What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…

Monday:

Isaiah told Willow that he hoped the ER was going to be quiet tonight. Trina looked at missed calls as she pondered her turtle dove. Kai knocked at the door, but she said she needed to be alone. Sasha looked at her sonogram, when Tracy called her. She needed tea. Gio came in and Tracy asked if he’d seen any government officials or anyone with a bulldozer. Brook asked what she was up to. Martin visited Laura and said they should focus on the positive. Things were starting to look up for their family. Jason told Sonny that the trip wasn’t entirely a success. Carly downed a glass of champagne, when Jack came out of the shower, and Valentin skulked around the door in the hallway.

Jason told Sonny that Valentin had sent the text about Charlotte. His plan was to give Charlotte to her mother. The WSB kill squad showed up and they’d protected Valentin. Sonny asked where Valentin was, but Jason didn’t know. Sonny said now the whole family could now start to heal. Sasha made a pot of peppermint tea and said Tracy was securing the family. Gio said Chase had just been doing his job, but maybe there was a way for Tracy to make the law work for her, and Tracy left for a previous engagement. Kai said after his injury he needed to be alone too, but when Trina was ready to not be alone, he’d show up for her the way she did for him. He left a giftbag, but she opened the door and said maybe she didn’t want to be alone after all. Laura thought it was a good time for Martin and Lulu to get to know one another, but it was going to be an uphill battle. Martin said he’d remain cautiously optimistic, when there was a knock at the door. It was Anna, who said she’d come over a federal matter. She’d brought Marshal Thompson to serve an arrest warrant for Martin. Jack and Carly kissed and she said she would have regretted not giving them a chance. Valentin listened at the door.

Brook thanked everyone for being patient with Tracy. The insanity with the crypt was getting to her. Sasha said it was creepy, distasteful, and disrespectful, like Drew. Tracy visited her parents at least three times a week. Brook said Tracy felt close to her parents and brother there, and Chase said Drew didn’t have to do this. He was only doing it to hurt Tracy. Brook said, because she was trying to get back the family name, and Gio said she was trying to protect her family. Brook said, Drew picked a fight with the wrong broad. Anna said she was there to make sure things were handled appropriately when Martin was taken into custody. He was in arrears with alimony payments in California where he was being extradited. Trina told Kai about not celebrating her last birthday. Spencer had died in January of last year and the loss was still fresh. This year was genuinely a good surprise and she was happy to see everybody, but when she opened Emma’s gift, everything came crashing back. She felt like she was moving on, but the grief would sneak up on her in ways she didn’t expect. She showed him the inscription in the book Spencer had given her – To Trina and Our Shared Passion, Spencer. Sonny told Jason that he had no updates from Brick. It was one dead end after another. Jason said no one was perfect and they’d find the guy soon when he made a mistake, and Sonny said they had to take him out asap. Jason asked about Michael, and Sonny said Carly had spoken to him. He was doing better, but it was going to be a long road. There was nothing he could do about Drew or Willow, but whoever hurt Michael was going to pay. Jason said the incendiary device wasn’t anything the Five Families (alfredo sauce) ever used, and Sonny still thought Sidwell was involved. Carly said the champagne was so good. The vintage was new, something they hadn’t had in the hotel wine cellar before. Jack realized the label was removeable and knocked the glass out of Carly’s hand. She suddenly didn’t feel good and collapsed. Valentin jetted.

Sonny said Sidwell coming to Port Charles just before the bombing was suspicious, and he’d also thrown his hat in with Drew to push Sonny out of the waterfront. Jason didn’t think it made sense, and Sonny asked who else Jason knew with reason to come after him. Jason said few had access to that technology. Anna said it was typically used in the intelligence community, not military or homemade. Either someone bought it off the books… Sonny said, or someone in the intelligence community wanted to take him out. What about Jack Brennan? At the hotel, Jack called 911. Trina told Kai how Spencer could be a jerk. Most of his attitude came from protecting his heart that had been broken by his dad. Given the chance, he was thoughtful, perceptive, and could be hurt easily. When they decided to be an us, they realized they had to protect themselves from everything outside of them. Gio told Sasha that Tracy was tough, but meant well… most of the time. If Sasha didn’t feel the same way, she wouldn’t put up with so much. When the baby got here, she was going to be a real part of the family. Sasha said, on nights like tonight, she thought it might not be such a bad thing. Chase said Brook and Tracy had a lot in common, and Brook said until last night she’d have sworn she had more in common with Gloria, but she was wrong. Laura asked to speak with Martin and told him that she’d thought he had an understanding with his ex-wives. He said he assumed things were civil and he wasn’t behind, but maybe he came into a substantial amount of money with the sale of Valentin’s house. Tracy came in singing and said she thought she’d stop to say hi to Lulu, and Martin said she was behind this arrest. Tracy said, of course (🍷).

Carly went to the hospital and Jack gave whatever details he had. Isaiah took her to Trauma One, and on the phone, Jack said he needed two agents at the hospital and a lab tech for poison identification. He called someone else and said he needed them at GH – now. Sonny and Jason determined it wasn’t Jack, and they had to keep their options open. Sonny asked Jason to talk to Anna. He said Sasha’s pregnancy and safety was important to him, and Jason was connected to the both of them. Make sure he took good care of her. Jason promised he would and left. Chase asked what was going on with Brook and Gloria, and Brook said it was about her pregnancy in high school. She thought it was a secret just between her and Lois, but Lois told her grandma. She should have kept it between them or told her that her grandma knew. Chase asked how she found out and she said, from Lulu. All she knew was, her mom was talking to Martin and Lulu found his notes. Chase wondered if Lois was trying to find Brook’s child. Anna said she was sorry, but had to leave. Tracy said she’d made a phone call, took a shot, and it panned out. She overheard Lucy bragging about her windfall commission on Valentin’s house with Martin as fiduciary. She figured he’d want to squirrel away the payment from his exes. He said he just hadn’t declared it yet and he had one ex that made Blair Cramer look like a teddy bear. They were married in Los Angeles and it was bad. Could Laura help? Laura asked what they had to do to make this go away. Trina told Kai about Esme and how she got pregnant by Spencer’s father. She told him about being accepted by the Sorbonne and going to Paris with Spencer. They were going to get an apartment there. For a moment, they had everything they’d ever dreamed of, then Esme showed up to kill her, but Spencer died saving her life.

Jack gave the bottle to his tech to be tested for toxin and said he wanted a team at the MetroCourt to analyze the security footage. He wanted a guard at Carly’s room. If anyone got past the guard and the guard wasn’t dead, Jack would kill him himself. Isaiah said they had Carly stabilized, but couldn’t do much without knowing what the poison was. Jack said he was working on it and Willow wanted to call Sonny, but Jack said no one got in without his authorization. Tracy said there was nothing to be done. Martin had paved the way for Drew to uproot her family from their final resting place, and there were consequences for that. This was one of them. Laura said Martin had no issue with Tracy’s family, and Martin said her conflict was with Drew, but Tracy said it was with anyone who messed with her family, including aiding and abetting. Laura said it was Drew who made it part of public record. The first thing Edward taught her was that everything was a negotiation which was all Martin wanted to do, and Drew was the driving force behind all of this. Brook told Chase that Lois confessed and Gloria knew the entire time. They’d been keeping a secret from her and weren’t who she thought they were. Chase said they were the same flawed people who always loved her, but Brook said they were the people keeping things from her… and she realized she was doing the same thing to him. Kai said Spencer had been part of Trina and the more he knew her, the more he wanted to know. It was like the painting she’d first shown him. The more he got to know the light and dark parts of her, the more striking she became. They kissed.

Kai gave Trina the giftbag to open when she was ready. He thanked her for telling him about Spencer and left. She immediately looked in the bag, as we all would, and took out a framed photo of them at the painting date. Laura suggested they all take a step back from the brink and Martin said he wasn’t never going to let drew go through with it. Tracy said it was a battle he’d have lost, and Martin said the law was on Drew’s side. Tracy said she was done and told the marshal to do his job, and he arrested Martin. Brook didn’t want to keep any secrets from Chase, but he said there was nothing she could say that would change his love for her. She told him, the baby’s father was… is Dante. When Jason got back to the Quartermaines’, Sasha said they had to talk about the baby. Isaiah and Willow worked on Carly, and he said they needed to know what she’d ingested now. Anna came to the hospital per Jack’s call, and he told her what happened. He was awaiting the results of the bottle being tested. He got a call and asked if they were sure. He told Anna it was polonium poisoning. Valentin skulked around his old house and went inside in the dark. He found a box and took out his passport (probably one of many) as well as Charlotte’s. Sonny came out with a gun and asked if he forgot something.

 Tuesday:

Valentin was getting his and Charlotte’s passport out of the hiding spot, when Sonny came in with a gun and asked if he forgot something. Carly was fading, and Jack found out there were traces of polonium in the champagne. There was a cure, but it had to be synthesized as needed. Anna said she had this, and called Robin. She said Isaiah needed her help, and handed him the phone. She told Isaiah that Robin had developed the antidote. Lucas woke up in his hotel room bed and Marco asked how he was feeling. Bryce found Josslyn, who was reading up on Easter Island so she’d know how to answer questions about her fake trip. She needed a backstory for the photos sent on her phone by the agent who was actually there. Apparently, she was having a grand old time. Bryce said if she was bored, they could send her home. Brook told Chase that it was one summer and she and Dante were dumb kids. Those people didn’t exist anymore. Chase said they did. She had a baby with Dante, something they’d never have. Sasha told Jason about her check up and said the baby was fine, but Michael was at risk. Sonny said Valentin was a trespassing fugitive which made it easy to shoot him.

Brad called Stella and told her that he blew it and needed her help. Lucas wondered what happened after the kiss, which he was mortified about, and asked if they’d done anything. Marco said he just made sure Lucas got back safe after Lucas threw up on him. Brook said she and Chase would be parents; biology didn’t make a family. Chase said it changed everything that Dante was the father, and Brook said she was sorry about all of it. Chase wanted to know everything, and she said she and Dante were wild as teenagers. They were sent to camp to keep them out of trouble. They were counselors in training and she was homesick, so Dante would sneak over after lights out and they would talk. It felt like a piece of home. One night they kissed and one thing led to another. Cody covered for them and drove her to the bus station after she found out she was pregnant. Anna told Jack that Robin was on the phone with Isaiah, and he said the WSB was synthesizing the antidote and would send it asap.

Josslyn told Bryce that his routine was getting old. She’d passed all the tests and took him down multiple times while sparring. He said the biggest challenge was mental and he wasn’t sure she could handle it. This was her life now and she had to get used to telling a good story. Sasha told Jason that Willow had lost her mind and thought moving in with Drew wasn’t problematic. If Willow found out about the baby, she’d use it to shut Michael out of the kids’ lives and they couldn’t let that happen. Sonny asked what Valentin wanted and asked why Valentin had tampered with his medication. Valentin said he was under orders from Jack Brennan. Jack wanted Port Charles under the control of the WSB and Pikeman and wanted Sonny out of the way. It was the most efficient way to neutralize him, and Valentin didn’t have the freedom to refuse. It was just business. Sonny said he understood, but didn’t care.

Brad said he’d told Lucas the truth, and Stella said honesty didn’t guarantee acceptance. He said Lucas wasn’t angry, but disappointed, and she said she was proud of him for his honesty. Brook said she felt like God was punishing her for being stupid and careless, but Chase said, Dante was just as responsible. She said she knew she couldn’t be a kid raising a kid, and the baby deserved better. He said it was the right move, and Brook said Olivia had made a different choice, but she didn’t want that for her life. Keeping the baby would have ruined all three of their lives, and she took the burden of knowing he existed. Chase said he thought she didn’t know the gender and she said, Lulu told her. Chase wondered if Lulu kept her mouth shut about anything. All he wanted was for them to have a kid, and now she and Dante had a son. Did she love Dante? Lulu told Dante that she’d lost so much time with the kids, she wanted Rocco to live with her and Charlotte, but he said it might be asking too much. Sonny said he should have shot Valentin long ago. Valentin didn’t deserve to be a father. It was unforgiveable what Valentin did with his medication, and Diane would have no problem convincing the DA it was self-defense. Lulu and Dante would never have to worry about him again. Valentin said, maybe not, but Michael would. Carly was stabilized and Jack asked if he could see her. Isaiah said, sure, and left. Jack told Carly that he was afraid this would happen.

Lucas said he must have been pathetic for Marco to be so nice, but Marco said they kissed, and it was a good kiss. Lucas wondered why more didn’t happen, but Marco said Lucas was in no condition to give consent. Lucas thanked him for being so kind, and Marco asked how he was doing. Stella said, maybe someday Brad and Lucas could be friends, and Brad said even Lucas said they’d had something real. With Lucas’s love, he’d be a new man. He hung up before Stella could say anything else. Brook said, as a teenager, she didn’t know what real love was and didn’t know until she met Chase. She didn’t see Dante again for a year. It was a closed adoption and closed inside her. It was like the summer never happened when she saw Dante again, as they were dating other people. He asked if she was trying to get back Dante when Carly asked her to help break him and Lulu up. Jason told Sasha that Willow wouldn’t have a chance to get back at Michael. If that meant letting everyone think he was the father, so be it. She said it was important to protect Michael who wasn’t there to fight his own battles. Carly had told her what a great man he is. Would he be okay not telling Carly the baby was her grandchild? Valentin said everyone Sonny loved was in danger. He knew the device used was only used by governments and knew who planted the device. Put down the gun and they’d talk.

Marco got room service and said he wasn’t sorry he met Lucas. Lucas said he wished he could make it up to Marco, but was going home tomorrow. He asked if Marco was a professional good Samaritan, but Marco said, far from it. Jason said he hated not telling Carly the truth, but if they let her in, she’d never keep it a secret, so for now, she couldn’t know. Sasha said part of her wished Michael had been there for the sonogram. She showed Jason the sono photo. Brook told Chase, the ugly truth was, a part of her did it for the money, but she also wanted to see if Dante still had feelings for her. She wanted to rub it in Lulu’s face, but he and Lulu were solid. Chase said, who Dante cared for was all on him, and Brook said it had been nothing compared to what she felt for Chase. Dante told Lulu that he couldn’t just let Rocco go. It would be hard for Rocco too. Lulu said she felt Rocco needed her right now and also to be with Charlotte, and he said Drew was a selfish jerk for taking Scout with him when Sam wanted the kids to stay together. She asked if she was also a selfish jerk. Bryce said they’d provide back-up for Josslyn’s cover stories, but she’d have to sell them. She needed to accept that nothing about her life would be real. She said, of course (🍷) it would, but he said they’d only know her cover stories and it was a lonely life. It was easier to let people go than keep track of a phony life. She asked if he’d sacrificed his personal life for the job. Valentin told Sonny, the device had been manufactured for the WSB, but they weren’t necessarily the ones trying to kill Sonny. When he was in charge at Pikeman, a shipment of the devices went missing. He was tracking them down when the FBI came for him. He didn’t have the name of the person who wanted to kill Sonny, but he could make contact with the buyer.

Carly went into cardiac arrest (this time not due to digitalis) and Isiah used the defibrillator. Dante said Rocco’s life had changed, and Lulu said she wanted to get to know her son again. She didn’t think he’d fight her on it. He said he understood where she was coming from, but couldn’t she wait? She said they were still both grieving Sam, and Dante said he thought they could agree their son needed both his parents. Lulu said she didn’t disagree. Chase said, Dante would want to know, but Brook said the child was a grown adult and Dante would never stop looking. Chase said that’s what he would want, but she said it wasn’t him. He said it felt like it was, and she said he wanted it for Dante because he wanted it for himself. All she wanted was him. He said he was mad as hell, but she had him, and she said she was most worried about what was right for her and Dante’s son. It wasn’t right to upend his life, and it should be his decision. If he came looking, she’d tell Dante, but until then she wasn’t torturing Dante. He was happier not knowing. Marco said Lucas would have shown him the same kindness, and Lucas asked for his phone number to reimburse him for his dry-cleaning. Marco said Lucas didn’t need for that, but to call to tell Marco if he survived the hangover and was okay. Bryce said Josslyn wouldn’t survive if she didn’t toughen up, and Josslyn said he was still trying get her to quit. He said he was leveling with her, and she said she lied to the people closest to her, but wouldn’t be lying when she told them she loved them. And when she missed things, it would be because she was doing something worthwhile and protecting them. Valentin told Sonny that the man’s name was Selinsky. He’d been hired to take Sonny out, but the job wasn’t completed. Sonny could expect a retry. Sonny said, not if he got to Selinsky first. Valentin walked out and Sonny kept the gun pointed at him, but didn’t shoot. Jack gave the antidote to Isaiah just as alarms were going off.

Marco told Lucas not to forget to call, and Lucas said he wouldn’t. Marco left, and Brad came out from around the corner in the hallway. Chase said he and Brook were making decisions for Dante under the guise of protecting him, but he had the right to know. Brook said, nothing was more important than their son’s right to happiness and he asked if she didn’t want to know if he was actually happy. She said, of course (🍷). She had to believe he was, or she couldn’t go on. If he was unhappy, he’d look for his birth parents, and he hadn’t. Chase said, maybe he didn’t know he was adopted, but she said it wasn’t her place to drop it on him, or Dante’s. She knew it was unfair to ask him to keep such a huge secret from an important friend, but he had to promise Dante would never know about the baby. Valentin listened at Laura’s door and almost knocked, but hesitated. Josslyn said she got that the job would push her limits, but she was going to pass all of Bryce’s tests. He said he liked her attitude, but the tests never stopped coming. She would be challenged, pushed, and tested every day as an agent. She said, bring it on.

Jack asked for a minute alone with Carly, and Isaiah and Willow left. Anna asked Isaiah how Carly was, and he said she was stable, but they’d have to wait and see. Willow said she had to call Carly’s family, but Isaiah asked if she wanted the mother of Carly’s grandchildren to get arrested. That’s what would happen if she went against Brennan. Sasha and Jason looked at the sono photo, and Jason said he’d let Michael know that she and the baby were healthy. She asked if he thought he could get a copy of the sono to Michael, and he said he’d arrange it. Anna called Jason and told him, get to GH now. It’s Carly. He ran out. Jack took Carly’s hand when his phone rang. It was Sonny, but he ignored the call. He told Carly that he knew she could hear him. He knew how strong and stubborn she was and that she’d always fight like hell. He knew how happy she was when he told her that his father was a plumber because she liked knowing something no one else knew. He was going to tell her something else no one knew. He did have a heart, and it was all hers. He started to cry, and she opened her eyes.

Wednesday:

Nina found Willow at the hospital and said she wanted to talk somewhere the kids wouldn’t overhear. She thought Willow should reconsider moving in with Drew. Tracy went to see Drew and informed him that his attorney was on an airplane going to California with a special plus one – a federal marshal. At the PC Grill, Ava told her accountant that it was impossible. Run the numbers again. He said it was not only possible, it was her reality, and she asked, what about the loan from Nina? He said it helped, but wasn’t enough. She was still broke. Alexis showed up at the station and Cody said Tracy had given him Alexis’s card in case he was in trouble. She asked what kind of trouble he was in, and Molly said he’d been arrested for grand theft auto. On the phone with Brick, Sonny said he had a lead on the device found in the penthouse. They were looking for a pro – Selinsky – and he’d give Brick more information when he got it. There was a knock at the door, and Dante came in. He told Sonny that he might have just made a huge mistake. Valentin listened at Laura’s door, then used his key, but Laura came out of nowhere and said he wasn’t taking Charlotte with him. She wouldn’t let him. At the hospital, Carly asked Jack, what happened?

Molly said she was assigned Cody’s case, but Alexis said she was representing Cody, so Molly would have to recuse herself due to familial connections. Molly said if she reassigned the case, it would be 48 hours, and Cody would have to spend two nights in jail. Alexis said Cody should be released on his own recognizance or she’d file a motion for unjust detention. It would be easier for Molly to just recuse herself. Ric came by and said, or Alexis could recuse herself. Ava’s accountant said the money paid both gallery mortgages, but unless she unloaded one of the properties, they’d eventually be foreclosed on, and she’d lose them both. She also owed substantial property taxes. Unless she was expecting a windfall soon, she needed to stock up on ramen and her shopping sprees were a thing of the past. She said, that would be professional suicide. She had to maintain her image to keep her clients. And couldn’t they just ignore the IRS for a while? He said, the government would put a lien on her galleries. Imagine what that would do to her image.

Jack said, the doctor would explain everything, but Carly was going to be okay, and she asked how long she’d been there. He said he brought her in earlier tonight, when Isaiah came in and said, welcome back. Jack said he was going to make sure this never happened again, kissed her hand, and left. Isaiah asked, what was the last thing Carly remembered? and she said she was in Jack’s hotel room, and they were drinking champagne. She started feeling terrible. She’d never felt that bad. She didn’t remember what happened after that. Isaiah said she was poisoned. Jack saw a voicemail from Sonny, and Anna asked how Carly was. Jack said she was awake and seemed like herself. He thought she’d be fine, but Anna disobeyed his orders and called Sonny. Anna said she didn’t, and he wondered why Sonny left him a message. Dante told Sonny that Lulu wanted Rocco to live with her and Charlotte and was pushing hard. He didn’t want to take her to court, but wasn’t giving up without a fight. Sonny told Dante custody battles never ended well. Everybody compromises in the end. Compromise now and save the pain of enduing a long battel. Dante said he hoped he and Lulu could meet halfway, when Sonny’s phone rang. He saw it was Jack and stepped into his office. Jack said he’d gotten Sonny’s message, and Sonny said, one of Jack’s colleagues, a certain person of interest who was last seen in South America, was in Port Charles. He had a boat waiting at Pier 55, and if Jack hurried, he could get there first. Jack said he owed Sonny one and was going to even it up now. Sonny’s ex-wife was at GH as a patient. Laura asked what Valentin was doing there, and he said he wanted to see Charlotte. She said he was still wanted by the authorities and had put them in a terrible position. They’d said their goodbyes, and he needed to let that be that. He said if he didn’t reach out, Charlotte would be hurt, but she said, Charlotte was already hurt. She needed to settle in and make it feel like home, and she couldn’t if he made a surprise visit. Charlotte was entitled to her life here with her family in Port Charles. He could help by being a good dad and doing the right thing by turning himself in. That way, he wouldn’t leave her in fear of where he was or whether he was alive.

Drew asked what the hell Tracy did, and she said, nothing. Martin did it to himself. His lawyer was a deadbeat ex who broke some laws and thought no one would find out. Drew’s noble champion had exited stage west. It occurred to her, since his circumstances had dramatically changed, he might consider revisiting the conversation about her parents’ final resting place. He said there were other lawyers who wouldn’t hesitate to tear her apart. Nina told Willow that she heard the situation with Drew and the Quartermaines was getting worse. It could lead to a long, brutal custody battle. Willow said, Michael wouldn’t want that, and she didn’t either, but Nina said it wouldn’t matter. If Willow moved in with Drew so quickly, she wasn’t leaving Michael incentive to compromise. Willow said she’d been thinking the same thing. Carly was brought to the ER and almost died. It seemed she was going to be fine, but God forbid that changed. Nina said another reason to reconsider was the optics if Willow’s children almost lost their grandmother and she moved in with Drew a week later. Willow said, Drew was supportive, steady, and the kids loved him, but Nina said she wasn’t asking Willow to break up with him, just slow things down little. Willow said she couldn’t live with Nina forever, and Nina agreed. That’s why she wanted to buy Willow and the kids a home of their own.

Ava told the accountant that she’d already moved into a broom closet. What more did he want? He said, her credit cards, please, and she handed them over. He said she had to stick to a budget. She was close to making them out. She said she needed one. She was meeting someone for dinner and how would she pay for her drink? He looked through them and gave one back, saying, she had a little wiggle room, but be responsible. Get to know her limit and stay below it. He knew she could do this. He left, and Ava said she just didn’t want to, and drained her martini. The server said, another? and she said, yes… Wait. What did they have on tap? (New York? I’m guessing Coors.) Laura said the most loving thing Valentin could do was turn himself in, but he said, if he did, how long did she think he’d stay alive? She said, as mayor, she would use all her resources to protect him. He was Charlotte’s father and she’d gotten to know him. She knew he was a complicated man capable of good things. Life on the run was no life at all. She’d been where he is and knew how he felt. Valentin doubted that, but she said when she was married to Luke, they were on the run for many, many years. It takes its toll. They weren’t a real family until they settled down and stopped running. He said if he stayed, it would hurt Charlotte more than she’d ever been hurt. At the hospital, Jason asked Anna how Carly was doing, and she said, better. The doctor was in with her. He asked, what happened and why? and she said, Carly was poisoned when she was with Jack. Jason ran to Carly’s bedside, and she took his hand. She asked how he knew she was there, and he said, Anna. He was afraid he’d get here and she’d be… He told her that Isaiah said she was poisoned with polonium, and Anna said she wasn’t the target. Someone was trying to kill Brennan.  

Alexis asked if Molly called Ric, but he said he just happened to be there. Alexis asked if anyone requested his help, assistance, or opinion, and he said, clearly, she wasn’t the right lawyer. Cody needed someone with more perspective and a better sense of humor. Molly told them that Cody had been trying to say something, and Cody said he got arrested for stealing his own car. They could check the registration. It was up to date and paid for. This was a huge mistake. Nina said Willow valued her independence and could use a space all her own, but Willow said, Drew would be disappointed. Nina said Drew loved her and would understand. Nothing was going to change if she didn’t move in right this minute. It would be better from a custody standpoint if she established a permanent home. It was the best possible move to make. Willow said it was a lot to take it and it had been a long shift. She wanted to think about everything. Nina said Willow thinking about it was all she could ask. Tracy said Drew could get a dozen lawyers and she would take every one of them down. She had the time and money. Did he? He said he did and he’d make the time, and she said, he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the shed. If he tried to match wits with her, she’d win every time. And if he persisted in this outrageous pursuit of moving her family crypt, she’d take away everything he had.

Valentin told Laura that if he didn’t go, he’d be killed, and if he didn’t see Charlotte now, he wouldn’t see her again. Laura said Charlotte was with Rocco tonight, and Lulu came out. She asked what the hell Valentin was doing there. Anna asked if Carly was up for answer questions, and Carly said, okay. Anna asked how the champagne was delivered, and Carly said there was a knock at the door, and she found an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Anna asked if she saw the bellman, but Carly said, no. Anna asked, what happened then? and Carly said she poured a glass and drank it. When Jack came out of the shower, she poured another and one for him. Anna asked if there was anything strange about the bottle, and Carly said, no. Before she took a sip of the second glass, she started feeling awful. It hit her so fast, she didn’t know what happened, and she woke up here. Anna said she was sorry this happened. If Carly thought of anything else, call her. She left, and Carly told Jason that she knew that look. She didn’t want to fight with him about Jack. He said he didn’t want to fight either. He was just glad she was alive. She took his hand. Sonny ran into the hospital with Dante and asked Anna how Carly was doing. Anna said she was doing better and Jason was in with her. Dante asked, what happened? and Anna said they both needed to know that Carly wasn’t the target; Brennan was. The champagne he ordered was laced with polonium. She was thinking it was Valentin. Dante said, he was in Port Charles? and she said, yeah. Dante said he had to go. He wasn’t letting Valentin anywhere near Charlotte. He left, and Sonny told Anna not to worry too much. Valetin came back to his old place and met the new owner. He was on his way out of town, but Sonny didn’t think he’d get too far.

Molly said, Cody was telling the truth. The officer transposed the license plate. It never should have happened, and the city apologized for the inconvenience. He still forgot to signal, which is why he was pulled over. Ric said, this could have been over in two minutes except for Alexis’s insatiable need to be right. Alexis said she was nothing compared to him, but he said, most of the time, he was right. Cody suggested he and Ric take a walk and have a chat. He thanked Molly and Alexis, and walked Ric out. Alexis said, Ric kept topping himself with being annoying, and Molly told Alexis to come with her to the interrogation room. Outside, Ric asked what this was about, and Cody asked if Ric ever thought about what his endless crapping on his ex was doing his daughter. Drew said Tracy had no way to back up her threats. She might have pulled strings about Martin, but the law was on his side. She needed to back up, take her hits, and move the crypt. The people in there wouldn’t care. Willow walked in. Nina called Ava and asked if there was any chance they could meet for a drink. Ava said she was at the Grill waiting for Ric, but he hadn’t shown up, so she was going home. The night had veered into depressing territory. Nina said, not yet. She was on her way. Anna said, Sonny called Jack? and Sonny said he gave Jack the information. Anna said Jack would kill Valentin, and Sonny said the world would be better off without him. Anna said he was such a bastard, and left. Lulu told Valentin that he wasn’t taking Charlotte, but he said that wasn’t why he was here. He asked to talk to Lulu alone, and Laura said, of course (🍷). She knew he’d make the right decision. She left, and Valentin said Laura wanted him to turn himself in. Lulu said, she was right, and he said Laura thought she could protect him, but she couldn’t. No one could. His only chance of survival was on the run. Sonny went into Carly’s room and asked what she got herself into this time.

Molly said Alexis couldn’t let Ric get to her like that. She knew he liked to provoke her. Just accept they didn’t get along or agree on anything and walk away. Alexis promised to try. Ric told Cody to take this in the spirit it was meant. Why was it any of his business? Cody said, Molly was his friend. Actually, he wasn’t sure she liked him, but she’d just lost her baby and her sister and could use a break. Ric said Molly was more than nice. She just got out of a long-term relationship, so don’t think he was going to be Mr. Rebound. Cody said he wouldn’t, but that was all the more reason to go easy and dial it back with Alexis. Molly shouldn’t have to play referee. All she wanted was her parents being civil when they were in the same room. Did he think he could at least give her that? Nina thanked Ava for waiting and asked if that was draft beer. Did Ric show up? Ava said, no, it was hers. She ordered it. She panicked and ordered something on tap. She was trying to broaden her palate. Nina said, do it on her own time and told the server they’d have two French 75s. Ava asked him to take the beer away and asked what they were celebrating. Willow said she didn’t expect to see Tracy, and Tracy said she was just leaving. How were Wiley and Amelia? Willow said, fine, and Tracy asked if they missed their family. Not her, but certainly other members of the household, not to mention the horses and dogs. Willow said, sometimes, and Tracy said, what about the gatehouse? Do they ask about home? Willow said, once in a while. They understood that people move and she was doing what she could to make sure they felt happy and secure. Tracy asked, then why move in here with this horrible man who wanted to dig up their great-grandparents out of spite? and Willow said Tracy forgot she knew the family history. Tracy’s family turned their backs on her. How could she possibly claim to know what they wanted?

Sonny said Carly scared him, and she said she scared herself. She was never so sick. She’s grateful Jack got her here quickly. He said he wanted to talk to Jason, and they went out to the hallway. Sonny said, Valentin was the one who poisoned Carly, and Jason asked if he was back in Port Charles. Sonny said, he was on his way out of town by way of the pier, and Jason asked, who else knows? Sonny said, Anna and Brennan, and Brennan was on his way to the pier. Jason asked if Sonny thought Anna would try to stop him, and Sonny told Jason to do the world a favor and make sure Brennan finished the job. Jason left. Lulu asked why Valentin let himself get caught up in this dangerous mess, and he said he wished he could say. It spun out of control before he could stop it. He was responsible for his own actions, and he was the one who would suffer the consequences. She said, unfortunately, so would Charlotte, and he said it was one of his life’s biggest regrets. He was going to go. Lulu thanked him and he asked her to thank her mother for her advice and tell her that he was sorry he couldn’t take it. Tell Charlotte that he loved her more than anything and always would. He would always be with her. He left.

Ava said Nina must be so relieved, and Nina said, somewhat relieved. Ava said, here’s to you, mama, and they clinked glasses. Willow said she was sorry Tracy was so blinded by her hatred and anger that she couldn’t see the kind of man Drew really was, but Tracy said, maybe Willow should get angry herself. Drew said he and Willow were starting fresh and it had nothing to do her, and Willow said, if Tracy had welcomed Drew into the family, he would have bene the most loyal Quartermaine. She had no one to blame but herself. Tracy told her, remember those words. She was going to be saying them into a mirror soon enough. Tracy left. At the station, Dante asked for an APB to be put out on Valentin Cassadine, when his phone rang. Lulu said, Valentin was just there, and she was afraid he was in trouble. Dante said he’d do what he could to find him, and Lulu said, let her know the second he heard. He said he would, and Alexis asked if she just heard him say Valentin’s name. Dante said he was back in town and almost killed Carly. Sonny said he never wanted a call like that again. He was thinking what would the kids do without Carly, then started thinking, what was he going to do without her? She put her hand on his and said he wasn’t getting rid of her that easy. Lulu said she wasn’t surprised Valentin chose to leave, and Laura said she was disappointed. She’d hoped he’d choose differently for Charlotte’s sake. Lulu said Valentin wanted her to thank Laura for her advice, and Laura said she thought he was going to take it, but he said it was too late after what he’d done. Lulu said he may be right, and Laura said she’d mourn the man he could have been. Lulu said she would too. It was so much easier when she hated him, but she just couldn’t. Anna got in her car and called Jack. She said if he was thinking about going after Valetin – don’t. Valentin stood at the pier and heard the click of a gun being cocked. Jack said, it’s the end of the line, old friend.

Thursday:

Lulu said she was happy to see her kids even when they were fighting, and Laura said she felt the same way about Lulu and Lucky. She suggested Lulu take Lucky’s room, since he was staying with Elizabeth, and Lulu said she thought it was time she and the kids found their own place. Sonny brought Donna back to his new/Valentin’s old house and explained that Carly was in the hospital. Carly told Felicia this was the sickest she’d ever been, and Felicia said they didn’t deal with many polonium poisoning cases unless they were dealing with the WSB. Lois told Brook to respect the choices everyone made, put everything in the vault, and move forward. She knew Brook hated that she told Gloria, but she’d needed to confide in someone, and Brook said she’d told Chase everything. At the station, Dante filled Chase in on Valentin. Valentin had wanted to see his daughter and Dante understood. At the pier, Jack told Valentin, it’s the end of the line, old friend. Why hadn’t he stayed gone? Valentin said, Charlotte could have been collateral damage in Prague, and Jack said all Valentin did with the poisoned champagne was seal his own fate.

Laura understood, but said she’d miss Lulu and the kids. Lulu said it felt like her life was finally starting. Dante told Chase that the last thing Charlotte needed was Valentin back in her life, and wondered if Valentin had sent Charlotte home as a distraction. Chase wondered if Lulu would have been better off not knowing about Charlotte. Brook said finding out Gloria knew what happened made her think differently. Finding out someone she loved and trusted had kept something so important from her made her wonder what other secrets they were keeping. She didn’t want any secrets between her and Chase. Lois said Brook had put a terrible burden on Chase. Sonny told Donna that Carly was going to be okay and just needed to rest. Tomorrow they’d go see her after school. Donna said she loved them so much, she didn’t want anything to happen to them, and Sonny said they loved her too, and nothing would happen to them. (Wow. That’s a big promise.)

Felicia said Carly’s poisoning had to do with Jack, but Carly said it was Valentin’s fault. Felicia said Carly was rationalizing the situation, but Carly said she was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong drink. Felicia said all three led back to jack, but Carly said Sonny’s business had put her in danger. Felicia said the WSB was on a whole other level. Jack would always be looking over his shoulder and when you were in the WSB, the danger never ended. Jason skulked around the pier and Jack said he had nothing to do with the sniper in Prague. Valentin had now involved Carly and took it past the point of no return. Valentin admitted he’d been sloppy and realized Jack had fallen for Carly. He’d called Valentin weak about loving Anna. Jack said, enough, and aimed the gun. Anna was rooting through the trash when she ran into Jason.

Laura said Lulu would make up for the lost time that they all deserved, when her phone rang. Sonny wondered if she could come by, and she said she’d get there as soon as she could. Dante told Chase that Lulu’s life was better for having Charlotte in it. It’s why they had to do what they could to make sure Valentin didn’t cause more damage. He left to get Carly’s statement. Lois said Brook gave Chase a secret he couldn’t share with anyone, and she believed it would cause a rift between him and Dante. Brook said her relationship was with Chase, not anyone else, and right now, that was more important. Lois asked if Chase was going to keep it from Dante. Jason said Anna couldn’t save Valentin this time, but she said she was bringing him in. Jason suggested she let Jack handle it, and she asked if he was back-up. He wanted Jack dead because he’d hurt Carly, and she wasn’t going to let him do that. He grabbed her arm, and she told him to let her go. Valentin didn’t blame Jack, since all was fair in love and war. Anna told Jack, drop the gun now.

Laura noticed a lot of security at Sonny’s, and he said Valentin was why he’d called her. Dante asked for Carly’s statement, and she asked Felicia to stay. Dante asked what she was doing in Jack’s room. Jack told Anna to stay out of it, but she said, killing an unarmed man was cold-blooded revenge. Valentin needed to stand trial. Jason asked if Jack was under orders, and Jack said no, but the WSB would be glad to get rid of Valentin. Anna said if Jack couldn’t spare Valentin because of the law, do it for the friends they all once were. Jack said she’d find a way to release Valentin, but she said he’d stand trial, and she needed to be the one to do it. Chase went to see Lulu and said it was about protecting his family. Brook said a lot of this was about Lois protecting herself. She’d kept the secret from people who had the right to know, like Olivia. Lois said Brook was the most important person to her and wondered where the anger was coming from. Brook said finding out Gloria knew changed everything and she wondered if Lois and Gloria pushed her in the direction they thought she should go. She was questioning everything and wondered if she could ever trust Lois again.

Anna kept her gun on Jack, and he lowered his. He said he was going against his instincts, but she said Valentin needed to be held responsible for his crimes. He was going to wait for her to call the PCPD and ask for back-up. If she didn’t, he’d finish what he started. Anna called the PCPD. Sonny told Laura about Valentin breaking in and she told him about Valentin wanting to see Charlotte. She and Lulu convinced him it would just make things harder for Charlotte and he left. She also tried to convince him to turn himself in, but he refused. Sonny said he could have gotten away with shooting Valentin, but didn’t because of her. If he killed Valentin, what would happen to the kids? Charlotte’s father would have been killed by Rocco’s grandfather, and it would have torn the family apart. In the past, he would have just shot Valentin. Laura said she was proud of him, but confused. What changed? Carly told Dante that she’d gone to Jack’s room because they’d had a disagreement, and she wanted to clear the air. She flashed back to being with Jack, and Dante asked how the champagne got there. She said, Jack ordered it from room service. There was a knock at the door, and by the time she got there, she found a cart in the hall, which was standard procedure if guest didn’t open the door. She drank a glass, poured another for herself and Jack, and Jack noticed something was wrong with the bottle. He slapped the glass out of her hand, but it was too late. She felt terrible, and the next thing she knew, she woke up here.

Lois said Brook could trust her and the decision had been hers alone. It was a difficult and confusing time, and there was no handbook to tell her what to do. She supported Brook and always would. What was done was done, and no one needed to know, especially Dante. Brook agreed and said Chase would respect her decision. Congratulations. Lois was off the hook. Chase said Brook told him everything and Lulu said keep his voice down; Charlotte and Rocco were upstairs. She asked if he was telling Dante, but he said nobody was telling Dante – not Brook, not him, and not her. Brook said Lulu had been harassing her and she needed to leave his wife alone.

Sonny told Laura that he’d been thinking about what was important or not in life. He didn’t care about regrets; the past was the past. But what happened to their friendship was a low point in his life and he wanted her to know he was thinking about her. She said she would pick up the phone to call him, then realize they weren’t talking. It was hard on her too. Sonny said he and his brother weren’t close, and Courtney and his father were gone. He always considered her and Luke the family he needed. Lulu said Dante was Chase’s best friend and she thought he deserved to know the truth, but Chase said it wasn’t about what he thought and certainly not what she thought. It was none of her business. She had no say. Only Brook did. Lulu said she was just looking out for Dante, but Chase asked if she wasn’t sure it wasn’t something to hold over his wife. Brook didn’t know he was here because he thought Lulu needed to hear it from someone else. Drop this. Lulu said Charlotte was kept from her and it was devastating. Dante deserved to know he had a child, like she did. Wouldn’t Chase want to know if it was him? Carly told Felicia that it would be nice if her mom was here. No matter how old you were, you wanted your mom to tell you everything was going to be okay when you felt sick. Felicia said all she could think about when Carly was talking to Dante was what Bobbie would say to her. As hard as it was to hear, she had to say it for Bobbie. Anna gave Valentin his rights as he was handcuffed, and an officer took him away. She looked at Jack, then followed. Jack said, it’s done, and Jason said Valentin was dealt with for now, but Jack hadn’t been. What happened to Carly wasn’t just about Valentin. It was about Jack.

Laura said it was like Sonny was determined to make himself a better man, and it was an exciting time to be his friend. She guessed it was inevitable their friendship would have bumps, but after this conversation, they could navigate through it more smoothly. Sonny agreed and said it was like old times. Dante came back to the Quartermaines, and Lois said she thought she and Brook needed space, so she was going to pack and go back to Bensonhurst for a bit. Brook said it was probably for the best, and Lois went upstairs. Dante told Brook that close families fought hard and loved even harder. In the end, they stayed together and could face anything. Lulu didn’t understand how Chase could keep his best friend in the dark, and Chase told her to leave his wife alone. He loved her and would do anything to protect her. Stop inserting herself into Brook’s life. Lulu said, or…? and he said he would think seriously about arresting her for breaking and entering into Martin’s room and looking at confidential client files. Lulu said Martin was her uncle (like this makes a difference), and Chase said, that was for starters. Since she had disregard for the law and authority, he was sure he’d find something pretty quickly. He walked out.

Anna told an officer at the station to call the WSB and went into the interrogation room where Valentin waited. He asked if this was where she smuggled him out, and she said helping him escape was her biggest mistake. She’d compromised her values and wouldn’t let it happen again. He said she didn’t love him anymore, and she smiled. She said her decision had nothing to do with her feelings for him and they didn’t the last time. It had been about Charlotte. She hadn’t had anyone else to depend on then. Now things were different. She had Lulu and Rocco, and they could be her family. Valentin said he may have had something to do with Charlotte. He saw it in Anna’s eyes the day they said goodbye. He could see now that she still loved him. That’s why she saved his life. She said, none of that matters. You’ve committed too many crimes, my darling. You have to face justice. It’s over. Felicia said she thought Bobbie would disapprove of Jack for the same reasons she disapproved of Sonny, but Carly said, Jack was a good man. Felicia said Carly was ignoring the warning signs like she had with Frisco. She abandoned her children for him and got a chance to fix things, but she’d never get back the time she lost and would regret it for the rest of her life. Carly could be smarter. The people who loved her depended on her, and it wasn’t just her children. Carly couldn’t stand by and willingly put herself in the position to be collateral damage in Jack’s life. She needed to end things before it was too late. Jason told Jack that he was the reason Carly almost died, and he wasn’t going to wait around while it happened again. He told Jack, stay away from her, and left.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada:

Trina tells Kai that something seems different, and he says he’s out of the sling. She says, that’s good, but that’s not it, and he says, honestly? He’s nervous about today. She says, this is nothing. He talked to reporters all the time. He says, before or after games. There’s a lot riding on this press conference and he doesn’t want to disappoint Drew. She says, he’s going to be fantastic. The last thing he needs to worry about is the congressman.

Jordan asks Curtis to remind her why she’s doing this again, and he says, the sports initiative is so important to the hospital. He doesn’t want her antipathy for Drew to get in the way. She says, that’s not only reason why. She doesn’t want Drew thinking he’s won.

Drew tells Portia to introduce him as our representative in congress, Drew Quartermaine, and she says, so introduce him as who he is. He says, there’s been a dispute over his name, and he wants to make sure, and she says she can handle it. He tells her not to forget to smile. Remember, it’s all about the kids. (I desperately want to smack him.)

Walking into Drew’s house, Nina says, there are a few listings she can’t wait to show Willow. The houses are perfect for her and the kids. Willow says, Nina has been so generous. She can’t thank her enough for the offer, but she doesn’t need a real estate agent. What she needs is a mover.

On the phone, Alexis thanks someone for letting her know, and Kristina asks if something happened. Is it Molly? Danny? Alexis says, no. It’s Valentin.

A shackled Valentin is brought into the interrogation room where Jason is waiting. Valentin asks if Jason is going to assassinate him in the police station. It’s practical and certainly gutsy. Enough small talk. What does Jason want?

Carly dreams about drinking the champagne. She wakes and says, Jack? Lucas says, no such luck. It’s just him, her baby brother.

Elizabeth sees the couch is empty, when Lucky comes in. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she just thought he left without saying goodbye. He says, him? Never again.

Alexis says, Valentin is in custody at the PCPD and wants to see her, and Kristina says, he can’t want Alexis to represent him. Alexis says, yet he does. He also wants to be released. She’s very flattered that he thinks she can make that happen, but she can’t. Not only is he an international fugitive, he allegedly tried to poison Carly… She’s fine, and apparently, she wasn’t the intended victim. Kristina asks, who was? but Alexis says, that information hasn’t been released yet. Kristina asks what he’s charged with, but Alexis says she doesn’t know. Probably premeditated attempted murder of someone. She hasn’t been told the facts yet. Kristina says, she doesn’t have to do it, and Alexis says she knows that, but even Valentin deserves representation. Kristina asks if he doesn’t have a lawyer, and Alexis says, Martin is in another tricky situation, when Ava comes in. She says she’s sorry to barge in, but she really needs to – she sees Kristina is there – talk.  

Kai ask if Trina doesn’t like his suit, but she says she loves it. Is it new? He says, no. The last time he wore it was the pregame interview before he got hurt. She says, it must be strange wearing it again, and he says, it is, but the way he sees it, it’s being put to good use and so will he. He’ll be using his football cred at long last to help people. She says, wow. That’s a shockingly positive outlook. He says, that’s on her. He wouldn’t be here at all if not for her. He thanks her and they kiss.

Willow says she and Drew talked it through and decided there was no reason for her to move when this right here is perfect for the kids, and Nina says, that’s one of the reasons he chose it. So that she, Wiley, and Amelia could move in. Willow says, that’s hardly a huge presumption, and Nina says, they discussed this. Willow says, Wiley and Amelia love Scout and Drew. How can she ask Nina to go through the trouble of buying a house when they all know she’ll move in here sooner or later? Nina says, it’s no trouble, and Willow says, Nina needs to believe she knows what she’s doing to make the kids happy. Nina needs to trust her.

Portia says she’s done everything Drew asked. Take the win. Drew says, or what? She’ll tell Curtis what she did? Portia asks why he’s pushing, and he says, no reason. (Another smack.) He’s definitely not trying to ruin her life or deprive the hospital of their great Co-Chief of Staff. On the contrary. He’s trying to prevent her paying for crimes she committed. Portia says she can’t tell him how grateful she is for that, and he says, she should be. (One more.) Stop treating him like the enemy. He hopes she can think of him as a friend. He leaves and she literally says, ugh. She sits at her desk and looks at a folder labeled, Drew Quartermaine.

Curtis tells Jordan that he actually wanted to refuse to let Aurora Media cover the press conference, but it would look like he was using it to enact his personal vendetta at the expense of a good children’s health initiative. He refuses to let Drew play him. She says, good for him. Drew won’t stop blaming him for not getting on the Appropriations Committee and won’t ever because his ego won’t let him. Curtis says, exactly. Eventually, Drew’s ego will have him cross the line or make a big mistake. And when Drew does, he’s going to be ready. Trina and Kai join them, and Curtis asks how Kai feels. Kai says, ready and waiting for the congressman to give him his marching orders, and from across the room, Drew says, there he is. PCU’s biggest star.

Carly asks, how was Miami? and Lucas says, not great. And then he finds her almost dying. She says she’s okay, but he says he’ll be the judge of that. He shows her a duffel bag and says he grabbed some things from the house, since she was admitted wearing only a bathrobe. She says she can explain, and he says, what? The polonium poisoning? She says, that’s an easy one. That was Valentin. He has a vendetta against Jack and had a poisoned bottle of champagne sent to the room. She wasn’t the intended target. He says, thank goodness, and she says, everyone warned her, but it’s no one’s business. He says, she was two minutes from death’s door, so that makes it the hospital’s business. Not to mention law enforcement – local and international – and her children, and him. That’s a lot of people. She says, he’s not blaming Jack for something Valentin did. Jack’s not the threat. Valentin is.  

Jason says, Valentin can refuse the visit, but Valentin says, then how can he know why Jason came? He asks the officer to give them a minute, and the officer leaves. Valentin wonders if Sonny is going to settle the score about him altering the medication, but Jason says, it’s about Carly. They sit, and Jason says, Valentin almost killed her. Valentin says, the best laid plans. He knows Jason doesn’t want to spend more time at the station than he has to. What does he want? Jason says, everything that Valentin knows about Jack Brennan.

Lucky says he knows he and Elizabeth had plans that didn’t end with him downstairs snoring. Why didn’t she wake him up? She says, you never wake up a patient when you don’t have to, and he asks if she knows how amazing he thinks she is. Sometimes he wishes she weren’t a nurse. He scrinches around and she asks, what’s wrong? He says his neck is messed up. He thinks she needs a more comfortable couch. She says she thinks her couch is just fine, and massages his neck. She says, next time, maybe he should sleep upstairs.

Valentin says, if it’s information about Jack that Jason is after, he’s Jason’s man. He’s known Jack since they were in their early 20s. In all the years he’s known Jack, he’s never seen him vulnerable or scared, but last night he was scared. Jason says, about Carly? and Valentin says, yeah. Jason says, so was he, and Valentin asks what he’s looking for. Leverage? He can give Jason leverage. He knows everything there is to know about Jack Brennan. But he needs something from Jason. He needs someone to break him out. Jason says, that’s not going to happen, but he might think about doing Valentin a favor at some point in the future. Valentin says, that’s the best he can do? and Jason says, yeah. Take it or leave it.

Lucas says, if Valentin is all Carly’s worried about, he has good news, and she says, he’s dead? He tells her that he said good, not great. He’s in custody. The PCPD picked him up. She says, problem solved, but he says, problem not solved. She’s not automatically safe to date Brennan just because Valentin is in jail. Carly says she knows where he’s going. She heard it last night from Felicia. Brennan is a spy. Spies live dangerous lives. She gets it, and honestly, Felicia gave her something to think about. Save it. They’re not engaged, but he knows she wouldn’t have a one-night stand with a gorgeous spy. He says, don’t try to seduce him by proxy, and she says she wanted to see what it was like. He asks what it was like, and she says, incredible. Until it went terribly wrong. He says, is that all? He’ll ease up.

Jordan says she’s going to check in on Portia, and Curtis says, good idea. He thanks her, and she leaves. Trina joins Curtis and says she’s worried about Kai. He thinks he can trust Drew and they both know that’s not true.

Drew says, it’s the deputy mayor first, then Councilman Boyle. Dr. Robinson will give a statement for the hospital, and then it’s Kai. Kai says, got it, and Drew says he’s seen Kai under pressure on the field. He’s going to be great. Kai says he appreciates it, and Drew asks what his plans are for the future. Kai says he has one more year at PCU. After that, he has to figure it out. Drew says, okay, some advice. Not that Kai is asking, but use his natural gifts. He’s a born leader and has charisma. There are plenty of arenas where he’d be useful. Politics is one of them. Boyle (who looks like a young, shorter Kurt Russell) joins them and says, it’s a great day for the city of Port Charles. Trina says she feels like she should have said something, but didn’t know how, and Curtis says, that’s okay. He does.

Portia is reading Drew’s file when there’s a knock at the door. She says, come in, and Jordan says she wanted to let Portia know that Trina and Kai got here. Portia says she’d better join them, and Jordan asks if she’s still going through with it. She’s going to stand next to Drew? Portia says, unless Jordan changed her mind, Jordan is going to be standing next to her, and Jordan says, nothing’s changed, but these events are the deputy mayor’s job. Portia is Co-Chief of Staff at the hospital. Portia says, she’s publicizing a worthwhile initiative that’s good for the hospital. It’s part of her job. Jordan asks why she didn’t pass it along to Terry. After everything Drew has done, she’s shocked Portia would stand next to him, smile, and sell to the world that he’s a good man. Portia says she and Curtis discussed it and they’re on the same page. She starts to leave, but Jordan lingers. Portia says, they don’t want to be late, and Jordan follows her out.

Ava says she’s sorry to intrude. She’ll come back later. Alexis says, later is not better. Never is better, but she doesn’t have that kind of luck. What does Ava want? Ava says, it’s a legal matter and she thinks they should speak privately, but Kristina says, no. Ava says, what about attorney/client privilege? and Alexis says she’s not Ava’s attorney and Ava’s not her client. Kristina sits down, and Ava says, Alexis has made it clear that she won’t give Ava access to any funds from the Cassadine estate. Alexis says, yet here they are, and Ava says she’s come to accept and understand that Alexis can’t return her settlement money. However, she could arrange for the estate to loan her some money. Alexis says, the estate isn’t a bank, but Ava says, it will be a private loan with scheduled payments at a fair interest rate. The estate would actually benefit. Kristina says, no. No way in hell is Alexis giving a dime to the woman who killed her grandchild.

Willow says she knows Nina is nervous about the repercussions for moving in with Drew, but she’s going to reach out to Michael and explain. Since they have no way to know when he’s coming home, it’s not fair to keep the children’s lives in limbo. Michael has shown he’s willing to compromise, unlike his family, and he won’t use his children as a weapon as long as they’re happy. Nina says, Michael is dealing with his own problems. They need to go to a lawyer. Willow says, that will only make things more hostile. She doesn’t want a civil war; she wants things to stay calm. Michael doesn’t want a custody fight any more than she does. Nina says, that’s true if Willow was in a home of her own, but if she moves in with Drew, she’s going to force Michael’s hand. Willow says she doesn’t see it that way, but Nina says, please. If Willow does this, she’s going to lose her children.

Drew talks football to Kai, when Curtis joins them. He tells Boyle, good to see him. If they don’t mind, he’d like to borrow Kai for a minute. Drew asks if he’s sure it’s just one, and Curtis steps away with Kai. Boyle tells Drew, that kid was the perfect spokesman. Good choice. It’s a shame the city didn’t use the plan to relocate the esplanade. It was good for the unions, public safety, and commerce. Drew says he couldn’t agree more, and Boyle says, if only the mayor hadn’t let her personal attachment to Corinthos get in the way.

Ava says she’ll always regret what happened that day, but Kristina’s fall was an accident. Kristina says, that’s a lie. She was there. It happened to her. Ava pushed her. Ava says she didn’t. Kristina accidentally tripped over some luggage. Kristina says, you are the reason my baby is dead. You. Ava says she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t her last option. The IRS is going to seize both of her properties in a month if she doesn’t pay the back taxes. Alexis says she’s not going to the estate, and Ava says she’s not asking for a handout. It would benefit the estate, and she can take care of her daughter. Kristina says, the daughter Ava is lucky she has and who should be with her father full time, and Alexis says, stop. Ava must understand as a mother, she has to say no. She would not want to devastate her own daughter in any way, like Ava doesn’t want to devastate hers. Ava says, fine. She’ll go. But understand that Alexis isn’t doing anything to protect Kristina by fueling her delusions. Kristina’s not doing good. She’s not being rational, and Alexis knows that as well as she does. Ava leaves.  

Lucas says he’d love to go easy on Carly. Nobody wants to see her happy more than him. But was it too much to ask her to date someone who won’t get her killed? What’s wrong with a dentist? Carly asks, what’s going on? Lucas is more wound up than before he went to Miami. He says he drank too much in Miami and got the worst hangover of his life. She says, worse than her? and he says, no. If she tells him that it’s a one and done and she won’t go near Jack again, that’s all he needs to hear. She says she loves Lucas, but it’s her decision, not his, and he says, maybe it should be his, because she’s risking her life to date someone like Brennan. It’s not an option. There’s a long list of people who need her and he’s on it. He can’t lose her.

Valentin says Jason has already done him a favor. He supposes he owes him one. He accepts Jason’s offer. Jason says, good. Give him something he can use. Valentin says, the first thing he should know about Jack is that he’s a company man. For all he knows, Jack is head of the WSB. Jason says, former head, but Valentin says, no, current. Just because he’s in Port Charles and a lowly station chief, it could be an elaborate cover. Jason wonders why he said lowly, and Valentin says, station chiefs don’t order drone attacks on other continents. Everything Jack’s asked for, the WSB has done. He has blood on his hands and there are a lot of people who want him dead. Jason says, not just Valentin, and Valentin says, Jack doesn’t care. All he cares about is the WSB. Until now. Jack didn’t try to kill him for the Bureau. He tried to kill him for Carly.

Curtis walks Kai to the side and says he wants to talk about the congressman. Kai says he knows Drew’s personal life is messy, but he tries not to judge. Curtis says, agreed, but it’s not about that. Drew will promise anything to get what he wants, and he has no intention of following through with his promises. Kai needs to be careful. Kai nods, and Trina watches from across the room. Portia comes out of the elevator with Jordan, and Jordan says she’s going to take a minute to go over her speech. She leaves, and Portia sees Curtis talking to Kai. She asks Trina, what’s that about? It looks serious. Trina says, dad is giving Kai the background on Drew, and Portia says she knows Trina is concerned about Kai, but for right now, it’s best everyone just try to get along.

Kai thanks Curtis for the heads up and says he can back out. He can’t be associated with bad politicians. Curtis tells him that he’s not saying Drew isn’t doing good this time. Sometimes you have to work with people you don’t trust. He’d like Kai to know who he’s dealing with so he can protect himself. Kai says he’ll keep his guard up, and Curtis says, he’s a good man. And the initiative is a good thing for Port Charles, the hospital, and the kids. Don’t let Drew get in way of that.

Lucky says he’s glad to hear there’s going to be a next time, and Elizabeth says she hopes there will be. They’ll have the house to themselves soon enough and Aiden spends the night at his friends’ all the time. He says, whether Aiden is here or not, he wants to be with her. He knows what he feels is real and it will never change. She says, funny. She feels the same way. They kiss, and she says she has to get to work. He tells her, like he said, sometimes he hates that she’s a nurse. She says, so does she sometimes, and he says he’ll stick around and take a look at the freezer. She says, if he fixes it, he’ll be her hero. She leaves and he gets a text from Kristina: Where r u??? Need to c u now!

Nina tells Willow to just think about Michael. He’s going through a harrowing, life changing experience and suffering unimaginable pain. He almost died. It will be hard to come out to something like that and think life is beautiful and bygones will be bygones. Willow says, Michael isn’t most people… but Nina says, he’s a Corinthos and a Quartermaine. He’s Carly’s son. He may be out of the county healing, but he could still make life difficult. Willow says she doesn’t think it will come down to a custody battle, but if it does, Michael isn’t the only one with power. Drew is a congressman and would never let Michael take her children. Nina says, please reconsider this, and Willow says she appreciates Nina’s concern, but she’s made up her mind. She gets up and says she needs to get to Wiley’s school for a conference. Nina says, of course (🍷). She’ll walk Willow out. As they leave, Willow says, the kids love it here. They’ll all be so happy together.

Drew says, Kai was amazing, and Kai thanks him and says he had no idea how it was going to go. He’s used to talking about football to reporters. This was different. Drew says, he didn’t miss a beat. He’s a natural.

Curtis says, Trina’s guy is good, and she says, please. He’s amazing. Curtis says, maybe a little, and she says she’s so happy everything worked out. Curtis says, maybe she’s right. She’s amazing too. She stepped up to do what was right.  

Elizabeth asks Lucas to tell her about Miami, and he says he met the man of his dreams. She says, details, and he says he found the man’s credit card on the floor of the hotel bar. He looked up and there he was, handsome, tall enough, Latin, and he had the kindest eyes. She says, he had a meet cute, and he says he did. Then – brace for it – he got so drunk, he got sick all over him.

Portia goes back to her office and looks at Drew’s file. There’s a knock at the door and it’s Ava. Ava says she was going to ask if Portia had a minute, but she seems stressed. Portia says, it started at stress and went up from there, and Ava says she caught the end of the press conference. It didn’t seem that bad. Portia says she’s glad, but in real life, it was awful. She was standing next to Drew when he paraded Kai out in front of the representative. Ava says she’s sure Trina was proud of them both, and Portia says, she should be proud of Kai. He’s a phenomenal young man and the only reason Trina has been smiling lately. Meanwhile, Drew is using him to restore his good name to the public, and she can’t say a thing about it. Ava says, and Drew’s got Portia exactly where he wants her, and Portia says, yeah… or so he thinks.

Nina lets herself back into Drew’s house and says, thanks for the spare key, Willow. She snoops around.

At Elizabeth’s, Lucky gives Kristina a key and tells her it’s the key to Charlie’s back entrance. Try not to lose it. She says she didn’t lose it. She just hasn’t figured out where she left it yet. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, nothing. It’s just one of those days. He says, okay, but if she wants to tell him about it, he promises it will stay between them. She says she’s good… She’s actually not good. She sits down and says, her dad is having a heart problem. He’s going to be okay. To be honest, she doesn’t know, but she thinks so. He’s having surgery, but until he does, he needs to keep the stress down. That’s the whole reason he settled the custody suit with Ava, to keep the stress down. Now Ava can’t afford to take care of their daughter financially. Ava was hitting her mom up. That’s what Ava does. She takes and takes. Ava doesn’t deserve to have a daughter. Her daughter is dead because of Ava, and she still hasn’t paid for it.

Jason thanks Valentin for the intel, and Valentin says, one last thing Jason should know. What Jack wants, he gets. If he wants Carly, he’s going to get her. He’ll use whatever he has to unless Jason intervenes. Jason says, that suits him just fine, and Valentin says, forget him. Think about Carly. She’ll finally be safe.

Lucas tells Elizabeth that he learned more about Brad than he wanted to know, then he threw up on the kindest, sexiest, most beautiful man he’s ever met. She says, he really packed it in. She likes his time management. He says, Marco was the bright spot in Miami, but he’ll probably never see him again. She says, they’ll find a way to travel long distance, and he says he’s sure Marco is waiting by the phone for the man who ruined his shirt. She says, you never know. Not to add to his day, but his aunt is looking for him. She hands him a message, and he says, Ava?

Lucky says, everything Kristina is telling him is true, and she thanks him. He says, don’t hate him for saying this, but there’s nothing she can really do. She says she doesn’t know if she can accept that, and he says he understands, but maybe there’s another way to think about this. Would Adela want her mother consumed with bitterness and hatred, or would she want her mother to find peace? Kristina says she wants to find peace, and he says, then let it go. Not for Ava, but for herself. She says she’s trying. She really is. Every second of every day, but she can’t.

Ava says, Portia needs to be careful. If she lashes out at Drew and it backfires, she could lose everything. Portia says, Drew keeps reminding her of that, and Ava says, think about Trina. If Portia loses her license or God forbid goes to prison, Trina will blame herself. Portia says, because of what she did to Heather because of what Heather did to Trina. Ava says, exactly. Isn’t smiling through a press conference worth keeping Trina happy? Portia says, only as long as she has to, when there’s a knock at the door. Drew walks in and Ava says she saw the conference. It was very exciting. He says, due in no small part to Portia. That’s why he’s here. Before he heads home, he wanted to say thanks for her help. Portia says, it was her pleasure, and he says he couldn’t have done it without her. He leaves and Ava says, he seems chipper. Anyone on the outside might think they were thick as thieves. She notices the folder.

Trina tells Kai that he was amazing. If he was nervous, no one could tell. Kai says he hopes he did the right thing. Her dad filled him in a little on the congressman. He would have backed out, but it was for a good cause. Now he can see through Drew, so he’s also going to watch his back. She says he’s right on both counts. He needs to focus on… He says, her? and she says, that’s always an acceptable answer, but not right this time. He needs to focus on himself and his future. From what she saw, he could run for office someday. He asks if he has her vote, and she says, we’ll see, and kisses him.

Boyle tells Jordan, it’s nice to see her. It’s unfortunate that the mayor couldn’t make it. She says, Mayor Collins’ schedule is pretty packed, and he says, or maybe she’s happy to let the Deputy Mayor do her job. Curtis comes by and says, if Boyle doesn’t mind, he’d like a word with the Deputy Mayor. Boyle says he’ll let Jordan do her job, and Curtis thanks him for coming. Boyle leaves and Jordan thanks Curtis for the save. That man is dull, dumb, slimy, and gunning for Laura.

Nina finds Drew’s safe and opens it. She finds a roll of cash and looks through some papers.  

Valentin thanks Alexis for coming. He’s sorry the accommodations aren’t up to the Quartermaine standard. Alexis says she can live without the cryo chamber and bottomless pit, and sits down. She says she figured he needed legal representation, and he says he knew she was a brilliant lawyer. She tells him that even she can’t save him, but he says, that’s not why she’s here. There’s something else he needs her to do.

Jason asks how Carly is feeling, and she says her brother just left. He’s not happy with her. Jason says he can’t imagine why, and she says, please. Don’t be one more person who lectures her about Jack. He says, no lectures. She and Brennan are done. She can’t go near him again. Her life depends on it.

On Monday, Ava tells Portia not to let fear make her do dumb things; Elizabeth tells Lucas, if something wrong is going on here, she needs to know; Jack says, if Josslyn tells her (Carly?) any of this, she’ll never be a WSB agent; and Carly asks Jason not to quit on her now.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

New guys in town.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/daniel-cosgrove-opens-up-about-joining-general-hospital

I hadn’t realized he was also Natalia’s son. I missed the Marco connection, it’s been so long since he was mentioned.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adrian-anchando-reveals-why-playing-ghs-marco-is-so-important

Talk about missing something. I totally missed this and I love an inside joke. Another surprise is, when he joined All My Children, he took over for a guy who’s now one of my local weathermen, Lonnie Quinn.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/the-story-behind-ghs-will-cortlandt-reference

Polonium. It’s not just for GH.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/polonium-poisoning-on-general-hospital-everything-you-need-to-know

Hmm… I wonder if his mom knows he’s not taking his meds on the weekends. I’m not so sure that’s how it’s supposed to work.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-asher-antonyzyn-shares-his-experience-living-with-adhd

💉 A Dose of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

Pretty soon, everyone will have hooked up with everyone and then what?

Below Deck Down Under Season 3, Episode 7 Recap: Wihan Is His Own Worst Enemy

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Jennifer talked about getting up at 5 am to brush her teeth and put on makeup so her boyfriend thought she woke up beautiful. In my single days, the only time I had makeup on the morning was from the night before. Once again, it was a whole big thing with Dorit and Sutton with Sutton apologizing and Dorit not hearing it. Ugh. Boz suggested Dorit also apologize, and she gave a non-apology apology. She apologized that her joke about Sutton’s drink made Sutton feel some kind of way. That’s like a murderer saying, I’m sorry they’re dead, not, I’m sorry I killed them. Dorit also had a lot to say about Sutton behind her back.

Boz said she ended up seated across from Mauricio and the child he’s dating at some event and gave Kyle a full report afterward via Voicenotes. She played it during her interview, and at the end, she’d asked Kyle to tell her what she wanted her to do. Because she would run up on a man. She was a girl’s girl. Me too. One time, after meeting a friend for lunch in Manhattan, she saw a bagpiper busking across the street. She thought it was an old boyfriend (no judgement) and said she wanted to go punch him in the mouth. I told her that I’d hold him for her, but make sure it was the right guy, because I wasn’t going to jail for no reason. We crossed the street, but it turned out not to be him.

The way these women dress for a boat – like a catwalk might appear any moment – there isn’t a chance in hell I’d ever want to go with them wearing my Old Navy tankini and no makeup except sunscreen. They were on a fabulous yacht eating fabulous food during fabulous weather, when Sutton dared to apologize again, and Erika thought it would be a good time to bring up all of Sutton’s past sins. From what I saw in the flashbacks, it’s more like Sutton said out loud what everyone else was talking about behind the scenes. In Sutton’s interview, she said Erika had done this before, act like it was all good, then turn around and call her out in public. Erika thought Sutton was kicking Dorit when she was down, bypassing all the bullsh*t Dorit has slung. Just because you’re going through a bad time, doesn’t make it okay to be abusive. And why do they always do this sh*t on a boat where you can’t even walk away? In Kyle’s interview, she basically said Sutton started it. Yeah, by daring to apologize. As Kathy said in her interview, the boat rides aren’t working.  

Best dialogue: Sutton: Is this a tomatah? Kyle: Just shut up and eat it.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 14, Episode 16 Recap: Erika Accuses Sutton of Slamming Her Co-Stars When They’re Down

What’s to come.

Everything Said About the RHOBH Season 14 Reunion

Denise Richards & Her Wild Things

Denise did a cooking video with celeb chef Brooke Williamson, who oddly enough, is also Aaron’s hall pass. (FYI, Denise’s is Brad Pitt.) Afterward, Denise said it was the first dish she’d ever completed on a video. She had lunch with Kathy Hilton, who she’s been friends with for a while. Apparently, there was a time when she and Paris Hilton were neighbors, and in her interview, she said Paris was the sexiest neighbor in the neighborhood. It was especially heartwarming when Denise told Aaron to keep talking while she left to take a pee during their dual interview. Now that’s reality.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/denise-richards-her-wild-things-recap-still-not-a-cooking-show/ar-AA1BcuOd

Summer House

There was a party for Amanda’s 33^rd birthday. Kyle continued to whine about Craig, and she was getting tired of it. She also wasn’t too happy about Kyle’s rage texting to Paige about Craig. IMO it was especially rude to display his baby emotions when they were supposed to be celebrating her birthday. I would never want to drink with these people. Never ever. It either gets juvenile to the point of messiness or somebody gets pissed off. LOUDLY. Both Paige and Craig felt awkward, but Paige was annoyed with Craig at not having had a conversation with Kyle about their differences. I dunno. I’m not so sure that would matter. Everything would be cool again, then Kyle would get drunk, and get pissed off all over again. Then they had some kind of pirate party, and we started to see Paige and Craig’s relationship buckle.

Summer House Season 9, Episode 6 Recap: Shipwrecked

Southern Charm

Shep told Whitney that he wouldn’t be crying over his cheerios about Sienna, and he’d only mourned for a few days, but I don’t believe it. Is it wrong for me to hope Shep dies alone? Molly was still being shoved at him, and he asked her to accompany him to the Summer Soiree. Venita talked to Ryan about what JT had said, and I wasn’t too impressed with him. Ryan was mean, rude, and doubled down on JT having said some Black girl was trying to ruin his relationship. He did admit, that was only what the barber told him, but said the barber might have been covering his ass when Leva called and insisted JT said it. When someone uses the words my truth, I’m always suspicious about whether it is true. I’m so not a JT fan, but I don’t buy it. Maybe the barber said that, but I don’t think JT did. Same with calling Patricia a bitch. Since he has enough not going for him, it’s really not necessary for these guys to be making stuff up. 

Southern Charm Season 10, Episode 15 Recap: Finale Fireworks

What’s to come.

Southern Charm Reunion Trailer Revealed: Season 10 Drama Explodes 

The Charm pack does tend to pick on the weak one, although I still can’t feel sorry for Shep.

Opinion: Why Southern Charm Might Have a Bullying Problem Among Its Cast

Random Reality Items

I quit… for the day.

Tamra Judge Spotted Filming RHOC After ‘Quitting’ the Show

He left because he was a cokehead who got too full of himself.

Jax Taylor Reveals Why He Really Got Axed From Vanderpump Rules

They love to play revolving houses. I just can’t imagine moving into a 50 room mansion just to move out again.

RHOC’s Heather and Terry Dubrow List Beverly Hills Mansion for Sale

Where’s Pedro? Where’s Puck?

https://ew.com/25-best-reality-stars-of-the-2000s-11687144

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Chaos: The Manson Murders. Netflix. There wasn’t much I didn’t know, but it was still an interesting watch. It does seem like they always want to make Charlie this mysterious guru, but the bottom line is, he was a manipulator who used drugs to control children.

https://deadline.com/2025/03/chaos-the-manson-murders-review-errol-morris-documentary-1236314760/

Demon City. Netflix. Kind of the Japanese version of Machete. Left for dead, a hitman takes revenge on the demons who have wronged him. Nice fight scenes.

https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/demon-city-review-netflix-1235099517/

The Search for Instagram’s Worst Con Artist. Netflix.  A two-part docuseries about Belle Gibson. I actually liked this better than Apple Cider Vinegar which was a little artsy for me. This was just the facts, Jack.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-search-for-instagrams-worst-con-artist-release-date-news

After the End. Amazon Prime. If Hallmark made a movie about the apocalypse, it would be this one. After a contagious illness brings on the apocalypse, a 17-year-old prepper joins forces with a pregnant girl and trouble follows. I didn’t hate it, but don’t exactly recommend it either.

REVIEW: “After the end,” a film about the search for new beginnings

The Electric State. Netflix. Gus from Breaking Bad being a character known as the Butcher of Schenectady makes this worth watching. The reviews weren’t great, but it’s based on an illustrated novel fans were already passionate about, which adds another layer. Having never read it, I had no preconceived notions. A lot of the things reviewers didn’t think were funny, I did, and there was also debate about Millie Bobby Brown being too old for the roll, but I had nothing to compare her to in my head, so I was good with it. I did have difficulty with the trip to the cornfield at the end, but we can’t have everything. Amazingly brought to life robots, a fair amount of gore, and Chris Pratt throwing out one-liners was good enough for me. The addition of Stanley Tucci didn’t hurt either.

https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/i-watched-the-electric-state-netflix-not-bad-rotten-tomatoes-score-idicates-chris-prat-millie-bobby-brown

All about the robots.

https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/the-electric-state-vfx-interview-robots-cosmo-netflix-1235104366/

https://www.cbr.com/millie-bobby-brown-the-electric-state-kid-cosmo/

Borderlands. Starz. I used the On Demand feature on my actual TV to watch this. It was impossible to find a positive review, but again, because I had no preconception of the story or characters, I enjoyed it. Cate Blanchett kicked ass nicely and earned her fiery wings, and seeing Gina Gershon is always a treat.

https://www.filmsfatale.com/blog/2024/8/12/borderlands

While this was more or less about the game, I got absorbed in a very long thread in the comments section. Somebody dubbing themselves LordByronSomethingOrOther made a legit comment about The Last of Us. Someone made an innocuous reply, and it sent off a hailstorm of LordBy’s rage and name calling skills. Several people told LordBy to chill, which only made it worse. I’m pretty sure LordBy lives in their grandma’s basement and is in desperate need of attention. Send an Edible Arrangement along with some edibles asap.

https://www.avclub.com/borderlands-movie-disappointing-but-sold-video-games-take-two

Delicious. Netflix. Reviewers seemed to like it, but the best I can come up with is, eh. The acting was fine, but the long stretches of not much going on along with being hit over the head with the message wasn’t for me. Plus, there was a non-ending ending, which I always find irritating. If it has to be explained (see below), maybe I shouldn’t bother watching it. I got the point five minutes in. It’s old and it’s been done better.

Delicious – Movie Review | Netflix (3/5)

All the spoilers.

https://blavity.com/entertainment/delicious-movie-ending-explained

Kraven The Hunter. Netflix. Saving the best for last. The first three minutes of this was better than the entire film of Delicious. After some family drama and a legendary lion’s blood mixing with his own, Kraven becomes an antihero with animalistic powers. It had a sense of humor without overkill, which was much appreciated since they can’t all be Deadpool and sometimes try too hard. I thought it was an enjoyable ride and especially loved the rhinoceros guy. I would have liked to see more of the surprise talents of Kraven’s brother, revealed toward the end, but I’m guessing they were saving that for the sequel, which is a doubtful event.

https://www.slashfilm.com/1815000/aaron-taylor-johnson-2024-marvel-flop-kraven-the-hunter-streaming-netflix/

https://www.cbr.com/kraven-the-hunter-streaming-success-netflix/

🏆 Next Year’s Envelope…

I guess these things have to be planned in advance.

https://ew.com/conan-obrien-returning-2026-oscars-date-revealed-11697987

Useless Oscar knowledge.

https://ew.com/oscars-biggest-controversies-and-scandals-11688765

🐦‍🔥 Things You Don’t See Every Day…

🦈 Uber Shark.

https://people.com/octopus-rides-mako-shark-video-auckland-new-zealand-11701228

🐵 True story. When I was a kid, my father and I went to a place called Monkey Jungle where you literally walked through a jungle of monkeys. It said not to feed them, which was a signal to my father to toss out a few kernels of popcorn. 5000 spider monkeys came crashing down through the trees, we threw our bags of popcorn to them and ran.

https://people.com/british-tourist-surrounded-by-monkeys-thailand-pool-11700663

🐶 As well they should.

https://people.com/debra-messing-reveals-robert-de-niro-real-dogs-make-big-cameo-the-alto-knights-11699042

🦉 Quotes of the Week

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. – Oprah Winfrey

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

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. – Wayne Dyer

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. – Helen Keller

If you’re looking for a thank you, look in hell. – Dani Dupree (Karla Cheatham), Beyond the Gates

How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Saying that a tail is a leg doesn’t make it a leg. – Abraham Lincoln

We don’t know what we’re capable of until we’re challenged. – Adam Connell

You broke the treaty, Mr. Peanut. There will be consequences. – Colonel Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito), The Electric State

🐰 Off Auditioning For the Cadbury Bunny…

Until next week, stay safe; stay not making every social media post and comment about politics; and stay remembering, everything is a negotiation.