What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina says, oh my God, and asks Maxie what she’s doing there. Maxie says it’s nice to see her too. Is Nina going to invite her in? Nina says, of course (🍷). She’s sorry; she’s just surprised to see Maxie. Maxie says she’s the one who should be saying sorry; she should have called. So this is the famous Tan-O. Nina says, it doesn’t look like much, but Maxie thinks it’s cool. It has a retro chic vibe. She loves it, and can see why Nina spends so much time there. Aside from her guy. Is he here? Can she meet him?

At the pool (🍷), Valentin tells Anna, that phone call came at an opportune time; it chased Martin off. She asks why he cares if she likes Martin’s company. Valentin doesn’t have to protect her from him. He says, on the contrary. He’s protecting Martin from her.

Laura asks Martin what kind of trouble they’re in, and he says, for one thing, the police escorted him there. Doc asks what he did, and how it involves Laura, and Jordan comes in. She says, it’s not what Martin did, it’s what their other brother did.   

Anna says, she understands she can be challenging, and Valentin says, that’s a polite word for it. She says, yet he’s here, and he says he always will be. His phone rings, and he says, but not today. He has a lunch date. He steps away, and says, hello, Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Austin says he has to cancel lunch; something is going on. Valentin says, another time, and goes back to Anna. Anna says, bad news?  Was he stood up? He says his lunch date did just cancel. He doesn’t suppose she’d have lunch with him instead.

Sam sees Dante at the pool (🍷), and says she didn’t realize detectives got a day off. He says, shocking, isn’t it? He’s meeting his mom and Leo. Rocco is too cool for school, so he’s at a friend’s house. He asks if she’s still thinking about the call from the man who claimed to be Drew.

Nina says she thought Maxie was in Texas, and Maxie says she was, but her mom and Mac drove down to surprise her, Georgie, and James. They said they wanted to see that she was okay with their own eyes, but she thinks they missed the kids, so they’re all driving back together. She decided to give them the joy of a family road trip, while she gets settled in Port Charles again. Nina says, she’s going back home? and Maxie says she misses Louise.

Brook asks how long Chase has been able to walk, and why he hasn’t told anyone.  

Michael tells Willow, the situation has gotten harder, and she says, it’s harder for her to lie to Chase. He’s her husband, and he loves her so much. She made a vow to stick by him for better or worse, and she keeps breaking those vows over and over again. She’s breaking them right now by being with Michael. He says if she needs to walk away from him to fully be Chase’s wife, he’ll hate it, but he’ll accept it. She’s right. They can’t keep living a lie.

Laura asks if Cyrus escaped, and Jordan says, he’s still in custody, but he doesn’t have to be loose to wreak havoc. Martin says, their brother is nothing if not resourceful, and Doc asks, what about Cyrus? Jordan says, he’s put out a contract, and Laura asks who the target is. Martin says, there are two; Laura and him. Their loving brother wants them dead.

Dante says, since the trace didn’t work, what are Sam’s next steps? She says she wants to find out what the WSB knows about the plane crash, when Leo runs in, followed by Olivia. He says hi to Dante, but ignores Sam. Olivia tells him to say hi, but he doesn’t respond, and sits down playing with a plastic bag. WTH? Olivia asks if Sam wants to join them for lunch, but Dante says, he doesn’t think… Sam says it was good to see the., and says good by to Leo. She leaves, and Dante asks if Leo wants to hit the pool. Leo says, he’s thirsty, and Olivia gives him can of juice. She says, Dante and Sam… Anything new?  

Anna says she’d love to stay and needle Valentin, but she has a lunch date of her own. Sam joins them, and Anna asks if Valentin remembers her. He says, of course (🍷) he does. It’s nice to see her. He tells Anna, some other time, but Sam says maybe Valentin can help her. He says, if he can, and she says she’s looking for information involving Peter. 

Ned is at the reception desk, and Austin says he hopes Ned is planning on wining and dining him like Valentin said he would. Ned wonders if Valentin was going to order a bottle of Chateau Lafite in exchange for Austin’s vote at the next ELQ Board meeting, but Austin says he’d have to ask Valentin. And he has no voting shares, does he? Ned says, no, he doesn’t, and Austin says, not unless the court overturns Edwards will, and redistributes the shares. Why is Ned there? To tell him that he should withdraw a lawsuit he’s not going to win? Ned says Austin won’t return his calls. He wants to know what Austin wants. Austin says, a seat at the Quartermaine table, and Ned says, besides that. What can Ned give him to walk away from his ridiculous claim?   

Chase tells Brook that he wanted to be 100% before he told anyone, but she says she knows he wouldn’t let them worry for no reason, especially Willow, and Chase says, maybe she doesn’t know him as much as she thinks. She says, he’s been passive/aggressive since Wiley’s birthday. Would he like to share? He says he’s tired, and he’d like to rest, and she gets up. He gets into the chair, and she grabs the paper out of his hand. She suggests they talk about this.

Willow tells Michael, she never should have married Chase, but she thought he was dying. Now it sounds selfish and awful. She thought she’d give him five minutes of happiness before he passed… He tells her not to do this to herself. Neither one of them expected Chase to end up in a wheelchair. She says she’s a coward. She’ll never find the resolve to tell Chase that she loves Michael not him, but she realizes she can’t betray Chase any longer. Michael says he understands if she needs to end things between them, but know this; he’ll wait for her for as long as it takes. She says she didn’t come there to end things between them. She came to tell him that she’s going to end things between her and Chase. She’s going to tell him the truth, that she loves Michael and wants to be with him.

Maxie tells Nina that her mom texted a picture of Mac and the kids at the county fair. Nina looks at it, and says, they look adorable in their matching cowboy hats. She says she’d offer Maxie a glass of wine, but she must be ready to hit the road. Maxie says she has time; one glass wouldn’t hurt. She missed Nina. Nina and Brook are the only people she can talk to about Louise, and she wants to check on her daughter. Nina asks if they’ve found Peter, and if it’s safe for her to go back to Port Charles, and Maxie says, Dante called. The PCPD found some of Peter’s blood in a subbasement lab at GH. Nina asks if that means he’s dead, but Maxie says they still haven’t found his a body. That could mean Peter was hiding there before he escaped. Nina says, so nothing has changed? and Maxie says, Louise has to stay with Brook until Peter can’t take her away. Nina asks why Maxie is going back. She left because she couldn’t stay away from Louise – which Nina totally understands – and Monica was getting suspicious. Maxie says, let’s face it, Monica thought she was losing it, and Nina asks if her time in Texas gave Maxie the strength she needs to stay away from her baby girl, but Maxie says, just the opposite.

Anna says she didn’t realize Sam was still searching for Peter. Does she have a lead? Sam says, not on Peter; on one of this victims. Valentin asks, which one? There were many. Sam says, Drew Cain.

Dante tells Olivia that he wants to say this nice and polite; butt out of his personal life. She asks if she wasn’t the one who gave him the advice that he needed more than work in his life. There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun. Dante says he and Sam are having fun, talking about a case and work. She says, that’s work, not fun, but he says, it became fun. He and Sam have a really good time together. She says, and…? What happened? Leo tells her to look, and she sees his finger is bleeding.   

Austin tells Ned, it will take $500 million to drop the lawsuit, and they both laugh. Austin says, it’s funny; the whole thing is ridiculous. Ned told him to name his price. He doesn’t have one. Ned says he’ll rephrase that. What can he offer Austin to drop this lawsuit against the family? Austin says he doesn’t need money. He wants shares because he wants to honor his father, who was disrespected by Edward and unfairly shunned. Ned says he admires Austin’s loyalty, despite Jimmy Lee’s antics, but Austin says his father led a quiet life. He never hustled anybody, and he wasn’t greedy. Ned tells him, the same couldn’t be said for Jimmy Lee’s mother Beatrice. She was a gold-digger, and probably the real source of Edward’s grudge against Jimmy. But none of that matters; Jimmy Lee was cut out of the will, and none of them have the power to cut him back in. Austin says, Edward did, and Ned says he wishes Edward had, then they woudn’t be having this conversation. Austin won’t accept money. What will he accept, short of voting shares?. Austin says he thinks Ned is scared. He thinks Ned is afraid he’ll win. Why is that? Did something change? Did the Quartermaines finally discover a revised will after all?

Brook says, it’s a letter from the lawyer to great-grandfather, talking about a conversation they had where they discussed Edward changing his will. The family was worried something like this might exist… But it’s not a will and it’s not signed. Edward might have changed his mind, but they’ll never find out because he’s dead. The only will that counts is the one where he clearly stated he cut out Jimmy Lee and all of his descendants. Chase says, don’t tell him. Tell it to a judge in probate court. She asks where he found it, but Chase doesn’t say anything. She says he went looking in great-grandfather’s office; why? Austin got to Chase. Why is Chase helping him? If Chase values her friendship, hell tell her the truth. Chase says, fine. He took the document for Austin.   

Laura wonders what good it would do Cyrus to go after them now, and Martin says, it’s a fair point. It’s not like Cyrus is eliminating witnesses. Getting rid of him and Laura does nothing to improve Cyrus’s circumstances. Doc says he’d speculate Cyrus’s motives are of a more personal nature. He’s had months to stew about his incarceration, and what brought him down. And plenty of time to nurture his grudge against the siblings whose love and acceptance he craved. Laura says, and turned against him in the end. She’s sure that’s how he sees it. Martin says he wishes Cyrus never existed, and Jordan says, the bottom line is, the two of them are in danger. Martin asks what they can do about that.

Austin tells Ned, he’s right, isn’t he? They found something in Edward’s will? Ned flashes back to telling the family, there’s nothing specific in the letters, but if Edward left something intending to change the will in Jimmy Lee’s favor, it might just give Austin’s case a leg to stand on. Ned tells Austin that he’s just trying to save them all the expense and inconvenience of a court fight; a fight Austin will surely lose. Austin says Ned is awfully confident, and Ned says Austin has no documentation that Edward wanted to change his will and put Jimmy Lee in it. His whole case is built on a pipe dream. Austin says, that remains to be seen, and starts to walk away. Ned asks what Austin knows that he doesn’t.

Brook asks why Chase would throw her family under the bus for some guy he barely knows. Chase says. the correspondence between Edward and his attorney shows he wanted to add Jimmy Lee back in his will. And Edward must have thought it was important because he saved it. He’s kind of surprised that Monica and Ned didn’t search Edward’s office when Austin made his intentions known. She says, probably because they never thought in a million years that her great-grandfather would change his will over Jimmy Lee Holt, someone who he specifically went out of his way to disinherit. And Chase never answered her question. What’s going on between him and Austin? Why is he willing to help Austin? He says, to get back at Michael.

Willow tells Michael, what she hates, is not the lovely moss bowl🎍 is that she let this whole thing get so out of control. What does it say about her that she let this go on for so long, and forced them all to live a lie? He tells her, it says she was put in an impossible situation. No decision she made would have been the right one. She says, admit it. She’s a terrible person. He says, she’s not. She’s a brave one. 

Olivia asks, what happened? and Leo says he twisted the cap off, and Olivia says, the jagged part cut his finger. It looks like he might need stitches. She’s taking him to the hospital. Dante asks what she’s talking about. It doesn’t look that bad. She asks if Dante remembers when he cut his foot when he was five. She said she didn’t have time to deal with it, and the next thing she knew, he was sitting in a pool of blood listening to a Yankee game. He says, the Yankees won; he survived. She says she almost didn’t. She almost died of a heart attack before age 22. Let’s go.

Sam tells Anna and Valentin that she received a phone call from someone claiming to be Drew. He said he needed help. There was all kinds of commotion, then the line went dead.

Nina tells Maxie, if it’s difficult for her to stay away from Louise – and she completely gets that – why not stay in Texas longer? Maxie says she dreams about her little girl every night. Her, Louise, Georgie, and James are playing a game or singing a song, and laughing, and she wakes up with tears streaming down her cheeks, and her heart breaking into a million pieces. Nina says she’s so sorry, and Maxie says she has to see Louise again, but not like before. She’s not making up lame excuses to stop by the Quartermaines and steal precious moments. She has to be stronger, and she’s almost there. Nina asks what will make her fully ready. What can she do to help? Maxie says she was hoping Nina would let her stay in Nixon Falls with her.  

Austin says he may have information Ned isn’t aware of, and Ned asks what he plans to do with it. Austin says, whatever happens, he hopes Ned doesn’t take it personally. Because they’re family; this is just business. Olivia comes in, and tells Ned that Leo cut his finger. She thinks he might need stitches. Austin crouches down to be on Leo’s level, and asks to take a closer look, smiling at Leo.

Brook says, Chase wants to get back at Michael? and Chase says, Willow went to the gatehouse on Wiley’s birthday. She was upset about her mom stopped by out of nowhere. She says, and? and he says, he asked Austin to help him to the gatehouse, and when he got there, he found Michael’s shirt had been tossed aside… along with his belt. She says, maybe Wiley spilled something on Michael, and Willow was just helping him clean up, but Chase says, when Michael and Willow left, he went upstairs to Willow’s room, and there was no question. They’d been sleeping together. Brook says she’s so sorry, and he says, this morning he heard Willow on the phone, saying she wanted to see Michael, and she sounded so desperate to see him in private. They lied to him. Michael was his friend. He trusted Michael, and he loved Willow more than anything in the world, and they lied to him. She says, and Austin convinced him that Michael has to pay, but he’s not just hurting Michael. He’s hurting the rest of her family too.

Moss bowl! 🎍 Michael says he thought Willow believed Chase should know the truth, but was waiting until he could walk again. She says she thought so too, but she can’t keep going like this. She can’t sleep, and she’s distracted at the hospital. She can’t live with herself anymore. The moss bowl 🎍 looks sad, and Michael says he knows how she feels. Chase has been a good friend; the closest friend he’s had since Morgan died. Now Chase is going to think Michael betrayed him, that he took the one person Chase loves most. He’s not wrong, but he’s not right either. She says, all Michael did was go along with her decision, and he says, all she did was help Chase when she thought he needed her. Two things can be true. One truly wrong thing they did was let Chase believe he had a future with her when he didn’t. She says, that’s a nice way of saying they lied to him, and he says, not with the intent to do harm. They lied to Chase for his own good, and he’d argue that they helped him in the beginning. The love Willow gave him was an incentive to recover. Who knows if he would have made that progress without her. She says, maybe, but the longer she waits, the more Chase will be hurt. He has a right to know the truth, but she has to be brave enough to tell him. She just wanted to tell Michael first. She thanks him for backing her, and he says, of course (🍷); always. She says, time to go find Chase, but he tells her, wait.

Jordan says, the FBI has a team in place, ready to take Laura and Martin into protective custody, and Laura asks what about their families? Cyrus has a history of going after loved ones to get back at his enemies. Jordan says, the PCPD has been alerted, and will have surveillance on their families, but the FBI said the threat was specific to the two of them. Martin asks if they can’t move to a safe house in Port Charles, but Jordan says she’s afraid not. They need to Laura and Martin to an undisclosed location. Even she won’t know where they are. Doc asks when this is going to happen, and Jordan says, immediately. The threat to Martin and Laura is eminent. Martin asks, what about his mother? She worries when she doesn’t see him, and as fond as Cyrus says he is of her, he could change his mind and go after her. Jordan says, the FBI will keep an eye on her, but he says, she’ll be confused. He needs to explain the situation. She says she’s afraid not. He’s not going to be able to contact her. Laura says she’s sure Martin has cases pending, and she has a city to run. How are they going to work? Doc asks if she can’t work remotely, and delegate the rest to her deputies, and she asks if she gets a choice. Jordan says she’s sorry. She knows this is difficult. Doc says he’s going with Laura, and she says, it’s one of a million reasons she loves him so much, but she needs him to stay there.

Anna asks if the caller said where he was, but Sam says, no. Dante had a PCPD tech trace the call, but no luck. Valentin asks if she thinks it was Drew, and she says, yes. Dante joins them, and Anna says, Sam had a brief conversation with a bad connection. She obviously wants Drew to still be alive. Could someone be manipulating her? Sam says, it’s possible, but why? Valentin says, to lure her somewhere, to throw her off an existing investigation, and Dante says they thought of that possibility, but it still doesn’t tell them who was on the other end of the line. Anna asks if they think Peter’s involved, and Dante says, it sounded like something Peter could be involved with. Valentin says, they all know Peter arranged for Drew’s plane to go down. If Drew survived he crash… Anna says, Peter will be desperate to find him and shut him up for good.   

Maxie says Nina is her hero. She’s been through so much, and always comes out on the other side. She wants to soak up some of Nina’s strength, but Nina says she’s no hero. She makes plenty of mistakes. She’s probably making a mistake right now. Maxie says she knows Nina regrets telling Wiley that Willow isn’t his real mother, but instead of moping about it, Nina made a new life. Nina says she ran away, but Maxie says she found happiness, and she needs to know what that feels like. She wants to stay until she gets the courage to go home and live with the decisions she’s made. Nina gets a text from Sonny, saying he’s wrapping things up soon, and will see her in a few. Maxie asks if it’s from Nina’s guy, and Nina says, sorry. Maxie has to leave now.

On the phone, Jordan says, they’ll be ready in a few more minutes. Laura says she knows how much Doc wants to be with her, but she’s worried about Spencer. He just went through that horrible ordeal with his father, and he’s acting out. Doc needs to be the voice of reason; to keep an eye out for him. Doc understands, but… She says, please. It’s the best thing he can do for her. He says, all right, he’ll stay, and she thanks him. Tell everyone that she’s on a business trip. Martin says, he’ll look after Laura. If there’s one silver lining, it’s that he’ll get to know his new sister better. By the way, can they box up the croissants and take them? Laura laughs, and Doc says, please.

Olivia admits she overreacted about the stitches, but she’s glad Leo got a tetanus shot. Austin tells her not to worry. Her son is a champ. He took that shot without a peep. He tells Leo that he’s a very brave young man. He’d like to give Leo something. he reaches into a jar and tells him to pick a fidget spinner. Leo takes one and spins it. Austin tells Oliva to keep Leo’s finger dry, and make an appointment for next week. Olivia says she thought she’d take Leo to his regular pediatrician, but Austin asks her to please bring him there. It’s important that he finishes what he starts.   

Chase says, Brook’s family wants to claim every penny in the vault, but she says, it’s not about money for her. He asks what it is about, and she says she doesn’t want Austin to waltz in there, claiming ELQ shares, when she had to do a lot to gain control of ELQ for her father. No surprise, she leaves out the part where she lost it for him in the first place. This is her dad’s legacy, not Jimmy Lee Holt’s, and definitely not Austin’s. Chase says, not according to Edward Quartermaine. Before he got sick, he was going to add Jimmy Lee back in the will. She says, he got sick and didn’t, so the point is moot. He says, maybe a judge will think otherwise. She asks what happened to him? Is he in that much pain, the only way to relieve it is to hurt Michael, and the rest of them as collateral damage? He says, they can survive the loss of a few shares of ELQ, and she says, Michael invited him to live there; her family opened their hearts to him. Why turn his back on them? He says, Michael only invited him to ease his guilty conscience. She tells him that he’s better than this. He saves people; he doesn’t betray them. She’s been where he is, and done things and hurt people out of spite. She knows from experience, hurting Michael and Willow isn’t going to heal his pain. I agree with that, but I guess she doesn’t care about how unfair this is to Austin regardless.   

Willow asks Michael, what is there to wait for? Every day that passes, every minute, the lie gets worse. He agrees, and so does the moss bowl. 🎍 Chase needs to know the truth, but she’s not doing this alone. They’re in this together. She says she’s the one who married Chase. She’s the one who took the vows, made the promises, and lied. She has to take responsibility. She starts to walk to the door, and he says he was the best man at their wedding. He could have told the truth at any time, but he didn’t. He also chose to stay close to her, and keep loving her, and building their bond together. He’s every bit as responsible as she is. She asks if it won’t be more painful for Chase if they tell him together, but he says, it will be painful no matter what. The first thing they can do to make this right is to stop playing God with Chase’s life, and deciding what he can and cannot handle. He’s incredibly grateful that she chose him, but if she’d left him for Chase, he’d want Chase to face him. So the least he can do is face Chase. She asks if he’s not just trying to protect her, and he says he always will protect her, but that’s not what this is. They said they’d love each other for better or worse. They’re doing this together. He holds out his hand, and she takes it. Their plan is moss bowl approved. 🎍  

Anna thinks they have to entertain the possibility both Drew and Peter are alive. In which case, Drew desperately needs their help. Sam says she knows Anna can’t involve her in a WSB investigation, but can she possibly let Sam see the file on the plane crash? She might find something they overlooked. It would be a great place to start. Can Anna help her?

Maxie says, Nina wants her to leave? and Nina says, no… yes… no. Nixon Falls is a wonderful place, but staying there isn’t going to solve Maxie’s problems. Maxie says, it solved Nina’s, but Nina tells her to think about James and Georgie; she misses them already. Maxie says, what if she has no strength to stay away from Louise? but Nina says Maxie had the courage to give her baby to Brook. She’s proved she has strength. Don’t doubt herself about doing anything. Don’t use Nixon Falls as an escape, the way she has.

Olivia thanks Austin for taking good care of her boy, and Ned says, he’s a special boy. He appreciates the special treatment. Austin says it’s his pleasure, and Olivia says she made an appointment for next week. She wants to kick herself for not being more careful with the juice can. Austin says, boys get into trouble when no one’s looking, and Olivia says, truer words. They leave, and Austin asks the reception nurse to leave a reminder on his appointment calendar to confirm Olivia Quartermaine’s appointment with Leo. It’s really important that he sees that kid again.  

In the hallway, Jordan says, Martin does know they’re going to feed him in the safe house, and he says he suspects the FBI’s taste doesn’t go to croissants. How much longer should they give them? In the apartment, Laura and Doc exchange I love yous. Laura says she’s sorry, and he says, it’s not her fault. She says she doesn’t deserve him, and he says she’s got that right. She laughs, and says she doesn’t know if it will possible, but she’ll try to call… He tells her not to do anything to jeopardize her safety, and she promises she won’t. Her heart is always with him, even when she’s not. He says she has his heart, always, and they hug.

Austin listens to Chase’s message, saying he found proof that Edward wanted to ad his father back in the will, and to call him back.  

Chase asks if he can have the paper back, and Brook says he didn’t listen to a word she said. He’s siding with Austin. He says he heard her, but it’s his decision to make, not hers. She hands it back, and says she hopes he makes the right decision. She doesn’t have many friends, and doesn’t want to lose him. Willow and Michael come in, and Michael says they need to speak to Chase. Brook says they’re in the middle of something, but Willow says, this can’t wait.  

Anna says she’ll get the file and give it to Sam and Dante to look through to see if it can help. Valentin says they should look at it for another reason. A new lead on Peter.

Maxie tells Nina that she’s right. Staying there will just be another version of running away, like she did to Texas. She asks Nina if there’s something wrong. She feels like Nina is regretting her time there. Nina says, of course (🍷) not. It’s just hard to explain. Maxie says she doesn’t have to leave right away. They can grab dinner, and Nina can tell Maxie about her life in Nixon Falls, and her guy Mike. Nina says, sorry, she just can’t. Her friend Phyllis needs her. She just lost her husband. Maxie says, oh my God, I’m so sorry, and Nina says, he had health issues, but it was still unexpected. Not that they’re ever prepared to lose people they love. Maxie says Nina definitely has to be with her friend. She’s missed Nina, and wanted to spend as much time with her as she could. Nina comes around the bar, and takes Maxie’s hands. She says she knows everything Maxie is doing to protect Louise is difficult. She wants Maxie to call her if she needs to talk things out. And remember this. Maxie left Louise with people who can protect her and keep her safe. Maxie says, Nina is right, as usual. Valentin and Brook are the best protection her daughter has. It’s a lie worth keeping. See? Nina already taught her to be strong. Nina says, who loves ya? and Maxie says, this guy. They hug, and Nina tells her to take care of herself. Maxie says, her too, and leaves. Nina nearly passes out. She looks in the trunk, and takes out the picture of her, Sonny, Phyllis, and Lenny going to the firehouse dance.

Maxie walks away from the Tan-O, while looking at her phone. Someone watches her, and we see a shadow. A man leans on one of the chairs outside. It’s Peter.

Tomorrow, Brook says she’ll be damned if she lets Austin get a dime, Elizabeth asks if someone is scolding her, Drew asks who someone is, and Sonny says Nina looks like she saw a ghost.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Guest Sydney tells Katie that Lexi started on her room, but never came back; they have no clean towels. Katie says she’ll deal with it, and calls Lexi to get the towels. Mathew tells Malia, the guests loved his food from the start, and it makes him more confident. In his interview, he says, it’s the first charter this season that he didn’t leave or quit. He’s finally getting his footing. Lexi and Katie eat in the crew mess, and it’s very quiet. Katie suddenly realizes that she forgot to phone her mother on her birthday. In her interview, she says she was so consumed with the charter guests and Lexi not pulling her weight, she forgot her own mother’s birthday. When she goes home, her mother gives her a birthday present and a Christmas present, since she was born on Christmas day. She thinks maybe her mother feels bad about that. She texts her mom, saying she’ll call later.

The guests play on the water toys, and Courtney says they have to start setting up for this beerfest thing. She takes out decorations, and Mathew says he has to think about Germany. Malia tells guest Tanner about going to Oktoberfest in Germany. She backpacked through Germany, and they kicked it off by going. In her interview, she says she blacked out, and doesn’t really remember it. There were huge beers, pretzels, and dancing in the street. It was epic. Captain Sandy and Katie laugh over the costumes, and the guests commence drinking. Although I’m not sure they’ve stopped since they boarded. Lexi manages to fold a whole napkin, and Mathew makes pretzels. Katie tells Courtney that she hates feeling like she failed at her job, and that’s how she feels today. Courtney says, it makes you feel like sh*t. Lexi finally brings towels to Sydney, and walks in on her coming out of the shower, since she’s so bad at her job.

Guest Sydney tells Lexi to just leave the towels outside. Courtney serves drinks, and Mzi deflates the slide. Sydney tells another guest about the towels, and how Lexi walked in on her when she was naked. Mathew tells Katie that he’s making brats and pretzels, then they’ll have a fancy dinner. In his interview, he says he worked for a rich and powerful man who had a team of chefs, and he learned a lot. He’d hated school, and the vice principal said maybe it was best for him to drop out. His mom said okay, as long as he made the world his classroom. He dropped out at 16, and learned cooking all over the world, pursuing his passion in his own way. Malia tells Lloyd she thinks he’ll be perfect to hype Oktoberfest, and in his interview, he says he can use the awesome skills he got guiding people around Europe. He’s been to Oktoberfest twice, and knows exactly the kind of party the guests want. Malia says it was what he was born to do. Be his normal self. Primary Patrick asks if Katie takes breaks, since they only see her. Courtney sets the table and hangs decorations. Lexi does laundry, and in her interview, she says it’s hard to focus. If you hate something, you don’t want to give it your all. The next charter, she’s on service, so that’s fine. I’ve noticed that whenever she says, that’s fine, it’s not.  

The decorations are hung, including a photo stand-in for pictures. Katie tells Mathew that she’s sorry she’s grumpy, but he tells her not to worry. She calls the stews to change into their Oktoberfest outfits, and tells Captain Sandy the only word she knows in German is sh*thouse. Mathew makes sauerkraut to go with the pretzels and brats. Katie apologizes about no towels earlier, and asks if the guests have towels now. David puts on his hat, and in his interview, a producer asks what it feels like to be a real boy. We see a picture of him next to Pinocchio – twinsies – and he says, it feels great. Mzi thinks he looks like an elf, but the guests think they all look adorable. Katie tells Captain Sandy that she’s having fun, but not fun fun. The captain asks how things are going with Lexi, and we flash back to Lexi’s various screw-ups. Katie says she can’t be in a million places at once, and the captain asks if she needs help. In her interview, Captain Sandy explains, they have an extra bed and a crew member in quarantine, doing nothing. She tells Katie that she’d gotten another crew member after the chef disappeared. They’re being paid, and just sitting in a hotel, when they can be put to work. The deck team is getting twelve hours rest. Katie says, that’s not happening with her team, but she’ll think about it. She wants to run it past the girls. In Katie’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how it feels. Lexi isn’t pulling her weight, and they need an extra hand, but she doesn’t want to hurt Lexi. She doesn’t think Lexi will take it in a good way, and just wants to get though the charter. It’s been the hardest one, because of all the sh*t. The guests are thrilled with the humongous mugs of beer Courtney pours. Lloyd and Mzi come out and dance around. Lexi mumbles that she’s sick of doing cabins, and they stink like ass. Lloyd asks Captain Sandy if they can have alcohol-free beer to cheers with the guests, and she says okay. BTW, Lloyd is dressed like a beer.

The captain puts what looks like a scarecrow hat (maybe they ran out of German stuff) for a hot minute, and comes out on deck to mingle with the guests. Courtney asks if Lexi wants to switch with her and be on service. It’s a lot of fun. In her interview, no surprise, Lexi turns this into a bad thing, saying that it would be an unfair trade-off. She did cabins and laundry, and now she’d be stuck cleaning up after their fun with the guests. She’d rather finish the cabins. In David’s interview, he says he’d prefer a healthy relationship, but obviously, that’s not going to happen with Malia. He can live with that, but the realization he’s spooning his pillow is tough. It’s not a human being, but it is what it is. The guests dance around, and include floatie Chad. Courtney tells Katie that Lexi wants to stay on cabins, and in Katie’s interview, she says, they’re having fun upstairs, and she didn’t want Lexi to feel isolated. What else can she do? Mzi and Lloyd chug a non-alcoholic beer, and in Mzi’s interview, he says he has experience in the beer drinking department. They had the Beer Olympics in Cape Town. Alcohol can definitely change you a little bit. Katie asks Lexi how she’s doing; she’s been quiet. Lexi says she feels good, and breakfast will be set first thing tomorrow. Katie says she can’t let forgetting the settings happen again. She tells Lexi that Captain Sandy has a girl in quarantine who’s doing nothing, but she’s feeling anxious about bringing in another person. Lexi asks what the girl’s position is, and Katie says she doesn’t know their experience, but she’s not trying to replace anyone. She knows how it might seem to look, and wants Lexi to understand. Lexi says she appreciates that, and she’s not offended. They could use extra hands. Katie says she’s just concerned about the dynamic. In Lexi’s interview, she says, the nerve wracking part is she doesn’t know if the girl will act high and mighty (pot meet kettle), but if she’s going to be Cinderella, Lexi is good.

Lloyd dances with the Gabe floatie, and in Malia’s interview, she says she has the best deck crew. They’re dancing around, making fools of themselves. There’s no egos or cockiness. Katie tells Courtney that there’s a girl on stand-by sitting in quarantine, doing nothing, and they could use the help. Courtney asks if she’ll be demoted, and is she moving again? Katie assures her there won’t be any changing of titles, and in Courtney’s interview, she says they need help because Lexi’s not doing her job. Really she should be coming on to replace Lexi. Katie says they have to make cabin arrangements, and Malia joins them, wondering, what’s going on? Katie explains about the new stew, and says she thinks they might come on for the next charter.   

The guests decide it’s time to go to dinner. Malia discusses new sleeping arrangements, saying David can sleep with the boys. Katie calls Mathew to find out how quickly he can make dinner. He says, twenty minutes, and asks if the guests are ready, but she says, no, she was just asking. He says he loves her, and they laugh. Katie asks if the guests will be hungry in twenty minutes, and Mathew finishes up. Katie tells Mathew, 8:35, and in his interview, he says, the guests’ plans are always changing, and it takes a toll, but it’s a huge complement that they want him to keep doing his thing. It makes him want to crush it. Dinner is served, and Malia tells her deck crew, way to kill it with Oktoberfest. She tells Lloyd that he can get some extra sleep, and Lloyd tells Mzi about the new stew. He hopes one of them gets lucky. Crème brûlée is served for dessert, and Mathew comes out with it. Patrick gives him a high-five, and one of the guests wants to take Mathew home with her. She says it’s the best crème brûlée she’s ever had.

Malia says, the weather isn’t picking up, but it might come in early. She wants the deckhands to get everything ready now. Katie tells Courtney that she made a list of what has to be done, and Courtney vacuums the public areas, and generally cleans up.   

The crew is up at 6:30 am, and Captain Sandy tells Lloyd that they’re going to need the fenders. She’ll also need everybody; all hands on deck. They need to haul anchor and dock, and the wind is at 16 knots. Malia says she had the deckhands prep last night, so they’re ready. Mathew makes breakfast, and Lexi piles up laundry. The captain says, the current is wicked, but they manage to dock, and she tells everyone, nice work. It wasn’t easy. Malia fist bumps Mzi, and says, it’s getting easier, isn’t it? Patrick and Tanner hunt around for service, but no one is there since Lexi is hiding. Patrick makes drinks, and Katie emerges. He tells her not to be mad. He made his own drink, but the joke was on him since the juice was very pulpy. She says he should have waited, and he says, or yelled louder. In Katie’s interview, she says, obviously, she’s failing at her job. The primary poured his own drink because Lexi was downstairs when she should have been upstairs. Lexi had told her there were no guests up. The guests sit down for breakfast, and Katie calls Mathew makes my favorite, eggs benedict, with the twist being lobster. Captain Sandy asks if the guests had fun, and Patrick says, what they can remember, and she asks how the food was. They all say incredible and unbelievable, and the captain relays to Mathew that the guests were singing his praises. The guests have a parting shot.

The guests pack, and Captain Sandy radios for the crew to get in their whites, and meet on the dock in five. The deck crew takes a picture with Chad. The guests say goodbye, and Patrick says, it was an amazing trip. It was the second time they’ve gone on charter with them, and it was great, but as a business owner, he thought the captain would want to know how they could improve. He felt there was a lack of attention, and he had to make his own drink this morning. In Katie’s interview, she says, he’s not wrong. Patrick says he doesn’t want to be negative, and the saving grace was Mathew. The deck crew was badass, but there were moments they couldn’t find anyone on interior. The captain thanks him for his feedback, and he gives her the tip envelope. When the guests are gone, Captain Sandy tells them to get into their reds and meet in the main salon for the tip meeting.    

Mathew tells Courtney that she should always be the morning girl. Katie tells Lexi that the guests were all up when she got there this morning. They all need to be more aware In her interview, she says the primary pinpointed where the department was failing, and it comes down to one person, but it falls on her. The captain must think she’s an idiot, but her hands tied. She goes to the bridge, and tells Captain Sandy that her gut is telling her no, but the stew is there, and they’re paying her. They could use the help, and she doesn’t want any more complaints. If it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out, but she’ll try. The captain says, whatever she needs, and in the captain’s interview, she says she allowed Katie to make this decision so Katie sees she believes in her. Katie’s been a chief stew for a long time, and has had eight girls under her. She’s got this. Captain Sandy radios everyone for a tip meeting.

The captain says they got their first complaint, but it was really constructive criticism. As a business owner, Patrick highlighted the things they could improve. They’re going to bring the energy back up by adding a second stew. She’s not replacing anyone, but supporting the interior. In Courtney’s interview, she says she hopes the captain knows she wasn’t on breakfast. It’s Lexi’s fault, and she’s getting away with more than she should be. In David’s interview, he says it will be nice to have more conversation with the lads, but there will be three bodies in a small room, and he’s been trying to keep things clean. Captain Sandy says there hasn’t been one complaint about Mathew’s food, and thanks him. She says, even though they had constructive criticism, it’s the biggest tip they’ve gotten – $23,585; $1965 each, or 1673 euros each. In Mathew’s interview, he says, he was their saving grace, and they got the biggest tip. He hopes they only get bigger.

Malia asks what Mzi thinks about having another stew, and he says it will be interesting to see how the dynamic changes. Captain Sandy calls Mathew, Malia and Katie to the crew mess for the preference sheet meeting. The primaries are Niki and Halie, who are true Southern belles. Niki is a realtor, and Halie is a boutique owner. Mathew reads that Niki eats like a five-year-old. She likes bacon, bacon, and more bacon. Halie, however, does not eat like  eat like a five-year-old, and has the most dietary restrictions he’s ever seen. Not his favorite. In his interview, he says, at least one eats like a five-year-old; that should be easy. But there are tons of restrictions, and it’s all girls, so he knows they’ll be high maintenance. Malia says, they want a beach picnic, and Sandy tells them to enjoy their evening. Courtney says she’s so tired.

Courtney tells Malia it’s been frustrating, doing things that should have been done. The primary had to get his own drink this morning. Malia says, it sucks because it reflects on the whole department. Courtney wonders what the new girl is going to be like, and Malia says, some people can come in and rock it mid-charter; she might kill it. Courtney is worried she’ll think she’s second stew, and it will cause drama. David, Mzi, and Lloyd decide to have a lad’s night in the hot tub. In his interview, Mzi says he feels trauma as Lexi is walking up the stairs. In his interview, he says, Lexi is a ticking time bomb, and he’s just waiting for it to happen again.  

Lexi tells them that she’s coming back. She’s wearing that same red hoodie she wore when she went apesh*t, and I’m hoping it isn’t her Satanwear. She mumbles that everyone is asleep; they’re boring. Katie calls her mom to tell her happy birthday, and Lexi joins the lads in the hot tub. She thinks they should have a movie, and Mzi suggests Harry Potter. She says she wasn’t allowed to watch it when she was a kid because it had witchcraft. It was against her religion. In her interview, she says, her parents were super religious, so when she got to college, she did everything she couldn’t do. The guys call her a muggle, explaining it means someone who has no magic. They get out of the tub, and Lexi says she had fun; it was chill. Lloyd says they like this Lexi. In David’s interview, he says, obviously, Lexi is trying to be more a part of things. There was a point in his life when he felt worthless. He’d lost two friends in an accident, then the girl he was going to be with broke up with him. When he sees someone who’s hurt, every ounce of him wants to be there for them, because it heals him a little.

In the morning they clean up, and Katie tells Courtney that when the new girl gets there, show her everything. Malia helps Mzi into a harness that hangs off the side of the boat, and in Mzi’s interview, he says he’s learning everything at the same time. He’s scared of heights, but his dad taught him to face his fears. He was scared of birds and feathers, so his dad would make him go to the garden every day, and bring him a feather. In doing that, he overcame his fear. He hangs on the harness, freaking out a little. Mathew studies the preference sheets, and the captain calls for the new stew to come. In Malia’s interview, she says, Mzi is terrified, but she’s proud of him. She remembers her first time in a harness. She laughs, and says, it is scary. Katie tries once again to talk to Lexi, saying she feels like the mistakes are more laziness than anything else. Whether they are or not, that’s how it’s coming across. Katie feels like she’s not up to second stew, and now they’ll have an extra hand so there’s no excuse. She’s decided not to have ranks anymore, but doesn’t know how it will go down. Lexi says she understands, and two seconds later, the new stew arrives.  

This season, more partying, scuba diving, and shore excursions. The new stew says she went to Berkeley and got a captain’s license. Now she’s doing laundry. Malia says it’s thew worst docking of their lives, and tells Lloyd that he has to pick up his game. Lloyd has chest pains, Lexi gets stupid again, there’s a kitchen fire and Mathew gets burned, and Courtney dances on the lazy Susan.

🏞 Don’t Fence Me In…

Moving closer to freedom as we speak. I wonder if I’ll remember how to wear dress up clothes – i.e. my good jeans. Whatever your wardrobe choices, stay safe, stay pushing all the envelopes, and stay taking the leftover croissants with you when you go to the safe house. You never know.