(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
👩🏽🔧 At present, there will be quickies on GH during the week to keep you caught up, and the full enchilada on Friday episodes for those who like to experience every word. Again, if there are any shows you want to read about or have any other suggestions, let me know. (Refer to the June 3rd blog for details on upcoming changes.)
General Hospital
Drew told Carly about the plans to run for congress. Carly promised him her vote if he runs.
John tried to hassle Sonny about the shooting, but Diane intervened. Sonny insisted on calling John Jagger, which I think suits him better. John said Sonny had taken advantage of someone who had brain damage (i.e. Jason) and he couldn’t wait to see Sonny behind bars for good. When John was gone, Diane admitted to Sonny that she thought he’d done it.
Jason wanted to tell John about Valentin being head of Pikeman, but Anna was like, no way. She told Jason that she had no hard proof, but he said he wanted out from the FBI and if he gave John the info, he could get away. She said if the FBI get what they wanted, they’d never let him go, so he agreed to wait until there was evidence. He wanted to go get the evidence himself from Valentin, but Anna said she’d be invited in – no need to break in – so she’d do it.
Finn discussed his drinking with Elizabeth. He told her that he had cut alcohol out of his life as a prevention, not because it was a problem, but he still kinda sorta promised not to drink.
Sonny told Carly about the shooting, and that both Diane and John thought it was him, but it wasn’t. He said he was still angry at Jason, but didn’t try to have Jason killed. He wanted Carly to relay that message to Jason, and Carly told him that Jason wasn’t his enemy. He knew it deep down or he wouldn’t have come to her. She said, if Sonny didn’t give a damn, he wouldn’t care what Jason thought, but Sonny said he wanted nothing to do with Jason anymore.
Chase talked to Brook about his father’s death and how he still picked up the phone to call him, even calling once just to hear Gregory’s voice. He was concerned about the future, but Brook said they were in this for the long haul and whatever happened, they’d stick together.
Jason said he didn’t have time to play the long game with Valentin, but Anna said the only way to get Valentin was for her to do it personally. She would, however, need back-up and needed it to be him. He agreed to do it her way.
Tomorrow: Finn wonders if fooling himself and Gregory’s memorial happens.
🤷♀️ What Did I Say…
Do an Elsa, Andy. Let it go. It’s not going to get any better.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chechnya, Russia. Valentin and Laura walk into a mansion that’s obviously unoccupied. He says, there’s no car in the driveway and no lights on, and she says, it’s deserted. He says, none of the Cassadines have been here in years, when a man runs down the stairs, holding a gun and yelling in Russian.
Dante brings Charlotte to see Lulu in a hospital that looks suspiciously like GH. Charlotte says she wants to see her mom, but she’s worried about her grandmother too. Is it safe for her to be in Russia? Papa knows his way around, but she’s nervous about grandma. Dante says, she’s going to be okay. Charlotte’s dad is with her and Doc is with her; she’s in good hands. Is she ready? Charlotte nods, and they go inside Lulu’s room.
Spencer thinks about calling Trina, and Esme asks if he’s heard from his grandmother. He says, nothing, and Esme says she hasn’t heard anything either. Not that she’s family, but she’s worried. Does he think it’s a bad sign he hasn’t heard from her? He says he doesn’t know, and she asks if he thinks she’s in trouble. He says he doesn’t know, but even if she was, there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it. Just leave it alone.
Kristina lets herself in to Molly’s apartment and says, it’s her favorite sister. Molly says she’s not surprised to see Kristina since she texted, but she’s surprised because that wasn’t very Kristina-like. Kristina says she’s working on being much more sisterlike. How is she doing? Molly says, A for effort. How does Kristina think she’s doing? Kristina says, there’s a definite learning curve, but whenever she’s in doubt, she asks herself, what would her younger, wiser, more beautiful sister do?
In his office, Michael discusses the budget with someone on the phone, when there’s a knock at the door. Carly comes in, and Michael says he’s got to go. Send him the accurate numbers by the end of the day. She says she’s sorry she just barged in. His assistant said she could come. She’s so happy to see him back in the office. He says, it’s not exactly by choice, and she says, he hasn’t left Willow’s side for months, but this must mean she’s continuing to get better. He says he’s very grateful her strength is coming back. When she tells him to stop hovering, he guesses it’s a good thing, but it means he has to give her some space. So he decided to come back to the office. Now that Drew is… She says, in prison. He can say it. She didn’t come here to talk about Drew, but she does have something she needs to talk to him about. He says, what about? and she says, his father.
Sonny does some work in his office, when his phone rings. It’s Nina, and he asks where she is. She says she’s at the MetroCourt. She’s trying to get some work done, but can’t keep her mind off the situation with Willow. He says he thought she told him things were better, but she says, Willow’s not the problem. It’s Michael. Ava walks into Sonny’s office, and says, they need to talk. Sonny tells Nina that he has to go. He has to take care of something. He asks Ava, what’s the problem? and she says, the problem is him. He told her that he was going to take care of that woman. This is how he takes care of it? He sends Avery off with that psychopath? She shows him a picture of Betty and Avery on her phone.
Avery swims in the pool, and Betty tells her, it’s time to go, but she says, just one more. Please. She swims off and Josslyn walks in. Avery calls to her, and Josslyn asks what she’s doing. Avery says she had swim class today and learned this. She floats on her back, and Josslyn says, amazing. Avery is better than she is. She could go to the Olympics with that. Dex stands near the entrance, and Trina sees him. She tells him, if he’s looking for Joss, she’s right over there. He says he’s not. He’s actually working. Avery tells Josslyn that she has a new nanny. Her name is Betty. Betty and Josslyn smile at each other.
Ava says she stopped by Sonny’s apartment to see Avery, and the guard said she’s out with that Mary Poppins from hell. Sonny says, relax. Betty took Avery to the MetroCourt pool for her swimming lessons. Ava says, don’t tell her to relax. The woman is violent. Betty smacked her face. What if she hurts Avery? What if she kidnaps Avery? What was he thinking? He says, Betty is their best bet to lead them to whoever blackmailed Ava, but she says she already told him. It’s that creep Mason. He says, Mason is taking orders from somebody else. They have to find out who it is and Betty’s going to steer them right to his boss.
Josslyn says she didn’t realize Avery had a new nanny. What happened to Pilar? Betty says she has no idea. She interviewed with Ava Jerome, Avery’s mother. Josslyn says she knows Ava, and Betty says, Mr. Corinthos joined them and asked her to start today. Josslyn says, she must have really impressed him, and Betty says, who is Josslyn again? Josslyn tells her that she’s Josslyn Jax, Avery’s older sister, but Betty says she’s confused. Miss Jerome told her that Avery has a half-sister, but she’s younger than Avery. Either Josslyn is big for her age, or she’s not really Avery’s sister.
Michael asks if something is up with Sonny, and Carly says she was hoping he could tell her. Has he heard anything from Dex? Michael says, so far, he’s sticking to the agreement. He’s keeping tabs on Sonny and letting Michael know if there are any big deals in the works. Carly says, so what’s the latest? and Michael says, last night, Dex found a dead body. Carly asks if he knows who it was, and Michael says, apparently, it’s a guy with a connection to Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Carly asks if Austin isn’t seeing Ava. She saw them together at the Nurses Ball. He says he doesn’t know, but Dex called Sonny and told him that he found a dead body near a dumpster, and surprisingly, Sonny told him to call the police. She says, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Sonny have Dex call the police? I’m not sure why everyone is so shocked. Sonny didn’t know Gordon and has nothing to do with him, so why wouldn’t he be a good citizen?
Kristina says she’s not here for Molly’s sage advice; she’s here to serve her sister. What can she get Kristina? She sees Kristina has water and snacks. She knows – a smoothie. Molly says, Sam beat her to it, and Kristina says, Sam the good sister. She knows one thing she doesn’t think Sam got for Kristina, and takes a stuffed horse out of her bag. Kristina says, Valiant, and takes the horse. This is exactly what she needed.
Esme asks if her concern for Spencer’s grandmother is bothering him. For all they know, she could be locked up in some Russian prison, but clearly he’s not worried, so she’ll keep it to herself from now on. He says he’s sorry he snapped at her. He’s very worried and concerned about his grandmother, but right now, he’s far more worried about Trina. Her father was shot and he could also be paralyzed, and he has no idea how to help her. Esme says, getting upset with her isn’t going to fix anything, but why doesn’t he call Trina and tell her that he’s thinking about her?
The man asks in Russian what Valentin and Laura are doing here, and Valentin answers in Russian, they mean no harm. They’re looking for someone. He tells them, get out, and in Russian, Laura says, we come in peace. The man says he speaks English. They’re trespassing. Now get out. Laura says, they don’t want to hurt anyone. All they want is information. They’re looking for someone. He asks who they’re looking for, and Valentin says, Nikolas Cassadine. The man says, Cassadines are evil, and spits. They’re all gone. What is that American expression? Good riddance. They’re very dangerous people. Stay away from that family. Laura says, he doesn’t understand. Nikolas Cassadine is her son, and they’ve got to find him. The man asks why they’re looking in Chechnya. Has he been kidnapped? Or is he running from authorities? Valentin says, they don’t know. That’s what they’re trying to find out. Laura says, he disappeared from his home in the United States five months ago and they have no idea what happened to him. The man says, if he’s a Cassadine, nothing good.
Charlotte tells Lulu (who we never really see) about winning a ribbon in her equestrian show. Dante says, she was amazing. Rocco’s doing amazing as well. He doesn’t know how, but Rocco’s got straight As. He’s always talking about every girl in his class; he’s got a crush every week. Charlotte says, Lulu is missing so much. She’s starting high school in the fall. She spent so many years at boarding school, but she’s happier staying in Port Charles and being close to her family. But Lulu isn’t there. She has to wake up and come back to them. Dante says he’ll give Charlotte time with her mom, and gets up. He says, they’ll see Lulu soon. They miss her. He leaves, and Charlotte says, Dante’s right. They really, really miss her, but she misses Lulu more.
Ava says, Sonny can follow any lead he wants, just please don’t involve their daughter. He says, does she really think he’d put his daughter at risk? Ava says, that’s what he’s doing right now, but he says, she’s not at risk. He’s going to take care of this like he said he was. She’s going to have to trust him.
Avery gets out of the pool, and Josslyn puts a towel around her. She asks Avery to do her a favor and tell her new nanny who she is, and Avery says, Josslyn’s her big sister. Josslyn says, the branches of their family are very complicated. She’d be happy to draw Betty a diagram. Betty says, that won’t be necessary, but thanks for the offer. They’re both smiling, but I don’t think they’re smiling in their heads. Josslyn says, Betty’s probably right. She’ll be gone before she can memorize any names. Betty tells Avery, time to go, and Josslyn says, nice meeting you. Betty says nothing, and leaves with Avery. Dex watches, then follows. Trina asks Josslyn what that was all about, and Josslyn says she has no idea, but she needs to find out. She has to call Sonny. What the hell is he thinking letting that girl look after Avery? Trina says, don’t call Sonny, and Josslyn asks, why? Trina says she has the feeling something else is going on. When she got here, Josslyn’s boyfriend was over there, but it didn’t look like he was soaking up rays. He was keeping a low profile watching Avery and the nanny. He never took his eyes off them. That’s got to mean something, right? Josslyn says, but what?
Michael tells Carly that he’s not sure how all this fits together, but Dex will get more information soon. He really needs to thank her. Carly says, for what? and he says, she’s the one who encouraged this arrangement with Dex. It’s nice to know they have somebody they can trust in Sonny’s organization. It works out for both of them, since Sonny thinks he has a trustworthy lieutenant, and they don’t get blindsided by his illegal dealings. She says she thinks this is about more than getting information from Dex. She thinks a part of him wants Dex to protect his father. He says he’s not saying he can forgive or even wants to forgive Sonny, but a part of him still cares about Sonny. Carly says she’ll take that as a plan and hugs him.
Kristina kisses the stuffed horse, and says she’s missed him. Where has he been hiding all these years? She thought she lost him. Kristina says, he was in some mislabeled box. She was in mom’s attic looking for pieces to sell at the community fundraiser, and she saw this box labeled law books. She opened it up, and there was Valiant, right there on top of the New York Penal Code. Molly says she’s so grateful Kristina found him. She knows it must sound silly, but this little guy meant so much to her. Kristina says, Molly was the only four-year-old on this planet who would name their stuffed animal Valiant and actually knew what it was. Kristina had stuffed animals named like the rest of them; Fluffy, Stuffy, Coco. Molly says, one time when she was six or seven, she had friends over and showed them Valiant, and they all made fun of his name. Kristina came storming in the room, saying they were all stupid, and if they didn’t stop making fun of Molly, she was going to pour maple syrup in their hair. Kristina says she remembers that. Then they ran out the door so fast. She thinks it’s the last time they came over to their house. She thinks she made life a lot harder for Kristina than it needed to be. Sorry. Kristina says she’s not. She was proud of her big sister then, and she still is.
Laura says, this is about her son, and asks the man if he has any children. He says, da. Two daughters. She says, then he must understand what she’s going through now. Is there anything he can tell her? He says he’s sorry he was harsh with her. He would help her if he could, but he has no idea where this Nikolas Cassadine is. Valentin asks if this is his house, and the man says he bought it for his family. But it was all done through lawyers. He never saw the previous owner. Valentin says, lucky him.
Spencer says he wants to be there for Trina, but it’s complicated, and Esme asks, why? He says, Trina’s mother isn’t a fan of any Cassadine, particularly him, and he does understand why she doesn’t like him. His father has done a lot of damage, but even he pales in comparison to his Uncle Victor. To make matters worse, she’s holding the other side of his family accountable for her husband’s shooting. Esme says, what? and he says he told her it was complicated. Curtis Ashford was shot, and Dr. Robinson thinks the bullet was meant for his Uncle Sonny. She says, so Trina’s mom pretty much hates everyone related to him? and he says, yeah, with the exception of his grandmother and Ace, and one of them is a baby and the other isn’t even in this country.
Josslyn tells Trina that she’s happy Dex is looking out for Avery, but she gets bad vibes from that girl. Trina is absorbed with her phone, and Josslyn asks if she’s there. Trina says she’s sorry. She was hoping there would be a message from Spencer. Josslyn asks why she doesn’t text him, and Trina says she would, but it wouldn’t be right. Josslyn asks what that means, and Trina says her mom is dealing with so much since Curtis was shot, and she never liked Spencer, so she’s trying to keep her distance from him. She doesn’t want to add more stress. Josslyn says, but she misses him, and Trina says, yeah. Josslyn says she understands Trina’s mom needs support, but Trina needs support too. She bets the only reason Spencer isn’t reaching out is because he doesn’t want to put pressure on Trina. But if Trina needs him, let him know. She won’t regret it.
Molly says she appreciates Kristina looking out for her, and Kristina says, it’s usually the other way around. She was always jumping from one thing to the next, getting herself in these difficult situations, and leaving an absolute mess in her wake. But there she was, her Molly, cleaning up her messes. Molly says she just never wanted Kristina to get in trouble, and Kristina asks if Molly remembers doing her homework for her. Molly was like three grades below her and would do her homework. She covered for Kristina when she was in trouble with mom, and comforted her when she cried or was upset. Molly always took care of her. Molly says, not always. She didn’t take care of Kristina when her abusive boyfriend Kiefer Bauer was beating her up.
Betty comes into Pozzulo’s with Avery, who runs to Ava, hugging her. Avery tells Ava that she can float on her back, and Ava says she’s so proud of Avery. Betty says, Avery had a terrific lesson. She could barely get Avery out of the water when it was time to go. Sonny says he wants to hear all about it, but right now he wants Avery to stay with Frank. He and Betty need to have a conversation. Maybe Frank can give Avery some biscotti. Frank says, sounds good, and Sonny, Ava, and Betty go into Sonny’s office. Sonny says he knows it’s Betty’s first day and Avery seems to like her a lot. That’s important to him. Betty says, he has a wonderful daughter, and he says, anybody who can make his daughter that happy, is okay by him. Betty asks if he’d like her to take Avery to his place, but he says, no. She can pick Avery up there tomorrow morning. They’re not going to need her for the rest of the day. He gives her some cash, she thanks him, and she leaves. Avery and Frank are playing cards while they have biscotti, and Betty tells Avery, see you tomorrow. Ava comes out, and Sonny says he has a phone call to make, closing his office door.
The man says, Laura seems like a nice woman, but it’s obvious her son has left her. It must be painful. She says she doesn’t believe her son would just leave her. He has kids and she doesn’t believe he’d abandon them. Maybe he was forced to leave. The man says he’s sorry. He wishes he could help her, but there’s nothing he can do. Please show themselves out. He leaves, and Valentin says, where do they go from here?
Charlotte tells Lulu that the other girls talk about doing things with their mothers; shopping, getting manicures, going away for the weekend. She just smiles and pretends it’s okay. Sam and Grandmother take her out, but it’s just not the same. She never actually told her friends what really happened to Lulu. If she doesn’t tell them where Lulu is, she can believe it isn’t real; that she’s just away for a little while, and she’ll be back soon. So she has to wake up. Charlotte puts her head down on the bed and cries.
Esme says, it’s such a beautiful day. As soon as Ace wakes up, why don’t she and Spencer take him to the park? He says he has a better idea. Why don’t they take him to the MetroCourt pool, and they can dip his feet in the water. He’ll love it. She says, yes, absolutely. She just got him a bathing suit and he has a matching hat. He’ll look adorable. She goes into the other room, and Spencer opens the front door. Trina is there, and he says he’s surprised to see her… in the best way. She says she’s sorry for just showing up without calling, but he says, don’t apologize. Come in. She’s always welcome here. She says she’s glad to hear him say that. These last few days have just been really hard, and she’s missed him. He hugs her, and Esme watches.
Carly goes into Sonny’s office, and Ava asks, what brings her here? Carly says she came to pick up Avery. Avery is coming with her for a sleepover with Donna and Josslyn. Sonny says he appreciates her doing this on short notice, and Ava says, how short? When did Sonny set this up? Carly says, he called her just a few minutes ago. What’s going on here?
Kristina asks why Molly would bring up Kiefer. She hasn’t thought about him in years. Molly says, really? and Kristina says, no. That’s not true. She just doesn’t like to admit how often she does think about that time in her life, but she does. Especially now, working with troubled teens. So many of them are in abusive relationships, and it just brings her back to Kiefer. She tries to help them, but she can’t even help herself. Molly says she should have helped Kristina. She knew something was wrong and she should have said something. She could hear Kristina crying in her room every night, and she knew something was wrong. Every time she asked Kristina, Kristina got upset and said to leave her alone. So she did. She’s so sorry. She should have pushed harder to get Kristina to open up. Kristina takes Molly’s hand, and says, she has nothing to be sorry for. It’s on her. She couldn’t find a way to get herself out of that hole. Sometimes she wonders if that’s when everything started. Molly says, when what started? and Kristina says, her life just derailed when she was with Kiefer. Ever since then, she tries, but she’s never been able to get it back on track.
Michael opens his office door to Nina, who thanks him for seeing her. She knows she’s not his favorite person right now. He asks what he can do for her, and she asks if they can make peace for Willow’s sake.
Sonny says he just thought Avery would like to spend some time with her sisters, and Carly says, whatever. The girls will be thrilled to have Avery. They walk out, and Carly tells Avery, let’s get this sleepover started. Avery heads for the door, and Carly looks at Sonny and Ava. She says, whatever, and follows.
Nina says she and Willow had a wonderful visit the other day, but Michael says he doesn’t quite remember it that way. She says, if he remembers correctly, she was at the hospital checking on Sasha, he stepped outside, and she and Willow made significant progress. He asks, what exactly does that mean? and she says, it means she and Willow communicate better when he’s not in the room. He says he’s pretty busy, so can she get to the point? and she says her point is, at best, he just tolerates her and wishes she wasn’t in Willow’s life, but she’s Willow’s mother. Michael says she’s mentioned that once or twice, and she says she now knows Willow is open to the idea of them having a relationship. And she’s wondering, is he open to that too?
Molly says, Kristina has gotten her life back on track. Look what she’s doing with the youth center. She’s going to make a difference in these kids’ lives. She thought that made Kristina happy. Kristina says, it does, but she doesn’t know if she’s enough for them. These kids are so desperate for help, and she doesn’t know if she has the skills or the tools to adequately help them. Soon her center is going to be up and running, and her name is going to be on that building, but it’s not going to be hers. She thinks she’s been fooling herself this whole time, thinking she can make a difference and help these kids, but she doesn’t know if she can. Molly tells her, don’t say that. She knows Kristina can. Kristina says, stop. Molly is here with an injured leg and she’s doing it again; she’s comforting Kristina. Molly says, because that’s what she does when she loves someone. And before Kristina talks herself out of being useful to these kids, take the time to educate herself. No one knows how to take on a project like that without experience. So take some classes. Study management. Talk to people who’ve done this before. She can do this. Kristina asks why she’s so sure, and Molly says, because she believes in Kristina. She’s just got to believe in herself.
Esme says, Spencer told her about Trina’s dad. She’s so sorry. It must be so scary thinking he could be paralyzed. Trina says, it’s been awful, and Esme says she’s going to check on Ace. He’s about to get up from his nap and she’s going to take him to the park. She leaves, and Spencer says he’s so sorry for what Trina’s going through. How is she holding up? She says she’s so worried for Curtis. She’s trying to stay strong for her mom, but she doesn’t know what to do to make her feel better. He says he does. Stay away from him.
Laura asks if Valentin think the owner would mind if they had a look around the house, and he says, she could ask him, but he doesn’t think they’re going to find any clues around here. She says she guesses he’s probably right, but she did get the feeling he was telling them the truth. He says, they need to regroup; think of somewhere else Nikolas could be hiding. She says, what if he’s not hiding? What if he’s being held against his will? Victor could have turned on him just like he turned on Valentin and Spencer. Valentin says, Victor’s dead. Nikolas could be anywhere. Doc is probably back at the hotel by now. Let’s get the hell out of here.
Dante says it’s tough for Charlotte to see her mom like that, but the doctors say maybe she can hear them, so it’s important they’re here as much as they can be. Charlotte says she knows. She just wants her mom to come home – their home. She went by there the other day and looked in the window. It made her sad. Everything was covered in sheets and so quiet. Not like it used to be. He says, they had some really good memories there, didn’t they? and she says she just doesn’t like seeing it so empty. She bets mom would want someone to live there.
Trina says, the last thing she wants is to stay away from Spencer. She needs him more than ever. He’s the thing that gives her strength to hang on right now. He says he thinks she’s the first person who’s ever said that to him, and she says she doesn’t care what people say. They don’t know him like she does. She needs him. He says he’s always here for her, but he thinks it’s going to add a lot of stress to her mom’s life right now if she knows he’s spending time with her. She says she hates to admit it, but she thinks he might be right. She doesn’t want to stay away from him, but it would probably be best to keep their relationship low key for now. He says, yeah, he gets it. He’s the last person her mom wants to see, so he’ll steer clear of her, and if Trina needs him, he’ll be here whenever. She says, now would be a good time, and they kiss.
In the bedroom, Esme tells Ace, sorry, buddy. She wanted to take him to the pool today, but his big brother has other plans. She guesses that means Trina is more important than they are. It’s just her and him; they’ve only got each other. Unless she takes steps to change that situation.
Michael says he’ll support any decision his wife makes. If she wants to have a relationship with Nina, he has no problem with that. She tells him that his attitude says otherwise, and he asks what she’s trying to say. She says, while he’s polite to her somewhat in front of Willow, it’s clear he wants nothing to do with her and just wants her to go away. Willow knows that, and it’s just a matter of time before Wiley and Amelia feel it as well. She knows she’s made mistakes. She just wants to rectify them and make peace. Kristina barges in and asks if she’s interrupting something, but Michael says, no. Nina was just leaving. Nina says she guesses she was just leaving, and asks Michael to please give her a second chance. That’s all she’s asking. Whether he likes it or not, they’re family and she’s not giving up. She gives Kristina a quick kiss as she goes by, and when she’s gone, Kristina asks why Michael is being such a bastard to Nina.
Dex goes over to Josslyn, who’s lying on a chaise lounge, and she says she wanted to ask him something. Trina said she saw him earlier, and it looked like he was doing surveillance on Avery and her nanny. Does he want to tell her what that’s about? He says, Sonny asked him to keep an eye on Avery and the new nanny, so he was tailing her. Josslyn says, Avery’s her sister, so she kind of has a right to know, and he says he’d tell her if he knew, but Sonny hasn’t shared the details. But he thinks it has something to do with Ava Jerome.
Ava says, please tell her that he’s not bringing Carly into this. Sonny has to promise her that he’s not going to tell Carly what she did to Nikolas. He says, that she killed him? and she says, it was an accident. She didn’t mean to do it. He says he won’t tell Carly about Nikolas unless he has to, and she asks what that means. He says, the good thing is, Betty bought his act. She thinks she’s spying on him, but it’s the other way around. She’s going to lead them to whoever’s behind this. And when he finds them, they’re not going to know what hit them.
On Monday, Sonny asks if Anna is still planning to use herself as bait; Kristina says she thought someone would never ask; Tracy says, Gregory is surprisingly charming; Martin says, it must be his lucky night; and Drew tells someone, get the hell away from him.
These are great! How come I never catch my pets doing this stuff? By the time I get the camera, they get bored and walk away or they’ve moved on to something else. I have a lot of pictures of tails.
Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it. – François de La Rochefoucauld
It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little; do something. – Sydney Smith
You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. – Richard Bach (I’m not too sure about that past thing… maybe a different viewpoint of the past.)
Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore Vail
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. – Carl Jung
Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. – Jim Rohn
I don’t do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I’m proud to be a troublemaker. – Sinead O’Connor
So let me get this hetero-straight. So you’s a vampire, that can come out in the daytime? … Oh there goes the damn neighborhood. – Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), True Blood
🔮 I Ain’t Got No Crystal Ball…
Come back for more soap and tea on Monday really Tuesday. FYI, Below Deck Down Under is airing a new season on Mondays, but I’m Decked out. Until then, stay safe, stay always being polite to waitstaff, and stay talking to people who’ve done it before when you take on a big project without experience.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Laura thanks Ava for letting her stop by; she knows it’s late. Ava says, Laura told her it’s important, and invites her in. She asks, what’s up? and Laura says she’s worried. She has to find a way to help Nikolas. Ava says, and Laura came to her? and Laura says, Ava probably knows him better than anyone else now. She’s hoping Ava can shed some light on why Nikolas is afraid. What does Victor have on her son?
Dante says, Miss Prince? and introduces himself. He says, they’ve met before. Can she tell him what happened to her? She looks around, and asks, what happened? He says, she’s being treated for hypothermia, and she asks, why? He says he was hoping she could tell him. And also where she’s been hiding out the last six months.
Spencer says he knows Nikolas claims he’s there out of concern for him, but he always has an ulterior motive. What is it? Nikolas says his motive is his family, and Spencer says, right. He tells Trina, if she doesn’t mind, he’d like a moment alone with his father. They step away, and Trina tells Elizabeth, that seemed intense.
Nikolas says, finding Esme like that must have been a shock, and Spencer asks Nikolas to level with him for once. Is his psycho ex-girlfriend carrying Nikolas’s kid?
Cameron is closing up Kelly’s, when Scotty comes in, and asks what he’s doing here. Cameron says, working, and Scotty asks why he’s not out and doing what young people do on New Year’s Eve. Cameron says, technically, it’s January 1st, and Scotty says, his point exactly. Why isn’t he out with that beautiful girlfriend, bringing the New Year in with a bang?
Dex and Josslyn bask in the afterglow on the couch, and Dex asks how she is. She says, from one to ten, eleven, and he says, him too, and kisses her. He says he meant what happened on the dock. Someone tried to kill her tonight. She says, oh, that. She feels lucky and uneasy, but somehow here with him, she feels safe. He says, she is, and kisses her.
Obrecht says, Britt’s dress is torn. Is she bleeding. Britt starts to walk, and drops to the floor. Obrecht asks, what’s wrong? and Britt says she guesses she had more to drink than she realized. Obrecht says she’s calling for help, but Britt says, don’t. Obrecht says, obviously, something is wrong, and Britt says, it’stoo late.
Josslyn says, this wasn’t the plan, and Dex says, it’s not like he never thought of it. She says she’d just try to push those thoughts down, and he asks, why? She says, he works for Sonny, and she’s never going to be okay with that. All those lies she used tell herself, that Sonny was actually an honorable man and his behavior was justified? She’s never going to tell herself those lies again. Her phone dings, and Dex hands it to her. She sees a text from Cameron: NYE re-do when I’m off work? Can’t wait to see you.
Cameron says, it’s Scotty’s lucky day; it’s the last one. He puts a plate in front of Scotty who says, a brownie. He’s not going to touch it yet. He texted his schnitzel to come join him. Cameron says, he didn’t ring in the new year with Dr. Obrecht? and Scotty says he was at Britt’s birthday party, but got a call from a client, and had to go. Cameron asks if someone spilled champagne, fell, and broke their hip, and Scotty says, collarbone. Cameron says, and they’re suing? and Scotty says, it will keep him in brownies until 2024. Cameron says, sounds like he should work for Scotty, and Scotty says, if Cameron every needs any money or anything… Cameron says he’s fine, but Scotty says, Cameron has to squeeze in some fun. It’s true what they say; life is short.
Obrecht tells Britt not to be defeatist. It’s not a good look on anyone, especially her. It’s only a scratch. How did this happen? Obrecht cleans the wound, and Britt says, Obrecht knows her; two left feet. Obrecht says, the Huntington’s? and Britt says, it definitely doesn’t help. She suggests getting Britt home, cleaned up, and in bed. No MetroCourt. She wants Britt to stay with her. Britt says, Obrecht never made a toast, but Obrecht says she thinks Britt’s had enough for tonight. She can barely keep her eyes open. Britt says, humor her. It’s her birthday. Obrecht picks up a glass, and says, to many more nights like this, draining the glass. She says she’s been thinking a lot about wasted time lately, and Britt says, her too. Obrecht says she wasn’t affectionate enough; too focused on molding Britt. Too focused to appreciate her, and Britt was unable to see the plain truth. Britt’s life was a miracle, and she robbed them both. She never held Britt enough, and never held her brother at all because she gave him up. She didn’t even get to hold him at the end. Britt coughs up blood, and Obrecht says, Britt’s not drunk, and this isn’t Huntington’s. What’s happening to her?
Laura tells Ava, Nikolas led her to believe he was in pretty big trouble. He wouldn’t tell her what it was, but he did say his Uncle Victor could either save him or ruin him. Does Ava have any idea what he was referring to? Ava flashes back to Esme falling off the parapet, and says she wishes she could tell Laura, but as they both know, Nikolas doesn’t tell her everything. Laura says she’s sorry Nikolas hurt Ava. What he did to her was unforgiveable, but she remembers a time when the two of them shared everything. Ava says she thought so too, but now she’s questioning everything, even the happy moments, and Laura says, she knows for a fact Nikolas regrets his choices. If she’s being perfectly honest, she has a few regrets too.
Nikolas tells Spencer to keep his voice down, and Spencer says, Nikolas thinks he can keep this a secret. When Esme wakes up, she’s going to blow Nikolas out of the water. He doesn’t know how pregnant she is, but he knows it’s definitely not his, which leaves Nikolas. They see a nurse go into Esme’s room, and Trina wonders if that means she’s awake.
The nurse tells Esme that she’s paged the doctor, and he should be here soon. Esme asks for water, but the nurse says she’s not cleared for that yet, and Dante says, stop stalling. Esme says she’s not stalling; she’s freezing. The nurse says she’ll get another blanket, and leaves. Dante asks if Esme wants him to repeat the question, calling her Miss Prince. Esme asks why he keeps calling her that.
Nikolas sees TJ headed for Esme’s room, and asks how she is. TJ says, that’s what he’s about to find out, and goes inside. Nikolas tells Elizabeth, this is unacceptable. What’s the point of being on the Board if no one tells him anything? Elizabeth tells him to come with her, and they leave. Trina says, Spencer’s dad is really invested in Esme, and Spencer says, she has no idea. She asks what they were talking about, but he says, nothing important. She says, it didn’t seem that way, and he says, that’s the thing about Cassadines. Our conversations always seem fraught. It’s part of the mystique. They should be celebrating; their plan worked. They lured The Hook out of hiding by pretending to be together. She says she’s not so sure they did.
TJ says, any nausea or headache? but a shivering Esme shakes her head. He says, what about tenderness? and she says, no. TJ asks the nurse to order him a fetal heart monitor, and an OB consult with an ultrasound. Esme asks why he’d need that, and he asks, when was the last time she felt the baby move? She says, baby? and looks under the blanket. She says, oh my God. I’m pregnant?
Ava asks what regrets Laura could have, and Laura says she hates that her son couldn’t be a better husband to Ava. Ava says, that’s his fault, not Laura’s, and Laura says, maybe. But looking back, she repeatedly encouraged Ava to stay with Nikolas. Maybe she shouldn’t have done that. Ava asks how Laura could have known that. Nikolas, and Nikolas alone, is at fault for the demise of their marriage. So she doesn’t want to hear about regrets; not Laura’s anyway. Laura says she doesn’t like to think of herself as naïve, but she thought Nikolas’s relationship with Ava could make him a better man. Ava says she thought so too, and for a while she thought it did. She guesses they’re both naïve.
Josslyn hurries to get dressed, and Dex tells her to slow down, but she says she can’t. She has to talk to Cameron. He says, it’s after midnight, but she says she can’t let Cameron go into the new year thinking they’re something they’re not. It’s not fair. He asks if she regrets it, and she says, this? No. But it was wrong for her to give in to her feelings for Dex while she was still with someone else. She owes Cam the respect of a conversation. He’s not just her boyfriend, he’s… Dex says, her best friend. He gets it. She says she’s about to break Cameron’s heart, and Dex starts getting dressed. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, there’s a killer on the loose, and she’s out for Josslyn. He can’t let her go by herself. She says, Cam can’t see him, but he promises to stay out of sight. She almost died tonight. She’s not going anywhere alone.
Cameron asks if Scotty saw Josslyn at Britt’s party, and Scotty says he didn’t, but he told Cameron that he had to leave early. Cameron says, it’s just that he texted her, and hasn’t heard anything back, and Scotty says, they’re good, right? Cameron says, yeah. They’ve just been super busy; him with soccer, her with volleyball. Now that it’s winter break, they’re going to be spending a lot of time together. As soon as he’s done here, he’s going to do a New Year’s do-over. Scotty asks what he’s doing? Go grab her.
On the phone, Obrecht says, please hurry. She’s having an anaphylactic reaction of some kind. Obrecht goes back to Britt, and says, because of the holiday, the closest ambulance is ten minutes out, but they’ll be here. Britt says she was coming back for Obrecht, and Obrecht asks if she’s in pain. Britt shakes her head, and says she wanted more time with all of them. Obrecht says she’ll have more time. She’s just having some sort of immune response. Britt says she didn’t want to die alone, so she came back. Now it’s close. Obrecht says, she’s not making sense, and Britt coughs. Obrecht says she’ll drive Britt to the hospital herself, but Britt says, they won’t make it. Obrecht asks what she means. The hospital is a few blocks away, and she’s an excellent driver. Britt says, the scratch is from a hook. She’s been poisoned. Obrecht can’t save her.
Outside Kelly’s, Dex says he’ll be here if Josslyn needs him, and she says she doesn’t know how she’s going to do this. Inside, Scotty tells Cameron to seize the day, and Cameron says he’s going to do it. Seize the day. He starts to leave, when Josslyn walks in. He says he literally was just about to look for her, and she says, they need to talk. Ugh. No guy ever wants to hear those words.
Ava laughs, and says she was thinking how horrified Laura was when she discovered Ava was her new daughter-in-law. Laura says, Ava wouldn’t be her first choice, and Ava says, who could blame her? Laura’s his mom. Laura says, Nikolas doesn’t see it that way. He thinks she oversteps and judges too harshly. Maybe he’s right. Ava says she wishes she’d been the kind of mother Laura is. If she had been able to set aside her anger and sadness, and had been there for Kiki… Laura says, no. Don’t do this to herself. Look how much she’s there for Avery. She’s setting a great example by showing Avery that she’s not accepting less than she deserves. Ava thanks her, and not just for saying that, but for always being so kind to her, despite all the bumps in this very tumultuous road. Laura says, being with Ava is the happiest she’s seen Nikolas. The fact that it fell apart… Ava says, it feels like a failure, and Laura says, divorce always does; it’s like a death. How is Ava dealing with that? Ava says, vodka helps. She’s not going to lie. She’s mad as hell at Laura’s son. Laura asks what she intends to do about that.
Nikolas says he should have put the Cassadine Island plan in motion earlier, and Elizabeth tells him, stop. That ship has sailed. Esme could be in there telling the police where she’s been all this time. Do they need to call Scotty? Should she call her boys and tell them she’s about to be arrested? He says he won’t let that happen, and she asks, how? He’s going to be in the police van next to her. He says he needs to make a call, and walks off.
TJ asks if Esme knows what day it is, and she asks, what’s happening to her? He says, she’s safe. Everything is okay, and she’s going to be fine. Does she know where she is? She looks at Dante, and tells TJ, he said this was a hospital. TJ says, it’s normal to be confused after a medical event, so why doesn’t she start by telling him her name? She says she can’t.
Spencer says he thought Trina would be thrilled they don’t have to pretend anymore, and she says, assuming Esme is The Hook. He says, not this Ryan Chamberlain theory again, but she says, think about it. Esme is pregnant; like pregnant pregnant. Can he really see her out there, attacking people, getting the best of someone like Rory or Ava? He says he doesn’t know, but he does know he’s not going to stand here while Esme ruins both of their lives. Dante comes out, and Elizabeth asks, how’s Esme? Spencer asks if she’s talking, and Trina asks if she’s awake. Dante says, she’s awake, and Spencer asks if she confessed. Dante says, she’s not saying much of anything, and Spencer says, of course (🍷). She’s probably already lawyered up, but Trina says she doesn’t think that’s it. Why isn’t Esme talking? Dante says, she claims she doesn’t remember anything.
Obrecht tell Britt that they have to move, but Britt says she can’t. Obrecht says, she has to try; the hospital will have an antidote. Britt says, no time, and coughs. She says she’s glad she came back. She’s glad she’s with Obrecht. In the beginning, and in the end. Obrecht says, this is not the end. There must be something she can do. Britt says, hold her like she wanted to hold Nathan, and Obrecht gets down on the floor, taking Britt in her arms. She cries as she says, Britt could talk before she could walk. So intelligent, so brave. Into everything. She remembers one evening she looked away for two minutes, and Britt managed to open her briefcase pulled out the contents. Fine motor skills that should have been beyond her. Britt had gotten hold of a pen and drawn all over herself. She was annoyed, but she should have kissed Britt, and smiled at how silly and wonderful she looked. She should have picked Britt up, and kissed her and kissed her, instead of scrubbing her up, and putting her to bed. Britt is starting to fade, and Obrecht says, all those kisses she never gave Britt. All those nights she put Britt to bed, and never once rocked her to sleep, her precious girl. My schone tochter. She realizes Britt is gone, and kisses the top of her head, and says, I love you, sweetheart. Mama loves you.
Scotty tells Josslyn and Cameron to have a good New Year’s, and leaves. Josslyn asks if they can sit, and Cameron says, of course (🍷). They sit down, and he asks, what’s going on? She says she really doesn’t want to do this, and he says, do what? She cries, and says, things have changed between them, and she really can’t ignore it anymore.
Laura gets her coat, and tells Ava, just for the record, she knows Ava owes Nikolas nothing. Ava says, less than that, and Laura says, but if Ava thinks of something that could help Nikolas get out from under Victor’s thumb, could Ava just tell her? Ava’s phone rings, and she says, Laura’s son has impeccable timing. She asks what Nikolas wants, and he says, what Ava wants; not to be implicated in a crime. Esme is at General Hospital. Ava asks if anyone knows she’s there, and he says, the PCPD for starters. They’re questioning her as they speak. They need to get their story straight about what happened that night on the parapet. Ava says she’s leaving now, and Laura asks, what happened? Ava says, Esme Prince has been apprehended.
Trina says, this is crazy. Esme is suffering from memory loss? Dante tells her, that’s what Esme is saying, and Spencer says, that is a load of… crap. She’s lying. Dante says he has to the update station, and steps away. Nikolas joins them, and asks what Dante said. Elizabeth says she’ll fill him in, and leads him away. She tells him, Esme claims she doesn’t remember anything, and Nikolas says, anything about the last few weeks? but she says, sounds like about anything at all, and Nikolas wonders, what the hell is her angle now?
Trina wonders if Esme could really not remember who she is, but Spencer says, no way. It’s just one more in a long line of Esme’s tricks. She says, but what if it’s not? and he says, believe him, it is.
Esme tells TJ that she’s scared.
Cameron says he doesn’t understand, and Josslyn says, they’re growing apart. He says he knows he hasn’t been around a lot. He’s just been busy with soccer, his brothers, and work. She says, it’s not that, and he says, then they’ll spend more time together, but she says, it’s not about physical distance. It’s about her, and what she feels. He asks if that’s changed, and she says, yes. He says, relationships evolve, right? They grow, and they’ve been through so much in the last year. She says she kept telling herself that too. And that if they cared about each other enough, they can recapture what they used to have. He says, haven’t they? He’s sorry; he’s confused. He thought things were fine. She says, things aren’t fine. They’ve been struggling. He knows this; they talked about this. He says he knows they talked about it, and then they… She says, they had sex. She thought it would fix things, but it didn’t. He says he thinks they need to talk about this. Think it through, and figure out a way to get back to where they were. She says, no, they can’t, and he says, that sounds final. She says, it is, and he says he sees. She didn’t come here to fix things. She came here to break up with him.
On the phone, Dante says he hasn’t figured out yet where Esme was when Britt Westbourne was attacked, but he has her personal belongings… He’ll bring them to the lab to be analyzed. It’s a bag of her personal belongings; clothes mostly, and a Christmas ornament. See if CSI can do something with it. Spencer walks over, and Dante says he’ll call them back with any updates. Spencer asks Dante, please tell him that he isn’t falling for this.
Ava comes out of the elevator, and sees Trina. She asks if there’s any news on Esme. She heard Esme was here with the cops. Trina says, she claims she doesn’t remember anything, and Ava says, nothing? Trina says, apparently. She’s surprised to see Ava here. Ava says, Nikolas called her, and Trina says she thought he would. But if Ava doesn’t suspect Esme of being The Hook, why come?
Nikolas says, there’s no way Esme has amnesia after everything she’s pulled, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t think Esme is faking it. He asks how she can say that, and she says, her best defense against The Hook allegations is that she was being held captive at Windymere all this time. She could send the police over there right now; there’s evidence all over the north tower. The truth is her alibi. Laura comes along, and says, what’s this about an alibi?
Cameron says, so that’s it? He and Josslyn are done? He gets zero say in the matter? She says she’s trying to be fair. She wants them both to be happy. He says he is happy. He thought she was too; clearly, he was wrong. He’s such an idiot. He gets up, and she follows, saying, he’s not. He says, he’s been going through life thinking everything was fine; meanwhile, his girlfriend’s miserable? She says she was never miserable. She could just feel them going in different directions, without that not same connection used to have. She starts to cry, and says she’s sorry, so sorry. She should have come to him sooner, but she’s so scared. The thought of losing him terrifies her. He says, and the thought of staying with him is worse? Does she still love him? She says she’ll always love him. She’s just not in love with him anymore. She knows that this changes things… He tells her, don’t say it. Don’t think for a second that they can be friends after this. She says, but she wants to. Please. He asks how they can do that when he’s still in love with her. He can’t just go back. Not now, and maybe not ever.
Scotty sees Obrecht on a bench at the hospital, and asks if she’s all right. She says she’s alone. She tried to protect them, and she’s still all alone. He says, she’s not alone. He’s right here. What happened? She tells him, she said she came back for me. What’s that mean? If she hadn’t come back… He asks, who? Look at him. If who hadn’t come back? She says, her Britta. She’s gone. Her little girl is gone.
Nikolas tells Laura that they were just wondering how Esme was going to talk her way out of this, and Elizabeth says, Nikolas told her that he’d talked to Laura about them. It must have been a shock. Laura says, actually, she’s mostly concerned about her grandchild; she’s concerned about all of her grandsons. She asks why Nikolas is here. Aside from being Spencer’s ex-girlfriend, she didn’t think he knew Esme all that well. He says, Esme’s action affected so many people In Port Charles… Elizabeth says, they just want to see Esme pay for what she’s done.
Ava tells Trina, Esme terrorized her. Esme set her car on fire, and left Kiki’s hospital ID next to it. Not to mention what she did to Trina. How could she not be here? Trina doesn’t think Ava will be as heated when she sees Esme, and Ava asks what that means. The nurse brings TJ the fetal heart monitor he wanted, and says she ordered the OB consult. Trina tells Ava, Esme is pregnant.
Cameron says he has to get back to work, and Josslyn grabs his arm. He tells her, don’t make this harder than it already is. Goodnight. He goes to the counter, turning his back to her, and she says, goodnight. She lingers at the door a moment, then leaves. Cameron cries, and outside, Dex asks if Josslyn is doing okay. She shakes her head, and he says he’ll take her home. Inside, Cameron yells in frustration.
Ava says, Esme is pregnant? and Trina says, and get this. Spencer doesn’t think the baby is his. Ava says, Spencer’s right, and walks over to Dante. Dante tells Spencer that what he believes is irrelevant, and Spencer says, Esme needs to go to prison whether she remembers what she did or not. Ava strides over, Trina following, and asks how far along Esme is, but Dante says he can’t give her that information. Trina asks if TJ said whether Esme was capable of physical violence, and Dante says, that’s also privileged information that he can’t give them. Ava says, so a wanted criminal’s right to privacy is greater than public safety? and Dante asks what she wants. Esme is being held and questioned. Ava says, she also heard Esme is saying she doesn’t remember anything. Dante had better take everything she says with a grain of salt. Does he hear her? He says he thinks the whole hospital hears her, and she says, at best, Esme is a conniving liar, who terrorizes people and torches cars. Trina says, and films people without their knowledge, and Spencer says, and frames innocent people for it. Ava says, at worst, she’s a murderer, responsible for a spree of brutal attacks, of which she’s a victim. Dante says, he gets everyone’s concern and interest, but he can’t give them answers yet. Nikolas asks if he and Ava can talk in private, and she asks when Esme conceived. He suggests they go somewhere quiet, but she says she’s fine where she is, and she asked him a question. Laura asks, what’s going on? and Ava asks if he isn’t going to answer his mother. Elizabeth says, now is not the time, and Ava asks if she hasn’t stood up for Nikolas enough. The baby Esme is carrying, it’s his, isn’t it? He says, yes, and she smacks him across the face, and says, that’s all she needed to know.
Scotty calls Nina, and tells her that he has horrible news.
Alone with Britt, Obrecht says, five years ago this month, she lost Britt’s brother. Now Britt has left her too. She can’t fathom it. A world without Britt’s brilliance, her humor, her utter determination. A world without her… Where does that energy go? It can’t just disappear. Their time together was far too short. She’s so proud to have been Britt’s mutter. To have witnessed the woman Britt grew up to be. Give Nathan a message for her. She whispers something in Britt’s ear, and kisses her forehead. She pets Britt’s hair, and says, Godspeed, Britta. Until we are all reunited.
Tomorrow, Nina knows something Maxie and Brad don’t; Ryan tells Heather to confess, so their daughter goes free; and Esme recognizes someone.
🐶 First, a PSA For Pet Owners…
This is hard to read, but it would feel wrong not to pass this info along. I’m really careful about treats I give my dogs.
Tomorrow, join me to find out what’s happening in Port Charles, and for more new year tea. Until then, stay safe, stay giving grace to yourself as well as others, and stay seizing the day, because life is short.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Britt’s cake is brought out by a shirtless waiter, and Brad says, they all know how much Britt hates the birthday song. Maxie says, but there’s one tradition they must insist on, and they both say, make a wish. Britt looks at everyone around her, and Finn looks at Elizabeth, who jets out of sight.
On deck, Trina says, she and Spencer should get back inside. People will wonder where they are. He says, that’s the idea; to get people wondering about them, so word gets back to Esme. Someone watches from the shadows.
Willow picks up a pair of 2023 eyeglasses, and Michael comes downstairs. He tells Willow that Wiley is completely zonked out, and she says, poor little guy. He was determined to make it until midnight. Michael says, he did see midnight, in London, and she says, it was genius on his part, but Wiley really wanted to stay up and ring in the New Year in Port Charles. She puts the glasses on him, and he says, there’s always next year.
Dante asks why Sam wanted to come to Kelly’s instead of staying at the restaurant, and she says, because nothing on their menu looked as good to her as an ice cream sundae. She hopes he’s not disappointed, but he says, nothing with her could disappoint him. He’s glad it’s just the two of them.
Outside, Josslyn apologizes for making bodyguard Steve wait outside. She just needs some privacy to talk to Cam. He tells her to take as long as she needs, and she goes inside. She sees Sam and Dante, and they all say, happy New Year. Dante asks, what brings her to Kelly’s on New Year’s Eve?
Laura says she’s not just worried about Nikolas; she’s worried about Spencer. If he knows something, he should tell her. He says he can’t, and she says, why? Has Victor threatened him? He says, no one is at risk if they play Victor’s game, but if she insists on taking Victor down, he’ll go down with him. Leave him alone, or she’ll lose her son. She says she’s not going to let Victor do this to him. Victor can’t take Nikolas away from her. He says, don’t be so sure, and she asks if he’s fallen so far that Victor is his only way back.
Esme says, one day Ace will go to school, and she’ll teach them about the fire triangle, the three things you need to start a fire; oxygen, fuel, and heat. She takes the matchstick out of her cardigan pocket, and smiles.
Britt says, she wishes… but Maxie says, don’t. Brad says, her wish won’t come true, and Britt says, forgive her; it’s her first birthday party. In a low voice, Austin tells her, there’s still time. She can change her mind and stay. She blows out the candles, but only on one part of the cake. Maxie says she knows Britt’s new to this, but tradition is that she blow out all the candles. Nina blows out the rest because she can’t help herself, and everyone applauds. Brad picks up a knife, and asks if Britt will do the honor of performing surgery on her cake. Britt’s hand trembles slightly, and Terry says, she needs the practice for all those surgeries she’ll be picking up while Britt is on vacation. She takes the knife from Brad, and cuts the cake. Britt squeals, and everyone applauds. Terry puts a piece of cake on a plate, and Brad says, the birthday girl gets the first slice, giving it to Britt. Drag queen Alyssa says, besides cake, they have another special treat for the birthday girl. Mommy dearest, you’re on. Obrecht takes the stage, and says, this is a song she sang at the Nurses Ball, which brought the house down if she does say so herself. Everyone cheers.
Finn finds Elizabeth on deck, and says he knows it’s none of his business, but he’s still a doctor and still cares about her. Drinking this early in her pregnancy isn’t good for the baby. She tells him, there is no baby.
Spencer tells Trina, just a little longer. They want everyone to miss them, remember? She says, this is a very dangerous game, and he takes her hand, saying, it’s not all a game. The lurker starts to walk out to the deck.
The woman behind the counter tells Josslyn that Cameron isn’t there; he’s filling in for one of the catering crew. Josslyn asks when he’ll be back, but she says, not until after midnight. Josslyn guesses she’ll have to talk to him another time, and tells Sam and Dante, happy New Year. She starts to leave, and Sam makes a face at Dante. He gets up, and tells Josslyn, wait. What’s the rush? Does she want to join them?
Nikolas says he’s the only one to blame for the errors in his judgement, and won’t let Laura get involved. She says she is involved, and he says, it’s like he made it his life’s work to disappoint her. She tells him not to say that. There is nothing he could ever do to make her stop loving him. The Cassadines have been trying to take him away from her since the day he was born, and she’s not going to let them win. He says he loves her fighting for him, but it’s not just about him.
Esme looks at the fire alarm, and says, it’s a long shot. She may get trapped, instead of finding a way to escape, but it’s the only chance she’s got. No. The only chance they’ve got. Brace yourself. It won’t be long now.
Scotty says, Obrecht was wunderbar, and Nina says, a real star. Too bad we didn’t get to see it. Britt hugs Obrecht, and says she wishes there could be an encore. Obrecht tells her, there will be if she has anything to say about it.
Finn says, what does Elizabeth mean, there’s no baby? and she says she had a miscarriage.
Nina tells Sonny, it may be Britt’s first birthday party, but she did it right. Everyone’s enjoying it. He says he’s happy as long as Nina enjoys it.
Trina says, the other guests must be asking about them by now, and Spencer says, if they are, then good. It’ll get back to Esme. She says, they should get back, and he says, yeah. They hear something, and she says, what was that? He says he doesn’t know, but we see it’s The Hook who’s lurking. She says, it’s probably the people at the party.
Willow says, it’s fine if Michael opens a bottle of champagne. She won’t feel deprived. He tells her, don’t be so noble; he knows she loves champagne. She says she does, especially the kind he buys. Since they have a rack full of it, open one. He says, so he can have champagne while she goes without? No. She says she’s happy with her sparkling cider, and he says, so is he. They’ll have champagne next year. She says she thought they were celebrating with Wiley next year, but he says, they can do both. Champagne for them, and cider for Wiley. They can wake up the baby, and they can ring in the new year together. She says, nothing says happy New Year like a screaming baby, but he says, maybe their daughter will be a night owl, and she’ll like staying up until midnight. She says, then he can be the one to get her back to sleep, and he says, she has his solemn promise. She says, what if she’s not here next year?
Finn says he’s sorry for Elizabeth’s loss, and she thanks him. She says she wouldn’t blame him if he said it was some kind of poetic justice, but he tells her that he’d never say that. She and Nikolas could try again. She says, she and Nikolas were never going to last. Ava knows, but she never told the boys. Not that he owes her anything… He says, they won’t hear it from him; no one will. She thanks him, and he tells her, happy New Year. He goes back inside, passing Terry, who’s on her way out to the deck. Elizabeth says, Terry probably wants to know what that was all about, and Terry says, when Elizabeth is ready, she’ll tell her, or not. They hug.
Scotty takes the mic, and asks for everyone’s attention. Sonny says, Scotty’s not going to sing, is he? and Scotty says, he couldn’t carry a tune if it had handles. So if there’s no more hecklers, let’s get on with this. They had great music, and had a great cake, but there’s one thing missing. Britt says, presents? and everyone goes, wooo!
Josslyn gets a sundae, and says, Dante and Sam are super dressed up. Are they going somewhere fancy to watch the ball drop? Sam says, they did fancy. Now they’re just enjoying sundaes. Josslyn says, it’s a fun way to start the new year. She bets they’re excited. Dante says he’s excited for all the cool projects they have planned, and Sam says, their New Year’s resolution is a do-it-yourself remodel of the den. What about Josslyn? Any resolutions? Josslyn says, to become a doctor, and Dante asks, since when? She says, a lot of it has to do with when she found Ava after she’d been stabbed. She felt so helpless; she didn’t know what to do for her. Then she realized she can learn what to do, so she submitted her application to switch her major to pre-med. Dante says, she’s going to be an incredible doctor, and Sam says, good for Josslyn, to go through something terrible, and find a positive way to take action. Josslyn thanks her, and says she hopes the police find Esme, lock her up, and throw away the key. Dante says he wants to catch The Hook too, but they don’t know that it’s Esme for sure. She knows what happens when they jump to conclusions, right? Sam asks what she’s missing, and Dante says, for a while, Sonny thought Dex was behind the killings.
Nikolas tells Laura that he should have never come back to Port Charles. He would have done everyone a favor if he’d stayed dead. She tells him, don’t ever say that. She was heartbroken when she thought she’d lost him, and that’s when Spencer began to spiral. Actually, she doesn’t think he ever recovered from it. They need Nikolas to fight for himself and fight for them. If he gives in to Victor now, Victor will never let go. He says, what if it’s too late? but she says, it is not too late. She’ll back him up with every possible resource she can muster. Everything, she promises. If he could have a clean slate – wipe it clean, and start over – would he do it? He asks if it’s possible, and she says, yes. It is. It’s never too late. It can start tonight. All he has to do is decide. Does he belong to Victor or does he belong to himself?
As The Hook raises her hook, Trina says she hopes Joss and Cam will join them before midnight, and Spencer says, they will, if Cam gets off in time. Maxie calls to them, and asks what they’re doing out here. They’re missing all the fun. The Hook shrinks back in the shadows, and Maxie says, there’s cake and birthday presents, and Spencer says, they were just getting a breath of fresh air. Maxie says, in the cold? and Trina says, they didn’t realize how long they were out there, handing Spencer back his coat. Spencer says, it didn’t feel that cold to him, and they all go inside, while The Hook goes back to lurking.
Esme takes an ornament off the tree, and says, something to remember their first Christmas by. She puts it in her cardigan pocket.
Taking the mic, Maxie says, after a slight delay to round up some stragglers, it’s time to get back to the business at hand. She tells Britt, some of her nearest and dearest worked together to give her a very special birthday present. Obrecht gives Britt a box, and Britt thanks everyone. She opens it, and says, a remote control. Brad says, bring it in, boys, and the waiters roll in a giant TV. Sonny asks if Nina has any idea what’s going on, but she says, just watch. Brad says, lights, camera, action, and tells Britt, press play. Obrecht says, Britta Westbourne, this is your life. A song presumably called I Am Here to Win plays, and pictures and videos of Britt’s life come on the screen – baby pictures, pictures of her growing up, her graduations, with Nathan, Nina, Obrecht, Finn, Terry, Epiphany <sniff>, Brad, Brad, Brad, Cody, Carly, Austin, and Spencer.
Josslyn says, if Dante is asking about what Sonny did to Dex, he already knows the answer. Dante says, Michael made some serious allegations, and Dex denied them, and Josslyn says, lucky him. Sam asks why Dante is lucky, and Josslyn says, because he doesn’t have to arrest his own father. Michael was worried, because he didn’t want Dante stuck in the middle, even though he is. Sonny put him there, and keeps putting him there. Dante says, Sonny has been who Sonny has been long before he came to town, and Josslyn says, there he goes, making excuses. Dante asks if that’s what he’s doing, and Josslyn says she can’t tell Dante how to feel. All she can tell him is how she feels, and she feels Sonny’s a fraud. All of that talk about honor and loyalty is just words; he doesn’t live it. Dante does. He’s a good cop. He puts his life on the line to protect and serve, while Sonny sits back and lets other people put their lives on the line. To what? Make him richer? Then when he almost kills someone, he expects them to lie and cover for him. Now Sonny is protecting her. Is she supposed to feel grateful? That’s not happening.
Britt’s Memory Lane ends with a video of her waving goodbye. Everyone applauds, and Brad says, speech. Britt thanks everyone, and says, that was… Brad says, fantastic? and Maxie says, terrific? Britt says, that was one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for her. She did prepare a speech, but being here now, and seeing their faces, faces she loves, she wants them to know how very, very much… She gets choked up, and Maxie says, blame Austin; it was his idea. Austin says, and in case she doesn’t want to haul a huge monitor around with her, they got her this cute digital frame. Maxie says, she, Brad, and Liesl have the password, so they can upload photos. That way, they can be with her, on vacation or where she goes. Britt hugs Austin, and thanks him.
Nikolas tells Laura, happy New Year, but she says she doesn’t think it’s midnight yet. He still has time to make a New Year’s resolution. He promises to think about what she said, and if there’s a way to disentangle himself from Victor… She says, they can manage on their own. Throw him out, change the locks, then stand back and dare him to do his worst. Because Nikolas isn’t just a Cassadine, he’s her son, and he’s Spencer’s father, and as long as they stick together, they’ll be just fine. She tells him that she loves him, and they hug
Esme tells Ace, no matter what happens, no matter how scary it gets, remember mommy is with you. Womb to tomb. She looks at the smoke alarm, and lights the match.
Nina and Sonny come out on deck, and she asks why he’s taking her away from the party. He says, don’t worry. He’ll have her back before the ball drops. She asks if he’ll have her back before she freezes to death, and he puts his arm around her, asking if she’s warm now. She says she’s getting there, and he asks if she remembers last New Year’s Eve. She says, when he was at Charlie’s, and he says he was at a tough point in his life. Dante grabbed his keys and wouldn’t let him go home, then Nina came along. She says she took him home, and thought that would be the end of them. That he’d sober up the next day, and go back to Carly. He says, here they are a year later. Is she sorry about how it ended? She puts her arms around him, and tells him, who said it was ending? They’ve only just begun. He tells her to kiss him, and she does.
Nikolas pours a drink, when the fire alarm goes off. He runs upstairs. In her now smoke filled room, the tree ablaze, Esme says, maybe this wasn’t such a brilliant plan after all. She watches the door.
Britt thanks Spencer for coming, and he says he woudn’t miss it for the world. She asks where his plus one is, and he calls Trina over. He says, there’s someone he’d like her to meet, and Trina wishes Britt a happy birthday. Spencer says he was telling Trina how much Britt means to him and how alike they are. Britt says she hopes not, and tells Trina, if she’s truly Spencer’s friend, make sure he doesn’t end up like her. He says he’d be proud to be like her, they hug, and Britt mouths he’s the best to Trina. Brad tells them, break it up. It’s the last dance before the year ends. He pulls Britt away, and Spencer asks what Britt said over his shoulder. Trina says she’ll never tell, and leads him onto the dance floor.
Josslyn tells Dante that she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to go off like that. It’s not the best way to ring in the new year. Sam says, Dante started it, and Dante says, he kinda did. Josslyn tells him, all she’s trying to say is that she thinks he’s awesome, and she’s sorry he’s stuck in this position. He thanks her, but says, don’t feel sorry for him. He’s a lucky guy for many reasons. Sam says, and don’t you forget it. She asks if she can make an observation, and Josslyn says, please; she has it coming. Sam says she thinks Josslyn is smart and strong, especially since she realizes she wants to become a doctor. Focus on that. Being hung up on Sonny is a waste. She has better things to do with her time. Josslyn thanks her, and says she’ll try to remember that. Dante says, it’s almost midnight. Times Square might have the crowds, but Port Charles has the fireworks. It’s a pretty good view. He asks if Josslyn wants to join them, and she thanks him for the invitation, but she wants to try and make Britt’s birthday party. They all wish each other a happy New Year, and Josslyn leaves. Outside, Josslyn tells Steve that she’s going to head home and change, then go to the party at the Haunted Star. Sonny will be there; he doesn’t have to worry. He follows her out of the gate.
Willow tells Michael, sorry. They were having such a nice time, and she… She was going to say killed the mood, but that sounds morbid. He says, she can be morbid, scared, or angry. She doesn’t have to put up a front for him. Wiley is a child and has to feel secure, so she has to pretend with him, but she doesn’t have to pretend with him. She says she’s not pretending. That’s the crazy part. As scared as she is that she’s going to die, this is the happiest time of her life. She loves him, she loves Wiley, she loves their daughter, she loves where they live, with his squabbling relative right up the driveway. There was a long time when she was alone, and now her life is so rich, and so full, beyond anything she could have imagined. Most of it came from him. He thinks her, but says he thinks he got the better half of the bargain. She changed his life. It wasn’t a bad life before. He’s been blessed with a lot, and knows he’s lucky, but with her, he has a connection he’s never felt with anyone. He loves the trust and compatibility. He know he sounds unromantic… She says, not to her. She feels compatible with him too. He says, hold that thought.
Nikolas unlocks Esme’s room, and goes in with a fire extinguisher. As he sprays it and calls her name, she runs out.
Michael shows Willow a ring, and says, remember this? She says, it’s his great-grandmother’s ring, and he says, to him, it’s Willow’s ring. It has been since she accepted it the first time. She says she gave it back when they had their marriage annulled, and he says he hated signing those papers. She says, so did she, and he says, it’s a family heirloom. He could have put it back with his great grandmother’s jewelry, but he held on to it, hoping she’d accept it again – but this time forever. He gets down on one knee, and asks her to marry him.
Esme runs out on the parapet, coughing. She says, let mommy catch her breath. Then they’re out of here. She hears a door close, and Nikolas is on the parapet with her.
Sonny and Nina come back inside, and Spencer says, nice up there, huh? Nina says, it’s beautiful, and Spencer says, they thought so too, putting his arm around Trina. Alyssa says, okay, party people. It’s that time. Out with the old year, and in with the new. So chill the champagne, grab someone you love, or at least you don’t hate, and get ready for the countdown. Finn looks at Elizabeth.
Nikolas tells Esme, she took her best shot. The fire is out, and there’s only one way out, which is down. Or did she forget last time? She says she hasn’t forgotten, and he says he knows she cares about the baby. Once they get to Cassadine Island, she’ll have everything she needs or wants until the baby is born. He promises her. Just take his hand. She hoists herself up, and stands on the wall. She looks down.
Everyone gets coupled up, and Finn starts to leave. Austin asks where he’s going, and Finn says, the emcee said you should be with someone you love, so he’s going home to bring in the new year with his daughter. He leaves, and Britt hugs Austin, thanking him for the gift. Being quiet about where she’s going has given everyone she loves something to remember her by. Alyssa begins the countdown, 10…9… 8…
Willow says, yes, with all her heart she’ll marry Michael. He puts the ring on her, and says, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. She says, as long as they both shall live, and they kiss.
7…6…
Dante wonders if he should have driven Josslyn, but Sam says, she has Sonny’s bodyguard. She’s probably having fun at the party right now. Truth? He says, of course (🍷), and she says she didn’t really want to share him tonight, and they kiss.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1! Happy New Year! Horns blow and noisemakers make noise, and Austin watches Britt slip out. Scotty kisses Obrecht, and Sonny kisses Nina. Spencer and Trina get close enough to kiss, but he blows a noisemaker instead. Elizabeth hugs Terry, and Terry says, it’s going to be a better year for Elizabeth; she promises. Elizabeth says, it has to be. For Terry as well. Terry says she’ll drink to that, and they clink glasses. Maxie asks if Austin has seen Britt, and Brad says, she’s missing the best part of the party. Austin tells them, say what you will about Britt, that woman knows how to make an exit.Happy New Year. The three of them clink glasses
Nikolas asks what Esme is doing, and tells her, get down. She says she’s survived the drop once before, and she’ll do it again. He watches as she falls backward.
All dressed up, Josslyn waits at the docks. So does The Hook, who comes out of the shadows.
Next week, Dante asks Sam what justice looks like when it’s applied to his father; Britt says, ten minutes before she says goodbye to Port Charles; Nikolas tells Elizabeth, no one is going to know; and The Hook comes for Josslyn.
Just a thought, but what the hell was Steve thinking, letting Josslyn wait on the docks all by herself? I knew she said Sonny was going to be at the party, but the party was not on the docks. He should have made sure she got on the boat safely. He’s fired.
🏈 No Soap Monday…
But if you like college football, you’re the lucky one.
All about kicking 2022 to the curb, and ringing in 2023. Mostly if you don’t have something better to do, like actually going out. We’ve decided we’ve done it all, and did it when it was safer and less expensive.
If your goal is to enjoy some genuine joie de vivre this holiday season, keep in mind that the simplest acts of generosity, connection, and self-care can offer the biggest rewards. – 11 Ways to Experience Holiday Joy
Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back a short distance correctly. – Jerry, The Zoo Story by Edward Albee
If you hear a voice within you say, you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. – Barbara Bush (Or your pets!)
🍾 Auld Lang Syning Off…
There’s no GH on Monday, and although there’s a new Deck, I’m postponing it a day, since I have a deadline on Tuesday. New Year’s Day isn’t exactly an ideal workday, so… Enjoy your journey into the new year, whether you celebrate or not. And don’t feel pressured to, or let anyone tell you how to feel about it. So until next year, stay safe, stay being true to yourself, and stay finding a positive way to take action when you go through something terrible.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Terry sees Finn at Britt’s party, and says, Elizabeth must have dragged him here, since it’s not his scene. She asks where Elizabeth is.
Elizabeth gives Nikolas a list of stuff Esme will need in the coming weeks, and he says he’ll take care of it. She says, and she’ll take care of Esme, and he says he appreciates all she’s done. She says she’s not doing it for him, and goes upstairs. The doorbell rings, and Nikolas opens the door to Laura, who tells him, Happy New Year. He says, it’s not a good time, and she says she’s sorry to hear that, and walks in.
Trina finds Spencer sitting on the deck steps on the Haunted Star. She apologizes for being late, and asks if he was waiting long. He says, it’s worth the wait; she looks beautiful. She says, him too… He knows what she means. He asks if she’s ready to do this, and she says, be seen together to generate a buzz? He suggests they post a photo on social media, and she says, they can make Esme jealous enough to become reckless. He says, one look at her, and mission accomplished, and takes the photo. Sonny and Nina board the boat, and Sonny says, when Kristina said she saw Spencer at Christmas, he said, that’s impossible. His nephew wouldn’t show up in Port Charles without coming to see him.
Michael meets Dex at the docks, and Dex says, Sonny’s cutting a deal. Michael asks, with who? and Dex says, with someone he’ll regret doing business with.
Esme’s door opens, and she says, oh, it’s Elizabeth. Kind of overdressed for nursing a prisoner, isn’t she? Elizabeth asks how she is, and Esme says, like she cares. Elizabeth says, Esme and her baby have been on her mind a lot lately, and Esme tells her, it’s not too late. Help her get out of here. Not for her sake, but for the baby.
We see a sign that says, Britch Fest! with a caricature of a woman (presumably Britt) in a martini glass. Britt comes in with Obrecht, and takes a drink from the tray of a shirtless waiter, saying, happy birthday to me. She and Obrecht clink glasses, and Obrecht says, he has nothing on mein Scotty. She goes off to find him, and Maxie and Brad join Britt. Maxie says, fashionably late she sees, and Britt says she wanted to make an entrance. Brad says she did; that ensemble is smokin’. Britt says, that’s the plan. Good job on the waiters. She knows it was Brad’s contribution. She tells Maxie, everything looks gorgeous, and Maxie tells her to note it’s prosecco, not champagne. Britt says, Maxie knows her well. Austin comes over and says, Maxie looks great. He knows Britt is his boss, but can he say, wow. She says, just for tonight, and Maxie says she and Brad are going to check on some other surprises they have up their sleeve. They leave, and Britt says, they went to so much trouble. Austin says, they love her and want to make her happy. So she should consider how they’re going to feel when they find out it’s their last opportunity.
Spencer says he’s sorry. He’d meant to come by and thank Sonny for looking out for him in Pentenville. He truly appreciated it. It’s just that so much has happened since he got out… Sonny says, relax. He’s just happy to see Spencer. They hug, and Spencer says, hopefully, he won’t need any more favors from Sonny. Nina says she was sorry to hear about Trina’s friend, Officer Cabrera, and Sonny says he heard Rory was a very good man. Trina says, he was a very good man; too good. Spencer says, Rory was there for Trina when she needed support, and Nina says, they’re going inside, and will see them later. Trina thanks Spencer for what he said about Rory, and for helping bring his killer to justice. Spencer says, she knows he’d do anything for her, but this isn’t just for her. He’s the one who brought Esme to Port Charles. That makes it his responsibility to rid the city of her forever.
Inside, Sonny says, looks like Britt went all out, and Nina says she appreciates him coming out with her. This is a bit more lively than their New Year’s Eve last year. He says she doesn’t have to thank him. He likes being by her side. She says, it’s important for her to be there for Britt. She, Britt, and Maxie made a sister pact, and they’ve been close ever since. She just wants more time with Britt. He says, Huntington’s is like Alzheimer’s. It’s a no joke disease, and she’s going to have a rough road ahead.
Austin tells Britt to just hear him out. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea, this whole running away thing. She swears if he starts hounding her, she’ll throw him overboard. And to be clear, she’s not running away. She’s making a graceful exit. He says, there’s still time to rethink that, but she says, not much. In four hours, when the countdown begins, and the topless hotties are topping off drinks, she’ll slip away, with a one-way ticket to destiny.
Finn asks where Yuri is, and Terry says, he’s sick. It’s adorable how the biggest, toughest men become babies when they get the sniffles. (She can say this because she’s not living with one.) He says, it’s a good thing Yuri knows a doctor, and she says, it’s nice to have someone to take care of, and be taken care of in return.
Laura says she knows Nikolas prefers she call before she comes over, but she didn’t want to give him the opportunity to come up with an excuse not to talk to her. He says, about what? and she says she spoke with his uncle. He asks what Victor said, but she says, no, Cyrus. She went to visit him in Pentenville. He asks what possessed her to do that, and she tells him, Cyrus said he had some information about their family. It got her to wondering what else she doesn’t know. He says, about Cyrus? but she says, about him. Nikolas told her that he’d betrayed all the people he loved the most. Can he tell her what he meant by that?
Esme says, Elizabeth cares so much about this baby, yet won’t help her, even though Elizabeth knows she didn’t hurt anyone. Elizabeth says, maybe Esme didn’t kill anyone, but she hurt a lot of people, her son included. Esme says, so this is about revenge, but Elizabeth says, it’s not. The way she sees it, Esme has two options. She can stay in this tower or face prosecution for the slew of crimes she’ll be charged with if Elizabeth turns her in. Esme says, there’s a third option. Set her free so she can leave town and raise her baby. Elizabeth asks why she’d do that. It wasn’t that long ago Esme threatened a hunger strike, and refused to take her prenatal vitamins. Esme says, she’s desperate. Can’t Elizabeth see that? She swears she’ll take care of this baby, but she needs to be free so they can be safe. Elizabeth says, on the run, no family resources, constantly looking over her shoulder. How is that any safer than a roof over her head, nutritious meals, and consistent care? Esme says, because she won’t have to live with the fear that Nikolas will kill her as soon as she gives birth.
Sonny asks where Nina went just now, but she tells him not to pay attention to her. It’s a celebration, and she refuses to be a buzzkill. He says, she can tell him anything, and she says she was thinking about her brother and Nelle, and how now she doesn’t get to see Wiley anymore. Her family is very small, and the thought of losing Britt… He says he gets it. He lost his dad; he lost Brando. Now he can’t see Michael or Wiley. Michael is going to have another child, and is he not going to be able to see that child? Probably not. She says, he has to pay a big price to have her in his life.
At Britt’s party, Sirens blare, and someone is brought out in a wheelchair. Drag queen Alyssa Edwards pops up, and spins around. She says, they’re all so hot, she may have smoke inhalation, and asks if there’s a doctor in the house. Brad says, yes, there is, and she loves to dance. He pulls Britt over, she and the Alyssa air kiss, and everyone starts to dance. I want to be at this party.
Nikolas says, he and Ava have been struggling for months, but Laura says, this is not about Ava. That’s not a reason Spencer would turn his back on Nikolas. His son just got out of prison; that should matter to him. He should be spending time with Spencer tonight, working on their relationship. Where is Spencer? Does Nikolas know? Does he care? He says, of course (🍷) he cares, and she asks what he’s done for his son to alienate him. She does know it’s New Year’s Eve, right?
Elizabeth says, if Esme is worried Nikolas is going to harm her, that’s not the plan. Esme says, maybe not the plan he shared with Elizabeth, and Elizabeth tells her, lie back, preparing to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. She says, maybe Esme is judging Nikolas based on her own standards. She’s wrong about Nikolas, and wrong about her too. She’s not going to let anything happen to Esme. They listen, and she says, strong heartbeat. Esme smiles, and Elizabeth asks if she’s in any discomfort or pain. Esme says, no, and Elizabeth asks if she has any other concerns. Esme says, what if there are complications? but Elizabeth says, so far, her pregnancy is progressing typically. Esme says, so far, but she’s only seen one ultrasound since she’s been pregnant, and nothing since. Elizabeth says she’s assisted in a lot of births – three of her own – and Esme doesn’t have to worry. Women have been giving birth since the dawn of time. Esme says, Elizabeth talks like she’s a patient in a maternity ward, and she’s not; she’s a prisoner. Elizabeth is right. She’s hurt people; people who didn’t deserve it, especially Cam. But what if Elizabeth is hurting the baby by helping Nikolas? Can she live with that?
Dex says, Sonny met with a representative from Pikeman Security Group, and Michael says, they’re military contractors. They do everything from weapon design to manufacturing logistics and private squads of soldiers. What do they want from Sonny? Dex says, they want to move their product through Port Charles; they want Sonny to facilitate. Michael says, Pikeman is paying Sonny to smuggle military weapons. That’s as illegal as it gets.
Trina says, maybe Spencer is the reason Esme came to Port Charles, but she’s responsible for the devastation she caused, for the lives she’s ruined, and the ones she’s taken… if it was Esme. He says, come again? and she says, Ava told her, Ryan is convinced Esme’s not the killer. He says, like they can trust a word Ryan… blinks, and she says, maybe not, but what if they’re wrong? What if Esme’s not the killer? What if it’s someone they never even suspected? Someone who could be on this ship with them at this very moment.
Britt puts her arms around Brad and Maxie, and asks where they got Alyssa. Maxie asks if she’s surprised, and Britt says, is she ever. She loves it all. She’s never going to forget this as long as she lives.
Austin looks at a waiter’s back, and says, it’s good he asked. It’s probably just a mole, but he’d get it checked out. The waiter moves on, and Obrecht asks if Austin is on the clock. Austin says, always. She knows how it is when people find out you’re a doctor. She says, that ends when you lose your license. She hasn’t always been his biggest fan, but he’s been a good friend to her daughter. She’s grateful. He thanks her for saying that. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Britt. She says she hopes it continues. Britt needs her friends now.
Terry asks Finn if Elizabeth is showing up later or… He says he’s really not sure, and she says, Elizabeth has been hard to pin down lately. She might have to page her at GH just to catch up. Is Elizabeth okay? He says he would be the wrong guy to ask.
Esme says, help her get away, so she can be free to raise her baby in peace, and Elizabeth says she was right. Esme does care about this child. Esme says she doesn’t know if she’s mom material. She can be selfish and willful, but she does know that even if neither of them is innocent, this baby is, and she wants to give him or her a better start in life than she had. Elizabeth starts to pack up, and says she’s going to ask Nikolas to order a portable ultrasound machine. Next time, maybe they can do a scan, and give Esme a picture of her baby. Esme asks, what if it shows something bad? and Elizabeth says, they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. If they come to it. She doesn’t want Esme to worry. She heads for the door, and Esme says, why worry when life is so wonderful. Have fun at your party. Elizabeth leaves, and Esme smiles at the Christmas tree.
Nikolas says he’s let Spencer down many times, but Laura says, that doesn’t explain why he had such a big reaction to Nikolas being unfaithful to Ava. He says, Spencer is disappointed that he’s set such a poor example, and she says, unless it’s not that Nikolas had an affair, but who he had the affair with. Who is she? He says he doesn’t want to discuss it, and she says she doesn’t really want to discuss it either, but this has affected their whole family, so she’d like to know. Elizabeth says she’s leaving now, and stops short when she sees Laura. She tells Laura hello, and says she didn’t realize Nikolas had company. Laura says, that makes two of them, and tells Elizabeth that she looks beautiful. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she’s going to Britt’s party. She’s going to be late, so she’d better go. Laura says, stay safe, have fun. Maybe they can get together soon. They have a lot of catching up to do. Elizabeth says she’d like that, and tells them, goodnight and happy new year. Nikolas says, happy new year to her too, and thanks her for stopping by. She leaves, and Laura says, please tell her it’s not Elizabeth.
Dex tells Michael, the Pikeman rep, a guy named Hume, handed Sonny a briefcase full of cash just for showing up. Michael says, so Sonny draws the line at drugs, but he’s willing to ship weapons of war, and Dex says, there’s only two reasons people want to ship under cloak of darkness. Either what they’re moving is dirty, or what they’re moving is being supplied to dirty people. Michael says, in this case, both, and Dex says, this deal is extremely lucrative for Sonny, but also extremely dicey. Michael says, this is it. This is how they bring Sonny down. Dex says, this isn’t like busting Sonny on RICO violations. Pikeman had contractors in Afghanistan; they’re heavy hitters. Think twice before messing with them. Michael asks if Dex is backing out.
Sonny says, the other day, Nina was worried about how she didn’t want to get close to Donna, but Nina says she was just having a moment. She didn’t mean to be so maudlin. He says he’s been thinking about what she said; that she didn’t want to latch on to Donna to fill a void. She says, it’s actually kind of embarrassing, that whole conversation, and he says, isn’t that what loved ones are supposed to do for us? Fill that space inside of us when we lose somebody or feel alone? She says she supposes so, and he says, that’s what she did for him. She takes his hand, and says, that’s what he does for her. He says he wants her to latch on to him, Donna, and Avery. She’s got more family than she knows. She kisses him.
Laura says, Nikolas cheated on Ava with Elizabeth? but he says he told her he doesn’t want to discuss it. She says, too late; he already confirmed it. Does he have any idea how fragile Elizabeth is right now? He says, it’s over, but she says, it doesn’t matter if it’s over; the damage has been done. No wonder Spencer is so upset; she’s family. Her sons are his cousins. What was Nikolas thinking? He says he and Elizabeth have a past, and she says, it should have stayed in the past. She thought the two of them were just friends. Does Finn know? He says, he and Elizabeth hate that they hurt Finn and Ava. That’s why they wanted to keep it quiet. They don’t want to cause any more pain. She says, no one will hear anything from her. But don’t kid himself. Secrets like this are impossible to keep. He notices the list Elizabeth left on the desk.
Dex says he’s not looking for a way out, and Michael says, good, because he needs updates on every step of this partnership between Sonny and Pikeman. He means names, dates, shipping container numbers, bills of lading, all of that. Dex says he just wants to be sure Michael knows what he’s getting himself into. Any evidence they get against Sonny will also be evidence against Pikeman. Who even knows how many laws they’re breaking by shipping this stuff? If they connect it back to him and Michael, it could get messy.
As he lights the candles, Esme says, Demetrius didn’t forget a single detail of that special meal she told him about. He remembered everything. He says, she doesn’t have to feel alone, and she pats the spot next to her on the bed, saying, join me?
Spencer puts his jacket around Trina’s shoulders, and she says, thanks, but no one’s watching them. He asks if he can’t be a friend while at the same time being a gentleman. With all due respect to Ava, he does think Esme is the likeliest suspect. She says, okay, boss. All due respect to Ava? That must have been some talk they had. He says, he and ava are never going to like each other, but Ava cares about Trina, and he knows Trina cares about her. That he can respect. She says she has something to clear up. At her party, she said they’re not friends. He says he recalls, and she says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean it. She was upset and hurt… He says he’s glad to hear it. Not that she was upset and hurt, but that they can still be friends. He doesn’t have many of those. She says, he has her, Joss, and Cam – and Britt. That’s respectable. He says, that would be the first time he’s heard the word respectable applied to him, and she says, there’s a first time for everything. He says he really is grateful, especially since he hurt them all, Britt included. She says, Britt means a lot to him, huh? and he says, she was always there when he was a kid. She stuck by his side from his bratty juvenile shenanigans to the wreck of things he’s made since he got back. He and Britt have a lot in common. They tend to push away the people in their lives they so desperately need.
Britt dances with Brad, Maxie, and one of the waiters. She dances over to Obrecht, who tells her, be careful. Don’t over-do it. Britt asks if that’s not what tonight is for, and Obrecht says she’s glad Britt is enjoying herself, she can’t get over tired; it takes a toll. Britt tells her, mutter, stop worrying, but Obrecht says she is Britt’s mutter; it’s her job to worry about Britt. Britt says, not tonight. Tonight, her job is to have fun. Please. It’s important to her. She’s so happy Obrecht has Scotty. Life will never be dull with him. Sonny brings Nina over, and Nina says, Britt looks cover worthy. Sonny says, great party, and asks how Obrecht is doing. She says, all is well, and asks them to excuse her; mein Scotty needs me. Nina asks Britt to please tell her that she’s having the time of her life, and Britt says she is. She says, Nina doesn’t need to look at her like that, and Nina says, like what? Britt says, like she’s the walking dead.
Terry asks Finn, what’s going on? and he says he and Elizabeth broke up. She says, Elizabeth didn’t breathe a word, and he says he’s not surprised. It was sudden. She asks, what happened? and they see Elizabeth walk in. She and Finn look at each other.
Nikolas grabs the list, and throws it in a drawer. He tells Laura that it pains him that he’s disappointed her again, but she says, it’s okay. She’s just worried about Spencer. He just got out of prison, and he’s coming home to this chaos. Nikolas says he’ll be a better father going forward, and Laura says, if Spencer gives him the opportunity. He says, Spencer can’t completely distance himself. His release is contingent on Victor’s custody, and Victor insists on staying at Windymere. She asks if he’s saying Spencer is legally in Victor’s custody, and he asks if it matters. She says, oh my God, yes. Victor only acts in his own self-interest. Sooner or later he’s going to use Spencer. She can’t let that happen. He asks what she’s going to do, and she says, whatever it takes, but he says, she’s no match for Victor. Leave it alone.
Britt says, they don’t have to pretend. Her mother told her that she told them. Sonny says, we just never know how much time we have in life. Look at Jason. What matters is what we do with the time we have. Nina says, how we spend our time; who we spend our time with. She takes Britt’s hand, and says, this party was a great idea. Sonny says, Jason would want to see her getting all she can out of life.
Finn walks off, and Terry says, got anything she wants to tell her? Elizabeth says, maybe one or two.
Alyssa takes the mic, and says, ladies, gents, them/theys and anyone else here to slay. Tonight is about honoring that other infamous Queen B. The MD with the B-day, Dr. Britt Westbourne. Everyone applauds, and Alyssa says, Britt’s partner in wine Brad tells her, when they’re not busy reading red carpet fashion for filth or murdering mimosas, their favorite pastime is dusting their karaoke competition. We have a mic. We have a stage. We just need two showboats willing to serve. Come make some noise for Brad and The Britch. Britt and Brad take the stage to cheers and whistles, and Britt asks what they’re going to sing. He says, it’s handled, and the music starts. They sing I Knew You Were Waiting (George Michael). There are more cheers and applause.
Terry asks why she had to find out from Finn that he and Elizabeth broke up. Explain yourself, missy. Elizabeth grabs a shot off a tray going by, and downs it. Alyssa goes on stage, and says, okay boys. Show the birthday girl what you’ve got. The waiters bring out a cake with lit candles, and Brad tells Britt, don’t worry. They all know how much she hates the birthday song. Maxie says, but there’s one tradition they must insist on. She and Brad say, make a wish, and Britt goes over to the cake. She looks at everyone around her, and says, okay.
Michael tells Dex, just get the evidence against Sonny. He’ll make sure it gets into the right hands, and doesn’t implicate either one of them. Dex says, if they expose Sonny, Sonny will have a target on his back; with the law and Pikeman. Michael says, he’ll be better off in custody, and Dex says, if he’s convicted of the charges he’ll be facing, he’ll be in prison for a very long time, possibly forever. Is Michael prepared for that? Michael says he always knew what Sonny was capable of; torturing Dex was a new low. This, running weapons through a back channel for a military organization, is not the father he knew. He doesn’t want Sonny near his family. So to answer Dex’s question, forever’s fine with him. I guess collateral damage isn’t a term Michael is familiar with? Or maybe how anyone else might feel? Like Sonny’s kids? Michael pisses me off.
Nikolas tells Laura, for his sake, don’t antagonize Victor. Victor can accuse him of terrible things. Laura asks if Victor has proof, but Nikolas says he can’t get into it. She says, then she can’t help him, and he asks what she means. She says, it’s not just about him. She’s also very worried about Spencer. If he knows something, he should tell her. He says he can’t, and she says, why? Has Victor threatened him? He says, no one is at risk if they play Victor’s game. But if she takes down Victor, she takes him down. Leave it alone or she’ll lose her son.
Esme sits at a small table in front of her finished dinner, and tells Demetrius, the steak is delicious. She’s sorry he couldn’t join her. He says he’s glad she enjoyed it, and she raises her glass, saying, to kindness, found in the most unexpected places. She pretends to swallow the wrong way, and starts coughing. She gets up, Demetrius handing her a napkin. He goes to the door, unlocks it, and she thanks him. She says, it’s meant more to her than he’ll ever know. Happy new year. He says, happy new year in Greek, and blows out the candles. He takes the tray out, and she takes a matchstick out of her cardigan pocket. She says, and happy new year to us, Ace.
Trina says, they should head inside, but Spencer says, five more minutes. She says, nobody will see them on deck, and he says, the buzz can be that they stole some time alone. She says, they’ll assume she got emotional, and needed some air. He says, and he came out to check on her, and she says, and she leaned on him for comfort? He buttons the jacket on her, and says, and in some combination of heightened emotions, and the twinkling lights… She says, and the waves and stars, and his warmth as he held her. He says, it brought back all of those old feelings; the ones they never acted on. She says, and they felt like the only two people on earth.
Tomorrow, Austin tells Britt to change her mind and stay; Laura asks if Nikolas could have a clean slate, would he do it; Michael asks Willow to marry him; Sonny tells Nina, they’ve only just begun; and Sam says, what was that?
🩺 The Doctor’s Back In…
Andre has always been a favorite of mine. This storyline should be fun.
I think it’s more likely the necklace was the reason. It at least factored heavily into the decision. I still wonder what he would have done had Felicia read the results.
If you’re brave, crazy, or both. I’ve never gone and never will. Back in the day, my roommate did the Times Square thing, while I went elsewhere. She told me that she could barely move, someone spilled beer on her, and someone peed on her shoe. Good times…
Tomorrow, join me for more of the same, and ending the year. Until then, stay safe, stay not driving while intoxicated, buzzed, or in any way impaired – there’s no excuse; take an Uber – and stay knowing, what matters is how we spend our time in life, because we just never know how much time we have.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Taggert hears someone come into the jail, and says, Trina? But it’s Portia.
On the phone, Jordan thanks someone for the update. Diane knocks on the door, and comes in with Jason, saying she thinks Jordan was expecting them. Jordan says she was expecting Jason, but she isn’t surprised. Diane asks, where else would she be when her client is being questioned by the authorities? Jordan says, when she initially asked Jason to come, Diane’s presence wasn’t necessary. Jason says, now it is? and Jordan says, that depends. Cyrus’s mother is missing. Any thoughts?
Cyrus tells Laura, if it was her mother, would I’m sure she’s fine be acceptable? Because it isn’t to him. Laura says she doesn’t give a damn. Why doesn’t he send his complaints to her daughter, and when she’s well enough to pass them on to her, then she’ll listen. He says he’s telling her for the last time, he had nothing to do with it. She says she’s sick of hearing him say that. He had everything to do with it. He killed two people, and left her daughter comatose. He says at least he’s concerned about Lulu’s welfare. She doesn’t seem to care at all about his mother’s condition. She says of course (🍷) she cares about Florence, but if Florence is with the people he says she’s with, she’s fine.
On the phone, Michael says, so instead of search and rescue, it’s search and recovery… He knows what that means. He thanks them, and says he’ll let his mother know. Willow comes in, and he tells her that she looks really good. She thanks him, and says she has dinner plans at the MetroCourt… with Chase.
Dante sits at the MetroCourt bar having a beer, one eye on Peter. Chase comes in, and says, the conquering hero returns. Welcome home, partner.
Peter makes a call, and says he’d like to speak to Dr. Arthur Cabot… He knows the doctor is in solitary, but this is an emergency medical consultation regarding a procedure he developed. Dr. Cabot is literally the only person who can answer his questions… He knows that, but there must be something… Fine. He gets it. Thanks anyway. He hangs up, and says, for absolutely nothing. He gets up, and nearly runs into Sam, who asks where he’s going in such a hurry.
Carly looks at the Christmas stockings and takes Sonny’s down. She sits on the sofa, looking at it, and sees him come in. She says, Sonny? and wakes up.
Michael says, it makes sense for Willow and Chase to figure everything out, and she says she can reschedule. With everything that’s happening with his father, if he needs her to stick around… He says, that’s okay. She should go. She asks if he’s sure, and if he’s heard anything from the authorities in New Jersey about the search. He says he has, and there’s nothing any of them can do right now.
Dante says it’s good to see Chase, and Chase says he’s glad Dante is back. Dante says, him too, and Chase says he was going to reach out, and it’s not an excuse, but he had some pretty heavy cases, and there was a lot going on in life. Dante says, sorry. He heard Chase looked after his family while he was gone. Chase says, it was an honor and a pleasure. Dante says it’s what good cops do. Chase is one of the best. He pats Chase on the shoulder, and Chase says he was sorry to hear about Lulu. Everyone at the station is pulling for her. Dante thanks him, and says, she was a fixture there. Chase says, she will be again. Soon. He tells Dante that he needs to get a table, but they should catch up some time. Dante says he doesn’t think so, but then tells Chase, he’s just kidding. Chase asks if he’s going to be in Port Charles for a while, and Dante says he is. He needs to look after his family, and tie up some loose ends. He glances surreptitiously at Peter.
Sam tells Peter, she’d like to coordinate Maxie’s bachelorette party and his bachelor party. Peter says he’ll be in touch, but Sam says she’d like to pin down a date. The wedding is only a few weeks away. He says he knows when his wedding is, and also knows she’d be more than pleased if it didn’t happen. She says, Peter… and he says he knows she can’t stand the thought of him marrying Maxie.
Carly opens the door to Sasha, and asks her to come in. She says, Michael isn’t there, if that’s who she’s looking for. Sasha says, actually, she’s there to see Carly.
Portia says Taggert wasn’t expecting her. What surprises her is, he actually thought it was going to be Trina. He says it’s more hope than expectation, and she tells him, it’s a lot to hope for, considering how furious Trina was that he lied to her about his death. He broke her heart. Losing him… He says, she didn’t lose him; he’s right there. Portia says, she did, and that loss changed her in ways she doesn’t think Taggert fully comprehends yet. He says he’s so sorry for the hurt he caused her, and Portia. He knows how it must have felt, but that lie kept Trina alive. He can live with his daughter hating him, as long as she’s alive to do that.
Diane says, Jordan didn’t just ask her client to confess, and Jordan says she has no intention of dragging Jason through a pointless interrogation, but Cyrus came to her, saying his mother was kidnapped from Vermont, and leveling all kinds of accusations. Diane says, against Mr. Morgan? With what proof? Jordan says she has to do her due diligence regardless. Diane says, correct her if she’s wrong, but the PCPD has no jurisdiction over an incident that happened in Vermont. Jordan says, Harvard Law paid off, and Diane laughs. Jordan says, that’s exactly what she told Cyrus, but if he’s telling the truth, and his mother was moved against state lines against her will, the Feds will get involved. And none of them want that.
Cyrus asks Laura, is this the kind of caustic repartee they missed out on not growing up together? She asks, why? Does he want more? He says, what he wants, dear sister, is for her to find his mother. He knows she’s more than capable of crossing certain lines to get what she wants when she’s so motivated. For example, the night they met. She says, when she threw him in solitary. She remembers. Good times. He says, exactly. She knows how to work the system, and he also knows exactly what she’s capable of when she’s backed against the wall. David Hamilton. Theresa Carter. Rick Webber. She says if she hears anything, she’ll let him know. Now if he doesn’t mind, she has a city to run. She starts to walk away, but he grabs her arm, saying, he does mind. He minds very much. A voice yells, get your hands off of her! It’s Lesley (Laura’s mom).
Carly asks how Sasha is; is everything okay? Carly takes down the Christmas stockings, and Sasha says, it is, and a lot of it is due to Carly. She owes Carly a great big thank you, and an apology. Carly asks why Sasha owes her an apology, and Sasha says, she started going to out-patient therapy after her… overdose. Carly says, that’s very brave, but Sasha says, she doesn’t feel very brave. Carly says she’s seeking help for something that almost killed her. She’d say that’s very brave. Sasha says she only started going because Maxie threatened to kick her out of Deception, and Carly says she bets Sasha wasn’t the only one there who was strongarmed into going. Sasha says, once she started going, she learned a few things. There were people she pushed away, or worse, dismissed. People who were trying to help her when she was in a bad way, and Carly is one of them.
Sam says Peter isn’t her favorite person, and she’s sure she’s not his either, but they could put their differences aside for Maxie’s sake. He says, nothing would make him happier, if it were true, but he knows it’s not. He knows Spinelli was trying to railroad him. She says she thought Spinelli was over that, and he says, Spinelli changed his tune for the sake of Maxie and Georgie. Sam says, so has she, and Peter says he hopes that’s true. If she really cares about Maxie – she says, of course (🍷) she does – he says, then she’ll stay out of his way, and brushes past her. Dante watches.
Lesley says she doesn’t know who Cyrus thinks he is, but grabbing at women is illegal. He says she’s absolutely right; he was out of line. Laura asks what Lesley is doing there. She was going to meet Lesley in New York on the weekend, when she went to visit Lulu. Lesley says she knows, but she was thinking about how much Rocco and Charlotte need to have their family around them. So she figured a trip up north was what she needed. Laura says she’ll get Lesley settled in at her house, and Lesley says Laura hasn’t even introduced her to her assailant. He must be Cyrus Renault. Cyrus says his reputation has preceded him, and Lesley says, his reputation and his rap sheet. He says, she must be Lesley Webber, and she says Dr. Lesley Webber to him. As she’s sure he knows, she’s an emeritus member of the hospital board. They’re going to be spending time together. He says, how delightful. He’s really looking forward to spending time with the tramp who slept with his married father.
Portia tells Taggert, she doesn’t understand why he would turn himself in for falsifying evidence against Cyrus. He says, his cover was already blown. Jordan thought the safest thing was to take him off the board, keep his head down. At his arraignment, he’ll plead guilty, and get a lighter sentence. She says, he could do that, but he could also fight to get his life back.
Diane leaves, and Jason closes Jordan’s office door. He says, Cyrus was there? Jordan says, he tried pressuring her, but she shut it down. The only leverage he had over her was her secrets, and she’s fresh out. He says, congratulations, and she thanks him, admitting it feels good. She asks how things are with Cyrus on his end, and he says, it’s been handled, for now. She asks if it has anything to do with Florence Grey, and Jason doesn’t say anything. She says, dammit, Jason. She wishes he would at least say no. She says she appreciates this… alliance they’ve formed, and he says he does too. She tells him, then don’t put her in a position where she has to investigate Cyrus’s allegations against him. There’s a knock at the door, and an officer gives Jordan a big envelope. Jason asks if that’s all, and she tells him to wait. This also concerns him.
Laura tells Lesley that she doesn’t have to listen to Cyrus, but Lesley says she’s curious. Cyrus says she slept with his married father. He has to narrow it down. Laura says, mom! and Lesley says, what? She was a tramp. She probably conquered hundreds of married fathers. Cyrus says, this was a special conquest. It’s what binds them together. Lesley doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about, and he says his father was Gordon Grey. She says, oh, that married father, and Cyrus says, he passed away a long time ago. As he remembers, Lesley and his mother were friends, then Lesley betrayed her. She asks how Florence is, and he says, apparently, fine, but his sister is doing her damnedest to keep her away from him. Lesley says, sister? That would make Lulu his niece, and he just about killed her. He says he had nothing to do with what happened at The Floating Rib. Julian was the culprit. Lesley says she’s sure Julian had nothing better to do than set off a bomb in a restaurant full of people for no reason. He says, as he understands it, there’s a good chance Lulu will recover, which is more than he can say for his father, whose death Lesley set in motion when she educed him. Lesley looks at Laura.
Taggert tells Portia, he lost a year in the shadows. Not to mention the two years he lost undercover, trying to convict Cyrus. She says, he’s earned the right to his life back, and he says, except for one thing; he’s guilty. He knows Trina doesn’t want to believe it, but he planted the evidence that sent Cyrus to prison. She says, Cyrus was responsible for countless murders, and they’re going to work together to expose him for the man he truly is.
Chase meets Willow at the MetroCourt, and pulls out her chair for her. She thanks him, and he says he was in the neighborhood… of her chair. He’d convinced himself that she was going to cancel, and she says she almost did. He says he would have understood, but he’s glad she’s there. She says, she is too, and Chase says he’s really happy they’re doing this. She says, so is she.
Sasha says she’s finally come around to telling Carly, her attempt to give Sasha a swift kick in the right direction was appreciated. Carly says she’s welcome, but doesn’t owe her an apology. Sasha was struggling because of the sacrifice she made for Carly’s family, and she’ll always be indebted. Michael comes in, and Sasha says she was just leaving. Michael says it was good to see her, even if briefly. She says, her too, and Carly asks if he has news about the search. Sasha says, search? and he says, she hasn’t heard? Carly says, Sonny was in an accident, and he’s missing. The police are searching, and they’re going to find him. Michael says he heard from the New Jersey State Police, and Sonny’s status has changed. It’s gone from search and rescue to search and recovery. Carly says, but they’re still searching, right? and Michael says he doesn’t think she understands. She says she does understand. She doesn’t know what they expect to find, but what they’re going to find is Sonny, alive and well.
Sam asks if she can join Dante at the bar. She sits down, and says she noticed he’s keeping a close eye on Peter. Why? He says, apparently marrying your half-brother’s widow, the brother who was killed by their crazy father, doesn’t violate bro code. Sam says if he finds anything interesting, pass it her way. They might have aligned interests. He says, will do, and Sam orders a beer. She says, about Sonny. How’s the family holding up? He says, they’re just waiting for the official word from the search parties, but she says, it’s Sonny. If anything, they have hope. Dante guesses they’re supposed to convince themselves, but to be honest, he feels like the hope for Sonny surviving gets smaller with each passing day.
Carly tells Michael, his father has survived worse than a bridge collapse. Sonny is coming home. She says she’s making coffee, and asks if she can get him anything. He says, that’s okay, and Carly says she’ll be in the kitchen if he needs her. Sasha tells Michael, she’s so sorry, and he thanks her. She says she knows it’s a ridiculous question, but… He says, is he okay? He is for someone whose father is missing and presumed dead. Sasha asks if she can make him a drink, or does he want her to go? He says he wouldn’t mind her staying.
Willow says, he retired just like that? and Chase says, he went from the K-9 unit to a well-to-do couple, and he’s living his best life in Niagara. Even though he ruined his cake at the retirement party. He remembers how the kids went crazy when Chase brought him to the classroom, and his brother hated being upstaged. She says, the kids were excited… Why are they pretending there isn’t a giant elephant in the room? He says, they’re just talking, but she says, they didn’t come there to make small talk, and pretend things are the way they were before. So why are they? He says, it’s what he wants more than anything.
Sam tells Dante that she’s sorry, and he says, Sonny could show up, and Lulu could wake up at any moment. Forget he said anything. He should offer condolences. Sam just lost her father. She says she’s not going to pretend to grieve. The world is a better place without that man it. He says he doesn’t disagree, but there’s one person hurt by Julian being dead, their brother Leo. She says she thinks Leo is better off not knowing Julian existed. She’s glad it’s not up to her. He says, the wheels are already in motion for Ned to officially adopt Leo. It’s crazy; he just lost his father. She says, that’s all the more reason for them to step up for Leo as his brother and sister.
Lesley tells Cyrus that she has no idea what lies Gordon fed him over the years, but she never seduced anyone… Well, not him. Cyrus tells her, like she said, there were probably hundreds. Lesley says she should have been so lucky. She and Gordon had an affair. He was her professor, and should have been more conscious of the emotional differences between them in the relationship. Cyrus says, it’s fortunate she can pass it through a modern lens, and absolve herself of responsibility. Does it also hold true for his father’s decision to leave Port Charles? He convinced Cyrus’s mother to start fresh down south. She didn’t realize the exodus was at Lesley’s urging. Lesley says, on that point, he’s right, and Cyrus says, and here we are. Who knows how different their lives and destinies would have been in Port Charles. Laura says he has no one to blame but himself, and asks Lesley if she can have a moment alone with Cyrus. She’s not afraid. She wants to talk to her brother. Lesley gives them privacy, and Laura shakes her fists at him. She says she’s not about to let him use her mother as a scapegoat for his lifetime of horrible decisions. Do they understand each other? He says they do, but understand this. He’s trusted her to resolve the situation with Jason promptly. How would she feel if something happened to her mother? She says, spoken like an innocent man.
Laura finds Lesley crying, and asks if she’s okay. Lesley says, not really. Cyrus said some horrible, untrue things, but there’s one thing she can’t shake. Her recklessness when she was young is what led them down the path to the pain they’re all feeling right now. Laura holds her, and says, it’s okay.
Portia tells Taggert, neither was a good plan, and he says he’s exhausted. He just wants it over with. She says, then get a good night’s sleep. Stop thinking about himself, and think about his daughter. Be the man she thinks he is, and fight so she doesn’t lose her father a third time. Jordan comes in and say she didn’t know Portia would still be there. Portia says, Dr. Robinson, and she was just leaving. When she’s gone, Jordan asks if Taggert is okay, and he says, for a man who just got his ass handed to him by his ex, he’s not too bad. She says, Portia is good at that, and asks why he looks so wistful. He says Portia is good at calling him on his crap. That’s why they got married, and why they got divorced, and why they’re still friends. What’s the good word? She says, Cyrus no longer has a hold on the department. He says, what about TJ and Trina? and she says she’ll explain later, but for now, she does have bad news.
Carly stands in the kitchen, and tells herself, stop it. He’s coming back. Sonny’s coming back.
Peter runs into the hospital, and says he hopes the reception nurse can help him. It’s important that he contact a former staff member – Andre Maddox.
Willow says Chase let her believe he slept with her friend, and he asks if it matters that he did it to save Wiley. She says she appreciates what he did, but not being kept out of the loop. He says he had to focus on Wiley. He misses her, and wonders if she misses him too. She says, of course (🍷) she does. From the moment she left the apartment she was missing him every moment of every day for months, until… The pain they made her feel is still real, even if the betrayal wasn’t. They can’t wish it away overnight. He says, give him a chance to show her that he’s the guy she thought he was; a guy she can trust with her heart, and that their love is worth fighting for. He loves her; he never stopped. He knows in his heart and soul she loves him too. She leans in toward him…
Willow says, she can’t; sorry. Chase says he thought she wanted him to, and she says she can’t. She’s married to Michael. She wanted him to kiss her, but she has to go. He asks if she can take a second, but she says, this is too complicated right now, and runs out. Maybe not runs, but she walks really, really fast.
Sasha asks if she should check on Michael’s mom, but he says, she’s probably trying to face what happened. Or she’s doubling down on her denial. It’s best to stay out of her way. She says, it’s obvious which Carly is doing, and he says he’s afraid her not facing reality is setting her up for more pain. She says, Carly is right. Just because the authorities stopped the search and rescue, doesn’t mean Sonny won’t be alive. He says, it’s the not knowing anything that’s the worst. Hearing that it’s changed to search and recovery… Only living things need rescue. His dad is no longer someone to them, just someone they need to… She hugs him, and he thanks her. She asks if he wants some air. She’s missed the walks they used to take to the boathouse. Of course (🍷) it’s freezing. He says, a walk sounds good.
Portia comes out of the elevator, and Cyrus says, it’s good to see her. He knows she has a lot going on with discovering Trina’s father is alive and well. She says, is there something he wants to ask her? but he says he’s just sharing her good news. She says, they’re done here, and walks away.
Jordan tells Taggert, Sonny was in an accident. A bridge he was on collapsed. He says, how the hell…? and she says they’re still gathering details, but Sonny is presumed dead. He doesn’t know what to say, and she says she thought he should know. He thanks her, and says he and Sonny had a complicated history. It’s strange that someone he dedicated his life to bringing down, bent over backward to make sure he was safe. He was a complicated man. She says, he was.
Sam and Dante sit at a table. Sam says, Sonny had the bright idea for a dinner with Carly and himself, and her and Jason. Carly thought it was part of his big plan. Dante does an impression of Sonny saying, we’re all here right now for the summit, and Sam laughs. She says, she and Carly started cracking up, and realized this was part of Sonny’s plan. Dante says they’ve spent the last 20 minutes telling stories about Sonny like they’ve started his wake. Like maybe this time, he could actually be gone for good. They clink beer bottles, and say, to Sonny.
Jason goes into the house, and looks at a picture of Sonny and Carly. Carly says she didn’t hear him come in. He looks grim, and she asks if he saw Michael and Sasha. He says he didn’t, and she says she didn’t mean for them to see each other, but she’s glad they did. Sasha wanted to apologize, and she left the room to give them time alone. Jason says he was at the police station, and has an update. She says she doesn’t want to know, and he says, waiting isn’t going to change anything. They sent a search team into the wreckage from the bridge, and they didn’t find Sonny’s body, but they found this. He hands her a necklace, and she says, Sonny’s St. Christopher medal. He says, it was snagged on the wreckage. They think Sonny was pinned when the bridge collapsed, and his body was dragged down river. He knows Sonny would have gotten out if he’d gotten clear of the wreckage, but he didn’t. Carly starts to hyperventilate, then starts to cry. She says, he was arrogant, and he was selfish. They couldn’t stand each other. She doesn’t know what made them fall in love. She cries, and Jason holds her. She says, I don’t know.
In the woods, we see someone lying in the snow. We don’t see their face, but gee, think it’s Sonny?
On Monday, Chase asks if Finn can possibly relate, Carly asks if they can’t touch Cyrus, Molly wonders if she and TJ have a future, and Brando warns Jason about the Feds.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah9:6, NLT
Do one thing every day that scares you. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Playing dress-up begins at age five and never truly ends. – Kate Spade
You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life? – Rumi
A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell
Sun is like God calling you an alcoholic. – a hungover Jenny Harper (Amber Tamblyn), Two and a Half Men
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. – Anne Lamott
Whoever you are, whatever your dream, you have to be strong in your head and strong in your heart. Be strong. There’s no quitting in the person who wants it bad enough. – Carly Patterson
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. – Benjamin Disraeli
The unique ability to take decisive action while maintaining focus on the ultimate mission is what defines a true leader. – Robert Kiyosaki
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not. – Andre Gide
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle (Or kick one out, I say.)
You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall
🌜 Goodnight, Moon…
Even before the pandemic, my weekends weren’t much different than my weekdays. Every day is a work day in one way or another. But whether your days are all workdays, all days off, or a combination, stay safe, stay innovative, and stay on the road less traveled. It’s easier to keep your social distance that way.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Carly leaves a message for Sonny, saying, Jordan called. She said Taggert has been put into police custody for his own protection. She wants him to call her. And come home soon.
Martin asks Florence how she’s feeling, and she asks if she wasn’t sleeping. He says, out like a light, and she wonders what day it is. He tells her it’s still her birthday. He brought her hummingbird cake, her favorite. He says everything’s all right, and kisses her forehead, adding, he’s there. Cyrus says he’s there too. Happy birthday, momma. He tells her to say something. Anything. Don’t pretend she doesn’t know him.
Finn answers the door, holding a stuffed pig. Chase comes in with Gregory, and asks if it’s past Finn’s bedtime. When did he start sleeping with a stuffed animal? Finn says he never stopped. The pig lost its tail, and he promised Violet that he’d stitch it back on. Gregory says, she’s lucky to have a doctor for a daddy, and asks if it’s too late to say goodnight. Finn says, she’s down for the count, and he’s headed that way too. Gregory says they should leave, but Chase says they’re not going to miss a family tradition. He walks into the living room, and Finn asks, what family tradition? Chase says, poker night, opening a case of chips and cards. Name your stakes.
Maxie looks at a sealed envelope when Peter comes in. He asks how her check-up went, and she says the baby is healthy and waiting to join the family. Hopefully not when she’s walking down the aisle. She asks if he’d want to know the gender of the baby before it was born, and he reminds her they decided to keep it a secret, but… She says he’s having second thoughts, and he says he is. She says, her too. He wonders if they should call for an appointment, and she says, funny he should mention that. She shows him the envelope.
Valentin joins Anna at the MetroCourt, and thanks her for meeting him. He says he was wondering if she’d met with Dante, and if he’s safe to leave with Charlotte. He asks if she has any further insight into Dante’s state of mind, and she says she does, but she doesn’t think he’s going to like what she has to say.
Carly decorates the Christmas tree, when the doorbell rings. She says, Sonny? but it’s Dante dropping off gifts. He asks if something is the matter.
Jason calls to Sonny, but there’s no answer. He jumps down from the bridge.
Chase shuffles the cards, and says he’s glad Finn is putting the table to good use. Finn says, it’s bad enough Gregory taught him to play; he had to teach Chase too. Gregory says he taught Chase how to fleece his buddies at poker, but Finn had a gift. Chase says Finn held his own against the old guys, and never a dropped hand, until… He hesitates, and Gregory says, until he went on to bigger and better things. Once Finn became an infectious disease specialist, he didn’t have a lot of time for fun and games. Chase says, or family celebrations, and Gregory says, Finn would have been at the wedding if he could have. Finn says he knows that’s the story Gregory told Violet when she asked, but that’s not the real reason he didn’t come.
Peter asks Maxie if the envelope contains what he thinks it does, and she says, with all the planning for the double wedding, they can eliminate one question mark. He says he could narrow down his name list, and she says she had Dr. Navarro put the information in a sealed envelope. She’s been carrying it with her all this time, tempted to steam it open. If he doesn’t want to know, he should take it from her now. He tells her, who says he wouldn’t rip it open?
Alarmed, Florence asks where she is; what is this place? Martin says, she likes it there, remember? The staff is taking care of her. Cyrus says he’s paid for the best. Nothing is too good for her. Florence asks who Laura is, and if she works there, and Cyrus says she’s their daddy’s daughter, and their half-sister. Florence says, no, they’re mistaken, and cries out, where is my Gordon? Martin says, daddy is gone; he has been for years, and Florence says their father is dead because Cyrus killed him; her Gordon.
Anna tells Valentin, she had coffee with Dante, and they talked about Lulu’s condition. Obviously, he’s grieving, but he kept deflecting her sympathy. He’s filled with remorse for leaving. The Dante she knew had irrepressible charm; there was nothing the world could throw at him that was too much to handle. Valentin says, and now? and she says, when she reached out, the walls came up immediately. He didn’t want to share anything personal, and said he wanted to focus on protecting his family. Valentin says, one would assume that’s why Dante checked in; to keep his family from harm. She says, it seemed to work, and he says, until Dante tried to kill Peter.
Carly tells Dante, with everything going on, he didn’t have to bring gifts, but she thanks him for it. The girls will be thrilled. Dante hopes so. He asks Carly, what’s wrong? and she says, Sonny is out of town on business, and she hasn’t been able to reach him. Dante says, obviously, she’s tried Jason, and she says, he’s with Sonny. She knows he’ll call when he has a second, but she wants him to come home; be done with business so they can focus on the holiday. Dante has the feeling Sonny will be back soon, and asks her to let Sonny know he stopped by. She says he can stay, and fill her in on him and Rocco, and how they’re doing with everything. He says, they’re managing. Rocco is moving back to the house. She asks if Olivia knows, and he says she does. She’s been great helping plan it. Rocco will still stay at the Quartermaine’s a few nights a week, but the goal is for him to be comfortable to come back home and get back to knowing his father again. Carly says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’s doing the right thing. He thanks her, and says the reason he was there to see Sonny was because of the house. They wouldn’t have gotten it in the first place if not for Sonny. She knows about that, right?
Jason walks down the shoreline, huffing and puffing, and calling for Sonny. A helicopter flies above, shining a light down, and he ducks behind some shore grass.
Carly asks what makes Dante think Sonny had anything to do with buying their house? He says he has proof in the numbers; they don’t add up. They paid too little. She says, maybe the owners had to sell quickly, and their offer was first, but Dante says that’s not it. He and Lulu fell for the house faster than they fell for each other. There was another offer, and the owners took it. He and Lulu were crushed, but then the offer disappeared, and the owner came back to them and agreed to theirs. Someone paid the difference between their offer and the final sale. And by somebody, he means Sonny.
Anna tells Valentin, Dante never mentioned Peter. He was having a PTSD episode, and Peter walked into the line of fire. It was over a year ago, and Dante has improved a lot since then. He asks if she’s trying to convince him or herself, and she says, it was so extremely uncomfortable when she touched his hand, and said she was willing to listen if he felt like talking. The treatment he received had be successful. Why else would they have let him return? Valentin says he doesn’t know. Dante had a clean bill of health, or he asked nicely. Neither one of them is naïve about the WSB’s motives. She says she wants to believe they acted in Dante’s best interest, and he says, wanting something and it actually happening are two very different things. His primary concern is his daughter’s well-being, and he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in Dante’s emotional state. Anna says, Dante wouldn’t communicate at all for over a year, and even when Robert brought Olivia there, he wouldn’t open the door to his own mother. Now, he suddenly comes back and claims he’s better. None of it makes sense to her. Valentin says, tell him the truth. Is his daughter safe around Dante?
😠 I’ll have you know, there was an interruption so we could see Joe Biden get a vaccine shot. Then listen to several people talk about him getting the shot. Really? <sigh> By using the magic of the internet though, I was able to fill in what was so rudely interrupted.
Gregory says he knows he didn’t give it enough time after the death of Finn’s mother before he got married again, and admits he did a lousy job preparing Finn for it. Finn says, it was a big change in his life, but he was wrong to act out the way he did. Gregory says, it was a complicated time. It still is. It’s hard for him to believe, even though he and Jackie love each other, sometimes even a loving marriage isn’t built to last. If he did anything right, it was having sons like them. Chase says he was a great dad. He and Finn owe him so much. Gregory says he owes the both of them. He’s proud of them. He’s proud of Chase for being such a fine young man, and Finn for giving him a second chance, and letting him into his family. Finn asks if they’re going to play cards or talk about it.
Cyrus tells Florence, what happened to his father was an accident, and Florence says, he was so angry that day. Wild and headstrong. He stormed out of the house and jumped into the car. His poor father was just trying to stop him. Martin tells Cyrus, get out. You’re upsetting her. Cyrus says she turned her back on him, but he never turned his back on her. When Marty called him and said she needed help, he was right there for her. He’s given her everything she needs. He starts to get choked up, and she asks if he expects her to thank him. He says he doesn’t expect anything,. His hope is that she’ll talk to him like she’s his mother and not like a stranger. She says, he is a stranger. She doesn’t know him anymore. Maybe she never did. Laura goes to Cyrus, and says, come with her. She takes him into the hallway, and tells him not to ask his mother for something she can’t give.
Cops comb the shoreline. The cop from The Village People tells someone on the radio that he’s on the south side of the river. There’s a body. He’ll wait until they get there.
Chase says, read ‘em and weep. Finn asks if that’s what Gregory taught Chase, to cheat, and Gregory says he did not. They both play an honest game. Although in retrospect, he was harder on Finn than on his brother. He asks if Chase remembers the Little League game he lost, and Chase says Gregory took him out for ice cream. He told Chase that he’d done his best and that’s all that mattered. Finn says he doesn’t remember any ice cream, win or lose, and Gregory says he pushed Finn too hard. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes with Chase. Finn says Gregory has nothing to feel guilty about. Whatever he did or didn’t do, it was never Gregory’s fault.
Cyrus tells Laura, whatever his mother believes, his father’s death was an accident. Laura says she can believe it. He was a teenage boy, volatile and emotional. The last thing he should have done was get behind the heel of a car. That doesn’t excuse it, but it does explain it. The trouble she has, is the man that boy grew into. He has trouble with being honest about anything. He has a hidden agenda all the time. He says, not this time, and she laughs, saying, he’s got to be kidding. He had Jordan pull a file, and revisited a case she was involved in when she was a teenager. Then he left a trail of clues from Oregon to Mexico to Vermont, all so he could lure her in and introduce her to his mother. He could have just told her they were related. He laughs, and asks if she would have believed him. She doesn’t say anything, and he says he’ll take that as a no. She had to come there on her own, for her own reasons. She says, what about his reasons? Why does he keep caring for his mother when she continues to reject him? He says, all families have secrets, and he they need to know one another better before he shares one of his. She says she’d prefer he keep his secrets, and leave Port Charles, and he says she can deny it all she wants, but she must be noticing how alike they are.
Maxie tells Peter, this is silly. Why wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl? Peter says, as always, she’s absolutely right. The envelope, please. She hands it to him, and he opens it.
Anna tells Valentin, she wants to trust Dante, but she doesn’t trust the process that sent him home. He wonders why the Bureau would send Dante home if he wasn’t ready, and she says, either Dante made a remarkable recovery, or… He says, or the Bureau needed something from him.
Dante tells Carly, he used to be a cop. He knows how to get answers from people. She says, okay. Sonny made up the price of the house. He thanks her, and says he knew it. They knew back then that Sonny was their financial angel. In the spirit of Christmas, he finally wanted to thank Sonny, but she says, Sonny would never admit to being an angel. Dante says, it would ruin his street cred; what would his rivals think? He has a heart of gold. She says, it’s no secret that Sonny is generous.He founded a whole AIDS wing at the hospital in Stone’s honor. Dante says, there are a lot of smaller things Sonny doesn’t get credit for, and she says, that’s true. He reads to Avery and Donna every night, and for the past three weeks, he’s been reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His Grinch voice is terrible. She just wants him home for Christmas. Dante says, he will be.
The cops bring out a body bag. Jason watches from behind the trees. The Village People cop says he’s checking now; he’ll be right back. He opens a body bag, and it’s Julian. He says he doesn’t think this guy drowned.
Laura says she’s nothing like Cyrus, and he asks if she really thinks it was a coincidence that they ran into each other at the firing range, taking aim at enemies imagined or real. She says she only takes aim at imaginary enemies (which is just plain not true), and he says, David Hamilton being the exception. She says, it was an accident, and he says, like it was their father’s death. She says, they both made terrible mistakes when they were young. The difference is how they’ve lived their lives since then. She’s tried to make the world a better place in any tiny way she can. He made killing a way of life. He says she has no proof. He was framed for the crimes he was imprisoned for. She says, deniability is not innocence. At some point he made a deliberate decision to abandon his conscience. He only pretends to feel compassion and empathy, but for a brief moment in Florence’s room, she saw who he used to be; a boy who craved his mother’s love. If he wasn’t such a dangerous man, she’d almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
Gregory says, if Finn wasn’t upset because he married Jackie so soon after Finn’s mom died, what’s been eating at him all this time? Chase says, all the times Finn told him to be honest in his relationships, maybe it’s time he took his own advice. And while he ponders those wise words, Chase is going to get more root beer. He goes to the kitchen, and Gregory says, well? Finn hesitates, and Gregory says Finn never did like to show his cards. Finn says he’s not holding a winning hand, but Gregory says he doesn’t have to bluff. He knows why Finn was so opposed to the marriage. Jackie told him all about it.
Anna asks if Valentin thinks the Bureau sent Dante home deliberately before he was ready, but Valentin says, no. He thinks the Bureau believed Dante was ready. She says, ready for what exactly? Maxie and Peter come in, and Maxie says they’re going to be the first to know aside from her and Peter. Anna says, Maxie has decided against a double wedding? but Maxie says, no way. It’s going to be fantastic. They have a bonus reason to celebrate. She asks Peter if he wants to tell Anna, or should she, and he says, let her read for herself. Maxie hands Anna the envelope, and Valentin asks, what is it? Anna looks at the paper, and laughs. She says, Peter and Maxie are having a baby girl.
Carly says, since Dante has been back, she’s noticed how much he’s like Sonny in many ways. He loves his family very much, and would do anything to protect them. Speaking of family, he hasn’t met his little sister yet. Dante apologizes for not being there when Donna was born, or coming to meet her since he’s been home, but Carly says he’s had a lot of things on his mind. Does he want meet her now? He says he does, and they go upstairs.
Jason watches, and the Village People cop looks at Julian’s license. He says, it’s Julian Jerome, from Port Charles New York. He talks into his radio, saying, he’s got an ID on the victim, and gives them the information. He says Julian is probably one of the individuals who fled when the bullets started flying. They’re gong to find the second individual, and need a team to be sent to the bridge. The cops move on down the shoreline, continuing to look.
Finn says, Jackie told Gregory what exactly? and Gregory says, they didn’t always have different schedules. They used to be close and confided in each other early in their marriage. After the wedding, he was angry that Finn didn’t come, and Jackie confessed it was as much her fault as Finn’s. Finn asks why she would say that, and Gregory says, she admitted she was career driven and self-absorbed, and never stopped to think how the marriage might impact Finn. He might have been hurt that they didn’t wait the appropriate amount of time to get married. Finn tells Gregory that he can’t believe Jackie said that, and Gregory says, despite what Finn thinks, his step-mother was always fond of him. Even if they go their separate ways, she’ll still be family, and he hopes Finn accepts that. If not for his sake, for his brother’s.
Anna says, Violet is going to be over the moon, and Valentin says he thinks James and Georgie will be thrilled to have a baby sister. Peter says he didn’t want to jinx things, but he was hoping for a girl. Anna can’t wait to tell Violet, and Valentin thanks her again for meeting him. She says she’ll keep what he said in mind. Maxie says they haven’t even talked about the wedding flowers yet. How does Anna feel about peonies? She drags Anna away, and Peter sits with Valentin. Valentin says, speaking as a girl dad himself, Peter is a lucky man. Excuse him for noticing, but Peter’s excitement at having a daughter seems a lot like relief.
Dante and Carly come back downstairs, and Dante says he’s officially a goner. She says he’d still be up there if she hadn’t dragged him out, and he says he’s kicking himself for not visiting sooner. She says when they found out Donna had spina bifida, it was terrifying, but she’s healthy, and she’s been a gift to the family from the moment she was born. You never stop worrying about them. Dante says, never. She thanks him for stopping by. Him coming back was the only Christmas present Sonny needed. He says he had a lot reasons to come back. He leaves, and Carly ponders.
Cyrus says he doesn’t need anyone’s pity; least of all Laura’s. She says, because he’s the great and powerful Cyrus Renault? She knows who he is, and she knows what he’s done. Her daughter, his niece, is lying in a long-term care facility because of things he set in motion. He tells her, don’t push him. His patience only goes so far, and she doesn’t want him as an enemy. Martin comes out, and tells him, back off. Don’t talk to their sister that way. Cyrus says he was only pointing out she has no right to judge him. Martin says, the way he and momma have? They’ve got their reasons, and Laura has hers. Laura asks if Cyrus thinks caring for his mother’s every need, bringing her there, and paying her bills could buy her love, and he says he bought the city she loves so much. She says, not all of it and not yet, and he says, one piece at a time, sister dear.
Finn tells Chase, he doesn’t have to go home, but he can’t stay there. Anna comes back, and asks if they’re leaving already. Chase says he’s on the night shift and has to get back to work, and Gregory says his sons cleaned his clock at poker, so he’s packing his tent and going. He tells Finn, goodnight, and when they’re gone, Anna asks Finn if everything is okay. He says, this thing he has hanging over him that she said would eventually come out. He has to give an honest answer sooner or later; he can’t keep it inside. He wants her to know the real reason he’s been estranged from his family all these years.
Peter tells Valentin, his daughter is going to be beautiful like Maxie, and with Maxie’s warm, loving heart, maybe she’ll take after her mother. Valentin flashes back to Anna finding out that she’s not Peter’s mother; Alex is. Peter says Valentin is going to tell him that it’s magical thinking, but Valentin says he’s not saying that. Peter says his silence speaks volumes. Valentin says, if it was a boy, Peter would wonder when and if he was taking after Faison, but he won’t look at his daughter that way? Peter says he sees a beautiful girl filled with light.
Maxie comes out of the bathroom, and sees Dante at the Toys For Tots bin, and they make a plug for that. He says he’s glad he didn’t miss the tradition, and she asks him to hang out and celebrate. She and Peter are having a girl. He tells her, congratulations. He knows Lulu would be happy. She says, come on, and she goes back to the table, but he hangs behind.
Cyrus approaches his mother’s bed, and says, Martin isn’t the only one who remembered her birthday. He can buy her so much more than flowers. He can fly her anywhere in the world. He can load her down with jewelry, and buy her the Cartier watch like Mrs. Phillips wore that she always admired. He could buy her anything to make her smile at him, but she’s not going to do that. He laughs, and says she can’t see him as anything but a bad seed, a delinquent who ran down her husband, but she’s mistaken. When she threw him out, he made something of himself. He opens his wallet, and says there are the hundred dollar bills he carries like singles. This is the black card he carries; it has no limit and is accepted everywhere. He takes out his ID, and says they gave him this after he became Chairman of the Board at General Hospital. He puts it on the bed, and says he’s a man of importance; respected, admired, even feared. He comes as close to crying as we’ll probably ever see, and says, one day, she’ll see him as the world sees him, and everything he’s done will have been worth it. Everything.
In the hallway, Martin says he’s going to do Laura a favor, and get her out before the staff finds her loitering. And they will get suspicious. She says, he’s right. She came there to find something to use against Cyrus, and she’s leaving with more questions than answers.
Julian is zipped up, and the cops pick up the bag. The Village People cop continues to look, and the helicopter shines spotlights all around.
Carly hears the door open, and says, Sonny? Jason comes in, and she asks, what happened? Where’s Sonny?
Tomorrow, Robert wants to fill someone in, Tracy says no way in hell, Franco asks if it’s a coincidence, and Jason tells Carly, the only way this will work is if they take it one step at a time.
Below Deck
Jolly Harbour, Antigua. Izzy wonders if they have a chef, and James wonders if they have a deckhand as well. Eddie asks if anyone knows who the chef is, or if they’ve gotten a new deckhand yet. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, it’s high season, and any chef worth a damn is already working. They have demanding guests coming, and need someone who’s capable of everything on the preference sheets. They’re screwed. He can’t get through on the phone for a second time, and throws the phone down. Ashling is ironing, and the ironing board falls flat. I literally LOL. In her interview, Francesca says it’s the pickiest charter in the world, and they have no chef. She can’t believe this is happening. Izzy asks Eddie if they have a deckhand, but he’s more concerned about having a chef.
3 hours before charter. The captain says he’d be surprised if everybody didn’t walk off. New deckhand Rob shows up, and in his interview, he says he’s mostly worked on sailing boats. Francesca tells him, they have a charter at 12, and also need a chef. Izzy introduces herself, and Eddie asks her to show Rob his new quarters. She tells Rob that he’ll be sharing with his boss. Rob meets Ashling on the way to his cabin, where he deposits his stuff before Eddie introduces him to Captain Lee. In Eddie’s interview, he says he’s happy Rob is on the team. He has experience, which will be a change of pace. Anything is better than Shane. We flash back to confirmation that he’s right. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says they’ve got two and a half hours to pick-up, and he’s sitting there choking his chicken. Rachel mysteriously appears, and introduces herself to Rob. In her interview, she says, last night, her head was all over the place; not knowing the severity of the virus and missing her boyfriend. Now she has to crawl back to the captain who doesn’t give two sh*ts about ego. She tells Captain Lee that she was totally unprofessional, and she’s very sorry. She respects him, and likes working under him. If possible, she’d like to do the charter, and do it successfully. In the captain’s interview, he says, normally, he’d tell someone who leaves, that they don’t get to come back. He’s pissed, but, like it or not, chefs are prone to do sh*t like that. We flash back to Leon (ugh) who ended up fired, and Ben punching things and slamming doors. The captain tells Rachel, he’s on board with that, and in his interview, he says, part of him wanted to say, f*** it, cancel the charter, and leave them swinging in the wind, but guests expect to be fed, and it’s the only plan he’s got. In Francesca’s interview, she says, part of her is stoked. Rachel is a great chef, which makes her job easier, but Rachel disrespected her, and isn’t someone she can trust. Her trust went out the window. We flash back to Rachel telling Elizabeth to talk to the captain about her issue with Francesca. Francesca says, moving forward, she’s going to be strictly professional with Rachel and Elizabeth.
In Rob’s interview, he says he’s an exploration geologist, which is being like a nerdy Indiana Jones. He looks for gold, but if there’s a market crash, he loses his job. He likes the fallback of yachting. His father and grandfather were in the Navy, and he comes from a long line of pirates and hookers. It’s what he’s meant to be. It’s unclear whether he means a pirate or a hooker. Eddie quickly explains that their chef had a mental breakdown, and asks for help getting her luggage back on board. In his interview, Eddie says he doesn’t think Rachel deserves her job back, but they need her – for now. He’s going to act like nothing happened, but something did, and he’s not going to forget. Rachel take notes from the preference sheets, and Captain Lee tells her, for sh*ts and giggles, he looked up how to make marshmallows. (It’s actually pretty easy.) In his interview, he says they’re not prepared for the charter at this point, but it’s completely Rachels’ fault. Izzy tells James that it’s a story they can tell their grandkids, about the charter where they all got f***ed. Francesca reads the preference sheets to the stews, and in Ashling’s interview, she says, holy sh*t. They’re going to die. Ashling gets to work, and Francesca tells Elizabeth, the pantry wasn’t clean, and the beach clean-up is still a mess. She needs to step it up. Elizabeth apologizes for lacking in some areas, and says she plans on 100% improving. In her interview, Elizabeth says she’s going to be tested on every little thing, and she’s going to be watched. We flash back to Captain Lee telling her that how she performs on the next charter will mean her future. She says she’s up for the challenge. She’s not going anywhere.
Provisions come on board, the captain says, arrival in twenty, and I say, oh God, out loud. Rob says, it’s like the first day of school; he’s excited. James says he’s good at his job, meaning himself, and the crew gets into their whites. Champagne is poured, and here they come. In Izzy’s interview, she says, the guests are so high maintenance and crazy, they’re going to get whipped. Let the games begin.
Primary Bryan yaps about his pedicure as he takes his shoes off, and the crew agrees he looks like Elton John. In Izzy’s interview, she says, they’re so effing cute. Like gay teddy bears. Okay. I’m glad she said it, because this group is over-the-top. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s no politically/socially correct way to say it. Eddie tells the deckhands to get into their blues, and the captain moves the boat out. The guests toast to everybody there. Looking out at the other boats, Bryan says he loves how bigger they are than everyone else [sic]. Elizabeth tells Ashling that she loves her job, and doesn’t want to lose it, and James pulls in the fenders. Elizabeth tells Rachel that she’s nerve-wracked, but Rachel says she really has to concentrate on what she’s doing. In Rachel’s interview, she says, she loves Elizabeth, but has to set that aside. She’s in the middle, and doesn’t want it to affect her department. She wants to just focus on her job, and do some serious captain’s ass kissing right now. They’ll get there.
Bryan says he loves the service, and he’s blown away. I’m not so sure demanding is necessarily a negative in their case. They might want a lot, but so far, they seem fun. In Francesca’s interview, she says, Elizabeth thinks she’s a diner waitress. She’s holding the wine bottle by the neck. We see Elizabeth pouring it that way. I’ve never poured it that way, and don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else pour it that way. Francesca says she’ll take what she can get right now. Rob tells Eddie about people being masked in some places now because of the virus. Eddie does an impression of Trump saying, there’s nothing to worry about. Everything is great. They put unicorn floaties in the water. The captain tells Rachel that her successful lunch was a start. In his interview, he says, the only way Rachel knows how to mea culpa is with her culinary skills. Once you lose trust, it’s hard to get back. She’d better do her utmost to nock it out of the park (I see we’re back to that metaphor again). He says he’s going to keep close tabs on her.
Jet skis are put in the water, and the guests name one of the unicorn floaties Deborah. Rachel dictates the menu to Francesca, who puts it on her laptop. A Mardi Gras tablescape is created in black, purple, and gold, and it looks really good. Elizabeth tells James that she just came out of a relationship recently, and in her interview, she says relationships have jaded her, and she gets possessive. There’s a special place in hell for girls who try to interfere with your man. She says she’s a hopeless romantic, and she won’t lie; she’s attracted to James. Bryan drapes himself in beads and fake gold chains, and says they’re doing it Mardi Gras style. They all wear cool, festive hats, including a few of those tiny hats on a headband that I love. I’ve loved a tiny hat every since those guys wore them on In Living Color. Bryan says, the tablescape is amazing, and in Rachel’s interview, she says she’s been to Mardi Gras, and she’s not a fan, but tonight she has to prove to Captain Lee that he didn’t make a bad decision. I’m highly amused by the guests, and might even go so far as to say they’re effing funny. In Rob’s interview, he says, the key difference between sailing and a superyacht is that one is gritty with a sense of adventure, and the other is cushy with beautiful people. It’s a motivation to shower every day. Bryan calls the tiny hat a fascinator, but I’m not so sure that’s the same thing. He says, Rachel is an absolute genius, and in Izzy’s interview, she says, Rachel can effing cook. It sounds like Rachel is racking up points. The captain asks Eddie how Rob is doing, and Eddie says, good. Rob has never worked on big yachts, but has intuition. Francesca brings up the cake, Bryan says, Rachel did an amazing job, and Francesca passes along to Rachel that the guests love it. Ashling asks Elizabeth if today was better, and Elizabeth says that she was taken aback by how Francesca’s been speaking to her. Francesca walks in, and says, awkward. Elizabeth says Ashling was just asking how she was doing. Elizabeth tells Izzy that Francesca thinks she’s talking smack about her, and Izzy says there’s not much she can do about it if Francesca assumes every conversation is about her. I see what Elizabeth’s problem is. She’s talking too much about this to too many people. In Francesca’s interview, she says she doesn’t feel like she’s making friends, but she can’t trust anyone. She knows they’re talking about her. Well, you’re not paranoid if everyone really does hate you.
Elizabeth tells Francesca that it was like cleaning up a war zone the night before, and in her interview, Elizabeth says, things with Francesca aren’t good, but all she can do is work and hope it’s noticed. James kicks one of the unicorn floaties, and says, f*** you, Deborah. Rachel asks if the captain wants French toast, and he says, absolutely. Finding out Elizabeth went to bed late, Francesca suggests she work quicker. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says now she’s in trouble because she went to bed too late. Francesca tells her the primary wants the sheets changed in the master. In her interview, Elizabeth says, there’s nothing she can say against Francesca, and she just has to take it, but it’s hard. The guests get excited about the slide coming down the side of the boat. In Rachel’s interview, she says, the guests are digging the food, but there’s another person she needs to win over, and delivers the toast. In Eddie’s interview, he says he never wants to put the slide up. It’s a pain in his ass, and he hates it. The captain says, this might be the best French toast he’s ever had. The way to a captain’s heart is apparently through his stomach. He looks out, and says, the slide isn’t right. Eddie tells Izzy, part of it is backwards, and yells to James, just inflate the goddam thing. James says he senses tension. The captain radios Eddie, and asks how the slide is going. Eddie says he’s had better days, and Captain Lee says, everything is wrong. It’s the epitome of a sh*t sandwich. He goes out, and tells Eddie what he should do. Bryan and the guests watch from above. Eddie tries climbing down to fix the slide, which is twisted in the middle, and nearly falls into the water. The captain says, this is how to f*** things up, and climbs over the railing. He says he needs to get the line, and Eddie tells him to let someone else do that.
The captain says he’s got this, and in his interview, he says, ribs are something that doesn’t heal quickly. He tells Eddie to get him a boat hook. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. In Izzy’s interview, she says, the captain was hard-handing it over the railing. It’s a little crazy, but also badass. Captain Lee single-handedly pulls the slide up part way, and tells James to inflate the bottom. When this is finally done, the guests use the water toys. Eddie says, bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleep, and Rob says he has Britney Spears in his head. In James’s interview, he says he likes Rob. He doesn’t take his job too seriously. He thinks it will be fun. Francesca and Elizabeth discuss the beach picnic, and in Rob’s interview, he says, Francesca is giving off hot vibes. She puts newspaper on the table, and asks if he’s ever done a low country boil. He says, never, and she says her neither. In his interview, Rob says, when it comes to flirting, he’s hopeless. Fracnesca says she thinks it’s like a messy seafood feast, and in her interview, she says, a low country boil; she loves this stuff. Rachel makes Maine lobster, clams, and sausage, and Elizabeth says she’s never seen lobster look so picturesque. Eddie tells the deckhands they have to get ready to go to the beach at 4:30.
Elizabeth calls her dad, and tells him that the chief stew wanted her to step it up, so she’s stepping up. In her interview, Elizabeth says her father is a lawyer, and busts his ass at his job. He scares people because he looks like Tony Soprano, but he makes her laugh. We see his picture, and I think he looks more like Jesse Ventura. Rachel makes marshmallows, and offers one to the captain. He says it tastes like pure sugar, but I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. Eddie takes the crew over to the beach, where they set up. Elizabeth and Izzy gather firewood. The guests arrive and toast marshmallows. Elizabeth realizes there’s only one bottle of champagne, and in Izzy’s interview, she admits Francesca isn’t the best boss, but Elizabeth isn’t the sharpest took in the shed either. She radios for three bottles, and on the boat, Francesca is like, WTF? In the meantime, Elizabeth tries to push water, but you can guess how much they want that. Eddie beings the champagne, and she says he’s the best. Bryan says, it’s always a party when champagne is a-poppin’.
Ashling tells Francesca that all the sheets have been changed, and Francesca says it was only the master that was requested. In Ashling’s interview, she says, Elizabeth doesn’t listen. It goes in one ear, and out the other; it’s frustrating. Francesca and Ashling look at the sunset, and Francesca wishes they could get in the water. She radios the captain, and asks if it would be okay, and he says, absolutely. Everyone is off the boat; enjoy themselves. Francesca goes down the slide, and James hopes he can see through her uniform. Ashling follows her, and on the beach, Izzy talks to James on the radio, and tells Elizabeth about the others going swimming. In Elizabeth’s interview, she says she feels like Francesca thinks Ashling is the perfect angel, and she’s the demon. Rachel brings the captain a dinner of lobster, clams, and corn on the cob, his favorite. He asks Francesca how it’s going, and she says, apart from forgetting the champagne… Eddie tells Elizabeth that the captain said he hopes she makes it to the end of the season; he likes her. Francesca tells Captain Lee that for every step Elizabeth takes forward, she takes two steps back. She didn’t finish taking down the decorations from the night before, and forgot to bring the champagne to the beach. Elizabeth asks Eddie, what if Francesca keeps giving her a hard time? The captain tells Francesca that he could replace Elizabeth, but it’s late in the season. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. Yep.
Next time, a Parisian party, Rachel has to make sixty plates of food to make with no room for error, a bus trip to see a donkey, James and Elizabeth get some alone time, and Francesca says Elizabeth’s priorities are in the wrong place.
🔔 Tonight, Watch What Happens Live transformed into The 12 Doorbells of Christmas. This year, the virtual doorbell was rung by Leah (RHONY), a very pregnant Lala (Vanderpump Rules), Shannon (RHOC), Reza and MJ (Shahs of Sunset), Karen (RHOP), Tabitha Coffey (Tabitha Takes Over), Pirate Tomas (RHONY back in the day), Marge and Marge Sr. (RHONJ), Heather (RHOSLC), and Alex (Below Deck). Lala is loving being pregnant, and told us James is still sober. Reza and MJ are still working on their friendship, and have high hopes for the future, for which I’m irrationally happy, considering I don’t really know them. Marge looks totally different, and quite the bombshell. She claimed her first facelift didn’t take well, so she had it tweaked. Frankly, I think she got a whole new face. Marge Sr. was the real shocker. Maybe the halo light helped, but she looked luminous, and absolutely ravishing. You go, Marge Sr.! Andy is taking one of his many breaks, and WWHL will be back January 3rd. He’ll also be doing New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper from Times Square on CNN.
At this point, Christmas will be what it’ll be. I concede. Whether you’ve thrown in the holiday towel or not, stay safe, stay not pressuring yourself, and stay keeping it professional and not pissing off the captain.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In the US, today’s GH was the same one I magically saw yesterday that had been preempted. Because the video ended so abruptly, I wondered if it had cut off a few seconds early, but no, the end was the end. If you didn’t read yesterday, and want to check it out, go here:
Tonight, the designers awoke to the sound of jingle bells and, as one contestant put it, Christmas having thrown up in their living room, which was wall-to-wall decorations. Christian was there with news of glad tidings. They were having an unconventional materials challenge, and had to make a fabulous holiday cocktail party dress using whatever they could grab in ten minutes from the décor. This time, the challenge itself was two days. As everyone went into Tasmanian Devil mode and seized whatever they could lay their hands on, Alan said it was crazier than a Kmart on Black Friday in Ohio. Delvin said he didn’t want this, but didn’t know what he did want, and I felt his pain. I didn’t sympathize so much with him saying he didn’t like the challenge, and felt like he was in arts and crafts. He ended up scrapping his first design, and whining that he’d wasted his time.
For the most part, the designs were impressive. Serio made a masterpiece, using part of a giant basket as a hoop skirt, and magically crafting wrapping paper – which I can barely get around a box – around it to make an incredible strapless piece. Guest judge Kiernan Shipka said she’d definitely wear it, and if I was thinner, I would too. I definitely noticed Tyler this week, but for all the wrong reasons. I’m not sure what happened (okay, I was writing out cards while watching), but he ended up creating something that was both terrible, and terribly short. I wish I’d been paying more attention, because he actually started off strong, having made a beautiful bodice out of silver snowflakes. When that changed to some gold snowflakes that blended into the neckline, and a dress that barely covered his model’s who-ha, I have no idea. Poor Brittany got a nosebleed during the mad dash for materials, and ended up with wrapping paper and some leftover faux cranberries. She was unhappy with her design, which looked more like how I wrap packages, with the skirt showing a lot of crinkles, and being obviously uncomfortable. The cascade of cranberries on one side was a bone of contention between the judges, who either loved it or hated it, although everyone hated the dress. Karlie said she thought Brittany’s mentality of being defeated with the challenge might have factored in.
Along with Brittany and Tyler, Alan was also in the bottom three, being told, unfortunately, Burning Man wasn’t in December. I don’t know what he was doing, but it looked more like it belonged to Christmas in space. Nina also thought he made a lot of excuses. On the winning side, along with Sergio, was Victoria, who’d put a cranberry wreath and lots of faux jewel ornaments to good use, and Shavi, who made a garland into a gorgeous 3-D floral number, and another dress Kiernan said she would wear. The top three were told they’d embraced the holidays, and Sergio walked away the big winner. Alan was out, but Brandon thought with his bold persona and work, they’d be seeing more of him. He admitted to coming in super confident, with the belief that he was ready, even though he wasn’t. He felt the competition had changed him for the better, and he was a good designer, but had more to learn and needed more time to learn it. In my words, he got the wind knocked out of his sails, and found out he’s not too cool for school.
Next time, the designers use Goodwill to create the perfect event look for Karlie.
👠 I Just Can’t…
Gee, maybe Brandi will smack somebody again. She’s already talking about wanting to hit someone in the article. No. Just no. Especially with LVP gone. Although it’s like when someone passes away. You miss them, but you’re glad they’re not around to see some things.
🌴 Watch What Happens Live is going on hiatus until January 5th, 2020. When isn’t Andy Cohen on vacation? He’ll also be hosting New Year’s Eve again with the effervescent Anderson Cooper.
🃏 Best I’ve Seen All Day…
I love how Ellen is having the best time during this prank.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the hospital, Kiki congratulates Laura and Doc. Laura realizes they never discussed her last name.
Maxie needs to talk to Amy, and tells her it’s important. Amy says so are her patients. Maxie says she needs a DNA test done – fast.
Obrecht meets with Nathan at Kelly’s for breakfast. She tells him she’s been waiting a lifetime to give him this present.
At the station, Lulu finds out that Mayor Lomax has been indicted. She asks how long Lomax will still be in office. Jordan says a couple of months. The still have to do an investigation. Dante tells Lulu that she blew it open; now, the police have to connect the dots. Alexis says Lomax is an embarrassment to Port Charles, but an elected official can’t be fired.
Ava and Griff wait for Kiki at Ava’s place. Ava gives him her gift, a nice watch. Like a sports watch, not a blinged out Rolex. He tells her he can’t accept it. Sigh. What now?
Anna tells Finn he has two objectives. One is to put a card inside of Cassandra’s phone, so she can spy on her. She tells Finn to call her when he leaves, and keep his phone on so she can hear. His other objective is, don’t die. He tells her that he knew what he was getting into, so wish him luck.
Laura says she’s always been Laura Spencer. She and the name have survived a lot, and it’s who she is. Except it isn’t anymore. She wants to be Laura Collins. Doc says has a ring to it, and I start wondering if there was ever a Laura Collins on Dark Shadows.
Amy tells Maxie it’s against the law for her to just do a DNA test without following procedure. Maxie says so is fraud, but Nathan did that for her. She needs a comparison test. Amy asks what it’s for.
Nathan unwraps one of those old-fashioned cuckoo clocks with little doors. Like in the Geico commercial. Obrecht explains that she got it in Bavaria when she was pregnant with him. It reminds her of the fantasy she had of their life together, traveling the world. Her hopes were dashed, and they had to hide from Victor. Now the clock can hang in the nursery. She finally has a chance to set things right. Nathan says as much as he appreciates the gift, everything is not all right.
Ava thought the watch was as special as Griff is. He says it’s beautiful and thoughtful, and he appreciates the gesture. She says it’s not a gesture; it’s a present. Griff says he’s spent his entire adult life detaching from material things, and doesn’t feel comfortable with such an expensive present. For having been around the block and then some, Griff has zero social skills. Ava says she got him something from her world. She’s an art dealer, and her life is about expensive objects. She thinks his perspective must be liberating. She asks if he would keep it, if she promises to never get another one, and he agrees. She puts it on his wrist. Geez, seriously, it’s nice, but not like what they’re making of it, and the wristband sounded like it was plastic, for goodness’ sake. They kiss.
Cassandra tells her companion (does he have a name?) about Finn coming by. He says not to give him too much access. She appreciates that he’s protective. If she’s misjudged Finn’s character, he’ll be nearby to correct her mistake. Finn arrives. He tells her they have something important in common. With the business they’ll be doing, they can help people and make money at the same time. Cassandra says that pain management is both merciful and lucrative. On her end, Anna tells him to finesse. Cassandra tells Finn that she loves that he has no tolerance for nonsense; she’s the same way.
Alexis tells Lulu that if handled properly, Mayor Lomax might not want to stay. The key to getting rid of her once and for all lies in digging up dirt. Dante drags lulu into the interrogation room, and kisses her. She tells him that she needs to take down corrupt officials more often. He’s impressed with the way she stood up to Lomax, and asks how it feels. She says like she never wants to stop. They start making out, and I think, isn’t there a window there? Did he lock the door?
Maxie asks Amy if she’ll make it happen if she tells her why. Amy says her odds will improve. Maxie says it’s for Nathan. She starts to tell Amy about his mother, and Amy interrupts, asking if she means the obnoxious, demanding mad scientist? Maxie says she was going for squirrely, but it would insult the squirrels. Maxie explains that they think Obrecht might be lying about Victor being Nathan’s father. Amy says Nathan won’t go for it, and Maxie says not to tell her what her husband would do.
Obrecht says she adores Nathan. She’s overjoyed to be oma to their little one. He says her first test as a grandma is to say what isn’t she telling him about his father.
Griff tells Ava that he’s still planning her gift; it’s a work in progress. She loves the anticipation. He tells her to be patient; it will be worth it. Kiki knocks at the door. She and Ava hug, and Ava asks if she’s spoken to Dillon. Kiki tells her that Dillon said the movie is still in production. She misses him, and they’re supposed to exchange presents when they see each other, but she’s brought Ava’s. Ava says she and Griff had an adventure on Christmas, serving dinner to the homeless in Julian’s bar. She leaves the room to get Kiki’s gift. Griff asks Kiki if it’s set for tonight, and Ava overhears.
Cassandra tells Finn that the chemist assures her that the formula is better than anything currently on the market. Finn says they all say that. She says that once he reads it, the deal is officially sealed. She tells him that she’s not comfortable having meetings with phones on, and he turns his off. He says now it’s just the two of them. Anna freaks out. Felicia sees her, and asks if she’s okay.
Stella congratulates Laura, and thanks her for speaking up at the meeting. Laura says she couldn’t watch the neighborhood being dismantled. Stella tells her about several buildings losing power and heat on Christmas. Laura asks if she thinks the landlord did it on purpose, and Stella says no question about it. Laura says the community can’t stand for that; it’s harassment. Stella tells her the landlord owns a lot of property, and with the mayor in his pocket, she’s afraid of what he might do next. Laura says they’ll see about that.
Nathan tells Obrecht there’s no proof Victor is actually his father. A simple screening can tell him. She says that he has the medical dispositions he needs, and his suspicions hurt her. As his true mother, she’s asking him to let this go.
Amy tells Maxie she didn’t mean to imply that she knows Nathan better, she’s just affirming that he’s an honorable man. Maxie says that’s why she’s there. She asks Amy how she spent her Christmas. Amy says it was great; she spent it with Chet. Maxie tells her that the Driscoll family yuletide wouldn’t have happened without her and Nathan’s help. Now help her put Nathan’s mind to rest.
Ava continues to listen. Kiki asks Griff if it’s better that Ava knows the truth. He says she can’t know yet. I know what she’s thinking. That these two have something going. That’s stupid, even for these people.
Anna tells Felicia that she was just listening to a podcast, but Felicia says she knows what surveillance looks like. Anna says she just got cut off. Felicia says if she didn’t know better, she’d think it was about Finn. Robin told her about them moving in together, and moving the relationship to the next level. Anna stumbles over her words a little, and says they’re just cohabitating. Felicia says, with benefits. Why else move in?
Finn points out to Cassandra that a banned element is in the formula, and says replacing it would be crude at best. He suggests something he developed for his immune protocol, but to change the chemistry of the product line, he’ll need access to the lab. Cassandra says he’s not the man she thought he was.
Laura tells Doc that the mayor caused deliberate sabotage. He says her fight is his, and he’s behind and beside her 100% – a week from now. Meanwhile, their honeymoon awaits. Laura doesn’t think they can leave right now.
Nathan tells Obrecht that whatever she’s hiding, whatever truth is, he can handle it. He needs her to be honest. She tells him that she’ll share her most shameful secret.
Alexis announces that the Port Charles charter has an ethics clause. Any elected official can have their salary withheld if they’re under investigation. They can refuse to pay Lomax, and how long will she want the job if there’s no money? I won’t mention that usually mayors have other jobs because the pay is not that much.
Ava gives Kiki a present, saying it’s a token of faith in her. Kiki unwraps a doctor bag. I note that they actually unwrap their gifts, as opposed to the old days, where soaps always gave gifts in a pretty box with a matching lid and built-in bow. Ava says she couldn’t have gotten through that horrible ordeal without Kiki’s comfort and support. Kiki gives Ava her gift, and Griff annoyingly reminds them that the true gift is their relationship with each other. He adds that Ava taught him to accept a gift with grace. Ava removes a scarf, and says it must be to hide in. Griff says that wasn’t the intention, and Kiki says she was the one dragging her outside not that long ago. Ava sarcastically says they always give her the other two most important things in her life, faith and honesty. She’s acting like a real jerk.
Anna tells Felicia that she and Finn are just getting to know each other. Felicia says he’s easy on the eyes, but Anna says looks only get you so far. She tells Felicia that Finn is very smug, irritating, and pays attention to detail. He’s also socially backward. Still, he’s a kind man, and funny, but what he doesn’t know, or refuses to believe, is that he’s caring. Worst of all, he’s a morning person, but she’s grown accustomed to his smile, and he knows how she likes her tea. Felicia says it says sounds like she’s in love.
Cassandra thought Finn would need more time to work out any problems, but he’s more of a genius than she thought. She says it’s a cause for celebration, and pours some champagne. Finn asks if she always has it around in case of a celebration, and she says all civilized people do. Uh-oh. I guess I’m out. They toast to civilization, Cassandra saying, may it be ours for the taking. Finn spills it on himself, and Cassandra leaves to get something to wipe it up. While she’s out of the room, he puts the card in her phone. Cassandra comes back just as Finn is finishing, and she asks what he’s doing.
Doc understands that it’s important, but asks Laura if it can’t wait. Someone else can fight the good fight until then. Stella comes by and says she’s on her way to the station to file a complaint. She asks if Laura will join her as backup. Laura tells Doc that she can’t run off; the people could get intimidated. She can’t ask others to do something, if she’s not doing the same. Doc says they can all go on the way to the airport. Stella is fine with that compromise; it’s good sense. Standing up against the mayor is important, but so is their honeymoon.
Amy says she’ll find a way to make the test happen. Maxie tells her to worry about the test, and she’ll worry about the means. If Nathan gets answers, he won’t care how they got them. I dunno about that.
Obrecht tells Nathan that she hopes the child is a boy. She was able to raise his sister, but wasn’t given that privilege with him. She hopes she can imagine those years with her grandson. Nathan asks what she’s not telling him. Obrecht says she told him what he needs to know. She says to look to the future, where the answers lie ahead, not behind him. Don’t look there anymore.
Kiki says she’ll return the scarf, but she doesn’t know what Ava means. She’s always been honest; can Ava say the same? Griff tells them not to leave it like this. He tells Ava that Kiki didn’t think about her hiding behind the scarf, and Ava tells him not to think he knows her daughter better than she does. Scarves are a reminder of what she lost. Kiki says she got it all back and then some. Whatever she’s got going on today, get over it. She leaves, and Griff asks what happened? Ava tells him to ask Kiki. Maybe she’s missing Dillon or sad about having to work, but she also has work, so it’s best if he goes.
Felicia tells Anna it’s been a long time since she was in love, not since she lost Duke. She’s happy, and in love. Anna says the problem with people like her, is that they think everyone else should be like them. Felicia says she was practically gushing. She’s fighting it tooth and nail, and Felicia thinks she’s afraid of love. She’s terrified, but that’s stupid. Felicia tells her that she’s been given another chance. Dive in. She says that you don’t get to choose who you fall in love with, but get to choose what you do with it. If he feels the same, don’t fight it.
Finn tells Cassandra that he was clearing his work schedule. She wipes at him with a cloth, and says she can think of more inventive ways to celebrate. He suggests a waffle stand, but she’s thinking a side trip after the factory. Finn says he’s flattered and tempted, but can’t. She tells him no one has to know, but he says he would. He wouldn’t feel right. Cassandra asks, because of Anna? and he tells her, yes.
Felicia sees Doc at the station, and he explains that he and Laura were on their way to their honeymoon, when there was some community activism to take care of first. Jordan tells Felicia about the landlord, and how he owns several buildings. Lulu joins them, and says she wrote a follow-up about the board confirming massive voter fraud, and how Lomax stole the election. So, I guess there’s a daily newspaper at Aurora? Dante says she was indicted this morning. The results will be overturned. Lulu asks if this means Felicia is mayor, and no surprise, Felicia isn’t exactly interested anymore, but Alexis says there will be a special election in four weeks, if she wants to run. Felicia says she’s moved on, and they’ll need a viable candidate. Doc knows who his vote would go to. Someone with the character, history, and heart to protect the people and legacy of Port Charles. His wife, Laura Collins.
Maxie comes running into Kelly’s, saying she’s sorry she missed breakfast with his mom. He doesn’t believe that, but she says Obrecht is never boring, and Maxie loves the way she pronounces the names of the pastries. Nathan shows her the gift, and she’s like, great, a cuckoo clock that will wake up the baby every hour, and suggests maybe Obrecht had one as a child and that’s why she’s the way she is. Nathan says there’s been no headway on the father front. Maxie says maybe they can solve the mystery themselves.
At the hospital, Kiki tells Griff that it’s becoming a problem. He asks if she has any second thoughts. She says exactly the opposite. She can’t wait to see where it leads. He says, him too, and they part company. In another unsurprising moment, Ava sees them.
Finn tells Anna, mission accomplished. She sees his wet shirt, and he says he can double glass with the best of them. He tells her it was like James Bond meets The Three Stooges. Anna says she didn’t hear anything after he hung up. He says he told Cassandra he cleared his schedule to see the factory, and she proposed a private getaway. Anna says as soon as she places a call to the factory, she can trace it and get the location, and have it destroyed. He asks, then what? and she says then this whole charade will be over, and they can go back to their lives.
Tomorrow, Lulu wants to follow up with something just as good, Cassandra wants to eliminate Sonny, and Sonny accuses Jason of wanting to get away from Sam.
🍅 While there was no new episode of The Real Housewivesof New Jersey tonight, I did hear the news that Siggy Flicker is not coming back to the show next season. I’m guessing that her behavior hasn’t been good for business. It’s hard to be credible as a relationship expert when you can’t seem to handle your own. Whether it’s a hormone issue or not, she comes off as irrational. I watched the last two episodes again, and it’s mind-boggling. She makes excuses for everything, and can’t apologize to save her life. And, wtfDolores?
🎉 I’m not sure why there was nothing new tonight. God knows, Andy Cohen takes more vacations than anyone I know, so maybe the whole place had off this time. (Watch What Happens Live will be back after the first of the year.) I know he has a gig with Anderson Cooper on New Year’s Eve, but I’ve always wondered why he never did a WWHL New Year’s Eve party again. He even said he was never doing one again, and I’m pretty sure I heard distaste in his voice. What happened? Sadly, the night I watched it was one of my best New Year’s Eves. I can never resist Giggy.
😂 At least it gave me leave to watch Carol Burnett’s 50th Anniversary on CBS. For those who never saw the show, or are too young to remember it, it was one of the funniest programs ever on television. And it was on Saturday nights, when TV is often a wasteland.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 