What I Watched Today
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Cameron comes home, and tells Franco that he snagged the last piece of pie at Kelly’s, handing him the bag. Franco says he couldn’t eat a bite, let alone a piece. Cameron asks if it’s because of the cancer.
Someone bangs on Alexis’s door. She opens it to Valentin, who says, she lives. In a manner of speaking.
Tracy says, clearly, Olivia has something to say to her. So say it. Olivia says, fine. What really happened when Alexis drove off the road? Tracy says she really doesn’t want to get into this, and Olivia says, that’s too bad. Tracy says there’s more to the Alexis story than she’s letting on, but before they delve deeper, Olivia has to ask herself if she really wants to know. She left the details out because she wasn’t sure what good would come of them. Olivia says, whatever it is, she wants to know, and Tracy says, even if it’s painful to her and Ned? Olivia wonders what Alexis has to do with her and Ned, and Tracy says, the night she drove Alexis home from the MetroCourt, Alexis gabbed the whole way about Olivia and Ned, and their unconventional marriage. Olivia asks what that means, and Tracy says, her word is unconventional; Alexis’s word was a sham. Olivia says Alexis thinks their marriage is a sham? and Tracy says, apparently. And Alexis had some other choice words to describe Olivia. Olivia says, do tell, and Tracy hesitates. Olivia says she’s an adult and she can handle it. Tracy says, it contained, but wasn’t limited to, gold-digger, common, trash, and slut.
Valentin tells Alexis, he was knocking quite a while. He was starting to get worried. She says that’s because she finally fell asleep, and he sees the photo mess on the table. He asks if it’s an arts and crafts project, and she says, it’s purging of sorts. Let go of the reminders, and hopefully the memories will follow. She asks if he’d like a drink, but he says he’s got plans. She says she vaguely remembers those, and he asks if she’s drinking herself into oblivion. She says she’s nowhere near oblivion, but goals are important. She was a planner not long ago; a planner of career, family, and partnerships. But all those partnership plans make you really reconsider your commitment to the concept. Valentin says maybe she should consider scaling down her plans, but she says, go big or go home. He says, speaking of plans, he has one this evening. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, oh goody. Another intervention? He says, nope, and answers the door to Martin, saying, it’s the cavalry.
Cameron asks if he’s missing something. He brought Franco food, and Franco said he wasn’t hungry. It’s literally never happened the entire time he’s known Franco. Franco says, he’s kind of stuffed. He ate a monster burrito the size of a human head, and he’s not hungry. He didn’t mean to worry Cameron. Cameron apologizes for going all code red, and Franco wonders why. He says next time he’ll be all like, so thoughtful of you. Please put it in the refrigerator so I can enjoy it later this evening. He hands Cameron the bag, and Cameron takes it to the kitchen. Franco asks how he is. He’s got a lot going on for a kid his age. Looking after his mom and brothers, he’s a high school senior, so there’s girls, soccer, other girls, the mail. Franco picks up an envelope, and says, this would be for Cameron from the admissions office of Stanford university.
Jason goes to Britt’s office, and asks if it’s a good time. She says, it’s as good a time as any, but she’s not sure about the place with Cyrus lurking around. He says, Cyrus isn’t the problem, and she says, since when? He says, since Cyrus has been dealing with some difficulties. She says, that’s vague. Care to share. He says, her first.
After talking on the phone to Terry about Franco’s treatment, Elizabeth runs into Sam. She asks what Sam is doing at the hospital, and Sam says she’s picking up Lucas. Did she just hear Elizabeth right? Elizabeth says, it depends on what she heard, and Sam asks if she heard brain tumor, as in the brain tumor. Elizabeth says, this isn’t the place, but Sam wants to go somewhere and discuss it. Elizabeth steers her to another area, and says her private conversation is none of Sam’s business. Sam says it is her business. It’s everybody’s business if Franco’s brain tumor is back. Isn’t it? Elizabeth says, it is, but don’t jump to conclusions. It’s not like it was before. Sam says, like when Franco went on a murdering spree before? Elizabeth says, there are other factors complicating Franco’s diagnosis, but Sam says, things are already complicated enough. Elizabeth says she knows Sam is scared, but Sam says Elizabeth doesn’t understand. The last time, Franco made her believe he’d raped her and she’d gotten pregnant. She was one of the lucky ones; she survived. Elizabeth says, it’s not like last time, and walks away. Sam says, really? Everyone could be in danger, including Elizabeth and her children.
Franco tells Cameron, the envelope is kind of thin, and Cameron asks if he thinks that’s bad. Franco says he doesn’t know. In this day and age, he doesn’t know why they don’t send an email. Cameron takes the envelope, and Franco says, it’s also kind of early. Cameron says he applied for an early decision, and Franco asks if his mom knows that. Cameron says he didn’t tell her; he didn’t tell anyone. Franco says, check him out; a man of mystery. Cameron says she doesn’t even know he applied to the west coast, and Franco asks if he told anyone. Cameron says, no, and Franco says, not even his friends? That wouldn’t be because he’s afraid they’d think less of him if he wasn’t accepted at Stanford University? That would be ridiculous. And it would be a lie because of Cameron. Franco couldn’t possibly think little of him. He thinks a lot of Cameron, and it’s a problem. He’s going to have a freakishly large head, and chicks will think that’s weird. Cameron says he’ll try his best.
Nina tells Jax, this is unexpected, and he says, not unwelcome, he hopes. She asks if he’s insane. Her incredibly handsome boyfriend, with the beyond sexy Australian accent just told her that he loves her. It’s the worst day ever. He says, but something still seems off? Was it too soon? She says, no, and he says, not soon enough? It’s been on his mind for a while, but he was searching for the perfect moment. She says they’ve been skirting disaster for months now, but he says, it shouldn’t matter. He should know that when you tell someone you love them, you don’t need to dress it up. You say it because you feel it, when you feel it, and he’s felt it for a long time. Does she forgive him? She says, for what? and he says, being inexcusably late. They kiss.
Alexis asks Valentin who this person is, and why they’re in her living room. Martin thanks her for the warm reception, and Valentin says, he’s Martin Grey, his personal attorney. He’s tasked Martin with representing her for her DUI charge. She says, that’s very kind, but she already has representation. Valentin says, Diane? and she says, no. Martin says he agreed to help in exchange for Valentin rescuing his mother. He didn’t agree to work a minor miracle on a lost cause. Alexis points out that she’s right there, and says she has the matter well-handled. Valentin says, does she? and she says she has the defense drawn up. Valentin says she sounds confident, and she says she lost her license to practice because she was indiscreet, not because she was bad at her job. Valentin says, then he’s sure her defense will stand up to peer review. She doesn’t mind if Martin takes a look, does she?
Tracy tells Olivia, she had no idea Alexis was harboring such vicious feelings. Olivia says, she was pretty drunk, and had to be cut off at the bar. She wasn’t thinking straight. Tracy says, that’s the problem; a drunk Alexis has no filter. A drunk Alexis says what she thinks, decorum and everyone else be damned. Olivia asks if Tracy thinks Alexis actually believes she’s a gold-digging slut, and Tracy says, Alexis has failed in every aspect of her life. She’s casting about, looking for someone to ride her ship. What about good old reliable Ned? Olivia says, what about he’s married? Tracy says, so? Alexis is convinced Olivia isn’t good enough for him. She’s terrified if Olivia doesn’t keep them apart, Alexis will convince Ned too. Ned comes downstairs.
Ned asks if Sam and Lucas are there yet? Leo is getting a little antsy. Tracy says, of course (🍷) he is. It’s the celebration of his official entrance into the Quartermaine clan. Julian Jerome, buh-bye. Ned says, mother… and Tracy says, Julian may have provided the DNA, but he provides the love and security. He’s Leo’s father. She asks if Olivia doesn’t agree, and Olivia says, of course (🍷) she does. Leo loves Ned very much. It’s not going to make him forget Julian, but it will make it a lot easier. Ned leaves to check on something in the kitchen, and Tracy tells Olivia not to give credence to anything Alexis said. Olivia says, she doesn’t. People have been calling her a slut since she was a pregnant teenager. She’s been waiting for gold-digger since she and Ned started dating. She’s surprised it took so long. Tracy tells her, don’t give it a second thought. She’s more than good enough for Ned. More than good enough for all of them. Olivia says, but she’s not good enough for the truth. Whatever Alexis said hurts, but it doesn’t fill in the holes in Tracy’s story. What is Tracy not telling her?
Jason looks in a microscope, and tells Britt, it’s been a long time since he took organic chemistry. Britt says, he took organic chemistry? And he says, so he’s been told. What is he looking at? She says what’s left of her friend Mortimer’s grey matter. He was a lab rat. He asks if she always names her test subjects, but she says she tries not to, for fear of introducing bias. The last thing she wants is empathizing with it. This one just screamed Morty. He asks what Morty did for her, and she says, gorged on a steady flow of Cyrus’s wonder drug. She wanted to see if his claims of its potency are legit, and are they ever. It opens the dopamine floodgates like nothing she’s ever seen before. He asks when Cyrus put it on the market, and she says, he didn’t. He asks if he has her passing the stuff to the staff to use on the patients, and she says, excuse me? What is he accusing her of?
Sam tells Elizabeth, if the tumor comes back, so does the behavior, but Elizabeth says, she doesn’t think so. There have been no signs; no aggressive thoughts or tendencies. There’s been zero evidence that the tumor is affecting Franco the same way. Sam says, so it is affecting him in some way?
Franco asks if Cameron is going to open it or what. Franco offers to give him some privacy, if he wants to be alone, but Cameron says he was thinking of waiting for his mom. Franco says, it’s grown-up mail, and Cameron’s call. He thinks she’d want to be there for the moment. Cameron says, if it’s a good moment, and Franco says, on the flipside, she wouldn’t want him to spontaneously combust while he was waiting. Cameron asks if Franco has his back, and Franco says, no; he’s on his own. Just kidding. Franco has his back. Cameron says, okay then, let’s go, and opens the envelope. Franco hears Peter’s voice saying, please be Drew Cane.
Nina says, only Jax would apologize for telling a woman he loves her, but he says, no; for not saying it sooner. She says, the right time never existed, with her being preoccupied with Valentin, and Sasha, and Nelle, and looking for her daughter. No wonder he couldn’t find an opening; there wasn’t one. He says, but he’s not wrong, is he? There’s a little hesitation on her part. She says, he’s not wrong, but it’s not what he’s thinking, or what she thinks he’s thinking, if that’s what he’s thinking. He says, so what is it? She says the truth is, she’s both longed for and been afraid of him saying those words. He asks, why? and she says, her experience with someone saying I love you is, that’s when it starts going downhill, or things start getting better. She wants the latter. He says, it will be, and she asks how he knows. He says, together, they’ll make it happen.
Franco continues to hear, please, be Drew Cane, and tells Cameron, come on, dude. The suspense is killing him. Cameron opens it and says, he got in. Unless he’s misreading it or hallucinating. Franco says, it looks like he’s going to college. He needs to learn to read. It says, congratulations, not congratulations on a rejection letter. He did it. He got in. They hug.
Sam asks Elizabeth to please tell her what’s been happening, and they sit. Elizabeth says, Franco has been experiencing some symptoms; only one symptom actually. It’s not affecting his behavior, and it’s not putting anyone in danger. The doctors aren’t even sure it has to do with the tumor. Sam says she’s not following, and Elizabeth asks what else she needs to know. Franco is going to die. Sam takes Elizabeth’s hand, and Elizabeth says, Franco’s brain tumor is inoperable. The best they can hope for is that the radiation will buy him time before the bomb in his head goes off. Then, it’s just a matter of how much time he has left.
Alexis asks if the reviews are in, and Martin says, there’s only one B in sober. And the court may look more favorably if on her case if she’s refers to the officer as Detective, not Defective Chase. She says she didn’t write that, and Valentin asks if it’s the final draft. Alexis snatches it out of his hand, and says, obviously before she files it, she’s going to proof read it. Martin says, that is a relief. Would she care for his overall assessment, or should he just toss her a dictionary and be done with it? Alexis says she doesn’t need council from Nelle Benson’s stooge, and Martin says he would have won, if Nelle would have followed instructions. Instead, she insisted on doing things her own way. Valentin says, that sounds familiar, and Martin asks if Alexis wants to win. He can do that for her. All she has to do is swallow her pride. Can she do that?
Olivia says she’s dying to believe Tracy. It would be so much easier, but it wouldn’t be right. Tracy says she has no idea what Olivia is talking about, and Olivia says, the way Tracy tells it, Alexis disabled the alarm. Tracy says, and…? and Olivia says, she and Sam checked with the security company. When the alarm goes on or off, a record is kept in an electronic log. It was set in the afternoon, and not touched until 24-hours later when Alexis returned to the house after she’d been in custody. Tracy says, so? and Olivia asks, how the hell did they get in without Alexis touching the alarm? Tracy says, how would she know? and Olivia says she thinks they never made it back to the house. Tracy says, or Alexis was so drunk, she didn’t set the alarm. Olivia says, Tracy told her Alexis used the code, and Tracy says, who cares what she said? Olivia says, she does. No matter what Alexis said about her, Alexis is facing a DUI because of the lies Tracy is telling. Alexis swears she didn’t get behind the wheel of the car that night. Tracy says, that’s ridiculous. If Alexis wasn’t behind the wheel, then who was? Olivia says, you.
Olivia says, Tracy was driving when she and Alexis left the MetroCourt. She thinks Tracy was still driving when the car went off the road. Tracy says, if that’s true, why didn’t Alexis just say it? Olivia says, because she was wasted. She was incoherent. Pretty convenient, isn’t it? Tracy says, how dare Olivia make these baseless accusations. Olivia doesn’t think they’re so baseless. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is why. What does Tracy stand to gain by framing Alexis? Tracy asks if it every occurred to Olivia that it might not be about her. That she might be doing something for somebody else. Olivia asks, who stands to gain from Alexis being thrown in jail… Wait. Tracy did this for her?
Alexis says, she’ll bite. How is Martin going to win her case? He says, it starts by knowing thy enemy, which clearly she does not. She says she’s argued before Judge Herbert plenty of times. He says, on drunk driving charges? And she says, no. He says her procedural arguments won’t work. He’s going to be inclined to believe Chase. She says, Chase was sloppy, and Valentin asks if she means defective Chase. Martin tells him, don’t help. The judge plays basketball with Robert Scorpio, and will be inclined to give Chase, an officer of the law, the benefit of the doubt. Something he’ll give to her as well, if they play to his foibles. Care to hazard a guess as to what his drink of choice is? Alexis says, water, straight up? and Martin says, perish the thought. He’s a whiskey man. Martin has enjoyed many with him while at the club. Valentin asks, what country club? and Martin says Valentin has way too much money. Less country, more strip. Alexis says, gross, and Martin says, it’s where business gets done. The relevant point is, the judge can’t handle his liquor, and never enters the club without giving his keys to his sober driver first; the way Alexis did handing them to Tracy. Boom! That’s her defense.
Franco tells Cameron, they need a celebration. They’ve got his mom, his brothers, Josslyn and Trina… Scott, Laura, and Lesley is in town; from what he hears, she never says no to a party. Cameron says, no party. He doesn’t want a big deal. He doesn’t want to tell anybody. Franco says, he got into Stanford; it’s a big deal. Cameron says, it’s not if he decides not to go, and Franco says, he applied early. That says it’s his first choice. Why wouldn’t he go?
Elizabeth tells Sam, she’s fine. She doesn’t have the luxury to be anything else. Sam says, okay, but if Elizabeth ever needs a shoulder to cry on or an outlet, she can come over. Or if she’d rather talk to Jason, Sam could call him, if that would be helpful. Elizabeth says, Jason doesn’t know, and Sam asks what she means. Elizabeth wonders why Sam is asking, and Sam says she probably should have told Elizabeth this at the beginning. Franco showed up at her house the other day, and he was looking for Jason. Elizabeth says, for what? and Sam says, obviously, Franco didn’t know Jason didn’t live there anymore. He went to leave, and had a giant headache. He didn’t tell her? Elizabeth says, anything else? and Sam says, he was mumbling, but she couldn’t make it out. She was scared for him, and she was going to call 9-1-1. By that time, Jason showed up, and she excused herself. When she came downstairs, Jason said if Franco came back, to call him immediately. Elizabeth asks if Jason said why, but Sam tells her, no. Elizabeth says she needs to go home.
Britt tells Jason, think what he wants about her, but she’d never foist an unapproved, unproven drug on her patients. He asks how she got her hands on it, and she says, she’s Chief of Staff. She can get her hands on whatever she wants. He tells her, this is a bad idea. Cyrus is dangerous. He knows from personal experience that Cyrus will kill anyone who gets in his way. She says, so? and he says he’s the one who put her on this track. He doesn’t want her in jeopardy because of it. She says so she’s not capable of taking her own chances? She’s not capable of realizing that Cyrus is bad news and looking into it? That has to fall on his big, burly, powerful shoulders? She’s the daughter of two world-class criminals. She knows how to snag something from the hospital without tripping the alarms. So if she’s going to thank him for anything, it’s the wake-up call, but not for protecting her, or telling her to stay out of it.
Nina tells Jax, it’s a lot to take in, and he asks if she wants some time. She asks if he’s kidding. After all that… How many ways can she say it? Te amo... Je t’iame. He says that’s one of his favorites. She says something nonsensical that sounds like pig Latin, and he says he’s not familiar with that one. She says, it’s a private language that only she and her brother knew when they were kids. It drove their mother crazy. It’s really the only phrase she knows. English is better. She loves him too. They hug.
Cameron tells Franco that he hasn’t decided where he wants to go, and Franco says, if Cameron hadn’t applied early, he’d believe him. Cameron says, it’s not set stone. Franco asks if that’s what Cameron wants. Is it the money? California is far away. Is that it? Cameron says, it’s his choice. Let him make it. Franco tells him, don’t go through it alone. It’s not fair. At least tell his mom. Cameron says when he has a plan, she’ll know it too. Franco says, awesome.
Olivia tells Tracy, she doesn’t understand. What would she get out of Alexis being arrested. Tracy asks if Olivia is sure she wants to keep pushing. Ned comes in with Sam, and says, look who made it. Sam says she’s sorry she’s late. Lucas sends his apologies; something came up at GH, but he’ll be there as soon as he can. Ned says, the life of a doctor, and Tracy says, more cake for her. Ned suggests that he grab Leo, and they can get the party started.
Alexis asks Martin if he’s saying Tracy had a duty of care as far as she was concerned, and he says, when Tracy took her keys, she assumed responsibility. It didn’t end at Alexis’s front door. Tracy had a duty of care to make sure Alexis wasn’t a threat to herself or anyone else. Instead, she took her eyes off Alexis, and that negligence allowed Alexis to run out the door, and drive off the side of the road. Valentin says, so if not for Tracy… and Martin says, Tracy was a poor excuse for a sober driver, and someone the judge will agree can’t be relied on. Alexis says, none of this would have happened. Also – I just now thought of this – how would Alexis have gotten her keys back? That would fall under negligence too, I would think.
Sam asks how Tracy feels being a granny again. Tracy says, she doesn’t respond to that word, and Sam needs to watch her step in this house. Her betrayal cost the family dearly. Sam says if Tracy wants to talk about ELQ, she’s game for whenever, but Tracy says she’s talked out, thanks. Olivia flashes back to Ned and Alexis talking about being there for each other at The Floating Rib, finding Alexis drunk at the MetroCourt and Alexis telling her to worry about herself and her marriage, and Tracy not letting her go with Ned to help Alexis. She remembers telling Ned they can make it work, and Ned saying, that depends on if she can ever forgive him. She asks, for what? and he says, doubting her. He should have known she was faithful. Ned comes down, and says, Leo is video-chatting with Lucas, and needs a few more minutes. Olivia says, oh my God, and he says, what’s wrong? She says, he wanted her to forgive him for doubting her, but there was so much more for her to forgive, wasn’t there?
On the phone with Obrecht, Franco says he had another episode… It’s hard to say. It was still Peter’s voice, but it was different this time. It would be great if she’d just treat him for this, because it’s getting old. He thanks her, and says get back to him. Elizabeth comes in, and he says he’s happy to see her. She says she wishes she could say the same. He’s been lying to her.
Britt says Jason tells her that her boss is trying to turn Port Charles into an addiction hub, and he expects her to do nothing? He says he didn’t expect anything, since he doesn’t really know her. She says, but he knows of her, doesn’t he? Her torrid past, the people she’s hurt. She doesn’t need his permission. She knows who she is, and she plans to do good in the time she has left, like it or not. So he can look at her, and reduce her to The Britch, or one of the other lovely nicknames they have for her, but she’s none of those things. She’s not her mother, or her father. He says, and not her brother. He shows her the laptop screen, where we see the front page of The Invader and Peter’s picture.
Tomorrow – if not preempted – Elizabeth asks why Franco is so quick to throw that away, Anna tells Robert that she doesn’t believe it for a second, Jason asks if Britt is going to see what she wants to or see the truth, and Ned says, this ends now.
🩺 Supposedly, GH will be preempted in the US tomorrow. I’ll see if I can find it anywhere though. Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn’t.
💰 Making Lemonade…
Leave it to Jill to find a way to turn the pandemic into a profit. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as long as you’re not ripping people off.
https://pagesix.com/2021/01/15/jill-zarin-built-a-face-mask-empire-during-the-pandemic/
🎂 Covid Is Afraid Of Her…
Better late than never, wishing Betty White a Happy 99th Birthday!
https://nypost.com/article/betty-white-best-quotes-moments/
🔔 Early Roll Call…
Already it’s started. (Glad Betty’s not on it.)
🏞 This Sky Ain’t Falling…
Episode 6 of Big Sky is slated for Tuesday, January 26th at 10 pm, so you still have time to catch up with the first five. If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to check it out. IMO, it’s well worth your viewing time.
https://abc.com/shows/big-sky/episode-guide/season-1
💩 Pooping On the Party…
I have a meeting on Tuesday nights, so I missed Real Housewives of Dallas, and Bravo didn’t rerun it. How is it that I’ll see the same episode of RHOC listed a hundred times, and I didn’t even get twice for this one? I’ll possibly catch up on Thursday. Yeah, that should be my worst problem. So I’m turning in early. I hope. Please, God, please. Tomorrow is the Inauguration, so stay extra safe, stay clear and cool headed, and stay assuming responsibility if you become the sober driver.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 