What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dex says he’s trying to do the right thing here, and Josslyn tells him, try being honest instead. He says, she wants honest? and kisses her, when Sonny knocks at the door. Josslyn asks what Sonny is doing here, and Dex tells her to pretend no one’s home. Sonny says he knows Dex is in there; open up. Josslyn asks, what’s Plan B?

Robert is looking at photo of him and Holly, when Olivia comes to his office. She asks if it’s a bad time, but he says he’s not sure what a good time is anymore. She says she’s so sorry about what happened with Holly, and he says he visited the doctor. He says she has a long road ahead of her, but he says she’ll pull through. Olivia says, thank God, but she was actually talking about what went down between the two of them.

At the MetroCourt with Mac and Felicia, Laura asks if Robert’s changed his mind and is going to join them, but Mac says, Robert hasn’t answered his texts. Felicia thinks he needs some time, but Mac says he knows his brother. He’s brooding. Sitting around worrying and waiting to hear about Holly’s injuries. It’s not good for him. Felicia tells Laura, says the other stubborn brother, when Valentin approaches the table, and asks if there’s any news on Holly. Laura says, word has it, she’s holding her own, and Valentin says, good. Hopefully, that continues, and she makes a full and speedy recovery. Felicia says, they appreciate the well-wishes, but Mac gets up and says, whatever happened to Holly has Valentin’s family’s fingerprints all over it. Everyone knows where the Ice Princess is involved, the Cassadines aren’t far behind.

Cody comes out of the hospital elevator, when his phone dings. He looks at a text from Mac: At the MetroCourt. Can we meet? Important. Britt sees Austin at the reception desk, and says, he’s not on the schedule New Year’s Eve; does he have plans? He says, not yet. He and Maxie will probably make reservations somewhere. Why? She sings, I’m throwin’ a birthday party, and Cody hears, and says, sounds like fun. Is he invited?

Michael says he knows Willow wanted to keep it private, but the secrecy is working against her; against them. She says she’s just not ready for people to know about her diagnosis. It’ll change the way people treat her, and she’s afraid Wiley will pick up on it. He says, Wiley is going to pick up on it eventually anyway, but she says she needs to do this in her own time, on her own terms. He says he wants to support her in this, but it’s impossible.

In the home of the beloved moss bowl🎍, Carly says she thought Drew was hitting dead ends in looking for members of the commune where Harmony had Willow. He says, one of his contacts was doing a story about a firefighter in Clairborne County, and found out the subject was a member of the Peace and Love Commune. He realizes there’s no guarantee in getting them to talk, but he likes his odds. She asks, why? and he says, because the firefighter agreed to fly here and meet with him. They’re checking into the MetroCourt tonight.

Britt says she’s sure Cody will be much to busy to attend her birthday celebration; grifting women with shiny inheritances takes time. He says, au contraire. His charm offensive only take half an evening at most. Unless he heiress is as closed off and secretive as she is. She asks Austin not to leave, telling him that Cody was just leaving, and tells Cody that she’ll thank him not to barge into her birthday celebration the way he just barged into her private conversation. Cody says he knows he hasn’t behaved well, and gets why she’s angry with him, but she says, anger implies investment. They went out a few times; they shared a couple of laughs. He says, it was more than that, and she knows it, but she says, what she knows is, there’s no future here. He’s a gambler. He knows how to cut his losses. He says, what if he doesn’t want to? and she says, we don’t always get what we want, do we? He didn’t get Taub’s necklace, so he should know better than anyone.

Mac says, where there’s trouble, there’s Victor, and Valentin asks if Mac has evidence his father is behind Holly stealing the necklace and absconding with it. Mac says he can’t connect Victor directly, but Victor’s been all over town, pulling strings, causing people to make desperate decisions, of which he’s sure Valentin is aware. He doesn’t want to hear Valentin defending his father, considering how he framed Anna for what happened to Lucy. Valentin says he and Anna are very close, and Lucy is his business partner. If Mac has evidence, he’d very much like to hear it. Felicia says, Anna is their good friend too, just as Lucy is their friend, and Mac says he’s trying to remain optimistic about Lucy, but there’s still no sign she survived. Felicia says, they’re still trying to work things out, and Valentin says he’s not trying to defend anybody. Mac would be wise not to assume where his loyalties lie. Mac says, he would be wise, would he? Let him give Valentin a piece of advice. If it takes the rest of his life, Valentin’s father is going down. Just take care not to be too close when it happens. Mac storms off toward the bar.

Olivia says, the last thing she expected to find was Robert staring at pictures of the woman who double-crossed him, and he says, however wrong Holly was, it can’t erase the memories they have together. He wishes he could. She says she knows how very much Holly mattered to him. She just wishes his feelings would have mattered a little more to Holly. He says, Olivia is going to think he’s making excuses for Holly, but in many ways, she got a raw deal. Holly had some hard choices to make. She says, even if he is making excuses for Holly, she’d say that’s very generous. She’s not sure Holly deserves that kind of generosity. He says, despite everything that happened, Holly didn’t deserve what happened, and she says, of course (🍷). Is he going to visit her during treatment? He says he can’t, and she says she hears him; his generosity can only extend so far. He says, it’s not that. He doesn’t think it will give them the closure they need. He’s not sure that closure exists. She says she’s not sure a therapist would agree, and he says, that’s why he doesn’t have one. Maybe he and Holly were never destined to work out. Every time they get close, it goes up in smoke, and this time it took the Ice Princess with it. Olivia says, that’s why Holly stole that necklace; it was part of the Ice Princess. He says, might be. He wanted his people to look at it, and confirm that one way or the other. She says, he must be on such bad terms with the WSB, and he says, they’re not happy, but he can handle it. She says, he’s the DA, and he’s working with the WSB. Holly had to have known how much it would cost him. There has to be more to this than greed. With all he and Holly have been through together, there had to be a bigger reason for Holly to betray him.

Carly says, Drew is amazing. Getting that guy to fly all the way here to talk. He says, a woman actually; Clairborne County’s first female firefighter. That’s why his guy was doing the story on her. Carly says, that’s impressive. What makes him think she has anything to offer? He says he’s not sure what she knows, but Denise and Harmony were friends for a while back then, and he’s hoping Denise can either confirm or deny Harmony’s story of how she came to have Willow. Carly says she sees, and he says, she has doubts. She says, no. She just thinks he’s putting a lot of expense and effort into finding Willow’s birth parents, and hopes he’s not disappointed if it doesn’t pan out. He says he knows the possible pitfalls, but he’s still got to try. He should call Willow… but she tells him that he doesn’t want to do that.

Michael says, look what happened when Willow was arguing with Nina. If Nina had known… Willow says she doesn’t want Nina pitying her, and Michael says he understands. She says, the best thing for her health is staying as far away from Nina as possible, and Michael says he feels the same way about Sonny, but Willow says, there’s no comparison.

Dex opens the door, Josslyn having disappeared, and Sonny asks, what took him so long? Dex says he was in the middle of something, and Sonny says he has to talk to Dex about a business opportunity. Dex asks if he should meet Sonny in his office, and Sonny asks, what’s going on? Dex says, if it’s a business conversation, they should have it where Sonny does business, and Sonny asks why Dex wants him out of here. Is he hiding something? Josslyn listens from the hallway.

Valentin sits down, and says he’s sorry if he upset Mac, but Felicia says, he just needs a minute to cool down. He’s been running himself ragged with Lucy’s disappearance, and Anna being framed and on the run. Now this thing with Holly. It’s very personal to him. Valentin says he can understand Mac’s hostility toward his father. Did he have anything to do with what happened to Holly? Laura says, Robert believes Holly was passing information to Victor, and she suspects it has something to do with Ethan because no one’s been able to reach him. Valentin asks if Ethan is Holly’s son, and Laura says, yes. He asks if they think something happened to him, and Laura says, they don’t know. All they know is that he’s done a disappearing act. Valentin says he might be able to help. He still has some associates at the Bureau. He’ll make a call. Felicia says, oh no. He can’t.

As they walk into Britt’s office, Austin asks, what just happened with Britt and Cody? but Britt says she’d rather talk about her birthday. What does he think about renting the Haunted Star? He says, if she wants to go all-out, and she says she’s never had a birthday party in her life, but he says, she’s exaggerating. She says, no, and he says, even the unpopular kids got a cupcake. She says she had an untraditional upbringing, and thinks it’s high time she throw the fiesta to end all fiestas. He asks if there’s any particular reason she wants to do that this year, and she asks if this is him treading lightly, but he says, apparently not. She says, they both know there’s no telling how many birthdays she has ahead of her, so she might as well go out with a bang.

Carly says, Willow fainted yesterday, and Drew asks if she’s all right. Carly says, she seems to be. Nina came over to pick a fight, and when Willow fought back, she collapsed. He says, Nina is relentless, and Carly agrees. She suggests they question Denise first, then see if there’s anything to report back. He says he appreciates her insights, but he thinks it’s better if he questions Denise one-on-one, so she’s more comfortable; so she doesn’t feel outnumbered. Carly says, he’ll fill her in afterward? and he says, she’ll be his second call after Willow. He doesn’t want to get Willow’s hopes up, but wants to keep her in the loop. So many people have lied to her in the past.

Willow says she knows how betrayed Michael feels by his father, and Michael says, for months Nina and Sonny have caused them nothing but grief. She says, everything that’s happened is because of Nina. That woman is fixated on causing trouble for their family, and Sonny is actively supporting her. Michael says, agreed. So what is he missing? She says, just how much his anger at Sonny is costing him.

Sonny asks where Dex laid low after he got shot, and Dex says he was on foot. There was no way he could make back here, and didn’t want to compromise Sonny, so he found a spot that was secure spot. Sonny says, on his own? and Dex doesn’t answer. Sonny says, that’s what he’s talking about. Dex is always holding things back. Dex says he promised the person who helped him that it wouldn’t come back, and Sonny says, Dex also promised he could trust him. Dex says, Sonny can, but he can’t prove that by betraying someone else. Sonny says, that’s not good enough, but Dex says, it’ll have to be. Sonny says, Dex has one last chance. Who stitched him up? Who gave Dex the means to email him? Who helped him out? Josslyn comes out, and says, it was her.

Austen says, he appreciates this living life to the fullest thing, but it’s not going to be Britt’s last birthday. She says, it might as well be. How can she sing karaoke if she’s slurring the lyrics, and barely able to stand? (I have news for her, a lot of people do, especially after a night of drinking.) He says she doesn’t know that’s going to be the case, but she says she doesn’t know it’s not. If he’s thinking she’s given up or made peace with it, she hasn’t. She’s not at peace, and mad as hell. She’s so mad that she’s renting out the Haunted Star and wearing four-inch heels. And she knows she doesn’t have enough friends to even fill her mother’s apartment bedroom, but she doesn’t give a damn; she’s going to do it anyway. She’s going to throw the biggest, baddest birthday party. And co-workers, family, and friends, and casual acquaintances can all come, as long as they look fabulous, and are prepared to party on the dance floor, which is what she’s going to do. He says, fear of death is for those who have regrets, and she says she has loads of those. She doesn’t fear death; she fears the getting to it. She knows how this is going to end. That’s why she’s choosing to live in this moment, and not think about tomorrow; she may not like tomorrow. So she’s going to dance like it’s 1999, and revel under the bright lights, and lose herself on the dance floor. He says he’s in, and she says, yay. She wants to do it with those nearest and dearest to her, and she doesn’t even care if he sings off-key. (Again, there’s a lot of that too.)

Cody meets Mac at the MetroCourt bar, and Mac says he figured Cody wasn’t coming. Cody says, Mac texted that it was important, and Mac says, it is. He gestures toward his whiskey, and asks if Cody wants one. Cody says he’s normally a beer guy, but something tells him that he’s going to need it. Mac asks the bartender for the drink, and says he’s got some news. That necklace that belonged to Leopold Taub, the one Cody was due to inherit, was stolen. Cody says, so that story in the news, the woman who left, that was his necklace, and Mac says he’s glad Cody is up on current affairs. He doesn’t have to explain what happened. Cody says, the hell he doesn’t. He can start with how he’s going to track it down. Mac says he’s afraid it’s unrecoverable, and Cody asks if Mac is just giving up, but Mac says, they know where it is, or was. It was destroyed in a fire.

Laura asks why Valentin can’t look for Ethan, and Felicia says, not everything with Holly is what it seems. Laura asks what that means, and Felicia says, the person Laura really wants to talk to is Robert. Laura says, before she forgets, Charlotte wanted her to invite Valentin for dinner. Any night this week is fine, so let her know. She really has to run. Valentin says, of course (🍷). He’ll be in touch. Laura tells them, have a nice night, and jets. Valentin asks Felicia if he’d be right to assume his contacts at the Bureau would turn up zero trace of Ethan, and she says, that’s a theory. He says, it’s a good one. Victor has taken Holly’s son hostage as well, hasn’t he?

Robert asks if it really matters why Holly did what she did at this point, and Olivia says, of course (🍷) it does. If that necklace holds the key to something bigger… Whatever Holly’s reasons, she’s paying for them now, and so is he. If he ever needs to talk… He thanks her, and says he appreciates her dropping by. She tells him, whatever happens, he’s not alone, and leaves. Robert opens a desk drawer, takes out a box, and takes out the necklace.

Carly stares off in space, and Drew asks where she went. Did something happen? Did Nina do something, or Sonny? She says she wanted to tell him that Nina saw her and Brick together, and got the wrong idea. She went running to Sonny, and told him they were having an affair; the same thing she said about TJ and Willow. She can’t stand that woman. He says, that’s why Carly told Sonny about them, and she says she’s sorry, but she heard Sonny was giving Brick a hard time and she couldn’t stand it. He says, it’s too bad Michael and Sonny are on the outs. They could have used Sonny’s resources to track down Willow’s birth parents. She says, who needs Sonny when Drew Cain is on the case? She thinks he handles things just fine. He says, does she now? and kisses her.

Josslyn says, Dex wouldn’t tell her how or why he got shot, but she figured it had something to do with Sonny, and Sonny just confirmed it. Dex says he needs to talk to Sonny. He’ll call her later. She says, fine, and tells Sonny that she doesn’t know why Dex is so loyal to him, since so far it’s gotten him shot and hung from a meat hook, but it’s Dex’s call. It’s got nothing to do with her. She starts to leave, but Sonny says, hold on. Did she come over alone? She says she did, and Sonny tells her to have Frank drive her home, but she says she doesn’t want a ride from him. She doesn’t want anything from him. She leaves, and Sonny says, out of everybody in the city, Dex goes after his stepdaughter for help? Dex says, he would never purposely put Josslyn in that position, and Sonny asks, how so? Dex says he was weak and barely thinking. He remembered the Quartermaine boathouse had supplies. She was on the grounds, he collapsed, and she found him. She took him back to her dorm room. Sonny punches the wall, and something falls to the floor. He says, big mistake.

Michael says his focus is on Willow and their baby. He’s dedicated to helping her fight this cancer. She asks, how can he be if he’s fighting his father at the same time? She’s not asking him to drop his anger for Sonny’s sake, or defending anything Sonny’s done, but the more Michael feeds into his anger, the more he’s letting Sonny win. He’s smarter than that. He says, now she’s appealing to his vanity, but she says she’s stating a fact. He knows the difference between what seems important and what truly matters, doesn’t he? He says, what truly matters is her and their children. He asks if it would be okay if he stepped out for an hour or so, and she says, sure. Is everything all right? He says he just has one last thing to take care of, and then he’s all hers. He kisses her and leaves.

Dex tells Sonny that he was out of it when Josslyn took him back to her dorm. He didn’t want to stay, but when you’re losing blood and developing an infection, options are limited. Sonny says, and not telling him? and Dex says, Joss saved his life. The least he could do was minimize her exposure. If that cost him this job, so be it, but just know, he’ll never speak of their dealings either. Sonny says he doesn’t want to talk about this; they’ll deal with it later. But this thing with Josslyn cannot become a habit. Dex says, he’s tried telling her, and Sonny says, then try harder. They’ve come to him with an offer to use his facilities for some unofficial exports. If he decides to take the offer, Dex is going to be stepping into a role with more responsibility. Is he up for that? Dex says he is, and Sonny says, he’d better be. There’s no more room for mistakes. Sonny leaves and Dex closes the door.

Josslyn walks into the kitchen where Carly and Drew are kissing, and says, don’t mind her. Carly asks if everything is okay, and Josslyn says, everything’s great. Her? Carly says, everything will be great when they don’t have to worry about getting caught kissing. Josslyn flashes back to kissing Dex, and Sonny interrupting, and says, I hear ya.

Austin says he hasn’t spoken to Maxie about New Year’s Eve, but put them down as will attend, and Britt says, excellente. Partying with her peeps; her final epic turn-up. He says, final? and asks if she’s planning on making an early exit. She asks if that isn’t her choice, and he says, what about the peeps she just said she wanted to party with? She tells him, don’t worry. Her oath to do no harm extends to herself. She’s just not into being a burden. He asks if she’s leaving Port Charles, and she says, after the party. He says, again, what about the peeps that want to be there for her? but she says, it’s not about them. It’s about how she wants to go out. She’s not pushing anyone away; she’s protecting her privacy. He asks, what just happened with Cody? but she says she doesn’t want to talk about it. He asks if she’s really done with that guy, or is she pushing everyone away because of her illness?

Cody tells Mac, so he lost another inheritance. That’s got to be some kind of record. He downs his drink, and Mac asks if he wants another; Mac is buying. Cody says, diamonds are notoriously hard to destroy. Is Mac sure there’s nothing left? There was this place he used to work where there was a wild mustang everyone said was untrainable. It was a beautiful animal, and he was smitten immediately. He took to gaining the horse’s trust, and would feed and groom him. Finally he got a saddle and harness on him; it was one of the greatest days of his life. Two minutes in the saddle, and he bucks up and tosses Cody off. He broke his wrist, and most of pride in the fall, but the horse didn’t care, It was not in his nature to be ridden. Cody didn’t know Leopold Taub, and he’s glad; he sounds like a rotten guy. But was it his nature or was it something he chose? And what about him? Are the things he does his nature, or does he just keep making the wrong choice over and over? For a second, he thought the was going to have an inheritance; something of worth that would make him worthwhile. Now he’s back to nothing. Mac says, money isn’t everything, and Cody tells him, says people who have it. Mac must think he’s shallow. Mac says he thinks it’s a shame Cody grew up without a father. He gets why Cody was invested in Taub’s money. It’s likely the only good thing he’d get out of being Taub’s son.

Robert flashes back to Holly telling him, the Ice Princess has a bad habit of destroying those who covet it, and telling him to be careful. Laura knocks at the door, and he hides the necklace. He tells her, come in, and she says she just had a very interesting chat with Felicia. It seems there’s more going on that Robert hasn’t told her about. He says, she’s right. There is, and she deserves answers. Starting with this. He takes out the necklace, and shows it to her. She’s like, whoa…

Felicia says, it’s true, Victor has Ethan, and Valentin says, of course (🍷) he does. She asks what he meant by, Victor has Ethan as well. Who else has Victor captured? He says, it’s Victor’s M.O. Ask Drew Cain or Liesl Obrecht. He had Valentin locked in his prison in Crete. But who is she thinking of? What is it she’s not telling him?

Drew says he’s got to get going, and leaves. Josslyn says, that’s going good, and Carly says, yeah, but they can’t keep it from the world forever. Josslyn says she’s going to shower, and gives Carly time alone with the moss bowl🎍.

Michael goes to Dex’s apartment, and Dex says, close call. Sonny was just here. Michael says, that won’t be a problem anymore, and hands Dex an envelope, saying, here’s what he owes Dex, plus a bonus for his excellent work. The job is over. How soon can he get packed to leave?

Austin asks if Britt is just afraid Cody won’t be able to handle her illness, and she says, they know what’s ahead of her; years of progressively painful slow decline. She doesn’t want her mother to see it. Why would she want Cody to deal with it; a guy she barely knows. Austin says, what about the people she knows well, and who know her well? They’re going to worry about her and look for her. They’re going to be hurt if they’re not by her side in all this. She says she hopes they realize she’s sparing them, but he says, she’s not sparing anybody. She’s trying to spare herself. She doesn’t want to see her reflection in their eyes; anyone other than her being her vibrant, beautiful, feisty self. She says, what if she doesn’t? Is that so wrong? Austin says, it’s not wrong, but it’s selfish.

Laura says, so that’s why Holly let her go, and Robert says, she was never at any risk. She says, it would have been nice to know that. He couldn’t let her in on any of it? He says, Holly was petrified that any leak at all would endanger her son, and Laura says, okay. She’s glad Holly didn’t betray him. He says, and she’s now free to rescue Ethan. Victor is going to lose another prisoner. She says, Victor needs to lose everything.  

Felicia says, forget she said anything, and Valentin says, Lucy is alive, isn’t she? She tells him that she never said that, but he tells her, she didn’t have to. His father prefers keeping his assets as leverage. Lucy’s body was never found. She says, a reliable source says Lucy was shot with a rubber bullet, retrieved from the harbor, and spirited away. He says, that explains the two shots. The first, a rubber bullet to push Lucy in the water; then a live round to leave a shell casing for the police. There’s no time to waste. He needs Felicia to tell him where Anna is now.

Robert tells Laura, Victor gave directives, but no explanations. They know the diamonds came from the Ice Princess. She says, and they know Victor doesn’t care about the rest of it, since he planted it on Jennifer Smith. He says, there are secrets hidden in these diamonds, and she says, they’ve got to uncover them. They’ve got to stop Victor Cassadine once and for all.

Valentin says, Anna needs to know Lucy is alive, but Felicia says, she’s way off the grid. He asks if she’s left the country, but Felicia says she doesn’t want to jeopardize Anna’s security. He says he doesn’t either, but this is information Anna needs. She’ll have to trust him. She writes something down, and gives it to him. She says, if Anna sought refuge in Europe, there’s one person who will know where she is, and that person can get word to her. He looks a little shocked, rips up the paper, and puts it in his full glass. He thanks her, but she says, don’t thank her yet. Getting word to Anna won’t be easy.

Mac says he doesn’t know Cody well, but he can see Cody’s not the same man as his father, and Cody says, about that… Felicia asks if Mac is ready to go, and Mac says, almost. Cody was saying? Cody tells him, the DNA test result was his loss, and Mac says, theirs too, and leaves with Felicia.

Britt tells Austin, ouch. What is this? Painful truth day? He says, sure, let’s do that. Maybe selfish is too harsh of a word. Let’s call it proud. His father was a very proud man, and wanted to spare them, so he avoided a lot of conversations they should have had. In the end, COPD made those conversations impossible. He gets she’s trying to spare them, but has she considered she’s robbing them of precious moments they want to spend with her? She says she hadn’t, and he suggests she give it some thought. And another thing while they’re at it. What is the dress code for this party? She tells him to have Maxie pick out his clothes, and he says, cool. It’s painful truth day. He thanks her, and says, it means a lot to him. She said she was only inviting her nearest and dearest, and he’s grateful he made the cut.

Drew goes to the gatehouse, and worries he woke Willow up, but she says, this baby is active; he wears her out. He says she does look pale, and she says, anemia. Britt has her on a regimen. What’s up? He says he says he wanted to check in, and make sure she’s 100% committed to finding her biological parents. She says, more than ever. Has there been a development? He says, possibly, and she should know that whatever he finds out could possibly be a disappointment. So before he goes down that road, he wants to make sure nothing has changed. She says she and Michael are ready to do whatever it takes to find answers.

The moss bowl🎍 stands in all its glory, as Carly calls Olivia, who says she was just thinking about Carly. Does she remember how they rewarded themselves when they completed payroll? Carly says, chocolate martinis, and Olivia says, it’s not the same without her. What’s up? Carly says she needs a favor; no questions asked. Olivia says, she’s got it, and Carly says, there’s a woman named Denise McKenzie staying at the MetroCourt tonight. She needs Olivia to notify her when Denise checks in.

Dex tries to hand the envelope back, but Michael says, Dex got shot because of Sonny. He got tortured because of him. Dex says he’s still standing, and Michael says he appreciates Dex’s dedication, but his priority is his family now. Dex says, Michael’s family overlaps with Sonny’s. As long as Sonny is a target, they are too. Isn’t that what Michael told him when he hired him? Michael says he did, but things have changed, and Dex says, the best way to protect them is to stop Sonny. Sonny was here telling him about a new business opportunity. It sounds highly profitable and highly illegal.

At the MetroCourt, Valentin presses the elevator button – Dex says, something big is coming. Sonny didn’t provide details but I know one thing – Sonny comes out of the elevator, and passes Valentin going in – we can’t quit now – Sonny and Valentin exchange glances – not when we’re this close to taking Sonny down.

Tomorrow, Stella asks if Marshall’s diagnosis is wrong; Curtis says, Jordan has a way to end this nightmare; Cyrus hopes Spencer has realized which side he can trust; and Victor says something is unacceptable.

Below Deck

Rodney Bay, 6:30 am, Turnover Day. Captain Lee struggles to get to the bridge, and radios Ross, telling him, the weather is clear. They’re going to be moving to the dock. In the captain’s interview, he says he’s not getting better. As a captain, he’s used to being in control, and to relinquish that, even to own his body, is hard to deal with. It pisses him off.  Hungover, Rachel wonders where she is. She tells Fraser that she’s tired, so she’s going to be quiet, and in her interview, she says, it’s a new crew learning a new boat that’s bigger than Moby’s d*ck. She has to do better next charter, and needs to get her sh*t together. In Ross’s interview, he says he’s pissed at Katie, who’s still asleep. Sometimes, you’re bleeding alcohol out of your skin, but you need to show up for work. He goes to her cabin, and tells her that they’re already doing the tendering. She says she didn’t know what time they were supposed to be up, and he says, he told them last night, 7:15. We flash back to that, and that’s confirmed. He tells her to get on deck; they’re going to dock. Anchor is pulled and in the pocket, and Fraser teaches Hayley how to fluff a pillow. In Hayley’s interview, she says, when she was 20, she had a chief stew from hell, and was made to sleep in the laundry room for two months. Fraser is patient and kind. He’s her boat mummy. She tells him that he’s the bed whisperer. The captain radios for the crew to get their sh*t straight now. He’s going to dock, and wants radio silence. One peep from the interior, and their asses are on the line. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the first time docking a new boat is always tough. His job is to get to the dock. Quit sniveling. In Tony’s interview, he says he’s never been scared of hard work, but he doesn’t want to make a mistake and get whacked by Captain Lee’s stick. The captain radios for the deck team to come to the bridge, filling them with fear. He tells them that he thought they did a good job docking, and he appreciates it. Carry on. Fraser calls an interior meeting in the Sky Lounge. He tells the stews, obviously they have overall teething issues, and it got dark, but they got through it, and they’ll get through it again. He thinks they’re getting along well, and Camille says, generally, which is an odd word to use. We flash back to Allison whining to Fraser about Camille, and Fraser tells them, try not be short with each other. On deck, Ross tells Katie that he’s sure he told her 7:15, and he’s not happy. They can’t be late on deck, and it’s probably not coincidental it’s after an evening out where alcohol was involved. In Katie’s interview, she says, getting chewed out by her boss sucks, but it sucks more in front of a guy she has a crush on. Ross says, she has to work harder. If it happens again, he’ll have to let the captain know.

Captain Lee still isn’t satisfied with his laundry, and goes over how it’s done with Camille. In his interview, he says, they’re on a superyacht, not a tramp steamer. His shirt had more wrinkles than a basketball, but he has no problem teaching how to do it. Rachel and Tony trade adventure stories, and Rachel says she’s jumped out of a plane still drunk from the night before. Tony tells her about playing with sharks, and in his interview, he says, Rachel is crazy as hell, and she feeds him. He loves her. The captain radios Ross, Rachel, and Fraser to come to the Sky Lounge for a preference sheet meeting. The next charter is a group of female doctors from Seattle, who became friends during their residency, and have been traveling the world together for ten years. The primary is Michelle Pearl, and they’ve requested a Hollywood glam night, and a dinner highlighting truffles. In Rachel’s interview, she says, it’s going to be epic, and the guests are going to love it. She’s the menu murderer. They also want a beach picnic, and a red, black, and gold Moulin Rouge night. The captain says, it’s going to be a good time, and laughs, I assume sarcastically. Camille’s second round of laundry passes his inspection. Tony and Ben find common ground in having experienced racism, and fist bump. The boat is readied, and Captain Lee tells his leg to pay attention and start working. Pizza arrives, and the crew eats in the mess. Fraser says he feels badly for the captain, and in Camille’s interview, she says, the captain can’t move fast at the moment. She doesn’t want him to be in a sticky situation, and not be able to perform to his full capacity. Her father is sick and can’t physically accomplish what he’d like to, so she feels like she has a bit of understanding. It makes her sad.

In the morning, Tony works out and makes noises. In his interview, he says he’s exhausted. Working out is therapy for him. He thought working in yachting would be traveling and working at the same time, but it’s not like that. You finish work, and there’s more work waiting. I can never understand when a crew member is surprised this is a real job. Obviously, they never watched the show. It’s five hours to charter, and provisions come in. Just as I’m thinking, there are no unfit people in yachting, Hayley says she feels like she did an hour of Zumba. In Katie’s interview, she says she’s feeling the pressure. In Miami, people thought she must be a sugar baby. She might be a pretty face, but she knows how to rock it. Alissa complains to Hayley about Camille, and in Alissa’s interview, she says, Fraser needs to stop being lenient. It’s backfired on the team, and makes her feel like sh*t. She whines that Camille took a cigarette break and didn’t finish her work. The captain tells the crew to be on the aft deck in five, and the guests arrive.

Captain Lee tells the guests, welcome. The crew is here at their service, and they’re going to knock it out of the park. ⚾️ In the captain’s interview, he says, it’s nice to do something for those who have sacrificed for them. These are the doctors in the ER who are going to save lives. If they want to get drunk and puke over the side of the boat, cappy will hold their hair. Their service and dedication mean that much to him. Fraser mistakenly calls them nurses, and in his interview, he says, awkward. He’s glad he did it now though. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, the boat isn’t as responsive as he would like. They could do a lot of damage. Ross is concerned they’re going to hit where they can’t put a fender, but they make it. Ross says, that was close, and in his interview, the captain says, close doesn’t count. If you miss by two inches or twenty miles, you still miss. That’s why we get paid the big bucks. Alissa talks to the guests about Jamaica, and in her interview, she says she got her work ethic from her dad. He moved to Delaware from Jamaica at age ten, and got made fun of in school. He went on to become a pilot, a real estate agent, and an entrepreneur. He’s controlling and strict, but even if they’re not close, she wants to make him proud. In Ross’s interview, he says, the team is doing well. It’s important for him to delegate key responsibilities. Otherwise, he’s running around the boat like a mental man. It’s exhausting. Rachel tells Fraser that dinner is going to be Italianesque/Mediterranean, and in her interview, she says, at a real Hollywood dinner, they wouldn’t eat because they’d be anorexic; fueled by cocaine, vodka, and hate. Since the guests have requested truffles, and they’re all females, she’s calling it the Muff-truff Experience. Fraser, Camille, and Hayley put up Hollywood themed decorations, and Rachel can’t find her truffles. She says, it’s a truffle kerfuffle. The guests walk a red carpet, and hand out Oscars at the bar. Rachel says, if she doesn’t find the truffles, she’s going to retire. Alissa takes group photos, and guest Jewell gets pissed when guest Hollie messes with her wig – while it’s still on her head – causing it to slide. Even I say, why? Who does that? Wisely heading to the restroom, Hollie tells guest Alla that she was just being silly. Jewell tells Michelle to check her friend or she will, and that sh*t will not go okay. It took everything in her not to react. Rachel continues to look for her truffles, and in her interview, she says, on a bigger sized vessel, it’s easy to lose sh*t. She decides to pull out everything that has truffle in it, and make lots of mushrooms. Maybe they won’t notice. At the dinner table, Hollie tells Jewell that it wasn’t her best moment, and apologizes. Jewell says, at a certain age, you know not to be an a-hole (you’d think so, but sadly, not true for many people), and Hollie says she messed up; she’s sorry. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she’s not proud of it, but she pulled off a truffle tasting menu with no truffles. She resuscitated dinner service. The guests get in the hot tub, and pronounce it amazeballs. Alissa gives orders to Camille, and in Camille’s interview, she says, no one as any regard for the amount of work she does. All everyone sees is, it’s not enough, yet she’s doing twice the word being a deck stew. She feels like the runt baby who can’t get to the nipple. The guests request Ben remove his shirt, and when he does, they put nipple covers on him, and he dances. Well, captain, they might save my life in the ER, but here, just no. Alissa asks Camille to do literally what she’d told her to do; make sure the bottles are fully stocked in the pantry. Camille suggests if Alissa has so much time to check on this stuff, she should just stock it herself. In Alissa’s interview, she says, Camille doesn’t want to do the job or be corrected. It’s childish. I hate to say it, but Camille does kind of have a point. I honestly don’t know on which side the problem lies, since we don’t see everything, but I don’t know if Alissa should be giving Camille orders.

Captain Lee calls the doctor in the morning, and says he’s lost feeling in his left leg. It gives out and won’t support him. The doctor says, they need figure this out. In Ben’s interview, he says he feel the vibes. There’s something different; a disturbance in the force. Fraser serves the guests wellness shots, and Jewell says she’s not drinking anymore. Another guest points out that she ordered a mimosa, and she says she’s not drinking after that. As Camille walks by, Alissa starts to give her some things to do, but Camille says she’s on deck and Alissa isn’t her boss. As she keeps walking, Alissa says, that’s the lazy sh*t she’s talking about. Camille tells Ben that Alissa acts like she’s her boss, then asks if Alissa is her boss. Jewell wonders how she’s supposed to live normally after this. She can’t go back to daily life. At the beach, Tony gets in the water for a dip, and in his interview, he says, it’s what they call pura vida. Camille radios that they’re coming with the guests, and Alissa tells her to bring the coolers. Camille says she hasn’t seen them, and wonders why they’re her responsibility. Alissa says, they’re by the ice machine, but Camille says, they’re already on their way with the guests. Alissa says, the guests can’t come to the beach without the coolers, and in Fraser’s interview, he says, he can’t be Mr. Nice Guy. He has to put his foot down. He’ll have to be that bitch.  

Next time, Alisson flirts with Ross… or is it Ben; Katie cries in her cabin; and Captain Lee says, his mind and heart are there, but his body won’t cooperate. He’s made a decision.

🧜🏽‍♂️ Ruling the Waves…

Come by tomorrow for soap and whatever rabbits I pull out of my blog hat. Until then, stay safe, stay not feeling like you have to do it all, and stay dancing like it’s 1999, reveling under the bright lights, and losing yourself on the dance floor. Even if it’s just in your living room.