Tag Archives: Andy Cohen

May3

May 2, 2022 – Willow Begs Harmony To Come Back, Horrible House Replaces Yacht, a Fight, a Return, Father’s Son, Daddy Andy, Gala Fashion & Right

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At The Savoy, Frank says, it’s almost time, and Sonny says, Frank knows what to do when he gets here. Sonny looks around, and Nina says, looking for someone?

N’neka asks if Austin and Maxie would like anything else, but Maxie says, they’re okay. N’neka leaves the check, and tells them to enjoy the rest of their night. Austin says, they don’t have to be in a rush, and Maxie says, she wishes, but she needs to relieve her mom and Mac of babysitting duty. He asks if she wants to make a plan for tomorrow night, and she says she’s counting on it. They both reach for the check, and Maxie says she was going to treat him, but he says, his treat. She says, she did order that fancy top-shelf drink, and he says he’s a doctor, remember? He can afford to buy her a drink.

On the phone with her boys, Elizabeth says she misses them too, and wishes she could be with them. Things are just difficult right now, but remember, it’s only temporary until they figure out what’s going on at home. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, it’s room service. She loves them, and will talk to them soon. She opens the door to Finn, who hands her a bouquet of flowers.

At the hospital, Michael sees Britt, and says Willow has been waiting for an update on Harmony, but Britt says she’s still in surgery. She’ll make sure Dr. Ashford finds them as soon as she has an update. He says, that’s not good enough.

Sam and Alexis come out of the elevator, and Alexis says, the cafeteria really needs to improve their selection. Sam says, maybe this isn’t a good idea right now. Maybe they should go home. Alexis needs to rest. Alexis says she needs to check on Harmony, and Sam says, Harmony tried to kill her. Alexis says, she and Harmony have unfinished business, and she intends to finish it.

Willow says, her mother being out in the road makes no sense, and asks if Carly knows what happened. Carly says, Gladys told her Sasha’s the one who hit Harmony, and Willow tells her, Sasha said her mom came out of nowhere and ran in front of her car, but why? Why was she there in the first place? That area is so remote. Carly said, she and Alexis were with her mom before the accident at Razzmatazz Point. Carly says, they were, and she and Willow sit. Carly says, this is going to be hard to hear, and even harder to understand. Willow is going to have to prepare herself. Willow asks, what happened? Why was her mother even there?  

Felicia holds Bailey, and asks if she’s having trouble sleeping. Mac tells Bailey that he has news for her; sleep doesn’t come any easier when you get older. Felicia tells her, don’t listen to grumpy grandpa. Georgie and James are sleeping just fine. He says, for now, and Felicia fusses over Bailey. She asks if Mac remembers Maxie and Georgie. Does he remember those days? He says, like it was yesterday, and she says, those were wonderful days, weren’t they? He says he wishes he could go back in time and relive those days, and she says, her too. If only that was possible.

Maxie says she’s sorry if she offended Austin, but he says he’s sorry. He thinks maybe the wrong words just came out of his mouth. She bought dinner, so he thought he could pick up the nightcap. Balance is important in a relationship. Spinelli comes in, and goes up to a woman, saying, greetings and felicitations, fair lady. Might he trouble her for a moment of her time? She walks away, and Austin says, ooh. Maxie says, poor Spinelli. He’s trying to reenter the dating pool. Austin says, he just dove in head first, and she says, he and Ellie were such a good match. Now it looks like maybe he’s trying to hard. Austin asks, what’s he wearing? (a suit) and she says, Spinelli has such a unique sense of style, and now it’s like he’s trying to be somebody he’s not. Austin says he could talk to Spinelli, and Maxie says, that’s so sweet. She knows Spinelli is missing Jason. She calls Spinelli over, and he says, it’s a delight to see her as always. Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Austin tells Spinelli to call him Austin, and says, it’s good to see him. Maxie says, this is the second night she’s seen him here. Austin asks if he likes The Savoy, and Spinelli says, it’s the perfect aesthetic for his needs. Maxie says, there’s other places he can meet people, and Austin says, it doesn’t have to be a bar or restaurant. It can be a group with common interests; people who share similar interests. Spinelli says he knows what common interests are, and says he appreciates their counsel, but assures them it’s unnecessary. He’s managing perfectly fine. Maxie says he doesn’t have to lie. They saw that woman turn him down.

Nina says, fancy meeting Sonny here. What brings him to The Savoy, business or pleasure? He says, actually, he’s just taking in the sights, and they’re incredibly beautiful. He nods to Frank, who goes off with another guy, and he tells Nina that she looks beautiful. She thanks him, and says she’s meeting Britt and Obrecht there for a girls night out. He asks where her cowboy boots are, and she says she thinks they only work in Nixon Falls, although they’re a lot more comfortable than the heels she’s wearing. He says, things were a lot more comfortable in Nixon Falls, right? Especially after they exposed Elijah Crowe. She says, it sounds like he misses the place, and he says, sometimes he thinks about what it would be like to go back there, especially after a hard day. She says, a hard day like today?

Michael tells Britt that he’s sorry. Willow is a wreck. He saw his mom briefly in the ER, but couldn’t say anything to her. Then he had to explain to his son why he and Willow won’t be there to tuck him in tonight. Wiley keeps asking why, but he can’t tell him why. He can’t explain what’s going on with Wiley’s grandmothers. She says, and helplessness isn’t a trait he’s comfortable with, and he says, still, he shouldn’t have lashed out like that. She says, it’s a lot of pressure waiting for answers, and another doctor comes out. He says, he and Dr. Ashford need to consult with her, and Britt excuses herself.

Sam wonders if Harmony is seeking some sort of absolution, but Alexis says, if she is, Harmony’s not getting it from her. She won’t let Harmony deflect either. She wants Harmony to understand the full extent of her destruction. Sam wonders if Alexis wants closure, but Alexis says, it’s something she’ll never get if Harmony doesn’t survive.

Britt tells Michael that they have to find Willow now, and he says, she’s in the chapel. They dash to the elevator, and Alexis asks if there’s an update on Harmony. Is she out of surgery? Britt says, Miss Miller’s family will be notified first, and let her know. She and Michael get in the elevator, and Sam goes over to the other doctor. She says she’s Harmony’s niece and this – indicating Alexis – is her sister. Is she out of surgery? He says, she is, and Sam says, thank goodness. Would he happen to know what room she’s in?

Carly says, Harmony attacked her and Alexis, and Willow asks if Carly is okay. Carly says, she and Alexis are both fine, and Willow asks why Harmony attacked her. Carly says, she was in Alexis’s house. Harmony was there, they got into a fight, and Harmony stuck her with a syringe. Willow says, her mother drugged Carly? What were they fighting about? Carly says she discovered a secret Harmony wanted to keep, and Willow asks, what would be so bad that her mom would attack Carly? Carly says she knows Willow has a lot of questions, starting with how Harmony ended up at Razzle Dazzle Point. She drove Carly there in her SUV, but Carly doesn’t know what happened since she was unconscious. When she woke up, she heard Harmony and Alexis arguing, and when she climbed out of the truck, Harmony was about to attack Alexis. Willow says she doesn’t understand, and Carly says she was able to stop Harmony, but when Harmony heard Alexis call 9-1-1, she took off for the woods. She must have found the road, and that’s where she jumped in front of Sasha’s car. Willow asks why her mom attacked Carly in the first place. What secret was she trying to keep? Whatever it is, she promises she can handle it. Britt walks in with Michael, and Michael says, there’s an update on Willow’s mom. Carly says, this can wait; she’ll give them some privacy. Carly leaves, and Willow asks, how is she? Britt says, Harmony made it through surgery. She did, however, suffer several substantial injuries. She’s been admitted to the ICU. Willow asks, what’s wrong with her? and Britt says, internal bleeding, as well as damage to several organs. The surgical team did all they could, but Willow’s mom became hypertensive, and they had to stop operating. For now, they’ll continue to stabilize her, while evaluating the extent of her injuries. Michael asks if she’ll need more surgery, and Britt says, that’s to be determined. Willow asks if she can see Harmony, and Britt says, she’s unconscious, but she’s allowed to have visitors. Willow thanks her, and Britt leaves. Willow says, all this time in nursing school, and her mind is blank. What does this mean? He says, it’s still touch-and-go, and she says, so now it’s up to her mom to survive, and he holds her.

Sam and Alexis look in on Harmony, and Alexis says, this seems wrong. What if Harmony’s not even awake? Sam says, then they stay until she opens her eyes. This could be Alexis’s last chance to get closure. It’s up to her. Does she want it or not?

Spinelli sips a drink, and Maxie says, it was that woman’s loss, not his. Austin tells him, it happens to everybody; don’t even think about it. Spinelli says, like the Quartermaines don’t think about him trying to wrangle a share of their company? Maxie says, Spinelli… and Spinelli mumbles an apology. Austin says, it’s getting nice out. He was thinking about going out on the lake kayaking. Maybe Spinelli would like to join him. Spinelli says, his schedule is rather full these days, and Maxie says, kayaking sounds like fun. Is he sure he can’t go? Spinelli says, he’s sure he can move some things around, and tells Austin to let him know when he’s going. Maxie says, it’s settled. Now she and Austin have to go. They get up, and Austin says, if Spinelli gets the chance to talk to another woman, don’t overthink it; just be himself. Maxie says, yeah, don’t overthink it, and they head for the exit. Spinelli looks pained.

Nina asks if Sonny wants to talk about his hard day, and he flashes back to his argument with Michael, and saying, if Michael wants his forgiveness, he’ll have to beg. Michael tells him, don’t hold his breath. Sonny tells Nina, it’s nothing he can’t handle, and she says she’s sure he can… Obrecht grabs her arm, and says, she reserved a table. She drags Nina away, and Frank comes back. Sonny asks if everything is good, and Frank says it is. Sonny asks Frank to wait for him outside, and Frank leaves. Spinelli approaches Sonny, and says, he just wanted to pay his respects. Sonny asks what he can do for Spinelli, and Spinelli says, there’s far too many unsavory characters here tonight, and watches as Austin and Maxie go up the stairs to the outside.  

Finn tells Elizabeth that he and Violet spent the afternoon at the nail salon. He actually got a nice lavender high-gloss, but it didn’t go with his shoes. She laughs, and he says, Violet is over the moon. Between her Uncle Chase staying with her and her new manicure, she barely acknowledged his departure. She says, he makes it sound like Chase moved in, and he says, temporarily. Finn took the room next to hers. She says, the whole point of her staying here is so she’d feel safe, and be away from whoever’s stalking her. She doesn’t want to be upending his life. She’ll be fine. He says, she’s always brave for everyone else. She can admit she needs someone too. That’s why he’s here, and because he owes her. She asks, for what? and he says, for a start, when he thought he killed Peter August, and was working himself into the ground to find a cure for Chase. He wasn’t the easiest person to be around through all that. She showed him nothing but kindness, and was supportive. It’s the least he can do to thank her. She says, he doesn’t owe her anything, and he says, one of the best parts of their relationship… Is it okay if he calls it a relationship? She says she’ll allow it, and he says, just this once? They trust each other, and they’re honest with each other, and they’re there for each other. She agrees, and he asks, how is she really? She says she’s totally freaked out. She just wants to go home with her boys like this nightmare never happened. He says he thinks he might be able to help with the last part.

Willow wonders how this happened. How did her mom end up like this? Michael says, things seem grim right now, but she can’t lose faith. Her mom is tough; she’ll make it through this. Willow says she thought so too, but after what Carly just told her… He asks what his mom told her, and she says, she’s sorry. She knows she should tell him, but she can’t think about it right now. He tells her, that’s okay; he’ll get the story from his mom. All Willow has to do is focus on how much her mother loves her, and will do everything in her power to stay with Willow. She says she prays he’s right, and lights the one conveniently unlit candle. She says she’s ready to see her mother.

Spinelli asks if he can purchase a cocktail for Sonny, or whatever he prefers beverage-wise. He takes out his credit card, and Sonny says, platinum, huh? What did he do, win the lottery? Spinelli says, he’s working on a new business venture, and Sonny says, what’s that? Spinelli says, it’s still in the planning stages, but when he’s ready to launch, Sonny will be the first to know. Sonny says, it sounds like Spinelli’s got a lot going on in his life; a new business venture, maybe a new woman.

Nina asks Obrecht, what the hell was that? She completely ignored Sonny. Obrecht says, the man threatened mein Scott, and Nina says, Scotty provoked him. Obrecht says, so Scotty was asking for it? but Nina says, Obrecht knows about Scotty and Sonny’s history, and their tempers. Sonny won’t hurt Scotty again as long as Obrecht’s boyfriend doesn’t go around looking for trouble. Obrecht says she doesn’t care who seeks out whom. If something happens to Scotty, Sonny is going to feel her wrath. Nina says, Obrecht is going to take on Sonny? That’s a good one. Obrecht says, a gunfight will be a pleasant memory compared to her vengeance, and Nina says, let it go. Britt approaches, and Obrecht says she can’t believe Nina would side with that man against her own family. Nina says she’s not siding with anyone; don’t force her to. Britt asks if the two of them are actually fighting over guys.  

Felicia asks Mac, if there was a way to relive those days, what does he think it would look like? He says he’s not following, and she says, he never had a child of his own. He says, it never mattered to him that Georgie, Maxie, and Robin weren’t his own biological children. He loved and raised them as if they were. She says, he was a father to them in every way that counted. She was, and still is, grateful for that, but surely he would have wished for a child of his own; one they raised together. He says, that would have been nice and don’t call me Shirley, and she asks if he still feels that way. He asks what they’re talking about.

Alexis goes into Harmony’s room, where she’s hooked up to a bunch of machines, and says, this is ridiculous. How is she supposed to talk to Harmony when she’s like this? She wants to tell Harmony how absolutely furious she is with her; furious doesn’t even begin to cover it. She never asked for Harmony’s friendship, but Harmony came along when she needed it most, and she valued their friendship. She stood up for Harmony when everyone told Alexis to dump her. She sits next to the bed, and says, now she learns Harmony’s friendship was just a way to clear her conscience about killing Neil. She thought she glimpsed a good person in Harmony. Was any of it even real? Maybe if Harmony could have had a different life; she could have had a relationship with Willow based on honesty. Willow says, Alexis? and Alexis turns around to see Willow and Michael at the door.

Spinelli asks Sonny, who, pray tell, is this new woman? and Sonny says, maybe not new, but rediscovered. He saw the way Spinelli looked at Maxie when she walked out with her boyfriend. Spinelli says, he’ll always love Maxie – she’s the mother of his child – but not romantically. He just wishes for her happiness, and a better man than that would-be Quartermaine. Sonny says, man to man, if there’s a woman Spinelli cares about, that he’s after, whether it’s Maxie or not, he has to follow his heart and tell them he cares, what they mean to him, before it’s too late. Spinelli thanks Sonny for his for hard won wisdom, which of course (🍷) he knows Sonny goes by.

Britt says, it’s just a punch in the gut, how close Willow is to losing her mother. Especially since it hasn’t been that long since she and Obrecht reconnected. Then she almost killed Obrecht with a speargun. Obrecht says, but Britt didn’t. Here she is, safe and sound. Britt says she knows she’s supposed to keep a professional distance, but she’s reminded none of them have as much time as they think. Nina says she regrets the missed opportunity to be close to her daughter; they’re very lucky. Life is really short, and she’s not going to waste time being mad at the people she loves. Obrecht says, neither will she.

Felicia asks if Mac has ever seen such an angel, and he says he’s looking at one. She kisses him, and says, about reliving the past… and he says, is that what they were talking about? She says, weren’t they? Maxie and Austin come in, and Felicia asks how they’re doing. Maxie says, other than tripping at the MetroCourt – she shows them a sprained finger – they had a great time. They went to a wine tasting. Mac says, other than the finger, sounds like fun, and Austin says, it was pretty good. Maxie says, the way he downed that foie gras, she thinks it was more than pretty good. Austin says, in his life so far, his tastes have run to the can of beans and hot dog over an open fire kind of thing. It turns out goose liver is delicious. Mac says, Maxie has always had expensive taste, and Felicia says, there’s nothing wrong with wanting the finer things in life. Mac tells them, all he’s saying is, it’s a good thing Maxie’s company went public, so now she can pay for the finer things. Maxie says, it’s better than when she ran up his credit card in high school, and Mac says, laugh now. Wait until it’s her turn. It may seem like years from now, but blink, and her own kids are going to be running up their own extracurricular shopping. She says she’ll be thinking of him when that day comes, so be kind.

Elizabeth says, so now that the dinner portion of their evening is over, how is Finn going to make her forget she’s being stalked by a dangerous weirdo? He says, funny she should ask, holding up a deck of cards. She says, they’re playing cards? and he says, not just any cards; this is slapjack. She’s never played slapjack? She says, no, and he says, they each get a pile of cards, and take turns flipping them over. If one of them gets a Jack, they slap. Whoever slaps it first, gets the take. Any questions? She says, no questions, doctor, and he says, ladies first. Her first card is a Jack, and she slaps it first. He says, you’re kidding me, and she asks, who taught him how to play? Violet? He says, his daughter loves a semi-violent card game. His turn. They play, and she asks how he knew this was exactly what she needed. People in her house, hearing voices… He says, what voices? Did someone try to contact her?

Alexis tells Willow, she’s so sorry about Harmony, and jets. Michael asks if Willow wants some privacy, and she asks if he minds. He says, he’ll be outside the room if she needs him. Willow says, oh mom, what have you done?

In the hallway, Sam asks if Alexis got what she needed, and Alexis says, yes and no. Carly comes in and hugs Michael, who says he’s sorry they keep missing each other. Carly says, he’s been with Willow, which is where he needs to be, and he says, Carly had a tough night too. She says, yes, but Willow is more important. Michael says, she’s in with Harmony now, so Carly can tell him. What were she and Alexis doing in the ER, and what does it have to do with Harmony? Alexis says she just wants to go home, and Sam asks if she’s sure. Alexis says, Carly can handle things from here, and Carly thanks her for everything she did tonight. Alexis says, back at her, and leaves with Sam. Michael says, care to explain? and Carly says, Harmony drugged her and tried to kill Alexis. Michael says, why? and she says, Willow.

Willow asks Harmony what she’s supposed to think? She knew Harmony was capable of doing harm, of doing wrong, but she thought Harmony was misguided. She never thought Harmony was a murderer. There’s got to be more to the story. Her rehabilitation wasn’t an act… unless it was, and Willow didn’t want to see it. Because despite everything Harmony has done to her, and others, Harmony is still her mom. She’s never stopped loving her, even when it hurt. She puts her hand on Harmony’s, and says, so please wake up. She still loves Harmony. Isn’t that worth living for?

Nina says she’s going to the ladies room, and Britt says she’ll order Nina another drink. Nina says, she’ll just take a Ride Share home, and leaves. Britt says she’s glad Obrecht and Nina kissed and made up, and Obrecht says, Nina is as good to her as Britt is. She wishes them both happy and full lives. She knows Britt’s diagnosis weighs on her – how could it not? – but she still has much to look forward to. Britt says she’s trying. It’s just been a rough couple of days. Obrecht says, aside from this woman having a terrible accident, what else happened? Britt says, for one thing, she was stood up by the stupid date that the stupid matchmaking service set her up with, and Obrecht says, that schwein. How dare he reject her beautiful and intelligent daughter? Britt says, it was the guy with the cat, and Obrecht says she told Britt not to date the cat man. If she wants an attentive person, find someone with a ferret. Britt laughs, and says, okay. Here’s the thing. Why waste time she doesn’t have on a man? Obrecht says, is it that Britt doesn’t want any man, or she just wants the one she lost? Britt says, she didn’t lose him, but Obrecht says, she did. Jason should have chosen her. If he had, all their lives would be different. What is indisputable is that he saved Britt’s life, and helped Britt save hers. Britt is different; stronger, yet more vulnerable. It’s unfair that what was left between them went unfinished, and Britt has every right to grieve, but the greater waste would be to deny herself happiness in the present, longing for a man who’s dead, and a love that is gone. Britt says, Jason made a strong impression, and Obrecht says, that’s why she should broaden her horizons. Instead of a dangerous man who will rescue her in a hail of gunfire, find someone who will get her out of the hospital to do fun things. A shoulder to cry on, someone to share a laugh with. If Britt won’t do it for herself, do it for her. Britt says, Obrecht is sure playing hardball, and Obrecht says, doesn’t she always? Britt says, okay. She’ll carry on with her manhunting. Obrecht says, good. She has to go. Scotty awaits, and has promised an eventful night. Britt tells her, go; get out of here. Obrecht says she loves Britt, and to tell Nina auf Wiedersehen.  

Felicia asks if Mac doesn’t just love being a grandparent, and he says, other than being near her, it’s the best feeling in the world. She says, he’s such a charmer. She just loves spending time with those precious little ones, and he says, he’d spend all his  time with them if he could. She says, absolutely. She couldn’t ask for anything more. He says, she could.

Elizabeth tells Finn, no one contacted her; it was nothing. He asks what she meant about hearing voices, and she says, a patient called to remind her about getting him a blanket. He started by saying, don’t forget me. Finn says, like the intruder said to her, and she says, at first, it sounded like a completely different voice, almost otherworldly. But obviously, she misheard him; it was a long day. He asks if she’s sure Lucy didn’t get in her head, and she says, she’s not sleeping, she’s stressed. Between the Ouija and hearing Lucy talk about her beliefs, she doesn’t know what to think anymore, except that she’s completely losing it. He says, no. He can’t imagine anyone handling this as well as she has. These occurrences would have broken a weaker person. He knew shew as strong, but he’s in awe of her. She says she doesn’t feel strong, or awesome, but he says, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to keep telling her that she’s strong. He kisses her, and says, awesome, and kisses her again. He says he thinks she’s perfect, and they kiss some more.

Austin asks if the kids are asleep, and Maxie says, sleeping the sleep of the innocent. Austin says, as they should be. It sounds nice. He should get going. He thanks her for a lovely evening, and says, they should do it again sometime. She tells him, name the day, and he says, tomorrow. She tells him, they did say they’d do something tomorrow. Or did they? There was so much going on between that photographer and Spinelli. She thanks Austin for being so kind to Spinelli. He’s usually standoffish like that, but he’ll like Austin when he gets to know him. She’s worried Spinelli is lonely. He lost Jason and Ellie within a few months, and he’s trying to figure out what’s next for him. Austin says, Maxie, and she says, she really does want to see him tomorrow, but Georgie and James have a lot of activities. She really needs to bake, or go to Eckerd’s and throw herself at their mercy for four dozen cupcakes, which will probably bankrupt them… He says, if she doesn’t want to hang out tomorrow, she can just say so.

Nina asks where Obrecht is, and Britt says, she dumped them for Scotty. She told her to tell Nina, auf Wiedersehen. Nina says, who would guess that out of the three of them, Obrecht has the love interest? and Britt says, never would have thought. She has a busy day, so she’s going to call it a night. What about Nina? Nina says, she’s going to be sulking at Britt calling it a night. She’s going to finish her wine, and no matter how short their visit is, it’s always nice to see Britt. Britt says, back at her. Britt passes Spinelli’s table, and says, his drink is certainly colorful. He says, he was hoping it would lift his mood. Speaking of… She says, how is she doing since her date stood her up? She’s feeling wonderful, confident, no self-pity at all. He says, research shows, the majority of people who sign up have a good experience with matchmaking services, and she says, so she’s in the minority? He tells her, he saying she should keep on trying. Her Mr. Right is out there, and waiting for him is definitely worth the effort. Just don’t give up. She says he sounds like her mother, and he says, heavens forbid. She thanks him, saying, she needed it, and he asks if that means she’ll take his advice and give matchmaking a try again. She says she did it to pacify her mother; don’t push his luck. Enjoy his drink.

Sonny asks Nina, is this seat taken? Finishing the cliché, she says, it is now.

Michael says, so Carly saved Alexis’s life, and Carly says, Alexis saved hers too. She doesn’t know what would have happened if Alexis hadn’t shown up. She thinks Harmony was going to stage some sort of accident, so it looked like she drove off Rhoda Morgenstern Point. Michael asks what she was trying to cover up, and she says, a secret about Willow, but before he asks, she needs to tell Willow first. She’s just debating whether to tell Willow tonight; she’s got a helluva lot going on right now. Michael says, Carly doesn’t have to protect Willow. She’s strong and she deserves to know the secret her mother was willing to kill for. They look through the window at Willow and Harmony.

Willow says, if Harmony doesn’t come back, there are so many things they didn’t get to say. They have a lifetime of things left to say. Please give them that chance. Willow is begging her. Willow cries and Harmony opens her eyes.   

Tomorrow, Lucy says, it’s about to get hotter; Austin wonders if Maxie is looking for an excuse to push him away; Valentin says, he’ll do what has to be done; Willow asks Carly to just tell her; and Elizabeth yells for Finn.  

🏖 There was no Below Deck tonight due to an onslaught of Summer House episodes, which ended the season. Thank you, God. I’ve been watching this show peripherally on the embarrassment level of paying to see an archaic freak show. Maybe I just can’t believe it’s real. Actually, what I think I can’t believe is real is that these immature jerks display their behavior for the world to see. I don’t mind if the VP of my bank goes wild on the weekends in the Hamptons, behaving like they never left high school, but I don’t want to see it. I’m pretty sure my trust factor would plummet. Unfair? Maybe, but I’m being honest.

And please, I’m the last one to say guys can’t show emotion or everyone can’t let their freak flag fly, but between Kyle and Andrea, you could have floated an ark on the tears. Don’t get me started on the whining. I’m guessing Paige latched onto Craig so she can jump ship to Southern Charm. Hopefully, it doesn’t go horribly wrong and Craig gets absorbed into the Hamptons house. As for bedroom roulette, I lost track of who was hooking up with who. Or is it whom?

At least Andrea is single, and not inflicting his emotional wreckage on anyone (yet – another bullet Paige dodged), but Kyle… Amanda doesn’t seem stupid or insane, and her parents seem like they were a decent example of a couple. I just don’t get why she decided to hitch her star to this mess of a wagon. To each his own I suppose. She probably thinks she’s going to fix him. Never. Going. To. Happen.

The surprise highlight of the season was Ciara losing her sh*t at a dinner, when Danielle defended Lindsay for Austen-blocking her. Ciara felt like Lindsay had intentionally disrespected her, and went off Housewives level, throwing wine in Danielle’s face, and everything going everywhere. This is why these people shouldn’t have nice things.

There was a lot of whining, tears, and anger over a pre-nup between Kyle and Amanda, but as far as I know, it never happened. Robert wanted Danielle to move to Charleston, and I wondered if she’d do double Southern Charm duty. Even though he’s never been on the show, it looks like they have a few slots to fill. In the same-old category, Lindsay spent a lot of time getting opinions about her decisions until she found one that agreed with her own. Carl had broken up with McKenzie, and went back to meditation and working out.

To continue keeping tethered to their high school days, the group decided to have a prom. Kudos to the ladies for being able to fit in their old dresses at 50 40 32, but why? I remember my father calling me two years after I moved away from home, saying he found a roll of film (yes, we had no digital camera), and it had my senior prom pictures on it. The point is, I never even realized they were missing. Once I graduated, I wasn’t too interested in reliving the moments. But again, different strokes. While there were traditional prom factors, it was basically a barbecue in the backyard where some people dressed up and some didn’t. Kyle ended up having a baby cry, and in his interview, he said he bottled up his emotions, and it came out at the wrong time. He was right, but his delivery was wrong, and it was the story of his life. Cue the violins. I think Peter Pan is probably closer to the story of his life. Oh, and no surprise, everyone jumped in the pool with their prom clothes on. I did think it was cute that Craig faked Paige out, saying he had to go somewhere else, then showed up in his fancy prom duds.

The season finished with Carl – ordained online several weeks prior – marrying Kyle and Amanda at the house, which was at least a fitting venue. The biggest shocker for me was seeing jewelry designer under Luke’s name. I thought he was a lumberjack or buffalo hunter or something. Didn’t he tap maple trees?

The Reunion is next. I still can’t believe this trash is on TV. Even worse, I can’t believe I keep looking at it. Maybe I expect them to unzip their suits and newly minted high school graduates will come out.

🥊 About That Fight…

This pretty much sums up Ciara’s meltdown. I can tell you one thing, I wouldn’t have cleaned up that mess.

‘Summer House’ Cast Weighs In on Danielle and Ciara’s Wine-Toss Drama, Fight

📰 GH OG Returns…

It’s kind of sad she missed the good part.

Nancy Lee Grahn is Back at GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🎭 Footstep Following…

Sonny’s son is back on GH.

Joshua Benard Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL This Month!
General Hospital Bringing Back Joshua Benard

👶🏻 Two Times a Daddy…

Congrats to Andy – it’s a girl!

https://people.com/parents/andy-cohen-introduces-son-benjamin-to-newborn-baby-sister-lucy/

👠 From Wow To WTF…

Met Gala fashion

https://pagesix.com/2022/05/02/met-gala-red-carpet-2022-live-updates-of-the-celebrity-outfits/

With a small side of shade.

https://pagesix.com/2022/05/02/tom-ford-brings-the-shade-on-met-gala-2022-red-carpet/

🌅 Healthy, Wealthy and Wise…

Come by tomorrow to recharge your soap knowledge and shudder at the New Jersey Reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay being a risk taker, and stay following your heart. Tell people that you care and what they mean to you, before it’s too late.

Mar24

March 23, 2022 – Ryan Talks To Spencer, Gina Has a Launch Party, Goodbye Grandma Wrinkles & Girl

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew finds Curtis at the MetroCourt bar and says he sees Curtis started without him. Curtis puts keys on the bar, and Drew says, too far gone to drive already? but Curtis says, they’re house keys. He and Portia just closed on a new place. Drew says, that’s awesome… and deserving of a toast. He tells the bartender to hook him up, and asks Curtis, what’s next? Curtis says, it’s hard to focus on the future when Marshall’s past won’t leave him alone.

At the hospital, Marshall tells Deanna that he’s having issues with his medication and can’t seem to reach his doctor. He was treated there by Dr. Rose some month back. She says she’ll track him down, and Marshall thanks her, saying, he really needs to get the dosage right. He sees Ava and Avery talking with TJ, and Sonny joins them. Sonny asks, what happened? and Ava says, Avery had a fall at the playground. She says her arm hurts. TJ says, it’s nothing they can’t fix, and Sonny tells Avery, he’s known this guy since he was about this big, holding his hand three inches from the floor. TJ says he thinks he was a little taller than that, and Sonny says he watched TJ become a great doctor and he trusts TJ with his life. Ava says, then she guesses they can trust him with Avery’s arm, and TJ says, let’s do it.

Carly tells Josslyn, this is just a conversation, leading her to Alexis’s office. Alexis is going to explain to Josslyn how The Invader is going to tell her story… if that’s the avenue she wants to take. Carly knows Josslyn and Cameron are supposed to meet with the detective afterward, but if that’s not something she wants to do, or if it’s too much… Josslyn says she gets it. She’s been thinking about this all night, so she’s ready. Carly hugs Josslyn and knocks on the door, and Alexis tells them to come in. Cameron and Elizabeth are already there, and Alexis thanks them all for coming. Unless they have any questions, they can jump right in. There are no questions, so she asks them to sit down, and says, let’s get started.

Nikolas goes to Laura’s place, and she asks what brings him by. He says he wondered if she needed any help with Spencer’s homecoming, and she says, there’s not much to do. His room is ready, and she did stop and pick up his favorite madelines from Eckerd’s. He asks if she’s sure that’s it, and she says, he’s only been gone a month. And if she’s being honest, he shouldn’t be coming back here at all. His home is with Nikolas at Windymere.

At Spring Ridge, Spencer puts his cards down, and tells Samuel, gin. It looks like he wins supreme, unless Samuel is letting him win. Samuel says, not his style, when Harmony comes by and asks Spencer if there’s any chance he could spare some time for a fellow inmate. He turns around to see Ryan parked at another table, and she says if he doesn’t want anything to do with Ryan, she completely understands. She’d steer clear of him too if it wasn’t her job. Spencer asks what he wants, and she says, to play a game – Spencer notices a chess board in front of Ryan – and to talk. Spencer says, he can’t talk. That’s what being locked-in means, doesn’t it? She says they’ve developed a work around, and Ryan communicated with her last night. She’s prepared for different directions that the conversation might take. Spencer says, that must have been a lot of blinking, and she says, yeah, but honestly, if he’s not comfortable with it or has reservations… He says, let’s do it. He’s only going to be there for a couple more hours, and quite frankly, he’s gin rummied out. No offense. Samuel says, none taken, and Spencer goes with Harmony over to Ryan’s table. Spencer says, white or black? and Harmony says, Ryan takes black; Spencer makes the first move. Spencer moves a piece, and asks what Ryan wanted to talk about. Harmony tells him, Ryan says, you’re welcome.

Nikolas says he highly doubts Spencer would be on board with living at Windymere, but Laura says, they’ve made some inroads, haven’t they? He says, they’ve made some ground, but pushing Spencer to come home is the surest way to lose it. She says, just bring up the conversation, and they’ll go from there. They need to close ranks. Nikolas doesn’t want to leave Spencer vulnerable to Victor, does he? Nikolas says, no, and she says, that’s where Spencer is going to land if he doesn’t come to Nikolas. And if she’s being completely honest, Spencer’s living situation here can’t go on indefinitely. Esme comes out with her suitcase, and says she agrees, which is why she’s moving out.

Carly says, it has to be made clear that Josslyn and Cameron did not make the video, and they did not release it themselves. Elizabeth says, absolutely, and Alexis says, got it. That goes without saying, but the number one priority is for them to be protected. If they do this, it’s an opportunity to take control and frame the narrative. Having said that, it’s a very big decision, and if they decide they don’t want to do it, fine; it’s up to them. She assumes they must have questions about the process, and Carly says she has many. Elizabeth says, so does she, and Alexis says she’s going to answer all of them, but right now she’s going to ask Elizabeth and Carly to step outside for a bit, because she thinks this conversation might be more productive with fewer participants. Carly tells Josslyn to text if she needs her, and she and Elizabeth leave. Alexis says, okay, let’s hear it.

TJ says, right this way, and Ava says, aren’t they lucky that Dr. Ashford is here today, and that Avery’s father knows him so well? Deanna tells Marshall that Dr. Rose isn’t in today, but she can help him make an appointment for when he is. Marshall watches TJ usher Sonny and company into the exam room.

Curtis asks, how bad is it? and Drew asks if he’s sure he wants to know. Curtis says, is it that bad? and Drew says, not necessarily, but he’s looking at Curtis right now, and it seems like maybe he doesn’t want to know this information. He gets it. Curtis has his father back in his life, something he never thought was going to happen. If Alan Quartermaine walked off the elevator right now, maybe that would be enough for Drew. Maybe he wouldn’t need to know Alan’s faults and failings, and why he made the choices he made. Maybe he’d be happy to know his father in the here now, and just take it from there. Curtis wonders if Drew is saying he should ignore what’s in the envelope, but Drew tells him, he’s saying it’s completely Curtis’s call. He’s just pointing out there’s no shame in considering his father’s presence in his life a gift, and taking that gift, no questions asked.

TJ says, they’ll take some x-rays to make sure, but it looks like a wrist sprain at most, and Avery asks what an x-ray is. TJ says, it’s when they take really cool pictures of what’s inside her, and Ava says, a sprain would be good news; not the end of the world. Avery asks if she’ll still get a lollypop, but TJ says he’s all out of them today. Sonny says he’ll go to the gift shop and get her one, and Avery says, yay. Sonny comes out, and Marshall approaches him. Marshall says he’s finally figured Sonny out. He’s the type who only learns his lesson the second time around. Sonny asks if there’s a problem, and Marshall says he thought he made himself clear at The Savoy. Don’t come at his family. Sonny says he thinks Marshall was wrong about what was happening then, and he’s making a mistake about what’s happening now, but Marshall says, it’s no mistake. He saw Sonny talking to TJ. He’s Marshall’s grandson. Sonny says, TJ also happens to be a doctor, and his daughter was injured on the playground; he’s treating her. Marshall says, this hospital is full of doctors. Find another one please. He don’t want his grandson associating with the likes of Sonny. Sonny says he’d be interested to find out how Marshall is going to enforce that. Excuse him. He leaves, and TJ watches Marshall from the doorway.

At the MetroCourt, Carly asks if Elizabeth knows what she wants, and Elizabeth says, that depends. Is she serving head on a platter? Carly says she will be, when they prove Esme did this. How is Cameron? Elizabeth says, he’s mortified, furious, completely and utterly shaken. Carly says, that sounds about right, and Elizabeth asks how Josslyn is doing. She seems to be holding up really well. Carly says, she’s checking all the boxes; head held high, determined to stand up for herself, but she has to be putting up a front. Elizabeth says, how could it not be? and Carly says she doesn’t care how tough you are, when you’re called a tramp and a slut, it takes its toll. She didn’t want this for Josslyn. She wanted Josslyn to be who she is, confident and strong, come out swinging if need be. Why did this happen? Elizabeth says she doesn’t know, but she can tell Carly this; Josslyn’s going to be okay. Carly asks how she can be so sure, and Elizabeth says, Josslyn’s got Carly.   

Josslyn says, once it’s established that this tape was made and posted without their consent… Alexis says, which is illegal. She can’t stress that enough. Revenge porn and filming someone without their consent is a misdemeanor and felony respectively. Josslyn asks if there will be any mention of Esme, but Alexis says, they can only make general references to a person who’s unnamed, thought to be responsible. Without any evidence from the PCU or the police, any allegations made to a specific wrongdoer if libelous. Josslyn asks, what about mentions of her and Cam? and Alexis says, typically pseudonyms are used in cases like this. Cameron says, that won’t stop other papers from using their names, and Alexis says, given how young they are, respected news organizations will most likely follow their lead and not identify them. Cameron says, what about the non-respected ones? They’re going to be all over this because Joss is Sonny’s stepdaughter. Josslyn says, if their real names are out there, why even use the pseudonyms? Maybe they just start with their real names. Cameron says, or maybe they don’t do this at all.

Esme says, she vacuumed, made the bed, and scoured the bathroom. It will be like she was never here. Nikolas says, Spencer will be heartbroken to come home and find her gone, and he’s guessing she’ll feel the same way. Esme says she just doesn’t know, and Nikolas suggests she stay until Spencer gets here, and they can decide on the next step together. Laura asks him to go pick up Spencer. Then she and Esme can have chance to talk, just the two of them. He tells her, work her magic, and leaves. Laura says, it’s just the two of them now, and asks Esme to tell her what’s really going on.  

Spencer asks what he’s supposed to be grateful for, and speaking for Ryan, Harmony says, Spencer and his girlfriend exploited his name and reputation, using it to further their own; ends that saw Ava hurt. He didn’t stop them. Spencer asks why he should have. Ryan’s name entered the public domain ten murders ago. Harmony moves a chess piece, and says, and it was all for nothing. Ava and Nikolas are still together, and Spencer is out in the cold, abandoned even my his own girlfriend. Spencer moves a piece, and says he should have spent the last hour doing pottery, and Harmony says, it doesn’t have to be this way. Spencer still has one friend. Spencer asks who? and Harmony as Ryan says, me.

TJ says, it’s a mild sprain. Avery will need an elastic bandage and some ice. Sonny comes in, and says, and this, giving Avery a lollypop. TJ says he’ll get Nurse Deanna to wrap it up for her; she’s the best in this business. Sonny says, don’t tell Epiphany, and TJ says, the best in the business after Epiphany. Ava says, smart guy, and Sonny thanks him for checking Avery out. TJ says, anytime, and asks if he can talk to Sonny for a quick second. As they leave, Ava says, Avery got watermelon. Avery’s dad knows it’s her favorite. She’s a lucky girl. In the hallway, TJ says he saw Sonny with his grandfather. Is everything okay? Sonny says, he has no problem with Marshall, and TJ tells Avery to take care of that arm, and leaves. Ava says she has an idea. After Avery is patched up, why don’t they head to Kelly’s for some ice cream? Avery asks, can Mama Carly come too?

Marshall tells Deanna that he doesn’t like to mess around with this stuff. Is there someone else he can see besides Dr. Rose? TJ says, someone like him?

Curtis says Drew is right. He does want his father in his life. If it was just him, he could probably go on not asking another question. Drew says, but he’s also asking for Portia and Trina, and Curtis says, and for TJ and Aunt Stella. How can he, in good conscience, open the door to his life, and let Marshall in without knowing what’s going to follow him inside? Drew says, sounds like Curtis made up his mind, and Curtis says he can’t look the other way. He has to know everything about that man before he lets Marshall come any closer. Drew slides the envelope over, and Curtis opens it.

Spencer tells Ryan, he thinks he’s all set on friends, but thank you. Harmony sighs, and says, we’re on the same team. Neither of us wants your father with Ava, but only one of us still has the power to act. Will you use it? She moves another piece, says, checkmate, and Nikolas walks in.

Laura says Esme was right; everything was absolutely spotless. Esme says Laura almost sounds disappointed, and Laura says she likes an easy call. She thought she had Esme all figured out. She actually thought Esme was bad for Spencer, and it was only a matter of time before he figured it out. Esme says, and bye-bye Esme, and Laura says, yes, but that’s not what happened. Esme and Spencer became even closer, and she saw Esme encourage Spencer to reconcile with his father. As it turns out, Esme is by no means an easy call. Esme asks if Laura is saying she was wrong about her.

Josslyn says, so Cameron doesn’t want to do the article? and Cameron says he just wants them to consider all their options before going public. She says, they’re already public; that’s kind of the whole point. He says, if they keep talking about it, everyone is going to keep talking about it. If they stay quiet, maybe it will blow over. She says, that’s easy for him to say. He’s big man on campus. Meanwhile, she’s being tagged as a slut on social media. He says, that’s not what he meant. He knows this is harder on her, he really does. Alexis says she’s not doing this feature to make money. She’s doing it because she thinks it can do some real good, but they both have to be on board. If they decide that the downside is too great, she fully understands. This is a really hard thing to do. She’ll follow their lead, and in the meantime, give them some time to talk about it.

Elizabeth says. she used to consider herself lucky that she only had boys, and Carly says, she never dreamed of a little girl? Elizabeth says, the thought terrified her. She convinced herself that if she had a little girl, she’d have to build walls around her and put her in bubble wrap. Carly says, don’t think she hasn’t tried, and Elizabeth says, anything to protect her so she wouldn’t get hurt. Carly says, like Elizabeth did? and Elizabeth says, that night changed everything for her, but now that she has Violet in her life, she realizes she had it all wrong. She hopes Violet is raised the same way Carly raised Josslyn, to be a strong, fierce, proactive young woman. Yes, she just paid Carly a compliment. Carly says she thought her ears were playing tricks on her, and Elizabeth says, they’ve had their differences, but Carly did a helluva job raising her daughter.

Laura says, how about if they say Esme’s shown so much growth, she’s reconsidered her initial evaluation? but Esme says, unfortunately, it’s a little too late. Laura asks if things are really that bad with Esme and Spencer. She finds it so hard to believe. Esme asks, why? and Laura says she can see Esme’s opinion holds weight with him. He listens to her and takes her words to heart. She knows Spencer adores Esme; she’s seen the way he looks at her. Esme asks if Laura has seen the way he looks at Trina, and Laura says, okay. Now she understands. Esme says, it’s been that way since the moment she met Trina. She was looking for Spencer at Windymere, and she found him alone with Trina. It was obvious she was interrupting something. At first, she chalked it up to her own insecurity, but now it’s too obvious to ignore. The person she crossed an ocean for, the only guy she’s ever loved, has fallen for someone else. Now she’s leaving Spence behind before he and his friends leave her with nothing.

Harmony says, Ryan would like to know if Spencer would like to play another game, but Nikolas walks over, and says, today’s the big day. Is Spencer ready? Spencer says he’s never been readier, if that’s a word. They step away from the table, and Nikolas asks where his grandmother is. Nikolas says, she’s waiting for him at her place. He gestures toward Ryan, and says, what is that? Spencer says, with Ryan? He’s just killing some time, but Nikolas says, nothing is ever that simple with Chamberlain. Spencer says, Ryan is just trying to get inside his head, and Nikolas asks if he’s all right. Spencer says, he’s fine. Grandmother’s at home; what about Ava?

Ava says, Avery hasn’t seen a lot of Carly lately, has she? She doesn’t know if Carly is available, but she can call and ask. Sony says, if Carly isn’t free, they can schedule a playdate. He knows there have been a lot of changes, but one thing that will always stay the same is, her parents – all three of them – and her brothers and sisters will always love her… to the end of the galaxy. Avery says, promise? and he kisses the top of her head, saying, he promises.

Marshall thanks TJ for the offer, but he’s okay. TJ asks if he’s sure; he sounded a little put out. Deanna says, Dr. Ashford knows his stuff, and TJ says he appreciates that. He asks if Deanna can wrap Avery’s wrist; she has a mild sprain. She goes to the exam room, and TJ says, she’s right. He does know his stuff. Marshall says he sounded put out, but it’s his fault. He should have called before he came. TJ says, or maybe Marshall’s not upset because he couldn’t see his doctor. Maybe he’s upset because Sonny got under his skin.

Elizabeth says she has to admit, in the beginning she was rooting for Cameron and Trina to get together, and Carly says, as opposed to Cameron and Josslyn? Elizabeth says she was just worried Josslyn might be… Carly says, too much like her? and Elizabeth says, now she realizes Josslyn is exactly who she wants Cameron to be with. She’s smart, independent, fiercely loyal to the people she cares about. Carly says, and Cameron isn’t afraid of Josslyn’s fierceness, and Elizabeth says, the opposite; he’s drawn toward it. More than that, he respects it. Carly says, if they’re throwing around compliments, she has some. Cameron is a great kid, and he respects women because Elizabeth taught him to. Elizabeth says, it’s ironic. Respect hasn’t always been her thing. Carly knows that better than anyone else. We flash back to when they were practically teens, and Elizabeth calling Carly the town whore, and Carly slapping her, saying hypocritical slut Elizabeth got pregnant on purpose.  Elizabeth says, Carly was right. She was a hypocrite, judging Carly when she was no saint herself. Carly says she could have taken the high road a few times, but she didn’t, and it’s highly unlikely she will in the future.

Cameron says, everything has been moving so fast, he’s had no time to think about it, and Josslyn says, really? She feels like that’s all she does. And guess what? They don’t have the power to slow it down. They’ve already gotten email requests for comments from the PCU paper. Does he think it will stop there? He says, it could. Maybe if they both keep their heads down, something will come along to take the attention away from them. She says, then what? He heard Alexis. What happened to them was a crime, and sitting in the dark hiding just makes her feel like more of a victim, and she doesn’t want that. And she doesn’t want people to think she’s ashamed because she’s not. They didn’t do anything wrong. They had sex because they love each other. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and she says she’s not going to let Esme and some internet creepers turn it into something ugly. He says, he doesn’t want her to get hurt, but she says she’ll hurt more if she doesn’t stand up for herself. So will he stand up with her? Alexis knocks, and says there’s someone she wants them to meet. She introduces Alicia Giago, one of their best reporters. She doesn’t mean to pressure them, but they’re reaching a deadline for tomorrow’s issue. If they want to stay ahead of the story, the story has to be in said issue. Have they reached a decision?

Esme says, to Spence’s friends, she’s toxic, and they’ve finally convinced him to agree, and Laura says, so she’s leaving? Esme says she refuses to stick around for scapegoat duty, and Laura says, even if it means giving up Spencer? Esme asks what Laura would do in her position. Fight to hold to a guy who’s into someone else? Laura says she’d have to think twice, and Esme says she bets Laura never had to. She bets Laura has always been first in the eyes of the ones she’s loved. Esme is lucky if anyone sees her at all. Spence did, but not anymore. Laura says she doesn’t know that, but Esme says she does. Laura asks if she’s 100% certain, and Esme doesn’t say anything. Laura says, no? Okay. Esme asked what she’d do in her position. She thinks she’d want to know if it was really over before she walked away. Esme says she doesn’t even know why they’re discussing this. Why would it make a difference to Laura whether she’s with Spence or she isn’t? Laura says, actually, it makes more difference than Esme knows.

Nikolas tells Spencer that Avery had a playground accident, and Ava decided to take her to the hospital. Spencer asks how bad Avery is hurt, and Nikolas says, Ava doesn’t think it’s serious, but she wants to make sure. Spencer says, it’s good Ava is focused on Avery, so she won’t be focused on torturing him. Nikolas says, Spencer… and Spencer says, they can’t forget Ava is in charge of his restitution. Nikolas says, let’s not start out this way, and Spencer says, what way? but Nikolas says, Spencer knows what he means. They haven’t even left this place, and already they’re at odds over Ava. Spencer asks, when are they not? and Nikolas says, walking out those doors doesn’t erase everything. Spencer has a lot of work ahead to make up for the pain he caused. He needs all the allies he can get. Spencer says, so he has to toe the line, or Nikolas and Ava will cut him loose? He’s been there; he’s done that. Nikolas says he wishes Spencer could see his release the way he does. It’s an opportunity for a fresh start, for all of them. Spencer glances at Ryan, who blinks once, and he tells Nikolas, let’s just focus on us. They can worry about the subject of Ava later. Nikolas says he’ll take what he can get. They’ll get him processed and out of here. He leaves, and Spencer follows, stopping to look at Ryan.

Elizabeth says, the name calling they did seems worse now, doesn’t it? and Carly says, in light of what the kids are going through, it seems like the universe is dishing out some serious karma. They said some nasty things to each other, and she feels like Joss and Cam are paying the price. Elizabeth says she just feels like they’re being tested, and where she and Carly failed as young adults, they’ll succeed. Carly says Elizabeth sounds confident, and Elizabeth says she is. Because she and Carly raised some fundamentally decent humans. It’s not going to protect them from getting hurt… Carly says, no, but it will give them the tools to handle it, and Elizabeth says, exactly. They’re going to take what’s thrown at them and keep on going. Carly says, just like they did. Hopefully, with less drama. Elizabeth says, way less.

Ava says she takes it there was a little hiccup with Sonny and Curtis’s father, and Sonny says she doesn’t miss a beat. She says she’s tuned to his moods, and he says, it wasn’t a hiccup, just a communication problem. Ava says, not on his part though. She says this because she heard he was communicating quite a bit on Nina’s behalf. He says, on Wiley’s behalf, and she says, whichever. It’s a side she’s not often privy to; optimistic and sociable. She likes it. It’s becoming, and she hopes she sees more of it. He smiles.

Marshall says, he’s crossed paths with men like Sonny before, and TJ says, then he should know, Sonny’s no one to mess with. Marshall says, TJ seems pretty chummy with him, and TJ says, they go way back. Sonny was there for him when he really needed him. Marshall says he bets Sonny loves to remind TJ of it too, but TJ says, it’s not like that. Marshall says, not yet, but the Sonnys of the world never forget a favor given, and Lord knows, they always collect on a favor owed. Don’t mistake his generosity for genuine friendship.

Curtis looks at some papers, and Drew says, it’s a lease dated September of 1986 for a one-bedroom apartment in Buenos Aires. They were never digitized, so a conventional background check wouldn’t have caught it because it’s a foreign document. Curtis says he never thought his father lived outside the U.S., and Drew says, the only reason his people caught it is because Aurora’s big enough that it vets international. Curtis says, so his father lived outside the country, and Drew says, but it’s who he lived as that surprised him. Check out the name on the agreement. Curtis says, Marshall Ashford. If he was in Witness Protection, wouldn’t he have an alias? Drew says, maybe he got sloppy? and Curtis says, or maybe he was never in Witness Protection. I have to mention, not once did Marshall ever say he was in Witness Protection. Curtis just assumed it.

Josslyn and Cameron go to the MetroCourt. Josslyn tells Elizabeth and Carly, they heard what Alexis had to say, and they agree with it. Elizabeth says, so they’re doing the story? and Cameron says, they did the story. Josslyn says, they already spoke to the reporter. They’re not hiding; they’re going to stand up for themselves. Carly says, good for both of them, when a woman approaches the table. She introduces herself as Detective Lopez from the PCPD, and asks if Josslyn and Cameron ready to give their statements. Cameron nods, and Josslyn says, they’re ready. They follow the detective out.  

Alexis says, this is actually coming together, and Alicia says, at the speed of light. Alexis says she’s really proud of Josslyn and Cameron. This was a tough decision. So it’s their job to make sure they don’t regret it.

Curtis says, so if his father wasn’t in Witness Protection, but was on the run, his claims of having a dangerous past don’t count for much. Drew says, maybe Witness Protection services doesn’t extend abroad, but Curtis says, he’d still have an alias though. Providing he ever had one in the first place. Drew says, so Curtis got this information, now what is he going to do with it?

Marshall tells TJ to stay away from Sonny. If he keeps sniffing around, let him know. TJ says, if he ever has any problems with Sonny, he will. He leaves, and Marshall looks at his prescription bottle. He turns, and Avery slams into him, causing him to drop it. It rolls toward Sonny, who stops it with his foot.

Harmony says, next time Ryan wants to play mind games with someone, find himself another lackey. She has enough trouble in her own life. He blinks a bunch of times, and she says, what is it? He blinks some more.

Marshall asks if Avery is all right, and Ava apologizes. Sonny picks up the bottle, and Marshall holds out his hand, saying, he’ll have that back now. Sonny hands it to him, says, see him soon, and leaves with Ava and Avery.

Harmony reads, don’t worry. One day I’ll free you from your service the only way I know how. Yikes.

Laura says, under normal circumstances she’d step back and let Spencer and Esme work out their problems, but these are not normal times. It’s very clear Victor is up to no good, which will most certainly blow back on her son and grandson. Whatever issues they’re having, she knows Esme really cares about Spencer, and right now, he needs everybody he can get in his corner, and especially the ones who have sway with him. Esme says, so if she can help keep Spence away from Victor, Laura will overlook her issues? What happens if she’s not willing to overlook Spence’s? Nikolas and Spencer come in.

Tomorrow, Willow tells Michael that she wasn’t being honest with him; Ava tells Victor that when she wants something, she usually gets it; and Nina tells Sonny that she was following up on something important.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

When we last left, Gina and Shannon were having a private discussion at Jen’s party. Shannon said she was still reeling from Gina asking if she even had friends. She’d invited Gina so many different places; where had Gina invited her? Gina said she was going to invite Shannon to her launch party, but now she didn’t know if she wanted to. Shannon said now Gina was holding her invitation hostage, but Gina said she hadn’t invited anyone anywhere because her life had been trashed. In her interview, Shannon said, when one person had to do all the work, the friendship was one-sided, but that was just her opinion. Gina said she was bothered by Shannon bringing her up to different people in different situations, telling them that she’d gotten Gina a lawyer. Shannon said, but she had, and Gina told Shannon that she was thankful, but it had been three years ago. In Shannon’s interview, she said, if someone had helped her when she’d been arrested for a DUI, she’d thank them all the time, but she didn’t need thanks. That feeling you had at about 9:04 pm was me rolling my eyes so hard it vibrated the world. Heather told Emily, the day she met Gina, Shannon brought up Gina’s DUI and her divorce. We flashed back to Shannon telling Heather all about it in a limo, and Gina thanking Shannon for saving her. Gina told Shannon, it wasn’t cool to keep telling people Gina was egotistical. It was starting to feel mean. Shannon said she’d been nothing but kind to Gina, and Gina said Shannon wasn’t doing it to be kind, but to self-promote. Shannon wanted to write her own hero story about herself. Shannon told Gina that she really did need to put a pin in it. This could possibly replace clip in the Bravoverse catch-phrase dictionary. Emily told Heather that Shannon said Gina had an over-inflated sense of self and was arrogant, and Heather said Shannon didn’t understand the phrase put a pin in it. It meant it should be discussed later. Gina said she was sorry she felt good about herself. Does Shannon want her to hate herself? Shannon said the funniest part was that she was so busy, in good ways, with the kids, her personal relationship, and her business, and Gina was saying she was jealous. There was no arrogance in that? Gina said she felt bad for Shannon, and had nothing but pity for Shannon’s life. She wasn’t doing this anymore. She got up, and Shannon said she hoped Gina got to her level one day. Gina said maybe one day she’d make it after all over. She was done. Gina walked away, but Shannon followed, telling her to put a pin in her ego, and calling her an a-hole. Gina asked if Shannon was f***ing kidding her, but wisely kept walking. In Gina’s interview, she said, in general, Shannon was naturally selfish. She had to work at being excited for Gina.

Gina told Heather that Shannon hoped Gina got to her level one day, and in Heather’s interview, she wondered, if Shannon was so happy, why did she have to keep expressing she was so happy? Are you happy? Heather asked Shannon what was going on, and Shannon said, Gina claimed she was jealous of Gina’s friendship with Heather. Heather said, Gina felt Shannon wasn’t supportive. Heather had been excited about the New York trip, and when Shannon called, she thought Shannon was going to ask how the show went, but it was none of that. She was calling about having more fun than Heather and Gina. In Shannon’s interview, she said, Heather was going to come at her for not bringing up her podcast? She didn’t know Heather’s schedule, and was never going to. Noella said, there was a vibe at dinner, and Heather walked away, since she couldn’t finish her sentence. In her interview, she said, every time Noella was around, Noella couldn’t stop talking. She had to interject her opinion, even if it didn’t involve her. Jen kept giving people suggestions for procedures using a laser pointer, and in her interview, she suggested someone take it away from her before the party cleared out. Shannon told John that Gina said she had nothing but pity for Shannon’s life, and he said, f*** Gina. It was the most ridiculous comment he’d ever heard. They were done with Gina. Who TF did she think she was? Jen asked Ryne if what she said had been understandable, and he told her, it should be a TED talk.

Heather asked to speak with Shannon in private, and said, Shannon understood how hurtful labels could be if they were inaccurate. Shannon whined that Gina had done that multiple times, and Heather pointed out that Shannon had done that to her. Shannon had said Heather was pretentious, among other things. This put Shannon into can-you-top-this? mode, and she said Heather talked about her too. Like when Heather said Shannon was angry walking out of a restaurant. We flashed back to said anger, and Heather saying Shannon scared her. Shannon said, Heather had also claimed she was yelling when she wasn’t, but Heather wanted to get back to the topic at hand. Shannon didn’t and said, she got it; labels were bad. She felt blindsided and wanted to go home. Heather said she was trying to have an honest conversation, and Shannon said she’d been nothing but a supportive friend. In Heather’s interview, she said, when you had to tell people how they felt, there was a problem. I’m the best friend you ever had. Can’t you tell? At the end of the day, you show people who you are. You don’t tell them.

Noella had a session with Kate, a teacher of conscious relationships. In Noella’s interview, she said Kate was her soul’s translator. Noella was a manifester, and there was a block. She made a list of all the alternative whatevers she’d been involved with – which was a lot – and said she’d done all of it. Kate asked where things were standing, and Noella said, anger was the feeling du jour. Kate explained that it was the ending of some dreams, the ending of a chapter of life Noella thought she would live. It went along with the trauma of abandonment, and if we couldn’t find where the cycle began, we’d repeat it. Noella said her father bailed on her early. She saw him twice year, and felt if she got straight A’s, or if she was perfect and beautiful, if she didn’t mess up, he would love her. In Noella’s interview, she said she saw her father for events when he needed to look like a family man. Kate asked if Noella had wondered if he was coming back, and Noella said, 100%. In her interview, Noella said she was programmed to make a man look perfect. She told Kate that her dad had sickle cell issues. She told him that he’d been a great father, and they’d rekindled their relationship. Kate said Noella needed to find peace in acceptance; open up to what was new and she’d manifest. Noella said, it was all on her. She was the one who put men on a pedestal. Kate said Noella had been seeking validation and attention in love because she hadn’t received it from her dad. She asked where Noella thought she could seek what she couldn’t find in someone else, and Noella said she had to give it to herself. Kate said, it was cliché, but there were clichés for a reason. This actually didn’t seem much different than regular talk therapy except for words like manifest.

Emily went to Gina’s house, and Gina said something had been literally haunting her since the sweat lodge. We flashed back to that, and Gina said she felt she needed an element of God. Emily asked if an exorcist was coming, but Gina said it was called an extraction. Emily put her hood up, afraid something might attack her, and Shauna arrived to do Gina’s healing. Gina told Shauna that they’d gone to a sweat lodge, and went through an indigenous ritual, but they never finished it. We flashed back to Noella passing out, and Shauna said Gina didn’t get closure, but there was an opening for her to bring something home. In Gina’s interview, she said just the thought of that was gross. Shauna said she’d have to pull it out of Gina’s mouth, and had Gina sit in a chair. In her interview, Gina said she hated this, and hadn’t declared it in customs. Shauna had her breathe in and out, and threw some invisible things out the window. This was officially the dumbest sh*t I’ve ever seen. In Emily’s interview, she said she should have worn a hazmat suit. She and Shauna examined Gina’s eyes, which Shauna pronounced more clear. Emily said they seemed to be lighter in color, and in her interview, Emily hoped whatever it was wasn’t in her car, since she’d parked across the street. Gina told Emily that she have cleared before she had the sit-down with Shannon.

Heather stopped by Jen’s office to get some cream for an allergic reaction, and to tell Jen that her event was lovely. Jen said she felt like it served its purpose, but she should have done the speech earlier. Heather said Terry was in love with Mr. Puppers (me too!), and we saw a clip of him giving the Puppers kissies. Heather said Terry wanted one, but he wasn’t getting it, and Jen said she wanted a pack of them (me too!).  

Emily looked at an Airbnb on her laptop, and called Shannon to show her the house. In Emily’s interview, she said they needed a change of scenery, and we saw a clip of her telling Gina that Cabo was too hot. Gina said, no more beaches. Emily told us that maybe the mountains and country would inspire them to get along. In Heather’s interview, she said she was excited about going to Aspen, but was concerned about some of the other women. Emily asked if Shannon had talked to Gina, and Shannon said she’d reached out, and they were going to get together tomorrow. Emily said she saw Gina a couple of days ago, leaving out the whole extraction thing, and she felt Gina was more reasonable, and admitted she’d said some mean things to Shannon. Emily thought they should celebrate Gina’s success, and in Shannon’s interview, she said she thought Emily was enjoying their growing friendship, and didn’t want any animosity between her and Gina. But if that’s what she wanted, she had to stop stirring the drama and stop misconstruing things about her from Gina.

Emily was having a dinner party for Shane’s family, and Chef Dusty did the cooking. Emily said she couldn’t even make chicken nuggets in the oven, and we saw a clip of her with chicken nuggets so burnt they could have been charcoal nuggets. She said she liked the microwave, and I totally understood. In Emily’s interview, she said, as an adult, we created the family we always wanted. It was difficult growing up with no father, and raised by a single mom with no money. We flashed back to Emily saying that everything she’d done, she’d done because she needed to prove herself worthy. She told us, as a mom, you want more for your children than you had; a safe, healthy, secure home, a mom and dad that care about each other. She told their guests that they always did a theme for their family photos, and this year they were doing a wedding photo. In her interview, she said they’d gotten married in Vegas, and Shane’s youngest was two. She’d had a tantrum, and there were no photos. She thought vow renewals were cursed, and we flashed back to Vicki, Shannon, and Braunwyn’s ceremonies. Shane pointed out that his sister Shireen did it and they were still married. In her interview, Emily said she’d wanted to do a vow renewal, but she and Shane weren’t good at the ten year mark. We flashed back to that, and she said they’d been through the trenches. She told everyone that she was starting a new trend, wedding photo redo. They toasted to family, and a long, happy life.

Noella and mom Nancy talked while Noella was doing her makeup. In Noella’s interview, she said they’d gotten the sad news that her father had passed away. He was in the home he loved in Hawaii, and was alone. They’d received a letter from his executor saying he’d passed. She told Nancy that he’d have preferred it that way to being in a hospital hooked up on machines. Nancy said he’d never gotten to meet his grandkids, and in her interview, Noella said she wished her son had gotten to meet her father. She didn’t have many regrets, but she regretted that. She could have made it happen, but she was protective, She was scared her father would hurt her kids the same way he’d hurt her. She cried, and said, in hindsight, she wished she could have worked through that.

It was time for Gina’s launch party for CaraGala, and she and friend Tatiana got their makeup done. In Gina’s interview, she said Tatiana was happy to see her success. We saw a clip of Tatiana telling Gina that she was proud of her, and it was special that it was happening at her house. Gina thanked Tatiana for extending her home, and Tatiana said everything in Gina’s life was good. Gina said there was only one thing she was nervous about – Shannon. Shannon wrote out a card for Gina, saying she wished Gina nothing but complete success. Gina told Tatiana, if Shannon could table it and show up for her, it would make her a bigger person. Tatiana wondered if Shannon could make it through the whole night, and Gina said it depended on much time she spent at the bar. There was an amazing spread, champagne, and tchotchkes, In her interview, Gina said looking around at all the people who love and want to support her put things in perspective. Her parents came in from out of town, and Travis was there. Matt and Britt would have come, but they had all the kids. Heather gifted Gina with the cutest Chanel makeup bag that was a memory of their trip, and Gina said Heather’s friendship meant a lot. Emily told Noella that she was so sorry, and explained to Heather than Noella’s father had died. Ryne did not bring Mr. Puppers, which was disappointing. There was a portrait of Gina on display, and Gina said if Shannon wanted to put a pin in it, it was a large bullseye.  We saw a clip of Gina on the phone to Shannon, saying she’d like Shannon there if she could be supportive. If she felt that was something she wanted to do and could do, she’d love to have her. She told Emily and Tatiana, it wasn’t like she enjoyed hurting people’s feelings; she recognized she’d said some mean things. They agreed it wasn’t Gina’s style, and Emily said they all had their bad moments. Noella thanked Emily for her text, and we saw Emily had said if Noella wanted to go to the funeral, she’d go with her. There were lots of congratulations.

Shannon arrived bearing a gift, which I might be tempted to check for a boobytrap. Gina said she wasn’t sure if Shannon would come, but Shannon said she was a loyal friend. Gina opened the gift, and it was a glass butterfly, which Shannon said was lucky; it was symbolic. Heather told Noella that she was sorry to hear about her father, and Noella said he meant so much to so many people. His family was from Carmel, so she wanted to do something there. Heather gave a toast to him, and Noella thanked Jen for the flowers, adding that Jen still had her blocked on Instagram. In Jen’s interview, she said she wouldn’t let history get in the way of her sympathizing with Noella about her father dying, but she didn’t need tagging on Instagram. Gina’s mom thanked Shannon for getting Gina that lawyer three years ago, and in her interview, Shannon said she’d done something nice; she wasn’t crazy. Like the two were exclusive. Heather told the women that she and Terry were taking a trip to Cabo, where they were going to just eat, drink, and have hotel sex. Jen says she and Ryne had hotel sex last night, and all the women high-fived Ryne, even though he didn’t know why.

It was time for Gina’s speech, and she said, it was special to have everybody around her. The last few years had been very hard, and pouring self into CaraGala gave her a sense of purpose. She appreciated Travis supporting and loving her through everything. In her interview, she said she didn’t think she’d feel this whole if Travis hadn’t been a supportive, loving partner. Part of the reason she had confidence was because he helped put her back together. And he was from Orange County; she never would have thought it. A cake with giant sparklers came out, and Emily said she wanted Gina to look in the mirror every day, and say she was a badass boss bitch, because she was. Gina said she was glad they were all here, and Jen said she’d nailed it.

Five days later. Shannon said she didn’t know if Gina really wanted to get along with her, and Gina said she was making an effort. In Heather’s interview, she said, never in her wildest dreams did she think she was about to go to Crazytown.

Next time, the trip to Aspen, Heather tells Noella to shut up, Noella accuses Heather of putting her hands on a crew member, Emily asks why Shannon says negative things about Gina, Shannon questions Emily’s friendship, and Noella is fighting for her sanity.

🐱 Sadly, Andy Cohen told us on Watch What Happens Live tonight, that Dina Manzo’s cat Grandma Wrinkles had passed away. He talked about one of his favorite moments, on the sole WWHL New Year’s Eve show, when Grandma Wrinkles got married to Giggy. He showed a clip, and perhaps even more sadly, I remembered watching that as being one of my favorite New Year’s Eves. I even took pictures.

Giggy & Grandma Wrinkles

🦁 Easing On Down the Road…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and whatever tea I can brew up. Until then, stay safe, stay setting your own bar high, and stay remembering, at the end of the day, you don’t tell people who you are, you show them.

Feb19

February 18, 2022 – Lots Of Arrivals In Switzerland, Star Scare, Vet Return, Terry’s Date, Pick Up, Last One, Again, Wife Check, Full-Blown, Engaged, New Deck, Meme This, Half Presidential Quotes & Good

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Visiting at Spring Ridge, Laura hugs Spencer, and says he doesn’t look too much worse for the wear. He asks her to please not say prison is agreeing with him, and she says, no, never, but it doesn’t seem to be hurting him too much either. He says, there’s a heatwave going on and no AC in his cell. Maybe as mayor, she could pull some strings. She says, it’s a state level issue, but she’ll do what she can. How is he doing? He says, as much as he’d like to spin some awful tale of woe, other than being bored and restless, he’s doing fine. His Uncle Victor is looking out for him. She says, that’s what she’s afraid of.

At the MetroCourt, Ava asks if it’s hot in here or it’s her, and Nikolas says, it’s definitely her. She tells him, focus. They have a lot to do before their vow renewal. Even a small ceremony needs planning. He says, the vows aren’t going to write themselves, but she says she’s not writing any. He asks if she’s going to wing it, and she says she’s just going to be spontaneous. She’s going to say what’s in her heart at the moment. Why? Is he planning a big speech about love, obsession, and eternity? He tells her, he wouldn’t say that, and she says she can’t wait. Even at his most Cassadine-esque, it won’t be too much over-the-top. He says he wants it to be poetic, and she says, like, there once was a girl named Jerome, who made Spoon Island her home. He laughs, and says, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. I love thee with breath and smiles, tears and with all my life, and if… Victor walks up, and says, and if God chooses, I shall love thee better after death.

Austin tells Obrecht, what Spinelli says, is the bug they planted on Victor didn’t malfunction. She says she knew it, and he asks if she thinks Victor just found the bug and destroyed it. She says, at least it worked long enough for them to overhear his plans for Drew Cain, and he says, but they’re still no closer to finding out where Peter took Maxie. Sam says, maybe they’re not, but Drew is, and he brought back-up.

WSB Field Office – Swiss/Austrian Border. Agent Malone lets Anna, Dante, and Drew into the office, and says, their resources are at Anna’s disposal. Malone wants to assure them that apprehending Peter August, aka Henrik Faison, is their highest priority. Anna thanks her and Agent Kreger, and reminds her that Drew and Dante have full clearance. Malone says, it’s good to see Dante is recovering from his ordeal in Ankara, and he says, she knows about that too, huh? She says, of course (), and tells Drew, and knowledge he has from his captivity with Peter would be of great use to them. Drew says, anything he can do to help, of course (🍷). Anna says, Malone interviewed the woman who found Maxie’s SOS on the mirror in the bathroom? and Malone says, yes. She was able to identify the photo of the hostage. Surveillance video captured an image of the car with two passengers, and they also have a license plate. Anna says, that’s great, and thanks her. She tells Dante and Drew, with any luck, they’re one step closer to finding Maxie.

On a plane, Felicia flashes back to Anna explaining why she doesn’t want Felicia coming along. She looks at car rentals on her tablet.

Maxie and Peter walk into a house, and Maxie says she gets why he felt safe here when he was a boy. This house is like one big architectural hug. He says, aptly put. He does love it here, out in the middle of nowhere, and since no one cared about him or his childhood, no one will ever associate him with this place, which makes it the perfect refuge. No one will ever find them here.

Spencer gives Laura some coffee, and she tells him that she gave Trina his gift. He asks if she liked it, and Laura says, she loved it. He has very good taste in friends. Trina is a lovely young lady. He agrees, and says, Trina is awesome, but if Laura can trust his judgement about his friends, can she trust his judgement about Uncle Victor? She says, Trina’s a very good person. His Uncle Victor, on the other hand… He says, she has a low opinion of him? and she says, his Uncle Victor is responsible for countless abductions and deaths, and let them not forget that he, and his brothers, and his father had a plan to take over the world by using that giant diamond, the Ice Princess, to mess with the weather patterns to freeze the world. He says, all he knows is, if it hadn’t been for Uncle Victor, he would be in Pentenville. She says, if he can find the good in Victor, why can’t he find the good in his own father?

Victor says, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the way she could turn passion into poetry is unparalleled. Ava says he surprises her. She thought he’d be more of a Sophocles fan. Victor says, he is – he brings a chair over to the table – but Sophocles couldn’t write a love story to save his life. Whereas he’s an incurable romantic. One of his hobbies is collecting romantic poetry; first editions, original letters. Actually, did they know – he sits down – that even today, if you were to acquire a genuine firsthand epistle, you could find a lock of the owners’ hair within? Ava says, the better to clone them with, and he says, sharp as a briar this one. Nikolas married well, but Ava’s assumptions of him are a little outdated. The most valuable lesson he learned as head of the WSB, was authoritarianism leads to admin. Not as much fun. Nikolas says, what a relief, and Victor says, even though he no longer wishes to control the world, he’s determined to save it. Preferably, one life at a time. Nikolas says, starting with his former co-conspirator, Peter August? and Victor says, Peter betrayed him in Greece. Why on earth would Victor want to help him? Nikolas says, so he could escape the law, and Ava says, good riddance. Everybody wants him dead, gone forever will suffice. Nikolas says, too bad he had to take Maxie with him, but Victor wouldn’t know anything about that, would he?

At the hospital, Sam tells Austin, Dante and Drew are with Anna in Zurich. They have a lead on Peter. Austin says, if they find Peter, they find Maxie, and Sam says, hopefully. Obrecht says, don’t assume it will be that easy. Despite Anna’s effort to apprehend him, Peter has slipped through her grasp at every turn. Not to mention the possibility that Drew might still be under Peter’s influence. Nein. If there’s any hope of catching and killing Peter, she needs to go to Zurich herself. Coming down the stairs, Britt says, no, she doesn’t. Obrecht says, as if Britt could stop her, and Britt says, by going after a homicidal fugitive, Obrecht is endangering herself and others. Involuntary commitment to the psyche ward for 72 hours. Boom. Obrecht says, Britt would abuse her power that way? and Britt says, to protect her from Peter and herself? Yes, she would. Obrecht says she’s impressed by Britt’s willingness to pretzel the rules, and touched by her concern, and yet, she’s still going. Britt says, try it, and she’ll harpoon Obrecht with a spear gun – again.

Malone says, the suspect was last tracked going into the Zurich mountains. Unfortunately, there are so many winding roads there, it’s difficult to search. Drew wonders if he could have headed back to the Audubon and to the border, but Anna says, the guard there would catch them. Dante says, they could ditch the car and find another one, or probably hike, and Malone says, unfortunately, it’s very possible for them to cross the border to France on foot since Switzerland is such a small country. Drew says, in other words, they’re running out of bread crumbs.

Peter says, Maxie will find it’s quiet here. It’s peaceful, and this place is equipped with everything they’d ever want. They can live here together peacefully and comfortably, without ever having to see anyone, except the caretaker. She asks if he really believes it’s possible to disappear, and he says, this property’s private; it’s isolated. None of their friends, family, or colleagues have any idea about it. And if he’s wrong, he has an escape plan all set.

Victor says he washed his hands of Peter back in Crete, but let’s not waste time on him. Not when they’re planning a family celebration. Ava says, actually, she and Nikolas decided to keep their vow renewal a very private affair. They won’t need anybody but the two of them. Victor hopes they change their mind, especially as he’s already picked out the perfect gift. Nikolas says, thanks, but no thanks, and Ava says she’s not one to turn down a Fabergé egg. Nikolas says, even if it’s stolen? and she says, depends where from. Victor says, actually, he was thinking of something a lot more valuable, and Nikolas says, such as? Victor says, a reunion between Nikolas and his son.

Spencer tells Laura, when he thinks about how close he and Nikolas were when he was a kid… What happened to that guy? She says she knows he feels like his father abandoned him, and he says, he pretended he was dead. It didn’t only feel like his father abandoned him, he did abandon him. She says, okay, but Spencer’s punished him for that, many times. Both he and Ava. He says he hates Ava. He knows she probably finds that a strong word, but it’s not. And as angry as he is at Ava for breaking her promise to him, and letting Valentin off the hook, his father did far worse. She says, his father never did anything as bad as Victor; never. He says, his dad was the reason Britt was a fugitive for years. He married Hayden, then turned against her. One by one, his dad has systematically removed the people Spencer cares about from his life, and who does he keep? Ava. And sure, Uncle Victor may be far from perfect… She asks if he heard the part about world domination, and Spencer says, at least he puts his family first. She says, a lot of evil has been done in the name of the family, and he says, he feels safe in here, knowing Victor Cassadine has his back. She looks at Samuel, and says she should go. Spencer says he understands; she has a city to run. She says, just remember, his father told him that he’s not alone, and Spencer said when he came out, he’d be willing to… He tells her, he said maybe, and she says, that’s a start. She tells him she loves him, and leaves.

Obrecht tells Britt, this is no time to stand on the sidelines; Maxie’s life is at stake. Sam says, even if Obrecht was able to gain access to a private jet, Zurich is at least eight and a half hours away. Who knows where Peter and Maxie will be by then? Austin says, Sam is in touch with Dante, right? but she says, it’s not like he keeps her posted on his every move. Austin asks, isn’t somebody keeping tabs on Victor? and Obrecht says he’s just grasping at straws, but Britt says, if Victor’s involved, Obrecht needs to tell them what she knows. Austin says, it seemed like a good idea at the time, and Britt asks what he did. He says, planted a bug on Victor Cassadine.

Anna says, Maxie left one earring with Louise when she and Peter dropped her at the firehouse, and the other one she left where she wrote her plea for help on the mirror in the restroom. So obviously, she’s actively trying to leave a trail for them, but unfortunately, point A and point B are two different continents and an ocean apart. Dante says, it really is amazing Peter didn’t find that message in the restroom, and Drew says, Maxie’s trail has led them as far as it can. They have to start thinking like Peter. Anna says, he’s right. For Peter, the mountains are any number of choices where he can hide.

Maxie says, so this place is difficult to find, but easy to leave? and Peter tells her, let’s just say he always finds his way out, and if they ever need it, it’s a short trip to the Audubon and over the borders. She asks, which border? Please say Italy or France. He says, this place was once a sanctuary to him; now it’s their refuge. In time, he hopes she’ll begin to see it as their home. He can see it now; her and him, and their little… She says, what? Why is he looking at her like that? He asks, what happened to her earrings? I say, maybe he is a keeper. What guy notices whether you’re wearing earrings or not?

Nikolas says, if Victor really wants to heal the rift between him and his son, he’ll respect their boundaries, and leave them to heal on their own. Victor says he’s been doing that for some time, and hasn’t noticed a lot of progress. Ever since that poor boy got back to Port Charles, he’s been bounced from place to place. Nikolas says, Spencer’s made his own choices, and Victor says, yes, he has, there’s no denying that. But one choice he didn’t make is his current surroundings in prison. Ava says, he did though. It’s called consequences. Victor asks if she really wants to cast herself as the wicked stepmother, locking the mischievous little prince up in the tower, and she says she gave that little prince every opportunity to make amends, and he has been unrepentant. Victor says, so this is how she intends to retaliate; denying him a place in their renewal celebration, a place in their lives? That’s what she wants for her stepson, to keep him looking in on his own family from afar? Come on. If Nikolas won’t listen to him, maybe he’ll listen to her. Laura approaches the table, and says, her son doesn’t need Victor’s help. Neither does Spencer. Nikolas asks how she can be so sure, and she says she’s just come from Spring Ridge. Victor gets up and asks her to sit, but she says she’s fine. Nikolas asks how Spencer is doing, and she says, better than anyone could have imagined because someone is looking out for him on the inside. Nikolas asks why he’s not surprised, and Ava says, an inmate, a guard, what? Laura says, at least one guard, and asks if Victor has anything to add. He says, if he’s taken steps to insure his great-nephew’s safety, then he can’t see any harm in that. He’s going to leave them to their lunch. Perhaps the ladies can talk some reason into Nikolas where he can’t, for Spencer’s sake. He leaves, and Laura says, yuk. She thought he’d never leave. She sits down, and Ava tells them, she hates to be the one to say it, but she thinks Uncle Victor has a point.

Austin tells Britt, on paper, the plan made a lot of sense. He threatened Victor, and her mom swooped in to his rescue, and planted a bug on his lapel. Britt asks if it worked, and Obrecht says, it did. They were able to overhear an entire conversation he had with a Yohan, certainly a henchman of some sort. Sam asks what they said, and Austin tells her,  Victor wants to find Peter as much as they do. Britt asks if he gave them a clue or lead, or something that could tell them where Peter’s taken Maxie, but he says, no; the bug was destroyed. Sam says, great. Victor knows they’re onto him. Britt asks if it occurred to either of them, that instead of Victor leading them to Peter and Maxie, they may have just tipped him off? Obrecht says, of course (🍷), and Britt says, of course (🍷) what? Obrecht says, isn’t it obvious?

Dante asks, what if Peter is just hiding in plain sight, playing tourist? and Malone says, there are plenty of places the suspect and hostage could hole up. Drew says, how about places where people still expect privacy? Where no one will notice if they stay in. Malone says, they have plenty of tourist towns with attractions, and Dante says, offbeat attractions? She says, there are plenty; museums and nature trails. There’s even an old salt mine that’s now a museum and boutique. Anna says, salt mine? Maybe Peter is telling them where he’s going in his own words.

Felicia looks at Zurich on her tablet, and says, think. What was that place called? She remembers talking to Peter, and saying, she hopes Maxie can forgive her for not making the wedding. He says, they both understand that her great-aunt is very ill, and if she didn’t mean the world to Felicia, she wouldn’t be traveling all the way to…  She says, it’s so small, it’s not even a town; it’s just a census designated place. He says, it sounds charming, and she says, it is. Maxie should bring him to visit sometime. It’ll give him a sense of scale. He’s such a city boy. He says, not always. In fact, his favorite place on earth is in the Swiss Alps, miles away from anywhere. On the plane, Felicia says, the Swiss Alps… where?

Maxie asks if Peter is really worried about her earrings, and he says, she’s never without them, yet here she is. She says she noticed on the plane that she’d lost one, probably in the mad rush out of Port Charles, when they had to leave their daughter. Since it was random costume jewelry, she threw out the other one. He says, it doesn’t matter. It’s only diamonds and rubies for her from here on out. She says she really doesn’t care about jewelry. She just wants her children to be safe. He says he misses their daughter too. They just have to give it some time; let the trail go cold. So all those agencies and his enemies find themselves discouraged. Then, one day when it’s safe, they can bring Louise to them. In the meantime, should the worst happen and they’re discovered, he’s prepared. He takes a gun out of the back of his waistband.

Nikolas says, Ava has to realize, his uncle’s offer to broker peace between him and Spencer is intended to achieve the exact opposite. Ava says, but if he succeeds where they’ve failed… Laura says, he will have ingratiated himself to the whole family, and indoctrinated Spencer to his cause. Nikolas says, Victor’s cause is going to be far worse than Spencer’s ever done to them, and Laura says, absolutely. Victor is devious in a very deadly way, and far more dangerous than Spencer could ever be. Ava says, the fact that they’re discussing him means they’re onto him. They’ll see him coming a mile way. If they play along, he might reveal his agenda. Nikolas says, it’s still a risk. It would be a mistake to underestimate his uncle. Laura says, she doesn’t think they’re doing that though. There is an alternative, one that could reunite Nikolas with his son, and undercut Victor at the same time. Nikolas says, what’s that? and Laura says, swallow his pride. Go visit his son at Spring Ridge.

Victor hugs Spencer, and says, he seems well, all things considered. Spencer says, whoever calls this place a country club has never actually been to one. Victor assumes Samuel is keeping an eye on Spencer, and Spencer says he’s well-protected. He knows he has Victor to thank for that, and he’s grateful. Victor says, even though Spencer’s grandmother considers him a bad influence? and Spencer says, is he? Victor says, to be completely honest, he’s given her little reason to think otherwise. If his concern for Spencer’s well-being is making it harder for him here… Spencer says, it’s not. Other than his grandmother, Victor is the one person he can count on. Victor says he finds that a little hard to believe. What about the lovely Esme? Spencer says, he thinks him being stuck here is a strain on Esme’s devotion, but Victor says he’s sure it’s just a lover’s spat. The ups and downs of life, as they say. She blew up a car for him. If that isn’t devotion, he doesn’t know what is. As for Spencer’s grandmother, the last thing Victor wants to do is get between him and his family. Spencer says, Victor is his family. They may want him to forget that, but he won’t.

Britt says, whatever Obrecht thinks is obvious, does it have something to do with where Peter’s taken Maxie? Obrecht says, that’s the obvious part; she knows where to find Maxie. Austin asks if she’s going to share, but she says she can’t waste her time explaining. She needs to contact Anna.

Anna says, Peter wrote this novel. It’s called The Severed Branch. Malone says, there’s a copy with the other materials, and gets it. Anna says, basically the whole book is an allegory for his childhood. She seems to remember he refers to working in the salt mines. Drew says, that’s a common expression, and she says, she knows, but in the book, the character refers to the salt mines with affection. Drew asks if she’s saying that’s where he took Maxie, and she says she doesn’t know. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s Liesl. She asks Obrecht, what’s going on? and Obrecht says, salt mine. Find the salt mines, and you’ll find Peter and Maxie. Anna says, that’s what they were just figuring out. Malone says, there are three salt mines in the country. Two up here – she points to the laptop screen – and the one she mentioned. Anna says, that’s a pretty large area, and asks if Obrecht can narrow it down. Obrecht asks if Peter ever mentioned the farm, and Anna says, what farm? Obrecht says, where he became the man he is today.  

Felicia says, what was the name? Peter said it; it was V something. She remembers Peter saying it was a quaint picturesque farm, tucked away from the world. The closest place is a tiny, remote village, miles away from anywhere. If it were any tinier, it would be a census designated place. She asks what it’s called, and he says, versteckte Wiese. It’s German. It means hidden meadow. On the plane, she looks up hidden meadow in the German translator.  

Maxie asks if Peter can put the gun away; he doesn’t need it right now. He says, of course (🍷), but he’s sure she doesn’t mind if he keeps it handy, and tucks it back into his waistband. She says, whatever he thinks is necessary, and he says he appreciates her faith in him. She says she can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic… not that she could blame him. There’s something she’s been struggling with for a while. She’s spent so much time being angry with him, and the whole time, he just said he  loved her, and he’s been doing everything for her and Louise. She didn’t believe him, and she was wrong. He was willing to leave Louise behind at that firehouse, the child he’s been longing to hold and care for. That’s not selfish; that’s the opposite. That’s when she realized love is what’s driving him. She takes his hands, and says, his love is the kind of love they can build their lives around. It’s not going to be easy, but one day Louise, Georgie, and James will be with them, and she just has to live in hope for that day, no matter what.

Nikolas says he’s not sure Spencer is going to be open to a visit from him, and Ava says, he’s Spencer’s father. He has to try. As angry as she has been with Spencer, she urges Nikolas to repair his relationship with him. He knows what she would give for another chance with Kiki. He says she’s right; he’ll reach out. Ava tells him, go, hurry. She thinks they all know where Victor was going when he left here, and Laura says, straight back to Spring Ridge to make sure she didn’t turn Spencer against him. Nikolas says, and if Victor has already put his plan in motion to reunite him and Spencer? Laura says, if Victor’s scheming and plotting ends up bringing them together, she’s all for it. Isn’t he? He says he’ll give it a shot, and she hugs him, saying, he won’t regret this. She’s proud of him. He leaves, and Ava says, giving Uncle Victor a pass, are we? Laura says, for now, and Ava wonders what she’s up to.

On the phone, Victor says, thanks for the update, and Spencer asks if everything is all right. Victor says, everything is splendid, except for one thing; he has to run. Spencer says he appreciates the time. Victor is a busy man. Victor says, nonsense. Spencer is family, Spencer says, likewise, and Victor thanks him. That’s why he wants Spencer to know he’s doing everything he can to change. At least change people’s perspective of him. Despite what people think, all he wants is what’s best for his family. Spencer says, he just wishes his grandmother would give Victor a chance, and Victor says, leave Laura to him, and keep his eyes on the prize; his freedom and his future. Spencer says, he’ll try, and Victor says, when Spencer leaves, he wants Spencer to walk out with his held high. Big things are in the wind. They’re going to need to stick together as a family, that includes Spencer and his father. Spencer says, his father… and Victor says, is a Cassadine. The future belongs to them, and Spencer. He’s the heir to all that and more.

Obrecht tells Anna, there was a youth camp where Peter used to spend his school holidays as a child. Find that farm and she’ll find Peter, and do what she has to do to bring Maxie home. Anna thanks her, and tells the others, this book could be a roadmap. Drew says, if it’s an allegory, how clear are the directions? Anna says, she doesn’t know, but there was a farm, and if she remembers it was close to the oldest salt mine. In the book, Peter refers to it as a place with all kinds of animals… and children.

Peter says, Maxie is right. They’ll make this place a real home for their whole family. She says, somehow she doesn’t see Mac and Felicia understanding, but if there’s anything he’s proven to her, it’s that there’s nothing he can’t make happen. He says he tries. This place is really well-equipped, but they should still make a list of personal items and requests, things they might want, for Gustav the caretaker to get for them in the village. She asks if this village has a name, and he says, versteckte Wiese. She tries to pronounce it, and he says, close enough. It’s so small, it only appears on local maps. It might be considered census designated place. She says she can’t wait to see it… when he trusts her enough. He says he knows she’ll love it. If she wants to familiarize herself with the area, there are some paper maps in the cabinet. The GPS signal is pretty spotty up here. She says she doesn’t want to get a signal. She just wants to get used to her new surroundings. She tells him, it’s cold in here, and he says he could turn the heat up. Or how about if he builds them a fire? She says she’d like that, and as soon as he turns around, she looks in the cabinet.

Spencer asks Samuel if there’s nothing anyone can do about the AC, but Samuel says, this is a government facility. Even Spencer’s uncle can only swing so much. Spencer says, anything’s possible, right? Who knows? Maybe one day he and his family will learn to get along. Nikolas walks in.

Laura tells Ava, Victor is bending over backwards to try and impress and win over Spencer. And that can only mean one thing; he’s going to use him. Ava asks if Laura has any idea what he’s planning, and Laura says, no, but she will find out.

Victor waits in an alleyway, and says, good God. It feels like Santorini in the middle of an eruption. (Is it February or August in Port Charles?) Osiris himself would be at home. He takes off his jacket, and sits on a crate, when Yohan arrives. Victor says he’s impressed. He didn’t think Yohan would be amenable to this kind of climate. Yohan says he can handle the heat, and Victor says, the question is, can Peter August? Yohan says, their man reports that Anna Devane has arrived overseas with Detective Falconari, and Drew Cain. Victor says, then their man needs to solve this problem right now. He wants Peter August dead. Is that understood? Yohan says, completely, and Victor says, good, and tell their man, Anna and Dante are expendable. If they get in the way, he shouldn’t hesitate to eliminate them, but Drew Cain is much too valuable to him to lose.

Britt says she believes Austin has rounds, and suggests he get back to them. He says, helping find Maxie isn’t interfering with his patient care, and she says, it might interfering with finding Maxie. Let the professionals do their job; they’ll keep him posted. He starts to leave, and Sam tells him that he doesn’t have to worry. Dante, Drew, and Anna will bring Maxie home. He says he hopes she’s right, and leaves. Obrecht says she shares Sam’s faith, but must remind her that, at one point or another, that schwein Henrik has outmaneuvered them all, herself included. Britt says, which is not easy to do, and Obrecht says, if Peter really is the severed branch from Cesar’s poisoned tree, believe me, he will not go down without a fight.

Malone says, if the book is any indication at all, the farm should be located somewhere here in the mountains. She points to the screen again. Agent Kreger’s phone rings, and it’s Yohan, who says, their mutual friend would like to know if he’s located the gentleman. Kreger goes out in the hall, and says, let’s just say he knows where to find him. Yohan tells him, just do what you have to do, and Kreger asks if there’s any additional instructions. Yohan says, Devane and Falconari are expendable; Drew Cain must not be harmed. Kreger says, that complicates things, and Yohan says Kreger is paid to handle complications. Get it done. Anna says, Peter is so arrogant, he won’t be able to resist proving he’s one step ahead of them, and he’s left them a clue, one that he thinks only he knows. It will link him to the farm, and that’s what they have to find.

The flight attendant says they’re about to land, and Felicia smiles. We see a map showing versteckte Wiese on her tablet.

Peter comes in as Maxie is looking at a map. He asks if she’s planning a hike, and she says she was thinking they might take a walk, and talk some more. He says, what a lovely idea, but he’s afraid it will have to wait until tomorrow. It’s getting dark soon. That’s when the wolves come out.

On Monday, Trina says she’s been keeping something from Josslyn; Spencer asks Nikolas to join him; Maxie says, all Peter will get is the truth from now on; and Dante says, they’re back to square one, and that can’t happen.

🩺 Yikes…

Glad to hear one of our National Treasures will be okay.

AMC Alum Susan Lucci Reveals Health Scare

🏥 Coming Back…

Weird how he has the same name as a head writer. How common could it be? It’s not like Joe Smith or something.

What Happened to Chet on GENERAL HOSPITAL

💘 Terry’s Valentine…

I’m hoping it works out with Chet.

Cassandra James Opens up About Terry’s Valentine’s Date on GH

💎 Recovery Time…

I needed to get myself together after just watching it.

RHOBH’s Sutton Stracke is Still Picking “Up the Pieces” After Aspen Trip, Addresses Erika Status, and Says She’s “Tired” After Mind-Boggling Season

🧂 Not So ShahMazing…

It’s not a good sign to be the last one standing. Unless you’re playing Squid Game.

Jen Shah’s Last Co-Defendant Changes Plea to Guilty as RHOSLC Star is Headed to Trial in March, What Does This Mean for Her?

🐹 Hamster Wheel…

Out of one suit and into another. And I don’t mean the kind they sell at Brook’s Brothers.

https://pagesix.com/2022/02/18/erika-jayne-named-in-suit-for-aiding-and-abetting-tom-girardi/

📠 Progressive Vetting…

Oh please. Like it’s that hard to look up stuff about people.

https://pagesix.com/2022/02/11/andy-cohen-admits-housewives-vetting-is-work-in-progress/

🍸 No Way To Live…

I’m surprised being on the show didn’t give her an eating disorder.

https://people.com/health/vanderpump-rules-ariana-madix-had-a-full-blown-eating-disorder-when-she-joined-the-show/

🛥 I Really, Really Liked Him…

He’s one of my favorite Below Deck yachties of all time. I’m glad he’s met his match.

https://extratv.com/2022/02/09/below-deck-star-josiah-carter-engaged-to-longtime-bf/

🦘 Deck Down Under…

The latest in the franchise. There will still be no one like Captain Lee. Ever.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1319902/heres-your-first-look-at-the-below-deck-down-under-trailer-and-the-sexy-new-captain

🏈 Bowling For Memes…

Best memes of the Super Bowl.

The best and funniest Super Bowl halftime show memes, starring upside-down 50 Cent

https://www.stadiumtalk.com/s/super-bowl-memes-cfc7e6b3e6064775

💡 Quotes of the Week

I’m not concerned with facts. Not if they interfere with my beliefs. – Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), The Gilded Age

A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. – Jack Dempsey (Apparently, I’m a champion every morning.)

Sodies are bad. – Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters

What I did or said should never be more important than why I did it or said it. – Andrea Kelly

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius

If exhausted from severe and long-continued thought, he had to touch the earth again to renew his strength. When this weariness set in he would stop thought, and get down with a little dog or kitten to recover. – William Herndon, Abraham Lincoln‘s business partner

Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error. – Andrew Jackson

It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. – Harry S. Truman

99% of failures come from people who make excuses. – George Washington

Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching. – Thomas Jefferson (And today, they might be.)

By leadership we mean the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it, not because your position of power can compel him to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

🧱 Another Brick In the Wall…

The Walking Dead is back with the next part of its final season, so join me in what will no doubt be the wee hours of Monday. Or that day when you used to report to work after the weekend, for those no longer punching the clock. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping it real, and stay wary of great-uncles bearing protection.

Feb5

February 4, 2022 – Carly Meets Drew On the Footbridge, Suds Sweep, AMC News, a Pledge, a Goodbye, Dating Again, Threatening, Carol Tattles, Whining, Salty Talk, Puppies (!), Practically 10 Quotes & People

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac asks Dante if there’s any sign of what caused Kendall (apparently the driver’s name) to lose control of the vehicle. He and Dante look around the van with flashlights. Inside, the guard tells Peter that Kendall must have hit an icy patch and gone off the road. Dante says, all four tires have been punctured. They didn’t hit ice; they’ve been sabotaged. They see headlights coming toward them, and draw their guns.

Brook tells Bailey to sleep well. Mommy loves her.

Maxie says she’s glad Austin finally knows the truth about Louise. It’s been awful lying to him. He says he can imagine she’s had to juggle a lot of lies to really well-meaning people. She says she had to do what she had to do, and he says, he can’t help but wonder if her kissing him now is just another diversion.

Nina comes in to Charlie’s and, walking past Obrecht, she asks the bartender if Phyllis is around. Obrecht asks how long Nina is going to avoid her, and Nina says, Obrecht is responsible for her relationship with Mike coming out in court, so she doesn’t know. Obrecht says she did Nina a favor, and they both know it.

Chase asks if Bailey went down, and Brook says, like a champ. She had a big day. He says, all those people cooing over her. It must be exhausting being that cute. She says he should know, and he thanks her. She says she means when he was a baby. She bets he had really chubby cheeks. She puts her feet up, and he says he’ll never understand wearing shoes that hurt you. She asks, what is there to understand? These boots make her legs look amazing. He says, they do. Believe it or not, he really enjoyed today. She says, her too. She’s just glad they got out of there before the WSB came to arrest granny. He says, it woudn’t be a Quartermaine party if the police weren’t involved, and she says, that’s so true. He says he hopes it didn’t mar Ned and Olivia’s big day, but she says, no way. Nothing could diminish their happiness after how hard they worked for their marriage. He says, she’s right. Sometimes two people just belong together.

Sonny stands on the deck of the Haunted Star, wearing a white tux and holding a red rose, when Kristina comes out. She says, look at him. Carly won’t know what hit her. She asks what he’s doing out here; it’s freezing. He says he didn’t want to wait inside. He’s getting anxious, and wants to see Carly arrive so he can greet her with his rose. She says, very romantic, and he thanks her for what she did inside. She says her pleasure, and what he did to the state room looks amazing. It definitely has an island vibe. He says, not too much? but she says, no. Carly will see all the effort he put in, and see how much this night means to him. He says he just wants everything to be perfect, and Kristina says, it won’t be if she’s still here, so she’s out. She hugs him, and says, good luck, and he says he hopes this makes it right for him and Carly.

Carly walks on the footbridge, and flashes back to Sonny saying, if she’s not ready now, maybe she never will be. Drew comes onto the bridge, and says, they meet again.

Mac says, it could be an ambush, and Kendall comes up behind Dante and slugs him.

Brook tells Chase, she and Olivia have had their issues. She’s had them with her dad too, but she’s come to appreciate how good Ned and Olivia are together. He says, he’d hoped his mom and dad would find their way back to each other, but he’s had to accept that’s probably never going to happen. Maybe they don’t have what Ned and Olivia have; that connection, that something that makes you want to fight against all odds. She says, no one’s ever fought that hard for her, and he says she deserves a love that strong. She tells him that he doesn’t have to say that, but he says he said it because he believes it. She says, it’s a mighty generous thing to say to a person like her, and he says, a person like her? What is that supposed to mean? She says, it means he can cut the act. She knows what he really thinks of her. She stomps off, and out to the patio.

Felicia tells Anna, she still wishes she could have gone with Mac and Dante. She wanted to watch Peter get locked behind bars. That way, she could have taken a picture and sent it to Maxie, and Maxie would know for sure, and get on with her life. Anna says, now that Peter has been dealt with, they can get on with finding Louise. Felicia says, Maxie’s been through so much already. A dangerous psychopath is the father of her child, and all those fruitless searches for Louise. And the whole time, she’s had to handle it alone. Anna says, maybe Austin will change that, and Felicia says she likes him. He seems like a really good man. Lord knows Maxie deserves that. She doesn’t know what she’d do without Mac. How long has it been again? Anna says, not long. She’s waiting for a message from Valentin. Felicia says, Anna told her that Valentin had a lead on Louise. Wouldn’t it be wonderful? Peter behind bars, and a chance to bring Louise home? Anna says, everything would finally come together.

Maxie says she thought Austin understood, and he says he understands she was under a lot of stress, and it was really hard for her that the people she loves were really worried about Louise. She says, and she hated every minute of it; she told him that. But that has nothing to do with their kiss. She wanted to kiss him. He says he can’t help but wonder if there aren’t other factors in play, given her state emotionally. She says, that is a very clinical assessment, doctor. She knows how she feels. He says, she’s been lying to him. She’s been keeping a secret from him since the moment they met. Did she befriend him out of some kind of necessity? Everybody in this town knows her very well, and would know something was up, so she turned to him to keep them at bay because he’s new and safe. She says, he’s anything but safe. She and Brook lived in constant fear that he was going to remember what went on in the woods that night. She should have stayed away from him like she intended to, but she was drawn to him because she feels something for him. Is she alone in that? His phone rings, and he asks if they can talk later. She says, sure, and he jets.

Nina says she would have risked prison before betraying Sonny’s trust like that, and Obrecht says, that’s easy to say now, knowing it won’t happen. Nina starts to leave, but Obrecht says she doesn’t want to fight. Nina is her niece, and knows she’s always on her side. Who did Nina call to help her with Peter in Nixon Falls? Her. Nina says she did, and Obrecht almost died because of it. Obrecht says, that’s all over. She understands what it’s like to make bad choices for love’s sake; to be condemned for following your heart. If Nina needs a friendly face, here it is. Let’s sit. Nina says she was looking for Phyllis, and Obrecht says, Phyllis isn’t here, but she is. Please? They sit down, and Obrecht asks if Nina has eaten. She was supposed to have dinner with Britt, but she was a tiny bit late, and Britt ditched her. Nina says she’s not hungry, and Obrecht says, then they’ll drink. What happened to ruin her appetite? Nina says she had another run-in with Carly. It doesn’t seem to matter where she goes, Carly is there, and no matter what she says or does, Carly takes it in the worst way possible. With good reason, but Nina gets the feeling Carly is more interested in hating her than she is in helping her own husband. Obrecht asks, why does Sonny need help?

Drew asks if Carly is missing Jason, and she says, always. He was her sounding board, her voice of reason. Even when she didn’t agree with him, he never held it against her. He says he’d be willing to listen, or he can just go and let her think in peace, but she says she doesn’t want him to go. What about him? Is he thinking about Jason tonight too? He says, actually, Oscar’s been on his mind, and she says, she and Josslyn miss him a lot. Oscar and Josslyn used to come to this bridge all the time. He says he’s grateful for the few years he had with his son; he just wishes they’d had more time. She says, life is precious, and he says, they shouldn’t waste a second. She wonders why she’s stuck on this bridge trying to make a decision, and he asks what she’s trying to decide. She says, about her and Sonny.

Sonny sets the rose down on the steps, and leans on the deck railing. He says, she’ll be here.

Felicia tells Anna, still no word from Mac. She knows it’s silly of her to try. He’s got a lot going on, but she can’t help it. He said he’d call her as soon as he got to the prison. Shouldn’t he have gotten there already? Anna says, the roads are frozen. It might have slowed them down. Felicia says, maybe. Does Anna really believe that? Anna wonders if Felicia thinks something’s wrong, and Felicia says, when has dealing with Peter ever gone right? Anna says she’ll meet Felicia in the car, and takes off, Felicia not far behind her.

Carly’s phone rings, and it’s Kristina. Kristina says, it’s probably none of her business, but she wants her dad to be happy. He’s waiting for Carly on the Haunted Star. Does she want to show up? Carly says she knows Kristina loves her father, but she’s right, this is none of her business. Kristina says, he’s standing on a freezing deck with his heart on his sleeve. Can’t Carly at least meet him halfway? She helped him put everything together, and trust her, he’s pulled out all the stops to show Carly how much their marriage means to him. She can’t turn her back; it will crush him. Carly says, that’s not what she’s doing. All she asked for was a little bit of space. Kristina says, well, just show up. Please tell her that she’ll at least hear him out. Carly says she can’t do this right now. Goodbye. Drew asks if Carly is okay, but she says, no.

Nina says she wanted to talk to Obrecht, but how could she after what happened in court? Obrecht says, she only told Scotty what she suspected to keep Nina out of prison, and it worked. Thanks to Scotty’s brilliant strategy, she’s a free woman. These are different circumstances. Whatever’s going on now, she promises not to say a word to anyone; she swears. Nina says, Sonny is having some health issues, and it got so bad, she was afraid to leave him alone. She even spent a harrowing night at his place. She’s just thankful she got him to realize that he needed some help. Right after that, she ran into Carly, and tried desperately to tell her that her husband was in trouble, but Carly refused to listen to her. Obrecht says, Nina told her Sonny was sick, and she didn’t care? but Nina says she never got that far. Carly wasn’t hearing anything Nina had to say. Obrecht says, it sounds like she wasn’t trying very hard, and Nina says she’s a little conflicted because Sonny doesn’t want Carly to know what he’s going through. Obrecht says she doesn’t care what Sonny or Carly want; she cares what Nina wants. And she doesn’t think Nina wants Sonny and Carly to get back together.

Chase comes onto the patio and says, Brook can’t just tell him something like that and storm out. He puts a blanket around her shoulders, and says, besides, he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She says, please. He acts all nice, but she knows the truth. He asks, what truth? and she says, when they first moved in, she overheard his conversation with Dante, telling him what a horrible person she is. How he wants to protect Bailey from her influence. He says he’s been trying to figure out why she’s been so hot and cold with him lately. That was just talk; he didn’t mean it. She asks why he said it, and he says, because he slipped. He said it would be a mistake if he developed feelings for her. She says, much better. Thanks for clearing that up. He says he was referring to Bailey. That’s what they’re doing here, right? If he developed feelings for her, it would complicate things, so he had to downplay it to Dante. Dante is a sharp guy, so he said all that crap about her not being his type. She asks if he really had to take it that far. He said awful things about her character. He tells her, she said herself that he’s a terrible liar, so he went too far to make sure Dante bought it. She says, so he doesn’t think she’s a horrible person? and he moves closer to her, saying, just the opposite. He says, he’s come to realize what a truly good person she is.

Spinelli tells Sam, crisis averted. James just wanted a glass of water. Where were they? Her and destiny; choosing a path. New life with Dante; second chance with Drew… She says, things with Dante are great. She loves seeing him with Scout and Danny; he’s a great father. He’s really stepped up, and taken care of all the kids’ needs. He says, what about her needs? and she says she’s not discussing her sex life with him. Okay, no complaints; none. He says, but by her own admission, she has unfinished business with Drew, and she says, if Jason hadn’t come back, they were starting a whole new life together, so it’s hard not to say what if? He says he sees no harm in asking, when Maxie walks in. She says she didn’t know Sam was here. Are Georgie and James sleeping? Spinelli says they’re both asleep, and Sam asks if something’s wrong. Maxie says, she kissed Austin, okay? Sam says, and? and Maxie says, it was horrible.

The police radio asks what the status is; please advise. Lying on the ground, Dante reaches for the radio, and says, 10-99. He repeats, 10-99. Officers down. Multiple injuries. The radio falls from his hand, and we see another man down by the van.

Carly tells Drew that Sonny planned this elaborate surprise at the Haunted Star. He’s recreated Martinique. Drew says, which is where they got married, right? She says, second wedding. Sonny really knows how to make a romantic gesture. He asks, so what is she doing here, and not there? and she says, she doesn’t need romance right now. She needs some space to figure out her feelings. Sonny wants her to commit right here, right now to fighting for her marriage. Is she wrong for not wanting to meet him halfway? He says, back up a moment. She just said she didn’t need romance; she needs time. And she said this to Sonny? She says, yes, and he says, and Sonny went ahead and planned this elaborate surprise, and wants her to come despite how she’s feeling right now? She says, yeah, and he says, that’s not about meeting Sonny halfway. That’s just Sonny being Sonny, trying to fix things on his timetable. The fact that she’s here right now is proof she has doubts. She’s 100% justified in feeling the way she does. She thanks him, and says she’s so glad he understands. He says he thinks he does, which is why he’s going to ask this. Is she positive she doesn’t want to go?

Brook asks if Chase really thinks she’s a good person, and he says, he doesn’t think; he knows. Look what she did for Maxie. Not to mention she put herself at risk to protect Bailey from her lunatic father. She says, and she lied to her family… So much lying. He says, good thing she can lie with the best of them, and she laughs. She says she never thought she’d hear Detective Harrison Chase condone duplicity, and he says, what she did was incredible. It might not have started out for the noblest of reasons, but she came through with flying colors. She stuck to her promise, and protected Bailey. Brook treated Bailey like her own daughter, all while she was taking serious hits to her reputation and character. She says she’d do anything to protect that little girl, and he says, him too, because they’re partners, which is exactly why they can’t be any more than friends. She says, but has he considered it?

Anna walks around the van, gun drawn. She looks in the van, and sees only the guard, lying across the seat. She checks for a pulse. She says, all clear, and Felicia comes out and checks Dante. She says, he’s just unconscious, but where’s Mac? Anna says she doesn’t know; be careful. Anna turns Dante over, and asks if he can talk. Felicia sees Mac, on the ground, shot, and says, oh my God, Mac. Dante asks, where’s Peter? and Anna says, he escaped.

Sonny sits on the steps, and takes a new wedding ring set out of his pocket and looks at them. He hears footsteps, and goes to the railing. He says, Carly?

Nina says, Obrecht told her that she doesn’t want to fight, but then accuses her of not wanting Sonny and Carly’s marriage to work. She gets up and grabs her coat, but Obrecht says, slow down and calm down. She’s not accusing Nina of anything, except perhaps not going after what she wants. She’s on Nina’s side, and wants her to be happy. Tell her, does she love Sonny? Nina says, Sonny is committed to his marriage, and Obrecht says, that wasn’t her question. Nina sits back down, and says, Sonny fell in love with her when he was Mike, a man without a past. Obrecht says, he was Sonny then, and he’s still Sonny now. Scotty told her that Sonny even admitted under oath that he loved Nina; that doesn’t just disappear. Nina says, it does when you have a wife and children. She can’t forget about that little detail. Sonny loves Carly. Obrecht says, perhaps he loves Nina too, but Nina says, she cannot be the woman who breaks apart Sonny and Carly’s marriage. Obrecht tells her, don’t be ridiculous. Marriages break up all the time. Is Nina going to live her life based on what others think? Does she think Sonny and Carly do? If Nina loves Sonny, and he loves her, why shouldn’t they be together?

Kristina tells Sonny, sorry; it’s only her. He says he saw her leaving, and she says, she did, but she came back. She thought he’d see her coming up the dock, but he says he was busy. He shows her the rings, saying, when he came back from Nixon Falls, he lost his wedding band, so he bought two more, since it’s the beginning. She says she’s sorry, and he says, she doesn’t have to be sorry; Carly is always late. She knows how important this night is to him. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she wanted to be there for him… because Carly’s not coming. She called Carly. He says she didn’t have to do that, and she says she couldn’t help herself. She knows how important this night is for him, but Carly said she couldn’t do it. He says, do what? and she says, meet him halfway. He says, Carly told her that? She didn’t even want to try?… So Carly’s not coming? Kristina shakes her head.

Carly tells Drew that she can’t decide what to do. Does she show up at the Haunted Star, or call Sonny and tell him that she can’t come? He says he gets it; let’s work it through. She says, okay. She knows this much. Champagne and candles are not going to fix what’s wrong between her and Sonny, and he should respect her request for space. Drew says, agreed but is that something Sonny would really do? She says, who knows anymore? Sonny has been all over place since he came back from Nixon Falls, but he should at least try for her her sake. He says, absolutely, and she says, this is typical Sonny though. He has to be in control of everything, and he made tonight feel like an ultimatum; show up or else. Drew says, what if it is?

Mac is on a stretcher, and the paramedics tend to him. Felicia says, they have to get him to General Hospital, but a paramedic says, if they move him before he’s stabilized, they could lose him. Felicia tells Mac, please hang in there; she loves him so much. Dante asks Anna, what’s going on? and she says, Mac was shot. They’re trying to stabilize him right now, then move him to GH. He says he can’t believe he let Peter escape, and she asks if he can tell her what happened. He says he was in the van with Peter and the guard. The van lost control and was swerving everywhere. Then it just stopped. She says, spike strips; she managed to avoid them. He says he’s glad somebody did. He got out, and left Peter and the guard in the van. Mac joined him in searching for what caused the accident. He noticed the tires had been punctured. Then a light came from over here. He points, and she says, a car? Description? He says, no. It was an SUV because the lights were too high. He sensed someone walking behind him, and it was Kendall. He hit Dante over the head. Anna asks if he knows who shot the Pentenville guard or this man, pointing the guy near the van, but he says, no. He came to, and called the dispatcher. He asks, how’s Mac? He doesn’t hear any sirens. She says, they’re still working on him, and he asks if there’s any sign of Peter, but she says, no. Her guess is, he and Kendall took someone’s car. Dante says, he could be anywhere, and she says, they’ll find him. They have to.

Spinelli says, for clarification’s sake, Austin’s kiss was not satisfying? Maxie says, what? and Sam reminds her that she said it was horrible. Maxie says, that’s not what she meant. The kiss was great. It just got really messed up afterwards. Sam says she needs to hear this, when Maxie’s phone rings. She steps away, and says, Austin, hi. Austin says, they have patients coming into the ER. There was a shooting on Route 31. Maxie says, that’s the road to Pentenville. Sam asks, what’s going on? and Maxie says, there was a shooting on Route 31. Spinelli says, he’s on it, and goes to his laptop. Maxie tells Austin that she’s putting him on speaker, and asks, who was shot? He says he doesn’t have any details, but he knows one cop was injured. Sam says, that must be the prison van, and Maxie says, oh my God, Mac and Dante. Sam asks if there’s any other information, and Austin says, this is what he can tell them; multiple injured and two fatalities.

Drew tells Carly, Sonny has to know he’s in the wrong. He’s got to know that he shouldn’t be pushing like this, but it’s almost like he can’t help it. Because he can’t stand the idea of losing her and the kids and the family. All of it is way too much for him to lose. What if it’s not an ultimatum, and it’s more of a cry for help? He’s got to believe they have a future together, so what if instead thinking of it as caving, she thinks of it as throwing him a lifeline?

Sonny closes the ring box and looks like he might pitch it into the water, but he doesn’t. He opens the box, takes one of the rings out, and looks at it.  

Brook tells Chase, what is she saying? Of course (🍷) he’s considered it. He’s hot; she’s hot. He says, that’s not what he meant, and she says, he doesn’t think she’s hot? He says, no… yes… definitely. He was talking about her as a person. He likes her – Brook Lyn. That’s why they’re friends. He moves closer, and she says, friends, right. Because anything more would be too complicated. He says, exactly. So it’s out of the question. She says she never even considered it, and he says, neither did he. They look as though they might kiss.

Nina tells Obrecht that she’s going to the ladies room. Feel free to order without her. She’s leaving her stuff; don’t steal anything. Nina leaves, and Obrecht says, a drink it is. Kristina comes in on the phone, saying, she was already late for work as it was. She gets the point; he’d rather not let her see him in pain, but she should have seen the look on his face when he realized Carly wasn’t coming. It broke her heart. He told her to leave, now her dad is all alone on the Haunted Star… Right… She knows. She’ll give him some time, but she’s calling him when she gets off work. Speaking of work, she’d better get going. Thanks for listening, mom… Love you too. She sees Obrecht standing at the bar.

A detective asks what Anna thinks, and she says she thinks Kendall saw the strip in the middle of the road and did nothing to avoid it. That he intentionally disabled the van to allow the gunman, or gunmen, to move in. She needs tire track prints from the other car on the shoulder. An officer walks up, and asks if there’s any news on the chief, and she says, he’s on his way to the hospital; thanks for asking. What about Kendell? Did they find him? The officer says, five miles up the road, and Anna says, great. She’ll follow him in her car. She wants answers. He says, she won’t get them from Kendall. Kendall’s dead.

Maxie and Sam come into the hospital, and Maxie asks Austin if there’s an update. He says he doesn’t know; he just got here. Felicia comes out, and hugs Maxie. She asks where James and Georgie are, and Maxie says, they’re with Spinelli. What happened? Is Mac…? Felicia says, Mac was shot. He’s lost a lot of blood, and it took forever to stabilize him, but he’s here now. It doesn’t look good. Maxie says, he’s going to be okay. Sam asks Austin about Dante, and he says, table two. She thanks him, and goes in. Dante is hooked up to a couple of monitors, but she hugs him anyway. He says, he’s okay; he’ll be fine. He’s sorry to put her through this though. He guesses it’s the downside of dating a cop. She says, there is no downside to having him in her life, and he says he’ll make sure she remembers that. She says she’s lucky to have him in her life. He says, he’s lucky to have her, and they kiss

Obrecht orders a vodka tonic, and goes back to the table. Nina has come back, along with a glass of wine that magically appeared. Obrecht says, now’s Nina’s chance, and Nina says, for what? Obrecht says, she just heard Sonny’s daughter on the phone. Kristina was saying Sonny is in a bad way. Perhaps he’s still sick. Nina says, she thought he got his medication, but maybe he didn’t. He could be in trouble. Obrecht says, there’s only one way to find out. Sonny’s on the Haunted Star… all alone.

The detective tells Anna, they’re checking for signs Kendall was injured here. He probably succumbed to his injuries, and was dumped where the police found him. Anna says, don’t waste your time, and the officer says, Kendall was shot point blank. He died instantly. His guess is that Kendall and Peter had a disagreement, but Anna says, no; it was planned. Peter hates loose ends. She tells them to send an update that the prisoner is traveling alone, and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Maxie asks Austin, what about Mac? Can they see him? He says, one of them can go in there, and only for a minute. Maxie says, that would be Felicia, and Felicia goes. Maxie asks Austin to please tell her one of those dead bodies was Peter, but he says, no; he checked first thing. Peter’s still out there.

Carly tells Drew that she’s not ready to give up on her marriage. So this isn’t about what’s fair. It’s about what they both need emotionally. He says, okay, and what does she need right now? and she says she needs Sonny to know she’s still in this. She’s not giving up, but they can figure things out without closing the door on their marriage. Right? She thanks him and gives him a hug. She says, thanks for talking to her and clarifying things. He says, always. He’s glad they bumped into each other. She says, her too, and his phone rings. He says, Anna… Wait… What happened to Dante.

At the van, Anna asks if he can hear her. Mac and Dante were transporting Peter to Pentenville, and they were ambushed. They’ve both been hurt. He says, what about August? and she says, there’s no sign of him. He says, dammit, and Carly says, what? He tells her, Peter August escaped.

Sonny closes the ring box, and says, that’s that. He turns to leave, and sees Nina walking out onto the deck.  

Chase says, they should get back, and Brook says, of course (🍷). Chase’s phone rings, and he says, Dante, what’s up? At the hospital, Dante says, there’s something he should know. Mac was shot tonight. Chase asks, how bad? but Dante says, they don’t know. He’s on his way to surgery now. Chase asks, what happened? and Dante says, the transport van was ambushed. Peter escaped. Brook says, what? and Chase says, the transport van was ambushed. Mac was shot and Peter escaped. She says, oh no, and runs inside. Chase runs after her, and Dante asks if he’s still there. Brook and Chase run into the nursery, and Bailey’s crib is empty. Brook starts to cry, and says, no, no, no!   

In a moving car, Peter tells Bailey/Louise, hello, sweetheart. Safe and snug. They’re together, and he’s never letting her go.

On Monday, Austin says, it’s a helluva story; Chase says, all signs point to Peter; Anna asks if Robert wants to go down that path; and Sonny says, his and Nina’s time together never happened.

🧹 Sweeping Up…

What’s to come on the soaps this month.

February Sweeps Preview

👄 La Lucci Speaks…

The diva of Pine Valley tells all.

Susan Lucci Talks ALL MY CHILDREN’s Future
Susan Lucci Shares an Update on the AMC Reboot, PINE VALLEY

👩🏾‍⚕️ Front Line Help…

She might not be a nurse off-camera, but she’s just as caring.

GH Nurse Sonya Eddy Pledges To Help Real-Life Nurses!

☄️ Farewell To a Star…

Another loss to the soap world.

Donald May, Beloved Star of The Edge of Night, Texas, Dead at 94

👠 She’s Available…

Randall is an idiot.

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-dating-again-after-randall-emmett-split/

🍊 OC Delusion…

I wanted to like her, but I’ve come to the conclusion she’s batsh*t crazy.

https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/reality-tv/rhoc-newbie-noella-bergener-talks-feud-with-heather-dubrow-says-costar-sees-her-as-a-threat/

🗽 Accessing Production…

Like this matters anymore.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/31/carole-radziwill-bethenny-frankel-had-access-to-rhony-producers/

🛥 Ultimate Complaint…

What a shock. Brandi is mean.

Vicki Gunvalson Calls Brandi Glanville “So Mean” as Brandi Responds, Talks Cancer Battle, Shades RHOC Ratings, and Says New Cast Members Are “Cheap”

🧂 Rubbing Salt In the Wound…

This week’s recap.

https://pagesix.com/2022/01/30/rhoslc-recap-lisa-barlow-implies-meredith-marks-cheated-on-husband-seth/

Exit stage Mary.

https://pagesix.com/2022/02/03/mary-cosby-exits-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city/

Everybody is getting into the act.

https://pagesix.com/2022/02/04/john-mayer-drags-rhoslc-star-lisa-barlow-in-andy-cohen-tribute/

🐶 They’re Coming…

All you need to know about the upcoming Puppy Bowl XVIII.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/puppy-bowl-announcement

🦜 Quotes of the Week

Fashion is a movie. Every morning when you get dressed, you direct yourself. – Thierry Mugler

For a New Yorker anything is possible. – Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), The Gilded Age

Don’t let anyone who hasn’t been in your shoes tie your laces. – Judge Faith Jenkins

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. – Maya Angelou

The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. – Ida B. Wells

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker

Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. – Hugh Sidey

Don’t lose your sense of humor. – the only advice my father gave me when I left home. I’ve come close.

Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied. – George Washington Carver

🚶🏽‍♀️ Time To Skedaddle…

It’s here – the weekend for those still doing the 9 to 5, and the next two days for those off the work grid. Come join me on the third day for soap and a Deck Reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay pragmatic, and stay off any yacht you’re not invited aboard.

Jan7

January 6, 2022 – Ava Wants Every Delicious Detail, Real Housewives On the Runway & Colder

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy tells Bailey that she’s had an interesting life so far. Or should she call her Louise? She wonders, if the baby could talk, would she tell her what Brook is up to. Brook comes back, and asks, what makes Tracy think she’s up to something? Tracy says, isn’t she?

Maxie runs into the office, and Lucy says, at least one of them is here. Maxie says, sorry she’s late, and Lucy says, not as sorry as she is. Tell her, is she the only one who’s excited about taking Deception public? Maxie says she’s excited too. She was just putting out a fire. Lucy asks, what is more on fire than their IPO? Think about the substantial amount of money they stand to make as a company and as shareholders. Not to mention the fact, the sense of accomplishment. Look at them. Three women who had a dream. They brought it to fruition. It’s a reality. Deception is their baby, and she wants to see their baby thrive. Maxie flashes back to asking Brook if Tracy knows Bailey is Louise, and Brook saying, Tracy just knows Bailey isn’t hers. Lucy apologizes, and says she shouldn’t have used the word baby. Baby’s a dumb word. What she should have said is, Deception is a beautiful flower that’s worth millions of dollars. Maxie says Lucy is right. Deception is their baby, and you’d do anything to protect your baby.

At the MetroCourt, Sam tells Alexis that she wants to celebrate Alexis being the editor of the new and improved Invader. Alexis says, yeah, and Sam asks if she’s having second thoughts. Alexis says, of course (🍷) she’s having second thoughts. Just because she edited The Law Review doesn’t make her a journalist. Sam says, there’s no one better than Alexis who will know how to get the paper out of the jungle, but Alexis says, which is why they have a legal department, which she can’t join because she’s not a lawyer. Sam says, but she does know the ins and outs of the law, and Shawn wants his paper to be able to fight for justice. And that makes her perfect for the job. Alexis says, what it makes her, is terrified. She likes that.

Brando meets Gladys at the bar, and they hug. Gladys says she’s so glad to see him in person finally, and he says it’s good to see her too. She says she’s been so worried about him, but she didn’t want to nudge him with a thousand messages. He says, just a hundred and fifty or so, and she says, it’s only because she cares. He says he knows she does, and she says, losing her precious little grandson is like a knife in her heart. She cries every day for Brando and Liam. He says, and for Sasha? and she says, of course (🍷). Isn’t she joining them? He says, she called to say she couldn’t make it, when Sasha walks in behind him. Gladys says, is he sure?

Ava walks into Nina’s office, and says, so, is it true? Did that judge in Pennsylvania throw out those ridiculous charges? No more trial. No more smug look on Carly’s face? They set Nina free? Nina says she sees Ava’s heard, and Ava says, yeah, she heard, but she heard from some gossip at the spa. Why didn’t Nina tell her right away? They hug, and Ava says she’s so happy for Nina. She really is. She told Nina that Scotty was a great lawyer, and Nina says, he’s certainly effective. Ava asks what kind of rabbit he pulled out of his hat this time, and Nina says, he didn’t pull out a rabbit, just a witness that dropped a bomb on Sonny and Carly’s marriage.

Carly tells Avery that she can have the last cookie, but Avery says she’s saving it for daddy. Carly says, that’s sweet. She bets Avery is wondering why her daddy didn’t come down for breakfast this morning. Avery nods, and Carly says, she doesn’t want Avery to worry. He’s not going away again; not like last time. Avery says, then where is he?

On the phone, Sonny tells someone to have Tony oversee the shipment. He’s going to have a sit-down with Selena Wu. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, come in; it’s open. Dante comes in, and Sonny tells whoever to have Tony text him when it’s finished. He asks how Dante found him, and Dante says he talked to Michael. How’s Sonny doing? The last time he saw Sonny… Sonny says, let’s just forget about New Year’s Eve. Dante asks how they’re supposed to forget about New Year’s Eve? Sonny is there at the penthouse instead of home with Carly and his kids.

Brook says she’s late for a meeting at Deception, and she’s bringing Bailey with her, and Tracy says, take your daughter to work day? Brook says, they have wonderful daycare, and Tracy says, quite the role model; juggling work and motherhood. Maxie’s going to be there too, isn’t she? Brook says, her point? and Tracy says, Felicia is concerned that Maxie is getting overly attached to Bailey, using her as a substitute for her lost daughter. Brook says, with all due respect, Felicia worries too much. If Maxie being around Bailey is helping her cope with her own loss, she doesn’t see the harm. Brook picks up the car seat, and tells Bailey, let’s go to mommy’s office, and Tracy says, very interesting. She never, ever thought of Brook as the maternal type. Brook says, neither did she, but it changed. Tracy says, maybe. Maybe she just got better at hiding it.

Sasha gives Brando a kiss, and he says he’s glad she changed her mind about joining them. Gladys asks if she can order something for Sasha, but Sasha says, no thanks. Brando says they haven’t really seen or talked to each other since Liam’s funeral, and Sasha says she’s sorry. She just needed to be by herself. He says he understands, and she says she knows. How is he? That’s a stupid question. He says, it isn’t a stupid question. He’s glad to see her out and about. He thinks it’s good for her, even if it means sitting down with his mom. Sasha tells Gladys that she’s sorry she didn’t return her text; she’s been holed up in her apartment. Gladys says, no need to explain. It’s good to see her. Brando says he’ll go grab them a table, but Sasha says, actually, she can’t stay. It’s a big day for Deception. They’re getting ready to launch their IPO. Gladys says, oh yeah. Deception’s going on the stock market. Is that about right? Sasha says it is, and thinks the best thing for her is going back to work. Brando says he thinks Lucy and Maxie will understand, and Sasha says, she knows, but she can’t stare at her walls any longer, where she’s reminded of everything she wanted to do with Liam. He says, of course (🍷). He understands. She says he told her that he was back at the garage, so she figured, why not get back to work herself? He says he’s glad she stopped by, and she says, her too. He tells her that he loves her, and she says she loves him too, and leaves, giving Gladys a wave. Brando tells Gladys, she’s okay, and Gladys says, mm-hmm.

Alexis says, here’s to lessons learned, and she and Sam clink coffee cups. Sam says, and bravery, and Ned approaches the table. He says he called Alexis’s house, and Kristina said he could find her here. She asks if he’d like to join them, and he says, for a few minutes, if they don’t mind. He sits, and congratulates Alexis on her new job. She says, she just got this job five minutes ago, and it’s news already? Sam says, welcome to journalism in the 21st century, and Alexis thanks Ned for his good wishes, but says, something tells her that he didn’t track her down to celebrate her new career. He says, no. He has some bad news. Luke died. Sam says, no, and Alexis asks if he was sick. Ned says, no. He was killed in a terrible accident. They might have heard about it on the news; the cable car in Austria? Sam says, Luke was in that? and he says he’s afraid so. Alexis asks where he heard this, and he says his mother told him.

Ava tells Nina that she wants to hear every delicious detail, but Nina says she doesn’t take joy in any of this. Ava says, but she does; that’s why she’s here. So tell her, who was this witness, and what was the big bombshell? Nina says, Scotty called Willow to the stand and asked her to reveal what she knew about Nina’s relationship with Sonny back in Nixon Falls. Ava says, and as God is her witness, she could not tell a lie, and Nina says, she told the truth. She overheard a conversation Nina and Sonny were having about how they fell in love when he thought he was Mike. Then Sonny and Carly… Ava says she can just picture it. Sonny, sitting there with his guilty conscience, and Carly wanting Nina to walk the plank. And her, without a front row seat.

Carly says Avery’s daddy is away on business, and Avery asks, for how long? Carly says she’s not sure, but he’s not far, and he’ll be back really soon. Olivia comes in, and says she hopes it’s okay, and Carly says, sure. They were just talking about how Avery wants to leave a cookie for her daddy. Olivia asks if Avery has a hug for her Aunt Olivia, and Avery hugs her. Carly asks Avery to check on Donna and Pilar, and Avery leaves. Olivia says, she’s getting big so fast. When she comes back in this room, she’ll be ready for the prom. Carly tells her, don’t say that, and Olivia says she’s been trying to reach Carly all week; she probably noticed this morning especially. Carly says, sorry. It’s been non-stop since she got back from Pennsylvania. Olivia says she knows Nina skated. What she doesn’t know is why. Carly says, because Nina fell in love with her husband, and it turns out he felt the same way about her.

Dante says, when he left Sonny last night, Sonny was three sheets to the wind. He took Sonny’s keys, by the way. How’d he get here? Sonny says, Nina showed up after Dante left. She wanted to drive him home, but he did as Dante asked, and told her to drop him off here. Dante says, and did she? Drop him off? Sonny says, if Dante is wondering if she stayed, the answer’s no. Dante says, did he want her to?

Alexis says, Ned’s been in contact with Tracy? and Sam says, the last they heard, she was on the run from the PCPD, and fell off the grid. Ned says he knows what his mother did was unconscionable, but Luke’s death has really hit her hard. Sam asks how Tracy got ahold of him. Did she email him, because the last thing she would want is to be in front of Alexis. Tracy comes in, acknowledges Sam and Alexis, and tells Ned that she’s glad she found him.

Brook dashes into the office, saying, sorry she’s late, and Lucy thanks her for joining them finally. Brook says she needs to talk to Maxie for a second, and grabs Maxie’s arm. Lucy says she can’t, and Brook says, but she is. Maxie says, give them a second to get whatever it is out of the way, and pulls Brook outside, Brook telling Lucy, they’re going to be ahead of schedule in no time. Outside the office, Brook says, Tracy not only knows Bailey isn’t hers, but she suspects she’s Louise. Maxie says, and she left the baby with Tracy? but Brook says, no. She brought her to daycare. Lucy tells them, come on; they have a lot of work to do. Maxie says, one second, and tells Brook, they need to bluff this out. See if Tracy’s actually going to pursue it. Brook says she doesn’t have a better plan, so… They go back in, and Lucy says, yay, finally. They have so much to do. They have to schedule a press conference to announce the actual date of the IPO. Then they have to arrange for all of them to get to the stock exchange, because one of the partners has to ring the opening bell. Since Deception is her brainchild, she volunteers to do that very high profile honor. Maxie says, too bad it can’t be the Face of Deception, and Brook says, she knows she’s only staff, but shouldn’t the face of the company be the face of the company when they go public? Lucy says, that’s a fair argument, but Sasha was only supposed to take maternity leave, and now it’s turned into bereavement leave, which means all of them have to stick together and pick up the slack. Sasha walks in, and says, that’s sweet, but it won’t be necessary. She’s back, and ready to give her all for Deception.   

Ava tells Nina, don’t stop now; they’re getting to the best part. What happened after Willow threw Sonny under the bus? Nina says, the judge called Sonny to the stand to confirm or deny Willow’s testimony, and Ava says, he tried to deny it, didn’t he? Nina says, no, he didn’t. He actually talked about his feelings toward her when he thought he was Mike. He not only talked about her falling for him, but also him falling for her. Ava says, so he told the truth. What did Carly do? Nina says, Carly left the hearing before the judge could dismiss the charges, and Ava says, Carly walked out on Sonny, and left him to Nina.

Olivia says, so Willow overheard Nina and Sonny talking about their past in Nixon Falls, but it’s still no secret Nina kept Carly from knowing Sonny was alive. Now they know why, because Nina had fallen for her husband. Carly says, and he fell for Nina, but Olivia says, according to Nina. Carly says, he didn’t deny it, and Olivia says, he didn’t know who he was, and Nina knew that, and took advantage of him. She’s not saying Sonny’s not a dog; all men are dogs. For example, Ned. Olivia happens to be a dog lover. But just because Nina had feelings for Sonny, doesn’t mean he has feelings for her. Carly says she asked him that question, and he said he loves her. Olivia says, and? and Carly says, she told him that wasn’t an answer. Then she told him not to come home. Olivia looks at her, and Carly says, what? Does Olivia think she was wrong? Olivia says, not at all, and she’s not comparing the two situations in the slightest, but what did Sonny say when Carly told him about her feelings for Jason?

Sonny tells Dante, part of him – the Mike part – wanted Nina to stay, but that was just a hangover from the past; the memories that were stirred up by the drinking, and thinking about the mistakes he made when he came home. It would have been very easy to just have her stay, think about Nixon Falls, and how easy it was, or how easy he thought it was. Damn. It’s like, Carly was the one who brought him back to himself. It’s who he wants; his home. Know what he did before he conked out? He was hoping when he woke up in the morning, Nina would be forgotten. So he wakes up, opens his eyes, and the feelings are still there. And you know what? He can’t get rid of them.

Tracy says she needs a word with her son, and Ned says, she needs to get out of here before someone tips off the police. Alexis says, actually, Tracy has just done her an enormous favor. She was just sitting here, worried she didn’t have the chops to be a journalist, but it turns out that Tracy, being the giver that she is, just gave her a brand new headline. It’s all about privilege and the abuse of power.

Brando tells Gladys, he tried backing off. He tried giving Sasha time to grieve. Gladys says, it’s killing him, isn’t it? You don’t want to send a single message or God knows, call her. You’re worried even the slightest gesture will make her think you’re hounding her. You’re worried if you don’t reach out, it will seem like neglect. He says she hit the nail on the head, and she tells him not to look so shocked. She understands because she’s been doing the same thing with him. Her instinct is to love bomb him like crazy; shocking, she knows. She’s been listening to this podcast about loss, and it says, grief is like a daffodil. You plant it in the wintertime, and wait for spring until it blossoms. Or wait. Is that the podcast on gardening? Maybe it’s both, but he gets the idea. He says he’s not sure he does, and she says, she’s just giving him space until he’s ready to talk about it. He takes her hand and thanks her, saying, he appreciates that. She says, he’s welcome. Anything for her son. So, is he ready to talk about it?

Maxie says, Sasha shouldn’t be here, and Lucy says, it’s too soon. Brook says Sasha needs to take care of herself, and Sasha says, losing Liam was the hardest thing she’s ever known, but it would dishonor his memory if she curled in a ball and stopped living. Brook says, in that case, she’s been keeping a folder with all the information on the IPO for her. Sasha thanks her, and Lucy says, actually, publicity has asked her if they have any new photos for the press release. Sasha says, she’s ready for anything, and a woman comes in with Bailey. She says she’s sorry to interrupt, but Brook must have left Bailey’s pacifier in her bag.

Nina says she hates to burst Ava’s bubble, but Sonny followed Carly out of the hearing, so they could talk things through. Ava says, of course (🍷) he did, and of course (🍷) Carly took him back, right? She wishes Nina would have given her a heads up. She could have used the information Willow had to extract a confession on the child custody front. Nina says, if Ava is going to make everything about her, when Nina’s done what she can to honor Sonny’s wishes and not come between him and Carly, she can go. Ava says she’s sorry. She knows it must have been hard when Sonny turned his back on Nina and returned to Carly, and they lived happily ever after. Or did they?

Carly asks what Olivia means about her and Jason? and Olivia says she was at the wedding. She saw Carly coming down the aisle, and she looked very much like a woman in love. Carly says she told Olivia before about bottling things up, and Olivia says she told Carly, it’s not healthy. Carly says, they were extraordinary circumstances she and Jason were thrown in, and Olivia tells her to go ahead and just say she fell in love with her best friend. Carly says she did, but when Sonny came home, she put those feelings aside. Olivia says, Carly bottled them up, and Carly says, okay, she bottled them up, but the point is, she went back to the man she loves. She chose Sonny. She made a choice. Obviously Sonny can’t do the same.

Dante hates seeing Sonny seeing tear himself apart like this, and Sonny says, it’s like there’s two of him. The father Dante knows, and the guy he never met, Mike. Carly never met Mike either. Dante says, Nina met him, and Sonny says, he’s gone and doesn’t exist. It’s like that place; it’s magic every hundred years. Dante says, Brigadoon? He had to do that musical in elementary school, about a magical town that shows up every hundred years. Sonny says she can’t see Dante in a musical, but Dante says he was pretty good, thanks to Sister Mary Joseph. Sonny says, then what happened? and Dante says, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy travels back in time, gets girl, and walks off into the sunset, and the curtain falls. Sonny says, that’s make believe, and Dante says, kind of what Sonny and Nina went through, except that’s over. Unless Sonny is telling him it’s still real.

Ned tells Tracy that she shouldn’t be out and about, but she says, she’s not an invalid. Sam says, but she is a fugitive, and Tracy says, and Sam’s mother is a so-called journalist, while the man she loves is gone. Alexis says she’s very sorry to hear about Luke. She and Luke had a very fulfilling, yet complicated relationship. Tracy says, he told her, but then her mind would begin to wander, and Alexis tells her, having said that, there is no such thing as bereavement leave when you’re on the lam. And her loss, devastating as it may be, has nothing to do with her not owning up to what she did. Tracy says, Alexis wants her to go to prison? She’s already in the house with Monica, who, when she’s not telling her, it’s my house, Alan gave it to me, is moaning about some Russian. Ned says, Belarus, and Tracy says, whatever. In any case, something is going on with Ned’s daughter, and she needs to talk to him about it. Don’t talk to her about privilege. Alexis says, Tracy avoided arrest by fleeing the country on a private jet, and Tracy says, and Alexis has become a so-called journalist by failing her way to the top. Or did she sleep her way to the top this time?

Sasha asks if Bailey knows how lucky she is. Her mommy and daddy are even luckier, because they have her. They will always have… She tells everyone that she’s fine, and Brook gives Bailey her pacifier. Lucy says, about those publicity shots… and Sasha says she called Suzanne, her go-to makeup artist, on her way over, and Suzanne should be there soon. So she’ll just freshen up before they take the photos. She leaves, and the women look at each other.

Nina says, if Ava is going to take everything she’s saying and use it as ammunition to hurt Sonny, then no. She doesn’t want Ava to use it to gain advantage involving Avery’s custody thing. Ava says she was just kidding around. Seriously, she doesn’t want to see Nina end up holding the short straw. Nina says she’s not. As a matter-of-fact, last night she was helping Sonny out. She found him at Charlie’s, all alone and overserved. Ava says, he was smashed at Charlie’s? Really? Was he a mad drunk, a sad drunk, or an amorous drunk? Nina says, none of the above. He didn’t have his keys, and didn’t want her to drive him home, so she drove him to a penthouse at Harborview Towers, and she dropped him off. Ava says, Nina didn’t go inside with him and make sure he got to bed okay? Nina says she made sure he was safe, they had a little conversation, and she left. Ava says, damn. Nina really loves that guy, doesn’t she?

Olivia wonders if Carly and Sonny are all that different. They’re strong-willed and stubborn as hell. She sympathizes because she and Ned have a lot of that too. They have their pride, albeit in significantly smaller doses. What they do have is Leo, and doing what’s best for him is bringing them back together. It makes her kind of guilty to talk about this because of everything Carly is going through, but Carly says, she’d love to hear some good news. Olivia says, they decided Ned is going to officially adopt Leo, and they’re going to renew their wedding vows, and Carly says, that’s wonderful. Olivia says she thinks so, and Carly says, it’s great because they’re going to have challenges ahead. Olivia says, honestly, the marriage part worries her more than the… She has to get used to saying it. Autism. Carly says, Leo’s a great kid, and Olivia says, that’s not going to change. Carly says, that’s a great way to look at it, and Olivia tells her, don’t waste time like she did. Marriages and families, there always going to be a challenge. Most marriages end in divorce. Families with cousins cutting each other out of the picture books. Don’t be those people. Carly asks what she’d do without Olivia, and they hug. Olivia says, Carly will never know; she’s not going anywhere. Carly and Sonny are destined for each other; until death do us part. The man even died and came back to her. Carly laughs.

Sonny tells Dante, the love he has for Carly and for his family is real. I suddenly notice a big plant in bowl on the coffee table. It’s no moss bowl 🎍, but still distracting, and I wonder who’s been watering that if no one lives there? Who’s been cleaning this place? Sonny says he doesn’t have to tell Dante that; Dante knows that. Dante says, of course (🍷), and Sonny says, when he was in Nixon Falls, he told Carly, he would always have this vision. He would dream, and see a blond woman. He’d try to touch her, and he couldn’t, and she woudn’t come to him. It happened quite a bit. Then, when he came close to dying, it all rushed back to him. The blonde woman was Carly, and he knew that’s where he belonged, with her and with his family. This whole thing with Nina, the feelings and all, doesn’t really matter. Dante says, he believes Sonny, and Sonny asks how he makes Carly believe him. Dante says he thinks Sonny has to stop telling him about it, and talk to Carly about it.

Ned says he’s taking Tracy home, but she says, not until she has a word with him in private. Ned says, excuse them, and they step away. Sam asks if Alexis is okay, and Alexis says she’s great. Mixing it up with Tracy is invigorating. Sam says, as amazing as that all was, Tracy needs to pay for what she did to Alexis.

Brando says, he admires the way Sasha’s able to cope, and Gladys says, he’s sweet to admire how well she’s handling this, but trust her when she says this. A woman can’t carry a child for nine months, and lose it, and turn the page overnight. You can’t wallpaper over a hurt like this no matter how hard you try.

Brook wonders if someone should check on Sasha, and Maxie says she knows her experience with Louise is different, but Sasha might need some time alone to pull herself together. Lucy says, you never ever really get over a loss like that. Maybe this is too soon, and Sasha’s pushing too hard to get over it. Brook says, if she is, they’ll be there for her, and Maxie says, in the meantime, they just have to hope Sasha knows what’s best for Sasha.

Sasha looks at herself in the bathroom mirror, and says, get it together, Gilmore. Your friends and your partners are counting on you. Do not let them down. She takes a lipstick out of her bag, and her hand shakes, but she takes a deep breath, and puts some on.

Nina tells Ava that she’s never denied her feelings for Mike, and what she still feels for Sonny. Ava tells her, what Nina’s not saying is… Nina says, go ahead. Ava is dying to say it. So say it, and get it out of her system. Ava says, it’s clear how Nina feels about Sonny, but what Nina’s still not able, or willing, to face, is how Sonny feels about her. Nina says, she knows it’s hard for Sonny to forget what they went through together in Nixon Falls, but they’re back in reality, back here. Ava says Nina still doesn’t get it. Nina thinks Sonny is caught between the past and the present, but that’s not what this is about. He’s caught between Carly and Nina.

Carly says, she knows Sonny came back from Nixon Falls, but Mike came with him. Olivia says, Nina is the one who won’t let Sonny go, but don’t worry; she’ll get what’s coming to her. Carly asks if she promises, and Olivia says she does. They don’t call it karma for nothing. Carly needs to think about what she wants. After everything that happened in Nixon Falls, and knowing what she knows and how she felt about Jason, be honest. Can she expect Sonny to be there totally and completely for her, if she’s not there totally and completely for him?

Sonny tells Dante, he’s not sure Carly wants to see him right now, the way they left things. Dante says, she was hurt, and she was angry, and Sonny couldn’t make it better, so he tried to drink himself numb. He took his time out, and it didn’t work. So now he has to go back there and talk to her, and it’s going to hurt, but that’s the way it is. Dante’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Sam. Sonny tells him, go ahead, and Dante steps away. He asks Sam, what’s up? and she asks how soon he can make it to the MetroCourt. He says, it’s too late for lunch, and too early for dinner. Are they talking business or pleasure? Sam asks if it’s not too late to make an arrest.

Brando suggests Gladys grab a table while he settles the tab. She says he doesn’t have to, unless he insists. She asks if he knows how proud of him she is, and he says, of what? She says, he admires Sasha for being strong, and getting on with her life. She thinks he’s just as strong, if not stronger, for letting himself hurt.

Sasha says, sorry to keep waiting them waiting, and Brook says, she looks… wow. Maxie says, of course (🍷) she does; she’s the Face of Deception. Lucy says, yes she is, and Sasha looks awesome. She thought while they were waiting for Sasha’s makeup artist, they could what Sasha is going to say at the press conference. Maxie and Brook step outside, and Maxie asks what exactly Tracy did to make Brook think she believes Bailey is Louise? Brook says, it’s nothing she did or said. It’s that crocodile smile. Like she knows that Brook knows that she knows. Maxie says, can they trust her? She’s a liar and a schemer. Tracy would exploit them in a way that would benefit her own agenda. They need to come up with a plan. Before Tracy blows it, and Peter finds out they’ve been hiding his daughter in plain sight.

On the phone, Ned tells someone to let him know if there are any new developments. Tracy asks if he’s done, and he says, it was about ELQ. Normally she’d say, there’s nothing more important. She says, this time there is, namely, his daughter. He asks what Brook has done now, or rather, what is Tracy accusing her of having done. She says, it’s about that baby of hers. He says, Bailey? What about her? She says, Bailey. What kind of name is Bailey? While they’re on the subject… Dante walks over to Tracy, and she says, just a minute; this is important. He says she’s under arrest, and handcuffs her. Sam and Alexis clink coffee cups.

Nina tells Ava, Sonny loves Carly. End of story. Ava says, maybe this story has a sequel. She picks up her bag, and says, stay tuned. She walks to the door, and says, Sonny may love his wife, but he still has feelings for Nina and can’t shake them. Deep down, Nina knows it’s true.

Carly looks at her phone, and tells Olivia that her mom keeps calling her. She wonders what that’s about. Olivia says Carly should call her, and find out. Carly says, she will, but first, she wants to hear Olivia’s news. Olivia said she had something to tell her. Was it the whole Leo and Ned thing? Olivia says, no, but she thinks it’s Carly’s mom’s news to tell, but suggests they talk after, and about the other stuff they talked about. Sonny told Carly about how he feels about Nina. Carly told him how she felt about Jason on her wedding day, but has she told Sonny how she feels about him still? Sonny walks in.

Tomorrow, Ava tells Spencer that they’re not finished, Finn asks if Elizabeth is having second thoughts, Nina wonders what if Sonny’s happiness lies with her, and Sonny says he doesn’t want to spend one more minute without Carly.

Project Runway

There were seven designers left, and Chasity said she was feeling the pressure like never before. She felt she had to push harder. She had some little Black girls looking up to her as their hero, and couldn’t fail them. The designers gathered at the runway, where there were containers of apples, oranges, and flowers, and Christian said they played an important part in the challenge. This week, it was the Real Client Challenge. They’d be working with some women who were real, and knew what they wanted. From The Real Housewives of New York City, it was LuAnn and Leah; The Real Housewives of Potomac, Grande Dame Karen, Gizelle, and Wendy; and from The Real Housewives of Orange County, it was Shannon and Gina. The designers’ task was to create the ultimate Reunion show look for Real Housewife, Christian reminding them that each one had her own particular needs and wants. LuAnn said the Reunion was something they waited for a whole year, and they had to look amazing. More concisely, Leah said they needed to look effing fierce. We saw some clips from the Reunions.

The designers were paired up with a Housewife: Anna with Gina, Aaron with Gizelle, Chasity with Karen, Kristina with Wendy, Bones with Shannon, Shantall with LuAnn, and Coral with Leah. Leah told Coral that she wanted to look like a sexy Disney princess, but in Coral’s interview, she said she had more warrior goddess in mind. She didn’t do Disney. The designers were instructed to balance their personal vision with what the client wanted.   

They had 30 minutes and $700 in Mood. While Coral had promised Leah an emerald color, she was drawn to a fabric with cut-outs that was a nude, and hoped the color change was okay. Leah might have wanted flowers and ruffles, but she wasn’t doing that. Gizelle had told Aaron that she thought of herself as a Barbie, which he thought went along with his forte of fashion meets costume.  

Instead of models, the designers got the Housewives. In Aaron’s interview, he said, they don’t give a sh*t, are highly opinionated, and always extra. They needed to love their looks. Coral’s dress looked beautiful, but it definitely wasn’t what Leah asked for. When Leah first saw it, it looked like things might go south. Instead, Leah said it wasn’t what she was expecting, but it was epic. It was better than what she’d come up with in her own head. In Coral’s interview, she said she’d taken a huge risk, but it totally paid off. Leah said she effing loved it.

Since it’s impossible to have Housewives in a room without drama, Kristen had created a pantsuit for Wendy that had a bustier top with wide-leg flowy pants. Wendy said she’d just gotten new boobs and new butt, and wanted to show them off. She wasn’t mean, but obviously unhappy, and Kristina started crying. In Aaron’s interview, he said you could learn techniques in school, but the only way to learn to do custom work was to actually work with clients. Kristina ran out to calm down and have a smoke, and Anna and Gina followed her to lend support. They also told her smoking was bad for her, although that probably wasn’t the time for that lesson. Gizelle asked if Wendy had made Kristina cry, and Christian said, it was down to the wire, and Kristina was probably just emotional. In Kristina’s interview, she said it was very stressful and intense, and reminded her of school in Antwerp. She’d had a nervous breakdown, but the school had psychotherapy, and she took advantage of that. She recovered, and was able to go back to work. Still, she sometimes got emotional under stress. She and Bones had a drink, and let out a scream on the rooftop.

In his interview, Aaron said, it was runway day, and that meant chaos was about to ensue. The Housewives came for their final fittings, and Kristina had made modifications to the pantsuit, and added a long, flowing scarf. It seemed like Wendy still wasn’t too thrilled though. To be fair, Kristina had said she could do a gown or pantsuit, and Wendy had said she didn’t really care. In Bones’s interview, he said he thought Anna wasn’t as focused as she had been, and felt he’d be able to stay longer in the competition. Meow. The Housewives went to hair and makeup, and I thought the outfits didn’t look ready, although Wendy actually ended up looking pretty good.  

Brandon hoped the designers had gotten through the challenge without having wine thrown at them, and Andy Cohen was introduced as guest judge. It went this way. Gizelle wore a pink jumpsuit with one long, dramatic sleeve. In Aaron’s interview, he said she was perfection. She was using the sleeve, and living her best life. She was a vision. Karen wore a sparkly black gown, and in her jumpsuit, Wendy used the scarf all over the place. Gina wore a skirt and top; the top having space age shoulder pads, and the skirt being a more relaxed pencil skirt; the whole thing very boxy and constructed. Shannon wore a just above the knee black cocktail dress, with an asymmetrical hem. There were two sleeves – one of her must haves – but one was lacy with feathers. In Bones’s interview he said, Shannon’s ex should feel sad, because she looks sexy AF now. Leah’s neutral gown was sheer underneath, with the overlay of the cut-out fabric, strips of it flowing at the waist. LuAnn wore a black gown that was a combination of business and cabaret party, with one sleeve, a corset top, and a high slit skirt, lace peeking from the slit. All the Housewives worked the runway, and afterwards, Elaine said she felt like she just got off a roller coaster ride. Andy said, welcome to the Housewives.

The Housewives stayed behind as well, to give their opinions, and Elaine said they’d do it by franchise. NYC was first, and LuAnn said she liked to dress classically, but also loved cabaret. Nina said the dress was fit for a countess, and Brandon said it had gotten one of his highest scores ever. He said there was an understanding of women in Shantall’s work that was rare. I thought of Oscar de la Renta, since I feel that way about him. Leah loved her look as well, and Andy said he’d thought it wasn’t what she would wear, but he liked the overlay, which was hippie-ish and her style. Brandon said he was worried the color would wash her out on camera, but Elaine thought she looked commanding. From the OC, Andy thought Shannon’s look was her, but it was refreshing to see her in black. Shannon said it felt slimming, and Nina thought she looked fabulous. Andy liked the drama of Gina’s shoulders, but it wasn’t his idea of her. Nina thought it was poorly made, and that Gina had a hard time walking, and Brandon thought it felt gothic. Gina said she thought they were both trying to make each other happy, and Elaine said, communication was key. Representing Potomac, Elaine thought Wendy’s metallic hot pink was dated, and Wendy said it was more like compromise than collaboration because she knew it was a competition, and wanted Kristina to work in her wheelhouse. Gizelle thought Aaron had killed it, and she felt like she could cut a bitch out. Andy asked Karen what she thought about Gizelle’s outfit, and Elaine accused him of stirring the pot, but Karen said it was the best she’d seen Gizelle look. Aaron said it was about giving Gizelle a moment with the one long sleeve. Brandon said they made a good duo, and Gizelle said Aaron was going where she did. Elaine said it seemed like there were good vibes with Karen and Chasity, and Karen said Chasity was willing to listen, but put herself in it as well. Nina thought it was a little safe, and Brandon said the look wasn’t new, but Karen looked like she was in charge like the Grande Dame should be.  

Andy said pleasing Housewives was difficult, and he was impressed. Elaine said overall, they’d done a good job, and Andy said the Housewives were not only happy, they looked great. The judges deliberated, and Brandon said Gizelle looked comfortable and confident. Elaine said it was a match made in heaven. Andy said, LuAnn liked a sequin or 500, and the gown was a departure, but still in sync with who she was. Brandon thought she’d never looked better. Nina was disappointed in Chasity, although Andy said Karen was happy. Brandon said it was all about the client, but the gown wasn’t very original. Andy said Gina’s outfit would be savaged on Twitter; they wanted glam, not Goth. The Reunion was their Superbowl moment, and there was nothing Superbowl about it. Nina said, Wendy almost had a Janet Jackson moment, and Andy said she obviously wasn’t happy with the collaboration. Brandon said it was obvious there was a struggle, and a designer should quietly and poetically inject themselves into what they’re creating.

Everyone came back out, and Nina said Shantall was the winner, LuAnn’s gown being elegant, intelligent, and modern. Andy said it was elegant, sophisticated, and perfect for both LuAnn and the Reunion. Nina pointed out that was two in a row for Shantall, who said she was honored to be among such talented personalities. In Shantall’s interview, she said the win would help her be recognized as a designer, and would be an opportunity to make her brand grow. LuAnn told her that she was a great designer, and deserved it. Bones and Coral were declared in without fanfare. Nina said Chasity was in, however, she needed to push herself in the next challenge.

Elaine said it was painful to see the strongest designers up there. Nina said Kristina’s collaboration with Wendy didn’t go well, and the scarf was ill-conceived. Anna’s outfit for Gina was executed, and not appropriate for the Reunion. Anna was out, Bones’s prediction coming true, but Nina said she was still a huge fan of Anna’s work. She was sorry, but it was getting close, and the most painful part of the competition. Although she was crying, Anna said she appreciated their encouragement. Elaine said Anna would do incredible things, and in Anna’s interview, she said she was disappointed because she knew she could deliver more. She felt the competition helped her discover a part of herself she never had before. She said her goodbyes to the group, and Christian said she’d do unbelievable things. She made stunning, gorgeous clothes. In her interview, Anna said, Asian Americans were conservative and held themselves back a lot, and the competition had allowed her to show herself off. She was excited to see what she was going to do in the future.

Next time, collaborations with up and coming stylists, the look inspired by the hairstyle of the model; and Aaron wonders what he needs to do to win.

🚉 Next Stop…

Set a spell tomorrow for some soap, tea, and a knowledge drop or two. Until then, stay safe, stay cultivating common sense, and stay out of the spotlight if you’re on the lam.

Dec17

December 16, 2021 – Stella Meets With Marshall In Secret, Unconventional Cocktail Material On the Runway & Fairytale

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook can’t open the door to the steam room, and tells Chase that she thinks they’re stuck in there. He says, it’s probably just jammed, and tries it himself, but nothing. He says, it’s stuck, and she says, nice mansplaining, Sherlock. He says, it probably just needs some force, and pushes his shoulder against it, but she says, she’s no weakling. It feels like something is blocking it. He says, then he just has to keep pushing, and throws his shoulder into it, but it still won’t open. His towel slips to the floor.

Finn runs into the hospital, and sees Elizabeth. She says she didn’t think he was on until this afternoon, and he says he’s not, but he wanted to see her. She says she wanted to see him too. She’s been doing a lot of thinking about them. He says, so has he. Maybe it’s time to stop dancing around, and just acknowledge it.

Portia spies Stella at the MetroCourt, and says, it’s nice to see her. Stella is somewhere else, and Portia says, Stella? Stella apologizes, saying she had something on her mind. Have a seat. Portia sits, and says, whatever was on Stella’s mind must have been pretty important. Stella says Portia has no idea.

TJ punches the heavy bag, and Curtis comes in and says, nice. Remember to keep his other hand up. (I always have to remember that too.) Marshall comes out from the other side of the bag, and says, that’s what he keeps telling TJ.

Alexis says, honestly, she has no idea why Harmony even wants to be friends with her. All she does is dump her emotional baggage on Harmony. Doesn’t she have something she wants to complain about? Harmony says, don’t worry about her. There’s not much going on in her life, but she gets the feeling that’s not the case with Alexis, so dump away. She’s there to listen if Alexis needs her.

Olivia dashes into the MetroCourt, and thanks Carly for rescheduling their meeting. It’s impossible to get a doctor’s appointment during the holidays. Thank God the pediatric neurologist was able to reschedule Leo and put him in before New Year’s. Ned is taking Leo over to GH, and she’s going to meet them later. Carly asks if Olivia is okay, and Olivia says she’ll keep Carly posted; she’s a little nervous. Carly says she’s going to the hospital to see Sasha. They can go together. Olivia says she’d really appreciate that, but in the meantime, she needs a distraction. What’s going on with Carly? Nina’s pre-trial hearing is coming up, and she bets Carly can’t wait to see that woman go down for what she did to Sonny.

Sonny and Nina lock eyes at the hospital reception desk.

Brando asks Sasha if she’s ready to go to the NICU, so they can… She says, can what? Say goodbye to their son? No. She’s sorry, but she just can’t do that. Not now. Not ever.

Chase covers himself with his hands, and Brook says, good morning to you too, Detective Chase. He asks if she minds turning around, but she says, oh please. Aren’t they better off now that she’s seen… everything. He’s the one who told the entire world that they had a one-nighter. He says he doesn’t think anyone is going to quiz her on it, and picks up his towel. She says he’s never been to a bottomless brunch with Olivia. He asks if she’ll please use her phone to call someone to get them out of there, but she says her phone is in her purse. Her purse is outside.

Elizabeth says, she and Finn had that kiss in his office, and he says he was so surprised, he couldn’t find his words. She says she did kind of run out like her hair was on fire, and he says, that’s true. He figured she wanted her space. Instead of thinking he knew what she wanted, he should have just asked. So what does she want?

Carly tells Olivia, she can’t see that woman without wanting to throttle her. She’s losing her mind. She’s having dreams about pummeling Nina over and over again. Olivia says, sometimes dreams really do come true.

Gladys runs to Sonny, hugging him, and thanks him for coming. Nina asks if there’s been any word about the baby, and Gladys says, there has, although she doesn’t know why Nina is entitled to it after all she’s done. Sonny says, Nina’s here for Sasha; they don’t need to hash all that out right now. Gladys supposes he’s right, and Sonny asks if Brando talked to her about the baby’s condition. She says, he said something about the baby being without oxygen for so long… and that because of that… her grandbaby… She starts to cry and puts her arms around Sonny. He holds her, and says, it’s all right.

Brando says he knows how Sasha feels; he doesn’t want to say goodbye to Liam either. She says, then don’t. As long as he’s still breathing, even with those machines, he’s still with them. Their son is alive. He says, is he really though? He’s not sure if Liam’s life would be truly living. She says, his heart is beating; that means he’s alive. Maybe it’s different for Brando. He’s got plenty of family and it’s growing by the day, but Liam is her only flesh and blood. He is her baby. Brando says, Liam is his baby too, and he’s only thinking about Liam. They both want Liam here with them. They want to love him, and hold him tight, but they have to think about what’s best for their son. She says, no, and he says, what kind of life can he have… but she’s out the door, closing it behind her.

Curtis asks what Marshall is doing here, and Marshall says, there’s no need for a showdown; he’ll go. TJ says, wait, and tells Curtis that he invited Marshall there. Curtis says he asked Marshall to leave his family alone, and Marshall asks if it’s not TJ’s choice. He’s TJ’s grandfather, and TJ wants to get to know him. He’s just trying to make up for lost time. Curtis says, you can’t reclaim lost time, by definition. It’s over; it’s gone. Now he can make himself useful by being straight with Curtis for a change. How about that? Why doesn’t he tell them why he let them believe he was dead, and where the hell has he been for the last forty years?

Chase yells that they’re stuck in the steam room, but tells Brook, it’s no use. He can’t believe she left her phone outside. She says she’s not exactly thrilled herself, even with his little striptease. He says he’s dressed appropriately for a men’s steam room. She barged in here fully clothed. A steam room is a lot more tolerable if she wasn’t fully clothed. She asks if he’s suggesting she strip down, and he says they’d be on an even playing field. She says, he’d like that, wouldn’t he? Speaking of being on an even playing field, he blew this whole thing up. She was handling her business side of keeping Bailey safe before he involved whatever kinky fantasy he had about her. He says, it’s like whiplash talking to her. One second, she’s grateful for him keeping her secret from Valentin, and the next, she’s dragging him for doing it. She says, the only thing being dragged is her name through the mud. He says, who cares? She needed someone to help her, and he did it. Why does it matter what people think about the way things went down between them? She says, because, this lie gives everyone permission to believe every horrible thing they’ve thought about her is true.

Alexis tells Harmony, here’s the thing. Everybody wanted her to plead out, but she insisted on taking her lumps and doing penance. Then she was given a shortcut and she took it. Everyone thinks she should be grateful, but the truth is… Harmony says, she’s not, and she can’t, because she feels like redemption was unearned.

Portia asks how Stella is doing, and Stella says she thinks she’s doing fine. Some things are still fuzzy, but she’s been practicing self-care and doing her best to stay calm. Portia says, good. Curtis didn’t even tell her that Stella was in town. Stella says she’s not surprised. Curtis has so much on his plate these days. And not just The Savoy. Portia says, so Stella knows Marshall is alive and in town.

TJ suggests they go somewhere and talk things out, but Curtis says he’s done talking. It’s Marshall’s turn to talk now. Marshall asks what he can say that would justify him walking away from his family? Curtis already said there’s no way he can bring back lost time. He knows Curtis wants answers, but there’s no excuse. No excuse for him not being there when Curtis was growing up. Curtis says, at least they agree on something, and Marshall says, great. Let’s start there. They agree, the past can never be made right, but they can focus on rebuilding the future together instead, can’t they?

Brando comes out, and Gladys hugs him. He says, they still need to decide what’s best for Liam. He was trying to talk to Sasha, and she just walked out. She’s probably in the NICU. He didn’t know if he should go after her. He knows she needs time, but she probably shouldn’t be alone. Sonny tells Brando to stay with his mom; he’ll go keep an eye on Sasha. Brando asks if Sonny doesn’t mind, and Sonny says, she shouldn’t be alone. Brando thanks him, and Sonny leaves. Gladys hugs Brando again, and he says, Sasha doesn’t know what to do with Liam either. He thought he knew, but he’s questioning what the right thing to do is himself. He starts to cry, and Gladys holds him.

In the NICU, Sasha says, Liam knows her. He knows her scent; he knows her touch. She cradled him nearly the entire time he was in her belly. She cries, and says she knows that he could feel her then, and believes he can feel her now too. He has to know that mommy is here with him, and his tiny, little heart. He has to know that he’s not alone in the world. Mommy’s here. She reaches in to touch Liam, when Sonny comes in. He says he wondered if she wanted some company, and she says, that depends. Is he there to tell her that she’s being selfish for not wanting to let her baby die? He tells her that he would never say that. He knows how difficult it is to lose someone, someone you love. He understands if she wants him to get lost, but he thought she might want someone to be with her. He joins her at the incubator, and says, he really is beautiful. She says she hopes he knows she’s here, and Sonny says he’s sure he does; love’s powerful. He saw that in the last days of his dad’s life. His dad didn’t go through what Liam’s going through. As a matter-of-fact, he just wanted to say that naming him Liam Mike is great; his father would have loved that. She says, it’s become a real family name, hasn’t it? and he laughs. He says he had a complicated relationship with his father. He was very grateful that the last couple years, they reconnected. They had a great time, and it meant the world to them, but that illness was going to prevail at the end. Mike accepted it before Sonny did; before he could. She says, at least Sonny had that time with him. Her baby hasn’t even opened his eyes and looked at her. He hasn’t seen her smile at him, or felt her hold him in her arms. She just prays he recognizes her voice when she tells him that she’s here and she loves him. She doesn’t want to accept this. It’s not fair. Other people get miracles; why can’t he get one? Sonny says, he felt the same way about his dad. He wanted any way out; a miracle, a cure. And when he knew there wasn’t going to be one, he had to make the decision, put him on a feeding tube, or let him go. It was a decision he couldn’t make, that he couldn’t bring himself to do, because he’d just gotten back together with him, and it felt like he was giving up on him. She asks how he decided, and he says, he asked himself a question. Is prolonging his dad’s life the best thing for him, or is he just afraid to have to deal with the pain? He puts his arm around her.

Gladys says she understands Sasha is in pain, but Brando is too. Sasha shouldn’t attack him. He says, Sasha’s not attacking him, and Gladys says, Dr. Fleming is looking for him. If they’ve decided to keep the baby on a ventilator, they need to find an appropriate facility. Sasha needs to be on this. She walks off, and Brando calls to her to give Sasha a minute. Nina says, let her go. His mom is hurting too; this is the way she’s coping. Nina suggests they sit, and tells him, Sonny is with Sasha, and he’s not going to let Gladys upset her. Brando says, Sasha thinks it’s easier for him to let go, because he has family and she doesn’t. Maybe she’s right not to give up hope. Look at Nina. She was in long-term care and she’s thriving now. Maybe Liam can have a life after all, like her.

Carly tells Olivia, it’s a lovely dream, but it’s one she’s going to have to let go of, because she wants to honor Sonny’s wishes, and not escalate things. She’s hoping the court will deal with Nina. Olivia laughs, and Carly says, what? Olivia says she’s sorry, but it’s not in Carly’s nature. Compartmentalizing is in Sonny’s nature. That’s why the man can go to mass on Sunday and still does… whatever he does for a living. For better or worse, that’s not Carly. She takes action. She says whatever is on her mind, and doesn’t bottle things up. Carly flashes back to being with Jason after the wedding, and telling him that she’s in love with him. Olivia asks how long Carly thinks she can keep this up, and Carly says she doesn’t know, and she doesn’t have a choice, but she’s gotten a lot better at pushing down her feelings for the good of everyone.

Chase asks if Brook isn’t being hard on herself, and she asks if he thinks she doesn’t know what people think about her. She hates how easy it is for people to believe the worst of her; it isn’t fair, especially since she’s actually someone who gives a damn. She’s trying to do good in the world, but it doesn’t come as naturally as it does for someone like him.

Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s not going to pretend the kiss didn’t mean something to her, but it’s complicated for her. It’s been almost a year since Franco died. She knows there’s no timetable for grief, but if she’s going to start dating again, maybe she should be doing it casually. He says, is that what she wants? and she tells him, she’s just saying, if they were to take that next step, it couldn’t be casual. He’s too good of a friend, one she’s come to depend on in the past year. He’s helped her fight her worst instincts; he’s her closest confidant. He’s become her family to her boys. If they were together, it would inherently be something serious. He asks, what would be so bad about that? Neither one of them is expecting a lifetime commitment right now, but he’s not looking for something frivolous either. He doesn’t want that, and has Violet to think about. She’s already over the moon about the two of them. He needs to very carefully manage her expectations going forward. Elizabeth says, Violet’s not the only one confused. She hasn’t even taken off her wedding ring. Finn says, she’s right; it’s too soon. Forgive him if he pressured her. If she’s not ready, it’s okay. Things don’t have to change between them. She says, but she wants to be ready. She’s grown to care a lot about him.

Curtis says, Marshall had the right idea before; he should leave. TJ says, come on, but Marshall says, it’s fine, and thanks TJ for the invitation. He’ll see them around. He leaves, and TJ punches the bag hard. He says, Curtis knows that wasn’t his place, right? He knows Curtis might not want to know the guy, but he does. Curtis says, he’s been in this game a lot longer than TJ, and needs TJ to hear him. He needs TJ to stay away from Marshall; keep his distance until he checks Marshall out. If he finds out Marshall is no danger, he’ll stay out of TJ’s way. TJ says, all right, but what if Curtis finds out something troubling? Curtis says, then he’ll be damned if he lets Marshall hurt his family again.

Stella tells Portia, she stopped by the club last night to see Curtis, and who should show up but Marshall. Portia asks if she’s okay. Seeing Marshall alive must have brought up some painful memories. Stella says, it does, but she doesn’t want to keep Portia. Portia says, she’s not. She had a breakfast consult, but it’s over. She can stay longer if Stella wants to talk. Stella says she knows Portia is needed at the hospital, and she’s truly fine. Go ahead. Portia tells her to take care, and leaves. Stella picks up her phone.

Alexis says she knows Harmony knows, and Harmony says she does. She took a deal too, remember? She told herself it was for the right reasons, to look out for Wiley and Willow, but it was just an excuse. Even now, she feels like her purification cycle is incomplete. Alexis says, and everyone thinks they’re nuts. Harmony says, she doesn’t, and Alexis says she’s going home and making lunch. If Harmony would like to join her, she has an enclosed porch. The rest of her house is commandeered by Molly and TJ in the living room, and Kristina in the… She forgot Kristina was one of Harmony’s DoD victims. Harmony says, and the reason she was in prison in the first place.

Sonny tells Sasha that he thought he was motivated by love. He was so wrapped in his own pain, he forgot his dad had pain. He wanted to go, and hung on for Sonny. It was up to him to give his dad the permission to go, and he loved his dad too much to leave him that way. She says, so he let love decide? He says he can’t tell her what to do. He made peace with that decision a long time ago, and believes it was the right one, but he’s not 100% sure; not in this life at least. Gladys comes in, and tells Sasha that Dr. Fleming is looking for her and Brando. Sasha says, she wants them to make a decision, doesn’t she? and Gladys says, arrangements have to be made if they’re putting Liam in a facility, or… Sonny whispers to Sasha that whatever she and Brando decide, they’ve got them, and Sasha cries. She says she has to find Brando, and tells Sonny to take care. She leaves, and Sonny comes out. Gladys says, he’s wrong, and Sonny says, about what? She says, she knows he made the right decision about Mike. Sonny did right by him. Never forget that. He thanks her, and she asks if it would kill him to give her some privacy. He leaves, and she looks at Liam. She blesses herself, and prays.

Olivia says she’ll take Carly’s word for it. If Carly thinks she can keep bottling these feelings up, more power to her, but just know that trying to push all these feelings down is liable to make someone crack. Carly says she can bide her time until Nina is brought to justice, as long as Nina stays away from her family.

Nina says, what Brando and Sasha are facing is unimaginable. Of course (🍷) they’re looking for anything and everything to bring a little bit of hope. She’s sorry she’s not it. Her situation was different from what their little Liam is facing. She was able to breathe on her own. That’s a lot different than having a machine breathe for you. She doesn’t think the doctors would mislead them on Liam’s condition and prognosis. They want to give him a happy ending as much as he wants to hear one, if they could have found a way to give it to him. He says he wishes they could, and she says, her too. Now it’s time for him and Sasha to come together. They have a big decision ahead of them. She wants him to scream, cry, maybe even pray that they make that decision together. And whatever decision they make, they’ll all be there for them, every step of the way. They hug, and Sonny watches.

Elizabeth says, the way she feels about Finn scares her. What if things don’t work out? She’s terrified of losing him. He says he’s not going anywhere. She’s not getting rid of him that easy. She laughs, and he says, in case it’s not clear, he feels the same way; he really cares about her. No matter how this winds up, his world is so much better for having her in it. She says, hers too.

Brook tells Chase, here she is, trying to protect her family’s legacy, and all she’s getting is shame and grief. And it’s so much more than that now. She has to protect Bailey. Nothing is more important than that, so she’ll just keep on taking the insults and bearing them. Chase says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he recognizes her sacrifice. Doing the right thing when it costs you is a very brave thing. But the only reason he stepped up when he figured it out was because he saw what she was about. He believed in her, and he sees her. She says, he does, doesn’t he? and they move closer. A worker opens the door and says, they were both trapped in there? The manager said no one was in there, so he pressed his floor buffer against the wall. Brook says, he should be more careful next time, and leaves. The man says he should warn Chase, the hot water’s out. He hopes Chase doesn’t mind cold showers. He leaves, and Chase says, no problem.

Elizabeth wonders, what’s next? when Finn’s phone beeps. He says, it’s an emergency; he’s needed upstairs. They get up, and he says he’s not going to press the issue, not until she’s ready. But if and when she is, if she wants to see where this could go, so does he. He leaves, and she smiles.  

Alexis says she may have gotten a little ahead of herself. It would be inappropriate for her to invite Harmony to her house. Harmony says she doesn’t need to explain; it’s fine. Maybe some friendships in prison are meant to stay there. Alexis says she’s sorry, and Harmony says, her too. She tells Alexis, have a good life and take care of yourself, and she leaves.

Portia comes out of the hospital elevator, and she asks what Curtis is doing there. He says he just dropped TJ off, and thought he’d come and see her. She says she’s glad he did. She saw Stella at the MetroCourt, and they talked about Marshall. She made like she was okay, but Portia had the feeling she was a bit shaken up about everything. He says, yeah. He ran into Marshall with TJ today. She asks if he had any luck getting answers out of him, but he says, no, but he was right about one thing. There’s nothing Marshall could ever say that could excuse him for letting them believe he was dead this whole time.

Marshall goes into the Bistro, where Stella is at a table. He says he got her message, and she says, it’s just the two of them now. Let’s put all the cards on the table, shall we?

Brando asks if Sonny saw Sasha, and Sonny says, she’s in her room; she’s looking for him. Brando thanks Nina and leaves, and Nina asks how Sasha is. He says, as well as can be expected, and she asks how Sonny is. He says, it just hits home. It reminds him of when he said goodbye to his father, Mike. He doesn’t know if he told her, but before he ended up in Nixon Falls, he was dying in the woods. He saw his father; he saved Sonny’s life. She says, he probably knew Sonny had to be there for his family right now, and Sonny says, or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence he ended up in Nixon Falls and his name was Mike, and he was a lot like him. He smiles and says, my dad.   

Brando looks for Sasha in her room, and she comes in from the hallway. He takes her hands, and says he’s been doing some thinking. He says so has he, and she starts to cry. He holds her.

Nina says when she and Sonny went back home to Port Charles, he said the man he was in Nixon Falls wasn’t real. He was; he is. They’re one and he same. Both Mike and Sonny are men that his dad would be very, very proud of. Carly and Olivia walk in, and see them. A lot of soap faces all around.

Tomorrow, Portia asks Curtis if it would really be so terrible, Sam says she brought someone along, Nina asks Olivia if that’s a threat, and Sasha wonders, what if she doesn’t do the right thing?

Project Runway

I’ve realized that I enjoy watching other people do things I don’t enjoy doing, like sewing and cooking. Those who can’t do, watch.

Anna was feeling the loss of Octavio aka Daddy, but to give them all a break, Christian fronted them a bottle of mimosas at the bar next door. In Prajje’s interview, he said he didn’t feel good about it. Christian didn’t just invite you out for drinks. Brandon and Christian met them at the bar, and Brandon said fashion and cocktails had a long history. Cocktail dresses were invented when laws were changed to allow women to drink publicly. Later, the cocktail dress was a woman’s go-to garment when she wanted to be less formal, and free to have fun. The challenge was to make a cocktail dress for the modern woman using anything they could find in the cocktail bar. It was the unconventional material challenge. In Chasity’s interview, she said it was her favorite challenge, and she’d made things out of weird stuff before. Brandon said it should be technically exciting, but please just watch the hot glue gun. It was a two-day challenge with no trip to Mood. They had twenty minutes to strip the bar. They included the champagne bottles in their grab.

Bones wore a babushka as he worked. This doesn’t really factor into anything, I just wanted to write babushka. Christian called it his Edith Beale look. Anna got weepy, but Prajje told her that Octavio would want her to be working. Coral had a billion straws, then noticed so did everyone else. Anna was doing something with tin foil, but when Christian made his rounds, he told her that she was in her head. It would look like a tin foil dress, when the whole point was to be unconventional. Working with unconventional material also required unconventional tools, like lighters and hammers. And gallons of spray paint. Outside, fireworks happened, but I’m not sure why. The designers had a phenomenal view from the street.

The guest judge was Christopher John Rogers, who Nina described as the go-to designer for influential women like Lady Gaga and Kamala Harris. Elaine said, everyone was good at this point, and it was going to get really real. Everything was quite impressive, especially to someone who thinks hemming pants is an achievement – i.e. me. Shantall had used mostly black straws, and Brandon’s mouth fell open when he saw the dress. I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Among Anna’s finds were plastic bags and an exit sign, and she went with a silhouette that reflected her Asian roots. Bones had used a beaded curtain and broken glass for his creation, and Coral used a bar mat and trash bags. Chasity’s dress contained coffee filters, bottle caps, and napkins (I was surprised everyone didn’t go for linens first), and Aaron used a table cloth, straws, and parchment for a cape. Prajje focused on coffee filters and doilies, making his own lace, and Kristina made sequins by melting plastic containers, and used a bar mat as the base of the dress.   

Aaron blew the judges away, Nina saying, she loved the geometry of his design. Elaine said it was extra in all the right ways. On the low end was Chasity, who’s construction was poor; pieces had actually fallen off. Nina said, too much of a glue gun did her in. Anna also scored low, Christopher saying, graphics could be good, but she was all over the place. She needed to be more intentional. Shantall was another favorite. Brandon said using all straws showed she had no fear. It should have gone wrong, but didn’t. Elaine said, this was what the competition was about; to find people like her. She was impressed. Nina said Shantall had confidence in her vison, and her design was edited and precise, the mark of a good designer. One of their least favorites was Prajje, although Brandon said he responded to the lightness and happiness. Fit was an issue, however, and he thought the problem was the use of pleather underneath. Elaine said the fit wasn’t flattering, and Nina said the model was drowning in doilies. Another high scorer was Kristina. Christopher said her dress looked expensive, Nina said she could feel the confidence of the design, and Elaine said it was a fresh take.

The judges deliberated, and Elaine said Shantall was a clear frontrunner. Nina said Kristina’s design was modern and creative, and Brandon said Aaron’s dress didn’t look like it was made from stirrers; the skirt looked like sequins.  In discussing who would be out, Elaine said Chasity’s dress flattered the model, which was more than she could say for Prajje; it looked like a paper bag. She thought Anna’s piece was too gimmicky, but Nina said Anna was the only designer who created a print, and she’d gone back to her roots with the silhouette. Christopher said, it was convoluted, and Brandon said, all three of them were chaotic.

The high/low designers were brought out again, and Shantall was declared the big winner. In her interview, she said she’d been out of the competition she’d put all her effort and soul in. She’d been given a chance to start over, and felt so proud of herself. The three low scorers were told they hadn’t managed their time well, and it showed in the work. Still, they were all tremendously talented, and this was hard. Anna’s message was unclear, Prajje’s model was overwhelmed by doilies, and Chasity’s look was too crafty. Ultimately, Prajje was out. Brandon said he was incredibly talented, and it had been a challenging moment, but use it to move forward. Through his tears, Prajje thanked them for the experience. He was going home with pride. Elaine said his journey wasn’t ending, and it was only up from there. I’ll miss his costumes. Christian told the group, it gets harder; they were all good. Prajje was a great designer and artist, and he’d brought color to the workroom. He was an inspiration. In his interview, Prajje said it was a platform where he could represent his country. The stories didn’t always get to be told, but don’t let misery be a reason to be stuck. Push yourself to be better, and you could be somebody. He was coming out of this a greater someone.

Next time, a real client challenge; the designers will have to create a dress for a Real Housewife for the Ultimate Reunion show; and Andy Cohen is the guest judge.

🎅🏽 Be Good For Goodness Sake…

Calling it an early night, but drop by tomorrow for soap, tea spillage, and words to live by. Until then, stay safe, stay saying what you mean and meaning what you say, and stay doing the right thing, even if it costs you. It’s also the brave thing.

Oct28

October 27, 2021 – Nikolas Asks Alexis What Her Price Is, Andy Puts Erika On a Skewer, Why Am I Watching This Trash & Shock

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

TJ and Curtis spar at the gym, and Curtis asks TJ what he’s got. Usually he has to work twice as hard to get a hit in. They stop, and TJ says, sorry. His head isn’t in it. He’s been thinking a lot about that patient he lost.

Portia is walking past Kelly’s, and literally runs into Marshall.

Michael says good morning to Willow, and tells her, it’s renegotiation time for the broadcast station; it always goes down to the wire. What’s her day looking like? She says, same old, same old. Nothing as important or powerful as his. He says she was pretty quiet last night. She didn’t say a word before they went to bed. She says she has a lot on her mind, and he asks if it has anything to do with what happened to Nina.

At the MetroCourt, Ava hugs Nina, saying, that was fast. An overnight extradition to Pennsylvania, and Nina is back, looking no worse for the wear. Nina says, looks can be deceiving; she’s exhausted. Ava says, gutsy move, showing her face there, and Nina says, she can’t very well stay away from her own business. She thought she’d just get a quick caffeine fix, and go to her office to see how many fires her arrest caused. Ava says she’s surprised Scotty’s strategy worked, and they let her leave the state. Although she did tell Nina that he can be fiendishly clever. Nina says she’s impressed too. All she had to do was give them her passport. Ava says, sounds like she got off pretty easy, but Nina says, far from it.

Sonny gives Avery a stack of cinnamon pancakes, and tells her not to put too much syrup on them. Kristina is taking her trick or treating tonight; she’s going to get a sugar rush. Know what he means? Can he get a little sugar rush? She hugs him, and he laughs. Carly says, this is just perfect. She’ll never take moments like this for granted again.

Spencer is reading For Whom the Bell Tolls at Kelly’s, when someone clears their throat, and he says, be right with you, not looking up. Molly says, is that any way to talk to a customer? Can they get some service, or is she going to have to speak to a manager? He runs around the counter and hugs her, saying, it’s good to see her. Shawn stands there looking… I dunno… Like he’s studying this.

Nikolas visits Alexis at Spring Ridge, but when he moves to hug her, she steps back. He asks if everything is all right, and she says she needs to talk to him. They sit down, and he says he has some news for her too, but she can go first. What’s this about? She says, Hayden Barnes.

At the MetroCourt, Josslyn thanks Jax for breakfast. She hates to eat and run, but she’s meeting Trina at Kelly’s for a study session. He asks if they don’t live together, and since when did Kelly’s become a study hall? Oh, that’s right. Cameron works there. She says, please. A ton of people study at Kelly’s, and change is good. They both have a very big exam next week. He says, getting an early start, huh? And he does mean early. She asks if he’s forgotten what Halloween is like in college. They need their evenings free. He says, has she forgotten he went to college in Australia, and Halloween was considered an American influence their country was trying to battle? She says, yet here he is, a venture capitalist, having drip coffee with his American daughter. So she wonders who won that battle. He says, touché. He’s glad that she’s not letting this thing with her mom and Sonny get to her, especially after everything that went down last night. She says she learned to compartmentalize early. She wasn’t going to bring it up, but since he did, how is he doing with everything? She thinks Nina got what she deserved, but still, watching her be arrested last night must be hard on him.

Ava asks if Nina has heard anything more from the Corinthos clan. She can’t believe Sonny stood by, and let Michael do that to her. She’s tempted to go and tell him what he can do with his offer for Charlie’s. Nina says, that’s not necessary, but she appreciates the support. Let Sonny buy Charlie’s. She has no choice but to let things play out. Ava says, so much for their hope that Nina and Sonny could co-exist in peace.

Willow tells Michael, having Nina extradited to Pennsylvania is part of it, but mostly it’s about their breakdown in communication. He says, that’s a pretty big statement, and she says she thought they had a good talk the other night about Nina. She went away thinking they were on the same page, but clearly, they’re not. He says they agreed not to do anything about Nina and Wiley while tensions were high, but he didn’t. She says he convinced the DA of Lantano County to have Nina arrested, and he says he’s confused. Didn’t she agree that what Nina did was wrong? She says she did, 100%, especially after he told her about the confusion it caused for Avery and Donna. She’s not opposed to pursuing legal action against Nina. If that’s what the family decides, she supports it. He says, so what’s the problem? and she says, the problem is, he wasn’t honest with her.

Marshall says he’s sorry if he startled Portia. He’s just as bad as those kids who walk and text, or tweet; he’s sorry. She says, that’s quite all right. She supposes she’s a little jumpy; the spirit of the holiday. She asks if that’s a map he has, and he says, it is. He probably looks like one of those throwback tourists. Maybe he could pretend this is his costume, like she said, in the spirit of the holiday. She laughs, and asks if he’s from out of town, and he says, just checking up on family. He was looking for the Chuck. Is it nearby? She says, it is, but she happens to know it’s closed today; she’s a member. Is he an art lover? He says he is. In fact, he appreciates all forms of art. He just read about a relatively new music venue, it’s called… The Savoy. Does she know it?

Curtis says, he’s sorry TJ lost a patient. That’s got to be hard. TJ says he’s talking about that guy who vanished from the exam room the other night. He asked around the hospital, and the volunteer meeting the guy said he was there for wasn’t real. He thinks he freaked the guy out when he asked for identification. Curtis says, there could be a number of reasons why he took off. Hell, he could have been undocumented. Or maybe he was just trying to get a prescription for some drugs. TJ says he thought about that, but it wasn’t the vibe he got. Something about that encounter felt almost personal. Curtis says that’s because TJ is an empathetic doctor; it’s his superpower. On the positive side, TJ gets two days off. Just let it go. Correct him if he’s wrong, but two days in a row is like luxury for a first year intern, right? TJ says, it definitely is. He plans to live his best life. As a matter-of-fact, what is Curtis doing tonight… and tomorrow? Curtis says, TJ is off, he’s not, but forget about him. What about Molly? He’s sure Molly would appreciate seeing more of TJ now that he has time off. TJ says, Molly’s fine. She’s catching up with Shawn right now. Curtis says, is that what all this was about?

Spencer says, it’s been too long, and Molly says, he’s the one who’s been in town for months, and didn’t bother reaching out to his cousin. Spencer says, they have this new thing called texting, and it works both ways. She says, true. She’s been super busy. From what she’s heard, he has too, and they’ll leave it at that. She asks if he remembers Shawn, and Spencer says, of course (🍷), of course (🍷), and shakes Shawn’s hand. Shawn says, look at Spencer, all grown up. A working man, he sees. Spencer says he’s come a long way from the son who could get his father to do anything for him. It’s been years since he’s seen Shawn. He’s been away; Shawn’s been away… They’re both back now, so that’s good. Molly says, from what she’s heard, he should be focused on his own legal issues, and Spencer says, right. She’s at the DA’s office. She says she’s had to recuse herself from his case. He says, no hard feelings. Duty calls. Grab a seat, and he’ll be right over.

Nikolas says he knows Alexis and Shawn were looking into what happened to Hayden, but he doesn’t know how Alexis thinks he can help. She says, they’re close, right? And despite the last few years, she’s hopeful that the Nikolas that she loves and that she trusts, and that she knows, is operating in there somewhere. So she needs Nikolas to tell her the truth. No lying. No dodging. Just be honest with her. He says, think long and hard before she goes any further with this, and she says, true or false? He hired the hitman who shot Hayden Barnes. He says he knew this is where she was going, especially after that tense moment with Shawn the other day. He hoped her was wrong, that it was all in his head, but here they are. He gets up, and she follows him. She says, that’s not a denial, and he says, it’s not an admission either. He’s insulted that she would think so little of him. She says, that’s even less of a denial. She’s known him since he was born. She knows him better than almost anybody. She said to herself, if she can look him in the eye, she’ll know if he’s telling her the truth. Please tell her that he did not allow a man to be locked up for six years of his life for a crime that he committed.

Molly says she hopes Shawn doesn’t mind that she roped him into breakfast. He says, not a bit. He barely sees her and TJ at home. He enjoys spending time with his daughter-in-law of sorts. Is that an okay term to use for domestic partners? She says, especially the in-law part, and he says, say it with pride, Assistant District Attorney. She says, it’s a far cry from writing romance novels, and he says, don’t knock it. Her lover man had chops. He guesses he can admit it now, but the notes she asked TJ for were actually suggestions from him. She says she didn’t know he read her manuscript early, and he says he volunteered to write articles for the armed forces newsletter. He was trying to help, but she didn’t need it. He thought they had a prodigy on their hands; a future bestselling author. She says, as much as she loved writing, she ended up finding a new way to express herself, trying to improve the justice system from the inside. But she’s not the only one with an appreciation for righteousness, is she? Is he looking to make a difference too?

Michael asks how he was dishonest, and Willow says, he agreed not to challenge Nina about visiting Wiley, because the whole time he knew he was going to get the Lantano DA to file criminal charges against her. He says, one thing has nothing to do with the other, and she rolls her eyes and starts to walk away. He says, the whole point of charging Nina with identity fraud was so it wouldn’t involve Wiley. It solely has to do with what she did to his father. She says, this is what she means by dishonesty. She’s sure he’s right about the legal tactic, but she’s also sure he didn’t let her in because he thought she wouldn’t approve. He didn’t ask her, or the rest of the family. He took it on himself to deal with Nina, and he handled it. He says, she’s right. He did.  

Sonny watches Avery pour syrup on her pancakes, and tells her, what did he say? She’s got a lot of candy ahead of her. She says, Mama Carly said she can’t have it until tomorrow. Carly says, that’s not true. She said Avery could have a piece for how old she is, so she gets six pieces. Avery says, but the Kit Kats always disappear. I feel her pain. Sonny says he knows where the Kit Kats go, and Carly says, Halloween is a magical night. Who knows where the Kit Kats go? It’s kind of like the socks in the laundry. Sonny and Carly go over to the sink, and Sonny says, Carly is in a good mood. She says, thanks to Michael, she doesn’t have to run into Nina at every turn.

Ava tells Nina that she accepted Sonny’s offer before his family had her arrested. She’ll be happy to take Nina’s counter-offer. Nina says, what’s done is done. Besides, she doesn’t want Ava turning the sale of Charlie’s into a battleground. If she wants to make amends to Phyllis, she can’t buy Phyllis’s forgiveness, can she? You cannot pay for absolution. Ava tells her to take it easy on herself, and remember there are plenty of people in this world who will give Nina hell for her mistakes, but she’s not one of them. She leaves, and Nina hears Jax call her name. She turns to see Jax with Josslyn.

Nina says she just came in for a quick cup of coffee, and Josslyn asks why she’s there. She was arrested last night, and extradited to Pennsylvania. Nina says, she was. She made bail, and was allowed to come home until the trial. Josslyn says, that’s it? Nina stole Sonny’s life for nine months, and took him away from his family. She’s finally arrested and didn’t even have to spend the night in jail. Jax asks if Josslyn doesn’t have some studying to do with Trina, and Josslyn says, and Nina shows up at her mother’s hotel, acting like nothing happened? Jax says, Josslyn, and she says, fine. She gets in the elevator, and Nina tells Jax that he doesn’t have to feel like he has to protect her from his daughter. Josslyn’s made it crystal clear how she feels about her. He says, she’s her mother’s daughter; what can he say? She says she can take it from Carly, but Josslyn broke her heart. He says he’s sorry, and she says they haven’t talked since the night of the fire, and they couldn’t really talk in the hearing room. He says he’s been keeping his distance, especially since he figured out she’s been keeping her true relationships with Mike – or Sonny – a secret. She says, Sonny is not the man she fell in love with. And he’s not the man who fell in love with her.

Willow says, it’s like Michael was honoring the letter of their conversation, but not the spirit. He says he realized he was doing that while she was saying it, and it wasn’t right. She says she’s not thrilled by his strategy, but she’ll admit it’s affective. The DA thinks he can win the case, and the fact is, Nina did commit the crime. If he’d told her from the start, she would have had his back, but he didn’t give her the chance. He made a preemptive decision and went around her. He tells her, everything she’s saying is valid, and he’s sorry. He thinks because of the last few relationships he’s been in, he’s more guarded than he realized. He should have told her, but at the same time, he stands by his actions. Nina needs to be held accountable. Not for anything to do with Wiley, but because of what she did to his family. Willow says she thought she was his family too.   

Portia tells Marshall, The Savoy is great. She feels a little responsible for it coming into being. The owner is a good friend. He says, really? He read that the owner never ran a club before; is that true? She says she doesn’t remember there being any profiles on Curtis when the club opened. Where did he read that? He says, somewhere online. Anyway, he’s just curious, what made him jump into the nightclub business? She says, he seems more interested in the owner than the venue, and he says he’s just a people person. She says, okay. It’s been nice speaking with him, but she has to get going. Enjoy his visit to Port Charles. He thanks her, and she moves on.

TJ says, it’s okay if Curtis can’t hang, and Curtis says, it’s not that. He’s noticed all the extra time they’ve been spending together, as much as he loves it, all started when Shawn was released, and came back to town. TJ doesn’t see what one has to do with the other, and Curtis says, for six years it’s been him, TJ, and TJ’s mother; they were a family. Now TJ’s biological father is in the picture, and he’s okay with that, but TJ doesn’t have to demonstrate that their relationship isn’t different. He’s not insecure in any way about TJ’s relationship with his father. He thinks it’s important, so he encourages that, and he knows he and TJ are rock solid. TJ says, always have been and always will be, and Curtis says, they’re family. Nothing is ever going to change that.  

Molly says Shawn has been staying with her and TJ at her mom’s for few months now. She always hears him talking to TJ about finding out what his next step in life should be, but when they talk, it’s non-stop news and current events and social justice issues. It’s clear he’s passionate about these things. Maybe there’s a path in the social sphere that he can explore. Somewhere he can bring awareness to the issues he cares about. He says, like what, a podcast? He has no idea how to pod or cast. He doubts his criminal record will support any bid for being a public official. At least not until he clears his name. She asks how that’s going, and he says he does have a new lead to follow, but it could send him down a bath that could cause a lot of trouble. She says, whatever he decides, she’s behind him. She trusts him.   

Nikolas tells Alexis, Shawn Butler is far from an innocent man. He showed up to kill Drew, the father of her granddaughter Scout. It’s only due to bad luck and bad aim that Drew wasn’t hit by Shawn. She says, the salient point is, Shawn didn’t shoot Hayden. A hitman or hitwoman did, but only Nikolas would know that, since he hired them? He had Hayden shot, didn’t he? He tells her, don’t. If she keeps pulling this thread, he’s going to make helping her impossible, especially since he’s secured her release.

Nikolas says he and the governor got quite close, ever since he dated the governor’s daughter. He thought he’d play his card at the right time, and the right time presented itself last night at a fundraiser they both attended. He spent most of the evening championing Alexis’s cause with him. She says, what a fortuitous coincidence. She doesn’t suppose it had anything to do with their conversation the other night. He says he reminded the governor of her role in exposing the corrupt Judge Carson, and he suggested the state show its appreciation by offering her a pardon. They sit again, and he says, it’s incredible, right? The governor plans to issue her a complete pardon for her attack on Detective Falconari, which is a little dicey for him, her stabbing a cop and all. But the governor is prepared to take the hit as a personal favor to him. Of course (🍷) if he has to fend off groundless charges and allegations, it can tarnish his reputation, and his political sway could disappear, along with her pardon.

Josslyn walks into Kelly’s, saying, she had to see for herself, and Spencer says, and smirk? She says, yes. Watching him work at Kelly’s is like watching the Lock Ness Monster play the tuba. He should wear it as his Halloween costume. Grandma Bobbie loves her employees to dress up for Halloween. He says she’s loving this, and she admits she is. He tells her, please enjoy his utter humiliation, but do it from across the room; he’s not in the mood. She says, there’s nothing to be humiliated about. As a matter-of-fact, she’s impressed. He’s not relying on his inheritance. He’s making money on his own, and that’s admirable. He says she realizes that all three of her parents are probably as rich as his, right? She says, which makes her incredibly fortunate, and she tries not to take that for granted. By the way, she never betrayed her parents trust, or used a good friend and lied to her. Or committed several crimes and wound up awaiting trial. Shawn, who’s been listening in, asks Molly to tell him more about Spencer’s legal difficulties.

Michael says, that came out wrong. He didn’t mean she wasn’t part of his family, because she is. The two of them, and Wiley are a family together. She says she gets it, but she doesn’t look at him, and he says, after their conversation about taking things slowly and that she’d be more comfortable with boundaries… They’re already living together, they’re sleeping together, they’re raising Wiley together, it’s hard to figure out where those boundaries are. She says he doesn’t have to explain, and he says, it’s hard to find the line between moving too slowly and moving too quickly when they’ve been in love for so long, and they finally get to be together. She takes his hand, and says she loves him too. He says, he’s glad to hear it because he’s clearly blowing it. He’s sorry for keeping her out of the decision making process. He guesses maybe on some level, he was trying to keep her in the clear. She says, what about him? and he says, he did what had to be done. And he always will to keep his loved ones safe. He hopes she understands.

Jax and Nina go to the bar, and order coffee. He says they have a chance to talk, but she says, they don’t really have much to say, do they? She’s in a no-win situation, and in order to respect Sonny’s wishes, she has to continue to lie about the nature of their relationship, even though she’s facing criminal charges. So if she can’t fix her legal problems, she’s just going to focus in on Crimson. That is, if she still has a job there. He says he’s not going to force her out, and she asks if he wants to rethink that. It’s bad optics having a convicted criminal at the helm. He says she can’t run Crimson from behind bars, that’s for sure, and it was a mistake to come back to Port Charles without consulting a lawyer first. They could have protected her, and maybe stopped things from escalating further. She says, there he goes again, trying to be her white knight. If this ordeal taught her anything, it taught her that Jax has to stop trying to save her. She’s a lost cause.

Ava comes into the former home of the beloved moss bowl 🎍, and Avery hugs her. Ava calls her Miss Sticky, and asks if she’s been eating her father’s pancakes. Avery says she was, but she thought she wasn’t staying with Ava until tomorrow. Ava says she thought right; she came by to talk to Avery’s daddy. Carly suggests Avery go upstairs and see what Donna is doing, and Avery runs out. Carly says, if this is about custody… but Ava says, no, and walks over to Sonny, giving him a manila envelope. She says it’s the closing papers. She had her lawyer look them over already, so just have his lawyer do the same, sign them, and Charlie’s is his. Carly says, that was fast, and Ava says, especially since there was a bidding war. Carly says she wasn’t aware of it, and Sonny says, things were kind of crazy last night. Ava says, right, with Nina. It must have slipped his mind. She thought he shared everything with Carly.

Portia arrives at the gym, and sees Curtis with TJ. She asks if someone forgot to invite her to the party. TJ’s not working? He says, he’s not playing hooky; he has two days off. She says, he scored. She’s on her way to a kickboxing class. Enjoy his days off while he has them. TJ says, while he has her, has she heard anything around the hospital about a patient of his who skipped out before he could grab their ID? She says, oh, one of those. She hasn’t heard anything, but she’ll let him know if she does.  Did he say or do anything fishy? Curtis says, TJ is taking it a little personally, and TJ says, maybe he is. The gentleman was so amiable, he can’t figure out why he would lie to him, and then ghost. They hit it off, and were talking about life, family. Curtis says, he’s going to find, working in a hospital, he’ll meet all kinds of people. TJ says he even asked questions about Curtis, and Portia says, wait. What did this patient of his look like?

Shawn asks Molly, Nikolas wouldn’t even post bail? He thought Nikolas adored Spencer, and vice versa. She says, a lot has happened since Shawn was around. Starting with Nikolas pretending to be dead for three years, and ending with him marrying Ava. Spencer feels Ava double-crossed him when he was trying to get justice for Nikolas, who, as it turned out, wasn’t actually dead. He says, that’s a damn shame, and she says, it’ll all work itself out. The funny thing is, all Spencer needs to do to make things right is apologize; like a real, sincere apology, where he holds himself accountable. Nikolas feels so guilty for staying away, he would be putty in Spencer’s hands. He says, that easy? and she says, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it would be a good start. Nikolas has that Cassadine ruthlessness, and a seemingly cold heart, but that heart melts when it comes to his son. Spencer has always been his Achilles heel.

Alexis tells Nikolas, so they have quid pro quo, huh? She and Shawn drop the investigation, and forget Nikolas initiated the a hit on Hayden, and he facilitates her pardon. Her silence buys her freedom. He says, he never said that, and she asks if he thinks she’d be tempted by this blanket attempt at extortion? He says he has no idea what she’s talking about, but for argument’s sake, he contends that everyone has a price. The question is, what’s hers?

Willow says, just because she and Michael aren’t on the same page right now, doesn’t change how she feels about him. She missed snuggling with him last night. He says, so did he, and she says, knowing how hard they fought to be together, and they already know they want to spend their lives together raising Wiley, maybe taking it slow made it messy. He says, he’ll go with confusing, but she says she’s not confused. One thing she knows for sure, she doesn’t want that division between the part of her life where he lets her in, and the part of his life he shields her from. That might work for some relationships, but she doesn’t want that for them. He says he doesn’t either. Other than their son, there’s nothing more important, and he’s going to spend every day proving it to her. Starting now.

Sonny says he’ll have Diane look it over, and Ava says, when the papers are signed and the money is wired, she’ll leave the keys with Kristina, and they’ll be done. She’d like to say goodbye to Avery before she leaves, and he says she knows the way. She goes upstairs, and Carly says, that was quick. She loves the way he does business. She hopes Phyllis takes him up on his offer, and stays there. She has to go to work, and says she loves him. He says he loves her too.

Jax tells Nina that he’s hanging up his armor. He didn’t do so well, trying to shield Nina from the truth about Nelle. But he can’t help but wonder if that didn’t set this whole thing in motion. She says he’s got to stop. Part of her making things right is is taking full ownership for her actions. He had nothing to do with her choices. They’re her responsibility, and she’s going to face the consequences. It’s the only way that she can move forward. He says, for that, he appreciates her, and she says, enough to respect her wishes? She’s talking about Carly. Is he planning on telling Carly the truth about her and Sonny?

Curtis tells Portia to enjoy her class. He’s going to check on his new sound system upgrade. She tells him to wait. She ran into someone on the way over here, and he was asking questions about Curtis too.

TJ goes to Kelly’s, and asks Molly where Shawn is. She says, he had someplace to be. She thought TJ was busy all day, and he says he was planning to be, but came to his senses. Instead of spending his precious time boxing with Curtis, he could spend it with his beautiful partner. They kiss, and Marshall looks through the window. Spencer tells Josslyn, on the bright side, he’s learned how to make Kelly’s famous hot cocoa, and she says, yum, giving him an A+ for it. He gives her a check, and she asks if he can leave her tab open. She’s meeting Trina there for a study session. He asks if she wouldn’t mind studying at the Bistro. He doesn’t want Trina to see him like this. She says, she’ll take Trina someplace else for today, and today only, because he has nothing to be embarrassed about. To work is a good thing; it’s an admirable thing. When she sees Cameron doing his shifts there, it not only makes him hotter, it makes her feel prouder of him. He says, that’s a horrible pep talk, and she says, there’s always the easiest solution. He says, pray tell, enlighten him, and she says, he can get over himself, and make things right with his father. Keep the change.    

Nikolas tells Alexis that she doesn’t have to give him an answer now. Just think it over; the benefits, the consequences. Shawn comes in, and Nikolas says he’ll let them get caught up. He leaves, and Shawn asks, what happened? Did Nikolas say anything they can use against him?

Michael says he’s finished talking himself out of this, and Willow says, out of what? He gets down on one knee, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, what does it look like he’s doing? He’s asking her to marry him.

Nina walks Jax to the elevator, and says she’s not the only one who’s been rethinking her life. He needs to focus on something other than her and Carly, which means staying out of the war zone. Carly won’t hear the truth Nina has been keeping from her. Not from him. He gets in the elevator, and Nina turns around, coming face-to-face with Carly.

Sonny’s phone rings, and the operator says Sonny has a collect call from Flatlands Federal Prison inmate Cyrus Renault. Will he accept the charges?

Tomorrow, Curtis tells Portia that it would be a mistake to ignore that feeling, Spencer asks if Nikolas is at Kelly’s to gloat, Nina tells Carly that Sonny was better off in Nixon Falls, and Sonny asks Cyrus what he wants. I guess he accepts the charges.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – The Reunion – Part Three

Kathy over doing the show, and Andy wondered if they would have felt differently had they seen it. Kathy burst into tears over her mother not being there anymore, and Kyle told her it was okay to cry and hugged her. Andy asked if Kyle regretted doing the show, but she said she didn’t do anything wrong; it was a love letter to her mom. She felt bad that her sisters thought it was something it wasn’t, and if they’d just watched it they would have seen that. She’d never do anything to shame her mother. Andy asked who called who first, and Kyle said it was the kids. They’d been bummed that holidays weren’t the same, and eventually, she and Kathy realized they had to do something. Andy asked if they’d hashed out their issues; he got the sense they still hadn’t worked it out. Kathy said he was their psychiatrist. I wondered if they were desperate. Kyle said it had been poorly handled on both their parts, but it was all good now. Andy asked if the show had brought them together, and Kyle said they’d been speaking already, but Kathy had never done things like a girls trip, and it was fun seeing her do them for the first time. He asked who The Lady was, referring to someone who works for Kathy, and we found out her name is Paula. We also saw a clip of Paula serving Kyle and Kathy on TV trays. In another bombshell, Kathy said she, Rick, and the kids ate off of TV trays every night. We flashed back to when Garcelle had forgotten her sister Carol’s name (Garcelle is one of seven kids), and she said, something had happened, and they had let it fester. Andy wondered if it was Freudian, which I guess was the psychiatrist in him coming out. Kathy had been voted favorite Richards sister on Watch What Happens Live, and Andy asked if Kyle was jealous, but even Kyle isn’t that stupid. Andy asked if Kathy had gotten any advice before coming on the show, and Kathy said Kim told her, just don’t lose your temper. He asked how Kyle’s relationship with Kim was now, and Kyle said she now had Kim’s current phone number, and they were good. Andy said he was hoping to see all three of them this season, and Kyle was cagey, but it sounded like Kim will make an appearance.

We saw clips of newbie, and descendant of Confucius, Crystal. Her stint at an escort agency in college was touched on, and a vote was taken on who would wear her ugly leather pants. I think it was everyone except for Sutton, and Kathy, who said they wouldn’t look good on her. Sutton said she wore a lot of things people hated, and to each his own. Andy moved on to the coat that launched a thousand tweets, and asked if when Crystal finally saw the show, did it look like less like a violation than an awkward mistake? There is no way Crystal is every going to back down from using the word violation, so she didn’t even answer that, saying, how she was feeling was something that had compounded over two days; it wasn’t an isolated thing. We flashed back to the  color conversation, and Crystal said, it was cumulative. She wished they’d started off on the right foot. Sutton said she thought violate was a strong word – as does every other person on the face of the earth – and it inferred Sutton had done something purposely to hurt Crystal. During the season, Crystal had admitted to having an eating disorder, and Andy wondered if her body image issue was a factor in feeling violated. She agreed it was, and I began to think, maybe he should hang a shingle out. He father’s experience with racism was discussed, and she said he handled it in the classic Asian way – don’t speak about it. She started crying at the thought of her dad, and how fearful he’d been. Andy said he’d been upset to hear Crystal had getting threats and hate speech about being on the  show because she was Asian. She said she still got hundreds of messages a day like that. I’m not a huge Crystal fan, but that made me sad to think that people are still behaving like that in 2021. She said she came on the show because she thought Asians needed representation. It was an incredible opportunity to speak out for people who were too afraid, like her dad. Sutton said she was sorry for any part she played in that, but I’m sure people like that will find any reason to spread their hate. Andy said Crystal should feel great about sharing her culture, and not let a percentage of a-holes on social media define her experience, or what she put out there for others to experience. She said she was grateful to the group for being open and accepting, and she’d been excited to show her culture. Andy asked what everyone enjoyed about getting know Crystal, and Kyle said making the dumplings was the best, which was no surprise. She also loved the Chinese New Year celebration, as did I. LisaR said Crystal was like a little sister to her.

Andy said the women had been eager to dress up again. Let glam squads rejoice. Beverly Hills is back. We flashed back to Dorit saying, it had been a hundred years since they dressed up, and then we saw a billion fashion moment clips. The vintage designer collection LisaR kept in her garage was discussed, and Andy said he’d been concerned that she basically inviting thieves to help themselves. She said she’d realized that, and it was now in special storage. Since Garcelle had been a legit runway model, Andy asked who had the most fashion sense, and she said, Dorit. We found out Dorit pays full retail, because she wants to wear what she wants, and not what someone else fronted her. Andy asked Kyle what the most over-the-top gift was Mauricio had ever given her, and she said a pair of diamond earrings that he’d sent to WWHL. We saw a clip of Andy giving them to her, and they were stunning. Unfortunately, they’d been stolen, along with Kyles whole jewelry and bag stash, when they’d been burglarized.  

Kathy said she was surprised to have been voted fan favorite, since the group was dynamic, intelligent, and fierce. Which is debatable. She said it was nice to be received well. Apparently, daughters Paris and Nicky were disgusted when she’d signed on, but were okay with it now. We saw a Kathy retrospective, and Andy said, we’re all hunky dory for Kathy. He asked if it was a surprise to Kyle, but Kyle said Kathy had always been hysterical, and a practical joker, and has a laugh like their mom’s. Andy said Kathy reminded him of Kim, who was eccentric. That’s one word for it. Kathy said no one knew the real Kyle, but I’m not sure what she meant by that. She talked about living at the Waldorf Astoria for nine years. Andy asked about her connection to Hilton hotels, and she said Rick’s grandfather had founded it, but it had been sold ten years ago.

Erika said she’d love it if Andy wasn’t hard on her, but he said he was putting her on a skewer and firing up the barbecue. She said she was so ready, and we flashed back to all that. Erika said she was keeping score of who was for or against her, and Kyle said she hoped Erika knew the difficult position they were in. Erika said the thing that had hurt her the most was when Dorit and PK got together with Kyle and Mauricio, and mocked her life and family; it was hurtful. Kyle claimed Mauricio had said all along that he believed Erika, even though we just saw him say just the opposite. Erika said whatever anyone needed to ask, she was there, and Garcelle asked why Erika didn’t understand their concern over being possibly pulled in. Erika said there was nothing that legally tied anyone there to her. The tabloids were going to project, but they couldn’t be fearful. They knew the truth. Sutton said it felt like Erika had run from questions in Palm Springs, but Erika said she left because of the altercation with Garcelle. We flashed back to Garcelle letting the cat out of the bag about Tom calling Erika. Andy said the difference with Erika’s legal issue was that there had been actual victims. It wasn’t like RHONJ where Teresa and Joe had defrauded the IRS. Erika said she understood, however, they were a long way from finding out what happened. She’d loved her husband, and he was now accused of defrauding widows, orphans, and burn victims; she felt horrible. There were also boundaries as to where she could and couldn’t go, but if anyone was proven wronged, she wanted them to be remedied. Andy said the way people perceived it, it looked like Erika saw herself as a victim. Sutton agreed that’s how it was coming across, and Erika (no surprise) got pissed, saying, her life was broken. What should she have done? Andy said her sympathy didn’t seem to be landing with the group or the viewers, and Erika said she had a limited way she could express herself; everything she said was picked apart. The best thing to do in the situation was to sit and be quiet. She wasn’t surprised at viewer reaction, but she was at the women. Kyle said Erika was doing herself no favors with Instagram, and Andy said she had the attitude of consumption and indifference. Erika said she was paid to post, and had to pay the bills, but Andy said it landed differently when there were victims. LisaR said she could understand why Erika was doing it, but she was feeding the fire, and she didn’t think it was helpful. Andy asked what she’d known, and if she had any sense that an alleged theft was happening, and she snapped that she didn’t work for the Girardi law firm. There’s his answer. He asked who didn’t believe Erika, and that was no one, and LisaR added that nobody knew anything. Garcelle suggested there may have been signs that Erika didn’t want to see, and Crystal wondered where Erika’s anger was at Tom, which really riled her. She asked what Crystal wanted her to do. Before the show, she’d said she wondered who she was married to for twenty years. She was very angry. Besides, they didn’t know what she had done or what she was going to do. Andy asked what she was going to do, and she said he’d have to wait and see. We flashed back to a lawsuit against Tom that Erika had been named in some time ago, and Erika said she’d gone to him, and said, what is this? He told her it was bullsh*t, and don’t worry. Everything was resolved like that. She asked Crystal if she seemed angry enough, as she steam came out of her ears.  

Next time, the conclusion of the Erika Show Reunion, Erika says Tom called five times that day, Erika says they can’t find the police report for Tom’s accident, Erika insults Sutton again with the c-word, Erika wants to know if someone will back her TF up, and Erika wants to know why everyone in Beverly Hills is so precious.

🏚 On the godawful Winter House, Gabby (an actual model) thought she was in love with Luke because of his rugged ways. He did build a legit igloo – ice bricks and all – which was pretty impressive, but IMO, he’s bad news. Like any of these guys are good news, but that’s beside the point. He said in his interview that he was oblivious to women coming on to him, but I’m not sure if he actually is, or just pretends to be to make himself more desirable. Paige made out with Andrea in the hot tub, and was already married and living in Italy in her head, and friend Julia was already living vicariously through Paige in her head. After their hot tub make-out session, Andrea fist bumped with Craig, which was juvenile creepy. Ciara was in love with Austen and they made out, but then Lindsay showed up. Apparently, Austen and Lindsay had hooked up back in 2018, and Craig told Austen that he thought Lindsay would have left any boyfriend for him.

Amanda said Kyle was ruining the mood by working. When he wasn’t doing that, he was ruining the mood by drinking too much, and complaining about things like no winterizing in the house. In Lindsay’s interview, she said she and Austen were both single at the same time in a long time. She passed out small bottles of Fireball upon her arrival, and didn’t seem happy when Austen told her that he’d made out with Ciara, pulling her hood up, and pulling the drawstring to hide her face. Because she’s five. In her interview, she said, when Austen came to NYC, they hung out for four days straight. They were having an emotional relationship, and had FaceTimed on New Year’s Eve. Austen told Craig that he loved Lindsay, but had feelings for Ciara, and he was over the love triangle. Ciara, who was keeping her eye on all this, said Austen and Lindsay had the longest hug she’d ever seen. In her interview, she said, since Lindsay walked in, she’d literally been trying to take all of Austen’s attention.

Lindsay ended up getting so drunk, she fell on the floor, and Austen had to carry her to her bed. She told him that she was in love with him, and it wasn’t just because she was drunk. He hated that Craig was right, and in Ciara’s interview, she said Lindsay was f***ing up her sh*t. She thought she was going to have a cute vacation romance. Perfect timing… They did some winter sports, which was cool, no pun intended. I love the snow. They made snow angels, which is the thing I love doing most during the first snow of the season. Gabby thought she totally go to the Arctic with Luke. She’d never go hungry, but she’d need to learn to sew. I’m guessing the Arctic might not be quite as primitive as she thinks. Austen told Lindsay that he loved her like a sister, totally friendzoning her.

I finally noticed Carl was missing, but if I remember correctly, he had a lightbulb moment where he realized he was too old for this sh*t. Which is exactly what bothers me about this whole show, along with its summer counterpart.

Next time, Ciara and Austen go on a double-date with Kyle and Amanda, and Andrea bench presses Paige.   

💬 Dashing Off…

See you tomorrow for soap and fashion, possibly made out of soap. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating other cultures, and stay honoring both the letter and spirit of the agreements you make.

Oct23

October 22, 2021 – Spencer Makes His Plea, Open Book, Mystery Man, Leading Ladies, Sonjarita, Engaged, Salt Lake Report, No Ring, Coming Soon, Read All About It, Quote x 10 & Ballad

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava says she and Sonny have settled everything with Avery for now, so what business do they have? He says, they’re on the same page when it comes to their daughter, and she says, what then? He says he has a proposition for her.

Sheridan says he appreciates the support of Michael’s family with the campaign, and Michael says he thinks Sheridan has done a terrific job as the DA of Lantano County. He’s proven to be relentless in his pursuit of justice, and Michael thinks the right case could catapult him to the state’s Attorney General’s office. Sheridan says, it’s an unusual case; the kind that generates headlines, and defines careers. He’ll let Michael know as soon as it’s in motion. They shake hands, and Willow walks in.

At the courthouse, Nikolas asks Doc if he happened to see Ava on his way in, but he says he didn’t. He did talk to Nikolas’s mother about Spencer’s hearing, and Nikolas asks if she’s on her way home. Doc says, unfortunately, she can’t get away just yet, but she was clear how she feels about what should happen today.

Diaz says they’re about to get started, and she needs to know Spencer’s plea. Josslyn and Cameron walk in, and Esme says, come on, Spence. They’ve been over this. Spencer says he wants to make sure he’s dealing with the right information here. If he pleads guilty, or no contest, the judge will ask if anyone is forcing him to make the plea, correct? Diaz says, strictly pro forma. They want to make sure he understands the situation. She’s sorry, but she has dozens of other cases to handle today, so what’s his plea? Josslyn tells Spencer to wait a minute before he answers that. Is he sure someone isn’t pressuring him to do the wrong thing?

Robert walks into an interrogation room where Victor is waiting, and says, so, we meet again. Victor tells Robert that he has nothing to say to him, and Robert says he’ll do him one better. He’s sick of being lied to, so everything that comes out of Victor’s mouth better be gospel. Victor says, or else? and Robert says, or else Victor Cassadine is going to be put to rest in an unmarked grave. And he’s going to do it personally.

Anna sits by Valentin’s bed, when a doctor comes in. Anna thinks he looks better than he did a few hours ago; he has more color in his face. Can the doctor give her any good news? The doctor wishes she could.

Sam tells Dante, the island’s not that big; Peter couldn’t have gone far. He says, especially with two hostages, and she says, no sign of Drew or Obrecht? What are they supposed to tell everyone back in Port Charles who’s waiting for news? Britt and Jason walk in, and Jason thanks Sam for telling him where to meet them. Britt says, Anna was right about this place; it’s really isolated. When they got on the plane last night, Anna still didn’t know where her mother was. Any word? Dante is afraid not. He says they were with the local police most of the night, trying to figure out a trail where Peter might have gone, but they have nothing. Sam says, they did see the cell where Britt’s mother was being held. Dante says, there was a syringe in the cell. It was empty, but it had traces of flunitrazepam. Britt says, that’s a sedative. It results in muscle weakness, lethargy, confusion. Basically, there’s a chance her mother was roofied. Jason says, that’s the best possible news she can get. Wow. This tavern has gotten more business in a week than they’ve probably had in the last five years altogether.

Victor tells Robert, he’ll cooperate, but first, he needs to know how Valentin is. Robert says, Valentin’s alive, last he heard, and Victor says, and Liesl? Robert says, come on. Victor doesn’t care about anyone but himself; they all know that. This love of the common man, where did it come from? When it was nipping at his butt as he was running away? He will say Victor’s been a busy boy. He got more done in death than the average person achieves in a lifetime. Sanctuary for Peter August, unlawful detainment of Drew Cain and Liesl Obrecht, and that poor little nurse who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And last, but not least, the abduction of Valentin Cassadine. And all of this, after he blew up Creighton-Clark. Viccy, come on. Explain yourself. Victor says, when Robert lays it all out like that, he has to say he’s very impressed. How on earth did he mange to do all that?

Anna says, what does the doctor mean, she can’t give her any good news? He has two young daughters waiting for him back in the states. The doctor says, the surgery didn’t go as well as they’d hoped. The bullet fragmented, and they weren’t able to remove all the debris. Anna says she’s heard of bullet fragments being left in the body before, and they’re fine as long as they don’t migrate or infringe on a nerve. She’s sorry; her daughter’s a doctor. She guesses the doctor is concerned about infection, and the doctor says she recommends Valentin undergo exploratory surgery in the US. Their facilities aren’t equipped to handle surgeries that delicate. Anna thanks her, and she leaves. Anna tells Valentin that he may have been born there in Greece, but she’ll be damned if she’ll let him die there.

Willow says she hopes she’s not interrupting, and Michael says he didn’t expect her back so soon. He must have lost track of time. He introduces Richard Sheridan, the DA of Lantano County, and tells Sheridan that Willow is his son’s mother. Willow shakes Sheridan’s hand, and says, Lantano County. In Pennsylvania? Sheridan says, that’s right, and she asks, what brings him all this way? He says he’s gearing up to run for state Attorney General. Michael has taken an interest in his platform. They share similar values. Willow asks what those values would be, and Michael says he’s sure Sheridan is anxious to get back to Llanview, and thanks Sheridan for coming all this way. Michael walks him to the door, and when he comes back, she asks, which of his values would make a politician drive to the next state?

Ava tells Sonny, that is quite an interesting proposition, and if the price is right… His phone rings, and he says he’ll be right back. Nina approaches Ava, who tells her, don’t worry. She didn’t tell Sonny about Nina’s romance with Mike. He was very receptive to her spending more time with Avery, and she didn’t need to use any more persuasive tactics. Nina appreciates that, and to return that favor, Ava has a problem, and Nina would love to offer her a solution.

Spencer says, his father decided to raise the stakes, and Cameron asks, what’s that mean? Spencer says, Ava is in control of his trust fund. If he accepts their marriage, and agrees to live by their rules, his father and Ava will make the charges go away, but Ava is still in charge of his money. Josslyn says, Ava’s not her favorite person either, and she’d hate living by Ava’s rules, and knowing that Ava had control over her money, but she didn’t stalk Ava and she’s not facing criminal charges. If giving in to his dad and Ava is what it takes for them to help him, that’s what he should do. Spencer tells her, that’s what Esme was saying, and Cameron says, for once, they all agree.

Nikolas says, if Doc is telling him that his mother is too busy to attend Spencer’s arraignment, he’s disappointed, but he understands, but she’s honestly too busy to even call him? Doc says he can’t speak to Laura’s exact schedule, but they did talk about Spencer’s behavior. And Nikolas’s. Nikolas says, his behavior? This is about Spencer stalking Ava. Doc says, Laura doesn’t condone what Spencer did, or what drove him to that point. The bailiff calls for everyone to take their seats, and Doc says, shall we?  

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron that she’s sure they realize what a stubborn streak Spencer has. She hopes their opinions convinced him to make the right choice. Josslyn asks if Esme doesn’t think, as Spencer’s girlfriend, she carries more weight, but Esme says Josslyn is giving her too much credit. They’ve known Spencer since they were kids, much longer than she has, and Spence is very much his own person, and likes to go his own way. The bailiff says, all rise.  

Ava says, Nina wants to buy Charlie’s? and Nina asks if she hasn’t been trying to sell it. Ava says, when she was leaving town because of the stalker, yes, and Nina says she has a great use for it. It’s a win-win. Ava says her situation has changed, and Nina wonders if Ava wants to hang onto it for sentimental reasons because it belonged to her brother. Ava says, it’s not that, when Sonny comes back. He asks if he and Ava are finished; he doesn’t have all day. Ava says, what do they say about great minds thinking alike, and he asks what she means. She says, they have to pause their negotiations, and he says, now she’s going to keep Charlie’s? She says, it’s still for sale, but another buyer is showing interest. May the deepest pockets win.

Michael says, it’s always a good idea to have people in office who owe you favors, and Willow says, if it were the DA from New York state, she wouldn’t question anything. But Lantano County is in Pennsylvania, so what does that have to do with ELQ? He says, nothing; it’s purely personal, in a family member’s best interest. She tells him to stop being vague. Who is he talking about? He says, Sheridan is looking for a high profile case, and he just handed him one. He suggested Sheridan prosecute Nina for fraud and identity theft. I’m not sure if the latter would be an issue here though, since it’s not like she stole Sonny’s identity.

Robert says, Victor thinks this is some kind of a joke, doesn’t he? The charges he’s facing are false imprisonment, criminal conspiracy, bribery, not to mention the body count. Victor asks what he wants, and Robert says, Peter August. He wants to know where Peter is, and when Victor worked with him. Victor says he’s not working with Peter, and Robert says, he found Peter a place to hide, didn’t he? Victor says, yes, and he gave Peter money and transportation, but it wasn’t his choice; he was forced to do Peter’s bidding. Robert asks what kind of leverage Peter has, and Victor says he answered one of Robert’s questions out of good faith. It’s time to begin negotiations. 

Britt asks Jason, why is it good news that her mother was drugged? and he says, that probably means Peter’s keeping her alive. Britt says, why go to the trouble of drugging someone when you can just as easily kill them? It’s not exactly a beacon of hope, but it’s better than nothing. Sam asks if she can talk to Jason in private, and they go to a table. She says she has some news about Drew, and he says, Anna called already. She said Drew had been shot two or three times, fell off the bridge and into the ocean, and his body hasn’t been recovered. Sam says, the WSB is searching, but they’re pretty certain they won’t find him alive.

Nina asks if Ava is saying she and Sonny want the same thing, and Ava says, in a manner of speaking. Sonny made her an offer to buy Charlie’s minutes before Nina did. Like she said, she’ll accept the highest offer. Maybe the two of them should talk this over, one on one. Ava walks away, and Nina asks why Sonny wants to buy Charlie’s. He asks why she does, and she says, for Phyllis, to give her a fresh start. And him? He says, same thing. Phyllis took in a stranger and saved his life; pretty much the opposite of what Nina did. Nina tells him that she can never say she’s sorry enough, but as for Phyllis, if she moved there, and ran Charlie’s, Nina thinks it would be really good for her. Sonny agrees, and says, one of them is going to have to bow out. Nina says, allow her. If Phyllis accepts generosity, she’s more inclined to accept it from Sonny. When he offers Charlie’s to Phyllis, if she likes the idea, Nina will give him half of the money, provided he never tells her.  

Willow says, she and Michael talked about this yesterday. She thought they’d agreed to hit the pause button where Nina was concerned. He said he woudn’t make any decisions without her. He says he hasn’t filed any legal action against Nina, and hasn’t denied her visitation with Wiley. If he went to family court, of course (🍷) he’d consult her. He wouldn’t move forward with her agreeing to anything. She says, so he went to the DA from Pennsylvania instead, and he says, yes, because he wants Sheridan to go after Nina for what she actually did. He doesn’t want Wiley’s custody to be a battleground. He doesn’t want to deny Nina visitation to punish her; he wants her punished for the crimes she committed, fraud and identity theft. She lied to his dad for nine months about who he was. She kept him from his family and his life. It has to be illegal and he’s hoping Sheridan can prove it in court.

Robert asks what Victor means by negotiations, and Victor says, it’s a classic quid pro quo. The WSB can’t get Peter without his help, and he’s not about to give them his help without something in return; his freedom. Robert says, the WSB isn’t going to let Victor off the hook for the crimes he did in the last seven minutes, much less the last seven years, and Victor says, he’s the former director of the Bureau. The WSB has a reputation to maintain. Prosecuting one of their own wouldn’t look very good, would it? Robert wouldn’t bet the farm on it, and Victor suggests they do a cost benefit analysis. Prosecuting him versus getting Peter. He’d say it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Peter is their priority. He’s the one who’s unstable. He’s dangerous, and has access to Faison’s bag of dirty tricks. Robert still has some pull at the Bureau, and Victor suggests Robert convince them to make a deal. Robert says he doesn’t take orders from a Cassadine, and Victor says, his goal is to catch the big bad wolf, the man who kidnapped Drew Cain, and could still terrorize Maxie and her little girl. Robert can throw the book him or stop Peter, but he can’t do both.

Anna says Robert doesn’t think Valentin is much of a hero, but she disagrees. He doesn’t fit the conventional mold. He’s very flawed, self-serving, and definitely compromised, but he does have the courage to face up to what he’s done, and try to be better. He’s certainly tried to turn his life around for himself and his daughters. She thinks that’s very heroic in her book, that kind of courage. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s her darling ex-husband. She’ll be right back. She kisses Valentin’s hand, and says, he can count on that.

Britt asks if Dante thinks Victor created the fake medical conference, and arranged to have Scotty thrown from the plane. Dante says, he didn’t go into detail, but he’s definitely the reason for her mother being there. She says, for what? And don’t say Victor is infatuated with her mother. Maybe he is, but there has to be another agenda. Dante says, he doesn’t know, but when Victor thought her mother was in danger, he seemed genuinely concerned.

Sam tells Jason, someone called her claiming to be Drew. She went back and forth, thinking, maybe he’s alive, but then, it could be some sort of manipulation. He says, she was just  being cautious, and she says, being cautious meant she couldn’t involve him. Maybe if she had, he could have intervened, and Peter wouldn’t have shot Drew.

The judge asks if Spencer understands his rights under the New York state constitution and law, and he says he does. She asks how he pleads, when Ava walks in. The judge says she’s waiting for his answer, and Esme asks Cameron, what is he doing? Spencer says, not guilty.

Anna goes to the interrogation room, and says she got Robert’s text. What’s so important? She was with Valentin. Victor asks how Valentin is, and she says, he’s hanging in. Robert says, this clown needs to talk to someone above his pay scale, and she says, her? Victor says, always pleasure, mate, and Robert leaves. Anna asks what this is about, and Victor says, Peter August. The WSB wants him, and he can make that happen. She says, in exchange for what exactly? and he says, blanket immunity. She says, that’s a bit of a tall order, and he says, tall maybe, but not impossible. They’re already making better progress than he was with Robert. She says she’s far from the final say, and he says, that may be, but at least she’s willing to look at options. Robert said the WSB would refuse to overlook his transgressions. He thinks that was naïve, but Anna doesn’t agree. He has a rather extensive rap sheet. What makes him think she’s going to be more amenable to his offer?   

Britt asks Dante, if Victor is still infatuated, why put her mother in a prison cell? Does Dante think it was punishment for her trying to kill Peter, and if so, why would Victor care? Dante says, those are all questions the WSB doesn’t have answers to. They don’t even know why Victor and Peter were working together in the first place, or how Drew fits into this puzzle.  

Sam tells Jason, when she went into Drew’s cell, she saw he’d scratched Scout’s name in the wall. She hopes that means he had enough strength to resist the conditioning. He says, she thinks Drew’s being conditioned? and she tells him, that’s what Victor said. She doesn’t know whether he’s telling the truth or not, but she does know Drew was able to shoot a guard to save Victor and Valentin, although he wasn’t able to save himself. Jason says, unless or until they find Drew’s body, there’s still a chance Drew is alive.

Valentin wakes up with Robert sitting in his room. Robert asks if he’s awake, and Valentin says, this can’t be a dream, because Robert sure as hell wouldn’t be in it. Robert laughs and says he’ll round up a doctor, and Valentin asks, where’s Anna? Robert says, talking to Valentin’s poor excuse for an uncle, or should he say father? He’s trying to cut himself a deal, but Valentin isn’t going to let that happen, is he?

The judge says, although the defendant has no prior arrests, he has lived abroad extensively, and has access to significant financial resources. The state’s concern about him being a flight risk is valid. She orders the defendant to surrender his passport, and bail is set $20K, with a pretrial in six weeks from today. Spencer looks at Esme, who shakes her head, and he says, if he doesn’t post bail, will he have to go to jail? Doc says, it won’t come to that. He and Laura will post Spencer’s bail. Spencer thanks him, and hugs Esme. She says she doesn’t get it. Why didn’t he do what they all advised him to do? They step away, and Spencer says, he was about to. He’s made a lot of bad decisions by not following his gut. His gut told him that if he went along with Ava on this, it will never end. Ava and Spencer look at each other.

Willow says, so Michael’s campaign contribution is basically a bribe, to get the DA to go after Nina? He says, campaign contributions are completely legal, and Nina is the one who committed a crime. And it wasn’t victimless crime either. He didn’t tell Willow this, but his mom put her life on the line to step into his father’s business. And what about Sonny’s children? He, Dante, and Kristina are all adults, and Josslyn has Jax, but what about Donna and Avery? Avery’s old enough to understand loss, and Donna is so confused. They didn’t have their father for nine months. Willow says she knows that, and he says, and his father’s business got messed up, which in turn put more people’s lives at risk. She asks who he’s trying to convince that he’s doing the right thing; him or her?  He says she may not agree with his methods, but he has no regrets about making Nina pay for her actions. She says, what about his actions? He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, on the one hand, he won’t cut Nina off from seeing Wiley, but he has to know that if Nina is facing criminal charges, it will affect potential visitation going forward. He says, if Nina faces those consequences as a result of what she did to his father, so be it.

Sonny thinks keeping it a secret from Phyllis doesn’t seem like a good idea, and Nina says, she’s learned what secrets can do. She says, she genuinely wants to help Phyllis, but doesn’t want it to be misinterpreted as buying back her friendship. He says he doesn’t need her help financially to buy Charlies, and even if she’s giving it with good intentions, it’s like they’ll be too connected. She says, that’s the last thing he wants. She has to say, she’s been waiting with a fair amount of dread to have Carly to tear into her for their relationship in Nixon Falls, but she hasn’t  

Nina says she had a run in with Carly at the Quartermaines’, and Carly went for her jugular, but never said a word about her tricking Sonny into loving her. She sits, and says, Carly still hasn’t. She just assumes Carly doesn’t know? He sits, and says, let him tell her something. He and Carly are rebuilding their life together after nine months apart. Why make it worse after what she did? Nina says, let her tell him something. Carly will never find out about it from her.

Victor says, Anna finally has the opportunity to stop her wayward nephew, and bring closure to countless people. Be smart; that’s all that matters here. Don’t let the pettiness of the past get in her way. She says, she wouldn’t call what he did to Robin petty. He stole years of Robin’s life. He says he’s not trying to minimize what he’s done; he’s made mistakes, huge mistakes. But they both know life isn’t black and white; it’s all shades of grey. She has every right to be angry about what happened to her daughter at Creighton-Clark, but ultimately, Robin walked away unscathed. Can they really say the same for anyone who will get in Peter’s way? She says, she might have more leverage with the WSB than Robert… sometimes. But he needs to understand, his fate doesn’t lie in her hands. He says, it might as well. He knows her stock has fallen with the WSB in recent years, but she still has friends in high places. If she has any favors outstanding, he suggests she call them in. Make his case, or the blood that Peter continues to shed will be on her hands. She says she’s got to go, and he tells her to give his best to his son.

Esme says Doc is a genuine lifesaver. She was afraid Spencer would have to stay in jail. Doc says, if he’s not mistaken, Spencer will need a permanent home address to show stability? and Diaz says, that’s correct. He says, that settles it. Spencer will move back in with him. Esme says, that works for her, and Doc asks Spencer for a word in private. Josslyn says, they’ll be out in the hall, and they all leave. Spencer says, he’s a lot of things, but not naïve. He and Laura are going to post the money for his bail. What’s the catch?

Esme sees Ava in the hall, and says she wants Ava to know how much it means to her that Ava offered Spencer a way out. His pride temporarily got in the way of him accepting it, but she’ll talk to him. Ava tells her, please try to talk some sense into him. And whatever she does, don’t let Spencer drag her into any more bad behavior. Esme says never. She should have stood up to him. From now on, she will.

Anna says, thank God Valentin’s awake, and Robert says, surprise him. Do the right thing. Robert tells Anna, see ya, and leaves. Anna says Valentin gave her wuite… He gave all of them quite a scare. She offers to call Brook, but he says, not yet. She asks if he doesn’t want his daughter to know he’s awake (like a baby would comprehend this), but he says, not until he talks to her. Whatever Victor’s asking for, don’t give it to him.

Sam says she had to tell Jason what she knows about Drew, and Dante asks how he took it. She says, it was okay. She told him that she felt the need to investigate before she said anything to him. Dante says, until they find Drew’s body, there’s a chance he survived, and she says, Jason said the same thing. She just doesn’t know what there’s left here for her to do. She can stay and see if anything comes through, or she can go home to her kids because they come first. He says, maybe she should do that. She tried to bring Scout’s father back, but now it’s time to be with Scout and Danny.

Britt says, sorry about Jason’s brother, and he says, thanks. They weren’t close, but Drew was important to Monica, and he’s thinking about her. She says, he’s not thinking how her crazy brother shot his? but he says she’s not responsible for anything Peter does. She says, still, he’s there helping her find her mother, who’s committed her own fair share of crimes. She wouldn’t blame him if he changed his mind and wanted to go home. He says, they have a job to do. He’s not going anywhere.

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron, at least they can all agree they want what’s best for Spence. Maybe now they can see she has his best interests at heart. Maybe they can all be friends after all.

Spencer says he’s sorry. He should be thanking Doc for posting his bail money. He wasn’t looking forward to spending another night in jail. Doc says, he and Spencer’s grandmother are happy to help, but it comes with limitations. If Spencer wants their support, he has to earn it. Spencer says, earn it how? and Doc says, they have a few ideas. Starting with Spencer getting a job.

Ava says, that was unexpected, and Nikolas says, leave it to his son to zig when they wanted him to zag. She says she can handle him not accepting the deal, but what bothered her most was the look on his face when he entered his plea… that this is far from over.

Robert tells Victor, he spoke to Anna, and she’s not going to help him. Victor says, if Robert says so, and Robert says, he doesn’t have any control over what the WSB decides to do, but Victor doesn’t have him fooled. The world was a much better place when Victor was dead. Victor says, he’s feeling a bit parched. Why doesn’t Robert make himself useful, and fetch him some water. He’d prefer sparkling.

Valentin says, whatever Victor is proposing, it’s a trap, and Anna says, she knows that, obviously. They have no way of knowing what he’s been up to in the past few years, but what choice do they have? Peter has to be stopped. For Drew, for Obrecht, most certainly for Maxie. Victor knows where he is; she senses it. This is their best chance. Valentin gets agitated, and Anna tries to calm him. He says, they can’t involve Victor. They’ve come close to getting Peter before. He’ll do it again.

Sam tells Dante, if there’s bad news about Drew, she’d rather be at home with her kids. He says, that make sense. He’ll go arrange their flights back. She says he doesn’t have to come with her, and he says he knows. He wants to.   

Jason tells Britt, to pick up Peter’s trail, they have to retrace his steps. She asks where they start, and he says, the last place her mother was seen; her prison cell.

Willow tells Michael, Wiley’s all set. Now they can finish their conversation. He says, it’s not over? and she says, not for her. What he’s doing seems cold and calculating. He says he gave Nina chance after chance. Even after that meltdown at his father’s funeral, he still gave her the opportunity to visit Wiley, and what does she do? She brings up Nelle, making Wiley doubt that Willow is his real mother. And even after that, he gave her another chance, and how does she thank them? By lying. By keeping the knowledge that his father was alive, and for what? To punish his mother? She says she can’t deny anything he’s saying. It’s just that, what does he thinks is going to happen to Nina? He says, that’s up to the DA Sheridan, but if she’s asking him, he thinks Nina needs to be held accountable.

Nina says, she guesses that concludes her and Sonny’s business. He’ll buy Charlie’s, and she won’t be involved, financially or otherwise. And Carly won’t have to know how much it… progressed in Nixon Falls. He says, correct, and she says she hopes Phyllis stays in Port Charles. She considers Phyllis her family, and she wants to earn back the trust of those people she loves. A couple of cops come in, and one says, Nina Reeves? She says she’s Nina Reeves. Is there a problem? He says she’s under arrest for identity fraud.

One: I’ll say it again, not sure about the identity fraud thing, and two: it doesn’t happen that fast, even for a DA. He didn’t even have time to get back to PA and fill out the paperwork.

On Monday, Valentin asks what Anna has to say to him, Sasha thinks it not a bad idea, Michael asks if Jax wants to make things right, and Carly says, if that’s not a crime, she doesn’t know what is.

🩺 Living Her Best Life…

GH’s Co-Chief of Staff opens up about coming out – twice.

GH Star Cassandra James Opens Up About Her Childhood and Transition

👀 Watching Man…

I thought I’d recognized him. He’s one of those dudes who’s been in everything.

Marshall on GENERAL HOSPITAL — Everything You Need To Know

💏 He’s Had So Many…

I still like him the most with Obrecht.

Kin Shriner Picks His Favorite GH Leading Lady (Exclusive)

👠 Sonja Trilogy…

Ugh. Heather. What’s up with her talking smack?

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/21/heather-thomson-sonja-morgan-let-men-put-cigarettes-in-her-vagina/

When they shade you, make some money off of it.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/22/sonja-morgan-promotes-her-onlyfans-after-bizarre-cigarette-claims/

I actually believe Sonja on this one.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/21/leah-mcsweeney-slams-sonja-morgan-for-talking-mad-st/

💍 Real Real Housewife To Be…

Face it. Anything has to be better than Juicy Joe.

https://people.com/tv/teresa-giudice-engaged-luis-ruelas-exclusive/

❄️ Salty Talk…

What happens in Salt Lake does not stay in Salt Lake.

RHOSLC Recap: Jennie’s Husband Duy Suggests a Sister Wife as She Cries Over Losing Babies; Dinner With Whitney Goes Awry as Lisa Tries to Clear Her Name in Caterer Drama

🍸 Is She Or Isn’t She…?

She said she was no dummy, but said nothing about not being vague as hell.

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-opens-up-about-randall-emmett-relationship-on-vanderpump-rules-amid-reported-split/

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-spotted-without-her-engagement-ring-amid-reported-randall-emmett-breakup/

🐉 Flying In Soon…

The trailer and the latest on House of the Dragon.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-different-tone-game-of-thrones/

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-trailer-game-of-thrones-prequel/

📖 For Your Reading Pleasure…

I can’t wait to read this book.

https://ew.com/books/not-all-diamonds-and-rose-excerpt-real-housewives-book-dave-quinn-andy-cohen/

📌 Quotes of the Week

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin, American Author, Speaker and Entrepreneur

I’ve learned that God won’t let you be tempted more than you can bear. I think God gives humanity too much credit. – Jung Jae-heo (Kim Nam-hee) Sweet Home

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C. S. Lewis, from Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

Happiness is for dogs and Americans. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg (Don’t look to me – my torch blew out a long time ago.)

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. – Charles Dickens

All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography. – Federico Fellini

With confidence, you have won before you have started. – Marcus Garvey

🧻 Rolling Along…

Time to wrap up another week, or another row on the calendar if you’re not into labels. See you at Dead o’clock, but until then, stay safe, stay being the bigger person, and stay having the courage to face up to what you’ve done, and try to be better.

Oct9

October 8, 2021 – No Queen, Grilled, Nasty, Worse, Unsure, Dirty, Salt Lake Woes, a Tease, Going Down, New Bar, L.A. Return, Tiger’s Back, Mistress Of the Book, Best Costumes, As Many Quotes As Lords Leaping & Magic

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly takes a sip of her coffee, and says, this never gets old. Sonny says, the coffee, or this? He kisses her, and she says, don’t make her choose. She suggests they stay home and shut the world out all day. He says, what world? It’s just the two of them. They kiss again, and a guard interrupts, saying, someone is at the gate to see Sonny.

Britt sits down with Nina at the MetroCourt, and says, welcome back. Nina thanks her and says, it’s been quite the homecoming. Any word on Liesl? Britt says, no, not a whisper. It seems her mother disappeared into thin air. Nina says she’s sorry. She can’t help but feel responsible. Britt says, Nina called and got her mother involved in a scheme to kill Peter. She’s sure it wasn’t a hard sell. Nina says, at the moment, it was the only way to protect Maxie and James. Britt says, if that’s all Nina was doing, she’d be on board, but they both know that SOS call was to protect herself.

Portia tells Trina that she likes their new tradition of weekly breakfast check-ins, and Trina says she does too. She’s not thrilled with the dining hall, and she’s already tired of take-out. Portia is glad to contribute to Trina’s healthy eating habits, and asks Trina to tell her about classes. How it is working at Ava’s gallery without Ava? Trina says, it turns out, Ava’s not leaving, and Portia asks, since when? Trina says she’s pretty sure Ava is staying there, and staying married, and Portia says, Trina can’t drop that kind of bomb on her and play coy. What happened with the stalker? Trina says, thanks to her, the stalker’s been unmasked.

Nikolas comes up behind Ava and kisses her on the neck. She says he’d better be her husband; he’s a very jealous man. He says he’s her husband all right. For now and for always. She says, it’s going to be a beautiful day, and he says, a beautiful life. He’s never letting her go again. That’s a promise.

The guard says, Mr. Corinthos is in the living room, and he leads Phyllis in, carrying a box. Sonny says, what a pleasant surprise, and she says, my goodness, look at you. He introduces her to Carly, saying she’s a dear friend of Mike’s and his. He and Phyllis smile at each other.

Josslyn tries to study at the Kelly’s counter, when Cameron brings her a glass of ice water. She asks if it has magical properties that will help her focus, and he says he can’t stop thinking about yesterday too. He can’t get over the fact that Spencer was the stalker. Trina was so right; he shouldn’t have given them so much pushback. She says, Trina was the one who figured it out, and Cameron asks how Trina is doing. She seemed pretty beat up about it. Josslyn says they were up half the night talking about it. She feels awful about setting a trap for Spencer. She’s not happy about it either, but if they hadn’t, Ava and Nikolas still wouldn’t know the truth. He says he guesses it was worth it, but she says he doesn’t sound all that convinced. He says, Nikolas has Ava back, but Spencer’s life just imploded. Did they end up helping that family, or just hurt them? She says, both.

Spencer walks into his and Esme’s hotel room. Still in bed, Esme asks where he was. He says, working out, and she says, so early? Did he sleep at all? He says, no. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept replaying the whole train wreck. It never should have happened. She says she doesn’t know what possessed him to confess, and he says his father was in danger. She says he had nothing to do with his Uncle Sonny turning up, and he says, no, but she did. Why the hell would she tell his uncle, the alleged mob kingpin, that his father was taking his daughter away?

Nikolas’s phone beeps, and he looks at it. Ava asks if something is wrong, and he says, it’s an alert he placed on Spencer’s credit card. Apparently, he’s holed up at the MetroCourt. She asks how he feels about that, and he says he’s glad Spencer didn’t spend the night on the street. But given the fact Spencer robbed them of months together, he can think of better ways of spending their first reunited morning than discussing Spencer. He’ll make breakfast.

Carly says, so she’s Phyllis, and thanks Phyllis for taking care of her husband when he was injured. Phyllis says, it was their pleasure. Mike… Sonny was a godsend to them in more ways than one. Carly says, it goes both ways. Sonny has told her a lot about Phyllis. She’s so sorry about Phyllis’s husband. She thanks Carly, calling her Mrs. Corinthos, but she says, call her Carly. Had they known she was coming, they could have spared her the security check. Phyllis says, it’s a beautiful home. Much different from his room at the Tan-O. Carly asks if Phyllis drove in, and Phyllis says she did. She was on the road too early to call. She hopes she didn’t intrude. She found some of Sonny’s belongings, and thought he might want them. Wow. His flannel shirts survived the fire?

Nina tells Britt, she feels terrible. If there’s anything she can do to help find Aunt Liesl, please let her. Britt says she’ll take the help; Scotty’s beside himself. Nina says she also got a voicemail from Valentin. He and Anna have a lead on Peter, but he didn’t give her any details. How is Britt otherwise? Britt says she’s busy. She’s throwing herself into work; restructuring the hospital budget, working with her new Co-Chief of Staff, keeping her head above water. Nina says, and Britt and Jason? Britt asks what she’s talking about. There is no her and Jason. Nina says, and that’s because of her.

Portia asks Trina, so the young man she met at the park was Spencer, not Victor, and Spencer was Ava’s stalker? Trina says, Spencer and his girlfriend, and Portia asks, which one drenched Trina in the fake blood? Trina says, Spencer, and Portia says, hell no. Trina protests, but Portia asks when all this went down. Last night? Trina says, yes, Spencer got kicked out of Windymere, and his relationship with his father is worse than ever, and it’s her fault. Portia says, in what universe? and Trina says she convinced Cam and Joss to set him up. If she hadn’t… Portia tells her not to finish that sentence. Trina’s not responsible, and it’s not her fault. This is Spencer’s mess; it has nothing to do with Trina. Trina says she just feels bad for him, and also guilty that she wasn’t honest with Ava. Portia asks why Trina would feel guilty? Thanks to her, Ava knows the truth now, and Ava can stay here with her husband and little girl. Although she might want to let that marriage dissolve. Clearly the Cassadine men are not to be trusted.

Esme tells Spencer that she’s sorry for how things turned out. She was only doing it for him. He says he knows. That’s why he defended her, but some of the ideas she came up with… She says, getting his father back in his life was what he wanted, so she did what she could to make that happen. She guesses she’s still learning how to make him happy. He says she really is the best, and nothing that has happened is her fault. But he’d be happier if they cut out the scheming, and did better. She says, whatever he wants. Too bad he can’t count on his so-called friends. What were they thinking, especially Josslyn? Doesn’t that girl have enough to worry about without setting him up and calling him out? He says, Josslyn is a real friend; so’s Cameron. They’re probably the only real friends he’s ever had.

Josslyn tells Cameron, they totally ambushed Spencer, but if his behavior hadn’t been so messed up, there’d be nothing to confess. Cameron says, her stepdad is one menacing dude. Spencer was absolutely terrified for his father. She says, everyone knows not to mess with Sonny, especially when it comes to his family, but none of that would have happened except for Esme. He says he doesn’t see how she’s to blame for the lie about Bora Bora, and she asks if he’s giving Esme a pass. He says, not at all. They both bear responsibility. She says, Trina told her that Spencer and Esme work as a team. Every team she’s ever been on has a captain. It makes her wonder if Esme is the one calling the shots.

Cameron asks what makes Josslyn think Esme is more involved than Spencer is saying. She says, Spencer admitted Esme was the one who torched Ava’s car, and Cameron says, he did at first, but then he walked it back. She says, to protect her. Does that surprise him? She’s seen the way Esme hangs on Spencer. No wonder he can’t think straight. He says, this is Spencer they’re talking about; he’s no angel. She says, this is so messed up. She knows Spencer set it in motion – everything he did was bad, but she still wants what’s best for him. He says, what if Esme is what’s best for him? but she says, no. Esme brings out the worst in Spencer.

Esme asks why Spencer isn’t furious. First, they set him up, then stand by and watch him humiliate himself. He says, he humiliated himself? and she says, he confessed and he apologized. He says she’s forgetting the part where they’re actually guilty, and she says, fine. They’re no innocents, but his real friends aren’t either. They lied to his face, and set a trap that almost got his father killed. His father kicked him out of Windymere, while his wicked stepmother gloats. If they expect Spencer to beg forgiveness, they’d better think again. They’re the ones who should be coming to him. There’s a knock at the door, and a woman asks if he’s Spencer Cassadine. She’s sorry, but his credit card was declined for the second night. Esme says, there’s more than enough funds… but he says, there’s no need. This isn’t a fund problem; it’s a father problem. The woman says, they contacted the account holder, Nikolas Cassadine, and the card’s been canceled. He says, checkmate, and Esme asks what this means. He says, it means they pack.

Nikolas tells Ava, breakfast is in the dining room, unless she would rather have it served in the bedroom. She tells him to choose, and he says, the bedroom it is. She asks what the call was that he made earlier, and he says he cut Spencer’s access to his bank and credit card accounts. She says she’s all for tough love, but if Nikolas cuts Spencer off, what will he do? He says, Spencer’s about to figure it out. His son’s been given every possible advantage. He’s bright, he’s willful, let him put that cunning to good use, and figure out how to support himself. She says, that sounds fine in theory, but the timing is terrible. Won’t Spencer see this as punishment, and won’t it further stoke his dangerous resentment?

Trina tells Portia that Ava told her to be careful of bad boys. Spencer falls under that definition, except he’s not that bad. At heart, she thinks he’s just lost. Portia tells her, says every woman in defense of a dysfunctional relationship with a bad boy. She was at the hospital that night when Ava’s car was burned. She sat with Ava afterward, and Ava couldn’t stop shaking. And to leave Kiki’s ID badge near the car? That’s just cruel. Trina says, Spencer didn’t do it. She doesn’t even think it was his idea. Portia says Trina certainly seems determined to let him off the hook, and Trina says she’s not denying Spencer’s made some seriously mess up choices. Portia says, anyone who asks you to cover for them isn’t your friend. Remember what Maya Angelou said, when someone shows you who they are… Trina finishes, believe them. She’s sorry she didn’t tell Portia about this earlier; there’s just been a lot going on. Portia says, even though Trina will always be her baby, she’s a young woman now, and she’s entitled to privacy. But Portia can proudly say, Trina has always had a good head on her shoulders.

Carly says Obrecht was devastated when she heard Jason got engaged to Carly because she knew how important Jason was to Britt. Britt says, that’s old news now, and Nina says, if she hadn’t kept Sonny away from Port Charles… Britt says Nina might have hurt a lot of other people, but Nina did her a favor. Carly will always come first with Jason, and she’s nobody’s second. Nina says, good for her. She hopes Britt doesn’t mind, but she doesn’t think she can stay for breakfast. She can’t justify paying Carly’s inflated prices for eggs and toast. Britt says, it’s Nina’s call; she’s not offended. Nina takes Britt’s hand, and says, it’s good to see her. If Britt hears from her mom, if there’s anything Nina can do, call her and let her know. Britt says, will do, and tells Nina to watch her back. She has the feeling Carly isn’t done with her yet.   

Phyllis sits down, with Sonny and Carly, and Carly says, may I? pointing to the box. Sonny tells her, go ahead, and she starts taking things out. She takes out a flannel shirt, and says she saw Sonny in one of these. She still can’t believe it. She takes out a few more, and asks how many he has. She says, wow, and takes out the cowboy hat. She says, Mike definitely had a distinct fashion style, and Phyllis says, not to mention a mean two-step. Sonny says, that’s high praise coming from the lifelong dance partner of Lenny Caulfield, the greatest dancer in the world. Phyllis says, that man was so light on his feet, he defied gravity. Sonny takes her hand, and I’m not sure how to read Carly’s face. Uncomfortable maybe.

Carly says, Lenny sounds like the best of men. Sonny told her that Lenny gave him a hard time when he first showed up, and wound up standing up for him, and treating him like a brother. She wishes she could have met him. Phyllis says, Lenny was one of a kind, and Sonny says, amen. Carly says she’s going to give them a chance to catch up; they must have a lot to talk about. Forget about her suggestion about staying home. She has tons of paperwork at the MetroCourt. Enjoy their time together. She tells Phyllis that it was a pleasure meeting her, and hopes Phyllis comes back. She’s always welcome. Carly leaves, and Sonny thanks Phyllis for bringing the box. Phyllis says she has a confession. That’s not the only reason she’s here. She wanted to meet him properly. He holds out his hand, and says, Sonny Corinthos. She says, Phyllis Caulfield, and shakes his hand. They turn the handshake into a hug.

Trina tells Portia that she and Josslyn have this code – sisters before misters. She feels like she’s breaking that code with Ava. Ava is her friend too. She feels bad that she kept it secret that Spencer was in town for weeks, but after everything that happened, she feels like it’s too late to say anything. What does Portia think? Portia says, the fact that Trina feels bad tells her something, especially now that she knows the damage secrets can cause. So what is she going to do? Trina says she thinks she’ll skip breakfast. Raincheck? Portia says, of course (🍷). She wants Trina to do what she’s got to do. She’s proud of Trina. Trina thanks Portia and says she loves her. Portia says she loves Trina too. Same time, same place next week? Trina says she wouldn’t miss it.

Nikolas says he can’t stand back after how Spencer treated his wife, and Ava says she appreciates his outrage, but she’s a big girl and can take care of herself. As he well knows. He says he’s aware, but in no way does it excuse Spencer for what he did. She says, Spencer has witnessed Nikolas’s plots and schemes his entire life. If Nikolas wants to punish Spencer for learning the behavior he’s modeled, don’t do it on her account. Her phone dings, and she says, breakfast and anything else will have to wait. She has a visitor.

Walking into the MetroCourt, Spencer tells Esme, there’s enough cash for breakfast, but after that, they’re broke. I thought she had money? Esme says, this is a temporary set-back. His father just needs time to cool off. He says, maybe Joss and Came will cool off too. One of the most annoying things about his friends is that he actually cares what they think. He sees Britt, and says he has an idea, but he needs to have this conversation alone. Esme says, no worries. She trusts him. Text her if he needs back-up. He goes over to Britt’s table, where she’s just finished with a call. He says, wheeling and dealing? Good. Does he have a deal for her.

Cameron tells Josslyn that he doesn’t know what to make of Spencer and Esme’s relationship, but so what? Who says they have to understand it? Josslyn asks when he got so wise, and he says when he started dating her. She says he really is wise; that was such a good answer. They kiss, and Nina walks in. Nina says she imagines she’s the last person Josslyn wants to see, and Josslyn says, good call. She asks if Cameron doesn’t have to go back to work, and he asks if she’s sure. She says, it’s fine, and he says he’ll go back to work… outside. Nina says she just came to get a bite to eat, but can leave if Josslyn is uncomfortable, but Josslyn asks why she would be uncomfortable. She’s not the one who stole 9 months of Sonny’s life, and left his family to grieve. She’s not the one who’s a total hypocrite.

Britt asks what the deal is, and Spencer says, room and board with her in exchange for his witticisms. She says, pass, and he says, and Esme’s French cooking techniques. She says, absolutely not, and he says, why not? They’ll be fun roommates, and Esme can cook dinner. Britt says she lives in a hotel room, and he says, she’s Chief of Staff, and still lives in a hotel room? and she says, demanding job, no pets, no kids, room service. Works for her, but not for him. He says she won’t even notice them. She’s at work all day, and he promises they won’t touch the minibar. She asks, what is going on? Why would he leave cushy Windymere for a rollaway bed in her hotel room? He says he and his father had a falling out, and Britt says, he left? Spencer shakes his head, and she says, Nikolas kicked him out? Why is Nikolas acting so self-righteous after all the crap he’s pulled? Spencer says, it’s a little complicated, and she says, please don’t tell her that he hasn’t done anything that will make her have to defend his father.

Ava sees Trina, and says, what a nice surprise. Trina says she’s glad Ava is still there. Does this mean… Ava says, thanks to Trina, she and Nikolas are back together. They’ll have a lifetime of mornings ahead of them. What Trina did was risky, and she doesn’t condone the plotting, but Trina did uncover the truth, and Ava is grateful. Trina says, don’t thank her.

Phyllis says Sonny’s coffee is delicious. He says, of course (🍷) it is. He’ll send her home with a pound. She looks at a photo, and asks who it is with him, and Sonny says, Mike, his dad. He died of Alzheimer’s a year ago. He was one of a kind. He and Lenny would have hit it off. Phyllis says she’s so sorry. He has a beautiful family; they must have missed him. She bets they’re happy he’s back, and he says, so is he; so is Carly. She says, Carly seems wonderful. It must have been hard on her. He says, yes she is, and yeah it was. Phyllis says she found pictures of him and Nina, but didn’t want to include them in the box. She wasn’t sure he’d want them. He thanks her, and she says she has another confession. She didn’t drive there to return the box. She thought he might need someone to talk to who understands. He says she’s still looking out for him, and she says, Lenny would call it putting her nose where it doesn’t belong. He says, Lenny loved that she did that; so does he. She says she knows he left a complicated situation in Nixon Falls. Is the situation there complicated too?  

Esme sees Cameron outside Kelly’s, and says she’s so glad she found him. She needs him desperately.

Josslyn tells Nina to consider a delivery app, if she has to leave every establishment where there are people who love Sonny. Nina says she’ll take that into consideration. She’s truly sorry. She starts to leave, but Josslyn tells her to wait. She has something for Nina.

Britt asks what Spencer was thinking, and he says he was saving his father from Ava. She says, so he could have his father to himself? and he wonders if that’s too much to ask. He thought his father was dead for three years. She says, Spencer claims he wants to make up for lost time, but what he means is, he wants to control who his father is with. What bothers her the most is the lengths he went to, the lies he told, and the people he hurt, including her. Nikolas accused her of being the stalker, and Spencer said nothing. He says, because Nikolas didn’t think that anymore, but she’s right. He’s sorry. It’s one of the many mistakes he made. She says she gets making mistakes. He knows she’s fond of him, while she’s not fond of his father, but he needs to go make amends. He says he can’t; his father doesn’t want to see him. Maybe he and Esme could just stay one night, until they can figure it out. Carly comes over to the table, and says, not in her hotel. He terrorized Ava by implying a threat to Avery, and manipulated Sonny the second he got home. It’s totally unacceptable. Spencer says Carly is right. He screwed up, and he doesn’t blame anyone for not wanting him around. She tells him, don’t play the martyr. Stand on his own two feet instead of waiting for someone to bail him out. That’s the problem. Someone has been enabling him his entire life. He says, again his apologizes, to them both, and leaves.  

Cameron tells Esme, he’s working, so… She says he’s the only one who can help her… and Spence. He asks, what’s going on with Spencer? and she says, Spencer has been tossed out and cut off. They’re almost with no money. Cameron says, first of all, they’re hardly starving and destitute, and second, they kind of deserve what they get. What Spencer did was terrible. She says, maybe she should have done more to rein Spence in, but he was in so much pain. He wanted his father back, and now he’s lost his father all over again. Cameron says, things are bad right now, but Spencer will bounce back. He always does. She says, not this time. I don’t know if she’s faking it, but I think it’s the first time Esme hasn’t smiled through a conversation, whether it was appropriate or not.

Trina tells Ava, the day she realized Victor was really Spencer, was the day she realized he’d been lying about how long he’s been in Port Charles. Obviously, he needed to cover for his creeping around, leaving nasty little threats. Ava says, then he convinced Trina to keep his secret, and Trina says, he told her he had troubled relationship with his dad, and that’s why he didn’t approach Nikolas right away. And she bought it. Ava wonders if there’s anyone in this town Spencer hasn’t deceived, and Trina says she helped him by keeping quiet. Ava says, Spencer deceived Trina too. He lied to her, he manipulated her, and took advantage of her trust. Trina says, if she’d come to Ava sooner, maybe they could have figured out Spencer was the stalker. Before her car got torched. Can Ava ever forgive her? Ava says, there’s absolutely nothing to forgive her for. She wishes she’d had a friend as loyal and trustworthy as Trina years ago. Trina says Ava has her now, and Ava says she’s sorry for what Trina lost. She remembers how excited Trina  was when Victor swept into her life, and she hates how he robbed Trina of that feeling.

Nikolas comes out of the elevator as Portia is waiting for it, and she says, perfect timing. If him or his son ever hurt her daughter again, they’ll regret it. He looks at her blankly, and she says, he needs reminding. His deviant stunts at the party at Windymere, Spencer drenching Trina in fake blood, pretending to be Victor, and convincing Trina to lie about his presence in Port Charles, so that he could stalk Ava. Nikolas says he’s so sorry. Last night, Spencer admitted he’d come home from school early, but he had no idea Spencer had deceived Trina in that way. She says, his son is walking through the world like he can do whatever he wants. And Nikolas, as the adult, needs to shut that down. Nikolas says he’s truly sorry, and she says, next time he sees his son, let him know if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay away from her daughter. I smell a romance in the works.

Sonny says, being home has been an adjustment, and asks Phyllis, what’s the deal with the Tan-O? She says she filed a claim with insurance, but the adjuster is still investigating, so the wait is on. He asks if she wants to rebuild, but she’s not sure. Without Lenny, she feels a bit at sea. He says, it didn’t help that he took off, but she says, he needed to get back to his family. He says he considers Phyllis family; whatever she needs, he’s there for her. She says he doesn’t owe her anything, but he says she saved his life. The least he can do is put her up, there or at the MetroCourt. And he’s not taking no for an answer. She says she appreciates that. She does have some unfinished business in town. He says she didn’t come just to see him? and she says, she came to see Nina.

Josslyn says she’s glad she ran into Nina. She holds up the journal, and asks if Nina recognizes it. Nina says, it’s the journal she gave Josslyn as a graduation present, and Josslyn says, she’d actually stopped writing, but didn’t tell Nina at the time because she was being polite. She tries not to cry, and says she started writing again after Nina gave it to her, and used it to process her feelings. She flips through it, and says, she wrote about Sonny’s funeral. She rips it out, and says, she wrote about the nights she heard her mom quietly sobbing. She tears that out too, and says, and she wrote about the good days where they still felt like a family. And the bad ones where all any of them could think about was missing Sonny. But Nina didn’t just lie to them, she lied to Josslyn’s father. He went to Nixon Falls to see her and try to win her back, but instead he got shot defending her and her friend. When Jax came to Nina, saying he thought he saw Sonny when he was on the gurney, and she lied and said he hadn’t. Nina deceived him too. She rips all the pages out, and says, it’s all there, updated as of last night. She’ll be keeping her thoughts, but this gift from Nina? She never wants to see it or Nina again. She hands the journal to Nina.  

Cameron says he has to get back inside, but Esme says, Spence needs him. He just lost his father, and now he’s lost Cameron too, and she can’t handle it. She doesn’t want to come between Spence and his real friends. That’s what he calls Cameron and Josslyn. They’re his real friends, and Spence is hers.

Trina tells Ava, she started off really liking Victor, but he was just a put-on, a façade. She can’t believe she let Spencer play her like that. She’ll never trust him again after what he did to Ava. Ava says, she’s not encouraging Trina to have a relationship with Spencer – far from it. She appreciates Trina’s loyalty, but what happened between her and Spencer is between them. Trina is free to do her. Spencer calls out for his father, and walks into the room. Trina gives him that look. You know the one.

Cameron tells Esme that Spencer hasn’t lost him; he’s still Spencer’s cousin. He really dislikes what Spencer did to his father, Ava, and Trina, but he doesn’t hate Spencer. She asks, what about Joss? and he says, she’s mad, but she’s also the kindest person he knows. He’s sure she’ll move past it. Esme says Cameron is such a good guy, when Josslyn comes out of Kelly’s. It looks like she’s not liking what she sees.

Carly tells Britt, breakfast is on the house. She apologizes for interrupting Britt’s conversation with Spencer. Britt says, it’s okay; she’d already turned him down. He made himself a hell of a mess and she can’t fix it for him. She hopes he figures it out. He’s a good kid in spite of everything. Carly says, technically, he’s an adult, but when she was his age, she didn’t behave like one either. Britt says, even as adults, we don’t always behave as adults, and starts to leave, but Carly says she knows Britt has a lot going on; so does she. She’d like to clear the air between them, and asks if Britt is ready for some radical honesty. Britt says she’s ready if Carly is.

Phyllis says she still has things she needs to say to Nina, and Sonny wonders why Phyllis would still want to talk to her after everything she did. She caused Phyllis to lose the Tan-O. She says, she thought about all the horrible things Nina did to Sonny and his family, and the lives she endangered, including her own. But she also knows Nina’s heart. All the things Nina did for her and Lenny, and their town, even for Sonny as Mike. A person has to be in a lot of pain and confusion to balance all that love and desperation. Lenny always said she had a bleeding heart, and maybe she does, but she can’t write Nina off just yet. Can he?   

On Monday, Alexis tells Nikolas that it’s no time for him to turn his back on Spencer, Jax asks Shawn how something circles back to him, and Britt tells Carly, it’s not going to happen.

👑 She’ll Never Be Queen…

Kyle stands by her good friend. Unless things start going bad.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/06/kyle-richards-slams-camille-grammer-lisa-vanderpump-for-tom-girardi-claim/

She thinks they’re good.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/07/rhobh-reunion-where-kyle-richards-and-erika-jayne-stand/

She’ll walk away when they stop paying her.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/07/kyle-richards-will-eventually-walk-away-from-rhobh/

🔥 On the Barbie…

I’m sure she had an answer for everything, but I’ll be on the lookout for squirming.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/06/andy-cohen-grills-erika-jayne-in-rhobh-reunion-trailer/

🍸 Belle Of the South…

Good. Erika has no business trying to intimidate the weak one because things didn’t go as planned. And I agree that no woman should ever say that to another woman. Actually, I don’t think anyone should use that word ever. And I have a potty mouth. What can I say? I was raised by a sailor.

Southern Charm’s Patricia Altschul Slams Erika Jayne for Using C-Word Against Sutton at RHOBH Reunion, Says She’s “Team Sutton” as Sutton Reacts

😶 Can’t Read the Room…

I don’t even know what to say here.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/08/erika-jayne-denies-comparing-herself-to-jesus-christ/

💎 Don’t Fence Her In…

It would be a shame if Garcelle left. She’s the voice of reason, and of color.

Would RHOBH’s Garcelle Beauvais Return for Season 12? She Says …

🧹 On the Other Hand…

I’m all for LVP, Garcelle, and Sutton having a show.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/05/lisa-vanderpump-id-only-return-to-rhobh-if-they-cleaned-house/

⛪️ Meanwhile, In the Lake Of Salt…

Methinks they suddenly realized what a bad look it was.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/06/rhoslc-caterers-reveal-if-lisa-barlow-ruined-angie-hs-event/

Lisa tries to balance it with a good look.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/08/lisa-barlow-will-side-with-the-victims-if-jen-shah-is-found-guilty/

🗽 Still Clueless…

I hardly think there was a stigma attached to single working moms in 2010.

https://pagesix.com/2021/10/07/kelly-bensimon-teases-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-return/

⛺️ Downsizing…

I guess this is what happens when you do really, really stupid things.

EXCLUSIVE: Kristen Doute Lists L.A. Home for $1.3 Million After Firing From Vanderpump Rules

💤 Uninspired…

Are they really going to name it Schwartz and Sandy’s? Will they be serving egg creams?

https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/style-living/tom-sandoval-tom-schwartz-opening-a-new-restaurant-details

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/tom-schwartz-tom-sandoval-new-bar-lisa-vanderpump-reacts

🏠 Coming Back Home…

I loved the Homecoming show they did for Real World New York. I’m hoping this one is as good. I’d love to see San Francisco, but now that Pedro is gone, it would be sad. And I’m not sure if I could stomach Puck again.

https://ew.com/tv/real-world-homecoming-season-2-los-angeles-1993-cast/

🐅 Tiger Take Two…

I can’t imagine it topping, or even being equal to, the first one. I was mesmerized.

https://ew.com/tv/tiger-king-season-2-coming-to-netflix/

🧛🏻‍♀️ All In the Timing…

Why shouldn’t Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira have a memoir coming out when it’s almost Halloween? And who knew all this stuff? I can’t wait to read this.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/21/elvira-reveals-sexuality-wilt-chamberlain-encounter-more/

https://nypost.com/2021/09/23/elvira-reveals-photo-of-her-girlfriend-says-theyre-relieved/

🎃 23 Days To Halloween…

And so it begins.

https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes

📣 Quotes of the Week

A good friend will always stab you in the front. – Oscar Wilde

The cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea. – Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr

Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors. – Fred Rogers

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke

There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line. – Oscar Levant

Your dream is a reality that is waiting for you to materialize. Today is a new day! Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Learn from your past so that it can empower your present and propel you to greatness. – Steve Maraboli

You’re only as sick as your secrets. – AA saying

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. – Plato

👢 Walking Into the Weekend Like…

I have an early day tomorrow, but before we know it, it will be Dead time. Until then, stay safe, stay changing it up now and then, and stay believing them if someone shows you who they are.

Oct1

September 30, 2021 – Sonny Visits Nikolas, Don’t Worry, Reunion Rumble, No Expert, Pets Of the Famous & Trees

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly tells Jason, Nina knew the whole time Sonny was alive. They got married, and she knew. He says she can’t burn Nina’s life down, and she says, watch her. He says, why let Nina be the victim after all the hell she’s put everybody through? Carly says, Nina needs to pay, and he says, so stand back and let her pay the consequences. Let people hate her the way she deserves. Isn’t it more satisfying that she loses everything and has only herself to blame? She says, fine; she’ll back off. She asks why he’s looking at her, and he says he wants her to mean what she’s saying right now. She says she gets it. If she goes after Nina, Nina will make her out to be the bad guy, and she can’t go down that road again. Nina is so lucky that Jason got there. He says, Josslyn told him, so he had her phone tracked. She says, Josslyn must be so worried and confused, and he says, Josslyn’s exact words were that she was meddling, but she was concerned things might escalate. She says, Josslyn was right. Can he believe Nina knew Sonny was alive? He says, Sonny told him, and was going to tell her. She says she can’t believe what’s happening. She has to go. He asks where she’s going, and she promises not to go anywhere near Nina, and walks out past Ned, slamming the door. Ned asks Jason, what happened? Or is it about to happen?

Alexis finds Shawn in the library setting up the checkerboard. He says she owes him a rematch. She sits down and says she doesn’t know what the point is; he’s going to lose. She has an idea. Why doesn’t he tell her what’s going on with Hayden’s investigation? He said they were a good team. He says, this might come as a surprise to her, but they don’t always have to be on a mission. He says maybe he’s just here for the company, but she says, maybe the company doesn’t find it very exciting to keep beating him at checkers. So let her be his sounding board. Maybe she can help him find out who really tried to kill Hayden.

On the phone, Doc says, Laura coming home soon makes him happy. How are she and Martin getting along? Any sibling rivalry over the TV remote?… That’s good. Doc’s glad he knows his place… Spencer has settled back into Windymere. Hopefully he and Nikolas can smooth things over… He’s afraid not. Ava is still leaving Port Charles. Ava knocks at Doc’s office door, and says she hasn’t left yet. She still has some unfinished business.

Cameron asks what Spencer is talking about. What could he have possibly done to make him feel like he doesn’t deserve a relationship with his own father? He’s known Spencer a long time. He’s seen Spencer at his best, and seen him at his worst, and a lot of those times, the worst outweighed the best. He hopes Spencer knows, he’ll always be there for him, no matter what he’s done. Spencer says, it’s easy for Cameron to say. He’s been in boarding school in Europe while Cameron and Josslyn were at PC High. He’s changed; they all have. Cameron says, if Spencer wants to make a list, and compare the terrible things they’ve done, trust him, he’s in no position to judge. Spencer says Cameron might not, but Trina is a whole other story. Cameron tells him, who says she has to know? and Spencer asks if he can really make that promise. What about Josslyn? The three of them are pretty tight. Cameron says they only have to know what Spencer wants them to know. Spencer says he’s got to admit, it’s been killing him, when the doorbell rings. Cameron asks if Spencer is expecting anyone, and Spencer says, whoever it is, he’ll send them packing. Spencer opens the door, and Trina says, surprise.

Sonny asks how he can help Esme, and she introduces herself. Josslyn pops her head out from around the corner, and Esme says she thought Sonny would like to know Spencer is back in Port Charles. Sonny asks when Spencer arrived, and what he’s been up to, and Esme says, he came home early this summer to surprise his dad… and it’s been one eventful reunion. He asks if Spencer is in trouble, and she says, Spence isn’t, but his father might be. Josslyn watches.

Trina says she thought Spencer would be glad to see her, given their history. She says hi to Cameron, adding that she didn’t think he’d be there. Spencer wonders why security didn’t tell him she was arriving on the launch, and she says, they remembered she had VIP status from his party. They knew she’d always be welcome. Is she interrupting? Spencer says he and Cameron were just catching up. He’s always happy to see her, but why didn’t she call first? Cameron says, good question, and Trina says she needed to show Ava some documents before she took off for Bora Bora with Spencer’s dad. Spencer says, Ava’s not here. Neither is his father. It sounds like she should be looking for them at the airport.

Doc says Laura heard right. Ava just arrived, and it sounds like she’d like to have a talk… He will… Her too. He loves her. He tells Ava that Laura wishes her safe travels, and wants him to tell her that this isn’t goodbye. She expects Ava to return to Port Charles once the police find her stalker. Ava says, sounds like an excellent plan, and asks when Laura returns from her mayor business in DC. He says, soon. Is she sure she doesn’t want to wait and say goodbye in person? She says she can’t. She has a flight booked for London, and sublet a flat. The wheels are definitely in motion. He says he’s sure Laura will understand, and Ava says she stopped by to let him know the divorce papers are filed, and she’s said goodbye to Nikolas. He says, and Avery? She says, Avery is safe with Carly… and Sonny. She’s sure he’s heard about Sonny’s return. He says he has, and he’s very happy for Sonny’s family. She says, Avery is over the moon to have her daddy back. It makes leaving her a little bit easier. He says he does have some free time right now, if she’d like to talk about what’s going on, but she says she’s not there for counseling. She needs for him to make her a promise.

Alexis gives Shawn some coffee, and he asks if Sam knows she wants to be a private investigator. She says she doesn’t have to be a private investigator. She used to be a lawyer, and she’s a Cassadine. She has a very unique perspective on the criminal mind. He says, and he’s worked with criminals for years, not to mention being locked up with them. He thinks he has a similar perspective. She says she sees where this is going. He’s afraid she’s going to get all this information, share it with TJ and Molly, and they’re going to go off on another crusade. He says, that’s a very real consideration. Speaking of Molly and TJ, they’re never home. He thought maybe they’d share dinner once in a while, watch a movie on TV. He microwaves a mean bag of popcorn. She says, nice deflection. What is it he’s trying so hard not to tell her? He knows how she is, and he knows she’s not going to let it go. He says, Jordan’s been injured, and she says she’s sorry; what happened? He says she was trying to help him. Things went sideways. She asks, how? and he says, she was helping him look into Naomie Dreyfuss’s murder. They found a passenger, Roger Barstow, who sat next to her on the plane back to Port Charles. She asks if that was helpful, and he says, Jordan went to interview him at his home. Just as she arrived, who should show up but Curtis and Portia. She asks what they were doing there, and he says, following their own lead. Curtis is helping Sam look into whether Drew is still alive, and if he is, what happened to him. She says, so his investigation and their investigation led to the same house. He says, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Ned asks Jason, so Nina knew Sonny was alive, and just kept visiting Wiley there at Michael’s house, and didn’t say a word? Jason says, that’s why Carly slammed out. Now he knows. Ned says he can only imagine how Michael and Willow will feel. They gave Nina a lot of time with her grandson, which she clearly didn’t deserve. She’s disrupted a lot of lives, Jason’s included. What happens to Jason now that Sonny’s back?

Did Nina make secret visits to Wiley? Because I only remember her visiting once since she went to Nixon Falls, and they’re acting like she was practically hanging out there all summer.

Jax opens the door to Carly, who stomps in, asking, what the hell was he thinking? He says he guesses she spoke to Nina, and she says, he knew Sonny was alive, and conspired with Nina… He says he didn’t conspire. He wasn’t part of Nina’s lies. She says he knew Sonny was in Nixon Falls, but he says he had a hunch; he didn’t know for sure. She says he should have told her about the hunch. She was getting married. He says they’d been fighting so much lately, if he had come to her and said he thought Sonny was alive, she would have accused him of preventing her from marrying Jason. She says he’s been trying to control how she lives her life, and he says, in what universe does Sonny not being home further his agenda? Does she honestly think he wants her with Sonny or Jason? She makes a mean, stupid face at him, and shakes her head.

Sonny asks how Nikolas is in trouble, and Esme says, it involves Mr. Cassadine and his wife, Ava Jerome. He says he knows; they’re divorced. She says, of course (🍷) he would know. He and Ms. Jerome co-parent their daughter Avery, right? She’s sure he thinks it’s none of her business, but Spence adores that little girl. The last thing she wants is for Spence to get hurt. Sonny asks, why would he? and she says she overheard Mr. Cassadine talking on the phone. It sounded like he and Ava plan to leave Port Charles today, and take Sonny’s daughter Avery with them. Josslyn leans back against the wall, and says, she wishes she could hear them.

Carly tells Jax, she loves Sonny. She never would have married Jason if she knew Sonny was alive; he knows that. He says he didn’t have time to tell her. Everything he did in Nixon Falls was to help bring Sonny home to her and the family. She asks how he even knew Sonny was in Nixon Falls, and he says it’s going to sound crazy. Does she remember when Josslyn and Trina came looking for him in Nixon Falls? Trina happened to bring home a homemade jar of marinara sauce she picked up from a bar there. Josslyn used that sauce to make him dinner the other night, and she thought it tasted exactly the way Sonny used to make it. She says, he thought Sonny was in a bar in Nixon Falls, making sauce? like this is the worst thing in the world, but he says, no. Remember the first time he was there, and he got shot? When he was on the gurney, and they were about to put him in the ambulance, he thought he saw Sonny. She asks why he didn’t tell her and Josslyn? and he says, because Nina convinced him that he was hallucinating. Carly raises her fists and grits her teeth, saying, Nina’s lied to him for months. Why isn’t he more angry? Ha! She’s such a piece of work. Because she’s more angry, everyone should be. And all the faces she makes. Ugh.

Shawn tells Alexis, because of the gas she inhaled in Barstow’s basement, Jordan’s remaining kidney was compromised. She needs outpatient treatment in a clinic in Albany that specializes in nephrology. She says, poor Jordan, but it’s good Portia is making a full recovery. She has questions. What’s the connection between Dreyfuss and Barstow, and who is the man Curtis chased into the woods, and does Shawn think he could have killed Barstow? And how does Drew’s plane crash relate to all this? He says he can’t answer any of those questions. Although they do have a tenuous connection between Roger Barstow and Drew Cain’s plane crash. She asks what it is, and he says, the Creighton-Clark clinic.

Doc pulls out a chair for Ava, and says he’s at her service. What kind of promise would she like him to make? She sits, and says, he knows how deep Nikolas’s emotions run – they’re either in a very good place, or a very bad place. Doc says, right now, he’s in a bad place because he’s losing his wife, and she says she’s hoping her absence allows him to work on his relationship with Spencer, because she won’t be around for him to worry about anymore. He says, sometimes the absence of a loved one just makes you miss them more, and she says, like he misses Laura? She is a bit worried about Nikolas. Can he look out for Nikolas? Just make sure he doesn’t give in to his darker impulses?

Josslyn takes a photo of Esme talking to Sonny. Sonny asks if Esme heard Nikolas say he’s taking off with Avery, and she says, he was booking a first class flight to Bora Bora for himself, Miss Jerome, and Sonny’s daughter. She’s sure he thinks he’s protecting Avery from the stalker, but she thought Sonny should know. He says she was right to come to her with this. Thanks for filling him in. He leaves, and Josslyn comes out, and looks at Esme.   

Trina asks if Spencer’s dad told him that he and Ava kissed and made up, but Spencer says, Cameron did. Cameron says, after Trina told him that he booked first class reservations for Nikolas and Ava, he assumed Nikolas had already told Spencer. Trina says, Ava already told her, and she was so excited. Spencer’s phone rings, and he says he has to get this. Trina says, it’s not his dad, is it? but Spencer says he thinks his dad is too busy flirting with Ava to remember he has a son. Privacy please. Trina and Cameron go to the entryway, Cameron closing the door behind them. Trina asks what Cameron is doing there. He was supposed to tell Spencer the lie about Bora Bora, then leave. Thereby giving Spencer the freedom to leave Windymere, and them the freedom to tail him. The way this is going, they might never find out if he’s Ava’s stalker.

Spencer asks Esme, where are you? She says, relax. She took care of things. Daddy dearest won’t be taking off to Bora Bora with the wicked wife. He asks, why not? and she says she told him that she took care of things. He says, what did she do?

Ava tells Doc, for two people who started off manipulating one another, she and Nikolas formed a very strong bond. He says, some might even call it love, and she says, maybe it’s the difference in their backgrounds. She’s much more pragmatic. She hates leaving, but knows it’s something she has to do. She knows she’ll miss her life there, especially Avery. Of course (🍷) she’ll miss Nikolas. She’s sure she’ll probably shed a tear or two, but she knows she’ll be all right. Nikolas isn’t like that. He’s not used to compromise, to having to adjust. She’s worried that once the reality of her absence sets in, he won’t react well. That’s why she needs Doc to look after him. Doc asks, who’s going to look after her? and she says she’ll look after herself. She won’t be anybody’s victim. Never again. She thanks him for everything, and tells Doc, take good care of him. And please give that beautiful wife of his a hug. She hugs Doc, and he says he will. He tells her to take care too.

Shawn tells Alexis, Roger Barstow worked in the records department at Creighton-Clark. Drew was there for at least six months. Curtis thought there might be something in the records tied to Drew’s disappearance. Portia went with him, hoping her doctor status would encourage Barstow to share files. Alexis says, instead, Jordan found him murdered in the basement, and Shawn says he wishes he could find out if Barstow working at the clinic is relevant to him sitting next to Naomie on the plane. Or is it just some bizarre coincidence? She says, he told her they bought their plane tickets together. That doesn’t strike her as a coincidence. He says he’s more interested in her reaction when he mentioned Creighton-Clark, and she says, Drew was her former son-in-law. He says, of course (🍷). She would have heard mention of the clinic, and know Robin was instrumental in his escape. She says, there’s that, but it turns out she has a more direct family connection to Creighton-Clark.

Cameron says, what is he still doing there? What is Trina doing there in the first place? That was not part of the plan. She says she had to improvise when Joss left to tail Esme, and there was no sign of him at the pier. He says, Spencer was about to tell him something really important, and she says, Spencer told Cameron that he was Ava’s stalker? He says, it was kind of heading in that direction. He didn’t say the words exactly, but she blew it the moment she walked in.

Spencer tells Esme not to play around. How did she take care of things between his father and Ava? Are they reconciled or aren’t they? She says, don’t worry about the minor details; focus on the big picture. His father is going to be convinced to stay in Port Charles by someone a lot more persuasive than him. He says, this is not making him feel better, but she says, it’s too late. She lit the match, and the fuse is burning. Oh, one more thing. The explosion happens at Windymere, and he doesn’t want to be around.

Doc sees Josslyn, and says, hello. He asks if everything is all right. Esme realizes Josslyn has been there.

Jason tells Ned, Sonny is back, so things just go back to normal. Ned says, and by normal, he means Carly and Sonny are still married, and Jason is once again Sonny’s loyal lieutenant. Jason says, pretty much, and Ned assumes Jason is thrilled, but doubts Jason’s mother will be. He knows she said she supported Jason and Carly being married. That’s because Jason told her that he was happy, and that’s all Monica wants for him. Still, he imagines she’ll be relieved that he and Carly are no longer husband and wife. Jason says, probably, and Ned says, the downside is Sonny’s back, a man she’s loathed since the day Jason started to work for him. Jason says, it was always his choice to work for Sonny, and Ned says Jason doesn’t need to defend Sonny. He is who he is. He did what he did. The point is, now he’s back, which means once again he’ll be calling the shots, while Jason will be taking all the risks. That has to be a nightmare for his mother.

Jax tells Carly, Nina made the wrong choice with good intentions. She thought she was protecting Sonny from his old life. She says, protecting Sonny? and he says, she thought he was happier in Nixon Falls. Carly laughs, and says, she’s a liar. She was doing it to protect Sonny, she was doing it to save her relationship with Wiley, when the fact is, Nina still blames her for what happened to Nelle, so this is payback, plain and simple. He says, it’s true that Nina was traumatized by everything that happened to Nelle, but was she really wrong about Sonny’s safety? He heard a limo blew up outside of her wedding, and a couple of mobsters got killed. She asks if he’s seriously saying this to her right now? Is he kidding her? He says he’s not talking about Sonny’s physical safety in Nixon Falls. He was happier there mentally, and Nina saw that. Carly says, so she should go thank Nina?

Jax says Carly wasn’t in Nixon Falls. She didn’t see Sonny’s life there. It was simpler, less complicated. He was a guy named Mike. He worked behind the bar, and took care of… She tells him, stop. He saw what he wanted to see. He’s hated Sonny for 25 years. He’s hated how powerful Sonny is, how arrogant he is. She’s sure nothing made him happier than seeing Sonny humbled, tending bar somewhere. (Good Lord, here she goes again, looking down on normal people.) He asks if she honestly believes that his only issues with Sonny are about his ego. She knows how much he hates that Sonny’s business puts Josslyn at risk, and his return might make her life even more dangerous. Carly says, it will make Josslyn’s life safer, because there won’t be any question about who’s in charge of the business. He says, if it makes her feel better, he gave Nina an ultimatum, that if she didn’t tell Sonny who he was, he was going to do it. She says, he trusted the person who’s been lying for nine months to step up and tell the truth, and he says, Sonny’s home, isn’t he? She says, because he was trapped in a fire, and almost died. He remembered everything on his own. No thanks to Jax, and no thanks to Nina. He says, believe what she wants. It’s her life, and he doesn’t want any part of it.

Shawn asks what’s the family connection Alexis has to Creighton-Clark, and she says, her Uncle Victor ran the clinic for some time. He asks if she can get in touch with her uncle, but she says, not without holding a séance. Last she heard, he was pretty dead. He was killed when the clinic was destroyed; shot, she believes. Shawn says, another roadblock they can’t seem to get around, and she says, at the time, Victor was director of the WSB. He took over the Bureau from the inside and used it for his own ends. Her understanding is that the details are classified, but if she were Shawn, she’d contact Anna or Robert. They could probably tell him more. Ava walks in.   

The doorbell at Windymere rings, and Cameron says, if it’s Josslyn and Esme, he gives up. He opens the door, and it’s Sonny with a couple of thugs in suits (sounds like a good name for a band). Trina tells him, welcome back; it’s good to see him. Cameron seconds that, and he says it’s good to see them too. He’s sure Josslyn relied heavily on both of them while he was gone. Is Spencer’s father around? Spencer asks, who’s at the door? and smiles to see Sonny. He hugs Sonny, and Sonny asks if he gets tired of people telling him that he’s all grown up. Spencer asks if Sonny gets tired of hearing people welcome him back from the dead. He looks pretty good for a guy who has a headstone at Woodlawn. Sonny says he has nine lives, and Spencer says he’d thought Sonny used them all up. He can’t believe Sonny is there, in the flesh. When he heard Sonny passed away, he knew he had to come home. He realized life’s too short not to spend it with his family. Sonny asks if his father is there, but Spencer says, he guesses Nikolas is already on his jet, or in Bora Bora. Sonny’s guess is as good as his.

Esme says hi to Josslyn. She didn’t realize Josslyn was right behind her. Esme says it’s nice to see Doc, and he says he hopes nothing serious brought her there. She says, just visiting a friend, like she has a lot of those in Port Charles. Josslyn tells Doc that she was having her ankle checked; it’s all good. He says he’s glad, and he and Laura are very happy to hear Sonny is alive. Laura can’t wait to see him when she comes home. Josslyn thanks him, and says, Sonny can’t wait to see Laura either. He says he’s sure they’ll be in touch. He starts to leave, but Esme asks him if he has as second. She and Spencer are auditing classes at PCU, and she’s in a Cognitive Psych class. She’d love to pick his brain. He says, since Cognitive Psychology directs us within, she could pick her own brain, and let him know what she finds. She says, deal, and he leaves. She turns to Josslyn, and asks why it looked like Josslyn was sneaking up on her. Josslyn asks what she was talking to Sonny about.  

Jason says, Monica doesn’t need to worry about him, and Ned says, maybe Jason believed that once upon a time, but he’s a father now. If Jake or Danny came to him, and said they were going to do something incredibly dangerous, he wouldn’t need to worry? Would he worry any less? Jason says, no, and Ned says, in fact, Jason might worry more if he knew that child had no fear for their own safety. That they would run, not walk, to put their life on the line so Sonny Corinthos could turn a profit. Jason says he works for Sonny because he wants to. Sonny is his friend, the work suits him, he’s good at it; it’s his choice. Ned says, given the amount of times Jason has been arrested or injured, Jason can see how that choice would be tough on a mother. Jason says he does, and Ned says, and the rest of the family for that matter.

Jax tells Carly, he might not be responsible for Sonny’s return, but he played a part in it. One he may live to regret, so she’s welcome. She says, he’s expecting a thank you? Go to hell. She knows what the hell is going on here. Jax is protecting Nina because he cares about her, and wants her back. Even though she’s been lying for the past nine months. Keep sticking up for her. He says, the irony in all of this is, when he told Nina that she had to come clean, and had to tell Sonny who he was, she accused him of sticking up for Carly. He can’t win with either one of them. She says, poor Jax. It’s a shame he can’t get Nina back. He says, that’s never going to happen. She’s moved on.

Ava asks if she’s interrupting a game. Who’s playing? Alexis says, she was going to win anyway, so they don’t even bother playing. She heard Ava was encamping in London, and Ava says, Nikolas told her. Alexis says, he’s heartbroken about the divorce, and she’s assuming he’s not the only one. Ava says, he’s not, but she doesn’t have a choice. She has to keep her daughter safe. Alexis points to Ryan, and says she’s been doing her best to keep an eye on this psycho, but from what she can tell, he doesn’t seem to be faking his locked-in condition. Ava thanks her, and says, the sad fact is, she’s no closer now to knowing who the stalker is, than she was on Valentine’s Day when she got that first creepy gift. Alexis asks if Ava’s made all her arrangements, and Ava says, the gallery is taken care of, Kristina agreed to manage Charlie’s, she’s said all her goodbyes… All but one. She glares at Ryan.

Esme says she was talking to Josslyn’s stepfather about a family matter, and Josslyn says, she’s not family. Esme says, Spence is, and Josslyn says, and that concerns Esme how? Esme says, Mr. Corinthos has relationships with other people in Port Charles. It’s not really a good look for Josslyn, acting territorial about her stepfather. She’s at a loss here. She’s only ever wanted to be Josslyn’s friend. The way Josslyn and Trina have been treating her has really hurt her feelings. Why don’t they like her? Josslyn tell her, cut the crap, Es. Her innocent act may work with Spencer, but Josslyn is on to her. Oh, and if whatever she’s planning involves Josslyn’s family, Esme’s feelings will be the least of her problems.

Spencer leads Sonny into the drawing room, and says he’ll try to call his father again. Maybe he’ll pick up this time. Sonny says he can’t believe Trina and Cameron are in college, and he missed their graduation. Did they have fun? Cameron says, they did… mostly. There was actually some unexpected drama at Trina’s party. Sonny asks, what kind of drama? when Nikolas walks in. He says, Sonny, and Spencer says he’s been calling. Nikolas says his phone was on silent. Is everything okay? Sonny says he’s glad he caught Nikolas before he left. If the kids will excuse them, they have a lot of catching up to do.

Ned says, they may not spend a lot of time together, but they all care what happens to Jason. Jason says he can’t promise to change the way he does business, but he’s not a pissed off 20 year old anymore. He does take into consideration that he has people who care about him, and want him to be safe, and he does everything he can to stay that way. Ned says, that’s all they can ask, and Jason says he’ll stop by the hospital, and tell Monica what’s going on. Ned says, that’s a great idea. He’s sure Monica will want to see him. Jason thanks him for speaking up, and Ned says, it’s kind of his job, to speak for the Quartermaines. Like it or not, Jason is still one of them. Jason says he knows, and leaves. Ned sighs, probably catching that from Jason.

Esme says, between her classes, volleyball, and cute boyfriend, she’s surprised Josslyn has the time to be worried about her. But since she seems a tad obsessed, she’ll give Josslyn some advice. Minding her own business is great; minding Esme’s will cost her. She walks away, and Josslyn says, poor Spencer. He’s got no idea who Esme is. Apparently Esme has no idea who Sonny is either.  

Ava goes to Ryan, and bends down so her face is level with his. She says she has no idea how he managed it, but she knows he’s got something to do with whoever is stalking her. And he’s won, for now. She’s leaving town, but she’s making it her mission to discover the truth. And when she does, he’ll rue the day she returns to Port Charles. Shawn tells Alexis, he can only imagine the brimstone and hellfire Ava is pouring into Ryan’s ear. Alexis says, he deserves it, and Shawn says, no argument here. She says, let’s get back to Creighton-Clark. If there’s a link between Naomi’s murder and Drew’s disappearance, then Sam’s investigation just got a lot more dangerous. He says he sees where it might concern Alexis, and she says, this somehow leads back to the Cassadines. It always does. They need to figure out how, before even more people get killed.

Jax asks, what exactly did Nina tell Carly about her life in Nixon Falls? Carly says, that she knew Sonny was alive and well the whole time, and she kept it a secret from her and his family. Why? What else does Nina know? What else is she holding back?

Spencer walks outside with Trina and Cameron, and Trina wonders if it’s her, or did the room temperature drop when Sonny saw Nikolas. Cameron says he knows what she means, but Spencer says, it’s just her. Trina’s phone dings, and she looks at it, concerned. Spencer asks, what’s going on?  

Nikolas asks what Sonny means about catching him before he left. He’s not going anywhere. Sonny’s thugs stand on either side of Nikolas, and Sonny says, no, he’s not. Not if he has anything to say about it.

Tomorrow, Maxie asks why Nina thinks Sonny hasn’t mentioned it, Ava tells someone to consider themselves warned, and Sonny says he’s not leaving until he and Nikolas have an understanding.

👯‍♂️ Still BFFs…

I had no clue anyone was concerned. I know I wasn’t.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/are-gina-kirschenheiter-emily-simpson-still-friends-rhoc

⚔️ Battle Not-So-Royale…

Of course she fought with Andy. She has to stay relevant, and there are only so many times we can talk about how addled Tom is and how many times her son’s car rolled.

REPORT: Erika Jayne Fought With Andy Cohen at RHOBH Reunion as Garcelle and Lisa Battled About Race, Plus Erika Asks for More Time to Respond to $25 Million Lawsuit

🩺 Paging Dr. Vicki…

As the guy said in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I’m not dead yet. However, it’s true that everyone who gets the vaccine is going to die. So will everyone who doesn’t.

https://pagesix.com/2021/09/25/vicki-gunvalson-told-housewives-theyd-die-from-covid-vaccine/

But really, I’d believe medical advice from someone who was fooled by pseudo cancer patient Brooks for years?

https://pagesix.com/2021/09/24/vicki-gunvalson-seemingly-avoids-nyc-indoor-dining-vaccine-mandate/

🐶 Never Enough…

Something fun to end the day. Or begin it.

https://www.whowhatwear.com/celebrities-and-their-pets

👓 I’ll Be Seeing You…

Tomorrow, overpriced real estate, soap, tea, and valuable words. Until then, stay safe, stay bold, and stay focused on the big picture. Unless Esme is involved. Then run.