What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…

Monday:

Alexis asked where Kristina got the papers, and Molly said she got her files mixed up with Diane’s and went to Kristina with it. Alexis wanted to explain, but Kristina said obviously Alexis thought she was crazy and needed to be committed.

Anna found Felicia at the hospital and asked why she wasn’t dressed to go out. Felicia said there had been a slight change in plans.

At the Savoy, Curtis saw Trina with Kai, and said it was a big night. Trina said Kai’s surgery was coming up tomorrow, and Kai said he wanted to celebrate. He asked to speak to Curtis, and Trina stepped away. Kai said he owed Curtis an apology.

As Josslyn walked down the street, someone grabbed her from behind. Vaughn asked if she was already rusty.

On the phone, Carly said she was happy too… No complications… The doctor says he’ll make a full recovery… Sonny is going to be fine.

The shady nurse got a syringe ready to plunge into Sonny, when Sonny opened his eyes. They looked at each other and she smiled. Sonny went back to sleep, and as she was about to inject his IV, Brick walked in. He said he was sorry to interrupt, but he needed to see some ID.

At Bobbie’s, Sonny sat at the counter and asked for a menu. Mike turned around and said it was good to see him. He missed Sonny. They hugged and Sonny said he couldn’t believe it had been five years, and Mike said, time flies when you’re having fun. Sonny asked if this meant he didn’t make it through surgery and… Mike said, he’s dead? No. The surgery was a complete success. Sonny asked how he was there, and Mike said Sonny had been sedated pretty good, and he’d seen an opportunity to visit… if that was okay. Sonny said he could visit any time, and Mike said he tried to show up when he was needed. Sonny said there was something he wanted to talk about. Mike was right about all of it.

Alexis said the last thing she wanted was to commit Kristina, but Kristina said the papers suggested otherwise. Alexis said she didn’t sign or file them. She’d changed her mind and realized she couldn’t do it. Molly asked, then why draw up the papers? and Alexis said she appreciated Molly’s support for her sister, but needed to speak to Kristina alone. Kristina and Molly said, no, in unison, and Molly said Kristina wanted her there. She wasn’t going to abandon her. Kristina said Alexis had prayed for them to stick together and anything Alexis had to say, she could say in front of Molly too.

Josslyn said she thought this was a meeting, not an al fresco training drill, and Vaughn said he had to keep her on her toes. She asked, what if the cops had seen him? and he suggested he was an overly affectionate boyfriend. Josslyn said, in his dreams, and he asked what her problem was. She said she’d spent the entire night catching up in Dalton’s class. He asked if she’d made any progress on getting the research assistant position, and she said she was doing everything she could, but the competition was stiff.

Trina said she was glad Emma had come out to join them, and Emma asked how she and Kai were doing. Trina said, for the most part, things were great. Did Emma know Kai was having surgery? Emma said it was an experimental thing that would give him the potential to play football again, and Trina said, or it could go very wrong.

Kai said he’d asked for Curtis’s advice, then did the opposite. He valued Curtis’s opinion and hoped he wasn’t offended. Curtis said Kai had been under no obligation to take his advice and he admired Kai thinking for himself and pursuing his dreams. He wished Kai nothing but the best and prayed it all worked out.

Tracy asked if Gio was registered to vote in Port Charles, and Gio said he was registered in Bensonhurst. She said he needed to rectify that so he could vote for Laura Collins for mayor. And while he was at it, vote yes on the Measure C proposal to put the McConkey esplanade on Piers 55 and 56. He said those were his Uncle Sonny’s piers, and she said she knew they were on opposite sides in regard to his benefactor. She gave him a tablet and told him to read the website. He’d think twice about supporting Sonny.

Brick said, ID now, and shady nurse said, of course (🍷). Instead, she pulled out a gun, but Brick was faster and shot her with silencer. She slumped across the bed and Brick got on the phone. He said, yeah… Got a body here you guys might be interested in.

Anna hoped Felicia wasn’t backing out on having drinks with Jordan. She’d been looking forward to it. Felicia said, so had she. She was just going to be late. She was waiting on authorization from a patient’s insurance company. They couldn’t move forward until it was resolved. The minute it was, she’d put her party clothes on and come to the Savoy. Plus, the Nurses Ball was soon, and they were going to rock the red carpet in all their glory. She told Anna to go ahead, but Anna said if Felicia didn’t get the authorization in the next 15 minutes, she’d go.

Jordan got a text from Anna saying: Felicia and I are running late.

Emma said she got that Trina was worried, but it sounded like Kai’s mind was made up. Trina said, 100%, and Emma said she had to stay positive for him. He was lucky to have her by his side. Trina was great at her protest. Trina said, that reminded her. She’d run into ADA Turner, who had a bunch of questions about why Emma was expelled. Emma asked what Trina told her, and Trina said, nothing. She didn’t know anything, but thought Emma should know. Emma asked if Trina had any idea why the ADA was interested, and Trina said she got the feeling it was less about Emma and more about grandmother. Professor Dalton came by and said he hoped he wasn’t interrupting. He wanted to say hello. (Is he a creeper too?)

Curtis asked what brought Jordan to The Savoy, and she said she was meeting Felicia and Anna for drinks, and they were running late. Curtis asked if he could keep her company, and she said that would be great. She needed to give him a heads up. There was a new development where she and Drew were concerned, and she wanted him to hear it from her.

Brad brought a humongous folder to Portia’s office and said it was Drew’s entire medical history since he’d arrived in Port Charles, including the Jake Doe files. He didn’t know what she was looking for, but there was nothing scandalous. She said she was sure it would still come in handy still have another assignment for him.

Carly walked into Sonny’s room and said, oh my God. Brick told her to keep her voice down. Sonny was fine. She said she wasn’t fine. What the hell happened? Brick said they’d had a little situation.

Felicia said Anna and Emma seemed to get along better, and Anna said they’d had some nice heart to hearts lately. She practically had to force the details out of Emma, but she gained insight on her granddaughter and her sudden transfer to PCU. Bottom line, Emma had been involved in something reckless that could have resulted in a horrible outcome. She’d said it was in the name of protecting animal rights, but she didn’t think Emma looked before she leapt and got in over her head. She blamed Robert. Felicia said she wouldn’t argue with that, especially since he wasn’t there. Anna said she’d realized Emma was still the granddaughter she knew and loved, and Felicia asked if she was willing to cut Emma some slack. Anna said she was still going to keep a close eye on her.  

Emma introduced Dalton to Trina, and he asked for a word with Emma. She said, of course (🍷), and they went over to the bar. Dalton asked how her extra credit was going, and she said she’d been working on it for weeks and was almost done. He said it was needed to be considered to the research assistant position, and she said she hoped he’d be impressed. He said he did too.

Vaughn said the whole mission hinged on her securing a spot close enough to Dalton to gain his trust, and Josslyn said she was trying. Besides having to catch up in the class, there were three other applicants already. He asked if she was saying she couldn’t do it, and she said she couldn’t just snap her fingers and become Dalton’s assistant. He told her to do something to make herself stand out, so when the time came for him to choose, she’d be the first and only student Dalton considered.

Gio said the website was a total hit piece and painted his Uncle Sonny as a ruthless criminal mastermind, but Tracy said she thought Ezra Boyle’s PR firm nailed it. She was working with a committee whose common goal was to devest Sonny of his waterfront property. Gio asked, why? and she said, without it, Sonny couldn’t do business, and she wasn’t talking about his coffee business.

Sonny told Mike that he should have gotten out a long time ago. They used to fight about it and he should have listened. Mike said, why? He hung Sonny out to dry for years, then swooped in and told him how to live his life. That’s the reason he was living that life. Sonny said, nobody told him what to do, but Mike said he’d put Sonny on the path to begin with. Sonny said he should have listened, but he was stubborn, and Mike said, he was young. Sonny said, Mike was right, and he should admit he was wrong, and Mike asked, why the change of heart? Sonny said he’d been thinking about getting out for a while, and Mike asked, what drove it home? Sonny said, what happened to Michael, and Mike said he was sorry about that. He wished he could help. Sonny said it wasn’t Mike’s job, and it was his fault, and Mike said he knew Sonny wanted to beat himself up. Sonny said, someone came after him and Michael paid the price. It wasn’t the first time someone he loved was caught in the crossfire, and it was the second time for Michael. It was going to be the last. This had to be the last time.

Carly asked how Brick knew something was going on. He was headed for Dubai. Brick said he was leaving and saw a drop of blood in front of the supply closet. He looked inside and found a woman in her underwear. She was breathing and he called a nurse, then went to Sonny’s room and found the woman. Carly said, she would have killed Sonny if Brick hadn’t shown up. He saved Sonny’s life. They hugged.

Molly asked, why commitment? and Alexis said none of them could deny how difficult this year had been. Molly said, but why now? and Kristina said she’d been doing better. Alexis said she noticed Kristina’s progress when they had girls’ night and changed her mind, and Kristina said Alexis did it without talking to her. It was like something out of a horror film. Now, when she was finally stable and grounded, Alexis went behind her back. Alexis said Kristina left her no choice.

Gio asked why Tracy was going after Sonny, and she said she’d lived in Port Charles longer than he had and seen the violence and crime Sonny brought to the city and her family. He said, Sonny did good things for other people and had been nothing but great to him. She said she hoped that was always the case. Sonny was a dangerous man, and if you were in his life, you were exposed to danger. She didn’t want that for him. He asked what she thought would happen, and she said she didn’t know, but she knew Sonny took advantage of the people who trusted him. If you were pulled into Sonny’s world, you either ended up in prison or in the ground. It would devastate her if that happened to him.

Felicia looked at her tablet and told Anna the insurance wanted more forms. Anna should definitely go, and she’d do her best to catch up. Have a cocktail for her. Anna said Felicia could count on it and left.

Emma told Dalton that she’d been fascinated by today’s lecture, when she received a text from Gio: Need you at the Qs. ASAP. She told Dalton that she had to run and left.

Vaughn said Dalton was going to be at The Savoy, and Josslyn asked what he wanted to know. He said, who Dalton talks to and what are his interests besides physics. Just be smooth. The last thing they needed was for anyone to figure out what she’s up to. She said smooth was her middle name, and left.

Portia said Brad needed to get her some ketamine, and he said he didn’t know that’s how she rolled. She said it wasn’t for her, and he asked if it was for Congressman Cutthroat. Portia said, please, just do what she asked, and he said he could get fired. She said, don’t get caught. If he didn’t do what she asked, he’d get fired. Brad said their new arrangement sucked, and she told him, better pucker up then. She opened the door, and he left.

Jordan said, to be an effective COO, she had to bury the hatchet with Drew, and Curtis asked if they were friends again. She said, yes, and she’d likely be helping to further Drew’s agenda, to which he and Curtis were on opposite sides.

Kai said Curtis was nice about him not taking his advice. He was lucky to have Curtis in his corner, and luckier to have Trina. He knew she wasn’t all in about him having surgery. Trina said she was all in for him achieving his dreams, and he said the surgery was going to work. Even if it didn’t, he’d know he did everything he could to get back on the field.

Molly said, Alexis was blaming Kristina? and Alexis said Kristina wasn’t doing as well as Molly thought. Kristina said she was standing right there. What did Alexis mean? Alexis said Kristina had a difficult year. She’d lost the baby, post-partum, Sam, then Michael. Anyone could crack under the strain. Molly said, Kristina hadn’t and was still standing, and Alexis said she sensed Kristina was covering. She was saying the right things, but not feeling them. She thought if Kristina had to work that hard at putting on a façade, she could break. That’s what happened when she tried to cover up her alcoholism. Kristina said Alexis never asked her if she needed help, and Alexis said she knew Kristina would refuse and push her away. Molly said, this is better? and Alexis said Kristina would be in a place where she could be honest and up front about her feelings. She was trying to protect Kristina. Kristina said because she was a danger to herself and society, and walked out.

Sonny told Mike that he couldn’t find a way out and keep his family safe, and Mike asked, what were the options? Sonny said, if he disappeared, it would be like Nixon Falls and his family would be in even more danger. Mike asked if Jason could take over, but Sonny said, Jason was out too. Mike said he was sorry. He wished he had the answer, but have faith. He knew Sonny would find a way. Sonny said, if he stepped back, he’d be thought of as vulnerable. If he showed more strength and went in deeper, he’d need to find a solution, or his family would never know what it was like to live in true peace. Mike put his hands on Sonny’s shoulders.

At The Savoy, Anna sat next to Dalton at the bar. N’neka brought him a continental sour, and Anna said it used to be her favorite. Dalton ordered another one for his friend, and she asked if that’s what they were. He said, here’s hoping.

Brad put a vial of ketamine on Portia’s desk and asked if there were any other crimes she wanted him to commit. She said he wouldn’t be in this position if he hadn’t blackmailed her to begin with. Lose the attitude. He left and Portia called Nina. She said she’d gotten what they needed… Of course (🍷) she had reservations, but Drew left them no choice.

Curtis said he understood Jordan’s delicate position and admired her taking down Sidwell. She said if Drew and Sidwell did anything that would negatively impact him, she’d try to let him know, but he told her not to jeopardize herself. His main concern was that she stayed safe.

Jack said he’d heard about the attempt on Sonny’s life, and Carly asked if Brick called Jack for back-up. Brick said he called the WSB, and Jack said he was already in the LA office for a west coast meeting. The Bureau would take it from here. Brick asked if Carly was good, and she said, because of him, and hugged him. He said he’d do anything for Sonny and her, and left. She asked Jack if no one knew anything had happened and he said that was precisely why he was here. She hugged him and said she was relieved and grateful, and he said he felt the same way Brick did – anything for her.

Mike said he let Sonny save himself his whole life, but even when Sonny was furious with him, he saved him. When Sonny was Donna and Avery’s age, he dropped out of Sonny’s life. He surrendered to the choices he made, but Sonny not only lived his, he triumphed over them. He knew in his heart that Sonny would find a way to protect his family… their family.

Kristina went to Adela/Irene’s grave and said she missed Adela every day. Mama messed up this time. Something really bad. She tried to kill Ava, and doing so, she hurt Ric and Elizabeth, the kindest soul ever… Molly would never forgive her if she found out. They were finally in a good place and like sisters again. She didn’t want to lose that, but their mom had misinterpreted her guilt and thought she’d lost it. She didn’t know. Maybe she had.

Alexis said she thought she was helping Kristina, but Molly said she wasn’t. Kristina had been her rock since her dad’s accident and didn’t act like she was falling apart. Alexis was doing what she’d done Kristina’s entire life. In order to protect Kristina, Alexis undercut her and it didn’t help. It did the opposite. Alexis said she’d made a mistake and hadn’t filed the papers, but Molly said the only thing that mattered was that she’d had them drawn up in the first place. Molly snatched up the papers and left.

Alexis’s assistant Suzanne brought in a box and told Alexis it had just been delivered. She left and Alexis opened the box. She took out a note and read: Despite the intriguing history, it didn’t feel right keeping a family heirloom. It’s better in your hands. She opened the box inside and took out the dagger.

Molly said she thought she’d find Kristina at the cemetery, and said she was sorry. Kristina thanked Molly for having her back, and Molly touched the gravestone. She said they were all that was left. They might need to work on some things, but they were sisters. They didn’t have Sam and didn’t have their baby girl, but they had each other. Did Kristina know how important that made her? Kristina said she did, and Molly took her hand and said, me and you, forever. Kristina said, me and you, forever.  

Curtis said the new job suited Jordan, and she said it was like old times. He said, be careful, and she promised she would.

Kai told Trina there was one thing he hadn’t told her about the surgery. Drew was having it documented and hired a camera crew. She asked how he felt, and he said, a little weird, but to be honest, he felt like he had to say yes. It was a small price to pay considering. She said, to everything going his way, and he said he could definitely toast to that. 

Dalton introduced himself to Anna and said, judging from her accent, she wasn’t from around there. She said she’d lived in Port Charles a long time. Him? He said he’d moved there in January and took a teaching gig at PCU. Anna said her granddaughter went there, and he said it was a bit of a change, since he’d moved from California. Josslyn came in and saw them together.

Gio brought Emma to Tracy and said Emma had earned Tracy’s respect when she’d defended the crypt. Tracy said she owed Emma a debt of gratitude, and Gio said he hoped Emma could talk her out of her plans. Tell Emma what she was planning on doing to Uncle Sonny.

Carly asked if the west coast meeting was planned before or after Jack knew she was coming to LA, and he said, both. He’d been putting off being there and when he found out she would be, he pulled the trigger. He hoped he could take her out to dinner, and it may have been an excuse to check up on her. On the off chance something happened with Sonny’s surgery, he didn’t want her to be alone. She asked if anyone ever told him that he was extra thoughtful, and he said, not as often as she’d think. She said sometimes words weren’t enough. Actions mattered the most.

Mike said, speaking of families, Sonny had to get back to his, but Sonny said they had a lot more catching up. Mike said they had time. Until then, know he was always with Sonny. Sonny said he loved Mike and promised to try and be the man Mike saw when Mike looked at him. Mike said he already was. He always had been. They hugged and Sonny woke up. He said, thank you, dad, when the door opened. Carly said he was awake. Thank God. How was he feeling? He said he was still out of it, but all right. Was everything okay? She said he missed a lot.  

Tuesday:

Anna said, so Danton transferred to PCU from the Bay area. Why did he come there? He said they had the funds for his research, and he couldn’t pass it up, and she asked what he taught. He said, environmental sciences, and Anna said she had a feeling it was something like that.

Gio asked what his Uncle Sonny did that was so bad, and Tracy said Sonny had been a plague on their family for decades. Jason walked in and she said, exhibit A.

Lucas congratulated Marco for officially landing the job. He thought it was a good time to move on to the getting-to-know-you phase of the date. Marco said he knew what Lucas was getting at. He’d heard more about Marco’s dad. That’s not what he wanted to do on their date. Sidwell and Lucy walked in.

Cody met Lulu at The Savoy and apologized for being late. He’d been kicked by a horse. She said they could have done it another night, but he said he was happy for a reason to leave the stables. Aside from hanging out with Dante, his social calendar wasn’t booked.

Curtis said he was glad Jordan came out and wouldn’t ask any more questions about her new job. He always cared about her safety, and truth had a way of coming out.

Nina called Portia and said she had the ketamine and had the trap set. They just had to decide when and where Drew would be lured into it. Drew walked into Portia’s office and said they needed to talk, and Portia said she’d call Nina back. She said Drew couldn’t just barge in. She had a job she had to do. He said, unless she did what he told her, she’d be fired anyway. Did he need to remind her that he held her career and her relationship in his hands? Both were hanging by a thread.

Nina thanked Jacinda for coming on short notice, and Jacinda said, money talks. Nina said, as long as Jacinda didn’t. This needed to stay between them. Jacinda said, discretion was a given in her line of work, and Nina took out the ketamine. She said, here’s what they were using to drug Drew Cain.

Lulu asked Cody to let her buy him a beer, but he said he needed to get her a drink for giving him something fun to do.

Curtis said it sounded like Jordan was on her own and it wasn’t a small-time operation. Going after international criminals like Sidwell was another league. Jordan said he was looking at it the wrong way. It wasn’t whether she could handle Sidwell, but whether Sidwell could handle her.

Lucas said he hated to be the bearer of not so good news, but Marco’s dad just walked in, and Marco said he guessed they were doing this. Sidwell came over to their table and said, what a lovely surprise. He introduced Lucy to Marco, and Lucy said his name sounded familiar. She thought she’d emailed him some paperwork when his father purchased Windymere. Marco said Lucy had a good memory, and Sidwell said Marco was one of his many attorneys and happened to be his son. He just moved to Port Charles. Lucy welcomed him and said Port Charles had lovely, amazing people, and obviously, Marco had good taste like his father. Lucas said, good seeing her, and Sidwell told them to have a good evening. They left and Lucas said they couldn’t have asked for a better segue. Now they had to talk about their dads.

Dalton asked how a lady so beautiful could get a job like that, and Anna thanked him and said it was a long story. He said he had nowhere else he needed to be, but Anna said she had a rare night off. The last thing she wanted to talk about was work. He said he understood and asked what she wanted to talk about, as Josslyn watched them.

Tracy said she was just about to tell Gio and Emma about the suffering Sonny had wrought on the family, and Jason asked, what prompted it this time? Gio said that Tracy was supporting the campaign to steal the piers from Sonny, and Emma said they were trying to talk her out of voting for it. Jason said, good luck, and Emma told Tracy, please don’t. Tracy had said she owed Emma for saving the crypt. Tracy said she did owe Emma and was grateful Drew… There’s an idea. Gio asked what she meant.

Drew asked how many times Portia thought she could fail before he pulled the plug on their little arrangement, but Portia said it wasn’t easy to convince Curtis to change course about anything, especially when it came to Drew. She’d tried repeatedly. He said, that was why she had to pivot. Get Curtis to go after Sonny. He wanted to get Aurora to his Sonny with every media outlet. The referendum on the esplanade location was really a referendum on Sonny. They were going to yank him away from the waterfront and maybe even Port Charles. She said, Curtis and Laura were good friends and Laura supported Sonny. Curtis wasn’t going to go against Sonny that way. Drew suggested she reframe it. Sonny almost got Trina killed. She said he wanted her to use their daughter against Sonny? and he said he wanted to get results, or he would expose her secret. She said she’d try, but needed time, which he said was in short supply. His phone rang and Tracy said she needed to speak to him on a matter of their mutual interest. She could assure him it was of the utmost importance to him. He said, the PC Grill in a half hour, and she said fine. He told Portia that he wanted her to press Curtis again about Sonny and she had a week to make it happen. If she didn’t, he’d go to Curtis and tell him everything he knew.

Gio said Tracy was working with Drew, the man who nearly bulldozed her parents’ grave? They hated each other. She may not like Sonny, but he’d seen the good Sonny had done for the city. She said if Sonny was no more than the man he saw, she’d be fine with it, but he wasn’t. She wasn’t taking the risk of him harming anybody else in the family, including Gio. She was sure Jason was about to embark on telling some heroic and heartwarming stories, but don’t forget to tell them what Sonny did to his brother.

Jacinda said, ketamine was dangerous, and asked Nina where it was sourced. Nina said it was 100% clean, pharmacy grade. Jacinda would have to take her word for it. Jacinda said, she’d take it from here then, and Nina said, as soon as they heard back from Portia. She wanted to Drew to have a night he never remembered and a night everyone in Port Charles would never forget.

Portia joined Curtis and Jordan, and Anna told Dalton it looked like her plans had been canceled. It was just as well. She could use the sleep. He asked if he could interest her in showing him around town, but she said tour guide wasn’t in her job description. He said, how about giving him her phone number so he could take her out to dinner or coffee? but she said Port Charles wasn’t as big as it seemed. She was sure they’d run into one another somewhere. She left and Dalton asked for his tab. Josslyn sat next to him and introduced herself, and he said, the latecomer.

Lucas told Marco that Tony Jones was his adoptive father, but the one he was talking to Marco about was Julian Jerome, his biological father. Marco said he didn’t know Lucas was adopted, and Lucas said it was a long story. His adoptive parents were amazing and made sure he had a loving home and a loving extended family. When he found out about his biological parents, that family got bigger. Marco asked how Lucas’s parents reacted to him coming out, and Lucas said his dad was fine with it. His mom took a couple of minutes, but looking back, it wasn’t the judgement thing. He thought she was worried that she didn’t know how to protect him. Ultimately, she was his fiercest supporter. Was Marco comfortable sharing more of his experience? Marco said his dad accepted him with no problem. His mom couldn’t and still can’t. The only downside of living in Port Charles was that she lived here. Last year, she made headlines with her homophobic rant against his sister who happened to be gay as well and it went viral. Lucas asked who his sister was, and Marco said she was a singer. Her stage name was Blaze. Lucas said, his mother is Natalia Ramirez?

Emma told Gio that she wished she could stay, but she had to meet her grandmother. He said he appreciated her coming, and she said she was dying to know what she meant about Sonny and Jason’s brother. Gio said he was going to ask Jason when he came back, and she said she hoped that chatterbox told him something. Text if he found out anything. She left and Jason came back. Gio said, obviously, Tracy had a grudge and was angry when she was talking about Jason’s brother. What did Uncle Sonny do to him? If Jason didn’t tell him, he’d find someone who would. Jason said Sonny killed his brother.  

Tracy said she was bringing Drew an opportunity. For once, they had a common goal, to rip the piers out of Sonny’s hands and take the criminal element elsewhere. Drew said it would be waging public war, but he could make that happen. What was the proposal? She said, to join forces. If they put their differences aside and rid Port Charles of Sonny, it would send a powerful message. Together, they were unbeatable. Drew said he couldn’t argue with that, but he didn’t come cheap. Tracy laughed and said she didn’t expect he would. Name his price. Drew said, the Quartermaine name.

Portia told Nina that Drew just left for the Port Charles Grill and Nina said everything was set. Jacinda was here and knew what to do. She was sending her over now. Nina told Jacinda that if everything worked according to plan, she’d see her for the final payment, and Jacinda said, then she’d leave town and go far away from there. Nina said, exactly. And no one would ever know what really happened.

Cody asked what was new, and Lulu said her job as Brook’s assistant didn’t work out. He said, shocking turn of events, and Lulu said she still needed a job, so she decided to go back to her roots – journalism. She hadn’t done it for a while, obviously, but she loved it. She pitched some ideas to the Llanview Banner and got the green light on one. He asked what she was writing about, the abundance of handsome men in Port Charles? She said, weirdly, they didn’t pick that one. They picked the adoption story. Cody said it was a subject near and not so dear to his heart.

Curtis said Jordan did an amazing job as Deputy Mayor and Police Commissioner. He had no doubt she’d excel in her new job. She was always happiest undercover… He wasn’t saying that’s what she was doing. He was just making an observation. She said her life felt stagnant. When she caught the guy in Isaiah’s hospital room, chased him down the stairwell, and took him down, she felt alive again.

Lucy said Sidwell’s son was as handsome and charming as he was. It must feel incredible to have him in town. Sidwell said he did, and Lucy said she couldn’t believe Natalia never mentioned she had a son. She did not know Natalia at all.

Marco said his parents divorced when he was young and his father was barely around, so he didn’t have much of a relationship with him. Lucas asked if he and his mom were close then, and Marco said, very close. She was incredibly strong. She remarried and had Allison and things were great. He thought he could tell her anything Lucas said, until he came out, and Marco said, exactly. He was just a teenager, and she had a look on her face he’d never forget.

Dalton said Josslyn was facing an uphill battle after coming into the class late, and she said she had to work hard to a catch up, but it was worth it. He said he’d seen how engaged she was, and she wasn’t afraid to participate, and she said she was very into the class, but she wanted to make a strong impression. She wanted the summer research position. He said he didn’t think that was going to happen.

Portia met with Nina, who said Jacinda was on her way to the PC Grill. Was Portia sure the ketamine couldn’t be traced back? Portia said, absolutely. The less Nina knew, the better. Was everything set at Drew’s place? Nina said, the kids were sleeping, and Willow wouldn’t be back until morning. Portia said, the plan came ether quickly, but it seemed to be working perfectly, and Nina said, who knew when they’d get another opening? It would break her daughter’s heart, but she had to believe that in the end, it would all be worth it.

Jacinda walked into the PC Grill, noticed where Drew was, and went to the bar. The server went to get Drew’s drink, and Tracy said she wasn’t surprised at Drew’s asking price. Drew told her that he’d never said she was stupid. She knew what the terms would be. Did they have a deal or not? The bartender put Drew’s drink on the bar and Jacinda took the ketamine out of her purse. She poured it into the drink, and the server came back to take it. Tracy said when the vote passed and Sonny was driven from their fair city, she would rescind the obstruction. The Quartermaine name would be his. By agreeing to join the family in getting the piers from Sonny, he was worthy of the name, which he’d never been able to do before. They shook hands.

Nina looked at her phone and said, Drew had the laced drink. Portia said there was no turning back now, and Nina hoped Willow would be okay. Believing he cheated was going to devastate her. Portia said, he’d given them no choice, and Nina said, after tonight, she’d have be no more problems with Drew, and believed Portia wouldn’t either. Portia said, after tonight, Drew’s reputation would be beyond repair. Even if Aurora Media kissed the ring, it wouldn’t be enough to fix it. He’d have no more use for her and would move to DC, out of their lives for good. She had to meet Curtis at The Savoy, and Nina said, after tonight, no more worries. Portia said she hoped not, and left.  

Drew told Tracy that he looked forward to taking Sonny apart piece by piece. If Carly and Jason felt the sting, that was okay too. Tracy said she had no interest in Drew’s personal vendettas, but she was gratified he was using his talents for the common good as opposed to destroying his nephew’s marriage and the family mausoleum. She left and Drew finished his drink. Jacinda came over to his table and asked if the seat across from him was free. He said, sure. This is a strong drink. She asked if he was okay, and he said he was good and getting better all the time. He asked her name, and she said, Jacinda. He asked why she came over to join him, and she said he looked like someone she’d like to get to know. He said, likewise, and she said, this place is dead. Why don’t they go somewhere livelier? He said he knew just the place and drained his glass.

Dalton said it wasn’t Josslyn’s fault. It was the timing. He’d have to give the position to someone who’d been doing the work all semester. She asked if there was anything she could do to improve her chances, and he said, keep working hard. He didn’t want to discourage her, but wanted to manage her expectations. She said, fair enough, and he asked if he could give her some advice. Do her best on the assignment, but know it wasn’t likely she was going to get the position. There were plenty of other summer jobs. She was intelligent and charming and could find a position that matched her abilities. She thanked him, he said he’d see her in class, and she left.  

Gio said he didn’t believe it, and Jason said he wasn’t in town, but Sonny walked in on AJ attacking Ava. To save Ava’s life, Sonny had to shoot AJ. Gio said, Ava, Trina’s boss, and Jason said, that was the story. The trouble was, Monica and Alan loved AJ, but it was Sonny’s story and it’s what he believes. The Quartermaines, especially Monica, questioned Sonny’s version of events and there was a difference of opinion. Gio said, if Jason wasn’t there, how did he know? and Jason said he chose to believe what Sonny told him.

Marco told Lucas that his mother’s reaction devastated him, so he reconnected with his dad, who welcomed him with open arms. If not for his father’s love and support, he doesn’t know what would have happened to him. His father was his rock. Lucas thanked him for being open and sharing, and Marco said it was good to talk to someone who understood. He suggested they switch it up and hit a club, but Lucas said, no way. He was retired from dancing. Stripping in front of the whole town for charity could do that. Marco said he wanted to hear that story on the way to the club. He was taking Lucas out of retirement.

At the café, Emma apologized for being late, and Anna said since her plans were mostly cancelled, she thought she could salvage the evening by meeting Emma. Emma said she was thrilled to be Anna’s second choice. She needed the caffeine, since she was pulling an all-nighter with her project. Anna asked if it was her environmental physics project, and Emma said, that’s the one. Anna said she met someone at The Savoy who Emma might know – Professor Dalton.

Lucy told Sidwell that she couldn’t imagine a mother rejecting a son who she loved. She was so glad the ladies at Deception learned about Natalia’s deception and fired her. Sidwell agreed and said Natalia robbed herself of a relationship with her wonderful son. He was smart, determined, and passionate about what he did. Sidwell was a man with few regrets, but missing Marco’s childhood was the biggest one. She said she liked seeing the softer side of him, and he said there were many sides to him. His brilliant son was just one of them.

Portia said Jordan and Curtis looked like they were having fun, and Curtis said he was just congratulating Jordan on her new job. Portia said, already? and Jordan said she was working with Sidwell as his COO. Curtis said, that meant she’d be working with Drew sometimes, and Portia said, congratulations. Good luck.

Marco and Lucas walked into The Savoy, and Lucas said he was having flashbacks about his Magic Milo days. Marco said they were going to have fun, when Josslyn joined them. Lucas introduced Marco and said Josslyn went to PCU. Marco said. college students knew the best clubs. Josslyn was here, so he knew they chose wisely.

Lulu said, so meeting his adoptive father made Cody’s life better? and Cody said when he met his biological father, Mac changed his life. He was one of those dads that he was jealous about his friends having. But when he saw Mac with James, he felt a twinge, like it was a glimpse into what he missed out on. He was grateful for the time now, but it hurt knowing he couldn’t get the time back. Lulu looked sad, and he asked if she was okay.

Jason said he knew how Gio was feeling. The Quartermaines warned him about Sonny too. It got so bad, he completely cut ties with the family. He went to work for Sonny and Sonny became his family. It made the Quartermaines angry. they felt Sonny took him away from them. Now he had Danny and some life experience and saw things differently. He did think Sonny had always been his friend and was genuinely supportive. Gio said that’s how he felt, and Jason said it was a decision Gio had to make for himself. Did he trust his relationship with Sonny or did he listen to everybody else?

Emma said, Professor Dalton was at The Savoy? and Anna said he shared that he’d transferred to PCU from the Bay area. Now he and Emma were both at the same school at the same time. Emma said, it was just a coincidence, but Anna said in her line of work, she didn’t believe in coincidences. The last time they talked, Emma swore she was there for a fresh start, and she was just wondering if Emma had something she wanted to tell her. Emma said, fine. She deliberately made sure she was in Professor Dalton’s class.

Drew and Jacinda came into The Savoy, and Drew looked higher than a kite with his shirt half untucked from his pants. Curtis asked what the hell was going on. Did Drew forget he’d banned him? Portia said it looked like he’d forgotten a lot of things, and Drew went into extreme PDA mode with Jacinda. Curtis said he had to stop this, but Portia said, drunk Drew was making a fool of himself. Curtis said, let him bury himself, and Drew said, a round of shots for the bar – on me, and the patrons cheered. Jordan said she didn’t know what Drew was doing, but it was going to be a disaster for her new position with Sidwell. She had to get him away from that woman and out of here.  

Emma said, Dalton’s class at her old school was too difficult to get in. When she saw his name on the list, she jumped at the opportunity. It felt like fate. Anna said she might not believe in coincidences, but that didn’t mean they don’t happen. Emma said Dalton told her that he was eager to see her data model and she had a good shot at his summer research position. Anna hugged her and said she was so proud.

Gio said he respected Tracy, but had to trust his instincts about Uncle Sonny, and Jason said, Sonny wouldn’t want him to alienate himself from the Quartermaines because Gio was defending him. He’d faced worse than Tracy and Drew or any politician trying to take the piers away. Sonny was going to be okay, but Tracy chose to align herself with Drew and had already lost.

Drew got loud and said, this was so much fun, and Cody said he knew he was right about that SOB. Lulu said, that SOB was going to land her the top story tomorrow morning, and Drew said they should do body shots. Jordan went over to Drew and said he’d had enough, but he said he felt fine. He felt happy. Jacinda said they were just having fun, and Jordan said this was a really bad idea. Drew said, did she know what a really good idea was? Body shots! It would help her to relax. He lifted Jacinda onto the bar, and she stretched out. He went behind the bar and got out a bottle. He poured a shot into her belly button and slurped it out. (Yuck.) On the phone, Portia told Nina that Drew and Jacinda had shown up, and Nina asked how it was going. Portia said, better than they’d hoped. Much better. Lulu took a photo and Drew did another shot.  

Wednesday:

Willow was headed to the house while leaving Drew a phone message. She said reporters were camped out in front and wondered what was going on. She saw a high heel, picked it up, and looked at it.

Sonny woke up and said Jack was still there. Jack said, only as long as he had to be.

Jason arrived at the hospital and asked Carly how Sonny was. She said, alive and safe, thanks to Brick.

Kai found Trina waiting at the hospital, and she said she took the day off to give him moral support. He told her that the documentary film director was coming up. He was hoping Drew was here. Trina said Drew might not be there and asked if he’d seen The Herald. Felicia joined them and asked to steal Kai so she could get him checked in and go over paperwork.

Curtis went to Laura’s office and said he assumed she’d seen The Herald, complete with Lulu’s photo footage, and she said she couldn’t wrap her head around how Drew made such a huge error in judgment. He said if he hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t believe it. Thank goodness Lulu was there to put it on record.

Lulu thanked Alexis for agreeing to meet with her. She was doing a piece for the Llanview Banner on the experience of adoption. Alexis said she had to postpone their meeting to take care of her granddaughter. Lulu said she didn’t write the piece in The Herald, but she did forward the footage. Alexis said none of it was Lulu’s fault. The mess was Drew’s mess, and she couldn’t let Scout know what her father had done.

Nina asked if Portia had seen the video, and Portia said she wanted to put it on loop to watch when she was having a bad day. She’d been hesitant about Nina’s plan, but hiring Jacinda was pure genius.

Willow approached the bedroom and saw clothing on the floor. She found Drew in bed half naked, and Jacinda came out, buttoning up a man’s shirt. She asked if Willow’s mom had taught her to knock.

Carly told Jason that Brick had to go to Dubai, so she’d called him. Then she went to check on Sonny and Brick was there with the woman they thought was Sonny’s nurse. She’d been shot dead. If Brick had shown up five seconds later, Sonny would have been dead.

Jack told Sonny that Carly explained that Brick had killed the assassin, so he called in a few favors, ran interference, and did clean up. Sonny said he appreciated it and thanked Jack for taking over his security. Jack said it was just until Jason arrived, and he had. He wished Sonny a speedy recovery and left.

Curtis told Laura that he thought it as best for Aurora to hold back until the story was picked up elsewhere. Lulu did him a massive favor. Laura said Curtis and Drew hostility wasn’t a secret, so he’d want to avoid the appearance of bias, and Curtis said he wanted it public before he moved forward. Drew was now radioactive politically speaking. Laura said, even Ezra Boyle was keeping his distance, and Curtis said her Drew problem may have been solved by Drew himself.

Alexis said Drew was many things, but she’d never known him to be reckless, and Lulu said he was very intoxicated. Alexis said she didn’t recall ever seeing him drunk, and Lulu said she wasn’t the only witness. There were a lot people recording on their phones, and Drew and his… date were hard to ignore. Alexis said it was out of character, and Lulu said that’s why she forwarded it to The Herald to alert them that their representative wasn’t just tipsy. He was out of control.

Nina said there was no way Drew could spin the video, and Portia said he’d be too busy doing damage control to meddle in other people’s lives. Nina said Willow would be home soon and was going to be devastated, but Portia said, a little pain now would save her a ton of misery down the road. Nina had to get Drew away from her daughter and grandchildren no matter the cost.

Willow said this was her bedroom, and Jacinda said Drew told her that Willow would be away. She wouldn’t have stayed over otherwise. Don’t be hard on him. Men needed to let off steam now and then. She took her shoe out of Willow’s hand and left. Willow slammed the door and shading his eyes, Drew asked if that was her.

Laura said she longed for the days politics was about issues and criticism was based on that (me too), and Curtis said Drew had neglected his duties. She said Drew was too busy picking fights and making friends who could carry out his vendettas. Whose lives had he bettered? Nobody. She’d love to debate him on the issues and not based on one night of bad behavior. Curtis said she had to admit it revealed Drew’s true character. He was self-serving, disloyal, and hypocritical. How could he be trusted? Shed said something felt like it was a distraction, and Curtis asked if she wasn’t going to comment publicly. She said she was being criticized for the company she kept, and couldn’t do that to anyone else, and he said that’s why she’d always get his vote. Kai’s surgery was today, so he was going to the hospital to wait with Trina. On the bright side, Laura was on safer ground with the referendum. With any luck, Drew would be voted out of office. Had she considered congress?

Lulu told Alexis that she wanted to give Drew a platform to explain, but when his team reached out, they couldn’t find him. Alexis said she used to be Editor-in-Chief of The Invader, and Lulu didn’t need to apologize for anything. Drew was a congressman, not a private citizen. His constituents had a right to know how he behaved in public and who he spent time with. But someone had to keep Scout away from it and if Drew wasn’t up to the task, she had to intervene.

Felicia said a gentlemen came to the hospital and had equipment with him, and Kai said Drew had arranged to film a documentary about his surgery. He said it was an inspiring story that would help people. Since he was paying for the surgery, it was the least Kai could do. Felicia said it was more Kai’s project since Drew wasn’t there. He was the star of the show. If he wanted privacy, just signal her and she’d make it happen. She was scrappier than she looked and happy to be the bad guy. She could just say it was hospital policy. Trina came in and Felicia left. Kai asked if there was any word from Drew, and Trina said, not yet. Was he still going along with the documentary without Drew?

Jacinda told Nina and Portia that the ketamine didn’t take long to kick in. After that, it was easy to get Drew to go to the club, but what happened there was all him. Portia said, what happened after? and Jacinda said when they got home from the club, Drew passed out cold in the bedroom. She set the scene and crashed on the couch, making sure she was awake when Willow arrived. She got an eyeful. Portia asked if anyone saw her leave, but Jacinda said she slipped out the back to avoid the reporters. Nina said now was the time for her to leave, and handed Jacinda an envelope. When she got to Sydney, she was to go underground. No social media or texting. Jacinda said she was happy to leave that behind too, and if anyone tracked her to the Australian Outback, she’d tell them the truth… that Congressman Drew Cain solicited her company at the Port Charles Grill, took her to The Savoy, then back to his place where the party continued. Nina thanked her, and Jacinda said it was a pleasure doing business with them. She left, and Portia said she should go too. Kai’s surgery was today, and Drew had a documentary director filming. Nina said of course (🍷) he did. Keep her posted. Portia said she would. Nina needed to be there for Willow, who needed her now more than ever.

Drew asked, what happened? and Willow said his date just left. She couldn’t believe he did this to her. She ran out, and Drew said, wait, then grabbed his head.

Carly told Jason that Brick showed up just as the assassin was about to inject Sonny’s IV, and Jason said, but she didn’t. Brick shot her. Jack came out and Carly said she’d been filling Jason in. Jason thanked Jack and Jack said Sonny was awake. Carly left, and Jason said he’d take it from here. Jack asked if Jason knew the woman who tried to kill Sonny, and Jason said, not yet. Why? Jack said because he did.

Carly asked how Sonny was feeling, and Sonny said, could be worse. She said, good news. Jason got a red eye and was there. He said that meant she could head home. There was nothing for her to do there. She said he’d almost been killed, but he said Brick came back and the assassin was dead, not him. She said, what if they send another assassin? and he said Jason was there and nothing would happen on his watch. Carly wanted to stay, but Sonny said he didn’t need her right now, but there was somebody else who did.

Director Josh asked Portia how likely it was that Kai would play football again. The surgery was risky. She said all surgeries had some risk, especially experimental ones. Josh said some patients had been left paralyzed. Was the risk worth it? She said it was a groundbreaking procedure, and they were lucky to have Dr. Mohinder as a guest surgeon. If it was a success, Kai could continue his athletic career. As the doctor refined his technique, it could improve the lives of people everywhere. Josh asked if the risks had been discussed with Kai, and she said, all parties involved had been informed, but she had full faith in the team at General Hospital and Dr. Mohinder. She saw a bright future for Kai. 

Kai said he’d already agreed, and Josh had shot footage, but Trina said he could stop it. He asked if she meant the documentary or the surgery, and she said, the documentary. He said he thought they should continue recording the procedure, and she said she’d help him every step of the way. He said he might have an idea. Josh wanted to interview him, and he might say she’s his girlfriend. She said she liked the sound of that, and they kissed.

Looking messed up, Drew stumbled around. There was a knock at the door, and when he opened it, reporters fired questions at him. He let Alexis in and asked what was going on. She said she was here to pack a bag for Scout. Scout was staying with her.

There was a knock at Nina’s door, and she opened it to a crying (weeping?) Willow, who fell into her arms. 

Jack told Jason that the assassin was well known in the intelligence community, but was the type that usually went after political or military leaders, not Sonny. Jason said, like Soliski, and Jack said they had similar backgrounds. They’d started in intelligence and branched out to the private sector. Jason asked if Jack knew who hired her, and Jack said, the WSB was investigating. She’d been found on the dark web and paid in crypto like Soliski.

Sonny said he was grateful for the support, but their daughter needed Carly more, and she said that’s why she wanted to stay, to make sure he got home safe and sound. He said Jason was handling that. Their daughter knew her father was sick and needed mommy by her side to tell her it would be okay. She said, fine, but only because he wasn’t supposed to be stressed, and he said he’d enjoy it while he could. He was already feeling better. He thanked her for getting him through this, and she said she wouldn’t have been anywhere else.

Lulu went to Laura’s office and Laura said she’d missed her. Curtis had been singing her praises about her piece in The Herald. Lulu said it wasn’t her piece. They did give her a byline, but she only sent the footage, so they knew the person sitting in congress and his friend were enjoying their night out. Lulu said she thought she detected an air of schadenfreude, and Lulu said she was worried that people would think she was a tabloid journalist, but Laura said people knew she was a responsible journalist. Lulu said she’d rather focus on her adoption story. She was interviewing a ton of people, and their stories were fascinating. She was wondering if she could interview Laura.

Willow told Nina that she came home to find every reporter in Port Charles on the front lawn. Her phone was dead, and she had to charge it on the way home. Nina said, so Willow had no idea. She was so sorry Willow was blindsided on top being betrayed. Willow asked how Nina knew what happened, and Nina said, everyone knew. It was in The Herald and all over social media. She showed Willow her phone and the headline, Congressman Cutthroat Cuts Loose!!! along with a photo of Drew doing body shots off Jacinda. Willow said, oh my God. That’s the woman she found in her bedroom.

Alexis said she refused to allow her granddaughter to deal with the gauntlet of reporters, and Drew asked why they were there. She said he really had no idea, and he said he couldn’t find his phone and last night was a blur, Alexis said, let her enlighten him, and showed him the body shot video.

Carly said Sonny wanted to see Jason, and Jason left. Jack said they’d had a productive conversation, and Carly asked if that was code for quietly threatening each other, but he said, no threats. He was handing over the reins and moving along with the plan. She asked what the plan was, and he said he was heading back to Port Charles. She said, what a coincidence. So was she.

Jason said he should have been there, but Sonny said Jason was where he’d asked him to be. Brick handled it. Their team wasn’t looking for someone like her. Jason said, somebody with ties to intelligence. They added more security to keep Sonny’s family safe, and Sonny said someone gave him an important message that had him looking at the big picture. They’ve talked about it before. They had to get out of this business. Jason asked, who sent him the message? and Sonny said, Mike. 

Lulu said she wasn’t sure Laura wanted to talk about her history and didn’t want to put her on the spot, and Laura asked if Lulu was concerned about her privacy. Lulu said she was keeping all of her sources anonymous. It was less about privacy, and more about Laura never talking about her adoption. Laura said that was because she wasn’t really adopted. She was switched in the hospital at birth. She had two families. It was very complicated. Lulu asked if Laura was sure that it wouldn’t open old wounds, but Laura said she thought she could talk about it. Lulu put her phone on record, and suggested they start with Laura telling her what it was like when Grandma Lesley entered her life. Laura said she didn’t understand who Lesley was, but knew she had a really great connection to a woman who was a stranger, and Lulu asked if she thought the Vinings saw it. Laura said it was possible, but she didn’t know. Eventually, Lesley told Laura that she was her mother, and in that moment, she felt a sense of relief, because it all made sense. The ease she felt and the connection she had to a total stranger. Lulu asked what it was like building a relationship with her birth mother, and Laura said she thought it would be easy and natural, but it wasn’t. They had challenges and there was a time she didn’t want anything to do with Lesley at all. She eventually ran away from home at 14 and joined a commune. Rick and Lesley found her, and Rick explained that her mother made all her choices about Laura based on love for her. Laura wanted to talk to her again and wanted to listen, she did, and then things got better. Lulu asked if she ever wished that she didn’t know any of this, and Laura said she still sometimes found herself wondering what it would have been like to have a normal childhood, but she loved both her mothers and couldn’t imagine her life without Lesley in it.

Curtis went to the hospital, and Portia said Trina was in with Kai. Josh, the director of Drew’s documentary, was also in there. He’d interviewed her and actually asked thoughtful questions. Kai was taking it in stride, even though it was unnecessary added stress before his surgery. But who cared what she thought? She was just a doctor. Curtis asked if Drew had shown his face, and she said, Trina told her that Drew promised to be there. He said, Drew made a lot of promises, and she said she was sure he promised to be faithful to Willow. He said, even after everything Drew had done, he found it hard to believe Drew would hurt Willow that way.

Josh asked how Kai was feeling, and Kai said, hungry, but good. He was ready, but he was glad Trina was by his side. Josh introduced himself to Trina and said he was wondering if she’d participate. He’d love to include her perspective. Trina said, sure, and Josh said she was an important part of Kai’s story. She said she’d try not to be boring, and signed the release. Josh asked if Kai was ready, and Kai said he couldn’t wait.

Willow asked if the kids knew anything, and Nina said Amelia was with her playgroup and too little to understand. Wiley and Scout were in school and not allowed to access their phones during class. Willow said she needed to get them home before lunchtime. Even if they were kept from their phones, their classmates would have theirs. How was she going to explain this? Nina said they’d figure something out. Willow just experienced a terrible shock. Give herself a minute to process. Willow said none of it made sense. Drew would never hire a prostitute. Nina said it looked like he did, and Willow said nothing about this seemed like the man she knew and loved. Drew had to be able to explain.

Drew said he had no idea who the woman was, and Alexis said, clearly, she knew him. He said he didn’t remember, and she said she had her share of mornings when she didn’t remember the night before. Was this the first time he’d had a blackout? He said, yes, and she said he was in big trouble. So do the right thing and let her pack a bag and let Scout stay with her. He said, for how long? and she said, tonight for sure. Preferably until he got this big old mess sorted out. He said, Scout should stay with her, and she said she’d do what she could to shield Scout from his bad press. He thanked her and said he’d get to the bottom of this. She suggested he do it quickly. She went to pack Scout’s bag, and he found his phone under the couch along with a red bra. He stared at it like he was considering putting it on.

Lulu asked if Laura could argue that children and their birth parents should be reunited, and Laura said, each case was different. Lulu said, it worked out for her, and Laura stopped the recording. She asked why the subject was so important to Lulu right now. This was about more than the article, wasn’t it?

Carly said Sonny wanted her to go back and be with Donna, and Jack said Sonny was right. She asked if maybe he could give her a ride to the airport pick. She’d have to stop by the hotel to pick up her stuff and book a flight. He said, commercial?… Absolutely not. She was flying as a VIP guest of the WSB.

Sonny told Jason that Mike said he’d find a way out of the business. Mike was proud of him for putting his family first. But he couldn’t make a move without someone coming after him. Jason said they had to get rid of whoever was coming after Sonny, and Sonny said, and whoever was giving them their marching orders. Jason said, the first step was getting Sonny back to Port Charles in one piece. 

Curtis told Portia that Drew seemed sincere in his commitment to Willow. He was so sloppy, showing up in public in that condition. The last thing he thought he’d see Drew do was hurt Willow in public with another woman. Portia said she never thought Drew would double-cross him, but here they were. Drew was a master at hiding his true nature and he dropped the act.

Nina told Willow that it seemed like Drew lost control. Had he been drinking more than usual? Willow said she’d only seen him have a cocktail every so often, and Nina told her that she wasn’t saying Drew was an alcoholic. Willow said, what if Nina was right and she’d been blind the whole time? Maybe her being out of town was a chance for Drew to cut loose. Was that who Drew really was? There was a knock at the door and Drew called for Willow. He said, please, they needed to talk. Willow looked at Nina.

Thursday:

Josslyn found Emma on her laptop at the hospital. Emma said Kai was having surgery and she was there to support Trina. Josslyn said, small world. Her too.

Josh asked what Kai’s hopes were for the surgery, and Kai said he wanted to play football again, get back on the field, be with his teammates, and feel the rush of the win. Deanna popped in and said it was time to prep Kai for surgery.

Dante fixed something while Danny and Rocco helped. Dante said afterwards, they’d go to the Woodchucks game with Lulu. Dante’s phone rang and he said, they did what?

Laura said Lulu was her daughter and she knew Lulu wasn’t being forthcoming about the subject of adoption. What did the topic have to do with her?

In the nook, Tracy laughed as she looked at her tablet. Brook wondered what was so funny, and Tracy said she was reading the article in The Herald. Lulu had gotten the ball rolling and sent footage of Drew’s debauchery at The Savoy to the paper, who sent a representative to cover it. Thanks to Lulu, Drew was no longer Congressman Cutthroat. He was Congressman Cad. Lulu was a national treasure. Chase and Gio walked in, and Brook wondered if they could go one day without Tracy giving an ode to the glories of Lulu. She couldn’t take it. She left, and Tracy wondered if it was something she said.

Drew said he knew Willow was in there. Please let him in. Nina told Willow that she’d call security, and they’d make him leave, but Willow said she needed to face this head on. She opened the door and asked what Drew wanted.

Gio asked what that was about, but Tracy said she had no idea. Did he see the news about Drew’s public meltdown? Or should she say, hoedown? Gio said, the video went viral on social media, but didn’t it mess up her plans to take down Uncle Sonny? She said it was a minor setback, but wasn’t going to stop her from making Port Charles a Sonny-free zone.

Drew begged to come inside, asking Willow to hear him out. Willow let him in and he wanted to speak privately, but she said she wanted Nina there. He said it was a huge misunderstanding, but Willow said she found him in their bedroom hooker. He asked if that sounded like him, and Willow said she didn’t know who he was, but she knew what she saw. And right now, she trusted her eyes more than him.

Josslyn told Emma that they were taking Kai in at 3. Did she want to get coffee? Emma said she had to finish her data model for Professor Dalton. It was the extra credit required to apply for the research assistant position.

Deanna told Josh, that’s a wrap, and he left. Trina asked if she and Kai could have a moment, and Deanna went out to the hallway. Kai said he thought they’d never leave, and Trina said he was doing great. Then again, he was pretty great. He took her hand.

Brook told Chase that if she heard one more person extol the virtues of Lulu, she was going to tear her hair out. Lulu was holding the truth about her and Dante’s child over her head and tormenting her with it. Lulu wanted to drive her insane and she though it was working.

Lulu told Laura that the Banner chose the topic out of three that she pitched, but she may not have been honest as to why she wanted to tackle that particular subject. Laura said she knew how to keep a confidence, but Lulu said it wasn’t her secret to tell. She wasn’t supposed to know. Laura said, so she stumbled on it? and Lulu said, stumbled, snooped, stuck her nose in where it didn’t belong. It depended on who you talked to. Laura said she couldn’t help unless Lulu told her what it was, and Lulu said she had knowledge about a child given up for adoption, but not all parties were aware of it and she could change that

Josslyn found Vaughn in a hallway, and he said he hadn’t heard from her in a while. Was anything going on? She said she was getting caught up in Dalton’s class, but she saw Dalton here. She followed him to a lab. He was carrying a briefcase. She didn’t know what was in it, but she got the lab number, and you needed a keycard to get in. She also saw Dalton speaking to Anna at The Savoy. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she knew they didn’t exchange numbers or information. Vaughn asked if the position as research assistant was hers yet, and she said, no, but she had a lead on that.

Drew asked again if he and Willow could have privacy, but Nina said she was staying. He had some nerve, barging into her home and demanding privacy after publicly humiliating Willow. He said he didn’t remember any of that. He would never do that. Nina told him, the entire internet says otherwise, and he said he didn’t remember anything. Nina said that was convenient, and he said he barely remembered anything after he left the office. Something was wrong.

Gio said he and Tracy didn’t agree about Sonny, but he got it. He spoke to Jason, who told him why she held Sonny responsible for AJ’s death. Tracy said, AJ was murdered, and he was her brother’s son, and Gio said Jason told him that Sonny shot AJ to save Ava. Tracy said, of course (🍷). To justify Sonny’s crimes. Gio said Jason lived in the house and had come back to the family, and Tracy said he took a long road to get there.

Chase suggested they stop the harassment right now by going to Dante and telling him everything, and Brook said she’d been tempted. She was tired of getting beaten up over the secret. But it wasn’t just about her comfort. It was about her child. She had a son out there and a big part of her wanted to find him, but a bigger part, the better part, wanted to protect him and not disrupt his life. She respected Lulu’s right to make her own choices, but she wished Lulu could respect hers. Chase said she would. He was putting an end to this once and for all. He walked out.

Laura said, a child was involved? and Lulu said, technically. Laura asked if they were in physical danger, and Lulu said, not that she was aware of. Laura said, so there was no threat to anyone, and Lulu asked, what about emotional threat? Laura said, to whom? and Lulu said, everyone. She thought they deserved to know the truth, but all she kept hearing was, it wasn’t her secret to tell. Laura said, yet she knew and carried it, and Lulu asked if that didn’t make it her secret to share. Laura said, no. She could see it was weighing on Lulu, but as a mother, she felt she had to advise Lulu to be really careful playing God with someone else’s life.

On the phone, Dante said he had this. They were here, but they’d see him soon. He told the boys that it was Yuri. They’d left such a mess in the boathouse, he felt he had to call. Danny and Rocco apologized, but Dante said, sorry wasn’t going to cut it. They were back to clean up or there would be no games in their future. They were old enough to know if they made a mess, they had to take responsibility and clean it up. Then they’d go to the game.

Kai said he was glad Trina was supporting his decision despite the risk, and she said she knew how much it meant to him and admired him for it. Deanna said it was time, and Trina said she’d see Kai on the other side. He thanked her for everything, and Trina left. Outside, she looked worried.

Emma told Josslyn that she had to turn in her work in the morning. She promised Gio that she’d go to the bonfire with him. She thought it was a nice way to blow off steam. Josslyn should come. Josslyn said maybe she’d meet Emma there. Trina joined them and said she was freaking out, but Kai was surprisingly excited and calm. It didn’t help that Drew’s documentary director kept shoving a camera in Kai’s face. Josslyn said Drew shouldn’t send a camera after anybody after his performance at The Savoy. He should hide under a rock.

Willow said the footage was out of Drew partying with the woman she found half-naked in their bedroom, and Drew said he had no idea who she was. Willow suggested there wasn’t much conversation and said neither one of them looked like they were there against their will. Nina said Drew was lucky Willow was speaking with him. He was angry that Willow wouldn’t ignore what she saw in her home with her own eyes simply because he said it didn’t happen. Drew said he loved Willow with all his heart and was asking her to trust that, and Willow said all she’d been doing was trusting him. She’d given up her life and her marriage because of him, and now she was going to lose her kids. 

Lulu said she wasn’t playing God, and Laura said, not intentionally, but it wasn’t her child. Lulu said, no, and Laura said, so she wasn’t going to be directly impacted by the information coming out. It sounded like she had a luxury perspective. She could step back and look at what she did without having the burden of angst after making the choice to give up a child. If she can’t imagine that, imagine having her agency taken away and being told what’s best for her and her child. She hoped Lulu didn’t take the position lightly.

Tracy gave Jason credit for being honest about his version of the truth, and Gio said, her version was different. She said her version was the truth. Jason’s perception was seen through the distorted lens of too many years at Sonny’s knee. He wasn’t the boy she knew and was largely Sonny’s work. Gio said there was a lot to admire, and she agreed Jason had a lot of admirable qualities, but he had more potential before Sonny robbed him. She hated that Sonny stole from Jason and a lot of people would be better off when Sonny was gone.

Chase knocked at Lulu’s door and Dante answered. Chase asked if Lulu was there, and Dante said, no. Was there something he could do? Chase said, tell Lulu to back the hell off his wife.

Josh hunted Trina down and wanted to film, but couldn’t unless Emma and Josslyn signed release forms. They sat close on either side of Trina, and Josh said he needed them to sign before he could film Trina with them. Josslyn said she didn’t like the camera and Emma said, talk to her agent. Josh asked if Trina would consider moving, and they just looked at him. He said he got it, and left. 

Dante said Chase was coming in hot, and Chase said he got hot when someone tried to hurt his wife. Dante said it was just the Brook and Lulu thing. They had history and both gave as good as they got. Chase didn’t want to get involved. Chase said, that wasn’t an option. He and Brook were planning on adopting and expanding their family. Lulu knew they were trying to have a baby and knew it was a sensitive, painful matter. Also private. In spite of that, she had to write an article on adoption. It was no coincidence. Dante asked if Chase didn’t think that was an overreaction.

Brook found Tracy in the solarium and apologized. She said she didn’t mean to snap. Tracy said she didn’t need an apology. She needed an explanation. She was sick of Brook and Lulu’s tit for tat. They weren’t teenagers anymore. Why was Brook so threatened by Lulu?

Lulu told Laura, in lieu of playing God, what should she do? What would Laura do? Laura said the family didn’t meet Nikolas until he was a teenager. That was a choice she made. Lulu said, there were extenuating circumstances, and Laura said, there always was with these decisions. She made a choice, then Lulu became ill and there was a chance to save her life, so Laura chose to bring Nikolas back into their lives. Lulu said she was grateful, but it cost her Laura, and starting to cry, Laura said, all choices in life cost something. Some of it easy, some of it took the rest of your life to pay. Choosing to expose someone else’s secret or truth was hubris and Lulu would be responsible for everything that happened after that. She hoped Lulu would think long and hard before she did anything. Lulu thanked her and they hugged.

Danny told Rocco that he wasn’t going to the game. There was a bonfire party on the beach. It was on the lake and they could walk from there. The kids at PCU were having it because of the heatwave. Rocco said they wouldn’t be able to get in, but Danny said it wasn’t an official party. They could just show up. He wanted to have some real fun.

Nina asked why Willow said she’d lose her kids, and Willow said she hadn’t had a chance to tell them how things went with Michael in Germany. He refused to even see her, much less talk. He hated her and blamed her. He was going to do everything to hurt her, and he was going to take her kids. Drew said he wouldn’t let that happen, but Willow said he couldn’t stop it. Not after this. She risked everything to be with him. He promised to protect her and her children, and he ruined everything.

Trina said she owed them, and Emma said she was done with her data model and Trina didn’t owe them. They were happy to be of support. Josslyn said, of course (🍷). Always. Emma said she was going to back-up her work later, but wanted to take a minute to take in this beautiful moment. Trina said it was nice to see someone as into their major as she was, and Emma said she wasn’t letting it out of her sight. She was going to call Gio to pick her up now. Josslyn said she could stay with Trina, but Trina said she could handle Josh. Josslyn said she’d see Emma at the bonfire, and stood by Vaughn at the elevator. She quietly told him that she needed help with something tonight, and they got in the elevator.

Drew said he’d fix this, and Nina asked why they should believe his meaningless words. Willow came to her in tears when she found another woman in the home he shared with her and her children. She wasn’t going to stand there and watch Drew gaslight Willow. He needed to leave. Drew told Willow, don’t listen. Go with what she knew. Nina said what Willow knew was what she’d seen with her own eyes, and Drew asked if Willow ever knew him to drink excessively or take drugs. Willow said, no, and he said he had to explain what happened. All he was asking was for her to give him a chance to prove it.

Brook said she wasn’t threatened by Lulu, and wasn’t jealous, and Tracy said, make her understand. She could see why Lulu would be threatened by Brook. She was a successful businesswoman, had lots of talent, and a wonderful husband who was devoted to her. They were at the beginning of starting a family. Yet with all that, Lulu’s mere existence riled Brook. Why was that? 

Chase said Brook asked Lulu not to write the article, and Drew said he could see how sensitive the issue was, but Lulu came up with three ideas to present to the editor at the Banner. She chose the article. It was a think piece, and the names would be changed. Lulu was just trying to be a journalist again. She got a gig and couldn’t turn it down. Chase said Lulu wasn’t just doing a job. She was intentionally hurting Brook. Dante said there was no proof of Chase’s accusation, and Chase said he was asking as a friend. Could Dante get Lulu to back off? 

Vaughn stopped the elevator, and Josslyn said Emma was the leading candidate for research assistant. She was going to the college bonfire and had a thumb drive with the data model she was turning in tomorrow. She needed to get the drive, copy it, corrupt the drive, and get it back without Emma noticing, and before Emma had a chance to back it up. He asked if she needed back-up, and she said, possibly. Did he think he could come up with a reason to be on King’s Beach? He said he had one question. Was she prepared to sabotage a friend?

Emma said, maybe Josslyn wasn’t so bad, and Trina said there was more to Josslyn than Emma gave her credit for. Gio arrived.

Danny said now that Rocco lived with his mom and sister, it wasn’t the same. Rocco’s phone rang, and it was Dante. Rocco told Danny that his mom and dad couldn’t go to the game and were going to have Yuri take them. Danny said it was fate, and Rocco said, fine. He’d go to the party.

Laura found Trina and told her that her dad said her friend Kai was having surgery. She thought Trina could use a friend to keep her company. Trina slid over and put her head on Laura’s shoulder.

Drew told Willow that he’d go to GH and get a blood test. All he asked was for her to wait and see what the test said. Come with him. She could make sure nothing was tampered with. Nina said Willow didn’t have to feed into his lies, and Willow said Nina was right. She didn’t want any more lies. That’s why she had to find out the truth for herself. She’d come with him. He held out his hand, but she ignored it and said, let’s get this over with. She walked out and Drew followed. Nina was obviously frustrated.

Lulu told Dante, sorry she was late, and said hi to Chase. Chase barely looked at her and left. Lulu said she’d just grab her stuff, and they could go, but Dante said he didn’t know if they should. He needed her help with something. They needed to help Brook.

Brook said Tracy wore blinders when it came to Lulu. She didn’t see Lulu as she was. She saw Lulu as the last remaining tie to Luke. Tracy said she was wrong. Lulu was so much more than her father’s daughter. She saw Lulu and knew her as she was, warts and all, and wouldn’t apologize for loving her. Lulu was trying to rebuild the life taken from her and finding her place in the world and reconnecting to her children. Why did Brook begrudge her? Brook said she didn’t, but Tracy said it seemed like Brook didn’t want Lulu to have anything. She didn’t want Lulu to have a house, a family, or a job. Brook said she didn’t care about that. She cared that Lulu knew she’d gotten pregnant in high school and gave the baby up for adoption. She cared that Tracy’s precious Lulu had been holding it over her head and threatening to blow her life up. Tracy was in shock.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada….

Arriving at the beach, Emma tells Gio, it looks like things are getting started, and Gio says, people are swimming. She says, why not? when Josslyn runs over and she and Emma hug. Emma says she’s glad Josslyn came, and Josslyn says her too. Gio asks if Josslyn would go swimming in this, and Emma tells him, give it up. All she wants to do is dance. Josslyn says, sounds great, and Emma says, looks like everyone is dancing. Vaughn approaches and Emma asks, who’s that?

Carly goes to Nina’s and asks if Willow is here, and Nina says, no. Carly says, did Nina deliver or what? She has to admit she didn’t think Nina would come through. This is amazing. Nina says, excuse me? and Carly says, come on. This was her, wasn’t it? She shows Nina her phone with the video of Drew acting the fool.

In the nook, Lucy, Maxie, and Lois are having a meeting. Lucy says, they need to take the Nurses Ball to the next level. Right now, Port Charles is a divided city, and they need to pull everyone together with song and dance and as many wardrobe changes as possible. Maxie says, people are going crazy over the referendum, which is about a sidewalk, but Lucy says, it’s not a sidewalk. It’s an esplanade. Lois says, call it what she wants, but what it really is, is a vote on supporting Drew screwing over Sonny. Lucy says, which reminds her. She disinvited Drew. Maxie says, she can’t disinvite someone or make the decision by herself, and Lois asks if Lucy also means she’s refusing his donation. Lucy says, of course (🍷) not. It’s for charity. Fine. She’ll heed the conventions of common courtesy, but does that mean she can’t have a silent protest deep in her soul when she appears on the red carpet… if he’s still a congressman by then.

Drew thanks Willow for coming to the hospital with him. He hopes to prove… She tells him to stop trying to sell her. She’s not one of his staffers. He says he knows. He’s sorry. He needs to prove that he wasn’t in his right state of mind. He’d never disrespect her or their relationship in that way. (Does that mean he would in other ways?) She says she can’t get the image of the half-naked woman in their bedroom out of her head, and he says he promises he’ll get to the bottom of this. Amy is talking with an orderly nearby and says she can’t believe they’re here together. The orderly says, maybe Drew is there to take care of his hangover, and Amy says, or tested for an STI.

Dante says, hear him out, and Lulu says, all right. He says, she’s already got a big win with Drew’s story. She’s shown what a great journalist she is. She says she’s already gotten calls from news outlets, and he says, she’s already on her way. Maybe now she doesn’t need to write the adoption thing. She says, don’t, and he says, she was using it to get her freelance career back up and running, but she has Drew’s story and doesn’t need it anymore. Do it for him. Maybe choose to write something else. She says, no. She’s a journalist and won’t let Brook dictate who or what she writes about.  

Tracy says she wants to make sure she heard correctly. Did Brook say she had a baby? Brook says, in high school, and she gave it up for adoption. Her father doesn’t know, and the baby’s father doesn’t know. Tracy asks, who does know? and Brook says, until recently, the only person she told was her mom.

Vaugn says, Josslyn is standing on his towel, and she moves. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, a PCU party. Gio says, there’s going to be a bonfire, and Vaughn says, nice. Emma says he’s not here for the party? and he says he was getting in his daily swim. She says, the water is super cold, and he says, that’s the point. Swimming is great. It strengthens the immune system and does a body all kinds of good. They should try it. Emma says, right now? and asks Gio, what about him? Gio says he has no swimsuit, but she says she’s not afraid if he isn’t.

Carly tells Nina that it took her a minute to figure it out, but the woman is Jacinda. She used to work at the MetroCourt sometimes. Drew can’t be stupid enough to hire a professional escort, so how did Nina swing it? Nina says, when Drew was at the MetroCourt, she saw an opportunity with Jacinda, and Carly wonders how she got Drew to do it. Nina says, it was super simple. Jacinda slipped something in his drink and once it hit, Drew did the rest. Carly says, so The Savoy was his idea, and Nina says, it was. The original plan was for Jacinda to go home with Drew. That’s why she had the kids for a sleepover. Jacinda was never going to sleep with Drew, just stage the scene for Willow to walk in on. Which she did. Carly asks, how bad a scene? and Nina says, she found a half-naked woman in her bedroom with Drew passed out on the bed. What else would she think but that her knight in shining armor slept with another woman? Carly says she knows how hard it must have been to hurt Willow, and Nina says she just kept telling herself it had to be done. Willow can’t lose her children. But when Willow showed up here with tears in her eyes, she just hated herself.

Brook says she’s so sorry she lied, but Tracy says she didn’t lie. It’s her life and her choices and she gets to decide who she wants to tell. Brook says she didn’t want to tell anyone. She knew the only way of dealing with the pain of giving up her child was to force herself never to think about him. Tracy says, she had a boy, and Brook nods and says her mom and Grandma Gloria didn’t tell her, Lulu did, but it got to the point where she couldn’t keep it from Chase. Tracy asks how he took it, and Brook says, he was wonderful. Tracy says, of course (🍷). Like father, like son… Wait a minute. How did Lulu find out? Brook says, she broke into Martin Grey’s hotel room, and Tracy asks, why? Brook says, he’s Valentin’s lawyer and Lulu was looking for leads on Charlotte. Instead, she found Martin’s notes about her baby and Lulu hasn’t let up on her since.

Dante asks Lulu to please listen to him, and she wonders if Chase asked him to talk to her. Obviously, he listened to Brook’s sob story about her delicate feelings. Dante says he’s worried about his wife, but Lulu says he doesn’t have to be. Brook is overreacting as usual. She pitched three stories, and the editor chose this one. Dante says, she told him that, and she says, that should have been the end of the discussion. He says, whether or not she thinks Brook is overreacting – Lulu says, she is – the bottom line is, Brook is truly hurt by the article. So why can’t she entertain using another idea? Lulu says she was hired to write this one and she’s not willing to risk her credibility at this stage of her career for Brook’s sake. He says, what about his? His friends, Brook and Chase, are struggling for real. The same way they were when they thought about getting a surrogate, harvesting eggs, and doing IVF with Maxie. It was hard. She must remember how hard it was. She says, it felt awful, waiting through Maxie’s pregnancy, only to find out Georgie wasn’t theirs; she was Maxie and Spinelli’s. He says, Brook’s not behaving rationally, but were they being rational? How can you be rational with kids? There’s too much love and it runs too deep. It’s too important. She says she couldn’t have made it through that time without him, and he says he couldn’t have made it without her either.

Gio says, let’s do this, and Emma asks if Josslyn is coming. Josslyn says she thinks she’ll grab a drink first, and Emma asks if Vaughn is going back in. He says, absolutely. Let’s go. Emma says, they’re doing this? and Gio says, yeah, they are. They strip down to their underwear, and run to the water, holding hands. Josslyn looks through Emma’s stuff, finds the thumb drive, and takes it.  

Tracy says she doesn’t understand how Martin is involved, and Brook says her mom went to him for legal advice. Tracy says, that’s what Lois was doing in his room. Go ahead. Brook says her mom wanted to make sure the adoption couldn’t be unsealed. Lois was trying to protect her, but instead left a paper trail for Lulu to follow. Tracy says, Martin shouldn’t have left sensitive paperwork lying around, and Brook says, Lulu shouldn’t have broken into his room. She knows Tracy doesn’t like Martin and loves Lulu, but she can’t keep make excuses for Lulu. Not to her. Tracy says, enough. Go on. Brook says, despite it being none of Lulu’s business, Lulu confronted her and accused her of doing everything wrong. Tracy asks what Lulu thought was wrong, and Brook says she insisted the father had a right to know. Maybe she should have told him, but she was scared. She didn’t know… Tracy says, stop. Don’t keep second guessing herself. She completely supports Brook having given the baby up for adoption. If that’s what she truly wanted.  

Carly tells Nina that she’s sorry Willow had to go through that. She knows what it’s like to find the man you love in bed with another woman. (D’oh!) Nina says she knows Carly does, and Carly says, Nina did the right thing. Willow is better off without Drew. They all are, especially their grandchildren. Now that Drew’s spell over Willow has been broken, she and Michael can reach an agreement that puts the children first. Nina said she thought so too, but that’s not going to happen.

Danny and Rocco see the makeshift bar, and Danny tells Rocco, relax. It’s not like anyone is going to be asking for ID. They’ll be fine. They’ve just got to blend in. Rocco asks, how? and Danny says, follow him. He goes over to the bar, says, what’s up? and he and the guy tending bar fist bump. The bartender asks what he can get them, and Danny says, a beer, but the bartender suggests they stay away from that. The keg was dropped and there’s a lot of foam. Try the grog instead. He hands them solo cups, and as they walk away, Rocco asks, what’s grog? Danny says, punch, and sniffs it. Spiked punch. Rocco says he’s not drinking it, and Danny tells him to just hold it. That’s how they blend in. Everyone has a cup. Two girls join them and ask if they go to PCU. Rocco just looks at them, and Danny says his brother is an extrovert introvert. Or is it introvert extrovert? One of the girls asks, what’s the difference? and Danny says he has no idea. Once the punch kicks in, Rocco will tell them all about it. The girl says, his name is Rocco? That’s so cute. She’s Zoe. Rocco says he’s Rocco and holds out his hand. She says she knows, and the other girl says she’s Keri. Danny says, nice to meet them. He’s sure the girls can tell they’re both freshmen.

Looking at the seating chart, Lucy says she thinks she needs to add another table, and Maxie says she knows Lucy wants to sell more, but bringing more people together doesn’t mean forcing them to sit on each other’s laps. Lois says, she can make more room, but they’re already pretty jammed in, and Lucy says, proximity breeds pleasantries, so patrons will get to know the strangers at their table. Maxie says she’s all for reminding people what they have in common is greater than what divides them, but this is the Nurses Ball. Lucy asks what she means by that, and Maxie says, they’ll be lucky if no one throws a drink in someone else’s face. Lucy says, sad, but true. Which begs the question., do they think maybe there’s a tactful way to ask Carly to stay backstage the whole night?

Amy says she wants to tell Willow how brave they all think she is. She’s willing to be seen with Drew after the display he made of himself. She’s a saint. Willow thanks her, and Amy says, of course (🍷). So they’re all on the same page and they’d hate for rumors to start, Willow’s not actually staying with him. Willow says, it’s none of her business, and starts to walk away, but Amy says she totally understands if Willow feels she has to. She did wreck her marriage to be with him. But don’t let embarrassment or regret make her feel obligated to keep a man who cheated on her. She could do better.

Brook asks what Tracy meant by, if it’s what she wanted, and Tracy says, she was forced to make a very difficult decision at a very young age. She guesses she’s asking if Brook regrets the choice. Brook says, all the time, but then she thinks about it and remembers how difficult it would have been to raise a child. She had her music. Hearing herself say that seems selfish. Tracy says, she would have been a child raising a child, and Brook says she knew she wasn’t ready to be a mom for sure. She told her mom, and she agreed. She came home from camp and told her mom two things. One, that she was pregnant and she didn’t want to terminate the pregnancy; and two, she wanted to give her child a better life than she could as a teenager. Tracy says, that’s a mature decision for a teenager to make. She’s proud of Brook. She knew her mind and that’s a good thing. Brook says she hopes so. Her mom made arrangements for the adoption, and it was a huge relief. It was a huge responsibility and when her mom needed help, she told Brook’s Grandma Gloria. When Brook found out that Lois told her, she was floored, but she realized her mom wasn’t just helping her deal with her baby, she was giving up her own grandchild. Tracy says, Lois needed support, and Brook says, she knows. Tracy says, Brook never told her father, and Brook says, no. She feels terrible, but feels it’s too late. Or she’s telling herself that to feel better. Be honest. Does Tracy think she’s a coward?

Danny tells the girls that he’s more of a basketball guy, and calls Rocco over. He says, the girls want to play volleyball, but Rocco says, it’s almost dark. Zoe says they have a glow in the dark ball, and Danny says, just come with them, but Rocco tells him, go. Danny says he’ll stay with Rocco, but Rocco says, just go. Danny says, if he’s positive, and gives Rocco his cup. Danny leaves and Rocco drinks.  

Dante thanks Lulu and says he knew she’d understand, but Lulu says she’s not going to drop the story. Dante says she just said she agreed with him, and she says she agrees there’s nothing rational about having a child. What he said proves the story she’s writing is important and deserves attention. As a journalist, she can’t walk away from it. He says he hates it when she does this. She gets fixated on something and barrels through with no consideration for other people’s feelings. She says, this is her career. She needs this to get her life going again. What she wants to know is, why Brook’s needs are more important than hers. He says, they’re not, and she says, it feels that way. Brook isn’t a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued. If Dante knew the things she knows… Dante asks what she knows. He and Brook had a fling as teenagers and he didn’t tell her because it was way before they met. She says she knows more than that, and he says, it was a fling that meant nothing and wasn’t important, but she’s still mad. Fine. Be mad, but it’s not about Brook. It’s about him and her because… She says, what? and he says, because she’s still in love with him.

Maxie says, it’s Carly’s hotel. She can’t ask Carly to make herself scarce. And she’s not forcing Carly to hide in a closet, so don’t ask. Lucy says, wherever Carly is, they’ll still hear her. Bear in mind, Carly is Bobbie’s daughter – may she rest in peace – so she’s keeping in mind that Bobbie was never afraid to call someone out. Neither is Carly. What if she goes off on Drew and Willow and causes a big, fat scene? Maxie says, Lucy has caused more scenes at the Nurses Ball than Bobbie and Carly combined, and Lois says, true. Lucy says, that can’t be true… Boy, is it dark out. That means she has to go. She’s got lots of stuff to do and it’s very, very dark. She leaves and Maxie says, great meeting. She wishes Brook was here, and Lois says, speaking of Brook, how is she doing at work? Is she okay? Maxie says she thinks Brook is going through something, but doesn’t confide in her, and Lois says she’s sure Brook will. In the meantime, she’s thankful Brook and Maxie are good friends. She’s glad they’ve gotten so close. Maxie says, they’ve been through a lot and Brooks friendship is important to her, and Lois says she thinks Brook is going to need a friend like Maxie now.

Tracy says she doesn’t think Brook is capable of cowardice. She was strong then and she’s strong now. She takes Brook’s hand, and Brook asks if she really thinks so. Tracy tells Brook that she’s often said Brook is the best Quartermaine, and Brook says, she has? When? Tracy tells Brook that she says it behind her back. Now she is saying it to Brook’s beautiful face because she’s more convinced it’s true. For the record, Brook does not owe it to Ned to tell him about the baby. Brook didn’t owe it to her to tell her, but she’s glad Brook did. She wipes a tear from Brook’s face, and Brook says she’s glad too. Tracy says, now she has to ask, with everything Brook and Chase are going through, has it occurred to her to find her son? Brook says, it has. It’s tempting, but the whole point was to give him a better life. If she barges in now, it goes against that. The only way she’ll see him is if he comes looking for her. Tracy says, so generous, and Brook says, Lulu doesn’t agree. Tracy says, Lulu doesn’t get a say, and Brook wonders why Tracy always takes Lulu’s side. Tracy says she’s not. She knows Lulu can be arrogant and self-righteous, but she’s frequently wrong, like her father. Loving somebody doesn’t mean you agree all the time. Brook says Tracy is just telling her that to make her feel better, but Tracy says she’s not. She’s sorry Brook was heartbroken and afraid to tell her, but she never wants Brook to doubt how much she loves her. Brook says she loves Tracy too, and they hug, Tracy now in tears.  

Lulu says, of course (🍷) she loves Dante. She always will. They have a child together. Dante says, that’s not what he means, and he thinks she knows that. Is she saying it isn’t true? She says, no. Who told him? He says, it doesn’t matter. He shouldn’t have said anything. Lulu says, he did, so talk, and he says he’s grateful she’s back, but ever since she woke up, she’s had him at wit’s end. So he went to Maxie. She says, of course (🍷), and he says, Maxie told him what she was going to say before she collapsed. She says, fine. When it happened, she was on her way to find him to tell him that she wanted to be with him. He says, that’s a lot to hear. He wanted her back then. She says she never got a chance, and the next thing she knew, four years had gone by and he was in love with Sam. He says he didn’t know she felt that way and thought she’d moved on with Dustin. He didn’t set out to fall in love with Sam. It just happened. Is she saying he should have waited for her?

Nina says, Willow forgave Drew already. She could tell Willow wanted to believe it when he said he didn’t remember what happened last night. Carly says, that doesn’t change the fact that it did, and Nina says she knows, but Willow went with him to get a blood test at GH. Carly asks what the blood test is going to prove, and Nina says, it’s going to prove there are traces of ketamine in his system. Carly asks why she didn’t use a drug that left the bloodstream faster, and Nina says, ketamine is a recreational drug, and it can’t be proved Drew didn’t take it voluntarily. Carly says, if seeing Drew in bed with another woman didn’t prove it and the blood test proves it’s in his system, Willow will believe he was drugged and she’s going to forgive him. Nina says, hopefully, his constituents won’t. At least it’s something. His political career won’t survive the scandal. Carly says, if Willow thinks Drew’s the victim, it will just tie them tighter. And if she finds out Nina did all of this, it’s going to be one big disaster.

Willow tells Amy that her relationship is her business, and Amy should know better than to believe everything she sees on the internet. Amy says she’s just trying to help, and Willow says, if she wants to help, stop gossiping and start nursing. Amy jets, and Drew comes back. He says, security is keeping the press at bay. He can get her a bodyguard… She says she’s fine and doesn’t need a bodyguard. He says, if it becomes a problem, he’ll do it in a heartbeat, when Isaiah comes out with the test results. Drew asks if the results prove he was drugged.

Rocco gets another drink and a guy says they need one more. Is he up for it? Rocco says, yeah, sure, and goes with him. Emma, Gio, and Vaughn come out of the water, and Emma says, that was great. Gio says, at first, now he’s freezing. Vaughn gives Emma his towel, and she wonders where Josslyn is. Josslyn joins them and Emma asks where she was. Josslyn said she took a walk and watched the sunset. She surreptitiously shows Vaughn the thumb drive in her hand, and he says he’s going to the bonfire to warm up. Do they want to come? Josslyn says, sounds great, and Emma says she’s got to get dressed first.     

Isaiah says, the tests show that ketamine was in Drew’s system, and Drew says, what? He knew he’d been drugged. Can he get a copy? Isaiah says, there’s a copy in his patient folder and he can have this hard copy. He hands the papers to Drew, and Willow thanks him for handling it personally. Isaiah says, his pleasure, and leaves. Drew asks if Willow believes he was drugged now, and she says, yes, she does. He thanks her and says, she has no idea how much that means to him. She says she’s glad. She just wants to get home. Drew says he has one more thing to do. Take the car and he’ll call a Ride Share. She says she’ll see him at home, and he says, their home or Nina’s home. She says, their home, kisses him on the cheek, and leaves. Drew sees Mac talking to Felicia and goes over to him. He says he needs to report a crime.  

Nina tells Carly, there’s no way Willow can find out. Partly because Jacinda is halfway around the world by now and there’s no one here to corroborate the story. (Yeah, except for Portia whose known to be wishy-washy AF.) There have already been calls for Drew to resign. The more pressure they put on the man, the harder it will be for him to play Prince Charming to Willow. At some point, he’ll slip up, and when he does, Willow is going to see who he really is. Carly says, they can’t sit back and wait for that to happen. The photos and the video have gone viral and they’re invaluable. Nina has to use them to convince Willow that Drew got high on purpose and cheated on her the first chance he got. Nina says, Willow can’t know how much she hates Drew. Willow will think she did something and turn on her. Carly says, Nina has to take the risk. If she doesn’t, they could lose everything. She promises there’s no way in hell Michael is going to let Willow raise his children with that man.

Lulu says, of course (🍷) she didn’t want Dante to wait. No one even knew if she was ever going to wake up again. She’s glad he moved on with his life. He asks if she’s sure, and she asks why it’s so hard to believe that she wanted him to be happy. (I dunno. Because she’s usually selfish?) Dante says, for what it’s worth (🍷), it wasn’t easy moving on, and she says she’s sure it wasn’t. Hard as it was to imagine him moving on without her, she’s truly happy Sam was there for him and Rocco. He says, Sam would appreciate her saying that. Him too. She says, it turns out she’s not jealous of Brook. She’s jealous of Sam and Sam died saving her life. She feels like that makes her a horrible person.

Vaughn asks, what happened? and Josslyn says she got here as fast as she could. Why didn’t he keep them in the water longer? He asks if she has any idea how cold the water is. Maybe he’s overthinking it. Maybe she could make Emma think it got lost in the sand. She can make another. Josslyn says, it’s got to be this one. Emma’s work is it and it’s corrupted. She has to give Dalton the corrupted one. He says, Josslyn will have to plant it on Emma, and she says she knows. Any ideas? Josslyn turns and sees Danny right there.

Carly says, Nina knows Diane will use the video and photos for Michael to get full custody, but Nina says she can’t push Willow. If she pushes any harder, she’ll lose Willow and she’ll be isolated with Drew. They’ll never get her away. Carly says, the longer this goes on, the more Willow will be hurt, and Nina says she can’t risk making Willow suspicious. Willow walks in.

Mac says, ketamine is a recreational drug. Any chance Drew took more than he could handle? Drew says he’s never taken drugs, and he doesn’t remember the woman in the photo. Mac asks, who was the last person he remembers talking to? and Drew remembers talking to Tracy at the MetroCourt. He flashes back to them shaking hands.

Lois finds Tracy and says, they need to talk about the Nurses Ball, since she’s a member of the hospital board, but Tracy says, there’s only one thing she wants to hear. Where is her great-grandson?

Brook finds Maxie and thanks her for sticking around, and Maxie asks, what’s going on? Brook says, just Quartermaine insanity, and Maxie asks if she’s sure. She wants to help. Just tell her what to do. Brook says, one thing, and Maxie says, name it. Brook says, pick a side, and Maxie says, what? Brook says she hates to do this to Maxie, but she can’t confide in her as long as she’s friends with Lulu. Maxie says, Lulu is her best friend. So is Brook. Brook says she cherishes that, and Maxie says, Brook knows she tries to stay neutral. Brook says she thinks things have gone way too far. Maxie’s got to decide. Is she Brook’s friend or Lulu’s? Brook walks out.

Josslyn tells Danny, neither one of us was here. Deal? Danny says, deal, they shake hands, and he leaves. Vaughn asks if he’s going to be a problem, but she says, absolutely not. The last thing he wants his parents to know is that he was at a college party. Emma and Gio come back, and Emma asks what Josslyn was talking to Mr. Aquaman about.  

We see Rocco passed out near the rocks on the beach.

Dante says, Lulu isn’t a horrible person, but he can’t pretend he wasn’t in love with Sam. Lulu says she’d never ask him to. She knows he’s still grieving, but she needs to get on with her life without him. She’s trying, but losing four years and being stuck in the past, sometimes she just feels so lost… It’s not his problem. The painful truth is… She’s in love with him, but he’s still in love with Sam. He says, yeah, but he’s still in love with her too.

On Monday, Emma says her thumb drive is gone; Brad says he’s come to collect; Drew says, as soon as he knows, Mac will; and Danny tries to wake up Rocco.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

For there being so much last week, there was nothing new for GH this week. So in lieu of that, some sad news. She was on Dallas, so it counts.

https://ew.com/priscilla-pointer-dead-carrie-dallas-star-amy-irving-mother-100-11724668

💉 A Dose of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

I could definitely vibe with a circus theme.

The Valley

Michelle said, Jesse was worse than Jax, but how is that even possible when Jax has a winning streak in being Worst Human Being Ever? Sandoval usurped the throne for a hot minute, but Jax is back to wearing the sash and crown. Michelle was all upset because Jesse had said she’d slept with a billionaire for money. I wish a billionaire was offering me money. True, $1500 sounded a bit cheap for a billionaire, but still.

Summer House

Kyle and Schwartz said they’d be good dads. Definitely, if the kid wants a younger brother. I guess I’m going to have to live with this toe thing for the rest of the season. Lexi claimed to be done, but Jesse wasn’t, and I’m still no sure if they’re still together or not.

Random Reality Items

I would not be heartbroken.

I would expect no less.

Get your reservation now. Men not included. Or the $25,000 taco.

👀 Weekend Watch…

Patient Zero. Amazon Prime. Purchase or rent. I still can’t believe after over a year of trying to hunt this down, I debated whether or not I should spend the $3.99 to watch it. I spent it and got my money’s worth. The zombies aren’t zombies in the usual sense, but super strong, super intelligent killers. An underground team has been assembled to try and find a cure, and one of them, Morgan (Matt Smith), can communicate with the infected, having been bitten, but not turned. There’s the usual cast of characters, like the beautiful scientist who has a romantic relationship with Morgan and a military brute who just wants to kill the infected, to hell with a cure. But the best character of all is The Professor. Stanley Tucci gives a stellar performance as he tells the tale of how he got infected and tries to discourage the search for a cure.

https://collider.com/matt-smith-stanley-tucci-patient-zero/

A Different Man. Max. You likely already know what this film is about – an actor with a deformed face a la The Elephant Man undergoes surgery to make himself look, for lack of a better word, normal. The twist is that he ends up being jealous of a man with a similar condition who is happy with himself as is. The bottom line, you can change all you want about the outside, but if you have issues inside, it ain’t gonna make a difference. Definitely worth a watch.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-different-man-film-review

I was happy to hear this got Adam Pearson, who plays the happier of the two, another job. Now I’m jealous.

Bright. Netflix. Apparently, the reviews weren’t great, but I thought this was a fun escape. Similar to Alien Nation, the main characters are partners on the police force – one human, one an Orc – in a world where all kinds of creatures exist. It’s like an extended version of the Cantina scene in Star Wars, and who doesn’t love that? There is an actual plot about hunting down a certain fairy and a magic wand on the loose, and the action scenes were great, but I’d watch this again just to look at the details.

https://www.cracked.com/article_40602_the-best-will-smith-movie-is-bright.html

https://www.cbr.com/netflix-bright-negative-reviews/

Tau. Netflix. Imprisoned by a rich inventor to work on technology, a grifter befriends the computer who is supposed to help keep her there, by hurting her if necessary. While it had many good moments, some cool special effects, and Gary Oldman voicing the computer Tau, there were one too many trips to the cornfield for me.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tau-2018

Black Mirror: Season 7. Netflix. The individual episodes.

Common People – Usually the theme is technology gone bad, but this was more like merchandising gone mad. In this world of the future, there’s a company that has the ability to keep you alive and mobile even if you’re practically dead, for a monthly fee. No surprise, you need to keep upgrading and the price climbs as you do. Sound familiar? Even though the premise was slightly amusing, it was nonetheless depressing.

Bête Noire – A woman working for a food company finds out an old schoolmate, who is also their co-worker, isn’t who they seem to be. They have an ability that’s both awesome and dreadful. I loved the ending to this one, although I don’t know if I’d call it happy.

Hotel Reverie – The very definition of bittersweet. Futuristic technology allows an actress to replace the lead actor in a Casablanca-ish old film and she falls in love with the lead actress who has been dead for years. It made me cry.

Plaything – a lot of the episodes had a melancholy tone and this was one of them. A man invents a video game back in the Donkey Kong days and becomes personally involved with his tiny minions. Then tragedy strikes.

Eulogy – Paul Giamatti is magnificent as a man asked to participate in a memorial service, but to do it, he has to relive his memories through a few photographs. Again bittersweet.

https://collider.com/black-mirror-season-7-episode-5-eulogy-explained-paul-giamatti/

USS Callister: Into Infinity – If you know, you know, and know it’s the follow-up episode fans have been waiting for. A nerd invents a video game based on his favorite show that’s not quite Star Trek. He becomes part of the game and drags his co-workers in against their will. This time, other real players are added to the game. It was a relief after all the angst of the other episodes.

https://ew.com/black-mirror-season-7-episode-guide-11712277

⚰️ Bring Out Your Dead…

Season 2 of Dead City premieres this Sunday, May 4^th. Be there or be a stiff.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-walking-dead-dead-city-season-2-preview-negan-has-big-plans/

🏆 Awaiting the Honors …

The Tonys.  

https://extratv.com/2025/05/01/tony-nominations-2025-the-complete-list/

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

🍹 Three Dogs and a Fish Walk Into a Bar…

🦈 And then the fish ate the diver. Just kidding. This is pretty cool.

https://people.com/living-fossil-fish-thought-extinct-for-70-million-years-photographed-for-the-first-time-in-2025-11724699

📸 One way to meet the neighbors.

https://people.com/woman-offers-portraits-to-neighbors-one-brings-dog-exclusive-11725264

🐕 The big and the small of it. What’s really funny is how the Great Dane is the one who looks worried.

https://people.com/guinness-world-records-tallest-shortest-dogs-meet-11724914

🥠 Quotes of the Week

We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. – Marcel Proust

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. – Marilyn Monroe

The more you are grateful for what you have, the more you will have to be grateful for. – Hilary “Zig” Ziglar

Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye. – Helen Keller

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

If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. – Katherine Hepburn

I don’t have any anger. Stop pissing me off. – Florian Sukaj, 90 Day Fiancé: The Last Resort, Tell All Part 5

As mad as he gets, his hair is perfect. – Big Ed Brown, talking about Florian Sukaj, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé: The Last Resort

💐 It’s Gonna Be May…

Until next week, stay safe; stay off your phone while you take a walk and enjoy how spring has sprung; and stay not taking it lightly if you’re in a luxury position.