, she probably didn’t have any idea what casting her lot with Victor would cost her.She’s in over her head. If they keep spooking her, she’s going to crack. She won’t be able to live with the guilt, and hopefully she’ll flip on Victor. Then they’ll be able to get all the evidence they need to put him away. He says, Eileen has been working with his father for a while. He doesn’t know that she still has a conscience.
In a private area at the MetroCourt, Eileen tells Victor that she can’t do this anymore. She’s of no good to him. He says, she’s been moderately useful in the past, and wonders what’s happened to make her lose her grip. Eileen flashes back to hearing Anna say, you’re next, over her car radio, and says, things have gone too far. Anna and Valentin are dead. He says he doesn’t need her to remind him that his son is gone. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good, and she’s going to continue to serve as Deputy Mayor and keep him informed. She says she thinks Laura might be on to her, and he says, then she’ll have to apologize to Laura as soon as possible. Tell Laura that she realizes she overstepped her authority in a sad attempt to impress her. The power of the job went to her head, and that’s why she sent in the Federal Marshals. Do whatever it takes so she doesn’t disappoint him.
Victor finds Spencer at the bar, and says, he’s looking very dapper. Spencer says he was at Trina’s mom’s wedding, and Victor says, of course (🍷). Why isn’t he at the reception? Spencer says, the party’s over. He just thought he’d stick around in case a friend needs him.
Taggert wonders where things went south, and Curtis asks Portia if Trina is all right. Spencer told him that Aunt Stella was never sick; that she stayed away from the wedding purposefully. She’s always got her nose in other people’s business. Portia says, Stella was right. This is Curtis’s business… and Taggert’s. Taggert asks Portia why their daughter is bawling her eyes out, and Trina tells him, mom says I may not be your daughter.
Maggie says she has no idea who Esme’s mother is, but with that monster of a father, is it any wonder she gave Esme up for adoption? Who knows if she’s even alive, or how she came to bear Ryan Chamberlain’s child. Sam asks if she’s met Ryan, and Maggie blesses herself, saying, thank the saints, no. She only knows him by reputation. When she thought they’d been sent by him, she was ready to abandon her life here to keep it that way. Sam says, they have absolutely nothing to do with him. He’s a dangerous psychopath. Dante says, Ryan’s locked up, serving a life term in prison, and he’s also paralyzed, so he can’t hurt her. Maggie asks if he can still talk, and Dante says, apparently, no. He blinks to communicate, but he’s locked away. He can’t get to her.
Holding Mac’s gun on Ava and Felicia, Ryan backs them into the living room. He says, that’s right. Nice and easy. No sudden moves please. Felicia asks how he’s here. He couldn’t walk or talk. He says, she thinks she’s seeing things; he’s a medical miracle. Now be a love, and shut those doors. Felicia closes the doors, and Ava says she knew he was faking it. He says, and here he thought he was so convincing. She smiles, and he asks what she’s got to smile about. She says she’s thinking about all those times she saw him at Spring Ridge, taunting him, testing to see if he’d react, and he says, he didn’t. He wins. Thank you. She says, but he heard her and couldn’t do anything about it. He had to sit there and listen. Felicia says, that had to burn. He really was helpless. Weak. He says, not weak. Unless she’d like a further demonstration. He points his gun at Ava.
Spencer asks how Victor is doing, and Victor says, regretting lost time; things left unsaid. He’ll never see his son again. That’s the reality he has to face. The more it sinks in, the more he thinks he needs to mend the rift between himself and Spencer’s father, but he can’t reach Nikolas. Spencer doubts Victor will be hearing from him anytime soon. Ava says he left town.
Jordan asks if they’ve secured the area, and Detective Bennett says, they’ve set up parameters, and have officers to keep looky-loos at a distance while they process. CSI is en route. She tells him to keep her posted, and goes over to Mac. She says, Mac told her that he had Esme and Heather in his sites; who hit him? He says, never saw them. Everything went black. She says, there was a third person. They took his car. Mac says, and his gun, and Jordan tells the paramedics to get Mac to GH. She’ll be there soon. They leave, and Laura says, Spring Ridge reported two inmates missing. Does Jordan think Esme and Heather had a third person on the outside? And how did those two end up together to begin with? Jordan says, they were seen talking in the common room. Maybe they bonded? She leaves to follow up with Spring Ridge, and Laura wonders why Heather would side herself with a woman nine months pregnant.
Maggie says, Esme became obsessed with tracking down her birth parents. There were no records, and the only clue to their identity was a four-leaf clover brooch. It was pinned to the baby blanket that swaddled Esme when she was left with the nuns. She helped Esme track down the person who commissioned it, Connie Cooper. Ryan Chamberlain’s first victim.
Ryan says, all Felicia has to do is show him the respect he deserves, and asks what she’s doing here anyway. She’s far too self-righteous to ever be a friend to Ava. He thinks ultimately that’s why they didn’t work out. Felicia says, she thought it was because he almost burned to death in that funhouse, and he says, that too. But then again, there’s nothing like your first love. Which reminds him, Mac didn’t mention she’d be here when he saw Mac earlier. Felicia asks if Ryan saw Mac at Spring Ridge, but he says, no. He ran into Mac when he was on his way there. She doesn’t recognize his gun? He won’t be needing this anymore. She asks what he did to Mac, but he says he doesn’t think she wants the details. Not after he spent all that time in Spring ridge, pretending to be locked in. Day after day, month after month; all his rage and hatred bult up until he thought he’d explode. And then suddenly he was free, and then there was Mac. He might have gotten carried away.
Curtis asks if what Trina is saying is true. When he found out about Trina, he asked Portia if she was his daughter. She looked him in his eyes, and said it was impossible. Portia cries and says, it’s what she wanted to believe. Taggert says, Trina’s not his? and Curtis asks if he’s Trina’s father. Portia says she doesn’t know, and Trina says she can’t hear this again. She leaves, and Taggert follows her.
Sam wonders if Connie was Esme’s mother, but Maggie says, she was killed before Esme was born, by Ryan Chamberlain. The brooch was missing when Connie’s body was found. Dante says, Ryan used to collect trophies from his victims; they found one on Cabrera. Sam says, taking the brooch is the sick sense of humor Ryan has, but Dante thinks it’s a bit of a stretch; the brooch proving Ryan is Esme’s father. Maggie says, true or not, Esme was convinced.
At the hospital, Laura asks Warden Brewster how Heather and Esme got out, and Jordan asks about security footage. The warden says, there was a problem with one of the cameras in the corridor. He can tell them, none of the doors appeared to be forced. One of the guards is also missing. Laura says, Heather’s hostage perhaps? when Eileen joins them, and says, or accomplice. What kind of guard gets ambushed by two women, one of whom is pregnant? Laura thinks it’s early to assign blame, and thanks the warden, asking him to keep her posted. He leaves with Jordan, and Laura asks what Eileen is doing here.
Felicia says, Ryan’s lying; Mac’s fine. Ava says, of course (🍷) he is. Felicia knows Mac can take care of himself. Ryan says, maybe. If Mac had seen him coming. Felicia calls him a sick bastard, and Ava asks if he has a plan here. He just escaped from prison to get himself trapped on an island? He’s slipping. He asks if she’s worried about who’s going to come save her. He doesn’t think Avery would be much of a challenge, and of course (🍷) Kiki’s dead. Ava tells him not to speak her name, and he says, too soon? He’s sorry. He couldn’t think of anybody else… except for that waste of space Nikolas. He’d love to see him again. When is hubby expected home anyway? I just had a scathingly brilliant idea. Ava should show Ryan Nikolas’s dead body, shove him in the closet with Nikolas, lock it, and blame him for killing Nikolas. Boom. Win-win.
Taggert finds Trina outside, and asks what she’s doing out here in the cold, as he puts his jacket around her shoulders. She thanks him, and says, she’s not even cold; she just feels numb. Like her life is ending. He says, they’ll figure this out, but she wonders how he can say that. Her mom has been lying them her entire life. Doesn’t that matter to him? He says, no, because she has been and always will be his daughter, his baby girl. He holds her, and says he’s not going anywhere.
Curtis says, Portia lied. All those talk they had about having kids, and she didn’t tell him that he already had one – with her. She says she didn’t know for sure, and he says, because she didn’t want to find out. She says, he walked away from her. He hated her… He says, for lying to him about being married, and she says, he made it clear he didn’t want anything to do with her; no discussion. She thought he was out of her life. Taggert was making an effort for the first time in a long time. She wanted to save her marriage, especially with a baby on the way. He says, a baby that might have been his. He had the right to know if he was going to be a father. She says, in her mind, Taggert was going to be a father, and Curtis was gone. What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to destroy her marriage and the possibility of a family because Curtis might want to be a part-time dad? With a woman he didn’t want anything to do with and didn’t trust? He says, she’s justifying her lie, but she says she’s telling him where her head was at. She was afraid of losing everything when she needed love and companionship the most. She cries, and says she knows she should have been braver. She should have been honest with him. But there was a chance Taggert was the father, so that’s what she told herself. She wanted her child to grow up in a loving family. She just wanted Trina to have a happy home. He says, a happy home without him.
Eileen tells Laura that she heard about the escape and the attack on Mac, and she came to see if she could be of any help. Laura says, Mac is going to be fine, and everything is under control. Eileen says she wants to apologize for overstepping while Laura was away. She was just eager to prove she could handle the job, and live up to Laura’s expectations. Laura says she appreciates it, and there is something Eileen can do for her. Go deal with the reporters outside the hospital. She can confirm there are two inmates missing, but don’t give out any names. Eileen says, on it, and leaves.
Victor asks if Nikolas said goodbye, but Spencer says, no. His father was furious with him the last time they spoke, when he told Nikolas that he was suing for custody of his kid. Eileen calls Victor, and he steps away to take it. He says he thought he made himself clear. The subject of her moving on is closed. Eileen tells him, Esme Prince has escaped from Spring Ridge, and he asks, when? She says, at least an hour ago. It’s not clear how she got out. He tells her to keep him posted, and goes back to the bar. Spencer asks if that was about his father, but Victor says, no, his ex-girlfriend. Seems Esme has escaped.
Valentin’s phone dings, and Anna wonders, where’s Felicia? She asks if it’s his contact, and he says, they’re all set. The next time Eileen Ashby uses her phone, they’ll be ready.
On the phone, Jordan asks if Dante found Maggie, and he says, they did. She knows who Esme thinks her father is. Jordan says, just give her the name and explain later. She’s in the middle of a situation. Esme’s escaped from Spring Ridge, and she’s with Heather Webber. Dante looks like he had a headache, and says, Esme thinks her father is Ryan Chamberlain. Jordan says, what the hell? and Laura says, more bad news? Jordan tells Dante to hold on, and tells Laura, Ryan Chamberlain is Esme’s father. Warden Brewster joins them, and says he has an update. Correction Officer Williams has been located in Ryan Chamberlain’s cell. He was dressed as an inmate, and propped up in Chamberlain’s wheelchair. Laura says, so it was staged. He’s… the warden says, dead. The report is that he was stabbed in the back. He was mistaken for Chamberlain in the initial sweep. Jordan says, Ryan Chamberlain’s on the loose too? How is that possible?
Ryan says, Ava doesn’t look very confident that hubby will show, let alone ride to the rescue. He knew she and Nikolas wouldn’t work out. Not as long as she shares a soul with him. She says, he hasn’t got a soul, and he says, figure of speech. They’re alike. Two peas in a pod. Felicia says, someone will come for them. They have people who care about them. Ava asks who helped him escape, or did they figure out he was faking? He asks if she thinks he’d give himself away. He still has Ava’s fingernail marks on his arm. His aide was valuable enough, but the person he let in on his secret was much more worthy. Chip off the old block you might say.
Portia says, everything Curtis is saying, she said to herself a thousand times. She was wrong, but did what she thought was best for all of them at the time. Curtis was gone. How was she supposed to know he’d want a baby with a woman he despised? He says, she could have kept him in the loop. He never despised her. He broke things off because she was married. He walked away from her, but he never would have walked away from his child. She says she never thought she’d see him again, and he says, but she did. Never mind what happened twenty years ago, what about the last two years? When they realized they both lived in Port Charles and her relationship with Taggert was over? Why didn’t she tell him the truth then?
Eileen calls Warden Brewster, asking for an update before she talks to the press. Have they determined how the inmates escaped? He says, actually… but there’s suddenly interference on the line, and she asks if he’s there. Anna’s voice says, you’re next, Eileen. You’re next. Eileen asks who this is, and Anna says, she knows who it is. Eileen killed her. Eileen says she didn’t know, and Anna says, yes, she did. She has blood on her hands. There’s static, and Brewster says, hello? She asks if he heard that, and he says he thinks their connection was temporarily lost.
Anna asks Valentin how she did. Was it scary? He says he thinks it was hot, and kisses her.
Laura tells Mac, this puts Esme’s obsession with Ryan in whole new light. That’s why she was so desperate to see him, especially after Doc made him off-limits to her. Mac says he can’t get Felicia on the phone; it rolls right to voicemail. If Chamberlain’s on the loose, she could be in danger. Chamberlain’s wheelchair was left behind. He could have been faking his paralysis the whole time. Jordan says, Heather Webber sometimes acted as Chamberlain’s aide: she knew how to communicate with him. She wanted Robert to use her as an informant so she could get Chamberlain talking. Laura says, sounds like they’ve been planning their escape for a while, and Mac’s call goes through. He asks Felicia where she is, and Ryan says, how’s his head? Mac says, Chamberlain? and Ryan says, he’s coming off a little needy, always calling his wife. Doesn’t he trust her? Mac tells him, put Felicia on the phone, but Ryan says, she can’t come to the phone right now. Mac says, touch her, and he’ll kill Ryan, and Ryan says, yeah, yeah; predictable. Felicia is with him as his insurance policy. If he sees a cop, Felicia dies. Mac wants her alive, stay out of his way. He hangs up.
Victor wonders if Nikolas could have sprung Esme from Spring Ridge. Could he be taking the mother of his child away, so Spencer can’t get custody? Spencer wonders if Esme has been faking the memory loss. Perhaps she’s not the blank slate she pretends to be. That means Trina could still be in danger. Victor says, the police cleared Esme of being The Hook killer, and if she’s on the run, he doubts she’d take the time to settle a score. Spencer says he’s not taking any chances. Esme is all about revenge. He jets.
Taggert dries Trina’s tears, and says, better? but she says she’s still numb, which she suspects is for the best. Did Taggert ever suspect she wasn’t his? She remembers when she was little and being a brat, he would yell to mom to get her daughter. He says he was just joking. Her mom would turn it around on him when she got frustrated with Trina’s messes, but he never for a moment thought she wasn’t his daughter. She says, even when mom cheated on him? and he says, even then. She asks how he could forgive Portia after she betrayed him like that, and he says he struggled for a bit, but it takes two people to ruin a marriage, and he left her mom hanging. He made her feel like she wasn’t important in his life, and the affair was a wake-up call. He didn’t want to lose Portia. Then he found out Trina was coming, and didn’t want to lose her. So he forgave Portia. They were happy for a while, but then he got all crazy about that Cyrus case. Trina says, after all the talks she and Portia had about being honest with each other, this whole time, she was the liar. Trina will never forgive her.
Portia says, for the last two year she’s agonized over telling Curtis, and he says, so it’s crossed her mind. She says, of course (🍷) it has. He’d be an amazing father, but Trina already had an amazing father, and they were so close. It was hard to imagine blowing that up. And when they thought Taggert died in the warehouse, Trina was grieving so hard. How could she tell Trina that the man she loved might not be her father? She couldn’t take that away from her. He says, so she lied instead.
Felicia says, Ryan was lying; Mac is fine. He says he just forgets what a hard head her husband has. He should have taken care of Mac when he had the chance. Lesson learned. Austin comes into the foyer, but before he opens the living room door, he hears Ryan say, okay, ladies, it’s time to go. They’ve taken too long already; they could be getting impatient. Felicia asks, who’s with him? and he says, kindred spirits. One of them is special, and he can’t wait for them to meet her. Ava says, they’re not going anywhere with him, and he says, she might be right. They might have a problem. Austin listens from the foyer.
Anna says, Valentin’s contact really paid off. Tapping in on Eileen’s phone call was perfect. Eileen’s afraid. He says, maybe Felicia’s plan is going to work out after all, but Anna says she’s beginning to think there’s a problem.
Mac says, Felicia’s phone immediately goes to voicemail, and tells Jordan to call IT. She says she already did. Did he hear any background sound? He says, no, and Laura says, Felicia is strong, she’s smart, and she knows how to fight back. He says, that’s what he’s afraid of. Chamberlain’s been obsessed with Felicia for decades. When Ryan fixated on Ava, he thought she was safe. Apparently not. Laura says she thinks she knows where to look.
On the phone, Victor says, his nephew Nikolas has left town, and he’s not about to lose any more family. Find him.
Taggert says, no matter what happens, nothing changes between him and Trina. She says, he always tries to make her feel better, and he says, that’s what fathers do. He hugs her, when Spencer comes out, and says he’s sorry to interrupt. Taggert says, then don’t, but Spencer says, it’s important. Taggert says, so is this, but Trina says she doesn’t really want to talk about this anymore. She’ll call him. She gives him back his coat, and they hug. She tells Spencer, get her out of here, and they leave.
Portia says she never wanted to take anything from Curtis. She loves him. The longer she stayed silent, the worse the consequences if she did speak up, so she lived with the constant anxiety and guilt. She didn’t want to jeopardize the life they planned together for something that might not even be true. He asks, what kind of life could they have had with that kind of lie between them?
Maggie jumps out of her chair, and says, Dante told her Ryan Chamberlain was in prison and helpless. Dante says, because he was the last time they checked, and Sam asks what Heather Webber has to do with any of this, but Dante has no idea. Maggie says, now that he’s taken Esme, they have to find her. They have to stop Ryan before he kills again.
Felicia asks, what’s the problem? and Ryan says, there’s not enough room in the boat for all of them. One of them is coming with him, and the other is never leaving this room. Now who’s ready to say goodbye?
Austin takes out his phone, as The Hook slips in. He turns to see the hook raised up.
On Monday, Curtis asks if Portia was ever going to find out the truth; Laura can’t shake the feeling she’s missing something; and Heather asks if there are any last words.
🥀 The Bad News First…
I kinds, sorta remember her from GH, but more so from her films.
I missed a lot of this on the actual show, but kept up with the aftermath. Again, like with Kathy Hilton, it’s so convenient that there’s no footage. Although no doubt Jen is capable of giving someone a black eye.
Maybe fungus would have been a better choice. I see both sides, but her delivery was poor. As I’ve said they could do worse, but Captain Sandy has been a mite cranky while filling in for Captain Lee. On the other hand, Fraser was being very unprofessional, and didn’t have to overreact when called on it, regardless of the captain’s lack of tact. On the third hand (it goes with the third eye), the bottom line is, this is Captain Lee’s boat and it might have gone differently with him – the same as with Hannah, although not his boat that time – so Captain Sandy should keep that in mind.
Most of this is foreign to me, having never been a video game player. I was too afraid I’d get sucked into the void. Although in watching the series, I can see the parallel. It’s like the characters go to the next level… or not.
I’ll bet she never had to call the owner in Belgium to tell him that his cat had to be put to sleep. Or find out that Buttons’ woo-woo sound at 3 am did not necessarily mean he needed to go out. I was a pet sitter too.
Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. – Earl of Derby (I don’t have time for illness either.)
A narcissist’s weapon of choice is often verbal — slander, lies, playing the victim in flipped tales of who was the victim and who was the abuser, gossip, rage, verbal abuse and intentional infliction of emotional pain. It is a systematic dismantling of another person’s relationships, reputation, emotional, physical and spiritual health, life and very soul. This is why narcissists are so often called ‘emotional vampires.’ – Gail Meyers
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. – Conrad Hilton
Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie
You’re only as young as the last time you changed your mind. – Timothy Leary
That’s the trouble with your whole MTV, microwave dinner generation. You want it all now. You think you deserve it just because you want it? It doesn’t work like that. You have to earn it, you have to take it, you have to make it yours. but before you do that, Guy, you need to decide what it is you really want. – Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey), Swimming with Sharks
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (Uh-oh.)
Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent. – Sophia Loren
If exhausted from severe and long-continued thought, he had to touch the earth again to renew his strength. When this weariness set in he would stop thought, and get down with a little dog or kitten to recover. – William Herndon, Abraham Lincoln‘s business partner
If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success. – James Cameron
🐯 Can’t Be Tamed…
Let’s meet again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and more Deck drama. Until then, stay safe, stay saying what you mean and meaning what you say, and stay making your partner feel important in your life before you get a wake-up call.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 