Tag Archives: Below Deck Mediterranean

Nov15

November 14, 2023 – Charlotte Wants Anna Arrested, Deep Dive, Going Country, Salty Talk, Winter Mess, Vegas Fail, Kyle’s Rant, Way To Go, Random Pups (!), Don’t Bother & Who Says

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn and Elizabeth get in the elevator, and he asks, what’s with all the paperwork? She says, the hospital is facing budget adjustments, and she has to get it in by the end of the year. He says, budget adjustments such as staff cuts and supply shortages? and she says, hopefully, it’s not as bad as last year, but they’ll get through it. He says, they always do. When they come out, Portia says she needs to speak with Finn, calling him. Dr. Finn. He says, that’s very formal, and she says, actually she and Dr. Randolph need to meet with him. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, Dr. Randolph is waiting in her office. She leaves and he follows her.

Carly comes to the penthouse and Sonny asks if everything is okay. She says, you tell me, and he says, everything is okay with him. She says, really? Then why is Nina offering to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt? He says he doesn’t know. It’s the first he’s hearing about it.

Valentin thanks Nina for coming over and says, Laura will be here any minute. Nina asks if something happened with Charlotte, and he says, she’s recovering. She seems to think Anna shot her intentionally. Nina says, no. Charlotte told him that? He says, no. She told Laura that last night. Nina wonders why Charlotte would think that, but he says he doesn’t know. He didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Laura before she was called away on official business. When Charlotte was removed from ICU, the nurses convinced him to go home and get some sleep. He’s going back to the hospital as soon as Laura tells them what happened. There’s a knock at the door, and Valentin opens it to Laura. She says she wasn’t expecting Nina to be here.

Spencer walks into Alexis’s office and finds Esme there. She says, his Aunt Alexis isn’t here, but he says he came here to see her.

Trina walks into the gallery, and Ava says she thought Trina had classes today. Trina says, she did, but she came straight from her last one. Ava says, she’s not on the schedule, and Trina says she just didn’t want to go back to the dorms. Ava asks if everything is okay, but Trina says, no. She got into a big fight with Spencer yesterday. Ava says she’s sorry. It seems like a pretty serious fight. Trina says, it was. He gave her an old tomato ultimatum. Ava asks what she did, and Trina says she got up and walked out on him. She’s been avoiding him ever since.

Dante goes to Austin’s office and says he wants to ask Austin a few questions about his cousin Mason. Austin says he already spoke to Chase about this, and another detective, and Dante says, and he told them to speak to his lawyer. Austin says, exactly. So he doesn’t have anything else to say to Dante. Dante says, that’s cool. Maybe he can listen. He closes the door.

The guard lets Cyrus into Mason’s room, and Cyrus says, nice talking with him. He says, hello, to Mason, and tells him, the Lord instructs us to comfort the sick and the prisoner, and in Mason, he has both. Mason asks if that’s how Cyrus convinced the cop to let him in, and Cyrus says, he’s a man of faith. Mason asks what he’s doing here, and Cyrus says he’s here to show Mason the path to his redemption.

Terry thanks Finn for giving them some time, and he asks if he had a choice. She asks him to have a seat, and he says, this must be serious. Terry says, very serious. He’s going to need to hire an attorney. He and GH are being sued for malpractice.

Esme asks if this is about Ace, but Spencer says, he’s having a ball right now in daycare; he just saw him. She says, in that case, she’s working, so if there’s anything he needs to talk about, they can talk about it at dinner… at his grandmother’s apartment. He tells her that she was going to say dinner at home, and she says she was, but she didn’t. She and Ace are currently staying with his grandmother and Doc. Home will be the apartment they move into.

Ava says she’s surprised Spencer doesn’t know Trina isn’t the kind of woman who would take kindly to ultimatums, and Trina says, who would? Ava says, right on. So why does she think he did it? Trina says, they were talking about his relationship with Esme and Ace, and how it feels like there’s no room in his life for their relationship. So she spoke up and told him how she felt. Ava says, good for her.

Dante says, it sounds like Mason’s been hanging around Austin’s office and the ER for the past year. He sits down, and Austin says, please have a seat. His cousin Mason suffers from the misconception that they’re close. Dante asks if that’s why Mason has been bringing third parties into the ER for treatment, but Austin says he has no memory of anything like that. Dante knows how busy and crazy the ER can get. Dante says, right, and it helps if you’re not keeping a record of treating your cousins, friends, and co-workers. Maybe even treating them for injuries they sustained during criminal activities. But that would make him an accessory after the fact.

Cyrus says, all he has to do is confess his sins, and Mason says, that’s a long list. Cyrus says he’s talking about Mason’s very specific, very recent sins. Abducting Ava Jerome, intending to hold her for ransom, and reconsidering that option. Ava was in Mason’s car as he tried to decide his next move. He was confronted by Dex Heller. During the struggle, he was shot by Detective Dante Falconari. Mason will still be on the hook for the kidnapping charge, but the attempted murder charges will be dropped. All Mason has to do is admit he acted alone. Mason says, but he didn’t.

Laura says she thinks Valentin might prefer this conversation be private, but he says, Nina is fully involved. She took an enormous risk, deleting the security footage of Charlotte breaking into Anna’s room at the MetroCourt. She loves Charlotte. Nina promises Laura that her only concern is for Charlotte, and Valentin says he’s already told her that Charlotte thinks Anna shot her intentionally. Laura says, so she guesses he hasn’t spoken to Charlotte yet today, and Valentin says, no. He wanted to hear what Charlotte told her last night first. Laura says, she admitted to trying to push Anna out of Port Charles and away from Valentin, and he says, why? Did Charlotte tell her? Laura says, yes. It is exactly as they suspected. He says, Victor, and she nods.

Carly says, so Nina didn’t tell Sonny that she was selling her half of the MetroCourt, and he says, no. They don’t talk much about business, but it surprised him, since she loves running the place. Now she’s better friends with Olivia, so he doesn’t know. Carly says, something’s changed, and he asks if Nina told Carly why she wanted to sell it back. Carly tells him, Nina said that she was busy, but it was really strange, so she’s not buying it. Sonny says, they’ve got a lot going on, and Carly says, Nina’s got something going on. And she’s going to find out what it is.

Valentin says, so Charlotte confirmed to Laura that Victor convinced her to go after Anna? and Laura says, she said that her grandfather had written to her, and that he came to visit her at the boarding school. She got the impression they’d had some really long conversations. Valentin says, and Victor did most of the talking, and Laura says, she seems overly obsessed with protecting Valentin… from Anna. Nina says, so Victor convinced Charlotte that Anna was a threat to him. Charlotte did everything that she did because she thought she was protecting him.

Sonny tells Carly, let’s not jump to conclusions. He and Nina just got married. She has a relationship with Willow now. Maybe she just wants to spend more time with Amelia and Wiley. Maybe it’s that simple. She says, nothing is ever that simple with Nina. Ever. He says, like it is with her? (touché!) and she says, at least with her, you get full disclosure and transparency, whether you like it or not. He says, that’s true enough, and she thanks him. She says, is Crimson losing money? and he says, not that he knows of, but even if it was, why would Nina want to sell her half of the MetroCourt? Carly says, maybe she needs money to shore up the magazine, and he says, money’s not an issue for Nina. But let’s say Carly accepted her offer. Where would she get the money?

Finn asks if Terry can tell him the name of the patient who’s suing him and what the complaint is, and Terry nods to Portia. Portia says, the patient in question has died. His wife is the one filing the suit. Terry gives Finn the patient’s file, and he says, Dennis Muldoon. Terry says, they’ll need all the notes he has on the patient, and also everyone on staff who worked on the case with him. He says, of course (🍷). Does this mean he’s suspended? Portia says, he’ll still be able to practice, and Terry says, with some restrictions. He asks what they are, and she says, the hospital’s policy in a case like this is to allow the staff member to practice, but if it’s a potentially fatal case, he’ll need to request a second opinion before he can offer treatment or prescribe medication. Portia says, and because of his history of substance abuse, he’ll be required to do drug testing on a weekly basis. He says he sees. And he understands. That will be the easiest part of this process for him. Terry says, good, and Finn walks to the door. He asks how much time he has to find an attorney, and Terry says, he should start looking immediately. Finn leaves.

Ava puts two chairs near each other, and tells Trina, sit down. She says, Trina’s been a saint when it comes to Spencer spending time with Esme and Ace. She couldn’t stay quiet that long. No way. Sure, she has a history with Esme and this amnesia thing of hers is hard for her to swallow, but that aside, Trina’s in love with Spencer. And here he is, spending so much time with his ex and her baby, a baby that happens to be his brother. Trina says she does understand why he’s being so protective of Ace though, and Ava says, so does she. God knows where Nikolas is, so he’s no help at all. And he made a lot of mistakes with Spencer. She’s sure Spencer just wants to make sure Ace isn’t shortchanged the way he was. Trina said that herself. Trina says, she’s tried to justify all the time he spends with Esme and Ace, and Ava says, she’s been very patient, very understanding. Trina says she has, hasn’t she? and Ava says, she has, so what changed?

Spencer says, he doesn’t want Esme and Ace to move out, and Esme says, he’s made that perfectly clear, but it’s not up to him. He says he just doesn’t understand why she’s leaving all of a sudden, and she says, it’s not all of a sudden. It’s what’s best for her and Ace. He says, how? Right now, Ace has everything that he needs. He doesn’t understand how her taking him and moving in to a different apartment is going to be better for him. If she does that, she’ll have to take care of him all of the time. The only time she won’t have to take care of him is when he’s here at daycare. She says, that’s what mothers do, and he says, when they’re on their own. But she doesn’t have to be. He’s more than willing to step up and help her take care of him. His grandmother and Doc love spending time with Ace, so they’ll have a back-up if they need it. She says she can still drop Ace off to Doc and Laura whenever they’re available and he can help take care of Ace. He says, okay, so what would be the point in her leaving? She says, because she and Ace need to get away from him.

Austin says, Dante asked him to listen, and he did, but Dante says he’s not quite finished. Austin says, Dante doesn’t have anything. If he did have any proof of what he’s talking about, he wouldn’t be here fishing. Dante says he’s not fishing. Security footage is proof. Sworn affidavits from GH staffers who saw Austin and Mason and his friends is proof. And now they have his cousin handcuffed to a bed upstairs, and the more they get to know about his criminal activities, the easier it’s going to be to prove Austin was working with Mason in the kidnapping and attempted murder of Ava Jerome. Austin says he’s the one who saved her.

Mason says, Cyrus ordered him to abduct Ava, and Austin would be forced to testify at Cyrus’s medical hearing so he could get himself out of Pentenville. But the moment he’s on the hook, and Ava can ID him to the cops, Cyrus tells him to let her go. With all due respect, he couldn’t take that chance. He had to get rid of her. Cyrus says, these heavy drugs they have Mason on must have addled his brain to come up with such wild and false allegations, but he understands. Mason must be frightened, but tell him, did those drugs make Mason forget his last visit and how he explained to Mason exactly how it could end for him? Mason flashes back to Cyrus telling him, the pain you felt when you were shot, any pain you’ve felt during your entire life will pale in comparison to the pain you will feel during your long, excruciating journey into death, if you ever betray me again. Cyrus says he believes Mason remembers now.

Terry says, Finn is a good doctor, and Portia says, he’s a good friend. She hated seeing that look on his face. Terry says, her too. It’s hard enough losing a patient, but then to be accused of malpractice? Portia says she’s sure he took copious notes, and Terry says she hopes Portia is right. They need Dr. Finn and GH to be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Elizabeth sees Finn at the reception desk and asks, what happened? What did Terry and Portia want to talk to him about? He says, every doctor’s nightmare. I worked for a medical clinic for a while, and I can vouch for the fact malpractice insurance is astronomical.

Carly says she doesn’t know if she wants to buy back the MetroCourt, and Sonny says, Carly loves that place. She says, but she loves Kelly’s. She’s made some great changes, and in some ways, she thinks Kelly’s is a better fit for her than the MetroCourt. He says he doesn’t see it, and she says she knows the MetroCourt seems like it was better for her, but she loves both. She knows she can’t run both and own them, so she’s going to have to make a choice. He says, seems like an easy choice to him, and she says, but it’s not. Her mom gave her Kelly’s when she was in a really bad place. It was really generous of her. He asks if Bobbie is still away, and she says, yeah. She’s in Amsterdam, taking care of Luke’s affairs, and the last thing she needs is for Carly to abandon Kelly’s. Sonny says, Carly could always find somebody dependable to run the place, and she says, but if she decides to buy back the MetroCourt, she has to find someone to finance it. He says, I can – she says, no – help – she says, do not offer – you.

Laura says, when Charlotte first woke up after the surgery, she asked where Valentin was, and she told Charlotte that he’d gone on a walk with Anna. Charlotte seemed to be genuinely frightened for his safety. He says, and that’s when Charlotte told her what she did, and Laura says, yes. She admitted to trying to push Anna out of town and away from Valentin to protect him. He says, they know she trashed Anna’s hotel suite. Did she admit to anything else? Laura says, she didn’t get into any specifics, and after what she’d been through, Laura didn’t think it was a good time to question her. Valentin says, of course (🍷), and Nina says, when Charlotte is a bit stronger, maybe Doc can talk to her again. It seems like she opens up to him. Laura says, he’s already agreed to come and visit her whenever they decide she’s ready for it, and Valentin says, good. Nina says, this whole thing is awful, but at least they know Charlotte wasn’t acting on her own. She was motivated by Victor’s hatred of Anna. Laura says, and he knew she was at a very impressionable age. He arranged to get her far away from home and all alone. Valentin says he should have never let her go to that damn place, but Laura says, he thought he was doing something good for her. And they all did at that time. Valentin says, Charlotte told her that he wrote a letter? and Laura says, yes. He says, excuse him, and goes to Charlotte’s bedroom.

Valentin looks around the room, touching nothing yet. His eyes light on Charlotte’s journal, but he keeps looking.

Elizabeth says she remembers finding Finn on the roof the night Mr. Muldoon died. He was devastated. And now his family is suing the hospital and Finn? Why? Finn says, they believe he was negligent in not diagnosing his cancer in time, and she asks if his symptoms indicated cancer. Finn says, he had a tapeworm he picked up traveling abroad. He traveled for work extensively, mostly in third world countries. So he ordered bloodwork, and the results came back with anomalies. Anomalies consistent with a lot of causes, tapeworm among them. G.I. distress, fatigue, weight loss. So he sent Muldoon home with a plan of treatment and a request for further testing. He called a few days later and said he was feeling much better. He went on another trip, and Finn had requested further testing, including a colonoscopy. He didn’t come in for two months, and that’s when Finn expanded the scope of treatment in order to get more testing. Elizabeth says, that’s when he found the cancer, and Finn says, yeah. He didn’t see it coming. Muldoon thought he’d be here for a couple of hours and then Finn had to tell him that he had cancer, and it was too late to start any treatment. He never left this hospital again. She says, Finn didn’t do anything wrong, and Finn says he believes he didn’t, but that may not matter.

Valentin checks under the mattress, and we see he’s rifled through the drawers. He spies a pile of books and takes down the top one. He opens it and sees it’s hollowed out. The tarot cards are inside, along with the letter, which he opens and reads. He says, Victor.

Spencer says, Esme is going to take Ace and leave because she doesn’t want him growing up thinking the three of them are a family? She says, that’s right. Because the longer the three of them live together, the harder that’s going to be on Ace when it ends, and it’s going to end. Spencer asks, what makes her say that?😐and she says, because it has to. He wants his own life, and she really understands that. He wants to travel when he wants to travel. He wants to spend time with the people he wants to spend time with. And sooner or later, he’s going to want to spend all of his time with someone. He can’t have that life and Ace. He asks, why not? They don’t have to be in a romantic relationship for him to commit to Ace. Or her.

Trina tells Ava, what changed was, she said one word. And Spencer lost it. Ava says, there’s got to be more to it than that, and Trina says, when Laura and Doc came back from their trip, Esme thought it was too crowded. So she decided to rent a place for her and Ace. Ava says, so far, so good, and Trina says, that’s what she thought. And Laura supported the idea. She even offered to co-sign the lease. Ava says, go, Laura, and Trina says, but when Spencer told her that Esme was moving out, she just said exactly how she felt. She said, finally. Ava tells Trina, that sounds perfect to her, but Trina says, it didn’t sound good to Spencer.

Mason tells Cyrus that he can cut a deal if he gives up Austin. He’s the dumb henchman, and Austin’s the smart doctor who planned everything. There’s plenty evidence to back it up too. Lots of people have seen them together, and Austin slept with Ava. He can tell the cops that Austin seduced Ava to get to her money, and when that blew up in his face, he asked Mason to take her. Cyrus’s name will never be mentioned. Cyrus smiles.

Dante says, Austin saved Ava? and Austin says, what he means is, he would never hurt Ava. Dante tells him, that’s not what he said. Austin said he saved her. Austin says he did save her that night at Windymere. Ryan Chamberlain was running around like a lunatic, Heather Webber’s got a great big hook… He’s sure all of this is in Dante’s files. Go read his files. Dante says he’s read the files. The thing he can’t figure out is what Austin was doing at Windymere in the first place. What’s the nature of his relationship to Ava Jerome?

Valentin comes out with the letter, and says, it’s all Victor. There’s no question; it’s his father’s handwriting. He hands it to Laura, and she says, oh my God. She reads: My dearest Charlotte, It is with a heavy heart that I must write to you and share my concerns about our family’s future. A family I cherish and would give my life for. I’m afraid your father has gotten weak, Charlotte. I had so much hope for him, but he’s forgotten how truly important family is since he’s fallen in love with Anna Devane. Anna has completely manipulated your father… Her extensive training in espionage has afforded her the ability to mask who she really is. Nina says, no wonder Charlotte was confused, and Valentin says, he weaponized her. Laura continues: Anna Devane is not who she seems; do not trust her. Not for a minute. And it is imperative you never forget… You must use any weapon you can to defeat Anna, because your father clearly will do whatever she asks. And she will use his feelings, she will use your father, and lead him into danger. She will lead him to his death. Nina says, oh my God, and Laura reads: My dear Charlotte, you are the only one who can protect your father from Anna Devane. You, his most cherished possession, must save him. To guide you, I’m giving you these very special tarot cards. They’re powerful tools, Charlotte. You’ll find them helpful. Use them wisely. Use them to protect and save your father, a man we both love dearly. Your ally and loving grandfather, Victor Cassadine. Nina says, sick bastard, and Valentin says, Victor found the perfect revenge.

Sonny asks when Carly said Nina made her the offer, and Carly says, this morning at Kelly’s. Nina said she’d been at the hospital all night with Charlotte. He says, that was a tragic accident. Anna’s torn apart by it; so is Nina. Charlotte is like a daughter to her. Maybe it hit Nina a lot harder than he thought. Carly says, maybe, but would he think that’s the reason she wants to sell the MetroCourt?

Trina asks if it’s bad for her to think Spencer is too attached to his little brother, but Ava says she thinks this is more about Esme than it is about Ace. What was Spencer’s ultimatum? Trina says, he warned her that if she made him choose between her and Ace, she wouldn’t like the choice, and Ava says, ouch. Trina says, they were closer than ever in New York, but it never seems to fail. Something like this will happen, then they’re further apart. It’s like they’re doomed to fail.

Cyrus says, Mason is a lot smarter than he thought Mason was. That’s a very creative solution. Mason says, it’ll work, but Cyrus says, not for him. He doesn’t want Austin tainted by Mason’s crime. He’s a respected doctor and Cyrus needs to avail himself of Austin’s services and support if necessary. Mason says, so he gets to rot in prison while college boy gets everything he wants, and Cyrus says, don’t be so resentful. College boy will get everything he deserves in good time. Meanwhile, Mason will be well-protected in Pentenville and lead a very comfortable life. And who knows? He might be eligible for release sooner than he thinks, provided he does exactly as he’s told.

Austin says, he and Ava are very close, and Dante asks if she’ll corroborate that. Austin says, what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs? and Dante says, he’s looking at a lot of downs. They have a laundry list of charges they could file against Austin. Collusion, kidnapping, attempted murder… Austin says, come on. Dante said himself, he’s got Mason handcuffed to a bed upstairs. Dante caught him red-handed. Dante shot him. Dante says he did. Does Austin think it was Mason’s idea to kidnap Ava? Austin says he doesn’t know. Ask Mason. Dante says, come on, doc. He’s not the brains behind this thing; he was the muscle. He was following someone’s orders. Maybe Austin’s. Austin says, no, but Dante says, he’s the smart guy. Come up with the name of Mason’s boss. Maybe he’ll have a chance to save himself. He walks out of Austin’s office.

Sonny tells Carly, maybe Charlotte getting shot made Nina rethink her priorities. Maybe she wants to spend less time working and more time with the people she loves. Carly says, when she heard about Charlotte, all she could think about was Josslyn and Donna. If something happened to them, it would kill her. He says, nothing’s going to happen to the kids. They’re settled, and he’s got everything under control. Carly asks if he’s sure about that. Because Cyrus is walking around scot-free, and Sonny doesn’t have Jason watching his back anymore. He says he thinks about Jason every day, but he has eyes all over town, including Dex and Brick. She says she knows how important Brick is to him, and he says, Dex actually stepped up. If it wasn’t for him and Dante, Ava would be dead. So he doesn’t want her to worry. She’s got Drew back, so just enjoy each other. She thanks him and says, maybe he’s right about Nina. He says, she should think real hard about taking Nina’s offer, and she says she will. She tells him, watch your back, and goes to the door. He says he always does, and she leaves.

Laura gives the letter back to Valentin, who says, Victor turned his daughter into a weapon. He’s weaponized Laura’s granddaughter. He convinced Charlotte to target the woman he loves. How can he fight back against a child? Nina says, Victor’s dead, and now that they have proof he was behind all of this, they can just talk to Charlotte. They tell her that Victor was wrong about Anna, that nothing in that letter was true. Laura says, yes, but they have to look at this from Charlotte’s point of view for a moment. Her grandfather told her that Anna was dangerous, that she was a threat, and now in Charlotte’s mind, Anna has proven that by shooting her. Nina says, but it was an accident, and Laura says, yes, of course (🍷), and they all know that, but because of Victor, Charlotte actually believes that Anna shot her intentionally. She believes Anna wanted to kill her, and she wants Anna arrested for it.

Esme asks exactly what kind of commitment Spencer is willing to make, and Spencer says he has money. He can see to it she’s financially taken care of. She can quit this job if she so chooses, and he can share in the childcare responsibilities with her. He just wants to make sure his little brother is happy. Does she really think moving Ace out of his grandmother’s home is what’s best for him right now? No. They’re a team. They’re just not a romantic one. She says, that all sounds great, so let’s go for it. Why don’t they get a nice little house somewhere for the four of them? He says, for the four of them? and she says, her, him, Ace, and Trina. She bets Trina will think this is a wise plan. He says, come on, but she says, no, you come on. The longer she lives in that apartment with him and his grandmother, the longer she’s putting her life on hold, and that’s not fair to her and it’s not fair to Ace. He isn’t the only one who deserves to have someone special in his life. He says, so this isn’t really about Ace at all. He didn’t realize she’s so desperate to find someone new. She says she’s desperate to start her life again. She doesn’t have to defend herself to him or anyone else. She’s going to do what’s right for Ace, and yes, what’s right for her. If he’ll excuse her, she has work to do. She picks up some files and leaves the office. He makes a call and leaves a message. Please call him. He needs them. Things have gone from bad to worse.

Portia tells Terry that she’s never been in any malpractice lawsuit situation before. What’s the next step? Does the hospital have the same lawyer Dr. Finn does? Terry says, in her experience, hospitals are advised to have a separate lawyer. Dr. Finn will need to prove he didn’t do anything negligent, whereas they’ll have to prove it was a good decision to employ Finn. And they’ll have to prove they have a solid system of checks and balances, and that they don’t have a history of malpractice suits. Portia says she wouldn’t want to be in Finn’s shoes right now. A case like this could ruin your whole career. Terry says, and lawsuits like this have taken down bigger hospitals than GH. Let’s hope that’s not the case this time.

Elizabeth tells Finn, once we find you an attorney, they’ll tell you what you’re up against and how we need to proceed. He says, we? and she says, yeah. She’s going to help him with this. She was with him the night Mr. Muldoon died. She can testify to his state of mind, and the fact that he never said anything that would indicate he might have made a mistake with his diagnosis and treatment. He says, she doesn’t have to… but she says, please don’t argue with her. She’s going to help him do everything he can to clear his name. He says he doesn’t want her risking her position, but she says she’s not risking anything. And as Head Nurse, she wants the truth to come out. So moving forward, she suggest they get back to work, and tonight, they’ll start going over his notes. He thanks her and says, maybe they can start tomorrow. He needs a day to process this. His career’s in jeopardy… She takes his hand and says, we’re not going to let anything happen to you. He says he’s lucky to have her, and she says, yeah, he is. It goes both ways. She leaves.

Trina asks what she should do, and Ava says, it’s not like she’s talking to an expert in relationships here. She’s had her share, and none of them have gone the distance. Not that she’s giving up. She still believes happy endings are possible. Trina’s just at the beginning. Trina’s phone dings, and Ava asks if she thinks that’s the same person who just tried to call her. She thinks she can guess who it was. Trina says, Spencer. She doesn’t want to talk to him right now. Ava asks how long she plans to avoid him, but Trina says she doesn’t have a plan. She just doesn’t want to argue anymore, and she’s not giving in to his ultimatum. Ava asks if Trina has told him how she feels, the way Trina just told her, and Trina says she guesses not. Ava asks if she still loves him, and Trina says, yes. Ava says, sit down with him. Talk to him and keep cool and don’t point fingers. Just tell him how she feels and why she feels that way. Then listen to him and be respectful of how he feels. Trina says, okay, and thanks Ava, hugging her. She says she knows Ava would tell her the right thing, even if it was hard for her to hear. Ava says, what are friends for? Maybe Trina should reply to Spencer’s text. Trina picks up her phone.

As Austin goes by the reception desk, Elizabeth gives him a message left for him. He opens it, and it says: DON’T BE FOOLISH. IT CAN BE DEADLY. He crumples it up, and then sees Cyrus across the hall. He continues to watch as Cyrus waits for the elevator. When it comes, Cyrus winks at him before getting in.

Tomorrow, Portia tells Curtis that she got some news today; TJ needs to talk to someone right away; Sasha says she’ll walk off the set; and Cyrus brings Austin tidings of great joy.

🧜‍♀️ Finding His Siren…

Can’t say I pictured it as a tank. Impressive.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/behind-the-scenes-of-general-hospitals-water-stunt

🚜 Literally Buying The Farm…

Looks idyllic.

Josh Swickard’s Family Moves to the Country!

🧂 A Pinch Of Salt…

Since the recap isn’t out yet, here’s a few tidbits.

Why Monica Garcia and Heather Gay May Be the Next Big Real Housewives Feud

https://www.eonline.com/news/1389773/rhoslcs-monica-garcia-fiercely-confronts-mom-linda-for-kidnapping-her-car

RHOSLC Star Monica Garcia Shares Where She Stands With Mom Linda Amid Feud, and If She Regrets Bringing Her on Show, Plus She Talks Finalizing Divorce From Ex-Husband Mike, & Dating, & Live Viewing Thread

🏂 Apology Tour Already…

No recap yet for this awful mess either.

Watch Winter House’s Kory Keefer Learn Casey Craig Called Sam Feher ‘Trash’

https://www.distractify.com/p/casey-craig-apology-winter-house

https://stylecaster.com/lists/tom-schwartz-katie-flood-still-together-winter-house/

💎 Magic Mike Meltdown…

Fact correction: It was Crystal and Erika on the stage (Kyle came later and Sutton was nonplussed), and really Erika that she freaked about.

RHOBH’s Sutton Stracke Shares New Details on What Caused Meltdown at Magic Mike, & Fires Back at Erika Jayne for Saying She’s the “Worst Lay Ever”

🤺 Rehashing The Deck Fight…

I can’t say I mind a repeat of Kyle insulting Natalya. She’s such a piece of work. Max is just clueless.

Below Deck Med’s Kyle Puts ‘Straight’ Max on Blast for Using LGBTQIA+ Label

👰🏼‍♀️ She Finally Did It…

Kudos to Tinsley for finally making it to the married lady status she’s always wanted. But was he Dale approved?

https://people.com/real-housewives-new-york-city-tinsley-mortimer-marries-robert-bovard-8363397

RHONY Alum Tinsley Mortimer Marries Robert Bovard in Palm Beach Ceremony, See Pics of Couple Arriving With Wedding Attire

🐶 A Tale Of Two Pups, Really Three…

I’d want this dog too.

https://people.com/kaley-cuoco-adopts-adorable-new-dog-8400793

The two that got away. Yes, I know Halloween is over.

https://people.com/kim-kardashian-dresses-dogs-sushi-sake-as-actual-sushi-for-halloween-8384168

🪧 Should Have Stayed Closed…

I watched The Open House on Netflix last weekend. Most of it wasn’t bad, but nothing stellar. Kind of like a Lifetime thriller with a bigger budget. I would have been fine with that, except the ending was like a big F-U in exchange for the time I spent watching it. Before the credits, it said the film was in loving memory of someone, and I wondered if it was the guy who was supposed to write the ending.

🦃 Tofurkey Trotting…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and snipes at Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay asking the host before bringing plus ones or more to Thanksgiving dinner, and stay not being foolish. It can be deadly.

Nov14

November 13, 2023 – Martin Tells Nina To Call Michael’s Bluff, A Meet-Up With the Charter Off Deck & Pumpkin Pie

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia watches Ned sleep, no doubt after having gotten busy. He says, good morning, and she says, Ned? He says, it’s me.

Lois thanks Yuri for bringing her coffee, and tells him, stop with the Miss and just call her Lois. Brook comes in carrying several folders and asks if there’s any fresh coffee. He says he just brewed some for her mother, and Brook says she’d love a cup. He goes to get it, and Lois says, somebody’s full of energy this morning. Brook says she needs to be, and so does Lois. Lois is going to help her strategize for Blaze.

Willow hurries Wiley along with his cereal and says, they can’t be late this morning. Michael comes in, and tells her that Amelia is happily playing in the nursery in the main house. Willow asks where Wiley’s math workbook is, and he says he left it upstairs last night after she helped him. Michael says he’ll get it, but Willow says, Wiley has to get it, after he’s finished with his breakfast. Wiley asks if they can see Grandma Nina after school. Please.

Nina comes into Kelly’s and asks for a yogurt parfait and an extra-large coffee with a shot of espresso to go. Carly asks if Nina was at the hospital last night, and Nina says, she heard. Carly says she can’t believe what happened to Charlotte, and Nina says, it was terrible, terrible accident. Anna mistook Charlotte for an intruder and shot her.

Charlotte asks Elizabeth if her papa is here, and Elizabeth says, he was at her side all night long, but an hour ago, they were able to convince him to go home and get some rest now that she’s out of the ICU. Charlotte asks if Anna’s been here.

Jordan goes into the interrogation room and asks Dante if he knows why Anna wanted to meet them here this morning. He says he doesn’t, but he can’t imagine it’s anything good. An officer tells them that Anna is here to see them both, and Dante opens the door to her.

Carly asks when Charlotte woke up from her surgery, and Nina says, last night. She and Valentin were both there, and they’ve since moved her out of ICU, thank God. The doctor expects her to have a full recovery. Carly says, that’s incredible. Please tell her if she needs anything, Carly is here for her. They’re family, and she’d like to help out any way she can. Nina thanks her and says she’ll pass that along. She appreciates it and she’s sure Valentin will too. Carly goes to get Nina’s order, and Nina sits down at the counter. Martin walks in, sees Nina, and turns around, but she follows him out to the courtyard. He says, good morning, and she says, give her one reason she shouldn’t have him disbarred for violating attorney/client privilege.

Wiley says, Grandma Nina told him that he could come to her office any time he wanted. She’ll help with his homework. Willow says, that’s very generous of Grandma Nina. Maybe they’ll take her up on the offer, but not today. He has T-ball today, remember? He asks if they can see Grandma Nina after, and she says, maybe, and tells him to go upstairs and grab his math workbook. Wiley leaves, and she says, Michael hates this, doesn’t he?

Olivia falls back on the pillow and says, he’s Ned all right, and Ned says he’s back. She says, that he is, and they kiss. He says he wishes he could spend the rest of the day in bed with her, and she says, don’t tempt her. He says, she’s tempting him, and kisses her some more, but she pushes him away and says she has so much work at the MetroCourt today. He says he has work to do too. ELQ has been neglected for months, and he’s sure he has a lot of paperwork to comb through. A lot of meetings to catch him up. She says she has a meeting with Nina today about the renovations on the rooftop, and Ned flashes back to hearing Martin talking to Nina about turning Drew and Carly in to the SEC. Olivia asks, what’s wrong? Please tell her that he’s still Ned. He says he is, and she blesses herself, saying, thank God. What happened? He says he just remembered something very important.

Lois asks what Brook needs her help with, and Brook says, Linc had Blaze pigeonholed as a popstar. Don’t get her wrong. She’s a great popstar, but she wants to explore other musical styles. That’s where Lois comes in. Lois says, the old tricky transition. That’s not going to be so easy. You’ve got to let your musical talent follow their own inspirations, but you’ve got to manage their expectations. You’ve got to monitor and mentor them, because you want to make sure they don’t reject the new material and run back to what they’re familiar with. All the while, you’ve got to keep an eye on their audience. Brook says, Lois will have to remind her of all that later, and takes out a folder. She says, here is some of the stuff that Blaze is considering. She hands the folder to Lois, who looks through it. Lois says, it’s interesting that her artist Blaze is a popstar. This stuff looks folky and country. Brook says, it is, and Yuri says, the country market is really hot right now. They could – how you say? – lean into this?

Gregory and Chase go to the hospital reception desk, and Gregory says he has an appointment with his specialist Dr. Cramer. The nurse says she’ll check him in, and Gregory thanks Chase for the ride, but says, Chase doesn’t have to wait for him. He’ll get a Ride Share home. Chase says, Gregory’s not getting rid of him that easy, and Gregory says, go to Kelly’s, grab a breakfast, enjoy this fall morning. Chase says he’s not leaving. He’ll be right here when Gregory gets out.

Anna thanks Dante and Jordan for meeting her, but Jordan says, no need to thank them. Anna says, despite being here, it’s not official; none of it. Everything she says is off the record, and she asked to meet with both of them because they’re her friends, and Dante needs to know this because she’s Charlotte’s daughter and she’s family. He says, off the record, 100%, and Jordan says, off the record. What does she have? Anna isn’t sure where to start. What she’s going to say doesn’t justify what happened; nothing can justify that. Jordan says, they’re all friends here. They said they’d keep it off the record. Just tell them what she has to say. Anna says, apparently, Charlotte has been stalking her for months.

Carly comes out with Nina’s order and sees her in the courtyard talking to Martin. Before she can go out, Drew calls her name. He gives her a kiss, and says, it’s his first day back at Aurora, and he thought he’d dress up a little. She approves, and he asks, what are the chances they can have a little bit of breakfast first? I’m not sure if that’s a euphemism, or he means bacon and eggs.

Nina says she’s been trying to get ahold of Martin for weeks. He hasn’t answered her calls; he’s not returning her texts or emails. Is he avoiding her? He says, perish the thought. The simple fact is, he’s a very busy attorney. He has a lot of cases to attend to, not just her. And of course (🍷) there’s Lucy and what she’s been going through at Deception. She has need of his shoulder. Nina says she needs him to shut his mouth. She heard that recording of him accusing her of turning Carly and Drew in to the SEC. He says, that tape wasn’t an accusation; it was an admission. And they both know she was the one who wanted the SEC to investigate Drew and Carly. She says, and he was her attorney. He was her go-between. He was her insurance to make sure she was protected. He promised her that she would be protected, and then he gave her up? She could lose everything. He says, she’s already lost.

Michael says, his opinion of Nina hasn’t changed, but he tries not to make it obvious in front of Wiley, and Willow says she thinks he’s done a great job. She doesn’t think Wiley realizes how he really feels about Nina. At least not now. He says, so he’ll just go on pretending he likes Nina, but she says she doesn’t want him to pretend. That wouldn’t be fair to Wiley. They should always be truthful with him. He says, even when it comes down to the kind of woman Nina really is, but she says, what she hopes is for the possibility Nina has really learned her lesson and changed. He says he knows she wants to believe that, but she’s wrong, and she asks, wrong how?

Ned says, it was Nina, and Olivia says, what was Nina? He says, it was Nina who pointed the SEC at Drew and Carly. Olivia says, what? and he says he overheard her talking to her lawyer Martin Grey at the MetroCourt. She had Martin alert the SEC about Drew and Carly. Olivia says she can’t believe this, and he says, after Martin walked away, he confronted her, and she wanted him to continue taking the fall for her. And eventually, all the people who thought the most of him, wouldn’t believe he was the one who turned them in. Of course (🍷) he refused. She says, low life, and he says, that’s when the hostess came out, interrupted them, and said something about Drew and Tracy at the pool. That’s when he was on his way to tell Drew everything and exonerate himself, and he slipped and fell. He needs to tell Drew and Carly the truth. He starts to get out of bed, but Olivia says, wait. He can’t. He asks what she means, and she says, Sonny and Nina just got married. Sonny is happier than she’s ever seen him before, and Drew is home from Pentenville; he’s safe. Nina and Carly are getting along for once for the sake of the families. Is there any chance he can forget that he remembered? He asks how she can say that. Nina’s the one who turned them in, and Olivia wants her to get away with it? Olivia says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want Nina to get away with it. She’s just saying, maybe letting her get away with it is better than open warfare. He says, that sounds great in theory. How about clearing his name?

Lois asks what Yuri considers great music. Good vocals or something that gives him a good vibe? Yuri says he’s been enjoying the country music, and Lois says, okay, why country? He says, the emotion is right there. It’s immediate. It’s at the surface. It’s raw and unaffected. Brook tells Lois, really good points, and asks Yuri, any particular songs? He says, there’s one song. It’s really about parents and children growing up and moving along, but the lyrics are basically a love song to an adult. But also love songs to a truck and so many love songs to whiskey. The inanimate objects are metaphors for life’s deepest emotions. Lois says, all right. Any songs about boats and trucks in here? She and Brook thumb through the folders.

Chase asks Gregory how his appointment went, then sees a brace on Gregory’s wrist. He asks, what’s up with the brace? and Gregory says he took a fall at The Invader yesterday. He reached out to brace himself and jammed his wrist up. Chase asks why Gregory didn’t tell him, and Gregory says, because it was nothing serious, and nothing to bother Chase about. Besides, it’s fine; it doesn’t even hurt. Chase asks what the specialist said, and Gregory tells him, it’s fine. Let’s get out of here. Chase asks what Dr. Cramer said, and Gregory tells him, the doctor said he should be using a cane. Chase says, then why isn’t he?

Elizabeth walks in the hallway with Charlotte and asks how she feels. Charlotte says, okay, just a little weak, and Elizabeth says, that’s to be expected after surgery. Jake comes out of the elevator with a bouquet of white roses, and Charlotte smiles at him.

Anna says, Valentin told her last night that Charlotte has been stalking her for months, and he found out when Charlotte vandalized her suite at the MetroCourt. Dante asks, what makes him so sure it’s Charlotte? and she says, security footage showing her entering the suite during the window of time that it was trashed, and she was carrying a backpack. Jordan asks, where’s the footage now? and Anna says, he convinced Nina to delete it from the server. Jordan says, why? Why not tell Anna what was going on? Dante says, because Valentin thinks Charlotte is the arsonist who burned down Anna’s house. Right?

Ned says, his life was turned into a living hell, and Olivia wants him to give Nina a free pass just because everyone’s happy. She says, he’s back. She has him back and that’s all she cares about. It’s all that matters. He asks if she’s forgetting that everyone, including her, accused him of making that call to the SEC. Even his own mother thought he did it. Although, she actually applauded the move. Does she know what it feels like to be wrongly accused? She says she can’t even imagine, and I say, oh yeah? What about when Ned accused her of cheating with Robert? She says she’s so sorry she didn’t believe him, and he says, people think he’s responsible for sending Drew to prison, where he almost got killed, so no, he’s not going to drop this. But what he will do is hold off – for now. Trust him. He’s only doing this for her. She wants peace, he’ll give her peace. At least for a little while. But when everything settles down, at some point, he’s going to clear his name and expose Nina.

Carly gives Drew the coffee, saying, it was for Nina, but she’d rather give it to him. He takes a sip and says, it’s so good, but she says, it’s just coffee. He says, it’s so much better than whatever it was they were serving at Pentenville. But breakfast wasn’t the real reason he stopped by. She asks why he did, and he says, just to spend time with her… What’s going on? She says she’s sorry. She just can’t stop thinking about Charlotte and the fact Anna shot her.

Nina starts to go back into Kelly’s, and Martin says, just so she knows. The tape that Michael has wasn’t him giving her up. She says, really? Then what was it? He says, a reluctant admission of something Michael already knows. The man’s got a source, probably someone at the SEC; he doesn’t know. But whoever it is was absolutely sure it was her. What he can say with certainty, however, is Michael Corinthos is a very formidable enemy, and he’s painted a bullseye on Nina’s back.

Michael tells Willow, Nina is never content with what she has. He doesn’t think that’s ever going to change. She’s going to keep pushing for more and more. She’s all nice and light and sweet when she gets what she wants. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she turns into something completely different. Like when she lashed out at them at the visitation hearing. Willow agrees that Nina can be ugly and vindictive, but that was more than a year ago. She’s watched Nina and really thinks Nina has learned from her mistakes, and they’d be setting a bad example for Wiley if they can’t forgive somebody… Wiley comes downstairs and says he found his math workbook, and guess what else he found? She says, his favorite eraser? but he says, no. Grandma Carly’s T-ball hat. He shows her a cap, and Willow says, that’s a very important hat. It’s what Grandma Carly wears to support his team. He asks if Willow can give it back to her, and she says she has a very busy day today, but she can try. Does he have everything he needs? He says, yes, and asks if daddy is taking him to school, but she says, no. She’s going to drop him off. Daddy has to get to the office. She tells Michael that she loves him and leaves with Wiley.

Lois says she doesn’t see any trucks, and Brook says she doesn’t see any boats or dolls, and she doesn’t see any whiskey… Hang on. This one has whiskey. It’s about loving someone and not being able to tell them. Lois says she likes that, and Brook hands it to her. Lois asks, who wrote it? and Brook says, Blaze did actually, which is unusual, since she’s not a songwriter. She’s always gravitated more toward other people’s material. Lois says, from what it looks like, somebody is in Blaze’s heart, but she cannot confess her love. Ned and Olivia come in, and Ned says, morning all. Brook says, Yuri made coffee, and Yuri says, you’re not Eddie. Lois says, Ned? and Brook says, dad, is it really you? Ned says, it’s me. I’m back.

Brook hugs Ned and says she missed him so much. He says he missed her too. She says, wait until Leo hears he’s back, which is hard to say since he’s been here the whole time. Lois asks if it’s really him, and he says it is. She hugs him and says, it better be, because Eddie wouldn’t be standing here in a $2000 suit. Olivia says, doesn’t he look sharp? Conquering ELQ, huh? Ned says he wants to apologize for everything he put everyone through. He loves Brook and he’s so proud to call her his daughter. Brook hugs him, and Lois says, they did a good job with this one, didn’t they? He says, they sure did, and Lois asks, how is it he’s standing here in front of them with his full faculties. What happened? Did Olivia knock him over the head with her lasagna casserole? Olivia promises she didn’t, although she was tempted about a million times, and Brook asks, what happened? How is he better? He says he had a near death experience. He went to the boathouse and followed Lois’s advice. He dove in and almost drowned.

Chase says he knows that this is happening to Gregory, but it’s also affecting him and Finn, because he’s their dad and they both love him very much. It hurts them to see him suffering. They don’t want to take away his independence, but they do want to support him. Gregory says, that’s a fine line, and Chase says he knows it is, but in order for them to help and support him, they have to know what’s going on. So please, don’t be leaving them out like this. Gregory leads Chase over to a bench, and they sit. He says he keeps telling himself that he doesn’t want to worry Chase or his brother – and that’s the truth – but it’s also true that he’s clinging to denial. In spite of the symptoms – the cramping hands, the balance issues, the falls – there’s a part of him that still doesn’t believe he has ALS. He just can’t allow himself to accept the fact that this is happening to him.

Drew says, Charlotte is extremely lucky that she’s going to make a full recovery, and Carly says, Nina told her Charlotte is out of ICU and she’s doing much better. He says, that’s great. He wonders how Anna’s doing through all of this. He should probably stop by and check in on her, see if she needs anything. She hugs him and asks, what’s going on? He says, it just kind of hit him again, and she says, that he’s a free man? He says, how lucky they are, and kisses her.

Nina says, Michael is blackmailing her, and Martin says he’s not surprised. She’d probably do the same thing in a similar situation. She says, no. Actually, she wouldn’t. Now he’s trying to control access to her daughter and her grandchildren, and if she refuses, he’s going to use that recording of Martin’s to tell everyone that she tipped off the SEC. Martin says, call his bluff. Like his mama used to say, everything’s going to come out in the wash anyway. So admit the truth. Tell everyone it was her. Throw herself on Carly and Drew’s mercy. She says she’s not worried about Carly and Drew. She’s worried about Sonny and her daughter… her family. This might be the last straw. They might never want to see her again, and that would destroy her. He says, then he’s afraid she’s stuck with whatever agreement she and Michael have come to. Since she can’t turn him in for violating attorney/client privilege without exposing herself in the process, he’d strive for a more cordial tone. We need friends. Don’t go adding to her list of enemies. He leaves, and she turns to go back into Kelly’s, when Carly comes out with her order.

Jake says, the flowers are for Charlotte, handing them to her, and she thanks him. She says, they’re beautiful. How did he know roses are her favorite? He says he didn’t actually. He told the lady at the flower shop that his friend was in the hospital, and he wanted to give her something pretty to make her feel better. She says she loves them and thanks him again. Elizabeth says, they’re really beautiful, and suggests Jake hang on to them for right now. Does he want to go for a walk with them? He says, yeah, and asks how Charlotte is feeling. Charlotte says, better, now that he’s here.

Dante says, Charlotte was at camp when Anna’s house burned down. He’s driven her to that camp; it’s about an hour away from Anna’s house. She’s relatively tech savvy and has money. She could have easily taken a Ride Share back to Port Charles. Jordan says she’s sure Charlotte is very familiar with the layout of Anna’s house, and Anna says, she is. That’s what Valentin said last night. Dante says, so she spray paints murderer on Anna’s front door, burns down her house, vandalizes her hotel room, and most recently, steals the key to the apartment and shows up there on Halloween with a backpack full of the same spray paint. Jordan says, there’s one thing Charlotte definitely didn’t do. She didn’t take a shot at Anna at the MetroCourt pool.

Gregory tells Chase that he, too, was an athlete. He didn’t have to struggle to stay in shape. He enjoyed exercising and pushing his body, the satisfaction of a good, hard workout. He sees Chase and his effortless grace and balance and remembers when he was like that. It never once occurred to him that he would lose that. He knew he’d grow older, but he took care of himself. He stayed fit. He never drank excessively, he never smoked, so how did this happen? How could his body betray him to the point that he needs a cane to walk? Pretty soon, he won’t even be able to walk at all. Chase says, when he was a kid, he thought Gregory was the tallest man in the world. He remembers sitting on the living room floor, looking up at Gregory and thinking his dad was the strongest, bravest, smartest man he knew. No one could be a better dad than his dad. And guess what? That little kid was right. No one comes close. Any time he was scared of something, Gregory would take his hand and say, I’ve got you, son. And it didn’t matter what it was, he knew everything was going to be okay. Does he remember that? Gregory says he does, and Chase takes his hand and says, I’ve got you, dad.

Anna says, it confirms what she believed, that Sonny was the intended target for the shooting at the MetroCourt, and Jordan says, there are obviously two forces at work here. Dante says, meaning Anna was just an innocent bystander like the rest of them? And the only person who’s been after her this whole time has been Charlotte. Anna says, she convinced herself it was some ruthless killer from her past at the WSB, and all this time she was just being harassed by a teenager.

Carly hands Nina her order and says, it’s the second cup of coffee she made. Drew drank the first one. Nina thanks her and says, Drew’s here? Carly says, he stopped in to see her, and Nina asks if he’s still inside, but Carly says, he went to his office at Aurora. Nina says, Sonny told her that Alexis secured his early release. She’s happy for him, happy for both of them. Carly thanks her and says she’s going to get back to the customers, but Nina asks her to wait. She says, what she and Martin were discussing out here actually concerns Carly.

At the office, Michael tells Drew, welcome back, and they bro hug. Drew says, it’s good to be back, and Michael says he could have come back Monday, but Drew says, is he kidding? He had plenty of time off when he was in Pentenville. He needed this. He needed to get back to work. Michael suggests they start by revealing how Aurora stands amongst their major divisions. It’s in the red. Drew says he looked at the material Michael emailed last night and he was really impressed. Michael’s stewardship of the company has been extraordinary. Michael says he appreciates that. He guesses he’s got a little more Quartermaine in him than he’d like to admit. So where does Drew want to start? Drew says, let’s start with taking over ELQ.

Lois tells Ned that she meant to dive in metaphorically. She was trying to tell Eddie to immerse himself in the music, not to immerse himself in a frozen lake. Ned says, at the time, it was the only way he could finish the song, so he dove in, and it was when he was underwater that he realized, the siren was Olivia. It was her calling to him. Olivia says, literally. Every time she brought her head up for air out of the freezing water. Brook says, she dove in and saved him? and Olivia says she did. And she would do it all over again. Ned says, when he woke up on shore with Olivia kneeling beside him, he literally woke up. Completely. He knew who he was.

Dante says, it’s so much worse than harassing. If it was Charlotte who did this… Anna says, this is why it has to be off the record. Because she doesn’t want Charlotte investigated, let alone charged. And whatever Charlotte was thinking of doing on Halloween certainly didn’t deserve the deadly force she used against her. Jordan says, had Anna known Charlotte was her stalker, she would have never pulled her gun, and Anna says, of course (🍷) not. But Valentin chose to keep that from her, and she trusted him. She won’t make that mistake again. Dante says he’s sorry, and Anna says she needs to talk to Charlotte. She needs to understand why Charlotte was after her. But she has the feeling that’s not going to be easy.

Elizabeth says she’ll get a vase for these beautiful flowers while Charlotte and Jake visit. She leaves, and Charlotte says she’s sorry. Jake says, for what? and she says, for wrecking his Halloween. She’s sorry she snuck off on him. He asks why she did, and she says she had to protect her father. He says, from who? and she says, Anna. She’s not the nice person she pretends to be. Her Grandfather Victor was right. He says, right about what? and she says, he told her to watch out for Anna, and he was right. Anna came in the door, and as soon as Anna saw her, she… He says, she shot Charlotte. Why? Charlotte says she doesn’t know. Maybe the cops will come up with an answer. I think they will, but not the one she’s hoping for.

Yuri asks if anyone wants more fresh coffee, but Ned says he has a busy day. He has a lot to catch up on. He asks if Olivia has any idea where his briefcase is, and she says, Michael has it. There was some crisis at ELQ when Valentin was busy, and he was Eddie Maine. So Michael decided to step in and help out. He asks if she knows what this crisis was, but she says, no idea. He was looking for some deal notes and thought they might be in Ned’s briefcase, so she gave it to him. He says, all the more reason to get back in the office. So he can run ELQ again and Michael can turn his focus back on Aurora. He kisses her and leaves.

Drew says, if the ELQ/Aurora merger had succeeded, then he would have controlling interest in ELQ and he could have pushed Valentin out, but Ned switched sides and the whole thing failed. Michael says, right now, Ned thinks he’s Eddie Maine and his only motivation is his guitar. Drew says, exactly. So the gates are wide open for this takeover. Ned can keep doing whatever he’s doing and strum his guitar, but they’ve got to figure out a way to take ELQ back. Michael says, except last time there was an attempted murder and Drew got sent away for insider trading, but Drew says, this time, there’s going to be no insider trading because this time the only two people who are going to know about this are him and Michael.

Carly asks what Nina and Martin were discussing that has to do with her, and Nina says, even before Charlotte was injured, she knew that she was spreading herself really thin. Running Crimson is a full-time job, and co-owning the MetroCourt is too, so she knows that something needs to go. Carly asks what she’s getting at, and Nina says she’s really enjoyed her time at the MetroCourt and Olivia’s been a really great business partner, but her first love is Crimson. So she was wondering if there was a possibility of them exploring the idea of Carly buying back her half of the hotel. Willow comes by and tells Carly that Wiley accidentally took this home after his last game. She gives Carly the cap and says, he insisted she bring it back to Carly. Carly says, that’s so sweet of him, and Willow says, speaking of Wiley, he really wants to make a date with Nina to help him with his homework. She’s so sorry. They were in the middle of a conversation, and she just interrupted. Carly says, that’s okay. Nina just offered to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt. Willow says, that’s terrific news, and Carly says, they were just in the discussion stage. Willow says, they should talk to Michael about this. She’s sure he’d be happy to help make it happen.

Tomorrow, Dante tells Austin to come up with the name of Mason’s boss and he might have a chance to save himself; Esme says she and Ace need to get away from Spencer; and Carly wonders why Nina is offering to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Kyle is mad at Jessika for inferring he made her feel like a green stew. She wonders how he’s projecting this little thing on her when they have bigger issues. She’s confused. Kyle whines to Tumi that Jessika hurt him. You would have thought he’d attacked her. Tumi says, going forward, whatever regards a person, they’ll speak directly to them, and Kyle says he doesn’t trust a single person on this boat. In Luka’s interview, he says he hopes the captain’s wrist is just bruised. Captain Sandy is the heart of the ship, and he feels like it’s his fault. He hopes she’s okay. Primary Amanda asks if they can have a booze cruise on the tender, and Tumi says she’ll ask about it. Natalya tells Luka that she needs therapy, and in her interview, she says, knowing her partner put his hoo-ha in another woman is very heartbreaking. We flash back to AJ and Natalya having that conversation, and she says, it’s adding more anxiety and stress on her. Kyle texts Zach that it’s stressful, and Amanda and guest Sonali invade the galley, Amanda hugging Jack when she finds out he’s making tortellini and chocolate mousse. In Jack’s interview, he says, it’s a bit overboard, like Beatlemania. He is from Liverpool. She asks if Jack can hang out with them, when Max joins them. They ask where Max eats, and he tells them, the crew mess. They want to see it, and in Max’s interview, he says he doesn’t know if they’re supposed to be here, but why not? C’est la vie! They look in his cabin, and Sonali sees that he’s reading a sex book and highlighting things. She asks him to read it in English, and in his interview, Max says, it’s a Taoist sex book by some monk who specialized in sex energy 2000 years ago. He has to careful around the sexy, blondie, smiley girls. Take a bite of the apple. Luka finds a radio and asks around. No surprise, it turns out to be Max’s, and in Luka’s interview, he says he wants to smash Max, but can’t help laughing at him. He works off positive reinforcement and makes the crew happy. The guests ride the jet skis to shore, and on the boat, Jessika asks how Kyle is. He tells her to get out of his face and calls her malicious as hell. When she said he made her feel like a green stew, that meant he thought she was lower than she is and less than capable of doing her job. Jessika says she’s trying to communicate, and he’s taking it wrong, but Kyle says, they both speak English and have perfect communication. He’s saying things he doesn’t mean because he’s emotionally hurt. He thought she was here for him, since he’s been here for her since day one.

Jessika cries to Tumi, while Lara waits on the guests. Jessika tells Tumi that Kyle was snapping when he and Natalya were in the cabin; he was going off on the green stew thing. She tried to apologize and explain, and he said she was malicious. Tumi tells her, just breathe, and Lara says, when they’re done, a guest wants a lychee martini. No rush. Tumi tells Jessika to take a minute, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she doesn’t take men yelling at her well. She never had a father figure. Her mom was a single mom and had her at 16. She never met her biological dad, and she’s not used to having a strong male personality scream at her. Lara tells Haleigh that apparently Jessika complained that Kyle makes her feel like a green stew. She doesn’t know what happens up there. Haleigh says she feels like their team is falling apart, and in her interview, she says, the chaos and drama reminds her of middle school. Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! She’s thankful the biggest problem the deck team has is how many reps Max did with his pullups. Tumi figures out a way Kyle and Jessika can avoid each other until tomorrow, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she forgets how Kyle is like a toddler. He’s 30 going on 3. She needs Jessika to feel safe and needs Kyle to know that he can’t speak to her that way. It’s time to keep things together, and instead, she’s putting out fires. Natalya texts AJ that she misses him, but it’s hard when she knows he’s sleeping with other girls. Tumi tells Jessika that it was the wrong time to talk to Kyle when emotions are heightened. Jessika will do dinner service with her tonight, so they won’t mix. She tells Jessika that she’s proud of her, and they hug. In Lara’s interview, she says, Max is growing on her. He’s a good person and reads books. Who reads books? Seriously? Lots of people read books. Tumi looks for dress-up stuff for the casino thing, and Haleigh packs liquor for the booze cruise. Natalya passes out vests to the guys, and tells them, no shirts. The guests are ready to get on the tender, and Luka says, welcome to the booze cruise. They get in, and Max flirts. On the boat, Natalya tells Kyle that the theme is neon casino.

Captain Sandy returns, and Tumi asks if she’s okay. She says she has a fracture, and in her interview, she says she has a high tolerance for pain. She had the feeling she broke her wrist, since she’d broken the other one snowboarding. If it had been worse, she couldn’t drive and she’d have to be replaced as captain, but it’s not that bad. She can still drive the vessel. She thanks Nikola for holding down the fort. On the tender, the guests take pics and laugh. Natalya radios Luka and says she’ll need a heads up, since she wants to surprise the guests. He tells her, 10 minutes, and Natalya and Lara pour shots. Lara says, it smells like tomorrow night. Jack plates the… food porn! I dub it such before it even leaves the galley. The guests return, and Luka goes to see Captain Sandy. She tells him that she can still drive. It’s just a little fracture, but she’ll still have to wear the brace for 5 weeks. In Luka’s interview, he says, Captain Sandy’s wrist is broken, but she’s still got that attitude. You’re a boss. In Max’s interview, he says he thinks his reputation is getting better. He’s become the cherry on the cake, and it feels good. The captain stops by to see the guests, and explains that when she was launching the kayak, she backed up and fell on her bum, but she can still drive. Guest Carlie says, Captain Sandy’s crew is top notch. Kyle sees Natalya and says, they might as well fight, the day he’s having, and she asks, what happened? He says, Jessika is feeling a certain way, but Natalya says, he can’t harvest that negative energy. Kyle asks if he’s supposed to thank Jessika for talking sh*t behind his back. The drama is always revolving around the interior, and it’s exhausting.

In Jessika’s interview, she says, after the day she had with Kyle being a rude bitch, being on service reminds her that she’s a good stew, and makes her heart feel better. The table décor is Italian picnic surrounded by beautiful greenery, and the guests are seated. Amanda announces to no one in particular that the chef is having desert with them. Natalya and Luka hang up shiny streamers for the casino, while flirting, and Kyle says he’s drained. Jessika wants to know how she came into the conversation, and Tumi says, Kyle just heard green stew and flipped. Luka helps with service, and the guests cheer Jack when he comes up, thanking him for the best dinner. They ask where he’s from, and he tells them, Liverpool, and guest Sonali says she’s from London. Jack says he’s been there, and another guest says, she’s really from Maryland. They ask Tumi if it’s okay for Jack to have a shot, but Tumi says, it’s not her decision. Amanda asks, what if they demand it? and Jack says, then he’ll have to. They chant, shots! Shots! and Tumi serves them. Sonali says, Jack has to taste test the whole thing, and he throws it back. In Jack’s interview, he says he didn’t even want the shot. He feels possessed. And he can feel Tumi’s eyes on him. She knows he did wrong. He doesn’t know why he’s doing this, but he is. Tumi tells Jessika that Jack’s not allowed do that. Cleaning the cabins, Kyle says, women are literally the messiest of all humankind. We will have to agree to disagree. Jack spends a half hour with the guests, then cleans the galley. At 11:15 pm, it’s casino time. Jack joins them, and Sonali bounces an inflatable die on her palm. Jack finally leaves, and tells Tumi that it’s a good crowd; sexy as hell. Tumi says, Jack has a crush, and took a sneaky shot. Captain Sandy is so strict on that, Jack has to tell her. He doesn’t want her finding out. He says, she won’t unless there’s a snitch, but she says, the captain will find out. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s giving Jack an opportunity. Captain Sandy will find out from one of the guests or a crew member. She hopes he does the right thing. Kyle says he doesn’t feel good; he’s dizzy. He sits down on the floor, and Tumi says she doesn’t know what to do and runs off to get help.  

Tumi call Lara and tells her that Kyle is lying on the floor. Lara speaks to Kyle in Afrikaans, and asks, what’s going on? He says he doesn’t feel well, and Lara asks Tumi to get a cold towel. Kyle says he’s been drinking water, so he’s not dehydrated, and Lara asks if he’s eaten. He says, this morning, and she says, that’s probably why this is happening. Kyle cries that this stupid drama is getting to him. He’s tired. Lara says, a buildup of emotions can create anxiety, plus not eating. Natalya eats in the crew mess, and Lara tells her that Kyle is lying on the floor. He’s crying and dizzy. She’s going to make him some noodles. Tumi tells Kyle that it could be an anxiety attack, and Kyle says, the older he gets, he doesn’t want to deal with this sh*t. No more with Natalya’s up and down relationship and feeling this and that. Tumi says, it’s okay, and Natalya says, they’re going to put him in bed so he can get comfy. Kyle says he’s overworked. It’s just everything. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s not a stranger to anxiety attacks. She thinks the pressure this season is getting to Kyle, and he’s internalizing it. Your body tells you when you need a break, and if you don’t stop, your body will. AJ calls Natalya and says he’s – wait for it – missing part of his soul. <gag> He’s never been this long without her. Lara tells Kyle not to overwork himself, and Kyle texts Zach that it’s been a tough day. He loves and misses Zach. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s overwhelmed. He’s been working long hours. He was similarly depressed on his first yacht. He was in a vehicle with the first officer and jumped out on I-95. He wanted physical hurt as opposed to feeling that way emotionally. But what is he supposed to do? Quit his job? Kyle thanks Lara and Tumi in a group chat, and says he reached his breaking point and can no longer obtain personal life matters from everyone anymore.

Nataly asks if Jessika has read the text, and says she thinks it’s a small dig saying he reached his breaking point. She thinks he means Jessika. In the crew mess Lara tells Haleigh that she wants to get laid. She doesn’t know what it feels like anymore. The breakfast special is smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and I wouldn’t throw that off my plate. Natalya asks Kyle, what’s going on? She thinks they should have an interior meeting when the guests are gone. He says, it’s for him and Jessika to sort out, and Natalya says, Jessika saw his dig at her, but he says he doesn’t care. Anchor is up, and Jessika asks if Tumi read the text. Jessika shows her, and Tumi says, it was just because of Kyle’s panic attack. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Jessika and Kyle’s last interaction was him attacking her, so naturally she’d think it was an insinuation against her. Tumi tells Jessika that Kyle said he can’t take on everyone’s issues. She doesn’t think Jessika was the target. It’s not meant to be a friendship group. Kyle tells Tumi that Natalya wants a meeting, but he’s just going to be sitting there. Tumi tells him that Jessika thought the message was targeting her because she didn’t know what happened, so she explained. In his interview, Kyle says, this is what Natalya’s about. She pokes her nose into other people’s business, and acts like she knows better. Stay in your lane. The guests pack.

The pilot boat comes, and Kyle suggests he and Jessika talk and come to a solution when the guests leave. Luka asks the interior to help with docking, telling them to take a fender each. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s a tight slip, but she trusts her crew. Luka is in work mode, and it’s incredible how far they’ve all come. In Luka’s interview, he says he’s proud of his team. They were focused when Captain Sandy was off the boat, and it made him look good. And when he looks good, the captain is happy. There are hugs and goodbyes from the guests, and Amanda tells Captain Sandy that everything was top notch. She doesn’t know how the crew handled them. It was so fun. She gives the captain the tip envelope, and the guests leave. Captain Sandy tells them to turn the boat around, and then they’ll have a tip meeting. Jack tells Luka about the sneaky shot, and Luka thinks it would be a good idea to tell the captain. Jack meets Captain Sandy on the bridge, and he says that he f***ed up a little last night. He had a shot with the guests. The captain tells him, pack your sh*t, and before he has a heart attack, adds that she’s just kidding. Jack says he doesn’t even like shots, but they were encouraging him. She says, don’t do it again, and thanks him for telling her. She told them it would be a hard charter not to cross the line. He made a mistake, and he knows it. In the captain’s interview, she says she’s glad Jack admitted it, and they’re moving on. He knows better now. Kyle asks Jessika to do cabins with him, and in her interview, Jessika says, she wants to hear Kyle out and is ready to speak to him. He closes the cabin door and sits on the bed. She asks if she should go first.

Jessika tells Kyle, that when she said he made her feel like a green stew, she never meant it in a malicious way. After speaking to Tumi, she needs to think before she says something that will come off wrong. She’s sorry for not talking directly to him. He tells her, if it was Natalya running her mouth, he’d be like, that’s typical. Jessika will see things in her own time. Jessika tells him about Natalya bringing her attention to the text, and he says he understands what she’s saying. Jessika says she’s starting to see it, and in her interview, she says, after the conversation about being on service, she didn’t take it personally until Natalya questioned Tumi laughing. Then she questioned Tumi laughing. We flash back to that, and she says she wouldn’t have second guessed a text if Natalya didn’t make her think about it. Natalya is at the core of the drama. She knows the weak link and uses that to stir the pot. She tells Kyle that she’s sorry, and he apologizes for his approach. It brought him back to being picked on previously. Jessika says she’s truly sorry from her heart and they hug. He thanks her for chatting and being open. They’ve got this. He tells her to watch out, and she says she realizes. The captain calls everyone to the deck salon for the tip meeting.

Captain Sandy says, it was a bizarre charter for the crew, but when she was away, they maintained professionalism. She thanks them, and says, on the flip side, she said the guests would push them to cross the line. She asks, how many were tempted? and a few of the crew members raise their hands. She says, superyacht people don’t cross the line, no matter what. They maintained so well, she booked a charter for tomorrow, and there’s a 24-hour turnaround. This news goes over like a lead balloon, and the captain says, just kidding. Gee, she’s a real laugh riot. What’s with her today? She tells them that owners have arranged for a day off for them tomorrow. Go have fun and blow off steam. The tip is $20K or 1400 euros each. In Lara’s interview, she says she’s excited for a day off. Slick as sh*t. They clink glasses and Captain Sandy thanks them and tells them to have fun.

The crew finishes cleaning the boat and gets ready to go out. Haleigh suggests they get blackout wasted. They teleport to a restaurant, and when Luka orders tequila, water, and cucumber. Lara calls him a basic ass white girl. Food is served, and Kyle asks, what was their most challenging charter? Natalya says, the first one, and Kyle says, this last one was the worst in his history of yachting. Jessika says, it’s always a lot and suggests they be positive for the next one. Kyle takes her hand and says he’s glad they’re together again. To be honest, she looks happier. Tumi is a calm mediator. She knew they needed space from each other, and he needed to be away from the guests. Natalya watches them and if looks could kill. In her interview, she says, they have a trio of three best friends. Be positive. You’re so hot, babe. It does her head in. These are the most ungenuine people she’s ever met in her life. Wow. And she’s the most ungenuine, jealous, vindictive, screwed-up bitch I’ve had the pleasure to never meet in my life. AJ texts that he loves her because he senses potential fun, and she texts back that she loves him too. She tells the others that she’s going back to the boat for a minute, and she’ll meet them at the next bar. Kyle asks, what’s wrong? but she just leaves.

At the boat on the phone, Natalya tells AJ that it’s been a stressful week. It just built up. Everyone is out, but she’s on the boat. He says he’s at work, and she says she feels home sick. She doesn’t feel good and can’t deal with what’s going on.

At the restaurant, Jessika calls ex-primary Amanda, and says, they’re going to be in the bar next to the boat. Kyle says he can party, but he’s done with the girls. Natalya is so aggressive and sh*t stirring. He doesn’t want that toxicity around him. Lara says, it gave him an anxiety attack, and Kyle says he feels free now that Natalya walked off. At the next bar, the previous charter shows up, and Lara says, now the tables are turned. The girls have to buy them drinks. Natalya comes back, and one of the girls is sitting with Luka. Natalya says she could hear them a mile away, and Luka asks where she ran off to. She says she had business, and asks if he wants a shot, but he says, no. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Luka is super cold to her. She feels icy vibes toward him. Um… I think she means from him, but she is an idiot. Everyone dances, and kisses everyone else. Lara racks up 10 kisses overall. With different women. Max, who isn’t doing too badly himself with ex-guest Leni, puts Lara on his shoulders. Go, Lara! In Lara’s interview, she says, she’s got charm the straight ladies can’t resist. She’s a fun drunk. Luka goes into the bathroom with Jessika (!), and Tumi listens at the door. In Tumi’s interview, she says, this is going to end badly. Everyone says their goodbyes, and the crew goes back to the boat.

Lara says she hooked up with every woman who ever existed. Haleigh wisely goes to bed, and Kyle says he’s putting money on Max and Leni not working out. Max is 23, and Leni is a grown businesswoman. Kyle’s engaged, so he’s out. Max somehow thinks S for straight should be tacked on to LGBTQIA+, and Kyle says he must be crazy. He supports Max’s straightness and Max can show allyship, but he can’t be accepted as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Natalya says, maybe he’s bi-curious since he’d be with two girls. I think she’s joking, but again, she’s an idiot. Kyle tells her to take a back seat in this conversation, and she tells him not to talk to her like that. He says, she’ll never control him. Focus on her own f***ed up life. Jack tries to intervene, and Kyle says, she’ll throw him under the bus next. Natalya says she can’t believe what he’s saying. This speaks volumes about their friendship. He says, their friendship’s never been real. She’s been a fake ass bitch since day one.

I would cheer Kyle for telling Natalya what he really thinks, but they’ll probably be friends again by the end of next charter.

To be continued…

🌾Bringing In One Sheaf…

Come around tomorrow for soap and a cup or two of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not letting yourself be dragged into debate on Thanksgiving (change the subject), and stay admitting the truth. Everything’s going to come out in the wash anyway.

Nov7

November 6, 2023 – A Quiet Halloween At the Hospital, All-Girls Trip On Deck & Bittersweet

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Finn tells Elizabeth that he’s still on a sugar high, and she says, her too. She’s surprised her quietest evening should be Halloween. He tells her, don’t say that. She’s going to jinx it.

Carly and Drew kiss. She says she’s missed him and asks if he’s really here. He says he is. It’s like he’s woken up from a long nightmare. She says, but he’s home now, and he says he is, but he doesn’t know how he got released from Pentenville.

Football player Chase comes home and tells baseball player Brook that he got the assorted chocolates, and they’re the good kind. She says she can’t believe the stores weren’t out, and he says, the first two were, but he hit the jackpot on the third one. She says she’s sure he was the sexiest football player there, and thanks him for going. She looks in the bag, and says, these are the good kind. Too bad all the trick-or-treaters are home sleeping now.

Esme says she’s sorry Ace woke Laura up, but Laura says, he didn’t at all. She was up doing extra work, but she loves every moment she spends with her grandson. Besides, he’s a baby. He cries. That’s what babies do. Esme says she can’t believe she didn’t hear him cry. She should have woken up sooner. Laura says, it’s really okay. That’s why Esme is here with them, so they can help her. Esme asks why Laura is always so nice to her.

Sam and Danny walk into the apartment, and Dante asks how it went tonight… What’s up? Did something happen? Sam says, Danny’s not sure. Charlotte went missing, Jake went to look for her, and now they’re both missing.

Charlotte looks through Anna’s trunk in the dark using a flashlight. Anna is about to come in, but realizes the door is unlocked. She backs away and almost leaves, but stops. The flashlight goes out, and Charlotte messes with it, trying to get it to come back on. Anna takes her gun out of her waistband, and quietly pushes the door open. She sees the hooded figure and says, freeze. Because Charlotte is secretly an idiot, she turns around, the dead flashlight pointed at Anna, and Anna shoots. Charlotte falls to the floor. Jake calls to Charlotte and runs to Anna’s apartment. Anna turns Charlotte over and realizes it’s her.

Anna tells Jake to get the lights. She needs to see where Charlotte is hit. He turns on the lights and sprints over to them. Anna sees the wound is to the side of Charlotte’s stomach, and says she needs something to stop the bleeding. She tells Jake to take off his jacket and give it to her. Quick! She balls up the jacket, putting it against the wound, and tells Jake to call 9-1-1. She asks if Charlotte can hear her, and dispatch asks Jake, what is his emergency? He says, his friend needs an ambulance, and the operator asks if he can tell her what happened. He says, she was shot. Hurry! The operator asks the address, but he doesn’t know, and Anna says, 114 Clover Avenue, apartment 68. He repeats the address to the operator, and says, can they hurry please? She’s bleeding and she’s not moving. The operator says, the ambulance is on the way. What’s his friend’s name and how old is she? He says, Charlotte Cassadine; she’s 15. Please hurry. He asks why Anna shot her, because he too, is an idiot. Has everyone eaten too much candy?

Dante asks, what happened? and Danny says, Mr. Cassadine dropped them off at Harbor Vista to go trick-or-treating. It’s where Charlotte wanted to go. She said neighborhoods around there gave out the best candy. They went trick-or-treating, then a little bit later, stopped to check their bags and figure out what street to go down next. Dante asks if that’s when they noticed Charlotte was missing, and Danny says, yeah. They looked for her. Jake thought he saw her, but when he turned around, the person Jake was looking at was in the Hermit costume from the tarot. Dante asks if that’s what Charlotte was dressed up as, and Jake says, no, but it’s what she was originally going to go as, so if the person they did see was Charlotte, she must have changed her costume at some point. Sam asks if he knows why she wanted to go as the character from tarot, and Danny says, maybe she likes it. They were all at Kelly’s one day eating sundaes, and she said she learned to read tarot when she was away at boarding school in Switzerland.

Elizabeth says, after all the time she’s spent with Finn, she never pegged him as being the suspicious type, but he admits there are things that can’t be explained. Her luck tapping maple trees, for example. She says she has a knack for it. Or maybe she was a maple tree tapper in a past life, which sounds just as crazy as believing in a jinx. He says, laugh all she wants, but one of the weirdest nights he ever spent in the ER started with an intern saying, it’s gonna be a quiet night.

Laura says, why is she so nice to Esme? Because they’re family. Esme is the mother of her grandson; that means a great deal to her, and to Doc. Esme says, families aren’t always nice to each other, and Laura says she knows. Navigating family is tough for some. Esme says, that’s an understatement, especially considering who her parents are, and Laura suggests they focus on the present moment and the people who are here right now, like Ace, who she couldn’t possibly love more. She sees what a wonderful mother Esme is to him, and she can’t help but love Esme. So why doesn’t she just let go of all that guilt? Esme asks if Laura thinks she’s really doing a good job, and Laura says she’s doing a great job. She’s very impressed with how Esme is handling being a single mother and working at The Invader to support her son. Esme says, but Ace’s schedule is disrupting Laura’s life. She’s the mayor and has to put up with a teething baby when she has a million things to do. It’s not fair. Laura says, why doesn’t Esme let her be the judge of that? She loves having Ace here. She loves being able to help Esme with him. Esme says, and she’s been so generous, and it’s been so great, but they can’t stay here anymore.

Chase wonders if he was too generous to the trick-or-treaters earlier, and Brook says, he gave three extra candy bars to three kids dressed in Star Wars costumes, so what does he think? He says, that’s because they looked awesome. Now he feels bad that she had to turn kids away while he was out searching for candy. She reaches for the bowl, but he pulls it away, saying, he doesn’t want to run out again. She says, if they do, she’ll just give out more granola bars, and he says, she didn’t. She says, there was nothing else. She couldn’t just turn them away with nothing. He says, granola bars? That was his worst nightmare as a kid. It was like getting a box of raisins. She says she thinks the granola bars were fine, but he says, no way. He wants their apartment to be primo trick-or-treat territory, not a candy desert. She takes the bowl from him, puts it on the table, and says, there’s always next year. At least they get trick-or-treaters. Every year, her family opens the main gate, and they never get trick-or-treaters. He says, that’s probably for the best. Can she imagine little kids walking up to the Quartermaine mansion and Tracy answering the door? She’d be judging them the whole time. Yours is too tacky. What are you supposed to be? He laughs like a witch, and she asks if he’s implying that her grandmother is a certain Wicked Witch.

True story. I understand about the granola bars. I’ve never given them out, but one year, I thought I was going to have to give out granola bars or instant oatmeal packets, when I nearly ran out of candy. We had an extreme number of kids that year, and my supply was dwindling by 7 pm. I called my neighbor who I knew went all out, and asked if he had any extra. He said he was just about to call me. Thank God I squeaked by, and no granola bars had to be given out. Moving on.

Drew tells Carly that when he got out of the hospital and landed back in Pentenville, they immediately put him in solitary. She asks if they said why, and he says, the guards claim it was for his own protection; they couldn’t protect him unless he was removed from the other prisoners. But then, out of the blue, they took him out of there. They said Judge Kim decided the sentence he’d handed down was too harsh, and that’s when they released him, but he doesn’t know why. Does she?

Anna tells Jake that they’ve got to get Charlotte’s legs up because she’s bleeding, and he puts some throw pillows under her legs. Anna says, good. Talk to her. Just say her name. He tells Charlotte that she’s going to be okay. He’s here. Anna asks if she can hear them, and Jake says, the ambulance is on the way. Valentin comes in and runs to Charlotte, asking, what happened? Jake says, she was shot, and Valentin says, what? Did somebody call an ambulance? Anna says, they’re on their way, and Valentin tells Charlotte, papa’s here. Anna tells Jake to stand by the door; make sure they see him.

Danny tells Dante that they split up to look for Charlotte. Jake went in the direction of the person in the Hermit costume, and he and Georgie went the other way. Dante asks when they found Mr. Cassadine, and Danny says, right after that. They met back at the place they were supposed to meet. When they told him that they couldn’t find Charlotte, he got really scared. He told Danny to call his mom so she could pick up him and Georgie, and he could go look for Charlotte. Sam says, he did good. He followed Mr. Cassadine’s orders and waited there until she could come and get him. Danny asks if he’s in trouble, and Sam says, of course (🍷) not. Why doesn’t he go upstairs and get ready for bed? Tell Scout and Rocco to do the same thing. He asks if he can take his candy, but Dante says he and Sam have to look through it first. Then they’ll bring it to him. (Slick! They’re going to steal their favorites out of it.) Danny goes upstairs, and Dante says, he can’t imagine what Valentin was thinking, leaving Georgie and Danny alone like that to look for Charlotte. (For God’s sake, they’re not 5.) Sam says she doesn’t like it either, but in Valentin’s defense, he could reasonably assume that Danny and Georgie could make it home safely. She’s just glad they have a level-headed kid who knew to call them. Dante’s phone rings, and she says, he’s not off administrative leave three hours and they’re calling him? He says, Falconari… What?… When?… He’ll be right there. He tells Sam, there was a shooting. The address is Maxie’s old apartment.

Carly tells Drew, Alexis interviewed Judge Kim. She said she wanted to highlight his tough on crime stance, and during the interview, she brought up allegations of inappropriate gifts, specifically an expensive trip he received from a prominent businessman. In other words, Kim was bought and paid for. He asks how Kim responded. Did he say anything incriminating? She says, no. He denied it all and stormed out of Alexis’s office. He says, Kim must have known Alexis was on the right track, and Carly says, absolutely. He must have been afraid that a very sexy Navy SEAL who served his country, who was handed down a very harsh sentence, could draw too much attention to him. It could put a very big wrinkle in his ambitious career. Drew asks why Alexis wanted to do the interview. How did she know he was corrupt? Carly says, from her.

Chase tells Brook that he never said that Tracy was a Wicked Witch. She’s difficult… and direct, but everybody knows she’s direct. She is who she is. Brook says, there’s definite similarities between Tracy and a certain Witch of the West, especially when she’s trying to be generous and ends up blackmailing you. He says, this isn’t about the way he feels, is it? This is about Tracy’s claim that she stole Deception to give it to Brook. She says, yeah, and she and granny finally had it out.

Finn tells Elizabeth, everything that could go wrong that night did go wrong. There was nothing tragic, but sort of a series of freakish events. There was dropped trays, a crashed mail cart, the computers crashed, they lost wheelchairs. It all culminated in him delivering a baby stuck in an elevator. She says, crashed mail carts? and he says, that was her one takeaway? She asks if it was his first time delivering a baby, and he says, yes. It was the mother’s fourth child, and lucky for him, she knew what she was doing. She basically talked him through it. Mom and the baby came through just fine. Him? Not so much. He didn’t go anywhere near the OB/GYN for the rest of the year. So the moral of our story is… She says, stay off elevators with pregnant ladies, but he says, wrong. No matter how quiet the night seems, you never say it out loud.

Laura asks Esme what she meant, and Esme says, it’s time for her and Ace to find a place of their own. Laura says she didn’t see that coming at all. It feels sudden to her. Did something happen that makes her feel like she has to go? Esme says, nothing specific. The apartment just feels crowded with everyone living here, and she really doesn’t want to overstay her welcome. Laura says, the apartment doesn’t feel crowded to her. They all have their own bedrooms, and it’s big enough that if you want alone time, you can have it. Unless Esme is feeling crowded by someone in particular. Would this have something to do with Spencer?

The paramedics put Charlotte on a stretcher, and wheel her out. An EMT says, they’ll be transporting the patient to GH, and Valentin says he’s the father; he’ll be riding with them. Dante has shown up, and sees Valentin leave with the paramedics. He goes inside the apartment, and he and Anna look at each other.

Drew says, Carly’s the one who got Alexis to interview Judge Kim? and she says, Sonny went to Alexis first, but she’s the one who got the information about the vacation from a regular here at Kelly’s who’s the regular pilot for the businessman. Kim was a passenger on his private jet. Drew says, that’s kind of incredible. He definitely owes Alexis and Sonny a debt of gratitude. She says, and Diane Miller too, because she provided Alexis with a lot of important information, and he says he’ll thank all three of them, but Carly is the real hero here. It kind of makes sense that she’s the one to save him. She says she’d do anything to save him. She’s the reason he was in prison to begin with. He says, that’s not what he meant. He meant how smart and clever and incredibly beautiful she is. She’s his hero. She kisses him.

Esme tells Laura, it’s hard living with Spencer. Living with him and sharing the responsibilities of Ace makes it really complicated, and she thinks she’s started to develop feelings for him. She guesses if she’s being honest, she can’t help but feel drawn to him. Laura says, everything Esme is saying is completely natural, and Esme says, it is? Laura says, yes, of course (🍷). They’re in close proximity, and Spencer is the one she’d go to if she had a question or issue about Ace. Spencer has sort of taken on the role of father to her son… Does she think it’s all stemming from living here with Spencer, or does she think something else could be prompting this? Esme says, like what? and Laura says, like maybe Spencer’s relationship with Trina?

Danny comes downstairs and tells Sam that Scout and Rocco are already asleep. Where’s Dante? He wants Dante to go through his candy so he can have some. Sam says, he got a work call, but said he’d be here in the morning so he can have breakfast with all three of you kids. Is he okay? He says he texted both Charlotte and Jake. He still hasn’t heard from them yet. She asks him to go through the bowl of candy and see if he can find one of those taffies she loves. (Ooh, is it the chocolate one? I love that too. It’s tastes like a YooHoo.) He says he doubts there’s any left. He saw Scout go through them. She says, give it a shot. If he finds one, she’ll split it with him. He digs through the bowl, and she asks if he knows what’s going on with Charlotte. He says, she seemed pretty excited about trick-or-treating, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s been thinking. What if Charlotte didn’t take off? What if someone grabbed her? He bets that’s what Mr. Cassadine was thinking when he took off, leaving him and Georgie. Sam says she’s going to be really honest with him right now. She’s a little worried about Charlotte too, but they can’t jump to the worst scenario. Let’s just send out good, positive thoughts to her until they find her and get her home. He says, okay, and she tells him to remember that Charlotte is independent, and she does have a little mischievous side to her. So this all could be a simple Halloween prank that went wrong.

Dante asks if Jake is okay. He has a few questions for him, and then he’s going to take Jake home. Jake says he wants to go to the hospital. He needs to see Charlotte. Please. His mom’s working tonight; she’ll be there. Dante says, okay, and asks Jake to hang with the officer here for a minute. He’s got to talk to Anna, and then they can go to the hospital together. Jake goes out to the hallway, and Anna tells Dante that she left her apartment a little before 9, and locked the door. When she came back, the door was unlocked, so she realized someone was inside the apartment. She takes a shaky breath, and he asks if she wants to sit down, but she says, no. She drew her gun because she knew someone was inside the apartment – she starts to cry – and she opened the door really slowly and there was movement over by the trunk. The person turned toward her with what appeared to be a weapon in their hand, so she fired. She discharged her weapon on a child. She begins to sob, and Dante holds her.

Carly says she can’t believe Drew’s here. When he was in surgery, and she didn’t know if he was going to make it, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she was responsible for setting all this in motion, and she just wants him to know – and hear her please – she’s sorry. She’s so, so sorry. He says, it’s over now. It’s over. Except for six months’ probation. She says, Judge Kim gave him six months’ probation? That’s ridiculous. He already served enough unnecessary time in prison with hardened criminals who almost killed him. He says he’ll be fine. He won’t so much as jaywalk. What matters now is that he’s home with the women that he loves. She says, women? and he says, yeah. Her and Scout.

Brook tells Chase that Tracy has her faults, no doubt, but she truly believes Tracy wants to provide for her; that Tracy is genuinely concerned about her future. He says, sometimes people have weird ways of showing their love, and Brook says, Tracy’s pointed out on multiple occasions that she no longer has a stake in ELQ. So Deception is Tracy’s way of providing for her financial future. She’s told Tracy tons and tons of times, but she just doesn’t seem to understand, her future, her love is in music. And she is 100% committed to being a music manager. He says, she needs to follow her dreams and stick to them, and she says, that is exactly her point. If she had Deception to fall back on, it would just undermine her confidence in herself. It would be like admitting she doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the music world. He says, they both know she has what it takes, and she thanks him. She says, she just feels so terrible about Tracy hijacking Deception from Lucy, Maxie, and Sasha. The three of them should be running Deception, not Tracy, and definitely not her. Chase says he has a simple solution, and she says she’d love to hear it. He says, let Tracy give her Deception, and then she can sign it over to Maxie, Lucy, and Sasha. (That was my idea, and probably most of the audience, two seconds after Tracy told her.)

Charlotte is wheeled into the hospital and met by Elizabeth, Finn, and Austin. The EMT says, 15-year-old female, GSW to the abdomen, unconscious and lost a lot of blood. Austin says, her pulse is weak and thready; she’s hypokalemic. He tells them to get her to Trauma 1, and they jet with the gurney. Elizabeth grabs Valentin and asks, where’s Jake? Where’s her son?

Anna looks at the bloodstain on her carpet, and Dante says, CSI is on their way. He sees Charlotte’s backpack, and asks if Anna knows whose it is, but Anna says, no. Jake says, that’s Charlotte’s. She had it with her tonight. Can he take it to her at the hospital? Dante says, not tonight, and tells an officer to make sure CSI bags it as evidence. He tells Anna that he’s going to need her gun, and still crying, she puts it in an evidence bag the officer is holding. Jake asks if he can please go see Charlotte now, and Anna says, take him to the hospital. Elizabeth will have heard all about this and needs to know her son is okay. Just take him. She’ll stay with the officers, and they can take her into custody.

Carly hands Drew a vanilla shake and says, honestly, it’s all she has. The kids at the Halloween party ate everything. They even ate two of Aiden’s pies. Drew says, Elizabeth told him that Aiden’s baking, and Carly says, yes and he’s incredible. He asks if the kids had fun, and she says, they did. They played cornhole outside. It was hilarious, but they had a great time. He asks if Scout was here, and Carly says, she was. He should have seen her. She was so cute. She was dressed up as a scarecrow (oops). She had a blast. She misses him like crazy though. He says he misses Scout so much. He can’t wait to see her. He’s going to see her first thing tomorrow. Can he tell Carly something? She says, yeah, and he says, this is the best vanilla shake he’s ever had in his entire life. She laughs and takes a sip. She agrees it’s good, and they kiss.

Austin says, blah-blah-blah, medical stuff, protocol. He says more medical stuff and asks them to call radiology. They need a stat X-ray and give him the ultrasound.

On the phone, Elizabeth says, let her know when the OR is ready, and Finn asks what Valentin said about Jake. She says, he’s safe. He’s with Dante and the police, but he’s not answering his phone. Jake comes in with Dante, and Elizabeth runs to him, hugging him. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he is. He asks, where’s Charlotte? He needs to see her. Elizabeth says, the doctors are with her now, and he asks if she’s going to be okay.

Esme tells Laura that Spencer’s relationship with Trina is a huge part of why she needs to move out, but it’s also what’s so complicated. Laura says, complicated how? and Esme says, because of Trina. Laura says, because Esme doesn’t want to hurt her? and Esme says, of course (🍷). That’s the thing. She really likes Trina. Trina is so nice, and she’s seen how Trina is with her son. She’s so thoughtful of him; always bringing him little gifts and stuff. Laura says, she is a really lovely young lady, but she and Esme have quite the history. Esme says, that’s what she’s been told, but oddly, Trina seems to be the one who blames her the least, unlike other people. And her mom, Dr. Robinson, is so helpful. Laura asks, how so? and Esme says, Dr. Robinson is the one who suggested she and Spencer take the parenting class over the summer at GH. It’s been really helpful. It really took a lot of pressure off of them and helped bring her and Spencer together… for Ace’s sake, of course (🍷). Laura says, yes, of course (🍷), but still, it had to hurt Esme if she had feelings for Spencer. Esme asks, what doesn’t hurt her? She’s a girl with no past. She’s like a ghost walking through a town full of people who only know the old her and really have no interest in knowing the new her. There’s just something really familiar about Spencer, and she thinks she wants to latch on to anything that is familiar, even when she knows it’s not real or possible.

Danny tells Sam that he should have kept them all together, but Sam says, they’re his friends. It’s not his responsibility to keep them in line. He knows that, right? He says, maybe it wasn’t his job exactly, but Charlotte listens to him. When she was staying with them and left her stuff all over the bathroom, when he asked her to pick it up, she would. Not all the time, but she listened to him the most out of everyone. He needed to step up. She asks if he knows who he reminds her of right now, and he says, dad? She says, yeah, his dad. And just like his dad, he wants to take responsibility for the whole world, but he can’t. Nor can he fix everyone’s problems. Why don’t they wait until tomorrow to figure out the candy? He says, wait. He found one. It’s the last one. He hands it to her, and she says she knew if there was one left, he’d be the one to find it. She thanks him.

Dante tells Elizabeth that Jake was great. He called 9-1-1 and held Charlotte’s hand. He talked to her until the paramedics got there. He was a real hero. Elizabeth says she’s sure Charlotte knew he was there the whole time, and Jake says, it was an accident, right? Anna didn’t mean to shoot Charlotte, did she? Dante looks at Elizabeth.

Anna is standing in the hospital hallway, and Finn asks if she’s okay. She says she just wants to know if Charlotte’s out of danger, and he asks if she wants to sit down. She asks if he knows. Has he heard anything? Is she stable?

Austin says, they need to get her stabilized, and gives the nurse instructions. He asks if the other nurse has heard from the OR. They really need to get her up there before she crashes. Hanging up the phone, the nurse says, the OR is ready for him, and he says, okay. Everything’s good. The gurney is wheeled to the elevator, and Valentin jumps up. He tells Austin, save his daughter, please, and Austin says, they’re going to do everything they can. Valentin tells Charlotte that he’s here and she’s going to be okay. He’s right here. Charlotte is taken into the elevator and the doors close. Anna approaches Valentin, and he says, why? (Why? This is his fault.)

Drew says he doesn’t want Carly to think of anything except going for a night out with him. Some champagne, maybe a little dessert. She says, not a Kelly’s vanilla milkshake? and he says he wouldn’t trade tonight for anything. He loved everything about it. He loves her. She suggests they get out of here, so he can show her how much he loves her, and he asks if they’re going back to her place. He seems to remember how incredibly comfortable her bed is. She kisses him and says she’s going to get her coat. She goes in the back, and he gets up. He clutches his side.

Brook says, Chase is the sweetest man, and he asks if that’s supposed to be a compliment. She says, he’s sweet and kind and just a little naïve when it comes to granny. There is no way Tracy would just sign Deception over to her, for the exact reason he just mentioned. Tracy is a lot of things, but stupid she is not. Tracy would never risk her giving Lucy back the company. He says, she’s probably right, and she says she can see Tracy keeping some level of power. Like becoming the President of the Board. He says, okay, so what’s the next steps? but she says she doesn’t know, but it’s going to have to be something a lot more devious if she’s going to outmaneuver her grandmother. He asks if they can not scheme tonight, because tonight is Halloween, and that only comes once a year. So let’s focus on that, not Tracy. She says, okay. Tricks or treats? He says, treat, and they kiss.

Laura says she understands where Esme is coming from and thinks Esme may be right to put a little space between her and Spencer right now. Just so she can continue to forge her own new path. Esme asks if she thinks so, and Laura says she does. And by the way, she is interested in getting to know the new Esme. Esme thanks Laura for supporting her and says she knows it won’t be easy, especially with Ace leaving too. Laura asks if she’s thought at all about where she’ll live, and Esme says, there are rooms available above Kelly’s. She talked to Carly Spencer about it and thinks that’s about all she can afford on her receptionist’s salary. Plus, it does keep her in Port Charles, which is what she knows Laura would want. Laura thanks her and says, it would mean so much to her to be able to watch Ace grow up. She doesn’t want Esme to worry, so she’s going to help Esme with the rent, but Esme says, no. She’s lived here since Ace was born, and Laura hasn’t asked her for a cent. She can’t take anything more from Laura. Laura says she insists, because Esme is family, and the most important thing right now is that she and Ace have a safe and comfortable home. Esme thanks her and says she’ll think about it. She’s going to check on Ace. She really does think this is what’s best for both her and Ace. Laura says she thinks Esme may be right, and Esme leaves. Laura wonders what Spencer is going to think.

Sam turns out the lights, when her phone rings. She asks if everything is all right, and Dante says, the shooting victim at Maxie’s apartment was Charlotte. She says, what? Tell her that Charlotte is okay. Please. He says, she’s in surgery right now, and she asks, who shot Charlotte? He says, Anna did.

Anna tells Valentin, it happened so fast. It was dark. She thought it was an intruder. She didn’t know it was her. He says, please, he can’t do this, and she says, he doesn’t understand. It was an accident. She didn’t know it was her. He says he can’t do this right now, and Dante comes over and says he has to take Anna in for some questions, and they walk away. Jake approaches Valentin, and says he’s so sorry. He tried to catch up with Charlotte, but he wasn’t fast enough. Valentin says, it wasn’t his fault, and looks over at Anna. She leaves with Dante.

Tomorrow, Drew tells Sam that there’s so much he needs to make up for; Curtis asks what someone’s secret is; Jordan tells Robert that they need to bring in an outside investigator; and Anna tells Sonny that if Charlotte doesn’t make it, it’s her fault.

Below Deck Mediterranean

While she’s in her bunk with Luka, Natalya’s boyfriend AJ calls. Luka laughs, and tells her to take it, but she says, it’s not funny; it’s her f***ing life. Luka says he can’t get laid, and leaves the cabin. Natalya says she hates herself, putting us in the same club, since I hate her too. Lara says she’s still drunk, and Natalya says, if the boat burns, she’s going with it. She’s an emotional wreck and doesn’t know what’s happening. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s realized she doesn’t want to be in an open relationship. Something all of us realized in the first episode. She says she’s not supposed to be with anyone else, but he is and it’s not okay with her. We flash back to their last call, and Natalya says, another person came along who’s in her heart, but because of her boyfriend, she had to push him away. This girl has messed up thinking in so many ways, I don’t have time to list them. I assume she’s a mean girl because of the crap she allows herself to take from men, but still, no excuse. Captain Sandy calls Luka, Jack, and Tumi to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. The captain says, Amanda Britte books event spaces and is a party planner. She’s bringing her closest friends, and they want a casino atmosphere on the yacht. Tumi reads that they love espresso martinis and margaritas. Her kind of girls. The captain says, it’s four girls. Get ready. Jack reads that they like Mediterranean cuisine, and one of them wants no meat except seafood. He concludes that she doesn’t know what she wants. Captain Sandy tells Jack and Luka that they know the line. Don’t cross it. In Jack’s interview, he says he’s crossed it a few times, but you can either do that or be a chef. Kyle asks Jess if she’s confident on service. He’s exhausted. In Jessika’s interview, she says, she’s mentally geared to do housekeeping, but she’s happy to take one for the team. She’s a go with the flow girl. Kyle says he also thinks it’s fair that she do service too. The crew gets the boat ready, and Kyle says he hates all-girl trips. They do cute, weird sh*t that no one thinks is funny except them. Tumi says, it will be fun, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he’s more experienced on service, but depending on how crazy they are and the demands they make, he needs his energy. Haleigh tells Lara that she thinks a good job for her would be hugging walruses, and in Haleigh’s interview, she says she’s going to hug walruses and sell feet pics to compensate. In Luka’s interview, he says, Max is the biggest learning curve he’s been thrown. He thinks there’s literally a cartoon going on in Max’s head; random voices bouncing around. AJ calls Natalya, and she says she tells him everything, and now she’s sick as sh*t about kissing someone for one second. Yet he can go home with anyone. What does he want? If he said she was the only one he wanted to be with, it would be only him for her. She’s trying to get a mindset. She asks if he wants her on a plane. She’s not doing anything. She told him what happened, and he acted like she was moving away with the person. She needs a couple hours to think. They’ll talk later. In the crew mess, Kyle says, AJ is not nice, and Natalya wants to leave, but he said, nope. Tumi is like, why? Max looks at the photos of the incoming guests and says, pretty, but Luka says, the trip is not for jiggy-jiggy. Kyle tells Tumi about his plan for him and Jessica to switch positions, and she laughs. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Kyle is trying to put her on the spot to get out of service. Cute. Try again next week.

Jessika has washed a sandwich in with her laundry, and says she’s confused. Max lounges on deck and yawns. Natalya predicts this charter will be a ballbreaker, and Jessika tells her that Kyle wants her on service. Natalya says, Kyle doesn’t want to be on service, and Jessika says, Tumi laughed. Natalya says, Tumi thinks Jessika can’t do it, and in Jessika’s interview, she says she’s confused. Natalya is making her think that Tumi doesn’t believe she’s capable. She feels it’s out of character for Tumi to be talking sh*t about her, and she wonders what switched. Kyle says he’s off duty, emotionally and workwise.

5 hours before charter. Haleigh asks if they’re ready to seize the goddam day, and Jack says he’s going to wow them with seafood. Jessika wants to talk to Kyle and asks him about Tumi laughing. She wonders if she’s being belittled. Kyle says, it’s not fair if everyone doesn’t do service. Just keep a smile on her face. He’s here. Provisions come in, and Captain Sandy says, teamwork makes the dream work. I was hoping we could get through an episode without that and/or a baseball reference. Natalya avoids Luka, and in Luka’s interview, he says, the AJ situation is affecting Natalya a lot, but he’s respecting her boundaries. Kyle tells Natalya that Jessika is pissed off about how the service situation was handled, and Natalya says, Tumi has to chill the f*** out. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Tumi realized that she and Jessika were running the show before she got there. She’s bothered that she can’t confront Tumi.

Tumi tells the interior to get in their whites, and Captain Sandy calls the crew to the dock for arrival. Lara says she’s going to propose to one of these women. Primary Amanda introduces herself, and so do guests Delaney and Leni. I guess the others don’t have names. In Jack’s interview, he says, I can’t cross the line… I can’t cross the line… The captain welcomes them aboard and says, Tumi will show them around. Lara says, surely, one of them must be a lesbian, and Tumi says she has tequila shots and champagne. She gives the guests the tour, and Natalya tells Luka that Tumi was talking sh*t. She laughed about Jessika being on service. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s keeping her distance from Luka, but he’s the person she confides in. She’ll have to put on a chastity belt. The captain tells the crew to prepare for departure. Natalya texts AJ and says, she’s not doing anything with anyone, but they have to talk boundaries. Lara is struggling with a ground line, and Captain Sandy wonders why it’s taking so long.

Lara asks Max to help, as the fenders crunch against the next boat’s fenders. She says, there’s too much line out, and in Max’s interview, he says, the mistake he made two days ago is having repercussions. The guests want to see the galley, and Jack says, this is where the magic happens. In Jack’s interview, he says he promises he’ll be good this charter, and winks. Lara tells Max that he could have brought the line in, but it’s okay; he’ll learn. In Lara’s interview, she says she has to do it in a way that he still respects her. It’s like instructing a little child. It’s going be okay, little Max. The guests request Max’s presence, and Kyle brings him in. Leni says she loves his accent, and in his interview, Max says, we have the master jedi of sex in the boat. Lunch is ready, and Natalya asks Luka if he’s going to date Jess now. He says, yes, but Jessika says, no. Natalya says, rejected. Jack helps bring up the seafood extravaganza, and in his interview, he says, it looks unbelievable, but the seafood towers are super easy to make. He’s not Harry Potter anymore. He feels like James Bond this charter. Jack makes a return appearance after the meal, and the guests cheer, giving lunch a 10 out of 10. He tells them that each course at dinner will be from a different country. When he gets back to the galley, he says he feels like Gordon Ramsay. Natalya says she thought she and Tumi turned a new page, and Jessika says, maybe it’s her. She wasn’t here the last time. Natalya says, it’s not her, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, growing up, her stepdad would shut her down any time she had an attitude or opinion. She realized that she caused more hurt to her family if she had an opinion. She had to learn to stand up for herself as an adult. She’s still learning. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s gay, and there’s nothing up there for him. The guests use the slide and jump off the boat. Lara puts soap on the slide to make it more slippery. Jessika finds Tumi and says she wants to clear the air. When Kyle mentioned putting her on service, Tumi laughed. She’s not sure if Tumi was laughing at her because she doesn’t think Jessika is capable.

Tumi says, Jessika is interpreting it wrong. She was laughing because Kyle was running away from service. Jessika says she could have sworn they were just out drinking and Tumi had said she was doing good. The way Kyle said it, it seemed like Tumi thought she was green. Tumi says, Kyle is not running away, and Jessika tells her that Natalya also said Tumi was making fun of her. Tumi says, it literally has nothing to do with Jessika, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she respects Jessika for coming to her. She thought she and Natalya had made peace, but Natalya is stirring the pot. It’s mind boggling. Tumi and Jack confer on the dinner menu, and in Jack’s interview, he says, it’s going to be a tasting menu; everything but the kitchen sink. It’s what he’s good at even though it makes his job harder. Haleigh and Max dance around on deck, and Luka tells them to bring the water toys in. Lara tells Max that he’s doing amazing, and in Max’s interview, he says he’s giving like crazy. Lara giving him a compliment makes him feel powerful. The guests get ready for dinner. Jack has Tumi taste his stew, and she says, that’s fire. The guests are seated and from around the globe comes… food porn! Natalya tells Jessika that she’s confused as to whether Tumi is nice or not. Jessika says, that’s a conversation Natalya will have to have with Tumi. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s hesitant to talk to Natalya. She doesn’t want to tell her that she talked to Tumi at all because Natalya has her own agenda. She doesn’t want drama. She’s a peacemaker. The guests talk about Diplo and how they know tons of women who have slept with him. In Jack’s interview, he says he hates sh*t like positive vibes only, but he’s a product of the people he’s around. If he’s around people moaning, he moans. He still has a bond with Natalya, but he’s focused on the guests. He says, when he’s the adult, you know you’ve hit rock bottom. The guests pronounce dinner perfect and so good. Natalya calls AJ and asks if he slept with someone last night. Apparently, he did, and she says, he made her feel like absolute sh*t just for kissing someone, and he’s f***ing a girl from the club. He’s a f***ing liar. Kyle vacuums as the guests continue to party, and one of them tells him that vacuuming is stupid and he doesn’t have to do it. In Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s going on f*** o’clock. This is why he wanted a break and to not be on service. All these women are exhausting. One of the guests says she loves Kyle more than she loves her parents. The guests finally go to bed at 3:15, and at 6:30, most of the crew is getting up. Natalya goes to see Captain Sandy on the bridge, and says, this isn’t a positive conversation. The captain invites her to sit down and asks, what’s wrong? Natalya says she doesn’t think she’s mentally doing well, and Captain Sandy asks, why? The boyfriend? Natalya says she’s coping, and the captain says she’s sorry. Natalya asks, how many more charters? and the captain says, five. She doesn’t want Natalya to leave. Methinks Natalya needs some attention.

Captain Sandy tells Natalya that she’s safe and she’s okay. They have her. Kyle and the other people care about her, and this will pass. This feeling will pass. One day at a time. (Ha-ha! The captain is twelve-stepping her.) Sometimes you need those days when you have to deal. Feel sad, then make a decision as to what’s best for herself. The captain gives Natalya a hug. Disappointing me greatly, Lara tells Natalya about Kyle saying she wanted to leave, but he told her not to, and Tumi saying he should have told her to go. In Lara’s interview, she says, at this stage, she’s closer to Natalya than anyone else (translation: she wants to hit on Natalya more than anyone else), and she would want to know if someone said that about her. Natalya wonders what Tumi’s issue is, and Lara says, Tumi didn’t like Natalya from the beginning. In Natalya’s interview, she says she thought they’d hit refresh. She’s not biting her tongue anymore. She’s done with Tumi. The captain and Luka are carrying kayaks across the deck and launching them into the water. As the captain walks backwards holding her end, she falls. She tells Luka that she’s fine, and carries on, not missing a beat. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she thinks she broke her wrist. She just wants to get to her cabin, assess her wrist, and  move it around to see if it’s okay. Chief Officer Nikola bandages it for her. Natalya charges over to Tumi and says she wants something clarified. Did Tumi say it would be fine if she left? Tumi says she never wants someone who’s struggling to stay, but Natalya thinks there’s shade in what she says. She thought they hit refresh. Tumi says, that doesn’t mean they have to be friends. They’re not chums. Natalya says, Tumi’s not a good leader. Maybe it’s the living together that makes them ridiculous, but I don’t get why they don’t just focus on their damn work instead of their relationships with each other and every little word that’s spoken.

A couple of the guests listen in, and Natalya tells Tumi, that’s not a positive attitude. Tumi says, if Natalya is struggling, Natalya can come to her, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, it’s not what Tumi is saying, but the tone that bothers her. Natalya says, Tumi’s comments are upsetting her people, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she doesn’t like being spoken down to. She’s had it her whole life, and it lights a fire in her. Just stop. The listening guests go back with the others, and one says, something is going on downstairs. (Unless I really missed GH, I wouldn’t waste one minute of my Mediterranean cruise listening to crew drama.) Tumi says she knew Natalya would start that sh*t again, and tells Kyle that if Natalya isn’t happy, she could have come to her. Jessica came to her. Kyle says, that’s maturity, and Tumi says, Jessika thought the way Kyle was talking, Tumi thought she was a green stew. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s done everything for that girl, and she just swept the floor with him. How dare you?

Captain Sandy tells Luka that she’s broken her wrist before and she’s going to get it checked out. Nikola will be in charge, and in Luka’s interview, he says he’s 50% to blame. Kyle tells Jessika that she did him dirty when he was there for her. Don’t apologize. She says she doesn’t know why this is triggering him, and he says, she went behind his back and said he was making her feel like a green stew. She says, not in a bad way, and Leni listens in. Kyle says he’s the common denominator between everyone. I guess he doesn’t realize that could be taken in a negative way as well. Luka tells the deckhands about the captain’s wrist, and Kyle accuses Jessika of throwing him under the bus. Jessika says she didn’t, and Kyle says she belittled (WOTD) him when he had faith in her.

Captain Sandy heads for shore.

Next time, Jack does shots with the guests; Luka hits on Jessika; Jessika cries to Tumi; Kyle cries about stupid drama; Tumi says, everyone is at their breaking point; Kyle and Natalya argue; and Kyle calls Natalya a fake ass bitch.

🎪 All The Shade And Nothing But The Shade…

A taste of BravoCon. I heard Teresa got booed, and Sandoval. <snort>

A Recap Of The Shadiest Weekend Las Vegas Has Ever Seen

👻 Post Halloween Blues…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a tea party. I just can’t stomach Winter House – even I have to draw the line somewhere – but I’ll getcha the recap. Until then, stay safe, stay following your dreams and sticking to them, and stay never saying it out loud, no matter how quiet the night seems.

Oct31

October 30, 2023 – An Old Friend Goes To See Sonny, Pirates Of the Mediterranean On Deck & Cat

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Pozzulo’s, Gabe knocks at Sonny’s office door and says he has a visitor. She told him to tell Sonny that there’s a broad here to see him. Her word, not his. She wouldn’t tell him who she was; said it would spoil the surprise. But she said they were old friends. Sonny goes into the restaurant and sees a woman with her back to him. He asks if she’s the broad who wants to see him, and Lois turns around, saying, hello, handsome. They hug.

Brook sees Eddie/Ned in the solarium, and says, there he is. She’s on her way to sign a new major client, Blaze. He says, congratulations, that’s great, and she says she’s meeting Blaze at Charlie’s. Would he like to come? She’s super nice and down to earth, especially for someone that special. She sings all different genres of music. Maybe she’d be interested in that new song he’s working on. He thanks her for the invite, but he thinks he’ll pass. And when he finishes writing that song, he’ll be the one who sings it. She says, suit himself – Tracy walks in – but as for her, she’s going to go make music history. Tracy says, or Brook could stop hiding from her and sit down and discuss her future.

Austin sits at Charlie’s bar, when Blaze walks in. Kristina says, look who it is. She’s back. Blaze says, maybe she couldn’t stay away.

Finn and Elizabeth make dinner together in the cabin. As she makes salad, he tells her, a few more minutes of marinating, and the steaks will be ready to grill. She says she didn’t tell him. Cameron is dating a girl from college. She doesn’t think he’s completely over Josslyn yet, but it’s a step in the right direction. He says, wow. He knows she and Cameron are close, but it still surprises him that Cameron would tell her about the girl he’s dating. She laughs and says, he didn’t; Jake did. She still can’t believe she has two kids old enough to date, and he says he’s dreading the day Violet is old enough to date. Teenage boys, run! She tells him to prepare himself. It’s going to be here before he knows it. He says he’s not comfortable anymore with this conversation. Let’s grill. He tells her, fifteen minutes, and she says she can’t wait. He asks her to wish him luck, and she says, good luck. They kiss, and he says, she’s amazing.

TJ walks into Charlie’s and joins Austin at the bar. Austin says he’d buy TJ a drink, but the bartender seems busy, and TJ says he didn’t come here for a drink. They need to talk about Austin’s cousin Mason.

At the gallery, Ava and Laura hug, and Ava says, welcome home. Laura says, it’s good to be home, and Ava says she’s glad Laura survived her journey to Chechnya. Laura says, it was hard, but she’s glad she did it. By the way, she heard about the kidnapping. She’s so glad Ava is safe and got through that ordeal. Ava says she prefers not to think about it. It’s just so fortunate that she was rescued by Sonny’s bodyguard and Dante. She’s focused on getting her life back to normal. Laura says she hates bringing Ava more bad news, but she wanted Ava to know they weren’t actually able to find Nikolas. Ava says she’s so sorry. She knows Laura will never stop searching for her son. It must be so frustrating to exert all that time and energy and hope, and come up with nothing. Laura tells Ava that she wouldn’t say nothing.

On the phone, Elizabeth says she really appreciates her gram staying with the boys for her. Tell Aiden that tomorrow they’ll bring him apples for his pies, and they promise to pick them themselves. Finn comes back in, and she says she has to go. Dinner’s ready. Love you. Finn asks if everything is okay at home, and she says, yes. She was just calling to check in. He says, him too. He called Chase when he was outside. He said Violet is great. Everything is well there. She says, good, and he says, now that they’ve checked in at home, maybe tonight could just be about them. She says, it sounds really nice.

Ava says she doesn’t understand what Laura is trying to say. Either she found Nikolas, or she didn’t. Laura says she doesn’t mean to confuse Ava. She doesn’t actually know where Nikolas is today, but she and Doc did find definitive proof that he’s alive and well, and she thinks he’s living somewhere in Europe. Ava asks if she talked to him on the phone, but Laura says, no. They found out he was making financial transactions. Ava asks if there was any proof it was actually Nikolas doing that. Anybody could have hacked his accounts and been doing that. Laura says, it’s nothing like that. They went to Geneva and met with his personal banker, who told them that Nikolas had been in the bank in person several times this past month.

Austin says he doesn’t give a damn about his cousin Mason, but he’s very grateful to TJ. Austin flashes back to TJ running into Mason’s room as he’s smothering his cousin. TJ runs to the bed, telling him, stop, and pulling the pillow away. Austin says, this doesn’t concern him, and TJ says he doesn’t give a damn about Austin’s cousin’s life – he yanks the pillow away – but he cares about Austin’s. There’s a cop right outside. Mason’s not worth it. At Charlie’s, Austin says he was about to throw his whole life away, but TJ stopped him. Thank you.

Brook says she’s not hiding from Tracy. She just doesn’t live in this house, so they’re not going to run into each other anymore. And she has zero interest in discussing her future with Tracy because of the way Tracy’s treated her. Tracy will have no part in her future. Brook walks out, but Tracys follows and says, Brook can avoid her now, but sooner or later, Brook is going to need her. (She calls Brook missy, and I swear I’d deck her if I was Brook. I hate that.) And when that day comes, Tracy will forget this day ever happened, and Brook will sit down and discuss her future with her at Deception. Brook leaves, and Eddie asks if Tracy really thinks threats and blackmail are the most effective way to influence her granddaughter. Tracy shrugs and says, it always worked with him.

Blaze says she’s here to sign the final contract with Brook to manage her music career, and Kristina says, that’s so exciting. She won’t keep Blaze. Blaze says, the meeting’s not for a little while. She came in early, hoping Kristina would be working. Kristina says she works every day, so Blaze could have texted or called to see if she was here, but Blaze says, what’s the fun of that? Besides, she decided to leave it up to chance. She figured if Kristina was working, that would be a good omen. Blaze’s phone chimes, and Kristina asks if everything is okay. Blaze says, it’s Lucy Coe – again. She won’t stop texting about the offer her and Maxie Jones made her to be the new Face of Deception. Sasha walks in, and Blaze says, uh-oh. That’s her. Sasha Gilmore, aka the woman she’d be replacing.

Sonny says he knew Lois was in town. He was figuring out when she was going to visit him. She says, same old Sonny. He never misses a beat. Always knows what’s happening. He asks what she’s in town for. Not that he cares, because he loves seeing her. She says she’s here to see Brook. Tracy screwed her over on a business deal, so she wanted to make sure her daughter was okay. He says, Brook is tough like her. She’ll be able to take care of Tracy. Trust him. Lois says, she shouldn’t have to, but she doesn’t want to talk about the Quartermaines. She wants to know what’s happening with him, because she heard he eloped. Carly must have loved hearing about that. He says, Carly’s fine. They’re trying to get along for the family. She asks how that’s working out for him.

Sonny and Lois sit down to some biscotti and coffee, and he asks, how’s the old neighborhood? She says, it hasn’t changed a bit. Everything is exactly the way he remembers it. He says, that’s what he likes to hear, and she says, although old Mr. Coluso the butcher, he retired and his grandson took over, and all of a sudden, the cuts of meat weren’t up to their expected proportions. So she had to take him out back and show him what’s what. Sonny says he’s sure she terrorized him when she took the clever out of his hands, and she says she did. And she never even had to touch the clever. He says, it’s nice to see things haven’t changed, and they laugh.

Eddie asks why Tracy is making this so much harder than it needs to be. Just offer the company to Brook, and if she turns it down, take no for an answer. She says, there are so many things she finds annoying now that he’s decided to live his life as Eddie Maine. Middle-aged man running around like a frat boy, his music, but most of all – Olivia walks in – his intentional naivete. Olivia says, Mother of God. Will Tracy give it a rest? Stop badgering Eddie. Tracy says she knows Olivia isn’t responsible for her son losing his memory, but she is responsible for how she’s handling it. She’s his wife. She has a legal right to have him committed. And if she doesn’t think shock therapy is appropriate, at least get him some intensive psychotherapy. Unless of course (🍷) she’s starting to prefer Eddie over Ned. (I know I do.)

Kristina introduces Sam and Sasha to Blaze, and Sasha says, she looks so familiar… Oh! She saw Blaze perform at the Nurses Ball. She sang a duet with Chase, right? Blaze says, guilty as charged, and Sasha says, she was incredible, and the way she stood up to her manager was really inspiring. Blaze thanks her. She appreciates Sasha saying that. She tells Kristina that she has to go take care of something and asks her to tell Brook that she’ll be right back. Nice meeting Sam and Sasha.

TJ says he remembers seeing Mason in Austin’s office a while back. At the time, TJ said he thought he’d met him before. Austin says he remembers, and TJ says he finally made the connection. Does Austin have any idea what Mason did to him? Austin says he doesn’t, but knowing Mason the way he does, he’s reasonably sure it’s something terrible. He’s sorry for whatever Mason did to TJ. TJ says, Austin was willing to smother Mason, so he must have done something pretty bad to Austin. Didn’t he have any other alternatives? Austin says he doesn’t think he could have done anything else. Except maybe he could have turned his cousin in to the police. That probably would have saved a lot of grief for everybody. TJ says, right, and leaves.

Laura asks if Ava is okay, and Ava says she’s sorry. She just needs a moment to absorb Laura’s news. Laura says she’s really sorry. Let her apologize for her son. She knows he treated Ava unconscionably during parts of the marriage and certainly the divorce. Ava says, if it makes Laura feel any better, she gave as good as she got, and then some. Laura says, it’s just such a shame, because she knows how much Nikolas really loved Ava, and she believes Ava loved him too. Who knows? Maybe after enough times passes, he’ll change his mind and come back to Port Charles and maybe they’ll be another chance for them. Ava says she doesn’t know. If Nikolas ever did love her, he doesn’t anymore.

Lois tells Sonny, so then, her Aunt Kiki – who’s had one too many glasses of chardonnay – falls flat on her face after toasting the bride and groom. But without even missing a beat, she jumps up on the bar, does a full split, grabs the bartender by the face and kisses him right on the mouth. Sonny says, tall, blonde, she was a character, and Lois says, she was, but this was before she married Lois’s uncle, who was a fireman. She had a thing for firemen. He says, they were all wilder back in the day. Speaking of which, has she seen Ned, or Eddie? He doesn’t know what Ned’s calling himself these days. She says she has and it’s so bizarre. All of the Quartermaines, every one of them, has a different theory about what’s going on with him. He asks, what’s her take? and she says she honestly doesn’t know. She’s still trying to figure it out.

Olivia tells Tracy, as she’s said repeatedly, she’s not having her husband committed. And she can’t believe Tracy would use the term shock therapy, which they have done in half a century because it’s considered barbaric. Tracy says she’s just trying to motivate Olivia into doing something, and Olivia says, that’s Tracy’s problem, because she’s not going to force him into therapy he does not want to do. If he wants to strum his guitar and be Eddie Maine for the rest of his life, she’s going to make peace with it. Tracy says, of course (🍷) you are. Why should she accept an executive husband, a responsible father when she can have Eddie Maine, a permanently arrested development adolescent rock and roller. Tracy storms out.

Cody and Dante join Sam and Sasha, and Cody says, sorry they’re late. He got stuck helping Dante run some errands. They were working on some home improvement project, and this guy is impressively useless at a hardware store. Sam asks if they were able to a stud finder, and Dante says, if that’s what it’s called. Sasha says, it sounds totally made up to her, and Dante says he knows maybe Cody has done some odd jobs in construction, but how did Sam know what a stud finder is? She kisses him and says, there are a still a lot of things he doesn’t know about her.

At the PC Grill, Lucy tells Martin that Blaze is going to be here any minute. What is she supposed to say to her? Hey there, guess what? Our majority shareholder had a temper tantrum and overruled her great idea. Martin says, let him understand something. All she wanted to do was rescind her offer to Blaze to be the new Face of Deception. She could have just called. Lucy says, no, no, no. She’s not going to rescind her offer, because she’s not bowing to Tracy. Blaze is the perfect spokesmodel now for their company and it wouldn’t hurt Sasha. Every success Deception has is a success… She’s here. Blaze comes over to the table, and Lucy says, she looks lovely. She introduces Martin, who says, it’s a pleasure to meet Blaze. Lucy speaks incredibly highly of her. Blaze says, it’s nice to meet him too, and Lucy tells him to grab a chair. She asks Blaze to join them, but Blaze says, no. She doesn’t want to drag this out. While she’s flattered by Lucy’s offer to be the new Face of Deception, she’s thought about it, and she’s going to have to pass. And not that Lucy’s asked for her opinion, but for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks they should stick with the face they’ve already got. She leaves and Lucy looks sad.

Brook asks if Kristina has seen Blaze; they’re supposed to meet here. Kristina says, Blaze told her to let Brook know that she had to run a quick errand, but will be back shortly. Brook thanks her, and Kristina asks if she can get Brook anything. Brook says she’ll take a club soda. She needs a clear head for what she’s about to do.

Looking at her phone, Laura tells Ava, sorry. Duty calls. Ava says she totally understands, and Laura says she has to get going, but it’s so good to see her back in her gallery, safe and sound. Ava says, as bad as it was, she knows the worst is behind her, and it’s time to focus on her future. Laura says, that’s very smart of her. They’ll talk soon. She leaves, and Ava sits down, her head in her hands. She calls Austin who’s still at the bar, and he says, finally. He’s happy to hear from her. She says, her gallery. Now.

Finn says, you’d think he would have diagnosed his own OCD years ago, and Elizabeth tells him, you know what they say; doctors make the worst patients. She never stops learning new things about him. He says he doesn’t think having OCD is that interesting. He thinks she’s the fascinating one. She’s this amazing artist, but she’s also this compassionate healer who happens to be the Head Nurse at a major metropolitan hospital. She says, he’s just being nice, and he says he’s been described a lot of ways over the years, and nice is never on the list. Trust him. She tells him that she doesn’t care what anyone says, because she knows he’s nice… and handsome, and so, so smart. The whole backgammon thing, she can take it or leave it, but she also knows he’s a really good friend, an amazing father, and an excellent doctor. He says he can’t stand any more of these compliments. It’s making him very, very uncomfortable. So he’s going to kiss her now before she can say anything else about him. She says her plan worked, and kisses him. There’s a song part, and they go to the bedroom and get busy.

Sonny shows Lois pictures on his phone. He says, those are his grandkids. That’s Rocco, Dante’s son. She says, he’s so grown-up and he’s handsome, just like his grandpa. He says, and that’s Michael’s kids, Amelia and Wiley, and she says she can’t wait until Brook has kids. She and Chase would make beautiful children. She thinks Chase is a good guy. Does Sonny know him? He says, yeah, he works at the PCPD with Dante, and she says she knows, but cops aren’t his favorite. He asks what she’s talking about. He loves everyone. She says, he does? What about the Feds? She heard they called him in last month. What was that about? He says, a simple case of mistaken identity, and she says, uh-huh.

Eddie says he owes Olivia a big thank you, and she says, for what? He says, she accepts him for who he is, and she defended him. She defended his right to be himself. She says she’s not going to try and make him be someone he’s not. He’s a spectacular musician. He’s a wonderful, kind-hearted man. He thanks her, and she says, but she’s never going to stop missing her husband, and leaves.

Lucy tells Martin that they don’t even know if Sasha still wants to be the Face of Deception after the hell she went through. She really is still recovering. They don’t know if she’s camera ready or will ever be camera ready. Lucy has lots of classic products she needs to rebrand and new products she wants to launch, and Blaze would have been absolutely perfect. Martin says, except for the part where she doesn’t want the job, and Lucy says, the reason they can’t do this is because of Tracy. She really did bulldoze everybody so she would get her way. She didn’t even have the chance to do her full court press to win Blaze over. She could have had Blaze signed up, locked down, and she wouldn’t even have time to reconsider. He says, so Lucy wanted to trap her, but she says, no. What she wanted was to not take this lying down. You know what she’s going to do? She needs to show Tracy exactly who she’s dealing with. She jumps up, kisses Martin loudly on the cheek, and dashes out.

Cody says he took a look at Dante’s renovation plans for the family room, and if they really made a push, they could probably finish it in four days. Sam asks if he’s offering to help, and he says he is. Sasha says, count her in too.

Blaze tells Brook, sorry to keep her waiting, but Brook says, don’t worry about it. Kristina says she’ll give them some privacy, and Brook says, so let’s get down to business.

Austin arrives at the gallery where Ava is waiting for him. He says, she’s beautiful, and he’s just so glad she’s okay and that she called… She says, he’s drunk, and he says, yeah. It’s been a hell of a day. She says, yes, it has, because she just found out that Nikolas is very much alive.

Laura meets Martin at the Grill, and he says, there she is, his baby sister. They hug, and he says he’s so happy she’s back. He missed her so much. She says she missed him too, and they sit down. She says she’s really sorry she didn’t reach out sooner, but he says he can only imagine how she has to manage the city and their wacky family. She says, what are they going to do about their wacky brother?

Austin says, Nikolas is alive? and Ava says, yes. Laura tracked him to Geneva. While she didn’t see him, his banker told her that he’d been to the bank several times in person. He says, that’s great. Isn’t that great? No more blackmail. She says, yeah. It occurred to her, for months now, she’s been following orders from him, Mason, and their mystery boss, because if she didn’t, they’d deliver Nikolas’s body to the police. But if Nikolas is alive and well in Switzerland, she just needs to know one thing. Did he know about it?

TJ goes into Mason’s room, and Mason says, what’s up, doc? Did TJ come to finish what his cousin started? TJ says he’s a doctor. He took an oath to save lives, not end them. Mason says, so he guesses TJ expects a thank you for saving his, but TJ says, no. He came back here to explain why. He would never condone murder, even for someone as despicable as Mason. Sure, Austin would have most likely been caught, and it would have wrecked the rest of his life. That was a factor, but the biggest reason he stopped Austin was, it would be letting Mason off way too easy. Once Mason is convicted for his many crimes, he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. Sure, it will be for what he did to Ava, not what he did to TJ, but as long as Mason is locked up forever, he sees that as a win.

Lois says, in some ways, Sonny is different, but in a lot of ways, he’s the same old Sonny that she knows and loves. He says, different how? and she says she doesn’t know. Maybe he’s more… confident, if that’s even possible. She knows what it is. He’s more centered. Hey, she doesn’t know about him, but she’s starving, and that biscotti’s just not doing it for her anymore. He says he’ll get the chef to make something for her, or he’ll make something for her, and she says she’s Gloria’s daughter. Don’t insult her like that. He says, kitchen’s in the back, and she thanks him, and heads for the kitchen.

Brook says, here it is, giving Blaze a folder. The official contract for her to become Blaze’s manager. As she promised, it’s everything they discussed and agreed upon, but she encourages Blaze to read it again. They both made the massive mistake of signing contracts with that sleaze Linc Brown. She’s learned her lesson. She will never again not read the fine print and advises Blaze to do the same. She also had her attorney keep the legalese to a minimum, so she’ll know what she’s signing. Blaze thanks her, and says she appreciates Brook has been where she’s at and that Brook has her best interests in mind. But just in case, she’s going to read it through anyway.

Sasha says, just to be clear, she wants to help, but has zero experience with carpentry or any kind of home improvement. But she’s a hard worker and willing to take direction. Cody asks what Sam and Dante say, and Dante says he feels bad accepting their help. It’s a lot of hard work. Sam says, and at the end of the day, all they’d be getting is beer and a couple of pizzas, and Cody says he knows they mean well, but if they don’t cut it out, they’re going to start hurting his feelings. They’re offering to help because they’re Dante and Sam’s friends.

Basking in the afterglow, Elizabeth says, everything about this is magical, and thanks Finn for planning such a special trip. He says, she doesn’t have to thank him. It’s amazing. She says she had so much fun today. She loved tapping those maple trees. He says he’ll never think of maple syrup the same way again, and she says, her neither, kissing him. (I wonder what they did with it…)

Lois serves Sonny a pasta dish, and says, just for you, old friend. Although she’s got to tell him something. That kitchen in there needs work. He says, oh really? and she says, he should be happy he has a friend who tells him the truth. He asks if he told her how happy he is she’s back, and she says she’s happy to be back. They eat, and now I want pasta.

Cody says, Dante has been a good friend to him, and Sam, in the short time he’s known her, has proven she’s someone he can count on. So he’d offer them his help even if they hadn’t just put themselves on the line to help take down Dr. Montague. But they did, so as a friend, he’s doubly motivated to help them. Sasha says she feels the same way as Cody. They saved her sanity. They saved her life. Sam says she’s just glad that whole nightmare is over. Dante says, time for a fresh start, and Sam raises her beer mug. She asks if they’re doing this, and they agree, clinking glasses.

Blaze says, this contract seems pretty straightforward. She’s about to sign, when Brook says, hang on. They need a witness. She asks Kristina to join them for a second and tells her that they need a witness to Blaze signing this contract. Kristina says, happy to help, and Blaze signs. Kristina signs, and Brook says, that’s it; they’re official. Blaze thanks Kristina for being her witness, and Kristina says, anytime. She goes back to work, and Brook says, congratulations, client. Blaze says, thank you, manager, and they shake hands. Kristina tells them, wait. It’s time to celebrate. She brings over two bottles of beer, and says, here’s to making beautiful music. Brook and Blaze clink bottles.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Tracy says, Lucy wanted to see her, and Lucy says she did. Okay, Tracy wins. Sasha will continue to be the Face of Deception, and there will absolutely be no contract for Blaze. Tracy says she knows. They decided this days ago. Lucy says, but Tracy should know, that’s the last decision she gets to make for Deception. Her dream, her vision, and it’s her company. She leaves, and Tracy says, that she owns 51% of.

Martin tells Laura that he has to admit when Cyrus had that coronary, he worried. Isn’t that somethin’? No matter how angry he gets at their brother or how little he trusts him, he couldn’t help but care. She asks if he believes Cyrus’s religious conversion is genuine, but he says he’s not sure. She knows better than anybody how suspicious he was when all that started. Now he’s not certain after seeing him in that hospital bed. He nearly died; that changes a person. She says, one of the arguments for his release was that he’s an old man in poor health, and therefore couldn’t hurt anyone. Does that sound like Cyrus to him? He says, no. It sounds like he’s playing possum. She says, that’s kind of what she thought too. His heart attack might have brought him closer to God, but it definitely bought him his freedom. It kind of makes her think their brother is just as shrewd as he ever was.

Ava says she asked Austin a question. Did he know Nikolas was alive or not? He says he had no idea. None. He thought she’d go to prison for murdering Nikolas. That’s why he did everything Mason asked him to do. He had no idea Nikolas was alive. And Mason is a liar who lies all the time. He lies to everyone about everything. She has to believe him. She says, does he know what really scares her? She really wants to believe him.

Finn watches Elizabeth sleeping in his arms. He shuts off the light, and kisses her forehead.

Tomorrow, Charlotte asks if Valentin doesn’t trust her; Anna says, it’s exactly what she needs; Josslyn asks Adam to come to Kelly’s with her; and Cyrus takes Trina hostage – again. I think that’s possibly going to turn out to be a dream because I doubt he’s that stupid.

Below Deck Mediterranean

The captain sees the lack of communication between Lara and Max, In her interview, she says, there’s a language barrier, but she thinks it’s how Max uses the radio. He needs to slow down, and Luka needs to figure it out. He’s never been a bosun, and managing personalities is the hard part. Anchor is home, and Tumi tells Jack, happy birthday. In his interview, Jack says his birthdays are always on a yacht, and Tumi reminds him that he’s doing pizza with the kids today. In Luka’s interview, he says, Sandy is a great teacher. He’s learning new skills, and they’re feeding his adrenaline addiction. His mom ripped around on a sports bike when she was pregnant with him. Her craving was petrol, and he thinks that’s where it came from. Lara tells Kyle about Max wanting to know how much experience she had, and they both speak in Afrikaans. In her interview, she says she likes cursing in Afrikaans. It makes her feel better. She lets out a string of curses, and I laugh because the bleep is so long. In Kyle’s interview, he says he and Natalya are like brother and sister. They tease each other, but she has a constant I-can-do-better-than-you attitude, and it’s annoying. She talks and he hears absolutely nothing. Luka explains to Max how to use the radio, and in his interview, Luka says, Lara doesn’t have calm and patience. In Lara’s interview, she says, her mom told her, since she was born she’d get blackout angry. She’s been alone with her mom since the age of two, and her mom grifted to keep them alive. It taught her not to be lazy and work toward what she wants. She never wants to be in that situation again. Luka flirts with Natalya, who would be fun if she wasn’t an a-hole. Her boyfriend AJ texts that he’s going to Thailand with some friends, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, last night, he had five girls over and she wonders what he’s doing over there. Lara tells Haleigh that she hates when guys get all macho, and Haleigh says she has a list of things she hates. She’s scared of anteaters; they look prehistoric. And why don’t pockets in women’s garments make sense? Personally, I think there aren’t enough pockets in women’s garments, and there should be a law about that. Anchor is dropped in Cinque Terre, and the kids make pizza with Jack. In Jack’s interview, he says, besides being a chef, he was also an English teacher. The kids were three, and he was basically a babysitter, so that’s the approach he’s taking. Natalya helps with the pizza, and it reminds me of my first job, short order cook in an Italian restaurant. I used to literally dream about making pizzas. Kyle tells Tumi that she’s lucky she doesn’t room with Natalya; Natalya can talk. We see a clip of her going on and on, and Kyle telling her to go to sleep. In Tumi’s interview, she says, if Kyle is talking sh*t about Natalya, that means he’s talking sh*t about her. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but it’s not genuine. Toppings are put on the pizza, and it goes in the oven. The kids dump flour on Haleigh’s head, but she takes it in stride because, tip. Lara gives Max instructions about a cable and starts to get frustrated since he listens to nothing. In Max’s interview, he says, it doesn’t matter what Lara’s title is. He feels like she doesn’t respect him and he doesn’t care.

In his interview, Max says he feels that Lara needs to be exercised [sic], and a producer corrects him, since what he means is, she needs an exorcist. Natalya complains, and in her interview, she says, she gets triggered by laziness. In childhood, her house was immaculate. Her mom was in charge of the inside and her dad was in charge of the outside. It was like a yacht with an interior and exterior crew. That’s why she’s like this. The pizza is served, and Natalya reminds everyone that tomorrow is the last day of charter, and the guests want them dressed as pirates all day. Jack has made an Italian lunch, and in his interview, he says, he’s good at cooking Italian food and loves to eat it. Lunch is served and it’s total… food porn! Luka radios Max, and in his interview, Luka says, it’s like having a toddler. He has to explain everything, and when Max isn’t happy, he throws a tantrum. He tells Max to help Haleigh, and the guests say the lunch is amazing and delicious. In Tumi’s interview, she says she loves chaos. If it gets still, she destabilizes. She needs to go, go, go or not go at all. If you’re still in your pajamas at 10 am, the day’s ruined. Tumi calls Natalya to the crew mess and tells her that she’s going on a hiking excursion with the guests. In her interview, Natalya says, she doesn’t like hiking; it’s a living hell. Who likes walking up a cliff? No one. Well, probably hikers do. Luka tells Haleigh that she’s going as well, and they leave in the tender. Max has wandered off his post, and Lara tells him to never leave the stern alone. She puts him on a break, probably just to get him away from her. She tells Luka that Max is now an irritation, and in Luka’s interview, he says, one things he’s noticed about Max is, he doesn’t like being told off. He calls Max to meet him on the bow. On shore, the guests climb up to an observation deck, where there’s a statue of St. Francis and a dog. In Natalya’s interview, she says, maybe if she prays to him, he and his dog will help her figure out what’s happening with her love life. It’s an amazing view, and when they guests are finished sightseeing, Natalya calls for the tender. Tumi tells Luka that Natalya is ready, and Jack makes lunch. On a side note, I heard cheffy has now been included in the dictionary. Ugh. It sounds so silly, and since when are pet names in the dictionary? As they pull up to the boat, primary Roy says, all that walking worked up an appetite. Tumi meets them with drinks, non-alcoholic for the kids, and he says, this is the greatest vacation ever. In her interview, Natalya says, everything feels like it’s last minute, and her relationship is affecting her work life. It’s causing anxiety, and she vents loud. Her truce with Tumi is a small step she’s taking toward no violence.

Captain Sandy calls Luka and Lara to the bridge and tells Lara that she’s going to be driving when they haul anchor. In the captain’s interview, she says, Lara works really hard, and she cares. She wants Lara to see how good communication is when she’s at the bow maneuvering. Max and Luka haul anchor, and Captain Sandy instructs Lara on steering. In Lara’s interview, she says, it’s her dream job to be captain and this is giving her the shivers. In her interview, she says, when she was young, she had a vision of herself as a captain with a little monkey on her shoulder, like Captain Hook. She thanks the captain and says she’ll never forget this. The captain tells her to make a turn, then go back to center. Lara follows instructions, and the captain says, excellent work. Lara says she’s a bit stressed, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Lara is like a little Sandy back in the day. She thinks Lara would make a good captain. Everyone gets ready for dinner, and AJ texts Natalya to call him before she goes out tomorrow. Food porn Dinner is served, and Roy says, eating while moving is like music. I don’t get what that, since it seems like it might be more annoying than musical. In Lara’s interview, she says, it’s like a light switch went off. Max is completely in outer space. Natalya mumbles, and in Kyle’s interview, he says he feels she’s being stable since the reset, but she’s not past regression. She’s always convinced something is wrong when no one else sees anything. The drama girl. Anchor is dropped, and Lara says, what a good day. She’s taking that in since it’s rare. Roy and his family play Yahtzee, and Natalya makes up clues for the treasure hunt. In Tumi’s interview, she says, they’ll most likely never be best friends. Unfortunately, she saw the demon first. We flash back to that, and Tumi says, goddammit. The best guests in the world go to bed, and in Luka’s interview, he wonders what Natalya wants. Is it on or off? She’s his type, but trying is getting harder. Who is he to Natalya? A side piece?

Final day of charter; Pirates of the Mediterranean. In Lara’s interview, she says, hop on the fun train; they’re having fun today. Natalya goes over the treasure hunt with the interior, and everyone dresses up. Luka tells Lara, Natalya is shy about her boyfriend, and Lara says she thought they were in an open relationship. Jessika calls Captain Sandy and says she’s much better. The captain says, they’ll see her on the dock in Genoa. Breakfast is served; otherwise known as… food porn! Tumi tells Natalya to start getting ready for the treasure hunt, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, she used to be a nanny to three boys. She’s got the pirate party down pat. Captain Sandy gathers the guests and says she needs help finding the lost treasure. She gives them the first clue; near the piano, they’ll see a cannonball clue near a key. They go to the piano, and find the next clue; outside the doors, there’s a cannonball game. They need to score 3 for the next clue. After they play the game, the next clue says to have a pirate fight with Captain Sharkbites. Max plays the captain, and the kids duel with him. Obviously, he lets them win, and the next clue is, find the cook with a hook for the final clue. Jack gives them the last one; find the pirate flag and secure the bag. They find a bag with a bunch of fake jewels and treasure in it. Guest Asa tells Captain Sandy that it was so fun, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, that’s why she wanted Natalya to do it. She knew Natalya would enjoy it and it’s up her ally. Plus, she doesn’t have to since she couldn’t care less. Natalya put so much love into it and Tumi is proud of her. Natalya says, it lifted her spirits. Anchor is home, and in Luka’s interview, he says, Max is more productive when he’s encouraged. He’s finally learning how Max works instead of getting frustrated. Roy asks if tiny guest Beau is thankful for their good time on the boat, and they get ready to dock. It’s a seriously tight squeeze, and in his interview, Luka says, the gap looks smaller than the boat. He doesn’t know how Captain Sandy trusts him to bring this thing in.

As they dock, guest Ehren says, this is intense, and guest Erika says, Captain Sandy is amazing. Ehren says, look how f***ing tight they are, and the lines are thrown. The captain says, good job everyone, and Max says he’s not doing any push-ups today. It’s time for goodbyes, and Roy says, they’re so lucky. Asa says, it’s the best vacation ever. The treasure hunt warmed her heart. Roy says, they know they’re safe in the captain’s hands and always have a good time. He gives her the tip envelope, and they leave. In Luka’s interview, he says, the game’s been going on too long. Hopefully tonight.

At the tip meeting, Captain Sandy says, they were amazing. They were down a person, but she never had concern. She asks them to give Natalya a hand for the treasure hunt, and one for Luka who stepped into the bosun position like he’d been there. And one more hand for Lara becoming lead deckhand. She’s doing an awesome job. She sees what needs to be done and does it. They’re an awesome team. The tip is $28K or $2300 each, and she says, it speaks volumes. She tells them that Jessika is coming back, so they’ll have their support back. They all clink glasses of champagne, and whatever for the captain. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s 99.9% better. Put me in, coach; I’m ready. They crew goes out, and in the taxi, there’s a lot of random sex talk, and Lara says, this is the most sexual group ever. They go to a bar and do shots. Jack flirts with a girl there, and in his interview, he says, there’s no one on the boat for him. In Natalya’s interview, she says, when she and Luka touch, she feels like a sex addict. Jessika feels left out, and Max and Kyle smoke from a hookah. Everyone dances, and Jack kisses the girl he’s flirting with, calling her the lady in red. I just keep thinking, aren’t they going to eat something? Natalya calls AJ, and she says, she doesn’t know what position she’s in with him… Of course she becomes close with the people she works and lives with… She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t lie. Luka and Kyle discuss Natalya’s relationship, and Natalya tells AJ that she has to deal with him while she’s stuck on the boat. How does he think she feels when she asks if he’s been with anyone? In her interview, she says, if he told her to come home, she would.

In Tumi’s interview, she says, there’s sexual tension between Luka and Natalya. She thinks Natalya doesn’t know what she wants. Just do it already. Natalya says, it’s the strangest situation in her life, and Lara asks why she doesn’t want to do it with Luka. Natalya sits on Luka’s lap and asks if they should go to the jacuzzi. In Luka’s interview, he says, the chase goes on, and they head back to the boat. In the taxi, Luka says, AJ can do what he wants, but Natalya can’t, and Haleigh tells them, kiss now and stop being stupid. In Natalya’s interview, she says, it’s so good, but so bad. When they get back, Max does push-ups on railing. Natalya calls Luka into the bathroom, and we hear kissing sounds. Kyle knocks on the door and says, he’s going to… the thing. I don’t even think he knows what he means, since they’re all so drunk. I just think, drunk on a boat where you sleep in a bunk? No, just no. Luka gets in Natalya’s bunk with her, and she says she knows it’s difficult. He kisses her, and honestly, I don’t think I kiss that loud. Why is it always so loud and smacky sounding? Do they amplify the volume? In the bunk below, Kyle says, sweet dreams, angels. As they’re kissing, AJ calls, and Luka says, go for it. It’s going to be funny. Answer it. Kyle says, don’t, and Natalya says she’s confused. Luka says, get in line, and Natalya says, it’s not going be good.

Next time, Captain Sandy says the next charter is all young girls and maintain as much as they’re temped; Natalya talks to AJ; Kyle argues with Jessika and says she’s not on the team; and Captain Sandy breaks her wrist.

🐦‍⬛ Gently Rapping At the Chamber Door…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and Halloween shenanigans. Until then, stay safe, stay driving extra safely on Halloween and take a car service if you’re drinking, and stay being happy if you have a friend who tells you the truth.

Oct24

October 23, 2023 – Tracy Demands Lucy Rehire Sasha, Third Time Guests On Deck & Season

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook meets Lois at the MetroCourt, walking to the table with her face buried in her phone. She tells Lois that she’s just sending one… last… text, and Lois asks what that’s about. Brook says, she’s about to sign a very important client, and Lois gasps, telling her, congratulations. Brook says, let her reiterate, she’s about to; she hasn’t signed them yet. Lois says, but she will, and Brook says she doesn’t think she can breathe easy until she signs this contract. Lois says she’s so proud of Brook, and wonders if she can ask Brook a question. Is she happy being back in the music business? Brook says, yes, of course (🍷). She should have never left. Lois says, not everybody agrees.

At another table, Mac and Doc hug, and Mac says, it’s good to have him back. Doc says, it’s good to be back in Port Charles. He understands Mac had his hands full as acting Police Commissioner. Mac says, it’s been a lot. There was one case, or one perp in particular, that really got to him.

Cody knocks on Sam’s door, and Sam tells him, Dante’s not here right now, but he says he’s actually here to see her. She says, in that case, come in. What a nice surprise. He says, in that case, be prepared to be even more surprised. She asks, what’s going on? and he says, for the first time, he’s actually not here to ask her a favor. He’s just here to say, thank you.

Maxie and Lucy walk into Lucy’s office to find Tracy looking through a folder at Lucy’s desk. Lucy asks what she’s doing here, and Tracy says she thought all high-level, hardworking executives took lunch at their desks. Lucy says, actually, it was a working lunch. They were discussing what a pain in the rear new shareholder they have. Tracy asks if she means her boss, and Lucy says, yes, obtained through blackmail and a hostile takeover. So what is it she wants? Maxie tells Tracy, what Lucy is trying to say is, what can they do for her? and Tracy says she doesn’t have to remind them that she owns 51% of this company, and as such she expects to be informed of all major decisions before they happen. Maxie says, such as? and Tracy says, changing the Face of Deception.

Sasha looks at a photo of her and Brando, holds it to her chest, and sighs. She puts it in bubble wrap and places it in an empty kitchen drawer. There’s a knock at the door, and she opens it to Dante. She asks if he’s here on official business, and he says, yes and no. She asks if he wants to come in, and he says, sure. Thanks. She wonders if she’s in trouble.

At Pozzulo’s Dex tells Sonny that with Spinelli’s help, he was able to track Mason’s car to the side of a cliff, where he was about to throw Ava over the edge. Sonny says, son of a bitch, and Dex says, they exchanged gunfire. Mason was blinded by his headlights, so he was able to get the jump on him. Ava was able to escape during the fighting, but Mason got the advantage and was about to push him over the edge when Dante showed up and put two bullets in his back. Sonny says, and now Dante’s on forced administrative leave for saving Dex’s life. Dex did good. Dex thanks him, and he says, but stopping Mason doesn’t solve the problem. Dex asks, what’s the next step? and Sonny says he didn’t cut his honeymoon short for nothing. They need to stop the man who Mason works for.

Cyrus approaches Portia at the hospital and says, it’s good to see her. She turns and looks at him.

Sonny tells Dex that it was Austin who brought the fabricated Pikeman information that they planted with Betty to someone in Pentenville. Dex says, where Cyrus was an inmate at the time. So that’s who he thinks Austin and Mason are working for? Sonny says he has no doubt, and Dex says, so Cyrus is the one who leaked to the Feds about Sonny’s deal with Pikeman. Sonny says, Cyrus has been trying to remove him since before he was released. He’s always hated Sonny, but he made a big mistake by abducting Ava. Dex asks if Sonny wants to pay him a visit, but Sonny says, not yet. He wants to make sure all his allies stay loyal. There’s a knock at the restaurant door, and Sonny opens it. He says, speak of the devil, and we see Selina is there.

Portia asks what Cyrus is doing here, and he says he’s here to see her. She says she heard about his early release; an abomination of justice, if you ask her, after everything he’s done. He says he’s sorry she feels that way, and she says, let her make one thing clear to him. She can’t stop him from entering the hospital, but one thing’s for damn sure, she can stop him from approaching her or anyone in her family. He says, she has nothing to fear from him, and she says she’s going to get a restraining order to keep him away from her and her daughter. Does he think she’s just going to forget he held them hostage? That he pointed a gun at her daughter? She thinks a judge will agree with her that it’s a pretty damn good case for her to get a restraining order against him. He says, that is all in his past. God has cleansed him of those sins, and the justice system has agreed and forgiven him. He’s here now just to ask forgiveness of her. She says, this is redemption? Is that what this is? Because the fact that he’s approaching her in her place of work is proof she needs a restraining order. He says, she has his deepest regrets for his past actions. He seeks her out now only to apologize.

Brook says, the only person she knows who doesn’t think she should be in the music business is granny. That’s not exactly news. She has mentioned, on multiple occasions, how she thinks Brook should be in a more prestigious business, because after all, according to her, Brook is a Quartermaine. Lois says, she’s also a Cerullo. Don’t forget that. Brook asks, since when does granny’s opinion mean anything to her? and Lois says, it doesn’t. Brook asks, then what’s her point? and Lois says, her point is, Brook might want to care a little more about what her granny thinks, because she’s about to give Brook Deception.

Doc asks, who’s this perp Mac is telling him about? and Mac says, Doc hasn’t told him about his adventure in Europe. Doc says, ah. Evading his question. Mac says, Doc just got back, and he wants to know all about it, and Doc says, when someone evades the question, that usually means it’s important. Mac laughs and says, has he ever told Doc how he hates it when Doc tries to shrink him? and Doc says, yeah, but he also knows Mac very well. If he doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. He’s just saying, if Mac does, he’ll listen. Mac asks how much he’s told Doc about Cody Bell.

Cody says, this is for her, handing Sam a gift bag, and she says, her birthday isn’t until May. He says he knows. He just wants to show her how grateful he is for her helping him and Sasha. She thanks him and says, he didn’t have to do this. He says he knows, but he couldn’t have gotten Sasha out of Ferncliff if it wasn’t for her help. She got him committed, she had a getaway car waiting for them, she arranged for the cabin for them to stay in. It’s just a little present to say, thank you. She says she was happy to help. She just wishes she’d listened to him earlier. Then they could have helped Sasha sooner, and for that, she’s very sorry. He says, she has nothing to be sorry about. She took a leap of faith when she had plenty of reasons not to. She believed in him, and once she did, she went above and beyond to help Sasha. She says, he’s been a really good friend to Sasha. His concern for her was sincere, and his determination to help her was admirable. He says he guesses Sasha doesn’t need his help anymore.

Sasha tells Dante that she doesn’t know what she could be in trouble over. She was cleared of all charges regarding her breakout from Ferncliff. Her lawyers told her that Cody wasn’t going to press any charges against her for stabbing him. Dante says he’s sorry. She’s not facing any charges. He’s not here on official police business. She asks if there’s something else she did wrong, but he says, it’s nothing she did. It’s what she’s about to do.

Lucy says, Tracy has made it clear she’s part owner. What isn’t clear is, one, why would she care if Blaze is the new Face of Deception; and two, what’s she got against poor Blaze; and three… She can’t think of anything. She knows. Why is it any of Tracy’s business? It’s not. Nada. Zilch. Maxie says she thinks what Lucy is wanting to say is, Blaze is a perfect fit for them. She’s already a major recording artist. She’s clearly on the brink of superstardom. She’s got millions of followers on social media, and… Lucy says, thank you. That’s exactly what she’d be saying. Go ahead. Maxie says, younger women idolize her. Older women respect her. She’s the perfect person to uplift Deception, and market them through major demographics. Tracy says, bravo. Maxie should be in sales. She might have even bought it if she cared. She doesn’t care. What she cares about is, her 51% says Sasha Gilmore remains the Face of Deception.

Dante says he knows from Sasha’s police reports and medical records the hell she went through with that Dr. Montague. He’s so sorry she went through all that. She thanks him, and he says he knows it’s not the same, but he went through something about three years ago, and when his hell ended, he wanted to run away from everything and everyone he ever knew. He didn’t want to be associated with his former life because he thought he’d been irreparably changed. And he loves his life, his friends, his family, but at that point in his life, he wanted nothing to do with any of them. He wanted to run as far as he could and never come back. He thinks trauma does that to them; it did it to him. He thinks it’s doing it to Sasha, and he thinks it only makes things worse.

Sam takes out a softball in a display case, and asks Cody, what is this? He says, it’s a softball. It’s signed by… She says, the US Women’s Softball Team. That is so sweet. Thank you so much. He didn’t have to do that. He says, she didn’t have to help him and Sasha, but she did. She thanks him, and he says, Dante’s always talking about what a clutch softball player she is, so he thought she’d appreciate it. She says she does. She thinks this is awesome. She’s going to put it in the family room so they can all share it. He says he loves how they do that. The family room. He bets she and Dante, and the kids all gather together on the weekend and watch movies in there. She says, he’s right; they do. On Sundays, it’s either a movie or sports or a board game. They make it a point to spend time together. They talk about their week or just hang out. He says he used to wonder what that would be like, to be a part of a family, and she asks if he doesn’t wonder anymore. He says, no. He had his chance, and he threw it away.

Portia says she doesn’t want Cyrus’s apology; it’s so meaningless. His remorse is a sham. He should be in prison for the rest of his life, and the fact that he’s free, standing in front of her right now, is a travesty. It’s insane. He says, she has every right to her anger, and she says, don’t patronize her. He says, it breaks his heart that she’s burdened with this resentment. If he could, he would take it from her. She says, now he’s playing games with her. There’s no point in trying to convince her. She knows he’s not a changed man. The people who released him back into society, they may have believed the reformed act, but she doesn’t buy it and she never will. He says he understands, but if she believes nothing else about him, believe this. He is extremely grateful to those who stopped him that night. His sister Laura and the very resourceful Jordan Ashford, and his gratitude also extends to her husband Curtis.

Sonny thanks Selina for coming to see him, and she says she’s always pleased to receive an invitation to meet with him. He asks if she knows Dex, and she says she does. They exchange greetings, and she says, congratulations to Sonny and Nina. She heard they got married on his island. Sonny chuckles, and she asks, how was it? He says, it was great. It was fantastic. Can he clear something up with her? How did she allow his cousin Gladys to run up such a massive gambling debt? And she didn’t even have the courtesy to inform him.

Brook asks if she heard Lois correctly. Tracy’s giving her Deception. Lois asks if she was mumbling, and Brook says, what would give her that idea? Lois says, Tracy herself gave her that idea. She said she wants Brook to be able to provide for herself in case the music business doesn’t work out. Tracy also told her that Lucy and Maxie weren’t using Brook to her fullest potential. That she’s going to agree with Tracy on, because Brook has amazing potential, and if they were taking advantage of her, that’s not okay. Brook says, stop. Tracy blackmailed her and took the company away from them, and Lois is saying that was for her? Lois says, according to Tracy, that’s the truth. She intends to hand over her controlling interest in Deception to Brook. Brook says, come on. Lois believes her?

Mac tells Doc, Cody got himself in trouble saving Sasha Gilmore. He put his neck on the line to save her. Cody not only impressed him, it brought back memories of how he went to similar lengths to save Cody’s mother Dominique. Doc asks if Mac wasn’t involved with Dominique before she was involved with Scotty, when Scotty appears and asks if he just heard his name mentioned.

Lucy tells Tracy, Sasha has been through too much. She’s been through the most horrible, ugly ordeal because of that disgusting Gladys. So the worst thing to do for Sasha is throw her back in the spotlight where she was publicly skewered. Tracy says she’s fully aware of what Sasha has been through, and Lucy says, then Tracy is fully aware Sasha stabbed Cody Bell at the MetroCourt pool. She stabbed someone in public. She can’t have someone who freaks out and tries to hurt somebody. Deception needs a spokesperson that has nothing to do with anything like that. Tracy says, and what about what Sasha needs? She was the face that relaunched this company. Lucy’s beloved Deception was shut down for over a decade. Maxie asks if she can say something, but Lucy and Tracy both say, no. Lucy says she’s just trying to think of Sasha, but Tracy says, no she’s not. If Lucy was thinking of Sasha, she’d reinstate Sasha’s contract. She needs them to look at the big picture. Look at corporate culture. What kind of message would they be sending if they shut out somebody who’s struggling with addiction? What if this job is the very thing that gets Sasha back on her feet? Would Lucy deny her that? Lucy says, wow. She doesn’t know what’s happening here. Tracy says, that’s not surprising, and Maxie says she’s going to say something whether they like it or not. She can’t believe she’s going to say this, but what Tracy is trying to tell them is to have a heart and give Sasha another chance. Tracy says, exactly.

Brook tells Lois, this is classic Tracy. Do something rotten and horrible and claim you did it for altruistic reasons. Lois says, she didn’t fall far from the Edward Quartermaine tree, that is for sure, and Brook says, as soon as Tracy got back to Port Charles, she zeroed in on Deception like a heat seeking missile. She blackmailed Brook into spying for her, which she did to her everlasting regret, and once Tracy had the upper hand, she filed a lawsuit, and basically bullied Lucy and poor Maxie into settling. Lois says, she’s a real piece of work – she’ll give Brook that – but she’s not sure this time Tracy’s being 100% selfish. Brook says, Tracy did all this for Tracy. Don’t be fooled. Any excuse Tracy did this for her is a blatant lie. Lois says she’s not so sure.

Scotty asks if they mind if he joins them, and Mac says, actually… but Scotty says, it’s been a while since the three of them have done any catching up. Doc says he and Mac were right in the middle of catching up, and Scotty says, but they were talking about him. Mac says, they were actually talking about Cody Bell.

Cody tells Sam, what he did was find his biological father and lied to him about being his son. Sam asks if they’re talking about Mac, and he says, good guess. She says, gut instinct, and he guesses that’s why she’s a great P.I. She asks why he lied to Mac.

Sasha says, Dante is right. They reacted similarly to the things that happened to them, but like he said, the circumstances weren’t the same. He had a family to come back to; she doesn’t. Brando’s gone and he’s not coming back. Neither is her baby boy. Her family was taken from her and every bit of her aches for them. He says he can’t even imagine. He’s sorry. She says she really tried like hell to carry on. She went on with her day-to-day activities, even though she was still grieving and in pain, and honestly, she thought she was doing okay. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), Cody said she was going pretty good before Montague started giving her those drugs, and she says she thought she was doing all right, but now she’s not so sure.

Cyrus tells Portia, Curtis was a hero that night, and he was deeply sorry to hear that he’d been injured. And it must be frightening to know he’s no longer capable of protecting her the way he once could. She says she’s going to need him to get the hell away from her, and she swears, if he approaches her or anyone she loves, she’s calling the cops. She’ll have him thrown back in prison where he belongs. She walks away and leans against the wall. She flashes back to coming into her house and finding Cyrus there, and cries.

Selina tells Sonny, Gladys was, as they say, an enthusiastic player, one they never turn away, even from the best players. Sadly, she lost more often than she won, but Gladys assured her she would do good on her debts. Even though she was slow on her payment, the money always arrived. So she saw no reason to doubt Gladys, or to bother him with it. He says he’s going to stop her right there, because the next thing she says might have lasting repercussions. In their business, does she know how to distinguish between allies and enemies? She says, of course (🍷) she does, and he says, enemies lie and allies deal in honesty. So before she opens her mouth, she needs to decide which one she wants to be.

Scotty tells Mac, if it was up to him, he’d slap this city with a huge civil lawsuit; a litany of charges. Cody would be singing his way to the bank. Mac says, Scotty would be singing his way to the bank, and Scotty admits he would. Doc says, assuming he’d win, how much of those damages would he collect? Scotty says, twenty or thirty percent, but his wallet is already fat. However, Cody has no interest, which seems a little weird. Mac says, why? Scotty said himself, Cody is a forgiving soul. Scotty says, but just a few months ago, Cody was willing to sue the WSB for all that stuff that went on in Greenland. He just wonders what happened.

Lois says, in Tracy’s twisted way, she thinks Tracy wants to do this for Brook. She’s afraid Brook isn’t going to be able to make a living as a music manager. She wants to make sure Brook can support herself in a way she deems acceptable. Brook says, Tracy won’t be happy regardless of what she does, but Lois says she doesn’t know. Honestly, Tracy seems to be really happy for Brook and Chase. She even claims to be the one who brought them back together in the first place. And in true Q fashion, she doesn’t want Brook living on a cop’s salary. Brook says, right. So Tracy’s solution to her financial problems is to blackmail her own granddaughter and rob Lucy and Maxie of their dream.

Lucy says, let her try and get this straight. She, Tracy Angelica Quartermaine, after deviously stealing their 51% of the company and taking her precious 1% of ELQ, expects them to believe she has compassion for Sasha. She expects them to believe she wants to give Sasha another chance. What’s in it for her? Tracy says, nothing, and Lucy says, oh poo. She’s not buying it. Tracy says, it’s the right thing to do, and Lucy tells Maxie, it’s freaky Friday. Maxie asks, if there’s nothing in it for Tracy, why is it so important Sasha get her job back? Tracy says, because they’re all businesswomen here, and should be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down, and Lucy says, what? Tracy tore them completely down.

Selina says her alliance with Sonny is vital to her interests, and he says, then explain to him what happened with his cousin Gladys. Selina says, when Gladys lost, she extended her line of credit. When the time came to pay, Gladys had lost more, and she didn’t have the money and couldn’t pay. She told Selina that she had access to Sasha Gilmore’s money through a guardianship, but she couldn’t withdraw too much at once. That’s when Gladys sold her Brando’s garage at below market value. Sonny says he’s surprised. Didn’t it ever occur to her to inform him, her ally in this situation? If he was the suspicious type, he would think maybe she was trying to get information or leverage on him. And if that were the case, they would have a big problem.

Cody tells Sam that he had the DNA test in his hand at GH, but instead of telling Mac the truth, he lied to Mac. Mac found the test on the floor at the Q stables, and he got it out of Mac’s hands before he knew what it was. That was his second chance to come clean, but instead, he lied again right to Mac’s face. Sam asks, why? and he says he doesn’t know. He told himself that he was going for the money, but he thinks Mac is too good of a guy to be saddled with a son like him. She says, it’s not too late to tell Mac that he’s his son, but he says he’s lied repeatedly to Mac’s face. Any chance or hope of him earning Mac’s trust is gone. Mac’s got a great wife and a happy life; Mac doesn’t need him as a son. She says she’s assuming Dante knows all this, and Cody says, he’s known for a while. He’s sorry. He never should have asked Dante to keep a secret like that. That’s why he’s telling her now. After everything she did for him and Sasha, she deserves to know the truth. She asks if anyone else knows he’s Mac’s son, and he says, one other person; Sasha knows.

Sasha says, maybe Dante is right. Maybe she’s running away, but honestly, can he really blame her for not wanting to live in a place where everywhere she turns there’s a constant reminder of what she’s lost or a mistake she’s made? Sometimes the pain is just too much. He says, to be clear, he doesn’t blame her for anything. Do what’s best for herself. He just wants her to know there are people here who love her and can help her heal from the trauma she’s suffered. Michael, Willow, Chase, Maxie, Nina. Plus, she’s got some new friends – him and Sam and Cody – who will really miss her.

Tracy says, Brook told her that Sasha’s been through hell, and Lucy says, she and Maxie are aware of everything Sasha’s been through. She doesn’t have to remind them. Tracy says, apparently, she does. Look at what’s been done to her. She deserves a break. Where is Lucys’ empathy? Lucy says, empathy. Does Tracy even know what that word means? Tracy says she does, and she demands they give Sasha a break. Lucy says, demand, and Tracy repeats, demand. Maxie tells Tracy that she’s right. A lot of terrible things have happened to Sasha because she trusted the wrong people. We know a little something about that, don’t we, Lucy? She loves Sasha and would hate it if she wasn’t there when Sasha needed her. Lucy says, they all agreed, but Tracy says, they have not all agreed. Lucy says, well, Sasha’s out of town. Gone. So case closed. Tracy says, that’s what phones are for. Pick it up. Call her. Tell her that Deception has decided to reinstate her contract. And do it today. She leaves, and Maxie keeps Lucy from following her.

Selina says she doesn’t seek leverage over Sonny. In retrospect, her actions were ill-advised, and she regrets that. She also regrets letting Gladys join her poker game, and having done so, she agrees with him. She owed it to him, her ally, to apprise him of the situation as it unfolded. Sonny glances at Dex and says he’s glad they’re on the same page. She says, he’s been a good business partner, and she wants to continue that relationship in the future. How can she make almonds amends? He says he’s sure she’s heard Cyrus is once again free, and she says she’s aware.

Dex walks Selina out of the restaurant.

Mac tells Scotty that Cody was arrested after he broke out of Ferncliff and allegedly kidnapped Sasha Gilmore. The charges were dropped, and the paperwork filed away. He’s guessing Cody doesn’t want to bring it back out into the light of day and Sasha to get involved. He’s very protective of her. Doc says, or Cody simply developed a conscience. He apologizes to Scotty. He knows that’s not a word he’s familiar with. Scotty says he’s got a conscience, and Cyrus says, excuse him, but he’d like to have a word with his attorney Mr. Baldwin.

Lois tells Brook, don’t think for one single minute she’s here defending Tracy. She doesn’t agree with anything Tracy’s done on any level. Brook says, good. For a second, she thought hell froze over. Lois says, hold on a second because hell might get a little chilly, because she does believe Tracy is sincere when she says she’s going to hand over her controlling interest in Deception to Brook. Brook says, Tracy can be as sincere as she wants, because there’s no way in hell she will ever accept that company.

Dante says, whatever it is, whatever decision Sasha makes, he wishes her only the best. He just didn’t want her leaving town without knowing how much she’s loved and how much she’ll be missed. She thanks him, and says, it means a lot. He heads for the door, then says, Brando was family, which makes them family. And if there’s one thing he learned from his mother and his father, it’s that family is everything. Take care, and if she needs anything, let him know. He leaves, and she sits down and sighs.

Sam says, it doesn’t surprise her at all that Cody would trust Sasha with the secret that he’s Mac’s son. They did form a close bond when he broke Sasha out of Ferncliff. He says, not that any of that matters anymore, and she asks why it doesn’t matter. He says, Sasha’s leaving Port Charles, and she says, since when? He says he stopped by her place yesterday and found her packing, and Sam asks if he tried to talk her out of it. He says he tried and he failed. Sasha said the movers were coming this morning, so she’s probably gone already.

Shoving gummies in her mouth, Lucy asks what Maxie thinks that was all about, but Maxie says, no clue. Lucy says, that woman is up to something, mark my words. She is always up to something, and the only thing she does anything for is to benefit her shady bank account. What could it be? Maxie says she really has no idea, but she has to be honest. She kind of liked what Tracy was saying. It would be nice to work with Sasha again. Lucy says, she might be right. Maybe Sasha could change her mind and not stay in Austin. After all, those fabulous winter coats she has that they love, she can’t wear those in Texas. Maxie says, they’re getting a little ahead of themselves. What if she doesn’t accept the offer? Maxie inhales sharply and says, what if she does? What are they going to tell Blaze?

Brook tells Lois that she’s committed to her music career, and she doesn’t care if Tracy doesn’t have faith she’ll succeed. She has faith in herself, and Lois is the one who always told her that’s all she needs. Lois says, that’s the Cerullo fire, and Brook says, even if she fails, she’d rather get a job waiting tables at Kelly’s then let granny give her a stolen company. She’s going to tell Tracy that right now. Lois says, hold her roll for a second. Because as much satisfaction as it would give Brook to throw that gift right back in Tracy’s face, she thinks she has a better way to handle it.

Scotty suggests he and Cyrus talk in private and steers him away from the main dining room. He thinks Cyrus might be a little confused; he’s not on retainer. Cyrus paid him a chunk of money to take care of him at the hearing, but that’s the end story. He makes a dusting off motion with his hands and says, case closed, but Cyrus says, their story isn’t finished yet. Scotty was remarkable at the hearing, and he might have use of Scotty’s brilliant legal mind again.

At the table, Doc says, so much for Scotty’s conscience, and Mac says he wishes Scotty had stuck to chasing ambulances and defending Cody. Helping Cyrus Renault won’t end well. He’s sure of it.

Sonny asks Dex, any updates on their people watching Cyrus? and Dex says, he paid a visit to GH today. He was spotted talking to Dr. Robinson. Sonny says, Trina’s mother? and Dex says, when he left GH, he went straight to the MetroCourt restaurant. Dex told their people not to take their eyes off him, and report back with any updates. Sonny says, Miss Wu has agreed to put eyes on Cyrus as well. So with her network and his, Cyrus is not going to make a move without him knowing. Dex says, so he’s under 24-hour surveillance, and Sonny says, she’s going to notify him as far as who Cyrus is interacting with, his associates or whatever. If he tries any overture to Selina, she’ll notify him immediately. Dex asks if they can trust her, but Sonny says, the only thing he trusts is that Selina will serve her own business interests. That’s why he has to keep her close.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Lois, if Tracy’s offer comes up, she’ll regret it; Curtis asks if Portia wants to tell him what’s going on; Laura needs to talk to Scotty now; and Martin says, there’s something Michael needs to know before he pulls the trigger.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Tumi is exhausted and Natalya chants, namaste, while doing laundry. The guests pack, and Captain Sandy tells Haleigh and Max to slow down and communicate. In Haleigh’s interview, she says, it’s only her second time docking. Max yapping while she’s trying figure it out is wasting time. The guests take last minute pictures, and Max tells Luka that he thinks Haleigh is playing a game of ego. The crew says goodbye to the guests, and there are lots of hugs. Primary Mecca says, they’re an amazing crew. They travel a lot, and this is one of their best trips. They had a few hiccups with Chef Jack, but he made the best jerk lobster she’s ever had, and she wants to take Tumi home for real. The crew applauds, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, as usual, the guests don’t know what went on behind the scenes. The fact that they didn’t pick up on the chaos is very good. The crew does some cleaning, while Max does push-ups using the banister. The captain calls the crew for the tip meeting, and tells them, when they first started, she told them that she has to earn their respect and trust, but they have to do it too. They need to respect the position and the workplace. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s a professional setting and she hired professionals. She expects them to be professional. The argument that happened can never happen again. If they don’t work it out, she’ll have to make a decision. The tip is a whopping $26K, $2000 per person. In Tumi’s interview, she says, it was a difficult charter, but the tip makes it hurt less. It’s not mo’ money mo’ problems. She’s not Biggie; she’s Tumi.  Kyle wants to have a good time tonight and asks Natalya how old her boyfriend is. She says, 31, and he says, that’s a good age, so why is she going for a 21-year-old? In Natalya’s interview, she says she might like Luka, but it makes her feel like she’s cheating. Her mind feels like a scrambled egg. No comment. Her boyfriend texts that she can do what she wants, but he hopes it doesn’t hurt him, and she texts back that she misses him too. In Lara’s interview, she says, Natalya has eyes for Luka, but he can’t give Natalya what she can. She wants to pull Natalya’s hair and smack her… She’s joking, but she’s not joking. I want to pull Natalya’s hair and smack her too, but not for the same reason. They go to a restaurant, and the women admire Luka’s tattoos. In his interview, Luka says, the monarch butterfly was his grandmother’s favorite, and the butterfly tattoos are a hit with the ladies. Max pours wine for the women, and says, in France, a woman never pours a drink. His mother would kill him if he let them. Jessika says, she’s three drinks in. Is she f***ed up? She thought it was going to be a low tip, and Tumi says, it can go two ways; you can be shocked by a low tip or a big one. In Kyle’s interview, he says, hold on. Did everyone start to get along? He’s traumatized. On the way out, Lara picks up Natalya, and Kyle yells, gay pride! They go to a club, drink some more, and dance. Jack says he’s like Michael Jackson reincarnated, which is doubtful. Everyone is spinning everyone around, and Natalya wonders if she’s in an open relationship. She asks Tumi if they can hit refresh, and Tumi agrees. Kyle says he’s done and dusted, and in Tumi’s interview, she says it’s not what she was expecting. She wants to trust and believe, but thinks it’s tequila.

Haleigh says she’s sorry that she told Max to shut up and they hug. Jessika says her tummy hurts, and they go back to the boat. Kyle says he’s voting for the drunkest, and it’s Jessika. Everyone gets into the hot tub except Jessika and Haleigh, and Lara kisses Luka. In Lara’s interview, she says she loves kissing. It’s drunk fun, but kissing Luka is like kissing her brother, and incest is not what she’s going for. Jessika says she wants to throw up and go to bed. She gets sick in the bathroom, and Haleigh helps her into bed. Tumi tells Natalya that she’d said they were alike and that might be the problem, and Natalya says, they’ve had a breakthrough. Luka follows Natalya to the cabins, and in her interview, she says she wants to kiss him, but doesn’t want to hurt her boyfriend’s feelings. They say goodnight, and Natalya says, chill out, bro.

At 7 am, Luka says, time to work, and Natalya gets a text from her boyfriend, who says he hopes she didn’t get too crazy. Jessika says she thinks she has an infection in her throat, and Natalya tells Kyle that they’ll do cabins and talk sh*t. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s glad Natalya and Tumi made up, and we flash back to their argument. He says, he’s not happy about Natalya using his name. Revealing Tumi’s message to her was an act of friendship, not to weaponize him against other people. There’s only room for one gossip, and it’s him, the Tea Queen. Luka tells Max not to dump the dirty mop water over the side of the boat, but he does it anyway, and Lara says, he doesn’t get it. Captain Sandy calls for a preference sheet meeting, and Lara tells Luka, the new deckhand is a f***ing idiot.

Captain Sandy asks if anybody knows who Roy Orbison is and sings a few bars of Pretty Woman. No one recognizes the name, but they all know the song. She says, his son is the primary, and it’s the family’s third charter with her. We flash back, and she says, he’s bringing his wife Asa, their sons and new baby Love, and his younger brother and sister-in-law. His brother was a crew member on Jackass. In Jack’s interview, he says he loves Jackass, which is no surprise. Tumi reads that they want a highchair and bassinette, and Jack says, they want vegetarian and Italian food. They’ve also requested the captain join them for an Italian dinner. Luka says, they want to do water sports, and the captain says, they like to have fun and the forecast is great. Afterward, Jack says he and Tumi have been to hell and back, and Tumi says she thinks they’re fine now. She’ll always have his back. In her interview, she says, it’s great that Jack is finally giving her a chance. In Luka’s interview, he says he’s thinking of making Lara lead deckhand. She deserves it. He’s also thinking Max is definitely his first managerial challenge. Hopefully, Lara shows Max what it should be like. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s thinking positive vibes. She wants to maintain peace and love this charter. Jessika tells the captain that she feels like sh*t. She’s been vomiting and her throat is sore. Captain Sandy says she’s backing away and asks if Jessika wants to see a doctor. Jessika says she does, and the captain says, there’s no doctor open on Sunday, but she can go to the ER. Jessika says she’d like to, and in the captain’s interview, she says, knowing Jessika is sick, you never know what it is. She doesn’t want the crew getting infected and needs to get her off the vessel to see a doctor. Jessika tells Haleigh that she’s going to the hospital, and Captain Sandy radios that she got Jessika car service. In her interview, Tumi wonders, does this get any easier? It’s good she’s getting along with Natalya because now she needs her.

Molo Vecchio Marina. Provisions come in, and Max does pushups on a railing. Luka tells him, if he bends those, they won’t be able to get them back. He tells Captain Sandy about wanting to make Lara lead deckhand. He thinks she’s earned it. In her interview, Captain Sandy says she’s glad Luka is thinking like a leader. He’s thinking about the advancement of his team, and she loves that he has that mentality. Luka radios Lara to come to the sun deck, and she asks, what’s wrong? Is she in trouble? He says he thinks so, then laughs and says, she’s smashing it. He wants to make her lead deckhand. She cries, and he says he thinks he’s f***ing smashing it. She hugs him, and in Lara’s interview, she says, wow. She was taken aback. It’s her dream. She has a goal board and that’s on it. She’s lived a rocky life and was the crazy horse. She can’t believe her dreams are literally coming true. She tells Luka that she’s his righthand man. There’s a pre-charter meeting, and the captain says, there are going to be a lot of kids, which she knows makes it harder for the deck crew, but they want to show the guests a good time. She tells the crew that they have news, and passes the ball to Luka, who congratulates Lara on her promotion. Everyone applauds, and Kyle says, it’s well-deserved. Captain Sandy congratulates Lara, and says, let’s kill it. Natalya says she can’t wait to hold a baby, and Lara says she can’t think of anything worse.

The guests arrive, and the captain says she’s happy they’ve come back. They’re going to make it an incredible trip. In Max’s interview, he says, Lara’s promotion is going to boost her ego, and he’s concerned Luka created a Frankenstein. Now that she has power, he hopes there’s a good person inside. I guess actually working isn’t an option. They move out, and Natalya takes the kids to the salon, where they chase around with Kyle. In Tumi’s interview, she says she loves seeing Natalya enjoying herself. She’s been an au pair and it’s not easy. They locked her in the garage, threw an iPad in her face while she was driving, and told her to go back to Africa. They were an African American family and she told them to take Africa out of it. All Black people aren’t from there. Anchor is dropped, and in Lara’s interview, she says she knows Luka would appreciate her getting Max to pull his weight. It would show she’s taking it seriously and wants to do a good job. Max swings on the crane for the slide, and the water toys are set up. In his interview, Max says he could never hold a job when he was younger because no one ever told him what to do. His parents said, take care of yourself, and it’s been the challenge of his life. There’s no news on Jessika yet, and Max tells Luka that he needs a break. Luka says, they’re f***ing busy, and in his interview, he says he doesn’t think Max realizes that some days you don’t get a break. He explains to Max that they might not get a break some days. When they can, they will. Man-child Max says, like December.

The captain joins the guests for dinner, as the deckhands put away the water toys. Captain Sandy wonders about guest Ehren’s stunt work, and he says he prepares himself to die six months before the job. He broke his neck twice on Jackass 2, and ruptured a testicle. This is real stuff. In Natalya’s interview, she says, they’re down a person, but the guests never knew it. All of them have chief stew experience, and as long as they’re not fighting, they’re living the dream. Dinner is served, and… food porn! Lara tells Max to bring in the jet ski, and it swings by the deck where the guests are having dinner. The captain tells Tumi, Jack’s flavors are incredible. Tumi relays the message to Jack and they high-five. The crane is swinging like crazy, and Captain Sandy tells the guests to keep back. In Luka’s interview, he says, the weather is getting rough, and they need the tender on board asap. The tender swings way too close to the yacht, and in Lara’s interview, she says, it’s a big f***ing tender. If it hits you, you will die.  

The captain tells the deckhands to tighten the lines, and they get the tender onboard. Captain Sandy tells them, it was too windy during dinner, and they have to check with her first. In her interview, she says, Luka is in work mode and not thinking about the client. This is where he needs to figure out a balance between being bosun and thinking about the guests. Let dinner finish, then bring on the tender. But she knows he’ll never do it again. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s extremely surprised the guests aren’t demanding. They have musicians and the guy from Jackass onboard. Where’s the chaos? She’s disappointed; she loves chaos. Her skills at problem solving bring order to chaos and she loves it, just like her men. The guests go to bed and it’s not even midnight. Ehren says he’s had 27 surgeries and is confused on the relaxation stuff. In his interview, Max says he wants more breaks because he’s working hard. Natalya flirts with Luka, and then calls her boyfriend, who has a bunch of people over. Natalya asks if they’re boys or girls, since no one has told her, at 31, we are not boys and girls. Her boyfriend says, Brody and five girls, and she tells him that she’ll call back. In her interview, she says, yesterday he told her that he didn’t want to influence her. Do what do want she wants, but don’t hurt him. It’s a mean world, so WTF, bro? She thinks he’s probably dipping his doodle in five bitches at once.

Sestri Levante. Natalya takes baby Love, and Lara helps with the slide. Ehren comes to breakfast in his colorful PJs. Max is late because he’s sleeping, and in Luka’s interview, he says he’s frustrated with Max. He’s given Max enough sleep. He’s a quiet person and quite calm, but when he does go off, he goes off, and he’s getting closer. Jessika texts the captain that she should be ready next charter, and Kyle says, Jessika is probably off living her best life. Breakfast is served along with… food porn! Lara tries to instruct Max about tying the lines, and in his interview, Max says, speak to him nicely with a violin. Don’t play with dynamite. If he if he explodes, it’s not good. Max asks how many years of experience Lara has, and she says, three and a half, but it doesn’t matter. Max says he knows sh*t, but he doesn’t. Max whines that last time, the communication was wrong, and in Lara’s interview, she wonders, what’s his goal? She tells him that his attitude stinks, and Max says he can already do knots. Captain Sandy wonders if they’re arguing, and Luka asks what they’re saying. In the captain’s interview, she says, communication has to be clear and concise; it’s a safety issue. She tells Max, arguing is not okay.  

Next time, a pirate game; Tumi says, if Kyle is talking sh*t about Natalya, he’s probably talking sh*t about her; and Luka can’t find Max.

☠️ Not Fearing the Reaper…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and snide comments about the awful people in Winter House. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering it’s the live ones you have to worry about, and stay never doing something rotten and horrible, and claiming you did it for altruistic reasons.

Oct17

October 16, 2023 – Michael Summons Martin To His Office, Natalya Is an Awful Person On Deck & Street

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Puerto Rico. Nina and Sonny have dinner with Kristina, and she says she has never seen a little girl so wholeheartedly embrace her duties to keep the groom away from the bride on the wedding day. Sonny says, Donna was so determined; did they see her face? Nina says, she was perfect; the whole day was perfect. She’s just sorry Michael, Willow, and Wiley had to leave so soon after the ceremony. Although she gets it. Michael had business back in Port Charles. Kristina says, that’s Michael. Always working on something, right?

Willow carries Amelia into the gatehouse and says, mommy and daddy missed her. Wiley says, Amelia missed the wedding since she’s still a baby, but it was fun. Now Grandma Nina is a grandma twice. Willow asks what he means, and he says, she was his grandma before the wedding; now she’s his grandma again because she married grandpa. Willow looks over at Michael, who’s busy on his phone.

Sam comes into Kelly’s and Carly hugs her, saying, this is such a nice surprise. Is she meeting Dante here for dinner? Sam says, he’s at work, and asks how Drew is doing. Carly says, he’s out of ICU. He’s doing good. Sam says, he doesn’t want Scout to visit him at the hospital, but she misses him. Carly says, he really wants to see her too, but not like this. It’s bad. She asks Sam to take a seat, but Sam says she’s actually not here for food; she’s here for Carly. She hasn’t seen Carly much in the past couple of weeks and wanted to see how she’s doing. She knows what’s going on. Carly asks what she means, and Sam says, Dante told her that Sonny and Nina eloped in Puerto Rico. Carly says, oh that, and Sam says, this can’t be easy on her. How is she doing? Is she okay? Carly says, no, she’s not. Somebody really needs to tell these people what the word elope means.

Lucy sits with Maxie and Blaze at the MetroCourt, and tells Blaze, this will give her whole new level of exposure with the relaunch of The Deceptor and a new line of their anti-aging gels. Maxie says, of course (🍷) not for Blaze; her skin is flawless. Lucy says, it’s absolutely perfect, just gorgeous, but they also have this new lipliner that is so lush that has vitamin C in it. Blaze could actually name the colors. And they have this wonderful new mascara in development, waterproof. You can actually swim in it. Maxie says, it’s a very exciting time at Deception, and Blaze says, and all products are cruelty-free? Lucy says, of course (🍷), cruelty-free, of course (🍷). She loves animals. She had a duck. Blaze says, really? and Lucy says, Sigmond. Maxie asks what she thinks, and Blaze tells them, she’d have to say she’s flattered, even if a bit surprised. Lucy says, so is that a yes? Of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to toot her own horn… Maxie says, watch out. Here comes some tooting. Lucy tells Blaze, all she’s saying is, her instincts are never ever wrong, and her instincts are yelling at the top of their lungs to say, Blaze is a perfect fit to be the New Face of Deception.

On the phone as she packs, Sasha says she understands. She’ll be ready. She lingers over a photo of her and Brando that she’s putting in bubble wrap, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens the door to Cody, who asks, what’s with all the boxes? Is she planning on leaving Port Charles? She says, yes, and he says he doesn’t understand. She just got her life back and she’s going to walk away from it?

Blaze says, the last Face of Deception generated a lot of negative publicity. She’s concerned about attaching herself to that legacy. Maxie says, Sasha does have a troubled past, but there were some extenuating circumstances, and Blaze says, of course (🍷) she’s sorry for what Sasha went through. Lucy says, of course (🍷). So are they, but just because they’re looking for the new Face of Deception, it doesn’t reflect on Sasha at all. Come to think of it, any classic cosmetics company, a lot of them change spokesmodels often. Maxie says, true, and Lucy says, look at Fusion. They change theirs more than RuPaul changes wigs. Maxie says, it’s time for Deception to go in a new direction, and Lucy says, they really do think Blaze is the perfect fit because she’s already a known brand through her music. Maxie says, she’d be working with a successful company in the cosmetics industry, and they’d get access to her celebrity and the millions of fans who love her music. Lucy asks, so what does she say? and Blaze says she thanks them both, and they’ve given her a lot to think about. Lucy says she doesn’t mean to be pushy, but they need to know by the end of the week, and Blaze says, not a problem. She’ll have her manager contact them by the end of the week. Now if they’ll excuse her, she’s got a plane to catch. She leaves, and Maxie says she thinks that went well, but doesn’t Lucy think they’re kind of putting the cart before the horse here? Lucy says, how so? and Maxie asks if she doesn’t think they should have given Sasha some warning before they offered her job to someone else.

Sasha invites Cody in, and says she’s really glad he stopped by. He says, really? Because it sure looks like she was planning on leaving town without saying goodbye to him. She says she’s sorry. She got caught up in packing after she decided to go. He asks why she’s leaving, and she says, because everywhere she turns in this town reminds her of the mistakes she’s made or a person she let take advantage of her. It’s too painful for her to live in Port Charles. She worried that if she stays here, she might get dragged back down again. She feels like she needs to start over someplace new. He asks where she’s going, and she says, Austin (I assume she means the city, not the guy), and he says, Austin, Texas? She nods, and he asks if she knows people there, friends or family? She says, no. She’ll meet people. She’ll make friends. He says, friends like Nina and Maxie? Michael and Willow? Friends like him?

Sam tells Carly that she’s sorry. She probably shouldn’t have brought up Sonny’s wedding. It must be a raw subject for her. Carly says she’s okay… and not okay. It doesn’t mean she hasn’t moved past Sonny, because she has. She’s with Drew and he makes her so happy, and her life is good, and it’s only going to get better when Drew gets out of prison. But she can’t say marrying Sonny doesn’t… It stings.

Sasha says she doesn’t think she’ll meet someone like Cody ever again, and he says, of course (🍷) not. So why is she leaving town? She says, because she’s lost. Ever since she came to Port Charles, it’s been one mistake after another. Starting with working with Valentin to convince Nina that she was her long-lost daughter. Then she got involved with Cyrus Renault who got her hooked on drugs. (Oh no. She got herself hooked on drugs before she met him.) Finally, she trusted Gladys, who took advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable. She doesn’t know why she keeps making these epic mistakes; putting her trust in the wrong people. He says he thinks he might know.

Lucy tells Maxie, Sasha didn’t deserve any of those bad things that happened to her, they know that. But even if they replace her as the Face of Deception, she’s still going to be a shareholder. She’s still a partner in the company. It’s just that, for the good of Deception, they need a fresh face, one that the customers don’t associate with all those public meltdowns. And she thinks Blaze is perfect to take them in a completely new direction and ultimately, that is going to benefit Sasha too. Maxie says, from a business perspective, she totally gets where Lucy is coming from, but she wishes there was another way. Martin approaches the table and says, another way to what? He kisses Lucy and asks, what’s with the long faces? What’s going on? Maxie says, Deception business, when her phone dings. She says she got an SOS from her mom and her mom is watching her kids. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Martin sits down, asking, what’s all that about? Lucy says, sometimes the beauty business is anything but glamorous.

Kristina says she knows it was Sonny’s idea to elope, but what was it? What wedding planning moment pushed him over the edge? Was it the thought of a huge 100 person plus wedding, or was it just that they didn’t want to wait a year to be husband and wife? Sonny says he always wanted Nina to have whatever wedding she wanted to have; whatever made her happy. Then he started thinking, why do they have to have a special event? Why can’t they just go to his island, because he loves his island and the staff will take care of everything. Kristina asks, what about Nina? How hard did her father have to persuade Nina to abandon the wedding she was planning, all the guests and everything, and elope? Nina says she caved in less than a minute, and they laugh.

Willow says she didn’t expect Amelia to fall asleep so fast. She thought Amelia would want to stay up with them since they’ve been gone. Michael says, Wiley is so content playing in his room. He loves that toy jet. She says she can’t believe he’s already asking to fly back to grandpa and grandma’s island tomorrow, and Michael says, they’ll see what happens when he finishes his business. She says, of course () she’s happy to be home and be with Amelia, but she’s sorry they had to leave Puerto Rico early; it’s just so peaceful and beautiful there. And she’s disappointed they couldn’t take Wiley to the ocean. She thinks he would have loved to walk on the beach. He promises they’ll go back soon again, and she says, maybe they can coordinate with Sonny and Nina, make it another family trip. But he says he’s too busy planning the ruin of everyone’s lives for that.

Nina says, when Kristina’s dad first pitched the idea of eloping, it took her a second, but she thought, why not? It seems very intimate. And then she said yes, and then she saw Kristina and Michael and Willow and Wiley and Donna, she was blindsided, but in the best possible way. Kristina says, this was an awesome surprise. Not just having her show up, but getting Carly’s permission to have Donna there, and Michael and Willow and Wiley. Sonny has some epic powers of persuasion. He says he does what he can, and she says, he never gave up on Michael, no matter how long Michael gave him the cold shoulder. He says, Michael had a lot of anger, but he let go of it and left the decision up to Willow whether they would come to the wedding. Nina says, and her daughter chose to come to the wedding, which is a turning point for her and Willow. And she owes it all to Sonny.

Michael promises Willow that she and the kids will go back to the island, and if Sonny and Nina want to join them, that’s great. He really wants to show her and Wiley around the island. He thinks Amelia is still a little too young to appreciate it. Willow says, it will still be nice to have her with them. She loves it when the family’s all together. He says, him too. He remembers going there when he was a kid, and those were the happiest times they had as a family while he was growing up. She says, now he wants to pass on that tradition to his own children, and he says he does. He kisses her hand and says he wishes he could stay, but he has to get to this meeting. She says she hopes he does. Otherwise, she and Wiley could be on a beach in Puerto Rico. He never did say who he needed to meet with. He says, some new information fell into his lap, and he just has to confirm it before he takes the next step. She says, sounds important, and he says, if it’s what he thinks it is, it could be a real game changer.

Lucy tells Martin that she feels it’s important for Deception to go in a different direction, especially since the horrible lawsuit has been settled. Time for a fresh start. He says, about that. He can’t tell her how sorry he is. He knows how much it pained her to give up 51% of her company, especially to a person like Tracy Quartermaine. She says, let’s not go with that negative aspect. She can’t help it. It’s a horrible thought and an awful bitter pill to swallow. She has to move on, but she can’t. She’s having a really hard time with this. She doesn’t know how. She just knows she will never ever, ever forgive or forget Tracy. She has to thank karma though, that one day Tracy will get what she deserves, and if she has a chance to push that happening through right away, that’s what she’s going to do. She’s just going to get karma to move Tracy right along. Martin suggests they move to his hotel suite to get a little R&R – room service and relaxation. His phone rings, and he says, perfect timing. Forgive him just a sec. He answers, and Michael says he needs to see Martin in his office right away. Martin says, really? It just so happens he’s in the middle of something. Michael says, it’s in Martin’s best interest. He recently discovered that Martin made a serious mistake, and he’s going to give Martin exactly one chance to make things right. It’s now or never.

Carly thanks Sam for checking on her, and says she really appreciates it, but Sam has so much on her plate. She heard what happened with Sasha. She can’t believe what Gladys did to her. She never trusted that woman ever. Sam says, Sasha is doing as well as can be expected, and Carly says, she’s been through hell. Carly has been in Ferncliff, and it’s your worst nightmare. Sam says she knows and Gladys taking advantage of Sasha’s guardianship is disgusting. She’s glad Sonny ran her out of town. Carly says, she’s lucky that’s all Sonny did, and Sam says she’s sure Sonny made it very clear that Gladys can never set foot in Port Charles again, let alone ever come near Sasha. Carly says, she’d better not. There’s no reason for Gladys Corbin to ever come back to Port Charles. Sam says, Sasha is finally free of Gladys. Thank God.

Cody says he really think Sasha is being too hard on herself. She’s human. Humans make mistakes; hundreds if not thousands a year. If they didn’t, life would be perfect, but it would also be completely boring. Trust him. He knows what he’s talking about. He’s pretty much the king of messing up. He’s made monumental, ginormous mistakes that were selfish and stupid. If there’s a mistake to be made, he’s made it, because he’s made them all. She says, name one, and he says, not going after Gladys sooner, but she says, that doesn’t count. He was protecting her. He says, how about him working for Selina Wu? Not exactly a smart decision. She says, he tried to make some money. Not the best person to get involved with, but still, he tried to do a job. He says, she’s just determined to see the best in him, isn’t she? and she says, that’s because she owes a lot to him. And she really wishes he’d see himself the way she does. Honestly, so far, he hasn’t mentioned any mistakes that were really all that bad. He says, okay then. Here’s a doozy. How about the fact that his biological dad is actually here in Port Charles, and he lied to him, convincing him that he’s not actually his son?

Sasha says, if Cody’s dad lives here in town, why would he lie about it? and Cody says, because he’s an idiot? She tells him not to say that, but he says he doesn’t know how else to describe his decision. When the DNA results came back at GH, he lied right to his dad’s face, when he was holding in his hand the test results that said Mac Scorpio is his biological father. She says, the Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio? and he says, yeah, that’s the one. She says, Maxie’s stepfather? and he says, same guy. She asks, how? and he says, it’s a long story, but essentially, Mac never knew that his mother was pregnant with him. She says, okay, but why not tell him now? and he says, Leopold Taub, his mother’s late husband… He thought if he could prove that he was Taub’s son, he could possibly get a lot of money. It’s not important now. It had something to do with the WSB destroying the Ice Princess necklace, which belonged to Taub. She says, so that’s it? He lied about Mac being his dad because of money? He says, no, that’s not the only reason, and she says, then why? She doesn’t know Mac all that well, but all Maxie ever does is talk about what a great guy he is, and how he’s always been a father figure to her even though he’s not her biological dad. Cody says he knows. That’s the thing. In what world does a grifter like him deserve to have a great dad? Mac is honest, he’s loyal, he’s hardworking, he’s selfless. Not to mention, he’s a cop. Why would he want a troublemaker like Cody as his son? The reality is, he doesn’t deserve to have Mac as a father.

Maxie comes back and asks, where’s Martin? and Lucy says, her Marty always has a full plate. He got an important business call and had to dash. Maxie suggests they get back to the Face of Deception, and Lucy says, okay, but she thought it was all settled. If Blaze gives them the thumbs up, then they do replace Sasha, but she still retains all her shares, which is a win-win for everybody. Maxie says, maybe not, and Lucy asks, what’s the problem? Maxie asks if she forgot about Tracy, and Lucy says, if only she could. Maxie says, whether they like it or not, Tracy owns the majority of Deception. This is kind of a big business decision, so she thinks they need to run it by her. Lucy says she’s not going to bow to that woman. Tracy certainly isn’t the boss of her. She may have 51% of their company, and 1% of Lucy’s precious ELQ, but that doesn’t mean she has to ask Tracy’s permission to make a sound business decision. She doesn’t. Because they need to take Deception into a new direction, starting with a fresh new face. Maxie says, Lucy is kind of acting like this is a done deal. Blaze has not signed a contract yet. She wants to think about it. Lucy says, so? She really does have a good feeling about this, but Maxie says, you know who’s not going to have a good feeling about this? Sasha. She thinks they should tell her. She’s not only their business partner; she’s their friend. Telling her is the right thing to do.

Kristina walks into the chapel with her champagne and looks out at the view. Blaze joins her, and says, fancy meeting you here. Kristina asks, what in the world is she doing here?

Wiley wonders why grandpa and grandma didn’t fly home with them, and Willow says, they had to come back early because his dad had a work emergency, but Grandma Nina and Grandpa Sonny stayed behind because they’re now on their honeymoon. Wiley asks, what’s that? and Willow says, it’s a vacation you take after you get married. He says he doesn’t get it. Why do you need a vacation after you get married? Does it make you that tired? No, kid, but marriage does.

Nina says, it’s beautiful here. She can see why Sonny loves it so much. It’s a perfect place to have a wedding and to spend their honeymoon. He says he loves it here. It’s always been his home away from home. She thanks him for sharing it with her, and he says, she’s his wife now. They share everything; the good, the bad, the happy, the sad. They’re going to share it all.

Martin walks into Michael’s office and says he does not enjoy being summoned. And he likes being threatened even less, so unless Michael knows something he doesn’t, he has no business here, with Michael or Aurora. Michael thanks him for coming and says he assures Martin that he didn’t imply any threat. He’s just telling Martin the truth. Martin says, about what? and Michael says, that Martin made a terrible mistake when he turned Michael’s mother and Drew Cain in to the SEC for insider trading.

Sasha can’t believe Cody would say something like that. Any man would be so proud to call Cody his son, including Mac Scorpio. Look at what he did for her, and that was after she stabbed him. He says, there were extenuating circumstances. She didn’t think she was stabbing him; she thought she was stabbing Cyrus Renault. And that’s just because Gladys and that unethical… Dr. Montague were drugging her. She says, it doesn’t matter. He sacrificed his freedom to help her. He wasn’t afraid to go after Dr. Montague. What he did was so incredibly brave. He says, no. She was the brave one. She went back in that hellhole where they were drugging her against her will. Montague was basically torturing her, and she did all that to stop him. She says, he calls it brave, she calls it desperate. Putting Montague behind bars and freeing herself from Gladys were just things she needed to do in order to get her life back if she was ever going to have one. Now that she does, she needs to start from scratch. He says, someplace else, and she says, yes.

Sonny says he was going to ask Nina about the turquoise bracelet. Is there some significance, because he’s never seen her wear it. She flashes back to Willow giving her the bracelet and telling her that Harmony gave it to her on her 16th birthday. According to Harmony, turquoise is supposed to bring peace, luck, and protection. Nina tells Sonny that he’s right. He hasn’t seen it because it’s brand new, and it’s incredibly significant because it’s a gift from her daughter.

Martin says he has no idea what Michael is talking about. And even if he did, this isn’t a courtroom and Michael certainly isn’t a judge. Forgive him, but he’s under zero obligation as to Michael’s allegation. Michael says, Martin can tap-dance around the issue, but he already knows Martin is the one who contacted the SEC and suggested they investigate Drew and his mom for insider trading. Martin says, regardless of who made the phone call, the simple fact is, Mr. Cain was found guilty. As to why Drew chose to be the fall guy for Michael’s mother, he has no idea. Let’s be honest. She was the real guilty party. If anyone should be in prison… Michael says, his mom made a mistake. She was just trying to help him and Drew, but the merger between ELQ and Aurora never happened. His mom didn’t make any money. Hell, she lost her half of the MetroCourt, so breaking the law didn’t count. In most cases similar to his mom’s, the SEC would have just walked away, but there’s someone behind this case, pushing it to go forward. He knows it wasn’t Martin’s idea to contact the SEC. He was just working on his client’s behalf. His client used him to put maximum damage on Michael’s family; to his mother, Drew’s daughter, Michael’s siblings, his uncle. Martin’s actions caused a lot of pain, a lot of devastation to a lot of people. That’s why he called Martin here, because he’s giving Martin a chance to save himself. He’s giving Martin a chance to make almonds amends.

Willow says, and for dessert, chocolate pudding, one of Wiley’s favorites. Wiley thanks her, and says, Grandpa Sonny and Grandma Nina should have had chocolate pudding at their wedding. Willow says she’s glad he had such a good time at the wedding, and he says, it was really fun. He loves Grandpa Sonny and Grandma Nina so much. She says she’s glad to hear that, and he says, she loves them too, right? She says she loves their whole family.

Kristina says, Blaze is here, right? She only had two glasses of champagne, three now, at her dad’s wedding, so she knows she’s not hallucinating. Blaze says, it’s her, and Kristina asks how she’s even in Puerto Rico. When they were texting earlier, all Blaze said was they should hang out when she was back in Port Charles. Blaze says, it turns out they didn’t have to wait that long to see each other again.

Carly says, when Sam sees Sasha, give Sasha her best, and tell her that if she needs anything, Carly is here for her. Sam says she’s going to see Sasha when she gets out of here, but she wanted to check in on her friend. Carly says she’s glad Sam did. She wants Sam to know, even though Sonny marrying Nina stings, she loves Drew; she adores him. And she’s never going to forget the sacrifice he made for her. It’s really important to her that Sam sees that. Sam says she does, and she knows. They hug, and Sam leaves.

Cody asks when Sasha is leaving, and she says, the movers will be here tomorrow morning. He says, wow. He totally understands her wanting to get a fresh start, but does it really have to be away from Port Charles? Is she absolutely sure about that? There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Maxie. She asks, what’s with the boxes? and Cody says, Sasha’s leaving town. Maxie says, she’s leaving Port Charles? and Sasha says she’s moving to Austin. Maxie asks, what’s in Texas? and Cody says, nothing. And no one. He leaves, and Maxie goes inside. Sasha says, the point is, she needs a fresh start, one that doesn’t hold painful memories. When she goes to GH, all she thinks about is losing her sweet Liam. Whenever she goes to Charlie’s Pub, she forces a smile. She might look happy, but she can’t erase the images in her head. Brando laying on the ground, the rain washing away the blood from his chest. She can still hear herself screaming. Maxie says her heart aches for Sasha because she knows exactly how Sasha feels. When Nathan died, she wanted to run away. She wanted to be anywhere but here. And then she realized what is here, her friends and family who love her. Sasha says, don’t try to talk her out of it. She’s made up her mind.

Maxie says she’s not trying to get Sasha to stay. She just wants Sasha to know she understands the impulse to leave. Sasha needs to do what’s best for herself. Sasha says, honestly, she doesn’t know what’s best for her. These past couple of months, she’s been just living outside of herself, looking down, seeing this broken person locked in a room curled up in a ball, unable to function because of the drugs that monster Montague forced on her. Maxie says, maybe she was trying to detach herself from the horrors of that place, and Sasha says, maybe. She can see clearly again, and all she knows is, she has to get away. Maxie says, of course (🍷) she’ll support Sasha’s decision no matter what that is. She does want Sasha to know Deception won’t be the same without her. Sasha really hopes this doesn’t make things difficult for Maxie and Lucy. She’s so sorry. The last thing she wants to do is… Maxie says, she has nothing to be sorry about, and Sasha thanks her. She’s so glad Maxie stopped by. Why did she stop by? Maxie says she just missed her friend.

Kristina says, Blaze didn’t come here just to see her, and Blaze says, no. Her abuela lives in Puerto Rico, that’s why she’s here. She hates to fly, so Blaze visits her a lot; they’re really close. Kristina says, that’s sweet, and Blaze says, she’s great. She actually used to work at the hotel. Kristina says, really? and Blaze says, Kristina’s dad owns the property, right? Kristina says, yeah. She’s staying here. That’s crazy. What a small world. How did Blaze wind up in the chapel? Blaze says she decided to light a candle for her abuelo and say a prayer. Then she walked in, and there Kristina was. Kristina says, here she is, and Blaze says, must be fate. Kristina says, could be.

Carly flips the sign to Closed at Kelly’s.

Nina says, a shooting star, and Sonny says, she knows what she’s supposed to do when she sees a shooting star, right? She’s supposed to make a wish. She asks how she’s supposed to make a wish when he’s given her everything she’s ever wanted. She’s his wife now; he’s her husband. She loves him so much. He says he loves her too, and she’s changed his life in ways he’s just beginning to understand. She says, happy wedding day, Mr. Corinthos, and he says, happy wedding day, Mrs. Corinthos.

Willow flashes back to congratulating Nina, and Nina telling her that it meant so much she was there.

Martin tells Michael that if he was acting on behalf of a client – and that’s’ a big if – his actions would be covered by attorney/client privilege, which means he couldn’t possibly discuss it. Michael says, of course (🍷). He understands. What kind of attorney would Martin be if he broke that trust? Martin says he’s glad they understand each other, but Michael says, of course (🍷) he’d then have to refer this issue to Sonny, and he’d handle it his way. Martin says he sees no reason to involve Mr. Corinthos. Even if Sonny came to him with the same question, the same privilege would still exist. Michael says, that’s where they disagree, because Martin’s client’s actions harmed Sonny’s family. His client lied to Sonny and continues to lie to him. He thinks Sonny needs to know that. Doesn’t Martin? Sonny doesn’t know Martin is involved and it can remain that way provided Martin tells him the name of who’s actually responsible. Martin says, if he does that, it could ruin his reputation as a lawyer, but Michael says he already knows she’s the one. He just needs Martin to confirm it. That, or he could tell Sonny under much less comfortable circumstances. Martin says, Nina Reeves (b*st*rd!). He called the SEC at Nina Reeves’s direction and suggested they investigate Drew Cain and Carly Spencer for insider trading. Michael thanks him and says he can go now, and Martin asks what he’s going to do. Michael says he appreciates Martin meeting with him, and Martin leaves. Michael messes with his phone, and hears a recording of what Martin just told him. He looks so satisfied, I wish I could smack him.

Tomorrow, Lois asks if Eddie/Ned is calling her a liar; Gregory says he came to settle a score; Cyrus tells Austin that they have some unfinished business; and Josslyn says she has to speak to Dante. It’s a matter of life and death.

Below Deck Mediterranean

The only upside of watching this season will be if Natalya gets the boot. I have no clue why anybody likes her. She belongs in the Awful People Hall of Fame.

Natalya tries to lecture Tumi, who says, goodbye and walks away. Captain Sandy says, they can finally leave the dock, and Natalya gripes to Jessika. In Max’s interview, he says he’s had four years’ yachting experience, but this is his first time with an English operation. The vibe in America and South Africa is go, go, go. You go to work, but you don’t know what’s happening. Natalya tells Jack that she hates Tumi because Tumi has an issue with her, and in Jack’s interview, he says, Tumi and Natalya are fighting, and they need to get it sorted out. If it continues through another charter, it could cause a divide in the crew. It will be like how the Titanic divided, and it didn’t end well for Jack. Luka says, lets smash this, which is probably a poor choice of words when coming or going into a marina. In his interview, Luka says he finally gets to see Max in action. They’re finally leaving the dock, so hopefully, it will be easier. The captain says, they did an excellent job, and primary Mecca shows Tumi how to make a proper mimosa by pouring only champagne into the glass. In her interview, Tumi says, that’s her kind of mimosa. Agreed. In Luka’s interview, he says he loves Lara’s enthusiasm. As a first time bosun, he doesn’t have to tell her what to do, and it makes his job easier. Breakfast orders are taken, and Captain Sandy asks Luka how the deck team is. He says, they’re doing really good, and Lara is great, and the captain tells him, you do you. They proceed to drop anchor in Santa Margharita, and Luka asks if Max is comfortable dealing with the anchor. Breakfast food porn! My favorite kind. Natalya tells Kyle that she’s done. Tumi isn’t listening to her, and she’s been disrespectful from day one. After hearing about her texting Kyle, she could easily come at Tumi. In Kyle’s interview, he says he lives for a good goss, but he’s realizing his involvement made the situation worse. He told Tumi about Natalya, and Tumi sent a text to him saying, even though he and Natalya were mates, Natalya needed to stay in her lane. We flash back to Tumi texting Kyle about Natalya having a diva moment, and Kyle says, he’s good at getting information, but not good at keeping it. He assures Natalya that she’s not going anywhere. The water toys are put out, and one of the guests says, it’s swimming time. Tumi tells Captain Sandy that she’s worried because of Natalya’s constant resistance, and the captain says, that’s not good.

Tumi says, it feels like Natalya didn’t like her when she walked in. She just wants to get the job done. Captain Sandy says, if Tumi needs her, call her, but she thinks it’s hard for people to adjust. She suggests if Tumi approaches with kindness, she’ll win. Tumi says she’s going to have a chat with Natalya, and the captain says, if it doesn’t change, come to her. In her interview, Captain Sandy says, when you’re second stew, everyone loves you, but when you’re chief stew, the love isn’t there. When you lead, you’re not always popular. There are growing pains, but they need figure out how to work together. If it becomes a bigger issue, she’ll have to step in. Natalya tells Jessika that she’s not sorry, and Max does chin-ups. In Max’s interview, he says he’s ADHD, but as a kid, he never took his pills. He made believe he did because when he took them, he was like a zombie. In Tumi’s interview, says, the primary wants to surprise her friends with lunch in a beautiful spot, and she got the Santa Margharita castle. It was built in the 1600s, and used to be the scene of epic miliary raids, but now it’s a great picnic spot. In Jack’s interview, he thinks having Natalya in his ear has colored his perspective. When he and Tumi talk one-on-one, they have a good vibe and could have a working relationship in the future, but it’s hard when people are in his ear, right or wrong. Natalya says, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah about Tumi to Jessika, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, every time she sees Natalya, she has an update on whatever Tumi did wrong. Natalya whines that Tumi never says thank you and came onto the boat with the worst attitude. Oh God, she doesn’t stop. In her interview, Jessika says, note to self, never get on Nat’s bad side. The guests use the water toys, and Luka tells Tumi that it’s time to take the supplies over. In Luka’s interview, he says, the castle overlooks the port and it’s so beautiful, but he wishes it wasn’t so f***ing high. Max is the laziest dude on earth, and watches as the girls carry supplies up a million stairs. Luka radios that he’s bringing the guests and is going to take a deckhand back. Max volunteers and in her interview, Lara says she wants to kick Max in the d*ck. In Max’s interview, he says, it’s the second day and he’s exhausted, and in Lara’s interview, she says, the dynamic on deck had been amazing, but now she’s worried. Laziness annoys the sh*t out of her. Yachting isn’t all fun and games. Work isn’t Max’s mentality, and she’s going to lose her sh*t.

The guests go to the castle, while back on the yacht, Max lies on a float. He says he’s tired. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s not excited to be taking a hike on day two, but the bright side is, on day three his ass will look fantastic. Served for lunch at the castle is… food porn! Luka calls for help packing, and Tumi sends Natalya. In Natalya’s interview, she says she just wants to get a break away from the Tuminator. In Tumi’s interview, she says, the cabins aren’t finished; there’s spots on the mirrors, and trash wasn’t removed. She wants Natalya to go out and not have to stay on the boat all the time, but if she’s not done, Tumi would appreciate her saying something. Don’t say she’s done when she’s not done. The guests are going shopping on their own, and Kyle says he’s getting too old for this sh*t. Back on the boat, Max works out. I guess he’s not too exhausted for that. Tumi tells Jessika that the biggest thing with her is the trash not being removed, and she can see the bathrooms aren’t wiped down. She doesn’t care about it not being done, but Natalya told her the cabins were done. If she’d said she wasn’t finished, it would have been perfectly fine. When Natalya comes back, she tells Jessika that she did the cabins, but Jessika says, Tumi was annoyed that the cabins weren’t done. Natalya says, they all have towels, like that’s all there is to it, and calls Tumi to meet her at the bar. She asks Tumi what the issue is this time. She did the cabins and made the beds. Tumi says, if the cabins were done, the showers would have been wiped, and Natalya just wants to argue. Jessika says she’s not dealing with this, and jets. Wise move. Tumi says she’s chief stew, and Natalya says, congratulations. I honestly don’t get why this kind of behavior is allowed. If anybody else said that to their boss, they’d be fired. Tumi says, Natalya’s had a problem with her from the beginning, and Natalya says, Tumi has been nitpicking from the jump. Kyle tells Captain Sandy that they’re fighting, and the captain goes to the bar. Tumi tells Natalya not to scream at her, and Captain Sandy tells them both to go to the bridge. On the bridge, Natalya says, Tumi is the only person she doesn’t get along with. The captain thanks Natalya for everything she’s done, but she’s not going to handle this. Natalya whines that Tumi texted Kyle and said she’d have no problem firing Natalya. Tumi laughs, and the captain tells her it’s not okay to make fun of people when you’re in a leadership role. She’s ready to put them both off the boat.

Natalya leaves, and Captain Sandy tells Tumi to rise above and figure it out. In her interview, the captain says, you have to respect each other in the workplace. This behavior doesn’t make anyone happy. She tells Tumi that she owes Natalya an apology for laughing, and in her interview, the captain says she diffused the situation. Now she needs to step away and let them handle it. If she’s the one who draws the line, they’ll never respect each other. If she hears Natalya screaming again and Tumi can’t diffuse the situation, she’ll have to make a decision. Natalya whines that she doesn’t need this sh*t in her life. Tumi talks to Kyle about the texts, and he says, Natalya twisted his words. She did this last season. When she’s in a corner, a rat will chew through. In Tumi’s interview, she says she doesn’t know where this is coming from – if it’s Natalya or Kyle – and it’s frustrating. In hindsight, it was unprofessional of her to text Kyle, and that’s on her. She’ll learn from her mistake and thinks they can have a constructive conversation. On shore, the guests are still shopping and eating ice cream, and the town is super cute. Tumi asks Natalya to talk, but Natalya says she has to chill. She’ll communicate to Tumi through Kyle, and vice versa. Kyle tells Tumi not to lower herself. Max jumps around on deck, while Lara puts stuff away. In Max’s interview, he says he thinks Lara is frustrated, and wonders if it’s him or is she just like this. Um… It’s you, Max. Kyle tells Jessika, positive vibes, and Jack goes over the menu with Tumi. In Jack’s interview, he says, it hasn’t been the perfect charter, so tonight, dinner has to go perfect. In the crew mess, Lara tells Luka that Max is lazy, and Max says, this boat is different. In Luka’s interview, he says, if he tells the girls to do something, they’ll just do it, but he has to tread carefully with Max to make sure he doesn’t f*** up the whole vibe on deck. Captain Sandy calls Tumi to the bridge, and the guests are picked up from shore. The captain tells Tumi that she knows walking in as chief stew was hard, but when Tumi feels pushback, talk it out. Tumi says, it’s hard to have a conversation with Natalya, and the captain asks if they didn’t have a chat, but Tumi says, Natalya didn’t want to talk to her. Captain Sandy says she needs the team to do their job respectfully, and Tumi says she’s shocked she’s responded this way. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s worked at keeping her emotions inside. When she was a kid, she had the lead role in her ballet concert, when her mom told her that her dad was killed in a shooting. She went on stage for a two-hour show, cried on breaks, then danced. She knows how to hide her emotions to do her job. Fighting people is unusual. The captain says, Tumi is doing an amazing job. Keep trying. I dunno. I think this is above Tumi’s paygrade and the captain should step in now. The guests return, and Mecca asks if the crew missed them. Luka says, of course, and Kyle greets them with warm towels. The guests rave about the town, and say it was amazing. Jessika tells Tumi that she’s not stirring things up. She was just reiterating what needs to be done. Tumi tells her, it’s okay, and hugs her. In Jessika’s interview, she says she’s starting to feel bad for Tumi. Natalya didn’t want to hand over the role, so she’s being a mean girl. It reminds her of high school, and she doesn’t like it. YES! The self-proclaimed lazy follower is the voice of reason. There’s a charming tropical table setting, and the stews are wearing daisy crowns. Jessika tells Kyle that she thinks Natalya is being a mean girl, and he agrees. He says, it was the same last season, and Jessika asks if they want a mean girl. He says, no, but she’s one bitch you don’t want to cross paths with. If Jessika doesn’t want to die today, don’t go down there.

Max sings in French in his bunk, and in the galley, Captain Sandy says, it smells like the Caribbean in here. Natalya starts bitching to the captain, who tells her, communication is the key. She and Tumi need to chat in a non-threatening way. Natalya whines that Tumi nitpicked from the second she came in, but Captain Sandy says, she and Tumi need to have that conversation. They can figure it out. In the crew mess, Haleigh asks if they kicked the day’s d*ck, and Luka says, they did. Lara says, her d*ck was kicked. Max doesn’t know what yachting is really like. Caribbean food porn! Everyone is all happy, and one guest says, the bar is set. They’re Jamaicans. No surprise, vegan guest Adjua thinks her food is bland, and Mecca tells Tumi, it’s super important that her friends are happy, and Adjua isn’t loving her food. Adjua says she wants fried tofu; season it and fry it. She needs something greasy. Jessika tries to appeal to Natalya’s humanity, forgetting she has none, and says she thinks Tumi feels like they did first charter, but Natalya says, too bad. Tumi tells Jack that Adjua wants tofu fried in French fry grease. In Jack’s interview, he says he’s a lot of things, but vegan isn’t one of them. I must not even understand it, because wouldn’t French fry grease be cheating? Tumi brings Adjua the tofu, but it’s still not right. Mecca asks Tumi to get Jack, and on his way in, Tumi whispers to him that Adjua wanted it breaded and fried. Jack tells them that he wasn’t told fried, and not one to be toyed with, Mecca calls Tumi in. Tumi says she did so tell him friend, and for whatever reason, Jack understood it to mean pan seared, and deep fried is fried. In his interview, Jack says, they have to be specific. He’s a wizard in the kitchen, but he can’t read their minds. Well, I think he should understand what fried means to Americans, who are a large percentage of their clientele. In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s emotionally exhausted. There’s tension in every single corner. She’d thought she was making headway with Jack, then he threw her under the bus. She asks how the tofu is, and Adjua says, much better. The guests go to bed, and in her interview, Tumi says she’s shocked that things are this bad. She just wants to hide, but she knows at this point she has to change something on her part and she has to do it now.

Max does push-ups, and Luka tells him to help Lara. Mecca says, they have 90 minutes in paradise left, breakfast is served, and anchor is home. Haleigh says she thinks the bow is hard with one person, and gets stuck with Max. In her interview, she says, knowing what she’s seen, it’s not going to go well. In the laundry, Natalya announces that she doesn’t need this sh*t in her life. I’m not sure if she means the general sh*t going on or something specific, since she’s constantly grumbling about everything. Tumi tells Jessika that she and Natalya need to have a conversation. In her interview, Tumi says, the situation has gone too far and needs to end. She’s willing to swallow her pride and take one for the team. She tells Natalya that she hates conflict in the interior. She respects Natalya’s enthusiasm (is that what we’re calling it?) and feels like they’re similar. Maybe too similar and that’s the problem. She’s worked with many different chief stews and took things she liked, then shaped them how she wanted to manage. Natalya gripes that she had to work with three stews, one of them a greenie, before Tumi got here. If Tumi had just acknowledged her, it would have been different. Tumi says she told Natalya thank you, but admits that Natalya pissed her off after the introduction. Natalya says, Tumi never gave her a fair go, but Tumi says, Natalya didn’t give her a fair go either. Natalya insists that Tumi wanted to show Natalya her place, but Tumi says she’s not like that. On deck, Max doesn’t listen to what Haleigh’s telling him while docking, and Luka wants to know, WTF is going on? Natalya whines that Tumi coddles Kyle, while she gets crickets. Tumi is supposed to be her boss (wow. I didn’t know she knew that), so she’ll do whatever Tumi wants, but doesn’t want to be her friend. She thinks it’s bullsh*t, but loves the work. She’ll do whatever, but doesn’t want a friendship. Max is babbling incessantly, and Haleigh tells him to shut up. The captain says, this is not good. In her interview, she says, hell no. With a full team, everything should be easier to operate. That’s clearly not the case. Natalya says she just wants a successful charter where they make big tips, and Tumi says, okay, cool. As soon as Tumi is out of earshot, Natalya says, little bitch.

To be continued…

💭 A thought: I’m not sure where Captain Sandy sees Natalya as being a good person. At best, she’s lazy. I think she likes the tips and the yachting, but not the work. She also caused a bunch of trouble last season. Can’t the captain see the common denominator here?  

👻 Friendly Ghosting You…

Pull up a chair tomorrow for some soap and a spot ‘o tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not dipping into your own candy until Halloween is over, and stay remembering humans make mistakes. If they didn’t, life would be perfect, but it would also be completely boring.

Oct10

October 9, 2023 – Lucy Makes a Decision About Deception, Service Queen Back On Deck & Ocean

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in her office, Lucy says, no comment… No. She doesn’t have a comment on that either. She slams the phone down and asks Maxie why they’re so rude. Maxie asks why they won’t leave them alone, when Scotty walks in and says, there’s blood in the water. Lucy says, but they’re not dead yet. If they can just come up with a product as fantastic as The Deceptor, they’d be fine. Maxie says, that could take months, even years. Why won’t Lucy just take Tracy’s deal? Scotty says, bite your tongue. Lucy’s got a sliver of the ELQ pie; she’s got to hang on to that. Maxie says, oh, okay. She hopes that sliver of pie keeps Lucy fed when Deception goes under, because after years of breaking their backs and building this company from the ground up, she and Sasha will ultimately be left with nothing.

On the phone headed for her and Chase’s apartment, Brook says she can totally guarantee the venue is perfect. She guarantees the venue will be sold out, and can even throw in an opening act if they want. She goes inside to find Chase sitting in the dark and says, she’ll have to call them back.

Gregory walks into Alexis’s office and says, here’s everything Molly was able to dig up on Judge Kim. She says, here’s everything Diane was able to dig up. They have a lot of work ahead of them. He says, good. He’s ready. Let’s nail this bastard. She says, isn’t he all fired up, and he says he’s cultivated a go-for-it attitude, hoping it translates to skydiving. She says, researching papers to skydiving; that’s quite a leap. He says, really? when Finn walks in. He says he’s sorry to interrupt the fun, but he was hoping he could steal his dad away for a cup of coffee.

The guard brings Cyrus into an empty visitor’s room, and Cyrus asks, what’s going on?  Why is he being brought here outside of visiting hours? The guard says, he’ll find out soon enough, and the warden comes in. She thanks the guard for bringing down Mr. Renault. He can leave them alone now. Cyrus asks if he should be worried.

Sonny comes through the curtains to the seating area on his jet, and Nina says, there he is. She’s all set and ready to get this wedding going. What about him? He says, just about, and she asks if they’re waiting on something. He says, yes, they are. She says, something for the wedding? and he says, she’s got to be patient and wait a while longer. She says she is the bride, so shouldn’t she know what they’re waiting on? Besides, he said the staff in Puerto Rico was handling everything. He says, this is something he could only get in Port Charles, and the wedding wouldn’t be complete without it. She asks, what is going on? and he laughs. Kristina comes out from behind the curtains and says, perfect day for a wedding. Michael and Willow follow her out.

Alone with Lucy, Scotty says he doesn’t want her to worry. He’s seen her attorney in action, and besides, she’s like a gladiator. She’s got her sword out ready to conquer. She says, thank you… I think. But they could really lose this case. Or Deception could go under financially before they even get to court. Like he said, she’s a gladiator. She really will be fine. She can survive anything. It’s just Maxie. She’s raising three little kids without any support, just her, so if she did take Tracy’s deal, at least Maxie would have a job. He says, she can’t let Tracy put the screws to her because of Maxie, but she says she can’t do that to her very best friend in the world, to her daughter and her grandchildren. She can’t do that to Felicia. What is she saying? Maxie has become her very best friend in the whole world too, and if she lets Maxie down, she couldn’t live with herself. She doesn’t feel she could do it to Maxie either. He asks if she has her noggin screwed on straight. She can’t let go of the ELQ stock; it’s the tie-breaking vote. Maxie walks in.

Brook asks Chase, what happened? and he says he got some pretty bad news at the hospital today. She says, okay… and he says, it’s the last thing he would have expected or imagined. He’s just sitting here trying to make sense of it. He’s trying to figure out the little things he missed. His dad is dying.

Gregory tells Finn that he and Alexis are in the middle of something. Instead of coffee, can they maybe grab dinner later upstairs at the MetroCourt? Finn says he was really hoping they could go now, and Alexis says, they don’t need to do this now. Go with his son; Finn needs him. She can sort through it and organize it. Gregory says he feels bad about leaving her with all this drudgery, and she says, drudgery to him. Interesting to her, because she’s going to find the little nugget that will blow this story wide open. Go, go, go. Gregory says, coffee it is, and Finn mouths, thank you, to Alexis as they leave.

Nina says she’s in shock. She’s so thrilled. She can’t believe they could make it on such short notice. It wouldn’t have been the same if they all weren’t here with her and Sonny. Michael says, Wiley and Donna are settled in. Wiley’s got enough books and games to keep him occupied for the rest of the flight. Willow says, they loved the takeoff. Wiley was glued to the window the entire time. Nina asks if Avery wasn’t able to come, and Sonny says, Pilar called. Something is wrong with Avery’s stomach. She’s sick, so she can’t come. He’s disappointed, but… He shrugs, and Nina says, that’s so sad. She hopes Avery gets better soon. When did he arrange for everyone to come? He says he made the rounds this morning and extended some invitations, and she says she knew he was up to something when he left the penthouse. He says, Dante sends his best wishes and congratulations, and she says, they’ll miss him, and miss the family that couldn’t come, but she’s going to focus on the family that could. She’s thrilled they’re here. This is the best wedding present she could ever ask for.

Alexis looks at the papers all over her desk and says, it looks like Judge Kim doesn’t miss an opportunity for a high-profile case. Her phone rings, and she says, send her in. Carly walks in, and Alexis asks, what brings her here? Carly says, Sonny told her that he asked Alexis to look into the judge who gave Drew that ridiculous sentence, and Alexis says, that’s all here, indicating the paperwork. She’s been researching it for most of the day. Carly says, great. Full disclosure, she’s the one who asked Sonny to reach out to Alexis. She also asked Diane to share any information she’s discovered on Judge Kim with her. Alexis says she’s glad Carly did. She has a vested interest in Drew as well. He’s the father of her granddaughter and she’d like to see him to come home to Scout. Carly asks if she’s had any luck, and Alexis says, from what she can tell so far, there’s a strong possibility there’s been a miscarriage of justice.

Cyrus sits down with Warden Garten and says, this is a rare and special privilege, just the two of them in this spacious room. She says, it’s private. The cameras are off except during visiting hours. There’s no record of this meeting like there would be if he came to see her in her office. He asks why she requires such privacy. Just what is it she has in store for him?

The women sit together, and Kristina asks if Nina’s visited the island yet, but Nina says, no, but Sonny told her all about it. He put in for them to go to the island, but when Willow went through what she went through, she wanted to be with Willow. Willow says, even though Nina knew she didn’t want her there? and Nina says she knew where she had to be. Kristina says, both of them are going to love it; it’s gorgeous. Willow asks what it’s like, and Kristina says, there’s a hotel and a casino, but there’s a private wing just for the family, and the gardens are just breathtaking. Nina says, Sonny told her about the gardens, and Kristina says, the smell from the flowers is just everywhere. Willow says, it sounds like the perfect spot for a wedding.

Sonny says he wants to thank Michael for getting Willow to come to the wedding, but Michael says, actually, this was Willow’s decision.

Alexis tells Carly, Judge Kim’s judicial record is solid. He’s an intelligent and effective jurist. Carly says, that’s not the news she was looking for, and Alexis says, but he has a way of interpreting the law in a way that lines up ideologically with special interests, who happen to be the ones who influence who sits on what bench and who gets promoted. Carly says, so Judge Kim rules the way these influential people want and in turn, he moves up the career ladder, whether or not his ruling is right or not. Alexis says, very good. Carly gets it. However, she hasn’t been able to prove there’s been any quid pro quo of Judge Kim accepting any favors or being unduly influenced by special interests. Carly says she can help with that. She just found out there’s proof and she can get it for Alexis.

Warden Garten says she’s offended. She’s just doing her job, checking on Cyrus’s welfare. After all, he’s such a beacon of light to the other inmates. The spiritual ministry he delivers? She’s surprised they managed before without him. He says he does provide a valuable service, which reflects quite well on her legacy here at Pentenville, and she says, it does, doesn’t it? He asks if she knows how many inmates are engaged in self-improvement as a direct result of his guidance, and she says, spare her the campaign speech. They’re alone. He says, spare him the false concern for his welfare and get to the point. Why did she want to see him? She says, because, she’s out of here.

Maxie apologizes for her outburst, but Lucy says, Maxie doesn’t have anything to apologize for. Maxie says, okay, then let’s prepare for our staff meeting. They at least have to pretend they have a plan moving forward. Scotty says, on a happier note, Cody Bell’s out of custody and Sasha’s home recuperating from all her mental problems. Maxie says she got some of the details from Mac, and Lucy says, that is good news. Did Maxie get a chance to see Sasha? Maxie says, no. She’s been giving Sasha some space. She figured Sasha needed some quiet time. Lucy says, that’s a very good idea after this ugly situation, and Maxie says, yeah. She can’t seem to catch a break. Scotty says he hears Gladys hightailed it back to Westport… Bridgeport… some port that she’s from in Connecticut. (I have the feeling Kin Shriner made a mistake here and adlibbed.) He guesses they have work, so he’ll bid them adieu. He leaves, and Maxie says, they need to prepare an agenda for their meeting, but Lucy says, that can wait. Maxie says, for what? and Lucy closes the door. She tells Maxie that she really has something she needs to say.

Brook asks if Gregory is in the hospital, but Chase says, no. She asks where he is, and Chase says, honestly, he doesn’t know. She asks if she needs to call Finn. Does he know what’s going on? He says, Finn knows… So does her grandmother. She says, what? and he says he’s the only one who didn’t know his father was dying. They kept it from him like he was a child or didn’t know how to handle it. She asks, what’s Gregory’s diagnosis? He says, his father has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. There’s no cure. It’s going to kill him.

In the park, Gregory says, this isn’t Kelly’s. He thought he and Finn were going for coffee. Finn says, it’s the first thing that came into his head. He needed to talk to Gregory in private. They sit down, and Gregory says, all right. Finn has him. Just say it. Finn says, Chase knows.

Lucy says she’s been doing a lot of thinking today, and Maxie asks if she can go first. Lucy says, sure, and Maxie says, maybe they should just find a buyer for the 25% and call it a day. At least then they’d end up with something. Lucy tells her, hold that thought. They’re calling the staff together for a meeting and no agenda necessary.

Chase tells Brook, when he got home, he got his phone out to research ALS. He wanted to see how this disease was going to take over his father’s life. How it would progress. He wanted to know how much time left he had with his dad. She says, that’s understandable, and he says, then he started scrolling through all these photos on his phone and these great shots of his dad; us camping together, tea parties with Violet, hanging out in the stands at a Chuck game. And there are all these random shots of us, at dinner… just watching sports on the sofa. And he looks so great in all of them, so vital and young for his age. It’s like there was nothing wrong with him; like nothing could ever be wrong with him. And now all he can think about is that young, vital man, his hero – he starts to cry – his dad; he’s going to be in a wheelchair, and he’s not getting out of it.

Gregory says he should have told Chase. Learning he had ALS should have come from him. How did he find out? Finn says, it was by mistake, and Gregory asks how a mistake like that happens. Finn says, Chase was arresting someone and got pepper sprayed. He came by the hospital to get his eyes flushed out, and afterwards, he told Chase to wait in the lounge. His eyes were all sort of bloodshot and teary, and Tracy Quartermaine saw him. He thinks she kind of jumped to the wrong conclusion. Gregory says, Tracy told Chase? and Finn says he’s not sure what was said initially, but whatever it was, it made Chase suspicious. He saw them talking across the Hub, but by the time he knew what was going on, it was too late. Tracy had told Chase. Gregory says he can’t believe this. So obviously Chase knows he already told Finn. Finn nods.

Carly tells Alexis, there’s a regular that comes into Kelly’s and she’s been talking to him lately. He’s a pilot for a private jet that belongs to a billionaire named Ascher Alexander. The pilot told her, the downside of his job is, whenever Mr. Alexander wants to go on a trip, and for however long he wants to stay, the pilot must go with him. Alexis says, tough life, and Carly says, the last trip they went on was to the Caribbean. He took a group of guys down there to go deep sea fishing. Guess who one of the passengers was? Alexis says, Judge Albert Kim? and Carly says, that’s right.

Willow asks, what made Nina and Sonny decide to elope? and Nina says, it started with this whole big stack of wedding materials that Olivia delivered to her from the MetroCourt. It got a bit overwhelming, and she kept putting off going through them. Kristina says, thank you. She’s the queen of procrastination, so she finds it quite reassuring to find that super organized Nina also succumbs to procrastination sometimes too. How about Willow? Is she as organized as she seems, or is she a secret procrastinator like Nina?

Michael tells Sonny that he and Willow discussed whether they should attend the wedding or not, but ultimately, he left the decision up to her. Here they are. Sonny says, they both know it’s not that simple.

Cyrus asks if the warden is going on vacation, but she says, no. She’s out permanently. She gets up, and he follows her, saying, this seems sudden, but she says, there’s nothing sudden about it. She’s been working toward this for a while, and it’s finally happening. She can’t wait to see Port Charles and its Corinthosness, this whole infected place, in the rearview mirror. He asks where she’s headed, and she says, Texas, land of the free. He says, another prison? and she says, all of them. She’ll be overseeing all of the federal prisons in the state. He says, what about him? and she says, you’ll get yours.

The staff files in, and Maxie thanks everyone for coming. She knows this hasn’t been the easiest time for them. She and Lucy really appreciate the staff sticking by them and working hard. As soon as Lucy gets here, they have an important announcement to make about the future of Deception. A woman suggests Maxie save time and just give them the bad news, and Maxie checks her phone to see where Lucy is. She says, Lucy must be on her way, so they’ll just give her a few minutes. Scotty joins them, and Maxie asks what he’s doing here. He says, beats him. Lucy told him to come back. Maxie says, what? when Lucy walks in.

Alexis asks if Carly is sure the pilot said it was Judge Kim on the fishing trip, and Carly says she wanted to make sure, so she looked up Judge Kim’s picture on the court website and the pilot confirmed it. Unfortunately, the pilot signed a non-disclosure agreement, so he can’t say who flies with him on the record, but… Alexis says, non-disclosures are her specialty; there’s usually a way around them. What she wants to know is, did the pilot give Carly a date for this trip? Carly says, dates and times, handing Alexis a paper. Apparently, they all went down there to go fishing. Alexis says, the next thing they do is check Judge Kim’s calendar, see if the dates match, and see if he disclosed his destination.  

Gregory asks if Chase blames Finn for not telling him, and Finn says, everything happened so fast, but he was definitely upset when he left the hospital. He doesn’t blame Chase for being angry at him. He handled this all wrong. Gregory says he’s not going to let Finn blame himself for this. None of it. This was all on him. This is his disease and he’s Chase’s father. It was on him to tell his son. It wasn’t Finn’s responsibility. He was selfish and shouldn’t have waited so long and delayed the inevitable for as long as he did. Now, because of him, Chase is paying the price.

Chase tells Brook that he can’t help but think about the time he spent in a wheelchair. He hoped and prayed one day he would recover and walk again. That day he stood up for the first time was one of the sweetest moments in his life. But for his dad… he won’t get that recovery. Brook says, this has to be crushing Gregory. How much does Chase know about ALS? He says, very little. He did that ice bucket challenge a few years ago. At that time, he learned that it’s degenerative, that there’s no cure, there’s no stopping it. She says she’s going to help him find out everything they can, so they know exactly what they’re dealing with. He says he can’t, not right now. He can’t even imagine what he’s going to have to say to his dad the next time he sees him.

Willow says she’s always been one of those annoying organized people, and Kristina says, admit it. How often is she making to-do lists? Willow says, almost every night. She feels comfortable knowing what she has to do the next day and then being able to check it off as she does it. Which is why she and Michael are so perfect together. Kristina asks if she’s serious; Michael is the complete opposite. He’s a mess. Michael is a great businessman – he’s brilliant – but organization? Not his strong suit. Willow says, busted, and they laugh. Willow wonders why doesn’t she put her organizational skills to good use, and Nina asks, how? Willow says, by helping Nina with the wedding. What can she do?

Sonny says, it would have been simple enough to refuse his invitation when he asked Michael, but Michael says, the invitation was for both of them. He wasn’t going to speak for his wife. Sonny says, but Michael could have made it clear to Willow that she could go to the wedding, but he wasn’t going. Why didn’t he?

Warden Garten says, Cyrus always finds a way of making it all about him. He’ll be fine. Does he want to know why? Cyrus says he’s sure she’ll tell him, and she says, because she has great trust in his ingenuity. He’s like a cat; he always finds a way to land on his feet, but now she doesn’t have to clean up his messes. Her promotion came through, and she’ll be in Texas. He says, she’s welcome, and she says, he always takes credit for everything. He says, God helps those who help themselves, and she says, he definitely helps himself, doesn’t he? She starts to leave, and he says, there’s just one more thing before she goes.

Lucy tells the group that she and Maxie want to thank each and every one of them for their hard work. That hard work has made Deception the incredible company it is today. She’s sure they’ve all heard and been talking about how they’ve been hit with a very frivolous lawsuit, one that threatens the very future of Deception. In saying that, that means they have to make some very difficult decisions. Those decisions will affect everybody’s lives in this room. So on the table is a deal where they would completely relinquish control of Deception, and they would only be left with 25%. Obviously, that’s unacceptable. Look at them. They’ve worked so very hard and sacrificed so much to just give in to some corporate bully. So, in talking to several legal advisors, and at a fairly significant personal cost, there is another deal on the table, one where they’ll retain 49% of the company. What that means going forward is that Deception can go on in perpetuity, improving and growing and being amazing for decades to come. She tears up and tells them that she guesses what she’s trying to say is, she feels that Deception is a lot more than beauty. They’re sustainability and innovation and inspiration, but what they also are is family. They’re her family. One she’s grown to love and cherish, and she’s not going to let that get away from her. She’s keeping it forever. What she’s trying to say is, nobody is going to be allowed to take anything else away from them, because they are family – fierce, fantastic, and anybody who tries to battle them, they will fight them. And they won’t win if they all just stick together. Everyone applauds, and Lucy and Maxie hug.

Brook tells Chase that she’s so, so sorry. It’s terrible news. She loves Gregory. He’s so smart and funny, and he was so welcoming and accepting of her. The thing she loves most about his dad is how much he loves their family. He and Chase have such a sweet bond; they’re so close. Chase says, just not close enough for Gregory to have told him his diagnosis, but she says she’s sure he intended to. She has to apologize. He says, for what? and she says, Tracy. She inserted herself where she has absolutely no business. He says, if she hadn’t, he still wouldn’t know his dad has ALS. Although if he’s being honest, he kind of wishes he didn’t. She asks if it would be okay if she stepped out for a little while. There’s something she wants to take care of. He says, sure, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says he’ll probably just sit here, collect his thoughts, and maybe do a little research. She says, okay, kisses him, and tells him that she loves him. So, so much. He says he loves her too, and thanks her for listening. She kisses him again, and leaves. He picks up his phone.

Gregory says he feels like such a coward for not telling Chase that he has ALS, but Finn says, he’s not a coward. Don’t do that to himself. He’s going through a lot. Gregory says, it was bad enough admitting the truth to himself, then to Finn. He imagined sitting down and telling Chase, seeing the look of fear and pain on his face, watching that perpetual optimistic smile just fade away, and dreading it. Maybe he’s just been protecting himself, because as long as Chase didn’t know, then some little part of him could stay in denial. Finn says, there’s no right way to do this, but he does know one thing, Gregory is a hell of a father. He’s the best. And Finn knows he’ll do whatever Chase needs.

Alexis hangs up the phone and tells Carly, bingo. Turns out Judge Kim was on vacation the exact dates the pilot provided. Carly says, that’s great, and Alexis tells her, what it doesn’t say on the calendar was that he was on a fishing trip in the Caribbean or that he was with a politically influential billionaire. If she was a betting gal, she would say he didn’t put it on his tax returns; it was a gift. Carly asks if it’s enough to put pressure on Judge Kim to reduce Drew’s sentence, and Alexis says, depends on one thing. How it’s presented to him.

Nina thanks Willow for her offer to help, but Sonny insists all they have to do is show up. The staff in Puerto Rico is going to take care of everything. Kristina says, the staff is amazing. They’ll want for nothing, and the food? The chef has a Michelin star so they’re both in for some incredible meals and desserts. Nina says, and he is taking care of the wedding cake, and Kristina squeals. She says she can’t wait. If Nina needs any help on the actual day – needs someone to zip up her dress or the old-new-borrowed-blue thing… Nina says, that’s not needed here, but she’d like it if both of them would help her get ready. Kristina says, okay, and Willow says, it would be her pleasure to help.

Michael says, when he told Willow about Sonny’s invitation, he let her know that the choice to attend was completely up to her. Sonny says he sees, and Michael says, but she wanted to know how he felt. Sonny asks what he told her, and Michael says, that he wanted to come. He knows they’re family, and family should show up for big moments in life like getting married.

The warden tells Cyrus not to worry, and he says he’s not worried, but their business isn’t finished yet. She says, everything they discussed is still happening. He just needs to sit tight and be patient. He says he can trust her? but she says, trust doesn’t mean anything now. She’s erased all of their interactions, eliminated any trace. They’re done. He asks, who’s replacing her? and she says she doesn’t know and frankly, she doesn’t care. She’s done her part, and now he’s on his own.

Michael buckles in next to Willow and says, they’re almost there. She says she’s really looking forward to it and she thinks Wiley is going to have a great time on the island.

Sonny says, tomorrow, Nina is going to be Mrs. Sonny Corinthos. They’re going to start a new chapter in their life, and he can’t wait to see where it leads them. She says, her too, and takes his hand. She says, he’s made her the happiest woman on earth.

Cyrus says he’s actually sorry to see Warden Garten go, and she says she wishes she could say the same, but she can’t. She turns to go again, but he says he has one final question. She says, one more is all he gets, and he asks if there’s any word on his friend Drew Cain. She asks, why in the world would he care about Drew Cain? and he says, the man saved his life, like Daniel was saved in the lion’s den. She says, it’s a hard den out there, and not everybody is as lucky as Daniel. But rest assured, Drew Cain will be taken care of. And this time, for good. She leaves.

Carly thanks Alexis and says she really appreciates this and knows it’s going to mean a lot to Drew. Alexis says she’s happy to help and asks if Carly still has the contact information for the pilot. Carly says she does, and Alexis says, use it. See if she can find out anything more. Anything she can find out would be helpful. Carly asks if Alexis really thinks the judge is going to take the bait, and Alexis says, from what she knows about the judge so far, he’s going to have a real hard time not talking about himself and bragging about his accomplishments to the press. She needs to get him in here for an interview, get him talking, and hopefully he won’t stop. Carly says, just give him enough rope, and Alexis says, then they’ve got him.

Chase puts ALS into the Spyder-Finder search engine on his phone, but ends up looking at pictures instead. Pictures of Gregory with him, with Finn, with Violet. He cries, and there’s a knock at the door. He wipes his eyes and opens it. Gregory is there.

Maxie tells Lucy, that was a great speech, and Lucy says she knows. But seriously, she couldn’t let Maxie and everybody else sink because of horrible Tracy Quartermaine. Not on her watch. Maxie thanks her and says, she’s a great friend. Lucy asks if Maxie happened to see where Scotty went, when he walks in behind her. He says, this decision is crazy… but it’s his kind of crazy, so let’s celebrate. He holds up a bottle of champagne and glasses, and Lucy laughs.

A woman looks at The Sun headline: BLQ BOOTED – DECEPTION SCANDAL – PC PRINCESS FIRED. We see she has quite a manicure, and I’m guessing it’s Lois.

Tomorrow, Curtis says he doesn’t think he can tell his daughter what to do or who to be with; Portia says she had a change of heart; Gregory apologizes to Chase; and Tracy asks, what exactly does Brook think she did?

Below Deck Mediterranean

Genoa, Italy. Backtracking a little, Tumi tells Natalya, the organization’s a sh*tshow. Natalya’s part is impeccable, but the boat isn’t set up the way she’d like. It’s just her opinion. Natalya wants to continue giving her opinion, but Tumi says, that’s it. Natalya is offended by Tumi talking with her hands, and Tumi asks to see the laundry. In Tumi’s interview, she says, Natalya did a great job, but how would she like it if someone went off right at the beginning? Her mum told her to stand up for herself at a young age. When her mum cracks the whip, run. When Tumi was in high school, the boys made fun of her race, and she put them in their place. Be kind, but don’t let anyone walk on you. Tumi says she’ll ask if she needs Natalya, and Natalya tells Luka and Jessika, she’s a bitch. Luka says he loves the drama, and Jessika says, maybe Tumi is just trying to adapt, but Natalya says, she has no warmness. In Natalya’s interview, she says, the boat is in a good place, and the way to respectfully hand it over would be to come in with good energy, but Tumi didn’t. Tumi talks to Jack about Natalya, and Captain Sandy calls Jack, Tumi, and Luka to the crew mess for a preference sheet meeting. Natalya lingers around a beat too long, then jets.

The captain says, the primary is Mecca Mamore-Henson and is the publisher for Pink magazine. Husband Antoine will be with her, along with some successful friends who like to see their wealth by enjoying luxury vacations. One of the guests owns a plant-based wellness brand, and in Jack’s interview, he says he tried veganism. He thinks it was a Tuesday. It lasted two hours. Captain Sandy says, the weather is going to be bad, so they might have to stay on the dock. She’s hoping only one day. She reads, the vibe must be immaculate, and Tumi says, got it. She’s doing better than I am, since I don’t got it. Jack reads that the guests want a Diamonds Are Forever dinner, and Tumi says, they want a pajama party with late night snacks. She loves a pajama party. After the meeting, Tumi texts Kyle, saying that Natalya had a diva moment, and she’d have no problem firing her. We flash back to Natalya having diva moments with Kyle. Natalya calls her boyfriend, and in her interview, she says, an open relationship is new to her, and they’ve never discussed rules or guidelines. She doesn’t see staying with one person for the rest of her life, but it doesn’t seem right to sleep with someone else when you’re in a relationship. She suggests he at least meet her halfway, and he tells her to get some sleep. This seems to be the way all of their conversations go, and she’s a dummy if she stays in this situation.

Captain Sandy says, the storm is six miles big. Tumi thinks they should finish the cabins, then have a meeting. Jack tells Tumi that he’s doing a buffet style lunch, and in Tumi’s interview, she says she’s lucky to have had great relationships with the chefs she’s worked with. She gets them; they’re nutcases. She worked with Aesha, who was a first-time chief stew, and learned not to let people walk on her. We see a Down Under flashback, and Tumi says, one thing she knows, don’t piss off the chef. Natalya complains to Luka, and says she wants to be in laundry for the whole trip. Kyle arrives, and in his interview, he says, you thought you were done with me? I’m back. Yay. I like Kyle.

Kyle and Tumi are excited to see each other, and he hugs Captain Sandy. In Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s an honor to be working under Captain Sandy again. You’ve got to be special to be wanted back by her. We flash back to Kyle last season, and he says he’s wishing he was coming back as chief stew. He wants to reach the next level, and he’ll get there, but people will still look at him as the service queen. Kyle meets everyone, and Lara says, he smells like a dream. He says he feels like broken memories and I literally lol. He and Natalya greet each other enthusiastically, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, her relationship with Kyle was rocky last season. We flash back to that, and she says, Kyle is good at lightening up the situation. They had a lot of fun moments. We see another flash back, and Kyle tells Natalya that she’s gorgeous and skinny. She says, it’s called stress. In Haleigh’s interview, she says, it’s hard to hang out when she’s used to exciting parts on the ship. A yacht is like a floating hotel, and if they’re not moving, she has nothing to do other than hose the charter guests off. She wants to do cool boat sh*t. In Tumi’s interview, she says, her management style is relaxed. Before she got into yachting, she managed a restaurant and a club, and had to find models for the club. She knows there will be a learning curve, but she feels prepared. Tumi passes out the stew’s ranks, and says, Kyle will be her second. Obviously. In Natalya’s interview, she says, why obviously? Tumi says, Natalya is third, and will do breakfast, and Jessika is fourth. In Tumi’s interview, she says she based her decisions on their CVs. Kyle is good with people, and Natalya is very good at housekeeping and laundry. In Jessika’s interview, she says, it’s a relief to be at the bottom of the food chain. There’s less stress, and the drama at the top makes her uncomfortable. Natalya bitches to Jack, but he doesn’t want drama. Deckhand Max arrives, and he has a French accent that the others struggle to understand. In Max’s interview, he says he’s been fired from all the jobs he’s had since he was 18 because he’s misunderstood. Yachting is like a big casino. They only thing you need to know is when to get out. He meets Captain Sandy, and in his interview, he says he has four years’ experience. It’s a crazy environment. To survive the pressure, you need to be Godzilla. Fortunately, that’s who he is. The provisions come, and Captain Sandy says, teamwork makes the dream work. I can’t. The crew gets into their whites, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, how things are starting is good for no one, and he’s in the middle. Anyone who knows him, knows he prefers front or back. He tells Natalya that Tumi said she’d have no problem firing her, so she’d better watch herself. Tumi calls for a masseuse to come to the boat, and the guests arrive. Captain Sandy says she can see they’re not happy, and yep, they come out of the taxi whining. In her interview, Tumi says, the guests look pissed off. It’s not ideal.

Captain Sandy says, this is going to suck. They welcome the guests, and the captain says, she was hoping they’d bring sunshine. Unfortunately, they’re going to have to stay on the dock today. It’s rough offshore. Primary Mecca asks about tomorrow, and the captain says, we’ll see, like she’s their mom. The guests are given champagne, and Tumi does the tour. She promises, even if they don’t get off the dock, they’ll be spoiled. Jessika wonders how Natalya felt about stepping back, and Natalya relays what Kyle said about Tumi having no problem firing her. Jessika asks if she doesn’t think Kyle might have said something to spark that which is an excellent point. I love Kyle, but he’s not just the service queen; he’s the gossip queen. The guests reject the cheese board, saying, they want food. We don’t want no cheese. Mecca says she’s real hungry, and Tumi tells Jack. She says she tried offering them snacks, but they weren’t keen on that. He tells her, 30 minutes, and in his interview, Jack says, he doesn’t like to be rushed and throwing the food on the plate like a caveman. It will look better if he’s not rushed. Luka says he doesn’t know WTF Max is saying, confirming Max’s assessment of himself. In Tumi’s interview, she says she knows it sounds crazy, but her ideal charter guest is a chaotic guest. She grew up with six siblings and gets bored on small boats. She brings out fresh baked bread, and Kyle tells Natalya that Tumi doesn’t like the chef. Natalya says he’s amazing. That’s on Tumi. In Natalya’s interview, she says she can’t bite her tongue, and thinks it’s unfair. She once kicked the Bunsen burners off her science teacher’s desk when the teacher was rude to her. Tumi came in with a bone to pick and picked the wrong bone.She tells Kyle that she’s not assisting if Kyle is being told she’s getting fired.

In Jessika’s interview, she says, her responsibility has decreased a bit, but she’s going to keep conflict away from her at all costs. When she was in school, the bickering caused her anxiety. She did cheerleading in the ninth grade, and there was so much pressure, she lost confidence and quit. The guests complain about not eating, and lunch is finally served, along with a vegan alternative. They pronounce it delicious, and I pronounce it… food porn! Luka sees Natalya in the laundry, and says, she’s living the dream. In Natalya’s interview, she says, if she was in a monogamous (a word she can’t seem to pronounce) relationship, she wouldn’t flirt, but she’s not, so hello, Luka. But she’s still confused. Vegan guest Adjula gives her dish a six, and says, Jack’s got to be more creative. Mecca tells Tumi that she just wants more. She has high expectations, and they expect something grand. Tumi tells Jack, the vegan guest wants a 10, and he says he was a bit rushed. The masseuse arrives, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, when you’re stuck on the dock, this is the type of thing that distracts guests and makes them happy. She tells the captain that the guests are difficult, but she’s had worse. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, Tumi is very approachable. There’s an energy about her that’s an expectation of perfection, and she likes it. The guests look at the menu and want it totally changed. Kyle asks if Tumi’s seen his boyfriend; he’s an American Italian. In Kyle’s interview, he says, after leaving the boat, he got a one-way ticket to meet Frank in NYC. We flash back to that, and Kyle says, they had no connection, so he went to a dating app. He found Zachary, Doctor of Love, and they’ve been dating ever since. He tells Tumi that they’re super in love. They’re going to South Africa, and he’d like get engaged with his family there. Natalya tells Jack, with Tumi in charge of everything, they’re f***ed. She repeats the now getting old story about Tumi messaging Kyle and saying she’d have no problem firing her.

Tumi says, this is not how she expected this to go, and guest Samantha says, it’s lovely to see a Black women in the industry. Tumi says she’s not here changing the world, but Samantha says, Tumi is changing her world. To every person who comes in and sees a fellow Black woman, it’s a big deal. In Tumi’s interview, she says, there’s massive lack of diversity in the industry. There are People of Color working in it, but they’re usually in positions that aren’t seen. They’re not given the opportunity, but if you fight hard, you can do it. Here I am, bitch. They guests get ready for dinner, and the table looks gorgeous and romantic. In Luka’s interview, he says he hopes they leave the dock. He’s recently out of a long-term relationship and has been given an amazing position. He can’t be distracted by girls. It’s affected his work environment. Natalya gets the pajama party ready, and Adjula gives her vegan dinner a 10. Tumi tells Jack, and says, seafood is key. Tumi radios Natalya to turn in, and when the radio is off, Natalya says, go bugger yourself. There’s a whole big deal over guest Bobbi getting the wrong starter or first course or something, and Tumi tells Jack, they’re drunk and misunderstood when they read the menu. In Jack’s interview, he says, if there’s anything wrong with the boat, it’s on the captain. Anything wrong with the food is on him. And anything wrong with service is on Tumi. Tumi tells him, if the guest is confused, it’s not their problem. In his interview, Jack says, it’s always the guest’s fault. Tumi needs to have accountability. His first impression of her is really bad. Tumi tells Kyle that Jack doesn’t respect her.  

Tumi tells Jack that she never wants him to fail; he’s phenomenal. But she’ll always be honest. He says, we’re good, although it doesn’t sound like it. Tumi says, he’s had someone in his ear, but she would like a fair chance. He says he makes up his own mind up, and she says she’s just making sure. The guests get into their PJs, and Luka asks if Kyle is excited to party with the guests, but Kyle says, it’s the last thing he wants. Jack makes little pizzas and some other tasty looking snacks, and Kyle makes drinks. Poor Antoine is the only dude, and I feel sorry for him. The ladies give Kyle a hat and chain, and he poses with Antoine. Mecca says, it looks like me and my Black friend, and we all laugh. The guests go to bed, and Kyle decides to clean up in the morning.

When Natalya gets up, she sees the mess, and isn’t happy. In her interview, she says, the morning person should just have to give a quick wipe down, not clean up from the night before. She asks Haleigh for help, and Captain Sandy says, they’re leaving the dock. Jack just describing the breakfast he’s going to make is… food porn! Natalya tells Tumi about the lack of clean up, and Tumi says she wants Kyle in bed by 3 am. It’s okay for him to leave the clean-up if it means he’ll be going to bed too late. No surprise, Natalya argues, and Tumi says, she’s fine with it. End of story. Natalya tells her to stop doing things with her hands, and in Tumi’s interview, she says, it might be her first time as chief stew, but she knows what she’s doing, and Natalya has no respect for her. Natalya reminds her of a chihuahua. She’s territorial, combative, and talks all the time. I laugh because I have a chihuahua. He’s not like that, although he does tend to fear anything bigger than he is, which is most of the world. Natalya wants to have it out now, but Tumi says, they’ll speak another time, and tells Natalya, goodbye. Natalya yells, don’t talk to Kyle; talk to her, ending this show about the same as last week’s, except louder.

Didn’t like Natalya last season; don’t like her now.

Next time, Lara wants Max to work more; Tumi and Natalya butt heads; Captain Sandy calls Natalya and Tumi to the bridge and says she’s ready to put them both off the boat.

🙌🏽 Hip Hop Hooraying…

Come see me tomorrow for soap and whatever rabbits I can pull out of the internet. Until then, stay safe, stay not complaining about the cold when you complained about the heat five minutes ago, and stay not picking the wrong bone if you come in with a bone to pick.

Oct3

October 2, 2023 – Sonny Plays Gladys Before Calling Her Out, EDM Party On Deck & Strange

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Geneva, Switzerland. Laura is on her tablet, when Doc asks if she’s ready for a break. They have those dinner reservations. She says, in just a minute. She’s almost done. Doc says, of course (🍷). Even in Europe, the Mayor of Port Charles can’t stop working. How are things stateside? She says, this is not work, and he says, right. Nikolas. She says, exactly. She’s narrowing down where to travel next to continue the search. He says, yesterday, they found out Nikolas is alive, and there couldn’t have been better news, but it also made something else crystal clear. Her son doesn’t want to be found.

Valentin lets Martin into his new house, and Martin says, wow. Now that this place is fully furnished, he’s impressed. Valentin thanks him, and Martin says he’s sure Valentin didn’t call him over to compliment his decorating. Valentin says, this isn’t a social call, and Martin says, the meter is running. What’s on his mind? Valentin says, first he wants to know whatever he tells Martin is covered by attorney/client privilege, and Martin says, of course (🍷). It always is. Valentin says, even if it’s about somebody else? and Martin says, it depends on who he’s referring to. Valentin says, it’s his daughter. Charlotte’s future depends on their conversation today.

At the Bistro, Anna’s phone rings, and she says, good morning, Sonny. He asks, how’s the security team he gave her? and she says she has no complaints. The guard is outside doing an excellent job of seeming unobtrusive. He says, that’s exactly what he wanted the guard to do for her, and she thanks him for the extra layer of protection. She knows she was highly resistant initially, but she finds it’s making her feel better. He says, that was the plan. He knows she doesn’t like to ask for help. He doesn’t like to ask for help, but he’s got her back. Call him if she needs anything. She says she bets she’s not the only person he’s looking out for, and he says, she’s right about that. There’s one person in particular.

In her cell room, Sasha says she can do this. She’s going to be okay. A nurse comes in, and says, according to Sasha’s chart, she was unfocused when she was readmitted yesterday. So as a reminder, she won’t be able to leave her room without permission, and at least for the time being, she won’t be allowed any visitors. Sasha says, okay, but what about her doctors? and the nurse says, she’ll still continue to receive the absolute best care here, but if she wants to leave Ferncliff, she’s going to have to do her part. Sasha says she plans to do just that.

On the phone and packing again, Gladys asks if there’s going to be a car to pick her up in San Jose… There’s no check-out date; it’s an open-ended stay at the hotel… Okay. Perfect. She looks at the coat in her hands, and says she bought it for when they’d be in New York. There are no cold days in Central America. There’s a knock at the door, but she continues packing. The knob begins to rattle, and Sam walks in. Gladys asks what Sam thinks she’s doing, breaking into her home, and Sam says she guesses Gladys didn’t hear her knocking. Or did she?

Laura tells Doc, Nikolas is her son, and she go to the end of the earth to save him, just like she would for Lucky and Lulu. He says he’s not questioning her commitment as a mother, but they have to face facts. Nikolas has been taking money out of his accounts; they know that. She asks what his point is, and he says, it proves he doesn’t want any contact with her. He hasn’t contacted Spencer or even Esme about his new baby son Ace. He’s sending every possible signal that he doesn’t want to interact with his family. She says she thinks if her son was in his right mind, he wouldn’t be doing that. She doesn’t want to abandon him in his hour of need. He says he mostly agrees with her. Personally, he feels Nikolas could and would benefit from her guidance right now, but there are extenuating circumstances. When he imprisoned Esme, he knew that he was breaking the law. So her son is running away from potential criminal charges and his responsibilities as a father. If a newborn son isn’t enough to bring him home, what could she possibly have to offer? She says, what more could she possibly offer her son? How about redemption?

Sasha dreams about Dr. Montague giving her an injection, and wakes with a start. At the desk, Janice says she wishes there were another way for Montague to help Sasha, and he says, so does he, but his relationship with Miss Gilmore has been compromised. She says, he means because of Cody Bell attacking him and kidnapping Sasha? and he says, yes. As a result of that, Sasha was left with a conflation of traumatic events. She can’t even see him without recalling the abduction. He doesn’t know if that’s because of the drugs or her brain is confused. She thinks Cody Bell was trying to rescue her, and he’s the bad guy. Janice says, anyone who knows him knows that can’t possibly be true. Sasha’s truly delusional. He says, which leaves him no choice but to remove himself from her case. He hands Janice some paperwork, and she thanks him. He says he was only working at Ferncliff to take care of Sasha. Now that’s no longer the case, she won’t be seeing him here again. She says, he’ll definitely be missed, and he thanks her. He says he’s sure she’ll be seeing him around town again, and leaves.

Gladys says she knows her front door was locked, and Sam isn’t even trying to hide her little lock pick tool. Breaking and entering is a serious crime. She should call the cops on Sam. Sam says she thinks calling the cops is a great idea. Call away. Gladys says, oh right. She forgot. Sam is shacked up with Detective Falconari. Of course (🍷) he’s going to take Sam’s word over hers. Sam says, they don’t have to involve Dante in this. Call anyone at the PCPD. Although she thinks calling the cops might delay Gladys’s trip a little bit. Where is it Gladys said she was going? Gladys tells Sam that she didn’t say, and she’s not going to. Sam isn’t welcome in her home. Sam laughs and says, Gladys’s home. Last time she checked, this was Sasha’s apartment. Gladys says, Sasha’s not well. She’s not here. Sam can just beat it. Sam says, that’s interesting, considering Gladys’s daughter-in-law is not well and she’s still going on a trip. How does she think Brando would feel about that? Gladys says she doesn’t have to take this from Sam, and Sam says, that’s fine. She sits down and says, but she’s not going anywhere. Not until Gladys exonerates Sasha.

Doc says, Nikolas is Laura’s son, and he knows she’ll never give up on him, so hear that first please. But also hear him when he says, at the end of the day, redemption is the last thing Nikolas wants. She says she wouldn’t disagree with him there at all, but what we want and what we need are two very different things. He says, she couldn’t be more right. Most people can’t reconcile or admit that this is what I need in my life. Believe him. Nikolas is fortunate to have her on his side. She says she knows right now it appears Nikolas is just running from his problems. Her brain knows he committed a crime and can’t face up to it, but her heart loves him exactly the same. So she’s going to love and support him until he gets his damn head on straight. He says, of course (🍷) she is, because that’s who she is, and he hopes that happens. But he also knows that’s not going to happen until Nikolas is willing to put aside his immediate desires and focus on his responsibilities and the needs of his children. She looks away, and he says, too harsh? but she says, too accurate. She knows Spencer is suffering from the absence of his father and Ace will too eventually, but that’s why she needs to find him. She needs to shake some sense into him. (I’d like to see that.) He says, Nikolas has the money and resources to stay hidden a long time, and it breaks his heart to see her chasing after someone who doesn’t value the love and attention she’s willing to shower on him. She says, okay. She hears him. She’s not giving up her search.

Jordan meets Anna at the Bistro, and Anna asks if everything is all right. Jordan says, it’s fine. She’s just juggling a lot at the same time. What else is new? By the way, she noticed a man lingering outside. She knows most people wouldn’t take a second glance at him, but her cop instincts are shouting at her pretty loudly that he’s no random innocent. Anna says, would that be the super serious guy, kind of tall, definitely not smiling, very focused? Jordan says, that would be the man she’s referring to, and Anna says, that would be her bodyguard. Jordan asks when Anna started hiring bodyguards, and Anna says she didn’t. He’s on Sonny’s payroll, part of his security  team, which she thinks is pretty generous. Jordan says, it’s kind of a big deal. When did the most self-reliant spy decide she needs outside protection? And not from the WSB, but from Sonny of all people? Anna says, desperate times call for desperate measures, and Jordan says, meaning? Anna says, meaning someone is trying to dismantle her life and drive her insane.

Valentin says, before he gets into the issues with his daughter, he wants Martin to know he take full responsibility. Charlotte’s mother has been in a coma these last few years, and he’s allowed her to be raised by her stepfather and grandmother lately, and he thinks maybe she’s lost her way. Martin asks if Valentin is speaking to him as his lawyer or his friend, and Valentin says, both. Martin says, hit him with some facts, and Valentin says, a couple of nights ago, Charlotte claimed she was hanging with Jake Webber at Kelly’s, like a couple of typical teenagers. Martin says, and he learned otherwise? and Valentin says, Nina showed him some security footage from the MetroCourt Hotel that night. Martin says, and he saw Charlotte doing what exactly? and Valentin says he watched Charlotte letting herself in to Anna’s hotel suite. The same suite that was later found ransacked, Anna’s clothes covered in ink, a cryptic message written on the bathroom mirror. Martin says, and Valentin’s worried she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd, that she might have witnessed what happened in that hotel room? Valentin says he thinks she’s the perpetrator, and Martin says, okay. If that is the case, she’s definitely troubled about something and it appears to be some kind of growing pain, but even so, he doesn’t think there’s a court in the country that will think of that as anything but a cry for help. Even with the state of the room, the clothes, and the message on the mirror, it’s just the folly of misspent youth. Valentin says, Martin may be right, but he thinks she’d face a stiffer sentence if the court knew she set fire to Anna’s house.

Sasha looks out her door window and tries the door, but it’s locked. She says, dammit. She doesn’t know how much longer she can do this.

Gladys tells Sam that she wishes she could help Sasha. What’s happened to her is absolutely tragic. She lost her son and husband within months of each other. But why does everyone forget Gladys lost her grandson and then her son, her only child? Her heart breaks for Sasha, but it also breaks for herself. Sam says she’s sorry. She knows losing Liam and then Brando was horrible for both Gladys and Sasha. Gladys thanks her for at least acknowledging that, and Sam tells her, focus on helping Sasha. Gladys says, face it. Sasha’s situation only got worse after Cody Bell abducted her. She completely lost touch with reality. It was not her decision to send Sasha back to Ferncliff. The police and Sasha’s doctors made that choice. There’s nothing else she could do for Sasha. Sam asks what she’s talking about. Gladys totally took advantage of Sasha’s situation. How does she think her son would feel about that? How does Gladys think her son would feel, knowing she stole from Sasha? Not to mention, Gladys undermined Sasha’s sobriety and her sanity. Gladys says she doesn’t have to listen to Sam’s garbage. Get out. She opens the door, and Sonny is standing there. I laaaugh.

Laura says she carries around a lot of guilt about Nikolas and his childhood, and Doc says he’s aware. Let him remind her that she was a prisoner on Cassadine Island, and when she saw her chance to escape, she took it. She says, yes, but without her son, and he says, she saved herself. She says, yes, she saved herself and she abandoned her son at the same time. She left him. She left him to be raised by the Cassadines. So she’s every bit as much to blame for how he turned out as the Cassadines are. He says, Nikolas is an adult. He’s a man who has responsibilities. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to stop blaming his childhood for the mistakes that he’s made as a grown man. She says, thanks. That was a really nice try, but he knows better than anyone we’re a product of our childhood. Thank God Stephan was there, because Stavros and the rest of the Cassadines could never possibly be any kind of a role model for him. But they were there. They were manipulating him and forming his point of view about the world in which he lived. His tendency to get angry so quickly and make these rash, crazy decisions. She doesn’t think he was born like that. She thinks he was taught that. Doc says, he’s never even met his new son, and as much as they both know he loves Spencer, Nikolas has abandoned him. Again. What does that say about Nikolas? She says she thinks it says he believes his children would be better off without him, which she knows is not the case. Because despite all his flaws, deep down inside there is a very good man with a good heart, and she just has to believe those good qualities will triumph over this darkness that he’s going through right now, and he’ll make his way back to her and his kids. She just thinks he needs to be reminded that he has the ability to do that. Doc says, if anyone can get someone to listen to their inner angel, it’s her. So where does she want to look next? She says, London.

Martin says he understands how upset Valentin must have been seeing actual evidence that his teenage daughter broke into a hotel room. He gets Anna isn’t some random person. Valentin loves her, and if Charlotte has a problem with that, that’s trouble. But breaking and entering, even vandalism, is a hell of a long way from arson. Valentin says he has every faith in his daughter’s intelligence and capability. She was at camp that night, less than an hour from Port Charles. She could have taken a Ride Share. She’s familiar with Anna’s house. That fire was intentionally set while he and Anna were away. Martin says he refuses to believe Charlotte would intentionally hurt Anna, but Valentin says, not physically. She wanted to take away Anna’s home. Martin says, for what purpose? and Valentin says, she wanted Anna scared; she wanted Anna insecure. Martin says, wait a minute. If he remembers correctly, didn’t Anna says she thought a professional had done it? Valentin says, she assumed it was the WSB, and Martin says, Anna’s no fool. She’s been around the block a couple of times. She knows what she’s talking about. How on earth would a teenage girl know how to set a fire that looks like a professional did it? Valentin says, the internet. It’s a dark place. If you look for something hard enough, you’ll find it. (Preach!) He’s almost certain his daughter is responsible for Anna’s house fire, and he wants Martin’s help protecting her from herself.

Anna tells Jordan, even though the PCPD haven’t determined whether she or Sonny were the target for the shooting at the MetroCourt pool, she believes that the bullet that ricocheted and hit Curtis was meant for Sonny, not her. Jordan asks, what makes her so sure? and Anna says, the fire at her house, the writing on her mirror. Those things were aimed specifically at her. That’s where she was living; it was personal. Whereas the shooting at the pool was a public attack. Those are two totally different psychological profiles. Two distinct and conflicting motives if you look at it. Jordan says, okay, but the rifle that was recovered in Curtis’s shooting was previously in WSB custody. Anna has way more connections to the WSB than Sonny. Anna says, yes, and they were standing next to each other. So on the surface, that does make the issue murkier. Jordan tells her, let’s just say the shooter was after Sonny. Then who burned down Anna’s house and vandalized her suite at the MetroCourt? Anna says she doesn’t know, but whoever they are, they do seem to know what they’re doing.

The nurse goes back into Sasha’s room, and says, time for her morning meds, but Sasha says, no. Absolutely not. Those pills are what got her in trouble in the first place. The nurse asks if Sasha didn’t tell her that she wanted to work hard to get out of this place, and Sasha says, of course (🍷). That’s her goal. The nurse says, then Sasha agrees with her. If she really wants to get out, she’s going to have to play by the rules. Sasha says she tried that. It almost killed her.

Gladys says, it’s really not a good time, closing the door, but Sonny stops it with his hand and walks in. He says he’s sorry to hear that, because in his book, there’s always time for family. He didn’t expect to see Sam here. Sam says, congratulations on having the most impeccable timing ever. She hasn’t been able to get through to Gladys. Maybe he can do better. Sonny asks Gladys, what’s the problem?

On the phone, Doc says, excellent. Thank you. He tells Laura, all right, they’re set. Two tickets to London. She says, great, and thanks him. She takes his hands and thanks him for being by her side through this whole thing. At any point, he could have said, it’s time to quit. He has to go back to Port Charles and resume his life. But he didn’t, so she thanks him for putting his life on hold to see her through this. He says he’s arranged for his patients to see other therapists, and the hospital can always reach him in an emergency. He knows how important her children are to her. With Lucky living abroad, and Lulu… It’s no wonder Nikolas has taken center stage, and if he hasn’t said it already, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. She says she loves him with all her heart, and they kiss. He says he loves her. Now let him finish packing. He goes in the other room, and she calls Jordan. She says she thought she’d check in with her Deputy Mayor. Tell her. How are things going in Port Charles?

Sam asks if Gladys wants to tell Sonny what’s going on or should she? and Gladys says she’s happy to explain what’s going on. Sam here showed up at her door and then picked her lock and broke into her home. Can he believe that? He says, Sam didn’t knock? and Sam says, of course (🍷) she knocked, but Gladys didn’t answer so she had no choice but to pick the lock. Gladys says, some people understand if you don’t answer the door, you’re not in the mood for company, and Sam says, either that, or they don’t want their escape plan interrupted. Gladys asks if Sonny hears that. Not only does Sam pick her lock to break into her home, Sam’s throwing around wild accusations about her. And it’s all because she’s cuddled up to that thief Cody Bell. Sam says, the charges against Cody were dropped, but Gladys says, that doesn’t mean he’s not guilty. It just so happens Selina Wu allegedly found some… Sam says, really, Gladys? Selina Wu and Cody Bell? Is that really the road she wants to go down, because Sam doesn’t think that’s going to end well for her. Gladys says, the way she’s defending that two-bit thief Cody Bell, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Why? The obvious reason is that she’s stepping out on Sonny’s son Dante to have an affair with Cody. Gladys is just trying to protect his son because they’re family, and she knows that’s what Mike would want. He just has to ask himself, why is Sam so desperate to help Cody Bell? If she’s not sleeping with him, what possible reason could there be? Cody was a virtual stranger to Sam when he came to town, and now she’ll do anything to help him, even jeopardize poor Sasha’s sanity. Sonny says he and Sam have known each other for a long time, and asks Sam, is anything Gladys is saying the truth, and does Cody have anything to do with hurting Sasha?

Montague calls Janice at Ferncliff, and says he’s so sorry to trouble her with this, but he just pulled into his driveway at home and realized he left a file at Ferncliff. She says, no trouble at all. She’d be happy to check on the file for him. Does he remember where he thinks he left it? He says he thinks it’s in the doctor’s lounge. It’s one of his patient’s files from General Hospital, so it should be easily recognizable. Is it too much trouble to ask her to check for him? She says, no trouble at all. She’ll check and call him back whether she finds it or not. He thanks her and says, she’s the best. She leaves the desk, and Montague walks in.

Martin says he knows how much Valentin loves and adores his daughter. He witnessed first hand what Valentin is willing to sacrifice to be the father she needs. Is Valentin telling him that he believes his daughter is capable of burning Anna’s house to the ground? Who else has he told this little theory? Valentin says, Nina. She’s the only other one. They watched the footage and saw Charlotte break into Anna’s hotel room. Martin says, so what? There’s video evidence that Valentin’s daughter may have committed a crime. Valentin says, there was evidence. Nina removed it from the server; it doesn’t exist anymore. Martin says he’s going to ask Valentin a couple of questions, but he’s not judging him or Charlotte. He just wants to make sure he gives Valentin the best help possible. Valentin says he appreciates that, and Martin says, Valentin told him that Nina’s the only other person who knows this happened. He assumes Valentin hasn’t said anything to Anna yet. Valentin says he loves Anna, but Charlotte has to be his primary focus, and Martin says, good. Does he have any idea what this would do to his relationship? Valentin says he doesn’t know and he’s not ready to tell her, and Martin asks, where’s Charlotte now? Valentin says, in school. Other than that, he hasn’t let her out of his sight until the room was broken into. Martin says, as Valentin’s attorney, he’ll be of service any way he can, but he’s not sure what Valentin is asking him to do. Valentin says he needs Martin to be ready to defend his daughter in the event of an arson charge if it comes to that. Hopefully, this can be avoided, and it all goes away, and he can get her the psychological help she needs. He’s asking Martin to cover contingencies. Martin says, okay, picking up his briefcase. He’ll start brushing up on crimes committed as a juvenile. On a personal note, as Valentin’s friend, he can’t tell Valentin how sorry he is that he has to go through something like this with Charlotte. Valentin thanks Martin, and says he appreciates that. He was so obsessed with his sociopath of a father, he didn’t pay enough attention to Charlotte and what she was capable of. It’s a lonely place, but he wants to do what he has to do to help her. Martin leaves.

Laura says she’ll let Jordan know as soon as she’s back in Port Charles. She thanks Jordan again for stepping up and taking care of everything while she’s out of town. Doc comes back and says, yes, he went to the business center and printed out their boarding passes. Yes, it makes him a bit old school, and yes, a little old-fashioned, but he doesn’t care. She laughs and says she wouldn’t call it old-fashioned. She’d say, practical. He asks if she has any idea where she wants to start looking in London, and she says she does. He says he knows she’s disappointed they haven’t found Nikolas yet, but maybe they’ll have better luck there. She says she hopes so, when her phone rings. She asks if they have time for her to take this call; it’s Valentin. He looks at his watch and says, yeah. They’re ahead of schedule. See what he wants. She answers, and Valentin says, any sign of Nikolas? She says, yes and no. They’re in Geneva actually, and were just on their way to the airport. They’re going to fly to London next. Valentin asks if she thinks Nikolas is in London, and she says she’s not sure, but she did find proof Nikolas is alive. He says, that’s great. It’s got to give her hope, huh? She says, yes. There must be a reason he called. He tells her, she says she’s flying to London. Any chance she’s stopping in Port Charles? She asks, why? Did something happen? Did Spencer do something? He says, no. Alexis hasn’t said anything about Spencer, and she says, good. What’s the problem? He says, it’s Charlotte, and she says, what about her? He says he thinks her granddaughter is in serious trouble.

Anna tells Jordan that she’s trying to figure out who’s out to get her, and she can’t rule out the fact that the WSB is at the top of that list. Jordan asks if Valentin is helping her out, and Anna says, he’s determined to protect her, but… Jordan says, but what? She doesn’t believe him? Anna says she believes he would never harm her, but he has his own past and ties to the WSB and other affiliated organizations with less than stellar reputations. Jordan says, which means… and Anna says, honestly, she doesn’t know what secrets Valentin is keeping, and she thinks it’s past time she found out what those secrets are.

Gladys asks if Sonny doesn’t see the pattern. The guy is a wannabe gold-digger. He targeted a wealthy doctor and the Chief of Staff at GH. When that didn’t work out, he moved on to Sasha. While she was struggling with mental health issues, he saw his next target, a rich, troubled widow. Cody took advantage of her grief. Sam tells Sonny, none of this is true. Cody is on Sasha’s side. Gladys says, no. Don’t believe her; she’s his accomplice. She has been in with Cody from the very beginning, but what else could you expect? She’s a grifter too. Sam asks Sonny to please tell her that he’s not buying what Gladys is shoveling, and Gladys says, Sonny’s her family. Of course (🍷) he’s going to believe her. She tells Sonny, all she’s tried to do since Brando died is take care of his widow, but then Cody started whispering in her ear. And eventually it became too much, and she snapped. She went back on whatever drugs she was taking and wound up stabbing Cody with a knife. You’d think that would make him back off, but no. Somehow, he got himself admitted to Ferncliff and that’s when he kidnapped her. And he got arrested, and poor Sasha made her way back here to the apartment. It was heartbreaking. She was disoriented and not making any sense at all, and it broke Gladys’s heart to have to call the police. Sonny says, what happened to Sasha was worse than a tragedy. It was downright criminal.

Sasha sits on the bed and does some deep breathing. She says, okay. That’s a little better. This isn’t going to last forever. You’re going to survive this. Montague walks in, and she says, no. She sees the syringe in his hand.

Laura asks, what happened? and Valentin says he can’t get into it on the phone for legal reasons. Laura says, my God, what is he saying? and he tells her that he’s saying he needs her help. And so does Charlotte, desperately. She says, then he’s got it. She’ll take the first flight to Port Charles. She’ll get there as soon as she possibly can.

Valentin is about to call Nina, when Anna walks in. She says, so this is where he’s been hiding out?

Sonny looks at the suitcases, and says, it looks like Gladys is headed somewhere. She says, with everything going on with Sasha, her own nerves were shot, and she needed a break. She’s taking a little vacation. Sonny says, that’s a lot of luggage for a little vacation. Where is she going? She stammers and says, just some quiet spot. Take a beat and calm down. Sam says, that is not true; she’s clearly running away. Sonny asks what Gladys is running away from, and Sam says, she’s trying to get out of town before the truth about Sasha comes out. Gladys says, Sam is partially correct, but she’s always got to put a negative spin on things. She tells Sonny that she’s leaving town, but it’s only because she can’t bear to stay here and see the disaster Sasha’s life has turned into. Sonny says, she’s Sasha’s legal guardian; she’s obligated to stick around. Gladys says, not while she’s in Ferncliff. She can’t do anything for Sasha while she’s in there. That’s why she thought this was the perfect time for her to go somewhere and get her own head on straight. Sonny says, that sounds perfectly reasonable to him, and Sam says, tell her that he’s not buying this BS. He wonders if he can ask Gladys one question. How is she going to pay for this trip? Because he already knows she stole Sasha’s money to pay back her gambling debt to Selina Wu. Gladys begins to stammer, that’s not what… Sonny says, shut up. He’s done with her lies. And he’s going to make sure she doesn’t lie again.

Sasha tells Montague, stay away from her, but he says, she’s confused. He can see the agitation in her face. This medication will help her calm down. He holds up the syringe, and she screams for somebody to help her. Dr. Montague is trying to inject her with something. He says, no one can hear her. And no one is coming to save her. Sasha leaps over the bed and throws a pillow at Montague. Heading for the door, she throws a chair, but misses him by a mile. She pulls at the doorknob, screaming, and he grabs her, throwing her on the bed. As he’s about to inject her, the door opens.

Tomorrow, Anna asks why Valentin would keep this secret; Gregory asks if Alexis wants to help him knock another one off the list; Sonny says he knows exactly what Gladys did and now she’s going to pay for it; and Montague says, he’s getting out of here, and taking Sasha with him.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Italian Riviera. Captain Sandy finds out she can’t get new crew members for weeks, and she says, unbelievable. It’s f***ing crazy. This has never happened to her, but she guesses she’ll figure something out. Natalya takes breakfast orders, and Lara deals with the tender. In Lara’s interview, she says, Luka is beautiful and has the greatest qualities. He’s God’s gift. The water is too rough for the jet skis, and guest Cameron says he feels sad and wants to leave the boat. Breakfast is served, and Primary Kian says, the chef is apparently mortal. He’s talented, but can’t cook eggs for crap. Maybe he needs a picture guide. The captain tells Luka, this will pass, but maybe the guests should go ashore. Natalya tells Jack about the egg complaints, and in Jack’s interview, he says he hates eggs; they’re overrated. Now he’s got to redeem himself. Natalya tells him, Americans invent new egg styles every day. I dunno about that, but personally, I think eggs are God’s perfect food. Kian talks to Captain Sandy about being bummed and that some of the guests are throwing up from the boat rocking. She suggests the guests go to shore, and in her interview, the captain says, these are friends, and she feels bad. They’re down team members, but they have to find a way to make the charter good or she may have to find a new doctor. In Natalya’s interview, she says she and her boyfriend have been together four months and they’re in an open relationship. She’s always been with guys who cheated, so she’s glad to be honest from start, but she loved him before this style of relationship was mentioned. She’s half okay with it. Looking is fine; touching is a no go. Captain Sandy tells Luka to take the guests to shore, and as they’re about to get in the tender, guest Nathan asks Luka if they have in case one of them vomits. Luka says, do it overboard, and in his interview, he says, it’s not an airplane. They don’t get a bag. You have to chuck in the sea. As they get in the tender, Captain Sandy says, they’ll feel better on shore. Immediately one of them (probably Cameron) throws up over the side of the boat. In Luka’s interview, he says, the tender moves more than the yacht. It’s going to be ten minutes of torture before getting to shore.

Portofino. In his interview, Luka says, Portofino is a rare place. If the guests are lucky, they’ll see dolphins. He hopes they don’t puke on them. In Natalya’s interview, she says, it’s going to be difficult to step down when the new person comes in. Even though she’s been sh*tting herself on this charter, it’s a great opportunity to show the captain that she’s an amazing chief strew. She reminds Jack that the guests want a Michelin Star meal, and says, afterward, they’ll be doing an EDM party on the sundeck. The guests stroll through town, do some shopping, and go sightseeing. They go to an old-world church that’s just gorgeous. Norma texts Captain Sandy that she still doesn’t have a bosun, but has an experienced deckhand. In Jessika’s interview, she says she thinks Natalya is stressed about the new chief stew coming, but maybe it’s a good idea. She’s hoping they have a better way to delegate, so all the work is equally divided. The guests come back, and the wind has died down, so the water toys are put out. There’s a new davit (a crane used on ships) for the slide, so they’re able to put it out much more easily. Most of the guests get on the inflatable banana, while Luka drives the tender, pulling them. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the day turned out spectacularly. She’s impressed at how quickly they got the slide out, and the clients are having fun. Jack goes over dinner with Natalya, and in Jack’s interview, he says he worked in a Michelin Star restaurant, but he wasn’t ready. It’s an emotional position. Dinner is going to have Italian and Asian influence. It’s like a biography on a plate. A line is caught in the propeller under the tender, and Lara radios Haleigh to keep watch while she swims underneath it. She needs someone to know she’s there. She finds out that it’s wrapped around the propellor, and in Lara’s interview, she says, if a line gets caught in the propellor, you can’t maneuver the boat. It’s very dangerous.

Lara gets the line off, and in her interview, she says, f*** yes. She handled it like a boss. The guests go down the slide, and take photos. Natalya gets the party stuff out, and the slide is brought back up, which doesn’t look quite as easy as putting it out. Natalya tells Kian, there’s going to be a fiesta, and tells the stews, they’ll all wear wigs and stuff. Lara says she loves Luka; he’s never screaming at anyone. Real chief stew Tumi texts Captain Sandy and says, she and Kyle got their visas, and are on the way. In Jack’s interview, he says, the side effect of being a wizard. You know so much good stuff, you forget some of it. But he trusts Natalya to help. Luka tells Captain Sandy that the guests are loving it, and she tells him that Ruan isn’t coming back, and she can’t get a bosun. She asks if he’d like to be the full time bosun, and he says he’d love to. She says, by the next charter, he’ll have a new deckhand, and in Luka’s interview, he says, he thought Ruan would take his position back. He hasn’t even docked yet. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s confident in Luka. Captain Jason highly recommended him, and he’s smart, quick, and knows his stuff. He does everything without resistance, and it was all those little moments that made her say, he’s a leader. Luka tells Haleigh about becoming bosun, and she calls him, Daddy Bosun. He likes it. I hope they give him the stripes to go with it. The guests are happy with dinner, and guest Tito says, if he could stand, he’d give the food a standing ovation. Natalya asks Haleigh to help with the party, and Haleigh says she doesn’t know how decorate well. The captain hears, and says, teamwork makes the dream work. I’d pay money never to hear that saying again. In Haleigh’s interview, she says, she’s never decorated for a party. She went to a rave once, and knows it’s beads, neon lights, and Ecstasy. She’s had one of the three. The food keeps coming, and food porn! Food porn! Brooke does housekeeping, while Haleigh wanders around with decorations. She tells Natalya that she’s trying. Natalya wonders where Brooke is, and Brooke finally shows up, ten minutes late for decorating. Oh, the horror. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s used to working late nights. She runs on coffee. Her blood is coffee. This bitch going to have to pull it off.

Natalya asks Jessika to lead service, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, Natalya is chief stew; she should lead. She’s a raver, and it’s too much pressure to lead. Don’t do that to her. Natalya tells Jessika that the sundeck’s not set up, and she needs to lead service. Jessika radios the crew that she needs help. She needs hands for clearing. Natalya says, it can’t be an extravaganza if there’s nothing. Tito is served the wrong wine, and in her interview, Jessika says, please, Natalya, come back. Luka says she’s got this, and Kian says he doesn’t know how the chef is doing it all by himself. Natalya says, this is crackhead energy, and puts on a blue wig. She tells the crew, it’s crazy, but they’re doing it. Shots on her tomorrow. Literally on her. Luka says, tomorrow is going to be great. One of the guests says, the chef put heart and soul in this food, and in Jessika’s interview, she says, this sh*t is scary, but if they’re happy, she’s happy. Kian says, it’s time to party, and they go up to the sundeck, bathed in a black light, and decorated with glowing everything. Shots are poured, and Natalya says, there are little ships and big ships, but there’s no ship like friendship. Zzzz… In her interview, she says she’s solid being the chief stew. When the new one gets here, fingers crossed they have a dream team. We flash back to her and Kyle bickering last season, and she says she’s just taking it day by day. The guests dance, drink, and finally crash at 2:58 am. Cameron has fallen sleep in one of the lounges, and Natalya covers him with a blanket. She talks to her boyfriend, and says, if the chief stew is a f***ing nightmare, she’s off. She asks if he’s had sex with anyone, and he says, she’s got to stop asking that question.

Final day of charter. Natalya keeps telling herself to wake up. She tells Jack that they nailed it, and in Jack’s interview, he says, over easy, over medium; potato, potahto. He’s making quiche. A monkey with no eyes can make quiche. I’d love to see that. Breakfast is served, and Tito asks if they have more French donuts – what you call croissants. They try to haul anchor, but Lara says, a brick is attached to the anchor. More specifically, it’s a cinder block. She says, WTF? Captain Sandy wonders if there’s a body attached to it.

Luka says he’ll have to jump down and cut it off. He gets a knife from Jack, and in Jack’s interview, he says, butter knife, steak knife… there it is. A brick knife. Luka is successful, and in the captain’s interview, she says, so far, the deck team is a pleasant surprise. Her ETA to the pilot station is one hour, and the guests all thank Kian. One of them asks, when’s the next one? In Lara’s interview, she says, if they still had Ruan, it would have been a different deck crew. Luka makes her wish she was straight. They dock, and in Luka’s interview, he says, it’s the first time he’s docked, and he wants to make sure Captain Sandy knows he’s calm, and not the dude going, we hit the f***ing dock. The docking is a success, and he says he’s sure he’ll have grey hairs by the end of the season. He tells the captain that the girls are smashing it, and she radios the crew to meet on the dock. As the guests leave, there are lots of hugs, and they want to take Jack with him. Kian says, the crew was incredible, and Captain Sandy is the coolest captain ever. He wants to recognize Jack’s skills as a chef, and thanks Natalya for treating them special. The envelope doesn’t look fat, but the jury’s out. The crew gets in their reds and the captain radios them to come for the tip meeting. The captain says, the first charter wasn’t what she expected. Unfortunately, Ruan didn’t have the correct paperwork. She’s been paying attention, and there have been crews she’s had to correct, but this time she didn’t have to. Luka is now their bosun, and she’s happy there are women on deck. They dug in and worked as a team. She tells Jack that he set bar, and now he can’t go below it; and thanks Natalya for stepping up, and now stepping back. In her interview, Natalya says, they were being thrown into it, and they were successful. They smashed out of the ball cart [sic]. The tip is a surprising $20K (I guess it was big bills), or $1818 each. They clink glasses, and the boat is turned over.

Natalya asks Luka for some shampoo while only wearing a towel, and in his interview, he says, she’s in interior; she knows where the shampoo is. The one thing that gets him in trouble on yachts is the ladies. We flash back to Down Under, and he says, Natalya is definitely potential trouble. Lara tells Haleigh that South Africa isn’t very open, but her family is fine with her sexuality now. In her interview, she says, it was when she was in covid quarantine that she realized she likes women and does not like men. When she came out, she felt comfortable, like she had wings. When she goes home, she feels the need to hide herself a bit. Her parents love her, but it’s like stepping on eggshells now. The crew goes ashore and takes a taxi van to a restaurant. Lara tells Natalya that she loves a girly girl, and Natalya says she’s not sitting in the backseat on the way home. As they walk to the restaurant, Lara literally picks up Natalya and carries her. When the drinks come, Natalya says, they couldn’t get a better first charter. After dinner, they move on to another bar. Luka asks Natalya if she has any tattoos, and she says, a secret one. She tells him that she’s in an open relationship, but she doesn’t know what that means. In her interview, she says she has lust for Luka, but she loves her boyfriend.

They dance and drink and fall down. Haleigh flashes whoever’s in the vicinity, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, Haleigh is a surprising person. She seems so shy, then she flashes everyone. Interesting. They go back to the boat and surprisingly, go to bed. And everyone’s in their own bed. Natalya texts her boyfriend, who asks if there were any hot guys. She says, actually, yes, and tells him, goodnight. In the morning, she says she feels like a walking bottle of alcohol. She tells the stews that they’d best make the boat perfect before the chief stew comes. Captain Sandy calls Tumi and says she can’t wait to meet in person. Luka is excited about having two extra hands. Brooke says goodbye to the captain, who says, she’s amazing. She wishes Brooke could stay, but she needs a stew with more experience. She has nothing but praise for Brooke. In Brooke’s interview, she says thinks yachting is the career path for her. Stews do hard-ass work. She gives them credit. Tumi arrives, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, it was a successful first charter as chief stew. And the way she’s set up the yacht is close to perfect.

In Tumi’s interview, she says she’s been ready since last season, and we flash back to Down Under again. She says she’s always wanted to work on the Mediterranean. Captain Sandy says, they’ve missed her, and Tumi says, Kyle is coming later. The captain says she’s heard great things about Tumi. She trusts Captain Jason. In her interview, Captain Sandy says she’s committed to Tumi. Being hung up in immigration wasn’t her fault. She was highly recommended by Jason. He said she was ready to be chief stew. She’s focused, determined, works hard, and she cares. She tells Tumi that Natalya bailed them out. She’s a team player, and the captain thinks Tumi will like the team. She shows Tumi her cabin, and Tumi meets the crew. In her interview, Tumi says, she’s worried about walking onto a new boat; there’s always self-doubt. She guesses it’s that way when you’re when passionate about something and don’t want to f*** it up. She’s been in the industry a long time and it scares her. She wants the crew’s respect and believes it’s important to set boundaries in the beginning. She met Kyle, who said he had his ups downs with Natalya. Tumi doesn’t want to be disrespected, but she doesn’t want to demand respect. That’s where her struggle comes in. Jack says, they need more testosterone to balance things out. Natalya shows Tumi around and points out where she likes to keep the sunblock stuff. Tumi says, that’s not where she’d prefer it. Natalya says they were two crew members down during the first charter, but they smashed it. The chef is amazing and chill. She asks what Tumi thinks of the boat, and Tumi says, it’s interesting. It reminds her of Harry Potter; the organization is a sh*tshow. Natalya asks if she means the boat itself or how she’s organized things, and Tumi says, the boat itself; the way it’s set up. She tells Natalya, don’t get defensive. Natalya’s part is impeccable, but it’s not the way she would want to come on a boat. Natalya continues to take it as an insult, and Tumi says, it’s just her opinion. The way it’s set up isn’t the way she would set it up. Natalya says, she thinks it’s great, and Tumi says she’s just giving her opinion. That’s it. Natalya says, don’t do this with her. Don’t put the hands up at me please.  

To be continued…

📻 Walking On Your Wavelength…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and some internet brew. Until then, stay safe, stay always pushing in your chair when you leave the table, and stay not blaming your childhood for the mistakes you make as an adult.

And so it begins…

Sep26

September 25, 2023 – Brook Asks Blaze To Be Her First Client, Different Deck In the Med & Bizarre

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth says, the beating Drew took was severe, and the doctor says he’s concerned about Drew not regaining consciousness. He hopes the X-rays and CT scan will give them more answers. He asks Elizabeth to let him know when Drew is back in ICU and when the test results come in. Jake comes in, and Elizabeth says, it’s not a good time, but he says he has to talk to her about Charlotte.

Charlotte sleeps on the couch, and Anna wakes her, saying, she fell asleep. Charlotte asks, where’s papa? and Anna says, he’s not here. Charlotte asks if he’s coming back, but Anna says she doubts it. He has other things to do. He’s very busy. Charlotte says she needs to see him, but Anna says, he doesn’t have time. Charlotte says, Valentin always has time for her, and Anna says, that was before. Charlotte says, before what? and Anna says, before he fell in love with her. He’s all hers now. Charlotte says, no, but Anna says, he’s mine, all mine. Charlotte keeps saying she wants papa, but Anna just smiles. Charlotte sits up, and Nina says, she had a bad dream. It’s just a bad dream.

Anna nearly walks into Portia, mumbles an apology, and keeps on walking. Portia asks her to wait.

At Charlie’s, Blaze looks at a headline from The Invader on her phone: BLQ OUT @ DECEPTION; Quartermaine heiress and former songbird given the boot. Brook runs in and says she’s so, so sorry she’s late. She was on her way, and life happens. She promises she didn’t ask Blaze to come here to waste her time or beat around the bush. After a lot of soul searching, and a fair amount of family drama, she’s decided to go back to music management. She’d like to sign Blaze as her first client. So what does Blaze say?

Alexis walks into Charlie’s, and Kristina says, fancy seeing her here. Alexis says she’s here to see her daughter, and Kristina asks if her daughter is meeting her here. Alexis says, Kristina’s her daughter; she’s here to see her. Kristina asks, what’s up? and Alexis says she has a message from Kristina’s sister. Kristina tells her, please say Sam, but Alexis says, Molly.

Molly approaches the nurses station and asks if the reception nurse knows where she can find Dr. Ashford.

TJ sees Curtis and asks what he’s doing at the hospital. Curtis says he had a check-up appointment and thought he’d stick around and see TJ. TJ says, that’s great; he has a little break right now. How was the check-up? Curtis says, same, when Molly joins them. She says, Curtis is here too. Perfect. TJ asks, what’s going on? and she says she has news to share.

On the phone at Pozzulo’s, Sonny says he doesn’t want any more excuses. Understand?… Yeah. He’s done. Just let him know. Dex runs in, and says, Drew Cain was attacked and beaten up. Sonny says, what? and Dex says, they told him it’s bad. Sonny asks, how bad? and Dex says, they took him to the hospital.

Jake says, Elizabeth came in late last night and left early this morning. He didn’t get a chance to talk to her. She asks if they can talk about this later, but he says he just needs a few minutes. It’s about Charlotte. It’s important. She says, okay, and seeing Carly run in, she asks him to wait for her. Carly asks where Drew is, and Elizabeth says, he’s in the ICU, but he’s been taken for some tests. Carly asks if Elizabeth saw him, and she says, yes. Carly asks how he looks. Did he say anything? Elizabeth says, he hasn’t regained consciousness since the beating, and Carly says, please tell her it’s going to be okay. Elizabeth says, Drew’s getting the best care possible. They just have to wait for the tests to come back. Carly says she knows Elizabeth is just trying to be professional, but please tell her what’s going on. She’s just going to call Monica, and Monica will tell her. Elizabeth says, Monica is in Berlin for a conference, and there’s no need to notify her until they know more. Drew put Carly down as his emergency contact. The doctor will talk to her as soon as he has any information. Carly says, he never should have been in that prison, and asks if Elizabeth thinks this is her fault. It is. It’s 100% her fault. Elizabeth says, Drew made his own choices, and this isn’t about blame. She has to go talk to her son. Carly says, Jake’s here? but Elizabeth says, he’s here about something else. She hasn’t told him anything yet. He already lost his dad and Franco, and at one point, Drew was a father figure in his life, and if he loses him too…

Nina tells Charlotte, it’s okay. Sometimes it helps if you talk about your bad dream. Charlotte says she’s already forgetting what it was about, and Nina says, that happens to her. Sometimes if she has a bad dream, she concentrates and she realizes it’s something that happened in the past. Sometimes it’s something she did the day before. Valentin comes in, and Charlotte runs to him, hugging him. Nina says, Charlotte had a bad dream.

Brook says she’s so sorry to spring this on Blaze. She would have worked up to it, but she walked in so late. Blaze says, it’s okay. She had a great conversation with the manager while she was waiting. Brook says, Kristina, she’s the best, and Blaze says, she seems like a cool person. Brook says, she’s super cool, and she sings too. She sang at the Nurses Ball. She was terrific. Blaze says she saw the video online; Kristina was great. She thinks she embarrassed Kristina by watching it. Brook says, people not in the business tend to be embarrassed by their talents, but Blaze is in the business and she’s here with a proposal to get Blaze front and center, and get her career to the next level. She brings out her tablet and says, since Blaze dropped that sleaze Linc, the public hasn’t heard from her. They’re going to change that.

Kristina says she swears, she’s given Molly all the space she’s asked for, but Alexis says, this isn’t anything bad. In fact, it’s good news. Molly just found out from her surrogate that she’s pregnant. So Molly and TJ are having a baby.

Molly says she was going to wait until TJ got off work to tell him, but she’s too excited. Curtis says, they probably want to be alone, but Molly says she’s really glad Curtis is here. She wants them to know; she wants the whole family to know. She takes TJ’s hand and says, it worked. Andrea is pregnant. TJ says, we’re having a baby? and she says, we’re having a baby. He picks her up and spins her around, while Curtis smiles wide.

Sonny asks, what the hell happened? He told Dex to make certain Drew is off limits. Dex says, that’s exactly what he told Book when he visited the prison. He made sure everyone knew Drew was being protected by Sonny Corinthos. Sonny says, who’s after him? and Dex says, that’s what he’s trying to find out. Sonny says, someone went against his orders? and Dex says, yes. Sonny says, that someone needs to be punished, and Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do. Sonny says, they’re going to find out who that someone is, and they’re going to make them pay. Where is Drew right now? Dex says, they took him to GH, and Sonny says, let’s go.

Anna asks bodyguard Tre to make himself scarce, and Portia says she thinks they need to clear the air. Anna says, they don’t. She should have never come to their house. She should have called first. She really needed to see Curtis and needed to apologize. She’s sorry. Portia says, Curtis doesn’t blame Anna, and Anna says she knows. Curtis was extremely gracious. Portia says, and she wasn’t, but Anna says, that’s not what she meant. There was nothing Portia said that was unjustified. Portia says she knows that, but it was out of proportion. Anna was there and it was convenient for her to focus all of her anger on Anna, but she didn’t deserve all of it. Anna says, all of it.

Elizabeth promises to let Carly know as soon as she hears anything, but it could be a long wait. Carly says she’s not going anywhere. Not until she sees Drew. Is Elizabeth going to tell Jake? Elizabeth says she doesn’t know, and Carly says she’s sorry. Go.

Elizabeth goes over to Jake, and says she’s sorry she took so long, but she is working and doesn’t have a lot of time. What did he want to tell her? He says he was with Charlotte last night.

Charlotte says she doesn’t even remember her dream. She’s just glad Valentin came. He asks what they’ve been up to, and Nina says, they went to Kelly’s for some breakfast, then they did some window shopping and saw some really great ideas for winter clothes. Charlotte agrees, and Nina says, then they came back here and Charlotte read Crimson magazine and fell asleep. Valentin suggests he and Charlotte do something together, and Charlotte says, what? He says, it’s a surprise. It’s going to make that bad dream fly right out of her head. Charlotte says she’ll go get her jacket, and goes in the bedroom. Nina asks, what if she was dreaming about what she’s done to Anna? and he says, who knows? He just hopes what he has planned is going to make them all move past it.

Portia tells Anna that she apologizes for her actions the other night. She’s still angry. She’s angry that Curtis was collateral damage because someone was targeting Anna or Sonny. She knows Anna didn’t pull the trigger, but Curtis is in a wheelchair. He’s in a wheelchair through no fault of his own. It’s one thing to take responsibility for your own actions, but it’s a whole other thing to have to pay the price for someone else’s.

Brook shows Blaze the tablet, and says, these are some platforms she thinks might help get Blaze back in the public eye. Concerts, social media, potential producers, collaborators… Blaze says, interesting, and Brook says she knows how important it is for Blaze to be herself and not some image like Linc conjured up. So she’s open to suggestion. Blaze says she can see Brook put a lot of work into it. She’s really into this, isn’t she? Brook says, yeah. She enjoyed trying to push Chase’s career. He’s an amazing performer, but if your heart’s not in it, what’s the point? But Blaze is so committed. Brook can see it in her performances. She hopes Blaze knows how much she respects her, and that she’d never do anything to make Blaze feel uncomfortable or dishonest, which is why she’s so excited to sign Blaze as her first client. Blaze says, okay, but Brook keeps going. She says, and Blaze is such a unique talent. That’s something she doesn’t think Linc ever really saw. She has great style, and Brook really wants to help her reach the next level in her career. Not just in business, but through songwriting. Blaze tells Brook that she said okay, and Brook says, excuse me? Blaze says, O…K, and Brook asks if she’s saying yes. Blaze says she is; she’s in. Brook says, just like that? and Blaze says, just like that. Brook stood up for her when everyone else looked away. She’s not sure she would have been able to get away from Linc if it hadn’t been for Brook.

Kristina says, Molly just found out? and Alexis says, today. Kristina asks if it isn’t a little early in the pregnancy to be telling people, and Alexis says, it is, and she promised Molly that when she talked to Kristina, she’d say they cautiously had good news. It was Molly’s decision, and Alexis thought it would be great if they could all be supportive together. Kristina says, of course (🍷). They must be really excited. She knows Molly and TJ both really want this baby. Alexis says, fingers crossed it’s all worked out for them, and Kristina says, it has. Alexis says, what? and Kristina says, it would have been nice if she’d had that moment with her sister where Molly tells Kristina herself, and she got to see the look on Molly’s face. But she’s hearing it secondhand, and if she’s honest, it hurts a little.

Molly hugs Curtis, and he says, that’s great news. She says she knows it’s a little early and some people think she should have waited, but Andrea’s already glowing and she’s so positive about everything. TJ asks if she called this morning, but Molly says, Andrea actually came to the courthouse to tell her in person. Her mom was there, so she already knows, and Curtis can tell Portia and the rest of the family. TJ asks if anyone else knows, and Molly says her mom is going to tell Kristina. She hopes that’s okay.

Elizabeth says, Jake was with Charlotte? She thought he was with his friend Angus. He says he’s sorry. He guesses he was a little embarrassed that he was seeing Charlotte again. She asks, why? and he says, she’s a girl. She says, and he felt the need to tell her this now? and he says he shouldn’t have told her he was seeing Angus. And Charlotte was taking all of these selfies of them. She says she sees. He was afraid if Charlotte posted them, she’d find out. He says he’s sorry.

Sonny and Dex come out of the hospital elevator, and Dex says he’ll see what he can find out. And he’ll make that call for Sonny. Sonny walks over to Carly, and she says, Sonny promised to protect him. He says he doesn’t know what went wrong and he’s sorry. She says, Drew is fighting for his life. They put him in danger for asking him to find out information. He tells her, Drew said he wanted to find out who Austin was visiting in Pentenville, and she says, for Sonny. He says, Drew’s a smart guy. He’s sure when Drew asked questions, he was careful. She says, really? Then why is he in the hospital right now?

Elizabeth says, maybe Jake has a thing for Charlotte, and he says, stop it. She tells him, she’s just saying. He’s been spending a lot of time with her lately. What is it he likes about her? He says, everything. Plus, she likes him.

Charlotte, Nina, and Valentin approach a house, and Charlotte asks what they’re doing here. Whose house is this? Valentin says, see for herself, and opens the front door. They go inside a gorgeous, beautifully furnished living room with floor to ceiling windows.

Anna says she thinks Portia summed it up pretty well, and Portia says she knows Curtis and Anna got closer from the time they spent together in Greenland. She hopes Anna knows how much she appreciates what Anna did to save her daughter. Anna says, it was a group effort, and Portia says she’s just trying to clear the air, but Anna says she doesn’t have to apologize, because Portia was right. Curtis doesn’t deserve to suffer the consequences meant for someone else. No one does. Portia says she heard about Anna’s home; how her house burned down and she lost everything. She’s so sorry. Anna says, it’s just things. She thinks they’ve both been through enough to know things aren’t important. Portia says, the fire could have cost her a lot more, and she’s glad Anna’s okay. Curtis also told her the story about how she saved Valentin’s life. Wow. The two of them are closer now. She’s glad Anna has someone in her life. Anna thanks her, and Portia leaves. Anna flashes back to telling Valentin, each new layer that gets peeled back, she gets to see who he really is. Like maybe she never knew him. He tells her that he loves her, but she says, he’s not answering her question, and he admits he wasn’t at ELQ the night of the fire. She remembers him telling her that the footage outside of her suite the night of the break-in is missing. Tre comes back, and she asks him if they can meet at the car. She’s perfectly safe here. He leaves.

Brook says she let what happened with Blaze and Linc go on for too long, and Blaze says, so did she. If Brook hadn’t finally stepped in, who knows what could have happened? Brook says she should have stepped in sooner, but Blaze says, stop. Not to pat themselves on the back, but doesn’t she think anyone who met them would think they were two strong women? Brook says, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t hesitate to correct them, and Blaze says, yet somehow, they both managed to let a man like Linc take advantage of them. Brook says she thinks back, and she still can’t believe it, and Blaze says she went to a support group for survivors of both physical and emotional abuse. There were women in there like them; strong, intelligent women who went through the same thing. Guys who are predators have had a lot of practice. They know what buttons to push, what vulnerabilities to take advantage of, and they do it all with a slimy smile on their face. Seeing Brook put Linc in his place was absolutely priceless. Brook exposed him to everyone for exactly who he was. And now he’s canceled. Brook says, amen to that, and they clink glasses.

Sonny tells Carly, Drew is tough; he’s going to get through this. She asks how he knows. He hasn’t even regained consciousness. He was beaten so badly, who knows if he even will. Sonny says he’s going to figure out who did this, and she says, and then what? He says, as soon as Drew gets better, Diane is going to do everything she can to get him released from Pentenville. She asks if he’ll even be alive to get released.

Blaze asks if Brook brought papers or is there a contract she can sign on that fancy tablet of Brook’s? Brook asks if Blaze doesn’t want to take some time and think it over, but Blaze says she knows she can count on Brook, not just to promote her, but to care about her. Brook says she does, and Blaze asks, what about Deception? Brook says she’ll miss the people, but that world never really spoke to her. Blaze shows Brook her phone and says, it’s speaking in all caps now. Does this have anything to do with Brook going into music management? Brook says, bad news travels fast.

Alexis asks if Kristina thinks it’s possible she’s being a little overly sensitive about this, and Kristina asks, how? Her own sister can’t even pick up the phone and tell her the news herself? Alexis says, because she was excited and wanted to have lunch with the surrogate; they wanted to celebrate. Kristina wonders if Molly asked Alexis to tell her, or was this perhaps Alexis’s idea? Alexis says, well… and Kristina says, this is unbelievable. It just keeps getting better and better. Alexis says, please don’t… Kristina says, don’t what? Her sister has explicitly singled her out to be completely hands-off to her surrogacy journey, and now her mother has to beg Molly to let her in on the news that the baby’s on its way? Alexis says she didn’t beg Molly, and the baby is far from being on its way. They both know how much pressure Molly’s been under, and frankly, she doesn’t think Molly’s been able to even process the fact she can’t get pregnant. But now that the surrogate is pregnant, maybe Molly can relax, and they can just support her and give her some space. Kristina says she’s giving Molly all the space she’s asked for. Is she honestly that overbearing? Molly’s her sister. Why does Molly not want a relationship with her?

TJ says he thinks it’s great that Molly’s mom is telling Kristina, but for now, let’s just keep it family. Molly says, of course (🍷), and her phone rings. She says, it’s the office, and steps away to take the call. Curtis says, so TJ is going to be a dad, and TJ says, in nine months, if all goes well. Curtis says, so far, so good, right? and TJ says, right. Curtis asks if he’d be right in assessing that TJ is overjoyed. He’s honestly never seen TJ so happy. TJ asks, how could he be happier? He’s going to be a dad. They shake hands bro style.

Charlotte tells Valentin, it’s beautiful, when Nina’s phone rings and she excuses herself, going outside. She asks Dex, what’s up? and he says, sorry to bother her. He knows she was supposed to meet Sonny at the MetroCourt in a little while. She asks if something is wrong, and Dex says, no. He had to come to GH. Drew Cain is here. Nina asks if he’s okay, and Dex says he’s not sure. He was beaten up pretty badly in Pentenville. She thanks him for letting her know.

Valentin tells Charlotte, the lot is a little more than two acres and they’re less than half a mile from Winding Road Stables. She says, that’s where Butterscotch is boarded, and he says, and they’re just a short drive from her school. Nina comes back in, and Charlotte says, it’s perfect. Is he thinking of buying it? He says he’s not thinking of buying it… because he already bought it. She hugs him and says, this is their house? For real? He says, for real. He knows it’s been a long time coming, but from now on, this is their home. She says she loves it.

Sonny tells Carly not to go to the worst-case scenario, but she says she loves Drew, and he might die because someone told the SEC what they did. Then some power-hungry judge gave him an insane sentence for it, just to further his career. It’s wrong. It’s all wrong. She walks away.

In the elevator, Dex asks Sonny if he thinks the guy from Pikeman had something to do with Drew getting attacked, but Sonny wonders why Pikeman would care about Drew Cain. Dex says, what if they found out Sonny was protecting him? It might have been their way of sending Sonny a message. The guy’s threat wasn’t exactly subtle. Sonny says, good thinking, but there’s a lot of people in Pentenville who would have it in for Drew if they knew Drew was helping him. Dex says, there are a lot of guys in there from the other Families who are locked up, right? He takes out his phone and asks if any of the names jump out. Sonny says, they’d love to take him down, and Dex says he’ll keep pushing. He made that call to Nina. They come out of the elevator and hear Portia saying she’s so happy for Molly and TJ. Curtis says he thinks they should celebrate at The Savoy because his dad just managed to book Eddie Maine, and TJ asks if Curtis will be there. Curtis says he will, and Molly says, they’ll see them later. She leaves with TJ, and Portia sees Sonny starting to head toward them. She stops smiling, and tells Curtis that they should get out of here too, and get ready for tonight. She wheels Curtis away, and Dex asks if Sonny wants him to hang around, but Sonny tells him to go. He’ll call Dex if he needs him.

Alexis says, Kristina is not overbearing. Maybe a little impatient. Kristina says she feels like the way things are going right now, she’s never getting her sister back. Alexis says, since Kristina has this instinct that she’s inherited from her, sometimes it’s best not to tackle a problem head on. Kristina asks what she’s supposed to do; sit around and wait? Alexis says, yes. This baby’s a blessing for Molly and TJ, so let them have their moment and when they’re ready, they’ll reach out. Kristina says, okay. She really is happy for Molly. Alexis says she knows, and she knows Molly knows that too. Anyway, Kristina has big things to do right now. Diane said she has her first board meeting for the youth center. Kristina says she does, and she’s excited about that, but she’s not excited about talking about her least favorite topic. Alexis says, fundraising. It’s a drag, but she has to come up with an idea to get people pumped up. Kristina says she’s been wracking her brain to think about something – she looks over at Brook and Blaze – and she thinks she may have a really good idea.

Brook reads, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, the infamous trust fund wannabe was fired from her job at Deception Cosmetics amidst lawsuit turmoil. Sources tell us the Quartermaine princess is out because of allegations regarding the hot Deceptor wand. What’s next for the former warbler? She seems to be zero for zero. While no one can fault BLQ for her singing career being unceremoniously slashed short due to a freak attack, we can wonder about her suspicious exit from Deception. Perhaps it’s all in the name. This had to be Lucy. She swears this had nothing to do with wanting meet Blaze. Blaze says, it’s a hit piece. She’s had some herself. Hers are usually accompanied by an incredibly unflattering picture. It’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it. Brook thanks her, and Blaze says, it was a really low blow to make fun of her being attacked. Brook says, it’s not easy losing the one thing you loved more than anything in life.

Elizabeth says she’s glad Jake told her about Charlotte, but she has to get back to work. She tells him to head home, and he wonders if he should ask Carly about Uncle Drew. She said he could go visit Drew, but it’s been so long… Elizabeth says, wait. There’s something she has to tell him about his Uncle Drew.

Carly flashes back to talking to Sonny a minute ago, and then to telling Ava that Drew was going to find out who Austin was talking to at Pentenville. She says, Ava, and gets up.

Sonny goes into the chapel and finds Anna there.

Jake cries, and says, Uncle Drew has to be okay. Elizabeth says, the moment she knows anything, she’ll call him, but he says he wants to be here to find out. Please.

On the phone, Carly tells Ava that she’s at GH on the 10th floor. Get here as soon as she can. Nina comes out of the elevator, and Carly asks what she’s doing here. Nina says she heard what happened to Drew, and Elizabeth tells Carly that they’re taking Drew to emergency surgery. Carly asks, why? What happened? Elizabeth says she doesn’t have any details, but the doctor will be here soon to give Carly an update. Carly says, please let him be okay, and Nina looks uncomfortable.

Outside Charlie’s, Kristina thanks Alexis for the brilliant idea, and Alexis says she has no idea what that idea was, but she’s welcome. Kristina says she knows she was a little hard on Alexis, but she does appreciate Alexis coming to tell her the news. Alexis says, Kristina and Molly are going to get through this. Her girls love each other. Just be the strong one for Molly this time, okay? Kristina promises, and they hug. Alexis leaves, and Kristina watches Brook and Blaze through the window and smiles.

Brook says, if anyone could understand what it would be like, it would be Blaze. Singing was everything to her. For it just to be taken away suddenly, forever… Blaze asks how she deals with it, and Brook says she had a lot of help. Chase made her realize that there are different ways she can use whatever talent she has. Blaze says, but Brook never really lost her love for music, and Brook says, not even close. It’s in her blood. Her dad’s a musician. Her mom was a music manager – Lois Cirello. She is quite a character. Blaze would really like her. She always says the old cliché, when life gives you lemons… and they both finish, make lemonade. Brook says, she’s got quite the style; it’s definitely her own. Blaze says, maybe she’ll want to meet Brook’s first client, and Brook says, Blaze still wants to sign with her? Blaze says, hell yeah, and they shake hands.

The doctor comes over to Carly, and she asks if Drew is conscious. He says, no, but that might have saved his life. He broke one of his ribs, and the X-rays show there was a threatening of the aorta. Any unnecessary move could have been fatal. Carly says, so the surgery’s going to fix this? and the doctor says, that depends on many factors, but they have a specialist coming in. The surgery will take a few hours, and they won’t have any answers until it’s finished. Nina watches Carly stress out.

Anna says she and Sonny seem to end up in the strangest places together, and he says, that’s true. She says she feels like maybe they should be here right now, and he asks if she remembers asking him if it was worth it; the life he chose. She says, yeah, and he says he’s beginning to wonder.

Outside, Valentin tells Charlotte that he thinks they should put a tennis court right there. His phone rings and he says, that’s the landscaper. He’ll be right back. He goes inside, and Charlotte remembers opening a package from Switzerland she received while at boarding school. She opens it and takes out a of tarot cards, along with an envelope that has Charlotte written on it. She opens the envelope and read the letter inside. Valentin comes back and asks if everything is all right. She says, everything is going to be perfect.

Tomorrow, Gladys wants to know where her daughter-in-law is; Jake asks if they sit around and do nothing, but Elizabeth says, not necessarily; Valentin asks how Charlotte would feel if Anna moved in with them; and Carly says she knows exactly what Ava did.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Bear with me if I get any names wrong. My cross to bear in life is being bad with names and this new season brings nearly all new people.

Genoa Italy. Captain Sandy tells us that the Italian Riviera is an epic experience. The season hasn’t even started yet, and it’s a sh*tshow. Natalya is the temporary chief stew, since chief stew Tumi and second stew Kyle are stuck with an immigration problem. In her interview, the captain says, to save the season, they’re starting with two temps. There isn’t a ton of time, and she had to make a last-minute decision. Natalya is a hard worker with a great attitude (the latter is debatable), and she’s grateful Natalya can make it. She tells Natalya that she’ll have to teach the temp stew, since she’s primarily a deckhand. In Natalya’s interview, she says, she thinks she’ll do a better job than last season’s chief stew. Tash gave her PTSD, but she loves Captain Sandy. Chef Jack arrives, and in his interview, he says he trained in Liverpool and worked on the French Riviera and Asia. His forte is sauces. The initial reason he became a chef was for the travel. Growing up, he ate frozen food and McDonald’s, and didn’t have a vegetable until he was 16. Bosun Ruan arrives, and Captain Sandy says she’s happy with his experience on big vessels and driving the tender in big swells. In Ruan’s interview, he says he’s been a bosun for three years. There wasn’t much opportunity in his hometown, and he dropped out at 16. He’s 100% a water baby and a smooth sea never made a good sailor. He knows where he comes from and knows where he wants to go. Stew Jessika and deckhand Lara arrive, and Ruan dances in his cabin. There’s a bunch of introductions and checking out the boat. Deckhand Luka comes on board and says he worked for Captain Jason. We get a Down Under flashback, and Captain Sandy says, Captain Jason highly recommended him. In Luka’s interview, he says, he’s really an ETO, an electrical engineer, but he enjoys being on deck. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s impressed with Luka. She thinks he’s hot. Agreed. Deckhand Haleigh joins the crew, and in her interview, she says her dad wanted a son. I understand this, since I’m the son my father never had. She tells us that she played a lot of sports growing up, and worked on tugs. You get all your money and are done in one month. Then you can go home and drink beer. She burps. An MCA inspector arrives, and in Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, this season is a different. The Mustique (the boat) is a huge adjustment. It’s a commercial built vessel and it’s heavy. There’s full displacement, and it’s a whole different ballgame for her. They’re also in a major port that’s highly regulated. An MCA officer can board at any time. It’s all about safe operation of the vessel, and their job is to make sure the boat is safe. The inspector says, Ruan gave the captain photocopies of his certifications, and you should always have originals. It’s a problem.

Ruan is called to the bridge, and he says, it will be hard to get originals. The inspector tells him, on a private boat, it’s fine, but not on a commercial vessel. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, this is not okay, and now they’re in a bind. There’s a reason why they want originals; you can’t forge an original. If Ruan doesn’t get the documents in five days, it’s going to be a sh*tshow. In Jessika’s interview, she says she finds comfort in people, and wonders, who’s going be her friend? She grew up with a best friend who was a leader, and she’s comfortable in that situation. That’s why she’s a strong second stew; she’s a good follower. Natalya explains to Jessika that she’s only a temp and will be leaving. Ruan tells the deckhands about needing the original documents, and everyone gets to cleaning the boat. In Lara’s interview, she says she grew up on a farm in a conservative family. She used to dive and play in cow manure. At that age, you don’t care, but she wouldn’t do it now. Maybe if she was drunk enough… The captain asks Natalya what happened to Storm (her boatmance last season), but she says, he has a girlfriend. Ruan calls the friend holding his original certificates and explains that he needs to send them. Provisions come in, and for once, there’s enough space for everything. In Jack’s interview, he says he was always shy. He didn’t talk much until he was 8, and he hasn’t stopped yapping since. Temp stew Brooke arrives, and in her interview, she says, she’s not usually a stew. She’s been a deckhand on smaller vessels, but never been on one this big. It’s her first live aboard, and she’s excited, but she’s sh*tting her pants. Ruan calls a deckhand meeting, and his advice basically boils down to, they don’t want to hit anything or the season will be done.

Captain Sandy calls a crew meeting, and welcomes everyone. She says, there are a lot of women, and it’s the highlight for her. She tells them, no drugs, they can’t drink on charter, no racist comments, and don’t take her smile away. She introduces chief engineer Tony and chief officer Nikola (or vice versa). The captain then calls Natalya, Ruan, and Jack to the crew mess for the first preference sheet meeting. She says, primary Kian is her friend and doctor. He turned 40 during the pandemic and wants to celebrate in style. He’s bringing along friends Cameron, Jesus, Geraldo, Nathan, and Carl, and they want to do water sports, so the captain wants to water toys out when they drop anchor. Natalya reads that they want a coastal Italian meal and would like the captain to join them. Captain Sandy says, be prepared, and in her interview, she says, Kian is incredible. She saw him after she was in a car crash and one of her eyes wouldn’t close. He took skin from one eye, added it to the other, and fixed it. The crew is finally finished with getting the boat ready at around 9 pm. Ruan gets a phone call and starts crying. One of his best friends died. The only friend he’s known since he was little. He had a head on collision with a bus.

The crew is up before dawn, and in Ruan’s interview, he says, it wasn’t just a friend who died. He had been by Ruan’s side since he was 8, and every memory is with him. Ruan’s dad died when he was young, and it wasn’t about family; it was about friends. He lost someone who means so much to him. The first person he’d speak to in the morning, and the last to speak to before bed. It’s all gone. He tells himself, pull yourself together. Jessika claws at the linens on the beds to get the wrinkles out, and I file this away for future reference. The guests arrive, and Natalya tells interior, the boat looks amazing. Well done. Captain Sandy hugs Kian, and says, they’re going to show them the best time ever. One of the stews greets them with shots, and Kian says he likes what he sees. Natalya gives the tour, and in the galley, Jack says, welcome to my dungeon. Kian says, they’re collected 20 Michelin stars, and in Jack’s interview, he says, and they’re friends with Captain Sandy. It’s serious squeaky bum time. I have no idea what that means, but it sounds like some babytalk for getting in the bathtub. The MCA inspector calls and says he has additional questions about Ruan’s certificates. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, there’s someone else’s picture on Ruan’s certificate. This is not okay. They could be arrested because of one crew member.

The inspector says, Ruan can’t remain on board, and the captain thanks him for bringing it to her attention. She calls Ruan to the bridge. She tells Kian that they’re going to depart in one hour, and he says she’s holding her to that. Captain Sandy asks Ruan if he’s that guy, and shows him the picture. He says he is, but he doesn’t look like he believes it either. She says, whoever issued this, it’s not his, and asks where he went to school. He says, on a boat. He needed one quickly. She says, you have to go to a class to get it. Did he go to school? He says he did, in Moraco, but she says, you can’t get your yacht masters on a boat, and there’s no school in Monaco. In Ruan’s interview, he says, he’s worked on boats for three years using the same ticket. The captain says, he has to leave. If it turns out to be verified, a tender will bring him back to the boat, but if not, they can’t bring him back. They have to get moving, so he needs to get off the boat. In her interview, Captain Sandy says she’s a factual person. She’s seeing what she’s seeing, and this is a problem. Sometimes mistakes happen, but she doesn’t think that’s the case. Regardless, it’s a problem. She’s starting with no chief stew, and now no bosun. She texts provisioner Norma. In Jack’s interview, he says, they’re in Italy and have the best Italian ingredients. He’s making fresh, Italian food. He doesn’t believe in making swans and stuff. Lunch is served. Food porn! Food porn! Captain Sandy calls Luka to the bridge, and says she’s had an incident and Ruan has to leave. Until they can verify his documentation, they need an interim bosun. He says he doesn’t mind helping, and in the captain’s interview, she says she has to get off the dock, and doesn’t have a lot of choices. Luka’s CV is impeccable, and Captain Jason said he was excellent. The guests compliment Jack on lunch, and in Jack’s interview, he says his anxiety is gone. He’s Harry Potter and the galley is his Hogwarts. In Jessika’s interview, she says she knew Brooke was green on a boat, but she’s also green in real life. A bright green stew? Ruan packs and the crew wonders what’s going on. In Luka’s interview, he says, if you get pulled over by the cops, you don’t show them a photocopy of your license.

In his interview, Luka says, it looks a different trip for all three of them on deck, and he’s a little nervous. His main focus is to not crash the boat while they’re leaving the dock. Captain Sandy calls to shore for a pilot, and in her interview, she explains that if a boat is over 500 gross tons, they need a pilot on board when coming in or leaving the dock. A pilot is like a live google maps and knows the traffic in the marina. The unnamed marina pilot boards, and they leave the dock. In Luka’s interview, he says, they’re getting help now, but they need someone for the rest of season. There are so many people here, if they f*** up, it will be on the news. He’ll be the guy on stern saying, you just hit the dock. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she saw red flags with Ruan, but department heads are hard to come by. She thinks there’s a 0.5% chance he’ll come through. If she can’t find someone, they’re totally screwed. Luka teaches Haleigh anchor stuff, and in his interview, he suggests they fake it until they make it. The guests dress for dinner, and in Jack’s interview, he says he has a big act to follow. We flash back to Chef David, and Captain Sandy says she’s hoping dinner goes well for her friend.

Captain Sandy joins the guests for dinner – more food porn! – and Kian asks about her story. She says, her career saved her life. A neighbor gave her a quaalude and it changed life. She got on the drug train, but one day, she realized it was just another Groundhog Day and got sober. She started washing boats to pay her fines and feels that now it’s her job to mentor others. Kian asks how many chances she gives people, and she says, three, but I’m not so sure about that. Haliegh says, she hates washing dishes, but it’s what she knows how to do. Interior isn’t complicated; it’s just something she’s never done. She wants to be a captain. Her dad was a captain, and he was her biggest motivation. He came up with Sprouts grocery store, and before he passed away, he told her to do what makes her happy. The cake is, well, the cherry on the cake; it’s amazing, and so velvety chocolate looking. Kian says he wishes he was on a yacht in Portofino and blows out the candles. Natalya tells Jack that they’re loving it, and in his interview, he says he likes a chief stew who’s supportive. When they’re thrown in the deep end, they need to work together, and he thinks Natalya is rising to the challenge. In Natalya’s interview, she says she’s happy. The boat looks good, and the interior is running smoothly. If she gets a gold star from Captain Sandy, she’ll be loving life. The captain tells Jack that he’s really good, and in his interview, he says he’s cooked around the world and got the Michelin Knife Award in his 20s. Growing up, he was the wrong child. Ruan calls the captain, and says he’s sorry, but he thinks he’s going home. She asks about the original documents, and he says he stopped his friend from mailing them. He’s deciding to call it quits and go back to South Africa. In Captain Sandy’s interview, there are nothing but bleeps.

The guests get in the hot tub, and in her interview, Captain Sandy says, you don’t want to disturb the client. It’s an embarrassment for the boat, and better to just keep them happy. Smoke and mirrors. Nothing to see here. She hopes Norma pulls it off. Jessika thinks Natalya is going too easy on Brooke. They all need to break a sweat. Natalya says, she’s from the deck and it’s literally her first day. In Natalya’s interview, she says, Jessika needs to chill out. It’s Brooke’s first night and she’s brand new. They’re already one person down. Realize you’re not the chief stew. She never thought she’d say that. Jessika says, the problem is having to guide Brooke while she’s doing her own duties, and thanks Natalya for not stressing out. She thinks Natalya is a good chief stew. I’m sure this will somehow come back to haunt Kyle after he gets there. Luka says he doesn’t know what’s happening, and in his interview, he says he’s been chucked in deep, but never this deep. He never managed a team. He tells Haleigh what to do on the bridge, and in his interview, he says, his biggest problem is, he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. The last thing he wants to do is let Captain Sandy down.

2nd day of charter. Norma calls, and Captain Sandy says, she can’t get anyone for two weeks? Now what does she do? Unbelievable.

To be continued…

⛓ Linked Out…

Join me tomorrow for soap and tea offerings. Until then, stay safe, stay not finishing other people’s sentences, and stay realizing that there are many different ways you can use whatever talent you have.

Sep2

September 1, 2023 – Pikeman’s Shipment Comes In, On Or Not, OC In the Shade, Jersey Peek, Indecisive, VanderNotes, Messy Med, Over, Dead Talk, Praising Pups (!), Decapod Of Quotes & Pink

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in the elevator, Sonny says, that’s excellent news. They’ll be in touch. Cyrus’s voice says, it is not often that we get to live in and appreciate the humility of the Lord, but on days when our salvation is imminent, our faith calls us to give thanks in an especially joyful way.

We see Cyrus preaching to a group in the library, and he says, hear me when I tell you something – God is coming. And we who have waited with faith and patience and humility are privileged to bear witness. Rejoice, my brothers, rejoice! Amen. The group applauds.

Carly runs into Kelly’s, telling Josslyn that she’s sorry she’s late. She knows the concert starts soon. Josslyn says, don’t worry about it. She guesses Carly didn’t see her text. She’s not going.

Brook says, Chase isn’t joking, and he says he’s 100% serious. She says, he wants her to move in with him, and he says, yes. She says, no.

Olivia brings Ned out by the pool. It’s empty, and he says, slow night, huh? She says, not exactly. She sent everyone home. He asks, why? and she says she wanted them to be alone out here. He says, to do what exactly? and she says, remember. Ned, remember us. Remember who you used to be.

At the Bistro, Charlotte asks why Valentin has that look, and he says, what look would that be? She says, the look he gets when he’s about to tell her something she won’t like.

Maxie turns on the lights at Lulu’s house, and goes in with Georgie, James, and Felicia. Georgie says, this was her big surprise, a visit to Aunt Lulu’s house? James says he’s surprised. He thought they were going to a Woodchuck’s game. Felicia tells him that they’re going to the game soon, but right now, they’re on an amazing adventure. Georgie asks, what is this amazing adventure? and Felicia says, they’re here to explore. James says, explore what? and Felicia says, the house. Maxie says, and maybe stake out which bedroom is going to be his new room, and James says, she means… Maxie says, no more sharing. They’re moving in here. This is their new house. Funny. I don’t remember Lulu’s house being this huge. I’ll just say it. This ain’t your Lulu’s house.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina says, unfortunately, that’s a question for Olivia and she’s not here, so they’ll have to wait. She tosses down the phone, looking harried, and looks up to see Sonny come in. She says, this is a nice surprise. She didn’t know he was coming here tonight. They hug, and he says, this is the best joint in town, especially the view. She says she’s glad he likes it. There’s something she really needs to talk to him about… Kristina walks in, and asks if Nina is joining them, but Nina says, no. This dinner is just for the two of them. She has to work. Olivia asked her to be on the floor tonight. She starts to leave, but Sonny asks what she had to tell him. She says she can take care of it herself. It’s really nothing. Enjoy their dinner. There’s a great steak special tonight. Sonny says, then he’s got it all. He has great steak, a gorgeous fiancé, a brilliant daughter. He’s got it all right here, right? The three of them smile.

Ned starts to leave, but Olivia tells him, wait. His daughter Brook, Ned’s daughter, is in a lot of pain right now because of something Tracy did. She ran out of the house because of his mother. He says, don’t put that on him, and she says, of course (🍷) not, but he was always the bridge between the two of them. He could always sort it out. There are people who still need him; his mother and his daughter and their son… the kid… Leo? For their sake, can he please just try?

Nina says she’ll send the waitress over, and Sonny thanks Kristina for being so supportive of him. Kristina says she genuinely likes Nina. Not everyone’s against him too. She can see how happy Nina makes him. She puts her hand on his.

Cyrus tells the group, today is the day for miracles. A time of righteousness, and yes, vengeance. But without the dark, there can be no light; and without vengeance, there can be no righteousness. So let us pray that this vengeance passes by unscathed, so that we may testify to the cleansing power of our Creator. The Warden Garten watches as he speaks, and he says, for all the world’s a cage, and we are all inmates in God’s celestial play, trying to break free from the grip of licentiousness, arrogance, and evil. As it says in Deuteronomy 23:14; for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee. Therefore shall they camp be holy that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. He looks at the warden.

Willow comes into the restaurant with Wiley, who runs to Nina. She hugs him, and Sonny tells Kristina, look how happy she is.

Josslyn tells Carly that they can’t go to the concert anymore because suddenly, Dex has to do something for Sonny. Carly says, oh, and Josslyn says she hates that Carly knows exactly how she’s feeling. Carly says, so Dex has to work for Sonny and Josslyn has to make alternate plans. Been there, done that. Josslyn says, it’s not that; it’s the situation. She knows she said she was moving on and trying to put it behind her, but she hates that Dex is putting himself in danger. Carly says, that’s who Dex was when Josslyn met him. He’s a guy who takes risks, for better or worse. Josslyn says, yeah, but now he’s protecting Sonny, and taking those risks because of Carly and because of Michael. Carly says, and that’s his choice, and it’s for his protection. Josslyn says she knows. It’s just, some days are harder than others. Carly says she gets that, but if Josslyn got into this thinking she was going to change Dex, that’s not going to happen.

Chase says, Brook doesn’t want to live with him? and she says she doesn’t think he’s thought this through. He says he has, and she says, oh really? Because a whole two and a half second deliberation isn’t exactly thorough. He says, it’s not like they haven’t lived together before, and she says, exactly. That’s what she’s saying. The first time, she drove him absolutely crazy, and the second time was for Bailey. He says, the third time will be for love.

Charlotte says, Maxie and her family are living at her mom’s house? and Valentin says, her mother always loved Maxie and her children. Doesn’t she think it might be nice to have some people living in that house? It’s been sitting empty. She says, yeah, but she just wishes it was her mom coming home to live there. He says he does too, but how does she feel about Maxie and her kids moving in? She says, why bother asking her when it’s already done? and he says, the decision to rent was Dante’s. He’s just asking because he cares about her feelings, so why doesn’t she tell him? She says, it’s just another place, like all of the places she’s lived. None of them last.

James runs through the living room saying, this house is huge, and there’s a backyard. He can make a treehouse. Wait. How many rooms are there? Felicia suggests they take a reconnaissance mission and count the rooms. Ready for take-off? Let’s go. They run out, and Maxie asks Georgie, what’s going on? Doesn’t she like the house? Georgie says, of course (🍷) she likes it. She remembers playing here when she was little. It seemed even bigger then. But this is Aunt Lulu’s house.

Josslyn says she doesn’t want to change Dex. Why would Carly say that? Carly says she’s been down this road, many times. She wouldn’t be Josslyn’s mother if she didn’t want to spare Josslyn from unnecessary pain. Josslyn says she’s not in pain, and Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t have to convince her; she just has to be honest with herself. Worrying about Dex, knowing he’s always in danger, is a heavy burden. And if she decides she doesn’t want to do this anymore and doesn’t want to be a part of that life, that’s okay. She just has to admit it to herself, and then she has to tell Dex. Josslyn tells Carly not to put her history with Sonny on her. She’s just disappointed, and that doesn’t mean she wants to break up with Dex. Actually, she thinks she’s still going to go to the concert because she has a bunch of friends going. Carly says, great, and Josslyn says, don’t wait up for her. Carly says, okay, and Josslyn leaves.

Brook says, Chase knows she loves him, right? and he says, yes… She says, part of the reason she does is, he’s like a knight. When someone’s in trouble, he can’t help but want to fix it. He says, she’s not just someone. They’re in a good place, and he can see she’s hurting at home. She says she appreciates his concern, but she doesn’t think living together is what they need right now.

Nina says she’s so surprised to see Wiley. She’s glad he came. Wiley sees Sonny, and says he wants to see grandpa. Nina looks at Willow, who nods, and she brings Wiley over to Sonny. Wiley and Sonny high-five, and Kristina tells Wiley that he’s looking sharp. Wiley suggests they go to grandpa’s and have a barbecue and play baseball, but Sonny says, where he lives is kind of high up. You can’t play baseball. Nina says, but if you stand on the terrace, you can see all of Port Charles. Wiley says, really? and tells Willow, let’s all go to grandpa’s and have picnic on the terrace. Kristina can come too, and Amelia and Nina, Grandpa Sonny… Michael comes out of the elevator, and Wiley continues, mommy, daddy, and Leo too? Sonny says, he can invite anybody he wants, and Willow goes over to Michael. He asks if it’s a party, and she says, yeah. Nina was here when she arrived, then Wiley saw Sonny and went to say hello. He says, if it’s okay with her, it’s okay with him. Wiley runs to Michael, who hugs him. Michael smiles at Sonny, then realizes he’s smiling at Sonny.

Maxie tells Georgie, Aunt Lulu is her best friend, and she thinks Aunt Lulu would want them to fill this place with laughter and memories, just like the memories they made with her when she lived here. Georgie asks if it won’t make Maxie miss Aunt Lulu more if they live here, and Maxie takes her hand, saying, she’ll miss Aunt Lulu no matter where they live. That’s not going to change, but being here does make Maxie feel a teeny bit closer to her. It’s almost like she gave us a little present, right? Maxie wouldn’t have brought them here if she didn’t feel good about it. Lulu asks if she can paint her room purple, and Maxie says she can. (I painted my room purple when I was around Georgie’s age. Is that a thing when you’re a tween?) Felicia comes back with James, and he says, guess what? There’s four bedrooms, one for each of them. And he’s already picked his. Georgie says, no fair. She’s older and she gets to pick first. James says he forgot. Age before beauty. He runs off, Georgie chasing him. Felicia says she’s so glad Maxie is doing this, and Maxie says, so is she.

Ned asks what Olivia wants him to do. He’s not making any guarantees. She says she understands it. She just wants to walk him through what happened that night. He says, the night of the supposed accident, and she says, see if it comes back to him. He asks how she can walk him through it if she wasn’t here. He heard it was just Tracy and Drew who saw him fall. She leads him to the other side of the room, and says, Drew told her everything that happened. They can just give it a try. He says, all right, whatever. Lay it on him. She says, he started out over here – she walks across  the room – and he saw Drew and Tracy arguing over here. So just walk to her… slowly, and see if anything feels familiar. Okay? Is he ready? He says, ready, and starts to walk.

Brook says she and Chase are in a really good place and she wants to keep it that way, but he says, moving in isn’t going to change that. If anything, it’ll bring them closer. She says, or closer to World War III. She drove him crazy when she was just temporarily couch surfing. She’s not the neatest person. She leaves her stuff everywhere. She thrives in creative clutter. He says, so they had a few discussions about clutter, and she says, more than a few. He was counting the days until she left him to his Zen world of order. He says, then when she left, his place felt empty. He missed her, and it hasn’t felt right since she left. Make it right. Move back in with him.

Local guy Steve goes into Kelly’s, and Carly asks if he wants the usual. He says he likes what she’s done with the place. It’s gotten a lot nicer since she took over. She says, it was a personal project, and he tells her, this might not be his place to say, but he thought she should know. Her ex-husband is in for a world of trouble.

Warden Garten gestures that she wants to talk to Cyrus, and he suggests the group take a break to reflect on their redemption. Cyrus says he hopes the warden hasn’t come to stop their study. He and his friends are just trying to let go of their past so they can look toward a righteous future. She says, don’t worry. She’s not here to break up his group. She just wanted to see it for herself. She’s impressed. He says, her support means a great deal, and she says, he genuinely seems like a changed man. He says, after his heart attack, he’s come to see life in a new light. His faith was rejuvenated. She says, while she might not share his exact faith, she’s relying on him for a common cause. He says, trust him. He wants nothing but the best. He believes everything is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to be. She says, let’s hope so, and he says he has only one purpose now; to bring about God’s will on earth. She says she’d hate for him to disappoint her after all his progress, and starts to leave, but he calls to her and she stops. He says, sometimes the most unexpected alliances can lead to the most extraordinary outcomes. Who knows what a difference he and his flock together can achieve? She smiles at him, and I have no clue what to make of this.

A wooden crate stamped with the Pikeman name and logo is unloaded on the docks. Dex says, they’re late, and Gabe (?) says, sometimes there are delays. This shipment’s too important for them not to pick up. They’ll be here. Dex says, the sooner the better. The boss wants this stuff out of here. He looks out to the water using binoculars.

Nina says hi to Michael, and tells him that she’ll get them a table. She calls Trish over, and tells Wiley that it was so good to see him. They go to their table, and Wiley asks Michael if they can have Grandpa Sonny and Nina over for baseball and a barbecue. They live up too high. They can have a party with everyone at their house. Michael says, if that’s what Wiley wants, he thinks they can make it happen.

Sonny tells Kristina that he can’t believe how fast Wiley is growing. Such a nice surprise. Was that her? She says, no. She wishes she could take credit for that, but she can’t tell a lie. That was pure synchronicity. (I would have said serendipity, but okay.) Sonny asks why she wanted to meet for dinner, and she asks if she has to have a reason. He says, she always does, and she guesses that’s true. She wanted him to be the first to know that the LGBTQIA+ foundation board is complete. The Corinthos-Davis House is a go. He says, that’s fantastic, and she says she’s so excited, and she couldn’t have done it without him.

Olivia says, this is the spot where Ned fell. Drew said, Ned came rushing toward him over here, and had something really important to tell him. Nina walks in, and says she doesn’t mean to interrupt whatever they’re doing, but she heard Olivia closed the pool, and she wanted to see if everything’s okay. Olivia says she should have warned Nina. They’re just doing a little exercise. They’re trying to see if they can stimulate Eddie’s memory. Nina asks if she’s sure that’s wise, and Olivia says she thinks it could help. Nina says she knows head trauma is unpredictable and would hate for Olivia to risk anything, and Olivia thanks her, but says she thinks they’ll be okay. Nina says she doesn’t mean anything by that. She hopes their experiment works. Good luck. She strides out of the room, taking a last look at them before she goes.

Valentin says, it’s really done a number on Charlotte, all this shuffling around, moving from place to place. It can’t have been easy, and if it hurt her, he’s sorry. It’s his fault. She says she always knew he’d be with her if he could. He’s in between places, living with Anna while she was at camp. With grandma away, she can’t stay at her place with Spencer and Esme. Dante and Sam are nice, but… He says, it’s not her home. That’s what he’s always wanted to give her, a stable place to call home. Listen to him. Things are changing as they speak. She says she knows. Things are always changing. That’s the only thing that stays the same.

Maxie tells Felicia that she’s going to be totally honest. It feels really strange to be here after all this time. She knows they had to get out of that apartment, and she was putting her finances together so she could get a place. Then Tracy’s horrible lawsuit happened. So she was happy when Sam suggested they rent this place. Can Felicia imagine trying to juggle a lawsuit and a mortgage at the same time? She would have been pulling her hair out. Felicia says, Tracy Quartermaine leaves a trail of destruction wherever she goes. She doesn’t like to wish ill on anyone, but she’ll be so glad when they wipe that smug smile off Tracy’s face and win the lawsuit. And they will win, because they have the truth on their side. Maxie says she’s not so sure about that. Tracy Quartermaine is ruthless. And she’ll do anything to win, including using her own granddaughter as a spy.

Brook asks Chase if he knows the expression, be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. He says he knows it. Whatever happened to the fearless BLQ who leaps before she looks? She says, maybe she became a little more cautious because she sprained her ankle a few too many times. She has something to lose now – him. And she doesn’t want him to regret her moving in. He says he’s not going to regret it, but she says, he might. And not just because she’s messy. She does stuff. She does stupid stuff that she regrets, like getting mixed up in Tracy’s dirty tricks.

Carly says she doesn’t want to cause Steve any problems, but what does he mean, trouble? He looks around and says, it’s probably nothing, but he passed what seemed to be a staging area down by Elm, the fisherman village. It looked like Feds. They’re definitely not local. And he heard the name Corinthos.

Cyrus says, today is the day our unspoken adversary is just one step behind, and those of us who have been in his employ, willingly or not, are now called upon to awaken and cast off his infernal darkness. Wake up! Your life is waiting for you. The warden tells the guard that she wishes more inmates were as inspired as Cyrus, and she leaves. Cyrus smiles.

Nina flashes back to Ned overhearing her talking to Martin, and that she’s the one who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC, when he’s being accused of it. Willow calls to her, and Nina goes over to their table. She asks if everything is all right. Did they get everything they ordered? Willow says, they did, and thanks her. She says, Wiley had the idea they should have a barbecue with baseball at their house. Wiley tells Nina that he has a new mitt, and Willow asks if that sounds like something Nina would like to join them for. Nina looks at Michael, who nods, and she says she’d love to go.

Kristina tells Sonny that she doesn’t want to jinx it, but she thinks Wiley might be the key to Michael and Willow accepting Nina. Sonny says, they’ve been through a lot and he thinks things are finally starting to turn. She says she’s so happy for them both, and he says he thinks she’s leading the way with this new center. He’s proud of her.

Olivia says, anything? but Ned says he doesn’t know. He’s told so often about what happened that night, he feels like he might remember… but he doesn’t. This is just another pool. She says, okay. She knew it was a long shot. He says he’s sorry to disappoint her, but she says, no. He was amazing. She thanks him so much for trying. He says she’s been pretty good to him and he’s been really hard on her. He just wants to say he’s sorry. She tells him that he’s forgiven. He says, friends? and holds out his hand. She takes it, and says, friends. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss her.

Brook says, it’s not just about her and Chase moving in together, although that’s definitely nerve-wracking. She doesn’t have the greatest track record, and this whole situation with Tracy is just another thing she messed up. He says he’s not asking for or expecting her to be perfect. He loves her just the way she is, flaws and all. He’s not trying to rescue her. Her moving in makes sense… to him anyway. How about her? When she strips away all the worries and regrets of the past, how does she feel about it? She starts to cough.

Carly brings out Steve’s to-go bag, and says, it’s on her. He says, she doesn’t have to do that, but she says she appreciates the information he gave her. He thanks her and leaves. I like Steve. He has a pleasant way about him. Carly is about to call Sonny, when Chase runs in and asks if he can have a glass of water for Brook.

Nina asks if it would be okay if she brought Wiley over and taught him how to make a Roy Rogers. And Wiley can tell her all about his new mitt. Michael asks Wile, what do you say? and Wiley asks Willow, can he please? Willow says, all right, but just a small one. They don’t want all that sugar. Nina says, they definitely don’t, and hustles him away. Michael asks if Willow is sure she’s okay with this. She’s been having a lot of Nina lately. Willow says, it’s fine. She’s not 100% comfortable with Nina, but Wiley is. Micheal agrees, and she says, they have to start somewhere. The important thing is bringing this whole family back together.

At the bar, Nina tells Wiley, now they add the sugar free cola, and Kristina tells Sonny that they can go over there if he wants, but he says, Nina’s got it covered. He wants to hear more about her Board. She says, they have Dr. Randolph, Michael, and he knows Diane… His phone rings, and he sees it’s Carly. Kristina says he can take it, but he tells her, this is more important, and shuts his phone off. Off all the times, eh?

Cyrus says, we may be tarred with a brush whose mark can never be removed, but that does not mean we can’t contribute to God’s work. Perhaps we may never sit at the foot of His majestic throne, but we can know that our lives have not been lived in vain. There is a way for each and every one of us to do our part of the Divine work, no matter how small that part may seem. For the Lord said, the lowest among us, the most damnedest among us is capable of redemption. And he who protects the innocent is the first among men.

Another crate is put on the dock, and Dex says, they’re here. He runs down the stairs, and tells another guy that he wants everything ready for a quick transfer. His phone rings, and he tells Gabe that he’s got to take this. He’ll be back when the ship docks. Gabe says he’s got it, and Dex slips around the corner. He says, Miss Spencer? and Carly says, Josslyn told her that he was doing a job for Sonny tonight. He’s like, uh… and she says, whatever it is, get out of there. There’s going to be a raid. Dex looks out, and she asks if he can hear her. Get out of there now.

As they check out the kitchen, Felicia says she has a good feeling about Maxie being here. Almost as if the house is welcoming her. It wants Maxie to make it into a home again. Maxie says she thinks Lulu would want that too. To a new beginning, like Felicia at the hospital. Felicia says, she’s right. That came as a surprise. She never saw herself working as a volunteer at General Hospital. Maxie says she’s sure Felicia will be a lot better at it than she was. Felicia says she loves Maxie, and she’s so proud of her. She starts to cry, and Maxie hugs her, saying, don’t cry. She loves Felicia too. James calls from the other room, and Maxie and Felicia dash in. James says his room has a secret hiding spot, and Georgie says she’s got the view and the window seat. James says, Bailey can have the little room, and Georgie asks when they’re moving in. Maxie says, not soon enough. Should they go home and start packing? James and Georgie nod, and they all file out, Maxie pausing and smiling before she turns out the light.

Valentin says he knows he let Charlotte down, but she says, let’s not talk about that. He says he’s made mistakes. He’s made far more mistakes than he cares to mention. It’s taken him way to long to get her the stable life she deserves. She says she doesn’t care how long it took. She just wishes they could be together all the time. He says, they will be. He just has to get these last details in place. And until then, know this. She’s the most important person in his world. It’ll always be the two of them. She goes over to him and hugs him. She says, just the two of us, papa.

Chase brings Brook the water, and she gulps some down. She says she literally talked herself hoarse trying to come up with all the reasons she shouldn’t live with him. He says, she knows she has to take care of her throat, and she says, she does want this. She wants nothing more than to live with him. He says he knew she would see it his way eventually. He holds out his hand and says, let’s go home. They stroll out of the courtyard hand in hand.

Dex says, the boat is docking, and Carly says, forget about that. There is no time. He has to get out of there. As he’s about to go back out, floodlights come on and the Feds are there. One says, put their hands where he can see them. They’re all under arrest. Get on the ground now. All of the guys on the dock comply, but Dex remains unseen. He peeks out, sees what’s going on, and runs up the stairs.

Cyrus says, today, the Almighty will focus His cleansing vengeance on those who collaborate with our great enemy. Proverbs 2:22: The wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. He smiles.

Olivia says, the least she can do is buy Ned a drink after going through that poolside psycho drama with her. He says he’ll never turn down top-shelf, and she says, there’s a little Quartermaine left in him. (I was thinking more Larry Ashton.) They go to the bar, and Nina watches.

Willow tells Wiley, that was delicious, and he says, with two cherries. She and Michael smile at each other.

Since everyone is way too happy, when Kristina starts to tell Sonny about the upcoming first Board meeting, a bunch of guys come out of the elevator approach the table. One says, Mr. Corinthos, you’re under arrest for violations of the National Security Act, and shows his badge. Kristina says, what the hell? and gets up, but one of the Feds grabs her. Sonny tells him to get his hands off of his daughter, and the arresting Fed tells Sonny, do not escalate this. Sonny says he’s not escalating nothing, when Michael comes over and says, there’s no problem here, putting his hand on Kristina’s back. Kristina says, tell them; they’re arresting dad. Sonny tells Kristina that it’s okay, and they cuff him.

Wiley asks Willow what they’re doing to grandpa. Where are they taking him? Putting him on her lap, Willow tells him, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.

Sonny tells Kristina, this is going to be cleared up, and the Feds march him to the elevator. Kristina tells Michael, do something.

Cyrus says, the Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. Upon the wicked, He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone – Sonny is led into the elevator – and horrible tempests; this shall be the portion of their cup. The elevator door closes.

On Monday Tuesday, Carly says, Michael needs to tell her the truth right now; Austin asks what Nikolas is going to do; Dex tells Josslyn that somebody turned Sonny in; Cyrus says, Drew is no longer under Sonny’s protection; and Sonny tells someone that he’s not saying anything without his lawyer present.

🧼 Not Laboring…

No GH on Monday.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🍊 Follow the Bouncing Orange…

It was pretty funny when Gina said, the next time Shannon told the story, she’d be a murderer, since she made it worse each time.

RHOC’s Tamra Judge Accuses Jen Pedranti of “Playing Victim” Over Shannon’s “CPS” Comment as Jen Claps Back, Plus Gina Seemingly Shades Shannon

📸 What’s Wrong With This Picture…?

Where the hell is Biscuit in the post about his/her birthday?

Is Teresa Giudice Getting Demoted on RHONJ? Plus Jenn Fessler’s New Role is Revealed as She Seemingly Addresses Feud Rumors With Marg and Is Spotted Filming With Rachel While She Cries

💎 Stuck In the Middle…

It still doesn’t make any sense. What does separated, but living under the same roof even mean? Are they seeing other people? If they are, it seems like it would be difficult to work out their issues. If they’re not, then aren’t they just still married, but not getting busy? And her answer to the fan question is a non-answer.

RHOBH’s Kyle Richards Admits Separation From Mauricio Has Been “Very Hard” as She Reacts to “Loaded” Question From Fan

🍸 Latest On the Ruling Class…

He must be a keeper if he hasn’t run yet.

Daniel Wai Joins Pump Rules Cast Trip With Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval
https://pagesix.com/2023/09/01/ariana-madixs-bf-daniel-wai-joins-pump-rules-trip-with-sandoval/

Not a real surprise.

Vanderpump Rules’ Stassi Schroeder Backs Up Raquel Leviss’ Story About Tom’s Production Threats, Recalls Crying Over Footage as Film Team “Covered” for Male Cast Members

⚓️ A Fun Time Was Had…

I’m not sure who looks worse, the guests or the crew.

Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8 Explosive Trailer Revealed

🏖 Breakup In the House…

Yeah. Nobody saw this coming.

https://www.etonline.com/summer-house-stars-carl-radke-and-lindsay-hubbard-call-off-engagement-exclusive-210637

https://stylecaster.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/1631823/why-lindsday-hubbard-carl-radke-break-up/

Rumor: Carl Radke Rang Summer House Producers to Film Lindsay Hubbard Breakup

⚰️ On the Undead Front…

How’d they manage this?

‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoffs & ‘Interview With The Vampire’ To Resume Production As AMC Networks Strikes Significant Agreements With SAG-AFTRA

He’s a busy dude.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/08/30/watch-colman-domingo-civil-rights-rustin-trailer/

🐶 Just Like Us…

Celebrities celebrating their pups.

https://people.com/halle-berry-brooke-shields-justin-theroux-and-more-celebrate-national-dog-day-7853272

🪗 Quotes of the Week

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. – Albert Einstein (The first guy to figure out Survivor.)

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie

The expert in anything was once a beginner. – Helen Hayes

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. – Stephen King

The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it. – John Locke

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. – John Lubbock

Believe you can and you are halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. – George Bernard Shaw

If I can’t eat it, bang it, or bet on it, it’s not in my phone. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

🛸 The Future Is Now…

Jump into September on Tuesday for a lotta soap and a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay always returning your shopping cart to the proper place, and stay being careful what you wish for; you just might get it.